As I mentioned yesterday, it'll be an interesting last college Thanksgiving for me. Gone is the Chinese delivery and Chef Boyardee. Now I get to abuse my apartment's kitchen and cook a proper thanksgiving meal. I've started the prep work of my extensive menu last night.
I seasoned the turkey breasts (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian herbs, fresh rosemary), and put them in a zip-lock bag to brine overnight (combine water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, brown sugar, red chili flakes, chili powder, Italian herbs, fresh rosemary. Simmer for about 10 minutes then add ice cubes to cool).
As of 9:30 am:
Turkey in brine
That should be about ready to go in a few hours
I also started on the banana cream pie last night. I make the chocolate (Oreo) crust and the banana custard. I let it cool in the fridge overnight and I put it together today.
11:00
Pre-toppings
That looks pretty good as is, but it can get better.
11:05
With Oreos and Caramel sauce
Looks better... but it's not banana cream pie without the whipped cream...
11:10
Donezo!
Looks pretty good, and I'm sure it'll taste fantastic.
I'm going to prep the sides soon.
Still need to be prepped:
Bacon Macaroni and Cheese
Cream of Mushroom soup
Mashed Potatoes
Ham steak Stuffing Bread rolls
Mixed veggies
12:04: Minor tragedy! I topped the pie with whipped cream way too early. Rookie mistake! The cream has started to set and drip off the sides. I'll have to add more when I eat it, but nobody ever said more whipped cream is a bad thing.
More updates as they happen!
Happy Thanksgiving!
1:39: Just finished making the macaroni and cheese. Will put it under the broiler later on with some bread crumbs and bacon. Boiling a pot of water for potatoes and will start on the soup soon. The oven will be ABUSED today!
Mac and Cheese pre-broiler
2:45 Starting to smell like heaven in here! Mashed potatoes are done, the turkey's in the oven, the stuffing is setting, soup is simmering, ham is on deck!
When I did a Google image search of "Lonely Thanksgiving," this is what came up first:
Stawiarz/Getty
Let's go with that.
Anyway, by no means is my Thanksgiving "lonely." I've had numerous invitations from lovely and generous people. I even accepted one, but backed out in the last minute because I've had a Thanksgiving tradition of my own (on my own) since going to college out of state.
There's no way I'm spending $400 for a plane ride to Albuquerque, NM only to spend a couple of days there (I will do it to watch a Jason Mraz concert in California, though.) As a college senior, I've spent the past three Thanksgivings all by my lonesome.
A huge part of the holiday is the great food that is served. Here's a recap of my kitchen-less last three Thanksgivings:
2007 - Cold Chinese food. I had to order in a ton of Chinese food since the delivery place wasn't open for the holiday. I say cold because my dorm's solitary microwave was nothing more than a box with a light bulb. I tried heating the food in a plastic bowl over my lamp, but that only ended up in a melted bowl, burnt food, and a close call with the smoke detector.
2008 - Warm Chinese food! Upgrade! My sophomore year's dorm actually had a working microwave! A warm plate of Sesame Chicken had Thanksgiving written all over it.
2009 - Chef Boyardee Spaghetti with Meatballs. Junior year was just depressing. Books seemed to be extra expensive that year, so I didn't have enough money to order my usual stock of Chinese food. I hit up a target and loaded up on 50 cent cans of Campbell's Chunky soup and Chef Boyardee's meals in a can. It wasn't a delicious by any means, but I count my blessings and was thankful to have some warm food in the first place (working microwave!)
2010 will be Thanksgiving done right. I'm armed not only with a working microwave, but also a full kitchen and some money to buy groceries. It'll be a fitting end to my college Thanksgivings and I can enjoy a nice meal in solitude and have some time to myself.
On the menu:
Starter: Mushroom soup
Main: Herb crusted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, bacon macaroni and cheese, roasted vegetables, rolls
Dessert: Chocolate-banana cream pie
Drink: Magners Irish Cider
It looks to be a promising menu, and I'll post pictures and recipes once they are made.
I am incredibly thankful and grateful to all the people and friends who invited me over for Thanksgiving. It's incredible generosity that you offered to include me in your family's celebrations. I just thought that I've formed some tradition of my own now, and this will be the last year I'll be doing it, but again, I'm forever grateful for all your kindness and generosity. That's some Thanksgiving spirit you all manifested right there, and that's what these holidays are all about.
Apologies for the delay between posts. I've been quite busy lately.
Anyhow, here's more of me saluting the best in user generated content.
Photo from Lucie Jones X-Factor Facebook page
Lucie Jones isn't necessarily someone who got fame via YouTube. She was a contestant on The X-Factor UK's 2009 cycle. She did fairly well, making it through to the top 7 or 6. The Welsh beauty has since been practicing her talents on stage at the West End, playing Cosette in Les Miserables (opposite Nick Jonas).
I don't think she's signed on to any record company yet, which is a surprise to me, but she seems to be doing well for herself. She does have her YouTube page up, which is a treat for fans everywhere.
This is the first part of my my new series of posts "Salute to UGC." By USH I mean, user generated content. This is my ode to who I think are the best (mostly) amateur musicians out there who build their following via YouTube, MySpace, and other social networking sites.
Photo from Facebook page Paulina Cerrilla
First off is Paulina Cerrilla. This fifteen - yes - FIFTEEN-year-old has a dynamite voice. She's been around doing covers of pop tunes on YouTube for a couple of years now and she keeps getting better. I find it difficult to imagine how she won't be signed soon. She already has a solid following on her YouTube channel, itsmePAULINA with over 56,000 subscribers and topping the 12 million mark when it comes to views.
Have a listen at her cover of Sara Bareilles' "Blue Bird"
While his last studio album was released in 2008, Shelton returns with a treat for country music fans everywhere. Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton is his compilation release for 2010. The album maps out his top hits from his storied ten-year career. Obviously this would satisfy any Blake Shelton fan and should make any country music fan very happy. However, this album can also serve as a good starter for anyone not familiar with him or even the genre.
The fifteen tracks include his first hit, the moving "Austin," his most recent release, "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking." A great touch by the producers of this album was to arrange the songs in chronological order. This allows the listener to follow his growth as a singer, songwriter and artist. The songs are all radio friendly and give a great country feel. The compilation has a great mix of his upbeat tunes as well as his thoughtful ballads. Each song highlights his smooth vocals with lyrics ranging from moving away from home to experiences chasing girls in Mexico.
Overall, this album is as solid as they can be. Armed with fifteen hits, you cannot really go wrong. While Blake Shelton's name doesn't bring the same recall as Keith Urban, one can appreciate his uncompromising effort to keep a traditional country sound in all of his songs. This is a purchase well worth the price for fans or those who are curious about modern country music.
More new music from the UK invades my blog. Here's one from DJ-turned-solo artist, Yasmin. I first heard her from Devlin's single "Runaway" and I'm stoked that she's coming out with some of her solo material. Her album is set to be released in January of 2011 under Levels Recordings/Ministry of Sound.
The debut track off that album is called "On My Own." Pretty sick, methinks! Hoping for more from her very soon!
As Top Chef copouts usually say, "I'm not a pastry chef." So I'll use that excuse as well.
I've wanted to make my own apple pie for some time now, so I decided to give it a shot. After consulting with over 10 people and 20 websites, I decided I would take elements from each, and just make my own.
Apple Crumble attempt 1
Measurements have been tossed aside for this.
All I know was I made a Graham Cracker pie crust, stewed the apples in cinnamon and some herbs, added a crumble on top, and baked it for about 45 minutes.
Not too bad of a first attempt, I must say. I have to fine tune a bit on the execution, but the flavors are dynamite.
Here's a simple omelette that is both filling and healthy.
Veggie omelette with Feta cheese
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 large tomato or 1 small one
1/4 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs butter
2-3 large eggs
Milk
Your favorite cheese
Prep your veggies. Dice the onions, garlic and tomatoes.
Bring your non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and melt the butter. Throw in your garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent.
Throw in the spinach and tomatoes and cook until spinach is wilted.
While that is going on, beat the eggs in a bowl. Add a dash of milk for a fluffier result, but it's not necessary.
Once the veggies are done, put them on a plate and set aside.
Now, melt the other tbs of butter. Pour in the eggs and have it sit there until bottom is firm. Push the outside parts of the egg to the middle and have the uncooked liquid flow over to the empty part of the pan. Make sure you push in all sides evenly so that you don't overcook your eggs. Keep doing this until the egg isn't runny anymore, but make sure you don't overcook it either. Don't flip the egg! This is an omelette!
Add your favorite cheese directly onto the egg. Now, get your veggies and add it right onto the middle of the egg. At this point, turn off the burner. The pan should be hot enough to cook everything.
Omelette plating technique:
Fold the right side of the egg over the filling in the middle. Now grab a plate with your left hand. With your right hand, slowly slide the opened up part of the egg onto the plate. Once you have it, quickly flip the pan over your plate, and you should end up with a perfectly wrapped omelette! Sprinkle over some more of your favorite cheese.
Eat it with some toast, add your favorite ketchup, salsa, or hot sauce.
Here's a quick and easy dish you can cook up on the fly, but still get some hearty results.
Chicken stir-fry with rice and egg
Ingredients:
Boneless chicken breasts (1 large one would do, but for less prep work, go for the pre-cut thin sliced ones)
Soy Sauce (I prefer Kikoman Japanese style for a lighter taste)
4 cloves garlic
1 qtr red onion (white is fine too)
2 carrots (or about a half-cup baby carrots)
1 cup broccoli
2 cups fresh spinach
1 lemon
1 tbs. butter(salter or unsalted is fine)
Pepper
Garlic powder
Optional:
Sesame seeds
Sesame oil
Chili flakes
Prep work:
Put some soy sauce into a bowl along with 1/2 juice of the lemon, about a tsp. of garlic powder and a tbs. of sesame seeds. Mix it up and set aside.
Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces and throw it into the soy mixture for a little bit. Make sure each piece is coated nicely. Set aside.
Wash your hands.
Time to chop up the veggies. Start with the carrots. Then broccoli, then put them in a bowl, and sprinkle a little bit of salt and the rest of your lemon onto them.
Now, preheat a skillet to medium heat. Add about a tsp. of sesame oil to heat up on the skillet for a nice nutty flavor.
Continue chopping. Garlic and onions this time in to a nice fine dice.
Throw in the butter and melt it. You can use Sesame Oil instead or mix in some sesame oil for a more authentic Asian flavor.
Once the butter is melted, throw in your onions and garlic. Let it cook until the onions become a bit translucent.
Now, time to throw in the chicken. Pour chicken, marinade and all, into the skillet, and stir it a bit until... probably give it a couple of minutes.
Pour about 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, throw in the broccoli and carrots. Add a little bit of salt and some pepper and some chili flakes if you want. Cover it up and let it sit there for about 5 minutes.
After that, throw in the spinach, cover it up, and let it sit there until the spinach leaves are wilted. Probably another 3-5 minutes.
Once the spinach is wilted, mix it up again, and put it on a plate! Have some rice or noodles with it. For this one, I used rice, and I fried up an egg to go along with it.
Sick new track by Nicki Minaj, will.i.am featuring Cheryl Cole
I'm not a particularly big fan of Nicki Minaj, but I must say her song with will.i.am and Cherly Cole is mighty catchy! Samples "Video Killed the Radio Star"
Gwyneth Paltrow attempting to sing
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America
As much as I love Gwyneth Paltrow and think she's one of the most amazing women in the world, I have a little problem with her as a singer...
Sure, her duet with Huey Lewis for the movie Duets was cute, but I thought that was that. To my horror, her new movie is called Country Strong and someone had the bright idea to promote it by letting her sing during the Country Music Awards. Let's watch...
If you're not busy wiping the blood from your ears, then read on. Not so cute anymore, right? I was particularly... I think offended is the correct word... about the whole thing especially because the awards are supposed to be a salute to the best country music artists, not a shameless self-promotion from a would-be singer. Considering other performers included the likes of Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Sugarland, Reba, and Keith Urban, Gwyneth Paltrow's performance was just so far below the calibre of the other (real) musicians. Hell, even the hit-or-miss-when-singing-live Taylor Swift sounded good that night.
Okay, so let's get over that... Unfortunately, it gets worse. Two reasons:
1. She will be appearing (which is no harm) and singing (holy shit) on Glee
2. She will be singing Cee-Lo Green's incredible song "Forget You"
So shock and horror right there; and don't worry, I have proof!
There you go. First the positives. She looks amazing as usual. She actually sounds better here, particularly because of the autotune.
Speaking of which, let's dive head first into the negatives! The autotune done to this song is ridiculous. She sounds like a robot. Glee has been suspect to massive autotuning recently and is losing their initial raw appeal they had when they started.
You can see the difference in tonal quality when Kevin McHale (Artie) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) sang a couple of lines. Lea Michele (Rachel)'s reaction to it all was appropriate.
Her performance itself seemed a little awkward to me, with the whole dancing and big smiles aspect of it. I'm sure her acting and speaking parts are a lot better.
Finally, talk about raping a song. I don't know how Cee-Lo feels about this. It sounded like a bad Kidz Bop cover featuring... Gwyneth Paltrow. Hell on earth right there. I'll still watch the episode, and I'm hoping the other numbers turn out to be much better than this.
So there's my two cents worth on Gwyneth Paltrow's singing experiment... she should stop. I'm sure a lot of people will gobble it up and give her false affirmation, though. Oh well.
The British blitz continues with some Eliza Doolittle! As seen on The Ram
UK release July 12, 2010 Parlophone Records
Not to be confused with the fictional character of the same name, Eliza Doolittle is making waves across the pond. A little more real but no less Cockney than her fictional counterpart, Doolittle is one of Britain's young rising stars. Her self-titled debut album has reached top three status in the UK and has entered the top ten in Ireland. Her singles "Skinny Genes" and "Pack Up" have also achieved chart success.
Doolittle's debut album is definitely a good one for fans of easy listening. Thirteen tracks strong, the album delivers a good mix of upbeat and mellow tracks that showcase her songwriting and vocal abilities. Each track plays to her strengths, and possess a very retro feel to them, while at always staying relevant. Her first two singles "Skinny Genes" and "Pack Up" are two of the stronger cuts off the album, but it is the fifth track titled "Mr. Medicine" that I think is the stand-out song on the record. "Police Car" and "Rollerblades" are also songs of note, but overall, her album is a satisfying one. Nothing about it is groundbreaking, but it is a sufficient introduction for the 22-year-old into mainstream pop.
While I feel like she will struggle to gain much notice in America compared to her native UK, Doolittle is still a very good artist, and worth a listen. She brings a unique sound, which can be described as a mix of Lily Allen's playfulness with Norah Jones' sophistication. A quick search on YouTube will generate tons of videos of her, and I honestly think that with a little bit of exposure and distribution, she can win over an American audience in the same vein as The Ting Tings or Natasha Bedingfield. Doolittle's debut effort is a good one, and should see her gain sustained success in the UK. Whether she'd be able to achieve crossover success is the big question. One thing's for sure; I'll be one of the people who'd welcome her music to American radio with open arms.
Cheryl Cole gained notoriety as a member of Girls Aloud and as Chelsea FC and England footballer Ashley Cole's (now ex) WAG (wives and girlfriends). She is one of the UK's biggest celebrities with her music career, personal life, and her gig as a judge of arguably the UK's most popular talent contest, The X Factor. After her highly publicized separation from the Chelsea fullback, Cheryl has been looking to make a name for herself. While not completely defecting from Girls Aloud, she has now focused on her solo career. Last summer saw her smash hit "Fight for this Love" reach number 1 in the charts along with her solo debut album Three Words.
She certainly didn't waste time in releasing her follow-up album a little over a year after. Cole doesn't have trouble producing hits or selling albums with the first single "Promise This" and the album reaching number one in the charts less than a week after the release. Cole teams up with an array of producers and artists that include will.i.am, Kelis and Travie McCoy.
The album as a whole, though, is decent at best. "Promise This" is a catchy enough tune, but pales in comparison to her solo debut a year ago. The rest of the album seems overly produced, with not a lot of substance. She only helped write two of the songs, and there seems to be an emotional disconnect with most of the tracks. It's a lot of filler songs, and judging by the time frame of the release, the album seems a bit rushed. Although she's known for her upbeat, poppy dance tracks, it's the two slower songs that seem to be the strongest on the album. "The Flood" and "Raindrops" are probably the only two with any sort of emotion and really flatter her vocals (that aren't that strong to begin with).
Messy Little Raindrops is not a bad album, but she can definitely do a lot better. She is not impressing anyone with this effort, and she should take time off her incredibly busy schedule and write her own songs (if she can). It has been reported that she just signed a $6 million deal with Universal Records last week, so we can expect to hear a lot more from her in the near future. She is likeable enough and has enough charisma, which is evident in her success. Now she just has to back it up with the music if she wants to be taken seriously as a solo artist.
Devlin isn't someone you'll hear on basic American radio or television. You probably won't even hear him on American satellite radio, bar BBC Radio 1, where I first heard his single "Runaway." After hearing the song, I immediately got his album, and I was pretty impressed by what I heard. The 21-year-old Dagenham rapper has an interesting sound to him that is very different from the current set of hip-hop we here on this side of the Atlantic. Following the grime tradition of the genre, Devlin combines strong beats with his forceful and passionate rapping style and lyrics. He is one of the UK's fastest rising stars, and for good reason.
Think of Devlin as an unpolished Eminem with a fairly thick East London accent. After the American ear sifts through his initially confusing accent, one would discover a fairly sophisticated rapping style and play on words. He certainly has a lot to improve on and learn, but he is at a good place, considering his age. His beats are fairly standard, often generic, but he more than makes up for this with his lyrics. One part autobiographical, the other part social commentary, Devlin raps about his search for a big break and the goings-on in the world around him. "1989" is a great way to start his album as he raps about growing up and his passion for being an MC. "Brainwashed" deals with his search for fame and attempts at making the big time in a competitive British hip-hop scene. Perhaps the standout cut from his album is "Runaway" featuring London DJ Yasmin. Here you find out about Devlin's struggle to break out of life's monotonies and his ultimate choice to chase his dream. At the same time, he discovers the harsh realities of the real world and the sacrifices he'd have to deal with in order to reach his dream. Another great track is "Our Father" wherein Devlin takes God's point of view about the current goings on in the world, as well as his own take on current events. "If I was God I'd be cross that my son had to die on the cross."
Don't let the title fool you. Bud, Sweat, and Beers is a competent album that is a good listen. It's a great way for Devlin to break into the UK music scene. He's already seen some success, entering the top 20 in the UK album charts, and with his songs "Brainwashed" and "Runaway" doing well in the singles charts. If you're looking for a different kind of rap or want a sample of what hip hop is like across the pond, then Devlin is definitely someone you should give a listen to. His star is on the rise, and he can only get better.
RATING: 6.5/10
Check out his AWESOME single with Yasmin, "Runaway"
The beauty of being a college senior is that I'm able to live in the sweet new dorms armed with a full kitchen. I love cooking, so I've been trying to make some food. I'll be posting them here for your enjoyment...
Crab cake with spinach
Ingredients (yields 2):
2 oz crab either canned or fresh. In this case, I used canned because fresh was too expensive.
1/2 tsp. mustard
1 1/2 tbs. mayonnaise
4 saltine crackers
1 slice toasted whole wheat bread
1/4 of a red onion
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Chili flakes
1 egg
Bread crumbs
Make sure you drain all the liquid from the crabs. Then just mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Seasoning to taste.
Shape into patties and coat with bread crumbs.
Melt a tbs. of butter and a tbs. of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Fry patties. About 4-6 minutes per side on medium high heat.
After you take out the patties, wilt some spinach, season with salt and pepper.
For tartar sauce, just mix some mayo, a little mustard, onions, garlic powder, paprika, juice of 1/4 lemon, and some pickled dill.
Plate, and serve with some toasted bread! I chose to flatten 2 pieces of whole wheat bread on the same pan as the fried stuff so it can crisp up and get some butter. Sprinkle some garlic powder on it.
As I've mentioned below, I have the sorry task of supporting the Indiana Pacers in basketball. In the wonderful world of English Football, I support Liverpool FC. Sure they have a fantastic history, but I haven't seen them win the league in my lifetime. Same deal with the Pacers. This post is about Liverpool, though.
After a promising 2nd place finish a couple of years back, it's all pretty much gone down hill from there. This year has seen Liverpool linger in the relegation zone, but a couple of wins on the trot, including a massive one against champions and leaders Chelsea brought us back in the thick of European spots.
With expectations high for today's match against Wigan Athletic, I wasn't surprised that we could only manage a draw. Following Liverpool has taught me that we can beat Chelsea one day and drop points to a (with all due respect) lesser team on the next match. I wanted the game after Chelsea to be a Europa League one so we could just afford a loss, but Wigan it was.
Fernando Torres finished another splendid goal to bring his tally to 5 on the season; three in the last two games. A rebounded effort from Hugo Rodallega earned Wigan a point, but I would not have been surprised if we lost, given our performance. After the goal, everyone sat deep and allowed Cleverley and N'Zogbia to blast down the flanks. Good thing Wigan's finishing was poor, otherwise we would have been battered.
I don't know why we sat back as much as we did. Roy Hodgson says the players looked tired - a fair assessment. Still, no excuses. Everyone played midweek, and we needed this to propel us to fifth. What is baffling to me is that we opted for Jonjo Shelver and Nathan Eccleston over Milan Jovanovic and David N'Gog... A tricky match against Stoke City is up next...
I think it's only appropriate that my first real post be dedicated to one of my heros - Mike Dunleavy Jr.
I've been a fan of his since his Duke days, and it's been pretty painful watching him struggle in the pros. The only thing that is probably more painful than that is being a Pacers fan (unless you like the Clippers or Knicks).
Dunleavy still shows signs of brilliance (when he plays the Knicks), but hasn't had a stand out game since recovering from a serious knee injury last year.
This season saw him have a sluggish start, shooting just over 30%. Good think Jim O'Brien had faith in him and allowed him to start last night against the Denver Nuggets.
He didn't have the fastest start, shooting 0-3 in his first three attempts. After halftime, he went off. So did the Pacers. Mike made 5 of 5 from behind the arc in a 24 point quarter. The rest of the team added 30 as they mustered a historic 54-point 3rd quarter. If that wasn't impressive enough, they made 20 of 20 shots in the quarter until Josh McRoberts missed a last second three-pointer.
The Pacers went on to win 144-116, with Dunleavy leading scoring at 31. Darren Collison had 29 of his own, while Tyler Hansbrough added 20.
Here's to hoping for more hot shooting in Indy, and for Dunleavy to finally tap into his potential and go from draft bust to late bloomer.
