second guesses and summer dresses

a politic-free tuesday list 

when, as if i suddenly just became my mother, pumpkin scones appeared on the brunch table at the too-early hour of sunday before noon.

after a night of sipping away sandy and eating midnight chicken buns with rob over conversations of chemistry and the future,

and meeting the human behind one of my most favorite blogs, meg. 

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the smell that is happening in my kitchen right now, as onions and sauerkraut cook down for pierogies. {that when i google "what is the plural form of..." the first guess that comes up is "moose."}

and the other dumplings that i'm working on for the violet's winter issue!

and the live dumpling-making soundtrack that is going on in my living room right now.

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the i-woke-up-at-4am bagel topped with the generic brand nutella that has crunchy bits of nougat mixed in. 

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crisp morning runs.

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celebrating the life of elliott carter: remembering the absolutely enjoyable hours spent on his improvisation for solo timpani that got my butt into college, sitting in a box seat when i was five to see my dad play his clarinet concerto, recognizing that, yes, elliott carter spent his 103 years right. rest in piece.

-yeh

morning polenta...

looks a little pre-barfed, tastes a little pre-barfed, too.

but it's what happens when suddenly i have my mornings back with enough time to experiment at breakfast, and more importantly suddenly i haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks on account of my parents were in town and spoiled me with blue ribbons and brooklyn larders. so, yeah, it is just more about-to-go-bad vegetables and boxed polenta. hold the flavor or any sort of textural integrity.

you know, the breakfast equivalent to laundry day?

in other news, i'm going through a hair identity crises: dreadlocks, mullet, or bowl cut? anyone?

-yeh!

mum's visit, in food.

pig, three ways: after bacon-y polenta and pancetta bruschetta at al di la brunch {which i really can't get over}, we met a pig on a leash. i didn't even know that was legal, i said, ummm actually it's really common, said the pig mom all attitude like, oh ok well i just ate pig and i intend to eat more tomorrow and the next day and the next, imaginary me said.

rugelach: but obviously not better than mum's.

kind of like the best brunch i ever had: at miriam, and with schnitzel. that would have been enough, but challah french toast, shakshouka, and civilized political conversation added a little somethin somethin that defied my sometimes impression of brunch as being just a fun hangover activity. 

afternoon coffee + cake: olive oil cake and a caramel-y mini bundt from one girl. with a side of, please can you fill me in on my sister's wedding plans?

morningtime punkin bread, two ways: dog days closing pumpkin bread and thank-you-for-driving-me-to-rehearsal-through-all-that-new-jersey-traffic pumpkin bread. [fact: early morning baking with mum is the best beyond bestest best thing in the brooklyn.]

-yeh!

fair-weather frittata

the fair-weather jew that i am opted out of fasting this year.

so i made a frittata.

because i had time {for the first morning in way too long}, because there is nary an egg shortage in my kitchen, and because frittatas are the kind of thing that are just perfect for using up some about-to-go-bad veggies.

oh! and i had never made a frittata.

turns out i am a swell as fuck frittata maker!

the concoction i made this morning is loosely based on alice waters' recipe. kinda. not really.

ingredients:

olive oil

an onion, or two. chopped.

veggies {i used a tomato and a few handfuls of roommate spinach}

8 eggs

salt + pepper

a pinch of cayenne

4 cloves of garlic, chopped.

herbies {i used rosemary and thyme}

marinara, maybe

mustard, maybe

directions:

preheat oven to 350.

heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in an oven-proof pan over medium heat, add onion and cook until onions are soft and transparent. add veggies and cook for a few minutes. remove everything from the pan and set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic.

heat another two tablespoons in the pan over medium heat. add egg mixture. let it firm up a bit on the bottom. lift up the edges to let some of the liquidy part spill under and get some love as well. add the veggies on top and tilt the pan around a little so that the egg gets all up in em. sprinkle the herbies on top.

put her in the oven for 7-10 minutes, until the top firms up.

serve with marinara.

and the mustard is for if you burn yourself terribly like i did... because it's difficult to remember that a panhandle is that hot and because slathering a mustard on a burn really does make it better.

-yeh!