Simone Says: Back and Somewhat Better

After a few months of an intermission, I'm back. I wasn't necessarily on some retreat in the woods where I didn't have access to my blog to prohibit me from writing. However, college has gotten in the way, and I've also embraced each day more unplugged than ever before, so I'm finally sitting down now to update you, my trusted readers, on all that I've been eating.

Since last writing, I finished up my fall semester at IU and went home for Thanksgiving break, not returning to school until February. With a long stretch of time at home, I found myself eager to get back into the kitchen and learn new things. I'd constantly ask my mom the difference between baking and broiling when it comes to anything from chicken to cake (and if you didn't know, you don't broil a cake). I also felt like it was time that I learned how to shop for different cuts of meat at the store with my dad. And my wonderfully vegan sister, who doesn't eat grass and leaves off trees, but instead experiments with tofu, avocados, and apples, took me under her wing to teach me how to make new things for my vegan friends. As for the few times I saw my brother, I only learned how med school means that he only eats lentils and ramen, so we were happy to feed him real food at home.

I recently got into TikTok, as it seems that the entire world is on the platform, producing content that might just show me something of value. I'm on the food side of TikTok, so I'm in tune with all of the trends: smashed potatoes, feta pasta, and the tortilla wrap hack, to name a few. Below are some of the creations I've come up with, some of which are TikTok-inspired, some are not.

Up first: smashed potatoes. I'm not usually a huge roasted potato person, but when they're crispy like this, they're irresistible. They're "smashed" because you push a glass down on soft, boiled potatoes, and then roast the flat potatoes in herbs and spices on a cookie sheet. Fantastic - 10/10 recommend.

For the holidays, it's tradition for me and my mom to make butter cookies with royal icing. We usually spread our frosting on with some sort of knife system, but TikTok reinvented the game and taught us to dip our plain cookies in a colorful icing swirl. This new technique didn't just speed up our process, but made absolutely stunning cookies, only to be devoured within a few hours.

More on the Jewish cooking, this winter break, I made my first challah! No, I didn't learn how to make challah via TikTok, but I did do ample research to find a perfect recipe. I used the Chabad recipe, and it did not disappoint. The issue I faced, however, was that my yeast didn't rise as it should have - maybe it was expired, or maybe it was just my luck. Nonetheless, I had enough dough to braid one thick challah. I kneaded cinnamon-sugar into the dough to make it a sweeter loaf and threw it into the oven like it was nobody's business. When we finally broke the bread, it was stringy, perfectly moist (sorry), and absolutely tasty. The crust wasn't hard and gross, but rather crispy and light. It was more dense than airy, which is unlike traditional challah, but it was perfect for my family's tastes. I would do this again in a heartbeat, despite it taking all day to prepare, to knead, to micromanage, and to watch it bake.

I'm big into protein these days, and I've been trying to aim for less on the heavy carbs and whatnot. I still maintain a balance because I really love pasta, but finding good proteins has been on my mind. Of course, fresh fish is a great alternative when chicken gets boring, and I've recently been loving scallops. A go-to preparation is searing scallops in a pan on the stove with everything-but-the-bagel seasoning... a lot of it. The scallops end up salty and covered in sesame seeds to add a slight crunch. For my most recent scallops meal, I added roasted butternut squash, wild rice, and some green veggies.

Also something to know about me is that I'm a big cheese fan. Brie is an all-time favorite, whether it's on a cheese board or baked with jam and sweets. I also love a good drunken goat cheese, too. But I also really do like mozzarella cheese, and burrata is something I've just started experimenting with. I recently made this roasted tomato/burrata combo to slather on fresh multigrain bread with thick balsamic vinegar. The bread had a delicious crunch, the tomatoes were warm and gooey (I'm not sure that's the right word to describe tomatoes, though), and the cheese was all over which made it better. Pair this with your favorite white wine and you got yourself a delicious appetizer.

I'm back at school now, and even though I don't have access to a kitchen of my own because I live in a sorority house with a chef, I make do. Bloomington has great food and there's always some new place to discover. I'll keep you updated on all that school has to offer - and I can ensure you that it's more than just fast food and late-night pizza.