Saturday, September 17, 2016

It Feels Like I'm Dying, I'm Never Gonna Live Again

Once in a great while you get your ass kicked so hard that you don't even remember when you weren't walking around feeling all weak and wounded, lost and limping.  Do I have soot on my face?  Is there blood pouring out of anything?  Was I ever cocky and confident...what they call strong in the world?

I fell on my face awhile ago now, metaphorically speaking that is.  I'm pretty sure that's not fatal but it does feel like I'm dying sometimes.  The slow humiliating death of my ego.  Good riddance in many ways.  Who needs it?  Always got me in trouble in the past, back when it had a leg to stand on.
Its sort of a relief to realize just how unimportant I am in this big wide world.  I must have convinced myself of something otherwise before.

This is an updated, 2016 version of my famous taco bowl.  Assorted food in a round curved vessel!  Nothing better.  Whole grain brown rice, charred zucchini chunks, baby corn, newly homemade hot sauce, seasoned ground turkey, fresh onions and sharp white cheddar.  Certain things together can make magic in your mouth.  Something about high heat cooking the zucchini chunks bring out some otherworldly flavor.  I learned this while eating at a Japanese restaurant with my brother this year.  The great thing about cooking is learning those small techniques.  Little aha bubbles to store for later.
Usually I love bold bright colors on my plate.  Not today.  Today I wanted muted yellows and subtle shades of beige, just the slightest touch of green. Nothing harsh, nothing sudden, nothing hard.  Some heat.  Just enough to treat my lacerations....quietly and alone.

Life comes at you fast not unlike the commercial.  And it's comforting to land on a soft just-ripe avocado halve with just a little salt and black pepper sprinkled on it when you fall from that harsh blow.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

When No One Cares, But You


Dump Chicken Casserole
A now tried and true after work method of forming 'dinner' while you're mentally incompetent to operate machinery. This takes the least amount of give a shit while still providing sustenance for your loved ones.
Dump Chicken Thighs, potatoes, onions and garlic, spices in a dutch oven cover with stock or water, lid that son'abitch and throw it in the oven for about 45 minutes.  Surprisingly cohesive. Pleasantly delicious.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Hey You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

                       Decadent Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Spinach. Bleu Cheese and Bacon
oh and pecans! 
This is as good as it sounds.  Roasted vegetables are a dream but when you add bacon and cheese then you're just skipping through the tulips of pure joy.  You could scale this down by taking out the bacon because the nuts really act as meat here.  Unfortunately my love for bacon precedes my ability to apply good sense, so I added a little of the fat in place of olive oil.  Also, the cheese penetrates well so a little dab will do ya.  But if you're gonna go, go big right?  We live a short life.
Make this tonight or forever lose. 
No recipe just do it.  Roast the squash, make the bacon with garlic, add in spinach and nuts.  Put it in the squash, add the bleu cheese.  Toss and eat. 


Thursday, September 8, 2016

Maybe I'm Amazed at the Way You Pulled Me Out of Time

Dinner in the city with Brother Benjamin.  Italian even, my old favorite.  I walked over from the Brooklyn Bridge in order to take in all the sites sounds and stimulus.  Plus thought it better to get in some exercise as I would be eating my weight in pasta if everything went as planned.
I'm always giving Manhattan hell but in reality once I'm there I usually dig it immensely.  There is so much free art and all the new architecture is worth viewing up close.




Things I would buy for myself if I wasn't so eccentric where I don't like to buy stuff ...and much wealthier.
A giant candy store
People in motion everywhere, scurrying off to their 'somewhere'.
The visitors tend to walk slower or let someone else do the peddling for them.
This place was called Da Andrea Italian Ristorante.  http://www.daandreanyc.com/  The carpaccio was good but the muscles were memorable, lots of crusty bread to sop up that garlic brother.
We split desserts.  A lemon sorbet and I believe this was a chocolate walnut cake with salty caramel ice cream.
Ravioli di vitello  
 Veal & spinach ravioli, cream, mushrooms, ham
Cavatelli di ricotta 
 Ricotta cavatelli, shrimp, salmon, pesto sauce
Pappardelle 
 Pappardelle, sweet sausage ragout, truffle oil
I thoroughly enjoyed mine.  We still have yet to pick the place that knocks our socks off and I know they are out there.  It was really great though, no regrets.  The pasta was handmade and fresh.  
But there is nothing like New York City in the summer for me as far as feeling like you are truly transported somewhere else.  It pulls you out of yourself and sets you plop in area after area full of life and energy.  It's infectious and I hope it doesn't go away with all the money and privilege because you need to keep hungry in this town.  You need folks working to be here, driving their talents and works.  You have to have that person clicking at your heels, pulling you out of your comfort zone. Some would say it's dog eat dog and it can be but some aspects are healthy for a society and I believe very moving for many artists.






Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Cauliflower Gratin

This had so much flavor and was way better than the picture would lend you to believe. But it would have been more successful had I cut the flowerettes lengthwise so that they could lay flat and get caramelized.  Lessons learned.  I have to keep saying it because I almost don't believe it myself but roasted cauliflower is seriously uh-mazing.
The casserole was rewarding in putting a comforting feel upon the grey dreary day.

Monday, September 5, 2016

Any Day Now, Any Day Now, I Shall Be Released


On this day, the only thing I had to get right was these baked wedged garlicky potato fries.
And I did.
They had free cupcakes at work for selling so much particle board furniture.  And for some reason that made me sad, after I had one of course.  Life is weird.  I could never have imagined spending so many years working inside this huge, practically windowless store selling kitchen cabinets of all things.  I know this experience has changed me.  My fear is that I now have some rotting, unfix-able parts.  Retail does something to a person.  I fell victim to a bit of moral decay and a slight indifference to just about everything.  What I love about it is that it forces an introvert like me into the world.  I talk to a lot of different people every day but not just for a second.  This is concentrated time.  In fact its a conveyor belt of customers for hours until it's finally over.   I do meet so many amazingly cool people.  Lots of folks that I never really noticed that live in the world. Middle to older aged men, contractors, husbands, fathers. A lot of guy guys, who are normally out of my comfort zone.  Without all the bells and whistles of youth and good looks, it's almost more impressive and magnetic when you connect with them.  And women. Single ladies and couples who aren't particularly anything come in, one after another.  Not young, not pretty, not fun, just a person or people that need to get something done and there I am, the receiver on the other end.  I'm like the glory hole of customer service.  I have to take anyone who comes in and in Brooklyn that can mean so many things. Too many things.  Lots of language barriers.  Many cultural differences.  Some, I assume are good people. Some people are straight up assholes though.  They tend to come in droves. But a transaction goes down none the less. I'm bothered every time I have a bad encounter and rarely harp on the good.  I question all of my life choices that brought me to stand on this concrete floor at that moment.  Do I deserve better?  What does anyone deserve really?  Am I to blame?  Most likely.  Do I give two fucks about anything enough to change it?  God, I hope it so.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Now We're Sharing the Same Dream

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers
I feel that this is officially the last time I can in good conscious use the word deconstructed.  It was a thing but now it must end.  But that aside, this was a great idea.  I used chicken meatballs with jalapenos and then orange and yellow bell peppers chunked, onions, tomatoes, red rice and it really did taste just like a baked stuffed pepper.
I love when you can create the taste of something and then all of those good food memories flood into your brain.
In the break room today at work they created a Caribbean feel including blue table clothes for water, straw hats shells, backdrops to take pics and Jerk Chicken for lunch.
I've never been to a tropical island...hmmm.  Some things you just can't recreate.  But I really admire that there is a group of I assume women in the store that give two shits enough about the experience here that they keep these cheerleader-like incentives going.