rave: my wood floors arrived! Now they must acclimate :)

rave: amazing version of "empire state if mind" by PS22 Chorus from NYC




These kids can sing! what amazing talent. check out their blog for more amazing video of these kids singing.

rant: barley obsessed






lately, i've been drawn to recipes with barley. maybe it is because of the recent cold snap and my desires to make/eat soups.  i will say i have always liked eating barley, but never have i cooked with it till recently. not sure why.  so last week after making mushroom barley soup i started searching for other recipes. and there are lots out there.  i usually associate barley with beef and mushroom soups.  but i found other soups, salads, and even breakfast dishes.  but the most intriguing one i ran across was barley risotto with beans and greens on smittenkitchen.com (one of favorite food blogs!) risotto...made with barley...instead of arborio rice?  i love risotto. i always order it if it's on the menu. so i was very intrigued.  so last night when b had to work late i decided to make some. (not serving him any kind of dead animal would create a grumpy and hungry hubby. so only on night where i'm cooking for myself can i get away with a veggie and carb only meal.)

side note: i also learned there are many health benefits to eating barley.  it is good for:
Barley's Fiber for Regularity, Lower Cholesterol, & Intestinal Protection
Protection Against Atherosclerosis
Significant Cardiovascular Benefits for Postmenopausal Women
Prevent Heart Failure with a Whole Grains Breakfast
Barley and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Cereal and Fruit Fiber Protective against Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
Can Help Prevent Gallstones
Whole Grains and Fish Highly Protective against Childhood Asthma
Promote Optimal Health with Barley's Fiber and Selenium
Barley's Copper Can Benefit Arthritis Sufferers
Development and Repair of Body Tissue
source

in theory, i figured the barley would be a great arborio rice sub based just on texture.  but i was worried that the creamy, starchy goodness would be missing. well, i was wrong.  it was so good!  (so yummy i just had some leftovers for lunch too.) not overly starchy and creamy but still very rich.  the barley provided an al dente bite that i miss from some rice-based risottos. should have known better than to doubt deb about her recipe.  i followed her recipe exactly except that i added mushrooms with the onions since they were needing to be consumed and i had to use kale instead of escarole because that is what i had.  i will be making this again and maybe even fidgeting with the ingredients some...



Barley Risotto with Beans and Greens

Adapted generously from Food and Wine

Be sure to use a low or no sodium broth; as the broth reduces and concentrates in flavor, a regular broth will yield a too-salty dish. I’ve learned the hard way many times! Only have a full salt broth or bouillon around? Swap some of the volume with water.

And do play around with this dish — try different broths, such as beef or mushroom. Skip the beans, swap a cooked vegetable. Use your favorite greens and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Add a clove of garlic, use shallots or leeks instead of onion. Use romano instead of parmesan, dollop in some crème fraîche at the end; use red wine or skip the wine. I know it can sometimes be overwhelming to have too many options but the possibilities here are really endless, and a little extra tinkering could make a staple out of this dish for you.

Serves 3 to 4 (most recipes would say 4; maybe we were just really hungry?)

5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup pearled barley (7 ounces)
1 cup beans, canned or precooked (white would be great; I used some Red Nightfall Beans mostly because they were languishing in my cabinet)
3 cups chopped escarole
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine if using and cook, stirring until absorbed, about one minute. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time in six additions — you’ll have a cup of stock left in the pot — stirring until it is nearly absorbed between additions. Most barley risottos are done when the barley is al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy sauce, about 35 minutes, however, I like to take this one a little “soupier” adding another half to one cup of stock. (This gives the beans something to drink up, and you a margin of error if you grains continue to absorb the stock once you think they are done.) Stir it in until the risotto is on the loose side, then add the beans and let them cook for a minute. Add the escarole and let it wilt and then cook for an additional minute. Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, passing more cheese at the table.

Do ahead: Although it’s not generally ideal to reheat rice risottos, I actually enjoyed this barley one reheated. Keep the flame low, splash in some more broth if it seems thick and slowly warm the dish, stirring. Top with extra cheese.

rave: origami swans in a tree at town lake

rave: mushroom barley soup via epicurious.com


with the weather getting colder and colder here in atx, i am craving soup more and more. and to be honest, i'm getting tired of the canned variety. so out to the trusty www i went in search of soup. soup that is hearty but healthy, full of flavor and depth but doesn't require an 8 hour cook time and something that is relatively easy. i will admit that i do "cheat" most of the time i make soups. by the time i get home from work/running/groceries i usually only have about 1 hour to get food on the table before it's really late for dinner or the beast inside b is gnawing at my leg. so i usually buy the pre-chopped and portioned kits from central market to make soup.


but last night i decided to try this mushroom barley soup recipe that i found a couple weeks back on epicurious.com; mainly because i had a ton of different types of mushrooms in my fridge. i was drawn to the recipe because it was a mushroom barley soup that did not have any heavy cream in it. and you could technically make it vegan/vegetarian if you skip the butter and use olive/grape seed oil. also, it was relatively quick and easy. i did make some changes to the original recipe and have a couple more changes i would do next time. so this would be my recipe. enjoy!

Mushroom Barley Soup
Adapted from: Bon Appétit - December 1995 by Tony Litwinko: Glendale, California
Yield: Serves 8

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (or 3-4 tablespoons of olive/grape seed oil)
1.5 pounds of any type(s) of mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (i used creminis, shiitake, white and king trumpet)
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
8 cups canned vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 sprig of fresh sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Dash of paprika (optional)
1 bunch of kale leaves chopped (or 1 bag of baby spinach)

Melt butter till foamy in heavy large Dutch oven/large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Sauté and sweat out the mushrooms for about 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, onion and bay leaves. Sauté until vegetables begin to brown and most liquid is gone, about 8-10 minutes. Add barley and stir in for 1-2 minutes.

Add flour to pot and stir 3 minutes. Gradually mix in broth. Bring soup to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and Mix in sage, parsley, paprika and dill. Simmer until barley is tender and soup is beginning to thicken, about 20-25 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in chopped kale leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley on top.

Serve.

other reviews mentioned adding sherry to the soup or deglazing after sautéing the veggies before stirring in barley. i can see how the flavors would work and add depth, but i didn't have any sherry on hand to try...so next time maybe.  or if you do try, let me know!

rave: awesome remix of top 25 songs of 2009


rave: emma watson + burberry = <3



love the new burberry campaign! so glad they are using emma watson as the face of burberry. i think she brings a fresh and young feel to a brand that was feeling a little old and dowdy a couple years ago. and i really <3 the large white leather purse with the black flora/plaid canvas...and the trench in the same material.

rave: luca watching baby ducks at sunset.

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