Under The Copper Tree

Sunday Plans

2013-06-09T12:23:00.001-04:00

Just something to keep me on track.

And the red marker completely exploded on me.

Freezer Purge

2013-06-04T01:55:00.001-04:00

I don't remember if I wrote about this before, but my freezer is on this fritz... again. I've already thrown out a lot, mostly meat. It pains me to do that, but who knows how long its been thawing and refreezing. The back is completely covered in ice and not properly freezing what little is left in there. I have a bag of salmon fillets, a seafood mix, a roaster, and assorted vegetables and fruit. Not stuffed, but arrrgh. I don't want to throw all that out.

I'm tempted to bring stuff to work and throw it in the freezer there. But I am pretty sure it's full.

Le sigh. First world problems.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Villa Valenti Pub (Troy, NY)

2013-05-29T00:52:00.001-04:00

M recently bought a deal from Living Social for Villa Valenti and we decided to use it tonight. We weren't really sure how to get there, but we headed in the general direction. About halfway there I finally turned on the GPS and kept my eye out for the restaurant.

We saw the sign for Villa Valenti and pulled right in. Went inside and when the server came over M showed her the Living Social deal.

"Um... that's not ours. That's for Villa Valenti. It's a fancy place way out there."

Who knew that there were two Villa Valenti's?

We ended up just having dinner there. Ordered at 10 cut Villa Valenti pizza (13.99) and a large order or curly fries.

The Villa Valenti pizza has mozzarella and provolone cheese and topped with red onions and roasted red peppers. I didn't really expect much from the place, but this pizza was pretty good! Because of all the cheese and sauce, it's more of a knife and fork kind of pizza, which is fine by me. If I could have changed anything on it, it would have been more red peppers, they were pretty stingy with them.

Definitely will have to go back. And when we do, it will have to be no where near the side door - people were smoking right outside and the smoke kept drifting in... yuck.

A Rainy Hello

2013-05-25T16:12:00.001-04:00

It's been a while, hasn't it? I will give no excuses, since I am aware there are those out there that hate when bloggers apologize for their absence. So this I will not do.

What I will do is say hello.

I am writing this brief missive on a tablet I purchased just two hours ago. A somewhat impulsive purchase, I'll give you that, but all the while, I am enjoying what I've seen so far.

This keyboard on the other hand, I am not liking. It's small an cramped and making my forearms cramp. But it's bluetooth so I have to test it out.

Anyways, hope you stay dry.

A Little Too Eggy

2013-05-02T20:23:00.001-04:00

M and I had breakfast at a local diner that shall remain nameless. He ordered eggs, toast, and home fries; I got french toast and an order of fries. About two cups of coffee later, our meal arrived.

Um… this is french toast?

Mind you, it hit the spot. Butter, syrup… the works. Quickly gobbled down. But it was just too… egg heavy. Doesn’t it look more like three square omelets than bread? Eh, shouldn’t complain. Good and cheap are always acceptable, no matter what it looks like.

Recycled Window Boxes

2013-04-24T06:25:00.000-04:00

M was on a mission this past weekend. Aside from cleaning up the yard and tidying around the house, he wanted to make more planters. At some point in our house’s past, the living room windows had window boxes. There were no signs of them when we moved in, so either it’s been a very long time since the last installation or the former owners took them when they left.

The wood came from a pallet we got from our neighbors. I was thinking they would be a bit deeper, but boards weren’t wide enough. Not complaining though, because I think he did a pretty good job on them. Now I just have to figure out what to plan in them. Something with shallow roots… herbs perhaps?

AOA 5.0

2013-04-23T23:15:00.001-04:00

All Over Albany had their birthday bash last Thursday over at City Beer Hall, and I was lucky enough to score a ticket!

The good thing about these parties is that you get to meet people that write for AOA, are featured on there, or regularly comment on the site. There were definitely people I recognized – Duncan Crary for example – who I’d like to apologize to for my babbling of my frustrations with Troy. I blame the Captain Lawrence for acting as a truth serum of sorts. And I probably did the same to AOA Greg and Jon in Albany. My bad guys.

The ever present cupcakes. I practiced plenty of restraint and only had one. And to my knowledge, there was no cupcake thefts.

Okay, well maybe one…

On my way out I did grab the last cupcake on the tray nearest to me. And it just happened to have the 5 on it. But it was for a good cause, I swear! M never gets to participate in these events, so a little treat for him. We lit it and everything… and then a house centipede crawled over it and M killed it with some junk mail right on the candle, and then threw it out. Who wants a candle with bug guts? Not me.

Anyways, happy birthday AOA!

Field Goods 2013 Week #2

2013-04-23T22:44:00.001-04:00

Just when I thought I was done with the frozen vegetables, I got green beans and cauliflower from The Farm at Miller’s Crossing. If anything can be said about my eating habits since signing up with Field Goods, it’s that my vegetable consumption has gone through the roof. Straight through… sky high.

Salad greens! Half a pound of it, and it’s keeping remarkably well in just the plastic bag. Definitely will take this over the store bought stuff… seems hardier. If that means anything. Organic, from Pleasant Valley Farm.

Swiss Chard from Barber Farm. Organic, and I got half a pound. Will probably end up just sautéing it.

Two pounds of Empire apples from Migliorelli Farm. Oh boy… if I eat these apples I will turn into an apple. Seriously. It’s applesauce from here on out, folks!

Two pounds each of Adirondack Blue and Red Skin potatoes from Rexcroft Farm. I bought some leeks so potato leek soup is in my future. And then there is your traditional roasted potatoes. Toss in a bit of oil, with some salt and pepper.

Field Goods 2013 Growing Season

2013-04-17T23:25:00.001-04:00

Last week was the official start to Field Goods 2013 season. Seems a bit odd that their season starts in April, but then again they run just about all year. I actually have more thoughts on this company, but I figured for now I would share with you what I got in my bag. I get the standard share, which should feed about 2 people… or just me.

Week #1

Frozen corn and flat beans from Migliorelli Farm. The end of last season I got a lot of frozen vegetables. Mostly green beans, corn, and kale – which I appreciate… but I wouldn’t have minded a little more variety. According to this week’s email, there shouldn’t be any more (which my freezer would appreciate).

Living Greens Microgreen Medley. Along with the frozen vegetables, another one that I got repeatedly at the end of last season. They’re great, but it was turning into too much. I ended up using it as a topping when I made soba noodles. I think they would be more ideal to go into sandwiches, but I’m not really a sandwich person.

~ 10 oz. of shiitake mushrooms from Bulich Farm. This one threw me for a loop because I don’t cook often with mushrooms… and when I do it’s usually white or portabella mushrooms. I’m used to dried shiitakes, and those I’m only okay with. They just have a weird taste to me. I threw them into some fried rice I made tonight, but something about the smell made me not want to eat it. Oh well… M has lunch now.

2 pounds of kholrabi from Migliorelli Farm. I grew this summer last year but never actually harvested it. I got some in past vegetable share but kinda… forgot about it. And so it started to grow. And now it’s in the raised beds. But these will be used. How… not a clue. I’m thinking salad. Maybe a slaw?

2.25 pounds of fuji apples from Migliorelli’s. I got apples a lot last season. Which was fine at first, because I love me some apples. But there’s a difference when you eat an apple in season… and one way out of it. It’s still good, mind you. But it just isn’t the same. Last time I went downstate I bought a bag full of them so my sister could make something with them. Hopefully she remembered.

Kohlrabi

2013-04-15T22:39:00.001-04:00

I’ve been trying my best to use up my vegetables, but there were some that fell through the cracks. Kohlrabi was one of the unfortunate victims. It was sitting there with the rest of the veggies, but I didn’t know what to make and so they stayed… unloved… forgotten.

When I remembered them, they had started to grow – shoots and what looked like the beginnings of flower buds. So what to do – toss them? Cook them? Or how about plant them? I’ve seen on Pinterest people posting about re-growing vegetables, and this would be the same thing… right? I just don’t know if I’ll actually get kohlrabi from one. It’ll be interesting to find out.

Garlic!

2013-04-10T07:03:00.000-04:00

Back in the fall I picked up a few bulbs of garlic at Honest Weight for a spring harvest. Well, the snow is finally gone and here come the welcoming green shoots. How long before I can pull them out of the ground? I’m sure it’ll be another month at least.

I’m still waiting for the rhubarb. When we put in the raised beds last year, we filled it with a lot of dirt, and the rhubarb was pretty deep in there. M thinks he may have killed it… which would be sad. But then again, we really haven’t done much with it. I think I’d rather put in asparagus.

A New Restaurant for North Troy

2013-04-09T18:20:00.002-04:00

If you're familiar with North Troy, then you would have seen that the empty store front with the bare awning frame across the Old Judge Mansion B&B has recently been occupied. What was the dead giveaway? How about the paper up on the windows, the exterior painted a bold orange, and perhaps the sign that says that a restaurant will soon be opening up?

The restaurant that will be opening there on the corner of 6th and Glen Avenue is Hot Spot Jamaican American Cuisine. They have another restaurant on Central Avenue in Albany. A quick look at reviews on Yelp showed that people think it's okay, but their chicken is a bit dry. Hmm. But they must be doing well enough for them to consider opening up a place on the other side of the river.

But hey... Troy is the "in" city at the moment. What I like so far is that something is opening up in an area other than downtown. Wax poetic about all these downtown things, but one area does not a city make. You want me to actually say Troy is getting better? Then show me - invest in the other areas of the city. With the opening of this restaurant, it looks like people actually are. There is no guarantee it will make it, but hopefully it's the gateway to really improving the neighborhood.

Okay, off my soapbox.

I'll let you know when this place opens.

A Good Cut

2013-04-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've cut my hair really short only once before, and while I liked it, the cut didn't really suit my face. So I toughed it out, and for the next decade or so kept the hair length anywhere from just below the ears to just below the shoulder blades. Which is fine, but a major pain in the butt.

Tuesday I was going through my e-mail at work when I decided to cut my hair. I looked through Pinterest and saved the photos I would need to show the stylist exactly what I wanted my hair to look like. Normally I go over to Paul Mitchell in Schenectady, but that is a long drive. So I called up Austin's in Albany to make an appointment.

I've never been to Austin's before, but I'll definitely go back. My appointment was with one of the students, but after I explained I wanted a short cut, her teacher Mrs. Williams took over. And let me just say she did a fantastic job. She cut it perfectly and it is so low maintenance... I just love it.

Farro Salad with Tofu

2013-04-07T23:21:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Eat, Write, Retreat I received two samples of farro from Tuscan Fields. Not only did Tuscan Fields give away samples of their product to try, but they are also offering a scholarship for this year's Eat, Write, Retreat conference being held in Philadelphia.

Wouldn't it be awesome if I got picked?

***I didn't win. Tack on the choke Michigan played out in the second half and I am super sad***

Moving on...

I'm pretty limited in my grain knowledge, but after some research I can tell you that farro is a type of wheat grain. The name farro apparently covers emmer wheat, spelt, an einkorn. The grain commonly grown in Italy is emmer wheat. It looks very similar to wheatberries and has the same nutty flavor when cooked. I used it as a substitute for the brown rice in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite dishes.

Farro Salad with Tofu

1 package Tuscan Fields Farro Perlato
1 package firm tofu, well drained
~1/8 cup tamari
4 ounces sun ripened tomatoes, cut into thin strips
8 ounces frozen petite peas

Preparing the tofu takes a little longer so start on the this first. Drain the tofu - I used the two plate method, but you can use baking sheets with raised sides. Give it about ten minutes and enough liquid should be expressed. Cut into even sized cubes and place in a bowl. Add half of the tamari and toss to evenly coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for ten minutes. Try a piece to see if it's seasoned to your liking and add more as needed.

Place on a parchment lined and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately thirty minutes, or until the tofu has browned. Cool.

Cooking the farro was relatively easy. A good rinse in cold water before adding it to a pot of boiling water. Takes about twenty minutes and what you get is a grain that doesn't clump and has a chewy consistency. Maybe it's just this picture, but the cooked farro reminds me of puffed wheat cereal. Drain well and allow the farro to cool. I poured the farro out onto a baking sheet to speed up the cooling.

The tomatoes and peas can be done last since it's pretty quick. If you have sun dried tomatoes you can use those, but just reconstitute them in hot water and squeeze out the excess liquid. If you have the oil packed ones, try to drain off as much of the oil as possible. As for the peas, add them to a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Pretty much when they all float to the top it's time to drain and rinse under cold water.

To make the salad, just add everything into a large enough bowl and toss, making sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Enjoy!

Food Truck Festival Coming to Troy!

2013-04-05T10:07:00.002-04:00

I remember hearing about this on twitter, but after seeing a blurb about it on All Over Albany it's official - Troy is going to have a food truck festival. Now they're toting it as the first ever food truck festival in New York.

That's not entirely true.

Back in 2010 M and I went to the Vendy Awards on Governors Island, which was food truck festival of sorts... and a spattering of food carts. Okay, so not a straight up food truck festival. The Troy event can have the moniker of first ever.

Nitpickiness aside, I am pumped for this. The festival will be on May 4th, so not too far away. You can't bring your alcoholic beverages, but you'll be able to buy some there with a magical five dollar beer token. And apparently coolers, pets, skateboards, and bikes are forbidden as well. I hope the city considers possibly placing a bunch of bike racks outside the perimeter of the festival for us peddlers.

Here's the current list of trucks participating:

Wandering Dago
Pies on Wheels
Aegean Greek
Good Eats
Slidin Dirty
The Spud Shack
Gwenies Breakfast Wagon
Fast Trax
Bootleggers
Sweet Temptations
Kona Ice
Fitsy's Fork in the Road

Check out the website for more details.

Overpriced NYC

2013-03-31T16:27:00.000-04:00

Had an unexpected trip into Manhattan today. While I was waiting I decided to grab a bite to eat. Got a sicilian slice, cherry coke. Came out to five-ish, which isn't bad for Manhattan. Then I got to thinking I may be waiting a while so I should probably get something else to eat. There were chips by the register so I grabbed a bag and proceeded to get my card out.

The chips brought my total to nine-ish.

What?!?

Four bucks for those chips? Are you serious? Of course, I should have asked how much they were before buying them, but I wasn't in the logical mindset. Lesson learned.

The Soft Serve Chronicles: Jumpin Jack’s (Scotia, NY)

2013-03-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

What better for a birthday treat than opening day at an ice cream shop? I quickly left work and headed up to Scotia. JJ’s has been around forever, but this was the first time I had ever been there. Too far, and from what I heard about it, it was bound to be packed.

And on opening day, it sure was. I could see the line up as I crossed over the bridge. There’s the main building, where you can order food, and then there’s a smaller building off to the side that just serves ice cream. I’m still on the “no meat” kick, so that burger is going to have to wait.

Soft serve prices:

Small – $1.50
Medium – $ 2.00
Large – $2.25

Sprinkles – $0.50

I grabbed a medium vanilla twist with rainbow sprinkes which set me back $2.50. I really need to bring a ruler or something, but it seemed a bit small for a medium. The small, which is also the kiddie size, is hardly any ice cream… it’s like a little nub. Because it was a warmer day and sunnier, I had more sprinkle loss. More so in my car. Good thing I got napkins.

Birthday Lunch @ Bistro Filipino (Blauvelt,NY)

2013-03-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

Guess who turned eighty-one today? This pretty lady did! Now we normally just celebrate at home, but my uncle decided that we’d leave the cooking to someone else. He decided on Bistro Filipino, one of two Filipino restaurants left in Rockland County (as far as I know, anyways). I’ve never been there before, but I have heard good things about the place.

Surprisingly my parents and I were the first ones there. Oh, that Filipino time! Being early has its benefits, like picking your seat. Bistro Filipino is pretty small – our party took up half the dining area, and even that was pretty tight.

The menu was already planned out before we got there, but it was your typical fare. Lots of grilled meats, grilled seafood, chicharon, pancit, sinigang, and lots of rice. There were some other dishes, but I don’t remember because they had meat in them and I’m still meatless. The bangus above I ate almost all of, and had a good serving of pinakbet. There was probably pork in that, but what I don’t see…. yeah.

A glimpse of the other half of the table. As usual, all the kids sat on one end… the adults on the other. Only now the kids are older and had their girlfriends/boyfriends in tow. And if they’re new to the world of family parties, they go through the process of awkward small talk, followed by playful teasing, and lots of “you should try this!”

As if we didn’t order enough food, a few of us got dessert. Both my sister and I got halo-halo, a shaved ice dish drenched in sweetened milk and topped with flan, ube, and ube ice cream. Underneath that layer of ice was a mixture of sweetened beans, tapioca balls, and I’m pretty sure crispy rice. I don’t know why I ordered this, because I actually don’t like halo-halo. At least when shaved ice is used. Now if it was ice cream, it would be a different story.

The birthday cake came from Red Ribbon, a Filipino bakery in Jersey City. It was okay, but after the halo-halo I wasn’t in a cake mood.

I’ll have to go back there after Easter and see how it is. I already have crispy pata on the list. Mmmm… fried pork.

Sick :(

2013-03-16T18:20:00.000-04:00

It was bound to happen. And just my luck, it struck on my day off. I haven’t been this sick in a long time – sinus pressure, headaches, resorting to mouth breathing because of a stuffy nose. I spent most of the day laying in bed watching The West Wing and downing plenty of fluids… and snacks. When I wasn’t doing that, I was sleeping. A whole lot of blarrrgh feeling.

Eventually I took one of these, even though I really didn’t want to. I hate taking cold medicines in liquid form. They just taste yucky and bring out the whiny kid in me.

An Eggy, Wonton Thing

2013-03-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

Is it normal to mix two soups together? Regardless, it was bright yellow and I’m guessing it was pretty good. I’m pretty congested and everything tastes weird.

Breakfast Sandwiches

2013-03-15T10:57:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah… this is how my family rolls.

Woke up this morning and in typical fashion I was STARVING. My dad mentioned picking up breakfast, but gave up after my sister, mom, and myself asked him the same question. Maybe it’s just us, but when someone asks “What do you want to eat?” we answer with “Where are you going?” A fair enough question, amirite?

To quell the situation I headed over to the closest bagel shop and got sandwiches for all of us – whole wheat bagel with veggie cream cheese; plain bagel with lox cream cheese; hobo on an egg bagel; and a buttered hard roll. Okay, so the buttered roll isn’t really a sandwich but whatever.

Fool Me Three Times…

2013-03-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

It probably wasn't the smartest idea to grab a beer after eating some ice cream. But it was only fair to M that he got something after I dragged me out to Delmar for dessert. I casually mentioned what the beer of the day was over at Brown's, and it piqued M's interest.

I can't even remember the last time we were at Brown's... well over a year ago. The reason for such a stretch between visits was because every visit has been lackluster. I don't even want to say mediocre, because that's kind of mean, and because the last visit was so long ago. Issues with the beer, issues with the food, issues all around. So I haven't been jumping at the opportunity to go there - hell, I've passed up invitations from co-workers to go there because of those past experiences.

But that's just me, and I obviously have no idea what I'm talking about because people still go there in droves. I'm just a girl with limited understandings of beer and finicky tastes who also has a food related blog. I absolutely have no idea what I'm talking about.

M ordered the heffe, which according to him tasted off. Strong sulfur smell. Dominant hop flavor, as it should, but still off. He ordered another in case that first one was a fluke (and it was the beer of the day). Tasted just the same - off.

"Why do we still keep going here?" he asked after finishing the second beer.

Nothing really sounded appealing, but I decided to get a couple of sides anyways. The coleslaw was alright, but as you can see it was pretty soupy. Liquid aside, I liked that it wasn't mayo-heavy as slaw can be. I also got the potato wedges with rosemary and sea salt. I'm guessing it was baked, which was fine, but do yourself a favor and pass this up.

The Soft Serve Chronicles: Jim’s Tastee Freez (Delmar, NY)

2013-03-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

It’s no secret my love of soft ice cream runs deep. Yes, ice creams of a firmer nature are just as good (if not better) as their more flexible counterparts, but they are like night and day. Hard ice cream is served in dishes, soft serve belongs in edible cones. It’s the nature of the beast.

Not necessarily comfortable ice cream eating weather, but hey… that is what your car is for. Or house. Or an indoor eating establishment. M was down in New Jersey for work and I picked him up when he got back into town. Since we were already in Albany, I figured we'd head down Delaware Avenue and check things out. I was thinking about going to All Good Bakers, but they were already closed (and with their hours, I will probably never get to go).

Instead of turning around I kept driving, and next thing I knew I was in Delmar. And hello! Jim's was open. M thought I was crazy to get one, but it's going to be a while before I head back that way... and who knows if I'm going to want to get another one from there. On a side note, there's a laundry place next door to Jim's - so while the clothes are going through the spin cycle, you can have yourself a sundae.

Saw what I did there?

Got myself a regular vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles ($3.25). Smaller than the one I got from the Snowman, but tastes just the same. Had some sprinkle fallout, this ice cream seemed to melt quicker than normal.

They serve chili dogs, which I would love to try, if it weren't for this whole no eating meat thing. Alright then, I've found my reason to go back. You have been warned.

Now That’s Yellow

2013-03-12T09:51:00.000-04:00

Hard boiled egg from the cafeteria. Perhaps all the other eggs I’ve eaten before were on the muted side, but this one the yolk just popped out at me. It’s an Eggland’s Best egg.

I wonder how bright the yolks are on the local eggs?

Perks of the Job

2013-03-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

The place where I work is an island of sorts – I can’t leave to get something to eat, which is fine since there aren’t places in walking distance. Sure, there is stuff a few blocks away on the main road, but I only get thirty minutes. I have been known to kill at least half of that in the cafeteria waiting for my food or just circling the cafeteria to find something worth eating.

So yes, I am jealous of places somewhat similar to where I work that have shops right outside their doors – Starbucks, restaurants, and ahhhhhh… Panera! Free wi-fi and bottomless cups of coffee and all the hilarious conversations that go on there.

I had to drop M off in Albany for some work training Sunday, and hit up Panera for lunch before going to my volunteer gig. It’s the first time I’ve been to the one over by Albany Med, and it’s nice. The place wasn’t too busy for a late Sunday morning. There was a spattering of law/med students, with the random hospital employee picking up a meal before heading back across the street. I’m pretty sure this place is crazy during the week.

I kept seeing all these signs for their “power” meals, which may be stuff from their hidden menu that is no longer hidden? Who knows… but they seemed to all have meat so I passed on that. Ended up going YP2, with a Mediterranean salad with Salmon and French Onion soup. I can’t remember if I’ve had it before, but it was actually pretty good. Lightly dressed, if dressed at all. Didn’t really taste the mandarin orange, the olives dominated the flavor outside of the salmon. Stilled liked it, though.

The FOS had tons of onion (which I love), and just the right amount of cheese. Their soup was thicker than other places I’ve been to… which is surprising, because I thought most of their stuff was made elsewhere and then shipped to the stores. Which would make you think they would all be uniform. Maybe they just didn’t add more liquid?

And then there was the coffee. Black gold, half & half, sugar in the raw. Can’t even tell you how many cups I downed.