Jet Lag Journal, Part 2

Jet lag cured. See you in a week.

No Jet Lag Party Planning

images
Originally uploaded by kaytwhy.

Ah, to be away at a mystery destination...even if you're not, there's no time like the winter/spring 'shoulder season' to fight ennui with one of our favorite homespun urban things: a theme party. Channel the destination of your choice, whether it involves baguettes, pina coladas or the spam sushi pictured here. Dress like a native, download some local tunes, turn up the heat if need be, and send yourself somewhere fun without leaving home!

The Jet Lag Journal, part 1

One half of Homespun Urban is on vacation. I won't say where, but let's just say it's a place that uses lots of vowels in their native language (which rules out Wales). This little piece of paradise was going to keep me off the blogging, but since it's about 6 hours out of my time zone, I have the unfortunate habit of waking up every morning around 3:30. My sleep loss, blogspot's gain.

Before I left, I got wrapped up in "Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" on BBC America. I love this show not only for the copious amounts of swearing, but also watching crappy restaurants (that remind me of many places I used to work) get turned into workable joints. Gordon tends to do the same thing to each place, but it works: get rid of complicated menu items, simplify, and have the food reflect the location and type of restaurant. There's not many places that can turn out sea urchin foam on broiled rabbit's foot, so why even try? Stick to fish and chips.
The place whose location I will not divulge features a cuisine that's big on fish, pineapple, and spam. Spam not withstanding, I felt a little like ol' Gordo when we went out for our first meal. Some of the food was what you'd want on vacation, but there was also a beef tenderloin with blue cheese creme fraiche and garlic mashed potatoes. Let me tell you, people don't travel to this place (which I can't tell you where it is but it rhymes with "Mawaii") to eat garlic mashed potatoes. Or so I thought. After husband and I had a good time imitating Gordon and swearing rapidly about the menu, the table next to us ordered everything we had just made fun of.
I guess people like the food that makes them comfortable, and who I am to judge? Sometimes the "eat what the locals eat" backfires- like the burrito I had during my layover in Phoenix (Southwest, makes sense, right?) that left me exploring every bathroom in the airport whose name I can't mention, but I can tell you I received a type of flower necklace that sounds like something dirty.
Aloha from the mystery vacation spot. See you at 3:45 am.

Storm-ready?

Jackson Street
Originally uploaded by Quincunx.

We thought that tornadoes only happened outside the Urban grid, but that's apparently as fictional as the Wizard of Oz. Atlanta got walloped this weekend and we're getting another big storm today, which has made me nostalgic for a homespun part of my past: the Mormon Cupboard.

We learned about the Mormon Cupboard from our mother. She’s not Mormon, but we think she heard it on NPR once. Anyhow, the Mormon cupboard evolved from their belief that everyone should have a store of food and goods to last a year for the end times or nuclear war or a family reunion or something.

Ours was actually not a cupboard, but a series of shelves going down to our big, cool basement. That’s where Mom stockpiled all kinds of food. (A big plus when you live in an area where school regularly shuts down for a week.)

Here are some of the things from our past that I'd wished I'd procured before the power cut out and the roads got blocked:

Mini shrimp in a can, cocktail sauce, and Wheat Thins. (Put one on the other in reverse order for a surprisingly satisfying snack treat.) Pop-tarts, cookies and other goodies that you might otherwise skip because they are jam-packed with preservatives. And a trusty camping stove to expand the culinary options to hot drinks and Spam.

Mayo your dreams come true

The last post included a mention of homemade mayonnaise. If you're a fan of the stuff, it deserves much more than a mere mention. I made it the other night not because I didn't have a full jar with that blue lid in the fridge, but because I was only cooking spinach and felt like I should contribute. Let me tell you something, mi amigos (that's Spanish for "you guys"), it is out of this world.

Homemade mayonnaise does have a 1970's, picnic on Earth-Day, hippie women dancing with unshaved armpits connotation, but it's incredibly easy and really a different product. You can even do it by hand, but if you have a food processor, it's even easier. You can look up different recipes,(here's one) but the basic science is this: egg yolks are mixed with a slow, thin stream of oil and a little acid (lemon, vinegar) to make mayo. Add the oil too fast and it won't emulsify, but other than that, it's monkey-easy. Add mustard, garlic, whatever you like depending on your inclination.

Then sit back and watch your cholesterol and happiness rise in direct proportions.

(Today's artwork courtesy of http://www.nataliedee.com/)

Saturday Night Super Fun Super Market

Think you don't need your homespun skills anymore because the big city offers you all the excitement you need? Think again, mes amis. (That's city talk for y'all).

A 24 hour downpour and too much fun on Friday night let to a rainy, cold, bored Saturday night for myself and 4 others. We figured we should eat something, but no one could come up with a cohesive plan. Husband Chuckie, always good at making games out of anything (witness the "Throw an acorn in a bucket" game that lasted 3 hours at Christmas time), came up with this: Each of the 5 participants has 5 minutes in the supermarket to pick one ingredient that they like. That's it- no other rules. Here's what we ended up with:

Spinach
Catfish nuggets
Cream of Mushroom soup
bacon
cheese fondue

Cheese fondue seemed like overkill, so we nixed it in favor of potatoes. Here's what we ended up eating:

Beer-battered Catfish
mashed potatoes with bacon and sour cream
creamed spinach
corn bread

This was, to everyone's surprise, and without a doubt, one of the best meals ever made at my house. The kicker was the cornbread, which was made with two packs of Jiffy brand corn mix (5o cents each!) cooked in the skillet that had already cooked the bacon. If you've never tried this, you should. I can't convey in words how good it is.


The morals of the story:
1. City life isn't always exciting-sometimes you have to make your own fun.
2. A fantastic meal can cost under $3 a serving.
3. Who knew that catfish could be so exciting?

All brought to you by serendipity.

Update: Hunger scores a half point

I recently took down 1943 in the Gourmet 60th anniversary issue project. 1943's delight was the classic Duck a l'Orange. I was excited to make this one, as I had never had it before and I'm a fan of game birds in general. I think growing up homespun makes you appreciate game due to the abundance of hunters in small towns. Full disclosure: I'm not suggesting I grew up in a house where Dad came home from hunting proudly displaying a carcass- the most he brought home was some fried fish for lent. I'm just saying my friends' Dads did, so I'm not afraid to go beyond chicken tenders.

Anyway, the duck was good. I'm not sure it was worth the effort, but it was good. I did end up setting the tips of the wings on fire trying to finish it in the broiler, which would have put a real dent in my menu planning, but they blew out quickly, and no one wanted those scrawny little tips anyway. And, come to think of it, it was a birthday dinner. The orange sauce was delicious, but it made enough for a 20 pound turkey and duck doesn't have that much meat. I also thought it would be a good idea to try and make stock out of the carcass, but come to find out duck is fatty inside and out- the stock looked like the fryer trap at Arby's when it cooled. I guess it takes a lot of insulation to sit on a frozen pond all winter.

Scorecard: Duck a l'Orange
Guests: Charlie, Kurt Megan
Verdict: "It's good", " I like it", "Give me more of that fatty skin", "I can't believe my kitchen is covered in duck fat".
Gourmet: .5 Hunger: .5 . A draw.

Totals so far: Gourmet: 2.5. Hunger: .5

The Oscar Party

The other half of Homespun Urban is currently changing diapers and debating the pros and cons of some type of nipple (don't ask), so I will help out by giving you readers the scoop on her annual Oscar Party.
Sometimes she throws the party herself, but usually goes to a friend's house. One option she's had in the past is to dress as a character from that year's batch (my Frieda Kahlo costume horrified me enough to become very, VERY vigilant about plucking my brows). The highlight of either her or her friend's party is the food competition. Much like the Super Bowl party, prizes are given for the best movie inspired food. If you'd like to see pictures of last year's winners, scroll down to the Feb. 27th, 2007 post for "Notes on a Sandal" and "...and I am telling you I'm not Chicken".
This year's contender was "Asconement"- a plate of scones with a note saying 'I'm Sorry'. I had suggested a roasted chicken platter entitled "No Country for Old Hens", but there wasn't enough time.

Hopefully Kate will post some pictures of the winner when she's done washing the burp off her shirt.

Winter Blues

I love to cook more than most people I know, but I am rapidly entering into the time of year when I'm done. Done with the routine. It's cold, your pasty skin hasn't seen the sun in months, and the thought of trying to push a shopping cart through a slushy parking lot is too much to bear. It's the dangerous season of Too Much Take-Out.

I'm not anti-take-out; in fact, it's one of the things that I loved when I moved to the big city. It's the time of year though, when you get into the habit of just ordering from the Vietnamese joint down the street one cold night, and one night becomes two, and two becomes four....

Full disclosure: There was a period last winter when the bar down the street had $13.95 prime rib on Wednesday, which was also the day I had my most hated late grad school class. We probably went there 5 Wednesdays in a row for Mahattans and rib. By the end, I was feeling like I might get the gout, but then Spring sprung and we recovered.

So how to fight the take-out-all-the-time habit that's no good for your wallet or waistline? That's a tough one. One option would be to try and make that Pad Thai or Beef and Broccoli yourself. (The recipe I use for Pad Thai is from the Boston Globe. I'll reprint in the post underneath). The other would be to try and change habits. Eat less meat for a week. Use only recipes from a favorite magazine. Try "breakfast for dinner". Recreate your Mom's staples.

Or book yourself a fabulous Spring break and let it motivate you to save your pennies for the swim up bar.

Boston Globe Pad Thai Recipe

This is a good one. Leave out anything you don't have (although the fish sauce makes it taste just like take-out).

1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, chicken, or pork
10 to 12 ounces 1/4-inch wide dry rice noodles (banh pho, sen jann, or rice sticks)
2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium shallots, sliced in thin rings
1/4 pound firm tofu, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste, or to taste
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
1 cup bean sprouts
1 egg, beaten, fried, and finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 extra lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded fresh mint


1. Soak the dried shrimp, if using, in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain them and chop them finely. If using fresh shrimp, shell and devein them; or cut the chicken or pork along the grain into small strips. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a wok, cast-iron skillet, or large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic, shallots, and dried shrimp all at once. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is just golden-brown and shallots are beginning to caramelize.

3. Push garlic mixture to one side of the pan. Raise the heat to high and add the tofu. Cook it until it is lightly browned.

4. Push the tofu to one side of the pan. Add the fresh shrimp, chicken, or pork. Stir-fry, mixing everything in the pan together, just until the meat is opaque.

5. Drain the noodles.

6. Push everything in the pan to one side (if the pan seems dry, add another teaspoon of oil). Add the noodles and stir-fry, gradually working in the other ingredients in the pan.

7. Clear a small space in the center of the noodles and add the tomato and chili pastes. Gradually incorporate them into noodles until evenly distributed; the noodles should be tinted red.

8. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Clear a small space in the pan and add the sugar. Toss the noodles briefly.

9. Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir-fry, mixing thoroughly and scraping the pan with a spatula. You may need to cut through noodles with the spatula. Taste the mixture. It should be evenly balanced with salt, sweet, and sour tastes. Fish sauce helps cut through a heavy lime taste. But if you have added plenty of lime and fish sauce and the flavors still don't come alive, try adding more sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time.

10. Add the peanuts and bean sprouts, toss briefly, and remove from heat.

11. Scatter the egg and scallions over the noodles. Garnish with wedges of lime, cilantro, and mint. Serve at once.