Durham Christmas 2005 - Page 2

Although it's strange to have the kids out of the house, we're managing to stay busy. When we're not working on the house or taking care of our 7 acres, Jeff and I are involved in church and the Society for Creative Anachronism, an organization dedicated to re-creating all the fun aspects of life in the Dark Ages, Middle Ages, and early Renaissance. Think of it as time travel without fleas, bubonic plague, or paradoxes. We enjoy archery and early music, and look forward to camping with 7000 of our "closest" friends this year at the Estrella War (a mega-event that takes place in February).

In the Mundane World, our travel this year included a trip to the Netherlands, which is a wonderful, wonderful place. The Dutch label everything from streets to beer glasses and coffee cups; public restrooms are always spotlessly clean; and the trash receptacles in fast-food restaurants have handles so you never get your hands dirty. In addition to being very clean, the Dutch also have the right utensil for every occasion, even a special fork for eating fish. They also serve delicious pastries and the most consistently amazing coffee I've ever had in my life. At a business-class hotel, the breakfast buffet will fill you up for an entire day. I had a great time. Maybe I should write a guidebook entitled, "How to Do Europe on 200 Euros a Day." The sequel, of course, would be, "Ten Easy Ways to Get Rid of Credit Card Debt" - I'll let you know when I figure out how to write that one.

One of my favorite Dutch foods is Kip Saute, chicken served with Indonesian sauce and a side of perfect French fries with a packet of real mayonnaise. Here's a recipe you can use to make your own:

Hata Kip (Hot Chicken)
Preparation Time 10 mins. Cooking Time 60 mins.
6 cloves garlic, crushed
10 tablespoons butter
1 fryer chicken, cut up (3-5 lb.)
8 tablespoons powdered beef bouillon,
(or 10 cubes crushed)
3/4 pound brown sugar
4 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2 cups water
1 cup long-grained white rice

    Brown (but don't burn) garlic in melted butter over medium heat in wok. Add chicken pieces and cover and brown for about 1/2 hour. Turn chicken so all sides get browned.
    After chicken is browned, add bouillon and brown sugar (I prefer the light brown, but you can use either dark or light brown sugar). Stir well and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes.
    Check chicken for doneness (shouldn't be pink by the bone, check a thigh for this). When white all the way through, add your crushed red pepper, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. You don't need that thick soy sauce we used to use, if you use enough brown sugar. If mixture is too thin, add more brown sugar and cook for another few minutes. Serve over hot rice.
    HOT RICE - Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil, stir in 1 cup uncooked white long grained rice. Immediately lower heat to lowest simmer possible and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Rice will be sticky.
    Serving Size:6       (FROM: http://www.my-meals.com/Recipes/RecipeDetails.aspx?RecipeID=289700)

Jeff went back to the Netherlands two more times this year without me, but he brought me back lots of presents, so that's all right. One day, he promises to take me out for the best tacos in Juarez, Mexico. I can hardly wait

In June, we visited Key West and discovered sriracha, a Thai red chili pepper sauce which changes Polish sausages and everyday foods into a truly memorable experience. Admittedly, my dishes lack the flair of the New World Cuban Pork Empanada at Alice's Key West Restaurant, but you can try this sriracha recipe:

Quinn-Durham's Honey Hot Wings or Chicken Breasts
BEGIN WITH: Equal amounts of ketchup and melted butter (maybe 1/4 cp each?)
ADD: Tabasco to taste
Honey (lots) and sriracha (a little at a time), to taste
Mix the above ingredients, tasting often. When the sauce touches your tongue, you should experience a state equally balanced between ecstatic pleasure and exquisite pain. (Remember that the sauce will quiet down a bit as it cooks, so maybe you should lean a little more towards pain than pleasure at this point.)
Brush sauce liberally onto wings or boneless chicken breasts with sauce and cook that chicken however you like. Broiling, baking or deep-fat frying all work - but how decadent are you feeling today? And what's your cholesterol level? Umm, better broil that chicken after all.
Serve with your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.