Crumbs

What do you do with all of those heels and the last couple of slices of bread?  I've been throwing them into the freezer recently and yesterday I pulled them out and did something I've wanted to do for a long time - I made "fresh" bread crumbs.  It took about 90 seconds, all totaled, and I can't  wait to use them.  Maybe I'll add some dried herbs before I coat those extra thin chicken breasts I'm planning to lightly fry in olive oil. 

Directions?  Rip bread into large pieces.  Place in food processor.  Pulse.  Done.  Satisfying to my cheapskate self and hopefully to the taste buds as well.  What are your thrifty kitchen tips?  Got some to share?

Roast Beast

While I wouldn't consider myself to be overly impressed by beefcake, I do enjoy a good piece of meat.  Last night I treated the Lilly boys/princes to a beautiful roast beef dinner.  Or roast beast, as I said to Quinn.

I prepared the beef simply,  with salt and pepper, and placed the roast on a meat rack in my magic roasting pan.  Below the beef in the pan was a combination of red wine, beef stock and sliced onions adding some steamy richness to the oven.  Confession: I don't know what I do wrong, but I struggle to slice roast beef as thinly as I would like.  Yes, my knife is sharp.  Any hints?

After spending the day in the crockpot

Dinner was tasty and there were unsliced leftovers of the 2.5 lb roast despite Griffin's best efforts. I only had to threaten Quinn with discipline twice, both times related to the mashed yellow and sweet orange potatoes.  As if beef and mashed potatoes aren't the ultimate pairing! 

This morning I placed the beef, the au jus/onion liquid and a couple of canned chipotles in adobo, into the crock pot and let things simmer all day.  Tonight, I removed the meat and shredded/sliced it, adding my leftover mashed potatoes from the previous night to the juices in the pot.  This step worked to both thicken things up a bit and to take the edge off my enthusiasm with the chilis. Delicious.  Like a spicy beef stew that would only have been more wonderful with some sliced avocado and a cheese quesadilla.  Maybe tomorrow. 

Savory Bread Pudding

I'm not a vegetarian, but every once in a while I have a dish that tells me I could be without missing meat at all.  Like this fabulous mushroom dish prepared by Jason Baker, the chef at the Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark - where I am lucky enough to work a couple of nights a week. Damn, that was tasty!

King Oyster Mushroom small plate - by Jason Baker

Thanks to another guy, Jonathan, at the bistro, I experienced my first savory bread pudding recently.  It isn't often that I request a recipe from someone, but this bread pudding was unlike anything I've ever eaten - earthy, cheesy, and a touch squashy sweet - delicious comfort food perfect for a potluck, brunch or Super Bowl party.  I made mine with a molasses sweetened multi-grain bread, which I think added a nice dark richness to the finished product.  Next time I make it (and there most certainly will be a next time), I will be a bit less enthusiastic about the amount of bread I use.  It was a tad drier than I would have liked.  Nonetheless, the kale released a bit of juice which prevented things from being too dry and the 5th period lunch crew really seemed to enjoy my Monday offering.

Bubbly, hot veggies, cheese and bread - oh, my!

There were some leftovers to contend with and, in my opinion, this dish screamed for a fried egg or two to take it to a whole 'nother time of the day - breakfast.  I'm a big fan of getting some fruit and/or veggies servings in early in the day and this recipe does the trick.  Don't be shy - add some ham or smoked salmon, maybe mix things up with spinach or a variety of squashes.  Remember - it's your meal!  Or meals, as the case may be.

The breakfast version.  You know I like me a fried egg.  Or two.

Beef Stir-fry

Do you ever buy those really thin cuts of beef at the grocery store?  They're done in minutes and the boys love them - and there are never any leftovers when I cook with these inexpensive pieces of beef.  I think some folks may use them for steak sandwiches or something along those lines, but at my house they scream "stir-fry!"  So that's what we did...

I sliced the "steaks" into thin strips and tossed them into a mixture of kecap menis, soy sauce and freshly squeezed orange juice.  Into the wok they went with a little sesame oil and chopped scallions.  This dish lends itself to your creativity - maybe add some matchstick carrots or sugar snap peas.  How about some par-cooked sweet potato rounds or water chestnuts?  A quick minute or 3 and they're done.  On this particular evening, I served them with some sesame ginger rice, and sliced orange peppers and avocado - making an appealing, colorful meal in less than 30 minutes.  Take that, Racheal Ray!

Long and low short ribs

When I placed my order at Falvo's for my Christmas Eve ham, I decided to add another something special for the boys' dining pleasure - and my convenience, beef short ribs. I don't know much about these succulent hunks of tender beef other than I prefer them when they are on the bone and that, until recent years when they became kind of trendy, they were always a bargain cut of meat. I paid $5.19 a pound and bought "8 bones" to feed three boys and myself, with leftovers.

The natural method of cooking these beauties is braising or in the slow cooker. I began by dredging them in flour and browning on each side in a splash of olive oil.

I did this in small batches and placed them in the crockpot as they finished. When all of the meat was browned, I deglazed the pan with a combination of red wine and beef stock, allowing it to reduce slightly.

I added some baby carrots and onions to the crockpot along with fresh rosemary and some small whole garlic cloves. I turned the crockpot to low and cooked them all night, waking intermittently and thinking to myself "Oh my goodness! What is that delicious aroma?"

In the morning I removed the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and placed them in my Le Creuset in the fridge for the day. I wanted a chance to skim off the substantial fat the ribs had released, so the "gravy" went into the fridge as well. An hour before dinner, I poured the de-fatted gravy over the ribs, covered the Le Creuset and placed them in the oven at 325.

Dinner is served! Aren't they gorgeous? This is winter cooking at its finest - hearty, fragrant and reminiscent of simpler times. Try this and thank me later.

Pasta Prosciutto

Why don't I eat pasta more often? I mean, it comes in about a million different shapes, is inexpensive, incredibly versatile and quick.  What is the matter with me? Last night I was inspired and freezing! after a rainy run and came up with a delicious, easy dinner that (finally) used up the prosciutto left over from Thanksgiving weekend. Behold - Pasta with Prosciutto!

To begin, I sautéed a few chopped cloves of garlic and about half of a large, sweet onion in olive oil. I really took my time with this to allow the sweetness of the vegetables to come out and to give the water time to get to a rolling boil. To keep myself busy, I cut my prosciutto into small bites and rinsed my broccoli rabe. Once the water was ready to be introduced to the pasta (I went with Campanelle or "church bells" on a friend's recommendation. Good call, my Italian friend.), I added the prosciutto to the sauté pan along with some crushed red pepper flakes. I had some walnuts on hand so I gave them a light toasting (with me, it's either a light toasting or blackened) and coarse chopping.

About 2 minutes before the pasta was ready, I added the broccoli rabe to the pasta pot to soften it a bit. Then it was just a simple matter of draining the pasta/broccoli and tossing it around the pot with the yummy olive oil concoction. I finished things up with a little salt, the walnuts and some fantastic grated aged Parmesan.

Welcome home, pasta.  I've missed you and promise to give you much more attention in the future.

Turkey Pot Pie, sort of

While my appreciation for Thanksgiving is boundless, I was at the end of the line with bountiful leftovers. Inventorying my fridge, I came up with a few chunks of sweet potatoes, some mashed potatoes, a small amount of sautéed mushrooms from Saturday's strip steak meal and some gravy. I thought I had some turkey, but other than a lonely drumstick, that had all been consumed by my "good eater" friend, Peter. Since I was mentally committed to preparing some comfort food, and I am master of the creative use of leftovers, I decided to make use of a couple of chicken breasts instead. The end result of my ridiculously easy efforts may have been the best pot pie ever!

Here's my technique: Unroll a crust and place it into a deep pie dish - or be all overachieving and make your own dough for a two-crust pie. Combine an assortment of vegetables, meat and liquid (more about this in a minute) and place in pie crust. The amount of liquid varies and unfortunately, I didn't make any attempt at measuring. I generally try to balance the liquid (gravy or broth) with the mashed potatoes to create a balance between moist, yet able to retain its form when cut into. In addition to using my gravy for inside the pot pie, I made use of it as a kind of "poaching" liquid, cooking a couple of chicken breasts in it due to my lack of turkey. I can't say how long I let them simmer in the gravy...maybe 20 minutes or so? Once they cooled off a little, I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and added them to the vegetables already in the crust, along with some par cooked some baby carrots. I checked my ratio of solid to liquid, thinking that the gravy should reach about the halfway point in the pie dish to ensure a steamy deliciousness when cut into. Check.

At this point, I showed my oldest son what I was making and he immediately dubbed it "Thanksgiving Pie." Fine. If that's what you want to call it, go right ahead. I topped the gorgeousness with the second crust and rolled the edges together and did my best to make it look presentable. I've mentioned before that crust is not my thing, right? I cut a couple of slits in the top to allow some steam to release during baking, and placed my pie in the oven at 375 degrees. I again remembered to place a baking sheet on the rack below my pie to catch any errant drips - yeah, me! After about 30 minutes, I increased the temperature to 400 and gave the pie another 15 or 20 minutes to finish getting all brown and pretty. I then called my neighbors and asked if they were hungry...

While I took a quick shower, I let the pot pie cool a bit and settle. Freshly washed, I grabbed my pie, some arugula and a lemon, and headed next door for an impromptu Sunday DelSo dinner with Ken and Lori. Their wine, my pot pie and salad, and another satisfying weekend drew to a close. Life, my friends, is good. Get some!

Dynamic Duo

No, I'm not talking about Batman and Robin.  Nor am I referring to the deadly pairing of smart and pretty.  What I'm talking about is the killer combination of stainless steel bowl and whisk, my ground zero for whipped cream, Hollandaise, roux and chocolate sauce.

How about you?  What do you find yourself reaching for with an easy familiarity when you're working in your kitchen?

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I may not look like I've got soul, but believe me, I am an appreciative fan of both the music and the cuisine. I particularly love the side dishes - okra and greens and beans, all cooked in a fryer or with a generous hunk of pork fat, naturally. Of course, eating this kind of heart challenging diet isn't something I often do, but, my boys are young and healthy and I believe in indulging children in cleanly made treats on occasion. Things like home baked cookies, Meadowbrook Farms eggnog and bacon from my favorite butcher shop, Falvo's.

Making this boy favorite meal is so easy that the most effective way to maintain its status as "special" is to make it with great infrequency. 2 or 3 times a year - tops. I cluster the occasions so I can reuse the oil and I try to coincide the festivities with an event that gets me out of the house for a day after the extended frying frenzy. I have convinced myself that the smell of fried foods nauseates me.

I initially made fried chicken when I found myself with leftover buttermilk after some baking adventure. Maybe scones? When I googled to get some ideas as to how to use the remainder of the .5 quart of buttermilk, my results leaned heavily to fried chicken. What follows is not a recipe, just what I do. Adapt to your own tastes, or like me, be a slave to your children's palates and go simple. Place chicken pieces (I like bone-in thighs) in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Allow to soak in fridge for 12 hours to two days. Remove chicken from milk and drain on a baking rack over a baking sheet for 10 minutes or so. Heat up vegetable oil in a deep pot. Put some flour, salt, pepper and a couple of sprinkles of corn meal to add some crunch, together on a plate. White pepper and some paprika would be nice here, but the boys are still in a muted stage flavor-wise. It's ok, they're a bit of a longterm project.

Dredge the drained chicken in the flour mixture, taking your time to make sure the chicken is evenly and thoroughly coated. Test temperature of oil. I usually drip a drop or two of water in. You don't want spatter, just sizzle. Scientific, right? I cook the chicken, a few pieces at a time. Don't crowd the chicken! TUrn the chicken after about 10 minutes and cook for an additional 10 or 15 minutes. Since I'm cooking in batches, I usually place the chicken, on a baking sheet layered with a brown paper bag topped by paper towels, in a 200 degree oven to keep warm. Once that chicken comes out of the oven, beautifully brown, crunchy and glistening lips inducing, believe me, keeping it warm isn't an issue.

Burrito!

I had my first taste of Mexican style cuisine at a sleep over birthday party in 6th grade. I can still remember how taken I was with those tacos - crunchy, meaty, cheesy tacos so delicious that the shredded iceberg lettuce and insipid tomatoes couldn't get in the way of my enjoyment. I swear I ate 4 tacos that night and my culinary world was never the same. Since that time, I've both expanded (Fish tacos! Nachos for dinner!) and honed (chiles in adobo make almost everything better) my palate and continue to be smitten by the flavors of Mexican food, authentic or not. The other day as I cut trail through 14+ inches of snow, I was inspired by thoughts of a quiet solo dinner at home - chicken burritos, specifically. Here's what I did:

I had two baked chicken thighs (bone in) hanging out in the fridge. I took the meat off the bone and basically ripped it into shreds and tossed it into a can of semi-drained black beans. I added some cumin, salt and two chopped chipotle chiles along with about a teaspoon of the adobo sauce the chipotles were packed in. As this heated through, I warmed two tortillas and gathered some vegetables in the form of a half avocado, sliced, and some baby spinach. I built a gorgeous mound of the green veggies, the beans and chicken and then finished with a dollop of salsa and a bit of shredded cheese. My plan was to eat two of these bad boys, but when I paused after wolfing one down, I realized I was quite full already. I was a little bummed that my capacity was so limited, but since I'm not a fan of that over-stuffed feeling, I was pleased that I knew when to stop and that there would be another yummy burrito meal to look forward to.

Q(uinn's) V(ery) C(ute) Shopping

What a delightful day! This was truly one of those days as a parent that you hold on to as evidence that it is all worthwhile. Those of you with children know what I mean. Yes, yes, children are wonderful and they allow you to see the world again with new eyes and it is amazing to truly understand that they are little sponges designed to absorb whatever we saturate them with, blah, blah, blah. We could discuss this ad nausea, but there will always be more to debate, I suppose. This posting, however, is about the joys of parenting, an occasion rare enough to demand appropriate recognition.

You know how I love to take one Lilly boy and disappear for a few hours or days? Saturday was Quinn's turn. Despite Liam's disbelief that Q could ever possibly need new clothing ("Doesn't he have hand-me-downs?"), it was time to get the little man some new duds. We headed to Crossgates, listening to the perfect pre-shopping Stones' song: "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Quinn was an awesome co-shopper, he carried bags, he worked within the parameters I had in place, he made me laugh. I have to say, he indulged me just such as I indulged him. He was patient with my wanderings and didn't balk when the line at Starbucks was ridiculously long. We left the mall happy campers, a refreshing change from past shopping expeditions.

After I got all the loot out of the car at our house, and got another load of laundry going, I surveyed the boys about dinner requests. I almost caved and did takeout, but G had a great idea - make your own pizzas. Perfect. I added pizza dough, pizza sauce, some mozzarella and pepperoni to the grocery list and headed out.

Griffin's pizza - with fresh basil!  Pre-grilling.

Dinner was a joy. Parents - how often do you get to say that and mean it? I did the dough stretching and shaping, laying the irregularly shaped crusts on an oiled baking sheet. The guys did their thing with toppings and we cooked the 'zas on the gas grill over medium heat. Griffin was an integral part of the process, manning the grill and generally providing assistance. I opened a bottle of winter house red, sighed with parental happiness, and dug in with my boys. A perfect Saturday. How was your weekend?

Acorn squash

Why, oh, why did I not eat beautiful orange vegetables (other than carrots) when I was a child?  These days not much makes me happier than a pan of sweet potatoes, butternut squash and my favorite, acorn squash, roasting together in the oven and so I say, "Welcome back squash!  I've missed you."

I'm sure there are a million ways to cook these hard shelled squashes but I usually do the a variation on the same theme: squash + something sweet + fat + spice.  My something sweet is generally either brown sugar or maple syrup, but this batch ended up with something a little different.  See that picture of the amber-colored rock candy-ish stuff?  Well that's what you may find, if you're lucky, at the bottom of your maple syrup container.  I knew there would be a use for it one day and this was its day to shine!  If you aren't fortunate enough  to have maple "glass,"  I'm positive that  maple syrup would work just as well, it just wouldn't add moisture and flavor simultaneously. 

Cut the squash through the middle and scoop out seeds and gook. (Compost!) Trim the top/bottom of your halves in necessary to allow them to "sit" without wobbling.  Add some maple syrup or brown sugar, maybe 1.5 T per side, a dab of butter and some nutmeg, clove or cinnamon - or all  of the above.  Bake at 375 degrees until the squash is soft but not caving in on itself.  Maybe 35-45 minutes depending on size - size can be a real factor sometimes.  If you're in a rush, place squash, cut side down in a shallow glass plan with about an inch of water and place in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes.  Finish in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve, or eat the whole thing yourself. 

An aside: when Liam was a baby his nose was orange because of all of the yellow/orange vegetables he ate.  Does Mayor Jennings perhaps eat a lot of squash?!?

                                 

Obviously, this shouldn't be considered a recipe so much as a reminder that the seasons are changing and so should your meals.  Although the transition from bright red tomatoes  to orange squash and darker greens comes with some regrets (I should have eaten more blts!), it is inevitable and should be embraced. And, bonus - oven roasting also serves as the perfect delaying tactic to turning on the furnace for the season!  Delicious  + money-saving = winner.                             

Summer Steak Salad

Arugula, lightly dressed with special Ligurian olive oil and fresh lemon juice, topped with sliced London broil, local beefsteak tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, slivers of red onion and a chiffonade of my own basil.  Who says salad isn't manly?

Mussels!

Last week I picked up 2lbs of live mussels at Price Chopper for the incredible price of $2.99.  Yep - not a typo, less than $1.50 per pound!  This may be the cheapest least expensive meal I've ever cooked, macaroni with butter and onions and Parmesan aside.

Coincidentally, as I flipped around the television on the very same day, there was an episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef on and she, too, was cooking mussels.  Weird, huh?

I missed the beginning of her demo, but saw enough to know that I was on the right track with my own sensibilities regarding how to prepare these babies.  What follows is one of the easiest, low budget, delicious recipes eva!  Sweat some chopped onion and minced garlic in a combination of olive oil and butter - just enough fat to coat the pot and the vegetables.  Dump your mussels in the pot and pour in a couple of cups of white wine. Cover and cook over medium high heat for about 3 minutes.  Toss in a coarsely chopped plum tomato or two and a handful of fresh herbs - parsley, basil, rosemary, whatever you've got in any combination which you find pleasing.  Cover and cook 2 more minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and serve with grilled crusty bread.  Done.  My 2 lbs provided me with a satisfying light dinner with enough leftovers to treat my neighbors, recently returned to the DelSo following  some time spent with family, to a surprise appetizer.  Mussels - yummy to eat and fun to share.

Spicy sesame noodles

my parking strip herb garden

Are you growing any herbs this year?  I was on my game early and was able to get some good stuff before everything other than basil and parsley disappeared from the nearby nurseries.  I finally got around to tearing up the parking strip in front of my house and put in a couple of types of lavender, sage (thanks, Wayniac!) and rosemary and they all seem very happy.  On my deck I've got a mess of basil, flat leaf parsley and Thai basil - all doing beautifully in this heat and rain we've been getting here in Albany.  The glut of Thai basil prompted me to seek out a recipe for last week's Independence day festivities, and judging by the compliments I received (and the ease of preparation), I think I came up with a winner...  I present to you (from Epicurious) Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chopped Peanuts and Thai Basil:

so good

The recipe did require a quick trip to the Asian Market.  I went to the one on Colvin Blvd and I must say, it looked like they cleaned the place up a bit - the fish smell wasn't quite as strong as it has been in the past, and things were generally well organized.  I was able to pick up my noodles, peanut oil, ginger, green onions and peanuts there, along with a very tasty $.99 pineapple. The prep was wicked simple and, although I didn't really measure anything, I used a moderate hand with the sambal (in place of the chili oil) and came up with a pretty ideal creeper kind of spiciness.  The noodles definitely absorb the flavors, so make this early in the day to give the ingredients a chance to make friends.  Delicious and refreshing, along with cheap, fast and easy.  It really doesn't get much better.

Sunday dinner - ravioli!

5 minutes to make

Unlike some other folks, I've never made ravioli myself.  Or any other kind of pasta, to be honest.  I'm not saying I'm opposed to the idea, but I think it is an activity which would be more fun with friends, or a real pasta making person to show me the ropes.  Or the linguini, so to speak.  Instead I rely on Pede Brothers, a family owned place in Schenectady that distributes their products in both of the big grocery store chains in the area.  And, you know what?  I like their ravioli and am happy to buy something good made locally.

Last night I realized that my veggie drawer was looking a little sad - not much in there other than "baby" carrots and some roasted red peppers.  Fortunately, my little herb garden on the deck has proven bountiful and I was inspired to make a really quick little pasta for dinner, leaving plenty of London broil for the carnivorous Lilly boys. 

I started with a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil in a pan and then added an equal amount of unsalted butter.  Double the fat means double the taste, yes?  I had a half bag of frozen peas that I tossed in with the full awareness that using frozen product when local fresh product is available, is a sin.  Add it to the list.  Anyway - I sauteed the peas for a couple of minutes, threw in my chopped red peppers (at least I roasted those myself, right?) and finished the "sauce" with a generous amount of chopped flat leaf parsley and basil.  A bit of grated aged Asiago and voila - pasta with 4 veggies!  Not too bad for an empty crisper drawer and delicious, too.

Sunday Dinner - Father's Day edition

Family dinners remain an important part of life for all of my family so for Dad's Day the plan was a shared meal on the deck.  And what a spectacular day it was!  The menu was cobbed together (with duct tape! Isn't that how Dads do it?) kind of last minute, but I did have the forethought to take some sausages which were leftover from Sausage Fest 2011, out to thaw. I grilled the sausage and then they were cut into rounds, toothpick speared (doesn't everything taste better when eaten off a toothpick?  So festive!) and served with some spicy mustard as an appetizer.

The meal included both a pork tenderloin and this beautiful piece of wild salmon.  Price Chopper had the fish on sale for cheap and I bought 1.5 lbs of it.  I marinated it for a short while in soy sauce with some coarsely chopped thai basil and then grilled it up.  I must say, it was delicious and I'll probably pick up another hunk of it later in the week.  I rounded out the table with the skinniest asparagus I've ever seen and a bowl of yellow and orange lentils which I had cooked in a quart of chicken stock and then seasoned with garam masala and salt.  As a finishing touch, I chopped some flatleaf parsley and tossed that into the lentils as well.  Do you eat lentils?  I suspect they are going to be my next obsession.  All of this delightful food was washed down with a bottle of Gruet and a '99 Chateauneuf du Pape.  Family, friends, food, wine...yet another lovely Sunday evening.  Hope all you other fathers out there were feted as well.

fish after some grillin'

stunningly beautiful asparagus

Falvo's Meats

If neither time nor money were obstacles, there are a few things I would do differently in terms of indulgence.  I would insist upon having fresh flowers in my home - always.  Nothing fancy, not necessarily a fresh bouquet every day, but I would like there to be flowers in my dining room, bedroom and bathroom.  I also have a thing for clean sheets and would love for my bedding to be laundered daily - heck, I'd settle for just having a clothesline to hang the stuff out on to freshen it up. 

As summer approaches, and my schedule gets a little lighter, I have the luxury of time, which allows me the opportunity to visit smaller specialty purveyors and markets.  Memorial Day weekend provided the perfect excuse for me to go to both the Troy Farmer's Market and to Falvo's Meats out in Slingerlands - two very satisfying shopping expeditions which I hope to include in my regular summer shopping circuit.  Who says women don't like to hunt and gather? 

yep, 5 lbs o'bacon.

Have you been to Falvo's?  It's a lovely drive out New Scotland Avenue to 85A and you're there.  Not too far, yet beautifully rural at the same time.  They advertise in the Times Union and I think their sales pricing is pretty competitive.  I was on a mission to accumulate sausage and they make their own chorizo, andouille and Italian varieties, in house.  They also have really good bacon and often sell it for less than $4 a lb, if you are willing to buy a minimum of 3 lbs.  A three pound minimum on bacon - uh, yeah, sign me up!  And the best part (aside from the deliciousness that is bacon) is the fact that I was able to get my 5 lbs of bacon wrapped in a way that suited my household's eating habits - four 3/4 lb packages for me and 2 1 lb packages for the boys to eat at their Dad's house.  An argument could be made that Falvo's helps to facilitate shared custody arrangements...

lots of meat

All told, I walked with a hefty bag of bacon, numerous pounds of various sausage and about 3.5 lbs of sirloin steak for grilling for less than $60.  The beef had a lovely color, full flavor and a thick edge of fat that grilled up beautifully.  I found the Italian sausage to be a little dry after grilling, but that may have been more a function of the gwui (grilling while under the influence) than the fault of the sausage.  I tossed some in the freezer and I'll try to remember to cook those with a little more care and perhaps a little less wine. And the bacon?  As always, it broiled up nicely in the oven and there wasn't a speck left. 

Mother's Day

pretty table, pretty plate, pretty tasty

Sunday evening I thanked my boys for a lovely Mother's Day and I wasn't even kidding.  There was nothing I would have changed about the day, other than to have included more guests. There was very little indulgence in the traditional sense, but you folks know how I am -  happy to be productive, and that was what the day was all about.  Despite having a mental list of things to do, I slept in a bit and then forced myself to not get out of bed until 9 a.m.  Just so you know, this is actually harder for me than getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym.  Since the boys are not really capable of making breakfast (although making a mess is a skill they have mastered),  I cooked up some waffles and sausage and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast accompanied by the day's editions of the Times-Union and the NY Times, courtesy of Liam.  Very indulgent - I haven't regularly read the Sunday Times since before I became a mother. 

 

pretty special neighbors and friends

Next up was laundry, sweeping the "helicopter" debris from the neighbor's enormous tree off of my deck,organizing flower pots, and planting some herbs and lettuce in a couple of large containers.  I had picked up some flowers on Saturday at the Delaware Avenue Neighborhood Association plant sale and happily got my hands dirty arranging geraniums, pansies, nicotina and a couple of other things in an array of planters.  I also weeded the front yard, planted some morning glories and nasturtium, re-grouted the shower drain upstairs and re-wired the door lock release button - and still had time for a 3 mile run! 

The only way to end a day like this was with an impromptu dinner party.  I already had a mess of pork chops marinating in soy sauce and kecap menis, so I decided to call the neighbors, add some chicken breasts to the grill and make it a party.  Ken and Lori shared their crop of freshly picked spinach so I made a salad of the greens with Gorgonzola, strawberries and a light lemon and olive oil dressing, along with some grilled asparagus and baked sweet potatoes.  The table was lovely, the evening was mild enough for comfort and the wine, a 1997 Petite Syrah from Lava Cap, was fantastic.  Since I hadn't a chance to bake (I know, I'm such a lax hostess!  What the hell was I doing all day instead of sifting and stirring?!), we finished our meal  with leftover Easter candy, including a fresh box of Peeps, and sips of Navan.  Delightful.

I may not have been the recipient of a spa gift certificate as I have been past years, but the gifts bestowed upon me were sincerely simple; the newspapers and the chance to read them somewhat leisurely, breakfast with my boys, the opportunity to accomplish many tasks which will give me pleasure for months to come, and a couple of  handmade coupon booklets good for shoulder rubs, garbage removal and vacuuming.  And who needs commercial flowers anyway when you have a  house filled with fresh lilacs?  Being a mother isn't always easy, but a day like this one reminds me what the real gifts of being a mom are, and, just like that handmade card proudly mounted on my refrigerator, I will cherish them forever.

Girls' Night Dinner

Although it may seem that I'm constantly on the go, I think that phase of my life may be drawing to a close.  As spring progresses, I am very much looking forward to spending more time at home, with the boys, a few projects and some friends.  The other night  Lisa and Yas were over and I made, if I might say so myself, an inspired spring dinner which would have  rivaled anything available in a restaurant.  Yeah, I said it - it was that damn good.

chicken skewers, grilled mango, grilled asparagus

Price Chopper was doing their 40% of chicken sale last week and a big package of boneless chicken thighs found its way to my refrigerator.   I'm never sure whether this "sale" is the real deal or if it just means that the rest of the time the chicken is just overpriced, but chicken was definitely the star of this week's menu.  For this dinner I cut 3 or 4 thighs into chunks and marinated them in a combination of red curry paste, soy sauce and kecap manis.   I prepped the asparagus by tossing them with some olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper and then cut a fresh mango into cubes and threaded it onto skewers.

orange mustard sauce

I fired up the grill, got the skewers loaded up with tasty chicken and laid them on the medium high grill.  While they cooked, I decided that a dipping sauce would complete the meal and poked around the refrigerator to gather a couple of things. I went with orange marmalade, honey mustard and a touch of orange juice, which I simply stirred together into a sweet and mildly spicy orange taste sensation.  The dipping sauce ended up being the perfect sweet component to offset the spiciness of the chicken - I tend to have a heavy hand with curry paste.  Midway through cooking the chicken, I placed the asparagus and mango on the fire and grilled these to a beautiful state of doneness.  This meal didn't take more than a dozen ingredients, much effort or chopping, nor was it time consuming.  What it was though, was delicious, cohesive in terms of flavors, and, I imagine, fairly nutritious.  Coupled with a bottle of Samsara Syrah, and an evening of simple pleasures and good friends transcended the individual components and became a special night. Nights at home are looking like a very good option.