Excitement Abounds

So I have been asked by mi madre to take her shopping tomorrow since she is currently unable to drive due to surgery.  Unbeknownst to her, prior to my arrival at her home, I am going to make a pitstop for donuts.

But not any donuts.  Noooo……I am finally going to the donut shoppe I have heard so much about.  Ye Olde Fractured Prune. It’s been about a year since I first heard of them and for a while, they were near the top of my to-visit list…..but then I got sidetracked by the whole “getting married” thing and then the moving thing and then the holidays and then of course there was the breakdown in all coherent thought processes when I decided it would be a BRILLIANT idea for me to quit my job (of eight years) without having anything else lined up so while all that was going on, there really wasn’t any room for thinking about donuts.

But about two weeks ago, something, I can’t remember what, reminded me of this place, and I pulled up the website and did some drooling and have been trying to find a time to stop in and try a donut for myself.  I actually lingered outside their door last Friday, sorely tempted, but I had the kids with me and my ten year old son has a real sensitivity to sugar so we have to limit his intake and I somehow thought he might object if me and his sisters had donuts and he didn’t get any.

But tomorrow!  No kids!  And I’m going to be in Columbia!  So hello donuts!!!

Tonight I took a brief detour from my road to 100 beers and tried a new libation created by Alice, Barmaid Extraordinaire at Jack’s restaurant.  She made up a very tasty raspberry mojito with fresh raspberries.  Very yum.  Do try this at home.  And, because it was all chunky with fruit, it was kinda like a meal too.  Bonus!

Speaking of meals.  A report on the peach-jalepeno chicken from last night.  It LOOKED beautiful and it tasted….well, like chicken.  But the sauce, although very tasty on its own, added no flavor to the finished dish.

Next time, I’m going to do it differently.  The sauce was simply two heaping tablespoons on peach preserves, warmed in the mic which I then added about half of a diced jalepeno.  The flavor was perfect – just enough heat to make it interesting.  Then, I browned the chicken in butter and olive oil, butterflied it to cook the center and then spread the sauce over and around which made it all beautiful and glistening.  ‘Cept the chicken was all the way cooked through so I finished it in the mic (something Jack convinced me was okay.  I’d always been violently opposed to cooking meat in the microwave but he said in the restaurant kitchen, they do it all the time.  As long as you start the chicken on the grill, you can finish it in the mic without it getting rubbery.  Cool)

The only change I’m going to make next time will be to make sure I save enough sauce to serve on top of the chicken once it’s done.  Then it will be beautiful AND tasty.

Okay, I’m off to dream of donuts.  Ta!

So much for committment, eh? Also? Apparently, I can not spel.

Wait.  Did I spell committment right?  Committment?  Comittment?  Commitment?  Ah shite.  Hang on.

Fook.  New laptop.  Doesn’t have Word yet.  No spellcheck.  Damn.  Maybe I should retitle this entry and skip the whole thing. 

Blast.  Carrying on.

Yeah….I had planned in writing here daily but then I kinda….didn’t.  Those (few) of you who have been reading me in one place or another for years (many!) aren’t surprised.  But…..see…um….I has reasons!  Monday I had major major family drama go down and by the time I got home and cried to hubby it was too late to write and then Tuesday I gots my new laptop set up but I was still familiarizing myself with it and the different feel to the keyboard and you know how when a keyboard is all new to you it’s real awkward and I just didn’t feel like writing extensively under those circumstances and again, some of you know that I rarely write in anything less than extensive fashion and WEDNESDAY I was crippled with a mega migraine that had me 1) leaving work early and collapsing on the couch and 2) worried that said migraine may have been caused by some lack of ergonomic ease with said new laptop or maybe monitor issues and I tried to change the refresh rate but apparently since this is an LCD screen that doesn’t apply but THEN Jack pointed out that said headache was probably due to withdrawal from teh Vicodin which I have stopped taking.

Whew.  Now THAT was a run on!

 But today!  I feel mostly fine!  Huzzah!  I am sitting here sipping on my beer which is a very tasty Lagunitas (spelling?  again!) Lucky 13 Red Ale and is very very tasty.  Over the past several months I have been journeying into the world of craft beers and really liking most of what I find and fine tuning what I like and what I don’t like.  It’s been really interesting and aided by the fact that my husband works at one of the best beer bars in Canton and I’ve joined their 100 Beer Club (I’m at 62 now!) plus I’ve found some really good beer stores in and around Columbia (which is where I grew up.)  The other night, following my blowout with my aunt, I enjoyed a big ol’ bottle of Dogfish Head Black and Blue (malt beverage brewed with blackberries and blueberry puree) which knocked my socks off but which also threw me for a loop because of it’s high alcohol content.  If you saw my MySpace bulletin that night, you know what I’m talking about.

Last night I made one of my favorite comfort meals – chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and corn.  I’ll admit to taking shortcuts because the potatoes came from a box and the corn came from a can, but the potatoes were enriched with a little bit of goat cheese (just enough to add some tang, like sour cream would have if I hadn’t been OUT OF SOUR CREAM thanks to my teenage daughter CONSUMING all of it on her tacos last Saturday), plenty of parm and of course lots of butter, cream, salt and pepper (I said it was good, I didn’t say it was good for you – bonus points to whoever recognizes that quote) and the corn….well, it was corn.  But the steaks…..OMG they were good.  Pan fried till they were golden brown and delicious (another quote!) and I made a cream gravy (duh!) overtop.  Yum-O!  (SHUT UP!  I love Rachael)

Tonight, I’m making chicken breasts and I’m making a glaze with peach preserves and jalepeno pepper.  It’s a riff on a dish from Rachael Ray (again with the Rachael) that I made a few weeks ago.  THAT dish was a chicken sandwhich with sliced peaches and an aioli made with pickled jalepenos.  There were other items on that sandwich as well, including, I think, cukes and radishes.  I decided that it was just a bit much and I wanted to try it with just the peach and jalepeno.  So I’m going to make a sauce and serve it atop sauteed breasts.  I’ll try to remember to update tomorrow.

Okay, I’m off to finish my beer.  Ta, y’all

PS:  Courtney?  There’s another clue for you up there. 

My husband and his place du emploi

So, Courtney asked where my husband works.  I’ve wrestled over the past few days over whether to keep this blog anonymous.  I’ve decided to continue with the anonymity to a point.  The point at which I need to fear Googling and Doocing.  (Dooceing?).

So, I’ll say this much.  My name is Vicki, my husband is Jack and my kids are Melissa, Ben and Susanna (from oldest to youngest).  My ex husband is Dave and his wife is Inez.  My best friends are known as Tea and Krumpet (not their real names, but that is one level of anonymity I’m keeping).  I work for a financial services company based out of Columbia although I actually work from my home which is the best thing ever.  We live in Fells Point

Jack is the chef at a beer bar in Canton (which is a neighborhood in Baltimore).  (I’m not naming the bar but if you’re familiar with Canton, and especially if you’re a beer aficionado, you can probably figure it out).  Before that, he had stints at a crab house in Canton (and I typo’d stinks for stints, which tells you how much he loved that job) and well a respected seafood restaurant in the Inner Harbor.  Prior to that, he was Chef de Cuisine at Kiss Cafe for three years.

I’m choosing not to name the bar where he works because once that particular barn door has been opened, it’s impossible to close again.  He loves it there and I love the place as well, but I reserve the right to one day write bad things about them if they piss me off….so that’s why I’m not naming the joint.

And onward to another topic, briefly before I head to bed.

Tonight I made the tuna burgers I read about here.  They were delish.  I had to tweak the recipe a bit because I had no lemon zest and instead used lemon juice.  Also, cooking for two minutes per side resulted in a burger that was all the way cooked – not mid-rare.  Normally I prefer my tuna as rare as can be but in this case, they worked out fine.  I did serve them with the cole slaw (unlike the original poster) because I love me some cole slaw, and it worked out well.  For my veg, I just served some quick cooked snap peas, sauteed very briefly in butter with some salt and pep.

Jack was happy.  He’s said many times that I’m a better cook than he is.  I don’t 100% agree with this, but I do feel I’m a more organized and methodical cook….but I’d never make it in a restaurant kitchen.

Anyway.  Off to bed.  Ta!

Three kids and the Fourth

One of the best things about having children is having someone to help with the minutiae of cooking.  I made my world famous chicken tetrazinni tonight, you know, the one I was convinced would serve as my entrance exam to culinary school one day.

I had water simmering for pasta and was quartering mushrooms while keeping on eye on the chicken breasts I had poaching in some vegetable stock when Eldest Child entered the kitchen.  “Here,” I said, handing her the knife (she’s 13!).  “Can you finish quartering these for me please while I check the chicken?”

So she did.  Score!

Five minutes later, I’m sauteeing the mushrooms and green onions in butter (LOTS of butter).  I stir in flour to start my roux and turn to the cutting board to start dicing the cooked chicken.  Middle Child comes in so I ask HIM to finish cutting up the chicken for me as I start stirring in more vegetable stock and evaporated milk (when I first learned how to make this dish, the recipe used all shelf stable ingredients.  Onions, canned chicken, canned mushrooms…..evaporated milk instead of cream.  I’ve changed it a lot over the years but for some reason, I’ve always kept the evaporated milk).

In goes the sherry and a big handful of parmesan.  MC stirs in the chicken, I grind in some pepper and we’re done.  THIS is comfort food to me.

Later, we walked down to the water to watch the fireworks over the Inner Harbor.  The kids oohed and ahhed….and pouted because I wouldn’t let them play with sparklers.  Seriously?  What type of parental adult says to children, other than his own, “Hey, want to play with sparklers?” before checking with said children’s actual parent?  Because that happened tonight.  I mean, I’m sure the guy was really nice and all but just….thoughtless.  I told the kids no, they could not play with sparklers because Youngest Child burnt herself with them last year (or maybe the year before, as she insists) and I knew that if they got hurt and I brought them home to ex-husband and the step-mother, I’d never hear the end of it.  So I had to listen to YC begging and pleading for the rest of the evening to please please PLEASE let her flame with giant sticks of flame.  FLAME STICKS OF DOOOOOOM!

Walking back home after the fireworks was pretty cool because all the tourists scurried like rats back to their cars and the kids and I just strutted back to our house.  I was all, “That’s right.  I’m a local.  Recognize!”

Anyway, once back home, for dessert I made the Banana Chocolate Bars I found here.  They were absolutely wonderful.  The only hard part was waiting for them to cool off so we could eat ‘em.  YC didn’t have any though.  She claims to not like coconut.  How this is possible I have no idea…..but I gave her some fudge that we got from Candy Kitchen last weekend so everyone was happy.

That’s it.  Happy Fourth, y’all.  I’m off to go watch iCarly with the kids before bedtime!

In keeping with the emerging custom….

Herewith, a list.  With a twist.  As this is to be a mostly food blog, so shall be the list.

1. I love reading menus.  I will rarely go out for dinner without pulling up the menu for our destination online.
2. I’m a sucker for anything with cranberries, goat cheese, pistachios or beets.
3. One of the great sadnesses in my life is that my husband does not like root vegetables.  No carrots, no potatoes, no beets, NO SWEET POTATOES! 
4. As for myself, I can’t say that I’ve ever met a vegetable I dislike
5. Beans do not count as vegetables.
6. Having said that, I am a steadfast carnivore.
7. I love Food Network
8. In 1995, while in Rochester NY for business, I had the opportunity to visit Niagra Falls with some coworkers.  Instead I choose to stay in my hotel room and watch Food Network because at the time, it was not available to me at home
9. I’ve been watching cooking shows since I was wee.
10. Julia Child, Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet), Justin Wilson (“How y’all are?) and Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook) were my idols growing up
11. I dreamed of one day going to culinary school and imagined an audition of sorts.  My nine year old self thought I would blow them away with my Chicken Tetrazinni recipe
12. My Chicken Tetrazinni IS darned good, y’all.
13. Growing up there were a lot of foods I thought I didn’t like, but I found out later that I was prejudiced by my parents’ dislike for those foods
14. Among them were sour cream, whipped cream, mayonaise, cream cheese (courtesy of my dad) and lamb (courtesy of my mom)
15. I’m still not overly fond of mayonaise.  I always ask for the thinnest smear.
16. I love lamb but I DON’T like lamb with its traditional accompanyment of mint jelly
17. My first taste of smoked salmon was at my aunt and uncle’s house following my grandmother’s funeral in 1996.
18. I still love a good New York style bagel with smoked salmon, tomato, onion, capers and cream cheese.
19. When I watch TV, I keep notes on recipes that I want to try and add them to my online recipe box when I get to the computer.
20. On tap for next week are recipes from Sandra Lee and Rachael Ray
21. My husband thinks Sandra Lee looks like a Barbie doll
22. I don’t much care for her but I do think she has some clever ideas.
23. Rachael, on the other hand, I adore.
24. Especially her giggle.
25. Lately, I’ve been testing my willpower by keeping a jar of Nutella in the pantry.
26. I allow myself one spoonful per day (about 100 calories)
27. My rationale is that one spoonful of Nutella is the equivalent of those 100 calorie packs, and I don’t feel guilty about having one of THOSE per day
28. But I can’t have a 100 caloire pack AND Nutella in one day
29. My other indulgence is the Bacon Chocolate bar from Vosges au Chocolat
30. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.
31. Smoky salty bacon + deep milk chocolate = divine indulgence
32. My love for food combined with my love for fashion have forced me to the gym
33. Because I just can’t find cute clothes in my size
34. I’ve been going for a month now.  I get weighed and measured on Wednesday. 
35. My home scale is broken because I dropped it so I have no idea how much I weigh
36. But I think I’m doing well.  I’ve gone from a size 20 jean to a size 16.
37. Admittedly, the size 16 is a little tight but not too bad.
38. I’m not actually dieting though.  Just practicing moderation
39. One thing that is helping is I’m not drinking as much beer.
40. I used to have three per night from my husband’s nightly 12 pack, but he is not drinking as much these days, so I am not drinking much either
41. I DO like beer though.
42. And Irish Mist
43. Last weekend, my daughter made a batch of iced tea.
44. Later that evening, she came into the kitchen as I was making dinner and asked whether she could have a snack
45. I told her no, that I didn’t want her to fill up before dinner
46. She said, “But you’re filling up on my iced tea.”
47. I started to say, “No no, that’s not iced tea, that’s Mommy’s booze”
48. But it was too late.
49. She’d already taken a swig
50. And immediately spit it into the sink

Next entry, my experiment with making a 30 minute meal….in 30 minutes.