use real butter

I’ve been able to resume my cardio workouts this week and it feels great. It helps alleviate some of the lingering side effects. My body and mind are much happier for it too, albeit a little tuckered out. That’s okay with me. I am a firm believer in the no pain, no gain mantra. Did I mention that I’ve dropped two sizes? Crazy - I know. My oncologist mentioned that I hadn’t gained any weight as most of his chemo patients tend to. It’s hard to gain weight when food 1) tastes like ass and 2) plays havoc on your insides. At least the endorphins from my workouts are flowing - w00t!

Jeremy made it home late this afternoon. Even though I don’t get bent out of shape when he’s on travel, it’s always nice to see my best friend again. Some folks require time away from their partner, but we can get along 24/7 indefinitely and that’s a good thing to know. Actually, we can work together 24/7 in adverse conditions - read: vacation. I literally trust him with my life (well, he used to be high-angle Search and Rescue).

It’s now 1 am and Jeremy just woke up to operate that giant radio telescope… My astrophysicist is hot. [I was about to say astrophysicists are hot, but that is a totally untrue and completely laughable statement.]

This afternoon, I made a recipe I’ve been wanting to post for a while. I usually make these in small quantities when I need to use up leftover dough from Chinese dumplings. It’s something my mom always used to do when I was little. I never learned how to make these outright from my mom - the technique just sunk into my head with all of my visual memories of my childhood. Same with the dumplings. To see how the dough is made, I’ll refer you to the dumpling recipe.

chopped scallions

let the dough sit for 30 minutes under a damp cloth

We never ordered scallion pancakes at dim sum because my parents could make them much better at home. I follow the same general philosophy to this day - if I can make something at home with competence, then I don’t order it when dining out (because I’m usually disappointed).

shape the hunks of dough into racquetball-sized rounds

roll the dough out into a thin pancake

The scallion pancakes are an order of magnitude easier to make than the dumplings. They are also faster and far more forgiving of screw ups.

spread a thin layer of oil over the pancake

sprinkle salt

I discovered that I tend to underestimate the amount of salt needed in the pancake. I used to shake out what I thought was necessary and would realize it wasn’t salty enough after all was said and done. Now, I typically add more than most others would. Your mileage may vary, so the first time you try this recipe, cook the first pancake and taste it so you can adjust the rest accordingly.

sprinkle scallions then roll the pancake like a rug

roll it up like a snail

Rolling out the pancake can get a tad messy at this point because little pockets of air will burst and spew oil in the direction the pin is rolling.

roll out the pancake to 1/8th inch thickness

pan-fry in a little oil on both sides until golden

Frying the pancakes takes some time because I fry each side in about a tablespoon of oil over medium-low flame until crisp and golden. When they are done, you can serve them immediately or toast them up in the oven. Slice into quarters or eighths.

whole scallion pancakes

slice and serve

Chinese Scallion Pancakes

2 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
vegetable oil
salt

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into 5 or 6 pieces of equal size. Roll the pieces into balls.

Place a ball of dough on a well-floured work surface and roll out into a thin circle (about 1/16th inch thickness). Spread a teaspoon of oil evenly over the pancake (use more if needed). Sprinkle salt evenly over the pancake. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of scallions over the pancake. Roll the pancake up from one end like a rug, then curl the roll around in a spiral and pinch the end to the roll so it stays wrapped. With the palm of your hand, press the roll from the top to flatten it. Roll the pancake out to 1/8th inch thickness. Heat a tablespoon of oil on a flat, wide pan over a medium-low to medium flame until hot. Set the pancake in the oil and let fry until the bottom is crisp and golden. Flip the pancake, adding more oil as needed. Remove from heat and serve immediately or reheat in the oven.

Christine had commented on the avocado mound that was sidling up next to the stacked enchiladas from a few days ago. Funny that, since I was planning to blog it! She’s an observant one.

My first true exposure to the beauty of avocados was the first time I lived in California. My pal, Melinda, had two giant avocado trees in her backyard and she always asked me to make the guacamole whenever they hosted parties for the club volleyball team. Then before we’d head home for the evening, she would grab me by the arm and foist a grocery bag full of avocados on me. “Take these!” she would insist. Gladly, Mel.

the goods: avocados, sweet onion, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, lemon, salt

In New York, I recounted how we used to roll avocados across Melinda’s backyard to see if her cat would be fooled enough to pounce on them. My lab mate looked at me incredulously and said, “Oh sure, roll $3 here, $3 there!” I realized how ridiculous it sounded, and it became more painfully clear when I started shopping for avocados in the Northeast.

pit the avocado - free the flesh

Back in California for a 3-year stint, I had my eye on different recipes and preparations. I took mental notes somehow knowing that we would eventually settle where you can’t rely on good guac anywhere you go. [Digression: I have a horrible habit of mutilating pronunciations for fun - so I call it something that sounds like Wack-a-Mole instead.]

make a garlic and salt paste

Because my better half eats the guacamole I make, I have modified it so that there aren’t chunky bits to offend his sensitivities. Jeremy has expanded his culinary horizons since the day we met to beyond what I thought was humanly possible, so I cannot complain (too much). His objections are mainly with the raw tomatoes, raw onions, garlic, and jalapeño being chunky. Basically everything but the salt, lemon, and avocado. Sheesh. But he admits that the flavors are important. This is why I mince the garlic and then sprinkle the salt on top and use the flat of my knife blade to pulverize it into a garlicky paste. I must admit that I find a honking huge chunk of raw garlic to be a little disconcerting in guacamole.

i mash the avocado with… my potato masher

add the rest of the vegetables that have been chopped to oblivion

I deseed the tomato because I don’t like the added moisture from the guts. Just chop it along the equator and squeeze/shake out the guts or run a spoon or finger through to remove it all. Then I cut it into a fine chop so you’d never know a tomato was in there save for the color in the guacamole. And when handling a jalapeño pepper, do yourself a favor and wear a glove because rubbing your eyes after handling one with bare hands is a miserable, miserable, wholly unhappy existence (ask me how it is I know).

add lemon juice to taste

Did I mention that Mel had lemon trees in her yard too? How convenient. It was like the guacamole yard because she usually grew her own tomatoes in her garden as well. This guacamole is definitely on the creamy side. If you like chunky, by all means - just don’t offer any to Jeremy. I know some folks like to add sour cream, but I just can’t. I love the freshness of the ingredients without any dairy (and I have this lactose intolerance problem too) and I feel that it’s already pretty spanking creamy since none of the ingredients measure more than a micron across…

planting the white corn tortilla chip on mount guacamole in the name of good eatin’

Guacamole

4 avocados, ripe
1 tomato, deseeded and minced fine
1 jalapeño, deseeded and minced fine
1/8 sweet onion, minced fine
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 lemon, juice of
salt to taste

Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop out the flesh into a sturdy bowl. Mash the avocado to a consistency of your liking. Smash or mince the garlic clove and sprinkle the salt over the garlic. Turn the knife blade on its side and press the salt into the garlic forming a paste. Add the paste to the avocado. But the tomato along its equator and remove the seeds. Dice the tomato to a consistency o your preference. Add to the avocado. Deseed the jalapeño and mince the pepper. Add to avocado. Chop or mince the sweet onion and add to the avocado. Mix the ingredients together and then pour lemon juice to taste. Add more salt if needed. If not serving right away, wrap the guacamole in plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down to touch the surface of the dip so you minimize the amount of air between the two layers. Refrigerate.

You’re probably familiar with artichoke dip. It’s a great goto appetizer for guests and especially when I used to host stitch-n-bitches. It really boils down to a lot of fat with fiber, I mean a lot of delicious fat with fiber! I’ve had it in restaurants and I can’t stand their versions because they skimp on the arties and load it with even more creamy filler. Blegh.

I made so much soup and stew and curry last week that we were working on leftovers when I remembered I had planned on roast chicken. The chicken wouldn’t wait and I didn’t want to chuck it in the freezer, so I went ahead and roasted it, then put it in the fridge. Instead of having it straight, I had a smack of inspiration.

preparing to harvest the meat

I stripped the bird of the meat and saved the carcass for chicken broth like any good cook would. I decided to make a twist on the artichoke dip and turn it into a hearty pasta dinner on the fly. I’m sure fresh artichokes would have been heavenly, but I was running short on time because I spent most of the day skiing with a bunch of tele babes - whoosh! I used trusty canned artichokes in the interest of time and less swearing.

quartered artichoke hearts

The dip recipe calls for blending everything together and baking it to heady goodness. I wanted to incorporate all of the flavors without baking anything. So I started with the minced garlic, except I used a lot more garlic than is called for in the dip recipe.

sauté garlic in olive oil

Once the sautéed garlic was fragrant, I added cooked penne and sautéed that for a few minutes before adding the chopped roast chicken and artichokes. You can add salt and pepper at this point, but since my roast chicken is typically well-seasoned, I don’t.

the hot mix

I removed the pot from the stove and grated about 2 cups of parmesan cheese over the pasta. I added 1.5 cups of mayonnaise as well as 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Most of these ingredients should be adjusted to your taste. I think I may have added a little more lemon juice - I love that stuff.

grating parmesan

mixing in the mayo, parm, and lemon juice

It’s a bit of a warm pasta salad dish. I guess I think of it as salad since it has mayo. It would have been great with a cream base sauce, but I’m trying to avoid dairy and the mayo lends more to the original artichoke dip.

artichoke dip as dinner

Roast Chicken Artichoke Pasta

1 lb roast chicken, chopped
24 oz. artichoke hearts, cooked, drained, quartered
1 lb. penne, cooked and drained
3 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 cups Parmesan, grated (to taste)
1.5 cups, mayonnaise (to taste)
1/2 cup lemon juice (to taste)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a large sauté pan heat olive oil on high flame. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the drained penne and saut&eacute for a few minutes. When the pasta is well-coated, toss in the chicken and artichokes and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove pot from heat. Toss in the Parmesan, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and parsley. Stir well and serve hot.