9 things

1. When you don't have any dessert in the house, have a beer.

2. Jonathan Franzen's Freedom is addictive. I loved The Corrections but I don't recall such eloquent, punchy, hilarious prose. Maybe I'm just older and identify more strongly with his characters this time around. As good as Franzen is, though, I can't wait to read Mat Johnson's Pym.

3. I tend to forget about Twitter for weeks at a time and then tweet 20 times in one day. As if anyone cares. Using Twitter often feels like shouting into the darkness of the universe. Even when I use snarky hashtags. #shoutbackdammit

4. Jupiter has started eating a huge variety of foods, thanks in large part to the helpful information here. We've been using the menu for 8-10 month olds for the past week. It's helpful to have someone tell me what makes a balanced food day for my kid because I had no idea how to work it all in when he was eating one (one!) fruit or vegetable with oatmeal per meal, and yogurt at lunch. Now he gets grain, protein, and fruit and/or vegetable at every meal. Makes me feel like I know what I'm doing. Tonight's dinner was half an avocado mashed with tofu, a bit of barley, and some yogurt. He ate it all.

5. Missing my pre-baby body, I have been sore for four consecutive weeks thanks to Mr. Motivation. And no, I'm not talking about my husband. In fact, I can't believe I just linked to a site that looks like that. Geesh. Thankfully, my muscles don't mind bad graphic design.

6. Watching Breaking Bad is one way of generating nightmares and anxiety about death. But the cinematography is beautiful and jarring and the acting is surprisingly inspired. We're midway through the first season and I find myself wishing I had paid more attention in chemistry class.

7. We still have yet to organize, print, or distribute our wedding photos. This fact gives me the occasional minor panic attack. Maybe by the time Jupe is five years old I'll have found the time to sift through the 3,000 digital files and Jay will have found the time to work them up. Maybe.

8. In spite of all this working out, baby-feeding, cooking (see below), tweeting, tv watching, reading, and panicking, I have actually made a bit of headway on my dissertation. I wrote something. A whole page and a half. It felt amazing. Now I'm back to slogging through press accounts for #2 of 3 case study cities. Lots of caffeinated tea and almonds.

9. The Cook's Illustrated chicken and white bean chili tastes much, much better on day 2. Here's the recipe. I highly recommend the lime, cilantro, and avocado garnishes. And corn bread.


Cook's Illustrated White Chicken Chili
Serves 6 to 8

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium jalapeño chiles
3 poblano chiles (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
3 Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium onions , cut into large pieces (2 cups)
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions , white and light green parts sliced thin

Garnishes are key components in white chili. Cilantro and scallions add freshness, while lime juice provides a welcome burst of acidity.

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and lightly brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; remove and discard skin.

2. While chicken is browning, remove and discard ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños; mince flesh. In food processor, process half of poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions until consistency of chunky salsa, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of workbowl halfway through. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions; combine with first batch (do not wash food processor blade or workbowl).

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven (adding additional vegetable oil if necessary) and reduce heat to medium. Add minced jalapeños, chile-onion mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

4. Transfer 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture to now-empty food processor workbowl. Add 1 cup beans and 1 cup broth and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add vegetable-bean mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, and chicken breasts to Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers 160 degrees (175 degrees if using thighs) on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using thighs).

5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are heated through and chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

6. Mince remaining jalapeño, reserving and mincing ribs and seeds (see note above), and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and remaining minced jalapeño (with seeds if desired) into chili and return to simmer. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.