croque monsieur

Even though it's simple to make, I like to follow recipes until I can make them with my eyes closed.

Le Croque Monsieur according to Jacques Pepin:

He uses good Jarlsberg, Gruyère, Beaufort, or Comté ( I used Swiss in a money pinch) cheese and the best boiled ham (called Sara Lee) that I can find at my market (Rouse's). The sandwiches can be prepared ahead and baked as needed for a large party or wedding reception.

Arrange 2 thick slices white bread next to one another on the counter and cover 1 slice completely with slices of cheese. Add 1 slice ham to cover the cheese and then add another layer of cheese and ham before finishing with the other slice of bread. Spread about 1 teaspoon butter on each side of the sandwich and arrange it on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until the croque-monsieur is brown and crusty on both sides. Cool for about 5 minutes. Trim off the crust if you like and cut into 6 small rectangles. Serve hot with toothpicks.

Makes 6 mini sandwiches

Who Really Rules The World?

Who really rules the world? That's the title of the small pamphlet I received inside an envelope today. The envelope was addressed to my first two initials and my last name in very neat penmanship. I believe the writer even may have used a ruler to keep the lines perfectly straight.

Alice B. sent me the pamphlet with a lovely letter, written in pencil, and addressed inside to Ms. M!@#$%^*. How lovely!

Her message is brief, yet full of concern.

Her work, she goes on to say, is patterned after the work Jesus Christ "established when on Earth." She does this voluntarily, and she endeavors to help individuals, like me, to "come to AND accurate knowledge of the truth." (whatever that may be)

I felt this letter, which was weirdly written in pencil, was the perfect topper to my day. I opened it on the first floor, and laughed at the cosmic weirdness it added to an already crappy day all the way to the third floor

I thought to myself,"What am I doing?"

I don't know.

The only way I get through times like these is to think of Melanie Griffith's Tess McGill in Working Girl.

This song always makes me feel better when work is not going well.

Stigmata

After a late afternoon of dinner and a margarita with some work friends, I was not wanting to step into my apartment and see *this* dribbling down the wall closest to the front door.

My apartment was leaking water from the attic. What's interesting is that the water did not drip from the ceiling, but, instead, found a way to not stain the upper part of the wall and just stain the middle of the downward. Weird, huh? Leaks come from the weirdest places.

Naturally, my insane obsessing mind couldn't leave this alone, so I lugged my buzzed behind to the attic (not my favorite place to be after the bat incident) where I began to search for the troublesome leak.

I ended up finding it right above what I imagined the entrance to my apartment was, so I placed an old empty wonton soup container from Chinese take-out right underneath it. *sigh*

It's just another call to my landlord that I dread making, and another reason why buying a house feels so much better.

If it starts leaking blood, I should call the Vatican, right?

The Descent

Have you ever seen a horror movie that you can only see once? I have, The Descent.

I have tried to watch it again, but my pulse rises and I end up holding my breath at the anticipation of something popping out of the dark. So, I try to avoid it whenever it comes on TV.

Here's the trailer for it.



Now I hear they are coming up with a sequel. I can't imagine that it will be as good as the first one. They never usually are, but if it is then it will hopefully be just as scary. I may just have to hold my breath all over again.

Here's the trailer for the sequel.

Ensalata Caprese

Look at what I made today!





It wasn't my recipe, but it looks good, huh?

Here's the recipe via Jamie Oliver:

Serves 4

4 x 150g balls of buffalo mozzarella
2 handfuls of good mixed ripe tomatoes, of different shapes and sizes
the white of 1 spring onion, very finely sliced
extra virgin olive oil
good-quality herb vinegar

for the dressing:
a big handful of fresh basil leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

First make your dressing. Keeping a few leaves aside for later, roughly chop the basil and pound with a good pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar. Add a splash of oil and stir it in to make a lovely smashed basil dressing.

Carefully tear the mozzarella on to a large serving plate. Chop the tomatoes roughly into chunks and dress in a bowl with the spring onion, some olive oil, a little herb vinegar and some salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes in and around the mozzarella and drizzle the basil sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the reserved basil leaves and serve.


As you can see, it's simple without exact measuring (frustrating for me, but alas).

It's even more delicious with homemade vinaigrette.