Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

I had this a couple weeks back at a favorite restaurant. It was their Omelet Provencal with cheddar, mushrooms, and Canadian bacon. It was UH-mazing! Umm, I'm hungry now...maybe I can sneak out of work and go get one?

If you don't understand hangry you should watch this buzzfeed . Nailed it. While I was in Chicago visiting ChicagoBoy this weekend my hanger reared its' ugly head. Sweet ChicagoBoy asked where I wanted to go for dinner. Wherever you want to go is fine with me. Ok, there's _______ (*lists a dozen restaurants) Really, anything is fine with me, just not pub food (met an old friend for lunch and green beers at a pub earlier) There's this really good fish place... That sounds awesome! What about sushi? You like sushi, right? I love sushi! That sounds even better than the fish place!  Hey Tommy (his roomie), where do you think we should go for dinner? (Rattles off list he already told me). P.F. Changs? That might be good.   P.F. Changs it is!! I apologized later, but still felt bad, so I sent ChicagoBoy the link in the hopes that he understands me better. Aside from that lame moment, the weekend was WONDERFUL. We ate Chicago Dogs at Portillos--the BEST place...

Today marks my 10 month anniversary of when I started here at Sticks Library! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by and how much fun I've had since I started, and so many fun things ahead of us!  Thought I would share some more Summer Reading fun (since I was so remiss about doing it during SR!) A big push in libraries and schools in the past couple of years has been projects which fall under the category of S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)--as we all know the U.S. is so painfully behind the rest of the 1st world in these subjects--so Prairie Dawn and I scheduled S.T.E.M. projects for K-12th graders one day every week during our 6 weeks of summer reading. I say we, but all I did was put it on the calendar and Prairie Dawn did an awesome job of finding interesting projects for the both groups, which we split up into K-6th, and 7th-12th grades. Simple fun on our Make & Take Monday: water bottle bubble makers Not a S.T.E.M. project, ...

First, let me start off by saying, Happy Veterans Day! Thank you U.S. Veterans for all you've done and continue to do for our country and in protecting our freedoms. I definitely spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about both my Grandpas, my Dad, both my brothers, and countless aunts, uncles, and cousins who've served our country! Because of Veteran's Day, Sticks Library was closed today, giving me a glorious three day weekend! And man, this weekend left me full bellied. I headed to the Mitten on Saturday afternoon, staying with bestie L and her gang, and had a weekend absolutely packed with good friends and amazing food. Saturday found us gorging on food and drink at our friends K& C's new home in Royal Oak. Royal Oak in recent years has become a total hotspot in southeastern Michigan, a place where many late 20/early 30 somethings are settling down, probably due in part to the great downtown chock full of good restaurants/bars and local shops. It sti...

A while back I posted about some parts of Cleveland that I'd explored and enjoyed; I've since been meaning to post about a trip to Little Italy . Driving Little Italy's main drag (Mayfield Road), a street made for tourists--a shop advertised wine tasting; a peek into a restaurant window provided a glimpse of snug round tables, full to the edge with wine and bread and plates of pasta--was an exercise in patience. Cars drove slowly up the road as people jay-walked to greet familiar faces. Others weaved around tables covering a sidewalk, coming nerve-wrackingly close to the street and bumpers of passing cars. Cliche Italian music filtered into my open window, a cacophony representing all the restaurants. Those in for the best pastries and coffee were sitting outside Presti's . Trying to park is an exercise in patience here. I checked side street after side street, finding no parking, but enjoyed the sight of little houses complete with nonnos and nonnas (g...

My time at the Farm was good, but a little sad too. While preparing for my trip my old roommate, RugbyGirl, informed me that she'd taken a new job at a Farm some hours away in NY State and would be leaving the Farm in July. This news came after finding out that another friend, Farmer MacDonald, is also leaving the Farm in July. Then during my visit I learned that a couple other farmers are moving on this summer...it is always hard to see friends go, but to lose so many at once makes me feel like the landscape of familiarity is shifting. The people who work at the Farm make up so much of the fabric of the place, I can't imagine how it will be to visit it without them there! I was just glad I got to make it out for one last hoorah with all these good friends. The Farm was definitely in it's pre-summer glory during my visit: everything was green, green, green; smells of hay marked our turn off the state highway, followed by the ever present manure smells from the cows (and...

The marble of the Main Branch, Cleveland Public Library Main Branch, Cleveland Public Library (on R) These cute little statues are all over the place outside the Main Branch, Cleveland Public Library The sign says it all Inside, Main Branch, Cleveland Public Library Just inside the entrance, Main Branch, Cleveland Public Library Thursday night found me heading to the Main Branch of the Cleveland Public Library to attend the 7th Annual Lockwood Thompson Dialogue entitled, " A Conversation about Food " with food photographer Penny De Los Santos , chef and co-owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns Dan Barber and mediator (and Cleveland Heights native) Michael Ruhlman . De Los Santos shared a couple of stories about some assignments she's photographed (one in particular is a spread on Ramadan she did for Saveur mag), but the meat and potatoes of the dialogue was Barber, who could have lectured for hours. It was fascinating. Somehow I went in expecting a...

In keeping my promise to document Cleveland: This weekend A3, Dayna and I met up with new friend Merissa (bestie L's sister Julie is getting married in March, Merissa will be her sister-in-law. Follow that?)--Merissa is a fellow southeast Michigan expat turned OH resident. We met up at the relatively newly opened (opened this past summer) Bonbon Pastry & Cafe in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland. Bonbon Pastry & Cafe I had the Bacon, Bacon and Eggs, eggs with bacon and braised pork belly--I think you have to love bacon/meat to get this, the pork belly is soft but extremely fatty which would turn off most. While we waited for our main course we sampled the donuts which come with pineapple jam, mascarpone, and Nutella--the homemade donuts were amazing! As is always the case, order a restaurants specialty; while the food is good, I think BonBon's strong suit is its pastries and their French pressed coffee! So good. After the meal A3, Dayna and I also stopp...

The irony of doing a blog about a book called, Food Rules: an eaters manual (Michael Pollan, illus. by Maira Kalman), after yesterday's over indulgences in paczkis and Girl Scout cookies is not lost on me. The illustrated version. I ordered this book because I read a good review, though honestly, I was a little skeptical. I wasn't skeptical of Pollan; I think he's brilliant and I think his books feature both a lot of common sense and understanding about what western culture has done to food; I was skeptical of getting tired of the book before I finished it. Though I think his books are fascinating and well researched, they sometimes wear me out before I've gotten to the end. So, this was the perfect book for me, well, probably the perfect book for lots of people--both adults and kids. It's a small, fast read with wonderful and witty illustrations by Maira Kalman. Food Rules: an eaters manual (aside from its introduction) is just that--food rules. A short bo...

Yesterday was day 2 of my 3 day weekend and I had almost no plans, and yet, I find that these are the kinds of days that fill up so quickly. I had a scheduled dental appointment and had arranged for my friend Yannick to come along in case they gave me laughing gas and I needed a designated driver; the procedure wound up being fast and gas-free, so we found ourselves with no agenda. "Have you ever been to Taft Farm ?" I asked. "NO?! Than we MUST go get doughnuts and cider...and birch beer!" (I must point out that when I have particular cravings, I MUST have that thing RIGHT THEN!--it was one of those mornings...I was feeling a little cavity-free giddiness). So we found ourselves at the lovely Taft Farm, oggling the squash being carried outside in huge crates; eyeing the cherry tomatoes; marveling at the many local products. We left with two birch beers, two doughnuts, a bag of beets and frozen portabella mushroom/carmelized onion ravioli for me and a little box ...

Photo borrowed from here . Support ilovefarmers.org! Did you know that in the U.S. the week of August 7-August 13 is   National Farmer's Market Week ?!   So, check out the Farmers Market Directory and go support your local economy and your local farmers! Here are some other cool links: (U.S.D.A.)'s Chefs Move to Schools Program: " The Chefs Move to Schools program, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will help chefs partner with interested schools in their communities so together they can create healthy meals that meet the schools’ dietary guidelines and budgets, while teaching young people about nutrition and making balanced and healthy choice." --U.S.D.A. website  What's in Season in Summer food awareness by the U.S.D.A. Rural Tourism in the U.S. Loads of helpful links. All this information and more available from the National Agricultural Library. "The National Agricultural Library is one of four national libraries of t...

Had another great dinner last night. I help Jay milk the cows Sunday afternoons. The girls were milked, the milking dishes were all done and things were tidied up, and we'd just gotten into the truck to leave when we heard some horrible screams coming from the Pig Palace. A piglet had gotten his head stuck in the fencing around the pen while he was trying to munch on the weeds just outside the fencing. It seemed like the poor little guy had all but used up his energy by the time we got up there--he was panting and gurgling for breath. Jay wrestled with the fence and tried to push the piglet back through or pull from behind, but to no avail. While I tried the same he ran and got bolt cutters and in no time the piglet was back playing with his siblings and, as Jay put it, probably saying, "man, my head hurts!" I had to laugh when Jay said that we got some good karma for getting the piglet out. After a quick swim in a nearby swimming hole we met up for dinner at my cabi...

Had another great summer dinner this weekend at B1 & B2s house. We'd talked about having a "bring your own grill items" night since the start of the summer and by golly it finally happened. Word of mouth invites were passed among our friends and Saturday early evening found us gathering at B1 & B2s house; B2 had the grill heating up, Sierra was shucking corn, Beth was slicing Farm cheddar for burgers, and I was finishing a Farm cabbage coleslaw. The dinner was perfect because we had some staples: coleslaw, cucumber salad, burger fixings and beer, and then wound up with a variety of choices with what everyone brought: B1 & B2 had the burgers, I brought hot dogs, TSO and Brett brought venison pork sausage and lamb sausage, RugbyGirl brought Farm steaks. And the grilled corn--AMAZING! It felt nice to sit around and talk and laugh. If the worst complaints of a summer night are that mosquitoes were present or that the beer wouldn't stay cold enough long eno...

Part of what makes the best summer dinners is the food, but the other equally important part is the company. This past Wednesday Ian and Sascha (his gf and my Kitchen coworker), Jay and Pico came over for a grill out at my cabin; what came together was a Farm meal of cosmic proportions: marinated Farm ribeye (beef) steaks; potatoes, (white, red and fingerlings), garlic and onions from Jay's garden; lettuce greens from Sascha's garden; turnips from the Farm's gardens; cranberry lemonades with vodka from my refrigerator.  Ian oversaw the grilling, so the rest of us kicked back and chatted, enjoying the summer early evening. Everything was amazing! Here's how we made everything: Steak: Marinated for 5 hours in olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, oregano, rosemary, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. We didn't put anything on the steak after it was cooked (medium rare), the marinade left the MOST AMAZING flavor. Potatoes, onions...

Seriously. I have been eating such good food while I've been back in Michigan I am going to go back to Massachusetts fatter. Really. Food in Michigan (at least my Michigan) is definitely richer than stuff we eat at the Farm. Last night I went out with my best friend Kim and two of the girls we worked with at the town Cinema back when we were in high school. In the way that it happens as you grow up and grow away from one another, Kim and I lost touch with Andrea and Courtney (themselves best friends from our rival high school) after we all started college nearly 13 years ago. Thanks to Facebook we reconnected and set up a dinner date for while I was back in the Mitten State. We ate at the Clarkston Union . Kim swore by their mac n' cheese and we weren't dissapointed. I had the Meatloaf, mashers and sauteed squash and zucchini. SO GOOD. We all shared a small side of the famous mac n' cheese. SO GOOD! And for dessert Courtney and I split the homemade ice cream san...

Here are two cool places which I've been able to visit while being home. Owned by a friend of a friend, Filipo Marc Winery (39085 Garfield Road, Clinton Twp, MI 48038, (586) 226-3990) is a fun little shop with all things wine related. We were there for a wine tasting event, but after asking a few questions, were offered the grand tour by owner Gerard Giacona. The shop not only makes its own wines, but also offers opportunities for people to make their own wine (with supervision) and makes HUGE batches of wine to order for weddings/parties. If you are ever out on the East side, check this gem out! The French Laundry   is absolutely, hands-down my favorite restaurant which I try and visit as many times as possible while I am home. I not only love love love the food, but I also love that the French Laundry offers cooking classes, wine/beer tastings and special dinners. I love the ambiance of the place, from the vines that grow up the back wall insid...

16 turkeys cooked, soon to be carved 50 pounds of potatoes, mashed 50 pounds of Farm butternut squash, pureed and seasoned 40 pounds of Farm Brussels sprouts over 225 cups of home-made bread stuffing with sage and veggies rivers of gravy a heaping helping of lentils (for the vegetarians) 300 dinner rolls, heaping plates of butter huge side salad a mound of Farm cheddar, surrounded by grapes and clementines Farm cider and water coffee and tea and 36 pies and tarts This is how we try and feed over 160 people. Remember last week when I said we had a count of 96? Yep, not anymore. Holy cats! Where are we going to put all these people!? The Kitchen team's harvest report--the reports which each team presents on Thanksgiving, giving all of our visitors an idea of what each team does/"harvest"-- is nearly done. All is well. Now off to bed, in need of some pre-Turkey Day zzzs. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I was so inspired with Andrea and Taylor's--of A Farmer in the Dell -- gnocchi recipe that I just had to try it. TSO and I made it tonight and invited S to join us for a dinner of DELICIOUS spinach ricotta gnocchi, Farm roasted spaghetti squash with sage and my home-made tomato, mushroom, garlic marinara (which I had canned this summer; made with my own tomatoes!) Here are some pictures I took along the way! Blogger is being lame and I don't want to fool around with moving the pictures, so I give you dinner in reverse: 1. Farm Spaghetti Squash (roasted then sauteed with sage). 2. My tomatoes now sauced.  3. Our spaghetti squash looks like dinner for two with the forks. The rest: Gnocchi from start to finish, step by (mostly) step. The last picture is the actual finished gnocchi (after boiling!) Now I need to go get ready--Midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) tonight! I am getting there hours early to get in line for good seats. N...