Nachos!!

Eating our favorite nachos at Dakota Blue, a restaurant in Grant Park. Also, you can't beat the $4 pitchers of PBR on Tuesdays.

Sand Crest Market and some enchiladas

I was talking to friends about our "favorite jobs ever!" Mine was working at a liquor store in "The Thumb" of Michigan. My friends could come in and play guitar, carry on a board game AND I got to chop wood and load ice.

I want to mention Mrs. Bridget Childs and say that, as a 20-something, she really did excellent in running this store. Bridget was skilled in stocking, managing and marketing her liquor store. Unfortunately, the store was in a lousy location--not close enough to any town to catch the business needed to keep a beach liquor store open.

I did get this job after dressing up nicely and askng for a job at every store in a 20 mile radius. Sometimes, knocking door to door will get you inside.

This is from when I got to do the sign, circa 1998.. And our friend, Mary, who worked at the state park. Before she ran away to Spain :)
...and this is the old truck, that drove me to Cali and back more than a few times...and taught me the gentle art of Christmas Eve hitch-hiking. (...yeah, to home. More than once)


and a wee bit of super simple enchilada. This is quickly modified tomato sauce, along with some refried beans and 5 minutes of our precious time.






Perhaps I am beating a dead horse, mais j'ai dit TAVO prends tout est pour toi.Y deseo que hablo español.. and regardless of all, here is what I was into in 1998

Kimchi Veggie Burgers. An Unrelated meal of Harira. And probably too many Rai videos

First things first, we got a new coffee pot!! (the other one, when thawed, proceeded to smoke in addition to allowing water to pour from its base...)

I had purchased TVP (textured vegetable protein) from Whole Foods almost a month ago, and thrown it into the freezer figuring I'd try it sometime. Sometime always seems to come right before we decide it is CRUCIAL to visit the grocery store.

So, I googled around, and found this excellent TVP veggie burger recipe through about.com It's not vegan, but could easily be veganized by using an egg replacer or reducing flour and adding some gluten.

2/3 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1 onion, diced
1/2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
dash salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the TVP (textured vegetable protein) and the vegetable broth in a large bowl. Allow the TVP to rehydrate for at least 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Drain any excess moisture.

Combine the TVP with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.

Form the mixture into patties and fry in oil on each side until lightly browned, or, grill on a lightly greased barbecue.


Honestly, I really like TVP because it adds that chewiness that is so often lacking in homemade veggie burgers. I can't stand a mushy burger. These are pretty decent. And TVP is quite economical.

Here is the insane Kimchi Burger, which falls along the lines of not only Fusion Cuisine, but also Cleaning Out the Fridge. It works, honestly.

Next day, we left Ameri-Korea, and head to North Africa. Let's play some Cheb Khaled and Faudel to get us in the mood.

(I tell you, I saw Khaled in Detroit--he brought down the house!!)

Harira is a soup sold at stands all over Morocco--and is made quite differently from region to region. I don't have a scanner, but here is a picture of my photo of a Harira stand between Marrakesh and Essaouira. You can see the tajine and the cool sheep heads, too. See all the bowls stacked on top? For the equivalent of a few cents, you get a bowl of soup and a spoon, eat, and return the bowl and spoon when you finish.


The recipe I used today is not authentic, but the style is similar to what one might find in Fez.

Harira

3 cups cooked chick peas
2 onions, minced
saffron threads
t. ground black pepper
8 cups broth
1 cup lentils (sorted, rinsed)
1/2 cup rice (uncooked)
T. tomato paste
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cans whole tomatoes, crushed

Combine chickpeas, onions, saffron, pepper and broth. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice and lentils are cooked through. I was a little light on the greens, but plan to get some tonight after work to add. Serve with flat bread.

...okay, one more from Khaled (I can't believe I found this--youtube, you are amazing)

sunny and 40*

Vermont Curry and the death of a couple kitchen gadgets

Friends, it's been a sad time for us. Not one, but two of our kitchen gadgets have bit the dust. One might not be completely dead...I have hope!

Has anyone frozen their coffee maker before? We had set it up at the new house for our plumber, with water in it and everything all set to just press "ON." With the last couple days of 16 degree weather--everything froze. But I didn't quite realize that, and started up a pot for Tavo and I. (We were also trying to figure out how to remove the upper cabinets--that's a mystery!) Then we heard it....trickle, trickle, SPLASH..."What IS that?" I asked Tavo--then, dismayed, watched as 10 coffee cups of water poured all over the counter and floor, from the BOTTOM of the coffee maker!

So--will it thaw and be okay?

Other than that--I went to the Japanese store by my work yesterday to pick up some essentials and I usually grab one or two random things, too.
These would be my randoms--sliced pork loin (I usually never by ANYTHING already sliced. I'm always afraid they're giving me the "bad" olives, jalapenos, meat, etc.) and Vermont Curry mix. I also don't buy many premade sauces, but I was intrigued by the spicy apple and honey flavor. And the fact that "Vermont Curry" was made in Tokyo.
So, following directions I start to brown onion and pork in my electric fry pan. Hmm...the light on my pan turned off. Maybe I'll just bend the cord a bit to ensure there is a connection....
POW! ZAP! SPARKS FLYING!! BURNT ELECTRIC SMELL!! LINI YELPING IN TERROR!!

R.I.P. oh great Electric Fry Pan. This was my Mom's--I think she got it right around when my parents married, so we'll say 1975-2009. Many a great chili and pork chop have been made in this pan.
So, I threw everything into a safer receptacle and continued on with the Vermont Curry.
Hmm...looks like the world's largest bouillon cube. Probably not the healthiest.
But Tavo declared it to be delicious. I tasted some of the sauce, and it WAS pretty good--not too salty at all. Tavo wasn't a fan of the pork, though. So, I guess I'll stick to basic Kroger/Food Depot/don't tell Tavo but I'm at ALDI type stores for meat, but maybe will venture into the other line of curries from the Japanese store. (There's a whole row of them!)

Tennessee and some coconut curry tofu

Headed out to Tennessee and we decided to take the Coyote, aka the little white '95 Ranger Tavo traded his motorcycle for. I adore the Coyote, as it reminds my of my old "Honolulu Blue" (same color as the Lions jerseys) Ranger that finally expired after 8 cross country trips and 250,000+ miles. Who says a Ford can't last as long as a Toyota??
This sign says, "Peach and Pecan Pies" Can you believe they were closed on Sunday??
And right next to the border, someone is flying the old Georgia flag. Stars and bars...


Skyline of the 'Noog (Chattanooga, for those less informed!)

Cool stuff by the aquarium and riverfront
Tavo came down with a case of elephantiasis AND two left feet. Luckily he recovered.
This delicious concoction was called "the Nun"
ooh! it's filled with chocolate mousse type deliciousness!!
A certain Tavo thinks I will steal his Nun....
(I did!) And then I made him drive through a dusty tunnel...
and we came home to make lunches :) Here is my nicely prepped broccoli. Do you guys use the stems? I just peel them and throw them in. Why not?
Tofu--okay kids, this is the secret. Freeze your tofu, then you can thaw it while you are at work. At night, it squeezes WAY easier than fresh tofu. Fry on med high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Then dump them in your marinade. If you marinade them first, your tofu will likely burn during the frying process. The benefit of frying at high heat is a crispy exterior and a delicious, spongy interior full of said marinade...
"Green" rice--minced cilantro, partial can of coconut juice and a bouillon cube with the allotted amount of water.
Basic coconut curry stir fry--after your tofu is cooked, push to the side and crank it up to high heat. Add onions and peppers, then carrots and garlic. Then I usually add my spices--for this, its really easiest to just add a couple spoonfuls of that Thai chili paste they sell in the Asian section of your grocery store. Finally add your broccoli and toss a cookie sheet on top to steam it a bit while still stir frying at hot heat. 5-6 minutes from when the first onion was added and all your vegetables should be crisp tender. Turn off the heat, add coconut milk, 1/2 cup broth, and fish sauce if so desired. Stir and throw the cookie sheet back on it until the rice is done.
oh yeah--you know you want some sriracha!
lunches!
and I realized there are no pictures of me in this post, so here's a random.

I like really, really crusty bread. Fresh from the oven!

Tennessee (hey this is post 200!)

I remember pleading with my mom when driving home on school nights..."Mom, let's keep going! Let's go to Toledo!"

Not that Toledo is the promised land, but somehow it's really enticing to leave the state line. Go to another state.

Luckily, I'm able to talk Tavo into it :)

We're heading out to eat breakfast...in Tennessee! Here is the always powerful Arrested Development.