Petit poulet

What has it come to when we our primary concern about food production is cost and taste as opposed to nutrition? While driving to the Bronx I was listening to BBC and learned that through stem cell research they have been able to produce pork in the laboratory. This laboratory produced meat will alleviate the need for livestock and the associated environmental problems associated with factory farming. Initially the meat will be used as a filler for items such as sausage, ground meat, and other processed meat, but the goal is to produce things like steak, ham, and roasts. Something is dreadfully wrong when the solution to problems with food production is found in the laboratory as opposed to the land.


Yesterday after running errands, I went to the Drexeline Fresh Grocer. This is actually my Fresh Grocer of choice largely because I have more confidence in the freshness of the meat and produce than I do within the city limits. My plan was to roast a chicken for dinner but after seeing Food, Inc, I was a little apprehensive about buying one. There were two kinds of whole chickens – fryers and oven stuffer roasters.

I remember when oven stuffer roasters hit the market – they were plumper and went a lot further than the fryers – I think it was in the early 90s and sometimes you could get one for 79¢/pound. I have since learned that chickens have been genetically modified to grow larger breasts that subsequently impede their ability to be ambulatory.

Fresh Grocer always wins me over with the label that they put on their chickens “ I am strictly fresh – use within 2-3 days” the roaster label contained a disclaimer as well – “no hormones or steroids” – I guess not if it’s already in the DNA. Both the roasters and the fryers were $1.19/pound – clearly the roaster gave you more bang for your buck; I went with the fryer and my son asked “why are you buying those tiny chickens.” I explained the problem with a chicken with an oversized bosom trying to walk. He put 3 fryers in the cart – I guess from his 8-year-old perception, 3 fryers = 1 roaster (actually in terms of poundage, 3 fryers = 1 ½ roasters).

We ate dinner quite late (8pm) but it was tasty – roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing (due to the late hour I had no time to brine so I made a seasoned butter and rubbed it between the skin and the flesh), yams (this was the last of my supply – I simmered/steamed these in apple cider with a bit a butter and cinnamon – delicious), mac & cheese (I don’t use elbows, I use a combination of penne and shell pasta, I make a cream sauce, mix into the noodles, then put into the oven to set), and a kale/spinach combo (I used ethnic influences and it turned out great – onions, garlic, ginger, red pepper (yellow would have been more attractive), kale, peanut butter, spinach – I thinly sliced the kale and used whole broad leaves for the spinach).

My little birds were golden brown and juicy…honestly I don’t understand the hype with white meat, the dark meat is substantially more flavorful – the next bird I cook will be a duck.

Indigenous food

This blister situation has adversely impacted our meals. Food prep, etc has been next to impossible. I attempted to make a roast on Tuesday…I wanted to do something different so I decided to go Italian – heavy on the tomatoes, garlic, and onions but something didn’t quite work out – perhaps when I overdid it by adding beef broth and onion soup mix. I served that over polenta – boiled cornmeal in broth then added butter, cheese, and parsley – not too bad, but when you’re accustomed to eating meat and potatoes, it’s a little weird.

I then made the mistake of going to see Food, Inc with my friend from the wildlife refuge. I consider myself to be a foodie and we both consider ourselves to be informed citizens – aware of the environmental impacts of food production, etc –boy were we shocked and aghast with what we saw. I left the film wondering what I could actually afford to buy that was food - as opposed to this genetically modified stuff that permeates every facet of the modern food chain.

We spent Thursday – Saturday in the metropolitan DC area. We did not partake in a turkey dinner with our extended family but I did consume a substantial amount of food with no regard to its origin. I wouldn’t mind doing a dinner of game meats and native crops for our next First Sunday family gathering. While in DC, we visited the National Museum of the American Indian – this seems quite appropriate considering the farce under which we celebrate Thanksgiving. The Maize of the Americas exhibition was especially interesting for me given my interest in Mesoamerican cuisine…but there seemed to be some intentional subtle linkages made between the indigenous use of corn and our current overproduction and the subsequent new uses of corn and its derivatives.

Continental cooking

Last night my sister said "Go America"...cheering the simple yet flavorful dinner of turkey wings, yams, brussel sprouts.

Growing up, we consumed parts of the turkey - breast, chops, ground meat - but never the wings or legs. Two years ago I began loving turkey wings. My mother-in-law is not a great cook but she makes some nice dishes. Generally she cooks an assortment of things when she has gatherings - a little bit of everything. At one dinner she made a little bit of turkey wings, such that we each had one...they were delicious...the next time I wanted turkey wings, I asked her to make them...my Aunt Liz couldn't believe that I didn't know how to make turkey wings...she said the secret was to season them well and slow cook them with a bit of liquid...that explained why I failed the one time I tried to convection cook the turkey wings. Once I mastered the technique, we were eating turkey wings pretty regularly - it was the easiest semblance of a meal I could produce given my tight schedule.

I was at a function Saturday night...there was an smorgasbord of not-so-tasty food that included turkey wings; the only good thing was my aunt-in-law's cabbage...I still can't figure out how she makes it...though I think it has something to do with the cooking technique - the cabbage is almost caramelized (I should've taken a picture of it). The turkey wings were so lacking that I decided to make them for Sunday dinner. I picked up 2 stalks of brussel sprouts (I sautéed onions then simmered these in just a bit of liquid) and yams (simmered in OJ) from TJs as accompaniments.

The dinner was attractive and bursting with flavor...good ole fashioned home cookin'.

Something's fishy

I learned two important lessons yesterday...1. never try to make a new meal after a long day and 2. fried food is dangerous to both your heart and your skin.

I decided that it was too soon to migrate to Arabia so I thought I'd travel up the west coast through North Africa to East Africa and then cross the Red Sea. I even gained a Kenyan fish recipe yesterday (my daughter’s teacher is from Kenya and told me about kachumberri, rech, and ugali).

Tilapia must be the end all be all, - they are great for aquaculture, for water purification, and for controlling mosquito populations, but they can be invasive. Everyone I have talked to has mentioned Tilapia. I do like Tilapia whole but avoid the filets. Yesterday I ended up buying Red Snapper because Tilapia wasn't available. Technically this is a fair substitution in terms of flesh but not for ethnic cuisine - it's a Caribbean fish.

I attempted to recreate one of my favorite Senegalese meals - poisson. I first had this when a parent in my son's class took me to La Calebasse in University City 3 years ago. It was a bit of a hole in the wall and the service needed improvement, but the fish was delicious. Another friend kept telling me that in Harlem the fish was better, and at Senegal on Frederick Douglas Blvd, it certainly was. A year or so ago, my dad told me about Soliel de Minuit (Malian) in West Philly - a nice sit down/take out establishment with excellent customer service and they offered grilled fish in addition to the standard fried. The food was great, we explored new sauces - our family likes yassa sauce and okra sauce, the tomato sauce and peanut sauce aren't bad either. Recently we went to Kilimanjaro on the fringe of University City and although it was bustling with people, the food was unimpressive.

After running errands (I picked up several Built lunchbags because I learned that some of the insulated lunchbags contain lead), I arrived home at 515pm and thought the best course of action would be to fry the fish. I had already marinated it earlier in mustard, lemon, and onions with a few random spices. I knew the okra sauce would take some time but I hadn't the foggiest idea as to what to do....I was almost tempted to call the guy at Soliel de Minuit - yes, I get tunnel vision when it comes to food. I simply sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, added tomatoes, then simmered the okra with seasoning for almost 2 hours...the consistency wasn't quite right but the taste was similar.

When the okra was just about done, I put on a pot of rice (basmati - totally geographically incorrect, the rice the Senegalese tend to use is a bit mealy) and started my oil for the fish. Then I had the brilliant idea that I would fry yams in addition to the plantains and was thinking, this meal could potentially clog our arteries.

That's when I made a rookie mistake...using tongs to place the fish in the oil...the fish slipped, fell into the oil with a splash that dissipated over me and the floor...I was screaming and crying...running my hand under cold water, still I was determined to complete the meal....everyone said the food was delicious - I suppose the terrible blisters I have were worth it.

Sotho inspired

I was able to leave the Bronx earlier than expected Monday night so of course I decided to go to Wegmans on my way home.  I'm loving Wegmans even more now that I've gone through the entire store.  I have nitrate-free lunch meat for my children for $6.99/lb (they package Cooper Sharp cheese so that it doesn't stick) and a host of other things.  My mission was to get the ingredients for the mngqusho and to get some things for the kids' lunch.

I had a feeling that the corn product (samp) she described was something similar to hominy.  I learned a lot about corn products when I began the short-lived culinary trek through mesoamerica.  I wasn't able to find it, which is probably just as well because it seems that some of the corn products are processed with lye and I'm not that thrilled about knowingly ingesting sodium hydroxide.  I have a choice between the yellow grits and whole-grain cornmeal...clearly the texture of this dish will certainly be more like porridge than intended, but I'm giving myself culinary license to make some adjustments.  Sometimes I suppose I will be looking to cultures for inspiration rather than recreating authentic dishes.

Tuesday we had quesadillas for breakfast again, this time with a bit of chicken.  It is clearly not the time of year to attempt pico de gallo from fresh tomatoes...I ought to know better, especially since I just gave lectures to 4 different sections about food production.  I discovered that the key to making golden brown quesadillas on my Griddler is to use butter.

After breakfast I ran two errands that took 4 hours.  As I was putting out the recycles (I try to divert as much waste as possible from the landfill, including food scraps), I noticed Macy's One-Day Sale; I flipped through it and Martha Stewart's enamel cast iron pots were on sale.  With my coupon, I was able to get the 7-quart pot for $53, a substantial savings over the $270 Le Creuset I saw at Wegmans.

I think I went a bit too far with the hodge podge meal I put together.  I went with a kale/cabbage combo (sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes) that was quite tasty until I decided to give it a West African flare by adding peanut butter - the kids didn't like the result, so I drained the cabbage and poured vegetable broth over it for much better results.  Actually the peanut butter worked well with the kale, it was the cabbage that was problematic.

I also went with yams.  I know that yams are probably a stretch because pumpkin/squash would be more appropriate for South Africa, however I have 5lbs of yams that I picked up Sunday, so yet again I attempted to West Africanize them by sauteeing onions and simmering the yams in coconut milk for a tasty result. It was my interpretation of the mngqusho that proved to be the most interesting.  I went with a 16-bean mixture which I soaked overnight.  I sautéed onions, garlic, ginger added cloves and allspice (maybe a tad too much) then simmered the beans, adding salt and pepper...fortunately the flavor intensified because initially I was quite disappointed.  Once the beans were tender I added my last half of bag of TJs frozen corn then about 3/4 cup of stone ground cornmeal to thicken it up a bit.

The food wasn't very attractive but was quite filling, a well-balanced vegetarian meal.  The kids loved the yams and were lukewarm about everything else, unanimously voting to move out of Africa into Arabia.

Globe-trotting

Saturday I went to H-Mart so that I could attempt a shrimp and vegetable pancit - H-Mart is clearly a global market, the antithesis of eating locally, but when you're dabbling in ethnic cuisine, local is not always an option. One solution would be to grow your own produce and there ethnic communities that are doing this in community gardens throughout the city. 

I'm quite pleased with my Filipino cooking.  I recreated pancit (stir fried onions, garlic, shrimp, carrots, cabbage, sugar snap peas and canton noodles) and escabeche (Tilapia with plenty of onions, ginger, carrots, and red peppers sautéed and simmered in a sweet-and-sour sauce), my mom loved it; she came by last night just as we were sitting down to eat.  My brother has generously suggested that I come down to learn the dishes that I've been missing out on -adobo manuk, lumpia, sio pao, empotida, ensaimada, enpanada, appritadad chicken, rellenong isda, etc.  I have lots to learn, but I'm looking forward to it. 

Monday morning is always a bit of a scramble.  I was up late completing my lecture (the repercussion of changing a textbook), made mango lassi for breakfast, and was able to get everyone out of the house on time...I really need to avoid being out of the house after 5pm on Sunday...it causes a systemic delay in the routine. 

I'm not going to get back to my brother's for a few weeks and I was thinking about what to cook next.  My Brazilian friend suggested muqueca de peixe, but I think I want to move on from the stews but have no idea as to what to make, and I need to go to the grocery store. 

My mom mentioned the movie Skin; somehow this triggered a culinary response so of course I decided to call my South African acquaintance for some ideas.  Cooking varies by region, she is from the Sotho ethnic group (it surprised me to hear someone identify themselves as being part of an ethnic group) - her mother is from a pig family, hence she does not cook pork.  She told me that she doesn't really like cooking and that I should talk to her niece when she returns in January - apparently she knows lots of vegetarian recipes "from back home."  Some of the dishes she initially described sounded rather boring (fufu, fish stew, etc) and she acknowledged that they were indeed bland.  She said that they often season food with masala, have beets with every meal (yummie!), and they eat a lot of greens - cabbage, kale, spinach. 

She suggested mngqusho (a cracked corn and bean dish that sounds a bit like a porridge) as a flavorful dish- I think I will try that tomorrow perhaps with some cabbage or a West African spinach dish.

Go to the source

I went to my brother's yesterday to learn how to make my Filipino favorites - escabeche & pancit.  It's ridiculous how simple it is to make, they key is good ingredients and technique - makes me think back to when we made a stir fry in 7th grade home ec. Not a lot of ingredients or spices - I'm starting to think that excess seasoning in many ways perverts the food, masking instead of enhancing.

I have been eating Filipino food for 25 years and never once considered cooking it...it's light, quick, and easy.  My sister-in-law introduced me to mangoes when I was 10 years old and I learned to enjoy rice without butter, gravy, etc.  I guess our food preferences are largely shaped by what's familiar and enhanced by spatial interaction.

Yesterday I learned that there are many Filipino tastes that we never experienced; we only ate the things that were familiar (pancit is similar to lo mein, last night we made it with the clear rice noodles; escabeche is basically a sweet and sour fish - ginger is the key ingredient - we made it with tilapia - whole tilapia is a common substitution for ethnic cooking - I also use tilapia when making Senegalese poisson).  She was so surprised when I asked her to make the stinky brown fish - besogo - it's actually salted and dried, eaten as an appetizer over rice.  I am planning to return to expand my repertoire.  It was really nice to see my family, my brother & his wife were thrilled with the loaf that I brought - I think it's been way too long.

Soothing the senses

Nothing says 'thank you' like homemade baked goods.  A few weeks ago, faculty and staff at my children's school scrambled to help me out with last minute paperwork.  I thought I'd thank them with a little Lazeez Goodeez.

As the cakes baked, my daughter's mood lightened, she said "baking makes our house happier."  She started chatting about her day and sat anticipating what was coming out of the oven.  She's on to something...there is a great deal of research about what scents trigger, such that real estate agents often put a pie in the oven or burn a scented candle during open houses.

As we were wrapping the cakes Wednesday night, my husband reminisced about our previous operation; he desperately wants me to sell cakes but I'm not sure I have time to operate on that scale again.

This morning the kids were pleased with what they saw and eager to make the deliveries.  I even gave them a treat with a slice in their lunchboxes.

I was a little concerned that the formula was still not quite right (someone recently tracked me down on Facebook to ask me about cakes for Thanksgiving - I told her perhaps I'll be ready Xmas) and I thought they might've overcooked but the several slices I've had (I'm on a sweet binge - devoured a pecan pie yesterday) were actually pretty darned tasty.

The carrot cake loaves received rave reviews.

Desperately seeking fish

I am so desperate for ideas that I called one of my previous professors; I know, totally unprofessional, but his wife is Salvadorian so I was hoping for some inspiration.  I did get a quick intro to the culture - only 5% of the population is indigenous so the Mayan influence is not as strong; Pacific fish is consumed along the coast and of course other fish is imported.  He did tell me about pan con pavo - which is made with turkey, pupusa - a cheese stuffed tortilla, and something similar to coq au vin but made with guava.  It all sounds delicious but I will have to extend my culinary journey to El Salvador later because I want to do something with fish.

I refuse to be reduced to surfing the net for recipes. I've sent emails to my Peruvian and Brazilian friends in hopes of conjuring up something.  I have also put a call into my sister-in-law, she's from Mindanao and used to make an excellent sweet and sour fish (and a stinky dried brown fish dish as well). The Pacific islands are probably the most appropriate arsenal for fish dishes anyway.

No recipes?

I've been getting feedback that my blog could be greatly improved if only I posted recipes...well there are no recipes...I just make it up as I go along.  I am losing a bit of authenticity because I have been hybridizing my technique.  Most of the dishes start with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, seasoning....then I usually cover and simmer...the quantities are based on how it looks and smells.

My daughter has been trying to help me out by sitting in the kitchen writing the steps in a "blue book" for fear that I will not be able to recreate her favorites.  It's a lot of trial and error.  I will say that most of the flavor comes from the food and not dried spices, I find that I'm using fewer spices than before.

Yesterday for example, I discovered that my husband had bought two 2lb chuck roasts and hadn't mentioned that they were in the refrigerator.  This was odd because he knows I'm trying to do this lentil expedition, but whenever he goes to the market, he always picks up beef in addition to forbidden snacks.  I thought, gee, how will I prepare this...it seemed so lame to just do a roast beef or a pot roast.  One of the roasts was rectangular and the other more round...I definitely wasn't going to cook the rump because I wasn't going to be home to carve it...there's nothing that I despise more than a 'butchered' roast...one my friends is the worst, she does a job on meat, I bought her an electric knife to help her out, to no avail.  I put the rump in the freezer and cooked the rectangular piece.

I decided to go with the oxtail technique.  That gravy was so rich and delicious that with a few adjustments, I thought would be excellent for a pot roast...so that's what I did, and it was a toe tapper...the difference is after searing the meat and sauteeing the veggies, I put it in the oven for 2.5 hours instead of cooking it on the stovetop (partly because I had to mozy out to Cherry Hill).  As an accompaniment, I made okra, tomatoes, and corn.  My husband referred to this as succotash...the only vegetable that I hate is succotash - a terrible green lima bean and corn concoction...this was not succotash...I remember my mother making okra and tomatoes when I was younger.  It was quite simple, sauté onions and garlic, add tomato, simmer, add okra and corn, season to taste.   I was able to eat a bit of that before I left last night.

Apparently my mother-in-law enjoyed the meal.  Usually she says "that wasn't bad" but last night she told my husband that I make interesting things and use a lot of vegetables.  She said she's tired of eating the same thing over and over.  Aren't we all?

Turkey tails

This has been a whirlwind of a day. My daughter set her alarm for 5:30am so that she could finish her outline about the Renaissance that is due today. She is in 6th grade and has more work ethic than some of these slackers in my undergraduate courses. At 6:30am, my son asked if I’d made the turkey soup. I had never got around to making it and it seemed like Tuesday morning would be my next opportunity to make the soup…then mother guilt swept over me and I dashed downstairs to the kitchen.

Melted butter in the pot; cut up onions and celery…added a bunch of scallions, baby carrots (yes I know that baby carrots are a sham, essentially processed food – second rate carrots cut into uniform shapes, but they’re convenient)…then I decided to add a little garlic and ginger to enhance the flavor…added the liquid, simmered while watching the clock and picking the turkey. I added the turkey and noodles to the pot and started prepping the thermoses…the bus driver was honking…we got outside 6 minutes late with bogus apologies.

I came back in, caught my breath and added a little more liquid…prepared a thermos for my husband and then took my sister to school by 8am. I returned, tidied the kitchen a bit and finally walked out the door at 850am…by the time I gassed up in Audubon, I knew arriving in the Bronx before 11am was not likely.

I must’ve been running on adrenaline. After class, I went to my office to eat my turkey soup – a colleague popped his head out of his office and said “nice smell” when I told him I made it this morning, he was impressed…it smelled wonderful and tasted delicious – the essence of the vegetables really came alive and was assisted by the turkey butt that I threw into the pot. After I finished my soup I went to my car and headed to Harlem to see a 2pm movie. This is when things started unraveling. The Major Deegan was delayed due to an accident on the GW Bridge. I arrived at the theater at 2:10pm but couldn’t find a parking space. I decided to head back to the Bronx…as I was exiting, I had the brilliant idea to go to COSI in New Rochelle.

I think there’s an oxymoron in here…turkey soup connotes slow cookin’ and comfort food. This stunt I pulled today symbolizes this fast paced society that is the fodder for fast food and agribusiness. The Slow Food movement asks us to pause, savor our food, tantalize our tastes, and be ecologically responsible for what we consume.

I just finished my Signature Salad and the procrastination has come to a halt.

A meal from al Mahgreb

For brunch yesterday I did Salt Fish and Pumpkin, this time with butternut squash. Then I went on a greasy spoon binge – beef pepperoni pizza, fried chicken wings, and French fries. I needed to detox so I just finished making a North African vegetable stew. Tomorrow I will have to make a turkey soup because my daughter is sick. My mother told the kids that you have to have chicken soup when you’re sick, so it’s been requested…I ‘m working with the remains from last Sunday, so turkey it is.

I used to make this stew 3 years ago or so but I have no idea as to how I used to make it, what vegetables I used, etc. The only thing I do know is that I primarily used my Moroccan spices – ginger, cumin, nutmeg, paprika. Today I used onions, tomatoes, garlic and tomato paste (not sure why), then I added lentils (for protein), carrots, yams, then okra and eggplant. I found a cup of bulk couscous in the pantry that is past its prime so I made couscous on the side to complete the protein. The pot was so full that I couldn’t fit the entire eggplant so I thought of some options.

Baba ghanoush – sort of.

Some recipes call for tahini; I think Mom (Al Ain) makes it with yogurt…I have neither. I think I went a little too heavy on the garlic, but it works…I need something to eat with it…maybe I’ll make some pita chips!

Wishy washy

I am in a culinary slump.  I am tired and have no idea what to cook.  My journey seems to be coming to a screeching halt.  But, I gotta eat so I need to figure out something.  This week I've been on a bit of a gastro-adventure.  I've been making quesadillas for breakfast (using my Cuisinart Griddler) - they are quite a hit, I graded papers today over Thai, and I even had a taste of Al Ain.

Rumman.  Pomengranates aka Chinese apples in the hood. 

I was on my weekly shopping trip to Wegman's in Cherry Hill when I saw Pom pomegranates for 2/$4.00. My goal was to locate authentic tortillas which I assumed I would, due to the substantial Mexican community in South Jersey.  At first I was a little taken aback by the fact that a corporation has laid claim to this ancient fruit and its beneficial nutrition.  I'm not a fan of Pom.  When I was in Boston at the AAG in 2008, I was not only disappointed by the pseudo Ethiopian restaurant, but also by Pom's pomegranate juice.  I had been drinking rumman with my breakfast in Al Ain for about $1, so imagine my surprise when I forked over $4 for something that had absolutely no resemblance. 

I bought 1 pomegranate because I wasn't sure if I would get around to eating it, if it would be ripe, etc.  Last night I desperately wanted a snack and decided to go for the pomegrante.  I cut the shiny, leathery fruit in half and began extracting the flesh.  I will admit that it was the best looking pomegranate specimen I've seen in ages, I wonder if it's genetically modified.   I remembered getting a Chinese Apple as a treat as a kid, sucking the fruit and spitting out the seeds.  I think they were 50 cents.  I thought about Eid al Adha 2007 when I was served rumman in a bowl with a spoon and decided to follow suit. 

First my son came into the kitchen wanting to know what the fruit was and if he liked it.  He started eating it and was pleased by the taste.  He asked me about the seeds, I told him they eat them in UAE.  He called my daughter upstairs and as soon as she saw the bowl of rumman, she said "oh, just like Eid al Adha, where did you get this?"  They devoured the pomegranate and wanted to know why I only purchased one...

I sat down with my bowl of rumman, smiling, grading papers...longing for a vacation.

Surprisingly satisfying

I woke up this morning exhausted.  I fried a plantain for breakfast then went to my son's class to help dry food for the winter as the Lenapes would have to prevent bacteria from causing the food to rot.  There were three stations - corn meal (removing corn from the cob and grinding), beans (stringing green beans to hang), and something to do with squash.  It's really something else when you think about how hard they had to work for food.  I was able to string quite a few green beans because I used to do my daughter's hair in two-strand (aka Senegalese) twists, but in the 45 minutes we worked, we hardly had enough for one meal, let alone an entire winter. We do not have to contend with picking surplus food for preservation. Instead, industrial agriculture allows us access to "fresh" produce all-year-round with no regard for seasonality.

When I returned home I got started with the grading...the story of my life from now until December...I do have stuff to read for my own research - this is why teaching is a major distraction from the pursuit of a doctoral degree.  I was feeling weak, so I decided to make lunch.  My plan was to make a hearty soup but I think I have something more akin to a gumbo.

I began with my famous - onions, garlic, tomatoes - added jalapeños (the kid's dentist grows peppers and the last time we were in, I brought home a pound of assorted hots), cilantro, cumin, seasoning.  I pureed that mixture with my stick blender and added broth.  The soup looked and tasted flavorful, along the lines of a tortilla soup.  Then I added pinto beans and basmati rice to complete the protein.  I hesitated with the rice because I was afraid it would expand (rightly so because indeed it did).  Then I knew I needed a corn product if I was going to keep with the Mesoamerican theme (how is it that corn was such an intricate part of their balanced diet but we have managed to degrade corn into a feared filler?) so I went with cornbread.

It just so happened that I had avocados for my smoothies (a Lebanese drink, kinda like a milkshake), so I decided to venture into the realm of guacamole for a topping.  It actually didn't turn out bad - cilantro, red onion, chili pepper, lemon juice (it would have been a bit more authentic to have lime juice, but I don't have any limes) and of course avocado.

Together, the soup, the guac, and the cornbread were surprisingly satisfying.

Turkey trimmings

I'm sitting in the Bronx eating my favorite leftovers - turkey, stuffing, mac & cheese, yams, greens...only thing missing is gravy and cranberry sauce.  For the past week I've been swamped!  I think it's the midsemester hustle.  I haven't been cooking much, partly because we were out of my staples - onions and tomatoes.  For one breakfast last week I made grits and canned salmon (I sauteed it with garlic, cream, and capers) and then I made something similar to a brown stewed salmon (using steelhead trout) for dinner. 

It seems that the majority of my time has been spent out of the house, running errands, having meetings, everything but cooking.  The key I think is to have ingredients on hand.  I could've easily started my Mexican quest with a tortilla soup if I had tomatoes.  Upon further reflection, it's not going to be a Mexican quest but moreso a Mesoamerican adventure.  I honestly don't know enough about the area to know if what we consume as "Mexican cuisine" is in fact Mexican.  I do know that in Mesoamerica, there are certain ingredients that dominate food.  When we were at the Grand Canyon in March we had a wonderful meal at the El Tovar restaurant, it seemed regionally appropriate, but I can't pinpoint it to a particular culture.

Towards the end of the week I realized First Sunday was approaching - the family dinner that I wanted to have.  I had been getting texted, Facebooked, emailed, etc about the dinner and had totally dropped the ball.  In addition, somehow I had 3 sections of papers to grade and a Girl Scout trip to plan.  My friend warned me not to cancel the dinner saying that it would never happen if I did.  My other friend warned me about overscheduling.  I sent out an email and a text on Thursday proposing a potluck.  I decided I would make a turkey and have everyone brings sides, dessert, and drinks.  I called Whole Foods and they had just received their first turkeys of the season $2.49/lb so I was in business.  My husband and I bought the turkey on Friday after running a bunch of errands and I brined it Saturday night. 

My mom called me Friday to ask if I was crazy - "we have a full day at Girl Scouts, is your house clean, how are you going to have people come over, you need to change it to next week."  I said it's no biggie, I'm just making turkey and you're making macaroni and cheese.  She tried to convince me that I make better mac & cheese (which I do) but I couldn't commit to that, I think that would've sent me over the edge.  I went to buy her the supplies and she came to get them Saturday night after taking my nephew "trunk or treating."  I spent Saturday night prepping for Girl Scouts and having the kids clean.  My husband really pitched in as well.  Time was literally on our side because clocks "fell back."  Sunday morning I made the stuffing and put the turkey on convection roast and dashed out the door. 

The trip to Tyler Arboretum was a success, the girls were engaged and we completed the badge requirements.  By the time I returned home I was exhausted and there was still tidying to do, but my mom and husband were on the job...the house looks pretty good (I hope it stays that way because we are hosting the book club on November 8th).  At 530pm we only had a beautiful golden brown turkey (my mother-in-law had taken it out around 1pm) and mac & cheese.  It wasn't clear who was coming to dinner.  My cousin arrived with the yams and my dad around 6pm and my aunt finally came with the greens close to 7pm.  We ate as the food trickled in and then ate again.  It was all so delicious.  The tryptophan kicked in and we really had a good time.  "This is my yummy favorite meal, can I have more"

As I was driving along the NJTP this morning, Nigella Lawson was on NPR talking about indulgence foods.  I'm sitting here smiling after finishing my leftover turkey dinner, thinking this idea of sensuous cooking works for me.