Check This One Off the Bucket List

 

Our son Ryan graduated from Indiana University in 2006, and lived in Bloomington, IN for 9 years.  In all the time I visited him at his condo there, I never got to a game at Assembly Hall.  It was on my bucket list, since I'm a college basketball fanatic, and have followed Indiana, the Bob Knight saga, and then the ugly years after he left.  I've watched the movie Hoosiers any number of times, and have read the great book Season on the Brink.  Now ranked in the top 5 this year, Ryan said this was the year to go--this team and their coaches are special.  Of course he doesn't live there anymore, so getting tickets, and hotel rooms was a bit of a flail, but worth every minute!

We began our pilgrimage at Nick's English Hut, a place where Ryan lived for most of his years in Bloomington.  We could tell the waitresses missed him--treating him like he was family!

The only time I'd been into Assembly Hall was to watch Ryan graduate, from the nose-bleed section.  This time we had pretty good seats, but the tour was pretty special too.  Basketball in Indiana is like an alternative universe--these people live and breathe it from the cradle.

When Ryan toured IU in 2002 they were going to the Final Four.  This was after Bob Knight was fired.

He's still here, even in some people's hearts 

We got to our seats, and I was like a kid on the edge of my seat; I know these kids' as if they were my own, follow Tom Crean on Twitter, and am generally obsessed.  I love college basketball because the games matter, the kids play hard, and the coaches (for the most part) mold these young men into better young men.  Not everyone will play in the NBA, and places like Indiana put a premium on graduating their players.

As Ryan said, those banners are looking lonely!

Oh, I forgot to say they were playing Iowa who had won 4 of their last 5 and IU had just lost a terrible game to Wisconsin.  Fortunately I was teaching and didn't have to watch that one!

IU won this game, but it wasn't pretty; but a win is a win!  I'll not complain!

John Mellencamp is a fixture at the games, this time without Meg Ryan

Dr. C. and Ryan celebrating a win!

I'll leave you with this video which is called the best time out (under 8) in college basketball.  This was a great trip, I loved being there, and sharing it with Dr. C and Ryan.  Dr. C. had been to a game when Ryan was the basketball columnist for the Indiana Daily Student at IU.  Read this to find out what happened. 

The Condo Chronicles

I am currently in Bloomington, Indiana helping our son move out of his condo which will close a week from today.  When I arrived on Saturday we began to see the laminate kitchen floor buckling....on Monday a series of contractors were in and out, and finally tore up the floor, found a reason for the water under the floor and we are continuing towards the closing date, with the floor being replaced this weekend.

As with most things that have a deadline, it is never simple; but I have to say that I am so grateful for a realtor who is right there when you need her, and the tradesmen who were here Monday and Tuesday.  Boxes are piling up here, and we are carrying loads over to Goodwill and Salvation Army, as well as trash to the dumpster.

I'm amazed at what people toss; and the people that come by the condo complex and pick up the nearly new trash that owners can't take with them.  Every night when Ryan and I have gone out to dinner there are pick up trucks lined up at the dumpster---our contractor told us they will be at the flea market each weekend selling to the IU students coming to town. 

This is the living room---in progress.

Hallway to the kitchen---boxes everywhere!

Ugly old linoleum---bad dream---not much cooking going on in here!

Although there is a lot of work to do, Ryan and I are both feeling a little bittersweet about leaving here---although I won't miss the 100+ degree summer weather! 

Pile 'em on.............

Onions, oft maligned, can become the star of the show if you prepare them with a little love and some time.  Raw onions can taste harsh, and can turn an entire dish into disposal fodder if you aren't careful.  Onions need to release some of their oil, then their sweetness comes to the fore, and they balance dishes with strong flavors with a bit of sweet flavor and texture.  Caramelizing onions, allows them to reduce down and become sweet, caramel-like and smoky, making them even more delicious.  The best news?  You don't have to stand over them and cook them for hours, just load up your slow cooker and let them do their thing.  You will be amazed at how easy this is, and how beautifully they turn out.  So pile them on burgers, pizza, flat breads, steak, pastas, and add a layer of caramelized onions to your next batch of mac and cheese.  These slow cooked onions freeze beautifully, and you can bring them out for additions to soups (French onion, anyone?) and stews.  One of my favorite dips is a caramelized onion and Gruyere dip that is terrific served warm with baguette slices, pita chips, or fresh veggies.  Try it for your NCAA Championship party tomorrow night! 

Caramelized Onions

Makes about 5 cups

Make sure to use sweet onions, like Vidalia, Walla Walla, Texas Sweets, 10/15’s or Maui onions; these onions are 6% sugar, and can only be labeled “sweet”.  Ordinary brown onions will give you a harsh flavored dish, where the sweet onions will yield sweet and buttery onions.  Once cooked the onions can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. 

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup chicken broth

6 large sweet yellow onions, sliced in half, and sliced in half moons

1. In an insert for a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker, combine the butter, oil, sugar, salt, Tabasco, thyme and chicken broth.  
2. Stir in the onions, and toss to coat with the butter mixture.  
3. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, stirring several times during the cooking process, until the onions are golden brown, watching them at 10 hours, to make sure they don’t burn.
4. Remove the onions from the cooker, cool the onions and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for 2 months. 

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Dip

Serves 8

3 cups cooled caramelized onions (see preceding recipe)

5 drops Tabasco

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (or Emmenthaler or imported Swiss cheese)

1.       One round loaf of sourdough or French bread, top cut off, insides hollowed out leaving a 3/4 inch to 1-inch shell. 

2.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

     When the onions are cooled, stir in the Tabasco, mayonnaise and cheese. Transfer to the hollowed bread bowl, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dip is bubbly.  Serve with crudités, toasted bread cubes (from the inside of the bread) or crackers for dipping.   

Cook’s Note:  This is delicious made with Havarti with dill cheese and about 2 cups of lump crab added.

I'm in Bloomington with our son Ryan until I return to West Lafayette on Tuesday for two more classes, then it's on to DC and Pennsylvania for a bit of visiting and classes.  We are looking forward to the NCAA championship game tomorrow night.........go Bulldogs!  I'll be back with some more thoughts on food this week. 

On the Road Again

It's that time of year again, where I head out to the mid-west and East Coast and teach in some of my favorite places.  I get to sneak in visits with our son Ryan in Bloomington, Indiana (home of the Indiana Hoosiers)and friends along the way. 
I'll be teaching in West Lafayette, Indiana for the next two days, then head to Cincinnati for two more classes---after that it's a bit fuzzy!  Every day brings a different group of students, and a different menu, and keeping it all straight is
a feat of mental gymnastics sometimes, but I love teaching and this is when I get to find out what people are really cooking in their kitchens, rather than depending on magazines and newspapers for information.  

 Fall has come to Bloomington---leaves in full blaze are something that we don't see very often in Southern California and the colors are amazing. 

Dunn Chapel, IU

Red Clocks on IU campus, I'd love one on my patio!
I'll be posting throughout the week, as I make my way across the heartland. I hope you've had a great weekend, I'm still recovering from the Chargers' loss today.