Monica sent me an email this morning with this included. I’m not going to lie to you, the concept just seems gross and fascinating all at once.
The best part of the video, in my opinion, is when the woman who I assume is Tracey Wigfield says that the concoction looks like “a homeless man’s vomit.”
Amanda eats breakfast at a friend's house on a recent morning.
It’s funny, for the last few years I’ve had the exact same goals that I never achieved and, by some miracle, managed to get done this year.
I got the desired amount of weight off, I quit smoking (except for when I’m drinking, sorry, but even then it’s nothing in comparison), and I’m feeling much better about myself.
But that means this year I have to actually come up with new resolutions. I haven’t done that since before college, OK? This is HUGE!
Here’s what I’m thinking:
1. I want to learn how to cook. I’m 25 years old and the majority of my meals come by drive thru, microwave or friend’s house. It’s time.
Now, I’m not expecting miracles. I don’t plan to be able to cook a gourmet meal for 20 by the end of 2012. But it’d be incredibly nice to have the ability to make more than Hamburger Helper.
2. I want to branch out with what I’ll eat. I am the pickiest eater in Onslow County, possibly in all of North Carolina.
I could go into why I am the pickiest eater ever but let’s just do this the easy way. Here’s just a few of the things I won’t eat:
In the last few weeks I’ve tried a brussell sprout (or five, they were kind of yummy) and white pizza (if I had another slice of beef and onion after one of Grandma’s doctors appointments, the quit-smoking anger would’ve looked like nothing). I tried a cajun chicken pasta dish that is made in a skillet. Minor detail: I missed where it said it included peppers. I hate peppers. That was a fail.
A girlfriend of mine made pancakes with bacon cooked into them the other day for breakfast. That just sounds good, doesn’t it? Here’s the thing, I don’t like my food to touch. Ideally my pancakes would be on one side of the plate and the bacon would be on the complete other side and even the syrup on both items would not meet on the plate. Yeah, I’m that person.
Slowly but surely, I want to not make my friends cringe when we go to a restaurant or, better yet, for them to not laugh when I order the exact same thing I’ve been ordering since we were able to start going to restaurants without our parents driving.
So friends, readers and those who are shaking their head in confusion right now, if you have an idiot proof recipe that you think may not make me gag, send it to me at ahickey@freedomenc.com or post it in the comments. And for random comments as this goes on, follow me on Twitter @AmandaWrites.
By HEIDI FLICK
Freedom News Service
You know those ideas or recipes that just stick with you for years? The ones that just grab your attention, tingle your taste buds, intrigue you? The ones you made once, loved, but never made again? Well, for me, that’s preserved lemons.
Coming across a handwritten recipe used 11 years ago, I was flummoxed. How have I not been making them regularly? Especially since a note at the bottom of the recipe simply says, “fantastic.”
The whole idea of preserving these bright yellow fruits in their own juice and salt is so simple. And the deeper lemony flavor is a natural paired with chicken. Preserved lemons are associated with Moraccan cuisine, and as such, they blend seamlessly with other Moraccan all-stars like tomatoes and olives, ginger, coriander and cilantro.
But don’t hesitate to go Italian as well. Throw them in pasta with olive oil, fresh rosemary and kalamata olives, or sautéed spinach, walnuts and lots of garlic. You can use the flesh and rind or just the rinds, depending on the texture you want.
Now that you can get organic lemons in any grocery store, and Meyer lemons as well, eating the rinds of lemons is less of a daunting idea and eliminates the brief boiling to clean the rinds that is included in my old recipe.
Preserved lemons are not an instant dish. The lemons have to mellow for at least three weeks before you use them. So get going now, and they will be ready to brighten any of your dishes.
PRESERVED LEMONS
4-5 lemons (organic is best)
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
1 pint canning jar, sterilized
Lightly scrub and dry the lemons. Cut a thin slice from the top and pointed end of each lemon, just enough to expose the flesh.
Cover the bottom of the canning jar with a thin layer of salt.
Set lemon on flat end and, using a sharp knife, cut into quarters lengthwise, to just above the bottom (leaving the quarters attached).
Put as much sea salt as you can inside the lemon, then pull sides together and stuff the lemon into the jar, squeezing gently to release juices.
Repeat with remaining lemons, packing them tightly into the jar, and squeezing to release juices.
The juice should completely cover the lemons, but leave 1/2 inch of headroom. If the lemons aren’t completely covered, use juice from additional fresh lemons. (Do not use bottled lemon juice.)
Put the lid on and store in a kitchen cabinet. Shake the jar every day to distribute juice and salt. In three weeks, lemons are ready.
Rinse them well and blot dry before using. You can refrigerate them after the first use.
CHICKEN SAUTE WITH PRESERVED LEMONS
4 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped coarsely
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ginger
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes,
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup pitted green olives
1 whole preserved lemon, chopped coarsely
Over medium-high heat, sauté the thighs in the oil until browned, about four minutes a side. Remove chicken and leave enough fat in pan to cover the bottom.
Turn heat to low. Sauté onions about five minutes, until softened. Add coriander and ginger and cook briefly, until spices release their fragrances.
Add tomatoes, with juice, and broth. Turn up heat to medium, and bring to boil, stirring frequently.
Return chicken to pan, skin side up. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add olives and preserved lemons. Cook five more minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
By CATHY THOMAS
Freedom News Service
My pal Pam Cincola has countless surprises in her culinary arsenal. Although her talent for cooking spectacular at-home fare never falls short, it’s her picnic feasts that leave me star-struck.
Pam’s well-planned picnics would be appropriate for any outing — beach, boat, concert or park.
Part of the joy is the delectability, part is the delightful presentation. Part of the pleasure is Pam.
Her voice has a smile in it. She views life through a colorful prism formed by lifelong enthusiasm for people, food, art, ballroom dancing, fashion and, well, fun.
There’s nothing lackluster about her well-planned movable feasts. The dishes are designed to take the bumps in the road and remain glorious. And years ago, she decided that bento boxes are a key element to successful, less labor-intensive picnics.
Individual bento boxes are covered Japanese containers with interiors divided into sections. Pam has two sets: small ones for in-the-car hors d’oeuvres, and large ones for on-site dining. They are lacquer-ware beauties, shiny orange-red and black.
They stack perfectly when secured with a color-coordinated tie-down strap. At the picnic, containers becomes plates
“When we started going (to concerts at the Hollywood Bowl) 15 years ago, I would take dishes and silverware, plus all the containers that contained the food,” Pam explains. “Now I just put good-sized portions in the bento boxes and cut down on the stuff we have to wag up the hill to the seats. It’s cool. People really enjoy eating out of them. And they really cut down the load.
“The big ones have lids that fit perfectly underneath when they are in use, so you don’t need to find a place to put the lids, and (when tucked underneath) they add to the design, kind of like a frame.
The in-the-car appetizer boxes are one per couple. Pam calls them “snacks for the road, little tastes designed to pair with what is coming later.”
Candied pecans, cheese dip and deviled eggs. You haven’t lived until you’ve dipped a candied pecan into sharp cheddar-based cheese dip (she says she often uses Trader Joe’s Pub Cheese). Some slim-style pretzels and a lemon juice-olive oil lightly dressed antipasto concoction with chunks of salami and cheese, plus kalamata olives and fresh herbs.
The main-event food is roughly themed to the American South. Oven-fried chicken that is alluringly spiced and crunch-crusted. An eat-from-your-hand corn on the cob salad that showcases 1 1/2-inch-thick wheels of corn doused with fresh herbs and tangy vinaigrette. Baked bean salad that Pam says she clipped the recipe for 100 years ago from Sunset magazine; it’s augmented with fresh carrot, celery, green onion, sweet pickle, diced cheddar cheese and small cubes of ham. And a watermelon salad with kalamata olives, cucumbers and fresh basil that she says tastes delicious served with grilled flank steak.
Everything is made a day ahead and refrigerated, except the chicken (which marinates overnight in the fridge and is baked on the day of service).
“Nothing has mayonnaise. I put the chicken in the bento boxes right before we leave the house,” she says, tucking a fresh nasturtium or two into the center of each box for a little extra eye-pizazz.
And when it’s time to leave, the now-empty bento boxes are tied together, and down the hill they go. Classy yet fanciful.
WATERMELON SALAD
Yield: 4 servings
4 cups (1/2-inch cubes) seedless watermelon
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup finely chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 (3/4-ounce) package fresh basil, torn into pieces (not cut)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-light olive oil
Procedure: In a large bowl, combine watermelon, cucumber, olives and torn basil.
In a small bowl, combine lime juice, lemon juice, shallot, salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until combined. Gently toss dressing with watermelon mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Nutrition information (per serving): 41 calories (40 percent from fat), 2 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g protein, 375 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Source: Pam Cincola
CORN ON THE COB SALAD
Yield: 8 servings
6 medium-size ears of corn
2/3 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure: Remove husks and silks from corn. With a heavy, sharp knife, cut corn crosswise into 1 1/2-inch thick rounds.
In a large pan or Dutch oven, bring enough water to a boil to cover corn. Cautiously add corn to boiling water and cook 3 minutes. Drain.
In a large bowl, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, mint, cilantro and dill. Add corn and toss. Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Serve or cool, cover and chill up to 24 hours. Pick up corn to eat.
Nutrition information (per serving): 108 calories (42 percent from fat), 5 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 312 mg sodium, 4.1 g fiber
Source: Pam Cincola
BAKED BEAN SALAD
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
1/4 cup light molasses
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 can (1 pound 15 ounces) pork and beans with tomato sauce
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped sweet pickle
1/2 cup small diced sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced cooked ham
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure: In a large bowl, stir together molasses, mustard, oil and vinegar until blended. Discard pork fat from beans and add beans (and their sauce) to molasses mixture. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently until all ingredients are coated with the molasses mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
Nutrition information (per serving): 120 calories (52 percent from fat), 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 780 mg sodium, 5.2 g fiber
Source: Pam Cincola
SPICY OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced
12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks) with skin and bones
1 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Procedure: Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend well. Add onion and chicken; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours, turning chicken pieces occasionally.
Place a rack on a rimmed baking sheet (rack is sometimes referred to as a cooling rack). Place a second rack on another rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
Whisk breadcrumbs, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt in shallow baking dish (such as a 9-by-12 baking dish).
Remove chicken from marinade, allow excess to drip off. Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely. Arrange chicken skin-side up on racks on baking sheets, leaving room between chicken pieces. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Drizzle butter over chicken. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition information (per serving): 160 calories (47 percent from fat), 9 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 41 5mg sodium, 0.2 g fiber
Source: Pam Cincola
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