Issue #14: the right flavor of sh*t

Let's Get Lost, June 15, 2024

Hello friends! In this week’s issue you’ll find new recipes for crispy chicken schnitzel, Denver chocolate cake, BLT egg and cheese sandwiches, and super quick and fluffy olive oil scrambled eggs. Plus Blackberry muffins, several recipes to add to the week’s meal plan, everything bagel hand pies, and recommendations for what to read, write, watch, and listen to.

(If you’re new here, don’t forget to hit subscribe in the top right corner so you don’t miss future issues. If you’d like to restack or ‘like’ this conversation to give it a better chance of being seen, head for the heart or recycle emojis at the very bottom. Thank you! xo)

Welcome to your life. Which flavor of shit will you be having tonight?

Ok. So first of all I want to apologize for those of you who have heard me say this before. Because I have absolutely said this before, in personal conversations, on podcast interviews, and in many other places. I bring it up yet again because it remains one of the best life lessons I’ve ever heard.

Many years ago I read an article that was written to young people trying to decide what they wanted to do with their life. The title of the article was something along the lines of, What Flavor of Shit Do You Want to Eat?

Yes, yes. It’s a bit cringy and crude, but it gets the point across: There’s no such thing as a job, career, or a life that doesn’t come with its fair share of shit to deal with. So, do your best to choose one that doesn’t stink as bad (to you) as the other options.

There’s just so much wisdom in this.

We’ve been parked in a remote campground in Montana that’s beautiful and free, but also very rustic. You must be very self-sufficient here. There are no water, sewer, or electric hookups, and no place close by to get more fresh water or dump excess waste. The closest grocery store is no better than a gas station convenience store (it’s actually kinda worse). We’ve struggled to stay connected to the internet and the moths (millers?) and mosquitos are out of control. The pollen is thick, settling onto all the surfaces of our little home in a yellow layer of dust but we still keep the windows open because it’s hot and we don’t have enough power to run the air conditioner all day. I’m allergic to something that grows around here and hay fever is kicking my ass. Also, for the past few days it’s been about 15 degrees hotter than “normal”. Oh, and Steve was sick for the first week we were here.

But also, there is this:

This is our flavor of shit.

Ok. So, I wrote the section above on Friday morning. Friday evening we had an exploding toilet situation in the RV. I kid you not. Oh, the irony. Thank you, universe for providing endless opportunities for me to test my assertions. The situation is now under control, there has been sanitizer, bleach, and showers. And this is still our flavor.

The week in photos

If you’re reading this on Saturday, we are on our way to Reed Point, Montana, a super tiny little town with a population hovering just above 200. Mostly we are in Reed Point for its proximity to good motorcycle riding, but from what I’ve seen online, the town looks to be an old west ghost town with a quirky personality and colorful history. I’ll report back next week. :-)

• Last Saturday we decided to hop on the bike and ride to Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. The Tower is a striking butte that rises from the prairie surrounding the Black Hills. We’ve been there a couple of times before and it’s always worth the visit.

• After stopping for lunch at Devil’s Tower we decided to keep going and ride through Spearfish Canyon (South Dakota) to Deadwood where we stopped to walk around and have a drink on a patio that afforded some great people watching. In South Dakota, Steve pointed out that for the first time in years our license plates matched every one else’s. 😂 (We are from Colorado but became residents of SD when we moved into the RV. They only require us to spend one night every 5 years in the state to maintain residency and we hadn’t been there since 2020.)

• One night while walking around the campground, we met a camper on a motorcycle that was from Alabama and on his way to Alaska. Having done the same thing in 2019 (rode the motorcycle from Colorado to Alaska), we stopped to chat about the journey. When we made the trip, we stayed in hotels. But he was relying on the information in this book of free and low-cost campgrounds to camp his way there as cheaply as possible. I found a used copy on Amazon for any of you who are intrigued.

• Sunset out our front door. ❤️

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New Recipe on the blog: Blackberry Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel

These blackberry muffins are the kind of thing you make when you want a rich, bakery-style muffin that's too good to be anything but homemade.

They come with a tender texture sweetened with brown sugar, flavored with nutmeg and vanilla, and topped with a nutty oatmeal streusel that's both crunchy and chewy. And, of course, they are packed with blackberries, which can be fresh or frozen.

Get the recipe —> Blackberry Muffins

What to make this week: 5 recipes for your meal plan

1. Crispy Chili Rellenos: This simple recipe uses egg roll wrappers to make homemade crispy rellenos about 1000 times easier than traditional methods.

2. Shredded Pork Tacos (this is an especially great recipe for those of you with an upcoming camping trip or cookout on the schedule): These tacos are a party in your mouth, easy to scale up for a crowd, and can be prepared in the instant pot, slow cooker, oven, smoker, or in a dutch oven over the campfire.

3. Tahini Marinated Grilled Chicken: Put the chicken in the marinade in the morning and leave it in the refrigerator to get happy in all that tahini-lemon-garlic-and-herb yumminess. Then throw it on the grill or pop it in the oven that evening, letting it cook while you whip up the sauce and couscous.

4. Jicama and Apple Slaw: This salad is light, crisp, tart, and refreshing. It's quick and easy to make and packed with nutrition. It's the kind of thing you can make quickly for a light lunch or in large quantities for a summer cookout.

5. Cherry Crumb Pie: This delicious cherry pie with a buttery crumb topping uses those plump, juicy, sweet cherries that are available in grocery stores and farmer's markets all summer long.

Chicken Schnitzel

Thin slices of juicy chicken, generously breaded with crispy panko bread crumbs and fried until golden brown - what’s not to love about chicken schnitzel???

I only make it a couple times a year, but when eaten with forkfuls of cream cheese mashed potatoes, it’s one of our all-time favorite meals.

One of the secrets to great chicken schnitzel is to allow the chicken to soak overnight in a salty buttermilk brine. I learned the power of soaking chicken in buttermilk from Samin Nosrat's incredible book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and it’s now the only way I make a roast chicken.

It also works magic for chicken schnitzel. The salt and acid in the buttermilk work together to flavor and tenderize the chicken from the inside out. The result is exceptionally tender, juicy, and flavor packed chicken with a gorgeously crispy crust.

Makes 4 main dish servings. Plan ahead - the chicken needs to soak in the buttermilk brine for 12 - 24 hours.

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 cups buttermilk

• A very generous handful of fresh herbs (I used basil and dill)

• About 1/4 cup of salt

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• Chili powder, Aleppo pepper, or cayenne (to taste)

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

• Vegetable or canola oil

• One medium size lemon

1. Slice each chicken breast in half crosswise so you have two thin pieces of chicken per breast.

2. Add the buttermilk to a zip-top bag or another container with a lid. Add the fresh herbs and about 3 tablespoons of salt. Stir the salt and herbs around a bit then add the chicken. The chicken should be completely submerged. Place the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, add the flour to a shallow bowl or pie plate and stir in as much or as little chili powder, Aleppo pepper, or cayenne as you like. In a second shallow bowl or pie plate, add the eggs and whisk to break them up and combine them. In a third shallow bowl or pie plate, add the panko bread crumbs.

4. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk brine and lay it out on paper towels. Blot with more paper towels to dry the chicken; no need to be obsessive about this, just soak up the excess liquid.

5. Dredge one piece of chicken in the flour, turning it to coat, and then shaking off any excess. Dip the chicken in the egg yolks, turning it to coat, then lay it in the dish with the panko bread crumbs. Cover the chicken with bread crumbs and then use your fingers to press the crumbs into the chicken. Turn it over and press more crumbs into the chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces.

6. Line a tray or a plate with a couple of paper towels and set it near the stovetop. Pour enough oil into a skillet or braiser or other large saucepan to come about 1 inch-up the sides of the pan and set it over high heat. Bring the oil to 350 degrees F. It’s extremely useful to have a high-heat thermometer. I love my Thermapen one food thermometer for this and many other uses.

7. Use metal tongs to lower two pieces of chicken into the hot oil. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the chicken pieces over and let them cook on the other side until golden brown. Monitor the heat as the chicken cooks to keep it as close to 350 as possible. If you aren’t using a high heat thermometer, monitor the temperature based on how quickly the chicken is cooking. It should take 3-4 minutes for the pieces to get to a golden brown. If it takes longer than 5 minutes, the oil is too cool. If it takes less than 3, the oil is too hot.

8. When the pieces are a deep golden brown on both sides, remove them from the oil to the paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm and repeat with the remaining two pieces of chicken.

9. Serve immediately with slices of lemon. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice makes chicken schnitzel even more delicious.

We like to eat chicken schnitzel with cream cheese mashed potatoes. But good condiments to serve with schnitzel include mustard, mayonnaise or aioli, harissa, lemon paste, or for Asian flavors with wasabi or sweet Thai chili sauce.

Chicken schnitzel is also delicious in a sandwich or stuffed inside a pita slathered with hummus. (In case you missed it, my homemade hummus recipe was in last week’s issue.)

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Denver Chocolate Cake

Many years ago my Grandma and Grandpa gave all their kids and grandkids a binder containing my Grandma’s favorite recipes. To date, this is easily one of the most valuable and treasured gifts I’ve ever received. When we moved into the RV, there was no question of the binder coming with us.

Last weekend, I pulled it out for the first time in a while and spent a couple of hours flipping through it, reading all my Grandma’s notes, and setting aside a few recipes that I’d like to share with you over the coming weeks. This is one of them.

When I was growing up, this cake showed up at a LOT of our family gatherings. It still does. It’s a ridiculously easy cake to make, with a gorgeous milk chocolate flavor, and the kind of moist, fudgy texture we all want in a chocolate cake.

After a bit of research, I learned that the cake originates from a Junior League cookbook published in the 1950’s. My Grandma’s version differs slightly from the versions I found online and I’ve made a few minor modifications of my own. Regardless, this is a great cake to feed a crowd. It will serve 12 - 15 people and everyone will go crazy for it.

Makes 12 to 15 servings

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups granulated white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, OR 1 teaspoon table salt

• ½ cup buttermilk

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 16 pieces

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

FOR THE FROSTING

• 8 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 6 tablespoons buttermilk

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, OR 3/4 teaspoon table salt

• 3-4 cups (3/4 to 1 pound) of powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)

• ½ cup chopped nuts (I used roasted and salted almonds that I processed briefly in the food processor to chop.

To make the cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch rectangle pan. (Here’s more information about how to prepare a pan so your cake will not stick.)

Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and use a wire whisk to stir.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Use a fork or a whisk to mix together.

Add the butter, cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups of water to a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth and bubbling around edges of the pan.

Remove the cocoa mixture from heat and pour it into the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, stir just until everything is combined.

Pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture and stir just until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When done, the cake will be pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will emerge without any raw batter on it.

Remove the cake from oven, and set the pan on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.

To make the frosting:

Add the butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk to a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until the butter has melted, the mixture is smooth, and bubbling around edges of the pan. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).

Add the vanilla, salt, and 3 cups of the powdered sugar, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed to blend then on medium speed until smooth. I like this frosting to be thin and slightly less sweet, so I stop at 3 cups. But, if you’d like the frosting to be thicker after it sets, add the 4th cup of powdered sugar. Mix in the nuts and then pour the warm frosting over the top of the cake, smoothing it with a spatula.

Allow the frosting to set before slicing. If you’ve only added 3 cups of powdered sugar, the frosting will always be a bit runny, as you can see in the photos. If you’ve added 4 cups it will firm up more as it rests.

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BLT, fried egg and cheese sandwich

I love a classic BLT (and this BLT sauce is c’est magnifique!) but I read somewhere that Chef Thomas Keller likes to make his with cheese and a fried egg, which sounded like a splendid idea to me. I tried it this week and let’s just say these babies didn’t suck. These are sloppy, messy, two handed and 3 napkin sandwiches, just as all the best sandwiches are.

Makes 1 sandwich

• 3 slices of thick cut bacon

• 2 slices of smoked gouda cheese (or any kind of cheese you like)

• 2 thick slices of rustic bread

• Mayonnaise

• 2 tomato slices, sprinkled with salt and pepper

• A leaf or two of lettuce

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 large egg

• Salt and pepper

In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat. Use tongs to turn it often and cook until the slices are crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Toast both slices of bread in a toaster. The second you pull the bread from the toaster, lay the cheese on one of the hot slices. Spread the other slice with mayo then top with the bacon, tomato, and lettuce.

In a small, nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the egg and fry over medium heat, turning once, until crisp around the edge, about 4 minutes; the yolk should still be runny. Slide the egg onto the lettuce; close the sandwich, cut in half, and chow down.

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Olive oil scrambled eggs

Scrambled eggs are one of my go-to quick dinner favorites. I do sometimes make them for breakfast. But more often they are a quick late night meal when we’ve been out hiking, kayaking, motorcycle riding, or just working late.

For years I’ve followed a method adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julia cooks the eggs in butter very slowly over low heat, stirring constantly, until they are impossibly soft and creamy. She finishes the eggs with a splash of heavy cream, which I hardly ever do. They are perfectly rich and creamy enough without it.

But recently I tried cooking eggs in olive oil at high-ish heat and was impressed by how quickly they cooked and how light and fluffy they are. If pressed, I’m not sure I could say which version I like better. But to be honest, I’d guess that these olive oil scrambled eggs are mostly what I’ll be making from now on simply because they are done in under 5 minutes, start to finish.

For 2 servings:

• 1 - 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 4 - 6 large eggs

• Salt and pepper

Add the oil to a non-stick skillet and set it over medium heat. While the oil heats, crack the eggs into a bowl and sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper. Use a fork or whisk to beat the eggs until they are broken up and well combined.

When the oil is just starting to smoke, pour the eggs into the center of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to continuously stir the eggs, pushing them toward the middle of the pan as they set at the edges so you are folding the eggs over onto themselves. Cook just until set, but still shiny and wet looking - this will only take 30 to 60 seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the eggs onto a plate. Let them rest for another 30 seconds or so, and serve.

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This month’s featured cookbook is Simply Julia by Julia Turshen. Julia Turshen is one of my favorite cookbook authors and this is my favorite of her books so far (her latest book, What Goes With What, comes out in the fall).

I know many of you are also subscribed to her Substack newsletter, Keep Calm and Cook On, and if you’re not, check it out because it’s fabulous.

This week I made her recipe for Everything Bagel Hand Pies.

I’d been wanting to try this recipe for a while and this week’s issue gave me the perfect excuse. :-) The dough for these delicious breakfast treats is similar to my recipe for quick stuffed flatbread: it’s quick and easy to make, requires very little kneading and does not require any time to rise.

The dough is rolled out into circles, topped with scrambled eggs and scallions, then folded over into little half-moon shapes, glazed with an egg wash, sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning and baked.

The whole process only takes about 45 minutes, including bake time.

I used the olive oil scrambled egg method described above to make the eggs and tossed in some crispy cooked pieces of bacon that were left over from the BLTs in the photo above. I also tossed in a handful of shredded cheddar cheese because why on earth not?

The recipe makes 4 which was perfect for us - two for dinner and two for breakfast.

If you want to make them yourself (and you do) buy the book. :-) You can also use my stuffed flatbread recipe which will give you very similar results.

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The bake club is a monthly baking challenge with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. To participate simply bake the challenge recipe and leave a comment on the recipe telling me what you thought of it.

Important: When you comment on the recipe, use the same email address that you use to subscribe to this newsletter. This is how I’ll contact you if you win.

The June challenge recipe is Orange Poppy Seed Cake!

This is the kind of cake that stretches the boundaries of just how moist a cake can be. The cake itself includes actual fruit - a couple of whole oranges are mixed right into the batter along with the poppy seeds.

I know some of you made this cake last month right after I published the recipe. If you’re one of them, head over to the recipe, leave a comment or a rating and bada bing bada boom, you’re entered. Or, just make it again. I won’t stop you.

To participate in the Bake Club Challenge: bake this month's challenge recipe and then leave a comment on the recipe telling me what you thought of it! By commenting on the recipe, you'll be automatically entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Bake the challenge recipe and leave your comment before July 1st, 2024.

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Reading, watching, and listening recommendations

Reading

I have been re-listening to Rules of Civility by Amor Towels on Audible and it’s just such a fantastic book. I first read this book in paperback many years ago and it remains amongst the very small handful of books that I read many times AND listened to many times.

I noticed recently that Mr. Towels released a new book, Table for Two, a collection of short stories, one of which features one of the main characters in Rules of Civility. So, before I dig into that, a refresher was in order. The book is just as delightful for the hundredth time as it was the first.

Writing

If you are a writer of any kind, but especially a writer on Substack, do yourself a huge favor and check out The Substack Soirée. I’ve been a part of their last 5 week class and it’s full of so many good things. But, you don’t have to join the class - there is tons of great free stuff on The Substack Soirée.

Listening

If you are one of the few people in the country not listening to the This American Life podcast, do yourself a favor and subscribe through whatever podcast service you use. You can also just listen straight from their website. I hadn’t listened in a couple of weeks, so got caught up last weekend, listening through That Other Guy and Lists. I highly recommend both and every episode on this remarkable weekly radio program.

Watching

We watched Hit Man on Netflix last weekend and we both loved it. It stars Glen Powell who plays a nerdy professor who starts moonlighting as a undercover hit man for the Las Vegas police in sting operations.

It’s a great not-too-serious, highly entertaining movie that’s perfect for those nights when you want to actually chill out and watch something that doesn’t make you think too hard, and where everything turns out as it should in the end. Also, the story is loosely based on the life of a real person and I always like it when a good story has some roots in the truth.

If you make something from this issue, have any questions or anything you’d like to share, add a comment below. I ❤️ to hear from you. And if you are enjoying this newsletter, please tell your friends!