10/17/2008

I am socially awkward.

Filed under: — Aprille @ 8:42 pm

At what distance are you supposed to do the “acquaintance smile”?  I’m talking about when you’re walking in a public place, and someone you kind of know but not really is approaching.  It would be polite to smile or say hi or acknowledge the person somehow, but when do you do it?

That happened to me the other day.  I saw this guy, friend-of-a-friend, we’ve been at the same parties but never really had any one-on-one conversations or anything.  I noticed him from probably half a block away, and I planned to acknowledge him pleasantly at a distance of around 10 feet.  I looked around at other stuff until I got to the 10-foot mark, at which point I looked up.  However, at that point he was looking around at other stuff.

Did I miss the moment?  Was he looking at me, ready to be pleasant, at 15 feet, then assumed I either didn’t see him or was too stuck-up to say anything because I was looking at other stuff?  Or is HE the one who’s stuck up and he totally dissed me?

This sort of thing happens to me a lot, and I think maybe I just wait too long for the contact.  It’s weird if you do it too soon, though, because then you’re walking toward each other for so long, looking at each other, and there’s too much build-up for such a small interaction.

There really needs to be some kind of rule book for this sort of thing.

Key limes and quail

Filed under: — Aprille @ 8:32 am

I got a bug up my butt to cook a fancy dinner last night.  It turned out pretty well, except that it’s hard to nibble the flesh off tiny quail with a grumpy baby in the high chair.  Don’t ask me why he wasn’t satisfied with mushed-up peas and Teddy Poofs.

Here’s the recipe, adapted from Gourmet (and epicurious.com). I didn’t take any pictures of this because it was my first time making it and I wasn’t confident about the beauty aspect.  I did, however, make a key lime pie for dessert, so the photo you see is evidence of that process.

QUAIL WITH ONIONS AND RED GRAPES (serves 2, can be doubled)

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons dried bouquet garni blend (could also use fresh thyme)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion (I like Peru Sweets), cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 4 whole quail (5 to 6 ounces each), cleaned and necks and feet removed  if necessary
  • 1.5 cups red seedless grapes
  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 475°F.In a small saucepan boil vinegar, honey, and bouquet garni over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour glaze through a fine sieve into a small bowl, discarding herb solids, and reserve. In another small bowl stir together 1 tablespoons reserved glaze and 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Heat a flameproof roasting pan (I used my cast iron) in oven 10 minutes. In heated pan toss onions with remaining tablespoon butter, remaining teaspoon bouquet garni, and salt and pepper to taste and roast in upper third of oven, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

While onions are roasting, prepare quail. Rinse quail and pat dry. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Brush quail inside and out with about one third glaze-butter mixture and tie legs together with kitchen string (I didn’t do this and I wish I had, because they looked a little pointy).

Add grapes to pan and toss with onions. Arrange quail, breast sides down, over onions and grapes and roast 15 minutes. Turn quail over and baste with about half of remaining glaze-butter mixture. Roast quail, basting with remaining glaze-butter mixture, 10 minutes more, or until juices run clear when fleshy part of a thigh is pierced (I suggest checking them a little sooner, as mine came out a bit dry).

Discard string from quail and transfer to a platter. Arrange grapes and onions around quail using a slotted spoon and keep warm.

You can use the remaining glaze to drizzle around the plate; I also used some to make a little vinaigrette salad dressing.

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