Taco time warp

Doug and I had a mini-road trip to Charlotte over the weekend, where we kicked it with college friends Tanya, Marianne, Cliff, and Jill -- and Jill's kickass blues band!

NOTE: We had so much fun I'm just gonna milk it for two separate posts. Stay tuned for more about the music...

We got to see two (count 'em) two! Jill Dineen Band shows on Saturday, with tacos and beer in between. Yu-hum, yu-hum.

Appetizers and everything! Is this heaven?

The band played its first set at an outdoor venue where we got down on some local pale ale. After almost two hours of beer in the sun, I was prepared to destroy this watermelon. We also had pineapple, strawberries, cucumber, and chips and salsa to tide us over.

Predictably, this pile of fresh vegetables gave me an itchy shutter finger.

Step away from the peppers, Misty. Step. Away.

We started by browning some ground turkey, then added a little water and prepackaged taco seasoning. Never satisfied with those packet things, I suggested we throw in a diced jalapeno. Thankfully Tanya has asbestos fingers. Delicate flower that I am, I gotta use gloves to chop peppers.

The Lady Tanya makes the magic happen.

I had mine with some lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheddar, black beans, and pico de gallo. Heaven in a crunchy corn shell! I totally went back for a soft-shell round two, but by that time had lost my photo-mojo.

Cliff was extremely proud of the Old El Paso flat-bottomed taco shells.

Marianne fired up the Classic Get Psyched Mix playlist (from How I Met Your Mother, she tells me), and we sat around with the band and band's spouses, drinking Bud Light from the can and generally just living large. Nothing says extended family lovin like taco night!

Thank you my friends, for everything. Can't remember when I had this kind of fun.

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Spin the wheel, cuz I don't...

If you know how to finish that joke you are old school.

It's my way of saying I'm amazed I let this blog go for 10 days. No excuse really. Doug and I went out to dinner with college buds Alex and Lori last Saturday. Back in the day, we used to mooch their HBO to watch the Sopranos. It should go without saying we all did some ridiculous drinking together.

Ain't they cute?

I was gonna write up a real review, with details and pictures and all. But we all got to talking and sipping on mojitos, and once again that 3-D person thing kicked in. Seems I'm only a faithful blogger when I have no life. Heheh...

So we ate at a place called Eclipse di Luna, a Spanish tapas place on Miami Circle in the city. We shared all kinds of deliciousness: lamb, calimari, and these crazy good seafood and chicken puff pastry things.

Kinda has a Miami vibe, no?

Like proper carnivores, Doug, Alex and I were most impressed by the carne asada and the ribs. OMG the ribs. Spicy, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Lori's not much of a red meat eater, but thank goodness for that! She and I shared a yummy sliced tomato layered with mozzarella and basil, which both boys turned up their noses at. There were cheese plates and prosciutto slices and some kind of shrimp dish. And those mojitos. To. Die. For. And I don't even like rum that much.

So yeah, that was last weekend. Tomorrow we're having a mini-roadtrip to visit even more fabulous college pals. I'm going to give myself a stern talking to while we're in the car, so I don't forget to take pictures and notes for a lovely post next week.

That said, I really do have a valid reason for not blogging these last few days. I've been busy with something else. It's a good something else. I'm just not quite ready to go public with it yet. Stay tuned...

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When is a food blog not a food blog?

When the food blogger can't think of anything yummy to say. Sigh...

I'm pulling a meme off my other blog hangout, All Kinds of Pretty. Shout-out to PrettyStephenie for getting it started.

Tanya took this picture of me, sans makeup, last summer. Shine on lady. Shine. On.

1. When did you start wearing makeup?

Um, yeah... I totally don't remember. Middle school? If I had to guess? And, I kinda struggled. My mom taught me application skillz, which are awesome. But, I also kinda looked like my dad, so her colors weren't always right for me. (I'm looking at you, frosty blue eye shadow.) Granted, I only realized this years later, which explains some very silly pictures from junior high.

2. Since that time, have you always worn it?

Nope. Following a hair metal phase featuring heavy, Poison-esque eye shadow, I did the makeup-free grunge thing. In college (and grad school), I found I preferred an extra 10 minutes of sleep to dolling it up. Then I was a telecommuter for about 3 years. And in those days, it was a miracle if I put on pants, let alone mascara.

3. If you could only wear one item of makeup, what would it be?

Mineral veil. I got a face oilier than Texas over here, which means I forever have to minimize pores, cover zits, and battle shine. This stuff, paired with an oil-free tinted moisturizer, gets the job done in about 5 seconds.

4. What is your favorite makeup “trick”?

Using green to cancel red. For me, this typically means a green concealer to hide blemishes, but it's also great for a sunburnt nose. Got inappropriately rosy cheeks? Mix a touch of matte green eye shadow with loose powder. Perfect blush!

5. How often do you wear makeup?

No more than a couple of times a week these days, which if you read above, is a lot for me! If I'm going out with my husband, or taking pictures for this here blog then yes. Otherwise, generally no.

6. Do you let others see you without makeup?

Yep, as long as they don't have a camera. I know that sounds incredibly vain! I think I look washed out and haggard in pictures when I'm not made up. I don't feel that way in real life. Weird, huh?

7. Do you ever find yourself critiquing other women’s makeup practices? “She would look so much better with a little mascara and lipstick.” Or even, “She would so much prettier without all that gunk all over her eyes!!!”

You know? I don't really think so. At least, I can't remember the last time I had a thought like that. I guess if it were totally off the wall I would notice.

8. Would you go a week without makeup – not a speck, no matter where you were going?

Not counting the tinted moisturizer, I've been known to go months.

9. Who or what most influenced your makeup “identity”?

Theatre. No joke. I met a woman in a community play who could have been my long lost aunt. I watched her put on her stage colors, and copied her shamelessly. The show was Camelot, so the idea was to define our features without looking "made up." I still abide by that philosophy.

My makeup identity goes like this: I'm not looking for people to think of me, "her eye makeup looks beautiful." I'm going for, "she has beautiful eyes."

10. Do you think your makeup makes you “prettier”?

Prettier? No. But surely more socially acceptable.

Updated to add: I'd love to hear other women's answers! Feel free to respond in the comments, or if you have a blog, leave us a link!

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Poor, neglected Popcorn

I am struggling with this blog. I've pretty well run through my cooking comfort zone, and I'm only so brave when it comes to experiments. I had this brilliant idea that the KitchenAid would spark a whole series of baking posts. Really? Right at the start of a Hotlanta summer? I'm a doofus. Already the A/C has reached its limits; our place is hitting 80° in the afternoon. Without any cooking. And it's May. So, yeah... The oven and I are on a break.

But what of my road trip? Happily I didn't have to eat crappy food the whole time. My dear friend Dan invited me to chill at his place for a few days, and Dan has a Magic Kitchen. Counter space. Dishwasher. Pots and pans that heat evenly. It's on.

I hit the grocery store and bought supplies for some dishes faithful readers will recognize. Pork chops, green beans, fried chicken, assorted salads. Then came the day before I would leave. I had a random mess of remaining ingredients.

What on Earth will I do with this?

I know! Pasta! 

I set out to fix myself...

Loaded Mac and Cheese

What I used:

• Shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
• Extra sharp cheddar
• Buttermilk
• Broccoli
• Garlic
• Onion
• Cooked bacon
• Butter
• Pasta shells

(Note: all quantities are unknown. This was a total chuck-in-whatever's-around kind of dish.)

I started by putting salted water on to boil, and coarsely chopping the broccoli, onion, and garlic. And, as many garlic cloves as I've chopped in my life, I have never witnessed this:

Rare blood garlic? Or just a massive grossout?

I seriously dry heaved. When I recovered, I melted about 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.

I don't know who invented butter, but bless 'em anyway.

Then I sweated down the onion and garlic before dumping in everything else. I let that simmer on low while the noodles cooked. As with any pasta bound for the oven, I parboiled, reducing the recommended cooking time by about 1/3. Then I mixed in half the noodles.

Say, this is lookin delicious!

Finally I dumped it all in a casserole, and baked it uncovered at 400° for probably 30-40 minutes.

Ah yes. A brown dish in a black stove. My camera hates me.

Only when I set the dish on the counter did I realize: This was no mac and cheese. It was macaroni and butter.

Oops.

Mercifully I still had some broccoli left. I steamed that up real quick and used it as a bed for the pasta. So I guess this was technically macaroni and broccoli in a cheesy butter sauce. Not something I'd serve at a party, but just for me, totally tasty.

Oh. And what became of the other half of that box of pasta shells? I let it finish cooking and mixed it with some lettuce, Italian dressing, and the remains of a deli chicken salad.

Now this... Was DELICIOUS.

I was all set here to beg for forgiveness, but I've got a better idea. Instead I am begging my readers for help! Got a favorite recipe you'd like to see featured here? Please, please, PLEASE share! Comments or emails, I'll take 'em all. Just no ovens. Deal?

Tennessee

I seem to be getting a little old for this epic road trip shit. At least, the recovery time keeps getting longer. Could I really have left Georgia nearly a month ago? Oh yes. Add a raging case of PMS (thanks crappy road-trip food), and I just want to hide under the covers for another 2 weeks.

Bah. Enough with the self-pity.

Today my thoughts are with the flood survivors in Tennessee, Kentucky & Missouri. Loved ones lost, homes destroyed, lives upended. I'm most shocked because I learned about this disaster? On FACEBOOK. And it's not like I avoid the news. I read the New York Times and Washington Post almost daily. I'm addicted to the BBC. But between the would-be Times Square bomber and the crude oil gushing in the Gulf of Mexico, it's no surprise the mid-South is getting the short end of the news-cycle stick.

Just look at this slide show from the Tennesseean newspaper. My family in Nashville is safe and dry; we've been blessed and I am thankful.

Want to help? Text 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to contribute $10 to the relief effort.

Look what I came home to!

A month ago I was afraid my sweet tater experiment was failing. Then, I left the house for 3 weeks and look what happened! Thriving vegetation in my absence? Maybe mere coincidence. Or maybe I really am plant poison.
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If you find yourself in Athens, Ohio

Edited May 3: I couldn't take the layout problems, so once I was back on the laptop I had to fix the formatting on this post.

I've never tried blogging from the bberry, so I don't know how this post is going to look. Angst.

The photo I hope you can see displays the last 4 bites of a $3.75 "Baby Mama Grande" -- baby means small -- from Big Mama's Burritos. The *only* place I ate downtown during speech nationals at Ohio U. My meal budget thanks you.

Lots of rice, chunks of chicken, identifiable black beans? This ain't some nondescript burrito paste. Cilantro. Just-hot-enough sauce. Sigh...

Find Big Mama's maybe 2 blocks off campus, on Court Street near the movie theater.
End mobile restaurant review...

I made some ridiculous mac & cheese today, which will be the subject of a late week real post. I've been avoiding the internet, seeing as I've had 3-D people to talk to on my road trip.

Also? Turns out I'm kind of a mess at spring cooking.

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In praise of local honey

Please bear with me as I share a little story.

I'm enjoying one of my Saturday visits to the SKY Farmer's Market last summer. (They should be up and running, BTW. If you're close to Bowling Green, I really hope you'll check them out!)

Anyway, in amongst the yummy fruits and vegetables, I find a table full of honey. I've never seen anything like it before. It has this deep red color -- like a garnet held up to the light -- as opposed to the brownish look of supermarket honey. It's a shade more expensive than the Kroger brand I usually buy, but I cannot resist.

 See what I mean about the color?

I take the jar home and get in it immediately. I have awesome self control like that. It's different, kind of... minty? And thicker than the store brand, more appropriate to spoon than pour.

A while later Doug comes home, and he's all, "Local honey, huh? Is that for your allergies?"

Buh-wha? Allergies?

"Oh yeah," he continues. "My sister had really bad allergies until a woman from church told her to try local honey."

Well I could see the logic. Allergies come from a misguided immune response, when the body takes pollen for a dangerous invader. Honey comes from pollen. Duhhhh. So consuming it every day should sort of, teach the body that the stuff is harmless. Rather like an allergy shot, only WAY more delicious.

Fast-forward to fall. I have suffered from miserable allergies, every spring and fall, my entire life. That changed a few years back when Claritin-D went over the counter. But I never much cared for the Claritin. It made me kinda jittery and interfered with my sleep. Boo.

Not in fall 2009. I didn't have to take any Claritin. Honestly. Not even one. I'd have never believed it if I hadn't lived it. Happily, I stocked up on Kentucky honey before the market shut down. And finding Georgia honey was a major priority once we got ourselves settled here.

Now? Allergy season is in full swing. Doug is a sniffly, sneezy, crabby piece of crab. And I admit, I'm having a few sneezes and a touch of sore throat. I figure I didn't switch to Georgia honey soon enough for the full effect.

Best part, though? Guilt-free indulgence in the sweet tooth!

I feel like a giant jerk for failing to write this up at least a month ago. If you're suffering already, it's probably too late for local honey to do any good. But think of it this way. We've got a whole summer's worth of farmer's markets coming, during which we can all stock up for fall!

All Kinds of Cocktails

Since I'm rambling on the road this week and next, I expect to be a lazy bum of a blogger.

But for today, you can pop on over to All Kinds of Pretty, where you'll find three stylish and scrumptious drink recipes for spring and summer.

I hope while you're there, you'll hang out a while. Browse, search, comment, even ask us a question! The Pretties will love you for it.

Cheers!

On food porn and It trends and lost M&M's

From today's New York Times: 
People Who Photograph Food and Display the Pictures Online

In 1825, the French philosopher and gourmand Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Today, people are showing the world what they eat by photographing every meal, revealing themselves perhaps more vividly than they might by merely reciting the names of appetizers and entrees.

My college friend Leena uses the term "food porn" to describe such pictures, which I find both hilarious and on point. Especially when applied to some of my grainy, poorly lit monstrosities. I believe the story itself would qualify as "amuse bouche" in Leena-land. She's a witty one.

Here's a question the article poses: Are you obsessed with food porn production? As in, can you bring yourself to take a bite before you snap a photo? I don't have this problem. Getting a picture before I dig in is a daily accomplishment. And I obviously don't publish everything I eat. I dare not. Nobody wants to know about a fat lady finding a half a bag of M&M's in the couch cushions and shouting, "Jackpot!"

I kid. M&M's don't last long enough around here to get lost.

This is one of those rare moments where I get to feel part of an "It" trend. I think the last time it happened was 1997, when I saw South Park's "The Spirit of Christmas" about six months before the series hit Comedy Central.

What a strange, rambly post this morning. I think all this poetry writing has pulled me off my blog game. No matter. Embrace the random! What's on your reading list today?

Good morning? Delicious morning!

I am addicted to breakfast burritos. They're easy, quick, and a nice change of pace from classic eggs on toast. Which I also love. I'm a breakfast bimbo.

Breakfast Burritos

What to use:

• 1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
• 3 eggs
• Chopped onion, tomato, and other veggies
• Shredded sharp cheddar
• Sour cream

Cut up the sausage into thick slices. I prefer a serrated knife for this project, because it cuts through the plastic sleeve more easily. Use a spatula to flatten the slices to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. It's okay if they come out different sizes.

If the spatula sticks, dab it with Crisco or nonstick spray.

Score the sausage in a crisscrossing pattern, leaving the patties whole.

Only the biggest ones will yield nine pieces.

Run the knife underneath the patties to release them from the board, and place in a skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Once they're slightly brown on both sides, use the spatula to separate them at the score lines.

Some sawing back and forth may be required.

While the sausage is cooking, raid the fridge for vegetables. I always use tomato and onion, but hot peppers, black olives, and fresh cilantro are also favorites. Coarsely chop all vegetable toppings.

Yep. I am a store-brand hussy.

The sausage is ready to come up once all the pieces are good and brown.

I actually like mine a bit on the crispy side.

Remove the pieces and set aside to drain. Pour off some of the grease from the skillet, and use the rest to scramble 3 eggs. It seemed patronizing to explain scrambling eggs, but I will advise beating in a few shakes each of dried cilantro and marjoram. They add a hint of savoriness that makes the eggs pop.

While the eggs are cooking, warm two tortillas. As soon as the eggs are finished cooking, assemble the burritos and serve!

There's shredded cheddar at the bottom of this pile.

Not gonna lie. I am starting to feel in a culinary rut. So I'd like to kick it out to y'all. What do you fix for breakfast when you can't stand another egg on toast?

Hooray! My first meme!

I am uncharacteristically giddy today. Sarah, of Harry Times...All Jacked Up and All Kinds of Pretty fame, has tagged me for my very first blog meme! Show your bag, then dump it out and show its contents. Here we go...

The bag:

Ok, so I admit it's not really a handbag. It's a corduroy *cough* makeup case, which I got as a part of a Lancome gift. Don't judge me; the price was right! I stuck the Playstation controller in there to create a sense of scale.

I get ragged a lot for carrying teeny purses. And I grant, this one's perfect for a dash to the store or a night on the town. It is not so great for road trips, rallies, or any sort of all-day adventure. I carry a mid-sized organizer bag for those outings.

Now, join me in your best Brad-Pitt-at-the-end-of-Seven impression: What's in the bag?!?!?!

The guts:

It's like givin y'all a peek at my soul. *Shiver*

• A fat pen Doug brought me from his office
• Smokes and a lighter, crucial
• Gum, for freedom-hating places where I can't smoke
• Lipstick, lip liner, compact, and brush, which would not have been in there before I joined All Kinds of Pretty
• My Blackberry, in its posh (if dirty) red case
• A crumpled receipt from the Publix
• $1.33
• My so-called wallet, which is really one of those leather college-ID holders (Since grad school, it has housed my driver's license, debit card, insurance cards, and sometimes cash.)
• Prescription sunglasses
• Car keys
• Blistex, also crucial!

I love my itty-bitty purses. They force me to prioritize and protect me from bad back days. I also enjoy watching people's jaws drop open when I start pulling shit out of there like Mary Poppins.

Now, my turn to tag some people! I call out Cory, queen of MacWorld, and Wendy, the Independent Thinker from Utah.

Be sure to head over to All Kinds of Pretty this weekend. Sarah tagged us all so you should find fabulous handbag porn in abundance (including an eerily similar post to this one, coming soon).

Edited to add: I installed this Wired posts gadget this afternoon. I humbly invite anybody playing dump-the-handbag to add a link here!

Re-edited to add: the Wired posts gadget has now disappeared from my pages. WTF?

Re-re-edited to add: @!#?@!-ing Wired post fields are randomly appearing and disappearing. Or else I'm losin my mind.

No foolin

April is National Poetry Writing Month, or NaPoWriMo if you're hip to the lingo. Which I obviously am not. This will be the first year I take on this challenge. Don't expect me to share a new poem every day; I don't expect to come up with anything fit to share every day. But I'll try to throw out a few. Anybody reading this planning to poem it up this month too?

Poetry is man's rebellion against being what he is.  ~James Branch Cabell

Who says Creation & Evolution must be enemies?

Naw, I'm not about to break bad on the Texas school board or anything. There's a time and a place, and this is neither.

This weekend I fixed up some Philly cheesesteaks, which I have long heralded as the #1 most fit-to-eat dish invented by Yankees. I love them because they're simple and delicious, and use vegetables my husband likes. Yes, I married Mikey from the Life commercials. Those Pop Rocks rumors are greatly exaggerated.

Philly Cheesesteaks 

What to use...

• Half a large onion
• Half a large bell pepper
• 5-8 garlic cloves (depends on their size)
• 1/2 lb. thin-sliced steak (for extra meaty, yummm)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 5-6 slices provolone cheese
• 2 hoagie rolls

Coarsely chop the onion, pepper, and garlic. Put a cast iron skillet over a medium burner to preheat.

Can I just start calling this the Trinity?

Lay out the steaks on a cutting board. My germophobia demands I have separate cutting boards for veggies and meat. I know. Cue the guys with butterfly nets. 

Anyway, for this meal I bought thin-sliced top round, but my rule is to buy what's on sale. That's the beauty thing about thin slices; you can buy less expensive cuts and they're not going to be tough. If you have a meat slicer or a good relationship with the butcher, you can buy the cheapest beef available and slice/have it sliced to your liking.

This lot? Under $2!

At this point the cast iron should be plenty hot, so add the oil. I'm a big olive oil proponent, but just about any fat will do here. Now, to make the next step ridiculously easy, roll up the steaks. There's a fancy French word for this knife technique, but my Google muscle is lazy today.

Tube steak. 
*giggle* 

I'm ashamed...

Focus, Misty! By now you can throw the Trinity into the skillet with some salt and pepper. Stir it around a bit to distribute the oil.

Won't take long for the onion to caramelize.

Next, slice through the roll at 1/4- to 1/2-inch intervals. The result will be nice thin strips.

Perfect for cheesesteak.

Unroll the strips and place them over the veggies.

Add a little more salt & pepper, if desired.

Turn the oven to 350° in anticipation of warming the hoagie rolls. Flip the mixture in sections, so the meat is mostly on the bottom. Now, grab a serrated knife, and, wait... uh-oh... is that mold?

@!#?@!

Go ahead and take a moment to berate yourself for not checking the @!#?@! bread ahead of time. But don't panic. You've got tortillas in the fridge right? Sure you do!

Philly Cheesesteaks Beef Fajitas

What to use...

• Half a large onion
• Half a large bell pepper
• 5-8 garlic cloves (depends on their size)
• 1/2 lb. thin-sliced steak (for extra meaty, yummm)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 5-6 slices provolone cheese Fajita seasonings
• 2 hoagie rolls Tortillas
• 1 plum tomato
• Fajita toppings (optional)

Who says do-overs aren't for grownups?

Add generous amounts of Red Hot, green Tabasco, cumin, and cilantro to the skillet. Slice up a plum tomato and add that too. Stir frequently until the beef is good and brown, and the liquid has reduced.

You know what? That looks fit to eat too!

Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave, about 30 seconds for two burrito-sized tortillas. Assemble and serve.

I like a little sharp cheddar & some sour cream.

And unless your husband heard you swearing and came in to see if you'd burned yourself, no one will ever be the wiser. See? Creation and Evolution, strolling happily hand in hand!

Spoiled. Rotten.

Not food, mercifully! Just lil ol me. For my sweet, thoughtful momma has hooked me up with the ultimate home-cooking luxury...

Behold!

I have wanted one of these badboys for probably 15 years. It's something I doubt I would ever have bought for myself. Courtney was writing about hers not long before Christmas, and I guess I got to raving about it when I was home for the holidays.

I'd totally forgotten that conversation until my phone rang, about midnight last Sunday. I ran to grab it, because shit man. A call at that hour usually means somebody's either hurt or needs bail money. Not this time!

MOM: Honey, can you turn on QVC?

ME: Uh, hang on. Doug's watching the basketball. I may have to negotiate.

MOM: Tell him Momma says this is important!

(Negotiations ensue.)

ME: Ok, I have it on... Wait... Are you kidding me...?

(Mixers gleam in the studio lights, like heaven on a counter top.)

MOM: Are those the mixers you were talking about?

ME: (dreamily) Yeah...

I've used the phrase blown away before, but never was it more appropriate. She put the smackdown all my, "Honestly, Mom, I really don't need it," objections, even though they were true. I've gotten along a-okay all these years, but OMG I sure did want one. And now it has arrived. I feel extremely, unspeakably grateful.

So! Let the baking commence! I am celebrating with a project right out of the owner's manual: Quick Yellow Cake.

I will never mess with Duncan Hines again.

When Doug got home, he got to use it too, for his legendary homemade frosting. The recipe comes from the Hershey's cocoa box:

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The box says melt the butter, but he has better results just bringing it to room temperature. Stir in the cocoa, then alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add a small amount of additional milk, if it gets too thick. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups. 

Also? I had to run out and buy vanilla ice cream. I mean, obviously.

You'd never know it's not my birthday.

At risk of gushing past the point of appropriateness, I wanted to throw this in too. See, when the UPS guy delivered the mixer, he brought two boxes to the door. I assumed the smaller one was the mixer's cover. Oh but no!

Surprise! I told you. Spoiled. Rotten.

I've also never had a proper tea kettle before. Since my college days in the dorms, I've used a Pyrex measuring cup to boil my water in the microwave. I feel so fancy now!

Thank you, Mom.

Pasta + Chicken + Cheese = Happy hubby

Today's recipe is an example of how my "small bag of tricks" can translate into a pretty good variety of meals. It combines the same fried chicken technique as honey barbecue wings, with an application for my trusty tomato soup-and-sauce base.

Chunky Chicken Parmesan

What I used for this dish:

• Multi-use tomato base (recipe here)
• Oregano, basil, cilantro & parsley
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Buttermilk, flour and spices for breading
• Half a box of mostaccioli
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• Mozzarella and fresh-grated Parmesan cheeses
• Salt & pepper

I started by soaking the chicken breasts in buttermilk overnight. The next day, I put together the tomato base and seasoned it for pasta sauce. Basically that means adding oregano, basil, and extra cilantro and parsley before the long simmer.

Next, I fried the chicken breasts in my usual way, and set them aside to drain off excess oil. Then I put on some lightly salted water and brought it to boiling. Now, around here we like our pasta on the firm side, so if it's destined for the oven, I only parboil. That's a fancy way of saying half-cook. I looked at the package directions, which said to cook for 10-12 minutes, and cut that number by about 1/3. Ergo, I let the mostaccioli cook for about 7 minutes before draining.

Now it's time to start the layering. I always start with a little bit of olive oil, to help keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. I sprinkled the olive oil into a shallow baking dish, and tilted the dish around to distribute. After that I spooned in a thin layer of tomato sauce.

Run your sauce through the blender if you don't like it chunky.

I dumped in the mostaccioli with another sprinkle of olive oil...

Spaghetti and rotini also make good chicken parm.

...and added the remaining sauce. I put the chicken breasts on top of that, and finished with a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan. If I have asiago or Romano cheeses around, I usually throw those on top too. I added a final shake of parsley, and baked it in a 350° oven.

In another 30-45 minutes I had a delicious chicken Parmesan!

Let it cool at least 5 minutes before digging in.

I feel I should apologize for how imprecise my cook times always end up. I'm overly reliant on my nose and eyes, I guess, to tell me when food is done. With baked pasta, I'm looking for two signs. The sauce should have gotten good and thick, and the cheese should be turning a nice brown around the edges. It's that cooked-cheese smell that alerts me when I should go in and have a look.

With an iceberg salad on the side, this makes more than enough for Doug to take a generous portion to work the next day. He has jealous office mates.

I realize, at least in my part of the country, it's already getting too warm to heat up the kitchen for this kind of dinner. But, as always, if anybody tries it, I'd love to hear how you made it your own, and how it turned out, in the comments.

Steak on the barbie

How do we at Casa York celebrate sunny skies, the start of spring, and college hoops to die for? With steak, silly!

Grilled New York Strip with Steakhouse Sides

What I used:

• 2 steaks
• 1 large onion
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
• Worcestershire
• Pepper sauces
• Salt & black pepper
• 2 large potatoes
• Butter & sour cream
• Salad fixins

I believe in honesty in blogging, so there's a hint of confessional in today's post. Pretty much nothing turned out just right for this meal. Thankfully nothing turned out inedible, either. On to the run-down...

While Doug was washing up the breakfast dishes (I am so spoiled), I got the steaks started marinating.

 Thin-cut New York strips

On sale, these babies were $2.25 apiece. Hooray for affordable luxuries! First I lightly salted and peppered both sides. Then I smashed some garlic cloves, and rubbed them on the surface. I tossed in about a half an onion, coarsely cut, and added some celery seed and cilantro.

Note: marinates are a great way to use vegetable scraps, if like me you don't have compost collection. Celery leaves, bell pepper seeds, and lemon peels often make their way into my marinates. I didn't have any of that stuff on hand this particular day. Just throwing it out there.

Next I added the liquid ingredients.

 Artistic? Or just off-center?

A few splashes of Frank's Red Hot and green Tabasco went right on the meat. Then I poured Worcestershire around the edges, until the bottom of the dish was covered. I added enough water to bring the liquid level with the tops of the steaks.

Cover and pop in the fridge.

We watched basketball for a few hours before I started the potatoes. I scrubbed them in cold water and set them on squares of aluminum foil. Here's where things started coming apart. Queen Forgetful over here keeps forgetting to buy proper coarse salt. So plain old Morton would have to do. While the potatoes were still damp, I poured salt into my palm, and rubbed it all over the skins.

Aaand, you can't see the salt. Awesome.

Rolled 'em up nice and tight, put 'em in a baking dish, and popped them in a 350° oven. Mishap #2. I checked them after 30 minutes and they weren't getting done at all. Cranked it up to 400° and sulked. I was freakin HUNGRY already! Soon, it was time to start the grill.

You see what I have to put up with?

All I did, was politely suggest, he ought to hitch up his britches before I took his picture. I was trying to be nice, and not broadcast a carpenter crack on the internet. Sheesh.

Anyway, this little portable gas grill is an old friend to me. But Doug has never used it. We had a big charcoal grill in Kentucky that we opted not to bring along. We like our little cottage, but it's got no porch, i.e., no place to keep a big grill out of the rain.

I cut the rest of my onion into slices. Mishap #3. I've also grown accustomed to the big old charcoal grill, and I sliced the onion way too thick for the portable.

Time out, mmmmm... grilled onions...

Once the onions were about half-cooked, we added the steaks. I strongly advocate grilling onions alongside meat. Maybe it's inside my head, but I swear it improves the flavor of both. While the meat was on the grill, I put together a couple of salads.

Spring mix, sharp cheddar, & garlic croutons. Also, tomatoes for me!

The onions started getting black on the outside. Doug took them up. The steaks got to medium-well. Doug took them up. I pulled out the potatoes from the oven, and? Still. Not. Done. Argh!!

So he put the steaks back on the grill and turned the heat down to low. We enjoyed our salads and stalled a little more, but before long the steaks were threatening to over-cook. Screw it. Let's eat. The damn taters had been in the oven an hour! Surely, they must be ready...

Funny, it doesn't look like a poorly cooked mess...

Here's when I actually realized I'd cut the onions too thick. Black on the outside, raw in the middle. Crap. And the taters? A shade too hard inside. Double crap.

Oh well, live and learn. Next time I'll try 425° for the baked potatoes. And cut the onions thinner. And wait a little longer to bring out the meat.

In spite of all this, the well-done steaks came out tender and juicy. Thank you marinate! And thank you Douglas, for happily eating your sub-standard dinner without a complaint.