End of Finals Guacamole

I am snowed in. Well, at least temporarily - my bus was postponed till tomorrow morning. There is something eery, yet thrilling about having the entire campus to yourself. At least Kaitlin is still here tonight so the room doesn't feel so deserted. Currently, we are listening to holiday music and Kaitlin is packing. We still don't know how to dispose of our mini Christmas tree (evergreen in the dorms is considered highly contraband).

Last night in celebration of our completion of the first semester of college, our friend Lena treated us to Wegman's pasta. We in turn offered to make guacamole for dessert. Ever since Lena learned of Kaitlin's expertise as a guacamole maker, she has been asking Kaitlin to make it for her. Up till now, we just haven't found the time. We have made two dinners at Lena's house, but guacamole just didn't fit with the theme of either event. (Our first dinner was a fall feast with roast chicken, squash and mashed potatoes, while the second dinner was a Texas barbeque complete with brisket, baked beans and corn bread.)

Kaitlin is from Texas (hence the Texas barbeque night) and takes her Mexican food seriously. A month ago, when my parents learned of her skills with guacamole (and my fondness for eating it), they special ordered eight avocados from a farm in California to be delivered to us in our dorm. They were the most perfect avocados I'd ever seen, not to mention the tastiest. The inner centers of the avocados were a bright yellow that deepened into a warm basil green around the edges. They were almost too beautiful to eat, but when they all ripened at once we realized we'd have to act soon or they would spoil.

I made my first batch of guacamole with these avocados. Kaitlin had decided it was high time I learned to make it. She walked me through the steps of the recipe as I she instructed me to chop onions and squeeze limes. Kaitlin's recipe is simple, but there are some tricks. First, do not go crazy mashing the avocados. You still want the avocados to be a little chunky when you stir in the other ingredients. Second, chop the tomatoes in your hands over the guacamole bowl (it is important that all the juices from the tomatoes get mixed into the guac).

Last night we used conventional supermarket avocados and the results were still delicious. I realized as we sat around Lena's Christmas tree, enjoying our "dessert", that the red of the tomatoes against the green of the avocados makes the dish seasonally appropriate. Feliz Navidad!

Guacamole

3 Avocados
1/2 a medium white onion (finely chopped)
2-3 small tomatoes (or one really big one)
1/2 a lime
salt and black pepper to taste

Using a fork, roughly mash the avocados in a large shallow bow. Add the onions and gently stir them in. Chop the tomatoes over the bowl and fold them into the mix. Then squeeze in the lime and add the salt and black pepper. Be gentle stirring in the final ingredients (you don't want mush)!
Serve with tortilla chips.

Strascinati

Kaitlin and I were nervous about cooking the beautiful strascinati pasta from the North End. (Although the entire label was in Italian, we examined the package multiple times and decided that “strascinati” was the official name for the pasta.) I was concerned that any tinkering from our non-Italian hands would transform the elegant, smooth dry pasta into a mushy, overcooked mess. I am glad to report, however, that our strascinati cooking adventure went quite well.

Yesterday, around four in the afternoon, Kaitlin and I dashed off to the supermarket. We bought garlic, shallots, and mushrooms for the pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil for a caprese salad and green beans to sauté. Everything was going as planned, until we realized that not only did we not have plates to eat on, but we also did not own a pot in which to boil water. Groceries in hand, we trekked to Target to buy a pot, two plates and a colander. At Target we couldn’t bring ourselves to buy the plastic reusable plates. Instead, we opted for square porcelain plates. Kaitlin feels very strongly about the presentation of food and I am sick of eating off the durable plastic dining hall dinnerware.

Back in our dorm, we squeezed into the kitchen and got to work. Kaitlin chopped tomatoes and trimmed the green beans, while I sautéed the oyster and baby bella mushrooms. The pasta sauce, though improvised, was delicious. The sweetness of the shallots balanced out the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and created a delicate coating for the chewy, substantial pasta.

The smell of the food created quite a stir on our floor; everyone wanted a taste. We happily dished out plates of pasta, salad and beans to anyone who curiously popped their head into the kitchen. Everyone seemed to enjoy the study break, and after the last of the pasta was gone, and the kitchen was cleaned up, we all joined together to light the mini Christmas tree in our hallway.

Pasta with Shallots and Mushrooms

1 package pasta (any type)
6-7 shallots (thinly sliced)
2 packages of mushrooms (any type or combination- thickly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring pasta water to boil (remember to salt the water). Add the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, saute the shallots in a large frying pan in plenty of olive oil. When they begin to wilt, add the garlic and continue cooking. After a minute or so (don’t let the garlic brown), add the mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the pasta is cooked, but still a little firm to the bite, drain the pasta and add it (along with a little bit of the pasta water) to the frying pan with the mushrooms. Add a pat or two of butter and sauté for a minute or so. Transfer pasta to serving plates and top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Study Week

I spent most of my day trying to study for my Italian final. Unfortunately, my mind kept drifting off to our wonderful weekend in Boston and the marvelous dim sum that we had in Chinatown. (I am a huge fan of the turnip cake and the sticky rice parcels.) Kaitlin and I have been talking about that meal non stop since we've gotten back. But we have yet to find an authentic Chinese restaurant anywhere near campus. 

This Saturday we plan to cook an Italian themed meal (in celebration of completing my final exam). We are going to pair a rose petal-shaped pasta from the North End with a saute of mushrooms and olive oil. Because we have very limited resources (as shown in the picture above), we try to keep our meals simple. If we feel truly inspired, we are going to make tiramisu. 

I have to go now and gear up for our hall's first snow ball fight of the season, but first I thought it would be nice to follow up the previous entry with a recipe for my dad's boereg. It is extremely simple to make and toaster oven friendly (for all those college students who, like us, are without an oven).

Victor's Famous Boereg

one package filo dough

one lb spinach (rinsed and dried)

one large onion (roughly chopped)

two eggs

3/4 lb feta cheese (crumbled)

olive oil (or any oil) or melted butter

black pepper to taste

parsley or dill (optional)

one 9 by 13 inch baking pan

preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl combine the eggs, spinach, onion, feta, pepper and parsley or dill (if using). Use your hands! When thoroughly combined, cover and set in the fridge.

Divide the filo dough in half. If the sheets are large, you may need to fold them in half before setting them in the pan. First, oil or butter the baking dish. Then layer two sheets of filo dough into the pan and brush the top liberally with butter or oil. Continue this process (oiling the filo dough every two layers) until you finish the first half of the dough. Then, remove the spinach filling from the fridge and spread it evenly over the filo dough layers. Layer the rest of the filo sheets on top, remembering to brush on the oil every other layer.

When you have finished layering the sheets, brush the top with oil and cut the boereg into squares (using a very sharp knife). Slip the boereg into the oven and bake for forty to forty-five minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown.

Paree Akhorjak! 

(which is Armenian for "Bon Appetit") 

Trip to Boston

Classes ended on friday and celebrations were in order. Around 9:30 pm our hall mates were getting ready to go out. The hallway was abuzz with pump-up music and loud voiced concerns over which outfit to wear. My roommate (Kaitlin) and I, however, were planning for an early night. We had snuck tupperware into the dining hall and brought our food ("Mongo's Takeout" as we affectionately call it) back to our room to maximize our time. As Susanna and Julie from across the hall applied mascara, we were pulling on fleece pajama bottoms and packing our bags. Our plan: wake up at 3 am, leave by 4 and, hopefully, arrive at Brandeis at 10 am. 

For over a month we had been anticipating this trip to Boston. Kaitlin's best friend, Raechel, goes to Brandeis University and Kaitlin wanted to catch her entirely by surprise and whisk her away for a weekend of adventures. We ran over our itinerary in the rental car- in between our mama mia singing fest. Food was number one. Being from Boston, I devised a list of all the foods Kaitlin and Raechel had to try before the weekend was through.

 

We pulled into Brandeis on time and ridiculously excited. Raechel was so shocked by our arrival that she remained speechless for a good two minutes. After she regained her voice, we all hopped back in the car and headed for my house. With a little help from Cecilia (our GPS), we were there in no time.

After much hugging and kissing, my parents immediately sat us down and fed us. My dad had made his famous boereg (a blend of onions, spinach and filo nestled between flaky layers of filo), which he pulled out of the oven as we clambered into the kitchen. While Kaitlin and Raechel put away their bags, I sneakily picked off one of the tempting crispy sheets from the top of the boereg. The crunch was addictive, and I continued to pick off the pieces until the corner slice looked completely white and naked. I hoped no one would notice. If Kaitlin thought that her roommate had strange table manners, she was too polite to say so.

After boereg and a wonderful roquefort, we headed towards Central Square and Toscanini's. Ever since Kaitlin had professed her love for mango sorbet, I knew Toscanini's would be a stop on our Boston tour. My dad swears by their mango sorbet. He even likes their ice cream, which is saying a lot since my dad DOES NOT eat ice cream. The mango sorbet has a deep golden color and a rich, rummy flavor. Along with the sorbet, we sampled the pistachio ice cream (which is my favorite ice cream flavor).  We all decided that it was the the softer texture of the ice cream at Toscanini's that gave it the luxurious feel and taste. Unlike other Ameriacn ice creams, the flavors at Toscanini's are not overpowered by excess sugar.

 

The mango and pistachio flavors prompted me to divulge into a long speech about how I want to visit India. Immediately after saying it, I was worried Raechel would think I was a little eccentric. Kaitlin is used to my random comments and inspirations, but I had only known Raechel for a couple of hours. I'm glad to say she was not the slightest bit concerned, and we even all decided then and there to take a trip together (the destination is still in the works).

Our next stop for the day was the North End, Boston's Italian neighborhood. We ate dinner at Monica's (a tiny trattoria) where we had the most delicious lobster ravioli I have ever tasted. Instead of drowning the ravioli in a overly creamy concoction, the chef had simply tossed the pasta in a light plum tomato sauce. The tomato sauce played off the freshness of the lobster, which came through as sweet and slightly briny. As we exited the restaurant we divided up into three groups. Each group's destination was a different pastry shop. Collectively we visited the Modern Pastry Shop, Mike's Pastry Shop and Maria's Pastry Shop. Each group was assigned to order a classic cannoli at each of the pasticcerie. Our goal was to find the perfect cannoli. 

 

Back in my kitchen we displayed the three cannoli on the counter and split them into bite sized pieces. We tried Mike's first. The ricotta was overly sweet and the consistency was thick and pasty. Although the shell was crispy, the crunch was too much; there was no crumbly yield of the outer pastry. Modern's cannoli was much better. It was not as sweet as the cannoli from Mike's and the shell was perfectly crumbly. It was Maria's cannoli, however, that surpassed the cannoli at both Mike's and Modern. The filling was the least sweet of all three, which allowed for the creamy  flavor of the ricotta to shine. It was rich without being too thick. In fact the consistency of the ricotta was a tad runny. Raechel noted hints of citrus in the filling and I had a big goofy grin on my face. It was then, however, when exhaustion kicked in.

 Thoroughly tired, but satisfied, we slowly made our way up the stairs and collapsed on our beds. Little did Raechel know that a whole day of sightseeing and gastronomic explorations awaited her. But for then, we were content with our dreams of oozing ricotta, tender ravioli and my poor attempts at speaking Italian in the pastry shops.