Ok, here is my advice as to the return of Prohibition and extremely extreme G Men. Never talk to your sister and mother when sort of inebriated. If you do, you may end up like me -- taking a trip to the wrong coast in 2 weeks with no real 18 month preparation concept.
Like an ABBA Swedish frustration dream.
Sooooo, my sister said she was going out on business and could I come out too. And I said, not in May since I'm waiting for an insurance check which will also have to pass through the probate court for my fee so no and airfares to CA are still 700billion dollars one way.
Oh, yeah, right so she gets her husband to look up airfares and he frigging comes up with one under $400 round trip and I say: Yeah, brilliant but I'm still waiting for . . . . and then my mother is on the phone and she's already bought the ticket. WTF???? I'm going on Medicare in July.
Soooooo, I have to find clothes for 100 degree weather and ship 400 gallons of potable water even though I'm sitting here with a Scottish wool blanket and cat and then quilt on my lap whilst I'm typing this diary with frozen hands.
I wish I could have a 2 day trip to the wrong coasters up in the hinterlands of SF but the trip is Wed. to Wed. with church in between and I haven't seen my Mom in ages and my sister and I need to fight over the silver.
Honestly, she is still this beautiful and talented.
The Irish know how to be a brilliant audience -- they shut up and don't clap at stupid times. Ok, this song was written by a Brit but we are still lovin' it as our own. Listen to her -- she is still gorgeous even though her voice has mellowed. Dang. I want to be Judy Collins but I'm pretty sure I said I was already Jamie Lee Curtis.
My fondest memory of Oh Danny Boy goes way back to my parent's 50th Anniversary. I planned the whole thing -- they flew out from the wrong coast to the correct coast and we had a hell of a time with the Irish, Jewish, and suspect members/friends of the family at the Knights of Columbus Hall. My Dad and Uncle Pat -- both beautiful tenors, sang Danny Boy. I will never forget that moment in time. Arms over each other's shoulders. Drunk and singing gloriously.
Ok, there is a theme here I've gotten off track about and maudlin -- not my problem.
Cuban-Style Picadillo
from http://www.americastestkitchen.com/...
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For this Cuban-inspired weeknight meal, we take a hodgepodge of ingredients and turn them into a balanced blend of flavors and textures. Equal amounts of ground beef and ground pork lighten the heavy base, while blooming warm spices like cumin and cinnamon heighten their flavor. Drained canned whole tomatoes and dry white wine provide bright flavor, and simmered raisins introduce sweetness directly to the sauce. Browning the meat only causes it to become tough, so we forgo the browning and soak the meat in a mix of baking soda and water. The alkali baking soda ensures that the ground meat remains tender during cooking.
Serves 6
We prefer this dish prepared with raisins, but they can be replaced with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar added with the broth in step 2. Picadillo is traditionally served with rice and black beans. It can also be topped with chopped parsley, toasted almonds, and/or chopped hard-cooked egg.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Salt and pepper
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, halved and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped coarse
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup raisins
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Toss beef and pork with water, baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse bell pepper and onion in food processor until chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about 12 pulses.
2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped vegetables, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until pot is almost dry, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, and bay leaves and bring to simmer.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add meat mixture in 2-inch chunks to pot, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally with 2 forks to break meat chunks into ¼- to ½-inch pieces, until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Discard bay leaves. Stir in olives and capers. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats meat, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Serve.
TECHNIQUE
PUTTING THE PUNCH IN PICADILLO
Picadillo may be humble fare, but thanks to its mix of warm spices and sweet and tart elements, the flavors of this dish are anything but ho-hum.
SWEET: Adding jammy raisins early in the cooking process allows their sweetness to diffuse evenly.
BRINY AND BRIGHT: Chopped green olives, capers, and a last-minute splash of red wine vinegar add piquant flavors.
SPICED: Warm spices like cinnamon and cumin bring out the meats’ rounder, more complex flavors.
TECHNIQUE
MAKING GROUND BEEF BETTER
Using ground beef (rather than chopping up a roast) turned this dish into a quick weeknight supper, but the convenience came with a couple of drawbacks—namely, the beef’s one-note flavor and dry, chalky texture. Here’s our two-part fix.
ADD GROUND PORK FOR SWEETNESS
Cooked pork contains relatively high levels of an amino acid called glycine, which lends the meat a faint sweetness.
TREAT WITH BAKING SODA FOR TENDERNESS
Tossing the ground meats with baking soda (dissolved in a little water) tenderizes their texture by raising their pH.
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