use real butter

I had my last radiation treatment yesterday afternoon (Wednesday)!!! Sweeeet.

Surgery: check.
Chemo-frakking-therapy: check.
Radiation: check.

Unlike chemo, radiation is a big lounge scene. I love my radiation techs and because it’s a daily thing, you really get to know the other radiation patients scheduled around your time slot. Last week, one of my favorite patients, Glenda, finished her treatments and I baked up a batch of cookies for her and everyone else. The waiting room is more like a living room for social visits (except half of us are in gowns - people are so used to stripping down at the drop of a hat for radiation). So when I walked in yesterday afternoon with a batch of baklava, I saw the usual crowd… AND Glenda. “What on Earth are you doing here?” I asked her. She told me she called to find out when my last day was and came just to see me. And she had brought me a rose. What a sweetheart.

small gestures, big heart

She gave me a hug and kiss and wished me well. I knew what she meant. When cancer patients say good-bye to one another and wish each other well it’s not the normal “kayseeyabye” that people litter mindless conversation with. No, what we’re really saying is, “I hope that fucking cancer stays away forever and ever. I wish that you never have to do this again. I want you to live and I want you to live happily. I want you to live without pain, without fear.” You can see what they mean when you look in their eyes and you know what they are saying because you are saying the exact same thing back to them. The embrace lingers longer than usual because maybe holding on to each other will help us through it better?

It’s a fraternity that I never wanted to be a part of, but had no choice in the matter. Once in it, I fended off the hazing ritual of pink ribbons and yellow wristbands the way I squirmed out from under pretty dresses and bows as a little kid. I didn’t want to be a cancer victim because I Am Not A Victim. What I didn’t realize what that I would be meeting so many wonderful individuals during this journey, not just patients, but doctors and nurses and techs and staff. The active treatment is over now. One more milestone on this long path to I Have No Idea Where, but I’ll tell you what - I will make the best of it.

Our house is stocked to the hilt with fresh fruit. I went nutso crazy on the fruit shopping the other day because despite my love of winter (ahhhh, triggered memories of tele skiing the fluffy pow!) I am a summer produce whore.

fresh figs are here!

nothing better than a perfectly ripe, drippy, messy, luscious white peach

It’s a bit of a task to stuff yourself with as much fruit as possible before it rots. I’m beginning to feel like a fruit roll up extruder. ha! Oh, but we don’t stop with teh lovely fruits. Summer produce includes vegetables too. One of my favorites: corn.

puppy likes corn

We typically boil our corn, but recently I began grilling corn. I think I’m addicted to grilled food this season. Could it be some primitive attraction to fire? or perhaps the aversion to oven and stove usage? or the easy cleanup? Grilled corn gives those delectable kernels that extra dimension of chewy sweetness with a hint of smoky (sometimes a lot of smoky when we forget to turn the cobs). I tend to like my corn nekked, as in no butter, no salt. Nada, Tostada… But recently I was turned on to one of the loveliest pairings in the food world: lime and corn.

here’s the lime

Actually it is lime, corn, and chili with butter as the rug that ties the room together. It is a fairly simple recipe requiring a smidgen of work and patience.

fo shiz, baby!

Strip the outer leaves of the husk off and then peel back the rest of the husk without detaching so you can remove the silk from the corn. Then cover the cob back up with the husk and soak in water for 30 minutes. While all of that is soaking, I melt some butter and then toss in the lime juice and chili powder.

best not to wear a white t-shirt when making this

After the corn has soaked long enough, I like to pat the insides dry before applying the butter mixture. The husks get a little curly and are a pain to fold back around the corn entirely. Well, those little buggers are gonna burn anyway… Expect your hands to look as if you just murdered a piece of carne asada.

apply the goodness to the cob

Grilling time is going to vary depending on how you like your corn. Less time for tender and plump, a little more time if you like the kernels slightly chewy and charred. If you have a grill that heats unevenly like ours, you can have both on one cob!

yes please

Grilled Chili-Lime Corn

8 ears of corn
1/4 cup butter
1 lime, juice of
1 tsp chili powder

Remove the outer husk of each ear and peel back the inner husk. Remove the silks and fold the inner husks back up. Soak the ears in twater for 30 minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in the lime juice and the chili powder. Pat the ears dry. Pull the inner husk back and brush butter onto the corn. Cover with the husks and twist the tops. Grill on medium-high heat for 15-25 minutes (depending on desired doneness), turning often. Serve hot.

My energy levels have been wildly sinusoidal this week. After seven weeks of nuking my boob, my radiation treatment seems to have finally caught up with me. I held out for quite a long time, so I’m pretty happy that radiation wasn’t worse. I have sporadic pain which isn’t so bad, and then there is the sudden fatigue which comes on in seconds with no warning. That is more annoying than anything else and it has been forcing me to take full advantage of any time I am feeling good and alert.

The downside of feeling good was yesterday afternoon when I left radiation… I went to Whole Paycheck Foods to have a look at their seafood counter. I should have realized I was setting myself up. I was high energy and the brain began to think of things to eat this weekend. Yummy, delicious, wonderful things to eat. Since we were at Whole Foods, let’s make that yummy, delicious, wonderful, expensive things to eat.

How about those scallops.
Anything else, ma’am?
And some shrimp.
What else can I get for you?
I like that wild Yakutat Sockeye salmon…

Then I saw the Chilean sea bass. Ever since I began shopping for seafood, Chilean sea bass has been a no-no in my book. Don’t buy. It’s overfished. But I knew that Whole Foods had been carrying Chilean sea bass for the past year or more and they wouldn’t do this unless it checked out with their requirement for offering sustainable seafood to customers. In fact, they get their Chilean sea bass from a supplier who is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. I went for it. I had never prepared Chilean sea bass and probably had it once or twice over a decade ago. I know people balk at the cost of say, organic beef tenderloin from Whole Foods, but they ought to step over to the fish counter some time if they want to get their panties in a wad. The total on my grocery bill would have been more fitting for a receipt of 20 items rather than 6, but the seafood is worth it.

just a little bit of lemon

How to prepare the sea bass? I grew up eating seafood, lots and lots of fantastic seafood (the state tourism board likes to say Virginia is for lovers, but I like to think it is for seafood lovers). My favorite way to eat fish is obviously raw, as in sushi and sashimi. My second favorite way to eat fish is cooked simply. That means no crazy sauces or heavy marinades. I actually enjoy tasting the fish itself because fresh fish carries the show all on its own. When I unwrapped the fish at home, it smelled like seawater - fresh seawater. Bonus. I like a little lemon with my fish - not too much. So I let the sea bass sit in some lemon for about 20 minutes. Enough to accent the fish, but not enough to taste like lemon or to start cooking the flesh.

salt, pepper, olive oil

I patted the fillet dry and sprinkled some salt, freshly ground pepper, and olive oil over it. Tossed it into my fish basket and set it upon the grill where the veggies were already hanging out. My greatest nightmare when it comes to cooking seafood is that I will screw it up because seafood is delicate and really ass expensive around here. I’d much rather undercook it (which is easy to remedy) than overcook it (which I believe is a felony).

lookin’ good: crispy edges, juicy flesh

Eight minutes in total was just right for us. The edges browned so nicely. When Jeremy flipped the fish on the grill, the juices poured out onto the flame and caught fire. Fat. Delicious, lovely fat. That’s why the sea bass is so amazingly tender and full of flavor. It has a juicy flake more akin to grouper and an almost buttery taste. Oooooh hooo hooo!!! Let the love affair begin. I feel as if a new door has been opened for me, and behind that door is a sexay piece of Chilean sea bass.

the star of a grilled dinner

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass

1 pound Chilean sea bass, fillet
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp olive oil

Set the fish in a container with the lemon juice for ten minutes. Flip the fish and let sit for another ten minutes. Pat the fillet dry and rub with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place fillet in an oiled fish basket and grill on high heat for about 4 minutes. Flip the fish and grill for another 3 minutes (depends on thickness of the fish). Serve immediately.

This past Saturday marked three years since we moved to Colorado. In celebration, we did nothing. We celebrate living here every day, folks. As if the ski and flower porn weren’t enough to convince you of how much we love it… Actually we did something this weekend, but it had nothing to do with the 3-year mark and everything to do with the summer bloom in the mountains.

yeah, puppy came along too

Talk to people around Colorado and many of them will swoon when you say the words Crested Butte. The skiing is phenomenal, the mountain biking world class, the wildflowers are some of the best in the country. The mountains and forests will take your breath away with dramatic expanses of wilderness in every direction. The town is charming, quaint and high end. Everyone has their reason for loving Crested Butte. It’s also a favorite for nature photographers.

poor air quality due to a wildfire 30 miles away

I called this trip a vacay in the previous post, but it was really work. Anytime I plan to actively shoot it becomes work. We woke up at 4 am in the mornings and weren’t done shooting until after 9 pm (and driving past 10 pm). It’s all dictated by the light and we were exhausted when we got home today. Jeremy commented that he gets much more sleep when I shoot the fall colors ;) True dat.

flowers abound

Probably not a one of you would have considered this a relaxing trip. It wasn’t relaxing, but it was rewarding.

So I have another savory recipe in my archives here… It’s a good recipe because it has bacon in it. Precious, lovely, beautiful bacon. I always double the recipe because it actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had 24 hours to blend together, but we’re too impatient to wait that long when it comes out of the oven smelling like the dinner you so want to eat.

cutting the shortening

pressed pie crust dough

While I abhor those pre-made pie crusts you can buy at the store, I am just about the laziest pie crust maker ever. I probably overmix my dough and it’s too crumby and not flaky enough. Maybe one day when I start to care, I’ll start to improve my technique. I guess I just add more bacon to the filling, because bacon masks any deficiencies in a quiche.

mixing milk, eggs, and the goodies

toss the gruyère with flour

The gruyère adds a lovely dimension to the flavors. I used to use any old Swiss cheese when I first starting baking quiche. Then one night I had leftover gruyère from a party and used that instead. We have never looked back.

fill the pie shells

baked and ready to serve

The biggest problem I have with serving quiche right out of the oven is the ooze factor. You know what I’m talking about - cut one slice and the rest of the quiche seems to slo-mo vomit into the space you just vacated. This last time I made the quiche, it came out of the oven and we rushed off to… shoot some wildflowers. We were back within 20 minutes, but that 20 minutes of rest time for the quiche set it up nicely and no one was vomiting anything after the initial slice. Nice.

perfect with some salad on the side

Quiche

1 pie crust
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 medium onion, minced and sautéed
1 cup mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
1 head broccoli, chopped and blanched
1 1/2 cups gruyère, shredded
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt

pie crust
from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening or lard
3-4 tbsp cold water

Mix together the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until it is in pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of water over the mixture and toss with fork. Repeat until all is moistened and form dough into a ball. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface, rolling from center to edges until about 12 inches in diameter. Press and form into a 9-inch pie plate.

Quiche: Line the pie crust with foil and bake at 450°F for 5 minutes. Bake another 5-7 minutes with the foil off. Remove from oven. Reduce oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, milk, onion, bacon, broccoli, muhsrooms, and salt. In a separate bowl, toss the cheese and flour together. Add the cheese to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into pie crust and bake 35-40 minutes. Let quiche rest out of the oven for 15 minutes before serving. The flavor really improves if eaten the next day (which is why I make two quiches at a time).