NYC part 2: The Chocolate Show

 We made a bad call Thursday night.  Which was to take the subway back to the hotel at 12:30 a.m. instead of a taxi.  Mostly because I'd never hailed a cab (pathetic, right?) and we were pinching pennies, wanting to save all our cash for the good stuff.  But it put us to bed at 2 a.m., so you know what that means for Friday morning.  No kids, quiet hotel, AND late night?  We slept in.  But we got over it quickly because it was our vacation and we can do what we wanted.  I have to say, Juli and I had very compatible travel styles.  Either that or she was amazingly accommodating.  Either way, it worked for me.

So we pulled out of the hotel between 10 and 11, grabbed a breakfast sandwich at Pret a Manger, and took the subway down to 18th Street.  On our way down the block to the Metropolitan Pavilion, we stopped for a few fresh reinforcements.  I remember from last time, you need an occasional palate cleanser at the show.

Alrighty, cracking knuckles, stretching shoulders.  Here.  We.  Go.  

 After checking our coats and getting our programs, here's what greeted us around the first corner.  Very clever - the guys from Spices and Tease had little scoops on long sticks and were selling their wares, including flavored salts, sugars, spices and teas (including several chocolate tea blends) by the baggie, tin or 3-tin sets.  In the top left corner, that's a hunk of Hawaiian red salt they were chipping away at. 

 Then we opened our programs, which contained this floor plan - sorry, I scanned it, it's not that legible - descriptions of all the vendors, a schedule of demos and events, and lots of nummy ads.  Also a card redeemable at the Lincoln sponsor booth for a chocolate car.  Which of course we got.

 FYI I am eating a salad for lunch while I write this.  The pictures bring it all back for me, and it was - and is - intense.  Here are a few more sights along the first aisle - "Bittersweet Chocolate Blvd" on the floor plan:

George Duran was there mc'ing some of the demos.  Which, we discovered, were not following the printed schedule very closely. 

 We did catch a little of what these guys from American Heritage Chocolate were doing, which was making chocolate the way they did in the 1700's - rubbing cocoa nibs on this heated lava rock to make chocolate paste which is then combined with ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and more, and added to milk or water for drinking.  I had a sample - totally intense and not like modern chocolate.  Amazing.  You can watch a video that explains it here.

 Here's a shot of the crowds.  And keep in mind, this was the Friday crowd.  True, it was a holiday but Saturday would be much worse.  And some of the booths were already running low or selling out of their goods, so I'm glad we went when we did.  At one booth, I got the very last one of what I was getting.  Sorry I can't say, it's a Christmas gift for someone.  But so glad I got it!

 Backing up...on Thursday night the Chocolate Show has a fashion show and charity silent auction to open the show.  You can go for $150.  Maybe another year.  The fashions are haute couture clothes and accessories made of chocolate by fashion designers, so cool.  The theme this year was Broadway.  They had some of the designs on display in corners of the pavilion.  Can you name the shows?  I was so busy eating, smelling and being jostled I didn't read the cards. 

 And then there was the bookstore!  An enormous square made of long tables like this, with cash registers in the middle and big bouncer guys watching for shoplifting and keeping the stacks straight.  I didn't buy any books (nor did I steal any), but I did get some ideas, and it was thrilling to walk along the piles, and say, "I have that one.  I have that one.  I have that one."  Made me feel like a real insider.

 Chocolate kisses, NY Chocolate Show style.  They're filled with a cherry caramel; we had a sample. 

 That's the thing about the Chocolate Show.  Everyone has samples.  Remembering last time, I brought a package of tiny baggies and two Sharpies - Juli and I took samples and bagged and labeled them.  At least at first.  Juli kept it up longer than I did, knowing Brian and her kids would want a formal tasting session when she returned.  Some tables were too busy to even reach the samples, much less actually inspect the products.  But as the afternoon wore on, you could sometimes stop at a table and talk with the staff, or even the chocolatier herself/himself, and learn about their brand and their specialties. 

 Some booths were bakeries, many getting off the ground hoping to open their own shop.  Some did mail order, some sold through stores like Dean & Deluca.  Some had a slant, like vegan (sorry, the vegan hot chocolate was bland), truffles, or single origin.  Some were industry-related like the spice guys and chocolate fountains.  Palmer's cocoa butter lotion makers even had a booth.  But most vendors were chocolatiers, and many were French.  Since I tasted Jacques Torres chocolate many years ago, it's been my favorite.  And he's French, so in my mind French is good.  But I hadn't really dabbled in a wide range of French chocolate, so I didn't realize just how superior it is. 

 One thing at the show that made me so happy was seeing kids there.  They had a kids' corner where they made chef hats and chocolate crafts, it was cute.  Strollers, not so cute.  But what I'm talking about is older kids.  One of my favorite moments of the whole show was at a tasting table, there were three middle-school-aged boys, and they weren't scarfing the chocolate and acting like idiots.  They were tasting.  And comparing.  And discussing.  And I LOVED it.  Just a few more years and I'm bringing all my girls. 

 So we wandered around most of the show, collecting samples, talking to people, tasting tasting tasting.  Then we went back to buy buy buy - Christmas gifts, things for ourselves and our families.  In most cases we knew just what we wanted and where.  In others, we had to sample some more.  Poor us.

At most booths, if you wanted to taste something they didn't have out, why they'd just open one up and cut it up for you.  People trying to feed me chocolate!  Here, let me get you a piece of this one!  Amazing.  Heaven. 

In the end, Juli and I agreed on the two chocolatiers we liked the best, and not just for their French accents.  They were the ones we bought from, and whose chocolate was just better than the rest - one was Francois Pralus (below - too bad that's the only shot I took of that booth!)  The man himself was there and he totally looked like a French Paul Newman, ooh la la!  At that booth I bought a tube of hazelnut creme (like nutella but thinner and much more hazelnutty) and a box of chocolate pearls, which I can't find on the website - little pea-sized chocolate balls, a mix of dark and milk, with a crunchy wheat center.  They are so small but we couldn't believe the gorgeous chocolate flavor they had!  You can eat them plain or put them on stuff - last night the girls and I had them on ice cream and then just ate a bunch out of the box.  Juli got Brian a stack of single origin squares.

Later, when I read about Pralus, I wasn't surprised to learn he owns his own chocolate plantation and produces his chocolate bean-to-bar.  Seriously, you can taste that difference.  

Our other favorite was Comptoir du Cacao.  At first we were drawn in by their charming packaging, and the ooh's and aah's coming from chocolate tasters at their table.  Then we tasted it ourselves and we basically couldn't get enough.  Their "flaky pralines" won 1st and 2nd prize at the Paris Chocolate Show (when am I going to that one?)  And their white chocolate, not usually my favorite, was out of this world.  I bought some presents here, too.

 I also want to give honorable mention to a few booths I don't have pictures of, but where I shopped and really liked their stuff:

• Jer's Chocolates had some seriously awesome chocolate-peanut butter bars, and Jer himself was so glowing and smiley I could have spent an hour at his booth.
• Christophe Roussel had some amazing salted butter caramels - I bought two boxes!  He's also the one that made the chocolate kisses above, and he seemed a little stressed out at the show.  But he was cute and French and some days it's hard to be fabulous.  
• Aux Anysetiers du Roy makes these totally clever little fondues in a stoneware cup, that you can warm in the microwave or in hot water to melt, making yourself yummo fondue without a sterno, candle, pot or mess.  Just dip what you like.  And they have so many flavors!  It was hard to choose.  They even make egg-shaped ones for Easter, how cute is that?
• Salt of the Earth Bakery was there, handing out very generous pieces of brownies and cookies, and they were amazing.  We tasted their signature brownie that's in your face on the website and Juli went back and bought two before we left - she said it's the best brownie she's ever eaten.  We also tasted their chocolate-filled cookies and they, too, were amazing.  My whole goal in life now is to go back and taste their mud pie.

On our way out of the show, about 3 1/2 hours later, I stopped at Spices & Tease again.  How could I not get something?  So I got a sampling of flavored sugars - pistachio, strawberry and pomegranate.  I waffled whether to get some onion bacon salt but decided I'd dropped enough cash.  Too bad, now of course I wish I'd gotten it.  Can you imagine that on a baked potato?!

 

 But I'm not worried.  There's always next year.

Next post: the rest of Friday, including a lot of subway rides, and mac & cheese like you've never had it before!

NYC part 1: Disco Mom Takes Manhattan

I've only been saying for three years, since we moved to Virginia, that I'm going back to New York.  "Soon."  "This year."  Or "next year."  But time flies.  And money is tight.  And then I was pregnant.  And then I was nursing.  Ed goes on his hunting trip every October.  And every year I say I'm going to New York.

The "why" is a no-brainer.  New York is awesome.  When you're not tied down to an apartment in Brooklyn with two babies and a no-show overworked husband.  New York is awesome to visit.  And I deserve a vacation.  Always.  And there is so much I never did there (see above.)  And...the New York Chocolate Show is there every November.

I went to the Chocolate Show once before, in 2007.  It's as good a reason as any to go to New York.  Better, really, because it's, hello, chocolate.  So this year I said I'm going.  And I actually did.

I understand it can be really, really boring reading other people's travel logs, minute details about people you don't know and places you've never been (and don't care about.)  So you don't have to read this (and the 2 or 3 or 4 more posts it takes me to cover the trip.)  I just want to write it all down.  

First, this is my friend Juli.  You're going to be seeing her in a lot of pictures.  Just thought I should introduce you.  Juli had never been to New York, and she is an accomplished and expressive cook, so when I mentioned the Chocolate Show in a conversation, she perked her ears like a deer to the snap of a twig in the woods.  She checked her calendar, and she was IN.

 Juli's husband, I should mention, is also the foodiest foodie I've ever met, by a long shot, and an astounding chef as well.  (Their family has a cheese budget.)  By way of example, here's the menu for the lunch he packed us for the bus ride up last Thursday.  (He made the sweet potato spice marshmallows himself.)

 We took the Tripper bus up on Thursday afternoon, which was a great ride besides the typical horrific traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour.  We pulled in just in time to drop our stuff off at the hotel (Hilton Manhattan East, near the UN, booked through Priceline), grab a sandwich, and head to the theater.

Our hotel is the tall brick one in the middle, about 3 blocks east of Grand Central Station.

 For we had tickets to War Horse.  Do you know about this play?  It won a bunch of Tony's and has been made into a movie, coming out on Christmas (it was first a book.)  It was astounding.

 The horses are puppets, which you forget pretty quickly.  The music is gorgeous, the effects and storytelling creative and entrancing. 

 It's hard to explain about the puppets, so watch this:

Here I am during intermission.  It was drizzling and of course I left my umbrella at the hotel.  But after the show we were on a high and didn't mind a little rain after going through World War I and reaching Armistice Day, which was the next day (11/11/11.) 

I mentioned Juli's husband, Brian.  In addition to our lunch, Brian researched and prepared a 2-page list of suggested restaurants and food shops for us to try during our trip.  I had like one or two to add, but was happy to follow his recommendations since NY's food scene is overwhelming.

After the show we went to Casellula Cheese & Wine Cafe, where we ordered fancy sodas, a two-cheese sampler - one Irish, one from Vermont, both amazing - white bean crostini with oyster mushrooms and house-cured bacon, and two desserts: zucchini layer cake with lime filling, and maple baked pears with buttermilk ice cream.  I.  Could.  Die.  It was our favorite meal of the entire trip, and that's not because anything we ate was bad.  On the contrary.  It's just that this was truly exquisite, and the perfect finish to our first night in New York.

Next post: Friday, the Chocolate Show, Jacques Torres, Paris Baguette (it's not what you think!), and more!

Fall Photo Shoot

 We did our (dreaded) family Christmas card photo shoot today.  Dreaded because it's a little stressful, and I hate how I look pretty much all the time, avoiding mirrors when possible and cameras at all costs.  So why would I PAY someone to take my picture?

The only reason is because Ed and I both HATE it when people send pictures of just their kids in Christmas cards, so to avoid hypocrisy, and in the spirit of "4-out-of-5-Hickmans-looking-great-is-a-majority", we did it.  We scheduled the fabulous Alia, who did our pics last year.  I cannot say enough about how easy and awesome she is to work with.  She had the girls, even Poppy, who is a tough age for smiling at strangers, wrapped around her finger.  Since we thought it might be chilly in mid-November, we wanted an indoor site.  I asked her where this is - love that distressed wood! - and would you believe it?

It's a backdrop.

 Is this bad?  Should I not be giving this secret away?  You totally can't tell in pictures, which is why I find it so amazing I can't keep mum.  We just set it up in the family room, mid-afternoon to catch the natural light, and voila!

 How do you like our styling - the gray with pink accents?  I wore gray and black with silver earrings...and more make-up than I ever wear the other 364 days.  And I even blow-dried my hair with product and a round brush.  I really went all out.

Hazel is wearing a gray dress with small white dots from Target, Ginger's dress is from Carter's (belt from Wal-Mart) and Poppy is wearing an H&M gray onesie with white dots and Uniqlo gray corduroy jumper (and Old Navy gray & black striped leggings.)  All flower clips are from Claire's.  

 Hazel has really taken Project Runway to heart.

 What a coupla lookers, right?  Like I said, 4 out of 5.  (Ed's wearing a gray sweater over whatever he wore to work - a blue shirt, I think - he breezed in for about 20 minutes between work meetings, and breezed right out again - we're just glad he made it at all!  And he always looks good.)

It was such a mild and lovely day we did go outside after these shots, but I didn't take my camera.  We took more family pics, individuals, sisters, and a few with the blog header in mind so I'm excited to see how those came out.  Alia's going out of town Sunday so she promised them before she left - stay tuned...

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

 

Well here's the crowning post of a truly amazing Slow-Cooker Week.  Maybe I'm just saying that because it's my blog.  The truth is, for every recipe I posted this week there were two or more I rejected; so these are all really good.

But that said, this one's the best.  

Here's an explanation from Cook's Country on "why this recipe works":

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs added deeper flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili than boneless breasts, especially when we browned them before they went into the cooker. We started with fresh jalapeños to give the chili the extra heat it so desperately needed. Adding pickled jalapeños at the last minute really brought the dish together.

Pureed hominy (dried corn kernels that have been soaked in lye or slaked lime to remove the hull and germ) added body and rich corn flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili that tasters loved. To give the chili extra body, we pureed one can of beans with some broth.

What they said.  You will LOVE this chili.  And if you've never used hominy, like I hadn't, it looks like this and is found with the canned vegetables and beans.  You do NOT want to leave it out of this recipe!

 

And while I'm being bossy, also do not fail to garnish with fresh avocado and squeezes of lime - the best!

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili (print recipe)
(Serves 6 to 8)
3 (16-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can white hominy, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), fat trimmed
1 T vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 T ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T drained jarred pickled jalapenos, minced
1 to 2 avacados, diced, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

BLEND BASE - Puree 1 can beans, hominy, broth, and 3/4 tsp salt in blender until completely smooth.  Pour into slow cooker.

BROWN CHICKEN - Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook thighs, skin-side down, until skin is well browned and fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard skin, then add thighs to slow cooker.

COOK AROMATICS - Pour off all but 2 T fat from skillet.  Cook onions, chiles, and 1/2 tsp salt until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Transfer half of onion mixture to slow cooker; reserve remaining mixture in refrigerator.

FINISH CHILI - Add remaining beans to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.  Transfer chicken to bowl.  When cool enough to handle, discard bones and shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Stir cilantro, pickled jalapenos, shredded chicken, and reserved onion mixture into slow cooker and let warm.  Serve topped with diced avocado and a lime wedge for squeezing.

Recipe from Cook's Country, Oct/Nov 2009

Slow-Cooker Pull-Apart Ribs

If you just got served these ribs, you might never even consider they were done in the slow cooker.  That's because after they slow cook to tender perfection, they're slathered with homemade barbecue sauce and grilled to a nice sweet & smoky crust on the outside.  Genius, really.  Way better than the grilled ribs I tried to make a few years ago that were tough and nearly burnt by the time they cooked through. 

But these fell right off the bone and were absolutely perfect.  Four adults devoured them and wanted more, so the only amendment I might make to this recipe is, get another crockpot and double it.  And sorry, you ain't gonna have leftovers.


Pull-Apart Ribs (print recipe)
Makes 1 rack of ribs (about 14)
Rub and Ribs:
2 T dry mustard
2 T paprika
1 T dried oregano
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 T sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 full rack pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds)
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer OR 1 1/2 cups beef broth

Sauce:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 T ketchup

1.  RUB - In a small bowl, stir together dry mustard, paprika, oregano, seasoned salt, sugar and pepper.

2.  RIBS - Remove the ribs from packaging; rinse in cool water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Cut rack in thirds.  Season ribs with 1/4 cup of the dry rub, pressing on with your hands.  Pour beer or broth and 1 1/2 cups water into slow cooker.  Stack ribs in cooker and cover.  Slow cook on LOW for 9 hours.

3.  Heat gas grill to medium-high or coals in charcoal grill to medium hot.

4.  SAUCE - Place remaining rub, brown sugar, vinegar and ketchup in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

5.  GRILL - Carefully remove ribs from slow cooker.  Baste with sauce.  Grill ribs 6 minutes, turning after 3 minutes.

Recipe from Family Circle, June 2011

Slow-Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are perfect for slow cooking and absolutely fall off the bone when they're done.  An abundance of lemon and garlic mellow in the process to a deeply infused flavor, perfect for serving over pasta.  Baby spinach, wilted in at the very end, adds the perfect fresh touch.

Slow-Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Thighs (print recipe)

6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup packed baby spinach, chopped
8 ounces angel hair pasta

1.  Trim chicken thighs of any excess fat.  Place them in the slow cooker bowl and scatter garlic cloves over top.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together the lemon zest, juice and the chicken broth; pour half of it (about 1/3 cup) into slow cooker.  Cover and cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW.

3.  Remove chicken thighs to a platter and keep warm; discard garlic cloves.  In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice mixture, cornstarch, salt and pepper.  Whisk into slow cooker bowl with chopped spinach and cook another 30 minutes on HIGH or LOW.

4.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, about 4 minutes.  Stir in half of sauce from slow cooker bowl into pasta and serve remainder with chicken.

Recipe from Family Circle, August 2010

Slow-Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork

  Last spring my friend emailed a bunch of us about spring break coming up.  She set up a bunch of day-outings for us all to join her on, and included a call for crockpot recipes so we could all have dinner waiting when we got home.  One response was this recipe.  

I was so excited to try it; I've always loved Indian curries but I'm relatively new to Thai coconut-type curries.  But what I've had, I've loved.  So I was stoked to try one.  And in the slow cooker!  So lucky!

I made this a couple Sundays ago, to cook while we were at church, and greet us on our homecoming.  It was mouthwateringly fragrant and so satisfying served over hot rice, with a sprinkle of cilantro.  I ate more than I should have, devouring faster than I could register that I was full.  It was that good.

A word about green curry paste.  I'd never used it so I was worried it might be hot; it's not - it's quite mild in this recipe so if you want more heat you'll have to add it.  Great for kids.  Also, I bought a little fancy jar of it at my grocery store for $4.  In the future I'll hit an Asian market - we have so many here! - where I can get it much cheaper, and probably more authentic.  Thekitchn recommends Maesri brand, it comes in a can the size of canned tuna.

Slow Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork (print recipe)

serves 6 to 8
Between 2 and 3 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into fourths
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can Thai green curry paste (4 ounces)
1 can coconut milk (14-15 ounces)
Chopped cilantro or chives, to serve (optional)
Toasted unsweetened coconut, to serve (optional)

1.  Heat the broiler. Cut the pork into four pieces and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and broil, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes or until well-browned.

2.  Spread the cut potatoes in the insert of a slow cooker. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper.
While the pork is browning in the oven, fry the curry paste. In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the curry paste and fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the paste smells aromatic and has begun to absorb the oil. Whisk in the coconut milk and cook for another few minutes, or until the coconut milk begins to bubble.

3.  Take the browned pork out of the oven and drain away any liquid fat. Arrange the pork in the slow cooker with the potatoes, and pour the hot green curry and coconut milk mixture over it.

4.  Cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. At the end of cooking shred the pork with two forks; it should be meltingly-tender. (Depending on how much fat is released from the pork, the curry sauce will not look thick and creamy; it will probably be thin.)

5.  Taste and season if necessary with salt or soy sauce. Serve with brown rice, and small bowls of chopped cilantro or chives and toasted unsweetened coconut.

Recipe from Faith Durand on thekitchn.com

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

Here's the chicken version of that warm comforting stew we all crave in cold weather.  And let me just say, if you have never tasted the sensory symphony of chicken & thyme, you are in for an exquisite treat.  And this is just as good, or better, warmed later as leftovers.  A sweater, slippers, and a bowl of this is all you need to keep the chill out.

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes (print recipe)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 ounces small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms drained (I left this out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 T unsalted butter, softened

1.  In a medium-size bowl, stir together chicken, 2 T of the flour, 1/4 tsp of the salt and the pepper; add to slow cooker.  Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 tsp of the thyme, the sage, and broth.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 T flour and the butter until a paste forms.  Push the chicken and vegetables to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and thyme into slow cooker bowl.  Cook 1 more hour until thickened.  Makes 6 servings

Slow-Cooker Chinese-Spiced Brisket

 I bought a small jar of Chinese Five-Spice a few years ago for some cookies I don't think I ever made.  So I was pleased as punch to find a recipe for it, and a slow cooker one at that!  In case you're wondering the five spices are: cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger and cloves. 

This recipe is a great concept, and the meat came out tender and saucy.  The juice was a bit mild so I added a dash of this and that to taste - hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, a little more vinegar.  It's hard to think of something better than hot spicy meat over rice when you're really hungry.  Which I always am.

Slow-Cooker Chinese-Spiced Brisket (print recipe)
1 beef brisket, about 3 pounds
1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 T light soy sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 can diced water chestnuts
4 chopped scallions, divided
Hot rice, for serving

1.  Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Season brisket with Chinese Five-Spice.  Place in slow cooker.  Scatter onion and garlic over meat.  Combine tomatoes, broth, vinegar, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Pour over brisket.

2.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 9 hours.  Add water chestnuts and half of the chopped scallions during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

3.  Remove meat from slow cooker and cool slightly.  Slice or shred and stir into sauce.

4.  Remove brisket and sauce and serve over hot rice.  Sprinkle more chopped scallions on top.

*If the final flavor isn't strong enough for you, add any of the following to taste: toasted sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, ground ginger, more Chinese Five-Spice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, onion powder, etc.

Recipe adapted from Family Circle, September 2011

Slow-Cooker Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

I'm not sure this picture does it justice, but you have to believe, this dish is gooood.  I think the secret is the combination of rosemary and Italian dressing.  Normally the dressing would be too strong, but all flavors mellow in the slow cooker.  This is usually to a dish's detriment, but in this case it works out, to make a flavorful but not overwhelming sauce for the creamy beans and tender vegetables.  I've given you the original recipe here, from the book that came with my Crockpot, but in my book I've made a note to one-and-a-half or even double the sauce and vegetables because the first time we made this, oh, we wanted more!



Slow-Cooker Rosemary Chicken with White Beans (print recipe)
2 T oil
4 to 6 chicken breast halves (or any skinless chicken pieces would work)
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary
1/3 cup Italian dressing

In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken breast.  Remove and drain.  Place carrots, celery and beans in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the chicken breasts.  In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, rosemary and Italian dressing and pour over the food in the slow cooker.  Stir to combine.  Cover; cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Slow-Cooker Week (It's Back)

Have I got a treat for you.  It's been a few years since I did a Slow-Cooker Week, but I've recommitted to beefing up my slow-cooker repertoire, and I finally - FINALLY! - have seven good ones to share.  It takes awhile, you know?

I really think any time of year is perfect for slow cookers.  Summer, because they don't overheat your kitchen.  Fall and winter, because they often produce warm, meaty, stew-like comfort food.  Spring, because the weather is great and we want to spend all our time outside, not slaving over dinner.  I just love my slow cooker.

Which is not to say everything it makes is good.  There are way too many mediocre and bad crockpot recipes.  But I think you'll be really pleased with this week's findings.  Sorry vegetarians, this week I've got 4 chicken, 1 beef and 2 pork recipes.  (But just sub in some veggies and you're good.)  I've got Thai, Chinese, Italian, BBQ, Mexican, and more.

It's a good week for slow cooking.  I don't know why.  Maybe because I am going OUT OF TOWN, which almost NEVER happens, and I just feel like having posts go up while I'm gone.  Whatever, enjoy.

Art Tuesday: Shoebox Painting

 A few years ago Hazel did a project like this in preschool, but I totally forgot about it until Ginger's preschool did it, too.  It's fun, easy, not too messy, and definitely a new way of painting.

What you need:

• Tempera paints, several colors
• Paper or plastic cups
• Spoons
• Masking tape
• Acorns, marbles, or small rocks
• White 8x11 paper
• A shoebox or other box with lid

What to do:

1. Lay a piece of paper in the shoebox and tape it into place.

 2.  Pour some paint into a cup.  I usually cut it with some water to make it thinner.  Place an acorn or small rock in the paint to get it covered.  Use a spoon to remove it.

 3.  Place the acorn in the box on the paper.  Close the box tightly.

 5.  Shake, shake, shake!

 6.  Open the box and behold your masterpiece!  It's also fun to put several acorns with several colors in and shake them up together.

Meanwhile, I gave Poppy a squirt of paint on her highchair tray and a silicone pastry brush to keep her busy.

 But she still wanted to do some of the box-shaking.  Undoubtedly that is the most fun part.

Check out our work: