Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Maybe she does deserve to be in jail

What is Martha thinking?

How much would you hate to get a toothbrush in your trick-or-treat bag? I don't care that it says Happy Halloween. It's a toothbrush. Maybe, just maybe, a cool toothbrush would be okay. Like this one, which comes with a Lego man inside it.

Which brings me to the subject of halloween candy. I have already bought my first bag of Candy Corn. There is only one acceptable brand: Brachs. And the Brach's company has been kind enough to make these delightful desktop pictures, so I had to have one of those.

Other than that, I have resisted the halloween candy temptation. It's simply too soon. I'm still thinking about late summer produce. I'm only barely ready to go apple picking. I just can't think about halloween candy, despite the premature displays at all the local stores. No halloween candy yet!

Candy corn being the exception.

Monday, September 20, 2004

Free Tofutti Cutie Coupon

I've never tried these, but I love a good coupon.

Found the link on Fuck Corporate Groceries. Thanks.

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Who are these people?

Mrs. Ginsberg, Lillian Holloway, "A.P."

I don't know who most of these women are, but I can tell you they all have one thing in common: They are good cooks. I know this because I have, and frequently make, their recipes.

The recipes have been handed down through my mother, who would painstakingly roll an index card into her typewriter to type them out for me. Although my mother is not fond of cooking, she is not a bad cook. She cooks well from recipes, many of which came from her mother.

I believe Lillian Holloway was a friend of my grandmother's. That would make her a southerner, which seems somehow reasonable for a name I associate with my favorite cookie recipe. It's an elegant name for a delectable cookie. In fact, I am "known" for Lillian Holloway's Mergingue Kisses. When asked to share the recipe, I have been known to put my own name at the top of the card. Mrs. Holloway, I hope you can forgive me for shamelessly claiming your kisses as my own.

Mrs. Ginsberg, on the other hand, is a complete mystery to me, but her Noodle Pudding (Kugel) is, to me, the definitive recipe. Kugel is one of those highly debated foods, like bread pudding. Raisins or no raisins? Sweet or savory? Cinnamon or none? I am a purist, thanks to Mrs. Ginsberg, and very much of the no raisins, no cinammon school. Mrs. Ginsberg's noodle pudding is an outrageously rich, cheesy custard with only the delicate sweetness imparted by its dairy ingredients of cream cheese and cottage cheese. The perfect texture of chewy softness with a crispy crust would be marred by the unwelcome addition of raisins.

MRS. GINSBERG'S NOODLE PUDDING

8 oz. pkg. medium egg noodles
4 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cottage cheese
4 Tbsp. butter, melted (1/2 stick), divided
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse. In bowl of mixer, blend cream cheese until soft. Add cottage cheese and mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients except 2 tsp. of butter and blend until smooth. Arrange noodles in a shallow baking pan (lasagna pan or 2 smaller pans). Pour in cheese mixture; drizzle remaining butter over top.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Can be served warm, or frozen and reheated. In the latter from, cut in small squares, it makes a good appetizer.

Friday, September 17, 2004

What's for dinner at Medieval Times

In case you were wondering, while you are watching jousting, falconing and horses, this is what you are served, by a very sweet waiter who calls you m'lady. Utensils are provided only for the vegetarian meal and the cake.

  • Vegetable soup with barley in a pewter-ish mug

  • Really good garlic bread, square-shaped

  • A half-chicken, roasted (it was perfectly done) with some spices

  • A half a potato with the skin, roasted and slightly cheesy (this was not as exciting as it sounds)

  • The Pastry of the Castle, which was basically the Danish of the Castle, and was pretty good

  • If it's your birthday: a small piece of white cake with white frosting, very Duncan Hines

  • If you're a vegetarian: a ton of steamed veggies covered with Ye Olde Saran Wrap, and a very cheesy piece of veggie lasagna.

  • Beer and soda, or a virgin daiquiri (strawberry, we had) with whipped cream (!) on top. $15 but you get to keep the glass and it has blinking lights in the bottom!

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

More about Lizano Salsa

Apparently, this stuff is the staple of all Costa Rican cooking. Since the label is in Spanish, I didn't know what was in it... until now:

Water, sugar, salt, vegetables, (onions, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers), spices, acetic acid, pepper, starch, hydrolyzed corn protein, tumeric, sodium benzoate, sodium bisulfite and sulfur dioxide

Who knew.

The flavor is quite mild for what we gringos think of as "salsa." It's more like Worcestire sauce. It has a slightly sweet flavor with just a slight zesty kick.

I looked at the prices online, and most places charge a hefty premium for importing this Costa Rican equivalent of ketchup. (It is apparently that ubiquitous there.) But if you want to buy a half-gallon, it's only $6.95 at this site!

Friday, September 10, 2004

Costa Rican Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto)

My friend Nora, who spent two years in Costa Rica while in the peace corps, introduced me to this breakfast dish. She swears it's only good with leftover black beans, and that it won't work if you make the beans fresh. The name translates to "Spotted Rooster." I have no idea why.

I have since refined the recipe with the help of actual Costa Ricans. Hazel and Selenia make the most delicious black beans I've ever eaten. Imagine my surprise at learning it's all about pre-packaged spices.

Gallo Pinto
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 package Adobo seasoning mix with cilantro
1 Tbsp. Lizano Sauce (or to taste)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooked rice

Heat olive oil in saucepan and saute onions until golden. Add beans, Adobo, and Lizano Sauce. Stir and heat through until hot and bubbly. (According to Nora, you must now refrigerate overnight.)

Heat nonstick frying pan and add eggs. Scramble eggs until almost done but still slightly wet. Add beans and rice, stir and scramble until heated through and eggs are desired doneness. (They will mix with the bean sauce and be sort of brown so it is hard to tell.)

Now here's the thing -- does the authentic dish actually have scrambled eggs in it? While it is a traditional breakfast dish, the addition of eggs may be an Americanization. Most online recipes for the dish do not include eggs. Here's one that does suggest serving over scrambled eggs.

Here is the recipe on the Costa Rican tourism web site.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Food for a sickie

Since yesterday, I've been queasy and had no appetite. Way to start a food blog.

The strange concoction I made that was the first thing I ate in 24 hours was this: Spaghetti with fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few red pepper flakes. I have no idea why that would be something I would crave on top of a nauseated stomach, but there it was. Who am I to question what my body thinks it wants? Perhaps mozzarella has healing properties. It certainly wouldn't surprise me if it did. And make no mistake, this was superior mozzarella, from the Bronx. Where, you know, they make stuff like that.

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Where have you been all my life?

I had no idea. Really. There are hundreds of food blogs out there. Hundreds. People who are so excited and passionate about food and cooking that they want to write about it every day. Not in a recipe review, "hey this is good" kind of way, but in an intense, expansive kind of way. They take pictures of the food they make, and even the restaurant meals they order. They try new recipes. They create recipes. They challenge each other, review each other, encourage each other.

This is a community I want to be a part of. I feel like I've just stumbled across Atlantis. A hidden city of foodies.

So in humble admiration, I hereby begin my own food blog, Playing With Food.

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Playing with food

This is the start of a new blog, which will be focused on food and cooking.