Thai Chicken Soup

Brrrr, it's cold outside.  Guess that means it's time for soup.  Here's one of my favorites.  The following recipe my own version of a few I've tried before, but I never hold on to recipes, so I end up having to re-create them.  I think I've done a good job.  O.K., let's get started.

What you need:

2lbs chicken (a little less is o.k.)

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

14oz can coconut milk

32oz of chicken broth

2 Tbs green curry paste.

4 (+/-) cloves garlic

8-10 Shallots

2 large rouset potatos

3 carrots (medium size)

1 stick lemon grass

1-2 small hot peppers

olive oil

1 small lime

some thai basil if you have it

1- 1 1/2 cups brown rice

Now, to put it all together:

First, most importantly, crank some tunes!!

Now that you are rocking, time to get cooking.   Mince the garlic, mince a little bit (2-3 inch section) of the lemon grass, and mix it together with the curry paste in a small dish.  Set aside.  Finely chop the challots, and set aside.  Cube the potatoes and chop the carrots and set aside.  In a large soup pot, heat 3-4Tbs of olive oil over medium high heat.  When oil is hot, add the curry paste mixture, stir around, and after 15+ seconds add the challots.  Mix up for a good minute + (enough time for the challots to soften), and then add the can of tomatoes.  Mix up and smash the tomatoes into smaller pieces.   Add the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, and chilli's.  Cut the remaining lemon grass into 3-4 inch pieces and add to the pot.  Add the chicken.  Bring to simmer and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook on medium low for 30 minutes with a top half on.  Start the rice.  After 30 minutes add the coconut milk, basil and squeeze half a lime into it (use the other half for a Gin & Tonic).  Cook until carrots and potatoes are soft.

Put a scoop of rice in the bottom of a bowl and ladle in the soup.  Time to eat!!

I often make a big batch and freeze the leftovers (just dump excess rice into soup).  This works great!

Tom Waits: Closing Time

This week I have been listening to Closing Time, by Tom Waits.  

I really like Tom Waits a lot, and I think this is my favorite album of his.  I've been able to listen to this in the car, on my ipod when I am working, in the background when I am reading, and in the background when there is company.  My mood has a lot to do with my enthusiasm for this album right now.  I find it to be sincere, introspective, and very melo. In particular, I like I Hope I Don't Fall in Love With You, Martha, Ice Cream Man, Grapefruit Moon, and the album ends with Closing Time.  I have been playing it over and over.  Check it out.

J

The Lake

This is the story of the Tepper family, as recalled from a few family members at my Grandmother's memorial service a few weeks ago.

After the Revolutionary war, Janius Josselyn moved to Plymouth, Vermont to farm on a piece of land he received as compensation for his service.  He started a farm on 80 acres of land on Echo Lake.  At the time Revolutionary War veterans could choose to be compensated with land or money.  Many of the soldiers traveled through Vermont from Massachusetts on their way to battles in Upstate, NY.  The land was fertile and plentiful.

I am not sure where Janius lived, but I know that his son, my great great grandfather, Frank, was a carpenter, and he built this house and a barn at the head of the lake.  Although there have been some renovations, this is the same structure that was built in the middle- late 1800's.  Frank was a Civil War veteran, and the father of Charlie.  Charlie was raised on this farm, but as a man he owned a home in near by Ludlow where my Grandmother was raised.  The land and house was eventually passed down to my Grandmother.

Frank also built this church, and this inn (below).  The church was built in 1898, and my Grandmother was the first baby baptised there in 1910.  The church still hold services in the summer (for vacationers).  Plymouth/ Tyson is located between Ludlow and Killington, in southern VT, so it is a hot spot for summer and winter vacationers.  My grandmother moved to Massachusetts when she was married, but she spent every summer of her life in Vermont until she was too old to do it.  As a result, my mother and her siblings, as well as my grandmother's grandchildren, have spent millions of hours on this land.

My Grandmother passed away this spring at the age of 97 (a month shy of 98).  We had a memorial service for her at the church on Echo Lake where she was baptised.  We the traveled to the family burial site in Woodstock to lay her to rest with her husband, her brother, and countless generation of Josselyn's.  The land and the house remains in the family, although it is know as the Tepper compound today (that was my Grandmother's married name).  My Aunt converted the barn into a beautiful home, and my uncle has built a house in one of the back fields.  

As a kid I used to come to the lake with friends to swim, boat and fish.  We would boat to the island and camp over night, or camp in one of the back fields.  We would go swimming at midnight, and the bats would buzz our heads as we stood on the docks, or flirt with danger by swimming during thunderstorms.  I hope to have the chance to share this place with my friends, and my family, and give the next generation of kids the chance to have the same experiences (minus the swimming in lightning storm thing).

Here is most of the Tepper family today (some had already left for home when the picture was taken). 

JEFF

It's Time for Desert!!!

It's peach season, so I thought I'd whip some cream.

you need:

8 0z carton of whipping cream

1-2 TBS maple syrup

a few perfectly ripe peaches (or maybe some raspberries, or strawberries, or melon, or all of the above).

In a medium mixing bowl combine the cream and the maple syrup.  Take a wisk and wisk vigorously until the cream has thickened (you really want to get air into it, so your arm is going to get tired!).

Put fruit in a bowl, and top with the cream.

AWESOME.

caio, JEFF

I Love Lasagna!!!

Time to eat

Before and after

It's summer, and that means that it is hot out, so normally I try to avoid cooking in my stove, but tonight I had the impulse to make lasagna and garlic bread.  This is how I did it.

you need:

package lasagna noodles (I like organic whole wheat)

jar of sauce.

6 cloves Garlic

bunch of Kale

1 small yellow onion

2 medium carrots.

6-8 mushrooms

1 package Smart Ground (fake meat)

16oz Ricotta cheese

8oz shredded mozzarella

small bunch of parsley

some shredded parm.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

cook 9 lasagna noodles (leaving them al dente).

meanwhile, chop then saute garlic, onions, kale, carrots, and mushrooms.  Add Smart Ground at the end just to mix it in and warm it.  Set this aside.  Now, chop the parsley and put it in a large bowl.  Mix in ricotta cheese and mozzarella.  Still with me?  Okay, in a glass baking dish, put down a thin layer of sauce, and  place 3 lasagna noodles lengthwise.  Slather some of the cheese mixture on top of the noodle (about 1/3- 1/2).  evenly spread half of the veggie mixture.  Sprinkle some parm on that, and dump a little bit of sauce on top of that.  Add three more noodles, and make another layer like the first, using the rest of the ingredients.  Add the last three noodles on top of that, put a small layer of sauce on top of the noodle, sprinkle some parm on top of that and then a little ground black pepper.  Damn, this is gonna be good.  Now, cover the top with tin foil and put in the oven.  After 30 minutes take the foil off the top and keep cooking.  I think I'll let you figure out how to do your on garlic bread.  I'm hungry, and the lasagna has cooled just enough.

Ciao, JEFF

Fourth of July in Randolph

The volunteer fire department was represented.

Not sure what happens if a fire breaks out during the parade.

Good time to show off that classic tractor.

Jenn's waiting for the floats that throw candy.

One float, a local organic dairy, threw yogurt in a plastic tube.

Kim said it was really good.  I second.

Jenn is a viking.

Me: "nice tractor"

him: "a'yut"

me: "a'yut"

me: "there were cloggers in the parade"

friend: "what is clogging?"

me: "a mix between tap dancing, and square dancing."

friend: "a'yut"

This dude wanted to show off his truck.

What a poser, there's no mud on it.

Fuckin' nice camero, dude.

Oh, and there was a steel band.

Sorry folks.  I didn't get the dirt bike club, the town little league all- stars, the high school marching band, or the local race car driving teams, but I was afraid to take too many pictures.  Didn't want to look like a flat- lander.

My First Crush

As I sit here in Muddy Waters trying to work on my paper, that is way past due, I am thinking about my first crush.  The first real girl I had a crush on was named Tammy, but before that it had to be Sandie and Denise. 

Denise was always my favorite female Huxtable.  She was cute and funky, and a bit of a trouble maker.  And those braces, well I always had crushes on girls with braces.  I used to look forward to Thursday nights and watching the Cosby's.

When we got our first VHS player, we had a limited movie library.  One of the few videos we had was Grease, and goddamn Sandie was a babe!  The goody goody Sandie was cute, but I'm talking about the other Sandie.  The SAndie that changed to get the boy.  I always loved the ending when she comes out in a skin tight black leotard, black leather jacket, smoking a cigarette with a real attitude.  I mean, look at that picture!!  What a fox!  I still have a thing for the bad girls.