Settling In

In the past two months, Ryan has gotten a new job; we've moved to a different state; I've gotten a new job and I've gotten a year older. We've been incredibly lucky because our string of changes have all been pretty positive ones. Okay fine, I could do without the moving and the getting older but the new jobs are certainly exciting. But these changes have meant that things are hectic to say the least. But at last we are settling in. The school year is not quite over and I still have a lot of packing up to do; the apartment is still a work in progress; but I've finally started actually cooking again. I have to admit though it takes me about three guesses to figure out where anything is. I did manage to get my act together enough last week to make this tangy barbecue chicken. I promise it's easy. If I could pull it together while multitasking to the degree I am now, you can too.

EASY TANGY (NOT HOT) BARBECUE CHICKEN LEGS
adapted from Giada

INGREDIENTS:
10 chicken drumsticks
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar (Giada calls for a full cup of balsamic, but that makes for one really expensive barbecue sauce)
3/4 C ketchup (find a GF brand)
1/3 C brown sugar
1 garlic cloved minced
1 T Worcestershire sauce (Lee and Perrin's is GF)
1 T Dijon (Maille is GF)
2 t sugar
1/2 t pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Put everything other than the drumsticks in a pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil. When the sauce is reduced lightly coat each drumstick with sauce. Cook the drumsticks for 30 minutes. Bring your sauce back up to a boil to kill off an nasty things that may have come from basting a raw chicken, then turn the heat way down to just keep it warm. After 30 minutes, paint those drumsticks with sauce again, and put them back in for 10 more minutes to finish them off. Repeat your heat and keep warm trick with the sauce. Remove the chickens, paint a final time and serve!

IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. The barbecue sauce is tangy not hot. I might try to add some heat next time.
2. The sauce alone is not all that great, it's vinegary, to the point where I strongly advise not to stand over the pan while it's cooking.
3. It's super tasty on the chicken and Giada claims you can put it on steak too. Mmm. Steak.
4. You can use it for grilling she claims! Many commenters report issues with it burning though, so proceed with caution.
5. I ended up with leftover sauce. Hooray. More barbecue for another day!

Mushy Quiche

I took a picture of it before I knew how mushy it was, but I can't say as I should post it. It would lead you to draw completely incorrect assumptions about how my night went. You would think that I sat down to a lovely dinner of quiche (perfect for a hot day) made with some very tasty chard from the farmer's market. Maybe you would even picture me out on the balcony I featured last time, thinking that the incredible heat may have faded by nightfall and that quiche would be a lovely meal for a summer's evening.

How very wrong you would be. My actual dinner? I ate a plate of mushy quiche. No thanks to the New York Times for throwing me under the bus with that recipe. I ate my quiche by myself, at 9:20 at night, sitting on the floor of my bedroom. You might wonder why I did this. Hell, I wonder why I did this. Basically, I spent a little over an hour, live chatting with some guy at Comcast about how to get our NEW! WIRELESS! ROUTER(or whatever the heck you call that thing)! to a)provide internet service and b)restore our phone line which it knocked out when it was installed. After the hour was over, I am relieved to say that we did have both internet and phone service. I also had a little bit of rug burn on my elbows from lying on the carpet in order to be able to plug my computer into the router thingy and into its charger simultaneously, because yes, the process took so long that my laptop's battery completely drained.

Good times. Tonight's dinner involves neither Comcast nor the New York Times, so things are looking up.

Eating Out(side)

Our move is finished. For the first time in nearly 12 years I am not living in a city. But this place has something that not one of my city apartments had - outdoor space. It's only a tiny little balcony overlooking a lawn and some trees, but on a beautiful night like last night, I couldn't have asked for anything more. Except for maybe more crab cakes. Two each of something that delicious just didn't seem like enough.

A Fond Philly Farewell

Eight years ago I packed up my tiny Beacon Hill apartment and moved to Philadelphia so that Ryan could go to graduate school. The plan: return to Boston after he finished. In a feat worthy of the Bermuda Triangle, Philadelphia sucked us in and held us (at times against our will) for eight long years. We are moving on, finally. Sadly, not back to Boston, instead to suburban hell ahem a soulless apartment complex a location where we both have manageable commutes and access to services! How's that for damning with faint praise. Here's a little guide to my Philly Favorites, should you ever find yourself down that way.

FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD STORE:

MAXX'S PRODUCE

This is the kind of place where when you are a regular, you feel like a regular. One of us is usually in here daily. They've got tons packed into the tiny shop, like fresh avocados, gluten free treats, nuts, yogurt, and a some prepared salads too! You'll actually feel good about giving them your business.




FAVORITE RIDICULOUS INANIMATE BEAST:

Also, when you walk home from Maxx's, you can pass the angry cheetah left tied outside a store. I'd tell you which store but it's changed hands I think four or five times since I've lived there. The only constant is the cheetah. I will definitely miss the angry cheetah. Leopard? Maybe it's a leopard? I know nothing about big cats and even less about big cat sculpture.






LERNER AND LOEWE INDUCING SCENERY:
I'm no Freddy Eynsford-Hill, but when I walk the beautiful streets in my neighborhood I often find myself humming... "I have often walked down this street before...".
Musical Side Note: Bonus points to anyone who can explain to my satisfaction why the hell anyone would take Henry Higgins over Freddy.



























SPOT WHERE TOURISTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET MURDERED BY NORMAL FOLK:

Reading Terminal Market may be a tourist mecca, but many of the shops there are actually meant for use by locals. Anyone who is totally broke must check out the dollar bags of veggies at OK Lee. I can't tell you how often I've been grateful for a bag of dollar cauliflower. Martin's is an absolute godsend for my non-pork eating husband. Although they have tons of pork products they have an incredible selection of poultry sausage as well. Sadly, Ochs' butcher stand has closed after 105 years. It's very sad that second rate cheesesteak hawkers and souvenir shops are pushing out legitimate businesses used by actual Philly residents. Do your protein and veggie shopping there if you've got the patience and sharp elbows. You'll need them to shove through the hoards that come to a dead stop in the middle of an aisle to ogle the Pennsylvania Dutch.


MOST HEARTBREAKING CLOSURE?:

Ron's Ribs is closed. Possibly for renovations. Possibly because chef/owner Kevin has moved on. I won't be there to find out for sure, but if you're in town, you should. Kevin did amazing things with barbecue (or Bar-B-Q). The menu was very small, but oh tasty. If you want a half chicken though, go early or call Kevin to set one aside. Those suckers go fast. It seems to be slated to reopen Summer of 2011, but only time will tell.





BEST WAY TO GAIN WEIGHT DROWN SORROWS:

Capogiro Gelato Artisans My waistline will not stand frequent visits here, but oh how I will miss the creamy goodness. They do have mail order, but for me, the joy is selecting the perfect combination (you have to pick two flavors). With 4 city locations there's really no excuse for not stopping by if you're in town. Unless you're a weird person who doesn't like ice cream like my husband.

TASTY MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD:

Leila Cafe - I feel kind of sorry for this guy. So many restaurants look beautiful but can't execute on food at all. Poor Leila's has the opposite problem. He just moved to a new location (on South Street). The place isn't all that great inside and the waitstaff is a tad neglectful, but the food is really tasty. Last time we went as I was walking home whimpering because I was so full, Ryan suggested we turn around and go back for more. Check them out on GrubHub for a delivery order. Otherwise, pray someone comes to his rescue.


FORGET IT JAKE; IT'S CHINATOWN

Sang Kee Peking Duck House may even be my choice for our last supper tonight. When I'm there, the orders on the other diners tables always look delicious but I cannot get myself to move past the Peking Duck Dinner for 2. Although the fried rice is seriously not special, the two duck dishes are absolutely heavenly. Mmmm.

SO THIS IS THE WAY IT ENDS, NOT WITH A BANG BUT A WHIMPER

I'm sure we'll go back to Philadelphia, but it will never inspire homesickness as Boston still does. It's really a good little city (she says condescendingly about the fifth biggest city in the country). I managed to live there for eight years without falling in love with Water Ice, engaging in a single Pat's vs. Geno's argument, or affecting an Italian accent when ordering prosciutto. All in all, I think it turned out rather well.

Next stop, the burbs.

Away Game

For the next few weeks I'll mostly be away. Yes I'll be "cooking" - I feel the need to use the quotes because it's unclear if what I'm doing with food would actually count as cooking - but for the most part I won't be in my own kitchen.

I really have no right to complain, because the kitchen I'm using is my mother's. In the house I grew up in. That's right. I spent 18 years, plus some assorted summers living in this house, helping to cook in this kitchen, but despite that, I'm constantly running into reminders that it is not mine.

1. Took me a solid 5 minutes to locate a cheese grater.
2. My mother does not seem to own salad dressing.
3. She does, however, own 2 different sizes of pizza stone. Just in case.
4. Her own does not run hot like mine. An interesting lesson I should remember for when I'm no longer living in my current apartment. Things take longer to cook when your oven is not automatically set to scorch.
5. In a Through The Looking Glass turn of events, I am no longer without food. Instead I have a list of 800 million things that all must be eaten immediately if not sooner or they'll go bad. If anyone has a use for bacon, kielbasa, a roast chicken and leftover korean food please come forward. Keep in mind that my husband will eat neither the bacon nor the kielbasa.

'Tis the Season...For Deviled Eggs

We are currently at a crossroads - smack in between Easter and Mother's Day. Whether you have some left over hard boileds that you're dreading facing or are organizing your brunch menu for next Sunday, it is critical that you be able to devil. Besides shower season is upon us and whether they be bridal showers or baby showers, deviled eggs are always a hit. Even when your tray of them has slid off the seat during a particularly violent braking at a stoplight.* Trust me, a bit of paprika, some cosmetic work with a spoon and paper towel, no one will be the wiser.

*Amazingly enough, while I was involved with the repair work, I was not responsible for the egg accident. I will never reveal the name of Melanie the person who was.

DEVILED EGGS

INGREDIENTS:
6 hard-boiled eggs
4 T plus 1 t mayonnaise (Hellman's is GF)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dijon mustard (Maille is GF)
black pepper to taste
paprika

DIRECTIONS:
Carefully peel the eggs. Slice each egg in half and with a spoon coax out the yolk into a small bowl. When you've gathered all the yolks add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix well. I usually break up the mixture with the tines of a fork, but people who like it smoother may prefer to something else. Sprinkle in the salt and add the pepper to taste. You can pipe the filling in with a piping bag or by filling a plastic ziploc with eggy goodness, chopping off a corner of the ziploc and squeezing it through. I am usually too lazy for these and instead use a spoon to heap the mixture back into the holes. Sprinkle the tops with paprika.

Bitter Nostalgia

I am hungry.

Today I have eaten the following items:
1 slice of bread
1 granola bar
3 munchkins (2 jelly, 1 cinnamon)
1 slice of chocolate cake with marshmallow icing
1 reese's peanut butter egg
1 package of these ridgy veggie chip things that I can't remember the name of but seem kind of similar to this maybe?
1 Wawa snack pack of grapes, pita chips and cheese cubes
1/2 a hard sourdough pretzel
1 slightly melted ferrero rocher chocolate hazelnut thingy
pasta with butter, parm and tomatoes

Does anyone else remember kozmo.com? You could order anything, like a Fresh Samantha, a pint of Ben and Jerry's and a movie. And they'd bring it to you. That was fabulous. I wish they existed right now. I have no idea what I'd order and chances are it would not be any more nutritious than the rest of the junk I've eaten today, but it's late, I'm lonely and I'm HUNGRY.

Please excuse me while I slink back into the kitchen hiding.

Mea Culpa

When I was in high school I had this rather amazing English teacher who was okay with it if you hadn't done your work. She didn't like it and she certainly didn't endorse it but she knew that sometimes, things didn't get done. Once she assigned an essay on the prior night's reading assignment in The Scarlet Letter. She must have sensed our pens hovering over our papers preparing to conjure answers out of thin air because she announced:

Anyone who has not done the reading, please rise, say "Mea Culpa" and bring your blank papers to me.

There were no further consequences for any of us, except for Morgan. He had to water her plants. We were good kids; we didn't take advantage. The rest of the term I did my assignments.

But lately? I haven't been doing my work here. And I am very sorry. I will be back, I promise, with delicious recipes and tales of both happiness and woe from the kitchen. But it might not be for awhile. Maybe June? I think I could handle June. I just have some more urgent things to attend to. Some of which I should be attending to RIGHT NOW.

Mea Culpa. Mea Maxima Culpa. (Lent may be over, but the guilt never ends...)

Effortless

As in, requiring no effort. Clearly I can't handle anything else these days. I know I barely post anymore, but honestly, I barely cook anymore either. I work later now than I ever have - Monday nights I'm lucky if I walk in the door before 7pm, Thursdays tend to fall in the 6:15-6:30 range. That (plus some other stressful stuff) means that I am exhausted. It's a miracle if I can tell you what I ate a few days ago, much less what I'm going to eat in the next few days.

Last night I ate hot dogs. I was sulky because I had to buy buns for the damn things.

Tonight I'm debating the pros and cons of pasta with butter and cheese or Trader Joe's gnocchi.

But this meal? This one was effortless.

ASPARAGUS AND GOAT CHEESE PASTA
Would you believe Martha does effortless?
adapted for 2 people

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch asparagus
1/2 lb rotini
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Put a pot of water on to boil to make your pasta. Turn on your oven to 450 F. Rinse the asparagus. Chop off the bottom third of the asparagus and cut the top parts in 1 1/2" sections. Like this:
Line a sheet pan or baking dish with foil. Pour the tablespoon of oil over the asparagus and add some salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should be tender but not mushy and bright happy green. I pulled my tips after 10 minutes and left the thicker parts to go for 12. Add the pasta when the water boils. Cook the pasta according to the directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 C of the pasta water. You can reuse the now empty pasta pan. Over low heat melt the butter. Add the goat cheese and whisk until melted and smooth. Slowly start to add in the reserved pasta water. I added 1/4 C and that was plenty, but go according to how thick or thin you like your sauce. I tossed the pasta back in with the sauce and stirred to coat well, then I mixed in the asparagus. Definitely taste for salt and pepper, mine needed a bit. Simple, tasty (especially if you can get good asparagus), effortless.

RECIPE FOR RECOVERY

INGREDIENTS:
1 deck of cards
a Connells or Smiths tape (bonus points if one side is Connells and the other Smiths)
vanilla goldfish

DIRECTIONS:
Put the tape in your tape deck (you do have a tape deck don't you?) Deal yourself a hand of solitaire. Munch on goldfish cookies. At the end of two weeks, you'll find you've gained 10 pounds, memorized untold numbers of lyrics, learned how to shuffle the less lame-ass way (but not the Vegas dealer way) and you'll feel much better. However, cards, the Connells and the Smiths, goldfish cookies and a certain type of spring weather will constantly remind you of your convalescence and make you vaguely nostalgic for what was an absolute crap part of your 16th year.