I’ve been known to stress eat from time to time. Since I quit smoking seven years ago, it has become my drug of choice. I might have taken to some stress eating in the past few days. No reason immediately pops into my head why.
Taken from The Oatmeal
We did not cook on Election Day; we had leftovers of a very filling casserole. It consists of frozen cauliflower (not riced), hot Italian sausage, a simple homemade tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms (optional), and enough mozzarella cheese to roof a house with. This casserole has all of the tastes of a pizza without the crust. It came from a time when I was following a very strict low carb diet but had a real hankering for pizza. Even though I am in no way on a diet now, and in fact have become something of an anti-dieting zealot, Jennifer and I still enjoy this dish pretty regularly. Because it is delicious, It makes a ton of leftovers, and it tastes better the next day because the cauliflower takes on all of the other flavors and becomes incredibly tasty. I should devise a dish one day that is nothing but this flavorful cauliflower. It is that delicious, I promise. For dessert, I had an edible and a couple of cocktails, while Jennifer finished up the Halloween candy. I went to bed feeling the same despair I felt in 2016, but at least I did not have to go to work in the morning. Small favors.
On Wednesday, I wrote a short post for subscribers about how I was locking up my phone and going for a lovely walk to prevent myself from doomscrolling all day long. I did go on that lovely walk in the unseasonably balmy weather that we are experiencing in Chicago. You know what? It was lovely. When I did log onto social media, I saw that my friend, Tiffany, had posted pictures on Facebook of the pan of cornbread dressing she had made. This batch of dressing would feed a hungry major league baseball team with leftovers. She is the mother of four adult children, and she has not quite figured out how to cook in quantities that she and the one son that lives with her can actually eat. I think that several pounds were given to her mother and another ten or so were buried underneath a spooky oak tree as an offering to the old gods. I suddenly wanted comfort food. I didn’t make cornbread dressing, because that ol’ Yankee gal I married does not care for it, but I did have something even more comforting to make. That night I made Maa’s chicken and rice recipe. I believe that I have shared it on the blog before, nevertheless, I will post it again.
I will transcribe it below for those who are visually impaired.
Chicken and Rice Maa’s Way*
From the Kitchen of Jan Nichols
Ingredients:
2 pounds (900 grams) of long grain rice
2 10.5 ounce (298 grams) cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
2 10.5 ounce (298 grams) cans of Cream of Chicken soup
2 10.5 ounce (298 grams) cans of Cream of Celery soup
1 whole chicken cut into pieces or leg quarters equalling 2 to 4 pounds
3 soup cans (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) of water
Directions:
1. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray
2. Pour in rice
3. Add soups and mix thoroughly
4. Add water and stir until completely mixed together
5. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste
6. Lay chicken skin side up in the rice mixture**
7. Season all with salt and pepper***
8. Cover and bake at 300°F (150°C) (Gas Mark 2) for 3 hours****
*Technically it is my late Great Aunt Mary Wofford’s recipe. She wouldn’t mind.
**Optional but suggested: Brown the chicken for about 4 minutes per side in a skillet with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil before placing onto the rice mixture
***You will not need to add much more salt, as the soups have quite a bit already. Do add plenty of black pepper. Feel free to add other herbs or seasonings that go well with poultry. I think that a bit of thyme or parsley would go quite nicely and brighten up this dish that leans towards a beige color palette.
****The original says to bake for 2 ½ hours, but I find that the rice cooks more thoroughly in 3 hours.
This is a massive dish. My mother used to make it for a family of five big eaters, and have leftovers for at least two meals. Jennifer and I have eaten it for two more meals and we gave a decent amount away to our friend who came by to pick something up. We still have some left! I’m telling you, it’s a crowd-pleaser.
I almost forgot, but I received my very early Christmas present from Jennifer on Election Day—a new KitchenAid mixer! Not just any old KitchenAid, but the Professional 5 Plus, which Best Buy had on sale for $300 off of the regular price. This is a formidable mixer.
I like that it looks like we stole it from a professional bakery.
I had the Classic model for over a decade and it served me well, but this new one is twice as powerful and can make dough for something like 7 ½ dozen cookies at a time. I am not exactly sure when I will ever need to make that many cookies, but I could if I want to. As soon as I got the new mixer, I made plans to give my old one away. I knew exactly who I was going to give it to, my friend, Chef Diane. Diane is an absolute treasure. She is one of those friends that although I have known her for a little over five years, I feel as though I have known her for a lifetime. In addition to being a brilliant, self-taught chef, she is a writer and a musician. Diane truly loves three things in this life:
Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music
Her friends, family, and cats
Serving others
Due to some serious health concerns, Diane has been on disability for a few years. Instead of just chilling out, (like I would do) she volunteers as much time as she possibly can feeding the hungry and homeless of Chicago. She had a time where she was unhoused and hungry, and she never wants anyone else to experience that. She has dedicated her life to feeding those in need. She not only donates her time and labor, she also teaches people the skills of working in a kitchen. Also for free. I do not use the word treasure lightly—Diane is just that. I hope that she enjoys her new (used) KitchenAid in good health! I know she will, and thinking of all the beautiful pastries and breads that she is going to make with it brings a smile to my face. In the links below I will place the website of the organization that she works the most with, A Just Harvest, if you would like to make a donation. Also, if you are in the Chicagoland area, I will put the physical address for donations of food, but I highly suggest money.
In honor of Diane, a picture of Bryan Ferry and a Sunday roast. The internet is magic.
For those of y’all that pay attention to these things, I told you that we would talk MIDI controllers. Well, here goes—I bought a MIDI controller this week. I actually received it on Election Day as well. I have been banging away on it and the ukulele when I am not cooking or eating my feelings, or avoiding news media for the sake of my sanity. We will talk all about my MIDI controller. For those of you who care about such things, it is an Akai MPK mini Mark II that was marked down to an insanely good price.
Do you name MIDI controllers? Middy? Minnie? Mike? keyBert?
After dithering for a year, I finally got the one that a couple of friends (and about one hundred articles and top ten lists) suggested. Thank you, Raymond and Marwan for the advice. I am really enjoying it, so far. I am having fun doing a bunch of nothing with it, just trying out sounds and features. Jennifer has taken to saying that I am becoming a DJ in a tone that was vaguely threatening and pretending that she is very excited by my talk of MIDI controllers. She’s a good wife. As long as I steer clear of home brewing, peace will reign in my home.
COVID update: Jessica and Uncle John seem to be almost fully recovered. Both of them are back to work and basically feeling like they did pre-COVID. Continue to hold them in your thoughts and prayers as well as my friend Melissa. She and her husband, Moonfish have both become infected recently. Melissa has many co-morbidities, so this is very frightening. They are both very sick with flu-like symptoms, but not in need of hospitalization at this point. This is good news, because the Texas Panhandle, where they live is absolutely inundated with COVID cases right now. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers, please.
Shall we talk about the election? Nah.
There are a million other places to do that. Speaking of, I need to go lock my phone up again.
Thank you, as always, for reading.
Drop me a line: jeremydnichols@toolatesmart.org
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A Just Harvest: A Just Harvest
A Just Harvest
7653 N Paulina St.,
Chicago, Illinois, 60626