PopPop's Summer Dinner for Two

My grandfather is likely the most genuine romantic I know. A genuine bon vivant in every sense, I like to think that I've been learning from the best when it comes to finding life absolutely delicious- particularly when it comes to love and food.

That said, when your muse and mentor emails you with a new recipe, resistance is futile if it was ever present at all. Without further ado, here is Arnie Baby, verbatim:

There are some food that have such natural flavor that it needs very little, if any at all, additional taste enhancements. Take a nice ripe summer yellow peach. Put on a bib and take a big bite, letting the juice flow over your fingers, your mouth, chin, nose, and whatever. Mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmm. How could you even think of adding anything to it? Same goes for other food stuff. Such as . . . Well, Jennifer was coming over for the weekend and I was making dinner for a summer evening. So, I went to the local Whole Foods where they have wonderful fresh fish. Got to the counter and the guy asks what I am looking for, so I tell him, something light and tasty. In a nanosecond, he told me "Scallops," and pointed to a tray of wonderful bay scallop shellfish each about the size of my "shooter" marble I used in competition when I was nine or ten years old. I asked about preparation and he told me nothing but rolled in flour and sizzled in very hot canola oil = these babies have natural sweetness.

He was soooooooo right. Here's what I did: I made a salad (details coming up), and started some nice Italian risotto in my ricer = a present from one of my nice female Japanese students a long, long time ago. Then, I patted the 3/4 pound of bay scallops with paper towels and rolled them around in some flour in an aluminum dish. I heated my copper bottom oval pan, sprayed with canola Pam and added high heat canola oil about paper thin. I felt for the heat by holding my palm about three inches from the pan. I tossed the scallops in = remembering the advice to let cooking scallops lie: Don't mess with them or you give up the nice brown toasty bottom you should get. Four minutes later toss them around for an extra minute and then pop them onto the bed of rice. The french baguette was warm from the oven. The wine was L'Ecole #41 Semillon. Bon Appetit. Nice fresh peach = I told you so = for dessert.

Okay, the salad: A small bowl for each of us, lined with the best parts of butter lettuce, some hardboiled egg in slivers, raisins, macadamia nuts, goat cheese, bits of red onion, and (surprise to the taste buds) red pickled sweet peppers. Of course, drizzle some good olive oil, zinfandel vinegar, 1 minced clove of garlic & grey poupon mustard mixture for dressing. Just feel it out.


TKTC NOTE: The photo above is my recreation made the very night I got his email. What's strange is I'd already been craving scallops out loud when this appeared! Dear Universe, right on.

My version was tweaked just a touch. I dredged the scallops in flour with two light shakes of cinnamon and some sea salt in the mix. Gave it a good shake and tossed them in a sieve to release any extra flour. Pan friend them in Pam and they really were perfect. Instead of rice, I served over chopped romaine with dried Michigan cherries, goat cheese, crushed macadamia nuts and some sliced red onion. That dressing combo is tried and true Pop and I stuck with it. Wow. Now THAT'S a summer salad!

Fabuleaux, Pop!

Epicurious Alchemist Presents Chicken Tetrazini & Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes!!!

TKTC Note: The following Guest Post is courtesy of the Epicurious Alchemist, a friend who I can now share cooking blogs with in real life! In his day job, EA is a chem grad student in Hyde Park. But by NIGHT...giving Jamie Oliver a run for his quid. Also- his almost-wifey puts up with our shenanigans, keeps our wine glasses full and helps me clean cake batter up "manually."

So to all you other famous bloggers this may seem very ho hum, but I’m feeling quite honored to be guest posting on TKTC. I was invited earlier to share a recipe for homemade ravioli, but I made it and it was kinda cardboardy, so that may have to wait another six months. I need to get married and get the pasta roller I registered for first.

TKTC Note: If anyone has played the registry game or has some good registry item suggestions, leave em in the comments for love.

I haven’t been cooking for long, but I’m definitely enjoying it. As a chemistry graduate student, I practically do the same crap at work (mixing, heating, etc.). However, working with far less dangerous ingredients and getting to eat my final product makes cooking a little more gratifying in the short-term.

So here goes. The main dish was a chicken tetrazzini, and the recipe can be found here. It looks much harder than it actually is. My observations/thoughts:

• This did take awhile to make, but it’s only because I didn’t plan ahead very well. I think that’s a rookie mistake on my part. TKTC Note: I swear to God, timing is the HARDEST part of cooking. Period.
  
• I thought it could have used more garlic, but I love Italian food so just go based on your own tastes.
• Don’t get chicken that’s too thick. I got huge chicken breasts, and the outsides got a little too brown because the chicken refused to cook through. It wasn’t the end of the world, but you could tell where the chicken was in the final product because the outside was tougher.
• Not enough salt at all! I may have undersalted the chicken too. I solved this problem by adding more parmesan. TKTC supports this measure but also thinks better undersalt than over.
• This stuff reheats great. It’s very creamy so you’ll never get something dry and dull out of the microwave.

The cupcakes made for dessert are courtesy of Whipped, another fantastic cooking blog. These turned out great no thanks to me. I didn’t plan my night very well, so Jessi ended up making these pretty much herself. They were delicious and they also store very well. I will say that I liked them better chilled than at room temperature. Great for breakfast (my guilty pleasure); I drink red-eyes straight up in the morning, so the sweetness in the cupcakes is perfect.

TKTC Note: Are you joking? Not about the red-eyes (I've seen it in action, Blech) but I love baking. You bought all the ingredients and set me up with a sweet standing mixer and an oven that was installed within the last 46 years. That was GREAT!

TKTC Note: I will say that per the frosting, don't let your butter MELT and keep an eye on consistency. Ours could have benefited from using the buttercream recipe in Barefoot Contessa, only adding lemon zest and juice instead of chocolate. Mine just didn't stand up too well this time (hence photo of EA licking off his shoe).

Jessi, thank you so much for the opportunity to guest post and getting me started cooking. I’m not even kidding when I say your kitchen (yes with the tiny half-functional stove) and those brie cups made me want to start cooking, and here I am. And as a thank you for both making the cupcakes and letting me post, I’m gonna bring this next time we all do a dinner.

TKTC Note: One of my favorite things to come of this blog is that my friends who perennially said they "can't cook" are now seeing that it's pretty easy. And highly rewarding on every front. Welcome to the fray, EA!

Sautee the mushrooms- let the amazing smells begin!

Brown and shred the chicken- either go with a thin-med breast or you should consider poaching it in brother rather than baking it. This allows for moist, even cooking and in a dish like this that matters more than the presentation (Hello? it's getting shredded anway.)

Chop garlic & onions (Lisa is pretty great at this- look how uniform that is!)

Stay on that wine. This is imperative to the cooking process.

But not SO on the wine that you drop the salt shaker IN the Bechamel Sauce. Perhaps THIS is why it was undersalted, EA. Sorry about that!

Smells like wine, garlic, onion, baked chicken & heaven.

Ready for the oven!

Too hot to handle. No worries, they're registering for real cupcake pans.

The beginnings of frosting= butter and lemon zest.

I really need one of these mixers. Look, Ma! No hands!

Happy, artsy cupcakes.

Mouth full of cupcakes: Make it work!

Thanks Dave...we'll be collaborating again verrry shortly as I am thoroughly impressed. And really hungry now.

Unapproved Guest Post from Brother

My brother has been one of my best music resources for a very long time. Looong before I found MySpace, Jonk and Emusic, he seemed to find the good stuff ahead of the general population. He also has both a good hold on what I like and a threshold for things I could come to like if subtly eased into.

Like rap- I'm not listening to a whole lot of Akon (took me a pause just to have an example) but I really like Black Star, Common and, most recently, the ironically named Little Brother thanks to my own. Not exactly Hotel Cafe, but it adds a little interest to my iTunes. You should still check the Hotel Cafe Tour list and get your tickets. Good music, good company and all that fun.

That said, Brother had a new rec today so instead of paraphrasing, I figured I would lay it down straight up from sibling. I did not ask permission but find nothing offensive so, Brother, you're now guest-editing. Congratulations:

I have a new favorite band - Vampire Weekend.

It should suffice to tell you that one of the best songs on the album (self-titled) is called Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, but I'll continue. To me, this is what it would sound like if Paul Simon scored a Wes Anderson movie.

My buddy Danny made the point that the CD came out too early, that it'd be much better as a summer album. I agree, but I'd say we deserve a little respite from the cold.

Sidenote: I'm a latecomer, evidently. They're playing at the MFA in Boston on Saturday night, and it's completely sold out. Tickets on eBay and Stubhub are going for around 200/pair. Yuck. It's hard to compete for indie acts like this when you've got Cambridge to the north and the Berklee School of Music right next door. Hipster fucks.

And there you have it...one of my favorite kinds of emails, verbatim. And by the by, take a little listen to Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa on MySpace and tell me that description wasn't DEAD ON. I'm even a little miffed because I just figured out that they'll be at the Metro on April 6th. Same night the Blitzen boys will be at Schuba's (and in all probability, spread out on my living room floor). Maybe there's a joint after-party to be organized. Not at my house- I'd be evicted!

The Also Rans: Other newbies in the iPod mix are Jukebox from Cat Power, Yael Naïm, Basia Bulat (via Jonk AND Emusic- ha) and I watch this video because it gives me chills and I'm still looking for the MP3.

Adventures in Contemporary Education: Part III

Last week, we were growing lettuce, mustard, and collard greens to see
photosynthesis. One of the students turns to me and says, "Ms.
Gromit, we should've grown weed. Everyone would come to class if we
start growing weed up in here." He later asked me if I knew where he
could buy THC spray. I didn't know.

I was called motherf&%^*#$ ugly ass p^$*. I barely blinked, and
closed the door in the boy's face.

Last week, a teacher got so upset with a student that she grabbed the
student by the neck and pushed her up against the wall. Two days later
she was back....self defense baby!

A male student head butted a teacher.One of the vice principals is so sassy and confrontational that
finally her secretary had had enough....and hit her in the head with a
telephone.
Yesterday we went on lockdown -- they thought a student had a gun in
school. Cops came in and searched the whole place including lockers.
They didn't find a gun, but they found a LOT of weed.
TKTC Note: I know, I couldn't believe I found this picture either.On Friday, two male students were busted having sex together in the
bathroom across from my room. Afternoon Delight.

Today we had an ambulance at school because one of our female students
went into labor. The thing is, there's so many pregnant girls, nobody
knew which one!

I hate to break the news to you guys, but there may only be one more
Notes from the Hood. (SHOCK, THE HORROR, GASP) I've received an offer
to go work at a nice Catholic school. Pretty sure I'm gonna take it.Didn't really take too much consideration, given the content of my
e-mails. I'll start at the new school right after Christmas break.
Hopefully I'll have a couple of good stories to end on in the next
week to make a grand finale!!

TKTC Note: As one who knows several miscreant products of the Catholic school system, I feel like Ms. Gromit may still find a few details worth mentioning. Teenagers are teenagers after all- plaid or no. I’ll try for a check in next semester.

Adventures in Contemporary Education Part II

Second installment from Ekuawlim public school teacher/TKTC Guest Editor Jennifer Gromit. This is a good time to remind everyone that TKTC is a BIG supporter of public schools and an even bigger supporter of its teachers. That said, JG has found the humor in the daily absurdities of her job and I appreciate the absurd. Happy Lunch Break- on to Part II:

Last week was the EKCE tests....you know, those standardized tests
that you have to take in school every couple of years. I was in charge
of proctoring the test to about twenty students. One of my kids -- who
is usually good -- was having a sassy day and decided not to do a
whole section. I went up to him to try to convince him to work, but
walked away defeated. Ten minutes later another teacher tried and was
shot down. The principal came in and asked him to do the work and he
refused. Can you imagine? Refusing to test....to the principal's face?
I would have been dead.One of my students had his eye scratched while playing basketball. All
last week he walked around with an eye patch until it healed. A group
of students came into my room, and I thought I smelled pot. So I went
sniffing. When I got to eye patch boy, he informed me that he wasn't
smoking pot while wearing the eye patch. I asked why. He said "I don't
know...it just don't seem like a good idea to be walking around all
stoned with just one eye. Bad things are gonna happen."

There was something in the water today...the kids were crazy!! I
suspended eight kids. Eight!! One of the kids was so mad at me that he
said "Well fuck you...you....hillbilly. Yeah, you're a motherfucking
hillbilly." You know it's a weird day in the hood when the best insult
he had for me was hillbilly.
Yesterday, a girl in my fifth hour informed me that she was getting
married this June. I looked on her finger, and sure enough there was a
cubic zirconium ring on her finger. I asked how he proposed. They were
eating at the Golden Corral and she got up to go to the bathroom. He
followed her into the bathroom. He got down on both knees in the
women's bathroom in the Golden Corral and proposed. No words.

Adventures in Contemporary Education Part 1

My policy is not to post from the office for several reasons but right around lunch this week when my only duty is to post someone else's material- THAT I can handle without getting too far off my checklist. It will also allow me to finish what has unofficially become Guest Editor week, which I have loved and hope to continue getting submissions for. TKTC offers free name/location altering services and a semi-fake bio should you choose anonymity.

That in mind, I was having a short-lived pity party that I'd not saved a little Bridezilla to help us through the end of the week when my friend shot an email over at end of day. The email included three installments from his friend Jennifer Gromit's email updates on her life as a science teacher in what could be called an "animated" high school. By the end of the email I was laughing so loudly that my boss popped out of her office and into mine to see what the ruckus was. After reading a piece aloud, it was determined to indeed be funny. Got JGromit's permission and away we go- a friend of friend Guest Editor. Welcome to the fray...

Halloween Edition: Well, it certainly was a full moon last week. On Monday, during my last period class, I had to hold back girls from fighting...over a colored pencil. I had one girl while the teacher next door was holding back the other girl. A book was thrown and it hit the other teacher in the head. Did I mention that one of the girls is five months pregnant?Wednesday was Halloween, and we had a Halloween dance after lunch. First of all, the dancing was so X-rated. Visualize vertical sex and dry humping. The kids kept asking me when I was going to dance. My response was "when they play my song." Well, Soulja Boy comes on towards the end of the dance, and I decide to take my fifteen seconds of fame. I find some of my students and bust out the Soulja Boy. The kids started laughing and before I knew it, it had twenty kids around me in a circle saying "Ms. Gromit! Ms. Gromit! Ms. Gromit!" I quickly exited the scene, but I think that I earned a little bit of cred. Later during the dance, there was a violent confrontation between me and a student. I wouldn't let him make out with his girlfriend. He decided to push me and threaten my life. Its a long story...but two security guards had to hold him back, the police were called, and he's going to be expelled. Ahh, Ekuawlim Public Schools.
TKTC: Abby, I am happy to report that your students are not only ones apparently enjoying their teacher's "Soulja Boy" talent Friday, we were working with microscopes. We were looking at cheek cells. One of my boys asked me what kind of cheeks...face or butt. I looked at him and said "Do you think I want your stinky ass all over my slides?" Everyone laughed and he said, "Man, Ms. Gromit, I can always count on you to keep me straight. You my n%**#. You'll always be my n%**#."

And finally, my students were working in groups and the discussion turned to talking about gay people. I was ready to shut it down, but it wasn't being disrespectful and they were having a good talk. Out of nowhere, one of my female students admits to the class that she likes girls. She just came out....in the middle of biology class.