Snot What It Looks Like

 

Supper, Thursday July 15, 2021: cod fingers; limas; okra 
and tomatoes; rice.

A couple of years ago most of this meal would have been from the garden. At least this year we got the tomatoes. They are tasty. Unfortunately it looks like we are about to have a stinkbug problem. We hates them. I have found no control method other than squishing them by hand. A propane torch tends to damage the plant. Then again, you don't have to kill them with the torch just maim them enough. . .

Enough of that. I wish that okra didn't have the snot thing. I really like okra. I REALLY like fried okra and it is indispensable in gumbo. Like many people (most?) I just have a problem with the mouth feel unless it is cut by cooking with tomatoes for the acidity. (I think that is what makes it better.) At least we can fry it. I suppose that will have to suffice.

Quit Yer Bitchin'

 

Breakfast, Sunday June 6, 2021: wowthatsapileofeggs.

I have an immune disorder. It requires that I take immune suppressants. A lot of immune suppressants. Whenever I have a fever, it could potentially be a medical emergency. (Now that I look at it, I wonder about that phrase. What other kind of emergency could it be? Not a national emergency or a public health emergency. How about this:) Whenever I have a fever, it could be a sign of a life threatening illness. (Not much better.) A bad case of flu could kill me. With this covid thing, I have barely left the house. Since too many jerks won't get the vaccine, the US is unlikely to achieve herd immunity. I'm stuck, at home that is. Covid will kill me, can't stress that enough, WILL. 

Anyhoo. Friday night I start getting chills. I check my temp, 101.3. Damn. Take some acetaminophen and see if we can control it. Besides, no one wants to go to the E.D. on a Friday night. (Another annoying side note: it's E.D. not E.R. It's a (D)epartment not a (R)oom.) FF to Saturday morning: still have the fever, now add nausea and malaise. We head to the E.D. FF again to Saturday afternoon, I'm admitted and sleeping off a really bad reaction to one of the medications they gave me for the nausea. Finally let's move ahead to Sunday morning. The picture above is breakfast. It's nothin' fancy and yes those are the prepacked frozen hash browns deep fried. Yet for what it was, it was well prepared and it was hot. Plenty of people pay good money for a plate like that at many a diner. 

That's hospital food today. It's time for a new joke. 

I Orangen't Very Attentive

 

Breakfast, Thursday May 13, 2021: kohlrabi fritters (shredded kohlrabi, egg, flour, buttermilk, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper, avocado cream sauce (avocado, yogurt, sour creme, salt, lemon juice)); scramble (onion, spinach, mushroom, eggs, cheddar, tarragon, dill, salt); fruit.

The grocery that I regularly use has a decent produce section. It has a good and generally fresh selection of the basics. It has some shortcomings. The mushroom selection is buttons and portobellos, das it. The parsley is always sad, which makes me sad 'cause I really like tabbouleh. On the other hand they always seem to have pineapples really cheap. (There was recently a six week pineapple drought. It was difficult.) The other item that is exciting is blood oranges. They are not stocked all the time, but it is often enough that I always look for them. 

On my most recent shopping trip they were in stock and. . . wait for it. . . on sale. I got a little excited. Instead of carefully inspecting them I joyfully stuffed them in a bag. I realized my mistake this morning. I intended to just use blood orange as the fruit, but when I took one out of the bowl I almost put my thumb in it. This might be all right for a really ripe peach, but not an orange. It wasn't rotten all the way through, only in the spot my thumb submerged. I was able to use half of it. 

 

Back. . . Again

 

 Supper, Tuesday May 11, 2021: Surf and turf (seared round steak (steak of your choosing. I choose-ed a couple of round cuts that were in the reduced section. It is what I had on hand. salt, pepper, browned butter pan reduction from the lobster); lobster (shelled and sliced tails, butter, white wine, cooked in the steak pan); kohlrabi fritters (shredded kohlrabi, egg, flour, buttermilk, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper, avocado cream sauce (avocado, yogurt, sour creme,

salt lemon juice)); FGT (green tomatoes, breading of your choice, tomato chutney).

Life finds a way. . . of getting in the way. We finally moved to Savannah. I got busy with the house. Then I had a very bad run with my disease. Along the way I occasionally got lost in ennui. And so on. I am not going to even try to catch up. I haven't been taking a lot of photos lately anyway. 

Last night's meal is one of the best I have ever made. ( So much so that It inspired me to get back to writing. Yes it was literally life changing. It all just worked together so well. It was an experience to be savored, slowly. Actually I shouldn't equivocate. It was THE best.)

I had a procedure done yesterday. Let it suffice to say the procedure required fasting. I wanted a nice meal after. I originally planned on going out. I got the second shot about three weeks ago so I assumed I would be relatively safe if I went to a restaurant. Nope. I had the antibody test done a week ago. The vaccine did not take. I have no immunity. My immune suppressants are doing their job, just to well in this case. I decided to stay in.

I needed a few things at the grocer. While there the meal started to come together. The

lobster and meat were on sale. I hadn't had kohlrabi fritters in forever. The green tomatoes were be-au-ti-ful. 

We agreed, at the end, that we could not have purchased a better meal anywhere. That good.

 

It's Not Really Black

 

Supper Wednesday April 29, 2020: blackened mahi; farfale a bella (farfale, baby bellas, cream, butter, garlic, parmesan, black pepper).

The grocer we use has had whole mahi filets (frozen, cryovac) on sale for some time. (When does a sale time out and just become the new price?) We keep going in expecting the "sale" to be over but it doesn't end so we have been eating a fair amount of mahi. It works really well blackened. I'm not sure what about it makes that method turn out so well but it does. By contrast I tried cutting it into strips then breading and frying it. Fried fish right? Anggg! Try again. It is not good that way. The texture and flavor just don't work with frying. But hey, blackening is easier anyway. 

The thing to keep in mind about blackening is that it is not really black, in other words burnt. It is more like black-ish. The spice coating should be very browned. It looks at a glance as if it is burned but not quite. If truly burned the spices will turn bitter. The pan should have a little oil and hot enough to shimmer the oil well, but not quite smoke it. (If it's smoking just a little go ahead, but drop the heat just a skosh.) A cast iron or other heavy pan works best because it is more temperature stable from its large mass. 

Miscellaneous

Thoughts and observations.

Produce is cheaper in Savannah than it is in Asheville. Sometimes it is WAY cheaper. I am quite fond of artichokes, Alexis of asparagus. They are often half the price in Savannah as in Asheville. In Asheville a good price on a pineapple is 2.99, that is a deep discount. In Sav I can buy them at my neighborhood grocery anytime for 2.50.

 

On Tybee in the winter some restaurants will offer an AYCE oyster roast. You can get them raw or steamed. I would go raw but I cannot anymore (immunosuppressed), but she can. We went to one in January, had a great time. We ate a lot of mollusks. 

I got a super-sized one. I had her model it.

Then she got a redonkulous one. That is a normal one for comparison.

BLTAs are the bomb.

Anytime I find Brussels sprouts sold like this I get them. If I were king this is the only way you could sell fresh ones.

We like cranberry beans. We found something maybe even better. Their mother bean, the cargamanto. They look like a cranberry bean that is almost all red. The skins are thinner and the flesh is creamier. The color, alas, simmers away like the daughter's does.

It's What's For Dinner

Supper, Wednesday January 15, 2020: blackeyed 

pea falafel.

I'm quite fond of this recipe for a couple of reasons. I really like blackeyed peas. The same goes for any of the beans in that family, cow peas, field peas. . . Some of these were once considered fodder so found their way into the diet of poor southerners (historically, read some whites and most blacks). My father fit the bill so I learned to like cow peas. 

Blackeyes are easy to cook. They do not require soaking and they do not take a long time on the stove. Solves the problem of "I'd like some beans for dinner. . . well I guess tomorrow." Most other beans require a much longer time investment.

Broad beans, favas, are a pain in the butt. You have to peel them. The alternative, box mix falafel is WAY too salty. OK, that's three, or maybe four. Anyhoo, I like this falafel mix.

Poop. I don't know where the recipe is. It's mostly just falafel sub blackeyed peas, but when I started writing this I was gonna put up the recipe. I'll have to look and post later. 

BTW Brass does not like January.

 

It's That Time Of Year

 

Supper, Friday December 27, 2019: gnocchi and oysters (onion, broccoli, shiitake, portabella, parsley, parmesan, cream, gnocchi, salt, pepper); stuffed mushrooms (goat cheese, baby bellas, paprika).

Oysters are available all year now, but there is still something a little special about having them over the holidays. My father loved oyster stew. My mother, who would have died before eating an oyster would nonetheless make it for him. I'm not as big on the stew as he was, but I will eat them any way they come. I am especially fond of them raw. Alas, I am immunosuppressed. No more raw seafood for me. 

Boo.

  

I Don't Feel Petite

 Christmas dinner: petite filet, roasted roots,

broccoli casserole.

We're not big on Christmas. Not judgey just not our thing. However, I hate to miss the opportunity to make a special meal. Particularly when the most expensive part is free. 

We have a young man who rents the apartment in the upstairs of our house. We cut him a sweet deal in trade for help with maintenance. He helps cuts the grass, helps with projects, . . . He just graduated from college. That is where I met him from my former life. 

What's this got to do with anything? I think his parents are appreciative of our offer (and maybe the fact that he didn't have to move back as many Millenials have). They were very sweet and sent us a small kit from one of those frozen cryovac steak companies. They were PFG.

They Just Sploded!

Supper, Thursday October 24, 2019: pea soup (bacon, onion, carrot, celery, split peas, stock, salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne); mashed potato balls (leftover mash, cheddar, egg wash, breadcrumbs).

There is a little bit to look at here. First let me comment on the soup. Whether it is ham, bacon, smoked turkey. . . I like to brown the meat first, add oil if necessary. Then I set it aside to saute the mirepoix. When it is beginning to get tender I add some stock. I will use chicken stock I have canned or vegetable base and water depending on my mood. Simmer until the veggies are soft. 

At this point I have added a lot of flavor with the vegetables but split pea soup should be smooth sans bits of the seasoning meat. So I use a hand blender to puree the veggies. That is why I set the meat aside. Now add the peas and spices and simmer til the peas fall apart. 

What I want to say about the balls is that I made them too well. I am very good at breading things. These were so well breaded that the coating formed a hermetic seal around the potato and cheese filling. The coating cooked hard then the inside began to melt and finally boil. Those suckers started ejecting their contents like Kilauea. Seriously, they were spewing. I had to get them out as quickly as possible. I haven't attempted that again so I don't know what to do. Poke holes in them?

They were tasty though. 

She Likes Mushrooms That Much

 

Breakfast, Sunday October 13, 2019: Sausagey fungus eggs (breakfast sausage, flour, milk, shiitake, pepper, scramble, cheddar); grilled pineapple;

thick cut bacon; bananana.

I have always thought that the word "banana" sounded kinda silly. It is a sound that a toddler might make. I tried to look up the etymology, but I could not get a consistent answer. I must admit that I didn't work too hard at it. . . One source said is was from Spanish or Portuguese "mande." I'm not too sure about that. Another professed that it was from the Arabic word for finger "banan." Now that is believable 'ceptin I tried Google translate and It could not make heads nor tails of banan. 

It will just remain a mystery

Some trivia though: over 70 million people in Africa get more than 25% of their calories from bananas (the cooking type mostly). It is a major staple food in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. 

Why does the sausage gravy have shiitake in it you ask? I had soaked some shiitakes for something I did not end up making. I saw them and thought "hmm. . . more umami maybe?" (Say it with me now: "Alliteration.") Turned out it was a good idea. Then while we are eating she says, "I'd never really thought about it but we eat a lot of mushrooms. I guess I really like mushrooms."

I kinda knew that.

Caulifarter. . .ah. . .flour

 Supper, Wednesday October 06, 2019: fried cauliflower and some other stuff.

Or is it fartiflower? Either way. . .

Scatological humor aside, I do love this stuff. So does Alexis. I really like cauliflower in about any form: steamed then covered with shredded cheddar; sauteed as part of a stir fry; raw with dip or in a salad; in a spicy aloo-gobi. Most of all I love these little golden nuggets. Something special happens inside the breading while the florets are steaming in their own liquids. 

Just beware, when refrigerated as leftovers they take on a peculiar odor.

Fartiflower.   

Daisy, daisy. . .

Breakfast, Monday June 3, 2019: smoked sausage; German toast; fruit.

That's what the French call it. Seriously. 

If you don't get the title reference, watch 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is hard to believe that film was made in 1968!  

Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo Dat

Supper, Friday March 22, 2019: nibbles again? (sardine fillets; olives; artichoke heart; corned beef; hummus; goat cheese; grape tomato; blueberry).

I was thinking about how this evolved, why do we eat "nibbles" frequently? (You don't see all the meals, obviously, and nibbles often mundane, not worthy of comment.) I came up with two primary reasons.

It's easy. "What? Easy? Who has all that crap ready to go? Ain't nobody got time fo dat." Lemme 'splain. This is an exceptional example, but I really did have all this stuff just "layin' around." Some are staples in our pantry. Others were purchased for another meal and here are the leftovers repurposed. I keep tinned fish, olives, and interesting cheeses on hand. The corned beef was for reubens. I just make hummus periodically, we both like it a lot. We use it in some capacity for several meals. Blueberries and grape tomatoes were on sale. If blueberries are on sale I shoot first and ask questions later. I will figure out what to use them for. So yeah, I really did just throw this together. 

It's slow. It works well with our evening routine She gets home. I finish supper. She cleans up. We talk about the day. She decompresses about work. I nod and make the appropriate expression. We do the crossword. Oh, and we nibble.

Soul Food. . . Ish

Supper, Friday February 22, 2019: fried catfish; sweet potato; bok choy with lemon and feta.

If you told someone you were having soul food for dinner and they asked what specifically. The answer "Catfish, sweet potato, and greens" would be received with a nod of approval. (By anyone who knew soul food.) If you replied, "Fried catfish, sweet potato, bok choy with lemon and feta" you will likely get a different response. 

Call it soul fusion.

That's Gonna Take Some Heavy Duty Rolling Paper

Supper, Monday February 11, 2019: eggplant parmish kinda thing (fried eggplant, bolognaise, parmesean, smoked cornmeal polenta);

pickled artichoke.

Where Alexis is from, north central Ohio, there is a very kool bulk foods store that is almost also a tourist attraction. For me the beauty is that I can find items that are rare in regular groceries AND at very reasonable prices. A good example is rye flour. I can get it at our regular grocer but it is from a specialty mill and is kinda pricey. In Ohio I can get five pounds for the same price as a pound at home. When we visit family I like to stock up. 

On the last visit I came across roasted corn meal (not really smoked but it is smoky) . I thought "This might make good polenta." I was right. Pretty damned good.

You Got A Salmon Thing Happenin' There

Supper, December 9, 2018: bagel with cream cheese and lox.

I normally don't show meals that I did not prepare but this one had to be celebrated. 

The short version is that I have a friend who likes to use his air miles to visit states. He has been doing this for years. I started going with him the last few trips (usually one a year). One of the stops on this trip was Mystic Connecticut. I was excited because they have an aquarium that has beluga whales. I've never seen them in person.

One of the whales, Juno, paints. I'm not making it up, Google it. I was so enthralled I bought one. 

It's called "Ocean Sparrow." It hangs in my library. (Really just a nice den/reading room.) When I look up from this convertible It is right in front of me. It makes me happy.

Something else that makes me happy:

That's not sand. That's gravel. That sucker is about a foot long. Pure nightmare fuel. Don't look too long or it will haunt your dreams. Forever. 

It'll probably eat your feet too. 

Also in Mystic was a diner. They had lox. I hadn't had that in a while. I was glad that I was a hankerin' for some salmon 'cause they did not scrimp on the lox. Seriously, look at the picture. There are actually two slabs of salmon one atop the other that are thicker than the tomato slices. It had to be a third to a half a pound of fish. It was almost to much.

I managed to choke it down. 

I had to see it was a fluke (lol) so I got it again for breakfast. No fluke (lol).  I managed to choke it down.

Boredom

Breakfast, Friday October 26, 2018: deconstructed breakfast sandwiches (whole wheat biscuits, egg, cheese, sausage avocado cilantro);

pickle (okra, beet).

Nobody wants to be bored. In the first world*, and some of the third world, it would seem that there is no reason to be. There is access to the web through a cell phone. Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Ashley Madison ;) easily provide something to fill available time. It turns out though that there is a reason.

Creativity.

Yeah, it turns out that boredom is useful and may even be required to inspire creativity. Google it: boredom and creativity. 'Cause if you are reading this then you are probably bored. 

As a young man Sir Isaac Newton went on a self imposed exile from London fleeing the plague. While ensconced alone with few visitors in a small rural cottage he created or discovered no less than: the calculus; optics and the theory of light, the laws of motion, the law of gravity. . . 

Sir Isaac I am not, this will have to do.

*What exactly is the second world? Mississippi?

A Bowl Of Gooey Love

Breakfast, Friday October 19: breakfast bowl (refried roasted yukons and sweet potatoes, onion, cheddar, egg).

Potatoes are one of the few foods that can easily be repurposed (and actually taste good or even improve). Mashed potatoes find new life in potato pancakes. Roasted potatoes turn into home fries. Leftover bakers can become mashed and 'tater skins.

After he left the service my father managed a corporate restaurant for a few years before he became ill and subsequently disabled. The store had bakers on the menu as a side. Of course you can't just whip up a baked potato. (Yes I know about microwaves and yes they do a decent job but there is a noticeable difference in moisture, evenness, and texture, especially in the skin.) So at the end of the night there were at least a few 'taters left over. Since home fries weren't on the menu they went in the trash. My father intercepted some every couple of nights and brought them home. We ate a lot of potatoes.

Anyhoo, here I retasked some roasted yukons and sweet potatoes in a skillet with a little onion, salt, and pepper. Some of the sweets got really brown. they look burnt in the photo. They aren't. Top with cheese and a couple of runny eggs that you can break to let the yolk coat that browned starchy yumness. Super combo. A dollop of sour cream might improve it, but I didn't have any. We had to rough it.

'Dem Bones, 'Dem Bones. . .

Thursday October 17, 2018 St Louis cut ribs; roasted new potatoes; sauted eggplant 

with tomatoes.

Growing up, ribs were not a thing in our house. Most certainly not pork ribs. Mostly this was because they were not a part of either of my parents culture. Another factor might have been my mother's general aversion to animal protein that was too reminiscent of the source. (Anyone notice that protein should be spelled protien? Think about it, "Einstein," the "i" sound has the spelling "ei" the "i" is after the "e." "Relief," the "e" follows the "i." So "proteeen" should be "protien" right?) 

Come to think of it I don't think I ever saw my mother pick up a piece of chicken and eat it off the bone. We ate plenty of chicken. She ate steak well done. Fish was filets. Head on? Not in a million years. 

So I developed my love of ribs as an adult. Better late than never. 

(Protein is from the Greek proteios, first or primary. It is a reflection of the desire by nineteenth century chemists to find the "life force," that which is primary for life. The enzymatic properties inherent in many proteins appear directed. English is a mess.)