I know, I keep going on about the damn strawberries!

I finished a whole heaping pint of them last Saturday, and wished that I'd bought a heap more. I woke up terribly disappointed the next morning that there weren't any left, and was reminded of this illustrated book of the poem Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti where one of the protagonists eats magical fruit and pines away for it thereafter. I don't plan to do anything so melodramatic, but gosh dangit, I really wish I had some more of those right about now. Here's the salad I had for dinner on Saturday night:

a handful of fresh spinach
some strawberries
half an avocado
some blue cheese- a medium rather than extra sharp kind
balsamic vinegar & olive oil
salt & pepper if you want

Tasty Noodles & a Side Dish

I fixed these noodles once about 8 years ago and then for whatever reason, I never did it again. They were definitely good enough that the recipe stuck with me, but somehow I never had all the correct things at the same time, or it never crossed my mind. I can't remember if I put chicken in it last time, but I had some I needed to use up. For this, a slightly under-ripe avocado is best because the firmness will stand up to a bit of frying better.

Noodles
Chicken- I used 5 tenders
1/3 red bell pepper, in small dice
4 green onions, both tops & bottoms chopped fine
1/2 avocado, diced
Olive oil, salt & pepper

I usually take some frozen chicken parts, salt and pepper them, and dash on some olive oil before leaving them in the fridge until I remember to eat them. It's a good generic prep for anything I can think of, and it makes the meat tender and flavorful without much thinking. So I had some of those.

Use some type of wide noodles- papardelle, linguini, etc. Farfale would be ok, but I don't like those.  Have those cooking (about 3 servings worth, 2 if you have big appetites) in salted water while you do the other things.

Brown the chicken bits in a medium-high skillet. Heat some oil in the pan, then put in the chicken in a single layer. Let it brown without moving it, then flip once and let it sit for a couple seconds. If you use tenders the way I do, they'll already be done when you flip 'em, cooking the other side is just for looks. Take out the chicken and set it aside, and if the pan is pretty dry, add some more oil, about a tablespoon. Then brown the peppers and onions. Remember to add a sprinkle of salt to encourage them to brown. Add the avocados toward the end so they get cooked, but don't have time to turn into mush. When it's looking pretty good, but before the stuff stuck to the pan goes black, tear up the chicken and put it back in along with any juices that have accumulated, and throw the cooked noodles on top. Add a good shake of pepper and another pinch of salt if it needs it, turn off the heat and stir it around until the brown stuff has come off the pan.

You know what I forgot? Pine nuts. There should have been pine nuts in it. Dang. Oh well. If you use those, put them in the pan at the end of the part where you brown the peppers and onions.

I had beets & basil with it. No secrets there, just beets, fresh basil,  and a pinch of the white parts from those green onions I was using. Dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. But I do want to add that cooking beets in the microwave is super convenient and I don't know why I never did it before. Just stab some holes in them so they don't blow up, and put them in a covered container with a half inch of water. 4 smallish beets took 3 rounds of 3 minutes at full power. Brilliant!

Girl Food

Tofu is girl food. If you're not a girl, go 'way, I'm not talkin to you.

Ladies, you all know that I am an omnivore, that I love many foods made of other animals. But it's not exclusive, nor is it a prerequisite for my enjoyment. And I'm not talking about the stuff you decorate the edges of your meal with. For me, tofu is sometimes an object in itself.

Here's the thing though: I think have yet to meet a man who didn't feel that to be fed tofu as a main dish was somehow unmanly, and not altogether fair. Even oriental men. Meat is for men, not, as dad said, "that cheating stuff" (Imagine expressive sneer). And yes, even the vegan men I have talked to. Not one of them ever gave me the impression that giving up meat in favor of actual tofu was something they contemplated- no, they would go to great trouble in order to acquire the most suitably manly, highly processed, meat-esque, soy-derivative pseudo-food. Men will subsist upon plain Ramen with earth balance margarine and Jif and Smuckers sandwiches before they will voluntarily make one of these wraps for themselves. Oh, they will eat one if you make it for them. They might even grudgingly admit that they like it. But then they'll say "...but it would be so much better with cheese, or chicken, or Tofurkey smokey mystery nubbins instead ..." Lordy, yes, then there's the sprouts. The only manly things about this recipe are 1- you eat with your hands, and 2- sriracha. Dudes like the sriracha.

These are chewy, crunchy, salty, spicy, earthy, and full of umami goodness.

Marinated Tofu Wraps

1 block firm tofu, cut into 1/2" slices and drained as much as possible
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 T balsamic vinegar, use a rather sweet kind
2 T soy sauce
if you use light soy instead of dark, add a generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Lay the tofu in a single layer in a baking pan. Whisk the other ingredients together well, pour over the tofu and refrigerate overnight. The next day, flip the pieces over to get them evenly covered with the sauce and bake them at 325 until the marinade has condensed and is quite thick but not burnt. I recommend letting it cool before eating it, the texture is better. I wrapped mine in homemade tortillas with a generous amount of mixed sprouts, whole grain mustard, avocado and sriracha. You can steam the tortillas for a few minutes to make them softer, if you like.

Avocado Tomato Scramble with Pepper Jack

People come in 2 sorts. Not male and female, not type a and type b, not even smart people and stupid people. Not Replublicrats and Demoplicans. All of these things diminish next to the true, essential divide.

There are Breakfast People and there is everybody else.

I don't mean people who do eat breakfast and people who do not- there are individuals who, in their heart of hearts, are indeed breakfast people but through misfortune or personal disorganization do not get to enjoy it very often. And then there are those strange beings who are aware of the need for fueling their bodies before the rigors of the day, and thus virtuously but indifferently consume food first thing in the morning.

True Breakfast People know that breakfast is the essential meal. We allow extra time in the mornings, not to shower or do our hair and makeup, but to have breakfast. Indeed, grooming habits will be discarded long before breakfast will be skipped. Breakfast is an end unto itself, a thing that nourishes the body and enlightens the soul, it is not merely a tool in the quest to prevent the spiritual and corporeal selves from parting company.

Breakfast people understand the fundamental connection between good meals and personal wellbeing. The substance of each breakfast is highly variable, but the purpose is unchanging: Breakfast is the first hopeful act of the day. Getting out of bed is frequently thankless enough, and getting dressed, especially for those of us who must wear an imbecillic corporate logo emblazoned on our person, is a trial to the spirit. How anyone can then face a commute to work in adverse weather without a short period of self-determination and composed enjoyment surpasses my understanding.

Beyond simple, gustatory pleasure, (which should never be discounted) food is many things. It is social glue, it is love, and commerce, it is personal liberty and creative expression. But beyond all those high minded niceties, we Breakfast People eat in the morning simply because a proper breakfast changes our state of being. In its most basic application, breakfast transforms me from a nihilistic grump into a more rational, serene, version of myself. More complex breakfast experiences will cause me to regain my enthusiasm and curiosity about the world in general, and this can only be a good thing. I'm sure the functional eaters out there would pooh-pooh and say "it's just yer glucose level shooting up, ya big sap!" and I'm sure they're right. But if a difference in my blood glucose level can so alter my sense of self and my ability to interact with my species, then I say that the meal that facilitates that change is worthy of the highest respect.

I have no recipe to share today, the picture and the title are it. And thank you very much to the nice man at the Kettleman Bagels downtown for the sack of free day-old bagels. You have saved me the trouble of making bread for a whole week.

Causa!

Yes, it is mashed potatoes. Awesome mashed potatoes. You know why? Because the people who invented potatoes make 'em like this, that's why. I've had the causa at Andina twice now, and it was one of those dishes that the first bite made me feel giddy with excitement. I may even have bounced in my chair a little bit. I'm not saying my recipe is that fantabulous. They make a fancy crab salad and top it with ahi tuna ceviche. And a crunchy fried shrimp. Mine ain't so costive, but it does cure the jones.

about a pound of yellow potatoes
1/2 cup small cooked shrimp
a generous tablespoon of finely diced celery
the same amount of diced bell pepper, I had yellow, but red would look better
1 teaspoon minced cilantro
1 teaspoon finely minced onion
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of turmeric for color
1 tablespoon mayo
olive oil- use the good stuff, something you could just eat with bread
dash of cayenne pepper
salt
some olives
avocadoes for serving

Boil the potatoes in salted water until they're tender, then drain them and slip off the skins while they're still warm. Mash them slightly, then mix in the juice of 1/4 of a lime, about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the turmeric and a pinch of salt. They should come out to a creamy texture a little softer than play-doh. Cover and refrigerate while you make up the rest of the stuff.

You could just leave the shrimp whole, but I sliced mine up a bit. Mix all the remaining ingredients except avocadoes and olives to make the shrimp salad. Put the shrimp mix in the bottom of a small (about 2 cup) dish, arrange some olives over it, and layer on the potato mix. Press down firmly, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Try not to mangle it if you want to unmold it and serve it all fancy-lookin. The avocadoes are traditional, aparently. Most of the recipes I looked up called for them either in or with the causa. Also, I think the potatoes themselves are supposed to be a little spicy. Next time.

I used to work with a guy from Peru. It seems I should have asked him about peruvian food when I had a chance.

Vacation Is Too Short

I am reconciled to the tomatillos.

Avocado Tomatillo Soup

2 avocados
1/2 lb tomatillos, husked & rinsed
1 jalapeno
small bunch of scallions
1 t grated fresh ginger
1 t minced fresh parsley & mint
1 celery rib
1/2 large bell pepper. I used green.
2 cups stock
about 1/2 cup greek yogurt
some salt
some oil

Dice up the peppers, (both kinds), celery, tomatillos and scallions, including most of the green parts. Reserve a couple bits of scallion and bell pepper for garnish later, if you like.

Put the diced ingredients in a heavy pan with the oil, ginger, herbs, and a dash of salt, and fry at a moderately high heat until you get some browning in the pan. They'll cook down quite a lot.

Add the stock and boil, covered, until the tomatillos have dissolved. Takes about 20 minutes. Check for salt; if it's real bland add some more, but the stock concentrate I used was pretty salty, so I didn't need any.

Cool it somewhat, then puree the soup with the avocado and greek yogurt. I leave the bumps in everything, but if you wanted a finer texture, you could puree the soup and strain it before adding the avocado and yogurt.

Some things to know: I got this out of a vegetarian cookbook, which called for vegetable stock, and 4 cups of it too. I wanted a more substantial texture and intense flavor, so I cut down the liquid. It also said to chill the soup, but it's pretty tasty warm (I was hungry).

I garnished the soup with another dab of yogurt and some crushed chili paste. And I added a few chunks of avocado in at the end, I need my food to have texture.

I love having time to goof around.

Avocado Gelato

The original recipe said this was 'avocado coconut ice cream' but I think my name for it is much more euphonious. Here is the recipe:

1 13 oz can coconut milk
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 avocados
2 T lemon juice

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and whip the heck outta the lot. Freeze it. (Duh). The recipe assumes that you have a ice cream maker, I don't. I just put it in a metal bowl in the freezer and stirred it about once every 20 minutes until it got hard. That's the other reason I feel ok about calling it gelato, even though I'm a little disaffected when it comes to schmantzy names for stuff. I mean, gelato is characterized by a lack of air being mixed into it, unlike american-style ice cream which in cheaper brands can contain as much as 50% air, known in the ice cream world as 'over run'. Premium ice cream is all milkfat and sugar; el cheapo stuff is an unnatural froth of gums, air bubbles and packaging materials with spritz of butter flavoring.

I actually managed to follow the recipe, too, except that I didn't quite add in the whole can of condensed milk. That stuff is powerfully sweet, and I wasn't feeling it. On the whole, it turned out well, but my thoughts are that

1. It does not taste quite avocado-ey enough for me
2. the coconut flavor gets a bit lost.

I think that the next time I make this, I'll use regular coconut milk, not light, and add another avocado. Also possibly a dash of salt, I can't remember if the original recipe specified it.

My unplanned photo shoot got me some nice pictures, I thought. Somehow, I really like this one of my teensy teacup.