I made banana bread the other day, but I didn't write about it yet since I didn't try it. It was supposed to be banana nut bread but my oven hates me and the temperature fluctuates (plus or minus 20 degrees celcius, according to my new oven thermometer!) and scorched them in half the time they were meant to take. So the bread is nut-free and a little dark on top, but it might be ok inside, and if it works I'll post the recipe.
Tonight my plans are more ambitious. I have a special friend coming over, and I've gotten it in my head I need to make something complex and new. In my terrible useless tiny broken single oven. In my tiny British kitchen. Because I'm a crazy person who welcomes stress and disappointment into my life. I could tell my friend to pick up Chinese food on the way home and he'd be just as happy. He's a boy, come on, he just wants food, not a big production, he will not be evaluating my worth based on the success or failure of this meal (only I will be doing that). But noooooo, I send panic and certain failure a handwritten invitation to join me tonight, all for my own ridiculous need to come off as a very capable domestic goddess who can't get a job for the life of me but sure as hell can feed a person... *facepalm*
On the menu tonight is Old Bay chicken, roasted potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with rosemary, steamed veggies, and biscuits. Only two of those will go well. Biscuits: hater please, I'm A-merican, this is not going to be an issue for me. Unless the oven kills them. Plus, it will expose one more British man to the wonder that is American biscuits (British biscuits are lame cookies, and there is absolutely no way to explain an American biscuit to a Brit, there is just nothing like it in this country to equate them to). I'm also confident in my ability to effectively boil water, so I've got the veggies on lockdown. (Interesting sidebar and mini Brit lesson, "veggie" in England means a vegetarian, not a vegetable. "Veg" means vegetable. Don't tell a Brit you are having "veggies" for dinner, or you picked up some "veggies" at the store).
Tonight my plans are more ambitious. I have a special friend coming over, and I've gotten it in my head I need to make something complex and new. In my terrible useless tiny broken single oven. In my tiny British kitchen. Because I'm a crazy person who welcomes stress and disappointment into my life. I could tell my friend to pick up Chinese food on the way home and he'd be just as happy. He's a boy, come on, he just wants food, not a big production, he will not be evaluating my worth based on the success or failure of this meal (only I will be doing that). But noooooo, I send panic and certain failure a handwritten invitation to join me tonight, all for my own ridiculous need to come off as a very capable domestic goddess who can't get a job for the life of me but sure as hell can feed a person... *facepalm*
On the menu tonight is Old Bay chicken, roasted potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with rosemary, steamed veggies, and biscuits. Only two of those will go well. Biscuits: hater please, I'm A-merican, this is not going to be an issue for me. Unless the oven kills them. Plus, it will expose one more British man to the wonder that is American biscuits (British biscuits are lame cookies, and there is absolutely no way to explain an American biscuit to a Brit, there is just nothing like it in this country to equate them to). I'm also confident in my ability to effectively boil water, so I've got the veggies on lockdown. (Interesting sidebar and mini Brit lesson, "veggie" in England means a vegetarian, not a vegetable. "Veg" means vegetable. Don't tell a Brit you are having "veggies" for dinner, or you picked up some "veggies" at the store).
Issues I will have tonight: I've never made a whole chicken before. After my two turkey experiences I feel it will be alright, maybe even comparatively easy, but still, new territory for me. And, I've never worked with parsnips before. Well, there were candied parsnips at my first Thanksgiving here in '09, but the other girl cooking with me was in charge there, so I only saw them being done from my station at the other counter where I was elbow-deep in pie crust. Plus, to candy something is really different than roasting it. And the final issue for the evening is doing both of those scary new things in the oven that likes to see me cry. I don't even know how to fit them both in there at the same time.
And still, in spite of all these reasons to order a pizza, I'm making my shopping list for my trek up the hill to the grocery store. What is wrong with me??
Shout out to two of my wonderful friends from back home for helping inspire this meal tonight which, despite all the above-stated cynical reasons not to be, I'm actually really really excited to attempt. They both are engaging writers with a flair for the domestic side of life (not to mention absolutely lovely people), and I follow their blogs eagerly. Alex of All Things Sweet And Savory, I have been craving biscuits since you made your Red Lobster-inspired cheddar ones. And yes, I know how long ago that was, that is how desperate the situation is, I need them!! And Claire of CuteBerg, ever since the touching post of the " 'Dear Jo, I Adore You' Old Bay Roasted Potatoes," I think of you every time I eat Old Bay, which is pretty darn often for someone who doesn't eat seafood-- I can't get enough of its crabby, Maryland-y, nostalgic-y goodness. I miss you both.
Shout out to two of my wonderful friends from back home for helping inspire this meal tonight which, despite all the above-stated cynical reasons not to be, I'm actually really really excited to attempt. They both are engaging writers with a flair for the domestic side of life (not to mention absolutely lovely people), and I follow their blogs eagerly. Alex of All Things Sweet And Savory, I have been craving biscuits since you made your Red Lobster-inspired cheddar ones. And yes, I know how long ago that was, that is how desperate the situation is, I need them!! And Claire of CuteBerg, ever since the touching post of the " 'Dear Jo, I Adore You' Old Bay Roasted Potatoes," I think of you every time I eat Old Bay, which is pretty darn often for someone who doesn't eat seafood-- I can't get enough of its crabby, Maryland-y, nostalgic-y goodness. I miss you both.
So I've been catching up on everything in my Google reader, which means I knew that this meal was a success before I knew that you were worried about it, so yay! I'm roasting a chicken tonight, but that's kind of my 'I'm feeling lazy and just want to stick something in the oven and be done' meal. Then again, my oven isn't evil. Maybe I will un-abandon my blog now that I'm living in Kentucky with nothing to do but, sadly, also search for a job.
ReplyDeleteI miss you, girlie!