Anything Martha can do, I can do differently

But I have to. I don't have a grill. So, today I made Grilled Tuscan Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon. Except instead of grilling it, I baked it.



To start with the marinade, I chop up fresh rosemary and steeped it in boiling water for about 5 minutes.



Then you pour the rosemary and water into a blender (which I don't have, but I have a cup attachment on my immersion blender, so same/same) with 1/4 cup olive oil, some salt and pepper and a couple (okay, three) cloves of garlic. Puree until smooth.



It smells amazing!



Now this recipe calls for a whole chicken cut into pieces. I am a skinless, boneless chicken breast kind of gal. So, I was not looking forward to trying to cut up a raw chicken, not ever having done it before. God only knows the salmonella mess that would create... I settled on getting some legs. And I worked out twice this weekend. I deserved chicken with skin! And there it was! A whole chicken, all cut up already. Right there in the Poultry section of the Publix. Who knew?? (I know, I am sure you all knew that, but it was new to me.)



So I pour the marinade over the chicken, turning it around to coat it. Then it sits for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, covered, and you turn it once to coat some more.



While it was sitting, I pounded a couple lemons on the counter to soften them up. I cut them in half and squeezed the juice into a bowl, to baste the chicken while it's cooking. I now have the cleanest, nicest smelling disposal in the building after grinding up all the squeezed out lemon rinds.

Into the oven went the chicken (425 for 45 minutes), and I moved to sides. Martha pairs this with grilled zucchini. I know it's summer, but I am getting a little zucchini'd out. I decided, with a great baked chicken, how could you not have mashed potatoes?? I love me some mashed potatoes. Now, my parents say that when I was little, I wouldn't eat a mashed potato to save my life. I can't imagine that, as now I will actually order something on a menu BECAUSE it's served with mashed potatoes. As long as they don't have horseradish or wasabi in them. That's just gross. For mine, I cut up some red-skinned potatoes (skin still on, thank you) and cut up a couple more garlic cloves and some rosemary leaves for flavor.



I also steamed up a bunch of asparagus, because you should always have a green vegetable.



Periodically, I pulled the chicken out to baste it with the lemon juice. It's cooking up nicely!



Potatoes are done! I heat up a mug of milk and butter to mix in with the potatoes while I mash them. This mug has a nice little poem about the name Michelle on it.



Add the heated liquid a bit at a time, so as not to make the potatoes too runny. I used my immersion blender a bit to break up the pieces, since I don't have a masher, and then stirred in some fresh grated Parmesan, salt and pepper.

And then the buzzer goes off! Is the chicken ready? It smells fantastic!



I use my handy meat thermometer, and the temp flies up to 170 degrees in the breast piece, which, according to my cookbook, is done! YAY!!! So here it is, all ready to eat. The flavors were really good, with a nice bite thrown in from the lemon. It will probably be even better grilled. Next time.



And here is the odd mix of songs that made up the Grilled, but really Baked, Tuscan Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

All I Want is You U2 (I LOVE YOU BONO!!!)
Dancing With Myself Billy Idol (I only found out a few years ago what this song was really about.)
Blackbird Sarah McLaughlin (From the I am Sam soundtrack. Her voice is so lovely, it's quite a beautiful cover of the Beatles classic)
Wish You Were Kate Voegele (I'm still in love with who I wish you were, and I wish you were here.)
Special Garbage (There was nothing that I wouldn't do, to keep myself around and close to you.)
Oh What a Night Frankie Valli (The ultimate song of the Northbound Junction! This and Fat Bottomed Girls)
Wuthering Heights Kate Bush
Slow Pony Home The Weepies
The Politics of Dancing Re-Flex (Well you know you can't stop it when they start to play, you gotta get out the way!)
The Best Tina Turner (And she is!!)
Wendy Time The Cure (You look like you could do with a friend, she said.)
Salt & Cherries Wendy & Lisa
Intermittently Barenaked Ladies (Now I'm kissing you by proxy, hope you don't mind.)
(You're the) Devil in Disguise Elvis Presley
What's Going On Cyndi Lauper (War is not answer, for only love can conquer hate)
Heal the Pain Paul McCartney and George Michael (Who needs a lover that can't be a friend)
Roxie Renee Zellweger (From Chicago)
I'll Take you There General Public (I know a place.... ain't nobody cryin')
Places that are Gone Tommy Keene
Make a Circuit With Me Polecats (I'll be a diode, cathode, electrode,overload, generator, oscillator, make a circuit with me)
Promises in the Dark Pat Benatar
Eyes Without a Face Billy Idol
Harry Carey: Braves v. Yankees Will Farrell
Sometimes I Get Frightened Split Endz (Neil Finn's band before Crowded House)
Something The Beatles (Paul sang this song in concert while playing the ukulele, as a tribute to George.)
Save a Prayer Duran Duran (I LOVE YOU SIMON!!)
The Same Deep Water as You The Cure
1999 Prince and the Revolution (Life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last)
Love Untold Paul Westerberg (Does anyone recall the saddest love of all. The one that lets you fall with nothing to hold.)
A Man Alanis Morrissette
Miracle Olive
Look What You've Done JET (Take my photo off the wall if it just won't sing for you)
Thanks for the Memories Fall Out Boy (I want these words to make things right, but it's the wrongs that make the words come to life.)
Hold on my Heart Genesis (Please don't rush in this time, don't show her how you feel)
And I can't let it end on this sad song, so I click it one more time and get......
Jet Paul McCartney (I thought the major was a lady suffragette!!!)

Letters are better than phone calls

Sometimes.

At least that was the case today. I had a mole removed from my back last week, and I was not-so-patiently waiting for the results. Frankly, 7-10 days seems like a long time to have to wait. Especially when you have a vivid imagination that can picture an innocent-looking mole boring a cancerous root into your lung or liver. BUT, today, (Day 6, actually) I got the "all clear" letter, rather than the "You need to come back in" phone call. I got that phone call almost exactly two years ago. I still sport a dark pink scar in the middle of my back. My first badge of skin cancer free honor.

So, I was feeling a little sassy and spicy today, and for once, Martha had just the recipe to whip up! (Spicy, I mean... Martha has, so far, been short on spice and heavy on corn and Dijon mustard) Here it is: Skirt Steak with Spicy Green Salsa.



I don't think I've ever eaten skirt steak. I know I've never bought it. And looking at them at Publix left a lot to be desired (You're shocked, I know.). They were very fatty and, well.... grayish... Yeah, I couldn't do it. So I opted for a leaner looking cut. A thinner London Broil type cut... I threw the wrapper out, so I am not sure. Any-who, much redder and less fatter!

I had one glass left of my Australian Shiraz that I (finally) found at Costco. Julie actually brought my mom a bottle of this last summer. (Julie, it's probably still at the lake! I say we break it open when we're there for the reunion!) Its label is a plane ticket, and the neck has a luggage tag on it!





And... in case of a drink emergency....



I started out making the rub for the meat. Well, you don't rub it in so much as "sprinkle" it on. Either way, Martha steps it up with 5 TABLESPOONS of chili powder and a teaspoon and a half of cumin and dried oregano.



I like the Badia spices. They are cheaper. And those Spice Worlds are usually 10 for $10 at Publix. So $1 each. Bargain!!!! Shake in some salt and pepper, and "sprinkle" it on both sides of the meat, along with some drizzled olive oil. Pretty color!



So while that was "sitting" (Turn it once during the "sitting" time, which is about 10 minutes right there on the counter.), I put together the Spicy Green Salsa. That is 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped. (As an aside, that means you measure 1/2 cup, and then chop. 1/2 cup of flour, sifted is different than 1/2 cup of sifted flour. See Ms. Mooney, I paid attention sometimes.) A tablespoon of minced pickled jalapenos (wash your hands after chopping!), 3 Tbsps. of olive oil, a tablespoon of water and 1/2 tsp of red wine vinegar (WHY is there a sprinkle thing on this bottle!?!?!), and a dash of salt. Mix it all in a bowl and that's it.



Slap some plastic wrap on it and toss it in the fridge until you're ready for it. Now, again, I live in an apartment with no grills allowed. And my buddy George Forman wasn't going to be able to help me here...Had to rely on my trusty Lodge cast iron skillet. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil over high heat, and put the meat in. (As an aside, turn the fan on over your stove, and, depending on where your smoke alarms are, you also might want to crack a window. Just a thought.)



OK, so that went three minutes on one side and two on the other. It's that quick. Also quick is a yummy side veggie. I chopped up a garlic clove and tossed it into a pan with some olive oil. When it gets fragrant:



I toss in a huge handful of bagged baby spinach, stir it up and wilt it down.



Right before I take it off the heat, I splash in some Japanese soy sauce. It adds just the right flavor (Tamari brand, reduced sodium with the white label). And speaking of fragrant, the cumin and chili powder on that meat smell amazing when it's sizzling away.



Time to slice it up, and it's perfectly pink! I judged it right! Yay me! Topped with the Spicy Green Salsa, the blend of flavors is amazing. The cilantro really comes through, with a slight bite from the jalapenos. And still, the cumin and chili pepper all cooked up add a nice smokey flavor. The spinach was a perfect side. Not fussy, and the soy sauce adds a nice salty sweetness to the mix.



And I'm still feeling a bit sassy, so let's just call this the YIPPIE I don't have skin cancer playlist!

Someone Else Not Me Duran Duran (I refuse to let Steve Jobs and his satellites get me down. POW)
Pope Prince (You don't understand.. I ain't scared of you mother fuckers...You can be the president, I'd rather be the pope. You can be the side effect, I'd rather be the dope...)
This & That Michael Penn (Sean's brother kind of rocks.)
Livin' La Vida Loca Ricky Martin (Who's surprised? Raise your hand....crickets..)
Deep Inside You Third Eye Blind (And I never felt alone until I met you)
Forgiven Alanis Morissette (Ah... being Catholic...)
I Remember Holding You Boys Club (Cheese from the late 80s ages so nicely...)
West End Girls Pet Shop Boys (Call the police there's a mad mad around, run him down, underground, to a dive bar in a West End town)
I Love You Barenaked Ladies (Ah... fish sticks....)
Rock the Cradle of Love Billy Idol (Which Julie mistakenly thought was the first video played on VH-1)
So Hard Dixie Chicks (I'm full of surprises people. You need to keep up.)
With a Little Luck Paul McCartney (and Wings)
Wonderwall Oasis (I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.)
Genie in a Bottle Christina Aguilera (Snicker if you want, that little girl can belt out a song)
Mean Mr. Mustard The Beatles (Always shouts out something obscene, such a dirty old man)
Lisa Anne Bill Lloyd (I've got a hole in my heart the size of your jacuzzi)
We Belong Pat Benetar (Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone)
All You Zombies The Hooters (You don't have to hide anymore!!)
Material Girl Madonna (Loving the ode to Marilyn in this video! Gentlemen Prefer Blondes actually has a feminist message of girl power.)
Can't Be Sure The Sundays (I do so love The Sundays)
An Innocent Man Billy Joel (I'm only willing to hear you cry because I am an innocent man... I aaaaaaaaaaaaammm an innocent maaaaaaaaaaannnnnnn)
Quiet Times Dido (It's hard enough to feel the world as it is and hold on anything...)
You Better Love Somebody Rick Springfield (Paging Dr. Noah Drake to cure a case of heartache...)
Look No Further Dido (I might have been a poet, who walked upon the moon.)
Hate Me Blue Monday (LOVE, love, love this heartbreaking song!!!!!)

Vive la France!

Not "Viva." That is a paper towel.

So it's Bastille Day! The day the citizens of France stormed the Bastille prison, kicking off that knitting circle we like to call the French Revolution. It was a rocking and (head) rolling time. And Kip has the same shirt that I had. Well, mine was a sweatshirt, but it's the same print. And, back then, we had the same hair. I don't have the shirt anymore. But I do still have that poster.

OK! Back to today! Bastille Day! I wanted to cook a special French dish, and, well, Martha is not much with the French food. So I turned to two of my favorite ladies. My dear friend Paige, who is a lover of the French, as shown here on her fabulous blog. and Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Paige gave me a recipe for an asparagus and baby leeks side dish, while from Ina, or rather the Food Network website, I got Scallops Provencal. And of course, a nice cold bottle of FRENCH Champagne.



Don't get me wrong. I am not above enjoying a cava or other sparkling domestic wine. Hell, I've even been (well) known to enjoy Andre. Pink.



But not today.

On to the food. While I was using one of Ina's recipes, I do not have her gang of magical, merry boys ready to do my bidding and run my errands, so I had to go to the store myself. I have seen the scallops available at Publix, and it's as sad as the selection of pretty much every fish. So I took the trip up to the Whole Foods to see if they had a better selection (Oh yes they did!!!).

And then there was the produce department. As I have stated in this blog numerous times, I like to be able to touch my vegetables and pick them out myself. At Publix, they are already wrapped in plastic and Styrofoam. Not at Whole Foods. There was everything out in the open. Ready to be examined and touched and inspected. It was, in a word, awesome. Except for one thing. No baby leeks. Paige's recipe calls for 8 baby leeks. Hmmm.. well, I'll just get two regular leeks and quarter them. NEXT! I was practically giddy as I filled my basket.

(As an aside, there was a man at Whole Foods in a spaghetti strap tank top and skirt. He was slender, but he was a man. He had slight facial and chest hair. Ah, shopping with the organic hippies...)

Prep time!! Just look how pretty asparagus can be when you get to pick it out yourself.



So, I set about chopping two shallots, a clove of garlic and fresh parsley for the scallops, and getting the leeks and asparagus ready. I cut the leeks and halved them before soaking them to get the rest of the grit out. After that, I quartered them and simmered them in 2 cups of chicken stock until they were tender. Here they are after their chicken stock Jacuzzi.



Then I boiled the asparagus for just a couple minutes before dunking them in ice water. (This is literally water with lots of ice, as there is no such thing as cold tap water in Florida.)



I got smaller bay scallops, as opposed to sea scallops. I tossed them with sea salt and black pepper, and then I was supposed to dredge them in all-purpose flour. Which I didn't have. BUT, I did have Bisquik. Same/same.



This picture will prove that Paula Deen should have created both of these recipes. That is butter. Melting in two pans. Unsweetened, unsalted, beautiful butter.



So then I had to put the scallops in one pan, and the leeks and asparagus in the other. Here is where my cooking expertise came into play, working two things at once. Thank GOD I am such a good prepper.

Scallops browning:


Leeks and asparagus doing their thing in butter:


OK, then I had to sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (again, thank you Whole Foods!) on top of the veggies (cheese? Yes please!), and add the shallot, garlic, parsley mix to the scallops, in addition to 1/3 a cup of dry white wine. (DO NOT use the Champagne! An unexciting Sauvignon Blanc can be used for that. You're just cooking with it!)



And so here it all is. The addition of the wine with the flour (Bisquik) dredged scallops makes a nice thick, almost goopie (but in the best way!) sauce. YUM!!! And the veggies are nice and tender with a good flavor and texture.


I guess Paige and Ina can keep their heads!

(A note on the coarse sea salt I used in these recipes. This is PERFECT to clean your cast iron skillet. As is Kosher salt. Just do a healthy sprinkle around your pan and scrub the sticky bits off with the salt, then rinse. If you are using any kind of soap to clean a cast iron skillet, you are ruining its fabulousity.)

Here is the Bastille Day playlist. It started out with an "About you" theme.. it was a bit weird...

Song About Wendy and Lisa (Song about Prince. "The pain of my spirit and the pain of my heart, don't ever tell me to let it all go")
Till Death do us Part Madonna (Song about Sean Penn. "We never laugh.. not like before.")
Warwick Avenue Duffy (Song about an ex-boyfriend. "Don't think we're OK just because I'm here. You hurt me bad, but I won't shed a tear.")
Much Too Late for Goodbyes Julian Lennon (Song about his father, John. "Ever since you've been leavin' me, I've been wanting to cry.")
Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution (In the movie, it was a song about Appolonia. In reality, it is arguably the best Prince song of all time. All the lyrics are awesome. I can't pick just one.)
Paper Doll PM Dawn (OK, the theme is over now. But this song is awesome, and this was one of my favorite CDs freshman year of college.)
Even the Nights are Better Air Supply (Again, not embarrassed one bit by having the greatest hits of Air Supply on my iPod.)
Quality Barenaked Ladies ("Life of the party, like Billy Barty, but regular size.")
The Wrong Man Was Convicted Barenaked Ladies ("I thought that you would wait for me. Your wants I needn't heed.")
Lost Annie Lennox (I will go on record right now as saying that Annie Lennox has one of the most beautiful voices ever.)
The Name of the Game ABBA (This song was left out of the movie version of Mamma Mia. It's on the DVD in the extras.)
You May be Right Billy Joel ("But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for.")
Sound of Your Voice Barenaked Ladies ("I let you down, and fell right off of your good list.")
Where Do We Go From Here? Cast (From the "Once More With Feeling" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh yeah. I have most of those songs on my iPod, too.)
Leather and Lace Stevie Nicks and Don Henley (This relationship gave birth to the song Sarah, which she wrote after ending her pregnancy by Mr. Henley. And you thought her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham was rough.)
I Need a Man Eurythmics (SING IT ANNIE!!!!)
Darling Nikki Prince and the Revolution (An interesting follow up to the previous song....)
When Tomorrow Comes Eurythmics
Suicide Blonde INXS (I think that was the color of my hair in high school.)
Trust The Cure (Way to bring down the room, Robert.)
Caught in my Shadow The Wonder Stuff
Slave to Love Bryan Ferry (Ah.. Mickey Rourke when he was hot and in 9 1/2 Weeks. And hot. Sigh...)
Tempted Duran Duran (I LOVE YOU SIMON!!!!)
Space Oddity David Bowie
Until the End of the World U2 (I LOVE YOU BONO!!!)
From Me to You The Beatles ("If there's anything that you need.. if there's anything I can do... ")
Vertigo U2 (I LOVE YOU BONO!!!)
Always in Love Graham Colton

I would never call Prince a shrimp!

I was Old Mother Hubbard today, with my bare cupboards and fridge. I was gone all last week and got takeout when I came home, and went to a party yesterday. I finally made it to the store today. But I realized around 6-ish that the only thing I'd eaten today was the piece of Boar's Head Catering Style Turkey that the nice deli lady gave me for thickness/thinness approval (I recommend it). I decided it was time to head for the kitchen to whip up a batch of Martha's Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta. I made a little side salad first, as I was starving and I can't cook and have a glass of wine on an empty stomach. I did manage to go to Publix and stick to the list though, so I have that going for me, which is nice.



I peeled my shrimps, and de-veined them, managing to slit my finger in the process. Joy. And I wasn't even using a knife. Explain that one. So here is a pound of shelled and de-veined shrimp.



I should have gone to Costco for them, but I hate going there on the weekends.... Although I would have gotten free snacks.... See what happens when I don't eat... ramble on...Wouldn't it be weird if you met someone named Sheldon Devein?

Moving on, I halved a pint of cherry tomatoes. Well, some were a little bigger, so I quartered them. Yeah, tomato acid on a slit finger... awesome. That only happened once. Diced up a couple cloves of garlic, too. And some fresh basil.



You need to cook up the shrimp in some olive oil first. Martha only seasons the shrimp with salt and pepper. Well, I don't have a Connecticut stick up my ass, so the flakes you see are the red pepper flakes I tossed in. Martha needs to hang out with Giada with the Big Head more often, because this is turning out to be a version of GWTBH's Shrimp Fra Diavlo that I love.



I will admit right now that I am a messy cook. I splatter, I spill, I dirty more pots/dishes/spoons/etc than I should. Whatever. That's what laundry, Lysol counter wipes and the dishwasher are for. Although the way I swirl stuff with olive oil around in the pan, I am constantly amazed that I have not set off a grease fire. Knock wood on that one, because I have no flour and I think if I remember my cooking safety as taught by Miss Mooney in 7th grade home ec., you throw flour on a grease fire. Please let me know if I am wrong. I don't break my eggs into custard cups first either. Take that, Miss Mooney. That's just how I roll. Sadly, she was old then, so she's probably dead now. Yeah, I'm going to hell...

Anyway.... You set the shrimp aside and toss the garlic into the pan, along with a can of diced tomatoes with the sauce, along with two cups of water, bring to a boil, then let it simmer until it gets "saucy."



My friend Kara called then, so we were chatting while I was waiting for my sauce to get "saucy." Supposedly this takes 15 minutes. Well, 20 minutes later, I am the only one getting "saucy." Or maybe it was sassy. Either way, I cursed out Martha for her poor judgement in cook times.

Still not saucy.



I cranked up the temp and let it boil harder, and finally!!! Saucy. So I tossed in the tomatoes, basil and shrimp and stirred it up. Yummm!!



Meanwhile, I had boiled up some angel hair pasta. Martha uses linguine, but I'm not Martha. And here it is, all ready to eat. Well, I did sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese. It IS pasta, after all.



And here is the Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta playlist, which is surprisingly heavy on his royal purpleness! Hence the title of this blog.

I Got the Feeling Neil Diamond (oh not again Steve Jobs!!)
Baby Don't You Break My Heart Slow Vonda Shepard and Emily Saliers (Dammit, come on!)
Revolution The Beatles (THANK YOU!!!! I love the guitar in this song.)
Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain Willie Nelson (you had me iPod, then you lost me...)
Plainsong The Cure (I do love how this is used in Marie Antoinette when they are first crowned...)
Hero Takes a Fall The Bangles (Yay, we're back to happy!)
Dancing Queen ABBA (You can dance, you can jive.. And I did.)
When Tomorrow Comes Eurythmics
Sexy M.F. Prince (and for a short skinny man, he is a sexy mother fucker. I think it's because he's so funky and the way he plays that guitar....)
Famous Last Words My Chemical Romance (I am not afraid to keep on living. I am not afraid to walk this world alone!)
When Doves Cry Prince and the Revolution (such an AWESOME song!!!!)
Candy Shop Madonna (OK, I'll bite. What the hell is Turkish delight???)
Waterfall Wendy & Lisa (not Prince, but come on, close enough!)
Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own U2 (He took off his sunglasses when he sang this in concert... I LOVE YOU BONO!!!!!)
If I Was Your Girlfriend Prince (from Sign O' the Times BUT was originally on The Black Album)
Right Here Staind
Have Fun, Go Mad Blair (All aboard that funk boat that I'm about to start sailing on....)
Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson (Yadda yadda)
Mysterious Ways U2 (I LOVE YOU BONO!!!)
Julia The Beatles
Birthday The Beatles (I play this every year for my dad on his birthday. Cuz it's my birthday too, yeah!!!)
Heartache Tonight The Eagles (which usually is followed by a headache tomorrow morning)
Deserve It Madonna
Little Red Corvette Prince and the Revolution
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word Elton John (Ain't it the truth)
How's it Gonna Be Third Eye Blind (sigh)
The Boxer Simon & Garfunkel (My cousin Marty wanted them to play this at the dueling piano bar. Yeah, they didn't)
If I Could Turn Back Time Cher (Totally not embarrassed to have this on my iPod.)
Rumpshaker Wrexx-n-Effect (All I wanna do is zooma-zoom-zoom-zoom and a boom boom!)