Backstory Americans like things simple. Cheese Whiz, American Cheese, Pop Tarts. Today I saw a sealable bag with marinade in it, sold as an “incredible way to marinate meat.” It’s easier I guess to pull something off a shelf than think long enough to add marinade, water and food and seal ’em together. T’chi’na — […]
Monthly Archives: December 2009
Kickass Pea Soup
Backstory There’s a place in town that makes a great pea soup. Okay, I know, it’s just pea soup… but there’s an incredible warmth, body and texture to that soup. (It’s also fun that it coagulates when it cools, and forms fleleh too.) My mom made a great one with oxtails for flavoring. Not having […]
Backstory I generally hate sugary breads. Sugar in general in breads. But I had only a little time to get something together for two parties, so I gave it a shot. The second bread didn’t work, in the sense that I was looking for a multi-colored swirl or turducken effect. When I get it down, […]
When Latkes Go Horribly Wrong —> Casserole
Backstory When you want to make Latkes, go with a Jewish grandma’s recipe. Not something off a foodie site. I did what it said, doubling the ingredients. Except for the olive oil, which has a very low smoke point and I’m using an electric stovetop, so I went to canola. Very unforgiving these recipes. A […]
(Almost) All Things Orange Sweet Stew
Backstory Some things just don’t seem natural. In the spirit of not just making savory my staple, and in line with my idea that things can be put together oddly (like my cinnamon stew). So this one’s a weirdie I put together for fun. It’s oddly good, vegan and very healthy (especially if you keep […]
Power Mayocoba Bean Chili: Vegan and Carnivorous Versions
Backstory This is a continuation of my saga with the mayocoba bean. Brilliant little food. No gas, no muss, no fuss. Meaty, lightly flavored. The salt pork version on the original bean bags was nice, but I live in Texas, after all, and we here… we here need to show how tough we are (ever […]
Why Pasta Fails
I’ve been having a lot of fun with cooking and baking lately. It’s the first time in almost a year that I’ve had a real kitchen to work with, and the first time I’ve felt like I was building, instead of caretaking the destruction of a community of friends (long story, not relevant here). I’ve […]
Cinnamon Chili Stew
Backstory I’ve loved mayacoba beans (also called yellow or Peruvian beans). At my local store there was a recipe on the back of the bag, calling for a crock pot, cumin, onions and salt pork. Tried it, liked it, but wanted something more interesting and healthier. Given that this vunderbeans don’t have any sugars (all […]