Text 12771, 141 rader
Skriven 2014-04-30 10:37:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: optimism 572
====================
 NB> Chicken hearts are a goodness... :)

Aren't they ever. You notice they've not often been
available for years, even in the packages with the gizzards
or livers; probably become "chicken and chicken by-products"
that you read about on the cat food labels, which I suppose
would sit better with me if I could get them when I wanted
them. But supply and demand dictates otherwise.

 ML> Oh, well. I went with my friend Rosemary on the recommendation
 ML> of my friend Alex; we got mostly "parts," of which the crisp-
 ML> fried skin was the best. I ended up dropping more for the skin
 ML> of one or two chickens than a whole chicken would have cost at
 ML> the rotisserie counter of a neighboring supermarket, but I was
 ML> still very happy.
 NB> Of course, had one purchased a whole rotisserie chicken, one would
 NB> have had not only the skin to enjoy, but also a whole lot of white meat
 NB> chicken to somehow manage to also consume... ;)  And the skin wouldn't
 NB> have been crisp-fried, either..  ;)

You can crisp-fry the skin of a rotisserie chicken, but
you actually need an additional source of fat to fry it
in. Last night I was at my conductor Bill's house for
dinner before a rehearsal, and he had the remnants of a
rotisserie chicken that he'd made creamed chicken out of.
It was all white meat, but at least there was cream. After
the meal he offhandedly said, I hope you took a pill.
Thanks a lot, old man. But of course I had.

 NB> Family dynamics can be a problem...  Sometimes family appreciate the
 NB> supportive help of friends, sometimes they feel threatened... 

Each dynamic is different. Annie was happy to leave
from the situation. In this case, the daughter who kicked
up a stink was the one estranged fom the mother. She
obviously saw this as a way to reconnect, which Annie's
presence hindered. The other daughter was okay with her, and
the son, who is youngest, seems to have welcomed the help.

 ML> I arrived a couple days ago, and she showed up tonight, a
 ML> bit earlier than the original plan, as the daughter in
 ML> question resented a non-family-member taking a role.
 NB> One can only do what one is allowed to, in those cases...

Sometimes there are workarounds, sometimes not. The guy
would have preferred her help, but his needs are not the
only needs in the family. Anyhow, the mother is now
conscious but almost completely immobile, to the degree
that she can't even use the nurse call button.

I discover to my shock, surprise, and chagrin that she
got in this condition after going on a plane trip and
catching a respiratory disease that they treated with
antibiotics, but it turned out to have been swine flu.

 ML> Ciara, the new cat, has put on 8 oz a month and has turned
 ML> into the new alpha. She still runs from me (and then howls
 ML> and scratches at my door when I close it, so like a woman).
 NB> She hasn't become used to you yet... but wants the relationship on her
 NB> terms... agreed, rather coquettish...

It's not unknown in my life and relationships with women
of all species.

 ML> I did catch her sucking up to the alpha today - I suspect a
 ML> palace coup in the offing.
 NB> You think she'll displace Jupiter...?  Sucking up probably won't cut
 NB> it... ;)  Sounds like they're still getting used to each other, too...

It's possible. Jupiter is a rather passive cat of the
cartoon variety - I recall there being one such in
Peanuts who was totally flaccid, and if you picked her
up, she'd drape over your arms in a U shape. Jupiter
is kind of like that on the ground, but he panics when
he's picked up, so there the resemblance falls short.

 NB> We've had some changes here... with Little Bit (Stardust) succumbing
 NB> to old age (she was almost 17), and then having a couple girls,
 NB> littermates, in need of a home coming here... SweetPea and G.G.
 NB> (Granny's Girl) were two of six kitties left behind when their person
 NB> passed away...

Sorry about that cat, but 17 is a good long time.

Seared sea scallops with vermouth sauce and sweet pea risotto
Categories: shellfish, main, rice, side
Serves: 4 or 8

h - For the vermouth sauce
1/2 lb scallops
1/2 c blended oil
3 c sliced white mushrooms
3 c sliced shallots
1/4 bottle dry vermouth
1/2 bn basil
1/2 bn parsley
1/4 ts red pepper flakes
5 qt chicken stock
2 c heavy cream
1/4 lb unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
h - For the sweet pea risotto
1 pk risotto
1 c sweet peas, fresh or frozen
Salt and pepper to taste
h - For the sea scallops
2 lb U10 sea scallops
1 Tb olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large sauce pan with a heavy bottom. Add oil when pan
is hot. Add the scallops and sear until golden on each side.
Add the mushrooms and shallots; saute until tender but not
browned. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with vermouth
and reduce by half. Add basil, parsley and red pepper flakes.
Cover with chicken stock. Reduce sauce by half. Add heavy
cream and cook 8-10 min. Strain out the ingredients and
retain the liquid in a smaller pot. Using an immersion
blender, blend in butter until sauce is smooth. Season the
sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare risotto according to package instructions. Blanch
the peas in salted water until tender, then cool in an ice
bath. Divide peas into two portions. Puree half in a blender
until smooth. Add the whole blanched peas and the pureed
peas to the cooked risotto. Season with salt and pepper.

Rinse the U10 scallops in cold water. Pat dry; season with
salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Coat pan
with olive oil. Add the scallops to the pan and sear 90 sec
on each side.

Spoon risotto onto a plate. Top with seared scallops and
drizzle with vermouth sauce. Garnish with sweat pea tendrils.

Roberta Adamo, Penne, Philadelphia


___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Fidonet Since 1991 bbs.docsnetservices.com (1:123/140)