Some Like it Hot

I have been craving Indian food, but the pocketbook wasn’t allowing me another out to dinner night. So, what would a person to do, but to talk her friend into going shopping at the Indian grocery store. It was so very fun and one of the best memories I have with Jo of Truly Thankful fame.

I mean if you ever get a chance to go shopping with both Jo and I you better really like long excursions or run for your life. Ask Kirk of MMMYOSO fame, he knows what I am saying here, considering we took him to three or was it four grocery stores in the morning, and by the time we were finished it was dark. Anyway it was a repeat of that except that we only went to two grocery stores.

I wanted to look for spices to make my Indian recipes, when we hit a snag. A lot of the bags were only named in one of the Indian languages, and I am sorry I could not understand any of them. So we ended up asking endless questions to the cashier and I think he was the stock boy but for all I know could have been the owner, and a really nice customer here and there. It was fun and everyone was very sweet for such clueless people as Jo and I.

There was this package that no one could tell us what it was in english except that you can make a curry out of these. Look I even have a model to show off the mysterious products!

Unfortunately I had problems jiggling the camera and Jo kept moving, and well er I cut half of her off. Sorry Jo!

Well I finally found what I had come here for Kalonji, aka onion seeds, nigella seeds.

The only problem is that I have 7 oz of the stuff and well I don’t need that much. I guess I could just plant them around town and see how they do, since they are quite pretty. If anyone out there has some ideas of using all of these seeds let me know.

Anyways by this time Jo and I were starving, and so we decided to pick up some snacks. We picked up some samosas and some fried ring thing, and this oval shaped thing. Ok no pictures mainly because the brain wasn’t firing, the stomach was, and therefore food before everything else. The samosas were good and slightly spicy. The round donut thing was pretty good too, but a little dry. The oval shaped one was really good, and spicy, but it just made me more thirsty. So, we were sitting in a dark car debating whether we should go back into the store to get water, or move onto the next store to get Jo her pot sticker skins. We decided to go to one of the Korean grocery stores nearby for the pot sticker skins.

Now, we were here for one thing, but somehow we ended up near the pastry kiosk/mini bakery thingy. I forgot my camera but anyways the bakery makes this flat yeast bread with a sugar cinnamon sesame filling and it is griddled. It is a winter treat in Korea. A street food dear to my heart it is hot ddokk, hot thokk or however you want to romanize it, any ways it is one of my favourite street foods. So I get one for Jo and I to eat, and we go hunting for some drinks Pineapple Calpico, and her pot sticker skins.

So again Jo and I are in a dark car eating the hot deukk and I forgot how runny thises little bready delicacies are sometimes. Lets just say that the filling did not stay inside the bun. It was in our hair, on our shirts, on the dashboard of my car, on the upholstery of my car. Also, dumb me forgot to add more napkins for my car and I could not find the wet wipes usually in the back seat. LOL Well it was quite delicious and when I got home DH looked at me, “What in the world did you get yourself into?” I had walked in with sticky hair and a big dribble stain down the front of my shirt and on my pants. Yeah I was cleaning that car out for days afterwards.

But it was a fun memory of Jo. Oh yeah I never did make my indian food goodies I was too full.

This is a post before our friendsThe Traveling Rutherfords headed to North Carolina. This was during the time that Jo was furiously packing and trying to entertain the kids, and trying not to get frustrated with all the things that moving and packing inflict on the psyche. It was a Sunday night and I knew Jo was having a devil of a time cooking dinner, and I had just raided the farmers market.

Did you hear me the farmers market. It was crazy, at the Mountain View Farmers market. People milling about trying things elbowing you out of the way to have a nibble of this or that, or buying the cabbage you had an eye on only to beat the people away from it with your purse. Well O.K. I exaggerate, but it was crazy, and that day the sun was bright and a little bit warm. It is the only explanation I have for the colors that assaulted the eyes during dinner.

You see it started innocently enough. I would pick up some beets because I loved canned beets therefore real beets should be awesome. Then my brain kicked in, “Oh I would love some purple potatoes. I can make them on Monday.” and I grabbed the purple potatoes. Then I saw fennel, and decided well I have never cooked those before why not? So there was fennel in my farmer’s market bag. So I take all of my booty, and decided to give Jo a break and go shopping for some grubbage.

Well in the search for said food, where did we end up at, but at Dittmers. Jo wanted to pick up some stuff before she made her trek to North Carolina. She bought a whole side of bacon with rind. A large Dittmer’s smoked ham, and several smoked sausages. Not to mention she gifted me with corned beef when she realized Dh loved the stuff. Which I have never cooked before, but I was willing to try.

So as we are yakking I invite Jo and her family over for dinner. Which never really happens usually because DH hates to go out or have people over especially since he has to get up early for work, but we wanted them over because time with them was growing short.

So now you know that our plates were going to be technicolor. LOL

The beets I roasted in the oven and peeled and sliced. I marinated them in orange juice, butter, and black pepper. Quite delicious, and Oh I will be making them again soon.

The two types of beets used were chioggia and Ox Blood.

Next the potatoes were par boiled with the corned beef then fried in olive oil. The potatoes were very delicious, and very purple.

I boiled the corned beef, with the potatoes and onions. The onion picked up the salt and meatiness of the corned beef and added sweetness. Dh wanted gravy and he made it from some of the water from the corned beef. The gravy was a bit salty, but I under salted the potatoes and the gravy and potatoes were quite tasty.

The fennel I sliced and roasted the fennel on a cookie sheet with olive oil, and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It would have been better, if I could have kept them warm. Our guests came a little later than planned, and I had thought to make this last , but I did think that far in advance. It is filed away for next time.

The dinner was awesome. The company was wonderful. All of us went to bed late, but refreshed that we had friends that cared to visit with, and break bread.

Oh I forgot to add that we watched Nausicca, by Studio Ghibli for the second or third time. My best memory of that night is Tommy asking if they could come back and watch the Naughty Girl. LOL

P.S.

Called the Jo and Mike and they made it yesterday or so into North Carolina. They are doing fine, but fighting the time change, and trying to get their bearings. They are trying to get on the net in about a week, but she doens’t quite know when she will be back up to posting.

Well I have been getting small broken phone calls from the Traveling Rutherfords and So I thought I would right a short synopsis here starting with day one.

1. Day

DH picked up the phone, “Crackle” “Hi guys we’re in ‘crackel’ Coalinga. ‘Crackle’ Harris ranch…’Shhh crackel sputter’ Best french fries..’crackle’ I can’t hear you we’ll be going now…’Hiss crackle’ bye.” Click First day they made it to Coalinga safely.

2. Day

Dh picks up the phone again. Several times until they can get a reasonable signal. “Santa Ana winds we’re traveling against winds, and it sucks.” “Click” Dead phone… They call back later. “We’re in Flagstaff Arizona. Getting food and shelter, and Jo wants to head back to California. Bye!”

3. Day

Ring…
“We’re rolling into Albuquerque New Mexico, and we’re getting some grub, the kids are doing well. Love you Bye”

4. Day

I haven’t heard from them.

5. Day

May Have to call the the Intrepid Traveling Rutherfords, that is if they can get a signal on their cell phone.

To be Continued…

I know I promised some posts on before their packing and stuff but school and allergies have prevented me from posting. I will get to it I promise! I Hope.

Jo, of Truly Thankful fame, and family has left for their new home in North Carolina around 12.45pm Janurary 21, 2006. Now, Jo had estimated she would be leaving sooner than this, but as most people who have moved cross country know, timing goes wrong especially when dealing with what to keep, throw away or can it fit into the van? Let me just say DH and I will be mailing a lot of things to Jo and family because we had to be the “little nippy dogs” nipping at their pant leg reminding them to get gone, but being split in heart not wanting them to leave, but believing it was for the best.

I know I have been neglecting this blog, but I have been busy with school, but above all trying to make it a little smoother for the Rutherfords transition into a cross country family. I just hope and pray that the good Lord shines and smiles on them as they make their trek from California to North Carolina safely. I have some posts of things we have done in the time preparing for their leave, and will post them up soon as I can…For now I and many of you who care for them pray and wish them goood luck.

Thanks for being my friend Jo, and Mike and Tommy and Robbie, and Pepper! Good luck, God bless, and I am Truly Thankful to be in your lives.

I love mapo tofu. I love everything about it, to the silky tofu, and the spicy sauce. It has an edge, but it is so sensual. It slips and slides smoothly down the mouth and throat. The smooth velvety sauce accentuates the slickness of the tofu, and leaves a slight tingle and heat starting at your lips and if it is really hot then it leaves a lingering heat at the back of the throat. The hot sauce caresses the mild and creamy tofu in a loving embrace to give the eater the instantaneous gratification of heat, which is pulled back and restrained, by the creamy tofu on the tongue. Yes, good mapo tofu can have me writing like a 5th rate romance novelist.

But you are wondering, there is something missing in this picture. Well you are right. I am a pork lover, but for some reason I do not like pork in my mapo tofu. I know what you are thinking, “Is it really mapo tofu?” Well, you know what? Who the H E Double Hockey sticks cares! Well O.K. I sometimes do care, but when you’re hungry and want food NOW, it doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good and gets rid of that terrible headache from a lack of food. Really who wants to have a ball peen hammer pounding away at the base of your scull? Besides you are reading the queen of I can’t seem to follow recipes correctly (For one reason or another…That I will leave for another post, well maybe.).

So, Dh and I had a really busy day, he at work and I well house cleaning and various other things I forget. Dinner rolls around and I realize both of us are suffering from hunger headaches, and growling stomach syndrome. In other words it sounded like two cats fighting in a burlap sack. I needed to cook something fast.

Um Tofu, extra firm, and baby bok choy hmmm chili bean sauce, and my brain clicks in, “Hey I will make mapo tofu.”. Now I have never made this, or even seen a recipe for this delicious dish. So if you want authentic you better high tail it out of here mister/miss. So the tofu will not be so silky, and contains no pork, but I am adding bok choy. Well any ways it came out really good. Oh yeah it was pretty darn spicy and quite delicious. I will make this again but maybe with much softer tofu, and more bok choy. Oh yeah there are only a few things I can give as a direct measurement, so either you experiment or you find a real recipe, and measure away. If you find a really good recipe send it my way so I can try (or butcher it too).

Quick and Dirty Mapo Tofu (or Tofu cooked really quickly because Milgwimper and DH were starving and needed to fake Mapo Tofu!)

2-3 generous Tbsp of chili bean paste

1 block of tofu* cut into 1 inch cubes or 2.2 cm^3 (1 block approximately 12 oz)

2-3 small Baby bok choy or how many you deem necessary separate the leaves and cut into bite size pieces

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp of cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup of water

olive oil or any oil that won’t flavour the food too much.

Heat the pan and place about a tablespoon or more oil in the pan. Heat oil and stir fry the garlic and then place bok choy stir fry till green but slightly wilted. Add in the chili bean sauce, and stir fry, and then add in the tofu and gently mix. Place 1/4 water with a tsp of cornstarch and dissolve. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan slowly and eyeball the amount needed. (I used about 2-3 tablespoons maybe a little more, but I did not need all of the 1/4 cup) and gently stir. When sauce starts to thicken and tofu is heated through plate concoction. Eat with hot steaming rice, and enjoy the meal. If the mapo tofu is not spicy enough then add some chili oil before plating.

*(I used extra firm because I was lazy and I was not going to drive to a store! NYAH)

Um, well this is like um, the end folks…Nothing more to read until I get off the lazy couch and move those diabolically evil rent-a-fingers that are determine to ruin all the college education I received. Actually I am a bit busy, but I promise I haven’t forgotten to post.

Happy New Years Everyone!! I hope you all have had a wonderful time with friends and family. I am praying all of you will have a wonderful upcomming year and that life will treat you a little better this year. My new Years was wonderful.

My family made home made mandu for mandu ddok (potsticker and rice cake) soup. It was a lot of work but well worth it in the eating. We also had chap che (Korean mung bean noodles with veggies), and of course kimchi for dinner. It was quite delicious!

The only problem we had was being invited to two other houses, and not being able to make it to them. *sigh* If only we could be in multiple places at once. Anyways DH and I retired early on New Years Day and rested up from all the Holiday eating.

God Bless you all!

Happy New Years!