Jammin'

Inspired by the accidental purchase of way too many apricots (I was so hungry!) and strawberries on sale for five shekels a kilo, I've taken to making jam. And I thought, well that's a nice little how-to.

Q: Really, Ricki? Jam? What's next, how to crochet lace covers for your tea kettle?

A: Yes, jam. It's delicious, so shush! And ooh, what an interesting idea.

Anyway, this is basically how it goes:

Put a lot of fruit in a pot.
Add some lemon juice.
Cover in sugar.
Boil.
Cool.
Eat.

To be more specific, I used 5 cups of sugar for 2 pounds of apricots, and 4 cups of sugar for 2 pounds of strawberries. Ish. This was after a lot of googling, during which I found no two recipes that were the same (like snowflakes!). So I guess it's just a matter of taste. But really, what I'm trying to say here is, you don't need pectin. And far be it from me not to use lemon juice where and whenever I can possibly use lemon juice, but some recipes called for just a little bit of water instead, or even no additional liquid. I guess this is good to know over the summer, when all of the sudden lemons are going to be something like one million shekels each around here.

Q: So why don't you just freeze lemon juice in ice cube trays like a lot of Israelis apparently do?

A: Why don't I start wearing Crocs everywhere? (I mean the big clogs. Not the cute mary janes that I really wish fit my foot but don't.)

Anyway. You put all the fruit, sugar, and juice (if you're that cool) into a pot over a medium-low flame, and stir it around until the sugar dissolves. Then you basically let it sit there, stirring occasionally. Oh. Beforehand, you should cut off stems / leaves and remove pits. You knew that. But did you know this? Many apricot jam recipes recommend leaving a few of the pits in there while it's cooking. I did this. I don't know how much of a difference it made because I have never done it without, but I can tell you the apricot jam turned out pret-ty awesome.

Q: How do you know when the jam is ready?

A: This question is so boring. But the answer is not. A good way to tell if the jam is ready, is to place a clean plate in the freezer right when you start cooking. When the jam starts to look less liquidy (this takes about an hour), put a teaspoon of the jam (or, almost-jam, if you've been impatient) on the cold plate. If you can swipe your finger through it and the streak will stay in tact, it's ready. This is a good test because the jam will conjeal more as it cools, so it's otherwise hard to tell what the actual consistency will be when the jam is all boily and stuff.

I have plans to get fancy, and start adding all kinds of crazy shit (example: cinnamon) to some of the jams I want to make.

Furniture Hunting

I'm particularly bored at work this week, so I figured I'd write a post about something that I busied myself with for about 6 months this year, namely finding affordable furniture on the island of Manhattan. While everyone's idea of affordable differs, here is a list of furniture resources that can accommodate a range of budgets.

CB2 - 451 broadway (between canal and grand) - If you like modern furniture, this is the place for you. As Jon said, if I weren't married to you, this is totally how I would decorate my bachelor pad. A subset of Crate and Barrel, they claim to offer the same quality of products at better prices- a helpful salesperson told us that their upholstered items are made by the same manufacturers as Crate and Barrel, but they only offer it in one or two colors to cut down on price. Their dinnerware is particularly cheap and has a funky twist to it. It's a fun store to browse, but beware of pushy hipsters.

Z Gallerie- 443 Broadway at Grand St- This was one of my best furniture finds. It may be on the higher end of this list, but it offers good sales and white glove delivery for furniture purchases. Jon and I stumbled across it when we wandered out of CB2 and walked down the block, only for me to decide that I needed a bathroom. (Theirs is located downstairs and is quite lovely.) They have great bedroom furniture if you're looking for sets- it's less expensive than the Door Store and has more interesting inventory. They also have a wide selection of accessories and tabletop items. Plus they always have a lot on sale.

West Elm - 112 west 18th street- This store has some nice items, but I think it's a little hit or miss. I've heard the quality of the their upholstery isn't great, but I picked up some really cool lamps here. Just browse the website and wait for things to go on sale, which like the Gap, they always do. Then call ahead to make sure it's there and voila, you can stop by and pick it up easily since it's right off the 1 train. It's also right around the corner from the Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond's Chelsea locations, so you can run many errands at once.

Bed Bath & Beyond- 1932 Broadway at 65th Street & 620 Sixth Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets- Although known as a homegoods store, it actually offers a surprisingly large range of furniture pieces. It sells bookcases, media consoles, desks, cabinets, wine racks, storage solutions, and even ottomans. Definitely worth a shot, but call ahead to make sure that they carry the item that you're looking for in the store. Otherwise, this time of year, their shipping prices are more reasonable

Crate and Barrel- 611 Broadway & 650 Madison Avenue - their "Ready to Assemble" furniture is much more affordable than their regular stock. It's on the higher end of this list, but you can rest assured that it's of a higher quality than other do it yourself furniture sources, such as Target and Ikea.

The Door Store- 601 Amsterdam Avenue (at 89th Street), 123 West 17th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues), 1 Park Avenue (at 33rd Street) , & (their main showroom) 969 Third Avenue (at 58th St.)- Although I'm not the biggest fan of the Door Store, they have very affordable upholstered items. Plus they have a large selection of pullout couches, which is always a plus.

Craigslist- You can use search limits to find almost anything you're looking for. While the website may have a lot of crap that people are trying to get rid of for way too much money, there are also some great deals on things you actually want to purchase. I always like to see an image before I go see something in person. Also, I would avoid purchasing anything upholstered. I'd stick with tables, dressers, mirrors, etc. It's also a good idea to ask if the person has pets or smokes and why he/she is selling the item. And, remember safety first, you should never go alone into a stranger's apartment.

HousingWorks thrift stores (or any other thrift store for that matter)- These stores are located all around the city and you can feel good because the proceeds help fight AIDS and homelessness in NYC. The Manhattan locations are:
143 West 17th Street
157 East 23rd Street
202 East 77th Street
306 Columbus Avenue
245 West 10th Street
1730 2nd Avenue
You can either go in and browse or check out their website at shophousingworks.com. You can bid on auction items (which are part of their amazing window displays) and then pick them up or have them shipped to you. Just click on "Shop by category" and select either "Furniture" or "Housewares." If you don't mind used items, thrift stores are all over the city and a great resource. Once again, unless you want to reupholster an item, I would stay away from anything you can't wash. For more general shopping, the Housing Works thrift shops are always having special events and sales. Check out their website for more information: http://www.housingworks.org/social-enterprise/thrift-shops/

Apartmenttherapy.com is a great website. It gives good decorating tips and the posts make for interesting browsing. More importantly, it lists local sales. Usually, the stores they list are way too expensive, but it's worth checking it out.

Hope this helps! Happy Shopping!

Read Me Like a Book

OK Ladies, if you can't bring yourself to post a blog, then at least do your fellow blog readers a favor and pick some other good reading material. That's right, I want to hear some good book recommendations...my recs below:

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley--cute book of humorous essays by a chick who's kinda like us, but way more successful

Empire Falls by Richard Russo--stay away if you can't stand descriptions of smalltown life

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See--for those wanting to relive Memoirs of a Geisha

The Godfather and The Family, both by Mario Puzo--the mafia, or the mafia, Vatican-style. Your call.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory--you can read her others too, but it's pretty much just like reading this one over and over again

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kunehrt--a YA novel with a punky spirit. Also, I'm probably spelling the author's last name wrong.

Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds and Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty--OK, so it's also a YA series, but I love her writing, and, for the most part, the protagonist. Plus there's a fifth one coming out next year, so, something to look forward to.

The Frog King by Adam Davis--like chick lit, but with men. Also, kind of depressing. But I like it.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett--beautiful writing, just don't let the godawful 2-page epilogue ruin the whole book for you.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov--I will forever stand by this as the most beautifully written book in existence, if a little creepy.

Exodus by Leon Uris--seriously, if you haven't read it, do it. Such a soft spot in my heart for this book. The rest of his are similar, but if you're into Arab-Israeli stuff, I'd also recommend The Haj for a decent two-sided look.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden--again, you've probably read it, but if you haven't, you should. And then marvel over the fact that it was written by a man.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini--same deal, but beware--grown men have been known to cry when reading this in public.

I learned my lesson...

So I love to bitch and moan about assholes on the subway, and the disturbing fact that I am turning into one. Well apparently other New Yorkers have taken note of my evolution as well. A few weeks ago I left work late and was faced with the terrors of rush hour to which I am not usually exposed. As I made my way off the R train at the 59th and Lex stop to make the dreaded transfer to the 4/5 to get home, I was trapped for a few minutes in an unmoving sea of human traffic.

But I really wanted to go home! So I decided to sort of sneak my way through the crowd unnoticed...okay, more like push my way through. Well, someone noticed alright. I came up against a guy who decided he was not going to let me get away with it. I told him I just needed to get to the stairway and, outraged, he yelled at me, "you can still say excuse me!" I was a bit ashamed and excused myself quietly, after which he let me pass as I rode the wave of people down deeper to the depths of our wonderful subway to catch my train. My cheeks still burnt red from embarrassment many hours later. He had reached me; he was right and I was just another anonymous jerk on his commute, making his day shittier than it already most likely was. It really hit me because I am trying to change, and to get better at not letting the pace of this place get to me, and every day, one way or another, I fail at at that task. Here I go again, pissing off a stranger by being overly aggressive and selfish.

As though I am the only one who desperately wants to get home after a long and crappy Thursday at work!

Anyway, I guess you could say I learned my lesson...for now. I will see how long I can go before my cheeks no longer burn red and I go back to normal....like everyone else.

Oh, The Sweetest Thing

Hello there,

Another post from Barrie's kitchen. This is a great, easy recipe and because you're replacing raw eggs with pasteurized egg product, everyone can eat it from kids to pregnant women.

Easy Chocolate Mousse:
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter/margarine
6 oz unsweetened choc, melted and cooled
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. refrigerated egg product (like egg beaters)
coarsely chopped dark chocolate as garnish

In a medium mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter (or margarine) w/ electric mixer on medium for 4 min or until fluffy. Stir in melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Gradually add egg product, beating at low speed until combined then beat on medium to high, scraping sides of bowl about 1 min or until light and fluffy. Transfer filling into serving bowl or individual cups, bowls, teacups, ramekins, etc. Sprinkle chopped chocolate on top. Cover and chill 4-24 hrs.

One note- although I generally like using alternative margarine, such as Earth Balance, when I cook to make my dishes healthier, this recipe does not work with those. You'll just get soup- delicious chocolate soup, but soup nonetheless. If this does happen, just buy some strawberries and serve them together as if this was the plan all along...

Enjoy!

Negotiations

Hey Ladies,

so I, just like Liz, am a corporate tool. I wasn't always a corporate tool, until about a year ago I worked in the non-profit world. Museums, historic sites, foundations, collections, that was my passion. Still is, but I'm taking a detour. Going from the NFP world to a corporate job, I basically applied to anything that interested me, and hoped for a response.

I was offered a job, one that I wanted, but wasn't desperate for, but at a salary I found unacceptable. And here's the most important part, I wanted the job, but it wasn't my only option. You can only negotiate if you are really, truly willing to walk out the door. If you really want the job and have no other options, and you aren't willing to take the risk, you don't have any leverage.

I was given my offer letter, and it said, you will make $xxx a year. I thanked the interviewer and asked for a day to think about it. I looked at that number, and calculated in my head what I was giving up to take this job. You will negotiate from a MUCH stronger position if you can quanitfy what you are giving up and what that is worth to you. For instance, here was some of my accounting:

-No educational reimbursement: $1500/year
-No transitchek: $500/year
-Pay 20% of my healthcare: $840/year
-No Flexible Spending Account: $1000
-No longer able to tutor, due to increased hours: $1000/year
= Approx $5k

Other examples of things to add in are: moving expenses, the expense of getting to/from work, classes required to get up to speed, vacation days gained/lost, really anything you can think of.

I called back the next day, with a script I had written out and practiced, and said,

Hello Boss,
thank you so much for your offer, I would really love to work with you, but after thinking about it, I cannot accept the job at this current rate. I am giving up a lot of things to take this position, such as (name them) to take this job, and they are worth $5k to me, and I was wondering if you could stretch to that amount. I really hope that we can work this out, as this job sounds like a good fit for me, and somewhere I can see myself really growing and staying there for the long haul (etc, etc).

He said he'd see what he could do, talked to his supervisor, and called me back offering me half of what I'd wanted. This is standard, you rarely get everything you asked for. And, had I been smarter, I would have asked for more vacation days instead.

One thing to keep in mind is your industry, and the particular employer. If you're interviewing at a large company you should see if you can deduce their typical starting salary (good place to look is "thevault.com") and use that as a marker. Some places have a set starting salary, some places don't, that is a good thing to figure out before trying to negotiate. The more information you have about what you can realistically expect, the better position you will be in. By negotiating, you show them how much you think that you're worth, and you can start on day one feeling like you are a valued member of the team.

Questions?

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

Besides for reading the random and not so random blogs I stumble across during my many self-imposed breaks at work, one of my favorite ways to pass the time between 9 and 5 is planning menus. Whether for a quiet weeknight dinner with Jon or the kind of Friday night meal that requires both leaves placed into my grandmother’s art deco dining room table, I comb the internet for yummy things to make and serve. I also like to pester my mom occasionally with emails requesting recipes of favorite dishes and general kitchen tips. I love learning how to cook and bake new things. Although my sister teasingly calls me Mrs. FancyPants and my husband is constantly boggled by the amount of time and effort I put into creating a Shabbos meal, I get such pleasure from impressing myself with what I’m capable of- especially when others enjoy the fruits of my labor. So in the spirit of pooling our collective resources, here are a bunch of things I’ve learned in the past six or so years that I’ve been on my own. I’ve picked them up from family, friends, food magazines, and of course my favorite plump friend, the Barefoot Contessa.

-Your menus should be built around the following building blocks- protein, vegetable, and starch. You should have at least one of each. This in an Evelyn basic and a non-negotiable in my house. Sorry, potatoes don’t count as a vegetable.

- Don’t cook things that contain ingredients that aren’t in season. Amazingly, we live in an area where you can get ingredients year-round, but they won’t taste or look as nice, plus they are way more expensive. Why bother making a dish comprised mostly of strawberries in the middle of winter? It’s a waste of time and money.

-On a similar note, if you get to the supermarket and the ingredients you need don’t look good, don’t buy them. Just save yourself the headache and make something else.

-Think about what your different dishes will look like on the plate- a colorful menu will look most appealing. This is Evelyn rule number 2.

- Do your best not to apologize for anything you serve (I know that this is a hard one for me.) Even though you know that you forgot to add raisins or it doesn’t look anything like the picture in the cookbook, no one else will. That is, of course, unless you draw attention to it.

- Not everything has to be hard- for someone who works full time and is often up late on Thursday nights cooking, I recommend making only one or two difficult things at a time. Everything else should be simple or something you make often enough that its familiarity makes it easy. Why be stressed out or exhausted when you have guests over? You should get to enjoy your company.

-Presentation is important. It makes the simplest dishes seem impressive and makes all food look delicious- even gasp! store-bought products. Often it’s as easy as chopping fresh herbs or sprinkling croutons into soup.

- Keep in mind guests’ distinct food tastes. This is not to say that you need to cater to picky eaters (one of my biggest adult pet peeves)- it just means that there should be enough variation so that there’s something for everyone. It's a good rule in general. Not every dish should contain soy sauce or cinnamon or meat. This obviously does not apply to food allergies.

- The internet is a great resource- foodnetwork.com and epicurious.com are terrific. Reading user reviews and searching by ingredients are just a couple of the user-friendly features.

- Don’t be afraid to try new things- how else will you learn how to make them or expand your palette?! Friends and family are the best people to test them on and learning is all part of the process.

-Have fun and don't take it so seriously!