old calendars, new ideas

I love the Nikki McClure calendar that carried me through 2014.  Each month's print had a different word and scene that seemed to parallel my year rather well.  Whether that's confirmation bias, truth, me reading too much into things that don't mean that much or a melange of the three is inconsequential.  The point it I enjoyed the calendar a lot.  So with 2015 rolling around I was at a loss for what to do with it.  How do I honor this piece of art that meant so much to me?  As much as I enjoyed it, I wasn't about to hang the twelve prints on my wall simple out of romantic attachment.  The months were too much a part of each print to make it feel anything but dated and out of context were I to try and do something artistic with it.

Last night I bought a gift for a late in the year friend Secret Santa, and while walking home from dropping sage off at the bus stop an idea struck me.  Use the calendar as wrapping paper.  The idea didn't stop there, as neat as it would be to rip off all twelve months, I wanted more.  Like I said, I wanted to honor the art of the calendar.  At first I thought to write something along the lines of 'Happy new year' on the pages but trying to stretch that into 12 words felt contrived so I decided on a quote instead: Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footsteps on the moon. ~ Paul Brandt

I laid out all twelve months and wrote the quote from beginning to end in the order of months, 'Don't' on January...'Brandt' on December.  You can see for yourself.  Then I wrapped the present in reverse order, December to January, so that as my friend unwraps it the quote will play out in the correct order.

Take a gander:

Music Selection:
We Used to Wait - Arcade Fire
When the lights go out - The Black Keys
The High Road - Broken Bells
Bullet and a Target - Citizen Cope
Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids
Rest My Chemistry - Interpol
The Start of Something - Voxtrot

mushroom stock

Mushroom Stock, like any other stock, is about as simple a thing you can do as any other in the kitchen.  I made two different kinds, in one pot I sautéed the mushrooms first, in the I just boiled the mushrooms.  Afterwards I jarred the stock so it'll keep for a while.  Both were good but in the end I think the stock from the mushrooms I didn't sauté was better, the sautéed mushrooms produced a muddy looking stock that wasn't as rich in flavor.  

The one untested caveat is that when I make risotto with either of these stocks, I suspect the sautéed stock will be better, I've made risotto with vegetable, chicken and beef stock and the vegetable stock tends to create a less creamy risotto due to the lack of fat content.  There's olive oil in the sautéed mushroom stock so I suspect that will be better for risotto.  Only time will tell.

Also I used cheap-o crimini mushrooms this time because it was my first time and until I get a better hang of the technique I'm not going to use anything more expensive.  Feel free to use whatever you want, but I'd suggest you learn with what is cheap, then show off to others with the fancy stuff once you're good at it.

Mushroom Stock

1 lb crimini mushrooms

2 tbs salt (plus more to taste)

3 quarts (96 oz) water

Sautéed Mushroom Stock

1 lb crimini mushrooms

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs salt (plus more to taste)

3 quarts water

Infrastructure

1 big knife

1 cutting board

1 pot (or 2 if you want to take the Pepsi challenge and try both out)

2 1-quart (32 oz) mason jars

Process

- Halve and slice mushrooms.  Or chop mushrooms coarsely and don't mind that their different sizes.  it's probably inconsequential.

- For straight stock, combine mushrooms, salt and water

- Bring to a boil then drop down to medium-low (3.5 on a 1-10 burner) so that the water is simmering

- For sautéed broth, after chopping the mushrooms, heat olive oil to high

- Add salt and sauté mushrooms until soft (or about half the size they were initially)

- Bring to a boil then drop down to medium-low (3.5 on a 1-10 burner) so that the water is simmering

- Set a timer for two hours, stir, taste and throw in another dash of salt if you think it necessary

- Set a timer for one and a half hours and repeat.

- At this point you could keep simmering but three and a half hours should be enough.  The flavor of the stock should be rich, you may need to salt a little more for the flavor to pop.

 Music Selection
The Fountain (soundtrack) - Clint Mansell
Oblivion (soundtrack) - M83
My Head is an Animal - Of Monsters and Men

pasta, peppers, and fish

This meal is better set for a warm spring or summer night than the last day of the year but when you're ringing in the new year I think you can do whatever you damn well please.  Spaghetti aglio e olio is a simple classic and the recipe varies by the cook or family, I chose arugula because I love the peppery flavor it has while still tasting light.  I chose to use the simple dressing for the salmon because it is a little tart and tangy thanks to the rice vinegar and goes well with the pungent flavor of the garlic and parmesan in the pasta.  Momma would be displeased if there wasn't a vegetable on the table so I cooked bell peppers to round out the meal.  Just a little salt and balsamic is all I threw on the bell peppers and that's all they need, the strong flavor of the balsamic vinegar is a divergence from the pasta and fish that is complementary but also provides a flavor that helps keep all three tasting unique and separate.

Also I made the baguette with brie, pear and pepper again because there's nothing wrong with making the same thing several times in a week especially if it's cheese and bread.  It can actually help you work out the kinks in a particular recipe.

Bell pepper with balsamic vinegar

2 red bell peppers

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Pasta with arugula and garlic

1/2 lb rotini

1/2 lb arugula

1 cup parmesan (plus more to taste if you want)

1 tbs red pepper flakes

1/2 stick unsalted butter

5 cloves garlic (I generally add one extra for good luck)

Salmon

1/2 lb salmon (mine was 1.5 lbs because I can't comprehend small portions)

3 tbs olive oil

1.5 tbs rice vinegar

salt  (to taste)

cracked pepper (also to taste)

Baguette with pear, brie and cracked pepper.  With photos this time.

1/2 baguette

1 green pear 

1/3 lb of brie

Infrastructure

1 cutting board

1 big knife

2 roasting trays

1 big pot

1 saute pan

1 big bowl

Details:

- Start a pot of water boiling for pasta

- Chop arugula and throw it in a bowl with parmesan and red pepper flakes

- Melt the 1/2 stick of butter in a saute pan on low

- Mince 5 cloves of garlic and brown in butter

- Add browned garlic to bowl with arugula, red pepper flakes and parmesan

- Set bowl aside until pasta is finished

- Mix rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper

- Set salmon in oil and vinegar

- Turn on the oven to high broil

- Wash and halve bell peppers

- Begin to blacken the skin of the red peppers

- Rinse your saute pan and put it back on the stove, set the heat to high

- Your pasta water should be boiling, start boiling your pasta

- Set salmon in the oven

- Cut the baguette hot dog style

- Wash and thin slice the pear and halve the slices, lay on the baguette

- Make sure the bell peppers aren't sticking to the pan, continue to blacken them

- Cut the brie into slices and lay on the pear

- Throw baguette in the oven

- When the peppers have burnt on the back turn the heat off and flip them to let them cool

- After the peppers have cooled the skin should peel off easily

- Salt the peppers and pour one tbs of balsamic on the peppers

- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the arugula, parmesan, red pepper and garlic

- When the salmon has begun to crisp and char on top remove from the oven

- Remove the baguette from the oven after about 7 minutes or when the brie has melted fully

- Eat

Music Selection:

Kanye - Only One

Ok Go - There's a fire

Aesop Rock - Daylight

Ratatat - Everything from Classics