How Was Your Week?

When I finally saw Andrew again yesterday after he was away working on an especially time-consuming episode, I was excited to hear what he'd been up to and share some interesting news with him about a new marketing campaign I might be doing for my business.

Andrew said he had interesting news as well. Andrew never says he has news, let alone interesting news. All of a sudden my brain was filled with a series of horrible thoughts. Did someone die? Are they canceling the show? What could it possibly be? I knew from the look on his face, whatever it was, it wasn't good. I told him to go first.

He started by saying he would have told me earlier but he didn't want me to worry. Well, that me even more anxious... and scared! He then preceded to tell me a Muslim group issued a message stating the producers of the show would probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh (gruesome pictures included) for insulting their prophet. What? The show censored all images of Muhammad. Isn't that the rule? Showing the likeness of a costume bear is against the rules now, too?

I want to be the type of person who stands up to this kind of bullying, but I don't want to see people I care about hurt by people who mean nothing to me. The fanatic is a paradox to me. If it's worth dying or killing over, it's got to be pretty good. If it's that good, why can't it stand on its own merits? Why does it need someone dying or killing over it?

My news was pretty mundane compared to Andrew's stories of death threats and armed guards, but he listened anyway. We moved to the couch and chatted a little more until he took an impromptu nap.

Imogen missed Andrew, too!

As you can see, Andrew fell asleep in a very uncomfortable looking position. He stayed that way for several minutes. It's strange the picture tuned out so fuzzy. Maybe it just reflects how Andrew's brain was feeling at the time.

When we watched the controversial episode last night, it was filled with a whole bunch of bleeping and big black boxes with the word CENSORED on them. I was, however, glad the creators were still able to get their message across without outwardly violating the arbitrary rules set up by a bunch of extremists. Actually, the additional censorship might have added to the message.

The Lamb of Easter

The First Easter Pizza

We had our Easter dinner on Holy Saturday at my parent's place. My mom says that when Armenians have dinner. We don't hide eggs, but we do play the egg tapping game. I introduced my nieces to the egg game and warned them not to play with Dede Vartan (my grandfather, their great-grandfather) because he cheats by using a fake egg. The nieces giggled excitedly as they hit the eggs against each other until they were all broken.

My parents and my sister's family were invited to come to my place on Sunday for lunch which included Easter pizza (a tradition since the First Easter Pizza in 2003) and leftovers from Mom's dinner. I spent all morning preparing the dough and making the pizzas completely from scratch. In addition to two large ones (a tomato with basil and a spicy pepper with mushroom) I made two small cheese pizzas for the nieces. I also made some brown rice to supplement the white rice, fish, and curried peas my parents supplied.

My mother made sure not to forget the lamb cake my grandfather brought with him on Saturday evening. I don't know where he gets them from, but he seems to have one of these freaky things every year. Sevana had asked her grandmother to give her the head on Saturday, but she was told she had to wait until Easter for that. After lunch, my mother decapitated the lamb and proudly presented the head to Sevana. The headless lamb was so morbid I almost cried... right before I sliced off a piece of the neck to taste it for myself.

Sevana finally gets her hands on
the head of the Lamb of Easter.

By the time Alique got to it, it was missing
an ear but she didn't seem to mind.

After everyone was done eating, the adults went back to my parent's house for chai. The girls hung out and played for a while. Once Alique started getting sleepy, she could no longer suppress her fear of the cats and dog. That's when Linda came to pick up the nieces and I started cleaning up.

Vegetable Lentil Soup

The collard greens and red chard at Whole Foods looked too good to pass up. I knew I'd figure out something to do with them later.

The vegetable lentil soup was awesome!

Emmetaler and Portobello Boreg

Book club is tonight! This month's selection is Catcher in the Rye, in honor of J.D. Salinger's recent passing. I'm looking forward to good company and good food. We're supposed to bring something inspired by the book. I love thinking up dishes that fit the criteria, like today's Emmetaler and Portobello Boreg. I'm sure Holden would rather eat my version than the boring old regular Swiss cheese sandwiches he talked about in the book.

My mother prepares a tray of boreg for just about every family gathering. Since before I could remember, Mom would ask me to help her put it together. I would layer and butter filo dough one sheet at a time into a baking tray. Once half a standard package of filo was used, I would add jack cheese. Then, I would layer and butter the remaining filo dough, paying special attention to the last piece which had to look perfect sitting on top. The last step for me was to carefully cut the boreg into squares right before Mom beat an egg with some milk and poured it over the top.


For this batch, I'm substituting the jack cheese for Emmentaler to make it more like a Swiss cheese sandwich. Since I can never leave well enough alone, I'm using half the butter Mom does (adding olive oil to make up the difference), and including sauteed portobellos in with the cheese. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.

How To Train Your Dragon

My mother is always calling me to ask a question. Usually, the conversation ends with me agreeing to help her with some random thing around the house or putting a letter together for her office. That's okay, though. She's always there when I need help with Zuzu and the cats.

When my Mom called a few days ago to ask me a question, the last thing I expected was to get free passes to a press screening of How To Train Your Dragon, but that's what happened. We didn't think we could make it, though, because Andrew had already started back at work. Since the run wasn't in full swing yet, Andrew's boss, Ryan, let him leave a little early so he could attend. We invited our friends, Varoujan and Allison, to use our two additional passes.


How To Train Your Dragon revolves around Hiccup, a misfit viking living on the island of Berk where fighting dragons is just what you do. I have to admit the story is a bit predictable and left me with some unanswered questions, but the stunning visuals more than make up for that. The movement in Stoick the Vast's beard was mesmerizing, and I was glued to the screen during the dragon flight scenes. All in all, it was the most fun I'd had at the movies in a long time.

We then walked over to Umami Burger down the street for dinner. Andrew ordered the Umami Burger, and I got the vegetarian version. Andrew's burger was nice and pink inside, just the way he likes it. The onion rings and sweet potato fries were delicious, too. I'll definitely go back.

Love the Harvest Grain Blend

It's amazing how time-consuming it is to set up showings for clients. Tools created for the real estate agent are pretty bad, and everything takes at least five times as long as it should. I needed to break for a bite to eat and blogging.

For lunch, I had had some bok choy with Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend. The bok choy was stir-fried with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. I pretty much followed the instructions for the Harvest Grain Blend, but added some dried shiitake mushrooms and one packet of vegetable broth concentrate. Oh yeah, and a little soy sauce.


It was a good counterbalance to my breakfast of bread and Nutella. Okay, Nutella isn't that bad and the bread was Whole Foods Organic Wheat Batard and I only had a very little bit, but it was still nice to get some veggies in me. I had to keep it light, though, since we'll probably be eating out after our sneak preview of How To Train Your Dragon. Review coming soon.

Walking to Porto's

Andrew and I did our semi-regular eight and a half mile walk around Burbank today. We started at our house, walked up to the Chandler Bike Path which we took to the end, and walked back on Magnolia Boulevard right by Porto's. Lesley came along for the exercise and for lunch at Porto's.

It did start to drizzle, and Andrew came prepared. He did look a little silly walking Zuzu in his shorts and sunglasses while holding an umbrella, though. Lesley and I braved the rain without anything more than light jackets.

On this visit to Porto's, I had a feta sandwich on crusty french bread with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil dressing. Lesley went with the feta sandwich as well and was quite surprised at what she got for under four dollars.

Andrew had a hard time deciding on an item from the list of meaty options and finally settled on the Pan con Lechon, a Roasted Pork Sandwich. He also had a Pastel de Chorizo, a Spanish-style empanada filled with pork, which we'd never seen at the Burbank location before.

Porto's has an extensive selection of sweet pastries and cakes. As always, I got a pineapple empanada. The cheese rolls are a must for first timers like Lesley, so we all got at least one.

Lesley also got something even I had never tried before, the triple chocolate mousse. Oh my! It was so delicious that it might now be my favorite thing on the menu... at least, until the next time I try something new. It's all that good.

My First Risotto

We had mushroom risotto tonight. It's too bad that so many people think it's difficult to prepare. It was actually quite easy.


I sauteed some onions then added the risotto. A little white wine, some mushrooms, and the rest was easy. As the liquid was absorbed, I added vegetable broth one ladle at a time for about 20 minutes.

The risotto was served with stir-fried Chinese broccoli along with chicken for Andrew and salmon for me. Delicious!

My Aching Calves!

The planning stage started the night before last. Audrey wanted to take a break yesterday from showings to get a bite to eat and hang out at the beach. While we were working out the details, Andrew was making plans to do the Santa Monica stairs after work with some of his friends.

It all went off without a hitch! I was able to get all my followups for work done in the morning. Audrey and I had lunch at The Griddle and then headed for Santa Monica for a walk on the pier and sand. I was then dropped off at a Starbuck's where I got through about a third of my book before Andrew came to pick me up so we could go to the stairs.

Andrew and I did four loops down a set of stairs and up another. We estimated it to be about 50 flights. Even though I spent 30 minutes on the stair machine at the gym just a few days ago without any ill effects, my legs really felt the workout last night. They were shaking after only one loop, and my calves are quite sore this morning.

I plan to go back tomorrow, so I'll be doing some stretches on the reformer today. It's a long drive in traffic but well worth it.

Rembrandt & Elvis

We spent yesterday evening with two great masters, Rembrandt and Thai Elvis. How can it get any better than that?

A few days ago Andrew and I found out that the Rembrandt drawing exhibit at The Getty was ending this weekend. We asked a couple of friends if they wanted to come along, and off we went for an evening of art, music, and food with Lesley and Jeff.

Rembrandt's drawings compared side by side with those of his pupils truly highlight his genius. Even an untrained eye could see the depth and expression in the generally more simple looking but clearly not simple Rembrandts.

We then headed to Thai town for some dinner and Elvis. Palm Restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard not only has pretty good Thai food, but they also have the only Thai Elvis I've ever seen. He's always a real treat to watch. And, as everyone knows... Real Elvis is dead, but Thai Elvis lives forever!

We started with the shrimp cake appetizer. Yum! Lesley and I ordered the Pad Kee Mao with fried tofu and Coconut Soup with steamed tofu. The boys had the Pineapple Fried Rice with pork and Shrimp Panang.

We ended the evening with a little Beatles RockBand. The perfect day!

Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Last night's macaroni and cheese was pretty good. The béchamel-like base turned out wonderfully, and the variety of cheese used made it extra special. It can be put together in about 30 minutes, especially if the cheese is already grated.

I reduce the guilt a little bit by using non-fat milk, non-fat cottage cheese, some low-fat cheese, and high fiber pasta. It's still deliciously rich and creamy without making me feel like a complete glutton. I also try to serve it with nutritious veggies. Yesterday, we had my new favorite side, Trader Joe's broccoli and colorful cauliflower mix which comes in it's own ready to microwave steam tray. Yum!

It's important to note some cheeses are better for making the sauce than others. I stay away from the super-stringy cheeses such as mozzarella. Last night, I used Manchego, low-fat Jarlsberg Swiss (Swiss adds a tanginess I like), Trader Joe's Mexican blend, and lots (about half the cheese used) of Tillamook cheddar. FYI, too much cheddar can make the sauce oily.

Many people have asked for the recipe. Since I really don't work from recipes much, especially when not baking, this is my best guess at proportions and technique. Anyone trying it should definitely let me know if something needs adjusting. Good luck!



I just realized my macaroni and cheese doesn't have a name, and I can't think of anything cleaver to call it. Maybe someone can help me name it... Amber?

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
4 cups grated cheese (for sauce)
1 cup grated cheese (for layering/topping)
1 pound pasta
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or pinch of red pepper flakes)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg (key ingredient)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Equipment:
Sauce pan
Whisk (any other tool and you're sauce will likely be clumpy)
Mixing Bowl
Baking dish
Large serving spoon
Ladle

1. Begin boiling water for pasta.

Note: It's okay for the sauce to be done before the pasta is ready but not the other way around. Make sure you are ready to use the pasta as soon as it's done. I generally put the pasta in the boiling water just as the sauce is finishing up.

2. Make the béchamel-like white sauce.

• Heat butter and olive oil on medium heat until butter is completely melted.
• Add flour and whisk until combined.
• Reduce heat to low. Add small amounts of milk and whisk until all milk is incorporated.

Note: When you first add the milk, the mixture will become sticky and may be clumpy. Continue to slowly add milk and whisk until the mixture is the consistency of runny mashed potatoes. At this point, you can add the remaining milk to the mixture a little more quickly.

• Continue to slowly whisk until sauce begins to thicken into a beautiful white cream sauce.

3. Preheat oven to 350º.

4. Begin cooking pasta.

Note: Boil until slightly undercooked (1-2 minutes before al dente).

5. Flavor up the sauce.

• Add about one cup of cheese at a time and whisk until completely melted.

Note: Cheese will be stringy until it melts completely. If stringiness does not go away or worsens, something went wrong with the sauce -- heat too high, not enough flour, too much cheese, the possibilities are endless. Adding a little wine will eliminate the stringiness. It will also alter the flavor so only as much as necessary (about one teaspoon at a time).

• Add all the spices and whisk. Taste and add spices as needed.

Note: Take into consideration the sauce will be combined with a whole bunch of pasta, so season accordingly. I make mine a little saltier than if I was eating the sauce straight. Yes, sometimes I eat the sauce straight!

6. Mix, layer, and top.

• Add cottage cheese to large mixing bowl.
• Add cooked pasta and mix thoroughly with large spoon.
• Slowly ladle in sauce and thoroughly combine with pasta. Reserve about a cup of sauce.
• Place half of the pasta mixture in baking dish and layer with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
• Add remaining pasta mixture, top with about 1 cup cheese sauce, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and panko bread crumbs.
  

7. Bake until top begins to bubble.

Note: If the pasta is baked too long at high heat, some of the creaminess is lost. I like it this way too, but Andrew doesn't. To ensure creaminess, I bake at 250º for about 15 minutes. Then, I broil it for a couple minutes until the top is golden brown.

Daylight Is Coming!

Since Andrew is such a night person, any activities we do together can't start until half my day is over, unless I want a grumpy husband on my hands. I also can't bring myself to do anything around the house that makes too much noise until after he's out of bed or it's after noon. He's less grumpy when he doesn't have to be awake during morning hours. Adjusting to Andrew's schedule is generally not an issue for me... until Winter.

With every day that becomes shorter, my anxiety level increases. When Daylight Saving Time ends, I completely lose it. I get this overwhelming sense that there's never going to be enough time to get to those things on my list of things to do. The closet needs purging. The office needs cleaning. The kitchen needs organizing. I'm sure it's all just going to pile up and become too much to handle. The next thing I know, I'll be on TLC's Help! I'm a Hoarder talking about how I got myself into this mess, literally!

As soon as the days start getting longer, even though it's only by a few seconds per day, my energy level increases and the time issues resolve themselves. Andrew agreed to wake up by 10:00 AM (which is quite early for him) a couple weeks ago and help with the office. I'm planning on purging the master bedroom closet soon, after I finish going through a couple of boxes left over from the office project and Andrew takes the Goodwill pile away.

Today it's all about the kitchen pantry. I have a pretty small kitchen that needs to hold a lot stuff. The pantry is exceptionally tiny, especially for someone who stores as much food as I do, and needs to be reorganized periodically to avoid items falling out when the door is opened.

Andrew's still asleep, but it's after twelve and time to start working. The sticky buns I made this morning should help reduce the grouchiness he experiences from waking up and moving around.

Fatboy sniffing away... and they're not even baked yet!

Andrew needs to wake up soon, so we can eat these.