Strollerderby : chicken

Robot Baby Chick

Brett Singer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

So let's say you wish you lived on a farm. That's not an option, but maybe you can at least get a baby chick and keep it as a pet. After all, baby chicks are so cute.

Then you realize, "Wait a minute. If I get a baby chick to keep as a pet, eventually the baby chick will grow up and become a full-grown chicken. And I live in an apartment. Clearly, this is a horrible idea."

But wait! SegaToys has a solution! You could get (drum roll, please) – a robotic chicken! For only 26 bucks American (that's, what, like 1.5 Euros these days?) you can get your very own teeny little robot pet. No muss, no fuss, no smell, and it never grows up. But it's still cute (video below).

Also, don't think you can just put your toy on a shelf or leave it in a drawer to play with when you feel like it. This toy is needy. From a site that sells them: "To make Dream Chick move and chirp, human contact is required. Touch it or pat it and it'll move its little wings and chirp from time to time. If you leave it alone, it'll chirp once in a while but contact is the key." You know, sort of like your children.

image: brando.com.hk

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Kitchenista: THFPFT!

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:01:00 GMT

My oldest kid could live on nothing but raspberries. Sadly, the rest of the family isn't a huge fan of this cute little drupelet, mostly because of the gazillions of hard little seeds. Which thrills her because she gets to eat the entire pint herself. Still, I can't help but think we ought to share in the raspberry love, especially since they are dirt cheap right now.

Fortunately, Carolyn Malcoun at Eating Well magazine (via Shine) has posted a list of her favorite raspberry recipes and storage tips. I might just have to whip up a batch of Barbecued Raspberry-Hoisin Chicken, since the sauce seems to nicely deal with the seed issue.

Anyone else have some great raspberry recipes that they'd like to ante up? Seed-free would be preferred...

Photo credit: Eating Well

Kitchenista: Good Enough For a Potluck in Mumbai

Madeline Holler — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:32:00 GMT

For the tastiest curries, I'm all for grinding and mixing your own spices, and pounding crisp aromatics into thick pastes using a mortar, pestle and all the seething anger that built up over the weekend. But sometimes, you just need to make dinner. For that, we go to whatever's in one of the jars that we have on hand.

But that doesn't mean soup or spaghetti and sauce again. You can still have curry -- which, incidentally, I think are the most forgiving and easiest vegetable hiders, take that Ms. Seinfeld! -- and it's very easy. Like, 15 minutes from thought bubble to table.

Just stock up on these (especially the stuff in the jars): Patak's Taste of India.

No need to venture into your cities Little India (though, by all means, go!), because these are available in the most meat 'n' potatoes suburban supermarkets -- look in the international aisle. There a lots of variations and please, try them all.

My favorite, though, is Patak's Original Mild Curry Paste, cilantro and cumin. You can do anything with it, but here's the best. (Don't worry, "mild" still has a little heat, which I think is good to get even little kids used to. Just blob on some plain yogurt if the kid starts wailing.)

Dice and saute an onion, if you have one, no big deal if you don't. Throw in some chicken, diced or hard vegetables like carrots or parsnips or potatoes or whatever. Any, all, none of it, doesn't matter. Just wait with the delicate leafy stuff for the final step. Throw in a can of garbanzos, any size can, but the more you make the more leftovers you have and you'll want leftovers of this for sure.

When the garbanzos seem heated and the optional onions are soft and, even better, kind of browned, scoop out some of the curry paste, one heaping spoonful at a time. Stir after each spoonful. You're trying to make sure you have enough to coat all the garbanzos and/or optional chicken. Keep dumping. You can't overdo it and you can always add more later, so don't sweat this step.

Now, dump in a can of diced tomatoes -- any size. Stir. Add some water or chicken broth to make the amount of curry that you want. Taste. Add more paste if you want. Here you can throw in bell peppers or spinach or fresh tomatoes -- any other kind of vegetable that wilts quickly or should be done, at most, al dente. Let the whole thing simmer until the rice is done.

Serve in big bowls over rice. Dollop some yogurt on top for extra richness/coolness. You'll love it so much, you'll want to bring it to your next potluck in Mumbai. But don't.

Kitchenista: Frozen Chicken Potstickers Eat Like a Thousand Meals

Madeline Holler — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:25:00 GMT

Have you tried the Trader Joe’s Chicken Gyoza Potstickers? I got sucked in at the samples counter and walked out of the store with three bags. But I'm sure you can find something similar in any old suburban supermarket.

Back to the TJ's potstickers: don’t get me started. Heat one in a pan, it’s a treat. Two more and you’ve had a snack. Three more and it’s a meal. Drizzle with a sweet teriyaki and feel free to call it dessert!

And just as easily, these little sticky purses of gingery/garlicky chicken fun can be a soup -- a chicken noodle soup -- just like mama used to make (when she was working nights at the China Star Buffet).

Here’s how: Take one carton/can/jug/pot of chicken stock, heated until a slight boil. Empty bag of potstickers, ducking to avoid getting scalded from the splashes. Serve.

Oh, not fancy enough? Fine. Chop green onions and toss those in. Stir up an egg and throw that in too. Got fresh ginger and 30 seconds? In it goes. Drizzle a bit of soy sauce if you’re feeling salty, red chili oil if you like it hot. Ate Chinese last night? Then use cilantro and limes.

What? It’s not soup season? It doesn’t have to be. Drop a bag of them in a pot of boiling pasta a few minutes before the noodles are al dente. Drain everything and toss with garlic infused olive oil and chili pepper flakes. And while that’s a dangerous amount of carbs you’re eating, you’ve got spaghetti with chicken meatballs. (And for God’s sake skip the garlic bread and throw together a salad on the side!)

I am telling you, these potstickers will do anything! Hell, serve them with mashed potatoes and smothered in white gravy, and you’ve got Sunday chicken dinner. No. That’s gross. Don’t do that.

Kitchenista: Turning Up The Heat on Food-On-A-Stick

Patti — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:29:00 GMT

As the food phases in our household ebb and flow, a couple of constants remain: spice is good, and if it's on a stick, it's worth a taste. Hooked On Heat is a terrific blog about Indian food, and this recipe for Tandoori Chicken Pops is a great way to introduce your kids to Indian cuisine while staying within the realm of the familiar.

We tried them both fried and grilled, and while fried food on a stick is pretty much the pinnacle of existence as far as I'm concerned, the chicken was pretty awesome grilled, too (and healthier, and less of a mess to prepare). I dialed down the heat on half the chicken, which was a good call: the kids loved the chili flavor but couldn't get through more than a couple of bites without having to stop for a milk break. I served this with raita for dipping (that's another constant here: dip is always a good idea).

(image: Hooked On Heat)