a grand sendoff to lost

Like many people in this country and across the globe, I was (am still) a huge Lost fan.  Though I never purported to have it all figured out, and my theories of its hidden meanings switched as often as Ben betrayed alliances, I have been captivated by the show through the years.  It was only fitting to have a proper farewell to a show that has wormed its way into so many obsessive conversations with the Fiance, coworkers, and even my grandmother.

Last night, my friends and I gathered for an "Only allowed to talk during commercial breaks otherwise I will punch you in the face" viewing of the finale.  Of course, no gathering of mine is complete without fab food, so we assembled an assortment of tropical island inspired food.  Guacamole (okay that one is more because guac is just about the best thing ever), chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce, curry fried rice, and coconut cupcakes.  

This isn't an exact recipe by any means, just a recap of what I did and certainly open to personalization - kind of like the Lost finale itself, which answered some questions but left a lot open to interpretation.

Chicken Curry and Cashew Fried Rice

-yields 8 generous servings-

2 1/2 cups brown basmati rice

1 cup cashews

8 eggs, mixed

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds chicken, diced

1 can cubed pineapple, drained

fish sauce, to taste

soy sauce, to taste

canola oil

Curry Powder (my super-simple version):

1/4 cup ground cumin

3 tablespoons tumeric

2 tablespoons coriander

Prepare rice according to package, using a little less water than normal to create a dry rice.

Take half of the curry powder (or 1/4 cup of store-bought curry powder), add about two tablespoons of canola oil and stir to hydrate the curry powder and create a marinade.  Coat the raw chicken and set aside until needed.

Toast the cashews in a large (huge, like 12 inches if not more) skillet or wok.  Remove from pan and set aside.  

In the same pan, soft scramble the eggs using canola oil, remove from pan and set aside.

Add a couple tablespoons of canola oil to the pan, turn on high heat.  Once hot, add remaining half of the curry powder mixture and coconut milk to the pan.  Cook for a minute, then add onions and peppers, salt and pepper, and cook until just tender.  Add garlic, cook for one more minute, then remove from pan and set aside.

Reheat skillet over high heat, add the curry-marinated chicken, salt and pepper, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.  Add the rice, onions and peppers, cashews, and pineapple to the skillet and stir together.  Taste the rice, and add fish sauce and/or soy sauce if needed.

Once you're happy with the saltiness (more is better!), add the eggs and serve.

taking a short break

I'm a little stressed out right now, and I'm desperately trying to hold on to that gossamer shred of sanity that's keeping me from going over the edge.  All I really do is sit back and wallow in hummus - um, I meant snuggle on my couch.


My 23 year old brother is getting married this weekend, and I have 5 days now to finish his wedding cake.  5 days can seem like a lot of time, but when you are interrupted by that pesky little thing called work then 5 days is really not that long.  It's really just a couple of hours each night to bake the cakes (two flavors), make the fillings (vanilla custard and raspberry mousse), cut, stack, and mask each tier (all three of them) and then figure out a way to get them packed into a cooler and ready to fly across the country with me to Monterey.


Yeah, breathe ....


So today for dinner, something simple: homemade hummus with baked tortilla chips.  Not bad, eh?  Almost good enough to forget I have a busy busy week ahead of me.