Hunkered Down

Hellloooooooo there.  It's been a minute.  Or a year.  I sort of lost steam on this project after my beautiful nephew James' death, and wasn't inspired to pick it back up.  Until now.  The world is upside down, we are all in our homes, so it seems as good a time as any to talk about cooking again.  And drinking.

So let's pick this back up, shall we?

Recap of 2019:
Noah moved to Asheville, NC. Working as a cook to pay the bills and making his way as a budding musician to feed his soul.  (Audiogoblin).

Corey graduated from College of Wooster, got certified as an International English teacher, worked in a restaurant while she waited for paperwork, visas, etc. Left February 16th for South Korea, approximately one week before Corona virus took over South Korea, and now the rest of the world.  Schools were closed, then scheduled to reopen, then delayed, but they are hoping that the new reopen date of April 1 will hold.   South Korea has been a model in all of this, I tell you what: ubiquitous testing, radically transparent communications, widespread use of tech tools to empower its citizens with knowledge.  Amazing. 

Dylan graduated from ETHS and started his freshman year in the Gies school of Business at University of Illinois.  Fraternity, U of I b-ball, buddies from home, Big Ten life.  He has had a fantastic start there and loves the place. And now he's home - the rest of the year will be online.  Not the way he expected to end his freshman year,  but he's rolling with it,

Doug and I had exactly four weeks of the nest being empty! Thankfully we both still have our jobs and we're all just hunkered down.  I am jealous of friends and family who have all their people under their roofs, but we're so glad to have Dylan here, and we're all getting used to the rhythm of the partially-refilled nest. 

So I've been cooking.  This week, soup. 

  Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of our standbys.  I did not have all the ingredients but was not going to venture out to the scary grocery store again so one must make do, you know?

Into the crock pot you throw:

2 chicken breasts (or any cut of chicken)

1 chopped onion

1 can rinsed black beans

1 can diced tomatoes with juices

1 diced jalapeno if you have one and like the kick.  

tsp ish of minced garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1-1/2 cups chicken broth, 1-1/2 cups water (or any combo of the two)

Cook it low and slow for six or so hours.

 remove the chicken and shred it

 throw back in the pot

 crush some tortilla chips on the bottom of your bowl

Ladle the soup right on top.  

Add some chopped cilantro if you have it, cheese if you like it, hot sauce if you go for that. 

Enjoy.  It's so good.

 Then we get to the cocktail situation.

One of the upsides of this madness is that I am reconnecting on a regular basis with some old friends.  My college housemates and I have had a chat ongoing for days.  We were discussing food, drinks, our home bar setups and favorite cocktails - I have been making a cocktail of the day most days - and Rebecca said her current favorite is a
Corpse Reviver No.2.  

I had never heard of it.  And to make it I had to go to the (scary? exciting?) liquor store.  But people?  Worth it. So good!

 This is my favorite citrus squeezer.  I know, it's disgusting, but it was a wedding gift and is so trusty and gets the job done.  Tragically, I dropped it on the floor last week and bent one of its legs.  I stuck it in the vise and straightened it out but, as you know, metal does not respond to breaks and bends very well, and I think I have to -sob- admit that I need a new one.  Isn't that SO SAD?  

Anyway, this drink calls for you to rinse a chilled martini glass in absinthe.  Absinthe!  Remember this painting? The Absinthe Drinker by Degas.  It haunted me as a student.  

In Paris in mid 1800s absinthe was a popular drink, known for its high alcohol content and associated with bohemian culture, so became a target of the prohibitionists, and rumors swirled that it would make you crazy or hallucinate.  When I zoomed with my family later that evening, with the cocktail in hand, and said there was absinthe in it, Ellie said, doesn't absinthe make you blind?  I think it just, if you drink too much of it,  makes you drunk.

It's got a licorice/anise flavor and I love me some licorice, so if this quarantine goes on forever the above photo may well resemble me. 

 ANYWAY

 you chill your martini glass

 you rinse it with a dash of absinthe

 you add the rest of the ingredients into your cocktail shaker: fresh lemon juice, cointreau, gin and a french apertif called Lillet Blanc.  Shake.  Pour. Enjoy.

The weather still SUCKS in Illinois, making this in-home business harder, but it is indeed good weather for soup, fires,  games, puzzles and zooming with the fam.

Hang in there, everyone.   Stay safe. 

perfectly imperfect

So several weeks ago I mentioned that a coworker introduced me to Imperfect Produce and that I was going to try it out. And now I have, and now, if I may say so, you must, too, because it is the best idea EVER.  and telHere's the deal:

Imperfect Produce

We source ugly produce directly from farms
Approximately 20% of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. never leave the farm just because they look a little different. Instead of ending up on your dinner plate, they end up left in the field or trucked to landfill. We think that’s crazy, and we’ve built a network of over 150 farmers and producers who agree. We buy their unloved produce, and they’re rewarded for their full harvest–not just for the pretty stuff.

You customize your box to get exactly what you want
Since our goal is to waste less food, we’re not going to send you produce you don’t want. You get to choose which items come in every box that ends up on your doorstep. Don't like kale? No problem. Extra carrots? You got it. Eager to try celery root? More power to you. Our seasonal menu changes each week, so there’s always something new and exciting to try–or you can stick to the staples, because we have those, too.

We deliver your customized box to your home
Shortly after you’ve chosen your produce for the week and finalized your perfect box, our drivers drop it off with a smile at your doorstep. To minimize our carbon footprint and make sure you get your produce on time, you’re assigned a delivery day based on your neighborhood. Don’t worry though–you don’t have to be home to receive a delivery. You can leave us detailed directions on where to leave your box until you can bring it safely inside.

You enjoy healthy, delicious produce and save money!
Everyone wins! The farmer is rewarded for his full harvest, the food and the resources used to grow it weren’t wasted, and you get delicious, healthy, affordable fruits and veggies. What’s not to love?


 sooooo they support farmers, prevent food waste and save you money.  That is what I call fabulous.  And it's so easy.  And, unlike the CSA boxes which I've done and loved, you can choose how often you want the box delivered, the size of the box, and you can curate the contents of your box!  So if, like my misguided mom,  you hate Brussels sprouts, you can omit them from your box!  It's so exciting! It's like Stitch Fix for food!  Well, no it's not, but it's still exciting.

WAIT A MINUTE - I JUST FOUND OUT YOU SPELL Brussels sprouts THIS WAY!  BRUSSELS IS PLURAL?  W. T.  F.

Anyway, here's what arrived last week:

unwrap the layers to find all the yumminess

and I really loved this, which gives guidelines on produce storage.  I'm pretty sure I will never put mushrooms in a paper bag but I love the tips.

Some of the items are indeed strangely sized.
The clementines were minute and the BRUSSELS sprouts were very large.  But overall it was a great haul and I'm thrilled at the bounty.

I had some pork chops thawed so decided to use as many of these ingredients as possible for a quick weeknight dinner.  

I mixed the potatoes with some salt, pepper, olive oil and dried rosemary.

Then spread them on a baking sheet.

I tossed the Brussell sprouts with the same mixture.

 Then I added some pork chops that I had rinsed, dried, coated in olive oil and sprinkled with s&p

I cooked the whole situation for about 20 minutes at 400, then flipped it and cooked it another 15.

The result?  The vegetables were delicious and the pork chops had the consistently of a lovely piece of shoe leather.  Next time I'll add the pork chops to the last 20 minutes. 

Adding a little balsamic reduction on the pork chops made it a bit more palatable. 

 But I can't wait for this week's Imperfect Produce box!!

I promise i'm not on their payroll, but use this code if you want to try it and I think you get $10 off your first box.

http://imprfct.us/kFNGR

Sunday Funday

Sunny, crisp fall Sundays fill me with joy.   Sundays, as I've blogged before, are just so packed with memories for me.  Opera and omelettes and football or golf - it's the Sunday soundtrack of my childhood.  I love perpetuating those sounds and smells and, for me, having a Bears game on while prepping some hearty meals is a little slice of October heaven.   This Sunday, while Dylan and I watched an incredibly exciting and devastating Bears game, I got to work.

This  week's menu:  Caldo Verde and a giant vat of homemade spaghetti sauce.

Caldo Verde is one of my favorite soups and it's awesome in the fall - packed with yumminess like kale and potatoes & sausage.  This time I used turkey sausage but any type of cooked sausage will do.

 Head up about 3Tbsp olive oil

sautee 2 large chopped onions and about 3 cloves chopped garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes on med-high

 thinly slice two large russet potatoes. 

I LOVE my mandolin. Thanks, Christy!

Add the potatoes and sautee under med-high heat for two minutes, stirring constantly.

 

  Meanwhile, prep a bunch of kale. 

 

  Wash it, remove the tough spine (fold each piece in half and just cut it off,) then thinly slice the pile of leaves.  set aside.

 Add 6 cups chicken broth or stock to the onion/potato situation.  (You could use vegetable stock and faux-sausage if you roll that way.)  Cover and reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

At this point you can use a hand blender and pulverize the potatoes, if you like the soup more like a bisque, or just leave it as is, with the potatoes still somewhat intact but soft.

 MEANWHILE, back at the ranch, get yourself about a pound of cooked sausage.  You can get kielbasa or andouille or just cook up some turkey sausage, as I did here. 

Thinly slice the cooked sausage & add it to the soup, then let it heat to temperature, about 5 minutes. 

Then add the whole pile of kale you've cut into small ribbons/strips, stir into the soup and let it heat until kale wilts, about two minutes.  IT'S SO GOOD!

Next, I made a gigantic pot of my favorite spaghetti sauce. 

 Cook up 1 lb ground beef, 1lb spicy pork sausage, 2 tsp chopped garlic and two chopped onions until meat is cooked up and sausage is broken up into small pieces.

 Drain the disgusting fat.  Give some to your doggie he/she will adore you.

 Add all the things:

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 large can tomato paste

1 can beef broth

1 lg can crushed tomatoes

1 lg can whole tomatoes, broken up by hand

fill one of the large cans with water to rinse out and pour that into the mix.

 simmer forever and ever.  Add a couple tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

 ahhhhhhh, Sunday.

 my football watching buddy. One needs support when watching a loss like this one.

Then?  If you're really, really lucky, you get to invite over your friend Lindsay's two adorable sons Milo & Archie, aged 3&5, for dinner.   

 How lucky am I? 

Falling

Birthdays, beach, books and endless summer days have morphed into back-to-colleg kid #1, moving into an apartment kid #2, football season & college apps kid #3.  Life is busy and full and quite wonderful.

Pretty much took a hiatus from both cooking and blogging this summer, but September brings me back to order, to a strangely quiet house and to my kitchen.  I love this transition, always have, always will.  It's harder to get up, it gets dark earlier, reading at the beach is suspended until June - but I love this season, with football and crisp nights and jeans and boots and, wayyyyyy ahead, on the still-far horizon, the tiniest whiff of hygge.

But for now?  Here are a couple meals I've made in the past few days.  Nothing fancy, but they sure were yummy.  The chicken piccata pasta toss is a family staple - when dylan was little he called it 'slimy chicken pasta.'  with love, of course.    Enjoy the season!

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss, aka slimy chicken pasta -  c/o Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup chicken broth or stock

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente

Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes

 

Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

  Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes.

 Add flour and cook 2 minutes.

 Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce.

 

 Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter.

 

 Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. 

 

And next, this delicious broccoli side dish, found by my lovely niece Becca.  It is to die for.

Lemon Dijon Roasted Broccoli

1 lb broccoli florets,
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Lay the broccoli out on the cookie sheet.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Toss the dressing over the broccoli to combine evenly.
Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes. Serve hot.