Skewers of Sadness

I was supposed to be in California this week with Bug.  The kids are off school here in NYC, and I was just itching to get out of the city and back to the laid-back, sunny vibe of my home state.  But then Bug got sick and, after delaying our flight not once but twice, we ultimately decided we'd have to let California go.  So it's been a tough week, particularly when I'm really, really feeling like I need a break from NYC.  And being almost 11 years old, Bug is keenly aware that this is "all my fault."  It's been a sad, sad house.

So I decided to cheer myself up with these shrimp-and-bread skewers.  Last summer, during our annual West Coast trip, our friends Amy and Lisa introduced us to these awesome (and easy) skewers: shrimp, bread, olive oil, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes.  That's it!  Naturally, Amy and Lisa barbecued them but, in my home, I have to resort to my urban BBQ: my cast-iron stovetop grill.  When I told Amy I was going to make these skewers to try to make up for the fact that I wasn't seeing them this week, she replied, "Yeah, you're making Skewers of SADNESS!"  And I think the name may stick in our house.  Here was the menu I put up this week:

Nevertheless, these don't make me sad at all.  They remind me of summer days on Amy and Lisa's patio (here's a picture), and they remind me of taking life easy...those moments when all I have to do is laugh and eat...and that's it.  And couldn't we all use some sunshine, summer, laughter, conversation, friends, family, smiles?  Hopefully these will take you there.

SHRIMP-AND-BREAD SKEWERS
a.k.a. Skewers of Sadness

Serves 2

3/4 pound large shrimp, deveined, tales removed
1/2 baguette, cut into 1-inch chunks
olive oil
fennel seeds
crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper
kosher salt

1. Toss shrimp and bread chunks with enough olive oil to evenly and generously coat everything.  Add fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, to taste.

2. Thread shrimp and bread onto skewers.  I like to keep the shrimp on their own skewers, and likewise with the bread - this helps everything cook more evenly.  But feel free to alternate the bread and shrimp, if you'd like, which makes for a better presentation.

3. Grill the skewers on a barbecue grill, or on a stovetop grill set on high.  Grill until shrimp are pink and cooked through, and the bread should be toasted with grill marks.

4. Depending on how you made the skewers, you can either serve them directly on the plate, or you can remove the shrimp and bread from the skewers and add to a large serving platter or bowl.  Add a salad as a side dish (I ate mine with sugar snap peas in this case...which are ridiculously out of season, but I just couldn't help myself...).

When I bought our tickets to California, I got super excited and made a "California Love" playlist to listen to while driving around in my parents' new convertible.  Pathetically, I've had it playing on repeat in my apartment for the last four days.  Here's a sample of my favorites:

The one song missing from here is "California" by Stop 186.  It's my favorite California-themed song but I just couldn't get it for this playlist.  And sue me...but I like Counting Crows' version of "Big Yellow Taxi" better than Joni Mitchell's...

Eat, drink, and listen to "California Dreamin'" one...more...time...

Roast Chicken

We went to the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday, and I was so excited about the sun beating down that I  insisted Adam go do the shopping while I watched Bug on the playground, thus allowing my skin to darken from white to...something closer to off-white.  Adam brought back the bounty (sugar snap peas!  strawberries!  asparagus!) and announced that he also got a whole chicken from our favorite stand: Grazin' Angus Acres.  A whole chicken?  What?  We don't tend to eat chicken - it's dry and bland more often than not, it seems - but here's the story Adam told me:

He went to the Grazin' Angus guys to get the eggs and flap steak we love.  They told Adam about the chicken and, of course, he was dismissive.  Long story short, they all but challenged Adam to try it and even went so far as to say, "If you don't like our chicken, you won't like any chicken."  Big words.  But this is one of the joys of buying from a purveyor you know and trust: we knew that these guys weren't saying all this lightly and we have learned to trust both them and their products.  So Adam bought a chicken - all that was left was a rather large one that cost us a cool $37!  And they were holding it for us while Adam sat in the sun with me, relaying this story.  The Grazin' Angus guys also told Adam that all the chicken needed was salt and pepper on the skin.  If you have some gorgeous fresh herbs, stuff those in the cavity.  But that's all.

This is where I kind of lost it.  "Not even lemon?  You sure?  Because I have a le..."

"No, no lemon."

"Seriously?"

"Laura, I'm just telling you what the man said to me.  Ask him yourself when we pick up the bird."

Fine, I will, I thought.  So we pick up the chicken and he tells us that, ideally, you want a 500-degree oven for an hour and 15 minutes; this will create a lot of smoke so, if you're living in an apartment like us, then you can do 450-degrees for the same amount of time.  He confirmed salt and pepper on the outside.  And then I asked, "And in the cavity?"

"Herbs, maybe.  Rosemary is fine.  Just a small amount of thyme - thyme can overpower it."

"And what about lemon?  I have a le..."

"Don't you dare put lemon in my chicken!!!!"

I threw up my hands and begged for mercy, hoping he'd still let us walk away with his chicken (he did).  And our interaction ended with a promise that "you'll be spoiled by our chicken, just like we spoiled you with our eggs and beef!"

We got home and I cranked the oven to 500-degrees.  I knew it would smoke too much for our little 900-square foot apartment but I had to at least try, right?  I sprinkled the outside with kosher salt and fresh pepper, and I crammed the cavity full of rosemary.  I was soooo skeptical.  I wasn't a believer and had no trust.  So I put a ton of rosemary in that thing.

Then it was in the oven.  At 20 minutes, I had to take the battery out of our smoke alarm.  At 35 minutes, I turned the oven down to 450 degrees.  Adam told me the whole floor smelled like roast chicken.  You're welcome, neighbors.  At an hour and 15 minutes, it came out.  Easy as that.  And here's the result:

The verdict?  Outstanding.  The meat was so juicy, of course, but what struck me most was the sweetness.  I had never tasted chicken that was sweet...and flavorful with little help from me.  It was gorgeous.  And the juices had pooled up in the bottom of the platter so we dipped our bites in the juice, which took it up to a whole other level.  The only thing I might have done differently was add more salt and pepper before roasting but, really, I'm being nitpicky.  It was damn near perfect.

We ate it with raw sugar snap peas (from the Migliorelli Farm stand in Union Square) tossed in olive oil and flake salt:

And black-pepper Parmesan bread (from the Rock Hill Bakehouse stand) dipped in olive oil and course sea salt:

What an amazing Saturday meal!

And what about Bug?  Well, she liked the peas and she liked the bread.  We told her she had to at least try the chicken (which she normally won't touch).  When she asked for the wing, we were skeptical.  But what do you know...she ate the whole wing.  Then she at a leg.  In short, she loved it.  Do I think she'll be a chicken eater from now on?  Of course not.  I'm certain this was a fluke.  But between Bug eating the chicken and the Grazin' Angus Acres guys...clearly, I'm not always right.

Eat, drink, and happily admit defeat.