Betsy Devine: Funny ha-ha and/or funny peculiar

Lunch at the Pierrogeria

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

Or should that maybe be PQ?

The root of Polish “pierogi” is “pir,” for festivity. Pierogies look like half-circles of dough because they start out as circles you cut with a drinking glass–then you fold each in half over some bulging lump of good filling.

People boil, bake, or fry these fat little dumplings in many different Slavic home kitchens.

Frank’s dynamic Grandma Wilczek, who grew up in Babice, made delicious fried pierogi every Thanksgiving. But Warsaw’s Pierrogeria goes way beyond Grandma, offering pierogi with every kind of filling from mushrooms and spinach to blueberries, raisins, and rum.

Yum. I really like Polish pierogies. But I’m afraid that if people keep taking me out to wonderful Polish restaurants, meal after meal after meal, I’ll look more like a fat little dumpling than I really want to!

Photorecipe: Schrödinger tomatoes

Originally uploaded by funadium

Some nights it’s almost too hot to think about food–except for maybe something cold yet spicy like Funadium’s latest photorecipe.

Disclosure–I blogged another Funadium photorecipe, some fusilli called “Waves and particles” and he mailed me some fun Funadium swag from Italy. That was a surprise, not something I was expecting, and I don’t crave more swag for any future blogpost. I just try to blog stuff I think blogreaders will enjoy.

Why are these chili-topped tomatoes named after Erwin Schrödinger? Read the explanation yourself, but try not to lose your appetite when you get to the part about chocolate with bruschetta!

Smoked salmon with horseradish-flavored whipped cream

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

Mmm, restaurant food–but that quickly gets old.

My quick-dinner fall-back, which I learned about in the Netherlands, is handfuls of mixed chopped vegetables tossed into the boiling water when I’m cooking pasta. Top with pesto or nuke some chunky red sauce in the microwave.

Today’s NYT has 101 more ideas, including an easy recipe for gazpacho.

Fusilli “waves and particles” – Photorecipe

Originally uploaded by funadium

Here’s something I haven’t seen before, over on Flickr–a “photorecipe” that combines food instructions with helpful pictures of each different stage. And, in this special case, with a physics flavor!

The creator, Funadium teaches both cooking and photography in Italy, close to France, but with lessons in English.

Judging from these fusilli, those courses would be delicious.

Menton market – candy fruit

Originally uploaded by funadium

I once read on the Internet (so we know it must be true) that being in love is delicious because it gives joy both to familiarity and to surprises.

I think I’ve just fallen in love with some candied fruit that funadium Flickred from a street market in the French town (not village, I’ve been informed) Menton.

Rob at West Side Lounge, Cambridge, MA

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

Because Suw’s blog is “Chocolate and Vodka“, I wanted to introduce her to Cambridge’s reputedly best bartender–Rob of the West Side Lounge, also home to Cambridge’s best chef.

(In fact Rob is most famous for his mojitos, including (his own recipe) Mexican mojito, but that’s a different story.)

Consider this blogpost just a bit of local knowledge offered up to Google and you concerning a very good place to eat and drink in Cambridge, MA–well, at least a place I like a lot, and so now does Suw!

English breakfast as served at Oxford’s New College

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

…the breakfast toast-destroyer known as a toast rack.

In my NH growing-up family, we liked our toast hot–fresh out of the toaster and quickly slathered with butter. So your first bite of toast would be hot with a dab of still-cool butter on top, while your last bite would be warm, all the non-crust somewhat sodden with melted butter.

My first encounter with an English toast rack left me incredulous–was this a machine for cooling off hot toast and creating cold dry bread slices?

Now years later, I think I understand. It’s not a machine to make the toast lose heat, it’s a machine to keep toast from getting soggy. The English prize crisp toast that crunches. My family didn’t mind soggy if it came with buttery. The English way is healthier–but of course I like my way.