The Historians Food Memoir

 

Opincar, Abe. Fried Butter: A Food Memoir. New York: Soho Press, Inc., 2003.

 

 

Abe Opincar’s Fried Butter is not the first food memoir but came 5 years before Eat, Pray, Loveand other books that heightened the status of food. While Opincar may not be writing of long lost love or soul searching as openly as other authors do, his writing is refreshing. He does not whine. He appreciates his life and all of its obstacles. He pines for the sadness in life over the happiness because that is where he grew the most. His writing is not just a story of his life. Opincar intertwines a history of food. Each chapter is about a dish or an ingredient. He explains the history of items while revealing a story of himself. He does not seem to be longing for anything in life. Except for the ingredients and the memories attached to each.

Opincar’s story is not riveting or a page-turner because of suspense or compassion. Instead, his stories provide the reader with something they can relate to. Turning the page means learning more about oneself than about Opincar.

I especially appreciate Opincar’s stories because he is Jewish and he inserts anecdotes that I can appreciate. He picks up the Jewish relationship between spirituality and food.

I do not recommend Fried Butter for people looking for a good memoir of life and adventure. I do recommend it for people who appreciate food for its history, the memories it creates, for the emotion and for food itself. It is a simple story of a man who has seen the world but holds all his memories in ingredients not in material items or places. I particularly like the chapter on turmeric and how you can use replacements for ingredients in recipes but somehow it is not like the real thing. There are certain things in life that you can have replacements of and never know that it is different from the real thing until you have the real one.

 

One of my favorite quotes: “Either there is a G-d, of Judaism is the cruelest joke that’s ever been pulled on any people in the history of the world!” (123).

 

 

Of course reading this book has now added more titles onto my “To Read” list….

Now go to your local public library and put those tax dollars to work.

 

 

“When I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and it is all one.” – M.F.K. Fisher

Two Birthdays – Belated Post

Two Birthdays Two Recipes

 

Kathy’s birthday was April 30 and mine was May 9. I made Kathy Lowfat Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. On the Monday of my birthday week, I made Oatmeal Cupcakes with Banana Coconut Frosting.

 

Here are the recipes:

Both are modified versions from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella

 

Lowfat Carrot Cupcakes

 

These are a favorite of all my friends.

 

1.5 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbl. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground ginger

1 egg

2 tbls. vegetable oil

¼ cup chopped walnuts (plus, extra to sprinkle on top)

½ cup fat-free milk (recipe calls for low-fat but the fat-free works)

8oz. crushed pineapple

1.5 cup grated carrots (I buy a bag of shredded carrots in the produce section to save time)

¼ cup brown sugar

 

1. preheat oven 350
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. In a medium bowl mix the egg, vegetable oil, walnuts, milk, pineapple, carrots and brown sugar.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir.
5. Fill cupcake tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting with Chopped Walnuts (I modified it to make it “low” fat)

 

8oz. fat free cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tbls. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

 

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Sift powdered sugar into the butter mixture and beat until lumps are gone.
3. Add the vanilla and mix until integrated.
4. Add chopped walnuts and mix until integrated.
5. Frost cupcakes and then sprinkle walnuts on top.

 

 

 

Oatmeal Cupcakes

The brown sugar added on top prior to baking adds an extra surprise in each bite. The more the better. Then the frosting. Yummy. These cupcakes are amazing. Many layers of flavor.

 

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 ½  cups firmly packed dark brown sugar ( ¾ cup for recipe and ¾ cup for sprinkling on top)

1 cup fat free milk

1 ½ cup sifted flour

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground allspice

2 large eggs at room temperature

 

1)      preheat oven to 350.

2)      In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, and ¾ cup milk.

3)      In another bowl mix flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.

4)      Add dry to wet ingredients. Beat and add remaining milk ( ¼ cup) and the eggs. Beat.

5)      Fill cupcake liners and then top each with brown sugar. The more the better.

6)      Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Banana Coconut Frosting

 

5 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup coconut

½ cup mashed bananas (usually 1 banana)

1 tsp lemon juice

8 cups powdered sugar

 

1)      Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan. Stir in coconut and continue stirring until the coconut is brown. Set aside.

2)      Combine mashed bananas and lemon juice.

3)      In a separate bowl cream together the 3 ½ tablespoons butter and powdered sugar. Then add the banana mixture. Mix.

4)      Mix in the cooked coconut.

 

 

 

Topping:

2 cups granola

Banana chips

 

 

Frost each cupcake and then roll the cupcake top in the granola. Top with a banana chip. Enjoy immediately. Happy Birthday to me.

 

 

 

I Agree

I went to UC Irvine for four years and every year I felt my faith was under attack from a specific student group. Monthly I either went to or witnessed events on campus that were full of hatred. Hillel would respond with peaceful events but the opposing group would always hold hateful events under the guise of being religious. And of course we could not respond because we would be “prejudiced.” The University allows these hateful events to happen. Freedom of speech is okay but not freedom of hate speech at a public university that is state sponsored.

Well, people are beginning to speak out nationwide. Againt one organization at UC Irvine that has connections that reach farther then the United States.

http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=74CD0F7B-6133-4DA4-82F2-FFE826C1A861

 

I should be sipping wine

“Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.”

 

Sitting down to write this post I feel it is only appropriate I have a glass of wine because obviously that signals maturity. Alas, I am lying in bed with a flannel shirt, glass of milk and a portion of coconut cake (“slice” would be an understatement).

 

Cliché but here is my review of the past year and my hopes for the future.

 

As I was reminded by Vanessa’s birthday card, I began my 22^nd year in a drunken stupor.  I was 22 and getting ready to graduate college. I did not have many expectations for my twenty-second year. It was a busy year full of cupcakes, miles, airplanes, and emotion.

I graduated college and moved away from Orange County. Traveled to Italy to visit my close friend Elizabeth. Said goodbye to my hometown, my state, my friends, and my family and moved 1,831 miles away to Iowa City. Began my first of my career as a Graduate student. Fulfilled my lifelong dream on February 15, 2008 when I sat down at the United Center and 5 strong women walked out – Mel B, Mel C, Emma, Geri, and Victoria – The Spice Girls. I began training for a marathon (more on that another day).

My glass is half-full. My twenty-second year was a year of growing up. I have become more settled with me. I love my little apartment because it is my own. I am setting roots in here in Iowa City for at least the next five years; this is not like the life of transition found in college.

 

I had a wonderful birthday. Highlighted with typing papers, the library, birthday wishes, cupcakes, and a cemetery visit. I began my birthday celebration staring at my computer realizing it was midnight and I was typing a paper. I poured a drink of rum crème and milk at 1:30am then I typed until 3am. The next morning in the library, my studiousness continued with Valerie bringing me a very fitting birthday card. I wore my “Make Cupcakes Not War” t-shirt.

 I love all the birthday cards and calls I received – Natalie, Valerie, Vanessa, Ryan, Helen,  Janna and Mike, Trisha, Mom and Dad, Boof, KK. I took the evening off. I went to dinner with Chris and a walk to see the black angel at the cemetery. Received a delicious cupcake and “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.”

Went to bed a happy camper and then woke up bright and early to present my research at the Women and Gender Symposium. Spent the day listening to speeches and came home to a slice of coconut cake, more birthday cards and a glass of milk.

 

“Birthdays are occasions for looking forward to the making of plans, for dreaming dreams, and hoping they will come true.”

Graduate School

I am extremely busy. I apologize. I have three cupcake recipes to post and some random blogs but I cannot until I finish up about 90 pages of typing.

So enjoy these comics from PhD Comics. I think they sum up my career choice very nicely.

I know no existence outside of this institution and my research. Talk to me about gender, domesticity, religion and women in the 19th C I am good, current events is another story.

 

True. Pathetic

Graduate School is a demeaning experience but I would never choose anything else. Sad but true.

Check out www.phdcomics.com

Awesome.

I’ll be back with more posts soon.

Happy Birthday

May is the best month to be born.

I was born and Israel was born.

Israel will be celebrating its 60th Birthday this month. Communities around the world will be walking a mile in support of Israel.

http://walktheland.org/

http://walktheland.org/israel_video

Find a community near you and celebrate the birth of the Jewish Homeland.

Sacramento is hosting the walk on May 11. What a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Pesach!

Grandparent’s Seder Plate and Elijah’s Cup.

I am behind in postings. I have a long list of things I would like to blog about but alas I am entering the final stretch of my semester and attempting to finish my MA essay. So pardon my tardiness.

Pesach is almost over…. I woke up this morning craving cereal, my yummy Smart Start.

This week has been rather interesting. I have eaten a lot of fruit and matzo.

For Seder I made a Mina de Espinaca (Spinach Pie), Matzo Ball soup and Kosher for Passover Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting (a la Manischewitz).

The Mina before going into the oven. Yummy!

-Mina de Espinaca con crema. I added broccoli and shallots to the mina to make it more unique.

Matzo Ball Soup!

Later in the week I made Matzo Farfel stuffing and a Matzo Cheese pie, Honey Cupcakes and White Cupcakes (all Kosher for Passover).

Here are the Kosher for Passover Chocolate Cupcakes I made from Manischewitz cake mix.

Proof.

 

Fresh out of the oven!

The finished Cupcakes.

I promise to update soon.

Katherine’s Spring Soundtrack:

I was driving down Highway 6 and it was sunny. I had CDs that were perfect and I thought, “What would Katherine’s spring soundtrack be?  

Here you go (with some videos to add drama and flare):

-          If you have suggestions, let me know.   

Uno: Mushaboom – Feist 

 

With lyrics like that, how can you not feel the spring sun shining on you?

This song makes me skip through Schaeffer Hall when it is plugged in my ears.

Moreover, the music video is whimsy. Feist picks me up.

Dos: Cleanse Song – Bright Eyes 

Enough Said.

Tres: Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen 

This is a good song to listen to while driving down the country roads.  

 Cuatro: I Feel It All – Feist 

 

This song makes me want to run around a field like the video but only in daylight and without fire around me.

Cinco: Academia – Sia 

One of Sia’s most beautiful songs on the new album. Gorgeous. She has such great energy too. She should be given prizes for her music, along with Feist. 

Seis: Handle with Care – Jenny Lewis et al. 

(Traveling Wilbury’s Cover) I like this version better for driving.  

Siete: Life is Beautiful – Ryan Adams 

Pretty song that always puts a skip in my step. Springy. 

Ocho: Half Acre – Hem 

The song just sounds like a car driving down a highway with the wind blowing and the sun shining. Makes me want to go home

Nueve: You Picked Me – A Fine Frenzy 

Reminds me of this quote: “Women are like apples on trees, the best ones are on the top of the tree. The men don’t want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and don’t want to get hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren’t so good but easy. So, the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who’s brave enough to climb all the way to the top because they value quality.” 

 

Another good driving song.

Diez: The Girl You Lost to Cocaine – Sia 

Sia is awesome. Sums it up. Awesome.  

Appendix A

I woke up this morning and figured out what to make with my remaining brown banana.

Banana Buckwheat Pancakes.

All I did was mash a banana a bowl and then added the Buckwheat Pancakes mix (and all other wet ingredients) into the bowl. Cooked and then ate. Yummy.

Healthy too, because: 1) buckwheat (hello, fiber!), 2) banana (duh!), 3) fat free milk instead of regular milk, 4) sugar free maple syrup, and 5) smart balance buttery spread.

I made a whole batch and only ate two. I usually freeze the leftovers and then pop them in the microwave in the morning. Yummy breakfast all week long.

I will have to make these with my Passover Pancake mix and Passover Syrup. 

Baked Bananas

I have some bananas that are beginning to brown so I thought I should make good use of them. I made a baked banana from my Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook.

Baked Bananas:

(the finished product with steam coming from it, yummy!)

Here is the recipe:

Oven 400 degrees F

1 banana

2 tablespoons yogurt (be generous!) (I used Weight Watchers Vanilla yogurt)

ground cinnamon

1) Put the banana on a baking sheet and make a slit along the length of the banana.

2) Bake the banana for 10-15 minutes. (The skin will turn black and the banana will ooze)

3) Remove the banana from the peel, spoon yogurt on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

 

(steamy goodness in every bite)

I think my dad will love this recipe. They smell better than baked apples and are defintely better. 

Now I have to figure out what to do to with the rest of the bananas.