Everyone has home remedies that they never questioned. These are things your mother or great aunt swore by and, somehow, always worked. It could be saltine crackers for an upset stomach or more alcohol for a hangover (hopefully this didn't come from mom). Some of these could be myths (ie, another drink), but some definitely have merit. Ginger tea is my trusty remedy for a sore throat that my mother gave me. Aside from adding spice and proverbial *zing* to your cooking, ginger has many medicinal qualities worth mentioning as well.


Ginger is high in anti-oxidants (chemicals that prevent oxidative damage and maintain cells' longevity), used for motion sickness and nausea, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory. So when Danny had a cold and a sore throat, I referred to this tea for relief. All you need is ginger and a bit of honey for sweetness (it also doesn't stick to your throat the way sugar does). I also spotted beautifully dried naval oranges at Trader Joe's and I thought it would be a wonderful addition to the tea. Enjoy!

Honey Orange Ginger Tea

4-5 quarter inch slices of ginger root (peel or no peel)
3 pieces of TJ dried naval oranges
2 tbs of wildflower honey

Fill a medium sauce pan with 3/4 water. Toss in ginger and turn heat to high. Add oranges once water boils. Turn heat to medium low and let slow boil for 10 minutes before adding honey. Tea should be a golden in color.

This past Saturday, Paige threw a surprise birthday bash for her boyfriend, Andrew, at Marekesh, a fun Moroccan restaurant that is popular for birthdays. I originally planned to write something substantive about the place, but alas, I got drunk and stopped caring about what I was eating and started stuffing my face with everything. I can tell you this, though -- that belly dancer was hot. It reminded me of that episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen where that chick from Miami was dancing at her birthday.

...

Anyway, for $30 we each got 6 or 7 courses served on a platter to share with 3-4 people. The best dish by far was the whole braised game hen seasoned with olives and preserved lemons. So moist. So tender. And Nadine, who said she only eats white meat, found out that drumsticks, her favorite, were in fact dark meat. Anyway, I can't remember any of the other dishes we had that night, which is fine because they wouldn't be worth mentioning anyway.

Here is us at a bar later that night...post Irish-car bombs...





Happy Birthday, Andrew!

-Bo

This blog already has two entries, yet neither had anything to do with my kitchenette! I think it'll be fitting to show you what I work on everyday. Notice the heat adjustment buttons that are labeled "HI, 3,2, and LO". It's awesome. Some of you may know that Danny and I are moving closer to Georgetown at the beginning of February, in a house with a real kitchen (and dishwasher! which is sorely needed if you look at the picture below). So it will be somewhat bittersweet to leave our "cozy" studio and I will miss walking Norman in Logan Circle and laughing with other dog owners about my retarded dog.



Awhile ago I saw a recipe for a breakfast frittata, an open face Italian omelet, and since then I've been meaning to try it. Eggs are great because they are cheap, filling, and nutritious -- perfect if you are interning and earning poverty wages. Like an omelet, you can put almost anything into your frittata but the basic dish will have potatoes, onions, and cheese. In the one pictured below, I added ripped pieces of corn tortilla, black forest ham, jalapenos, and fresh green onions.



Basic Frittata

4 whole eggs, plus 2 egg whites
1 potato diced into 1'' cubes
1/2 onion diced 1''
grated cheese
1/4 cup milk, or less if you want
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
salt, pepper, paprika/cayenne to taste

Preheat broiler.

Heat oil on medium high (or 3, in my case) in a 9" nonstick pan. Add potatoes, stirring it first to coat pieces with the oil, and cook for about 4 minutes so the edges get crispy. While you're waiting, beat eggs, and add milk, salt, pepper, and paprika. Put eggs aside. Add onion and garlic to the potatoes; depending on how crispy you want the onions, cook mixture for about 1 more minute before pouring the egg mixture into the pan. DO NOT STIR ANYMORE.

After you see the egg starting to set at the bottom, add whatever else (spinach, ham, leftover chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes) you want evenly over the top. Now would also be the time to add another teas. of salt and pepper.

If you want to use my corn tortilla idea, make sure tortilla pieces are submerged and soak in some of the egg.

Once all but the surface of the frittata is cooked, add cheese, and stick the pan in the broiler for about 2 minutes (or until the top browns a little and is completely set).

Carefully run a plastic spatula around and under the egg and slip it onto a plate. Cut into wedges and enjoy alongside toasted bread. This is a great way to start any lazy Sunday!

-Bo