chicken royale

Why choose between paprika-rubbed chicken and crispy chicken when you can create an epic mash-up and have both?

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and start with a chicken... pat that bird dry!

ready for dressing

Mix 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and salt and pepper to taste (add a little more salt than you like - the chicken needs it.) Peel a handful of garlic cloves...

prepare the rub...

... and smash garlic!

smashy smashy

Stuff the chicken cavity with half the smashed garlic and whatever else you feel like... I had an extra rasher of cooked bacon lying around.

reverse chicken cordon bleu... sort of

Rub the chicken with a little extra-virgin olive oil...

Don't forget the back!

massaging the chicken

Then add the paprika-cornstarch rub on both sides. Be sure to get the bits of skin on the inside of the legs and wings.

this gets messy, rub on.

Being the accidental genius I am, I cooked the chicken breast-side down. This turned out to be unexpectedly great because once I figured out how to carve the upside-down chicken (just flip it over) I found that the breast meat was juicy! Hurray for accidents!

Reduce the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit just before putting the bird in the oven.

ready to roast

Cook for thirty minutes. While the chicken roasts, slice some potatoes to no thicker than 1/4 inch. Add the potatoes and the rest of the smashed garlic to the pan...

bed of potatoes... dreamy

... baste the chicken and potatoes with a little olive oil and leftover paprika mix...

fancy silicone brush from the $1.50 store!

Roast for thirty more minutes (or until the juices run clear, you know the drill.)

Then enjoy! Dig into the crispy cracking of the skin and smell that garlicky-smoky goodness! Oh yes, this is a dish to impress!

my uber-chicken

more brunch

Caught up with a friend over Sunday brunch at Cafe Grillades in San Bruno... friend's choice but it turned out to be a yummy choice. This Parisian style cafe serves lovely crepes and egg dishes, some with a North African twist... that is actually very Parisian.

The Algiers Merguez crepe:

good hefty size and well-seasoned salad

filled with house-made lamb sausage, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and potatoes!

I usually go for eggs benedict plates but the caramelized onions sold me on this plate. And the potatoes, of course. Very savory and filling, excellently made and well priced... my only complain is the same that happens almost every time I eat lamb... am I the only person who chomps on a hard little grain of bone every time lamb is served? Revenge of the sheep.

apologies

I have hella been neglecting my online home of hella...

things that happened:

I return to The Sentinel for a reason: corned beef sandwich

upgrade complete: the view from my new "office."
It's still a cubicle, but larger and by the window.
This is only a 3-week fix before I move over to the special project
but it's nice to have a window, even if I can't open it.

mint chocolate cupcake from Cupcake Cove

burying Q-Tip in laundry fresh from the dryer.
So happy!

great minds think alike

Time to get inspired! It's pretty standard for Anthropologie to shoot their poetic garments and picturesque wares in some far-flung location... Sri Lanka, Portugal... if Anthropologie has shot there, I want to visit.

The November 2011 catalogue arrived and guess what? This time they traveled to all the way to little old Peru for their winter campaign!

modeling in the Uros Islands, made entirely of totoro reeds.
Image courtesy of anthropologie.com

It's like all signs are pointing to Peru right now... don't get your panties in a bunch, universe! I'm already going!

it feels like a soup day

but the soup I wanted is gone! To my dismay, Hi-Tea is closed... for renovations? They certainly don't serve the best pho but they serve a pretty decent soup at a happy price. The service is friendly and the food comes out quickly. And it's just a hop, skip, and jump away from work. Besides, it's not like I can go all the way to Turtle Tower and back just to get the beef and noodle goodness that is pho.

Found out that Perilla on Mission Street - usually known for its garlic noodles and papaya salad - serves a noodle soup with rice vermicelli. Sounds like pho, except that the broth is chicken broth and not beef broth...

that soup is considerably lighter than a real pho.
I like the good amount of meat but I'd appreciate an actual bowl,
like how Hi-Tea packs their soups.

different tastes

This is Five Spice Chicken Noodle Soup... the taste is nowhere near as strong or hearty as Hi'Tea's pho but it is pleasantly garlicky. I really would've liked a more bowl-ish bowl from which to eat the soup but I think the vertical orientation of this container helped keep the soup hot. Still, not worth the $10+ I spent (including tax.) That's a bold number to ask for pho.

did you?

Some people (like my mother) refrain from voting so that they don't get called for jury duty. I am unlucky/lucky enough to never have my group picked to even come in to the court for the jury choosing. And I've been told that even if my group was picked, no judge would let me sit on a jury.

Oh well. Happy Election Day!

Sunday best

Sunday was a pretty fabulous day... I finally settled down to brunch at the recently opened and conveniently located Beachside Cafe, and I got to hang out with a guy that leaves me in giggles. Life is good.

But more on the food... Beachside Cafe, located on the corner of Judah and 48th Avenues, comes from the owners of that coffee place down the street... yes, the geniuses who thought to put a cafe right next to the beach are now bringing on the home cookin' with a spot that serves fantastic breakfast and lunch food at prices that take me back to candy stores in the 90s.

I can never resist a good chicken & waffles plate:

The best. Ever.

That's right, this fried chicken and waffles plate is better than Little Skillet. Sorry! The chicken has this amazing breading that gives it a savory flavor and a nice crunch without a lot of grease. IT'S SO GOOD! And the waffles are fantastic! Light and buttery and a little crunchy on the outside but super-soft on the inside... I'm not saying I tried every waffle house in Brussels but this "Belgian" waffle from Beachside Cafe beats any waffle I had abroad. Or anywhere. With foundations this solid, you don't need a lot of syrup - hence, I was not disappointed with the tiny quantity of syrup balancing on the rim of the plate. Same with the butter - this is good enough that you don't need a whole lot of extras. And at $9.95 for two pieces of chicken, this is a dangerous addiction!

Boy chose the meatball sandwich. Pleasantly cheesy, lots of red sauce, and meatballs that threatened to pop out sideways each time he took a bite. He was happy, and I must say that the bite I took was pretty satisfying.

yummy yummy in my tummy

Now all I have to do is come up with a nickname for him...

doctor's orders

I'm still surprised I need more red meat in my life. Decided to shake things up with some lamb chops. The recipe is inspired by Martha Stewart's Oregano & Orange Rack of Lamb:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Start with some chopped up potatoes with the usual suspects: salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Leave some space in the center. And make sure that the potato chunks are small!

when do I not cook potatoes?

I used lamb chops because frankly, lamb shanks are expensive. And a lot of the price is in the bones and the way that frenched shanks look. So I'm going the economical route and using lamb chops. (If you truly wanted to be thrifty, you wouldn't use lamb.)

ready for action

Season the chops with salt and pepper and brown them in a little olive oil, about five minutes each side.

sizzle

Done!

we're going for color, not actual doneness

Transfer the chops to the pan. Feel free to push the potatoes back towards the center once the chops are in.

the easy part!

Bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a little dressing to go with the chops.

A little garlic and onion (about one-third of a yellow onion,) a lime,
half a cup of orange juice, red pepper flakes, oregano,
and red wine and white vinegar.

There are more alterations in the sauce. First off, it's raining tonight so I don't feel like going to the greengrocer just to pick up some fresh oregano and parsley. Therefore, the parsley is nixed and the oregano used is the dried kind that gathers dust in your spice rack. Similarly, I don't have any shallots and don't want to go outside to get one, so I'm just mincing up one-third of an onion as best I can.

Wonder why the red wine and white vinegar go together? It's my very own ghettofabulous red wine vinegar. Because of all the vinegars to be missing from my pantry, it's red wine vinegar. One-quarter of a cup of red wine vinegar, real or moonshine, is needed.

The lime is another addition but for once, not to replace something else. I just think that most foods can benefit from a squeeze of lime.

Crush the red pepper flakes (kneading a knife back and forth as if you were slivering nuts is a good method.) Add all ingredients together and stir.

Mix it all up!

Once the chops are done cooking...

lovely aroma... wish this photo was scratch 'n' sniff!

Pour the red wine/orange juice over the chops and enjoy!

Lamb makes this homey meal look fancy.

With all of my alterations I'm sure my lamb tastes nothing like Martha's. But I like the combination of lamb and citrus... the humble smell of lamb mingles with fresh citrus flavors and is actually pretty darn tasty. Yet another win for Martha Stewart!

little gifts

Picked up a few cute things to congratulate myself on somehow defying the odds with the whole sugar mystery...

From H & M:

fancy denim blazer with a lining meant to be shown off

awesome printed dress... not only does it fit me well in the waist, it's covered in cute cats!

really cool chevron tights...
because every commercial fashion line is producing
Missoni doppelgangers like it's going out of style

From anthropologie:

I really love these striking earrings. The mix of textures and materials and color keep these tassels from looking too old-fashioned.

interesting earrings, on sale.
This store has some of the most lovely items I've ever seen
but it should only be shopped during a sale.
Who has $200 to drop on a skirt?

a surprise for somebody...

And best of all, grocery shopping!

shocking

On Friday I went to my doctor's office to finish up my first blood test. I didn't quite finish the first time around because I passed out once they found a live vein. Remember to eat/drink something sweet before going in for that blood test!

Anyways, I succeeded in not falling on the floor this time and they were able to get the two vials needed to run all the tests they want. The doctor did have some news for me from my first test:

1. I need more Vitamin D. They actually told me this after the first half of the blood test and promptly filled out a prescription for Vitamin D. I guess my sunblock works!
2. I have low blood pressure... doesn't really fit my disposition but okay.
3. My cholesterol is lower than normal. I am not vegetarian. The doctor recommended I eat a steak and said she would test my blood for anemia, just in case.
4. My sugar is normal.

Me, with normal sugar levels? You mean I'm not headed for diabetes? Am I not eating enough sugar? What is the world coming to!?

Well, I guess I'm on the side of health issues that people would prefer to have. I decided to remedy No. 4 by marching to the supermarket across the street and grabbing a cupcake:

Mud Puddle cupcake
from Sweet Things inside Cal-Mart on California Street

Mmm... I approve of this cupcake! A chocolate shell hiding marshmallow-y cream, all piled on top of a super-rich chocolatey cake. As you can tell, I ate this right away in my car. A mother parked right in front of me and pulled her two kids out, probably to go to a pediatrician appointment as well. Oh, those kids were so jealous of me.

And at $2.90 a pop, I say yes to more cupcakes from Cal-Mart!

save me from low sugar levels!

Had to update Mumsy with the clean bill of health. Her advice: "you have to live with me so I can feed you."

Of course. She never misses an opportunity to let me know how much better off I'd be if I moved back in with her.

preparing for Peru

Mumsy texted me on Wednesday... my Patagonia duffel arrived! And just as I predicted, it's the newer Freewheeler.

my adventure awaits

I love how smooth the wheels roll and how the handle extends up high enough so I don't have to hunch over when I walk. I'm also a big fan of the lightweight construction... my junk is heavy enough.

I'll be able to fit everything inside here!

Plenty of space for trekking gear... not that I trek hard, or at all.
But I will!
Anyways, no formal occasions to attend this time around
so no need to pack space-hogging high heels.
The black pad on the right side is rigid and gives the piece more structure.

The black wall collapses for easy storage when not in use.

Huge upper pocket... a little odd in shape, in my opinion.

the large, flat back compartment for storing large, flat things.
I think I will put chocolate here!

Retails at $349...
Redeemed for free!

It's much too early to pack anything, except these handy make-up removing towelettes that multi-task as a facial cleanser and light moisturizer. Plus, this won't count against my liquids!

So handy!

The redemption team was extra courteous for giving away something for free. I got a handwritten card with my rolling duffel! It's unexpected and nice, even though it's not dated properly:

It sure sounds like people don't redeem their points often!

I am going to fit a ton of stuff in my new bag... yay!

who and what?

On a quest to find a funny card, I came across these beauties:

next stop: Happy Land!

I never get enough of Homer Simpson so the "Happy Land" card is a no-brainer. But I really wanted a card with a wacky sound or song, and these two creatures fit the bill.

Turns out Hoops the pink cat and Yoyo the green bunny are commissioned by Hallmark to appear in greeting cards. They make an energetic and loquacious pair, radiating uber-kawaii cuteness and weird humor. And of course, they're loud... they remind me a bit of the Nickelodeon cartoon Angry Beavers. Instant love.

Though I was giving the yodelling card away, I resolved to find out where I could find more of this pair's wackiness. The Hallmark site features long-ish clips of the duo's thoughts on upcoming holidays and jazzy swing music. And it looks like Hoops and Yoyo are popular in the UK as they have a separate website for their friends across the pond... how would you like to win £200 and meet Hoops & Yoyo! Would I ever! That's about $300!

So if your special day is coming up... expect Hoops and Yoyo. They're coming.

my food looks bigger

Headed over to Focaccia for lunch on Wednesday with the section... the salad line is still daunting so I elected to get a sandwich... at $6.95, this gargantuan is no trifling matter.

Still large after eating half!

I made a caprese plus: fresh mozzarella and tomatoes paired with rich mortadella, pickles, and pepperoncini. Pile it all on Focaccia's focaccia bread and finish with the balsamic dressing and voila! You have un panino!

fresh mozzarella really makes the difference

I should frequent this joint more often!

As if large bready sandwiches weren't enough, Mumsy decided to take a leaf out of chef Fabio's book and made gigantic meatballs with ricotta cheese. The ricotta makes the meatball creamier, my mom makes the meatball bigger:

a meatball to end all meatballs

No wonder I eat so much.