Blah-Blah-Blahg: Food For Nought

If you ever happen to be in Rosemead, California - scratch that - NO ONE ever just happens to be in Rosemead, unless they happen to be unfortunate enough to actually reside there. Anyhow, if you are ever willing to make the trek to Rosemead, you should check out The Bahooka Family Restaurant. It's a tiki resturant where you will have the good fortune to drink a flaming drink out of a salad bowl and stare at the likes of Rufus (or maybe Rufina - the jury is still out) the largest 32 year old fish I've ever seen in Rosemead. You won't mind the terrible fried food after having had a few cocktails with names like the Head Shrinker and Zombie. These liquid libations are mostly combinations of Coke, ultra-pasteurized and from concentrate fruit juices and cheap booze. Plus, the thousands of aquariums that surround you will really make your head spin. I highly recommend a visit before you die.

In Blackwater Woods

Look, the trees
are turning
their own bodies
into pillars

of light,
are giving off the rich
fragrance of cinnamon
and fulfillment,

the long tapers
of cattails
are bursting and floating away over
the blue shoulders

of the ponds,
and every pond,
no matter what its
name is, is

nameless now.
Every year
everything
I have ever learned

in my lifetime
leads back to this: the fires
and the black river of loss
whose other side

is salvation,
whose meaning
none of us will ever know.
To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

by Mary Oliver from American Primitive

MoRockin' Chicken

This dish serves 4 and pairs nicely with Israeli couscous, rice or quinoa

INGREDIENTS:
For sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced apricots
1/4 cup golden raisins
4 cloves garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic mincer
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon each of: garam masala, ground ginger, turmeric and coarse salt
dash of cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon

For rub:
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon each of: garam masala, ground ginger and turmeric
dash of cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon
1 ¾ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs that have been cleaned of excess fat


DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all ingredients for sauce in a large liquid measuring cup and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub. Sprinkle rub evenly over chicken things and massage evenly into the meat.
3. Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the ingredients for the sauce then place thighs so they fit snugly along the base of the skillet. Cover skillet and let cook for 14 minutes. Uncover skillet and turn chicken thighs over. Re-cover and let cook for another 12 – 14 minutes until juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife. Season to taste and serve chicken with a spoonful of sauce and stewed fruit. Enjoy!

**Ever wonder what garam masala means? Well, “garam” means hot in Urdu and “masala” means paste. This mix of ground spices varies from region to region but commonly features: black and white peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, long pepper, black cumin, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, star anise and coriander seeds.

*Garam masala can be found in two forms: the whole spices purchased separately, or a commercially ground mixture made from the spices. Commercially ground garam masala is often added at the end of cooking a dish so that the pungent aroma isn’t lost. Whole garam masala, however, is added with fat for a more piquant flavor. Many professional chefs turn their noses at commercially ground garam masala and insist on making their own from whole spices and herbs.

Recipe by Cristina Paul

Blah-Blah-Blahg: Food For Nought

My new FAVORITE THING: A succulent wreath!

Puts the pedestrian Christmas wreath to shame

Lies My Mother Told Me

If you keep eating raw spaghetti
you'll get pinworms,
then I'll have to make
a necklace of garlic for you to wear
each night while you sleep,
until they go away.
If you're mean to your younger brother, I'll know
because I have a special eye
that spies on you when I'm not home.
You cannot hide from it,
so don't try.
If you touch your "down there"
any time other than when using the toilet,
your hand will turn green and fall off.
If you keep crossing your eyes
they will stay that way
until the wind
changes direction.
It is bad luck to kill a moth. Moths are
the souls of our ancestors and it just
might be Papa paying a visit.
If you kiss a boy on the mouth
your lips will stick together
and he'll use the opportunity
to suck out your brains.
If you ever lie to me
God will know
and rat you out.
And sometimes
God exaggerates.
Trust me —
you don't want that
to happen.

by Elizabeth Thomas from from the Front of the Classroom

Minty Beet and Mango Salad

BEET the heat with this lovely side dish that serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked beets (about 4-8 depending on size) *see
directions below
4 cups chopped mangoes (3/4” pieces), about 6 champagne mangoes
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

DIRECTIONS:
1. For the beets, remove greens and reserve for another use, leaving a 1-inch beet top. Wash beets thoroughly. Place beets in steamer basket set in large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to boil; steam over high heat until beets can easily be pierced with thin knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on beet size. Reserve steaming liquid in a large liquid measuring cup. Cool beets slightly, and remove skins. You may want to use dish washing gloves while removing skins to avoid staining your hands. Chop into 3/4" pieces.
2. Mix the beets and the rest of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Refrigerate for at least twenty minutes Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

*** Mint leaves are often used by campers to repel mosquitoes. Mint oil is also used as an environmentally-friendly insecticide because of its ability to kill common pests like wasps, hornets, ants and cockroaches. Mints are supposed to make good companion plants, repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones.
**Mint comes from the Latin word mentha, which is rooted in the Greek word minthe. In Greek mythology, Minthe, was a nymph who was transformed into a mint plant.
*Fresh mint leaves should be used immediately or stored up to a couple of days in plastic bags within a refrigerator.

Recipe by Cristina Paul

Blah-Blah-Blahg: Food For Nought

I want these people to be my friends. Check out more photos at:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/37784309@N05/sets/72157617358108674/

&

http://austinist.com/2009/04/27/snapshots_bodies_in_urban_spaces_fu.php