Connecticut. Yes. Connecticut

(stuck in a traffic jam on the Merritt Parkway)

M and I are in CT (I grow tired of spelling it out)! We got here a month earlier and scouted out apartments to rent. We found one we liked and moved in today. Between our arrival to the east coast and now we have been busy with work and visiting family and taking care of other moving related projects. And somehow I have lapsed in posting photos of our trip across the country by car (with two cats no less) and just general blogging and internet surfing. I sort of miss it but it's also been good to be away. At this point I really don't know when my trip photos will be sorted through and posted, but I really do think I ought to do it. So stay tuned.

Cooking has also been a bit scarce with all the travel and staying with family who feeds you non-stop. But I'll be getting back into that too with probably more photos to share.

This week we are going to unpack and get settled in and familiarized with our new city. Blogging may be light for a spell but I've been posting photos a wee bit more frequently at flickr. And of course there is always Facebook.

osso buco

Not the best photo, but...

I love saying this dish's name over and over. I made it last week for m and his parents. I think the veal could have done with a different sort of cooking. I used a large skillet and then changed my mind midway and shoved everything into a large covered baking dish stovetop. And then I peeked a few times. Probably should have shoved the thing into the oven at a fairly low heat and let it cook covered and undisturbed for the requisite 4 hours.

I wasn't in my own kitchen with all my tools and doodads so I feel like the meal suffered from it. The risotto was a bit off (too many mushrooms, not creamy enough), the zucchini could have stood with a little longer cooking (to let it carmelize) and there was a lack of salt all round (out of respect for my guests' dietary restrictions0. But it's hard to make osso buco taste bad even if it's less than perfect. I've been enjoying the left-overs with polenta that's really corn-mush all week long. M insists I put it in the freezer now before it turns and we end up wasting all that awesome veal.

Other thoughts:
I've made osso buco a few times before. Once I tried it with beef shanks instead of veal shanks. It's not bad, but you lose something by changing up the meat. I had based my osso buco off of a recipe I found in an old cookbook I bought back in the college years. I think it's the only cookbook I own. That version suggests using saffron and includes a recipe for gremolata to stir into the dish after serving. This time I tried making it without saffron (better, I think) and no gremolata. I'd be open to trying gremolata again (also a fun word to say over and over) but you'd have to be okay with the bite of raw minced garlic in your sauce. One day I'd like to get my mitts on some veal demi-glace and try that in the sauce.

It's a nice dish to make for special guests.

color study

I just stumbled across this yummy site by Grant Hamilton. It's a portfolio of his SX70 Polaroid photos - a veritable feast for the eyes. I mean just check out the graphic from the main page:

Slick, right? Love that type treatment. Be sure to browse through the rest of his images and don't forget to read his clever titles for each one -- they elicited a chuckle from me more than once.

homemade moth repellent

From: Re-nest? I can't remember

Prevent moths with a homemade mixture that's fit to eat: Mix ½ C rosemary, ½ C mint, ¼ C thyme, ¼ C ginseng, and a pinch of cloves. Put in cheesecloth bags and distribute in closets and drawers.

thank god it's almost 7am

It appears that I have a bout of insomnia. So here is a survey that I am going to answer because it feels like I have all the time in the world. I found it on a new-ish (to me) blog that I have been following called ***abbytryagain***. You should check it out. Her photos are so so pretty.


The rules
Respond and rework - answer the questions on your own blog; replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention; add one more question of your own. Tag eight other un-tagged people.

Survey
-What is your current obsession?
Good obsession: vans. Yep, you read it right. Vans. Especially those cute vintage VW ones. A little banged up is good too. I would sew the sweetest white curtains to go in mine.
Bad obsession: vinyl siding. Seriously, that's the thought I woke up to this morning at 3:30. I really don't like vinyl siding. I'm prepared to make an argument about why they aren't environmentally-friendly.

-Which item from your closet are you wearing most lately?
Hah! I have pretty much one outfit I have been wearing over and over (living on the road is awesome.): Polyester brown, tan and black check trousers that have worn really well considering the crappy fabric + the first clean t-shirt I grab from my duffel bag + oatmeal colored shawl-collar wool sweater for warmth. Poor m must be sick of seeing his wife in the same thing, day in day out.

-What’s for dinner?
That is my homework for the day. After I explore Norwalk and Stamford, CT I must figure out where we will dine. Suggesstions?

-What was the last thing you bought?
Filled up our car with gas yesterday evening. But on a more fun note, I finally got the yarn for this cardi and I am itching to get started.

-What are you listening to right now?
The rattle and whoosh of the motel heater. And in my head, I'm hearing the never ending soundtrack of Arcade Fire's Wake Up. It's stuck and I couldn't be happier about it.

-Say something to the person who tagged you:
She didn't tag me per se, but I saw this on Abby's blog. Abby, we haven't met yet but I found your blog a few months ago and I've been hooked. Your photos are beautiful and have inspired me to pick up my camera more often. I feel sort of dorky and shy about saying this, but I'm trying to get my photos to look like yours and so far I have not succeeded. I probably need a different camera.

-What are you reading right now?
Mostly blogs. I'm in between books and would love any recommendations on a good story to sink my teeth into.

-What four words would you use to describe yourself?
obsessive compulsive thoughtful dreamer

-What is your current guilty pleasure?
mac and cheese

-What will be the first spring thing you do?
I'm sort of new to the 4 seasons thing. I'll have to ask the locals for some good ideas.

-Where are you planning to travel next?
After exploring Stamford and Norwalk, CT I might take the train into NYC (for the first time!) for the day. M and I just finished a big trip driving across the country so we are probably going to stay put for a bit.

-What was the last thing you watched?
A bit of the documentary about our crazy healthcare system on Frontline. It was hard not to get scared and mad.

-What's the next thing (big or small) you want to accomplish?
I'd love to learn a new language. Probably Spanish.

I'm not going to tag anyone in particular. If you feel like doing this survey, leave a comment with a link so I can read what your answers are.