Chicken Derangement

The last time we made Chicken Madness was on the eve of Jen's terrible knee surgery. This is a Jen favorite, our version of a sandwich made at Wisemiller's in D.C. Generally Jen makes this dish but tonight I put it together based (mostly) on Jen's instructions.

Since I don't follow instructions very well there were a few modifications, much to Jen's dismay.



I rendered four strips of bacon, removed them from the pan, sauteed up half a yellow onion, half a red onion, one jalapeno, and a red pepper. Then I took some boneless, skinless chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder, and seared that in the same pan, finishing in the oven.

I served it on a kaiser roll (not traditional), did not cut the chicken breast into strips (not traditional) and used arugula since we didn't have any iceberg lettuce (not traditional). I did, however, fight the urge to make a flavored mayonnaise and did use just plain mayo (+1 for Nate).

As an accompaniment: spicy Grillo's Pickles, and Alexia Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Seasoning.

Jen did all she could to stop the involuntary cringing when she heard of all these renegade moves I had made. However, as with every dinner we've ever had together, she admitted at the end that it was quite tasty.

I call this dish "Chicken Derangement" since it is not 100% faithful to the dish that is so popular it has its own Facebook page with 53 members (previously called "fans").

And you know something has to be huge if it has its own Facebook page!

Chilly May Bolognese

With May temperatures in the forties I was struck with a sudden urge to make bolognese. More importantly: to eat bolognese! I had most of the ingredients necessary in the freezer and fridge and was fairly certain that I could cobble together a facsimile in a pretty short time.



To start I made a Caesar salad. Since the health benefits of kale have been a theme for the past few months I decided to make a Caesar salad out of kale. The best thing about this nutrient-dense leafy green is that it's so healthy that you can completely cover it in a thick Caesar dressing and it completely balances out any of the unhealthy properties of the salad dressing. It's true! Look it up!



I ended up rendering bacon, cooking garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and ground beef before added diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. I used some dried basil and thyme and a bay leaf for seasoning. I served this along with some fresh fettuccine and a loaf of inappropriately defrosted Jewish rye bread. Shockingly the bread worked as an accompaniment, something I was not expecting.

I didn't add any stock or cream to the sauce, something that traditionally should have been added, because it was tasty enough without.

And since there wasn't any kale in the sauce to counteract it that cream would have went straight to my hips!

May The Fifth Be With You

There's nothing quite like a holiday that tells me exactly what I'm supposed to make for dinner. Or at least narrows it down substantially. It would be convenient if such a holiday occurred weekly as to make my grocery shopping that much easier.

Yesterday, in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo I purchased as many Mexican-themed ingredients as I could with no real idea of what I was going to make. Here's what I came up with:



As with most of our minor holiday feasts there was enough food for six people which is handy because that gives us enough leftovers to each have it for lunch (and possibly dinner) the next day and probably still throw some away because we're sick of it.



Nothing much to really say here. Chips and salsa. I did use some chips from Laurel Hill out of Attleboro, Massachusetts. Having grown up fifteen minutes from Attleboro, Massachusetts I was never aware there were any food companies there. I thought all they had there was Yankee Spirits (fantastic liquor store, by the way) and The Emerald Square Mall (I'm shocked that they do not seem to have a real website but rather link to a Facebook page).

Beware of the latter. I heard it is built on a swamp and is sinking! You can even see the cracks in the floor!



For a salad I just tossed together some kale with assorted Cinco-themed ingredients: lime juice, cumin, cotija cheese, toasted pepitas, chili sauce, etc. You get the idea.



I opted at the last minute to make enchiladas rather than tacos. I browned some garlic, tossed in some jalapeno and onion, and browned up some ground beef. The beef was from Simply Grazin' in Skillman, New Jersey. While I love Simply Grazin's beef it is a little difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of the meat when it's cooked with tomato, spices, wrapped in a flour tortilla, covered in enchilada sauce and baked in the oven with melted cotija cheese.

Still, the knowledge that I supported yet another wonderful purveyor of fine food helped me digest better and sleep soundly in a state of smug satisfaction.



I served this up with simple brown rice which I tossed with some pinto beans and a little chili.



I had some sad limes, the kind that when you cut them open it's like cutting open a balloon filled with saw dust. After getting about six drops out of two lime I had a few winners and was able to make Jen a margarita with some tequila and agave.



I hadn't had a Dos Equis in years. In fact, I think the last time I had one it was purchased at Yankee Spirits and I was still in college. I forgot how much I actually liked this beer. I confess that one of my guilty pleasures are the Dos Equis commercials featuring The Most Interesting Man in the World. I'm a bit ashamed about how much I love them but I just do. I love how mild his appreciation for the product that he's selling is. "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." It's quite remarkable. He admits to not being a big drinker then qualifies that he only prefers Dos Equis. In no way does he really endorse the product or say that he enjoys it exclusively.

And that is the most interesting part of all. Stay thirsty, my friends.

Barramundi!!

There's nothing more I love than finding a food I've never heard of before. Today that happened as I came across a fish called Barramundi. Barramundi is apparently "Australia's favorite fish." Funny that I haven't heard any of the Australians I know ever mention this particular sea-dweller.

As someone who's spent his entire career working with food it's always a little embarrassing to find something out that is new. Particularly since I'm the go to person for everyone that I know to send a text message at any time of the day to ask me if they're making their pie crust correctly or if I know a better way to sear a flank steak.



I sauteed a giant plate of spinach with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I call this "Brooklyn Fish Camp Style" as it closely resembles the style of fresh sauteed spinach they serve at their fantastic restaurant.



I also made a baked potato with sour cream and parsley. Nothing too fancy. Just a microwaved potato because I was making a baked potato for me and Jen, not for our descendants.



Having never cooked barramundi before I wanted to make sure I got a good sense of how it tasted. I marinated it with some lemon and olive oil, cooked it up in a pan and finished it off under the broiler for a minute or so. In the pan I tossed some butter and parsley then drizzled the fish.

I must say, the Australians have been keeping a wonderful secret from us all these years. The fish is tender, flaky, and delicious. I really can't imagine a better white fish. And it was quite reasonably priced. Assuming Australia will continue to export this I think I'm going to put this into the dinner rotation effective immediately.



To top it all off I enjoyed a Whale Tail Pale Ale from Cisco Brewers on Nantucket. Much like their Sankaty Light beer I am very impressed with this beer.

Not pictured: a repeat of last night's delicious crisp with vanilla ice cream. Also not pictured: the fact that I can no longer fit into any of my pants. I actually had to take some pants to the tailor to be taken out. I guess I've come a long way from when my doctor told me that I had to try to eat as many cookies as possible.

I think she'd be singing a different tune these days.

Unseasonably Seasonal

A bout of lousy weather, in the form of ultra-humid rain, has left me unable to grill. Unfortunately the only option left was to use the oven. A dim prospect in this unseasonably warm temperatures, yes. However, it's all in the name of having a delicious dinner which is of paramount importance.



A few times a year I'm able to procure fresh garbanzo beans. It's a treat to eat these during their brief season. Luckily a year is long enough to forget how terrible a task it is to peel them one-by-one. Over a pound of beans results in this pitiful yield of fresh beans.



I cooked up the garbanzos with just a little butter, olive oil, garlic, and parsley. I was also fortunate enough to get a nice veal chop from Provitello Farmsin Elba, NY. For you history buffs out there you'll remember this is where Napoleon was exiled after his defeat at the Battle of Leipzig. For what they lack in maintaining Napoleon's exile they make up for in producing excellent quality veal!

Also to accompany these lovely items: some more shiitake mushrooms from New Jersey.



Jen also woke up early this morning to make this fantastic strawberry rhubarb crisp (an abandoned strawberry rhubarb pie). Topped with a little vanilla ice cream it was pretty much the most delicious dessert one could ask for on a disgustingly humid May evening. Jen's recipe called for the cut berries and rhubarb to be tossed with a little sugar and flour and then sit for one hour. Always one to up the ante, Jen allowed them to sit for two days. This was fueled by a need to overdo it in tandem with a lack of desire to make pie crust.

The charm of this Spring meal may have been a bit more enjoyed had it not been for the scorching heat and humidity in our apartment. It felt more like we'd frozen the garbanzo beans and waited until late July to have this meal.

Hopefully there'll be a chilly day in late July where we can have ribs and corn on the cob to even this all out.