awww yeahhhh

I really wish I had the right pan to make Smitten Kitchen's Easy Jam Tart. I'd rename it the "Slow Jam Tart," though.

I finally ran out of disk space my on iphone yesterday and moved a whole bunch of photos to my hard drive. Also, it's about that time of the semester where final papers are coming due. All this is to say that lots of new updates are about to happen here.

Weird New-Vegetarian Observation of the Day

Toasted walnuts smell like chicken McNuggets.

Omelet with brussels sprouts, carmelized shallots, and feta

I've been on a pretty major omelet kick lately. And by "lately" I mean the last two years. I've been trying to make one, or at least a scramble, every weekend recently, as a way of reminding myself that breakfast doesn't have to consist of a cup of yogurt eaten standing up as I'm on my way out the door, late for class.

After a week of nothing but peanut butter toast, I finally managed to go grocery shopping, and so was excited about getting to eat green things - like brussels sprouts! This was a pretty epic breakfast win (except for my first attempt at toast. See below). The shallots and sprouts, when cooked, are both sweet in slightly different ways. And yet, brussels sprouts also taste sort of meaty or fatty to me. Is that weird? Maybe, but the feta was a good way to cut through that. I'd go with goat cheese next time: less salty, more sour.

Ingredients
-2 Tbsp. butter/butter substitute (I used Earth Balance, because I'm a dirty hippie)
-one medium shallot, thinly sliced
-two medium-to-large brussels sprouts, rinsed, chopped
-three large eggs
-splash of milk (I used soy, because I'm a dirty hippie)
- 1/2 oz. or so feta or goat cheese, crumbled

Directions
-Heat 1 Tbsp. butter on medium-high heat in a small (omelet sized! duh) pan.
-Add shallots, saute for a minute or so, until beginning to soften.
-Add brussels sprouts. Saute for 5 minutes or so, until tender and beginning to brown a bit.
-Remove sprouts and shallots to a plate, wipe pan.
-Turn heat to low.
-Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in pan
-Whisk eggs in a small bowl with a splash of milk
-Add eggs to pan.
-Walk away while the eggs set. You will be tempted to check the eggs every 30 seconds to see if they're ready. They're not. Just let them be. Most people advocate, once they're set around the edges, lifting the edges and letting the uncooked portion flow underneath. I never do this, because I always screw it up and get egg all up the sides of the pan. Instead, I just leave the heat on low and let the omelet cook through gently.
-Add the crumbled feta to one half of the just-about-cooked-through eggs.
-Add the brussels sprouts and shallots.
-Let the feta melt while the eggs finish cooking, then fold over the other side of the omelet, remove to plate, eat with toast, while sitting at desk, catching up on Facebook.

Toast Fail

I appreciate the sentiment here, but what are those things the whisk is sitting on? Hot dogs? A robin? Is that a squid?

Rub it in, why don't you?

Overheard in Madison cafe: "I LOVE culinary school." Oh, hush your face.