Little Men: Veal Madeira

Our first item on the agenda of our Christmas vacation was a trip to Magski's house for a little catching up.  It's always fun for Thatbaby when we visit Magski's family because he and Ace?  They're like peas and carrots.

The two of them are ridiculous together.  Out of control.  Madmen.

It was one of the best nights Thatbaby had on vacation.  A chance to let it all out and be crazy with a good friend.  It amazes me how quickly they fall into routine given that he and Ace see each other only twice a year.

These are the moments that make the trips worth it.  And I have to remind myself that.  Because it is so exhausting and frustrating to be up there.  Typically we follow our Christmas trip with a pit stop at home before heading out to the desert for New Year's Eve.  Which is also exhausting.  This year I decided we should stay at home and regroup.  I'm really looking forward to a nice, quiet New Year's Eve tonight!  I do always step it up for New Year's dinner though.  I think I get that from Thatdad.  He used to do lobsters for New Year's.  With double stuffed potatoes. 

Fancy doesn't have to be difficult though. Veal always works for a special dinner, and scallopine means it cooks quickly.  A wine sauce sweetens the deal and elevates it beyond a simple weeknight meal.

Veal Madeira

3/4 ounce dried mushroom medley
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds veal scallopine
flour
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Madeira wine
3/4 cup heavy cream

 

1.  Combine the mushrooms and chicken broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop the mushrooms.
2.  Season veal with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
3. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat.  Cook veal for 1 minute per side and remove from heat.
4. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and Madeira to the skillet.  Cook until Madeira has reduced by half.
5. Add reserved mushroom liquid. Cook for 3 minutes.
6.  Add heavy cream and cook for another 3 minutes.  
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add veal back into the skillet and cook until warmed through.

Success!

I am ever so proud of myself. When I first moved out on my own, some family friends gifted me two recliner chairs. They weren't especially attractive, but I was a struggling student, and beggars can't be choosers. I have been trying to get rid of them ever since Thatboy and I got married and moved in together, but he's in L-U-V with these chairs and kept insisting they stay. And I have to say, when I was battling the pinched nerve in my neck a few years back they were the only place I could sleep.

BUT with this new move I was finally able to convince Thatboy it was time for the chairs to find a new owner. And today, the lovely donation people came to pick up the chairs. THEY'RE GONE! Before you feel too bad for Thatboy, I should also point out that I am ever so proud I managed to find him a new pair of sandals he's been looking for forever. I found them, now I just need to go pick them up when they get shipped to the nearby store. See? Shoes for chairs? Sounds like a pretty good trade to me.

Waiting for the pick-up guys gave me some time to play in the kitchen (really, a 3 hour window???????). Which meant I could get dinner going and try something completely different. Maybe not completely different, because I've done cold terrines before and this isn't so different. Because it's made with the stovetop and refrigerator it doesn't heat up the whole house, and cold meals are perfect for summer. Which is why last night we had another cold dinner - gazpacho. Although is anyone else nervous that summer is almost over? Autumn is right around the corner!

Cold-Pressed Veal (from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)
3/4 lb veal, cut into cubes
1 celery stalked, chopped
1/2 onion
salt and pepper
1 sprig tarragon, chopped
1/2 pkg gelatin
1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 sprig parsley, chopped

1. Cover veal, celery, onion with water in a pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer 40 minutes.
2. Strain, but reserve the veal broth. You can ditch the celery and onion.
   
3. Grind the veal and tarragon in a food processor.
   
4. Soften the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water.
   
5. Boil the veal broth until it is reduced to 1 cup and add the gelatin, vinegar, and parsley.
   
6. Stir in the veal mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and refrigerate overnight.
   

We're Baaaaaaaaccck

Whew - are you as tired as I am? We are all moved in...kinda. I mean, physically we're here, but we are definitely still living out of boxes and wondering where the heck we're going to put everything. Weird how you can move to a bigger place and still not have enough room. (Although it probably doesn't help that the extra "room" has already been taken over by a small little thing who is quickly accumulating a lot of big things).

Long before we had a moving date, I noticed that my alltimefavoriteband was going to be in Southern California at the end of July. When we did have a moving date, I realized with disappointment that the Saturday night show about 40 minutes away just wouldn't work with our moving schedule. But when I went to double check the show dates/times I noticed a new date had been added - Sunday night, and it was just down the road from us! I asked Thatboy if he thought we'd be done moving enough to make a Sunday night show, and he said we should play it by ear. By Saturday I'd been given the go-ahead to get tickets.

Not only are the Gin Blossoms my favorite band to listen to, but even Thatboy will readily agree they are fantastic live. They really love their fans and play to their audience. They even started out with the song that originally hooked me!

How many bands do you know that put in a really healthy dose of their old stuff in addition to playing things off their new album? The newest Gin Blossoms' album came out last November, but they're still mixing in our 90s favorites. (And don't worry, they included my favorite song off the new album too!)

And crowd interaction is ever so much fun. Obviously we were fairly close, but Robin never fails to push right into the audience on all sides. He handed out tambourines to play along, sang into phones for adoring fans who couldn't be there, and even took hold of cameras and videos to give an up close and personal feel for the filmer. The encore including Thatboy's favorite song, and gives you a good idea of how much fun the band has with their audience.

Thatboy spent a lot of the night googling the effects of rock concerts on in utero babies, but I think it's important for the baby to get good music right from the start.

After the moving, and the concert, it's no surprise we were worn out. Unfortunately, we also had a really busy week at work, which meant the unpacking would have to wait. Which didn't make Thatboy so happy. I'm surprisingly more laid back about it, but I also made sure that everything we needed kitchenwise was within easy reach at all times. Which meant, after my long weekend, and long day at work, I could still throw together a dinner.

After all, we can always unpack this week, right?

Veal and Mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup mushrooms, minced
1/2 Tbsp minced shallots
1 cup cooked veal, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
1 sprig tarragon, minced

1. Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the mushrooms and shallots for five minutes.
2. Add the veal, cream, salt, pepper, and tarragon and cook for another five minutes. The consistency should be almost stew like.
   

Saying Goodbye for a Bit

Do you form unnatural attachments to your kitchen appliances? You know, give them names, say goodnight before going to bed, things like that? I have that kind of relationship with my Dutch Oven, Lise.

Well, this weekend Lise got tenderly wrapped in paper and bubble wrap. Then I gingerly placed her in a box with some of her friends. Before all that, I wanted to give Lise one last hurrah. Something to remember me by for these next couple of dark weeks. When Lise and I get together we love to make stews - something about her perfectly enameled sides just lends themselves to browning meats and veggies.

Veal Stew
1 lb stewing veal
3 small white onions
1/2 medium onion, stuck with cloves
1 carrot, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 egg yolk
juice of 1/2 lemon
nutmeg, salt, and pepper

1. Put veal in pot and cover with cold water.
2. Add the small onions, clove studded onion, carrot, bay leaf, and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 1 hour.
3. Remove meat and strain broth.
4. Melt butter in a sauce pan and stir in flour. Cook, stirring, then add 1 1/2 cups of the veal broth. Continue stirring until thick and smooth.
5. Beat the egg yolk with the lemon juice. Temper the egg mixture by stirring in a spoonful of the hot sauce into the egg and mixing.
   
6. Stir the egg mixture into the remaining sauce.
7. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste and pour over meat.
   

A Race Report? Really?

I know, it's shocking really. I mean the last race I ran was in January, and while I was pregnant at the time, I certainly wasn't sharing the fact! I had planned to run two more races, a half and a four miler, but both sold out before I was able to sign up.

So I had pretty much resigned myself to no races until next January and just kept up with my daily runs. And then on Wednesday I was looking over my Twitter feed and saw mention of a 5k taking place Thursday night. I thought the idea of a night race sounded kind of fun - because goodness knows my weekends right now are filled with boxes.

A quick poll of my friends made it seem like I wasn't totally out of my mind for considering the idea, and so Thursday after work found me making my way to the race.

Since pregnancy, my running speed has substantially slowed down. Which is frustrating. I knew that I wouldn't be breaking any records with this 5k, and I was okay with that. My "heart" goal was 45 minutes, about a 15 minute mile. Which is pretty close to my current speed. My "head" goal had me closer to 55 minutes, because really, it's been 7 months since my last race.

When I arrived to pick up my bib I was informed that my entrance fee paid not only for the race, but also a burger after the race and beer from Firestone Brewery. "But when it's gone, it's gone" said the guy behind me in line. "So make sure you run fast." I turned to him and placed my hand on my stomach, telling him that I wasn't too concerned about making sure I got beer. He got very excited. "I can drink yours for you!" It was a kind offer, but Thatboy was more than happy to take advantage of my all-you-can-drink ticket.

I stayed toward the back of the field as the race started, so I wouldn't hold anyone back. Everyone took off and there were about 6-7 people behind me. As we rounded the first corner, most of those people passed me, leaving me second to last. After about half a mile, the last person passed me, leaving me as the caboose, bringing up the rear.

Races are such head games. The walls we put up, the games we play with ourselves and other runners, etc. etc. etc.. Like the two women in front of me who would walk until I passed them, and then start running. I knew they were playing the "don't let the pregnant girl be faster than us" game. Being the very last person in a race does not feel good. And I started getting down on myself. I decided this would be the very last race I ran pregnant. I felt so slow, I was last, and it was just too discouraging.

And then I started passing people. First I passed those walk/runners and they didn't start running again. Then I passed a group of three. I wasn't last anymore! I came close to passing another 2 walk/runners, but then they cheated. Instead of turning at one point, they cut across, lobbing about a quarter mile off the 5k. I didn't care enough about passing to cheat like them.

Thatboy was waiting for me at the finish, and when I looked at the timeclock I looked over at him and called out "That can't be the right time, can it?" He looked at me and nodded. It read 38:00. I ended up crossing the finish at 38:41, a far cry from the 45-55 minutes I was shooting for.

We hung out after the race, eating burgers and drinking - beer for Thatboy, water for me. But in honor of my run with a little something inside, I present to you a meal with a little something inside. Veal stuffed with celery and breadcrumbs. I'm fairly certain the growing, kicking, pushing, digging thing inside me isn't celery and breadcrumbs, but I won't be able to tell you for a couple more weeks. I can tell you that stuffing and rolling veal and baking it will make your insides happy too.

Stuffed Veal
1 lb veal cutlets
2 Tbsp butter
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tsp chopped onion
1 sprig parsley, minced
2/3 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup chicken broth + 2 Tbsp
1/2 Tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet. Stir in the celery and onion and cook over low heat until translucent.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, crumbs, 2 Tbsp chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pound the veal until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the celery mixture down the center and roll. Tie with poultry twine.
4. Melt the remaining butter and oil in a sauce pan and brown the rolled veal.
5. Transfer the veal to a casserole dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining chicken broth over, cover, and bake for 45 minutes.
   
6. Stir in the cream and cook uncovered for 25 minutes.
   

An Old Favorite

It's not secret I'm less than patient. I get annoyed easily. And am constantly amazed by other people - and not in a good way. Today was just full of me being annoyed with others.

It started this morning when I was listening to the radio. There was an announcement about a missing 11 year old girl in the area. Which is scary and heartbreaking. The police were involved, had brought out dogs, and were doing reverse 911 calls in the area to try to find her. They got a little into the meat of the story and said that the girl had "left her family's apartment sometime yesterday with a friend and didn't come home last night." And that's when I got a little annoyed. She left the house "sometime yesterday"? When? How would her parents not know when she left? And who was this friend? And where were they going? What 11 year old girl is allowed to wander town on her own? I remember being 11, and younger, and there was no just leaving the house. My parents knew where I was and who I was with every minute of the day. If I went to a friend's house, I was either escorted, or watched from the window till I got there.

There was an update a few hours later...turns out the little girl was at her friend's place. She had spent the night there. It was an apartment in the same complex where she lived. SERIOUSLY? I think about the cost and the resources that went into this search and can't help but shake my head. How easily this could have been avoided. Obviously her mom and dad didn't even know who this friend was she left with, or that would have been the first phone call they made. And what's up with friend's mom not calling and saying "hey just wanted to doublecheck that you knew little Jasmine was spending the night here?"

But that wasn't the only thing that got under my skin today. This past week I've switched my schedule around a bit. I've been going in to work earlier so I can leave early and hit the gym. Which is nice because I'm usually the only one there. Except this week. This week I've had a companion at the gym. He comes in, turns the tv to whatever channel he wants to watch, and then sits on the Swiss ball and watches tv. The entire time I'm there. Now, at first I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was doing crunches or curls during the commercials? Maybe I just kept catching him between sets? But nope not a single ab exercise done the entire time. I think he must think the gym is his living room. (I mean, he does come in barefoot before putting his shoes on for some swiss ball sitting). Why not at least walk on the treadmill while watching his stories? I mean, we are AT A GYM.

Okay, I feel better - do you? And I realized that with all these veal recipes I've been posting, I have yet to post the classic of all classic veal dishes. Veal Marsala. Which is Thatboy's favorite veal dish. And it's probably the easiest veal dish to make, all it takes is a little cheese and a little wine. I'm so remiss. And I didn't want to leave anyone hanging, so without further ado, I present you with:

Veal Marsala
1 lb veal cutlets
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup marsala wine

1. Coat the veal in Parmesan cheese on both sides.
2. Melt the butter and oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and the veal.
3. Brown the veal on both sides and remove the garlic and veal from the skillet.
4. Add the beef broth to the skillet. Bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook 1 minute, then add the marsala. Cook another minute before pouring over the veal.
   

Outdoor Living

Thatboy and I had one of those rare weekends with no plans. And we spent LOADS of time taking advantage of that. Saturday that meant hitting up the farmer's market and loading up on lots of fruits, veggies, and baked goods. And then spending lots of time just catching up on doing nothing.

Sunday we slept in, and then vowed to spend the entire day outside. We decided to start with a hike in the preserve that we back up to. We used to do this quite a bit, but it's been forever since we headed up there.

I love that from the the trail you have ocean on one side, and wilderness on the other.

We brought Thatdog, who was very into the idea at first. Until he remembered he doesn't like being out in the sun when he doesn't eat his breakfast. He got tired out and the ground was a little hot for him. We kept rinsing his feet down with cold water.

We decided to explore some of the trails we hadn't been on before.

But we headed home a bit earlier than planned because we're good dog parents. Poor dog feets. Then we sat out on the patio eating strawberry popsicles. Well, Thatboy and I ate strawberry popsicles. Thatdog didn't want his. Which is funny because he loves sharing mine with me. Then I loaded a bowl with watermelon and we headed to the pool for the rest of the afternoon.

With the nice weather, it'd be a shame to spend time slaving over a stove, or using the oven to heat the entire house. At the same time we had worked up a bit of an appetite with the hiking and pooling that popsicles and watermelon just couldn't relieve. So something filling, quick, and that wasn't going to heat up the entire place? We're back to veal. Cutlets or veal scallopine are sliced so thin they are cooked in mere minutes. And the only thing that takes time is just the sauce. So make it simple - broth and sour cream give a creamy sauce and paprika adds some color and a bit of flavor.

Veal Paprikash
1 lb veal cutlets
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, sliced
3/4 Tbsp paprika
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
salt

1. Melt the butter and oil in a skillet and cook the onions until they are golden brown.
   
2. Add the veal and brown.
3. Add the paprika and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add the sour cream and salt to taste. Heat through.
   

How do you handle brats?

I've heard (and experienced) doggie adolescence. This is usually after you've already conquered the trials of puppyhood. Right when you start bragging to family and friends about how well behaved your dog is.

Well Thatdog has hit his "second adolescence" this week. I'm not sure what's going on but he's definitely behaving like an a-hole.

Let's start with Monday. Monday we went to dogpark and everything seemed fine. He sniffed all the regulars, did a bit of running, peed on some trees - the usual. One of his favorite roles is that of "greeter." He likes to be the first to get to the gate to greet all the new dogs coming in. I don't love this to begin with because sometimes the new dogs just want to get in before getting sniffed. Normally I make him wait to the side of the gate until everyone is in. BUT Monday I didn't get to the gate soon enough and sure enough, new dog wanted to stake his claim immediately. He growled at Thatdog, and Thatdog takes that as a personally affront and starts growling back. As soon as new dog is through the gate the two of them are on each other while new dog's owner and I are pulling them apart. Thatdog got put in time out with a stern warning to stay away from new dog. Which he was phenomenal about doing, while new dog went and growled at all the other dogs in the park. So yeah, my dog didn't start it, but I'd much prefer he not be the a-hole dog that continues it.

Tuesday on our morning run was strike 2. Lately we have been coming across another dog-runner. She and her dog seem very nice, but she's obviously faster than me (although really, these days everyone pretty much is.) Usually they pass us and keep going. Tuesday her dog really wanted to play with Thatdog. She passed us and took her dog off leash. He came running back to us. No big deal. I let the dogs say hello and we tried to get running back toward his owner. Which is when Thatdog snuck off his leash and took off with his new friend. Now granted, they only ran up ahead of us on the trail and then back, but I hate when my dog instigates a prison break. Running lady apologizes to me, I apologize to her, we hook up our dogs and continue on with our run.

The rest of the week someone was on his good boy behavior. No more prison breaks on the run, and a perfect gentleman at dogpark. Until today.

Thatdog has a very unusual habit. Habit might not be the right word, because it's not something he does on a regular basis. I'm sure you've all seen dogs assert their dominance by mounting another dog. Thatdog does this about once a year when he gets overexcited. Except, he's not very smart so he doesn't mount dogs from behind, he mounts them from the front. Yes friends, I am the owner of a head humper. Today he was running wild with a couple of puppies - a 7 month old rottie and an 8 month old pittie. And he was getting a little too excited. The next thing I know, he's got the Rottie in a love grip from the front. After 3 times I decided he was done for the day. We're going to sit him down tonight and give him a little talk about how girls don't like boys who sexually attack them.

I have no real transition between my trial of a dog and tonight's recipe. Other than to say it's a great way to woo. I wouldn't ever suggest starting off a date by grabbing your significant other and forcing your crotch into their face. This is a much better way to start off. And if you're lucky, you might get your way after dinner.

Red Wine Veal Chops
1 lb veal chops
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp pancetta
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1/4 cup red wine

1. Melt the butter and oil in a skillet. Add the chops and brown lightly on both sides.
2. Add the onion, parsley, pancetta, and garlic. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Add the wine and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook 10 minutes more.
4. Remove veal and boil down the pan juices to create a sauce. Pour the sauce over the chops and serve.
   

Disappointment

I decided to try a new farmer's market today. New, not just to me, but to San Diego. I thought it might be nice to patronize a new place in the hopes that it continues to grow, because otherwise there is only one farmer's market open on Mondays in San Diego, and it's pretty far north/inland.

BUT this one was a little too new. In fact, it would be better characterized as a farmer's stand, and not market since there was only one produce stand. So I picked up some cucumbers and strawberries, and headed to the supermarket to pick up the rest of the things I needed.

But oh what a terror the supermarket was!

Firstly, I couldn't enter the supermarket because there were two barefoot children clinging to a cart their father was trying to push out. (Seriously - why do your children not have shoes on? We don't live in the country and I'm pretty sure the health and safety code requires shoes around food.) They were screaming and crying and throwing a tantrum about something or other. And a line of us formed waiting until maybe this scene could move elsewhere so we could enter.

But once inside, it wasn't much better. I must have missed the memo about the supermarket giving away free money tonight because everyone and their mother was there. Would you believe the supermarket was out of broccoli? That must be where they put all the free money. The lines at the register stretched back into the aisles and I swear everyone must have been open. With my few items I went into the lines Thatdad affectionately called the "Checkout man lines" because you can ring yourself up and bag your own groceries. Even that line stretched down an aisle - mostly because I don't think people are quite competent to ring themselves up (and I don't think they're so honest about the 20 items or less).

I was thankful to get home!

If your farmer's market has more to offer than mine today, than this meal is the perfect way to make use of fresh produce. "Fries" are created by dipping zucchini and parsnip in egg white and breadcrumbs and then baking them until crisp. Fresh parsley brings out the sweet tenderness of a perfectly sauteed veal chop. (Which is obviously enhanced by the addition of butter to the pan.)

Sauteed Veal Chops
1 lb veal chops
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp parsley, chiffonade

1. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper.
   
2. Melt the butter and oil in the skillet. Add the veal chops to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes per side, or until desired doneness.
3. Remove veal from the pain and add the wine. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and boil for 1-2 minutes. Pour over veal. Sprinkle with parsley.
   

Only a couple days left to enter the Simply Bishop's giveaway post!

I'm not an action photographer

Did you miss yesterday's giveaway post? It's not too late to enter!

One of Thatboy's favorite aspects of his job is that a couple of days a week he gets to leave the office and go work in the community. He works with the police department and gets to interact with community members in some pretty interesting ways. He's worked with elementary school kids and introducing them to the justice system. This past weekend was the big event he had been working on all year. A skate park exposition within the community.

Together with a local pro skateboarder and the police department, he organized a day at the skate park for the kids. There were demos, competitions, free food, SWAT vehicles and weapons, and of course, a ton of giveaways including skateboards, shoes, shirts, hats, games, pads, helmets... you get the idea.

I'm not much of a skateboarder (I know you're shocked). So I didn't recognize any of the big names that were there. Although they drew quite a few of the local boarders. These guys were OLD School. Some of the original Dogtown boys, if you're familiar. They began with a demo.

Kien Lieu is a jumper

While John Pope LOVES spinning on his board.

After the pros were done, they turned it over to the amateurs. It was time for competition. And competition was fierce. Just ask this 5 year old. He won ALL of us over. Even the hardcore older guys.

I'm not an action photographer, but Thatboy tried his hand at it, playing follow cam. According to him, this is what he and his friends used to do for each other back when he was younger and skatier.



Speaking of, is there anyone cuter than my husband in a yellow helmet?

All the kids who competed with the pros. There were even more who weren't competing. Just eating hotdogs and talking smack.

Thatboy, the pros, and his crew. BTW, the little munchkin in the front row, Dennis Martinez's daughter, kept me entertained almost the entire time I wasn't watching the scene. She hung out at Thatboy's booth getting more and more excited about the free stuff we were giving away.

I can't even begin to tell you how exhausted we were after the day. We had arrived before 9, and left close to 5. Thatboy spent the rest of the evening in a hot bath. There was no way I was going to cook, so we stopped and picked up food. Pictures of takeout are never as interesting, so back to the archives to share with you a super easy alternative to fast food. It's like a McNugget, but WAY better. And it stands still, so it's easier to take a picture of.

Breaded Veal Cutlets
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/2 lb veal cutlets
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil

1. Put the flour, egg, and crumbs on three separate shallow bowls. Mix the salt and pepper into the crumbs.
2. Dip the cutlets in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the cutlets 4 minutes per side.

Brazen

We're in trial again, which always makes for a very quiet atmosphere at work. Which also means I can be incredibly productive. I was so proud of all I accomplished today! And I even got out of work at 6pm, which hasn't happened for a while now! I almost didn't know what to do with myself.

Well, that's a lie. I knew exactly what to do with myself. I folded some laundry, organized the giant mountain of shoes that has piled beside the door, and even cleared off the "office space" and half of the coffee table. I paid some bills, and made a to-do list for tomorrow. I chopped up some fruit, made dinner, and lunch for tomorrow.

See - I can always figure out how to fill up those extra minutes in the day. Just like I can always figure out what to do with meat in the freezer. 9 times out of 10 it's going to involve braising. You probably aren't surprised. I tend to use it on bigger cuts of meat which can take the long heating process. Thin cuts just get dry and tough. Chops are perfect for braising. Here it's veal, but this recipe would work equally well with pork.

Braised Veal Chops
1 Tbsp butter
1 tbsp canola oil
2 veal chops
salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped and parboiled
1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet. Brown the meat on each side. Remove from the pan.
2. Add the onions and brown in the pan. Return the chops to the pan.
   
3. Season with salt and pepper, add chicken broth. Cover and cook 20 minutes, or until desired doneness.
   

Reason #7 why I love where we live

I really love our community and I feel so lucky to live here.

This morning, Thatdog and I went for our morning run. Since we didn't have plans till 11, I figured I could use the time for exploring. When I run down to the beach I've noticed a sign for a trail that I've never taken, because I'm heading to the water. I don't like running Thatdog down to the beach because I run beside some bigger, busier roads. So today we checked out the trail. It's pedestrian only and runs between some communities, overhung with trees. I love that where we live has so many running trails!

After the run, and a nice long shower, Thatboy and I went to lunch with his "train crew." Back before Thatboy worked in his current unit, he rode the train to and from work each day with the same group of people who all worked in the same unit. But currently, none of the train crew works in that unit, and only one of them still takes the train! It's been a while since we've all gotten together. There are 2 new babies in the group, and obviously one on the way. So we met today for lunch at the McDonalds in our neighborhood.

The McDonalds in our neighborhood is no ordinary McDonalds. For instance, does your neighborhood McDonalds have leather seating options?

Chandeliers?

Trompe L'Oeil Walls?

Drapery?

And my favorite part, a completely un-McDonalds like menu? The "Bistro" serves paninis, salads, pastas, sandwiches -

And Gelato

Our chefs wear fancy getups

I always end up with the same thing - a buffalo chicken panini.

But Thatboy loves being able to sit under a chandelier when eating his favorite - A Big Mac

Now, I'm no gourmet McDonalds, but I'd like to think I can put a nice meal on a plate. We're lacking in chandeliers and leather furniture, and given that it's Saturday night, the sofa bed has already been pulled out. But a nice cut of meat can sometimes make up for the less than atmospheric atmosphere!

Braised Veal Cutlets
4 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb veal cutlets
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stalk
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Sherry

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cream 1 Tbsp butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread over the veal cutlets.
2. Melt the remaining butter in a dutch oven. Add the meat, onions, celery, and 3/4 cup water. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes.
3. Remove the veal, strain the remaining broth and place on a burner on the stove.
4. Stir in cornstarch and sherry and stir until smooth and thick. Serve over the veal.