Alton Brown's Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is hard to get right, at least in my experience.  I don't remember the first time I attempted Alton Brown's fried chicken, but the Good Eats episode that featured the recipe, "Fry Hard II: The Chicken", first aired on April 25, 2001.  I imagine that I tried to make it shortly after, since I was trying just about every new Alton Brown application back then.

The road to success was daunting, and it was the breading that gave me fits.  It was hard to get it just right, and I was inconsistent at best.  Sometimes it would be perfectly crispy, golden brown and delicious.  Other times, the breading would be soggy and greasy, or sometimes almost mealy with too much flour.

The chicken was always delicious, though; tender, juicy and flavorful.  The spices are just right, too.  One teaspoon of cayenne pepper may seem like a lot, but it adds just the right amount of heat.  It really is subtle, because the kids eat it up, too.  So, the struggles I had with the breading was made up for by the chicken itself.  But, when I got the breading right, it really sent it over the top. 

I don't know what led me to try it, but a couple years ago, I finally found the secret to the perfect breading.  A brown paper bag.  By putting the flour and chicken in a brown paper bag and shaking it up, it created a perfect coating of flour on the chicken.

Since I have adopted this method, I get perfect fried chicken every time.

Fried Chicken
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable shortening or oil, for frying

Directions
Marinate the chicken pieces in buttermilk and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.  Add enough shortening or oil to come 1/3-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Heat oil to 325 degrees.

Drain chicken in a colander or on wire rack. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Season chicken with this mixture liberally.

Add flour to large paper bag then add all the chicken.  Shake the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken.  Then remove the chicken from the bag and place skin side down into the pan. Put the thighs in the center of the pan, and breast and legs around the edge.

Cook the chicken until golden brown, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side; the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees.  Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan.

IU Quilt Template

With college basketball season fast approaching, I would like to have something warm and cozy to wrap up with when the Hoosiers hit the hardwood.  I doubt I will be snuggled up in the quilt while they are playing (I am usually at the edge of my seat) but it will be nice to have while I am basking in their victory.

I considered several options for this quilt, but I think I have settled on a design.  I contemplated a cream logo with a crimson background, but I think the crimson logo with cream background looks better.  I also thought about what the back of the quilt should look like, and I still don't know if I have decided. 

I wanted to buy an IU pattern fabric for the back, but learned that it doesn't exist.  A solid cream or crimson back was also a consideration.  What I am leaning towards right now is a cream and crimson candy stripe back similar to the IU warm up pants.  Time will tell.  For now, it's time to start cutting!

Princess Zelda Quilt

I first started working on the template for this quilt in March of last year and posted the final template a couple months later, complete with measurements.  One year later, it's finally finished.  I wanted to try something new with this quilt by including a flower block pattern in each of the four corners of the quilt, but soon realized that my skills were not up to that level.  Unfortunately, I cut the fabric for the flower blocks before I came to that conclusion, so that cost me some time.

The abandonment of the flowers turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  I still wanted something different in the quilt, so it wouldn't just be an image of Zelda.  The image of the Triforce quickly came to mind.  For those who don't know, the Triforce is the ultimate source of power in the Zelda series and serves as the balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom and Courage.  After thinking about it, how could I not include it in Emilie's quilt?

Integrating triangles into the quilt posed it's own set of challenges, but I figured it out and I think it looks really nice.  I also love the colors in this quilt, very bright and cheerful.  Emilie is happy with her new quilt, too, and she has slept with it every night since I finished it for her.

All the Best

The first song I wrote [on the latest album] was ‘All the Best,’  If you look at the lyrics, it’s basically saying, ‘We had our moment, it was great. Thanks, everyone. And we hope someone else will pick up the mantle and run with it.’

 --Michael Stipe

So over me.
So pie in my face.
So talk to me
Tell me where to place this in my
Quasimodo heart
That's where I slipped and fell
I rang the church bell'til my ears bled
red blood cells,

I think
I'll sing and rhyme
I'll give it one more time
I'll show the kids how to do it
fine, fine, fine

I hold the mirror up
You tell me what is what
You tell me which part of my story baby,
stuck stuck stuck.
I'm in a part of your dreams
That you don't even understand.
It's just like me to overstay my welcome, man

Let's sing and rhyme
Let's give it one more time
Let's show the kids how to do it,
fine, fine, fine
fine.

I just have to get that off my chest.
Now it's time to get on with the rest,
All the best, all the best,
All the best, all the best, best, best

It's just like me to overstay my welcome, bless.

Let's sing and rhyme
Let's give it one more time
Let's show the kids how to do it,
fine, fine, fine

Let's sing and rhyme
Let's give it one more time
Let's show the kids how to do it fine, fine, fine
fine

Chocolate Cookies - Yum! Yum! Yum!

I'm pretty set in my ways when it comes to the cookies I bake for the holidays.  For years, our cookie boxes consisted of the chewy, snickerdoodles, and spritz.  Not a big variety, but some of tastiest cookies I make. 

Last year, Valerie found a chocolate cookie recipe that she wanted to try.  She wanted to make them for Christmas, to boot.  Skeptical, I agreed to include them, and we made a batch.  The cookies turned out delicious and they become a welcome addition to our Christmas cookie lineup.

The best way I can describe these cookies are as a chocolate snickerdoodle.  They are moist and chewy on the inside with slightly crispy edges.  We make them the same size as our snickerdoodles and roll them in sugar before baking.  They have a really nice chocolate flavor, too.  Kind of like a brownie cookie.  Yum!

Top Secret Chocolate Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional sugar for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream together with a hand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.

In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until incorporated. Roll the dough into walnut size balls, roll in sugar and place on wax paper lined baking sheet.  Rrefrigerate for 2 hours.

Once thoroughly chilled, place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Gingerbread House

Gumdrops, candy canes, marshmallows and more!  Valerie was determined to make a gingerbread house with the kids this year, and I think we came up with a delightful little candy clad cottage.

Gingerbread house kits abound at the stores these days, but to me that feels like cheating.  It's just my nature to try to make things from scratch; especially things that are edible, so I figured a gingerbread house should be no different.

I modeled the gingerbread house design from the Santa houses that Nonna and Grandpa used to make.  I measured the dimensions of the Santa house and cut templates out of construction paper.  I found a recipe online for the gingerbread and got to work.

I rolled out the dough, put the templates down, and cut around the templates.  I baked the gingerbread and then cut around the templates again after it came out of the oven.  I whipped up some royal icing and waited for the pieces of the house to cool before assembly.

It was nerve wracking working with those pieces of gingerbread, knowing that one could snap if I made one wrong move.  Thankfully, the pieces held together and the house went up without any issues.  The house was ready for decorations, and the kids were all too ready to help.

I was also nervous watching Ari and Emilie's little hands as they put the decorations on.  There was one mishap early, but it was easy to fix, and they were otherwise very delicate and careful with the way they worked.  I am delighted with the way our gingerbread house turned out; it has just the right amount of character and charm.

Link Costume

After beating Ocarina of Time for the 3DS it didn't take long for Ari to declare that he wanted to be Link for Halloween.  No sooner did he say it, I started planning how to make the costume.  I originally planned to make a tunic and hat for him, but was concerned about my limited sewing skills.  Upon studying a picture of young Link from the video game, it looked as if his tunic was just a big polo shirt.  With an idea in my head, we went shopping.

I was surprised how hard is was to find a green polo shirt for boys, but we finally found a green button-up shirt that looked the part.  Ari tried it on and it came down to just above his knees.  I found two belts in the store and buckled one around his waist and one across his chest and it looked perfect.  Our little Link was coming together.  Now it was time to equip him with some weapons and accessories.

My weapons search was in full swing when the living history encampment, Koh-Koh-Mah, was holding it's annual event.  I was excited to search the vendors for a sword, bow and arrow, and other items Link had in the game.  The first item we found was a little leather pouch that I could wrap around his belt.  The other item we found at Koh-Koh-Mah was a little wooden sword complete with a sheath.  I was very happy to find that sword because I could attach the sheath the belt that went across his chest.  Our trip was successful, but I still wanted a couple more items to complete the ensemble.

I went to the internet to find the rest of the items.  I found an inexpensive bow and arrow, boomerang, and even an ocarina.  His costume was really coming together, but he still needed boots and a hat.  We found some Ugg type boots that worked really well; plus, they fit Valerie.  Bonus!  I made his hat after finding an elf hat pattern on the internet, which came together a lot easier than I thought.  We also stumbled upon a Legend of Zelda belt buckle on clearance at Toys-R-Us that I snatched right up.  And, I printed an image of the Hylian Shield and taped it onto a Nerf shield Ari already had.  After all that, his costume was finally complete.

I was surprised how much Ari looked like Link.  I showed him the side-by-side picture that I posted above and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.  He looked at it in awe and was quite pleased with himself.  The best part about this costume is that he can play with all the items after the trick-or-treating is over.  Plus, he has a couple of nice belts and a nice green button-up shirt for the future.  Valerie also got a nice pair of boots out of it.  Definitely a costume to remember.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Macaroni and Cheese

A comfort food if there ever was one.  Few things are more satisfying than sitting down with a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.  It is one of my favorite things that Grandpa used to make.  I couldn't track down his recipe, but seeing how my grandparents always had San Giorgio pasta in the pantry, I suspect his recipe may have came from the back of the box, with a few modifications.

It's those modifications that I can't put my finger on.  I've come close, but it still isn't exactly what I am looking for.  I'm pretty sure Grandpa added sauteed onions to his mac and cheese which is something I have yet to try.  Another secret ingredient that was sprinkled on top of the macaroni and cheese when I was growing up was dulse. 

Dulse is a red algae that grows along the the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  It is used as a flavor enhancer and it adds a wonderful flavor element to macaroni and cheese.  Plus, the little red flecks are visually appealing and leave people guessing as to what it could possibly be.  I can't really describe the flavor, but it is unique, and my mac and cheese is much better with it.  I don't know who started putting dulse on the macaroni and cheese in my family, but it probably has something to do with my aunt owning a natural food store.

My macaroni and cheese has become a staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, and there is rarely any left in the dish.  It is rich, creamy, and delicious, with just the right amount of crunch along the top and sides.  The perfect accompaniment to almost any meal, especially during the autumn and winter months.

Macaroni and Cheese

Printable Recipe

8 oz elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups milk

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dulse (optional)

Fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook macaroni according to package directions in salted water and drain. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of dulse.  Whisk in the milk until combined and free of lumps.  Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally.  Then add the shredded cheese and stir to combine.

Fold the cooked macaroni into the cheese mixture and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of dulse.  Bake for 30 minutes and allow to rest for five minutes before serving.

Recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 pan.

Toothless

Ari lost his first tooth, which means he is well on his way to manhood.  It had been loose for over a month and he was nervous about it coming out.  The night before it fell out, it was so loose that I was tempted to just pull it.  Alas, I refrained and it came out the next day while he was at school.  He accidentally swallowed it, so he didn't have anything to put under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy.  Being a gracious soul, the Tooth Fairy left him a little something under his pillow anyway.  He was quite tickled.