By the way, I have a new secret ingredient in my Bloody Mary mix, and it is ...
Smoked Spanish Paprika
You may now continue about your life.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Elotes!
Apparently when the cat and kitty are away, the mouse shall ... cook. Since H&d left last Monday I have been unusually prolific in the kitchen. First Bloody Marys, then beans & rice, jalapeno lemonade, chicken stir fry and now: ¡Elotes!, the Mexican street corn I have grown to adore.
Making this delicious treat was remarkably simple, yet I still managed to mess it up. Actually, the only thing I didn't do well was the grilling of the corn itself, and that's probably due to the fact that I didn't use the grill. Instead I roasted them in the oven. I shucked off the husks first too and maybe that was a mistake as well. Anyway, the kernels shrank a little and a few places got burned. I think I should've picked up some fresher corn too - these had been sitting around a while.
But imperfectly cooked corn aside, the rest was simple but fantastically delicious: mix about two Tablespoons of mayo with a teaspoon of lime juice and set it aside, then combine 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper with 2 Tbl grated parmesan cheese (or queso fresco if you have some readily available). Brush the corn with the lime mayo and then sprinkle the chili cheese mix on top, and bam! Hyde Park is suddenly Pilsen.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tell Them What He's Won, Bob!
A New Car!
Yes, I am the proud purchaser of my first brand new car, a 2009 Hyundai Sonata (the artist in me appreciates the model, the Welshman enjoys the make). It is a four cylinder GLS with the most spacious trunk ever, an adapter for my iPod, and fuel efficiency to shame my Buick into a state of inconsolable weepiness (not that Buicks frequently weep.) And it is black as the Ace of spades - sexy!
The wheeling and dealing was remarkably pleasant. The dealer in question was the aptly named 'Happy Hyundai' of Oak Lawn. And though purchasing a car the last weekend of Cash for Clunkers sans clunker was not the most convenient experience (Ford dealers didn't even want to talk to me as I kept bringing up the Harrah's casino employee discount on Ford products), once the Sonata was settled upon, smooth sailing abounded.
In other news, my dad is in town (hooray Grumpy!) and we ate lots of barbecue and saw Inglourious Basterds, both of which delighted. Tomorrow's agenda: the Field Museum to see Harry Potter and the submarine that may or may not've sunk a cruise ship my grandmother was aboard, and then a swing by the Horseshoe Casino to display its opulence to my pater. And who knows what else? Where ever we go, we shall be traveling in style.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Beans, Beans, Good for Your Heart
I did not realize it until today, but upon reflection, there appears to be an unwritten rule in our household that the minute the ladies leave town for any period of five days or more, I immediately gather supplies and cook an enormous batch of red beans & rice. I don't know whether my subconscious fears that I will otherwise have nothing to eat, or whether I simply realize anew each time they depart how long it has been since I had beans and rice and how much I love it and we don't eat it much as I cook it entirely too spicy for Daisy. (As she would say, it is grown up spicy.) But really I think it is that both the act of cooking and the delight of eating just cheers me like nothing else. Beans and rice are definitely my supreme comfort food.
So that is what I find myself doing this evening, cooking cajun and listening to the new Patton Oswalt album, which while neither as sublime nor gutbusting as his previous record Werewolves & Lollipops is still a terrific way to get through the doldrums of Chicago this week.
Here is the Top Secret Henry Family Beans recipe. Tell no one.
- 2 lbs large red beans
- 2 lbs andouille pork sausage
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (chopped)
- 1&1/2 Tbl cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- pinch red pepper
- 1 hambone or pork hock
- 2 bay leaves
1. Soak beans in cold water overnight. Water should be fairly deep. If you are enthusiastic, you may pick out any funky looking beans and discard them, but no need to be overzealous.
2. Drain and rinse beans and toss into a pot with the pork hock. Fill with water just to the level of the beans. Put on the stove on medium.
3. Add the spices. Feel free to be generous with the cumin, reserved with the pepper, depending on your tastes. Cover and continue to simmer on medium.
4. Chop the sausages, onions and garlic. Sautee in a large skillet until onion is soft and sausages are starting to brown. I chop onions in the Cuisinart so they are just a step above pureed. Add to beans. (Feel free to hold back some of the grease and discard.)
5. Stir well, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for at least four or five hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve over rice.
So that is what I find myself doing this evening, cooking cajun and listening to the new Patton Oswalt album, which while neither as sublime nor gutbusting as his previous record Werewolves & Lollipops is still a terrific way to get through the doldrums of Chicago this week.
Here is the Top Secret Henry Family Beans recipe. Tell no one.
- 2 lbs large red beans
- 2 lbs andouille pork sausage
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (chopped)
- 1&1/2 Tbl cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- pinch red pepper
- 1 hambone or pork hock
- 2 bay leaves
1. Soak beans in cold water overnight. Water should be fairly deep. If you are enthusiastic, you may pick out any funky looking beans and discard them, but no need to be overzealous.
2. Drain and rinse beans and toss into a pot with the pork hock. Fill with water just to the level of the beans. Put on the stove on medium.
3. Add the spices. Feel free to be generous with the cumin, reserved with the pepper, depending on your tastes. Cover and continue to simmer on medium.
4. Chop the sausages, onions and garlic. Sautee in a large skillet until onion is soft and sausages are starting to brown. I chop onions in the Cuisinart so they are just a step above pureed. Add to beans. (Feel free to hold back some of the grease and discard.)
5. Stir well, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for at least four or five hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve over rice.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Life in the Turn Lane
Wow, June 13th, eh? And not really much of a post. Still, I refuse to abandon this blog-project. Even though I find it hard to motivate myself to post sometimes, actually writing something continues to be one of the most rewarding things I do these days.
For those of you who have used this blog to keep tabs on me, there have been a great deal of changes since my last few posts. For starters, I moved. Still living with Heidi and the Little Baby (who turns four next month) and still in Hyde Park. I am currently living in what I realized is my tenth Hyde Park apartment, though the first time for this street. I've had three apartments on Ellis, three on Woodlawn and scattered pads elsewhere. The new place is incredibly comfortable and homey, much moreso than the last place, which honestly was just too much space for us. Plus the new location has cut ten minutes off my commute, which is awesome.
On the subject of work, things continue to be going well. I was dissatisfied with my annual evaluation (and though the resultant 1.25% pay increase was appreciated, the 3% + bonus that was missed out upon did instill some bitterness) and have since decided to involve myself more with the goings on and hope to prove myself indispensable. So far, the major accomplishment has been to establish myself as the in-house master of ceremonies of choice: I played host to the first annual emloyee-only "American Idol"-style singing competition and have now been pegged as the caller for our upcoming $25,000 Bingo Blowout promotion. And I can honestly say, after three and a half years of working there, my boss finally knows who I am. (To be totally fair, he is actually the boss of my bosses, of whom I have ... 16? 17? It's hard to keep track.)
The girls are in California for the next two weeks, visiting Heidi's mom. They left yesterday morning and I have spent the time since both enjoying and being saddened by the quiet. I woke up this morning around 7:00 and waited for someone to ask me to get out of bed, turn on a movie, make her some toast, etc. And it kept not happening. I think I reset my alarm clock three times out of pure confusion over when it was actually necessary to get out of bed. So the next few weeks will be a little different.
I am actually a little disconcerted that I've sat at the computer this long to write this ... I keep looking at the clock and thinking it's time to round up Daisy for the bath, but I guess for the next few weeks I'm not responsible for keeping anyone clean but myself. (I'll let you know how that goes.)
I am off to watch Sansho The Bailiff, recently fervently recommended to me by the one true John Luzar. Before I go, let me share my delicious recipe for the Bloody Mary I concocted this evening (hereafter to be known as "The Bloody Baba".)
Combine in a cocktail shaker full of ice
- 3/4 cup tomato juice
- 2 0z vodka
- 2 0z delicious, delicious beer (I recommend Anchor Steam)
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive juice
- as much black peper and salt as you feel necessary
- as many dashes of Tabasco as you feel you can handle
Shake well and garnish with the following: 1 olive, 1 cocktail onion, 1 gherkin, 1 piece of salami, and 1 stick of string cheese. Back with remainder of beer.
Sláinte Mhaith!
For those of you who have used this blog to keep tabs on me, there have been a great deal of changes since my last few posts. For starters, I moved. Still living with Heidi and the Little Baby (who turns four next month) and still in Hyde Park. I am currently living in what I realized is my tenth Hyde Park apartment, though the first time for this street. I've had three apartments on Ellis, three on Woodlawn and scattered pads elsewhere. The new place is incredibly comfortable and homey, much moreso than the last place, which honestly was just too much space for us. Plus the new location has cut ten minutes off my commute, which is awesome.
On the subject of work, things continue to be going well. I was dissatisfied with my annual evaluation (and though the resultant 1.25% pay increase was appreciated, the 3% + bonus that was missed out upon did instill some bitterness) and have since decided to involve myself more with the goings on and hope to prove myself indispensable. So far, the major accomplishment has been to establish myself as the in-house master of ceremonies of choice: I played host to the first annual emloyee-only "American Idol"-style singing competition and have now been pegged as the caller for our upcoming $25,000 Bingo Blowout promotion. And I can honestly say, after three and a half years of working there, my boss finally knows who I am. (To be totally fair, he is actually the boss of my bosses, of whom I have ... 16? 17? It's hard to keep track.)
The girls are in California for the next two weeks, visiting Heidi's mom. They left yesterday morning and I have spent the time since both enjoying and being saddened by the quiet. I woke up this morning around 7:00 and waited for someone to ask me to get out of bed, turn on a movie, make her some toast, etc. And it kept not happening. I think I reset my alarm clock three times out of pure confusion over when it was actually necessary to get out of bed. So the next few weeks will be a little different.
I am actually a little disconcerted that I've sat at the computer this long to write this ... I keep looking at the clock and thinking it's time to round up Daisy for the bath, but I guess for the next few weeks I'm not responsible for keeping anyone clean but myself. (I'll let you know how that goes.)
I am off to watch Sansho The Bailiff, recently fervently recommended to me by the one true John Luzar. Before I go, let me share my delicious recipe for the Bloody Mary I concocted this evening (hereafter to be known as "The Bloody Baba".)
Combine in a cocktail shaker full of ice
- 3/4 cup tomato juice
- 2 0z vodka
- 2 0z delicious, delicious beer (I recommend Anchor Steam)
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive juice
- as much black peper and salt as you feel necessary
- as many dashes of Tabasco as you feel you can handle
Shake well and garnish with the following: 1 olive, 1 cocktail onion, 1 gherkin, 1 piece of salami, and 1 stick of string cheese. Back with remainder of beer.
Sláinte Mhaith!
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