Sorry, I was too busy handling raw chicken to take them. It happens.
Martha is still an evil genius, even though I haven't made one of her recipes in a bit. Tonight I decided to make Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage, because as we learned last time, everything is better with bacon. And prosciutto is just fancy Italian bacon. So again, what is not to love?!
So I got my chicken cutlets (real ones, not those weird things some ladies put in their bras), four of them to be specific. You put one (really? Just one?) sage leaf on each cutlet, and then wrap each one in a slice of delicious prosciutto. The recipe says to flatten with the palm of your hand, to help the prosciutto to adhere to the chicken. Then dredge each cutlet in flour mixed with salt and pepper, shaking off the excess.
Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook two cutlets at a time, 3 minutes on each side. I took the cooked ones out, put them on a plate and put that in the microwave to keep them warm. I didn't turn the microwave on. I just trapped the heat around them. Whatever. Add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and put the other two cutlets in. I also poured some olive oil in another pan (I really need new frying/saute pans, Santa!) with a generous spoonful of minced garlic.
When the garlic started smelling good, I threw in what seemed like half a bag of spinach, because you always need a green vegetable, and it really cooks down.
The chicken was done, so I took it out and into the pan I put in 3/4 cup of dry white wine and 1/4 cup of chicken broth to cook down. Be sure to stir up the stuff on the bottom of the pan. That is extra goodness. After that reduced, I took it off the heat, added a tablespoon of cold butter and about 4 minced sage leaves, and stirred until the butter melted.
Plate a piece of chicken and drizzle that sauce all over it. And the garlic spinach was just the right touch! YUM!
Here are some random thoughts to make up for not having photos:
1. I think Martha sold her soul to the devil at some point.
2. I am a really good, while very messy, cook. However, my messes are just splatters. I always practice healthy and safe food handling.
3. They've rearranged our Publix. I was just getting my shopping groove on, and now it's like I first moved here, and this Publix is all over the map.
4. I took my four cloth shopping bags to the store. And the ass hat that bagged my stuff crammed everything I bought into two of them. Because apparently he thought I had a Sherpa who was going to carry a cart's worth of stuff in two bulging bags, while I carried my box of soda.
5. What the hell is this "singing" show on NBC? Really Nick Lachey? Really?
6. I need to start buying the bigger jar of minced garlic.
7. I am a really good cook.
8. I did not mean to steal from Publix. Again.
The five-finger discount playlist:
38 Line Poem The Wonder Stuff
Are You Gonna Go My Way Lenny Kravitz (I think I have this song on my iPod 3 different times. It makes me toss my hair around.)
Dull Life Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs (We've seen the nightmare of the lies that you speak.)
Revolution Granddaddy (This makes me want to start a revolution to break up this group, because this Beatles cover is LAME.)
The Safety Dance Men Without Hats (One of the best one-hit wonders EVER! How do you not love this song?)
Animal I Have Become Three Days Grace
Come Home James
Perfect Girl Sarah McLachlan (Am I faithful, am I strong, am I good enough to belong)
False Start The Wonder Stuff
Hungry Like the Wolf Duran Duran (I LOVE YOU JOHN!!)
End The Cure
In My Life Ben Lee (Another sucky Beatles cover, and he should be arrested, because it's a crime to butcher such a beautiful song.)
The Last Resort The Eagles (You call some place "paradise," kiss it good-bye)
The New Sad Barenaked Ladies
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John (It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics to set you on your feet again)
Dirty Laundry Don Henley (People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry.... just ask Tiger.)
Beautiful Barenaked Ladies
Mother's Little Helper The Rolling Stones
Champagne Supernova Oasis (How many special people change)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
You had me at BACON!
Wow, I have been slacking off!! Sorry everyone. I have no excuse.
First off, if you have cats and live near a Publix, Meow Mix (the 3-pound size) is buy one, get one free. Plus, they had the bags that have 20-percent more food! I might not have to buy dry food for Daphne for a year! Okay, maybe just a few months, but still, good sale. As you can see, Daphne was thrilled.
Moving on!
I was talking to my friend Paige, who is one of my gurus of all things food, and she asked if she had ever sent me the recipe for something called Chicken Bonne Femme. It's a chicken dish served at a restaurant called Galatoire's in New Orleans. I said, "no.. tell me about it."
"Well," she said, "it has bacon."
"Sounds good," I said quickly. Because, as we all know, anything with bacon has to be awesome.
I hit the store with my list, and came home ready to create the rumored fabulousness of Chicken Bonne Femme. Which really means Good Girl Chicken. Stop snickering. Quite a bit of prep, chopping veggies thinly. First are two onions. I like to use Spanish onions, but apparently they are illegal here, because they are hardly every available at the Publix. White onions it is.
Then two large potatoes. You have to peel them first. That's my fancy KitchenAide peeler. It pivots. Thanks Jenny!!!
And now for the best part!!!! Plus, it was on sale!!! It was a sign!
Hey, wait. That isn't bacon! Anyway, the ABC Liquor Store man, after offering up a sample of a lovely French sparkling wine, recommended this Chardonnay. And it was on sale. Plus I had earned a coupon. I have a frequent drinker card there. I know, you're all shocked. The verdict: Quite tasty. Sharp, but with a smooth caramel finish. Props to the ABC Liquor Store man.
Okay, now HERE is the important part. Also on sale! Isn't it beautiful!?!?
The recipe calls for half a pound of bacon. If you listen closely, I think Paula Deen just squealed. I figured the easiest way to measure a half pound was not to measure at all.
And now I have breakfast for tomorrow! And block of sharp red KitchenAide knives. They look nice and, God forbid, in case of a break-in, I don't need a permit to use them.
(As you can see from all of blogs and pictures, I like red things in my kitchen. My dream used to be a bright red KitchenAide mixer. It would look so pretty on my counter. But, unfortunately that is probably all it would do. I am not much of a baker. I would love some really fabulous pots and pans though, Santa. Maybe an apron or two...)
Now for the chicken part of Good Girl Chicken (stop snickering!). A whole fryer, chopped into 8 pieces. Just season with salt and pepper and pop it in at 400 for 30 minutes. Turn it after 15 minutes. (That means flip it over, not rotate it clockwise.)
Back to BACON! I can bring it home, and fry it up in a pan.
After I took the bacon out, I slid in a couple tablespoons of butter (SQUEAL goes Paula Deen) and the onions and stirred them around until the onions were soft.
Speaking of frying, I had to deep fry the potatoes. Again, there goes Paula Deen squealing. I've never deep fried anything. Honestly. So I was a bit nervous. I used vegetable oil in my skillet, and fried them in a couple batches. Now, I've complained a lot about how much I hate cooking on an electric stove. Well, if I had been cooking with gas tonight... this would have probably caused a huge grease fire. WOW. That oil will splatter and splash when you drop those potatoes in. Thankfully, I had my wok top to cover it up!
Fry them until they are golden brown(ish) and then take them out. I put them in another glass pan lined with some paper towels. Meanwhile, mix the bacon in with the onions and a tablespoon of minced garlic. I used the minced garlic in a jar. It's easy.
Then, you mix the onion mix with the potatoes, and pour it over chicken. Pop the chicken back in for about 10 more minutes, and POW!!! Good Girl Chicken (stop snickering!).
I served it up with some steamed haricot verts. Yum!!! It was really tasty. How could it not be? It's got bacon!!! But the chicken itself was really juicy and flavorful, just by seasoning with salt and pepper and baking it!
And then I had to clean up, which involved bleach spray, a sponge, a mop and a load of laundry. Totally worth it.
Although, it should be called Bad Girl Chicken!! I will definitely be hitting the treadmill tomorrow. Again, totally worth it!
The "Thank you Bacon, Sincerely Water Chestnut III" Playlist (It's long. There was cleaning involved)
When Love Came to Town U2 and BB King (I LOVE YOU BONO!!!!!)
Let's Go Crazy Prince & the Revolution (And yes Dickie, Prince is a musical genius!)
The End of the Innocence Don Henley ("Lawyers dwell on small details since daddy had to fly.")
Love Bites Def Leppard ("Do you tell lies, and say that it's forever")
Computer Blue Prince & the Revolution (Another from Purple Rain, for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Song Score. Musical genius!!!!)
Dirty Great Monster Duran Duran
New Age Girl Dead Eye Dick ("Don't eat meat, but she sure like the bone")
Tiny Daggers INXS (Gone to soon!!!!)
Jerk Out Morris Day and the TIME!!! (The BEST surprise opening act EVER, right Paige???)
Don't Ask Me Why The Eurythmics ("I don't love you anymore. I don't think I ever did.")
Mr. Jones Counting Crows ("Everybody wants to pass as cats.")
Your Love The Outfield ("Josie's on a vacation far away...")
Your English is Good Tokyo Police Club (THANKS TIMMER!!!)
Here Today Paul McCartney (A beautiful song, written in memory of John)
Hammering In My Head Garbage ("I knew you were mine for the taking when I walked in the room.")
Stuck on You Elvis ("Look at Elvis, he sold his soul and you crowned him king.")
Humor of the Situation Barenaked Ladies
Special Garbage
Read my Mind The Killers
Big Shot Billy Joel ("You had to prove it to the crowd.")
Congratulations Blue October ("I came to see the light in my best friend..")
Jump Around House of Pain ("Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin...")
Hold on my Heart Genesis (Interesting segue, but love this song.)
Can't Help Falling in Love With You Elvis (only fools rush in....)
Sign Your Name Terrence Trent D'Arby (And no, jackass, your album WAS NOT better than Sgt. Pepper.)
My Life has been Saved Queen (Sadly, it wasn't. But he'll live forever through his awesome music. I know that sounds lame, but it's true. Freddie will always be fabulous!)
Sexy M.F Prince ("Come here baby.. yeah... you sexy mother fucker.")
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man as sung by Jordan Knight, the dreamiest of all the New Kids on the Block
Wake Up Alanis Morissette ("There's no fundamental excuse for the granted I'm taken for.")
The Headmaster Ritual The Smiths (This song reminds a very good friend of mine of the powers that be at his job.)
Home Again Vonda Shepard (Maybe for my birthday!!!!)
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Culture Club
Captain Jack Billy Joel ("Just a little push, and you'll be smiling.")
First off, if you have cats and live near a Publix, Meow Mix (the 3-pound size) is buy one, get one free. Plus, they had the bags that have 20-percent more food! I might not have to buy dry food for Daphne for a year! Okay, maybe just a few months, but still, good sale. As you can see, Daphne was thrilled.
Moving on!
I was talking to my friend Paige, who is one of my gurus of all things food, and she asked if she had ever sent me the recipe for something called Chicken Bonne Femme. It's a chicken dish served at a restaurant called Galatoire's in New Orleans. I said, "no.. tell me about it."
"Well," she said, "it has bacon."
"Sounds good," I said quickly. Because, as we all know, anything with bacon has to be awesome.
I hit the store with my list, and came home ready to create the rumored fabulousness of Chicken Bonne Femme. Which really means Good Girl Chicken. Stop snickering. Quite a bit of prep, chopping veggies thinly. First are two onions. I like to use Spanish onions, but apparently they are illegal here, because they are hardly every available at the Publix. White onions it is.
Then two large potatoes. You have to peel them first. That's my fancy KitchenAide peeler. It pivots. Thanks Jenny!!!
And now for the best part!!!! Plus, it was on sale!!! It was a sign!
Hey, wait. That isn't bacon! Anyway, the ABC Liquor Store man, after offering up a sample of a lovely French sparkling wine, recommended this Chardonnay. And it was on sale. Plus I had earned a coupon. I have a frequent drinker card there. I know, you're all shocked. The verdict: Quite tasty. Sharp, but with a smooth caramel finish. Props to the ABC Liquor Store man.
Okay, now HERE is the important part. Also on sale! Isn't it beautiful!?!?
The recipe calls for half a pound of bacon. If you listen closely, I think Paula Deen just squealed. I figured the easiest way to measure a half pound was not to measure at all.
And now I have breakfast for tomorrow! And block of sharp red KitchenAide knives. They look nice and, God forbid, in case of a break-in, I don't need a permit to use them.
(As you can see from all of blogs and pictures, I like red things in my kitchen. My dream used to be a bright red KitchenAide mixer. It would look so pretty on my counter. But, unfortunately that is probably all it would do. I am not much of a baker. I would love some really fabulous pots and pans though, Santa. Maybe an apron or two...)
Now for the chicken part of Good Girl Chicken (stop snickering!). A whole fryer, chopped into 8 pieces. Just season with salt and pepper and pop it in at 400 for 30 minutes. Turn it after 15 minutes. (That means flip it over, not rotate it clockwise.)
Back to BACON! I can bring it home, and fry it up in a pan.
After I took the bacon out, I slid in a couple tablespoons of butter (SQUEAL goes Paula Deen) and the onions and stirred them around until the onions were soft.
Speaking of frying, I had to deep fry the potatoes. Again, there goes Paula Deen squealing. I've never deep fried anything. Honestly. So I was a bit nervous. I used vegetable oil in my skillet, and fried them in a couple batches. Now, I've complained a lot about how much I hate cooking on an electric stove. Well, if I had been cooking with gas tonight... this would have probably caused a huge grease fire. WOW. That oil will splatter and splash when you drop those potatoes in. Thankfully, I had my wok top to cover it up!
Fry them until they are golden brown(ish) and then take them out. I put them in another glass pan lined with some paper towels. Meanwhile, mix the bacon in with the onions and a tablespoon of minced garlic. I used the minced garlic in a jar. It's easy.
Then, you mix the onion mix with the potatoes, and pour it over chicken. Pop the chicken back in for about 10 more minutes, and POW!!! Good Girl Chicken (stop snickering!).
I served it up with some steamed haricot verts. Yum!!! It was really tasty. How could it not be? It's got bacon!!! But the chicken itself was really juicy and flavorful, just by seasoning with salt and pepper and baking it!
And then I had to clean up, which involved bleach spray, a sponge, a mop and a load of laundry. Totally worth it.
Although, it should be called Bad Girl Chicken!! I will definitely be hitting the treadmill tomorrow. Again, totally worth it!
The "Thank you Bacon, Sincerely Water Chestnut III" Playlist (It's long. There was cleaning involved)
When Love Came to Town U2 and BB King (I LOVE YOU BONO!!!!!)
Let's Go Crazy Prince & the Revolution (And yes Dickie, Prince is a musical genius!)
The End of the Innocence Don Henley ("Lawyers dwell on small details since daddy had to fly.")
Love Bites Def Leppard ("Do you tell lies, and say that it's forever")
Computer Blue Prince & the Revolution (Another from Purple Rain, for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Song Score. Musical genius!!!!)
Dirty Great Monster Duran Duran
New Age Girl Dead Eye Dick ("Don't eat meat, but she sure like the bone")
Tiny Daggers INXS (Gone to soon!!!!)
Jerk Out Morris Day and the TIME!!! (The BEST surprise opening act EVER, right Paige???)
Don't Ask Me Why The Eurythmics ("I don't love you anymore. I don't think I ever did.")
Mr. Jones Counting Crows ("Everybody wants to pass as cats.")
Your Love The Outfield ("Josie's on a vacation far away...")
Your English is Good Tokyo Police Club (THANKS TIMMER!!!)
Here Today Paul McCartney (A beautiful song, written in memory of John)
Hammering In My Head Garbage ("I knew you were mine for the taking when I walked in the room.")
Stuck on You Elvis ("Look at Elvis, he sold his soul and you crowned him king.")
Humor of the Situation Barenaked Ladies
Special Garbage
Read my Mind The Killers
Big Shot Billy Joel ("You had to prove it to the crowd.")
Congratulations Blue October ("I came to see the light in my best friend..")
Jump Around House of Pain ("Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin...")
Hold on my Heart Genesis (Interesting segue, but love this song.)
Can't Help Falling in Love With You Elvis (only fools rush in....)
Sign Your Name Terrence Trent D'Arby (And no, jackass, your album WAS NOT better than Sgt. Pepper.)
My Life has been Saved Queen (Sadly, it wasn't. But he'll live forever through his awesome music. I know that sounds lame, but it's true. Freddie will always be fabulous!)
Sexy M.F Prince ("Come here baby.. yeah... you sexy mother fucker.")
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man as sung by Jordan Knight, the dreamiest of all the New Kids on the Block
Wake Up Alanis Morissette ("There's no fundamental excuse for the granted I'm taken for.")
The Headmaster Ritual The Smiths (This song reminds a very good friend of mine of the powers that be at his job.)
Home Again Vonda Shepard (Maybe for my birthday!!!!)
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? Culture Club
Captain Jack Billy Joel ("Just a little push, and you'll be smiling.")
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Doing it for the "girls"
As you probably know from the explosion of pink everywhere, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Coincidentally, it also happens to be time for my 6-month mammogram/ultrasound combo that started a year ago, when my new doctor in Florida "made" me go get a baseline mammogram. I was nervous, but figured I'd just get it over with, and that would be the end of it for a few years.
They called me the next day to come back in to double check the left side and do an ultrasound. Naturally, I freaked out. It turned out to be nothing. Well, dense tissue. But they wanted me to come back in six months. So I went back in April for a replay. Again, I got the all clear, but come back in six months.
And that meant today was the day. So I dragged my stuffy sinuses and sore throat over to the Breast Center. Yippie!!!
OK, as a preface, two days ago, the registration office called to pre-fill out my paperwork. Cool. But then when I got the call to remind me of the appointment, I was told to go to admitting. To fill out my paperwork. Um, I did that. Over the phone...
You need to sign it all.
Oh. OK.
Admitting. The ladies there are charming. Yes. I am being sarcastic.
Up at the Breast Center at last, I am given...paperwork to fill out. Sigh. As I am filling it out, the receptionist brings me a printed out sheet of things I just need to double check to make sure they are right. Huh... the printout from when I filled the paperwork out over the phone. And the information that is on it is the exact information I was just filling out...I guess they think we need "busy" work to keep our minds off of what's going to happen.
So after I am given my ever-so-attractive and comfortable robe to wear (it opens in the front), I am waiting. And waiting. Oh, a magazine. House Beautiful. From 2004. I start opening drawers and cabinets. I'm a curious person. Oh, a fake boob attached to a white piece of plastic... Ooops... not attached, as said boob flops under the chair...
My turn! YAY! The tech is... brusk. And I can't really understand what she is saying. Because she mumbles. And has cold hands. I won't go into detail, but it's weird to see your boobs flattened and twisted in such a fashion.
Off to the waiting room. It's cold. So cold they keep offering blankets. Oh good, more magazines. Some early winter 2008 issues of Town and Country, More from March and, oh sweet, a Domino. From 2006. Oh good, I can finish reading that article I was reading in it six months ago. You think I'm kidding. And I'm waiting. And waiting. And it's cold.
Pat the ultrasound tech comes to get me. I think her name was Pat. Maybe it was Joyce. But she looked like Pat the UPS delivery lady from Will & Grace. She smokes. Not while she was doing my ultrasound, but every other time. I could smell it through my Tylenol Sinus med haze. She tells a joke about her brother in town, and finds nothing of note. But sends me back to the waiting room.
Mumbles pokes her head in and says they need another mammogram view. Huh? OK... this one was even less pleasant. Back to the waiting room. Waiting... Mumbles is back. Now they want two "twist" views. It is what is sounds like. And the least "pleasant" of all of them. At one point, she asked me to tilt my chin up. I told her if I tilted it up anymore, my boob would rip off.
She has no idea what they are looking for. She keeps pointing at a white shadow, I would call it, saying it must be what they are looking at. Well, what the fuck do they think it might be lady, because you're all freaking me out!?!?!? (I said in my head.)
Back to the waiting room. I am offered a blanket. Again. Pat's back. The doctor wants to see another ultrasound. There really is no modesty in any of this, if you can't tell that already, but having two people stand over me running an ultrasound wand across my chest, pointing at the screen saying "there... no... there, wait.. no...it's right there, but no... it's nothing, it just blends in...," almost made me lose my shit. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE LOOKING FOR??!?! I wanted to scream!!!
And then, "OK, nothing there. You're good to go."
"Well it wasn't for a lack of looking," I said. So... nothing.. Nope. Nothing. Here's your free tote bag for playing our game!
Anti-climatic, I know. But I'm in the clear for at least another six months.
But, it's important to check yourself every month! See your doctor!! Save the tatas!!!!
They called me the next day to come back in to double check the left side and do an ultrasound. Naturally, I freaked out. It turned out to be nothing. Well, dense tissue. But they wanted me to come back in six months. So I went back in April for a replay. Again, I got the all clear, but come back in six months.
And that meant today was the day. So I dragged my stuffy sinuses and sore throat over to the Breast Center. Yippie!!!
OK, as a preface, two days ago, the registration office called to pre-fill out my paperwork. Cool. But then when I got the call to remind me of the appointment, I was told to go to admitting. To fill out my paperwork. Um, I did that. Over the phone...
You need to sign it all.
Oh. OK.
Admitting. The ladies there are charming. Yes. I am being sarcastic.
Up at the Breast Center at last, I am given...paperwork to fill out. Sigh. As I am filling it out, the receptionist brings me a printed out sheet of things I just need to double check to make sure they are right. Huh... the printout from when I filled the paperwork out over the phone. And the information that is on it is the exact information I was just filling out...I guess they think we need "busy" work to keep our minds off of what's going to happen.
So after I am given my ever-so-attractive and comfortable robe to wear (it opens in the front), I am waiting. And waiting. Oh, a magazine. House Beautiful. From 2004. I start opening drawers and cabinets. I'm a curious person. Oh, a fake boob attached to a white piece of plastic... Ooops... not attached, as said boob flops under the chair...
My turn! YAY! The tech is... brusk. And I can't really understand what she is saying. Because she mumbles. And has cold hands. I won't go into detail, but it's weird to see your boobs flattened and twisted in such a fashion.
Off to the waiting room. It's cold. So cold they keep offering blankets. Oh good, more magazines. Some early winter 2008 issues of Town and Country, More from March and, oh sweet, a Domino. From 2006. Oh good, I can finish reading that article I was reading in it six months ago. You think I'm kidding. And I'm waiting. And waiting. And it's cold.
Pat the ultrasound tech comes to get me. I think her name was Pat. Maybe it was Joyce. But she looked like Pat the UPS delivery lady from Will & Grace. She smokes. Not while she was doing my ultrasound, but every other time. I could smell it through my Tylenol Sinus med haze. She tells a joke about her brother in town, and finds nothing of note. But sends me back to the waiting room.
Mumbles pokes her head in and says they need another mammogram view. Huh? OK... this one was even less pleasant. Back to the waiting room. Waiting... Mumbles is back. Now they want two "twist" views. It is what is sounds like. And the least "pleasant" of all of them. At one point, she asked me to tilt my chin up. I told her if I tilted it up anymore, my boob would rip off.
She has no idea what they are looking for. She keeps pointing at a white shadow, I would call it, saying it must be what they are looking at. Well, what the fuck do they think it might be lady, because you're all freaking me out!?!?!? (I said in my head.)
Back to the waiting room. I am offered a blanket. Again. Pat's back. The doctor wants to see another ultrasound. There really is no modesty in any of this, if you can't tell that already, but having two people stand over me running an ultrasound wand across my chest, pointing at the screen saying "there... no... there, wait.. no...it's right there, but no... it's nothing, it just blends in...," almost made me lose my shit. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE LOOKING FOR??!?! I wanted to scream!!!
And then, "OK, nothing there. You're good to go."
"Well it wasn't for a lack of looking," I said. So... nothing.. Nope. Nothing. Here's your free tote bag for playing our game!
Anti-climatic, I know. But I'm in the clear for at least another six months.
But, it's important to check yourself every month! See your doctor!! Save the tatas!!!!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Peter Brady would approve
YAY! It's Friday! And I have no food, so it's off to Publix (sigh) to get the fixings for Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots. Which, naturally, is two apples (Granny Smith) and shallots (1/2 pound).
The apples have to be peeled and cored. I tried to peel them in one long strip. This was as long as they got.
Not great, I know. And cutting them into 8ths and coring them too... It took me three different knives. I'm "special" that way. But I still have all my digits, so yay me! Martha says to soak the apple slices in water with the juice of a lemon to keep them from browning. I don't have a lemon. I have limes. But those are for voddy tonics. I just filled the bowl with water, and it was fine. It wasn't like they were going to be sitting out for an hour before I used them. (P.S. Turn on the broiler and move the rack up to the top rung.)
I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and tossed in the shallots until they are browned, then cover them and cook for five more minutes, until they are soft.
Then you add in the apples (pour the water out first) and 1/2 cup of white wine. Wine? Yes please, don't mind if I do. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Pork chop time!!! Just season them on both sides with salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven for 5 minutes on each side. And again, aren't my salt and pepper shakers adorable?!?! Anthropologie. Love that store.
Uncover the apple mix and stir, cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Yum!!!
Take it off the heat, and cover it. Green veggie time. I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan (More butter! I feel like Paula Deen!), and toss in a bag of spinach. Cover and let wilt.
And I get to use my nutmeg from Grenada to season the spinach.
So here it is, all plated up. just scoop the apples and shallots on top of the pork chop.
Pork chops and an apple sauce. That's swell. (And my kitchen looks like a bomb of dirty dishes went off in it. Not swell. I might have to mop!)
Kind of a mellow playlist for a mellow Friday
The Entertainer Billy Joel
Warwick Avenue Duffy (I heart her voice)
Starry Eyes The Records
Get Together Madonna
Circle Sarah McLachlan
Don't Know Why Norah Jones ("My heart is drenched in wine." You gotta love a lyric like that.)
Mary Sarah McLachlan
Superman REM
Two of Us Aimee Mann and Michael Penn (Pretty decent cover of The Beatles tune.)
Most of All Jody Watley
Hold On Sarah McLachlan (Seriously? Come on, enough already!)
Material Girl Madonna (Much better!)
A Different Corner George Michael (I love my boy, George.)
Always in Love Graham Colton
An Easier Affair George Michael ("Here comes one for the ladies, for the ones who love me." Like me!!!! I love you George!!!!)
Sleep Alone The Wonder Stuff (I still sit at home, twitching my fingers, playing the songs of my favorite singers.)
Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away Phil Collins
Heartlight Neil Diamond (I don't trust people who say they don't like Neil Diamond, because they are fucking liars. EVERYONE likes Neil Diamond!)
Voices of Babylon The Outfield
The Wrong Man was Convicted Barenaked Ladies (Who's lonely now, which one of us is suffering.)
Love on the Rocks Neil Diamond (SING IT, NEIL!!!!!! Just pour me a drink and I'll tell you my lies!)
Let's Talk About Sex Salt N Pepa (Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be!)
Golden Slumbers Ben Folds (An "eh" cover of The Beatles tune)
Stay Wendy & Lisa (A long time ago, I saw your face. I fell in love, a fatal mistake.)
Sacrifice Elton John
Some Kind of Lover Jody Watley
I Don't Want Your Love Duran Duran (Well I want yours Simon!!! Yours too, John.)
White Flag Dido (sigh)
Don't You Want Me Jody Watley
Awful Hole
The apples have to be peeled and cored. I tried to peel them in one long strip. This was as long as they got.
Not great, I know. And cutting them into 8ths and coring them too... It took me three different knives. I'm "special" that way. But I still have all my digits, so yay me! Martha says to soak the apple slices in water with the juice of a lemon to keep them from browning. I don't have a lemon. I have limes. But those are for voddy tonics. I just filled the bowl with water, and it was fine. It wasn't like they were going to be sitting out for an hour before I used them. (P.S. Turn on the broiler and move the rack up to the top rung.)
I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and tossed in the shallots until they are browned, then cover them and cook for five more minutes, until they are soft.
Then you add in the apples (pour the water out first) and 1/2 cup of white wine. Wine? Yes please, don't mind if I do. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Pork chop time!!! Just season them on both sides with salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven for 5 minutes on each side. And again, aren't my salt and pepper shakers adorable?!?! Anthropologie. Love that store.
Uncover the apple mix and stir, cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Yum!!!
Take it off the heat, and cover it. Green veggie time. I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan (More butter! I feel like Paula Deen!), and toss in a bag of spinach. Cover and let wilt.
And I get to use my nutmeg from Grenada to season the spinach.
So here it is, all plated up. just scoop the apples and shallots on top of the pork chop.
Pork chops and an apple sauce. That's swell. (And my kitchen looks like a bomb of dirty dishes went off in it. Not swell. I might have to mop!)
Kind of a mellow playlist for a mellow Friday
The Entertainer Billy Joel
Warwick Avenue Duffy (I heart her voice)
Starry Eyes The Records
Get Together Madonna
Circle Sarah McLachlan
Don't Know Why Norah Jones ("My heart is drenched in wine." You gotta love a lyric like that.)
Mary Sarah McLachlan
Superman REM
Two of Us Aimee Mann and Michael Penn (Pretty decent cover of The Beatles tune.)
Most of All Jody Watley
Hold On Sarah McLachlan (Seriously? Come on, enough already!)
Material Girl Madonna (Much better!)
A Different Corner George Michael (I love my boy, George.)
Always in Love Graham Colton
An Easier Affair George Michael ("Here comes one for the ladies, for the ones who love me." Like me!!!! I love you George!!!!)
Sleep Alone The Wonder Stuff (I still sit at home, twitching my fingers, playing the songs of my favorite singers.)
Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away Phil Collins
Heartlight Neil Diamond (I don't trust people who say they don't like Neil Diamond, because they are fucking liars. EVERYONE likes Neil Diamond!)
Voices of Babylon The Outfield
The Wrong Man was Convicted Barenaked Ladies (Who's lonely now, which one of us is suffering.)
Love on the Rocks Neil Diamond (SING IT, NEIL!!!!!! Just pour me a drink and I'll tell you my lies!)
Let's Talk About Sex Salt N Pepa (Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be!)
Golden Slumbers Ben Folds (An "eh" cover of The Beatles tune)
Stay Wendy & Lisa (A long time ago, I saw your face. I fell in love, a fatal mistake.)
Sacrifice Elton John
Some Kind of Lover Jody Watley
I Don't Want Your Love Duran Duran (Well I want yours Simon!!! Yours too, John.)
White Flag Dido (sigh)
Don't You Want Me Jody Watley
Awful Hole
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Here Comes the Sun. Crap.
Everyone says I'm nuts, but the endless sunshine and hot weather and humidity are having the same effect on me that days of rain have on other people. Seriously. Keenan the creepy weather man was all excited that it's going to be 90 and sunny for the rest of the week, and I almost cried.
And I figured out why. This summer has, pretty much, for a lot of different reasons, sucked. And I just want it to be over. Don't get me wrong, there were awesome times, like when I got to party with my girls in Atlanta. And I do have a job that I love, working for an editor who is beyond fabulous (I'm not saying that to suck up. She totally rocks the kasbah!). But, my friends know what I am talking about here. The calendar says October, but the sun, heat and humidity says the summer still goes on.
(As an aside, I don't count last weekend at my high school reunion as the summer, because that was a total blast, and it was most definitely FALL!!!! It was so great to see all of you, and I hope it doesn't take 10 more years to see you again!)
I need a spark, or something. I can't change the world in a night, but I can make a great dinner. I find cooking relaxing, so I chose a recipe that is one of my favorites, Shrimp Mosca, which I got from Paige. As you can see, it's a well-loved and used recipe, covered in stains and it even has a knife slice through it... not sure how that happened.
It is soooo good. The sauce it makes... oh boy... OK, You start with a cupboard full of spices. Well, OK, just this many (plus olive oil and really dry white wine).
And, of course, shrimp. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of unpeeled shrimp. I'm just one person, so I only get 1 pound. And I like to eat it with a fork, so I peel them. That just means there's more sauce and it's neater to eat them.
So here are the spices in the pan with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I use the jarred garlic, because the recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic, diced. That translates to 3 teaspoons of the jarred kind. I heap those teaspoons, because there is never such a thing as too much garlic when you're making a Mosca (Am I right, Paige??). It's also 1 teaspoon each of red pepper, crushed black pepper, rosemary and oregano. It calls for 1 tablespoon of salt, but I usually just do a sprinkle or two. Plus two whole bay leaves. The store-bought bay leaves are so tiny, I use four.
OK, when this starts heating up, the aroma... oh I can't even describe how awesome it is, with the garlic and the rosemary...sigh...OK, so add in the shrimp and stir them around to coat them with all the yumminess.
When they get cooking good, then you add in more yumminess in the form of 1/4 cup of dry white wine (and the cook gets a bit herself, of course!). And then you cook it all together until the shrimps are done.
And that is it. It's actually really easy, and takes not a lot of time! It's so worth the time it takes to peel all those shrimps! Put some in a bowl with lots of sauce!
A necessity, as you can see here, is a generous chunk of crusty French bread. This is how you get all that delicious sauce into your pie hole. It has to be crusty French bread. I forgot to buy bread once, and used an English muffin. While it served the purpose, it was WRONG!!!!! Crusty. French. Bread. I promise you, the sauce is that good. One bite of it, and every bad thought left my head, and I couldn't help but smile and sigh. I actually had to go back and break off a little more bread, because you don't want any of that spicy goodness to go to waste. Make this. I promise, you will wipe that plate so clean, you could almost put it back in the cupboard.
But don't. That would be gross.
And tonight's dinner was brought to you by "The I totally (accidentally) stole those batteries" playlist
Run for your Life The Beatles (Yes Mark, I listen to a lot of The Beatles.)
She's a Star James (So frightened that he won't lover her, she builds up a wall)
Genie in a Bottle Christina Aguilera
Shameless Billy Joel (This really is a beautiful song)
Caught in my Shadow The Wonder Stuff
Englishman in New York Sting (It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile. Be yourself, no matter what they say.)
Friend of the Devil Counting Crows
New Years Resolution Graham Colton (Here's to the ones you never forget. Here's to the year that we had)
Victim of Love The Eagles (it's such an easy part, and you know how to play it so well.)
Fallen Sarah McLachlan
I Want Your Sex George Michael (There's things that you guess, and things that you know...)
Stuck on You Elvis Presley (Yep. The King. Full of surprises people. Keep up.)
This is the Time Billy Joel (Another sad, beautiful one)
One Week Barenaked Ladies (Like Harrison Ford I'm getting frantic, like Sting I'm tantric, like Snicker's guaranteed to satisfy.)
Paisley Park Prince & the Revolution (The girl on the seasaw is laughing 4 love is the color this place imparts)
Eyes Without a Face Billy Idol
Human Human League
Head Over Feet Alanis Morissette
Love is the Seventh Wave Sting (In the empire of the senses, you're the queen of all you survey.)
And I figured out why. This summer has, pretty much, for a lot of different reasons, sucked. And I just want it to be over. Don't get me wrong, there were awesome times, like when I got to party with my girls in Atlanta. And I do have a job that I love, working for an editor who is beyond fabulous (I'm not saying that to suck up. She totally rocks the kasbah!). But, my friends know what I am talking about here. The calendar says October, but the sun, heat and humidity says the summer still goes on.
(As an aside, I don't count last weekend at my high school reunion as the summer, because that was a total blast, and it was most definitely FALL!!!! It was so great to see all of you, and I hope it doesn't take 10 more years to see you again!)
I need a spark, or something. I can't change the world in a night, but I can make a great dinner. I find cooking relaxing, so I chose a recipe that is one of my favorites, Shrimp Mosca, which I got from Paige. As you can see, it's a well-loved and used recipe, covered in stains and it even has a knife slice through it... not sure how that happened.
It is soooo good. The sauce it makes... oh boy... OK, You start with a cupboard full of spices. Well, OK, just this many (plus olive oil and really dry white wine).
And, of course, shrimp. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of unpeeled shrimp. I'm just one person, so I only get 1 pound. And I like to eat it with a fork, so I peel them. That just means there's more sauce and it's neater to eat them.
So here are the spices in the pan with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I use the jarred garlic, because the recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic, diced. That translates to 3 teaspoons of the jarred kind. I heap those teaspoons, because there is never such a thing as too much garlic when you're making a Mosca (Am I right, Paige??). It's also 1 teaspoon each of red pepper, crushed black pepper, rosemary and oregano. It calls for 1 tablespoon of salt, but I usually just do a sprinkle or two. Plus two whole bay leaves. The store-bought bay leaves are so tiny, I use four.
OK, when this starts heating up, the aroma... oh I can't even describe how awesome it is, with the garlic and the rosemary...sigh...OK, so add in the shrimp and stir them around to coat them with all the yumminess.
When they get cooking good, then you add in more yumminess in the form of 1/4 cup of dry white wine (and the cook gets a bit herself, of course!). And then you cook it all together until the shrimps are done.
And that is it. It's actually really easy, and takes not a lot of time! It's so worth the time it takes to peel all those shrimps! Put some in a bowl with lots of sauce!
A necessity, as you can see here, is a generous chunk of crusty French bread. This is how you get all that delicious sauce into your pie hole. It has to be crusty French bread. I forgot to buy bread once, and used an English muffin. While it served the purpose, it was WRONG!!!!! Crusty. French. Bread. I promise you, the sauce is that good. One bite of it, and every bad thought left my head, and I couldn't help but smile and sigh. I actually had to go back and break off a little more bread, because you don't want any of that spicy goodness to go to waste. Make this. I promise, you will wipe that plate so clean, you could almost put it back in the cupboard.
But don't. That would be gross.
And tonight's dinner was brought to you by "The I totally (accidentally) stole those batteries" playlist
Run for your Life The Beatles (Yes Mark, I listen to a lot of The Beatles.)
She's a Star James (So frightened that he won't lover her, she builds up a wall)
Genie in a Bottle Christina Aguilera
Shameless Billy Joel (This really is a beautiful song)
Caught in my Shadow The Wonder Stuff
Englishman in New York Sting (It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile. Be yourself, no matter what they say.)
Friend of the Devil Counting Crows
New Years Resolution Graham Colton (Here's to the ones you never forget. Here's to the year that we had)
Victim of Love The Eagles (it's such an easy part, and you know how to play it so well.)
Fallen Sarah McLachlan
I Want Your Sex George Michael (There's things that you guess, and things that you know...)
Stuck on You Elvis Presley (Yep. The King. Full of surprises people. Keep up.)
This is the Time Billy Joel (Another sad, beautiful one)
One Week Barenaked Ladies (Like Harrison Ford I'm getting frantic, like Sting I'm tantric, like Snicker's guaranteed to satisfy.)
Paisley Park Prince & the Revolution (The girl on the seasaw is laughing 4 love is the color this place imparts)
Eyes Without a Face Billy Idol
Human Human League
Head Over Feet Alanis Morissette
Love is the Seventh Wave Sting (In the empire of the senses, you're the queen of all you survey.)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Needs cheese. Definitely some cheese.
As you know, I have been working through my Martha cookbook. I was trying to do all of the Summer recipes. But, even though it's 90 here in South Florida, and I wore sandals today (to show off my new pedicure. OPI's Royal Rajah Ruby, thank you very much!), I have decided that it's now Fall. Summer had too many grilling recipes anyway, and in apartment land, grills are verboten. I know the proper use of them, but who knows what the jackasses upstairs would do with a hot charcoal grill when they were done cooking.
September! Back to school! FOOTBALL!!!!! GO STEELERS!!
What challenges does Martha have in store for the Fall? Some lamb, which I don't eat, and lots of lentils, which I am wary of due to this lentil "salad" we used to have at Thanksgiving, until everyone finally admitted they didn't really like it in the first place (I never ate it, so if I'm wrong about why you guys don't make it anymore, Jan, Kathy, Sharon... please correct me!).
So no lamb. No lentils. Just chicken. And mushrooms. And polenta—Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Oven-baked Polenta, to be precise.
You have to make the polenta and the chicken pretty much at the same time, so, being the queen of prep work that I am (thank you, Chris!!! XXOXOXOXOO), I did the chicken fixings before doing the polenta. Here is the mushroom part. One pound of mushrooms, wiped with a damp paper towel to clean them off, then sliced.
Then four garlic cloves, sliced in half (I assumed lengthwise), and 2 tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley. I got the curly kind, because Martha is amazingly non-specific. And chicken broth, at the ready for the chicken.
On to polenta. Because it's Martha, we don't use already made polenta. So here I go. From scratch. I whisked corn meal with water, salt and pepper.
Then bake it, covered, for 30 minutes at 425. Of course, my covered glass baking dish is still in Atlanta, where I hope Jenny is enjoying it. So I improvised with foil.
I sliced my chicken breasts in half to make cutlets, although, to be helpful, Martha could just say 8 chicken CUTLETS in the ingredients list. But, that would be too easy. So to fuck with us (Sorry, Dickie. Just the one f-bomb. I promise.) she says 4 boneless chicken breast halves. And then in the recipe, she refers to them as cutlets....confusing, but I cut them in half, lengthwise. If I'm wrong, Whatever, Martha! Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
I fired up my skillet with some olive oil and put the chicken in, a couple minutes on each side, then took them out.
That is NOT the same plate the raw chicken was on. I am not my father. I love him, but if you don't snap a "raw chicken plate" out of his hand after he puts stuff on the grill, he'll put the cooked food right back on it. I have a full set of that Corelle that I've had since college. It does not break. Believe me, I've tried. Actually, I lie. One of the bowls broke, and it didn't just break. It EXPLODED!
Back to dinner!!! Another tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet, and then in goes the garlic and the mushrooms. Stir it up, then cover to get some liquid out of the mushrooms. Uncover and stir. When the mushrooms are golden, you can add 1/2 cup of dry white wine. This is apparently "optional." Martha doesn't know me well. Wine is not "optional." That's like her tip about putting "leftover" wine into an ice cube tray to freeze for soups. I am still trying to figure out what "leftover" wine is.... Dry white wine. A bit for the mushrooms, and a bit for the chef.
Cook that down for about a minute or so, then add the chicken broth and the parsley. Cook that for 8-10 minutes. Then add the chicken back, lower the heat to a simmer and cover, 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
BEEP goes the oven! Polenta!!! This is what it looks like when it comes out:
And this is what it looks like after you whisk in 1/4 cup of milk, 2 Tbsp. of butter and 1/4 tsp. marjoram. Not much different:
Huh. And the taste... huh... kind of... huh.... I scoop some out on a plate, and top it with a piece of chicken, and some of the mushrooms and sauce, along with some steamed asparagus (you need a green vegetable).
Better with the sauce, but the polenta is still kind of... blah. I am sure some variety of cheese would give it that something it's missing. Any suggestions??
The "All the Cheese You Need, and Then Some" playlist:
Fancy Yeah Yeah Yeahs (awesome start, this band is in heavy rotation in the Civic)
Another Spin Barenaked Ladies (I had time to kill, one day in Alaska. I walked around until I found the arts & crafts shop.)
Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun Michael Penn (It slithers like a viper and readies its attack)
Be Still My Beating Heart Sting (LOVE STING!!! I sink like a stone that's been thrown in the ocean My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion)
The Freshman The Verve Pipe (She a punk who rarely ever took advice)
You Are What You Are (Beautiful) Christina Aguilera
The State I'm In Louie Louie (Dig into your pop culture pit to figure out who this is. And I am still not embarrassed of anything on my iPod.)
Magic Carpet Ride Steppenwolf (oh yeah)
I Still Believe Brenda K. Starr (I told you there would be cheese.)
Fascination Street The Cure
One of Us ABBA
Closer to Me The Outfield
Last Dance Donna Summer (So let's dance the last dance toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!)
One More Chance Madonna
Red Bike Wendy & Lisa
Summer Rain Belinda Carlisle
What I am Edie Brickell and New Bohemians (Religion is a smile on a dog)
Planet Earth Duran Duran (I LOVE YOU SIMON!)
I Was Born TO Love You Queen
The Sound of Silence Simon & Garfunkel (such a beautiful song)
Vacation The Go-Gos (Can't seem to get my mind off of you...)
Hold Me Menudo (oh yeah. Menudo. When Ricky Martin was like 11. Cheese!!!!)
Homeward Bound Simon & Garfunkel (I will be, in 2 weeks!!! Bingo-town here I come!)
She Will be Loved Maroon 5
Hammer to Fall Queen (I love me some Freddie)
Dreaming Blondie (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song!!!)
Fast Love George Michael (Stupid cupid keeps on calling, But I see nothing in his eyes)
Sunshine Paul Westerberg (He can't even run his own life, I'll be damned if he'll run mine.)
And because I love this song, here is Blondie singing it live in 2008!
September! Back to school! FOOTBALL!!!!! GO STEELERS!!
What challenges does Martha have in store for the Fall? Some lamb, which I don't eat, and lots of lentils, which I am wary of due to this lentil "salad" we used to have at Thanksgiving, until everyone finally admitted they didn't really like it in the first place (I never ate it, so if I'm wrong about why you guys don't make it anymore, Jan, Kathy, Sharon... please correct me!).
So no lamb. No lentils. Just chicken. And mushrooms. And polenta—Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Oven-baked Polenta, to be precise.
You have to make the polenta and the chicken pretty much at the same time, so, being the queen of prep work that I am (thank you, Chris!!! XXOXOXOXOO), I did the chicken fixings before doing the polenta. Here is the mushroom part. One pound of mushrooms, wiped with a damp paper towel to clean them off, then sliced.
Then four garlic cloves, sliced in half (I assumed lengthwise), and 2 tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley. I got the curly kind, because Martha is amazingly non-specific. And chicken broth, at the ready for the chicken.
On to polenta. Because it's Martha, we don't use already made polenta. So here I go. From scratch. I whisked corn meal with water, salt and pepper.
Then bake it, covered, for 30 minutes at 425. Of course, my covered glass baking dish is still in Atlanta, where I hope Jenny is enjoying it. So I improvised with foil.
I sliced my chicken breasts in half to make cutlets, although, to be helpful, Martha could just say 8 chicken CUTLETS in the ingredients list. But, that would be too easy. So to fuck with us (Sorry, Dickie. Just the one f-bomb. I promise.) she says 4 boneless chicken breast halves. And then in the recipe, she refers to them as cutlets....confusing, but I cut them in half, lengthwise. If I'm wrong, Whatever, Martha! Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
I fired up my skillet with some olive oil and put the chicken in, a couple minutes on each side, then took them out.
That is NOT the same plate the raw chicken was on. I am not my father. I love him, but if you don't snap a "raw chicken plate" out of his hand after he puts stuff on the grill, he'll put the cooked food right back on it. I have a full set of that Corelle that I've had since college. It does not break. Believe me, I've tried. Actually, I lie. One of the bowls broke, and it didn't just break. It EXPLODED!
Back to dinner!!! Another tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet, and then in goes the garlic and the mushrooms. Stir it up, then cover to get some liquid out of the mushrooms. Uncover and stir. When the mushrooms are golden, you can add 1/2 cup of dry white wine. This is apparently "optional." Martha doesn't know me well. Wine is not "optional." That's like her tip about putting "leftover" wine into an ice cube tray to freeze for soups. I am still trying to figure out what "leftover" wine is.... Dry white wine. A bit for the mushrooms, and a bit for the chef.
Cook that down for about a minute or so, then add the chicken broth and the parsley. Cook that for 8-10 minutes. Then add the chicken back, lower the heat to a simmer and cover, 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
BEEP goes the oven! Polenta!!! This is what it looks like when it comes out:
And this is what it looks like after you whisk in 1/4 cup of milk, 2 Tbsp. of butter and 1/4 tsp. marjoram. Not much different:
Huh. And the taste... huh... kind of... huh.... I scoop some out on a plate, and top it with a piece of chicken, and some of the mushrooms and sauce, along with some steamed asparagus (you need a green vegetable).
Better with the sauce, but the polenta is still kind of... blah. I am sure some variety of cheese would give it that something it's missing. Any suggestions??
The "All the Cheese You Need, and Then Some" playlist:
Fancy Yeah Yeah Yeahs (awesome start, this band is in heavy rotation in the Civic)
Another Spin Barenaked Ladies (I had time to kill, one day in Alaska. I walked around until I found the arts & crafts shop.)
Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun Michael Penn (It slithers like a viper and readies its attack)
Be Still My Beating Heart Sting (LOVE STING!!! I sink like a stone that's been thrown in the ocean My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion)
The Freshman The Verve Pipe (She a punk who rarely ever took advice)
You Are What You Are (Beautiful) Christina Aguilera
The State I'm In Louie Louie (Dig into your pop culture pit to figure out who this is. And I am still not embarrassed of anything on my iPod.)
Magic Carpet Ride Steppenwolf (oh yeah)
I Still Believe Brenda K. Starr (I told you there would be cheese.)
Fascination Street The Cure
One of Us ABBA
Closer to Me The Outfield
Last Dance Donna Summer (So let's dance the last dance toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!)
One More Chance Madonna
Red Bike Wendy & Lisa
Summer Rain Belinda Carlisle
What I am Edie Brickell and New Bohemians (Religion is a smile on a dog)
Planet Earth Duran Duran (I LOVE YOU SIMON!)
I Was Born TO Love You Queen
The Sound of Silence Simon & Garfunkel (such a beautiful song)
Vacation The Go-Gos (Can't seem to get my mind off of you...)
Hold Me Menudo (oh yeah. Menudo. When Ricky Martin was like 11. Cheese!!!!)
Homeward Bound Simon & Garfunkel (I will be, in 2 weeks!!! Bingo-town here I come!)
She Will be Loved Maroon 5
Hammer to Fall Queen (I love me some Freddie)
Dreaming Blondie (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song!!!)
Fast Love George Michael (Stupid cupid keeps on calling, But I see nothing in his eyes)
Sunshine Paul Westerberg (He can't even run his own life, I'll be damned if he'll run mine.)
And because I love this song, here is Blondie singing it live in 2008!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Soup's ON!
Labor Day weekend! Yay! Growing up, that always meant everyone would come to our house, and a batch of clam chowder would be whipped up. Well, not whipped up. It takes a lot of work. And a lot of knives and cutting boards if you're making a full batch for a large group.
I am ambitious, but not THAT ambitious. I just made a half batch. It still involves A LOT of chopping (onions, green peppers and celery) and dicing (potatoes and carrots). But, as I have said before, I like the zen of chopping and listening to music. It's soothing for me.
Wake me when it's over!
So, this is my Grandpa Jack's recipe. We've been making it for so long, it's like second nature. I don't even need to look at the recipe as I go. He started out with salt pork to get some fat going in the bottom of the pan. I start with a little olive oil, and then toss the onions and peppers into my big red Le Creuset pot!
Aside from the veggies, here are the other ingredients: tomato juice, clam juice, chopped clams (I cheat and used canned. Like I said, again, I am ambitious, but not that ambitious), stewed tomatoes, caraway seeds and thyme. Hot sauce too, but that's still in the refrigerator.
Back to the onions and peppers... looking good...
So now, we add the clam juice (five bottles!):
Thrilling and fascinating. I know. Now, with the stewed tomatoes, they come out looking like this:
Way too big. So get out your kitchen sheers and give them some snips!
When the clam juice gets warm, add in the tomatoes and half the bottle of tomato juice. Heat that up. When it gets warm, add in the diced carrots and potatoes and the chopped celery and clams (drained, but not squeezed dry. I kind of just drain them a bit, but keep some of the juice in them). Add in the spices, too. It's pretty much to taste. I know what it's supposed to taste like, so I can add the caraway seeds and thyme until it's right. Add the hot sauce a few dashes at a time. I use Texas Pete, but whatever your favorite is works just fine.
Now you just keep it on low (right below a simmer) for a couple hours, until the carrots, celery and potatoes are done. Halfway through, you add in the "secret" ingredient. Family lore goes, an extra beer was opened once while the soup was cooking. Rather than waste it, it was poured into the soup. I don't know if it makes a difference in the flavor, but I can say that half a bottle (it is a half batch, after all) of the Frankenstein beer worked just fine.
When all the veggies are tender, get a bowl out and add a couple more dashes of Texas Pete to your serving! Enjoy!!!
LEFTOVERS!!!! And not just the soup, which tastes even better the next day. Leftover veggies. Leftover (extra) potatoes, celery and onion becomes potato salad:
And what to do with the extra tomato juice... hmm.... well, I guess, if you are so inclined, you can mix it with some more Texas Pete, celery salt, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce, oh and some vodka, to make a tasty Bloody Mary! (You can use an extra celery stick to stir, and to scoop out the olives as they get closer to the bottom of the glass.)
The you would think, with 2,127 songs on here, I'd get more of a variety playlist:
Tangled Maroon 5
Why Say Anything Nice? Barenaked Ladies (if you don't, come sit by me...)
I Remember Holding You Boys Club (fine '80s cheese)
Carry That Weight Paul McCartney (LIVE. The tour I saw in ATL with Kara and her parents. AWESOME show.)
You Belong to Me Patsy Cline (Who doesn't love Patsy??)
Mamma Mia ABBA (Here I go again...)
Don't Stop Believing Fucking Journey
End The Cure
99 Red Balloons Nena (I also have 99 Luft Balloons on here.)
Barbie Girl Aqua (Life in plastic, it's fantastic)
Hot Thing Prince
Blackbird Sarah McLaughlin (A Beatles cover, which I am usually against, but she does a really good job.)
Easy Silence Dixie Chicks (In the peaceful quiet you create for me, and the way you keep the world at bay for me.)
World on Fire Sarah McLaughlin (When I interviewed Art Garfunkel, he tipped his hat to Sarah's amazing talent.)
(Keep Feeling) Fascination Human League
Electric Blue Icehouse (Are you hiding somewhere behind those eyes)
Kiss the Bride Elton John (He did once. Kiss his bride. Denial, sometimes, is more than a river in Egypt.)
Walk On U2 (Love is not the easy thing, and the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.) (I LOVE YOU BONO!)
Flowers in December Mazzy Star
Red Carpet Massacre Duran Duran
What Does Sex Mean to Me? Human Sexual Response (From the Threesome soundtrack)
Black & White Sarah McLaughlin
Nowhere Fast Fire Inc. (I think this is the song Diane Lane is "singing" when Willam Dafoe kidnaps her in Streets of Fire)
Something About the Way You Look Tonight Elton John
Beast of Burden Rolling Stones
Ruby Tuesday This was on a mix a friend made. I don't know who sings it, but it's not the Stones.
Sink or Swim Bad Lieutenant (A friend turned me on to this song a few weeks ago, and I love it! The lyrics are great, as is the music)
Something to Remember Madonna
Invincible Pat Benatar (Legend of Billie Jean!!!)
Stop Jamelia
Uncle John's Band Grateful Dead (Yeah. I know. I don't know how that got in there either.....)
I'm Still Standing Elton John
I am ambitious, but not THAT ambitious. I just made a half batch. It still involves A LOT of chopping (onions, green peppers and celery) and dicing (potatoes and carrots). But, as I have said before, I like the zen of chopping and listening to music. It's soothing for me.
Wake me when it's over!
So, this is my Grandpa Jack's recipe. We've been making it for so long, it's like second nature. I don't even need to look at the recipe as I go. He started out with salt pork to get some fat going in the bottom of the pan. I start with a little olive oil, and then toss the onions and peppers into my big red Le Creuset pot!
Aside from the veggies, here are the other ingredients: tomato juice, clam juice, chopped clams (I cheat and used canned. Like I said, again, I am ambitious, but not that ambitious), stewed tomatoes, caraway seeds and thyme. Hot sauce too, but that's still in the refrigerator.
Back to the onions and peppers... looking good...
So now, we add the clam juice (five bottles!):
Thrilling and fascinating. I know. Now, with the stewed tomatoes, they come out looking like this:
Way too big. So get out your kitchen sheers and give them some snips!
When the clam juice gets warm, add in the tomatoes and half the bottle of tomato juice. Heat that up. When it gets warm, add in the diced carrots and potatoes and the chopped celery and clams (drained, but not squeezed dry. I kind of just drain them a bit, but keep some of the juice in them). Add in the spices, too. It's pretty much to taste. I know what it's supposed to taste like, so I can add the caraway seeds and thyme until it's right. Add the hot sauce a few dashes at a time. I use Texas Pete, but whatever your favorite is works just fine.
Now you just keep it on low (right below a simmer) for a couple hours, until the carrots, celery and potatoes are done. Halfway through, you add in the "secret" ingredient. Family lore goes, an extra beer was opened once while the soup was cooking. Rather than waste it, it was poured into the soup. I don't know if it makes a difference in the flavor, but I can say that half a bottle (it is a half batch, after all) of the Frankenstein beer worked just fine.
When all the veggies are tender, get a bowl out and add a couple more dashes of Texas Pete to your serving! Enjoy!!!
LEFTOVERS!!!! And not just the soup, which tastes even better the next day. Leftover veggies. Leftover (extra) potatoes, celery and onion becomes potato salad:
And what to do with the extra tomato juice... hmm.... well, I guess, if you are so inclined, you can mix it with some more Texas Pete, celery salt, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce, oh and some vodka, to make a tasty Bloody Mary! (You can use an extra celery stick to stir, and to scoop out the olives as they get closer to the bottom of the glass.)
The you would think, with 2,127 songs on here, I'd get more of a variety playlist:
Tangled Maroon 5
Why Say Anything Nice? Barenaked Ladies (if you don't, come sit by me...)
I Remember Holding You Boys Club (fine '80s cheese)
Carry That Weight Paul McCartney (LIVE. The tour I saw in ATL with Kara and her parents. AWESOME show.)
You Belong to Me Patsy Cline (Who doesn't love Patsy??)
Mamma Mia ABBA (Here I go again...)
Don't Stop Believing Fucking Journey
End The Cure
99 Red Balloons Nena (I also have 99 Luft Balloons on here.)
Barbie Girl Aqua (Life in plastic, it's fantastic)
Hot Thing Prince
Blackbird Sarah McLaughlin (A Beatles cover, which I am usually against, but she does a really good job.)
Easy Silence Dixie Chicks (In the peaceful quiet you create for me, and the way you keep the world at bay for me.)
World on Fire Sarah McLaughlin (When I interviewed Art Garfunkel, he tipped his hat to Sarah's amazing talent.)
(Keep Feeling) Fascination Human League
Electric Blue Icehouse (Are you hiding somewhere behind those eyes)
Kiss the Bride Elton John (He did once. Kiss his bride. Denial, sometimes, is more than a river in Egypt.)
Walk On U2 (Love is not the easy thing, and the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.) (I LOVE YOU BONO!)
Flowers in December Mazzy Star
Red Carpet Massacre Duran Duran
What Does Sex Mean to Me? Human Sexual Response (From the Threesome soundtrack)
Black & White Sarah McLaughlin
Nowhere Fast Fire Inc. (I think this is the song Diane Lane is "singing" when Willam Dafoe kidnaps her in Streets of Fire)
Something About the Way You Look Tonight Elton John
Beast of Burden Rolling Stones
Ruby Tuesday This was on a mix a friend made. I don't know who sings it, but it's not the Stones.
Sink or Swim Bad Lieutenant (A friend turned me on to this song a few weeks ago, and I love it! The lyrics are great, as is the music)
Something to Remember Madonna
Invincible Pat Benatar (Legend of Billie Jean!!!)
Stop Jamelia
Uncle John's Band Grateful Dead (Yeah. I know. I don't know how that got in there either.....)
I'm Still Standing Elton John
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