Summertime!

So I'm glad that I gave you the heads up back in April (was it April?!?) when I last posted that I'd be on a bit of a hiatus while all these major life changes happened. Since then I've finished my thesis, finished my job, finished my two internships, packed up my stuff in my parents' wee little Mazda, collected my boyfriend from the airport and drove my worldly goods halfway across the United States. So you may be able to understand if I've been a little AWOL. My next posts should be more along the lines of the recipe-per-post sort of thing but this one is going to be a bit more like a pictorial diary of what's happened between April and now.

THE ROADTRIP
 (in no particularly coherent order):

A visit to Taos pueblo. I haven't been back for so long; it's always really strange to sort of half-remember a place and to remember where certain streets or shops are but not the overall layout. It was a beautiful morning stop between Santa Fe and Laramie. 

Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice

Sometimes it's funny to have one of those moments when you look at your sibling and thing "Wow, we really are related." Case in point: this delicious lemon chicken recipe. When I had first rented What Katie Ate from the library in Portland this was the very first recipe I decided to try. And when I was back in Texas and brought it home as part of my birthday loot? I asked Piper which recipe she'd like me to make and she immediately pointed to this one. Maybe it's DNA...or maybe it's the fact that this chicken looks (and tastes) so darn good.

Chicken and Cardamom Rice

This is why I love cooking. You can think you've got it under control, think you're pretty flavor-savvy, and then boom. One day someone suggests that you mix in a little olive oil with your yogurt to make a sauce and it's like an entirely new world opens up. 

But seriously, guys. You have absolutely GOT to try this recipe. After hearing about its popularity with other fans of the fantastic Jerusalem cookbook, I decided I wanted to try it. And it completely blew my mind. This dish is everything; complex, sensual (yeah, I said it), exciting and deeply satisfying. As my mom said as she dug in, "Every bite gives you a different flavor." Make this and you will feel proud of yourself when it's done.

Poached Chicken Risotto with Tarragon and White Truffle Oil

Oh, creamy, cheesy, truffle-y, chicken-y risotto heaven. How I love thee. This is an incredibly rich weeknight (or party time) meal; it requires a lot of attention and stirring but the results are fairly heavenly. There are some pretty decadent ingredients (saffron, truffle oil) which you can decide to use if you want to splurge. (Bailey note: I would suggest looking in Trader Joe's for the saffron--$5.99, yeeha!--and our HEB in College Station has very modestly priced truffle oil that I've been steadily been making my way through for over a year). The creamy rice is sumptuous and addictive and the chicken is tender, flavorful and really bolsters the satisfaction of the dish. A little goes a long way here and the serving described can easily serve five. A real winner.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the best inventions of all time. Honestly, I'm not sure if there's anything more comforting than a big bowl of spicy chicken in creamy tomato sauce. Thank you, cuisine of India. You have done so much good in the world and for this happy little tummy of mine.

Garlic Noodle Bowl

You know the song about Little Bunny Foo Foo? Hoppin' through the forest, abusing field mice, etc.? That's sort of how my relationship with tofu has gone. Not so much eating it, but cooking with it. I like the idea of it but after a disastrous attempt at Black Pepper Tofu (hopefully to be vindicated later this week) and now this, I feel like it gets one more chance and then I'm-a float down like that good fairy and turn it into a goon. Little Bunny Tofu.

Side note for those who are interested in the Black Pepper Tofu incident: I couldn't get the top of the tofu box open so I resorted in stabbing it repeatedly like that one scene from Psycho and then the too-soft tofu started oozing out and all over me and the kitchen and I gamely persisted in trying to coat the goo with cornstarch before I got some on my foot and then called my sister to pick up some shrimp.

How to Roast A Chicken

How does one roast a chicken? Well, one could do it with stuffing. Without. Rubbing butter on the skin. Marinading. Stuffing the chicken with a duck stuffed with a pigeon (if you're not into the whole brevity thing). After this last foray into chicken roasting, however, I've become firmly convinced that the best method is the simplest one of all.

Road to the Superbowl, Day Two

So the 49'ers lost. There was a lot of tension during our party, let me tell you; far more emotion than I was expecting. I even found myself yelling at the screen a couple of times. There were tears, emotions, Beyonce...pretty much everything you could ask for. What wasn't there at the end of the Superbowl? These wings, that's what.