2009-04-13
to make with stuff in the fridge
- black bean eggplant; bok choy with oyster sauce
- asparagus omelet/fritatta
2009-04-02
La Ferme des Coteaux
We went by the always-strange Égide yesterday to get paid, and then walked back down Bl Villette / Ménilmontant, through the Couronnes Wednesday market. Again like all farmer’s markets the world over, it’s hit or miss. This time, though, we found a true gem: a farm 30km south of Paris, who come to two markets. Their card: “Nous vous proposons des légumes de plain champs et de nombreuses variétés de légumes oubliés ou traditionnels suivant les saisons.” And indeed they are true to their word.
I first spotted the variegated lettuce and baby beet greens. Then I saw the young garlic. It has formed a head but the top was still soft enough to slice like a leek and add to my ma po tofu. Finally, I saw their black greenhouse tomatoes. Black crimean/krim are among my favorites for their perfect balance of sweet and tangy, and when perfectly ripe, an exquisite balance of firmness and juiciness. When past ripe, they still make a nice sauce, instead of turning mealy.
While I was fully occupied by the veggies, Sara and Heather whisked on through the market; Sara was excited to find fresh hummus sold by the 100g, and Heather was ogling some cheese. Then I showed Sara a perfectly ripe black greenhouse tomato. So we went back to get some. The farmer laughed at me a little, asked where we were from, said that the vegetables in the USA weren’t very good. I said the vegetables in the rest of the market weren’t very good compared to theirs, and that you only had to know how to find the good stuff. And then we were on our way.
We stopped in an Asian store and I had to rearrange my purchases in my bag. It was then that I tasted the baby beet greens (pousses de betterave, beet shoots).
It was the fullest expression of a beet plant. The earthy redness, the green vegetalness, the sweet sugars that would eventually collect in the root — the beet shoots were as good as Vicki’s arugula, which still ranks as the best I have ever had. These had clearly been picked within a day. Sara and Heather had to have some. So we went back.
When I told the farmer we’d all just been astonished by the beet shoots were, she nodded knowingly, and insisted that we try some arugula and Sara took a mixed bag (some 2.50€ I think, same price as Vicki).
We asked where else they sell, and they are only at two markets (the other in the 12e or 14e, this is definitely the easiest). I’ll be going back every Wednesday.
La Ferme des Coteaux
Fabrice Guilchet
10, route de Chasse – 91700 Villiers-sur-Orge
01 69 46 39 74 / 06 82 97 89 43
2009-03-23
the list of flavors
I couldn’t find a list anywhere of the Pierre Hermé macaron flavors from the other day, and they do change a lot. Here it is though, complete with dumb trademarked names. I added a few acronym tags for mouse-over English words.
- Chocolat & Foie Gras
- biscuit macaron, ganache au chocolat, gelée de foie gras
- Café
- biscuit macaron café, crème au café
- Chocolat
- biscuit macaron chocolat, ganache au chocolat amer
- Éden
- biscuit macaron, crème à la pêche et au safran, morceaux d’abricots moelleux
- Azur
- biscuit macaron chocolat, ganache au chocolat et au yuzu
- Pistache
- biscuit macaron pistache, crème à la pistache
- Menthe Fraîche
- biscuit macaron menthe, crème à la menthe fraîche
- Plaisirs Sucrés®
- biscuit macaron, ganache au chocolat au lait, praliné feuilleté
- Inca
- biscuit macaron, compote d’avocats à la banane, ganache au chocolat
- Mogador
- biscuit macaron, ganache au fruit de la passion et chocolat au lait
- Rose
- biscuit macaron rose, crème aux pétales de rose
- Citron
- biscuit macaron citron, crème au citron
- Mosaïc
- biscuit macaron vanille, crème à la pistache et à la canelle, griottines
- Huile d’Olive & Vanille
- biscuit macaron, crème à l’huile d’olive et gousse de vanille
- Mutine
- biscuit macaron noix de coco, ganache au chocolat au lait et noix de coco
- Chocolat au Lait & Thé Earl Grey
- biscuit macaron au thé, ganache au chocolat au lait et thé Earl Grey
- Truffe Blanche & Vanille
- biscuit macaron, éclats de noisettes du Piémont grillées, crème à la truffe blanche
- Infiniment Vanille
- biscuit macaron vanille, crème à la vanille
- Arabesque
- biscuit macaron, crème à l’abricot et abricots moelleux, praliné croustillant à la pistache
- Églantine & Marron
- biscuit macaron, crème d’églantine,
- Marron & Thé Vert Matcha
- biscuit macaron marron, crème aux marrons glacés, crème onctueuse au thé vert matcha
- Caramel à la Fleur de Sel
- biscuit macaron caramel et grains de fleur de sel, crème au caramel au beurre salé
- Americano Pamplemousse
- biscuit macaron, crème au Campari et pamplemousse, morceaux de pamplemousse confit
- Plénitude
- biscuit macaron chocolat, ganache au chocolat-caramel et éclats de chocolat à la fleur de sel
- Jasmin
- biscuit macaron, crème à la fleur de jasmin et thé au jasmin
- Églangine, Figue, & Foie Gras
- biscuit macaron, crème d’églantine et figure, gelée de foie gras
- Délicieux
- biscuit macaron, crème au wasabi, pamplemousse confit
- Porcelana
- biscuit macaron chocolat, ganache au chocolat pure origine Venezuela Porcelana
- Ocumare
- biscuit macaron chocolat, ganache au chocolat pure origine Venezuela Ocumare
- Cassis
- biscuit macaron, ganache au cassis et graines de cassis
- Carrément Chocolat®
- biscuit macaron, ganache au chocolat ultra amer et éclats de fèves de cacao, gelée de chocolat amer
- Isaphan®
- biscuit macaron, crème au letchi à la rose, compote de framboises
- Mandarine & Baies Roses
- biscuit macaron, crème mousseline à la mandarine et aux baies roses
- Satine®
- biscuit macaron, crème mousseline au cream-cheese, compote d’oranges et fruits de la passion
- Céleste®
- biscuit macaron, crème mousseline au fruit de la passion, compote de rhubarbe et fraises
2009-03-22
to make
- bacon and chanterelle risotto
- green lentil and toulouse sausage
- cabbage with pigeon peas, raita
2009-03-19
2009-03-15
with which to make…
- bengali potato/sweetpotato, with peas
- salad with lettuce, egg, tomato apple
- salad with arugula, orange, fennel
- omelet or tart with smoked sausage
market haul:
I forgot to get the radicchio for risotto… so, next week.
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet- lettuce
- cabbage
- lots of apples
- cucumber
- mango
- orange
- green onions
- fennel bulb
- arugula
- cherry tomatoes
- sweet potato
- cilantro
- lots of yogurt
- eggs
2009-03-11
2009-03-03
to make
- whole wheat pasta with romanesco and cilantro
- aloo palak
- carrot leek soup (probably veg, unless I venture to a butcher)
- lots of salad (escarole & batavia, carrots, blue cheese, pear, lemon)
2009-03-01
2009-02-27
my local markets, train-food
Then there are the few producers. The scale of Belleville/Père Lachaise (they abut one another) is approximately the same as Soulard in St Louis, but all stretched out in the middle of the boulevard. There is one place with yellow turnips; only one with interesting colors of carrots; one or two with unwashed mâche; one grower of multitudinous varieties of apples (I got a selection the other day, one was really not good, one was excellent so far)… but the ratio of actual producers to distributors appears to be approximately identical to Soulard.
There are a few bakeries, creameries, butchers – I haven’t begun to investigate many of these, but none looks great. I bought a camembert au calvados from one of the smaller, more focused fromagers; he also had free-range eggs (in contrast to the palettes of mass-produced ones elsewhere). From my more or less regular bakery (still on the fence about them, really) I got a small bread for the train to Amsterdam tomorrow – so apple, camembert, and boule de campagne.
There are several biologique markets, which I expect will be more like Green City. The St-Quentin covered market has some nice looking butchers. My charcuterie allegience is already in the direction of the place by Voltaire, at least for pork products.
Tomatoes
As if one needed another reason to avoid store-bought tomatoes out of season. From Gourmet:
Immokalee is the tomato capital of the United States. Between December and May, as much as 90 percent of the fresh domestic tomatoes we eat come from south Florida, and Immokalee is home to one of the area’s largest communities of farmworkers. According to Douglas Molloy, the chief assistant U.S. attorney based in Fort Myers, Immokalee has another claim to fame: It is “ground zero for modern slavery.”
2009-02-25
sad but true
And so we’re in a space where the people talking about food are the people who are least suited to getting others to talk about food. Being a professional culinary elitist doesn’t make you wrong. But it might make you ineffective. On the other hand, if Waters wasn’t writing these op-eds, who would be?
2009-02-24
things to make
When not eating bread, cheese, and charcuterie (more for lunch). I went to the two big indian grocers today, spent less than 20€, and am prepared to make several indian dishes.
- yogurt rice
- panch phoron stuff
- spicy red lentils
- sindhi toor dal
- bindi (okra) bhaji (also see below)
From Madhur Jaffrey's _World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook_: : : 1.5 lbs okra : : 6 T veg. oil (you really can use much less....very definitely!) : : 2 onions : : 6 cloves garlic : : 1/2 tsp turmeric : : 1 1/2 tsp salt (can use less of this, too) : : 1/4-1/8 tsp cayenne pepper : : freshly ground black pepper : : Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add : the okra and saute another 5 minutes (the okra should be a : bright green after this). Add the spices and mix to coat the : okra with them. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover, and simmer for : 15-20 minutes or until the okra is tender. Uncover and cook down : until any water is gone.
2009-02-14
2009-01-23
thinking about objects
A chi square distribution with ν degrees of freedom is a gamma distribution with shape ν/2 and scale 2. So in a mathematical sense, a chi square distribution “is a” gamma distribution. But should a class representing a chi square distribution inherit from a class representing a gamma distribution? The surprising answer is “no.” A rule called the “Lyskov Substitution Principle” (LSP) says this is a bad idea.
2009-01-22
A tray of ugly cinnamon rolls
We had a bunch of cream cheese icing left over from having made Obama-logo cookies for inauguration day. I quickly designated it for cinnamon rolls and asked Jon, an excellent baker, what his favorite recipe for such a dough would be. He said he uses Reinhart’s 50% hydrated brioche dough and gave me approximate volumes since I lack a suitable scale. The dough was a very wet mess. But, it is stuffed with deliciousness, and when covered with icing, you would never know how ugly it is underneath. And, if Ugly Dolls can achieve such popularity, why not ugly cinnamon rolls?
2009-01-19
two food lists
Stuff I want to make soon, or before I leave
- cinnamon rolls (to use up the cream cheese frosting from the Obama cookies)
- lamb biryani
- chicken paella
- crack pepper beef
- nasi goreng (curry fried rice)
- broiled fish with sweet potato purée
- long island cheese squash: soup & ravioli
- kolhapuri eggplant [660, p.493], also finishes the masala from Aai
Things in the Pantry or Freezer (notes for Scott)
- cubed fresh pumpkin: risotto, soup, masaman, orzo
- chinese dumplings from thanksgiving
- baba ganoush
- lamb-apple bratwurst
- ground pork (add to many Chinese things)
- pork loin (Bittman twice-cooked; amazing Mexican tamal/taco filling from Kennedy)
- hungarian cabbage soup
- yogurt-tart chickpeas with mustard greens [660, sorshe chana]
2008-12-10
2008-12-07
another box!
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- eggs
- [rivervalley] mushrooms
- onions
- parsnips
- arugula
- mustard
- giant brussels sprouties
- more fucking turnips
- apples
- carrots
- potatoes
thanksgiving box and menu
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- pumpkin
another pumpkinlong island cheese squash- 3 kohlrabis
- apples
- onion
- turnips
- beets
- beet greens
- potatoes
- brussels sprouts
- brussels sprouts (half olive oil; half mustard oil)
- beggars chicken (photos)
- carrot rotis
- plate o’ cheese
- chinese dumplings (pork and vegetable filling)
- [brian and benjeman] pumpkin ravioli
- [brian and benjeman] borscht
- [brian and benjeman] cornbread stuffing
- [jon and jonathan] ancient bread
- [jon and jonathan] pumpkin marshmallows
- [ina and kevin] cumin lamb chops
- [ina and kevin] red bean soup with mochis
- [ikbel] toasts with assorted toppings
- [ikbel] samsa
- pumpkin flan
- beet ice cream
2008-11-25
2008-11-20
parameter expansion yay!
I was aware that the subject covariates in my hierarchical 1-dimensional ideal point model induced greater dependence in the chain. The reason is obvious – the full conditional update of the subject parameters θ now incorporates two pieces of information from the previous iteration (both η and β). This means much slower mixing chains.
Parameter expansion (px-da) actually improves mixing over the standard data augmentation scheme. Liu and Wu (1999) prove that convergence is always faster, but it still seems like magic. The method is nearly identical to the Marginal Data Augmentation of Meng & van Dyk that Simon Jackman just added to ideal, except that I sample the expansion parameter α on the residual variance of the latent data from an inverse-Gamma distribution whose prior parameters you can change. MDA fixes the prior value of the expansion parameter at 1 (equivalent to IG(a,b) as a→0).
I'm not sure when ADM and KQ plan the next MCMCpack release, but the default in MCMCirtHier1d is px=TRUE. The figure below shows the improvement in autocorrelation: for two chains of 10k iterations thinned every 20 samples, after a burnin of 50k iterations, the autocorrelation (which drops of really, really slowly for some subjects) drops below that even of the naïve model without PX (not shown). The black line is with PX, the red line without.
2008-11-08
what to do with all this food…
- [660] black chick peas, kala chana masala
- [660] saag of collard, radish, beet greens
- stir fried bok choi and celery with ‘brown sauce’
- beet soup in acorn squashes
- perhaps an apple pie?
- saag paneer
- [660] rajma with turnips
- turnip and sweet potato gratin
- salad with cold noodles, ginger-sesame sauce
fall box 2
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- pumpkin
- baby white beets (mostly for their delicious greens)
- heirloom celery
- radishes
- red bok choi
- more fucking collard greens
- apples
- red lettuce
- onion
- (three sisters) green garlic
- (smits) mint
- thyme
- eggies
- apples
- sweet potatoes
last week (fall csa 1)
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- carrots
- collard greens
- cabbage
- apples
- mesclun
- brussels sprouts
- eggs
- daikons
- parsley root
- turnips
- onion
- acorn squash
2008-10-26
2008-10-25
so we went to the indian grocery store…
- caramel-apple ice cream with toasted oat bits
- kerala-style avocado relish, which I shall call indian guacamole [660]
- braised lamb with turnip greens [660]
- one of two dishes that involve cabbage and plantain, or more brussery (Scott’s vote is for the latter) [660]
- bell peppers with onions, potatoes, and mustard seeds [660]
- collard greens in moong palak [660]
- methi roti for the freezer
2008-10-20
lots to do
we used half the pumpkin for pumpkin flan, we devoured the delicious beans, and the beef went in the delicious chichilo negro mentioned below. That leaves a lot of vegetable though. Here are some ideas.
- [660] coconut-smothered pigeon peas with pumpkin, arrachay uttu sambhar
- broiled eggplant with polenta
- eggplant confit, or maybe a lasagne? Hm.
- [660] nutty-tart bell peppers with peanuts, mirchi nu shaak (two peppers still get chopped up for the freezer)
- macaroni and cheese with salami; braised collard greens
- we have lots of beets. ice cream? ravioli? risotto?
- roasted beet and bekana salad
- cabbage, apple, and caraway soup
csa week 20
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- pumpkin (not in box)
- onion
- [three sisters] black beans
- garlic
- onions
- 2 eggplants
- concord grapes
- red cabbage
- turnips
- collard greens
- green peppers
- bekana
- carrots
- 2 acorn squashes
- beef
2008-10-18
diana kennedy on avocado leaves
The dried leaves are quickly toasted over a bare flame — they send off a wonderful fragrance. If you don’t have any available, you can always prevail upon friends who do in other parts of the country to send them, as they will keep for several months dried.
2008-10-17
patatas a la riojana
my very favorite potato chorizo soup, recipe given before (in 2005) probably made once every month or two… now has a picture.
chichilo negro
While paging independently at different times through Kennedy’s Art, Alex, Nick, and Sebastian – at least in my memory – all noted with interest this recipe for Oaxacan Black Beef Stew.
Chichilo negro is a dramatic stew of meat an vegetables in a fragrant and complex black sauce, redolent of black chiles and toasted avocado leaves. It is one of the more important of the Seven Moles of Oaxaca and prepared in the villages of the Central Valley on festive occasions instead of the much heavier black Oaxacan mole. In the past it was always made with the black, bulbous, thin-skinned chilhuacle negro, which in recent years have become scarcer and very expensive, so chiles guajillos, charred black, are now often used.
This is Mexican food at its most exotic!
Chichilo is best served in shallow bowls—meat, vegetables, and plenty of sauce, with the final touch (as if that were necessary) of rajas con limon (page 359). Some black beans cooked de olla (page 179) and corn tortillas accompany this dish, whichis not, surprisingly, very picante.
The Meat
- 1½ pounds beef ribs or brisket, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 small head of garlic, scored around the middle
- 1 medium white onion, roughly sliced
- sea salt to taste
- 1 pound boneless stewing pork, cut into 2-inch pieces
The Vegetables
- 1 large chayote (about ¾ pound), peeled and cut into strips with core and seed
- 6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into halves
- 1 chile pasilla de Mexico
- 18 chiles chilhuacles negros or guajillos
- 3 medium (about ½ lb) tomatoes
- 3 large (about ¼ lb) tomate verde/tomatillo, approximately
- 12 small garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 medium white onion, quartered
- the seeds from the chiles
- 2 dried corn tortillas
- 1 scant tablespoon dried oregano, Oaxacan if possible
- 2 whole cloves
- 3 whole allspice
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- pinch of cumin seed
- 3 tablespoons lard
- ½ pound prepared corn tortilla masa (page 8)
- 8 fresh or dried avocado leaves
- sea salt to taste
Aside: the Chayote (Sechium edule)
I’ve never cooked one of these before, so I'm excited for it. I bought a big spiky one, you know, just to make life more interesting.
The chayote, sometimes called a vegetable pear, is indegenous to Mexico and has been cultivated by the Indians for centuries; they gave it a Nahuatl name, chayutli.
Several varieties are grown in Mexico: small cream-colored ones, dark and light green ones with porcupinelike prickles, and then the light green, smoother variety, puckered at both ends, that is found in most Latin American markets in the US.
Only when the last variety is very tender and freshly picked can the skin be eaten; otherwise it should be discarded. But the seed, or flat almond, inside is a delicacy.
The chayote is a perennial climbing plant that grows profusely over the tall trees in my orchard, but it can be trained over a wire frame or cama when grown commercially. The tuberous root is edible and delicious, but it should be left to experts to dig it up without disturbing the reproductive part of the root system on which the following year's growth depends. The root, called camote de chayote, chinchayote, or chintestle, depending on the region, is boiled and eaten by itself or made into fritters and has a pleasant, earthy taste rather like that of the Jerusalem artichoke (Kennedy, p.147).
2008-10-13
yum,details
- monday: brussery, methi lobhia, radishes+greens, besan roti, ice cream
- tuesday: potato-chorizo soup, bread
- wednesday: halibut with nick and sebastian in stl
- thursday: rajma, delicious kohlrabi
2008-10-12
yum
- [660] sweet potato and plaintain in fresh and roasted coconut sauce, brussery
- [660] radishes and greens with ginger and garlic
- delicious kohlrabi
- patatas a la riojana made with volpi chorizo; no-knead bread (the real thing, not Bittman’s latest ‘fast’ version)
- [chez n&s] roasted halibut with grapefruit fennel salsa
- coconut saffron ice cream
- roasted tofu and broccoli, maybe a squash, with brown rice and prepared mole rojo
2008-10-09
a box of fall
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- kohlrabi
- parlsey root (not a parsnip!)
- concord grapes
- apples
- red onion
- beets
- sweet potatoes
- red peppers
- green peppers
2008-10-08
indian jewish pastries
this is so for Scott: golden pastry half-moons filled with coconut, pistachio nuts and raisins, and scented with cardamom and nutmeg.
omelet pan
I was recently frustrated by excessive stickiness and uneven heating of a cheap (part of some dumb set) omelet pan, and managed to score a replacement, a calphalon commercial nonstick one at tj maxx for $30. I haven’t made any eggs on it yet, but my same predicament was had by the excellent food scientist Harold McGee, except he had the funds to experiment.
2008-10-07
Linux-Based E-Voting In Brazil
from /. … what I don’t get is why even the netherlands goes to the crazy step of banning electronic voting instead of requiring an open-source device. It seems like “cheap” for Brazil required a free OS, a nice market-based approach for a giant developing country.
2008-10-06
a wine to remember
The Vesevo 2004 Aglianico Beneventano is a dark ruby purple and offers a complex nose of black cherry, spice and cassis aromas. On the palate it exhibits rich extracted black fruit flavors, with smoke, leather, and mushrooms notes. Aged in barrique for six months, the big and seductive beauty has all the assets of a superb wine with great balance and ripe gripping tannins. A terrific wine at a great price.
I had the 2005 on a recommandation at the Wine Merchant in St Louis (we walked around the store looking at the $10–15 range and he hit all my usual favorites like Luzón and Juan Gil from Spain and NQN from Argentina). Perhaps more leather than mushroom but definitely my kind of earthiness and still a lot of concentrated fruit. I had it with beet ravioli, which played nicely off the earthy qualities. The first sip is a big burst of Italian-ness. I’ll be finishing it tomorrow at lunch with my favorite tuscan beans and tomatoes.
2008-10-05
- beet ravioli
- some dal with kala chana, and south indian cabbage poriyal
- red pepper risotto
- beans&tomatoes for lunch
two bits on trains
amtrak authorization; metaphor for candidates. According to Wikipedia, “During the Shinkansen's 44-year, nearly 7 billion passenger history, there have been no passenger fatalities due to derailments or collisions (including earthquakes and typhoons).”
2008-10-04
fall
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- two enormous red bell peppers (risotto!)
- parsnips (not in box, but I am really craving this)
- spaghetti squash (Scott: “The texture is more like rice noodles or bean thread noodles than spaghetti…”)
- celery root
- cabbage
- sweet potatoes (not in box)
- [Nichols] garlic
- pears
- tomatoes (not in box)
- onions
- $1 of river valley mushrooms
- radishes
What, no RR?
I am surprised Republican politicians here don’t just rename themselves “Ronald Reagan.” In Brazil, no fewer than six have changed their names to Barack Obama.
2008-09-29
2008-09-28
csa week 17
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- beets with greens
- delicata (“sweet potato”) squash
- butternut squashes
- another eggplant
- red peppers
- apples
- carrots
- cranberry beans
- pasta tossed with roasted squash and volpi salame
- baba ganoush for the freezer (?)
- beet greens instead of spinach with some indian potato thing from 660
- pad kee mao carrot and red pepper and tofu
2008-09-25
2008-09-24
2008-09-13
tom kha
tom kha
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet- 1 shallot
- 3 scallions, green tops and white stalks chopped separately
- lots of ginger
- 2–3 cloves garlic
- a stalk or two of lemongrass
- 4 ears of corn
- 2 roma tomatoes
- handful of mushrooms
- 3 small potatoes
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- about 5 cups of chicken stock
- coconut milk (I used a small can, but a large one would be fine)
rainy day, but market anyway
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- cabbage
- lots of green onions
- spinach
- green beans
- carrots ($3 from vicki / not in the box)
- assorted heirloom tomatoes
- garlics (5/$2 from nichols)
- red pepper
- baby lettuce
- apples
- corn
- more mouhamara (we didn’t get enough when we made it for our party!)
- thai corn chowder for the freezer
- green beans to blanch and freeze
- apple turnovers / tarts?
- something indian with chicken
- salad with carrots
- omelet this morning of bacon, mushrooms, spinach, oregano, and parsley
- tomato preserves?
2008-09-08
party food & drink recap
- thai corn chowder (lemongrass, ginger, coconut milk)
- watermelon gazpacho
- mouhamara
- 3 salsas: the smoky Oaxacan one I always make, a tomato one with a grilled jalapeño, and the not-spicy green one
- pita, lavash, tortilla chips
- chocolate N2O mousse
- crêpes rolled up with nutella, apricot preserves, or delicious mora-café jelly from Colombia
- bacon old fashioned
- subcontinental (9 large cucumbers → 1.75L of juice)
- kalamansi mint cooler (vodka, limoncello, mint, fresh lime juice, kalamansi soda)
- pomegranate martini
- unnamed sungold + jalapeño tequila drink (a huge improvement on the sungold zinger)
- dark and stormy – cachaça, ginger-lemongrass syrup, ginger ale, dark rum, mint
to make: an italian week, it seems
- sicilian bucatini with cauliflower, raisins, and pine nuts
- cianfotta (chez n&s)
- ragù alla bolognese
two boxes, one picture :(
Somehow I managed to delete the picture of this week’s box. But, I do have last week’s. I have given up on timeliness. Next week, more chicken!
 |
| From CSA 2k8 |
- cauliflower
- yellow beans
- bell peppers
- lots of cucumbers
- red onion
- assorted tomatoes
- cabbage sprouts
- peaches
- Watermelon ( a small Sugar Doll)
- Sweet corn
- Eggplant
- Spaghetti squash
- Peaches
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
- Beets
- Cucumber
2008-08-26
Arieff is Awesome
Allison Arieff writes,
If you live in a subdivision, condominium or co-op, it’s more than likely you’re part of a homeowners association (HOA). Used to be HOA focused on rather straightforward issues, like maintenance and repairs or landscaping of common areas. But they’ve expanded significantly since the mid-’60s and not necessarily for the good. … Some 54 percent [of homeowners surveyed] said they’d rather live with a “sloppy neighbor” than deal with an HOA.Count me among the majority. I once suggested in a social setting to Ryan, then just an aspirant to the esteemed title of condo association president that he now holds, that I and most people probably thought this way. I cited some of the absurd restrictions of Scott’s parents’ so-called community. Ryan seemed to view the association as a purely benign entity – countering that most if not all restrictions were “necessary” for “property values.” The problem is that people like him dominate the boards and people like me can’t tolerate the meetings they chair without wanting to blurt out (without Recognition from the Chair, of course), “you've got to be fucking kidding.”
VeryGoodTaste Omnivore’s Hundred
Seems like fun. Via Josh. The linked page has wikipedia links to many of the items.
- Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
- Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.- Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
- Venison
- Nettle tea
- Huevos rancheros
- Steak tartare
- Crocodile
- Black pudding
- Cheese fondue
- Carp
- Borscht
- Baba ghanoush
- Calamari
- Pho
- PB&J sandwich
- Aloo gobi
- Hot dog from a street cart
- Epoisses (cheese)
- Black truffle
- Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
- Steamed pork buns
- Pistachio ice cream
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Fresh wild berries
- Foie gras
- Rice and beans
- Brawn, or head cheese
- Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
- Dulce de leche
- Oysters
- Baklava
- Bagna cauda
- Wasabi peas
- Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
- Salted lassi
- Sauerkraut
- Root beer float
- Cognac
with a fat cigar - Clotted cream tea
- Vodka jelly/Jell-O
- Gumbo
- Oxtail
- Curried goat
- Whole insects
- Phaal (next time in nyc?)
- Goat’s milk
- Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
- Fugu
- Chicken tikka masala
- Eel
- Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
- Sea urchin
- Prickly pear
- Umeboshi
- Abalone
- Paneer
-
McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - Spaetzle
- Dirty gin martini
- Beer above 8% ABV
- Poutine
- Carob chips
- S’mores
- Sweetbreads
- Kaolin (probably in toothpaste)
- Currywurst
- Durian (only the frozen kind in the US)
- Frogs’ legs
- Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
- Haggis
- Fried plantain
- Chitterlings, or andouillette
- Gazpacho
- Caviar and blini
- Louche absinthe
- Gjetost, or brunost
- Roadkill
- Baijiu
- Hostess Fruit Pie
- Snail
- Lapsang souchong
- Bellini
- Tom yum
- Eggs Benedict
- Pocky
- Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
- Kobe beef
- Hare
- Goulash
- Flowers
- Horse
- Criollo chocolate
- Spam
- Soft shell crab
- Rose harissa
- Catfish
- Mole poblano
- Bagel and lox
- Lobster Thermidor
- Polenta
- Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
- Snake
2008-08-25
avant de partir
Objective: to use up 100% of last week's box and start in on this week’s on Wednesday before going to Boston Thurs–Sun.
- challah
- collards and bacon
- salad
- cantaloupe basil sorbet
- jalapeño → tequila
- eat the rest of the peaches (bake / mini cobbler?)
2008-08-24
2008-08-21
Veneration: August Lunch
In general, I am bad a ranking things, especially in the upper tail of their distributions. This is an exception. It is the essence of summer, made with strictly fresh ingredients at the peak of their seasons, and deeply, deeply satisfying. I submit that there could not possibly be any better midday meal than this tuscan-style bean and tomato stew served with red wine and good crusty bread.
There are a few rules to assert from the outset. First, this dish is to be served with red wine and crusty bread. No spoons, no soggy bread, no white wine, nor any other beverage. Second, I love bean and tomato stew even when it is made in the winter with dried or canned beans and canned tomatoes; however, that is simply bean and tomato stew. This is August stew and will allow no substitutions of these ingredients: fresh beans, fresh heirloom tomatoes, fresh garlic, and fresh herbs. By heirloom tomatoes I mean you either grew them yourself, or you talked to the farmer who did. Choose a variety like these Black Cherokees or even more acidic Green Zebras. Yellow tomatoes are generally low in acid, and I think a bad choice for this dish. Some of the marbley looking yellow-red ones are beautiful on the plate or in a salad, and should be saved for those uses. The herbs can be anything you have or grow or find. I've focused on basil today, but rosemary and thyme and sage and parsley are all good. I especially like sage in the winter version of the dish. Late August is also when the first juicy heads of mature garlic are coming to market. Common rubbery grocery-store stuff is not appropriate for this dish. Good crusty bread comes from an artisan bakery or your oven, ferments and rises for many hours, and contains no fat, only yeast, flour, water, and salt.
For two lunch servings, I used about half to three-quarters of a pound of beans, a pound of tomato (two large ones), four cloves of fresh garlic, chopped as large or as small as you like, and a quarter cup of olive oil. The quantities are flexible; if you like garlic, by all means add more.
Shell the beans, and by the time you’re done, 
the tomatoes will have broken down.
Eat. I like to start with the crustiest part of the bread. Any crumbs fall in, making it thicker; at the end, use the soft inside bread to mop up the bowl. If you run out of bread, get more. Do not use a spoon.
summer csa week 12
- tomatoes (and cherry and sungold, hiding)
- corn
- cucumber
- collards
- cantaloupe
- [seedling] peaches
- potatoes
- leeks!
- green peppers
- celery
2008-08-20
apsrtable package!
So I finally wrote documentation for apsrtable() and have submitted the package to CRAN.
2008-08-13
Watermelon Alert!
This week's box resulted in probably the heaviest and fullest my bag has ever been.
Nice of her to warn us! But the rest was insane! In addition to the watermelon – none sold, only for CSAers – there was a massive eggplant and a cauliflower and apples. See below.Subject: Watermelon alert Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 For those of you who ride bikes, walk, take the bus, etc., please note that if all goes as planned I will be delivering watermlons this week in addition to your regular boxes. They do make a heavier load so please plan accordingly. -- Thanks, Vicki
- watermelon
- eggplant
- arugula
- cauliflower
- two things of cherry tomatoes
- onion
- kinnikinnick green zebra tomato and garlic
- cucumber
- hungarian peppers (lecsó!)
- granny smith (or similar) tart green apples
- giant bunch of green onions
- and, of course, eggs.
2008-08-06
things to make
- thai red curry chicken [need okra]
- cucumber salad
- fajitas with yellow squash
- more empanadas with greenbeans and cabbage (ack! no picture from before!)
- cantaloupe-basil sorbet
- white chocolate mousse with blueberries
- braised collard & beet greens with bacon, roasted beets
last week (argh! must get back on schedule!)
- [tomato mountain] tomatoes]
- [river valley] mushrooms
- zucchini
- cucumber
- apricots
- vicki tomatoes
- fennel
- [smits] basil
- big red cabbage
- cantaloupe
- jalapeños
- yellow beans
2008-08-03
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)