latest obsessions

Bloodline. Every since the arrival of A almost FOUR years ago, I have struggled when it comes to watching movies.  It takes us no less than three days to watch one movie.  Sitting straight through is almost an impossibility.  Shows, however, have the wonderful joint qualities of brevity and closure-they don't require a big time commitment and are exceptionally entertaining in their own right.  I could go on and on about how impressive television has become-some of the best acting I have ever seen has been on the small screen-but it would be boring and reveal my pop culture nerdiness. Instead, I will tell you to immediately add Bloodline to your Netflix queue.  I was intrigued by the idea of a family drama centered around the unwanted arrival home of the proverbial "black sheep," but it was the presence of Kyle Chandler, of course, that ensured I would be watching.  It's Coach Taylor, y'all!  All FNL references aside, the cast is stellar, the story is twisty, dark and moody, with a Floridian setting that is somehow simultaneously beautiful (it's Islamorada in the Keys, in case you're wondering) and deeply sinister.  Ben Mendelsohn, the Australian actor that plays the damaged, erstwhile brother, puts in a particularly effective performance-half the time you're not sure whether to pity him or be terrified of him.

Four. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I have been sucked back into a teen saga. DON'T JUDGE! I loved reading Divergent, despite a less than satisfying end to the trilogy.  When the first movie came out last year, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.  It's GOOD, well-cast, fast-paced, and a decent representation of the book.  Anyway, when Insurgent came out a few weeks ago I fell right back into the books again, including the short story collection from Four's perspective which I had previously ignored.  So good!  And for me, it was something like the accidental discovery of a whole bar of dark chocolate in the pantry.

Inna Jam's Inna Shrub, Bearss Lime. Shrubs are becoming all the rage in the trendy foodie/bartending world.  A blend of vinegar, sugar, and fruit that has been condensed to a sweet syrup, a shrub can be mixed with sparkling water or alcohol to create refreshing, albeit slightly weird, drinks.  It's a bit of an acquired taste, I think, and I still can't get my SH on board-he cringes when I bring out the bottle.  I'd read about Inna Jam in Whole Grain Mornings (see obsession below) and considering that it's a small, local company I decided to try the shrubs.  Drinking water is not my strong suit-I know I need to, I know it's good for me, but I'm just not a big drinker of anything, really.  I was immediately intrigued by the shrub and thought it might be an inspired choice to brighten up my boring water.  So far, I've tried Royal Blenheim Apricot, Meyer Lemon, and Triple Crown Blackberry-all were good, but nothing as fabulous as Bearrs Lime. Super tart, barely sweet, and delicious! Last season, it was quickly out of stock, being the newest and BEST flavor, so I'm stocking up this time.

Essential oils.  Yes, I'm on the proverbial bandwagon. I can't get enough.  Even my little A kicks his feet out every morning for the "spicy" Thieves oil blend.  I can attest to their effectiveness-we have been exposed to an ungodly amount of bugs this year (including a stomach bug, which is literally my worst nightmare and something that I loathe so much that I even feel like I'm tempting fate by writing about it!!) and have, for the most part, sailed through them.  I am convinced a big part of that is using the oils regularly.  I think the combination of lemon-peppermint-lavender, or "allergy trio", as it's known in the oily world, has been helpful for my SH's crippling allergies.  We went through a period of time a few months ago when naps were getting a bit dicey and a minor application of lavender resulted in the most blissful, peaceful sleep for my little guy at a time when he really needed it.  I've been using homemade all-purpose cleaner, utilizing both oregano and melaleuca (tea tree) oils, and the only cleaner I utilize now that is not chemical-free is dishwasher detergent.  Sadly for me, I got to put the oils to test on not one, but two outbreaks of pesky cold sores, and I am pleased to report that on my last outbreak, the oil I used (YL's Purification blend) stopped my cold sore in its tracks.  Love, love them.  For the most part, I'm using Young Living oils-a cousin I adore is an active distributor-but there are lots of excellent, high-quality oils available.  They are expensive, but ultimately, I think they're going to pay off in the end.

Food 52.  I was introduced to Food 52, a website co-founded by Amanda Hesser and Merril Stubbs, by my favorite Molly Wizenberg when she mentioned writing a column for them.  As I am a seriously nerdy fangirl and would read anything Molly has written, I immediately scoured the website for the column and found myself completely captivated by everything that I found.  It's an excellent, beautifully designed and well-curated site, driven almost exclusively by reader content.  The central idea is one of an online food/cooking community, and it has grown and developed into something really spectacular, abounding with delicious recipes, wonderful ideas, and thoughtful commentary.  There is now an online store, Provisions, which contains so many lovely and unique items that I almost never look through them because I know that I will want to buy all the things.  I signed up for the daily emails, and I never tire of looking at them.  How many things could one say that about? Have you ever heard of a daily email that was actually something to look forward to?  The latest articles to pique my interest include: "4 Messy Kitchen and Home Projects to Embrace This Weekend", ""Too Many Cooks: Who Has Changed the Way You Cook", "6 Things We Learned While Whiskey Testing", and "Joanna Goddard from Cup of Jo's Lunchtime Tricks."  Something for everything!  Check it out-you won't regret it.

Whole Grain Mornings. I've written about Megan Gordon's breakfast cookbook here before, in my rather prideful post about the amazing granola I made.  That post wasn't actually even about Megan's granola, which I have since made many times and adore, but I've basically fallen completely in love with her cookbook, and everything that I've made has been out-of-this-world delicious.  Rather than go into it too much here, I've given myself the lofty goal of writing about one MG recipe a day for the rest of this week.  Gingerbread, pancakes, baked oatmeal-lots to anticipate.  Whether I reach that goal or not, I cannot speak more highly of this book.  Megan's blog, A Sweet Spoonful, is also great.  I plan on making the coconut oatmeal cookies from her latest post this week.

wild rice gratin with kale, caramelized onions, and baby swiss

I've given myself a lot of credit on this blog for being what I'd like to call an "early adopter" of kale.  It certainly didn't hurt that I've just always liked the taste of dark greens, and once I moved to California and was exposed to the piles of Swiss chard, collards, and, of course, kale at weekend farmer's markets, it was easy to start trying different things and become a pro at cooking them well.  Technically, most people that live here have long been familiar with the most popular, super healthy veg on the block.

Over the last few years, I've discovered quite a few kale recipes that I love and prepare regularly.  I've written about baked rigatoni with kale, a big dish of comfort where strips of kale get toasty and brown amidst creamy, cheesy sauce and pasta.  And of course there is sweet potato and kale pizza, so good I could eat it every night and never tire of it.

Well, my friends, there is a new kale recipe in town, and it shot right up to the top of my list of favorites from the moment I read about it, in Deb Perelman's new cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  Even if it didn't contain kale, wild rice, and Swiss cheese (gruyere for me, please!), the odds of an SK recipe being anything other than delicious would be monumentally low.  Deb never lets me down!

An added benefit for the gratin is that it's perfect for little ones.  I have been, and continue to strive to prepare meals for us as a family instead of making separate meals for my little guy, but there are times when we're craving a deliciously greasy pizza from our favorite local spot, Pizza My Heart, or something else I might deem a bit too rich for him.  On those nights, you'll usually find a sliced avocado with scrambled eggs and toast on his plate.  That's no shabby dinner, mind you, but it feels more warm and wholesome for us to all be eating the same thing.

As you can see from the photo I've included, SK's gratin is a hit in our house.  Little A slurps up the caramelized onions and chopped kale like an old pro, loving every bite.  I will tell you that the inclusion of toasty bread crumbs and the aforementioned cheese certainly pushes the dish from something hearty and healthy to something heavenly and addictive.  Even though he is a great little eater, even my A probably wouldn't devour the dish with such relish minus the cheese and carbs.

Wild Rice Gratin with Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Baby Swiss, adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perelman

wild rice:
5 cups cooked wild rice (from 1 2/3 cups uncooked)

caramelized onions:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups stemmed, ribboned kale leaves (from an 8-ounce or 225-gram bundle)

assembly:
2 cups (8 ounces) coarsely grated Emmentaler or another Swiss cheese (I used gruyere)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon to grease the dish; 1 tablespoon melted, for crumbs)
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
Table salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the rice according to package directions (I  used a bag of wild rice from Trader Joe's).  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions.  Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat.  Add onions, sprinkle with salt and a little pepper, and cook until they're tender and sweet, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes (Incidentally, the fact that the onions take a while to cook gives you time to chop the kale, grate the cheese, and gather other ingredients).  Add the kale ribbons, and cook until they wilt a bit, about 5 minutes.  Stir together the onion-kale mixture, wild rice, and 1 cup grated cheese in a large bowl.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (I opted out of getting another bowl dirty and instead dumped everything into my baking dish).
3. Assemble the gratin.  Use 1 tablespoon butter to generously coat a 2-quart baking dish.  Spread the wild-rice mixture into prepared gratin and pour broth over it.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over gratin.  Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste; sprinkle over cheese.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a little bubbly and beginning to brown on top.

crunchy kale and coconut bowl

I am horrified to realize that the last time I posted a recipe was back in JANUARY.  Lest you think we've been eating take-out and beans and rice all this time, I can assure you that despite my pitiful time management skills, I have indeed continued to provide a home-cooked meal almost every night and have even tried out a few new recipes along the way.

One of these is destined to become a new favorite (for me, at least-SH hasn't been fortunate enough to try it yet): crunchy kale and coconut bowl, courtesy of Joy the Baker.  Joy's blog is one of the most widely known and beloved foodie blogs, inevitably appearing in the reader feed of all the other biggies.  Because her focus is baking, I didn't spend a lot of time perusing the blog.  I happened to click over one day to land on this unbelievably unique and delicious recipe, and presto, Joy was added to my list of daily foodie reads.  I immediately bought her new cookbook, prepared this dish, and I haven't looked back.

Obviously, I get huge points for my love affair with kale, easily the most popular current "super food."  I had roasted it several times before, and it's almost addictive. The combination of large toasted shards of coconuts and Asian dressing, while unusual, pushes it completely over the edge to another realm of tasty.

Note: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to cook farro, which I had never tried before, but Joy says that brown rice would work just as well.  As per one of the comments on her original post, I think I'm going to add chickpeas next time.  I love them almost as much as I love doughnuts.

Happy cooking!

Revolution

Oh my gosh. I'm obsessed. LOVE him, love what he's doing. I suggest you watch immediately.

P.S. Check out the lids on the milk-ALL strawberry. Admit it, it's appalling.