Food city area

Hooray for Ellen and Alec!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jLXf4A_YQ3hvs094aGXai-GtrHvdPLG-gwf3f7P7HSxfCUwVihPpZAngUjK5wj0bKOZ_QNYrqBjleMK_F5liyK4_e-2DXXfzCeIrf1rEjdrLsaburQXx6bb53Lfwft4bREVVmGpDGa9U/s1600/chili0023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jLXf4A_YQ3hvs094aGXai-GtrHvdPLG-gwf3f7P7HSxfCUwVihPpZAngUjK5wj0bKOZ_QNYrqBjleMK_F5liyK4_e-2DXXfzCeIrf1rEjdrLsaburQXx6bb53Lfwft4bREVVmGpDGa9U/s640/chili0023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Dinner tonight: Alec and Ellen's Award-Winning Chili, made according to their recipe, using their special Texas chili seasoning mix. I'm so glad to have more of this great spice blend. As shown in the photo, I also made cornbread (using a New York Times recipe) and a salad of avocado and grapefruit sections from TEXAS grapefruits.<br /><br />I followed the recipe carefully -- it makes enough for 8 or 10 servings, but I only warmed up enough for the two of us. As instructed I did not put any beans in it!<br /><br />Link to first post on Texas Red: http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2006/11/texas-red.html

Hooray for Ellen and Alec!

Dinner tonight: Alec and Ellen's Award-Winning Chili, made according to their recipe, using their special Texas chili seasoning mix. I&#...

Baca selengkapnya »

16.44

And later, a movie...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNur5XKCYZ3TZOMLDqFAkeQzlF9c8L89hXbraMtqRiCPjr6exOnuLPIYtgpCrV_LickW7Caa7ecFbrvGUq1nTzZC1ZfF0xr3wFG0jFCm6LHVqSWHAtfqJqPZkrHTgy8wgOSBofZW96ElQ2/s1600/christmas1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNur5XKCYZ3TZOMLDqFAkeQzlF9c8L89hXbraMtqRiCPjr6exOnuLPIYtgpCrV_LickW7Caa7ecFbrvGUq1nTzZC1ZfF0xr3wFG0jFCm6LHVqSWHAtfqJqPZkrHTgy8wgOSBofZW96ElQ2/s400/christmas1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6VGpm2wO6hi8yCemrZl3Orb2KxqxEW7Cfz-rLIjdWgZ0hy4gLVxqCEK7zLMUY7CxKABx5bD6EtdsS_rJbLTPQcEeRcS1s76-0xovudXGbH7nTmX5iADcI1C_g6bT6ke4R1tLHZC9xQzU/s1600/christmas2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6VGpm2wO6hi8yCemrZl3Orb2KxqxEW7Cfz-rLIjdWgZ0hy4gLVxqCEK7zLMUY7CxKABx5bD6EtdsS_rJbLTPQcEeRcS1s76-0xovudXGbH7nTmX5iADcI1C_g6bT6ke4R1tLHZC9xQzU/s400/christmas2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Jay and Ruby</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsMYrr0UWL0zGiobdF1595Ts6PGDaSJnhHGo0Tln7WfzctS0D-V4UMzZtqqBZFH8HSzBKL6km1lPltbtQmCMk1jZ-UWBhCuuwCpY9p8NJ_mp9046zBfHF-JNPJazDTUN2kk8yGHZQTrEw/s1600/christmas3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsMYrr0UWL0zGiobdF1595Ts6PGDaSJnhHGo0Tln7WfzctS0D-V4UMzZtqqBZFH8HSzBKL6km1lPltbtQmCMk1jZ-UWBhCuuwCpY9p8NJ_mp9046zBfHF-JNPJazDTUN2kk8yGHZQTrEw/s400/christmas3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYm9vKB4-V0EfbsncjedIbVUYBzgfGam26qKSHoQ_2FPXpPwrKtwqx3HqpYtH8jTVwdWXbdAvh3MvFGPHOKKj8DAyUCie9MT1ril-EUIEu7HykJtapRydiQ5Cy7qUWZRIG0xNuF7eAUsD/s1600/christmas4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYm9vKB4-V0EfbsncjedIbVUYBzgfGam26qKSHoQ_2FPXpPwrKtwqx3HqpYtH8jTVwdWXbdAvh3MvFGPHOKKj8DAyUCie9MT1ril-EUIEu7HykJtapRydiQ5Cy7qUWZRIG0xNuF7eAUsD/s400/christmas4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Other things we selected from the dim-sum carts: potstickers, pork buns, almond and mango pudding, three kinds of shrimp dumplings, red-cooked pork, cucumbers in vinegar, sticky rice. Things we wished we could have eaten too: greens, chicken feet, lots of other kinds of dumplings...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjA3gEZu_9HpgwE_iCjBt4WW_b-P-mKTyfXMQYdsp4LYIPksavIRReXHTC-3QLswOwAurYIjgYvmfHoqRgvLQU8JuSrtRUAywrCvovPMKOyB9BK3U5t_7PTWcrYqlG_sCsbHbpvt0-olP/s1600/christmas6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjA3gEZu_9HpgwE_iCjBt4WW_b-P-mKTyfXMQYdsp4LYIPksavIRReXHTC-3QLswOwAurYIjgYvmfHoqRgvLQU8JuSrtRUAywrCvovPMKOyB9BK3U5t_7PTWcrYqlG_sCsbHbpvt0-olP/s640/christmas6.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br />LuLu's Chinese seafood restaurant near Olivette, Mo. Note that the dragon's eye is a Christmas light.

And later, a movie...

Jay and Ruby Other things we selected from the dim-sum carts: potstickers, pork buns, almond and mango pudding, three kinds of shrimp dumpli...

Baca selengkapnya »

12.21

Tequila!

I am reading <i>Tequila! A Natural and Cultural History</i> by Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata and Gary Paul Nabhan. Science and poetic description combine beautifully as the author describes the taxonomy of the agave plant used in the beverage, its long history beginning in prehistoric Mexico, and the lives and traditions of the Mexican agricultural workers who plant, cultivate, and harvest the agave crop. Valenzuela-Zapata describes their hard physical labor and the taxing heat and aridity of the fields, the simple meals they cook and eat while working, and their "quixotic" oral tradition.<br /><br />"Mescaleros are forever spinning yarns about mescal -- the plant and the spirit -- while working in fields or resting in the nearby shade, and while jiving on the street corner or drinking in the cantina on the village plaza," writes the author. "They keep up their running commentary while bolting for cover during a sudden downpour, or cursing the sun as it bakes the plants they have tended for seasons." (p. 31)<br /><br />The labor continues in the distilleries where huge harvested "pinas" are roasted and their liquid fermented, possibly with sugar, into a variety of tequilas. The lore continues, backward and forward in time, in many traditions of eating and drinking the fruit of this very widespread plant.<br /><br />Two images kept recurring in  my mind. One was of a worker taking care of huge agave plants at Lotus Land, an eccentric botanical garden in Santa Barbara that I visited in 2003; you can see the large pine-cone-like agave bulb similar to that used to make tequila:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi40OfqYJ46Ub_Pb6k0yU-F89G0zce3PwcvF_FV1Ra7h-T4Fko5f8NJsbsRAqjtAfsXyc6RW4SKX7lxMubxWmFTJD0D93mLmBU3fUZhByjJDKfOdgnKv9kXHzzdN4FZlDv5fTXhGF-DU_/s1600/114_1403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi40OfqYJ46Ub_Pb6k0yU-F89G0zce3PwcvF_FV1Ra7h-T4Fko5f8NJsbsRAqjtAfsXyc6RW4SKX7lxMubxWmFTJD0D93mLmBU3fUZhByjJDKfOdgnKv9kXHzzdN4FZlDv5fTXhGF-DU_/s400/114_1403.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The second image is of Mayahuel, Aztec goddess of agave, mentioned at various points in the book:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUwFnllBjcnhBYZnvPy8d-hi-w_SWnLLNdXbIjVChCIgDLJCFPvfwQ8K3DiyxbZ1HXG_y7Y53wnuH3eNF16c8NwN8YkLuDP_uA9pZNfDlZfboRY8jWFMack4n7fCL1yOdQ_MfHrO_qMUu/s1600/mayahuel-goddess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUwFnllBjcnhBYZnvPy8d-hi-w_SWnLLNdXbIjVChCIgDLJCFPvfwQ8K3DiyxbZ1HXG_y7Y53wnuH3eNF16c8NwN8YkLuDP_uA9pZNfDlZfboRY8jWFMack4n7fCL1yOdQ_MfHrO_qMUu/s640/mayahuel-goddess.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I'm looking forward to a lively discussion of the book in my culinary book club next week.

Tequila!

I am reading Tequila! A Natural and Cultural History by Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata and Gary Paul Nabhan. Science and poetic description combi...

Baca selengkapnya »

09.43

Turkey Sushi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVVOHb00E6KhCuGl8ZqX0M-pJwmHcXhPrW8ZWlFdzBfFPV5IETrWroUB_0oPSF8coSmGIMqBcvQ6dhOdlsX7q1n46eft0nMNFQh99Jso0DnOOHgg7EjgAEER1CXqaEjs2hzClbHXJDtPk/s1600/turkeysushi1615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVVOHb00E6KhCuGl8ZqX0M-pJwmHcXhPrW8ZWlFdzBfFPV5IETrWroUB_0oPSF8coSmGIMqBcvQ6dhOdlsX7q1n46eft0nMNFQh99Jso0DnOOHgg7EjgAEER1CXqaEjs2hzClbHXJDtPk/s640/turkeysushi1615.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />For lunch, we couldn't go out for sushi since we still had a lot of turkey and other leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. So I made Thanksgiving sushi, as illustrated above. Then we got in the car and drove from Lafayette to Ann Arbor where we are safely home. We have no leftovers here so maybe we'll have fish sushi or some other not so Thanksgiving-y dinner.

Turkey Sushi

For lunch, we couldn't go out for sushi since we still had a lot of turkey and other leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. So I made Thank...

Baca selengkapnya »

14.42

Fresh Eggs

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNcVpdE2yyRzNw_3IMamNIJo5t7hyfodzCjdtSaIMTY9gOT-RVhrvR-ZO6UkzUtsdAMzckoVFMIFaCeO4hDdopyVw-YIZEMp_0b2j46NAj91uqWyQQjNGX2d6lJoGRKx5-YX3sDZkCcGB/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNcVpdE2yyRzNw_3IMamNIJo5t7hyfodzCjdtSaIMTY9gOT-RVhrvR-ZO6UkzUtsdAMzckoVFMIFaCeO4hDdopyVw-YIZEMp_0b2j46NAj91uqWyQQjNGX2d6lJoGRKx5-YX3sDZkCcGB/s320/IMG_1608.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The whitish green eggs are from a hen named Jello and the brown eggs are from a hen named Marguerite. Jello and Marguerite and another hen all live in the back yard of our neighbors, who gave us these wonderful eggs. We brought them along for our Thanksgiving visit to Lafayette.<br /><br />When I cracked them open, I could see how fresh they looked:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhxeUpKamASvMQcIfxh6aMC9zPmMw7mrDsGJgdEFAWVOEyDNfBujaIXv9-v4NBMg-eCOxomgkvb_dqyeiayNOmI_KLV5gCq5zbqQ9P1YHyKUfuSDRxxjaZpM4gERu9UliIhZiPkM59Jnc/s1600/IMG_1610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhxeUpKamASvMQcIfxh6aMC9zPmMw7mrDsGJgdEFAWVOEyDNfBujaIXv9-v4NBMg-eCOxomgkvb_dqyeiayNOmI_KLV5gCq5zbqQ9P1YHyKUfuSDRxxjaZpM4gERu9UliIhZiPkM59Jnc/s320/IMG_1610.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I made them into a tortilla espanola, that is, a potato omelet.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN38fIR1n7lKmtmATvXXaPPXNeCUcxKyGA_QEryz5g3PgPtiMV7sBeWIHQM6145ch4YrawyjJbOA8tJA1wTRXbBjO_YkRurdw6s7vKYrpAXPz59LbwcSQUwVrz-KI7qywMBnYthPEThy0c/s1600/IMG_1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN38fIR1n7lKmtmATvXXaPPXNeCUcxKyGA_QEryz5g3PgPtiMV7sBeWIHQM6145ch4YrawyjJbOA8tJA1wTRXbBjO_YkRurdw6s7vKYrpAXPz59LbwcSQUwVrz-KI7qywMBnYthPEThy0c/s320/IMG_1613.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We have eaten it all! We are thankful to our neighbors for the lovely eggs.

Fresh Eggs

The whitish green eggs are from a hen named Jello and the brown eggs are from a hen named Marguerite. Jello and Marguerite and another hen a...

Baca selengkapnya »

13.22

Dinner!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcemCsnBw4mMasvHiEvWrUNFwb1dXp38s5JR2QQbw34_jurbI75zzV7jE4pPgciqu1WREz722-N35Q8oE4XoovGuz0o0rcskTBWMV_WeB5ihLRBNWBpPqspKujzp_sxEfNTksEh_jeoEwW/s1600/IMG_1595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcemCsnBw4mMasvHiEvWrUNFwb1dXp38s5JR2QQbw34_jurbI75zzV7jE4pPgciqu1WREz722-N35Q8oE4XoovGuz0o0rcskTBWMV_WeB5ihLRBNWBpPqspKujzp_sxEfNTksEh_jeoEwW/s400/IMG_1595.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_jjpLwSchEevtOiHVMw1L1Yy9XfNgs8xvB95SqfYMKMeyMsE-ASn2mtqZL_JPBsVdk4O1GL3g-Rjgeeyeo6KOZx5bHMO0kLhPJu9zbgflxieZWSjWCESdHjSgwGF654gEOPo5R3KIpp1/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_jjpLwSchEevtOiHVMw1L1Yy9XfNgs8xvB95SqfYMKMeyMsE-ASn2mtqZL_JPBsVdk4O1GL3g-Rjgeeyeo6KOZx5bHMO0kLhPJu9zbgflxieZWSjWCESdHjSgwGF654gEOPo5R3KIpp1/s400/IMG_1592.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turkey, cranberry sauce, plum chutney, and several vegetables</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCrojtKi5C1gMz8d_KiZOX4IZW6UfWBlEbS9GZDnf4VVfP0gs9OQ-AP7MP98nTlmEXlYJgQjYzUvOoMecZ9tziGujlwVAHn2_klP6OHkbAdW4hgB2MY7RluBT2e-bIWhcHgO7YMT1QSmm/s1600/IMG_1599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCrojtKi5C1gMz8d_KiZOX4IZW6UfWBlEbS9GZDnf4VVfP0gs9OQ-AP7MP98nTlmEXlYJgQjYzUvOoMecZ9tziGujlwVAHn2_klP6OHkbAdW4hgB2MY7RluBT2e-bIWhcHgO7YMT1QSmm/s640/IMG_1599.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ready to eat...</span></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1jdp1KkIrk54iPcaVIVLtdqvHX67gV8KjkSK_cRnfBiFAWHLigwgAOHClpYKRflclDq3z3xznvavOr_hP_fb6tYhFRMgJ43dt2QNkLyeyd1PQtRqrS-AXin4tdiMJxNwip5NCoM4OTQ8/s1600/IMG_1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1jdp1KkIrk54iPcaVIVLtdqvHX67gV8KjkSK_cRnfBiFAWHLigwgAOHClpYKRflclDq3z3xznvavOr_hP_fb6tYhFRMgJ43dt2QNkLyeyd1PQtRqrS-AXin4tdiMJxNwip5NCoM4OTQ8/s400/IMG_1601.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Apple pie, chocolate pie, cranberry bread</i></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDHBqQgC9PL7bGW4xa-INIOQDIVufFhiZVw8PAy0Jp52nJmbKisbt1RKTDAJeqWERW6QgSMaonhRd3o7-VCl5mTI_HDdiEcmkN7d5c1wLXrBAaxq4Poas3XJSlllXdpLDDfdLEfCqHFFf/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDHBqQgC9PL7bGW4xa-INIOQDIVufFhiZVw8PAy0Jp52nJmbKisbt1RKTDAJeqWERW6QgSMaonhRd3o7-VCl5mTI_HDdiEcmkN7d5c1wLXrBAaxq4Poas3XJSlllXdpLDDfdLEfCqHFFf/s400/IMG_1587.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Our turkey centerpiece</i></span></div>