in the kitchen

It's been a while, time for another glimpse into my culinary subconscious.

Fuss Wrangling consumes the bulk of my 'weekend'. It's low intensity- he's usually content if you're in the same room. But any visible diversion of focus (like reading a book, or filling the dishwasher) draws his insecurity like a magnet. Before you can finish a page or load two plates he's scaling your leg and snuffling to herald the inevitable crying jag should you attempt to resist his appeal.

So I'm on the hunt for thing that can be accomplished episodically, a few minutes at a time.

Wednesday, I auditioned breadmaking.

The minimal hands-on prep seemed tailor made for Fuss' demands.
Here's how it played out:

Mix some stuff, toss it in the stand mixer, let it run for a while.
Check on the Fuss.
Toss the dough in a bowl, let it rise.
Check on the fuss.
Punch it down, roll it around, stick it in a pan, let it rise some more.
Check on the Fuss.
Stick it in the oven, set the timer.
Check on the fuss.
Pull it out, dump it on the cooling rack.
Check on the fuss.

The relaxed pacing and small investment of active time make it an ideal Fuss Watching activity. I'm adding it to the regular rotation.

I tried out a new recipe for chicken fajitas last night, culled from the Cook's Illustrated site.
Things turned out okay, but the results didn't seem to justify the amount of labor involved. Also, their trick of wrapping the tortillas in aluminum foil and sticking them in the oven while the veggies roast didn't produce a satisfying result. I'll stick with heating them by hand in a cast iron skillet, even if it takes an extra 5 minutes.

One trick that did work was roasting the onions and peppers under the broiler, much faster and easier than doing it on the stovetop. Brush everything with oil, season with salt and pepper and stick under the broiler for a while. Pull the peppers when they char, flip the onions and cook a bit more. Chop it all up, mix it with reserved marinade from the chicken and voila!

The chicken was good, but nowhere near as delicious as the garlic/mint/cinnamon flavor extravaganza I made a while back. Mexican is fabulous for beef, but I think I'll stick to the Middle East for my chicken needs.

But yeah, fresh bread. Toast a couple of thick slices, fry up a couple of super fresh Kelly eggs and you've got a breakfast that can't be topped at any price.