Second Blooming

Eats

If, magically, I was granted one day during which I could eat anything my little heart desired without gaining a single ounce, risking a heart attack from clogged arteries, or vomiting from over-eating, I would eat the following...

Beignets and Cafe au Lait from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.

Fresh and hot. And when you eat them, you get powdered sugar all over yourself and up your nose.

Fried Catfish from Mama's House on Crenshaw in LA. With a side of Mac and Cheese and those  Greens cooked with ham hocks and some of that Louisiana hot sauce and a big iced tea.

Jan's Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

The above picture is used entirely without Jan's permission, but I'm hoping that my saying that her recipe is one of my favorite foods on the Planet Earth will make her okay with it.

These Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Prime Rib from Lawry's Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Lawry Cut, medium rare. With both the Creamed Spinach AND the Creamed Corn, and that weird salad in the spinning bowl. And the Yorkshire Pudding. And a Manhattan.

Pennsylvania Dutch Eggnog.

Pasta Carbonara made with this recipe...

1 lb. pancetta (or bacon)

1 lb. spaghetti

3 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp. butter

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

freshly ground pepper

Fry pancetta or bacon until it is very crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain spaghetti and pour into a very large bowl. I like to use a large stainless steel bowl which I've run under hot water to warm up. Pour eggs over the pasta and toss to coat the strands evenly. Add butter and toss again. Add Parmesan, parsley, pancetta and lots of pepper and mix thoroughly.

Queso Flameado with Chorizo from Guero's Taco Bar in Austin, TX. Wrapped in homemade corn tortillas. Heaven in a bowl. Seriously. When I go there, I don't even order an entree. Just a couple of margaritas and a big bowl of cheese filled with pork.

and while we're in Austin...

Chicken Fried Steak from Threadgill's in Austin TX. Smothered in cream gravy, with mashed potatoes and fried okra and blackeyed peas. And corn bread. And a Shiner Bock beer. Heaven smothered in cream gravy.

and...

Homemade Peach Ice Cream, made with ripe Texas Hill Country peaches. A taste that you have to experience to understand. Heaven frozen.

A rack of Baby Back Ribs. Dry rubbed with Grub Rub...

then grilled, and then baked, smothered with MY barbecue sauce. And PLENTY of napkins.

Key Lime Pie - I don't care where it's from, as long as it's made with real Key limes, and isn't dyed with green food coloring. Either whipped cream or meringue is acceptable.

Port and Stilton Burger from Umami Burger in LA. Blue Cheese and port caramelized onions on a huge, meaty burger. With the sweet potato fries.

Mama's Chocolate Cream Pie -

1/3 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups milk, scalded

2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 sp. vanilla

baked pie shell

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp. sugar for whipped cream

Mix flour, sugar and salt; put in top of a double boiler and gradually add scalded milk. Add chocolate and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add small amount of hot mixture to the egg yolks; stir into remaining hot mixture. Cook 2 minutes. Cool. Add butter and vanilla . Pour into baked pie shell. Whip heavy cream with sugar. Spread on top of thoroughly cooled pie.

Hmmmm.

I guess that's it. Just enough sweet. Just enough savory. Lots of pork. I could then die a happy woman. I am really very hungry now.

So...what would you choose?

This post inspired by...

Prompt #1 - If you had one day to eat anything you want and not gain a single ounce what would it be?

Spin Cycle: Cocktail Hour

Welcome to Second Blooming Happy Hour! As Aunt Grace says "It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!"

Because you people mean SO much to me, I have, at the sacrifice of the health of my liver, spent a great deal of time this week trying out cocktail recipes! It was difficult, but somebody had to do it.

The big trend lately in all the hot bars, is a return to the "Classic Cocktail", libations created back in the heyday of the cocktail - the 1930's through 1960's - possibly inspired by the popularity of Mad Men. And truly, I always feel a little bit like Joan or Betty when I've got my hand wrapped around a martini glass.

And so, I have for you my own personal Classic Cocktail Guide, each recipe carefully researched and enthusiastically taste-tested. 

Before I begin, I have a few important words of advice before you start your own exploration of the cocktail...

1. Invest in some equipment. A nice shaker, appropriate glassware. It really does make a difference. And if you don't have a shaker, at least get a cocktail strainer. But a shaker is way cooler.
2. Buy good liquor. You don't have to go broke buying only top shelf, but with these old-style cocktails, the liquor really is the star, and the better the booze, the better the drinking experience. So don't go rockgut.
3. Absolutely DO NOT forgo the garnishes!!! The garnish is the BEST PART. Well, the best part after the booze. But seriously, what's a martini without the olive? A Manhattan without the maraschino cherry? Ah, the cherry is my favorite part! Plus, I can do this naughty bar trick which involves tying the cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. Always impresses the gentlemen!

That said...

The Second Blooming Classic Cocktail Guide:

Tom Collins

Betty Draper's drink, but new to me. A real surprise - super refreshing and summery. Sort of like a mojito without the mint. Or the rum. Or the lime. Well okay, not that much like a mojito, but really delicious. I recommend.

2 oz. gin

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

2 sugar cubes

splash of club soda

1 slice orange

1 maraschino cherry

Drop sugar cubes in a tall glass. Add gin and lemon juice. Stir. Add plenty of ice, and top with a healthy splash of club soda. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Sidecar

I went through a phase of drinking Sidecars many years ago, and I'd forgotten how delish they are.  Makes you feel very sophisticated.

2 oz. brandy

2 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 strip orange zest, for garnish

Fill shaker with ice.  Add brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with orange zest. Mmmm.

Whiskey Sour

 

Every time Pop takes us out to Hoi Ming, our favorite Chinese restaurant in New York, I order a Whiskey Sour. I think of it as my special treat. So every time I drink one I expect somebody to walk around and offer me a hot towel.

2 oz. Bourbon

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 oz. simple syrup (see below)

1 orange slice

1 maraschino cherry

Fill shaker with ice. Add bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake, shake, shake your booty. Strain into glass. Technically, you're supposed to use a special sour glass, which looks like this...

 

...but since few people actually own a set of sour glasses, you can use a martini glass, or if you prefer, serve it on the rocks in a highball glass.

Simple Syrup -

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Stir together in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Can be kept for months in a jar in the fridge.

Greyhound

Basically, a more sophisticated version of a Screwdriver. I'm thinking it would make a tasty brunch beverage.

2 oz. vodka

4 oz. grapefruit juice

Add ice to a tall glass. Add vodka and grapefruit juice. Garnish with a slice or grapefruit or a twist of grapefruit peel.

Manhattan

I ALWAYS have a Manhattan when I'm in...you guessed it...Manhattan. I just can't help myself. I suggest using a good bourbon, Maker's Mark or Knob Creek. And as I previously stated, don't miss the cherry. If you want a lesson in cherry stem tying, shoot me an email, and I'll help you out.

2 oz. bourbon or rye whiskey

1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 maraschino cherry

Fill shaker with ice. Add whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Shake like crazy. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cherry. Drink it while remembering how fabulous you are.

White Russian

Okay, I have to admit that I can't drink these without thinking about The Dude in The Big Lebowski. But I have fond memories of drinking these back when I was in my twenties, and not worried about cream intake. They really are delicious, and a fun after-dinner nightcap.

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. Kahlua

1 oz. light cream

Add ice to highball glass. Pour vodka and Kahlua over the ice, then top with the cream.

Old-Fashioned

I think that this may officially be my new favorite cocktail. It has that perfect balance of sweet/tart/bitter. Plus, it's fun to make - kind of complicated (makes you feel like a real mixologist), and it involves muddling, and who doesn't love to muddle.

1 sugar cube

2 dashes bitters

splash of soda water

1 slice orange

1 slice lemon

1 marachino cherry

2 oz. bourbon

ice

Drop sugar cube in the bottom of an old-fashioned highball glass. Soak the sugar cube with the bitters. Add a healthy splash of soda water. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Drop in the orange slice, lemon slice and cherry. Muddle together. I don't own an actual "muddler", so I use pestle from my mortar and pestle (which then gets me started saying that line from The Court Jester "the vessel with the pestle holds the pellet with the poison"...or is it "the vessel with the pestle holds the brew that is true" or...sorry, I have gone off on a tangent). Add bourbon, stir. Top with ice. Delish.

Alright. We have now come to the end of our lesson. I hope you have found this informative. You will notice that I have refrained from providing an actual Martini recipe, mostly because they are so subjective, and have so many options (gin/vodka? olive/twist?).

But I will leave you with a little Francis Albert. Just because it's damned good.

Bottoms up.

 

___________________________________

I'm telling you people, this week you've ABSOLUTELY got to check out the other spinners - we're talking cocktail recipes here! And there are some humdingers. Check out each and every one!

Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie

Nadine at All Along the Hightower

Vandy J at The Testosterone Three and Me

Jan at Jan's Sushi Bar

Peg at Square Peg in a Round Hole - NEW on FRIDAY

Stacy at Stacy Uncorked - NEW on FRIDAY

SuziCate at The Water Witch's Daughter - NEW on FRIDAY!

_________________________________

Next week on The Spin Cycle...

Compliments

We all love to get them. I tend to be poor at remembering to give them. And I often find myself in that awkward social moment when somebody says "You look so good!" and then I need to say "You too!" back to them, but then will they think I'm just saying it because they said it to me? Should I have said it first? And what if they really don't look good? Do you say it anyway? Will they be able to tell that you really ARE saying it just because they said it? Sigh.

What's the biggest compliment you ever recieved? Do you hold it dear or does it embarrass you? Was it from a parent? Spouse? Friend? Child? Stranger?

Are you free with compliments? Or do you hold them close?

And what about as a parent? Do you feel you might over-praise your kid? Can a kid be over-praised?

You know the drill. Put your spin on it. Post it before Friday. Leave me a comment letting me know, and I'll link it up here.

Share your spin!
Highlight the code.
Copy to your HTML.
Et voila! Linked!

<center><a href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" _mce_href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></center>

 

RTT: Sunday Nights, Toilet Seat Covers and Korean Tea

Is it really Tuesday again? Geez.

I am SO loving Sunday nights! I look forward to it all week. Suddenly, ALL my favorite shows are back and all on the same night - Game of Thrones, The Killing and Mad Men! I'm in tv heaven. And speaking of Mad Men, check out this Mad Men Cocktail Culture iPhone App. Since this week's Spin Cycle topic just happens to be Cocktails, it's the perfect time to download this app! It not only has excellent recipes for a bunch of classic cocktails, but also a little game in which you mix up cocktails on your iPhone and then drink little virtual drinks. Which is amazingly unsatisfying.

____________________________________

One of my Facebook friends posted a link to this website - Nina Katchadourian. It totally cracks me up. This woman is a serious artist, who had the incredibly silly idea to create a series of photographs entitled Seat Assignment: Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style. While on a boring flight, she went into the airplane bathroom, stuck the toilet seat cover on her head and took a picture with her cell phone...

She loved the picture so much, that over the next two years, she went on 70 flights, and took over 2000 pictures in the bathroom.

PLEASE check out the website, they are hysterical! I love this woman.

___________________________________

This reminds me of my youth in Austin - much time was spent in a tube, doing things that may have defied this sign...

__________________________________

I have become a little crazy about a new tea - Korean Citron Honey Tea.

Yes, I know it looks like marmalade, but it's not. You spoon it into a cup, add hot water and have this really delicious lemony tea. And....I know that most of you don't live within walking distance of a Korean market, like I do, but you can even get it from Amazon...

True, $10 seems like a lot for tea, but that is a HUGE jar. So BUY some. I'm actually looking forward to my first cold of the season.

______________________________________

The other day on Facebook, Jen from Sprite's Keeper mentioned how excited she was that they finally have a new Trader Joe's nearby, and I realized how dependent I am on the place. I really don't know what I'd do without it. It's amazing how many TJ items are staples around our house. In addition to their great food/great prices and amazing ready-made foods, I have a number of super easy meals that involve just mixing together a bunch of stuff from Trader Joe's that I keep around the house. Last night, we had one of our faves, which I will share with you. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, MAKE THIS. If you do not, you have my deepest sympathies.

Trader Joe's Tuna Lemon Pepper Pasta

1 pkg. TJ's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta

1 12 oz. bag TJ's Artichoke Hearts, frozen

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 can water-packed tuna, drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 jar capers

grated zest of one lemon

salt to taste

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the pasta. Boil for 10 minutes. After about 7 minutes, dump in the bag of frozen artichoke hearts. Cook the 3 minutes more. Drain, then return to the stock pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix. EAT.

Serves 2. Which is good, because it has too much green stuff in it for Jude.

___________________________________

Hope everybody is having a lovely Tuesday thus far. Please visit Stacy's place and see the other Random Tuesday Thoughtites.

RTT: Sexy Dwarves, Hunger Food and Darren

We had the BEST weekend. But I'm going to tease you, and tell you about it TOMORROW. Aren't I cruel. In the meantime, I do have a few...

 ___________________________________

Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones!! I have finished the entire first season, and seen the first episode of Season Two - a feeding frenzy of blood and gore and sex and intrigue. I'm LOVING it! And I have a new crush. Tyrion Lannister. The sexiest dwarf in the world.

I must admit that until now, I have been rather close-minded regarding the sexiness of dwarves, but Peter Dinklage has opened my mind and heart. If I was a King's Landing whore, I would allow Tyrion to have his way with me for free. Oh yes, it's true.

____________________________________

And speaking of Game of Thrones, I desperately want one of these neckaces. Hmmm, should I align myself with the House of Stark, the ancient kings of winter, whose sigil is the direwolf?...

 

Or should I side with my man Tyrion and the House of Lannister. Evil, power hungry and the richest of all the great houses in the kingdom, whose sigil is the golden lion...

 

And what the hell is a sigil anyway?

___________________________________

I must admit that I haven't made it yet, but I'm dying to cook up Katniss' favorite food - Hunger Games Lamb Stew...

Somebody actually wrote an entire Hunger Games cookbook, which seems slightly odd, considering it's all about being hungry.

But this sounds very worthy of the fare in The Capital...

Hunger Games Lamb Stew with Dried Plums

5 pounds lamb fillet, shoulder or leg, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
4 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons white sugar
3 teaspoons brown sugar
3 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced zucchini
1-1/2 cups diced celery
2 large onions, diced
3 potatoes, cubed
5 cups dried plums
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 cup ginger ale

Directions

1. Place lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan and brown the meat, working in batches if you have to.
3. Remove lamb to a side plate. Pour off fat, leaving 1/4 cup in the pan. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion becomes golden. Deglaze frying pan with the 1/2 cup water, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan to stir up all of the tasty bits of meat and onion. Cook to reduce liquid slightly, then remove from heat.
4. Place the lamb and garlic-onion mixture in a large stockpot. Add beef stock and sugar, stirring until sugars are dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
5. Add the vegetables, dried plums, herbs, and ginger ale to the pot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until meat and vegetables pierce easily with a fork.

Serves 8 to 10.

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Over the past few years, I have often mentioned my friends Lynn (the Curly Girl on my Blog Roll) and her husband Darren. Notably here , when Darren took what should have been MY seat at the Emmy awards, and here, when their precious daughters came to stay with us for three days .

Well, Darren, after years of people reading his hilarious Facebook status updates and telling him he needed to do something with them, has finally started his own blog! Please, please PRETTY please check him out - Daddy/Daughter Fun Time. We could certainly use another good Daddy blogger in our midst. Please support him!!

___________________________________

Run along now. Well, run along AFTER you have visited Darren. That's all for Tuesday. More tomorrow.

Make Ahead Monday - Shepherd's Pie

It's cold and rainy here in sunny So Cal today. The perfect day for something warm and comforting.

This is not your traditional Shepherd's Pie recipe, but that's why we love it. It's sort of an Italian/English hybrid. It should also just be used as a guideline - feel free to booger with it in any way you want (and see NOTE below).

2 tbsp. butter or olive oil

1 cup chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can whole peeled Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

2 tbsp. tomato sauce

5 oz. fresh mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram or 2 tsp. dried

2 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried

salt and pepper to taste

7 medium potatoes, peeled and cut up

2 or 3 cloves garlic, in the skin

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat butter or olive oil; add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft but not browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beef, breaking up with a spoon, and cook until meat begins to brown. Remove excess fat from the skillet. Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato paste. Then stir in the mushrooms, zucchini, parsley, marjoram and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender and flavors are melded. Remove from heat and drain any excess liquid. Transfer meat mixture to a 3 to 4 quart baking dish, spreading evenly.

Boil the potatoes together with the whole garlic cloves until soft. Remove the garlic skins and beat the potatoes and garlic together in a large bowl. Add the half and half, nutmeg, salt and pepper and beat together. Spread the potato mixture evenly on top of the meat mixture in the casserole to form a crust.

Brush top of potatoes with beaten egg and then sprinkle with Parmesan.

You can either bake it now, or keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until heated through and top is a light golden brown and crisp.

NOTE: Traditionally, Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, but you can use any kind of meat you like - lamb, beef, ground turkey or sliced sausage. I've made it with 2 lbs. of Italian sausage, 1 lb. ground beef + 1 lb. sliced smoked sausage or 1 lb. ground turkey + 1 lb. smoked turkey sausage. It's all good. ALSO, I've used a variety of vegetables - corn, carrots, green beans - they all work great. I mean, pretty much anything covered in mashed potatoes is good!

________________________________

Please go visit Jan for more Make-Ahead recipes!

Fondue, Fondid, Fondone

Well, this was the best Valentine's Day we've had in years. Hands down.

We are now officially crazy for fondue! It was so stinking good! We all made absolute pigs of ourselves, even Jude McPicky. And it was FUN, all of us circled around the flaming Sterno pot, dipping and slurping. Decadent. And SO stinking EASY.

First Course - Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

Not fondue. But this was Jude's request, and I just couldn't refuse him. He has only recently decided that he likes shrimp. Now, you have to understand how big this is for our family. Jimmy and I are serious seafood eaters, and Jude's refusal to even try things was a big, fat pain in the butt. But he has now decided that he likes shrimp, but only if it is cooked in a tomato sauce. So...

Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, whole, peeled

1 big clove garlic, minced

a couple of tablespoons of olive oil

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Put tomatoes and their juice in a blender and puree.

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add tomato puree and about a half a can of water.

Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for about 5 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked through.

You can then serve this over linguini or spaghetti. But for some reason Jude decided he wanted the shrinp served on a plate as an appetizer - I think he just likes when he gets to use the little cocktail forks. Anyway, I saved the sauce to go over pasta the next day.

Jude ate about 20 shrimp! Jimmy is worried that we've created a monster, and now there's going to be fewer shrimp for him!

Second Course - Cheese Fondue

I really didn't think that Jude was going to eat this, as there's a fairly sophisticated flavor profile to this cheese - not your usual kid-friendly American or Cheddar. But he LOVED it (though he only dipped the bread and crab - nary a vegetable). Plus, it's a big, stringy, cheese adventure in eating, so what's not to love.

I fear that this is so good, that we MUST get the leftovers out of the house, because neither Jimmy or I have been able to keep our heads out of the fridge. It's totally addicting. This is very bad.

Classic Cheese Fondue

I found this exact recipe in three different places around the internet. And Jan's recipe is basically the same thing, just tweaked to fit her "real food" diet. So I'm guessing it's pretty classic.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
A splash or two of kirsch (optional - I didn't have any, so did without)

Toss the cheese with the flour. Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the wine and garlic. Bring to a simmer and add the cheese, one handful at a time stirring until the cheese is melted in before adding the next handful. Stir in the nutmeg.

Stir over low heat until smooth and cheese is melted and bubbling. Add the kirsch, if using, and continue stirring just until it begins to bubble. Transfer the cheese mixture to a heated fondue pot when ready for dipping. Stir frequently.

I served it with blanched cauliflower, cubed crusty bread, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted fingerling potatoes and chunks of crab leg.

But you can basically use any blanched or roasted vegetable you want that you think goes with cheese. Jan even used apple slices, which I kind of wish I had done, as Jude would have probably eaten them.

Weird, artsy (out of focus) shots of fondue

Dessert - Chocolate Fondue

In all seriousness, I have never witnessed anything as depraved and animalistic as Jimmy and Jude falling upon this big pot of hot, melted chocolate. They were like Augustus Gloop and the river of chocolate in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They were like vampires swooping down on a fresh kill. It was stunning and a little frightening. They both ended up with chocolate dripping down their chins and forearms!

Chocolate Fondue

1 lb. premium semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, well chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

In a medium saucepan over low heat bring the cream to a simmer. Add the chocolate. Simmer, stirring until the chocolate is melted. Transfer the mixture to a fondue pot.

I served it with little brownie squares, chocolate chip cookies, strawberries and a cut up glazed donut. But you could use pretty much any kind of fresh or dried fruit, as well as cubes of angel food cake, pound cake, graham crackers, lady fingers, marshmallows or biscotti.

I'm seriously thinking of doing more fondue for the Academy Awards. Maybe this time I'll try the broth fondue version - you heat broth in the pot and everybody skewers little chunks of steak, chicken or shrimp and cooks it themselves in the broth, and you serve it with a variety of dipping sauces. Although, it seems like this might require a bit of patience, and neither Jimmy nor Jude have any. We'll see.

After we all ate ourselves silly and Jimmy and I drank a bottle of champagne, we all snuggled into the bed together again. The men and the dog were snoring within minutes, and I got to plug my earplugs into my laptop and watch a little Netflix in bed. An excellent way to end the evening!

What did you do to celebrate Valentine's Day?

RTT: Ah!, Alien Hookers and Adele

Our house is earning it's own mortgage again today. They're shooting a low budget movie in our front yard. Interestingly, it's directed by Jeff Probst, the Survivor host guy, who is, as it always is, much shorter in person. This time, our house is posing as the run-down Illinois home of an alcoholic. I swear, when we finally the much-needed paint job, the house will never work again. Anyway, I'm kind of trapped inside, unable to leave before they clear out. I have to say, the doorbell ringing at 6:45 am with an entire camera crew rolling up the street, isn't really too bad when they greet you with your check in hand!

___________________________________

DOWNTON SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!!

Ah Lavinia! Ah Matthew! Ah Mary! Ah Bates! Ah Anna! Ah Sybil! Ah Sir Richard! Ah Ethel! And I even have an Ah O'Brien! and an Ah Thomas! Ah! Ah! Ah!

It just doesn't get much better than this.

____________________________________

Okay, I think this is one incredibly excellent business idea. A real moneymaker. What young nerd man hasn't fantasize about having his way with a hot space babe? Maybe Jabba the Hutt's dancing slave girl Oola..

...or Captain Kirk's mechanical geisha girl, Andrea the Android...

...or one of Battlestar Galactica's sexy cylons...

Well, Nevada entrepreneur Dennis Hof thinks so too, and is opening a Sci-Fi Brothel outside of Vegas. The idea is that the hookers will all be dressed up as alien babes, so any geek willing to pay for it can truly go where no man has gone before.

Why don't I ever come up with these ideas?

___________________________________

I am completely fascinated by this website, Ikea Hackers. It's an entire website devoted to showing you how to "hack, personalise, repurpose IKEA products into the very thing" you want. Really great out-of-the-box thinking. Sample: This is a cool bathroom vanity made out of a cheap dresser...

And this bathroom wall is made out of $2 vases!

You've got to check out the website, it will keep you clicking and clicking.

_________________________________

New favorite cocktail -

Ginger Pear Sizzle

2 slices lime

Absolut Pear vodka

Sprig of mint

ginger ale

Fill highball glass with ice. Squeeze in lime slices over the ice. Toss in the mint. Add one part Absolut Pear. Top with ginger ale.

Soooo refreshing.

__________________________________

Oh, I almost forgot...Happy Valentine's Day! We're going all fondue around here tonight - can't wait. I'll let you know how it goes.

So in honor of Valentine's Day, and of Adele's big Grammy wins, here's a Bob Dylan song I've always adored. She absolutely knocks it out of the park...

 

_________________________________

So go drop in on Stacy for more randomness.

Spin Cycle: Friday Night Lineup

I belong to the television generation.

Raised during the '60s and '70s. We didn't have computers or electronic gaming devices. We didn't have cable TV, DVDs, DVRs or even VCRs. All we had were ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS (if you didn't live too far out in the boonies). Our favorite shows aired when they aired, and if you missed it you just had to wait for the summer rerun. We carefully planned our activities around the network TV schedule.

Every week, Mama would buy a TV Guide magazine at the grocery store, and I would pore over it, reading what was happening the next week on my shows and planning my viewing for the week.

On Tuesday, I'd watch The Mod Squad at 7:00 on ABC, then switch over to CBS for Hawaii 5-O at 8:00. Then on Wednesday, I'd start on CBS with The Carol Burnett Show at 7:00, then at 8:00, switch over for The NBC Mystery Movie (Columbo/McCloud/Macmillan and Wife).

The worst was when the stupid networks put two of your favorite shows on at the same time, and you were forced to choose. Laugh In or Gunsmoke? Happy Days or Good Times?

But in 1971, when I was 10 years old, all the TV stars aligned and created the ABC Friday night lineup - all of my favorite shows, all in a row. I'll never forget the order...

7:00 (CST) - The Brady Bunch

 

I always thought it was kind of a silly show. But Greg Brady was SOOOOOOO cute. And I used to pray every night that my hair would look like Marcia Brady's. It never even came close to her grooviness.

7:30 - The Partridge Family

 

My FAVORITE show! I loved David Cassidy with every fiber of my gangly tween body. I had a Teen Beat magazine with him on the cover, which I kept under my bed and kissed goodnight every night. I had all their albums. I never, ever missed an episode.

8:00 - Room 222

 

I wanted to go to Walt Whitman High School! They had the grooviest teachers. And I desperately wanted to be Karen Valentine. (TANGENTIAL NOTE: When I first moved to Los Angeles, I happened to drive by John Marshall High School in Los Feliz and had one of those Movie Deja Vus I've talked about - it was the exterior of Walt Whitman!)

8:30 - The Odd Couple

 

A really, truly funny show. Wonderfully acted, wonderfully written. A classic.

However, I usually missed the last 15 minutes or so of it. Because 9:00 was my bed time.

But here's the deal.

Mama knew that the show I MOST wanted to watch, the show that my dreams were literally made of, came on at 9:00. And she was indulgent. And sneaky. And loved me.

And luckily for us, Daddy was an early to bed, early to rise kind of guy. He too would go to bed at 9:00. So I'd bail for the last 15 minutes of The Odd Couple, and Mama and Daddy would tuck me in and turn out the light. Daddy would then go to bed himself. Then Mama would come into my bedroom and sneak me out into the living room, where we'd both curl up on the sofa and watch...

9:00 - Love, American Style

 

For those of you too young to remember such things, Love, American Style was an anthology series, with different stories and a different all-star cast every week. (TANGENIAL NOTE #2 - the L,AS theme song was sung by The Cowsills, the real-life family rock group that The Partridge Family was based on!) Every week it would have two or three little stories - all about love, love, LOVE. It was a little...sexy. And every week some people would kiss. I LIVED for it. And I loved Friday night from 9 to 10pm.

But not just for the TV show. I also loved it because it was Mama and my little secret. It was our special time together, doing something a little naughty. Mama would bring in a couple of pillows and a blanket, and we would cuddle up on the sofa together and be very, very quiet while we watched the show we both loved.

And then, Mama would make a us a special treat. Our mutual favorite late-night snack - Milk Toast. Mmmm. Hot milk, buttery toast. Yum. Mama made mine sweet, with cinnamon sugar on top. But she made hers savory with salt and pepper. Both were delicious and comforting and made with great love.

Mama's Milk Toast

4 slices of white bread

butter

2 cups plus 1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp. flour

either salt/pepper or cinnamon/sugar

Toast bread and butter each slice generously. In a small sauce pan, heat 2 cups of milk. In a separate small bowl, whisk flour into remaining 1/2 cup milk, then add to the sauce pan with the other milk. Heat until it thickens just a little (you don't want it like gravy, just a little bit creamy). Put two slices of toast in each of two shallow bowls. Pour hot milk over the toast and sprinkle with your choice of seasonings, either savory or sweet.

Sit on the sofa watching TV with the lights out and slurp it up with a spoon.

Makes two servings, just right for a sweet Mama and one happy little girl.

___________________________________

Please, please, pretty please visit all of this week's Spin Cycle participants and you'll find some amazing recipes and the amazing stories that go with them!

Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie

Peg at Square Peg in a Round Hole

Jan at Jan's Sushi Bar

Vandy J at The Testosterone Three and Me

Aimee at AimeeWrites

___________________________________

Next week on The Spin Cycle...

It's almost Valentine's Day everybody! So to celebrate that most lovey-dovey of all days, I thought we'd all think back, way, waaaaay back. Back before children. Back before money problems and the same old/same old. Back before years and years of snoring and morning breath. Back before the bloom had left the metaphoric rose. Back to your...

Honeymoon. Aaah. The beginning of your lives together. Everything was shiny and new and sexy. The panic of the wedding was over and you got to really get a look at that person on the other side of the bed.

Was your honeymoon everything you dreamed of? Or a rained out disaster? Were you blissful or did you fight every day?

Or maybe you never got to take a honeymoon? Where would you like to go now? Make a plan for us. Or maybe the marriage is over and the honeymoon was the first clue that things were headed south? Yikes. Or maybe you're not married, but want to share your perfect dream honeymoon? It's all good.

I want your story! And I want some pictures people! So haul out the old picture albums and rev up the scanner.

See you next week for some romance. Hmmm. I think I'll go up and click on that Love, American Style theme song. Still makes me all gushy.

Share your spin!
Highlight the code.
Copy to your HTML.
Et voila! Linked!

<center><a href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" _mce_href="http://www.secondblooming.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" _mce_src="http://secondblooming.typepad.com/spincyclekeelyresize.jpg /" alt="Second Blooming"></a></center>

RTT: Signature Accessories, Slugs and "Danger, Will Robinson"

Welcome to another...

 

I'm kind of dying to get this book, "Gay Men Don't Get Fat" by Simon Doonan...

I heard him on NPR the other day, and he was hysterical. He's the Creative Director at Barney's NY, and the epitome of fierce and fabulous. On the radio show, he suggested that all women should have a "signature accessory". You know, like Jackie O's oversized sunglasses, Bella Abzug's hats or Margaret Thatcher's twin pearls. I can't decide what my "signature accessory" should be. I do have a necklace that I wear pretty much all the time, but it's not very memorable or impactful. Since I'm tall, I'm thinking I could really rock a long scarf, like Isadora Duncan, or Bea Arthur on Maude. What do you think? Do you have a "signature accessory"?

___________________________________

On Sunday, Jude walked up to me and said "Just so you know, Mom, 'foxy' is an adjective." I couldn't decide whether to be proud of his knowledge of grammar, or fearful of his knowledge of foxy.

___________________________________

__________________________________

The other night, just before going to sleep, I walked into the kitchen and stepped on something slimy. I jumped back, slightly freaked out, and looked down. "What the hell is that?" I thought. I bravely reached down and picked the slimy thing up. It was a SLUG. A big, fat, slimy slug. ICK. I have no idea how this thing got in the middle of my kitchen floor, either Fancy brought it in with her when she went out to poo, or Jimmy tracked it in with him when he took out the garbage. Have you ever been slimed by a slug? It was CRAZY. Slug slime all over me, and it wouldn't come off. It was like glue. I scrubbed and scrubbed to get that slug slime off. Totally freaky.

___________________________________

Last night, I made Chicken Piccata for dinner, and Jude ate it. Really. I'm still slightly giddy. I mean, he didn't eat any of the foreign parts, like lemon or capers or parsley, but he ate the chicken, which was an amazing landmark event around here. Here's the recipe. It's super quick and EASY...

Chicken Piccata

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. dry white wine

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 lemon, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. capers

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour mixture; shake off excess. In a large frying pan, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add chicken breasts. Cook about 3 minutes a side, until tender and opaque. Remove and keep warm. Add wine to pan juices. Cook 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add lemon juice and heat to boiling. Return chicken to pan, cover with lemon slices and capers and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

__________________________________

We went to the best funeral the other day. My dear, dear friend Craig's father passed away. I realize that "best funeral" seems to be an oxymoron, but I have to say, we've been to a few great Hollywood funerals. Bruno Kirby's comes to mind, but that's a whole other story. Anyway, Craig's dad, Dick Tufeld, has been a groundbreaking voiceover talent, best known as the voice of The Robot on Lost in Space, and the funeral was filled with many, MANY crazy Mr. Tufeld stories. He was also the voice of ABC television ("Today, on General Hospital...") and Disney ("Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney").  Mr. T was always incredibly kind, charming and generous to me (I told the story here once of going to Lawry's for prime rib with their family), and he will be missed. So in honor of Mr. Tufeld, please check these out, a YouTube tribute...

 

 

 

 

___________________________________

Okay, that's another Tuesday for you. Go see Stacy.

RTT: The Christmas Recap

Oh hello there.

You thought I'd forgotten about you, didn't you? But no, I have just been in a seafood induced stupor, which I am just barely coming out of. Ergh. I just ended a sentence with a preposition, but I'm just too damned worn out to try to fix it.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes was a success. Much booze, much fun, much children excited for Santa, much good friends and much fishes.

Here is the menu, which I promised you last week, and am just now getting around to sharing...

Cocktails-

Lemon Martinis/Martinis/Wine/Good beer

Appetizers-

Fish #1- Salmon Tartar

Fish #2 - Mussels & Basil Bread Crumbs

Salad Course-

Octopus Salad (what Mommy calls the Pulpu)

Scallops with Basil Stuffing on a Bed of Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette

Primi-

Linguine Frutti di Mare (Linguini with Seafood Sauce)

Secondi -

Baccala Alla Vesuviana (Salt Cod With Tomatoes and Capers)

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

Dessert-

Tiramisu

Whew. I really have to say, it all turned out very well. I'm afraid that the roasted shrimp was a tad underroasted. And by underroasted, I mean raw. This was due, I hate to say, to the fact that by the time we reached this point of the meal, yours truly may have imbibed one too many Lemon Martini, and wasn't paying good attention. Oops. But otherwise, it all came out very well. Particularly the scallops, which got raves, and honestly should have been stinking excellent, considering I could have paid the gas bill with the amount of cash I coughed up for them. Here is the really SIMPLE recipe...

Scallops with Basil Stuffing

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. scallops (the really good, fat ones, the ones that you ask the fish man for, not really looking at the price per pound, and then when he rings it up, you stare at the price and start to hyperventilate)

Mince the basil, garlic, salt and pepper together until very fine. I used the old fashioned mortar and pestle that Mommy gave me. Mix in a small bowl, or cup with 2 tbsp. olive oil.

Make a deep horizontal slit in the side of each scallop, but don't cut all the way through. Fill each scallop with about 1 tsp. of the basil mixture; close. Pour the remaining oil onto a plate or pan, and turn each scallop in it, then place on a broiler pan.

Broil the scallops for 2 to 3 minutes per side, no more. (Or grill them, which would have been excellent, but I was too damned lazy to go stand outside grilling while all the fun was being had inside.)

I served them on a bed of arugula and endive (which I insist on pronouncing ahn-deeve, just because I can) with a Lemon Vinaigrette - 1 part lemon juice, 2 parts olive oil, salt, pepper.

Serves 4. You may do the math re: how many pounds I had to buy to feed 11!

___________________________________

I will only brag on my sweet boy once here. I swear.

On Christmas Eve morning, before he ran in to play video games, Jude sat down at his little desk and made...a birthday card for Jesus. Couldn't you just die.

 

I fear he is just not an artist. But I particularly like the little "You" with an arrow to the baby. He put the card under the tree next to the nativity scene. Very dear.

___________________________________

No one gave me a Snuggie. It's sad. I keep asking. Nobody gives me one. I can't decide if people just think that I'm joking or if they think I'm too good for one. It must be something like that, or surely somebody would give me one by now. Come to think of it, nobody's ever given me a Chia Pet either. Always wanted one of them too.

___________________________________

Jimmy did, however, give me that scarf I've been dying for (I actually got the card from the store, and wrote the name of the scarf with the color I wanted on it, and handed it to the man - sometimes you've just got to take care of yourself.), a gift certificate for a massage (which I NEED) and a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble, which I'm looking forward to using. My sister-in-law gave me a fabulous cookbook from Cook's Magazine. And my friend and Christmas Eve guest Laura gave me this cool trio of kitchen products- hand soap, dish soap and counter cleaner in a little holder thing, which I'm strangely excited about - I keep finding reasons to clean the kitchen counter. She reads this blog, so I'm going to count this as her thank you note. And my friends and other Christmas Eve guests, Scott and Melissa, always bring me a new bottle of special bourbon every year. This year's treat is Black Maple Hill...

 

DELICIOUS!

___________________________________

 

We spent Christmas Day at our friends Pat and Debra's house. They always do a fabulous meal, and their home in the Hollywood Hills is lovely and warm. And I'm always so stinking exhausted that I love that I can just sit there and do NOTHING. Pat (Patsy) is an amazing Italian chef, who also does outstanding meats, and Debra handles all the "American" food and the desserts. Jude blew me away by eating a gigantic plate of gnocchi with sauce and prime rib. He loves Uncle Pat's cooking! I've posted Pat's videos before, but here's his take on a simple tomato sauce...

 

 

___________________________________

 

Patsy also made me what I think may become my new favorite cocktail, a Negroni. It's a really old-fashioned cocktail, that's kind of bitter and strange. An acquired taste, but then pretty addicting. Mmmm...

Negroni

1 part gin

1 part Campari

1 part Sweet Vermouth

Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice, and serve straight up in a martini glass. Garnish with a curl of orange peel.

I think I'll need to buy some Campari tomorrow!

___________________________________

A couple of years ago, we started this sweet/silly tradition in our little family. On holiday nights, we let Jude sleep in bed with us. So that makes FOUR bodies in the same bed, because our little dog Fancy always sleeps on my feet. But I'm afraid that this is gonna have to come to a stop soon. On Christmas night, we all snuggled in and watched the Marx Brothers Duck Soup, then went to sleep. I swear, Jude must have rolled over and hit me in the head 4 times during the night, Jimmy was snoring like mad, and the dog wouldn't get off my feet. And on top of that, I woke up a couple of times with my hormonal night sweats. NOT a festive night.

 __________________________________

Last night, after an absolutely BRILLIANTLY lazy day, Jude and I ventured to downtown LA, and went ice skating with his Cub Scout pack. And by "Jude and I" went ice skating, I mean Jude went ice skating. I stood on the side of the rink and waved in support. Middle-aged Texas Woman = NOT ice skater. However, Little Californian Boy = Pretty decent and scrappy ice skater. No points for form, but he manages to stay on his feet and have a lot of fun. I'm thinking we might head down there again later in the week. Anybody else in?

__________________________________

 Remember those 15 pounds that I lost with Weight Watchers? Well, about 5 of them have come home again, thanks to all this feasting. January 2? Back on the WW. Damn.

__________________________________

That's it for now. Damn, I wish I had some of that Campari. Sounds so good...

Y'all head on over to visit Stacy for the usual Tuesday randomness.