LADIES & GENTLEMAN, PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE

ROBIN RICE 💃

One thing about me: I hate a gimmick. I hate Hulu being included in Spotify. I hate a pan-bang cookie. I hate a Bloody Mary bar. I hate grilled cheese themed restaurants. Stop lying and trying to trick me and just sell me a quality product honestly, okay? The only gimmick that stands is LOBSTERFEST. Red Lobster does no wrong. Anyway, this is just a really nice, simple soup that you and your friends and family will be happy to enjoy and Better Than Bouillon is an incredible product. 

I went to New Orleans for five days over Halloween and had a genuinely lovely time. New Orleans is a magical place that cannot be compared to any other city. There are a few places I have traveled that I will go back to every single time I have an opportunity and NOLA is number two on the list after NYC. This is all to say that five days of Sazerac and crawfish etouffee would make anyone want to drink nothing but hot, clear broth for the foreseeable future. I’d love to give you a gumbo recipe based on my travel research, but I will never create a gumbo recipe because gumbo is ever evolving. So I’m giving you a recipe for the soup that I made myself after I returned home to bring my brain and my stomach back to earth. 

Most of the time, I pride myself on starting from scratch. It makes me feel cool and extra, and I love making more work for myself and having complete control of every aspect of the meal. In my mind, if you start from the beginning it will be obvious in the end. This is especially true, for me, where soup is concerned. Now please forget everything I have said for the last four sentences and go buy Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and Uncle Bens Parboiled Rice. These two products are my best friends. I am never without them. They love their jobs and they work their asses off. This soup is meant to be very chickeny. It comes together quickly and with the assistance of the aforementioned grocery items, it is very easy to make. 

Rabe and Rice with Chicken 

1 large chicken breast
10 garlic cloves, sliced
1 lb. broccoli rabe, chopped
1 bunch Tuscan kale, chopped 
2 cups rice 
6 cups chicken broth
4 tbsp. chicken base
1 tbsp. lemon juice or distilled white vinegar

Generously season chicken breast with salt 1-12 hours in advance. Poach chicken in simmering salted water until the internal temperature reaches 160 then set it aside. In a Dutch oven, heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté for a minute then add rabe and kale. Sautee for 1-3 minutes or until the greens are wilted. Add rice and stir to coat the rice in oil then add chicken broth and chicken base. Bring soup to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer until the rice is fully cooked, 5-10 minutes. Turn heat off and add acid. Slice chicken and add it to the soup. Salt to taste. Top soup with nice olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, red chili flake, and scallion or parsley. 

I am still listening to Midnights at least three times a day. I suffered, sat in queue, and was unfortunately unable to procure tickets to the upcoming Taylor Swift tour. I am not mad at her and I am hopeful that tickets will happen to me. Over the past weekend, I turned 32. I had a lovely birthday and was fortunate to celebrate it with my dad whom I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. I am genuinely happy and proud of myself for all of the ways that I’ve changed in my 31st year. I’m looking forward to what 32 will bring. Anyway, this isn’t about you, Sarah!

As we start getting ready and preparing for the holiday this week, this will be a very nice, gentle, and low maintenance soup you can create to get your mind, body, and kitchen ready for what’s about to happen to it. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and you don’t have to have any uncomfortable conversations. Here is where I will tell you to make this pie for your party, it’s better than pumpkin and apple. Don’t @ me.

Love you
-the BMer

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My girlfriend Kelsey also celebrated her birthday this week. Happy Birthday Kelsey. She is an incredible writer and an equally good human. You can find her works here

Lucky Rigatoni

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