Sunday Morning Brunch: Souffléd Omelet

Sunday Brunch. Simple words that serve as a cherished weekend routine. It’s a meal that becomes the event on a lazy weekend day. A meal you take your time with. Relax, unplug, visit, eat, read, enjoy. Since Sunday is my Saturday, I get extra excited when I roll out of bed. The combination of sleeping in and knowing that the meal I have been waiting all week for is just moments away... well, there are few words to better describe it than "perfection."

This is who I want to be:

Photo via Marion Nestle

I love Marion Nestle. I'm rather picky when it comes to choosing role models but its safe to say that if I had to pick one person to be when I grow up, I would be her. As a New York University Professor, widely published author (she writes a monthly Food Matters column for the San Francisco Chronicle and has numerous books, one of which I wrote a book review on a few weeks back) and fellow blogger, its safe to say that she doesn't mind sharing her point of view on all things food.

When San Francisco voted to eliminate toys from McDonald’s Happy Meals, the Forum at the Harvard School of Public Health invited comments on the issue. Not surprisingly, she chimed in. here’s what she had to say about it:

Polenta Cookies:

Since my post on breakfast polentina the other day, I have been thinking nonstop about whipping up a batch of Italian Polenta Cookies. These crispy little treats are a great change of pace from the everyday cookie. Polenta adds a gritty-ness to the finished product, so they aren't quite melt-in-your-mouth, but I have to admit, thats what I love best about them. They are a different kind of cookie: delicious enough to hold me over until the Girl Scout Cookies arrive, but not too sweet that I feel bad when I sneak a few extra after dinner!

Fresh Flowers:

Ask anyone who knows me: the best way to get on my good side, fast, is to get me a lovely bouquet. This darling cluster was found at the only coffee shop on a small island off the coast of Maine called North Haven (the same island where my honey proposed to me last fall). I'm posting it today because all I want right now is a lovely bunch of summer blooms, but alas, it's the middle of winter and I'm stuck in Chicago. I guess I'll have to be patient, good thing Spring is just around the corner!

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts:

I have a serious vegetable crush on Brussels Sprouts this season. The market down the street from my house has been keeping them in stock all winter and I make sure to pick up a pound or two every chance I get. I love them almost as-is: just a quick steam, a little bit of salt and a deep caramelization, I can think of few things that are better.

Lovely Kitchens: A Vintage Range

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Photo via Country Living
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Photo via Coco Cozy
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Photo via Country Living

As someone who loves all things "kitchen" my heart skips a beat whenever I see a lovely vintage piece of equipment, well kept, rather than in complete disrepair. My future mother in law has an amazing seafoam green, insulated, 1920 Glenwood gas range in the kitchen of her summer home (similar to picture number one). It's a piece from the original cabin, which was unfortunately too far gone to be salvaged, save for the gas stove and stone fireplace. Her collection is complete with matching flour/sugar containers, pasta strainer and other various kitchen tools. It's complete perfection. I love the idea of a well kept, vintage gas range in the kitchen. Although I would also need a state of the art range as well. So what if it's selfish and impractical, it's adorable!

Breakfast Polentina:

Polentina is a creamier, more liquid form of polenta that is often served in Italy as a comforting breakfast porridge. It has become a staple at my breakfast table since moving to Chicago. A warm and inviting treat to coax me from bed on the coldest of mornings. I love its creamy, though still thick consistency, and the way it "sticks to your bones" to provide a feeling of fullness to last throughout the morning. Plus, it's a delicious substitute for the standard oatmeal or cream of wheat, and is also a great addition to spruce up your baby's food as well. (I do recommend skipping all of the butter and syrup if you're giving it to your child, no need to get them started too early on the fats and sweets. Save this tasty dish as a treat for the grownups!)

Lovely Kitchens: The Fireplace

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Photo via Domino
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Photo via We Heart It
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Photo via Barnes Vanze
I should have known this morning, that when my coffee didn't brew well, today wasn't going to go well. Not that it was terrible, it just wasn't my day. To top it off, on the drive home, NPR felt that it was a good idea to repeatedly tell me that it's going to be -20 degrees outside tonight. (To which my clever friend questioned "Can a Texan even survive in those conditions?" God, I hope.) Long story short, I stumbled in the door after a long day, poured myself a glass of Côtes du Rhône and got to thinking about how much I wish I had found an apartment with a wood burning fireplace!

Scented Sugars:

I am always looking for fun new ways to spruce up a recipe and my latest obsession has been scented sugars. They are oh so simple to make and last indefinitely. The latter being key in adding some excitement when cleaning out the cupboards. Stumbling upon a little glass jar full of a heavenly Meyer Lemon Sugar, or spicy Garam Masala Sugar, mid-cleaning spree, is enough to make this clean freak stop to enjoy a hot cup of tea.

Lovely Kitchens: The Farmhouse Table

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Photo via Country Living

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Photo via Better Homes and Gardens

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Photo via Elle Decor

Is there anything better than a gathering of good friends? I don't think so, which is why when I make my home, I'm going to be sure to have a large, farmhouse table in my dining room. Big enough to cover with food for a dinner party or spread out the board games for some friendly late-night competition. A few years back, my apartment came equipped with a large dinner table (so large, in fact, that I wasn't quite sure how it made it into the apartment in the first place). My roommates, friends and I shared a lot of incredible memories around that table, a fabulous piece of furniture to build a life around. Classic.

Maple Lollipops:

A family member of mine posted a recipe for Maple Lollipops on facebook the other day and they sounded so wonderful that I just had to give it a try. I'm all for quick, easy recipes, especially when they yield an amazing treat. Her recipe goes as followed: "Maple syrup boiled to 235ºF and poured on clean snow fresh from my backyard. Roll it up on a popsicle stick and voilà!"

Cast Iron:

Last night was an especially cold one, here in Chicago. Conveniently I had no where to go, a good friend helping in the kitchen and a sick boy to take care of. All of these things added up to a pot of chili and cornbread for dinner. One problem, I didn't have a cast iron skillet for the cornbread. I know, you're wondering how any serious cook (let alone a Texas girl) can live without a cast iron skillet. To be honest, I was hopelessly holding out to be gifted a well loved (and subsequently well seasoned) skillet as a hand-me-down from a certain family member.

Fleur de Sel:

I am a salt fanatic. A salt connoisseur. A salt addict. I have a really bad habit of sprinkling some salt on an empty plate and collecting it with my finger, as some sort of post dinner treat. I can certainly pick a good salt when I see it, which is why when I stumbled upon a lovely little bag of fleur de sel, stashed in the black abyss of my mother in law's pantry, I knew I had struck a figurative gold mine (or a literal salt mine)! After doing some research, I learned a few interesting fleur de sel facts:

Sazerac:

After the brief mention of a Sazerac in my book review yesterday, my mind has been whirling around the lovely idea of sitting with my honey and this Anise scented gem on a hot, Southern summer's night in the French Quarter. I thumbed through "Gumbo Tales" to see if I could track down the recipe, alas, I found the passage that first sparked my interest in this classic New Orleans cocktail:

Book Review:

Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen

I love reading about people falling in love. Reading about the moment when they realize that they have found that one true being that completes their soul, fills them with butterflies and complete satisfaction. These experiences are exactly what Sara Roahen describes in "Gumbo Tales," a book about a Midwest girl who finds her soul mate in a Southern city. No, not a story of girl meets boy. A story of how Sara Roahen actually fell in love with a the city of New Orleans: it's history, neighborhoods, celebrations, people, colors and most of all, it's food.

"Gumbo Tales" is an impressive piece of literature that will lure you in with the offer of whisking you away to New Orleans, each time you open the book. Her ability to animate simple situations, such as her first attempt at boiling crawfish or her many expeditions to the city's Vietnamese neighborhood, will leave you feeling as though you've lived each moment along side her. Through her time in New Orleans, Sara discovers an array of experiences and meals, equivalent to any foodie heaven, and captures each culinary adventure with true delight. After reading this book, you'll be left with the need to find a steaming bowl of Gumbo Z'Herbes to take the edge off of a long work week or start a lazy Sunday morning with a piping hot cup of coffee with chicory.

This book is the reason why New Orleans is on my top 5 cities to see, in the world. Why I cook Red Beans 'n' Rice at least once every two weeks. And why I'm on a mission to find an old fashioned bar that actually knows how to make a Sazerac. A must-read for anyone who has ever dreamt of lingering around the French Quarter, on a hot, sticky, summers night.

Lovely Kitchens: Extra Splash of Color

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Photo via WeHeartIt
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Photo via Black Apple
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Photo via Martha Stewart

I've moved a lot over the last 5 years. Between Dallas, Providence, Pittsburgh, New Zealand, Newport and Chicago, I've yet to actually stay put in one spot for more than one year. Because of this, my collection of nice furniture has suffered. I've purchased and subsequently sold what seems like an entire house worth of furniture. Which is why, I'm not ashamed to admit, when my neighbor put a perfectly good bookcase out for trash yesterday, I snatched it right up! I've been looking for a way to expand the work surface of my galley kitchen, and my newest addition does just that!

Lavender Syrup:

One of the ladies at work today offered up these fabulously simple breath mints and I fell instantly in love! Despite their potent perfume-type fragrance, they have a fabulously floral flavor. Mrs. Coworker said that her grandfather used to eat them daily, he swore they were the cure all to all things potent. As a girl who loves a strong cup of black coffee, or a late night cigar, but isn't a fan of the artificial sweeteners used in chewing gums, this old fashioned treat instantly made it to the top of my favorites list.

Reusable Shopping Bags:

Did you hear? Italy has banned single use, plastic shopping bags. Though they are not the first, they are certainly the most recent. This is a decision that I stand behind 100%, so much so that I once attempted to purchase reusable shopping bags for friends and family in lieu of Christmas presents, an idea that was promptly shot down by one of my many sisters. (The one sister who, despite owning a garbage can, refuses to purchase actual garbage bags. Instead she uses these pesky, tiny, single use plastic bags to collect her garbage. In every bin.)

Lovely Kitchens: The Apron Front Sink

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My ideal farmhouse kitchen.

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My ideal kitchen, once I have an actual farm, and some babies.

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Want. These blue cabinets make me swoon.
Photos Unknown

What cook doesn't dream about the perfect kitchen? Mine, I fear, will never be a reality. If only you knew my fiance and his love for yerba mate, you would understand why Vanilla Cream cabinets are not in my future. I guess blue will have to do, how lovely is that shade of Robin's Egg in picture #3? Despite practicality, I spend a frighteningly large about of time searching for the perfect farmhouse kitchen. One thing I know for sure, I will have an amazing apron front sink, with built in sides for stacking/drying dishes, just like picture #1, natch.

Cook Books:

There are 3 basic cookbooks, that every cook should own: The Joy of Cooking, How to Cook Everything and Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I know many people say that Julia Child's brainchild is no longer practical, but I don't care. Even with my nutrition education, I will gladly select one of her recipes over any other, without blinking an eye at the amount of butter used. I cherish my vintage, well loved and well used, 1967 copy. Plus, my fiance loves the boeuf bourguignon, and I'm more than happy to spend hours in the kitchen with a glass of red wine in hand, and my favorite Fats Waller serenade, while I cook away. He is a lucky man, indeed.

Mac 'n' Cheese:

When I was in college, I had the good fortune to work at the most fabulous shop in Providence, Rhode Island. Farmstead, Inc. is a neighborhood cheese shop located in Wayland Square on the East Side of Providence (not East Providence, two completely separate worlds).

Book Review:

What to Eat: Marion Nestle

I have to admit, after reading this book, Marion Nestle quickly became one of my role models, and definitely one of my Top 5 favorite food industry figures. I initially read "What to Eat" at the recommendation of a good friend, on the basis that I like food and nutrition, which is exactly what Mrs. Nestle writes about. It took me a few nights of bedtime reading to really get into this particular book, but I soon found myself completely enamored, reading during my morning coffee, free time and lunch breaks.

I respect her ability to look at issues within the food industry as both a professional and a consumer (a talent also recognized by the New York Times, natch). I also love her style of writing. Not since Harold McGee have I seen an author be able to so clearly explain an issue/topic, so that an interested bystander is able to enjoy and understand, just as clearly as a professional might, without losing anyones attention in the interim.

Mrs. Nestle encroaches upon numerous topics within this 524 page guide to conscientious eating. Addressing issues from the ever prevalent HFCS and trans fats to seemingly newer topics of irradiation and genetic modification. (I say "seemingly newer" as I feel these issues have yet to have their time in the American spot light, in due time, I suppose.)

If you have ever wondered how to navigate the grocery store, or how to decipher those nutritional claims on food packages, this is THE book to read. Each topic is explained, analyzed and argued, not just from the point of view of a food industry advocate, but also a budget minded mother, making it an approachable guide to be used by all. I guarantee, no matter what your previous views on a topic might be, you will find yourself agreeing with Mrs. Nestle by the end of each section. Sure, maybe now you couldn't care less that the fish at your seafood counter was farmed in Scotland but I guarantee that by the end of "What to Eat" it will be one of the many issues you are ready to write to your Congressional representative about.

Happy New Years:

My kitchen table, New Years morning.

T'was a happy New Years, indeed.

"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Harry Burns to Sally Albright, NYE.