Rain and Wellies!

Rain, rain, rain. Thanks to you, rain boots, my pants are saved from the depths of flooded subway entrances and 6-inch puddles. Rushing water on the street is no match to your impenetrable rubber soles as I plow across the crosswalk with confidence.

But Winter, well that's another story. No matter how beautiful the snow looks as it's falling to the ground in New York, it inevitably ends up as dirty, sloppy slush. Puddles of sloppy slush. Which is why this season, I'm calling in the troops. On my wish-list: Hunter Wellies. Not only are they incredibly durable, stylish, and colorful (who says the rain can't be fun?), but one ALSO has the option of purchasing a cozy fleece Wellie Sock lining for cold weather! For the time being, my $15.00 boots from Target do their job, but come freezing rain this Winter...I'll be opting for a little extra reinforcement, better fit, and warmth. Hunter boots are available on-line from Zappos for $114.95.

Food, Inc.

"Food, Inc. exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers' rights....our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health..." The global food crisis. Cloning. Nutritional labels. Genetic engineering. Pesticides. Foodborne illness. Obesity. Farm worker protection. Organic and local foods. My, oh my. Delicious topics. What's not to love?

Which is why...I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE THIS DOCUMENTARY! I have my bag of organic corn kernels on the stand-by for stovetop popping and shhh, smuggling into the theater. Since a large segment of this film is supposedly devoted to exposing the evils of corn in our food chain, I think it would be an oxymoron if I were to order up a bucket of movie buttered popcorn.

I find the issue of what we eat, (or don't eat), incredibly fascinating. Just get me started, and I could talk on and on...and on. Needless to say, I'm a frequent farmer's market shopper in Union Square, and Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food (this one I'm currently reading) are both well-worn paperbacks warmly snuggled into my bookshelf. Since I give high praise to these two masterpieces, (and can't get enough of local market goodies this time of year), I'm quite certain I'll be enamored with this film. It promises, "You'll never look at dinner the same way again." I just hope it doesn't scare me off from eating a hamburger ever again...

Something Shiny

I've never been a girl to wear many necklaces, and I really don't know why. I completely love the way they look! I think necklaces can evoke a sense of individuality, creativity, and can really stand for something quite special. Plus, who doesn't love adding a little shine to an outfit? True, with long hair, I've encountered many a tangle after a long run. But in any case, I'm going to make more of a necklace-wearing effort here because I was recently introduced to Satya Jewelry after my sister gave me a necklace as a gift. So, I actually need to to give HER credit for discovering this company and getting me hooked: thank you little sister!

Using earthy, natural materials, gemstones, gold and silver, Satya Jewelry is not only created with global consciousness, but is yoga-inspired. Every piece blends spiritual symbols and sacred meanings. But whether you seek comfort in the meaning a piece represents or not, one thing is for certain: they're just so pretty!

The necklace above is a new design whose pendants symbolize the following: "Two lotus flowers hang side by side symbolizing the beauty and support in all relationships. This exotic blossom rises from the mud every day to face the sun with a clean and lovely cluster of fresh petals, and has been adopted by Asian cultures as a symbol of regeneration and personal growth...a day-to-day totem to remind you of the potential within."

Shallot Risotto

Oh, how I do enjoy a well-prepared risotto. Arborio rice has a naturally creamy texture, and it can be crafted into a very healthful and well-rounded meal. Risotto leftovers also reheat wonderfully for lunch the next day! This week, my culinary goal is to tackle this new risotto recipe. It's adapted from a fabulous cookbook calledFarm Food by Chef Daniel Orr, which I purchased after dining in his delectable restaurant Farm Bloomington, in Bloomington, IN.

In anticipation, I've typed up the recipe below and will post a photo of the completed dish later this week, (let's keep our fingers crossed!). This recipe is dairy-free. Note: while I can tolerate goat cheese, (it's a different protein than dairy), be sure to omit it if you can not.

Happy feasting!

Caramelized Shallot Risotto with Toasted Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Pears.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked arborio rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 caramelized shallots, roughly chopped

1 pinch lemon zest

2 tablespoons toasted walnuts

Garnishes: sautéed pears, black pepper, goat cheese

Method:

1. Sauté onions in olive oil until they are translucent, but not colored, over medium heat.
2. Add the arborio rice and toast; stir with a wooden spoon, so all the rice gets toasted.
3. Stir in 1 cup of broth. Continue cooking and stirring until all the liquid is absorbed.
4. Gradually stir in remaining broth 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup.
5. Fold in the sautéed shallots, zest, and walnuts and season with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with some sautéed pears, black pepper, and large crumbles of goat cheese.

...and voilà! The finished risotto as per this past Saturday night. It was really quite yummy: walnuts, goat cheese, and pears are a perfect match made in heaven. Plus...plenty of leftovers for lunch the following day.

Weekend in Washington D.C.

What fun! Here are several photographs I took this past weekend in Washington D.C. Below: my brief photo montage of the Nation's Capital.

I might have seen the movie Independence Day too many times, but doesn't this sky appear slightly alien-esque to you?

I love the stark contrast of this statue against the cloudy pre-sunset sky backdrop.

Dairy-Free Indulgence

With the holidays quickly approaching, soon will come the onslaught of homemade chocolate fudge, hot chocolate with whipped cream, apple pie, mashed potatoes, and the cookies, oh, the cookies. For an individual allergic to dairy such as myself, it takes a great deal of willpower to resist the temptation to try "just a little bite because it's vacation, after all." Well. I've had the pleasure of learning my lesson several times over the hard way, so I'm fairly strict now about maintaining a dairy-free diet. And what a difference it makes! (duh).

I'll admit it's not easy eating entirely dairy-free. Temptations abound. And sometimes, it's just downright cruel when I catch a mouth-watering whiff of my roommates' pizza slices on any given night. So, to all my fellow eaters out there who follow a dairy-free diet, a significant portion of The Printed Thought blog will be devoted to some tasty specialized recipes.

With my arsenal of Allergy Self-Help cookbooks by my side, I've actually rather enjoyed the challenge of taste-testing and substituting ingredients to create 100% dairy-free meals and desserts without sacrificing taste. My ultimate life-saver: coconut. Instead of soy, soy, and more soy, coconut milk is not only a fantastic substitute for cream, but it is also available in yogurt, milk, and ICE CREAM form! Likewise, coconut oil (deodorized or not) is an excellent substitute for butter in baked goods. And the best part? Coconut, though high in saturated fat (but the good fat like in nuts and avocados), helps make your skin and hair luminous. Please don't be scared by the nutrition label. This plant fat is metabolized by the body at an astounding rate.

Speaking of coconut, the company Turtle Mountain is an absolute gem. Since 1987, they have specialized in the creation and production of all-natural and organic dairy-free products. I'll highlight all of their Coconut Milk offerings in a following post, but in the meantime, run to your local health food store and grab a pint of their Coconut Milk Ice Cream. It is by far THE BEST ice cream substitute on the market. In fact, I would argue MUCH more tastier and healthier than real dairy ice cream. It would fool even the most die hard ice cream connoisseur. Try the flavor Cookie Dough and you will not be disappointed.

Pasta Pasta!

This past weekend, in a whirlwind of cooking ambition, my boyfriend {EK} and I decided to take on an authentic pasta dinner entirely from scratch. There we are! Prepping semolina dough for the pasta machine. Following a recipe for egg noodles, we opted for the elegant linguine shape. Since we happened to be short one pasta drying rack, we improvised with a laundry drying rack instead...and it worked surprisingly well!

Our first attempt at making linguine pasta was incredibly time consuming (as in 3 hours of being hungry for dinner time consuming). BUT nonetheless, it was (and always is) incredibly rewarding to coax simple ingredients together into something genuinly homemade and more complex. It gives one humble appreciation for the hard work, knowledge, and skill that goes into gourmet food preparation...not to mention, it's an enjoyable learning experience that rewards you with something delicious at the end.

When all had been mixed, rolled, chilled, cut, dried, boiled, sauteed, and garnished, every bite of that painstakingly crafted pasta (and sauce), bursted not only with incredible flavor, but the effort and pride of having succeeded in cooking a from-scratch Italian meal.

Several tips to make pasta:

1. Roll pasta dough into flat circle before chilling so it's easier to roll out before cutting for machine.
2. Flour dough and run a few "test strips" through the machine to remove any oil residue.
3. Flour dough before cranking through machine. Flour generously afterwards so pieces don't stick together.
4. Ideally, let pasta dry for at least an hour before boiling.
5. Keep an eye on the boiling pasta. Fresh pasta will cook within a few minutes.

Bon appétit!