As Promised, Sort Of

Broccoli with Spicy Balsamic Dressing and Olives (& Feta. Maybe Pinenuts. Or Sundried Tomatoes?)

Steam broccoli. I am not trying to insult you here but (just in case): take 1.5 lbs of broccoli (a medium'ish bunch) and separate the florets from the stalk and then steam them for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Tender but crisp, you know?

Vinaigrette:

2 t balsamic vinegar

2 t red wine vinegar

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)

1/4 t salt

1/4 c olive oil

Combine. I save old jelly and salsa jars and lids for just this purpose. Put the ingredients in, twist the lid on and shake shake etc. 

Toss warm broccoli with the vinaigrette and oh, say, 1/3 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives. Feta would be nice too. And I just thought of pine nuts. Wouldn't that add a lovely crunch?

I would go on but we have an unexpected dinner guest and I am being rude, right this second. Speaking of food do you want to know what I served this surprise guest?  Frozen pizza, leftover filling from last night's stuffed peppers, beer, a turkey sandwich and some of the chocolate chip cookies Patrick and I made today. He is 24 and underemployed and would, in theory, eat his own shoes but still, christ, where are my standards? Can you believe I can produce a menu like that and still have the unmitigated gall to attempt to sneak into the coterie of the hostessing elite? For shame.

I have an unpleasant "procedure" tomorrow morning (did I mention this? the hacking out of the abdominal scar thing? well, I'll tell you about it) but I will try to finish this up tomorrow. By all means carry on with the recipes- they are delightful and I hope you are getting as many ideas as I am.   

PS Damn it, I forgot to tell you. Now, I would have SWORN that only a complete idiot would think that sweatpants are as warm as jeans or a nice pair of corduroys. In fact, I would put them in that order: cords, then jeans, then sweats. I am talking about the $3.99 Target sweats here, by the way. They are practically perforated. In fact, I suggested that Steve could have just wrapped the boy's legs in a couple of papertowels for all the good those skimpy little pants were going to do him. Biting, you know. I am biting like that. However, this is why I ask the questions. You (by which I mean THIS section of you, over here) seem to think sweatpants could indeed be warm. Warmer, even. Warmest, perhaps. So I shall apologize to my husband as I trust your opinion and it is apparent that there is no One Clear Answer. Oh, and I put Patrick in his snowsuit anyway. Between that and the ear-flap hat and the mittens he could have done the Iditarod.

PPS OF COURSE it is 20 degrees here. It is November. We even have some snow on the ground.

PPPS Did I mention that we are going to Australia next November? Well, we are. And it is obvious why. 

Comments

[lisame]

Ok, people! This looks yummi! I'm gonna do it!
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/16/dining/161brex.html

[Izabela]

Oh, goodie. Australia in Nov is a nice choice. Where are you going? Somewhere tropical or our humble Melbourne by any chance?

[labia lady]

ooh ooh! You're coming to Australia?!?... how exciting. Come to Melbourne!! We love good food here... lots of great restaurants... you can always, always get a drink... The spring racing carnival is in full swing during early November, meaning lots of parties, fashion etc...

BTW... in relation to your previous post regarding salmon for your veggo guest. When I was in NYC last year, a friend gave me a recipe for chimmichurri sauce that I always serve with salmon. It is deeelicious, and can also be served with any barbequed meat/chicken.
Big bunch of coriander (cilantro) chopped,
2 cloves of garlic chopped,
Juice of 1/2 lemon,
2 tblsp of capers chopped,
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil
mix everything together, adding oil to make a paste.
I sometimes dip bread into it.

[wix]

20 already. damn. it's maybe 50 here, and i'm freezing my ample ass off.

do all of the pantslike items in your part of the frozen north come with flannel lining? or is everyone, from toddler on up, trusted to put a pair of thermals on under everything?

the idea of snow already just boggles my mind. it was something close to 90 here this past weekend.

[Meg]

I'll have to try the recipe as it sounds yummy.
I third how good Melbourne is. Spring carnival is fun. Labia Lady is right, good food, great fashion and parties. The weather at the moment is 27 degrees.

[Sheridan]

No! Pick me! Pick me! Sydney! Please!

If I was half as witty and entertaining as Julie, I'd show you a better-than-Boston-weekend in Sydney. But I read much trashier books than you. You're way out of my league. *Sigh*.

Even Patrick is way out of my league. *Very Big Sigh*.

[Robyn]

I vote for Queensland as the Australian destination. We may be a little odd at times here in the Sunshine State but there is some charm in our eccentric ( did I hear the Melbournians say redneck) ways! Or are you just teasing us Australians Julia with an off hand comment. You shouldn't do that we'll all be disappointed if you don't come to Oz!

[leslie]

gotta say it depends on the sweatss - I've got some heavy ones that are pretty warm but none of them are the least bit windproof and target sweats? nahhh.

25 degrees here and snowing sideways. brrrrr! (and that's southern Michigan - I don't even want to contemplate what it's like where you are this morning.

hope the unpleasant procedure isn't too horrid.

[Catherine]

We usually put the cheapo sweats UNDER the jeans or cords. But we're in the snowbelt of the Great Lakes...so it gets a bit chilly.

Lovin' the recipes.

I wish you a speedy recovery from your surgical procedure thing.

[divinecalm]

Australia? I'm sooo jealous. I will have to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing it.

[Cursingmama]

I used to do like Catherine, only I put the sweats Over the jeans. Of course there is something wrong with my son's ability to feel cold - as he tried to leave the house in shorts yesterday (we live in MN too). The only way I got him to change was reminding him that shorts are forbidden in the dress code starting November 1st and would result in a detention which he doesn't enjoy serving.

[Reba]

Living up here in Canada we just don't have grits. I know what they are in a sense but we don't have them in the supermarket (I've looked). Can I use cornmeal instead? Any other subsitution ideas? Cream of wheat?

[Lala]

Australia for World Clubs?? Bitch. But ha ha I was in Finland for Worlds last year and you were not. Na na na booboo

[nate]

Yes, but Julia, do you have any sure-fire crowd-pleasing ways to do Brussels Sprouts? My assignment for Thanksgiving is brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and pie. (Thank you, Joy of Cooking, for the best pumpkin pie recipe ever...)

Usually I just boil them & put olive oil & lemon juice on them, but that seems minimalist for the occasion. I've found a few recipes through Epicurious--one w/ roasted red onions (yum), one w/ shallots and mustard seeds (sounds interesting) and one for "maple-glazed brussels sprouts with chestnuts." Mmm...tantalizing, but too much for an already rich meal? I'm not sure I've ever had a chestnut, come to think of it...can I roast them ahead of time, say Sunday, and then mix them in on Thurs?

The husband is no help--he doesn't cook, and he prefers his sprouts raw. Am interested in your thoughts...

[mare_imbrium]

I buy my little boy $3.99 sweats from Target, but I live in Southern California and it doesn't get colder than, oh, 50 around here normally. Some cold nights it gets down to freezing in the middle of the night, but we're not out then. So I can't really help.

[Katharine]

oooh - if you're off to Oz (as the natives, or just my dorky husband, says) -- do let us know where, specifically, you intend to visit. Hubby dearest is from Sydney, and I would be able to say I have had three fabulous voyages to the land down under if it were not for the blight on my soul of my MIL, may she (soon) RIP. No, not really (well, maybe a little really, sigh), but as long as you don't have her on your case you should have a GREAT time. Patrick might even come back a cute little Aussie accent, a la "Gimme a beer, mate!" or whatever 4-y-o's ask for down there -- vegemite?

[DJ]

Hey Nate -- I was served terrific brussels spouts one Thanksgiving and was told that even sprout-haters liked them. (I can't confirm the truth of that, since I like them just fine.) I demanded the recipe, and now I make it all year round -- it's simple and festive and very forgiving. Amend the quantities to your taste:

You'll need:

--sprouts
--diced pancetta (about a 1/4 cup per pint of sprouts)
--1 tbsp. olive oil or other oil (you can do without if necessary -- just watch the pancetta carefully when you brown it)
--around 1/3 to 1/2 cup vinegar per pint of sprouts (I've used white vinegar and cider vinegar, both with good results. I like it on the vinegary side myself.)
--splash of white cooking wine (optional)
--pinch of sugar

1. Clean and halve the sprouts and steam them until bright green and still very crisp -- juuuust tender enough to eat. (Don't fully cook them -- you'll heat them in the oven later.)

2. While the sprouts are steaming, heat the oil until hot, add the pancetta, and brown. (This only takes a few minutes -- don't overcook it.)

3. Remove pan from heat and deglaze with the wine or a little vinegar. Do _not_ drain -- add the entire contents of the pan to the rest of the vinegar. Add a pinch of sugar, stir. Taste and add more vinegar, wine, or sugar, as you like.

4. Put sprouts in a casserole dish. Pour the vinegar and pancetta mixture over the sprouts.

5. Cover and transport to wherever you're serving it, and reheat it in the oven when you get there. Can be made in the morning and reheated for dinner. (I haven't tried making it farther in advance than that.)

You can use different vinegars and you could probably add onions or other things. It's never turned out badly for me. It's OK to use bacon instead of pancetta, but the dish becomes more ordinary. Pancetta makes it stand out.

Of course, if you're serving vegetarians or those who keep kosher, this won't do. I'd be happy to hear suggestions for adaptation.

[Alexa]

Thanksgiving favorites:

Well, for turkey, I am a big advocate of brining. Then you mix up some mustard and brown sugar and bourbon and rub it under the skin. Oh my. I will not be having any of my favorites this year as we are going to be visiting my in laws, whose cooking--well, if I can't say anything nice...
Also, have you been to the Oceanaire? Their creamed corn is delicious:

Oceanaire Creamed Corn

2 quarts heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon nutmeg
3 to 5 pounds corn, fresh or frozen
1 leek, finely diced
Fresh parsley, chopped

Simmer the cream in an uncovered stock pot until it is reduced by half. Add salt, white pepper, sugar, and nutmeg. While the cream continues to reduce, add the corn and lower the heat. Bring the mixture back to a slight simmer while stirring occasionally. Add the leek and stir constantly until the pieces break down. Continue cooking the mixture until the corn is done and the desired consistency is reached. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Although I think I would abandon it in favor of your recipe, because yours has bacon.

And jeans are very warm, except they sort of...freeze and then when your leg bumps against them it is like the hand of death.

Good luck with the unpleasant procedure...

[Alexa]

Thanksgiving favorites:

Well, for turkey, I am a big advocate of brining. Then you mix up some mustard and brown sugar and bourbon and rub it under the skin. Oh my. I will not be having any of my favorites this year as we are going to be visiting my in laws, whose cooking--well, if I can't say anything nice...
Also, have you been to the Oceanaire? Their creamed corn is delicious:

Oceanaire Creamed Corn

2 quarts heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon nutmeg
3 to 5 pounds corn, fresh or frozen
1 leek, finely diced
Fresh parsley, chopped

Simmer the cream in an uncovered stock pot until it is reduced by half. Add salt, white pepper, sugar, and nutmeg. While the cream continues to reduce, add the corn and lower the heat. Bring the mixture back to a slight simmer while stirring occasionally. Add the leek and stir constantly until the pieces break down. Continue cooking the mixture until the corn is done and the desired consistency is reached. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Although I think I would abandon it in favor of your recipe, because yours has bacon.

And jeans are very warm, except they sort of...freeze and then when your leg bumps against them it is like the hand of death.

Good luck with the unpleasant procedure...

[Alexa]

Oh, hell. Sorry for the double post.

[Jesse]

I have to say that in all honesty when I lived in New Jersey, jeans were the last thing we would wear outside in snow (which you mentioned you already have on the ground there). They are awful once they get wet and the wind always seemed to cut right through them, wet or dry. Give me some snuggly sweat pants any day. It's not as though your husband dressed him in shorts or anything. Patrick is certainly opinionated enough to be asked if he felt warm enough in sweats. I'd be curious to hear his opinion. :)

[MFA Mama]

Hacking out? Abdominal scar? Sounds nasty. Hope you're well-medicated.

[paul]

Damn you and your olives. Otherwise that sounds like a very fine dish. And a second on the brussels sprouts with pancetta (although I would have settled for chopped bacon). Good luck.

[bec (and Charlotte)]

Ooohhhh Come and visit me. You HAVE to come to Sydney. Awesome beaches, fantastic shopping even better wine and we have a spare bedroom (or two).

[Sarah]

Thank you for the recipe! If I'd been more organized I could have served it tonight. As it was, I dipped my broccoli in some lovely balsalmic vinigarette!
Sarah

[meridita]

Hi! *shy wave* Just found you through Finslippy. Well, actually have been here a few times But! You're in Minnesota? I'm in Minnesota! Cool! I've been searching for other (though, I am NOT a real blogger, just have a blog... there is a difference) MN bloggers... do you know of any others?

[anna]

Melbourne! Melbourne! Not only for the city, but there are wonderful day trips to the Great Ocean Road (spectacular coastal views!) and the penguins (little penguins emerge from the surf each night at dusk and waddle/stumble/tumble their way up the beach to their burrows - and you can be Right There!). Now is definitely the time to start Patrick on vegemite - delicious on toast, especially with melted cheese on top. If introduced to it as a young thing, as are we Australians, he will believe it to be a delicious salty spread (as it surely is) and not some nasty black goopy practical joke Australians are trying to play on the world.

[Kerry]

Speaking as a Northern Canadian, I know from cold. Here's the deal with the pants as I see it.

If jeans have a thermal layer under them, they are the warmest because they cut the wind best of your 3 options. BUT, with no thermal layer jeans are wicked cold. The coldest of the three. I would put cords as warmest, then sweats (even thin ones) then jeans.

Then again, the cold here is different than it is there. It's very dry and very cold (-25C today, which is what? -13F?)