“If there’s no chocolate in Heaven, I’m not going.”
― Jane Seabrook, Furry Logic Laugh at Life
so i had totally planned on making my mom’s classic sour cream coffee cake this afternoon, but i got to clicking around on some food blogs… and it took about twenty seconds for me to decide to make this ‘jacked up banana bread’ recipe i came across. i was looking at a blog called Everybody likes Sandwiches… and she was talking about adapting this recipe she had enjoyed from Smitten Kitchen, another blog i enjoy. well, clicking further into recipes on the sandwiches blog, (which i often find myself doing) i discovered she has made three different banana-ish type of breads that left me drooling. i pulled up two of them, and clicked back and forth- yanking them around a bit and taking ingredients from each… tweaking as i went. the result was the most amazing banana bread i have ever repeat E-V-E-R had. best part, to hell with vanilla… we went Rogue and added Captain Morgan tattoo rum. a whole Tablespoon of it. i think you’re gonna dig it.
you will need:
3 brownish bananas (mashed)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter (semi melted)
1 egg (beaten)
1 T. captain morgan spiced rum
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1.5 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 T. cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Combine first 8 ingredients (through coconut) in a mixing bowl and combine on low until incorporated. in a separate bowl whisk together flour, bkg soda and cocoa powder. add slowly to mixer bowl- combine on low speed. add chocolate chips and finish mixing by hand. add to a greased loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 57 minutes. test with a toothpick- when comes out clean, it’s done! cool in pan for fifteen minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack or soft towel to cool completely on the counter. prepare to be blown away yo!
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ― Charles M. Schulz“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.” ― Erma Bombeck“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ― Julia Child
there’s no denying it… the Fall season is in full swing- and the proof is all around us. ground surfaces are being overcome with leaves, the clocks have been wound back, the jack o’lanterns have found their way to the compost heap, and the air holds the perfect crispness- replicated by no other season. we’ve been as busy as bees, bringing wood closer to the house from outlying racks, stacking and sorting it, putting away patio furniture, stocking up on birdseed, and cleaning up the beds in preparation for the cold months ahead. -and although i am more than happy to assist with all of said tasks… my cold weather preparations lie in test driving new and exciting soup and stew and ‘ladle over a bowl of rice’ types of recipes. the air turns cold, we eat warm things. makes perfect sense, right?! nothing brings more pleasure, in my opinion, than a nice steaming bowl of savory stew to be enjoyed with some crusty buttery bread in a nice den with a fire. typing that sentence alone gives me a killer visual… one where i fall asleep with a book on my chest… empty bowl beside me on the table… not a care in the world, right? snap* snap* back to reality for most of us. there’s homework to be done, bathing children, DVR’d shows to watch… so is the life of most Americans my age today. (someday i will OWN that visual though… i suspect it will begin in my sixties, as i simultaneously OWN a grey bob haircut)
for now, i have tried this recipe twice… and it is a winner yo. winner winner chicken dinner. (sorry) it allowed me to use a spice i’ve been dying to try… garam masala. garam masala is a yummy blend of many spices, often used in Indian cooking. it’s very meaning is ‘hot mixture’ – and i’ve read about various combinations including some of the following: cloves, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, peppercorns, ginger, star anise and turmeric. i bought mine at the bulk spice section of whole foods, allowing me to buy just a couple of tablespoons for around 34 cents. (LOVE whole foods, but who doesn’t right?) anyway, the preparation on this is pretty easy… and it even forces you to open a bottle of white wine, of which you will use half. i used a bottle of gifted chardonnay that has been sitting on my wine rack for a year- as it is my least favorite type of white. this gave me the perfect excuse to use it up in a delicious way. please be careful at the point where you are adding the wine to the pan… (deglazing) if you are not used to doing this, i ask you to turn your flame off first, just to avoid any splashing and possibility of flames. as long as you add slowly, you should be fine. there is a time and a place for the culinary flames sent from deglazing… and an industrial kitchen is usually preferable.
ingredients:
one package of boneless skinless chicken breasts (either three or four in pack)
one cup of flour
salt and pepper
2 T butter
oil for the pan (i always use olive)
half a bottle of white wine (chardonnay, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, reisling, etc)
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
rice
so here’s what you do: cut your chicken into bite sized chunks, removing any skin or tendons. salt and pepper your chicken. uncork your wine, so you are ready at that step and not fumbling to open it as your pan scorches. add your cup of flour to a plate so that you are ready to dip your chicken in it. open your can of tomatoes. rinse and chop your green onions using all but the top inch or so of the greens. prepare your spices in a small dish- setting aside a half a tsp of the allotted 2t of garam masala- as you will add it at the end. ok, saddle up- here we go. choose your favorite large skillet with a lid… can be either non stick or stainless- either way. add a generous drizzle of oil to the pan, and add your butter. turn on the heat to md. high. working in batches, take a portion of your diced raw chicken, and set it in the flour. begin coating the chicken by flipping it around a bit in the flour. take the chicken in your hands and shake off the excess flour over the plate (as much as you can)- and add to now ready skillet. brown chicken slightly, flipping each piece over and being careful not to crowd your pan. work in batches, and remove chicken to a plate to rest once it’s been lightly browned. you may need to add more oil or butter to the pan at least once during this process. (note, you are not out to cook the chicken at this step, only to barely brown it so the flour adheres to the meat. end note.)
browning the chicken a bit
once all your chicken has been floured and browned, cut your flame and add a half a bottle of white wine… slowly. you will hear a searing sound once it hits the hot skillet. scrape up the lovely browned bits from bottom and sides of pan with a wooden spoon. (in case it’s your first time- you have just deglazed a pan!) celebrate with a glass of remaining wine. lol. add your onions, tomatoes, spices (again leaving a half t. of the garam masala behind to add later), and chicken. stir to combine. bring to a boil and then immediately cover and reduce heat to simmer. simmer like this for 35 minutes. this is the time when you should prepare your rice. cook enough rice for four servings, at least. at end of 35 mins, add your reserved 1/2 tsp of garam masala to the chicken dish- and stir to combine. remove from heat and allow to rest for five mins or so, uncovered. if serving for sit down dinner- carefully transfer to a nice serving bowl and serve with a big bowl of rice alongside. family style. this meal is sure to please, and i am certain you will enjoy. it’s exotic enough to break up your usual routine… without being overly exotic or fussy.
today happens to be what i believe to be – the sweetest day. it is friday friends. it’s a loaded gun. it’s a full glass of water… or wine for that matter. it’s the start of a playful tumble down a soft and cool grassy slope… the kind where you pick up momentum, laughing all the way. friday is a segway into uncharted territory… the wild and wonderful, or the lazy and delicious. if you’re like me… it’s a little bit of both. always. friday holds the promise of 2.5 days of undictated control. you’re craving oatmeal cookies at ten pm?? giddy up. we can sleep in on Saturday- but for now LET’S BAKE. (take those capped words how you wish… i won’t tell) – if your night is in… pop on some tunes after the tots go to bed, and take some time to reconnect with your husband/wife/partner. ask them about their challenges this week. talk about a dream you had last night. ask them what their favorite thing is about your home… about your body… listen to them. don’t interrupt. think about why you choose to spend time with this person. what is YOUR favorite thing about them? i can assure you that connections like these will have your weekend off to a fabulous start. tackle a saturday project together. be playful while doing so. always. decide on some dinner together. emphasis on together. pour their sunday morning coffee. memorize how they take their coffee. suggest you cook their favorite meal later today. offer a way they can earn that meal… whispering or a hand written note usually works best, P.S. 😉 the take away point as i face a fun filled weekend ahead on this lovely temperate friday in the Burgh is this… look at every day as a vacation. when you are not at work, don’t be at work. leave it behind… it never runs out on you, this i promise. look at every evening as an event. ex: it’s TUESDAY bitches!!! i’m gonna stop off for my favorite bottle of wine, grab my tot’s favorite cookies at the grocer, download that new Beiber song that’s been in my head, fix a nice meal for my fam, clean up in the morning (an awesome tip to harness the shiz out of your evening), put a few drops of green food coloring in the tot’s bath to color it like the sea, they pick their bedtime books… but make them tell YOU a story as well. make up an incredibly ridiculous story for them right before you tuck- and give them a jumping off point for their dreams. (be prepared to do this every night… they’ll ask.) then get your dupa back to that reconnecting i talked about at the start of the spill. pat yourself on the back… and thank your Creator… whomever you believe that to be. tomorrow is a new day. bet the farm it’s gonna be great.
the four minute veggie
say ‘i love you’ with this stellar dessert next august.anticipation
so it’s thursday afternoon as i begin this draft chatter offering- i made a joke on my Facebook page earlier– tonight would be the kick off of ‘red wine drinking’ season for me… and the reasoning went something like this. Today is the 27th, and 2+7=9, and 9 goes into 27 three times… and everyone knows that 3 is the magic number. it’s logic like this that will have me up until 1am blogging about the pink satin jacket with turquoise cuffs i had as a small child… and how great terry cloth clothing felt. interpretation: there need not be logic for fabulous things. they just are. tonight will be filled with goodies in all elements, shapes and sizes- starting with the silver lining of being off of work until Monday afternoon. a long weekend is always a beautiful thing. i’m planning to bake up a few rustic pita pizzas for dinner, with the liquid to solid food ratio leaning toward the liquid and the lovely. we’ve been lucky enough to avoid a frost so far, allowing us plenty of freshly torn basil leaves for a topping. i love the end of the harvest when you are savoring sweet sliced tomatoes with every meal… and the crusts from pita pizzas make perfect sponges for the tomato juice on the cutting board. in my house, most meals are consumed while standing in the kitchen- my hubby and i, listening to some of our favorite tunes and watching the tiny tots be young, wild and free. it’s one of our favorite times of the day… and when it’s happening, it’s easy to see why. yes, we may only get through one Neil Young track and half of a Ray LaMontagne before the tots request Britney Spears… but it’s all part of the charm of our off center, stand up family dinner. i don’t imagine this part of the day would be half as fun if it weren’t for my love and passion for food. my son (3) used to ask me, “is it gonna be good mommy?” as i prepped a meal… but somewhere along our life path he stopped asking. now he knows. he prefers ‘linguini with red sauce’ over spaghettios if you get me. i’m creating a food conscious little fella – but some girl, somewhere will thank me one day. tonight there will be wine, and there will be flame in the fireplace, and the flame will be from that of the large red oak that fell on part of our house three years ago. funny how that whole event can be passed off in one sentence as i blog here, but at the time it consumed our lives to the point of exhaustion. time marches on, and if you’re too busy sitting on your dupa watching Honey boo boo, you’ll miss the beauty hidden in these stolen moments. sometimes i like to do a pre-blog… leading up to the evening events- and then follow up with a photog synopsis of the magic, and how it all went down. today is one of those days.
Coppolla cab. red wine season’s first pour.
i feel like weekday dinners should be easy, but no less delicious than a weekend meal would be. anytime there’s sauce and melty fontina cheese involved, it’s bound to be fabulous. this is a meal the whole family can be a part of- kids love to spread their own sauce and sprinkle the cheese all over the top. these bake off at 375 in 7 minutes when placed directly on the rack. enjoy, we sure did!! see our evening gallery below!
this past saturday found us enjoying an incredibly flavorful Thai meal at the Green Mango in Regent Square. (a Pittsburgh suburb) i had done a bit of research on the place, and read some fantastic reviews… leaving me not a single reason as to why it shouldn’t move to the top of our short list for datenite. hotbox hipster and hubby of said hipster are the parents of two cutie patootie preschoolers, who happened to be spending the night at mimi and pappy’s for the night. begin datenite for two thirsty for fun thirty somethings. knowing that The Green Mango was a BYOB, (with no corkage fees, PS) we parked on South Braddock and headed to D’s six pack and dogs for some take out brew. we mix and matched a six pack of IPA’s for him and Belgian whites for her, and walked on over to the restaurant straight away with the ice cold treasures. There was a bit of outdoor seating, maybe six small tables in all, which were all occupied around 7pm when we rolled up. we easily secured a small table for 2 inside, and were attended to immediately with glasses for our beer and menus in our hands. waters came a minute later, and we were allowed to place our appetizer order shortly thereafter. the service was ultra attentive… even for clearing plates and empty bottles. We ordered both the Tofu summer rolls as well as some spring rolls… both were fabulous.
Tofu Summer Rolls
the dipping sauce had some crushed peanuts atop, and it lent a lovely sweetness to both. next up was the Tom Yum soup with chicken. my sinuses immediately kicked into gear and i felt amazingly alive while eating this spicy bit of genius. The broth was maybe some of the best i’ve tasted, ever. i am longing for a bowl of this soup right now, no joke.
Tom Yum soup with chicken
i honestly could have stopped here and been utterly satisfied, but it’s just not my style. gluttony rocks, and how. placed before me shortly afterward was a steaming plate of drunken spicy noodles with chicken. it’s a plate of wide noodles that are ever so slightly oily, and both spicy and sweet all at the same time somehow… with bits of fresh basil, napa cabbage, tender and juicy chicken, and thai chili bits all throughout…. words fail to describe this masterpiece of a thai dish folks…. you need to order it.
Spicy Drunken Noodles with chicken
word of wisdom, i ate maybe a fourth of it and took it home. day 2, saute a half of a small zucchini cut into small bite sized pieces for a minute or two, and then add your left over noodles. place lid atop, adjust heat to medium, and set timer for two minutes. plate your food and enjoy for the second day in a row. our beers tasted like heaven with the spicy food, and the atmosphere in this quaint little place was very relaxed. we will be back… oh yes sir, we will be back.
these are the first key strokes toward a dream of mine for many a change of season. the year has just turned fresh, and i decided… why keep dreaming?? Make it happen sister. my love for cooking has been a rock solid one for greater than ten years now, since i was gifted a fire engine red KitchenAid mixer. one of the first things i whipped out was a Pavlova… with fresh whipped cream and seasonal fruits. i was smitten. the posts to follow will contain some of my tried and true recipes ~ chocked full of wacky measurements and explanations along the way for why you ‘need’ to do it this way or that. the bulk of these recipes have been stuck in my head for a decade, and will finally make their way to some formal arrangement. this will delight not only myself, but i’m sure the many lovelies over the years who have asked me for the recipe to this or that… only to have me forget the request and fail to deliver. my apologies en masse.
i am admittedly a dump cook, and thrive on grabbing recipes by the arm and yanking them around a bit. these new recipes will someday become old faves, and that, my friend is what it’s all about. it’s food evolution…. one household at a time. discovering what works – what doesn’t – and wondering why. it’s the wonder that the passion clings to. once you gain the confidence in your cooking skills, the possibilities are truly endless.
video tutorials will appear for your viewing pleasure as well. special guests will rotate, and the vino will flow alongside the food. a G rating can almost never be guaranteed, aside from maybe my initial clip on how to section a grapefruit like a rockstar.
begin fun. begin creative river flow. begin opportunity.
take one pee pee step away from The Man. prestige worldwide baby!!!!
Hotbox Hipster 
