Chinese New Year Stir Fry with a Minnesota-Thai Accent

Dave likes to say, "You don't like Asian food."  It's not true and he actually knows it.  What I don't like is food from a greasy "Chinese" take-out place.  What I don't like are limp vegetables and high-fried protein mixed in a shiny, gelatinous sauce full of sweetness and calories I neither need nor want.  I adore the real deal anywhere and, if I'm at home,  pull out the Barbara Tropp when I need inspiration, instigation, or education. What he doesn't say out loud is that he's the better Asian cook; he's just too often too busy to make dinner.  I do love to see him in the kitchen.  Yep.

Shrimp Stir Fry or God, I'm Listening to your Coyotes Tonight

Nothing cooking today, though I cooked egg tacos for my breakfast.

I guess if you write a blog, you like to write.  I read somewhere today that we write because we see things and must share them; that's our job.  I don't know.  I only know that since I could hold a pencil, I've been writing.  For years, it was letters.  Before that, it was poetry and all kinds of intense scribbling that kids seem to need to do.  Now it's a cooking blog and I'm grateful for it and I'm grateful for you, since you're reading.  Grateful to the cooking that brings it all together.

Speaking of cooking blogs, I began a new blog this week in response to Emily's request for a kitchen and pantry list, as well as some recipes suited for cooking for one.  I had been thinking of (and had even staked out a name) another cooking blog for a while, but couldn't settle on which focus to pursue.  When Emi talked to me about solo cooking, I knew I had my topic.  There aren't many posts and the first ones deal with kitchen/pantry, of course.   There will be lots of recipes, links to video tutorials, shopping lists and tips, and thoughts on sharing your food.  Less stories and more food.  It'll grow.  Take a peek, though.  It's called Dinner Place:  A Blog for Solo Cooks. I'd love emails or comments with recipes/ideas that are great for one person; I'll blog them if I can.


It's a nasty-cold night in Colorado, land of temperate winters and beautiful, warming sun any day of the year.  We had a long, warm fall and have had a mostly gentle winter with a few arctic exceptions.   But last night, the banshee moaned and the house creaked hard  while the wind chimes sang and banged on the front deck.  Sometimes, when it gets like that, I make my way out in the dark and put the chimes out of their misery until morning.  We get wind here like nowhere else except Alaska and we get it worse up here on the mesa, where it's not unusual to get hurricane-force gales that blow the panels out of the ceiling in the bathroom, scaring the shit out of me.  We don't take showers when the wind is up.  One time, the panels crashed  down into the bathtub while I was at rehearsal, impaling a huge lizard that had, for reasons known only to her, made her way into the bathtub.  I came home and, after taking the dogs out and chilling out myself, decided to strip and jump in the shower.  Ever since then, I've had a clear shower curtain.  Make your own movie here, though it must involve a certain amount of Alyce running back and forth, making a lot of noise.

You Know You Love Chicken Basil, but Tell Me Why?

You know how you have an addiction to certain Thai restaurants?  (If  you know why, let me know.)  Now I like almost all things Thai foodie, except I can't handle the tres, tres spicy dishes. "I like them; they don't like me." My father-in-law, Gene, says that, and he is so right.  Ever since I came back from summer study at University of St. Thomas,  I've been just dying to get into cooking Thai.  For two summers, we lived above a Thai restaurant and I think it began to get into my pores.

I've dibbled and I've dabbled and I'm now at the point where I'm making it up as I go along.   Perhaps it's because I eat at Bhan Thai sometimes once a week...usually to get in an all-veggie meal that's not a salad.   Each dish provokes, "What's in this?"

Here's my Thai basil with regular basil.  Planted in a pot under a shade tree.  It'll burn up in the Colorado sun otherwise.

Finally, though, I kept looking at my Thai basil out by the whiskey barrel under the tree....and I knew its days were numbered.  Not that fall is ever REALLY coming (and winter, true winter,  only makes it a couple of times a year in the Springs, despite what others think), but we do get freezes.  And herbs that haven't been cosseted and lovingly brought in to my dining room south window bite the dust.  Or whatever herbs do.  (Sometimes they resurrect in the spring.)  All told, it was time to get my Chicken Basil on.

So google that and put it in your pan.  There's a million Chicken Basils.  But most of them are almost all chicken.  I sooo wanted a big bunch of veg in this one.  And the one Thai cookbook I wanted to buy is out of print.  Figure it out yourself, I said.  You're a cook; you've got the stuff.  And here's what I got.  Do use fresh herbs; if you can't do all three, don't make it without at least the basil.  I think that if you have the minty Thai basil, you could consider skipping the other two herbs, but I like it with all three.

And, like everyone else, I'll tell you to drink a little riesling with this.  I do so like the Oregon ones... Chehalem in particular.  They do a fairly dry one that's just does my taster good.

Alyce's Chicken Veg Basil  serves 4

Set the table, pour the water or wine, etc.  Then start to cook.  

Rice:

First make enough rice for four people:  Bring 2 cups of salted and peppered water and a cup of rice to boil.  Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook until done.  (About 20 minutes at sea level... a few minutes more at altitude.)  Add 1/4 c chopped cilantro and toss with a fork.  Replace lid to keep warm (up to half an hour) until the chicken and vegetables are done.  (I like medium-grain, cheap rice for this.  It should be sticky.)

Ingredients for stir fry:

2 boneless chicken breasts cut into 1"x1" pieces
2T fish sauce
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1T water
1 1/2 t sugar*

2 T cooking oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, ditto
1 small zucchini, sliced thinly
1 small yellow squash, sliced thinly
1/2 red sweet pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 yellow sweet pepper, sliced thinly

1 tomato, fresh, cut into quarters and squeezed to get juice and seeds out.  Next, cut into medium dice.
1 jalapeno, minus seeds and membrances, finely minced (for mild, use 1/2 the jalapeno; add more for hot)**
1 c fresh basil or Thai basil left whole, divided
1/4 c cilantro, chopped roughly
1/4 c fresh mint, chopped roughly
Freshly ground black pepper

Have all this stuff ready to go.

 Instructions:

1.  In a medium bowl stir together cut-up chicken and the next four ingredients, fish sauce-sugar.  Let sit while you
2.  In a wok or large deep skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and cook sliced onions for about two minutes.  Add sliced garlic, squashes, sweet peppers, tomato and jalapeno.  Let cook another two minutes, stirring often.

 



3. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from sauce and add to the pan of vegetables. Add half of the basil, the cilantro and the mint. Season well with black pepper. Cook about 3 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.  Pour sauce into wok/pan and cook another 30 seconds or so, stirring all the while.  Spoon in to serving bowl and top with remaining whole basil leaves. Serve with the hot rice.
*sauce recipe from FOOD AND WINE
**Whole jalapeno, seeded and membranes removed, minced finely for hot.  (Hotter?  Pass crushed red pepper at the table.  You could also use Thai bird chiles, but jalapenos are more accessible here.)

Two-Dog Kitchen and Around the 'Hood
Still feeling like summer around here....Decks got painted over the last two weeks.

This is what we call "The Doggie Door."  Still in the 60's.  Changing tomorrow.



Hasn't frozen yet.





Are you gonna eat that?

This week, I'm testing pizza and have already made some.  I teach the Italian section of "Cooking with Music" this Saturday and I WILL be up-to-date on my crust by then!  Blog coming, I'll hope.

This is the first try at a 15"x13" margherita.  It had its ups and downs  Cool thing about it is it's baked in a half-sheet pan like anyone has.  You could do it tomorrow!

Fitness update:  Gabby and I hiked the local hills instead of me going to the gym.  Spiritual practice of "putting one foot in front of the other," as Barbara Brown Taylor says.  Dave and I worked out together on Saturday morning...before going out to breakfast.  Gee.

Here's The Church at Woodmoor, where I've been worshiping and directing the choir lately.  It's a bit hard to photograph, but you get the idea.  Lots of wood; interesting light.  Loving singers and congregation.    They've been very welcoming and I'll miss them when I'm gone.   I'm in the process of new job applications now.   Today, I had to write my philosophy of music in worship.  Good experience. Not as simple as it sounds.  We'll see.  Living "Sing a New Song,"  Alyce.