Summertime Steak and Secrets (Revealed)

Dear Mouse,

It's SUMMER in the city! And my farmer's market basket runneth over with delightful discoveries I can't wait to share in this post. I'm sure it will make up for the fact that our last post was in the SPRING.

Ahem. And now, a song.
 (Sung to the tune of "Summertime")

                                                       "  Summertiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime..."

   "  And the roses are blooooomin'...."

             (NY Marble Cemetery, East Village. So tiny and pretty! 

Did you know it was there! I didn't til yesterday)

                                           "   I'm in American Theatre ... Mah-ha-ga-ziiiine..."
(Special thanks to The Mayor for informing me of this just as I'd been rejected for a job for the fourth time that week.)

               

                                                            "   I also learned recently
                                                           You can free-eeze bananas"

                                             " They will look like this .... But be perfectly fine."

(Pry the peel away with a knife and cut into chunks while still frozen (for smoothies)

 or wait til they thaw and scoop out the mush (for banana bread). 

(I'm starting the verse again, two three four:)

                                                           "And Summertime..."

                                                "Means an amazing Photo Opportunity..."
                                                        
Let's zoom in.

"For announcing the biggest... MouseBouche News of All."

Mouse and MINI MOUSE!!!!! aka MY NIECE.

 That's right.

Originally, I had no idea how I could make this lovely news relate to the flank steak made for me last week by my wonderful, witty, and generous writer/foodie friend GlitterBoy (I asked him to name himself for this post, and he did not disappoint). But then I thought about some other news that has made this month - this week!! - special. Wendy Davis in her pink sneakers standing up (literally!) for women and families everywhere. DOMA No More and Marriage Equality on the horizon. Love Triumphing over Fear. Good taste triumphing over Paula Deen. 

I'm sitting here writing this post on Pride Weekend, and it might be the second day of Juice Cleanse talking, but I think that Glitterboy's Flank Steak for Two is the perfect recipe for this moment. He cooked this for me last weekend at his Brooklyn apartment, hovering intently over a cast-iron skillet and wearing a fetching pair of shorts. It was meant to thank me for accompanying him on guitar at his solo show the night before, but I have to say I got the better end of the deal, because I know I'm going to make this over and over.  It is intensely flavorful and luscious. It is great for hot weather since it only requires about 8 minutes at the stove. And it can be easily doubled  - tripled, whatever! - to feed your family - whatever form, shape, or size that happens to be.   

                               Now I just need a cast iron skillet. Oh yeah, my birthday's next week. :)

And babies eat steak, right? 

Love, 

The Boo

Glitterboy's Flank Steak for Two, in His Own Words

I marinate the steaks two hours before cooking, using a sauce made of olive oil (1/3 cup), Soy Sauce (two teaspoons), Honey (1/3 cup), pepper, two cloves of minced garlic, and some rice vinegar.  Plastic freezer bag, and in the fridge (you can also do this overnight).  Use a cast iron skillet, very hot, with some oil and some onion.  Throw both steaks on the skillet and flip after 4 minutes.  The onions will carmelize in the sauce quite nicely as well.  Cook on the other side for about the same duration, plate, and serve with everything green. (The Boo: we had a pile of arugula and some roasted asparagus.) If your guest is feeling a little adventurous (The Boo: I was!) add a dollop of fresh garlic pesto on top.

Sans Wheat, Sans Milk, Sans Soy, Sans Everything...

Dear Mouse,

Whew! A whirlwind week it has been in life and in diet. Many thanks for holding down the fort here at AMB while I spend my days studying Shakespeare (here) and evenings rehearsing this show that opens sunday... I am super exhausted at the moment so this will be short, and, like, probably not very witty. But I owe us all a bit of a report.

Ok. So yes, on the one hand, how could you post that thing about Sundaes and Cones?!! It sounds so delicious. (NOTE From the Mouse--they make all-fruit smoothies too!) On the other hand, I am in Week Two of Crazy Eating Restrictions and the biggest surprise of all is... No. Cravings.

Not really. Oh sure, at times I'm like, 'oh it would be SO easy to just get a sandwich right now for lunch... a muffin for breakfast... make this vegetable thing I like that has cheese in it..." BUT it's not like I really am feeling that deep down.

Mostly, my dairy/wheat/egg/gluten/sugar/soy-free lifestyle has had the effect of 1) giving me more energy than I thought would be possible while working this hard, 2) TOTALLY stabilizing my moods and my concentration, which is no small thing, and 3) completely controllling my appetite. I get hungry and eat regular meals, but I get, like, satisfied, by them, and not obsessive about where my next treat is coming from. Bad for the blog? maybe. But fascinating.

A big shout-out to Angelica Kitchen in the East Village, and to Cute AMB Fan/Friend o'Mouse who works there and who made my dining experience truly educational and a pleasure. CSFAMBF brought a whole BOOK to my table that listed EVERY ingredient in every dish on their menu, as well as a special page of gluten-free options. Everything was fabulous.

Because of the HEAT alluded to briefly :-) in your last note, I'll leave you with this recipe that I can eat!!! (ok it has some sugar... sigh) which is great for summer. Make these for someone and knock them back with a beer or a crisp white wine before dinner. Trust me. It is super easy and you will seem like an Earth Goddess.

Extremely Sexy Vodka Spiked Cherry Tomatoes w/Pepper Salt (from the Gourmet Cookbook) (I'm literally copying this, I feel so cheap).

I make about a third of the recipe for two people... but you can go to town.

3 pints red & yellow cherry tomatoes
1/2 C vodka
3 tbsp white vinegar (must be white!!)
1 tbsp superfine sugar (totally can use regular)
1 tsp grated lemon zest (I made it with lime and it works too)
3 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsp black pepper

OK this part is a little effort, but it's where all the sexy is. Cut small X in bottom of each tomato. Then toss all of them for 3 seconds ONLY into boiling water, then get them out and immediately! put in bowl of ice to stop them cooking. Drain and then slip the little suckers right out of their skins - it's magical.

Stir vodka, vinegar, sugar, and zest in bowl til sugar dissolves. Pour it over tomatoes, toss to coat. Leave it in the fridge, covered, for at least a half hour.

Stir salt and pepepr together in cute little dish. Dip tomatoes in pepper salt with fingers or toothpicks. Eat. Smile. Suddenly the heat isn't that oppressive.

Love

The Boo
p.s. Yes i have cheated: a bit of ketchup with bunless burger, chinese food that had soy in it for sure, a bite of ice cream, an untold number of cocktails I may or may not be allowed to have. but come on, something gotta get me through this.