Fried rice and five spice chicken

Tonight, at dinner, we hosted Ben, Amanda, Lizzie, and AJ for dinner (and, of course, Ben & Amanda's daughter!). The occasion was to work on the wedding ceremony for Lizzie and AJ for which I will serve as officiant in a couple of weeks. I decided to do a simple marinade for some chicken, and popped the chicken breasts into a large Ziploc with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, some organic sugar, and some Chinese five spice earlier this morning. I've fallen in love with the flavor of five spice, and have not had nearly enough opportunities to cook with it lately, so the thought that the rain would stay away and allow me to grill gave me the incentive I needed today. When I grilled the chicken, I added a dash of garlic salt, some more five spice, and a hint of cayenne to ratchet up the flavor a bit. 
I was also looking forward to making some fried rice tonight, as well. I like using sherry wine to make my fried rice, and was glad I found the last of the snow pea pods in the produce section this morning, since I enjoy those in my fried rice, too. I added in some carrot and baby corn, skipping the egg and onion I usually add tonight in favor of a quicker version with powdered ginger, garlic salt, soy sauce, peanut oil, and a hint of fish sauce. I used both brown and wild rice, and the texture of the rice itself really stood out as a result, keeping some "tooth" in the face of large pieces of vegetable.

The verdict

The chicken was great, plain and simple. Nicely cooked, and just enough of the five spice to tantalize without overpowering. I would have liked a tinge more heat, and may play with that the next time around.  The rice was also quite tasty, but I need to add the onion and some fresh ginger next time to really keep it as I usually like it. The egg would have been nice, too, but I do sometimes feel a bit odd having both chicken and egg in the same meal (yes, I'm thinking of Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion" right about now). I think our guests enjoyed as well. We did have a bit of wine, but for the life of me I can't recall what it was (maybe a Cabernet/Merlot blend). It was a bit much for the meal, but whatever. A white would have been lost to the five spice and smoky grill flavor in the chicken, even if it would have been better with the rice.

The best part of the evening, however, was having a relaxed conversation about the wedding ceremony, helping Lizzie and AJ think about what they do and do not want, and (hopefully) putting them at ease about the event. I recall planning my own ceremony with my wife several years ago, and can't help but think that some five spice chicken probably would have made that planning all the better. As I recall, we met our officiant at a chain restaurant of some sort near the interstate in Indianapolis, and it wasn't nearly as fun as tonight.

All hail, Caesar!

I had some chicken in the fridge on grocery day, so when I saw the romaine staring at me in the produce section today, I figured dinner was a done deal; Caesar salad with grilled lemon pepper chicken and portabella mushrooms. I also recalled that we had a fair bit of garlic left around, and knowing I would use much of what was at home was a good excuse to buy more (as if I ever need an excuse to buy more garlic). My only concern was the weather. I had to hope that the rain would stay away when grilling time came. It did, thankfully.


I haven't made a Caesar dressing in a while, and unless things are already prepped, it does take a bit of time to come together. That makes it more appropriate for a weekend than a weeknight in our house. But since the chicken breasts were rather thick, I figured I had ample time to work on the dressing anyway. I stuck to the basics; egg yolk, olive oil, garlic (lots of it - we love our garlic in our house), Parmesan cheese, anchovies (I know, some folks consider this inauthentic or unnecessary, but it is one of the places where I feel an anchovy has a culinary home), Worcestershire sauce, etc. I was glad that we had an extra lemon on hand, as fresh lemon juice always beats the bottle in a dressing. I think I was overly generous with the lemon juice in the dressing tonight, but only to the point of making the dressing a bit brighter than I usually care for.


The verdict


There is a certain kind of joy in a simple salad for a meal, and making the dressing from scratch, for me, makes all the difference. We had a bit of garlic bread - nice and crispy - with our salads tonight. The mushrooms were a good addition to the standard presentation. I suppose my thoughts on there being too much lemon might be because I used it on the chicken as well as in the dressing. Maybe a simpler or less citrus-y chicken preparation might do the trick next time. 


For some, this would have been a case of garlic overload. For us, it was just right. I appreciated the gesture my wife made, leaning her very pregnant self across the table to share a garlic-y kiss with me in appreciation of the effort. 

Grilled pork chops - the season begins early.

We have been absolutely blessed with amazingly mild weather all winter long in Chicago this year, and March has been downright balmy. I was thrilled to step out onto the deck tonight and briefly share the company of our neighbor and his son. They came out to fire up their grill just after I got mine started for the first time this year. I should note that it was his son grilling up cheeseburgers, and it makes me immensely happy to see a young teen already finding a love of cooking.  After a day of problems and setbacks, I was pleased to find my grill in perfect working order, and with ample propane on hand. I decided to reach back far into my bag of cooking tricks and make a pork chop dish that has been a staple of mine for well over 2 decades.


I'm a big fan of Italian sausage made with fennel seed (I know some who prefer it without), but I've really been feeling the burden of my winter spare tire, so the leaner option - a lean pork chop with a similar flavor - made a whole lot more sense.  When making this pork dish on the grill (rather than under a broiler on on the stovetop), I prefer to pound in my seasonings on at least one side before cooking. The seasonings tend to stay in place better, which is really no small feat with fennel seeds. I added something I picked up on a whim this weekend at the grocery store; some dehydrated red onion flakes. Along with these and the fennel seeds, I topped the pork with oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic salt, and black pepper. Truly basic, but it packs a flavorful punch. I managed to find one of my silicone brushes (sans handle) in with my daughter's toys allowing me to brush on some olive oil before grilling, rather than pouring it all over the place. (I think the child and I are going to have to have a serious conversation soon about which kitchen items are for playing, and which are MINE!)


The verdict


Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. If you are not a fan of fennel, I promise not to make you eat this if you visit. If you are, you will LOVE this. Since this was the first grilling of the season, I served this up with some simple buttered corn (maize, if you will). Here's the amazing part; we got our daughter to try the pork, and she kept eating it! I thought that it would be either too exotic or too spicy, frankly, but there you have it. She ate a fair bit of it, too. It is especially rewarding to have her actually like something that is a favorite of mine. It didn't hurt that there was strawberry shortcake as a reward for dessert. She ended up eating some pound cake and whipped cream in the end, so I suppose I should feel even greater pride knowing that my pork chops beat out some sweetened strawberries (if not the cake and whipped cream).


I enjoyed a spot of unremarkable Malbec with this. Ever since our honeymoon in Mendoza, it is hard for me to eat grilled meats without thinking of Malbec, and it is essentially our staple wine at this point. 


Another hard day wiped away by a good meal.

Bummer

Tonight, I had hoped to tap into some visceral part of my being, and I had planned on doing this by grilling in the single-digit temperatures we are "enjoying" here in Chicago tonight. I wanted to step into the cold, and smell the meat on the grill with the brace of frigid air upon my cheeks. I somehow envisioned the triggering of an ancestral memory, the call of the ages whispering through the flames, tethering me beyond the ages to Neanderthal and Cro Magnon, conjuring the ghosts of thousands of years past. I wanted to reach back to them, to sense what it might have been like after a hunt in the dead of winter, the freshly-slain beast upon a spit above a fire still mysterious, still magical. With all that has changed through human (and hominid) history, the smell of cooking meat surely hasn't, right?


Alas, someone had done me the "favor" of pushing my grill cover partway through the handle of my grill, and the recent snow melted into it. About a half gallon of water had frozen beneath that handle, and I was left with no other choice: the broiler. As much as the call of the wild surged through my bones, there was a more immediate call tonight. I spent much of the day thinking about the massive, magnificent porterhouse steaks squatting on all the real estate our dinner plates could afford, and there was no way I was putting this off until tomorrow. 


I do have to tip my hat in some small way to my dad. He did some pretty cool things under the broiler at home when I was a kid, at least I remember a few such occasions in the times when it was just the two of us living in whatever place he had rented at the time. I also need to give due credit to my Aunt Betty, who also did some rather nifty work with the broiler and a piece of beef in the many years I lived in her home. Bottom line: I know the magic you can do with the broiler, and I'm not afraid to use it!


I use a wire cooling rack and a Pyrex dish for such affairs, skipping the old-school metal broiling pans. It is a contraption I simply can't part with, since it has resulted in any number of terrific meals in my lifetime.  The steaks were so big tonight that I had to place a cookie sheet underneath the rig to catch any incidental fat dripping. The steaks received a simple application of garlic salt, pepper, and some various herbs and spices - nothing fancy, since it was the meat I was interested in.


A special treat for me tonight was having my daughter assist me in getting some baked potatoes ready for the oven after I picked her up from daycare. She helped me wash, prick, and wrap the potatoes before they went under the flames. I sincerely hope that the make-believe cooking she relishes so much -  and does constantly - stays with her as she grows up. I will gladly share the kitchen with her if her interest remains, and look forward to seeing what she comes up with, teaching her what I can, and enjoying the time together doing what I fear far too many families don't share any more; time together preparing and eating meals at home.


So, while part of the night was a bummer (the part where I didn't get to freeze my tail off at the grill), in the end, I am more than satisfied.

The verdict


You know, you really can't go wrong with a good porterhouse. My wife was told she needed to up her iron intake recently, so that was a good enough excuse for me to splurge on these puppies. I did have to teach her about the little secret of a porterhouse - the really tender meat is typically on the "small side!" She did appreciate the advice, and seemed more than content with the meal. I lured her in before dinner was done with the smell of searing beef, and that smell still lingers throughout the house as I write this. 


You also can't go wrong with a simple baked potato with a good steak, can you? Spinach: an afterthought, but a good one. I figured she'd get a good boost of iron that way.


I popped open a bottle of Bonarda to go along with the meal. It was a tad sweeter than I'd expected, but still worked pretty well, taking an appropriate back seat to the main dish as I had wished. I wanted to savor the simplicity of the steak, and I did. 


Maybe I didn't get to appreciate the cold tonight. Maybe I didn't get to bond with the ancestors. But I did get a delicious dinner and the company of my awesome family. My pug got the bonus of a scrap or two as well, and maybe in some small way I did get to reach back in time and get a small taste of what it was like. Perhaps not the part about braving the elements for survival and cooking over a flame, but the part of history where dogs became domesticated. I know if I was a pooch, I'd have come by for the smell, begged for the scraps, and stayed around for the company.

Neighbors

It is never a bad thing when you have neighbors over for dinner. Of course, it is better when grilling is involved. When they bring margaritas, it is hard to imagine a bad time.

Last night I grilled some steak for fajitas. I also grilled onions and peppers. The steak marinaded over night, and I prepped the veggies early in the morning. No sense in working too hard late in the day if you don't have to.

I also made some "Spanish" rice. I've learned that what we Americans call Spanish rice is mostly a Tex-Mex concoction. I also have decided that the food I cook, eat, and enjoy need not have a pedigree, just good flavor, texture, aroma - the important stuff.

The gem in this meal was the refried beans. I used kidneys and pintos with a dash of cayenne. I have no problems using beans from a can (not pre-mashed, but whole beans). They taste just fine when smashed up and sauteed in butter. I also know that lard is the traditional fat, but it's just hard to feel right about buying a tub of the stuff, especially since my middle is not as middle-sized as I'd like it to be. I like to keep the beans on the coarse side when I mash them. There is a certain satisfaction in the rustic look of beans that have not been completely macerated.

The Verdict

The steak was ok, not stellar. I found the marinade I'd concocted to be a bit too bright and acidic. While I like the lime, the vinegar I used was a bit heavy. I also could have used more salt and cilantro to fill out the flavor. The peppers and onions were good, just a bit crisp but with a light grill-char. The rice was quite good, although not quite "authentic."

The beans were awesome, and any excuse to eat queso fresco is a good thing if you ask me.

More than anything, it was great to share some time with some fantastic neighbors, trade some stories, and enjoy each other's company. As much as I love the simplicity of dinner with just my wife and daughter, it is a treat to open up our home when we can and break bread - or tortillas - with another family.

Back to the Grill

I had a few days away; away from the blog and away from the grill. Mostly, I had a rough week at work, largely due to the erratic weather and power grid, and as a result, had little time to write, to cook, and on most days, no inclination to do anything because it was too blasted chilly for June.

I kept things simple for Sunday dinner, mostly because I have bigger plans for Monday, but also because the grill needed a good cleaning and that was time I could not spend on prep. Early in the afternoon, I cooked up some small red potatoes for a dill potato salad (with lots of chopped Claussen's and dill weed). I soaked some cheddar/jalapeño brats in some Goose Island ale, and left thing alone as I enjoyed time with the family.

The great treat was not the two items that took prep work. It was the asparagus that took almost no effort at all (not that any part of this meal was laborious). A quick pass through some butter, a shot of garlic salt and black pepper, and they went on the grill alongside the brats. The key to good asparagus, in my opinion, is to keep them from going completely limp. I find too many cooks want so badly to have beautiful grill marks on them, perhaps to prove they are grilled, that they overcook the poor veggies into a limp and bitter mess. I pull mine as soon as they begin to droop when lifted in the middle of the stalk with a pair of tongs. Another smattering of butter, garlic salt, and pepper (just in case any of them were missed, of course), and they were ready for the table.

Verdict

Not much more to say. The brats were good. I like sauerkraut on most any grilled sausage, so I added a bit, and it worked pretty well with the jalapeño. My wife can't stand the kraut, so she went without. The potatoes were predictably good. The star, as I mentioned, was that asparagus. Still just a bit firm, but fully cooked and warm throughout, just enough butter and seasoning - I am just sad that we didn't have more.

On a side note, our daughter has returned to eating fish at mealtimes again. She love smoked salmon, it seems, and ate it with some regularity until just around her second birthday. Now, after some time away, she's back. Maybe this means she will start trying other foods again, and maybe I can get her to eat more of what I cook instead of the usual fare she's settled on...

Nuts

I'm thankful that, as far as we can tell, our daughter is not part of the peanut allergy crowd. If she were, we would be making lots of changes in our house that I am really glad we don't have to make. Working in a school, I'm acutely aware of the sensitivity around the issue, and having friends with such allergies adds to my awareness. My own issues with shellfish heightens my understanding. But I have other reasons to be thankful about peanuts.

I spent several years unable to eat nuts (and seeds, and several other items) due to diverticulitis. Only after surgery about a year and a half ago was I, again, permitted to indulge in nuts that were still in solid form, and not reduced to buttery-slurry. That said, I did make a couple of batches of yummy pistachio butter at one point when I began to really miss the flavor of those particular delights; I was not completely deprived. But, it was a great treat a couple of weeks ago to buy a jar of dry roasted peanuts at the grocery store. I still indulge sparingly when I do indulge, and there was still a good fourth of the jar left Saturday morning as we ate breakfast. I saw the jar, and knew what I needed to make as soon as I was back at the grill this week.

I put together a Thai-inspired peanut sauce tonight that included yogurt, curry power, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, some Thai chilies (and a bit of cayenne for an extra boost), a healthy dose of Smucker's natural crunch PB, and a bit of diced candied ginger (I wanted that bit of sweet in there as well). I marinated the chicken breasts for a couple of hours before grilling. I reserved some of the sauce and served it over the cooked chicken. I also prepared a simple yellow squash grilled with nothing but olive oil and garlic salt. Our bonus was a perfectly ripe pineapple which I cut into spears and grilled for a short while au naturel.

The verdict

The chicken was fantastic, and perhaps the greatest compliment was when my wife asked for more of the sauce. The chicken itself remained juicy and moist throughout, and the occasional pops of ginger and Thai pepper was spot on.

The squash was quite a let down. It was under ripe, I felt, and did not stand up well at all.

The pineapple made up for this, however. It was just warm enough in the center, was just a tiny bit crispy on the outside, and the result was like a small explosion of sweet goodness in every single bit. The sweetness was the perfect partner for the salty/spicy chicken, and needed no enhancement.

We drank some Ravenswood Chardonnay with this meal, and it held up fairly to the chicken. It went quite well with the pineapple. But mostly, it was cold and refreshing on a really hot day in Chicago.

Bacon cheeseburgers

Continuing my "Costco rocks" thread, I have to give proper thanks to them for the Kirkland (store) brand real-crumbled-bacon-in-a-bag that they sell. I have long agreed with the notion that bacon makes most things better, and having it already cooked and ready to add to a dish is really handy. I also like when it incorporates as easily into a dish as it does when making burgers. If you know everyone will want bacon on the burger, why not put it in the burger?

So I did this past Wednesday when I decided to grill up some burgers and dogs.

I also flashed back to some burgers that I recall from my time living at my Uncle Billy's house many years ago. There was some delivery service that used to bring a variety of freezer items, if memory serves me, and among them were pre-made frozen burgers with cheese already mixed in. I loved the concept (and, frankly the burgers), but always felt like too much cheese melted out of such patties when place on the grill. They work fine in a skillet or on a flattop, but on the grill, the cheesy-goodness just tends to melt away.

For my burgers, I decided to make a nice pocket for a nice half-inch thick slice of cheddar, and sealed the burger, bacon included, around the cheese. I had mixed in a hint of barbecue sauce as well, and with a bit of garlic salt and pepper in hand, I cooked these up alongside a nice packet of Hebrew National hot dogs. (I like the casings on their dogs; they work well on the grill or off, and keep just the right amount of snap when you bite into them).

The verdict

A simple meal - burgers and dogs - but I thought is was a nice little twist. The burgers turned out juicy, and the cheese was just melted enough to let a hint break the surface before I removed them from the grill. They were amazingly tasty, simple, and satisfying, as a good burger should be. I had mine with a nice Goose Island ale. Can't wait to make them again.

The Other Cook

Tonight, I grilled up the other steaks I had on hand from our Costco trip. They were equally good, and the leftover potatoes warmed nicely alongside them on the grill in a foil pouch (with a pinch more cheddar to compensate for what I knew would stick to the foil). The wine was better, and while it was chilly, it was a pleasant night in front of the grill.

But the real treat wasn't the dinner tonight. It was our other cook. When I grilled over the weekend, our daughter lined up an array of mixing bowls to "cook dinner" while I was outside. Tonight, she "cooked" while my wife and I sat down to eat. She used a straw to mix, and had a variety of bowls, cups, and spoons on hand to concoct her imaginary meal. The result was some "coffee" for mommy, served in a plastic jug with a straw.

I was lucky enough to spend most of my childhood living in a home where dinner was cooked most nights, and the norm was for us to gather for our meal together. I don't think I fully appreciated the effort that my various caregivers put into those meals at the time, and I know I didn't always appreciate the end results. (My cousins will all attest to the misery of some of the worst pea soup ever served!) In hindsight, I am deeply grateful for those meals, and for that effort.

I want my daughter to appreciate the love that goes into a home cooked meal, and I think we are on the right track.