Dinner Party: Eggplant Steaks with Ragoût

On October 23, I invited Tara, Elaine, and Nick over for dinner. Because I needed to make a vegetarian meal, I decided to try making some eggplant steaks. I think the meal turned out well, and was pretty satisfying; Elaine even said it was "restaurant quality," which is maybe overly-kind, but I'll happily take the compliment.

Dinner Party: Beef Stroganoff

On September 27, I invited Jessica over for a hearty dinner featuring Beef Stroganoff and Brussels Sprouts.

Dinner Party: Moroccan Roasted Chicken

For my dinner party on September 25, I treated Alyssa, Jill, and Sarah to a Middle Eastern themed menu. It was a fun challenge, and I had the opportunity to work with ingredients I don't use very often.

Dinner Party: Enchiladas and Tortilla Soup

On September 13, I invited Jinny, Jon, Chrissie and Matt for a Mexican-themed vegetarian meal. Because I was hosting two dinner parties in a row, I served the blueberry ice cream from the previous night as a way of making the meal planning a little easier. I ended up taking more time than I expected on the recipes, but the meals turned out well, and it was a fun time.

Dinner Party: Corn and Tomato Gratin

My dinner party guests for September 12 were Natasha and Donna. Natasha is a vegetarian, so I needed to figure out a satisfying menu that would not rely on meat. While it required a little more digging, I think everyone was satisfied with the results.

Dinner Party: Pasta Bolognese

For my next dinner party, on September 4, I treated John and Krystle to an Italian-themed meal.

The main course was a pasta with a Bolognese sauce, and it was served alongside some broccoli seasoned with garlic and red peppers. To top it all off, I served a limoncello-flavored gelato for dessert.

Jenny's Ice Creams

In 2012, I got an ice cream maker for Christmas, and I have enjoyed using it to make various ice cream recipes to enjoy and share.

I've found that, once one has made a few different recipes, one gets comfortable with the general procedure, and trying a different recipe is more about incorporating new ingredients and making sure the proportions are correct. I will be listing the ingredients for a few recipes I've tried, along with links to the specific recipes; however, instead of writing out the individual recipes for each flavor, I'll first give a description of the general process, and, when necessary, will write notes specific to a particular recipe.

Dinner Party: French Onion Soup and Steak Au Poivre

A few years ago, I hosted a series of dinner parties. It gave me an opportunity to learn a few recipes and try a few different meals, as well as an excuse to spend time with friends and a chance to introduce a few of my friends to each other. I decided to try hosting a few more, and contacted several friends to see who might be interested in joining me for a fancy dinner. Since then, I've hosted  four parties, and have a few parties scheduled for the coming weeks, too. It's been a fun experiment, and I hope that I'll be able to keep at least some of the recipes in my repertoire.

For the first dinner party, on August 17, I invited Aurora, Ken, and Donna to sample some French-style cuisine.

Mail-Order Lifestyles: Blue Apron

When you're working, or even when you have some free time, it can be a challenge to eat well, or develop your cooking skills. It is easy to fall back on the same rotation of frozen and ready-made meals, or overpriced takeout and restaurant dishes. And, even if you want to cook more, it can be intimidating to figure out new foods to try, so it's easy to fall back on the small number of meals you are familiar and comfortable with.

With that in mind, I decided to follow a friend's suggestion and try out Blue Apron, a cooking service which delivers ingredients and recipes to your doorstep on a weekly basis.

When subscribing with the service, you set the number of people who will be eating the meals (2, 4, or 6), and any preferences in terms of meats that you are willing or unwilling to eat. You can also designate a day for the food to be delivered. Once your preferences are in place, the company will ship the ingredients for three meals every week, unless you notify them (at least one week in advance) that you will be skipping a week.

Reciperfection

Another recipe, courtesy of Epicurious:

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total) 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil; 1/2 ounce), patted dry and coarsely chopped 
• 3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 3/4 cup chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Recipe:

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning once, about 6 minutes total. (Chicken will not be cooked through.) Transfer with tongs to a plate.

Raving about Recipes

I've tried my hand at a couple more recipes. Again, I found them via the Epicurious app.

Baked Tomatoes

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 1/2 loaf Italian bread (about 8 ounces) 
• 5 to 6 sprigs flat-leaf Italian parsley 
• 1 medium clove garlic 
• 1 tablespoon capers 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed 
• 2 large tomatoes or 4 small ones

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Cut away and discard the crust from the loaf of bread and cut the loaf in half lengthwise. Bake for 5 minutes on each side. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Raise the oven temperature to 350°F on convection heat or to 375°F in an oven without convection heat.

Cut the bread into chunks small enough to fit easily in a food processor. Place them in the food processor and pulse until you have fairly even crumbs that are not too fine. Set aside 1 cup of crumbs and reserve any extra for another use.

Recipes, Redux

I've tried my hand at a few new recipes, courtesy of Epicurious.

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup)
• 4 small Italian eggplants (1/2 pound each)
• 16 thin slices whole-milk mozzarella (from a 1-lb block; not fresh)

Recipe:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and parmesan.

Recipe Roundup

Although I have not hosted any dinner parties lately, I have, with the help of my trusty Epicurious app, tried my hand at a few new recipes over the past few months. It's been fun to broaden my horizons, and test out some new flavors and techniques.

Here is a sample of what I've been cooking lately, in chronological order:

London to Los Angeles Flight

Well, it's over. I'm disappointed that I have no vacation time left, but it was genuinely a relief to have a couple of weeks where work was not on my mind.

After arriving in Copenhagen, I settled in to my Bed and Breakfast (a 3-bedroom flat north of Amalienborg palace), I headed down the Strøget shopping street, and toward Tivloi Gardens, the country's old-school theme park. I didn't go on any rides (each ride costs a few extra tickets), but I got a drink, began to fill out postcards, enjoyed a parade and a concert, and took in the ambiance.

I then headed over to the Nyhavn port for a tour of the canals, which was a restful introduction to the city. I followed up my tour with a visit to the Little Mermaid statue in Kastellet Park, and later strolled through the park and the central barracks. Finally, I treated myself to dinner at Nyhavn, and returned home quite late. When the sun doesn't set until 10 or 11, it allows one to tour more extensively, but it also makes it easier to forget when it is getting late.

Flight from Amsterdam to Copenhagen

So, after a somewhat difficult airport security experience, I made it onto my flight.

On Thursday, I started by going over to the Amsterdam History Museum, which was not yet open. I then headed down to the nearby Begijnhoff, which contained the sole remaining wooden house in the city (the rest had burned down in a fire), and the "English Church," where the Pilgrims worshiped before heading off to America.

Afterwards, I headed to the Leidseplein looking to get on a semi-secret boat tour (Guild of St. Nicholas) that had been recommended by one of the hosts at my Bed & Breakfast. One had to arrive in-person in otder to make reservations, and the tour reservations were operated through the Boom Chicago comedy club, which had not opened yet.

So, I went down to the Van Gogh museum to finish my visit (fortunately, I was able to complete the audiotour without repurchasing it). The museum was noticeably more crowded than it had been on Wednesday, when I arrived shortly before closing time, so I'm glad I was able to make it out on Wednesday, In addition to the Van Goghs, which I had mostly been able to see on the previous day, I was able to see works by Van Gogh's contemporaries (which were in the permanent collection) and a temporary exhibition of posters and other artworks about Montmartre).

Train from Antwerp to Amsterdam

I am on the 9:00 train to Amsterdam (I took the 7:18 train from Bruges to Antwerp).

My final day in Bruges was enjoyable. After finishing the brewery tour and grabbing a quick bite, I went through the small Begijnhoff museum (note: while the courtyard and premises were, in medieval times, inhabited by beguines, or lay "nuns," the need for such an order eventually dwindled, and it is now inhabited by nuns). I then took a boat tour of the city, which was peaceful (it helped that our boat was not full) and allowed passengers to have striking views of the town's landmarks.

De Halve Maan Brewery

Yesterday was quite busy. After checking in at my (adorable) bed and breakfast, I went to the Groeninge Museum. The museum houses several works by Flemish "primitives," who worked during the period in which Bruges was an economic powerhouse. It was interesting to see a Van Eyck up close: the characteristic strengths of his works are the degree of detail and crispness of the paintings, and it was interesting to see how the skillfully-deployed, tiny strokes of paint helped to create the illusion of shimmering cloth, jewels, fur, and glass.

Next, I went to the Memling museum, which is located at St. John's house, a former hospice where nuns would care for the sick. The building doubled as a museum for the hospice and an art museum. In the corner of the building, there were several works by Flemish artist Hans Memling, including a large altarpiece and a shrine dedicated to St. Ursula (who allegedly made a pilgrimage to Rome in the company of 11,000 virgins).

Afterwards, I went across the street to the Church of Our Lady, where I saw a small Madonna and Child sculpted by Michelangelo, along with some 10th-14th century crypts which had recently been uncovered.

Hotel Opera

Today was my last day in Brussels, and it was low-key and fun. I started by taking the Metro to the outskirts of town, where the Atomium is located. The Atomium was created for the 1958 World's Fair, and naturally has quite a bit of tacky retro-futuristic charm. Its scale is also pretty overpowering when one gets up close

I went inside and viewed the city and its surroundings from the top "ball" (the building is meant to look like an atom, naturally, and consists of several metallic balls connected by tubes). Afterwards, I went through the exhibitions in the other "balls" (they involved the 1958 Fair and the issue of immigration in Belgium).

Next, I went to the nearby Mini-Europe, which contained miniature versions of various cities, towns, and monuments around the continent. It was like a low-rent Epcot Center. Although, it must be said, Mini-Europe was a bit more ambitious in its choice of locations; there were obvious sites like the Eiffel Tower, but the park also made space for places like Notre Dame du Haut (the church built by modernist architect Le Corbusier).

La Moule Provencale

I was able to visit the BELvue museum, which provided an interesting timeline of the country's (relatively brief) history as an autonomous power, along with biographies of the Belgian kings. Next, I went to the Royal Museums, which had a decent selection of works, including David's Death of Marat.

After the museums, I mustered enough energy to visit Brussels' curous icon, the Mannekin Pis (which is basically what it sounds like). I walked through the Grand Place, and over to Rue des Bouchers, or "restaurant row." The row is pretty vibrant, with lots of people dining and enjoying the area, strolling accordionists, and waiters accosting passersby for their business.

I have just about finished a filling, if somewhat pricey, meal, and am ready to head back and plan for tomorrow.

Hotel Opera

I have arrived safely in Belgium. I got into town late in the afternoon on Wednesday. Because I was not up for any serious sightseeing, I spent the rest of the day getting acclimated, looking through some chocolate shops, and getting over jet lag. I was able to walk around the Grand Place and visit some of the surrounding stores.

My hotel is in the thick of things. Unfortunately, because I have a first floor unit which faces the street, I do get a fair amount of noise. Hopefully, this won't interfere with my sleep too much.

This morning, my power converter (which I bought before my Spain trip) died. I will need to get a new one, as I am dependent on my iPhone for my trip (it has my postcard checklist, addresses, travel guides, and other important information). Hopefully, I won't have too much trouble finding a replacement.