Leftover Chili and Cafe Bambini

Last time I tried to take some chili out of the freezer, I accidentally pulled out my saved Tortilla Soup. It was a happy accident partly because I really like the Tortilla Soup, and partly because I still had the chili to use at some point.

Well, that some point came the day before yesterday when I was still reeling from my horrible london broil cooking night. So, I reached into the freezer and pulled out the tupperware filled with my delicous chili.

It was perfect because I had also spent the afternoon at this neat cafe called Cafe Bambini in North Miami Beach. My friend Stasi discovered it somehow and asked if I wanted to meet her there to check it out. What a good idea! According to the web site, it was created by two stay-at-home mom's who were looking for a safe place to take their kids where they could also enjoy a great cup of coffee. They created a fun play space for kids that have things like a toy piano, one of those ball pits that the kids can jump around in and a science and discovery play station. And they have a wonderful little cafe that serves things like paninis and pizzas as well as Segafredo coffee products. You can also buy small packages of Cheerios and other kid friendly items.

You pay $5 for use of the play space and I have to say, it was pretty worth it just so I didn't have put everything back in it's place afterwards - or maybe I was supposed to, but how I could I with all those kids tearing shit up! The other kids made it pretty exciting for Baz, too. Not only could he play with - and get a big scratch on the face from - his good friend Sophia, Stasi daughter, but there were older kids who he could be in awe of.

He was pretty pooped after the whole thing, which meant a good sleep night for me. And Damien and I enjoyed a nice bowl of piping hot chili when he finally went to bed.

Pollo Tropical!

As I mentioned, Damien is away...again...so I'm not feeling very inspired to cook. So, I'm just enjoying the leftover enchiladas from yesterday which were so good. Thank you, Kita.

But I did want to share my new fast food find. Pollo Tropical! I have seen them all over Miami but it just never won out over Taco Bell when I was traveling or in need of a quick on-the-go lunch. However, yesterday I was out running errands and Baz fell fast asleep in the car. Not having the heart to wake him, I looked for a way to stall for a few minutes before I went to the supermarket. I hadn't eaten so I searched around for someplace with a drive-thru since drive-thru's are my saving grace these days. And by the way, quick aside: All of you people who don't have young kids and are not handicapped, is it too much to ask that you not use the drive-thru ATMs? I mean really, how lazy can you be!

Anyway, where was I? Looking for a drive-thru so I don't have to wake my sleeping baby. And the idea of McDonald's or Burger King just sounded terrible after our week of junk food in Boston. That's when I saw Pollo Tropical. I'd heard they have rice and beans so I thought that sounded like a healthier alternative.

Well, it was fabulous! I ordered the chicken, white rice and beans Tropichop for $3.29 and a side of fried plantains for $1.89. It was all delicious and with the chicken being grilled, all-white breast meat, it felt somewhat healthy. If only I could have resisted the fried plantains. And there were tons of other things on the menu that probably would have made better deals. I just felt all flustered and pressured to order at the drive-thru. But, I did drive away wondering what had taken me so long to check this place out. I'll be back and will make sure I take a little more time to examine the menu beforehand. I love it!

Tomorrow I am going to make a ton of baby food for Baz. I talkin' peaches and pears and string beans and squash. It's going to be a baby food bonanza! And I am also going to continue my quest to get him to drink out of a sippy cup. Wish us luck...

Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass

Once upon a time, Damien and I were the type of people who would show up at a restaurant like Nobu on a random Wednesday or Thursday night to splurge on a fabulous meal. During one such visit, I discovered Miso Glaze. Wanting to try something besides the wonderful sushi there, we asked the waiter for a suggestion. He highly recommended the Miso Glazed Black Cod. Not being the biggest cod fan, I wasn't so sure about it, but he REALLY loved it. So, we ordered it.

Well, it was just about the best thing I've ever eaten. And it turns out black cod is actually sablefish which is not really a part of the cod family at all -- although I have come to appreciate cod as well. But, that's beside the point.

Now life has changed and I don't get to make last minute decisions like that night not very long ago. Instead I make it myself for a romantic dinner at home or to impress friends. Turns out that if I plan a little ahead and can find the ingredients, it's freakin' easy to make.

Here's how I do it:

Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass

1/3 cup saki - or maybe a little more : )

1/3 cup mirin

1 cup miso paste

2/3 cup sugar

1 pound Chilean Sea Bass

The hardest part about this recipe is finding the ingredients. Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine that I have been able to find at regular grocery stores. And sake can be found at most liquor stores. The miso paste can be a little more challenging if you live outside of large metropolitan areas. I buy it at Whole Foods, but when I lived in New York, they carried it at my local bodega and at Fresh Direct. It is often kept in the refrigerator section with other soy products, like tofu.

Once you've found all of your ingredients, it's quite simple. In a medium saucepan, bring the saki and mirin to a boil. Let it boil for 20 seconds to let the alcohol evaporate. Remove from heat and add the miso paste stirring it so that it will dissolve in the liquid. Put it over low heat if the mixture cools too much and the miso stops dissolving. Once it is smooth, put the pot back on the high heat and return it to a boil, stirring it constantly so it won't burn. Slowly add the sugar, stirring well and letting the sugar dissolve. The mixture will start to look a bit shiny, like a glaze. Remove from heat and let the glaze cool to room temperature.

This recipe makes enough miso glaze for about 1 pound of fish.

You can use this with all sorts of different fish but the black cod works particularly well as does regular cod. But, I found some frozen Chilean sea bass at Costco the other day, so I am going to make it with that. It has as similar texture and subtle flavor that's quite good for the glaze.

Pat the fish dry with some paper towels. Place the pieces in a one gallon size, ziplock freezer bag or some other non-reactive container that will fit in your fridge. When the miso glaze has cooled to room temperature, pour the the glaze over the fish in the bag. Make sure the pieces are fully coated. Zip up the bag and put it in the refrigerator to marinate. The longer the better. I'm talking two or three days. But, if you can only do one, well, that's okay. It'll still taste good.

When you are ready to cook it, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and heat up an oven proof pan on your stove top. I use the All-Clad pan I got for our wedding. Heat the pan over high heat until it is very hot. Remove the fish from the bag a let the excessive glaze drip off of it. Place the fish in the pan and sear it for a few minutes on one side only.

Once the fish is seared on one side, put the whole pan in the pre-heated oven. Cook the fish for 10 or 12 minutes.

I like to serve the fish over mashed potatoes with a side of steamed asparagus. Even better, make the mashed potatoes with a little bit of wasabi in them. Yummy.

This is definitely one of my favorite meals. It's totally worth the trip to Whole Foods for the miso paste. Just try not to get suckered into all the other delicious-looking but overpriced items there.

**NOTE: Miso Paste lasts, like, forever. Okay, so really about a year. But, since it is a pain to find this is good because you can buy a big container of it and keep in your fridge for those days when you are craving a little miso.

Sunday Update

It's Sunday and I'm sad that the weekend is coming to a close. It's been a really good weekend mostly because it felt totally normal. Okay, so in the past, pre-baby, we probably would have slept a lot later than 7am. But, getting up early is unexpectedly nice. We've been going to the beach first thing, which is just lovely in the morning. Today we even met up with Laura and her son, Joaquin, for a little while. Of course, Damien had to leave us to go get a facial at the Delano's spa, Aqua. Fancy, right? I had given him a gift certificate for his birthday a couple of months ago so it's about time he took advantage of it. It's something he enjoyed when we were on a break from Iraq. We'd always hit the Dead Sea after a tour and pamper ourselves. So, this facial at the Delano was a way to remember what we were like before the baby.

We braved the unpredictable baby mood swings with an outing to Coconut Grove to meet up with some friends at Scotty's Landing. It's a wonderful dockside spot behind the Grove Harbor Marina. We shared some peel-n-eat shrimp and Damien had a burger. They have Newcastle on tap there, so I like it! And since it is outdoors and casual, it's a great spot for kids.

So, while it is sometime really difficult to get everyone out the door, both outing were well worth the effort. It's great to connect with friends, especially those going through similar things - like dealing with sometimes cranky, unpredictable babies.

I'd also like to update on the Chicken with Mango and Peach Salsa. You know, it was pretty good!! Really tasty. I marinated it for about an hour. When you sear it, or anything for that matter, make sure you get the pan really, really hot. I test it by sprinkling a bit of water on it. If the water immediately sizzles and evaporates, you are good to go. Also, before I put the chicken in the oven, I put a little bit more, spoonfuls of the chunky salsa on it for the texture. I also covered the baking dish with some aluminum foil until the last 5 minutes so that it would stay moist. It worked. The only thing I think I would change next time is to make it with beans and rice rather than the regular chicken flavored that I made. And again, I wonder if it would have been even better with a bone-in piece of chicken.

On Sunday's we have a tradition of ordering pizza. We usually order a half Hawaiian, half peperoni and mushroom large pie (ordered well done because, according to Damien, the pineapple on the Hawaiian half causes the whole pizza to undercook) and a Greek salad from Pizzafiore (on 71st Street in Miami Beach). Since we are from New York, we don't really think the pizza in Miami can compare, but Pizzafiore is not bad.

Tomorrow morning, look for a recipe prep for another dinner this week - Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass. Ooooh-la-la!

Michael's Genuine and "Free-Range Kids"

Tonight I have to shoot some video of sex offenders living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Don't worry - I am bringing Damien with me. But, I certainly don't want to expose wee little Baz to this shoot so I am hiring a babysitter to watch him. And since we'll already be out, we figured why not have a bit of a date night after we meet the sex offenders!

So, we are going to try and hit our favorite Miami restaurant - Michael's Genuine Food and Drink. We found it when it was #4 on Frank Bruni's favorite American restaurants in the New York Times. And, boy, was he right on the money about this place! We love it and it is one of only two or three places that we go back to again and again when we get a chance. I like to start with either the deviled eggs or fresh potato chips with onion dip. Then they have this system where you order either "small," "medium," or "large" dishes. We usually have a couple of smalls and mediums and split a large. It's fabulous food made with fresh, local ingredients and feels healthy while also tasting terrific. Okay, so deviled eggs and potato chips with onion dip is not the healthiest thing on the menu.

It'll be a nice break. And it gives me an opportunity not only to recommend my favorite restaurant but also to talk about this book I'm reading that might be of interest to other moms out there. It's Lenore Skenazy's book, "Free-Range Kids." She has a blog. too. No, it's not about how to corn feed your babies. It's about how we parents worry too much about our kids and how we need to fight against our fears and give our children the freedom we had growing up. You might remember the author from her controversial column in the New York Sun when she decided to let her 9 year old son ride the subway by himself. Especially after my last parenting class, this book is really hitting the right note for me. I am just so sick and tired of fear-mongering parents that have so little perspective on things. I mean, we literally had a 20 minute conversation about how lavender has an estrogen-like component to it that could be dangerous for babies. I mean, all these moms were like, "Oh, my gosh, I use lavender scented soap!" The horror, the horror. First of all, I really don't think Johnson and Johnson would be able to sell lavender scented baby products if it were really that dangerous. Someone would have sued them by now. I mean maybe lavender has estrogen like qualities, but how much lavender can these moms be exposing their infants to?

But what really got me going was when someone later mentioned that they were going on a trip to Cuba and not taking a car seat. I had the audacity to ask why? Wouldn't they be taking taxis to and from the airport and possibly driving cars while they were there? Plus, there are conveniences to bringing a car seat like the fact that if there's an extra seat on the plane, you can use it - in fact, most airlines will go out of there way to hold the seat open for you - and then you don't have to carry the baby on your lap the whole time. Well, you would have thought that I had just asked if zebras can fly? Everyone looked at me like I was a total nut case and even Faith, the nurse who leads the class, said, "Oh they don't have the same laws in Cuba."

Wait a minute! We just spent twenty minutes talking about the unlikely idea that lavender scented baby soap might cause your baby boy to develop breasts yet you don't have a problem leaving the car seat - something that has lowered fatal car injuries by 50% - behind when you are going to a country where on the ride from the airport alone your modern taxi will be sharing the highway with horse and buggies and 1950's Buicks? Are you kidding me? Where are the hidden cameras?

But, that's really beside the point. The point is, with the internet and mom's groups and way too much time on our hands, we have become a bunch of paranoid, fearful, over-informed, 24 hour news-watching idiots. And while I don't think it is always the best idea to send 9 year olds out alone to navigate the New York City subway system (unless they are mature and prepared for it), I think there is definitely something to the idea of chilling-the-fuck-out!