New Beginnings

Alright, so, I have decided that in an attempt to not let this blog die and go to social media heaven, I am going to switch the focus of it. I kind of had this realization last night that I was totally trying to be professional and, frankly, that's just not me. So, from this point on, this blog is going to be about how to make good food in college while living within a budget. I have gathered from living with four other girls (all of whom, might I add, love to cook), that because of time and money, creating new and exciting dishes as college students, is hard. I am going to make it my goal for the next 10 weeks (yes, I know, it is extremely depressing to think that my college experience will be over in 10 short weeks) to come up with creative and unique dishes that can be made for one or two people. As a way to let people know what I am doing, I have created some rules:

1. I am going to grocery shop every Sunday and post my list.
2. I am going to attempt to make something different every night.
3. I am going to use at least three ingredients each week that I have never experimented with. Feel free to leave suggestions below.
4. I will post my thoughts about each dish. Now, because I am a college student, that is probably not going to happen every day, but I will post about everything I make.

Okay, that is really all I can think of now, but if anyone has suggestions/has attempted to do this before, please feel free to comment or email me. I would love any advice you can give. Also, this little experiment isn't going to start until March 28, because I am going to the Bahamas in a week and half for spring break (ahhhh!!!!!) and I really don't want to think about anything when I wake up but the sun and what kind of drink I am going to have. Oh, and it would be super difficult to blog about anything since I am going to be completely cut off from any kind of communication with anyone that isn't on that boat. If you were wondering, yes, I am totally freaking out about this, but I am hoping that a break from the Internet, might be good for me. We shall see.

Spring Break Countdown: 9 days!!!

As much as I would love to continue talking about my blog's future, my LAST JOURNALISM CLASS EVER is about to start and I am thinking it might be a good idea to pay attention.

peace, love, and new beginnings?

MEA

Welcome Home Dinner

This past weekend, while I was at home, I decided to make my parents dinner. They have been in Key West for the past week and I thought a little welcome home meal might be nice. Cookstr.com has kind of taken over my life the last week and I happened to stumble upon a recipe last week that looked amazing and I thought would be perfect for the parents. The recipe includes one of my all-time favorite ingredients: butternut squash. The texture, the sweetness and the ease of use of this ingredient is what makes it grab a spot in my top five. The recipe is easy and very low maintenance. The roasting of the butternut squash makes it extremely tender and roasting the squash with red onions and garlic gives it more flavor than you can imagine. This is definitely a "must try" recipe. Good luck!

Butternut Squash Penne

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 2lb (900g), peeled and seeded
• 1 red onion, cut into eighths
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1lb (450g) dried penne
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Peel the squash. Cut the squash into 1in (2.5cm) cubes.

2. Toss the squash, onion, oil, and balsamic vinegar in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender. During the last few minutes, stir in the garlic.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water over high heat until al dente. Drain and return to the saucepan. Add the roasted vegetables, Gruyere, creme fraiche, and sage, and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls, with olive oil and the Parmesan cheese passed on the side.

© 2008 Dorling Kindersley

Note: Don't be afraid if you can't find creme fraiche, you can substitute sour cream and it tastes amazing!

The Dish

Hi all,

This blog has been started purely for lovers of food. I love everything about food, from the sense of accomplishment you have when you create a truly fantastic dish, to the way you feel when you take the first bite. I will use this blog to discuss ingredients, recipes, and restaurants. So, let's get started.

Recipe of the Day:

Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Lasagne
by Nigella Lawson














While I was wasting time on Twitter today, I discovered a new website called cookstr.com. This website highlights recipes, chefs and food blogs. They highlighted a recipe by Nigella Lawson called "Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Lasagne." Now, maybe this caught my eye because all I have been able to think about lately is Italian food, or maybe it was because of the interesting ingredients. Nonetheless, I liked it. The recipe includes some of my favorite things: sage, pumpkin, goat and ricotta cheeses, and, of course, nutmeg. The link for the recipe is below.


http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/pumpkin-and-goats-cheese-lasagne

Restaurant of the Day:


Nida's Thai on High, Columbus, Ohio
976 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43201














I was attending the infamous gallery hop in Downtown Columbus when a friend suggested we stop for dinner at Nida's. Being a lover of Thai food and sushi, I was immediately game. It was predictably busy for a Saturday night in Columbus, but we went to the bar for drinks and were seated within 30 minutes of arriving. Not only was the food amazing, but the drinks were out of this world. The staff was friendly and efficient and very helpful when giving suggestions for dinner options. My picks and the website are below.

My Picks:
Basil and Cucumber Martini
Phuket Punch
Pad Thai

Also, you absolutely cannot go wrong with their sushi!

http://www.thaionhigh.com/index.cfm

Alright, although I would love to post some more food-related things today, I actually need to go get something done. Comment if you have any questions or thoughts!