The Omnivore's Hundred

http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/uncategorised/the-omnivores-hundred/
Here's my take on it:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros – I live in California!
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue – It’s always appealed to me, since reading that Judy Blume book – my sis has a cool fondue pot, she’s quite obsessed.
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush – of course!
11. Calamari – used to be a favorite
12. Pho – I haven’t had it since I turned vegetarian, although have been meaning to go to Vinh Loi Tofu for some vegan pho
13. PB&J sandwich – a staple
14. Aloo gobi – my bf is Indian
15. Hot dog from a street cart – on one of my NYC trips
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle – I might’ve had this a couple times, most memorably at the Wynn’s 2005 New Year’s Party
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes – I’ve had honey wine or mead, does that count?
19. Steamed pork buns - Cha siu baau is always available at dim sum
20. Pistachio ice cream - Very yummy
21. Heirloom tomatoes – once at One Market, recently from a co-worker’s garden
22. Fresh wild berries – roadside blackberries anyone?
23. Foie gras – Aqua, SF
24. Rice and beans - everyday
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche – I forget where
28. Oysters – when I was younger
29. Baklava – a favorite fresh from westwood
30. Bagna cauda – doesn’t stinking rose have this?
31. Wasabi peas – was snacking on these on Sunday
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl – I’m from San Francisco!
33. Salted lassi – I’ve tried it once
34. Sauerkraut - Loooove it on hot dogs
35. Root beer float – sweet!
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - I inadvertinently served some to my aunt on my sister’s 21st bday
39. Gumbo – I forget where
40. Oxtail – my dad used to make oxtail soup for us, very yummy
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk - I've had goat milk ice cream, does that count?
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more – I’ve had a few samples
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel – unagi was my fave
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear – my aunt’s gardener gave her some
52. Umeboshi -eww
53. Abalone – at a fancy Chinese restaurant
54. Paneer – I love saag paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – Although I eat the “bigger maque” these days, the big mac was an old fave
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV – Beerfest at mammoth, fireman’s???
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips – I get these at whole foods
61. S’mores – standard camping treat
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian - my dad loves this fruit. I’ve had it in wafers
66. Frogs’ legs – tried during my first visit to Indonesia
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – (or sopapillas (NM) love those!
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain – I went through a Cuban phase
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho – cold tomato soup, what’s not to like
72. Caviar and blini – during a Las Vegas New Year’s party
73. Louche absinthe – I have some at home
74. Gjetost, or brunost – I think my sister used to buy this at Whole Foods
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie – I’m sure I’ve had this when I was younger
78. Snail – at a Prix Fix French dinner in SF with my parents
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini – Santa barbara
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict - at Mama's of course
83. Pocky – childhood fave
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef – temporarily became un-vegetarian to try this in Vegas
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers – put some on the leche flan I made for my roommate’s bday to decorate it
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam – used to looove this with garlic rice
92. Soft shell crab – one of my favorite sushis
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish – at chinese restaurants of course
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox – YUM! I think I ate this all throughout high school
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta – I made this from scratch a couple months ago; surely gives your arms a workout
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Missing from the list?

Bat, Snake fruit, Bird’s Nest, Miracle Fruit, Guinea Pig, I’ve also heard of a fruit that makes your sweat smell of violets...raw dessert, hemp milk or any nut milk, tempeh

Could it be...Vegan Chicharron???

Growing up, tsitsaron or chicharron was always a guilty, but ooh so tasty indulgence! Sometimes, my mom would bring home tsitsaron manok(chicken chicharron), but the best times would be the regular pork rinds seasoned Salt & Vinegar style -oooh!

So I was surprised to discover, that biting into the edges of my baked seitan yesterday, tasted exactly like chicharron. Well, at least, what I remembered it as...

Vegan Chicharron? Is it possible? Maybe! It sure did taste like it! So here's what happened:

Yesterday, I thought, I'm going out of town, I don't want to go to the grocery store; I need to whip up a quick, no grocery-trip meal:

Nasi Goreng and Chicken-Style Seitan

It had to be quick, I was watching Jeopardy, and I was really hungry. So for the Nasi Goreng, I sauteed some (de-frosted) frozen spinach and veggie burger (cut up, from Costco, I forgot the brand) in some olive oil, added a Nasi Goreng packet seasoning (I know, I know, cheating, but this had to be quick) and added brown rice. But I always top my instant Nasi Goreng with Kecap Manis and Bawan Goreng, the traditional way...

But the highlight surely was the seitan. I half-assed Vegan Yum Yum's recipe:

Chicken-Style Seitan
Makes four cutlets

1 1/2 Cup Vital Wheat Gluten
2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
3/4 Cup or more Cold Water
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
3 Tbs Soymilk ( I didn't have soymilk, so I added more water and more olive oil)
1 Tbs Olive Oil

Braising Broth
2 Cups Water
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube ( I didn't have these, but used Trader Joe's vegetable stock concentrate (2))

Mix the dry ingredients together. Combine the wet ingredients and stir well. Add wet to dry and knead until a dough is formed. Add more liquid if needed. The gluten will develop very quickly. Knead a few times on your counter, forming a ball. (I knead right in the bowl, and punch it a couple times- it's really tough! And then I just rip it into pieces, animal-style, ARGH!)

Simmer in "Braising Broth," covered for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

What I did after, was once it had simmered for 25-30 minutes, I put these suckers in my toaster oven at 425 F for 15 minutes. Maybe it was the extra oil and water in the mix, maybe it was the toaster oven, but hot diggety damn - these were good.

When I come back from Dominican Republic, I'll have to see if I can recreate that chicharron taste!

Note to self: Buy more baby artichokes next spring!

It's decided. Next spring, I'm buying those baby chokes three times a week! My local TJ's has stopped carrying the box of baby chokes, and instead, have the large, globe artichokes.

I've never cooked the regular duds, and I had a mad craving for the baby versions, so I decided to give it try. Plus, the stuffed artichoke recipes I've been seeing have been looking might de-lish.

The prep took an hour! An hour for TWO artichokes!

I ate them, and they were good, but the prep was way too long. They were...okay I guess.

My bf said he understands why people like artichokes so much now, he even likes these ones better.

My tastebuds (and heart) are with the baby versions.

For the stuffed artichokes, I tried VeganYumYum's recipe (I like her step-by-step pics!):

Stuffed Artichokes with Herbed Sundried Tomato Stuffing
For two artichokes

2 Artichokes, prepped as shown above

Stuffing
2 Cups Breadcrumbs
4-5 Tbs Fresh Chopped Herbs, I used Marjoram
1/3 Cup Chopped Sundried Tomatoes, oil packed
1/4 tsp Salt
Black Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil

Broth for Steaming
3 Cups Water
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube
3-4 Lemon Slices
1 Bay Leaf
Black Pepper

Herbed Sundried Tomato StuffingToss all the ingredients of the stuffing together, save the olive oil. Drizzle the olive oil into the stuffing mixture until just moistened.

Stuffed Artichokes
Fill the center cavity of each artichoke with stuffing. Use the remaining stuffing in between the leaves of each choke. Spread the stuffing out as evenly as you can, stuffing in as many leave crevices you can get into.

Stuffed Artichokes - Ready to Steam
Place broth ingredients in the bottom of dutch oven large enough to fit the ‘chokes. Set the ‘chokes inside, making sure the broth level only covers an inch or so of the bottom of the ‘chokes. Simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, or until the leaves are tender and can be removed with a gentle tug.

Lakers Lose Game 3, Apt Rubik's Cube Succeeds in Popular Recipe for Seitan Sausages

Every vegan food blog lately has been mentioning these things!

So, I finally decided to make them. And a good thing too - I had all the ingredients in the recipe (luckily they are all pantry staples). What a great recipe! They turned out pretty fantastic - not the 8 sausages expected. I kind of plunked a glob of the mixture into the foil and folded, until finally, I had 4 plump sausages, and 2 squimish mini dogs. It was wayyyy easy.

What made things difficult was, "Seitan Sausage Day" occurred on the same day as "Maintain the Sourdough Starter Day with No-Knead Bread."

Initially, I thought it was fantastic! I envisioned fresh, baked sourdough rolls around homemade seitan sausage, with a little habanero honey mustard. I was in the kitchen for 3 hours (mostly because of the bread)! In the end, the sourdough bread was baked as a large round loaf (where I thought I could just cut the "ends" off as hot dog buns.

In the end, the Lakers lost, but dinner was still served. I might of put too much mustard on you-know-who's dish. Sorry!

This is thePPK's twist on Julie Hasson's famous (and brilliant) recipe, from Everyday Dish - it's a lot simpler than the original version:

Spicy Pinto Sausages

Makes 4 big sausages

1/2 cup pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated (with a microplane, or very finely minced)
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Several dashes fresh black pepper

Before mixing your ingredients, get your steaming apparatus ready, bring water to a full boil. The rest of the recipe comes together very quickly.

Have ready 4 sheets of tin foil. In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans until no whole ones are left. Throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork. Divide dough into 4 even parts (an easy way to do this: split the dough in half and then into quarters). Place one part of dough into tin foil and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap dough in tin foil, like a tootsie roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it, it will snap into shape while it’s steaming because this recipe is awesome.

Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes.

(I found them to be a little flimsy, so I pan-fried them in a little olive oil to give them a crustier outer layer, which kept the inside still soft and juicy.)

"Better than Tofurkey"

With the leftover beans, I made a improvised "baked beans" side dish with a little BBQ. It was okay...next time I'll just double the recipe!

Baby artichokes, an ode. An obsession.

Prickly on the outside, tender in the inside.
Artichokes are like most people.

We all have to grow these hard exteriors to combat negativity, stress, prejudice, racism, stereotypes, etc., but deep down inside, we are all the same. Underneath the layers and layers of obstacles and experiences in life, we are soft and tender. We are sweet to those we love. We all have a heart.

What a great metaphor, but really. I LOVE ARTICHOKES, specifically baby artichokes. I think it started at Houston's 2 years ago. They had them as their special roasted and seasoned with butter and lemon. It was heaven. And I've got them at King's fish after that, which were not too stellar.

But before all this, I had never had a deep feeling for these prickly chokes, I only semi-liked the canned artichoke hearts that came in salads or pastas. They always seemed so intimidating, since my parents never really cooked them, they could've been an alien from mars, because I had no idea how to cook them. But when I saw a great post in early May about how baby artichokes were much easier to prep and eat (since they don't have the purple choke like their larger cousins) AND were in season - I decided to go out and buy a box from trader joe's.

Such love discovered for a mere $3. The love has grown, quite greatly into an obsession. My lust for roasted baby artichokes rivals my roommate's adoration for eggs. We just simply must have them. It is truly our Achilles heel.

I've been buying them nearly every week and preparing them the same way. Peeling off the hard outer leaves until I see yellow, trimming the stem and top. Dumping them into a lemon-infused bath, lightly seasoning them with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and then roasting them for 15 minutes at 425F.

I can eat the whole box. I really can, and I still want to. The in-season for baby artichokes was May, and now it's getting into June...I think I'll push them into my cart just a few more times while they have them at TJ's.

My favor towards them inclined me to search for the famous Artichoke festival in Castroville (where Marilyn Monroe was once queened) and to my dismay, I found I was too late. This year's festival was on May 17th. Looks like Castroville will have to wait until next year. (a sad sigh)

The Adventures of Sourdough Starter and the No Knead Bread

Week 6 Report: Pizza. Not as good as previous weeks, but it looked better than previous weeks.

I've been reading a lot lately about the No-Knead Bread, or No-Time Bread on food blogs everywhere. So when my co-worker mentioned she had had a dinner party and made bread with some sourdough starter, I pounced. She gave me some of her sourdough starter (which she also obtained from another co-worker (one who remains anonymous to me) on April 28th, and I've been trying to bake bread to make use and keep it alive every week. One thing that I think disadvantages the "greatness" of my attempts at the No Knead Bread is that I don't have a heavy, cast-iron covered pot. I've been using a casserole dish with foil on top (something that needs to be sprayed well, because as I found out on my first attempt during week 1, the coveted crust attached itself to the aluminum foil).

Let me recap my breadmaking trials and tribulations from the past couple weeks.

Week 1: I find instructions online on how to make the Jim Lahey's phenom No Knead Bread (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html) and also how to incorporate the sourdough starter. I try and come back with not-so-stellar results: semi-impressive texture, weird twang, and so-so crust.

Week 2: I try the bread again. Better taste. Still not impressive.

Week 3: I get lazy and just feed the starter (dump 1/2 -3/4 of it, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup water)

Week 4: I find "Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen" and get inspired to make pizza dough. The dough is really wet, and I just dump it half-assed on the pan with some spinach on top. Great sourdough taste, good texture. Yum!
See: http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/03/5-minute-no-knead-yeast-bread-and.html

Week 5: see week 3

Week 6: The only thing I did different was add more flour to the dough after it rose to make it more manageable. I have been trying to figure out how every no-kneader has worked with handling the dough after it rises. Mine have always been so wet and sticky, sticking to everything it touches! So I added more flour, worked it flat like a pizza and baked for 10 minutes @ 500 F.

The crust was a different color, beigey-white...

Well, tune in sometime, I'll definitely post my trials in the upcoming weeks.

Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

Kangkung is not watercress!

Kangkung (water spinach)

Kangkung, the green side dish in Indonesian and Filipino cuisine is my bf's new favorite dish. I keep hearing people calling it watercress, when it really isn't. Watercress is what Louis (from the Trumpet of the Swan) eats in his sandwiches - a popular ingredient in tea sandwiches. According to the Wikipedia entry, kangkung, or "Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic tropical plant grown as a leaf vegetable..." and "It is not to be mistaken with watercress, which often grows in similar situations."

Kangkung is water spinach, probably called that because it grows like weeds in water or moist soil.

The basic kangkung dish is simple:

oil
garlic
shallots
red chili peppers
kangkung
balacan
salt

Fry shallots and garlic, add chili and kangkung. Season.

Balacan, is unfortunately a common addition to everything in Indonesian AND Filipino dishes...it's shrimp paste!

"It adds flavor" they say...

My mom has said that about everything, chicken broth, shrimp paste, etc... I beg to differ.

Once my mom served me noodles (that looked all good), but once I tasted it, I knew something was fishy...or should I say chicken-y. She had cooked the noodles in chicken broth! And whenever I object, she'll say "it needs it for flavor."

So I say, make kangkung without the balacan, it tastes just as good.

Bar Pintxo pinched my wallet

I have always wanted to go to this place. Every Wednesday, I pass it going to Ye Olde King's head for trivia night. I also read that it is owned by the same people who own Joe's on Abbot Kinney. I don't know if that is correct, but Bar Pintxo recently opened and I wanted to check it out.

It's a Spanish tapas style restaurant. My roommate said it was served like how they served tapas in San Sebastian. Most of the tapas are served on a grilled slice of bread, sort of like bruschetta. They are displayed in front of the bar, and to my horror, not just "display," but the actual tapas food to be served.

I ordered the an asparagus tapas, which was a sliced white asparagus laying on top of a pinkish, nut mix, that looked like chopped up salmon, but was not, all on top of a piece of grilled, and soggy from sitting there, bread. Not a big fan, but it was different. The white asparagus was good, but there weren't too many options for vegetarians. (the radish, jicama, avocado in cilantro lime skewer or spinach salad didn't really appeal to me).

One of the specials on the chalkboard was "Coca Pintxo." It sounded like a drink, but it actually was a flatbread topped with cheese, onions, white asparagus, and then these pik-nik-like shoestring potatoes and cheese. It was okay. Kind of steep for $10.

I also had a glass of sangria. It was average, but especially refreshing for the day, since it was insanely hot in LA today.

When the check came, I felt a little grip on my wallet...but at the same time, I also felt good to get this Bar Pintxo out of my system. At leeast I know now, and won't have the inclination to return... except maybe if i wanted another glass of sangria on a hot day.

Santa Monica Farmer's Market Dinner

Every Sunday, there is a farmer's market at the Victorian garden on main street in Santa Monica. I have been reading a lot about how fiddlehead ferns are in season right now, and was interested in picking up some to try. I woke up early, and it was scorching hot today. I headed down to main st at around 9 am, and it had to be in the upper 80's already, so I knew it was going to be miserably hot today.

There were no fiddlehead ferns, but I did score some pea shoots and dandelion greens.

After enjoying, and lamenting over the heat, I decided today was a good day to make fried rice.

Dandelion Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

1/2 bunch dandelion greens, lower coarse stems removed, remaining chopped up in bite sizes
2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 shallot, sliced (optional)
a splash of olive oil'
salt/pepper
1-2 Tbs kecap manis (sweet Indonesia style soy sauce)
1 small red chillis, sliced (or 1 Tbs chilli sauce)
2 cups of cooked rice

In a large frying pan, heat oil in medium heat. Add sliced garlic. Saute for 30 seconds, then add dandelion greens. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add chilli, kecap manis, and rice. Stir until all rice is colored with sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.

For traditional serving, top with sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, a sprinkle of bawan goreng (fried onions), and a drip of kecap manis.

For the pea shoots, (which I've never tried), I looked them up to find out how to prepare them. You can eat them raw or cook them lightly. I opted for cooking them lightly for 1 minute with some garlic, olive oil, and a splash of mirin.

They were the highlight of dinner - they are really tender and refreshing.

Overall, i'm pretty happy that i got to try a different "green" from the Farmer's market. The pea shoots were different and interesting, with little white blossoms in a few stems, and tiny curled whiskers on the top. Fun stuff.

Dinner Ideas

At work, I often think about what I am going to make for dinner. I ponder at my desk, browse various food websites and blogs, and take inventory of what I currently have at stock.

It’s best for me to have a plan once I leave work; it’ll save me last minute rushes to the grocery store or missing ingredients well into cooking.

Yesterday, I bought a bag of salad mix, brie, mini baguettes, bruschetta mix, an olive rustic bread, and a can of black-eyed peas.

After looking through Elie Kreuger’s section of the Food Network, I was led to the vegetarian arena of the website. “Artichoke panzanella.” This was perfect! Panzanella is an Italian salad with bread. It’s always been a favorite dish idea and I had good bread, salad mix, bruschetta mix (tomatoes, basil,etc) and I could get cucumbers on my way to Longs later…

To complement, I could make Black-eyed peas and Quinoa croquettes. This is basically mashed beans, herbs, bread crumbs, and cooked quinoa, baked into little circle goodness. You could actually make these with any beans or grains (brown rice anyone?) and they still turn out to be the yummy little cakes they should be.

The original idea of these croquettes are from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
o black-eyed peas (I use canned)
o ½ c quinoa
o 1 T olive oil
o 1 T soy sauce
o Herbs (I use a shawarma mix that I got at a Persian grocery store)
o ½ c bread crumbs
o Salt/pepper
o 2 t olive oil

Rinse and cook Quinoa as directed.

Mash beans in a bowl. Stir in oil and soy sauce, then add quinoa, herbs. The mixture should be thick and slightly sticky.

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray/grease a cookie sheet with olive oil. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Roll the black-eyed pea mixture into balls and flatten slightly, then coat with bread crumbs and set on cookie sheet.

Bake 20 minutes, turn each croquette, and bake another 20 minutes.


= Panzanella and Black-eyed pea-quinoa croquettes sounds like a well-rounded meal to me!

Freedom Fries are ridiculous…but French Fries are delish!

Why are potatoes so damn good?!?!?!

I like them in every way: mashed potatoes, hash browns, tater tots, curly fries, steak fries…baked potatoes? Why not!

Why are they so good? Why can’t I resist them when they are on the table in front of me or on the menu?

Eh, who cares right? They're damn good!

I'm thinking of french fries right now because today is Wednesday, aka Quiz night at Ye Olde King's Head. And most likely, I won't order fries (trying to cut down on fried foods) but will eventually skim some off someone who does...

Probably my 2nd favorite potato dish would be mashed potatoes. I liked Trader Joe’s vegetarian Shephard’s Pie, but can’t seem to find it anymore!

I used to make it from the box, Barbara’s to be exact. But, suddenly, store after store stopped carrying them.

What’s happening to my instant delights?

Mashed potatoes and gravy (vegan herb) is my favorite. I toss in some brussel sprouts on the side, so I don’t feel guilty. But usually, I find myself eating the greens as quickly as possible, so I can hurry over to the main dish.

P.S. Why do the English call American French fries “chips” and American potato chips “crisps?”

This peculiarity has always boggled me!

Bi-bim-bap!

Bibimbap = Korean delishness!

It is sooo good. It is a rice dish, usually made with meat and assorted vegetables, with a fried egg on top. Served with kim chee, it’s spicy and healthy, but still clean feeling (you know what I mean!)

Fatfreevegan’s blog had a great post about it and I’ve made it a couple times now. I was really surprised to find out how easy it was to make. You basically stir-fry lightly vegetables (spinach, carrots, etc.) in sesame oil for a short time and sprinkle with sesame seeds. For cucumber, I sprinkle with rice wine vinegar for a quick pickle. The bok choy entails a little more, with garlic, ginger, and all, but overall, everything is quite simple to put together.

“Kochu Chang” (the basis of bibimbap)
4-5 tbsp. miso
1 1/2 tbsp. red paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. toasted and crushed sesame seeds

Mix grouped ingredients together well and then add latter group to former. This is the sauce for bibimbap.

Bok Choy
Baby bok choy or other greens, cut up in 1 inch bites
Small piece of ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
Some water

In a pan, soften ginger and garlic, the pan with a sprinkle of water over medium heat. Add bok choy. Add a little water and cover 4-5 minutes or until bright green.

To plate, scoop brown rice in a bowl. Add scoops of different vegetables. And finally, add the gochuchang paste and serve!

P.S. You can try to make bulgogi tofu, seitan or tempeh, that might be good with it also! To step it up even more, it is usually served in a hot clay pot which makes a beautiful, crunchy rice crust on the bottom...yum!

Corn Tortillas – An Obsession

After completing my list of groceries today, I quickly amended my notes to add “corn tortillas.” Lately, I’ve been obsessed. My roommate noticed how much I adored cooking quick quesadillas after work. My boyfriend noted how frequently I was snacking on quesadillas and how often our dinners were turning into “taco nights.”

My grocery list addition took me back to a flashback to my first encounter with the quesadilla. I remember being babysat by my aunty Beth, who lived next door (we are a large family, and often one aunt/uncle received little nephews and nieces in one sitting). I believe she used flour tortillas with mozzarella cheese. I was hungry. My cousins were hungry. And she went to the stovetop in the kitchen and came back with these brilliant flat snacks for all the hungry and eager kids.

That’s what I thought then, as a child. And that is what I think now. Brilliant. Whether it is at Taco Bell, El Pollo Loco, or the Pancho Villa down the street, I cannot resist cheese and tortillas. Maybe my love for all Mexican food or Mexican “inspired” food is because I am from California, (I hear the East Coast greatly lacks in Mexican food), and have grown up eating it and loving it.

I get cravings for some kind of Mexican food, mostly nachos or quesadillas, as often as I get cravings for pizza (and that’s pretty often). It’s probably the cheese. That’s the only connection I can fathom…

So, love it or hate it, taco night is here to stay. As well as the frequent quesadilla and nacho binges.

Note: Being vegetarian, taco nights are usually made with taco seasoned-seitan, fresh avocados, cilantro, salsa, and hot sauce.

Oh yeah, did I mention for my birthday last year, I threw a taco party? It had salmon, chicken, steak, and of course, Boca Burgers. YUM!

TIYA LINDA's LECHE FLAN

***NOT VEGAN of course***

10 egg yolks
2 cans of evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar

Preheat oven 375F. In a saucepan over medium heat, put sugar and stir until al.l melts into caramel. Pour into casserole dish (or any dish). Beat egg yolks, milk, vanilla in a bowl. Pour into dish on top of melted sugar. Put the casserole dish into a larger higher pan and pour hot water into the higher pan, for a hot bath. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Questions: Today, my 4th or 5th time making it, I bought fat free evaporated milk and used brown sugar instead of regular sugar. I wonder if brown sugar will make a difference. Since the dessert was for a gift, I used 2 small bowls to make "mini" one-serving flans to share with my roommates. I think the fatfree milk made a difference - it had a weird aftertaste, but surprisingly, my roommate declared I was getting better and better at making flan.

I wonder...it surely has to be different with the fat content in the evaporated milk.