culinary_epiphanies unhinged some of my friends think it's strange how me and robert hunt after good tasty bits, but we both don't mind spending time and money to find culinary gems. this year on our annual day after thanksgiving roadtrip we had more excitement than usual. we started the day with thai in madison. the red curry i had was good, but try as i might, i can't find red curry in this state as good as the one i had (twice) in san francisco. once again geographical approximation works against me, but the red curry at vietiene had more than enough basil in it to make up for it. i added another layer to my beer snobbery when we went on the tour of capital brewery. learned the difference between a micro brewery (less than 5,000 barrels a year which my favorite local lakefront brewery still happens to be) and a craft brewery (between 5,000 and 50,000 which capital brewery happens to be) and i'm certain i prefer the micro breweries. can't beat the quality control of small batches. our dinner stop was a diner where i discovered that a good bloody mary should have plenty of horseradish and that even after years of being a vegetarian, nothing quite hits the spot like mashed potatoes and sauerkrat and kielbasa (albeit the tofurkey variety). but i have to say the single most mind blowing discovery of the day was a cinnamon/cayenne truffle from gail ambrosius chocolates. this lady loves chocolate so much she spent time in paris learning how to make truffles. i haven't ate up all of them yet, but that cinnamon/cayenne was the perfect mix of spice and heat to ever mix with the sweet bitterness of perfectly smooth dark chocolate. it's a good thing her shop is an hour and a half away. otherwise i might just have to subsist solely on those foil wrapped, cinnamon and cayenne dusted balls of amazingness. loves food and is not afraid to admit it. 081130 ... cr0wl saveur magazine! 081201 ... unhinged when you take your mexican friend to a mexican restaurant, and she wants to bring her parents there, you KNOW it's good. none of that over priced sit down taco bell type shit. tortas, moles, tequila drinks that are not margaritas, REAL mexican. and their vegetarian stuffed cabbage just one more proof to our theory that mexicans and polacks are long lost cousins. 090112 ... gja hot nasi goring with a just cooked egg on top 090113 ... unhinged roasted vegetables in balsamic butter sauce from trader joe's on top of quinoa quinoa as a rice substitute food as medicine; plenty of garlic and mushrooms in the winter to keep the sniffles at bay. 090113 ... birdmad chipotle salsa + homemade barbecue sauce + shredded chicken fresh tomato and bell peppers + asadero cheese + either flour or corn tortillas (or pressed French Bread) + 350 degree oven = mmmmm 090113 ... rt requesting invitation to chef bird's for dinner... 090113 ... 30 minute birdmad Surprisingly, even canned white meat works brilliantly...you just mix the salsa and bbq sauce (about 1/2 as much bbq as salsa and about 1/3 cup or just a tiny bit more total for each 10 oz of chicken...) 090113 ... birdmad actually more than 1/3 cup but just under half...it's very imprecise...you just want to make sure that you achieve the barest degree of saturation with the sauce mix...slightly wet but not swimming in it and you can flip the chipotle salsa to bbq ratio depending on your taste...not to be a shill, but if you can get it in your part of the country Herdez is a good brand for it...it's smoky, a little tiny bit salty and has just the right bite to it. thou i'll admit i'm not over-fond of their salsa verde 090114 ... unhinged toasty sandwiches are the best...mmmmm. there is a sandwich shop in milwaukee called potbellys that toasts their wiches and they are better than quizNOs. thai curries are the best combination of fat and spicy when it's ass crack cold outside. does it get cold in thailand ever? i feel like making some pierogies. it's the perfect weather for potatoes and butter. mmmmm is proudly polish AND irish 090114 ... bird I need to make some green tamales I still need to work a few kinks out of my recipe/methodology (when i get it right, i'll put it here...you'd love 'em, Nic... meatless...green chiles, jalapeno, corn and cheese (cheddar is good, but asadero or quesadilla cheese are pretty damned good too)...sister made some for xmas, but hers were maybe a little too jalapeno-centric even for me... 090114 ... jane i'm going to make pasta with artichoke hearts orange zest goat cheese and rosemary. the combination just occurred to me today. 090114 ... unhinged i made pasta today with red wine marinara red onions green and wax beans carrots garlic thyme romano mmmmm 090114 ... unhinged i love tamales i had a mexican roommate for awhile and worked with some illegals in the kitchen i worked in. jose always made special vegetarian enchiladas and tamales and things for me when he cooked for all of us in the kitchen to eat. but tasty wrapped bundles of cornmeal and assorted goodies are right up my alley. vero was just bitching about making tamales the last time we hung out. i have one of those authentic cast iron tortilla pan thingies that i stole from her when we were roommates. i have been eating bean tostadas i made on the thing ever since i came back to milwaukee. 090114 ... bird that's my only gripe with tamales, is that they are labor intensive 090115 ... cocoon savoury pancakes. i always forget about these, but i made some today. yum. carrots onions red pepper peas a bit of cheese 090115 ... unhinged pierogies are labor intensive too. the only party i ever threw was a pierogie party where if my friends wanted to eat 'em they had to at least attempt to make them. it was way fun, especially the drunker we got. people that i invited that didn't come ended up finding out about how cool it was. food parties are the best ones, i've come to find. i love sharing good meals with my friends. 090115 ... unhinged simply potatoes garlic mashed potatoes --- heavenly culinary convience or not all fast food is bad food 090127 ... unhinged shit bird, i forgot to mention it here, but right after our earlier exchange about tamales i bought some green chili cheese ones from trader joes and they really weren't bad. i bet if i steamed them instead of microwaving them they would be even better. trader joes selection of vegetarian enchiladas, burritos, taquitos, tamales, is pretty damn amazing for frozen stuff. (someone told me recently that trader joes is owned by the same company that owns aldi. it all makes sense to me now...) 090127 ... incessantly hungry bird ahhh...those would be the ones i'm trying to learn now 090128 ... unhinged yes i know. after our little exchange i picked some up after staring at the husks in the freezer case for several months and having good experience with their other frozen mexican stuffs. ;-) trader joes is my favorite grocery store ever. 090128 ... unhinged did you ever make that meatloaf? thinks about food all the time too 090128 ... snacking bird actually, the meatloaf is gonna wait until saturday or sunday...i just don't have the energy after i get home from the office most days, so i usualy just put on my short-order hat and whip up something quick or order out if i have the cash 090128 ... unhinged i guess that's why i like trader joes so much. so many vaccuum packed or frozen vegetarian tasty tidbits that take literally two minutes for me to heat and eat after i get home from work. 090128 ... past using peanut butter as lazy man's peanut sauce. 090128 ... bird when i have time (and all the necessary extra ingredients), i usually use peanut butter as the foundation for a hot peanut sauce... Creamy Peanut Butter Soy Sauce jalapeno puree fish sauce or shrimp paste ground coriander onion puree peanut oil (or a mild neutral oil infused with garlic) sugar with the exception of the fish sauce, I actually managed to make a batch of what was a surprisingly tasty faux-Thai peanut sauce on the fly to dress up some ramen noodles with peanut butter from the snack stash at my desk and various condiment packages...sometimes, i'm like freaking MacGyver in the kitchen 090129 ... unhinged i learned how to cook from my mother and she has an uncanny knack for whipping up tastiness out of whatever is in the pantry, fridge, freezer. she also liked to make dinner 'look pretty'. for instance, the classic combo of meatloaf, potatoes, peas. a balanced meal 'looks pretty' on the plate. my mother's strong suit as an artist has always been her eye for color. but, it was always funny to me and my dad and brother when she would lay our plates in front of us and go 'doesn't it look pretty?' my dad would inevitably say 'as long as it tastes good i don't really care what it looks like' and she would roll her eyes, but smile nonetheless when we would devour our plates and ask for seconds. the only meal i recall my mom making that me and my brother hated was liver. my dad loves liver and onions. my mother has not made liver and onions for almost twenty years. he always orders it if it's on the menu. really though, the part that filters all the shit out of an animal's blood didn't sound good to me even back then. 090129 ... jane cream cheese goes with everything. everything. 090129 ... cr0wl i love my mom's frozen homemade cookies. 090129 ... bird i sort of went backwards with the whole liver and onions thing...i used to love it until i hit my early teens then ..poof..gone 090129 ... unhinged i love pretty much everything my mom cooks. somehow it always turns out when she just throws a bunch of cans in a pot and lets it cook for a couple hours. she's not one for fancy and very rarely bakes something that didn't come out of a box but somehow it always tastes better when she makes it. maybe it's all the love she puts into it. then again, she always says that hers doesn't taste as good as her mom's did. for the first time this year, i got the stuffing recipe right. it was the milk. she always told me it was optional, but i have since learned better. 090130 ... unhinged (a package of cream cheese with a packet of dry ranch dressing goes on everything; warm cream cheese is also bomb. i like cheese toast with flavored cream cheese and cheddar on top of that preferably on rye) 090130 ... past we made cream cheese icecream-ish-stuff back in the my cooking days, and then scooped it onto carrot cakes. 090130 ... unhinged yes, cream cheese frosting on carrot cake, cinnamon buns etc. is also quite bomb. 090130 ... unhinged that vegan open faced meatloaf sandwich just rocked my world. the roasted tomatoes and red onions on top were especially tasty. note to self: only order that one when super hungry 090130 ... cocoon Baked tomatoes? Oven cooked tomatoes in any case. They were really not the best tomatoes in the world. Hard, tasteless. Everything you dont really want. Although they cooked down quite well when I made a sauce. They were weird. Anyway, there were lots, and they were starting to go bad. So into the oven with salt,black pepper, sugar, a little bit of vinegar, thinly sliced garlic and oil. Cook cook cook. And out they come being yum yum yum. 090205 ... birdmad take a good nearly ripe tomato of good size (not too big, though) scoop out the insides and puree the solids, simmer them slowly in a little olive oil with oregano, basil, garlic and thyme. use this mixture to flavor up some rice or even a full fledged risotto sautee some onions and garlic (and maybe mushrooms too, if you shoose) shred some mozzarella mix everything in a bowl and stuff back into the tomato. brush with olive oil and bake at 350 F until the cheese is nice and melty 090205 ... cr0wl yummyyummyyummy in me tummytummytummy 090205 ... cocoon probably not an epiphany as such, but there was no vinegar or lemon in the house, and i needed to make a dressing (chicken & pasta salad - so tasty). so i used tangerine (manderine? clementine? whatever you choose to call them) juice instead. so nice. i think it went well with the dhania (corriander/cilantro) 090207 ... unhinged ethiopian food without utensils, or what we think of as utensils anyway. just injera to wrap and scoop the spicy stews up with. amazingly tasty. 090208 ... unhinged substitute refried veggie black beans for potatoes to make a iron_rich mashed potato substitute. add pan fried onions cheese salsa cayenne coriander made it on the stovetop but would probably be better baked 090208 ... birds fly between skyscrapers i don't know when it became a Thai restaurant, but the little spot that used to be a Cuban restaurant but moved because the place was too small to handle the crowd now serves a spectacular red (seafood in this case, but you can get it as you like) curry. Starts off rather unimpressive in the first few seconds but then blossoms across the taste-buds in a medley of sweet, savory and then hot...dunno if today's crowd is a regular phenomenon or a by-product of all the NBA All-Star Game tourist about...saw two very tall men in their mid twenties of a rather Eastern European look walking around downtown with gorgeous but tastelessly dressed women, both wearing some rather ridiculous bronze colored boots with blue jeans 090213 ... unhinged thai curry usually has fish sauce in it and i conveiniently block this from my mind when i order it. i have not been to the fancier thai place downtown; depending on who you talk to you it's the best thai in town. or horridly overpriced *shrugs* it just makes me want to buy a mortar and pestle and make my own curry paste. 090214 ... il corvo Black squid ink pasta tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil, fresh garlic, basil and oregano, dried thyme and rosemary, with some crab and shrimp done up in sort of a half-assed scampi on top of it with a mixed green salad and some sourdough garlic toast on the side 090217 ... jane this blathe makes my mouth water excessively 090217 ... unhinged mine too 090217 ... past whenever slow cooking/roasting meat add alcohol. tonight: roast beef cooked in rye. 090217 ... unhinged tostadas my mother's grill cheeses filtered through my mexican roommate; i'm sure my heart appreciates the lack of butter. 090301 ... unhinged spinach galette with greens and toasted garlic bread using heavily peppered mashed potatoes as a crust to a tarte like thing....amazing. and the smooth cheesy, spinachy goodness of the inside, with the freshness of the greens and the crunchiness of the toasts: mmmmm....the frenchness at beans and barely is always the most impressive next to their tofu fajitas. 090505 ... native persimmon sriracha sauce on anything 090506 ... unhinged one of my favorite belgian inspired restaurants in milwaukee makes sriracha mayo to go with their frites and their veggie burgers. it's bomb. 090506 ... unhinged frozen provencale polenta from trader joe's like mac and cheese but better. really so damn good i'm not sure how to describe it. just another reason in the long list of reasons why i love trader joe's. amazingly cheap, amazingly good, amazingly fast. cause i haven't had anyone in my life worth cooking for in eight months. 090507 ... unhinged cucumbers gazpacho when it's hot outside. some people turn up their nose at cold soup, but alterra's gazpacho is pretty amazing. CURRY LENTIL SALAD 2 c lentils cooked 1 cucumber chopped 1 red onion diced red wine vinegar oil madras curry powder salt pepper combined everything using vinegar, oil, and spices to taste. i'm heavy handed with the vinegar and add just enough oil so the lentils don't get all mushed together. i also like a lot of curry and lentils do need a good amount of salt. sometimes i add tomatoes or red pepper, but i'm going to try it with just the lentils, cucumbers, and onions today. it's the perfect summer salad. 090626 ... unhinged make that 1 1/2 c. dry lentils, cooked and apple cider vinegar 090627 ... birdmad green chile chicken enchiladas done lasagna style ...details later 090630 ... hsg raw_food is my epiphany 090630 ... unhinged i make black bean enchiladas that way bird and even that seems like a lot of work. i couldn't imagine rolling up each individual tortilla. i had a vegetarian version of bagels and lox today with tomatoes and cucumbers to replace the fish and onions and sprouts to round it all out. it reminded me of europe and having good bread and spreadable cheese every morning i could get my hands on it for breakfast. mmmmmm 090701 ... birdmad my mom, sisters and grandmother were/are all infinitely quicker and at the same time more patient than me when it comes to that sort of thing, although the last time i did them rolled, they were fantastic: i did the whole process except for actually making the tortillas... cooked & shredded the chicken by hand, mixed the chicken and cheese and the chiles, lightly fried each tortilla before rolling, made my own green chile sauce took me all of that day to make, along with the refried beans and the rice, but it was for friends and family so it was totally worth the effort...plus it was in winter, so my kitchen was not hell on earth while i worked 090702 ... unhinged i made the best veg chili the other day with soy chorizo. put it over some spanish rice with cheddar and cilantro. mmmmmmm i rock in the kitchen. no recipes needed. 090806 ... unhinged parrano cheese homemade pizza thinly sliced tofu instead of grilled chicken pickled vegetables (besides cucumbers) 091102 ... unhinged MEXICAN VEGETARIAN CHILI 1 package soy chorizo 1 medium red onion, diced 1 medium red bell pepper, diced 1 can black beans, rinsed 1 can fire roasted tomatoes with chilis (trader joes) 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems chopped 1/8 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp coriander quinoa, cooked cheddar or other sharp cheese sour cream in stock or stew pot, saute onions until they begin to brown. add peppers until soft. bloom cumin and coriander then add chorizo. add beans, tomatoes, and about 1/2 c water to release brown bits from the bottom of the pan. add cilantro stems, mostly just stems. simmer for at least 20 min. serve over cooked quinoa (i always put lentils in my quinoa *shrugs*) with dairy on top if you wish. could be vegan without the dairy. this chili has lots of iron in it. and if you're wondering where the cayenne is, it doesn't really need it. especially if you are cooking for a mixed crowd. i buy most of the ingredients for this chili at trader joe's and their soy chorizo is spiced just right. but if you like really spicy, you could add some cayenne or maybe chipotle. the smokiness of that would go just right. 091102 ... unhinged oh yeah, and sprinkle the cilantro leaves on top when serving. the freshness of the herb and the dairy cuts the smokiness just enough for balance. this chili is pretty greasy cause of using chorizo, but that's how my mom always made chili when i was a kid. there was a layer of tasty beef fat over the top, so it's probably the closest vegetarian approximation of my mom's chili with a mexican twist. you could probably do half soy chorizo, half soy crumbles and just add a little more cumin and coriander if the grease bothers you. sometimes i just like to bathe some rice in some kind of tasty fatty gravy. this chili will definitely warm you up and still has to be healthier than a similar meat version. 091102 ... unhinged arugula 091216 ... birdmad Asian taco fusion: take leftovers or specifically prepare a rack of pork ribs seasoned originally with garlic, salt, black pepper and some lime juice from this take 1-1/2 cup shredded rib meat add: 3 tbsp hoisin sauce 2-1/2 tbsp of Sriracha or any other similar red chili sauce and 1 tbsp of soy sauce mix the hoisin and the chili sauce with the shredded rib meat, add in 1/4 cup chopped green onions and toss serve on corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, shredded/grated carrots chopped cilantro and a light squeeze of fresh lime juice 100106 ... unhinged the science of mac and cheese when i was a little girl i was more than happy with kraft mac and cheese. of the instant varieties, i actually prefer it over velveeta or other kinds with the goopy cheese. then i moved to wisconsin, and along with discovering the wider world of REAL cheese, i discovered good mac and cheese. and the millions of variations that go along with that. two examples: one of my friends is a bartender at a brewery/restaurant that i go to regularly. their mac and cheese is like a homemade velveeta type; they use the beer cheese sauce they make and add jalapenos to it and then cover with crispy breadcrumbs. i like the jalapenos and the crunchy crumbs but the cheese itself is a little too runny. the newly reopened wine bar/restaurant beneath my apartment has at least two kinds of mac and cheese everyday. a regular 4 cheese and some 'gourmet' version which in the past has included lobster and gruyere or chorizo and pepper jack. (the gourmet version incorporating some kind of meat, but i was almost willing to break down and try the lobster gruyere). their mac and cheese is like a homemade version of how my mom made kraft; heavy on the butter, light on the milk. so that all the cheese clung to the noodles in a thick, more stringy way, with some parsley and extra cheese on top. i like elements of both. looks like i'm going to have to develop my own mac and cheese. or just be contented with the pretty amazing stuff downstairs. as long as i limit myself to a lunch size portion once a week or so, i should be alright. i like to make quesadilla/tostada type things with my mexican veg chili, sharp cheddar, green onion, cilantro, and corn tortillas. i'm all about cheese right now. i'm in a winter funk where my mind and my body are craving fat, the tastier the better. 100212 ... unhinged living in a big city opened up my taste buds. thai, indian, persian, vegetarian, real coffee. living in a big city in wisconsin opened up my taste buds to cheese and beer. or better yet beer cheese with fresh baked soft pretzels to dip in. if anyone knows about bar snacks that go with beer, it's the germans. 100213 ... unhinged ghiradelli brownies mix from the grocery store with cinnamon and just a little cayenne added in makes me want a mexican mocha from fuel 100213 ... unhinged eating french food out of a lunch truck on the corner of 7th (?) and folsom at night in sf beet and bleu cheese salad potato gratin mushroom truffle vol au vent and all that food was amazing. might have been because i was with friends and a pup. might have been because i love that city and everything seems magically more amazing there. might have been cause it was just damn good food (i noticed that even street food is not to be fucked around with in sf) contrasting textures smooshy/crunchy boiled/broiled contrasting flavors briny/spicy bland/unbland (?) i.e. beets - not really all that flavorful on their own. a lingering slight iron taste on the back of the tongue. add some bleu cheese and arugula and i'll eat an entire plate of beets anyday. or take plain boiled potatoes and add a custardy cheesiness and a broiled layer of cheese on top and who wouldn't eat that? i'm all about food like that. the french food i got off a truck the burrito i got in a hole in the wall half a block from the bart station on 16th and mission salsa verde REAL salsa verde none of that jarred/canned crap 100416 ... unhinged (i am currently dreaming of living in sf while my brother is in culinary school, buying a kitchen full of groceries and turning to him: 'now make me something') 100416 ... lostgirl i'm now feeling a trip to sf coming soon. ....my mouth is watering just by remembering the outrageously yummy dungeness crab salad sandwich i ate (from a street vendor at the wharf) the last time i was there. but tommy toy's....there's a food fantasy to experience. chinese~french fusion meets culinary genius. without a doubt, sf is the best 'food city' i've ever visited.... i can dream indeed, but for now, its lookin' like taco night. 100416 ... unhinged smoked gouda grilled cheese 100422 ... jane beet-arugula-goatcheese salad yes! (bonus - your pee will be pink!) 100422 ... hsg avocados_cayenne_acv_olive_oil 100422 ... unhinged that smoked gouda goes way too well with almonds and beer 100422 ... jane cheese goes with everything! made myself a salad for dinner that included mixed greens, thinly sliced pear, avocado, crumbled goat_cheese, and sliced roasted almonds. topped it off with some e.v. olive oil and white vinegar. not too bad for a random attempt. 100423 ... unhinged (i think the fact that i was laying in my bed watching tv on the internet when i was eating said snacks and drinking beer was what made me feel guilty about it; but_seriously that grilled cheese with smoked gouda rocked my face off contemplating making another with almond butter; putting tasty spreads in grill cheese is becoming a food hobbie) 100423 ... il corvo diavolo vegetable pizza: i was lazy,.so i used a pre-made crust sun-dried tomato sauce (sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, garlic, red chiles, onion, a dash of olive oil and sea-salt and fresh oregano, pureed in a blender and slow-simmered) [i wasn't lazy about that part, but my bread-making skills are weirdly lacking] spread the sauce on the crust, top with -mozzarella and provolone -fresh spinach leaves, -fresh basil leaves -sliced baby portabello mushrooms -roasted red bellpeppers -jalapeño slices - red onion, coarsely chopped - marinated artichoke hearts preheat over at about 425°F when oven temp is right, place on center rack for about 10 minutes turn off heat, let over breathe for about two or three minutes, remove from oven, slice up and dig in my next pizza concoction may just contain a disturbing amount of meat, however...i'm experimenting with flavors and textures...i'm thinking a white sauce or a pesto topped pizza with cappicola, pancetta and a sweet variety of italian sausage as well as some interesting vegetation, but i won't have a definitive "recipe" until i have actually done this 100504 ... unhinged best sandwich ever: smoked tofurky slices smoked_gouda wasabi mayo sprouted 7 grain bread 100615 ... gja seared scallops with lemongrass 100616 ... unhinged dried black beans instead of cans (the time investment is worth it) salsa verde, even the jarred varieties 100619 ... cocoon omg scallops...why did i have to read that. its only reminding me how good they are, and just how expensive they are here :( lately i've been all about the red cabbage. i like this recipe - but without the fennel seeds (not really a fan of anything anise-like): http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/must-try-red-cabbage-braised-with-apple 100620 ... unhinged (i don't like anise/licorice flavor either) 100620 ... unhinged (yes, and as the taste_memory of real, fresh salsa verde in pretty much any mexican/burrito joint in sf fades, i am now willing to settle for trader joe's jarred version. a new, simple favorite: quinoa black beans (almost made to the recipe on the back of the bag) salsa verde) 100620 ... unhinged (ever_since i had japanese scallops in hawaii, well and because i'm a pretty staunch veg now, i won't buy scallops in wisconsin. seafood about as far as you can logistically get from the ocean doesn't sound good to me) 100717 ... unhinged lobster mac and cheese with truffle breadcrumbs and asparagus *droooool* 100802 ... lostgirl fresh caught grilled red snapper served tostada style with black bean, avocado, mango jalapeño salsa. mmmmmmmmmmmm......aaaahhhhhhh complete gastronomic satisfaction. 100803 ... birdmad --olive oil --sea salt --black pepper --about a dozen or so cherry or grape --tomatoes (split in half) --1-1/2 rough chopped red onion --2 large chiles (preferably mild/medium), chopped --1 red bell pepper chopped --juice from 1/2 lemon and then --1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock --1/2 cup white wine (not too dry) --(optional) nominal amount of diced grilled chicken (or a variety of seafood options) sautee the chiles, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper in the olive oil, sprinkling the sea-salt and pepper over them as they sweat stir in lemon juice for about a minute reduce heat and add in stock, and wine, cover, simmer for about 20 mins if adding meat, place atop mixture or alongside and serve mix either atop rice 100809 ... gja sea urchin sashimi 100809 ... unhinged there is an indian grocery store on the other side of town here that is amazing; spices and chutneys and pouches of premade this and that. mmmmmm coriander chutney chinese chili paneer (the only thing i don't like is the preservatives; but with the spices that cheap, i might just have to learn how to make the stuff myself) the show 'after hours with daniel' on hulu it's a show where the famous french chef daniel boloud (sp?) invites a bunch of other famous chefs and/or young chefs he admires to have a late night meal with him at various restaurants. being kinda food obsessed, i'm loving it. 101202 ... cocoon i really want to have a go at making my own chutney sometime. i know its not that hard, its just getting everything together. in the meantime, i shall just remember the mango chutney from our favourite indian restaurant back home (haandi). 101203 ... jane new salad: mixed greens (spring mix with arugula, spinach, etc.) avocado goat_cheese sliced roasted almonds pomegranate raspberry walnut vinaigrette 101203 ... unhinged do you make the dressing or buy it? 101203 ... unhinged my new oatmeal recipe: 1/2 c dry oats 1 c almond milk splash of vanilla dash of cinnamon 1 tbsp almond butter 1 banana honey to taste 1. boil the almond milk with vanilla and cinnamon. add 1/2 (pretty sure they are quick oats) oats and stir for a minute until liquid is absorbed and oats are soft. 2. cut banana, stir in almond butter and honey to taste in cooked oats. this was fucking bomb. hot cereal rocks in the winter 110106 ... bird that does sound pretty good. I've been using maple sugar/syrup (whichever i can find easiest at the time), strawberries and dried cherries in mine 110107 ... unhinged i'm not really a fan of the maple flavoring. *shrugs* maybe if i had real maple syrup instead of maple flavored high fructose corn syrup i would taste different about it. i was thinking about adding some dried cranberries to that mix. but i am totally on an almond kick right now. and i just read today that almonds are supposed to help you sleep. 110107 ... once again Honey Mustard Cookies... might be delicious. 110107 ... bird it's worth the extra money to get the real maple syrup when you can swing it... or the crystalline form, maple sugar when you can... although if i can't do either, than i go with dark brown sugar 110107 ... unhinged I did another shambhala_training level this weekend and one of the activities was what the teacher called a feast of the senses. It was a mindful eating exercise. I realized I don't pay much attention to the texture/touch of my food. Talk about an epiphany... 110118 ... unhinged dark chocolate almond milk 110124 ... unhinged blood oranges pretty AND tasty 110128 ... Ouroboros angel hair/olive oil/romano cheese (shredded)/lemon juice/black pepper 110129 ... unhinged thai red curry over rice noodles instead of rice (if i would have known that's what that really was, i would have ordered it years ago) 110130 ... falling_alone fondue parties share colds, sorry birthday boy. 110131 ... unhinged (living shares colds at this time of year) 110201 ... unhinged lasagna cupcakes: what does that even mean? 110204 ... unhinged vietnamese noodles, coffee having a pretty top notch truffle shop with a punch card near my home is becoming a dangerous habit 110816 ... unhinged piroshky i.e. russian crossiants flaky beautiful soft buttery pastry on the outside, almost anything you could imagine on the inside. the potato, onion, cheese from piroshky piroshky at pike place market may just be my new favorite thing of all the new things i've eaten here in seattle 110821 ... unhinged (i am so russian/ukranian/polish even my taste buds have a strange almost inexplicable gravity towards that part of my geneaology. he hates horseradish. he shivers to talk about it. i smile at his aversion the way my grandma used to smile at me when i made faces about the phreen (sp?) at the easter dinner table) 110821 ... no reason most foods can be found in dairy and gluten-free varieties which is good for me right now unfortunately these foods are usually more expensive for fewer ingredients 110822 ... unhinged pretty sad that the less processed the food the more it costs right? it really doesn't seem to make much sense. i resigned myself to dropping a lot of cash on groceries awhile ago. but now that i'm jobless in a new city, my healthy eating habits are catching up with my wallet. i'm sure there's a political/social rant somewhere in here but i don't really have the energy for it. 110823 ... cocoon i know its a classic, but the broccoli + garlic + lemon + hard cheese combination (pan fried or oven baked) is so delicious. 110824 ... unhinged vegan cilantro pesto homemade hummus thank you food processor 110918 ... unhinged cilantro (pesto): 2 small bunches/1 large bunch of cilantro 2 green onions 3 cloves of garlic olive oil 1/8 t cayenne 1/2 t salt throw everything except oil in processor, turn processor on high, drizzle in oil. mmmmmmmm 110918 ... unhinged oh yeah, juice of lime, 1/2 to 1 whole lime i'm always kinda iffy on measurements when i cook. i just throw things together til they smell and look good. i sauteed up some red onions and peppers, added frozen roasted corn and a can of black beans and tossed that with the sauce and pasta all together and made the bombest thing i've cooked in awhile. mmmhhhmmmm 110918 ... unhinged european_style hot chocolate little granules of chocolate melted and thinned by hot water fuck_yes 111026 ... PeeT rice penne pasta butter lemon tons of olive oil mix a glass of gnarly head olde vine zin and a mazzy star record fuck yeah! 111122 ... Ouroboros roasted kabocha/mushroom/kale/alaskan cod stew. still dreaming about this. 111223 ... unhinged raw fish sorry big fishie. i couldn't help it. i understand why my brother was hooked on poke when he lived in hawaii. although the mainland versions i like are nothing like the pickled fish guts hawaiian version. 121122 ... raze making salads with a fresh medley of baby spinache and grape tomatoes. as colourful as it is tasty. oh yes. 130213 ... raze spinach. fuck_you, fingers. stop spelling things wrong, will you? 130213 ... raze also, toasted italian white bread with extra creamy smooth peanut butter. so simple, but so good. 130213 ... unhinged toasted sandwiches are currently an obsession there is a whole wide world of edible leaves beyond iceberg lettuce and parsley. shiso leaf, morning glory leaf, purple basil... 130828 ... epitome of incomprehensibility Best salad combination so far, with lettuce, tomatoes, basil, and chives from the garden; served 4. -lots of romaine lettuce -8 small red tomatoes, sliced in quarters -a few mini-trees of broccoli, torn apart -1/2 a raw red onion, finely chopped -handful of pine nuts then add: -chives, sliced or torn apart -basil leaves, whole or halved -balsamic vinegar -caraway seeds -sprinkling of dried parmesan cheese (Pine nuts are expensive, but they were there in the freezer already, just begging, "Use me in a salad! Please!" ...and I find their taste and crunchiness goes well with tomatoes.) 130829 ... raze raspberries and vanilla ice cream. something i hadn't had since i was a kid. again, so simple, but so good. i kind of miss picking them myself and having that added feeling of satisfaction when sitting down to eat, but ain't no big thing. 130930 ... raze (by "picking them" i mean picking raspberries from the stepfather's mother's backyard. there were gooseberries there too. and rhubarb. and mint leaves. it was a good backyard.) 130930 ... unhinged my grandma had raspberry bushes in her backyard too. it used to be a bigger seasonal garden with more variety but at some point she decided to cover half the garden plot with raspberry bushes. some of my earliest memories are of the whole family going in the spring to help her plant the garden, my gram showing me how to sow corn. 131006 ... unhinged (she would cover the bushes with cheesecloth so the robins and cardinals and blue jays wouldnt get all the berries) 131006 ... unhinged egg poached in miso with dried seaweed flakes and sriracha the texture of the poached egg and the reconstituted seaweed is similar and the saltiness of the seaweed and miso flavors the egg in a subtle, nice way. i put sriracha on everything especially eggs. yum yum seattle influenced breakfast in my tum 131201 ... unhinged lotus root salad with grilled tofu saffron risotto cake in tomato broth with swiss chard ramps oyster mushrooms and shaved manchego 140414 ... raze mashed chick peas, grated carrot, spinach leaves, and a vegan curry dressing, rolled in markouk flat bread. it's a sandwich called a chichi roti, and i'm halfway tempted to ask it to marry me. 140429 ... unhinged baked salmon, macaroni and cheese, seaweed salad quickly becoming my favorite lunch time combo wheatgerm cookies are still cookies 150521 ... unhinged chia seed pudding for breakfast sumac in place of salt 151019 ... unhinged the value of a runny egg yolk a sunnyside_up egg over a mound of rice soy sauce with sesame seed cutting the egg letting the yolk run out and get soaked up by the rice like glue the subtle beauty of texture and flavor in asian food 171219 ... e_o_i I decided to go to a party at the last minute, and the invitation mentioned bringing snack foods, so here's what I came up with in an hour: Snack Thing 1 was my mom's traditional Christmas appetizer of celery stuffed with mixed mayo & soft cheese. I shook some cumin onto them after sniffing around the spice rack for the right flavour. (They tasted good with the cumin, but are kind of messy for transporting. In the future, I'll save them for home or close-to-home meals.) Snack Thing 2 was just fruit in foil cupcake cups. In each one I put a few kiwi slices, sprinkled them with pomegranate seeds, and added three mandarin sections. I added a decorative toothpick in the shape of a pirate sword (where did those come from, anyway?) to make it easier to pick up the kiwi slices. These were easy to transport and people liked them. 171221 ... unhinged (maybe if you take the mayo out and just use the soft cheese to stuff the celery it will be less messy. in my family that's how we always made stuffed celery...just soft cheese and a sprinkle of paprika on top ;) ) 171222 ... e_o_i Oh, that is another good spice! Sorry I didn't see this last week. But I am bad at transporting foods in general. I need something that doesn't easily spill or break if I'm going to be on the bus. 171227 ... unhinged cheese toasts made in the oven slowly expanding to small toasted sandwiches veggie 'chicken' Philly or soyrizo toasts 211218 ... past sheet pan "stir-fry." a bit more time at prep, but you can do that well ahead of time (chopping and marinating vegetables), but so much less work while actually cooking. 221205 ... past (is hungry) with bread-type food, the flatter version is almost always better than the puffy version. lebanese pitas are superior to greek pitas. montreal bagels are indisputably the best bagels. flat crust pizza is typically tastier than other types. are these fighting words? no they are truths. 230110 what's it to you? who go blather from