Pine nuts and other delights
Last week I made a recipe with pine nuts and I had a lot leftover.
Because pine nuts are expensive and I have them so rarely, I wanted
to use them before they spoiled. I searched my recipes for something
that sounded good. In Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything there
were refreshing choices beyond the usual pesto I found everywhere
else. I went for the couscous and paired it with the suggested
stewed chickpeas with vegetables.
I had most of the ingredients for both recipes but had to run out
for a few things. My first stop was Eastside Co-op. What a dreary
place. As I wandered around the isles looking for apricots, the
oddly dim fluorescent lights sapped my ambition and I thought about
just going out for dinner. In the end I asked someone if they had
dried fruit anywhere besides the empty bulk bins. A couple
depressive employees investigated; they would have apricots by
Tuesday. I longed for the Wedge. I paid for my cardamom pods and
zucchini and left.
The Menu (10-01-04)
Stewed Chickpeas
with Vegetables
Couscous with Raisins and Pine Nuts
(and Apricots!)
Whole Wheat Demi Rolls with Olive Oil
Rhone Wine, Diet Pepsi
Chocolate Cake (from Rainbow)
Where could I get some dried apricots without going to Rainbow? As I
walked to my car, I remembered the mountains of dried fruit at Holy
Land. I love that place. Just stepping inside the crowded and
well-lit grocery store made me feel better about life. It was
vibrant and people were friendly. Mr. Sabri was greeting and joking
with customers like old friends, me included. They had apricots.
Back at home I started throwing things together quickly. I had
planned on eating alone, but my friend called and I invited him over
|
|
|
to eat with me. The chickpea recipe baffled me. It was supposed to
be made with chicken, but a footnote modified it with the chickpeas
and it really didn't make any sense. I read it over several times
and in the end I just guessed. Basically you cooked everything on
the stove and then roasted it in the oven (where you normally would
be roasting the chicken). It seemed unnecessary to put it in the
oven, but this freed up the four burners I needed for the couscous.
I had never seen couscous so complicated, but it was worth every
step in the process. It was delicious. It was warm and fragrant with
the cardamom and cinnamon. The pine nuts, which I toasted in butter,
added a nice flavor and a soft crunchy texture. And I'm so glad I
persisted with the apricots - also simmered in butter, they were
plump, juicy and sweet. The chickpeas-in-the-oven were good too, but
I felt like it was missing something (hmm...chicken??). I thought
maybe it needed more oil and my friend politely said, "more tomatoey
or something." The rolls from Surdyk's cheese shop were OK, but not
like the striato I wanted. My heart sank when I saw they were
actually whole wheat.
My friend and I talked about my dad and the family dog, the
weekend's marathon, and his (my friend's) button-making plans. He
was hungry and tired from making buttons and he went for seconds. I
was glad because I don't like a lot of leftovers. We also listened
to Elvis Costello's new record, and I loved it! The French wine was
very good, and my friend seemed to enjoy his own Diet Pepsi. I kept
offering wine, because it is not so fun to drink alone, but he stuck
to his sober guns. I felt weirdly self-conscious. He had brought
dessert in a plastic box and I hounded him until he admitted he
bought the cake at Rainbow. The label was scratched off, but he told
me it was called "Death by Chocolate." One thing I really appreciate
about my friend is that he likes dessert as much as I do, and we
didn't waste any time getting right to it. It was pretty good for
grocery store cake, but I wouldn't exactly say "death by chocolate."
To be honest, the cake part reminded me of Hostess cupcakes and the
frosting was just a little too greasy. Actually, it reminded me of
when I used to whip up shaving cream and mud in the blender. Did
anyone else do this as a child? It was one of my favorite
activities. With the right amount of shaving cream, you could
achieve a nice frothy brown mixture that was just perfect for
frosting cakes from the sandbox.
|
|