Brown Bagged

From Fight Club

Bitter Copywriter

From lowindustrial.

The Bird’s the Word

Every year around the holidays, one of Dave’s clients gives us a ham. We usually end up glazing it, baking it, hacking it up and freezing it in batches to eat throughout the year. It’s a nice gesture and we enjoy receiving it.

This year, we received a turkey. And not just any turkey…a TURKEY. A 24-pound behemoth (ahh…hormones). This would have been great had we been hosting a large family dinner — but we weren’t. And since it was taking up an entire shelf in our fridge, we decided to cook it and freeze it — similarly to what we do with the ham. (Actually, Dave decided to cook it. I wanted to give it away or leave it in the alley for the rats, but eventually I turned the corner. I do hate wasting good food.)

Neither of us had ever cooked a turkey before, so we decided to be simple about it. Dave bought a huge metal pan from the grocery store and we covered the base of it with chicken stock. After putting the turkey in the pan, we rubbed it with steak (yes, steak) seasoning and butter, covered it with foil, and slammed it in the oven for about five hours. The steak seasoning — as random as it may be — ended up being an awesome idea because the flavors were strong enough to penetrate the skin and reach the meat.

Obviously a 24-pound turkey is way too much for two people, so a lot of it found its way into our freezer. However, we are eating turkey for dinner every day this week. Luckily, Bon Appetit, Food Network and Real Simple had some simple weeknight recipes to help me use up a portion of the leftover turkey. Here are a few I’ll be making this week:

Barbecue Pulled Turkey Sandwiches with Slaw (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Slaw Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• Salt and pepper
  
• 3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

Slaw Preparation

• Whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, celery seeds and salt and pepper in small bowl to blend. Add cabbage; toss to blend. Cover bowl and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

• 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 1/3 cups shredded cooked turkey
  
• 4 soft rolls

Barbecue Sauce Preparation

• Sauté bacon in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup water, dark brown sugar, chili powder, and ground cumin. Bring sauce to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add shredded cooked turkey to barbecue sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until turkey is heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Split and toast rolls. Divide turkey and slaw among rolls. Press tops down lightly to compress, then serve.

Turkey Hash with Fried Eggs (from Real Simple)

• Sauté ¾ pound diced red potatoes, 1 chopped red bell pepper, and 1 chopped onion in olive oil until the potatoes are tender and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in 1 cup diced roasted turkey and 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley and cook until heated through; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with fried eggs.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette (Adapted from Ina Garten, Food Network)

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and (3/4-inch) diced
• Good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
• 1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups shredded turkey, heated

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.
• While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
• Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, the grated Parmesan, and the shredded turkey. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Story of My Life

They summed it up better than I ever could.

Sit Welly, Sit. Good Cat. Meow!

I taught Welly to sit using treats as bribery.

Voila! My cat is a genius.

(Yes, I am wearing slippers and yes, my filming technique is very Blair Witch-ish. Sorry.)

(Un)Truth in Advertising

This is a stupid thing to be bothered by, but it bothers me anyway.

Why is it that cosmetics companies can constantly mislead consumers by featuring models with airbrushed skin, Photoshopped lips and fake lash-enhanced eyes? Come on!

Fake.

Fake.

I’d even settle for a disclaimer at this point. Something to acknowledge the fact that the product advertised had a minimal impact on the model’s final look.

While I’m at it, what’s up with these unprovable, meaningless claims?

“Lashes that could reach for the stars” – L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara

“Better than Botox” – StriVectin

“Zero gravity Repairwear” – Clinique

“A liquid workout for lazy abdominals” – Bliss

Or better yet — my personal favorite — made up “scientific” terminology that ultimately means nothing.

“Ultimate Pro-Sirtuin TX Technology” – Avon 

All that being said, I haven’t tried any of the products I’ve mentioned here. They may work. But when it comes to skincare and cosmetics, I tend to rely on word-of-mouth referrals rather than airbrushed ads, meaningless claims and snazzy marketing lingo.

Cake Nom

I’m obsessed with cake. So much so that I occasionally get more excited about the cake than the open bar at weddings. And needless to say, I’m disappointed when the cake is bad.

We ordered our wedding cake from Rolf’s Patisserie in Lincolnwood. It was a huge 4-tiered cake — each tier containing both chocolate and white cake. The layers of cake were separated by cream cheese mousse and raspberry mousse fillings, and the entire cake was frosted in white and decorated with Swiss dots and dark chocolate ribbons. It was deliciously indulgent and obviously I remember it fondly.

So when Dave surprised me with a cake from Rolf’s on our anniversary, I was psyched. And while it wasn’t a replica of our wedding cake, it was equally delicious. Chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse filling, all frosted with chocolate frosting and then covered in chocolate ganache.

Rolf’s does not disappoint. Indulgent indeed.

Happy Anniversary

Thank you for listening to me when I don’t make sense.

For understanding me when I don’t understand myself.

For being there when no one else is.

Thank you for making me a better person.

For encouraging me.

For believing in me.

Thank you for making me smile.

For making me laugh.

For being my shoulder to cry on.

Thank you for being my husband.

The person I love.

My best friend.

Can you believe it has been three years?

Happy anniversary.

I love you.

Fall is Here

Half Acre Cycling’s “Podium Men”

Last Wednesday, I attended a women’s cycling event hosted by the lovely ladies of Half Acre Cycling. Information was learned, beers were consumed and chocolate was devoured. Oh! And I almost forgot. There were half naked dudes there, too. Introducing the Podium Men: Ben Popper, Dave Bowers and Adrian Silva.