From the overstuffed drawer of things that looked amazing at one time but I never actually got around to…

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (3-3 1/2 #), rinsed, neck and innards removed
1 6″ pc fresh ginger, unpeeled, cut into 1″ segments
1 onion, unpeeled, cut into quarters
3 carrots, unpeeled, cut into thirds
3 stalks celery, cut in half
1 stalk lemongrass, leaves trimmed and base smashed
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 sm serrano or bird chili
2 limes, halved
1 bunch cilantro stems (leaves reserved for garnish)
2 T salt, plus more to taste

Garnishes:
Reserved cilantro leaves
1/2 c. finely diced red onion
2 small chilies, thinly sliced crosswise
2 limes, cut into small wedges
1 c. bean sprouts

Instructions:

1. Place chicken in a large pot; cover  with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce to a simmer. Add ginger and cook about 1 hr. Add remaining ingredients except salt; cook 3 more hours.

2. Remove broth from heat; let cool slightly. Set a fine-meshed strainer over a large bowl; pour broth through a strainer and discard all solids except the chicken. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin. Using a fork, shred meat (watch out for stray bones). Season to taste with salt and arrange on a platter along with garnishes.

3. Reheat broth; season to taste with salt (this may take more than 2 T).

Have guests take some of the chicken and each of the garnishes to taste.

More from my mom’s Chinese cooking classes, also something I’ve never found in a restaurant (sadly!). Make for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack. I remember asking for this a lot as a kid, and since growing up and starting to cook,  I can see that it is a bit more of an ordeal than throwing a box of Hamburger Helper into the oven (stove? what do you do with that stuff, anyway?). Anyway, this was one of my favorites, hope you like it!

p.s. I’d like to try it with some soy sausage, so that it’s vegetarian-friendly.  I think it would work well!

Pancakes:
2 c. flour
3/4 c. hot water
1 T. sesame oil

Mix water and flour, knead, roll out to 1/4″ thick. Cut circles 3-5″ in diameter with a glass or cookie cutter. Brush one side with sesame oil, and stack one plain one on each oiled one.  Fry in a dry pan, and separate them while hot.

Soft Fried Pork & Eggs:
1 c. mushrooms, cut fine
1 T. dry wine
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. cornstarch
1 t. sugar
4 T. oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 t. salt
4 or more green onions
1 t. sesame oil
1# finely chopped pork

Mix pork with wine, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Heat 2T oil in wok.  Cook eggs (scrambled). Transfer to a bowl and break into small pieces. Add oil to pan and stir-fry pork 5-6 minutes. Add mushrooms.  Add salt and scallions, and stir in eggs. Add sesame oil and stir.

Eat them however you like.  I like to stuff the pancakes so that you can just wrap them closed, but it is a messy sort of deal regardless.

A Sample Life and friends, family, and fans had a great experience at Martyrs’ last Thursday thanks to the great stage crew, booking agents, bartender, and of course, Nate and His Kite and Black Umbrella Brigade.

The show began at 9:00pm with A Sample Life taking the stage. The set list was as follows:
Sample Knock Life
When Life Just Sucks
Tyouesday
Come to Gardenshine
Hey You
Get Up
Rockin Your Christmas Home
Strong Like You
Composition 8
Taurine
(If you haven’t listened to Rockin’ Your Christmas Home yet, do so here!)

Photos by Britton and video by Dave Abrams. Check back soon for footage!

The band would like to thank all involved for creating a musically memorable night and for sharing their amazing energy on and off-stage.

All photos courtesy of Britton

Stephanie, Fearless Intern and Friend of Giant Mounty Bears

My name is Stephanie.  I come to Toronto from both coasts of Canada.  I grew up in beautiful Vancouver, BC, then went off to university at Mount Allison in Sackville, New Brunswick.  When it comes to theatre, I’ve done it all, from acting in a touring bilingual troupe to directing musicals, stage managing outdoor Shakespeare, sound design, painting sets, teaching and running front of house! My love of Shakespeare is matched only by my love of Canadian theatre. I am thrilled to be in Toronto soaking up all the theatre this city has to offer, and to be puttering around the Shakespeare in Action lair, helping out in any way I can.  A random fact about myself is I spent a year in France teaching English, and taught my students all sorts of Shakespearean curse words as part of their English lessons. They loved it!

More from my mom’s Chinese cooking classes: sweet fried wontons!

1/4 c. chopped salted peanuts
1/4 c. coconut flakes
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 pkg. wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten

Mix peanuts, coconut and sugars. Fold wonton squares into triangles, round off the top corner with scissors. Open up to a square again, and place 1 tsp. filling in center. Moisten edges with beaten egg, and seal. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown, turning once.

Drain, cool, and store in an air-tight container.  These will keep 3-4 weeks.

My mom has made this as long as I can remember — it’s the cake that we request most often, when we go home.  The texture is less delicate than a boxed cake as written; it’s closer to a quickbread, so it cuts well and makes a nice cake to put out on the table if you have guests.

1 yellow cake mix
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. cream sherry
1/3 c. poppy seeds

Combine everything, beat 5 minutes, bake in a bundt pan at 325-350°F for 1 hour (check after 45 minutes).

Biscotti are so easy to make, I don’t know why I’d ever buy them again. I’m not always in the mood to have them at all, but when I am, I use this recipe:
(from Joyofbaking.com, by Stephanie Jaworski)

Mix together:
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Mix together quickly (don’t overmix):
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt

Add dry to wet, then add in:
3/4 c. chopped almonds
4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Put dough on parchment-lined baking sheet, form into a log (4″wide  x 12″). Bake 25 minutes at 350°F.

Let cool on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board, cut into slices (about 3/4″ thick). Place these slices cut side down back on the baking sheet, and bake 10-15 minutes on each side. Let cool completely, and store in an airtight container.

I know, the name isn’t good.  But it’s my Gram’s recipe, and I love it, and that’s what she called it! I don’t make this much anymore, given the half-vegetarian household, but it’s definitely a treat when I go home.

2 c. Tang
1 can powdered lemonade
3/4 c. instant tea
1 2/4 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves

5c. rolled oats
1/2c. almonds
1/2c. sesame seeds
2c. sunflower seeds
1c. coconut
1c. powdered milk
1c. dates
1c. raisins
1c. honey
1c. vegetable oil

My mom took some Chinese cooking classes from a neighbor when I was a kid, and we were treated to some dishes that haven’t been matched in any restaurant since. This is a particular favorite.

My standby pizza dough recipe.  There are three containers of it in my fridge RIGHT NOW. This version makes three small (about individual-size) pizzas.

I’ll start with a perennial favorite: the Spinach-Rice Casserole from the New Moosewood Cookbook (p. 135). It’s quite flexible, but I think the nutmeg & cayenne give it a particularly nice flavor.  Kale works ok if you cook it down, but I tried it once with mustard greens and it was not tasty. Freezes ok, if you don’t nom it up right away! Vegetarian as written, and you can eliminate the dairy, for a vegan version (though you may want to add something binder-y).

The basics:
Saute 2# spinach with some onion, salt and garlic. Mix into 3c. cooked rice. Add 1/4t. nutmeg, 1/4t. cayenne, 1/2c. sunflower seeds. If you like, beat 2 eggs with 1c. milk, and add to the rice mixture. Mix in 1 1/2 c. grated cheddar.

Spread into a baking pan (oiled/sprayed), dust with paprika, and bake until browned (about 40 minutes).

I like to serve it with a little feta and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, and a dash of sriracha.

I miss Bishop’s Orchards so much sometimes!

We have Curtis Orchards in Champaign, and other nearby apple farmers who come to the markets in Urbana and Bloomington, but I miss the variety of fruit throughout available throughout the whole summer-fall, pick-your-own or shop in their store, in southern Connecticut (who’d have thought?)

I buy lots of apples at the markets, though, and then sometimes wonder what to do with them when I get home.  I found this recipe last year about this time, and thought it was a nice way to enjoy apples in a slightly savory application.

Salad:
1 head red cabbage, shredded or chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tart apples, diced

Dressing:
6T peanut oil
6T cider vinegar
2T sugar (or to taste)
2t caraway seed
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk dressing ingredients together, and pour over salad ingredients. Tastes best after an hour in the fridge; not so much after about 24 hours.

So The Two Guys recently enjoyed lunch with John’s bankers at our long-time hangout, Smitty’s Grill, on Pasadena’s South Lake Avenue.  Smitty’s is a clubby steak and wine joint about a block from John’s office, and to say that we have lunch there frequently would be an understatement.

Smitty’s is well-known in Pasadena for its corn bread, chicken pot pies, and of course, steak.  It’s also well-known for Derrick the Bartender, who is our favorite server.  Whenever we go, we insist on Derrick.  Smitty’s also has a phenomenal selection of single malts.

We met Debra and Ofelia, John’s bank officers at First Regional Bank, at the office. There, we picked out three wines to bring to lunch: (1) the very-difficult-to-find 2007 Scholium Project Riquewihr (Slough Vineyards), (2) the 2006 Foxen Bien Nacido Block 8 Pinot Noir, and the (3) 2005 Hestan Vineyards Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon.

The photo of the Stephanie didn’t turn out.  Here’s labels from the Scholium and Foxen:

2007 Scholium Project Riquewihr (Slough Vineyards)

2006 Foxen Bien Nacido Block 8 Pinot Noir

For starters, we opened the Scholium and enjoyed it with a stunning seared crusted ahi with a lime sauce.  The crust practically melted in the mouth, the flesh seared only just so, the seasoning restrained with only salt and pepper, the slices thin enough that they dissolved quickly but thick enough to savor for more than a few seconds.  It was, in a word, perfect.  The Two Guys are frankly amazed that Smitty’s, in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley, pulls off some of the best ahi around.  (Sorry, one of The Guys forgot to take a photo of the ahi.)

Let’s talk wine.  The Riquewihr is fermented in stainless steel, so there’s no oak in the nose or palate.  We all agreed it had loads of grapefruit and other citrus, perhaps too much citrus.  But it was a great match to the fatty ahi and lime sauce.

We each ordered entrees.

The Two Guys each ordered filets (medium rare, of course) with asparagus.

Filet Mignon and Asparagus

Debra ordered the Dungeness Crab Louie salad.  Huh?  Why?  We’re in a steakhouse.

Dungeness Crab Louie Salad

Ofelia enjoyed the goat cheese and arugula salad.  Again, why?  It’s a steakhouse!

Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad

The Foxen Pinot was awesome, as usual, exhibiting a huge nose of berries and plum, lots of tannin, deep licorice and a finish of lots of spice.

The Stephanie was a better match to the steak (but The Two Guys already knew this would be the case), with its smoky and meaty tannins, gobs of boysenberries and spice and the typical Cabernet fruit.  The Two Guys think that the bottle could have benefitted from a few more years in the cellar.  The Stephanie is one of three Cabernets produced by Hestan, the others being Meyer and the namesake label, Hestan.

Debra and Ofelia both enjoyed their salads.  Alas, it is a rare occasion that The Two Guys are not happy with lunch at Smitty’s.  Today was not one of them.

For dessert, we all shared fresh berries:

Berries

All The Two Guys can say is “When is First Regional Bank coming out to Pasadena again?”

Debra and Ofelia said “goodbye” to Derrick:

Debra, Derrick and Ofelia

<< sigh >>  Until next time . . .

So if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.

Failing is not within God’s repertoire. He is incapable of failing. He cannot and will not fail us. Ever.

What a good God.

But just because he cannot fail us doesn’t mean we cannot fail him. And we do constantly fail him. All the freakin’ time.

Thus the tension. He’s perfect and unfailing. And we’re opposite. Knowing Him more and more is AMAZING, but from that we also know the pain of our separation from Him. We can see just how vast the distance is between us. We can see exactly how we don’t measure up. How it’s supposed to be but can’t be.

But there’s no other way to live. We have to put our trust in the one who made us. He fo shizzle knows us best. Like eternally He is the winner of the knowing us race. [well he wins everything else too. but that doesn't count.]

I want to trust myself TO God. I don’t want to trust myself. I want to trust myself to Him. I got no brainzz. He’s got the power and the knowledge. And the steadfast love for me. A love for me that I can’t even imagine. He wasted His time forming me. He must have a huge heart, lotsa patience, love, and a plan for this broken life.

I want to trust my friendships. or lack thereof. my future. the dung in my life. my heart. my life. my everything. to Him.

He’s pretty g. I like Him. a lot.

Trust isn’t easy. But I don’t want to live in mistrust. I don’t want to 2nd guess everything I see like usual. I want to believe Him at His very word. I want to love Him.

He’s all I want. And all I need. He’s everything. But I need to become better at trusting myself to Him. At letting Him take the wheel.  My trust area is lacking.

Peace out girl scouts,

coop

Ava, Mia, Sienna, Isla, Stella, Eva, Bella, Isabelle, Peyton, Keira, Alexis, Millie, Aaliyah, Nevaeh, Gemma, Mya, Aria, Leah, Brooklyn, Lucia, Mackenzie, Poppy, Harmony, Manaia, Scarlett, Abby, Maya, Lilly, Riley, Hazel, Savannah, Natalie, Ayla.

1999

Paris, Brittany, Megan, Rachel, Nikita, Claudia, Natasha, Brianna, Ashleigh, Monique, Michaela, Shannon, Cheyenne, Stephanie, Melissa, Jamie, Casey, Rebekah, Jessie, Michelle, Morgan, Tegan, Tiana, Renee, Julia, Kelsey, Alicia, Jennifer, Katelyn, Crystal, Tamara, Tara.