Hoppy Easter, and all that jazz

T and I just stuffed the kids' mercifully tiny Easter baskets. As we really are agnostics, it is completely beyond me why we celebrate Easter; must be one of those, "but we've always done it this way" kinda things. A few weeks back, playing on the boys' good and generous souls, I suggested we ask the Easter Bunny not to come this year. "You know, boys, we really don't believe in or celebrate Easter, so it seems to me that your baskets are really just pointless opportunities to get a few presents. What if we tell the Bunny to just make sure and visit others this year?"

"No, Mom, no. It's OK. We really do want the Easter Bunny to come." "Hey Jack, should we write the Easter Bunny a letter and give her some ideas?"

The redeeming element in the door that slammed shut on my idea is that Oliver assumes -rightfully, for the love- that the E.B. is female.

Also, I remembered that I'd ordered three stuffed Minions from freaking Hong Kong so decided to go with the kids' Easter verve and try again next year. Easter really is totally weird when you think about it. I mean, a dead man exits a cave, rises and in celebration eons later, a large hind-leg-walking Bunny brings candy-stuffed eggs and random treats to children in their homes. I dunno. Makes perfect sense to me that for two consecutive years my cousin's daughter said, in no uncertain terms, that the E.B. was to leave her basket outside on the front porch; he was not allowed to enter her home.

But long story short, T and I made the flipping baskets, and my primary hope is that the third Minion does not become the central focus of some horrid battle but, rather, can be shared lovingly.

This morning, I took the boys to Tae Kwon Do, and Ol and I proudly watched as J received his red belt. He is extremely proud and satisfied and seemed not to notice how wildly more advanced the rest of the kids in his class are. J's obliviousness to such things has long been a trait I consider him lucky to have, bless his heart. Afterwards, I passed the kids off to T who took them to his parents' house. I cannot tell you how much I loved my hours alone. Lawd a'mercy did I need some quiet. I did a little shopping (the TJ Maxx home section can be fun!), tidied the house and yard, went on a search mission for Percy the escapee pug...you know, the regular.

Dinner was a kale salad and some really delicious grilled shrimp. The marinade was preposterously simple: olive oil, salt, garlic, fresh orange juice, crushed red pepper...and T grilled those little crustaceans perfectly. Meanwhile, we were the lucky witnesses of a magnificent sunset. It looked like a giant, multi-hued Easter egg cascading down the horizon.

Have a good one!

What I did with my chicken...

I had a shockingly good large delivery experience today. How many times can one say that with sincerity and enthusiasm!? Not often! But today, Best Buy delivered. Literally, they brought me a working dryer. They also made good on the customer service promise I'm sure they swear by with less conviction than it might appear. I was told they'd be here between 9 and 11am, and at 9:15 I received a call that the team was on its way. Five minutes later the truck pulled up. Then, as if simply making the window weren't enough, they were in and out in 10 minutes, taking the old dryer with them. When I told T what a good experience it was he initially thought I was joking: "that's not usually what people say about Best Buy." Well, this gal was happy! I later took advantage of the chicken sale at Whole Foods; one for tonight, one for the freezer. I wanted a roast chicken but was unwilling to accept the saggy, baggy skin I usually end up with on an otherwise tasty bird. Research! In her cookbook, the late Judy Rodgers, of Zuni Cafe fame, suggested I wipe dry my chicken, seriously dry!, season it well with salt and pepper, preheat an oven-safe skillet just big enough for it, place the dry and seasoned bird in the dry but hot skillet and wait for the sizzle. It was immediate and a golden skin quickly started to form.

Meanwhile, the oven preheated to 475 convection and once both sides of the chicken had started to adopt a decidedly amber hue, I slid the skillet into the oven and roasted the bird until done. No extra liquid ever. No butter tucked under the skin. No basting. No bells or whistles. Absolutely delicious. Confirmation that I have been doing it all wrong. So glad that I can now rely on this very simple method. Plenty of drippings by the way. I added stock and some powdered roux to them and made a divine gravy. If ever you go to Louisiana, pick up a jar of powdered roux; the secret-ingredient, pièce de résistance for gravy!

For our sides I made some tamarind-scented brown rice, a kale salad and some fennel roasted with dried figs, garlic, honey, lemon and fennel fronds. Lovely, lovely! Dried figs rock, and boy do I love me some fennel.

Fabulous Friday fare

Y'all, I am telling you what: with this dinner, I realize I have mastered the pot roast. Damnation, this was great! I started with a top-notch sirloin tip roast from Springview Farms, an animal-welfare focused farm in Jeterville, VA, who raises its cattle on grass and roaming around outside and then slaughters them in the most humane way possible. I am truly grateful for farms like this: for folks who care about the animals who provide us with sustenance; for farmers who care about the land they work and who realize that the elements are mere parts of a greater whole on which we are all dependent and, as such, for which we should all feel an immense gratitude and responsibility. Anyway, I know the owners of this farm, and they are awesome. And this roast was awesome. It didn't take much: a good browning on all sides, some red wine, onions, thyme, bay leaves, broth and a number of hours in a low oven. Towards the end, I sauteed a mix of mushrooms in some oil and butter, seasoned them with pancetta and thyme, and stirred it all into the thickening gravy. Bellissimo!

For our sides, I decided to go simple with a sauced and parslied strozzapreti (an S-shaped pasta) and a raw kale salad dressed with a garlic and oil mash, some sherry vinegar, walnuts and sultanas. Truly a perfect and delicious dinner.