The Big Salad

I like to believe that out of the thousands of thoughts that run through our heads every day, each one of us have a few staples that make an appearance that seem to be on repeat with out even the press of a button. It could be for some of you, facebook facebook facebook, or that special someone who doesn't know you are even thinking of them. See, we never know what each other is thinking. It's actually one of the best gift's this life has given us, our thoughts are just our own and we can do with them what ever we want. 

I will let you in on one of my obsessive day in, day out, day dreams.

"What will I have for dinner?"

See, unlike most normal eaters, I never just figure it out later. And it is only when I can not find an answer or I am just burnt out on cooking, defeated, do I go "grab something to eat." Yesterday, it only took a few rounds of replaying that question in my head to know that I wanted a BIG SALAD.

Some of you may have tuned out already at the mention of salad, and believe me, I am usually in your group. Little Liza lou is admittedly a carnivorous animal, sporting a butcher's cut tattoo of a pig on her back, and guess what department at Whole Foods she most often brings cupcakes to...that's right, to her butcher friends behind the meat counter. And if it is a bad day, a big steak is the only cure, to be eaten alone with out any sides.

But, yesterday wasn't a bad day. Yeah sure, it was as hectic as any other, however, it makes perfect sense to me why I craved a big salad.  Let's be honest here, now that we are old enough not to have to eat what the parent puts in front of us anymore, isn't it usually what we crave on a given day, that ends up finding a way into our pie holes.

I know you are still wondering why the heck a big salad? Well, simply put, 2010 is about growing up and eating more vegetables. It is my time to take responsibility for myself, to make decisions that will make way for a better Liza lou. Every year that passes, I look back on the mistakes and steaks I made and don't regret, but realize. I realize that it is up to me to make different choices. This year, (deep breath) I choose more vegetables for better health, and I crave to put myself first. I will find a way to both. And don't worry my butcher friends, you will still get your cupcakes.

The only place I know where you can get a big salad is at Monk's Restaurant on Seinfeld. "Get out!!"

It was always Elaine's choice and it drove George crazy! If you can't find one anywhere else, see my recipe for The Big Salad and for my Green goddess dressing. Click read more below.

 Ingredients:

(makes enough for 2 salads, with leftovers)

2 small beets, or 1 medium, stem and leaves removed, roasted and sliced

olive oil for drizzling

1/2 head red leaf lettuce

2 cups arugula

1/4 purple cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, peeled grated

1 avocado, pitted and sliced

1 tomato, sliced

salt and pepper

roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds

Green goddess dressing:

1 garlic clove

1 small handful fresh dill, thick stems removed

1 small handful fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup mayo

2 T buttermilk

2 T. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

canola oil, or vegetable oil (not olive oil for the taste is too strong)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place beets on a large piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast beets for 1 hour, or until you can easily pierce with a fork. When done, while beets are still hot, remove skins by rubbing with a wet washcloth or a paper towel. I love having beet stained hands.

Meanwhile, break lettuce leaves by hand and rinse and dry well. Place in largest bowl you have. Add shredded cabbage and set aside. Now make your dressing.

In a blender or food processor place garlic and herbs and chop well. Add mayo, buttermilk, and lemon juice or vinegar and blend well. Season with salt and pepper. Now, with the blender on, very very very slowly add a thin drizzle of canola oil til you have reached the consistency of salad dressing, thick but easily pourable.

Add dressing to large salad bowl, by pouring down the side of the bowl and it will sneak down to the bottom. Don't pour right on top of the lettuce. With your hands mix salad with dressing. Still with your hands messy, place a big portion of salad on your plate. Rinse hands and top with beets, carrots, avocado, tomato, and season with salt and pepper. One more thing, sprinkle liberally with pumpkin seeds.

The good thing about a big salad is you can eat it with meat if you like. Last night, I had salmon on top of mine.

Enjoy your big salad.

a bowl of bacon and eggs

Sometimes the best brunch in town is found inside a Mother's fridge.

Sunday has come and gone and I hope you all had a good weekend. And I hope you had a chance to eat a really good breakfast. During the week who has the time, to take the time, to eat one? Because I have a bit of trouble getting out from under the covers, I usually hurry through breakfast, eating my instant oatmeal in the bathroom while trying to pull off looking like I am fresh and ready for work. And sometimes, I consider Starbucks the perfect solution if I have to. But over the weekend, there is plenty of time for breakfast, and opposite it may be, it is exactly the thing that lures me out of bed.

I know it is a thing to do to go out to brunch. But in Raleigh, there are very few places that serve up bacon and eggs til 2pm, and every weekend there are more people discovering them. It seems the trendier it gets, the less I go. I usually don't like to wait too long to eat the first meal of the day and I also realized that my bowl of grits is a lot cheaper than the one at the restaurant and I don't have to bother the server to ask them to bring me some salt. If I want the brunch experience, I find my own way. And today, I opened Cettie's fridge and found a few key ingredients to make it happen.

Eggs. Sunday bacon. Butter. Avocado. Goat cheese. Tomato. Coffee and OJ. What luck! Or maybe it's not luck, but just a Mom thing. The door to their home and fridge are always open, and they don't mind when you raid it. I have to say though, that it is lucky that I have such a good one.

To see what I had for Sunday brunch, click read more below.

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

6 eggs

2 T. half and half or buttermilk

very small pinch of salt, 1/4 t.

6 bacon slices

1 avocado, pitted and chopped

1 T.unsalted butter

2 oz peppered Celebrity Dairy goat cheese, crumbled

1 small tomato, cut into wedges

salt and pepper

Method:

In a large bowl whisk eggs with half and half and a pinch of salt. Now, cook your bacon on medium high heat. Pay attention to it, flipping it when it has crisped to your liking. Set on a paper toweled plate for grease to soak off.

Pour a little bit of the bacon grease into a different pan and turn heat on to medium high. Sear avocado bites on all sides for about two minutes until a light golden brown. They will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Remove from heat and add to bacon plate. Wipe off pan with paper towel and return it to stove.

Turn heat on to medium low, or low if you have the patience, and add butter. (Low heat is the key to good scrambled eggs.) Once melted, add eggs, and gently scramble til they are cooked to your liking. I prefer soft scramble where there is still a little run. Cut off heat and fold in half the goat cheese.

In a cereal bowl, serve up the eggs topped with avocado bites and goat cheese, with a side of bacon and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now pour yourself some OJ and sit down to a really good breakfast.

love,

Liza lou

Eating scrambled eggs out of a bowl is the Liza lou way.

(It keeps em' warmer for longer.)

Make a wish on coconut ice cream

Only little liza lou would think of making ice cream in her hat and scarf, while a wintry mix swirls around us. 

Ice cream is a year round food, not only appreciated in the summertime, but even when it is 38 degrees out. My friend Phuc and I share a common love for the cold creamy treat.  And for an ice cream lover such as myself, he is the ultimate neighbor. I cannot count the times, good day or bad, he has poked his head inside the apartment, or sent a text with a smiley face, saying, "Come have some ice cream Liza :)". He usually has not one, but six Ciao bella ice cream flavors in his freezer, and our favorite flavor is Coconut.

Coconut, coconut, coconut. It is not just the ice cream, I can't get enough of everything coconut. It started when I was a little girl and discovered the Mounds candy bar. And now, all grown up, I use it anyway that I can. I cook with the oil, always sauteing onions with it. I used it to nourish my hair once, and when I read the jar and it said to "massage into scalp, then rinse", I came to work with what I thought was wet hair, that never dried! The baker still laughs about it. I also put coconut flakes in my oatmeal and granola. And when I want to feel 100x better, I splurge for a coconut water, which is high in electrolytes. (If you go out and get drunk, next day, drink coconut water, and then you can thank me.) 

Coconut is incredibly good for you, especially this time of year. It boosts the immune system and it has anti-viral properties, so when everyone else freaked out and got the flu shot, I just ate more coconut. Haven't been sick yet. It has a long list of health benefits, just waiting for you to discover.

So even though it was raining and cold yesterday, I felt real pumped when running in and out of the grocery store with my bag full of just about every version of the coconut. For it was Phuc's birthday, and I couldn't think of a better present for him to add to his freezer collection, than homemade coconut ice cream.

To see recipe for Phuc's birthday present, click read more below.  And if you don't have an ice cream maker, you are more than welcome to borrow mine!

Ingredients:

1 young coconut, directions to open (of course, I just improvised!), drain water to drink, and carefully scrape meat off the sides and chop by hand or in food processor

2 cans coconut milk, not the light kind

1/2 cup agave nectar, or to taste (yep,better for you than sugar)

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. peppermint extract

*2 T. coconut butter, warmed in microwave for 30 seconds for better mixing

1/2 cup fine chopped coconut flakes, toasted

2 oz. good dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 ten pound bag of ice

ice cream salt

and an ice cream maker

*optional, just makes it even more yum and nutritious

Method:

First, preheat oven to 300 degrees and toast coconut for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden. You should know they are done because they should smell very good. (Little Liza lou did not use a timer and burnt the heck out of it.) When toasted, transfer to a plate and allow to cool.

Oops.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add coconut meat, coconut milk, agave nectar, salt, peppermint extract, and coconut butter. With whisk or hand mixer, mix well, till nice and smooth.  Now, stir in the coconut flakes and finely chopped chocolate.

Now, you are ready! Make according to ice cream maker instructions. When finished, transfer to tupperware, and allow to set in freezor for at least two hours before you serve.

Enjoy!
love, Liza lou

Crying Quiches

That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Quiche, just like Monday's weather, is the sunniest of menu items. It is like a big freakin smiley face in its pan, cheerfully "egging you on" to eat it. Quiche is easy as pie to make and eat, and it is a representation of eggs in their best form...carefully baked, providing tender mouthfuls that just seem to glide off the fork.  Not to mention you can put god knows whatever in it. Today, I used olives, store bought roasted and marinated tomatoes, and broccoli. And vegetarian or not, one will still enjoy a big meatless slice of quiche. If they don't, then they must have a problem with eggs.

I have had a problem today, a problem of the heart. Relationships are across the board as diverse as the egg itself. There are as many different ways to cook an egg, as there are to be in a relationship. And who is to judge, because it is just as easy to mess up with one another, as it to ruin an omelet, or to break the yolk when frying an egg. Whether it is a trivial thing such as breakfast or a life changing event,  it can still feels like a failure nonetheless. 

I usually, most always listen to music when I cook, (and chit chat the ear off of who ever is sitting up at the counter), or if alone, incessantly think at the whirlwind rapid pace that little liza lou tends to go. But today, I cried.

Cracking each egg was heartbreaking, not just a ritual. And if you are wondering if it is boy troubles...it is more than that, it is troubles of the heart. And when you have a heart as big as mine, the sadness overflows. I felt lost and alone in my devoted kitchen, but even on the saddest of days the cooking must go on. 

And it did. For it is my living, and my way. I cook for a family of three who depend on me.  You should never push yourself, when emotionally you have reached your limit, and that is why I made them the utterly nutritious, delicious, quiche. And believe me, I couldn't help but notice what a joy I pulled out of the oven. Looking back, it was a good day, no, it was a great day for quiche.

To see today's quiche recipe, click read more below. 
(and to my family and dear ones, thank you, it was more than quiche that made my day and yesterday better.)







Ingredients:
(makes one quiche)

1 bunch broccolini (I inaccurately consider it baby broccoli)
kosher salt

1/2 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 kalamata or black olives, pitted and sliced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup half and half (you can also substitute 3/4 cup with heavy cream, mmmmmm...)
1 pie crust, store bought or homemade
1/4 cup store bought roasted tomatoes (at olive bar), chopped

1/2 cup grated cheese ( I used a goat cheese for my boss, but use whatever you like, can afford, or fancy)
cracked pepper

Method:

First, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then, in a medium pot bring water to a boil, add a heavy pinch of salt and place broccolini in for just 2 minutes. Quickly remove and run under cold water to stop cooking. (This cooking technique is called blanching.) Once cool, chop off stems, just leaving heads.

Next, saute shallots, garlic and sliced olives in pan on medium heat for about five minutes until shallots are softened. Transfer to a plate and let cool on the counter.

Meanwhile, in large bowl whisk together half and half and eggs. Add a pinch of salt, aka, a half a teaspoon.

Pour egg and cream mixture into pie crust leaving about 1/2 inch unfilled, and sprinkle broccolini heads, olive-shallot mixture, chopped tomatoes, and grated cheese. Top off any leftover egg mixture if room. You don't want to over flow. (When it bakes it will puff up, but will sink back down to normal.)
Finally, add a bit of cracked pepper to uncooked quiche.

 Bake for 45 minutes and allow to cool 10 minutes to set.

Take a bite and enjoy.  Eli, the 2 year old I cook for sure did.

Meat and "Potatoes"

I am in love with Chuck.

Who's Chuck you ask? Oh but just one of the most affordable cuts of beef at the market, and he is quite the looker, always shining at me from behind the window! Some people might say I am settling, arguing that he is too fat and just plain ordinary. They think that there are better cuts out there, like the leaner Sirloin, or the first-class Tenderloin.  

But I am a simple girl at heart. I do appreciate the finer cuts of beef and it's not that I don't think that I am worth more than a $2.99/lb cut of beef, but when it's love, it's love. Chuck is there within my means, always available to me, even on my poorest of days. And let us not judge him for his fat content! It is one of his best qualities, providing a flavor I am grateful for after every bite. Chuck is full of surprises, offering a variety of food options, ranging from the hamburger, to a pot of chili, with hundreds of recipes in between. Which brings me to my current favorite...

The Chuck Roast.  I would take beef cooked to smothers and shreds, in it's own fat, combined with salt and pepper, on any given day of the week. I use the 3-wrap method and I guarantee if you can eat with a fork, you can make this chuck roast!  And keeping with the "less is more" meal concept, I can't think of a better food to pair it with, than the potato. When mashed, the potato provides you with a smooth comfort and warmth, but today I invite you to try a new combination, that will give you that same feeling.

I have been a fan of celery root (also known as Celeriac) for years, and I won't keep it a secret from you anymore. For the longest time I thought it was the root of celery, just because of the name. And I have blabbed that over and over, but I was wrong. It's not. Same family, different plant. Hey,  it's ugly for sure, but again, let us not judge. It is low in calories, for those of you who fear the fat of the chuck roast, will feel a sigh of relief when consuming the mere 40 calories a cup. It is also high in potassium and vitamin C. And it can be eaten in many ways, but mashed is my favorite and I prefer it over potatoes and that "full ugh feeling" that the carbs leave me sitting with after dinner.

So next time you are at the grocery store, look for the ugliest vegetable on the shelf and take it home for the first time. Then be sure to head over to the meat department and give Chuck a second glance, and think of all you can do with him. With those two, you could even make a simple, dang good dinner plate such as this.

To see how to make it, click read more below. (get it tess?)

Ingredients:

1 lb chuck roast
kosher salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 rosemary sprigs
parchment paper, saran wrap, aluminum foil (a must have)
2 celery roots, peeled with carrot peeler, or knife, then roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large carrots, cut into strips, then cubed
1/2 bag frozen peas
2 tablespoon mayo
1 t. apple cider vinegar
2 t. dill, chopped
parsley for garnish


Method:

First, preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Next, liberally salt and pepper chuck roast on all sides, and allow to sit on counter for about 30 min to an hour (allows salt to soak in and beef to come up to room temperature before cooking). Then, on high heat quickly sear it on all sides, about 1 minute per side.

Now, for the three-wrap method:

1. Transfer chuck from pan to a large sheet of parchment paper. Place the rosemary sprigs, folded in half, on top of beef. Push the beef close to one corner of paper, leaving a large triangle in the corner and fold that corner over top of chuck. Then fold the two sides over the top as well. Now, roll it up, so that you are left with a neat package.

2. Next, saran wrap it. (Don't worry, it won't melt.) I take the roll out of the box and wrap it tightly around all sides of chuck.

3. Wrap in foil, just as you did the parchment paper, nice and tight.

Good job! Now, place 3-wrapped chuck in oven on pan and let roast for 4 hours.

For the celery root:
When it is getting close to dinner time, in a large pot of water, boil the celery root for 30 minutes to an hour, til soft and fairly mushy. Drain in colander and let sit for a few minutes to drain off excess water.  Meanwhile, in the same pot, saute the garlic in butter on medium low heat for about 3-4 minutes. Then add celery root back to pot, stirring, 1 more minute. Cut off heat and add sour cream. Mix with hand mixer or potato masher. Season with salt and pepper.

For the peas and carrots:
In a medium pot of salted water (1 T. of salt), boil cubed carrots 4 minutes. Then add frozen peas to pot with carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Drain in colander.  Allow to sit and let water drain off. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together mayo, apple cider vinegar, and dill.  Add peas and carrots to bowl and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper.

When your roast is done, pull out of oven and carefully open package with scissors or knife. Be careful it will be hot. Let sit for about 5 minutes til serving. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy the magic.

love, liza lou

meatballs and all the little things

As I worked behind the counter today, handing over cupcakes, the one thing all my customers had in common, besides indulgence, was the cold. One by one they told me, exasperated, "It's cold out there." I could only see it by looking out the window.  But later on as I walked Nelson through the middle of Cameron Park, the leaves cracked under my boots and my scarf would not stay in place, the wind chilling my neck. As we headed up the sidewalk past the rosemary bushes and towards home, we saw a navy blue truck with mud splatters up the side. It was tattooed with bumper stickers; I can only remember two. One was devoted to the UNC radio station and the other read in all caps, "WE WILL SURVIVE".

I stared at it for a minute and it made me think about what is getting me through the winter...(aside from countless bowls of oatmeal) and I want to share it with you. Not the obvious reasons, but the little things I crave and enjoy, and the warmth that they bring me.  And of course, for sure little Liza lou will tie it all together with a recipe that will warm you up as well.

It is the origami polka dot pig mobile I have. They are literally, hanging out, and it is a relaxing thing to gaze upon. The way the Trader Joe's sesame snack, spread with peanut butter and rolled like a sleeping bag, reminds me of when I lived in San Francisco and obsessed over a similar sesame treat.  Go on and laugh, but my plastic crab and lobster friends.  Oh how I could never eat them! I also, in private, I blare Chris Brown's Forever, and sloppily dance around the living room.  It is ridiculous fun! And recently, what has motivated me the most is my aloe plant.

Last week, it froze outside, and lost 4 of its strongest leaves. I brought him inside to thaw out and sadly stared at him for a few days.  I began to notice the leaves left were standing tall. I ran my fingers up them and they were stronger than ever. I cannot deny that even though he had a rough go with the cold, it did not get him down!

And my new favorite little thing...the meatball.  It felt so good as I rolled it between my hands, and how it smelled simmering in the broth was even better! So folks and friends, if you haven't made dinner at home in awhile, cook this.  You will enjoy the amusement of chewing on a meatball and the warmth of the broth down your throat all in one (pause for ooooooooo and ahhhhhhhh). It may just become one of those cheap thrills, pun intended, and added to your list of little things to get you through these cold days!

Recipe to follow.



Ingredients:

1 small spaghetti squash (what is this?), halved, seeds scooped out like a cantelope, and roasted
salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 rosemary sprig, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated fine
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cartons beef broth, or 8 cups homemade broth
1 large can whole tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved
1 bay leaf
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. olive oil
chives, chopped
salt and pepper, other seasonings to taste

Method:

First, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Fill baking pan with 1/8 inch of water and a large pinch of salt. Place spaghetti squash halves in face down. Roast for 30-45 minutes. Pierce with fork to check, it should go in easy when done.

Next, in butter, saute on medium-low heat, onions, garlic and rosemary until onions are soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix ground beef, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, and onion mix together. Season with 1 T. salt and fresh ground pepper. Roll into golf size balls between your palms and set aside.

In large pot, bring beef broth, tomato juice, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes to a boil. Bring down to medium heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Now, heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat.  Sear meatballs in small batches, browning on all sides. Use handle to shake skillet evenly to roll meat balls for even searing. (If you over crowd pan, you will end up steaming them.  We are not cooking them just browning the outside.)

Transfer, meatballs to broth and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Then, cut your heat down to low and let hang out while attending to the "Sketty" squash.

Pull squash from oven and carefully scrape insides out with fork and into a bowl. Use tongs as it will be very hot! Once all strands are removed, transfer to broth. Cut heat off.

Add chives and season with salt, pepper, or any other spices desired. Allow to cool a few minutes before ladeling into bowls.

Blow...and enjoy!

Hello Monday

Dream in bucketfuls.

The Fried Chicken Project

  

It all started with a 3 lb headless chicken, just chillin at the grocery store. I took her home, pushed up my sleeves, and unwrapped what would become for the next two days, The Fried Chicken Project. The recipe to follow if you want to take the adventure on your own is written in the color of fried chicken.

Day 1:

As I blog along, I have decided that I will learn some basic cooking techniques. Lesson one: debone a chicken into the appropriate cuts. Legs, thighs, breasts, you get it. I was inspired to do so by this really awesome cookbook my brother gave me for my birthday. In Ad Hoc at Home, there are step-by-step instructions and even though it took me 4 different knives and one duck taped pair of janky scissors, I had that little lady cut into ten fry size pieces, ready to go. I did ask the book "What??", loud and confused, a few times, thinking maybe I would hear Thomas Keller's voice, calmly explain where the joint between the leg and thigh exactly is as I struggled through the bone instead. Point was to learn, not to do it perfect, and both I did with great effort. (In the picture you only see 6 cuts, I wasn't quite done, but still so proud I had to grab my phone to take a photo.) I saved the scraps you see in the corner to dutifully make a broth, still they sit in a yogurt container in my fridge.

Learn how to debone a chicken here.

It was brine time. I let the chicken soak in a salt-sugar water (with other add ins for flavor) over night and had something else for dinner. The brine made for a juicy well-seasoned chicken. I didn't mean to get your hopes up, but good things do come to those who wait. In the case of fried chicken, it's definitely true! My go to chicken brine recipe goes like this:  In a large bowl steep two black tea bags in 4 cups of water for a few minutes til it has that strong flavor color. Add 1 cup salt and 3/4 cup of sugar, two rosemary springs (you can find them overgrown in just about any neighborhood), 4 smashed garlic cloves, a halved lemon or two, 2 bay leaves, and 1 t. red pepper flakes. Stir til salt and sugar dissolve. Add 4 cups cold water. Then let the chicken soak for at least 2 hours, or as long as over night. The longer the better.

It's time to fry...

Day 2:

First off, remove the chicken from the brine and into a clean bowl. Pour buttermilk all over. It is going to sit on the counter til you are ready to fry, or at least one hour and as close to room temperature as you are comfortable with.

Meanwhile, I made my favorite side of all time. Slaw. You never want to fry, or cook meat cold, because it will freak out, seize up, and be tougher than you would like. I never knew this til last year, and now I am very strict about doing this.

Now, it was time to get my flour mix together. But when I looked at the flour jar and saw it empty, out of my mouth came an F bomb, accidentally.

It's been cold this week, very cold. The kind of cold, that once home, little liza lou prefers not to leave again. But I had no choice, and in the name of fried chicken, I headed back out there to the nearest store. The gas station on the corner of St. Mary's and Peace. I ran in and first thing asked Jima, the kind little man behind the counter, do you have flour? He pointed to the roses. I smiled real big and said, "I'm frying chicken", and he not being a southern native, knew. He pointed to the back and I spotted it quick, headed home to warm back up along with the breasts and thighs, soakin in the buttermilk.

For the flour mix, in a large container, whisk 6 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup garlic powder, 1 T. cayenne, 2 T kosher salt, and some ground pepper if you have it.

The thought of fried chicken had kept me going all day. It was almost nine and time to eat, and as the oil was beginning to bubble, so was I with excitement.  If you could have seen me dancing on the kitchen stool to my teeny bop pandora station you would of known to what extent. Picture it. (I know you just laughed at me.)

When it is dinner time, that is the time to heat your oil in a large pot. Fill with at least 2 inches of canola or peanut oil. It is extremely helpful if you have a thermometer because a good temperature to fry chicken is 350 degrees, but you can just put the temp on med-high and "wing it". Fry the dark meat first, the legs, wings and thighs. Remove from buttermilk mixture and let excess drip off. Drop in flour mix and shake around to coat. Knock off excess flour and place in oil. After 2 min, move the pieces around with tongs and be careful of the splatters. Cook for for about 10 minutes, til crispy and a dark golden brown. Pull out with tongs and let sit on a baking rack or plate, covered with a paper towel. Resist the urge to sample, it is very hot! Next, fry the white meat, same method for about 8 minutes. Transfer to towel. Before eating, allow the chicken to cool for about 5 minutes, I don't want you to burn your tongue.

The two day wait had finally come to an end. I plated dinner and pulled up a seat at the bar, atop my phone book booster seat. That's right, I am 27, and need a booster seat to maximize my eating experience! I had the pleasure of sharing one of the best meals of 2010 with Mitchell, and you may not know, who is from Mississippi. So that boy loves his southern food! I picked up that slightly steamin greasy chicken leg with two hands, as not to lose it on the way to my pie hole! With a crunch that first bite held no surprises. It was good as good can get. I have never had a bad piece of fried chicken, but home fried, sure makes for the best!

Ingredient list:
3-4 lb whole chicken

For the brine:
2 black tea bags (Lipton is great)
Kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 rosemary sprigs
4 garlic cloves
1 lemon
2 bay leaves
1 t. red pepper flakes

For frying:
1 bottle canola or peanut oil
buttermilk
6 cups flour
1/4 cup garlic powder
1 T. cayenne
salt
black pepper