You're the Bone Machine

Southwest Turkey Soup

Basically, this is a lazy girl's Tortilla Soup, made with leftover Christmas turkey bird and the extra vegetables I needed to use up.  In a way, it's better than chicken because the flavors complement each other so well.  It's best to make your own chips but store bought with a broth this good, is more than okay.

Boiling the carcass to get all the rich broth and extra meat off the bones takes no effort.  Throw it in a large pot with cold water and then all the ugly bits you did not use, like the celery base, carrot bottoms and tops, a whole garlic bulb, onion, peppercorns and bay leaves.  Leave it simmer until all the flavors have released, then drain for an awesome broth base.  Bring the stock back to a boil and add corn, red potatoes, shredded turkey, cilantro and/or dill, a can of diced tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, carrot, a squeeze of lime and top with cheese, sour cream and corn chips.  If you had zucchini that would be great in this.  Also adding a little rice is nice.  

Gigantic, a Big Big Love

Fried Pork Chop, Poached Eggs over Toast and Hash Browns

I'm a huge fan of a giant biggie girl breakfast as the main or only meal of the day.  It's easy to forget about thin pork chops as an option but I'm here to report they work quite nicely.  They cook up quickly and respond well to a simple s&p or a marinade.

Don't Give me No Shit Because I've Been Tired!

Castro's Mexican Breakfast

Chiliquiles, with a three-napkin hot sauce.  I ordered the extra hot because I didn't want the real Mexican waitresses to think I can't handle it, not that they'd care.  I was sweating and blowing my nose but I got through it and it was divine!  There is magic in a good red sauce that has a tangy flavor that powers through the heat.  I love much of the food here.  The menu is huge so of course not everything is special but much of it is.  I come for the food, and I like the vibe, mellow and easy. 

The waitresses always gloat on my husband but never ask me if I'd like a refill or more water, more napkins. They don't smile at me or make eye contact.  This is why I appreciate male waiters.  There's never any nonsense and they keep that glass filled.  But this time, she crossed the line when she asked if we wanted separate checks, which I thought was slimy but we got a kick out of it and it didn't stop me from ordering extra tamales to go.  I work crazy long hours and I'm exhausted.  All I want is a festive setting and good food.  I know there is amazing Mexican food in this town but this place is more like a small familiar taquerias in the west, even though it's tucked into the sketchy edges of Clinton Hill.  

Afterwards our neighborhood featured the Dance Afrika festival and had tons of cool stands set up with dresses & hats, figurines and art.  The food here should be out of this world but much of the time, the vendors are of the more carnival variety, not as special and pricey.  Although I'm sure there are several exceptions.  

Levitate Me, Higher Place

Kofta-like Lettuce Burgers

So, yes, I'm taking liberties with the title. Ground meat mixed with dried spices, lots of parsley, onions, garlic, but in this case using ground turkey not beef or lamb.  And like a big dumb American, I added the unnecessary cheese that didn't even stay on the meat.  

A little Tzatziki sauce would do well on these

Lettuce Kofta wraps, if you will and you really should because take it from me, someone who has ground turkey frequently, adding different herbs changes this meat dramatically. The dried spices as well.  In fact, ground turkey is a blank canvas but unlike ground chicken, it rises to the occasion when you attempt to elevate it.

You're the Bone Machine

Like a smart little squirrel, I stored my nuts for the winter by putting my turkey carcass from the holidays in the freezer, along with one of the breasts.  First a delicious stock was created giving the bones a place to shed their last nutrients.  Then carrots, celery, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves and noodles went into the crock pot with the shredded breast meat, and stock for the most comforting of soups.  A squeeze of lemon and red pepper flakes in your serving bowl is advised for maximum pleasure. 

I added Thai Brown rice noodles 30 minutes before it was done

Turkey Carcass Crock Soup

With Your Feet On the Air and Your Head On the Ground

Yesterday, as I drowned out my daily concerns by listening to David Attenborough describe the soothing daily life of penguins, I did that thing.  You know, that thing when you look at your phone news feed in the middle of the day, even though you promised yourself once in the morning and once a night is best. The headlines read something like: Breaking News! - Trump To Issue Draconian Measures for NYC.  In my mind there was an exclamation mark.  I hurriedly go to the video clip.  It's Trump outside, looking pretty casual, stating matter-of-fact-ly, he may issue a 'quarantine' for all of New York City, parts of Jersey, maybe Connecticut, maybe.  He doesn't know, maybe needed, maybe.  That he may announce it later on today. That he hopes he won't have to, but he might.   At this point, I feel we should demand an interpreter travel with this man.  What the hell is he talking about! Even in my head I sound frantic.  And why does it sound like he's threatening us?  But wait, I consider, we already are in a state-wide shelter in place mandate, many are in real quarantines....  Before I can go further he continues, They’re having problems down in Florida. A lot of New Yorkers going down... don’t want that... heavily infected.”  His exact words, as always broken up, unclear. 

I rush to put this through my Trump decoder ring.  I repeat the video, try to piece together a sentence.  And in the end, I agree, New Yorkers should not be traveling to Florida right now unless we're able to test beforehand.  That is one thing.  But a lock down, travel ban on our biggest city?! People are going to go apeshit.  Oh shit, this isn't good, I say to myself as the reality starts to sink in.

Now, some of you living in New York City or L.A. have a common paranoid scenario fire storm forming in the back of your mind these days.  Every now and then you'll throw another fear on it, usually in the form of a what if.   What if the food markets close down. They go on and on and we must minimize unnecessary creation of these little logs.  But one of my biggest what ifs, is what if they restrict us from leaving the city?  Thank goodness, that I was late in hearing the news and Trump in the next hour would clarify, as much as he is capable, on Twitter what he actually meant to say.  Or more likely, after someone told him, he can't do that.  But not before many of us caught a heart attack and started into panic mode. 

Leftover birthday beef enchilada for dinner helped to calm the nerves. Also, one of my favorites, salsa over rice.  

Gigantic, A Big, Big Love

Here we are eating giant salads for dinner again.  This one with black beans, dressed greens, green apple and feta cheese was super refreshing.  Of course you have to ease into these things, so I served it with hunks of salted juicy slow roasted pork shoulder on the side.

Somebody getting in the 4th spirit early with the Statue of Liberty above their door. 

You have to really squint but there is a lady laying across the roots of this poor tree. 

I had a day off and took a walk in the park while the pork was smelling up the apartment after a just for me breakfast of leftover bok choy, black and brown rice and egg to make a quick Breakfast fried rice.  This was one of those cook's plates.  Little odd dishes that taste so special to just you the cook.

Where Is My Mind? Where Is My Mind?

I go back and forth wondering if I'm depressed or just kinda boring now.  I really don't want to do a lot of extra things outside of my regularly scheduled programming on most days.  Sometimes I'm up for anything!  But full disclosure, that's true only in theory.  I usually hate the idea, at first.  But I can be talked into things very easily.  Well, I guess that's not all the way correct either.  Listen, I enjoy many occasions. I do like to go on walks.  I like eating at restaurants.  I love being in the movie theater.  I love live music and would go more often if P would also enjoy it.  But you know at this point we have these like rider lists where it's all good but, with conditions.  For example, at a live show, I need to know there are bathrooms accessible and nearby.  P wants confirmed seating and is not down with all day outdoor concerts anymore.  Stuff like that.  So sometimes when you want something to happen you gotta sort of negotiate with your spouse.  It's like an honest business transaction, usually easy enough but also very easy to blow off.

Especially when you really don't care either way.  And that sounds sad but actually it's just a testament to how content I am a good portion of the time, until I'm not.  I do my thing.  I work full time and we have scattered hours from each other, so each week is different and when we connect we have fun and laugh.  We've been together 25 years, so we've done the date nights, we've had hundreds of romantic times and have lived spontaneously, we've fought and took it out of each other.  Now, we sort of play it by ear.  Let the chips fall where they may.

I fall deeply in love with my alone time especially when P is in the house doing something himself. It's the best of both worlds.  I love space to nurse an idea leisurely, like what to make for dinner.  I study the ingredients and finally make the dinner as the actual activity.  Eating is the bonus finish and then I'm pretty much good.  If I can accomplish one task like that after work, exercise, shower and clean up than I consider that a good full day.

I have these silent experiments and afterwards go back and quietly critique my own work.   I'm always considering stories and how it relates back to the meal I just made.  I write myself continuous emails & notes.  Those singular thoughts that will form a ball at some point. If I'm trying something new or special, then I'll photograph it all angles, all lights.  Do you know how hard it is to get an appetizing food pic?  Let me tell you it's not easy and sometimes damn near impossible.  It's kinda weird to do all this but I seem to enjoy it.

I can't smoke or grill in this tiny apartment so a jerk rubbed chicken and vegetables was as close as I was gonna get to authentic.  Roasted cauliflower, chick peas and brussel sprouts also jerk spiced were the perfect bed.

I think my conclusion is that I am neither boring or depressed but possibly an eccentric recluse who likes to cook.