Honeycrisp Surprise

I bought Honeycrisp apples this week instead of my usual Granny Smiths, mostly because (I admit) I like the name. It's cute.

I'm generally wary of produce with names like this, but I decided to take a chance on these (because, you know, the name is cute).

Endives Fresh from the French Ground

Taken last winter in farmers market in Lyon, France.


Freshness.

Chocolate and Summer

...don't go well together. My poor tin of chocolate wedges:


Trader Joe's used to sell Traveler's Chocolates, but like so many products, TJ began producing and selling its own version in its own packaging. Personally, I don't think they are quite as good as the original, but they're much better than Hershey's for the serious chocoholic.

Overnight Fluffy Pancake Batter

Yeast. 

The pancake to the left was made as a pre-work breakfast. Pancakes aren't generally a for-one meal to make-- why go through the trouble of mixing up a batch of batter from scratch when you're only feeding yourself?

Because pancakes, cooked in butter, spread with more butter, and sweetened with a dollop of jam are wonderful. And wonderful is a good thing to have before going to work in the morning.

Yes, I did have to crack some eggs, pour some milk, melt some butter, measure out flour, but not in the morning. I made this batter the night before and by using yeast instead of baking powder, it was perfectly ready to be cooked the next morning. Wonderful. Easy. 

Also, I hadn't had much success getting fluffy pancakes using baking powder. I'm sure it was due, at least in part, to some lacking in my technique or the quality of the baking powder I used, but this batter, even with my haphazard technique of adding an amount of yeast that "looks about right," creates a pancake with a more than adequate fluff-factor. 

The best part is that it keeps well, so there may be multiple wonderful mornings, depending on how much batter you make and how large you make your cakes.  

To be honest, I often treated myself to post-work "wonderful" as well. 

Snack Attack: Marcona Almonds

I was first introduced to these Spanish Marcona Almonds a last by a friend who included them in a gorgeous cheese platter. They are addictive, amazing, and expensive. I had to ration out the eight ounce, six-dollar package to avoid eating them all in a single sitting.

These came from Whole Foods toasted and lightly salted-- I usually try to avoid pre-salted nuts, but these were just irresistible. They were too good to even use for a recipe. I eat them one at a time, savoring the snappy crunch that other almonds do not have. These flat, nearly-unrecognizable-as-almonds almonds are worth the indulgence if you're able.

As I am currently gravely underemployed, I've not indulged yet this year though memories of my past Marcona almond experiences fill me with longing. Now that I've written this, though, it may not be long before I crack.

Does Your Bacon Generate Electricity?

One of many reasons people become vegetarians is environmental concern; not only are forests cut down to create fields for raising livestock, but the emissions generated by livestock contributes to global warming. This article in the New York Times describes the way one farm in Sterksel, the Netherlands has dealt with the environmental impact of meat and dairy production:

That is why a group of farmers-turned-environmentalists here at a smelly but impeccably clean research farm have a new take on making a silk purse from a sow’s ear: They cook manure from their 3,000 pigs to capture the methane trapped within it, and then use the gas to make electricity for the local power grid.

I like that increasing awareness of environmental repercussions has lead to the development of creative and practical farming methods. I'd say "buy Dutch pork!" but the pollution generated by importing it would probably negate the pollution saved by the producers.

Vote Today!

David Lebovitz reminds us about voting and taxes:

We all hope to create a better world. I'd like to think most people would like to improve the quality of life for themselves, as well as others. Straddling two countries, I pay taxes in America (and France), which are part of my civic duty. I don't have kids, but I believe that by having a quality education, our young people will grown up to be better citizens. No one likes to pay taxes, but we're happy when we call 911, the police arrive. We're happy if there's a fire, the firemen arrive quickly. We're happy we have public libraries and schools, manned by people who are often unappreciated, but who work hard because they love and believe in what they're doing.

OBAMA for President.
NO on CA Props 4, 6, 8, & 9.

I am not sure what made me do it, but I made chocolate syrup before going to the polls this morning. It took about 20 minutes. I now have a pint of thick, not-too-sweet, delicious home-made chocolate syrup on my shelf. A report on that forthcoming, if the world is intact after this election.

Accidental Ricotta

I have been on a pancake kick lately. I like buttermilk pancakes but since I have to work with what I've got, I usually substitute regular milk that has been soured with vinegar for the buttermilk. Last night I heated some milk (as being at room temperature or slightly warm aids the souring process) and added apple cider vinegar to it, expecting it to just mix in. In a few moments, I realized that I had overheated the milk and the vinegar had begun to coagulate it.

For a moment, I didn't know what to do. Should I toss it out and try to sour another batch? Of course not. I put the lid on the jar that I had heated the milk in and shook it around, watching the small curds that were forming inside. Since the milk wasn't very hot to begin with, not very much cheese actually formed. I stowed the jar in the refrigerator and decided that I would still use it to make pancakes.

This morning I contemplated the jar again. I could see the curdy bits floating around ominously. I knew they'd be fine, but this was my first time experiencing the non way-past-its-expiration-date kind of curdled milk. Hesitantly, I used a fork to fish out a small sample of the curds and tasted it.

The vinegar flavor was strong, probably due to the lack of mixing, but the creamy texture of the cheese made me want to try more. For my next bite, I sprinkled a tiny bit of kosher salt on the curds. It was lovely and clean and the salt helped minimize the vinegar flavor.

I think I'll do it on purpose next time. Also, I had used 2% milk-- I know that this will be even better with whole milk.

I had always wanted to try to make ricotta at home, but it took a souring accident to make me believe I could actually do it. And this, this is why I love cooking: the happy and potentially delicious accidents.

Photo credit: Moritz*

Attention Diverted

I haven't been posting much here because I've been diverting much of my writing focus to personal creative writing and to the blog I keep about life in Los Angeles: South of Downtown. I'm not going to shut down this blog, but my focus is diverted. As I get into a better rhythm, however, I'm hoping to begin posting here on a more regular (if not very frequent) basis. In the meantime, feel free to pay a visit my other blog!

Hilarity Ensues

Thank my friend Eric for linking me to these images from a Fabulously40.c0m article.

Strangely enough, he is neither 40 nor female, but he is fabulous.

These are but a few. There are many more at the original post!

So. Fabulous.

New URL!

I've changed my Blogger URL to reflect my title-- please take note!

Apologies for any inconvenience this causes, I just thought it was about time to get rid of the confusing "groceryaddict" as my url while having The Grocery Fiend as my blog title.

The Asian Steamed Sticky Rice Burrito

Forgive the less-than-artful title; there just isn't a more illustrative and concise way of describing this Southeast Asian creation. It is almost like an overgrown sushi roll, but I think of it as burrito because of its size. They consist of strips of pork belly, mung bean, and glutinous rice wrapped tightly inside banana leaves and steamed. I've seen ones that are humongous and square-shaped, but most are around eight inches long and two or three inches in diameter, depending on who makes them. (That sounds... funny.)

These "nuhm nsahm" (a phonetic spelling completely of my own fabrication) are ubiquitous on special occasions such as Lunar New Year, weddings, or my aunt's whim.

I don't really like them very much. I find them a bit on the bland side and the sticky twice-cooked texture of the rice doesn't really do anything for me...

Except when the very dense item is sliced and fried on both sides, to be consumed with soy sauce and Sriracha. That, ohhh, that is a completely different animal. Er, food.

Here's how the magic happens:

10 Uses for Condensed Milk

It's no secret that I love condensed milk. I will find any excuse to ingest it on any given day (and do, daily).

Ten ways to incorporate condensed milk into your daily intake:

1. Vietnamese-style coffee, preferably using Cafe du Monde ground coffee with Chicory

2. Drizzled over "Shredded Bite-size Wheats" cereal

3. Mixed into morning tea instead of milk & honey

4. Drizzled over torn baguette (note the drizzling pattern)

5. Drizzled over fruit and shaved ice (generally found at boba/pearl tea establishments like Guppy's)

6. Macaroni & cheese (I haven't tried this one yet but it sounds magical!)

7. Dulce de leche (Simmer an unopened can for 3 hours) on toast

8. My Pauper's pumpkin soup

9. Condensed milk fudge

10. Consume directly from spoon. There's no shame in it, really. I do it all the time.

Ironically, there is no condensed milk in my apartment right now because I polished off the last of it yesterday. Time to go to the bodega downstairs.

Please Excuse Me

I have been absent from my dear blog for weeks because of a combination of birthday events, travel, and general life-insanity. I am working on getting back into the blogging groove. This note is just to let my readers (yes, all three of you) know that I am still alive.

Also, in the spirit of letting this blog become more personal than I've let it be thus far...

A conversation this morning over AIM:

Me: i add condensed milk to my tea
Thomas: haha yes you would
Thomas: i'm convinced you run entirely off of sweet things
Me: 'tisn't true!
Thomas: Which fits my longtime theory that you are actually some fairy or spirit

Question: Are fairies/spirits really said to live off of sweets?

Where the Grub Comes From

I grew up thinking that everyone had a jungle of fruits and vegetables in their yards where their parents would go and get bits and pieces to prepare meals. Then I got a little bit older, and I thought that all Asian families did this. Eventually I realized that the sheer volume of things my parents grow isn't very common at all, and that my parents are amazing (and a little crazy).

Some snapshots of a few of the wonderful things they grow in their backyard:

Parsley

The stuff that ends up in the Khmer version of scallion pancakes. It's pronounce "kuh-chai" and is sort of green-onion esque, but has thicker leaves and is not as sharp in flavor.

Chinese kale. I think.

The tenderest lettuce leaves you'll ever wrap around a spring roll.

Lemongrass. These will eventually grow into a chaotic jungle.

Lonely sugarcane. I think my dad might have planted these for a lark since I showed envy at the multitude of sugarcane in my aunt's backyard. (Yes, my aunt has this kind of yard, too. The whole family trades their respective bounty.)

Kaffir lime tree. I don't recall actually seeing any fruit on this tree, ever, though the leaves are used often in my mother's cooking. Her delicious, delicious cooking.

Dessert: tangerines! Or whatever variation of small orange citrus these are. They're tangy, and more sour than sweet, which is why I like them. One of my friends suggests that this means I must have a sour disposition. I don't think that's true. Jerk.

Things I left out: banana trees, a lime tree, pomegranate trees, persimmon trees, a guava tree, mint, and many other things for which I don't know the English names.

And this (along with lots of leftovers from family gatherings) is how I survive on $20-40/month for groceries.

Candlelight Cooking: Bacon, Beans, & Greens

It should be known that people who live alone tend to do weird things. We eat weird things, we prance around to music we generally don't admit to liking, we indulge our strange habits and idiosyncrasies because, well, who's going to say anything?

Unless, of course, you tell people about it. Which I am doing now.

One night, I arrived home with eyes exhausted from staring into a computer screen for too long and I couldn't bear the thought of turning on any lights, so I spent the evening using only candles to illuminate my apartment.

And thus, the title of this post is explained. Not that it wasn't self-explanatory.

Chopping:


Yes, that is a milk-crate doubling as a counter. I laid it on its side on top of another milk crate, creating a fairly efficient shelving system. I've since replaced it with scavenged furniture. That little cutting board is actually concave on the other side for use with a mezzaluna.

Sautéeing:


Everything just looks better by candlelight, doesn't it? Especially onions glistening in saved bacon grease. Who's afraid of a little bacon grease? Not me. Not even in the near-dark.

The two pans:


Baby bok choy on the left, kidney beans on the right. I added some of the bacon-flavored onions to the kidney beans, and both dishes are seasoned with red pepper flake and a tiny dash of oregano. You shouldn't leave your kettle on the stove like I do, it's bad for it.

Pre-rice bowl:


This was such a simple and satisfying meal that I think I've become addicted to the combination of beans and rice as a result. I'm sure the bacon-y goodness helped, too.

Cooking by candlelight was relaxing; my sense of time slowed down and I was more careful and attentive than usual. I'm also very appreciative of the convenience imparted by electric lights since there were a few moments when I was tempted to turn them on. I refrained for the sake of my tired eyes.

This was just one of my less-embarrassing, more-delicious weird moments. There are many more-embarrassing, less-delicious (to most) weird moments that are better left unspoken.

More bean-y reading:

• Mark Bittman's beans & rice on Serious Eats
• Wikipedia has a surprisingly long entry on the combination
• The Amateur Gourmet post that probably planted the idea of beans & rice in my brain long ago
  

Chicory is Essential, Apparently

I had been making Vietnamese-style coffee with a dark roast from Trader Joe's, and while it was good, there was just something missing. It didn't taste quite right: it didn't have the same mouthfeel or color as the coffee I had and loved in Cambodia and in Vietnamese restaurants here. Yesterday I decided to pick up a can of Cafe du Monde Coffee with Chicory, and, lo-and-behold, this morning's brew was exactly right.

In Wikipedia I trust (for more about chicory).

The process of making coffee this way is worth it. I love watching the condensed milk swirl up into the coffee from the bottom of the cup. It reminds me of mornings in Cambodia and late nights in pho restaurants.

Anything + Pasta + Broccoli = Satisfying Meal

(Apologies for my amateurish, horribly blurry photography)

The title of this post reflects my general philosophy about leftovers.

First, I should explain that I am shameless about eating leftovers. Completely. I think I get this willingness to turn odds and ends into edible (and generally tasty) meals from my mother, who is a sorceress when it comes to inventing ways to avoid wasting food.

I have no problem making large batches of pasta to eat over the course of a few meals. I find that shells or macaroni are easier to cook, store, and re-serve than long pastas like spaghetti or fettuccine. The small pastas are also easier to incorporate with sauce and to scoop up in small portions. (This is important to me because I like to use small dessert-size utensils to eat my meals; this is probably because, contrary to what some might say, I have a relatively small mouth.

Also, pasta is very forgiving: as long as you treat it half-way decently, it doesn't much care whether you use a cream sauce, a tomato sauce, or just some butter and olive oil and simple adornments. The key is to cook the pasta to the proper level of doneness-- when it will be mixed with a luscious sauce, it should be cooked slightly less than a pasta that will simply be tossed with a little oil and a few ingredients.

Big Fish Eats Little Fish, Gets Sick--Starbucks Buys Clover

I'm not just a grocery fiend, I'm a coffee fiend as well.

Listening to National Public Radio on 89.3 KPCC this morning, I found out that Starbucks has purchased the Clover single-cup brewing system manufacturer. I have never tried Clover-brewed coffee, but I am still saddened that Starbucks bought it because it narrows the distribution of wealth even more.

It seems that the coffee leviathan is trying to regain its hip, cutting-edge "edge," which I think is a mistake. I just don't think that Starbucks is where we look for the hip and cutting-edge any more-- people who are looking for a coffee experience are going to independently-owned shops, not franchises, and I'm not sure using $10,000 Clovers is going to help.

Starbucks should have learned this after its acquisition of Diedrich's Coffee not only failed to prevent falling profit margins, but (at least for me) added to the evil-corporate-monopoly reputation that is the complete opposite of the counter-culture appeal it once had. It doesn't seem like a wise move to keep trying to do more rather than simply improve upon the services and products it is already providing. The purchase of Clover seems like nothing more than another step to dominate the coffee market, not a genuine move to better serve customers. They've become the McDonald's of the coffee world-- at least in terms of their products, as they treat their employees considerably better, from what I've heard.

Related coffee reading:

• According to Slate Magazine, the tide has turned from when a new Starbucks opening was a death sentence for an independent coffee shop: Why Starbucks actually helps mom and pop coffeehouses.
  
• Martin Diedrich went on to open the wonderfully successful Kean Coffeehouse in Costa Mesa, California.
• The Gothamist: Starbucks C.E.O. Unveils New Ideas to Shareholders
  

Hezbollah Tofu: Veganizing Bourdain

I will admit that I am a not-entirely-shameless fan of Anthony Bourdain's smoking, swearing, bad-habit-and-filthy-manners- revelling style, and I am far from vegan, but I still think Hezbollah Tofu is an awesome idea.

Tired of Bourdain's oppressively vehement stance and abusive tirades against vegetarianism and veganism, the folks at Hezbollah Tofu have created "A Bourdain-Veganizing Collective" which will

enjoy vastly improved, veganized versions of [his] masturbatory, blood-oozing recipes. And then we're going to compile them, sell them in zine form, and donate the proceeds to vegan outreach organizations and farm sanctuaries--in [his]name. Anthony, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to the great work we're going to do together for veganism.

I'm by no means vegetarian or vegan, and I have to admit that some of the food I enjoy falls into that "masturbatory, blood-oozing" category, but I appreciate what Hezbollah Tofu is doing.

The audacity of the mission is, in a word, delicious. With the culinary creativity that veganism engenders, I'm sure the food will be, too.