Dear Readers,
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Lisa
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Dear Readers,
Have you left a comment that isn't appearing? Lately, my states have shown a lot of people clicking to confirm their comments, and then only one comment shows.
Please let me know if your comment never appeared.
Thanks,
Lisa
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Ah, how I love this new early Daylight Saving Time. It is so nice to look out the window at 7pm and the sun hasn't set yet. I don't even mind the melting snow and mud, or the fact that the blizzard and a slow week at work have made me miss an entire week's worth of income (so don't look for any restaurant reviews for awhile unless they're cheap). Well, I do mind that, but at least it's making me get creative and start using stuff from the pantry. Why just last night for dinner, I pulled out a frozen pack of cod from Whole Foods and dumped a strained jar of olive oil-packed giardinara on top and put it in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. Served with black lentils and topped everything with crushed Marcona almonds. Yum! See how easy cooking is?
At any rate, it's time to stretch out those winter-atrophied legs and get moving. Spring is coming. Hopefully. As always, if you have any events to add, please leave them in the comments.
Now get out there and have some fun in our fair city!
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I have been getting so many emails from people who are new to Columbus lately. Part of my goal and mission with this website is to help newcomers to Columbus see the good things the city has to offer. We might not be the biggest or best city in the US, but we have a lot to offer (jobs and affordable housing seem to rank highly). And so, for those of you who have recently moved to the Columbus area or you are about to, here are a few things you should see first.
Wow! That was fun! And I thought of a lot of other great things to add while I was doing this list. Anything you'd like to add?
Next up, the 10 restaurants you must visit.
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update - 2:27pm Woot! Snow Day!!
The snow in our backyard is knee high, and it's still snowing. We're supposed to get 4-6 more inches!! I just spoke to my mom (who is in Florida right now, with beautiful weather); she said my aunt (who lives in Dublin OH) compared this with the blizzard of '78. That was sort of before my powers of memory, but I'll take her word for it. So listen up, boss: Mom says I should stay home! Don't argue with Mom! Husband and I ventured out to take some pictures. I dropped my camera in the snow, so some of the pictures have a hazy glow. Don't worry, camera made it through okay after a few minutes over the heating vent.
Somewhere under the snow, there are stairs
*sigh* the grill
the grill yesterday, 4:30pm before work
wheelbarrow
mean Husband loves dropping the kitties in the snow
wheelbarrow, today
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back fence with drifts - fence is 6 feet high
This is a friendly reminder, during this time of blizzard conditions, to call ahead before you go anywhere. Also, if you live on or near a bus line and don't have the heart to dig out your car just yet, don't forget that COTA busses run for free all day when we are on snow emergencies. And if you do go out, don't forget that some of us have risked life, limb, and the fun of having a rare snow day to serve you, and tip accordingly.
flower box
front porch and street
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top to bottom: fried bean curd, plain baked tofu, extra firm tofu, and savory baked tofu.
Poor tofu. You've been so mishandled by well-meaning (I assume) people, you've made everyone fear you; particularly meat-eating Americans. Asians, after all, blend you with everything, wisely using you to stretch out small amounts of meat.
Of course, we know you're good for us, and you contain lots of protein, but you're slimy. And slippery. And weird.
Except when you aren't.
I've had my own fearful relationship with tofu, for the same reason. It just seemed as though it could never be drained or pressed enough to not turn into a jiggly, watery mess. And then I started buying "fried bean curd," which is fried tofu, and it was better. It held up to stir-frying. Of course, it had slightly more fat, but still nothing compared to most meat (around 8 grams of fat per serving). So I started buying all sorts of tofu, just to experiment. Most of these types of tofu can replace meat in any quickly-cooked method, and you can use them uncooked - for instance, added to my spicy sesame noodles, or in the salad recipe I have below.
Of course, there are the silky types of tofu you know from the produce section, but these fried, dried and baked tofus are typically found at Asian groceries. While fried tofu, sometimes called tofu cutlet, can be found at Japanese groceries such as Tensuke, baked and dried tofu are more easily discovered at Asian groceries which specialize in Chinese specialties. Columbus Asian Market (CAM, corner of Bethel & Olentangy River Road in the Olentangy Plaza) has a huge variety of tofu, both in the produce section and in the refrigerated section back by the rice.
Fried Bean Curd (tofu) is just as it sounds. It words very well in stir fries
Baked tofu has been baked and is dehydrated; the texture is smooth without being gritty, it is very firm, slices almost like a chicken breast, and can be used in soup, stir fries, and raw in noodles or salads.
Extra Firm tofu (vacuum packed in blocks, not in the puff pack from the produce aisle) has an almost crumbly texture, similar to a strained, hard curd cheese. It can be sliced and used in stir fries, and will stand up well in soups because it can take in a lot of water.
Savory baked tofu is just like regular baked tofu, except it has been soaked in soy sauce, which makes it quite lovely when used raw in salads, as in the recipe below.
Dried tofu (not pictured) has an almost haloumi-like quality, and is also very good in stir fries, in miso soup, or raw in salads, as I used it in the recipe below.
Tofu makes a very inexpensive protein source - 4 blocks (4 servings) of tofu cost about $2. Of course, tofu by itself does not equal a complete protein; to create a complete protein, serve tofu with a scoop of rice, some nuts (as below), eggs or dairy products.
I copied this recipe after something I bought premade at CAM. This salad is great because it can be served cold or at room temperature; that means it is great for packing in lunches.
Edamame & Tofu Salad with Almonds - serves 2-4
1 cup frozen edamame peas (green soy beans), out of shell
1 block each savory baked tofu and dried tofu (or 2 of one)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp garlic chili paste (sambal)
3 tbsp roasted & salted almonds or peanuts (I used Marcona almonds, because that's all we had in the house)
Place the edamame in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, add a little sprinkle of salt, and boil for five minutes. Strain, spray with cold water to chill the beans, and set aside.
Cut the tofu into 1/2" cubes and place in a bowl.
Combine the sauce mixture (olive oil through chili paste) in a bowl and pour about 1 tbsp over the tofu chunks. Stir and allow them to marinate for about 5 minutes. Add the peas, pour over the rest of the sauce, and add the almonds, reserving a few sprinkles for serving. Place in a bowl and sprinkle remaining almonds over.
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A few weeks ago, when Husband went to wine tasting boot camp, he came home raving about the fruitcake the Master Sommelier's wife had made. I was skeptical. Raving about a fruitcake? But both of us find fruitcake to be pretty horrifying, so I took his word for it. He begged, pleaded, and fretted, and finally she sent the recipe.
Husband doesn't do a lot of baking, but the cake turned out beautifully, nonetheless (as you can see). He did learn a few baker's secrets along the way, such as: it is much better to crack your eggs into a bowl and then add them one at a time, versus accidentally dropping the whole egg, shell and all, into the mixer with the paddle running (sorry babe, but I so rarely get to poke fun at you).
I can't say for sure, because the cake was only just baked last night, but I imagine it gets better after a day or so. There is a lot of moisture in the cake, and it takes a long time to bake, just to let you know before you start in on the project late at night.
Vanessa's Totally Delicious, will Make You A Convert, Fruitcake - makes a Bundt Pan - about 12-15 servings
5 cups different dried fruits chopped (we used candied kumquats, cherries, cranberries, figs, and pineapple)
2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
Enough brandy (we used red wine) to cover the fruit
1 ½ c butter at room temp.
2 ½ c sugar
8 eggs at room temp.
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
3 cups cake flour, sifted before measuring
2 cups chopped, toasted nuts (we used walnuts)
Combine the fruits (chopped if large, such as the figs) and ginger and cover with the alcohol of your choice. Place in the fridge overnight or until the fruits are plumped. When you are ready to make the cake, drain them and squeeze out extra moisture with paper towels. Reserve the liquid.
Preheat oven to 325. Brush a (10 cup) Bundt pan with melted butter, the coat with flour. Tap the pan to remove excess flour.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for about 7 minutes, until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue creaming until fluffy again, about 4 minutes. add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add the vanilla and salt. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour (don't overmix!). Using a wooden spoon, fold in the fruit and nuts until fully incorporated. Spoon the batter into the pan, making sure the top is even. Bake about 1 hour and 50 minutes (it took over 2 hours for Husband) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and brush about 2 tbsp. brandy (we didn't have brandy, so we used a late harvest pinot gris; any alcohol would be good) over the cake. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and carefully lift off the pan. Brush the entire cake with brandy or whatever again and cool completely, when the cake is cooled, wrap it in plastic and foil and refrigerate. You can continue to brush it with booze every day until consumed.
This is really tasty with coffee for breakfast, a fact to which I can personally attest. Husband was baking into the wee hours of the morning.
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Ah. Columbus weather. It gets up to 67, rains enough to turn everything to a muddy flooded mess, and then snows 2 inches, all in 30 hours flat. *sigh*
As always, leave your events in the comments.
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This is a favorite in the Widow Household, especially after work, because they are great cold from the fridge. You can moderate the spice level to suit your palate, and it's one of those recipes that you can make once and then adjust as you'd like. I like things decently spicy; here, the peanut butter and sesame paste balance the heat with sweetness. I like to add cubes of baked tofu to the noodles; shredded, cooked chicken breast would be good, too, and would turn the noodles into a meal. These are also good for packed lunches and picnics, because they can get to room temperature and still be tasty.
Cold Spicy Sesame Noodles - serves 4-6
1 (13 ounce) package of Japanese noodles, or spaghetti
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup peanut butter*
2 tbsp soy sauce (I like to use "light colored" soy sauce, or lowish sodium)
1 tbsp Vietnamese chili paste (sambal - in the chili sauce section of the Asian grocery)
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Japanese sesame paste (or tahini, but I think the Japanese version, which is much thicker, is better and has a more refined flavor)
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste, or 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp rice wine vinegar (unseasoned/without sugar)
4 scallions, green parts, cut into thin rings (I forgot to buy them today, so they aren't in the picture; they do make the noodles prettier)
Cook the noodles according to package directions, being sure not to overcook them. Drain and rinse very well, tossing with tongs under cold running water to be sure they are thoroughly cold (otherwise they will continue cooking and turn to mush).
In a small dry pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, tossing the pan, until they are shiny and fragrant. They burn very quickly, so be careful! Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small pan, combine the peanut butter through the rice vinegar. Heat over medium heat, stirring to melt the peanut butter. When everything is incorporated, pour the hot mixture over the cold noodles, tossing the noodles with tongs to be sure the noodles are evenly coated. Let the mixture sit at room temperature or place in the fridge for half an hour to allow the flavors to mingle. When ready to serve, top the noodles with the scallions and sesame seeds. YUM!
I find garlic and ginger paste to be a great short cut in the kitchen, especially when making Asian food. It is available at Indian grocery stores, such as Patel Brothers in the Kenny Centre (corner of Kenny & Old Henderson on the NW side, near Tensuke Japanese Grocery store).
*if you are using natural, non-homogenized peanut butter, add a few tbsp of the oil from the peanut butter jar to be sure everything mixes together.
To help you with your shopping, left to right, front - ginger/garlic paste; Japanese sesame paste; fresh chili paste; back, light color soy sauce:
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