Restaurant Widow

In Which Lisa Begins Composting!

One of my favorite places in the world is Costco.  I know, I know.  It kind of goes against my "local is best" philosophy - however, I will say that their employees seem pretty happy, considering the majority of the whiny customers in line today, ugh - I can't explain it, but I love it.  I think it might have something to do with my hoarding personality - just seeing packets of 25 G2s, 6 scissors, 4 pound bags if tortilla chips, and 250 Flav-R-Ices (Husband nags me nonstop unless we have these in stock, in the freezer, all summer long) makes me think everything is going to be okay. 

It is a little strange to drive into the parking lot of Costco; I tried to explain it to Husband before we went the first time.  And then he got it the first time he went.  It is full, and I mean full of SUVs and Minivans.  This might be why everyone in line was complaining that they couldn't use cash at the pumps.  (And I'll say something here, as a complement to Costco: this remarkably irritating woman was in the line next to me complaining about how she couldn't use cash at the pumps - she had to come into the store, stand in line, and purchase a gift card.  The lines were a little long, so I got to listen to her complain for about 7 minutes straight.  This gets ice-pick-in-the-eardrum maddening after about 2 minutes.  At any rate, the cashier assisting her explained that she could have used her debit card (which she was using to purchase they gift card), and he went on to explain why they didn't take cash, and he completely diffused this woman, to the point where she laughed and said she understood, and she would remember for the next time that she could use her debit card, etc.  That boy deserves a raise; it was a very good example of de-escalating a situation.  My old bosses at Giant Apparel Producer would be very happy with you.  Good job)

98% of the shoppers at Costco have minivans & SUVs.  The other 1.99% have a Lexus, and then there are the rare people like me.  Husband and I have one car: a Honda Civic 2 door (I think it was the first new car of everyone in my age bracket, but I digress). 

So.  I'm strolling through Costco.  We just got our tax return, so unlike my usual trips to Costco, I didn't have to stand there analyzing every $10 purchase (they add up fast).  Well, I was, but not as much as I usually am.  At any rate, it suddenly occurred to me that they might, might have a composter.  I turned slightly from the my place ogling the brand new brushed-stainless 11 cup Cuisinart food processors and lo, there it was, a composter.  A 170 gallon composter, for $55!!!  I ran to find one of those flat-bed cart thingies and loaded the giant box on. 

I was standing in line, flirting with the cute boy who was unloading my groceries (don't worry, Husband, he was like 18 - and I was probably the only nice person he'd encountered all day long.), when it began to occur to me that this box would probably not fit in the trunk of our tiny little Civic.  I guess we'll find out in a few minutes, I said to Miguel, and we had a little laugh. 

And so a few minutes later I was standing before the trunk.  I unloaded the wine crate which holds CDs, the wine crate of sweaters and mittens which has been in the trunk since 2003, and the little old lady cart which sometimes helps me during sweet corn season at the farmer's Market.  I put all of my groceries into the front seat, and, determined, confronted the composter box.  After quite a bit of finagling and perhaps a few words which cannot be reprinted here, I did it.  I loaded it in with all of the finesse of a girl who went through college with a 1981 Volkswagon Rabbit.  Skill beyond skill, using all powers of geometry, in it went!  Wine crates were loaded on top, and still, the trunk closed!  I actually gave myself a little fist-in-the-air shake of congratulations, probably making the suburban moms who shop Costco in heels wonder if perhaps I were crazy.

All of that to say, we are now composting!  Husband mowed the grass today (and even with our tiny yard, with all of the rain we've been having lately, it's a lot of grass) and we padded the bottom of the composter with grass clippings, stick bits, and maple helicoptors.  Then, we were grilling out, so I had lots of kitchen scraps to add, and there we have it!  Our first bit of whatnot in the composter!  In about 6 weeks or however long it takes, I'll give you an update when we have our first batch of lucious black gold.

Things to do in Columbus::May 14th Edition

Do you mind an abbreviated events calendar?  I have to go to work!  At any rate, I will try to update this later tonight with more events.  As always, add anything pertinent in the comments.

It's mid-May.  I really can't believe how time flies.  This is one of my favorite weekends of the year: the Apron Gala at the North Market!!  This year, I put a call out for crafty Ohio kids to get a locally made apron, I am going to cover part of it with Ohio Love buttons and even have a pair of nifty CBC earrings to boot!  Who knows, if I come into some cash this weekend I might even buy this Silver Ohio Pendant.

• So, it should come as no surprise that the leading event this week is the North Market Apron Gala.  This even is the major fundraising event for the North Market, and it is always lots of fun (and lots of food).  It's a great chance to have all of your favorite vendors cook for you!  Tickets are $75, which is pretty reasonable for this sort of event.  I can't wait!  This year there is going to be a fortune teller!  At a work party a few years ago, we had a fortune teller, and she couldn't read me.  I was dismissed!  Dismissed by a fortune teller!  We'll see if this one is any better.  Read about my time at last year's gala.  I promise this year I'll have more pictures!!!
• I guess the floundering Columbus Symphony is having a last hurrah tomorrow night as they are joined by Yo Yo Ma.  Junichi Hirokami conducts.
• This weekend, the Lyle Gallery in Old Town East will feature a trunk show by AmyD (fabric/clothing/aprons) and Emily Westenhouser (paper arts), along with jewelry from Wholly Craft!  I haven't been yet to the Lyle Gallery, but a friend of mine went to last week's brunch and loved it, so I might have to see if I can find a few extra minutes to get over there is weekend.

Lazy Market Lunch #1

It's funny.  As much as I love getting up early on Saturday mornings and going to the farmer's markets, I rarely cook when I get home.  One day, it is my dream to have nothing to do on Saturdays but put away produce, plan meals for the week, take lots of pictures of vegetables, zap a few things in the FoodSaver, and maybe make some jam, I always have to work on Saturday nights (and we all know how work takes the fun out of everyting).  So, until sometime steps up to the plate and pays me $300 to do nothing but shop and cook on Saturdays, I have to do with meals like this one.  (I am taking volunteers, so don't be shy.  I'll cook you dinner!)  (just kidding. sort of).

Fortunately for the most gourmet or the laziest of cooks, shopping at the North Market means you can indulge either side.  One of my favorite lazy meals, which is also incredibly tasty, is cheese ravioli with greens and red pepper flakes.  I love to keep the giant bags of frozen spinach & cheese raviolis from Costco on hand just so that I always know I have something delicious no matter what state I'm in.  See?  Even fancy food bloggers get lazy from time to time.

While at the market yesterday, I stopped by Pasta Seconda and picked up 2 variteties of frozen raviolis; spinach and ricotta, and stripedy mascarpone (the second primarily because they are pretty).  The prices for the raviolis by the pound might seem a little expensive, but I bought 12 raviolis for around $6 (although, one of them was empty!  The scandal!).  When I got home from the market, I browned about 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet and wilted the spinach and a handful of chopped chives with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  When the raviolis were cooked, I tossed them in with the spinach and put the whole mess on a plate.  Grate some Parmesan over the top and voila!  Nearly instant lunch! (the raviolis only take about 5 minutes).  That's literally the entire meal, and it's one of my favorites.  Besides, it's pretty to boot.  These would make a pretty stunning appetizer for a dinner part, especially if you buy the stripedy raviolis.

Market Report for May 10th

A beautiful sunny morning.  I got up at the crack of 7:45 because I really wanted to get to the market early enough to buy some morels after someone let me know about them last week, and b, Husband is at Wine Tasting Boot Camp today, so I had to take the bus.  Since I get off the bus about 7 blocks from the North Market, it made for a nice walk this morning with all of the flowers blooming and the sun shining; a great start to the morning.  The only drawback to busing to to the market, aside from the fact that later in the year you really can't buy more than you can easily carry, is that it puts me on a really tight timeline.  Since the buses only run about every 50 minutes on Saturday, if you miss the 8:57 back to SoHud, you're sitting around until 9:43.  Fortunately, I made it in, through, and out in time to catch the bus and get yelled at for standing too close to the crosswalk instead of at the bus stop proper.

I did make it to Wishwell Farms in time for the on of the last remaining pints of morels.  This year's crop is proving to rival that of the fabled 2003 harvest, when Chef Chef got in white morels the size of my hand (and I have big, piano-playing hands).  I've been indulging in quite a few morels this Spring as I can afford them.  The pint was $10, making it about the same price as I bought them at Weilands ($55 on Wednesday), although these are quite a bit bigger:

they even still had a bit of moss still attached:

I also got more asparagus, of course:

And my favorite mushroom man was back with shitakes this week!  Yay for Toby Run!  (Pictured at top of post).  So, look for a shitake/morel recipe sometime this week.  Since the sage in our little garden is getting huge (and flowering), I foresee some sort of pasta with mushrooms, sage and chives.

I stopped at Comb's herbs for a few ramps, and then it was over to Toad Hill Organics, where I snapped up the bit of flowering bok choy, which bears a striking resemblance to kai lan (Chinese broccoli):

and more yummy chives, they should be flowering by next week maybe!!

And some spinach, which I plan to saute up with some red pepper flakes for lunch, to add to this frozen ravioli I bought from Pastaria Seconda - spinach and feta, and pink striped mascarpone (could they be prettier?)

And what did you get this week?

Get in Line for the North Market's Cooking (and Shopping!) with Chefs Series

Why rephrase?  Here's the press release, hot of the presses.  Or the intertubes, or whatever:

NORTH MARKET CHEF SERIES RETURNS
TO THE DISPATCH KITCHEN

Columbus, Ohio- Based on the overwhelming popularity of the North Market’s first Chef Series cooking classes in the Dispatch Kitchen we have brought three new additions to the franchise! Making its debut is the “Shop with the Chef” sequence to be held on Saturday mornings during the Farmers’ Market season. Class participants will accompany the chef as they shop with North Market farmers and merchants and devise an impromptu menu whose components will include the freshest local ingredients available at the market on that day. Returning is the “Evening Chef Series” sequence with sessions in the summer and the fall. All classes are designed as demonstration classes where participants watch as the chef prepares a special meal and then get to share in the delicious results!

“We are delighted that the first Chef Series cooking classes were so popular that we are able offer another program,” said David Wible, Executive Director for the North Market.  “The classes were so well-liked with the public that we sold them out the first time and we are hoping to do so again. Apparently the chefs enjoyed them too as many of them have returned to teach our upcoming classes.”                                                                                                                                                          

Enrollment begins today for the following classes:

Shop with the Chef Series, Saturdays 10AM-1PM
Limit 20 people, cost $45 per person; $225 series
Saturday, June 7 ~ John Dornback, Basi Italia
Saturday, June 21 ~ Paul Yow, Barcelona
Saturday, July 5 ~ David Tetzloff, G. Michael’s Bistro
Saturday, July19 ~ Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk      
Saturday, August 2 ~ Alana Shock, Alana’s Food + Wine
Saturday, August 16 ~ Robin Davis, The Columbus Dispatch

Summer Evening Chef Series, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30PM
Limit 26 people, cost $60 per person; $300 series
Wednesday, June 4 ~  John Skaggs, Chef at Large
Wednesday, June18 ~ Jason Shelley, Mitchell’s Ocean Club
Wednesday, July 2 ~ Paul Yow, Barcelona
Wednesday, July 16 ~ Chef Rocco, Pastaria
Wednesday, August 6 ~ Matt Prokopchak, Trattoria Roma         
Wednesday, August 20 ~ Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Fall Evening Chef Series, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30PM
Limit 26 people, cost $60 per person; $300 series
Wednesday, September 3 ~ Henry Butcher Sr., Creole Kitchen
Wednesday, September 17 ~ Kevin Jones, The Columbus Fish Market
Wednesday, October 1 ~ Paul Yow, Barcelona            
Wednesday, October 15 ~ David Tetzloff, G. Michael’s Bistro
Wednesday, November 5 ~ Matt Prokopchak, Trattoria Roma         
Wednesday, November 19 ~ Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

The Dispatch Kitchen is located on the second floor of the North Market. Registration is required and enrollment is limited for individual classes. The class fee is $45 per person for the morning series and $60 for the evening series. No more than 20 participants will be accepted for the morning series or 26 for the evening series. The full series may be purchased in advance at a discount.  The morning series is available for $225 and either evening series for $300. To register contact Mary Martineau at the North Market by phone 614-463-9664, by email mmartineau@northmarket.com, or stop by the business office on the second floor of the Market building.

In operation since 1876, the North Market is Columbus’ only true public market.  More than 30 merchants offer a wide variety of fresh produce, meat, poultry, seafood, flowers and other specialty food items.  The Market also provides an international selection of freshly prepared foods, distinctive gifts and personable service from owner/operators.  The North Market is open daily and located steps away from the Columbus Convention Center and Nationwide Arena.
Mary Martineau
Director of Marketing
North Market
(614) 463-9664

Things to do in Columbus::May 7th Edition

What a Spring we are having!  The forecast shows nothing but high 60s and low 70s for the next 10 days.  Never mind the rain we're going to have, don't you want green grass?  The asparagus is growing, the morels are up, and strawberries are just around the corner! 

I have so many projects going on right now; it seems as though I went from couch-potato lazy with hours to kill watching Alias reruns to the need to go at almost full speed.  I have finalized the menu for my first RW Sunday Supper, and I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.  I am even coming up with a stream of ideas for the coming months! 

There are lots of opportunities to buy plants this weekend, so if your landscaping is looking as bare as mine, you might want to get out there and try your hand at green-thumbing it.  At the very least, get out there and do something!  As always, if you have anything to add, please email me or leave it in the comments.

• I have a confession to make.  I have long wanted to be a comic book writer and/or animator.  Unfortunately, beyond doodling, I am not a very good artist.  So I have to live vicariously through others. Do you know we have the creator of "one of the 10 best graphic novels of all time" living in our midst?  When I discovered that Bone creator Jeff Smith lived in Columbus, I was almost as excited when I realized I lived right around the corner from Charles Vess while I was in college!  (If neither of those names mean anything to you, you clearly aren't a comic book/fantasy dork like I am).  In addition to be highly imaginative and talented, Mr. Smith and his wife are also foodies, which I only know because I have waited on them on a few occassions.  On top of all of that, Smith is also a blogger!  At any rate, I am telling you all of this because the Wexner Center is featuring Jeff Smith and cohorts beginning this weekend and continuing through early August in Jeff Smith:Bone & Beyond, featuring originals by Smith and his biggest influences.  The exhibit starts this Saturday.  I'll be there Sunday, so see you there. 
• This Saturday is the Columbus AIDS Task Force's Art for Life.  This is main fundraising event of the year, and it will feature a silent auction, lots of wine, art, etc.  There are lots of galleries involved, and the event will be held at the Columbus City Center.  CATF is an amazing organization, providing everyday people with everything from assistance in getting their meds to providing counciling and low-cost vet care.  It's a great organization to support.
• This weekend is the Spring plant sale at Franklin Park Conservatory.  Check out their calendar for other events, including summer youth workshops and adult watercolor painting classes.
• Speaking of plant sales, Saturday is the first Worthington Farmer's Market and also the giant plant sale, Plant Fest.  I went last year, and there are tons and tons of plants and planters of all sorts, as well as bird feeders, rain barrels, lawn ornaments, you name it.  I need to plant some herbs this year, so we'll see if I can keep anything alive (except for sage, oregano, and fennel; those are thriving!)  The event takes place on the South greens at the intersection of 23 & 161, in downtown Olde Worthington.
• This Saturday is the Ohioana Book Festival at the State Library of Ohio.  Meet Ohio authors, attend a reading or two, and have your favorite book signed by your favortie Ohio author.  Oh, and another reason for comic book lovers to rejoice - American Splendor writer Harvey Pekar, who you foodies might remember from such Anthony Bourdain No Res. shows as "Cleveland with Ruhlman," will be there!
• Anyone with an interest in shelter farming might be interested in attending an open house this weekend at RainFresh Harvests.   RainFresh is one of the few greenhouses here in Columbus where restaurants and retailers can purchase produce during any time of year - which is still important, because everyone wants lettuce all year, and it's better to get it in Plain City than it would be to ship it from Mexico.  RainFresh is an off-the-grid facility; they produce their own renewable energy.
• Shadowbox is performing Good Vibrations through early June!  The show includes lots of skits and California-themed music.
• This week at Whole Foods, the Friday tasting will be Italy.  Saturday, you can learn how to maximize minimum space when gardening.  Sunday, take Mom to Whole Foods for a great-sounding Sunday Brunch; and Monday, take a Cook's Tour of Whole Foods.  Click over to their calendar for more information.

The Ultimate Spring Lunch

Oh, I just love this time of year.  Yesterday, I ate an entire pound of asparagus.  No joke.  I bought it on Saturday at Wishwell Farms at the North Market and ate it all in about one sitting.  If there's one thing I love the most, and must eat as soon as the local asparagus comes in, it is asparagus with a fried egg on top.  Add some toast & morels and for the love of crumb cake, it's delicious. 

I loved a comment I received on my "Monk Cheeks & Morels on Toast" - someone wrote "things on toast is one of my favorite food groups!"  I concur!

Morels have fluctuated in price this year, and the local morels are finally available.  Today's morels came from Hocking and other Ohio counties, and were purchased at Weiland's for $55 a pound.  I bought $8 worth and it was the perfect amount for one.  They only come around once a year, after all. 

This lunch comes together in a few easy steps - it probably takes about 15 minutes total.  It would make a great appetizer, as well.

Asparagus & Morels on Toast with Fried Eggs - serves 1

Nice large slice of sourdough bread
1/2 pound asparagus
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 tbsp butter
small bunch of chives, chopped into thin batons
large handful morel mushrooms or another flavorful mushroom such as shitake, washed in several changes of water until the water is bug-free
1 tbsp white wine
2 delicious eggs - I used 2 Silo eggs; one special dark, and one americaura (also purchased from Weiland's; they come in a great magenta egg carton; they'll be available soon at the Clintonville Farmer's Market)

Preheat oven to 495 degrees.  Toast the bread and set aside.  Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and place the spears in a baking pan and drizzle with good extra virgin olive, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss with tongs to coat and roast for about 10-15 minutes, or until browned and slightly softened.  In the meantime, melt the butter and a pinch of olive oil over medium high heat in a small saute pan.  Add the morels and toss to coat; add the wine and half of the chives and cook over high heat until the wine has reduced and there is very little liquid left in the pan.  Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat and fry the eggs a few minutes on one side and flip, cooking to desired doneness.  The runny yolks will make a lovely sauce which will combine with the asparagus and morel juices and make the toast savory and delicious.

Assemble: place the toast on a plate and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Top with a layer of asparagus, then the fried eggs, and then top with the morels.  Garnish with the remaining chives.  Heaven.  Spring heaven on a plate.

Get Ready to Make Some Great Ice Cream. At Home

Absolutely delicious homemade espresso ice cream

 
Readers!!   I have been dying to tell you about this for months, and finally.  Finally, the time has come.  You are going to love me and Jeni from Jeni's Ice Cream forever.  Well, even more than you do now.

A few months ago, Jeni from Jeni's asked me if I would be interested in testing out some recipes for her.  Did I have an ice cream machine?  Would I mind buying gallons of heavy cream and milk and seeing if I could duplicate her success in my home kitchen?

Um, YES!!

Years ago, I had the worst roommate ever.  The only good thing that came from this roommate was a leftover Krups Ice Cream machine (which has been toted from house to house - and never used - ever since) and a washer and dryer (which have been toted from house to house and used extensively, ever since).  I dusted off the ice cream maker, put the freezer bowl in the deep freeze, and bought some milk and cream.  Ever few days, I'd get an email - try some honey, reduce the sugar, add a little corn syrup, boil the milk - until the recipe was perfected.  I made batch after batch, using my Husband and coworkers as guinea pigs, and then letting everyone down by telling them the recipe was top secret!  Ha ha ha!  Classified ice cream recipe!

The background is this: Food & Wine was doing a profile on Jeni, and wanted her to include some great recipes.  As Jeni explained it to me, she really thought that most people who wrote ice cream recipes didn't take into account the fact that most home cooks are dealing with rather subpar equipment.  They don't have the great machines or technology to create a homemade ice cream with a great mouthfeel.  Furthermore, Jeni thought the taste of the cooked eggs in custard-based ice cream interfered with the pure flavor of the cream.  This ice cream is amazing.  It is hands down the best homemade ice cream I have ever had.  The mouthfeel is amazing - it isn't gritty, lumpy, or full of ice crystals.  It is smooth, creamy, and rich.

The first batch I made was plain cream flavored.  I ventured out to vanilla, Ovaltine, coffee, green tea, cherry vanilla, and chai, just to name a few.  For awhile, there wasn't a time when there wasn't ice cream either being made, frozen, or ready to be frozen.  I think all of this recipe testing is responsible for those last 4 winter pounds I gained, but hey, there's loads of calcium, so it made me strong, too.

When the testing obsession began to wind down a little, Husband would sometimes look at me forlornly and ask if there wasn't any ice cream in the freeazer?  His favorite was espresso, my favorite was triple Ovaltine, and a few coworkers were particularly fond of the cherry vanilla.  The green tea was also good, but a little strange for most people.  Anyone fond of an intense matcha flavor would probably find it pleasantly bitter.

I love the ice cream straight from the ice cream freezer, when it has a texture almost like soft serve.  In theory, you can start the freezer right before dinner and have it ready for dessert, or you can make it in advance and have it ready for scooping.

As with most cream-based desserts, I found the texture, consistency, and flavor to be improved if the batter was left in the fridge overnight, but this isn't necessary.  Just better.  Of course, I imagine you'll be chomping at the bit to get started soon.  I found myself fervently wishing I had two freezer bowls so that I could make as many batches at once as possible.  And, thanks to a tip on the RW Forums, I snagged a reconditioned Cuisinart freezer for $20 (alas, they are sold out now, but here's the same ice cream maker, only new).

I'm not going to reprint the recipe, because you should show your support for Jeni by picking up June's Food & Wine, or at least click through here for the recipes.  There are also recipes for yogurt and sorbet, which I will be trying very soon.

Here are my variations:
Espresso - Add 1/2 cup instant espresso powder to the milk/cream combination
Triple Ovaltine - reduce sugar by half.  Add 1 cup chocolate Ovaltine, plus 1/2 cup each unflavored Ovaltine and 1/2 cup European Ovaltine (available in Asian grocery stores).  You can also use all chocolate Ovaltine.
Cherry Vanilla - Mix the recipe as directed.  Pour the mixture into the freezer and add 4 ounces chilled tart cherry jelly (no fruit).  I made my own, and it had a loose texture.  If you purchase a firm jelly, thin it slightly with a touch of hot water, and then chill.
Matcha (green tea) - whisk on heaping tbsp green tea powder into the milk when it is boiling.  Proceed as usual

So, get out there and make some ice cream - I promise, you will be glad you did.  Next up, I'm making yogurt.  I keep you posted, of course!

Question of the Week!

 
This week's question over at the Forums, is "What are your favorite 'broke' meals?"  What do you make when the pockets and the cupboards are bare?  A reader suggested this topic, so I know it applies to a lot of you, especially you students!  Please stop by and share your favorites!

And by the way, yes, I did get some new photo editing software, so I am going crazy with these badges and everything.  I like pictures! 

Signing Up for the Restaurant Widow Forums

A few of you have emailed to let me know that you can't seem to log in to the forums.  After you submit your username and password, you will receive a confirmation email.  Once you click through the link provided, your email address will be confirmed and you can log in.  If you haven't received an email, check your spam folder.

Please let me know if you have any troubles and I will try to assist you!

Cheers!