A Word from the Domestic Goddess

I have a long-standing love affair with the tomato. My precious pomme d'amour. My Uncle Mac, the gentleman farmer from Mississippi, grew them tall and plentiful in his backyard -- one of the highlights of our family trips to Jackson was helping pick the 'maters and then watching my Auntie Ruth slice them then, season with salt and pepper, and serve at every meal. Even breakfast. They stood on their own as highlights of the dinner table -- no balsamic affectations needed, no mozzarella accompaniment necessary.

The tomatoes I encounter these days aren't quite as lush as the ones of my Southern summer childhood -- I find the ones from the grocery need some accessories to get them palette-ready. This soup does the trick. The oven-roasting gives the 'maters a deep resonance, with the trifecta of onions, garlic and shallot adding a sweet note. It's a little taste of summer in a bowl. Just something else to love.

Roasted Tomato Soup

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart organic chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves,
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic, shallots and onions onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.
Remove roasted vegetables from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.
Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

We take our grilling very seriously in my family. And by we, I mean the male members of my clan. And by the male members of my clan, I really mean my daddy.

If I’m the Original Carnivore Girl, then Pops is the Carnivore King. The man never met a piece of beef he didn’t like. The scent of charcoal is part of my genetic makeup. I think my first real meal was probably a cheeseburger off Daddy’s grill. There was a ritual to our summer evening meals – Daddy would come home from work, put on some shorts and flip flops (but often leaving on his white undershirt), get a beer and go light the grill. If we were out playing in the neighborhood, the smell of the grill lighting up was our signal to come on home. Dinnertime was approaching. And nothing ever tasted so good as one of those burgers with a slice of American cheese sliding down the sides. With some Hi-C Citrus Cooler to wash it down.

As adept as I like to think I am in the kitchen, I am not a griller. But I do like a good burger (rare, with grilled onions if we’re going traditional.) For our Fourth of July menu yesterday, I colored outside the lines a little and went with a ground lamb burger. Asked Daddy (and Mama) over – he politely declined. “Don’t like to eat anything that used to have fuzz on it.” was his reply. The Carnivore King spoke. And I know what he had yesterday: a cheeseburger. Charcoal grilled. With a cold beer.

PS: The lamb burgers really were pretty damn good. As were the sides that we had with – garlic fries and watermelon/feta salad. Check ‘em out…

Prosciutto Lamb Burgers
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
6 large slices prosciutto, sliced medium-thin (for wrapping the burgers)
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh basil leaves, for topping each burger
Fresh tomato slices, for topping each burger
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Directions
In a large bowl combine the bread crumbs, parsley, egg, milk, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper, Stir to combine. Add the lamb and stir until incorporated. Divide the mixture into 6 (1-inch) thick burgers. Place the slices of prosciutto on a cutting board or piece of parchment paper. Place 1 lamb burger in the center of each slice of prosciutto and wrap the prosciutto around the burger.

Place a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat for 2 minutes. Place the lamb burgers, prosciutto-covered side down in the pan and cook over medium heat until the prosciutto is golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the burgers and finish cooking, about 6 to 8 minutes more.

Remove the burgers from the pan and place on a serving platter or individual plates. Top each burger with 2 to 3 basil leaves, 1 to 2 slices of tomato, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.

Garlic Fries

4 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes.

Place butter and garlic in a large nonstick skillet, and cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to pan; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Watermelon/Feta Salad
Per serving:
3/4 - 1 cup of cold watermelon, cubed
1/4 cup of feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
¼ medium red onion, cut in paper-thin slices
1/4 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
Place the watermelon in a bowl, top with most of the onions, then the feta cheese. Place remaining onions on top. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, and serve.

This recipe can be made in individual servings or multiplied and served in a large salad bowl.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

The apex of the sporting phenomenon known as Football Season is upon us.

The Super Bowl.

Even people who don’t give a rip about the NFL for the four months prior somehow like getting in on the action when it’s Big Game Time.

Psssst… this year, it’s right in my backyard. Tampa Bay. Yay Hometown!

With such events as this, the viewing parties are inevitable. Even though there may not be a lot of viewing involved, there will be drinking. And eating. And socializing.

The buffet table at these things groan with typical “game-day” food: wings, nachos, chips, little weenie things, a popper or two. And beer. Lots and lots of beer.

I’d like to offer some options that are a little more on the sophisticated side of things… easy and yummy. Although since we’re talking “sophisticated,” perhaps the word scrumptious would be more appropriate.

And yep – they probably work pretty well with beer. In case you were wondering.

Truffle Butter Popcorn
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

1 tablespoon white or black truffle oil 

Kosher salt to taste, plus black truffle salt to taste 

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives 



Air pop the popcorn, in batches if needed, or use two bags low-salt, light microwave popcorn, popped according to package directions. 



Drizzle two tablespoons of the unsalted butter over half the popped corn, tossing as you drizzle to distribute the butter evenly.

Combine the remaining melted butter and the truffle oil, and drizzle evenly on the remaining popcorn. Toss in chives. Season with salt and/or truffle salt to taste and serve. 



Variation on a theme: 
For wasabi popcorn: Crush two tablespoons of Wasabi peas in a blender until fine breadrumb texture. Sprinkle over buttered popcorn to taste. 


(BTW, this one would also be great for a home film festival... the works of Woody Allen or Robert Altman come to mind. But I digress.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Sugar and Spice Pepitas
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups shelled pepitas
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg white, beaten until frothy
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix pepitas and next 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on spiciness desired. Spread pepitas in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake until pepitas are golden and dry, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Seperate pepitas with fork while still warm. Cool before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spinach-Parmesan Dip
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped shallots
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup organic chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 10-ounce package ready-to-use fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Baguette slices, toasted

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and caramelized.. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in stock and cream; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, cheese, sour cream and cayenne (spinach will wilt). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to serving bowl. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.

Variations on a theme: Adding a can of artichoke hearts or about 12 ounces fresh crab to this would totally take it up even another notch.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

Hello again from the hallowed walls of my ridiculously small, well-equipped and highly functioning kitchen.

Seems like I've been doing a lot of cooking these days -- vacation, holidays, too-late-to-call-a-babysitter-so-we-are-staying-in-for-dinner-and-a-Netflix-movie. You know how it goes.

Made some soup last night. The recipe calls it a chowder, but to me, it's really all soup-esque. Chicken Corn Chowder. Love in a bowl. Good stuff. A new recipe -- somehow, my old one has disappeared. But it's all good -- this one was delicious, so into the rotation it goes.

And you know how I am -- gotta share the love. Mmmm...

Chicken Corn Chowder
*4-8 slices bacon
(Let’s be honest here – bacon should be its own food group. Seriously. With that in mind, I go with 8 slices. The original recipe called for three, which is absurdly miserly. Yeah, I know it’s not all that healthy. But there’s a balance coming…)
*1 cup sweet onion, diced
*1/2 red bell pepper, diced
*2-3 cloves garlic, minced 
*1 bag pre-washed spinach leaves (OPTIONAL – but it’s a GREAT option)
*1 quart organic or homemade chicken stock
*1-1/2 cups unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (about 2-3 medium sized taters.)
*2 cups corn kernels (Of course fresh is best, but if it’s not corn season, use frozen. I like the Green Giant corn you can steam in a bag. The flavor of frozen corn is much better than canned. Trust me.)
*3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
*3 cups milk
*1 deli rotisserie chicken, de-skinned and deboned (Just the meat. Nothing but the meat.)
*1 cup seeded, peeled, chopped tomato OR 1 can diced organic tomatoes, drained, if it’s not tomato season (I use Muir Glen)
*1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (I like sharp; mild is fine, as is medium. I add a bit more than 1/2 a cup as well. Shocking.)
*3/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
*Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate and leave 1 tablespoon of the yummy drippings in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reserve the bacon. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sautee veggies until tender, about 5 minutes. Make sure you scrape up all the bacon-y goodness from the bottom of the pot when sautéing. (If you wanted to add spinach, the best time to add it is about three minutes into the sauté.) 


Add chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer it until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes, give or take). Stir in corn. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Stir mixture into the hot soup, adding gradually. Increase the heat to medium high and keep stirring it gently until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken, tomato, cheese, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered until flavors are blended and cheese is melted, about fifteen minutes.

Serve with reserved crumbled bacon on top. (Remember – a little goes a long way. See, -- told you there was balance involved in this.)

Enjoy. 

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

Hey, old friend
What d'ya say, old friend?
Are you okay, old friend?
Are we, are we unique?

Time goes by
Everything else keeps changing
You and I, we can
Continue next week, yeah

Most friends fade
Or they don't make the grade
New ones are quickly made
And in a pinch, sure, they'll do

But us, old friend
What's to discuss, old friend?
Here's to us, who's like us?
Damn few

Spent the day yesterday with some wonderful old friends. Friends who went through the jolts and fluidity of youth together. Friends who, for whatever reason, drifted apart when life simply happened.

And friends who have reconnected with lasting results, I do believe.

My girlfriend K, after a hug and a moment spent catching up, immediately asked me for my “amazing French toast recipe.” I had to think for a minute, as I cannot remember the last time I even had French toast, much less made it.

And then it came to me.

Many moons ago, when I was young and fancy free, I had what was in fact, an amazing baked/do ahead French toast recipe that I would make for showers and parties and brunches. Can’t believe that she remembered it – her little boy loves French toast and she wants to make it for him.

Can’t think of a better reason to hunt it down and share. With her and y'all.

So here it is…

Baked Cinnamon French Toast

Half a loaf of French toast, cut into 1-inch slices
6 large eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup half & half
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ stick butter, softened
½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
1 tbsp light corn syrup

Night before:
Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Arrange bread slices, overlapping, in single layer to fill bottom of dish. In medium bowl, beat eggs, then add milk, half & half, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. Pour over bread slices. Cover; refrigerate overnight.

Next morning:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, nuts and corn syrup. Spread over bread. Bake 40 minutes. Serve warm, topped with maple syrup.

Serve for old friends. New friends. Or anyone in between.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

Don't faint. It's me

Yeah, I know it's been a while... a long while. Way too long, frankly. But with the holidays and The Great Computer Death of 2008 (more on that later) and various and sundry other issues (an aggravated sciatic nerve, Will on Winter Break, etc.), this writing thing has taken a back seat. In the rear of the stretch limo. Yep -- that's waaaaaay back there.

In order to blow the cobwebs out of this place and to air out the mustiness, here's a little something something from my kitchen. And it's pretty damn amazing, for something so simple. Really healthy, too. Fits right in with that Clean Eating thing I'm working on. Perfect for the beginning of a new year.

Soup. Soothing. Comforting. Warming. Filling. Good for you. Easy-going.

Who could ask for anymore than that out of a relationship. Or a meal.

Enjoy.

Lemon Chicken Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 large red pepper, seeded and diced

8 cups chicken broth -- homemade OR organic is best

2 cups uncooked farfalle/bow tie pasta (whole wheat if you have it)

2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken ( I used a roasted deli chicken)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 of a 10-ounce pkg prewashed spinach

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add the carrots and red bell pepper. Cook and stir 7-8 minutes.

Add the broth to the pan. Bring to boil. Add the pasta. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. until the pasta is tender. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add the chicken, lemon juice, lemon zest and spinach to the pan. Simmer 3 minutes until the spinach wilts but is still bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

It was Pizza Night as Casa de Me tonight -- forget take-out. This was serious stuff. But easy.

So in the spirit of culinary sisterhood, I want to share the recipe with you. It's nice and basic and can be tinkered with to suit the tastes of your eager eaters.

Bon appétit, y'all!

Roasted Garlic/Tomato Pizza with Two Cheeses

* 1 large red bell pepper
* vegetable oil

* 1 large head garlic, unpeeled
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings

* 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved

* 1 prepared pizza crust (such as Boboli thin crust)
OR 1 recipe pizza dough/crust
* 2 cups fresh grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
* 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) crumbled tomato basil feta cheese
* 1/4 pound prosciutto, torn into pieces


Preheat broiler. Wash the pepper and make sure all labels are scraped off. Cut the stem off, then cut the pepper in half. Brush with a little vegetable oil and place, cut side down, on baking sheet. Put in oven and broil the peppers with the oven door slightly ajar. Otherwise, the oven will automatically moderate the temperature.

As soon as the peppers are blackened all over, take out and place the halves in a brown paper bag -- this helps facilitate peeling. Do not peek or let the steam out. Once the peppers have cooled, remove from bag and peel off blackened skin, plus any seeds. Cut into slices and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice top off garlic head; place in small baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Brush baking sheet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place onion slices on sheet and brush onion with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Bake garlic and onion until garlic cloves are light brown and soft and onion is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool.

Using fingers, squeeze out roasted garlic cloves into food processor; add sun-dried tomatoes. Using on/off turns, process until almost smooth, adding enough reserved oil form sun-dried tomatoes to form paste. (Onions and garlic mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place crust on baking sheet or pizza pan. Spread garlic paste evenly over crust. Top with mozzarella cheese, onion, pepper strips, prosciutto and feta cheese.

Bake pizza until crust is golden brown and cheese bubbles, about 8 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

PS: Wanna see what the finished product looks like...

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

Just got back from a quick little road trip -- up and back to Atlanta to see in-laws and friends over a longish weekend. (More about that later... ai yi yi) And while I don't mind car trips, thanks mostly to my iPod touch and torrents of past seasons of America's Next Top Model ("I see six beautiful girls standing before me, but I only have five photos in my hand. And those photos represent the girls who are still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model...") I get very tired very quickly of eating all that crap that seems to predominate at roadside exits and near hotels.

Even though I was dead on my feet, it was time for a home cooked meal. And soup was just calling my name. So while I unpacked and caught up on my internet stuff (the in-laws somehow faffed up their wifi connection. Again, more later...) I made a pot of White Chicken Tortilla Soup. Mmmmm. Just the thing for weary travelers. It's good, especially now that the temperatures are slightly less than scalding here... enjoy, y'all.

White Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) chicken, cut up
2 ribs celery, cut into chunks
1 large onion, quartered
2 large carrots, quartered
cluster of parsley, torn
2 T. chicken soup base (I use Vigo brand)
2 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled and quartered (to make all one size, basically)

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large stockpot and cover with water by about two inches. Bring to a rapid boil; lower heat to a simmer and cook for about one hour until chicken is tender and falling off the bone.

Strain and reserve the broth. Let chicken cool slightly, then debone and tear meat into small pieces. Set aside.

In four cups of the reserved chicken broth, boil the potatoes until tender. Remove from heat. Do not remove the broth. Mash the potatoes while still in the broth and then add the following:

1 large can creamed corn
1 can black beans, rinsed well
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, crushed
1 1/2 C. cream/half & half
2 to 4 T. minced cilantro

Add enough of the reserved chicken broth to thin out the soup to the desired thickness. Simmer on low for about 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning. Be careful of adding too much salt.

Moments before serving, stir in:

1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
(note: I use blocks of both cheddar and jack and shred using the food processor. I prefer the consistency of freshly grated cheese better in this, rather than pre-grated store bought)
Reserved cut-up chicken


Continue to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is heated through.

You can serve with corn tortilla strips that have been deep fried. Or just do what I do and crumble some tortilla chips on top -- soooo much easier. A bit of sour cream is also nice as well.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

‘Tis the season for game watching
Fa-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la
Which requires food for noshing
Fa-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la
Chips and dip are kinda boring
Fa-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la
Why not make something worth adoring
Fa-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la!

In the spirit of baseball (GO RAYS!) and football (GO GATORS!) seasons, I give you my easy-peasy (promise) Uber-Yummy Nachos recipe. It’s great for a party or gathering because people can put their own serving together however they like. Oh -- beer. Goes really well with this. Really well.

Try this -- you’ll like it.


The Chips
Any sort of tortilla chip you like. Me -- I’m into the flour tortilla chips right now.

The Salsa
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice (recommended: San Marzano)
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 Serrano chile
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Pulse all the ingredients, except the tomato juice, in a food processor. Add the reserved tomato juice if the salsa is too thick. Drizzle salsa with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and set aside, allowing the flavors to marry.

The Meat
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder (I use ancho chili powder, but y’all use whatever you dig)
1 1/2 ground cumin, half a palmful
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level
1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and sauté two minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat five minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.

The Cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups evaporated milk
3/4 pound cheddar cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

The Other Stuff, As You Like It
Sour cream
Chopped scallions
Chopped black olives
Diced pimento
Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice
Hot pepper sauces


Y’all can figure out how to put together the nachos, I’m sure. Just do it -- and enjoy.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

I have just returned from another exciting journey to the grocery store.

Alert the media.

I did, however, glean something unusual from this particular trip -- did you know that you can get a little mini-workout while shopping for foodstuffs and other items? Guess what -- you can!

Here's what I was able to accomplish in just 15 short minutes:

The Grocery Cart Pull
Involves: trying to dislodge a cart from the cart coral when all the ones on the end are stuck somehow and won't move easily.

Works: shoulders and pecs

The Grocery Cart Steer
Involves: working really hard to keep your cart, which has a wonky wheel, from rolling completely askew down the aisles.

Works: pecs and biceps

The Duck and Cover Sprint
Involves: quickly maneuvering your cart into an aisle so as not to be seen by someone whom you do not wish to encounter. This is critical to master when you are not looking your best or are in a hurry and have no time to chit-chat. Both are options which I field on a regular basis. Other possibilities which can trigger the Duck and Cover Sprint include people you don't like or friends of your parents with whom you feel obligated to speak because you are mannerly that way.

Note that the number of times you will do the Duck and Cover Sprint is proportional to how badly you are dressed. The worse you look, the odds of seeing lots of people you know greatly increases.

Good for: quick cardio burst; flexibility

The Top Shelf Dairy Case Reach
Involves: standing on tippy-toe to try and reach the last two raspberry yogurts which are against the back wall of the obscenely deep dairy case because your child seems to only like raspberry yogurt this week and you are tired of meal time battles. The yogurt sale sign (2o for $9!) may also be deployed as the arm-lengthener to help reach said items.

Good for: calves and shins; balance; patience

The Medium-Weight Paper Bag Schlep
Involves: trying to balance carrying in handle-less paper grocery bags into the house without tearing the bag or damaging the items inside, while maneuvering house keys and a ringing cell phone.

Good for: dexterity

I am sure there are countless more exercises one could do on a jaunt through the market -- the possibilities are endless.

Just another day in domestic paradise 'round here.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

The Drinkin' Chick in me is happy that it's margarita season. Actually, for me, it's always margarita season...

The Domestic Goddess in me would be remiss if I didn't share one of my go-to 'rita recipes:

Killer Margaritas
1 can (6 oz) Minute Maid frozen limeade
4 ounces Jose Cuervo tequila
½ can Grand Marnier
3 limeade cans water
little bit of ice

Mix in blender. Serve in salted glasses. Prepare to have fun.

Plus: A great little nosh that complements the tasty tequila tipple...

Pepitas
2 cups pepitas (green hulled pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg white, beaten until frothy
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray baking sheet with nonstick spray (or line with parchment paper or nonstick foil).

Mix all ingredients and spread in single layer on baking sheet.

Bake until pepitas are golden and dry, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes (I baked for around 20 minutes, stirring about every 5.)

Remove from oven and separate pepitas with fork while still warm; cool completely.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

I have a Saturday morning ritual. One that I've adhered to, time and schedule allowing, for years. It goes a little something like this:

Wake up. Read paper. Find Will. Make breakfast. Read paper. Turn the TV off of the Disney Channel to the Food Network. And settle in for a morning-long cooking lesson.

Actually, ever since I've been on The NutriSystem, it's been more like a morning of food porn... but I digress.

More often than not, if something catches my fancy during my cooking school time, it will end up on the dinner table that evening. While I like to think of this as being impulsive, it's really more about me not being organized enough to plan the weekend meals ahead of time. However, I have this now down to a science. My inability to plan has evolved into an actual plan. Go figure.

Tonight's dinner is a rerun, taken from that cute Tyler Florence -- his ultimate beef tacos.

And he's not being presumptuous with the name, either. These things are damn good.

Tacos made not from your standard ground beef, but rather from a lovely pot roast which dances and grinds and grooves slow-cook style in a melenage of tomato and spices and onion and garlic and wine. It's amazing. And while you do have to plan ahead, (unlike what that nutcase Jan did the other night on The Office
-- starting osso buco when your guests hit the door. Good grief. But I loved her red Le Crueset. Who knew she had such good taste in cookware...) the prep time is ridiculously easy and smooth. And while the meat cooks, you can prep the salsa and guac. And mix an agave margarita. Or two. See. Easy-peasy.

So here you go. Enjoy. I have a feeling you will.

2 pounds beef shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large onion, sliced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 bay leaves

Vegetable oil, for deep frying
6 fresh medium corn tortillas
Kosher salt
3 cups finely shredded white cabbage
Guacamole, recipe follows
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves

For the simple salsa:
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice (recommended: San Marzano)
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 Serrano chile
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, or other heavy pot that has a tight cover, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and the beef to the pot, browning the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside. Add the onion and allow to lightly brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, plus 1 tomato can of water, wine and spices; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer with a lid for 3 hours until the meat is fork tender. Let meat cool in the liquid. Shred meat and set aside.

Heat a large pot of oil over medium heat. When oil reaches 350 degrees F, fry the corn tortillas 1 at a time. Place the tortilla in the oil and wait about 30 seconds. Then use the handle of a wooden spoon to press down into the center of the tortilla and fold it in the middle. Hold down for a few seconds waiting for the tortilla to form into taco shell and then drain on paper towels. Season with salt.

For the simple salsa:
To make salsa, pulse all the ingredients, except the tomato juice, in a food processor. Add the reserved tomato juice if the salsa is too thick. Drizzle salsa with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and set aside, allowing the flavors to marry.

To assemble the tacos:
Lay some shredded cabbage as a base. Top with some shredded beef. Serve alongside Guacamole and salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
leaves.

Guacamole:
6 ripe avocados
3 limes, juiced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed then minced
2 serrano chiles, cut into rounds
1 big handful fresh cilantro with stems, about 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados using either a fork or potato masher, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, and fold everything together. Drizzle with a little olive oil, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and give it 1 final mix with a fork.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap tight on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Yield: about 4 cups

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

Too often in cooking people fail to make the distinction between time consuming and difficult. There is a difference.
~ Nigella Lawson

Call it potluck. Call it covered dish. Call it a BYOD (Bring Your Own Dish.) We’ve all been involved with or invited to an event where everyone is asked to bring a little something-something for others to nosh on.

My go-to dish on these occasions -- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Torta. Been making it for nearly a decade, thanks to seeing it in Bon Appetit when on a hunt for something to take to a Christmas party.

Oh Em Gee, is it good. And others agree with this, she says modestly. It really is yummy. Don't think about the fat content, though, while you're enjoying it. It kills the garlic buzz.

My galpal in NC loves this so much that I don’t even think about going on our annual three-family week-long vacation to Captiva without making this. She might disown me if I didn't. She’s even eaten this for breakfast, I do believe.

Periodically, someone will ask me for the recipe. Which I’m more than happy to share -- I’m not one to bogart stuff like that.

However, once the askee has the recipe in her hot little hands (not being sexist -- it’s always women that have this reaction) and has a chance to look it over, invariably I get one of the two following responses:

“Wow. This looks complicated.”

OR

“Wow. I don’t make anything that has this many ingredients.”

Please. Just because a recipe has more than five ingredients does not a challenge make. Frankly, the most difficult thing for me in culinary land has just four ingredients: flour, shortening, water and salt. The elusive pie crust. Can't make a decent one to save my life. But that's another tale for another day.

Now, I will admit that I enjoy spending time in the kitchen (cooking, not cleaning... blech) more than the average bear. But I’ve been making this dish since my culinary skills were in their embryonic stage. It’s not that tough. It's basically all about the assembly. Seriously.

And the payoff. So worth it. Guaranteed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Not-That-Hard-I-Promise Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Torta (adapted just a bit from Bon Appetit's orignal recipe)

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-1/2 cups basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 cups cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1-1/3 cups sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed & drained
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• non-stick vegetable oil spray
• fresh basil sprigs, garnish
• toasted pine nuts, garnish
• crackers or toasted baguette slices

Finely chop garlic in food processor. Add basil, 1/4 cup pine nuts, oil and lemon juice. Process until well blended. Add 1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesean cheese. Using on/off turns, process until just blended. Transfer pesto to medium bowl.

Coarsely chop sun-dried tomatoes in processor. Add tomato paste and process until mixture is almost smooth. Add 1 cup (8 oz) cup cream cheese and blend well.

Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.

Spray 6-cup souffle dish with non-stick spray. Line with plastic wrap, extending plastic over sides. Spread 3/4 cream cheese butter mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Top with half of tomato mixture, then 1/2 cup cream cheese-butter mixture, then half of pesto mixture. Repeat layering with 1/2 cup cream cheese-butter mixture, remaining tomato mixture, 1/2 cup cream cheese-butter mixture and remaining pesto. Top with remaining cream cheese-butter mixture. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Invert torta onto serving platter. Peel off plastic. Garnish with basil leaves and toasted pine nuts. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Domestic Education

It's been quite the domestic-palooza here at chez jane this weekend.

We hit a snag this morning with the discovery that something was amiss with our kitchen sink. Clogged. And gurgling. Totally disgusting. The saving grace (and yes, there is one) is that the nastiness in the pipes had a citrus scent to it. Thanks to the lime halves I'd been tossing down the disposal after squeezing them into my agave margaritas. It's not a good sign when you realize your plumbing can't keep up with your drinking habit.

Took a break from my kitchen toil to watch my version of porn... the Food Network. Paula Deen, the culinary harbinger of cardiac distress herself, was on, hosting a show that featured cheese. OK. That works. She made a delicious looking cherry cream cheese pie (I LOVE cherry pie and this just kicked it up a notch. Oooh look -- I just mixed FoodTV host catch phrases...) and then announced to the camera that she was going to do something she'd never done before after the break.

She was going to deep fry macaroni and cheese.

Oh. My.

Now, I'm a firm believer in the concept of frying things -- I am from the south, after all. And macaroni and cheese is in the top tier of my list of Perfect Foods (along with doughnuts, cheeseburgers and pizza.) However, I wasn't too sure about this whole thing as we cut away to a Smithfield ham ad. But curiosity got the better of me and so I stayed tuned. And got to see how this heart attack on a plate was made.

Turns out that not only is the mac & cheese breaded and fried -- it's wrapped in bacon beforehand. Just upping that coronary factor. The mister was strolling through the room and commented as he passed by that he bets she's killed more people than tobacco. (Yes, that's slightly un-PC, but I'm still giggling over it. Sawry.)

Let's just say that the fried mac & cheese won't be making its way to a table near me any time soon. Yuck. Although I am having dirty, dirty thoughts about that cherry cream cheese pie.

In summary -- lessons learned today:
* My plumbing can't keep up with my drinking habit.
* There is such a thing as too over the top when it comes to fried foods.

Live and learn, my friends. Live and learn.

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

Don't clean. No man will ever make love to a woman because she waxed the linoleum --
"My God, the floor's immaculate. Lie down, you hot bitch."
~ Joan Rivers

I. Hate. Housework.

Let me cook all day long and I'm a happy domestic diva. Ask me to dust or vacuum or mop or worst of all, clean a bathroom and I can instantly find a jillion other things to do.

I'll do it. I just won't be happy about it.

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
~ Anonymous

It doesn't help that I'm predisposed to fall on the slobby side of the spectrum. I'm basically kind of a mess. Always have been. Growing up, I had to clean my room before our weekly housekeeper came on Mondays. I'm big on piles of things -- clothes, jewelry, books, magazines, papers. I know exactly what's in each pile, which helps me organizationally. It's just not very aesthetic.

Finding myself with a free weekend at home, I decided to take the Hoover by the horns and do some cleaning. Yay.

Doesn't that sound convincing and enthusiastic?

No, I didn't think so either.

A clean house is the sign of a boring person.
~ Anonymous

The house is alive with the smell of Lemon Pledge. And Murphy's Oil Soap. Plus various incarnations of Lysol products. I figure that if things at least smell like they've been cleaned, that's half the battle.

Swiffers and vacuums and shop vacs (I'm getting behind shelving units and appliances -- hard core, baby!) are everywhere.

And the show tunes are blaring. I love to listen to songs from Broadway musicals while I clean, singing along loudly and with all the passion I can muster. Makes my task a little more palatable.

In the spirit of domesticity, I'm treating the fam to a pretty damn good dinner. Chicken tortilla soup. My Aerogarden is overrun with cilantro and I can't think of a better way to use some of it than in this dish.

Besides, it goes really well with agave margaritas. If I'm gonna have one real non-NutriMeal a week, I might as well go all out. My dishpan hands deserve it. And so do I.

If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door, greet him with, "Who could have done this? We have no enemies."
~ Phyllis Diller

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spring Cleaning Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) chicken, cut-up and skin removed
2 ribs celery, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, quartered
1 large carrot, quartered
2 sprigs parsley
2 T. chicken soup base (I use Vigo)
1 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoniong
1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed

1 1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large stockpot and cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a rapid boil; lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour until chicken is tender and falling off the bone.

Strain and reserve the broth. Tear pieces of chicken into small pieces. Set aside.

In 4 cups of the reserved chicken broth, boil the potatoes until tender. Remove from heat. Do not remove the broth. Mash the potatoes and add the following:

1 large can creamed corn
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes, crushed
1 1/2 C. half and half
2 to 4 T. minced fresh cilantro

Add enough of the reserved chicken broth to thin out the soup to the desired thickness. Simmer on low for about 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning. Be careful of adding too much salt.

Moments before serving, stir in:

1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Reserved cut-up chicken

Continue to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is heated through.

To serve, ladle soup into deep bowls. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chunks of avocado dipped in lemon juice, slices of black olives and a small handful of crushed tortilla chips (I like the Flour Tostidos)

A Word from the Domestic Goddess

The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a “What the hell?” attitude.
~ Julia Child

It was my Saturday afternoon ritual. Make a sandwich. Grab a cold drink. Go to my room. Shut the door. Turn on the TV -- a little black and while model. Change the channel to our local PBS station. Settle back into my black bean bag chair. And wait for that jaunty theme music.

I was twelve years old.

And Julia Child was my idol.

It was French Chef time.

Life itself is the proper binge.
~ Julia Child

I don’t know where I got my intense, passionate, almost obsessive love of cooking. My paternal Grandma was a damn good cook; my maternal Nana wasn’t bad. My mom cooked, but it wasn't her passion.

But me -- I not only inherited the cooking gene from my ancestors, I got bit by the culinary bug as well. My earliest memory is of my four-year-old self being lifted up to take a look at the Thanksgiving turkey roasting in the oven.

And I did time with a couple of kids cookbooks -- pouring over the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls like it was the Magna Carta, devising menus and mentally tinkering with recipes.

For some reason, my mother had a subscription to Bon Appétit magazine. Every month when the latest issue arrived in the mailbox, it spent about two days on the family room coffee table, then disappeared into my room. I cut recipes out like a girl possessed, treating them as lovingly as I did my pin-up poster boys from Tiger Beat. I’m not sure what I was thinking, as at that point in my life (and my family’s taste buds), there was no way I would be making 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken, but I had the recipe. Just in case.

I don’t remember what brought me to my Saturday afternoons with Julia. Chances are I read about the programming lineup in TV Guide and just tuned in one day. Instantly hooked.

I watched Julia, with her non-intimidating style and deceptive skill, move ‘round her TV kitchen and create dishes the likes of which I’d never seen before in my home kitchen. Salade niçoise. Chocolate Mousse. Veal Prince Orloff. Which, of course, I knew about, thanks to a favorite episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Never use water unless you have to! I'm going to use vermouth!
~ Julia Child

So imagine my delight when under the Christmas tree in December ‘77, I found this.




Between that and the other fab book I received that year (Scarlett Fever - The Ultimate Pictorial Treasury of Gone With the Wind) I spent all of the 25th and most of the 26th reading until my eyes grew heavy with exhaustion.

As I read though my new treasure, my mind pondered all the possibilities. What would be the first thing I would make under Julia’s guidance and following her directions... which recipe would be the one that I would use as my jumping off point into the world of serious cooking.

The answer soon became apparent: French onion soup.

Onion soup sustains. The process of making it is somewhat like the process of learning to love. It requires commitment, extraordinary effort, time, and will make you cry.
~ Ronni Lundy

The recipe looked simple enough. Not many ingredients to bog down a new cook. Nothing too unusual to intimidate. And it was something that everyone in my immediate family might dig.

And so I began a ritual that I would continue to this day. I’ve been making Julia’s French onion soup for thirty years. Happily. When I was single and living on my own, it was my family’s traditional Christmas Eve dinner -- everyone would come to whatever hovel I was living in at the time for soup, salad, wine and conversation after the Christmas Eve church service. These days, I make it when the air turns cool and the palette craves a bit of familiar sophistication.

My cooking technique has improved over the years, as have the tools of my trade. And I think the soup I make now reflects the maturity of its creator. But honestly, there was something so perfectly delicious about those first batches of soup my idealistic teenage hands made. I infused the hearty melange with my youthful enthusiasm and zest. It in turn gave me confidence and a sense of self not known before. I wooed men with my soup. I cared for ailing friends with my soup. I helped to ease the grieving process of loved ones with my soup.

While poking around for pictures and whatnot to accompany this little piece, I did some reading about Julia and her life and accomplishments. The most interesting tidbit -- and the one I shall remember always -- was what she had for her last meal the night before she passed away.

French onion soup.

Bon Appétit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julia’s Soupe à l'oignon
3 Tb. butter
1 Tb. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. or about 6 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
3 Tb. flour
6 cups organic beef broth
1 c. red wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 t. rubbed sage
salt & pepper


Melt the butter with the oil in a dutch oven and add the sliced onions and stir up to coat. Cover pan and cook over moderately low heat until translucent, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover pan, turn up heat to medium-high and add salt and sugar. Sugar, by caramelizing, helps onions to brown. Stirring frequently, cook for another 20-30 minutes until the onions are deep brown and jam-like. Meanwhile, heat broth to a simmer in a separate pan.

Lower heat to moderate and add flour to onions. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, to brown the flour. Remove from heat and whisk in one cup of the hot broth. Add the rest of the broth, wine, bay leaf and sage, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Soupe à l'oignon gratinée (which really is the only way to eat it)
The soup!
1 baguette
olive oil
1 1/2 c. grated Gruyère/Emmentaler/Baby Swiss and Parmesan cheese, mixed

Cut bread into slices about 1 inch thick, paint lightly with olive oil and arrange in one layer on baking sheet. Place in middle of preheated 325-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until beginning to brown lightly; turn and brown lightly on other side for 15-20 minutes. These are called croûtes.

Ladle soup into heat-proof bowls and top with a couple of the croûtes and grated cheese. Broil until bubbly on top. Serve.

Warning: hot melted cheese is akin to culinary napalm -- if not careful, you could burn the hell out of the inside of your mouth and render your taste buds helpless for a short period of time. Eat wisely. It’s worth it.

Dining with one's friends and beloved family is certainly one of life's primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.
~ Julia Child

That's spelled j-a-n-e -- like Tarzan's friend...

I'd like to make the case for me to be the next Mother of the Year. Whenever applications come out.

Today, on the way to Will's school to get into afternoon car line, I made two stops. The grocery store. And the liquor store. To buy a bottle of the tequila that was used to make the Agave Nectar Margaritas I slurped down Saturday night. Thank goodness I'd taste-tested the stuff before I bought it -- or saw the price. I've never paid that much money for a bottle of alcohol in my life. There was a time in the distant past when I could have paid for a whole keg with what that one bottle of Mexican Fun Juice cost. But it's worth it -- damn, is it smooth. And I'm too old and snotty to drink cheap booze.

No such luck with the agave nectar -- too fancy-pants for my neighborhood A-B- Sleeze, I suppose.

After collecting Will, I decided that perhaps I might want something not quite so high-brow (and potent) to drink tonight while watching American Idol.

So off we went to the drive-thru liquor store that's on our way home. For wine coolers. Shut up. They're yummy.

Meanwhile, young William is in the back seat, hair blowing from the open windows and sunroof, singing along LOUDLY to the radio. Particularly "Start Me Up." And the "dead man cum" part. I couldn't get the window up fast enough at the stop light to prevent him from sharing his music with the car in the next lane. If you were next to us on First Avenue South this afternoon, my apologies.

So keep all this in mind when considering your nominee for Mother of the Year. I give good interview, too.

Pardon me while I dislodge my tongue from my cheek. I need to go chill my 'coolers for tonight.

PS: What kind of hostess would I be if I didn't share the margarita recipe that started all this nonsense:

Partida Agave Nectar Margarita
1-1/2oz. Partida Tequila Blanco, Reposado or Añejo ( I went with the Añejo)
1 oz. lime juice (app. the juice from one lime)
¾ oz. pure, organic Partida Agave Nectar (had to order this, unfortunately)
¾ oz. pure spring water

Shake all over ice -- serve either straight up or on the rocks, salt or no salt. All personal preference.

A Word From The Domestic Goddess

Larry has left the building.

Who is Larry, you ask?

Larry is our dishwasher repair guy, with whom I've become quite buddy-buddy in a repair dude/customer kinda way. He was here this afternoon -- third visit this week -- trying to get the damn thing fixed, by hook or crook and hopefully with Whirlpool's blessing. Apparently the part in question -- the circuit board -- is still under warranty and there are several hoops to jump through and barrels to ride around before the Man will consent to paying for one of the damn things.

I think I might have set a record for the most uses of the phrase "damn thing" in one sentence. Can you tell this has been an aggravation? Oy.

After a couple of hours and lots of phone calls to Repair Central, Larry rebooted the machine and tested all the meters, which seemed to placate the Man. And me, at least for the moment. It's running -- or at least it sounds like it's running. Which is good, because dinner tonight used a hell of a lot of dishes. And pots, pans, cups, spoons, knives and other assorted cooking paraphernalia -- including a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth. I love recipes that call for me to use my kitchen toys -- playtime!

So while Larry was doing his thing, I was doing mine -- making the coq au vin for tonight's dinner. If he had stayed any longer, I thought I might have to invite him to break bread with us. That scenario didn't have to play out, fortunately, as dinner prep took a bit longer than dishwasher repair. Hooray.

Anyway -- here's Larry's Coq au Vin. With many thanks to Cooks Illustrated for the recipe. It's not nearly as complicated as it looks -- there are a few steps to get from raw ingredients to final product -- but if the smell emanating from my kitchen is any indicator, it's well worth it.

However, if this reboot doesn't take, Larry might very well get some leftovers on his next trip back here...

Larry's Coq au Vin

4 chicken leg quarters (about 3 pounds worth)
Kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper
1 bottle fruity, smooth, medium-bodied red wine (750ML), such as Oregon Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or a light Rhone valley wine
2 1/2 cups organic chicken broth
6 ounces bacon (preferably thick-cut), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
6–7 tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature
1 large carrot , roughly chopped
1 large onion , roughly chopped
2 medium shallots , peeled and quartered
2 medium cloves garlic , skin on and smashed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 parsley stems
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 bag frozen pearl onions (evenly sized), thawed
1/2 pound white mushrooms (small), washed and halved if medium sized, quartered if large
2–3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Generously sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and ground black pepper; set aside. Bring red wine and chicken stock to boil in large, heavy saucepan; reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, fry bacon in large Dutch oven or deep, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat until fat has rendered and bacon is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with rendered bacon fat; add carrot, onion, shallots, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Press vegetables against side of pan with slotted spoon to squeeze out as much fat as possible; transfer vegetables to pan with reduced wine mixture (off heat) and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven or sauté pan.

3. Return Dutch oven or sauté pan to burner over medium-high heat and add another 1 tablespoon butter. When butter is melted, add chicken (in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding) and cook until well browned all over, turning once or twice during cooking, 12 to 16 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate; set aside. Pour off all fat from Dutch oven or sauté pan; return to heat and add wine-vegetable mixture. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Add browned chicken, bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, and bay leaf tied together), and tomato paste to boiling wine mixture; return to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered. Turn chicken once during cooking, until tender and infused with wine flavor, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. While chicken and sauce are cooking, heat another 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add pearl onions and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if butter starts to brown too fast, until lightly browned and almost cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, season with salt, cover, increase heat to medium, and cook until mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high, and boil until liquid evaporates and onions and mushrooms are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer onions and mushrooms to plate with bacon; set aside.

5. When the chicken is cooked, transfer to serving bowl or platter; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Following illustration 3, below, strain sauce through fine mesh sieve set over large measuring cup, pressing on solids with wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible; sauce should measure 2 to 3 cups. Return sauce to pan; skim as much fat as possible off surface. Counting 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour for each cup of sauce, mash 2 to 3 tablespoons each butter and flour in small bowl or plate to make a beurre manie.. Bring sauce to boil and whisk in beurre manié until smooth. Add reserved chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms; adjust seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer very gently to warm through and blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Check seasoning one more time and adjust with additional salt and ground black pepper if necessary; add parsley. Transfer chicken to serving platter; pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately with egg noodles.

A Word From The Domestic Goddess

Being on the damn NutriSystem (which is working, by the way. I wore a pair of jeans yesterday that didn't fit two weeks ago. Booyah!) has deprived me of one of my great pleasures in life.

Cooking.

I love cooking. I love all the trappings that surround cooking -- cookbooks, gadgets, cooking shows, markets, food, even a chef or two. And I love the act of cooking itself. 

It's a form of therapy for me, this cooking thing. I can focus on creating something, first and foremost, that has instant gratification value. I can lose myself in the rituals surrounding my kitchen time -- the chopping, the measuring, the mixing. I can pour as much of myself into a dish as I want -- cooking for those I care about is perhaps my most sincere and pure form of showing love. I've missed all of that. Plus the byproduct... delicious, fattening, sinful, amazing food.

Sigh.

While I've been on this regimented eating plan, I've given myself permission to eat one "real" meal a week, usually on the weekends. Sometimes, that involves fried dumplings from our neighborhood Chinese takeout joint. Mmmmmm. Fried dumplings.

Anyhoo...

And sometimes, like last night, it involves me creating something. I couldn't remember the last time I had a meal that I'd actually prepared with my own two hands, so despite the fact that my dishwasher is broken *sob*, I bit the bullet and made arroz con pollo, aka Spanish chicken and rice.

Oh. Em. Gee. 

Damn, was it good. And I'm not one to give myself gratuitous pats on the back for such things.

Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't had a real meal in DAYS, or that even my dad's awful but well-meaning Sunday night childhood staple, SOS/creamed chip beef, would have tasted good to my numbed taste buds. But I don't think so, as the mister inhaled his first portion and went back for an equally large second portion. Fortunately, I had gotten to the pot before his return visit and was able to snag some dark meat -- big competition in our house over that stuff.

It was good to get back into the kitchen for something other than heating up my Nutri-MRE of the day or making Will a snack. The knives felt comfortable in my hands -- rather like riding a bike. And when the sofrito hit the olive oil and the aroma came up and seduced my parched nostrils, I think I spontaneously combusted. Just a little. Bliss.

I chose to use my favorite cooking vessel -- my Le Creuset dutch oven. Heavy as hell, functional as all-get-out and a cool kiwi color, it's never, ever let me down. And once again, it pulled through. We make a great team, my pot and I.

Paired with a nice Spanish red, the resulting culinary delight made for a wonderful accompaniment to an evening of political nerdism watching election results and Friday night's episode of Psych.  Although I'm kicking myself for not going all out and frying up some plantains to go along side. Maybe next time. Regardless, it was well worth all the effort exerted post-meal in handwashing all those damn dishes.

And just because I'm not one of those chicks who doesn't share recipes, here's the gameplan for a pretty damn good arroz con pollo. It's easy, tasty and excellent comfort food. Even if your taste buds haven't been deprived like mine.

Juana La Loca's Arroz con Pollo
(Yeah, I named it after me. Chef's prerogative. Nyah.)

2-lb. chicken fryer, cut in quarters
1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 red pepper, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
4 cups organic chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
1/2-3/4 teaspoon saffron (personal taste)
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ cup small green peas (cooked)
2 roasted red peppers, cut in strips

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In large, oven-safe pot, sauté chicken in heated oil until skin is golden. Remove chicken and place aside. In same oil in the skillet, sauté onion, red pepper and garlic for 5-10 minutes until onions start to become translucent. Add tomatoes; cook another five minutes. Pour into same container as chicken. In same skillet, add chicken broth, white wine, saffron, salt, bay leaf. When mixture begins to boil, add rice. Stir. Add chicken mixture back into pan and bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and chicken is done (you'll need to check frequently). Sprinkle with a splash of wine and garnish with peas and roasted red peppers. Serves 4.