Riccota, Riccota, Let Down Your Hair!

I know riccota isn't really a stretch when it comes to going outside the norm of cheeses. .. but that's what I brought home today!
...when I think of this cheese I go immediately go to a pizza I had half a year ago in NYC. I was in little Italy with my friend who was visiting the city for the first time. ..we stopped to split a pizza and pitcher.  Trying to be easy and unlike what i would normally order (something with extra garlic) I let him pick the pizza...I don't know quite what it was. ..it had arugula, riccota, mushroom, maybe a meat? ..and sauce. .maybe sauce. It was brilliant!  ..it only made reference to what you would think a pizza to be. ..yum.
...the other use for ricotta my mind goes to is lasagna, of course. 

So I did an arugula salad with red onions, tomato, Riccota chunks,  with a honey balsamic vinegar dressing.  ....it was ok...but I won't be writing home to mom about it. 
Boring! !
I want to do something awesome with the rest of this block. ..but what? !
.....
Until next time. .. Good evening.

Goat Cheese, Please!

Trying to widen my palette on cheeses.
If you knew me you would know I could eat cheese for every meal.  It also goes well with everything I drink from coffee in the morning to spirits at night.
..but I've always stuck to the basics. .the typical sandwich type of cheeses,  and goudas, havartis, blah blah.. but the last year I've been taking chances... I linger at the giant cheese bar at Adams Farm...poking. ..looking at price stickers (I may be open to new tastes but I am on a budget)...
Anyway. ...I'm also going through the Cheese section in my Cordon Bleu book.  ...and I'm getting ready to start doing my own fresh cheeses. 
Again. ..I'm rambling. .point being I need to make sure I'm into goat cheese before I commit to making it.
Tonight I made a fabulous salad...yes,  with goat cheese. 

Diced lettuce mix
Diced tomato
Diced red onion
Goat cheese crumbles
Red wine vinegar & olive oil,  salt,pepper dressing
Plated to accompany an avocado.

The rest of dinner was some nice pan seared  boneless skinless chicken breast, and small red potato (I do these potatoes now just for the hubs because he isn't a fan of sweet potato. .but I think he is coming around), and sweet potato.

...baby liked it too! She's got quite the palette already. ..loves the balsamic.

Carcass Caress

Finally felt comfortable using the oven for an extended amount of time as we were just able to afford, in theory, to get our propane filled.
I purchased a nice 'organic' whole chicken at Adam's Farm and waited for Sunday when I knew I'd have time to not only do a chicken feast but also try my luck at boiling the carcass and making my own broth (to freeze for use at a later time).

I used to use an oil and herb rub but have switched to BUTTER.  Butter is just better... in every circumstance.  It also makes the skin nice and browned, crispy.
Melt a half stick of butter and mix in lots of garlic, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, and any range of additional herbs in your cupboard or in your garden.. thyme, oregano. .. i also throw in a little cayenne. 
I prefer baking at 425 for about 1.5hours... i cover with foil for the first 1/3 of cook time so as to not get the skin overly crisp.

This time I surrounded the chick with onions, tomato, sweet potato, carrot, and rosemary. (roughly mixed with a little olive oil and spices first)

....yum. Hubbo said it was my best chicken yet.

After an early dinner I stripped that sucker down to the bones and blanched the carcass in 2qts of water...adding in giblets, the neck, etc.. also coarsely chopped celery, onion, and some stuff I had left on my cutting board... half a lemon and a tomato. (I'm not sure the Cordon Bleu would approve of the last bit additions but it had a nice aroma so I don't think I could have screwed it up much.) ...after blanching for a few minutes.. i brought it down to a simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally.  I then used a sieve to separate it down to just the broth and refrigerated overnight.
...now you are supposed to get the fat out then.. but I didn't until the next day (today) and it was so easy.. because it was chilled I was left with separated fat pieces on top so I only had to grab a spatula and carefully remove. Easy.
Now this is where I would then (after cooling) pour into ice trays and freeze for 4 hours before transferring to ziplocks for storage but as I perused my Cordon Bleu book I decided I would try consommé ... which is basically a soup based off of broth...
so because fresh broth is good in the fridge for three days... I think I will do leftover Chick tonight and tomorrow make soup! Which I will note in this blog in a few days once the deed is done.

Plating Rice

Last night I made my usual baked chicken but with a few side dish changes. ..
An avocado salad (mixed greens, tomato, scallions, avocado with a lemon and olive oil dressing)....mmm...avocado and lemon!  ...and baby girl loves anything with lemon. ..she's quite the palette for an 11 month old.
But the real new addition tonight was using my new stainless steel serving rings to help plate my rice. They work great!  (Thanks mom, for the awesome birthday present! )

...speaking of avocados. .when I was a kid my mom used to cut them in half and pour Italian dressing into the hole the pit left and we'd eat it just like that.  This is something I still so to this day.  Yummy.

No Recipe Today Stew

Made my first batch of stew for the season last night.
I originally found the recipe on Epicurious a couple years ago under the search "Irish beef stew" (search it now if you're looking for a cohesive recipe for stew).

...it's one of those days where nothing feels right.  And I've tried to write out my adjusted recipe a few times and I just can't. .

The stew was good.  Baby liked it too.

I'll just post a picture for now. ...add the recipe in later.

Hope you, whoever is reading this. .is having a better day than i.

Veggie Stir Fry (super baby friendly)

Didn't feel like doing a meat dinner tonight. ..
And baby is eating much more solids now so I try to present something that she can eat with us.  (She does like meat but I want to really have her eating and loving fresh veggies and fruits.) Additionally, I make extra so it can be a second meal for lunch the next day.  (trying to think of baby meals multiple times a day can get daunting and this arrangement really helps me out. )

My veggie stir fry. .
Sliced baby red potatoes (this takes the longest to cook,  so I do this first while I blanch green beans)
...I use a little butter and olive oil to ready the pan.
Cook for about 7min or until one side of the slices look nice and toasted.
Add in broccoli,  red onion, carrots (cook about 5min...and then add. .
Blanched green beans (added last during the last 5 min of cook. ..with minced garlic ...mmm)
(Seasoning with whatever you fancy all the while )

You can really put anything in this that you have lying around that you want to use.

If you want to tone down the healthy aspect of this dish. ..serve with a beer! 

Falling

Fall has definitely hit us here in Red Hook, NY. There's something magical about fall on the east coast. Maybe it's because I grew up in Los Angeles, California. ..but this time of the year reminds me of movies i grew up with,  only knowing "fall" indirectly . .. I think of Hocus Pocus (you're either thinking that is a terrible example or you know exactly the feeling as a kid watching that movie), and countless films that take you through upstate New York, Vermont and Connecticut in October. ..the crisp country roads being rained on by leaves of oranges and reds... it's a beautiful time of year.
We have two large maple trees on our property  (possibly more but these two are on the "lawn" areas) which mean we need to rake. And boy will we we need to do that soon....I guess you could say that and all the snow (and maintenance that goes with it) are the draw backs to having seasons...but I think it's worth it.
So. Food.
It's almost stew time.  I love stew. There's nothing better then making a slow batch of stew which lasts for 3 days worth of meals.  The trees bare outside, the snow piling on the windows and my jumbo ironclad pot hosting a melody of flavors that pair with fresh bread perfectly.  I usually have a glass of wine or something in my hand while I cook.  Helps keep you warm!
...soon. ....and I will share my recipe when I make the first batch of the season.

Haven't cooked anything spectacular lately.  Mostly dishes that end up all in one pot.

The Eggah and A Vent

I'd like to preface my post tonight as the vibe in my house is tense.  I am on my last job in the film world, as an editor. ..and it couldn't come soon enough.  My last gig has made me want to run for the hills. .the farms. ..any where but where the bastard wannabe producers rest their thick empty little heads. 
Listen up. ..I have one thought to pass along to anyone who freelances, or works in any capacity of project to project.  Make a clear fucking contract. I mean, go above and beyond to clarify for the dumb dumbs what you will and won't do, how you will provide it, how many times, dates, first born sacrifices if necessary, etc...etc...
I was just threatened with arbitration after doing more work then I ever should have for two extra months.  Fuck being nice. ..
In the words of Will Ferrell in The Other Guys "Gator don't take no shit" ..this is my new alter ego.  Ands I'm pushing back on this last project. I'm sick of bullies. Of nice people being taken advantage of.  I don't even like film anymore. 
Vent over.  ...
Segway..you know what I do like,love, and am passionate about. ..food!
So. .
The eggah. Is a Persian dish. It's basically an omelette that has been baked. I don't take it for as much as a breakfast thing though.
You can add spices, spinach, onions, garlic. .anything really.  To me, I think to do it as a lunch or dinner side. 
I didn't have a lot to work with tonight, it was cold out. ...so I thought ..Soup! ..and I had a little lettuce to use up before it turned.

My eggah
6 eggs, blended by fork
Half onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves
Spices. ..some salt, pepper, cayenne,oregano,..whatever you fancy.

Oil up a baking dish and pour. I think it works best to keep it shallow.
325 degrees for around 20min or until egg is set. 
..mine came out Ok. I think one could have fun really playing around with additions.
BABY actually ate some and she has an unusual distaste for eggs normally.

Ok.  Thanks for the vent outlet.  Also.  Thanks to my husband who has my back and has been dealing with my gig problem and the legality issues at hand since dinner. ...like 3 hours.