I Got The Sweetest Hangover, I Don't Wanna Get Over

Black Bean Chili thickened with leftover polenta

Soaked black beans were cooked slow on the stove top with turkey necks then turned into Black Bean Chili with the addition of ground turkey, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, carrots, onions and thickened with my left over Polenta.  

Walking in the sun it's hard to remember what's really going on in the world right now.  You can almost forget we're in a real situation that might not end well at all, like devastating, horrible stuff.  But man, am I ever in a dreamy fog right now.  I hear this from others as well.  Now that he's feeling better P's working diligently on a movie and songs for an album.  I act like I haven't a care in the world, writing, taking pictures, going on long walks, happy as a clam.  Two whole months off from work is a dream come true for so many of us.  Before all this started and I heard I had another 10 years before I could even start to consider retirement, I felt so deflated and burnt out.  We could all be dead in 10 years, I thought.  So even though the entire 2 months we were living in the belly of a monster, fighting for our health, feeling like we just might die, I keep thinking, at least I finally got some time off.  

late night snack board

If you need reminding, peanut butter smeared on an apple slice is delicious!  I've tried different varieties of apples since they store well and can be so surprisingly satisfying.  They are good in sandwiches, salsas, baked, in salads and just sliced as a snack.  It's definitely one produce buy that won't get trashed because you forgot it was there or didn't use it all.   Also, putting out one board of snacks to replace an evening meal, especially if you've eaten a heavy lunch, kills all the birds.  Love it!

Good Taste has many Roots

That last storm blew the door wide open for fall to come in. The high winds almost took all the leaves off the trees in one shot. No more 80 degree days. That boat has sailed. That means its finally time for much heartier dishes and seasonal root vegetables.

Root vegetables are like the sensible plain-looking chubby girls of the supermarket aisles. They aren't as exciting or visually appealing at first glance as say the red ripe tomatoes or the golden sweet corn. But they definitely fill you up, they taste earthy and they're so good for you. Once you get them home and cook with them, you realize just how special they really are...inside. Sometimes that natural basic flavor is amazing with just a little added dash of salt and pepper.

Last night I made Braised Turnip Greens with Turnips and Apples to go along side my jerk chicken. The dull looking turnips had tons of flavor and just a little pat of butter made them come alive. But just to be sure, I brought the ham hock along to get these little wallflowers on the dance floor.

שנה טובה ומתוקה

I'm honoring the Jewish Holiday with some Spiced Apple Cake, a recipe from M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, otherwise known as the Two Hot Tamales. There is a cool Guava-lime cream cheese topping and I think it sounds very moist. I found it on the web while searching for the meaning of Rosh Hashanah. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and that's what I got. Sounds like the holiday is about some extra prayers, a blowing of a ram's horn and judgement. Basically its like a more elaborate yearly evaluation review at work but instead of your half-wit boss, its God and he's got all the stuff you've done on some list. If you're semi-righteous, you can repent for 10 days and maybe you'll get your name written in His book, which is what you want. That's like 'corrective action', which I got slammed with one time for not ringing a cash transaction correctly and they gave me 30 days to make sure I wasn't making it a habit. The 'wicked' though get ixnayed out of the book altogether and that is the book of the living, so that is not good at all. Oh, and one of the ceremonial foods includes apples to symbolize a sweet new year.

When I worked at the Western Messenger Company in San Francisco, we would get calls from Jews for Jesus for pick-ups and I was young and dumb and apparently deaf and thought they were saying Juice for Jesus and I went home more days than I'd like to admit wondering why people would need to offer up orange juice to the Gods.

I'm hoping the boys enjoy this cake as a little treat. P will take it with him to the German bar on Saturday night.