Chili Pepper domination takes place to the sounds of:
That chili pepper dish isn't ridiculously hot but it is about ashigh as I go on the hotness scale. I'm the guy who goes medium at the Thai restaurant and then sweats profusely. In that sense, Wise Blood's new track "Penthouse Suites" is the right fit. After all, you can't go much higher than the penthouse.
Now if you are looking to sweat profusely outside of the realm of food, you need to look no further than Capital Cities "Safe and Sound." It's a lot of bounce, a little J Geils Band and smatterings of new wave drenching boasts that would make Henny Penny proud.
The second stage in chili pepper domination found me knee deep in a familiar place, Thailand. Now I've never officially been to Thailand but I've eaten enough "Thai food" to be an adopted son of the country. With that adoption comes legal papers that allow me to cook food and deem it "Thai" no matter how inauthentic it is. I guess that is a long winded way of saying I don't know whether they would eat this in Thailand or not but in my visions of the country this is all anyone eats.
-sesame oil
-1 block of tofu, drained and cut into small squares
-1 cup baby carrots, small dice
-1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
-1 clove of garlic
-1/4 cup Thai Basil
-1 cup spinach
-5 Thai Bird Chilies
-2 Tbs. Tamari
-1 Tbs. Lime Juice
-1 tsp. ginger
-1 tsp. brown sugar
-1/2 box Vermicelli pasta
1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan. Drop the drained tofu into the oil and heat until beginning to brown slightly (about seven minutes).
2. In a different pan heat a little more sesame oil. Add the baby carrots and bell pepper to warm oil and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and saute for another minute. Combine the carrot mixture with the tofu and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Thai basil and spinach and cook an additional five minutes.
3. In a bowl combine the five chilies (seeds removed and diced small), tamari, lime juice, ginger and brown sugar. Pour the sauce over the tofu and cook for ten more minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat the pasta according to the directions on the box. When the pasta is down, drain it. Combine the noodles and tofu mixture in a large bowl and stir until uniform. Grab your chopsticks and go.
With seven hours of boiling peanuts, a person has plenty of time to dance. They simply must find the right song. General Fiasco's new one "The Age that You Start Losing Friends" fits the bill. It is guitar driven and fast but also features enough rhythm to make Andy Reid happy. Be on the look out for General Fiasco's new album, Waves, set to be released in October.
What if Katy Perry had been an Englishman in an indie rock band? Then "Last Friday Night" would've sounded something like what the Vaccines did and boiled peanut hummus would probably be something mothers tell their kids to scare them straight.
"Tame the Sun" by Male Bonding has been out there a while. I still can't get enough of it:
It was suggested one time in Cedar Key that, "A person hasn't experienced Florida unless they've tried boiled peanuts." It took me seven years but I finally "experienced" Florida. As I slurped one peanut down after another I was surprised to find the texture and taste oddly reminiscent of a bean. I thought nothing more of this similarity until a Facebook response suggested that if I made boiled peanut hummus there would be a willing taste tester. Brilliant idea! So that's exactly what I did on Sunday (between the potatoes and homemade Oreos).
-1 lb of peanuts
-pot of water
-salt
-Cajun seasoning
-1 Tbs. olive oil
-1/4 cup water
-2 garlic cloves
-Cajun seasoning (to taste)
-salt (to taste)
-parsley
-pita
1. Place peanuts in a huge pot. Fill the pot almost to the top with water. Pour in some salt and Cajun seasoning. Place a lid upside down on the pot (if you filled the water high enough this will hold the peanuts under). Boil for six hours adding more water as necessary.
2. Drain the peanuts in a colander. Allow to cool. Remove the nuts from the shell and place in a food processor. Once all peanuts have been removed, discard the shells.
3. Pour olive oil, garlic, water, Cajun seasoning and salt in food processor. Pulse until peanuts are smooth (add more water if you would like the hummus smoother). Garnish with parsley.
4. Serve on top of toasted pita. Open wide and experience Florida.
I'd like to think I don't have a lazy bone in my body, that I am always willing to give everything I have to whatever it is I'm doing. But the truth is that I load myself up on projects and activities that are rather time consuming and require a lot of effort. There are moments where I need (and take) a quick fix in order to maintain my sanity. These Bierocks are an example of that. I could've made the dough from scratch and figured out how to make homemade tempeh, gathered my own caraway seeds and plucked my own cabbage from a garden...but I didn't. I took the easy way out. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.
-1 block of tempeh, cubed
-1 onion, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
-1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped
-2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
-2 tsp caraway seeds
-1 package of Pillsbury Crescent rolls (or vegan biscuit dough if you aren't lazy)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Saute the tempeh, onion, garlic, salt and lemon pepper in a large skillet for five minutes.
2. Add the cabbage, Worcestershire sauce and caraway seeds. Cook until the cabbage is no longer stiff. Drain any excess liquid from the mixture.
3. Lay out the crescent rolls or biscuits. Roll until they are flattened. Place the tempeh mixture in the center of the dough. Pull one side of the dough to the other and press together (use a fork to ensure they don't come apart during baking if you aren't lazy, I was). Place filled dough pockets on a baking sheet.
4. Heat the bierocks in the oven for about fifteen minutes (or until the dough begins to brown). Shove it down.
Bierocks are best began with The Absent Center playing on your stereo. They are a lo-fi band from Richmond, Virginia that write the type of dirt fantasies that will have you singing in front of your third graders all day long. The band will be touring this fall to promote their debut album All that is Solid Melts into Air. These shows include appearances with the Black Rabbits, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Asobi Seksu. Check out the Video for "In the Valley" (the third track on their new album):
Big Black Delta (aka Jonathan Bates) make music that is millions of times bigger and darker than I am. I would think that if Mika somehow wound up performing a concert on the backside of the moon that was attended by only robots and microscopic creepy crawlies, this is what it would sound like. I would hope that when Transformers 16 comes out next year, a Big Black Delta song would be on the soundtrack. It is the perfect fit. September will find Big Black Delta in residency at the Satellite in LA (every Monday) as well as releasing his debut LP BBDLP1 (on the 26th via Coming Home Records). "Capsize" will be somewhere on that LP:
Epitaph was a staple through my teenage years. Best known for their loud rambunctious punk rock releases, the label and I have taken on a more long distance relationship in recent years. I still check in, just not as often. During our last update I got wind of Dangerous! and their track "Movers N Shakers." While this song is everything that Epitaph has come to be known by, it also features some techno sounding samples that help create a melodic undertone. Ultimately though it is the tracks aggressiveness that gets me fired up. "Movers N Shakers" is from the album Teenage Rampage which will hit stores on September 20th.
Seven years ago two words,"Alright, gaaaay," changed everything I thought I knew about humor. Three years later the trio responsible were back cursing little green insects. What you may not know about Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are that they are part of a planned trilogy that revolves around Cornettoice cream and blood. The third installment, currently titled The World's End, is scheduled for release sometime in 2014 (though at one point it was planned for 2011 and we see how that didn't come to be). While the Cornetto flavor for The World's End has already been revealed by director Edgar Wright (it will be mint chocolate chip) I would suggest the company get on creating something a little more exotic, something like Vanilla Bean and Thai Basil. I've done the hard work Cornetto, now you just put it together, mass produce and sell. Then it won't be long before Simon Pegg licks it on the big screen.
-2 cups whole milk
-1/2 cup of sugar, divided into fourths
-1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
-pinch of salt
-2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
-4 large egg yolks
-1/2 cup whipping cream, chilled
1. In a heavy sauce pan, over medium heat, bring the milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, basil, salt and vanilla beans to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Allow the milk mixture to steep for 30 minutes.
2. Put the milk mixture into a blender and process until basil and vanilla beans are smooth.
3. Beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar in an electric mixing bowl for about a minute. Add the milk mixture using a slow stream. Continue mixing until the milk and eggs are well combined. Pour the resulting custard back into the heavy sauce pan.
4. Over moderate heat, warm the mixture to 175 degrees stirring constantly. It should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
5. Using two stainless steel bowls, one that fits inside the other, create an ice bath (ice and water in the big bowl with the other bowl resting in the water). Strain the custard through a strainer into the chilled metal bowl. Allow the custard to cool completely.
6. Once the custard has cooled, stir in the cream and place it into an ice cream maker. Churn for thirty minutes. Freeze in an air-tight container overnight. Cone it.
"Zimbabwe" by New Navy did not immediately stand out to me. I think I went to delete it from my hard drive five or six times. But the more that it accidentally played, the more the jungle beats and echoed lyrics began to percolate in my brain. I still can't say it is great but it is hard to get rid of.
When I think of Cleveland I think of the song at the beginning of that one sitcom that announces "Cleveland Rocks." In the case of Mild Mannered, a son of Cleveland, the song would require a slight alteration to "Cleveland Indie-Pops." At one time the band was just a duo made up of Jennifer and Pat Casa. Realizing they needed to push their music further they recruited a guitarist (friend Tim Parnin) and bassist (Tony Bunce). The results are glowing. "Mild Mannered" comes from their debut album Believeland (due September 27th on Finished Basement Records).
"Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) starts like most of their brilliant songs, with a piano intro. But it isn't far past that intro where you start to see something different. This song spits, fast. Despite the speed, the power of Macklemore's lyrics and Lewis' production is not lost. In real life, that's hard to do. In the world of Macklemore and Lewis, its just another piece of evidence offered up to the hip hop court. "What say you Macklemore and Lewis to the claim brought by the defendant that states you are amazing musicians?"
"Guilty as charged."
I was presented with a gift from my co-worker Renee today. It was a bag of these baby chili peppers from her garden. They stared at me throughout our morning meeting and about halfway through I decided to have me a sample. I wanted to check the Scoville Heat Unit on them. The heat was a little too much for my water bottle to handle so I grabbed the only other thing that was in my reach, a mini Hershey's Dark Bar. That's when it came to me. Hot peppers, chocolate and some....peanut butter? Why not?
Peanut Butter Stuffed Hot Peppers Covered in Chocolate
1. Cut the top off the chili pepper. Remove the seeds and discard. Drip the peanut butter into the center until the pepper is filled. Place on wax paper.
2. In a sauce pan heat the chocolate over low heat. Add the sugar and milk or soy milk (I used a ratio of three chocolate squares to one teaspoon of milk and sugar). Stir constantly until chocolate is melted into a ganache like topping. Get a spoonful of chocolate and drip to cover the pepper. Continue until the entire pepper has been covered. Repeat until all the peppers and chocolate have been used.
3. Refrigerate the peppers until chocolate is hardened. Eat, squeal, love.
Imagine a piano player providing the music for a main card melee fought at half speed between the Arctic Monkeysand Frightened Rabbit and you are somewhere in the vicinity of Andy Gibbard. Gibbard is an English singer-songwriter who is preparing for his full length album, Focus, by offering a prologue, Prefocus. This five song EP can be yours by paying a visit to his bandcamp page. Especially fruitful is "The English Rose."
I've been enjoying the Handcuffs' garage glam hit "Baby I Love You" for a couple of months now. I should probably move on to their new single "Miss You on Tuesday" but this one is so hard to leave behind. Look for their new album on September 6th.
When that day comes that I've gone and killed myself I hope that it is half as cheery as Goodman Brown makes it sound. "Done and Killed Myself" is about exactly what it says. But instead of a depressive Xiu Xiu tear fest this one's got cheery pianos, screaming guitars and a celebratory sounding chorus. East Coast dates are quickly approaching (NY, Philly, Delaware at the end of this month and Connecticut and Massachusetts in early September) as the band supports their Free-P (available here).
Thursday night I had the opportunity to attend a sold out event at Roosevelt 2.0. The event included a showing of the documentary Farmegeddon, a discussion with the director and sampling of local foods and products provided by restaurants, farmers and foodies. WMNF, the local community radio station, played a large role in putting this event together.
Farmegeddon, as with most documentaries, had some flaws but overall I enjoyed learning through human impact stories that were presented by the film. These were stories of farmers who were producing foods (mainly raw milk/dairy products) to support a niche market that was against USDA protocol. As a result, most of these people found themselves victims of ridiculous USDA antics that caused much hardship and monetary loss. The film, at its core, is simply asking why people don't have the freedom to eat what they want even if there are risks? I mean there are just as many risks drinking soda, eating meat from corporate factory farms or smoking cigarettes as there are drinking raw milk or eating raw dairy products. Yet only three of those things (cigarettes, corporate meat, soda) are legal to be sold in all fifty states.
Taking part in the evening's festivities was a Tampa Food Truck called Wicked Wiches. While I didn't buy anything from them (there was too much free food being passed around) I was inspired by one of their sandwiches. As a result we have a Dr. Pepper Basted Seitan Brisket Topped with Caramelized Barbecue Onions and Cheddar Cheese (make it vegan or don't, your choice). You can get the recipe, in printable form, here.
These sandwiches are urban and rural life rolled into one. This means that while they don't go great with people who have a history of suffering from heartburn, they go great with The Breedings. The Breedings are a brother and sister duo from Kentucky. Willie spent some time in NYC and put out a few solo albums before his sister, Erin, joined him to do the vocal work. The result is a band that isn't completely pop and isn't completely country, but falls somewhere on the spectrum between the two. They have just recorded their debut album, Laughing at Luck, that Willie deems "what I would imagine the Strokes would sound like if they were a female fronted band from 1978." Here's my favorite track "Impatient Love."
Also of Seitanic interest is Jens Lekman's disagreement with himself. There's a "Shut up" "No you shut up" which later becomes a "F**k You" "No F**K You" which are surrounded by, amongst other things, accordions. Classic. This is Lekman's first release in a few years and if the rest of the EP sounds like this, I'm captured.
Somewhere amongst the fixed gear bike riders, spirited dog walkers and gym rats that rule Hyde Park Village there is a place where sugar and fat and cream and chocolate are king. That place would be Sophie's French Bakery & Cafe. While the menu isn't all crystalline carbohydrates, there are some great soups and sandwiches that will meet the dietary needs of anyone be it vegan, vegetarian or carnivores, it is the sweets that call to you. A huge glass case right by the door that is illuminated by white lights and full of any dessert you can imagine will do that to you. I would venture to say the case, on any given day, features at least twenty different desserts to choose from including: eclairs, croissants, tarts, brownies, tortes, cookies, bread pudding, turnovers, pies, muffins, cakes, Creme Brulee and French Macaroons.
Our first trip to Sophie's happened on the way back from the beach. I had exhausted all the samples at Anthropologie and it was suggested that we visit the bakery at the other end of the village. Having never ventured to that side of the village, I had no idea a bakery existed but I shrugged and went along with it. We arrived right before closing but there was still a decent selection. I went with a Strawberry Shortcake Fruit Tart for myself and a Twice Baked Almond and Chocolate Croissant for J-Fur.
My Strawberry Shortcake Tart was pretty laid back. It wasn't hit you in the face sugary but it also wasn't super fruity either. I don't mind the sugar being toned down but I want my fruit to have some taste. Texture wise the dessert was great but it lacked any sort of taste that really caught my attention. The big winner on this visit was the croissant (which is amazing since I much prefer fruit desserts to chocolate).
The croissant was slathered in almonds and then baked around a chocolate interior. According to Sophie's website, they spend extra money to purchase European chocolate and butter (which is why their desserts are also a little pricier than other places). The fact that the chocolate was European was probably why I liked this dessert. The chocolate didn't try to compete or overwhelm the taster with chocolate (like I fear American chocolate would) but instead enhanced the dough of the croissant and, more importantly, the almonds.
A few weeks later, after a trip to the Village Farmer's Market, we decided to return to Sophie's for another go round. This experience was completely different as we arrived early and sat in the cafe rather then downing our desserts while driving. J-Fur looked over the entire case and decided on the Flourless Chocolate Cake. I went with a Raisin Covered Sticky Bun (even though the Pecan Pie Tarts called my name many different times).
Despite the look of the Sticky Bun (sugar bomb waiting to explode) I was quite surprised to find that, ready for a common theme, the Bun wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. The sweetest part was the raisins. Since raisins are overly sweet on their own, covering them with icing and layering on a sweet bun risks overkill. Realizing this, the baker's at Sophie's played to their ingredients and created a very enjoyable dessert. I had no regrets about my choice (sorry Pecan Pie).
J-Fur's Flourless Chocolate Cake was another success. Flourless Chocolate Cakes are really easy...to mess up. She's had some bad ones in the past. Even if they aren't bad, they are usually so dense and heavy that they can't be finished at one sitting. This is only problematic to people who put their leftovers in the refrigerator and forget about them until they don't taste good anymore (like J-Fur does). Sophie's version of the cake included a fresh raspberry on top. While the cake was heavy in comparison to other desserts it wasn't to the point where it was hard to finish. The raspberry offered just enough change of pace to keep the taster from being bogged down. J-Fur thoroughly enjoyed it (too much chocolate for me).
Sophie's is my type of bakery. Not overly sickening sweet, not creating desserts that taste unnatural or difficult to swallow. These creations are desserts in the sense of their ingredients but you wouldn't know it by their taste. Subtlety is an artform that Sophie's has down pat.
While we strolled through the Village towards Sophie's I had the hip hop sounds of Skizzy Mars (here and here) and E-Dubble (here and here and here) running through my mind. There are very few artists who consistently put out songs that I like. This means I have a very tempered feeling towards most. But when I see that Skizzy Mars and E-Dubble have put out a new track I get a little more excited because the majority of their songs are ones that I can listen to over and over.
At first glance Skizzy's track "Tara" has a major flaw. It is layered over No Doubt's "Don't Speak" a song that only soccer mom's enjoy these days. That being said Skizzy moves around "Don't Speak" with his signature rhymes and sampling skills making it almost (almost!) unrecognizable. While not for the faint of heart (read uptight) Skizzy Mars and his "astronuts" know how to lay great tracks with the best of them.
E-Dubble's new track "My Last Dream" meshes an appearance by Komplex (second verse) with samples of "Weighty Ghost" by Wintersleep and his unique lyrics. The result is a much more temperate, though not less incredible, song that will have you bobbing your head and pointing your fingers while shouting out you car window "That's right. You hear that?"
Nishwasher is a band that I don't know much about. I know they are from Florida, their new EP is three tracks long and it ended up in my inbox the other day. I also know that "25 Cent Liquor" is a helluva song. Its fast, messy and sprinkles your lawn even when the cops tell you there is a water advisory in effect and you need to cease. That takes some "astronuts." You can download the band's This Culture EP for free here.
This summer something fabulous is going on in the parking lot of Firestone Live in Orlando. Every Wednesday night from 6:00-12:00ish a collection of food trucks and musicians set up shop to serve local patrons. Dubbed the Tastes and Sounds of Downtown great food is flinging, craft beer is flowing and local bands are performing about thirty feet away on a stage. It is exactly like town fairs in Pennsylvania, only the food is good and the music isn't okie bluegrass.
J-Fur and I, along with our friends Bob and Elizabeth, made the 1.5 hour drive mainly because of the food. The fact that Stockholm (here and here) was headlining was the proverbial icing on the cupcake.
Our first stop was the Batter Bowl Truck. This all dessert truck was one of the newer food vehicles in town, making its debut in July. Last nights menu including four different cupcakes, goat cheese brownies and Lemon Olive Oil Gelato (made from Lemon Olive Oil that they lugged back from California). J-Fur went with the Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing:
Her first comment when she saw it was "Holy no icing." She smeared it with her finger to cover the remainder of the cupcake and took a bite before offering me one. My take was that it was great. I hate too much icing so I thought the amount was just right. The cream cheese icing was more cream cheese, less sweet and the cake wasn't overly sugary either. J-Fur thought it could use a tad more sugar but she is an addict. I kindly disagreed. I picked the Goat Cheese Brownie knowing that I normally don't like brownies:
The beauty of this brownie is that you can actually see the goat cheese swirled into the top. Taste wise the brownie echoed the cupcake in that it wasn't overly rich or sweet. The goat cheese served to temper the overpowering fudge taste that most brownies suffer from. Overall the Batter Bowl is my kind of dessert truck. It is dessert that doesn't hit you over the head with disgusting sweetness but let's the subtlety of their ingredients linger on your palette. To use a teacher analogy: the Batter Bowl desserts are sort of like the kid who whispers an insult into a bully's ear causing the bully to loudly announce "I'm gonna kick your a@@" right in front of the principal.
Our next stop was the Tastebuds Catering Truck. Bob and Elizabeth went with the Tostones (which were sold out by the time I snapped the picture of the sign) and Tequenos while J-Fur and I ordered two Tequenos. I was slightly worried at the sound of "cheese sticks" because I could only think of the mozzarella sticks that a lot of Italian restaurants serve. I am not a fan of these because they are too much cheese and not enough breading and they usually end with my gut hurting.
These Tequenos (sorry about the picture) were the perfect balance of dough and cheese. It helped that they weren't covered with the fried breading of other cheese sticks but a dough that was much smoother. It is reminiscent of the dough that covers empanadas. The dipping sauce was a spicy cilantro sauce that thankfully wasn't overpowering on the cilantro side of things. Otherwise I wouldn't have eaten it. Another great experience.
Next up was the Pure Mobile Cafe truck. This truck offers all vegan choices. It is run by Jen Dostie who also sells loose leaf tea and organic skincare and makeup at her website Everything Organic. The Pure Mobile Cafe had falafel and homemade naan, spicy tempeh tacos, and a beat salad. It also offered sides of hummus and pita, sweet potato fries as well as three of Jen's teas. There was a vegan brownie with vegan chocolate ganache for dessert. What I really wanted was the falafel and homemade naan but it was already sold out by the time we arrived. That meant tempeh tacos for me:
The tacos included tempeh that was baked in a slightly sweet sauce, avocados, radish, mixed greens and a side of vegan chipotle ranch sauce. There were a lot of different flavors and textures in the taco and I really liked that. I especially enjoyed the crunchy/soft combo provided by the radish and avocado. It is similar to the lentil/cabbage tacos I made the other day. I decided to end the night with their vegan brownie:
The Vegan Brownie was ok. I like how they gave me the option of an end or middle piece. I'm a middle fan because I like it soft all around. The brownie was moist, not overly dry like some vegan desserts can be. Really the only reason that it wasn't great was that it was pretty sweet. After having the Batter Bowl's brownie I think the added sweetness was drawn out even more. J-Fur also tasted it and she commented on the sweetness as well (if the sugar queen comments then...). In reality it comes down to your taste preference. Do you want sweetness with your desserts or do you want something a little more subtle? Oh yeah and do you want something dairy free or chock full of goat milk? I'd eat the vegan brownie again, I'd just be more prepared.
Finally, once all the food was out of the way, there was the matter of enjoying Stockholm. The crowd had thinned a lot by the time they were on so it felt like they were performing for just me (and the other twenty friends I had standing around me). I'll just pretend it was like my sixteenth birthday party and my mom hired them to play for it. I had a pretty rad party (thanks mom!). The lack of a crowd didn't temper their show at all and that is a good thing. If the band keeps at it, I don't think they'll have many more shows that size.
On Monday night J-Fur and I went to the Grand Opening of the new Chipotle burrito joint in Citrus Park. While I do like Chipotle, now that they are no longer affiliated with McDonald's, my reason for going wasn't their burritos. The Grand Opening was a benefit for Sweetwater Organic Community Farm. Five dollars got you a drink and burrito with 100 percent of all the proceeds going to the organic farm. Sweetwater not only provides healthy, organic food for people but it also puts a great deal of effort into educational programs and community building projects as well. In short, they do a lot for the local Tampa organic food movement. As I sat there eating my burrito and watching the long line of customers file through the door I couldn't help but wonder why more businesses don't do something like this. I mean it would probably behoove restaurants to have a practice night before opening for real so why not join up with a local cause and start building your community connection before opening your doors for real?
I made it an all pseudo Mexican food day as earlier I whipped up some Smoky Lentil Tacos. The original recipe came from The Chubby Vegetarian but because of a few assumptions and needing to get rid of some extra vegetables I had to tweak his version slightly.
Smoky Alabaster Tacos (adapted from the Chubby Vegetarian)
1. In a large skillet with a lid, saute the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the cumin, salt and chili powders and stir until the spices have unified and the onions have been well covered. Heat for an additional minute.
2. To the onions, add tomato sauce, sesame oil, lentils, water, vinegar, sundried tomatoes, green pepper and tomato. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. The lentils should take on a consistency of risotto. Remove from heat.
3. On a warm tortilla place the lentils down the middle. Top with cabbage, cheese, salsa and lime juice. Wrap and gobble.
Sweden's Solander (here and here), the creators of one of my favorite cover songs of all time, recently released a new album entitled Passing Mt. Satu. The first single from the album is called "The Garden." Featuring hand claps, violins and a chorus that is instantly catchy I would say that "The Garden" is one of their finer works.
Picnic is an Estonian band that exist at the place where flowing guitars mingle with electronic seaside beats that are gently lapping lyrical candy. Its like shoegaze and Icelandic indie all rolled up into one. "Shareware" is brilliant dreampop that has resonated with me since hearing it via Far From Moscow:
Sometimes songs take a while for me to latch on to. Sometimes it happens instantly. Cecil Frena's work under the moniker Gobble Gobble was one of those instant connections. After ruling the stage at SXSW, Cecil decided to retire the name Gobble Gobble and head in a different direction. That direction is Born Gold. Retaining the instrumentation, big sounds, unique lyrics and energy of Gobble Gobble is pretty much all that matters and Born Gold does that. "Alabaster Bodyworlds" is the first single from their Bodysongs LP which will be released in September.
Once, while sitting at the airport waiting for J-Fur to return from New Mexico, I watched a guy make a disgruntled face every time he took a sip from his Sprite bottle. I crafted an elaborate story about what was causing this man so much unhappiness, even going as far as sharing it with J-Fur when she arrived. But I didn't write it down and to this day I remember almost nothing about it. This is exactly what Tessa Nuku does not do. When she crafts a brilliant story while observing people at the bus stop she makes sure she captures it in writing. This allows her to turn to it later when she needs it for a catchy pop song like "What You Do" which was included on our Rubbed the Wrong Way Mix. Recently I had the chance to interview, via email, Tessa and her band mate Brendon Boney. The two of them are the creative forces behind Aussie band Microwave Jenny.
Microwave Jenny (MJ): We're a duet made up of Tessa Nuku on the vocals and Brendon Boney on vocals and guitar.
TB: According to your bio, the name Microwave Jenny comes from a classic Aussie film called The Castle. Having never seen this film, how exactly does Microwave Jenny fit into the plot and why did you think this made a good band name?
MJ: It doesn't really serve any purpose to the plot of the film. They use it to show how we all remember and refer to people. The Mum and the daughter, Tracy, are talking when one says "You know Jenny?" and the other replies "Jenny, Jenny? Or Jenny Microwave Jenny?". About 50% of people we come across get the reference and people who don't get it just think it's a weird name and they remember it next time.
TB: One of your goals is to "bring pop music played by real musicians with real instruments back to the Australian landscape." Why do you think real people/real instruments have been forgotten in pop music and why is it so important, to you, to bring them back?
MJ:There are plenty of great musicians in Australia playing their instruments very well. When we said this we weren't thinking that they don't exist, we just want to help the cause. There's a lot of programmed drum beats on the radio these days and it can kind of hurt your head after a while. Is it too much to ask for a drummer who can play the drums?! Part of what we love about music is the fact that you end up with bumps and bruises. They make the moments of brilliance much more believable and hard hitting.
TB: Both of you are from Aboriginal backgrounds. How does that influence your music? Have you met with any struggles being indigenous musicians as you try to "find your place in contemporary music"?
Brendon: I have a little more of an Aboriginal background than Tessa. She mostly identifies as Maori and has extended family in New Zealand. As far as influence goes its a little tough to explain. People expect to hear some kind of cultural influence in your music once they hear you're Aboriginal but the truth is that's not really how I was raised. I didn't learn to play the didgeridoo or speak in language. I was raised listening to James Taylor and Fleetwood Mac and Michael Jackson! I can't really explain much about my people's history because I'm still learning about it myself. All I can do is tell my stories about the world that I live in now and try to be a good representation of what it means to be a young Aboriginal in the world today.
Tessa: As Brendon mentioned I have a lot of family currently living in New Zealand on my dad's side as he was born there. The Aboriginal heritage comes from my great great grandfather who was a black tracker sent over to New Zealand to find who ever it was he was told to find by the British but ended up running away with the Maoris eventually becoming my great great grandfather. But I also have a lot of family here in the land of OZ on my mum's side. So for me to identify with one culture wouldn't feel right. You could put me in a room with each culture separately and I will always feel at home and that is the way I have been brought up. It hasn't made it harder to "find my place" but much much easier because I just feel like I'm a part of everyone as a whole. I can see in my mind that being a very different story if I had not been raised that way and can see how people who only identify with one culture may find it hard to adapt to another. Not that it is a bad thing but I can see how it would be more difficult. The moral is: I write what I write because of how I was raised and the way I was raised to embrace everyone no matter the background. Which, for me, makes things far more enjoyable.
TB: One of the highlights of your year has to be both of you being shortlisted for the 2011 APRA PDA Awards. Brendon actually took top prize in the indigenous category (winning 25,000 dollars). Was there any bad blood between the two of your after the winners were announced? In all seriousness, did either of you expect to be shortlisted let alone win? What did it mean for your guys when you were?
Brendon: Yeah Tessa was pretty angry. There was a few plates and vases thrown that night. Just kidding!!! Tessa was actually crying when my name was read out. I think she was more happy than I was to win it! I had been shortlisted before but didn't win so to actually walk away with one this time was a super satisfying and humbling experience. I am truly grateful they thought I was worthy to win that.
Tessa: I'm the worlds biggest list writer. I write lists for cleaning, for shopping, for weekly chores, for fun things to do that week, for EVERYTHING! I LOVE LISTS! They complete me (hehehe). So you can imagine how excited I was to be put on someone's list ANNDD being on that list meant I had a chance of winning 25,000 dollars (haha). And then I looked more closely at the list of talent in my category and I was blown away, like perhaps they had put me through by mistake? Now I didn't win but I'm being truthful when I say being on that list was good enough for me. Plus, it means I can always try again. I was so happy for Brendon when he won and its true, I did cry because I didn't win....KIDDING! He truly deserved it, he puts a lot of hard work into writing songs, I know this. But it is always nice when other people notice as well. So I cried like a proud grandparent.
TB: "What You Do" is a song that I think a lot of people can relate to, the idea that you want someone or something so bad that it hurts. What's the story behind the song?
Tessa: Hehe. This story was actually just a bit of fun. Have you ever sat at a bus stop or shopping centre and just made up fake lives for persons passing by? That's how I kind of wrote this song. I made up this character about someone that I just saw and, it might sound horrible, but to me it looked like she was heart broken. I could see this whole movie about it in my mind so I quickly wrote it down. She was probably just heading to the grocery store because she ran out of milk for her afternoon hot chocolate and her concentrating face just made her look like she was sad (haha). Funny enough, Brendon had written this chorus a long time ago and never finished it. It fit perfectly.
TB: You have a few EPs to your name but now you are in the process of recording your first full length with producer Daniel Denholm. What's it been like working with him?
MJ: Daniel's awesome!!! He's an incredibly talented, well respected producer in the industry and I'm always learning new things from him every time we go in to record. He's a super straight shooter too and tells you exactly how it is, which makes you work really hard to be at your best.
TB: In June you guys spent four nights opening for Thirsty Merc. What was the audience's reaction to you? What did you guys take from those shows that will be beneficial in the future?
MJ: At first, on the surface it might not seem like us supporting Thirsty Merc would work but it ended up being a really nice experience for us. Those guys were generous and easy to get along with which made us feel really comfortable. And spending that time being around their music, you understand why we actually ended up connecting with a heap of their fans and selling CDs. They're a real groove based band and have a lot of melody driven songs which we love and try to make too.
TB: Speaking of shows, I've read a lot recently about huge bands who have something go wrong and storm off the stage before even finishing a song or two. Then I read about you guys who once had a power outage occur right before you took the stage and you just went out into the middle of the crowd and played an acoustic set with only a few candles. You said it became one of your most memorable shows. What is your mindset like when you are preparing for a live performance? How was it that your were able to react so quickly to something that would be pretty damning to a lot of other bands?
MJ: We're pretty relaxed before our shows. The fact that anything can happen while you're on stage is part of the beauty of live music. The only difference with that specific case was that the crazy thing happened before we actually got on stage! A weird thing happens when you're about to get on stage where this adrenalin kicks in. There's very little you can't put up with.
MJ: It's pretty funny to look back at. What actually happened was they had a challenge where they were to take an unsigned artist and present them to "industry professionals" like a showcase. One of the producers of the show found us on this old thing called Myspace and rang us and asked if we'd like to do it and we said "Yeah, why not."
TB: Outside of music, what do you guys like to do? I hear rumors about mad choc top ice creams...
Brendon: We're huge film fans. We go to the cinema once or twice a week at least. There probably isn't a major studio film released in the last 3 years that we haven't seen! We've just started getting into Laser Tag which is awesome! Tessa is really creative and likes messing around with photography and those choc tops come from her days working at a cinema where she used to make them.
TB: Does Microwave Jenny get the chance to do much cooking? Any special recipes you care to share?
MJ: We love to cook! We love food!!! We have a chicken lasagne recipe that we picked up from Tessa's sister where you really get creative with the layers. It starts like most other lasagnes: You take some chicken mince and cook it then mix in some tomato based sauce. Take a good size oven dish and layer the sauce in between some lasagne sheets using some bechamel sauce. Here's the twist we like to do: take some lightly boiled slices of sweet potato and make a layer with those. Top with a heap of mozzarella and put it in the oven on 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit) for about an hour. Eat it until slightly sick.
Last week I was determined to create a "fasting" or vegan version of Spanakopita. Something that the Great Lent King could be proud of. The first batch I ate entirely myself as it wasn't fit for other human consumption (a little off the deep end with the dill). The second go round used less dill and really gave the Great Lent King fits as I meshed it into rolled form reminiscent of a flaky burrito. In the end, the Great Lent King said that his concern was only on taste and the second batch definitely heeded its call.
2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and scallions and saute for five minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Drop in the spinach and saute for an additional five minutes, stirring often.
3. Stir in the nutritional yeast, miso paste, soft tofu, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Take two phyllo sheets and fold them in half. Layer on the spinach mixture. Wrap the phyllo dough around it. Place the wrapped spanakopita on a baking sheet. Brush heartily with olive oil. Repeat until the spinach mixture has been completely used (I was able to make five wraps out of it).
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown. Sacrifice it to the hunger gods.
Seeing that Vegan Spanakopita had a religious basis in some places and at certain times of the year I listened a lot to Kevin Devine's "Between the Concrete and the Clouds" (the first single from his upcoming album with the same name). The song relates the religious transformation that some people go through during their lifetime, jumping from one to the next, and the questioning that an outsider viewing this movement would have. I love the politics that play out in Kevin's work and can't wait for the new album (due out Sept. 13th).
A little more upbeat and summery and just as great to make rolled spanakopita to, are the new songs from San Cisco and the Jezabels (here). San Cisco is an Australian band that released an EP, Golden Revolver, earlier this year. They also skateboard and like the Nintendo 64 but their indie pop is what caught my attention. "Golden Revolver" comes from, of course, the EP with the same name.
The Jezabels and their moody style of pop music also hail from Australia. The band is touring the world in support of their upcoming debut LP Prisoner. The US and Canadian leg of the tour will also feature Canadian indie rock band Hey Rosetta! "Endless Summer" comes from the new LP which will be released on September 16th.
A few weeks back I did a tasting at Burger 21 (here) in West Chase. While I devoured veggie burgers and shakes the meat eaters were treated to sliders and hot dogs. The first thing I noticed when they brought out the hot dogs was the bread. They weren't your typical hot dog buns. These dogs were wrapped in what Burger 21 dubbed "Lobster Rolls." Laymen might call it "Texas Toast." Naturally my curiosity got the best of me and I had to replicate it at home. I chose the restaurant's Chili Cheese Dog as my test subject.
Start with the Texas toast (which is a thick slice of Italian bread slathered in garlic and Earth Balance and grilled). Then layer, in order, the vegetarian hot dog, chili, onions and cheese. You may also want to include jalapenos though I skipped them. The dog was a mess, a good mess, but a mess just the same.
While I made the Texas toast and put this dog together I was looking for music that knows what it is like to fuse two worlds together (dance and punk perhaps?). I was also looking for something that sounds like "a wasted sugar high, like eating boxes of Pixy Stix and chugging Colt 45's while listening to your high school record collection on shuffle and fingering your then girlfriend...what the f##k was her name?" That meant I only had one option. Digit Dealer.
Digit Dealer is a Brooklyn/Queens band made up of Austin, Arv and Sean. One an art school student from Brooklyn. One an Indian kid from Queens. And one a dude that had the other two singing as his phone's ringtone. Together they have joined forces to create undeniably catchy dance punk music that I can't stop listening too. Digit Dealer is prepping for the release of their new album Bad Field Trip onAugust 19th. They are celebrating with a release party that also features Lionshare, Wolf Couture (which is Ninjasonik's old DJ, DJ Teenwolf, and his new band) and Sludgehammer. "Homoeroticism in the Fall Out Boy Canon" is the fourth track on Bad Field Trip.
