Monday, April 27, 2009

hero

Now I am WELL aware of how lucky I am. I have an amazing husband who takes insanely good care of me, calms me down when I get all agitated and stressed, makes me laugh constantly, dances around the house for no reason, and is pretty much perfect. I forget sometime (like Friday when I blew up at him due to my raging (hormonal) jealously of his hobby that he loves that doesn't really include me, I know, I know). And as soon as I forget, he reminds me.

Last night, we had 3 couples over for dinner. Instead of doing something simple for dinner (salad, pasta, the usual), we decided, after catching an episode on the Food Network one morning, to make Tyler Florence's Pork Pernil.

The recipe was pretty straightforward. Make a rub with herbs/garlic/etc, cut some slits in the skin, rub it in, roast for three hours, done. The recipe also called for a boneless shoulder, but when I went to Savenor's to pick up the meat, all they had was bone-in. After asking the butcher to remove the bone, he assured me that leaving the bone in would add to the flavor. What he DIDN'T tell me was that it would also add to the cooking time. Considerably.

So while I was chatting with people in the living room, Josh saved dinner. After about three and a half hours, he realized that the inside was still pretty pink. He spent about an hour making MORE rub in the food processor, taking out the pork and making additional slices to help it cook faster and then cleaning up the additional cooking mess. Oh, he also took care of the sides that I started and plated everything up.

Dinner was served and his efforts were a huge hit. People ate, we laughed about toilet babies, drank wine (well, others did), ate my crazy made-up dessert (more on that later). And then while we all sat around and chatted some more after dessert, Josh snuck off to the kitchen and did about 80% of the clean up.

If I ever, EVER forget how lucky I am, remind me of this, the last dinner party we will ever have.

Oh a related note, last night also made me realize how similar we are to my parents. My dad loved entertaining, having people over, holding court, socializing, but my mother had to do all the work. She made sure there was enough food, the house was clean, people had something sweet to eat after dinner, etc. So while my dad was being his charming self with company, she was stressing out in the kitchen. She got the short end of the stick in that respect and I am seeing it happen with us. Hopefully I will remember Josh and the pork that wouldn't cook next time I express the desire to cook for a large group, and realize that, at the end of the day, no matter how much shopping and chopping I do, it is Josh that ends up bearing the brunt of it.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

yes, another video

This one is from Kabir's away message. Thanks, Kabir!

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

a note to follow "so"!

Tarah sent this wonderful video out this morning. I had to share. Thanks, babe!

(Def work friendly, but you need sound).


Monday, April 06, 2009

spring!

No, not the season. It is cold and rainy and un-springy in every way. Today, friends and I went to Tremont 647, looking forward to a rainy-day comfort food menu. Alas and alack, the new executive chef changed the menu to an Asian-inspired spring menu. Fail. (We still got the donuts, though - win!). No, sadly, no spring in the air. Just in our dinner.

The title is for the new springform pans that I got yesterday! I have seen the light. Springform pans are amazing. I am never using another pan again. Ever. Let lightning strike me down if I ever try and scrape a cake out of a cake pan again. If you do any baking of any kind and don't have one, go get one.

Anyway, the reason for the pan, was guests. We were having some friends stay with us on Sunday night and I broke my oldest rule. I tried out a new recipe on guests. Not only that, I waited until after dinner to even start making the cake. Scandalous.

Anyway, after a lasagna dinner, Shila and I went to work on Smitten's pear and chocolate cake. I had my doubts when I saw how little batter the recipe makes. This will be a whole cake? But the whipped eggs did their thing and enveloped the pears and chocolate in a soft, pillowy, moist embrace (that sounds dirty...). The pears' consistency complimented this airy cake so well, with a creamy bite from the chocolate on top. Perfection.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

bundle(s) of joy?

Me: So, you know how our doctor was on vacation?
Josh: No, but go ahead.
Me: Well, I got a call from her today. She just got back and took a look at my latest lab results and ultrasound. She said my blood levels seemed off and that she noticed something on the last ultrasound. So she had me come in this afternoon.
Josh: (looks very alarmed)
Me: Nono! Everything is fine. Everyone is healthy. But....we learned that I... ummm... am ... we are....having twins.
Josh: (blank stare)
Me: Yeah, the reason we didn't see the other one til now is becuase he wasn't growing as fast as his brother. He was really well hidden on the last ultrasound.
Josh: (now white as a sheet and speechless)
Me: APRIL FOOLS! (jumps on Josh and starts tickling him)
Josh: (breathing again and trying not to smile) Get off of me, you wench.
Me: (continues to laugh hysterically for at least five minutes)


Sigh.. loves it.