blackened

Our lunch special at the restaurant today was a blackened chicken sandwich on toasted rye, with lettuce, tomato and a spicy remoulade. It was outstanding! My lips are still recovering from the fire.

I'm thinking about cooking up some swiss chard too...though I'm not sure what to eat it with...leftover mac-n-cheese? We did a taste test yesterday in our home kitchen. Mom was craving Kraft mac-n-cheese, but I refused to let her buy it. Too many chemicals and fake shit. So we bought boxes of both Annie's and Nature's Promise (Stop & Shop's store brand natural food label, very good!). They tasted identical if you ask me. Mom said they weren't cheddary enough for her. I think it's because she's used to those darn fake ingredients. In any event, we ended up putting them together in the same container. The Annie's proved to be the winner though as far as nutrients go - less cholesterol, sodium, carbs, etc. Way to go Annie!

It's funny, my friend Cristian tells me that my life revolves around food. I'm starting to think he's right! Almost every time he asks me how things are going, I respond with a food-related comment: "Oh I just cooked up the best ______ and ate all of it!" or "I'm just about to make a stir-fry." I grew up in a family of chefs! Or would they be chefettes? All women! In any event, my mom's mom was the baker. Dad's mom is the best at pasta sauce and apple pie. Mom inherited the baking skills and makes great chicken dishes. My sister? She can whip up any cultural meal you crave...Mexican, Asian, Indian...the list goes on. She's also got a flare for brunch. I'm more practiced at rice and beans, fried plantains, salads, soups and the occasional curry. I'm also down with the cultural food, and those with freshest ingredients.

Writing about all of this makes me excited all over again for my new toothbrush - haha! Now I look forward to brushing my teeth in the morning and night. My friend Amanda teases me about my brushing habits. It has to be two minutes. And I have to brush my teeth as soon as I wake up or I can't enjoy my morning. Anyway, I've never really been bothered by that funky orange-juice-mixed-with-toothpaste flavor you get after brushing. I'm fascinated by it!

I think I'm going to tackle that swiss chard. Well, I'm not going to grab it by the stem and wrestle it to the ground...I just meant that I'm going to try a new recipe with it.

Buen provecho!