Fishtailed

Fall always brings out my nesting sensibilities and an instict to do things my foreparents did, like can fruits and veggies. Last year I made preserved eggplant and I decided to try drying tomatoes and preserving them with the peppers I grew this year. I dried one batch on tomatoes then, when it wasn't enough, went to the store to buy more. I read up on canning, so stuck them, the peppers and some garlic and herbs in boiling balsalmic for a few minutes, then sealed them in a jar with oil. I then submerged the jar in boiling water and oil started to leak out of the top...as I tried to pull the jar out with tongs, it slipped, splashing boiling oil and water in my face. Fortunately I didn't suffer any disfigurement.
I then moved on to preserving lemons, which seemed less risky-- no boiling. Just salt and lemon juice. I also made a sourdough starter-- so I have a jar of flour and water fermenting on my kitchen counter. This caused a sticky paste all over the counter and sink.
G brought a book of Israeli cooking home from the library and decided we should cook a whole fish. Where better to buy a whole fish than Whole Foods? G pointed a whole red snapper out to the fishmonger, who looked at my wary face and asked G, "Did you ask her about this? She's the boss." He told us he was African so knew about cooking a whole fish (and likely looked at me and ascertained my familiarity with whole fish was limited to an aquarium at the Chinese restaurant). I told him it was okay (head, tail and all) and that it was G's project. I went off to look at the imported cheeses. Anyway, $30 later we had a fish and cheese.
When we got home, G got to work. I made an orange-date cake while he prepared the fish. We used every kitchen appliance we have and the sink was full. We ate while watching "The Break Up". We both made sure we did the dishes after. I think there is an obvious evolution from canning/fishing/preserving: take out.

Dude, Where's My Beer?

For his birthday this year, I gave G a tent. My mom completed the theme by giving him some mess kits and pans and a propane stove. In turn, he bought me a sleeping bag and we prepared for our first camping trip together. He found a couple campsites in the Berkshires so we decided to head west for the long weekend. As a nice coincidence, the Saturday was also the start of Sukkot. I'm usually able to eke out the basic meanings of Jewish holidays from G-- he can tell me if they are happy or solemn, but further info I usually have to figure out elsewhere. Sukkot is historical-- commemorating the 40 years the Isrealites lived in temporary shelters while wandering the desert-- and agricultural-- a harvest festival. So by assembling the tent we (sort of) fulfilled the command to dwell in a temporary shelter.
Camping and car trips mean for me a sort of primitive way of eating: Lipton instant soup, saltines, Vienna sausages. So I was perplexed when G favored steaks and fancy cheese. We had two nights, so we compromised. We had hamburgers and hotdogs the first night, and steak and grilled veggies the second. And of course, we agreed on beer and s'mores.
The campsite specifically instructed us to not have alcoholic beverages. And I would have thought the rangers would turn a blind eye (who camps without beer? It's the only thing democrats and republicans can agree). But not wanting to risk eviction, we imbibed discreetly. G had a beer in his hand when we decided to walk down to the wash house. He left the beer on the top of the car to return to later. After washing our faces and brushing our teeth, we returned and the beer...was gone! We used the flashlight to look around the car if it had fallen, but nothing! We recalled seeing a ranger drive past when we were at the wash house-- could he have taken it? We'll never know.

Fall Update

The early part of the fall has been busy. I turned 29, got a new job, and perhaps most importantly, got my hair cut. I also bought three hair products and dug out the blow drier a close friend gave me the day we both left for college, back in 1996. Doing my hair takes time, thus the lack of blogging.
The Summer of Svelte ended and I can proudly say that I can easily run 3 miles in a half hour (on the treadmill). But a recent run with Evil Twin #1 proved a challenge. She made me run up a hill and promised me a bench and water. There was no water. I had to stop frequently and she frequently had to slow down to keep pace with me. When asked to go running with a friend, you should ask yourself if said friend ran the Boston Marathon without stopping once. If the answer is yes, then perhaps consider going to brunch with that friend instead. I'd like to wish both Evil Twins (especially #2) good luck in the upcoming marathon.
G and I did another whirlwind trip to New York and this time brought a couple friends. We didn't get lost or fall into disagreement (although there was a close call when we still hadn't eaten lunch by 3:30). G and I will be going camping this weekend. This should certainly test our mettle-- if not the lack of facilities, at least the lack of a wireless connection. I'm sure we'll be fine. We'll resort to old school "reading" in the evenings.
Finally, I had to reveal a secret I'd been harboring to G. He likes to keep current of the cinema by watching previews and the new 007 was no exception. I had to confess I've never seen any James Bond movie to my knowledge. Perhaps I've spent too much time watching French New Wave.