They took you for a working boy, Kiss them goodbye - Creamed Southern Greens

Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on

Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on

In violent times
You shouldn't have to sell your soul
In black and white
They really really ought to know

Those one track minds
They took you for a working boy
Kiss them goodbye, you shouldn't have to jump for joy
You shouldn't have to jump for joy

I have no idea of what to talk about today.  Perhaps we could go over my bucket list, wouldn't that be fun?  Okay, here goes:

• Cruise and Land Trip through Alaska.
• Travel to Israel and spend a couple of weeks there.
• Drive cross-country, following the route that takes you through each of the Lower 48.
• Drive to Brooklyn, stopping to eat barbecue and see friends and family along the way.
• Finally get to meet all my Osher relatives
• Have the Doctor pick me up in the TARDIS and travel through time and space.
• Finish all my unfinished knitting projects.
• Be able to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" like Whitney Houston.

FUN FACTS APROPOS OF NOTHING:

• Bill O'Reilly from Fox News has a TARDIS iPhone case (didn't see that coming).
• Alton Brown would rather binge-watch Doctor Who over any other TV show.  That makes him a Thyme Lord.
• Both Queen Elizabeth II (not to be confused with Queen Elizabeth I, who actually married the Tenth Doctor) and Patrick Stewart are great fans of the show. Hail Britannia! Or is that Pandorica?
• Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor) played a priest gone astray in the 1986 mini series "Lives and Loves of a She-Devil."
• The Fifth Doctor's son-in-law is the Tenth Doctor.                                            

REALLY GOOD NEWS:  Welcome to the world Easton Michael, second child for my Number 1 Niece and her husband, and new little brother to Bailey!  Happy family!

Funniest thing I've seen in a long time, posted by my son:

If you dune get it, I can't help you

I am officially investigating disability retirement.  I did not know such a thing existed; I thought it was one or the other,  I guess that means I am about to get an education.  Possibly a rejection.  I have issues with rejection.  But I have to Do Something - being in Limbo these past three months has been enlightening, if only to show me, once and for all, that I am not invincible.

I think I mentioned that I was unimpressed with Trader Joe's, the one that just opened in the Dr. Phillips/Bay Hill area. It reminded me of shopping in the grocery section of a Super Target.  It did not help that I was in the middle of a fibro flair; for once, walking around a food store did nothing to improve my mood.  I did not walk out empty-handed, however, but the bag of mixed greens and bottle of garlic olive oil were slim pickins indeed.

I initially planned on cooking the greens as I usually cook collards (you may ask: what is a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn doing cooking collards?) with some sort of smoked meat in the cooking liquid, but once I got them home, I started thinking about creamed spinach.

Creamed Southern Greens

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons roasted garlic olive oil
1-16 oz. bag Trader Joe's Southern Green Blend (Mustard, Turnip, Collards, Spinach)
1 very large clove garlic, chopped

Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, add the greens, gradually, as they wilt.  Season with a small amount of kosher salt and black pepper.  Lower the heat and cook the greens, stirring often until the stem pieces are tender but not mushy.  Remove the green from the pan and set aside while you make the sauce.

6 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
3 medium shallots, halved and sliced
3 - 5 cloves of garlic, depending on size, chopped
1-10 1/2 oz can Campbell's chicken broth
1 soup can of half-and-half

salt, white pepper, ground nutmeg, cayenne, granulated garlic

Melt the butter in the same pan.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook on medium high until just starting to show golden color.  Add the flour and cook, stirring well, for several minutes.  Add the chicken broth and the half-and-half, and stir until the sauce is thick.  Add a bit more half-and-half if too thick.  Add the cooked green and stir well to totally incorporate into the sauce.  When you adjust seasoning, don't go hog wild with the salt - the chicken broth is already somewhat salty.

Unbelievably good

Orange You Glad You Clicked On Our Link Today? - Orange-Lacquered Pork

Three Dog Night

Thursday - The electrician is here, and any minute all power is going to be shut down so he can work without getting fried.  I did get to watch a little bit of the news today - first, I saw Judge Jon Morgan on the bench, in some case I haven't been following.  Now there's a really good judge. Serious, pleasant, respectful, well-versed in the area of law, in control of his courtroom, the consummate professional.  He covered the juvenile bench for several months in 2005 while the assigned judge dealt with some legal problems of his own.  We were truly sorry to see Judge Morgan go back to his regular bench.  Truly.  Sorry,

The other bit of news I saw this morning was an online video from WFTV here in Orlando, announcing they were investigating nepotism and other unfair practices in the Clerk of Courts office in Osceola.  A little late to the party, that WFTV.  This has been a big issue, covered by every other news agency, since the moment Armando Ramirez took over the position from Malcom Thompson, who had several newsworthy moments of his own during his thankfully brief tenure.

I had two cats named Dora, both now gone over Rainbow Bridge. Had to take this picture.

A rhetorical question here: do you really need Donald Trump's ego and Harry Reid's arrogance to run for public office?  Do you have to be amoral and believe that rules and laws are for other people? Does it help if you are rude and thoughtless, a bully and a liar? A cheat, a conniver?  Someone who perverts the whole meaning of public service?

Enough of that - for now.

This is what I decided to do with the pork loin that was part of that gorgeous package of porcine perfection I picked up at BJs. The stacked and stuffed chops were a definite success according to my   official tasters. This crockpot recipe is also good; you can slice the meat, or chop it.  Not sure about shredding.  It's good, no matter how you slice it.

Orange-Lacquered Pork

2 tablespoons roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil

3 pound boneless pork roast

Your favorite seasoning blend or just plain salt and pepper

1-18 oz. jar orange marmalade

about 1/2 cup beef stock

3 full sprigs of fresh thyme

Season the pork roast all over. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then sear the pork on all sides.  Transfer the pork roast to a crockpot. Add the entire jar of marmalade over the pork.  Pour the beef stock around the roast, so that the bottom of the crockpot is covered.  Add the thyme sprigs around the roast.  Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, turning once. I cooked it for 12, and I think the meat came out a bit more done than I liked.  If you go with 10 hours, it should be more than enough to thoroughly cook the pork. Always check with a meat thermometer; the interior temperature should be between 145 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mine read 180 degrees, which was just south of dried out.  It was still moist enough to enjoy, however.

Remove the pork to a cutting board to rest before trying to slice it. Remove and discard the stems from the thyme.  The sauce is going to be very reduced; add a little fruit juice (I happened to have mango in the fridge) to dilute it just a bit.  Slice the roast, and serve it with the sauce ladled over.

Song Sung Blue - Stacked and Stuffed Pork Chops

Song sung blue, everybody knows one

Song sung blue, every garden grows one

Me and you are subject to

The blues now and then

But when you take the blues

And make a song

You sing 'em out again

You sing 'em out again

Song sung blue, weeping like a willow

Song sung blue, sleeping on my pillow

Funny thing,

But you can sing it with a cry in your voice

And before you know it get to feeling good

You simply got no choice

Tuesday - Finding myself in need of a stuffing recipe for 14 gorgeous boneless pork chops, I started to wrack my brain and the Internet, when I realized I'd had the perfect recipe all along.  It is something dreamed up by Rachael Ray when she was going through her creative-use-of-prebaked-muffins stage.  My version is very slightly different, all the credit goes to her.  How she puts flavors together never ceases to amaze me.

I have managed to prepare the stuffing, which is pretty damn amazing considering I had a a CPS attack in the middle of the day, but there is no way I'm going to be able to prepare and stuff the chops anytime today.  Besides, I am watching "The Five" on Fox (yes, Fox) and Kimberly Guilfoyle and Juan Williams damn near got into the center of the floor to try to knock each other out.  Smashing entertainment! 

This is the original recipe from Rachael Ray:

4 thick-cut boneless pork chops, center cut, about 2 pounds
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup rioja or other dry red wine, eyeball it, about 1/4 of a bottle
1/2 cup black cherry preserves or all-fruit spread
2 cups beef stock, divided
1/2 pound linguica or chorizo, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 corn muffins, crumbled
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, eyeball it in your palm
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 4 to 5 sprigs

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 2 turns around the pan. Add the chops and caramelize the meat, 2 minutes on each side. Transfer meat to a sheet pan and place in the oven to finish cooking through, 12 to 15 minutes. Return pan to stove, reduce heat a bit and add butter to the skillet. Add flour to butter and cook 1 minute. Whisk wine into pan and reduce 1 minute then whisk in preserves and 1 cup of stock. Season with salt and coarse black pepper and let gravy thicken over low heat.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. When oil smokes, add linguica or chorizo and brown, 2 minutes. Add the celery, onions, peppers, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes then crumble muffins into the skillet and combine with vegetables. Dampen the stuffing with remaining 1 cup of stock and season with smoked paprika and thyme. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Remove meat from oven and whisk the drippings into your gravy. Pile stuffing on plates, chops alongside and ladle gravy over both. Scatter parsley over meat and stuffing.

My changes to the stuffing:

I used roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil to sauté the chourico and vegetables

I used Gaspar's Chourico, because Publix did not have any linguica

I used just one celery rib

I used granulated garlic along with the salt and pepper; I also added the smoked paprika and the thyme at the same time

I sautéed the chourico and vegetables for quite a bit longer than called for in the recipe

I only used 1/2 cup of the broth in the stuffing

I added 2 tablespoons of butter and a generous 1/4 cup of cherry-infused craisins just before adding the crumbled corn muffins

I will be adding two lightly beaten eggs to the stuffing so it will hold together as the middle of the pork chop "sandwich", and I have allowed the stuffing to cool down completely before doing so.

Wednesday - Sucky day. Depressed. Feeling blue, caught an ear worm, passed it on.. Unimpressed by Trader Joe's.  Yet another medical-type appointment to shlep to.

My changes to the pork chops:

14 boneless chops from the loin, 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil
7 slices regular bacon


Constructing the stacked and stuffed chops:

Fasten the bacon around the chop with a wooden toothpick

I did brown them on each side, but did not put the individual chops in the oven to finish cooking.  I divided the stuffing, 1 1/2 ice cream scoops on seven chops, then used a fork to pat the stuffing down evenly.  I covered the stuffing with the remaining chops, and wrapped each stacked and stuffed chop with one slice of bacon.  These went into a preheated 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.  Once they came out of the oven I ladled all of the cherry gravy over the chops.  

How I prepared the gravy:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef stock
1-18 oz. jar Smucker's cherry preserves
1/4 cup cherry-infused craisins
salt, pepper, granulated garlic
a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter to finish sauce

Melt the butter in a large skillet and whisk in the flour, cooking for a minute, constantly whisking.  Add the wine and beef stock, raise the heat and cook until the gravy thickens slightly.  Add the entire jar of preserves, continue stirring until they melt.  Add the cherry-infused craisins and let them cook until softened.  Add the seasonings and the Worcestershire.  Continue to cook on medium low, whisking, until sauce reduces slightly.  Stir in the butter until melted and the sauce is shiny.  Ladle over the stuffed pork chops.

Now, I found the taste of the wine to be very pronounced, so either use a little less (make up the difference with stock or water, or try a different red wine.  Mine was a semi-sweet Russian red, a little too intense.

Beers for Fears - Double Jeopardy Refried Beans

So it's Tuesday and I HAVE ANOTHER DOCTOR'S appointment! Fooray! Actually it is with the dentist, which is probably worse.  He's usually poking my tender gums with a sharp metal instrument or drilling for oil, or some such painful venture.  Truthfully, I like my dentist quite a bit; he will freely administer novocaine, and he has awesome staff as well. (The other thing I like about him is he is very circumspect about prescribing pain killers. "Oh, you have some pain after having all of your upper teeth removed?  Take Advil.") The only time I was truly unhappy in his office was when my appointment there was with the now-retired periodontist, who I had dubbed "Dr. Mengele."  Listen, over the years I've had countless root canals and all of my teeth pulled, and the teeth-cleaning I got from that periodontist was far worse. He reminded me of a somewhat refined version of Steve Martin's character in "Little Shop of Horrors."

The rest of the day belongs to me and my pork chops.  And those refried beans, but that's a straightforward recipe from a cookbook.  The pork chops jumped out of the meat case and into my cart when we were at BJs on Sunday, and demanded to be stuffed.  Who am I to deny such a simple act of kindness to the pig that gave his life for my family's supper?

The problem (there's always a problem) is that I have no idea what to use for stuffing.  Oh wait, I do! It came to me while I was working on the refried beans, and it is perfect.  Except I will have to stop into Publix for some of the ingredients.  Oh, darn.

The autocorrect just tried to change refried to retried.  Clearly the autocorrect does not understand The Law (said like Dredd).  The Law is The Law, and it says neither you nor the beans can be tried twice for the same crime.  If the glove don't fit, you must acquit.  Or refry your beans, it's your choice.  No double jeopardy, my friends.  It's The Law.

Up until an hour ago, I was having a really good day.  Happy to complete my chores, enjoying the warm breeze.  Chronic pain syndrome is merciless, and has a really bad sense of timing.  The pain came, and then the depression, and then the fatigue, and then the inability to retain even liquids and to taste food properly.  Talk about rapid cycling.

Chelsea, being a bitch

Anyway, once I got back to the house, I had to sit down and put my head down. No jumping right into the stuffing for the pork chops for me. Besides, Chelsea is running around the house like a Mad Dog and Englishwoman, whining her little head off, presumably because I sprayed a small amount of anti-flea stuff on her.  You would think I had set her hair on fire.  Oh, now she stuck out her tongue at me. Nice doggie.

The onions, bacon and garlic, together again for the "nth" time

The refried beans came out even better than expected.  They are not difficult, and the only "exotic" ingredient in there is beer.  I realize for some people, beer is as common as orange juice, but I don't normally keep it in the house (wine is an entirely different matter.  I'm not a bloomin' tea-totaller, just not a beer drinker).  Fortunately, my son keeps a couple of bottles in the fridge, so today's recipe is brought to you courtesy of Cory and Stella Artois.

Double Jeopardy Refried Beans

2 tablespoons roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil

5 bacon strips, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 generous teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 generous teaspoon dark chili powder

1/2 cup beer

1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1-14 oz. can refried beans

1-14 oz. can pinto beans, drained

kosher salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  First add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, then add the onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent and the bacon is well-rendered but not crisp. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder, as well as some salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.  Cook another minute or two, then deglaze the pan with the beer.  Stir to scrape up all good stuff, then add the drained tomatoes and continue to cook.  Stir in the refried beans, using the wooden spoon to break them up.  Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until refried beans are smooth.  If the mixture seems too thick, add a little more beer or some of the reserved tomato juice.  Add the drained pinto beans.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Cinco de Mayo Came Late This Year - Chicken Enchiladas and Angry Guacamole

Today, May 18, would have been my grandparents-who-raised-me's 69th wedding anniversary.  Unlike my in-laws, they had a perfectly miserable marriage.  When Pop died of cancer in 1983, they'd been married just 36 years, most of it spent screaming at each other.  The day he died - we were in the hospital actually - she went into some sort of fugue state, and when she came out of it three years later, it was for the dual purpose of bad-mouthing him mercilessly and making my life a living hell.   When my grandmother died in 2000, her senile dementia had taken him from her yet again.  Probably just as well.

On that happy note, it's time to discuss the menu for Cinco de Mayo.  It came late this year, or it's right on time if you live by DDST, as I do.  That has nothing to do with Daylight Savings Time.  Never mind what it does mean, just know it is a useful time zone for procrastinators, such as myself.

If I was going to throw a Cinco de Mayo party, which is highly unlikely since I don't throw parties anymore, I would have crammed into it every Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Faux-Mex recipe I know.  Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.  Chicken enchiladas, beef burritos, beef empanadas,  tamales, shrimp chimichangas, refried beens, chili, guacamole, Savannah red rice, arroz con gandules, sweet corn pudding, and more.  For the purposes of today's "better late than never dinner", I finally pulled together an acceptable version of green chili chicken enchiladas, a guacamole I can only describe as angry, and a new recipe called "refried beans with everything", that I have been wanting to try for a while.

Why angry guacamole?  Well, for starters, I am feeling angry, part of whatever it is I am passing through right now.  I did not merely chop the vegetables on the cutting board - I whacked them into submission, with a great deal of sound and fury.  And I threw in one large jalapeño, which wasn't part of the recipe I thought I was making, along with the cayenne pepper, which was part of the recipe I suppose I thought I was making. It seems I had my personal ring binder cookbook open to my recipes for guacamole, and for some strange reason, thought they were the same.  So I looked back and forth,  one page or the other, depending on where I happened to be standing in the kitchen.  By the time I realized it, the guac was finished.  Since nothing tastes right to me today, I couldn't begin to tell you how it all came out, and my official tasters are busy elsewhere.

Angry Guacamole

2 ripe Haas avocados
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1 very small onion, chopped small
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 heaping tablespoon dairy sour cream
pepper, granulated garlic (to taste)

Scoop the avocado flesh into a medium bowl and mash with a fork.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.  Cover and place in refrigerator for an hour before serving. Try as I might, my guacamole always reverts to an unappetizing olive drab color, but it tastes good.  Really.

The chicken is on the right; the chicken fat is already in the freezer

Remember that whole chicken you cooked the other day to make soup?  Well, now all shall be revealed - we are going to use it to make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas Suizas.  This make an enormous amount - a little over four dozen smallish enchiladas, perfect for a party.  If you give parties, which I don't, not anymore.

2-3 bags of Mission brand yellow corn tortillas (24 to a bag, extra thin)

For the filling:
1 whole chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, skin and fat removed, cooked as for  chicken soup in crockpot for 4 to 6 hours on High
1-2 oz. jar Dromedary diced pimentos, drained
1-4 oz can sliced back olives, drained
1-7 oz can chopped fire-roasted green chilies
2 very large green onions, all green and white parts, halved and sliced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped sweet green bell pepper

1  jalapeño, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons chopped culantro (or cilantro)
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 packets Sazon Goya con Culantro y Achiote
2 cans cream of chicken and mushroom soup
3 cups sour cream
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, and onion powder, all to taste
12 oz. shredded cheese (Mexican blend and/or sharp cheddar)

To finish:
1 bunch slender green onions, all parts, sliced thin
1 large Roma tomato, seeded and diced
2-10 oz. cans mild green enchilada sauce
1-15 oz. can mild red enchilada sauce
2-3 tablespoons  chopped cilantro
12 oz. Mexican four cheese blend

Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Stir in all of the remaining filling ingredients. Set in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.  When you are ready to fill the enchiladas, set a small skillet on medium high heat.  Spray an aluminum lasagna dish with some no-stick spray.  Warm the tortilla in the hot pan just until it softens enough to roll easily. Place two medium scoops (same size you would use for meatballs and matzo balls) just above the center of the tortilla and roll up to enclose the filling.  Set each enchilada seam side down in the prepared pan.  Repeat until all the filling is used up.  Refrigerate covered overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle the enchiladas with the green onions and chopped Roma tomato pieces.  Drizzle first with the green enchilada sauce, then with the red.  Sprinkle on the chopped cilantro and finally cover with the cheese.  Bake between 20 and 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot.  Serve with angry guacamole and sour cream.

Just a bit loopy - Roundly Roasted Vegetables

Where I would like to be

Sunday - My back was so bad today, I gave in and took something that the orthopedist had prescribed for muscle spasms.  Oh myyyyy, as George Takei would say.  I am not used to anything quite that strong, and while it was effective in giving me relief, it left me loopy.  And I needed stuff from Publix, to finish the chicken enchiladas and the guacamole, but while I was there the loopiness hit and I had to restrain myself from breaking out in song.  Good thing I had the shopping cart to hold onto.

Before I left for Publix, I was in a Very Dark Place.  The pain and the depression were all enveloping.  I got hit with it early Saturday morning, and it chased me all the way to the wedding and back.  My balance was off, I was perpetually tired, and I had to rely on my cane.  Food shopping always cheers me up, so I got home in better shape than when I'd left.  But loopy.

Also before I left, I had drafted a post for the blog that is best described as a career buster.  Now that it is written, I cannot post it.  Not now, not yet, maybe never.  I wish I could, because it is full of bitter truths that until now I have only expressed privately.

I want to share the chicken enchilada recipe, but I've been working on the damn thing for three days and just finally got the filing the way I wanted.  Now it's all about filling and rolling the tortillas, which is almost done, and then the finishing touches.  So maybe tomorrow.

So putting aside all the Sturm und Drang of my life for a moment, I want to say something about the wedding. First of all, Robert was the officiant and did a damn fine job.  Second, and most importantly, this marriage is bringing much happiness to everyone involved.  The people involved are well-deserving of a wonderful life filled with love and joy.  Nicki and Will, and Jacob, may God bless you all, and your families as well.

Nicki and her dad

Monday - As I am sitting here with the insane itching having taken over my body, I am wondering how the hell does anyone, my doctor included, expect me to go back to work?  Yesterday was the back-breaking pain and debilitating depression.  Today is the brutal itching all over and my left hand rendered practically useless by invisible pins and needles.

You can't see the groom standing next to Rob, but he's there, and he's smiling

I have also been trying to figure out what to do with a rather large box of button mushrooms, which turned out not to be needed for a sauce for the chicken stuffed with spinach.  So during my loopy time, I decided to roast the mushrooms with other vegetable that were roundish and about the same size as the mushrooms.  But first, I'm going to marinate them.

1-28 oz. bag honey gold potatoes, pricked several times
1-6.5 oz. box peeled red pearl onions
1-24 oz box button mushrooms, stems cut off even with the cap
1 pound Brussel sprouts, trimmed
1 package Spice World garlic (6 small heads), cuts tops to expose cloves

Place these vegetables into a 2 1/2 gallon ziploc bag.

1-10 oz. bag mini San Marzano tomatoes

Place the tomatoes in a quart sized ziploc bag.

1-16 oz. bottle Ken's Steakhouse Zesty Italian Dressing

Pour some of the dressing over the tomatoes, and use the remainder of the bottle to pour over the vegetables in the large bag.  Seal, turn the bag gently so all the vegetable are coated, and refrigerate over night.

Pour the large bag of vegetables into a very large baking dish.  Yes, I use aluminum.  Sprinkle on two packets of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix.  Place in a preheated 400 degree oven and roast for one hour.  At the end, crank up the heat to 425 for 10 minutes.

Pour the tomatoes into a smaller baking dish.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.  Place in a preheated 400 degree oven.  Roast for 20 - 25 minutes.

Remove the six heads of garlic from the pan and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the vegetables, discarding the papery skins.  Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pan.  Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper; add some granulated garlic, cayenne, dried basil and dried oregano to taste.  Chop up one or two handfuls of fresh parsley and add the to the dish.  Add 3 or so tablespoons of butter. Stir everything together gently.

To eat this - take one or two of the potatoes and with a fork, mash them down or break them up.  Top with a spoonful or more of the roasted vegetables and their sauce.

Catsup. Ketchup. Catchup! - Northern Indian Lamb Meatballs, The World's Best Matzo Balls

Now all we need is 12 Jammie Dodgers

I am a strong proponent of Heinz Ketchup, and ONLY Heinz ketchup.  If it's not Heinz, I'm not interested in dipping a fry into it, and if it is labeled "catsup", I am likely to donate the bottle to some worthy cause, or simply set it back down on the grocery shelf.  Cats do sup, and they also dine, but none of that applies to my hamburger or French fries (even occasionally a steak, but don't mention that to Robert).

What I am doing today in this post has nothing to do with my favorite condiment, but instead I am focusing on the recipes I whipped up during my under-medicated cooking frenzy, and failed to properly record so they could be shared.  It's CATCHUP time, gentle readers.

First, let's talk about religion.  Just kidding; let's talk about ethnic cooking.  I am Brooklyn Jewish, and therefore my favorite foods are Eastern European Jewish and Italian.  And Brooklyn Jewish Chinese, of course, but that is totally another blog post.  The Jewish and Italian cooking came totally naturally to me.  I learned by watching and eating. A lot of eating and then, during those precious and few moments when my grandmother and I could communicate without snarling at each other, critiquing.  Talking about food is almost as much fun as eating it.  Or cooking.

My grandmother made several types of meatballs, none of them Italian.  In her opinion, the best way to use chopped meat in an Italian dish was to make a meat sauce.  I think she missed the boat on this one, as a proper Italian meatball is a thing of beauty.  Unfortunately, she passed on to that Great Test Kitchen in the Sky before I had developed what I modestly like to think of as The World's Best Italian Meatball.  Although I would be the first to admit that she did make the World Best Italian Meat Sauce.

She did, however, make excellent Jewish potted meatballs, and sweet and sour meatballs that did not involve a bit of grape jelly.  The sauce for her sweet and sour meatballs was just like the one she made for her stuffed cabbage, which to my taste was perfect.

I've previously quoted the late Dom DeLuise as saying that the Italians had meatballs and the Jews had matzo balls; growing up in Brooklyn, it was all the same. (I never did find out what the Irish and the Germans had; where I lived, you were either Jewish or Italian Roman Catholic.)  Sadly, my very Jewish grandmother could not make a decent matzo ball; my Pop said they sank like the Titanic (ouch!)  Which is why, by the time my brother and I moved in, she made all her matzo balls from a mix.  They were always good, if a bit uninspired.  If they didn't float like a butterfly, at least they didn't sink like the Titanic.  Or the Edmund Fitzgerald.

There are dozens of ways to make a decent matzo ball (or knaidlach, it's proper name).  Everybody (at least every Jewish everybody who fancies themselves a true Jewish cook) has a trick or kitchen hack that renders their knaidlach better than anyone else's, in somebody's opinion. For me, the best knaidlach were made by the chef at the kosher catering hall where my father-in-law worked as a maitre d' for many years.  Dad's Richie (not to be confused with Mom's Richie, who was one of the owners and cook at the kosher catering call where my mother-in-law worked as a maître d' for many years) had graciously shared his recipe.  His has always been my go-to knaidlach, and I've had no complaints.  They are a little fluffy and a little toothsome and do a fine job of soaking up the flavor from a good chicken soup. So of course, after 35 years, I decided to change it.  Kick it up a notch.  Put my own spin on it.

It's dead.  Just strip off the skin and fat and get over it.

But first, let me give you the chicken soup recipe - it's just like the clear and convincing, but uses a whole chicken.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Chicken Soup

2 - 32 oz. boxes unsalted chicken stock

2 medium carrots

2 medium parsnips

2 stalks of celery (no leaves)

2 green onions

1/2 small onion

1 - 2 x 1/2 inch piece of rind from Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder (don't leave it out, although it is virtually undetectable)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 whole chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), innards, skin, and visible fat removed. Freeze the skin and fat for future schmaltzings.

2 - 1/4 inch slices of lemon

5 or 6 stalks of fresh Italian parsley

2 nice full stalks of fresh dill

First, stuff the cavity of the chicken with the carrots, parsnips, celery, and green onion. Set into the crockpot.  Carefully pour in all of the chicken stock, and add the curry powder, kosher salt and white pepper.  Cover the crock and cook on High for 2 hours.  Skim off any icky froth that has risen to the top. Now add the parmesan rind, parsley, dill, and lemon and cook for two to three more hours.  Shut off the heat and use a large metal spoon to remove the chicken; set aside.  With a slotted spoon remove the parsley, dill, lemon slice and the Parmesan rind, and discard. Remove the celery, parsnip, carrot, and green onion from the chicken, and discard.
                             

Now, remove all of the chicken from the bones and cartilage.  I have excellent plans for that chicken, so wrap carefully and refrigerate for further instructions.

Pour the chicken soup through two paper towels set into a metal strainer.  Now taste it, add a little salt if needed, and permit yourself a smile for having prepared the chicken soup that tastes like Mom's - my Mom (grandmother) who frankly made the best chicken soup in the world.

For the total Brooklyn Jewish experience, you have to have the soup with these matzo balls.

These are The Best Matzo Balls in the World:

4 eggs, separated
1 package Streits matzo ball mix (both envelopes)
1/2 cup melted Crisco, cooled to room temperature
1/4 cup lemon-lime carbonated water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  If they are resistant, add a pinch or two of cream of tartar. In a separate bowl, bear the egg yolks.  Mix in the melted, cooled Crisco and the carbonated water.  Stir in the matzo meal and the parsley.  Gently fold in the beaten egg white.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the mixture can be handled.

Fill a large kettle about half full (4-5 quarts) with water, and set to boil. Once the water is boiling, throw in four (4) Knorr chicken bouillon cubes. The matzo balls will be cooked in this boiling broth.

Form the matzo balls by scooping with the medium-sized scoop.  Wet your hands with cold water, and roll the matzo balls; set aside until all are formed.  Gently ease them, one at a time, into the boiling broth and cook, uncovered, for about 25 minutes.  Lower the heat slightly if they are boiling too rapidly.  Remove with a slotted spoon and serve with the World's Best Chicken Soup.

How Did Martha Stewart Get Into This Blog Post? Well, I told you I was playing catchup, and that encompasses these rather nifty meatballs.  The recipe is from Martha Stewart, who I really like (except for her endless spring cleaning campaign) and made good use of a pound of ground lamb I had thrown casually into the depths of my lower freezer, which happens to be large enough to hide a VW beetle).

Now about meatballs - my grandmother was pretty conservative when it came to these, but I did learn my absolute best meatball kitchen trick from her.  Instead of breadcrumbs, or white bread soaked in milk, use matzo meal in your meatball or meatloaf mixture.  There is a gorgeous symmetry there, that the main ingredient for knaidlach is also the secret ingredient in good meatballs.

Northern Indian Lamb Meatballs

2 small garlic cloves
1 piece (1 inch) peeled fresh ginger, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 can (8 ounces) plain tomato sauce
1 dried bay leaf
Coarse salt
12 ounces ground lamb
1 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro1 large egg
6 prunes, quartered
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1. Process garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons water in a food processor until a chunky paste forms; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Set aside one quarter of onion in a large bowl.
3. Add 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1/2 cup water, the turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and 2 tablespoons coriander to onion in skillet. Cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups water, and the bay leaf. Season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer.
4. Mix reserved onion, lamb, breadcrumbs, cilantro, egg, 1 teaspoon each garlic paste and salt, and remaining teaspoon coriander and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Divide into 24 pieces; roll into balls. Stuff each meatball with a prune quarter; roll to enclose.
5. Add meatballs to simmering sauce (add water if meatballs are not covered by sauce). Cook until sauce has thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in garam masala.
   
   
   

   

Credit where credit is due:  this is the original recipe from Martha Stewart.  I made a few small changes which I will share with you:

Instead of that whole whirling garlic-ginger-water thing, I used equal amounts of Gourmet Garden's Chunky Garlic and Ginger.  I usually have a tube of each in my fridge.                                 

I cut back the cayenne pepper to 1/2 teaspoon.

I used 1 pound of ground lamb, because that's how it came packaged.

I used matzo meal instead of breadcrumbs

I used culantro instead of cilantro.  Identical taste, and culantro reportedly lasts longer in the fridge.

I used 12 prunes and cut them in half.  I portioned the meat by using the medium scoop, and stuffed each meatball with one-half of a prune.

Everything else was the same as the original recipe.  These are delicious.