When you live in or near Washington DC, it’s impossible to not become embroiled in politics. The local news here is also the national news, and at this point, I don’t know (nor would I have it) any other way. Most of us are firmly entrenched in our beliefs from early childhood, and can argue any number of legislative issues as (or more) coherently than some of our elected representatives.
My first inauguration was Bill Clinton’s first, in 1993. I was twelve years old, and I really don’t remember whether I was enthusiastic about going. What I remember is losing my friend Jamie in the massive crowd – I think she decided she wanted hot chocolate, and who could blame her? I’ll never understand why the Founding Fathers decided to throw out a freezing mid-January date and make it a constitutional requirement that the inauguration occur on that date. What’s wrong with May? Anyway, we spent most of the parade looking for her, and my parents have very different recollections of whether we found her or not. Either way, she survived and there was no harm done, but we didn’t take any family outings to inaugurations after that.
I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas again. It was just Christmas like, last week, wasn’t it? Every year, the 364 days between the holiday somehow manage to condense themselves more and more. I’ve heard people say for years that as you get older, time passes more and more quickly, and I am definitely starting to catch on to that. This year especially seemed to fly past at breakneck speed. It was a good year in many ways, and a tough one in some others – but when you come out the other side relatively unscathed, the good part wins.
Something else that feels like it was just last week was the beginning of this blog. But it wasn’t last week – it was just over a year ago that I bought a domain and started puzzling through the mysteries of blogging. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to get out of it. In all honesty, I’m still not sure. I’ve noticed the blog taking a backseat over the past few months as life has gotten more hectic, to the point where I sometimes feel guilty because I haven’t been able to get up a post in a week or longer. I know for sure that’s not what I want – the second this stops being a hobby and starts becoming a chore is the second I check out. If that means I occasionally have to space out new posts so I can find the right kind of time to cook, take pictures, and write, I think I’m okay with that.
Okay, I normally don’t use words like “rustic” to describe recipes. In my kitchen, it’s a running joke that if something turns out edible but supremely unattractive, it gets classified as “rustic.” The banana bread that overrose its pan and spilled over the sides? Rustic. Mushroom gravy that tasted divine but looked like something you’d scrape off your shoe? Rustic. See the pattern?
I may have to retire that joke in favor of the true definition of rustic – charmingly simple, unsophisticated. When I first tasted this pesto, my eyes opened wide, and I think I let out an audible gasp. I could taste every component in each bite – the basil, the garlic, the pine nuts, and the parmesan. It was as if each ingredient took a quick turn in a starring role before melding together into the most perfect blend of flavors I can imagine. It’s the simplest of dishes – five ingredients and no equipment required but a sharp knife, a cutting board, and some elbow grease (RUSTIC!). It’s that simplicity that makes this pesto special. Hand-chopping the ingredients a little bit at a time is what allows each flavor to both shine on its own and meld with the others, because it’s not ground into mushy paste in a blender (blenders aren’t rustic). The best part, aside from the taste, is the feeling of accomplishment after finishing all of that chopping (or maybe that’s just me. Frankly, it doesn’t take much to make me feel accomplished). Accomplishment, for the record, is also rustic.
I never get tired of Mexican food. I strongly believe that food wrapped/rolled/stuffed into things is pretty much as good as it gets, and Mexican food has that down pat. I also love that it’s pretty easy to find satisfying vegetarian options in Mexican restaurants (although beware the refried beans). Most of all, I love that Mexican food is easy to make it home, and that you can usually make it much healthier than you could ever hope to get in a restaurant.
This recipe for creamy baked chicken taquitos began making its merry way around the internet several years ago. After reading wistfully of its charms in blog after blog, it almost began to haunt me – everywhere I went, I seemed to be staring at it, but I couldn’t have it! The humanity! Even the disgusting deep-fried messes they call taquitos at 7-11 seemed to be mocking me as they slowly rotated over and over on their dirty griddle. After suffering through this for years, I finally decided to Take Back the Taquito.
“But Julie,” you may be saying, “how can you take back the taquito when you never had the taquito?” If you are saying that, then you’re arguing semantics. And you know what rhymes with semantic? Pedantic. So there. Now eat one of the taquitos I just took back, and like it.
You’ll need to plan a couple of days ahead in order to freeze and thaw the tofu. Remove the tofu from the package and press gently with paper towels to remove excess water. Place in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and seal tightly. Freeze for at least a day. Remove the night before or morning of the day you plan to make these and place in the refrigerator to thaw. After thawing but before shredding, gently press with several paper towels again to remove additional moisture. This will give the tofu a firmer, chewier texture.
I’m going to say one more thing about these taquitos before I beg you to make them – whether you’re a vegetarian or not really doesn’t matter with this recipe, so please don’t be put off by the tofu. In fact, I think this is a great introduction to tofu for those who perceive it as a wobbly, spongy, inadequate meat substitute. Freezing it first firms it up a lot, and the shredded texture mimics chicken so closely that I honestly don’t think most people would be able to tell the difference, especially with all the flavor in this recipe. Just this once, give tofu the benefit of the doubt. Your taste buds will thank you.
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