Stuffed Onions

trattoria della posta...is one of the restaurants in Piedmont listed in Bon Appetit's August 2010 issue.  The description of the eatery goes like this:


trattoria della posta
Housed in an old country estate outside the village of Monforte d'Alba, this spot has been feeding hungry travelers since 1875.  Dishes like baked onion filled with cheese; mini ravioli with fresh goat cheese topped with local sausage and leek sauce; and veal shank with Barolo exemplify the eatery's old-school approach.
Localita Sant'Anna 87, Monforte d'Alba;
011-39-0173-781-20;
trattoriadellaposta.it


A picture at the top of the page shows us what their baked onion looks like.  The crisp, papery outer skin is kept on the onion, charred around the edges.  The onion is cored, and one can see traces of the golden browning of cheese inside.  A sprig or rosemary is placed for adornment in the onion like an anchored flag as (what looks to be) shredded parmesan cheese dusted the plate.


My immediate reaction was: what a great idea!  Why hadn't I thought of stuffing an onion??


The next day I went to the grocery store and purchased two yellow onions and feta cheese.  When I had time to cook, I took out my onions, rinsed them, and began coring.  Since I also had a fresh, garden-grown zucchini and a package of unopened carrots; I decided I'd roast those too.  I chopped the zucchini, peeled and chopped the carrots; arranged them onto a pan, drizzling olive oil, salt & pepper, along with a sprinkle of dried thyme.  With the onion pieces I had carved out, I chopped those, put them into a bowl and added feta cheese with it.  Then I added some olive oil, salt & pepper and also some dried thyme.  I arranged the two onions in the center of the pan and roasted them in a 375 degree oven first for 15 minutes.  

After taking a peek at the onions I decided to add another 15 minutes. By that time, the vegetables look adequately roasted.

Tacos & Mosquitoes

Muggy summer evening.  I had been working on a project all last week and into the weekend.  It was exhilarating; however, I needed a break.  Sunday evening pounced too quickly, way too quickly.  Already it was almost 7 p.m. and streaks of orange and purples started to appear in the sky.  My friend called as I was right in the middle of wrapping up my online task.  Let's meet up before the weekend concludes.  How about dinner?  Neither of us wanted to venture anywhere far or fancy.  We decided on taco place nearby.


Why would I be blogging about dinner at a neighborhood taco place?  It was such a lovely evening, besides the fact that it was too warm.  A breeze did stir.  

The patio seating had palm trees and ambiance that lent itself to be someplace more tropical than just around the corner.  

Besides, the sun was setting and it looked serenely beautiful...even though cars drove past and a McDonald's was right next door.  

Yet, we were enjoying ourselves with a simple evening and a simple meal...until I got bitten.  I despise mosquitoes.  Within a few minutes of us sitting down one bit me on my wrist and another one on my knee.  We picked up our food and went inside.  So much for the great outdoors, we laughed as we ate our tacos.

Sale

To buy or not to buy...

I walked into Ann Taylor LOFT with no expectations even though a few days ago I received an email informing me of their 40% off sale.  Sometimes it is just hit and miss with me regarding that store.  On this occasion though I was very pleased to see the airy, feminine summer dresses in modern pastels and patterns.  Upon closer inspection of the price tags...and after having tried on six dresses...I decided to only purchase one.  Even though the price was nearly slashed in half, it still seemed too much for the caliber of those dresses.  Anyway...


The two I contemplated over were the pink dress with the black sash

and the off the shoulder purple dress.

The purple won. 

Chocolate Muffin with Blackadder

On certain occasions I crave to bake.  This time since I didn't want to spend much money or prepare anything fancy, I searched for a recipe that would call for ingredients already in my pantry.


Wednesday evening.  I found just the recipe.  Even though it was hot and very muggy outside (thanks to the rain caused by Alex), I turned on the AC and preheated my oven.  It was going to be good!  There was even a fresh container of Breyer's French vanilla ice cream in the freezer.  Indeed, hot cupcakes with melting ice cream and a delicious brew of coffee would make Wednesday evening a celebration.

Eating desert is grand, but eating desert with a dear friend is tops.  (Especially if the friend is one who is not on a restrictive diet.)  On this day my friend came over with a new DVD.  This is the same friend who lent me Mr. Bean...the complete season.  I still haven't finished it yet.  I enjoy British comedy, mostly along the lines of The Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Ernest, Love Actually and such.  However...Mr. Bean is best enjoyed with my friend.  This new DVD though was not some film showcasing witty British humor.  Rather, it showcased Rowan Atkinson (again) in Blackadder.  Oh boy.  Good thing there was dessert, too.

(Image courtesy of Movie Download Catalog)

Spice Chocolate Muffins
(Recipe adapted from Flo Braker, Author, Sweet Miniatures (Chronicle Books, 2000))  

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature. 

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Grease and flour a standard 12-well muffin pan.

Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 30 to 40 seconds. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl, then fold in the vanilla. 

Reduce the speed to very low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour, beating until just blended and no lumps of flour remain; stop the mixer occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool slightly. 

4th of July

It didn't rain.  I drove to a neighboring town to visit a church I attended one Sunday evening in May.  It was a nice change.  Different atmosphere.  Different ways of doing things.  Variety is good.  Often I hear people comment how they would a different church only to return to theirs and exclaim with a sigh of relief how glad they are that their church was not like that church.  Yes, I've said that, too.  However, one of the things that I have learned (for myself) is that the Christian body is so much bigger than just one denominational slice.  (And honestly, there's no such thing as nondenominational.  The labels have been created.  Either you're this or you're that.  Even if you claim to be 'nondenominational' someone is going to categorize you.)  One denomination doesn't know everything there is to know about God and His Word.  It's presumptuous to think so.  Some may claim to know more than others, and that may be the case, but really if we are truly Christians and love God, we all have something to contribute.  No one or group is more significant over another.

The service was patriotic in theme.  The message was geared to bring us to mind that God is the Creator God and hence deserves our praise.  God is the God who intervenes on our behalf.  God is the God who blesses.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."  Psalm 33:12

The message was also a call for us to pray for our nation and our leaders.  

Afterwards I met a friend for brunch.  Due to going the wrong direction and somehow missing a turn or something, I arrived late.  Usually we have boisterous get togethers, often times peppered with laughter and such.  This day was probably the most subdued...because of my ill mood.  So far the three-day weekend was not going as I had planned or hoped that it would, and I let that affect me.  We talked a bit about the HBO series "John Adams".  I watched that a couple years ago with another friend, and bought the DVD set for my dad last year.  My friend just caught it on television a couple nights ago.  

This morning I read an article on the New York Times.  The writer noted that the signers of the Declaration of Independence could by no means have known what kind of world 2010 would be, yet they managed to pen a document that would still be as relevant today as it was in 1776.  One of the signers was quoted to say that the Declaration would not have been possible had the finger of God not been involved.  Imagine drafting a government from scratch.  Daunting task.  

After brunch we parted ways.  I didn't go to any BBQs or backyard cookouts.  Rather I went to the mall.  Sounds crazy to me, but I rather enjoyed mingling with the people and sales associate.  The one in Fossil asked me how my holiday was.  In return I asked how was his. He was going to a BBQ after work and really looking forward to it.  Another one in New York & Co. was the most jovial.  Her day was good and not too busy.  It fluctuated, she said.  A teen (Church of God) girl in long skirt and sleeves tried on modern heels while her mother watched.  Saw a man in Dillards who looked the spittin' image of Bruce Willis.  

Usual way to spend Independence Day.  It gets better.  A friend met me at Barnes and Noble.  We then bought tickets to see "The Last Airbender."  While we waited, we went to a nearby Italian restaurant and ordered margaritas and their Caprese Skewers.  The amount of salt on the glass was perfect!  The movie did not live up to it's hype.  From a director who is known for his plots and storytelling, this one was skimpy on story and top-heavy on special effects.  After two hours of stunned disbelief we went to Starbucks where the barista informed us that fireworks would start soon and we would be able to view it just outside the store.  That explained why people congregated in the parking lot in lawn chairs.  We got our coffee and shared a slice of lemon poundcake outside...underneath a semi-dark sky illuminated by street and traffic lights.  Once the show began, customers congregated and for a few minutes we became a community of onlookers admiring the explosion and lights.  Simple setting.  Totally unplanned.  Absolutely memorable.

Happy Independence Day!