While I do enjoy most of the foods he mentions, and I also agree with the "logic" he describes, this clip from a George Carlin stand-up routine is hilarious and worthy of your time. Enjoy the maddness of Mr. Carlin's brain!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrH3uRryiGw
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A Very German Meal
My grandma passed on her recipe for red cabbage to my mother, who just recently shared with me the secret to one of my favorite comfort foods. This side traditionally, in my family, accompanies roast beef and baked macaroni and cheese. But I decided to go a different route, the German route.
First, for the red cabbage (or "rotkohl" in German): thinly slice a head of red cabbage and add to a big pot with olive oil and cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add salt, pepper, and lots of vinegar (my grandma used white, I used red wine as it was all I had in my apartment) to the pot and turn the heat to medium-low, allowing the cabbage to braise in the liquid and get soft; this takes about 30-35 minutes. Taste and add sugar if desired to balance the acidity of the vinegar.
I served this with boiled weisswurst (veal sausage) and a roll. It reminded me of being back in Germany, and warmed my heart with memories of Grandma.
The Easiest Dinner. Ever.
Yeap, that's it--Chicken Milanese. And here's how to do it:
Cut a thick chicken breast in half, horizontally, to yield 2 thin pieces (or you could use chicken cutlets). Bread the chicken with whole wheat bread crumbs. The great part about this meal is, I just put the breasts directly into the breadcrumbs, skipping the traditional flour-egg-breadcrumb assembly line that drives me crazy, gets my fingers full of gunk, and builds up too many dishes.
Once the chicken is breaded, saute in a pan for a few minutes on each side. Serve under a bed of mixed greens and sliced tomatoes. Top with parmeggiano reggiano cheese and drizzle dressing on top. (The dressing was a simple blend of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Beans Are Good
Yes, they are.
Not only can they be incorporated into innumerable dishes, or have the ability to function as a side dish or entree, they are extremely healthy. Beans are filled with protein, complex (good-for-you) carbohydrates, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals. Here's a delicious recipe that can be altered in many ways, and acts great as a "half-entree". I use this term because it's supposed to be a side dish, but it's so yummy you just have to eat more.
The base of the recipe is beans, fruit, fresh herbs, and avocado. The first three can be changed up any way you like, but there's just no substitution for an avocado. What I did this time was use cannellini beans (canned, rinsed well), mango, and parsley. Mix them together with the avocado, a little vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I served this with chicken tacos.
Not only can they be incorporated into innumerable dishes, or have the ability to function as a side dish or entree, they are extremely healthy. Beans are filled with protein, complex (good-for-you) carbohydrates, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals. Here's a delicious recipe that can be altered in many ways, and acts great as a "half-entree". I use this term because it's supposed to be a side dish, but it's so yummy you just have to eat more.
The base of the recipe is beans, fruit, fresh herbs, and avocado. The first three can be changed up any way you like, but there's just no substitution for an avocado. What I did this time was use cannellini beans (canned, rinsed well), mango, and parsley. Mix them together with the avocado, a little vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I served this with chicken tacos.
Here are some different combinations: black beans with papaya and cilantro, pinto beans with peaches and basil, garbanzos (chick peas) with orange and mint.
Chicken Soup For the Cuban's Soul
No, this isn't the 1000th version of the "Chicken Soup" book. And it may not even be 100% Cuban. It is, though, a spin-off of one of my favorite soups, hailing from Cubana Cafe (see February's blogs for a review).
What you will need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart water
1 sweet potato, medium dice (prepare while chicken is cooking)
1/2 bag of snow peas, thinly sliced lengthwise (prep whle chckn is ckng)
1 medium tomato, small dice (p.w.c.i.c.)
1 avocado, sliced
2 limes
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
Salt, hot sauce
How to do it:
Pour the broth and water into a big pot over high heat, and add the chicken breasts. Leave the chicken in there until cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Once the breasts are done, turn off the heat, take them out, and then add the sweet potatoes to the liquid. Let them cook for about 10 minutes.
Allow the chicken to cool, and then shred with your hands. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot, along with the snow peas. Season to taste with salt and then ladel the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with tomatoes and avocado, squirt with lime juice, and tear some fresh cilantro right on top. Add hot sauce, please! but to taste, of course.
And it'll come out looking like this:
What you will need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart water
1 sweet potato, medium dice (prepare while chicken is cooking)
1/2 bag of snow peas, thinly sliced lengthwise (prep whle chckn is ckng)
1 medium tomato, small dice (p.w.c.i.c.)
1 avocado, sliced
2 limes
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
Salt, hot sauce
How to do it:
Pour the broth and water into a big pot over high heat, and add the chicken breasts. Leave the chicken in there until cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Once the breasts are done, turn off the heat, take them out, and then add the sweet potatoes to the liquid. Let them cook for about 10 minutes.
Allow the chicken to cool, and then shred with your hands. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot, along with the snow peas. Season to taste with salt and then ladel the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with tomatoes and avocado, squirt with lime juice, and tear some fresh cilantro right on top. Add hot sauce, please! but to taste, of course.
And it'll come out looking like this:
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