A foolish mess...

Let me say that I think we should appreciate our Mom's on more than just one day a year...  It is an incredibly important job that is sometimes thankless.
Through terrible two's and rebellious teenage years, through laughter and tears, joy and fear... you are there for it all.
So, to every Mom out there:  Happy Mother's Day today and everyday for all that you do!
Now that I've earned my birthday and Christmas presents for next year, let's get to it.  

This weekend is Mother's Day and the Internet, food magazines, morning shows, cooking shows, even the evening news is filling the space between our ears with recipes to make for Mom...
Most of them even look really good!  But here's the problem:  MOM isn't the one making them!
(I hope!)  

More than a few of the recipes featured have ingredient lists long enough to make even the average home cook sweat under the collar, much less someone who rarely ventures into that mystical space from where food magically appears.

The Devils (Food) Made Me Do It...

My days of tipping back green beers at a packed in like sardines Irish pub are long behind me (thankfully), but being the good Irish lass that I am, I still enjoy a bit of silliness on St. Patrick's Day and bow to the obligatory "green something".

This year, I've decided it should come in the form of a cupcake.  It's as good as any other choice and I'd take a cupcake over a green beer any day of the week.

When my brother and I were younger, we had a next door neighbor that would bring us a box of Andes candy to share.  You would have thought he gave us each a $100 bill we were so excited... as we got older, sometimes we each got our OWN box.  Now that was newsworthy.

Thai Chicken Salad

In my continuing effort to avoid turning my kitchen into the sweltering fires of hell,  I decided that this time I would cheat a little.  Just a little,  and it's for the greater good.   The heat index is hovering in the triple digits while beads of sweat are pooling at the nape of my neck.  The least entertaining thought at this moment is "let's fire up the oven".

Store-bought roast chicken: In the winter months, this would be considered sacrilege... but in the blistering heat of summer, it is sweet salvation! 

As if buying the chicken wasn't enough, the food processor is going to do the majority of the work!  Yep, this might be the perfect summer recipe.  The amount of work involved barely even registers.  If you don't own a food processor it isn't the end of the world, just a bit of chopping & grating.

For this recipe I only used the breast meat,  reserve the rest for sandwiches or soups,  the carcass for stock, etc.

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• zest and juice of 2 limes
• 4 tbsp vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil
• 1/2 shallot, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 red Thai chili (green if you can't find red), minced 
• salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

I went to 5, yes FIVE stores trying to find a red chili but with no luck, so I ended up with green.  The main difference is the heat level.  I couldn't find a pepper with a decent amount of heat to it, so I had to use what I could find.  If this happens to you as well and you like a little heat in your food, you can add a dash of sriracha or any other hot sauce that you like.

Combine all ingredients and set aside.  Let dressing sit for at least 30 minutes.  The acid will help break down and mellow garlic & shallot and the flavors along with the chili pepper will infuse dressing.   I like the acidic bite of vinegar & lime juice however, if you find it's too much cut the limes to one.

Thai Chicken Salad

• 1 small head green cabbage
• 2 - 3 medium carrots
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or finely sliced
• small handful of salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch scallions (green onion), sliced on bias
• 1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced on bias
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp Thai basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp mint, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Shred cabbage and carrots in food processor. 

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, pour dressing over top and mix thoroughly.
How's that for easy?!

Move over Swiss Miss...

No offense to Swiss Miss, but it pales in comparison to the real deal.  It will do in a pinch, but during the holidays it's nice to make something special. 

I usually make this treat "to go"...  I put it in big travel mugs and we sip it as we stroll the neighborhood looking at the Christmas lights.

The peppermint schapps in it is delicious, but you might want to skip it if you're making it for kids...


Peppermint Hot Chocolate

• 1 quart whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)
• 2 shots peppermint schnapps
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• crushed candy canes

1. Combine heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar.  Beat with electric mixer on highest speed until soft peaks form.  Set whipped cream aside.
2. In a small pot, combine cocoa powder, sugar and milk.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, do not allow to boil.  Turn off heat and stir in schnapps.
3. Pour hot chocolate into mugs, top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle crushed cane on top.

A Night In

Do you ever feel like you go through the same dozen or so recipes over and over?  Sometimes we all just get into a bit of a rut with dinner,  even me.   One of the wonderful things about writing this blog is that it forces me out of it. 

Back in my restaurant kitchen days,  I'd work 14 hour days and the last thing I wanted to do at 2 a.m. was fire up the stove and cook for myself.  Most of us went to a diner after work or made a PB & J when we got home. 

Sometimes I miss those days, believe it or not.  Not quite enough to do it all over again,  but the rush of a restaurant kitchen is pretty seductive.  The sound of ticket after ticket spitting out in front you, giving you all of your orders... you start calculating in your head just how people are out there waiting for your food!
A professional kitchen is like a well choreographed dance.
Everyone moves within inches of one another, speaking to each other every few minutes communicating your expected time to the pass.  There is a camaraderie unlike any other environment out there if you're lucky.  

I have told this story many times to people over the years...  there was a single moment early in my kitchen days when all of us working at a certain well-known restaurant stopped what we were doing and looked up at each other. 

We just stopped and finally someone verbalized what we were all thinking:  "it will never get better than this" and he was right.  That particular kitchen was absolute utopia.  We worked insane hours and we worked hard, but we were happy.  We stopped every day at 4 p.m. sharp to have family meal together and to just have a moment of peace before the hundreds of patrons descended upon us for for next 8 hours.

It was an amazing experience that I look back on very fondly.

The kitchen I currently work in can be just as hectic (especially around the holidays), which will be here before you know it.  I know I am not alone in having a crazy schedule. 
There are people out there that have much more than I do to balance and we all have moments when we are just happy to get something on the table.

I was reminiscing about restaurant days and thus,  this recipe came to fruition.  It takes pretty ordinary ingredients and makes them a little more special.

Scallops with Pea Puree and Mint Oil

• 6 scallops (ask your fish counter for U-10)
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp.  grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 bunch mint, leaves removed from stem (for mint oil)
• 1/2 bunch mint,  chopped (for pea puree)
• 3 cups peas (fresh shelled English peas are best if you can get them, if not use frozen)
• 2 tbsp Boursin cheese
• 4 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream
• salt & pepper

1.  First the mint oil:  Blanch the mint leaves for 30 seconds in a pot of boiling water.  Strain and squeeze out as much water as you possibly can.  Wrapping a clean dish towel around it as you squeeze will help absorb more of the water.
2. Break apart the mint leaves a bit with your fingers and add them to a blender with 1 cup of oil.  Put blender on full whack and let it go.  It will take a few minutes,  but the oil will become bright green and beautiful.  When it has come to that point,  shut it off and strain the oil through a fine sieve.  (If you have a chinois, use it.  If you have no idea what a chinois is,  you're not alone.  If you have cheesecloth, use it.  If not,  no worries...)  Mint oil is done.  Set aside.   (This can be done with any herb)
3. Next is the pea puree:  Wipe out the blender and add the peas, Boursin, creme fraiche or sour cream and the half bunch of chopped mint.  Turn it on medium-high speed,  you may have to shut it off and move it around with a spatula to give the blender a little help...  Once the puree is fairly smooth and everything looks uniform and combined,  it's done.  Pour pea puree into a small pot and heat through.
4. Finally,  the scallops:  Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the 2 tbsp of oil.  When the oil "shimmers",  pat the scallops dry, salt and pepper them and begin setting them in.  It is absolutely essential for the pan to be hot.  You are looking for a nice sear on the scallop.  I like to start at the top of my pan (12 o'clock) and work clock-wise from there.  That way I know which one was the first one in.  Cook scallops for 3 minutes each side, without disturbing them.  Remove from pan and set aside to avoid over-cooking.
5. Place a dollop of pea puree on the plate and set scallop(s) on,  then dot with mint oil.

Serves 6 as an appetizer or 2 as an entree.