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One of the many reasons that Alton Brown is my hero
2008-08-19 ~ 12:48 a.m.

A quick caveat before I begin this entry. This blog/diary/what-have-you will most likely predominantly be a food and drink blog. I am a self professed foodie and a newly minted beer geek. I love to cook....and my husband is a professional chef. Food and cooking are my passions. Deal.

Okay then.

Before we begin, I must announce that tonight's entry is brought to you by the number thirteen. As in Weyerbacher XIII. From the brewery website:"This smooth elixir is made with 5 malts and a touch of oats. You'll find big chocolate and roasted notes, balanced with the Belgian flavors from the Abbey yeast strain. This beer is very smooth and lacks the astringency you sometimes find in these huge Imperial Stouts." I say, "DELICIOUS!"

Whilst grocery shopping last night I saw some beautiful New York strips on sale. I had no intention of buying steaks this week but they looked so good and the price was so right....so I gave in.

There's nothing challenging about cooking steaks at home. No barbeque grill needed. Everything I ever needed to know I learned from Alton Brown. Hot cast iron pan. "Rocket hot". Lube steaks with olive oil. Rub in salt and pepper. Optional soothing masseuse noises as you rub. Three minutes per side. Perfectly mid-rare and meltingly tender.

Served with homegrown tomato wedges(from Dave's garden) with chiffonaded basil, salt, pepper and olive oil. And gorgonsola gnocchi. Had my husband proclaiming (and not for the first time), "You're better at this coking thing than I am."

Heh.

It's been a good day. Work kicked my ass but I produced and that's all that matters at the end of the day. And I made an appointment with my doctor for next week to go back on meds. I think the pills I took last year to regulate things caused some shift in my body chemistry that I've never fully recovered from. I'm tired of being irritable and irrational and neurotic so....yeah. That's all we're going to say about that.

Finished "Chasing Harry Winston" tonight. The latest from the author of "The Devil Wears Prada." It was....okay. Nothing moving. It entertained me and I identified strongly with the character of Leigh (anxious and neurotic, that's my middle name. Er....names) but it didn't make me really FEEL. No job, no despair, just words on a page, taking up time.

Two books I've read recently that DID move me. "Certain Girls" (Jennifer Weiner's latest) and "Love the One You're With (Emily Giffin). THOSE tales engaged me, had me thinking about them even when I wasn't actively engaged in reading. They both infuriated me in their own ways and one had me 1) throwing the book against the wall 2)shrieking and 3) bursting into tears. (Pretty much my exact reaction at the climactic scene of HP and the Half Blood Prince. Oh you know the scene I'm talking about. Dumbledore. Snape. "Severus, please." That scene will live on forever. Classic)

Anyway, I'm on to another book. Mostly likely this one will also be hollow. That's what one gets when one deliberately shys away from "challenging" reads.

I guess I'm more into challenges in the kitchen. Like the homemade aioli I made last night. Spicy roasted red pepper. Served with steamed mussels (Yes, if you watch Anne Burrell's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, you'll recognize this dish). The aioli was perfectly tangy, sweet and spicy but I have so much left over. I think I need to go make a snacky-snack.

Mmmm...snacks.

Later taters....

(Mmmmm....taters....)

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Moved! - 2010-10-27
Savory Sour Cream and Chive Waffles - 2009-01-03
This kind of thing can only happen when you work virtually - 2008-10-19
It's 8am and I am awake....and writing - 2008-10-17
Ooh fancy! - 2008-10-15

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