Dec
19
The problem with snow and Seattle is that it’s a hilly-ass city and there’s, like, one plow.
(Call Mr. Plow
That’s my name
That name again
Is Mr. Plow!)
The streets are a mess and since we’re all a bunch of Starbucks-sucking, socks-with-sandals-wearing Pacific Northwesterners who don’t know what to do in freezing weather you see a lot of this:
Which, dude, sucks to be you, driving your car into a damn tree and all, but it could be worse — how’d you like to be the bus drivers who surely filled their pants in unison as this happened?
(Photo credit: Seattle Times)
The weather is predicted to get worse: tomorrow we’re supposed to experience some unholy combination of more snow, gale-force winds, and freezing rain, so JB’s been scurrying around stocking up on emergency supplies and reminding me it was TOO a good idea to get a generator. My tactic for dealing with being mostly housebound is to eat pretty much constantly, because what the hell, if we lose power at least I’ll have some extra blubber for warmth.
This brings me to the Big Easy, which my family just sent us as a holiday gift. I’d heard of this product because my aunt’s client manufactures it, but I had no idea how awesome it really was until we set it up yesterday. It’s an oilless turkey fryer which cooks via infrared (I have no idea how it works, really, there could be tiny grilling elves crammed in its innards for all I know), and we gave it a test-run with a chicken.
Here’s what it looks like. Like my aunt says, it sort of resembles R2-D2.
I seasoned a chicken (sorry, I know: gross raw dead thing, SORRY) and we stuck it in the rack with a meat thermometer.
You put the rack in the grill . . .
And that’s IT. You just LEAVE IT THERE.
When the thermometer said it was up to temperature (about an hour or so), we pulled it out. HELLO MY ROASTED MEATY FRIEND.
And it was, no lie, the best chicken I have ever eaten in my entire life. No shit. It was super juicy and the skin was crispy and delicious.
Very very cool product, we are going to use it a ton. Especially if the power goes out this weekend.
Oh, and since I’m already blathering away about food, please enjoy this recipe for chocolate chip cookies:
3 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
Preheat oven 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown (pull ’em out when they’re still a little doughy). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
I know, I know, you’re thinking, I already have a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. All I can say is, there is a chocolate chip cookie and there is something that’s like an edible, involuntary pelvic muscle spasm, and this recipe produces the latter.
Comments
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Okay. I made the cookies yesterday to exact specifications, and they were perfect. Perfect. I’m now hopelessly devoted to this recipe.
I just made these and you are so right. BEST COOKIES EVER. All other chocolate chip recipes out the door!
Yes! This recipe halves very well! The cookies are awesome!
i usually make fancy-ass cherry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies i got from epicurious, but i was out of the extras. i remembered something on your blog a while back about the magical properties of these, so i just made them (adding some pecans and baking 16 minutes) and mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm thank you.
Can you believe I have been making your marvelous recipe for nine years? I have it bookmarked and I just type in stormy to pull it up. My favorites stampede over when I say I am pulling out the ingredients. Hope you and the boys have a lovely weekend. :)