It's Saturday, and I've already been up for nearly an hour. I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping from a bad dream. When I later awoke at six, I was too nervous and full of anticipation to get back to the sleeping. And why? All for the love of a game.
I grew up in a sporting household. My dad is a crazy baseball fan, counting the days until pitchers and catchers report and often taking the first day of the season off work in celebration. My mother loves her American football, and shows it through wild displays of emotion and lectures to the refs and coaches. And then, of course, there's the boyfriend, who nearly lives and dies with the Seattle Mariners. Yet somehow I managed to stay a bit removed. Yes, my baseball fandom is greater than most, and you'll find me paying attention to nearly every game. But this...this is something different.
This is me deciding, in June of 2008, that I needed to pick an English soccer team to follow. I've always liked soccer, I've been an anglophile for as long as I recall, so choosing a Premier League team seemed appropriate. Albeit random, since I'd never seen a match and didn't have a friend's team to adopt. I had some guidance on who to stay away from, however (the Big Four), and from there I chose Aston Villa. I loved their colors, I thought the name oddly romantic (I still have no idea where it comes from), and their little manager Martin O'Neill was just adorable.
But now, something has come over me, and I've become claret and blue. I don't know how it happened, but it's too late to change now. Others have jokingly suggested I take on Chelsea as a team (it's who GYM supports) and it seems more likely that I could just cut off my right hand. I have no way of describing this phenomenon. In fact, if you're someone forced to live or closely associate with anyone who is a fanatic of any sport, I suggest you pick up a copy of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch. His descriptions of fanaticism are incomparable.
For now what you need to know is this: if Villa are playing, I'll be awake, even if it is six am on a Saturday.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Spicy Almond Soba Noodles and Honey Basil Beer
Today was supposed to be a gym day. However, due to the late fall storm roaring around the edges of the Sound, traffic was horrific and by the time I got home, rain was slanting sideways. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and drink hot cocoa. But considering we hadn't had a homecooked meal in a few days, what with my head being about to explode out my ears, I gave myself a five minute cool down, allowed myself to skip the gym, and started on the planned meal.
On gym days, we try to pick a meal that can be made fairly quickly, since we often don't get back til seven, and of course my diurnal habits mean I need to be on my way to sleeping at nine. My GYM goes to the market when he gets off work; today he picked up pork tenderloin from the butcher and a bunch of broccoli from one of the Pike stalls. We threw those in a big cast iron skillet and threw some soba noodles in a pot of boiling water for about three minutes. The noodles were mixed with a spicy almond sauce before being topped with the pork and broccoli. A few slivered almonds thrown on top finish it off.
Spicy Almond Soba Noodles
(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks, with, of course, the addition of meat)
Sauce:
1/3 cup almond butter
2-3 teaspoons red curry paste
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tbsp very hot water
Mix together the almond butter and red curry paste. Add the lemon juice and salt, then add the water until the mixture has the consistency of peanut sauce, or a nice hearty gravy. You want it to be able to just coat the noodles.
Everything else:
12 oz pork tenderloin
A decent sized bunch of broccoli
8-10 oz soba noodles
Slivered almonds
Rub the pork with salt and pepper before cutting it into 1-inch slices. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.
Get a large pot of water going on the back burner and keep an ear out for it boiling.
Your olive oil should be hot now. Throw in the pork and saute about five minutes. Then add the broccoli and go until it's tender. Just remember, you don't want that pork to be pink! Let it sit in the hot pan.
By now, your water should be boiling. Throw in a good measure of salt and about 8-10 oz soba noodles. They only need boiling for about three minutes. Drain them and shake as much water from them as possible. I'm sure there is a way to keep soba noodles from combining into one large clump in the pan, but I sure haven't found it.
Dump them into a pan or bowl and add about 2/3 of the sauce, to thoroughly coat the noodles. You can either add the broccoli and pork to the noodle mixture, or serve atop. Top each portion with a bit of additional sauce and slivered almonds.
Bison Basil Honey Beer:
The perfect accompaniment to spicy noodles and a rainy fall night. This beer pours a honey red with very little head. It has aromas of honey and basil, obviously, as well as coriander, lemon, and a bit of grass. Very spicy, seems to use a lot of the same elements as pumpkin beer. Tastes of honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, some squash, and basil. It makes an excellent beer for late fall.
On gym days, we try to pick a meal that can be made fairly quickly, since we often don't get back til seven, and of course my diurnal habits mean I need to be on my way to sleeping at nine. My GYM goes to the market when he gets off work; today he picked up pork tenderloin from the butcher and a bunch of broccoli from one of the Pike stalls. We threw those in a big cast iron skillet and threw some soba noodles in a pot of boiling water for about three minutes. The noodles were mixed with a spicy almond sauce before being topped with the pork and broccoli. A few slivered almonds thrown on top finish it off.
Spicy Almond Soba Noodles
(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks, with, of course, the addition of meat)
Sauce:
1/3 cup almond butter
2-3 teaspoons red curry paste
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tbsp very hot water
Mix together the almond butter and red curry paste. Add the lemon juice and salt, then add the water until the mixture has the consistency of peanut sauce, or a nice hearty gravy. You want it to be able to just coat the noodles.
Everything else:
12 oz pork tenderloin
A decent sized bunch of broccoli
8-10 oz soba noodles
Slivered almonds
Rub the pork with salt and pepper before cutting it into 1-inch slices. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.
Get a large pot of water going on the back burner and keep an ear out for it boiling.
Your olive oil should be hot now. Throw in the pork and saute about five minutes. Then add the broccoli and go until it's tender. Just remember, you don't want that pork to be pink! Let it sit in the hot pan.
By now, your water should be boiling. Throw in a good measure of salt and about 8-10 oz soba noodles. They only need boiling for about three minutes. Drain them and shake as much water from them as possible. I'm sure there is a way to keep soba noodles from combining into one large clump in the pan, but I sure haven't found it.
Dump them into a pan or bowl and add about 2/3 of the sauce, to thoroughly coat the noodles. You can either add the broccoli and pork to the noodle mixture, or serve atop. Top each portion with a bit of additional sauce and slivered almonds.
Bison Basil Honey Beer:
The perfect accompaniment to spicy noodles and a rainy fall night. This beer pours a honey red with very little head. It has aromas of honey and basil, obviously, as well as coriander, lemon, and a bit of grass. Very spicy, seems to use a lot of the same elements as pumpkin beer. Tastes of honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, some squash, and basil. It makes an excellent beer for late fall.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Back to Basics (Creating an Endometriosis Diet)
As you might have noticed, there have not been many posts around here recently (nor have there been many cookies). As much as I've been wanting to write, and wanting to cook, and wanting to be healthy, I've once again been bogged down by health issues.
But I think I may have found what has been causing the fatigue, the nausea, the bloating, the general unease: The pill that was prescribed to help me overcome the fatigue, the pain, and the general unease of endometriosis. Because I began taking this pill before a vacation in San Francisco, and then went on to have wisdom teeth troubles and a respitory infection, I didn't connect these symptoms to the prescription. Now that I have, it seems pretty clear: once again, this illness is not going to be treated by a prescription, because the cure is almost as bad as the disease.
So it's time to return to the process of reinventing my eating habits. I'm trying to create my own endometriosis diet, as many of the ones I've found have been fraught with contraditions and sometimes outright bullshit. In one breath they tell you to eat tofu, in the next they say soy makes the inflammation worse. They recommend not eating red meat, but most women with endo are borderline-anemic. So I'll find my own way, starting again with the process I was building a few months back:
Whole grains (homebaked bread, brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds, etc)
Green vegetables
Meat (included in at least two meals; odd for a former vegetarian)
Fat (butter, olive oil, coconut oil, drippings)
Fish (balancing out the omega 3s and omega 6s)
Raw milk and raw cheese, but not too much
Anything with anti-inflamatory properties
This list can look scary for people who don't have much familarity with alternative approaches to food. Particularly the part about fats. Aren't we supposed to cut out as much fat as possible? Well, we'll get to that.
I'll try this for the next couple months, eating as close to Michael Pollan's command of "don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" as possible. At the first of the year, if I'm still experiencing the crippling pains and intense fatigue of endo, I'll set about removing elements from my diet. But until then, the wheat stays.
But I think I may have found what has been causing the fatigue, the nausea, the bloating, the general unease: The pill that was prescribed to help me overcome the fatigue, the pain, and the general unease of endometriosis. Because I began taking this pill before a vacation in San Francisco, and then went on to have wisdom teeth troubles and a respitory infection, I didn't connect these symptoms to the prescription. Now that I have, it seems pretty clear: once again, this illness is not going to be treated by a prescription, because the cure is almost as bad as the disease.
So it's time to return to the process of reinventing my eating habits. I'm trying to create my own endometriosis diet, as many of the ones I've found have been fraught with contraditions and sometimes outright bullshit. In one breath they tell you to eat tofu, in the next they say soy makes the inflammation worse. They recommend not eating red meat, but most women with endo are borderline-anemic. So I'll find my own way, starting again with the process I was building a few months back:
Whole grains (homebaked bread, brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds, etc)
Green vegetables
Meat (included in at least two meals; odd for a former vegetarian)
Fat (butter, olive oil, coconut oil, drippings)
Fish (balancing out the omega 3s and omega 6s)
Raw milk and raw cheese, but not too much
Anything with anti-inflamatory properties
This list can look scary for people who don't have much familarity with alternative approaches to food. Particularly the part about fats. Aren't we supposed to cut out as much fat as possible? Well, we'll get to that.
I'll try this for the next couple months, eating as close to Michael Pollan's command of "don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" as possible. At the first of the year, if I'm still experiencing the crippling pains and intense fatigue of endo, I'll set about removing elements from my diet. But until then, the wheat stays.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Alaskan Winter Glazed Carrots
Now that October is gone, it's time for me to start loosening my grip on pumpkin beers. I've tried about eight this season, and absolutely loved a few, but it's time to start transitioning to winter ales. Even though winter ales began appearing on the shelves at the beginning of October. Don't get me started. It's like Christmas decorations hitting the shelves the day after Halloween. Which, for those of you not keeping track, is today. So I'll give in on the winters, but there will be no Christmas decor until after November 26th.
Last night, rather than dress myself up as a slut-mouse or a slut-Carmen SanDiego or whatever other slut-costumes the rest of the female population chose to barely wear, I made gumbo. And while shopping for the ingredients at a relievingly empty Pike Place, I found a lovely bunch of carrots. I brought them home, thinking I'd make a maple glaze and serve them with the gumbo.
But then, like so many things that happen in this house, I thought, wouldn't these be better with beer? (The alternate question is, of course, wouldn't this be better with Crystal Hot Sauce?) So I grabbed one of the many bottles of Alaskan Winter that we have sitting on the floor and got to work.
Alaskan Winter Maple Glazed Carrots:
Peel a bunch of carrots and slice on the diagonal.
Heat a large skillet to medium. Add a knob of butter and a few drops of chili oil
Throw in the carrots, and some salt, and start sauteeing. Turn up the heat and add about half your bottle of beer (drinking the rest is of course expected; we don't leave fallen soldiers). Add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup (the real stuff, please) as a thickening agent. Turn up the heat and let it bubble away, stirring frequently, until the glaze has reduced.
The spruce tips, spices and caramel in Alaskan Winter make perfect complement to the maple syrup and chili oil.
Enjoy!
Last night, rather than dress myself up as a slut-mouse or a slut-Carmen SanDiego or whatever other slut-costumes the rest of the female population chose to barely wear, I made gumbo. And while shopping for the ingredients at a relievingly empty Pike Place, I found a lovely bunch of carrots. I brought them home, thinking I'd make a maple glaze and serve them with the gumbo.
But then, like so many things that happen in this house, I thought, wouldn't these be better with beer? (The alternate question is, of course, wouldn't this be better with Crystal Hot Sauce?) So I grabbed one of the many bottles of Alaskan Winter that we have sitting on the floor and got to work.
Alaskan Winter Maple Glazed Carrots:
Peel a bunch of carrots and slice on the diagonal.
Heat a large skillet to medium. Add a knob of butter and a few drops of chili oil
Throw in the carrots, and some salt, and start sauteeing. Turn up the heat and add about half your bottle of beer (drinking the rest is of course expected; we don't leave fallen soldiers). Add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup (the real stuff, please) as a thickening agent. Turn up the heat and let it bubble away, stirring frequently, until the glaze has reduced.
The spruce tips, spices and caramel in Alaskan Winter make perfect complement to the maple syrup and chili oil.
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Beer Project, Courtsey of Pike Brewing.
Beer tasting. It's a new hobby for me, but one that has quickly spurred intense opinions, desire to spread information, and even vacations centered around beer tastings.
Beer gets a bad rap. When people say that they are off on a trip to Napa for tours of wineries, or spending a Saturday going wine tasting, most people don't bat an eye. But if you say you're going to a bar for a night of beer sampling, it seems you are quick to be branded an alcoholic.
But those are the size of beer tastes. Those of us who enjoy beer are often not sitting in a dark bar tipping back bottle after bottle. In fact, dark bars make it difficult to judge the color and clarity of the beer. It's the people slipping off the stools after too many Bud Lights that are giving us a bad reputation.
Beer tasting is hard work. New beers crop up constantly. But there are certain styles that one should try, from certain regions in the world, to get a taste of what is available and what styles you might like.
While I have been tasting and rating beers for about seven months now, with 243 beers logged on ratebeer.com, I sadly haven't tasted some of the most defining beers available. That's where Pike Brewing comes in. They have a "Pike Pub Club", which challenges you to try every beer available at their pub (their brews plus a collection of bottles). Considering I've only tried six (!) of their 24 bottles, it's time to get moving. GYM and I plan to be proud owners of engraved growlers by next June.
Beer gets a bad rap. When people say that they are off on a trip to Napa for tours of wineries, or spending a Saturday going wine tasting, most people don't bat an eye. But if you say you're going to a bar for a night of beer sampling, it seems you are quick to be branded an alcoholic.
But those are the size of beer tastes. Those of us who enjoy beer are often not sitting in a dark bar tipping back bottle after bottle. In fact, dark bars make it difficult to judge the color and clarity of the beer. It's the people slipping off the stools after too many Bud Lights that are giving us a bad reputation.
Beer tasting is hard work. New beers crop up constantly. But there are certain styles that one should try, from certain regions in the world, to get a taste of what is available and what styles you might like.
While I have been tasting and rating beers for about seven months now, with 243 beers logged on ratebeer.com, I sadly haven't tasted some of the most defining beers available. That's where Pike Brewing comes in. They have a "Pike Pub Club", which challenges you to try every beer available at their pub (their brews plus a collection of bottles). Considering I've only tried six (!) of their 24 bottles, it's time to get moving. GYM and I plan to be proud owners of engraved growlers by next June.
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