Change is Gonna Do Ya Good

Whoever is running PathMark now is doing a better job, however us patrons seem to be footing the bill for all the new racking by all these hiked prices on everyday items. Less stuff seem to be on sale each week too. More pale skinned chubby men with clipboards in stiff beige pants and bad shoes spell change. Hire some extra cashiers ferchrissakes! How long does a girl gotta wait in line to give you money? And even though it's entertaining, there must be 20 guys back there in that butcher shop and every single one of them is yacking their mouth at warp speed and not working when I walk by. Top of their lungs, they're talking smack about something. I have to chime in sometimes just because you can't help it. Last week it was about gays...nature versus nurture. Who knew straight men felt so passionately about the subject. It's actually fun and all that but is that why I pay $4.99 now instead of $3.99 for the same turkey sausage in the same packaging by the same company as last month? Same goes for the cereal, coffee, peanut butter, milk, and toilet paper!? Because if it is, then shut the hell up and start chopping boys. Momma needs a new pair of Levi's and you're not that cute. However, some things make shopping better like the larger selection of fresh greens and not just the turnip and collard prices but the fresh lettuces and baby spinach. Organic spring mixes for prices I can afford and right in time for what would be spring before the devil took over the weather.

Most likely I eat way too much meat however my meat-to-vegetable or greens ratio has improved dramatically thanks to hiked meat prices and better produce. One link of turkey sausage with sauteed grape tomatoes and a big side of salad with feta cheese and pepperoncini peppers, lemon vinaigrette was all she wrote for dinner tonight. A bit of leftover rice.

The Tears of a Clown

Orange and Cajun spiced baked chicken thighs. Super juicy, super tasty. Great for a weeknight meal with wild rice and brussel sprouts. For us its a slice of normalcy from the whole Sandy fiasco.

The water's gone down, I've returned to work, some of the town has recovered, but for so many the real hardships are just sinking in. The mold, the permanent damage, the inability to return to their homes, the lost personal treasures. There is a very solid funk built up around town and you really can't avoid it. It's the weekend but it doesn't feel like any particular day of the week. Probably best to turn off the news and quit watching other people's tragedies. It's not entertaining, you just feel like you should understand the scope. But at some point, its no longer necessary.




Yesterday the vibe in the city was more upbeat. You began to see how strangers were really reaching out to each other, helping in small ways. They were giving away dry ice at Union Square park. People lucky enough to have power were offering free cell phone charges. Bodegas were burning candles and trying to open as normal without power, selling what they could.


The food trucks were out in full force but that provided much needed eats for the stranded trustafarians and visiting workers from all over the US. Various trucks from every state were seen parked and ready to help.




PathMark looked like a bomb had hit it and they were out of a lot, some of their power was off and somehow their staff showed up to work or at least to get paid for working.

Red Hook has never been an attractive neighborhood, so you can imagine what it looked like after Sandy. She was not kind. All along Van Brunt every business was shut down and may not reopen from what I could see without full renovation. There was a boat in the middle of the street. I mean it was not good.



The food this week, like our mood has been modest and humble. Trying to keep it light, or bring some light. I'm pretty much a numb-nut. I just like to make stupid jokes about P being gay or comment about people's balls or penis size. I'm not sure how to process all this hard stuff, so I'm just gonna keep cookin'.

Change is Gonna Do Me Good

Another Ground Turkey sale at the PathMark. Now, we are a thin hamburger eatin' household and the traditions are set. Started with Momma J's amazing grilled burgers that I still have not mastered. But once in awhile you gotta mix it up girl. I made small thick stacked burgers with thick slices of onion, avocado and cheese topped with these huge whole wheat buns. And frozen Target fries for a side. I don't do well with change in regular life but for food, I'm all about it.

Ground turkey has a unique poultry flavor that can be enhanced with fun meat-stretching fillers. A few I've tried, green apple, onions, ginger, oatmeal, potato, corn, black beans, stuffing, Panko bread crumbs, eggs, herb blends, and the list is endless. And this makes for a rightfully thick patty with endless dinner idea possibilities.

You Know I Read It In a Magazine

We had a little chicken mishap last week and it was enough to want to go vegetarian for a few days if you know what I mean.


I figured I'd try one of these easy enchilada pies that I'm always seeing in women's magazines. But I made with my mom's good enchilada sauce. I also added a can of Rotel tomatoes in green chiles this time because I finally found them at PathMark, albeit at a buck 69 a small can.


For me dipping the corn tortillas in oil first does make a flavor difference but saving that one little step, to make the dish healthier is the right thing to do. Especially on a week night. I cut the torts in strips like lasagne and layered along with sauce, cheese, corn, black beans and then topped with lots of onion, tomato and fresh jalapeno.


In 350 degree oven until bubbly. If you let it set a bit its much easier to cut and stays stacked and purty but I couldn't wait. Served it along with some rice pilaf and green onions.

Boogie with Stew

I forgot why I had all this chicken and pork at once. PathMark had a deal so low, they paid me to take the chicken home or something. I graciously accepted but then had to put something together fairly quickly. I also had some nice country pork with no dinner plans.

I wasn't sure exactly how to use them together but just started to braise them both in the hopes a brilliant idea would come along. Well it didn't so in the end I did a simple stew with carrots, potato, onion, peas and corn. Who doesn't love a hearty stew with tons of tender meat? Well one mentionable is that I put diced peeled apple in the stew and it was nice with the pork!

Fat Bottomed Birds You Make the Rockin' World Go Round

I take my reading glasses to walk up and down the meat aisles of the supermarket as you would in a book store. I hope to find something captivating to focus my attention on at least for a night. Does the meat have good coloring, too much fat? Would it be good to broil, braise or steam? Is it fresh yet affordable? Beef is generally too expensive for basic weeknight fare and therefore off limits. Chicken thighs are plentiful, inexpensive and versatile but how much chicken can you possibly eat in a year? Actually, I can answer that for myself at the end of this year. Pork, is the other go-to meat with it's right-priced chops and now ground family packs, the occasional pork shoulder to slow roast.

Turkey however should be cheaper but usually isn't. You'd think they'd push these darn birds on you between holidays. Do they just freeze them indefinitely? You can find giant drumsticks and whole frozen turkeys periodically on a deal, like every blue moon. This week Pathmark actually featured turkey thighs. What a great looking piece of meat! The skin was healthy and just like chicken, the thigh was nice and meaty, packed with all the flavor.

I baked them with fresh thyme and poultry seasoning lots of pepper and salt and some pats of herbed butter shoved under its thick skin. An hour and a half on 325 presented a crisp skinned tender surprise. The only downside was the old joke, it actually tasted more like chicken. Wonder why? You'd think the dark meat would have more turkey aroma too. Next time I'm thinking to stuff them and slow bake for two and a half hours. One thigh is a big portion but not quite big enough for two. Turkey won't win a Pulitzer or even replace pork as a #2 best seller but it is definitely worth throwing into your weekly rotation for variety's sake.

Tainted Love

Pork Tenderloin is never on sale at Pathmark but it was this week! Yippee! If I've learned anything its that if meat is on sale at Pathmark then you should probably make it that night. And smell it first. 93.5% of the time I've had no problem. But there is nothing worse than having all your ingredients ready to go and then you realize your meat has spoiled. Well actually, there is something worse and that is not realizing your meat is spoiled and going through with cooking the meal, serving it and taking a bite...THEN realizing the meat is spoiled. That is definitely worse. I've done that recently. Matter of fact, that sort of spoiled my love of Pathmark, the fact that they might sell me bad meat. But there was no problem and this meat was perfect. I haven't experimented much with loin in general. I'm more of a butt and shoulder girl as far as pork goes. But I quickly found a recipe on Food Network for a nice herb crusted loin. Thyme, Rosemary, Italian parsley and lots of garlic got chopped up and rubbed into the meat along with olive oil and some wine vinegar, lots of salt and pepper. Into the oven and the smells were incredible - filled the house. I sliced the pork into medallions and I kept that theme going with sliced grilled sweet potatoes in a cumin lime glaze. I served the pork over polenta. I would make this again, maybe even pay full price.

You Can't Hurry Thugs, No You Just Have to Wait

I love going to PathMark because a good portion of their customers are nice old ladies that I enjoy talking to.  I go on my day off, fairly relaxed, I have some good conversations, and then wheel my booty home and trek it up the two flights of stairs just in time to watch Dr Oz talk to some woman about her vagina. Done. But this week I had another migraine that I couldn't shake. I thought maybe fresh air would help.  The light of day was rough but then the fluorescent lighting in the store was brutal.  I was wobbling down the aisles just trying to get anything in the cart so I could race home before I threw up.

I was hoping to browse the fresh produce and meat market for good deals.  I only had one clear dish that I knew I wanted to make but the rest was supposed to be the fun part of shopping. 

I managed to fill the cart with God knows what but I just needed to get out of there.  I get in a line maybe 6 carts deep.  Every customer took a long time but then the girl in front of me, she was the nail in my coffin.  That girl had problems with just about every single item price in her cart.  And the poor cashier had the patience of a saint but it musta took like a half an hour to complete each transaction.  And you know the girl had to split her order up into two purchases.

Like I said, I love PathMark in many ways but anyone would have to admit, it can be a bit ghetto in there depending on when you shop.  Thursday I walk in and some mother was screaming at her small child in ways that made me want to call child services.  Some other woman was standing in every one's way right at the entrance spewing such lewd and vial hatred into her cell phone that the livery drivers were blushing. 

The girl in front of me didn't care one bit that the line was growing and growing behind her.  She had to get her Rib Shaped Pork Patties two for five, like she saw 'em in the flier.  Did she have the flier?  Of course not.  Was there one handy?  No.  Our course even  if she did have the correct variety to get the deal, she needed a PathMark card.  No she didn't have one.  Could she ask me nicely or would she just say 'let me have your PathMark card' and reach for it without looking at me? 

Did I hand it right over to her?  Yes, but let me explain.  I am a small Mexican woman in Brooklyn with no power or desire for power.  I just want to gather my nuts and go home.  I don't want hassle or any stink on me when I get home. I am a monkey of peace.  Plus I'm very nervous by nature.

But that's one pet peeve of mine.  When the cashiers hand you change and can't bother to look at you so of course they aim a foot short of reaching comfortably so you have to stretch to get it.  Petty?  I don't know.  It happens to me 90% of the time I buy something in this town.  It gets to me, I have to be honest.  I want someone to tell me, 'have a nice day'.  I want a simple smile and a thanks. Basically, I just want something at the end of my transaction that does not feel like a big F. U.

By the time I got home and schlepped everything upstairs I wasn't inspired to create much.  I just quick fried some super thin pork chops and then rolled them in BBQ sauce at the end, steamed up some broccoli and made a quick white mac and cheese.  It was the simple smile and thanks I needed.  P loved the broccoli, steamed just enough with a little squirt of lime and a dash of Caesar salad dressing.

I...I..I... Have Become Comfortably Numb

I wanted this week to be all about the vegetable dishes.  Mainly because there were no meat deals.  But I wanted to focus on and fully utilize the winter produce. I tried to find something incredible looking. Ehhh.  Nothing really jumped out at me to be honest but fresh vegetables really isn't PathMark's strong point truth be told.
I think the story is all in how you prepare the vegetables anyway.  The winter stuff can somewhat lack the curb appeal of say the bold summer colors and shapes.  But the flavors just burst in all their glory with a little prodding with steam or roasting.
Last night I whipped up a Food Network recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cauliflower-with-tomatoes-recipe/index.html).  The cauliflower and plum tomatoes were tossed in olive oil, tumeric, cumin seeds and a pinch of cayenne and then roasted for 25 minutes in a 450 degree oven.  I threw in a can of chick peas since they are so meaty when roasted and they really played well with these flavors.

I think I've mentioned that I work in retail which can be rewarding and it can be very hard on the nerves. Yesterday on a super busy Sunday someone had sold some old goat the wrong color cabinet in my department.  Now returning something at a retail store on a Sunday can be brutal.  So normally, I'm all ears and all compassion. I was in the 'host' role, so we're supposed to be like the cheerleader, all smiles and ready to help. This man needed to yell at someone and the heffahs girls downstairs at the customer service desk prefer to be more on the givin' end of the abuse.  So, he yelled at me.  He didn't let me talk, he didn't let me make it right, he just yelled and accused and yelled some more.  He started say 'you' did this and 'you' did that.  Then for his Oscar moment he decided to rip up his order in my face and throw it at me. 


Somehow these things tend to happen in slow motion in your mind.  I saw the papers flying past my head like snow flakes and I felt myself losing the ability to move or talk. There were people in line to ask me questions but they just fade away.  I saw him walking away, still spewing his 'yous' and anger, pointing and shouting.  I turn and see my boss one foot away from me mind you, not hearing any of this. No help, as usual. Now in a movie or on a TV show something dramatic would have happened but in reality I just sucked it up, worked my next half hour and then rode home in the cold on my bike.  Then I spent most of the night fantasizing about what I could have said. 
I have no anger at the grouch because after what he went through and how busy and chaotic and horrible that store can in on a Sunday, he probably needed to vent.  I didn't deserve it but I certainly can take it.  Maybe not without any repercussions but I can take it.

A good plate of food prepared with love featuring roasted cauliflower and a hour of Stupid Home Videos helped. 

Cream Dream

I had no game plan at the PathMark this week. I went in hoping to find inspiration in the fresh seasonal produce. All the vegetables were wilted and on their last leg. Maybe last week's storm prevented the trucks from delivering? Regardless, I ended up with mixed bags of things on sale with no clear idea of how they'd go together. But that can be good. Sometimes I come up with a new dish when I have to be creative.

Then this morning on my ride to work while the icy sleet was pelting me in the face I realized I forgot to thaw out the chicken thighs. Tragic. What a rookie move. So I came up with a quick one pot supper tonight using arugula pesto. P doesn't really do pasta, so I have to disguise it somewhat. And the pasta vegetable ratio has to be skewed.




I wanted everything to be green because all you see outside now is dirty snow, white skies and black puff jackets. I found baby asparagus at the fifteen dollar store so I chopped those up and mixed them with peas and made the arugula pesto using walnuts, thyme, parsley and chicken stock. I had some turkey sausage that I chopped into small cubes and fried up with the onions and garlic to get a little crisp, then mixed that with some bow-tie pasta. I added a 1/4 cup of non-fat ricotta while the pasta was hot and then the veggies and pesto. Kind of a little cream dream.




The bright green color is refreshing and the ricotta gives it just enough smoothness to make up for all the lost olive oil, although I did use some. It tastes like a rich cream sauce but its not at all. The asparagus still has some bite and the peas just melt with the sauce while the thyme gives it fresh flavor. I'm stuffed after a small bowl.

Oh Sweet P

Mid week is not usually my best time for creative juices to flow. I'm still bitter and stuck in self loathing, not yet feeling the false hopefulness that an upcoming day off brings. So sometimes I just bake a whole package of chicken thighs in the hopes that maybe the next night I'll come up with some amazing dish that I could use roasted chicken meat in. This was the case last night.

When I was in Tucson my mom and dad were eating vats of bananas and sweet potatoes. As a matter of fact, my dad would microwave the potatoes, let them cool and then give them to my mom like a banana, just peeled - nothing added. I'm a follower and will adapt easily to new environments so by the second day I was also eating lots of bananas and sweet potatoes this way. I've always loved sweet potatoes and equally enjoyed torturing P who doesn't love them, with making them a hundred different ways to convince him that he DOES indeed love them. I think I might have finally succeeded with those baked sweet potato fries actually!


But so my only point here is that I learned to eat sweet p's without all the butter and brown sugar that does make them taste good but is not necessary. Pathmark had a package of them for a dollar in their 'almost rotten' bin. Last night I mashed up a couple with just some nutmeg, fresh tangerine juice, zest and salt & pepper. Really good! The color and texture alone feels like flannel pajamas to me. I will eat these all winter. They are one of the best vegetables to eat, with tons of Vitamin C, fiber, beta carotenoids, potassium and B vitamins.

This ain't no jive turkey!

Pleasant surprise. That's what this turkey scallopini was for me, a pleasant surprise, all the way around. If I hear about a dish more than once in a week, I'll consider that a sign from the food gods to make that dish. And then, that sparks thinking about that dish for a few hours or more, then I start to really need to make it. I'll get excited about shopping for it and anticipate what I want it to taste like and look like and smell like. Its a whole symphony of goofiness that all goes on inside my head. And it doesn't end until I'm sitting down and looking at and tasting the results.

Well, this was nothing like that. I wasn't thinking about scallopini. I found some cheap turkey cutlets this week at Pathmark and as a sort of after thought I bought them. I put them in the cart and then forgot about it. I figured I'd come up with something down the line. But I forgot to freeze them so I had to come up with a quickie idea and ran across my capers in the fridge and remembered I could make scallopini. Tonight, I just wanted to make a couple of sides for fun and mess about in the kitchen, nothing too deep. I threw this together quickly but it was truly delicious!

This turkey was so tender and the seasonings went very well even the capers and lemons. It was very delicate. I was wowed by the flavor and downright pleasantness of it, sweet and gentle. And what a quick fun main to serve with probably just about anything, (except what I made which was roasted curried cauliflower).

Cory and 'er friend curry

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230653

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

It's not my recipe but I thought I'd include it because the ingredients aren't obvious like a lot of the things I make. The toasted corriander and whole cumin is so fragrant along with the curry. This dressing might be great over a root vegetable too. Epicurious has great recipes.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make this week. Like I've said before I browse recipes online and in cookbooks for ideas but really the main factor is what is on sale and what is fresh down at the Pathmark. Yeah, if I find something really interesting there are plenty of places to venture out to and find key ingredients but let's face it, I'm on a seriously tight budget.

They had these huge bins of giant snow white cauliflower with all the leaves attached and they were so inviting and perky. I wanted to make a curry dish so I got the spices and coconut milk but it wasn't all coming together with the other items in my cart so that's on the back burner. This recipe allowed me to have the curry though and roasting the cauliflower really gives it texture and transforms the flavors.

I really liked this. P loves cold cauliflower salads, so I thought he'd be up for it but he wasn't over the moon. I hate that. I consider that a character flaw...of his. I thought it was kind of amazing but I think I'd add carrots next time and maybe just a bit of Panko bread crumbs on top, but that's just the midwestern in me. At least I'm not thinking of topping it with 2 cups of cheese!

MMMmm, cheese.

Bitter greens

I work Sundays and they usually, well, they suck. Retail. I really don't need to say much more. But I have to because no one else will listen. P got me all excited tonight because he announced he wouldn't be working all night like usual and silly me thought that might translate to some sort of interaction, but no, he meant he would be watching football full blast all night in my general vicinity. He's so precious.

Well, it gave me a chance to make my mustard greens. Greens are a big deal here. They might have shriveled up little sad avocados at my PathMark but they will have every variety of greens in quantities all fresh and happy looking. And they're super cheap too! I need to get with the program and make these all the time. In the past I sort of shied away not understanding how to cook them or thought you had to cook them down for hours with bacon grease or ham hocks. But of course like most vegetables that were once cooked until all life was missing, someone figured out how to keep the color and flavors and take out most of the fat. I just cooked them quickly in a bit of olive oil and garlic, added a few fun friends like chick peas and soy sauce and they were great, very flavorful. They taste a bit like broccoli rabe but not as bitter. Now I think some of the more cabbagey greens have to be cooked longer. I'll mess with those another time.

So, I had a nice dinner and I managed a word out of P. I asked him, where do you think all the pigeons went during the tornado and he mumbled, 'probably in the sewers'. He hasn't heard a word I've said all night clearly.

But I'm a big enough nerd that I will entertain myself tonight by researching multiple ways to cook greens. Bitter! Party of one, Bitter!