Monday, August 31, 2009
Parenting and Food
The New York Times has an interesting article on parenting and food and how little useful information actually exists concerning this. As a parent with 3 children of my own, I'm often stymied with how to impart good habits to them. My 'Tween eats more than any two people at the table, and I'm rightfully concerned that he'll have similar issues to me when his metabolism eventually slows. Chef Laura is documenting her own weight issues at 45 by 45. How do you deal with diet and exercise with your children?
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Whole Paycheck Blog
Whole Foods is an incredible place to shop. They typically have anything and everything you could want for your culinary delight. Here in Atlanta, we have the normal Whole Foods and Harry's from which to choose from. If you ever watch "Good Eats", Alton Brown regularly visits one of our local locations. As I was looking to find other blogs with similar tastes to this one, I discovered that they run their own blog. I haven't had a chance to check it out completely yet, but thought I would pass this on.
On a side note, I've also discovered that Alton is doing a live special at the Cobb Energy Center on August 29th. Seeing him live would so rock!
On a side note, I've also discovered that Alton is doing a live special at the Cobb Energy Center on August 29th. Seeing him live would so rock!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Best Stuff I Ever Smoked
Outside of some cold smoking in culinary school and few salmons here and there, I have to admit, I haven't smoked much meat at home or professionally. On Tuesday, the artist that I work for asked me to come up with an idea for a luncheon that he wanted to treat his staff to on Wednesday.
I don't know why my brain went from individual little lobster pot pies and a fussy salad to BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, but it did, and the BBQ won. The full meal plan was to serve the sandwiches Carolina style; with slaw and pickles on a soft bun. I made the slaw and two dipping sauces from scratch, and decided to do some home made french fries too. All could be prepped a day in advance, so this worked out great. Oh, I almost forgot the blackberry cobbler with lemon poppy topping.
There I am at the grocery store, where I will shamefully admit that I picked up some liquid smoke flavoring just in case. I chose the best piece of the pig that they had for my purposes, which in this case was a Boston Butt. It's kind of silly to me that they call it a butt when it comes from no where near the pigs ass, but actually from its shoulder.
I was nearly finished shopping when I spotted something that I had never seen before and did not know even existed. It was called The Smoking Bag. It was simply a heavy duty foil bag that had an inner layer of wood chips. The inside of the bag was perforated to allow the flavor inside with what ever you put in the bag. The instructions said you could use it on the grill or in the oven.
I did not follow the instructions that said to start off on high heat if using in the oven (which I was) because I wanted to do this low and slow. All I did was use a standard rub on the meat before I put it in the bag, and then once inside (fat side up) it went in to the oven at 185 degrees. I put it in at 6:30 Tuesday night and did not open the oven door to take it out until 7:30 the next morning.
The results of using this bag completely impressed me! I never needed the liquid smoke and the meat was the juiciest most flavorful I have ever had. The amount of smokiness was just right; neither overpowering nor undetectable. Some of the staff didn't even use any of the two sauces I made, which if you're interested to know, were sweet cilantro BBQ, and spicy peppery BBQ.
The most challenging part of this meal was the french fries that had to be hand cut, soaked over night, then blanched in 250 degree oil, then rested, before you can actually fry them at 375. Not to mention the mess I made when I nearly started a grease fire in the kitchen at the corporate offices. My job would have gone up in smoke along with building and the art work, so I won't be doing the fries again any time soon.
I will, however, be doing the pig again, and doing it very soon. We are having some people over this Sunday and minus the french fries, I can't think of a better pool side meal!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Eating Good Seafood
I don't know what it is about spending time at the beach that makes me just absolutely crave seafood. It could have something to do with being landlocked in my current location and unable to get to the beach at all. Sadly, there isn't a beach that I could drive to in less than 5 hours time. Or, it could be that because we are not near to the source, we just don't get really fresh seafood. Not only does that suck if you love the beach, but it sucks even more if you really love food and can't get a decent crab leg when the craving hits.
Once upon a time you used to be able to get some decent seafood at Harry's, but it would cost you a pretty penny. Now it's called Whole Foods, or as I like to call it; whole paycheck, because it still costs a pretty penny. Only now, it seems that what you're paying for and what you get don't quite match up. Their prices are still high and the quality has dropped way down, not to mention, how far the drive is. There were times when I was stuck in traffic so bad that I probably could have just driven to beach! While there may be more to select from compared with that of the local grocery store, you will still see your fair share of previously frozen, farm raised, color enhanced, unfit for enjoyment, seafood items too. Where's the wholesomeness in that? Seems like a whole lot of crap to me!
I guess that's why on a recent trip down to Perdido Key, I not only ate seafood every single day, but I took a bunch home in a cooler as well. Stocked in my cooler was whole Pompano, Yellowfin Tuna, huge gulf shrimp, and some red & orange roe. I shopped at a place called Joe Patti Seafood that has been in business there for over thirty years. They were so packed, you had to take a number and wait to place your order. I didn't mind waiting at all because it gave me chance to really look around and get some lunch at their Sushi Bar.
When I got home,I kept the whole Pompano (which BTW, is the best tasting fish I ever had) on ice to cook up the very next day, and sent the tuna, shrimp, and roe to the freezer. I served the Pompano very simply just char-grilled, with a sweet onion relish and sauteed veggies. I worried that I would be dissapointed, as I was trying to re-create the dish as it was the first time I had it, on Miami Beach back in April. Neither my skills, nor the fish dissapointed.
Tonight I served the the Yellowfin seared, with a wasabi sauce that was garnished with the two roes. I also made a salad of cucumber that was fresh from my garden, carrot, and rice noodles, with a gingery dressing. I had the shrimp for an appetizer, but I could not decide on shrimp cocktail or fried shrimp, so I made both. They were delicious accompanied by two dipping sauces.
It was absolutely the best! It only could have been better if I was enjoying the meal with a view of the beach, so I looked out at my pool from the window and pretended.
Although I am always grateful for good food, I can't help but feel a bit sad knowing it will be quite some time before I can enjoy truly great seafood again. When I am close to the source, when it is at it's freshest and best....when I am at the beach.
Whole Grilled Pompano with Sweet Onion Relish
Whole Pompano (Trout makes a nice sub)** Having the fish gutted and scaled at the store will spare you the time and mess.
Olive Oil, enough to coat the fish before grilling
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Fresh Thyme chopped, about a tablespoon
Fresh Dill chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 lemon cut in half
1 large sweet onion diced small
1- 2 TBS sugar
3 ounce White Wine Vinegar
1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
3 ounce White Wine
1 tiny pinch Cayenne Pepper
The first thing to do is prep the fish and get it all good and seasoned. When buying whole fish, you will normally find that it is sold "dressed", meaning that it has already been gutted and cleaned. I like to have the scales removed as well. You can also have the head removed, as some may find that unappetizing.
Take a really sharp knife and score the fish on both sides. I go on the diagonal and then crisscross my lines. You want to cut in to the skin with out cutting down in to the flesh. Sometimes you can't help but score a little of the flesh too and that's ok, as long as you're not going deep through it. This keeps the fish nice and flat while cooking, and allows for the seasoning to penetrate through the skin.
Now rub the fish down with down with the olive oil. Give it a nice massage. You know, if you pamper your ingredients they always behave and taste better. :) Next, give it a good sprinkle on both sides with half of the lemon, the salt and pepper, and other seasonings. Allow the fish to rest on a plate at room temp while you heat the grill and make the relish.
While the grill is heating, take drop of oil, butter, or pan spray, just enough to coat the bottom of the sauce pan. Add the diced onion to the heated pan and cook on high stirring constantly, until you start to see some browning. Quickly whisk in the sugar and vinegars. Slightly lower your heat and keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to thicken. Add the wine and allow the mixture to get good and simmery so that it will reduce and thicken. When the liquid reduces by 3/4 or more add some salt & peeper and the cayenne, remove from heat and set aside.
Prepping the grill: Once the grill is clean and hot, very carefully spray the grill with the non stick spray they make specifically for the grill. BE VERY CAREFUL, as this is flammable. A much safer method is to take a clean rag and pour on some oil, then rub down the grill using a pair of long tongs. They also make baskets specifically for grilling fish and other delicate items on the grill. These are the easiest to use because they can easily be heated and then removed from the flame to give it a good coating of non stick spray. This is why it is very important to allow the fish to get to room temp before putting it to the heat. An ice cold piece of fish (or any protein for that matter) with stick like crazy glue when you place it on a hot grill or in a hot pan.
The hard part is done. Allow the fish to cook about 4-6 minutes per side, turning it only once. Remove the fish from the grill and cover with foil. Cut the other half of lemon to serve with the fish. Let the fish rest for about 5 minutes before plating. Enjoy!!!
Once upon a time you used to be able to get some decent seafood at Harry's, but it would cost you a pretty penny. Now it's called Whole Foods, or as I like to call it; whole paycheck, because it still costs a pretty penny. Only now, it seems that what you're paying for and what you get don't quite match up. Their prices are still high and the quality has dropped way down, not to mention, how far the drive is. There were times when I was stuck in traffic so bad that I probably could have just driven to beach! While there may be more to select from compared with that of the local grocery store, you will still see your fair share of previously frozen, farm raised, color enhanced, unfit for enjoyment, seafood items too. Where's the wholesomeness in that? Seems like a whole lot of crap to me!I guess that's why on a recent trip down to Perdido Key, I not only ate seafood every single day, but I took a bunch home in a cooler as well. Stocked in my cooler was whole Pompano, Yellowfin Tuna, huge gulf shrimp, and some red & orange roe. I shopped at a place called Joe Patti Seafood that has been in business there for over thirty years. They were so packed, you had to take a number and wait to place your order. I didn't mind waiting at all because it gave me chance to really look around and get some lunch at their Sushi Bar.
When I got home,I kept the whole Pompano (which BTW, is the best tasting fish I ever had) on ice to cook up the very next day, and sent the tuna, shrimp, and roe to the freezer. I served the Pompano very simply just char-grilled, with a sweet onion relish and sauteed veggies. I worried that I would be dissapointed, as I was trying to re-create the dish as it was the first time I had it, on Miami Beach back in April. Neither my skills, nor the fish dissapointed.
Tonight I served the the Yellowfin seared, with a wasabi sauce that was garnished with the two roes. I also made a salad of cucumber that was fresh from my garden, carrot, and rice noodles, with a gingery dressing. I had the shrimp for an appetizer, but I could not decide on shrimp cocktail or fried shrimp, so I made both. They were delicious accompanied by two dipping sauces.It was absolutely the best! It only could have been better if I was enjoying the meal with a view of the beach, so I looked out at my pool from the window and pretended.
Although I am always grateful for good food, I can't help but feel a bit sad knowing it will be quite some time before I can enjoy truly great seafood again. When I am close to the source, when it is at it's freshest and best....when I am at the beach.
Whole Grilled Pompano with Sweet Onion RelishWhole Pompano (Trout makes a nice sub)** Having the fish gutted and scaled at the store will spare you the time and mess.
Olive Oil, enough to coat the fish before grilling
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Fresh Thyme chopped, about a tablespoon
Fresh Dill chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 lemon cut in half
1 large sweet onion diced small
1- 2 TBS sugar
3 ounce White Wine Vinegar
1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
3 ounce White Wine
1 tiny pinch Cayenne Pepper
The first thing to do is prep the fish and get it all good and seasoned. When buying whole fish, you will normally find that it is sold "dressed", meaning that it has already been gutted and cleaned. I like to have the scales removed as well. You can also have the head removed, as some may find that unappetizing.
Take a really sharp knife and score the fish on both sides. I go on the diagonal and then crisscross my lines. You want to cut in to the skin with out cutting down in to the flesh. Sometimes you can't help but score a little of the flesh too and that's ok, as long as you're not going deep through it. This keeps the fish nice and flat while cooking, and allows for the seasoning to penetrate through the skin.
Now rub the fish down with down with the olive oil. Give it a nice massage. You know, if you pamper your ingredients they always behave and taste better. :) Next, give it a good sprinkle on both sides with half of the lemon, the salt and pepper, and other seasonings. Allow the fish to rest on a plate at room temp while you heat the grill and make the relish.
While the grill is heating, take drop of oil, butter, or pan spray, just enough to coat the bottom of the sauce pan. Add the diced onion to the heated pan and cook on high stirring constantly, until you start to see some browning. Quickly whisk in the sugar and vinegars. Slightly lower your heat and keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to thicken. Add the wine and allow the mixture to get good and simmery so that it will reduce and thicken. When the liquid reduces by 3/4 or more add some salt & peeper and the cayenne, remove from heat and set aside.
Prepping the grill: Once the grill is clean and hot, very carefully spray the grill with the non stick spray they make specifically for the grill. BE VERY CAREFUL, as this is flammable. A much safer method is to take a clean rag and pour on some oil, then rub down the grill using a pair of long tongs. They also make baskets specifically for grilling fish and other delicate items on the grill. These are the easiest to use because they can easily be heated and then removed from the flame to give it a good coating of non stick spray. This is why it is very important to allow the fish to get to room temp before putting it to the heat. An ice cold piece of fish (or any protein for that matter) with stick like crazy glue when you place it on a hot grill or in a hot pan.
The hard part is done. Allow the fish to cook about 4-6 minutes per side, turning it only once. Remove the fish from the grill and cover with foil. Cut the other half of lemon to serve with the fish. Let the fish rest for about 5 minutes before plating. Enjoy!!!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
A Taste Of Empty-nesterhood and Dog Ownership
The House is unbelievably quiet and uncommonly tidy. That's because the three noisemakers/mess makers that also reside here, are in Florida with Grandpa and Aunt Renae. It's bittersweet because on one hand; I am thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet along with the satisfaction of cleaning something, and actually having it stay clean. Not to mention the freedom of being able to come and go as I please, and go to work with out having to pay my sitter a good chunk my earnings. But on the other hand, I am either missing them, or feeling a touch of guilt because I don't.
If you have children and find yourself in the same predicament, I recommend dog sitting, as it will quickly remedy the the too quiet, no mess situation. We have been with out the children since this past Monday, but as of yesterday we have had Max, a beautiful Australian Shepherd who I believe would be the perfect dog to sit for, if my crazy cat had not stalked him all day yesterday.
Last night we decided to confine the cats to the two boy's rooms that connect via a bathroom. We did this so that Max could sleep in our bedroom, as he did not like the idea at all of having to be in his kennel. Just a short while ago, when Max and I came in from being outside (we had been several times already this morning), I came up stairs to put some laundry away and also check on the cats. Max was right by side. He obediently sat and stayed while I walked down the hallway to enter the door where the cats were. I made a quick pass through and checked the food and water, patted the good one on the head, and told the stalker that it served him right.
I could not have been gone more than a minute and a half when I came out of the other door. I was not surprised to see max when I opened the door, as I'm sure he thought the stay command I gave was only good as long as I remained within sight. What I was surprised to see was what Max had left in several little pieces on the floor right outside of the doorway, as if to further send a screw you message to me and the cats.
I think I did the right thing by just telling him no and immediately took him out side....again. Of course he did not have anything to do because he already unloaded inside, but I thought I should be on the safe side anyway. When we came in, I put him in his kennel where he has been scream/barking ever since.
The papers that his owners gave me had some information on how to use the kennel properly. It said not to let the dog out of the kennel while it is barking, because it teaches them that if they want out, then barking is what what will set then free.
What I want to know is how long will this take? What if he doesn't stop barking? Where is Ceasar Milan when you need him??
As for owning a dog when there are cats in the house and becoming an empty-nester, these are two things in life I can definitely wait for. That being said, I don't regret taking on Max, although, I think he would be a little happier if the kids were here and the cats were not. Still, I'm glad for the experience and the company.
When there's room in the heart there's room in house, even for a noise making, carpet pooping dog!
If you have children and find yourself in the same predicament, I recommend dog sitting, as it will quickly remedy the the too quiet, no mess situation. We have been with out the children since this past Monday, but as of yesterday we have had Max, a beautiful Australian Shepherd who I believe would be the perfect dog to sit for, if my crazy cat had not stalked him all day yesterday.
Last night we decided to confine the cats to the two boy's rooms that connect via a bathroom. We did this so that Max could sleep in our bedroom, as he did not like the idea at all of having to be in his kennel. Just a short while ago, when Max and I came in from being outside (we had been several times already this morning), I came up stairs to put some laundry away and also check on the cats. Max was right by side. He obediently sat and stayed while I walked down the hallway to enter the door where the cats were. I made a quick pass through and checked the food and water, patted the good one on the head, and told the stalker that it served him right.
I could not have been gone more than a minute and a half when I came out of the other door. I was not surprised to see max when I opened the door, as I'm sure he thought the stay command I gave was only good as long as I remained within sight. What I was surprised to see was what Max had left in several little pieces on the floor right outside of the doorway, as if to further send a screw you message to me and the cats.
I think I did the right thing by just telling him no and immediately took him out side....again. Of course he did not have anything to do because he already unloaded inside, but I thought I should be on the safe side anyway. When we came in, I put him in his kennel where he has been scream/barking ever since.
The papers that his owners gave me had some information on how to use the kennel properly. It said not to let the dog out of the kennel while it is barking, because it teaches them that if they want out, then barking is what what will set then free.
What I want to know is how long will this take? What if he doesn't stop barking? Where is Ceasar Milan when you need him??
As for owning a dog when there are cats in the house and becoming an empty-nester, these are two things in life I can definitely wait for. That being said, I don't regret taking on Max, although, I think he would be a little happier if the kids were here and the cats were not. Still, I'm glad for the experience and the company.
When there's room in the heart there's room in house, even for a noise making, carpet pooping dog!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tech Support
Last night I posted a great recipe that I not only made myself, but
photo documented it step by step as I was working.
photo documented it step by step as I was working.
It wasn't a complicated procedure, but I myself would prefer to see a
picture of how someone tied up a chicken, than read how to to it .
Long story short, my pictures went missing somewhere in cyberspace.
Probably and unfortunately, never to be seen again.
This is what you get when you sleep with your Tech Support guy!
Ok, so he happens to be my husband too, still I'm just sayin. :)
Sent from my iPhone
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Chicken Roulade
Today I worked from home and made Chicken Roulade. Don't let the fancy French name intimidate you if you would like to try my recipe. I'm not even sure if I spelled it correctly and I am too lazy to go look it up. It's basically stuffed chicken breasts that are rolled, then cooked and sliced up for serving. They are pretty and tasty, and these in particular are low in fat.
I don't know many French techniques that come without some degree of fussiness, but if you enjoy cooking I promise this really isn't too bad. It is definitely worth the work.
I also have some photos that I will include with this post.
Ingredients:
Thin cut chicken breast cutlets (I used a 1.5 pound package that had about 6 cutlets)
6 oz bag of baby spinach
1 small container of mushrooms
smoked sun dried tomatoes (1 small package)
1 8 oz shredded Italian 3 cheese mix (I like the Organic Valley brand)
Italian seasoning blend
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup flour
Butchers string for tying the roulades
First make the stuffing by chopping up the spinach, mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes
Add the bag of cheese and some seasoning and salt & pepper
Set that aside. * Note* Although the name is French, the heart of this dish which is the stuffing, is red, white, and green. All the colors of the Italian flag!
Now prep the chicken. I like to use disposable cutting sheets on top of my cutting board. Lay the cutlets out on your board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound out the chicken nice and thin with out tearing it up. When you are finished, mound generous amounts of the stuffing on top of the chicken. Taking care to not loose all your stuffing, firmly roll each piece of chicken up and place seam side down on your board.
Using the string, now tie each roll just like tying a crossed knot a package (end to end and across see photo). Start with the seam side up and return to seam side down
for the final tie. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt & pepper
Place the flour in a bowl and roll the chicken in it to coat well all around.
Heat up a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, just to cover the bottom.
Brown the chicken on all side and transfer to a sided baking sheet or roasting pan.
Finish cooking the chicken in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes or until done.
Allow the chicken to rest before cutting the string and then slicing into little rolls.
I served this on some Jasmine rice with a nice white wine & herb sauce. I like to serve this over couscous too.
I don't know many French techniques that come without some degree of fussiness, but if you enjoy cooking I promise this really isn't too bad. It is definitely worth the work.
I also have some photos that I will include with this post.
Ingredients:
Thin cut chicken breast cutlets (I used a 1.5 pound package that had about 6 cutlets)
6 oz bag of baby spinach
1 small container of mushrooms
smoked sun dried tomatoes (1 small package)
1 8 oz shredded Italian 3 cheese mix (I like the Organic Valley brand)
Italian seasoning blend
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup flour
Butchers string for tying the roulades
First make the stuffing by chopping up the spinach, mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes
Add the bag of cheese and some seasoning and salt & pepper
Set that aside. * Note* Although the name is French, the heart of this dish which is the stuffing, is red, white, and green. All the colors of the Italian flag!
Now prep the chicken. I like to use disposable cutting sheets on top of my cutting board. Lay the cutlets out on your board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound out the chicken nice and thin with out tearing it up. When you are finished, mound generous amounts of the stuffing on top of the chicken. Taking care to not loose all your stuffing, firmly roll each piece of chicken up and place seam side down on your board.
Using the string, now tie each roll just like tying a crossed knot a package (end to end and across see photo). Start with the seam side up and return to seam side down
for the final tie. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt & pepper
Place the flour in a bowl and roll the chicken in it to coat well all around.
Heat up a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, just to cover the bottom.
Brown the chicken on all side and transfer to a sided baking sheet or roasting pan.
Finish cooking the chicken in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes or until done.
Allow the chicken to rest before cutting the string and then slicing into little rolls.
I served this on some Jasmine rice with a nice white wine & herb sauce. I like to serve this over couscous too.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Clarity
As I was getting ready for work this morning something important started to occur to me. Not the fact that the night before my best friend and I lost our hair together; mine by choice, and hers by breast cancer. No, you couldn't forget something like a missing head hair, but still I had the feeling like I had forgotten something and couldn't put my finger on it. I was also feeling a little nervous about actually walking out of the door with out my hair and that took me by surprise.
It was then that I realized that while most everyone in my circle of family and friends was aware and in support of what I was doing regarding my hair, a lot of the people I see every day wouldn't have a clue. I would have to drive through a security gate and see the guard there to get to the family I work for, and although the family was in the know, the handful of other employees that are in and out of the location in a day (and today there were 3) were not. Not to mention my daily (and I do literally mean daily..... I am a Personal Chef) trip to the grocery store. I know most of the people that work there by name and vice versa.
I started to think of what all of these people would think when they saw me and realized, wholly cow, they're going to think I have cancer, they're going to feel sorry for me and I don't want that. A complete moment of clarity (I'm talking crystal) followed that thought. I remembered a conversation I had with Denise way back where she was saying how she didn't want people to feel sorry for her, and it blew my mind (in a good way) that I was feeling something that she felt.
It's one thing to say to a person going through something we haven't experienced, "I can imagine how you feel". I've said that before, and frequently do try to imagine myself in the shoes of someone else for the sake of trying to understand what it's like for them. However, it is something else so much more powerful to actually feel what you know someone else is feeling. Especially if it's someone you love.
I was not nervous or afraid to walk out the door after that. I got in the car and called to tell her what I was thinking. I know it made her feel better and I felt empowered that I could do it just by truly knowing a little bit about what it's like for her.
I would down a bottle of Ipecac syrup and puke my guts up for a week strait just so we could compare notes, if I thought it would make her feel any better. I know she would not feel better if I went to that extreme. I'm just saying that all I want out of this is help her. I want her to be well and not have cancer in the first place, as I'm sure she does too, but no one can change that. I want her to never feel alone. I want her get though this A OK and I truly believe that she will.
Please keep her in thought & prayer.
It was then that I realized that while most everyone in my circle of family and friends was aware and in support of what I was doing regarding my hair, a lot of the people I see every day wouldn't have a clue. I would have to drive through a security gate and see the guard there to get to the family I work for, and although the family was in the know, the handful of other employees that are in and out of the location in a day (and today there were 3) were not. Not to mention my daily (and I do literally mean daily..... I am a Personal Chef) trip to the grocery store. I know most of the people that work there by name and vice versa.
I started to think of what all of these people would think when they saw me and realized, wholly cow, they're going to think I have cancer, they're going to feel sorry for me and I don't want that. A complete moment of clarity (I'm talking crystal) followed that thought. I remembered a conversation I had with Denise way back where she was saying how she didn't want people to feel sorry for her, and it blew my mind (in a good way) that I was feeling something that she felt.
It's one thing to say to a person going through something we haven't experienced, "I can imagine how you feel". I've said that before, and frequently do try to imagine myself in the shoes of someone else for the sake of trying to understand what it's like for them. However, it is something else so much more powerful to actually feel what you know someone else is feeling. Especially if it's someone you love.
I was not nervous or afraid to walk out the door after that. I got in the car and called to tell her what I was thinking. I know it made her feel better and I felt empowered that I could do it just by truly knowing a little bit about what it's like for her.
I would down a bottle of Ipecac syrup and puke my guts up for a week strait just so we could compare notes, if I thought it would make her feel any better. I know she would not feel better if I went to that extreme. I'm just saying that all I want out of this is help her. I want her to be well and not have cancer in the first place, as I'm sure she does too, but no one can change that. I want her to never feel alone. I want her get though this A OK and I truly believe that she will.
Please keep her in thought & prayer.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friends That Go Bald Together Stick Together
Denise and I have known each other since before kindergarten. Our parents were friends and hung out a lot, so we sort of grew up together. Except for the fact that we don't share any of the same DNA, we consider ourselves like sisters.
Recently Denise was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Her first treatment was two weeks ago and the second round is scheduled for next week. When I saw her just a few days ago, I bet her a sushi lunch that the thick head of hair she was worried about loosing would not start to fall out until after her second treatment. I used to be a hairdresser, and she's got one of the thickest heads of hair I've ever seen, so I was really surprised by her phone call this morning to inform me that her hair started coming out.
I knew way back in April when Denise was first diagnosed that I was not going to stand by and let her loose her hair by herself. I decided I would shave my head when the time came. I would not have even given this a second thought had it not been for her apprehension about me doing this. I can't tell you how she has tried to talk me out of it. My only regret is that I wish I would have thought of this 2 years ago when Annie, another sister by association, was suffering terribly with a different kind of cancer. Having said that, I suppose part of the reason why I feel so strongly about doing this might be in part because of Anne Marie Fittipaldi. Like Denise, I'm sure Annie would have tried to get me to change my mind.
But I am not changing my mind. Tonight I am going to shave my head. In actuality, Denise will be the one with the clippers in hand since I don't think I could get a close shave on my own. I am going to proudly change my Facebook profile picture too. I will continue to shave my head until her hair starts to grow back.
I never want her to look at me while she's going through this and feel bad because I have my hair, and she does not.
I would not eat a big fat piece of chocolate cake in front of her if she was allergic to chocolate and could not eat any herself. Nor, would I drink a cocktail in front of her if she was a recovering alcoholic trying to stay sober. A friend would not do any of that, and so shaving my head is kind of the same principle. Besides, even though I know she would much prefer I keep my hair while she just appreciate the idea of me doing it, I hope that I might help other people going through this to feel better. I hope I have an opportunity to have someone I don't know with cancer approach me, because then I'll have a chance to not only tell them of my support of my best friend, but hopefully offer a little support for them too.
Recently Denise was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Her first treatment was two weeks ago and the second round is scheduled for next week. When I saw her just a few days ago, I bet her a sushi lunch that the thick head of hair she was worried about loosing would not start to fall out until after her second treatment. I used to be a hairdresser, and she's got one of the thickest heads of hair I've ever seen, so I was really surprised by her phone call this morning to inform me that her hair started coming out.
I knew way back in April when Denise was first diagnosed that I was not going to stand by and let her loose her hair by herself. I decided I would shave my head when the time came. I would not have even given this a second thought had it not been for her apprehension about me doing this. I can't tell you how she has tried to talk me out of it. My only regret is that I wish I would have thought of this 2 years ago when Annie, another sister by association, was suffering terribly with a different kind of cancer. Having said that, I suppose part of the reason why I feel so strongly about doing this might be in part because of Anne Marie Fittipaldi. Like Denise, I'm sure Annie would have tried to get me to change my mind.
But I am not changing my mind. Tonight I am going to shave my head. In actuality, Denise will be the one with the clippers in hand since I don't think I could get a close shave on my own. I am going to proudly change my Facebook profile picture too. I will continue to shave my head until her hair starts to grow back.
I never want her to look at me while she's going through this and feel bad because I have my hair, and she does not.
I would not eat a big fat piece of chocolate cake in front of her if she was allergic to chocolate and could not eat any herself. Nor, would I drink a cocktail in front of her if she was a recovering alcoholic trying to stay sober. A friend would not do any of that, and so shaving my head is kind of the same principle. Besides, even though I know she would much prefer I keep my hair while she just appreciate the idea of me doing it, I hope that I might help other people going through this to feel better. I hope I have an opportunity to have someone I don't know with cancer approach me, because then I'll have a chance to not only tell them of my support of my best friend, but hopefully offer a little support for them too.
Actual Recipe BBB & HS
In a posted comment on the Big Beautiful Biscuits and Ham Salad, I saw a request for an actual recipe. Here it is.
For the biscuits:
Use your favorite drop style biscuit recipe or a store bought dry mix and add:
1/2 cup finely chopped chives
1/3 cup packed shredded cheddar cheese
note; you may need a few more drops of liquid to the dough since you are adding additional non liquid ingredients.
Line a sheet pan with parchment, then drop an approximate three inch blob of dough, leaving a good 1.5 inches in between blobs on the pan. Bake in a 375 oven for about 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan once about half way through.
While the biscuits are baking prepare the salad.
Ham Salad:
1 pound of good deli ham sliced in 1/8 - 1/4 inch slices
7- 10 big green olives chopped up
7-10 large black olives chopped up
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives (reserve from biscuits)
1/2 (or more if you LOVE cheese) cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 Texas Pete baby dill pickles finely chopped
3 Tablespoons diced pimentos
2 - 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
2- 3 heaping teaspoons of a quality Dijon mustard
3-4 (or more depending on your taste) hot sauce or Tabasco
fresh ground pepper to taste
Dice up the ham and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix. Can be chilled or served right away with the warm biscuits. To assemble sandwiches, use a fork to split the biscuits in half, then top with salad and enjoy!
Dice
For the biscuits:
Use your favorite drop style biscuit recipe or a store bought dry mix and add:
1/2 cup finely chopped chives
1/3 cup packed shredded cheddar cheese
note; you may need a few more drops of liquid to the dough since you are adding additional non liquid ingredients.
Line a sheet pan with parchment, then drop an approximate three inch blob of dough, leaving a good 1.5 inches in between blobs on the pan. Bake in a 375 oven for about 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan once about half way through.
While the biscuits are baking prepare the salad.
Ham Salad:
1 pound of good deli ham sliced in 1/8 - 1/4 inch slices
7- 10 big green olives chopped up
7-10 large black olives chopped up
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives (reserve from biscuits)
1/2 (or more if you LOVE cheese) cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 Texas Pete baby dill pickles finely chopped
3 Tablespoons diced pimentos
2 - 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
2- 3 heaping teaspoons of a quality Dijon mustard
3-4 (or more depending on your taste) hot sauce or Tabasco
fresh ground pepper to taste
Dice up the ham and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix. Can be chilled or served right away with the warm biscuits. To assemble sandwiches, use a fork to split the biscuits in half, then top with salad and enjoy!
Dice
Monday, July 20, 2009
Big Beautiful Biscuits.....and Ham Salad
I made some rather tasty southern food today for the artist that I work for. I really dig it when I come up with something off the top of my head that gets a second and/or more request to be served again. What was especially cool about this one was that it was pretty recently that I made it the first time, and so I remembered exactly what I did to put it together.
It was Ham Salad. Though my employer (he's such a foodie) likes to call it "ham tapenade", I'm going to stick with Ham Salad. Hey, it's my blog and my recipe! So I served it on these cheddar chive biscuits that I so proudly made from scratch. I say that because to be quite honest, there are very few things I bake from scratch that I can actually say I'm proud of.
In fact, once while working for this artist/foodie, when I was putting something pastry in to the oven, someone passed through the kitchen and commented on how good it looked. I remember thinking to myself that looks can be very deceiving." Of course I would never undermine my culinary expertise or self confidence by saying such comments aloud in the presence of my artist/foodie employer, however, most chefs are strictly one side of the kitchen or the other. Meaning; hot food/cuisine, or baking and pastry. So yes, my side of the kitchen is definitely the food side. All the chefs I know (cuisine and pastry alike) have a strong preference one way or the other and are mostly only good on one side of the kitchen or the other. Sure, there are some chefs (kind of like bisexuals) who like to switch sides every now and then too, but this does not mean that they perform equally as well on both sides. I don't mean to say that the chef who excels at and enjoys working both sides of the kitchen does not exist, I only mean to say that it is very rarely seen.
Well, here's what I did with my Bi (just kidding) Biscuits & Ham Salad:
I mixed in with the chopped ham, some black and green olives, pimentos, shredded cheddar cheese (just a little), a little bit more chives just for good measure, some chopped up Texas Pete dill pickles, a drop or two of hot sauce, and a spoonful each of good Dijon mustard and mayo to get the salad to loosely hold together. Oh, and some fresh ground pepper. No salt, as the ham and olives are plenty salty.
I made the biscuits with full fat buttermilk and a drizzle of heavy cream for a looser dough that I dropped (not rolled & cut because I hate the extra step of the rolling and cutting, see I'm not a pastry person). Plus I think that the extra flour needed to roll and the actual cutting
makes tough biscuits. Sorry I can't tell you exact measurements (only baking and pastry people would do that), I just eyeball it and know how the dough needs to feel.
It was Ham Salad. Though my employer (he's such a foodie) likes to call it "ham tapenade", I'm going to stick with Ham Salad. Hey, it's my blog and my recipe! So I served it on these cheddar chive biscuits that I so proudly made from scratch. I say that because to be quite honest, there are very few things I bake from scratch that I can actually say I'm proud of.
In fact, once while working for this artist/foodie, when I was putting something pastry in to the oven, someone passed through the kitchen and commented on how good it looked. I remember thinking to myself that looks can be very deceiving." Of course I would never undermine my culinary expertise or self confidence by saying such comments aloud in the presence of my artist/foodie employer, however, most chefs are strictly one side of the kitchen or the other. Meaning; hot food/cuisine, or baking and pastry. So yes, my side of the kitchen is definitely the food side. All the chefs I know (cuisine and pastry alike) have a strong preference one way or the other and are mostly only good on one side of the kitchen or the other. Sure, there are some chefs (kind of like bisexuals) who like to switch sides every now and then too, but this does not mean that they perform equally as well on both sides. I don't mean to say that the chef who excels at and enjoys working both sides of the kitchen does not exist, I only mean to say that it is very rarely seen.
Well, here's what I did with my Bi (just kidding) Biscuits & Ham Salad:
I mixed in with the chopped ham, some black and green olives, pimentos, shredded cheddar cheese (just a little), a little bit more chives just for good measure, some chopped up Texas Pete dill pickles, a drop or two of hot sauce, and a spoonful each of good Dijon mustard and mayo to get the salad to loosely hold together. Oh, and some fresh ground pepper. No salt, as the ham and olives are plenty salty.
I made the biscuits with full fat buttermilk and a drizzle of heavy cream for a looser dough that I dropped (not rolled & cut because I hate the extra step of the rolling and cutting, see I'm not a pastry person). Plus I think that the extra flour needed to roll and the actual cutting
makes tough biscuits. Sorry I can't tell you exact measurements (only baking and pastry people would do that), I just eyeball it and know how the dough needs to feel.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Feeling Fruity
I have worked with fruit a lot this week. I made a pineapple stuffed halibut with a pineapple and chille sauce, I did BBQ shrimp and chicken with a BBQ sauce I made out of blackberries (twice, once for my family and once of the artist I work for...my second job), and I made a pretty decent salad featuring grilled peaches, a peach vinaigrette, goat cheese, and candied & spiced pecans.
All in all, everything was good eats!
All in all, everything was good eats!
Ratatouille
I think it's ironic that my youngest just picked out the movie
Ratatouille the other day at Blockbuster. Not because I am a chef, who
by the way, happens loves that movie, but because of an interesting
conversation I had on the phone this morning.
Ratatouille the other day at Blockbuster. Not because I am a chef, who
by the way, happens loves that movie, but because of an interesting
conversation I had on the phone this morning.
My boss at the Italian restaurant called me to see if I could pick up
a few extra shifts this week end and as we are talking, he tells me
about a pretty large rat that some how found its way in to his house
last night. Although I kept this to myself, I was wondering if Remy
really does exist and had come to inspire him with a few great new
dishes.
What I found even funnier was that he locked Remy up in his bathroom
and all night long this rat was trying to chew his way out of the
wooden door. My boss said he got very little sleep because of the
noise it actually made a banging noise on the door while it was
chewing.
Although his 2 dogs never woke up, (cats would never have tolerated
such an intrusion) when ever my boss did fall asleep he was plagued
with bad dreams that Remy was coming after him.
I think he said he actually left for the restaurant and left the rat
locked up in the bathroom. I just sent him a text, which he won't
answer because he doesn't actually know how to text, but I was
wondering what the daily special was today, perhaps, I don't know,
maybe..... Ratatouille??
--
Laura R. Lynn
Cook, Eat and Be Happy!
Follow my Blog! http://asafinewine.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Favorite Burger Joint
My favorite new burger place is 5 Guys Burgers. The first time I had one was when I was last in Miami. Wonderful burger and the fries are extraordinary. In fact each day they post exactly where in the world that the potatoes come from for the fries. Recently my nephews visited from Jersey and the Chef took them there one day. The boys were already converts but for the Chef, it was her first experience. They visited more than once while the boys were here. Ummmm. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Making Sushi at Home
My boss at the Italian restaurant I work at wants to get together so we can make sushi. We both love sushi and sometimes on a Saturday, in between lunch and dinner, I'll run out and get some to go from another local restaurant, obviously a Japanese place. We sit at a booth in the back while an occasional customer will walk by and heckle us; the chefs on a break eating take out sushi.
I have attempted making sushi at home before and it is not as easy as one might think it would be for a chef. Even though we'll both be going in to the whole sushi endeavor as complete amateurs experimenting, I'm still not going to look like the hack that I was back when I had the boss over for Christmas dinner and carved up a rib roast that was raw in the middle, and had to be grilled in pieces before I could serve it.
No, I will not suffer any kind of embarrassment like that again. At least sushi is served raw, so I'm safe there. I have also done some practicing tonight with the basic California Roll. My avacado was a tad bit over ripe and I could have really used some orange fish roe, but other than that it was pretty good. At least the family enjoyed it.
I have attempted making sushi at home before and it is not as easy as one might think it would be for a chef. Even though we'll both be going in to the whole sushi endeavor as complete amateurs experimenting, I'm still not going to look like the hack that I was back when I had the boss over for Christmas dinner and carved up a rib roast that was raw in the middle, and had to be grilled in pieces before I could serve it.
No, I will not suffer any kind of embarrassment like that again. At least sushi is served raw, so I'm safe there. I have also done some practicing tonight with the basic California Roll. My avacado was a tad bit over ripe and I could have really used some orange fish roe, but other than that it was pretty good. At least the family enjoyed it.
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