Menus May 15, 2013

We're connected, as women. It's like a spiderweb. 

 Sarah Addison Allen

It's been years since the ladies converged on my mother's house, though I can't tell you exactly how many years- 4 at least, maybe 5. But they're here tonight, as am I, all of us having traveled from all over to sit together on my mother's porch under the big bright deep-in-the-heart-of-Texas stars. And as it turns out, they have way more important things to talk about than exactly how long it's been since they talked.

Here they are, laughing at Reddit and Henri the existential cat.

There are things that are unique to gatherings of women. At least I think so. Now that I think about it, it's not as if I've ever participated in a gathering of men. I imagine though that when women get together there's less of this:

and more of this:

( That's Nan's cake on the left. It's responsible
for the best sugar high I've had in a long, long time)

There's less grunting, and more giggling. There's less TV, and more talking. Lots of talking.
And though I suppose it's biologically impossible for me to ever really know what a conversation between men is like, I imagine something like this:

"funny story. recent sport thing. the other day
at work. another sport thing. funny story.
a story about a thing breaking."

while conversations between women are a little more like this:

" funny story. And then the children! awful story.
Food! Funny story. ok,but where are the scissors?
Really sad story. This smells so good! funny story.
 Food! Grandchildren! Puppies! Hilarious joke! Miracle Whip
is NOT mayo. Funny story.You really made that?!?
 Story about loss, grief and courage. Shoes! Food!"

Women talk a great deal about food. (This is probably because we and the people for whom we prepare food like to eat regularly.)  So I was certain that if I asked for a little advice about what I ought to try for dinner this week, I'd be given a treasure trove of great ideas. 

And so thanks to Charlie, Darlene, Nan, Linda and Mom, here's what we're having for dinner:

Wednesday: Roast Chicken and salad 

I'll be driving back Dallas-ward, probably picking up a rotisserie chicken on my way home. Mom doesn't know it yet, but the salad will be driving back with me- just as soon as I raid her garden...

This gorgeous spinach, some apple slices, cheese, toasted pecans and a balsamic dressing. Can't wait. The link above takes you to the brilliant America's Test Kitchen method for roasting chicken- if I'm home in time, I'll do this instead of the rotisserie bird, and I'll  follow Charlie's suggestion and roast it with lemon and rosemary. I'm going to need some leftover chicken later in the week, so I'll be cooking extra.

Thursday: Brisket and mashed potatoes and green beans
Sadly, I'll be home in Dallas while the crew here is enjoying my mom's amazing, fork tender beef brisket, so

I'll console myself by making one for the home audience. See that sauce in the pic? That, I think, is tomato gravy. It's been a topic of conversation tonight, as the Yankees in the crowd have been trying to describe it's versatile tastiness to this Southern girl. It sounds fantastic, so I'll be finding a recipe and trying it. There are 6 women here, and almost that many opinions on the best way to do mashed potatoes. If you don't have a favorite method, think of trying Pioneer woman's creamy mashed potatoes. I'll need the brisket in a day or two, so any leftovers are going in the fridge and not the freezer.

Friday: Chicken Pot pie
I've linked you to a pretty easy straighforward recipe, but you can make it even easier by using frozen vegetables and a can of some sort of cream soup as the gravy. There's a spin on chicken pot pie that I've been wanting to try ever since I saw it on the menu of  Snooze Eatery in Denver, so instead of baking the filling between two crusts, I'm going to lay a sheet of puff pastry in an oven proof bowl, bake it a bit, spoon the chicken pie filling in, bake it till it's golden, then top it with an egg. Look at that pic closely. I think you'll understand why I want to give this a go.

Saturday: City Chicken and salad
Ok. This is awesome, because city chicken is not chicken at all. It's pork! And, Darlene says, that back when veal was more PC and less expensive, it was pork and veal. I'm going to use pork tenderloin, or boneless chops, or whatever pork is cheapest this week and make these. I'll put these together with some broccoli- just because broccoli is a favorite around here, and it's been awhile since I cooked any.




Sunday: Meat Pie and potato pancakes

This suggestion comes from my own daughter, the fabulous Liz (that's right,  Custom Cakes Liz is one of my grown up kids) who grew up loving meat pies and loves them still. Instead of ground beef, I'll be spinning the leftover brisket in the processor and using it for the pie filling. There's been some interesting discussions here about shreddy potato pancakes vs. mashed potato potato pancakes. If you have mashed potatoes leftover, then maybe use them up by trying this, or if you like the more traditional latke style shreddy pancakes, check out these beauties at Smitten Kitchen.

I'm also headed for home with some ideas for sweets that I can't wait to try- Charlie says that Cooking Light's Texas Sheet Cake is great, (and maybe it'll freeze in little lunchbag sized portions!) And Linda has told me a story of a cafeteria full of school children going back for seconds of these ubercomfort foody Butter Rolls. Seconds. Of Cafeteria food. This makes me very curious.
Blackberries, wild and tame, ramble all over this place, and there's a rumor that tomorrow, my mom might turn some of them into a slow cooker berry cobbler.

unless I eat them all first.

We are connected, we women, as if by a spider's web.
(In a good way. Not in a terrified housefly about to be eaten way)
And I hope this week that you too feel yourself connected by strong invisible threads to people who love you.
I hope you find yourself somehow in the company of those who see the luminous bits that lie deep in the depths of you.
Those who welcome the shadows and the lights of your story and your soul.
I hope you find yourself surrounded once or twice this week with understanding and laughter.
Because I hope that this week, whether you're in the company of men or the company of women, that you find yourself happily

in the company of friends.