CURED

I have been cooking for the Phenom for 100 years now.  In fact, I truly believe that the pathway to Phenom's heart really was through the stomach . . . chili and chocolate cake/choco chip cookies!

But, truth be told, Phenom started out with a limited palate.  Although Mom-Phenom made really good desserts, she wasn't really into cooking for the sake of cooking.  She worked a full time job and so she'd typically cook a big Sunday meal and the family would eat off the leftovers all week.  Friday nights, Phenom's father would cook . .. . generally something meaty. But, the Phenom family was decidedly of the ilk that food was necessary to live, but not something to get all excited over.

Over the years, I've expanded the Phenom's food range.  Partly through manipulation, partly through playing on flavors I know are acceptable.  Oh, and manipulation.  

This past week, a friend sent me a freebie of Blue Apron; a meal delivery service.  They send you hand selected items and step by step instructions to prepare a meal.  This past week, we had salmon with roasted sweet potato disks, and salad with walnuts and green apple, chicken with a garlic spinach rice and curried tomato sauce, and meatball ragout.  

Phenom liked the roasted sweet potatoes and I'll make those again.  The garlic spinach rice was just weird and way way way too much garlic.  Fennel was the predominate flavor in two of the meals.  The meatballs were good, but would have been better in a bbq sauce.  The Phenom has always insisted that salmon has a "particular" flavor and not a favorite.  But, the salmon in this was wild caught and very good.  So, now I know I can fix salmon in the future. Also, the picky about fruit Phenom picked all the green apple pieces out of the salad and liked them.  

We're not going to be doing more of these meals . . . but it was interesting and at least I've got a couple new things I can add to the list of edibles.

Food Nerd

I have learned that I come by my food-nerd ways honestly.

I recently spent a week visiting the Grad Student.  Finally, we weren't in mourning for the loss of a loved one.  And, he lives in a food paradise.

His most recent obsession is roasting his own coffee.  He, as any good scientist would, keeps detailed notes and is quite methodical with his process.  Each new sort of bean he buys, he roasts to three different levels and then brews each with four different methods.  He keeps detailed notes.  Similarly, on my first morning, he brewed me four cups of coffee, each utilizing a different brewing method. He had me taste each with and without milk and report which I preferred.  That became "my coffee" for the whole visit.

I have now acquired my own "rig" for roasting coffee and this weekend will embark on a new level of food nerd.  However, I won't likely keep the detailed notes like he does.

I hope the Phenom is up for this one.  I have Mexican and Peruvian beans to start this adventure.  And, I'm pretty sure the one thing my co-workers are REALLY looking forward to is me being jacked up on coffee every morning.  Hee Hee.

In the mood to have a cry

Thanksgiving was the Old Woman's favorite holiday.  Before they changed the date, it would sometimes fall on her birthday, which was a double bonus.  More than Christmas, not being the religious type, she wanted her family around for the feast and opportunity to spend time together.

She always made quite a feast.  I'm always amazed when I see other peoples' tables and there is MAYBE one green vegetable and 3-4 starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rice?).  The Old Woman's table was a study in the bounty of the garden.  We often had 5-6 vegetables plus a veggie tray.

Always, on her table would be two small, very old turkey candles.  Many years before, when her #3 son was just a tiny child, they were shopping for thanksgiving foods and he picked the two little candles up and asked if they could buy them.  They cost $0.15 for the pair, but being farmers, that was too much to spend on something they couldn't eat.  She had to explain to her little boy that they couldn't afford to buy them.  He fished around in his pockets, and came up with 15 cents that he'd saved from finding pennies and other dropped coins, and said that he could buy them for her.  The sweetness of his generosity and not understanding their poverty meant that the turkeys became a cherished part of the family celebrations.

Another way she made holidays festive was her special cut glass collection of drinking glasses.  They were acquired, one at a time, with green stamps and grocery store promotions.  No two were alike and the were all vibrant colors and featured various designs.  Most of us had a favorite we would claim, holiday after holiday.  Mine was a deep purple glass, which I recently "rescued" from the Old Folks' home after the Old Man moved west.

A few years ago, the Old Woman insisted that I stop coming home for thanksgiving because she feared that I would be utterly lost once she was gone if I never had the chance to make my own traditions first.

Now, my tradition is largely to stay at home, make a non-traditional meal, and cry over losing her.  I'm pretty sure she'd disapprove.

But, to not bring you down too, here's a picture of rosemary gougeres I made to nibble on.  This year, I'm doing a beef tenderloin roast with coffee chile rub, twice baked potatoes, spinach sauteed with shallots and garlic, parker house rolls, and a pumpkin pie.

Well, that is one bit of tradition from the Old Woman; getting up early and making a pie first thing.

Holiday plannin'

There is a significant birthday coming up, and although I've now given up on birthdays for myself, I will happily celebrate this one.  I offered to take the celebrant to dinner, but a request was made for home cooked steaks instead.  Also, I don't make birthday cakes for The Phenom anymore, so there will be a big batch of molasses spice cookies.  (100 years ago, I spent two days making the cover recipe from a cooking magazine only to be told "the secretary made this espresso chocolate cake and I ate three quarters of it, I can't have any more chocolate cake"  Since then, I make cookies and The Phenom gets to eat as many as they can, warm from the oven.)

Then comes thanksgiving.  The request was made for steak again . . . but to not have rapid fire repeats, I suggested I ask the butcher to prepare a trimmed 3-4 lb tenderloin roast.  I'll have to figure out what else I'm serving.  I wonder if Phenom would eat green bean casserole?  Phenom isn't much into green beans or casseroles . . . so putting the two together might be a "two negatives makes a possitive" or a look of "have you lost your mind?"  Maybe garlic sauteed spinach?  I use to make worchestershire roasted poatoes the Phenom liked . . . perhaps those?

After thanksgiving, we'll be heading north to attend a football game with friends.  One of the friends is a fantastic cook and the tailgate will be legen . . . wait for it . . . dary.  I'll ask what I can bring, but I'm already thinking the roasted pepper/whipped feta bruschetta and moonshine balls.  I made the moonshine balls last year for ESK's baby shower.  I used peppermint moonshine and then white chocolate dipped them and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy.  I wonder if I should get candy melts in the colors of the home team?  I have peppermint oil I can spike the candy dip with to be extra festive.

Moonshine balls are super simple.  I think I found this recipe in a Southern Living; it's written down on a bit of scrap paper I've guarded over several years.  You can sub out bourbon or rum to your liking.

1 box (12 oz) vanilla wafers . . . whirred up in the food processor
add:
1/2 cup pecan pieces
2 TBLS cocoa powder
1/4 c booze
1/2 c golden raisins
6 TBLS corn syrup

Whir everything together until it becomes a paste

roll into cherry size pieces and roll in confectioner's sugar

Store in fridge for several weeks.  Although they are tasty freshly made, you do want them to "ripen" for a week or so.  I'll make the tailgate ones next weekend.

When I chocolate dipped them, I did it just before serving them (well a few hours before).  They will absorb the powdered sugar so you can roll them in a bit more sugar before you serve them to make them pretty but you don't have to.  They are better at room temp because then you can better taste the booze.

I'll make 2-3 batches between now and Christmas.

Of course, Liquor Loaf day is coming up in a few days, and this week I'll order a huge box of ingredients.

But, we'll go to NOLA for christmas so I only have to figure out where we'll be drinking for that holiday.

Played

The other evening, while attempting to be social, a friend who has recently gone through a personal crisis said to me "Phenom told me to tell you when I'd need some meals .  .  . I'll need some next week."

Okay.  Phenom had not bothered to mention this offer had been made before, but it is the sort of thing I do.

Today, I made a double batch of Cinncinati style chili and roasted a chicken.  I gathered all the toppings for the Cinncinati chili (cheese, onion, oyster crackers, kidney beans).  At some point, the Phenom asked why I was making so much food, and when are we going to eat that chicken?

I told him I'd been informed that an offer of meals had been made.  Phenom says no . . . that the offer of "anything we can do to help" was made.

On one monkey shaped hand, I am a tad startled by the forwardness of the request. But, mostly I'm thinking there is a lesson in this for me.  Last year when I was so sick and in and out of the hospital, many people offered assistance to us and each and every time, we turned it down.  Most of the time, it was vague "let us know" type offers, but there were some very specific offers . . . like a friend who saw the Phenom picking up our take out dinner and offered/really wanted to pay for it.

Looking back, we turned those offers down because we were a tad embarassed.  We never quite wrapped our brains around needing help.  And, I realize now, it was a mistake.  We should let people help us  Someday, they might not offer.  We're always tremendously helpful to others, and we need to learn to allow others to return the favor.  That being said, do leave it to the afflicted to figure out what they need you to do.  Figure out something, creatively, and do it.

Like the gift certificate to a local restaurant I tucked into the door of a friend whose mother passed away this week.  My friend has spent the last week sitting at her bedside, administering hourly pain meds . . . a good, hot meal she could just pick up and even have left overs the next day, was needed.  (She lives alone, and much like us has a really annoying independent streak. )  I find that if nothing else, a pizza gift certificate can always be used.  And cookies.  Even if the afflicted doesn't eat them, the people around will.

The Secret of a Good Relationship

is knowing just how to manipulate each other.

You need to know exactly what buttons to push, how to tip their hand, and what they will never refuse.

Because we are totally boring, the highlight of the holiday weekend was deciding if we were going to go have burgers and fries at the local drive-in tonight or get up tomorrow and hit up a local joint for a classic southern breakfast.  WOOO HOOO

While weighing the pros and cons of going out for dinner tonight vs. getting up for breakfast . . . (The dinner at home option was bean and cheese burritos, a favorite of the Phenom's.  I make my own refried beans and they are damn tasty.)  the Phenom threw in a totally new suggestion . . . that tomorrow we head up the high way to a BBQ joint we like for lunch.  I immediately agreed that this was the best possible option, and there was dancing about.

And, then the Phenom said "this way you can have some good BBQ and we can sleep a little later." That's how I knew I'd been manipulated . . . in the best way . . . but manipulated.  He knew the offer I wouldn't turn down and he gets to sleep later in the morning.

I can always make grits or pancakes on Sunday morning.

Favorite conversation

When I was a young monkey, the Old Woman and I had a regular game/conversation that kept us occupied when standing in line or sitting in a waiting room . . . well two . . . the first was creating elaborate plans for if we won millions and millions of dollars in the lotto or publisher's clearing house.  The other is probably better left to another post.

The Phenom and I also have a favorite conversation. . . planning where and when we'll eat and drink in NOLA.  We started this conversation tonight (we'll be there in a week).  Of course, on the day we made the reservations to travel, we decided on the day we'd eat at our all time favorite restaurant, Herbsaint.

There is a new place we plan to try, Latitude 29.  The Phenom first read about it, and sold me when he said "tiki drinks."  But, since first deciding this would be our "new place" we've seen that it is actually very well known for being quite good.  And, the food looks just as well put together and thoughtful.

I must say, NOLA has ruined me for poorly made cocktails. Which isn't exactly a bad thing.

Southern "ratatouille"

Give it a fancy sounding name and no one will notice that you pretty much didn't actually cook.

This is what we, more or less, live on during the summer when I can get wonderfully fresh, local veggies for a song.  This week was particularly good.  Keep in mind I don't really measure and I use what I have at hand, so feel free to throw in what you like.

* Double handful of okra, sliced 1/2 inchish rounds
* 1 med/large yellow squash, the fatter end quartered and sliced, the skinnier end, halved and sliced
* several peppers sliced.  I had jalapenos, banana peppers, and cayenne
* tomatoes, chopped up.  I had plum tomatoes and used about 4, didn't peel them
* 1/2 an onion, diced
* several cloves garlic, chopped

Heat up olive oil in a pan and start with the peppers, onion, and garlic.  Salt and pepper them.  Then, when the onions are starting to go translucent, add in all the other veggies.  Sprinkle with Tony Chachere's seasoning.  I also put in a squirt of ketchup for a little sweet and vinegar.  Drop the temp to med, cover, stir every so often until everything is soft.  Check to make sure the seasoning is what you like and adjust accordingly and serve over rice.

Make sure you make enough for your lunch the next day.

I've also use cold, cooked potatoes and egg plant and zucchini in past versions. Pretty much what you like will work.  I've also changed up the seasoning . . . using various herbs instead of the cajun flavor.

On the fence

Full disclosure, I was hesitant to buy a food processor because I couldn't think of how often I would actually use it and I feared that my salsa might lose some of that "made with love" flavor that comes from hand chopping.  Totally unfounded and I love my processor.

So, I bought one of these:  Slicer 

A friend recently tried to slice off her whole finger with one.  Another friend did permanent nerve damage to a finger with one.  So, sure, accident-prone-will-spill-soup-on-me-taking-it-out-of-the-microwave me needs one, right?

I used it for the first time last night . . . first, VERY CAREFULLY, without the guard and then once I was down to 2 inches of squash left, with the guard.

I'm not sure how much use it will see.  Yes, it did beautiful, precise, exactly even slices.  But, the guard was somewhat awkward to use.  And, I'm asking myself, the morning after, is having perfectly precise slices really worth it?  I generally take an imprecise approach to cooking, so why stress over squash slices?  Plus, I've got pretty decent knife skills.

Then again, I have a crock pot and there is only one thing I can successfully make in it.  Maybe I'll find ONE thing I can slice up with this thing and figure it was worth it.  Maybe.

It makes a monkey's eye twitch

The Phenom told me, again, this weekend that I am a food snob.  Of course, I always deny it.  But, yeah, he might be right.

His admonishment came after I screamed and ranted over a friend's facebook post.  My friend just moved from Seattle to NYC.  Seattle is world famous for their fish markets and seafood and NYC is one of the best food cultures in the world . . . also a place where you can get fresh, local seafood.

My friend is from one of the SE Atlantic states and was visiting family over the weekend.  His family lives in a coastal community.  He posted a picture of having seafood with the family . . . king crab legs.  KING CRAB LEGS . . . from like the other side of the planet . . .not one of the SE Atlantic states.  

AND SE coastal blue crabs have their soft shell season in May for several weeks, and crabs are harvested until fall.  Why wouldn't you eat the local seafood when you're at the coast?  Why have stuff that was flown in, frozen, when you could have something super fresh . . . and SOFT SHELL?

I live just far enough inland that I'm picky about my seafood.  And, when I travel to places on various coastlines, I eat the local fare . . . a lot of it . . . really, every meal.  But the local stuff  . . . not stuff flown in from else where.  You people are killin' me.

Never say never

My cooking style evolved based on what I am curious about, and what I can get locally.  I have always liked foods that are particular to one culture or another.  I make a lot of Asian inspired foods as well as cajun/creole dishes.  We don't eat a lot of meat in our house hold, and the Old Woman generally reserved meat for company.

Oddly, I don't make the foods I ate at the Old Woman's table.  For the life of me, I cannot make a good pot roast.  I blame the lean meat that just isn't as good as what she got.

I have never tried to compete with the Phenom's mother's cooking.  She did teach me how she made biscuits.  And, although I more or less do exactly what she taught me, the Phenom insists that my biscuits are nothing like hers.  I do regret that I didn't claim her cookbooks after she died.  (I let the Phenom's aunt take them.  I didn't find a treasure trove of hand written recipes or a notebook with her favorites collected. . . I would have claimed those.)

Lately, the Phenom has been bringing up how much he misses fatback on the table.  It was, apparently, a staple in his childhood home.  Fatback was not only NEVER served at the Old Woman's table, but she would have screamed at the suggestion of it. (Much too unhealthy.)

Today, at the grocery store, the fatback was in a location that I noticed it.  Honestly, I have no idea if I've ever seen it in the store before.  I'm sure I have, and ignored it.  But, I bought a packet of the stuff.  I put about half of the packet in a cast iron pan over fairly low heat and turned it a few times.  I had the Phenom look at it and tell me when he thought it was "done."

Tonight, dinner was turnips with their greens, new potatoes, and for the Phenom, fatback.  (I had sliced radishes from the garden.)

The Phenom said the fatback was as good as his mother's; the highest possible compliment.  I understand that memory will taint taste.  I'm glad he liked it.  I hope he eats what is left in the fridge.

FARM TIME!!

I tend to have foods I make seasonally.  I only make heavy things like beef bourguignon chili in the winter and summer means all variety of fresh veggies.  

Given the wackiness of the past winter, my own garden is fairly sad and pathetic.  Bunnies ate all the cucumber and squash plants.  The basil never came up.  And something is nibbling on the radishes.  (The peas are pretty, but I wonder if they are too far behind and will be fried by high temps before they bloom.)  My one surviving blueberry bush seems to be thriving  and is laden with berries.  I suspect the same critters that ate my squash will beat me to the blueberries, again, this year.

Fortunately, I have very good relationships with local farmers.  And, they have much better production than I do. 

My favorite farm stand is doing their own CSA this year.  I'm hoping other folks will buy into it too . . . since it was pretty expensive but they do have the most wonderful fruits and veggies.  They have several different types of peaches . . . and I can eat my weight in peaches.

Today, I headed out to their stand (CSA hasn't started yet).  I bought new potatoes, so fresh you can "peel" them by rubbing your hands over them.  Beautiful purple onions, kale, broccoli and kohlrabi.  Tonight, I pulled a couple radishes, and threw them in with some kohlrabi and kale and soba noodles.  I used a few things in the fridge to make an asianish dressing.  YUM!  Tomorrow, I'm going to boil the potatoes and DROWN them in butter from another local farm.  I'll steam the broccoli and figure out something that looks like meat to serve with it all. 

We had "hash" two nights the last two weeks. I always feel like I'm cheating on cooking when I make ratatouille or hash because it's a chop everything and dump it in a pan and a few minutes later the Phenom thinks I'm a genius kind of meal.  Maybe I'm over thinking it . . . maybe I am just a genius.

Juvenile delinquents

The Old Woman had particular ideas about how one ought to act.  She believed that one went out of their way to insure that company was comfortable and felt welcomed.  Alternately, she believed that if you were a guest in someone's home, you acted as if every detail of your stay was wonderful.  If the bed was lumpy, or the food terrible, you plastered a smile on your face and with all sincerity exclaimed your night to be restful and the host a skilled cook. (And, you never show up as a guest empty handed.)

She was also concerned that her children, and I, grow up to be contributing members of society.We were expected to devote our talents to the betterment of the planet.  She would not have tolerated any of us becoming petty criminals, felons, or politicians.

To this end, she had some pretty specific rules designed to insure that no child (or monkey) raised in her home should be a juvenile delinquent.

One rule was that the plastic containers certain foods came in were not to be on the dinner table.  Milk was generally poured into glasses and placed at the place of the person (monkey) drinking it.  If there were need for milk to be put on the table for second servings, it was always poured into a pottery pitcher or earthenware jug.  There was always a pitcher of ice water on the table as well.

And, the plastic container that margarine or butter was purchased in could not be put on the table.  Slinging the plastic tub onto the table demonstrated a lack of care and attention to detail that could ONLY end in switch blades, underage drinking, and running for public office.  She had a pottery dish that the tub fit into so that you could not see the tub.

She would probably be disappointed in the slovenly way I tend to my own table.  I do put a water pitcher on the table, but I also put the butter tub on the table.  BUT! When I do put the butter tub on the table (even the fancy butter from the local dairy), I always, and I mean ALWAYS, admonish the people (monkeys) around my table to not grow up to be juvenile delinquents.  There is a standard, after all.

Spring is coming

It was a weird, long winter.  Even still, our weather hasn't yet given me enough confidence to do the wardrobe switch.  

But, just as you think that it will never turn warm, that the sun will always hide, that it will rain every freakin' day . . . this happens:

And they must be having a great year this year because I swear the bucket was several dollars cheaper than past years.  But, best of all . . . they are the most strawberryish of strawberries.  Sweet, tart, and almost artificial in the burst of strawberry flavor.  One tends to forget what a real strawberry tastes like after having too many store boughts.

Yeah.  The bucket is half empty already.  #noregrets

The Learning Opportunity

So, anyone who has a social media presence at all knows all too well the big fail that was Gwyneth Paltrow's attempt to participate in the $29 food stamp challenge.  I've read several articles, critical, about the situation.  And, we talked about it in our office.

I had several initial thoughts from the photo she posted.  1) It was not enough food for a week of eating,  2) several of her purchases were flavorings and not really foods, 3) girl is gonna get tired of black beans and rice and 4) that's enough food, perhaps, for a weekend but not seven days.

Limes (why so many limes?), cilantro, garlic, a single onion and pepper are more flavorings than food.  I think she was thinking she'd cook up a big pot of beans and rice and create a couple different dishes out of it . . . like a black bean salsa.  Surely that would be why she'd buy one ear of corn, for a salsa?  Right?  And she wasn't planning on multiple meals out of that one sweet potato, right?

I did 5 minutes worth of research and this is how I'd spend my $29 dollars: (I went to a local food store chain and looked up prices.  I am not considering sales tax in my calculations but that is offset by the consideration that the store is considered one of the more expensive food stores in my area.  I'm pretty sure I could get the items cheaper at Wal-mart, thus affording sales tax.)

1 lb dry beans (black beans or pintos) - 1.45
1 lb brown rice (just because it is more nutritious and more filling) - 1.50
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese (block, not pre shredded) -  4.49
1 loaf whole wheat bread - 1.99
Peanut butter - 2.50
2 lbs carrots - 1.89
12 oz apples - 1.50
1 head garlic - 0.59
1 packet taco seasoning - 0.69
36 oz grits - 1.99
3 lbs sweet potatoes - 2.67
8oz butter/canola oil blend - 2.79
bag mixed kale/spinach/greens - 3.00

Here are some of my meal ideas:

• beans and rice bowl topped with some chopped greens and a little cheese
• cook 1/2 sweet potato/handful kale/a couple of carrots together, serve with grits 
• rice with spoonful of butter, diced apple 
• peanut butter and apple sandwich
• roll out a couple slices of bread to make "tortillas" and create a sweet potato and black bean burrito with taco seasoning/garlic
• Salad of greens with slices of cold grits fried polenta style with carrots, apple, and cheese.
• Cook an apple and sweet potato together to make a "butter" and have it with either toast or          PB/apple/sweet potato sandwich serve with carrot sticks and slice of cheese
• Mash black beans with taco seasoning and spread it on toast with greens
• saute greens with butter and garlic, serve with grits and cheese

Of course, there are straight up PB sandwiches and grits with butter and cheese.  For a treat, grate some of the cheese and make a grilled cheese sammy.

I will admit that there are more carbs in this menu/list than I would normally buy.  Doing this list immediately made me long for the farmer's market in town.  I would trade store bought apples/sweet potatoes/bagged greens for cukes/squash/eggplant/peppers and onion in a heart beat.

But, I could feed myself on this for a week.  I would have some food left over (3 lbs of grits?!)  But, I would have some variety, some protein, and learn to appreciate the sweetness of carrots, apples, and peanut butter.

I did originally have oatmeal on the list.  But, I felt that grits could be used as a breakfast as well as dinner carb, and I didn't want to buy milk for oatmeal.

The decision to purchase no canned foods (other than PB) and meat was intentional.  I feel that the nutritional value of fresh produce outweighs the increased volume from buying canned veggies.  Also, although I am not a vegetarian, I have no problem eating vegetarian for long periods of time and meat is so very expensive.

I wonder if I could increase the budget to $60 and feed myself and the Phenom on it just to see how it would work?  He's pretty tied to junk food.  Maybe I propose it to him and see if he's game rather than springing it on him.  The lack of twinkies (apparently the chocolate covered ones are the best thing ever) or coke products or chips might create some form of adverse reaction.  $60 would allow for coffee.  We could not do this if the phenom could not have coffee.  And, I'd want to do it when I could shop at the farmer's market.  Our farmer's market takes WIC and SNAP recipients can get vouchers for the market upon request.

HOWEVER, even as I write this, I'm totally aware that I will have the luxury of a car to get from market to store, I have adequate storage and cooking facilities, and the time to plan for this to be a ONE time event in our lives.  Which kinda makes me as bad as Gwyneth, doesn't it?

Accidental hipster?

I like to make fun of hipsters.  I have relatives who could be described as hipsters.  They grow their own mushrooms.  They are certified urban composters.  They collect childish things, ironically.  They shop in thrift stores, but spend a lot of money doing so.

And, the other day it dawned on me . . . could I be a trending towards hipsterdom too?

I use a coffee maker that looks vaguely like this:

I've had it a hundred years.  It makes a nice double shot in less time than it takes for my cats to eat their breakfast.  I have a more complicated one, too.  It has a spout for steaming milk.  I rarely use it, since it actually takes a long time to make the coffee and then reheat for steaming milk.

I admit, I have a bit of a mason jar fetish.  They make handy storage containers that are easily washed and don't contribute to the trash.  And, making chocolate milk in them makes since, since shaking it makes for a nice, chocolaty foam.  Chocolate foam, who wouldn't want in on that?

While visiting a friend this weekend, she left out her coffee maker for me to use when I got up.  It was a melita drip cone . . .  like I used in college.  Only hers had an opening you could see your coffee level through and not over fill your cup.  That would have been so handy in college.

So, keep your super expensive and landfill filling coffee gadgets.  I'm happy with my very old, very basic coffee maker.  Someday, ya'll will be coming back to the real way to make coffee.

Confessions

One aspect of my relationship with Phenom is that we actually inspire each other to be our best selves.  (I know, gag.)

He has become more patient with others because of conversations we've had about struggles I've seen from other humans.  I want to be more generous because of his example.

But, I also find that we have this odd little accountability ritual.  We confess to each other when we were selfish or lacked compassion or decided to not be our best selves.  We actually never admonish each other as a result of these confessions.  In fact, we usually validate the choice.  But, it's interesting.

This realization came about the other day when I confessed that I had not been generous.

One of the people who works in my office is sometimes referred to as "the original freeloader" by others in the office.  She constantly is hinting around that we should give her whatever it is that we have . . . food, make-up, gadgets, clothes.  She doesn't just admire our things, she out-and-out asks for them. My tact is usually to laugh and act like it's an absurd notion. . . me giving you the scarf I wore today.  (And, it is absurd, right? The asking, in itself, is absurd, right?)

So, the other day, she popped into my office when I was eating my lunch.  I'd made myself a large "asian" citrus chopped salad from a kit.  The package itself was large enough that it could easily have been a side item for a meal for a group of people.  But, it was my whole lunch . . . that and a chicken breast I'd brought for protein.  I was more than half way through my salad when she sat down.  She asked what I was having.  She exclaimed that she was really quite hungry.  She told me that she really thought that salad looked good and that she wished I'd brought enough to share.  She asked several times what was in it?  Where did I get it?  How much was in the package? Did I really eat the whole thing for a meal?  Gee, I wish I'd brought lunch with me today.

I let her go on, without suggesting that she should share in my salad (I was eating straight from the bowl . . . no one expects you'd share from your ACTUAL bowl, right?)  I didn't mention that I had a whole, uncut chicken breast in a container on my desk that I planned to eat after I finished the salad.  I suspected she would have expected me to give her the chicken.  But, I'd not had protein with my breakfast, and I had a salad planned for dinner . . . I needed a few grams of protein intake for the day.

Still, I felt as if I had not been generous.  I felt that I'd been selfish, and I should confess.  The Phenom, of course, agreed that her insinuation that I should share my lunch was absurd, and I had no reason to feel guilty.

Confession is good for the soul.  So is validation from your loyal friends.

Funerals and Fads

It is gearing up to be a food weekend.

First off, a friend made reservations for a seriously good tapas restaurant when I visit her next month.  The chef of this place (we've been before) is a James Beard nominee and worked at E.Bulli.

And, Saturday, I have a funeral to attend.  Southerners know how to throw a funeral.  I got the call earlier this week from the person coordinating the food.  Fortunately, the Old Woman supplied me with a copy of Being Dead is No Excuse.  My contributions will be a large, colorful salad with balsamic dressing/homemade croutons and a chocolate cake.  I'm going to make the chocolate zucchini cake that has been popular with my peeps lately.  The coordinator was pleased that it's a bundt because you can get lots of servings from a bundt. (Instead of walnuts, I put in a bag of mini choco chips. . . because chocolate.)

Tomorrow, The Phenom is going to take me to lunch.  A rare treat!  We'll swing by the wholesale grocery to pick up a disposable, lidded salad bowl and cake carrier.  I'm a little ashamed I don't have them handy . . . as any good southern cook should.  One need always be prepared to show up with a cake in the case of a death.  .

Lastly, I've been reading the Thug Kitchen Cookbook.  I spent many years being a vegetarian.  I actually enjoyed the creativity of the diet.  I even got smug about sneaking tofu in Phenom's food.  But, for health reasons, I've given up being a vegetarian.  This cookbook has rekindled my interest in vegetarian food.

So, I HAD to buy one of those super blender appliances to make veggie smoothies.  I have a large bag of kale/spinach and a pineapple in my fridge waiting for experimental smoothies.

One of the games the Old Woman and I liked to play was to list off all the wondrous improvements to our lives with the tweaking of just one little thing.  My skin would clear of acne, I would be elected the president of the student body, we'd win publisher's clearinghouse, etc.  I'm sure that a week of drinking kale/pineapple/frozen strawberry smoothies will make me the most radiant monkey, ever, with hair of pure silk.

Oh, and I bought a huge container of nutritional yeast and sprinkled it liberally on the pop corn tonight and told the Phenom it was "cheese sprinkles."  This is the problem with vegetarianism . . . it turns me into a lying monkey.

Food Heaven

I'm in PDX.  I had a seat in first class for the flight out here (and on my return trip.)  I got a meal with my early morning flight.  First real meal I've not had to purchase in years on a flight.  I selected cereal and yogurt.  It came with fresh fruit, croissant, jelly.  Not bad, really.

For first dinner, we went to a pizza place that is very popular locally, Lovely's Fifty Fifty.  One of the pizzas had these amazing hot sweet peppers. I went online today and ordered an obscenely large order.  (The peppers are a local company and very popular in the area too.)

Today, for lunch we went to a sandwich shop.  I cannot remember the name, but they specialize in pastrami.  I had a reuben.  I always have the reuben.  It was very juicy, tender pastrami.

Tonight, we went to Bamboo Sushi.    I think sushi is one of those things I could just not stop eating.  It's the bite sized pieces.  This place gets all kinds of recognition for being sustainable and green.  The Green Machine is terrific.  So was the sake.

We're driving up to Seattle tomorrow for lunch.  Wonder if we'll stop by to check out the herbals?

Chemist or bartender

My innate fascination with creating/mixing/tinkering made the Old Woman often comment that one day I might end up being a chemist or a bartender.  I'm pretty sure I've disappointed her because my tendencies run towards bartending.

My newest experiment is with home made vanillas.  I've made vanilla before with beans and vodka and/or whiskey.

This time, I've branched out.  I currently have pint bottles of vodka, whiskey, and rum with vanilla beans in them.  But I also have 1/2 pint jars of tequila and dark rum with vanilla beans.  The dark rum also has cinnamon, star anise, and cloves tossed in.  They are sitting, waiting, in the same closet I keep my stash of blackberry vodka.  In 4-6 months, I'll see what we have achieved with adventures in vanilla.

I'm thinking that the first recipe will be my standard lemon pound cake, only tweaked with lime and the tequila vodka.

Oh, and since it's Mardi Gras today . . . I had a nice shot of blackberry vodka to start my morning.