tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87653664900588864782024-03-05T20:29:36.989-06:00Have Spork, Will TravelWe love food. We love travel. We love sporks!
Join us in our quest to travel the world, eat everything we see and capture the whole thing on camera!Oh, and since we eat a lot more than we travel, this is pretty much where we explore new flavors and new techniques to bring the world to home.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-79597981895492163222013-05-12T17:29:00.002-05:002013-05-12T20:23:15.882-05:00A Belated Birth Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsBaab4uTzweKJ7-nLdv_S5nn0prYAl4ZnVTu0LDFXYvvsr6HGKHI_4YXfkBYMkiPtDlKhLaHErc0zVZGx9j6rPeElV6Z92ugxaipuIfr2n6nAXrW7SctY4dxOVCa3s4bq-XLJLdwbAc/s1600/Emmersons_004_0Emmers-R4-E001_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsBaab4uTzweKJ7-nLdv_S5nn0prYAl4ZnVTu0LDFXYvvsr6HGKHI_4YXfkBYMkiPtDlKhLaHErc0zVZGx9j6rPeElV6Z92ugxaipuIfr2n6nAXrW7SctY4dxOVCa3s4bq-XLJLdwbAc/s320/Emmersons_004_0Emmers-R4-E001_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We had a baby boy... 7 months ago! <br />
<br />
Time sure flies when you're tending to the every need of a miniature man. Who would have thought nursing every two hours would be the easy part? Now he needs three meals a day, still won't sleep through the night ( I can't let him cry) and considers me his personal human taxi service. It must be said, though... he's the best thing I ever baked and I am totally in love.<br />
<br />
When I get a spare moment, I'm making every single recipe in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook but, for now, I'm doing what I can to whip up daily fresh orange and green mush for my growing boy. And, I think I hear him waking up... I'm out. <br />
<br />Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-12347876587657116322012-06-24T21:26:00.001-05:002012-06-24T21:26:32.325-05:00Tropical Shrimp Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT28tWeP4xY3EFM-3baELInrdEhVmFpkp1YPkhiLwQ5QckGXAweix_FIl1JqGUM8SzUfnOuPxn-_Cy3hQwXN-0pjESM29LDkYDF53f2dLErechopZ2_Xg0h4WuK2G7MJxE4wM1gXNQ4vc/s1600/DSC_0656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT28tWeP4xY3EFM-3baELInrdEhVmFpkp1YPkhiLwQ5QckGXAweix_FIl1JqGUM8SzUfnOuPxn-_Cy3hQwXN-0pjESM29LDkYDF53f2dLErechopZ2_Xg0h4WuK2G7MJxE4wM1gXNQ4vc/s400/DSC_0656.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm back. Truth be told, I seriously haven't made a new recipe in months. I've been whipping up old standbys so I don't have to exert brain cells. I figure I have a good excuse, though... We're gonna have a baby!!! Come October, two become three and we can't wait. I totally love being pregnant. I feel so special and when I want mashed potatoes PRONTO, I get mashed potatoes pronto. Fortunately, I've had virtually no morning sickness ( only one episode, but I'm pretty sure that had to do with Taco Bell overload more than baby formation.) I was completely fatigued though for the first three months. Baby forming is tiring work.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm still not quite back to my level of enthusiasm for trying new and complicated recipes and the summer heat is no time to be spent in the kitchen. That's why I love this salad that Aubrey and I invented. Heat involvement is limited, it's super filling, and perfectly summery. And, I can keep up the 2012 no recipe trend because this salad doesn't really have one.<br />
<br />
But here's the gist:<br />
<br /><b>Tropical Shrimp Salad</b><br />
(Serves 1 hungry guy and 1 hungry pregnant person)<br />
<ul>
<li>Generous Portion of Salad Greens ( I use 50/50 Spring Mix and Baby Spinach)</li>
<li> A variety of chopped fruit as long as you include mango ( because otherwise the "Tropical" title would just be dumb.) My favorite combo thus far has been red grapes, asian pear, and champagne mango. </li>
<li>About 1b. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on. </li>
<li>Awesome Shrimp marinade- Dijon Mustard, Soy Sauce, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Orange Marmalade, and Honey (optional) to taste. It should taste more sweet than mustardy so go easy on the mustard.</li>
<li>Delicious Dressing- Orange Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Honey, Herbs De Provence, and a dash of crushed red pepper. Salt and Pepper to taste- Blend well- should total about 1/2 cup ( someday I will measure what I actually do here.) </li>
</ul>
Directions:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Marinate shrimp and let set for 10 minutes or so, then skewer shrimp ( about 6 to a long skewer.)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>In the meantime, chop up your fruit. </li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIhMmauDTot3Dz_mIaTbfwySXl3LPNVfPdvlMOPYAt604LtB5ZVp8tRbbqYCbi5KT53jr_9VuNjlcP44TbUTTrrCNBOARVAcMICWNKnqFe6MLa9cCLJVgB3u7FxAvPd6DpjEZCquVEJw/s1600/DSC_0645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIhMmauDTot3Dz_mIaTbfwySXl3LPNVfPdvlMOPYAt604LtB5ZVp8tRbbqYCbi5KT53jr_9VuNjlcP44TbUTTrrCNBOARVAcMICWNKnqFe6MLa9cCLJVgB3u7FxAvPd6DpjEZCquVEJw/s400/DSC_0645.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<ul>
<li>Arrange on greens like shown...</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pbTRBPtYPjaZdr8qI1eZv5h5kyIdX9fJtER0Ato6l9Sc-kDLFrDcYCI7mjhYpSR4k47i6hY1g2YMhshI7bfLzHZ6LCQMbpBjM7ipbSNz2w1HK3T2FuhzKPfpU74qdWe8MR0X7C76R8E/s1600/DSC_0647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pbTRBPtYPjaZdr8qI1eZv5h5kyIdX9fJtER0Ato6l9Sc-kDLFrDcYCI7mjhYpSR4k47i6hY1g2YMhshI7bfLzHZ6LCQMbpBjM7ipbSNz2w1HK3T2FuhzKPfpU74qdWe8MR0X7C76R8E/s400/DSC_0647.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Grill Shrimp about 1 minute on each side and then place on salad. Don't forget the dressing!!!</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>And, that's it. It's amazing. I hope you'll try it!</li>
</ul>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-22992439526015753192012-01-19T21:50:00.000-06:002012-01-19T21:50:53.620-06:00Behold, the Super Muffin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yQXZeW1PvGt1U58Kn-g1JK5QOBpoANNS10ohadgxJ3pg2emN4-mt1WBI40hX9PZY5Uieks3FzgOqqC1Cs_Zg_cbV8Lx3E_-Otg0TtG6_seeYbXKdGrrPbbhNUlcuPvjXcynTwbEbR_M/s1600/super+muffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yQXZeW1PvGt1U58Kn-g1JK5QOBpoANNS10ohadgxJ3pg2emN4-mt1WBI40hX9PZY5Uieks3FzgOqqC1Cs_Zg_cbV8Lx3E_-Otg0TtG6_seeYbXKdGrrPbbhNUlcuPvjXcynTwbEbR_M/s400/super+muffin.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a new year and time for a new college try at regular blog posting. I care less about you, dear readers, and more about myself, really. Do you know how many times I've freaked out having lost recipes I loved because I didn't blog them? Like, three times. It was horrible. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">THIS recipe must not be lost. It's too good. In fact, it's super... as you'll soon find out for yourself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">Super Muffins ( Adapted from Banana Bread Recipe at <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1327030962_2">simplyrecipes.com</span></a>)</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal"> </div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">Ingredients</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal"> </div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">4 ripe bananas, smashed</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">1/3 cup melted butter</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">1/2 cup brown sugar</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">¼ cup white sugar</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">1 egg, beaten</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">1 teaspoon vanilla</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">1 teaspoon baking soda</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">Pinch of salt</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">3/4 cup heath bar, smashed ( can buy this way in the baking aisle- make sure it’s the bits that include the chocolate coating)</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">Optional: ½ cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips ( I didn’t include these)</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal"> </div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">Method</div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal"> </div><div class="yiv676598177MsoNormal">Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon or fork, mix butter into the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Fold in ½ cup of the heath bar bits and chocolate chips ( if using) reserving ¼ cup of heath bar to sprinkle on top. Pour mixture into a prepared muffin tin or 4x8 inch loaf pan and top with remaining heath bar. Bake for 1 hour ( or, 30-35 minutes for muffins.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-19155264971777800512011-08-21T20:18:00.000-05:002011-08-21T20:18:19.438-05:00Homemade GranolaI've been trying to develop healthy snacks for Aubrey lately that don't cost a fortune because, well, the guy can eat. In high school, his friends told me he'd have a box of cereal for breakfast when us normal folk were simply having a bowl. So, throw in several hours of physical training per day as he goes through the new fire academy and you see what I've got on my hands here. I've been experimenting with different types of homemade granola and I think I now have a winning and wholesome combination. I've been holding off posting because I couldn't get the stuff to cluster and it would just spill everywhere when I'd eat it and the I.T. guys at work were probably sick of cleaning out my keyboard ( I once got a cornflake lodged under the "F" key for a week... it was reakin unny.) But, alas, I figured it out. Egg whites... not just for lame breakfasts!<br />
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You can do any fruit/nut combo you like with this base recipe but this is my fave.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTsQ3oZHVbVLwX1obsuqxAnCUEdkNgbcE1l-M3kwRoFkT30JhqETaEjDRs7uwPrGITiorQXEeSvCLHdp5b-ctiUfbWhs0_4Fd_J9APeJdysAggp_6OeAdM9TnMm4BvkN1VsdbxHZsJrg/s1600/granola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTsQ3oZHVbVLwX1obsuqxAnCUEdkNgbcE1l-M3kwRoFkT30JhqETaEjDRs7uwPrGITiorQXEeSvCLHdp5b-ctiUfbWhs0_4Fd_J9APeJdysAggp_6OeAdM9TnMm4BvkN1VsdbxHZsJrg/s400/granola.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Homemade Granola with Mango and Tart Cherries</b><br />
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats<br />
1 cup quick oats<br />
1 cup chopped walnuts <br />
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut<br />
1 cup dried tart cherries, rough chopped<br />
1/2 cup dried mango, rough chopped<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/6 cup good honey<br />
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
1 tsp kosher salt<br />
2 egg whites, whipped until foamy <br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<div class="instruction"> 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.</div>2. Toss the oats, coconut, walnuts, and dried fruit together in a large bowl. Pour the oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids.<br />
3. Fold in the egg whites until coated.<br />
4. Pour onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, covering with foil on areas getting done too quickly when needed, for about 25 minutes.<br />
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before disturbing the granola, ensuring that the egg whites set. Granola should form light clusters when scooped off. Store in an airtight container. The clusters won't survive extreme jostling but are perfect for easy snacking and won't break your teeth like the store-bought stuff. Yay!Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-17413503773777130262011-07-14T19:22:00.001-05:002011-07-14T19:24:26.794-05:00Spicy RC Cola Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalepeno SlawP-Dub has done it again. And, before all you haters go off a-hatin' let's just appreciate the fact that the woman didn't make it on money alone... she's talented. Yeah, I said it.<br />
<br />
I've been eye-balling her Spicy Dr. Pepper pork for months but haven't had much time to make anything involving more than 30 minutes of my time since Aubrey started the Fire Academy. Luckily, I worked from home today so at lunch, I popped this baby in the oven and by six it was falling off the bone and winning over my heart. And, it only took a whole 2 minutes to put in the pot. Seriously, quarter an onion, throw in the roast, open a couple cans of peppers and pour in some leftover RC cola from the fourth ( I didn't have Dr. Pepper.) <br />
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I had it with P-Dub's cilantro slaw sans red cabbage because apparently it's exclusive to Whole Foods in Tulsa and at $1.69 PER POUND, they can keep it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/pork-sandwiches-with-cilantro-jalapeno-slaw/">link</a> to the recipe. I halved the pork amount but kept the spice amount and it was SPICY. Almost too much even for me. But, it was so worth it. I highly recommend this one.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-51378023078788973452011-07-10T09:46:00.006-05:002011-07-12T19:27:49.116-05:00EnglandAubrey and I recently took a U.K. trip and had an amazing time. We flew into London and rented a car to drive through England and Scotland with a flight out of Edinburgh. We had sort of a hellish return flight which warrants no further recollection but the trip itself was amazing. We had absolutely no plan other than to book it up to Manchester immediately after getting our car to watch Manchester United v. Chelsea at Old Trafford Stadium. (If you think you're gifted in the art of profanity, go to an English football match and get schooled.) After that, we were free to do whatever we desired for two weeks and it was heaven on earth. So here's a few of my favorite choices in England...<br />
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Getting a pint at the coolest pub that some how mixed diva wallpaper with old world rustic charm. <br />
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Discovering widespread availability of local cider. I thought I'd spend the whole trip with an empty hand at the pubs but was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this stuff. Plus, it was great to try the local brew in every city. The Cotswolds stuff has got to be the best in the world. I'm sure of it.<br />
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The Tower of London. If you pay admission for one thing in all of England, make it this. Crown Jewels, intense historical significance, a superb cafeteria on the grounds...yum. We spent a whole day here. And, yes, I know this isn't a representative picture of the Tower but look at those doors! <br />
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<br />
<br />
Walking. Seriously! The national pastime of England is walking which sounded a bit weird to me until I discovered that they know how to do it right. There are public footpaths through most of the countryside where you can walk through private property and from town to town. It was gorgeous.<br />
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These pics are currently serving as decorating inspiration for me. In fact, the whole trip is inspiring. I have to go hang a curtain rod!Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-87317841247698253722011-06-11T20:53:00.001-05:002011-06-24T10:06:58.953-05:00Good Eats in Boston<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Guess what? I'm in Boston. Guess what else? I've got food on the mind. Here's some good stuff I ate over the last couple of days... </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7usCTOIVYZTpsWTqZJ-mEt79dWhFQvCrl1qrl2SLJQ6K0UCBnMCRHrH72mBanskRkKyGdiuej50kDCeuU4X5_NV3elogxTsIq4PH3Tn6GSAZszw4U5_59tk2dlXfKs9R1AoOnGpHboGo/s1600/DSC_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7usCTOIVYZTpsWTqZJ-mEt79dWhFQvCrl1qrl2SLJQ6K0UCBnMCRHrH72mBanskRkKyGdiuej50kDCeuU4X5_NV3elogxTsIq4PH3Tn6GSAZszw4U5_59tk2dlXfKs9R1AoOnGpHboGo/s400/DSC_0710.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBk7KwdeMaihU2QghuwBonzIgfQtXylONFA2_lK6ZyD0i0RmNsRCch04B2s-cUUxuw8AO25jw0SozjjXcN96xT6Tq40SzfNgMjxY88t1ut2OCyy2GIkjYUS6R1q_ktD5tzvtIu57O8A_M/s1600/DSC_0706+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBk7KwdeMaihU2QghuwBonzIgfQtXylONFA2_lK6ZyD0i0RmNsRCch04B2s-cUUxuw8AO25jw0SozjjXcN96xT6Tq40SzfNgMjxY88t1ut2OCyy2GIkjYUS6R1q_ktD5tzvtIu57O8A_M/s400/DSC_0706+%25282%2529.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a>Legal Seafood in the airport really delivers, especially for terminal fare! Way better than McDonalds or Chili's To-Go. I'd give the chowder a "7" for the clam chunks but it was lacking in heft and seasoning. Their crabcakes were pretty good, too, but they've got nothing on The Original Pierre Maspero's in New Orleans. Nothing. I'm sort of a crabcake snob but I couldn't tell you my criteria. It's just good, better, or best.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt81n67HT_8zxq1XQ9emrfa3keG3Rcjqk_CXyobs14a_N-R8MkyELHqzkRb3jfV0Y0QJSPzwLpThSGmRckI8Mzkqxo0HkJTkF4jqnQIgEWKfUxok6qmlonaU4UkH-8Ds9uBnsYs-U6kI/s1600/DSC_0698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt81n67HT_8zxq1XQ9emrfa3keG3Rcjqk_CXyobs14a_N-R8MkyELHqzkRb3jfV0Y0QJSPzwLpThSGmRckI8Mzkqxo0HkJTkF4jqnQIgEWKfUxok6qmlonaU4UkH-8Ds9uBnsYs-U6kI/s400/DSC_0698.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div>Sourdough makes my heart sing. As does butter served room temperature. I'm a bit of a butter snob, too. Cold butter is high on my list of restaurant pet peeves...right under the dreaded <em>half-serve</em> ( where only half the people get their food and awkwardness ensues- <em>We'll wait for yours</em>...<em>no really, go ahead and eat... are you sure? </em>) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrJcmPqwRSSwcN4YiCQhyexbJS_9gAR13cZyX6nZ48k4KAvhT_Pngu7tahc45zpUIpHlzGgy9PIk6rDaL3vRDBEVSJj776Vb3WxMzMs39PvMLGLFZrm5w_rQkpjJBd10pWbr-V3CD5_I/s1600/DSC_0856+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrJcmPqwRSSwcN4YiCQhyexbJS_9gAR13cZyX6nZ48k4KAvhT_Pngu7tahc45zpUIpHlzGgy9PIk6rDaL3vRDBEVSJj776Vb3WxMzMs39PvMLGLFZrm5w_rQkpjJBd10pWbr-V3CD5_I/s400/DSC_0856+%25282%2529.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> This was the Funghi pizza at Pasta Beach where I ate way too much, drank way too much ( iced tea) and waddled all the way back to my temporary home. Also, they had beautiful paint colors- striped cream and grey with colorful coastal art. They also had very fresh and tidy looking desserts but unfortunately I had no more room. Oh well, I have four more days here to practice belly space management! </div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-86414973566084910722011-06-10T20:17:00.004-05:002011-06-10T21:18:57.689-05:00Lately with a side of CandorI’ve lost a lot of sleep lately with anxiety manifesting itself in the form of interior decorating. Paint color to be exact. It’s been a year since we moved in and it’s time to finish this madness. Do you know how many shades of white have been invented? Too many. You see, it took a long time for me to even get to white. And, even so, it’s now turned to <em>vanilla cream</em> or <em>canvas</em>. Though, <em>hazy sky</em> and <em>urban putty</em> keep creeping in and laughing at me behind my back. <br />
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I’ve now employed my friend, Sindy, to help navigate my twisted style preferences of the day. She’s pretty handy since she accepts payment in the form of rugs I buy but no longer like or for which I have no more room. Her weapon of choice is asking me what I like. And, that’s the problem.<br />
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I like so many things, I can’t narrow it down. My husband’s patience and our funds are wearing thin with my failed attempts. I’m starting to think the problem is that I’ve been lacking the courage to determine what I don’t like in order to rule crap out. I’m not really one for passing judgment easily which is a trait I usually value in myself. The down side is an extreme undermining of my self-judgment, as of late. So, I told this to a therapist and she ended up telling me all about herself for a full half-hour and told me I<em> should</em> be doing this and <em>should</em> be doing that, which included her recommending I get a colorful couch like hers which happened to be a repeating pattern of montaged Monet. This is when I decided I didn’t need to go back to her despite her slow, concerned insistence that I was going through <em>sooooo</em> much and should really see her for the duration of my free sessions I get through work. Bottom-line, that couch was fugly. And, there it was. The spark of hope that I could make a judgment and be completely okay with it. <br />
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I didn’t think about that again until today but that freedom to judge, to make mistakes, to try and try again is precisely what I love about cooking. It’s up to me. If I screw up, there’s another meal in a few hours to try again. Some mistakes are beautiful. Sometimes, I enjoy just being surrounded with gorgeous ingredients. I don’t obsess. I just flow. This is the same feeling I have when traveling with Aubrey. Judgment without fear or guilt, knowing that whatever way we decide to turn, wherever we decide to sleep, however we get there, we’re gonna love every second of it. Maybe it’s not so much the knowing but the decision to love every second of it that counts. Maybe its allowing something to be without definition. Damn. I’m already better than my therapist. <br />
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So, that was the lately and here’s the candor...<br />
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My parents are getting divorced after about 30 years together and it's messing with me in weird and deep ways.<br />
So, interpret my decorating dillema as you will.<br />
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Also, I sorta hate writing this blog. Not so much the idea of writing, because I love writing. And, not so much the topic of Aubrey, food, and travel, because I love these, too. In fact, these are things I am most sure of in my entire life. It’s more about what the idea of this blog meant to me. I approached this thing with extreme ambition, over-thought, and under-execution. Sorta like decorating… hmmm?!?<br />
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I took tap lessons when I was younger and got really mad at my instructor because she made me shuffle, ball, heel all flippin’ lesson when all I wanted to do was go Shirley Temple on her ass. It wasn’t that I thought I was advanced. I loved learning. I was just really embarrassed at displaying my lack of skill in front of everyone in the meantime… I wanted to learn in private.<br />
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Confession: I used to watch my traffic counts daily. If that's not the cart before the horse I don't know what is. I fantasized about being the next Pioneer Woman. This is embarrassing to admit but I bet I’m not alone in this feeling, especially among the many budding food bloggers out there. The internet is the great equalizer. Anyone can make it in the age of reality stars and American Idol, after all. So, I picked a name. I picked a theme. I picked a differentiating factor. I felt regret for not having a comprehensive business plan or the time to conduct the necessary market research. In other words, I turned this into a work ambition and I started to hate doing it. I hate the disappointment I feel when my posts are lame, when my voice is forced, or when I hear the ring of inauthenticity in my tone. I hate the guilt I feel when I don’t post. Ugh.<br />
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I don’t know what I’m doing in the kitchen any more than I know what I’m doing when I travel or when I’m buying rugs or paint or trying to figure myself out. I’ve just embraced enjoying the process and the beauty of the kitchen and travel (I’ll get there with the others.) I don’t like writing like I know anything and for some reason I've felt compelled to write this way. I much prefer learning as I go and now I’m feeling comfortable doing it out loud without boundaries or embarrassment. I don't know if you'll see changes but I'll feel changes so that's good. Trusty 44 followers... thanks for taking this journey with me. I’m deciding to have some fun with it now. Also, please don't worry about me unless I start posting videos like this: <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mTTwcCVajAc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-59581244794807270612011-01-18T22:08:00.000-06:002011-01-18T22:08:38.726-06:00Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Bl8c5XKoVkaLDgOWbGu0jdqgygv1s-L24B_F6jc8NkQHUe4BsEOIZG9MpoayV1Ybo_xm5Lb_KdAjj3wGXx8mKsxpIGgVggfnDbuwRXAZPM_jBu3pldxPeYPCrlpEjMdXibzN2Si9YmU/s1600/DSC_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Bl8c5XKoVkaLDgOWbGu0jdqgygv1s-L24B_F6jc8NkQHUe4BsEOIZG9MpoayV1Ybo_xm5Lb_KdAjj3wGXx8mKsxpIGgVggfnDbuwRXAZPM_jBu3pldxPeYPCrlpEjMdXibzN2Si9YmU/s400/DSC_0005.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decided to quit buying Naan for my pizza endeavors and just started making my own. I've done P-Dub's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/basic-pizza-crust/">Basic Pizza Crust </a>and it's pretty tasty. I'm still working out the kinks on how to make it crispy on the bottom but, generally it's pretty perfect (Someday, I'll quit being lazy and I'll dig out my pizza stone.) Today, we incorporated kale which was weird but I felt really healthy afterward, despite the massive cheese intake. Total combo included kale, tomatoes, red onion, crimini mushrooms, minced garlic, sundried tomato, and basil pesto base. WHY NOT? It was great.</div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-77450925604591424212011-01-10T22:57:00.001-06:002011-01-10T22:59:19.810-06:00Bread and ButterSometimes I get mad cravings for delicious crusty bread lathered in expensive butter that's so delicious it tastes like cheese. This is one of those times. I'm too lazy to go start myself a round of 5 minutes a day bread or the go to No-knead so I'm just gonna satisfy myself by checking out these loaves of days gone by...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3mKniCNNMU-DlGV69uKmQH2XbIT_PTS-9B8d6fUnztow1ErPlhpa8E3sqh4BSzxuIZU9ufxoCknkxlD2PXCyBc3OSdhAQfbrefy37LMetGydCJbi4FJ30NukQ6fmiYl_TOdca0EsT_c/s1600/DSC_0167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3mKniCNNMU-DlGV69uKmQH2XbIT_PTS-9B8d6fUnztow1ErPlhpa8E3sqh4BSzxuIZU9ufxoCknkxlD2PXCyBc3OSdhAQfbrefy37LMetGydCJbi4FJ30NukQ6fmiYl_TOdca0EsT_c/s400/DSC_0167.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Ugh. No satisfaction. Must start on that "year of the perfect crust" thing...Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-39710225076445518092011-01-03T18:03:00.001-06:002011-01-03T18:06:41.468-06:00Po Boys for President<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsEtMOfHkRUsED0QnRbFWJU9N0yb4LSXI44CBdWy-pM2z_ooPt1vmDIeFXpA9fTlH7hBrE_Xw1xJXgTcAGz54QnMcNpnE-yzW8fKNWytLXX2IfReY2LSpoGwk_rtkhSvKZuAVw45vXw4/s1600/DSC_0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsEtMOfHkRUsED0QnRbFWJU9N0yb4LSXI44CBdWy-pM2z_ooPt1vmDIeFXpA9fTlH7hBrE_Xw1xJXgTcAGz54QnMcNpnE-yzW8fKNWytLXX2IfReY2LSpoGwk_rtkhSvKZuAVw45vXw4/s400/DSC_0031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is a Po Boy. You will find such things if you randomly hop in a car and drive to New Orleans for New Year's Eve or Groundhog's Day or whatever other time strikes your fancy. You will become overwhelmed with the number of "authentic" cajun restaurant offerings and you will want to pull off the highway and get some gumbo in your belly, pronto. I would encourage you to wait. Stake out your options. Look for something real. And, by "real" I mean real good. To do this, you may need to venture a little further off the highway than within sight of the exit. You may need to drive in circles a little bit. You may need to stop and call for directions even though you have three iphones at your disposal and a gps. You may even find that you've passed the place... once or twice. You may accidentally mistake it for an abandoned convenience station. You may realize it WAS a convenience station. At this point, you must go in. <br />
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This is Robbie G's in Alexandria, LA and I found it ALL BY MYSELF. Okay, Yelp is a helpful tool for this and I am a huge fan but I'm gonna go ahead and claim credit for this because Yelp only got us so far. It got us a name of a place where the "locals go." I had the daring nerve to seek it out and call it my own. I even used their toilet ( which is located " 'round back.") <br />
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Mr. Robbie G came out of the back himself, apron on with spatula in pocket and said "Whadyallwan?" We asked. And, we received. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_n3Mrl0apXUyxUC4pG5KAE0g10kV1FYvNmFDD8vkGqvolD6CeKLcFyKssJZtjFp0wRNHtEsINkQS6gAUwN0mkol0MjaqiynKlBoM1OUsoPvdrL1NOoGBlkoXCLOYJwrL6ldckOn18VSc/s1600/DSC_0033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_n3Mrl0apXUyxUC4pG5KAE0g10kV1FYvNmFDD8vkGqvolD6CeKLcFyKssJZtjFp0wRNHtEsINkQS6gAUwN0mkol0MjaqiynKlBoM1OUsoPvdrL1NOoGBlkoXCLOYJwrL6ldckOn18VSc/s400/DSC_0033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Yum. Get yourself a Po Boy at your earliest convenience like these fine folks. I recommend it with cheese ( as I do for most things.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35R059-c7IgyVmFLTebvWgRWY7N4GBHrDRqY5pJxq3-wq-H9tav95kiAc3Y8VKRN6xXgGzha2AU62uX1K9Pl4CxQhujf0066w-FanG1C8cZQ37gJ5VsaXju8KotOB0ZVSoQ5lC6oBZR4/s1600/DSC_0023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35R059-c7IgyVmFLTebvWgRWY7N4GBHrDRqY5pJxq3-wq-H9tav95kiAc3Y8VKRN6xXgGzha2AU62uX1K9Pl4CxQhujf0066w-FanG1C8cZQ37gJ5VsaXju8KotOB0ZVSoQ5lC6oBZR4/s400/DSC_0023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-51481831144705694502011-01-02T21:13:00.001-06:002011-01-02T22:25:50.735-06:00New Year, New WordOnce upon a time, I was was way into scrapbooking. Well, more accurately, I was really into buying scrapbook supplies. Anyway, through this process, I became a follower of the <a href="http://onelittleword.typepad.com/">"one little word" </a>challenge known to the scrapbook community. I liked the idea of having a simple guide to help me remember what's important and be able to document my life accordingly. It soon became evident that the one little word challenge was deeper than a page layout. Thus, Aubrey and I started picking a word every year. For example, our year of "Experience" led us to sacrifice buying home comforts and we saved up like crazy to take a European adventure. Our year of "Be" led us to figure out what makes us tick and brings us peace so we literally moved to a new town. For 2011, we have chosen the word "story." We aren't exactly sure what this means yet... or, more specifically, how this will manifest itself. It's a pretty powerful concept to me. Also, it's compelling because there is no clear direction. What will the story be? I don't know but I want to be presently aware of the actions I take and the contributions I make that develop my own narrative. To me, it's the opposite of "summary." A story is something I've consciously contributed to as both a participant and an observer. Maybe I'll have a story of the year I finally learned how to make baguettes. The story doesn't start if I don't get up and grab some flour. Maybe it's something bigger than perfect crust. I don't know. I'm looking forward to where our word and our story will take us this year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU1DbCGnzOx-7JywWQaHbbeLpCNgzKGrFZDxeUb-h-jwzJ88UitNI9zhB-bdMv3qt7WhMUSh6kAiOezMmKLoN3B67ViBAIJMgO3mkhCMJeGJTPcMXKck_apgThB0Jm8XKe1lEJSdc6kc/s1600/DSC_0064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU1DbCGnzOx-7JywWQaHbbeLpCNgzKGrFZDxeUb-h-jwzJ88UitNI9zhB-bdMv3qt7WhMUSh6kAiOezMmKLoN3B67ViBAIJMgO3mkhCMJeGJTPcMXKck_apgThB0Jm8XKe1lEJSdc6kc/s320/DSC_0064.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
Now, with all that said, we got a jump start on adding to our personal narrative. We pretty much recruited a buddy, hopped in a car, and celebrated the new year New Orleans style. Stories about that are to come...(yeah, this is a food blog, so expect a bunch about food.)Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-54257770244977524242010-12-20T18:25:00.001-06:002010-12-21T08:32:47.903-06:00White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotav1rakFTlggvHNJIH97_aXcJwwdPfZ8iqY1TdOhciCC3zQhcNYhOHqjOIwg9MKtWo4cKRKgilrjFDTWyfM984SKxsVWL62Z_A7HXYOmTZnVjD0GmwQbnniU5iksElPlSu9ggDUhDSU/s1600/wcmn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotav1rakFTlggvHNJIH97_aXcJwwdPfZ8iqY1TdOhciCC3zQhcNYhOHqjOIwg9MKtWo4cKRKgilrjFDTWyfM984SKxsVWL62Z_A7HXYOmTZnVjD0GmwQbnniU5iksElPlSu9ggDUhDSU/s400/wcmn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I baked cookies and didn't burn them which is good because these happen to be Aubrey's favorite cookies. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Me: Aubrey, how would you describe the cookies I just made?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Aub: Good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Me: No, like if you had to describe the flavor?</div>Aub: Delicious.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Me: No, I mean, so I could tell people what they taste like?!?!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Aub: Extra delicious.</div><br />
Ugh. Let's just give some background info-- I'm not a huge white chocolate fan and I couldn't classify "White Chocolate Macadamia Nut" as my favorite cookie, despite Aubrey's insistence that I just need to try one every time we go to Subway. I have tried one. Many times. And, I still don't choose it. With that said, I ate about 14 of these in 10 seconds flat. Or, maybe over the course of two days, but, I could have and that's the point. Yay for perspective.<br />
<br />
<b>White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies</b> ( a.k.a. The best cookies I've ever made)<br />
Makes about 4 dozen ( Adapted from recipe found at <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a>)<br />
<div class="ingredients" style="margin-top: 10px;"><h3><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span> </h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>1 cup butter, softened<br />
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts<br />
1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips<br />
<br />
<ol><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; gradually stir mix into the creamed mixture. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Fold in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. </span></li>
</ol><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-76102896379655018662010-12-15T21:59:00.001-06:002010-12-17T09:51:05.616-06:00Perfect Roast Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn06GQXNR0WCBWDJb1UJcBLUrkSS3rtQkNyBS5rcehdTGT6X5bTXZNz44FCWrgiNWqn3TkbBugEyFhl_Sa6E_z46Kp5G1Qw6yyD-fzQygLJ06HikYLmiEVuNN7RvExD1YTxoyhOmxvlUM/s1600/perfect+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn06GQXNR0WCBWDJb1UJcBLUrkSS3rtQkNyBS5rcehdTGT6X5bTXZNz44FCWrgiNWqn3TkbBugEyFhl_Sa6E_z46Kp5G1Qw6yyD-fzQygLJ06HikYLmiEVuNN7RvExD1YTxoyhOmxvlUM/s400/perfect+chicken.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Really. That's all there is to it.<br />
<br />
<b>Perfect Roast Chicken</b><br />
Not adapted at all from the amazing, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html">Ina Garten.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<span class="nocoupons" style="display: none;">Inocoupon</span><br />
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken - I highly recommend organic. It is so choice.<br />
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper<br />
1 bunch of Thyme plus 20 sprigs<br />
1 lemon, halves<br />
1head of garlic, halved crosswise<br />
2 Tbsp. melted butter ( 1/4 stick)<br />
1 large yellow onion thickly sliced<br />
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks on a diagonal<br />
1 bulb of fennel cut into wedges, tops removed <br />
Olive Oil<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="instructions">1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. <br />
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.<br />
3.Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.<br />
4. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.<br />
5. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. <br />
6. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. 7.Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.<br />
<br />
Note: I highly recommend using a roasting pan that allows all sides of the chicken to be exposed, otherwise your skin doesn't get so crisp and golden. </div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-15334378775897654972010-12-13T21:47:00.001-06:002010-12-13T21:58:50.810-06:00Sourdough, Wild Mushroom, Bacon Stuffing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlp3eoUvoTSvXhWwvc35dbfp8-dCFo8d_xgasJga_3cNyQYmg4veEysWclZlOpwKy_-MqlXfXbMv2_6nYSxD4Mu-hQnUtHK5rmzMkrIWDg66EMpCD7hXeNcDALzJz0jd7DeiZqpljF4s/s1600/stuffing+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlp3eoUvoTSvXhWwvc35dbfp8-dCFo8d_xgasJga_3cNyQYmg4veEysWclZlOpwKy_-MqlXfXbMv2_6nYSxD4Mu-hQnUtHK5rmzMkrIWDg66EMpCD7hXeNcDALzJz0jd7DeiZqpljF4s/s400/stuffing+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a>If you're like me and already thinking about Christmas dinner, you might be itching to try a new accompaniment dish. Then again, you might have more important things to think of than a side dish for a meal two weeks out but, this is a food blog so, odds are you're like me and already wondering what the crap you're gonna do to make the holidays special. I'll tell you what you can do. Make this stuffing already and be quick about it. <br />
<br />
<br />
Okay, there's nothing really quick about this. I think the loving care you put into cultivating the perfection of every morsel is worth it and will be totally be noticable by your guests...well, assuming they take the time to chew versus inhale because, folks, this has bacon in it. Oh yeah. And, three types of mushrooms. And, lots and lots of tart sourdough and herbs and all things good in this world. And, bacon. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjdECxdXITUebISZAVicMxzeRmYG6KeM6Wp4S8y3MeMSBBwwxR9SaQ37M8B2_yQe8mx8zgG58Xpq-ernM2z57iM9Qnvs55rClvZbRPJtIZv7FTGfg-0pr-sYeZuJLSSCsMw7C3KLaRH8/s1600/mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjdECxdXITUebISZAVicMxzeRmYG6KeM6Wp4S8y3MeMSBBwwxR9SaQ37M8B2_yQe8mx8zgG58Xpq-ernM2z57iM9Qnvs55rClvZbRPJtIZv7FTGfg-0pr-sYeZuJLSSCsMw7C3KLaRH8/s400/mushrooms.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<b>Sourdough, Wild Mushroom, Bacon Stuffing</b><br />
Adapted slightly from original <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sourdough-wild-mushroom-and-bacon-dressing-recipe/index.html">Bobby Flay </a>version( Featured on Throwdown episode with our very own, Pioneer Woman)<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 1/4 pounds sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups) <br />
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, coarsely chopped <br />
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped <br />
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced ( NOTE: If you have no money like me, do 1 lb of cremini, 1/4 pound oyster and 1/4 pound shiitake--- you'll save bucks and not sacrifice much flavor.)<br />
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided <br />
Salt and freshly ground black pepper <br />
3/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice <br />
1 large yellow onion, finely diced <br />
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped <br />
3 to 5 cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium canned chicken broth <br />
2 large eggs, lightly beaten <br />
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage <br />
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves <br />
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley <br />
<br />
<br />
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. <br />
<br />
2. Spread the bread onto a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller baking sheets or 4 extra small baking sheets) in an even layer and bake, stirring a few times, until lightly golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, put the cubes into a very large bowl. <br />
<br />
3.Increase the heat to 375 degrees F. Combine the mushrooms in a large baking dish or baking sheet, toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring several times, until soft and goldeny brown, about 25 minutes. <br />
<br />
4.While the mushrooms are roasting, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. <br />
<br />
5. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the saute pan and place back on the stove over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. <br />
<br />
6. Add the mushrooms to the bread, and then add the onion/stock mixture, egg, salt and pepper, and gently stir until combined. The dressing should be very wet, add more stock as needed. Scrape the mixture into a buttered 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue baking until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. <br />
<br />
Note again: You want the dressing very wet but be careful not to go crazy. This stuff absorbs moisture like crazy and before long, you're stuff will look "very wet" but really be a swamp which tacks on a lot of cooking time and makes the flavor much saltier. Still good, though, so do whatever you want.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-5685638396438864952010-12-06T20:26:00.002-06:002010-12-13T17:40:48.915-06:00House Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqodAuTNAAoY8oOJ1tZoXqfAs825pVMYFzBQKQhOW4hcYcb1X1Adt5qdzcc-XKsVGsn03UkHab6o9TMEY3sysly23sBACC6K8VEz1Qh9ly2zj5YN5bcmng1sl6W8fA7xleM9eadxCq5i4/s1600/housesalad+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqodAuTNAAoY8oOJ1tZoXqfAs825pVMYFzBQKQhOW4hcYcb1X1Adt5qdzcc-XKsVGsn03UkHab6o9TMEY3sysly23sBACC6K8VEz1Qh9ly2zj5YN5bcmng1sl6W8fA7xleM9eadxCq5i4/s400/housesalad+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Aubrey and I recently enjoyed a dinner at <a href="http://www.cazschowhouse.com/">Caz's Chowhouse</a>, a newish downtown eatery in the Brady district. In addition to having a cool and cozy atmosphere (fireplace, brick walls, exposed bulbs, dark wood, vintage decor... right up my alley) they also have inspired my new favorite salad. Essentially, it's their house salad which features sliced granny smith apples, mixed greens, feta cheese, and sugared walnuts with their lemon herb vinaigrette. I dug it but felt it needed something a little sweet to round out all the tartness that the sugared walnuts just couldn't handle. I had some dried apricots and voila! Also, I had to whip up a lemon herb vinaigrette which is quite different from theirs but still tasty. Give it a go. Also, go to Caz's and order the Chicken and Biscuit. I give you permission to eat it all in one sitting.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette</b> ( best applied to our House Salad - quantities are approximate)<br />
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice<br />
2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar<br />
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. salt ( depending on how you like it)<br />
1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence ( or, seriously, whatever herbs you feel like adding. Tarragon would be good... or basil!)<br />
1/2 tsp. white sugar<br />
<br />
Optional- I read a recipe that was basically this but added a dollop of dijon mustard without the sugar. I think I'll try this next time.<br />
<br />
Mix together and drizzle on salad. Eat it.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-72955633224586447122010-12-04T16:07:00.000-06:002010-12-04T16:07:18.752-06:00BusyLife's been busy. I took a new job, survived Thanksgiving, ate a giant vat of cheese puffs, hosted a wicked Halloween party...and, probably some other stuff. Also, my Dad was here from SoCal and completely remodeled my dining room. Steampunk?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcWPAwLWhjyt8Ll4YllRSEf2it7eiJIM-S7oUGeKLxkJYiELtB9dTAT8Hd5J1BI5VZ2J_ZcZw07_vBG_KIrStV0PBoxwzs4ibE-bLPYFalPLa4MmFDerp3kWkhfbggM2yw9QwjrcEAsM/s1600/halloween+light+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcWPAwLWhjyt8Ll4YllRSEf2it7eiJIM-S7oUGeKLxkJYiELtB9dTAT8Hd5J1BI5VZ2J_ZcZw07_vBG_KIrStV0PBoxwzs4ibE-bLPYFalPLa4MmFDerp3kWkhfbggM2yw9QwjrcEAsM/s400/halloween+light+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
We think so. <br />
<br />
For the record, this is the third light fixture I bought for this room. Fortunately, Aubrey hasn't thrown me out. You see, I have trouble with decisions. Not big ones. Just small ones like, what to order, what to wear, what furniture to buy. For example, I donated hundreds of dollars to Ikea due to a recent round of impulse purchases only to resell on craigslist within a week. Not so easy to change your mind when the nearest store is four hours away ( a fact I learned all too late.) In fact, I've got a buddy returning some stuff for me AS I TYPE. It's a problem. One thing I know for sure is that I must own the new Le Crueset Ocean colored 4 1/2 qt. Dutch oven with included trivet sold exclusively at Williams Sonoma which can be purchased <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-4-quart-round-dutch-oven-trivet-set/?pkey=e%7Cocean%7C26%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C11&sku=2889343&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH%7C%7CNoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Feature_Recipe_Rule-_-">here</a>. Anyone? I won't return it, promise.<br />
<br />
Hey! It's almost Christmas now. Hopefully I'll be back before next year.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-25737779987085854022010-09-18T21:33:00.000-05:002010-09-18T21:33:45.101-05:00Greek Fest 2010There are some foods enjoyed while traveling that I just haven't attempted to replicate (not that I could even do so successfully.) Pain Au Chocolat, Doner Kebab, Duck Confit... and Gyros, to name a few. Sadly, the three former haven't graced my mouth in a long time. Fortunately, Gyros come once a year to good ol' Oklahoma. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-OkaD39lm4kj7lqlvg0O_NORIm3FGy3jEft_lVL3Wp-_XTT-Infqsgq0VadRabsQNy3Rgh5sd-_tZ7XY-5YB-nD7YG5sOPf2KV9B6LG96y2sPvU_OzqyFjLyi_6di3Wlkm9751x3BqM/s1600/aubgyro+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-OkaD39lm4kj7lqlvg0O_NORIm3FGy3jEft_lVL3Wp-_XTT-Infqsgq0VadRabsQNy3Rgh5sd-_tZ7XY-5YB-nD7YG5sOPf2KV9B6LG96y2sPvU_OzqyFjLyi_6di3Wlkm9751x3BqM/s400/aubgyro+(1+of+1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You know, I'm not sure if there's an awesome Greek restaurant in Tulsa. If there is, I could stop this whole "once a year" nonsense. Someone please let me know because I'm not sure I can wait another year for this stuff. Also, I need more of these squares of feta in my life...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDWV-m_JT4hehqdx538IlRSE5MofAzAfm13yn1WOxYlCrI8F_qTkaK1-pbLp7H5sPJrS4nZFI1X8yN07mXKkRwsDRPgUxCD7go5_zQ-_n60mRY2hGaovFhs58ONAJGOVV6vMew6gSAfA/s1600/aubgyro+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDWV-m_JT4hehqdx538IlRSE5MofAzAfm13yn1WOxYlCrI8F_qTkaK1-pbLp7H5sPJrS4nZFI1X8yN07mXKkRwsDRPgUxCD7go5_zQ-_n60mRY2hGaovFhs58ONAJGOVV6vMew6gSAfA/s400/aubgyro+(1+of+1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And these balls of honey... Actually, don't tell me about any Greek restaurants in town unless they have these honey dumps ( proper name escapes my mind. I was too busy trying to make sure I got my fair share of these before Aubrey inhaled them.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmWdv3EyydnNYW05weXTTrYgEQgBAjpf3zjaBvtegHLSANOqwRxsl84-QUCCyjlCCV_cjuuIxINNZSGziu1qCIw-BAmwGZuGHBwuVwfoNAwbsnfb1CTTr2tZQUNhan2fN_G9QOjtgZfg/s1600/honeydumps+(1+of+1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmWdv3EyydnNYW05weXTTrYgEQgBAjpf3zjaBvtegHLSANOqwRxsl84-QUCCyjlCCV_cjuuIxINNZSGziu1qCIw-BAmwGZuGHBwuVwfoNAwbsnfb1CTTr2tZQUNhan2fN_G9QOjtgZfg/s400/honeydumps+(1+of+1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It's okay if any Greek restaurants in town don't serve this stuff... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVVZLejyI5OyVxH8LImogazn6gwpozIYkWy_OVcF645MgqrhcwhNTNl_VhxfCHr8cMuJHoPOoKsvQR1ytu3a5E1A_ebGR5XkW7Dt84FYJIFrpgRe3A64KNL4eGZukQ_-PTFZfqa0QmTI/s1600/DSC_0083-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVVZLejyI5OyVxH8LImogazn6gwpozIYkWy_OVcF645MgqrhcwhNTNl_VhxfCHr8cMuJHoPOoKsvQR1ytu3a5E1A_ebGR5XkW7Dt84FYJIFrpgRe3A64KNL4eGZukQ_-PTFZfqa0QmTI/s400/DSC_0083-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The term "cough syrup" comes to mind. But, hey, had to try it. If you're local, you have a chance to score some delicious grub. Greek Fest runs through tomorrow. Get the scoop <a href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/">here</a>. </div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-70483060733597176822010-09-08T12:31:00.000-05:002010-09-08T12:31:57.628-05:00Jerk Chicken<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIu-DRCj1hfPgtQhZUGojwDK0qX1tSIpCRu8XLehtkQHY5o4HgT_jAEoACzq2VC_X4T9CqGGhyphenhyphenECRLIyAraMd138rDOtXL_0gU2jjbcSxetrqhy5ZHWmuD2GyyetC1SedwPTJLooWG1ns/s1600/jerk+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIu-DRCj1hfPgtQhZUGojwDK0qX1tSIpCRu8XLehtkQHY5o4HgT_jAEoACzq2VC_X4T9CqGGhyphenhyphenECRLIyAraMd138rDOtXL_0gU2jjbcSxetrqhy5ZHWmuD2GyyetC1SedwPTJLooWG1ns/s400/jerk+chicken.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Aubrey recently spent a week in Yellowstone backcounty equiped with a can of bear spray, some underwear, and a backpack full of dehydrated food ( there might of been some other items essential for survival, too.) He organized his meals by day in ziploc gallon bags. Cute, but certainly not appetizing. At least not my style of appetizing but, then again, I've never spent a week hiking 10 miles a day with 50 pounds on my back and no shower. I'm sure then anything would be tasty. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiky5oQ1Mm_s_MuMo7M03-A-bryb4Sox0uX0m0D3yCD7evaSlbmLewTX5AezOxnONIvIV6TgeJmIqJdRWUnB68HJ11LPctdBzR2C1rbkaSqNdGrK0dQ6sdsf5L6y7bJOuFmde_Qqw4u008/s1600/aubreyys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiky5oQ1Mm_s_MuMo7M03-A-bryb4Sox0uX0m0D3yCD7evaSlbmLewTX5AezOxnONIvIV6TgeJmIqJdRWUnB68HJ11LPctdBzR2C1rbkaSqNdGrK0dQ6sdsf5L6y7bJOuFmde_Qqw4u008/s400/aubreyys.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nevertheless, after a few days of making his own meals in a plastic pouch, he was missing me. I don't think we made it to the front door before he started a running list of all the meals I needed to make him asap. Before kissing me hello, he requested this jerk chicken... and, I get it. I would totally understand if this was his LAST meal request. This is some good chicken. And, it's really fun to place a plate piled with browned and juicy chicken in front of a man who's just spent a week with three non-showered guys in a leaky tent. It's good to be appreciated. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Jerk Chicken</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Gourmet, May 2002</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There's no standard recipe for jerk chicken. Some are screamin' hot while others really allow you to feel the complex warming spices. Jerk chicken typically shows up in mid summer cookouts but I think it's great for early fall when I am craving some cinnamon and nutmeg. I used serrano peppers in this version but you can turn up the heat with habaneros or scotch bonnets. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For the marinade:</div><br />
3 scallions, chopped<br />
4 large garlic cloves, chopped<br />
1 small onion, chopped<br />
4 to 5 fresh chiles ( Serrano, Scotch Bonnet, Habenero...your choice), stemmed and seeded<br />
1/4 cup fresh lime juice<br />
2 tablespoons soy sauce<br />
3 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons salt<br />
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar<br />
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves<br />
2 teaspoons ground allspice<br />
2 teaspoons black pepper<br />
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
<br />
<br />
For the Chicken<br />
Roughly 3 lbs of chicken, portioned- I used 10 drumsticks but you could use any combination of dark or white meat. <br />
<br />
1.Add ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. <br />
<br />
2.Place marinade in a large Ziploc bag ( or, two bags if needed) and add chicken, shaking to coat. Sealm pressing out any excess air and place bag in a shallow dish ( to avoid any drippage.) Marinate for at least 2 hours and up to a day in the fridge.) <br />
<br />
3.Remove chicken from fridge one hour prior to grilling. <br />
<br />
For Gas Grill <br />
Preheat burners on high, then adjust heat to moderate. Cook chicken until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust heat to low and cook chicken, covered with lid, until cooked through, about 25 minutes more. <br />
<br />
For Charcoal Grill ( from Epicurious)<br />
<br />
Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney of charcoal briquettes (about 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal). <br />
<br />
When charcoal turns grayish white and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken in batches on lightly oiled rack over coals until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Move chicken as seared to side of grill with no coals underneath, then cook, covered with lid, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-81244538484931889012010-09-04T17:04:00.000-05:002010-09-04T17:04:29.416-05:00Skillet Cornbread<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11BT2EZVWV7o8b98xqJIK-gotPgWg09im7tsqPm7a3bjK4_XKFCSaaHjuC5fI1VB-dYOG87tFySNwJIgb3a6_VRh09iSWGJBrCTXK3zznGk4kHJHXMgAJBxs42ZO5fg_jxqaNOakTzvU/s1600/skillet+bread+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11BT2EZVWV7o8b98xqJIK-gotPgWg09im7tsqPm7a3bjK4_XKFCSaaHjuC5fI1VB-dYOG87tFySNwJIgb3a6_VRh09iSWGJBrCTXK3zznGk4kHJHXMgAJBxs42ZO5fg_jxqaNOakTzvU/s400/skillet+bread+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First- I'm calling this summer officially completed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now-Enter skillet cornbread. Nothing is tastier on a crisp fall day than some old-fashioned beans and skillet cornbread. ( wishful thinking here in OK... not quite there yet.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll get to the beans someday but let's devote our attention where attention is due. Look at those crisp brown edges...those buttery crevices ( buttery crevices?)...the rustic presentation.... Okay, quit looking. Just go make some. You'll never use a boxed mix again. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Skillet Cornbread</div><div style="text-align: left;">Adapated from <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">The Pioneer Woman </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The key to this cornbread is a piping hot skillet and a properly preheated oven so don't rush it! Also, you can make this in a casserole or baking dish but that hot skillet really sends those browned edges into a whole new realm of tastiness. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lodge+logic">LodgeLogic</a> makes high quality and affordable cast iron skillets ( and a panini grill and press that would make a really great birthday present for someone...just sayin.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ingredients</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">¼ cup plus two Tbsp. unsalted butter</div><br />
1 cup Yellow Corn Meal<br />
½ cup All-purpose Flour<br />
1 tsp. Salt<br />
1 cup Buttermilk ( don't sweat if you don't have it... just add a Tbsp. of lemon juice to a cup of milk and let sit at room temp. for 5 minutes- Voila! Buttermilk!)<br />
½ cup Milk<br />
1 large Egg<br />
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder<br />
½ tsp. Baking Soda ( PLEASE, don't confuse the baking powder and baking soda measurements. It tastes nasty when you do. Trust me.)<br />
<br />
<br />
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees. <br />
2. Melt butter<br />
3. Combine cornmeal, flour and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, and milk. <br />
4. Join in happy matrimony the wet and dry ingredients you just combined until just incorporated. <br />
5. Sprinkle in baking soda and baking powder- Stir. <br />
6. Add in melted butter, stirring constantly. Also, start preheating your skillet over medium to medium high. <br />
7. When your pan is hot, add the two Tbsps. butter reserved and spread along the sides and bottoms to coat. Pan should be hot enough to readily melt the butter but not hot enough to scorch it. <br />
8. Add batter to hot skillet.Smooth with a spatula and let set for 15-20 seconds. <br />
9. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and beautiful.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-19766635635932172692010-08-12T19:04:00.000-05:002010-08-12T19:04:29.142-05:00Sauteed Button MushroomsI am so ready for the leaves to start falling. ENOUGH of this Oklahoma summer, I say. I'm sweaty and I'm grumpy. I'm also out of bug spray so I can't even walk outside without getting eaten alive. Grrr...<br />
<br />
Now, Autumn. That's a nice season... it makes me want things with earthy flavors and anything containing apples and raisins and cinnamon and rum in no particular order. It makes me anxiously anticipate cozy layers of fleece, scarves, and smartwool socks... I'm getting carried away again. I was a bit too excited yesterday about the upcoming season and bought a new jacket on Zappos. Too bad it's still over a hundred flippin degrees here. Ugh. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFP1nQN3U2UEQ1p0L003zDW0oTZ5__zwVrhC59NBINcY7RQhk6adS-r1Rg2vyoeyDxGJGQn7076UCC0KC85fesQ1PrpzmGHLw4cVtYAUNm99-X9zkakkHKmK1li3OYuKCrXgKT3sbTS_c/s1600/sauteed+button+mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFP1nQN3U2UEQ1p0L003zDW0oTZ5__zwVrhC59NBINcY7RQhk6adS-r1Rg2vyoeyDxGJGQn7076UCC0KC85fesQ1PrpzmGHLw4cVtYAUNm99-X9zkakkHKmK1li3OYuKCrXgKT3sbTS_c/s400/sauteed+button+mushrooms.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Mushrooms taste like Fall to me. The fact that mushrooms are available year round in Oklahoma is great because, though I can't snuggle in my new jacket, I can at least savor the flavor of the season. I never cared for mushrooms until I lived in Miam-uh and got introduced to <a href="http://www.jmfarms.com/">JM Farms</a>, a major supplier of mushrooms throughout the midwest located just a few miles northeast of my work. You'd think having first hand experience at the SMELL that goes along with mushroom growing would have turned me off but I was intrigued with the little things and they kept giving me free samples at our city business fairs. I'm a sucker for free samples. Unless you're giving out free green beans and then I'll tell you what you can do with them. <br />
<br />
Here's a great recipe for sauteed button mushrooms. It's extremely simple and accessible year round in these parts. In the summer, you'll be grateful for a quick side that does't take forever to make over a hot stove. Whatever time of year, you'll love the freshness of it all. You get highlights of meaty mushrooms without the butter pool which tends to accompany dishes of this kind. <br />
<strong>Sauteed Button Mushrooms</strong> (Adapted from a recipe by Michael Chiarello)<br />
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />
1 1/2 pounds whole small button mushrooms, wiped clean<br />
3 tablespoons butter<br />
Gray sea salt or Kosher Salt<br />
1 tablespoon minced garlic<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1/2 cup white wine<br />
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves<br />
<br />
<br />
1.In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms. Do not move the mushrooms until they have caramelized on the bottom. If you toss them too soon or put them in too small of a pan, they will release their liquid and begin to steam. Steam is the enemy of browning and all that delicious carmelization. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
2.Add the butter. Cook and toss for 5 minutes, until beautiful =) ( that means browned, of course.)<br />
<br />
3.Season with salt and add the garlic. Saute another 2 minutes, and add the thyme, lemon juice, and white wine. Cook to evaporate the liquid.<br />
<br />
4.Toss in the parsley and serve immediately.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-7771326005565457552010-07-18T12:43:00.001-05:002010-07-18T12:45:57.047-05:00Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJu2o2BHLEZWzWEIGvmJt2Pk2zwQOJvVKSxgrwQcjXUO6pSHNVZaoowvmHdorj_1XAK-_4eSRE2qzHPi1TGmZT8uZG7iWiapSnB2gKLV8eSChwVjDCBz5KYn1Jba5Yxl8zARE7dUZk2Eg/s1600/Sundried+Tomato+Pasta+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJu2o2BHLEZWzWEIGvmJt2Pk2zwQOJvVKSxgrwQcjXUO6pSHNVZaoowvmHdorj_1XAK-_4eSRE2qzHPi1TGmZT8uZG7iWiapSnB2gKLV8eSChwVjDCBz5KYn1Jba5Yxl8zARE7dUZk2Eg/s400/Sundried+Tomato+Pasta+Salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tulsa is so flippin' hot right now that words cannot describe the sweaty, sticky, soppiness of my body. Actually, one word can: Gross. It's gross out there. If lunch time is upon you and if my introductory sentence didn't make you lose your appetite, you might want to consider this pasta salad. Try not to relegate this to the side of that same old sandwich...it can stand alone. And, it's cold. Plus, it features some lovely summer ingredients that will make you really happy and you'll forget that you hate summer and want Fall to arrive with all your heart. Except when Fall comes, you really start to miss all those fresh herbs and tomatoes that actually have flavor...it's a harsh cycle. One day, I'll embrace the flavors that are upon me when they are upon me but, what can I say? I'm always thinking ahead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let me say one more thing before I proceed here... I typically dislike pasta salad. I can't get beyond the cold pasta with the salty mayo thing. I mean, it always sounds good in theory but I never quite enjoy it as much as I feel I should. This pasta salad has no mayo or unidentifiable cream laden bits. Instead, it is oil based and gains it's flavor from a rich base of sun-dried tomatoes, salty capers and olives ( which I actually enjoyed in this dish.) Throw in some fresh basil and sliced local tomatoes ( I used grape tomatoes from <a href="http://www.livesayorchards.com/">Livesay Orchards</a>) and you're in summery bliss. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad</strong> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Serves 12-16----- makes for great leftovers!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Adapted from Ina Garten: Barefoot Contessa Family Style</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the salad:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1lb corkscrew pasta such as fusili or rotini</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About 1 cup assorted black olives, roughly sliced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10-15 basil leaves- chiffonade ( roll em up and slice thin!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the dressing:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil * </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4-5 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 tbsp red wine vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup extra virgin olive oil**</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Optional: 2 teaspoons capers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Salt and Pepper to taste</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>* You can also get sun-dried tomatoes that have been packed in seasoned oil. This recipe doesn't call for that but it's not a bad idea if you like the flavor variety. Just check your salt levels. <br />
**You can choose to discard the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and add a fresh cup of oil or you can use it here and just add enough new oil to make the total about 1 cup. It is especially tasty to retain that preseasoned oil we just talked about!<br />
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<br />
Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor and puree. That's your dressing! This can totally be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the pasta, boil until al dente in a large stock pot. Drain and allow to cool. Once cool, toss with dressing to coat. Stir in olives, basil, and tomatoes ( NOTE: if you're planning on making this in advance, I found that adding the tomatoes right before serving keeps things fresh and crisp. I have a thing with tomato consistency... you'll notice I don't even have them in there for the pic! Oops.) Keep chilled until ready to serve. Top with cheese. </div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-24750719833296729192010-07-11T19:52:00.002-05:002010-07-11T19:56:08.105-05:00Peach and Blueberry Galette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV25PHwoRbbThr-faUZLmzVBe4eabA3vF7vJOWTt_PwFwTp6f6Nsq6ESWCGWSzsiK-RBt0sIKKTjEGLzum-kqgjULILDFf2HKBYqVRFduy984DwmT8tx2lHItLRtdP345zGsr8hVq3Is8/s400/peachblueberrygallette.jpg" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's the peak of peach season 'round these parts and a galette is a great way to whip up a summery treat. I love the charm of a rustic galette, which is basically a free form pie. I suppose if I was rolling out pie dough already this would only be mildly easier than making a full fledge pie but, since I was cutting corners with premade dough, this was clearly the way to go. Everyone loved it and it made a great Fourth of July dessert. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Peach and Blueberry Galette (makes 2)</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 box pilsbury pie dough </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 cups sliced peaches </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup blueberries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1egg whites</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup raw sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup white sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Instructions for one galette- bake individually for best results. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Add 1/2 cup white sugar to peaches and blueberries in a small bowl. Allow to macerate ( mix and do good things with the sugar) for about an hour. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Place one, round pie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour 1/2 of fruit in center of pie dough, leaving enough room around the edges to roll up around the sides. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carefully fold the dough around the edges and brush with egg whites. Sprinkle with raw sugar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bake on center rack for 40-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-64570567845463232232010-07-05T10:36:00.001-05:002010-07-05T10:38:09.669-05:00Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZnGTm31pmj7ZNK2oACMKsyWd9NSgbrnqrAWxh8Y3QsnF28fTZWGw0-JKHGHc4pwXhob5O69ypTISpCR1xeHaskdaBQHkIo1hPl5m2wMTX7WIZExpxwxxpBBDtySqXdY8p-X8sK04C84/s1600/chicken+enchiladas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZnGTm31pmj7ZNK2oACMKsyWd9NSgbrnqrAWxh8Y3QsnF28fTZWGw0-JKHGHc4pwXhob5O69ypTISpCR1xeHaskdaBQHkIo1hPl5m2wMTX7WIZExpxwxxpBBDtySqXdY8p-X8sK04C84/s400/chicken+enchiladas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Miami, OK has two main sreets, one McDonalds, one Wal-Mart, and four Mexican restaurants. I freaked myself out the first time I said, "Anywhere sounds good....except mexican." Needless to say, standard Mexican fare has worn on me. And, by that, I mean standard American Mexican food which has been reduced to picking a number off of a combo menu. I needed to experiment with more interesting flavors. Enter Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce. Number one- these aren't swimming in some sauce only distinguishable by its color. Number two- I think these might actually be healthy. I adapted this from the orginal because I really didn't want to ruin all the healthiness by deep frying the tortillas. The result was fresh, light, and very different from my standard #23. Bonus: These are super easy to make. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Chicken Enchiladas in Tomatillo Sauce</strong> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Mexican-Lourdes-Castro/dp/1580089526/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278344266&sr=8-1">Simply Mexican</a> by Lourdes Castro</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Serves 3-4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>1 lb (about 3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />
2 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed<br />
1 onion, halved<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 tsp dried oregano ( I only had ground and it seemed to work fine)<br />
1/2 tsp. salt ( plus more to taste)<br />
2 cups <a href="http://havesporkwilltravel.blogspot.com/2010/07/fresh-tomatillo-salsa.html">Fresh Tomatillo Salsa</a><br />
3-5 Tbsp. olive oil<br />
1 onion, sliced thin<br />
Black pepper<br />
9-12 fresh corn tortillas ( this really depends on how full you stuff 'em)<br />
Cilantro sprigs for garnish<br />
1/3 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese<br />
1 cup mexican crema (OR, you could do like I did and thin out some sour cream with milk)<br />
Optional: shredded iceberg lettuce for garnish<br />
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First, poach the chicken. Add chicken, garlic, one onion ( 2 halves), bay leaves, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt to a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Decrease heat and simmer ( low boil) for 35 minutes until chicken is done. To check, just slit the chicken and make sure it's no longer pink and the juices run clear. Allow the chicken to cool in it's broth and when it's cool enough to handle, shred the chicken by hand or with two forks, pulling apart all those delicious fibers. <br />
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Note: You can prepare the chicken the day before. Just keep refridgerated. <br />
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Next, saute the second onion that you sliced in 1 tbps of oil. Toss in the shredded chicken when the onion is soft and translucent. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. <br />
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Meanwhile, heat the 2 cups of tomatillo sauce over medium heat. Also, prepare your tortillas by lightly pan frying ( 1 tbsp oil per two to three tortillas) the tortillas in a flat skillet until golden but still pliable. <br />
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Assembly:<br />
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To build the enchiladas, you need your serving platter or individual plates on hand. To assemble, fill a tortilla with the chicken and onion filling ( about 1/4 cup each) and roll, placing the seam side down on your plate. Once you have placed as many as you like on your platter or plate, top with heated tomatillo sauce and finish with crumbled cheese, mexican crema ( or thin sour cream), and sprigs of cilantro. Serve shredded lettuce alongside if you choose.Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765366490058886478.post-90978122547290037302010-07-01T22:25:00.000-05:002010-07-01T22:25:27.589-05:00Fresh Tomatillo Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwaLarQWSavkvZy3sMMVPa_dKmcFHBwxCfm9m2vP9mUk4Haql8FwyrkcE01O9Use5Rrx2mHB_HVRf29NeWhICoIdfwIPJk36iHG3oofztrp24YrpiMVIaw1OHtTKjF-gVmFYDvvR-rLQ/s1600/Tomatillo+salsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwaLarQWSavkvZy3sMMVPa_dKmcFHBwxCfm9m2vP9mUk4Haql8FwyrkcE01O9Use5Rrx2mHB_HVRf29NeWhICoIdfwIPJk36iHG3oofztrp24YrpiMVIaw1OHtTKjF-gVmFYDvvR-rLQ/s400/Tomatillo+salsa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes, yes, I know the picture sucks. It's hard to frame up an awesome shot when you're hungry and trying to eat. The important thing here is that I made this and it was GOOD. Also, I'm feeling real proud of myself because I went shopping for the ingredients on 21st and Garnett which was a pure stroke of genius (great produce, great prices) and I got to feel instantly transported to my homeland--Southern California. I felt... authentic. For those of you not familiar with the Tulsa area, 21st and Garnett is our hispanic district. I was scared to death someone would try to talk to me in spanish only to quickly discover that I'm the worst Mexican ever. Whatever, I can make a mean salsa verde and it's a nice break from the red stuff. Check it: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Fresh Tomatillo Salsa- yield 2-3 cups</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adpated from <em>Simply Mexican</em> by Lourdes Castro</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 pound of tomatillos (that's about 9- pull them out of the husks, rinse, and quarter.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 jalepenos, stemmed and halved (Add more or less depending on your desired heat)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 clove of garlic, slightly crushed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 onion roughly chopped ( I used 2 green onions and it was tasty)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp. salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 Tbsp. water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree. Ole! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Can be stored for up to a week in the fridge in a container. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Traveling Sporkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15549077026590715204noreply@blogger.com0