Got to Take a Rain Check on Pain

Bully for You, Chilly or Me

Or in this case, bolognese for me and Chili for P.  The great gift of soup and stew leftovers is that they only taste better the next day and all you have to do is reheat and put on fresh toppings.  

After the creamy goodness of the chili yesterday, I needed to take a left turn to pasta town.  Instead of finishing the pasta in the sauce, I needed the Midwestern memory feel of buttered noodles undressed to mix in as I desired with each bite of the meaty, mushroom sauce.  Memory comfort food can be a ticket out of a bad feeling day, the winter blahs, or general malaise. 

Ooh Baby Just You Shut Your Mouth

Cabbage Stir Fry with Farro

Bastardizing Asian techniques by stir frying Spicy Italian sausage, red apple slices, garlic, onion and cabbage on a fairly high heat.  When cabbage is able to get a little brown, it becomes a whole different Sally.  It becomes sexy, like meat.  Soy sauce, Chili oil, and Sesame oil bring this together.  The apple brings the right amount of sweet to cut through all the savory.

The chewy farro is great to mix with each bite.  Fresh green onion would have been good for presentation and to add a fresh element.

This is also one of those great lunch box meals the next day for work.  

This is Ourselves, Under Pressure

Crock pot Black Eyed Peas and Hambone Soup

This is heavenly and you can make it as brothy as you like it.  Personally, I'm a thick and chunky lover.  As stated in yesterday's post, this is an excellent use of your holiday ham bone. 

I'm steadily working to finish my mate's record, including inviting in some professionals to help with artwork and production.  As my mate and I bump heads over which recordings to use or what style is appropriate I do worry a little now, whether I'm more Sandy Wexler than Jimmy Iovine. 

A lunch of delightful beans!

We Are the Goon Squad and We're Coming to Town

Moe's Bar built new outdoor seating and is using the side street for smoke BBQ grills!  An excellent idea!  This gives the bar a vibrant, inviting look.  That whole block is trying new things.  The coleslaw, mac and cheese was excellent but the real winner was the jerk chicken that we discovered the next time we tried them.  This time it was drenched in a spicy, not too sweet BBQ sauce that was also awesome tasting, but more traditional. 

A few changes on that block and suddenly it's in fashion again.  Fashion has been a subject lately as this summer did not bloom with hotties in tight clothes and revealing ass cracks as it's done in the previous years.  Instead, we have tons of mom jeans, cut off to above ankle length with homely sneakers.  There are some midriff baring crop tops but most looks were very non-sexual, soft colors.  As if friendly people took over the style this year.  I do love that about the organic progression of fashion.  This year, it's not provocative, its passive.  Even the sistahs have paired the baggier look with chunky eyeglasses and two toned hair and traded their jeweled sandals with pastel high tops.  It's very 80's meets the 90's in the more desolate Pandemic arena.  

Another wild trait of fashion is when a huge shift like this happens, at first it feels so wrong and off putting.  Maybe we noticed the first rumblings in magazines when some model or celebrity a few seasons ago dared to squeeze out of their ultra tight skinny jeans and don this new look.  Immediately, it felt shocking. I wondered why these young, cute girls would willingly look so unattractive with mushroom asses and cut off stubby legs.  But today, it feels very right on and in step with the world somehow.

That happens with fashion I've noticed.  It's what makes the fashion industry legitimate and real, a true part of our culture.  Because it does mirror the mindset of the current time and place.  Perhaps the high-waist, looser cut pant, echos young girls aren't trying to mock the glittery porn star this year.  Hopefully, their goal isn't to snag a guy for a quick role in the hay.  Right before the pandemic we had 13 - 18 year old gals wearing shorts cut high up the cheek and mini skirts that bared an obscene amount of flesh.  They were riding subways, shopping with their parents.   I wondered if that was some new power stance, as men were obviously immediately transfixed by the views, looking around as if someone had left a roll of hundred dollar bills on the street to grab.  It felt dangerous in the city and I felt protective and confused by this vulnerability on display openly.  I couldn't tell if they were trying to provoke or simply oblivious to their new power.   These young women today are of a much lighter mindset, more interesting, smart creatures, perhaps creators, and their style reflects that. 

I have no idea if this is correct.  One day I will get the nerve to ask one of these new gals.  I observe young women like I had noticed old birds watching me in my youth, with some heightened curiosity and affection, but from a distance.  I didn't fully understand it at the time, but I was once the next generation, what is to come.  We all get a chance to handle the whole womanhood thing in our own way.  And it is fascinating to watch.

Then again, there is something spooky hilarious about how the new look is almost this SNL skit to a tee. 

Is There Life on Mars?

Honey Mustard Chicken Legs from cleanfoodcrush.com

A duck family swims in the polluted waters behind work

A wall went up in one swoop for a new building in Red Hook

I have joked that they're doing building wrong here, one wall at a time.  What do I know but it's odd the way they are constructing this new building and I've seen tons of new construction in the last 10 years.  It could have something to do with building on the waterfront.  In any case, I am happy to know more humans will be milling about at night in this desolate area.  The cold barren landscape can feel like Mars in the winters.  In the summer, it's another type of scary element floating about in the dark.  

Just as you can transform boring everyday broccoli spears by roasting them, chicken legs get new life by adding honey and two types of mustard.   

Oh Baby, Just You Shut Your Mouth

Here and there in moments of desperation and deep hunger I have created the perfect meal for my specific individual craving of the day.  In this example, I had leftover roast chicken but I really needed silky noodles sliding down my throat real soon or I might just disintegrate into the ether.  I reheated the chicken and vegetables in a pan with a little chicken broth, tons of garlic chili sauce, soy and sesame oil.  Served over naked vermicelli it became the ultra hot Asian dream dish I desired. 

Another amazing discovery was this Pure Green juice featuring apple cider, ginger, cayenne and lemon.  What an eye opener!  So much so that I could only take in 2 sips at a time, which is good because it was $8 and change for the 8 ounces and it ended up lasted a few days.  

Oh Oh Oh, Little China Girl

I had a super migraine earlier this week and have been feeling the aftershocks for days.  On this day, I felt my legs were going to give out on me and I had to make it until 8pm, while business was moving at a snails pace.

An interesting little display in the staff cafeteria, especially the little meatball skewers with spoons to dip in the dill yogurt sauce - super cute with the cucumber.  Not sure about those savory waffles tho.

So two hours before my shift ended, I just said screw it, I need to get out of here.  I tell the manager and of course, he could care less because basically I'm the only one that still believes this is a real job.  Retail is doing so poorly that we really have just a few people who give one or two shits about anything.  That being said, I take in thousands and thousands each day for them, so from where I sit it's not dying a quick death.

I care about how I conduct myself, now.  Integrity has been a goal.  I decided to wait until the entire night crew showed up before I leave.  I'm making my way out, I have the employee exit sign in sight!  Suddenly I am stopped frantically by a young Asian girl who is standing by who I'm hoping are her grandparents looking extremely old and frail, one hunched over the other with a cane both straddling the staircase going down.  But no, she tells me they stopped her and are lost and very scared.  They can't find their family who they came with.  And please, can I help.  She needs to go but feels bad leaving them.   Inside, I'm screaming Noooooo!!! while I look longingly at that exit door to freedom but on the outside I speak, yes of course, no problem, of course.  I felt it was a test from the gods that I would be given this task when mentally and emotionally I needed to be in my fuzzy pants.  And God only knows what kind of nonsense I'll face to connect them to their party in this monster of a store. I've been here long enough to know this won't be easy.

They don't speak any English, so I Google Translate to please follow me to sit down in the cafe and we would find their family, not to worry.  And who knows what they heard because many times online translations can go very awry.  They sit but quickly get very nervous and begin randomly approaching other Asians and arguing among themselves.  The woman wanted to leave but clearly this would not be a good idea as I imagine them facing the desolate winter elements outside in Red Hook wandering aimlessly on the docks if they even made it down the stairs.  Security is taking for EVER to come out and the manager in charge is overwhelmed with other fires to say the least.  She looks caught in headlights so I promise to delay leaving and sit with them but 20 then 30 minutes or so pass so I try to get more info from the translators that are willing to stop and help.  The great thing about the Asian community is they respect their elders and really begin to form a support group, which was super moving to see.  Our guard is slow to make any progress and makes lame attempts to get information.  He keeps asking the same questions but not listening to the answers, preoccupied by that idiot radio connected to his ear.  For the tenth time he tells his partner its an elderly couple who lost their daughters in the store!  I take a second to pray we never have real security issues.  God forbid I rely on these guys to combat actual threats.  I try to get the phone numbers of the family members and call & text them, no answer.  I get a description of the daughters and when I run to give the guard the info, he looks like he's working on getting laid from two female patrons who walked up.  So I ask the manager to sit with the couple so I can try to find these missing daughters.  I'm good at finding people and I have motivation in the form of my little rat's nest where I want to be.

And I do, I freaking find them within 5 minutes.  They are one department over from where I found the parents. The first obvious place to look. They were super calm, tucked away, looking at closets.  And when I asked if perhaps they were with two elderly people, one said no right away and the other looked at me and said, well, yes.  When I said we'd been calling and looking for them, paging them, that their parents were scared and have been trying to leave by themselves, they both seemed very unconcerned and even annoyed, and that was a huge surprise.  I say in a scolding tone, your mother has a crowd of strangers worried sick.  I hear them both complaining behind me as I'm now sort of dragging them to their parents like bad kids.  We come up to the cafe and the crowd gives a huge sigh of relief as they recognize the women fitting the description.  I hear a couple of claps and ahhhs then just as the daughter approaches her mom, her mom takes her back hand and slaps her across the cheek before going off in Mandarin.  We were all pretty shocked expecting hugs of joy.  I couldn't do anything but laugh as I put my hand on the shoulder of the old man and he laughed with me, relieved, seeing the humor.  Everyone's mouth was sort of half opened, not knowing how to feel as they went quietly back to their seats or continued shopping.  The manager was already on the phone to the next emergency and...

....I could go home!  I had a bowl of this quick style white been chili with ground turkey.  A little added Chopped-esque element; cubed up Polenta that tasted like little corn dumplings because it needed to be used but ended up being a really great idea. 

I'm Not a Prophet or a Stone Age Man

A month ago it felt like Fall was beginning as normal and then it just stopped.  We had another few weeks of summery type days. Now as I write this, at the end of October we are still very green and just this week I see small color bursts around town as if it's finally trying to continue the transition.  We are entering a different time for sure with not only weather. The mind can't even predict the strange ways in which mother nature will respond.  Maybe the Mayans were right.  That we definitely turned some new corner in 2012.  It just wasn't what anyone expected.  When I think back, nothing was the same after that year.  Weather certainly became whacky on the constant.  Social behavior is extreme. Politics.  Could we ever have even dreamed of Donald Trump?  He is born out of our most demented thoughts.  Sexuality.  How many gender identifications do we have now?   Hatred and fear have all new subdivisions. Every facet of life seemed to split into several more fractals. So many drastic changes and you can feel how the next wave is going to be so compounded.

I just hope there are folks that are also understanding more, becoming clearer on how to steer the boat of evolution.  I can't say I feel better but I can't deny the differences.  Or maybe I'm still adjusting, getting my feet in this new state of being. The anxiety and stress all the diversity has created at least transposed the status quo.  And from what I understand, this is possibly what the Mayan's spoke of regarding  transformation after completing a cycle of the calendar.

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash had my mouth all lit up like a Christmas tree.  The tangy tomato sauce with mushrooms, garlic, basil and ground beef.  The mozzarella and Parmesan combo on top.  The roasted squash itself has a gorgeous flavor that really works well with all of this. You really don't need oil or butter.

These boats were ginormous so they easily became the next days dinner.  Actually, we could only get through half of a half because once you start forking the squash it doesn't end until you get to the skin.  There is a ton of usable 'vegetable meat' so to speak.  It's very filling without being heavy somehow. 

After making a few of these I suggest pulling out all the strands beforehand, tossing in salt and pepper before putting back an edible portion in your shell.  Fill the bottom with a bit of sauce, layer it in other words as it absorbs well.  This way you can reserve some flesh for another dish. 

I always hope to come to the crossroads like Bob Dylan and magically transform into an incredibly talented something or other.  Until then, more spaghetti squash please. 

“We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” 
― Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Take Your Protein Pills and Put Your Helmet On

Rach with her huge catch.  She's a good fisherwoman.

My sister's daily food choices often influence me.  Like I've mentioned, I get food envy pretty easily.  She had texted that morning of her picnic basket filled with chicken salad sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, lemon cookies and fresh strawberries and peach cokes.   She was heading out early to get some Vitamin D and nature.

I haven't eaten a sandwich in over a year.  All I could think of was that I needed to eat a sandwich as soon as possible. I immediately went to get fixings to make my own.  I toasted and buttered the nut and grain bread.  I had good Wisconsin Cheddar, fresh tomato, iceberg lettuce, red onion, and nitrate-free deli meat, spicy mustard.

The sandwich was better because I was able to connect and share with my sister in another dimension of the culinary variety.  Just by stating it, she transported the food vision, planted the idea, then I materialized the image on my end.  We displayed our offerings and although it's not quite the same, it's a way to be together across the miles.

We often speak of our love of oatmeal and blueberries.  I added cashews and lots of cinnamon as well that morning.