Dinner Time: Winter Vegetable Stir-Fry
I love sweet potatoes (more flavorful and more nutrients than white potatoes) and I also love making stir-fry (you can throw almost any meat/veggie combo into a stir-fry and it works out… hopefully.). One night, I decided to try out sweet potatoes in a stir-fry, but made a version that is perfect for the cold winter months. Bacon and maple syrup, anyone?
Winter Vegetable Stir-Fry
(adapted from “Basic Stir-Fry” Recipe, The Kitchen Companion, by Polly Clingerman)
For stir-fry:
2–3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
1 bunch of kale, collards, spinach, or other leafy green, stemmed and chopped
1 cup of other veggies (carrots, mushrooms, etc.)
1–2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp–1 Tbsp of ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame seed oil
For sauce:
1/2 cup of chicken/veggie stock or water
1 Tbsp of soy sauce
1 Tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of dijon mustard
2 tsp of cornstarch
1 Tbsp of sherry
Directions:
- Mix minced garlic, minced ginger, and sesame seed oil in a small bowl. Also wisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and other larger-cooking veggies (ex: broccoli, celery, onion, etc.). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add other vegetables according to cooking time:
Group 1: Cauliflower, green onion (total cooking time: 3-4 minutes)
Group 2: Red/green onion, squash (total cooking time: 2-3 minutes)
Group 3: Leafy greens, Bean sprouts, cabbage, mushrooms, pea pods, tomatoes (total cooking time: 1-2 minutes)
(Tip: add a bit of water or stock to help stemmed the veggies if they are getting brown too fast.) - Move veggies to outer edge of pan and add the garlic/ginger/sesame seed oil mix into the center of the pan and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant, but not burned! Stir mixture with veggies and add the sauce mix to the pan. Stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with good, crispy bacon pieces. Can also be made with stir-fried/baked tofu or chicken.
Serves 4-6.
Quick + Easy: Soy Mocha + “S’mores”
So, it’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon on a freezing Chicago day. My toes have finally thawed after waiting for unreliable public transit this morning, but I’d still like something hot to drink to take the rest of the chill off. Plus, I didn’t have any coffee this morning, so a midday wake-up call sounds like a pretty good idea.
Instead of my regular hot tea, I decide to make a soy mocha, which can be made quickly and cheaply, and tastes pretty darn close to what you might get at a chain coffee shop. And since I like a little crunch, I also make faux s’mores: Marshmallow Fluff sandwiched between chocolate graham crackers. It’s a bit of a caffiene and sugar overload (but low-fat!) so I’ll throw an orange in there to make it a bit healthier. ;-) Total time to make: 5 minutes…
Soy Mocha
Ingredients:
8-10 ounces of plain light soy milk (or any other type of milk or milk substitute)
1 rounded tsp espresso powder
1 Tbsp Dutch or dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp Splenda or granulated sugar (or other granulated sweetener)
Steps:
- Microwave the milk in a microwave-safe mug for 1-3 minutes (or until milk is very hot).
- In a small bowl, combine the espresso powder, cocoa powder, and Splenda.
- Once milk is hot, use a clean spoon at add 3-5 Tbsp of the hot milk to the dry ingredients. Stir until mixture is smooth.
- Add the mixture to the remaining hot milk and stir until all the mixture is incorporated. Enjoy!
Serves 1.
Faux S’mores
Ingredients:
2 chocolate graham crackers (i.e. 4 squares)
2 Tbsp Marshmallow Fluff
Instructions:
- Break each graham cracker in half, creating 4 squares.
- Spoon 1 Tbsp Marshmallow Fluff onto one of the four graham cracker squares and top with another square of graham cracker. Repeat. Enjoy!
Serves 1.
Contemporary Art in Los Angeles: Day 1
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
10:00 am: The Watts Towers, Los Angeles, California
Upon first seeing the Towers, I couldn’t help but compare them to the Templo de la Sagrada Família, designed by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona (as I’m sure many people have). Of course, the Watts Towers are much smaller, less “designed,” and were conceived of and constructed by one man: Simon Rodia. It took 34 years for Rodia to complete the sturctures, comprised of cement, tiles, shells, glass, clay, wire, and variety of other found materials. Although the ownership and preservation of the Towers has been highly contested over the years, they still remain a monument to Rodia’s homeland of Nola, Italy, and the unique, diverse culture of Southern California.
11:15 am: Uta Barth Studio Visit, Mar Vista, California
Uta Barth is a renowned photographer who has been in Los Angeles since the early 1990s. During our visit to her studio, she explained the trials of being an up-and-coming artist during those years—when 70% of the galleries in L.A. closed and there was a nationwide crash in the art market—and compared them to the current economic downfall (which was a bit disheartening to at least half of the group comprised of 2nd year MFA students trying to figure out what they were going to do with their lives after they graduate this May). After knocking some of our hopes and dreams down to size, Barth described her work to the class. She gave a disclaimer that her work is not in reference to the history of photography, but rather is a means of examining phenomena and perception. The camera, she clarified, is a “looking device”—the closest thing to the human eye in terms of what is seen and how it is perceived. Barth uses the camera to focus on a particular area in a space, leaving the rest of the image out of focus, just as our eyes would perceive it. In addition, she uses digital imaging to manipulate the photos so they more closely match our perception. This includes optical afterimages: the inverted image we see immediately after we close our eyes. According to Barth, the content of her work is not at all about a metaphor, narrative, or analogy; it is about the relationship between the viewer and the maker via lens of the camera.
1:20 pm: Lunch at Noodle Planet, Los Angeles, California
We broke for lunch before heading into the Hammer Museum on the UCLA Westwood campus. I ended up heading to an Asian noodle spot called Noodle Planet with few other students from the group. It was pretty cold for L.A. (which is about 55°F), so it was great to warm up with a huge bowl of Chinese BBQ Pork Wonton Noodle Soup!
2:00 pm: The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California
In the afternoon, we entered the Hammer Museum—part of the University of Southern California—which exclusively exhibits contemporary art. Although this was one of the smaller museums we would visit, I was unable to see everything in the amount of time we were given. The standout piece for me was Julian Hoeber’s Demon Hill (2010), a wooden room tilted at a vertigo-inducing angle. Other works of interest included:
- Katy Schimert. Monster #1 (2008). Watercolor.
- John Altoon. Untitled (C/I-2) (1968). Pen and ink with airbrushing.
- Jacob Yanes. Sara (2007). Cotton, rice paper, papyrus, and plywood base.
- Monica Majoli. Hanging Rubberman #1 (2006). Watercolor and gouache on paper.
3:20 pm: Kevin Appel Studio Visit, Brentwood, California
In terms of studio visits for the day, Uta Bartha was the “ying” and Kevin Appel was the “yang” (I sincerely apologize for the analogy). Compared to Barth’s studio, which was very dark and modern, Appel’s was light, spacious, and natural. The overall tone of the visit was more positive as well. Appel’s earliest work has a strong connection to architecture: painted renderings of transparent interior spaces and imagined floor plans. These works later turned into paintings of “ecological and domestic chaos”: houses stacked upon one another with the textures and elements of formal architecture “turned inside-out.” Currently, Appel paints geometric patterns (Screens) or clusters (Constructions) on top of enlarged photographs from nature/travel publications circa 1965. The idea involves “the abstract built up upon the non-abstract”: solid forms layered on top of realistic images.
In addition to being a practicing artist, Appel also teaches at the University of California Irvine, which he describe as a bit of a mixed blessing. Teaching allows him to be part of the constant flow of new ideas from within the institution, but it also inhibits the amount of thought and time he can dedicate to his own work. However, Appel encouraged our group to look at Los Angeles as a place to start a career as an artist; the art community does not completely revolve around the top-notch schools in the area. Here are some other useful bits of advice that Appel gave to us:
- Stay true to yourself and your own interests and ideas. Don’t feel pressured to do what is “hot” at the moment.
- Teaching is a good way to keep up with the pace of the art world.
- Don’t shy away from commercial art (Appel also works as a graphic designer).
- Look into opportunities all over the globe. Seek out “investors”: people who love your work and want to support your talent.
- Search for residencies!
- Research institutions will give you the most freedom to do your work.
- If you are interested in teaching, look for tenure-tracked positions.
The Dandelion Market
I actually visited The Dandelion Market twice for their brunch menu while in Charlotte for a friend’s wedding,. The first time was with some friends who were also attending the wedding—one couple had actually been there the day before and raved about it. I had the Monte Cristo and had to restrain myself from inhaling the whole thing in 5 minutes: it was crispy, soft, sweet, salty—everything you could want in a brunch sandwich. And if that isn’t enough, it comes with raspberry preserves AND maple syrup (and you’ll want to test both out, believe me). From what I heard, everyone else enjoyed their meals as well.
The next day, I met my mom, aunt, grandmother, and my mom’s best friend in Charlotte and I guess my description of The Dandelion Market was so tantalizing that they wanted to try it as well. Everyone at the table got the Monte Cristo except for me; I opted for a set of small plates: a Cinnamon Roll, Scrambled Eggs, and Bacon (had to try something new!). Everyone loved the Monte Cristo (which made me happy).
The service was pretty good; it was a bit slow at times, but overall, the staff was courteous. The space was very open, giving me the sense that the restaurant is pretty active bar venue, but the lighting was very dark, especially for a morning spot. Nonetheless, I’ll be sure to stop by The Dandelion Market the next time I’m in downtown Charlotte!
Yelp Review: 4 Stars
Tweet
I treated myself to a birthday breakfast at Tweet and ordered a Biscuits and Gravy special (I think it was called the Country Eggs Benedict), which was a split biscuit with sausage, fried eggs, and sausage gravy on top. Yeah, it’s a heart attack on a plate, but my birthday only comes once a year! The food was excellent—probably the best biscuits and gravy I’ve had since I’ve been in Chicago. The biscuits had a great flavor and were fluffy—not dense or greasy. The sausage was organic and also full of flavor. The hash browns were hot and crispy; the only thing missing was a bit of melted cheddar cheese on top (hey, why not?). The addition of tomato and orange slices on the side made the meal feel slightly healthier. 
The staff was great as well. My server was really nice (even struck up a conversation with me) and my coffee cup was always kept full. If I hadn’t had other things to do that day, I would have hung out a lot longer. Tweet has a great atmosphere—very “homey” and bright—and I’m sure it’s even better when the weather is warmer and there is outdoor seating.
If this place were closer to where I live, I’d be in trouble. This is the type of place I could see myself coming to once a week. The menu is huge, so it can please the palette of any brunch-lover. Perhaps I can justify coming here more often if I actually walk from my place to burn off some calories beforehand!
Yelp Review: 4 Stars