VeggieBurger Quest

There is a time in any vegetarian's life where they decided to embark on a quest for the perfect burger, either while dining out or at home. I've tried some of the best (Publick House) and some that are a mess (River Gods) and now its time to try to make my own.

Trial NO. 1
"Black Bean Burger" compliments of VEGANOMICON

I followed the recipe, substituting wheat gluten with egg replacer since I had that on hand.

Results?
Needed salt (as most things do!) but amazed the recipe didn't call for though it spelled everything else out in detail.

Good texture, a bit mushy which may be due to lack of gluten. Topped it with a crisp, raw jicama slaw and some Chipotle Tabasco. That combo was tasty, yet I want my perfect burger to stand on its own - so back to the drawing board.............

'Twas the Night Before Christmas.....

....and all of the house was in the kitchen to make these festive mice.

Nothing too fancy here:

The Base = Peppermint Oreos, twisted apart

Head - Seasonal Hershey's Kisses

Body - Maraschino cherries dipped in chocolate

Tail - Tizzlers PUll 'n Peel

Ears - Slivered Almonds

Eyes - Gel Icing

Full credit to my sister, El, whose vision this was.

"Fondre" - To Melt

It's never cold around a fondue pot, especially with the warmth of melting cheese and the combined heat of gathered friends. You don't need a funky, retro fondue pot (though those are back in style), a saucepan on the stovetop works just as well.

Basic Cheese Fondue
serves 4-6
1 cup white wine
300 g Emmenthal*, grated
300 g Gruyere, grated
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Simmer the white wine, gradually add the cheese , stirring as it melts. Thicken to your liking with cornstarch.
Begin dipping = Use bread cubes, cured meats, crudités or fruit. Its tempting to plunge a finger in, but keep in mind how hot that pot is!

*I don’t particularly like Emmenthal so I often substitute Comte or Beaufort.

British Cuisine Round-Up

British food is like the Mum's casserole; maybe not the tastiest but an ingenius creation given what's available. Here are some staples of the British cuisine, for better or worse:

Better:
Crumpets
Baked Beans (so simple, so versatile)
Chutney
Toasties (grilled cheese sandwiches usually with a strong cheddar)
Sweetcorn
Mature Cheddar
Curry (sure, this counts as British)
Fish 'n Chips (when done well)

Worse:
Salad Cream
Black Pudding
Mushy Peas
Cornish Pasties
Trifle
Meat Pies (a mysterious mess inside)
Fry -Ups
Fish 'n Chips (when soggy, greasy and lacking in fish)

Only my opinion, and a fussy one, I realize. British cuisine maybe a bit unhealthy and sometimes bland, but that's what salt and pepper is for.

Liquid Chocolate Love

I am in Barcelona and having a fine time nibbling on tapas and sipping cava. I also have taken to liquid chocolate in the afternoon instead of the usual coffee or espresso.

If this were the 19th century, I would be with the upperclass on this. In those days chocolate was prevalent in Europe but expensive, the working class left to drink coffee or tea which was cheap and easy to brew.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Museu de la Xocolata here in Barcelona and was able to pick up a few tidbits of knowledge. For example when cacao beans were used for currency in Mayan times, about ten could get you a rabbit, a 100 for a slave and for another 10 the "favors of a prosititue." Hmm.

I can appreciate the history and knowledge but, really, I came for the chocolate. At the end of my tour, I sat at the cafe and ordered a 'Petit Chocolat' . It was rich but just barely sweet, thick and dark. I savored it slowly, spoonful by spoonful. YUM.

Chop Therapy

When I got home and the front door closed, I wanted the world to stay out. In the course of one day I had been jabbed and soaked by the umbrellas of careless pedestrians, been bristled by the rush hour crowds both to and from work and temporarily lost my mobile. I headed to the kitchen to work off some stress, keys still in hand.

First, some onions,yellow and small and naturally my eyes teared as I sliced. I let the teardrops streak down my cheek, some dropping onto the chopping board. With bleary eyes, I put down my knife and pick up the peeler. I strip parsnips and potatoes of their skin. On one particularly large Russet, I get carried away, peeling into the starchy flesh, getting through layers of the day's frustrations.

Next carrots, a whole bunch of them. I began by slicing them into coin-sized rounds, then chopping those in half, then dicing that even more finely. My knife finds the discarded green tops of the carrot bunch and I slay that next.

A few ribs of celery and several cloves of garlic and I have no more room on my cutting board. What was I cooking anyway? A stew or soup? Dinner would be hours in the making.....

Then, I realized, I wasn't even hungry.

My hunger had been worked out in the process, the day's misgivings diced into futility. Whew.

If you actually want to make a vegetable stew, check out this recipe .

A Writer's Posture

The spine curves grossly, the shoulders slouch sloppily The neck is extended and twisted like an gangly ostrich pecking for seeds on the ground. The stomach creases and fold, taking on the back's burden as it gives in and curls over.

Clutched in the creative flow, the physical body is easily forgotten. Yet in that state, body hunched and gnarled, the writing stretches long and wide and graceful.

Only when you snap from the streak does the body make itself known. Then you may realize just how strained is, how clipped the shoulders feel and hear the crack of each cramped vertebra as it unfurls.

The body moans and you coax it with the promiseof a yoga class or a massage. Still, you smile reading over what you've just created, content to sacrifice the body when in an inspired state.