Just Beet it Mix: Doug Burr, City Riots, Braids, Fan-Tan, FLL, Hannah Georgas, Ten Bears, Terrible Feelings, Big K.R.I.T, L'egojazz and more

(pictured above, Citrus Tinged Beet and Goat Cheese in Phyllo. For the recipe click here.)

"Beets, bears, Battlestar Galactica."
-Jim Halpert (The Office)

Beta Vulgaris. The only thing more vulgar than the scientific name for a beet was it's smell (my grandma used to make them all the time, I wanted to vomit). I had plenty of opportunity to like beets. I read the beet manifesto (Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins). I watch The Office where one of the characters, Dwight Schrute, is mildly obsessed with beets. My friend HH has a beet tattooed on her side. I was even convinced by another friend, BH to put one in my mouth (I didn't enjoy it much). It wasn't until attending the wedding of one of my co-workers that I finally put a beet into my mouth and like the results. The groom, Bob, made a pastry using beets, goat cheese, phyllo dough, spices and a hint of orange. I probably ate ten triangles of this appetizer. Since then I've made a slightly modified version of this pastry twice. So this playlist, the Just Beet it Mix, is all about that. An ode to a stinky vegetable that has somehow wormed its way into my kitchen, despite its vulgarity.

Track Listing:

Doug Burr-A black wave is comin'
City Riots-She Never Wants to Dance
Braids-Lemonade
Spit Syndicate-Starry Eyed
Fan-Tan-On your wall
Gobble Gobble-Lawn Knives
Hannah Georgas-Bang Bang You're Dead
L'egojazz-Ovatime
Once A Pawn-Waiting
Ten Bears-Braces
Terrible Feelings-Hollow
Big K.R.I.T-Dat All
FLL-The Esplanade
The Streets on Fire-No ones Fuc*ing to the radio


Download Playlist Here

Baker's Dozen: Interview with Lifeless Satellites

(image by Katie Mae Dickinson)

Jesse Alexander Green, half of Minneapolis indie duo Lifeless Satellites, suggests that "sometimes you need to drift into someone else's imagination to get perspective on things in your own life." This is exactly what Lifeless Satellites does for me. Because of the perspective provided by their song "Memory" I made it a part of our 2 All Hexane Patties Mix. Recently I had the chance to interview, via email, Jesse and Jeremy the masterminds behind Lifeless Satellites. This is the twelfth installment of our Baker's Dozen Interview Series.

TB: Let's start by introducing the band. Who is Lifeless Satellites?

Jeremy: 24, presumably the son of a failed musician.
Jesse: 24, full of contradictions.

TB: I've seen it written a few places where the band is described as "the end result of ten years of finding a voice and eighteen months of refining it." Care to elaborate?

Jeremy: When we began writing together we knew what we weren't, but not much else. About 18 months ago a series of events led me to have to stop trying to be something I'm not and just be myself. That's when this began.

TB: I am intrigued by the description (on the Lifeless Satellites website) that says Lifeless Satellites picks up "where Ian Curtis, Clint Mansell and A Perfect Circle left off." How do you do this?

Jeremy: To say we sound like them would be misleading, but emotionally, thematically, we're dealing with similar issues.

TB: Tell us about your debut album, Internal Recurrence.

Jeremy: Everybody at one point or another finds themselves making the same mistakes again and again. The same relationships, the same behavior...but in every situation you have a choice, and that's not always obvious. Our songs don't tell you how to feel or think, they're ambivalent, but they have helped us and hopefully the can help others as well.

TB: Internal Recurrence lyrically revolves around the themes of loss and acceptance. Were there specific life events that inspired these lyrics or do they speak in more general terms?

Jesse: It changes from song to song, sometimes line to line. There are a lot of things that happen to us that we don't understand, we try to understand those situations with certain philosophies and art forms, our own or others, the lyrics are certainly a reflection of that.

TB: Lifeless Satellites is currently unsigned, are you shopping for a label or are you content doing things yourself?

Jeremy: Never say never...

TB: In our first correspondence you mentioned that Survivor (by Chuck Palahniuk) is one of your favorite books. I see that your influences include other notable authors such as Alan Watts, Nietzsche, and Charles Manson. Are you an avid reader? How do books influence your music (if at all)?

Jesse: Read, read, read. Read and write. Listen and make sounds. That's usually how we find what we are looking for. Sometimes you need to drift into someone else's imagination to get perspective on things in your own life. Books influence us in that way.

TB: You've got a couple shows coming up this summer in the Twin Cities (June 18th at Corner Coffee in Minneapolis, July 2nd at Eclipse Records in St. Paul and July 7 at The Terminal Bar in Minneapolis). What are your live shows like? Will you be adding more dates?

Jeremy: It continues to evolve, but our goal is always to remain true to the songs and true to ourselves without our egos getting in the way. There's fewer distractions at a live show, so it may even be more fitting for our music. A tour would be great, but we're still testing the waters before we dive in.

TB: What is the Minneapolis-St. Paul music scene like? Any bands we should be made aware of?

Jeremy: There's a lot of diversity. We're fortunate enough to have stations like The Current and Radio K where you can actually still discover new and interesting music. Some favorites at the moment are Minor Kingdom, Communist Daughter, To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie and Kiersten Holine.

TB: One of the highlights of my visit to Minneapolis was the chance to eat and see a show at the Triple Rock Social Club. Have you ever had the chance to dine there? Knowing that you are a fellow vegetarian, what restaurants would you recommend for an out-of-towner?

Jeremy: That's one of the best, probably second only to Hell's Kitchen.

TB: What's in store for Lifeless Satellites for the rest of the year?

Jeremy: We're always writing, but right now we're mostly focused on being the live band we wish existed. Hopefully others will feel the same.

TB: Does Lifeless Satellites get a chance to do much cooking? Any recipes you'd care to share?

Jeremy: Find the foods you like and be creative.

TB: Any parting shots?

Jeremy: Donate everything you don't need. Nobody remembers being alone, they remember their relationships. Soon, all you'll have left are your memories.

Here is another track from Lifeless Satellite's album Internal Recurrence:

Lifeless Satellites-Left

You can also get "Torrent" from the bands bandcamp page.

Vegetable Barely Risotto masticated with Trophy Boyfriend and Walking Sleep

Growing barley is hot (in a sexy sort of way) especially if you reside in Virginia. According to federal statistics the number of acres hosting barley increased by almost 40,000 this year. Why the sudden surge? A bio energy plant in Appomattox, scheduled to be completed this summer, will be the nation's first commercial scale barley to ethanol plant. Farmers, seeing the need for increased barley, jumped on that bandwagon. My diet jumped on that bandwagon as well.

Vegetable Barley Risotto
(printable version)

-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
-1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-3 cups Barley
-3 cups zucchini, halved and sliced
-9 cups vegetable broth
-1/3 cup Sherry
-2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

1. In a large pot, heat the broth bringing it almost to a boil.

2. In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for about two minutes. Add the barley and saute for five minutes stirring often to make sure that it browns slightly but does not burn.

3. Add the onion and barley to the heated broth along with the zucchini and sherry. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to simmer, cover the pot, and cook for about an hour stirring occasionally. Add the Parmesan. Cook an additional ten minutes uncovered.

The barley risotto is extremely chewy, something that was slightly weird at first but that I quickly grew to love. The same can't be said about Trophy Boyfriend's song "Distant Chimes." I liked this track right away (and I'm not a chillwave, or whatever you call this type of music, fan). Download the entire Distant Chimes EP, for free, here. Thanks to Nialler 9, the blog that knows everything Irish, who brought Trophy Boyfriend to my attention.



The barley also goes wonderfully with Walking Sleep's "In a dream." The Los Angeles band, who was formerly called Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, has new album out...today. Buy it here.



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Food Pairing 101: What goes well with Brie en Croute?

Last week Paula Deen made her way to my kitchen for the first time. I met Ms. Deen on my trip through Savannah in January. She was staring at me from a number of magazine racks throughout the city and eventually I took notice (I can be a little dense when it comes to those kinds of things). Anyway, I extended an open invitation to visit me anytime and she finally did. It happened because I had 3/4's a wheel of Brie remaining and I needed to know what to do with it. In steps Deen and her Brie en Croute recipe. The rest, as they say is...appellation d’origine contrôlée.

Brie en Croute works wonders when paired with the Sleigh Bells' Treats LP (out now on Mom & Pop). Especially rich is "Tell 'Em."



Sleigh Bells-Tell 'Em

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Broccoli and Gruyere with Sleigh Bells
What goes well with a Tomato Tart?
What goes well with Moreno?
Savory Onion Pie with the Cast of Cheers

Broccoli and Spinach Lasagna Layered with 3OH3!, Kids of 88 and Male Bonding

One of my worst nightmares used to be that I scheduled a dinner party and invited hundreds of my family and friends but in the process of cooking our lovely meal my oven conked out and I was left stranded. I no longer worry about such things because, if all else fails, I can make lasagna in my dishwasher. True story. Look it up. This lasagna went nowhere near my dishwasher, meaning that it was only flavored with cheeses and spices, no soap.

Broccoli and Spinach Lasagna
(printable version)

-1 block tofu
-2 tsp lemon juice
-2 tsp olive oil
-1 clove garlic
-2 Tbs. dried basil
-1 pound frozen broccoli, thawed
-1 cup spinach
-2 cups mozzarella cheese
-3/4 cup Parmesan
-16 oz marinara sauce
-1/4 cup skim milk
-salt and pepper (to taste)
-6 no boil lasagna noodles

1. Heat oven to 400 F. In a metal bowl, mash the tofu until it is crumbly. Add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and dried basil. Mix well.

2. Add the broccoli, spinach, mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, salt and pepper to the tofu. Stir until everything has been combined.

3. In a separate bowl combine marinara sauce with skim milk.

4. Spoon a layer of marinara mixture into the bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish. Top with two noodles, 1/3 of the tofu mixture and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Cover this layer with two more noodles. Repeat layering once more. On top of the final two noodles place the remainder of the tofu and sauce. Cover with remaining Parmesan.

5. Tightly cover the lasagna with foil. Bake until the noodles are tender (about 4o minutes). Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown (10 minutes more).

For a perfect lasagna making experience, layer your soundtrack with 3OH3! ("My First Kiss" which features Ke$ha), Kids of 88 ("Ribbons of Light") and Male Bonding ("Franklin").





Male Bonding-Franklin

T T & D (Tempeh Tacos and Damien)

OK, so my taco doesn't come with a side of naked women like Tony Stamolis' new book T&T&A (the books website, which naturally contains nudity, is here). It also wasn't supremely greasy like this one. It even defies tradition with its vegetarian leanings. But what this dish lacks in beauty, texture or history, it makes up for in taste.

Tempeh Tacos with Goat Cheese
(printable version)

-1 package of tempeh
-olive oil
-1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1 package of frozen corn (10 oz)
-3 cups of baby spinach
-goat cheese, 4 oz.
-1/2 a red onion, sliced
-8 flour tortillas, warmed

1. Warm olive oil in a skillet. Using a cheese grater, grate tempeh into small pieces and add to the skillet along with chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes stirring occasionally.

2. Add the frozen corn and cook until heated through (about two minutes). Add the spinach and toss until wilted. Add the goat cheese and stir until melted.

3. Fill the tortillas with tempeh mixture. Top with red onions and salsa.

"Confidants" by Damien is one of those songs that didn't immediately grab me, I thought it was decent. But when it popped up on my player while I was making tacos all of a sudden, I got it. It reminds me a little bit of the Cribs with the earnestness and energy the band puts forth through the song. "Confidants" and the bands newest video single "Unaware Unaware" come from the LP Crippled Cute which you can purchase here. Also check out Damien's myspace page for a couple of free downloads.





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If you live and dine in LA, I came across a pretty cool blog about tacos, The Great Taco Hunt.

Food Pairing 101: What should I pair with a tomato tart?

What do you get when you combine roasted garlic, pate brisee, fontina cheese, vine-ripened tomatoes, J-Fur's cooking and Martha Stewart? A delectable dish perfect for those red juicy beasts growing on your porch (or in your backyard). Just make sure you keep this pastry away from friends, they will steal it and leave you with the crumbs. Click here for the recipe.

The tomato tart goes well when paired with Say it To My Fervent Heart, the New EP from the Grande Roses.

Grande Roses-Nothing then, nothing more

Grande Roses-A Place to Love

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Food Pairing 101: What goes well with Moreno?
What's Cooking with the Grande Roses?
Fruits of Labor, Songs of Labor

Granny's "Pot Pie" boiled with The Goodnight Loving

I'm not one that longs for meals that grandma used to make. Both of my grandmother's were good cooks in their own respective rights, but they were good at things that no longer appeal to me: turkey and gizzards, pig stomach, scrapple.

J-Fur's grandmother is a different story. Every time we visit PA she makes "Pot Pie" (which is in quotes because I would refer to it as dumplings but when I say that I am quickly corrected) and it is something that J-Fur looks forward to. I pried the recipe from her grandmother's fingers, which was surprisingly easy, and made it. Now I share this comfort food with you.

Granny's Sarcasm Laced "Pot Pie"
(printable version)

-2 cups flour
-1 tsp. salt
-1 egg
-1/4 cup water
-2 potatoes
-2 quarts vegetarian "chicken" broth
-1 yellow onion (optional for garnish)

1. Mix together salt, egg and flour.

2. Add enough water to form a ball of dough that will hold together but not be too sticky (about 1/4 a cup added slowly).

3. Divide the dough into two balls, roll out on a lightly floured surface, and cut into squares.

4. Bring vegetarian "chicken" broth to a boil in a large pot. Slice the potatoes into medium sized pieces and add to the broth. Allow potatoes to cook for a few minutes.

5. Add half of the "pot pie" squares to broth. Stir a few times. Add the other half of pot pie.

6. Cook for 20 minutes. Garnish with raw yellow onions.

When I think grandmothers I think rustic homes on top of dark basements and supper. While it definitely isn't grandmother music, the same ideas are evoked from listening to The Goodnight Loving. These guys were born to be in a basement, hosting supper clubs. While I am a little late to their basement party, I am ahead of their new album, The Goodnight Loving Supper Club (which comes out July 21st on Dirtnap Records). "The Pan" is from that album.

The Goodnight Loving-The Pan

Here is an earlier release, "Dead Fish on the Banks," courtesy of Dusty Medical Records.

The Goodnight Loving-Dead Fish on the Banks

Download additional tracks here.

Vegan Linzer Torte Cupcakes iced with Bakers at Dawn

J-Fur and I recently finished watching season three of Dexter (I know we are way behind but that is what having just basic cable does to you). If you aren't familiar with the show it is about a man who works for the police but is also a serial killer. Pretty thrilling stuff. Anyway, during season three Dexter is in the process of getting married to his girlfriend Rita. During one episode Rita is trying to get Dexter's opinion on which type of cake to have, hazelnut or chocolate. Dexter choose the hazelnut.

As an homage to the show I decided that I too was going to choose hazelnut, and bake up some vegan cupcakes. One problem, the recipe I was using (From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World) called for a lot of ingredients that I don't normally have lying around. I tracked most of these ingredients down but I couldn't find hazelnut extract. Like Dexter, I stalked this extract at my local supermarkets, big box store and even three different health food stores. I found root beer, lemon, almond, butter, orange, vanilla, mint, anise, and carob extract but no hazelnut. In the end, I substituted for it (something Dexter would never do). Learning from this experience, I am currently in the process of making my own extract (thanks J-Fur and Oso Negro for the recipe).

Vegan Linzer Torte Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Topping (adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)
(printable version)

-1 cup plus 2 Tbs. all purpose flour
-1/3 cup hazelnut flour
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1/4 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp. of salt
-2/3 cup of almond milk
-1 Tbs. ground flaxseeds
-1/3 cup vegetable oil
-1/4 cup of maple syrup
-1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
-2/3 cup of raspberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with wrappers. In a bowl whisk together almond milk and flaxseed. In another bowl sift together flour, hazelnut meal, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

2. To the almond milk mixture add: maple syrup, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond extract. Beat well. Pour wet ingredients into dry, mixing until smooth. Pour into cupcake liners (filling about two-thirds of the way). Bake 24 minutes. Cool completely.

3. Once cooled, fill a pastry bag with raspberry preserves. Using the fill head, poke a hole in each cupcake and squeeze as much preserves in as you can. After filling each cupcake, squeeze any excess preserves out and spread evenly amongst all the cakes.

4. Top with chocolate ganache (recipe below).

Chocolate Ganache Topping (adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)
(printable version)

-1/4 cup of soy milk
-4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
-2 Tbs. of molasses

1. In a sauce pan, bring the soy milk to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate and molasses. Mix ganache until chocolate has fully melted. Set aside until ready to use.

Note: I ran out of maple syrup so I used molasses instead. To make it exactly like the authors of the book, replace molasses with maple syrup.

Last August I made a roux mix (here) and included a Swedish band by the name of The Argument. One of their members, Marcus, works on solo music under the moniker Bakers at Dawn. Considering this recipe was all about baking, I thought I'd check the band out and see what was happening. Bakers at Dawn are not a polished pop band. Their sound is very dirty and unrefined (the way I like my flour). Some tracks I wasn't super impressed with and then others I liked a lot. Here are two of my favorites, "Same" (courtesy of Swedesplease) and "I always know I'm right." You can download entire Bakers at Dawn albums, for free, via their myspace page.


Bakers at Dawn-Same

Bakers at Dawn-I Always Know I'm Right

Food Pairing 101: What goes well with Moreno?

"Pichon" is the first video from Moreno's (mentioned here and here) new album, Polaroids. Polaroids is thirteen tracks of the psychedelic, folk punk we've come to expect from the Chilean artist. This will be Moreno's first release on the net-label Riot Club. Look for it, for free download, in a few weeks. Until then enjoy "Pichon."

Oh yeah, and his last album Pica (download via Mediafire).

"Pichon" goes well when it is paired with Jacqueline's blueberry muffins.

Tofu Tetrazzini topped with Cheese People

Last Wednesday, between calls for monetary donations, our local public radio station played an opera snippet and mentioned the sixty-ninth anniversary of the death of Luisa Tetrazzini. Tetrazzini is an Italian opera soprano who was said to have inspired either Mr. Pavani (of the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York) or Ernest Arbogast (of the Palace in San Francisco) to create a dish of pasta, mushrooms, cream sauce, non red meat and wine which bears her last name. In a small way, via the public radio station's death anniversary announcement, she also inspired my creation. My favorite recipe of the week: Tofu Tetrazzini.

Tofu Tetrazzini
(printable version)

-3 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 block of tofu, sliced thinly
-2 1/4 teaspoons salt
-1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
-1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
-1 large onion, finely chopped
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon thyme leaves
-1/2 cup sherry
-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
-4 cups skim milk
-1 cup half and half
-1 cup vegetarian chicken broth
-1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-16 ounces linguine
-3/4 cup frozen peas
-1 cup grated Parmesan
-1/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Wrap tofu in a paper towel and press between two plates for one hour.

3. Butter a 13 by 9 baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and oil in a frying pan. Sprinkle the tofu with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the frying pan and cook until golden about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cool before ripping the tofu into bite-size pieces. Place tofu in a large bowl and set aside.

4. Using the same pan saute the mushrooms for about 12 minutes. Add mushrooms to tofu and mix.

5. Using the same pan add onion, garlic, and thyme. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer until it evaporates. Transfer the onions to the bowl with the tofu and mushrooms.

6. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half and half, broth, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, whisking often, until thickened about 12 minutes. Be careful not to burn.

7. Cook the linguine according to the package. Drain the pasta. Combine the linguine, sauce, peas, and tofu mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta.

8. Transfer to the baking dish. Mix the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Russian disco punks Cheese People are a unique band. On one side of the spectrum you have Olya Chubarova "meowing" about her desire to not "be the reason for your erection." On the other side you've got the sampling and instrumentation of Sergey Chernov, Anton Zalygin and Michael Zencov suggesting that these songs belong in the dance club. I would agree except dance clubs aren't always the most progressive places. I mean could you see hot sweaty bodies gyrating to a song about popcorn stealing (which I am notorious for)? The two tracks below, "Stroitel" and "Ua-A-A!" come from last years self-titled release.

Cheese People-Stroitel

Cheese People-Ua-A-A!

2 All Hexane Patties Mix: The Rassle, White Wires, Victor Shade, Low Sea, Lost Chord, Weekends, Ceremony, Hey Marseilles, Demander, Paller, and more..

Long before my pal Dooglas told me that some of my favorite veggie burgers have Hexane residues in them (here is an article, written by the Cornucopia Institute, which discusses hexane in veggie burgers) I was considering making my own. They are just too darn pricey. Veggie burgers aren't a big part of my diet but they always seemed to be there when I needed something quick and painless. Now, knowing they contain trace amounts of a neurotoxin and pollutant, I'd have to say they are no longer painless. So I'm ridding my fridge of these burgers, picking up the beans and food processor, and making my own, hexane free, versions. That's what this playlist is all about.

Track Listing:

The Rassle-Born Free
Carrie Rodriguez-Big Love
White Wires-Ha Ha Holiday
The Library is on Fire-Magic Bumrush
Victor Shade-Autograffiti
Low Sea-Never Yours
The Divine Comedy-At the Indie Disco
Lost Chord-Cheats
Weekends-Raingirls (short)
Ceremony-Someday
Hey Marseilles-Rio
Demander-Math
Alcoholic Faith Mission-My Eyes to See
Lifeless Satellites-Memory
Pallers-The Kiss

Download Playlist Here


Recipe: The recipe for the Walnut Black Bean burgers pictured at the top (which are vegan except for the ones I put cheese on top) can be found here.