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June, 2011

  1. Gigi’s French Onion Soup!

    June 30, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Okay, so Gigi has all but written every blog entry for the past three thousand entries on here, and here comes another great one. Don’t worry; tomorrow is Friday, and Earle and I will be cooking, so I’ll have a good blog to write then. In fact, after I write this blog, I’ll probably look through my cook books that I’m supposed to be using to challenge myself to find recipes.

    First, I want to say that I’ve eaten this soup for the past two or three days, and it’s been delicious each time I’ve had it. Thus, it comes with high recommendations on my part. The summer heat has done nothing to detract from having this delicious soup served hot. In fact, the day Gigi made it, the weather was rainy and blurry, a perfect contrast to the rather cheery flavor of this food.

    What you need:

    • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
    • 2 1/2 Tablespoons margarine
    • 3 cans condensed beef broth (or 6 veg bouillion cubes dissolved in 4 cups hot water)
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
    • French or Hard Rolls, diced and toasted
    • Parmesan Cheese (enough to top)

    What you do:

    • Cook onion in margarine until brown.
    • Add broth and worcestershire sauce.
    • Bring to boil and add salt and pepper.
    • Pour into soup bowls, float toast on top and sprinkle with cheese.
    • Place into oven in preheated broiler for a few Seconds until cheese has melted.
    • Careful removing from oven. Very hot.

    Gigi went ahead and cooked the soup in a baking dish instead of dipping it into individual bowls, but that didn’t stop the tastiness of the soup at all.

    In my case, I diluted the soup with a bit of water because it tasted too salty initially. This may not be the case for everyone; always remember that if a soup or a liquid is too concentrated, a little water or even milk can work wonders in cutting off the edge of the flavor and creating, well, more food. This also comes from a salt-lover, but maybe that’s just how the soup is supposed to taste, or maybe my body just happened to become extremely sensitive to salt lately. Who knows?

    The soup isn’t bad when it’s just warm, but it’s exceptionally delicious when hot, and so I recommend having it hot and not just warm.

    You can always add more bread and cheese to it and play around with the kinds of breads and cheeses. Also remember that since this is onion soup, any flavoring that goes well with onions will go well with it- try serving diced tomatoes or peppers as a side to it.

    What are you waiting for? This is exceptionally easy, and you should go make it right away! Carpe Diem!

    Beaux


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  2. Food: Not Just Physical!

    June 29, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Okay, so the title isn’t implying that food doesn’t really exist or is ethereal or anything along those lines, but I do want to make a very important point in this blog. I may have already written about this before, and as always, forgive me. I don’t have the time to go back and go through every single one of my blogs to make sure that I haven’t written about something before when I start to write a new blog, and many of you may understand what I mean by that.

    So, the reality is that food is not simply a physical process for us. If you were to ask someone a question about why they eat, they would likely respond that people eat in order to give energy to the organism, to fuel it, to survive and stay alive. That’s all great and well, but that doesn’t really explain much- and that’s not why most of us eat, either.

    The fuel for the organism and body bit is absolutely accurate- to a degree. But that only explains in a very limited way why we eat at all without diving a little more deeply into why food is prepared in an artistic form, why we enjoy cooking a variety of foods, why there are so many different ways to eat the same food, which takes us to a peculiarly human dimension of things.

    Food is not just a physical phenomenon. Food is also very much so a psychological phenomenon- food has a meaning behind it, and humans are master symbol-users and symbol-inventers.

    This blog actually began while I ate a piece of Bapaw’s birthday cake, wondering in my head why, even though I know cake is loaded with sugar and carbs and all kinds of wonderful nasties for the body, I would continue eating it. The ideas comes up to me that even though we have plenty of fruit and vegetables here, I seem to choose foods that aren’t as healthy more often- not that I don’t eat tomatoes, but let’s just say I eat way more potatoes than I do tomatoes, and so the question remains as to why this is.

    Some people would try to explain it in terms of biological reactions in the brain- carbs give the body a kind of high and so on, and we become addicted to them. But I think a better answer is that the food that isn’t quite as healthy is also symbolic of comfort, of happy times, of good memories, of friends and families. Vegan food is great, of course, and I wouldn’t trade the great meals we’ve had over at Kelly’s house for anything in the world. In, fact such healthy food, when prepared correctly (as Kelly does) tastes superior to foods that aren’t nearly as healthy, though this something many would scarcely believe.

    Carbohydrates are the real culprit here. But again, they’re easy to eat- raw tomatoes are more difficult to eat, for instance, because they’re so acidic, and the harsh taste makes me recoil. The same can be said for onions and other vegetables. Perhaps they can be mixed in a certain way that would make them okay, though.

    Anyway, even if pizza or birthday cake isn’t the healthiest food world in the world, it reminds us of something- of happiness, of long-ago, of Friday nights, of something out of the ordinary. Sometimes, the converse is true- we’re reminded of just how peculiar and powerful the “ordinary” can be.

    Sometimes, too, one can have a craving for a particular food, and one can eat something else. But one is still not satisfied in having eaten a meal- one wants a particular food. This happened to me sometime a few months ago dealing with honey buns. I craved a honey bun, and no matter what I ate, my brain told me that I needed to eat a honey bun. The same held true for the Nutty Bars until I had one that was slightly melted at work, and the nasty taste of the lukewarm chocolate disturbed me so much that I swore off those evils sticks of sugary carbs for the next five-hundred years.

    The exception to this process is when I have drunk water instead of something like soda- I forced myself to have water instead of soda, and then eventually the water proved itself to be superior in quenching thirst than soda. This doesn’t always hold true, though.

    Anyway, I just thought I’d write another entry since the one earlier today wasn’t very good.

    Beaux


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  3. Bapaw’s Birthday!

    June 29, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Well, Bapaw’s birthday is today, and Gigi got him an Italian Cream Cake that unfortunately has coconut on it, and Bapaw doesn’t like coconut! Oh, no!

    But that’s okay- we’re all still going to enjoy the cake with some coffee.

    As for me, I’m feeling better than I yesterday but still have some sinus problems going on.

    Gigi fried more squash today, and this time she added Adobo seasoning and the Old Bay seafood seasoning to the mix. This is the best fried squash she’s made yet!

    Also, she cut and boiled potatoes- another Southern favorite.

    One of my friends recommended to me recently to watch a movie called “Nunsense,” which is essentially a musical about nuns- and it’s hilarious. Well, okay, not really so hilarious, but the idea of it is hilarious, seeing as how I love nuns so much.

    Anyway, Bapaw’s turning a wopping 39 today. I’m glad to know he fathered me at age 13. Yes, that was a joke.

    Beaux


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  4. Sorry for the Lack of Updates

    June 28, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Mostly, I’ve been sick today. I’ll get back to everyone on the blog soon enough. My sinuses gave me trouble and a headache yesterday, and I finally ended up taking a Goody Powder around 6 AM or so. By the time I got up to go to work, the Powder had decided to start afflicting my stomach, and I ended up coming home early. I kept popping Tums, but they’ve mostly been no help.

    I get sick of this cycle: I take medicine to get rid of my headache and then get a stomach ache that goes on for however long it damned well pleases, and I end up losing a day of my life because of sinus headache. GAH.

    Beaux


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  5. O, How Does Your Garden Grow? Spearmint

    June 26, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Kelly’s deck is filled with so many beautiful flowers and herbs! Walking outside is like walking into a virtual paradise, reminiscent of what I just saw in the movie Eat, Pray, Love.

    The herbs in particular intrigue me, what with my whole obsession with cooking; Kelly has two of my favorites out and ready to eat, rosemary, and, drumroll please, spearmint.

    I never liked the taste of mint as a child. York Peppermint Patties sounded so delicious and wonderful and tasty on the commercials, and then putting one in my mouth, I would have the rush of mint come through and feel thoroughly disappointed, though I don’t know why. Whatever the reason, I eventually grew out of my distaste for mint, and now I love it.

    The spearmint’s taste is certainly more plant-like than the sweet mint flavors one finds in candy and cakes, and I am determined to one day make a salad with the spearmint. The first thing that comes to mind is having a salad with spearmint and small mandarin orange slices and some roasted pecans tossed in for good measure.

    After riding her bike one day, Kelly made a cool drink of water with spearmint and lemon in it. Check it out:

    Isn’t that gorgeous? Typically you can note what kinds of foods go together through matching colors and shapes; this gives a slightly different kind of clue to one’s cooking than does simply relying on taste and smell, though we all know that sometimes ingredients are just too small or altered to worry about how to match shapes and colors.

    Also, Kelly made some pasta yesterday, and not just any pasta, but literally the best pasta I have ever eaten. She told me that she picked up several different tricks of the trade while she was living in New York where she worked in various kitchens and as a lounge singer for many years. The recipe’s debut on here rides on how soon I can get it from her.

    Another interview I’ll have to do is about her trip to get honey yesterday. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of honey; I’ve found that raw honey is overly sweet to the taste. However, Kelly obtained a small cup of the wax and honey all mixed together, and one eats this by place a spoonful in the mouth, sucking out the honey, and then spitting out the wax. That tasted much better than I would’ve guessed, so maybe I’ve just been eating honey the wrong way all these years, or maybe I’ve been eating too much honey all at once and thus was overpowered by the sweetness. I mean, one wouldn’t eat a spoonful of sugar by itself- so why would one eat a spoonful of honey by itself?

    So what are you waiting for? Let’s grow some spearmint! Carpe diem!

    Beaux


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  6. Van Tilden Reviews “Nate de Coco!”

    June 25, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    My friend Heather gives us a video all the way from Japan. She’s so funny! She’s also sent me various Japanese snacks over the years, which I reviewed a while back. I should’ve done videos for those, but I didn’t. Anyway, here’s Van Tilden!


    Beaux


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  7. Cool Summer Treat

    June 23, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    This idea came a few days ago, and then when Bapaw started harassing me about eating watermelon, I decided to give it a go.

    He suggested the eating of watermelon and ice cream together. I’ve not been a fan of watermelon in many, many years; this year’s watermelons have actually tasted a bit better than watermelons in the best. I’m not sure why I had such an aversion to watermelons for such a long time in my life, but the watermelons now taste sweeter than they used to, so I’m more open to them. Watermelon and ice cream together didn’t sound like something I wanted to try, but the suggestion reminded me of something I did want to try.

    Welcome to the world of watermelon and ginger ale. Whatever tartness of watermelon exists, once mixed with ginger ale, it’s gone forever, and the watermelon-ginger ale fusion tastes most excellent.

    The recipe is simple: all you need is watermelon and ginger ale, and you mix the two together. Sprite or any kind of citrus-flavored soda may be used in place of the ginger ale.

    I’m excited about this, really- another one of my random ideas that turned out to be absolutely genius once all was said and done!

    Other drink ideas are coming to me as we speak, but we won’t mention them until I’ve tried them.

    Beaux


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  8. Cinderella

    June 22, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Well, it’s almost midnight, and since WordPress is an internet website that has strange settings I haven’t totally figured out, the likelihood of this blog being posted tomorrow is quite high. That means that you’ll likely be reading what I’m writing on Wednesday on Thursday, and likely it will show that I posted it on Thursday, even if I posted it on Wednesday. So hopefully, I won’t turn into a pumpkin or lose my slippers.

    By the way, the Fairy Godmother was always my favorite character in Cinderella.

    To my friends living in the South and all my loyal readers, I implore you to make sure you drink lots of water in this heat, and by all means, during the daytime, especially after 10 AM, run your air conditioning- the power bill may be higher, but it’s not worth anyone dying to keep the power bill down.

    The other recommendation is turn the A/C off after sunset, because honestly, the nights here are still settling around 70º or so, and that should be comfortable to most people if you’ve got a fan running.

    This weekend, Earle and I are going to be having stuffed crab. We decided on this last weekend when we saw stuffed crab available at Publix. Each crab is somewhat expensive, but hopefully the once-a-week meal will be worth it in the end. Last weekend saw us eating Chik’N Tenders, Stir Fry, and…well, there was something else, but I can’t remember what we had. I know we had a veggie sushi, and I know I had some squid salad.

    Speaking of which, I’ve found that squid is actually one of my favorite foods. The taste is sweeter than you would expect, not unlike a seafood version of beef jerky. However, fried squid ends up tasting more like a balloon than anything worthwhile. The other squid I’ve eaten is typically chewy but not un-chewable, and un-chewable food just isn’t appealing to anyone.

    More on the squid salad later. Man, my mouth waters just thinking about eating squid.

    Beaux


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  9. More on Pierogies

    June 21, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    Earlier this year, I went through what can only be described as a rabid infatuation with cooking and eating pierogies in whatever form you please. Pierogies instantly became a favorite food as they are remarkably easy to prepare, have a wide variety of uses, and ultimately lend themselves to many variations and flavors.

    Baking pierogies is not recommended on my end as the shells harden in a most uncomfortable way. Boiling them has become my preferred method- easy preparation and virtually no clean up. Sauteing the pierogies produces the most beautiful variety, with the golden-brown and sometimes darker brown spots adding to the white-ish color of the shell.

    We must remember that cooking isn’t only about taste, even though taste is the top of the list, of course, almost immediately on par with smell. The textures, shapes, and colors also play into the overall experience. While a beautiful meal that doesn’t taste very good is unappealing indeed, a plain white block that is the most flavorful thing you’ve ever put in your mouth can also be unappealing. The art of cooking is all about these considerations; the devil is in the details, even if the science is not exact.

    Now, on to my story.

    I often leave out the ramen flavor packets when preparing ramen noodles because I like to use the noodles for other purposes. At the same time, I also like to use the flavor packets for other purposes as well, so I save them and place them with the spices instead of just throwing them away as a typical wasteful American might do. Bapaw’s obsession with not wasting anything has slight possession of me, and despite his general grumpiness, there are times when he makes points that actually make good sense. But even his good sense can become obsessive, so I temper what I learn from him with common sense to find a happy (and practical) medium.

    So as I was boiling pierogies today, I decided to add one of the shrimp flavor packets I had saved to the water. There was a lot of water in the pot, so I worried about the potential weakness of the taste.

    But would you believe that that the one little shrimp flavor packet put the exact perfect flavor in the water? That’s one of those miracles of the Lord that come along and pop up out of nowhere, not unlike Christ feeding people with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. Not that I can figure out how this happened in my case, and I think a greater feat would be God having multiplied my pierogies in the pot. Now if I can figure out how Jesus turned water into wine and replicate the process in order to make vodka, I’ll be set. (Hint, hint, Lord.)

    Also, the weather here isn’t getting any cooler; I left for work to see a thermometer at 104.4º. Beating a dead horse is fun for everyone, and I’ll keep reminding everyone that it’s never been this hot of a summer for me EVER.

    Speaking of which, today is the first official day of summer, which means that the weather is only going to get hotter. God help us when July and August get here; we need to pray for rain and pray for it to rain long enough to cool things off a bit.

    Again, I’ll apologize to anyone who has left a comment and not received a response anytime soon. My inbox is still oddly filtering out the comments from WordPress. Mail.com has updated itself as well, so instead of being simple and user-friendly, they’re taking the route that hotmail.com did years ago and become ultra-complicated in an attempt to be sleek. I’ll keep checkin the Spam folders to make sure I get all the comments.

    Thank you, my dear readers, and continue sharing me on Facebook, Twitter, and to any of your friends and family that like to eat.

    What are you waiting for? Carpe diem!

    Beaux


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  10. Cooking, Sharing, and More Philosophy from Poppy’s Lazy Susan Table

    June 20, 2011 by The Yum Yum

    The Onyx Plate and I alike have pointed out that cooking for other people is one of the major joyful points of cooking. In fact, I would go so far as to say that cooking isn’t nearly as much fun if you aren’t preparing something that someone else can enjoy. Knowing that other people are enjoying delicious food that you yourself prepared for them is part of the fullness of cooking.

    Poppy always prepared a great deal of food at his house on Sundays. Anyone who wanted to eat was welcome to his table. This taught me a very valuable lesson at a very early age: sharing of one’s abundance is important.

    The psychologist C.G. Jung would say that one of the main aspects of a person’s spiritual development is to draw from the unconscious mind into consciousness various aspects about themselves that otherwise they live unconsciously. Sharing, then, is something I have for years done unconsciously, ready to give what I have to others for them to enjoy, and now I realize that I absorbed this value from a very early age around my grandfather’s table.

    The value of sharing is of even greater importance in this day and age with the state of the economy and the state of the culture. We cannot afford to be greedy any longer, neither personally nor collectively. The time has come to give of ourselves to others. Sharing food, cooking for others, and enjoying it with them is a very basic way to live this out, to understand that we are not man against man; rather, we are all in this world, in this life, in this story together and must live accordingly, no matter our apparent differences.

    In other news, does anyone have any ideas for healthy, cold treats that can be eaten on a hot summer’s day? Gigi and Bapaw have been eating ice cream that’s rather unhealthy and sugary, and I’m sure it doesn’t do them any favors. My thoughts have been about freezing pieces of fruit or something and eating those. I’m open to suggestions!

    Coming soon:

    • A review of Bapaw’s tiny yellow tomatoes!
    • An interview with Kelly about the Slocomb Tomato Festival!
    • Kelly’s neat contraption and zucchini-tomato-carrot salad!

    What are you waiting for? Go cook something!

    Beaux


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