off kilter

I'd been out of sorts today and couldn't pinpoint what threw me off. It may very well be the confluence of random things that are generally mild irritants but have reached critical mass. And it feels as though the best method to deal with this...blah-ness...is to empty my mind. Too much clutter, too much overthinking, too much.

One way I cleared the detritus was by cooking. I roasted a chicken and sauteed some green beans for dinner, with carrot fennel soup to start and some good bread. Fennel is becoming a favorite soup additive. Its raw flavor is too intense for me; it mellows out considerably in a soup context, and adds a little bulk to a puree.

Tomorrow we'll have a warm chicken salad with tomatoes and greens from the csa box. I've used up the last of the frozen chicken stock so the carcass from this particular bird comes at an opportune time. Maybe I'll make a chicken salad sandwich for lunch tomorrow. I've got some avocados that need eating, and they'd be swell in said sandwich.

Even writing about cooking is having a cleansing effect. I'm starting to feel better already. Not to mention a little peckish.

what's for dinner?

I've been a little slack in the cooking arena over the past few weeks. Lots of takeout and lunches out were all I could manage while work life was ramped up. Now that I've moved toward the eye of the hurricane, I had the inspiration to make dinner.

It was unseasonably warm. I thought a salad would be appropriate, but a salad with warm components. I had taken out chicken parts to defrost in the morning, including wings for Z so I could make her absolute favorite, soyaki* chicken wings.

I started the other chicken parts in the skillet with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, browning them enough so that the fat from the skin was rendered. A fried chicken salad started forming in my mind. Ideally, the fried chicken should be the good stuff: buttermilk marinade and deep frying. It was too late, though, so I kept the heat on medium and continued browning until everything was brown and crispy. Lemon juice was added to the pan for flavor depth. I shook some Old Bay over the adult share; I knew better than to season O's share. Meanwhile, Z's wings were baking in the oven at 400 degrees, 425 degrees during the last few minutes to add some color.

The salad was a mix of red leaf lettuce, baby heirloom tomatoes (not dissimilar to cherry tomatoes and with the same squirtability factor), and avocado. I had some Trader Joe's goddess dressing - avocado is best with a creamy dressing. I am too lazy to make creamy dressings. The chicken was sliced on top. We ate. And all was well in the world.


*Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce. It works miracles on chicken. Seek it out.

the csa box

I've joined a CSA on a four-week trial basis - not because I doubt the quality of the produce but more that I wouldn't do it justice. Work is intense this month, and I can visualize the wilted and yellowed vegetables that could arise.

I picked up the goods on Wednesday, and just now I'm starting to delve into it. Tonight I'm caramelizing the baby turnips as a side dish to my leftover-from-lunch tuna sandwich. Tomorrow I will make a pureed carrot soup for dinner. That with some good bread and cheese and the d'anjou pears hanging out on my kitchen counter will be a happy time. I have some Portuguese kale that will also be a soup green, I think. The savoy cabbage will be slowly sauteed in butter and finished with a knob of butter. A small head of escarole will be sauteed with anchovies - this is really good. Two perfect tiny heads of baby lettuces will be a salad with goat cheese and some dried fruit, tossed with the orange infused olive oil and one of the vinegars. Baby spring onions, I will find a use for you. Leeks, you're being sliced lengthwise, caramelized, and paired with scallops. The butternut squash will be thrown into the oven; I think I saw an intriguing recipe for a butternut squash flatbread somewhere. I am ignoring the fennel for now.

no corned beef and cabbage for the likes of me.

It just occurred to me that, due to my Lenten no-meat vow, I will not be able to partake in my usual St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage consumption. Booooo...but you know what, I'm booing only in theory. I don't have the desire to (gasp!) break my vow nor am I particularly craving the cb + c.

Going in, I thought that I'd have a harder time, a more resentful time, but I've been okay. It's not even highly annoying. Just an "oh well" kind of feeling. And then I'm over it.

What I'm really craving these days is a perfectly ripe avocado drizzled with toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar. Heaven.

what we ate at Japantown today

We had a family lunch at Mifune, my old Japantown standby. O got the bullet train bento with rice and tempura. I ordered chicken kushi katsu for Z - she will never turn down any kind of deep fried chicken, and this had the bonus of being on skewers. (for the record, she ate it all, one for lunch and the leftover two for dinner) I had the tamago donburi, though I really wanted the oyako or curry, and D got the seafood soba soup. For dessert, we strolled to May's Coffee Shop and got a couple of chocolate filled taiyaki. Taiyaki, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, are essentially pancakes filled with red bean paste, chocolate, or any number of fillings. O, to my surprise, was completely disinterested in his, but Z, who has had them in the past, ate hers with great gusto. She also watched one of the women behind the counter mass produce taiyaki. We got as far as watching the batter being poured into the line of pans before Z wandered off.

We paid an obligatory visit to the Sanrio shop but didn't buy anything - recession budget, you know - and admired some of the anime and tchotchke laden window displays elsewhere.

Times like this make me happy.

new and rather exciting Trader Joe's discoveries

Okay, maybe these have been hanging around for a while and I haven't noticed, but now that I have, they've reinvigorated my love for the TJ's.

Panang curry with vegetables and jasmine rice. This is a frozen meal, amazingly enough, and the curry is fantastic. The vegetables are just ok. I'll add some tofu next time. Tonight, I sauteed up some broccoli rabe and there was enough sauce leftover to dip. Yum.

Eggplant garlic dip. This comes in a wide-mouthed jar - a thoughtful touch for those of us who refuse to dump a portion into a small bowl the way civilized people do. Thick enough to be part of a sandwich as a condiment, perfect on its own. That, along with two whole wheat pita and some fruit, was lunch today.

And when I'm off this no-meat Lenten diet, there is a mango, red quinoa, and chicken salad calling my name.

coming up for air

Very hectic week. All of my good intentions for fully utilizing my gym membership have been lurking at the bottom of the priority list. I'm starting to feel a bit like Bullwinkle. "This time for sure!"

Ruminations about my lack of free time aside, I have been not missed meat terribly, but there is a Chinese chicken dish - one of my comfort foods - that hangs out in my consciousness, reminding me every so often that 1) the highest quality ingredients can make a simple dish shine and 2) I really like peanut oil. Herewith, the recipe, courtesy of epicurious.com and tinkered with by me.

Poached Chicken with Ginger Scallion Sauce

• 1 3 1/2-lb. chicken - get the best chicken you can find. Cut up, bone in chicken thighs or breasts work well if the chopping of the whole chicken into pieces is intimidating.
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh ginger (you can use more or less, depends on how much you like ginger)
• 9 scallions stalks, about a bunch, reserving 6 for the stockpot (again, you can adjust based on your preference)
• Salt

1. Place the chicken and six whole scallion stalks in a covered stock pot filled with enough salted water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken stand in the cooking liquid until just warm, about a half hour. Drain, reserving the broth for another use (though I can't imagine what...it'll be too weak for a stock...but I'm sure you will have ideas). Discard the scallions.

If you're using thighs or breasts, simmer for 10 minutes and steep for a half hour.

2. In the meantime, mince the ginger and the white and light green parts of the remaining scallions and set aside in a ramekin or small shallow bowl.

3. Cut the chicken into chopstick-ready pieces.

4. Heat the peanut in a small saucepan or small skillet (like an 8" one if you have it, nonstick rocks for this) , and when it is hot and smoking, pour into the ramekin holding the minced scallions and ginger. Add salt to taste. Stir a bit to combine the ingredients.

5. Get your chopsticks and rice - long grain white, brown, whatever works for you. Dip chicken pieces into the sauce. Eat. Enjoy. 

sort of a meh day for food

though I made myself a swiss cheese, avocado and tomato croissant sandwich for lunch.

good music and good food

First, to get my excitement out of the way, a new Gorillaz album is forthcoming next Tuesday. Then there's a collaboration called Broken Bells - Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins - that on first listen sounds like my next favorite, ousting One eskimO from its long tenure. Both of the long plays (oh yes I did) are available as a stream off npr.org. Go check them out, do.

On food deck tonight - Trader Joe's cheese tortellini tossed with leftover diced tomatoes, Colavita extra virgin olive oil, and the rest of the mozzarella balls. Dandelion greens sauteed with garlic and chopped anchovies to round it out. Another banana muffin for dessert. The kids had a slightly different variation of last night's fruit salad. O had tortellini in tomato sauce; he is not a fan of uncooked tomatoes. It must be a texture thing. Z had one giant chicken tender from what clearly was a ginormous mutant chicken.

A quiet, solitary night ahead. I need this opportunity to recharge. But not until after the Broken Bells stream is done.

day of rest, aka leftovers can rock

We had brunch with friends at this buffet-type place, so I had loaded up on salmon and mussels earlier. The fruit selection was unbelievably pathetic - bad cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon. When did these perfectly fine and luscious fruits become waterlogged filler, the fruity equivalent of iceberg lettuce? Shame.

All this greed in the a.m. meant a sluggish p.m. The adults in the household were not hungry come dinner, but of course the minis were ravenous. I poked around the fridge and found the leftover cheese pizza from Saturday lunch. Then I grabbed some real fruit - a gala apple, two pineapple spears, green grapes (not organic and definitely non-local, but I was bullied into getting them by the tiny dictators), strawberries (organic but non-seasonal), and blueberries (um, yeah, not seasonal either) - and made a gigantic fruit salad. They ate 95% of it, and we nibbled on the rest. After putting them to bed, I went to the supermarket for a few things, including an Amy's bean and cheese burrito for my own dinner, which was complemented by leftover tomato and mozzarella salad, a banana muffin from the batch O and I made this morning, and a packet of haw flakes.

And to all a good night.

yesterday and today

Friday dinner consisted of potato and leek soup, goat's milk gouda, La Brea Bakery baguette, sliced pear and grapes and a bottle of 2008 sauvignon blanc from the wine club. Lunch (at home because it was a work at home day due to logistics) was leftover Chinese takeaway from Thursday dinner. Sweet and sour fish (my ancestors are spinning in their graves) and the prawns with the walnuts.

So today I have ambitions to make a tomato mozzarella basil salad - not quite a caprese, more chunky I think is more in keeping with the last of winter - for lunch. Avocados drizzled with toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar and soba noodles for dinner. Edamame for the O. And maybe some sushi from the Japanese hole in the wall to round it out.

In the meantime, I'm making steel cut oats for the first time. FAIL. The proportions of water to oats on the canister say four cups to 1/4 cup. Really? It ain't working.

broccoli di cicco and other excursions

Tonight was random greens night. I felt like having sauteed savory greens over brown rice with a couple of fried eggs. So, I chose to make the bunch of broccoli di cicco and chopped up the rest of the green garlic to cook with. The depth of flavor that green garlic can impart is nothing short of amazing. I will buy whole crops if I run across it now.

To save myself some lunch angst tomorrow, I'm stirfrying sweet potato chunks, halved white mushrooms, and lacinto kale with some regular ol' garlic. That'll go over the rest of the brown rice. Listening to One eskimO. Minis are sleeping away, D is in Vegas for a conference or somesuch. It's a peaceful, productive night.

a lazy post-work day

which meant grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. At least I managed to slice one roma tomato from the last organic veg/fruit delivery for my sandwich. It was good and sweet.

A few of my co-workers and I went to Chinatown for our annual Lunar NY dim sum feast. I managed to stick to the shrimp and seafood related things, except for one small lapse when a piece of beef cheung fun appeared on my plate - I was on the phone and wasn't paying attention - and I ate it thinking it was shrimp. No regrets, though. Nope.

spinach + green garlic = heavenly

The only issue was that spinach released too much water. I would've preferred a more dry saute to make this dish really shine. Peanut oil heated to smoke point, toss in the green garlic (sliced on the diagonal), 30 seconds later, toss in the spinach in batches until everything just wilts. Eat with brown rice and be happy.

an old favorite for dinner tonight

Sauteed brussels sprouts in garlic infused olive oil with toasted pinenuts - all tossed into fresh fettuccine with parm reg sprinkled liberally on top.

There were two mangos in the fridge that became mango pudding with coconut milk. I thought it was okay - undecided on whether the two strong flavors were battling.

And the potatoes? Simmered in the rest of the coconut milk with peas with curry. It smells better than it tastes. Something's missing and a little research is in order.

All in all, a satisfying cooking experiment day.

any form of broccoli rocks with oyster sauce

Tonight was rapini sauteed in peanut oil with oyster sauce and mirin to accompany the soy-glazed salmon and leftover brown rice. We were rather sophisticated and had a cheese course for dessert because D had bought this Spanish fig almond cake from the Ferry Building and it was screaming for cheese.

I haven't been on this vegetarian diet for a week yet, but so far I'm feeling like I can do this. I feel more hungry in between meals; time to graze and snack. Trail mix is saving me right now. There's a good hunk of goat gouda left. And who can forget Laughing Cow's triangle cheese?

Yes, I can.

(oh yeah. potatoes. urgent action needed. check.)

so the sunflower sprouts were the first to go

I tossed them in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and some chopped sundried tomatoes. Freshly ground pepper to taste. As you can imagine, they had a nutty, buttery flavor to them. They were good! A nice offset to the crab manicotti we had for dinner.

My red potatoes have suddenly begun to bud (well, okay, they have been hanging out on the counter for a couple of weeks...) so they will be dealt with tomorrow. Some may go into a kale soup, some may turn into a gratin. It'll all depend on how inspired I feel tomorrow.

diary of a CSA box

I have some fun cooking experiments coming in the next week or so. The big ol' bag of veggies that I got from a local CSA included:

• adorable tiny potatoes
• a small bunch of young Nantes carrots
• six fennel stalks and bulbs - big ones
• spinach
• green garlic (smells fabulous)
• brussels sprouts
• broccoli rabe (I think)
• sunflower sprouts
• escarole
• dandelion greens
• rapini greens
• savoy cabbage

First up is are the fennel - not my favorite vegetable but I found a recipe using copious amounts of butter and parmesan. Brussels sprouts - easy. Pan fry with olive oil, garlic and pinenuts, toss over pasta or brown rice. However...sunflower sprouts and escarole? That'll take some research.

and we're off to a good start

Spinach and mushroom quesadillas tonight with a healthy dollop of Trader Joe's chipotle salsa. Baked pears for dessert.

But...I'm finishing some chicken drumsticks that mom had made with love and brought over for Chinese New Year lunch. I think that's ok, don't you? It's a shame to waste food.

Lent. and all that goes with it.

I'm not religious by any stretch of the imagination, but lately I've been attending to my spiritual self as a means of refocusing and realigning. Which is why we had Fat Tuesday pancakes tonight and I'm heading to Ash Wednesday service tomorrow.

I will be giving up meat for 40 days. Not fish or eggs, though. I'm not sure what to expect. I love hot dogs and have regular cheeseburger cravings. I don't think I can drive by In-N-Out Burger until after Easter. Otherwise, I can do this.

I thought about giving up other things, like caffeine, shopping, endlessly surfing the web or whiling away hours on Facebook, and sweets, to name a few. I thought about going the extra mile and volunteering in a soup kitchen or Z's school. Then I thought I'd better scale back on these ambitions.

So, I'm starting with the meatless/pescatarian diet. I've got quinoa on deck. All is good.