Sunday, November 24, 2013

Veggie Taco Deep Dish Pizza/Hallo-movie Extravaganza

Edit: I started writing this post in October but am just now getting around to posting it. Sorry (not really). I should probably make something more thanksgiving-themed, but we're going to relive the Halloween days. Who says you can't eat pizza and watch scary movies in November or December? 

It's October (it was October at one point). You're probably going to be watching some scary movies (it's always a good time to watch scary movies). What goes well with scary movies? A big, gooey, PIZZA. Good idea. Wait...where are you going....no, don't pick up the phone (or the Foodler). Stop. Back away. Grab your cast iron skillet. Let's get to work.

Don't eat that.
Not only is this pizza cheaper, more delicious, and healthier than delivery pizza...it's also taco. And vegetarian. You could make it with meat, but my CSA came the day I made it so I couldn't resist putting a bunch of awesome local produce all over it. The recipe is really pretty flexible - have fun with it.

Recipe: Veggie Taco Deep Dish Pizza

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Greens and Tomato Orzo/Spark: A Burning Man Story

What a summer! I have a lot of greens. I don't really know what to do with them most of the time. This past week, I got dandelion greens. Had I known those were edible, I would have gone down to the field and picked some myself. I don't need no CSA.

I've made salads, stir-frys, and even green soup. I was ready for something new. I thought this recipe here sounded pretty delicious, so I decided to use it as a guide. I made a couple of adjustments to fit what I had on hand, and you can do the same. I would highly recommend using fresh tomatoes because they are in season right now, and they give the dish a lighter tomato taste that you can't get with canned tomatoes. I added some bullion back in to give it the salt it needed. 

I think this dish would go well with an egg on top, over-easy. Then again, I think most things go well that way.

awwww. sparkly eggs.

Recipe: Greens and Tomato Orzo

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Children of the Skillet Cornbread

So I will admit, it's been a while since I actually watched this movie. Sometimes (especially during the summer months), life gets a little bit too much. I've had weddings, birthdays, funerals...it's been a doosey. I'm actually on the bus right now on the way home from a wedding.
If you are as busy as me, you should make this cornbread and the chili I made a few weeks ago. It fed me for a long time. And if you're broke like me, you will also appreciate the value of this hearty combo.

I got the skillet cornbread recipe from the Pioneer Woman, but I added sugar because cornbread should be sweet. Sometimes I like to think about how awesome life would be if I could be a Pioneer woman and live off a ranch. I don't think the life is as glamorous as hers (mine would probably play more like Winter's Bone), but a girl can dream. Her life is probably fake, anyways.


People on ranches don't look like this.

Recipe: Skillet Cornbread

Friday, June 28, 2013

Seaweed Salad and Ginger Squid/Oldboy


Hello Kim’s adoring public!  This will be a break from her irregularly scheduled brilliance for a guest post by me, the mysterious and silent ‘boyfriend.’

Pictured: My hand and a molleja taco.  Not Pictured: the food I'm cooking in this post.

These two dishes fit with Oldboy because they’re from Japan and Oldboy is from…  South Korea.  Close enough.  Had I watched the movie first, I probably would have gone with dumplings, but that’s water under the bridge.  I’m new at Japanese food, so I made a few key mistakes (like cooking squid in a poorly ventilated apartment... it still smells like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in here).  It was tasty, though, so I’ll definitely be trying again.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili/Martha Marcy May Marlene

I'm kind of slacking on this one. Typically I make a recipe that goes along with the film, but I really am struggling to come up with a connection here. If you can think of anything, I can always go back and edit the entry, but for now it's just going to be a deeeeeliciously healthy vegan chili and a crazy dark alliterative movie about a cult.

this was one of the images that came up when i searched for alliterations. i like alliterations. i am an alliteration.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Tiny Cherry Hand Pies/Tiny Furniture

Have you heard of that show Girls? I guess it's kind of big. I don't even know if it's still on or not, but it's relevant because the movie I'm reviewing, Tiny Furniture, came first. I'm a little bit behind on the times so I'm only getting to it now.

I thought the film would pair well with the tiny hand pies that I made for my dad for father's day. By the way, if you're looking for a good parental gift, baking is something parents always appreciate. Just make sure it's something that will last a couple of days in the mail. When I was a kid I remember he used to love those hostess cherry pies, and I wanted to make him something close to that (hopefully better!). I miss my dad a lot, and I'm sad I don't get to see him as much now that I live in Boston. This entry is dedicated to you, dad! Happy Father's day! Maybe you can teach me to grill the next time I come home. I think that would make a good summertime entry.

what a cool dad!

Recipe: Tiny Hand Pies

Monday, June 10, 2013

Broiled Marinated Pork Chop/A Very Long Engagement

After nostalgically looking at old blog entries, I decided it was time to jump back on the bandwagon. At the risk of making this entry too personal, I'm just going to say that m boyfriend just moved away to Austin, and now I have found myself with much more time on my hands. Also, some entries might be written from the south! Oh yeah I also just signed up for my first half marathon. So I guess I have to start eating like a runner or something? We'll see what happens with that.

next thing you know, I will look like this


I made some spicy brown mustard using this recipe for our memorial day barbecue a couple of weeks ago. The Serious Eats website I got the recipe from is probably my new favorite food blog. It's especially awesome for people that live in Chicago and New York. I don't eat a lot of hot dogs or hamburgers, so a marinade seemed like a natural way to use some of it up.

And the movie...well, I've seen it before but I felt like watching it again. It's my favorite romantic film of all time.

Recipe: Broiled Marinated Pork Chops

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

New England Boiled Dinner/The Master

Woah dudes, it's been a while. How have you been? Hoping to do some more posting now that the dregs of winter are almost over.

almost.
I actually saw The Master months ago when it came out, but it was actually on a disastrous first date. Note to the dudes: if you haven't met a girl in real life before, don't take her to a super long cerebral film and meet her there minutes before it starts. I think we maybe said three words to each other before the film, walked around Kendall Square for about ten minutes after, as I kept rejecting each bar he suggested stepping into, and then awkwardly said goodbye. I may have promised a second date and then not followed through. Whoops.

Sorry about that tangent. I truly hope he is doing well. Hear me out on the connection between the film and the dinner. As some of you may know, it was St. Patrick's day this past weekend. Back in the day, I remember my mom making corned beef and cabbage for this glorious occasion. Being the adventurous "chef" I am, I decided I wanted to do my own corned beef completely from scratch. I'm not talking about getting the kit with the meat and the seasoning. I'm talking about buying a huge slab of meat, making the rub from scratch using my brand spakin' new mortar and pestle, and slowly curing the meat for a few days in a huge dutch oven in my fridge (my housemates just loved that part).

ANYWAYS, back to the food/film connection. In order to get the meat to cure correctly and remain that characteristic pink color (what I like to call "corning" the meat), you need this little compound called Sodium Nitrate. Once I learned that this is a necessary component, I added it to the list. Four grocery stores and a very frustrated Kim later, I learned that it is not really available in commercial grocery stores (finally found it at this awesome place). Apparently, it is also used in smoke bombs, pyrotechnics, and most importantly for this entry: solid rocket propellant. If you have seen The Master, you know that Freddy's signature drink sometimes includes a healthy dose of rocket fuel. BAM. Mind blown.

If you have time, I would absolutely recommend corning your own beef. It was a lot of fun, and so incredibly delicious. Hash was made the next morning, as is tradition. I didn't find one recipe that I absolutely loved anywhere on the internet, so I used a combination of this one from my new favorite blog Serious Eats, and this one from a blog called relishingit that I wish was called relishit. Enjoy!

Recipe: Scientifically Savvy New England Boiled Dinner

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Stolen French Bread/Les Miserables

I was really proud of myself for this pairing.

My original intention was to make some fancy French recipe like a bouillabaisse or a galette for this movie. Seeing as how I'm a wee bit behind on the Oscar countdown, it was a double whammy when I came up with this easy but relevant idea.

I'm making Jean Valjean's stolen french bread. Duh.

Before we get to that, though, I will give you an update for my Oscar picks. Once again I remind you that these are not the movies that I think are going to win; they are simply what the Academy of Kim picks (although the nominees are not what she would have picked in the first place, but we won't get into that right now.

Kim's picks:
1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
2. Amour
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4. Les Miserables
5. Django Unchained

And the Kimmy goes to...


Recipe: Jean Valjean's Stolen French Bread

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Baked Peach Oatmeal/Amour


I really struggled coming up with a dish for this Academy Award nominee. As a matter of fact, if I hadn't already promised reviews on all of the movies that are up for best picture, I probably wouldn't have included this one in the blog. I'm going to stand by that promise and deliver. Just keep in mind that this movie is definitely not meant to leave you with warm fuzzy feelings. Thanks, Academy for making me sad again. Here are my rankings of the best picture nominations so far:
1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
2. Amour
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4. Django Unchained

I chose the dish for this week based on a scene in the movie. You are just going to have to see it to get it. Also, people have been going nuts about this baked oatmeal, so I decided to finally give it a shot. The original recipe is found here (this is one of my favorite blogs - I've been following Beth for years!).

Recipe: Peach Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Gumbo/Beasts of the Southern Wild

Part one of Oscar season madness! Out of the three I have seen so far (Django  and Silver Linings included), I would put Beasts of the Southern Wild on top. I wouldn't necessarily say that I think it is going to win, but that would be my pick. I was able to find a RedBox copy, but I know a lot of the art house theaters are playing (look for a Landmark near you!), and I would recommend going that route because the film is so visually striking.

The people of New Orleans would probably be very upset with my sad attempt at making gumbo. It was my first time, and I didn't follow a recipe, so you can't fault me too much for that. Nonetheless, I think it turned out pretty good, and I will definitely make it again in the future. Maybe I will make a vegetarian version because this one is just chock full of MEAT.

Sorry Caitlin.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Mango & Pineapple Sticky Rice/Searching for Sugar Man

This week's post comes to you from my dear sister, Caitlin. Caitlin lives in Chicago. She's awesome and a better writer/photographer than me so don't expect the rest of the posts to be this great from here on out. Enjoy!

Soon I will start Academy Award Madness. I have two movies/recipes up in the queue.

Sisters! In Chicago!


Welcome to my guest post!

I'm Caitlin (Kim's sister), and I gotta say, I might not be on Kim's cooking or movie-reviewing level. But with an optimistic spirit and an undeniable sweet tooth I bring you my take on mango sticky rice as well as the Oscar-nommed documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" about a folk musician who made it big in South Africa. A warm dessert in juxtaposition with the cold streets here in Chicago... kind of like Rodriguez's snowy apartment in Detroit in juxtaposition with his fan base's lush & subtropical home of South Africa!

The recipe is inspired by my roommate last year, who is from Asia and loves Thai food. She used to dig on this sticky rice from Thai Palace, a deliciously evil Thai food place in Holland, MI. I wanted to try and recreate it with a couple of things I already had in my apartment.

I also have an insatiable sweet tooth (and my mother will let you know it), so this hit the spot! I used white jasmine rice, but feel free to use actual sticky rice. I'm just going to say that you can't beat coming home to a kitchen that smells like jasmine rice. It's the closest I'm going to get to a dog's affectionate greeting until I live in an apartment larger than your average office cubicle.

Recipe: Mango & Pineapple Sticky Rice

Friday, February 1, 2013

Veggie Stir Fry/The Last Emperor

No excuse for the lack of posting lately. I would say I'm going to try to be better about it, but that's probably a lie. Maybe some more guest posts coming up soon? Also, I'm starting to grow weary of the same 10 root vegetables I get in my farm share every week. Step up your game, Boston Organics!

This week's recipe is more about the sauce than anything else. These vegetables are great, but you can pretty much use any kind of vegetable in a stir fry (which is why they're so great). Except for beets. Don't use beets in anything. The trick is to add the vegetables that take the longest to cook first and progressively add the rest as they cook. Leafy greens are always wilted down last when the sauce is added. Feel free to experiment with other vegetables and share your experiences!

In other news, I'm going to try this month to watch every film that was nominated for best picture. Typically I see them all without trying this hard, but this year has been a slow one for me as far as new releases go. I have already seen Django Unchained (way underwhelmed) and Silver Linings Playbook (meh), so there will be no posting for those ones. I will try to make some good entries for the remaining films. In the meantime, enjoy this review from a film that won best picture for 1987!

Although I don't know how it beat out this one.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Biscuit Dunes Root Vegetable Pot Pie/Dune

We cancelled the beets! I just couldn't find any other use for them. That gnocchi sat in my fridge and did not get eaten. I would maybe be able to deal with it if they came once a month, but weekly was just too much. We had a good run, but it's time to move on.

That being said, I made a pretty damned good one this week. I challenge even the most carnivorous carnivores to say no to a helping of this stuff. The original recipe is posted here, but I made some tweaks to make it a bit healthier and to fit my pantry. I chose the movie Dune because it's the last of David Lynch's films I had to see, and the pot pie has "dunes" of biscuits on top.

He who controls the biscuits controls the universe.

Plus Sting + David Lynch + Sci-Fi? I figured I couldn't go wrong.

Oh baby.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

"Big Apple" Cinnamon Muffins/Cosmopolis


I have a confession to make. I have been making muffins for weeks. I am not the world's best baker, so I've been messing around with some fruits/veggies/spices/flours/etc. to try and make a decent muffin. I think that this one is my best attempt yet!

I used a lot of apples, so you can cut down on those a bit, but personally I like to take a bite in the muffin get a mouthful of apple as well. Plus they were so moist, and the apple went really well along with the spices. A great breakfast choice. Plus, they make your house smell like, well, apple cinnampn muffins. Can't really beat that.

Why use these when you can bake and eat the real thing?


Recipe: "Big Apple" Cinnamon Muffins


Monday, January 7, 2013

Beet Gnocchi with an Italian Cream Sauce/The Queen of Versailles


This recipe is messy. It's also a little strange because not only have I never made gnocchi before - I've never even eaten it. I think I made them too big, but that's pretty much out of laziness. I also didn't put a definite amount of flour you need to use. Beets and potatoes are of all different sizes, so you pretty much have to get the right consistency. I think I did that. I don't really care; they taste good and I hid my beets in there so I consider it a win for Kim.

For this week's viewing enjoyment, I give you this.



Are you still hungry?

Recipe: Beet Gnocchi with an Italian Cream Sauce