Why this is not a food blog, in pictures

When it comes to cooking, I like to think I fall somewhere in the middle on the efficacy spectrum from cereal competent to executive chef.  For generations, people have strived to be decent home cooks, but I wonder if this comparative tendency is new. Has questioning our cooking competence become par for the course in the age of the Food Network and Top Chef?  Thanks to the rise of celebrity chefs and multiple food focused TV programs, we've all become more conscious of our own cooking skills (or lack thereof) with some of us becoming food famous in our own right thanks to the world of blogging.  While I have a pretty extensive repertoire of meals I can prepare, I don't see myself ever tossing my hat in the ring of competitive cooking or food blogging.  

Here's why:

It begins innocently enough.  Coffee beans with a dash of cinnamon.

Some EVOO in the pan

Onion chop chop

Coffee break in my sweet House of Targaryean mug 

Onions in the pan

Portobellos, baby

You get the drill

Saute city

Three eggs and a dash of skim milk for fluffiness

Getting there

Time for the eggs

Extra sharp white cheddar

Sweet baby jesus we're almost done...

...and then it all falls apart.  Is it just me or does my omelette look like the fake plastic vomit you ordered out of those gag "magic trick" catalogs when you were a kid?

Sh%t.  Well, if it's any consolation, it tasted really delicious. 

PS - This was an omelette made for two. I'm not training for an Iron Man.

Atkins Farms

Shortly after moving to the Amherst area, my brother, who is a proud alum of Amherst College, sent me a great list of his favorite sites and restaurants. While chatting with him on the phone about his recommendations I took away two very important pieces of information: Amherst is pronounced "AmERST," the h is silent, and I'd better learn to say it properly to avoid sounding like an uneducated ninny in my new home, AND, more importantly, Atkins Farms is famous for their cider donuts. The very next day I was on my way, mouth watering for this undiscovered delicacy.
On my way into the market I spotted some colorful leaves of the countryside surrounding Hampshire College and Atkins Farms and
some cute as a button, sugar pumpkins. These adorably charming distractions only briefly deterred me from my goal. The glorious cider donuts...
I also acquired some pumpkins and a little gourd. But oh joy, the cider donuts. Soft, sugary rings of wonder. Very similar to cinnamon sugar cake donuts but with a tang of apple cider. So delicious. Ziggy was very jealous as I dug into the appley goodness on the porch. Later, I gave her some cat nip and she forgave me, for now.

Strawberry fields forever

As an attempt to curb my road tripping urge, Joe and I are heading north, to Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, CA, for some good ole' fashion strawberry pickin'. You pay by the pound and I've heard there are berries as big as a fist! Joe doesn't know it yet but I'm going to propose a contest--whoever can pick the BIGGEST strawberry, gets to watch the LOSER whip up a delicious strawberry shortcake that will hopefully resemble this:
Photo credits:
{photo 1} http://loveyourchaos.tumblr.com/post/588354226
{photo 2} http://happythings.tumblr.com/page/23

Fika

In Sweden there is a daily tradition, if you will, of taking a break from one's activities, whether it be construction, applied physics, or say, writing a novel, to sip on a hot caffeinated beverage and munch on delicious pastries with your friends and/or family. This tradition, known as fika would be an easy transition for me.

Herring Meatballs

{Swedish meatballs}

{Belgian painter, James Ensor's painting of Skeletons fighting over pickled herring}

Sweden. Meatballs. Meatballs and herring. PICKLED Herring. Gorgeous, skyscraper tall women with white blond hair and blue eyes. These are just a few things that come to mind when I think of this Scandinavian country.
{Swedish Bikini Team...is there really such a thing?}
{Gothenburg}

My lover has an interview at Chalmers University, in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg. While the interview is on April 19th, we'll be leaving next week to explore the seaport city as a potential relocation destination.

OH wait. I can't forget Bork, the Swedish chef from the muppets.

{Bork}

What do you eat for breakfast?

German artist Oliver Schwarzwald's new hunger-educing series of photographs of breakfasts from around the globe has my stomach growling this morning. Can you guess the countries?

Hearty, cheesy warmth

During the warm summer months I tend to crave light, refreshing and crunchy salads for my lunchtime meal. During the cool fall months, however, my cravings are switched to warm, hearty and cheesy spoonfuls of satisfying soup. French onion and tomato basil are two of my favorites. What are some of your winter cravings??

Whimsical Wednesday

Found this refreshingly whimsical watercolor by Kimberly Hennessey on another blog I love, aesthetics of joy, and was whisked away to a childhood memory of swing carousels, cotton candy and globular balloons. I miss the days when popsicles, bikerides and a few games of tag would be enough to have you asleep on the couch by 8:30pm, your mouth stained pink from the sugary goodness of those frozen treats. Now, after a 9 hour work day, 2 hour commute, a feeble attempt at exercising, dinner, and cleaning, I pass out on the couch in the same fashion, albeit minus the pink lined mouth. As a celebration of the end of summer, I'm going to get a few boxes of popsicles and fix up my wheel less bike so I can cruise around sucking on said popsicles and perhaps recreate this nostalgic memory of the past. Hopefully Joe won't find me passed out on the couch and think I've joined the People's Temple.