This is the Day of the Expanding Man

Freddy, who ran our favorite Mexican Food Truck, aptly named Freddy's Food Truck, retired to focus on his art, but will from time to time pitch a sidewalk tent nearby to sell homemade salsas and these tamales.  

Pictured with my homemade tacos, was half of a sweet peppery pork tamal.  His wife seasons the meat and tops with a roasted red, slightly sweetened pepper sauce. These were wrapped in banana leaves.  I admit, I am a bigger fan of corn husks because it's all about the corny masa for me.  But they also must have the right ratio of filler to masa in order to be extraordinary.  There's nothing worse than a thick dry lackluster tamal.  These were really good. I'll compare them to a surprisingly tasty ham and pineapple pizza when you really wanted pepperoni and mushroom. 

Stewed Chicken Tacos

No matter the filling, I'm a huge fan of the Test Kitchen way of taco'ing.  You need a ripping hot oven. Paint oil on your corn tortillas on both sides, cheese the bottom with your choice of melty cheese for 10 minutes (450) on a baking tray, then top them quickly before folding.  They are crispy, crunchy and the best part is you can make them all at once and serve right away.  I'm just realizing you could bean and cheese your Tostadas using this method and leave for another minute or so before topping.   What a time saver!  

Only a Fool Would Say That

Shrimp and Sausage with Polenta 

I guess the reason I still feel the need to shout about Sheet Pan dinners, like they're anything new is they continue to amaze and delight, even getting better.  There are endless combinations, but more so is the fabulous end results each and every time. The simple formula of tossing everything together in a large bowl, in olive oil and spices, then roasting on 425 - 450 for 20 to 30 minutes is foolproof.  Rice, polenta, noodles, barley, quinoa or any starch serves as the perfect bed. On special occasions, you can do an herby sauce but a quick squeeze of lemon or hot sauce is often good enough.  

A soyrizo scramble with hash browns for breakfast

Hey (COVID) 19, No We Can't Dance Together

My 96 year old dad microwaves sweet potatoes and eats them for breakfast out in Tucson, as a supplement to the big breakfast burritos my nephew-in-law makes him. I love that he keeps a good appetite.  Sweet Potatoes are such a great Pandemic Pantry idea.  I baked off a couple giants ones to stuff and reheat the next day.  But seeing pics of my dad recovering from a recent cough in the thick of this pandemic, looking so optimistic, peeling these sweet orange Vitamin filled potatoes, made me so grateful and full of love, that I had to eat one quickly to share in the moment from way over here in Brooklyn.

I mashed the pulp in a pan with a pat of butter, a little almond milk, cinnamon, seeds & nuts, honey and for crunch I crumbled up a Nature bar.  Food during this quarantine tastes different, it feels more purposeful.  The fact that my dad is healing and keeping himself going gives me inspiration to stay focused on remaining healthy in mind and body during this time.

My dad sporting his new eyeglasses and feeling good!

Only a Fool Would Say That

Roasted Cabbage with Chive Mustard Vinaigrette

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250928/roasted-cabbage-with-chive-mustard-vinaigrette/

If you would have asked me years ago I wouldn't believe I could ever praise a vegetable. If I've learned anything so far it is that any vegetable roasted in the oven is a caramelized dream.  And somehow the dowdy spinsters of veggies, cauliflower and cabbage end up shining brightest.  Roasted cabbage wedges with salt and pepper burst with vivid flavor with this very simple addition of a mustard vinaigrette.  I subbed green onions and cilantro for the chives.   

As the cold weather starts back up its time to get on board with these sheet pan oven dinners.  I can't say enough about the satisfaction of crinkling up that foil and wiping down one pan.   It's easier and better tasting.  And after summer's raw cold foods it's nice to get some depth flowing in your bite.

The burger roasted along side and the polenta patty was a tasty last minute idea to use in place of a bun.

And When You Smile For the Camera

Poached Eggs over Veggie PIzza Slice

In fairness, it was a 1/2 of a slice of pizza and we took a long walk afterwards.  But 

I need to shout about these slices from Lean Crust Pizza.  Just an unassuming store front but inside, godly pizza artisans! They are so creative with their combinations.  This one with Spaghetti Squash, Broccolini and Red Peppers.  Vegetables pizza can be wizardry with just the right combos, cheese, placement, amounts, and these guys are truly magicians.  Another slice the night before paired Chorizo with Broccoli Rabe and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. So you can see why I'd never want to waste a slice.  A greasy New York pepperoni pizza would not work here but toast up this gourmet slice and the poached eggs melt so nicely right on top.  You can use the thin crispy crust for dipping into the yolk. 

 I love taking pictures on long walks.  I love Brooklyn.  I'm so grateful for all the abundant inspiration and sites.  The encouraging motivation doesn't 'take' with me half the time but I'm still happy it's all out there.

An offering at Exotic Hair across the street brought a great crowd all day.

 Two kids having a yard sale on the corner.  With purchase you got a free 1/2 inch plastic baby.  Odd but I love added value.

 This blue house has healing powers, I believe.

 This guy won best calves.  We watched him run up and down those 4 tiers of stairs about 5 times before tiring ourselves.

 Fort Greene Park, a block away. Its smallish but big enough to feel like you really went somewhere.  

 Brooklyn has some of the most beautiful trees that look like they could tell a good story.

 Unlike Manhattan, the gorgeous architecture is owned by the many people, not just the filthy rich.

 P knows to act like we're taking his picture so I can grab a photo of some of our beautiful neighbors.

The moment you decide on your cat's Christmas Gift. 

 Our friend, the great Todd Allen refurbished these church windows 

You get a good walk in and in my head the pizza calories had been erased.  So logic also told me a peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream cone from Scoops and Sweets was perfectly....fine.  Yep. 

The Things You Think Are Useless I Can't Understand

P doesn't like festivities around his birthday.  Some people say that and then secretly want a big fanfare but not this one.  He is strong in his convictions.  He does not like to celebrate his birthday.  Proven fact. Okay.  Fine.  So without going to major trouble, I worked up a dinner that was not too showy, but required attention and would be enough out of the ordinary where I felt a bit of a party was going on in my stomach if no where else.

Roasted Beets with capers and pickles.  I thought it was odd too but it was really good together. www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-beet-salad-recipe.html.  Course grain corn meal masa with salsa and garlic.

This skinless chicken thighs were marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce overnight and then coated with corn meal and whole wheat flour and lots of Cajun Seasoning.  Then baked to a crunchy perfection that tasted like a high end Shake and Bake.

I roasted turnips, mushrooms and red onions until caramelized then topped with a few shakes of Balsalmic vinegar.

But the best part for me was the 3 giant slices of assorted flavored cake I picked up from A Piece of Velvet on Fulton Street.  So many flavors to choose from all displayed in a glass case, individually contained.  A solo employee behind the counter, no line, rows and rows of cake slices, one more incredible then the next.  Then it gets better.  He actually names me all the flavors and I feel this must be part of what heaven might feel like.  Cute young kid, and he advises me which to get.
This place has gotten a lot of bad press on Yelp.  I think these are some of Cake Man Raven's old employees.  I hated that place.  I worked for Cake Man in this very same location for a month and never got paid.  I walked off the job and ended up throwing money I had collected in his face in front of his shop.  Okay, throwing is stretching it, I handed it to him but with the disgust of handing off a big warm pile of poop.  He was not cool to me and by the way he didn't even refrigerate the slices overnight.  I was desperate for a job and wanted so much to join the food industry in an area where I might thrive.  I loved the idea of this African-American guy from the south making the best red velvet cake and starting a business in Fort Greene, which helped the neighborhood.  He hired mostly young males, which was also cool.  He ran some ridiculous Craigslist ad for a cattle call and I was the first one in a line of hundreds that morning.  They interviewed as if we were to join some amazing growing company with excitement and drive.  I still don't understand what the hell happened.  I think I was hired.  I never signed any paperwork but I was handed keys.  All I know is he was havin' none of me even after I sat in his non-heated shop that was temporarily closed for renovation for a month in order to hand out pre-ordered cakes....in January.  Every day I took in unrecorded amounts of cash and handed it off to some random ranking disciple of his at night.  I could have pocketed half of it.  I needed that money.   In hindsight, I don't know what I was looking for from him.  A way out of my personal recession.  A career path.  An opportunity to learn a start up business, I don't know.  Yeah, all of that actually and that S.O.B. just looked at me like I had three heads when I asked him to consider me for running his shop.  
Maybe I wasn't what he had in mind, being a woman and being non-African American but I showed up every morning and I was honest, could be trusted.  I was engaged in everything from how fast the cakes got to the shop from the bakery and how they were transported.  I only noticed one other candidate in the running. But Cakeman hated me.  Or actually it was worse, he never even noticed me or how hard I was trying to be a part of his little cake world.  Bastuhd went out of business and was sued by employees for not getting paid years later.
But when I read the bad press on this shop I somehow felt a switch.  It's weird that a shop isn't open when it says it is or when they don't have any cupcakes but all they sell is cupcakes and slices.  Or that the offers aren't clear on signage when you go in or marked with prices.  I don't know, in some way it felt refreshing.  I hope they succeed.

I got what I wanted and it was pretty fabulous.  Even P who doesn't eat sweets dug right in and stayed there in that gorgeous frosting for way longer than I've ever seen him with a dessert.

Years go by and stupid shit you put up with and did is now just a bad embarrassing memory.  I think birthdays should be celebrated and we need to jump at the chance to honor even our slightest evolution.