What is the question that every Mother isn't ready for after a day at work, "What's for dinner Moms?" Hungry bellies dominate in households around tis country. Everybody is too busy for coming together of dinner. Work, Practice, Study this Study that and all we are left with is an empty house--full of people.
I don't know if anyone has experienced living with a group of people, but you never really spent the time to get to know them. It's sad and I've been there, just looking for a full belly. How could I have given this time to the food alone, in my aloneness?
At least the food brings the family together, for whatever it is. Time in front of the TV, venting about work, preaching politics-like they were more important than family, right now. Family is all around you.
The menu is in the making, remember the good times and re-create them in a new way. Start with what puts a smile on everyone's face. Next get some piece of kitchen utensil in the hand of all hungry mouths present. Dishes can be just as bonding. The final step is to be spontaneous and say the first thing that comes to mind. We take too much ownership of what we say, let it out, be honest and just let it out.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Steel Cut Oats
Oatmeal was kind of a mushy mess. It made me feel as if I were a farm animal ready to feed in the troff. Paste of oats with raisins and brown sugar used to be the standard. Until I was offered some steel cut, down in Arizona a couple years ago. This was a memorable breakfast, for I also learned that eggs and rice could be a reasonable staple in tough times.
The Steel Cut have texture, meusagelatenous, dang I hope I spelled that one right, and above all, they actually look like oats. The whole food version of rolled out instant meal is satisfying with its buttery flavor. Just a pinch of sea salt brings out the butter, so you don't really need any other acoutraments.
People walk by as I eat my steel cut oats and to their surprise I haven't added sugar, fruit or some other taste enhancer. I just like the real thing, cut a few times and boiled for twenty minutes. I never measure the water, and when it boils I throw a couple handfuls of oats in there and let it do its thing. Since I am a firey person, red hair and all, I need the oaty goodness to calm my inflamed body and balance my hormones. It's nice for a BM as well. So take it easy on yourself and get the full effect of the steel cut.
The Steel Cut have texture, meusagelatenous, dang I hope I spelled that one right, and above all, they actually look like oats. The whole food version of rolled out instant meal is satisfying with its buttery flavor. Just a pinch of sea salt brings out the butter, so you don't really need any other acoutraments.
People walk by as I eat my steel cut oats and to their surprise I haven't added sugar, fruit or some other taste enhancer. I just like the real thing, cut a few times and boiled for twenty minutes. I never measure the water, and when it boils I throw a couple handfuls of oats in there and let it do its thing. Since I am a firey person, red hair and all, I need the oaty goodness to calm my inflamed body and balance my hormones. It's nice for a BM as well. So take it easy on yourself and get the full effect of the steel cut.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Baked Beans
Damn I love me some baked beans. When I was a kid, my Dad would make bake bean on toast sandwiches, that wasn't so great, but then again, I think it was the soggy bread's fault. Speaking of that, it isn't just a texture thing, but a mooshy lack of flavor too. Bread pudding is to die for, on the right occasion. It may look iffy so make sure its all that your heart desires by adding coconut milk and plenty of cinnamon.
I try not to tangent and that is all I do. If there were no such thing as procrastination, I wouldn't get shit done. I really started this to talk about baked beans-it seems they speak for themselves. Old Popeye the Sailor Man, was more full of beans than spinach. I bought a can of spinach at the store the other day...Ayy ayy ayy. What I really needed was the first vegetarian baked beans of the BBQ season and man did I get a serious BM today.
Memorial Day is a holiday for the veterans. I say its for the beans. Imagine all those WWII vets back in the tranches spooning cans of beans for their survival. You might get sick of them for an in between season. Just wait until the sunny hunger comes and chips and dips don't do the trcks. Fill up on some baked bean, hot or cold, either way they have such a summer time appeal, that my holiday took a shift for the better once I got a mouthful of our brown little sugary friends.
Eat Beans and Clean Out the Means-soon enough.
I try not to tangent and that is all I do. If there were no such thing as procrastination, I wouldn't get shit done. I really started this to talk about baked beans-it seems they speak for themselves. Old Popeye the Sailor Man, was more full of beans than spinach. I bought a can of spinach at the store the other day...Ayy ayy ayy. What I really needed was the first vegetarian baked beans of the BBQ season and man did I get a serious BM today.
Memorial Day is a holiday for the veterans. I say its for the beans. Imagine all those WWII vets back in the tranches spooning cans of beans for their survival. You might get sick of them for an in between season. Just wait until the sunny hunger comes and chips and dips don't do the trcks. Fill up on some baked bean, hot or cold, either way they have such a summer time appeal, that my holiday took a shift for the better once I got a mouthful of our brown little sugary friends.
Eat Beans and Clean Out the Means-soon enough.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
How healing can this youthful lunch be? Anything hot and melty is usually the bomb, so what is it about cheddar and tomato? When I was about six years old, the neighbor kid came over and put ketchup on his grilled cheese sandwich. I thought that my friend Jon was crazy and that I would ruin my sandwich if I followed suit. I was wrong, this was the greatest thing and then all of the sudden came visions of tomato soup and open faced sandwiches with a fresh slice of tomato. It all came clear, there was much more to this relationship.
Ketchup on french fries will always be the greatest, but now I have another greatest. Crisp, buttery, and oozing with dairy goodness, just the right amount of ketchup will make or break your lunch. Don't be messy, but get enough to last. Ketchup has toatoes in it I am told. Well, I didn't believe that either. It doesn't taste like a tomato off the branch, and definitely doesn't taste like spagetti sauce, so what's the deal?
The amount of sugar we get from ketchup in America over the span of one year could cover this desk, for one person. I heard a guy say the other day that he was putting extra ketchup on his breakfast, because of the licopene. I looked at his belly and thought that might spoil his plan of good heart health. Not to be mean, but ketchup should be eaten as a condiment not as the full course. French fries and grill cheese are kid's food groups and ketchup right along with these two should be limited to keep ketchup a flavor enhancer instead of the only desirable flavor. Heal thyself of this ketchup addiction, but don't give it up completely. It is just too good for that.
Ketchup on french fries will always be the greatest, but now I have another greatest. Crisp, buttery, and oozing with dairy goodness, just the right amount of ketchup will make or break your lunch. Don't be messy, but get enough to last. Ketchup has toatoes in it I am told. Well, I didn't believe that either. It doesn't taste like a tomato off the branch, and definitely doesn't taste like spagetti sauce, so what's the deal?
The amount of sugar we get from ketchup in America over the span of one year could cover this desk, for one person. I heard a guy say the other day that he was putting extra ketchup on his breakfast, because of the licopene. I looked at his belly and thought that might spoil his plan of good heart health. Not to be mean, but ketchup should be eaten as a condiment not as the full course. French fries and grill cheese are kid's food groups and ketchup right along with these two should be limited to keep ketchup a flavor enhancer instead of the only desirable flavor. Heal thyself of this ketchup addiction, but don't give it up completely. It is just too good for that.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Avocados & the Sun
This weekend was filled with endless walking. We hit the lake trail on friday and kept walking. It was so perfect that we didn't want to turn around, so we didn't. As we cruised the shore of lake Washington, in St. Edwards Park, every twist of the trail opened up to the most beautiful spot, unique and worth sitting with for a few minutes. Every new place seemed like an arrival to our final destination.
The moment pressed hard on our sunbaked bodies. And we continued through what felt like a magical garden, shady and fresh as cool oxygen can be. This is where we lost our course and ended up in somebody's back yard. After walking the streets of this neighborhood and searching for trails back to the Park, we hit couple dead ends and finally found our way to Jaunita Dr. and to safe ground.
Now we had a new mission. Avocados and some cool water would bring us back from our dehydrated three and a half hour tour. Our skin had been our great defense against the sun. We may have dried up, but our skin has a layer of fats cells in the derma, which is the second layer below the surface of the skin. The fat content in the avovados would rejuevenate our skin and then when we downed the fluids, all would be well.
The avocado was sliced and made its way to a pizza with jalepenos, garlic and pesto. The heat of the hot pepper needed to be balanced with the avocado, as this was the theme to the green fatty fruit. I didn't think about it before, but you could take the scrapings off of the avocado's skin and rub it on your own--smooth and creamy dream.
The moment pressed hard on our sunbaked bodies. And we continued through what felt like a magical garden, shady and fresh as cool oxygen can be. This is where we lost our course and ended up in somebody's back yard. After walking the streets of this neighborhood and searching for trails back to the Park, we hit couple dead ends and finally found our way to Jaunita Dr. and to safe ground.
Now we had a new mission. Avocados and some cool water would bring us back from our dehydrated three and a half hour tour. Our skin had been our great defense against the sun. We may have dried up, but our skin has a layer of fats cells in the derma, which is the second layer below the surface of the skin. The fat content in the avovados would rejuevenate our skin and then when we downed the fluids, all would be well.
The avocado was sliced and made its way to a pizza with jalepenos, garlic and pesto. The heat of the hot pepper needed to be balanced with the avocado, as this was the theme to the green fatty fruit. I didn't think about it before, but you could take the scrapings off of the avocado's skin and rub it on your own--smooth and creamy dream.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Perfect Burrito
Get this, a burrito can be anything wrapped into a tortilla. You could make a tuna fish burrito or you can get real with the real deal. In my mind there is only one burrito out there and its bomb. First you take a tomato tortilla and steam that thing. Take a 1/2 cup of lime-cilantro rice and a good cup full of whole black beans full of the cumin richness. You can lay the beans on the rice but no need to mix them or to separate them into columns. Next comes the grilled chicken that has been marrinating over night in Marsala cooking wine. Cut it into cubes and once again lay it on top of the pile. I should have said earlier to center the pile in the middle of the flat, open faced tortilla. Throw a handful of cheddar and mozzarella. Smear a spatuala of sour cream blended with chipotle peppers on the nearest side to you. This will keep it from spitting out when its time to roll. The salsa is essential and I think a salsa fresca and a hot tomatillo are the best. Leave out the lettuce because its consistency is better suited for tacos. Wrap some lettuce in a hot and steaming burrito and taste the wilted warm and crunchy lettuce ruin the wrap.
To wrap it up take both sides and fold them into the middle. The edges do not need to touch and you should pay attention to how the pile is stacked up. We are looking to roll up a cylinder shape-not a box or Christmas present taped up by a five-year old. Now you can fold the side closest to you over the pile of goodness to where it almost touches the farthest edge. Tuck the front edge on the under side of the far edge of the pile. This is to contain the ingredients when you make your final move. By adding the slightest pressure you will put your thumbs on the front side with your fingers wrapped around the back side holding that edge your just tucked and a turn of the wrists forward pushing the thumbs forward while curling the fingers towards you. To hold it together grab both ends and give it a little squeeze to plump and stretch out the burrito creating a seal between the tortilla and its fillings.
Put the burrito on a piece of alluminum foil and roll it up. Twist both ends of the foil and gently drop one end on the table. If you do this correctly your burrito will stand on end so that you can peel the top side of the foil as you work your way down the burrito. Too much drippage at the bottom will make for what we call a waterfall burrito and all will fall apart in the end-what a mess. If you have the skills, you probably don't even need the foil. That thing will stand on end without leaking a bean-that will come with digestion.
To wrap it up take both sides and fold them into the middle. The edges do not need to touch and you should pay attention to how the pile is stacked up. We are looking to roll up a cylinder shape-not a box or Christmas present taped up by a five-year old. Now you can fold the side closest to you over the pile of goodness to where it almost touches the farthest edge. Tuck the front edge on the under side of the far edge of the pile. This is to contain the ingredients when you make your final move. By adding the slightest pressure you will put your thumbs on the front side with your fingers wrapped around the back side holding that edge your just tucked and a turn of the wrists forward pushing the thumbs forward while curling the fingers towards you. To hold it together grab both ends and give it a little squeeze to plump and stretch out the burrito creating a seal between the tortilla and its fillings.
Put the burrito on a piece of alluminum foil and roll it up. Twist both ends of the foil and gently drop one end on the table. If you do this correctly your burrito will stand on end so that you can peel the top side of the foil as you work your way down the burrito. Too much drippage at the bottom will make for what we call a waterfall burrito and all will fall apart in the end-what a mess. If you have the skills, you probably don't even need the foil. That thing will stand on end without leaking a bean-that will come with digestion.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
I am Busy Writing Not Eating
I love the life of a writer. I watched my father sit at the computer and write books. There is pride in accomplishment, but what is the cost? A loss of a connection to the family. The document is more important. This is the one, boy, we are going to be rich. I would have rather something else mattered than your ego's development Dad. The attention I got was being told in a controling manner who I was to be. When I started cooking in High School, it was met with so much bull-shit. I was going no where, well, I didn't plan on it. I wanted to be independent like my big sister, but I needed people more than she.
The funny thing is that I have cooked deliciousness that my Dad would have never tasted if I hadn't gained the skills that I was good at and enjoyed. That guy should have put down the pen and paper and taken on a cooking class-for the rest of our sakes. I am writing right now thinking about food, but I don't or haven't been giving it much time. This is a paradox in my life, to help feed those around me or to do some homework. I will sigh now as if writing about food is good enough to feed me. My hunger grows and now I don't want to prepare anything.
Maybe I will print this out and eat it for dinner.
The funny thing is that I have cooked deliciousness that my Dad would have never tasted if I hadn't gained the skills that I was good at and enjoyed. That guy should have put down the pen and paper and taken on a cooking class-for the rest of our sakes. I am writing right now thinking about food, but I don't or haven't been giving it much time. This is a paradox in my life, to help feed those around me or to do some homework. I will sigh now as if writing about food is good enough to feed me. My hunger grows and now I don't want to prepare anything.
Maybe I will print this out and eat it for dinner.
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