So much going on Wednesday

What day is it? I swear I had to look at the calendar to know. It is still raining, and it is still cold. Apparently we may get lots of snow tomorrow, but then the temperature will jump on Friday by about 20 degrees. This is weird. Beyond the obvious and troubling link to our changing climate, I only care about this slightly right now because in less than 36 hours, T and I are blowing this joint and heading to Charleston. There, it is to be sunny the whole time and range from about 52 - 58 degrees. In more ways than one, this is such a light at the end of the tunnel. Though I am fully aware that my innate energy level is high to a degree that probably places me in some sort of red zone, even I have been dissatisfied with the pace of the wheel I've been running on since 2013 commenced. Slow down, you antsy tread! Most everything has been good and enjoyable but damnation have I been swamped. Today, for example, I went to the bank, the market, three school drop-offs/pick-ups, out to lunch with Oliver as his daily pleas for 2Amy's finally wore me down, started planning a Wonder Woman/Hello Kitty party for Ol (this is such a weird confluence of themes but it's his day, so whatever; the only connecting thread I can see is that he has a crush on each- who has a crush on Hello Kitty??!!), took dictation of what he wanted for his birthday (one item was hand-wipes in a packet like the ones I carry in my purse; I'm not sure what to make of this- he's definitely not OCD so is it that the package is orange and green which are his favorite colors? does he simply want access to a thing I tend to mete out stingily?), talked to one of my best-ever college friends (finally; I love you, ASOJ), worked diligently on my writing homework and planned the menu for T's birthday dinner tomorrow night.

I played a sabbath card around 7 so I could break for dinner and was thrilled to find two more servings of that fabulous leeky sunchoke bisque waiting for me in the fridge. I ate half of that with a side of mozzarella, avocado and heirloom tomato. Though I try to eat seasonally and locally, I was tonight very thankful for the South American greenhouse that allowed me to enjoy a good - versus winter- tomato in the midst of January. I was also excited to open the Puglian olive oil my sister and brother-in-law gave me for Christmas. They know the producer, and it made for a wonderfully tasty and cool drizzle. With din, I poured a glass (now two) of a truly delicious CA Cab, the Stuhlmuller 2007 Cab Sauv from Alexander Valley.

Quite a few of you seemed stoked about the stuffed chicken and turnip dishes from last night. I will write up a formal recipe for each sometime soon but hope this cursory guide for the chicken will suffice for now:

Take two boneless chicken breasts and carefully slice them cross-wise but not all the way through. You want to be able to open them like a book. Season the bejesus out of the chicken with salt and fresh pepper, going heavier on the salt. Take a fresh bunch of spinach and wash it well; remove any overly thick stems. Steam the spinach using a steamer basket and then drain well and squeeze out any excess water. In a skillet, put some olive oil, two tablespoons of each sultanas (or regular raisins) and pistachios, one minced clove of garlic, more salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes and then add the spinach, heating until everything is warmed through but not overcooked.

When the spinach mix has cooled slightly, carefully stuff all you can into each chicken cavity. Close up the chickens and tie them shut. Save any extra spinach to serve on the side!

In a 12" cast iron  or other heavy skillet, put some olive oil and heat over high heat until the skillet is WOW hot. Add the chicken breasts and sear really well on each side, maybe 4 or 5 minutes on each. Lower the heat and cook until the chicken is just cooked through. You can tent with foil or a lid to keep moisture in too, after the initial sears...

Redeeming dinner to be sure

Ooh, Nelly, this turned out well. I am telling y'all, I needed a win tonight, no matter how insignificant. We got two of Percy's dew claws cut -swear to god their length was setting records- and I pulled out my cast iron wonder skillet again to make some spinach-sultana-pistachio-stuffed chicken breasts. That skillet sears so nicely; you get such a terrific browning, and I love that each time it's used, it gets seasoned all the more. Fantastic product! So reasonably priced too!

Alongside our chicken, I made a turnip dish inspired by my mom's (and her mom's) Momo Potatoes, a most delicious blend of potatoes, onions, cheddar and bacon, all of which is cooked and comes together in a skillet. One pot, great outcome. Love it. Anyway, my version subbed Hakurei turnips for the potatoes, omitted the onions, replaced the cheddar with aged Gouda and definitely kept the bacon. This was an excellent riff and one I'd definitely make again. The aged Gouda just loves bacon and the turnips provide a delightful juxtaposition of sweet. Mmm! Alongside a trusty glass of Grgich Hills Fumé Blanc, well, I'm feeling on the up!

Dinner at Palena, cinnamon rolls, tired

Oliver has enjoyed being back at school, and Jack needs to head in that direction too. He is fabulously happy staying at home, lazing about with me, Mom and Dad (Misse and Poppy to him), but he's starting to talk and repeat himself to such a degree that lets me know he needs some serious structure and external stimulation to re-emerge in his life, a la school. Mon dieu did he vocalize a lot today. Aah! Tomorrow is J's 6½ birthday, and he requested cinnamon rolls. They've been rising for quite some time but I think the final rise is just going to have to wait until tomorrow as it's 11p now and I'm pooped. We went to Palena tonight, a wonderful restaurant at which we've been dining happily for years. It's the kind of place where the bar is always a welcome and happy stoop- stocked with excellent drinks, superbly trained bartenders and a delightful lack of pretension. You can dine fully at Palena's bar or transfer your tab to the comfortable banquette to which you might relocate, as we did tonight.

MOST unfortunately, Palena, in a renovation and expansion it undertook a couple years back, excised from its menu, the "fry plate." I'm not much of a fried food lover but this melange of fried goodies was remarkable: Meyer lemon rings, dauphine potatoes, shoestrings and onions perfectly crisped and served alongside a sriracha aioli. I miss it terribly and am certain many other patrons do too.

However, the rest of the menu remains great including the roast chicken (which I got again tonight and has never disappointed), the cheeseburger (which T and Dad ordered and scarfed down, as usual) and the other assorted goodies like warm provolone with truffle salt and honey, and the most scrumptious lemon posset for dessert. The wine and drinks were fab as always, and we meandered home feeling mightily warm, satisfied and happy.