Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Slowly, but surely, I am trying to get back into the habit of blogging. If for no other reason, than to keep myself from complete boredom when at home during the day.

So I have lots to talk about, especially Paris! But before I go into that, and dredge up bitterness about not being able to stay abroad for longer, here are just a few quick entries about some recent cooking that I have done.

Last week I made some amazing chicken. The original plan was to break down and fry a whole chicken. But with my mom out of town for the week, its just me and my dad here at home. And I wanted to wait for that big meal. Instead, we grilled some chicken breasts. My job was to prep the chicken, to come up with some marinade. Having absolutely no idea what to do, I combined (this is all guesstimation, keep in mind) 2 tbsp sugar, 1tbsp paprika, 1tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp chili powder, salt, and a few dashes of cumin. I let the chicken chill in the fridge with the rub for about 2 hours. Then my dad put it on the grill with some left over polenta. And the result... divinely delicious chicken. It was so good, and I am really so proud of how it turned out. I only wish I had gotten a picture before we ate it all.

Last night, I had brussels sprouts for the first time. The dining hall at school started offering the funny green things near the end of the year. By that time, I was sick of eating tasteless and mushy broccoli and cauliflower, that I was so tempted to get the brussels sprouts. But then I realized the school dinning hall might not be the best place to experiment with a new food.

So, I have been waiting for months to try these things. Last night, after doing much Foodnetwork and google searches, I came up with a pretty standard recipe.

Wash sprouts, cut in half lengthwise, tossing and coating in olive oil.

Place flat-side down in a medium-heated skillet, sprinkle with salt, cover for 5 minutes, or until almost tender.

Once tender, turn heat to high, toss to brown sprouts all over, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh grated cheese.

And the verdict? They were good. Not nearly as terrifying as some people make them out to be. But I definitely need to keep experimenting. Sprouts are kind of bitter, and I think maybe sugar would cut the flavor, and help to caramelize. Or maybe some lemon, also to cut the bitterness. In my research, I also found a lot of recipes for brussels sprouts sauteed or roasted with bacon or ham or pancetta. Yum. That sounds like a good option. Because really... how can you go wrong by adding bacon? Not possible.