Bean Fest '08: The Finale

We soaked, we simmered and we conquered.

It's time to finish up the tale of Good Mother Stallard and all her fixins.  When last we met, the cornbread was out of the oven and the beans were simmering away.

You haven't salted your beans yet.  It's a rule.  I think it's been proven, but I don't question rules.  I follow them.  It's just the way I am.

So now that your beans are almost done, give them a nice dose of salt.  That, of course is up to your tastes.  We like it on the salty side.  What can I say, I'm my salt-lovin' father's daughter.

In the meantime, we've been doing some extra cooking.  We roasted this squash, just to enjoy that glorious thing that is the "Three Sisters": Beans, Corn and Squash.  (Not to be confused with the Chekov play...) These Sisters taste pretty darn good together.

We baked this squash cut side down in a 425˚ oven until a paring knife slid easily through the flesh and the edges were brown and crusty.  Then Michael melted a little butter in each piece.

Just because we love them, we cooked up some beautiful turnip greens.  We used three huge bunches- but they cook way down, so don't be afraid.  Just take off the bottom stems and give them a wash.  Tear them up into manageable pieces.  Then sautée up a few slices of bacon with a cut up onion.  Don't worry about the bacon getting crisp- it's a flavoring, not a main player.  Fill your pot up with water and bring it up to a simmer.  Then add all of those greens- don't worry, they'll fit.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then just let them cook until tender. 

And now, without further ado, the conclusion of Beanfest '08:

Those fabulous heirloom beans, garnished with some raw onion.

Fresh skillet cornbread and roasted squash.

And turnip greens, garnished with a splash of vinegar.


A fine truly American meal, if I've ever seen one.  The beans were out of this world.  They tasted so incredibly meaty, I could have sworn they were cooked with a ham hock.  I've never had beans so good, and I've had a lot of great beans in my lifetime.  You must order these beans and give them a try.  I promise, you'll never forget them.

Playing,
Meredith

Cornbread

Hello there,

It's Bean Fest '08 here at a Player and a Baker and I'm excited to continue the tale today with Sue's Cornbread.  Sue is Michael's mom, and she's an amazing Southen cook.  I think Michael ate this cornbread every day of his young life.  He couldn't ever get it perfect until finally we made Sue break it down, step by step.  It isn't so much a set recipe.  It's all about the feel.  We'll get to that later.

For now, things start out innocently enough.

This is the key:

It has to be Aunt Jemima.  It has to be self-rising.  It has to be white.  That's just the way it is.  Don't question it.  It works.

Measure out about 2 cups of the mix. Mix in 1 teaspoon baking soda.  That's necessary when using buttermilk, and well, there's no choice.  You must use buttermilk.  So extra baking soda it is.

 

Now, make sure you get your cast iron skillet into a 425˚ oven.  Cast iron is not optional here, but I highly recommend  you get one.  They are awesome.

  

Scoot the flour to one side of the bowl and break an egg on the other side. 

  

Give that egg a scramble: 

  

Now add in maybe 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.  If you're nervous and it's humid, start out with less. 

  

 Mix the wet ingredients in their little compartment.

  

Now here comes the fun part.  Mix that together.  Then check it out: is it thick? Thin?  The consistency must be right.  What consistency?  Well just for fun, rather than describe it, let's see it in action:

So there you go.  Not too thick, not to thin, and dribbly.

In the meantime, when the skillet is hot, put three tablespoons of canola oil in the hot skillet and put it in the oven for at least 5 minutes.  When that oil is good and hot, take it out of the oven and carefully pour it into your batter.  (Just so you know, if you're feeling particularly naughty, you could definitely use bacon grease or lard.  That's how it used to be done, and it's amazing.)

Put that skillet back in the oven and stir that baby up: (Note the nice view of the Hudson Kitchen)

Bake until the edges are nice and brown and the top starts getting a nice golden/brown color: about 20-25 minutes.

  

Flip out of the skillet and serve immediately.

 

Skillet cornbread: it's a thing of beauty.

More to come:  greens, squash, and the reveal of those heirloom beans.
See you soon!

Playing,
Meredith

Bean Fest '08

Well folks, I think I've started a new tradition here at Player: Bean Fest!!! 

It all started in last month's Food and Wine Magazine.  Some beans were featured in a cassoulet recipe.  And these were'nt just any beans.  These were fabulous and rare heirloom beans brought to you by Rancho Gordo.  Michael had to get some.  So he immediately ordered them.  We got six different varieties, but we started with Steve Sando's (founder of the company) favorite:

 

Aren't those graphics fabulous?

And the beans- they're so pretty.  Good Mother Stallard: not to be confused with Old Mother Hubbard.  She gave her dog a bone.  This Mother gives us tasty beans.  

 

Wow!  I've never seen beans like this.  You probably haven't either.  That's why they're "heirloom".  Just thought I'd spell that out for you.

We start with a rinse and a soak.

Rinse:

 

 

Rinse some more:

Check out the use of the spray feature on our beautiful sink!  That baby can really squirt.

Next we soak:

Make sure those beans are covered by an inch of water.

And now you wait.  Perhaps you might make a "Jack London".  Soak for at least 4 hours.  

DON'T do the quick soak thing.  If you don't have time to soak, just cook the beans.  Apparently adding heat starts the cooking process and doesn't actually further along the soaking process.  So there you go.  We soaked for just over 4 hours, but you can go up to 6.  

And now for the cooking.  We kept it simple with a mirepoix: diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. 

As you can see, it's kind of equal parts celery and onion, half that amount of celery, and 2 cloves of garlic.  You really want the flavor of the beans to come through here, so be judicious.  

 

Sautée your veggies on medium heat until they're translucent but not brown. 

Then add your garlic:

Stir that about until it softens.

 Now add the beans and their liquid.  That liquid has good stuff in it.  We wouldn't want to waste that.

 

You'll want to make sure the beans are still covered by an inch of water in the pot.  Stick in the end of a wooden spoon to be sure.  

Here Michael demonstrates the fact that his thumb joint is an inch.  Yours is probably pretty close too.

  

 Uh oh- not quite an inch.  Add more water, but make sure it's room temperature, and not cold.  

  

 Bring those to a boil.  Let them boil for five minutes:

  

 Then let them simmer.  For hours.  Michael spent a lot of time doing this:

  

Cover them with a little crack of the lid.  Let them go for hours.  I think ours took maybe three?

 

Want the end results?  Well you'll just have to wait.  I've got more to tell you about before these babies are plump and delicious.

Still to come: Turnip Greens and Cornbread, along with fabulous video. 

(Especially for my friend Greg)

Playing,

Meredith

Cocktail Monday: The Jack London

It's that time again. It's Monday. Everyone is back to the grind, and pretty sad about it. And I know how to cheer you up! How about a nice cool cocktail?

This one is an original, brought to you by our resident mixologist Michael. We wanted something with cider and fall flavors. A short trip to the local liquor store and a little experimentation and we had ourselves a mighty fine cocktail.

What better spirit to pair with fresh local cider than applejack? I mean it's made out of apples. Ha, talk about stating the obvious.

Further perusal in the liquor store, Michael found this new thing: Ginger- it's kind of a ginger-flavored fortified wine. We thought it might pair well with the apple theme.

So we have a Jack London. Jack for applejack, London for the Brittish origins of the Ginger, and Jack London for the adventurous feeling the cocktail evokes.


Finally a few things we already had: orange bitters, Punt e Mes (a spicy apertif) and of course, apples.

Chill your martini glasses- this baby is gonna be straight up.

Now mix in your shaker:
A splash of Ginger:



1 1/2 ounces of fresh cider:


1 1/2 ounces Applejack:


1/2 ounce Punt e Mes


A dash of orange bitters if you've got them. You could also add an orange twist and regular bitters.


Fill the shaker with ice and give it a gentle shake.



Strain into the chilled glasses:


Garnish with a slice of fresh apple and serve with aged cheddar.


I promise you, even with the slightly obscure ingredient list, this would be a perfect cocktail for a Fall-themed party.
Slightly spicy, fruity and delicious.

You'll love it.

Playing,
Meredith

The Long Awaited Arancini

I told you tomorrow but I meant Thursday.

Okay, I meant Tuesday, but I worked a lot this week, and didn't get the photoshopping done, and well, it's an age-old tale. I love blogging. But I love resting and following the election like my life depends on it. So now it's Thursday and I give you the beautiful thing that is Arancini.

These fried risotto balls are an excellent use of leftover risotto. It's too gummy the next day when reheated anyway. These make leftovers into a glorious concoction all it's own.

I used Mario Batali's recipe as a guide, which is a great start if you don't have leftover risotto to begin with, as it walks you through those steps as well.

I took a picture of the cookbook, which is all kinds of illegal, I'm sure, but I'm sure old Mario won't mind.

He calls his "Suppli' al Telefono" or telephone wires, because of the delicious strings of mozzarella that occur when breaking open one of these babies.

(Click on the picture to enlarge the image)



Heat up your oil. Mario says all extra virgin olive oil. I say that's crazy, so I used some olive oil mixed with vegetable. Get that oil nice and hot in a dutch oven or heavy pot.


Dice up your mozzarella.



Mix an egg into your risotto. Mine already had plenty of cheese, but if you're following Mario from the start, you'd mix that in here.



I made my own breadcrumbs by drying out stale bread in a warm oven.


Then I pulverized them in the food processor. Store bought are fine, I just didn't have any on hand.


Take a tablespoon of rice, and put it in the palm of your hand. Make an indentation and add a small ammount of the mozzarella.



Cover the filling with the rice and roll into a ball. Roll in the breadcrumbs and set aside.

Hello my beauties!


Fry a few at a time- don't be afraid to let the oil get really hot- you aren't really cooking anything here, so they can go pretty quickly.


Here they are fresh from the oil. Some were prettier than others. The pretty ones had much hotter oil.


They all tasted delcious. Especially with my delicious sauce.



Cook risotto. Make extra. Then eat this. I promise, you won't regret it.

Playing,
Meredith

Teaser: An Excellent Sauce

This fine Monday morning, I thought I'd let you know what you have to look forward to, without actually giving away all the goods. I know you love it when I do that...

So this is a simple tomato sauce. I didn't obsessively document every step, because, well- it's just so simple. But it is so darned good, I thought you should have it in your arsenal.

Chop up an onion. Sauteé it in a good 1/4 cup of excellent olive oil. It isn't just a cooking medium, it is a star ingredient, so don't skimp.

When the onion is nice and soft, add 2 sliced cloves of garlic and up to a tablespoon of hot chile flakes. I also added a sprinkle of dried oregano and basil, because I didn't have fresh.




Throw in about 1/2 cup of wine before the garlic gets brown. I used white because that's what was open, and I liked it for it's crisp freshness. Red wine adds a more round sweetness to the sauce. Let that cook down quite a bit.


Then add a large can of chopped tomatoes. Pour water in the can and pour that in to get all the tomato-y goodness. Stir in a few tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and basil if you've got it.


Then simmer. For a long time. If the sauce gets too thick, add more water. At one point I used a masher to break down the tomatoes a bit. You want the sauce chunky, but not too chunky. I simmered my sauce for over an hour. You could do less, but then you'd have a less complex sauce. Stir in more fresh herbs towards the end.

I served it with Arancini- Roman fried rice balls made from leftover risotto. It was a perfect balance of crunchy cheesy goodness of the arancini with the sweet round tartness of the sauce.



You could definitely eat the sauce like any tomato sauce, over pasta or on a pizza. Or with a spoon. But I promise you, even though you might go back to the jar next week, you won't forget this sauce.


A Player's Tomato Sauce


Ingredients:

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon dried chile flakes.
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
a dash of dried basil (if you don't have fresh)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
Fresh parsley and basil if you've got it


Sauteé onion in olive oil on medium heat until soft and translucent. Add sliced garlic, chile flakes and dried herbs and stir until you smell the garlic. Pour in the wine and let it reduce a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes with their juices and a can full of water. Add some chopped herbs. Simmer on low heat for at least 45 minutes, adding water if the sauce gets too thick. Use a masher to break up the tomatoes a bit. Towards the end of cooking, stir in fresh herbs. Serve tossed with pasta, or as a dipping sauce for arancini.


I'll tell you all about those tomorrow.

Playing,
Meredith

I Can't Help Myself

This is a family blog. This is also a food blog. I try not to get too opinionated over issues around here unless it concerns local food, or baking. But this old election is really creeping it's way into my psyche, and I can't think about anything else right now. Not even food.

And so, when I saw this picture over at the Gothamist, I had to share it with you. It's just too good.

Democrat? Republican? Who cares. (Well that's not true I care a lot, but I don't think I'm going to change any of your minds at this point.)

This is bi-partisanly funny:




Playing with politics,
Meredith

Ode To Meat: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

This is a good one.

You know I love the Pioneer Woman. She's an inspiration to me. A true pioneer in the food blogging frontier. Or something like that. She also makes really good stuff. This sandwich is just that. Good stuff.

It's simple food if I've ever seen it: cube steak, onions, bread, some sauce.
But sometimes, simple is good.

Check out PW's recipe and detailed post here. I couldn't help but take pictures of this, because man, it's tasty stuff, and I want you to witness it.

Sautée a sliced onion in some butter. Just so you know, PW uses a lot of butter, and we used some, but not nearly as much as she advocates. So keep that in mind. If you want to be decadent, go ahead. If you're watching your girlish figure, fear not. This meal doesn't have to be a calorie explosion.


We served our sammies with oven sweet potato fries. Simply toss sweet potato sticks in olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little paprika. Then bake at 425˚, turning with a spatula every 10 minutes until they're crispy and brown.


Back to that cube steak, which we know from my chicken fried steak post is just London Broil or Top Sirloin cut into pieces and tenderized. We got these pieces already tenderized, which really saves on the cleanup.

Slice the steaks up.


Season them with salt and pepper. Or, if you're me, watch your boyfriend season them. I promise, I help him a lot...


Then watch your friend cut up the salad you're having to round out this slightly unhealthy but delicious meal. That would be some escarole, which holds up very well against a sandwich and fries.


At some point I stopped taking pictures. Around this time, you should be browning your meat, then tossing in Worschestire sauce (must be Lee and Perrins- we did a taste test) hot sauce, and the onions. I guess I got distracted, because the next picture I have is toasting buns:


And that is a beautiful thing, if I do say so myself.


Here's the final beefy Marlboro Man approved goodness:


And these are crisped to perfection.


An excellent, if slightly messy meal. My MM approved.


Playing,
Meredith

A Perfect Fall Day: Apple Picking in the Berkshires

October in the northeast is a beautiful time. The air is crisp, a warm welcome from the not so distant sweltering past. Sweaters come out of hiding, the cowboy boots get a dusting, and best of all, it's time for apples.

We decided to head out of New York State and into Massachusetts and it's beautiful Berkshires. The sun was shining even though it was cool, and the apples were ready to go.

Here's where we went:



It was great- lot's of interesting varieties.

Apple picking is so much fun. The scenery is beautiful, and you get to snack.



Michael and Wenonah check out the map of the orchard to plan our route:


I wish you could really grasp the size of this apple tree- it was amazing.


And what an amazing apple picker.


Oh, silly me, that's my boyfriend...


The leaves were just starting to turn on the mountain.




Gorgeous hand modeling, W.


It was a beautiful day. But how could we best highlight this fall bounty?

Simply. And with lard.


Hee hee. I'm not kidding, though. Use my all butter pie crust recipe, but use four tablespoons of leaf lard and six of the butter. It's a thing of beauty. Just ask anyone who's tried it. It isn't porky at all, just delicious.

Today we're making an apple crostata. It's just a very rustic free-form apple pie.

So I peeled, cored and chopped up a bunch of apples. They were small- maybe ten or so- use less if you've got bigger apples. I can't remember the apple variety I used, but make sure you're using a good baking apple like Cortland or Empire. Remember, this is more of a method than a recipe, feel free to improvise.


Sprinkle with a little brown sugar, a couple tablespoons of flour, and the juice of 1 lemon, and let sit on the countertop for at least 15 minutes.


Roll out the pastry on your fabulous marble baking center. Oh, don't have one? Never fear, a good clean regular countertop works just fine.


I rolled it out on parchment paper for ease of transfer.


Once you've got the dough nice and thin, pile on those apples.


Crimp the edges to keep all those juices in. Brush with a beaten egg.


I topped mine with a few pats of butter for extra flavor.


Bake in a 400˚ oven, preferably on a baking stone, until the crust is brown and the apples are tender, about 40 minutes.


We served ours with a little sweetened whipped cream. Ice cream would have been mighty fine as well.


The nice thing about this crostata is that it's not spiced, so it's really all about the pure flavor of the apples. And butter...

Playing,
Meredith

Mac and Cheese, Baby!

You know you want it.

This, sadly is my last post from Atlanta. I know we all had to move on, but it was truly fun helping out, and cooking delicious meals for my cousins.

The last night we made mac and cheese and grilled chicken. It was one of the easiest meals I made while I was there. You just sort of throw everything in the pot. This was one that Christie wanted to try from Giada over at Food Network. We made a few little tweaks for our own tastes. For instance, instead of using egg noodles, we went for the traditional macaroni.

Cook them up. We used these "healthy" ones. That makes this whole meal healthy. I promise. Ignore the cheese and cream.


Next we have the cheesy goodness. Grated fontina, mozzarella, and parmesan. Add some milk (we used 2% because that's what we had around) and cream- we used some heavy cream and some Mexican Crema. Crema is a cross between sour cream and heavy cream, and it's intense. I don't know if I'd use it again. Creme fraiche would have been better I think.


Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of flour.



Oh my, look what we have here:


My very favorite sous chef Boo. She was really excited about the microplane.

Mix everything together, holding back some cheese for the top.


Pour it into your baking dish and sprinkle with cheese.


Boo wanted extra parmesan.


My fabulous and talented cousin Matt seranaded the grilling chicken. (Just so you know, Christie did the marinade, which was a sprinkling of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and maybe seasoning salt? I wasn't watching very closely.)


Bake in the oven at 450˚ until golden brown and delicious.


Garnish with parsley and chives. I like the little oniony bite the chives give.


It was pretty good. Rich, but good. The chicken was very well cooked- Thanks, Tenco!

The best part about cooking for the Thiens?


I didn't have to do the dishes. Doesn't Christie look amazing for just having a baby?




Mac and Cheese
(From Food Network, adapted by a Player)

Butter, for greasing dish
12 ounces macaroni
2 cups heavy cream (or creme fraiche or Mexican Crema)
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley and chives

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.
Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.



Miss you, Thiens!
Playing,
Meredith

Healthy(ish) Shepherd's Pie

I saw this recipe on Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger a while ago and I knew I wanted to make it. Shepherd's pie is the ultimate comfort food. Meat, veggies, gravy and mashed potatoes in one dish- what could be bad about that? Oh- wait a second- it's not healthy? Aw man! I hate it when that happens (not that it generally changes what I make). But this one is healthy. Sort of. The beef is lean, the veggies are fresh, and there isn't a lot of added fat. Also the potatoes are supplemented by steamed cauliflower. Atlanta was the perfect time to try this one out.

To all the sous chefs I've ever had, I am grateful for your help. But I have to say, there can be only one top sous chef for me, and that's Baylee, or Boo as I like to call her. I like to think of myself as an expert at cooking with kids. Boo is a little younger then my average helper, which meant new challenges. She can't use a sharp knife at all. She really would cut her fingers off. She has a special safety knife, but you have to make sure what she's cutting is soft yet sturdy enough to be easy. Potatoes worked well. I cut them into spears and she diced them up. Cauliflower was a little troublesome. She did pretty well cubing carrot sticks.

But mushrooms were the winners.


I can't remember where I saw this, but it worked so well: slice mushrooms with an egg slicer. Boo did all of them.

This is the kind of meal where mise en place is important. It's best to have all the chopping done before hand.



First you brown your lean beef:


The nice thing about cooking dinner for Boo and her fam is that they keep my company.


Remove the browned beef and any excess fat and sautée the carrots and onions until soft.


Add the mushrooms and thyme and sautée until the mushrooms are cooked. Then add the beef back in and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour.


Let that cook a minute, and add beef broth and salt and pepper. Don't forget to stir in your frozen peas- I did, and I regretted it.

Now, while this has all been going on, you've been steaming your potatoes and cauliflower. I did them seperately, potatoes on the stove, and cauliflower in a microwave steamer.

Mash them up, adding some milk and butter. I used this Mexican crema, which is like a rich sour cream.


Here we have the assembled pie- Christie's portion had no cauliflower, as it is quite a gassy vegetable.


It was delicious served with a simple garden salad. Boo ate every bite.


Ellie Krieger's Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90 percent lean or higher)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 3 medium carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or creamery potatoes
• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
• 2/3 cup 1 percent lowfat milk
  
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet cook the meat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Drain any fat remaining in the skillet.

Heat the oil in the skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, covered, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately-high. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes longer. Return the meat to the pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer being sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peas. Pour the mixture into a 12-cup shallow baking dish (about 11 by 9 inches).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Arrange the potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the basket and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher until smooth. Heat the milk, butter, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir into the potato mixture.

Spread the potato mixture on top of the meat and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Playing,
Meredith

Cocktail Monday: a Bronx

I'm here! I made it! I bet you thought I wouldn't. That Meredith (you thought) is such a flaky blogger that she'll never make it with something on a day she's traveling back from Hudson to the city. You're almost right. I almost forgot. But then I remembered that I had a Cocktail Monday installment, and well, not only are those fun, but they're simple and easy, and I had time to do it before leaving for work. So there you go. Now this is no sissy cocktail. A Bronx is much like it's parent, the Manhattan, but it has gin instead of rye whiskey. We had them the other night before dinner, and they're lovely, if a bit strong.

Here are the players:


Like in a Perfect Manhattan, we've got sweet and dry vermouth and bitters. Gin is what makes this a Bronx. Why? I couldn't tell you exactly. Maybe in the early days of cocktails, people in the Bronx loved gin.

Chill your glasses. You can either fill them with ice and water, or do what Michael did and stick them in the ice bin.


Now we've got 2 parts gin:


To one part sweet vermouth:


And one part dry vermouth. (If just making one, that's 1 oz for the gin, and 1/2 oz each for the vermouths)


Don't forget a few dashes of bitters. Michael used orange bitters, but angostura would be fine. Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters would be best.

Get yourself a nice curl of orange peel- if you don't have this fancy tool, just slice of a chunk with a paring knife.



Squeeze the juice of the orange into the shaker with the alcohol and ice.


Shake, and strain into the chilled glasses. Wipe that zest around the rim to get those essential oils released, and throw it in the glass.

That's is a fine looking cocktail.


I recommend one after a particularly hard Monday at the office.
My office is a little girl's room on the Upper West Side... And this couch.

Playing,
Meredith

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

So I'm in Atlanta with my cousin Christie. I've been helping out with her almost four year old Baylee, and just hanging out. Mostly I've been cooking. Because I love it, and I love it even more when someone else cleans up. Don't worry- I help usually. I'm not a burden. At least I don't think I am. It was questionable yesterday when I was making chocolate pie and there was a deadline. The kitchen was a hurricane of flour, butter and chocolate... But mostly things have been pretty tame.

On Saturday, Christie and I sat down on the old iBook and surfed for recipes. We needed simple flavors, and nothing spicy or flatulent. Yes, I said it- we couldn't make beans or cabbage, or use raw onions or jalapeños. It's not for me, or even Christie, Matt, her husband, or Baylee. It's for Brayden who is sensitive to what's going on in his mother's milk. TMI? Well, I thought you might want to know, in case you were cooking for a breastfeeding woman some time. Or who knows? Maybe you want to have a baby some day. It's just good to have all the information.

So we planned the whole week of dinners, including this: Crispy Yogurt Chicken.

It's from Pioneer Woman, a favorite for simple fuss-free cuisine.

First you make a yogurt coating with this stuff:


Garlic, parsley, and yogurt. Simple.


Oh yeah, don't forget a little lemon juice. Look at me using bottled stuff. When it's going to be cooked, it doesn't really matter.


Go ahead and coat your chicken in that. We used chicken cutlets, though PW uses legs. Bone-in breasts would be a good healthy alternative, but these cutlets worked okay, with a few adjustments I'll tell you about.

Who's my sous chef for this venture?


Baylee of course! Look at her awesome play kitchen. I would have gone to town on that baby when I was young. I had the old Fisher Price number, though, and that was pretty good.

Set up your assembly line. Yogurt coated chicken, panko bread crumbs seasoned with salt, and the baking dish lovingly buttered by my little cousin.


Lay out the chicken and top it with a few slivers of butter.


PW says bake at 350˚ covered for an hour or so, and uncovered for 15. Chicken cutlets should have taken less time, but they were too low in the oven, and ended up taking the full time. Next time with the thin cuts, I probably wouldn't have covered them at all. If you've got bones in, definitely cover. But always make sure your food is in the center of the oven for stuff like this, unless otherwise stated. I should have known better, but I wasn't paying attention.

It turned out crispy and delicious eventually.


We served it with green beans and a strawberry walnut salad.

What a lovely family.


Get the recipe here, and have fun!

I'm having a great time here. I hate to go, but never fear- the fun's not over quite yet- I've got more stories to tell about this lovely trip.

Playing,
Meredith