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.

And We Have A WINNER!!!

It has been a long long while since I have last updated, due to a short trip across the Atlantic... to PARIS! followed by some plain old unproductive summer boredom. Sorry! Anyways, here is an old post that followed the Top Chef, season 4 finale, finally finished and posted for your reading pleasure.

For those of you who might have missed last night's Top Chef Finale, we have a winner. And that winner is a woman! The first female top chef ever! Stephanie clinched the win. And I do believe I predicted that during the first five minutes of the season.

Now for a recap of the actual competition. Back in Puerto Rico, the competition was down to only Richard, Stephanie, and Lisa, who unfortunately beat out Antonia for a seat in the finals. The challenge was to create a four course meal for the judges and guests, consisting of fish, poultry, red meat and dessert. It has become obvious this season that dessert making skills are a must for Top Chefs. Even in the first episode we saw that a Top Chef must know how to bake a souffle just as well as they know how to perfectly cook a Tomahawk steak. Each cheftestant was also paired with a big name chef who was to serve as the sous chef: Stephanie with Eric Ripert, Richard with Dan Barber, and Lisa with April Bloomfield.

Time spent cooking in the kitchen, very little drama involved, until the second day when, alas, all three sous chefs are absent. The cheftestants had to swim on their own this time. Some more cooking followed. And then it was time.... time for a throwdown! Just kidding. Wrong show.

So as the judges and guests waited anxiously for their meal, the beginning of the end... began. The first course was fish, followed by poultry, red meat, and dessert. Richard, who also stood a strong chance at winning, did not do as well as anticipated, even admitting at the end that he had 'choked'. He might not have done his best, but I don't think he did that badly.

Anyways, both Stephanie and Lisa put out some good dishes. And Lisa would go on to point this out in her typical awkward and insulting attitude later in the episode. But that's a different story...

After much deliberation and a shocking lack of real drama, it was time for a decision. In the end, Stephanie's dishes took the cake (pun intended). Seriously, all of her dishes, except for the ricotta pound cake, which Eric Ripert called 'unrefined', were apparently delicious, and at the very least, looked amazing. They were particularly impressed by her lamb medallions with mushroom, olives, and braised pistachios.
Um.... yum. enough said.

So, with all this and the entire season under her belt, Stephanie Izard became the fourth season's Top Chef, and the first female Top Chef! That's it, no more Top Chef, for a few more months. Farewell to a great season, and sorry for the way over-due update!

And by the way, I totally called that Stephanie would win in the first 5 minutes of the season. Just saying...