How to be a Frugal Gourmet

Step 1: Survey the contents of your pantry, noting that you only have almonds, green tea, and Spanish olive oil
Step 2: Peruse an incredible food blog in search of an esoteric, yet easily affordable recipe to use.

Step 3: Conduct an ingredients survey: salt...check, mason jar (or if you're extremely frugal, a tupperware container with an airtight lid)...check, various spices hiding in the cabinet...check, and lemons...?

Step 4: Conduct a search for free meyer's lemons
And take a few with you.

Step 5: Wash and scrub the lemons, cut off the end where the stem is and make a one-inch deep X-shaped incision at each end (but be careful not to quarter the lemon by accident). Stuff the incisions with salt (David Lebovitz says about 1 tbs. per lemon) and crush together inside the jar or container.

Step 6: Drop a few extra spices in the jar (a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, some cloves) and seal. Put in a corner.

Step 7: The next day, crush the lemons with the back of a spoon again, making sure that they're submerged in liquid. Seal the lid again and store away, repeating the occasional crush for the next couple of days.

Step 8: Set aside for a month. They'll be ready when they're soft. Discard the pulp and slice the rind into small pieces and add to a salad or pizza. When people ask what the heck you're doing, say: "I'm making preserved lemons. It's very gourmet."

Step 9: Write a note to a dear friend and, maybe, just maybe, call yourself a friminal :)

A sense of transition

Oh man. There's no stopping it.

I'm at the cusp of adulthood. You know, the edge of the cliff that leads to that world we never imagined we'd ever reach- where people have desk jobs, and go to graduate school, and pay all of the bills. The feeling is making me cherish the ups and downs of college more than ever. In fact, I'm holding onto these remaining school days for my dear life... stumbling about and writing crazy things about the experience, like the following:

Youth is the sip of that bitter coffee, and the thought that despite all of the tragedy in the world that swells like a spilled puddle of liquid and touches you with its very edges, you can still stare at the night sky and find the innermost serenity in nothing at all.

CRAZY right!? (I hope you know I omitted about 5 other sentences in the interest of your sanity). So I figured that I should take a break from navigating the streams of consciousness and return to what is truly good. Do you remember when we had a mandatory snack time in first grade? Well, I do. I mean, how could I not?

The other night, I was struck by a bit of inspiration (and that longing for a bit of sweetness after dinner that starts out like a small whim and as time passes somehow transforms into a giant, insatiable wildebeest!) So I decided, given the sparse contents of my pantry, to make a small batch of cookies. After a lengthy search, I discovered some peanut butter cookies on this site, and made them right away. For some reason, upon taking my first bite I was flooded with memories of elementary school... and the ten minute snack breaks we'd take to sit out on the benches in front of class and munch on graham crackers while peeling away the paint on the bench with our fingertips. Ah! The simplicity of it all!

And if you need this brief remembrance of things past, please don't hesitate to bake these cookies.

Peanut Butter Graham-Cracker-like Cookies

I'm giving them this unappealing title because with the addition of a bit of cocoa powder and cinnamon, the flavor of these changed dramatically from that of the original recipe! I also made a quarter batch, but I'm going to give you the recipe for the whole just in case.

Practically entirely stolen from 101 Cookbooks

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. fine salt
1 cup natural peanut butter (I used 1/2 cup peanut and 1/2 cup almond butter)
1 cup honey
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
*1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional, I didn't have any on hand)
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2- 1 tsp. cinnamon (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and cinnamon) together in a bowl. Set aside.

Now here's the first place where I strayed from the recipe. I heated the oil, peanut butter, and honey on low heat so as to incorporate all of the ingredients. You certainly don't have to do this if you think everything will mix nicely. Either way, mix the wet ingredients in a bowl.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients, but don't over-mix. Heidi recommends that you chill the dough for an hour or so, but I took my tablespoon, shaped some cookies, and plopped them on the baking sheet to bake right away...and my cookies turned out just fine. Oh! and after placing the cookies on the baking sheet, make a quick flat indentation with your fork. They don't seem to flatten out much otherwise. You only want to cook them for 10 minutes or a little less- if not, they'll dry up!

Enjoy!

Wait for it

My mother, in her infinite wisdom, tried oh so very hard to instill an unwavering sense of patience in me. As she carefully placed the essential social norms in the bookshelves of my conscience, however, she probably found that the tome of patience somehow just never quite right. As a result, she's got a daughter that wants tomorrow to happen today, and even worse, that devours roasted squash right off the baking pan. Disgraceful!

I first made this recipe last winter, when it seemed like the warmth of the oven could solve all of the world's problems. I remember not expecting much, but then being pleasantly surprised by the complement of the nutty squash and the various layers of flavor from the vinaigrette. This time around I was patient enough to plate it (I had company!) But I had to fight temptation :)

Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile Lime Vinaigrette
adapted from Gourmet

1 large acorn squash
3 tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tbs. honey
1 thai red bird chile, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the ends off the squash and then slice along the ridges (I recommend using a good knife or recruiting someone who's pretty strong to do this, as acorn squash is a stubborn vegetable). Place the pieces in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper (to taste). When the pieces are evenly coated, place them on a baking sheet, cut sides down, and put the sheet in the oven.

In the meantime, place the minced garlic in a bowl and smash with a bit of salt. Then add the lime juice and honey and stir. Taste the mixture- it should have a good combination of lime and sweetness. Add more lime if necessary. Then add the chile.

The squash takes about 30 minutes to cook, but I'd check about 15 minutes into the process and flip the pieces. You want them to be golden and tender.

When the squash is done, place it on a plate and carefully pour the dressing over the pieces.

Enjoy!

Fridays

On Fridays, I drift through the day in the most relaxing way. I notice the small things that I never saw when I had to hurry on Monday, study on Tuesday, and sit in a crowded exam room on Wednesday and Thursday. In the morning, the light streaks through my curtain-concealed window in just the right way, gently pulling me to consciousness. And when I set out for campus, my legs move in the perfect rhythm, and I can finally, finally find a good song to listen to.

After this latest exam-ridden storm, I think I might have lost a few things in the process... but at least for now, I can see the calm. Here's to that and the copious amounts of dark chocolate and green tea that got me through it. I don't have a recipe for you yet, but let me tell you, November is my favorite month, and thus you will be hearing from me quite regularly, with Fall themed recipes to write many a tune to.

Thanks for stopping by- it means the world to me.

A short break

Well, I'm knee deep in interest rate parity, current account balances, and the various ramifications of fiscal policy on the exchange rate, but I thought I'd take a break from sloshing around, grab onto the nearest ledge, and quickly share this granola recipe with you. You know, because it's imperative. I don't know why, but I find a bowl of cereal, milk, and fruit to be the most comforting thing on the planet. Granola is no exception to the rule... and as I've found that the store-bought kind tends to be overly sweet, homemade is now my favorite option. Plus, what more fulfilling way is there to fill every crevice of your home or student apartment with the pleasant aroma of spice and toasted grains?

What I like about this recipe is that it gives you the freedom to experiment- or test the ranges of the hippie spectrum. For example, if you'd like to add flax seeds and millet, please, hop down to the nearest food co-op and be my guest! If you'd like to finally peruse Trader Joe's selection of nuts and dried fruits, only to come up with an epic blend of tropical granola mayhem, go right ahead! Just be sure to let me know what you do.... because while I'm quite pleased with my mixture (sliced almonds, dried cranberries, dried golden raisins... simple!) I'd love to emerge from these swampy economic waters with a new recipe in hand.

Granola
adapted from multiple sources, but namely this one. This site has some excellent suggestions for add-ins.

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups of nuts, fruits, grains, etc. that you'd like to add
1/3 cup wheat bran *(optional, but I like to think it's good for texture)
1 tsp cinnamon (again, you can add cardamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.!)

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour the honey, vegetable oil, and water in a small pan and place over low heat until the liquids are completely mixed together. Then pour the liquid (it's hot! Watch out!) into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until everything's well coated. Finally, pour onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes... you'll want to check halfway through and stir things up a bit to ensure that the granola cooks evenly.

Enjoy!

Today

Today, I made my Armenian grandmother proud. I roasted an eggplant.

I'm quite vocal about my half Armenian half Russian Jewish heritage, and if you know me even minutely well, you'll have heard me boast about each side at least once or twice, despite the fact that I'm up to the third generation notch on both belts.

My pride for my Armenian side definitely does not stand alone, however. If you meet any of the members of my mother's family you'll discover that they too, are quite chatty about any iota of Armenian blood that they've got churning through them. For many this can be quite a puzzling fact... especially upon witnessing one of us meet a person that's actually from Armenia (we tend to say the only five words that we know and lapse into a discussion of what our grandparents have told us about "the old country"). Nevertheless, you only need to do one thing to understand the origin of our strange pride- pick up a plate of Armenian food.

I can imagine it now- one of my grandmother's old white plates, stacked high with with lamb shish-kebab, a generous portion of rice pilaf, yalanchi (our version of dolmas), and a brilliant green salad. On the table is dampened lavash (flat bread) with a nice pile of hand-pulled string cheese that's been flecked with darkened sesame seeds, all accompanied by a platter of cured meats. Now that's a cuisine to be proud of.

And it's the food that brings us together- we celebrate holidays with shish kebab, or lamb burgers (with parsley, mint, and chopped shallots buried within). We bond while shredding string cheese or rolling yalanchis. And now that we've all become so busy, we catch up by talking about it all... from the lavash and klehma to the new baby in the family, and my aunt's latest art project.

Strangely enough, there usually aren't too many eggplants involved in our feasts.... but as I've heard from my cousins that have been to Armenia, eggplant is pretty common (i.e. "I can't eat another eggplant in my life. That's all we ate there. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.") I'm sure that their experience isn't the true norm, but I figured I might as well keep considering eggplant in my list of "Armenian" foods.

So last week, when I was on the phone with my grandmother, the conversation naturally turned to what I was cooking... and as I mentioned all of the vegetables resting in my crisper drawer that were fresh for the plucking, I felt a long pause on the line. Then the inevitable came: "Why don't you try roasting an eggplant?"

Truthfully, I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying that when I think of eggplant, I can't shake the mushy, grey images of it from my mind. However, given that my grandmother is the family expert on Armenian cooking, and that she roasts and/or stuffs eggplants often, I thought I'd give her suggestion a try. Let's just say, I've already repeated it twice and have another eggplant waiting for me in the fridge.

My recipe is simple, and I like it that way. It also involves tomatoes, and since we're at the final edge of that season I invite you to try this right away!

Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

1 large eggplant, or 2 smaller ones
4 roma tomatoes
2-3 tbs olive oil
a handful of fresh oregano
a handful of fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and slice the eggplant horizontally into rounds that are about a centimeter or so thick. Wash and slice the tomatoes similarly. Place sliced vegetables in a bowl and toss with a glug or two of olive oil (eggplants tend to absorb a lot of oil so you really just want them coated lightly). Then season with salt and pepper (the salt is really important for the eggplants- don't leave that out!) Next, tear up pieces of oregano and basil to make sure that each slice is covered with some herbs. Finally, place on a baking sheet and throw in the oven. You'll want to cook them for 40 minutes to an hour... the tomatoes will break down in the most beautiful way, and the eggplant should be neither too mushy nor too crunchy.

Eat as a side, or main. I'd serve the vegetables with a poached egg or along side some fresh mozzarella or buratta... and some crustry French bread.

Enjoy!

Never fall far from the tree

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about apples.

Well, actually, I've been eating them non-stop. For some reason I'm battling another cold... and much to my pleasant surprise, my two strongest weapons are won-ton soup and crisp gala apples.

I'd love to talk about how apples once spread across the American countryside for the sole purpose of providing hard apple cider for the rugged settlers, or how no single seed from an apple has the same genetic code (so you could potentially get five different trees from one apple!) but I think that Michael Pollan has me covered there.

Instead, I'd like to give you a recipe. This recipe is a reminder that when the newness and wonder of the crunch of an apple wears away, there is an escape.

Baked Apples

4 good-sized apples (preferably less meaty and more crunchy varieties... like fuji's, granny smiths, etc.) washed and cored
1 tbs. unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon (up to personal tastes)
either, 1 can of apple juice and 1/2 cup water or 1 1/2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the cored apples in a glass baking dish that's at least an inch and a half deep.

Put the walnuts in a foil package or on a baking tray and place in the oven. You'll want to bake them for maybe 10 minutes or less- so that they're nice and toasted.

When the walnuts are done and slightly cooled, combine them with the sugar and cinnamon. You can also add raisins or currants here too if you'd like. Then place a portion of the butter in the core of each apple, followed by a spoonful or two of the mixture. Needless to say you'll want it evenly distributed among the apples.

Pour the apple juice/water mixture or water in the bottom of the dish so that the apples are partially submerged. Then place in the oven. Cook for 40 minutes (but check about halfway through or so because you don't want mushy apples!) You'll want to pull them out when they're tender, or when a fork pierces them easily (but doesn't cause them to fall apart!)

Serve with vanilla ice cream or heavy whipping cream.

Enjoy!