Vegan Pesto Twice Baked Potatoes with THI'SL, Races, Diamond Rings and PS I Love You

I don't like baked potatoes. It stems from my many meals at steak houses as a vegetarian. There usually isn't anything for me to eat aside from a baked potato. This has led to me to look at the baked potato as what people who can't cook anything but meat make for vegetarians. But something happens to that potato if it is baked a second time. In just moments that little spud goes from being spartan to gourmet, from single material to playlist worthy.

Vegan Pesto Twice Baked Potatoes
(printable version)

-2 baking potatoes
-1 can quartered artichokes, diced
-4 Tbs. soft silken tofu
-1 cup spinach
-vegan pesto
-salt and pepper (to taste)
-bread crumbs
-olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Puncture the potatoes a number of times on each side. Using enough aluminum foil to cover the potato completely, fold the sides and pour in some olive oil. Place the potato in the oil and roll to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap the potato and place in the oven for 50 minutes. Repeat with the other three potatoes.

2. In a metal bowl, mash together the tofu, artichoke hearts, spinach and pesto (add pine nuts too if you can afford them).

3. When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and slice in half (I did this without allowing them to cool because it was easier). Use a tablespoon to scoop out the flesh leaving a thin layer of potato on the skin. Add the scooped out potato flesh to the tofu mixture. Repeat with other potatoes. Mash until well mixed.

4. Season the tofu mixture with salt and pepper (if necessary) and refill both halves of the potato with a heaping mound of filling. Top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes back in the oven and bake again for nine minutes. Become one with the potato.

In case the playlist didn't tip you off let me state the obvious: I listened to a lot of music while making this recipe. A few songs that didn't make the cut of the playlist were tracks by THI'SL, Races and PS I Love You Featuring Diamond Rings.

THI'SL is an interesting story. He was a former crack addict dealer turned christian rapper who feels it is his duty to bring his message to those in his hometown who face the same problems he once had. His debut video "I Hate You" is off his Chronicles of an X-Hustler record (released in 2009) and hits the crack issue head on.



Playing the opposite role is Races. Instead of finding Jesus, they lost him (they were formerly known as Black Jesus). They have a new single out "Big Broom" in preparation for their debut 7 inch on Jaxart Records. The single is limited to 500 copies so pre-order yours now. A full length should be coming later this year.

Races-Big Broom

Almost everything Diamond Rings touches turns to gold for me. He makes an appearance on "Leftovers" by PS I Love You and it certainly does not become the exception to the rule.

PS I Love You - Leftovers

Food Fights: Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Cherry Buttercream Frosting and Marnie Stern, Marcellus Hall and Class Actress

(AP image taken by Matt Rourke)

Whoopie Pies are born in controversy. This blog, though trying to remain above the fray, has been no different to these whoopie wars. First there was the disparaging remarks about my eye sight at something I wrote about a whoopie pie shop. Then, the shipped batch that had to settle a bet. Now, in a story that has gone viral the last few days and has been picked up by news outlets such as USA Today, the Associated Press and the Huffington Post, these desserts are fueling a state war of words.

Both Pennsylvania and Maine have staked claim to the origination whoopie pies. This has gone on for as long as I can remember. The two sides have always lived in peace thinking Maine has theirs, we have ours (being an original Pennsylvanian I use we). Then in March of 2009 an article appeared in the New York Times about whoopies. It cited food historians as suggesting that the dessert probably originated in Pennsylvania. This upset many people in Maine including State Representative, Paul Davis, who remembered eating the desserts in his childhood. He began looking into the Times claim and the more he researched (talked to people), the more he felt something needed to be done to acknowledge Maine's claim. So in January, one year and ten months after the article was published, Davis introduced a bill to make the Whoopie Pie Maine's official treat. When news got to the Pennsylvania Amish, they were not happy. Rallies occurred, websites were created, videos made and Maine was told to "stick to lobster." This thing seems far from over.

News of this situation was brought to my attention by high school classmate and fellow food blogger and writer Erin. She suggested we have a "Save our Whoopie" bake day on Thursday to celebrate Pennsylvania's claim to whoopies. She baked a Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Filling. I went with a Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Cherry Buttercream Frosting.

As I baked up these Whoopies I enjoyed the sounds of three artists whose lyrics describe the Maine/Pennsylvania situation to a t. There's Marnie Stern with "Every Single Line Means Something," Marcellus Hall who is "Laughing with You" and Class Actress who suggests we be "Careful What You Say."

Marnie Stern-Every Single Line Means Something

Marcellus Hall-Laughing with You

Class Actress-Careful What You Say


You Might Also Enjoy:
Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes made them this week as well
My Pumpkin Whoopie Exchange for Christmas
Sweet Jane's

What's Cooking with Postbox?

(Photo by Ruevan Tan, the Bastard Movement)

Postbox first appeared on Write.Click.Cook.Listen with their song "Miss Sunshine" on our Caper Crusader Mix. Knowing very little about Singapore and their music scene I decided to contact them and get the lowdown. I heard nothing for a period of time and I figured any hopes of pursuing the band further was out of the question. Then, a few weeks ago, a reply appeared out of the blue. Ariff provided me with my answers...now you'll get yours. Here is what's cooking with Postbox.

How did Postbox get their start? A natural place to begin when finding out about someone:

We started playing in really small places like in a Ben & Jerrys outlet and school functions. I guess, after we recorded our songs and posted them on myspace we got more attention. That's when the ball started rolling for us.

Singapore. I haven't featured any bands from there on Write.Click.Cook.Listen before you. What are the positives and negatives about being a band in Singapore:

I guess the negative part about being a band in Singapore is the stereotype that Singaporean bands suck, cause by far, I can only think of one band in Singapore that has made it real big and that is Impiety, a death metal band. Hence, it's quite hard to breakthrough and make people listen to an indie band from Singapore, unless you have awesome music and good contacts with overseas indie labels that can promote your music in their countries. Many of the bands in Singapore pass the first criteria, but most don't really have good contacts with overseas labels. The only positive side I can think of right now is that, since our community is small, whenever we have shows we always see the same familiar faces and most of them are our friends. So it's like playing a show to a group of friends, and it's really fun to be playing that way cause it's like a "no pressure, just treat this as a practice session and have lots of fun" kind of thing.

Postbox put out an EP last February that was met with some good reviews. It was said, amongst other things, that the EP "was a collection of 6 insanely catchy and cheerful tunes" (Audioreload) and "hints at a promise of musicality and melodicism, with singer Samantha and accomplished performer (Power of Pop). What has the band been working on since then? I posed that question to the band:

Currently we're taking a break due to school, national service (this is a real bitch) and other commitments. We're planning to release a full-length though, currently practicing our new songs for recording in the near future. I guess the full-length's gonna be out early next year...I hope. Ha ha.

After talking music, I tried to steer Ariff towards cooking. But my lingo was lost and instead he gave me some insight on what lies ahead for Postbox.

We're planning a "hopefully memorable" show for the release of the full-length album. It might be our last show as Postbox, it might be not. We'll see how the wind blows for us in the future.

A follow up for a recipe went unanswered so I figured I'd improvise. Since everything I can find suggests that Singapore cuisine is a fusion of many different types of foods (including Indian, Maylaysian, Chinese, Peranaken, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and Korean) I figured I'd cook up something Indian, Chickpea Dal with Onion Flat Bread, and call it square (or more accurately oblong). I did find a link to some Singaporean recipes, although I'm not sure if they are actually eaten there or not.

Chickpea Dal with Spinach over Onion Flat Bread

(click here for the Dal recipe)

Postbox-Clouds



Postbox-I want discopop

Polenta Rancheros Shragged with Nobunny

Number 36 on the list of 100+ foods you should eat before you die is the Mexican dish huevos rancheros. This literally means "eggs ranch-style" and is generally made with a combination of eggs, corn tortillas, beans, guacamole and tomato salsa. I like the idea of huevos rancheros even though I'm not an egg fan (I rarely eat eggs unless they are baked so deep in a recipe that I can't tell they are there). There's something about the combination of the secondary ingredients that gets me going. When Michael Schafer spoke about Victor's 1959 Cafe, he mentioned huevos rancheros and that old feeling crept over me. How could I make huevos rancheros without the huevos? Tofu? Risotto? Corn meal? Rice pudding? I decided to go with the corn meal.

Polenta Rancheros
(printable version)

-2 tsp cumin
-2 tsp coriander
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-pinch cayenne pepper
-olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-2 Tbsp roasted garlic
-15 oz can diced tomatoes
-1 tomato, cubed
-1/2 tsp salt
-15 oz can pinto beans, drained
-15 oz can black beans, drained
-4 cups vegetable broth
-1 cup corn meal
-1 cup skim milk
-1 large Florida avocado, sliced

1. Heat spices in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about one minute. Add the onion and garlic. Cook in the spices for ten minutes.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and salt. Simmer for five minutes.

3. Combine tomato mixture with the beans. Cook until the beans are warmed all the way through.

4. Bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add the corn meal and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about five minutes).

5. Stir in the skim milk and heat five minutes more.

6. Divide the beans into four equal bowls. Spoon the polenta over top. Cover with sliced avocado.

I perused the list of foods to eat down around 400 and something that seemed to be missing was rabbit. All kinds of other meats (cow, dog, gator, ox, moose) appeared on the list but no rabbit. Oh well, plenty of rabbits involved in the music I've been listening too.

Nobunny is Justin Champlin and various other characters. Mainly it is Justin Champlin. And mainly, according to the Tucson Weekly, you should seek him out "if you've never been hugged by a horny drunken muppet." Nobunny has a new album out today on Goner Records. "Live it Up" resides there. Thanks to Stereogum.

Shrag reminds me of another tweed out European band (Los Campesinos!). "Rabbit Kids" is a fun song that has been making rounds for about a year. The video, which is brand new, is just as fun. Love the facial expressions of the man in flannel and the one wearing the doggy shirt. Shrag has a new album, Life! Death! Prizes!, coming October 4th on WIAIWYA. Thanks to Eardrums for placing them on my radar.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Goo Goo chilled by the Oholics, Weekend and Skipper

My friend's refrigerator suggests "everything is better when it is covered by chocolate." I dare to disagree.

Nine things that would be worse covered by chocolate:

1. My running shoes

2. Records

3. Toothbrush

4. Snakes

5. Steering Wheels

6. Sunglasses

7. Beach Chairs

8. Broccoli

9. (tie) Gnomes and real bombs

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Goo Goo Bombs

(printable version)

-8 scoops of Peanut Butter Ice Cream (I used Publix Peanut Butter Goo Goo)

-8 oz chocolate chips

1. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Put in the freezer for five minutes.

2. Remove the cookie sheet. Using an ice cream scoop, put eight scoops of ice cream on the cookie sheet about an inch apart. Freeze for 3o minutes.

3. With about five minutes left in the freezing of the ice cream, melt the chocolate chips in a double broiler (or two pans inside each other with the bottom one filled with boiling water).

4. Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Using a wooden spoon, work quickly to cover ice cream completely with melted chocolate. It seemed to work best by dropping a mound of chocolate on top of the ice cream and then using the back of the spoon to spread it around.

5. Put the Goo Goo bombs in the freezer for fifteen minutes. Eat frozen.

*Note: I was looking for something super peanut buttery so next time I would probably add some peanut butter to the ice cream since the goo goo wasn't strictly a peanut butter ice cream. I'd also think about adding chopped peanuts to the chocolate.

The sitar might be something worth smothering in chocolate and it is front and center in the Oholics new track "Lose it." These Swedish psych rockers have a debut album, Disgraceland, that is out now.

Oholics-Lose it (via My Old Kentucky Blog)

It starts out with some pounding guitars and drums and howls and builds into a fascinating exercise in zombie groaning post punk gloriousness. Such is the life of a "Summer Coma." The song comes from San Francisco's Weekend and their debut LP, Sports, which will be coming our way November 9th on Slumberland Records.

Weekend-Summer Coma (via Pitchfork)

Perhaps I was a little harsh when I suggested that records shouldn't be chocolate covered. Afterall, Chocolate Covered Records seems to be an interesting place. Perhaps the best song from that label, in my chocolate infused opinion, is Skipper and their track "Cold Pizza & Pop." You can hear the song here.

Where they eat: Young Adults and InBound Pizza

(photo courtesy of Young Adults Myspace Page)

Picture this: the Young Adults, a loud, aggressive, fuzz-punk band from Allston, Massachusetts, are about to hit the stage at Great Scott (their favorite hometown venue). All of a sudden Demitri (bass and vocals) or Kurt (drums) or Chris (guitar and vocals) realizes they are hungry. Should the band ignore it and play, risking a lackluster performance? Or should they head across the street to InBound Pizza, purchase the Buffalo Chicken topped pie, bask in its "saucy, chicken sprinkled delight" and recharge enough to elbow drop your eardrums? The safe bet is option number two.

The Young Adults have existed as a band for about a year but have garnered attention that would make some veteran groups blush (here and here and here, just to name a few). A lot of this stems from the release of a well received Demo last year (which you can download here) as well as the bands refusal to rest on their laurels. Instead of just accepting the accolades and stagnating, Young Adults are forging ahead with the recording of their debut full-length album working titled Black Hole. The album will be released later this year by Prague-based AMDISCS. After that, who knows? A chance to play shows outside of the Boston area, a European tour, maybe more Buffalo Chicken Pizzas from InBound? Its hard to say right at this moment but things are certainly moving.

Young Adults Upcoming Shows:

Upcoming Shows ( view all )

Jul 10 2010 10:00A Recording w/ Justin Pizzoferrato @ Esthudio Brighton, MA Jul 11 2010 10:00A Recording w/ Justin Pizzoferrato @ Esthudio Brighton, MA Jul 17 2010 9:00P Cover Art Project w/ Jeff Allen MA Jul 24 2010 10:00A Recording w/ Justin Pizzoferrato @ Esthudio Brighton, MA Jul 25 2010 10:00A Recording w/ Justin Pizzoferrato @ Esthudio Brighton, MA Aug 7 2010 3:00P Deep Heaven Now Festival Somerville, MA

Young Adults-Let Us Out
Courtesy of Clicky Clicky Music Blog.

Four for the Fourth featuring Vegetarian Sausage Reubens, Marco Mahler, Living Days, Pierced Arrows and Spawn of Evil

Traditionally the fourth of July means many things for Americans: parades, fireworks, picnics and Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Nathan's yearly contest pits many of the worlds top competitive eaters in a gluttonous attempt to devour as many short tubes of beef as they can in ten minutes. The champion earns a monetary award and a mustard yellow belt. For the past three years American Joey Chestnut has won the competition (last year putting down a record 68 hot dogs).

This year I will be joining the competitors in eating short tubes and buns, although mine will be made of seitan. Thanks to Vegan Dad for the sausage recipe.

Vegetarian Sausage Reubens

-Four Sausages (I replaced the pinto beans with kidney and used 1 cup of vital wheat gluten)
-four slices of swiss cheese
-four hot dog buns
-sauerkraut

1. Mix, shape and steam the sausages according to the Vegan Dad recipe.

2. Toast the hot dog buns.

3. Layer sauerkraut across the bottom of the hot dog buns. Place a sausage on top. Cover with swiss cheese. Top with ketchup, mustard or spicy barbecue sauce.

While some people will be enjoying Justin Bieber, B.o.B, Passion Pit, Reba McEntire or the Goo Goo Dolls on the 4th of July, these are the four for the fourth that I will be grilling to.

Marco Mahler-The Trees Have Fallen and the Birds Are Ripe

This Marco Mahler track is like an acoustic pigeon shoot that doesn't need protesting. Thanks to Perfect Porridge for link.

Living Days-Let's Kiss

Hackneyed and Unoriginal? Maybe. But damn fun too.

Pierced Arrows-Let it Rain

Sure they have a newer song (The Doorway), but it isn't nearly as bad (read good) as this one. Like a trainwreck, I can't divert my ears from. Do I hate music? Maybe...

Spawn of Evil-Screamager (Therapy Cover)
J-Fur hates Spawn of Evil. I argue that Screamager shouldn't evoke hate because it is too brilliantly awful.

Enjoy the day.

Rolled Pizza, Matt and Kim and the Hot Toddies

Rolled pizza always made sense to me, that's how my grandfather used to eat it. He'd grab a slice, fold it in half and treat it like a calzone or turnover. It made for a neat little grease tunnel that exited right down his chin and onto his hands.

Inspired by this memory, hot pockets and empanadas that I made a few weeks ago, I decided to create my own version of rolled pizza using a crust recipe that I came across in a Mark Bittman cookbook (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian). Here's how it happened:

Rolled Pizza
(printable version)

For the Crust:
-2 cups flour
-1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 cup cold water
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup vegan shortening
-1 Tbsp. roasted garlic

For the filling:
-1 cup marinara sauce
-1/2 bag vegetarian burger crumbles
-1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
-1/4 cup of Parmesan
-fresh basil

1. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor for about five seconds. Keep the machine running while adding shortening and garlic. Process for ten seconds. With the machine still running, add cold water (the dough should be fairly dry, don't add too much water). At this point begin forming the dough into a ball. Knead it by hand until smooth.

2. Divide the dough into 10 pieces, roll into balls, and cover with a damp paper towel. Let dough sit for twenty minutes.

3. Flour a work surface and roll dough out until it is very thin* and circular.

4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the Parmesan, Mozzarella, marinara sauce, crumbles and basil together. Spoon mixture into the center of each circle. Fold each circle over. You can seal the pizzas with water and a fork (although I didn't do this). Put the pizzas on an ungreased baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes.

*I suggest rolling this dough out as thin as possible. When I did it the first time, I left the dough a little to thick and it thickened even more during the cooking process. This created a very dry casing for my pizzas.

I've been rolling my pizzas recently to the sounds of Matt and Kim's song "Daylight." J-Fur turned me on to these guys by constantly playing the song in her car. Now I do the same in my own. Matt and Kim will be touring it up in the Fall (including a date in St. Pete). Can't wait to see this live!


Daylight by mattandkim

I've also been enjoying the Hot Toddies "Keep on Runnin' (The Vampire Song)." The bands sweet, beepy, infectious, bubblegum pop comes full throttle during this track. It comes from their debut album, due out next month on Asian Man Records. You can preview this track, and more from the album, at the Hot Toddies website. Also check them on Facebook, reverb nation, or Myspace.

One last note, this is not the way to roll. Sorry, had to do it.

What's Cooking with Alcoholic Faith Mission?

Sune Sølund and Thorben Seierø Jensen, two members from the Copenhagen band Alcoholic Faith Mission (first mentioned here), started playing together in 2006, while they were living in Brooklyn. Even though the idea for the band was bred in New York, it wasn't until this year that the band actually had the opportunity to perform in the states. Recently I had the opportunity to correspond with the band and discuss their first US shows, as well as find out what is cooking with Alcoholic Faith Mission.

Alcoholic Faith Mission has undergone some unique transformations since 2006. I asked the band to give me a brief history:

Alcoholic Faith Mission is both a band and a music collective from Copenhagen, Denmark.

The project was originally started by Sune Sølund and Thorben Seierø Jensen back in 2006 when the two of them recided in Brooklyn, New York for a while. All though the band started as a acoustic duo Alcoholic Faith Mission quickly developed to a collective where friends from all over the world contributed to the recordings and concerts.

All though the band recently has evolved into a more steady five-piece including Kristine Permild, Gustav Rasmussen and Laurids Smedegaard many people still take part of the project that make Alcoholic Faith Mission today.

Alcoholic Faith Mission recently released their third album, Let This Be the Last Night We Care. In some ways the album is similar to their other two (2006's Misery Loves Company and 2009's 421 Wythe Avenue) but in other ways it is very different. The band talked about their new album and compared it to the other two:

As any other album from us Let This Be the Last Night We Care is developed by experiments banging at random things and shouting whatever came to mind at nighttime.

Our two first album was recorded under a set of fixed dogmas; Misery Loves Company (our first album) was recorded only during nighttime with plenty of booze and candlelights, while 421 Wythe Avenue (our second album) was recorded solely with the use of things available at the loft in Brooklyn where the album was recorded.

These kinds of straitjackets had a great influence on the atmosphere on the two albums, but with Let This Be the Last Night We Care we haven't had the same kind of restrictions. All the songs are recorded with our small recording setup in Thorben's bedroom under the mezzanine, and there is no doubt that even though we haven't committed ourselves to any dogmas we have been working a lot with sounds and using things other than traditional instruments to add layers and effects to the album.

All in all our three albums have been made under completely different premises and they all show a different side of us as a band. Let This Be the Last Night We Care is definitely a progression that we are very proud and satisfied with, although we still don't know what the musical expression is going to sound like on our next album. We'll see... :)

Let This Be the Last Night We Care features the track "Got Love? Got Shellfish?" This track was remixed by Rasmus from Re:legion marking a first for the band. The first time a song of theirs had been remixed. How had this happened? Were there others on the way?

Rasmus is a very old and good friend of ours who asked if he could remix the track. We're huge fans of Rasmus and his music, so we didn't hesitate to let him do it. As we expected he did an awesome job. And yeah, a couple of other remixes are on the way...

Now, about their first US shows and their first time playing Denmark's Spot Festival:

Coming back to Brooklyn where the adventure begin in 2006 and where Thorben and Sune lived for a half year in 2008 to record our second album 421 Wythe Avenue was our destiny. Touring the US has always been a big dream for everyone in the band, so this first US tour definitely was something we have been looking forward to.

Having the chance to present our music for an American audience was amazing. All we can say is that the 10 days overseas wasn't enough so now we're planning going back soon for a much longer tour.

It was our first time at the Spot Festival and it was a great experience playing at the totally packed venue Ridehuset. All though we played at a small festival in Copenhagen (for at lot bigger audience though) last year we consider our show at Spot as our first real festival gig.

We see pros and cons playing either festivals or clubs. At festivals we get the chance to present our music for a bigger audience and people who might not have chosen to go to a club concert with your band. On the other hand we have experienced that people at smaller venues are more dedicated to the music; at least our kind of music. We definitely want to play more festivals, but we might be strongest at more intimate venues with close contact to the audience.

I ended the music portion of our interview by asking them about Alcoholic Faith Mission's immediate future:

Since we let go of Let This Be the Last Night We Care we have been working on new stuff. Because this spring have been packed with touring it have been on hold for a while. But hopefully we will have time to get back in the studio to work on new material during the summer.

We have a single festival tour during July and some gigs now and then, but besides from that we'll have a couple of months off from touring over the summer. We are very excited to go back and work on new stuff because we have a feeling that the new material is going to be a bit different from our earlier stuff, and it's going to be be interesting and exciting to see where new studio sessions will take us!

Since this is also a food blog I wrapped up our discussion with a question about what Alchoholic Faith Mission are cooking up (in the more conventional use of the word). Turns out, it's a chili chock full of smoke, coffee and beer:

Alcoholic Faith Mission's Smoky Chicken Chili with Stout and Coffee
(printable version)

-garlic
-fresh jalapeno chili

-smoked chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

-cayenne pepper

-ground cumin

-cinnamon

-onions

-assorted beans (kidney, white, black - whatever)

-canned tomatoes

-fresh peppers (red and yellow)

-stout

-espresso

-chicken

-fresh cilantro

-sour cream

Note: There are not any fixed measurements to any of the ingredients - use as much or as little as you like. Remember to use a large pot.

1) Chop the garlic, jalapeno and chipotles finely. Chop the onions in large pieces. Fry all of these ingredients lightly in some oil. Add the cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. The different chili flavors create a deeper chili taste. Continue frying until the onions are soft.

2) Add the canned tomatoes, the beans (remember to use pre-boiled beans - they come in cans) and the chopped, fresh peppers and bring the whole thing to a boil.

3) Add a shot or two of espresso and around a cup of stout to the pot and let the chili simmer for a long time - preferably a couple of hours, but 30 minutes will do if you're in a hurry. If you are using boned chicken, then add this about 30 minutes before you serve, if you are using a whole chicken, then cut it into pieces and add them about 1 hour before you serve. The meat will then fall apart by itself.

4) Remember to taste the chili every once in a while - if it needs bite, then add jalapeno and cayenne. If it needs smoky flavor add chipotle (but be careful, because this adds bite as well). You should be able to taste all the different flavors (chili, smoke, cumin, cinnamon) without one of them overpowering the others.

5) When the chili has a creamy, thick texture it's probably ready. If you want to cook it more and it goes dry, just add some more liquid (coffee/stout). Remember to season the chili (taste it!) before you serve it (salt + pepper).

6) Chop the cilantro, and serve the chili in deep plates with cilantro sprinkled on top. Also, add a large spoonful of sour cream.

Here are two additional tracks from Alcoholic Faith Mission, one new, one old (via RCRD LBL):

Alcoholic Faith Mission-Got Love? Got Shellfish?

Alcoholic Faith Mission-Nut in Your Eye

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

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.





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

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

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!

Eggplant Stackers layered with Earl Greyhound and We Fell to Earth

My friend BH sent me a picture of her dinner a month or so ago. It was beautiful pieces of breaded eggplant stacked on top of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. I received the email and downloaded the picture on my work computer. I've been using this computer a lot lately, finishing up projects at home, and every time I open it BH's beautiful dinner stares back at me. I finally got around to mimicking it this week, sort of. Turns out when I went to make it I had no tomatoes. Feeling no desire to return to the store I made do with all the extra tomato sauce that was waiting in our fridge for a time like this.

Eggplant Stackers
(printable version)

-1 Eggplant, sliced thinly
-1 cup of bread crumbs
-2 eggs, beaten
-4 oz fresh mozzarella
-tomato sauce
-4 fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place bread crumbs in one bowl and eggs in another. Dip slices of eggplant in egg, covering the eggplant completely. Dip egg covered eggplant in breadcrumbs covering completely.

3. Line breaded eggplant on a baking sheet. Bake for fifteen minutes or until a fork easily pierces the eggplant.

4. Remove eggplant from heat and begin assembling stackers. Take a piece of eggplant and cover it with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Alternate eggplant and fresh mozzarella once more. Top with another slice of eggplant. Repeat until all eggplant slices are used.

5. Bake the stackers until mozzarella has melted (about 3 minutes). Cover with tomato sauce and basil leaf. Serve immediately.

Two days ago Earl Greyhound's new album Suspicious Package became available everywhere. Straightforward "hard" rock a la Led Zeppelin (though way better if you ask me), Earl Greyhound have no problems bringing it, infectious style. Don't believe me, just check out the drumming on the "Ghost and the Witness" and see if you can get it out of your head. You can download the song via Earl Greyhound's Myspace page. The band is currently touring the states with OK Go.



In a completely different vein is We Fell to Earth. They are to "hard" rock what steak is to a vegetarian. "Eerie, brutal, epic, shoegazing" are just some of the terms that music critics have used to describe these guys. I think this sums up "Deaf" pretty well.



Just a reminder that this Saturday, April 17th, is record store day. Get out and support your local record store and pick up some of the limited releases they have to offer. I'll be hitting up either Daddy Kool or Vinyl Fever depending on which side of the Bay I am on.

Florida Strawberry Festival Foods Dipped in BBU, Ivy St and Class of Kill 'em High

For the seventy-fifth year in a row, Plant City is celebrating their wonderful berry crop with a festival. The Florida Strawberry Festival (which ironically enough takes place on Lemon St.) is one of the top 50 fairs in the United States. Aside from the typical fair cuisine (think anything, add frying to it, and you'll find it here) the festival has many strawberry dishes. Some of what we devoured:

Strawberry Kabobs

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Shortcake

Build Your Own Strawberry Shortcake with homemade whipped cream

On our 45 minute drive to Plant City I entertained J-Fur and her sisters (who are visiting from Pennsylvania) with Chicago's BBU (originally mentioned here). Their follow up to "Chi Don't Dance" might be a little sloppy and rushed but it still catches my attention. Catch these guys at SXSW. Also check out their free mixtape, Fear of a Clear Channel Planet, which dropped on March 1st.

BBU-BB Who?

They were a blues influenced rock band that broke up. Then they carried on as solo act for four years. The latest incarnation of Class of Kill 'em High was formed last summer. We may have no idea what's up next for the group, but I like what is here now.

Class of Kill 'em High-Ultima Hombre

Tasmania's Ivy St put out their debut album Picture Machine last year. While not a fan of tripe, I am certainly a fan of those who produce it (especially if it is as raw and punky as Ivy St makes it out to be).

Ivy St-The Producers of Tripe

Super Bowl Fare: Mushroom and Roasted Red Pepper Tostados with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Sick Like Sinatra, Motopony and Mudkids

If you are looking for something to cook up today that isn't cocktail weenies check out this entry on Dinner Party. Lisa gives you options from appetizers to main courses to desserts. You won't be disappointed.

J-Fur and I will be celebrating the Super Bowl by eating Mushroom and Roasted Red Pepper Tostadas. Because there won't be enough to share with the rest of the party (and what do they care with all those traditional meat options) this will be our pre-party meal.

Mushroom and Roasted Red Pepper Tostada (Adapted from Real Simple July 2009)
(printable version)

-2 tbls. olive oil
-12 ounces button mushrooms
-3 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
-1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
-2 cloves of garlic
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup of corn kernels, frozen
-2 large tortillas
-1 cup of colby jack cheese
-1/4 cup of cheddar cheese
-romaine lettuce, ripped into small pieces
-salsa

1. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, poblano pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for three minutes, tossing occasionally. Add roasted red peppers and continue tossing and cooking until vegetables are tender and liquid is evaporated.

2. Stir in the corn.

3. Heat broiler. Brush the tortillas with the other half of the oil. Broil the tortillas, about 45 seconds per side, until crisp. Top the tortillas with a mixture of colby jack and cheddar cheese. Broil until melted (about 45 seconds). Top with vegetable mixture, romaine lettuce and salsa.

For the first time in a long time I don't hate both teams playing in the Super Bowl tonight. In fact, I would be fine with either team winning or losing. I am pulling for the Saints (sorry Lisa C.) slightly more because they are the downtrodden, never won anything team (reminds me of my team the Eagles). Musically I showed no favoritism. I prepped the tostados to tunes from both sides.

Not sure if he is a Saints fan (probably not considering he is from Chicago) but Owen Ashworth of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone gets the honorary nod because of his sampling of "When the Saints, Go Marching In" at the end of his song "Optimist vs the Silent Alarm." This song is off of his 2009 release Vs. Children



A legit Saints song comes from Sick Like Sinatra, a New Orleans band. The song is a little bit of a mess at the beginning (a lot of elements going on at once) but when it clears up it is a pretty catchy tune. Download and listen to the song here.

Honorary member of the Colts bandwagon is Motopony. I have been listening to the song "Seer" a lot recently (thanks to KEXP blog).

Motopony-Seer

There is no question about where the Mudkids (first mentioned here) loyalty lies. Their song "Do it again (Go Colts '10)" is pretty self explanatory.



Enjoy the game, the commercials or avoiding television at all costs...whatever your traditional Super Bowl celebration.