Adios!

My blog is moving to a new home on wordpress.com.  Same name, same me, different venue.


Update: My blog has actually undergone a makeover.  Run, Fish, Run! is no more.  But I'm still kicking.

Check it out!  http://thesnafu.wordpress.com/

I'm keeping this one up for a little while at least, still, because I'm emotionally attached.

Here's a cute pig wearing boots.

"Love me."

Adios!

The Whole World Is Set On Fire

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, you've most likely heard of Japan.   More specifically the devastation Japan has experienced since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred a week ago today, on March 11th.  The sheer strength of the quake, the relation of the epicenter to population masses, and the shallow hypocenter all played a crucial part in the destructive outcome of the past week.  

The St. Louis Post Dispatch illustrated the magnitude of the earthquake itself in relation to other historical quakes and energy equivalents such as volcanic eruptions.  Japan's recent earthquake was the third most powerful quake in known history.  The energy released was more than the volcanic eruptions of Krakatoa and Mt. St. Helens, well above that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb (!), and far beyond the strength of an average tornado.  All of this power was unleashed on the island nation of Japan.  That was just the earthquake.

from St. Louis Post Dispatch (03.12.2011) A5

The threat to life and property continued after the shock waves ebbed.  The quake triggered a massive tsunami that wiped parts of the coast clean off the map.  Live footage is available from virtually every major news source, showing the destructive force of the tsunami.  In latter days of this ordeal, we've also learned of the growing threat of nuclear meltdown at power plants damaged by the quake and tsunami.  

While the Post's coverage of the disaster has quickly diminished from above-the fold bold priority to today's below the fold 1/5 of the spread, the disaster is far from over.  

Google maps before and after the earthquake/tsunami

Misha Collins, a noted actor and philanthropist, recently Tweeted:

What happened in Japan is killing me. So sad. Its like the apocalypse happened, but only in one country.

I couldn't have said it better myself.  We can't put this on the back burner.  This can't be another Hurricane Katrina, where we broadcast the living daylights out of the event for a period of time and then push it out of sight.  

Recently, Criminal District Court Judge Laurie White from New Orleans spoke on my campus about Katrina and the havoc is wreaked not only on the city of New Orleans, but its people, its infrastructure, and, interestingly enough, it's justice system.  It's been six years since Hurricane Katrina hit.  Judge White expressed how you could travel to New York City and asked someone there about Katrina; they might respond with "wasn't that a long time ago?"  If you went to New Orleans, however, she pointed out, you would see a vast difference in perspective.  

I fear this is bound to happen with Japan.  They aren't out of the woods yet, and even when that point comes after God only knows what else, Japan is not going to bounce back right away.  The infrastructure damage is going to take years to rebuild.  The loss of life will never be recouped.  

My hope for the U.S. is that we, as a nation, will be here to support Japan in whatever they need.  If it's foreign aid, we can provide.  If it's relief workers, we have people ready in the wings (my own friend Lakota among them).  If, barring all that, they just need people to remember that they're working to rebuild their lives, we can remember.  Always remember.  

This 4-month old baby girl was found in the ruins of her home and reunited with her parents on March 14th, she had been missing since March 11th.  It's stories like this juxtaposed by the tragedy of the loss of life that is the face of Japan right now.  We love you, Japan.       

#loveforjapan

Capstone

I started off Spring Break this year with good intentions.  I was going to get a whole bunch of stuff done.  I was going to blog my cooking adventures, my gardening forays, my spackling pursuits (not really on that last one).

It didn't end well.  

In short, I planned too many things, procrastinated on about half as many, and took no account whatsoever of the weather forecast.  My last huzzah was my mid-break progress report.  It's been a week now since.  My break fizzled out with a nasty head/body achey cold thing that dragged into this week.  Sniffle, I think I'll live.  Nah, my real pursuit here is to capstone my break and bid my second to last spring break of my undergraduate career adieu properly.

I did make that list, and I stuck to it; as much as possible.  

1.  Cooking marathon!

Last episode, in the realm of cooking, I had created a splendiferously (I am amazed that the spell check didn't flag that) Irish meal of pot roast and potato cakes, topped off with a chocolate cheesecake.  I am proud to say that I made good on my list of foods to create over the week.  In addition to the meal I just described, there were enchiladas (c/o Pioneer Woman, who else?) and an Irish version of chicken pot pie.  Naturally I waited until later in the week for any more cooking creations as I was full for a solid three days after the pot roast meal.  I'm still eating leftovers, too.  Don't judge me, it's what's freezers are for.  And microwaves.  I'm a college student, what can I say?  

2.  Vegetable garden! & 3.  Compost box!

Sadly my out of doors plans were foiled by the weather.  That pesky thing, especially here in St. Louis, it's never dependable.  It rained most of the week, which caused my already mud pit of a backyard to turn into a wasteland of quicksand.  I seriously can't find my boots I wore out there the previous week.  That bad.  The gardening/composting activities are on hiatus, hopefully in a more suitable region for now, until my yard becomes walkable again.  And I find those boots.  

4.  Amiga time!

"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold," is a cute little ditty I learned in Daisy Girl Scouts (it was a dark time in my life).  In any event, I enjoy spending time with old and new friends.  I had a wonderful movie date with my new friend, Amanda - cheers Amanda! - and spent plenty of time with my gal Lakota (we go way back, her and me).  California Pizza kitchen, the recent "Red Riding Hood" film, and shopping was involved.  I would say it was a splendid way to relax, indeed.  

5.  Writing time!

Lastly, yes I did get (some) writing time.  Not as much as I'd like, but then again that's one of my own fallacies anyway.  I probably couldn't do all the writing I'd want to even if I gave it my 110% because, well, I doubt I'll ever stop writing.  Did you see what I did there?  

Do you get my joke?  Because your head, it's... it's in a tuba.

Yeah yeah, I won't quit my day job.  Wait, I don't have a day job.  Well I'm hosed.  

Thus endeth the spectacular week of the spring break and now it's back to the grind.  Naturally it's pushing 3 A.M. and I'm still up.  Glad to see old habits die hard.  Speaking of old habits, I feel another list is in order.  

1. I am currently 1 (one!) DVD away from owning every movie Michelle Rodriguez has appeared in.  I'm cool (or crazy) like that.   
2. 3 A.M. is, coincidentally, one of those films I own.  
3. My dad, either through his appreciation of action flicks, or because he knows how much I love a certain aforementioned actress, (or both) took me to see Battle: Los Angeles the last day of break.  Great film. I may post more on it at a later date.  Suffice it for now to say, I will most likely go back and see it again.  
4. I recently learned that the plural of colloquium is colloquia.  I love words whose plural form is irregular and funky looking.  It adds intrigue.   
5. I recently also learned (finally) how to pronounce colloquium (kuh-low-qwee-uhm).  
6. I know of about five of my friends who are engaged and will be getting married within the next year.  I feel old.  ish.  
7. I have a milestone birthday coming up in less than a month (very excited).  
8. There is a Princess and the Frog theme in this post.  
9. I watched Princess and the Frog last week.  
10. I tried making beignets (it took me forever to find out how to spell that word) once.  On a whim.  At 11 at night.  With Lakota.  Without the proper ingredients.  It didn't end well.  My brother, on the other hand, recently made beignets and they were amazing.  What gives?

Cheers,

RF

Spring Break Progress

I can't believe I'm already halfway through my spring break.  The time you want to go by quickly never does, yet the time you want to slow down winds up zipping by like a mayfly's life cycle.  Stupid bugs.

I kicked my week off with a fancy schmancy dinner for my family Sunday evening.  The menu consisted of "Perfect Pot Roast" from The Pioneer Woman, and a few selections from the Irish Pub Cooking book I scored from B&N recently, potato cakes and a chocolate cream cheesecake!  Yum.

I was fully prepared to chronicle my cooking extravaganza, but thought a few snapshots would suffice instead.  Cue snapshots!

Despite its commercial appeal, the recipes looked fabulous.  And so far have proven to be just as tasty.  

P-dubs' Pot Roast- thyme, rosemary, carrots, onion, and a chuck roast was involved.  Oh and love.  Sheer love.  My house has never smelled so amazing.   

I count this a major success in my book- it's the first roast I've made el solo, and I didn't burn the house or the meat to cinders.  Win.

Perhaps the source of my feeling like it was me who immigrated from Ireland rather than my great grandfather- potato cakes.  Curiously delicious.  

The dinner ensemble

... Never forget dessert... 

It might not look like much but it tasted... well... how to describe?  

Close enough.  

I'm still recovering from the sheer deliciousness of it all.  Unfortunately, due to a series of poorly timed events, I haven't been to karate yet this week which isn't helping me feel any less sluggish after such a rich evening.  But I digress.  

With this beauty from California Pizza Kitchen, Hawaiian BBQ!

Monday proved just as fabulous when Lakota and I indulged in some of that amiga time I spoke of, and what better place to do that than CPK?  

Status quo?  I've eaten some fabulous food and spent time with even more fab friends so far.  More amiga time tomorrow with my girl Amanda!  Not too shabby!  

I really have been filling in the holes with productive activities, I promise.  I'm just highlighting, well, the highlights.  Spackling isn't exactly a highlight.  Nor is a puppy watching.  

Due to the copious amounts of wet weather I've experienced lately, my outdoor plans will unfortunately have to be put on hold this week.  Le sigh.  

Happy midweek to one and all,

RF

What's Worth Living For

 I started this post a few months ago, right after the tragic Tucson, Arizona shootings.  

There are not many things that I am certain of for my future.  I don't know what it holds.  I have a skeleton of an idea of what I'd like to do and see, but ultimately I'm taking life as it comes.  One thing I've felt for a while now, almost for certain, is that I want children of my own someday.  Not every woman wants children; I have a friend who turns the other way when a bouncing gurgling baby is in the vicinity and another friend who would melt on the spot.  I'm somewhere in between, but closer to the typical mushy what-a-cute-baby type. 

I grew up in the heartland of the United States.  We were a family with two children, a dog, and a white ranch house.  My brother and I had everything we needed (and more), but I wouldn't say we were ever conceited.  I knew that bad things happened to people but I guess there was always a safe barrier, if you will, between me and them.  The people were always in a different part of the world or a different time.  I was always safe.  Then I grew up.

I don't know if this is a sign of the times, but I'm just shy of my twenty-first birthday and I've taken pause at just how frail our lives are.  The sad events of (what's now two months ago in) Tucson Arizona have me thinking.  Thinking about what kind of world I live in.  And about the world my own children will live in someday.

I find myself thinking about the life I want for my family someday.  I want to live out in the country a bit, with plenty of land to roam.  I want sweet, simple things for my children.  I want them to grow up enriched with the beauty of nature and a loving family around them.  I don't want them to have everything, but rather I want them to have more than they need.  I want them to be happy.  I want them to live long lives. 

I want a lot of the things parents like Christina Taylor Green's parents wanted for their daughter.  It's been months, as I mentioned, since the attacks in Arizona and I still feel a sense of grief for Christina's parents.  Tears come to my eyes when I recall the interview with them, when her mother described the phone call.  She immediately thought it was a car accident.  What mother expects to send her third grader to a political meeting at a local grocery store and then hear that she was shot and killed?  

Life seems so fragile.

I think about the dreams we have for our lives and for our children, and how they can be so quickly marred by grief and terror.  I think about all the things that claim people's lives, from cancer to car accidents, to natural disasters and terrorism.  And the threats are everywhere.  They're in India, Uganda, Serbia, and Guatemala.  They're in the United States, too. 


I wonder if other people my age who've known they want kids some day have been so taken aback by such horrific acts of violence that they consider not having children after all.  I have.  I think about the grief of Christina's parents.  And the grief of countless others who've seen the hopes and dreams for their children come crashing down with the smoke of a gun or the invasive cells of cancer.  And I wonder again what's worth living for. 

My simple answer is love.  It might sound cliche, but that's what I come back to again and again and I have no other way to put it.  Christina Taylor Green's parents never once said they regretted having Christina, rather they expressed that while she had a tragic beginning (she was born 9/11/01) and end to her life, the years in between were beautiful and full of love. 

One of my assorted oddities is how much movie quotes can move me.  I quote movies often, in my writing and in everyday jargon.  I have this thought on my mind about what's worth living for and a beautiful, heartfelt quote comes to my mind from Where the Heart Is (2000).  I thought I'd end on this inspiring note. 

"You tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take... and tell 'em to hold on like hell to what they've got...we've all got meanness in us, but we've got goodness too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. And that's why we've got to make sure we pass it on."

Rest in peace, Christina Taylor Green September 11, 2001 - January 8, 2011

Sincerely,

RF

Spring Break 2011

With each passing semester, my graduation draws closer.  I've come to appreciate how few spring breaks I have left.  That would be two, to be specific.  Now I don't have the money to take a fabulous vacation to some exotic beach, but that's not the only way to spend a spring break. 

Au contraire, not every college student is programmed to seek sex and alcohol at every chance he or she gets.  No, I plan to make the most of my spring break doing the things I want to do.  

I'm not a compulsive list maker or anything, but this is what's coming up in the world of Running Fish.  
1.  Cooking Marathon!

I've got my eye on a couple of recipes from my Pioneer Woman cookbook I got for Christmas.  I also added an Irish Pub cookbook to my repertoire recently care of a Barnes and Noble St. Patrick's Day themed display.  I couldn't resist the delicious looking recipes it contained. 

This week I plan to make a couple of recipes from these books and, of course, chronicle them in the Closet Cook section.  

2.  Vegetable Garden!

Last season I tried my hand at gardening, container gardening that is, and loved it.  This year I have come into a forlorn corner garden that has seen better days, and I have many plans.  As much as I wish I could start my seedlings, alas I cannot.  I can, however, get the garden prepared.  

This week I plan to work through my sad little garden and, as it's on a slight hill, tier it into segments for optimal vegetable planting.   
 
3.  Compost box!

This is just one more nail in my geek coffin, I suppose.  I've had lumber waiting to become a compost box since last fall.  It will become one this next week.
 
4.  Amiga Time!

This is the best part of my week!  There will be much amiga time!  

5.  Writing!

I haven't done a whole lot of personal writing in a while.  I have quite a few stories and their characters who've been relegated to the extended history space on my hard drive, probably wondering if they'll ever see daylight again.  I plan on bringing them out for a bit this week. 

Happy Spring!

RF

The Pioneer Woman and Me

Ree Drummond a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman a.k.a. P-Dub made a stop to St. Louis last weekend on her book tour.  Of course I was there.  I have photographic evidence.  P-Dub is darling.  Her husband, Marlboro Man, was there as well.  MM is darling too.

Photographic evidence.  That's me hanging out behind P-Dub.  Somehow Lakota and her Momma snuck in there too...  Just kidding, I love you ladies.   

I recently found myself presented with an unexpected day off.  With that extra time on my hands, and in honor of meeting P-Dub and Marlboro Man themselves, I decided to do some baking.  What better way to celebrate meeting a cookbook author than to make something from said cookbook?  

Enter said cookbook. 

The Closet Cook strikes again!  I decided on Cinnamon Rolls.  I also decided that Ree's original recipe was better suited for an army.  Seeing as my family of three probably would drown under the sheer amount of cinnamon roll goodness the original recipe would produce, I created a halved recipe.  Rather, I divided the ingredients in half which isn't nearly the same creating a recipe.  I digress. 

The original recipe is available on Ree's website, of course.  

The modified version for people who don't have an army to feed:

Dough:

2 cups whole milk*

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

 1 package active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon salt

Filling:

1 cup melted butter

1/8 cup ground cinnamon 

1 cup sugar

Maple** icing:

1 pound powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole* milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/8 cup strongly brewed coffee

Pinch of salt

1/2 tablespoon maple flavoring or maple extract

 * I have to make a confession.  I didn't use whole milk.  I used 1%.  Because that's what we drink.  And I didn't want to buy whole milk.

** I have another confession to make, I didn't make maple icing.  I pretty much just didn't add the coffee or the maple flavoring.

They tasted delicious still, I promise.

Following Ree's faithful cookbook, I started with the dough.  I heated the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar, taking care not to allow the mixture to boil.  Just shy of boiling, I removed it from the heat.  The cookbook instructs to allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm before adding the yeast.

Or you can just remove from the heat and add the yeast on top right away like I did.  I then allowed the yest to chill on top for a minute.  One minute.  Not one second more or less.  Because I like to pick and choose which directions are more important than others.

Next is the flour.  3 1/2 cups of it.  I stirred until just combined and then covered the bowl with a dish towel for an hour.

Then I had an hour to fill.

So I went and twiddled my thumbs.

Actually, I went and burned some brush out back.

When my hour was up, I recruited my brother to watch the fire while I attended to the dough. 

To the ruminating dough I added the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the rest of the dough (1 cup).

At this point, the dough can actually be refrigerated for up to three days.  I chose to use it right away, which is allowed per Ree's recipe.  It's also at this point I would advise to chill the dough for at least another hour, because I found the dough could have been easier to work with if it had had time to firm up a bit.  Details smetails. 

The next step, regardless of whether it's three minutes or three days after the last step, is to melt some butter and swish is around the desired baking pan.  Which is what I did.

This looks nothing like a rectangle.  

This was the (messy) fun part.  I rolled the dough, attempting to follow the "rectangle shape" instructions.  I obviously failed geometry.

Sniff.  I did the best I could.

Now, the original recipe directs you to work with half of the dough at this point.  I did this, but, long story short, don't.  In this shortened recipe, I should have used the whole blob of dough at once.  Pretend I did this.

I added about half of a 1/2 cup of melted butter next.  Then sprinkled the cinnamon and the sugar EVERYWHERE.  Then I added the rest of the butter.  And then added some more cinnamon and sugar again too.  Yum.

Once the filling was perfected to all of its buttery sugary cinnamony glory, I started rolling the dough.  The goal was a rolled dough log.  I had a rolled dough blob.  I tried to keep each layer as tight as possible, because it would make more rings in the rolls and more rings means... I don't really know what it means.  But it's important.

This.  smells.  amazing. 

The next step was to cut the log into strips.  This is the point I realized I wish I had chilled the dough.  The dough circles I cut didn't retain the circular shape that seems to be the norm for cinnamon rolls.  I had cinnamon blobs.

Despite its unruliness, this.  looks.  amazing.

Let me introduce my cinnamon blobs.  I assure you, however, they tasted fantastic no matter what their shape.  I would also suggest to cut the rolls wider as opposed to thinner. 

I then placed the rolls into the baking pan and preheated the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  I covered the pan with a dish towel and set aside for 20 minutes to let the dough rise.  Once I finished twiddling my thumbs for 20 minutes, I removed the towel and baked for the suggested 13 to 17 minutes.  Make sure the rolls are baked through enough.  I didn't and I almost ruined the whole thing. 

While the rolls were baking, I made the icing!  I whisked together the powdered sugar, butter, and salt.  If they're not crazy like me, one could go ahead and add the coffee and maple flavoring too.  This is what makes it maple icing.  I just had butter and sugar icing.  Whisk whisk whisk.

Action shot!

Once the cinnamon rolls were baked sufficiently, I promptly removed them from the oven and poured the icing EVERYWHERE.

Then I sat back and drooled.

Then I located a bowl.

And a fork.    

Bowl of love. 

This is a bowl of love.  It is love in a bowl.  With a fork.

Make these.  As soon as possible.  Eat them for breakfast.  

Or you can make them in the middle of the day if you want.  Like I did.  Whatever floats your boat.

I'm no Pioneer Woman, but I'd like to think of this as an adventure of the Pioneer Woman and me.

Signed,

A Closet Cook