Won't Take Nothing But a Memory

An unusually barren beach view from a Red Hook construction site. 

Simple, yet perfect combo of Mock Shake and Bake Chicken, with sweet corn and my mom's potato salad. Everyone has their own version of the perfect potato salad.  Did your family use Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing, maybe it was sweet.  Ours was made with a boiled egg and yellow mustardy mix, along with pickle brine on the warmed potatoes, diced egg white, pickles, the smallest chop of celery and no onions.  Paprika only for garnish and salt, no pepper as I recall.  I've not been terribly successful in the past, creating this from memory but finally cracked the code.  

Learned lessons:

• Ensure potatoes are drained entirely of water by leaving them on the stove on low until all water evaporates.  My mom boiled them whole and we peeled them after they came out of the water.  This way they don't get water logged and keep a rustic flavor.
• Pour on pickle juice, enough to flavor while the potatoes are still very warm so they absorb all the flavor.  
• Salt the water generously when boiling potatoes.  Cut the potatoes to the bite size that you prefer, which for me is not too big, but not too small and the pickles, eggs and celery to about 1/2 that size. 
• The mustard to egg yolk ratio is to taste but error on the side of less mustard until the final mayo is added because it too is tangy.  Remember, you can add but you can't take out.

Mom's Potato Salad

Ingredients:

6 Potatoes - boiled, peeled and chopped

4 Eggs - properly boiled and separated

1 heaping tablespoon - Yellow Mustard - don't get fancy, use plain 

3/4 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise

1/2 cup celery

1/2 cup pickles & pickle juice

Paprika 

Salt

Chop potatoes into bite sized cubes. Immediately add pickle juice, from 2 tablespoons to a 1/4 cup.  

In separate bowl, mash the egg yolks whipping in the mustard a little at a time.  I go for creamy, tangy.  Add mayo until just the right level of Mmmmm is achieved, about 3/4 of a cup.

Get a big bowl and add in celery, pickles and egg whites along with your brined potatoes.  Stir in the dressing mixture until every bit is coated.  Stop when you reach your desired creaminess.  Add salt and paprika to taste. Refrigerate until cooled and married.  Before eating, add one more dollop of mayo to revive the party.

A glorious toasted Everything bagel with tomato, onion and cream cheese - the perfect breakfast. 

It Takes All Kinds of Kinds

Mock Shake and Bake Chicken, Brown Rice and what I'm officially naming Mexican Cabbage Slaw

If you like a fresh, crunchy slaw, you may like to make a vat of this.  The only time stealer is cutting vegetables but this is when it can feel like art if you allow yourself to get into it.

Red cabbage (sliced thin)

Apple (your choice) (julienned) *sometimes I use Granny Smith, other times a sweeter Gala

Carrots (shaved)

Red onion (sliced thin)

Jalapenos (seeded and diced small)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a dash)

Apple Cider Vinegar to taste

Lime (1 squeezed over and wedges served alongside)

Cilantro (garnish and mixed in)

Lots of salt and freshly cracked pepper

Let this sit together awhile to develop flavors.  I'm not a traditional coleslaw gal much, although I do enjoy it when it's not too sweet.  This Mexican take revs up the vibrant colors and flavors.  It's summery and refreshing.  It makes a great side for burgers, chicken or Hot Dogs and gets better the more it marinates.  

Light Em Up and Watch Them Burn, Teach Them What They Need to Learn

Springtime coming in strong 

Everyone take their seats and enjoy these lovely photos of spring blooming in Brooklyn before I tell a dark tale. 

This is a tale of the death of my old, warped, cheap-ass sheet pan that lasted forever and did me good for years, how I got a new cast iron one, that doesn't fit in my oven and how this is all related to the Johnny Depp Defamation case.   Good luck!  I have no idea how this will connect but it's a morning writing exercise for me and I aim to do well.

One night I came home late, was hungry but didn't want to make a meal.  I took some store bought chips and this odd pre-sliced jalapeno jack cheese that we never buy.  I put the chips, cheese and pickled jalapenos under the broiler to make quick no fuss nachos.  Only a minute passed before they suddenly became inflamed, like foot tall blazing flames pouring out of the broiler.  When I realized the fire wasn't going out even after I turned everything off, I yelled for help.  The blaze continued, getting even higher, it was wild.  Covering the combustion with wet rags didn't extinguish but finally after several frantic attempts, together, we put the fire out and were able to handle the pan.  No nachos were to be had this night and the pan was toast.  It was time, this had been coming for awhile. This pan was bad from the start, was never a quality product and I should not have used it to broil.  I was being cheap.  I continued to use it well beyond it's expiration date, after it warped, after it began smelling like kerosene.  

I bought a new pan, of sturdy cast iron.  Being 15" x 10" I was sure it would fit nicely into my 24" oven.  All was well. Only, it doesn't fit in my oven but I can force it diagonally, so I'll probably live with this nonsense for too long.  I don't learn easily or smoothly.

Amber Heard was always too young for Mr Depp and it was ignorant of him to start a marriage with someone who clearly was not the right fit.  Emotionally though, perhaps they were better matched as he seemed to be stunted in that area regarding jealousy and relationship behavior. despite his age.  They could now live out high school era shenanigans, for better or worse in the privacy of one of his many dwellings.  But when you keep ignoring blatant signs of actual trouble, you set yourself up for future blow-outs, like these blackened nachos.  It was inevitable this would end badly for them.  We all choose our own suffering in some respect, even though we can't see it all the time.  My pan was old and not in good shape.  The new cheese had some chemical perhaps they add to keep the slices from sticking and together they created a burning pit of fire.  

A gold-digging, psychologically-damaged hottie mixed with an aging, beloved actor who was primed to deal with his demons in the most dramatic, drawn out, drug-induced way possible is definitely a recipe for disaster.  

If I put this bitch in catty-cornered, she works but in the future I'll measure the inside dimensions.

And similar to my new durable pan that's near perfect, but doesn't quite fit, Johnny may not find or even choose the right woman the next time but it's how he deals with those obstacles that will determine if he's learned anything. 

Hey Whatever Happened To...

All the flowers!

Brown-Mauve colored Iris - kinda pretty, kinda not right

Peach colored roses

Cat Art at Pratt Institute

Interesting windowed house in Clinton Hill

Shirley Chisholm graffiti- 1st black woman elected to Congress

Interesting little tidbit that may feed your paranoias.  I took this picture and an hour later typed in the first three letters of her last name, Chi... and she came up as my first search choice.  I just find that super strange.  I've googled Chi...michurri probably 20 times in the last year but Shirley, never once.   I guess I am to assume Google Photos identified her in my picture library, so when I went to search it recognized that I may be looking for her name.  I still say that's a little scary. A similar recent example was my sister and I were speaking on text about an obscure musician, that night my YouTube feed featured him as a recommendation.  That's our privacy.  Then again, it was helpful.  I can't decide how to feel about it.  Each little freedom we release though is a loss, no matter how convenient. 

homemade Shake n Bake Chicken

Maybe it's being in a Pandemic but cooking retro meals right now feels appropriate.  Stepping away from our modern, hectic lives and going back to basics, what used to be normal, might be great learning experiment for the country.  Forced to stay in our homes, prepare all own food, intentionally support local businesses during a time when money is tight, check on neighbors, talk to more family, more often, really consider people, are all things that used to be part of our lives all the time growing up, if you are of a particular age.  I want to stay in this idea of purpose. I hope it's possible once the old wheel gets to spinning fast again.

Mexican rice stuffed roasted bell pepper with a chunk of roasted cauliflower.

Got A Real Good Feelin' Something Bad About to Happen

Superbowl Sunday.  Hard to get excited about a Katy Perry live show.  The commercials are fun but since I'm not into football at least I want a spectacular halftime performance.  Whenever there is someone super lame scheduled , I always try to come up with someone obvious they could have chosen instead.  At this point I think you can only choose from the pop genre.  You need upbeat songs, or anthem type rock, songs that make people energetic and a true performer.  I think gone are the days we'll get bands like the Rolling Stones.  So I was thinking, how about Miranda Lambert?  

She has some fire and is a current hitmaker.  She is an entertainer in a true sense.  She also has better abilities to duet with other musicians.  She has the ability to play to large audiences and rouse a crowd. 

Katy Perry for me was beyond awful.  She can't sing, she can't dance and I hated every minute of it.  Not only that but I was left feeling ill like I do when I smell a lot of cheap plastic.  Missy Elliot looked great though and it was a slight relief to see her.  Lenny Kravitz made as much sense in the middle of that mess as throwing pickle juice in a cookie dough.  I didn't get that either.  The sets were the focus but it was all show and no talent.  So if I was Katy Perry and I had a rack like she does I would play to my audience and bounce around in my skimpiest outfit looking sexy and dumb.  You have drunk football fans and you show more skin in your mascara ads then you do this show???

Thank goodness for snacks.  Crunchy baked Chicken Tenders with a shared marinara dipping sauce.

Pizza Bites made only with cauliflower, Parmesan and turkey pepperoni.  These exceeded expectations!  They are addictive and I encourage everyone to make them.
https://dashingdish.com/recipe/mini-cauliflower-pizza-bites/

The hardest part is grating the cauliflower and it's a great way to use your lonely mini muffin tins.

Cucumber Sushi Rolls with avocado, dill, lemon and capers.  Most refreshing snack ever!
http://pureella.com/delicious-healthy-hors-doeuvres-cucumber-rolls-with-creamy-avocado/

I had to pull out the mandolin but in the end got a better slice using a sharp knife.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips.  Not quite a success but almost.  You need your oven to be the exact temperature not to burn the chips but to get them crisp.  And I believe there is not an easy way to avoid blackening slightly due to the sugar content in the potato.

Vegan spinach artichoke dip.  This was a real treat but I substituted frozen broccoli for spinach due to a screw up.  Great as a dip for the chips.
http://www.marthastewart.com/317420/baked-sweet-potato-chips
http://sweetroots.blogspot.com/2012/06/creamy-vegan-spinach-artichoke-dip.html

Roasted Spicy Chick Peas.  Just as the name implies but they are like tasty toasted nuts that you can't quit eating, warmed with cajun spices and a squirt of lime.

I'd give this spread a 6 or 7.  It was trying to be fun and was to an extent.  It's hard to make healthy celebrational snacks but it can be done.

Only Prettier

She's not pretty but this was tasty.  Ground turkey and vegetables with black bean sauce.

This is why I hate waiting for people.  When you do wok vegetables, there is a moment when they are done and you need to plate.  Unfortunately, due to the fact that P was delayed like 15 minutes coming home, I had to let this sit on simmer until most of the life evaporated from the firm green broccoli and the colors faded.

It was much prettier without makeup.