Cooking with Eowyn

Oi. This has been the busiest week EVER. Between trying to put together a big event for work and writing final papers for school and my friends deciding to be social this weekend, of all times, I am about ready to fall over dead.

I haven't had much time for cooking experiments, but I did try this recipe for Halibut with Mustard-Nut Crust earlier this week. It was really good. I used the key lime mustard that I bought in Key West. I emailed the recipe to my mother, and she replied back, saying, "Did you shell, skin, and toast the hazelnuts??" No, Mother, I did not. I did what any sane person would do and bought a bag of chopped hazelnuts (already shelled and skinned) and then smashed 'em up with a salt shaker.

I think I need to invest in a set of stovetop pans that can go in the oven. For this recipe, I had to start out cooking it in a pan on the stove, and then transfer the whole thing to a baking dish to put it in the oven. Which wasn't awful, but it's one more thing to clean, you know? It took quite a bit longer to cook than the recipe said - I think I baked it for about 17 minutes, because it wasn't even close to done when I checked it after 10 minutes.

Also, halibut has bones in it. Consider that lesson learned.

Musical Interlude

My friend and fellow musical fanatic Christi came to visit me this weekend, because one of the musicals we're currently obsessed with is playing at the theater in my neighborhood. It's called [title of show], and it's absolutely the best thing ever if you're a fan of musical theater. It's a musical that chronicles its own creation, or, in other words, "a show about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical." See, once upon a time, there were two guys, Jeff and Hunter, who were trying to write an original musical, and ended up writing about everything that happened to them in the process. It's funny and contemporary and relatable, and OMG the musical references! It's often like one long, hilarious string of musical in-jokes. (And no less than three references to my favorite musical ever, Into the Woods, which is truly the way to my heart.)

Anyway, I'd love to post a dozen songs and videos on here, but this is the one I think is most appropriate. :) It's called "Die, Vampire, Die!" and it's great encouragement for anyone who's ever had creative ambitions.