Baked Camembert with Thyme and Garlic

With both Mrs. BA and I working all week, we tend to do our grocery store shopping on the weekends. I have never gotten into the whole grocery delivery thing - I like going to the grocery store. Sometimes, evening runs to the grocery store are what happens. Mrs. BA stays home with the boys and gets them ready and off to bed and I come home with dinner. For her (and if I have gone to Wegmans) that may mean some Brie and a baguette for dinner. So here's a recipe just for her, but feel free to use it yourself.

Baked Camembert with Thyme and Garlic
[from Epicurious]

[from the author] This recipe is a favorite of mine on a cold winter's night as it always reminds me of times with friends when we would ski and snowboard all day then sit by a log fire and eat and drink all night. If you don't have maple syrup on hand, use a spoonful of honey instead.
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 x 9oz camembert in its wooden box
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 small baguette, cut into 1/2 in slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• crushed sea salt

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the camembert from the box and discard any wax paper packaging. Take a 10-inch square of foil and place in the box. Place the camembert inside.

Pierce the top of the camembert with the tip of a knife and push in the slices of garlic. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top and drizzle with the maple syrup. Loosely scrunch the foil up over the cheese. Set aside.

Brush two 12-inch square sheets (the size of your baking sheet) of parchment paper with oil. Line a baking sheet with one of the oiled parchment sheets, oil-side up. Spread the slices of baguette over the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with crushed sea salt. Place the remaining sheet of parchment, oil-side down, over the bread.

Place in the oven with the camembert and cook both for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese has risen and the bread is crisp. Open up the foil and dip in the hot baguette for a simple snack. Delicious!

Source Information
From Take 5 Ingredients: 95 Delicious Dishes Using Just 5 Ingredients by James Tanner.

Malt Shoppe Memories Ice Cream Cookie Cake

Yesterday was Father's Day, and there was no Carvel Ice Cream Cake to celebrate. I was however working at the United States Open (golf) at Congressional Country Club. This cake however would appear to likely rival the Carvel cake, right down to the chocolate crunchies. I don't normally like to post recipes that use pre-mixed stuff, but I'm making an exception here. It was a 2010 Prize Winning Recipe from Betty Crocker!

Ingredients

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® double chocolate chunk cookie mix
• 2/3 cup chocolate-flavor malted milk powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup hot fudge topping
• 1 cup crushed chocolate-covered malted milk balls
  
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
• 2 cups chocolate ice cream, softened
• 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Or line 9-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving about 2 inches of the foil overhanging sides of pan; lightly spray with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/3 cup of the malted milk powder, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press 1/2 of dough into bottom of pan. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, press remaining 1/2 of the dough into 10-inch circle on large ungreased cookie sheet. After removing cookie crust in springform or 9-inch pan from oven, bake dough on cookie sheet 12 to 13 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool 15 minutes.
4. Spread hot fudge topping over crust in springform or 9-inch pan. In medium bowl, break apart large cookie until crumbly. Stir in crushed malted milk balls. Sprinkle 1/2 of the crumbled cookie mixture over hot fudge; press lightly.
5. In large bowl, combine both softened ice creams and remaining 1/3 cup malted milk powder until well blended. Spread ice cream mixture over crumbs in pan. Gently spread whipped topping over ice cream. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Cover with foil. Freeze at least 5 hours or until firm. To serve, remove sides of springform pan or lift dessert using foil out of 9-inch pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Use hot wet knife to cut into wedges or squares. Store covered in freezer.
   

Dining in DC - Escargots

Pretty much if escargot are on a menu, I'm going to order them. I love them. I am probably one of the only people you know who owns sets of snail shells, escargot trays, plates and forks. Back in the beginning of May, the [poor excuse of a] Sunday magazine in the Washington Post published a list about the best places to get escargot in the DC area. I have eaten at three of the five on the list. See? I told you. Now escargot are not for everyone. But that's fine, more for me. Do you think they are serving them in the hospitality tent at the US Open?

1. Bistro D'Oc - it's across the street from Ford's Theatre and it was the location of a celebratory dinner for the Brave Astronauts and the OSGs a few years back.
2. Bistro du Coin - also the scene of a Brave Astronaut celebration (I think it was an anniversary dinner) again with the OSGs.
3. Le Refuge - haven't been here, yet. But flambeed escargot might just get me there.
4. Le Vieux Logis - I used to walk past this restaurant on my way home from the Metro when I lived in Bethesda. While I haven't had their escargot, I had them at La Miche, up the street, where in fact Mrs. BA and I held our rehearsal dinner the night before we got married, which has unfortunately since closed.
   
5. Mannequin Pis - this great restaurant was the stop for a few years after Christmas tree shopping. It's very unassuming but the food (the mussels are the standout) is outstanding.
   

Are You There Readers? It's Me, Brave Astronaut

Yes, I'm still here. The highly anticipated Rapture came . . . and went. It would seem most of us are still here. Evidently it's been rescheduled. Since I last posted (a recipe on April 25) a lot has happened and I have been trying to keep my head above water with all the things going on. I apologize for my absence and hope that you have been standing by waiting for my return. I will try and be better going forward. Let's say that here on the night of the first official (?) / unofficial (?) Republican Presidential Debate - I'm tan, rested, and ready [to continue].

So, what have you people all been up to? I have seen that some of my online blogging friends have also been contemplating their blogworthiness (keep it going, Stinkypaw - we love you!), others have been busy taking photographs of most of the residents of SW Scotland (and he does a fine, fine job), while still others have been out and about on vacation (from the pictures it looks like all had a great time).

Now, you people must all be starving, as I haven't posted a recipe here in three weeks now. Usually there has been enough "in the larder" so that I can have a couple of recipes ready to auto-post. I actually do have several in my Google Reader, which I just need to create into posts, which should have you all in new (and old) things to cook and eat throughout the summer.

So what have I been up to? Well first there was this. I spent the better part of this spring campaigning for a seat on my local Town Council. Intrepid readers will remember I ran for this seat two years ago, losing to the incumbent. This year the incumbent stepped aside and four of us stepped up to run. While I managed to double the number of votes I received two years ago, I still fell short. I will continue to be involved with the Town and be sure to keep my opponent - the newly elected Council Member on her toes.

After that I was the co-chair for this meeting. Working as a co-chair for a Local Arrangements Committee is sort of like being both the tortoise and the hare from their race. You plod along as the meeting date gets closer, breaking into a run here and there, sitting back while others complete their work, make a mad dash at the end and then just let the ending play out as the conference gets underway. We had a really great meeting and managed to have the most attendees for a MARAC meeting ever.

At work, things continue - as my employer undergoes a major transformation. Divisions are being realigned and renamed and my colleagues and I await the word on what will come of us. In the professional organization to which I belong, I did manage to win an election (the secret is evidently to run unopposed) - I was elected Vice President / President-elect of the organization.

Then I served as an usher for this (as I have done in the past). It was a great evening and I had the opportunity to meet and shake hands with Scott Bakula. Later this week I will begin my volunteering position at the United States Open (golf) at Congressional Country Club. I will be working on the scoreboards, so if you watch, you might see me, although I'm not allowed to peek.

Of course we are moving into the summer months so the pool is up and running - and we are looking to spend as much time as possible there. It would appear that I am the father of a "rising" first grader, which I can't spend a lot of time thinking about. But LBA will be starting camp soon and SoBA will finish another year of daycare (and might actually be potty trained before long).

Then in August, I will travel to Chicago for the Annual Meeting of my national professional organization. Among the regular professional obligations, I will be helping about 100 of my closest colleagues head out to a baseball game at Wrigley. Want to come?

Well, I am sure there is more to tell and I will try and fill some of the gaps over the next few weeks, but to get back on track, here's a recipe and please accept my thanks for coming back or staying with me during my prolonged absence.

Now I know that Easter has passed, but one of my weaknesses are those Reeses Peanut Butter eggs. And Mrs. BA's (who prefers these Easter treats, which she is welcome to) best pal sent me a link for a recipe for homemade peanut butter eggs. So here it is.

Homemade Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

INGREDIENTS

• 2 packages (18 sheets) graham crackers, crushed very finely
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 Tablespoons) butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Chocolate candy melts or almond bark
  

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar. Mix on medium low until fully combined. You may have to use your hands to make sure it's completely blended.

Shape the mixture into eggs. I rolled it into golf ball sized balls, then formed the egg shape from there. Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for one hour.

Once the eggs are frozen firm, melt your chocolate according to package directions. Place the eggs in the chocolate one at a time, and slide a fork under each egg to remove. Place back on wax paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sprinkles and refrigerate eggs until chocolate is set.

This will make about 24 Reese's egg-sized eggs.

Easter Lamb

Yesterday was of course, Easter Sunday. At the launchpad, we decided on lamb. Especially when I saw this recipe in the Washington Post Food section a few weeks ago.

Bacon-Wrapped Herbed Loin of Lamb With Jus
The Washington Post, April 13, 2011

• Course: Main Course
• Features: Holiday (Easter)
  

Summary:
Loin of lamb is an elegant choice for a dinner party. It is best to buy a whole loin that includes the tenderloins and have the butcher break it down for you; that way, you can use the bone to make stock and then reduce that stock to a nice jus. The tenderloins in the center of the bacon-wrapped roast give the herb stuffing a criss-cross look. If only boneless loin is available, buy three pieces of equal length and cut the third piece into strips that resemble tenderloins.

MAKE AHEAD: The jus can be made up to 3 days in advance. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. The roast can be assembled the day before; blot it dry on paper towels before roasting.
4 servings

Ingredients:
For the jus

• Lamb loin bone, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 large carrots, cut lengthwise in half (cleaned, unpeeled)
• 3 ribs celery, cut in half
• 1 large onion, cut in half (unpeeled)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Low-sodium beef broth or stock (enough to cover)
• 1/2 small bunch thyme
• 5 large sprigs rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic and herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or oregano, to taste (optional)
  

For the roast

• 2 loins and 2 tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin (from one 4-pound lamb loin saddle; to yield about 22 ounces of meat)
• 2 scallions (trimmed), white and light-green parts, chopped
• Leaves from 1 large sprig rosemary
• Leaves from 2 large sprigs mint
• Leaves from 2 large sprigs oregano
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 to 10 strips raw bacon (about 8 ounces; see VARIATIONS)
  

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet and a stockpot at hand.

Make the lamb jus: Place the lamb bone on the baking sheet. Place the carrots, celery and onion in a large bowl; drizzle them with the oil and stir to coat them lightly. Spread the vegetables around the loin bone. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until well browned. Transfer the vegetables and bone to a stockpot.

Place the baking sheet over medium-high heat; when it is hot, pour some of the beef broth or stock onto it, using a flat wooden spatula to dislodge all of the browned bits. Transfer the deglazing liquid to the stockpot.

Add just enough of the broth or stock to the stockpot to cover the bone. Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium; cook, with the liquid lightly bubbling, for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Discard the bones and vegetables, then strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. (If you have it, line the strainer with layers of cheesecloth or a layer of flour sack cloth; that will clarify the stock nicely.) Discard any solids. Skim any fat from the stock (or use a fat separator) and then place the stock in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the stock is deep brown and concentrated. There should be 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid: the jus. Use as is, or stir in the finely chopped garlic and herbs, if desired.

For the roast: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have a medium-size roasting pan at hand.

Lay the 2 loin pieces on a plate.

Combine the scallions, rosemary, mint, oregano, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a mini food processor or blender, and puree to form a paste. Spread the paste down the lengths of the 2 loin pieces. Place the tenderloin pieces on top of one of the loin pieces. Top them with the remaining loin piece, herb side down, as if making a sandwich.

Lay the strips of bacon vertically (side by side) on a cutting board, overlapping them slightly. (There should be enough to wrap the entire loin.) Place the assembled loin on top of the bacon slices, just below the center point. Starting at the bottom, bring the strips of bacon up over the loin, then place your palms on the bacon-enclosed part of the loin and roll the loin over the remaining bacon to encase it completely. Use kitchen twine to tie the roast crosswise at 1-inch intervals, and then once lengthwise.

At this point, the lamb loin can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Sear the roast on all sides, just to brown the bacon, then transfer the wrapped loin to a small roasting pan. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees for medium-rare. Let the roast to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the kitchen twine before cutting it crosswise into thick slices.

Serve with warmed lamb jus.

VARIATIONS: If you'd rather not use bacon in the recipe, here are alternatives:
Substitute lamb bacon for pork bacon. (Lamb bacon can sometimes be found at farmers markets.)

Sear the outsides of the two loin pieces before spreading them with herb mix, then wrap the assembled loins in lamb or beef caul fat; tie the loin, and roast without searing it.

Do not wrap the roast at all. (Some of the herb stuffing might escape, and you should not remove the horizontally tied strings when serving, to keep the slices intact.)

When breaking down the saddle, leave the fat and belly fat attached to the loin, and use the belly fat to wrap the loin roast. Then proceed with the recipe as if the loin were wrapped with bacon.

Recipe Source:
From Sourced columnist David Hagedorn.
670 calories, 54g fat, 17g saturated fat, 150mg cholesterol, 1270mg sodium, 3g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar, 43g protein.

Happy Passover

I grew up on Long Island, in a predominantly Jewish area. At Christmas time, our Christmas lights were often in the minority after the familiar glow of lighted menorahs in the windows of our neighbors. One year, my father did our Christmas lights in all blue and white bulbs.

The Jewish holiday of Passover begins tomorrow. For one thing it means this place will be closed for the duration of the holiday. Remember, you can't get bacon and egg on a bagel there. You can't get bacon there at all.

For all of my Jewish friends a very happy Passover to you all. King Kullen, the local Long Island grocery store, which is one of the largest grocery stores with Kosher products, offered several recipes recently. In addition, Epicurious put out an article on preparing the best Seder. Here is one of my favorite recipes. I mean, really with that much garlic, how could it be bad?

Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic

• About 36 fat unpeeled garlic cloves (1 2/3 to 2 cups) or an equivalent amount of smaller cloves, plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• A first-or second-cut beef brisket (about 5 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, wiped with a damp paper towel, and patted dry
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade or good-quality low-sodium purchased
• 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs, or 2 teaspoons dried leaves
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Drop the garlic cloves into a small saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain immediately. Peel as soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle. Set aside on paper towels to dry.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan or casserole large enough to accommodate the meat in one layer. Use two burners, if necessary. Add the brisket and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter and set aside. (Or brown the meat under the broiler: place the brisket, fat side up, on a foil-lined broiler pan under a preheated broiler. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until browned. Don’t allow it to develop a hard, dark crust, which might make the meat tough or bitter. Move the meat around as necessary, so it sears evenly.)

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat remaining in the pan and add the garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic edges are tinged with gold. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the stock, thyme, and rosemary sprigs, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Salt and pepper the brisket to taste on all sides, and add it to the pan, fat side up. Spoon the garlic cloves over the meat.

Place the brisket in the oven, cover (if you have no lid, use heavy-duty foil), and cook, basting every half-hour, until the meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours or longer. (As the meat cooks, periodically check that the liquid is bubbling gently. If it is boiling rapidly, turn the oven down to 300°F.)

The brisket tastes best if it is allowed to rest, reabsorbing the juices lost during braising, and it's easiest to defat the gravy if you prepare the meat ahead and refrigerate it until the fat solidifies. That is the method I use, given here, but the gravy can be prepared by skimming the fat in the traditional way, if you prefer. If you go that route though, do let the meat rest in the pan sauce for at least an hour.

Cool the brisket in the pan sauce, cover well with foil, and refrigerate until the fat congeals. Scrape off all solid fat. Remove the brisket from the pan and slice thinly across the grain.

Prepare the gravy: Bring the braising mixture to room temperature, then strain it, reserving the garlic and discarding the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the liquid. Puree about one half of the cooked garlic with 1 cup of the defatted braising liquid in a food processor or a blender. (If you want a smooth gravy, puree all of the cooked garlic cloves.) Transfer the pureed mixture, the remaining braising liquid, and the rest of the cooked garlic to a skillet. Add the chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Boil down the gravy over high heat, uncovered, to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Rewarm the brisket in the gravy until heated through.

Arrange the sliced brisket on a serving platter. Spoon some of the hot gravy all over the meat and pass the rest in a separate sauce boat.

Friday's List - the 50 Most Important Children's Books

I was a pretty voracious reader growing up. I was always in the summer reading program at the library and was reading books that were "above" me earlier than some. LBA is getting better every day at reading for himself and I think he will be as good a reader as Mrs. BA and I. I would love to read more - but I am a victim of my own time management.

I spotted this list the other day (from the Independent). Perhaps it is the British bent, but I haven't read a lot of these. The ones I have read are in italics. Your thoughts and comments welcome.

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Indispensable. The great classic beginning of English children's literature.
• Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. What effortless invention looks like.
• Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner. A great political story: democracy in action.
• Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. As clear and pure as Mozart.
• Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken. If Ransome was Mozart, Aiken was Rossini. Unforced effervescence.
• The Owl Service by Alan Garner. Showed how children's literature could sound dark and troubling chords.
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Superb wit and vigorous invention.
• Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson. Any of the Moomin books would supply the same strange light Nordic magic.
• A Hundred Million Francs by Paul Berna. A particular favourite of mine, as much for Richard Kennedy's delicate illustrations (in the English edition) as for the story.
• The Castafiore Emerald by Hergé. Three generations of this family have loved Tintin. Perfect timing, perfect narrative tact and command, blissfully funny.
• The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson. The heroine is blessed with such wonderful friends who help her through the twists and turns of this incredible journey.
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The first few pages were so engaging, Marley's ghostly face on the knocker of Scrooge's door still gives me the shivers.
• Just William books by Richmal Crompton. These are a must for every child.
• The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. This was the first story, I think, that ever made me cry and it still has the power to make me cry.
• The Elephant's Child From The Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. The story my mother used to read me most often, because I asked for it again and again. I loved the sheer fun of it, the music and the rhythm of the words. It was subversive too. Still my favourite story.
• Treasure Island by R.L. Stevenson This was the first real book I read for myself. I lived this book as I read it.
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. A classic tale of man versus nature. I wish I'd written this.
• The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. A book for children from 8 to 80. I love the humanity of this story and how one man's efforts can change the future for so many.
• The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy The story of two children who go to find their father who has been listed missing in the trenches of the First World War.
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson-Burnett. I love this story of a girl's life being changed by nature.
• Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah. Story of a young Ethiopian boy, whose parents abandon him in London to save his life.
• Finn Family Moomintroll (and the other Moomin books) by Tove Jansson. A fantasy series for small children that introduces bigger ones to ideas of adventure, dealing with fear, understanding character and tolerating difference.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. It's rude, it's funny and it will chime with every 11-year-old who's ever started a new school.
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Written for a teenage audience but fun at any age.
• The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein. Be warned, these tales of hobbits, elves and Middle Earth are dangerously addictive.
• The Tygrine Cat (and The Tygrine Cat on the Run) by Inbali Iserles. If your parents keep going on at you to read Tarka the Otter, The Sheep-Pig and other animal fantasies, do – they're great books – also try Iserles' stories about a cat seeking his destiny.
• Carry On, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse. A grown-up book – but not that grown-up.
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. Judith Kerr's semi-autobiographical story of a family fleeing the Nazis in 1933.
• Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett. Elaborate mythological imagery and a background based in real science. If you like this, the Discworld series offers plenty more.
• The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson. The pinnacle of the wonderful Jacqueline Wilson's brilliant and enormous output.
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Irresistible puzzle-solving tales of the chilly Victorian master-sleuth and his dim medical sidekick.
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Age-transcending tale, both funny and sad.
• Mistress Masham's Repose by TH White. Magical story of 10-year-old Maria, living in a derelict stately home, shy, lonely and under threat from both her governess and her rascally guardian.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Inexplicably evergreen, trend and taste-defying 1868 classic.
• How to be Topp by Geoffrey Willams and Ronald Searle. Side-splitting satire on skool, oiks, teechers, fules, bulies, swots.
• Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. First of the action-packed adventures with 14-year-old Alex Rider.
• Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo. "Dulce et Decorum Est" for pre-teens.
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. Lively, amoral, wildly imaginative debut (six more followed) about the money-grabbing master-criminal Artemis, 12. The author called it "Die Hard with fairies".
• The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. Inspiring wartime story of the Balicki family in Warsaw.
• Animal Farm by George Orwell. Smart 11-year-olds won't need any pre-knowledge of Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and 1917 to appreciate this brilliantly-told fable.
• Skellig by David Almond. Brings magical realism to working-class North-east England.
• Red Cherry Red by Jackie Kay. A book of poems that reaches deep into our hidden thoughts but also talks in a joyous voice exploring the everyday.
• Talkin Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah. A book of poems that demands to be read aloud, performed and thought about.
• Greek myths by Geraldine McCaughrean. Superheroes battle with demons, gods intervene in our pleasures and fears – a bit like the spectres in our minds going through daily life, really – beautifully retold here.
• People Might Hear You by Robin Klein. A profound, suspenseful story about sects, freedom and the rights of all young people – especially girls.
• Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. A book that dared to go where no one thought you could with young audiences because it raises tough stuff to do with race.
• Einstein's Underpants and How They Saved the World by Anthony McGowan. A crazy adventure set amongst the kids you don't want to know but who this book makes you really, really care about.
• After the First Death by Robert Cormier. Cormier is never afraid of handling how the personal meets the political all within the framework of a thriller.
• The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. A book that allows difference to be part of the plot and not a point in itself.
• Beano Annual. A cornucopia of nutty, bad, silly ideas, tricks, situations and plots.
  

Butterless Apple Crumble

We were very honored to have a celebrity at the launchpad last evening. Upon arriving for dinner, she and her husband had stopped to secure pie for dinner. So, it was Chicken Delicious for dinner and [keep your fork, there's] pie for dessert. It's possible that SoBA had four pieces of pie. (I shudder at the thought of my grocery bill when he hits the teenage years). On a related note, we will have dinner guests tomorrow night - wonderful friends who are here visiting DC from the retirement locale of New Mexico. I think slow cooker roast beef is on the menu for then.

I came across this recipe a while back and thought, really? no butter in the crumble? what's the point. But the fine folk over at Chocolate and Zucchini seem to know what they are talking about. I don't know if Kim [or his wife Maggie, for that matter, who makes a fabulous crumble - one I have only read about - but it reads as very delicious] would agree. Enjoy this variation!

Butterless Apple Crumble

• 100 grams (3.5 ounces, about 3/4 cup) flour (I use spelt flour)
• 100 grams (1 cup) rolled grains of your choice (oat, spelt, wheat, rye, quinoa, rice, barley... or a mix thereof)
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) rapadura sugar
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) unrefined blond cane sugar (you can use the combination of unrefined sugars that you prefer, or just one)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (at Indian markets ; substitute the spice of your choice)
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) oil (I use a bottled blend of four organic oils)
• 1.5 kilos organic apples (3 1/3 pounds, about 8 medium), preferably a mix of varieties, some that keep their shape when cooked, some that don't
  

Serves 8.

Make the crumble topping up to a day in advance: in a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients from flour to oil, and stir well with a fork to combine, making sure all of the dry ingredients are moistened by the oil. If making in advance, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge.

On the day of serving, preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Peel the apples in alternating vertical stripes so that you retain some, but not all of the peel. Quarter and core the apples, then cut into smallish chunks.

Arrange the apple chunks over the bottom of a baking dish (the one I generally use is a 25-cm or 10" square) and sprinkle evenly with the topping.

Insert in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the topping golden brown, checking regularly to make sure it doesn't darken too much (if it does, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper).

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. You can bake the crumble a few hours in advance, and reheat slightly before serving: if the oven was in use for the main course, I'll just put the crumble in the cooling oven while we eat. The leftovers are fantastic straight out of the fridge the next day.

Creme Brulee

Tonight was, as always, breakfast for dinner at the launchpad. Although tonight we did have French Toast instead of the usual pancakes. There was a time, BK (before kids), when Mrs. BA would go out for dinner or perhaps even have a dinner party. To that end, I own my own torch for caramelizing sugar for creme brulee. I might need to make some. Maybe for Easter.

This recipe (from Le Cirque) comes from the Essential New York Times Cookbook via Cheverly's greatest chef, Scott, who blogs over at Eat with Me.

Creme Brulee
Serves 6-8

• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split, sees scraped out and reserved
• Pinch of salt
• 8 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup plus 2 TB granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place eight 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and seeds and salt in a saucepan set over low heat and warm for 5 minutes.

2. Gently whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Gradually pour in the hot cream and stir gently to combine. Strain the custard into a pitcher; discard the vanilla bean and use a spoon to skim off any bubbles on the surface of the custard.

3. Pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them almost to the rim. Place the roasting pan in the oven and carefully pour warm water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake until set, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow to cool.

4. Cover the ramekins individually and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days.

5. When ready to serve, heat the broiler. Uncover the ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Top each with 1 TB of brown sugar, and using a metal spatula or your gingers, spread the sugar evenly over the custards. Broil the custards about 4 inches from the heating element until the sugar browns and caramelizes, 30 seconds to 1 minute. *Use a blowtorch, if you have one, to caramelize the sugar on top.

NOTES: I had 6 matching ramekins. I tested how much custard they could hold, by filling them with water, then measuring that amount. Each of my ramekins held 3/4 of a cup of the custard. That was exactly how much this recipe made. Six ramekins of 3/4 cup of custard.

As noted above, I used a blend of three sugars, granulated white sugar, brown sugar and turbinado sugar. Not necessary, but interesting.

Baseball Quiz Answers

I told you it was hard.

1. Question: Which two players hold the record for the most seasons (23) played for the same team?
Answer: Brooks Robinson (Orioles) and Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox).

2. Question: Who hit 48 home runs beginning June 1, but only 51 in the season?
Answer: Ralph Kiner.

3. Question: Which two managers had six 100-win seasons?
Answer: Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy. (I had half of this answer)

4. Question: Who played the most regular-season games without ever playing a postseason game?
Answer: Ernie Banks (2,528).

5. Question: Who has the best winning percentage among 300-win pitchers? Answer: Lefty Grove.

(6) Question: Who had a 79-15 record over three years? Answer: Lefty Grove.

(7) Question: Who was the player -- and in what year -- who led his league in home runs and RBIs, started every game of the World Series, and never crossed the Mississippi?
Answer: Larry Doby in 1954, the year after the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and the year before the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City.

8. Question: Since Tris Speaker did it in 1912, who is the only player with 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in a season?
Answer: Craig Biggio.

9. Question: Which 10 Hall of Famers never played in the minor leagues?
Answer: Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Dave Winfield, Mel Ott, Bob Feller, Catfish Hunter, Eppa Rixey, Eddie Plank, Frankie Frisch, Ted Lyons.

10. Question: Who is the only catcher to lead a league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the same season?
Answer: Joe Mauer (2009). (I might have gotten here eventually)

11. Question: When the strike stopped the 1994 season on Aug. 11, what team had the best record?
And what was Tony Gwynn’s batting average? Answer: The Montreal Expos, 74-40. Gwynn’s average was .394. (I knew Gwynn was close to Ted Williams' record)

12. Question: In 1955, the year they won their only championship in Brooklyn, what was the Dodgers’ average regular-season attendance?
Answer: 13,423.

13. Question: What two players share the record for most hits in a month?
Answer: Ty Cobb (July 1922) and Tris Speaker (July 1923), 67.

14. Question: From 2000 through 2009, Roy Halladay pitched the most shutouts, 14. Who led the 1970s with 44?
Answer: Jim Palmer. (Jim Palmer - really? The Underwear Pitcher? - sorry, a little Yankees sarcasm there)

15. Question: What pitcher won World Series games in three decades?
Answer: Jim Palmer (1966, 1970, 1971, 1983).

16. Question: Who won a batting title during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?
Answer: George Brett (1976, 1980, 1990). (the Gordie Howe of Baseball?)

17. Question: Who was the youngest pitcher to win a Cy Young award?
Answer: Dwight Gooden was 20 years and 324 days old when the 1985 season ended. (I knew this one)

18. Question: What two-time MVP and Hall of Famer won league fielding titles as a shortstop and center fielder?
Answer: Robin Yount.

19. Question: Since 1900, what two pitchers won at least 20 games in 13 seasons?
Answer: Christy Mathewson and Warren Spahn.

20. Question: Who is the only pitcher to have 20-win seasons with both the Yankees and the Mets?
Answer: David Cone. (knew this one, too)

21. Question: Who is the only pitcher to have 2,000 strikeouts with two different teams? Answer: Randy Johnson (Mariners and Diamondbacks). (I expected this to be Nolan Ryan)

22. Question: Who had at least 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons?
Answer: Wade Boggs, 1986-1989.

23. Question: Whom did the Reds intentionally walk five times in a 1990 game?
Answer: The Cubs’ Andre Dawson in a 16-inning game.

24. Question: Who is the only pitcher to twice pitch a complete game in a World Series seventh game?
Answer: Bob Gibson (1964 and 1967).

25. Question: Who twice got 10 or more hits in a World Series, with different teams?
Answer: Paul Molitor with the Brewers in 1982 and the Blue Jays in 1993.

26. Question: What Hall of Famer got his 3,000th hit off a Hall of Famer?
Answer: Dave Winfield off Dennis Eckersley.

27. Question: The Yankees’ Bobby Richardson set a World Series record with 12 RBIs in the 1960 World Series. How many RBIs did he have during the regular season?
Answer: 26.

28. Question: What player, whose number 44 is retired by two teams, hit 44 home runs in four different seasons?
Answer: Henry Aaron. (the answer is not Reggie Jackson)

29. Question: What six pitchers had 3,000 strikeouts before (or without ever) allowing 1,000 walks?
Answer: Ferguson Jenkins, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz, Roger Clemens.

30. Question: What team has won its last nine World Series games?
Answer: The Reds.

31. Question: Why was Roger Maris never intentionally walked in 1961 en route to 61 home runs?
Answer: Mickey Mantle batted behind him. (C'mon this was a pitch right over the heart of the plate. I crushed this one out of the park)

It's Draft Day

As you read this, I am likely putting the finishing touches on my fantasy baseball team. For the past few years, I have been the "owner" of a fantasy baseball team. I have done OK, primarily from my pitching. It could be said I am still in a "rebuilding" phase, having inherited the team from another individual. I would really like some speed (base stealers) and a little more home run production. Hopefully I will score some of that tonight.

In draft news, I spotted this article in the Washington Post a few weeks back. I would so be up for the idea of a Meat Draft. I could even "stomach" the high price (the meat is standard priced at $9.50/lb.) with the idea that one would get a wide range of meat cuts. The guys who run the meat draft find really good cows. If you are interested, talk to them.

It's Opening Day

Yes, I could have been there. A friend offered me a ticket at the last minute to Opening Day for the Nationals. I didn't go. The streak is broken - I had been to every Opening Day game since the Nationals came to town. Maybe things will be better this season as a result.

George Will, the syndicated columnist, is a baseball lover. In his column today, he offered this baseball quiz. Answers on Sunday (or you can click the link to the column - the answers are at the end). How'd you do? I consider myself a lover of baseball and I only got a few of these. Like I said, George Will knows and loves baseball.

1. Which two players hold the record for the most seasons (23) played for the same team?
2. Who hit 48 home runs beginning June 1, but only 51 in the season?
3. Which two managers had six 100-win seasons?
4. Who played the most regular-season games without ever playing a postseason game?
5. Who has the best winning percentage among 300-win pitchers?
6. Who had a 79-15 record over three years?
7. Who was the player — and in what year — who led his league in home runs and RBIs, started every game of the World Series, and never crossed the Mississippi?
8. Since Tris Speaker did it in 1912, who is the only player with 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases in a season?
9. Which 10 Hall of Famers never played in the minor leagues?
10. Who is the only catcher to lead a league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the same season?
11. When the strike stopped the 1994 season on Aug. 11, what team had the best record? And what was Tony Gwynn’s batting average?
12. In 1955, the year they won their only championship in Brooklyn, what was the Dodgers’ average regular-season attendance?
13. What two players share the record for most hits in a month?
14. From 2000 through 2009, Roy Halladay pitched the most shutouts, 14. Who led the 1970s with 44?
15. What pitcher won World Series games in three decades?
16. Who won a batting title during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?
17. Who was the youngest pitcher to win a Cy Young award?
18. What two-time MVP and Hall of Famer won league fielding titles as a shortstop and center fielder?
19. Since 1900, what two pitchers won at least 20 games in 13 seasons?
20. Who is the only pitcher to have 20-win seasons with both the Yankees and the Mets?
21. Who is the only pitcher to have 2,000 strikeouts with two different teams?
22. Who had at least 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons?
23. Whom did the Reds intentionally walk five times in a 1990 game?
24. Who is the only pitcher to twice pitch a complete game in a World Series seventh game?
25. Who twice got 10 or more hits in a World Series, with different teams?
26. What Hall of Famer got his 3,000th hit off a Hall of Famer?
27. The Yankees’ Bobby Richardson set a World Series record with 12 RBIs in the 1960 World Series. How many RBIs did he have during the regular season?
28. What player, whose number 44 is retired by two teams, hit 44 home runs in four different seasons?
29. What six pitchers had 3,000 strikeouts before (or without ever) allowing 1,000 walks?
30. What team has won its last nine World Series games?
31. Why was Roger Maris never intentionally walked in 1961 en route to 61 home runs?

Eggs in a Nest - not Toad in a Hole

As it is most Sunday mornings, it was my turn to get up with the boys and get breakfast together. SoBA has been in a, "I WANT CEREAL AND YOGURT!" (that is SoBA's normal voice delivery BTW) rut and I offered him eggs as an alternative. LBA is not a big fan of eggs, so I didn't offer them to him. SoBA turned me down for the declaration noted above. But I decided to make myself eggs and toast anyway. I really should have gone for the Eggs in a Nest, but it was good separately.

The Amateur Gourmet posted a while back about his idea of making Eggs in a Nest on a Saturday morning (but I'm usually sleeping on Saturday mornings); in his post, he mistakenly referred to it as Toad in a Hole. Then on top of this, I have been jonesing for French Toast - which I was going to make for Brinner tonight (Monday nights is always Brinner night at the launchpad - that's Breakfast for Dinner). But since Mrs. BA is off today with LBA, who doesn't have school today, French Toast will wait for next week - it will be pancakes.

Eggs in a Nest is something that Mrs. BA's sister managed to get LBA (he, the aforementioned disliker of eggs) to eat and they are relatively easy to make. The Amateur Gourmet's post raises it a level or two - but it is still worth a try. The post was not broken down into a recipe, but I have cobbled one together below. Enjoy!

The Amateur Gourmet's [Eggs in a Nest]

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• Tabasco / hot sauce (if desired)
• Parmesan cheese (if desired)
  
• crusty french bread, sliced and a hole made in the middle
  
• eggs (1 egg for each slice of bread)
• salt
• pepper
  

Whisk 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk together. Add in any extra ingredients desired to the custard. Soak bread in custard mixture briefly on each side to coat. Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron frying pan, melting approx. 1 tbsp. butter, until butter begins to bubble. Place each slice of bread in a non-stick skillet or cast iron pan. Crack an egg into the hole in the middle of the bread. Sprinkle the bread/egg with some salt and pepper.

After approximately a minute, when the bread has toasted and there is a good seal on the egg in the hole, flip the bread over. Remove from pan after about 30 seconds (longer if you want a harder yolk) and serve. Sprinkle with some parsley and/or Parmesan cheese (if you used it in the custard).

Happy Birthday to my Mother

Today would have been my mother's 81st birthday. One of the things she was devoted to over the course of her life was Girl Scouting. Some time ago I saw on Letters of Note, a great site that reprints correspondence from famous individuals at various points in their lives. This particular letter was from Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts in the UK. Baden-Powell's wife was Olave Baden-Powell, who founded the Girl Guides, the UK equivalent of the US Girl Scouts.

According to Olave, Robert Baden-Powell carried a letter with him at all times in an envelope marked, "In the event of my death." The letter was addressed "To the Boy Scouts." It was read for the first time shortly after his death in 1941. The sentiment in it could have easily come from my mother as well. God Bless You Mom. I miss you and I love you.

Dear Scouts,

If you have ever seen the play 'Peter Pan' you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die he might not have time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days and I want to send you a parting word of good-bye.

Remember, it is the last time you will ever hear from me, so think it over.

I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have as happy a life too.

I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life when you are a man.

Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one.

But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. 'Be Prepared' in this way, to live happy and to die happy - stick to your Scout promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you to do it.

Your Friend,
(Signed, 'Robert Baden-Powell')

It's Spring! Eat Meat!

It's time to move the cooking back outside! Not that the winter has stopped me from utilizing my grill. But yesterday marked the Vernal Equinox, also known as the first day of Spring. The weather has certainly been better here in the DC area and it looks like we have seen the last of the snow this year. Maybe.

I spotted this recipe in the New York Times Magazine. It's possible I drooled on the pages a little . . . I was reminded of the time that I had dinner with a friend at his house. We grilled enormous Porterhouse steaks and then we sat down and watched Zulu.

There are actually two recipes here. The dreadfully easy straight up method and the second, more involved grilling one.

1966: Rib Roast of Beef
This recipe appeared in The Times in an article by Craig Claiborne. Recipe adapted from Ann Seranne, a former editor of Gourmet.

• One 2- to 4-rib roast of beef, weighing 4½ to 12 pounds
• Flour
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper.
  

1. Remove the roast from the refrigerator 2½ to 4 hours before cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
3. Place the roast in an open, shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Sprinkle with a little flour, and rub the flour into the fat lightly. Season all over with salt and pepper.
4. Put the roast in the preheated oven and roast according to the roasting chart below, timing the minutes exactly. When cooking time is finished, turn off the oven. Do not open the door at any time. Allow the roast to remain in the oven until oven is lukewarm, or about two hours. The roast will still have a crunchy brown outside and an internal heat suitable for serving as long as 4 hours after removing from the oven. Makes about 2 servings per rib.
   

Roasting Chart:











No. of Ribs	Weight Without Ribs	Roasting Time at 500 Degrees
2	4½ to 5 lbs.	25 to 30 mins.
3	8 to 9 lbs.	40 to 45 mins.
4	11 to 12 lbs.	55 to 60 mins.

2011 - Grilled Prime, Dry-Aged Rib-Eye Steak
by Harold Dieterle, the chef and owner of Kin Shop and Perilla in Manhattan.

For the herb butter:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon minced chives
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  

For the savory crust:

• 1⁄3 cup panko (or other) dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped savory, thyme or marjoram
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  

For the steak:

• One 30- to 34-ounce prime, dry-aged rib-eye steak, brought to room temperature
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  

1. Make the herb butter: In a small bowl, mash together the butter, lemon zest, chives, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until needed.
2. Make the savory bread crumbs: Combine the panko, savory (or other herb) and butter in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly blended.
3. Heat your grill to medium high (notes for doing this on the stove top follow the recipe). Season both sides of the steak generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Lay the steak on the hot grill and sear both sides, 5 to 8 minutes on each side for medium rare; adjust the time according to how you like your steak done. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, spread the top with the herb butter and let rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4. Set an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler, then heat the broiler. Cover the top of the steak with the savory bread crumbs. Place the steak on a heatproof dish and set it under the broiler until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for a minute, then slice and serve. Serves 2.
   

NOTE: If you would like to cook this on the stove instead of the grill, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and turn on your stove fan. Sear the seasoned rib-eye for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking, 3 to 6 minutes. Then transfer the steak to a cutting board to rest as in Step 3 above, and continue with the recipe.

One Last Cold Weather Recipe

With baseball season set to open at the end of the month and winter rapidly fading into the background, here is one last chili recipe to tide you over. So if it's cold where you are, or you don't mind chili all year round, here's a twist on regular chili. I could be persuaded to eat this.

From the Washington Post food section, February 23, 2011.

Cilantro Chicken and Chickpea "Chili"

Summary:
The dish has the look of a white chili and the flavors of the Middle East. It’s a nice change from the long-cooked, chili-pepper-flavored versions.

Ground white-meat chicken is available at Whole Foods and many other supermarkets. If you can’t find it, use a food processor to grind your own from boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Ground white-meat turkey can be substituted.

Serve over white rice or on its own, with pita chips on the side.

MAKE AHEAD: This can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.
6 or 7 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground white-meat chicken (see headnote)
• 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 large red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups cooked no-salt-added chickpeas, drained
• 3 cups no-salt-added or low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 to 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a a 4-quart pot, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the chicken loses its raw look. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding a tablespoon of oil as needed.

When all of the chicken is cooked, add the remaining tablespoon of the oil to the pot. When it is hot, add the onion and bell pepper. Season with salt to taste. Reduce the heat to medium; cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables have softened.

Stir in the cumin and coriander; cook for 1 minute, then return the chicken to the pot. Add the chickpeas and broth, stirring to combine. Cover; once you hear the mixture bubbling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low so the mixture is barely bubbling at the edges. Partially cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Combine the lemon juice and cornstarch in a measuring cup, then stir it into the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high; once the mixture begins to boil and thicken, remove from the heat.

Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Divide among individual bowls; serve hot.

Recipe Source:
From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.
300 calories, 17g fat, 1g saturated fat, 90mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 14g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 1g sugar, 22g protein.

Cheesecake in a Glass

This recipe appeared in my inbox not too long ago. Now I am a cheesecake purist. Really no one can touch my mothers. It is the best and really, it spoils cheesecake for me anywhere else.

But I'm (usually) willing to try new things. From C in DC via The English Kitchen.

Cheesecake in a Glass with Rhubarb Syrup
Serves 8

If you only make one dessert this year . . . let this be the one! Easily made the day before (without the topping). Top with the rhubarb just before serving.

Crumbs:

• 50g of butter (1/4 cup)
• 200g shortbread type of biscuits, made into fine crumbs (about 2 cups)
  

For the cheese filling:

• 350ml of double cream (1 1/3 cups whipping cream)
• 150g of caster sugar (2/3 cup)
• 250g of mascarpone cheese (1 cup)
• 300g of soft cream cheese (1 1/4 cup)
• the finely grated zest of an unwaxed orange
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
  

For the rhubarb topping:

• 450g of rhubarb (1 pound)
• 150g of caster sugar (2'3 cup)
• 1 TBS honey
• the finely grated zest of 1/2 unwaxed orange
  

First make the crumbs. You want the biscuits really crushed fine. (A biscuit is a cookie.) Melt the butter and mix it together with the biscuit crumbs. Set aside.

Measure the cream along with the sugar into a large bowl. Whisk with a balloon whisk just until it begins to thicken. Do not over whip as you will have problems. Fold in the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese, along with the orange zest and vanilla. Set aside.

Wash the rhubarb and trim. Cut into 1 inch lengths. Place into a large pan along with the sugar, orange zest, honey and 4 TBS water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and gently poach the rhubarb until softened. This will take about 15 minutes or so. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Bring the juices back to the boil and reduce until it is thick and syrupy. Watch carefully as you don't want it to burn or disappear. Set aside to cool.

Spoon a tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the bottoms of some pretty glasses. Top with 1/3 of the crumbs. Spoon half of the remaining cheese mixture over top. Top with 1/3 of the crumbs. Add the remaining cheese mixture, once again spooning it on top. sprinkle with the remainder of the crumbs. Divide the poached rhubarb between all the glasses and spoon it on top of the crumbs. Drizzle with a bit of the rhubarb syrup. Serve.

It's a Sitcom Party!

Hey, it's Pizza / Movie night at the launchpad, but we are always up for a good sitcom. Check out this picture and see how many of the sitcoms you can identify. Click on the picture to see it larger. The key is here and the list is also below. No peeking until you at least try. I put in bold the ones that I missed.

Bonus Quiz - I have listed the characters as identified in the picture. Name the actors.

In other news, The US Government will not shutdown today. For that I am grateful, as I am sure are those people to whom I pay bills. The Congress passed another Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government for two more weeks, so they can keep talking about finding the money to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year.

Bonus Quiz #2 - Why is this date significant in American History? Why is it of some significance to Franklin Roosevelt, though he likely feels the same way about January 20?

Finally, if anyone is in the market for a car - I might be willing to give you mine. It would appear that another model of Mazdas (the Mazda6) may have spiders in the engine venting that may cause a fire. But a fire would be preferable to having SPIDERS in one's car! You can read the article about the recall here.

OK? Ready for the list. How'd you do?

1. The Odd Couple (Felix Unger)
2. Seinfeld (Cosmo Kramer)
   
3. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Mary Richards)
   
4. Sanford and Son (Fred Sanford)
   
5. Night Court (Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon)
   
6. Mr. Belvedere (Lynn Aloysius Belvedere)
7. Everybody Loves Raymond (Ray Barone)
8. Welcome Back, Kotter (Gabe Kotter)
9. What’s Happening!! (Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs)
10. All in the Family (Archie Bunker)
11. The Cosby Show (Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable)
    
12. The Honeymooners (Ralph Kramden)
13. Maude (Maude Findlay) - I got this one on the second pass
    
14. Married . . . with Children (Al Bundy)
    
15. The Facts of Life (Natalie Green)
16. Chico and the Man (Ed Brown) - I thought it was Ed Norton, but that couldn't be right with Kramden also there.
    
17. Will & Grace (Grace Adler) - but only because it didn't look like her.
    
18. The Golden Girls (Sophia Petrillo)
19. The Dick Van Dyke Show (Rob Petrie)
20. Good Times (James "J.J." Evans, Jr.)
21. Roseanne (Dan Connor)
22. Saved by the Bell (Sam "Screech" Powers) - a show I never watched, thankfully
    
23. Charles in Charge (Charles)
24. Home Improvement (Wilson Wilson, Jr.)
25. Family Matters (Steven Quincy Urkel)
26. Three’s Company (Chrissy Snow)
    
27. Growing Pains (Jason Seaver)
    
28. Happy Days (Arthur "the Fonz" Fonzarelli)
29. The Jeffersons (George Jefferson)
    
30. Perfect Strangers (Balki Bartokomous)
31. Laverne and Shirley (Laverne DeFazio)
32. I Love Lucy (Lucy Ricardo)
33. 227 (Sandra Clark)
34. ALF (ALF)
35. Family Ties (Alex P. Keaton) - although he looks like a girl, must be the hair
36. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (William Smith)
37. Friends (Rachel Green)
38. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Salem Saberhagen) - I knew the show, but would have never been able to come up with the cat's name
    
39. Blossom (Blossom Russo) - tonight on a very special "Blossom," Blossom tries not to look so pained
    
40. Out of This World (The Cube) - never would have gotten this one, either
    
41. Frasier (Eddie)
42. Webster (Webster Long)
43. Full House (Michelle Tanner)
44. Diff’rent Strokes (Arnold Jackson)
45. Punky Brewster (Penelope "Punky" Brewster) - although I initially switched her with the Olsen twin.
    
46. Who’s the Boss? (Tony Micelli)
47. Mork & Mindy (Mork)
48. Taxi (Louie DePalma)
49. Two and a Half Men (Charlie Harper)

I Want a Smoothie!

Both LBA and SoBA enjoy yogurt. A lot. I think if I owned a blender, I would make them more smoothies, possibly starting with this recipe for Strawberry Shakes.

Strawberry Yogurt Shake

Recipe Summary:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Number of Servings: 2
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables Per Person: 1.00

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 1-1/2 cups frozen, unsweetened strawberries
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
  

Directions:
Add ingredients, in order listed, to blender container. Puree at medium speed, until thick and smooth.

Springtime Snow Stories

Last week the DC area enjoyed some very springlike, almost summer-like, temperatures. The mercury rose above 70 degrees for three days in a row. It was wonderful. It made one think that the days of relaxing poolside were coming very soon.

Then it snowed. Well first it rained. Then it changed to sleet. Then a dusting of snow came on top of that. Note I said a DUSTING. I could have sneezed and blown the snow off the walk. And yet, my son's school district closed. Again. Now don't get me wrong, I love snow. But I am now at a point in my life where if it is going to snow - it has to be paralyzing, government closing snow. Otherwise I find myself in a position of burning leave that I don't have so that LBA is not sitting at home by himself (although soon enough, he might not mind that). I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank (profusely) my neighbor (and fellow member of the collective) who took LBA in for a few hours in the afternoon yesterday so I could get to work and not lose an entire day.

I have to believe the end of snow days is near (although as I have said before, my mother always warned us to make sure we had her birthday present because she always wished for snow on her birthday, which was March 22). Today's snow story is one that demonstrates how winter does not always give up easily.

In April 1982 (?), our family was expecting a visit from a French cousin. She was expected to arrive at JFK Airport to spend a week or so with us. My mother, ever the experienced airport greeter, got ready to go and meet our cousin. There was snow in the forecast and the weather prognosticators were rattling their sabers that it would be a good one (for April anyway). So my mother decided (smartly) to take an airport shuttle to the airport and not try to drive herself.

She made it to the airport without issue, met our cousin and then made their way back to the shuttle desk to work on getting home. It was now getting bad out there and road conditions were deteriorating rapidly. And my cousin? She had been told, "Oh it's almost springtime there, you won't need a winter coat." My mother called me at home (from an airport payphone - there were no cellphones) to tell me they were heading out. My father was stuck in New Jersey, unable to get home from his office in Morristown - he had made it to his sister's in nearby Livingston.

So I waited. And waited. My father called frequently, asking if I had heard anything. Finally after about an hour, the phone rang and my mother (calling from another payphone) told me they had made it to one of the shuttle stops to let out some passengers. They were about a third of the way from the airport to our home. Under normal circumstances a trip between JFK and our house should take about 3o minutes. She told me they had a few more stops to try and make and hung up.

So I waited. And waited. My father called and I updated him. Then my mother called back and said they had made it to another stop and were only about 10 miles away - but the driver was not going to be able to take them to the shuttle stop, he was only going to come off the Long Island Expressway and drop my mother and cousin on the service road and get back on the Expressway. Again, normally this would be fine (the shuttle stop was farther away from the house and it wasn't a bad walk down the service road to our house, which is just off the service road - on a normal day - which this no longer was). I looked out the window and asked my mother if she was seeing the same thing I was. We estimated how long it would be before she and my cousin would be let off and I told her that I would come up and meet them to help them get home.

So I waited. My father called and I told him the latest. I called my friend who lived around the corner (closer to where I had to go) and asked him if he was up for an adventure. I bundled up, grabbed my trusty Flexible Flyer sled and headed out into the darkening evening. I made it around the corner to my friend's house and he joined me and we trudged on through the drifting snow. Normally, the walk from our house to the Expressway exit takes about 15 minutes (it's only a 1/2 mile). After about 30 minutes (with about a 1/4 mile to go), I saw two figures emerging from the snow. It was my mother and my cousin. We put my cousin's luggage on the sled and started back.

My mother's adventure had lasted about six hours, my cousin about three, and mine, an hour.

Then, of course, there was shoveling. And retrieving the car where my mother had parked it for the shuttle. And calming my father down - he tends to worry (and overreact). We wound up making snow bunnies, instead of snow men, as it was almost Easter. And I am pretty sure I had at least one day off of school. Maybe.

New York Pizza

When I moved to Maryland, I missed good New York style pizza. According to the map (click to embiggen) above, it is the food for New York. I have managed to find some good pizza here in the area, possibly the best is here. Now that I have a bread maker (and have already made some pretty good cinnamon raisin bread, I might have to try pizza dough to see how it turns out.

Pizza Dough (Bread Machine)
from CDKitchen
Serves/Makes: 2 crusts | Difficulty Level: 2 | Ready In: 1-2 hrs

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water PLUS
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  

Directions:
Place ingredients in pan in order listed or as directed per machine instructions. Select white dough cycle. Makes two 12 inch regular crusts or one 16 inch deep dish crust. Top with desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until crust is light brown.

Double Date Night

The DC area got to temperatures in the 70s again today - for the third day in a row - unprecedented weather. If I had not been sick earlier in the week, I might have "caught" something that would have kept me home today. As it is, Mrs. BA and I are in the midst of an unprecedented two-night event of our own. It's Double Date Night! Two Date Nights and Double Dates with two different couples!

Yesterday evening, our friend (Ed in Pittsburgh) and his lovely wife came for a visit. He had some meetings to attend to today and his wife took the opportunity to come along and visit with an old friend. They came without their children. When the plan developed, I immediately saw an opportunity for a date night. As you may know, it's Pizza / Movie night at the Launchpad and we asked one of our frequent attendees (and good friend) to think about looking after LBA and SoBA for the evening. She readily agreed - so Mr. and Mrs. BA are getting out to dinner tonight with Ed and Mrs. Ed. We have made a plan to go here for dinner. It is always good to see them and we are having a great time with them as we usually do (we went away for an anniversary weekend with them a few years ago, which was also a lot of fun.

Thursday also marked the birthday of Mrs. OSG and it was her desire to go out for a grown-up meal. Her hope was to go somewhere that did not have mac and cheese or hot dogs on the menu - and perhaps a place where people would bring us food - and somewhere where we might even be able to drink a little. Who were we to deny this birthday wish?! My [very kind] MIL gave Mrs. BA and I a gift card for dinner out at Christmas, with the added bonus of her being willing to babysit when we wanted to cash in. So we are doing just that. Our destination for Saturday night is this restaurant, where I have my eyes on the Coffee-cured Filet Mignon. I am pretty sure that Mrs. BA and Mr. OSG will be diving into an appetizer plate of the "Mountain of Blue Cheese Chips."

We have not been to Stoney River before and are certainly looking forward to it. As I have said before, I would go out all the time if my wallet and waistline could take it. And there is no lack of new places to go here in the DC area:

• All Your 2011 Restaurant Openings to Look Forward To (Part 1)
• All Your 2011 Restaurant Openings to Look Forward To (Part 2)
• Who We Missed: More Restaurants Opening in 2011
  

But wait there's more! Here's the bonus. My [extremely kind] MIL is in fact, babysitting, and is taking the boys to her house for Saturday night. So our second date night will allow us to have the house to ourselves. Although LBA does have a birthday party on Sunday so Mrs. BA will head out to get them in time for that. I need to go to the grocery store - and I would love to find a store that has one of these installed. As the post notes, there are plans to bring them to the US within the year.

Valentine's Day Recipe

One of the greatest meals Mrs. BA enjoyed (she still talks about it) was the salted cod at Tavira, a Portuguese restaurant in Chevy Chase. I'm pretty sure if she's reading this, her mouth is already watering.

As today is Valentine's Day, perhaps you can make this for someone you love. Happy Valentine's Day! The recipe comes from here.

Salt-Crusted Chicken

• one chicken, organic and/or from a source you trust, about 2 kilos (4.4 pounds)
• 1 medium bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat of a knife blade
• 500 grams (17 2/3 ounces, about 3 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces, about 1 1/3 cups) coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons thyme, fresh if available, dried otherwise (other dried herbs may be substituted, such as rosemary or oregano)
• 6 tablespoons ground flax seeds, or 160 grams (5 2/3 ounces) egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)
  

Serves 4 to 5.

Lightly oil a baking dish big enough to hold the chicken comfortably. Set aside.

If you're using flax seeds rather than egg whites, place them in a bowl with 100 ml (6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) fresh water, and set aside for about 15 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed and the mixture is gelled.

Place the chicken on a work surface, on its back, with the neck side facing you. Slip your hand under the skin, starting at the base of the neck, and work gently to get your hand further in, lifting the skin from the flesh over each breast, and down over each thigh, without tearing the skin. Once the skin is loosened, slip in the chopped parsley, pushing it underneath the skin to cover the breasts and the thighs as evenly as you can.

Sprinkle a few pinches of salt inside the cavity of the chicken, and add in the garlic. Using a piece of chicken string, truss the chicken. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour with the salt and thyme. Add the soaked ground flax seeds or the egg whites, and 160 ml (2/3 cup) fresh water, and stir with a wooden spoon or a dough whisk until the liquids are absorbed. Turn out onto a clean work surface, and knead briefly until the dough comes together; it should be supple and pleasant to work with, not sticky or crumbly. Add a little water or flour as needed to adjust the consistency.

Flour your work surface well, and roll out the salt dough into a circle large enough to wrap the chicken in it (I shoot for a diameter of about 50 cm or 20").

Place the chicken in the middle of the circle and fold opposite flaps of the dough over the chicken to wrap it entirely. Press gently to seal; if it looks like the dough might not stay put, brush the seams with a pastry brush dipped lightly in water.

Lift the whole thing carefully but with determination, and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Place in the fridge until ready to bake -- you can leave it in for a few hours or overnight. If the salt crust cracks slightly here or there, don't worry about it; it doesn't need to be 100% airtight.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Insert the dish in the oven and leave it in for 1 1/2 hours (a little more won't hurt if the guests are late; just turn off the oven and leave the chicken inside).

Remove the dish from the oven, and break the salt crust open with a meat mallet or the handle of a chef knife. Once fractured, the crust can be simply pulled open with your oven-mitt-clad hands (it's fun).

Lift the chicken from the open crust, transfer it to a cutting board, and carve it. Discard the crust. Serve the chicken with the cooking juices, perfect roasted potatoes, and a green salad.

Happy Birthday Abe

Today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Unfortunately, he, George Washington (February 22), and all of the Presidents, got screwed out of their own individual days when the vague "President's Day" Holiday was established on the third Monday in February.

As you, my faithful readers know, I am a volunteer usher at Ford's Theatre in Washington, which holds its own special place in Lincoln history. A while back, a website I read, We Love DC, dedicated one of its recurring posts, DC Mythbusting, to a Lincoln Edition. It talked about there was allegedly a depiction of Robert E. Lee in the hair of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial (not true) and other Memorial Factoids.

The post also explained why there is a portrait of George Washington outside the presidential box at Fords. Do you know? It is one of the most frequent questions I get of theater-goers when I usher.

Happy Birthday Mr. President. For those who are socially motivated, I recommend that you follow @Mr_Lincoln on Twitter and you can "like" HonestAbrahamLincoln" on Facebook.

Kenneth Wayne Rose

On February 3, the archives community lost a friend and champion. The Rockefeller Archive Center lost its heart and soul. I lost a friend and mentor. Ken Rose, who served as Assistant to the Director when I worked at the Archive Center, left us behind to wonder how to continue on.

Last night, I went with a colleague from the Archive Center, who now lives here in the DC area as well to the service in Ken's hometown of Winchester, VA. It was a wonderful service, one that I think Ken would have accepted, although he did not like being the center of attention.

I dreamed of Ken last night. Over the weekend, after having learned of Ken's passing, I was searching for a "Ken story" that I could share. I became frustrated with myself that I couldn't come up with something specific. As I was traveling with a colleague to the memorial service yesterday evening, I came to the realization that is just how Ken was. Many of the successes that I had at the Archive Center were because of Ken. He was the type of individual that would stand behind you and push you forward. He was a listener, a deep thinker. I cannot count the number of afternoons I spent in his office, sitting on the couch in his office, while he sat behind an enormous desk that had come to the Center from the Commonwealth Fund, as we would talk about everything, family, friends, archives, history, baseball. There was no end to the subjects on which Ken could conduct a great conversation.

In my dream last night (one that I only sort of remember), Ken was not a vivid presence, he was for me, as he was in life, standing there off to the side, watching, listening. He was being Ken. As I write this, Ken has been laid to rest in Virginia. The words that were offered in comfort yesterday evening were fitting. I am, however reminded of the words of Aeschylus, spoken by Robert Kennedy to a crowd of people in Indianapolis, Indiana, upon learning of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
until, in our own despair,
against our will,
comes wisdom
through the awful grace of God."

Later that year, when Robert Kennedy was himself laid to rest, his brother, Ted Kennedy, spoke words that could also be used to describe Ken.

"[He] need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man."

Farewell Ken. Rest well. Your earthly travels are finished now. We will see you down the road.

from the Archives and Archivists listserv:

It is with great sadness that the staff of the Rockefeller Archive Center announces the passing of Kenneth Wayne Rose, on Thursday, February 3, 2011, after a brief illness. Ken managed the outreach programs as the Associate Director of Research and Education at the Rockefeller Archive Center in Pocantico Hills, NY. With more than twenty-three years of service at the Archive Center, Ken’s loss to the archival and scholarly communities is incalculable.

A native of Albright, W. Va., Ken received his BA in history from Washington and Lee University, and his MA and PhD degrees from Case Western Reserve University. He was senior managing editor of the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History before joining the staff of the Rockefeller Archive Center in 1987. He has written articles on the Rockefeller family and Rockefeller philanthropy for various journals, reference volumes and conferences. He also has contributed to the American National Biography, the Dictionary of Virginia Biography, and the historical encyclopedias for New York City, New Jersey, and the Midwest. Ken was selected as a Fulbright Fellow to teach American history at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey.

A historian, Rose remained a Virginian at heart, yet engaged with scholars and archivists in China and Turkey as easily as those in the United States. He was intrigued by local history, by African-American history, by 20th-century radicals and by traditional American folk music.

The family suggests charitable donations in Ken's name to the American Heart Association or the Remote Area Medical Foundation.

Rene Verdon

While much of America is surely wiping off some melted cheese from their shirts after yesterday's Super Bowl parties (I had actually intended to post some of my favorite Super Bowl recipes myself), it seems somewhat wrong to post an obituary for classic French chef Rene Verdon, while the smell of hot sauce still lingers in the air.

Verdon was the White House chef during the Kennedy years, before leaving quite publicly after a rift with the Johnson family. Evidently Lyndon and Lady Bird's tastes were, um, a little more, um, let's say basic, from Jackie Kennedy. Read the obituary linked above (from the Washington Post) and you will see what I mean.

Many say that Verdon inspired many Americans to try French cuisine in their homes. My mother was one of those people so inspired. Here is a Verdon recipe used for a luncheon at the White House to honor Princess Grace in May 1961 (taken from here).

Strawberries Romanoff

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 4 cups halved small strawberries
• 2 tbsp each curacao and Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Candied violets or mint leaves
  

Place ice cream in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until soft enough to smooth easily with the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, place the strawberries in large bowl. Pour curacao and Grand Marnier over berries; stir gently to combine. Let stand for 30 minutes.

In large chilled bowl and using electric mixer, beat whipping cream at low speed for 45 seconds or until slightly thickened. Add sugar and vanilla; increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes, or until thick.

In large bowl, stir softened ice cream with wooden spoon until soft. Using rubber spatula, fold dollop of whipped cream into ice cream. Add remaining whipped cream and fold gently until well combined.

Into each of chilled glass dessert bowls, spoon enough strawberries to just cover bottom; top with large dollop of cream mixture, then divide remaining berries, and any juices, among bowls. Distribute remaining cream equally. Garnish each dish with candied violets or mint leaves. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Tips: If strawberries are large, cut into quarters. Candied violets can be purchases at most upscale grocers or cake decorating shops.