To Heartichokes: Loving Springy 'Chokes

I've been obsessed with making artichokes. But I'm a pansy so far and haven't ventured into FRESH ones because what if I don't get the middle out completely (the hairy part that could choke/kill people)? So, I've been taking it slow. I made this pea artichoke salad side dish thingy for a Passover party.

I HATE raw red onions. So I soaked some of them in water and vinegar to both cut the grossness & add some pickling. I also sauteed some of them then threw in the artichokes added a little butter then drizzled lemon juice in the pan. I also blanched the peas then threw it all together with some salt and pepper. If it weren't for Passover I'd have added some feta. It was springy!

Then this guy. Well I just boiled the parmesan + arugula raviolis that I bought at Trader Joe's. Then, I threw that with sauteed garlic and artichokes & some melted butter. Topped it with parsley and parmesan and pepper, because this post is brought to you by the letter P!

To Healthify: Buffalo Wings & Salt + Vinegar Chips

Chicken wings are the best! And so are salt and vinegar potato chips. BUT, they are not the healthiest. These oven baked buffalo wings were great. Did you know buffalo wings have butter in the sauce? I didn't and that doesn't sound healthy, but in the scheme of things it doesn't add up to too much. And the potatoes taste just like the chips, just meatier and fluffier. The trick with THOSE is to boil them in vinegar. It's pungent while cooking, but worth it. I also added some vinegary salt from Williams-Sonoma.

I didn't have any bleu cheese dressing. But I did have: yogurt, milk, feta cheese & chives. And it was a rather decent if less overwhelming option. And though I hadn't thought of it before, dipping those potatoes in that sauce was pretty glorious.

So, sure, there wasn't as much grease but I was totally licking my fingers so that has to be good.

To Recipe Test: Popovers (Test #2 Mostly a Win!)

I tried popovers once before and they were stupid idiots. THIS TIME! 1/3 of the popovers were an utter success while the other guys were just a little undercooked. As a baker (of which I'm not) one of the biggest challenges is figuring out your oven. Had I been paying attention I might have noticed where in the oven the undercooked ones were to understand better where the "cool" spots are. Because, you see, one row (further away from the text) is nicely cooked while the ones closest to these words are much lighter and not as well risen.

The recipe was from Mark Bittman and actually the recipe was almost exactly the same as the stupid idiots I made previously, except Mark used a teaspoon of sugar. AND! The big difference was Mark required the batter to be put into a hot pan and the hot pan to be put into a hot oven. And, I think that's the ticket. 

The innards were craggy and eggy and dense encased in a light shell. That's the thing about popovers! Bits of the innards are like thick, eggfilled custard and other parts are hollow. Picking it up, there's an imbalance because the top is like a tiny balloon filled with the air and the bottom is the eggy bit. I LOVE THEM. Then, put some butter inside and holyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

NEXT TIME: I'll make sure to have ALL the flour the recipe calls for. I made a mistake and only had like 7/8 cup instead of a full cup -- TEEHEHEHEHEHEHE.

To Reminisce: The March Menus

hash & poachie.

WEEK ONE
Sunday March 1: Asian Noodle Soup with Short Ribs (M)
Monday March 2: Salt & Pepper Shrimp + Asian Mustard Greens
Tuesday March 3: Tortellini Soup
Wednesday March 4: Kung Pao Chicken, Sesame Green Beans & Cold Asian Noodles (M)
Thursday March 5:
Friday March 6: Medium Rare
Saturday March 7: Restaurant Eve

WEEK TWO
Sunday March 8: Fish & Yottam Ottolenghi salads
Monday March 9: I was hibernating.
Tuesday March 10: See above.
Wednesday March 11: And, again.
Thursday March 12: Also, the 9th.
Friday March 13: UMM. I forgot.
Saturday March 14: Corned beef, cabbage & brussels

WEEK THREE
Sunday March 15: Leftover Hash
Monday March 16: Chicken & Cabbage Wedge
Tuesday March 17: Chicken & Carrots
Wednesday March 18: Pork & balsamic roasted veggies
Thursday March 19: Scallop & Peas pasta
Friday March 20: Fried Chicken cooking class
Saturday March 21: Appetizer party

WEEK FOUR
Sunday March 22: Frozen TJs Pizza
Monday March 23: Turkey balls + broccoli rabe
Tuesday March 24: Turkey balls + whole wheat spaghetti
Wednesday March 25: Chicken adobo & coconut ginger rice
Thursday March 26: Chicken adobo & coconut ginger rice
Friday March 27: Caesar salad with steak
Saturday March 28: Osteria Morini

To Eat Dinner @ Home: Brox & a Crispy Damn Egg

I might have mentioned that I've been trying to eat more greens. And there's so many different ways to cook them, but sometimes it's just easier to roast the veggies and call it a day. Or sautee some spinach and garlic and not think any further. But that's boring! (Albeit a fall back many times.) I was perusing around when I saw that Bon Appetit had made a broccoli dish with the brox cooked two ways--stems roasted and then tossed in vinegar + florets charred & cooked with sugar and peanuts. I loved this idea! The same ingredient represented two different ways. 

And as any good (wo)man should do, I topped it off with a fried egg. Not just ANY fried egg mind you, but a real special crispy guy. I plopped him into a PIPING hot pan with a little more oil than you might use in a regular fried egg situation. Then, you let his whites puff up and his edges crunch to a crisp and his yolk gets halfway creamy and halfway runny. ADMITTEDLY, I got a little nervous because I wasn't sure the whites in the middle were cooking and that egg snot is gross, but everything worked out. I want this egg every day in everything. It was a nice dinner: crunchy and spicy and acidic and EGGY.

To FINALLY Try That Recipe: Filipino-Style Chicken Adobo

 

Sometimes, I hear about recipes and put them in my noggin to try and then it takes me forever to actually get around to making them. That's what happened with chicken adobo. So, maybe it was all the hype I had built up in my head, or maybe it's the fact that I didn't care to find palm vinegar like I was told to do. But, eh.

My hopes remained high when I was making this marinade. The tomatoes, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and vinegar gave my nose a savory salty rich smell to inhale. 24 hours later the chicken was ready.

Then, we served it over coconut-ginger rice. And, I was so thankful for the sweetness of the rice because otherwise this was an acidic, sharp, almost sour sort of chicken. It wasn't horrible, but duuuude unless I'm eating salt & vinegar chips, I'd rather not have my tongue react to the amount of vinegar in a dish.

Oh well. I wonder if it's me -- did I do it wrong? Am I vinegar wuss? Maybe someday I'll try it in a Filipino restaurant.

To Eat (Healthy) Dinner @ Home: Turkey Meatballs & Broccoli Rabe

blobs & rabe.

The other day I tried on my spring time green jeans, and they were tight. Then, I remembered that time I went to New Orleans and ate myself sick. Putting two and two together, I realized that in order to fit into my jeans (without them digging into my button & causing marks & rashes) I ought to eat fewer items, more greens, and probably, mostly, just fewer items. Tonight I made an old standby (old as in its semi in my dinner rotation since, like, October?)

it didn't twirl.

I love this recipe because it comes together in about 40 minutes and the meatblobs are juicy, herby, and tender. Admittedly, when I pictured the blobs on top of the broccoli rabe, I thought the rabe would swirl like pasta. It didn't. I only boiled the rabe, but next time I think I'd sautee it with lots of garlic. 

BONUS tip: I used a vegetable peeler to carve the Parmesan on top. And, I think it looks gorgeous. Oskar did, too.

friscalating fuzz.