Stress+Baking=CALM

I've been a bit stressed out lately. Times are tough. But I've discovered something. Baking makes it all better...at least for the time being. There's something satisfying about measuring and mixing. I've always been a better cook than a baker (sometimes the precision required gets to me and I crack), but lately, I've been into baking, especially cookies. Cookies are fairly foolproof. There seems to be a bit more room for error and less precise measuring in cookie recipes. I've been making these peanut butter cookies from a pretty basic recipe, and I replace the white flour for whole wheat flour...and sometimes add dark chocolate chips. A sprinkling of sea salt on the tops of the cookies before baking makes them really special.

Ramen Nakamura...Heaven for Oxtail Lovers

Was in Waikiki last week so I had lunch at Ramen Nakamura, home to delicious oxtail ramen. I hadn't been in over a year, and I have great memories of the place. I love oxtail. Like, really, really love them. But here's the thing: in the last year, I've gotten into ramen. Prior to that, I was strictly a saimin/won ton min at Zippy's kind of gal. But now, I've gained a better understanding and appreciation for really good ramen...and I'm not sure I'm into Ramen Nakamura's style of ramen. The oxtails are delicious, but I'm not sure how I feel about the noodles...or the broth. Think I'll be sticking to my favorite, Goma Tei. And trying new places of course.

I Finally Got Poultry Shears...

...which means I get to butterfly chickens! I've always wanted to do this. I butterflied my first chicken last night, and then marinated it in a mix of mustard/herbs/garlic/butter. I roasted it at high heat...and well, it was OK. It was very moist, but I wanted crispier skin. Next time, I'll try broiling it, like, 8 inches from the coils. I think then the butterflied chicken will be what I want it to be. And if not, then we're breaking up.

The BEALT

My BF, Shawn, conceptualized this sandwich about 6 months ago. I've since perfected it with lots of practice. What goes into a BEALT? Bacon, egg, avocado, lettuce and tomato. We've since added horseradish, making it the BEALTH, I guess...which doesn't sound as good. Here's what goes into this: very lightly toasted bread (Shawn is a stickler for light toasting--no crunchy, hard bread here), mayonnaise on both sides (I use Best Foods), and a layer of creamy horseradish. Mash up a quarter of an avocado and spread that on. Then it's lettuce, thinly sliced ripe tomato slices, 3-4 pieces of crispy bacon, and the grand finale, a perfectly cooked egg over easy. I find that the secret to the egg is to turn it and let it cook for just a few seconds on the yolk side. You want the yolk to run, but not sprint.