An Elephant In The Dark: (a) Good Night

I cook to unwind, to decompress, to regroup. Some people run, some surf facebook, some smoke, but I've found the best way to clear my head is through is through careful chopping, measuring, stirring, smelling, tasting, and touching. Yesterday was a little bit stressful; Sam and I were groped in the elevator by a drunk man and no one did anything to stop it, then I spent the rest day in the crowded loud office trying to focus on a task that I didn't fully understand, waiting (somewhat) patiently to be instructed. Anyhow work Sam and I went to Pick and Pay (the local grocery store) where she bought a Lunch Bar (a chocolatey Cadbury confection featuring peanuts, caramel, wafers, and crisped rice) of epic proportions and I bought two small eggplants. Sam relaxes with chocolate. I, on the other hand, had other plans in mind.

I got home and made this recipe for "Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-tomato Ragu and Smoked Mozzarella" that I found on Epicurious, but of course I had to make substitutions due to budgetary constraints. I omitted the red peppers and swapped the smoked mozzarella for feta cheese and added garlic and a little salt and pepper to the cakes. The results were incredible!

I had to steal the final picture from epicurious.com because as soon as I plated the food, it disappeared. The quinoa cakes were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and the ragu was rich and fresh-tasting. The salty feta provided a sharp contrast to the soft and subtle vegetables. All in all, it was very very delicious, and I managed to get Sam, who planned on abstaining from eggplant until marriage, to give it up and indulge.

Then, of course, we all piled into my bed to watch Six Feet Under. We are on the 10th episode of the 4th seasons, which, if you've seen the show, means that things are FALLING APART!