Polenta with Grilled Chicken

I've been thinking about polenta ever since we picked up a bag at Claudio down on 9th Street. That was a fun trek - and one we just don't take as often as we should. The anchovies, alone, were worth the trip.

I used to cook polenta quite often, but Nonna doesn't like it - she says she ate just a bit too much of it as a child at the Sons of Italy Orphanage - but every now and again, it's worth making semi-separate dinners. I really can't think of any negative food associations. On the other hand, I can think of scores of foods that can bring an instant smile - and a great memory - to my face. I guess I'm just a happy food kinda guy.

I almost always make my polenta with milk and add butter and cheese when it's pretty much finished cooking. The cheese will vary and it's usually just what I happen to have in the 'fridge at the moment. Anything will work. Tonight's had Locatelli.

To top the polenta, I grilled chicken breasts that were drizzled in a basil olive oil. I'm not sure where the oil came from, but it was probably Cost Plus. It was in one of those little airline liquor-sized bottles and I tend to buy lots of those things whenever I hit their stores. Wherever it came from, it was petty good.

What was excellent, however, was Little Gram's Eggplant on top of everything. It really did make for a totally unique and rich dish that took absolutely no effort to put together.

I'm glad there's lots downstairs!

 

 


Canning Little Grandma's Eggplant Appetizer

Mother Nature is smiling down on us because one eggplant plant is producing eggplant for the world! It's just unbelievable. It's going bonkers. Talk about a perfect location.

We've been giving them to neighbors as fast as we can, but yesterday Victor went out and there were 7 that were immediately ready to eat.  Two went to neighbors and five came inside for canning.

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I made and canned a caponata at the beginning of the season but this time we decided to go with Little Grandma's Eggplant Appetizer. Little Gram wrote in 1993 - when she was a mere 93 -

My family loves this. When I make it, they eat it like candy. Well, it is sweet! I find that eggplants are better in the summer, even though you can get them all year round. This is another recipe I have been making for many years. I got it from my mother who brought it over from Sicily. She and my father worked for a nobleman when they lived there. Ma used to cook for the man and his family. That's probably where she got many recipes. This dish is really a type of Caponota that many Italian families make.

We have made this many, many times - it's a great caponata - but this is the first time we've made this much of it at once.

Victor started out by peeling and cutting all of those eggplants. He actually did all the work. I just did the canning part.

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Then it was into olive oil, for frying.

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Meanwhile, the celery and then olives were parboiled.

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Finally, everything came together...

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And into jars for processing.

I was able to can 8 pints of eggplant. I sent 7 down to the basement and kept one for dinner, tonight. I'm thinking chicken and cooking up some of the polenta I picked up at the Italian Market two weeks ago. Simple, but oh, so good!

This is going to be great at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Little Grandma's Eggplant Appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 3/4 cups halved or chopped green olives
  • 3 cups thinned Italian tomato sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1/4 chopped Locatelli cheese
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • fresh basil and mint

Cut eggplant in strips the size of French fries. Salt and let stand about an a hour. Dry on a paper towel. Deep fry in hot oil. Keep oil as hot as possible without burning. Add eggplant one at a time and keep adding one at a time to keep the oil at the same temperature. Fry each one until tender and cooked. Drain on paper towels.

To Make Sauce:

Parboil celery for ten minutes. Add olives and cook another five minutes. Drain all water out of the pot. Add the thinned tomato sauce and boil for ten minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Cook for three minutes. Add cheese. Make it come to a boil and then turn off heat and allow to cool.

Pour sauce over fried eggplants. Garnish with fresh Basil and mint that have been sliced into very thin strips.

 


Fig Peach Rugelach

If the Apocalypse ever happens, we're going to have plenty of food in the basement! In just the past few days we have made Fig, Caramelized Onion, and Pepper Jam, 15 quarts of Victor's Pasta Sauce - made from our own tomatoes and fresh herbs - a dozen pints of hot peppers, and last night, 4 pints of fig peach jam. Right now, Victor is in the kitchen making Little Grandma's Eggplant that I will can when it's done. That's the next blog post!

At home, we had 4 pounds of white peaches that were merely okay, and, at work, there were 2-pound packs of black figs that were really good. A concept was born.

And a dessert.

The jam was easy - albeit a bit messy until I changed pots. I put everything into a large skillet to cook and reduce, and as it thickened, it bubbled up like lava shooting droplets far into the sky and all over the stove, floor, and counter. I can be a walking disaster, at times.

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But, I saw the errors of my ways and changed pots and cleaned up. Disaster averted and a delicious jam made. The merely okay peaches mixed well with the stellar figs and it really came out good!

White Peach and Fig Jam

  • 4 lbs white peaches
  • 2 lbs figs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup fig balsamic vinegar
  • 1 pouch pectin

Wash the fruit and process in food processor in batches - some really smooth, some with a few chunks. Place in a large heavy pot with the sugar and bring to a boil, Add the balsamic and pectin and cook, stirring often, until reduced and thickened.

Place in sterile jars and process according to manufacturers directions.

I pressure-processed at 6lbs pressure for 10 minutes because of the jars I used. You could easily water bath this with standard Ball jars.

And... because man does not live by jam, alone, I made Rugelach for dessert!

Rugelach

  • 1 block cream cheese (8oz)
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch salt
  • 2 cups flour

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and salt.

Add flour and mix just until it's all combined.

Place on counter and divide into 2 flattened logs. Wrap and refrigerate about an hour.

To make and bake:

Roll each log into a 6" by 18" or so rectangle. Spread with jam or filling of choice and then liberally sprinkle with chopped nuts - I used pistachios. Brush top with egg wash and liberally top with demerara or other coarse-grained sugar.

Roll and cut into 1" pieces. Place on sheet pans and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes.

Start with your block of dough.

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Roll it out to a rectangle. Unless you plan on selling them, don't worry about perfect edges.

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Spread with a thin layer of your filling and then spread liberally with chopped nuts.

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Roll it up and brush with an egg wash.

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Then sprinkle on demerara sugar. I keep a jar of demerara sugar and vanilla beans in the baking cabinet.

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Slice into about 3/4-inch pieces and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

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Bake, cool, and eat!

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A really unexpected hit. These came out better than expected and it took a lot of willpower not to just eat every one. Really, really good. I made the rugelach in a roll as opposed to the more traditional rolled wedge. If you wish, you can divide the dough into four circles, roll into 9" rounds, cut into 8 wedges, and top and roll.

My way is easier - and the end result tastes the same!

We really are having some serious fun in the kitchen. And we're going to be eating really well this winter!


Fig Jam

Last week was a whirlwind. It started with a company party and overnight in Philadelphia, brunch with friends the following day, a couple of days of relative normalcy, a train trip to Washington, DC for a Barbra Streisand concert, and then a flight to Manchester New Hampshire for a dear friend's wedding. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

The DC concert came about because I misread the date of the wedding. We had tickets to see Barbra here in Philadelphia on the 20th. I thought the wedding was on the 28th and booked plane, hotel, and rental car accordingly. A couple of weeks later I realized my mistake.

Oooops!

Rebooked the flights, paid the ridiculous change fees, and said goodbye to Barbra.

Then I went online, saw that tickets were still available in DC, and bought them. Used Amtrak points for the train, booked a Hyatt - where I can always schmooze my way into an upgrade - got a hold of our Nonna-Sitter, and sat back, ready for the whirlwind.

And what a whirlwind, it was. The concert was just unbelievable. Mere words cannot describe. It was just great.

And then it was off to Manchester. The flights were a breeze and we got an upgrade on the car to a Jeep SUV. The hotel was where we stayed when we got married back in 2010 and more laughing and schmoozing with the front desk ladies had us in another great room. And then we got to meet up with more friends who came in for the festivities.

Dinner at the Elks club - steak and lobster for $20 - was the rehearsal dinner, or would have been had there been a rehearsal. Huge perfectly-cooked ribeye steaks, 2lb lobsters, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, watermelon, apple turnovers, and for us, an open bar, set the tone for the night. Good food, great friends, a bit of booze, and lots and lots of laughter.

The wedding was perfect. Outdoors, casual, and low-key. We FaceTime'd friends from Seattle who couldn't make it in person - modern technology rocks - and just had a great time. Just perfect.

Monday we drove out to the middle of Nowhere, New Hampshire to meet another dear friend who lives in Vermont for lunch. Another great time. Then it was back to Manchester and to the Irish pub where we had our wedding reception. More laughter and fun. Airport, home, and back to work and reality.

While we were gone the garden exploded and more tomatoes and even more peppers were ready for picking.

I brought home a pound of figs not knowing what I was going to do with them and first thought a pepper and fig jam was in order - and then was reminded about a caramelized onion and fig dish I had once made - so it became a Fig, Caramelized Onion, and Pepper jam.

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I caramelized an onion, processed the figs with the peppers and sugar, cooked everything down, and proceeded to start eating it.

Fig, Caramelized Onion, and Pepper Jam

  • 1 large onion
  • 1 lb figs
  • 3 hot peppers - more or less, to taste
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup fig balsamic vinegar
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Caramelize onions in skillet with a bit of oil until they are nicely browned.

Meanwhile, process figs, sugar, and peppers in food processor until well-mixed.

Add a hefty splash of fig balsamic vinegar to onions and let it cook down. Add the fig and pepper mixture to the onions and cook until it is thick thick thick.

Stir in a bit more fig balsamic and taste for seasoning, adding a bit of S&P, if desired. Place into a clean, sterile jar, cool, and refrigerate.

First thing I did with it was put it on a chicken breast and served it with a cheesy rice stuffed bell pepper - also from the yard.

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I have pounds more peppers I need to get canned before I head off to work, today.

And tomorrow Victor is making pasta sauce form the ton of tomatoes we have in the freezer. I'll jar it when I get home!

So the whirlwind is slowing down and we're back to domestic normalcy for a few more weeks before we head west to my nephew's wedding in California.

But we have some of the best memories of some of the best people on the planet.

We really do lead a charmed life.

 

 


Zantonio Bruschetta

I don't often write about things we didn't make ourselves, but every once in a while, someone else makes something that is just too good not to blab about. And tonight is one of those times.

The guys we had brunch with, yesterday, are old friends of Victor's from the Lickety Split and Montserrat days - the beginning of the young and hip restaurant renaissance in Philadelphia. One pal, Tony, started Zantonio Brands of Hammonton.

At brunch, Tony gifted us with a batch of his bruscetta sauce - it's bru-SKETTA.

Bruschetta to Italians is like salsa to Mexicans. You put it on everything. And, like salsa - some bruschettas are good, some are okay, some suck, and some are awesome. Tony's is awesome. And I'm not just saying that because it's true. It really is awesome.

The first thing I did when we got home was open the lid. I was immediately hit with the scent of tomatoes. Real tomatoes. And the flavor. It tasted like it had just been made with the best tomatoes right out of my yard. I've been around food long enough to know it ain't easy to make something in quantity and have it taste like it was just made in your own kitchen.

Tony did it. And without preservatives!

As I was standing at the counter eating spoonfuls out of the container, I thought that for my first dish I'd use it to top a chicken breast. It's pretty much a classic pairing, but something this good meant I had to up the chicken game, a bit.

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I started off with organic, free range boneless, skinless chicken breasts because I love being pretentious now and again. If I could have found pastured chicken at the local grocery I would have gone with it - damn the cost!

I floured them, dipped them in egg, and then dipped them in a coating of fresh bread crumbs, shredded Locatelli, grated garlic, and a bit of freshly-ground pepper. I browned them in a skillet with olive oil, and then placed them on a rack in the oven to finish. It is so much easier -  and much less messy - to cook them this way.

Five minutes before pulling them out of the oven, I topped them with generous helpings of bruschetta and then a handful of lump crab meat because crab makes everything better. That, and crab, chicken, and tomato just really go well together.

For a side dish, I baked slices of potatoes in the oven on a sheet pan and then tossed them into a skillet with several different olives, pimento strips, and about a third of a cup of homemade tomato sauce. Just enough to coat everything.

Dinner was spectacular. Even Nonna completely cleaned her plate.

Tomorrow will probably be a classic bread and bruschetta since I baked bread today.

Locally, you can get Tony's bruschetta at Shop Rite and at Acme. It's refrigerated. He also makes a scampi sauce that I'm going to actually go out and buy!

Can't wait to try it!


Yellow Tomato Bread

Houston. We have tomatoes.

And when life hands you a basket of tomatoes, you get baking.

I needed to bake a loaf of bread tonight for dinner and looking at all of the tomatoes I had brought in, I thought of a bread recipe my mom used to make with tomato juice. I figured I could rework it for fresh tomatoes, so I went for it.

Baking bread really isn't as difficult as people make it out to be - and on hot, humid days, natures outdoor proofing box only makes it easier.

I grabbed three nice and ripe yellow tomatoes, cored them, and put them into the food processor. I let them chop for probably a minute - until they were reduced to a liquid. My tomato juice was ready.

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Fresh Tomato Bread

  • 1/3 cup warm water
  • 1 pgk dry yeast
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1 cup tomato juice and pulp from 3 or so fresh tomatoes
  • 4 cups flour
  • 3 tbsp softened butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Place yeast, warm water, and sugar in mixing bowl. Let proof about 5 minutes.

Add ginger, juice, salt, 3 cups flour, and butter. With dough hook, mix well, adding more flour to make a soft but not too sticky dough. Mix for about 10 minutes.

Turn dough out to a floured surface and knead a few minutes.

Roll into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise until doubled.

Punch down and form into a round or oblong loaf. Place on a well-floured or corn meal-covered bread peel - if using a baking stone - or onto a floured or corn meal-covered sheet pan and let rise again, until doubled.

Place into a 350°F oven and bake about 45-55 minutes.

It came out with a really soft, tender crumb - perfect for enjoying with bruschetta or toasted with butter and jam.

Take advantage of those fresh tomatoes in the garden!

 


The Philadelphia Story

We seem to be able to go months without leaving the house. Then, in a matter of days, we make up for it in spades.

For example...

Yesterday we headed into Philadelphia for a company party and an overnight stay in the city. We had a great time seeing old friends and having a fun dinner and dance. It's amazing how many people I've worked with in 15 years... How can little girls I used to tickle be heading off to college? Those little ones turning into almost grown-ups?!? And those are the folks I worked with. You should see how their kids have grown! It was a fun night, indeed. The stories. The stories. OMG The Stories. I really am fortunate to work with some fun people.

Since we just don't get into the city that often, Victor called some friends to meet us for brunch on Sunday. The stories. The stories. Part Two.

We were meeting up with everyone in South Philly, so we thought a trek through the Italian Market was in order before Brunch. Summer Sunday on 9th Street. It was 95°F at 9:30am with humidity you could cut with a knife. Fantes was closed so we headed up the street and landed in Claudio - a great store that's been around since the '50s. And air conditioned. Did I mention it was hot?

We didn't go nearly as crazy as we could have because we're taking off on Thursday for DC and Saturday for New Hampshire - that's part of the make it up in spades comment, above - but we did grab some things to get us through the first of the week and a few pantry items for when we get back - and before we head out to San Francisco in September.

Jet-setters. That's us.

The grocery bag ended up with polenta, a rotini pasta that is so big two noodles will probably be a complete meal. Cheeses, of course - pecorini romano and sharp provolone - stuffed peppers, jarred anchovies, cookies, 3 liters of Sicilian olive oil - I like Sicilian oil - and fresh anchovies made up most of the haul.

I really like fresh anchovies.

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These are definitely not their salty canned cousins. Totally delicious.

We packed up our goodies and headed over to The Devil's Den for more stories and tomfoolery - and copious amounts of $3.00 Bloody Mary's.

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There's something about a group of guys who have known each other for well over 40 years. You can't lie or embellish a story with friends this old because at least one - if not all - were there. And hearing the stories really did explain a lot.

A ridiculously good time was had by all and after 2 days of great food and even better conversation, we headed back to 'burbia.

Armed with eggplant and tomatoes from our garden and some select purchases from Claudio, Victor headed to the kitchen. Dinner tonight would be just the two of us - his sister had picked up Nonna and they were eating at his brother's. A bit of quiet after a loud night.

Stuffed eggplant was on the menu and a recipe was forming.

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He halved one eggplant and scooped out the innards leaving a half-inch shell. He peeled and chopped the second smaller eggplant and it all went into a skillet with olive oil and some diced red onion.

From there, the creativity started.  His original idea was to make a meat-based filling but the anchovies put a halt to that. Into the bowl went anchovies, cooked rice, cooked eggplant, garlic, a bit of his pasta sauce, bread crumbs, artichoke hearts, a couple of plum tomatoes, salt and pepper. Into the eggplant shells and then topped with freshly grated cheese. Then into a 350°F oven for about 40 minutes.

There's no actual precise recipe because this will never be recreated just like this. The stars and planets aligned and this was the result. A totally fabulous result. Take the basic idea and run with it - do what Victor did or play with it and make it your own. It's guaranteed to be good.

A fun-filled weekend is behind us and a fun-filled week is ahead of us.

Tomorrow we talk about bruschetta...

Happy Summer!

 

 


Eggplant Rollatini

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The eggplants are coming in fast and furious. Every day there are more flowers and more fruit. It's the Summer of Eggplant! And what fun we are having!

Victor made an eggplant lasagne the other day that was beyond stellar. Layers of thinly-sliced eggplant floured and fried, layered with cheeses and sauce... Baked in the oven until perfect.

The most amazing thing about it, however, wasn't that it was outstandingly delicious, it was that Nonna loved it! Not only did she all but lick her plate, she requested it for lunch - twice! She has refused to eat eggplant for the almost 4 years she has lived here - and now she's clamoring for more. It's like a Christmas Miracle in August.

Tonight was an eggplant rollatini that was also beyond stellar. His idea was to just make a small side dish. I saw it and decided it was dinner - hell with the side dish idea!

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That's one eggplant. I sliced it thin on my mandoline and Victor took it from there... There are no recipes for things like this. Like the lasagne a few nights ago, you just make it. That being said, here's an approximation of what he did.

Eggplant Rollatini

  • 1 eggplant, thinly sliced
  • flour
  • eggs
  • pesto
  • ricotta
  • grated parmesan
  • garlic powder
  • parsley
  • salt & pepper
  • tomato sauce

Dip thin slices of eggplant in flour and then egg. Fry until lightly browned on both sides.

Mix ricotta, parmesan, 1 egg, garlic powder, lots of chopped parsley, and a bit of S&P.

Spread cooked eggplant with pesto and then with ricotta. Roll up and place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with tomato sauce and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.

If you want to serve them as an appetizer, don't top them with the sauce - have it available on the side.

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Totally stellar - no matter how you do it!

 


Playing Peter Piper

Victor and Blanche were out back early this morning checking out the garden. Things are coming in fast and furious, right now - especially tomatoes and peppers. And squash. And eggplant. And green beans.

I went out to join them and Victor handed me a basket of peppers, saying I had a project for today - canning peppers!

We've been picking and eating peppers for a couple of weeks, but I've really been waiting for the moment when I could put up a few pints. That moment was today!

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We have about 8 pepper plants out back - all different varieties from cayenne to Italian Long Hots and jalapeños and even a plain ol' bell pepper. We're pretty basic in our pepper consumption. We fry up a bunch and keep them in oil in the 'fridge - great for pasta, sandwiches, eating with cheese or bread or whatever - and then I can a bunch for eating year-round on or with absolutely anything. There's no plan - they're peppers. Eat them.

I have a very simple, basic vinegar solution I put together using plain distilled white vinegar. Nothing fancy and nothing to take away from the peppers, themselves. You can go crazy using different flavored vinegars and adding herbs or spices, onions, whatever - and I definitely encourage people to play and experiment - but at this point in time, I'm happy to let the peppers play the staring role.

Simplicity.

I started by slicing them all - complete with seeds.

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And then packing them into boiling hot jars. This is the stuff that's important in home-canning. Boiling the jars, everything scrupulously clean and sterile... Ya just don't want to kill anyone. It would ruin their day. And yours.

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Next comes the pouring of the vinegar solution - also boiling hot. And then wiping the rims, placing the sterilized lids and rings, and processing in the boiling water bath.

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It's a pretty simple process - you just want to work quickly.

And then, in 15 or so minutes, we have peppers that would last for years - except we tend to eat them rather quickly.

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Today, I made 11 half-pints. If the gardening gods are willing, I should be able to get at least that many more into the basement this season.

Pickled Peppers

(makes about 10 1/2-cup jars

  • 4 lbs assorted hot peppers
  • 4 cups distilled white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 4 tsp kosher salt

Wash and cut peppers.

Pack peppers into mason jars leaving about 1/2″ headroom.

Combine and heat sugar, salt, vinegar, and water.  Bring to boil and then simmer about 5-6 minutes.

Pour over peppers, leaving the same 1/2″ headroom.

Wipe rims of jars, top with lids and rings.

Process in a boiling water bath about 10 minutes.

I doubled the recipe today and had just a bit left over. I also processed for 15 minutes because I used 1/2 pint jars.

There's still a boatload of produce coming up out there. Planting a garden is like growing money. While it wasn't the reason we decided to go with the garden, we're spending close to zero money on produce, right now. It's great. And we have stuff downstairs that will keep us fed through the winter.

We probably should have started doing this years ago, but I really am happy we finally did. The difference in flavor is astounding and it is just so satisfying knowing that you grew dinner.

Really.