Posts from — January 2011

Sandpot rice, Chinese bim bim bop, is a bachelor’s meal. Perfect portion for one. The sandpot retains the heat – keeping the rice piping hot, making an ideal winter meal.

With all “the kids” out of the house, my parents and grandparents no longer prepare family style dinner. My father’s recent nightly ritual has been sandpot rice for dinner. My mother prepares his mise-en-place (marinated meat, julienne ginger, preserved vegetables) ahead of time, making dinner preparation for my father quick-and-easy. Over the holiday, I requested my father to teach me.

Being a single working lady in NYC – sandpot rice is a perfect dinner option. My father even offered to buy me a sandpot to lug from Michigan to New York.
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Please welcome guest blogger Kimberly, my youngest sister and fellow restaurant baby, who shares with us her favorite oatmeal recipe. ~Madeline

Michigan winters are tough. But we Michiganders know a few tricks of the trade: Wear long underwear. And start your day off with a hot and hearty bowl of oatmeal.

Ever since I was introduced to steel cut oats, I have not gone back to using rolled oats for oatmeal. Steel cut oats make for heartier and creamier oatmeal. They are less processed than rolled oats. And the name “steel cut” comes from the fact that the oat kernels have been cut by steel blades.

These oats take a while to cook down over the stove top, about forty minutes.  I much prefer to have them cook in the slow cooker overnight. So, by morning, breakfast is ready and waiting for me before I even slip my booties on.  In the winter, I make this oatmeal at least once a week because morning comes before the sun rises, and the simple task of getting out from bed turns into a challenge;  but the sweet aromas of cardamom and cinnamon emanating from my slow cooker help to alert my senses, and lure me out from bed and into the kitchen.

There are infinite ways in which one can make oatmeal. But this particular combination of spices, and the addition of sweet potato and dried dates really hits the spot for me.

May you stay warm, and start your mornings smart. [Read more →]

My best friend emailed me an exercise, “Count Your Blessing for 2010,” that ask for a list of 10 happy memories of 2010. It reminded me that Restaurant Baby also has much to be thankful for.

Nothing is more exciting than when we find our friends and family taking notice of our efforts, and supporting us in our work. Getting to know a person means taking an interest not only in who they are, but also in their work, even when it is not of common interest. One’s work is what one invests their valuable time and talents on. If it’s important to our loved ones, it should be important to us.

I am thankful to the many good friends who took an interest in Restaurant Baby. What are your 10 happy memories of 2010?

Restaurant Baby’s Gleeful Memory of 2010

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Inspired by my youngest sister’s New Year resolution of “allowing more pleasure to enter her life”, I started 2010 with three resolutions of my own.

1. Love my body
2. Love my creativity
3. Love my time

Restaurant Baby was a product of nurturing my creativity. For 2011, Restaurant Baby will have resolutions of its own.

For 2011, I resolve to:

• Incorporate writing into my weekly routine
• Take more photographs of my everyday world
• Post at minimum twice a month
• Make the connection. Reach out and ask people to allow me into their kitchen – especially older relatives. The times with them are precious.
• Back up my computer. With 2010 coming to an end so did my loyal and trusty laptop of four years. I lost all my upcoming material – lesson learned.

What are your resolutions?

Keeping Resolutions:
I am one to make my life easier. To help me with my new resolutions, I’ve sought out a writing partner – my friend and fellow yelper, Rachel. We got an early start and met in Dec 2010 for our first writing session.

Rachel and myself on a Saturday afternoon

I work best with structure, and friends who keep me accountable. Though blogging is an introverted activity, I’m constantly seeking friends out for a work session or a writing session. Fellow bloggers and writers– what are your tips for producing material?