"Our snow was not only shaken from whitewash buckets down the sky; it came shawling out of the ground and swam and drifted out of the arms and hands and bodies of the trees; snow grew overnight on the roofs of the houses like a pure and grandfather moss, minutely white-ivied the walls and settled on the postman, opening the gate, like a dumb, numb thunderstorm of white, torn Christmas cards." - Dylan Thomas
I love Saturday mornings!! There is (are?) 15 inches- !! - of snow on the ground outside, I just finished listening to Ira Glass interview a 14-year old Glenn Beck disciple talking about how snow proves that global warming is "propaganda", but I'm still in a good mood. Friday was my last day at the day job I've held since 2004 and panic has not yet set in, I leave town Thursday for a two-month gig, and I'm wearing really comfortable socks. Today's plan: to read the Times in my pajamas, Netflix old episodes of BlackAdder (current obsession), and cook.
Let's never become these guys.
I just spent a month preparing for new head shots by (mostly) eliminating White (pasta, bread, potatoes) from my diet. Possibly because of this, I'm going to share with you two really good "white" recipes which ironically don't contain much flour at all. They are substantial, comforting, beautiful, easy, delicious, and a good idea when you are home this snowy season.
This is worth it for the magic moment where you're whisking a pot of hot liquid on the stove and going, "This isn't working, it's never going to turn into - PUDDING! OH MY GOD I made PUDDING!" It thickens, suddenly, and there you have it. It could Not be easier. I went for the vanilla-extract version rather than the bean-scraping, but I bet that would be excellent. Next time I would also totally go with her suggestion to add some rum. I have this bottle of The Kraken crying out to be used in such a simple, homey, not-too-sweet and incredibly filling dessert (which this is).
Mr. Poet's White Chicken Chili (based on Epicurious recipe)
Unlike the Ina Garten recipe of the same name, this chili really is White. It starts with a roux (flour and butter), and involves white chicken, white beans, and grated jack cheese, ending up with an incredible, creamy, wintry stew flecked with green chiles and flavorful heat despite its bland appearance. Mr. Poet's version used canned beans (and I bet you could also probably use canned chiles and still rock it out). An additional note from the chef himself reads "My only major change was to cook everything in the same dutch oven. Next time I'd brown the chicken in small batches ... and cook the peppers with the onions. Good to pair with corn bread, arugula salad, and 100 proof whiskey."
Unlike the Ina Garten recipe of the same name, this chili really is White. It starts with a roux (flour and butter), and involves white chicken, white beans, and grated jack cheese, ending up with an incredible, creamy, wintry stew flecked with green chiles and flavorful heat despite its bland appearance. Mr. Poet's version used canned beans (and I bet you could also probably use canned chiles and still rock it out). An additional note from the chef himself reads "My only major change was to cook everything in the same dutch oven. Next time I'd brown the chicken in small batches ... and cook the peppers with the onions. Good to pair with corn bread, arugula salad, and 100 proof whiskey."
So there you have it. I'm heading back to my couch.
Love,
The Boo
