honest labeling

Thought process. Oh there's a new chip in the vending machine, flavored "The Crab Chip" sounds interesting.. I like crab, I'm gona give it a go. Well, it didn't lie.. if you season you have ever done a crab boil with Chesapeake Bay Crab seasoning you know what I'm talking about and you get exactly that.. a mouthful of crab boil.  Which is not terrible, if you like that kind of thing.  

I'm unsure how I feel so far, but I'm thinking I'll give it another go when my sodium levels have normalized again.  

 

100% my ass

When I think refreshing beverage first on the list in my mind is grinding up bugs for that pretty red color and then mixing it with some juice, yum..  Lucky me that is exactly what carmine is, some sort of reddish beetle that gets ground up and put in our food to make it look more appealing.. The irony is that most people who consume things with carmine in it would probably gag at the thought of eating a beetle.  I'm of the school of thought that says I'd be ok with eating a beetle if I knew I were eating a beetle but not as ok with the idea of them being added in willy-nilly as a coloring agent. I suppose it's maybe better than getting the coloring from petroleum products... My real complaint is that all that beetle squashing and the end product doesn't even taste like grapefruit juice.. Which may make some people gag.. but I really like the taste of grapefruit juice it's not too sweet like most juices.  But unfortunately Tropicana 100% juice tastes more like apple juice with a squish of something tart and a bunch of ground up beetles.  

 

my hands are so big and my feet are so tiny

 

100% my ass, if Tropicana were like Pinocchio somebodies nose would be awfully big

improv

Scenario; want to make delicious cornbread for beans, find recipe, go grocery shopping then can't find the buttermilk required for the recipe, then get home and apparently there are things you thought you had that only existed in your imagination.  Solution; improvise..

Ok.. for some reason the store has no buttermilk but does have cream.  Easy fix take cream mix with one tablespoon of vinegar let sit for 5 min.  Next.. realize you have no butter, substitute coconut oil.. decide that you want to add flour to the original flourless recipe.. recipe looks kind of dry add a few tablespoons of water.. bake and cross fingers. 

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredients

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups course ground corn meal

1/2 cup flour approximately.. I forgot to measure but I had decided that there needed to be more than just cornmeal in the bread. 

3/4 tsp sea salt from the sea

1/2 tsp baking soda for leavening action

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbs white vinegar or in my case coconut vinegar because i love all things coconut

1 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs olive oil

1-2 tbs of honey 

1/2 cup shredded cheese of your liking

1 fresh jalapeno - seeded and diced tiny

1 small pickled jalepeno = diced tiny

 onion - also diced tiny

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, then make a little clearing in the middle.. kind of like a dry ingredient doughnut.  In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients, once wet ingredients are mixed add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir until the dry ingredients are no longer dry..  Be careful not to over stir... Take a 9" cast iron skillet or a 9" cake pan or your choice using oil of choice ( I used coconut oil of course) grease bottom and sides.  Pour paste like batter into the skillet/pan and back for 30 min until golden brown.. 

sweet and spicy oh so nicey

some kind of awful

I'm not a 24/7 factory style kitchen master.  I will be the first to admit that I get lazy.  So lazy in fact that my pantry becomes barren of all things that are not snacks, leftover take out, condiments or freezer friendly ready meals..  I have come to terms with this aspect of my personality as I have discovered it lets my creative cooking side get a break and I usually get to try a whole bunch of new things which is always exciting.  The downside to when these spells of laziness descend is that all the fun things I decide to try don't always treat my taste buds nicely but I usually power through it because I really hate wasting.  

pop corn porn

BOGO.  I'm such a sucker for a by one get one sale.  That may have contributed to the impulsive purchase of overpriced popcorn that came in beautiful packaging. While it wasn't bad it really wasn't worth the beefy price tag of $5.00 for all 2 oz of snack air.  Fleur de sel lacked that salty kick and the black truffle was pretty potent but not as satisfying as fresh popped popcorn.  I much prefer my own or fresh movie theater popped corn compared to the prepackaged smanciness (like fanciness but with and s).  Making your own fancy pop corn is easy, my favorite three savory pop corn flavors are Cajun corn, spicy ranch and cheddar bacon.  They are so easy I feel guilty for even claiming them as a recipe.  

sock water...

I'm not one to throw away food.  Especially expensive food. Kombucha is in my expensive food category, at almost $4.00 a bottle it's a habit I try to keep an eye on my food budget that can sometimes get a little crazy. But every once in a while for an upset tummy it's a great digestive.  That was the train of thought that went through my head as attempted to drink my most recent kombucha purchase.  It was especially not delicious.... Imagine not so dirty socks diluted down by soaking it in gallons of water adding a bit of vinegar, fermenting it then paying lots of money to drink it..That is Kevita coconut kombucha. 

Mr yuck says don't drink

african street corn

While I have no formal training I think I make up for it with creative tastebuds and an adventurous soul that goes sure why not when out of needed ingredients for desired dishes (this comes from numerous kitchen/ingredient ingredient failures).. No.. I don't know if they actually serve street corn in Africa, if you want to figure that out Google it yourself.. I do know though that they do sell street corn in Mexico the land of many corny dishes like tacos, tamales and nachos.. and uhh.. other such corn based recipes..

strike one

I like to give everything a few tries unless it's so bad that I feel sick or I know that it will give me food nightmares for the rest of my life.  

can't afford covets

I like to post random things I think are shiny sometimes (I think I just divulge what a nerd I am).  Below is something I think is pretty dang awesome.. pseudo functional art.. not that you could ever use the kit.. especially for the price tag.. but if those plates were for sale I would so be all over them.  

 beautiful green goblin picnic plates

 

it has wheels.. how convenient

  
mark burleson, I understand that art takes time and talent and studios get 50% of the sale.. but holy heck I just want a couple plates.. 

so stinky

I don't always make pretty, but I usually make delicious.  Breakfast.. I'm a lazy breakfast maker, so I like to keep it simple, quick and honestly preferably somebody else makes it and serves it to me when I'm in bed..  maybe it has something to do with not being a fan of the first 4 hours in the morning..  Maybe..

long before modern technologies

Life without a microwave.. I'm not one of those hippies that are afraid of the microwaves.. My science background just won't allow that type of nonsense.. However.. the place I'm currently residing at right now is sans microwave and I'm learning to adjust.. I feel I'm doing it fairly well and I'm really loving the results.  

under the sea

Yet another Thai salad ~ I swear Thai people can make a salad of anything including tiny purple tentacles ( I find it somehow morbid and cute simultaneously).  

Vague Recipe for Octopus Salad:
Ingredients: 
Mint
Lemongrass - sliced super thin
Red Onion - diced up tiny
Thai chili - to taste, these tiny chilies pack a punch
Lemon Juice - at least a tablespoon or more
Sugar - to taste
Octopus - apx 1/2 to 1 lb chopped up into bite sized pieces and steamed
Roasted Rice Powder - just a big pinch
Fish sauce - just a little goes a long way

Directions: Mix all ingredients well set for 10 min and serve..

stupid.. blurry.. low light.. grrr...

spread this..

Delta airlines has the market with my favorite sweet treats handed out by an airline.  Biscoff cookies.. oh how I love the Biscoff cookies.. When I was younger and didn't know that they sold them in the store I would arrange to fly crazy flights just to get a cookie.. What can I say?  I'm very food driven. 

like butter on a croissant

Anchorage, AK... a big city in terms of Alaska.. a large town surrounded by an awesome amount of nature compared to a lot of other cities in the US.  Either way you  look at it, it's a weird location to find one of the best bakeries I've come across in my travels (within the US, definitely excluding European bakeries.. there's just no comparing, Europe wins hands down without trying).  Croissants that are the most delectable combination of  moist, buttery, fluffy and a hint of toastedness on the outside.  Cookies that scream I will make you fat but you will be happy the moment we hit your tongue.  Cakes that are simplistically pretty, flavorful, moist, rich and worth every penny.  Scones... Scones that I don't hate and sometimes crave.. Sandwiches, well, ok here I have to say I only like one of their sandwiches.  Yes, I tried them all and only one stands out enough to be worth the hefty $10.00 price tag.  That is the turkey, chutney with apple slices.. drool..  I really wanted to love the beets and goat cheese but I couldn't.. It was missing something..

what is that smell? and why are we eating it?

There are many things that I consume that make me contemplate.. Who the heck decided this would be edible and then went and developed the technique in order for consumption to go more smoothly? Sourdough is one of those items.  Sure, fine, sourdough comes in all sorts of forms of baked goodies at the store and in restaurants but if you've ever dealt with the stuff at home you get to encounter it's ugly side.  It's quite a lot like having Audrey II (little shop of horrors plant) in that you have to feed it, albeit less gruesome stuff (it's just flour not people) but still it's alive and needs feeding then there's the smell.. it's sour.. unpleasantly sour like dirty socks from someone who should have left their shoes on the prevent other peoples stomachs turning.  Yet someone long, long ago was like hmm maybe it won't be so bad if we just add more flour to it.. 

omg... f'ing ginormous

They say that as you get older the world get's smaller.. this is not proving to be true with the produce.  I'm waiting for the day that you can cook one grain of rice as a serving instead of 100..

 

 holy heck Batman.. that's one large grapefruit.  

layover-land

If you have time and you're in a decent sized airport it's nice to be able to sit, relax and have a real meal that isn't wrapped in plastic wrap.  Seattle is my most frequented/favorite hub.  This is partly because the public transportation is decent and easy to escape the airport when you have enough time. 

so predictable

I have grown exceedingly fond of Mexican food reasonably recently (not to be mistaken for South American foods i.e. Chile, Argentine,  which I absolutely love and always have).  Growing up I used to hate Mexican food. the runny cheesy beans, the dry rice and the greasy dishes of ground meat or slimy fajitas. (they contain green bell peppers one of two veggies in this world I have no love for).   With the emergence of more authentic Mexican eateries over the past few years I've discovered that my prejudice of Mexican food came from growing up in a small town in AK that had no good options till a handful of years ago and apparently there is a huge difference between crappy Mexican and delicious Mexican.  

is it breakfast time?

There is a time in the early morning when it is not quite dinner any longer and it's not quite breakfast yet. Let's say that time is around 2 am.. If you are awake for whatever late night debauchery had unfolded or maybe you're just an insomniac.. and you find yourself wandering the dimly lit streets of the Southerly Capitol Hill area Seattle and in your limbo of dinner - breakfast you are leaning towards dinner and quick cheap Mexican. sounds about right.. you will find two dollar tacos at Tacos Gringos.. The menu is limited, but tasty, they're open till 2:30 - 3 am depending on the day and it won't hurt your pocket like the rest of the night may have.

communist

I'm not all about buying into packaging and advertising.. but when my favorite salty snack Barbara's baked Cheese Puffs changed their packaging design I first thought that the store discontinued the only large bag of chips that I can consume entirely in one sitting and only feel slightly guilty about  I was at first heartbroken for the missing cheese puffs until I began to look for an alternate cheese puff brand to consume that's when realized that the puke brown bag with a barely noticeable slightly darker puke brown heart and a nice picture of cheese with an awkward pile of cheese puffs piled in front was in fact the same bag of cheese puffs I'd been buying.  Ugh... Package change.. why do companies do this, it seems like a waste of time and money.. how much does it really help with sales?

Eat me

Sandwich bliss... I found sandwich bliss at the Baguette Box just a little south of Capital Hill.. maybe it's in Capital Hill I'm not very good at the specifics of where geographical lines start and stop either way it's right off Pike street just past the bridge if you're going up the hill.  

salvation

It doesn't look like much. But after a bad day/week.. It's my sanity in a cup. Some people drink alcohol, some people smoke their choice of smoke-able plants, others dabble with a variety of other "recreational drugs" me.. I need something much more hearty and satisfying.. The answer for me is Chocolate. I am absolutely mad about chocolate.. 

the things they carried

Half of my family was moved here as the Vietnam war came to a close the family of eleven traveled for many days on a boat with nothing but a pack of saltine crackers to eat which they mostly fed to my youngest aunt.  That I know of they brought next to nothing that couldn't be carried easily in a very small sack from their homeland.  What I have inherited from them is their recipes which are a fusion of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines which I have turned into my own American interpretation.

call me what you want

If you want to impress a girl (or at least this girl) and maybe keep her around, learning how to make breakfast is a good start (I'm not a morning person, it's my least favorite meal to make).   Because more than anything most girls really love feeling like they are worth an effort.  The breakfast can be complicated and time consuming or simple and quick, either way the message is made that you care enough to take the time to make something without expecting anything in return.  A good quote in reference to this from Madame de Staël: “The desire of the man is for the woman, but the desire of the woman is for the desire of the man.”

paired up

Wine tasting is a big hobby of mine, it hasn't always been that way though.  Wine was very much an acquired taste for me.  I acquired it through  taking a few college classes and subjecting myself to a lot of tastings until I finally discovered I love wine.  Like many who have a sweet tooth I started out with the sweeter drinks.. As my tastebuds developed I discovered that the dry wines paired better with savory food and in the case of a good bottle paired with the right dish it could actually enhance the experience and compliment whatever was on the plate. 

jibber jabber

Some things are more important than jibber jabbering about food.  I am not very political and I promise I won't often talk about non-food topics.  Today however I feel it is important to raise the issue of SOPA (stop online piracy act).  Sure maybe I can respect an artist's need to earn their fair share from the wonderful things they create.  Sure I believe that copyright should be respected.. But, I kinda like pirates I mean Johny Depp did play an awesome pirate in that one movie..  Most importantly though what the heck would happen to YouTube (heartbreak, many bored people, tears and a gallon or ten cartons of ice cream later).  Really it's more than just YouTube that will be damaged by this.. it's so much information, and the freedom to access it.  My challenge to you is to read the bill in it's entirety and see if you can support each item 100% then and only then should it be passed.  It's so sad that there are many bills that by title alone you would guess it has to be a good idea, I would say it's similar to making a misleading headline.. but, in reality when you read the fine print like many contracts it's not as awesome as the headline suggests.  I don't know if they decided long ago that passing the multi-item bill was more efficient for time or just a sneaky way to have some good things and some horrific things pass all at once because the good outweighed the bad or maybe they realized that if there is too much crap to read and the title was catchy it would pass without questions..  I don't have these answers but I do know that I'm not a fan of SOPA..  

Sign me please.. <3's

a little too far

The dwindling remains of the bacon craze of 2009-2011 leaves us with the question can there be such a thing as too much bacon?  With 100's of products paying homage to the miracle that bacon is and the many incarnations of bacon flavored products.  Maybe bacon saturation hits when it comes to combining two classic salt laden processed meats.  Bacon taste + Spam..  Maybe I should try it, then knock it.. but I'm not sure my veins can handle that much sodium or if I should even bother to find the courage to nibble this food science trophy.  When I do though I'll be sure to write about it.  

 

it's one thing to accidentally grab the light spam.. it's another to grab the bacon spam.. 

24 hrs

24 hr diners are brilliant.  Where else can you go when the bars have stopped serving food.  Where else is open at 2 am and beyond that can you see anyone from young dolled up prom goers to older rough and tumbles who may have had one too many encounters with life's knock outs and don't forget the favorite drunk and surly need grease bomb to soak up whatever poison that has made them the inebriated mess that is often entirely too loud for that time in the a.m..  The wait staff can be anywhere from surly to sweet as pie but who cares if it's 2 am and I'm awake for whatever reason that is and all I know is I'm hungry and I don't want to cook.

juicy

I love pretty things that make my life easier.  I have fond memories of my family making fresh squeezed orange juice when I was younger  I remember them making it with a small glass juicer that involved slicing the orange in half and twisting the halved fruit on the juicer till all that was left was the hallowed out rind and sticky hands that smelled of oranges.  As an adult I have had a busy life with a strong desire to keep things simple and reduce the pack rat tendencies that I was raised with which means I have a lot less kitchen gadgetry than you would imagine a kitchenista should have.  

winning an argument

Ok.. so there's a big.. well.. maybe not epic big but it's a debate of some size out there in the wine world.. the debate is real cork, synthetic cork or twisty caps.