In which I do not burn the house down. At all.

I've never broiled steaks.

I've grilled them once. My dad for some reason does not let me do the grilling, even though I am at least as good as he is, and have the potential to be better because I learn from his (occasional) mistakes.

On Friday night of last week, I undertook to broil a couple steaks.

I was feeling kind of flush, because I'd gotten my tax return and would be getting paid in a few days. So, I bought a couple huge steaks from Whole Foods, and got ready to cook some steaks. I consulted Alton Brown and my mother, to find out the particulars about broiling. Then, I coated my huge steaks with the dry rub my uncle gave me (which is basically salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a couple herbs -- what I would have put on them anyways), and let them sit out at room temperature while I made the potatoes ready for the mashings (which means I cut them up and put them in the pot with water and salt, to boil).

Although I was very nervous, I fired up the broiler, got a cookie sheet lined with foil and my cooling rack. The recipe I'd read said the steaks needed to be 3 inches from the broiler - I couldn't find the happy medium so I figured I'd just cook them for less time.

It turned out, I didn't need to do that. Basically, I managed to cook it for 4 ish minutes on one side and 5-6 minutes on the other side (these were inch-inch and a half steaks. One pound each. HUGE) and they came out Beautiful!!! Medium-rare to rare, very juicy, well-seasoned. The juices that ran out while they were resting were a beautiful compliment to the Gorgonzola Mashed potatoes. I made too much, too many, which was happy because it meant that the next day, after I worked as a nanny for 15 hours, starting at 5am and ending at 8pm, I ate leftover steak and mashed tatoes and was happy.

Saturday, after my marathon day that began with the most awful night's sleep ever, a cabbie calling me at 4am to ask me if he had my address correct, same cabbie calling at 4:38am to tell me he was there (I'd requested a car for 5am. Really?!), I fell asleep after watching Chefography on the Food Network until midnight (Rachael Ray was on!!).

I was a waste on Sunday, so my roommate cooked, a nommy situation of pasta and meat sauce, and just what I needed considering that I was so tired I slept for 11 hours AND took a nap. Or two. Heh.

Monday after I got out of work times two, I looked forward to getting home and eating dinner, but the MTA had other plans. I didn't get home until after 10, when I'd left work at 8:30. Absurd. Stupid MTA. Anyways, Boyfriend and I created the coming week's menu and went to sleep.

Tuesday was supposed to be Pumpkin Sage pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms. However, my nanny boss had other plans. Unbeknownst to me, I had agreed to work on Tuesday night ( which I would never do), and even though I had things to do, I had to come through. So, Boyfriend and I did as much grocery shopping as we could before I had to dash to work.

I didn't end up getting out of work until midnight thirty, which was approximately 3 hours after I assumed I'd be getting out of work. Jesse and my roommate ended up eating the sausage we'd bought, and when I finally got home round about 1am, my lovely and wonderful boyfriend made me Annie's Mac & Cheese so I didn't starve.

Last night we finally got back on track, after missing out on a chance to see Forbidden Kingdom for free and early (the line was so long! People had been waiting since noon), we came home and had Spicy Tomato Soup (boxed tomato soup, with cumin, chili powder, curry powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce) and Grilled Cheese Shaminses (the little girl I nanny for says "shamins" instead of sandwich.... SO cute) with Muenster cheese.

And tonight. Tonight real men made quiche.
Or at least, they made pie crust.

My boyfriend made the crust for tonight's quiche, and when I got home from work at 9pm, it was Saran-Wrapped and waiting in the fridge for me to roll it out and blind-bake it. I love my blind-baking paraphenalia. Because honestly, it's a piece of aluminum foil and some dried cannelini beans. And it's going to be that until someone decides to buy me a set of pie weights. Which means I'll be using foil and beans for a very long time!! :)

The interior of the quiche involved sauteed mushrooms, spinach, gruyere, eggs, milk, cream, and red bell peppers.

It was delicious.
Absolutely delicious.

And tomorrow morning, on my way to work, I will have something to munch on. Yummy Quiche Leftovers!!!


Tune in next time:
In which we feed the boyfriend after NerdHerd '08 (aka the New York ComiCon)