Tofu Pad Thai: The Open Up and Bleeds, Broken Records, and Plug Plug

Nothing like the Thai Temple Pad Thai (except for they both have tofu, bean sprouts, and rice noodles) here is my version:

Pad Thai Tofu-Adapted from Whole Foods Market Recipe

(printable version)

-1 package of rice noodles

-3 Tbsp. of tamari

-1 Tbsp. of fresh lime juice

-3/4 Tbsp. of Agave Nectar

-1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes

-2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 package of firm tofu cut into squares

-4 scallions, sliced

-1 cup of bean sprouts

-1/2 cup of peanuts

-1 lime, cut into wedge
-1 can of baby corn (optional)

1. In a frying pan or skillet heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook until browned on all sides (this is the texture J-Fur likes it but you don't have to cook it as long if you don't want to).

2. Add garlic to the tofu and cook about thirty seconds. Add scallions and cook three minutes or until they are tender and green.

2. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook according to package. Drain.

3. Combine tamari, lime juice, agave nectar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

4. Combine garlic with noodles, tamari mixture, and bean sprouts. Gently mix.

5. Put Pad Thai in a serving bowl. Top with peanuts and lime wedges.

I first took notice of Sweden's The Open Up and Bleeds when their song "Stiv Bators in All of Us" was posted on Absolut Noise. That song was good enough to make it on my Meatball Grinder Mix. The band's latest single, "It takes a Band," has been brought to video. A little rawer, a little dreamier, just as fun.

The Open Up and Bleeds-IT TAKES A BAND

Anointed as the "Scottish Arcade Fire" by NME, the Broken Records have had no lack of blog love recently. Their debut album, Until the Earth Begins to Part (purchase here) has a number of decent tracks on it. My favorite is "Nearly Home."

Peru's Plug Plug reminds me of a Spanish speaking Modest Mouse. Here is their song "Tambores" which was included on the latest M.A.P compilation.

Where we eat: Tampa Thai Temple, Saffron, Andy D. and Omo

Today is Sunday, a big day in the Tampa area. Sunday is the day that Tampa's Thai Temple, Wat Mongkolratanaram, is open for business. Aside from offering worship opportunities in the Temple (remember to remove your shoes) the Wat Mongkolratanaram families have a lot of very cheap, traditional Thai food on sale. The food is unlike anything you would see in a Thai restaurant. Even something as ubiquitous as Pad Thai looked much different served on a porch alongside the Palm River. The only disappointment was the lack of vegetarian options. The temple offered a variety of fish dishes and pork but the vegetarians were limited to fried bananas, Tofu Pad Thai, salad, or dessert. Maybe that wasn't a bad thing as the bananas and Pad Thai were delicious.

Deep Fried Bananas

Tofu Pad Thai

Another Tampa fare that J-Fur and I consumed recently was Saffron Indian Cuisine. This small restaurant located in the Cross Creek strip mall was very dark and romantic upon entering. Normally J-Fur and I have very different tastes so we both order something separate. This works out for me because I get to taste two different menu items (she almost always shares) but because she doesn't eat spicy food, she usually declines my offer for a taste test. Perhaps it was the romanticism in Saffron or the feeling that we hadn't seen each other much the last few days. Or maybe it was the sheer amount of food that we would get. Whatever the reason we decided to order Saffron's vegetarian dinner for two. For twenty-two dollars we received two soups, two appetizers, bread, two entrees, and two desserts. This was a good deal even if the food didn't taste good.The quality of the food only made the deal even better.

For starters we received a spicy tomato soup (something that I am going to have to try to emulate at home), vegetable samosa, bhel (puffed rice, tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas), and papdi chat (flour chips with potatoes, onions, and chickpeas). For the main course I ordered the Bombay aloo (potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cooked in a clay pot). J-Fur requested the Chana Masala (which thankfully did not have too much cilantro). To top it off, the dessert of the night was Gajar Halwa (a pudding made of carrots, cheese, milk, nuts, and cardamom). The dessert was the only part of the dinner that I did not enjoy. Due to the dark nature of the restaurant (and the fact that I only had my point and shoot camera along) I was not able to capture any really good pictures. The only somewhat decent picture is this shoot of the sauce platter they brought out:

One of J-Fur's favorite Thai things is their tea. Unfortunately for her the Thai Temple only offered sweetened tea and she just can't do that. So she missed her tea break that day. Omo, an indie rock band from London on Lo Alternative Frequencies won't be missing their "Tea Break" anytime soon. "Tea Break" comes from the bands latest release, The White Album, which hit stores last Monday. To purchase or listen to the full album go here (which is the same as above).

Omo-Tea Break

Thanks to My Old Kentucky Blog for introducing me to Andy D. He reminds me a lot of another Andy that I love a lot (Andrew W.K). I wonder what would happen if the two of them got on stage together? That would be a raucous event. Here is Andy D. doing "God loves drunk chicks." Perfect for the Sunday morning hangover. "Welcome to your NEW ADDICTION."


Andy D.-God Loves Drunk Chicks

Dead Letter Circus, I Am Austin and a Potato, Leek and Feta Pie

Prior to my recent leek extravaganza the only thing I knew about the country of Wales was that all the people who live there look like vampires (dark hair, pale skin). I learned this from a clueless American girl who was flirting with some Welshmen on a bus back from Machu Picchu. Now I know that each year, on March 1st, the people of Wales celebrate St. David's Day in honor of their country's patron saint. Festivities include singing, small parades, and daffodil or leek wearing. Why the leek? Legend suggests that in an ancient battle against the Saxons, the Welsh were ordered to distinguish themselves by wearing leeks on their helmets and the tradition has stuck.

Last week, while J-Fur and I were cooking up our leek pie, there was no helmet wearing going on, but there were a lot of leek related festivities. One of which is my recipe of the week:

Potato, Leek and Feta Pie (adapted from Real Simple)
(printable recipe)

For the Filling:

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-2 leeks, chopped

-2 small zucchini, chopped

-2/3 cup of Feta Cheese

-2 Tbsp. of dill

-2 red potatoes, sliced thin

-salt and pepper

For the Pie Crust:

I used the Pate Brisee Recipe located here

1. In a large skillet saute the leeks and zucchini until tender. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, feta and dill.

2. Combine leek mixture with potatoes. Toss.

3. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pie crust (should be about 12 inches in diameter). Move the parchment paper and pie crust to a baking sheet. Leaving a border at the edge of the crust, spoon the potato mixture onto the crust. Fold the edge of the crust over to the edge of the potato mixture.

4. Bake for one hour at 375 degrees.

Also cooking up a leek pie, though not vegetarian like mine, is Australia's Dead Letter Circus in the video for their new single "The Space on the Wall." I have to love a drummer willing to bang with sausage. "Space" comes from their debut, self-titled album, which is out now.

I Am Austin is a band that you may catch wearing leeks on March 1st (the long way of saying that they are Welsh). Here is their first video ever, "Zombie Town," released earlier this year. My love of sausage drumming is topped by only one things, flesh eating reanimators.

Prom Night 1985: Enjoying the Ride with Taco Bakes, Gremlin Cookies, My Gold Mask, Kim Carnes, The Drums and Diamond Rings

Happy Birthday Eliza! Eliza, my co-worker and friend, is the type of person to go all out on her birthday. Last year it was a week of festivities. This year she decided to condense her celebration into one evening, an 80's prom. We would dress up, have dinner and appetizers at her house, and then head out to the beach front for some dancing fun.

My attire was a combination of two styles, a Billy Idol cut off shirt meets Don Johnson's ugly patterned, button-down polo. I bottomed it off with some skinny jeans, yellow pumas and a pair of police sunglasses. It wasn't the powder blue suit I had hoped for but it was ridiculous just the same.

For the dinner I cooked up a main course and quick dessert in honor of the decade of excess. The main dish was my own version of something my mother used to make all the time, the Hamburger Helper Taco Bake Dinner. According to the Food Timeline,General Mills introduced both Tuna Helper and Taco Bake in 1985. I've yet to create a vegetarian version of Tuna Helper, but the Taco Bake is covered.

Taco Bake inspired by 1985
(printable version)
-1 Bag of Vegetarian Burger Crumbles
-1 packet of taco seasoning (I used this recipe from Closet Cooking)
-olive oil
-1 bunch of scallions, chopped
-2 Tbsp. flour
-1 cup of veggie stock
-2/3 a cup of dried pinto beans, soaked
-1 can of enchilada sauce
-12 corn tortillas
-1 cup of shredded colby-jack cheese
-3 stemmed green chilies
-1 cup of crushed tortilla chips (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mix the burger crumbles with taco seasoning until crumbles are thoroughly covered. Set aside.

3. Heat a tiny amount of olive oil, over medium heat, in a skillet. Add the scallions and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Add the stock. Stir until the flour and stock have combined to create a smooth consistency. Add the pinto beans and set aside.

4. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking pan (or a lightly greased metal one) with half a can of enchilada sauce. Layer in six corn tortillas. Put all of the pinto bean mixture on top of the corn tortillas. Top the pinto bean mixture with part of the cheese, green chilies, and remaining enchilada sauce.

5. Layer six more corn tortillas followed by the burger crumble mixture and remaining chilies. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover the baking pan with tin foil and cook for 30 minutes.

6. For an added crunch, after thirty minutes take off the tin foil, top with crumbled tortilla chips and cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Sometimes I add this step but I did not do it for the one pictured at the top.

Hamburger Helper Taco Bake, just like my mother didn't use to make it. That's a good thing.

For dessert I used this recipe from recipezaar. I picked it because my favorite 1980's character is Gizmo from the Gremlins movies. I tried my best to shape the cookies like him. They don't work but they don't not work either. The only modification I made was replace the miniature M&M's (which were launched throughout the United States in the 1980's) with full size Reese's Pieces (which were).



Late last month John O'Regan (of the D'Urbervilles) made an appearance on Pitchfork's track reviews with "All Yr Songs." This song, released by his side project Diamond Rings, is super infectious and poppy. Thanks to the 80's inspired video, I can't think of a better post to associate "All Yr Songs" with.



One of my favorite track's of the 80's comes from J-Fur's mother's work out record. You read that right, record. How anyone ever thought it was a good idea to do jumping jacks and running in place near a record player is beyond me. But skips and scratches aside, she made it work as best she could. Here's the video for the 80's version of "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes.

Recently "Bette Davis Eyes" was covered by My Gold Mask. They haven't done a whole lot to it but when a song is super catchy in the first place, I guess you don't have to. Thanks to My Old Kentucky Blog for posting the new version.

Another new song that owes a lot to the eighties is The Drums and their song "I felt Stupid."

Tailgating with Black-eyed peas and Kimchi, Casa Murilo, Ice Dwarf, Fait Accompli and Fair Ohs

Sunday was a big day for a lot of Americans. It marked the return of tailgating, body painting, wacky costumes, and obnoxious vitriol geared towards opposing teams. In short, NFL football was back. I'm not much for doing what everyone else is into, call it my having a mind of my own syndrome, so my tailgating would not consist of hamburgers and hot dogs, slabs of beef, beer, and bad 80's music. My tailgate party would look something like this:

Food: Spicy Black-Eyed Peas with Kimchi (nothing says American football quite like Kimchi)

Drink: We'd be sucking down chocolate milk, watermelon lemonade, or Gatorade (what can I say I've had a weak spot in my heart for that stuff ever since I dumpster dove for a washing machine full of it in Chicago)

Music: Something nice and foreign like Casa Murilo, Fair Ohs, Ice Dwarf or Fait Accompli.

Spicy Black-Eyed Peas with Kimchi
(adopted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)
(printable version)

-2 cans of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
-2 tablespoons of dry white wine
-2 tablespoons of sesame oil
-2 cloves of garlic
-6 cups of kimchi
-1/4 cup of soy sauce

1. Combine the wine, sesame oil, kimchi, garlic, soy sauce, and beans. Cook covered for about 40 minutes (or until most of the liquid has been absorbed).

Pretty simple recipe, that's the reason it works so well for a tailgating party.

Last month's M.A.P post wasn't as good as previous ones, but that doesn't mean I didn't find some gems amongst it. One of those was Casa Murilo and their song "19th Floor." Casa Murilo currently makes music from their homebase in Norway, but they are actually Englishmen who met in Brazil. They were submitted to the pact by Eardrums blog.

Casa Murilo-19th Floor

The Fair Ohs are from the UK and, according to their myspace page are "Like Paul Simon but, you know, punk." The song "Summer Lake" is from an upcoming release on Sex is Disgusting.

Fair Ohs-Summer Lake

Rock music that tries to be grandiose annoys me. Music that contains very little lyrics bores me. One would think that Ice Dwarf (from Israel) wouldn't stand a chance. Yet, for some reason, I downloaded their album and haven't yet deleted every track from my computer. That should mean something.

Ice Dwarf-Hakaloot

Australia's Fait Accompli has a debut album coming soon. "Ride" is the first track off of this release. At least on this track, they sound a lot like an American Band that blew up last year. Let me know if you hear it too.

Fait Accompli-Ride

Baker's Dozen: Interview with The Builders and the Butchers

I attended a funeral and a rock concert broke out. This is a small piece of Portland's The Builders and the Butchers' story. Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Sollee (via email) as part of our Baker's Dozen series on Write.Click.Cook.Listen. The Builders and the Butchers song "Barcelona" was the second track on September's Meatball Grinder Mix.

TB: Collectively you are The Builders and the Butchers, who are you individually?

TB&TB: Ryan Sollee, Harvey Tumbelson, Ray Rude, Alex Ellis, and Brandon Hafer.

TB: Amazon's product description for your self-titled debut album says "Alaskan Native and fish biologist Ryan Sollee started The Builders and the Butchers as a funeral songwriting project." Is this true?

TB&TB: Yea, we wanted to create a band that made impromptu musical visits to funerals, and while this idea was painfully inappropriate, it gave us a framework for the subject matter of the songs. Also, I used to be a fish biologist.

TB: On June 16th you released your second album, Salvation is a Deep Dark Well. How would you describe this album? How is it different from its predecessor?

TB&TB: This is more of a fleshed out studio record, much fuller and covers a broader spectrum than the first. The songs had a shorter gestation period than the first record, so there was a bit uncertainty going in.

TB: Salvation's album cover features a drunken clown, men on a stage wearing human internal organs, a hanging carnival worker, and a number of kids and snakes. Who designed the artwork and why did you choose it for the album cover?

TB&TB: Our friend Lukas Ketner, who's pretty much done all of our art including the first record cover, did this one with oil paints. Once it was decided that he'd do the cover for "Salvation" we sent him the songs and this is what he came up with, which is pretty far beyond anything I could've thought up.

TB: What was it like working with producer Chris Funk (from the Decemberists)?

TB&TB: He was fantastic in the studio. Not only was he a wealth of studio knowledge and experience but he was also very calm and methodical especially considering we only had five days to make the record. Chris also brought in a number of very talented players to fill out the sound of the songs. Oh and he also scored the string arrangement for "The Wind has Come."

TB: A few weeks ago The Builders and the Butchers wrapped up a month long tour, your first as a headliner. What were the highlights of this experience?

TB&TB: Headlining and having people actually coming to the shows in super random cities was amazing. So happy to have 100+ people in a good number of cities. San Fran and Missoula were my personal favorites.

TB: Aside from a show in Portland on September 19th you are in the midst of a to month touring hiatus before heading back out with Manchester Orchestra and Brand New (tour begins October 8th in Denver). What are you doing with this time at home?

TB&TB: I just got married and back from my honeymoon, just trying to write and practice as much as possible, as well as working the odd jobs to shore up the finances.

TB: Congratulations on the wedding (not part of the original interview). On my first visit to a venue one thing I like to scope out is the bathroom. There always seems to be some sort of interesting stickers or graffiti on the wall. Brandon seems to have a similar interest in venue bathrooms as he has been photographing them and posting the pictures on your website. How did this project come about?

TB&TB: I think that there are always a few hours that you are hanging at a venue between sound check and the doors opening so mainly I'm going to say it was boredom.

TB: I've read that originally The Builders and the Butchers performed all acoustic sets but as more and more people came to your shows you had to begin amplifying. Was this transition immediately embraced by the band or was it an awkward one?

TB&TB: It was a bit awkward, but amps and mics were slowly brought into the fold. The funny thing is that now I think that our stage set up is a huge pain in the ass for most sound people.

TB: Describe the "unique deconstructed drum style" that Ray and Paul have "worked out."

TB&TB: Well its basically taking a drum kit apart and getting rid of all the cymbals, then putting the bass drum on its face and having one guy playing the bass drum and one guy the snare. Two guys can come up with some pretty cool beats.

TB: Portland has been the breeding ground for some great indie rock acts over the years. Why do you think that is?

TB&TB: I think the reason is that the winters are rainy so people want to stay inside and play music. The rent is cheap, so people don't have to kill themselves working just to pay rent like a lot of other big cities.

TB: Do The Builders and the Butchers get a chance to do any cooking? Any unique recipes to share?

TB&TB: Not much cooking to be done on the road, but Harvey and I developed a thing we call "Poor Man's Thai Food" which is a slice of bread, with peanut butter and secret aardvark hot sauce. Sounds gross, but tastes amazing.

TB: Anything else you would like to say?

TB&TB: That covers it, I think.

To download a few free tracks, check out tour dates, or read more about The Builders and the Butchers visit their web page here. To purchase Salvation is a Deep Dark Well or The Builders and the Butchers go here. A few additional videos for you:



"Golden and Green" from Salvation.



Also from Salvation, "Short Way Home" performed live in Kansas.




"Vampire Lake" live at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. This song is also off of the band's new album, Salvation is a Deep Dark Well.

Tofu and Spinach Dumplings seasoned with Pesto, Black them Boots, Rain Machine and Los Campesinos

When I'm stressed out there are only two things that make me feel better; eating or Baoding Balls (also called Chinese Stress Balls). Not, until last weekend, had I ever been able to combine the two. I must thank Williams-Sonoma. It was their recipe for Ricotta and Spinach Dumplings with Pesto that gave me my idea. The dumplings, if shaped correctly would look exactly like Baoding Balls. And as long as they were edible I'd have combined my two stress relievers into one dish. Not only were they edible, they were my recipe of the week. Fulfilling my b2bbr:

Pesto Tofu and Spinach Dumplings- Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian Cookbook (printable version)

-3 lbs spinach
-1 Tbs. water
-1 cup Parmesan Cheese
-1 cup all purpose flour
-1 block of ricotta style basil tofu
-3 eggs
-pinch of nutmeg
-salt and pepper
-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
-1 1/4 cups pesto

1. For the tofu I used this recipe from Post Punk Kitchen (although I substituted lime juice for lemon juice and omitted the nutritional yeast).

2. In a frying pan combine water and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about three minutes. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out excess water (I used the back of a spoon). Wrap the spinach in a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Once moisture has been removed finely cut the spinach.

3. Combine spinach with 1/2 cup of Parmesan, 1/2 cup of flour, tofu and eggs. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread half a cup of flour on a plate. Shape the dough into Baoding Ball size dumplings (add more flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too wet to form into a ball). Dredge the dumplings in flour.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. Fill a pot with water and two pinches of salt. Bring to a boil. Add a few dumplings to the boiling water. When the dumplings are done they should float to the top of the water (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Put the dumplings into an oiled 2 quart baking dish. Lightly coat the dumplings with olive oil.

6. Bake dumplings until hot (about 10 minutes).

7. Remove the dumplings from the oven. Top with pesto and Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Destressed, just like that.

My most recent stress was driving home from St. Pete and noticing that all my dashboard lights had burned out. Everything was pitch black. I never realized how difficult driving like this would be. I couldn't tell how fast I was going or how much gas was left in my tank (and I didn't even have my sunglasses on). Naturally, its all about the black.

I came across Black them Boots at the Indie Rock Cafe and really enjoyed their tracks "Don't Look Back" and "Dear Darling." I considered both for my meatball grinder playlist. The band recently wrapped up a month long tour which you can read all about at their myspace blog. "Don't Look Back" comes from their debut album Fancy, which is out now on Hear Me Think Records. Purchase the album here.

Don't Look Back



Thanks to Pitchfork for bringing Kyp Malone's (of TV on the Radio fame) solo work to my attention. Malone performs under the moniker Rain Machine. His first album, also titled Rain Machine, will be released on Anti Records on September 22nd. "Smiling Black Faces" comes from that album. Pre-purchase it here.

Rain Machine-Smiling Black Faces.


This one has nothing to do with darkness but it does mention eating. Less dancey than some of their earlier work but just as great here's the video for Los Campesinos! new song "The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future." The song is currently available for download at the Campesinos!'s website.

The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future from Los Campesinos! on Vimeo.

Fruits of Labor, Songs of Labor: Vegan Banana Bread

Happy Labor Day everyone, hope you are enjoying whatever it is that you are doing. I usually play soccer on labor day but this year I abstained in order to run a few miles in the hot Florida heat (ok, ok so I by passed the heat by running in the air-conditioned Florida gym). In my last post I suggested that at some point this long weekend I would be breaking out another ball recipe and fulfilling my b2bbr that I promised my sponsors. Instead I've decided to put installment number two on hold for a few more days in order to celebrate the fruits of my Labor Day labor. Specifically bananas.

J-Fur and I purchased a bunch of bananas at the beginning of last week and then stood by and watched the Florida heat work its magic. Browning and starting to ooze liquid I figured it was time to put them to good use. So I concocted a double batch of vegan banana treats.

My first creation was a banana bread that I had baked years before while living in Chicago. I've experimented with this bread, putting in chocolate chips, cranberries, nuts, and/or raisins at one point or another. J-Fur wasn't feeling very adventurous (or in need of sugar) so she asked that I only include some walnuts. I like this particular recipe because the main ingredient is bananas. The bread actually tastes like banana, something that other banana breads I have tried lack. I also like it because it removes the dairy completely; there is no need to fuss with vegan milks or egg replacers.

Labor Day Vegan Banana Bread

(printable recipe)

- 5 brown bananas

- 1.5 cups of flour
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
-1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
-2 pinches of nutmeg
-1.5 tsp of baking powder
-1/2 tsp of baking soda -pinch of salt
-1 tsp of vanilla -2 Tbs. raisins
-2 Tbs. chopped walnuts

1. In a bowl, mash the bananas until there are no chunks left (it should have the appearance of a smooth batter). Add the sugar, vanilla, coconut oil, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.

2. In another bowl combine the baking soda, baking powder and flour.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Continue to stir until all the powder has been mixed.

4. Add the chopped walnuts and raisins. Stir until they are evenly dispersed in the batter.

5. Pour the batter into a silicone loaf pan (or a lightly oiled aluminum one).

6. Bake at 350 degrees until the bread is browned and a fork or toothpick poked into the center comes out clean (about 40-45 minutes).

Let cool, eat warm, it is all up to you!

This bread pairs nicely with:

Absolut Noise recently posted "Factory" a song from Hammero-Ostersund-Stockholm band Grande Roses. The song is off the album Farm.



Finally, LA indie rockers Silversun Pickups put out a new album this year, Swoon. "It's Nice to Know you Work Alone" comes from it. It's the perfect Labor Day song.

Fruits of Labor, Songs of Labor: Cherry Banana Custard

This recipe was inspired by a  blog post that J-Fur emailed me. I've always wanted to make ice cream but most recipes require an ice cream maker. This blogger suggested that ice cream could be made by simply blending bananas. Yeah, right. I didn't buy it. So what did I do? Got out my food processor and gave it a whirl.

I started by tossing five frozen bananas into our food processor and processing away. Five minutes later I had a creamy substance that wasn't quite banana bread batter but wasn't ice cream either. I tasted it. It tasted just like I imagined food processed bananas would taste. I started experimenting. The end result wasn't ice cream, but I enjoyed it in its own right.

Labor Day Cherry Banana Custard

(printable recipe)

-5 frozen bananas

-30 cherries, pitted

-vegan chocolate syrup

1. Put the bananas in a food processor or blender and puree for five minutes. Put aside.

2. Dice the cherries and combine with the banana mixture (I diced mine in our food processor).

3. For my third step I put the mixture into the freezer overnight. This created a good shape for the custard but it also made for a large number of ice crystals being present. I would suggest, instead, chilling for two hours in the refrigerator.

4. Top with chocolate syrup.

My labor day playlist is made up of four songs, equal parts old and new. I continue to listen religiously to Parts and Labor's release from last year, Receivers, which I heard for the first time in Chicago and blogged about here. This track is called "Little Ones."

Parts and Labor-Little Ones

Also from the oldie but goodie category is one of my favorite political punk outfits, The Pinkerton Thugs. The band disbanded in 2000 and then reunited last year. They have only performed sporadically since reuniting, but I hope to catch them in concert soon. I don't want them to go the way of Showcase Showdown and break up for good before I ever get the chance to see them. "Brighter Day" comes from their 2000 release End of an Era.

From the Vault: Cloudy with a chance of Vegetarian Meatball Subs and Deep Punk Cuts

The rain was pouring down super thick yesterday as J-Fur and I drove slowly to a meeting that, ironically enough, wasn't until next week. Earlier in the day my class and I were discussing hard rain, food falling from the sky, and how this can transform their writing. I fully expected (hoped?) a nice veggie burger would fall and hit the windshield of my car. Looking up I could see nothing so when it did land it would do so with a start. Probably similar to when my pal JH was taking us on a tour of Minneapolis and her car hood flew up and cracked her windshield. Boy did I jump then. Veggie burgers aren't hard enough to crack windshields right? The last thing I need is another car issue (thanks Vic the cell phone talker).

Anyway, this line of thinking and the conversation with my students, were inspired by a book I read as a kid (and continue to read every year to my class), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett. This year's group seemed to be more familiar with the story than past classes. When one of the students informed me that the book was being made into a movie that would be out on September 17th I realized why. Double checking when I arrived home I found his statement accurate. This book is coming out in movie form. I don't like kids' movies so I probably won't go see it (unless J-Fur who loves kids' movies forces me to).

Meatballs Grinders were the subject of my last playlist as they are one of my favorite sandwiches (both before and after I became a vegetarian). I thought when I became vegetarian good meatball grinders were a thing of the past. I was right, the store bought ones don't taste very good, until J-Fur's mom introduced us to a recipe she collected some years prior. The first time she made these meatballs there were two batches, one veggie, one not. I swore all night I kept grabbing the wrong one because they tasted so real but she assured me I wasn't. Only after I made them myself did I completely relax about the whole situation. Our featured recipe (and remember):

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball Sub
(printable recipe)

-2 cups of unsalted saltine crackers (50 squares)
-1 cup of shredded colby cheese
-1 cup of finely ground pecans (I use pecan powder)
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion
-6 eggs
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 tsp. of sage
-2 Tbs. of oil
-tomato sauce
-sub rolls


1. Mix all the ingredients except oil and sauce in a large bowl.

2. Shape into balls.

3. In a skillet or wok brown the balls over medium heat for five minutes.

4. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon and layer in a baking pan.

5. Top with tomato sauce, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

6. Spoon the meatballs onto a slightly toasted sub roll and enjoy.

According to J-Fur's mom she came across this recipe sometime in the 1970's. Since my playlist delved into the new music that I listened to while making these meatballs I figured I'd include some songs with this post that were slightly older. These are the songs that would've been on a playlist had I made this recipe circa 2001, 2005, or 2008. I'm not going back to Crass or Dead Kennedys era, only about a third of the way there.

The Fleshies originally released their album Kill the Dreamer's Dream in 2001. For some reason it took them five years to make a video for the song "Meatball." This isn't my favorite track off the album (that would be "South Miami Beach") but it is the most appropriate. Due to the language, I wouldn't share this video with my second graders.



Another song that shouldn't be played for a classroom full of seven year olds is "Broke" by Jacksonville's Whole Wheat Bread. The band members came together over their love of hip hop and punk music in 2003. Realizing that two of the members played guitar they decided to pursue music via the punk path. Their first album, Minority Rules, was released in 2005 on Orlando label Fighting Records. Since then they have collaborated with Lil' Jon, changed bass players twice, and toured extensively with the likes of the Bouncing Souls, MxPx, the Suicide Machines, and Killah Priest (of Wu-Tang Fame). Whole Wheat Bread's most recent release, Hearts of Hoodlums, came out in January of this year.



Fight Like Apes are no strangers to Write.Click.Cook.Listen. Their song Something Global was part of our Can You Tell Me What's in This Mix. "Tie Me Up with Jackets" is off of the same album, Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion, a 2008 release.




This is the first of back 2 back balls recipes or (B2BBR). The next one will come your way later this weekend.