Wednesday, November 5, 2014

post modern, post halloween, pop culture post

5 shades of m

are m&m's food? Well I think they are, I have been living off them for 4 days now.   I shot the neon little chocolate pills today and now see them for what they are... artificial hits of Damian Hirst colour that should be taken sparingly, not ripping open 3 little packs at a time and inhaling, which I have been doing.  Only five colours but strangely all with the same taste. I think I have had my fill, which is good because I also think this was the last pack.  Another thing I discovered on this visual escapade is employing the iPhone and an LED headlamp really compliment the candy.  Cheap and easy, garish colour, does not hold up to scrutiny and over-sharpened.  I apologise for taking you down this gastro back alley but I'm gleefully satiated with the cheesy result and my awakening to the harm or all of the above.
Will I pop more m&m's and shoot with the iPhone and LED lights?...sadly,  most likely I will. But, and this is a big but, I know their place and value, cheap imitations of the real thing.
Yes I'm aware I have been using the English version of "colour", a bi-product of channeling Mr. Hirst and like the subject matter, I am just a cheap imitation.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

3 little truffles


Tuber Melanosporum, aka Perigord Truffle, or just plain ole Black Truffle, yes please!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Black and White and red almost all over




Cherry tomatoes on todays nyt business section - I had to do something to offset reading the front section with the woes of the world saturating every column.  It may be viewed as escape-ism but I prefer to think of it as finding center in the midst of chaos, this morning's visual mediation.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Don't let facts get in the way of preconceived notions


broiled gluten free organic cinnamon toast

I do these often and like making the espresso I have with it, they require tweaking to your mood and palate. I went a little crazy with the cinnamon/sugar mix on the right slice, but visually it made the shot.

I am on a new bread, Udi's, Gluten free and now available at my local Costco, this is my first loaf and it is great bread.  Gluten-free use to mean cardboard slices, but not this stuff.  I just can't handle much gluten anymore and I don't want to give up bread completely, how could I?  I want my cinnamon toast, french toast and my beloved leftover filled sandwiches.  I'm using organic cane sugar for my cinnamon toast mix and pure butter so I feel totally convinced that I am eating healthy! Well that is my perceived  reality.  Please don't try to say otherwise, I won't hear it, at least not when it comes to my palate.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Co-existence of Reds




I learned many things at the Spy Valley Memorial Day Lobster & Lamb feast..here are the first 2 that come to mind.

1.  Their Pinot Noir goes down great with grilled half Lobsters marinated with garlic and olive oil.
2.  Lobsters are an orange shade of red, even when cooked and Pinot Noir is a purple shade of red.

 I suppose I already knew No.2 but I have not had the occasion to put them side by side to really see the difference and appreciate the range what we call "red" has. I have tended to avoid orange-red and purple-red together visually but taste wise, it works for me…just another boundary broken.

Now the question.. Why aren't these profound thoughts.. let alone the pictures, not in Food&Wine?
I will work on that puzzle over the weekend.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Earthy Beets

Beets
I am a fan of root veggies, I love them with a traditional sunday roast meal.. but the beet I save for summer lite meals, in salads or blended in a green drink.  The colors are amazing and there is no food that communicates the fact they are of the earth as beets do.  

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Grazing in the Midwest











Graze in Madison, Wiconsin.  As the name implies they are part of the farm-to-table movement and wow I did some serious grazing here.  First time to Madison, first time having a house lemonade that blew me away, a seasonal mix of lemon, ginger and rhubarb.  First time to try deep fried pickles..yeah I know, I have been in a cave. They do their own pickles there..that is so hard-core.
I was impressed with the college town / state capital combo in Madison..a toned down and accessible version of the vibrant but sometimes too edgy Brooklyn, or maybe that is just my midwestern roots showing.  I also ordered and enjoyed their brisket sliders spiked with kim chee. The interior dining space has a great open feel, 18ft floor to ceiling wall of windows with the capital building towering out front. I was there for a mid day lunch and as you can see there was lots-o-light.  I don't do reviews…but I guess I just did.. I liked it and wish I could go back to land-o-lakes and try all they offer.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Embracing Ripe


Ripe Blueberries 

Maybe it is because I feel each year now, maybe my taste buds have fully matured, maybe I just forget to eat the food I buy.. most likely it is a combination of all of these and more…but these days I tend to appreciate fruit more when fully ripe. Unlike my youth, I don't mind so much the signs of aging; wrinkles, loss of firmness..all these things I take now in stride and as a badge of honor, a badge of ripeness, a true indicator of maturity and full flavor.  

Thursday, March 6, 2014

The Spiritual Kitchen


Two of my favorite kitchen items, the silver spoon and the cast iron skillet.  I am drawn to their beauty even more than I adore their function…but there is more.
There is something very zen about a container, emptiness yet fullness.  The emptiness of this pure silver spoon defines its own full, unlimited potential of what it may contain.  Malleable and soft, how appropriate that its surface reflects all, it is like Spirit. The black of the iron skillet, seasoned and hardened contrasts with the silver, light is only perceived as light when set against darkness.  

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Return to Basics - Yogurt


We all go through food phases and fads, the palate is not a fixed thing and has a tendency to get bored and evolve.  I have been trying a few different yogurts lately and am really enjoying the Chobani Greek Yogurts.  They seem to have the right balance of creamy-yet-tart quality that I like. I went years without having one yogurt yet now see it as a staple in the fridge.  When in college I would buy plain yogurt by the quart, a few ounces into a bowl and just start adding fruits,nuts, seeds etc... and that would be my dinner.. or breakfast.  My first spoonful of this Chobani brand and it triggered some taste buds linked to my memory, I was right back in my first kitchen diving into a bowl of yogurt from Real Foods on Polk St. in SF.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Mystery Pot

I am always on the lookout for a good pot.. and I find one every now and then at a garage sale or thrift shop.  Finding a good quality pot or pan that has been properly used just adds to the experience of cooking so when out and about my eyes are open for a find.  This sauce pan and lid is a bit different… and each time I grab it I LOL at how it arrived in my kitchen.
Each day I take Scout the lab out for her exercise at a soccer field close to my house.  On this particular occasion besides discarded plastic water bottles that did not quite make the bin there was this Emeril All-clad sitting next to the garbage can.  How odd…that is the best description..and still is.
No food in it..no signs that it may have been left behind from some picnic.. no reason for it to be there as there is no picnic area or tables..just a seemingly discarded 4.5 qt pan and lid.  While I ran the dog I had an internal debate as to whether I would be taking this find home..because it was, well, odd.
I decided that it was meant to be so took it home and gave it a good wash and sanitizing.  It is an odd size for a sauce pan as well, it is really a small stock pot with a sauce pan handle and that is how I mostly use it, which I have to admit is seldom.  It cooks well but I am not into non-stick at the moment and use it to boil water mostly for pasta.  The domed stainless steel lid is the coolest thing about it.  I need a good griddle so I hope one shows itself to me on another outing.

Friday, February 21, 2014

O is for Olive..and Oil.





One of my food staples…olive oil.  Oh how I miss a slice of San Francisco sour dough bread dipped into a pool of extra virgin olive oil.  Yes, I can get the oil here and yes there are artisan bakers in NY that do a pretty good loaf…but,... But, there is something special about the the bay area climate that makes great bread and combine that with a great Californian olive oil and it is manna from heaven.
The beauty about olive oil is that it is the most versatile oil in the kitchen, eat it raw or use it to sauté.  
The O olive oils are out of Northern California and have a great line of citrus infused oils like their Tahitian Lime I shot for an e-commerce site.  


Friday, February 7, 2014

Afternoon sugar hit

Dan's Coffee Ginger Cookies

When I have a sweet tooth I find a simple cookie will do wonders for my craving…no chocolate, fruit or nuts.. just flour, egg, butter and sugar.. well maybe some flavoring like ginger, coffee and vanilla won't overcomplicate the beauty of this late afternoon treat.  I needed that.