Gone Girl

Gone Girl

 Okay, so I disappeared for a while. Really, it was nothing personal. My mind took a long holiday vacation. No good excuse. Recently a couple of people asked about my silence. I was happy to know that someone even noticed.

This winter has been a killer. I struggle to stay active in the best of weather. The cold and snow has provided an excuse and I have reached a level of "slothdom" that is yet unrivaled. My pants are having trouble closing around my winter waist. It is time to turn this sinking ship around. On to another subject.

Over the years many people have asked, “How can you work in the field of child abuse”. I often replied that I loved my job but could never work with the elderly or in the field of domestic violence. We all have our experiences and beliefs that guide the choices we make. So… recently I felt ready to get down and dirty again and use my social work skills in direct service. I am currently in volunteer training at DAIS, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. Yep, I decided to take on a field I thought I could never work in. A challenge seemed in order. So far I love the training and look forward to working the hotline, hopefully starting in March.

I have been “Yelping” a lot of late. I eat out a fair amount and really enjoy writing reviews. I am going to my first event as a Yelper which is being held at The Heritage. I am excited to visit this highly rated restaurant and sample a bit of their fare. As much as I love to cook, I love having someone else cook good food for me. That said, I hate paying for bad or unremarkable food.

I just finished lunch at Ha Long Bay. I think their food is excellent. I have had dishes I did not care for, but that was based on my personal preferences, not on their preparation.  I just ate Pad Thai, which I have not had in years. It was quite yummy. I asked for shrimp and they were moist and flavorful. The lunch serving was generous and reasonably priced. I brought home half my plateful which made the meal a true steal. 

I have been cooking up a storm in this cold weather. I had a party for my condo building and a dinner party for some friends. For the dinner party I used the Silver Palate Cookbook, of yore. I made the Chicken Marbella and Orange Carrot soup. These are older recipes so I found myself cutting back on the recommended amount of butter and sugar. The soup was fabulous and easy. The recipe asks that you pull out your 1000 pound food processor from your top cabinet. This being 2014, I used my immersion blender and it did the job with grace and easy clean up. I added some ginger and cayenne at the end as it needed a little kick. Both recipes are available on line.

For the condo party, I bought an Afghani bread from Kabul at Jenifer Street Market. A big rectangle of soft, tasty flat-bread. I brushed the bread with olive oil, covered it with loads of caramelized onions, roasted halved cherry tomatoes, arugula and goat cheese. I baked this beauty about 20 minutes in 400 degree oven and it was lovely.  It disappeared in minutes.

Hint: If you do not have an immersion blender, you should. Look for one that has the ability to eject the stick for proper washing. There are cheaper models which are not worth the savings. Mine, made by Cuisinart, came from Costco and included a small blade and processor bowl that is driven my the blender engine. I love it. I have limited space in my condo and the multi-use instrument that takes up little room is just what my little heart desired.

For those not familiar with "Gone Girl" it is a wonderful, dark and sometimes funny book written by Gillian Flynn. I loved it. Maybe you will too.