El Pollo-style Chicken Marinade

Here's the recipe for the wicked good El Pollo-style chicken I made the other night. The recipe calls for chicken pieces, but you can use boneless, skinless breasts as well. You should feel free to up the chili content. Make some of this up and serve it up on tortillas a la fajitas or something like that. Enjoy!

El Pollo Chicken Marinade (from the Orange County Register)

This Mexican chicken marinade is fruity with just a hint of spice, and is inspired by the El Pollo Loco ("the Crazy Chicken") chain of restaurants.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces passion fruit juice (can substitute pineapple and/or orange juice)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon mild chili pepper, e.g. ancho
• 8 drops yellow food coloring
• 1 tablespoon corn oil
• 4 pounds frying chicken, cut up

Directions: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Measure out 1/4 cup marinade and reserve for basting while grilling. Place chicken in a shallow glass baking dish and cover with marinade. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning at least once. 

Remove chicken from refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking time. Drain chicken and grill over medium coals for 25 to 35 minutes or until no traces of pink color remain, turning every 10 minutes. Baste frequently with the reserved 1/4 cup marinade while cooking. (Serves 6)

I used ancho chili powder (from Penzey's) and it turned out great. Ancho has no heat to speak of, but good flavor.

The Whiskey Rebels

Not everybody likes historical novels, but I certainly do, and I certainly liked The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss. The story is set 10 years or so after the end of the Revolutionary War, and was inspired by the events of that War and by those of the Whiskey Rebellion of the mid-1790s. One thing I really liked about the book was that the narrative alternates between the stories of a former spy of George Washington's whose reputation has been ruined, and a smart and resourceful frontier woman who, with her husband and their friends, manage to make the best of dismal circumstances by learning how to make superior whiskey. The first hint of the two stories coming together doesn't happen until almost exactly a quarter of the way through the book, and they steadily become more and more intertwined through the end. In addition to these characters, the author used a good number of real historical figures in the book, such as Hamilton, Washington, Burr, Duer, and other names of which you've heard since grade school (OK, maybe not so much Duer, but this is why we read such books!). I thought this novel was very well-written, every bit as informative as it was entertaining, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Do I want a Kindle DX?

Amazon will release the Kindle DX this summer (it's available for pre-order now). You will know I'm a huge fan of the Kindle, so you might be wondering whether I'm going to rush out and buy one of the new ones. The answer is, nope. I really like the size of the Kindle 2, and I wouldn't want to carry around something as big as the Kindle DX (my Kindle 2 is with me pretty much everywhere).

Now, some of you parents out there will nod your heads in recognition when I say that my son goes to high school laboring under a backpack full of a good 45+ pounds of textbooks and various paraphernalia. As the Kindle DX weighs in at a bit over a pound, and is aimed at least in part at the textbook genre, do you think if I were him that I'd be interested in one? You bet I would be. I would love it if my kids could have all of their textbooks on a Kindle DX, and so would they. So, Amazon, if you're listening, if you work it out so that their textbooks are available on the Kindle DX (btw, you can pretty much skip anything from Texas, as far as I'm concerned -- no offense, Amy!), I'll take two.

Afraid

I read Afraid, by Jack Kilborn, on my Kindle 2. About halfway through (OK, at exactly 50% according to my Kindle) I thought I might just quit reading it. I'm not too prudish, but this book is chock full of some pretty sick sadism. It's all part of the story, so it's not gratuitous per se, but I really don't think that this book would be for everyone. I certainly don't think it's my cup of tea. But, I have to give Kilborn some props: he can (and does) pile it on relentlessly, and some of the action scenes truly rocket along. I'm going to look for more of his work.

The Book Thief

OK, I just finished reading Markus Zusak's The Book Thief on my Kindle 2, and I have to tell you I feel it is one of the best books I've ever read (thanks for recommending it, Kelly!). My favorite kind of fiction, where a lot of the time you're really reading poetry instead of prose. The Book Thief is the story of a girl in WWII Germany, narrated by someone you've heard about, and I will tell you no more about it except that it was so well written that I couldn't put it down. I hope you'll read it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Well? Why are you still here? Go read it!

ted's Black Beans & Rice

A delicious, nutritious Caribbean favorite. There are many recipes; this is one I made up on rainy afternoon is St. Louis to serve up with some jerk chicken. Super quick and simple, and a big hit.

Ingredients:

• 2 servings white rice, cooked


• 1 15-ounce can black beans, with liquid


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1 teaspoon oregano


• ½ teaspoon sugar


• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar


• Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, to taste (can make your own mix of cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt and garlic)


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• water

Directions:
Cook the rice as you usually do. While the rice is cooking, open the beans and pour the entire contents out into a medium sauce pan. Add the spices, adjusting the amounts to taste, and stir.

When the rice is finished cooking, add it to the beans and spice mixture and stir. Add water if necessary to make it just a bit saucy. Put the pan on medium heat and heat the rice through. Serve.

(Serves 4)

Add a little chicken broth to the rice as you cook it to make it a bit more flavorful.

You can find Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning at http://www.slapyamama.com/. I don't work for those guys, but that's the best Cajun seasoning in the world (thanks to Joe Horton for turning me on to it!). Have some more Slap Ya Mama on hand in case this recipe isn't spicy enough as it is.

Happens Every Day

After making omelettes du fromage et jambon this morning for my kids and myself, I finished Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True Story, by Isabel Gillies (which I read on my Kindle 2). This is a quick read, not the kind of nonfiction I usually read but really good, I thought. It's the story of a woman with a storybook life, and how she was robbed of it. It's the best kind of story, in that it's simple, powerful, and so well-told and easy to relate to that it almost seems familiar. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope you will, too.

Irish Beef Hand Pies

This St. Patrick's Day, tuck the makings of traditional beef-and-potato stew into flaky pastries you can bake straight from the freezer.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 pound ground beef sirloin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
coarse sea salt
ground pepper
all purpose white flour, for rolling
2 9-inch pie crusts


Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium; add cabbage and potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, and 1 cup water. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll each crust into a 14-inch square; cut each into 4 equal squares. Place 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the filling. Brush borders with water; fold dough over filling to enclose. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. With a paring knife or scissors, cut 3 small vents in each.

Transfer pies to 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.


Notes

Think about adding some peas and carrots to the mix.

To Freeze: Prepare through step 2. Arrange unbaked pies on a baking sheet (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each pie in foil. Place in a resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 2 months.

To Bake from Frozen: Proceed with step 3, increasing baking time to 28 to 30 minutes.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/irish-beef-hand-pies?autonomy_kw=hand%20pies&rsc=header_8Source: Martha Stewart

Cincinnati Chili

From The Kitchn: "Cincinnati chili - a blend of cinnamon, hot pepper, cumin, and, yes, chocolate. It's not a gimmick or a mole-wannabe. Cincy chili is rich treat all its own. When made well it has a smoky, elusive blend of flavors. Cinnamon and cocoa play supporting roles, lifting the other flavors and bringing out the taste of the meat. It's addictive, and usually it's eaten over spaghetti. Those Ohioans love their chili - apparently there are more chili parlors in Cincinnati than any other American city! (Move over Texas...)"

"The combination of spaghetti and chili without beans may be sacrilegious to those with other notions of chili, but this is worth a try on its own merits. It's also a quick and filling weeknight dinner."

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon salt

2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken or beef broth
½ cup water

spaghetti, cooked
cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
kidney beans, (optional)

Directions: Film a large, heavy frying pan with olive oil. Heat over medium high heat and when hot add the beef, minced onion and garlic, and chili powder. Sprinkle in crushed red pepper to taste. Cook for about eight minutes or until the meat is browned.

In a separate bowl combine the cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, chipotle pepper, and salt. Add and stir fry for another couple minutes until fragrant.

Add the bay leaves, Worcestshire sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce, broth and water. Turn heat to low and simmer for an hour.

Serve over spaghetti with minced onion, hot kidney beans, and cheddar cheese.
(Serves 8)

"Our recipe departs from some authentic elements (there is, of course, much debate over what constitutes truly authentic Cincinnati chili). Many traditional recipes don't brown the meat - they boil or simmer it instead. We like the browned, deep flavor though.
Also, to experience this truly, you have to try it all five ways:
• Two-way: Spaghetti topped with chili (the basics)
• Three-way: Chili, spaghetti, and finely grated cheddar cheese (lots of it!)
• Four-way: Chili, spaghetti, cheese, and minced onions
• Five-way: Chili, spaghetti, cheese, minced onions, and hot kidney or chili beans"

See http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-cincinnati-chili-041148.

The original recipe called for crumbling 2 dried red peppers into the meat/onion/garlic/chili powder mix as it cooks. I just put crushed red pepper in, and it worked well, so I modified the recipe a bit.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

The other book I finished while I was on vacation was When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris. You've heard David Sedaris on This American Life (the best show on radio, IMHO), and other places. This was my favorite of Sedaris's books. All of the stories in it were interesting, funny, and memorable. Sedaris has a distinctive voice, and while I'm reading along I sometimes like to have his voice be the voice in my head as I go -- makes it even funnier. Sedaris is a master storyteller, with a wealth of eccentric experiences from which to draw. I hope you give this one a try; you'll enjoy it.

Contagious

While I was on vacation in Florida last week, I finished Contagious by Scott Sigler. Contagious is the sequel to Infected: A Novel, and it's a real sizzler. I couldn't put this one down. Infected was a good read, but Contagious was just awesome. Fun from start to finish. Go read it.

The Slave Ship

Just finished The Slave Ship: A Human History, by Marcus Rediker. One of the more interesting things I learned from reading this book was about myself: I learned that I've had kind of a grammar-school conceptualization of the Atlantic slave trade, and that has not been serving me well in terms of putting that shameful part of the world's history in its proper perspective. I've long known that history is first and foremost a product of whoever writes it (Churchill had a particularly good grasp of this idea), and it follows that the history books we use to educate our children have their particular points of view and biases, and that these in turn can (and do) abuse what might otherwise be a fairly accurate account of what actually happened in the past. Of course, as a historian, Dr. Rediker has his own take on this story, and he is a self-proclaimed activist, but his scholarship here is strong and convincing. I think this book is well worth reading, and I hope you'll read it.

Dr. Rediker won the George Washington Book Prize for The Slave Ship. This prize is given to honor the "most important new book about America's founding era."

New Hotness

Yesterday, upon my return from CSHALS 2009 (which was terrific, thank you very much!), I got to open up ("unbox" is the cool term for it) my new Kindle 2. You probably already know that I was (am) a huge fan of my old Kindle, and that I was a pretty early adopter of it.

Anyway, I think the Kindle 2 is a tangible improvement on all aspects of the original. I really like the new form factor; I haven't once pushed a button I didn't intend to push in the first place. The 5-way controller is just right for the interface, and while the original scroll wheel was well done I'm happier with the 5-way.

I like the slidey power switch at the top. Turns it on, turns it off, puts it to sleep, wakes it up, and resets it. Simple. And I think the Kindle 2 goes to sleep and wakes up faster than the original.

I was a little surprised when I got my Kindle 2 that it wasn't pre-registered for me. As an early adopter who ordered before 10th Feb, I got moved to the top of the list (so it actually arrived Wednesday, not Saturday), and maybe they just didn't have the time to do it. No matter, it took just a few minutes, and I got the opportunity to clean up my content a little bit (it's so nice that Amazon keeps all that stuff for me online).

I also got the Amazon Kindle 2 leather cover, and I really like it. I also liked the quirky cover that came with the original, because it really was just perfect for the Kindle, but the Kindle 2 cover is a very nice piece of work. I'm pretty sure my new Kindle isn't going to come loose from its cover occasionally anymore, as the new hinge is pretty clever and solid.

I loved my old Kindle. I love my Kindle 2 even more.

Free-Range Chickens

Free-Range Chickens, by Simon Rich, is just a little thing, comprised of short takes on various themes (prehistoric times, animals, etc.). But it's funny all the way through. I had a lot of fun with it, and you will, too.

Lauriel's Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Directions: Combine all ingredients, mix well. Form cookies, place on cookie sheet, and make criss-cross pattern with a fork on each cookie. Bake at 350° F until done. (Serves --) Download recipe.

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death

Just finished reading the novel The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, by Charlie Huston, on my Kindle (Kindle 1, still; surely you already know that I anxiously await my Kindle 2). I liked this one for lots of reasons. It was pretty funny in a lot of places, mostly because the main character is an Olympic-class smartass most of the time, and his dialog was hilarious. There was enough action (not too much, and well told), some mystery, interesting characters, and the excellent little quirk of putting it all into the context of trauma cleaning and the people who do that kind of work. See? Now your curiosity is piqued. Go read it, you'll enjoy it.

Kindle 2!

This morning I pre-ordered Amazon's Kindle 2. As you know, I'm a huge fan of the original. The Kindle 2 is slated for release on 24 Feb, and I guess it will come soon after that. It's likely that I'll be at C-SHALS 2009 when it arrives (why does it always have to happen that way?).

Web Coolness

Did you ever hear a song on the radio and wish you knew what song it was, so you could add it to your music collection? That happens to me a lot, and I notice that pretty much every time it does the DJ neglects to tell me.

Here's how the Web comes to the rescue. When I hear a song that I feel I must have, but I don't know what it is, I hit 'J' on my Blackberry to dial Jott. Jott is an online transcription service; I call Jott and say some stuff to them, and they transcribe what I say into various electronic forms (emails, online lists, etc.). It kind of goes like, "Ring...Who do you want to Jott?" "Myself." "Beep." "The Office is on tonight -- watch it!" Then I get an email that says, "The Office is on tonight. Watch it," or I can see the text online.

Then I found out about Nabbit. Nabbit knows the radio stations I listen to, and what they're playing at any given time. If I visit Nabbit with my mobile browser, I see a list of all my radio station presets, and I just need to choose one to see what it's playing at the time.

Which is cool enough, but here's where it gets cooler: Jott and Nabbit are buds. So I can Jott like this: "Ring...Who do you want to Jott?" "Nabbit." "Nabbit. Is that correct?" "Yes." "Beep." "KCLC." Jott transcribes my "KCLC" (the call letters of the radio station playing the song I like), sends it to Nabbit, Nabbit looks it up for me, and I get the name and artist of the song. Pretty sweet, right?

Oooh, That's Sharp!

The lone entry on my 2008 Christmas list was a Global 24-cm chef's knife, and I was lucky enough to get it. I have to say, it is not like any other knife I've ever used. I'm just getting interested in cooking, really, and I don't have much experience -- this is my first real chef's knife. I now have all kinds of respect for Japanese steel. This knife's job is to part matter, and it does it incredibly well. And it does it without prejudice, happily parting human flesh along with anything else that gets in its way. You may surmise, and correctly, that I found this out the hard way. My chef's knife is like a lightsaber, and I guess "Slater" is not a Jedi name.

The Good Thief

Just finished reading The Good Thief, by Hannah Tinti, on my Kindle. A terrific book, I thought. An adventure story full of action, mystery, likable rogues, pretty nasty villains, and some imagery that I think will stay with me forever. Every single character was flawed, as all of us are, but it was easy to like the good guys and hope that they found what they were looking for. Read, and enjoy!

Letters of Mozart

Another book I read on my Kindle over my break was The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Vol. I. Turns out that for all his genius Mozart was a real guy, who caught colds and got in trouble from his dad and sometimes failed in doing the things we know him for today, almost 220 years after his death. A fun read -- I'm going to look for Vol. II.

Flood

While I was in California for the Holidays, I read the thriller Flood, by Andrew Vachss, on my Kindle, and was duly thrilled. I believe it was a free download, and boy was it ever worth the price. Nicely done for a first novel, maybe due at least in part to some of the author's real-life experience. I found it to be pretty engrossing throughout, although there was a sort of Gilligan's Island Reunion part toward the end that I found to be a little unlikely, where most of the characters (each of whom is a loner and a misfit in their own ways) get together to do a job. Enjoy!