Greek Chicken & Orzo

This is the perfect dish that knock a powerhouse punch to your taste buds. Not only is it delicious, but it's one of those easy dishes that once served, your guests won't believe it didn't take hours. Well, it did take hours, but the slow cooker takes care of the time; most of the necessary preparation comes in the form of herbs, spices, the orzo, and browning the chicken.

Lightly coat the slow cooker with a non-stick spray; I don't really like to use a lot of this stuff, so I generally spray a paper towel and quickly wipe along the inside - just enough to ensure the food doesn't stick.

Cut 2 medium green bell peppers into thin strips, and along with 1 cup of a chopped onion (I like the sweet vidalia) toss these into the crock pot. Take 8 chicken thighs, and while a bit of olive oil is heating in a large saute pan, give them a good rinse, pat them dry and toss them in the pan, browning on both sides. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken and the juices that collected on the plate into the crock pot and cook on High 3-4 hours or Low 5-6 hours.

When you have about a half hour left, transfer the chicken to a plate, cover, and crank the crock pot to high. Stir in 8 ounces of uncooked dry orzo, 1/2 cup of water, the juice and zest of one medium lemon (not a tiny one, folks, a big one!) and some salt and pepper.  Add the chicken and the collected juices back into the crock pot and cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.

Plate. Top with crumbled feta and fresh chopped parsley. Serve. Devour.

Vending Machines

Vending machines have been around since the 1880's when the first coin-operated machine was invented in London to dispense post cards. Since then, they have dispensed everything from cigarettes to candy to ice cream to souvenirs to contraceptives to feminine hygiene products to toiletries to comic books to art and the list only grows longer.

The most common offering  of vending machines is junk food. So when I was killing time in an Atlantic City Casino a few weeks ago waiting for the bus back to Philly after a lovely beach trip, I wasn't surprised by the cookies, cheese doodles, and chips but what did catch my eye was the bottom row. In addition to the usual junk food to fuel their hunger, patrons may also take their pick of Alka-Seltzer, Advil, or Extra Strength Tylenol.

Oh Atlantic City, New Jersey, how I love you so.

Salmon with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce, Red Pepper Basmati Rice, Summer Squash and Zucchini

We recently subscribed to Cooking Light magazine and when I came across a variation of this dish, I decided to try it out. Am I ever glad I did - it is simple, light, and mouthwatering. The original recipe called for Arctic Char and coconut jasmine rice, but since I'm a real rebel, I used salmon, made some basmati rice and sauteed summer vegetables. 

For the cilantro-yogurt sauce, combine 1/2 cup of 2% Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup of finely chopped and peeled cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of one lime, and a bit of salt. Chill.

 Bring 1 cup of basmati rice, a dash of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red peppers to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Dice one red bell pepper and set aside; once the rice has finished cooking, mix this pepper into the rice and stir before plating.

While the rice cooks, heat a smidge of olive oil in a medium sized frying pan. Add garlic, salt and pepper in a  and toss 1 sliced summer squash and 1 sliced zucchini, stirring  frequently. Heat a large frying pan and add the salmon fillets, seasoned with salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 lime each. I squeezed the remainder of the limes into my vegetables just for fun.

After dishing the fish, vegetables, and rice with diced bell pepper, spoon the cilantro-yogurt sauce on the fish and rice. Serve and devour.

An Ode to New Orleans: BBQ Shrimp

No, I didn't make BBQ Shrimp, but since I have been so insanely busy with an upcoming art exhibit whose central theme is New Orleans, I thought it would be lovely to put up a tale about my experience with the quintessential plate of New Orleans, BBQ Shrimp.

In March of 2007 I spent almost two weeks in New Orleans, living and working in the Lower Ninth Ward at Common Ground headquarters, St Mary's School of the Angels, tearing down and rebuilding the lower nine that had been absolutely ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Much of the lower nine was a ghost town resembling a war torn country in a time capsule that took you back to August 29, 2005 and I was there to offer myself to assist in the rebuilding. My camera came along for the ride and as a means of honoring the recently passed 5 Anniversary of Katrina, some of the black and white photographs will be on display until the end of October.

One evening, a friend of mine who lives in New Orleans took me out for a hearty, traditional, New Orleans dinner. The drinks were flowing, the conversation was loud and bawdy and full of laughter, and my dinner arrived with their faces still on. Yes, you heard me correctly - the shrimp were staring up at me out of a mouthwatering sauce of garlic, butter, lemon, herbs, and spices, spices, spices! Served alongside crusty french bread for dipping, this hands-on creole dish is said to have been created by Pascale Manale in 1913, and contrary to its name, contains no BBQ sauce. Why it's called BBQ shrimp, this Yankee will never know, but I do know that it was absolutely delicious - that is of course, after one of my dinner companions seated to my immediate left very kindly offered to peel my shrimp for me :)

Apple and Sage Pork Chops

This photo and recipe come from McCormick, the American food company specializing in spices. My Librarian and I stumbled upon a few of these pre-packaged meal spice packs while cruising through the supermarket one night. Generally the spices we use are fresh, save for a few dry spices we buy at one of the markets, but this recipe card really intrigued us, not least of all because the pork looked absolutely divine. These things come with a recipe card that you can keep handy for future dishes and the pre-measured spices necessary for the dish on said card. We figured what the hell, right?

The package included 1 1/2 teaspoons of Rubbed Sage, 1 teaspoon of Minced Garlic, 1 teaspoon of Thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of ground All-Spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. There were a few things we would need to add so we made a note of the things we had at home, that which we would need to grab, and headed over to the meat section to select our boneless pork chops.

Later that week, we were ready. Per the instructions, we mixed 1 tablespoon of flour with the entire spice packet and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. The recipe asks you to sprinkle - honey, I don't really sprinkle - so I took each of my 4 pork chops and lightly dredged into the mixture.

In a large skillet, I cooked the pork chops on medium heat until browned on both sides and promptly removed and put them on a plate tented with foil. Next, 1 medium thinly sliced onion was cooked for about 3 minutes (or until tender), followed by 2 thinly sliced red apples. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, stir in 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and the rest of the seasoned flour until well mixed. Return the pork chops and any collected juices to the pan and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until done.

We served with a side of apple mashed potatoes and it was delightful.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

I adore this photo of Julia Child - I picked it because I feel it really sums up the chef and the woman behind the apron. Julia died two days shy of her 90th birthday in 2004, but is far from forgotten. A revolutionary force in the field of cooking and in American culture, Julia published a shit ton of cookbooks, conquered the world of PBS with more than 20 years of her own cooking show, loved to eat, loved to cook, loved her husband Paul dearly, and even worked as a spy for the CIA (then the OSS) after graduating from Smith. Never one to shun butter, Julia lives on in our arteries and our kitchens.To Julia!

"Lipstic on my belly-button and music in the air - thaat's Paris, son.


What a lovely city! What grenouilles a la provencale. What Chateauneuf-du-Pape, what white poodles and white chimneys, what charming waiters, and poules de luxe, and maitres d'hotel, what gardens and bridges and streets! How fascinating the crowds before one's cafe table, how quaint and charming and hidden the little courtyards with they wells and statues. Those garlic-filled belches! Those silk-stockinged legs! Those mascara's eyelashes! Those electric switches and toilet chains that never work! Hola! Dites donc! Bouillbase! Au revoir!"
-from My Life in France

The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival: Donuts!

 So clearly it's not all about donuts, but I found they are by far the tastiest part of the whole festival. Starting today and running through the 14th, The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival takes center court at the Reading Terminal Market with handmade quilts, woodwork, and other goods right alongside the food. Oh and the food: Delicious fresh sausage grilled alongside fresh peppers, homemade ice cream, brittle and fudge and what seems to be the main attraction - the donuts. How can you resist these freshly made baked goods? At 85 cents a pop, you simply can't. At least I couldn't and upon arriving this am, I snagged a tasty powdery treat to accompany my coffee.