Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Taking Over the Neighbor's Yard
So, I don't have room for a garden in my yard, nor do I have more than 4 hours of direct sunlight anywhere. So, I have taken over the neighbor's yard.He wasn't really using it, and I bribed him with tomato futures.
So, this is the garden on June 29th (see below for the picture on June 10th). Pretty impressive, no?
Monday, June 27, 2005
Mango Nectarine?
Is it some kind of unholy cross breed? Or genetic engineering?* Whatever it is, seek out these delightful little crimes against nature! They look like yellow plums, but they have an intense, sweet/tart flavor. The outside skin has a strange texture, too. Not fuzzy, but sort of rubbery. Not in a bad way, but they feel a little like neophrene fruits. But frangrant, mon dieu! You can smell them almost from the entrance to the store! They bruise very easily and start to taste bruised immediately, so do treat them gently.You can find them at Safeway right now. Price? Who cares!?
*I am pretty sure they were created using classic hybrid technology, not a frankenfood mechanism.
(The picture is from the Itopack site.)
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Napalicious
This is Stag's Leap cabernet on another perfect day in Napa.
Ready for Shaving
Dried Bonito
Maybe you have seen dried bonito flakes as a garnish on a cold tofu appetizer or soup? Well, before they become shavings, they look like this. They have the look and strength of horns, but they are in fact miraculously dried pieces of fish meat. You can buy them like this in the open market in Tokyo, or they will send one through a woodchipper-looking machine for you, so you can take home freshly shaved, downy, savory fish flakes by the sack.
Tsukiji Fish Market
Looking for a Lost Contact?
Just kidding. Go to the Tsukiji fish market early in the morning and you can see the world's largest tuna auction. Or, sleep in a little bit, come later and watch the spoils be divided. If you're not squeamish about fish carnage, this market is better than any aquarium for the variety of sea life you can examine up close. It's a little intimidating at first, since everyone is clearly busy at work, and often with 5 foot blades (as above). But when I was there, everyone was very kind and patient with my staring and photographing.
If you're anywhere near Tokyo, this is an absolute "do not miss".
Bucket O'Eel
Fresh live eels by the bucket in Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. It is somewhat shocking and to see the violent way these little sea snakes are filleted. The vendors actually reach into this writhing bucket of squiggling eels, pull out an unlucky one and nail it's head to a cutting board and pull the tail straight, so as to be able to hold it steady while running the knife along the spine. It is as barbaric as any slaughter, but you won't find it fresher.
The Garden is In!
The Garden on June 10th
This is just about 6' x 6' with tomatoes, (only cherry now,) lemon cucumbers, Amish watermelon, standard cucumbers, kabocha, purple shiso, pumpkin, violet fava, sage, lavender, basil and fresno chiles. I am so excited. I can't wait to show you the progress to date. Even though I have lost one tomato plant to gophers or college students, the others are flourishing, with tiny buds and flowers. The kabocha, in the upper right hand corner, is about 3 feet down the side today.
In the background we have passion flower, morning glories and honeysuckle (and all the ants that it implies).
About as Good as it Sounds
In Japan, there is no end to convenient and sterile packaging. Above, salad is pre-chewed and aseptically packaged for personal use on the go!
I'm always hoping that soft drink companies will develop products that are lower in sugar or otherwise healthy, but I tell you, veggie soda is not the right direction for my tastes. Water Salad is not as tasty to the Ganjin palate as it is good for you.
But like many, many things in Japan, this label made me reconsider my expectations of the most common things. I very frequently had to laugh.
Cheers!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Lost Tomato: Reward
My garden, though about 50 feet back from the sidewalk is visible from the street. It's also not fenced and is in full view of a family photography studio that does a good business. So, for about a month I have been tending a variety of plants with very little hope I will get to enjoy any of the produce myself. Still, I didn't expect pillage so early in the season.
Today someone stole a tomato plant out of my new garden. It wasn't even blooming yet, let alone fruiting. As far as I know, the nightshade relative offers nothing edible at this stage.
So what the hell would someone do with a bare root tomato plant?? The beast had the sense to take the one that grows the nice beefsteak fruits, too. Totally indistinguishable from the others (cherries) at this point, I'm not sure how they knew to take it. It was doing well, but not so special that its like couldn't be purchased at a local grocery for $2.
Also, it was right smack in the middle of the 6x6 garden. So they had to climb over other attractive and more easily accessible plants to get to it and then brush out footprints. I halfway think someone must just be messing with me.
So, I think I am going to post a sign that says something like "genetic engineering experiment" or "experimental pesticide toxicity study" to disuade future theft.
I hope it is repotted somewhere nice. Sigh.
Today someone stole a tomato plant out of my new garden. It wasn't even blooming yet, let alone fruiting. As far as I know, the nightshade relative offers nothing edible at this stage.
So what the hell would someone do with a bare root tomato plant?? The beast had the sense to take the one that grows the nice beefsteak fruits, too. Totally indistinguishable from the others (cherries) at this point, I'm not sure how they knew to take it. It was doing well, but not so special that its like couldn't be purchased at a local grocery for $2.
Also, it was right smack in the middle of the 6x6 garden. So they had to climb over other attractive and more easily accessible plants to get to it and then brush out footprints. I halfway think someone must just be messing with me.
So, I think I am going to post a sign that says something like "genetic engineering experiment" or "experimental pesticide toxicity study" to disuade future theft.
I hope it is repotted somewhere nice. Sigh.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Mlle. Poulet Fantastique
I'm considering changing my name. Or, perhaps I should take on a title:
Mlle. Comida Evangelista, Le Grande Dame du Poulet.
Oui, that could work. I don't even like chicken, but I tell you, I am The Queen of cooking it. Even I almost like my own chicken dishes.
Last night I made saffron rissotto with chicken. Marvelous breasts from Draegers were pan seared for about 3-5 minutes per side and then rested in a warm toaster oven while I finished the rice. The chicken, which was boneless and skinless at $6.49 per pound, was far superior to anything I have purchased at Whole Foods, (where the same cut is $8.99 per pound, by the way.) Chicken should smell pleasant. Yes, even raw. It's like fish, if the meat person won't let you smell it before you buy it, then pass. Fresh chicken should not be very fragrant, but will have a mildly sweet smell, a little scallopy. Draeger's chicken apparently comes from the same producer (Petaluma Farms), but somehow is less expensive, fresher and not watery.
(I'll add more soon, Blogger unfortunately ate my recipe. Apparently my very description was too tasty to make it to posting!)
Mlle. Comida Evangelista, Le Grande Dame du Poulet.
Oui, that could work. I don't even like chicken, but I tell you, I am The Queen of cooking it. Even I almost like my own chicken dishes.
Last night I made saffron rissotto with chicken. Marvelous breasts from Draegers were pan seared for about 3-5 minutes per side and then rested in a warm toaster oven while I finished the rice. The chicken, which was boneless and skinless at $6.49 per pound, was far superior to anything I have purchased at Whole Foods, (where the same cut is $8.99 per pound, by the way.) Chicken should smell pleasant. Yes, even raw. It's like fish, if the meat person won't let you smell it before you buy it, then pass. Fresh chicken should not be very fragrant, but will have a mildly sweet smell, a little scallopy. Draeger's chicken apparently comes from the same producer (Petaluma Farms), but somehow is less expensive, fresher and not watery.
(I'll add more soon, Blogger unfortunately ate my recipe. Apparently my very description was too tasty to make it to posting!)
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