Big Sister

I wanted to say thank you. Thank you to my sister. Jennifer is much more than just by big sister. She's a friend. A best friend. And it's obvious from these old pictures that she's loved me from the start. How you could you not?

I think this is the first time she held me circa December 1979. See, I made her happy back then too.

Here's my dad reading a little Dr. Seuss to us. Would you believe I still remember my dad telling me stories and even singing to me as a child. "I've Been Working on the Railroad" really sticks in my head.

I'm pretty sure this was a thank you kiss for the book she just gave me.

I'm not sure why I'm all dressed up in a bow tie and velvet jacket and Jenn's sporting the pink and purple sweatsuit.

And she certainly is cool!

Pear, Argula, Roaster Pepper Sandwich

On Sunday I was over at my sister's for a haircut and I managed to get a sandwich out of the deal. So it was multi-grain bread, hummus, garlic and herb goat cheese, roasted red peppers, Bosc Pear, and arugula. Moist and delicious and surprisingly sweet.

Eggs and Kielbasa

Eggs and Kielbasa with Melted Swiss on toasted Honey Wheat Toast

This is a simple breakfast sandwich. My eggs were cooked over medium, the cheese melted perfectly and salty seared kielbasa. This was one great breakfast.

Skirt Steak, Brussels Sprouts and Yukon Gold Potatoes

I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking. The meal was pan seared skirt steak with sautéed mushrooms, roasted Brussels Sprouts, and seared Yukon gold potatoes. It was good.

The Brussels Sprout

Bottom sliced off.

Halved

Bowled

Tossed with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, Garlic, Ground Sumac (A Spice from Turkey)

Yukon Gold's

halved

Diced

Cremini Mushrooms

Skirt Steak

From http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/SkirtSteak.htm Skirt Steak is a boneless cut of beef from the lower part of the brisket. Cut from the beef flank, the skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle (which lies between the abdomen and chest cavity).

THE RESULTS

French Lentils and Kale

On a cold and rainy Sunday morning when my cold seemed to be never ending, I turned to a new hearty, healthy and warm meal. Lentils. I kept them pretty simple as I always do. French lentils, onion, garlic, jalapeño, fire roasted tomatoes, and kale. The recipe called for a lot of water and trust me it needed it. I also brought them to a boil and then back to a simmer and let them cook for a long time. I'd say about 30 minutes and then added the tomatoes for another 20-25 minutes of cooking time. I couldn't resist the urge and my first bowl included some very al dente lentils, albeit tasty. I nearly forgot to add the kale at the very end. I just rinsed the kale and added it directly to my bowl. I had a fresh and crusty baguette to accompany as well. It was a warm and fulfilling meal that has me feeling better already.

And then the meal was topped off by some great cookies from my friend Jessica. Peanut butter blossoms (aka neeps), chocolate chocolate mint filled delights, and some fudge.

Waffle House, a culinary adventure

So while in the south (or anywhere for that matter) it is almost a requirement that one must go to the local Waffle House for some culinary mastery. I mean it's cheap, fast, tasty, and served with the perfect amount of butter/lard. I stuck with the two marquees of the Waffle House menu, waffles and hash browns.

We went to two different waffle houses on our trip to Mississippi.

This one in Biloxi.

And this one in Ocean Springs, MS.

I went with the pecan waffle on day one and the blueberry waffle on day two. And each time I went with hash browns, smothered, covered, and diced (if you don't know what that is, look it up).

Well it's sort of tasty, but it's more about the experience. I tend to stay away from the chains, but when there's one every mile or so, it's hard to resist. Now my colon might want to chime in when it comes to the after effects of the amount of shortening used, but hey, how often am I in the Southeast and eating at the WH, no not the White House, the Waffle House.

Simply Roasted Chicken

As of late, I am trying to go simple. Simple flavors, seasonings, and methods. So last night I went for the simply Roasted Chicken. I looked up a quick recipe before I left work. I chose to use Thomas Keller's (perhaps America's most renowned chef) idea for my method.

Hot oven and salt and pepper.

So I roasted the 3 1/2 pound bird in my oven safe pan with white and regular sweet potatoes and carrots at 450 degrees F for 50 minutes. I put a generous "raining" of kosher salt on the bird and a few grinds of fresh pepper. (I also rinsed and dried the bird well). After 50 minutes, I let the finished product rest. I carved up half for dinner with steamed Broccoli and the roasted sweet potatoes and carrots. It was a fabulous, fall of the bone chicken. I had a little brown mustard on the side too (although completely unnecessary).

It was simple, it was delicious, it was one of the best chicken experiences I've had.

(I only have my cell phone camera, the blurry cam as I call it, so I borrowed this picture from another site).