Teaching baby to cook

So I'm writing this essay for english, and it's this roundabout food essay type thing about cooking with Lena. In conference with Bland, he reccommended that I do a parody type thing (my words, not his) about teaching Lena to cook, and doing it sort of sneakily so it's only at the end when the reader really realizes that Lena is only 10 months, and what the hell are you doing teaching your 10 month old to cook? So I kind of like that idea, and I'm sort of excited about having a line in there being like, the souffles were a disaster. That's humor!

In other food news, I freakin love Rachael Ray. She is amazing. I love everything about her. Her hair, her clothes, that sexy raspy voice of hers. Sometimes I'll flip to 30 minute meals if my parents are late getting home, and every now and then her recipes inspire me so much that I have to make whatever she's making as soon as possible.

And everything that I've made from 30 minute meals has been a hit. And Friday night's meal was no exception. Plus there was an appetizer and a main course.

Hot 'n Sweet Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Taken from rachaelray.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 1-inch ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or other light oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 small red chili peppers, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, deveined, tails off
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and quartered

Preparation

Combine the sugar, vinegar and ginger in a small pot and bring to a boil. Dissolve the sugar and turn off the heat; reserve.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, chili peppers, mushrooms and garlic for 3-4 minutes, then add the shrimp and toss for 3-4 minutes more until pink and firm. Do not overcook! Douse the pan with the sweet vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with cold lettuce for wrapping the hot-sweet shrimp.

Orange-Sesame Chicken with Teriyaki Soba Noodles

Adapted from rachaelray.com.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 package soba noodles
• 5 tablespoons vegetable or light oil
• 4 chicken thighs, skin on
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 6 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 cup shelled, frozen edamame
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds or toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta and cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook (covered) for 6 minutes on the first side, the 6-7minutes on the second. Remove the chickens to a plate and reserve; cover with foil. Add 3 tablespoons orange marmalade, a couple tablespoons teriyaki sauce and 1/4 cup of water to the pan; bring the sauce to a bubble and combine for 1 minute, then stir in sesame oil remove from heat.

While the chops cook, heat a second skillet with 3 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Stir fry the scallions and edamame for a couple of minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the scallions and edamame and remaining teriyaki sauce, about 1/4 cup. Sprinkle noodles with sesame seeds, if desired.

Serve chickens topped with the orange-sesame glaze. Serve the teriyaki noodles alongside.

We ate all of the shrimps, and Lena loved the soba noodles and the edamames, even though they make her very stinky. The perils of soy protein.