Citrus, Snow, and an Abundance of Parmesan Packets
Hello and welcome!
It’s January!
A cold, dark, and understated month that begs the question, “How many more roasted vegetables can one possibly eat?” But actually, I love January— because, what this desolate month lacks in excitement and sun, it gains in peace and quiet and citrus fruit. Namely, it gains in sumo mandarins, the best (in my opinion) citrus fruit ever! To bring some sunshine into your January days, maybe you’ll consider making some mandarin marmalade. It’s sweeter and easier to make than traditional marmalade, and you can make as much or as little of it as you like. Enjoy on a thick slice of toast over ricotta cheese, drizzled with olive oil and topped with some flaky salt.
Maybe as you eat your toast you’ll start thinking about the growing season ahead. For both houseplants, vegetables, and all things that grow outdoors, the growing season will begin in March, which is almost certainly bound to sneak up on me!
Speaking of which, I’ve decided on a new philosophy for my approach to my houseplants which I plan to instate this spring:
1., All plants get fresh soil. Last year I did not refresh the soil of my plants— which I had done every year prior— and they look markedly less happy. (Also on that topic— I’d like to figure out how to enrich old soil to reuse it in the future.)
And 2., The species of plants that enjoy the environment of my house will stay, and with the others I will admit defeat! Goodbye to the stromanthe triostar and the swiss cheese plant, both of which I’ve never been able to please.
And maybe, this January you’ll have snow. Here in Seattle snow is a novelty, and something to look forward to for many, including myself. Snow was forecast for this weekend, but now it looks like we’ll have freezing temperatures and sun, which I’ll welcome— sun is a good consolation prize! Before our chances went bust, I got hyped and saved some snow and ice craft ideas to this pinboard. If snow is plentiful near you, maybe you’d like to try them! For those of us without snow, I made this pinboard for us so we can pretend.
Admittedly, January has me lacking in creative inspiration without the holiday atmosphere to urge me into projects. But, I’m currently interested in a potential try at up-cycling tart tins into an old fashioned wall mounted candle reflector. I’d like to hang one on the wall of my dining room. I’ve also started work on a collection of printable Cryptid-themed Valentines that I can’t wait to share with you.
New on the blog is my monthly review of December, where you can read about my holiday cookie marathon if you like!
So far, January feels very hopeful for me, and I hope it does for you too.
Here’s the Best Things I Cooked this Week:
Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Vinegar
This is SUCH a delicious way to make kale.
I slice curly kale into 1/2” pieces, then place in a salad spinner and fill with cold water. I squeeze the kale in the water for a minute to bruise it all over. Then I dump the water, refill, and let sit in the cold water another couple minutes. Drain and dry. (This can be done several days ahead.)
Heat a little olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan and add sliced garlic cloves and as much kale as will fit in the pan. Season with salt and stir until bright green and wilted, but not totally limp. Add a splash or red wine vinegar and stir for another minute. Serve!
Tomato Soup, thickened with Arborio Rice
I love tomato soup, and I always make it using this very simple recipe or some variation on it. This time, I left out the habanero and used a pinch or red pepper flakes. When the soup was boiling, I added a little over half a cup of arborio rice before reducing to a simmer. The rice is blended up with the tomatoes at the end, making the soup thick and much more filling! This is an idea I got from the traditional French carrot soup, potage a creçy, that also uses arborio rice.
Steak, Pear, and Olive Salad
This was a dish I constructed to use up odds and ends in the fridge and freezer, but ended up being so delicious. Unfortunately, I have no picture proof!
First I cleaned some radicchio and red leaf lettuce, then made a vinaigrette with granulated parmesan cheese, anchovy paste, and red wine vinegar. I tossed the lettuces and vinaigrette together with mint and lemon zest, and topped with pistachios, sliced pear, sliced Castelvetrano olives, and some croutons I’d baked using stale bread. I sautéed some sliced steak I had in the freezer (thinking I would use it for a stir fry) in my wok along with some shallots, and served that on top. It was delicious!
This recipe used a few things I’ve been very into lately: putting mint in salads, using the insane amount of powdered parmesan cheese packets that my local pizza place gives me in a vinaigrette (TRUST me, it rocks), and cooking sliced steak straight from frozen. The frozen steak actually cooks up super well because the outside browns without overcooking the inside.
That’s all for this Fryday, see you next time!
Kiya
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