The Spice of Life

Unwed T-Day guests and Homemade Takeout Edition

First let me say this blog. It is officially a week until T-day, a day that will leave in infamy.

In other news, before you read your weekly spice of life bits, I made homemade Take out this week. In fact, I made it yesterday! The recipe was Martha's (mine is without sesame seeds)


• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
Whip together in a bowl until "Frothy"
add
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
and toss

then heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a pan on Med-High heat (ultimately I turned the heat down a little). cook your shrimps (about 3 mins each side) until crispy. A note here, my shrimp stuck like crazy (even after I was good and added the oil to a hot pan) so the shrimps is gonna stick, and to avoid losing all the delicious crust you put on the shrimp to the bottom of the pan, use a spatula to unstick them. Also, make sure the shrimp are dry, because some of mine were not and the oil under them exploded and tried to eat me.

Once that is done, whip out the pan (and the side of the pan) and add:
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
Cook them down until the sauce is nice and syrupy (5 mins). To this re-add the shrimp and 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, and cook it all together for about 1 minute.
Serve over brown rice

offical nom rating (best takeout I ever made at home.
Also Chris got some delivered, to the mall and gave it a 8.5 (more sauce)

so on to the articles

Here is something Interesting I read: apparently the Census is reporting that more and more family's are not embracing classic family values concerning marriage, and daring to form healthy, happy, and functioning homes without the gold-banded ties of marriage. This means more and more unconventional family's will be huddled around the turkey breast this year.

In other Turkey-related news, My sister and I printed this off for our Thanks-noming gastro-feastraviganza ...because there is no such thing as too much information about handling something as important as thanksgiving dinner, but more because it has pictures. via Chow: Thanksgiving 101

Though Epicurious has videos

Not sure how to "pretty" your table before the holiday? Ever wonder how Tory Burch would decorate a table? me either...here it is if you want to see it.

And of course some design ideas by the Dame of Decorating. This one is my favorite
Don't know what to pair with that slow-roasting bird in the oven (no not an Australian euphemism for pregnancy) here are some suggestions:
- from Chow
- from Epicurious
- and for us humble folks, from Cheap Wine Ratings

and finally: are you home? are you sober? if your wine glass empty? then you are failing to observe culture you swine. Go out and enjoy a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, as today is it's official release day