Chicken (in the) Kitchen

Easy to prepare, versatile, and a standard twice a week meal in my house, chicken can be delicious but more often times than not, boring.

It's okay to admit that the blandness is comforting and a quick solution for dinner before that 8 o'clock PTSA meeting.

However, I'd like to give a special applaud to my Mom as she constantly innovates new ways to dress up and spice the boneless cutlet.

To the left, chicken sizzles in a golden butter liquid that infuses the flavors of fresh rosemary sprigs from our backyard, dried oregano, sliced mushrooms, miniced garlic, white wine and some Herbes de Provence.

These Quakers are dangerous

"Quaker True Delights Quakes Cheddar Cheese Rice Snacks" is a mouthful to say and one I regretfully utter now without a mouthful of some of these crispy cakes.

My family is on the health kick now and boy, is it is hard to resist the temptation of those ooey-gooey Betty Crocker Easy Bake brownies and the king sized bags of Doritos. I was going through withdrawal without the good junk food to pump high volumes of sugar through my veins on an hourly basis.

Besides being difficult, eating healthy is expensive, until I discovered "True Delights". And let me tell you, "Delights" is an understatement.

Hesitant at first, I thought this snack would be like the rest of the bland unsatisfying health food garbage. However, the fear of breaking my teeth on cardboard Wasa crackers for another week boosted my openness and I decided to give it a shot. I also figured " hey, it's cheap, 70 calories per serving, whole grain, and most of all cheesy! Why not?"

Shortly after opening it, I found it impossible to stop the mindless hand-to-mouth face stuffing.Within no time, I had gobbled all the airy crisps down and was licking clean the nuclear orange cheese residue stuck on my fingers.

The transgression of finishing off a bag like this before would have made me feel guilty, however, due to its low caloric value and fat content the only thing I felt after eating this was filled and happy.

Summer in the city

The word summertime heralds various rosy images of the beach, bad sunburns, and most of all, WATERMELON. Come June - July, these gargantuan delights can be found just about everywhere in Miami. Sold alongside Bird Road, on front yards in Westchester, and of course at the local Publix, it is a cool treat I look forward to getting my hands on and scarfing down on the long scorching dog days.

As my mom sliced the pulpy saccharine goodness, she orated her childhood memories associated with watermelon. Mom's mom, Grandma, cooked classic southern food. (She is infamous for fried chicken she'd make for family beach day. ) When mom was a girl, she and the rest of her 7 other brothers and sisters enjoyed one of Grandma's traditional sides-- pickled watermelon rind.

Okay, I don't know about you but, when I heard this I cringed a little. Pickled watermelon rind? Um, I might pass. Why would anyone ever taint the perfection of a good 'ol watermelon slice?

Mom described it as a " golden rind" that was steeped in a clove-like brew.

"Sweet and crunchy...it was like complement to all the other salty food around you," she said.

Honestly, anything "pickled" kinda scares me, but the way she continued to glorified it-- I think I might just have to try it. I'll let you know how it goes.

This is how I roll

Sushi, the trendiest little export from Japan , is now a staple in the American diet. These bite-sized delights have made a long journey since the original popularization of the California Roll in 1973.

Expunging it's appetizer section stigma, sushi is now considered worthy enough to be the main entree in most Miami restaurants. Diners clamor and languish over the dish as they perceive it to be the food of sophistication and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Restaurateurs are happy to satiate their customers hunger for sushi but for a high price.

The ubiquitous commercialized sushi bar and hot-spot dish up these mini-meals from cheap fillets and vegetables that were on sale at the grocers this past week. "But if the ingredients are cheap then why the high price?" I asked myself.

I surmised that greed is probably the primary answer to this question. Restaurant owners know they can hike up the prices for that "tuna sushi tartar" or "6-piece tempura roll" because their clamoring customers don't know any better. This makes me sad because I use to be the victim of these scams. Sushi is an indulgence but, it doesn't have hurt your wallet like one. With this in mind, I decided to make my own sushi and examine it's true worth.

Together, my Mom and I drew up a list of ingredients. We dashed to the grocery store spent about $12 and zipped back home to start cooking. After unsurfacing a sushi making kit and recipe book I got for Christmas, I was ready to get down to work with my momma as my sous chef.

We worked as a team. I diligently julienned the cucumber and carrots while Momma cleaned and deboned the fish. Once the prep was complete, we ventured in making the rice. Unlike normal white rice, sushi rice is quite volatile. We had to move fast to remove the pot from the stove and drizzle vinegar over the rice in order to obtain that perfect consistency of stickiness. After that mayhem, things got a lot easier and fun. Out came the sheets of glossy seaweed paper to which I smashed a layer of white sticky rice, delicately laid the slivered vegetables and the cuts of fish upon. I rolled the paper up into a little log shape and cut it. It looked pretty good for homemade. I was impressed. So far the price was right for the quantity of sushi yielded and it passed the aesthetics test, but I knew the moment of truth laid in the taste.

I grabbed one of the little suckers and popped it in my mouth. It was DELICIOUS. The sushi tasted so fresh, unlike the ones I was mushing on before.

While it took some time to make and prepare, the quality and quantity exceeds the stuff out there on most menus. An additional plus was the ability to see all the work and effort into making an edible work of art.

Enough!

Despite all 3 of my high school English teachers reprimanding me for use of one word sentences, I can’t possibly imagine a better compilation of letters to aptly express my frustration.

The name’s Beth. Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, highlights, Cross-Country runner, Badminton player, Key Club President, and the list goes on. This is not an attempt to gloat or flaunt “I’m-involved-in-so-many-more-activities-than-you” like some of my fellow peers, but rather to let you swim in my stream of consciousness for a second.

A few moments ago, perplexed, I questioned myself “How the heck do I describe myself?” Like word vomit, the slew of accolades and other garbage I put on my resume poured from my lips. Don’t get me wrong, I love my involvement in these activities, but sometimes I feel I’ve pushed aside something that I’ve always loved.

Food.

Have no fear my friend, I do eat. What I really mean is all things food. Dishing up new creations, exploring unknown and obscure foods, and documenting the experiences with my quill and scroll all get my blood pumping.

Food is integral for all people to live, however, for me, it maintains a whole other level of respect.

I recently traveled to Puerto Rico, land of sand, sun, and lizards. While there, I sampled all the traditional plates and desserts they offered. The foods were rich, filling, and all laced with tangy and fiery spices. No meal was forgettable. I was baffled why I had never tasted Puerto Rican cuisine at home; after all I do live in Miami. Had my busy schedule turn me into a passive foodie, letting me chew on the mediocrity and monotony for months? Because, boy was I missing out! Now home, I say enough!

This is a blog where I vividly document “all things food”. This is a blog where I post all my meets, treats, and food defeats in the kitchen. This is a blog where I serve up a little food and thought.