Small good things

Some random good stuff from the last few days:

1. Dinner last night: roasted delicata squash with brown sugar

2. While the squash was in the oven, I separated the seeds from the guts and toasted them in a frying pan with a little butter, rosemary and salt. Next time, I'll roast them in the oven. Even using just a little butter made them greasier than I'd like.

3. I found $20 while I was doing my laundry last night. It fell out of the dryer when I was pulling the dry clothes out and at first I was a little annoyed at myself that I had almost lost it, then realized that the laundry was all gym clothes and underwear and shirts, nothing with pockets.

4. There's a nice piece about Jack Lenor Larsen, one of my favorite textile designers, in this week's New York magazine.

5. A funny story: one of the friends I was with on Sunday sat down on the subway one day recently next to three guys who were deep in conversation: two young guys in fatigues and a slightly older guy with a buzz cut. They saw her grading papers, asked if she's a teacher, blah blah pleasantries. Eventually, the two guys in fatigues get off the train and she asked the other guy if he was going with them. He says no, they weren't together, he's going to school to be a social worker. At this point, she's thinking he's cute, she and her boyfriend broke up about a month ago, she's ready to get back out there. She asks if he's in the military too. He says he's not but adds, "I'm a commander in an organization you may have heard of: The Latin Kings." And he just got out of prison. That morning.

6. I inadvertently made ricotta the other day. I had set out to make another batch of mozzarella, but even though the milk I bought definitely said pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized, it never set up.

It makes me a little concerned going forward that the milk that should work won't, but this time ricotta worked just as well for what I had in mind (calzones of peril!). Let me tell you, there is nothing that makes you feel like a good little hausfrau like wrapping your cheese curds in muslin and rigging up a way for them to drain. Quite satisfying. And look at all that water running out!

7. I had been reading a lot about baby kiwis online recently (basically: if you see 'em, grab 'em). Since it sounded like they were on the exotic side and kind of rare, I was surprised to find them at the produce stand next to my train stop. For a dollar.


They're delicious, like tart, sweet, juicy candy. Unfortunately, if I eat more than three at a sitting, the back of my throat starts tingling and itching.

Comments

[Phoe]

I usually roast squash with honey and walnuts, I'll have to try the brown sugar version.

You should (at some point) get a little something good through the post. *glares at Royal Mail*

[ivete]

That subway story is too good!

[Juno]

The latin kings?

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

[claudia]

Love that textile designer! Thanks for my design informational nugget of the day.

[Gina]

Delicata squash! I shouldn't be covetous, as I'm knee deep in squash (butternut, pumpkin, buttercup, etc.) from my farm share. But yours looks so sweet and yummy!

[Laura]

I have a good tip for making the squash seeds. Boil them in salted water for about 5 minutes prior to roasting them (at 350 with a little oil and salt). The boiling removes the goop and also softens/salts the shells a bit, so they turn out crispy rather than fibrous.

I made your lentil soup recently, it was great!

[carolyn]

can i have instructions on how to make the squash. thanks.