Eat Beast Update #7 - Mace on Ice

"Mace?" I called out. I got down on all fours and scanned under the couch, illuminating the crevice with the neon blue spectral light on my keychain.

The Eat Beast had been missing for a while, I only noticed due to the overwhelming quiet I had been experiencing for more than four minutes, which is never a good sign. Its a similar silence like being in the center of a hurricane, a temporary lapse of deafening silence and apprehension before everything goes screaming to shit.

"God damn it, Mace..." I checked behind the T.V. and in my closet, both spaces he's not allowed but conquers daily. I moved over to the dining space where I keep his automatic food dispenser, a device I bought to feed him at 4 am (his self-designated feeding time) so that I could sleep in without being meowed at. I preformed my last-ditch-never-fail-siren-kitty-call. I shook it. A sound which always calls the furry bastard.

*shake shake shake*

Nothing. "The hell...?" I was astonished. This had never happened before. The fat little bastard always came for food. I mean Christ, the floor is collapsing in front of the food dispenser where he sits to punish his daily feedings.

*shake shake shake*

Patience.

"Meeeeeeeow" *scratch scratch*

"Mace?"

*scratch scratch*

I turned around, "Mace... Oh my God, please do not tell me..."

"MEEEEOOOOWWWWW!"

The fridge door was slightly ajar.

So I opened it fully. The light had barely a chance to go on and the door to swing open before a fuzzy black bolt shot out, with a quick questionable mrowring-sound of impatience that was soaked with sarcasm saying "About damn time."

I stood aghast for a second and momentarily hurled the most colorful language I could think of at the cat for being so stupid and for me for apparently not noticing his sneaky entrance into what was his apparent chilly nirvana. My mind caught hold for a moment, swinging the fridge door open I looked inside to find a partially eaten package of butter.

I must take a moment to expand on the butter scene, you see he could have only been there for four or five minutes tops. The butter, still in it's aluminum laced packaging had been dismembered. Total carnage. Mace had devastated it like a dairy sucking hurricane. The word hurricane is a accurate choice, for much like a natural disaster, the wreck from the fatty melee was apparent and expansive. Somehow chuncks of butter had escaped THE MAW and been splattered upon the walls and floor of the fridge in gross patterns, like a English muffin had been brutally murdered. The feline machine was not content to simply lick or chew the butter but rather decided to be its gustatory apocalypse.

Apparently, when I had put the unused butter back a short while earlier I didn't close the fridge door all the way. He had pushed his way in and made way for the prize. However the door partially closed, but not sealed, behind him and he hadn't been able to push it back open. Whether this was due to laziness or stupidity, a combination of the two being the most likely, he had gotten stuck.

Seriously... does anyone else have this problem?

Lemongrass Pudding

It's been a long time since I got a cookbook that really inspired me so much. One that I read cover to cover in one sitting with a desire to actually go and cook every single recipe (though I doubt I would have the time to do so, sadly). I decided to pick up The Sweet Spot by Pichet Ong of P*ONG fame superficially because the cover was pretty *pet pet* and thoughtfully after reading about Antia's experiences.

It is a truly fabulous read. Classic dishes given an Asian twist, and classic Asian flavors made approachable. No recipe is too far out to make me think, "Wow, I can't do this."

Rather, it's, "Wow, I can do this."

One recipe that caught my eye was the Pudding Trio, a creation of raspberry, malted chocolate, and matcha puddings. I decided to break down the recipe to it's bare bones and make my own lemongrass pudding. The milk was infused with lemongrass for about an hour, then the milk was simmered on the stove. Overall, the taste is subtle, as lemongrass so often is. Still, the pudding possessed a distinct soft grassy flavor and a slightly citric tingle on the back corners of my tongue. I couldn't quite ever pin it down, which made me want to eat more. Each bite was a chance to find those little flavor notes that kept appearing and then vanishing. It was sweet and playful.

Overall, a simple and tasty pudding.
Lemongrass Pudding
Serves 4

What You'll Need...
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1/4 cup of sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
large pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin, softened in 2 tablespoons of water
two stalks of lemongrass, well chopped
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

What You'll Do...
Place the milk, sugar, salt, and lemongrass in the saucepan over medium heat until bubbles show around the edge. Add the gelatin and whisk. Let the mixture come to room temperature.

Whisk in the lemon juice and pour into teacups or demitasse cups. Chill, uncovered, for three hours in the fridge. Serve.

Chipotle-Tomatillo Salsa

So we had a little salsa contest at work to see who could make the best salsa. Sadly, I did not win, I lost out to a Brazilian style ceviche (and does that count as a slasa, really?). Anywhose, I made a delicious Chipotle-Tomatillo Salsa based on a recipe by Rick Bayless. It's fruity, has a nice heat, and a nice smokiness to it. Hope you enjoy!

Chipotle-Tomatillo Salsa
Makes 2 cups of salsa

What You'll Need...
1 pound of tomatillos, husked and washed
6 cloves of garlic, still in their skins
1 1/2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder
salt to taste

What You'll Do...
1) Set the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them on the baking sheet. Place them under the broiler for about 8 minutes, turning them after the first four. They should be browned and have some charred spots. Allow to cool.

2) Place the garlic cloves in a dry skilled and toast them over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Afterwards, peel the garlic. Allow to cool.

3) Place all the ingredients in a blender or processor and pulse. Pour in a bowl and serve.

Spring Edible Sacramento

The new issue of Edible Sacramento is out!!!

Be sure to check it out. There's an interview with the good people at Kru Sushi by Ryan Donahue. And fellow food bloggers and writers Holly, Hank, and Ann all throw in their pieces discussing sausage and biodiversity (respectively). We even have a delightfully thoughtful piece on farming by author Mike Madison of The Blithe Tomato. As for me, you'll find a great piece on our favorite local chocolatier, Ginger.

Remember to Eat Local, and Read Local.

Big Fat Greek Party!!!

Hank and Holly recently held a Big Fat Greek Party. How Big, Fat, and Greek was it?

Well, let me give some back story first.... I dragged Rob and my two friends, Jill and Alan, with me to the bacchanalian event with promises of delicious food and good company. Acquiescing to my argument (I promised food to students, it wasn't pulling teeth) they agreed.
Upon arriving we were greeted by Hank, adorned in his grilling attire, and Holly, a.k.a. Hera. We were poured each an Octopini and gestured to the table.

Now Hank pretty much prepared, grew, of killed every single speck of food at this event. He grilled the octopus (and pickled them for the Octopinis), made all the salads, cured all the olives, seasoned and grilled the quail, killed the antelope for the sausages (plural, as in many kinds of salami and sausages), butchered the lamb - of which there were chops, flanks, sausages, and two legs that had smoked and cured for two days. (You can find many of the recipes on Hank's site.)

My god, it was an event. I can honestly say I have not eaten that well in a long time.

I did have a small contribution, I brought my famous baklava. It seemed to go over quite well, though it was a bit soggy as I was working in a new kitchen and my timing got all off. Still, it was tasty and I altered the recipe by adding some vanilla bean, Meyer lemon, and whole cardamom pods. YUM!All and all, a wonderful event! Thanks Hank and Holly! Can't wait till next year and the next bottle of Ouzo!