The Ancient Egyptian god of chaos, Seth, was very sexually potent. His secret? Lettuce.
19th Century French Bridegrooms were fed three courses of Asparagus at their prenuptial dinner so when it came time to seal the deal, they didn't disappoint.
Chinese herbalists tinker with ginkgo nuts to fuel erotic desires.
Aphrodisiacs, foods that are said to increase sexual performance, are a part of every culture. Foods ranging from almonds to coffee, avocados to bananas, chocolate to basil have at some time or another been said to possess these powers. With February being the month of love these foods have a special place in my kitchen. That's what this playlist is all about. Love, love making and the foods that enable. I call it the Love Potion mix: Track Listing:
The recipe pictured at the top is a pasta from the newest edition of Vegetarian Times. It part of a special section on recipes that contain aphrodisiacs (in this case asparagus). The recipe is located here. I modified it slightly by adding a tablespoon of pasta, a pound and a half of asparagus (if I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go all out) and veggie stock instead of the wine.
This week was marred with bad kitchen decisions, a fresh cut on my finger from my new knife, exploding ravioli and not enough liquid. Thank god for my friend Becca who sent me a link to Giada De Laurentiis' pasta ponza recipe. That made everything better. I followed this recipe pretty close only altering the tomatoes (I used two pints of grape tomatoes) and Pecorino Romano (I used Parmesan instead). I even included capers, which I have had an aversion to ever since I had to stir-fry them at work five years ago. The smell of stir-fried capers can be nauseating.
Cory Chisel and the Wondering Sons are a gospel sounding band that have made a lot of waves in the past few months. Rolling Stone magazine voted them as one of their top new artists of the past year and the song "Born Again" made a lot of 2009 year end lists. I may be new to his game but I am certainly ardent.
Clock Hands Strangle is a relatively local band (Melbourne is close enough) who recently performed at New World Brewery in Ybor (of course I missed it). They have danced on one of my favorite local access shows (Chicagogo). Vocally, their song "Distaccati" reminds me a lot of Modest Mouse.
Retribution Gospel Choir from Duluth, Minnesota, just released their second album (appropriately titled 2) on Tuesday. They are currently touring the East Coast/Midwest of the US in support of the album. Later dates include Europe and the Western US. "Hide it Away" is the first track on the album and is perfect for pasta making to.
I first met Rocky Reason in Chicago as she was studying film. I immediately feel in love with her lack of logic. Most people seemed confined by that five letter word, Rocky Reason had none of that. Recently I had the chance to catch up with the budding hip hop artist to see what she was cooking up. When Rocky Reason made film she went by a different name so I began the interview by asking her, why the moniker Rocky Reason and why rap music:
That depends on whether you’re talking about the name “Rocky Reason” or the rapper, Rocky Reason. My other pseudonym is Rocky Wood, and when I first had an inkling to become an emcee (way before I ever became one), I named myself how I name my stuffed animals and other inanimate objects- instantaneously, without any premeditation. It just sounded right. It is a common misconception that I think myself to be governed by logic—in fact, I am a very unreasonable person!
My “rap career”, so to speak, began about two years ago, while romantically involved with a rapper. He had recently bought ProTools, and began making beats. Eager to be part of the fun, I tried my hand at making a beat on Reason, and recorded a hook to go along with it. I left it for him to listen to, while I was out of the house (embarrassed), and when I came back home, he had already recorded verses to it, and so was the birth of the song “Head Up High”. It was well received by everyone who heard it, which encouraged me to continue. We ended up making a whole album like that- I made a beat and recorded the hook, and I would hand it off to him to lay down the verses. We were called THE WHOODS (Rocky Wood and Robin Hood, Robbin Rich) and the album came out in 2008, entitled “39." During the making of our second album, we split up. I had tried rapping once to one of my beats a year earlier, but no one really seemed that excited by it, so I stopped. After we broke up, the yearning to rap remained, and now I didn’t have anyone around to give me negative feedback, so I just went with it! That was the birth of Rocky Reason, the rapper.
After THE WHOODS split Rocky Reason began her solo career. Last September she released her first solo LP Shhh...It's a secret (download here) via SlangCorp. SlangCorp is a group of hip-hop artists in New Jersey who work and perform together. Rocky Reason shared a stage with them while performing with THE WHOODS. Since she has gone solo she has colloborated with SlangCorp members Shape, Larry Hobson and Pistol. How does Rocky Reason plan to follow up her productive 2009 year? By releasing another album of course. Part Dark Matter, Rocky Reason's sophomore album, is slated for release later this year. I asked Rocky Reason to tell us about Part Dark Matter:
It’s a little dark, so I’ve been told. It’s about death and sex, is what I say. I lost two good friends last year, so it deals with feelings of loss and emptiness and the futility of life. There’s a sequel to “Alien Baby” on there, so that should be exciting for Alien Baby fans. I am hoping that I got all my anger out in this one, and that my next one will be very light-hearted and fun. Booty-shakin’.
To read the entire interview with Rocky Reason, click here. Since this is also a food blog, I ended my discussion with a question about what Rocky Reason is cooking (in the more conventional use of the word). Turns out, it's a soup with an appetizer:
-1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed -1 Tbs. olive oil, plus 1/4 C. olive oil -1 clove garlic, finely minced -2 Tbs. peanut butter -1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes -salt -1 baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices -1 large clove garlic, halved -1 Tbs. chopped roasted peanuts
1. Cook the spinach according to package directions. Drain well, squeezing out all of the water.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the spinach, peanut butter, red-pepper flakes, and salt to taste, blending the peanut butter into the spinach.
3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the 1/4 cup olive oil into a shallow bowl and dip each slice of bread in it to coat one side. Place the bread oiled side up on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. When the bread is toasted, remove it from the oven and rub the oiled side with the cut sides of the halved garlif clove.
4. Top each piece of bread with a small amount of the spinach topping. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve hot.
For the Soup: -1 Tbs. olive oil -1 large yellow onion, chopped -1 clove garlic, minced -1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped -1 small hot chile, seeded and minced (optional) -1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained -1 can (16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin -4 C vegetable stock -1/4 tsp dried thyme -salt and freshly ground black pepper -3/4 C creamy peanut butter
For the Croutons: -2 TBS. of creamy peanut butter -2 TBS. olive oil -4 slices firm white bread
1. To make the soup. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and chile, if using. Cover and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, pumpkin, stock, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Stir in the peanut butter, then puree the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth, or use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Simmer the soup 10 to 15 minutes longer. Taste to adjust the seasonings.
4. To make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 10x15-inch baking pan and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter and oil, and blend until smooth.
6. Place a sheet of wax paper on a cutting board. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the peanut butter mixture and place on the wax paper. Cut each slice of bread lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips, then cut the slices crosswise to form the croutons.
7. Separate the croutons and transfer them to the prepared pan. Bake until browned, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely before using to garnish the soup. Store in an airtight container.
*Note: A fresh pumpkin or orange-fleshed winter squash may be used instead of the canned pumpkin if desired. To do so, peel and seed the pumpkin or squash and cut it into 1/2 inch chunks. Add to the pot with the onion and proceed with the recipe.
"I'd like to thank Mr. Branson for making me feel like a rockstar with this interview. I'd also like to thank him for starring in my first film ever, 10 years ago now, entitled "Sock Puppet Friend" which I actually won an award for. I also want to remind him that he still has a pending contract to be the voice of "brother" in my future animated film, "Underground Balloon World". Even though I haven't seen you face-to-face in nearly a decade, it's comforting to know that you're still an important part of my life. My best to you, Tender."
Look for more "What's cooking" entries to come your way over the next few months. Also, stay tuned for a new playlist coming next week.
He must say nothing of the fruit that is Not true, nor think it, less. He must defy The metaphor that murders metaphor.
He seeks as image a second of the self. Made subtle by truth's most jealous subtlety. Like the true light of the truest sun, the true (Excerpt from: Wallace Stevens "Someone Put a Pineapple Together")
For a non-vegan version (pictured above) use recipe located here (although my mother-in-law replaces the shortening with butter).
Vegan Pineapple Cookies (printable version)
-1 8 oz can crushed pineapple -2 cups of all purpose flour -1 1/2 tsp. baking powder -1/4 tsp. baking soda -1/4 tsp. salt -1/2 cup of vegan shortening -1 cup light brown sugar -1/4 cup silken, firm tofu -1 tsp. vanilla extract -3 cups confectioners sugar -3 Tbs. juice from crushed pineapples
1. Drain pineapple, reserve liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 400.
3. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Cream vegan shortening with sugar in an electric mixer until light.
5. Process tofu in a food processor until smooth. Combine tofu, shortening mixture and vanilla in mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Add drained pineapple and mix well (with a wooden spoon).
6. Stir in flour mixture until everything resembles a cookie dough.
7. Drop by small, rounded spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, cool partially.
9. Make glaze by combining 3 cups of confectioners sugar with 3 Tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice. Adjust sugar and pineapple juice for desired consistency.
10. Spread glaze over top cooled cookies.
Note: These cookies were very cake-y (which I like). To make less cake-y add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot to the tofu.
I've been enjoying Extra Life's"Black Hoodie" the last few days. I especially dig the violin and the way Charlie Looker says hoodie. For some reason I am really thinking of putting together a play list featuring songs about black clothing ("Little Black Backpack" comes to mind). Don't forget to check out Charlie's blog, even though he has only posted three or four entries they are very entertaining (see My Chemical Romance post and the one about the bouncer in Brooklyn).
Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! have gotten off a year earlier than expected. The border issues that have kept them out of the US have finally been cleared up and the band will be crossing in March for some dates including SXSW. Also on the way, a new album, XXXX due out February 9th in the US. Thanks to KEXP for this song, "Laura Palmer's Prom" which is off the upcoming album.
Amazing story, "Jonah" by Fiveng has been out there floating in internet limbo for a couple years. All of a sudden it is picked up by a few blogs, then a few more and finally pitchfork posts it. All of a sudden people are paying attention. Including me. Sorry Nicholas, next time we'll pay attention sooner.
Fennel has provided the world with knowledge and fire (see Prometheus), the marathon (see Pheidippides), the ability to aid in the recovery from poisonous snake bites and scorpion stings (see Chinese) and warding off evil spirits (see Midsummer's Night-Spain). None of these were on my mind as I began my first cooking experience with fennel yesterday. The only thing I could think was black licorice. The pungent odor of fennel evokes black licorice in my mind, thus the hesitancy to use this plant in cooking in the past. Thankfully the taste is anything but black (or licorice for that matter).
For the Fennel: -olive oil -4 heads of fennel cut into thin wedges (fronds kept) -2 garlic cloves -1-28 oz can of diced tomatoes (partially drained)
For the topping -3/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs -3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated -handful of fennel fronds -13 black olives, pitted
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add fennel wedges, cover, and cook over medium heat for fifteen minutes.
2. Add the garlic to the fennel and continue cooking for another twenty minutes or until the fennel is soft (may need less time based on how thick you cut the fennel). Add partially drained tomatoes and simmer for ten more minutes.
3. Meanwhile combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, fennel fronds and black olives in a food processor. Pulse until the topping has the desired consistency (I like mine completely crumbed).
4. Put fennel into a shallow gratin dish or baking pan. Top with crumbs. Drizzle more olive oil over the top and bake for twenty minutes.
*When I made my dish I did not remove any liquid from the tomatoes and it came out a little watery. That is why I would advise draining at least some of the liquid from the tomatoes.
While I made this dish I listened to "El Joke" by Puerto Rico's Campo-Formio. Reviewers have compared them to Sonic Youth, Captain Beefheart, Julian Casablancas and The Raveonettes. Campo-Formio just spent the last week frolicking through through New York and Philly. Hopefully these guys can get back in the near future for a more extensive visit.
"Foam Hands" by Portastatic was also playing during the making of this meal. Mac McCaughan, founder of Merge Records and lead singer of Portastatic, got his band together to celebrate the labels 20th anniversary by putting out a new album entitled Make it Sound in Tune. The album features all covers of Merge artists. This song is a cover of Destroyer.
One of my favorite albums last year was Watch Me Fall by Jay Reatard (mentioned here and here). As if fulfilling his self prophecy Reatard did just that today at the age of 29. I can't vouch for the man personally but on a musical level, the world has lost a creative soul. Here's a link to the blog post written by his label, Matador Records.
Chickpeas pale in comparison to Tetrapods. A recent discovery in Poland suggests that these four-legged vertebrates crawled out of the water 18 million years earlier than previously thought (dating them about 17,993,500 years older than chickpeas). As far as vegetables go though, chickpeas are one of the earliest cultivated ones.
A recent crop of chickpeas found their way into my kitchen and I decided to try my hand at frying them. This is no small task for me because when it comes to frying I usually wind up running out of the apartment with a burning pan and fire alarms burning. Thankfully it turned out well this time. Well enough for my recipe of the week:
-1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained -1/2 cup dried parsley -1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin -1 garlic clove -2 Tbs. flour -olive oil -1 package of mixed greens -1 pt grape tomatoes -3 oz feta cheese -hand full of garlic pretzel chips (I used this brand)
1. In a food processor, combine the parsley, cumin, garlic, and chickpeas. Pulse until mixture binds together when gently squeezed. Form into patties and coat with flour. Remove excess flour by tapping the patties.
2. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. When the oil is hot drop the patties into it and cook until brown (about three minutes a side). Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
3. In a serving bowl combine mixed greens, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Top salad with chickpea patties and garlic pretzel chips.
*I resorted to garlic pretzel chips after the dressing I made turned out horrific. The pretzel chips gave it a crunch and a strong garlic taste.
As I pattied up the beans I danced around my place to the sounds of Boston's Sidewalk Driver. When I first heard the unsigned bands song "Jenny Don't Really Like the Boys" (via Indie Rock Cafe) I didn't think much of it. But after a few listens I grew to appreciate the energy they put into their sounds. You can download the bands album For all the boys and girls for whatever price you name. Just follow this link.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee's finest band (I think?), the Blastoids released an album in September that features the track "Whonose." Great song. What makes the song (and album) even greater is the fact that you can download it for free via the Blastoids Myspace page. Thanks to I guess I'm Floating for getting my attention with this one.
I also enjoyed the sounds of "I feel better" the auto-tuned single off of Hot Chip's upcoming album "One Life Stand." Even though the album isn't set for release until February 1st it has already been leaked via various sites.
Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful city that is inundated with history. From the squares that celebrate famous people in American history to Juliette Gordon Low's birthplace (the founder of the Girl Scouts) to the St. Patrick's Day celebration to Bonaventure Cemetery (where the likes of Oscar Wilde and Jack Leigh have gone for inspiration and Johnny Mercer and Conrad Potter Aiken now rest) Savannah seems to have left a footprint (or at least an artistic smudge) on pop culture, music, film and literature. (Photo at the top by Dutchnatasja)
J-Fur and I have been drawn to the city ever since we stopped for a visit five years ago. But because of the distance from Tampa we constantly convinced ourselves that we weren't drawn to it (if that makes sense). This week, both of us still on break from our jobs and schools, we decided to go back for a day.
Our first stop, upon arrival, was Back in the Day bakery for a sugary breakfast. The bakery had an old school flair to it, though not one of great wealth but one that you might've found in a common man's quarters. But the cupcakes were anything but common. My first bite found the cake and icing to be slightly crusty and I feared the worst. But the outer crust served to protect the moistness and taste and neither of us were disappointed. Because of our recent holiday break seconds were out of the question but both of us were tempted.
Bake in the Day Bakery's Red Velvet Cupcake
After breakfast we visited the shopping district and walked along the North historical district. It was a cold day so Jennifer stopped for some hot chocolate at a corporate behemoth. After a walk through Forsythe Park we stopped at the Sentient Bean for lunch.
Everything I read about the Sentient Bean told me that the place would be a hipster haven and I wasn't disappointed when I walked in. The dark coffeehouse was lit by Macs, iPods, and ironic t-shirts. But the shop was more than this, it mixed politics, recycling, art and living wages amongst the toys and t-shirts. I was hesitant about the food because coffeehouses, to me, equal so so fare, stuff I could make better in my kitchen. But the Sentient Bean didn't disappoint. After a few strikeouts (they were out of vegetarian french onion soup and green dip) I settled on a crostini with three dips. Fresh, warm and thick this was some of the best bread I ever had. Jennifer went with the Zesto Pesto which was also very good.
Three Dips at the Sentient bean: Hummus, Red Pepper, and Garlic Cheese
The Thick Crostinis for dip dipping.
We spent the afternoon wandering around cemeteries and walking through the Historic South district of the City. I tried to convince J-Fur to visit Leopold's Ice Cream but it was too chilly for that. When dinner time rolled around we ate at the King and I Thai Restaurant (another blog post about here). The exterior of the restaurant, which is located in a strip mall, leaves a lot to be desired. The interior was completely empty except for the people that were working. If food was based on the building it is served in then this place was certainly poised for a letdown. But it is not and we were pleased with what we ordered.
Drunken Noodle with Tofu
Savannah's music scene is currently dominated by metal music. One of the bigger bands is Baroness (also talked about this post) whose album Blue was met with a lot of favorable reviews. Here is "A Horse Called Golgotha" from that album.
Another band making people pay attention to Savannah is Kylesa. From their album Static Tension released in March of 2009, "Scapegoat."
Black Tusk recently signed to Relapse Records after putting out splits on No Idea (with Holy Mountain), Brutal Panda (with Fight Amp) and Hyperrealist (with ASG). They expect a new album in the spring of this year. "Fixed in the Ice" comes from the album Passage Through Purgatory released in 2008.
J-Fur and I spent New Year's Eve in Bethlehem, PA with my friends Jen and Brad. The four of us visited my favorite vegan dessert shop (Vegan Treats), cooked up a nice dinner (Tortellini with Pine nuts, artichoke dip and yucca fries), played Smart Ass, listened to the countdown on WEQX and watched the Peep drop. Afterwords I did a solo polar bear plunge and fell down a flight of stairs. What a way to ring in 2010.
J-Fur's Vegan Tandy Cake
My Vegan Triple Berry Cheesecake
The Peep, after it had been dropped.
Tortellini with Pine Nuts
-1 lb. tri-colored Tortellini -1/2 Cup of Pine Nuts -4 oz of favorite Pesto (I like this one) -1/2 Cup of Parmesan*
1. Cook Tortellini according to package directions. Drain. 2. Meanwhile toast pine nuts in a skillet for one a few minutes. 3. Mix together toasted pine nuts, pesto, tortellini and cheese in a bowl. 4. Serve
*I have also made this recipe with a combination of Parmesan and mozzarella, asiago or romano cheeses and enjoyed it.
I have forsaken the year/decade best of lists that a lot of people are doing in favor of an awards type format. These are some of the songs I enjoyed the most this year and the award I feel they've earned.
Best song from a band named for a geographic region: The Middle East-Blood
Best acoustic version of a song that references something found in my brothers tool belt: Metric-Help I'm Alive
Best song about burden divesting: The Decemberists-The Rake's Song
Best cover of a song you might find on the radio: Port O'Brien-Halo
Best song to sing while down on your knees before going to bed: Solander-Prayer to God
Best song that mentions abortion and masturbation: The Cribs-We Were Aborted
Best song by a band named after a sport: Hockey-Too Fake
Best song about dieting: Los Campesinos-The Sea is a Good Place to think of the Future
Best song named after a game my grandmother loves to play: The Big Pink-Dominoes
Best song by a band with a not politically correct name: Jay Reatard-Ain't Gonna Save me
Best song by a band named for the solid state of water: Ice Palace-Thoughts/Facts
Best song by a band named for a Japanese warrior: Samuraj Cities-Spoonful of Talk
Best song named after a fish: Dan Deacon-Snookered
Best song about monsters: We Were Promised Jetpacks-Quiet Little Voices
Best song about dying lovers: You Say France and I Whistle-When Lovers Die
Best literary reference in a song: Bell x1-The Great Defector
Regular postings will pick back up next weekend. Until then, enjoy yourself.
The Ancient Egyptian god of chaos, Seth, was very sexually potent. His secret? Lettuce.
