5.23.2012

Redemption

I absolutely hate having kitchen failures. It's fine if I cook something and one of us doesn't like it... Unless that one of us is Rashan and I cooked a lot of it. I don't like leftovers for more than a day or two. He can eat them until they're gone. My main issue with leftovers is eating the same thing day after day. I need variety in my life. There's not a single thing I want to eat daily. There's barely anything I want to eat once a week every week for a month.

But when I say kitchen failures, I mean flat out FAILURE. Like no one can eat that because it's inedible. It almost never happens. But when it does, I moan and wail and gnash my teeth and metaphorically tear my hear. Yes. I go biblical. A little dramatic? Mayhaps. But I don't like losing. Or failing. Monday was my food loser day (for the year I hope). I set out to cook Tyler Florence's ultimate fried chicken. I just knew I was going to rock this out! My mom doesn't know how to fry chicken? No matter! I will fry this chicken up and work it out!

I set my peanut oil up and put in my aromatics (fresh herbs, garlic still in the husk) and got ready to show that chicken who's boss! It was smelling amazing! Except it seemed like it was taking a long time to come to temp... Hmm... Let me turn up the heat a little. MISTAKE!! Garlic burned, oil ruined. And now? Out of control smoke. OUT OF CONTROL!!! Setting off the smoke detector twice out of control. The most smoke I've ever seen in a kitchen out of control. Smokier in the house than some bars that still allow smoking out of control. Open all the windows and the front door and it still takes the good part of an hour to become inhabitable again OUT OF CONTROL.

Y'all. What!? But my chicken was already marinating in lime juice so I moved to plan B... oven fried chicken. I'd made it before and it was delicious and crunchy. I needed redemption! I also needed to finish this salad with Ty's Ultimate Vinaigrette. I added it to romaine and feta. Then I decided to "bake" AKA microwave in plastic wrap for 8 minutes some small potatoes to mash with crema, salt, pepper, milk & a drizzle of olive oil. It was all good. But that vinaigrette? Tyler! Yes! That vinaigrette was all the king's horses and all the king's men! I could even have it either sans sugar or with less sugar. It was really really tasty. Rashan looked at me like, "For real? Yes!" Can I say it? REDEEMED! And PHEW! I've become so much better at rolling with the punches!

Then at 2 a.m. I wanted a biscuit. Like really wanted it. Like so bad I looked up recipes. I have no buttermilk and no lemon to make buttermilk. What to do... keep looking. I found a buttermilk-less biscuit that took 25 minutes including prep time and got to work. By 2:30 we were eating AMAZING biscuits from scratch slathered with peach preserves. NOW I'M REDEEMED!! Hmph! (Ordinarily there would be pictures to go with this post but me, my phone and blogger are in a fight so just "imaginate" if you will...)

Except... when I tweeted about wanting a 2 a.m. biscuit, someone told me that was a really specific craving and asked if there was something I wanted to share. Y'all... I'll share it here first. I'M NOT PREGNANT. Oh. That. The point of the tweet was to show if I want something, I get up and cook it. Not a subtle hint that I am with child. Jesus take the wheel.

9 comments:

Nicole said...

I'm the same way with leftovers. I cannot stand to eat leftovers because I don't want to eat the same thing two days in a row. The only leftovers I'll eat are restaurant leftovers. Otherwise, I'm not interested in eating the same thing twice.

Ladynay said...

When I grow up I wanna make yummy biscuits from scratch like you! :)

K. Rock said...

Homemade biscuits at 2 in the morning! You are living the life. And the vinaigrette looks great. I am bookmarking that for later use.

MrsTDJ said...

I'm always amazed when people don't like leftovers. I love them and even if I didn't, I was raised to eat em until they're gone.

LOL at your garlic and burned oil. Whew! Burn there with burned oil. So not fun.

Biscuits at 2am??? Whew, y'all are funny!

Sparkling Red said...

I'm a leftover eater all the way. I'm usually more interested in the book I'm reading than the food in my mouth. As long as it's fresh and healthy I'll have anything for dinner if you'll stick a book under my left elbow. (Yes I read at the table. No my husband doesn't mind because he inhales his food in 2 seconds flat and goes off to do whatever.)

ShaBoogiesince1982 said...

2am biscuits? I can't with you! Ma'am, goodbye! lol

Nerd Girl said...

I've decided that hot grease and I are not friends. I give up trying to fry anything. Ever.

I don't mind leftovers.

If I have good cheese in a salad, I don't even bother with dressing. Drives Smoochy mad. Having said that I think I'm going to try that vinaigrette.

I want a biscuit please and thank you!

1969 said...

I hate leftovers too unless it's the day after Thanksgiving.

I make great fried chicken!!!! I can give you a foolproof recipe.

Jameil said...

nicole... I can do lunch the next day and I'm fine even with my own food but very joyously w/restaurant leftovers but I am not down with eating the same thing for dinner two days in a row.

lady... do it!!

k... the delicious life! that vinaigrette is amaze!

mrstdj... Rashan's gonna have to eat them until they're gone. My mom never made so much food we had to eat it that long. There were enough people in the house to consume them. I have been known to freeze leftovers and deliver them to my mom or sister if Rashan didn't like them.

red... Nothing is more important that food! I'm fainting! I always wanted to read at the table. My mom forbade it.

sha... LOL what I do?

ng... LOL EVER???? I'm not quite there yet. I don't like deep frying, though. I need a good shallow fry and I'm happy. Or a fry daddy. I need dressing! Oh my goodness! And cheese but definitely dressing!

1969... yes! anti-leftover crew in the house! I don't even like Thanksgiving leftovers to an extent. Although it's disappointing that we spend Thanksgiving at Rashan's mom's and there are so many people in the house that leftovers barely make it through the second day. #jameilwept Send me that recipe!