Give peas a chance

Do you ever just HAVE to make something that you've seen on TV? I have.

On this last season of "Top Chef" there was an incident with stolen pea puree. My version turned out so-so. It can easily overpower the entire dish, so using it sparingly is key. I used an online recipe. It was very easy to make. A little olive oil, sea salt, mint, pepper ...

Moo and Rosemary's

A few weeks back we went for ice cream — at two different places. Yes, I still have Easter pics to post ...

Pizza by Liam

Barbecue chicken pizza with green apples, bacon bits and green onions. He put on several of the apples slices and stole hunks of the chicken while we were making it, so happy to be helping mama in the kitchen. But he refused to eat his slice afterward. I think barbecue sauce is a deal breaker for him.

It's been raining for days now, which I love. There's nothing like lounging around with your PJ-clad kids while droplets hum on the window. The boys have been under the weather lately, so there have many naps around these parts, which I love. Before the outbreak we ate at Panera Bread — a chain that specializes in sandwiches and soups. David is addicted to their broccoli cheddar soup. To save a little money and keeping with the wet weather, I decided to make my own soup. It's really easy, and so much better than soup from a can. Try it!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a stockpot. Add onion, garlic and pepper; cook for 1 minute then stir in broccoli, and stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile whisk flour into milk until dissolved. Stir into soup stirring frequently until thickened. Reduce heat, and stir in cheese until melted and heated through.
3. Season with salt to taste.

Tabbouleh adventure

Watching Food Network is always a treacherous thing when you're a plump stay-at-home mom. It can either inspire you to whip up delicious low-fat entrees in your kitchen or propel you into a potato chip bag at warp speed. I happened to catch an episode of "30-Minute Meals" recently and luckily I became inspired.

I've never eaten tabbouleh salad and watched in fascination as she grated lemon zest, carrying on about how glorious the concoction smelled. It's typically served in spring/summer, being that it is a cold salad. It's also a healthier alternative to macaroni or potato. So, not letting the dreary winter weather break my stride, I set out to make the dish.

Days later when I couldn't find Ray's recipe online, I consulted my favorite voluptuous foodie, Nigella Lawson. I have one of her cookbooks that David got me a few years ago. I ran into my biggest obstacle at dreaded Vons. Why can't the store catering to affluent white women in track suits have bulghur? I had to improvise mid-store — I wasn't about to retreat. I discovered Israeli couscous can easily substitute for the wheat. It's toothier than regular couscous, and was marvelous in my recipe. No wonder they're the chosen people. Mazel! But next time I will use bulghur.

1 cup medium bulghur

juice of two lemons, grated zest

2/3 cup olive oil, or more if needed

salt and fresh black pepper

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

12 scallions cut into rings (white and green parts)

2 small red onion, minced

6 tomatoes finely chopped

Half English cucumber chopped

1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

Put bulghur in bowl, cover it with boiling water, soak 30 minutes, drain as much water out as possible. Mushy bulghur won't be good. Next, stir in everything else. Taste the final product to see if needs more seasoning.

I promise you this tabbouleh will be a welcome change. I paired mine with grilled turkey burgers/pepper jack cheese wrapped in leafy green lettuce — the low-carb bun. David had his on a flat-wheat bun, 100 calories each.

In my current domestic state ...

I kept telling both sets of parents not to buy me anything for Christmas, but they did not comply. And I'm SO GLAD they didn't listen to me! My gifts are so outstanding, it warms my heart to think they know me so well. My love and gratitude to my parents, Steve and Shirley, my in-laws Susan, Michael and Debra. Here's a run down:

Stainless steel pots and pans by Emeril.

A monogrammed cake pan. It also has my full name inscribed on the bottom. (Both last names, the way I want to be known.)

An onion keeper for those pesky half onions that stink up the refrigerator.

Handmade chocolate soy candles that are so unbelievably fragrant.

Handmade bag for cooking baked potatoes in the microwave.

Garlic keeper.

Pinwheel serving set. This will be great for when I start my Sunday Night Dinners.

Liam's Chicken 'N' Waffles

As you may know, Chicken and waffles originated in Harlem and was made famous on the West Coast by Roscoe's House of Chicken' N Waffles in Los Angeles. I've never had the pleasure of eating there, but I have tried it here in Bakersfield. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Liam and comfort food was my middle name. I remember David saying we should try to make a movie before the baby came (who knows when we'd ever get to go again), and me being hugely pregnant and hugely hungry suggested we try this new Southern restaurant before the show. I think I licked every last drop of syrup off the plate. Satisfied with our new culinary find (J's Place on Ming Avenue) we headed for our matinee: "The Departed." I'm not sure if it was the waffles or Scorsese, but my little man kicked throughout the entire film. So, I've been meaning to make this dish since Liam was born, but never had the right mix of gumption to get it done until now. This one's for my baby.

Liam's Chicken 'N' Waffles

Serves about four

2 large chicken breasts cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups of panko

salt

Krusteaz waffle mix

syrup

butter

Cut breasts into pieces and let them soak in buttermilk for about an hour. Add a dash of salt to mixture. Dredge pieces in panko then fry in vegetable oil until crispy. Serve with waffles/butter/syrup.

We do a lot of "breakfast for dinner" and this is a great dish for kids.

Exploding eggs and dementia

I almost burned the house down last night. All I wanted were some hard-boiled eggs. I'm on a diet, don't ask.

It all started when I put six eggs in a pot of water and preceded to catch up with "Tori and Dean" and slog through "Flipping Out." Somewhere between the two, Liam stumbled in the room, eyes closed, reaching up for me. Two a.m. rolls around and my arm is numb from the quarter-pounder laying on me, so I carry us both to bed. Next thing I know, I hear David:

"Mommy, uh ..."

It was close to 5 a.m. and the smell of cooked eggs saturated the house. I think it still stinks. And those eggs were the expensive cage-free, organic variety ... damn!

Tomatillo! Tomatillo! Tomatillo!

Not only does David save lives, he cooks gourmet Mexican feasts, too. Just your average Tuesday night, and voila ... mouth-watering mesquite-grilled chicken with a tomatillo-anaheim chile-cilantro sauce paired with a side of ranch beans/rice (homemade) and grilled corn on the cob rubbed in chili powder. No special occasion. He just "felt like cooking." And surprise, he prepared dessert as well: grilled peach halves that had been soaked in honey and cinnamon and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I would have snapped a pic had I not been licking my dinner plate. Forget about the California king keeping this marriage together ... it's all about his inner chef mojo.

Step away from the red pepper flakes!

So, I finally made the sesame noodle recipe. I'm sort of obsessed with Japanese soba noodles now. I found mine at World Market, although I've seen them before in Albertsons' ethnic section. I can't recall if Trader Joe's has them — too busy worrying about getting plowed over by a manic yuppy. I pretty much followed the recipe, but I did give the peppers, tofu a light saute, and I omitted the cucumbers because David isn't a fan. The dish turned out lovely except for one minor problem. IT WAS HOT AS HELL. It calls for one teaspoon of red pepper flakes, but you're also using a tablespoon of ginger and some garlic and perhaps the combo of those spicy ingredients was just too much for the poor soba to absorb. Or maybe I'm just a whimpy white girl who don't know jack. If you make it, I would scale back on the flakes.

Make this and let me know how it turns out, will ya

Peanut Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Gourmet, June 2002

Servings: Makes 6 side-dish or 4 vegetarian main-course servings.

For peanut dressing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or a splash of the hot sauce or chili paste of your choice

For noodles
3/4 lb dried soba nooodles (dried linguine fini or spaghetti will work in a pinch)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
Half a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Purée dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water. Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, cucumber and tofu to dressing, tossing to combine. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

The six W's

Why do I still have a gazillion lemons after giving bags and bags away? And why, for that matter, is citrus season not in the summer when people like to sip on margaritas and lemonade? Lemons are like lobsters — treasured until they infiltrate your life.



Why do I deserve a man who cooks meals like this? I don't eat a lot of red meat, but when I do, I like to gnash on filet mignon. J'adore, mon chere. J'adore.


Why do you suppose a 15-month-old who runs to his highchair in anticipation to "feeeeeeet" would fall asleep during a meal? Must have been the velvety filet mignon. (Same night).



Why oh why did I have to inherit my beloved granny's non-existant lips? And why does my nose look enormous here? This is why I take the pictures, not pose in them.



Why does this kid turn into a Tasmanian devil when I leave the room for two seconds? Kleenex, score!


Why do boys sweat when they sleep?

He's bald, he's shiny and his name starts with O

It's the most wonderful time of year. Yes, it's Oscar time. This holiday ranks up there with Christmas, Fourth of July for me. J'adore le cinema! The Academy Awards makes the Super Bowl look like a re-run of "T.J. Hooker." I have been waiting for this Sunday for weeks. And yet, I haven't seen ANY of the movies. I think this might be a first. I didn't even see "Ratatouille," and I call myself American ... No matter. The glitz, the jewels, the bad Ryan Seacrest interviews (I miss the irreverent Joan Rivers) are all worth it.

This holiday would not do without snacks, per tradition. This year, the boy and myself got what I thought was an early start and headed to Trader Joe's. BIG MISTAKE. Every southwestian decided to show up only to stand in front of the cheese section staring at the muenster for 7 minutes. After slaloming the aisles, we made our way to the checkout where our cashier paid Liam a rather peculiar compliment.

"I like your eye balls," the red head said to my giggly 14-month-old. "Pretty blue."

Did she just say eye balls? Why not just say eyes? That alone was worth schlepping across town.



Snacks were:

Jumbo shrimp and cocktail sauce with a dollop of horseradish
Garlic naan
Sparkling pink lemonade
Jalapeno-stuffed green olives (not shown)
Vegan chocolate chip cookies (not shown)

Taco salad el gringo

I'm not the resident chef at mi casa. That'd be my fantastically talented husband. But on my days off I try to come up with something. It's usually meatless, to the chagrin of David. I'm fairly competent with the carbs — my arch nemesis. Me and carbs, we're like *that* (me crossing my fingers to show our tightness).

Monday's concoction was no different. Vegetarians could be heard applauding ...



reduced fat corn chips
pinto beans
reduced fat sharp cheddar
romaine
homegrown avocados (from a priest's garden)
organic tomatoes
black olives
reduced fat sour cream
sprinkle of day-off mojo