Galanga Red Curry Chicken...in Cash

Last week, in addition to my cereal-topped Phileo Yogurt, I had dinner with Kimberly and Lindsey at Galanga, a teeny Thai restaurant in the Village. I know, I've been doing a lot of Village-ing, but when you are so close to a neighborhood so fabulous, why wouldn't I? Anyhow, like most Thai restaurants, Galanga is a low priced, cramped tabled casual joint with exposed brick and chairs that make your back and bootie hurt for the rest of the night. Depite those things, all of which are expected at a small Thai place, the food was goooood.

I dined on red curry chicken, one of my favorite Thai dishes. I'm always wary of heat levels in food, especially red curry, I took a chance on this one because...well, I was really, really in the mood for it. Just the right amount of spice and bamboo shoots a plenty made this dish a solid red curry that did not scream 'mass production'. The broth was more brothy and less creamy which hopefully meant a slightly healthier twist (though I'm always a fan of a creamier broth...who wouldn't be?).

My gripe on Galanga, aside from the uncozy seating? Their cash only policy. What up with that? I mean, really...I can swipe my debit card at the local bodega for a $1.50 cup of coffee, but a legit Thai restaurant in the Village is cash only? I don't mean to knock it, since I've been known to have a cash-carrying problem, but still...cash only? What are your thoughts on this? Are you ok with restaurants only accepting cash? Are you happy to pay cash only if it keeps you on a stricter budget? If the food's good enough...does cash only matter?

Scrambled Egg Sandwich

After taking a break from our usual scrambled egg breakfast last weekend, this weekend came along and we felt similarly...that we just needed a change. Now I'm not going to lie to you...I just so happen to make the best scrambled eggs. Ever. It's probably on account of both of my parents and their fabulous scrambled egg making skills. Since I was a child, I can recall the delightful aroma of scrambled eggs cooking in the kitchen...and whether mom or dad made them, somehow I just never could get enough of them. And now that I'm grown up and honing my own culinary skills, scrambed eggs topped the list of Things I Must Learn How to Make Amazingly.

They are so good, in fact, that one bite of my eggs and you'll never order scrambled eggs at a restaurant again. Ever. Trust me, I've tried...and it always leads to disappointment. So I can't say that we were tired of scrambled eggs, since, let's face it, amazing scrambled eggs never go out of style. Instead of abandoning them altogether, as I did when I switched out for Lemon Blueberry Pancakes, I decided to change it up a bit for Shaun's Sunday breakfast (after all, I was out in Manhattan dining on B Bar brunch with my sister...but more on that later...). This time, I transformed my basic scrambled eggs into a delicious breakfast sandwich. McDonald's who?

Scrambled Egg Sandwich
*Adapted from Mom & Dad's kitchen
2 large eggs (or 1 large egg + 1 egg white)
milk
Lawry's seasoned salt
black pepper
extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 English muffin (I used whole wheat)
butter

In a small bowl, beat eggs, breaking yolks. Add splash of milk and dashes of Lawry's seasoned salt and black pepper. Beat until combined and fluffy. In a nonstick (it's very, very important to use nonstick here) pan, heat a bit of butter over low heat until melted. Add egg mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until eggs start to scramble. Add shredded cheese and stir low and slow until all combined and desired consistency is reached. I like mine pretty firm, so it takes a bit longer. The key to eggs that are fully cooked, cheesy, and untough is the low and slow technique. The whole process only takes a few minutes, but resist the urge to turn up the heat. Turn off the heat just before desired doneness is reached. Meanwhile, toast your English muffin. Spread with butter, add eggs and enjoy!

Now you'll notice that my measurements aren't quite exact. That's because while for many recipes I do follow pretty closely, when it comes to eggs, I really do just eyeball most of it. And I've made a looooot of eggs over the last couple of years and they really just get better with practice. Oh, and if you want some color, garnish with fresh or dried parsley or chives.

So there you have it...my destined-to-be-famous scrambled egg sandwich. What do you think? How do you like your eggs?

Banana Bread

The last few weeks have been quite busy over at the Humiston house. Between work busy-ness, Shaun's school work and apartment hunting, there's been less cooking and more dining out. Which also means the sad near-demise of some foods that I purchased while grocery shopping last week that were unfortunately on the verge of going bad (a major no-no in our kitchen since we like to devour just about everything that we purchase). So when I came across a free Saturday afternoon and two overly ripe bananas, browning by the minute on my countertop, I decided that perhaps these wouldn't have to visit the graveyard of uneaten produce. Instead, I thought that a quick banana bread was in order.

So I consulted the big guns. I pulled out my copy of The Joy of Cooking - an admittedly seldom used cookbook in my collection (though after this winning treat combined with the ease of use and instructions, I'll certainly be consulting it more frequently) - and searched for Banana Bread. Hoping that I'd just so happen to have the remaining ingredients for the bread, I came across a recipe for Banana Bread Cockaigne. And wouldn't you know it...my pantry actually housed the necessary ingredients. One hour and fifteen minutes later, a moist, crumbly, fall apart in your hands banana bread was born.

Banana Bread Cockaigne
*Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C sugar
1/3 C vegetable shortening*
3/4 tsp lemon zest, grated
2 large eggs
1 C ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 bananas)
1/2 C chopped walnuts
brown sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the slour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (which was my preferred method), beat sugar, shortening and lemon zest until creamy. Then, beat in eggs and bananas, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure that all gets incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, beating until smooth after each addition. Once all combined, remove from mixer and fold in walnuts with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix at this point, or you will have tough bread. Put mixture into generously greased bread pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, as desired. Bake about 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (Note: I baked mine for 60 minutes and the outside was slightly more brown than I had wanted). Cool slightly, then unmold. Cool completely, slice and serve with a bit of butter.

The result? A moist, delicious banana bread with just the right hint of walnut and brown sugary goodness. And there you have it. A super easy banana bread that's perfect for aging bananas. What do you think? How do you use aging fruit or other foods?

*If the thought of shortening scares you, you can use 6 tbsp of unsalted butter at room temperature. Since I'm of the instant-gratification generation, I just couldn't wait hours for butter to soften. I needed my baked bread and I needed it now. I did remember that long ago I had purchased Crisco for a Whoopie Pie recipe that I made two Christmases ago and hadn't used it since. So I pulled out my little baking box and voila...two untouched packages of vegetable shortening (that coincidentally weren't set to 'go bad' until this July...hurrah for the long shelf life of shortening!). I then ditched the plan for room temperature butter and went with the Crisco instead. My Grandma Mary would be so proud. And since the bread was such a success, I'm writing the recipe with vegetable shortening...though I supposed you could use butter instead, but I feel like it just wouldn't be as decadent.