The Grind - Tuesday

Eventually, I will re-format my blog to include dinner ideas and recipes and that section will be titled, The Grind. Get it? The nightly dinner chore is such a grind, blah blah blah. Anywho, until I get that going, my other posts will be peppered in with the dinner stuff. Also going to try to take photos but I keep forgetting once it is plated. At that point I yell, "Come get your damn dinner. It aint gonna eat itself."

Tuesday Dinner - Sliders, Pumpkin Sage Risotto, and the leftover Haricot Verts with Shallots.

I already got feedback that meat AND risotto was a faux pas, so I guess I screwed up dinner before even starting to cook.
Conservatively, I spend 5 hours a week shopping at Albertsons. I also go to Whole Foods / Whole Paycheck if I need certain things or am feeling particularly wealthy. I set out yesterday to buy my stuff for dinner. The risotto recipe calls for you to roast a pumpkin. No canned stuff. Have you ever done that? First of all, I go to the produce section and there are no pumpkins. Really? You would think at this time of year pumpkins would be everywhere. So, I asked the produce dude, "Where are your pumpkins?" He got this huge smile on his face like he was going to reply with some inappropriate comment, and informed me they were outside. Really? So, I have to turn around, take my cart full of shit back outside where the wind is blowing 40 miles per hour to look for a pumpkin? I politely asked if they had any in back, told him I needed a pie pumpkin, and could he get one for me. Jeez. This little incident was a foreshadowing of what to come.
Last year I peeled a butternut squash for the first time and roasted that for soup. I thought that was bad, and then I discovered that Whole Foods / Whole Paycheck sells it already cut up in little cubes. Oh, it will cost you. It costs you plenty. I think about 1/4 butternut squash cut up is about $8.00. I think it's worth it.
I think the pumpkin is worse. Of course, you have to cut it, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, and peel it. It's that whole peeling thing that takes forever. It took me 30 minutes to prepare it for the oven. Maybe I just wasn't doing it right. I then roasted it, and it tasted like butternut squash, or a sweet potato. I think I would substitute another root vegetable.
I cook risotto in a pressure cooker, which I also use for pork shoulder roasts and other meats that need time to cook down. This will change your life. You wouldn't mind making risotto every night. You just put it all in and it comes out done. No constant stirring. The resident Italian gives it a thumbs up, so you know the consistency is right or else we wouldn't get to use it. Oooh, and the best part? The leftover risotto for risotto cakes the next day.
This recipe made WAY too much. I would half it. I'm trying out different recipes because I'm making this and risotto cakes on Christmas eve.
Bon Appetit!

PUMPKIN SAGE RISOTTO
· 1 small (1 3/4 pounds) pumpkin , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 6 cups chicken broth
· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 1/3 cup chopped shallots
· 1 clove garlic , finely chopped
· 2 cups Arborio rice
· 1 cup dry white wine , such as Pinot Grigio
· 2 T chopped fresh sage
· 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese , plus more for serving
Spread the pumpkin on a baking sheet and toss with one tablespoon of the oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
In a pressure cooker, heat the butter and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it turns opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the unheated broth and the wine. Smash about 8 pieces of the pumpkin and add it now. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure. Cook for 7 minutes. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions or place the pot under cold water. Carefully open the lid, being careful of the steam. Stir in the rest of the pumpkin, cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the sage.

The Dinner Grind

My biggest problem with cooking is what to make.  Yes, I have the Epicurious App on my iPhone and do use it quite frequently, but I am always looking for good ideas.  I know there are some of you out there who plan their whole week in advance with the menu, go to the store, etc.  I bow down to you.  I know this would make my life easier, but I just don't have it in me.  Maybe one week I will try, as an experiment, and let you know how it goes.  For now, I'm going to share some of my recipes and nightly cooking escapades. 

This was yesterday's dinner:

I asked Robert for ideas about 2:00 in the afternoon, because if I couldn't obsess over it all day long, it wouldn't be a proper dinner.  He suggested Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider and Sage, which I paired with Roasted Garlic and Cheese Mashed Potatoes, and Haricot Verts with Shallots.

Went shopping and bought the pork tenderloin.  Why do they come in two?  I  only wanted one.  Had I wanted or needed two, I would have bought two.  So, here is the dilemma.  Do I freeze the second one, grill it, double the recipe (which almost never works for me), or what?  The meat department has added to my stress and it really pisses me off.  The first thing is to cut the fat and the silverskin off the pork tenderloin.  Why?  I just do what I'm told because I don't have time to look up why we must do such things.  Is the world going to come to an end if I leave the silverskin on?  Ok, for you Internet, I just looked it up.  I got to the point where they said it was a membrane and decided that was good enough reason to take it off.  Something else about toughness and meat curling.  Could've lived with those things, but the membrane thing is gross.  Really, cooking in general is really gross.  We are taking parts of an animal and getting real friendly with membranes, innards, skin, fat, etc.  If it weren't so tasty, it would make you want to be a vegetarian.  Anywho, I decided to go ahead and fix all the meat.  The kids can have little pork sandwiches for snacks after school. 

The pork was just ok.  The potatoes were a little grainy.  The green beans ROCKED.  Here is the recipe for that:

Haricot Verts with Shallots

Haricots Verts (french green beans) about a pound

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (not sure if I used this much)

2 t Dijon Mustard

2 t White Wine Vinegar (I usually make my own)

1 big shallot

Steam green beans until just tender. I like mine crunchy, Lori. While they are steaming, whisk together remaining ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss beans with dressing.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Tonight?  Sliders with Pumpkin Risotto and some vegetable I haven't come up with.  Bon Appetit!

Is it too early to complain? Didn't think so...

I know we haven't seen much of each other lately and I hate to start complaining, but Atlantic City, NJ, could possible be the most miserable entertainment "Mecca" on earth.  Maybe I'm spoiled, but when you go somewhere to have a good time, and spend your money, is it asking too much for a little help from the people who live and work there?  I've decided it is the land of low expectations. 

Your room?  All you hope for is a room with the fewest stains possible.  Hmmmm, didn't get that this time.

This looks kind of pink in the picture, but it was red.  Blood red.  I guess the chalk marks where the body was outlined came up better than the blood.

Maybe some good lighting to read a book?  Maybe a light at all?  Light bulb?  Shade?  Flashlight?

Room Service?  Of course we have room service.  Yes, you would need to come to the front desk to get a menu.  Really???  Kind of defeating the purpose of the room service.  If I have to get off my ass to walk the 12 minutes across the casino floor to get to the front desk to pick up a room service menu, I'm probably just going to grab something while I'm out.  However, if I wanted to have pizza delivered, I had a few menus to choose from that graciously landed under my door everyday.

Ok, I can deal with the crappy accommodations but do you have to be so freaking rude?  EVERYONE is hateful.  It starts the second the airline wheels touch the ground in New Jersey.  The toll booth guy acts like he could just eat off your arm as you extend it with the money as quickly as possible.  The sign says, "Welcome to New Jersey - Now go Home."

Ask anyone who lives there or has lived there.  There is something different about the Jersey temperament than the temperament of other states.  They aren't bad people - just rude.  Mean.  More irritable. 

Everyone is always so surprised when they come to Vegas and everyone is so nice.  OF COURSE WE ARE NICE.  WE WANT YOUR MONEY!  SEE HOW EASY THAT IS???????????????????

Where have I been?

I guess I should have told you where I've been, why I haven't been posting, and if I plan to return.  I should have, but I didn't.  Do you know why?  Yeah, me neither.  There is no good excuse.  I've told you before that I'm just lazy.  I will try to be better.  The End.

Swine Flu

There is so much hysteria around Swine Flu in the world right now, and the majority of it is coming from my household.  Robert has insisted that if anyone is diagnosed, they will be banished to the backyard in a tent.  Now, we vow to make the tent nice.  Might even string an extension cord out there for a TV or radio.  He doesn't want to be rash.  The kids have been lectured on washing their hands so much that their skin is starting to get translucent from the scrubbing.  Of course, just like everything else, NOW they say that washing your hands doesn't really help ward off the H1N1 virus. 

Let me give you two examples.  The first:  I'm sitting in an assembly at school and some slob I'm sitting next to, someone with H1N1, sneezes and doesn't cover his mouth.  The second: Someone with H1N1 rubs his nose, shakes my hand, and then I rub my nose.  In which situation am I more likely to catch the flu?

An infectious disease specialist said that the effer who sneezed on me is more likely, much more likely, to give me the flu since inhaling particles results in a bigger dose of the virus.  So, washing your hands wouldn't prevent you from getting the flu at all because some poor bastard is going to sneeze on you and his spittle is going to go in your nose or eyes.  My pediatrician is reluctant to give out the vaccine because they think it was rushed to market. So, I guess we should all live in individual tents in the backyard.  We shouldn't go to work (see how I snuck that in), or take our kids back and forth to school, golf, dance, broadway, performances, boxing, etc., or socialize with anyone else.  Hey, this doesn't sound so bad.  This might be the perfect disease for my laziness.  Sitting in a tent in the backyard, with electricity, and having nothing else to do for a week.  Hmmmmm. 

Hallelujah

See how things work?  Not just a few short hours from my previous post of scientific research than comes a blessing of ginormous proportions.  Apparently, and we are accepting this one, scientists have followed 2,800-plus people and have concluded that small thigh circumference is associated with a bigger risk of heart disease and premature death.  This effect was independent of body fat percentage and BMI.

See justification here:  Http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/sep03_2/b3292

If you really read this, it does spell out a few disclaimers, but I would just go with it.  Yes, there might be more muscle, blah, blah, blah, but there could be a million reasons why.  There is hope, my friends.  Big thighs are going to save you from an early death.  Don't fret again as you shove the last french fry in your mouth - it could actually save your life.  

More Stupid Research

Scientists in California found that middle-aged people who ran for 40 minutes a day, for a total of about 5 hours per week, lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older.  The researchers tracked runners and nonrunners for 21 years.

Really?  That is shocking.

"What surprised us is that the runners didn't just get less heart disease — they also developed fewer cases of cancer, neurologic diseases, and infections," says study author Eliza Chakravarty, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Aerobic exercise keeps the immune system young." If you don't like to run, even 20 minutes a day of any activity that leaves you breathless can boost your health, she says.

Here is a link to the entire article. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32272813/ns/health-aging/

Isn't this kind of a "duh" moment?  First of all, to get to 5 hours a week, you really need to run 43 minutes per day, 7 days a week.  If you are running that much, OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN BETTER SHAPE.  Chances are that when you run that much, you probably don't make In-N-Out burger a regular haunt.  You probably take really good care of yourself and eat right.  So, just saying running every day for 43 minutes is going to offer all these health benefits is so irresponsible.  Coffee is good for you.  Coffee is bad for you.  No, coffee is good for you.  Ugh.  What is the truth?

I say we come up with our own research.  Here is one that happened this week.  Robert and I went to dinner where I had a cocktail and a bottle of wine.  The next morning, I woke up at 5:30 with a HUGE hangover.  I proceeded to my group run at 6 am, where I had a great run, probably one of my best.  Conclusion: To run faster and longer, drink a bunch the night before.  Another one:  Eating a huge steak, au gratin potatoes, asparagus in butter, and dessert might interfere with weight loss.  Conclusion: Pigging out won't help you lose weight.  See?  This isn't really so hard.  Here is one I would like to see:  Broccoli is bad for you (I hate the stuff).  Maybe a research conclusion that 1 cupcake a day will make you taller.  THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!  Yes, let's do that one.  Anyone want to be my test subject?  Control group?