Let's Get Literary October

Howdy.
For those who don't know me, I love to read.  Always have.  Especially when I was younger and had all the time in the world and no bills to pay.  I blame my extensive vocabulary on my early reading obsession (that and musicals...no, seriously).  Once I was in college I found less and less time to read what I wanted, having instead to read class material that was not always my favorite.  So I have been compiling a list of books that I want to read "when I get the time."

Welp, it would seem that now is the time.  Some of these books are recommendations from trusted friends, some are from reading lists, some are classics that I don't really WANT to read but feel I NEED to.  So this month is my attempt at scratching some of those books off.

How is this entertaining to you, you ask?
Well, besides writing reviews once I'm finished, I'll be doing little projects that correlate to what I'm reading.  Maybe while reading M. Butterfly I'll do a little tutorial on geisha make-up.  Or try some traditional Irish recipes while reading James Joyce.  The possibilities are endless!

For today I leave you with some of my absolute favorite books, as well as some links to free books online so everyone can get in on the action!

Favorites

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

Middlesex - Jeffery Eugenides

God-Shaped Hole - Tiffany Debartolo

The Prophet - Khalil Gibran (click for full text online)

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Lord of the Rings trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkien

Online Sources

The websites all offer free books to read on your computer.  A lot of them are classics, but there are some surprises!

Project Gutenberg
Many Books
Feed Books
LibriVox (free audio files of books read by volunteers!)

Also, did you know you can download a free program from Amazon to your computer, mobile phone, or other device?  All you need is an Amazon account (just for the website).

Go to this link and download the correct program for your device.  Then, browse through the tons of books Amazon has for Kindle - many of them free!

Happy Reading!
Cass

Pittsburgh Pants Off (n'at) Cocktail

Happy last day of September!  Halloween season is starting and I'm wrapping up my month long endeavour to recreate the flavors of Pittsburgh.  I will have to say, my waist line is glad this month is over.  Pittsburgh isn't exactly known for their health-consciousness.  Anyway, today I'm sharing with you a cocktail recipe and a pierogie recipe that ceased to be.

So Iron City is a beer bottled in Pittsburgh, and yinzers will drink simply because of that fact.  Except it's terrible.  Like Ben Roethlisberger's piss in a bottle...although some yinzers would probably drink that too.  They came out with a new version called I.C. Light Mango and I've been wanting to give it a try.  So, here's my new take on a classic college punch recipe:



Pittsburgh Pants Off Cocktail

Ingredients:1 bottle of vodka
5 I.C. Light Mango beers
1 liter bottle of ginger ale.
6 oz powdered pink lemonade mix

Mix together.  It'll get foamy because of the beer.  Just let it sit a little.

The Verdict:

WASTED.  Like an untag all the Facebook photos kind of night.


Bonus: I attempted to make a gluten-free pierogie for a dinner party thrown by a lovely (and celiac suffering) friend.  It was a failure.  Instead I used the dough for a crust in a cobbler...so that should tell you something.  I'm new to gluten-free cooking, so if any of you want to give it a try and post your results that would be awesome!  For now, I'll post the original recipe full of gluten if anyone wants to give it a try.



Beet and Goat Cheese PierogiesIngredients:4 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
4 ounces sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
warm water
2 cans diced beets, drained
1 cup goat cheese

To prepare:
1. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sour cream, and salt. Stir in flour and warm water. Add water until dough feels like velvet. It should be workable but not too sticky.  Turn out onto a lightly floured board, and knead until smooth. Roll out to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 3 1/2 inch circles with either the top of a glass or a biscuit cutter. Cover with waxed paper to prevent drying out if not filling immediately.

2.  In a saucepan heat up the beets, adding a little water to cook through and become soft enough to mash.  Mash up the beets with a potato masher and set aside to cool.

3. Place 1 or 2 tablespoons filling on one side of a circle of dough, adding crumbles of goat cheese into the mixture. Fold over, and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Repeat until ingredients are used.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse pierogi. Cook until the pierogies float to the surface.

See you next month!
Cass

Italian Wedding Fish Soup

Hello
This recipe might be my favorite yet!  Starting off, I love wedding soup as is.  It's an Italian traditional soup, but apparently it's a Pittsburgh thing to just eat it all the time.  And why need a special occasion to eat something delicious!  So enjoy...

Italian Wedding Fish Soup  serves 6-8 
Ingredients:1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
¼ lb of raw shrimp, peeled
8 oz clams
2 cups fish stock
2 cups bottled clam juice
2 (14-oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 skinless tilapia fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp dried basil
½ tsp paprika
2 cups thinly sliced escarole
1 cup uncooked acini de pepe pasta
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (approx 1 medium carrot)


To prepare:
1. Add stock and clam juice to pot along with 3 cups water, tomatoes with juice, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Marinate fish and shrimp in dried basil and paprika.

2. Heat broth to boiling; stir in escarole, orzo pasta, and chopped carrot. Return to boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Cook at slow boil for until pasta is just about done. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

3. Add shrimp, clams, and tilapia to stock and cook at a bare simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

The Verdict
This soup is a great combo of fish and tomato, and has enough meat to make it a filling dish.  One of my favorites yet, and I'm happy to have enough to freeze for another meal!

Later,
Cass

Haluski Stroganoff

This will be a busy cooking week, as September is winding down and my Pittsburgh recipe month is nearing it's end.  But I still have some goodies to share!  Starting with one of my faves - haluski.  Haluski is a Polish dish of cabbage and noodles that is filling, and a very popular dish here in the Burgh.  It's served at football games, graduation parties, and pretty much any other event you can think of where you need to feed the masses.  This take is a little richer, but will last for lunches all week!

Haluski Stroganoff  serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup beef stock
1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp butter
1 small head of cabbage, chopped into thin strips

To prepare:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Prepare another skillet adding butter and sliced cabbage.

2. Drain the grease from the hamburger skillet into the cabbage skillet. Cook covered until wilted and tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Put the pasta to boil in a medium pot, drain when cooked through.

4. In the beef skillet stir in beef stock, cream of celery (no added water), mushrooms, and pepper. Add the cabbage to the mixture, and let simmer before adding pasta and sour cream. Heat through but do not boil.

The Verdict:
Holy crap is this filling!  Cabbage is the "poor people's food," and it definitely stretches this dish even further.  A great, cheap, family pleaser meal!

Wedding Krumcakes

Salutations!
It is a Pittsburgh tradition to have a cookie table at your wedding.  I'm talking, dozens upon dozens of treats handmade by your closest friends and family.  Then everyone takes some home at the end of the night, and there is still somehow a ridiculous amount left for the bride and groom.  Pizzelles always make an appearence, especially at Italian weddings.  So I made my version for Linsey's wedding!  She's been my friend for just about 18 years, and I wanted to contribute.  Also, I made some green ones because it was her wedding color.

Wedding Krumcakes makes 3 dozen
Ingredients:6 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup margarine, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ milk (omit if using pizzelle iron)

To prepare:
1. Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy and almost bubbly. Slowly beat in the melted margarine and extract. You can use anise, but I hate anise. So I used vanilla butter nut extract and it was glorious.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder by sifting. Stir into the wet mixture gradually. Dough will be sticky.

2. I used a krumkake iron I got at a rummage sale. Awesome $2 purchase. Anyway, preheat the iron and spray liberally with Pam. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto the iron. Close and cook for about 90 seconds, or until browned. Carefully remove and cool. Store in an airtight tin at room temperature.

The Verdict:
Pretty time consuming since I could only do it one at a time, but tasty none-the-less.  Also, the iron doesn't have very deep grooves, so the pretty leaf pattern didn't really come out.  BUT it was a fantastic wedding!

Keep on cooking!
Cass

Thai Ham Barbeque

Hey friends,
I know, it's been awhile and your stomachs are growling.  But this week I have so much planned!  First up, my take on the classic chipped ham barbeque sandwich.  For those of you not from the golden triangle, chipped ham is a very finely sliced deli meat.  And it is delicious.

Traditionally, you buy Isaly's Ham Barbeque sauce to pour on it and call it done.  But I wanted to put a new spin on it, so for your enjoyment:

Thai Ham Barbeque serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 tsp canola oil
1 ½ Tbsp minced garlic
1 tablespoons ground ginger
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp peanut butter
Chipped ham
Italian buns

To prepare:
1. Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapeño, and onion; sauté about 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, and honey, and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat 8 minutes or until onion is tender. Cool mixture slightly.

2. Transfer to a blender; add vinegar, tomato paste, peanut butter, and sesame oil, and process until a chunky puree forms.

3. Return to saucepan and add chipped ham, tearing into smaller pieces. Stir until incorporated and heated through. Serve on a bun.

The Verdict:

Tasty and spicy.  If you're not a fan of heat, skip the jalapeno.  Also, it would be  really easy to make the sauce ahead of time and store it for super quick meals later. AWESOMEsauce.

Taste ya later,
Cass

Funnel Cake Bites

So, hey kids.  This recipe started as a totally different idea, and if I were to do it again I'd probably change a bunch of things.  BUT the great thing is it's totally customizable so it's EASY to do that!  I wanted to do a version of a Kennywood funnel cake.  See, Kennywood is more than an amusement park near Pittsburgh - it was my childhood.  Every year my school district had a day off when all the students went to Kennywood, and some of my best memories are from that park.  It's still got it's old-timey feel, wooden roller coasters, and lets you bring in picnic baskets full of food that you can pretty much leave unattended in pavilions and no one will touch them.

What I WANTED was cherry-filled funnel cake bites, but I ran into some problems.  One, I only had pistachio pudding mix in the house.  Two, I had no syringe/turkey baster with which to fill them.  Three, I lacked a funnel...which is kind of necessary in making funnel cakes.  So I made it work!  So here's the recipe with some revisions so that your version turns out even better than mine.

Funnel Cake Bites    makes a dozen

Ingredients:

4 cups canola oil for frying

3/4 cups milk

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

confectioners' sugar

1 can pie filling

To prepare:

1.  Heat canola oil in a heavy skillet until 375 degrees.  In a bowl, whisk together the milk and egg for around 2 minutes.  Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2.  Pour batter into a funnel or pastry bag, holding your finger over the tip.  Working in batches, pour batter into the hot oil in the shape of circles.  It works well to start at a center point and tightly swirl around it until a circle forms.  You want a solid cake instead of the traditional lacy ones.

3.  Once the batter starts browning on one side, flip over and brown the other side.  Remove from oil and let cool and drain on paper towels.

4.  Once cool enough to touch, use a syringe or turkey baster to fill the funnel cake bite with your filling.  Sift confectioner’s sugar on top and serve warm.

The Verdict:

Okay, so this wasn't perfect.  The dough is pretty salty, so it would go better with a sweet filling instead of the pistachio.  Also, dipping in pistachio pudding made for a much messier experience.  But this recipe has so much potential!  Fill it with cherry pie filling, chocolate ganache, even Nutella.  The next time I make it I'll make sure to have the right ingredients and tools.  Still, it was worth it.

Snack on,

Cass

Campfire Banana Split

Hey!
In celebration of labor day weekend, I've decided to make an awesome bonfire dessert combining two Pittsburgh faves.  Actually, I only discovered banana splits were invented near Pittsburgh until I was doing a little research for this project.  David Evans Strickler invented the banana-based triple ice cream sundae in 1904 in Latrobe, PA.  Learn something new every day!  And the second part is something I learned in Girl Scout camp and has been a fave of mine ever since.

So the plan was to make these during a Labor Day bonfire my friends were having...and then it rained.  And poured.  So I improvised and used the stove top!  Everyone seemed to enjoy it, although the, uh... liquid refreshments also may have influenced their decision.

Oh melty banana goodness...

Enjoy!


Campfire Banana Split serves 4
Ingredients:
4 bananas
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 extra large Hershey bar
1 quart Neapolitan ice cream
Tin foil

To prepare:

1. Peel a 1” section of peel away, but keep connected at the base. Scoop away a little of the insides. Break up the chocolate bar into small pieces. Place mini marshmallows and chocolate inside, and then replace the peel.

2. Wrap the banana in the tin foil and place in the embers of a bonfire. Allow the banana to sit in the fire for awhile, and pull out carefully with tongs. Unwrap, and place in a dish.
3. Scoop ice cream on top of the hot banana. Add toppings like nuts or cherries if wanted!

The Verdict:
Easy, cheap, and incredible.  Does it get any better?

Peace out labor day!
Cass

Lemon Chicken Pittsburgh Salad

I'm super excited to post my first recipe for the month - my take on the classic Pittsburgh salad.  For those of you not from the glorious three rivers area, a Pittsburgh salad typically includes lettuce, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, meat (especially steak), FRENCH FRIES, and is covered in cheese. And then ranch dressing.  It's a staple at most diners, and pretty much encapsulates the Pittsburgh attitude about food.
"What's dat, healthy? Eh, put some a dem french fries on tawp n'at."
It's is really hard to type in Pittsburghese, but if you're not familiar go watch some Greg and Donny and you'll get the gist.

Big bowl of YES.

This is Eat 'n Park's version. Yummy!

So my version is probably no healthier, but it certainly was delicious!  I combined a lemon chicken recipe I've used many a time with freshly made fries, mint, tomatoes, and goat milk feta cheese for a mediterranean take on this Pittsburgh favorite.

Lemon Chicken Pittsburgh Salad serves 2

Ingredients:1/3 cup white sugar
2 cups warm water
2 large potatoes - peeled, and sliced into thin strips
3 Tbsp lemon juice, plus 1 T extra
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 T extra
2 sprigs mint, chopped
½ Tbsp minced garlic
½ Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup Goat milk feta or halloumi cheese
Half a bag romaine or spinach
10 cherry tomatoes
3 cups canola oil for frying

To prepare:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, half a sprig of the mint, garlic, paprika, and cumin. Pierce thawed chicken breast with a knife all over and let sit in marinade for 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water. Soak cut potatoes in water mixture for 15 minutes. Remove from water, and dry thoroughly on paper towels.

3. Cook chicken breast in a skillet with some of the marinade mixture as well as the extra tablespoon of lemon juice and olive oil, making sure to cook throughout. You can cut the chicken in smaller pieces for faster cooking time, and I generally cover for the first 5-8 minutes to cook thoroughly and lock in juices before browning with the open skillet.

4. Pour in remaining marinade and add 3 cups of canola oil. Heat to 375 degrees. Add fries in batches and cook until golden, about 5-6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

5. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, remaining mint, chicken, and fries in two dishes. Grate cheese on top and serve with vinaigrette.

Mint Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp soybean oil (or olive oil - I ran out)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Whisk together ingredients in a bowl, or shake vigourously in a bottle.  Store in the fridge.

The Verdict:
Tastes awesome, but is definitely a project.  Maybe use frozen fries for a more time-friendly weeknight dinner?  I wasn't able to get halloumi at my local grocer (I know larger stores carry it) so I substituted with a goat milk feta.  It had a great consistency and added a lot of tangyness.  But I would like to try it with pan fried halloumi on top! Also, two potatoes worth of fries leaves enough for leftovers for two people.  Which my mom and I ate...with ranch dressing.  Hey, I'm from Pittsburgh!

Later gaters,
Cass

ANNOUNCING!

Boom.
I have a direction friends.  Here's announcing the Live and Learn Project:

Starting September 1, I will be working my way towards a new goal every month for a year.  Expect a post twice a week from me dealing with that month's project.  As my friends start off another school year, I'll be starting up my own learning adventure.  There are so many things that I've wanted to try and now is the time folks.
First up?

HOMETOWN RECIPE SEPTEMBER
Twice a week I will be posting my original takes on traditional Pittsburgh food.  What is Pittsburgh food you ask?  Usually it's artery-clogging goodness...covered in ranch.  I will count anything that is
a) a staple in Pittsburgh's culinary community
b) had it's start in Pittsburgh (Isly's I'm coming for ya)
c) food from an ethnic group that is largely represented in Pittsburgh.  I mean, we have pierogie races at Pirate's games - I can claim it as Pittsburghese.

The end project will be a booklet compiling all the tasty goodness and a month's worth of recipes and photos to share!

BUT WAIT.  That's just September.  Come October, and I will be starting my Literary Adventure, where I knock some books off my growing "to read" list, and share my insights with you.  And then from there I will delve into interior decorating, fashion design, playwriting, fundraising, languages, health, music, photography, film, and drawing.  More explanations to follow in the coming months!

It's going to be a long year, but I am so excited to start.

Check ya later,
Cass

P.S. Thanks for your advice and input Justin!

My sleep schedule is seriously out of wack

Hello.  Because there's nothing else to do at 2am:

 St. Patrick's Cathedral Dublin

 Dublin seaside

 Avignon France

 Notre Dame Paris, France

 Theatre Museum Vienna, Austria

Love locks Paris, France

Ciao ciao,

Cass

Wandering through

Hey kids,

So I've been feeling a bit lost lately.  I just graduated and have been pretty much desperatly searching for work.  The animals in Homeward Bound have more direction than I do. (Does anyone remember that movie?  Sally Field was a cat.  Brilliant.)  Besides being a horrible economy/job market, I am now doubting all of my choices I've made to get to here.  Don't get me wrong, I love costume design and I'm sure if I was working right now I'd never give it a second look.  But being jobless gives me LOTS of time to think about what I want from life.  You know, more than just a job.

I want desperately to travel, and if you've read other posts you know I got my first taste of it this summer.  Europe was delicious in every sense of the word.  I want to see every corner of the world, experience different cultures, and learn new languages.  Problem is, this can be very expensive.  There are countless blogs out there that can tell you how to backpack your way around the world for very cheap, but I want to really be able to see things, eat awesome food, see live performance art...buy mementos.  I am so impressed by others' ability to get by on the smallest budgets, but its not me.  I like my Chanel lipstick, thank you.

I want to really make a difference - an impact.  Theatre folk talk all the time about how we influence audiences perspectives, and can use theatre as a protest against the wrongs of the world.  But it's nothing compared to what people give up to help others.  Theatre is food for the soul.  But what good is that is there's nothing on the table for the stomach?

I'm no saint though.  I also want to be able to make a living that will allow me to pay my bills on time.  I don't need a lot - just enough that the stress of paying debt doesn't bury me.  And maybe a new pair of high heels once in awhile would be nice.

I want to be able to say I've really lived up to my full potential.  Sometimes I feel like there is this greatness welling up inside of me just waiting for the chance to get out.  I love theatre.  I love costume design.  But it's not enough.  It can't give me everything I want from life.

So, what do I do now?

-Cass

Blogsss

No one reads this.  But hey anyways.

I have been posting on this blog for a couple weeks now with no real direction.  In trying to decide where exactly I'm trying to take this, I did a little blog research.  It seems that there are categories that most blogs fit into:

The Project Blog
This blog aims to complete something in a structured framework.  It can be like the now infamous Julie/Julia blog which endeavoured to cook at meal a day from Julia Child's cookbook, or something much more vague, like the 365 post-a-day deal.  A great model to start out with, as readers stay interested as you progress towards your goal.  However, much more time consuming. My favorites?

The Year of the Mouse, where a young gay couple watch a Disney movie every week of the year and write reviews as well as share recipes.
The Jackie Blog.  Jackie shares her insights on her day-to-day with wit and humor, and her own brand of cynicism.


The Art Blog
This type of blog can be posts strictly of inspirational pictures or function more like a magazine, with interviews and trend reports.  With the label "art" I include fine art, interior design, fashion, product design, and graphic arts.  These types are highly addicting as it takes little effort to line up some photos, but it also makes it harder to stand out from the crowd.  How many blogs does it take to post artsy pictures of Black Swan?  TOO MANY (and yet...not enough.)  Highest on my list-

The Cherry Blossom Girl.  French, awesome photography, and some high class fashion.
Lovely Clusters.  Chock full of inspirational photos.  Save some room on that flash drive of yours.

The Humor Blog
Humor blogs can be written editorials or also include comics/artwork/vlogs.  Humor blogs are awesome because everyone wants to laugh off the day.  The problem?  We all think we are funnier than we actually are.  Ones that ARE actually funny-

Books of Adam. Hilarious.  Also, well-drawn comics and poignant life realizations.  And cats.
Hyperbole and a Half.  Terribly drawn comics, but really funny life stories.


The DIY Blog
Do It Yourself blogs focus on projects that you, that's right, can do yourself.  Cooking, sewing, gardening, auto-repair, model rockets...you name it.  Must have some type of skill, and a good camera.  No one likes shitty instruction pictures.  These blogs over run my life with ideas I will never accomplish.
My go to?

Design Sponge.  High quantity of actually cool projects, low on the tissue-box cozy kind.


The Personal Blog
Easily the most boring, and yet the easiest to produce.  No projects, no crafts, no comics.  Just your life and thoughts out for the world to see.  And no one's life is all that interesting.  "I made some ice tea today..."
AWESOME, save it for Twitter.

One could argue that all blogs are personal, but good blogs, in my opinion, go past the personal and reach out to the collective.  And no one wants to hear about your conspiracy theories about Glee.

I'm leaning towards project blog...anyone out there got any ideas?

Peace,
Cass

Someone Like You

Adele is playing on repeat, and I'm all over this clean, classic fashion. HELLO.

Mulberry S/11 rtw

 

Lookbook

 

Photo credit

Pink Miu Miu heels

 

Source unknown

 

Source unknown

Cheers,
Cass

Pretty fuel

Hey strangers,
Having previously mentioned my addiction to Stumbleupon, it should be no surprise that I've accumulated a rather large photo album of all the things I come across that inspire me.  Fashion, art, food, whatevs.  Just as long as it's pretty. Enjoy.

Photo credit

Minni Havas from Helsinki

 

Photo credit

Pittsburgh

Photo credit

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Boo, can't find the source

 

Photo credit

Gabriela Camerotti

Michael Casker

Photo credit

All my lovin,

Cass