How the desperate housediva gets sunburned, in a car ride from a hospital just days before her wedding, and is beet red.

I will admit that I happen to have some of the palest (I like to say alabaster,) and most sensitive skin I've ever met but the events that transpired to leave me, beet red, 4 days before my wedding are a little bit too ironical for my taste.  Seriously.

It all began when I placed an order online at an upscale skincare site (askderm.com.)  I ordered my usual products-a face wash that I simply adore (the IS clinical facial cleanser) and the glycolic acid pads that my dermatologist sells at a 100% markup.  Unfortunately for me this company chose to ship these articles with a free sample of a 'new product for sensitive skin-' a soothing crème.  Well, let me tell you, I usually am unable to try free samples as they are not marketed to sensitive skin like mine.  I was thrilled at the opportunity!  I tried this cream for 2 days in the evening) a rather light application, and ended up with HIVES all over my face and chest for a week.  No, this is not a joke.  2 weeks before my wedding and HIVES.  eeeeewww.  Since that episode I have been a bit weary of most of my skincare products.  With that in mind I have been using a lighter-than-usual application of my beloved La Roche Posay anthélios fluide extrème SPF 90.  Bad move on my part.  Really, really bad.  Because after our trip to the hip doctor on Monday I woke up on Tuesday as read as a sugar beet.  I had been in the car all day, mind you, which is why my right arm is also beet red and my left its usual 'cream with peaches' tone.  So, I am now, 4 days away from the big day, more of a 'lobster and cream' than 'peaches' on my face, chest and RIGHT UPPER ARM.  Sexy, eh?

As my ancestors would say, "Oy Veh!"

I'm hoping that copious amounts of water, aleve, and Aveeno's calming cream will bring me closer to my natural hue.  Professor Hubs is a big fan of my new rosiness, and he's the one I'm marrying, so I am certainly in luck there...

In honor of cooling the heat within (and potentially on your face) I give you a refreshing combination of the delicious Israeli and Balkan Salad recipes

BALKAN/ISRAELI SALAD

3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, diced

2 tomatoes, seeded, diced

2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion 

1 Tbsp chopped dill 

1 Tbsp chopped mint

1/2 cup (or more) feta cheese cut into small cubes

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Enjoy!  And wear sunscreen next time!

goodbye, goodbye, and new beginnings

Hubs and I are currently staying in the house I grew up in, unchaperoned, for the next couple of days until we make our way up to the wedding site.  To be honest, I have never before stayed, unchaperoned, in my parent's house and I have DEFINITELY never stayed, unchaperoned in my parent's house with a MAN.  Yes, yes, I know that he and I will soon be forever joined by holy matrimony (six days, to be exact) but I still feel a bit, well, naughty.

I have some health things to take care of while here (a cortisone injection for a rogue hip joint-an injury I incurred a few years ago when I seemed to be in training for some marathon-ian type adventure or other for no reason) and as I write this I am sitting at my parent's kitchen table smarting from this afternoon's wounds.  Oddly enough, for the first time in my adult life I believe the doctor 'operating' on me was YOUNGER than I.  Literally, he looked about 20.  I had Doogie Howser injecting my hip joint with a giant, radioactive needle.  And this Doogie had no sense of humor:

"Have you had an injection like this before?"-dr. childface

"Well, yes.  I had one in January.  I'm actually a pro by now. "-desperate housediva

"Well, I don't think so-your previous injection was with a contrast agent, and this is different."-dr. childface

"Uh, yeah.  Okay.  (so why did you ask?)"-desperate housediva

When being impaled by giant hypodermic needles I find humor to be a good coping mechanism for avoiding fainting spells.  Apparently, dr. childface disagrees with my methods.  Let's just hope his methods of injection were more effective than my attempts at humor and I am  footloose and pain-free on my wedding day.

When I stay at my parents house I usually like to eat one of 4 meals for dinner.  Last night, in preparation for today's medical ordeal, we prepared one of my mom's most wonderful and comforting dishes:  Chinese Chicken.  Yes, descriptive, I know.  It really is a FANTASTICALLY delicious stirfry and you can use just about any veggies you like in addition to the green peppers (last night we added broccoli and mushrooms)  In honor of family secrets, I am going to give you a slightly different version of this recipe.  It's AMAZING and you should all make it (with some short grain brown rice) tomorrow.

SUE'S CHINESE CHICKEN

chicken

3 Tbsp Soy sauce

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp grated ginger

2 green peppers, cut into squares

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut into thin strips)

1/3 cup walnut halves

cooking sauce

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

dash of tabasco (or some red chili flakes)

2.5 tsp sugar or honey

3 tsp rice wine vinegar

3 tsp dry sherry or water

3 Tbsp soy sauce

combine these to make cooking sauce, set aside, then:

In a bowl combine chicken with soy sauce and cornstarch, set aside.  Heat oil in wok over high heat add chicken and cook, stirring until opaque (about 2 minutes)  Remove from pan.  

Add pepper, and ginger to pan, stirring until pepper is bright green (tendercrisp.)  

Add chicken back in to pan and cook until no longer pink.  Add cooking sauce, stir until thick, add walnuts, serve.

Enjoy!!!

Secret Blackberry bushes and the lessons that accompany them

The other day on our way back from the gym Hubs and I discovered several gorgeous blackberry bushes in a little wooded glen.  I figured these blackberries, hidden from the nearby college dorms and a bit more from a residential street, would be perfect for picking and immediately commenced inspecting the bushes for the most succulent fruits.  As I leaned in to pluck, Hubs grabbed my hand.  "Don't you know that these are the PEE bushes???"  Apparently I did not, as I was about to eat the fruit off of them.  According to Hubs, the strategic placement of these bushes makes them perfect for a secret pee spot for men who've had a few too many and can't quite make it to the loo...  I guess my magical blackberry glen was less than...  This led to a long and detailed analysis of what kinds of berry bushes are safe to eat from and which bushes are most likely to be peed upon.  It was quite an education and I fear that my previous lack of knowledge may have at some point led me to partake in soiled berries....   eeeeeeeewww!!!!  

Upon our return home I decided to give up the berries (though I'm still hoping to dig up some of those bushes and put them in my garden) and try an adaptation of a Mario Batali recipe I'd read when searching for new and exciting uses for all of the gorgeous swiss chard we'd been buying at the Farmer's Market.  The following is an instant classic-we LOVED it and will be making it for the rest of the chard season.  It is a light and crispy 'tart' using the chard, egg, parmesan cheese, and panko bread crumbs and it is truly a multipurpose dish-it could be a brunch offering, a light lunch main with a tomato salad, or a side dish for a big fish dinner.  

I really couldn't recommend it more highly-the light and crispy crust formed by the olive oil and panko crumbs is so pleasant and the mustardy taste of the greens epitomizes why I love chard so...  Enough of my waxing poetic:

SWISS CHARD TART: PASTICCIO DI BIETOLE AL FORNO (adapted from Mario Batali)

2 pounds Swiss chard, washed and dried

Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 onion, cut into thin rounds

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 large eggs

S&P

1 cup grated Parmesan (I prefer to grate myself as it makes for a moister product)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs (plus a bit extra)

Preheat oven to 350

Cut chard into bite sized pieces (discard stems)  add to salted & boiled water, cook for 12 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium, add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes (until golden brown)  Add chard.  cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool.

While the chard mixture cools, wisk the 3 eggs with salt and pepper.  Add the grated parmesan.  

Use about 2 Tablespoons (enough to well coat) the bottom of a 8.5-9 inch baking dish (I used a cake pan) Dust the bottom of the oiled pan with half of the panko crumbs-until the entire bottom of the pan is evenly coated with crumbs and you can't see too much of the bottom of the pan.  

Combine the cooled chard mixture with the egg-parmesan mixture.  Pour into panko-crumbed pan.  top with remaining crumbs.  

Bake until the top is golden brown-in my oven this took 35 minutes, but it could take up to an hour.

Serve hot or room temperature-Buon Appetito!!!

Vocalizing, otherwise known as frightening my neighbors

I am absolutely convinced that in the next few weeks the police will be called in response to my vocalizing in our living room.  I can only imagine the terrible images that fill the minds of our neighbors when they hear my caterwauling from 1-2:30 pm daily...  Suffering kitten?  Seal pup bludgeoning?  Voodoo ritual?  So far no one has confronted us regarding the noise, but it's only a matter of time before I'm explaining to the friendly sheriff that "I'm singing high notes not screaming of misery" in the middle of a work day in rural Ohio...  I've seen out of the corner of my eye a few neighbors rushing past our window so as not to draw attention to themselves.  They don't want to be the next victim of whatever godforsaken activities are going on in #7...

In order to counteract the terrifying sounds wafting from our windows I've been trying to cook foods with particularly appetizing scents in the last few days.  One of these is fresh pesto.  Who doesn't love the herbal creaminess of basil combined with pines nuts and cheese emulsified with crisp tuscan olive oil?  Well, hopefully whoever they are they don't live in our neighborhood...  

One of the best things about our little house is the little plot of land I've turned into a vegetable and herb garden-it's perfection!  Currently I'm growing zucchini plants (more for the blossoms than the squash,) tomatoes, basil, oregano, and Italian parsley...  I am absolultely obsessed with my zucchini plants.  I literally go outside and count the burgeoning blossoms five times a day-I need a support group.  So, from the garden to the kitchen went some basil and it became pesto (I'm not going to include this in recipe form, but in case you don't already know it's basically 2 cups basil, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup pecorino or parmigiano, 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor with a lot of olive oil.)

Here are 2 really simple ways to use the pesto that will make it more interesting than just putting on pasta-though that's pretty amazing in itself.

PESTO SALMON  (this smells so good while it cooks)

filet of salmon

some fresh pesto

preheat oven to 400

spread salmon filet with a nice layer of pesto sauce.  Bake until cooked through-about 12 minutes in my oven.  YUM!

HUB'S PESTO VINAIGRETTE

Heaping spoonful of fresh pesto

One nice squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Olive oil

In a small mixing bowl wisk lemon juice into pesto to break it up into a thinner liquid, then slowly add olive oil until desired consistency is reached (basically, salad dressing consistency...)

Add to green salad or potato salad or poached asparagus, or poached halibut or basically anything savory....

Happy Pesto-ing!

Adventures in Midwestern shopping-a study in contrasts

The last forty-eight hours provided me with a sort of dichotomy of shopping adventures.  On Saturday, I found myself, for the very first time, in a Big Lots superstore.  For those who like me (until yersterday, that is) have not visited this establishment let me give you a little sense of the place-picture every single thing in your home.  Got it?  Great.  Now, picture every single thing in every home you've EVER LIVED IN.  Yes, that's right, those old STAR WARS toys, the RAINBOW BRITE lunchbox, the David Cassidy tote bags, all of it.  Now, imagine all of that stuff from decades past on sale in one store at ridiculously low prices and this is Big Lots.  AMAZING!  During my visit I was shopping with a decidedly different bunch of people than I've shopped with in recent years.  Let's just say the mullet is not dead in this town, nor is it worn only by ironic hipsters, it's worn in complete sincerity, but I say even the be-mulleted love great deals.  

On Sunday Hubs (as the fiancé will hitherto be referrred even though he won't officially be so for 2 weeks) and I went on a 90 minute drive to one of the main cities of this states and found quite a shopping mecca.  This place means business.  It looks like a European mountain town; outdoors with all adorable brick buildings, outdoor cafes, shops, trees, a piazza, etc, except it's all upscale retail and dining.  Across from this literal TOWN of shops there is a neighborhood of new brownstone houses that would have been completely at home in my West Village neighborhood of Manhattan.  It's a bit odd-in this suburb you are in a simulacrum of upscale urban living when ten minutes outside you're back in Midwestern farmland-Amish and all.  Though we didn't buy anything I liked feeling inconspicuous in this postmodern shopping universe-the shoppers at this 'mall' were of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, etc. and for the first time since moving to this part of the country I didn't feel like I stood out by looking and dressing differently.  

In the spirit of duality I give you two salad recipes, one sweet and salty, one herbal and crisp.  Both serve 4.

WATERMELON SALAD

1/2 a watermelon, cubed

3 Tbsp chopped mint leaves

1/2 cup-3/4 cup feta, cubed (depending on your taste...perhaps start with less and add more if you like)

mix all together-Enjoy on a hot summer's evening!  It's wonderful with grilled yummies...

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S GREEK SALAD

1.5 heads romaine lettuce, cut into bite sized pieces

small handful chopped dill

small handful chopped mint

1/4 cup greek olives (I don't like pre-pitted olives, but use what you like)

1/2 cup cubed feta cheese (less if you are not as into feta as I...I'm a cheese fanatic)

12 grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 large cucumber, peeled, cut into thin rounds

1/2 red union, cut into rings (optional)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

combine the above ingredients, then add dressing:

DRESSING  (this makes too much, use sparingly and add more to salad as serves your tastes)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 nice olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

sea salt and pepper

whisk together the above ingredients until well blended, then add to salad.

I love this dish as part of a nice summer's lunch with Hummus and pita chips, etc...

Scenes from Ohio

We've had some rather bizarre interchanges since moving here.  As of today I still can't quite grasp the fine line between Midwestern friendliness, flirting, and being rude.  One example of my inability to understand these distinctions occurred in the first days following our arrival.  I was leaving the public library and a rather shaggy and vagrant-looking fellow asked me if "that was my motorcycle parked next to his."  I thought he was just being friendly, so I answered, "why yes, how did you know?"  (note:  I do NOT own a motorcycle.)  His reply was delivered in such a creepy tone it is impossible to embody in words, "because I know when I'm being flirted with.  Do you need a ride?"  EEEEeeeewww!!!  Then he followed me as I drove off, on aforementioned motorcycle until I called the fiancé and ignored the motorcycle-riding suitor...  Needless to say, I have not returned to the public library since this episode-a shame, really.  

I really need to get the hang of the appropriate tone of rapport in this part of the country.  Every time I go to the grocery store I feel the stares of the Mennonite men as though I'm wearing a bikini!  Probably this is just my own narcissism, as I doubt they are really all staring, but it feels like they are!  

In the spirit of Narcissism, I am going to share one of the simplest recipes that I am particularly proud of.  It's my version of Sole Meunière and it's the best.  See, it's so good it feeds my narcissism...

Sole Meunière

(note: you do not need to use actual filet of sole for this recipe.  I use whatever sweet white fish is on sale, be it cod, haddock, sole, etc...)

Serves 4

1 lb sweet white fish filet (Sole, Cod, as you like...)  separated into 4 pieces.  

 1 cup flour

s&p

4 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp Olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon, plus a dash of zest

3 Tbsp capers, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

bit of parsley (optional)

(depending on your pan size, you may have to cook in 2 batches)

Dredge fish filets in mixture of flour, salt and pepper.  

Heat half of butter and Olive oil in a skillet on med-high heat.  

Add fish filets.  

Cook on one side until ALMOST cooked through, then turn.  

lower heat to Med.  

When fish is opaque (after about 2 minutes) remove from pan, and cover to keep warm as you make sauce.

Sauce

Return pan (with fish crumbles) to heat.  Add the rest of the butter.  Use spatula to pick up crumbles.  When butter is melted, add shallots.  When shallots are translucent, add capers.  Then lemon juice.  If not using wine, just cook for a minute or so.  Then top fish with sauce!

If using wine, add that now, and a bit extra butter.  Wait until alcohol smell has cooked off.  Then top fish with sauce and, top with parsley and enjoy!!!

Kevin Costner and Michael Jackson, get out of my dreamscape!

For whatever reason I had a fitful sleep last night full of battle-filled dreams.  And whom was I battling?  Kevin Costner and Michael Jackson.  Odd.  I remember hearing a talk once in New York by a dream specialist from Princeton (the science aspect, not the psychological aspect) who shed light on several interesting facts about dreams.  Apparently, the reason we are able to comprehend the passage of time in movies and stories that do not follow a direct, linear pattern (with cuts, etc.) is due to our ability to dream.  Also, you may have noticed that the only interesting dreams are our own...so I'm sorry for that little Costner-Jackson business before :).  This dream expert fellow also negated a few dream rumors such as dying in dreams.  No, you don't die if you do in your dreams, nor do most people dream in black and white, and yes, animals (at least mammals) dream as well.  I have always been a person who remembers my dreams.  I don't know what this says about me, other than I often awaken during my REM cycles.  

I have heard that if you take your vitamins in the evening it will cause you to have more vivid dreams due to certain B-vitamins.  Who knows if that's true but I did have a very b-vitamin rich dinner last night, the details of which I am about to relate.  Worry not-this dish does not have a history of passing on strange and terrible dreams featuring stars of decades past...

MY FIANCÉ'S CHILI

(note:  the correct nomenclature of this dish is under much dispute: it is not actually a chili at all in that it contains no chili powder, but it's so close to a chili and so tasty that it stays within such a limiting classification as 'chili'.)

olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. ground lean beef or turkey

1 can tomato sauce

1 can kidney beans

1/4 wine (last night I used shiraz...I've used just about any dry wine for this dish)

large dollop of sour cream

1 cup brown rice, cooked

1 bunch Kale or chard, cleaned and cut into bite size bits.

s&p

So here we go:

In a large sauté pan (or stockpot works as well...) heat oil over med-high heat.  

Sauté onions for 2 minutes.  Add garlic.  Cook until onion is translucent.  

Salt and pepper meat generously.  Add meat to onion mixture.  Break up clumps of meat, cook until browned.  

lower heat to med.  Add tomato sauce and kidney beans.  Stir to combine.  

Add wine.  Lower heat to low, simmer for at least 10 min 

(no matter what this dish will be better in the following days, but it's still delicious directly following preparation.)  

Add Kale/chard.  Stir in to wilt.  Add Rice and sour cream. 

Enjoy!

We like it with last night's Limey Avocado salad and some sangiovese...

Harry Potter and the Midwest BBQ

I'm so excited.  In a few hours we will be viewing the new Harry Potter movie!  Though I am by no means literary myself I am a nerd about all things literary (well, most things literary...) and as such I decided to celebrate Mr. Potter's premier with a Midwestern Barbeque.  Because I can do that now.  Because I live in the Midwest.  However, I do not currently own a grill.  How, you may ask, are you planning on grilling without any kind of grill?  Easy.  With my trusty grill pan!  

The grill pan is one of my favorite cooking tools.  Mine was a gift from my wine/foodie brother.  It's calphalon.  It's nonstick anodized aluminum.  And it's awesome.  It will never fully replace a gas or charcoal grill, this I admit, but it comes pretty close to that grill taste.  You can use it on the stove or in the oven, which is excellent.   I love the grill marks it gives my creations and it's really easy to clean.  The one caveat:  DO NOT forget it's been in the oven and grab the handle like an a** as I do almost every time.  No really, I am that oblivious.

Tonight's meal includes such wonders as BBQ chicken (on the grill pan, and pretty self-explanatory,) Claire's Limey-Avocado salad (not to be missed) and a homemade black raspberry (yes, I'm already obsessed) and peach crisp.

Black Raspberry and Peach Crisp (note:  You can literally substitute just about any fruit that you think would be good in a crisp here...alternative ideas include blueberry nectarine, plum blackberry, Cherry...whatever you like!)

About 1 cup fresh or frozen Black Raspberries  (better with fresh)

About 1 cup fresh or frozen Peaches, pitted and cut into cubes (I used 2 peaches)

Juice of one lemon (equivalent to 2 tablespoons juice)

1 Tablespoon brown sugar and a pinch to be used later

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons Whole Wheat Flour (you can use white but I like to pretend I'm healthy...)

4 Tablespoons oatmeal (rolled oats)

2 tablespoons melted butter (you can also use canola oil if you prefer to make it dairy free)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Vanilla Ice Cream/yogurt (optional)

Heat oven to 350

In a large bowl mix together (gently) the berries, the peaches, the lemon juice, the TBSP brown sugar, and the vanilla.  Put in a greased baking dish or some little greased ramekins.  In another bowl, mix together the Whole wheat flour to the nutmeg (this is where to include that extra pinch of brown sugar and perhaps a little bit more vanilla) with your fingers until a moist clumpy goodness is reached.  Top the fruit mixture with the clumpy topping.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until fruit bubbles and a nice golden brown on top.

Top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Claire's Limey Salad (this is one of my 3 favorite salads in the world) 

serves 4

SALAD

1 avocado, cut into cubes

1/2 sweet pepper, chopped

about 10 grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 can sweet corn (unsalted)

1/2 can black beans (drained)

DRESSING

Rose's sweeted lime juice

Champagne vinegar (Apple Cider vinegar is a nice substitute)

Olive oil

S&P

Combine all of the salad ingredients.  Mix with equal parts olive oil, rose's lime juice and vinegar (I use one capful of each) and some salt and pepper.  ENJOY!

Warms the heart

It's been an interesting day, a combination of disappointing news from some friends and happy surprise messages from others.  It's gotten me thinking about how easy it is to sway my mood these days in either direction.  A bit of bad news and I feel so down, a bit of good news and I feel my heart warmed.  I need to make more of a conscious effort to stay connected to the grounded part of me which is unwaivering.  In the spirit of warmed hearts I give you the following recipe which is, admittedly, completely inappropriate for the season though has amazing restorative, mood-enhancing properties.  At least I feel pretty great after preparing it and eating it :)

Braised Beef Short ribs

2 pounds beef short ribs (trim if you like)

2 cups beef broth (I use those little trader joe's packets)

1 cup red wine (tonight I used a cup of the Frontega Shiraz)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 cups (combined) chopped carrots and celery

7 garlic cloves

1 onion, cut into rough chunks or 10 pearl onions, skinned

1 rosemary sprig (if you like)

S&P

Preheat oven to 300

Salt and Pepper short ribs.  Brown short ribs on all sides in a greased pan.

Meanwhile, put carrot & celery, garlic, onion, and rosemary in a 9X13 baking dish.

Combine liquid ingredients.  Put shortribs (bone side up) into baking dish.  Top with liquid.  Cover with foil and bake for 3.5 hours.  DELICIOUSNESS AWAITS YOU!!!

We eat this with whole grain buckwheat Kasha, green salad, and red wine...  I can't wait to hear how you enjoy it!

Irrational fears

Oddly enough, the hardest part about moving from NYC has been the absence of my amazing voice teacher.  I find myself so afraid that in being away from his teaching I will lose my technique and that all of the hard work we've done together of the past 18 months will disintegrate into bad singing.

I should clarify-I see Maestro 2-3 times a week in NYC where I am subjected to such pokings and bruise-inducing proddings that I have some "'splaining" to do to the Fiancé.  But let me tell you, I have never in my life made more progress nor had a more clear understanding of good singing than under my Maestro's tutelage.  Through him I have found my voice and I do NOT want to lose it after it took so many years to find!  The problem is that I am still not fully 'cooked' in this technique.  I have another several months to go before I can go back to a 1-2 lessons a week schedule.  So, here I am playing a bit with snippets of my new arias but mostly just singing scales until the time comes when I am ready to use my newly acquired skills for true music making.  And now that I am here, away from his supervision, who knows when that will be...

Starting in September I will be returning to my NYC abode monthly for an intense week of daily lessons and photoshoots.  Hopefully I will able to continue my progress during these short bursts of vocal instruction.  

Until then I have tame my type A personality into just being comfortable with where I'm at vocally at this very moment and to sing using the tools that I have TODAY and not worry about what I believe to be my current shortcomings.  

Lilac Wine

Since moving to the Midwest we've been trying to drink a glass of wine every few nights.  The Fiancé and I are pretty much teetotallers so we are very cheap dates.  Even so, we find that it enhances our food-tasting experience and makes us feel like grown-ups as we eat our dinners off of a handed down coffee table until we purchase a proper dining table.

A few wines we've been getting into lately that are great deals and great tasting (note: in each case the vintage we've been imbibing has been 2007)

1.  Nobilo sauvignon blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.  According to my sommelier-without-the-certification brother, this part of NZ is famous for it's Sauvignon blancs due to its particular climate and soil characteristics.  Also, these grapes need less aging so a Great sauvignon blanc is cheaper than a great Chardonnay.  This I like.  Sauvignon Blanc may be my favorite wine these days.  It's so crisp, so green, so tropical...so delicious.  You can get it at Trader Joe's for around $10.

2.  Alamos malbec from Argentina.  Wine people are really into this wine.  Aforementioned brother says that for a bottle of wine to rival the wonder that is this $11 beauty you'd have to spend over $30.  I love a bargain but most of all I love this dark beauty's velvety, chocolate-y, tannin-y richness... 

3.  Famega vinho verde from Portugal.  This is one of the cheap Summer wines we drink most frequently.  You can get it for around $7 and its citrus-green-apple-y yumminess will not disappoint.  I love to drink it with fish, tapas, Summer salads...even barbeque (which is totally against all wine laws, but I enjoy it tremendously...)  I should warn you-this wine fizzes!  It's so refreshing on a hot Summer's night.

 

Drink Responsibly!

Bridezilla

I may have failed to mention in previous posts that I have not only moved back to the midwest in the last several days, but I am also getting married in about 2.5 weeks...yeah, somehow it slipped my mind...

With all of the moving craziness I was able to put the wedding collage that is my brain on hold for about a week.  It was bliss, believe me.  As excited as I am about this wedding I am just as excited to not have to plan a wedding anymore.  It's really quite stressful!

Today I zipped all over the major great lakes states dealing with wedding related paraphernalia.  I arrived home quite fried.  Dinner, however, had not been fried nor microwaved so I could not relax quite yet.  When I need a nice meal in a pinch one of my favorite recipes is Mustard-y salmon filets.  Every time I make this for someone new they believe that I took all of this time whipping up some sort of sauce, when it reality it couldn't be further from the truth!  We usually eat these filets with a side of short-grain brown rice topped with super sharp English Cheddar (don't knock it till you've tr

ied it) and some sort of green salady goodness.  Oh!  And don't forget a nice cool glass of Vinho Verde!

Mustardy Salmon

Filets of Salmon

Whole-grain Mustard

Preheat oven to 375

Place fish on baking dish skin side down.  

Rub entire filet with a nice coat of grain mustard.  Bake until desired doneness, in my oven that means about 12 minutes.

What I did for Love

My Mother's favorite food in the entire world is shrimp.  She could eat it 3 meals a day for weeks on end and still think it's divine.  Here's the rub:

Upon marrying my Dad my Mom had to give up shrimp.  Can you imagine giving up your favorite food in the entire world for someone?  That's true love.  They just happily celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, so it appears she made the right choice...And I thought that moving from NYC for love was rough!  My Mom was visiting us (without my Dad) last night and in her honor I made a shrimp dish (don't tell Pops!)

Greek Shrimp with Ouzo and Feta

olive oil

1 pound shrimp, deveined and shelled (frozen is fine, just thaw first)

2 cans diced tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup Ouzo (Greek liquor...don't worry, the Nyquil taste goes away after cooking... or use white wine)

chopped parsley (Italian is better for this, but don't worry if you can't get it.  Curly will work)

Pasta

Heat oven to 375

In a large sauté pan  over med-hi, heat oil, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes until fragrant.  Add shrimp.  Coat with garlic mixture and cook until almost fully cooked.  Move to a glass or enameled baking dish.  In the same sauté pan, lower heat to med-low (otherwise the ouzo will flame momentarily!) add Ouzo, cook off alchohol (about 2 minutes.)  Add tomato Mixture.  Cook for 2 minutes to combine.

Cover the shrimp mixture with the tomato mixture.  Top with Crumbled feta.  Put in to oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Top with parsley.  Serve over pasta.

Opa!

Independence Day

Last night was the first Independence Day fireworks display I have seen in probably 20 years.  The inhabitants of the entire town and its environs all gathered on the local High School's soccer field and watched silently (for the most part) for 30 minutes of dynamite splendor.   It was really nice.

Today I have been thinking a great deal about my own independence.  I was left to my own devices much of the morning as my fiancé went about his schol

arly duties in his office.  I'm so used to filling my time with excitement in New York-with meeting up with friends, voice lessons, window shopping, etc. that I don't actually give myself any time to think.  Now that I'm here and I have nothing but completely unstructured time I need to learn how to be productive in my contemplation.  In other words:  I need hobbies.  I have a few work related things that are necessary every day (practicing for at least an hour, photo retouching, working out, cooking elaborate dinners) but that is not enough to keep a person from going crazy.  I'm thinking of taking up

 painting.  Or planning a recital to perform here in the fall.  Any ideas???

I've never been good on vacations at simply RELAXING.  I always have a suitcase full of novels to keep my mind occupied.  I think I need to spend some time learning to appreciate the lack of social stimuli here in Ohio.

In my attempts to utilize my large and fabulous kitchen here and to keep myself out of trouble here are a few recipes:

Yesterday's Farmer's Market was fabulous and I came home with an abundance of fun fruits and veggies to play with.  I am particularly excited about the beets (with greens attached) and the Swiss Chard.  Oh, and I've never had actual black raspberries before, only blackberries.  They are amazing!

Here are two recipes I'm making tonight inspired by yesterday's bounty:

BEET AND ORANGE SALAD

3 beets, roasted, peeled and sliced

1 Orange,  3/4 sectioned, cubed, juice of the last 1/4 reserved (with none of the pithy white stuff)

Feta Cheese crumbles

Chopped mint

E.V. Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Arrange beets on a serving platter.  Top with orange cubes, feta crumbles and chopped mint. make a dressing out of the reserved juice, a bit of olive oil and some s&p to taste.  Enjoy!!!

My Blitva (Croatian Swiss Chard)

Bunch of Swiss Chard, washed, cut away from stalk and into 1-inch strips

White or yellow potatoes, boiled until tender, drained, still warm.  Skin on, cubed.

Garlic cloves, chopped (I always use a lot of garlic in my recipes, like 3 to 4 cloves for this, but if that seems insane to you, cut back a bit)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

S&P

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on med-hi, add garlic.  After the garlic becomes fragrant, add the chard strips.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, until well wilted.

Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl combine cubed potatoes (still warm,) with the chard and garlic mixture.  Add up to 1/2 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper until you get a nice, mash of all the ingredients.  This is AMAZING as a side dish to fish, meat, omelettes, whatever.  I just love blitva.  

Buon Appetito!

On the bright side

I'm trying to think of some things that are better about living here than living in Manhattan.  It is much easier to come up with this top 20 list than I originally thought it would be:

1.  Getting to live with Love of Life

2.  Closet Space

3.  Farmers Markets that are actually cheaper than supermarkets (in comparison to NYC's Greenmarket Farmer's Markets)

4.  Having a Car

5.  Having a Car and no traffic jams

6.  Not having to lug 8 bags of groceries across town and up 4 flights of stairs.

7.  Target

8.  Large Kitchen with lots of counter space

9.  Multiple rooms to our apt. at a rent of less than it would cost to rent a parking space for a month in Manhattan

10.  Garbage Disposal

11.  Dishwasher

12. CENTRAL AIR

13.  Not having to travel to pick up your packages as in NYC when the USPS/UPS refuses to actually bring the packages to your apt. and simply leaves the stickers that say you are NOT home when you are home and they just are lazy

14.  my amazing BIKE that would have been stolen by now in NYC (I purchased it 2 days ago)

15.  having room for a ginormous king size bed

16.  quiet nights-no street noise

17.  people thinking that my shlubby clothes are 'fancy'

18.  a membership to the Y here costs less than a smoothie at my NY gym

19.  Pilates classes here make me feel like I'm Gwyneth Paltrow as opposed to Danny DeVito 

(like in my NYC classes)

20.  Not having to scramble to afford basic necessities

Wow.  When I read that list I feel pretty good about this move...

If I can make it there...

For as long as I can remember I wanted to live in New York City.  Growing up in suburban Michigan I hadn't had much experience with Urban landscapes or living, but I believed that New York was where our country's cultural landscape was richest, where the lights of Broadway celebrated the names of the great stars, and where, to quote Frank Sinatra, "if you can make it there, you can make it ANYWHERE."

Throughout my time as a Classical Voice major in Music School (still in Michigan, mind you) I had the opportunity to spend a few months in Paris, a few months in Italy, some time in London, but when graduation came I had my ticket to the greatest city on Earth:  New York, NY!

I have now lived in New York City's West Village neighborhood for six years and let me tell you, I know this city like the back of my hand.  For example, I am the girl my friends call when they need a restaurant recommendation in an unfamiliar part of town.  I am the girl for whom other girls look to for inspiration on how to love this huge dark city of towers because MY New York is a loveable, inviting village of adventures and treasures.

During my tenure as a New Yorker I never sang on Broadway (though I auditioned for several big named shows and got callbacks...eh, I guess that's not the same...) nor did I sing on the Met stage (YET, I say, YET) but as the nature of New York life goes, I made it.  I was a success in my New York life.  I have amazing friends, an amazing network of musical geniuses with whom I cultivate my craft, I have a fabulous West Village studio apt., and I have relationships with shopgirls at several chic boutiques (secret sample sales are AMAZING.)

And then I fell in love.  The real kind.  The kind of love the moves mountains, ends wars, and causes true New York divas to move back to the Midwest.

And here's where the blog begins.  As I, Desperate Housediva, having 'made it' in New York now tries to cultivate a happy married life in Suburban Ohio.  Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, it's going to be an adjustment.