I got a pretty!

The Boyfriend(tm) bought me a stand mixer for our anniversary! Look how shiny! Now I can make cookies without making my carpal tunnel act up. :-)

Cooking for friends

I had some friends in from out of town for the weekend. One of them is a vegetarian. So I made a favorite from my days as a vegetarian: Wild Rice and Cranberry Soup. I also made a new dish: Fennel and Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts. I burned the pine nuts and still got compliments on them.

Going Away Food

I made I'm-going-away food. It was the food that I wanted to remember when I was gone. It was the food I wanted to make and tuck into, escape with, stay present with. It was awesome.

Arroz Con Pollo (from smittenkitchen)

Serves 8

Chicken

3 large garlic cloves

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

4 chicken breast halves with bone, halved crosswise

4 chicken drumsticks

4 chicken thighs

Rice

3 oz. Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), skin discarded and sausage cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, preferably the hot stuff, plus more to taste

2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

1 lb. tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 12-oz. bottle beer (not dark)

1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups long-grain white rice (14 oz.)

1/4 cup drained rinsed bottled pimiento or roasted red pepper strips

Marinate chicken: Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 2 teaspoons salt, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and oregano.

Remove skin and excess fat from chicken, then toss chicken with marinade until coated and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour.

Cook chicken and rice: - Cook chorizo in olive oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot (12 inches wide) over medium-high heat, stirring, until some fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add cumin, oregano, paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add chicken with marinade to chorizo mixture and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, beer, broth, and rice and bring to a boil, making sure rice is submerged. [Deb note: I actually had a really hard time keeping the rice underneath the chicken so that it would cook evenly. I'd suggest that you use tongs to temporarily remove the chicken from the pot, mix the rice in with the other ingredients in the pot, and then replace the chicken, pressing it into the broth a bit before going onto the next step. I will definitely do this next time.]

Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover mixture directly with a round of parchment or wax paper and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook, stirring once or twice, until rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Discard parchment paper and bay leaves, then scatter pimiento strips over rice.

Note: Chicken can be marinated up to 2 hours.

SF Beer Week

San Francisco Beer Week is starting next weekend. My current list of items I want to do is:

-Alembic Sunday Supper

-Cask and Quesos Night at Thirstybear

-Thunderpussy Barleywine Opening at Magnolia

-Bavarian Beer Breakfast at Gordon Biersch  (I'm taking off work that day. Aren't you proud of me?)

-Beer and Chocolate Dinner at Cathedral Hill Hotel

-Toronado Barleywine Festival

What are you doing?