You Can Tuna Fish

It's lent, and as such Catholics are asked to abstain from certain things... Meat on Friday for instance. The Red Queen is Catholic and I was asked nicely (snort) to refrain from cooking a hamburger for lunch in her presence. Me, being of such sweet disposition (choke) obliged.

Instead, I made my own personal tuna salad recipe.

I've never been a fan of tuna salad. Too flat and unassuming, and quite often bland despite the natural salt tang of tuna... So I made my own recipe.

Here it is:

2 5oz cans of tuna in water. Any brand will do, but I like Chicken of the Sea. If you want to get fancy, use white albacore, as long as it's in water, not oil.

1 stalk celery

2-3 BIG tablespoons sweet relish. I use homemade sweet pickles and chop them up myself, but not everyone has a big sister that supplies them with delicious home grown goodies

3-4 big tablespoons mayo. I like Kraft lite, but if you want sweeter go for Miracle Whip.

2 large hard boiled eggs. The eggs make it fluffier, adds a nice texture.

Boil the eggs first, because that takes the longest. For easy, perfect boiled eggs, place them in a pan of cold water covered by at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let sit 12-15 min. Cover eggs with ice water 5 min. Peel and chop up finely. I mash mine with a fork.

Open and drain tuna.

Quarter celery the long way then chop into small (Tiny even) pieces.

Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

If the consistancy seems off add more of any of the ingredients to taste.

Makes about 4 big sandwiches.

I usually just put on a couple slices of bread, lettuce, tomato... Maybe bacon, I'm not Catholic... and a hunk of cheese on the side, but it's good enough to eat right out of the bowl or on crackers or with potato chips.

Sushi, a 100 word poem

Tonight I’m going, if you please
Out to eat like Japanese
On each and every single dish
Will be a serving of raw fish
Good enough to make you cry
Tuna, eel and octopi
I’ll be cool, so not cocky
As I sip a cup of good hot sake
And drink a few ice cold Asahi
Munching on some sliced up mahi
Wasabi, ginger and sauce of soy
Make Asian eating such a joy
Top it off with a frozen dream
A bowl of green tea ice cream
Life for me is keen and peachy
Tonight I’m eating at Kenichi

Slice Of Heaven

I felt the need last night for just a little casual personal time... Nothing fancy. Pizza and a movie (the new Bond flick, I highly recomend it) sounded like just the ticket, so I headed down to SoCo (South Congress Ave) to Home Slice Pizza for a bite and a beer.

I'd picked up pizza from there before, but never eaten in. It's a neat experience.

Since the wait for a table was a half hour, I opted to sit at the bar. The bar faces the prep area and you get to watch them make the pies.

Pie after pie after pie. That place rolls in the dough, pun intended.

These guys are fast. It's really impressive to watch guys who know what they are doing and obviously enjoy doing it... Mash, mash, mash... Twirl, twirl, twirl... Top it, rack it and on to the next one.

My barmaid was a dark haired amazon who towered over everone else behind the bar. She was really sweet, and suggested Brooklyn Lager to go with my meal. Not a bad brew if a little light for me.

I had a slice of their margarita pizza (tomatos, cilantro with a bit of a tang, really good... kind of interesting) and a slice of pepperoni.

I went to the movies in a good mood and satisfied. And if you haven't seen Quantum of Solace... Go... Of course you need to have seen Casino Royale first... So do that and then go... But by all means, GO!

Who Are You Calling A Turkey?

Happy Thanksgiving all. This year I am doing nothing... Well, nothing much.

Jack and I went for a morning run, spent some time at the dog park and then came down to the pub for a pint of Guinness and a bowl of water.

What better place to be than among friends, with good food, good alcohol and great fellowship?

God bless each of you. Have a safe and happy day.

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmm...

Wine Makes Us Princes...

...Love makes us beggars. -Wycherly

Last night I loaded Jack in the Jeep and we made a return to Uncorked.

The back deck was deserted on this Labor Day night, but the hostess had Jack a bowl of water before I could sit down.

I gave her my order, not realizing she was the hostess. She took it and off she went. I didn't realize my mistake until my waiter showed up with my wine. Most places the hostess will say "Your waiter will be right with you."

Nope, she took good care of me.

At the end of my visit, I gave her a rose that I just happened to have with me (Long Story).

The weather was cool and there was a nice breeze.

I had a few glasses of Educated Guess Cabernet and the meat platter. The platter was a lazy susan with prosciutto, Genoa salami, chorizo, Gouda cheese, Italian bread and some melon slices.

Perfect for munching along with Kipling's Just So Stories which I just happened to have with me (Different long story).

The platter was very filling and I even shared quite a bit with Jack.

After I was just about full I asked about ports. I am a big fan of good port. Our waiter brought me samples of a Spanish and an Australian port type wine. The Australian stuff was quite good, so I finished up the night with a glass of Dustchke (pronounced Dootch-key). It was a little sweet, but I survived nicely.

All in all a pleasant evening. Just about what I expected.

Oh Ate, Oh Ate, Oh Ate

So true.

Get Stuffed

I made myself a stuffed pepper for supper last night. I started with a NY strip steak, a big sweet chili pepper (not hot), an acorn squash and some brown rice. Ignore the tomatoes, they just happened to be on the table.

I cored out the pepper. I cut the steak into strips and browned it while the rice was cooking and the squash was steaming.
I cubed the meat, mixed it with the rice and squash.
Stuffed the pepper full to bursting and stuck it in the oven at 250.
Some people cook 'em till they're mushy. Me, I want it tender... No mush.

Cut that bad boy open, and you have a meal fit for a K-Nine.

While preparing the meal, I satisfied the early tummy growling with some fresh roasted peanuts. My sister sends me a 5lb bag of raw peanuts a few times a year. I pour some in a pan, roast them till the skin starts to turn dark, and I have a high protein, low cholestoral, sodium free snack.

Piggin' Out

I'm a pretty good cook, so long as I don't get too fancy. The only problem with cooking for one is that it cant be done. Every package, every recipe is designed for two or more people. I know if any leftovers get put in my fridge they will probably leave under their own power. Still, I can't resist sometimes. Last night was a pork tenderloin. I started by cooking some brown rice and steaming half an acorn squash.
I rubbed the meat down with olive oil, garlic salt, italian seasoning, basil and parsley
I put the cooked rice, pork and squash in a pan dropped it in the oven on a slow roast.
I don't have a picture of the done roast, because when it was finished, I forgot and dug in.
I also made some home made apple sauce. I chopped up some apples with a teaspoon of brown sugar and let them simmer till they were mushy.
MMMMMMMmmmmmmm... Mushy.

And yes, I only ate half and put the rest in the fridge to go bad. Sigh.
UPDATE:
I threw out the rest of the rice (Re-warmed rice is terrible) re-heated the pork sliced it thin and put it on a tomato sandwich... MMMMmmmm. And no more leftovers.

Only Two Things...

Behind my house is a border of bamboo. In the middle of that border is a little gate. Walk through the gate and you are standing on a 6 acre farm, right in the middle of east Austin, less than three miles from the Capitol building. Wednesday and Saturday are market day, but I can walk back there anytime to buy or beg fresh veggies. Carol-Ann and Larry are great folks. This time of year is my favorite... Tomato season! I dearly love me some fresh home grown tomatos. Two slices of wheat bread, a thinly sliced tomato piled high and (diet be damned) a fine coating of mayo. I may not know a Hell of a lot about true love, but you can't beat a home grown Tomato.

Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin' out in the garden
Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one

Plant `em in the spring eat `em in the summer
All winter with out `em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Everytime I go out & pick me a big one

Homegrown tomatoes homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes

You can go out to eat & that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put `em in a salad, put `em in a stew
You can make your very own tomato juice

Eat `em with eggs, eat `em with gravy
Eat `em with beans, pinto or navy
Put `em on the side put `em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

If I's to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
`Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don't bury me in a box in a cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes

-Guy Clark

Hot Dog!

The way the world should work. This is my own little deal. Whenever I'm in the mood for a nitrate fix, I nuke a couple of hot dogs. What happens after that is art, pure art, baby. I fry up a pan of bacon and raid the fridge. The end result?
A hot dog on white bread, two slices of bacon, a slice of extra sharp chedder cheese (the long way), a couple of slices of homemade sweet pickles (thanks big sister) and yellow mustard. Mmmmmmm... Top that with a pint of Guinness and I can actually feel my heartbeat speed up. Ahhhhhhh...
I'd suggest using Hebrew Nat'l hot dogs (They may be the best dogs ever), but I think the bacon may preclude any benefits there.
I was gonna post pictures, but my camera batteries are dead... And the dogs are gone.

UPDATE:

Wrap the bacon around the hot dog, secure it with toothpicks and fry the whole thing... Ohhhhhhh...

Not Nuts, A 100 Word Tribute

peanuts came from Mexico
so they tell me, long ago

not on the plant, but underneath

protected by its outer sheath

it matures until its tasty meat

becomes a salty wonderous treat

there are some who like them roasted

some like 'em boiled instead of toasted

doesn't matter how you eat 'em

it sure is hard to try to beat 'em

I've put a plenty in my belly

churned to butter with grape jelly

though I love these little tubers

can't get enough of eating goobers

legumes they be, no ifs or buts

closer to peas they are than nuts