I have been as busy as bunnies (get it?)

Thanking my lucky stars lately since I now have a bit more work to keep my busy hands busy but this new bit of business has slowed up my blogging. If you are longing for my snark and sassiness then you will have to wait a bit longer because it seems like my backhanded verbosity is on hiatus. Laziness will have to suffice and with that you will have to accept that I will simply post a synopsis of pictures that would have been and could have been blog posts chock full of my witty repartee. Take this Molé Poblano for example - imagine what I could say about it.

Chocolatey, spicy goodness in an enchilada suiza cannot hardly get any better than this.

With more time I could go on and on about the sweet and succulent lamb chops dripping with the lamb unctuousness that only lamb can drip and with this extra time I could tease you with the curried lentils it is bathing in but lo I do not have even a spare second.

Morels, specifically, need more of my time and attention and should not be treated like latch key kids with parents too busy to care but sadly this is their fate and this is their life. Morel mushroom barley soup is, by far, the best mushroom barley soup that exists.

Steamy goodness with an earthy bite the delicate yet toothsome barley pearls give a good chew with the husky deliberateness of the morel mushroom. So with all my lagging and veiled bragging I did what I normally do - post pictures and write nonsense - so things are really not that different after all.

The Fourth

I think the 4th of July should be changed to Independence day and we should celebrate it the first saturday of July that way there is always the three day weekend, people have friday off or monday whichever and it is consisitent. This middle of the week thing is confusing. We dont ever do much and this year was no different. We had lunch at La Caridad. This place gets mentioned in Sienfeld but I first went back in 1982 and have been many times since, I used to work at 76th and Broadway so during that time I went more than ususal, it has expanded and then contracted but the avocado salad is still the same goodness. Watched movies and made mole chicken, then we saw the fire works from the window and TV.

I will post a recipe with actual measurements isnt that different for me, I usually say "do a little of this and a little of that and voila you can eat"

Chicken in Mole Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Chipotle Chile -- Dried 1/4 cup Shortening 2 tablespoons Red Chiles -- Ground 2 cups Chicken Broth 4 Flour Tortillas -- cut in strips 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce 1/4 cup Onion -- Chopped 1 tablespoon Raisins 1 tablespoon Almonds -- Chopped 1 tablespoon Sesame Seed 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Seeds -- Shelled 1 tablespoon Peanut Butter 1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon Oregano -- Ground 1 1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder 1/2 teaspoon Anise Seed 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon -- ground 1/4 teaspoon Cloves -- Ground 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg -- Ground 1/4 teaspoon Allspice -- Ground 1/4 teaspoon Ginger -- Ground 1/4 teaspoon Cumin -- Ground, OR 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seed 1 cup Chicken Broth 8 Chicken Breast Halves, or thighs or whole chicken cut up its up to you.

Directions:
Cover chile with warm water. Let stand until softened, about 1 hour. Drain and finely chop. Heat shortening in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until hot. Cook and stir ground red chiles in shortening until brown (add about 1/4 t water to prevent scorching if necessary); cool. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir in remaining ingredients except the remaining 1 cup of broth and chicken. Heat to boiling; reduce the heat and cover. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; cool. Place a small amount of the sauce into a blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth. Repeat with the remaining sauce. Heat 1 cup of the sauce and the remaining chicken broth in a 12-inch skillet; reduce the heat. Place the chicken, skin sides up, in a single layer in the skillet. Cover and simmer until done, about 1 hour. Remove chicken to serving dish and keep warm. Measure the cooking liquid. In skillet combine 1 cup of the cooking liquid with the remaining sauce and heat to boiling, stirring constantly, and pour over the chicken.