Tough Choices
So I’ve been going back and forth with some difficult choices over the last month or so. While I love my home, and I love living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I do miss my hometown. The palm trees, the orange blossom scented air and the glamour of Los Angeles sometimes calls out to me. But more than that, I miss my parents. The house I grew up in. Everyone who knows that house knows that it has a very special energy. It seems healing, almost. It heals me. And I miss it. I miss the porch in the evening. I miss finding myself watching reruns of Jeopardy while my parents snore next to me. I miss the goofy white dog that sticks her nose in my lap from under the table. I miss Gelson’s chicken tenders. I miss hearing my daughter’s footsteps coming down the stairs after she’s slept in all morning. And I know, those times…they’re fleeting. Children grow up, parents grow old. That house, that healing energy won’t be there forever. I want to soak up as much of it as I can right now, while I have it in my life. And yet. And yet. I’ve pushed two trips back this summer. Canceled plans and rescheduled flights. Hoping. It’s a scary world out there right now. And these are difficult choices. Is it morally right to heal my own soul if it puts not only people I love in danger but also even those I don’t know? I could get tested, and I could then fly down to LA. The chances are small something bad would happen. But is that enough? Is that right? Is it selfish to make all these concessions right now? So many questions. So much back and forth and back and forth. The truth is, and the conclusion I’ve come to is that when it feels right, it will be right. Some things you just need to still your body to hear. And to listen intently to that voice inside of you. Sometimes the right thing isn’t the thing you want. But in the quiet, in the deep parts of your own soul, you know answers. I’m not ready yet. It’s not right for me right now. But I have ears. I can listen. And I will be paying very close attention so that when it’s right, I’m ready. But of course, I’m a chef. And this blog is supposed to be about cooking! So…
How do you relate the tough choices we’re all having to make right now with a recipe for food? That’s a tough one! HAHA. Well I made steak fajitas last weekend and it hit me. Flank Steak. One of my favorite cuts. It’s relatively cheap, for 20 bucks you’ve got steak for four people. It can accommodate a myriad of different flavors for different kinds of meals. It’s lean, not real fatty, but full of flavor. But there’s one little problem with flank steak. If you cut it wrong, you’ll end up chewing it for EVER! It can be tough. So there I was cutting the flank steak I grilled up for fajitas AGAINST the grain, and thinking about the word ‘tough’. Unlike those choices we’re all making right now, these fajitas are not tough. They’re tasty, and savory, and damn easy to make! Marinate the steak 4 hours to overnight (Even a half hour will be good, but the longer you can do it, the more flavorful your meal) Grill them to your desired doneness. Then Let. It. Rest. Ten minutes is fine. Flank steak is easy to cut correctly. You can see the lines of the grain in the meat. Cut across them. Done! I caramelized onions, but you can grill them. I grilled red peppers but you can use green, or green and red. Or orange. Or no peppers! I grated a mix of cheddar and jack cheeses, and grilled up some street size flour tortillas. I’m including my recipes for guacamole and pico de gallo, but you don’t have to make your own. Buy some! Easy. Some limes, some cilantro….and don’t forget the Margaritas!! These times are tough! Have some fajitas, sit in the shade with your sunglasses and your cold drink and relax a bit! You deserve it!
Steak Marinade
Combine all ingredients and put in Ziploc plastic bag with steak. Marinate overnight.
1/3 C vegetable oil
3 minced garlic cloves
Juice of one – two limes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
2 tbls soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
Pico De Gallo
1 cup chopped tomato
2/3 cup diced red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt
pepper
1 minced jalapeno for heat (optional)
Guacamole
1-2 ripe mashed avocados
Juice of one lime
¼ cup finely minced red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
salt
pepper
1 minced jalapeno for heat (optional)