Frijoles Borrachos

Hello friends,

I know you've been refreshing your browser every thirty seconds, hoping that this time you would come across the beans/polenta post. I'm sorry it took so long. Really I am. It's just that I had to get back to the city and take care of a kooky little girl all day, so I really couldn't get to it till now.

So lets get to it. Have I ever told you of my love for beans? I adore them. Black, pinto, garbanzo, kidney, black-eyed- you name it, I love it. But pinto are first in my heart, and refried is the method of choice. This recipe is a twist. Even though I did most of the work for this one, Michael deserves all of the credit, because it was he who made the adjustments that helped these humble legumes rise to greatness. He also made the polenta. My, that was an easy night for me.

Anyway, I'm putting in the work now, so that you can share these delicious sides with me.

Chop up an onion. Really every good savory recipe starts that way. But still, I photograph every new chopped onion for every dish. I don't want to cheat you out of the nuances of each separate onion in each recipe. I guess I could use a stock photo, but that would be cheating wouldn't it?


And isn't Wenonah's dark wood cutting board a nice change from my light bamboo?

Garlic, of course:


And another beautifully composed shot. Not really, it was luck again. And that pretty Japanese knife.

Sautee in canola oil. You don't really want the flavor of olive oil in Tex-Mex. It's just the way it is.


Now is where things get crazy. Michael added some tequila to the mix! Oh yes, things were really heating up. Oh by the way, pouring from the bottle like this is actually not very safe and I don't recommend it. It's much better to measure out what you need (about a shot) and pour that in. This is in case the liquor catches fire and travels up into the bottle. That would be really bad. But don't worry. That didn't happen. In fact, it didn't catch fire at all. The tequila just simmered away with the onions and garlic.


Now for the beans themselves. We like Goya. The Latin Americans get it right. I also like organic ones from Whole Foods, because I like to be fancy. Or I don't like pesticides. Or both.


Put in one of the cans with it's liquid.



Then you get to mashing. Mash like crazy. Mash like you've never mashed before. Mash I tell you!


Now it gets really wild. Because these beans aren't quite buzzed enough, you're going to have to give them a little chaser for that tequila.


You may think this is weird, but I tell you it is totally delicious. And seriously not too boozy. Pour in about 1/4 c of your beer.

Now drain the other two cans and add them. Let simmer on low heat until ready to serve. Here they are:


Hello my beauties!

And now, for the green chile and corn polenta. We used quick cooking polenta, because as a side dish there's no need to take all that time and energy. Follow the instructions on the box for the ratios. We used about 2/3 of the box.

Boil some water. Salt it pretty generously. Polenta needs a good amount of salt.
Now pour in that polenta while you whisk.


I like this shot even though it's a little blurry. Action is exciting, people!

Stir until it's thick but the grains are soft. It won't take too long. If it gets too thick, just add some more water.

Here I am holding the handle for Michael to make it easier for him. Wenonah took this photo.


When it's soft, add some green chiles and frozen corn. If it's summer, definitely use fresh corn. But frozen is fine in the winter.

Here are the chiles. (I forgot to document that corn, but heck, use your imaginations people)


And add some cheese if you have any left over from the enchiladas. It really tastes good with some cheese. (when is that not true?)

There you have it folks. The conclusion of our Tex-Mex extravaganza. I hope you've enjoyed it.


The stuff dreams are made of...

Adios Amigos

The Whole Enchilada

What do you do when you're in New York, and have no access to good authentic Mexican food? Why, you make it yourself, of course. That's what we decided to do last night. And let me tell you it was good. Our kitchen is non-existent. In a few short weeks we will have a wonderful kitchen complete with double ovens and baking center! But for now, we bought groceries and headed to Gabe and Wenonah's to cook dinner. Well I should say that mostly Michael cooked dinner, because I was so excited to be documenting the event that I didn't really do much. I did make the beans though.

Before heading out we quickly looked up recipes. It wasn't as easy as you think. We wanted cheese enchiladas. The kind with raw chopped onion and chile sauce. I thought I might know where I could find this Tex-Mex classic- over at The Homesick Texan. She's a Texas immigrant like me who longs for the tastes of home. We hit the jackpot. Here's the recipe we used.

First we made the sauce. Here are the ingredients:


You've got your chili powders (two kinds, cause we like it that way) Mexican Oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

So, first you mix everything together. Or Michael does. Just go ahead and refer to Homesick Texan for the amounts, because since I didn't actually do it I don't really know the amounts.

Here's Michael's hands doing some measuring:


And here he is adding the Mexican Oregano. Notice how he rubs it between his fingers to release the oils. Hee hee.


Now you heat some canola oil in a pot and add some flour. This makes a roux. Basically we're just making gravy here. Delicious chili gravy. Mmm...


The best way to stir a roux is with a wooden spoon. Luckily for us, Wenonah has a beautiful droor filled with wooden spoons.


Now here it is all stirred together.


You want to cook it until it's brown but not burned. I missed that step because I got distracted with my own cooking. That was when I decided to get serious and focus on my photo-documentation. No more messing around.

When the roux is brown go ahead and add your spice mixture so it can have a chance to toast up and get extra yummy.


After a few minutes you stir in chicken stock...


...And voila! You've got yourself some pretty amazing chili sauce.



Now just let it simmer for a while, and you're good to go.

In the mean time you can start on the beans and polenta that will accompany this meal. I'm going to save them for another post, since the enchiladas are the star of the show today.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and get to grating a mountain of cheese.


It's fun to be the cook's photographer, and not the cook and the photographer. See how I even learned to tell Michael to pause so the pictures wouldn't be blurry? It only took me about half way through the post to figure out that one. (I didn't want to mess up his cooking flow.)

And now folks, it's time for a thing of beauty. A mountain of freshly grated cheddar cheese.


Seriously that is a beautiful picture if I may say so myself. Perhaps I'll start a career as a food stylist or something. Although in this case, I think it was luck, so maybe I should just keep practicing.

Now you have everything ready to assemble the enchiladas.


Spread some sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.


Heat some oil in a heavy skillet. In this case, it's cast iron. I don't have one of these in the city, but I really would like one. The idea here is to soften the tortillas, not to get them crisp, so don't leave them in too long. Tongs are a very important tool here.


Once you've softened enough tortillas it's time to assemble. Take a tortilla, sprinkle in some cheese and some chopped onions.


Roll it up and place it in your baking dish seam side down.


It's okay if the tortillas rip a little. This is not haute cuisine, and sauce covers it anyway. Fill up your dish with these babies, cover with said sauce, and bake. Toward the end, sprinkle with cheese. We wanted to do Queso Fresco- a dry Mexican cheese, but the store didn't have it. A good substitution is ricotta salata, but we forgot to get it. We ended up topping it with a little feta that Wenonah had, and that worked pretty well.

Also, when it comes out of the oven, garnish with a little cilantro.


I don't really like it, but I'm not totally adverse to it either. I like a little, and it's totally fine if it's cooked. I'd hate to deny those die-hard cilantro lovers the pleasure, so we put it on there.

And let me tell you, this was a whole lot better than fine.


Even if you live in a place with good Mexican food, give these a try because you get to control the ingredients, which really does have an impact on the quality.

Tune in this week for the conclusion of our south of the border excursion up in H-town.

Jugando,
Meredith

Saturday in Hudson

Hi there and hello,
I don't have much to report. I'm up in Hudson in a house with beautiful floors that is still somewhat turned upside down. The dresser is in the attic. We have no idea where the comforter is. But you know what, it doesn't matter, because it will all come back into place sooner or later, so there's no reason to get all worried about it.

Oh yeah, there is one exciting result to all this upheaval. While Michael was putting up some books he found Adobe Photoshop that he'd never used. I've been pining over real photo shop. I had to reboot my hard drive a few years ago and never reloaded iLife, so I've been making due with whatever photo program that came with my camera. Not anymore. I always strive to be better at what I do, and as a result- you, my beloved readers will benefit.

When I started reading Pioneer Woman, it was for the food. But I soon became entranced by her photos. And it didn't take long that I actually started paying attention to her photography tutorials. I never thought I'd care, but the difference is amazing. If you dabble in photography, but have no formal training, it's a great place to learn some basic tricks. You can do some of them with mediocre versions of photo shop. But, alas, many require the real deal. And now, as if fate has come knocking on my door, I will be able to do it all. That is, if my computer can take the massive program. I have faith. Hopefully we'll get started on that soon. And you will certainly be surprised and awed. It will all be compounded by the camera I borrowed from my parents. I never thought I'd care about aperture or exposure. But I care a lot. I'll let you know when I've figured out how to play with them.

We're cooking at Wenonah and Gabe's tonight, so hopefully there will be some documentation. In the meantime, get ready for my photography to look less like this:




And a whole lot more like this:


That is if I lived on a ranch that had wild mustangs on it. You get the idea though.

Tune in soon for pics of my lovely dinner tonight.

Keep on playing,
Meredith

Cupcakes with Em

I know what you're thinking. For a baker, that player's been doing a lot of cooking. Well, I wasn't the only one who took a little vacation. My sourdough starter has been chilling out in the fridge for the past few weeks. It's not that I didn't trust G to feed it every few days. Oh wait- no, I definitely didn't. Well, it is quite the commitment and I didn't want to thrust it on her. I mean the girl has a full-time job and she's finishing her thesis. I didn't think she needed to be worrying about flour-to-water ratios and temperatures and all that jazz. I promise very soon that I'll bring my friend back from her slumber and make some more delicious bread. Just let me get back into my gym routine first.

In the meantime, I did actually do some baking while I was away, and I made sure to document it for you. Em and I had a special day just after her birthday and I wanted to help her celebrate with some cupcakes. I got the inspiration when my cousin Christie told me about the cupcakes she bakes for Baylee every year. I thought I knew where I might find that particular recipe.


This is my Uncle Dave's cookbook. Or I guess the cover says Uncle Dave and Aunt Sue, so I should give her some props as well. There is some great stuff in here, and I hope to share more of it with you. If you want a copy, I might be able to score you one... for the right price, that is. It is a very simple vanilla recipe with a simple vanilla icing. Christie told me she had these cupcakes every birthday when she was growing up. You may remember Christie from Atlanta, my awesome, pregnant and very favorite cousin. I'm sorry to the rest of you, but when you play with your cousin on the beautiful beaches of Northern Brazil, you tend to form a pretty strong bond. I don't think it's really a surprise anyway.

Back to cupcakes, Em loves to bake, so I thought it would be really fun to make this really special family recipe together. (The recipe is actually from Southern Living, but doesn't over 25 years of cupcakes count for anything?) So for this edition, I have a little helper. Let me tell you, I wish I had this girl around at all times, because it is so much easier to shoot food when you have a helper. On the flip side, she didn't have much patience for re-do's so some of the shots are a little blurry.

Okay, you start with shortening. 3/4 cups, to be exact. It was a little hard to deal with, so I scooped it in and Em smoothed it out.


Look at those precious little hands. Em is such a dainty young lady. I think she has a future in hand modeling.

Cream that shortening. Oh my, now would be an excellent time to show off my parent's pretty ancient and still fully functioning Kitchenaid. I want one of these so badly. Except that I'd have no where to put it. So I guess I don't really want one that badly. Plus we do have one in Hudson. I digress. So why don't you just add your sugar now and forget about all that Kitchenaid business. It's 1 1/2 cup, if you were curious.



Let those go for a while until combined. Look at it go!! Oh by the way, the mixer would be even better if I hadn't accidentally dropped a metal measuring cup into the bowl while it was going. That was a while ago. But I should probably buy my parents a new whisk attachment as atonement. I'm sorry guys, I respect the mixer, I promise.




Now crack up three eggs. Em did not want to do this. I begged. I pleaded. My mom came in, and she begged and pleaded, but Em would have nothing to do with the egg cracking. Oh she can do it, I've seen her. She just thinks it's icky. So, my mom and I took pity on her and I cracked the eggs while Mom snapped.

My hands look so wierd and distorted. I've always said I have El Greco hands, because all the people in his painting's hands look a lot like mine: long and narrow. Of course, up there they look like alien hands, but when I played cello and piano, they really came in handy.


This one's a little better:


With Em back to work, the eggs go in, one at a time.


And now, let's take a moment to talk dry ingredients. Those include:

2 cups of flour


1/4 teaspoon salt


and
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


Whisk to combine. It doesn't say that in the recipe. I just happen to know that whisking is a good way to combine dry ingredients. And it's a lot less messy than sifting and pretty much does the same thing.


What you want to do next is alternate milk and dry ingredients with the sugar mixture.

Em did the dry:


I did the milk.


When you start adding flour to batter is the time you should start worrying about over-mixing. You want all the ingredients to combine, but if you keep going you'll develop gluten. Gluten is important in this, but not so much for cakes. Cakes should be tender and delicate. Bread is firm and strong. So mix to combine but go no further.

Finally add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla


Spoon into a lined muffin tin.



And put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Warning: I have no problems with children eating raw cake batter to their heart's content. Of course, I only buy the best quality eggs, and the odds of getting sick are minute. To me, that moment where I got to lick the spoon was a glorious, splendid one, a moment that still makes my heart go pitter-patter. And so, I hate to deny my little friend such pleasure. You may hate me forever, or call child protective services or something, but I say to you, show me a child that actually gets sick from eating small amounts of raw organic eggs, and I'll consider stopping.

To further my point I'll tell you this: Em was happy to be my helper and have her hands photographed but she refused to pose for a full shot.

Until this moment:


She said to me, "Meredith, take my picture licking the spoon!" And I did. She was enjoying that batter so much that she wanted me to document it forever.

After all that we took a break and had pork chops and mac and cheese for lunch. By the time lunch was ready the cupcakes were cooling. When lunch was over we started on the frosting.

The recipe just said cream ingredients. Well with a box of powdered sugar, that could get really intense. So I used this method:

First I creamed together the butter and shortening.

Then I added the milk and vanilla. Or rather, Em did.


Then she did the powdered sugar. She held it while I tapped it in.


I happened to know that Em is a pink freak, and I didn't want to add any food coloring, so we added this strawberry coulis I got at Central Market.


It made the frosting slightly pink and slightly strawberry-y. A good move, I think.

Finally we decorated. First we frosted:

Warning! Many sprinkles were harmed in the making of these cupcakes.


At some point, something miraculous happened. My own personal dishwasher appeared as if from nowhere. Actually my dad got back from golf. I was perfectly prepared to clean up after our fun (eventually) but Sam cannot sit idly by and look at dirty dishes. It's one of the reasons I love him. He's also a great dad, and all around great guy. But the dishes thing is awesome.

Note the cupcake sitting on the counter. Never fear folks, Sam was no slave. He received just payment for his toil.

The cupcakes were pretty great. But honestly, it was the process that was the most rewarding. We really did enjoy ourselves. Em is a remarkable child. I don't know many five year olds who have the patience to participate in every part of the baking process. She helped with lunch as well! Did I mention I think she's great?

Okay then. Friday morning I'm off to Hudson, but I promise to post while I'm there.
Until then,
keep on playing,
Meredith

An Organic and Seasonal Dinner

I got off work very early. Do you think Tal's mom reads my post? Nah. Don't worry 'rents, they were on their way to the Adirondacks to go skiing this weekend. I actually love skiing, but haven't done it since high school. I also got to go on a tour at the Guggenheim with Michael's brother and his new bride Michelle, led by my brother Brendan. He works there as a docent/security guard and does an awesome job. His tour was succinct and interesting. I thought it greatly enhanced the current exhibit. I hope the happy couple enjoyed it as well. They are here on their honeymoon, so I want their experience to be as great as possible. I got to go to work late as well because Tal was on a play date. It was a great day.

Anyway, the reason I had the time and energy to create a new post was due directly to my easy day at work. I got home and got a gchat from Gwen asking me what I was doing home so early. That was when I had a moment of inspiration. I was going to cook dinner. I asked G what she wanted and she suggested I try something from the new book she just bought us: Simply Organic. It uses ingredients fresh to each season. Even though it is technically "Early Spring" I had an inkling that upon visiting Whole Foods I would find that their local department would still be stuck in "Late Winter" so I chose accordingly. "Chicken with Dried Cherries, Capers and Chiles." Walking into WF I knew that I was right. Everything was California born. I'm really not okay with that. I wanted a side veg that was from here, and really my only option were some rutabagas, most of which are getting a little mushy. I found some firm ones, though and went with those. The jalapenos were not local either, but they were from Mexico which is closer than California. (I know that's not necessarily true, but you know what, you try being local and loving spicy food, and then get back to me.) Anyway, I got some pasta shells as a starch and called it a meal.

Okay, go ahead and preheat that oven of yours to 400 degrees. Now take your baking dish and spray it with some cooking spray. I'm back to the real world where there's no Sam to clean my dishes for me, so I have to take precautions.


Now the rutabagas are not in the original recipe. I thought I'd just use them as a base for my chicken breasts. Those babies needed a little extra lift. Did I just write that?

Anyway, now would be a good time to teach you how to dice large hard veggies. This trick works for turnips, jicama, and anything of the bulbous rough skinned variety. First cut of the ends to give you a sturdy work surface.


Now, go along the sides of the rutabaga with your knife. By the way, you can also do this with cantaloupes and oranges to this point if you want fruit salad.


Just repeat until all the peel is off. Then you'll have some naked rutabagas. Have you noticed that I love calling food naked?(Matt has) I mean, that is what it is right? A rutabaga with no peel is a naked rutabaga just as a shrimp with no shell is a naked shrimp. It's funnier if you pronounce it "neked" in your head, by the way.

And now, I present a work of art I'll call "Two Neked Rutabagas"


Now they're easy to slice into discs, and those discs are easy to slice into sticks, and those sticks are easy to slice into cubes like these:


Now that thats all done with, you can continue with the actual recipe. First you make a rub for the chicken. Start with a teaspoon of paprika.


Add a quarter teaspoon of salt. I couldn't find the quarter teaspoon, because a very nice visitor, Gwen's dad, put it in the wrong place. (He never had kitchen orientation, so I can't hold it against him) So here I am measuring a half of a half teaspon of salt:


Now a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Hey look at that- G bought a new pepper grinder! Now, tell me who would grind a bunch of pepper and measure out a quarter teaspoon? Martha Stewart and Ina Garten you say? Poo poo, I say to them. I just grind the pepper in the bowl until I'm satisfied that it's about a quarter teaspoon.


Now here's the chicken:


You'll want four of these bone in half breasts. Then you'll take off the skin, give them a little rinse, and pat them dry with paper towel.

Now drizzle a little oil on those babies and rub them with your spice rub. Place them on the rutabagas and you are ready to rumble.

Set your timer for 45 minutes and take a little break. You deserve it. Have a glass of wine, relax.

Okay. About 15 minutes later start the sauce. Start by chopping up a red onion. Rachel Ray says we should call them purple. You may hate RR with the passion of a thousand furies, but the lady is right- them onions is purple.

And now for a lesson within this lesson: How to Dice an Onion.

Take that baby and cut off the top end. That's the end without the scraggly roots sticking out. now slice that thing in half. It makes the peel much easier to get off. So go ahead and take it off. Then comes the fancy part.

Slice the onion cross-wise first:


Now do it horizontally. (If I wasn't taking a picture, I'd be holding the onion steady with my palm parallel to the knife.)


Now you can slice down to dice.


Now put them in a sauce pan with some olive oil


Sautee until soft and then add the rest of the ingredients:


I didn't show each ingredient going in, because I mean, come on. That is even too detailed for me. So there they are. You'll find out the amounts soon enough.

Here they are all together:


Now dice up your chile. As mentioned before, I used a jalapeno. Now watch as I demonstrate yet another important technique. How to Dice a Chile

Slice off that top. Off with his head! Ha! Blogging is so amusing.


Now slice him in half.


Now grab a spoon and pull out his guts. Oh, that's right, go ahead and disembowel him. He won't mind, and your guests won't either. Especially if they're wimps. I used to use my fingers, but one day out of the blue I developed sensitivity to chiles, and now they make my fingers burn when I over handle them. Don't worry, they still go down pretty easy.


Now things look just like a tiny bell pepper. Slice it one way into strips:


Here they are. Oh my little match sticks, you will make my dish so tasty and sweet.


Now cut them the other way and call it a dice.


For the starch I boiled up some whole wheat shells and tossed them with a tiny bit of butter, salt and basil.


Here's the meal out of the oven.


Here it is on the plate:


And in G's lap, on the couch in the living room, where most of our eating is done. We try to rock the dining room table, but it just doesn't do it for us.


Consensus? I'd say delectable. G and I both cleaned our plates. All of the elements complemented each other. We thought it wasn't spicy at all, but the subtle heat was in balance with the rest of the dish. The rutabaga was sweet, and the pasta was great with all of it.

And the recipe? Aw man, here comes the typing.

Chicken with Dried Cherries, Capers, and Chiles

1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 tbs capers
2 tbs honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1-2 hot chile peppers, such as cayenne, jalapeno, or habanero, seeded and minced


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in a large shallow roasting pan. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with the paprika mixture.

Roast for 45 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 180 degrees and the juices run clear.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the broth, cherries, capers, honey, cumin, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cherries are plump and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chile peppers.

When the chicken is cooked, for extra flavor, if desired, drain off the pan juices and stir them into the cherry sauce. ( I did do this, and it added awesome chicken flavor to the sauce) Remove and discard the cinnamon stick before serving.

Place the chicken on a serving platter and top with the sauce.


Yeah, that was a lot of typing, but I did it for you, because you should seriously try this. Not like the bread, or even the shrimp. This is good and easy, and with my help, you can make it for your man/woman and make them fall in love with you just a little more. I think I guarantee that. Unless your man/woman is a vegetarian. Then I can't help you.

Okay,
Good night my friends,
Your favorite player,
Meredith

Shrimp Time Take Three

Okay, I'm back home. That was a long day. A real welcome back into nannyville. It's not that I had some intense day or anything, it's just that catering to the every whim of a seven year old takes some energy. Also, having just come from spending quality time with kids I'm not paid to care about but just do, has given me some perspective. Emily, Baylee, Leslie Anne, Shelby, and Ukaya- they're unique and different children who just made me smile constantly. I didn't have to feign interest, it was natural. I'd gotten so used to it being so easy. With Tal, it can be such a drag. Ah well, perhaps it is just the shock from the vacation from reality. Anyway, I don't think any of you are really here to hear about my job angst. I know that I live a sort of charmed life, and the meager hours that I'm actually forced to work should warrant absolutely no complaints. So I'll stop right now and focus on one of the things that truly makes me happy, and something my silly nannying job gives me lots of time for: making good food and saying interesting and witty things about it.

Okay, so the shrimp have been marinating all day. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you might want to read this first. Or perhaps go all the way back here.

All right, now that you're caught up, we can get going again. Heat up some oil in a large skillet and plop in some garlic cloves. I think it was supposed to be more than this, but I wasn't paying attention and didn't leave any extra after pressing. Considering the intensity of the recipe I really winged a lot of it. Heat up your oil and garlic.


Now they told me to add the shrimp shells. Why? I think to impart a really shrimpy flavor to the dish, but if it were me, I would have probably added liquid to the shells and let it simmer. I just didn't feel like any good stuff was really getting into the pan. Maybe I would have felt better about it if I wasn't using a nonstick pan... Who knows...

Here are the shells:


And here's what they look like when they've been sauteeing with the oil and garlic for a while:


Now you can remove the shells with a slotted spoon. Again, it seemed to me that the extra flavor left as soon as I removed the shells. Although, the end dish did have plenty of flavor, so perhaps I'm being to hard on this recipe. I'm just saying, it's a lot of work and I want it to be worth it. Otherwise why not let the fishmonger peel and devein your shrimp?


Once you've removed the shells add the shrimp in a single layer. Now would be a good time to drop the pasta as well.

Now, these babies should be on medium heat, and they should cook for no more than a few minutes. Literally after you've placed the last one you can start turning them. If they're pink, you know they're ready to turn. Here they are when they're done:


Remove those with a slotted spoon. At this point I got distracted by my cute and adorable sleeping dogs. This is Ringo. He's totally blind. I'm telling you his blindness saved him. Before he was kind of annoying. Now, he's the most pleasant dog I've ever known.


He's practically an albino, by the way. I named him after Ringo Starr, because he was the only light eyed Beatle. He has green eyes and Ringo has blue, but you know what I was going for anyway.

This is Marco. He's my childhood dog. My Marcus, my buddy, inspirer of songs, and sitter in my lap. He's 16 and pretty senile, and won't make it much longer, but I still love him with the vigor I did when I was ten and he was a tiny apricot puppy.

He has to wear a sweater because he's very skinny and gets cold. Don't let that fluff fool you.

Anyway back to the food... Salt your pasta water before you drop the pasta. Salt it real good. Seriously, I don't think you could possibly over-salt it if you tried. It should taste like the sea. I only did this much, but I could have done more if I wasn't distracted by dogs and taking pictures of stuff.


Now you can drop that pasta and feel good about it. This is fancy Linguini. Seriously, the quality of the pasta does make a difference, so if you're putting an effort into the rest of your dish, why not buy the good stuff? Save the Barilla for spaghetti night.


And now, finally for the sauce. Add a palm full of crushed red pepper. If you are a wimp or from the Midwest or maybe Upstate New York, you might need to use less.


Okay, it took me a moment to figure out what this picture was, but then I remembered that it was my wine glass. I threw in a pretty full glass of very dry crisp white wine. It was Vinho Verde, which is Portuguese and a very drinkable white, I have to say.


At some point I added a few tablespoons of flour in there, but I didn't take a picture of it, so I have no idea when. I think it was either before or after the wine. Now that I think of it, it was probably after, as I recall the wine helped break it up. I also added the rest of the garlic and a small bottle of clam juice.

When the pasta is ready make sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water. It is great for making sure you're pasta isn't too dry once you add the sauce.


Now add a bunch of chopped parsley.


Off the heat, stir in a big chunk of butter and a squeeze of lemon dish.


Now all you have to do is return your pasta to the pot and stir in the shrimp and sauce. I prefer to do this with tongs.

You might want to serve it with some bread. This is just bread sandwiched with some herb butter. That was parsley and basil and a little garlic powder (I ran out of fresh)


Wrap that in foil and put it in a hot oven for a few minutes. Actually it probably should be 15 or so in order to really get the bread crusty.

Here's the final product:


And seriously I couldn't be happier to show that final picture, as I'm about to fall asleep while typing. I have another long day tomorrow with Tal. I hope you take some of the ideas from this post and give shrimp a try. I promise, it was tender, not fishy at all, and yummy. It was almost perfect. Even though the leftovers broke my parents disposal. Disclaimer: Plumbing and Meredith's recipes just don't mesh well. Throw all waste in the trash, or pay hundreds of dollars to a plumber- your call.

Back to NYC and Shrimp Take Two

Hello!

Remember me? I'm your favorite player/baker Meredith, and I'm back in the city. I've got work early because Tal is still on spring break, so I'll probably have to break this post down. This weekend was so much fun- a perfect conclusion to my tour of the South. I didn't take one picture. I find that I actually feel uncomfortable taking pictures out of the kitchen. I'm not going to be one of those sites that documents every meal, and every aspect of my life. There are going to be gaps. I'll fill you in with my fabulous literary skills. But today, I'd like to get back to the roots of this blog- the food. You may remember when last we spoke, I taught you all how to peel and devein shrimp. It was fun, if a little gooey. Well, here's what it was all for. Note: this post is more of a series of suggestions than a recipe. That's because Cooks Illustrated told me I couldn't blog about the recipe. So I'm not. I'm just telling you what I did the other day. Besides, I don't remember the recipe anymore anyway. I didn't retain it. This isn't rocket science, despite the preciseness CI might advocate.

So, first you take some garlic.


Give it a smash with your knife, peel it, and go ahead and put it in your garlic press. This is the Zyliss, and despite the fact that Michael says he breaks these, I have to say they definitely get the most garlic per clove out of the press, and clean up easier. I love it. I want one, in case any of you were wondering.

Here it is:


Oh look, you can see my parent's kitchen in the background. Isn't it just lovely.


This is how much garlic I ended up with. You can do this to taste, if you're a garlic wimp.


Did I mention this was for the marinade for the shrimp? No? Well I guess now would be a great time. Add some olive oil. Don't be shy, this will also be the sauce later.
You can't see, but that is Rachel Ray olive oil. I thought Lena might enjoy that since she wrote this.


Now you add some salt. It's definitely better if you get it from an awesome container like this one. It looks a lot like the one I have only it's green. Note another great shot of my parents' kitchen.

Now add some of the garlic to the shrimp. Save some of it for later though. I don't know, I'd say use 3/4 of it now and 1/4 later. Not rocket science. Just shrimp.


Stir it up and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. Don't be scared. It will be just fine.


Okay, I hate to leave you hanging like this, but I've got about five minutes to get ready for the day, and I haven't finished my tea. I have to have tea in the morning, or I feel incomplete. So I'll have to give you the amazing and delicious conclusion to this Shrimp Story when I get home tonight.

Till then,
Meredith

The Journey Continues

Hey Everyone,

I hope it is as sunny and bright where you are.  I'm in Springfield MO, en route to Branson for Michael's brother's wedding.  I got in yesterday and have already eaten delicious smoked ham sandwiches from Arkansas and coconut cream pies made by Michael's Aunt Joyce.  I had a deep desire to photograph her, but I thought it might make her uncomfortable, so I didn't even ask.  Perhaps when I know her better I'll go down that path.  It's so much fun to watch people who have been baking for years and years.  They don't need recipes.  They just remember, like it's an address or their mother's birthday or something.  I still cling to recipes.  It's been seared into my brain that you must get the ratios exactly right, or you'll be in trouble.  I experiment all the time with cooking, but I don't have the guts to do it with baking.  Well, I say that, but I did add all kinds of different flours to that focaccia.  I can't wait to become a seasoned baker.  I'll let you know when it happens.  Or, perhaps you'll let me know...

Shrimp 101

Have you ever tried to upload photos online on a very slow internet connection? Well I have to say that it's kind of a drag. I'm trying to post about the meal I made last night. I tried to do it this morning, but it took so long I was almost late for my eyebrow waxing appointment. Yes I wax my eyebrows. My mom took me in the 7th grade after I plucked mine a little too much in the middle and I've never gone back. You won't see me with over-plucked eyebrows. Ever. So, instead of posting the entire recipe in one fell swoop, as I've been known to do, I'm going to do it in installments, just because I miss you, and I'm going to a wedding in Missouri tomorrow and who knows if I'll be able to post for a few days.

Whew. So today, I want to talk about shrimp. Michael, if you're reading, avert your eyes. (Michael hates shrimp. He thinks they have a gristle-like texture. That can be absolutely true if you overcook them, which happens most of the time. For whatever reason, I just don't have a texture issue, so even those huge buffets of cold shrimp cocktails don't really phase me. But I have to say that the shrimp I cooked last night were absolutely perfectly cooked- tender and delicious. I still wouldn't cook this for Michael, because honestly, there are better things, but I've joined the Cook's Illustrated recipe testing team and I keep on missing the deadline, and since my parents like shrimp, they were excellent guinea pigs.

But, as often is the case, I digress. Today, I'm just going to teach you one thing. How to peal and devein a shrimp. I bought these babies at Central Market, which just happens to be my favorite store in the universe. Whole Foods just doesn't cut it in the produce department. I mean, I'm not a WF hater, don't get me wrong. But if there was a Central Market near NYC, you can bet your socks I'd be shopping there, even if it was 45 minutes further than WF. Did I digress again? I swear I have blogger ADD. Back to the shrimp. They were Gulf of Mexico shrimp, which was exciting because they were local! Nothing else in CM was local- everything was from California, but the shrimps were, and that made me happy. I got them in two batches because I got worried about not having enough. One pound was regular whole shrimp (don't worry, no heads) and a half a pound was "easy peal" which means they cut down the back of the shrimp, which should save you time pealing and they take out the digestive tract for you.

Here's a little guy. I document this as detailed as usual because parts are just too goopy to stop and touch a camera.

Here he is naked. In order to get him this way, just get a finger up under the shell and pull back, you should get a big chunk off. Then pull off any straggly bits and, in this case the tails. Some recipes want the tails on, but not the one I was doing.


Now, here's the mysterious part. Usually the digestive tracts run along the back of the shrimp. And that's where my easy-peels had been cut, but upon further inspection, all of the shrimp had digestive tracts along the bottom part. I've never heard of this. The fishmongers obviously hadn't either, because all of my easy-peels had digestive tracts intact. I wonder about the man preparing the shrimp. He must have done at least twenty pounds. Did he cut into every single one, and think to myself, "Gee, none of those shrimp had digestive tracts. Thats freaky." No. He probably thought it was a lucky break. The little tracts are only colored if the shrimp had eaten recently before being caught, so you can't always see them. There's also nothing wrong with them, even if they are dark brown or black. They have no taste or effect on the dish at all other than an aesthetic one. But I removed every single one, because I'm anal.

So, here I am cutting the little guy. As I said, usually it's the other end, but it's good to know that it could be either.

You won't see the part when I pulled the little tract out. That isn't because I want to spare you the gore. It really isn't that bad. It's just such a small thing, and it didn't seem worth it to get the camera all shrimpy in order to capture it for you. So you'll have to use your imaginations. I know they're in there somewhere...

And here is Sir Shrimpalot: clean, fresh and naked as a jaybird.

I'll have so much to post next week. I hope to get in a quick update before then, but if I don't, I'll miss you terribly. Not a moment will go by that I won't be thinking of you, my beloved reader.

Just Playing,
Meredith

Intensity

Finally a post about baking! Not my baking. I just got back from a 30 hour road trip with my parents. I am going to cook tomorrow and I'll tell you about that, but right now, I'm just glad to have some days where I'm not stuck in a car. I'm also glad that the rest of the traveling I'll be doing on this trip will be on airplanes. I swear I never thought I'd hear myself say that- I hate flying. But seriously, my hour long flight to Springfield, MO on Thursday is looking short and sweet.


Wait, wasn't I going to talk about baking? Right, of course I was... Anyway, I stumbled across a tip in one of my favorite blogs Serious Eats. It suggests that you bake bread with stones in a baking dish, pouring water over them to create steam. It apparently more accurately emulates the true wood oven baking experience. Sounds interesting- I'd love to try it. I clicked on the link they gave and came across a new blog and this:

All I have to say is wow. That is a serious baker. I am definitely not anywhere near the baking big leagues...

There's always room to grow, but honestly, even if I put this in Hudson, I'd never actually bake enough to make it worthwhile.

The Atlanta Deluge

All I have to say is wow. Last night we got a babysitter for Baylee and went out on the town. We went to dinner at a great restaurant called Watershed, and then headed to Java Monkey for a concert featuring Matt and a guy named Chase. About 45 minutes into the show it started raining. Ten minutes later, the gutters in the indoor/outdoor space gave away to a flood. It was insane. All of the equipment got wet, and the guys had to move to another location. The rain didn't stop them, though, and they finished the show. We didn't realize until this morning that we were very close to the tornado that ravaged downtown. Luckily all we got was a little (okay, a lot) of rain.



It turned out to be a great night, and we're glad that everyone came out okay. I was taking a video when the gutters gave out. Ironically, the song they were playing was "Desert Dry". That desert got a little damp...

There and Back Again

I've been to North Carolina and now I'm back in Atlanta for a few more days. I have to say I'm a bit tired of travelling in the car. But it is fun to be with family. I visited my Aunt Marguerite and Uncle Wally, whom I haven't seen in a long time. Their very successful architect son Wayland designed their new home, and it is beautiful. It's up on a hill in the forest, and looks out on beautiful mountains. I'm sorry to say I didn't really take pictures, but when you've got a spunky three-year-old following you around, you have other things on your mind. Baylee, my cousins Christie and Matt's daughter, is quite the handful. I wouldn't have it any other way, though- she is a fun one. Christie wants me to tell you that she's a hot pregnant momma with excellent muscle tone. It's not even a lie. She's preggers, and totally hot, and her muscle tone isn't too shabby. She's due the end of August, so she'll be really hot right before she gives birth. Hopefully I'll get to come spend time with her like I did after she had Baylee. It was so much fun to just be quiet and watch lots of daytime television. Something tells me this time it's going to be different, on account of the almost 4 year old running around the house. Ah well...

So, I guess I'm not doing much baking right now. Nor am I doing any playing in the Shakespearean sense of the word. I am doing a lot of the other kind of playing. (Not that, you cheeky monkey) The kind you do with your family and kids- parks, jump rope, singing the peanutbutter jelly song... I love that song so much.

family guy- peanut butter jelly time

And now I'm in Hotlanta

Hey Everybody,

Posting is going to be hard this week, because we are traveling so much, but I wanted to check in so you don't abandon me. My parents and I just drove over twelve hours from Fort Worth to Atlanta.

For anyone who was interested in the whole church thing, the vote happened yesterday, and the congregation chose to keep the pastor 499 to 237. A resounding victory! They look forward to rebuilding the foundation that was so terribly cracked during the past months.

Tomorrow we're driving to North Carolina to visit my aunt and uncle, so I'll probably be silent until Thursday or Friday.

In the meantime check out my cousin Matt's music- we're at his house, and he's pretty awesome: I Love Matt

I hope everyone has a great week!

The Divine Miss Em

The summer before my junior year at college I came home for the very last time. I needed a job that would let me leave for my study abroad in Florence halfway through the summer. Babysitting was an easy option, as I've found time and time again. And through an interesting turn of events I came to be the caregiver to a four month old premie who barely weighed four pounds. I loved that little girl. Every day, I'd feed her- it was different than a normal baby- she had to be sitting up, and I remember that I always felt for her swallowing with the hand that cradled her neck as she ate. She was tiny, but she was so strong, and she always swallowed every time, never choking or gagging. My favorite thing to do with her was lean back on the couch and lay her on my stomach. She was comforted by the ebb and flow of my breathing. I would watch the Food Network for hours that way, soaking in Giada and Ina, listening for her tiny yet sure breath. We spent so much quality time that way- sitting together with the lull of food television (which, by the way is a great soundtrack for an afternoon nap). I left for Italy later that summer, and when I came back, that tiny little wisp had grown, and she was no longer mine, but my mother's godchild, and I mourned that loss. I saw Emily many times in those first few years when the young mind forgets everyone who isn't always there. She heard about me from her mom, but she was shy. At some point, though, a switch happened, and it was as if her physical memory kicked in, and she knew that I had loved her since I could hold her in the palm of my hand. She doesn't really remember. She intellectually knows I took care of her when she was tiny. But yesterday as she got bored at lunch, and she was cold, and I held her tight and we sat there quiet in the bustling restaurant, I knew that she felt the same comfort that she did four years ago. It was a beautiful little moment.


Here she is now- still a tiny little sprite, but a brilliant young lady as well.

She has the most beautiful blue eyes, which you can't see here. She is a thoughtful girl, always taking everything in before jumping to conclusions. Yesterday we played that we caught a mermaid and did magic to give it legs. Emily was too shy to say the magic words, but she was happy to coach me. She is a remarkable little girl.


On a completely different note, my dear friend Lena and blog commenter extrordinaire has started a blog of her own. It's God That's Good and everyone should check it out. I have to say she's kind of copying me with the whole sourdough thing, but I love her, so I give her my blessing, and I plan to win the "Best Blog Reader" award at her site.

I'm in Tejas

I'm back in the Lonestar State, and I'm feeling good about it. Except for all the nastiness that has brought me here. That makes me feel sad. These older folk are mourning the loss of their church, but what about my church? Doesn't that matter? My church was great. It was accepting and thought provoking. I was inspired to help people in so many different ways. I'm sometimes amazed at the ammount of time I spent helping others. I've recently decided that if Broadway can't do organized religion, I'm not sure if its possible. That makes me sad. I want my children to be able to have what I had growing up. Is it possible? I don't know. But why is it the old people who get to make the decision? I think that everyone under 40's vote should count twice. I mean, aren't the young families and the youth the true "future of Broadway"?

Aw geez, most of you don't even know what I'm talking about with all this church stuff. For my New York friends, the fact that I was religious was always thought of as a cute qwerk. "Aw, Mer, you are such a good girl- but you also have a brain- what an absolutely adorable oxymoron." I don't mind- it was my mission in college to show those Yankees that one can be a thinking human bieng and a Christian. Broadway taught me how to live in that balance, and I think it was an important skill. Now, I might not define myself as a Christian exactly, but hey, that's my path.
Anyway, I'm happy to be here, and glad to see my friends and family. I can't wait to have some delicious mexican food and see my precious god-sister.

Here she is. Oh my, that's a terrible picture of me, but anything to show you Miss Emily, my little darling. I'll post a more recent picture soon, as we're picking her up in a few minutes.

Later, Gators

What do I do with all that stale focaccia?

Why, you make a delicious savory bread pudding, of course. I love bread puddings of all kinds, but I especially like savory ones, because I'm really a salty girl at heart (don't let the baker thing fool you). For this one, I'm using whatever I can find in the fridge.

First star, this bacon. I highly recommend this Dry Cured Applegate Farms- some natural bacons can be a little slimy and chewy, but this one cooks up perfectly crisp and delicious.

Chop up a couple of slices. I'm only making two of these, so I only used two slices of bacon. This is not an exact science- use however much you want. You could also use sausage or ham if you like.
Then you fry up that bacon. Mmmm. Pork fat....

Now for the supporting actors. I would have put in some onion, but I didn't have any. I stop shopping when I'm about to go out of town. I did have some garlic, though.

When the bacon is crisp, pour off most of the grease (we don't want to kill ourselves here) and add that garlic. You can almost turn off the heat and let the heat of the pan cook the garlic. That way you know it won't burn.

Now cube your bread. This can be any kind of stale bread. In this house it's likely to be sourdough. In this case, I used the onion focaccia. It would have been better if the onions hadn't burned... Oh yeah, that's where my last onion went- the trash. I've really got to remember to focus in the kitchen. Cube your bread.

Now you'll want to make your custard. I added two eggs, some half and half (it would have been milk, but alas, we were out) salt, pepper, and perhaps some herbs if you have them. This thyme is still good! I'm amazed at its lifespan.

Pour the custard on your bread cubes and add the bacon-garlic mixture. Then grate in some parmesan cheese. I only use the good stuff- Parmagiano Regiano, but use whatever you've got.

I let it sit for about 20 minutes. Usually the longer these things sit the better, and over night in the fridge is ideal, but this was a spur of the moment meal, not a premeditated meal, so that's all the time I had. It turned out fine anyway.

Put the mixture into your ramekins. If you don't have ramekins, use a baking dish. Oh, and make sure to spray those babies with cooking spray before you fill them- it will save you a lot of heartache later.

I grate more cheese on top for a crispy crust:

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden, brown and delicious on top.


If you eat two of these within 24 hours, is that bad? I'll have a salad for lunch. I promise.

Winner

Lena is the winner of the best reader of Meredith's blog. She comments on every post. That's why I love her. Comments make me feel like people actually read this thing. Also one might comment, "Meredith, stop writing about your vacuum cleaner, that's boring. Write more about baking." and I might take that advice. Help me help you by helping me. Yeah.

Cheers!
Meredith

I love my vacuum cleaner

It is just so tiny and cute! I got it for my birthday (I know, what kind of girl gets a vacuum cleaner for her birthday) and I love it. Miele is supposed to be the best for small apartments, and I have to agree. For a big house, oh yes, I'd do anything for a Dyson, but what I love about the Miele is that it isn't a whole event just to get it out of the closet. It's lightweight and durable, and I hardly ever have to change the filter.

Look at those spotless floors- no mopping necessary.


Oh, you may find this post boring, but I have to say that a good vacuum can really make the cleaning process a much happier one, and that is a good thing, if you ask me.

Hello, March

Hello friends,
Yes, February is history, and this year just seems to plow by. The weekend was great, though we didn't spend very much time in the house. It was a little stinky. We used all natural products, so I can't even imagine what it would have been like if we'd used regular chemicals. Luckily our amazing friends Gabe and Wenonah opened their home to us. We made baked eggs and crepes for breakfast, and lounged by their wood stove discussing kitchens, landscape design and outdoor kitchens. Then we went to Dawn's birthday party. Wenonah and I played dress-up, something that I rarely do. I think I want to change that- it was so much fun. I had to borrow everything from Wenonah, because I hadn't planned on any fancy parties this weekend.

Here are Wenonah and I in our fabulous outfits:

Here's our friend Rob. He's excited to be there, and in this picture:

And because I promised, here are some pictures of the floors. I didn't take that many, because I had to get on the train, and had just woken up from a nap.

This is the dining room. The floors in here are oak I think:


This is what the floors in the rest of the house look like. They're a little dirty. We are going to have to implement a shoe-free policy in the house.


So there you have it. I'm glad I made it up to Hudson this weekend, because I'm off to Texas on Thursday to vote for my pastor at the church I grew up at. There are some very misguided people causing a lot of strife to the church, and I'll be very proud to stand up for the Broadway I believe in: one of thought and grace. For more info, visit this great site: bbcfortworth.com