b l o g o r e l l i

Summer summer summertime

I think the dog days are finally here, ladies & gents -- temps in The Bean are supposed to hit 98 degrees tomorrow! Casa Murforelli is dealing with the help of our three ACs. I wish central air conditioning wasn't such an exception here in the northern states.

But let's put a positive spin, shall we, with three little genius summer necessities:

Vornado Flippi Personal Circulator (see how they don't call it a plan old fan? That's why marketing departments make the Benjamins, people.)

Amco Corn Kerneler (I'm a little skeptical that this will fit all circumferences of corn, but willing to try for hype's sake)

Ice Pop Mold (there's something here for everyone -- like Jaws? mourning the shuttle program? just need some beach time?)

Grub: Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

Before The Prof and I embark on our week without "white" carbs from The 4-Hour Body, I decided to make this recipe tonight for Sunday Supper. Hello? Sooooo delicious! Prep time is minimal, since you use a rotisserie chicken (although you could use one that you roasted yourself, if so inclined...but why all that effort?) Also, corn tortillas don't really "roll" so you might want to do more of a layered casserole vibe like I did. Finally, with the jalapeno with seeds and chili powder, this dish brings some heat; if you want a mellower trip south of the border, eliminate either or both.

Oh, and you can assemble and refrigerate for up to eight hours before "cooking" (which is really just heating in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce (from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients
    •    1 rotisserie chicken
    •    6 scallions thinly sliced
    •    Coarse salt and ground pepper
    •    1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
    •    4 cloves garlic peeled
    •    1 jalapeno chile quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
    •    1 teaspoon chili powder
    •    8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
    •    1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.
- Lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.
- Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

(note: GRATZIE to The Dairy Queen for sending along this recipe!)

PROJECT 365: DAY 336

One might wonder, what could Rox Diner possibly do to improve on their already stellar brunch and lunch menus? Did someone say Thursday Night Burger Night? YES! None of the pretension of Met Bar, all of the juicy goodness of R.F. O'Sullivans near my old apartment in Da 'Ville. Yum.

PROJECT 365: DAY 331

Whiskey drinkin' season is here <exhale>

PROJECT 365: DAY 330

Tara and Hal (The Norwegian) came over for dinner and brought some celebratory cupcakes for belated birthday wishes. Also along for the ride was Karl! the wonder dog...who showed The Boys what was what as far as how to get an entire full size tennis ball into one's mouth.

Oh yea, we drank two bottles of wine that The Prof brought back from Lisbon, too -- score!

PROJECT 365: DAY 328

Tonight, The Prof and I took the Curry Up! Indian Street Food class at the Boston Center for Adult Education (his sis got us a gift cert last year for Christmas, thanks T!) The class was taught by this funny little Indian chef, and I learned three main things:

- a lot of street food is fried using a chickpea flour batter
- the different foods are all built using the same "building blocks"
- Indians must have some natural tolerance for sodium, or they all have high blood pressure

Extra credit:

Project 365: Day 312

Everyone knows commercial success is all about the merchandising (why do you think every exhibit at Graceland empties into a gift shop?)...as such, I am proud to present Blogorellifest, The Prof's latest product since Blogorelli "The Book".

I must admit...I am a delicious seasonal brew ;)

Project 365: Day 296

For the last day in Barca, we decided on some gift shopping, a walk along the ocean, and ... PAELLA!

Extra credit:

Project 365: Day 284

Delightful catch-up dinner with the madams Cho and Half Pint in Arilington tonight. I loved my corn+scallion custard and sweet potato lobster gnocchi. Y U M !

Project 365: Day 283

The Prof and I took a sushi making class together at Sea to You Sushi in Brookline tonight (the beginner course, for maki rolls.) We each made 5 or so rolls, and ate a bunch in the meantime. I'd recommend, and even think now we might actually use all those sushi supplies that we received as wedding prezzies.

Extra credit:

Project 365: Day 272

One event that helps our Alcohol budget for the month: Sam Adams Open House (last Thursday of every month.) Also, we are those people who enable friends to take a baby to the brewery. Here, Ms. Ellery making her ferocious beer face. I should mention, though, that the youngest baby there was much younger than E -- a man with a tiny baby strapped to him in a Bjorn came up and exclaimed, "I'm glad to see that someone else brought a baby -- ours is just 21 days old!"

After which, I turned to The Prof and said, "Having a baby doesn't seem so bad."

Project 365: Day 238

I've completely missed the first Restaurant Week  this year, but luckily The Prof and I caught word of the August version time to make a date night reservation at Mamma Maria. I had the melon + prosciutto app and lobster ravioli, Mark chose the truffle ravioli app and pasta w/bolognese. Such rich food, not as good as my Nona's cooking of course...but what could ever be? Afterwards, we took a stroll through the North End, which was busy in last minute preparations for the St. Anthony's Feast this weekend.

Holding hands with my husband of almost one year, all dressed up, and peering into random windows of cafes and shops reminded me of how much I used to enjoy going out in the city (note to self: do more often.)

Project 365: Day 229

Some Frenchy fare at Chez Jacky with Cho + Half Pint -- delish!

Project 365: Day 226

In Rhody for the day, and guess what? Everyone in the family enjoys a frosty Del's on hot summer days! Also, apparently I am a big lame loser for using a straw to drink my Del's, so don't you go and make the same mistake.

Extra credit:

Project 365: Day 187

After many, many greens, our CSA half share from Allandale Farm is starting to include more fun offerings like carrots, beets, and cauliflower. One thing that I do appreciate each week is the Pick List, which includes the contents of our share, some farm/food history and also tasty recipes.

When Life Gives You 90+ Degree Temps

...make Limoncello Lemonade Slices!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ounce smirnoff citrus-infused vodka
1 ounce lemoncello (or lemon-flavored liqueur)
4 ounces lemonade concentrate (like Minute Maid or Country Time)
1-2 cup ice

MIX IT UP
1. Make lemon syrup by combing hot water, sugar and lemon juice.
2. When syrup is cool, make drink by combining 1/4 ounce of lemon syrup with citrus vodka, limoncello, lemonade and ice in a blender. Blend on high speed until ice is crushed. Start with one cup of ice and add additional ice, if needed, to make drink slushy. Serve in a 16-ounce glass with a straw and a thin slice of lemon on the rim of the glass.

VARIATION
Add more ice to make the mixture less slushy, hollow out real lemons and slice into wedges, spoon in mixture, sprinkle with sugar, freeze overnight.

(The Prof's sis made this for a recent Cousin Gathering, and the results were so delicious, truly.)

 

(print from Dear Colleen)

Summer Sippers

I spent some of this lazy Sunday organizing my site bookmarks, and came across the link to these fun paper straws that The Prof and I had at our wedding -- they're very affordable and super cute for any kind of summer drinks (alcoholic or not.) Bright blue or cherry red, 50 straws for $3.

(here's a shot from our wedding, you can see the can of Limonata soda with a straw)

Season, Cook, Repeat

After a few mishaps with our wedding gifted cast iron skillet, I thought I'd share a basic lesson on skillet seasoning. One lesson that I learned: NEVER x infinity wash the skillet with soapy water. For the rest, I defer to Apartment Therapy's tutorial...

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Wash the skillet with warm, soapy water and a sponge or stiff brush. (Cast iron should not normally be washed with soap, but it's fine here since the pan is about to be seasoned.)

3. Rinse and thoroughly dry the skillet.

4. Using a cloth or paper towel, apply a thin coat of vegetable oil or melted shortening to the inside and outside of the skillet.

5. Place the skillet upside down on the oven's center rack.

6. Place a sheet of aluminum foil below the rack to catch any drips.

7. Bake for an hour.

8. Turn off heat and allow to the skillet to cool completely before removing from oven.

Additional Notes: A seasoned skillet is smooth, shiny, and non-stick. You'll know it's time to re-season if food sticks to the surface or if the skillet appears dull or rusted.

(image via Flickr user cbertel2)

Project 365: Day 153

Tonight was supposed to be a "treat" -- dinner out + Celtics game at Jerry Remy's Sports Bar with The Prof's sis and her boyfriend. We thought we were "lucky" (?)  to get a table, our shamrocks ran out when it came to the food (three words that come to mind are undercooked, sucky, and greaseball) and the overpriced beers. The service, from door man to waitress, was a little pretentious  for place located across the street from a Dominos and a sex shop.

I'm never going back to J.R. but we did have fun seeing the sis-in-law, and even got her and Mike to pose for a shot which was then enhanced in my Catpaint app...results below. MEOW!

Got 10 Minutes and Kinda Hate to Cook?

A great find while looking for recipes to make friends and soon-to-be twinnie parents JBC and Whit: Mark Bitman's 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less. Most of the meals don't seem very freezable (a requisite for post-babies) but nonetheless perfect for The Prof and I on weekday nights, when there seems to be little time and no desire.

Project 365: Day 139

Frankie Nacho, drinking..wait for it...a Hello Kitty (expecting a pink drink? Me too, try this recipe.) Yes, this drink joins the list of many sort of femme sounding but actually self-proclaimed mucho manly cocktails I've heard Frank order. A few others:

- Emerald Palace
- Scarlett O'Hara

Got any delish cocktails for summer sippin'?

NOOOOOOOOO!

This is just wrong on so many levels that I can't even begin to discuss:

Pittsburgh-based Heinz is changing its ketchup recipe by using less salt to create a healthier condiment. Company officials say the new recipe cuts 15 percent of sodium, and is the first significant change of the ketchup formula in nearly 40 years.

Am I going to have to switch to 365 Organic, or, God forbid, HUNTS? I need a moment (after which, I will be going out to the grocery and buying multiple bottles of Heinz full salt ketchup to hoard.)

Project 365: Day 127

Ms. Mel is in town visiting, so we decided to check out the old (Somer)ville and a new(ish) place to nosh: Highland Kitchen

Project 365: Day 112

Only one more free Friday before I start my *NEW* job, so I decided to do a Friday ladies' lunch with the Misses McClures at El Oriental de Cuba (a place that I've wanted to try for years.)

Project 365: Day 110

AIGA Afta with LittleBigBird (or Jeffé and Brandon Bird, also the dynamic duo behind 2009's eco-conscious BoNE Show). Do I like free beer?

Project 365: Day 103

Working at home during the days, I finally decided organize and cook something from the Moosewood Simple Suppers book that The Prof and I bought on our honeymoon. After a fridge survey, I chose Pineapple Fried Rice (since we already had about 75% of the ingredients.) Holy goodness, Batman! Not only was the recipe super clear and easy but also the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Project 365: Day 85

I used to love a good brunch out on Saturday morning, but have gotten away from the ritual...today, we investigated a new option in West Roxbury, Rox Diner (formerly Autie B's.) The verdict? Delish.

Project 365: Day 70

Ally and Tim of RealHoneymoons.com are in town for The Romance Travel Expo, so we got to hang out with them and have dinner at The Flatbread Company in Burlington ( a new eatery find with locally sourced, organic ingredients and great craft beers on tap.)

Hallmark, Take Note

When I first saw these coffee foam stencils on Etsy, I thought, "How cute." Then I went to the actual store...
and discovered that there's nothing you can't say in sugar:

The second cup is in case the new parent just wasn't awake enough to "get it" from cup #1:

I'm not sure what to say about these two...maybe before and after a bachelor party?

and finally, my favorite, short, sweet, simple, and not trying to tell me about any major life events before noon:

   

Project 365: Day 57

After a FULL day of walking on Canyon Road, lunch at Cowgirl BBQ, two museums (New Mexican History / O'Keefe) and a drink at the Hotel St. Francis's newly redone bar...a romantic dinner for two at Café Pasquals.

Project 365: Day 56

After a few days of priming on lesser-mouth-burning green chili, it's time for the flaming Horseman's Haven variety.

Project 365: Day 48

Project 365: Day 37

WHO DAT? The spread we were lucky to dig into at the Nachos' Superbowl XLIV Par-tay, mmm mm.

(below, a bonus photo -- of our hosts!)

Project 365: Day 36

Cho + Bobby held their *9TH* annual Vinterfest Scandinavian-themed winter party tonight. The food and company was, as always, amazing. This year, an addition to the dessert spread -- waffles!

In case anyone remembers the almond/rice pudding tradition, yes, we all ate TWO BOWLS of rice pudding before Jeffé revealed that he got the lucky nut...for the third time (le sigh.)

Project 365: Day 32

Something that I recently discovered (through Cho + Bobby)...the TIM TAM SLAM! I am working on my technique, still a little messy but who would mind when even the mistakes taste like yummy melted chocolate?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(images from Aspiring Aussie)

Project 365: Day 30

Thirty days into this project and I'm finally feeling better AND left the house for a cozy Friday evening dinner at Ms. Clairvoyant + Jeffé's house up north(er). We feasted on delicious crunchy pork chops, carrots/sweet potatoes, and swiss chard. The Boys had (their first?) doggie date with Gunther, our hosts' new Setter. Everything went well, but probably because the G Man has immacualte manners.

Project 365: Day 24

The Soup Swap = big success, I think this year's was the best group of soups (and people) yet!

"No soup for you!"

Juuust kidding! Tomorrow is the 4th Annual National Soup Swap, so if you have the time, gather some friends and slurp some soup. In these hard times, what could be more economical and comforting than a big steaming bowl of goulash?

We'll be swapping in Roslindale, and this year we added a new twist -- beer! Each swapper brings six one-quart containers of soup and a six pack. I'll post pics post-swap.
 

 

The Dishes Dilemma

On Rotating the Dishes by greg.org/
(via kottke.org)

" I think about this every time I put our dishes back in the cupboard. I assumed it was just me and that I was crazy."

Thank you, ME TOO! Especially since we only have two people using a dish set for 12. Now, the big question: do YOU rotate?

(photo: flickr/haidaiku) 

Project 365: Day 11

We in the Murforelli household are prepping for the 4th Annual Soup Swap. Since my husband is away on business, I decided to come out of culinary hiding and COOK. I didn't expect this particular soup to be "the one," but I think it just might be. Above, I add the secret ingredient -- smoked paprika!

Project 365: Day 9

Chilly Willy...

I will now take the space to gush about a wedding present that we got from Mark's sis Tara +family, the Sodastream Penguin. This cute and portable machine makes seltzer (or as I like to call it, "fizzy water") soooo quickly. We use our Penguin literally every day, and one thing I love is that I can control the amount of fizziness...because sometimes I need *extreme* bubbles.

Resolutions, #1

Cook more.

Specifically, cook A SINGLE recipe from one of our many, many underused cookbooks each week. To sort of "jump start" the effort, I cooked a bunch of things for our New Year's Eve feast at Half Pint+ Mr. Car's bungalow last night.

I am proud to say, all dishes turned out rather tasty.

What I made:

Tuscan Panzanella Salad
(notes: this recipe came from A Classic Girl, so I just found a comparable one online...for the dressing, I used 1/2 C olive oil and 1/2 C red wine vinegar only; also chopped up an orange and yellow bell pepper and added to the mix)

(image via Chow)

.  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

Hashed Brussel Sprouts with Lemon
(notes: I'd definitely recommend cutting out the firm core of each sprout; I used poppy seeds because I couldn't find black mustard seeds, and vermouth not white wine)

(image via Simply Recipes)

.  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
(notes: I found the resulting flavor a bit sweet for my tastes, next time I'd use less sugar OR use 1/2 basalmic, 1/2 red wine vinegar)

(image via Simply Recipes)

.  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

The Prof made Absolutely the Best Nacho Dip Ever for an appetizer, and Half Pint made a delish warm blue cheese and bacon dip (recipe forthcoming, hopefully.) I have to admit that spending part of the day prepping and cooking was very meditative somehow. I also made a loaf of rustic Italian in our bread machine, a wedding gift which I was initially skeptical about when The Prof put it on our registry but now love.

.  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

UPDATE: Here is the blue cheese and bacon dip recipe (thx HP!)

Warm Blue Cheese, Bacon and Garlic Dip
(2 cups)

7 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. half 'n half
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
2 T. chopped fresh chives
3 T. chopped smoked almonds (1 oz) (all I could find was toasted/slivered)

Cook bacon until almost crisp. Drain fat. Add garlic and cook 3 min. more until crisp. Set oven to 350. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add half 'n half and mix to combine. Stir in bacon mixture, blue cheese, and chives. Transfer to a 2 cup oven proof dish. Cover with foil. Bake 30 min. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with pita, pita chips, pear or apple slices, etc.

Easy Beetsy

Fall in New England = root vegetables. I bought some beets at the Rosi Farmer's Market a few weekends ago, only to realize that I had no idea how to prepare them. Voila, easy and delicious recipe compliments of you, Inter-net.

BUTTERED FRESH BEETS
- Cut beet tops off 2 inches from beet to prevent bleeding.
- Do not remove skin or roots.
- Cover with water, cook until tender 30-50 minutes.
- Cool.
- Rub off skins and slice or dice. (Blogorelli note: the skins really DO rub right off!)
- Add: 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. salt
- Melt butter in saucepan and add salt and pepper. Add to beets. 6-7 servings.

(shirt by Babywood via Etsy) 

Forbidden Fruit

The Prof and I decided to have a mall day a few weekends ago and spend the many gift cards we'd generously been given for the wedding.

Game plan: To "shop without spending"

We did our returns and/or purchases in other stores and ended up at Williams Sonoma, the mecca of taste tests and expensive kitchen products. After perusing our registry, the decision came down to either a saucepan or a santoku knife. Then I saw...

 

OH MAH GAWD.

Of course, if anyone is a complete and obvious marketing target for the Kitchenaid 90th Anniversary Limited Edition stand mixer, it's moi. I don't cook, the thing has major hype, and a specially produced glass bowl like the mixers of old. Did I mention the commemorative logo, or that the machines are "assembled with pride in Greenville, Ohio?"

As I pawed the mixer's shiny candy apple red finish, I knew, I MUST HAVE THIS OBJECT. I begged, I tried the "birthday-and-Christmas-present-combined" tactic (reserved for very special bartering occasions, usually with Dad-orelli,) I even almost teared up...but The Prof seemed unmoved.

His comment: "You don't bake."
My reply: "Well, I don't cook either but has that stopped me from buying the majority of our kitchen items?

I am not proud to admit, but I think we had our first married fight over the whole thing right there in the store. I huffed, The Prof puffed, we called truce over some beers at The Cheesecake Factory...and we got the pot and knife instead. I forgot about the whole thing, but did feel badly about our scuffle. My newlywed badge was tarnished, with not even a month gone.

Two nights later, I came home and went back to the kitchen. There on the table...

The Prof came up behind me while my mouth gaped open in shock. "I'm sorry that we fought over something so ridiculous; I went back and got you the mixer."

Apologies, other wifeys -- but I think I made the catch of the century when I married MY hubs.
(p.s. I said that I was very sorry too.)

A Nice Sharp Goudy

For your afternoon lag time pleasure: Cheese or Font? And, wow, clearly a lot of graphic designers must be out of work for this site to have been conceived and implemented. On the other hand, I played twice and also managed to find out that there is an actual font called "Swiss Cheese." Who knew?

(thx to Half Pint for the link, and Jeffé for the Goudy/Gouda pun)

 

Perfect Summer Night Supper

This past Saturday, everything came together just so: Mom-orelli was visiting from PA, the sun shone brightly and the air felt warm, and she read outside while I worked in the backyard garden. That night, we made this Chilled Cucumber Soup with Salami and Feta from Real Simple magazine.

I don't know if it was the icy glasses of Gewurztraminer ("Ga-vertz-tra-meener"), crusty bread with fresh softened butter, or the comfort of hanging out with my amazing mama in person, but I couldn't stop eating...

Ingredients
3/4 cup sour cream
4 scallions, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 pounds cucumbers (about 4)—peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 small baguette, sliced
4 ounces thinly sliced salami (we used sopresatta)
8 ounces Feta, broken into pieces (we used crumbled and put it right into the soup, you could do slices on the side as well)

Directions
1. In a blender, puree the sour cream, scallions, jalapeños, basil, lime juice, half the cucumbers, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Add the remaining cucumbers and puree (adjusting the consistency with water as necessary) until smooth. Serve with the bread, salami, Feta, and olives.

Quick and delicious!

(photo by  Alex Farnum for Real Simple)

I Suck

Just an excuse to show some more photos of the soulful Hank in his clever onesie...and to apologize for being so absent around here as of late. What can I say? Whether I was being showered with The Prof at our "Jack & Jill" party, giving myself a black eye by drinking too much at a picnic with the Irish cousin-in-laws-to-be and then passing out into a wall the next morning, unpacking, working, or trying to organize this "wedding thing," life has been too busy for typed recollections.

Look at this cutie and try to be mad at me for disappearing...

I thought not.

Since Summer "technically" started yesterday but it's been sideways raining in The Bean for the last week, my co-worker and I pretended to toast in the season at Marliave with one of the most sneakily easy-to-drink cocktails I've had in years. Of course, I can't remember the drink's exact name, but through the fog of two rounds, I recall that it was named after Marie Curie and contained a mix of gin, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, grapefruit, prosecco, and maybe lime? Guess I'll have to return for another drinky and try to smuggle out the recipe.

Then last week, Half Pint sent me this article from ohdeedoh about how this Saturday, June 27, is the official Great Backyard Campout...while I simultaneously found this piece about an 11-by-11-foot, one room cottage bought (for $500!) and brought back to life on the shore of Wandawega Lake in Wisconsin. Coincidence? We have a backyard at the new apartment, and nothing says love like buying your new spouse something other than useless jewelry for her wedding present, hmmm?

HAPPY SUMMER -- I AM BACK!

I Believe the Hype: Miss Chiquit-orelli

There are a few (ok, MANY) kitchen skills I have yet to master. This week, I realized two such tasks involved cutting and tropical fruits -- how the heckie does one pare a mango and/or a pineapple to achieve maximum fruitage?

For the mango, I turned to the trusty Inter-net and watched a tutorial. When the time came to dissect the pineapple, I turned to the new tool  that I thrifted last week: "Pineapple Cutter." Now, I've bought many useless tools on a whim while at the SalArm (just one yesterday actually, the LightRack holiday organizer,) but The Cutter seemed like something that would actually work (unlike, say, the Wine Rack, which I also own .)

A step-by-step...

First, a product placement shot; does anyone else notice the sticker with the word "pineapple" on the package to cover some kind of printing defect? I couldn't stand the suspense, so I scraped off the sticker to reveal a misspelling, "pnneapple". Aha!

A quick overview of the instructions:

Step 1 (finally): Cut the top off the pineapple

Step 2: Open and lock the Pnneapple Cutter (tee hee) into place, push down vertically into pineapple. The sensation of the wires slicing through the tender pulp is oddly very appealing.

Step 3: Once near the bottom of pineapple (don't pierce through the skin,) turn cutter clockwise to separate the fruit from outer shell. (Ok, I had to ask The Prof to help me with the turning, The Cutter's handle's edges are a bit blunt.) Pull up The Cutter to remove pineapple wedges.

Step 4: Remove wedges from cutter and slice into pieces, or serve whole.

Step 5: Use now-hollow decorative shell for some kind of ornamentation or containment (this idea is just so retro appetizers a la 1950s that I almost can't bear it,) or give to boyfriend to drink the remaining juice. I chose option two, but just wait until our next cookout -- I'm already brainstorming what to stick in that pineapple shell!

CONCLUSION: I Believe the Hype about The Cutter -- both its use and result were very satisfactory. Of course, now I can't get the damn thing to collapse for flat storage, but...

Countdown to Soup Swap 2009

It's hard to believe that this year will mark the third Murforelli Soup Swap. Our swap is set for February 21, when (according to the RSVP list,) we'll assemble the most soups ever -- about 28 varieties! -- and commence the festivities. The "official" 2009 Soup Swap day was 1/21/09 but we're a bit behind the tide because of prior commitments in January.

The variety and addition of participants each year really keeps things interesting. Plus, I always love seeing who gets the #1 pick, who hypes his or her soup the best, and which soup is the first to go. After a few mishaps with the soups we made last year for guests to eat, this time around we're serving pizza from our favorite local pie slinger: The Pleasant Cafe.

In the most exciting Soup Swap-related news yet, Mark got to meet the Grand Poobah of Liquid Nutrition on his recent trip to Seattly -- Knox Gardner, creator of The Soup Swap!

Update-to-come on February 22...

The Egg Probably Came First

Finally, someone posts useful cooking information online: How to Make a Perfect Omelet with a Ziploc Bag. I know what I'm making for breakfast this weekend!

Another instructional here, although this woman is slightly more excited than I can usually handle before noon. She has a great tip, though, put out plates with ham, veggies, cheese, etc, hand out the bags and -- bam! -- personalized omelets for all.