I have this recurring dream. I am in a hurry, on my way to somewhere. I come across an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet. I try a few things and they are so good that I want to taste more. But I don't have time because I have to be somewhere else. I am filled with disappointment and longing. And then I wake up. Hungry. Weird huh?
It's amazing what you can discover when on your way to somewhere else. Here's a few things I've discovered this summer.
Garlic scapes- These guys look like a cross between a plant and an octopus but are actually the above-ground chlorophyll colored stalk of the garlic bulb that we know and love. They have an amazingly fresh and mild garlicky flavor and you can use them as you would garlic. My favorite is to make a pesto sauce out of them (no need for basil!). If you see them at your local farmer's market, grab some. You won't regret it.
Brown butter- Or Buerre Noisette if you're sophisticated in a way that I most definitely am not. This is actually a way of cooking the butter that completely transforms its taste. Heat butter over medium heat in a stainless steel pan. It will melt, the top will turn white, it will start crackling, then the magic happens. It quickly turns a shade of light brown and that is the time to remove it from heat. You've just turned the milk solids in the butter brown and created a wonderfully nutty earthy sauce. I used it in a blueberry muffin recipe and they were like rich cakey dessert muffins. Mmmm, big fan of this ingredient that can wear a sweet OR savory hat!
Rose wine- Ahhh, the perfect summer wine. Not to be confused with "white zin", the sweet gateway wine that marked my entrance into the wine-drinking world but that now I wouldn't drink if I had a choice between that and Nyquil. A rose is a beautiful deceptive pinkish-red color that surprises your palate by tasting dry like a white with a hint of deep red berries like a red. It is served chilled so is great for toting to the beach or drinking on your porch on a hot steamy summer night. I can't believe I've lived this long without it!
Columbus, Ohio- What a gem of a city! I loved the wide streets, the green trees, the cute neighborhoods, the field of cement corn cobs, and Graeter's ice cream. Let me say that again. Graeter's ice cream. I ventured out of Chicago and discovered that the rest of the Midwest might not be so bad. Who knew?!
The Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference- Have you ever felt like a stranger in a strange land? And then discovered a group of people who thought like you, spoke like you, and had the same vision as you? Then you know how I felt at this conference. I came back intellectually stimulated and excited about my career and future all over again.
On a side note, this weekend is my husband's birthday. When we met, my impetus for moving to Chicago had not turned out the way I planned and I was in a rush to head off to somewhere else. I 'discovered' him while I was in the midst of this transition. Now my reason for being here is completely different (and infinitely more satisfying) than what brought me here. But sometimes, if you're lucky, that's what happens. Take a pause and linger at the dessert buffet. You might be glad you did.
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