Summer: Then & Now

And another week flies by - that always happens with summer, the days all run into one another, with no thought for the date or day of the week.  I used to think that the cause of this phenomenon was due to the fact that my schedule was broken down, giving me nothing to judge time against.  But even with the firm regularity of a full-time job, I find myself unsure of what day it is, let alone what month.  I'm glad that the endless-summer feel of my childhood has not been lost in my slow, hesitant journey to adulthood.

With the arrival of the quintessential summer, what better way to celebrate than with a family barbecue?  Now, let's just say I kinda love my family.  Like a lot.  Not only are my immediate family and I freakishly close, but I'm lucky enough to have all of my extended family living within a 20 mile radius.  My aunts and uncles have always been some of my favorite people in the whole world, but as I've gotten older I've come to know them as more than just "aunts" and "uncles" and more as people, and they are really great people.  My cousins aren't half bad either - actually, our extreme closeness is starting to become a little bit of a problem as we have begun to morph into the same person, both physically and mentally.  This past weekend was one of said twin-cousin's 17th birthday (see right).  When she was younger she would have these big bashes in her backyard - the parents up on the patio chatting and sipping drinks that my Uncle "The Daiquiri Man" Jack mixed up, us kids tearing around the yard and occasionally across the patio, one after the other, during intense games of hide-and-seek tag.  We would take a break only long enough to grab a plate of food, sing Happy Birthday, and woof down some cake.  Losing the sunlight didn't stop us either, we actually looked forward to it, because it meant only one thing: Man Hunt - the only light being the moon and stars in the country sky (which made it both fun and frightening, especially when crouched in far edges of the yard near the thick line of trees in the back, the farthest point away from the patio and our parents).  And no party was complete without a half an hour search for some unfortunate guest's flip-flops in the endless darkness of the backyard.  My cousin hasn't had one of these parties in a few years, but this year, this was the year she brought them back.  While this time I spent the day on the patio with The Daiquiri Man, the tradition and nostalgia of the day was not lost, but I got to experience them from the other side.  I loved bonding with my aunts and uncles, and especially hearing stories of when they were younger, and laughing far, far too hard.  Another great thing about being a little bit older is being able to contribute - in the form of food of course.  Since hamburgers and hot dogs were already on the menu, I decided to whip up some Salmon Burgers, Deviled Eggs, and Summer Green Bean Pasta Salad (recipe below).  This pasta salad, my mother's brainchild, has been a staple during the barbecue season for years, though I gave it a little update with the addition of chickpeas and a splash of ginger-mandarin dressing.  It felt really good to be able to bring something to the party, like giving back for all those great parties of summer's past.  Plus, I got compliments on both the burgers and the salad, which is always nice.

Summer Green Bean Pasta Salad
½ lb fresh green beans, ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb rotini pasta
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup ginger-mandarin dressing

+ Fill a large pot ¾ of the way up with water, salt and bring to boil.  Add pasta and cook until done, take pot off heat.  Remove pasta with slotted spoon or small strainer.  Place in large bowl and set aside.
Put the water back onto boil, and add the green beans.  Cook until soft, but slightly crunchy.  Strain and add to pasta.
+ Add the onion, apricots, cranberries, chickpeas, and dressing, then stir until well combined.  Best served right out of the fridge.

Wet Wellies, Whimsical Wedding, and Wicked Good Deviled Eggs

"In the month of April in the year of 2009, 

Garrett Elise acquired a red Schwinn bicycle.

The vintage machine required mechanical attention.

Following the suggestion of 'South Pacific's' wigmeisteres

Garrett Elise asked Paul John, a well known tinkerer,

if he would tinker with the Old Girl.

He tinkered and the rest is history..."

This past Monday, one of our beloved family friends got hitched to a wonderful Englishman.  The celebration of their love and union was as beautiful and quirky and spontaneous and creative as they are.  The couple asked two things of their wedding guests: wear wellies and bring a dish for the potluck reception.  The day ended up being rainy and foggy, but it made the wellies both cute and practical.  But I'm getting a head of myself...

My mother and I spent Sunday night making six dozen deviled eggs.  Yes, six dozen.  The deviled eggs were per the bride's request, but my mom and I were having trouble figuring out how to easily transport seventy two eggs to Brooklyn.  It was my mom's idea to make whole deviled eggs and place them back in the cartons for transportation and service.  Not only was it functional, but they looked absolutely adorable and made them easy to serve (just pop open the lid and voila!  Cute presentation and easy clean-up).  But in usual Confoy fashion, we decided to put a little spin on this traditional recipe - we did two dozen Classic Deviled Eggs, two dozen Spitfire Eggs, and two dozen Golden Sunrise Eggs (don't worry, the recipes are below).  My favorite was the Golden Sunrise Eggs, made with avocado and curry, because they were sweet and spicy, but without bringing the heat that the Spitfire eggs brought - boy, were those babies hot!  I never thought of them being a blank canvas to create with, but you may be seeing many more Deviled Egg recipes this summer.

The wedding took place in Brooklyn Bridge Park on a rainy Monday afternoon - an incredible location that mixes playgrounds and gardens, beaches and water, and the industrial bridge and city skyline.  Originally meant to be set in a grassy area in the middle of the park, weather caused the ceremony to be moved indoors.  And by indoors I mean onto a glass enclosed carousel at the edge of the water.  Led by "bubble girls", the wedding party rode up on bicycles - the bride on the Schwinn that started it all.  It was a fairly traditional ceremony, but the reading of "I Like You" by Paul's son, the vows they had written for each other, and the carousel setting just added to the air of whimsy that encompassed the entire celebration.

After the ceremony, the party moved to One Arm Red - the grey rainy warehouse exterior was all but forgotten after one semi-scary ride in an industrial freight elevator which opened up to a warm space decorated with banners and twinkle lights, giving the impression of being outdoors.  Remember the wellies that I mentioned earlier?  Once we got to the reception, everyone kicked them off and donned more formal footwear.  However, our wellies were then placed along the entrance way, lit with little candles, making each person a part of the decoration, the atmosphere. The main room was breathtaking: three long tables accented with tea lights and flowers in mismatched glasses and old soda bottles; a giant heart with the couple's initials were drawn onto the twenty foot chalkboard wall (big pieces of chalk were handed out during the party for the guests to write messages to the couple); and on the other side of the room, two tables were overflowing with the potluck dishes.  There was everything from fruit salad, chili, bread and cheeses, vegan fois gras, lasagna, pasta salads, and pulled pork.  My favorites were a simple but delicious kale salad and Moroccan couscous salad.  And the best part?  The deviled eggs caught like wildfire, and all six dozen were gone within minutes.  The groom was overheard saying "These are the best deviled eggs I've ever tasted" and the bride told me later that she loved the eggs.  All I have to say is: Thank you for a beautiful evening, and you are so very welcome.

This wedding was unlike any other I've been to - even though I haven't been to many in my life, but I'm feeling like I'm entering that phase now where I'm going to start attending a lot more.  The casual, laid-back fun nature of the wedding made you feel like you were a part of it, a part of this community of loved ones that added to the experience of the couple and the other guests.  Her dress and hat were made by a friend, the food was pot luck, the decorations were painstakingly made and hung by friends, the music was played from the couple's Mac, the cake was made by a friend who just finished pastry school - everyone had a hand in making the day special, and it was very, very special.  It made me want to throw a party exactly like this - bringing loved ones together to eat, drink, dance, and just celebrate.

Writer's Note: I took a ridiculous amount of photos of the wedding, so it was very difficult picking just a few to feature.  However, if you want to see more, I've posted an entire album on the dread&butter Facebook page.  So go.  Like it and feast your eyes.

Perfectly Hard Boiled Eggs
1 dozen eggs
cold water

+ In a large pot, lay one layer of eggs on the bottom.  Don't overcrowd or layer the eggs - if the whole dozen doesn't fit, just boil them in two batches.  Add enough cold water so that the eggs are covered by two inches.
+ Place pot on high heat.  As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, take off the heat and cover.  Allow to sit for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs.
+ Once the eggs are done, rinse under cold water.  Place in a large bowl and keep in fridge until ready to peel.

Note: If you find that your eggs are hard to peel, don't fret!  The harder the eggs are to peel, the more fresh they are.

Classic Deviled Eggs
2 dozen eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup honey mustard
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp while pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
+ Cut the bottoms off the eggs, exposing the yolk inside.  Squeeze the sides of the egg gently and the yolk should pop right out.  If it doesn't come out easily, carefully scrape it out with a pairing knife.  Set the hollow egg whites aside.
+ Combine yolks, mayo, mustards, pepper, and paprika in a medium bowl.  Mix until smooth, adding extra mayo to attain the desired texture.  
+ Fill a small piping bag (or zip-lock bag with one corner cut off) with the yolk mixture.  Pipe the yolk back into the hollow of the whites.  Place eggs back into carton.  Garnish with a pinch of paprika.

Spitfire Eggs
2 dozen eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup course hot mustard
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper (use more or less for desired kick)
½ tsp sweet paprika 
red pepper flakes
+ Cut the bottoms off the eggs, exposing the yolk inside.  Squeeze the sides of the egg gently and the yolk should pop right out.  If it doesn't come out easily, carefully scrape it out with a pairing knife.  Set the hollow egg whites aside.
+ Combine yolks, mayo, mustards, chili powder, pepper, and paprika in a medium bowl.  Mix until smooth, adding extra mayo to attain desired texture.
+ Fill a small piping bag (or zip-lock bag with one corner cut off) with the yolk mixture.  Pipe the yolk back into the hollow of the whites.  Place eggs back into carton.  Garnish with a few red pepper flakes.

Golden Sunrise Eggs
2 dozen eggs, hard boiled and peeled
2 ripe avocados 
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey mustard
1 tbs curry powder (I used a Vindaloo)
1 tsp turmeric
+ Cut the bottoms off the eggs, exposing the yolk inside.  Squeeze the sides of the egg gently and the yolk should pop right out.  If it doesn't come out easily, carefully scrape it out with a pairing knife.  Set the hollow egg whites aside.
+ Combine yolks, avocados, mustards, curry, and tumeric in a medium bowl.  Mix until smooth, adding extra Dijon mustard to attain desired texture.
+ Fill a small piping bag (or zip-lock bag with one corner cut off) with the yolk mixture.  Pipe the yolk back into the hollow of the whites.  Place eggs back into carton.  Garnish with a shake of curry powder.