Peach-Blackberry Pie and the Omnivore’s Hundred…

If you a loyal and obsessed foodie blogger like I am, you have seen Very Good Taste’s Omnivore Hundred popping up all over the place. Well, I must admit I became quite curious so I decided to take the “test.” I have tried 48 out 100…and would try them all except two did not quite suit me… check it out…

Here’s what to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or Head Cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam Chowder in Soudough Bowl
33. Salted Lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a Fat Cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects

43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu: the whole lethally poisionious thing makes this a little iffy…
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (Is there anything better?)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (Dogfish 120 IPA is amazing!)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (What is this? Google is failing me…)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill (um…don’t think I could do it!)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose Harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole Poblano
96. Bagel and Lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Before I left for Chicago, J and I went blackberry picking. Before we knew it, we had over five pounds of berries…not including those we tested along the way. One night with his sister, E, we made a simple peach and blackberry pie. It was a store bought crust. I really like using the Pillsbury crust when I do not have time to make a real one. We decided to start making this pretty late at night…E and I figured out how to make the lattice…it was yummy…

Peach and Blackberry Pie
(based upon this recipe)
2 pie crusts
3 cups blackberries (1 3/4 lb)
2 peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour

1. Place a baking sheet in lower third of oven and preheat to 400°F.
2. Toss together berries, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 15 minutes.
3. Roll out 1 piece of dough into a 14-inch round and fit into a 9-inch pie plate (4-cup capacity). Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out top.
4. Roll out remaining piece of dough into a roughly 16- by 11-inch rectangle. Cut crosswise into 11 (1 1/4-inch-wide) strips with a fluted pastry wheel or a knife.
5. Stir berry mixture, then spoon evenly into shell.
6. Dot with the butter.
7. Arrange strips in a tight lattice pattern on top of filling and trim strips close to edge of pan. Roll up and crimp edge. Sprinkle all over with sugar.
8. Bake on hot baking sheet for 10 minutes.
9. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 30-35 minutes.
10. Allow to cool (or like us, dive right in!)

Nectarine Quinoa for a Healthy Breakfast…

I should be doing my reading for Contracts but my breakfast was just too yummy to not post right away…

I love Quinoa…ever since I discovered it last year, I’ve made it a staple of my diet.

Ginny’s Nectarine Quinoa

1 cup cooked quinoa (follow directions on the package, I added a tablespoon of butter to give it some more flavor as it cooked)

2 Nectarines, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup almond slices (optional)

1. In a pan, heat the butter over medium to low heat until melted.

2. Add the nectarines and sautee until warmed through.

3. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and the nutmeg, stir and allow the nectarines to bubble and carmelize for a few minutes.

4. Serve over the quinoa

P.S. An extra idea: To add a bit more protein and a little crunch, mix in almonds! I thought about this while at the store but opted to buy a chocolate bar instead of almonds…I can’t always be healthy!

My New Home!

And that is the view from my new apartment! I’ve officially moved to Chicago!

The past couple days, I’ve been trying to organize and unpack. It is still a disaster. My kitchen was not quite ready for me so all my kitchen stuff is strewn all over the dining room table. This of course makes it very hard to cook. Last night I made a simple Tomato Caprese Salad and then played with my new camera…
This is the view from my bed. Yep! I’m not kidding…I look out onto Lake Michigan. This will make law school better, right?
This is Elmer my roommate. He shares the dining room with his wife, Bernadette. She was not feeling very photogenic this evening. I also have a neighboring spider, named Charlotte. She refused to sit still for a picture!

I took this shot of one of the buildings next door in the late afternoon light. It reminded me of the Dancing House in Prague, a favorite building of mine. I love the way the lines are refracted by the windows.

P.S. I promise, as soon as my kitchen is ready, I will make some absolutely delicious! So stay tuned!