Chicken Parmesan (and Eggplant, and Beef)

My sister wanted me to post the recipe I made last week while in Arizona. I took leftovers with me to share with Kelli and Richard. I get a lot of my favorite recipe ideas these days from Cooks Illustrated. I stopped buying the magazines years ago and just wait for the end of the year - I have all of them from the beginning in hard-bound books and have a 15 year index. Their recipe has a home-made tomato sauce which I usually do, but with organic spagetti sauce so readily available, I'm using it more and more. (The eggplant and beef isn't a part of their recipe, it's just to show you other possibilities).

Have a bowl with beaten egg and pinch of salt, and
another bowl of 1C bread crumbs mixed with
1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper.
Typically parmesan cheese is mixed in with the bread crumbs, but I like how this recipe puts it on later and broils it. (I did the beef last night with the parmesan cheese in the bread crumbs. I pick up organic beef at my local store, regularly finding it 1/2 off and buying all that's there and freeze it. So last night's recipe used tenderloin steaks cut in bite size pieces, coated with the bread crumb cheese mixture and broiled a short bit till surface is crunchy - on a foil lined cookie sheet.)

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
(I always cut it in thin pieces, sometimes pounding it flat)
Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then the bread and put on a rack till all done.
Heat 1/4C olive oil over med-high heat in a skillet and brown chicken on both sides. Put them back on the cleaned rack over a cookie sheet
and top with 1/4C (1 oz) grated parmesan and 3/4C (3oz) grated mozzarella and
broil 4-5" from heat source till spotty browned.
Serve over cooked spaghetti with sauce.

I've done eggplant the same way too, but this time I browned both sides of 1/2" slices of eggplant brushed with olive oil under broiler, then sprinkled on the same grated cheeses and broiled again.

Last night's sauce was home-made from tomatoes that ripened from our garden. I had lots in a paper bag that were still green and most have turned red. I grew the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes this year. It's the first year I've gotten lots of brown bottomed tomatoes - don't know if that variety is prone to that or what?

I've often wanted to post about umamis and still am not. Just going to mention that it's a fifth taste, and that parmesan is an umami.

Anniversary and Appliances

Today is Monte's and mine anniversary. We've been married for 33 years. When I tell the young gals I mentor that we're more in love than ever, it's so hopeful to them! We really enjoy each other's company and are best friends. We're done raising our kids (even though 19 year old Dawson still sleeps at home) and lived through building two homes ourselves (people will tell you that can be hard on marriages) and lived through all the bad and good times, rich and poor, still in good health.

What are we doing as special? Well, eating out is not so special, since we've been doing that a lot lately, as well as staying in hotels and nice settings. Going to a movie? We do that a lot too, from the comfort of a great couch at home, and Netflix movies coming and going in the mail (I knit while watching movies and Monte needs the relaxation after the day's work).

We did buy ourselves something this week: new washer and dryer (my washer busted 2 weeks ago and the dryer was taking forever to dry). In 33 years we've gone through only 2 washers and dryers. Will these ones last us till we die (Monte's parents are close to 90, that's longer than 15 years from now - interesting perspective on life - in relation to how many washers we'll have had)?! We've been in this home now for 24 years and have just in the past 2 years been replacing all the appliances (and toilets, and roofing ...)(I researched toilets - with our low water pressure - we still get a joy watching them flush!)(We get off on simple things, cuz this week I've sat watching/enjoying the front loader washer do it's thing!) And my new appliances 'sing' when they're done!

We're getting our first snow of the season today. Since I've been traveling with Monte a lot lately I feel out of touch with my home, so we're getting reacquainted. And the holidays are right around the corner with lots of company here for Thanksgiving. In fact my daughter just told us her and Bill are coming for Thanksgiving, flying in next Friday. So I'm cleaning and reorganizing rooms.

Martinmas

Today is Martinmas, the feast day of Martin of Tours. He died in 397. He was a cavalry officer in the Roman army of Constanine - a soldier saint. Martin Luther was named after him and was baptized on November 11. Martin became bishop of Tours, and became a proponent of Trinitarian Christianity, fighting against Arianism.

My favorite remembrance of Martin's story is that when in France he saw a scantily dressed, freezing beggar at the side of the road. Martin removed his cloak and slashed it in two, sharing it with the beggar. In a dream that night, he saw Christ wearing his cloak.

This story gives depth to Jesus saying, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me."

Part of Martin's cloak was saved as a relic in France and kept in a "chapelle", from the French word chape, meaning "cape", and its overseer was the "chapelain", from which we get our words chapel and chaplain.

Every year it seems as this day approaches I'm remembering it's story, as I've been going through the household clothes, changing out summer clothes for winter, and getting reacquainted with the winter coats, gloves, hats, boots, etc, situation. I've been making up bags of stuff to drop off, for sharing with those with needs.

Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica

Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D9BBMDWoNM

Home

Home sweet home - there's no place like home.

Good Friends

My sister Kelli is coming to Sonoita to visit me here for the afternoon and go out to eat with Monte, Stan and me, and the 3 Norwegians (every time I mention the Norwegians in my posts I think it sounds like a rock group - which it is! since this is all about geology).

I had written the directions into this high desert neighborhood in the notepad of my iPhone yesterday to tell my sister, and saw this quote I wrote while in Wisconsin at my sister-in-law Linda's home - 

"Good friends are like bras - 

supportive, 

never leave you hanging, 

make you look good 

and are always close to your heart."

:0)

Guy Fawkes Night or Gunpowder Plot

Well, I had mentioned in my scarecrow post about a gal who always burns, in a bonfire, her scarecrow on this day, November 5, and that I'd tell you about this day on this day. I've read books, heard it said in movies, etc, the mention of Guy Fawkes Night. So for literacy-sake, it's a story we should know (like the movie "V for Vendetta" would be a current reference).

A plot, called the Bonfire Plot, had been planned to blow up the House of Lords in the Westminster Palace during the opening of Parliament. Scottish King James I of England and much of the aristocracy would be killed in 1605. Fawkes was in charge of executing the plan because of his explosive experience.

Why? It's a religious reason. It was a Protestant-Catholic thing in a divided England as to who was supporting who, involving France or Spain allegiances or power, and the Irish and the Dutch are in there too, as well as the Black Plague. I just want to tantalize you enough, giving only the basics, so if you want to read more (or watch a 28 minute video) Google it :0). The plot was foiled.

Yearly celebrations involve fireworks and bonfires where 'guys' are burnt.

So "remember, remember, the 5th of November".

Part-time Pets

Stan is on his fifth iguana. This one likes to climb up and sit on the fireplace mantle. Stan always lets it sit on his arm if he’s watching TV and strokes it. It rides on his back and across his shoulders. He takes it to his office during the day and it’ll sit in the sun on the windowsill. We gave him his fourth iguana, which Dawson had named Striker.

I’ve often said someone needs to start a business called “Part-time Pets”. All kids want to experience so many pets, but get tired of them and want to try another pet. Once they find out cages need regular cleaning, and some smell worse sooner than other kinds of pets, they get tired of them. Or once they find out it sleeps all day and only plays at night, it’s no fun. Or it scratches … or bites … They just need to get it out of their system and then pass the pet on to someone else. The only problem is this business needs to develop the technology for "Honey, I shrunk the pets", because everyone wants a puppy or kitten first - a baby whatever, or see them born.

Dawson has had SO many pets! Travis and Heather had dogs, cats and gerbils. I had a rabbit and got sick of taking care of it. Our chickens are gone and only one dog left. But Dawson has even had two ferrets (very fun, but smelly), a Madagascar hissing cockroach, tarantulas, snakes, including a python, and lizards and the iguana (none of these cuddly soft!).

I couldn’t imagine this iguana getting big and living in cold Evergreen. Stan was living in Washington at the time and we were heading up there to do some speaking, so we asked him if he’d like Dawson’s iguana (we had it a year – been there – done that). He said he’d have to keep it at his office. So we traveled with the iguana in its large glass tank. We had to speak in Idaho first, so left it in the hotel room. We have so much fun imagining the maid who cleaned our room.

Striker ended up being a female cuz when Stan moved back to AZ, it laid a bunch of eggs. Stan and Striker really had an affection for each other, so when it got sick and died, he was really heartbroken. So now he’s got another one.

I'm back at my sister Kelli's now, staying for the night, and we're about to go out to eat a fun lunch.

Arizona!

I'm in Sonoita AZ at Monte's partner Stan's home. Yesterday we flew into Tucson and went grocery shopping since I'm making tonight's supper for us, three Norwegians who flew in last night, and then Stan and Monte's secretary, Lori and husband. I just took my Mystery Pecan Pie (from my own Hearth & Home cookbook) out of the oven. And about to start the beginnings of chicken and eggplant parmesan. I want to go with them later this afternoon to a local vineyard, then back here for supper.

After shopping yesterday we went to my sister Kelli's home. As the afternoon progressed all my siblings and mom were there. Before everyone started to go their separate ways we took a picture outside, realizing that the last time we had taken a picture together was in the same setting and before my dad died, so before 2001!

I took a pic of Stan's tile floor. It's so nostalgic for me. Our home we built ourselves years ago in the Tucson Mtns, was almost totally tiled in this Mexican tile I so love!

All Saints Day

Yesterday I started telling the story of Martin Luther posting a list for church reform on the castle door. What I like most about the story, is that Prince Frederick had a huge collection of Saint relics and every November 1st, All Saints Day, he opened his castle doors for all Europe to come and (sight-) see (maybe buy relics/souvenirs! like we do when we travel!).

People did come from all Europe and on the castle door was posted Luther's 95 Thesis for all to see.
 Because of people telling all they met as journeying home, and the printing press having printed Luther's Thesis, they say that all of Europe heard of the church reform list in 4 weeks!



Did Protestantism just take off from then? If you read history, no. Law was, that a country went as the rulership went. So like with England, you have a century of war - a swing from a Henry to a Bloody Mary to an Elizabeth, etc. Scotland and mainland Europe was just as bad. Many massacres.



As to All Saints Day - from all over, all localities had stories of people who did unique things for God. Saints are people who hear the Gospel message and live it out in their culture, usually addressing a need. Without saints we'd not have many hospitals, schools and meeting-needs-institutions. Saints live very "whole-heart-edly" (would that maybe imply that many people live 1/2 heartedly?!) and often on a tight-rope over a precipice; and are often called heretics in their time. And remember that the Apostle Paul calls all believers saints.

There were so many stories, the church started researching and 'canonized' about 400 to be remembered on calendar days. So all the thousands of others were lumped on this day. This day was originally in April or May and the Parthenon was the gathering place. But because of too many people and not enough food, it was moved to Nov 1 because of harvest food availability.

My suggestion for Halloween would be to go ahead and do costumes, but chose a saint or hero of the faith to dress as. Know their story and share it.

I've posted before about how I use the kitchen table to place visuals, many hang from a wreath over the table. Visual Imagery is just as important and needed as the Rational. Visuals help remind my heart. So for this day, I like to fill a shallow clay pot with lots of varieties of candles standing in sand. Contemplative, metaphorical me watches as the many varieties of people (candles) burn together and eventually falling on one another, igniting one another, and melting together. It's such a great visual of the community in Christ.