Caribbean Time!

Posted on October 5, 2009 by MAL

Dinner Party #3 (I think)

I’m just stuck on these themes, I tell ya! (Sorry, Grampy (aka Sir John), I have not yet tried the meatloaf recipe you so kindly emailed me. First of all, I would need to try it on myself before I push your (I’m sure) flavorful recipe on anyone else. Perhaps, American theme on the next one.)

Also, I have no intention of turning this blog into a food blog, but I just thought I’d share some of the awesome recipes I’ve found, and the crazy difficulties I’ve had along the way. Bear with me!

Had another couple over on Friday – I know, everyone’s “all loved up” as Jocko would say – and I opted for a Caribbean theme.

First course – Calypso Beef Dumplings. Again, couldn’t find what I was looking for in their supermarkets a la wonton wrappers. So frustrating, but luckily Jocko always assures me there is always a substitute. I simply am a follow-the-instructions type gal and it’s hard for me to wrap my head around these fandangled substitutes. We bought dough – Americans, think like Pillsbury crescent rolls. And, I fried them with the original beef dumpling recipe on the inside. Let’s be honest, anything fried is going to taste good. And they did, delicioso!

Main Meal - Jerk Chicken marinated overnight, Homemade Sweet Potato Chips (or crisps for you Brits), and Avocado and Clementine Spinach Salad.

Again, wanted to make Yucca French Fries spiced with thyme, salt and pepper and a dash of balsamic. But, not thinking I needed to google “Yucca,” we went to the supermarket, Jocko’s eyes crossed when I asked him about the Yucca plant, and needless to say, nowhere to be found. It ends up they do call it the same thing, but I guess it’s not readily available. So, I knew I had heard of Sweet Potato Fries before, and bought those instead.

Most of the reviews I had read about these said that when you oven-baked the yams, they didn’t turn out crispy like most people hoped. Jocko’s fabulous idea was to take a peeler and peel the entire vegetable and then fry. They actually turned out some of the tastiest little treats I’ve ever had. We’re such a team!

Dessert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Mango-Filled Cream Puffs with Spiced Mango-Mojito Sauce – AKA the most yummy creations to have landed on earth.

I was a little worried when I found this recipe because it seemed so complicated, but in hind sight, they are actually pretty simple to make, healthy-ish, and just delicious. The photo doesn’t really do them justice, but I say try them if you have never heard of them before! Personally, anything with mango, I’m in for!

We ended the evening at half past midnight, and I have to say, I have never been so full. I definitely made way too much food, but better too much than too little, right?

On another note, I am very pleased to announce that I cracked my 9 minute miles, and ran 7 miles in 8 minute 15 second miles (TOTAL of 57 minutes 41 seconds). I feel really strong, and can’t wait to run the half marathon in two weeks! Wish me luck!

Murder is Always a Mistake…

Posted on September 21, 2009 by MAL

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“Murder is always a mistake – one should never do anything one cannot talk about after dinner” – Oscar Wilde

Dinner parties successful! (mostly…)

I remember living in LA, having dinner parties was something I would dream about. No, literally. I would have actual dreams about throwing dinners, and inviting actual people over. I would also have dreams about my studio apartment having actual separate rooms.

Believe me, the dreams were correlated.

I dreamt of buying flowers for the table, long stem candles lit, french music playing in the background, perhaps a fireplace in the corner, fancy dinnerware, nice bottles of red wine and putting a course together like it was something I’d been doing my entire life. The dinner would last hours and the stories and laughter would flow like the wine.

In reality, I had only ever cooked Trader Joe’s ready made meals, and it never included more than me and someone else. Eggs and tuna melts were as far as I got generally – and boy, was I good at those! I felt like fancy dinner parties were my next step into adulthood (besides having a relationship and living with a man, and all that important stuff).

And, here I am. I’m an adult! I mean, obviously, I’ve been one for some time – I can drive a car, I drink tea, I floss as often as I remember to, and I read newspapers (mostly online, but I still read ‘em). All adult things to do.

So, in some ways, my dreams are coming true. Simple though they seem. Dinner party first step. Published author next. I heard that’s the typical order of progress.

Asian theme night:
(oh, did I mention that Asian here means what Americans call Indian..and I don’t mean Native American either…so confusing. So, I’m not saying I made Indian food or Native American. Got it? I don’t know if I do.)

Some problems: The Japanese starter with Avocado also had this strange vegetable called jicama or otherwise known here as a yam bean. Couldn’t find. Specialty shop.

No chicken broth in grocery store either. I know! Simple thing. Not so simple here. Chicken noodle soup is their broth.

Also, Chinese Five Spice. Only one spice. Not five combined. Specialty shop.

Bok Choy – here Pak Choi (seemed the same). Lovely. Truly lovely. Turned out excellent if I do say so myself.

The dessert of Asian Five Spice Chocolate Cake. Flourless. Kind of like mousse. Only, it turned out kind of like chocolate poo looking. Baking skills aren’t up to snuff. (Caroline – whose baby is due to be born any day now – said she loved it. It did taste alright, it just looked like poo. I think she was being nice.)

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations” – Oscar Wilde

Dinner Party night #2 on Friday.

Mexican theme night!
Everyone thinks since I’m a Lopez that I must be Mexican, so why not try to cook like one, right?! Plus, my dad lives there – I’m practically Mexican.

Starters – Not Mexican. But tasty. Shrimp wrapped in Bacon with melted Stilton. Mexican guacamole and crisps (a.k.a. tortilla chips).

Dinner – Chicken Tostada’s! I was doubtful after pureeing the onions and tom- ahhhh-toes for the sauce. That just seemed weird. But yummmmy! And frying tortilla’s is very fun. Note to self – must use vegetable oil next time – olive oil not quite right.

Dessert – Again, not Mexican! Ok, so maybe only half of the meal Mexican. Rhubarb and Apple Crumble – better than Chocolate cake the night before. Much better. But not perfect. Again, baking not up to snuff.

Dinner parties fun and eventful. No one got toasted – which was a bit disappointing. But I can always try for next time. Next time – not this Friday, but next. What theme shall I do then?

The truth about my tangents about dinner parties is that if cooking, half-ass baking and some wine brings people together to share stories and remind them that their alive – that makes me happy. It just feels important to have dinner with others. It feels like we’re creating something together – maybe memories, maybe ideas, maybe friendships. I can’t put my finger on it at past midnight on a Monday evening…but it’s there. And, I’ll make sense of it. I’ll let you know when I do…

Funny side note – last blog entry had the words “I’m no longer in Entertainment or in a regular job” – and what comes in the mail to Charlie’s house, but a residual check! Gotta love those residual checks. I’m $8 richer! Woo hoo! I guess maybe I am still in Entertainment.

“Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit.” – Oscar Wilde

English Baking Attempt #1

Posted on September 1, 2009 by MAL

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English Baking Attempt #1

My lovely wonderful mother sent me a birthday package with most of the ingredients (with the exception of eggs, sugar, etc for obvious reasons) for my favorite Lemon Jello cake (amongst other favorites that I believe I mentioned in a previous blog – Butterfingers, Baltimore’s best Berger cookies, and Victoria Secret thingy ma bobs). I decided to bake it for this weekend for Darryl’s 40th Birthday party (which I will mention in a bit).

Nothing is ever easy when in a foreign country, and I’m finding that British cooking, when it seems it should be simpler than say, French cooking – well, it’s deceiving. I doubt I will ever make that mistake like I did upon first arriving to France and order me some pig’s feet instead of simply pork, but I’m thinking I might make other mistakes.

Like, for example, when I want to broil something – as in, use the top of the oven to cook at a high heat – apparently, in England, that’s called grilling. Now, I thought grilling was outside on the BBQ. No, apparently that’s called BBQing. Confused yet?

1. So, the ingredients called for Confectioners Sugar. I went looking in the supermarket, and no one had any clue what I was talking about, nor did they feel like showing me where I might find something of the sort. So, the baking aisle I went down. They had: Cane Sugar, Castor Sugar, Brown Sugar, Gelating Sugar, Granulated Sugar, Decorating Sugar, Superfine Sugar, and Icing Sugar. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I was frustrated, but I took a chance with the icing sugar – afterall, it was going to be used for icing…
And, it worked!

2. Ovens here tend to be Convection Ovens, so when my mother wrote in the ingredients to put it in for 45 minutes, well, after 15 and it was already raising and turning brown, I got a bit worried. Thank God there was a toothpick in the house to do the ole tooth pick trick. After 25 minutes, I pulled it out and it was perfect. (we won’t even go into the conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius – internet saves me everytime)

3. I should never say something is homemade in England when I use a cake mix. To me, a cake mix is a perfectly acceptable way to bake a cake since it is something I rarely do, I figure if I put it in the oven, that counts as baking. Plus, there were a lot of other ingredients as well. Well, good ole Jocko let ‘er slip that I used a cake mix, and oh boy, did I get hell for that! Doesn’t matter they loved it and it got high praises, oh NOOO, I cheated and that’s wrong!

I tried to pull the old, it’s a cultural difference line (I pull that one a lot and say that that’s as home baked as it gets in America, but I don’t think they bought it.

I won’t even get into cooking – that will have to wait for another blog – but can we just say if you want an Eggplant Lasagne, you better ask for an Aubergine one; if you want zucchini in your veggies, ask for a courgette (my French came in handy here), string beans are French beans, ginger nut is ginger snap, bologna is polony, and one I just recently learned when heading to a festival – they call cotton candy – candyfloss.

And just when you think you’ve mastered the English language…

The Lifestyle Change Diet

Posted on August 20, 2009 by MAL

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Birthday week has thoroughly ruined my running and dieting. Isn’t that what it’s supposed to do?!

We have a system. Call it what you will – OCD, controlling, anal – but it works and we have lost weight from it and are maintaining it, and still are able to eat what we want.

If I eat under or just on 1,500 calories, then I get a check mark for that day (Jock has 2,300 calories). If I go above that, I get a big fat X on that day. Jock and I do this everyday, and have done for the last 16 weeks. We average about one or two X’s a week. Looking back over the last month – well, let’s just say there is a lot of red and a lot of X’s.

Luckily, the measurements happened last week, and I have only gained one pound and have actually lost half an inch from my waist – how? I have no idea.

Received package of Berger Cookies complete with ingredients for a Lemon Jello Cake from my mom today! So bad, but sooooo good. Lemon Jello Cake is my absolute favorite and I will post pictures once I bake it.

149 pages of book done!