Christening

By now you know that I have taken ill with the elusive, evil Papi Flu. But you may be asking yourself: what is this Papi Flu and how can I avoid it? Well, you're in luck. Your answer lies within this story (score!), and the cure lies within the bowl to follow. Double score!

Picture it: New Orleans, 2008. Just kidding. But seriously, our story begins in New Orleans, New Year’s Eve night, 2008. Your dancing queen fled the confines of Baton Rouge to the glitter-covered land known as Oz with her favorite Kra(+e)mer to kiss 2008 good-bye. A land where balloons fall from the ceiling, drag queens tower 7 feet tall, hefty black (wo)men belt out “It’s Raining Men” like nobody’s business, and where the gin and tonics flow like a glowing blue fountain surrounded by the half-naked, perfectly-chiseled bodies of Greek gods. It was a beautiful thing. Until we met Papi. Ahh, papi. 

Have you met Papi? No? Good, keep it that way. This little Puerto Rican fireball wields free shots of Patron (3 to be exact) and a nasty, nasty flu. How does he get you? "Taste my drink". "Okay", you think, in the haze of 12 gin and tonics and under the presumption that alcohol kills 99.9% of all bacteria. Grey Goose l’Orange and Red Bull, while a little girly for me to order personally, turned out to be quite tasty, by the way. One sip, from the side of the cup, not through his straw. Infected with all the symptoms of a Nyquil commercial: stuffy head, check. Fever, check. Achy, grouchy, cursing Papi and his girly cocktail, check, check, and check. And so it has been since Thursday morning, where I awoke so thirsty it seemed a refreshing and perfectly logical idea to drink water, from a mug, in the shower, using shower water. Don’t judge me.

So what’s the cure for this mess: chick-n noodle soup of course, which is perfect because even though I’ve been sick as hell, I’ve also been itching to use my new Slate Le Creuset Dutch Oven. And so, I have been healed, and my pot has been christened. And yes, I have thoroughly learned my lesson.  Adios, Papi.

Chick-n Noodle Soup

Serves about 6

2 boxes No Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth
1 large cipiollini onion, chopped
1 cup baby carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic-herb seasoning blend
1 teaspoon Chicken Grill Seasoning, Mrs. Dash
½ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning Blend
1 bag Quorn chick-n tenders
1 cup dried egg noodles, or pasta of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven and brown chickn pieces with seasonings. Add vegetables and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue boiling for 10 minutes. Add pasta and continue to boil another 10 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

~c

New Year, New Direction

So we meet again. One final time before the year comes to a close. Hopefully, you've been way too busy with your own holiday festivities to notice that I only just now posted recipes for all the promised goodies. Time got away from me. Deadlines proved to be a little more daunting and unreachable, and Christmas itself was a bit more difficult to deal with than I had originally anticipated. Surely you understand. Surely these candy treats will prove to be worthy of Valentine giving when the time rolls around and commercial chocolates abound. Surely?

I'm also sort of hoping that you are full to the brim, and can't bear to cook another dish, more less eat one for at least a week because, a las, I have no recipe for you today, nor is there a Foodie Find.

What I do have for you though is a glimpse of the future, well, at least the future around here. Things to come, things in the works, things already in place, things you will notice begin to take shape come January 1. Below you will find a brief run down:

1.) A Printer-Friendly Recipe Index is being added, should you want to cook what we discuss here, minus all my blabber.

2.) A new weekly feature: Ingredient Spotlight is slated to post on Tuesdays. These will feature a given ingredient, such as curry powder or celeriac for example, and we will explore all the glory of said item and perhaps share a recipe or two to put it to use.

3.) Comments have been enabled. You are still welcome to email me your thoughts, suggestions, and comments directly, but you will now have the option to post them directly onto the site.

4.) A link to my Flickr photostream will be added so you can check out my new year of experiences and may even be inspired to have some adventures of your own.

5.) A link to my Etsy store will be added so you can help me pay my rent, and have cute kitchen decor. I see it as a win/win situation.

6.) A Cheftionary is being added for quick referencing unfamiliar cooking terms, kitchen equipment, and ingredients.

7.) An About the Author section is being added so you can keep up with whom, what, and where I am involved with, how, and when.

As usual, we will continue our weekly discussions on the featured recipes and Foodie Finds, and you are always welcome to shop in the Le Cordon Vert Amazon Store (new items are added all the time).

Thank you again for supporting this site, for all your emails and comments, and for sharing the days of this past year with me. I look forward to all the forthcoming changes and upgrades, as well as spending the next year with you.

May our new year be filled with tasty dishes, beautiful experiences, and exciting adventures.

cheers,
~c