31 Days of Eating: Day 4

(yeah that's apparently chicken stock)

WORK THAT BODY: DIY CHICKEN STOCK

So now that you have devoured some, maybe most, of your Thomas Keller Simple Roast Chicken you had better have saved all then little bones (yes you can take them from people's plates... grow up!) because you are going to need them for your epic house-cozying super cold-defender... chicken noodle soup.

This recipe is so simple that I think I am just going write it out for you:

1. Take all the bones (and what's clinging to them) from a whole chicken or turkey and submerge them in just enough water to cover. Boil.
2. Let boil for about 30 min skimming off any foamy stuff
3. Put in one of each, roughly chopped: carrot, celery, medium onion
4. Also add  a combination bunch of fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and bay leaf all tied together with cooking string.
5. Let this simmer at low-med heat for AT LEAST 3 hours. The more it cooks, the more flavor you are going to get. I left mine in for about 6 hours and it was great! It rose the temp in my house about 5 degrees and smelled amazing.
6. Let cool and strain being sure to get out all the bones.

AAAnd boom. You got yourself some great stock. Throw in the rest of those carrots, onions, and celeries, another bay leaf, some salt and pepper, cooked egg noodles, and the rest of your salvaged chicken meat. Heat that all up and sit back and enjoy a large bowl of home <3.

Reasons to love Charles Groden: Midnight Run (1988)

30 Days of Eating: Day 3

Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

I've never been a big fan of sweet potatoes. I always wondered why one would stray from the perfection that is the regular potato (that's how I would have described it back then). Because my mother loves us, we were pretty much required to be home for dinner at least every weeknight. This was not a very difficult task since everything she made was amazingly delicious. Even then as she and my sister would dig into these weird orange double agent potatoes... secret orange imposers waiting under familiar skin to prey on my savory-lovin taste buds... I would wonder what they saw in those things.

This was the first dish that changed that.

 ** ALTERATIONS **

1. I do not use chicken thighs for this as I am not a huge fan of darker meat. I get it, it gives the overall dish more flavor... great. I just think that using boneless skinless chicken breasts is cleaner, quicker, and more tasty. I cut them into cubes and coat them in the curry.
2. Lemongrass can be a bitch to work with and if not chopped properly it leaves this little splintery things in your food. No one likes that. Be sure to peal a few of the harder layers and use the softer inside portion.
3. I tend to omit the sugar and use regular coconut milk. I don't like things too sweet and the flavor is never a problem.
4. If you can't find lemongrass or Asian basil or fish sauce... please still make this dish. 

30 Days of Eating: Day 2

The Devil's Den: Happy Hour, Mussels, and Girl Talk

It's no secret, I'm cheap and I like fancy beer. It's actually a curse. I'm not content with a Bud or a PBR or Lion's Head... I need a porter or an IPA. I'm a beer snob. I'm sorry. I too wish it wasn't that way. As such, I'm always on the look-out for a good happy hour deal. Did I mention that I'm lazy too? Yeah. Luckily I had the foresight to rent a house in an area high in bars and low in crime. Unfortunately it's also high in children and low on music venues... but I digress.

The Devil's Den meets all my needs: It's in walking distance to my house, has fancy beers on tap, has a decent happy hour (1/2 off drafts from 5pm -7pm), and it's menu features items that are not all deep-fried. I met with my frequent foodie date, Lori for a proper ladies' early evening out: mussels, beer, and girl talk.

We started with a German beer flight for $4.50. Some of the beers were tapped and had to be replaced with others... which I'm told is typical for the "cheap bastards" at the Den, but overall the beers were pretty good and the bartender had no trouble explaining the substitutions. We decided to share their mussel plate because, well frankly it's huge and fucking crazy delicious. They have various styles to chose from, but I am a fan of the Diavolo... cuz you know, I like it spicy. You get a very large bowl of mussels, some grilled bread.... oh and as if that's not enough, you get a side of fries with that. Yes please, thank you. All this... for $12? It's a steal. My only complaint is that they give you skinny little regular fries that soak up little to none of the wonderful mussel juices. They should offer larger fries, like potato wedges or something... come on!

31 Days of Eating: Day One

THOMAS KELLER'S ROASTED CHICKEN FOR DUMMIES 

(click above for the recipe)

When it comes to cooking, Thomas Keller knows what he is doing. When I looked at his recipe for roasted chicken I thought it was too simple to be true. Just salt and pepper? Here I am stuffing my bird with every spice and vegetable I have at hand and this bitch isn't even using garlic?? We'll just see about that. One bite of his simple chicken and I was more than happy to eat my words.

**ATTENTION**

There are some key points that can not be replaced or ignored in this recipe:

#1 - Get a good little hormone-free locally-raised chicken. I'm fortunate enough to live in an urban area where we have many weekly farmer's markets. Yes, it's going to be more expensive than ACME, but you only need a 2-3 lb bird so get over it.

#2 - Rinse AND pat dry the bird. I skip this step too often and always end-up w a dried out bird. Please don't be a rushed lazy asshole like I am. ALSO be sure to use large sea salt or kosher salt when salting the bird and do what the man suggests and sprinkle the salt over the carcass so that large pieces stick to the skin. He's a chef.

#3 - Use a roasting or saute pan to cook the bird. I had no idea how much of a difference this could make. Don't ask me to explain the physics of it all, just know that using a pan kicks using a baking dish's ass. Please do be sure to check if your pan is oven-safe. We're aiming for a plastic-free bird here.

#4 - The hardest rule to follow: DON' FUCK WITH THE BIRD. Jesus just leave it alone. Make some side-dishes, set the table, smoke, watch the "Colbert Report"... whatever just keep the oven door closed for one full hour. Have some goddamn self control.

November... the month of eating

My roommate recently lamented the passing of October.  She said, "I just wanted it to be Christmas already so that we can start on holiday crafts." Wait just one minute! Yes, Thanksgiving has the unfortunate luck of being the middle holiday child, stuck between the year's two greatest holidays. November, however, it has it's own very special charm. There are crafts to be done (ahem hand turkeys), you spend time with your family (fortunately mine is incredible), and you eat (and eat and eat and eat).

I was once told that all I want to DO is eat, that my entire social structure revolves around cooking or going out to dinner and without it I would not know what to do with myself. To him I say: So fucking what? First of all, we have to do eat to survive. It's a universally common activity. Secondly, because I came from such an awesome family, I learned early that sitting down with someone and having a meal is the perfect way to keep-up with the lives of those you care about. You take your time, you have a glass of wine, you open up and you listen.

So in honor of November I will be focusing this on food... glorious food.

Halloween Highlights + Fail

Halloween Win:

1. Bates Motel Haunted Hayride, House, and Corn Maze - incredibly scary and incredibly good. We went on a warm Tuesday night, which I am sure made the lines bearable. I wanted to get through the house asap as people were jumping out at me (and touching me) at every turn. The maze started with an extremely disorienting trip through some sort of black spandex tube... that was certainly scary enough for me. The rest of the walk was leisurely and impressive in it's detail. The hayride was defiantly the highlight  with animatronic fire-breathing monsters, wonderfully designed horror scenes, and creepers grabbing you along the way.

2. TV Casualty @ Johnny Brenda's - I appreciate a cover band that truly embraces the artists they are mocking... or paying homage to depending on your point of view.  It's that purity, mostly provided by front-man and sexy Danzig extraordinaire Ted Leo, that makes Misfit's cover band TV Casualty so much better than just sitting at home and singing with your friends. This is their second Halloween show and I hope they keep-up the tradition.

3. Make-Your-Own-Mask Halloween Party - Maybe it's the pothead in me, but I LOVE holiday crafts. I also love a good theme party, so I am incredibly into the idea of having a party where a homemade mask is required for entry. The masks ranged from last-minute-and-it-shows to this-took-days-of-planning... but they all made for great conversation pieces and facebook tagging opportunities.

4. 31 Days of Horror - Ok... I didn't make it up to 31 on my blog countdown... it was a busy month for me jeez! BUT I did manage to watch maybe too many horror movies in the month of October ( I've been having nightmares about my neighbor being a serial killer). Of the new movies I watched, I would have to say "Two Sisters" and "Burnt Offerings" stood out as should-have-known-earlier gems. Though I Mystery Science Theatered "A Tale of Two Sisters" because of it's predictable storyline and cheap horror, I was impressed by the cinematography and the set/costume design. All in all, it would be a great one to play on mute at  your next Halloween party. "Burnt Offerings" was just amazing. Karen Black is actually possessed (not just looking that way for no reason). Oliver Reed is sexy, scary, and impossibly tan. Bette Davis is a wonderful example of what a great actress looks like in the hands of a mediocre director and Burgess Meredith has a part. One note: Please watch this movie in it's entirety.. the ending is definitely the payoff.

5. Dissection Lecture: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880 - 1930 @ The College of Physicians of Philadelphia aka Mutter Museum - Apparently, it's common practice for medical students to pose with the cadavers they use for study. Even before donating bodies was a common practice, students used the then-new technology of photography to immortalize their time with their first recently deceased study buddy. Some pictures were shocking, some were funny, but all were thought provoking. The lecture dealt with the interesting American legacy of self-portraits with the dead. Did I mention it was free and there was a huge buffet afterwards? I stole a 20oz Coke...Win!

Halloween Fail:

1. Andrew WK and Dos XX Most Interesting Free Party/Booze Shitshow @ World Cafe Live - Clue #1 that you should skip a party: it's at World Cafe Live Clue #2: It's free and it's on Halloween weekend Clue #3 There is a line around the block (no matter how fast it's moving)

2. Midnight Rocky Horror - Always get a ticket to any Halloween event in the city ahead of time. Remember, LOTS of college girls like to get their freak on around Halloween and apparently get their tips from Glee. Landsdale's Main St Theater is a total let down. It was more like a screening room at a community college.

3. 2010 Philadelphia Phillies - I love them, but they drive me crazy and often time take-up a lot of my prime Halloween time.

A look ahead to next year:

1. Must go to the Mutter Museum for their flashlight tour.
2. Must go to Newtown Theater in Newtown, PA for their midnight Rocky showing on Halloween.
3. Must go to see whatever silent horror film the International House is showing.