Cooking with Dee

I lend books out but so many aren’t returned, even with my current (then former and former former) address. This book definitely belongs in the repertoire no-one reads or orders from. Yes, essential cookbooks.

Years ago I lent The Food and Wine of Greece, by Diane Kochilas, published by St. Martin’s Press, 1993, to a friend. After both of us moved I never expected to get it back and hoped she was enjoying its recipes. Yesterday, I got a package that included the lent book. Two weeks ago I bought it anew and haven’t opened it yet.

An embarrassment of riches, one might say. I say let’s keep the old and give away the new. My m-i-l might enjoy some new recipes, perhaps I’ll send it on.

This book is fantastic. One of the best casual “company” meals I know is its Moussaka. It allows you to spend time with your guests while dinner is in the oven. Serve a couple of meze (appetizers) and a big Greek salad and you have dinner. Even better if you have some fresh fruit for dessert. Unfortunately, Jim hates eggplant so I don’t serve it often. It reminds me of my time in Greece with so many fresh and delicious meals to savor.

When making eggplant, I prefer to brush with olive oil and bake or grill, instead of frying. That’s just my preference. It’s still winter so make a moussaka or pastitsio for your family and friends. They’ll appreciate it! Dee

was about wishes, mainly about where to live, not what to do with one’s life. Tonight my love and his parents come up the mountain and they’ll miss the beauty I see right now. The golden grasses swaying in the wind, the sun casting shadows that I cannot hope to capture in a photograph, and I don’t paint. As I write the magic lessens, and words cannot contain what I feel for this country especially at this time of day.

It’s magic time. Ephemeral, like life. Since I cannot adequately describe it in words, you might look to “America, The Beautiful” to give some semblance of its majesty. Folks are home, must go finish dinner.
Dee

Forgot to include a photo of the tailor:

Have a great weekend! Dee

It’s 85 degrees here (105 down the mountain) and will cool to the 40’s tonight.  The cranes have been keeping me up, talking at night.  Quietly at 2:30 in the morning, quite more vocal between 5-6 a.m. but it sure is nice to have the windows open at night!

Especially as I added curry to my carrot soup and can air it out tonight.  I marinated two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in soy sauce, lemon, peperoncini (hot pepper flakes), garlic, ginger and pepper and it’s on the grill.  Soup is ready.  I’ll let you know how that goes.  We were also left some frozen hash-brown potatoes (Ore-Ida frozen) by a departing neighbor and I’m cooking those and we’ll be ready in a few minutes.

Photos include one late afternoon from the path a few feet from our downstairs deck, one of mama crane and baby “colt” taken this morning, as well as the balloons.

Hope your weekend was great!  Dee

Finally we were able to add The Foodie Blogroll.  I’ll do another post about our one-year blog-anniversary but for most of it our kind free host knew our difficulties and took its time to work it out so other sites could be listed here.  Finally I got some Jimmy time to install.

We are having organic chicken breasts on the bone with full breading/panko using a smoked paprika bbq spice I really like.  Also sauteed baby red potatoes with onion, in bacon fat of course.  Bad girl.  Finish with a lettuce wedge for Jim and some sugar snap peas for me.

More tomorrow.  Thanks for hanging in there.  Cheers!  Dee

I wrote a post about moving and insurance and one of the “relevant” posts listed is about vasectomies. I think WordPress needs my husband’s help to tweak their algorithms. Perhaps having a vasectomy can be a “moving” experience. Dee

When a pack rat (not a hoarder) contemplates moving 1,500 miles away for six months, deciding what to take along in two medium cars is a problem. At least for me.

I drove the Acura. Jim drove the Honda with Zoe, the dog. Aside from clothing that can get us through the next six months (didn’t concentrate on winter so of course it snows every day) I brought: our wedding photo; my knives, utensils and a crock to put them in; tea towels (at least 40); our down comforter and duvet cover, sheets, pillows and pillow cases; my spice rack; additional spices and my salt dish and pepper mill. I’ve already bought a Farberware pan in which to cook Jim’s eggs.

Jim brought: PlayStation III; games; electronics including both MacBooks, my 24″ monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse (2); and that’s about it.

I brought French pop-up sponges and scrubbies from Trader Joes and Sur La Table.

So, if you had to transport stuff for six months on the road in one car, what would you take with you? I remember a lady was packing up for Hurricane Rita. We took essential documents (passports, wedding certificate, birth certificates, car titles) and clothing for a few days, plus dog food and water.

She had her entire closet in her SUV and was going back for a pair of Jimmy Choo’s that she couldn’t live without. Priorities.

Mac and cheese night tonight. With a lovely salad of young greens and I’ll make a sherry vinaigrette. Keep cooking! Dee

This afternoon Zoe and I moved into a home near Park City UT for the duration of his contract, nearly six months. It is a two bedroom, three bath, one car garage ski condo that backs up to a nature preserve less than ten feet away.

We have no Internet until late Wednesday so cannot show you photos or describe the beauty of the adjacent mountains and marshland. I took all I could carry out of my car, dragged suitcases upstairs and haven’t yet unloaded them from this morning.

Taking a break looking out at the view I saw a red-tailed hawk just still, riding the air currents, for about two minutes before he swooped down. A moment ago two geese stopped at the stream about 15’ away and flew off honking.

As to skiing I believe I may be seeing The Canyons, part of Park City and perhaps Deer Valley. Despite snow and cold temperatures the sun does melt snow so everything is kind of brown and dead-looking. We hope Jim comes home soon. No word yet but at least it’s not snowing.

Two more fronts are forecasted for this week, one for Tuesday-Wednesday, another for Thursday-Friday. I got up here in 20 minutes on dry roads.

I’ll get you photos when I finally have Internet service but the difference between here and our lovely extended stay is 1,000%. Now Zoe just has to get used to it. I don’t know where to walk her. She’s just had her dinner and will need to go out.

I’m not cooking tonight, but it’s not because of the Maytag and Jenn-Air appliances. We need to finish unloading the SUV and the Honda tonight and find a real box-cutter so I can dispense with this stupid paper cutter from Walgreens.

The view is terrific and will look lovely in summer. The small streams must have just unfrozen and waterfowl are everywhere. Ducks keep landing in the stream right by us and Zoe doesn’t care. She lets out her alarm for any person or child who strolls or jogs by. She’s only been here a few hours.

One of the things that sold me on this place is the slate tile, granite and appliances. Also that it was a smaller place than others and was certainly not a “Frat House” and I’ve seen one of those.
Everything is clean and orderly. I’ll have my shopping list and go tomorrow to cook a nice meal, once I inventory the cooking materials. I’m not adding to my kitchen pots and pans unless absolutely necessary.

The birds are done and have gone home for the night. Jim is trying to get home to our new place as well. He’ll call a few minutes out and I’ll talk him in. After all, someone’s got to get a fire going.

I think there’s a Domino’s nearby. Delivery would be great tonight. Interesting I was told that every home in Utah must have a land line (sop to AT&T, probably) in case of emergency. That’s like telling us that every e-mail we ever send must also be sent in the mail to that person with a huge amount of postage.

I thought Texas was unnecessarily paternalistic. Utah, I have only been here a few days so need time to figure that out. In TX I would be making more Spring dishes about now. Here it’s still winter and I have a stew or few to try before the snows stop blowing.

There’s a farmer’s market June – October a couple of miles away once a week. Concert series. Movies are within walking distance. Whole Foods is as well. I’m still looking for a drycleaner.

Hope Jim gets here before dark. Zoe’s looking out on the expanse and mountains, just showing the lack of info as where Jim will come from.

Have a great evening and cook well. As soon as I get my kitchen, desk and Internet set up I’ll be back with you. Cheers, Dee

‘Tis the wrong season for these lyrics. When the roads cleared I used a box from the car to get the snow off. Then I headed out to Walgreens for two car window scrapers.

I found them and cleaned off Jim’s car and put his present in the trunk. I moved both cars to plowed locations. I’m starting to be able to see the mountains again, a little bit.

Even the drugstore had put out its Spring display with Easter and gardening items. They didn’t expect this storm either.

Got a lot done today, not pretty stuff. A lot of organizing and phone calls. Moving stuff from cars, literally getting my feet wet in Utah.

We need to find a place to lay our heads at night that is not a hotel. That is my quest. As a pioneer I’m wanting.
When we crossed Wyoming there was a spot pioneers gathered on July 4th because they they could reach their destination before the first snowfall. We flew through there at 75 mph. There are wagon ruts in the stone five feet deep in some places. It’s our first time driving the checkerboard states, but can you imagine moving a family knowing it would take that long?

Then again, Nurse Margie would say that slowing the ascent would mitigate altitude sickness. So perhaps we should have taken two mules and a dog. And Sister Sarah and Clint Eastwood for good measure.

Hope you’re cooking the things I can’t on two burners and a microwave right now. Don’t make me write a book on how to live in an extended stay suite. No way. The Knights Who Say Ni would not approve.

Sunshine, still can’t see the mountains. Perhaps I’ll take a few photos tomorrow. Now it’s up to me to order pizza. We’re exhausted and Jim just got home from his first day of work. Cheers, Dee

They’re very small in OK, KS, CO and not in WY as we’re only 12 miles in. Very small and with a lot of verbiage. “Make sure you don’t do this because it’s against state law.” When you’re 1/4 mile away you see the sign, try to read it and miss most of it because you have to keep your eyes on the road.

Signage is bad, as in none from TX to I-35 North to OK City, and none whatsoever guiding one to true I-70 to Denver. I did pass one sign that said the next three exits would take one to the Pike’s Peak area, an area that my Aunt Lorna explored as a twenty-something en route from SF, in her Mustang. I thought of her today.

We had no time to loiter, however, as we need to get to our destination and find a place to live.

I had a dream last night that we had an additional box to pack, not a box, a drawer, a shallow drawer. And I needed to pick up jigsaw puzzle pieces. Think what a shrink could do with that one. There were other things in the drawer but I don’t remember.

I enjoyed driving a checkerboard state, as I’ve only seen them from 35,000 feet. As for Denver, we were tolled $7.50 each car to drive five miles. Smog, yuck, I never saw the City but what people go through to work there looks abominable and we hit the outskirts at 4:00 p.m. pre-rush hour.

Wish we could spend a bit of time in Cheyenne but we really do need to finish this endless journey. We did great on the driving, the packing and moving fell behind.

This hotel is lovely, and for the weekend it is populated by beauty pageant contestants and the “Border Queens” of the Ms. Wyoming Pageant. The Border Queens are here at the hotel tonight and it’s a sight to see. There are a few people I know who would like to take that title, but not in this venue.

It’s quiet, Jim and Zoe are sleeping soundly (it makes a difference when there are actual walls between rooms, which folks understood when this was built in 1911). Otherwise Zoe protects us from every voice, door opening, etc. in a hotel because she’s not used to the sounds.

Off to bed now. More at our final destination, no not THAT one. Dee