This is the first day in a while that there is nothing slated on my calendar. I had a bit of a panic when I woke this morning trying to remember what it was that I had to do today, and there was nothing.
I am dealing with yet another disappointment from the show biz world. Came close, oh so close on a job that would mean significant income and relief for the next year or more and then informed that I was just too darn young. Funny, I feel older than I have ever have before. But, the folks assured my agent that I was "amazing" and "LOVED" (their caps) and that perhaps some day...
Thing is, and I get these maybe once or twice a year, it was a role that was in my bones. Everything about it was easily accessible; the rhythms, the dialect, the emotion.. all right there, and all right there in the audition which is a very rare thing. I felt that there was no hiding or masking to play this character, every blemish that I possess was perfect and only worked... no sucking in the gut necessary....
Besides all this, it's a great role. Role of a lifetime kind of role. But, as is my fashion, I'm letting it go.
Duncan had a rare afternoon field trip to the zoo and I drove him to school having just found out about this new level of the disappointment mountain. I dropped him off and smiled and waved. When I got back to the car I just sort of stopped and sat for a while. Then I went shopping for dinner.
My friend Maggie, years ago, had a shirt that she got in Little Tokyo in L.A. with a picture of James Dean and the phrase "When I feel Sad, I Go to Driving." The Japanese fascination with the look of the English language resulting in some wonderful syntax.
I was thinking through the day making the risotto and steadily feeling better, a slowly rising barometer, "When I feel Sad, I Go to Cooking."
Later after dinner, Duncan was particularly sad, because we had allowed him to watch a Dora episode and he "really, really, really," wanted to watch another, but was not allowed.
He was having a hard time getting over it. I explained that the best thing you can do when you don't get the things you want in life, because that happens a lot, is move on to something you can do that'll make you feel better.
It took some doing, but eventually Duncan, Nicole and I played a vigorous game of Candy Land. I suspect that our family laughter rose up through the stairwell and gently nestled into Shaw's dreams as she slept.
GRILLED LEMON PORK CHOP WITH GARLIC AND SAGE
4 Thick Cut Loin Pork Chops with Bone
1/2 cup Kosher salt
Juice of 3 Lemons
2 Tbs. fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
In large bowl, dissolve salt in two quarts of water. Submerge chops in brine and let sit for four hours.
Combine lemon juice, sage, garlic, olive oil and pepper in bowl and mix thoroughly.
Transfer chops to zip lock bag and combine with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
One hour before grilling, remove chops from fridge and allow to come to room temperature.
Grill over direct heat 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest for five minutes before serving.
BROCCOLI RABE
One Bunch Broccoli Rabe, stems trimmed
1/4 cup kosher salt
Ice
Olive oil
3 or 4 Anchovy fillets.
2 cloves sliced garlic
Shredded Pecorino Romano.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Fill a stock pot with water and bring to a rapid boil. Add the kosher salt to water. Add Broccoli Rabe a little bit at a time so as not to lose boil. Cover and let blanch for 1 or two minutes until vibrant green. Remove broccoli from the water and plunge into bowl filled with ice water let cool completely.
Heat about two tablespoons of olive over med. high heat in a heavy skillet. Add garlic and anchovy and saute until fragrant. Add Broccoli Rabe and move about in skillet so that it gets coated with oil. Saute two to three minutes until Broccoli is heated through. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and serve immediately.
ARRANCINNI DI RISO
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas, recipe follows, cooled
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
2 ounces mozzarella, in 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes
Salt
Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. heat the oil over medium heat to 350ºF. Stir the eggs, risotto, Pecorino, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of risotto mixture for each, for the risotto mixutre into 3/4 inch diameter balls. Insert I cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot oil and cook until brown and heated through, turning as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.
(I preheated the oven to 250º and kept balls in there as they were completed, so that I could time out the rest of the meal. The mozzarella stayed stringy. These were a big hit. As many types of risotto that you can think of will be equal to the variations on this recipe. I'm thinking... jalapeno, seafood..... etc.)
MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH PEAS
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
10 ounces white or crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2/3 Parmesan or Romano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender. About 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about three minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas, Mix in the Romano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4 Thick Cut Loin Pork Chops with Bone
1/2 cup Kosher salt
Juice of 3 Lemons
2 Tbs. fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
In large bowl, dissolve salt in two quarts of water. Submerge chops in brine and let sit for four hours.
Combine lemon juice, sage, garlic, olive oil and pepper in bowl and mix thoroughly.
Transfer chops to zip lock bag and combine with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
One hour before grilling, remove chops from fridge and allow to come to room temperature.
Grill over direct heat 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest for five minutes before serving.
BROCCOLI RABE
One Bunch Broccoli Rabe, stems trimmed
1/4 cup kosher salt
Ice
Olive oil
3 or 4 Anchovy fillets.
2 cloves sliced garlic
Shredded Pecorino Romano.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Fill a stock pot with water and bring to a rapid boil. Add the kosher salt to water. Add Broccoli Rabe a little bit at a time so as not to lose boil. Cover and let blanch for 1 or two minutes until vibrant green. Remove broccoli from the water and plunge into bowl filled with ice water let cool completely.
Heat about two tablespoons of olive over med. high heat in a heavy skillet. Add garlic and anchovy and saute until fragrant. Add Broccoli Rabe and move about in skillet so that it gets coated with oil. Saute two to three minutes until Broccoli is heated through. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and serve immediately.
ARRANCINNI DI RISO
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas, recipe follows, cooled
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
2 ounces mozzarella, in 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes
Salt
Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. heat the oil over medium heat to 350ºF. Stir the eggs, risotto, Pecorino, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of risotto mixture for each, for the risotto mixutre into 3/4 inch diameter balls. Insert I cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot oil and cook until brown and heated through, turning as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.
(I preheated the oven to 250º and kept balls in there as they were completed, so that I could time out the rest of the meal. The mozzarella stayed stringy. These were a big hit. As many types of risotto that you can think of will be equal to the variations on this recipe. I'm thinking... jalapeno, seafood..... etc.)
MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH PEAS
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
10 ounces white or crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2/3 Parmesan or Romano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender. About 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about three minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas, Mix in the Romano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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