I think I may have a problem... (Updated)

A quick review of my shower this morning revealed passion fruit shower gel, mango-mandarin shower gel, champagne shower gel, orange shampoo and conditoner, one raspberry scrub with bits of apricot kernels, one face scrub with walnut shell bits, vanilla egg nog sugar scrub, cranberry scrub, ginger tea bubble bath, hair gel with ginger, banana flower and cassia extracts, and grapefruit-scented glitter lotion. I didn't notice this obvious, and slightly disturbing, pattern until today. Also, no more fancy soaps until I finish what I have.

UPDATED- On second glance, I am also in the possession of a cafe au lait, cinnamon bun, and vanilla shower gels, as well as pear hand soap. My purse contains fig brown sugar lotion, my bedside table has vanilla brown sugar, my kitchen includes mandarin dish soap and pear hand soap. Mango lip gloss, strawberry lip gloss, honey lip balm....

Kugel?

So, I foolishly volunteered myself to make the potato kugel for my family's seder this year, which happens to fall two days after my dad's surgery. Here's the rub: I hate potato kugel. I love my mom's noodle kugel, with cottage cheese, sour cream, egg noodles, crushed pineapple, raisins and crushed frosted flakes on top. However, that is not kosher for Passover. Potato kugel, at least how it is made in my family, is grated potato, with perhaps some other grated vegetable or spinach baked in a casserole dish. Like hash browns gone horribly, horribly wrong.

I found this recipe for cauliflower kugel at Epicurious, but I'm afraid that it might rock the boat too much (seders are supposed to be uber-traditional). I am the person in my family who rocks the boat though, so I guess it wouldn't be to much of a stretch for me to do the same with kugel. Anybody out there got a really good recipe? I'm afraid that next week will turn into (shudder) kugel week, with copious amounts of testing the stuff. Help!

Cookbooks!

<<<====== If you couldn't all ready tell, I am a bit of a cookbook fiend. My collection is at 54, and it shows no signs of stopping. My partner's uncle is also a collector and he passes along the ones he doesn't want to me along with old issues of Cook's Illustrated. My partner's mom also knows of my habit and she helps me along during gift-giving seasons. At the beginning of my obsession, I got sucked into one of those buy 1, get 4, blah, blah, blah deals and surprising to no one, I fulfilled the requirements to buy however many more pretty rapidly. Also, I work at a university campus whose bookstore often has interesting cookbooks at heavily reduced prices. I usually try to restrain myself.

Currently my favorites are: The Gourmet Cookbook, Book of Middle Eastern Food, The Savory Way and Vegetarian Suppers.

I am awed and slightly terrified by: Home Baking and The Zuni Cafe

I am less than impressed with: Vegetables (Peterson's narrative style makes him sound like an eurocentric egotist), Thyme in a Bottle (It's more memoir than cookbook and I missed the boat on her husband's life), and Vegetarian Planet (Emmons was nominated for a Beard, but her recipes have odd combinations of flavors or turn out flat).

My most current purchases are: Gourmet Cookbook, Home Baking and Ripe for Dessert. I paid $8 dollars for first two combined (!), and $9 for Ripe. Yay for bargain hunting!

RECIPE: Sicilian-ish Pasta

Now that I'm eating last night's leftovers for lunch, I think that toasted pine nuts would be a good addition. For those keeping track at home, that means this dish would include red onion, cauliflower, tuna, anchovies, green olives, pimento, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, capers, red pepper flakes, fusili and the nuts. Sounds like it would be far too much, but actually pretty tasty. I especially like the slightly singed (on purpose) cauliflower. It almost looks like the pasta, so you don't notice it until you take a bite. Yum!

Weekly Menus

Every Saturday, I make a list of what my partner and myself will be having for dinner the following week. We are mostly vegetarian, that will probably change when I go back to school, with a little bit of fish thrown in every few weeks.

I try to eat seasonally and only buy my produce from the fantastic farmers' market in my community. I haven't been as rigorous about this as I would like. I try to eat organic whenever possible because I believe that it is important to respect the earth and not add anything to it that does not belong.

For now, I will just post what my dinner plans are for this week without much comment. If something is particularly fantastic I will make note of it, and if it is my own recipe, I will write it down. I will note the source of the recipe, if there is one and it's not just me fooling around in the kitchen, which I am trying to do more often.

If anyone out there wants a recipe for something, let me know and I'll e-mail you a copy.

DINNER: Week of March 25th - 31st

Saturday- Stir Fried Tofu, Bok Choy, Broccoli, and Shiitakes in Hoisin Sauce over Rice

Sunday- Fava Bean, Asparagus and Spinach Salad with Shaved Pecorino from The Gourmet Cookbook

Monday- Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas with Salsa, Plain Yogurt and Black Beans adapted from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Tuesday- Sicilian-ish Cauliflower and Tuna Sauce over Fusili with Lemon, Green Olives and Capers

Wednesday- Moong Dal over Rice with Raita

Thursday- Polenta with Mustard Greens

Friday- Chilaquiles adapted from Joy of Cooking

Inaugural Post

This is will be my little spot where I write about cooking, my thoughts on food-related topics, and going to culinary school this August. If someone else drops by, all the better. Let's begin.