Muggy, Not Sultry

Did you know that "muggy" is an Old Norse word "mugga," meaning "mist or drizzle"? I bet you didn't!

Today is a muggy day in Minnesota, and I got to wondering where that word came from. I really prefer a sultry day to a muggy one, but this is what we got.

I haven't posted in a a while because it has been so hot this summer, and the kitchen is really not where I want to spend my time. But we gotta eat! This is how I have been compensating for my lack of culinary magic:

1. Getting more take out.
2. Telling my family to fend for themselves.
3. Getting my calories from liquids.

However, because of this hot, rainy summer, the garden is going crazy, and so I am forced to harvest vegetables much earlier than I am ready. For example, our beets are big enough to pluck from the ground, but who wants to cook beets when it's hot? It takes like an hour to cook them!

Anybody out there who knows how to store root vegetables, please advise. I picked about 10 of them, rinsed them and cut off the leaves, leaving an inch of stem. I stored them in the basement, in a wire basket. A few days later, I did the same thing, and discovered the previous batch was starting to degrade already. So I decided to cook them all today, on the grill. I have no choice but to eat beets every day, and to pickle the rest.


CZECH BEET SALAD
Recipe from my mom & dad's next-door neighbors

Cooked beets, peeled and shredded
fresh dill weed, chopped
sour cream
lime juice

Mix all ingredients together. Serve cold.


ITALIAN BEET & CUCUMBER SALAD
Recipe from Georgio's on Hennepin, our favorite restaurant ever, now closed

Cooked beets, peeled and sliced
sliced cucumbers
blue cheese, or gorgonzola

Layer ingredients on a plate. Drizzle your favorite vinaigrette (but it must include mustard) over the top. Serve at room temperature.


Yes, I used the kiddie pool to wash my veg.

You Can't Buy This

My favorite dish this week is blueberries & cream for breakfast. We went to our friends' "farm" on Saturday to pick fresh blueberries.

Celebrate American Eats!

Have you read "French Women Don't Get Fat"? Neither have I. Browsing the display books at the library recently, I came across Mireille Guiliano's follow-up book, "French Women For All Seasons," and I took it home.

I remember when "French Women Don't Get Fat" was published. It caused a stir because it was basically a treatise on how much more superior French women are to Americans, because they are far more cultured and intelligent than us, and therefore don't get fat. Her big contribution to the American diet was "Magical Leek Soup," which is really a broth made from leeks and water. Apparently, French women drink this exclusively for 3 days every quarter, and it keeps them slender. I guess it's their version of the lemon juice diet, or something. And you know how I feel about fasting.

"French Women For All Seasons" begins with an introduction titled "Something I Forgot to Mention," in which Guiliano defends her previous book, sort of apologizing for claiming total superiority above American women (the fat ones or all of us? I never figure that out), and then she outlines how even though that seemed to offend some people, and it was sort of rude, it's really okay because it's true!

It's just so French.

It reminds me of an episode of "Oprah" a few years back, when fabulous women from all over the world revealed their secrets of being fabulous. There was a gorgeous, curvy Mexican woman in a low-cut red dress and high heels, claiming that Mexican women don't get fat, and they never exercise!

I actually kind-of enjoyed the book, as something to skim while sitting on the beach. It's really all about style, and how to be carefully care-free in every season, always looking and feeling fabulous (she should spend a winter in Minnesota). There are some touching anecdotes about the women in her family who taught her all about entertaining, and the importance of making your guests feel special. It's the little things that count. Unfortunately I didn't really find the recipes very inspiring. My family is just not going to accept "Brown Rice with Peas" as a meal (or even a side dish for that matter).

Despite all of her negativity towards American eaters, she does concede one thing: we can barbecue better than the French. And she admits that there is some beauty in being able to simply grill some burgers, use ketchup as a condiment, and eat off paper plates. And that's exactly what we did for 4th of July. The kids had hot dogs, and the hors d'oeuvres were potato chips & ranch dip. (Okay, it was a little more special that that.)