weird things I like with cottage cheese.

Is it just me? I'm not crazy about sweet things with cottage cheese. Melon, pineapple, strawberries? Meh. I like them on their own well enough or with yogurt or something, but cottage cheese has always felt more like a savory thing to me. Give me a bag of chips and I'll down an entire 24 ouncer in one sitting, using it as dip. I'm not proud of this, but there it is. Hey, at least I buy the fat free kind.

and yes this is my desk. and yes that's a dr. who coaster.

But it occurs to me that maybe some would consider this an odd workday lunch: cottage cheese with a handful of Archer Farms' "Tex Mex" trail mix, which if you haven't tried it is a semi-spicy concoction of nuts and seeds and mysterious little cracker things. I've also got a banana and a Luna bar for dessert/snack later. Am I crazy? Because honestly I think this is delicious. A perfect combination of crunchy and creamy and a big dose of protein too. I love it.

Hence, a new series of posts: weird things I like with cottage cheese. Feel free to suggest stuff you think I should try. I'm not saying I will.. but I'll consider it and report back to you. Who knows, maybe we'll start a whole new trend.. or further alienate ourselves from the rest of the cottage cheese fearing world. Either way, yum!

A Mad Woman Who I Hope Will Never Change

Hey kids! Tonight's the night! It's time for MAD MEN!!!! Who's excited??!?

In fact, for those of you in EST with one of those cable thingies or whatever, you're probably watching it right this very minute. I actually have to wait until tomorrow when it shows up on Amazon. Très méchant! So I will content myself in the meantime with our final Mad Woman of the week...

Megan Calvet Draper.

I have to admit, it took me quite a while to warm up to Megan. Certainly much longer than it took Don! She just waltzed into Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and went from receptionist to kid-comforter to babysitter to wife to copywriter, bouncing her head so much she made me dizzy. When Don proposed to her (seriously, at a hotel in Disney? Who does that?) I thought Don was making a huge mistake, falling into the same dumb traps he always does: another too young, pretty receptionist. Like that's going to solve all his problems. Come on, Don, when will you ever learn?

But then Megan surprised us. She sincerely loves Don, and I actually believe he sincerely loves her, as much as he's capable of loving anyone. And maybe with her influence, his capacity for love - real, grown-up love, not sex - is actually changing. Is it possible?

Remember when she saw through Betty's attempt to get between them through Sally and that family tree thing? ("You think this is an accident? If you call her, you're giving her exactly what she wanted — the thrill of having poisoned us from 50 miles away.") That was the moment when I realized there was much more to Megan than I'd previously thought, and that she actually represented a new kind of 1960's young woman: passionate, smart, and willing to stand up for what she believes in. Namely, love. About time, Mad Women.

Well ok, the orange sherbet bit was kind of awesome too. "Get in the car! Eat ice cream! Leave work! Take off your dress! Yes, master!" Awesome and extremely uncomfortable, because I've been in fights like that. And I know how it feels to be an idealist surrounded by cynics. So I worry for Megan's future. She is clearly much smarter than she lets on and has a lot of advantages in life, but despite her savvy handling of Don and Heinz Beans, I still don't think she's as tough as Peggy or Joan. Or at least I hope she never will be.

So for you Megan, and for the enfants idéalistes in all of us, who smile instead of smirk, I present..

Megan's Spaghetti

It's what Megan served Sally after she "saved" Pauline (from the injury that she herself caused with her phone cord.) It's what inspired her "some things never change" campaign for Heinz Beans. And I made it with a side of croissants because hey, it's Megan, pourquoi pas?

This recipe comes from The Kitchn (who have a cookbook coming out soon! So excited!) and of course I left out the optional meat but I'm guessing Megan wouldn't have. But she'd also serve the sauce on the side for her pals Sally and Bobby. Extra points for sneaking in zucchini like my mama did though.

Hearty Tomato Sauce

Makes about 5 cups of sauce

1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 package of mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup sliced)
1 red pepper (or orange or yellow), diced
3 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can of diced tomatoes with the juices
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound pasta
Optional extra spices: 1 bay leaf, 1 whole star anise, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, pinch of red pepper flakes
Optional meaty extras: 2 diced sausage links, hamburger, 3-4 slices diced bacon or pancetta, 1 cup pulled pork
Optional veggie extras: zucchini, celery, carrots
salt and pepper to taste

Heat one teaspoon oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven or sauce pan. Add the meat (if using) and cook until browned and golden. Lift the meat out with a slotted spoon and let it drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off all but a teaspoon of the oil in the pan.

Add the onion and a big pinch of salt, and cook until the onion is softened, translucent, and starting to turn brown. Add the mushrooms and another big pinch of salt. Cook until all the mushroom liquid has released and evaporated, and the mushrooms are turning golden brown. Add the pepper and any other extra veggies and cook until softened. Clear a little space in the middle of the pan and saute the garlic just until it starts to smell great (about 30 seconds).

If a brown burnt-looking crust starts forming on the bottom of the pan, that's ok. If it starts to actually SMELL like something is burning, add a teaspoon of water and turn the heat down to medium.

Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices. Scrape the bottom of the pan to lift up that brown crust (which is actually caramelized juices. They'll dissolve into the sauce - delicious!). Sprinkle the oregano and any extra spices over the sauce and stir in the reserved cooked meat. Turn the heat down to to medium and simmer the sauce while you cook the pasta.

Right before you drain the pasta, dip out a half cup of the pasta cooking water and add this to the tomato sauce. This will help thicken the sauce and make it silky. Remove the star anise and bay leaf (if using), stir in the balsamic vinegar, and taste. If the flavors taste bitter, add a healthy pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. If they're flat, add a squeeze of lemon.

Now I know I left out anything alcoholic here. For tonight's premiere, I'm going to leave that one up to the good folks at the Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook and give you Megan's Blue Hawaii, right here. Cheers!

TGIF

A Mad Woman Has Everything She Wants, And No One Else Has Anything Better

We are so close. Just a weekend now between us and our Mad Women. And what do we do on the weekend?

Par-taaaaaayyyy! Get out the whipped cream, it's time for moms gone wild! With.....

Betty Draper Francis.

Um, ok, maybe not so wild. So Betty, seriously, what's your deal? Are you going to be fun this season? Because I for one miss the kick-ass mama who shot the damn birds out of the trees, wearing nothing but a nightgown, high heeled slippers and a dangling cigarette, having had quite enough of that jerky neighbor who told her kids he was going to kill their dog. Where is that Betty? I know she's in there somewhere, hidden deep within the fat suit and the layers of bitterness and resentment. Find her, please!

Don't get me wrong, I'd be hitting the whipped cream pretty regularly if I was married to Don too. Hell, I hit it anyway, who am I kidding? And as much as I really hate Betty sometimes (and I really, really do... or maybe I just hate January Jones, I don't know) I have to hand it to the show for creating a character who I both despise and at the same time completely, reluctantly, relate to so well. Betty is an amazing study in contrasts, she is everything and nothing we women want to be: beautiful but cold, financially rich yet emotionally poor, a perfect house in the suburbs - literally and metaphorically - filled with ugliness inside. It's no wonder her new place has become so scary looking.. it's haunted.

Sure, I'm a better mom usually, and probably so are you. I'm better at laughing at myself too. And.. um, I speak in more than a monotone. But let's be real - deep down, Betty is just as vulnerable and hurt and weird as the rest of us. So for you, girlfriend, I submit:

Betty's Mystery Trapped Inside of An Enigma

Now, I've been struggling to come up with a decent dish to adequately capture the odd mixure of dysfunction that is Betty. I thought about my own mother's endless diet plates of cottage cheese and cantaloupe, a study in somewhat salty and sweet. Or maybe something out of the Weight Watcher's cookbook with a gimlet on the side.

But once I turned down Gimlet Boulevard in my giant Country Squire with no seat belts, I noticed The Modern Gelatina's Betty Francis Vodka Gimlet Gelatin. Much like our favorite ice queen, the strawberries are quite literally trapped in a boozy, picture perfect mold. A little sweet, a little tart, a lot Betty. 

2 packets gelatin

1/2 cup water (for blooming)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
Juice of two limes (approx. 1/2 cup) with zest reserved
1 and 1/2 cup vodka
Strawberries

Put 1/2 cup of water in a medium bowl and sprinkle the 2 packets of gelatin on top. Set bowl aside. Put water, sugar, and lime juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add lime zest. Let stew for 10-minutes. Strain the lime syrup, and return to saucepan. Reheat the syrup, and pour over the bloomed gelatin. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir in vodka.

Put mixture in refrigerator (or freezer) until thickened to a soft gel consistency. It should be easy to stir but thick enough to suspend the strawberries. Stir in (or place) strawberries into mixture, and the mold(s). Put in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours.

To remove gelatin, put mold into a bowl or sink full of warm water for a few seconds. After removing from water, gently shake the mold side to side. When the gelatin jiggles away from the edges of the mold, put plate on top of mold and flip over. If gelatin does not come out, try repeating the process or run a knife around the edge. Be careful not to melt the mold in the process.


And if you feel like adding a squirt or ten of Redi-Whip? Totally your call, sister. I'm not going to judge.

Next up: Megan.

A Mad Woman Attends the Codfish Ball

People, we're halfway there! Hump Day! Someone send Don over!

Wait, he brought his daughter, button up.

Sally Draper

Yeah, I know I said yesterday that Betty was next in our Mad Women Week. I changed my mind. Besides, I'm liking her kid more these days anyway. Give it up for Miss Sally Beth! She's growing up so fast, isn't she? One minute she's spitting out sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving and the next she's politely poking around her fish while trying to forget what she saw in the next room. It'll get easier honey, I promise. And you still have the Summer of Love and Woodstock to look forward to! So many ways to forget, just ask Roger. Wait, don't.

So tonight I'm paying tribute to that fateful Codfish Ball of last season, and yes, cod is on the menu. Sorry Sally. But mine's baked with a yummy crust of almonds and white wine, because you're a young lady now. But - psst - my kid liked it. And we had kid-friendly mashed potatoes and fresh grapes on the side. Because I love you, girlfriend. Hang in there.

Sally's Codfish Ball
2 fillets fresh or frozen cod
3/4 cup olive oil
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup white wine or champagne
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the cod on a baking sheet (mine was frozen and I did not thaw it) and cover with olive oil.

Crush the almonds with your hands into a bowl. I like this better than just using chopped almonds because the pieces are still thin and not as crunchy as chopped chunks would be. You could also use ground almonds if you wanted more of a breadcrumb type texture. Mix in the wine, parmesan, thyme, and salt. 

Spread over the fish and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. You may need to cover the top with foil halfway through to keep the nuts from burning before the fish is ready. Stop making nut jokes.

Now, if I had had my act together better I would have also made some Shirley Temples in honor of our girl Sal. And I would have used this homemade grenadine. I made several bottles of this a few years ago as Christmas presents and I can promise it is definitely worth it. And so is Sally.

Next up: Betty. No really.

A Mad Woman Does Not Cross the Border from Lubricated to Morose. Good Night.

Oh look, it's already day 2 of Mad Women Week. We're that much closer to the return of their fabulous television counterparts on Sunday, and that means another recipe paying homage to the ladies of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Give it up for...

Joan Halloway Harris.

Another secretary who made it, clawing her way to the top with grace and style and a certain nightmare evening last season. Say what you will about her methods, her bitchiness, her amazing rack, you gotta respect Joan.

And considering how hard she works, and the fact that I have a family-free evening tonight myself, I'm not going to bother either of us with some casserole or soup or any actual meal. I'm sure she could get the other secretaries to light the sterno under something more delicious than I could whip up any day. Instead I'm putting my feet up and sipping Joan's favorite drink. To you, Joan. May you ever reign supreme.

Joan's Gin Fizz

This is from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook, courtesy of Manhattan's "21" Club. It's basically a gin and tonic with club soda and sugar instead of the tonic, and lemon instead of lime. Ok it's not really a gin and tonic at all. Just like Joan is anything but just a secretary.

2 ounces gin
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
4 rounded teaspoonfuls sugar
Club soda

Add ice, gin, lime juice and sugar to a shaker. Shake vigorously. Pour into a Collins glass and fill with club soda.

They also note, "you can add a splash of orange juice to soften the cocktail." I'm going to suggest blood orange juice if you've got it, to pay true homage to the hottest redhead in New York.

See you tomorrow night for our next Mad Woman: Betty. 

A Mad Woman's Art of Dinner

Ok kids. We've had our Dr. Who fun. Did you enjoy the new episode? Personally I loved the whole "Dr. Who?" "Ask me that again!" bit. And calling the TARDIS a "snogbox." SNOGBOX!!!

But now it is time for Themed Food Week, Part Deaux: the Mad Women Edition. That's right, women. This one's for the glamorous ladies of Sterling Cooper Draper Price and their families. Because is there any show on television today that has explored the complexities of our fair sex more interestingly than Mad Men? I defy you to come up with one that has done a better job of it, despite throwing them in the middle of one of the most maddeningly sexist eras in history. Yeah, I said maddeningly. I know.

Please note: like the real Joan Harris I am, I thought this week's menu up on the fly at the grocery store with my kid in tow. And then came home and poured myself a drink. So it may not have the flair of last week, it may not even be authentically 60's, but I can promise you a lot more booze. In fact, I'm going to attempt a little booze in every dish. 

So give it up for the buxom, the bedraggled, the bemused... and in tonight's case, the bean-totin.' Cheers!

Peggy

We're starting with my favorite female of all television time: Peggy Olson. I'm a sucker for a secretary who made it, what can I say. And I love how Peggy is both vulnerable and sometimes heartbreakingly naive and at the same time smart and hard working and kind of pissed off at the world and continues to have more and more moments of sheer brilliance. Remember how Don kissed her hand when she said goodbye to him last season? Yeah, I would do it too, just like that. I love Peggy.

But before that happened, she tried to sell those Heinz beans. Sure, Megan finally got the account (bitch.) (Just kidding I've grown to love Megan too.) But wouldn't it have been great to actually see those beans in a ballet? So tonight, I'm making them dance, if only in my mouth. And with a special dash of Heinz.

This is also a testament to a secretary-turned-copywriter's salary: throwing in a bunch of mixed greens and leftover salad, this dish is all about thrift and using whatever you've got. Work it, girl.

Peggy's Bean Ballet

3 cans mixed beans - I used navy beans, garbanzos, and a tri-bean blend of kidneys, pintos and black beans. 

6 or 7 cloves garlic, minced

Mixed greens/leftover salad, chopped - I had a good two handfuls of spinach, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, green onions and parsley left over from our Whovian adventure. Use whatever greens, herbs, and vegetables you have on hand. Or if you don't, this amounts to maybe 2-3 cups. There's really no hard rule here.

2 bay leaves

1/2-3/4 (?) cup olive oil

1/4 cup whiskey, plus however much you'd like to sip on the side, Peggy style.

2 generous squirts of ketchup - Heinz if you've got it.

Salt to taste - I used kosher for Peggy's Abe (he's not perfect but I love him too. And I hope he's been shopping for a ring already.)

Drain and rinse beans well in a colander, set aside. Saute the garlic in some of the olive oil for a few minutes; add the whiskey, ketchup, greens, vegetables, and bay leaves before the garlic starts to turn brown. Continue to saute until the greens are well wilted. Add the beans. At this point you may want to add more of the oil or whiskey as you see fit so that the mixture isn't too dry. Add salt to taste, stir and continue to cook to allow the flavors to marry (hint, hint Abe.) Serve with rice or toast and a good, stiff drink.

Stay tuned for tomorrow night's Mad Woman: Joan.