I strongly believe that dietary habits play a large role in our ability to live a fulfilled life. Food is an essential element that aids in optimal physical and emotional well being. The body needs whole foods, foods in the natural state, and as nature provides them in order to function well. If this is done then balance is achieved both emotional and physically.

One may question how emotional well being is linked with the food you choose to eat. In order to have a feeling of rightness about yourself and where you are in life you must first be happy with yourself. In my experience the only way to be fully happy with yourself is to feel good from the inside out. A way to achieve happiness on the inside is to fuel your body with nourishing foods. Ones that will aid in proper function of all your organs. When your organs are all completing their assigned jobs the mind will be clear and allow you to feel appropriate emotions in any situation.

It is well known that physical well being is linked with a healthy diet. To be physically fit is to have a body and mind that functions easily. It is the feeling of physical strength, endurance, and the effortless movement of your body. Your body needs specific nutrients in order for this to happen. These nutrients are found in real food, not food made by man or in factories.

Once balance is achieved it becomes easier to have a healthy attitude towards life, to care for yourself, and others.

Once I graduate the culinary program (two weeks...yikes) I hope to educate on the nutritional aspects of living a happy healthier life through good food. It is my goal is make the world a healthier place one palate at a time.

It seems like just yesterday my mom and I were unpacking my suitcases and getting me settled into my apartment here in New York. That was three and a half months ago. She arrived back in New York last Friday. She, Steve, my Grandma, Susie, Lynnie, Uncle Chuck, and a handful of family friends are in town to attend my "Friday Night Dinner". Although I was beyond thrilled to have everyone fly in for the event, it was nice to have my mom to myself for a couple of days.

On Saturday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked down to The Chelsea Market. One thing I love about my mom is her ability to walk anywhere, even when she has on uncomfortable shoes. By the time we got down to the market we were ready for lunch. One of her favorite East Coast treat is a lobster roll. Luckily for her there is a fantastic seafood mart in the Chelsea Market. After polishing off lunch we continued browsing the cute little shops and bakeries. We were planning on taking a picnic aboard The Intrepid ship for the Summer Movie Series that evening for dinner, so we bought cheese, bread, olives, veggies, and fruit to fill our basket.

The summer movies series event takes place every Saturday night aboard the Intrepid ship. The chosen movie is played on a big screen after sunset. Laying on the flight deck while surrounded with vintage airplanes and a beautiful sunset makes for an amazing back drop to an outdoor movie. So perfect that I managed to stay awake for the entire movie, a major accomplishment for me.

In addition to the cheese, bread, salad, and fruit we also brought some chilled tomato soup I had made in school. It was the perfect addition to our picnic.

CHILLED TOMATO SOUP
INGREDIENTS
-2 yellow tomatoes (4 to 5 oz each)
- 2 red tomatoes (4 to 5 oz each)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chile-pepper water
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic

PROCEDURE
-Preheat oven to 300°F.
-Bake tomatoes in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven 10 minutes.
-Coarsely chop yellow and red tomatoes separately.
-Blend yellow tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon chile-pepper water, and 1 teaspoon garlic in a blender until smooth.
-Force soup through a fine sieve into a large liquid-measuring cup, pressing hard on solids, and season with salt.
-Make red-tomato soup in same manner with remaining soup ingredients, straining into a separate liquid-measuring cup.
-Chill soups, covered, until cold.

Pour soups simultaneously from opposite sides into a bowl (colors will remain separate), using about one fourth of each soup.

Market Fresh

Going to the Green Market is a bi-weekly occurrence for me. Here shoppers not only have access to homegrown produce, meats, cheeses, jams, and honeys but a chance to meet the local farmers, bakers, and harvesters.Communicating with the farmers makes it apparent how much passion goes into the production of the food sold here. Much of the fare is organically grown, and all of it is local, including the grass-fed beef, farm fresh eggs/dairy, and poultry. To add icing to the cake, more than a few farmers donate end-of-day unsold produce to City Harvest, which directs food donations to food pantries and soup kitchens citywide.

I am a fast walker, as is my mom and sisters (it must be hereditary). Walking through the market is one of the few times I slow my pace down. I am one of the annoying shoppers walking at a snails pace stopping to observe every booth and snapping pictures. I borderline stalk the fresh produce. If restraining orders were given out for lurking around and starring at fresh produce too long I would be slapped with one (proudly).

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in a cooking demo at the market. We made a delicious garlic scape and purple potato soup. The smell of the garlic and the free samples lured the shoppers to our tent. Telling by how many shoppers bought garlic scape and potatoes, the soup was a success.

I recommend heading down to your local farmers market, picking up ingredients, and making the following Market Fresh recipe. All of the ingredients can be found at my local green market and hopefully yours too.

HALIBUT TACOS WITH ONION RELISH
INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2lb halibut fillets, bones removed
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 lime, juiced
-1 tablespoon garlic, minced
-3 tablespoon cider vinegar
-4 tablespoon red or white onions, diced fine
-1/2 lb cherry tomatoes
-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
-10 tortillas
-sea salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
- Pat fish dry and season with salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
-On a warm skillet, sear the fillet on one side until the edges of the fish before in turn opaque. Flip the fish with a spatula, and cook until the fish is opaque throughout, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle cumin over the fish, transfer to a shallow bowl and flake fish apart with a fork. Squeeze lime over the top.
-While fish is cooking, make the onion relish. Combine garlic, vinegar, and onions and salt. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
-Rub the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and seat on the hot skillet for about 4 minutes or until the skin begins to darken.
-Heat the tortillas briefly on the hot skillet just long enough to warm though.
-Drizzle some of the vinegar and garlic liquid from the onions over the fish. Place the fish, onion relish, tomatoes and cilantro in center of each tortilla.

One of the last nights Taber was here we stumbled upon a darling cafe making crepes to order. Both the delicious smell and jar of Nutella in the window drew us in. I made crepes in school a few weeks ago. We filled half of them with a variety of fresh fruits and the other half with savory vegetables. When I get home I plan on attempting a homemade chocolate hazelnut spread. One without sugar as one of the main ingredients. Crepes can be difficult to make.The first crepe in the pan will not be successful (usually). Don't let it frustrate you, snack on the deconstructed pieces of it as you transform the rest of the batter into beautiful golden blankets.

Fill the crepes with whatever your taste buds desire. Sweet, savory, or a combo of both. Anything goes with these. My favorite crepe from class was a berry banana filling topped with a dark chocolate chili sauce.

BASIC CREPES
INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, (for dessert crepes; optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup 1% organic milk
- 2 canola oil
- 1/2 cup seltzer water, or club soda

DIRECTION;

- Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, coconut sugar (if using), salt, eggs, milk and oil in a blender; process until smooth, scraping the sides once or twice. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Slowly whisk seltzer water (or club soda) into the crepe batter. Lightly oil a small nonstick skillet with a crumpled paper towel; heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Ladle about 2 tablespoons batter into the skillet with a small ladle or measuring cup; immediately tilt and rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly over the bottom.
- Cook the crepe until the underside is lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Using a small metal spatula or a fork, lift the edge of the crepe, quickly grasp it with your fingers and flip. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 20 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a plate.
- If serving immediately, fill and roll or fold the crepe. Continue to cook crepes with the remaining batter, oiling the pan as needed and stacking crepes as you go.

**To make a savory crepe batter add dried herbs to the batter.

Jinx

I took my level of "uniform decoration" to an entire new level today. After spending an hour garnishing my strawberry almond torte (the recipe I posted yesterday)with kiwis and strawberries I put it on top of the speed rack for later use, which is two feet taller than me. At the time, I thought this would be a safe spot for my beautiful torte. Out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the other chefs and away from the hot ovens. Little did I know that the biggest threat to my torte would be my own two hands. I reached up to take it off the speed rack to cut for service. What happened next is both comical and depressing. The torte slid off the cake stand, onto my head, and then onto the floor. The entire kitchen stopped and all eyes were on me as I stood in a pile of strawberry, kiwi, orange, and almond cake. Their expressions were somber, waiting to see if I was going to burst into tears, throw something, or laugh. I choose to smile. Partly to keep my tears from flowing and partly because I was in disbelief that I had just dropped a torte on my head.

Next time you have a bad day imagine me in the middle of a busy kitchen covered from head to toe in torte. Or even better, imagine the entire process of the torte sliding in slow motion off the cake stand, onto my head, and slowly dripping down my body onto the kitchen floor. Hopefully it will help you crack a smile.

What Color Will My Uniform Be Today

I have stayed true to myself while in school...by the end of the day I am always the messiest student in class. If I am cooking with tomato sauce, I end up with a white and red uniform. If I am cooking with chocolate, I will be painted in brown. Last week I made a curry sauce and managed to get yellow sauce on my shoulder. Now that takes talent. I have two takes on it. One- I am trying to stand out in a sea of white chef uniforms. Two-If I have to pay $3.00 every time I do laundry I am going to make the washing machine work for my money.

Today I decorated myself in red while making strawberry filling for my Almond Fruit Torte.

ALMOND FRUIT TORTE
INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
- 3 eggs
-1/2 cup Maple syrup
-1 teaspoon almond extract
-1 tablespoon agar flakes (thickening agent)
-3/4 cup water
-1 pint strawberries, sliced
-4-5 tablespoons maple syrup
-1 tablespoon kuzu, dissolved in a tablespoon water
-2 kiwis, sliced thin
-2 oranges, supremed

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350
- Oil and flour an 8 1/2 inch spring form pan
-Powder almonds in a Cuisinart. Add eggs, maple syrup, and almond extract. Process until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
-Bake fir 20 min or until lightly golden. Top should be firm to the touch. DO not remove from the pan.Set aside
-In a one quart saucepan, soften agar flakes in water for 10 minutes. Cook covered, stirring often until agar is dissolved.
-In a separate pot, combine strawberries with 1/4 cup maple syrup and cook over medium, heat, covered, until soft. Puree in a blender. Put through sieve to remove seeds.
-Add strawberry puree to agar mixture, stirring well. Add dissolved kuzu to the pot stirring constantly, bring to boil. Continue cooking until thick consistency.
-Adjust sweetness with maple syrup, if desired.
-Allow strawberry mixture to cool slightly. Pour over cake (while cake is still in pan)
-Let mixture set then remove sides of spring form pan.
-Garnish with kiwis and oranges.

I made a whipped coconut cream by taking the milk fat off the top of the coconut milk (while still in the can), whipping it in the Kitchen Aid with some maple crystals, and vanilla. It was a nice compliment to the strawberries. It was also a nice compliment to my white chefs coat.

Great friends, fresh air, the ocean, and amazing food. Those four words sum up my weekend. A woman in my program invited the entire class to her house on Fishers island. We spent the weekend kayaking, swimming, clamming, cooking, and relaxing. It was the perfect getaway from the loud busy city.
Having eight culinary students in the same kitchen for the weekend ensures the meals will be good. On the menu- fresh guacamole, salsa, bruschetta, grilled pizzas with roasted pepper sauce, spring fava beans with asparagus, corn, and feta in a lemon dressing, and caprese salad for dinner. Followed by gourmet s'mores for dessert. For brunch we made pancakes topped with rhubarb strawberry compote and pecans. My piece of advice for everyone...invite a few culinary students on your next vacation. Your stomach will thank you.

GRILLED VEGGIE PIZZA
INGREDIENTS:
-1 cup warm water
-1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
-1 tablespoon rice syrup OR maple syrup
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-2 1/2- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon kosher salt OR sea salt
-assortment of vegetable to grill and choice of cheese

DIRECTIONS:
-Combine water, yeast, and sweetener in a medium mixing bowl and stir until the yeast and sweetener dissolves. Stir in oil and 1 cup of flour. Stir in second cup of flour and salt. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour over a work surface and on your hands. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the work surface. Gradually knead in additional flour until the dough no longer feels sticky
-Lightly oil a large bowl. Shae the dough into a ball and rotate it in the bowl to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Punch the dough down and knead it for about 1 minutes. Return dough to the bowl and let rise again, about 15 minutes.
-Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into small disk. Brush oil on both sides.
-On an oiled grill, grill pizza on one side for about 2-3 minutes (until cooked halfway through)
-Flip pizza. Add the sauce, an assortment of veggies, and the cheese of your choice.
-Cook until the cheese melts and the dough is cooked through.
-To speed up cooking time, once the pizza is flipped and the toppings added you may place a large bowl over the pizza (trapping the heat).

We grilled eggplant, zucchini, onions, and peppers. For cheese we used fresh mozzarella and goats cheese. For the sauce we roasted red peppers, combined them with sweated onions, garlic, and salt. Into the blender it went until creamy. It was finished off with a splash of Tabasco sauce. It was a nice alternative to the basic tomato pizza sauce.

Our best culinary creation may have been the s'mores. We grilled them on the griddle to ensure the chocolate melted entirely.

GOURMET S'MORES
INGREDIENTS:
-8 whole Graham crackers broken in half
-one Theo's organic chili chocolate bar(70% dark)
-8 marshmallows (we used vegan marshmallows found at Whole Foods. One of the girls is a vegetation and regular marshmallows contain Gelatin)

DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat griddle
-Place one marshmallow and two chocolate squares on half of the graham crackers (8 halves).
-Top with second graham cracker half.
-Wrap each s'more in tin foil. Place on top of griddle until chocolate is melted through.
-serve immediately.

self quiz

The past few days we have focused on "Food and Healing". We have been flooded with an enormous amount of useful and interesting information. All of which I am excited to share.

In the first part of class we discussed the ten steps to self evaluate your own health. I found it to be very interesting.


1. Good Appetite-humans eat for survival. Bad habits (smoking, too much caffeine, too much alcohol), diseases (cancer), and sicknesses (depression) can inhibit our appetite. If you are always overfed with an imbalance of food your energy is low and a healthy appetite is jeopardized.

2. Good Sleep- There is little down time in our culture. Always something to do, someone to see. The body needs sleep. If you do not sleep well it can be a sign of an imbalance. Most of us believe that falling asleep the moment our head hits the pillow is a sign of good sleep. It is actually sign of sleep deprivation. It takes the body 10-15 minutes to wind down and fall asleep (in a balanced body).

3.Pain- pain occurs to inform you that there is a natural imbalance in your body.

4.Memory- We have memory for learning and survival.

5. Precision in thought and action- you must be healthy and present in the moment to move thought into action.

6. Good Humor- The ability to be adaptable and flexible. Life is full of change. Within the change is a lesson to be learned. If you do not take care of yourself it may be more difficult to handle a trying situation.

7. Honesty- The understanding of when the right time is to say something and how to say it. By being honest in the right moments you are staying true to yourself and honoring the person you are.

8. Humility- If an individual lacks this they are not capable of growth.

9. Gratitude- There is something good in everything, sometimes we just have to dig. To have gratitude for the things we have rather than think about what we WANT allows us to live our life to our best potential.

10. Love (universal love not valentines day love)- acceptance of yourself is your real happiness. You must accept all of the choices you have made regardless of it they are good or bad. Once you have done this you are able to fully love yourself from within.

This evaluation is only a small fraction of what we have been learning. I will share more and how to apply it to food in later posts.

I enjoyed the "Food and Healing" lecture very much. So much that I was able to sit through lecture without a single doodle on my notes and without a bathroom break. That is a major feat for me.

Favorite Past Time

I have found a new source of free entertainment while walking the streets of New York. Analyzing the different styles of hailing a taxi. I am less than 48 hours into this game but can already tell I will never get bored with it. Within four blocks today I saw the eager man who looked like he was trying to direct traffic, the shy woman who barely lifted her arm in the air, and the overly excited woman who looked like she was going to break out into a dance (jumping up and down frantically waving her hands). I usually opt for walking or the subway, but when I do hail a taxi I am now worried that I may put too much bounce in my hail. A few spirit fingers may even slip through. I tell myself to act calm and collected but sometimes I cannot contain the inner cheerleader.
Next weekend I plan on packing a lunch of Chopped Vegetable Watermelon and Feta Salad and camping out by a bunch of taxi hailers. Stay tuned for more hailing styles...

CHOPPED VEGETABLE WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 pound plum tomatoes, diced.
1 1/2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/2 large cucumber, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/2 cup very thinly sliced radishes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
10 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes (about 2 1/2 cups),
2 divided green onions, chopped, divided
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, divided
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
Toss first five ingredients and two tablespoons oil in large bowl. Add half each of cheese, green onions, and mint. Mix remaining cheese, green onions, mint, and oil in food processor; add yogurt and oregano. Process just to blend (do not over-mix or dressing will get thin). Season dressing with salt and pepper; mix into salad.

We live in a fast paced world. The "to-do" list for life never seems to run dry. By the time one item is crossed off the list there is another to add. It is easy for life to become a mindless set of actions. We get distracted by the everyday motion of life rather than being fully aware of our surroundings, our friends, our families, and whatever else brings us happiness.
Put the brakes on and enjoy the day. Not only in your daily activities, but also in your eating habits. Slow down and eat foods that relax you and that you enjoy. As you do this focus on the process of eating. Acknowledge what you put in your body and focus on the flavors. Chew slowly. Digestion starts in the mouth, by taking time to chew thoroughly you are making the digestion process easier on your internal system and creating less work for your body.
Today I challenge you to enjoy a simple meal, focus on your food, chew slowly, and be aware. You will notice a difference in how you feel.

We woke up to bright blue skies on Memorial Day. On the agenda- rent bikes and ride down the westside highway (along the Hudson river), go to Brooklyn for the "food truck festival", and finish the day with a picnic in the park.
The Westside highway is a bike path that borders the Hudson River from the bottom tip of Manhattan to 125th street. Allowing bikers, walkers, and joggers to ride without ever dealing with cars or busy crosswalks.We rode from the Upperwest side down to Battery Park and then over to Brooklyn. It was no easy fete dodging the crowds of people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Some walkers seemed to be oblivious to the the white line down the middle of the path that is suppose to separate the walking lane from the biking lane. A cyclist we ended up behind said it best when he yelled "You stupid people see a bike coming and still don't get out of the way". He may not have put it in the nicest terms (my mom taught me never to call anyone stupid) but Taber and I both agreed with him.
Once we arrived in Brooklyn we rode over to the Brooklyn Yard where a variety of food trucks were stationed. As you know from a previous post, I am a big fan of the food trucks here in NYC. Once inside the yard and surrounded by the trucks it was as if the happy fairy slapped a permanent smile on my face, I loved it. After much contemplation Taber decided on the taco truck stand and I settled on a "Hot Pink Limeade" from The Green Pirate truck. My Hot Pink Limeade consisted of freshly squeezed apple, cucumber, beet, lemon, and lime juice. Taber opted for the chicken taco which rivaled The Statue of Liberty in size. We were both satisfied with out choices.
With our bellies full and energy restored we rode back over the bridge to Manhattan and up the Westside highway. We passed skate parks, piers, basketball courts, volleyball courts, play grounds,tennis courts, and lush green grass where sun bathers were sprawled. The Hudson River Park is extremely well done. Taber and I were both very impressed with how well the space is utilized.

To add the icing on top to our perfect day we packed a picnic and took it down to the park. In our picnic basket (a fancy brown bag) was Korean marinated steak, maple glazed lotus root, and a large salad. At the beginning of the program I had mentioned to a friend of mine from class Tabers love for Korean food. To his delight she remembered this and brought him a large tupperware of authentic Korean marinated steak. He appreciated every bite of it.

I would love to post the recipe for Korean Marinated Steak, but doubt I can reciprocate the fabulousity of the dish Mia made us. Instead I will post a recipe for chicken tacos. Again, probably not as good as the tacos Taber ate from the Taco Truck. Unless you have a taco from the NYC Taco Truck you will never know.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS TACO TRUCK CHICKEN TACOS

INGREDIENTS
-8 corn tortillas
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
-1 large onion, sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup prepared hot salsa, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced scallions, chopped fresh tomatoes and sour cream, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season chicken with salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add chicken and cook, stirring until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring, until they start to brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño and cumin. Cook, stirring, until peppers are bright green but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Stir in salsa and reserved chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Spoon into warmed tortillas and garnish with scallions, tomatoes and sour cream.

Between having Taber here, school, and the visit of our good friends Zach and Kristine I have abandoned the blog the past couple of weeks. I am camped out at a starbucks and ready to blog purge.
Taber was here for two short weeks. To say I enjoyed having him here would be a major understatement. Before his arrival I was in love with NYC, but after exploring it with him I am head over heels in love with it. We went to every area of the city at least once, three areas of Brooklyn, and even made it to New Jersey. While we were living in Italy we discovered the best way to get to know a city is to walk off the beaten path. When you set out with no exact plan you will usually stumble upon the areas of the city where sightseeing tour buses don't stop. Which also means there are no crowds of tourists (a huge plus). The cemented sidewalks of New York became our "unbeaten path". After school I would either meet Taber at the Starbucks on the corner by my school or he would be hanging out in the school lobby. In true Taber form, he was quickly on first name basis with the school secretary and a couple of the chefs. We would set out and walk with no destination in mind until our feet were about to give up on us.

One day we ended up in Central Park, where we laid on the rocks for an hour and a half watching a softball game. On our way home from the park we stopped in Whole Foods to pick up some ingredients for dinner. I showed him a few of the ingredients we frequently use at school (Kuzu, Shoyu, and Agar) that I had no prior knowledge of before becoming a student. We looked at the emu eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, and a variety of unusual fruits and vegetables. Taber was a trooper walking through the store with me.For that I was grateful.

Another time we walked through SoHo and then Chinatown where we met up with a girl from my class and her boyfriend. Before Chinatown we stopped off at a little market place for some gelato. It brought back a flood of memories from our time in Italy. Not only did it taste like true Italian gelato but it also came with the same tiny spoons served with gelato in Italy. We polished off the gelato and then Taber had my leftovers from school for dessert (risotto, chicken in mushroom sauce, and a coconut curry tempeh). Unfortunately soon after we arrived in Chinatown the sky opened up on us and it started to pour down rain, thunder, and lightening cutting our night short.

Our walks continued for the entire last week Taber was here. I usually keep my eyes off the clock while in school and never wish for the day to be over but when Taber was here 4:15pm (the end of school) could not come soon enough.

Below is a recipe for Chicken Breast in Mushroom Sauce. One of the many dishes I brought home for Taber. He was not a fan of the pieces of mushrooms, which was fine with me because it meant more mushrooms on my plate.

CHICKEN BREAST IN MUSHROOM SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2" thickness
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-8 ounces shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
-8 ounces portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced.
-1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
-2 teaspoon minced garlic
-1/2 cup white wine
-1 cup chicken stock
-2 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
-In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium high heat until rippling
-Season each breast with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side
-remove chicken from skillet, cover to keep warm.
-add remaining oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high flame. Add the mushrooms in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic. Continue cooking until the mushrooms turn a dark brown (2 to 3 minutes), stirring often to prevent garlic and shallots from burning.
-Pour the wine into the skillet (remove skillet from flame when you add the wine) and cook over high heat until almost evaporated, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half
-Remove the skillet from the heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
-Slice the chicken thinly on the bias. Pour sauce over chicken

Recipe by Jenny Mattau