Two and a Half Months

Wow, so I've really let myself go...

The last few months have been, as always, the stuff wild rides are made of. A couple of trips to New York, broken televisions and laptops, travel for work, dance rehearsals and performances...it just wouldn't be my life if it weren't non-stop.

But yes, I did have some time for a little food here and there.

• Trip to New York, Episode 1: So during the season of Next Food Network Star, I became friends on MySpace with the show's profile. During one of my weekly logins to MySpace, I noticed a bulletin for an open casting call in NYC. So I did it--headed up to NYC for just one day, waited in line for 5 hours, and met with the Casting Director. How did it go? Well, how could I really say? I felt charming enough--she laughed, and I was called "cute" twice. She also said my food sounded "interesting." But, of course, there were 150 other people just at this call. So don't think you'll catch me holding my breath. It was super fun, though, and I met some really cool peoples.
• T discovers Chilean Sea Bass: I've definitely found my favorite new ingredient--one of many seemingly common proteins/ingredients I've neither eaten nor cooked...at least until about a month ago. Chilean Sea Bass was made to be pan seared/blackened, and serving it over a risotto is just fantastical. Speaking of seafood, I finally rocked out some Maryland Blue Crabs. Now, the crabs were good--the stock I made from the crabs is better. If only I could figure out exactly what to do with it...
• T has a new favorite wine of all time: Alain Corcina's 2005 Pinot Noir from Bourgogne. Inexpensive+phenomenal.
• Halo 3. Xbox Live. Nuff Said.
• T butchers a duck: Well, not a live duck. But figured out yesterday how to quarter a whole duck from Whole Foods. Removed the breasts and the skin and cooked the skinless breasts faux sous vide--tightly wrapped it in plastic wrap with some soy sauce, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, rosemary, and rice wine vinegar and then poached for about a half hour in steaming, but not simmering water. Then took the breasts out, seared them on each side for just a minute or two Took the skin off the duck and crisped it in some butter and olive oil, and made a sauce of concord grapes, white wine, allspice, and bay leaves. Served the duck over rainbow chard, topped with the crisped duck skin, the grape sauce, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. See Nat? Don't you ever claim I don't cook for you...
• Almost forgot, the first course yesterday was a salad of frissee, fennel, snow crab meat, and pan-fried tilapia dressed in a bit of butter and lemon juice and served in half a yellow bell pepper. A nice, clean first course. Nothing life changing, but a wonderful summer dish. Sigh, yes. I still wish/think it's summer.
• And now, one more stock goes into my freezer/fridge--Took the rest of the duck meat and bones aside from the drumsticks, thighs, etc., and made a stock over the last 24 hours or so. Alyse has suggested using it as a base for some sauces or stews. Now that's some cold weather for ya.
• Visiting NYC, Episode 2: Decided to make my annual NYC vacay over Columbus Day weekend, and made it chock full of good food. First, I visited Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for lunch with my boy Josh. I ordered this 16-spice chicken that was, bar-none, the best preparation of chicken I have ever tasted. Yes, even better than this. I also ate at Perilla, the restaurant run by Harold Dieterele, who won the first episode of Top Chef. Top notch meal here, too. I had pork belly with porcini mushrooms and a gastrique that was absolutely out of this world, and Wild Boar Milanese with arugula and shaved parmesan for my main course. The dessert was a peanut butter parfair with chocolate shortbread and a raspberry sorbet--described as an upscale play on a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. Best PB&J everrrrr.

I'm feeling a bit gourmet again. And my mom is sending me the family's olddddd digital camera, so hopefully I'll be back on the block soon.

The blog is back...sexy sexy.

Oh ohhh!