I don’t consider myself a political person. But here it comes. My very own political rant.

Every day, I try and live every second to its fullest. To me, that means spending time with friends and family, using my body to its full potential (by exercising, get your head out of the gutter), eating good food, listening to great music and having good conversation.

This does not mean that I don’t have political opinions. I have a strong views on taxes, abortion, foreign policy and civil rights. That doesn’t mean I need to tell anyone else about them. Because chances are good, whomever I’m talking to probably has equally strong opinions on the topic one way or the other.

What I do want to tell you about is how I think it is bullshit that you have to go out of your way to figure out what is political truth.

I feel like everywhere I turn I hear conflicting information and lie after lie after lie.

In order to find out what is really going on you have to read hundreds of pages of jargon and draw your own conclusion.

When did we as a country decide that it was acceptable to let politicians twist the truth to make themselves and their plans look good?

Why aren’t we demanding truth?

And why the hell do we watch debates where the candidates are not forced to speak truthfully and actually answer the question?

I refuse to spend any extended time in my life listening to lies. And I encourage you to do the same.

In the mean time, I will continue to live my life and not let myself get bogged down by the drama unfolding daily.

This dish is a great way to start. Turn off the bullshit. Pick up a good book. Turn on some good tunes. Cook something amazing.

You will need…

3 small eggplants (Japanese or Italian, just make sure they are small)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 shallots, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup freshly chopped basil

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by slicing your eggplants in half lengthwise.

Season the cut sides well with salt and pepper.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, about 2 minutes, add the eggplant to the pan, cut side down.

Cook the eggplant until it is browned, about 4-5 minutes.

Flip the eggplant and cook it until the skin is browned and it is cooked through. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a serving platter and set aside. If your eggplant was on the larger side, as mine was, cut your eggplant into smaller pieces.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add in the shallots and the garlic.

Cook the shallots and garlic, until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add in the capers, lemon juice, vinegar and butter.

Stir the sauce until the butter has melted.

Drizzle the sauce over the eggplant and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Pan Roasted Eggplant with Tangy Shallot Dressing

3 small eggplants (Japanese or Italian, just make sure they are small)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 shallots, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup freshly chopped basil

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by slicing your eggplants in half lengthwise.

Season the cut sides well with salt and pepper.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, about 2 minutes, add the eggplant to the pan, cut side down.

Cook the eggplant until it is browned, about 4-5 minutes.

Flip the eggplant and cook it until the skin is browned and it is cooked through. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a serving platter and set aside. If your eggplant was on the larger side, as mine was, cut your eggplant into smaller pieces.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add in the shallots and the garlic.

Cook the shallots and garlic, until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add in the capers, lemon juice, vinegar and butter.

Stir the sauce until the butter has melted.

Drizzle the sauce over the eggplant and serve hot. 

Music runs deep in my veins. My dad introduced me to rock and roll at a very young age and I’ve been singing, humming and dancing ever since.

Do you know how many songs I sang over and over in my head while I spent hours of solitary swimming a day?

A lot.

And even though I’m pretty much in love with music, I have never been a huge concertgoer.

You have to be really awesome to get me to shell out money to go see you when I could go jam out to a great live band at a bar for free while I dance three feet from where they are playing.

Of course there are people who I have decided are worth the money.

Obviously I have seen Billy Joel. Three times. And it would be way more if he would just go back on tour already.

Imogene Heap was phenomenal.

But last night Wes and I shelled out a whopping seventeen bucks a piece to see this guy and were completely blown away.

 

Best seventeen dollars I’ve ever spent.

Wes and I have been listening to Eric Hutchinson for about a year now and he is pretty much our go to for any occasion. But nothing could have prepared us for how great he would be live.

We spent almost two hours moving and laughing and singing along.

He has an unbelievable stage presence and an obvious zest for life and fun.

With a bunch of recently added dates to his extended tour, I HIGHLY recommend you check him out.

And you can make this dish before you head out to rock out.

You will need…

2 lbs flank steak

½ cup balsamic vinegar plus 3 extra tablespoons

2 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley

2 heirloom tomatoes (or vine ripened if you don’t have heirloom) chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil divided

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by seasoning your meat liberally with salt and pepper.

Drizzle ½ cup balsamic vinegar over the steak and let it marinate for 15 minutes. Flip the steak and let it marinate for another 15 minutes.

While the meat is marinating, combine your tomatoes and your parsley in a bowl and season them well with salt and pepper. Toss and set aside.

After the meat has marinated, heat your grill to high heat or heat a grill pan over high heat.

Lightly oil the grill or grill pan with 1 tablespoons olive oil and place the meet on the hot grill.

Cook the meat about 6 to 7 minutes so that it gets a really nice sear on both sides.

After the meat has a good sear, cook until the meat is medium rare in the center. About 20 minutes total (meat will read 135 degrees F in the center).

When the steak is done, remove it from the heat and cover it with foil to rest for 10 minutes.

While the meat is resting, heat the remaining oil and the butter in a medium pan over medium heat.

After the butter has melted, add in the shallot and reduce the heat to low.

Cook the shallots until they are translucent, about 1 minute.

Add in the remaining balsamic vinegar and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly.

After the liquid has reduced slightly, remove it form the heat.

By now the meat has rested. Cut it against the grain into 1/2-3/4 inch slices.

Top the steak with the tomato mixture and then drizzle the balsamic shallots over the top.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Balsamic and Heirloom Tomato Grilled Flank Steak

2 lbs flank steak

½ cup balsamic vinegar plus 3 extra tablespoons

2 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley

2 heirloom tomatoes (or vine ripened if you don’t have heirloom) chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil divided

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by seasoning your meat liberally with salt and pepper.

Drizzle ½ cup balsamic vinegar over the steak and let it marinate for 15 minutes. Flip the steak and let it marinate for another 15 minutes.

While the meat is marinating, combine your tomatoes and your parsley in a bowl and season them well with salt and pepper. Toss and set aside.

After the meat has marinated, heat your grill to high heat or heat a grill pan over high heat.

Lightly oil the grill or grill pan with 1 tablespoons olive oil and place the meet on the hot grill.

Cook the meat about 6 to 7 minutes so that it gets a really nice sear on both sides.

After the meat has a good sear, cook until the meat is medium rare in the center. About 20 minutes total (meat will read 135 degrees F in the center).

When the steak is done, remove it from the heat and cover it with foil to rest for 10 minutes.

While the meat is resting, heat the remaining oil and the butter in a medium pan over medium heat.

After the butter has melted, add in the shallot and reduce the heat to low.

Cook the shallots until they are translucent, about 1 minute.

Add in the remaining balsamic vinegar and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly.

After he liquid has reduced slightly, remove it form the heat.

By now the meat has rested. Cut it against the grain into 1/2-3/4 inch slices.

Top the steak with the tomato mixture and then drizzle the balsamic shallots over the top.

Serve hot.