strawberry/greek yogurt granita

1 quart best, ripest, reddest organic strawberries, washed, dried and hulled (green tops removed)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup or more sugar, to taste (I like it pretty tart, so use a little less)
tiny pinch of salt

blend it all together in a food processor fitted with an s-blade. freeze it, taking it out every 45 minutes or so to beat it smooth (I use a flat whisk for this). eat it up. heavenly.

out-of-town prep cooking for the next few days

I’m out of town for a few days and am notoriously finicky about my food (wow, what a surprise), so went shopping late this evening and have been cooking up what I (and the folks I’m staying with) will be noshing on the next few days. at some point tonight (when the chicken’s done roasting), I’ll take a break and go to sleep so I can finish up tomorrow. so far I’ve made:

homemade ranch-style beans (SO good)
roasted chicken, pretty simply done with olive oil, salt and pepper
crème fraîche (may use part of it to make a simple ice cream/sorbetto with puréed strawberries)

still need to make:

potato salad
chicken-noodle soup out of the chicken remainders

what else should I be making? I’m only here for a few days, but it’s always nice to leave one’s hosts with food.

wait, have I already forgotten what I've cooked today?

my early evening Manhattan is already taking effect and the day is a bit of a blur. what did I cook today; what did I cook?

today's standout: lemon-cardamom-infused rice pudding, made w/arborio rice, golden raisins (a.k.a. "sultanas"), whipped creme fraiche and enough fresh lemon zest to choke a goat. NO complaints about this one at all, not even from the goat (p.s. to the person who was unable to accept delivery of rice pudding tonight -- I don't offer twice, but sometimes begging works).

also good: strawberries in candied ginger syrup (so ginger-y it almost burns yr throat; yummy); those same strawberries in slices w/some lemon added atop little lemon-y cheesecakes (it was a lemon-y day).

oh! roasted salmon with sweet & spicy pecan crust, atop bowtie pasta w/beurre noisette (one of my absolute favorite things) & chives; delish if I do say so myself.

other things seem less important in comparison.

today's Manhattan: a Perfect Manhattan made with 2 measures Sazerac Rye (thank you to both Kyle and Wiggy's), 1/2 measure ea. Cinzano and white vermouth, a few dashes Agnostura bitters, a dash of bitter lemon bitters (sounds redundant, doesn't it?), and an all-important maraschino cherry. very, very good Manhattan.

a quick note about the versatility of roast chicken and the concept of leftovers

I put it to you that there is no such thing as “leftover” roast chicken, primarily because it’s a core ingredient of my cooking these days. case in point: the two chicken dishes I made today that will feed me this week: the roast chicken variation of chirashi sushi (which needs a clever name): sushi rice, seasonings, veggies (I forgot to add the avocado earlier! oh well, next serving), pickled ginger, etc., and a quick chicken curry: sautéed scallion, carrot, ginger, deglazed with rice wine, chicken broth and coconut milk added, then some green peas and curry powder (I used S&B brand, which is a favorite of mine), plus the chicken, heated through. wonderful! and so simple. I could have easily made it more complex and perhaps next time I will, but this is truly tasty and is now cooling in the freezer, to be heated and eaten over freshly steamed rice with raita whenever I’m in the mood.

I’ve made such yummy food to eat for the next five or six days: tomato/basil soup (this is insanely easy; we used to make it at the restaurant where I cooked when I was in high school: canned crushed Italian tomatoes, half and half or heavy cream, chiffonade of fresh basil, pressed or minced garlic, a tiny bit of fennel seed to taste, heated gently -- talk about comfort food! VERY good with grilled cheese, whether you choose the American cheese variety or fontina/roasted red pepper/ciabatta grilled in olive oil), tuna salad with finely diced Braeburn apple, the aforementioned chicken dishes -- good stuff! hard to complain with this around.

I just polished off the best beef stew I’ve ever made, and it was so simple: onions, celery and carrots sautéed in butter until browned, with garlic, crushed tomatoes, chopped parsley, chuck roast, chicken stock and red wine added to cover, brought to a simmer on top of the stove then put in a 325 F over to bake for almost four hours (with a fresh infusion of parsley and garlic added midway; the beef taken out, shredded, and added back in at the end). insanely tender and nourishing, and I served it with mashed potatoes (made with my trusty potato ricer, a tool every mashed-potato-lover should have) with cream cheese and chives, sugar snap peas, pan roasted cherry tomatoes and steamed fresh spinach. that’s probably the last beef stew of this season, since I really only like it when it’s cold outside (and that will end all too soon).

so what should I cook next?

slow-posting

yeah, I’ve been cooking, but I’ve also been slow to post about it, for some silly reason. I’ve honed roasted chicken to near perfection (roast at 375 F for 30-40 minutes, then at 225 F for an hour, then at 400 F until done, about 20-30 minutes). mmmmmmmmmm. my asopao de pollo was not so great, so the recipe needs work before posting about it.

more to come when I have time. tonight, I'm taking leftover perfectly slow-roasted chicken (with sides of roasted veggies and rice) and making wild rice soup. yum!