Friday, April 28, 2006
I'm Going In
Last time I tried to make Beer Butt Chicken, the weight of the chicken knocked the can over and the results were disappointing. But I recently picked up a litle metal frame intended to hold the can and keep the chicken upright, so I'm giving it another shot this weekend. Wish me luck.
Side note: when cooking with alcohol, my philosophy for choosing the right beer with which to cook is in opposition to my philosophy regarding wine: I never cook with a wine I wouldn't drink, but I never waste a good beer by cooking with it (well, almost never -- there are a few recipes that call for specific beer types). I am a beer snob, preferring local micro and craft brews. But when I cook, I prefer to use Bud or Old Milwaukee. I have a theory as to why: cheap beer tends to be weak beer, and thus it prvides the cooking benefits of beer without taking over the flavor of the dish. If you use a good pale ale or amber ale, the dish is gonna TASTE like pale ale or amber ale.
Side note: when cooking with alcohol, my philosophy for choosing the right beer with which to cook is in opposition to my philosophy regarding wine: I never cook with a wine I wouldn't drink, but I never waste a good beer by cooking with it (well, almost never -- there are a few recipes that call for specific beer types). I am a beer snob, preferring local micro and craft brews. But when I cook, I prefer to use Bud or Old Milwaukee. I have a theory as to why: cheap beer tends to be weak beer, and thus it prvides the cooking benefits of beer without taking over the flavor of the dish. If you use a good pale ale or amber ale, the dish is gonna TASTE like pale ale or amber ale.
Gratuitous Use of Gratuitous in a Blog Post A La The Llama Butchers: Music Review Edition
I finally broke down yesterday and bought a CD I've wanted for some time:
I was not disappointed. Loretta Lynn's music and lyrics lend themselves well to the rock-tinged production of Jack White. And yet, despite having a real edge to them, they never abandon their country identity.
I bought the album specifically fothe song "Portland, Oregon", but ironically, it turns out it's not my favorite song on the album. That honor goes to the title track, a ballad about the romance between Lynn's mother and father.
And this "Rose" also has some thorns -- Loretta Lynn has not lost any of her attitude, her spirit, or the internal strength that has always marked her music. If you like old school, blues and bluegrass-tinged Country Western music, this album is worth getting.
I was not disappointed. Loretta Lynn's music and lyrics lend themselves well to the rock-tinged production of Jack White. And yet, despite having a real edge to them, they never abandon their country identity.
I bought the album specifically fothe song "Portland, Oregon", but ironically, it turns out it's not my favorite song on the album. That honor goes to the title track, a ballad about the romance between Lynn's mother and father.
And this "Rose" also has some thorns -- Loretta Lynn has not lost any of her attitude, her spirit, or the internal strength that has always marked her music. If you like old school, blues and bluegrass-tinged Country Western music, this album is worth getting.
Required Reading
Thanks for the Memory to Dawn at Daily Record Blogs.
Before you argue against immigration reform from the standpoint that "Illegal immigrants do jobs Americans won't", go read Dawn's post and the linked Washington Times article. Americans WILL do those jobs -- but they will expect a decent living wage in return.
Before you argue against immigration reform from the standpoint that "Illegal immigrants do jobs Americans won't", go read Dawn's post and the linked Washington Times article. Americans WILL do those jobs -- but they will expect a decent living wage in return.
Mexitalia
Last night I tried my hand at a dish I'd been contemplating for some time, a Mexican Lasagna. No clever bastardization of Spanish and Italian comes to mind as a name for it. The point of the exercize was to see if I could make something that looked and tasted like lasagna, but had a Mexican twist to the flavors. I'd tried it once before, but the result tased like enchiladas. This time, success.
In the first chapter of A Christmas Carol, Dicken's writes, "There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate." The same is true of this recipe and my desire to avoid merely making enchiladas. For that reason, it is important to note that when the recipe calls for flour tortillas, what it really means is FLOUR TORTILLAS. If you use corn tortillas, you get enchiladas.
2 lbs ground beef or buffalo
12 oz. chorizo
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
8 oz jack or white cheddar cheese
8 oz queso fresco casero
4 oz queso Cotija
10-12 large (burrito style) FLOUR tortillas
Fold tortillas in half. Cut parallel to the fold into strips the width of lasagna noodles. Unfold and cut along the fold. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, combine the hamburger, chorizo, and onions. Cook over medioum high heat for 10-15 minutes or until the meat is blended and firm. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, herbs and spices. simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat.
Spoon a layer of meat sauce into a rectsangular casserole dish. Crumble a layer of Queso casero over the meat. Place a layer of tortilla strips over the cheese. Repeat the layers until the dish is almost full, ending with a tortilla layer. cover with grated jack or white chedar cheese, then with Cotija. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve 8.
In the first chapter of A Christmas Carol, Dicken's writes, "There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate." The same is true of this recipe and my desire to avoid merely making enchiladas. For that reason, it is important to note that when the recipe calls for flour tortillas, what it really means is FLOUR TORTILLAS. If you use corn tortillas, you get enchiladas.
2 lbs ground beef or buffalo
12 oz. chorizo
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
8 oz jack or white cheddar cheese
8 oz queso fresco casero
4 oz queso Cotija
10-12 large (burrito style) FLOUR tortillas
Fold tortillas in half. Cut parallel to the fold into strips the width of lasagna noodles. Unfold and cut along the fold. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, combine the hamburger, chorizo, and onions. Cook over medioum high heat for 10-15 minutes or until the meat is blended and firm. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, herbs and spices. simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat.
Spoon a layer of meat sauce into a rectsangular casserole dish. Crumble a layer of Queso casero over the meat. Place a layer of tortilla strips over the cheese. Repeat the layers until the dish is almost full, ending with a tortilla layer. cover with grated jack or white chedar cheese, then with Cotija. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve 8.
Your Weekly Dose of Steve Taylor Lyrics: Installment #3
And on time, this week.
Back to trying to be germane -- this one's been stuck in my head for some time. Given all of the issues I've taken with the MSM during the last couple of years (Rathergate, etc.), and the rise of the blogs, this one could have been written yesterday (except for the lame-attempt-at-rap cadence):
Meat the Press
From the album "Meltdown"
In a ninety-floor Manhattan address
lives a watchdog called the National Press
and around his collar's written the line
"The Protector Of Our Hearts And Minds"
Hark! Hark! The dog will bark
and we believe this hierarch
but read between the lines and see
this dog's been barking up the wrong tree
Meat The Press
When the ratings point the camera's eye
They can state the facts while telling a lie
and then watchdog shows to the viewers at ten
he's a bloodhound with a pad and pen
can't pin the blame--he's out of reach
just call the dog "His Royal Leech"
we held the rights for heaven's sake
'til we gave this sucker an even break
Meat The Press
When the godless chair the judgment seat
we can thank the godless media elite
they can silence those who fall from their grace
with a note that says "we haven't the space"
well lookee there--the dog's asleep
whenever we march or say a peep
A Christian can't get equal time
Unless he's a looney committing a crime
listen up if you've got ears
I'm tired of condescending sneers
I've got a dog who smells a fight
and he still believes in wrong and right
Meat The Press
Back to trying to be germane -- this one's been stuck in my head for some time. Given all of the issues I've taken with the MSM during the last couple of years (Rathergate, etc.), and the rise of the blogs, this one could have been written yesterday (except for the lame-attempt-at-rap cadence):
Meat the Press
From the album "Meltdown"
In a ninety-floor Manhattan address
lives a watchdog called the National Press
and around his collar's written the line
"The Protector Of Our Hearts And Minds"
Hark! Hark! The dog will bark
and we believe this hierarch
but read between the lines and see
this dog's been barking up the wrong tree
Meat The Press
When the ratings point the camera's eye
They can state the facts while telling a lie
and then watchdog shows to the viewers at ten
he's a bloodhound with a pad and pen
can't pin the blame--he's out of reach
just call the dog "His Royal Leech"
we held the rights for heaven's sake
'til we gave this sucker an even break
Meat The Press
When the godless chair the judgment seat
we can thank the godless media elite
they can silence those who fall from their grace
with a note that says "we haven't the space"
well lookee there--the dog's asleep
whenever we march or say a peep
A Christian can't get equal time
Unless he's a looney committing a crime
listen up if you've got ears
I'm tired of condescending sneers
I've got a dog who smells a fight
and he still believes in wrong and right
Meat The Press
Thursday, April 27, 2006
One of These Things is Not Like The Others
How is it that a 15-month-old child, playing in a room strewn with toys thicker than a Cambodian minefield, will invariably zero in on the one out-of-place item he shouldn't have (eg. remote control, cordless phone), and decide that that is what he wants for his plaything? Without fail?
These are the mysteries of the Universe that overworked, under-rested fathers contemplate.
These are the mysteries of the Universe that overworked, under-rested fathers contemplate.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Plagiarism Revisited
Thanks for the Memory to The Sheila Variations and Emily at Second Breakfast.
Most of the blogosphere has heard of the really sorry tale of Ms. Kaavya Viswanathan, who has recently been busted for stealing many passages of her first novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life, from other recent works by Megan McCafferty.
She also had the services of a "book packager," who is called that because they stand behind the scenes and massage workable novels out of the rambles of authors. In other words, she couldn't even plagiarize somebody else's work on her own - she required help.
It's a small advance for society, I suppose, that Ms. Viswanathan didn't merely throw it all on the anonymous packager. And she did contribute some original material. She and her publisher have announced that future editions of her novel will offer more of it in place of the stolen bits. In software terms, that means that "Opal Mehta" was a beta version pawned off as a finished product, requiring patches and additional work that the consumer should have gotten in the first place. I was rather hoping that the practice wouldn't catch on elsewhere. (AndI Cullen Ken Nightfly should know, since I Cullen Ken Nightfly ran a blog carnival that blew up in my face some months back. Yes, it was my his fault.)
Most of the blogosphere has heard of the really sorry tale of Ms. Kaavya Viswanathan, who has recently been busted for stealing many passages of her first novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life, from other recent works by Megan McCafferty.
She also had the services of a "book packager," who is called that because they stand behind the scenes and massage workable novels out of the rambles of authors. In other words, she couldn't even plagiarize somebody else's work on her own - she required help.
It's a small advance for society, I suppose, that Ms. Viswanathan didn't merely throw it all on the anonymous packager. And she did contribute some original material. She and her publisher have announced that future editions of her novel will offer more of it in place of the stolen bits. In software terms, that means that "Opal Mehta" was a beta version pawned off as a finished product, requiring patches and additional work that the consumer should have gotten in the first place. I was rather hoping that the practice wouldn't catch on elsewhere. (And
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
A REAL All Star
Thanks for the Memory to Michelle Malkin via Blackfive and It Comes in Pints?
Thirty years ago today, Rick Monday displayed his true colors, not just his team colors.
Thirty years ago today, Rick Monday displayed his true colors, not just his team colors.
Quote of the Week
Thanks for the Memory to Flopping Aces via Allahpundit:
It has long been pretty obvious to me that the official-secrecy faction within the state machinery has received a gigantic fillip from the press witch hunt against Lewis Libby and Karl Rove. What bureaucrat could believe the luck of an editorial campaign to uncover and punish leaking? A campaign that furthermore invokes the most reactionary law against disclosure this century: the Intelligence Identities Protection Act? It was obvious from the first that the press, in taking Wilson and Plame at their own estimation, was fashioning a rod for its own back. I await the squeals that will follow when this rod is applied, which it will be again and again.- Christopher Hitchens, commenting on the Mary McCarthy case
Tantas Cruzes
Thanks for the Memory to Ken at It Comes in Pints?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So what happens when you combine such a picture with an essay that's just as valuable?
You get Val Prieto's 3000th blogh entry at babalu. It's worth the read.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So what happens when you combine such a picture with an essay that's just as valuable?
You get Val Prieto's 3000th blogh entry at babalu. It's worth the read.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Your Weekly Dose of Steve Taylor Lyrics: Installment #2 (3 days late)
I promised to make ths a Friday occurrence, and dropped the ball. Sorry about that.
No germane personal or cultural anecdotes to accompany this one, it's just that this song got stuck in my head and has been there for a few days:
Jenny
( From the album "Meltdown")
On a Saturday night all the girls run free
singing "bury me not on the lone prairie"
but where do you go when you finish broken-hearted?
back to the dust where you started
Jenny cut her teeth in a midwest shack
as a shantytown girl on the wrong end of the tracks
her mama taught her everything she'd need to get along
and her Sunday School teacher taught her right and wrong
raised to be respectable but born to be poor
it was all she'd ever known but she figured there was more
when she came of age Jenny made herself a vow
"I'm gonna get out and I don't care how"
It appeared every Autumn on the courthouse lawn
and the leaves never fell till the carnival was gone
Michael was a barker for an arcade ride
with a smooth-talk tongue and a wandering eye
"get your tickets here for the Halls O'Mirrors maze
if you can't get out I know I couple ways"
he caught Jenny's eye but her thoughts looked down
all she wanted was a ticket going out of that town
chorus:
Oh how I wanna bury you
bury you and run away--done away
how I wanna bury your memory
why don't you let me be?
Michael stole a kiss then he whispered at last
"you're a little old-fashioned so forget about your past
these Bible belt folks think living is a sin
so they all start dying from the day they're born again"
and there atop the Ferris wheel the colours were a blur
the morning said he loved her but she wasn't really sure
he made her promise not to leave until he came to get her
she promised him but she should have known better
she cried she cried
(chorus)
Bridge:
On a train--stowaway
Jesus loves you still and your mama wants you home
but oh bridges burn
when you carry your shame and you think you can't return
(chorus)
When they finally found her body on a cold dog day
it was in a cattle car buried in the hay
a note in the pocket of her calico dress
said "I'm guilty as sin but I can't confess"
once you know the truth you can hide it on a shelf
but unless you bring it down you can't live with yourself
in her right hand Jenny held the Bible of her mother
Jenny had a pistol in the other
On a Saturday night all the girls run free
singing "bury me not on the lone prairie"
but where do you go when you finish broken-hearted?
back to the dust where you started
No germane personal or cultural anecdotes to accompany this one, it's just that this song got stuck in my head and has been there for a few days:
Jenny
( From the album "Meltdown")
On a Saturday night all the girls run free
singing "bury me not on the lone prairie"
but where do you go when you finish broken-hearted?
back to the dust where you started
Jenny cut her teeth in a midwest shack
as a shantytown girl on the wrong end of the tracks
her mama taught her everything she'd need to get along
and her Sunday School teacher taught her right and wrong
raised to be respectable but born to be poor
it was all she'd ever known but she figured there was more
when she came of age Jenny made herself a vow
"I'm gonna get out and I don't care how"
It appeared every Autumn on the courthouse lawn
and the leaves never fell till the carnival was gone
Michael was a barker for an arcade ride
with a smooth-talk tongue and a wandering eye
"get your tickets here for the Halls O'Mirrors maze
if you can't get out I know I couple ways"
he caught Jenny's eye but her thoughts looked down
all she wanted was a ticket going out of that town
chorus:
Oh how I wanna bury you
bury you and run away--done away
how I wanna bury your memory
why don't you let me be?
Michael stole a kiss then he whispered at last
"you're a little old-fashioned so forget about your past
these Bible belt folks think living is a sin
so they all start dying from the day they're born again"
and there atop the Ferris wheel the colours were a blur
the morning said he loved her but she wasn't really sure
he made her promise not to leave until he came to get her
she promised him but she should have known better
she cried she cried
(chorus)
Bridge:
On a train--stowaway
Jesus loves you still and your mama wants you home
but oh bridges burn
when you carry your shame and you think you can't return
(chorus)
When they finally found her body on a cold dog day
it was in a cattle car buried in the hay
a note in the pocket of her calico dress
said "I'm guilty as sin but I can't confess"
once you know the truth you can hide it on a shelf
but unless you bring it down you can't live with yourself
in her right hand Jenny held the Bible of her mother
Jenny had a pistol in the other
On a Saturday night all the girls run free
singing "bury me not on the lone prairie"
but where do you go when you finish broken-hearted?
back to the dust where you started
Spring has Sprung
Wow, what a gorgeous weekend we had! Both days were sunny and bright, with only a few occasional clouds. Saturday was a bit breezy and cool, but yesterday it was very warm.
On Saturday, I took the Lad for a very long walk, and incorporated a little grocery shopping. The daffodils are starting to fade, which bums me out a bit, but the bluebells were out in force, and to their visual beauty, Spring added a frangrant one: the lilacs are in bloom. I absolutely love their fragrance.
I also tried my hand at Asian-style barbecued beef ribs. Well, ok, I used buffalo ribs. The barbecue sauce was inspired by Chinese and Korean barbecue:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Chinese hot mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
The flavor was good, but I broke my cardinal rule of cooking buffalo: Cook it fast or cook it in liquid. I believe in cooking barbecue slow. Next time, I think I'll reduce the sauce to make it thicker, and use a faster cooking method.
Yesterday we did some preliminary Spring Cleaning -- mostly taking stuff to the recycling center, followed by a spate of long-overdue yardwork. The place is looking much better -- at least the front yard is.
The back yard is another story. The duplex is L-shaped, and the yard is in the northeast corner of the property, with our half of the building to the west of it and the other half to the south. This means that the southern half of our back yard doesn't ever get sunlight (except maybe on Solstice). So it's been reduced to mud and moss. Ironically, the northern half is lush and during summer, needs to be mowed every 3 days or so.
So I'm hoping my readers can help. we need a pet/child-safe means of killing the moss, after which I plan to plant some Dense shade-friendly grass seed. I also need some ideas for pet/child-safe weed&feed alternatives for the front yard. Suggestions?
On Saturday, I took the Lad for a very long walk, and incorporated a little grocery shopping. The daffodils are starting to fade, which bums me out a bit, but the bluebells were out in force, and to their visual beauty, Spring added a frangrant one: the lilacs are in bloom. I absolutely love their fragrance.
I also tried my hand at Asian-style barbecued beef ribs. Well, ok, I used buffalo ribs. The barbecue sauce was inspired by Chinese and Korean barbecue:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Chinese hot mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
The flavor was good, but I broke my cardinal rule of cooking buffalo: Cook it fast or cook it in liquid. I believe in cooking barbecue slow. Next time, I think I'll reduce the sauce to make it thicker, and use a faster cooking method.
Yesterday we did some preliminary Spring Cleaning -- mostly taking stuff to the recycling center, followed by a spate of long-overdue yardwork. The place is looking much better -- at least the front yard is.
The back yard is another story. The duplex is L-shaped, and the yard is in the northeast corner of the property, with our half of the building to the west of it and the other half to the south. This means that the southern half of our back yard doesn't ever get sunlight (except maybe on Solstice). So it's been reduced to mud and moss. Ironically, the northern half is lush and during summer, needs to be mowed every 3 days or so.
So I'm hoping my readers can help. we need a pet/child-safe means of killing the moss, after which I plan to plant some Dense shade-friendly grass seed. I also need some ideas for pet/child-safe weed&feed alternatives for the front yard. Suggestions?
Friday, April 21, 2006
Be My Guinea Pigs
I'm going to try something different today. Usually when I post a recipe, it's to brag about a meal I've already cooked. Today I'm going to post a recipe I have conceived but not tried, and challenge my readers to try the recipe, then comment here or email me and tell me how it turns out. Go on, I dare you.
I will give you this reassurance -- the recipe is based on other tried and true recipes, and was inspired by a successful spur-of-the-moment recipe I tried last night. So it's not completely out of left field.
I enjoy making stuffed meat dishes, and lately have become quite good at it. I also have a mean non-stuffed chicken dish based on Chicken Cordon Bleu.
So the other day as I was raiding the freezer for meat to thaw for the next few days' meals, and noticed a turkey breast right next to a package of Prosciutto, I had an idea. I stuffed the tuyrkey with the prosciutto and some Spanish cheese, and it came out delicious.
That got me to thinking of Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Parmesan and how they both have something to offer, and inspired the following idea for an upgraded Chicken Parmesan recipe:
Pollo farcito del parmigiano
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 slices prosciutto
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup crushed bread crumbs
1 cup and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 eggs
2 oz. fresh mozarella cheese
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp & 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp & 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 16 oz. can tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped onion
2-4 cloves minced garlic (to taste)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
salt
pepper
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the tomato puree, chopped onion, minced garlic (to taste), basil, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer while making the chicken.
Prepare the stations for the outer coating. In a plate or wide shallow pan mix the flour with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Crack the eggs into a wide bowl and whip the yolks into the whites. In another plate or wide shallow pan mix the bread crumbs with 1 cup grated parmesan, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper.
Slice the mozarella as thinly as possible. Butterfly the chicken breasts and lay them open on the cutting board. Lay two or three slices of mozarella on one half of each breast. Lay a slice of prosciutto on top of the mozarella so that only half of the prosciutto slice is on top of the mozarella, and the other half os on the cutting board. Rinse three or four large basil leaves for each breast. Lay the leaves on the half of the prosciutto slice that is on top of the mozarella, then fold the other half of the prosciutto over to cover the leaves. Lay down two ore three more slices of mozarella on top of the prosciutto, then close the chicken breast.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in an oven-safe sautee pan over medium heat. Carefully place each breast in turn in the dish containing the flour, then coat it thoroughly. Repeat the process in the egg and then the bread crumb/parmesan mix. Place the chicken breasts in the sautee pan and cook for about a minute per side, until the coating is a golden color. remove from the stovetop and place in the oven. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the breasts are just done.
Plate the chicken and cover with the red sauce. Garnish with more grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Side serving suggestions: Leftover red sauce can be used with a side of spaghetti. A light salad or sauteed green beans would go nicely. Serve with a dry white, soft red, or blush wine.
UPDATE (08 May, 2006):
I finally tried this myself. Based on my efforts, I'd recommend these changes to the recipe: leave the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder out of the dredge and the breading, and add some dried oregano and basil to the breading. Beyond that, it really was as delicious as I hoped it would be.
I will give you this reassurance -- the recipe is based on other tried and true recipes, and was inspired by a successful spur-of-the-moment recipe I tried last night. So it's not completely out of left field.
I enjoy making stuffed meat dishes, and lately have become quite good at it. I also have a mean non-stuffed chicken dish based on Chicken Cordon Bleu.
So the other day as I was raiding the freezer for meat to thaw for the next few days' meals, and noticed a turkey breast right next to a package of Prosciutto, I had an idea. I stuffed the tuyrkey with the prosciutto and some Spanish cheese, and it came out delicious.
That got me to thinking of Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Parmesan and how they both have something to offer, and inspired the following idea for an upgraded Chicken Parmesan recipe:
Pollo farcito del parmigiano
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 slices prosciutto
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup crushed bread crumbs
1 cup and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 eggs
2 oz. fresh mozarella cheese
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp & 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp & 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 16 oz. can tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped onion
2-4 cloves minced garlic (to taste)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
salt
pepper
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the tomato puree, chopped onion, minced garlic (to taste), basil, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer while making the chicken.
Prepare the stations for the outer coating. In a plate or wide shallow pan mix the flour with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Crack the eggs into a wide bowl and whip the yolks into the whites. In another plate or wide shallow pan mix the bread crumbs with 1 cup grated parmesan, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper.
Slice the mozarella as thinly as possible. Butterfly the chicken breasts and lay them open on the cutting board. Lay two or three slices of mozarella on one half of each breast. Lay a slice of prosciutto on top of the mozarella so that only half of the prosciutto slice is on top of the mozarella, and the other half os on the cutting board. Rinse three or four large basil leaves for each breast. Lay the leaves on the half of the prosciutto slice that is on top of the mozarella, then fold the other half of the prosciutto over to cover the leaves. Lay down two ore three more slices of mozarella on top of the prosciutto, then close the chicken breast.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in an oven-safe sautee pan over medium heat. Carefully place each breast in turn in the dish containing the flour, then coat it thoroughly. Repeat the process in the egg and then the bread crumb/parmesan mix. Place the chicken breasts in the sautee pan and cook for about a minute per side, until the coating is a golden color. remove from the stovetop and place in the oven. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the breasts are just done.
Plate the chicken and cover with the red sauce. Garnish with more grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Side serving suggestions: Leftover red sauce can be used with a side of spaghetti. A light salad or sauteed green beans would go nicely. Serve with a dry white, soft red, or blush wine.
UPDATE (08 May, 2006):
I finally tried this myself. Based on my efforts, I'd recommend these changes to the recipe: leave the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder out of the dredge and the breading, and add some dried oregano and basil to the breading. Beyond that, it really was as delicious as I hoped it would be.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Semper Fidelis
From the official U.S. Marine Corps website:
Semper Fidelis was adopted about 1883 as the motto of the Corps. Taken from Latin, it means "Alwas Faithful." But it is more than just a motto for Marines, it is a way of life. It is a commitment we all share to our country, to our Corps, and to each other. This is why there are no ex-Marines, only former Marines.
Thanks for the Memory to Trouble at Dubious Wonder.
If you're unclear on what that statement at the Corps website means, if you don't get it, if you want a glimpse of the kind of sacrifice and commitment and camaraderie that's embodied in the phrase "Semper Fidelis" (or "Semper Fi" for short), go read these twelve pages.
Done reading? Now do you get it?
It's all there: the faithfulness to their country even if it means dying (Lincoln's "final full measure of devotion); the faithfulness to each other even beyond that death ("Instead, he found himself faced with an assignment that starts with a long walk to a stranger's porch and an outstretched hand. It continues with a promise steeped in the history of the Corps that most people associate only with the battlefield: Never leave a Marine behind"). And it goes beyond that -- there's a faithfulness being displayed in these stories that is obvious, but that the USMC site modestly overlooks: The Marine Corps is, in return, faithful to its Marines, and to their families.
Semper Fidelis. Always faithful. Not just to each other, but to a country that sometimes repays that fidelity with scorn. That is why, when it comes to those in our military, this lifelong civilian has adopted for himsef a motto based on the Marine Corps motto: Semper Memoralis.
Always Grateful.
Semper Fidelis was adopted about 1883 as the motto of the Corps. Taken from Latin, it means "Alwas Faithful." But it is more than just a motto for Marines, it is a way of life. It is a commitment we all share to our country, to our Corps, and to each other. This is why there are no ex-Marines, only former Marines.
Thanks for the Memory to Trouble at Dubious Wonder.
If you're unclear on what that statement at the Corps website means, if you don't get it, if you want a glimpse of the kind of sacrifice and commitment and camaraderie that's embodied in the phrase "Semper Fidelis" (or "Semper Fi" for short), go read these twelve pages.
Done reading? Now do you get it?
It's all there: the faithfulness to their country even if it means dying (Lincoln's "final full measure of devotion); the faithfulness to each other even beyond that death ("Instead, he found himself faced with an assignment that starts with a long walk to a stranger's porch and an outstretched hand. It continues with a promise steeped in the history of the Corps that most people associate only with the battlefield: Never leave a Marine behind"). And it goes beyond that -- there's a faithfulness being displayed in these stories that is obvious, but that the USMC site modestly overlooks: The Marine Corps is, in return, faithful to its Marines, and to their families.
Semper Fidelis. Always faithful. Not just to each other, but to a country that sometimes repays that fidelity with scorn. That is why, when it comes to those in our military, this lifelong civilian has adopted for himsef a motto based on the Marine Corps motto: Semper Memoralis.
Always Grateful.
Quote of the Day
Thanks for the Memory to Anna at A Rose By any Other Name.
"People can be divided into two classes: those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire, why wasn't it done the other way?"
Oliver Wendell Holmes
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