Dinner and a Movie

I found my new favorite dinner recipe. Drumroll, please... Chicken Marsala. I made it for the fam last night for dinner, and I loved it. However, I wasn't sure if I loved it only because it was 9pm when we ate dinner and by that time I was absolutely starving. But no, I was still craving it today, so tonight for dinner, I made Chicken Marsala for one. Here's the recipe, adapted from the America's Test Kitchen recipe:

Chicken Marsala
Serves 1

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
salt
pepper
unbleached flour
peanut oil
vegetable oil
1 slice bacon, finely chopped
1/4 c. white button mushrooms, sliced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 t. Annie's Naturals Organic Ketchup
1/2 c. sweet Marsala
1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. butter
1 T. minced parsley

1. Heat the oven to 200º. Pound the chicken breast to a uniform thickness, then season with salt and pepper. Dredge both sides in flour.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in heavy-bottomed skillet* over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook chicken until golden brown on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more oil, if necessary, and flip chicken, cooking until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to an oven-safe plate or dish and keep warm in oven.
3. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to skillet and add mushrooms and bacon. Stir occasionally and scrape pan bottom to loosen browned bits, until bacon is crisp and mushrooms are brown. Add garlic and ketchup, and cook until ketchup begins to brown, less than 1 minute.
4. Stir in Marsala and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is reduced to a syrup. Turn off heat and add lemon juice. Stir in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

*Do not use a nonstick skillet. The pan sauce is flavored by the browned bits which stick to the pan during cooking.

Notes:

I used peanut oil to fry the chicken and vegetable oil for the pan sauce. I don't know if this is logical. I simply grabbed peanut oil by accident last night, and I fried the chicken in that. I really like the way peanut oil fries, but I'm sure the oils are interchangeable. Depending on the mushrooms you're using, it might be a good idea to put them in the skillet before the bacon. I found that less ripe mushrooms needed more time to cook, and the bacon was almost burned by the time the mushrooms had softened. I used salted butter in the pan sauce and didn't find that the sauce needed any extra salt or pepper.

I served the chicken over fettuccine noodles. A simple green salad with a light dressing is a great accompaniment. A quick and easy meal. -

After the Chicken Marsala, you're going to want a good dessert. I suggest cheesecake. I would be eating the New York Cheesecake I made yesterday, except I was a good little girl and took it to work to share with my co-workers, and then I forgot to bring it home.

After dessert you're going to be so full that you'll want to veg out on the couch and watch a movie. I suggest The Godfather to keep with the Italian, excuse me, Sicilian, theme. Don't even think about going outside to do yard work or mow your lawn. No reason why you should quit being the white trash neighbor that everyone hates.

Always a Bridesmaid

I thought Sarah was going to stay my hip single friend, but she went and got herself a good catch with John. At the rehearsal dinner, we had comida salvadoreña, or El Salvadorean food for you English speakers. I was introduced to the world of pupusas a few weeks ago, and they are wonderful. I've tried pupusas stuffed with queso, loroco (tastes like zucchini), chicken, and pork. They're served with curtido, which is a cabbage relish, and tomato sauce. I love fried plantains spread with that tangy cream they use. I also tried a drink called marañón, which is made from the cashew apple. Cashew trees apparently produce a bright red or orange apple along with the nuts we buy in a can. There are a couple of Pupuserías/Restaurantes Salvadoreños in Lubbock which I've been frequenting since I found out about them. I recommend them, except the wait can be excessive if there's any type of crowd, but that's the price of fresh, handmade food.

How cute is that picture of Hannah? It was a little cold and rainy outside while we were taking pictures after Sarah and John's wedding. My hair immediately went fro, but the bride looked beautiful. Here are my BFFs Catherine (Hannah's mama) and Sarah:

Still Single Shower

I have this great idea to have a "Still Single Shower" for myself to recoup from the losses after years of attending bridal and baby showers for my friends. I wouldn't really request gifts. It would actually just be a party to celebrate my fabulousness, with a tongue-in-cheek theme. So now I need ideas for it. I am trying for something that screams single and fabulous and not so much old maid. I want people leaving my party saying, "What is wrong with the guys around here?", and not, "I guess we know why she's single." Food-wise, I'm thinking it will be a dessert party, since that's what I like to make, but I guess I could do some real foods, too.

You're all invited to the shower. Men are welcome, too, and don't worry, there will be no giggling at this shower. We will all be mourning my failed love life, which is nothing to laugh about.

Nice thing about being single: I get both closets in the master bedroom. Of course, I don't use them, because other nice thing about being single: King size bed all to myself. It's a nice place for laying my clothes. Also, the living room is crowded with clothes air drying after laundry day. Yesterday Wendy mentioned that I had two closets, both of which must be empty, since all of my clothes are in my bedroom and living room. "How do you decide which clothes to put in which closet?" she asked.

I answered, "One is for clothes I would wear. And the other is for clothes I would never wear."

I want party suggestions, people. Should I pass a collection plate for my plastic surgery fund?

Doppelgänger

Sometimes people comment that I look like someone famous and beautiful. Then they ask to borrow money. People have told me that I look like these people:

Keri Russell, but it was back during her Felicity days. Trust me when I tell you that if I don't intervene, my hair looks just like that after washing it. Fro is fun. Keri is super cute in Waitress, too.

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Brooke Shields. I think we share thick straight eyebrows.

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Pauline said I reminded her of Kate Winslet in The Holiday. Unfortunately, it sounds like it was the character's crazy antics and not her gorgeousness that reminded Pauline of me. Nice to know that the person in my life with whom I spend the most time thinks I'm an unstable psycho chick.

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Sophie Simmons (in red) - Gene Simmons' daughter? And we'll just leave the question mark there.

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I so do not look as good as Giada does in an apron.

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And then there is the Simpsonized version of me.

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Okay, I was a little selective in the pictures I posted here. What girl wants to admit her hair looks like Brendan Fraser's in George of the Jungle? (Thanks, Wendy.) I told you my hair was fro-ish. All I can say about the ladies above is "I wish."

Suffer for Fashion

I never realize I've made a bad fashion decision until it's too late to change it. It usually hits me when I step out of the car and start walking into work. And that's because these bad decisions generally involve the shoes I'm wearing.

I have shoes that develop a sudden squeak only when I walk in the quiet hallways by my office. Then I spend the rest of the work day trying to find the perfect walking mode to reduce the squeaking. If I curl my toes just so, and favor the right leg slightly...

Squeaking is not as bad as blistering. I'm sure my feet are permanently scarred from the repeated beating they take in that vein. Summer sandals can be worse than winter boots, bare-skinned toes rubbing against leather and every step accompanied by a silent scream of pain. It must be violating the dress code to wear shoes so uncomfortable that one is compelled to remain at her desk without venturing out for food, water, or file folders.

Even more dangerous is the real possibility of falling flat on my face while wearing the unfortunate pair of shoes with traction-free soles. This also requires quick thinking. First, I try scoring the soles with a box cutter from my desk. Then I have to calculate which floor surfaces must be completely avoided. The carpeted area around my desk is safe. The tiled hallways by my office are moderately safe, but I'll need to walk slowly. The faux marble flooring on the first floor is dangerous, only an option in an emergency. The cafeteria is ruled out completely for the day. Also, I make a mental note to watch out for the slippery spot in front of Human Resources. It's unbelievably ironic that the OSHA lawsuit is going to come from that spot right by HR.

I won't even talk about the slew of issues regarding appropriate heel height, pant lengths and heel height, open toe vs. closed toe, yea/nay on stockings, &c.

Fashion above the ankles is at least as large an issue. I sympathize with George in the Seinfeld episode where his suit pants go swoosh every time he takes a step. Darn corduroy! I once wore this white tunic to work, and I swear that I kept waiting for heavenly music to play and the backlight to come on behind me, so I could say "I am an angel sent by God with a message..."


Enough blasphemy for today.

Waitress

Have you seen Waitress yet?

It's a fun, silly foodie movie. Keri Russell plays the part of Jenna, a waitress who makes fabulous pies and names them in response to events in her life. "I don't want Earl's baby pie" and "Kick in the pants pie," to name two.

I've wanted to make a pie since I saw the movie Memorial Day weekend. Fortunately or unfortunately, my cake-making ambitions got in the way. I made a strawberry pie last week. We'll call it "I'd rather be employed by a bakery" pie.

Tonight I'm trying to make fresh fruit tartlets. I hope they turn out. I'm going to title them "I want to sell my house and move to Austin."

What is your favorite pie? Someone say Mermaid Marshmallow Pie! Or, what would you name your pie?

Independence Day

I celebrate Independence Day everyday, being single. Independence Day is a worse day to be single than Valentine's Day. I'm telling you. Singles will band together on Valentine's Day, and even couples will gripe about jumping through hoops for their S.O. on Valentine's. On July 4, what is there to do but sit on the lawn and watch fireworks and listen to music? What is more romantic than that?

I refused to watch fireworks last night and chose to watch some of the Monk marathon instead. I tried not to mope. I also saw Ratatouille yesterday, and it was super cute. It's even more of a foodie movie than Waitress.

I also noticed that no one refers to July 4th as "Independence Day" anymore. It's just "Happy 4th!" "What are you doing for the 4th?" Today, I asked one of my piano students what she did for Independence Day yesterday. "Yesterday was Independence Day?"

I'm tired of independence and am looking for a cute date to take me to the ACL Fest. Just look at this lineup! Sniff sniff.

Fluff

I may never play the piano again. Tonight I burned my fingers on a 500º oven rack while trying to save my house from being engulfed in flames. I was roasting marshmallows with the broiler, and apparently there is just no reason to put marshmallows within two inches of an oven element. They kind of caught fire. Those marshmallows look suspiciously like the cookies I burned a few months ago. It's a shame that I grew up to be such a dingbat, what with my good breeding and all that potential I showed back in kindergarten.



Stand's Marshmallow Shake Recipe
from Francis Lam

3 scoops vanilla ice cream (they use Laboratorio del Gelato)
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 large dollop Woodstock Water Buffalo Milk yogurt (or I used Greek Gods Yogurt, nonfat variety)
5 Kraft Jumbo Jet-Puffed marshmallows
Whipped cream

1) Toast marshmallows under a broiler, or, if you're frisky, over a flame until they just start to blacken evenly (the trick is to make sure it's evenly toasted and dark, but not turned to charcoal).

2) Put the milk, yogurt, and then ice cream in the blender. Blend carefully, just until you get a "doughnut"--when you see the shake holding to the sides of the blender with a hollow core.

3) Add three of the toasted marshmallows to the blender, and whirl it just until they're all broken up and distributed evenly. Be careful not to overblend it, making it too melty.

4) Pour shake into a glass, top with a dollop of whipped cream, break the last two marshmallows on top, and serve with an extra-wide straw.

5) Repeat if necessary. And it will probably be necessary.

Yeah, the shake is good. I'd like to make it again. As you can see in the picture, the marshmallows aren't very dark - they look more like Nilla Wafers than toasted marshmallows. I wasn't taking any chances roasting the second batch, and I'm sure the flavor suffered as a result. I needed some fluff to distract me tonight from my research methods class. As usual, I'm spending the semester trying to get into back-to-school mode. I should be in the swing of things just in time for finals. Or not.

The State of Dining out in Lubbock

Tonight for dinner I'm eating a Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken dinner. Surprisingly, it's not awful. I bought a little passel of Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice frozen dinners, because I don't have time to cook except on the weekends, and for dinner I always choose one of those frozen dinners or cereal to offset whatever gastronimic monstrosity I happened to have for lunch. Also, it would be nice if I would reduce a little bit. I am a diehard foodie, and I like to tell people so, obviously. But I fear it's become unnecessary to announce my love of food. It seems my reputation, in the form of a rotund tummy, precedes me, or rather, the rest of me. It's just not cute to be such a diehard foodie that you can't fit through the restaurant doors. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there just aren't that many restaurant doors in Lubbock I'd care to pass through anyway. Today for lunch, I went to Stella's, which passes itself as an Italian-themed, New York style restaurant with pizza, pasta, sandwiches, seafood, and some other stuff. The quality of the fare was somewhere between average and gross. I hadn't eaten at Stella's in awhile, and though I have never eaten anything Stellar there, I thought I'd give it another try when a co-worker suggested it. How do you mess up a balsamic vinaigrette? Pauline's pork was salty and smelly. Jacqueline and Steve got the Soho Spaghetti, and they both thought it was awful.

We were talking about the mediocrity of the food, as well as the slow and unspectacular service, post-lunch. Although we were approached by two restaurant employees in addition to our waiter, all of which asked us how the food was, no one in the party spoke up. We probably all left a decent tip. I know I felt gypped by a too high bill for what I was served. I confess that I'm a little afraid to be high maintenance at a restaurant. I don't want some Hell's Kitchen chef throwing me out of the restaurant or some evil waiter doing something nasty to my food, beverage, or silverware.

Last week I went to Twain's, which is on the cusp of having something going for it. Cute place. Good theme. Great feel-good story behind its beginnings. Still, the food is just very unremarkable. I would love to find a place that serves wonderful food that I can't get anywhere else, but I have yet to find it in this town.

I try very hard to find the decent eateries in Lubbock. I try to reign in my critical diehard foodieness. It would be fun to start up a blog or wiki about the restaurants in Lubbock, but there are only so many synonyms for mediocre. How exciting is it to write about a chain restaurant that you could find in any other mid-sized town in the US? Or to write about the Chinese buffets that are multiplying like rabbits? Or "Don't eat at any of the Little Panda Restaurants except for the one on 74th & University. Eating at the others is at best, unwise, and at worst, deadly."

Is it a good idea to speak up when you're disappointed with the service or food at a restaurant? How do you react?

All Shook Up

I read that Reese's is coming out with an Elvis Reese's Peanut Butter and Banana Cup. Peanut butter pairs wonderfully with anything, in my opinion, and bananas are no exception. As I child, I liked peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches, but I have luckily grown out of that. I am definitely sending one of these Elvis PB & Nanner Cups to Katie, the family Elvis fanatic, in Taiwan.

The cake I made for Father's Day was a hit. I saved the last piece of cake in the freezer for Wendy. There are many wonderful flavors that synergize in this cake, among them: various chocolates, toffee, coconut, pepper. That's right. I put chipotle chile powder in the cake batter before baking it. I've always thought chocolate and chiles go together, as in Dagoba Xocolatl, and spicy works well with ice cream, too. Here are before and after photos of the Chocolate Blackout Cake with Coconut Buttercream.


It's been about 100º here the last couple of days, so I'm putting my ambition of being The Cake Lady on hold for awhile. It's just too hot to bake. I'm thinking of channeling my efforts into some amazing ice cream flavors. Today I came across a recipe for David Lebovitz's Malted Milk Ice Cream. Most people don't know that there's actually a difference between a shake and a malt, because wannabe ice cream shops only put a sprinkling of malt powder in their malts. I'm happy to report that this ice cream recipe calls for 2/3 cup of malt powder. How many ice cream flavors have their own song anyway? (Check out the link and you'll see what I mean.) So The Perfect Scoop is now in my shopping cart.