Don't Be Radicchio-lous

Dear Tia T -

I don't think it's stealing at all. Perhaps whoever left those magazines there wanted them taken off her hands! Sometimes I find myself walking out of the gym with a magazine that is not mine, and the way I make myself feel less guilty about it is by bringing another magazine to take its place the next time I'm in. More importantly...what fantastic recipe finds have you acquired? And when will you share them?

Speaking of guilt...Happy Lent! I agree that being pregnant totally negates the whole giving something up thing. Right? Another way to look at it: why give something worldly up when your entire body is working towards giving something back to the world?

Quick question: why doesn't Tia Tay get treats? Are healthy things like veggies what your body/baby wants, or is it a recommendation from your doctor? Do you still get to eat cheese? What about dairy in general? I'M SO SCARED OF GETTING PREGNANT AND NOT GETTING TO EAT CHEESE.

Speaking of cheese (I know, another horrible transition) and vegetables, this radicchio, provolone, and ground beef pizza was a pretty good (and surprisingly light) dinner for us the other night:


I had never bought radicchio before. Up until I saw the sale sign for it at the store, my only acquaintance with the cabbage-like veggie was at nicer restaurants where it seems to be served alongside some sort of reduction or aioli or foam whatever weird things they're calling "sauce" these days.

Radicchio and Provolone Pizza

1 ball of pizza dough (I used some fresh pre-made multi-grain stuff from Whole Foods)
3 slices of provolone cheese, sliced into 1/2 in matchstick-looking pieces
1/2 lb of ground beef (though I'm sure you could use sausage as well)
1-2 tbs olive oil
1/2 head of radicchio, finely chopped (I tossed the rest with arugula for a side salad)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped

1. The morning or early afternoon of the day you make this, coat the inside of a bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The dough should be doubled in size by the time you're ready to work with it.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3. Heat a little olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add ground beef, occasionally breaking up the meat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook for another minute, then add garlic, cooking again for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Sprinkle a clean surface or cutting board with a little bit of flour. Take your pizza dough and divide it into two balls (ha. ha.). Knead each ball for a bit (this just gets worse and worse) then roll out into rounds that are about 1/2 inch thick (or to your preference). Place rounds onto an ungreased cookie or baking sheet.

5. Brush the tops of each round with a little olive oil. Layer the ground beef, onion and garlic mixture evenly between the two crusts. Follow with the radicchio, then the provolone.

6. Place in oven and let bake for 15-17 minutes.

It wasn't as healthy as a plateful of fresh veggies, but between the multi-grain crust, radicchio, and salad, it was satisfying but not overly filling.

In honor of Lent, I'll leave you with the beginning of a list of self-imposed rules I hope will help me develop self-restraint:

1. Do not keep Nutella and graham crackers in the house at the same time.

2. Do not go grocery shopping hungry. That giant wheel of Brie isn't going to un-buy or un-eat itself.

3. Do not be tempted to make any dessert (avert your eyes if they're sensitive to chocolatey goodness) that calls for only half a bag of butterscotch chips as you will find yourself sleepwalking towards the leftovers and waking only when they are already half-chewed in your gaping maw.

4. Do not go to Target wearing grubby or outdated clothes because you will be tempted to buy fresh, pretty, fanciful ones.

Do you have rules for self-restraint?

Loveyoumissyou,

TF

T-T-T-Tia!

Tia T -

Oh. My. God. Girl. I'm going to be an actual tia! Tia Fia! And you, a mamacita! I'm so excited I can't stand it. Can't. Stand. It!! Words can't possibly convey how happy I am for you and B. I wish I could be there to help make your cinnamon toast and bark orders at you to stop lifting heavy things! to lie down, because, for pete's sake, if you won't put a wet rag on your head and lie down, I'll do it for you!

Actually, being in a dark room with a wet rag on my head sounds pretty delightful. I might do that forthwith. Right after I revise! For the last time! My Fulbright application!

I've had a lot of coffee. And I'm excited about little Arroz. So forgive the exclamation points.

I love the idea of Arroz demanding food befitting childhood. I must admit, I love all of those foodstuffs you listed, and will add to them a strong fondness for slices of American cheese wrapped in plastic, microwavable packets of apple and cinnamon oatmeal, Kix, and Tang.

I have so many questions! When you wake up from your sleep binges, do you feel rested or still really tired? How long is the morning sickness part supposed to last? Are you really only sick in the morning? Would you get sick at the sight of this?

It was cold and rainy yesterday, and I could think of nothing better to do than to dust off my faded, fleecy hoodie, make a cup of hot tea, and let simmer ground beef with bell pepper, kidney beans, tomato puree, and spices while I took notes towards some new poems and worked on my Fulbright application.

Because J has a strong aversion to beans, I invited my friend Marie to help me eat steaming bowls of chili and cornbread after we both did this grueling workout class. When I tell you that I hobbled through Richmond today like a woman three times my age, I am not exaggerating.

Although apparently I didn't need Marie's help (though of course it was appreciated), since J came home from class and shockingly, SHOCKINGLY, put down an entire bowl of it. Just imagining it again makes me want to weep with gladness...

Simple Beef Chili (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

(makes 4-6 servings)

1-2 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-6 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbs ground cumin
1-2 tsp each of coriander, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper (more of the cayenne and red pepper if you want it spicier)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can tomato puree
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (Ro-Tel would probably be tasty as well)
salt, to taste

Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and a few more pinches of salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt.

I topped the chili with pepper jack, though you could put so many delicious things in its place: avocado, fresh tomatoes, cheddar. What I loved about this recipe was how pantry-friendly it was; I only had to buy the beef!

I officially have a strong craving for cinnamon toast, so you'll excuse me. But before I attend to that, I just wanted to say that I love you, that I'm so happy for you and B, and that I can't wait to be (officially!) a tia.

Love,

Tia F.

Girl's Night In

Dear Ms. TF
Oh Girl, you don't have to tell me about four different laundry receptacles. My most favorite is the corner that holds balled-up damp towels employed for face shaving. It's carefully hidden behind the bathroom door and is usually discovered when I'm scrubbing the floor. That would be semi-okay (meaning not yell worthy), but it's always the good towels- the ones saved for COMPANY. Seriously, the only reason I don't actually BUFAD (break up for a day) is that B is the ONE who does the laundry. For this reason I get down on my knees, thank God and then go make dinner-

I baked a toothsome Beef and Spinach Pie this evening. Not allowing the pedestrian name fool me, I chose it from the cookbook Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven by Emily Farris. A gift in the mail from my Mom, I've always turned to it when I want something "oh so good, but bad for you".

B was late at work and was going out for drinks afterward- so I wanted to make something new, something that I'd love, and something that would taste good to B after he had been drinking. Also, I was hoping that I could mix it all together, stick it in the oven and then watch an episode of My So-Called Life while it cooked. It worked out exactly as I wanted.

Beef and Spinach Pie
1 pre-made 9-inch frozen pastry
1/2 large white onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 pound lean ground sirloin
pinch of cayenne powder
pinch plus an extra of chili powder
1 teaspoon of oregano
salt and pepper
1 cup of pureed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil
3/4 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake pie shells according to package directions. I used whole wheat 365 brand.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, beef, cayenne, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. When the beef is cooked through, add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Set the heat to high and cook stirring occasionally, until the sauce is boiling, then reduce heat to low. Let simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

In medium bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta (I used cottage cheese because it's cheaper and better for you) and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Spoon the spinach mixture evenly into the bottom of each cooled crust, then cover evenly with the meat sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and basil. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mozzarella begins to brown and the pie is hot throughout.

Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.


Sadly, we didn't have leftovers and I had to take veggies for my brown bag lunch instead of a piece of pie.

I will send you a surprise in the mail if you can tell me what these are? and what do you do with them?


B needs the computer so I gotta go. Let me know when the application process is over. B and I just started our "Bangladesh Here We Come" savings account.

Love,
TT

Chile Con Quesadilla

Dear Tia Tizzle,

I must be having a whip cream kinda day myself - it's only 10:30 in the morning and I'm ready to tear someone's head off. Some of it seems to do with the fact that, unbeknownst to me, there are apparently four different receptacles for dirty laundry in our house. Silly me, I thought laundry went only in the one laundry basket...

So far, none of my usual self-soothing rituals have worked out. I'm going to wait until noon (it seems too decadent to have whipped cream before noon on a working day) to make some of that whipped cream for a bowlful of blueberries, and maybe that will calm me down enough to allow me to continue working on my Fulbright application. How many more times can I say "Fulbright application" before you are completely sick of it?

At least dinner last night was satisfying. After reading your letter, I was visited by a rush of homesickness so swift and so lethal, I went scrounging around to see if I had anything to make some comfort food. Though we're scraping the bottom of our weekly groceries, we had everything I needed to make us a temporary antidote for the Tex-Mex blues: flour tortillas, pepper jack cheese, a can of Ro-Tel, and of course, cow, in ground form.

While it's no Polvo's, the modest table at Casa F looked pretty good to two homesick Texans. J took one bite and closed his eyes before saying, "Somehow, you managed to make chile con quesadilla."

Chile Con Quesadilla

1 lb. ground beef
lots of shredded pepper jack cheese
cumin, ancho chile powder, cayenne pepper
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
flour tortillas

Brown the beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add two minced cloves of garlic and up to a whole chopped onion to the beef, and cook until soft. Add a drained can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and a glug of red wine (R, there is a magical relationship between wine and tomatoes, there is!), and cook for a few minutes longer. Then add the spices. You could add anything, but I added a few thumbfuls each of cumin, ancho chile powder, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking until juices from tomatoes are mostly gone.

Put the meat to one side, then warm a skillet, preferably iron-cast, over medium heat. Add a little butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, place a tortilla in the pan. Cover the surface of the tortilla with ground beef and as much shredded cheese as you wish. Place another tortilla on top, then wait a minute or two. Flip the quesadilla, then pull of the top tortilla and add more cheese. Cook until cheese is melty and tortillas are slightly browned.

Repeat to make as many as you want. I took a can of black beans and cooked it with some butter, onions, garlic, and spices, then mashed all of it up to make refried beans.

While there was little to no nutritional value in last night's dinner, it did hit the spot, and made me feel a little less lonely out here on the East Coast. What do you like to eat when you're feeling sad or homesick?

Oh, also, the most interesting ingredient: I'd have to say whole fennel. I wanted to try to recreate this salad I'd had once in San Francisco, but it was a major fail. The fennel overpowered the rest of the ingredients, unfortunately, and I haven't tried to use it again. Oh well.

Alright, lady - I'm going to try to muddle through my day and hope I don't freak out and snap at someone. Hope you and B have a terrific weekend - can't wait to hear all about it!

L,

TF

Makin' Dinner

Hey Tia Fia-

So- I just started makin' dinner again. I was totally thrown off by our weekend in CL last week. Like an autistic kid, I got fussy and inconsolable because my schedule had a slight variation. "Oh MY GOD I wasn't able to paint my toenails the perfect shade of red at exactly 8:30 on Sunday night. My whole week is RUINED!" B heard this refrain a million times punctuated by my foot stomping and crying jags. Last week was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Attractive, right?

So come the next Sunday I'd resolved to "pull myself together." Meaning scoop the litter box and make a meal. These nightly dinners haven't been creative or researched. I've been going on the formula meat+green=dinner. The only problem with this set up is that while I lose all the water weight I gained on my weekend away B wastes away to almost nothing.

Ignoring his needs, this evening I'm continuing with my no bread resolution. The dinner menu is beef and asparagus stir fry. I usually don't get to eat asparagus, but Edgewater Grocery had it for .99 a pound! Although it's extensive and has alot of ingredients this is one of my favorite recipes. (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

1 pound of flank steak (I always get what's cheapest)
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of dry sherry ( For months I thought the vermouth in the pantry was sherry, B just told me it's not)
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth (if I don't have it I use water)
5 tablespoons of oyster sauce (do NOT think that you can substitute this with fish sauce)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 medium garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (if you use the stuff in a jar make sure it doesn't have added sugar)
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
11/4 aparagus
1/3 cup water
1 small red bell pepper
3 meduim scallions

1. Combine the beef and soy sauce in bowl- let marinate. Whisk the sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the peanut oil in a small bowl.
2. Drain the beef and discard the liquid. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut oil in 12 inch pan over high heat 'till smoking. Cook beef in batches until browned. Put beef aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the now-empty skillet; heat until smoking. Add the asparagus and cook 30 seconds; add the water, cover the pan, and lower the heat to medium. Steam the asparagus until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil and let heat 'till smoking. Add the bell pepper and let cook 'till soft and with spotty brown places.
5. Clear the center of the skillet; add the garlic and ginger mixture to the clearing and cook mashing the mixture with a spoon 'till frangrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Return the asparagus and beef to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine; then add to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds.


Whew! That was alot. I didn't know that writing the recipe down would take so much time. I think I'll open a bottle of wine to celebrate the first posting. Let me know how you're doing.

Love,
Tia Tay