moratorium

I've had to suspend my pad thai eating privileges for the time being. the delay will end when I'm able to fit into the clothing that I'd like to fit into.

that photo isn't mine, I took it off of ChezPim's site. and if I haven't already linked to it, here's her recipe for pad thai. I've made both the vegetarian (vegan) and traditional versions of the sauce, and the traditional version kicks ass so badly that I want to eat a giant helping every day. I try not to eat shrimp, and I almost never have meat in the house (habit from when John was vegetarian), so I've been making a version with whatever vegetables I have around (and the egg and tofu, of course!). it's heavenly.

oh yeah, I made that roasted chicken (thomas keller's), and it was likewise delicious. not so much so that I'd want to eat it every day, but I must say the breast meat was especially remarkable. it was tender and fall-apartingly, meltingly, delicious (I'm generally more fond of dark meat). pair that with some ginger-scallion dipping sauce and, to quote emeril lagasse (sp?), "wah-bam!"

I posted a recipe for the ginger-scallion dipping sauce on July 29, 2010, but here it is, in an easier to read format:

Ingredients
chunk of ginger, grated (about a generous top-of-your-thumb-joint size: ratio of ginger to scallion should be close to 1:1)
1 scallion, minced (green and white parts)
pinch msg (optional)
salt to taste
enough neutrally flavored oil to cover the above ingredients

Equipment
heat-proof bowl
small, thick-bottomed pot, or saucepan

Instructions
mix all ingredients in heat-proof bowl, heat oil in small, thick-bottomed pot until smoking, then pour it over the spice mixture. the oil will sizzle and cook the ginger/scallion combo and become really yummy.

i lurv thomas keller

I was putzing around on chezpim this morning, ended up reading the roasted chicken post, a few of its comments, and allowed myself to be directed to a thomas keller recipe (for roasted chicken), then found this video clip. I learned about thomas keller when I stumbled upon the soul of a chef, nearly a decade ago. I've dreamt of eating at the french laundry ever since, but my culinary crush itself receded into a background crush a long time ago. watching this clip has renewed my crushdom, and I've reserved each of his cookbooks at my local library. so far the best thing about maternity leave, besides not having to work, has been cooking (and hanging out with alissa - often cooking). now I have two active crushes; add tim riggins to thomas keller. mmmmm. the drama of friday night lights is generally so crazed that I end up just laughing at it, but I still like to watch tim riggins and, so, I find myself asking the tv (and Liz, who shares this crush), why can't those writers just let tim riggins catch a break already? which tim riggins do you like best? btw, don't read the book, friday night lights, unless you want to find yourself depressed and cursing school-age sports like football (ever seen hoop dreams? if not, stay away from that one too).

1. football tim riggins (aka texas forever tim riggins)

2. in love with lyla garrity tim riggins

3. life is a bitch tim riggins

oh wait, I forgot, I have a third current crush, the moby wrap.

I swear this wrap never fails to calm an infant. max is currently sleeping in henry's hand-me-down moby wrap. henry loved it too. to all mothers I've failed to purchase this for, I apologize now (Jenn Maugle, I'm thinking of you, in particular).

oh, and while I'm on the subject of baby items I'm crushing on, I may as well add another superstar to the list, the baby bjorn infant seat.

my seat is like the great great great...grandmother of the one shown, but it's just as good even though it doesn't have the toy bar (actually, I'm not sure I like the looks of that device). a good friend gave me hers, once her babies were through with it, and it immediately became henry's favorite seat. actually, it became the only seat we used. henry preferred it over swinging versions, and max loves it too. max can sleep in the seat for hours, and there are days when he spends most of his non-breast time sleeping in the wrap and the seat.