Failure to Launch: Quinoa, Mango and Cashew Breakfast Bowl with Dangerous Ponies and MAKE OUT

Tired of the typical imitation Cheerios with blueberries and Captain Crunch I tried to marry three of my most recent worlds for breakfast the other day. I combined the black and red quinoa of Peru with mangoes and agave nectar from Mexico and the shredded coconut of South Florida. I also threw in some cashews from Brazil but I have no connection to that place (aside from the bikini I won in a recent gift swap). I hoped for a tropical breakfast with a variety of flavors. Instead, when I ate my first mouthful, it took all I had not to scream like Salome when she saw the giant iguana climbing the mango tree in The Lacuna. Where was the taste? The pleasure? The whisking away to some far off island? In the end it was the mango that I purchased at a grocery store in the good ol' USA that let me down. It lacked juice and taste, was grainy and grimy instead of soft and squishy. Next time I make this it will be with only the freshest of mangoes.

At least what I listened to as I made the meal was decent. I rolled through "I Only Wear My Favorite Clothes at Home" by the Dangerous Ponies and "I Don't Want Anybody That Wants Me" by MAKE OUT. One is a seven piece Philadelphia act that incorporates glittery glam into a dance grooving 70's sound (Dangerous Ponies). The other is a drawn out, rrrrriot grrrrl anthem that speaks of independence and refusing to embrace those who hope to hold you (MAKE OUT).

Faux Meat Ropa Vieja stewed with La Mujer Blandenga, discoRUIDO! and Weston

Last week, after a ridiculously tough run, I asked J-Fur if she had a book I could read in the bathtub. Being the nerd she is, albeit a lovely nerd, she launched into a synopsis of ten different books and why I should read them. I chose Drown by Junot Diaz (even though it "isn't his best work"). Drown is broken into ten different fictional pieces about characters that are struggling with family issues, drugs, divorce, infidelity, poverty and handicaps. In the final chapter of the book, about a man who has left behind his family and found someone else, the son of the man speaks about his ability to make a mean ropa vieja. It was at that moment that inspiration struck...what about a mean vegan version of this normally meat filled dish?

Faux Meat Ropa Vieja (adapted from tasteofcuba.com)
(printable version)

-1 block of tofu, sliced thin

-1 batch of seitan, sliced thin

-olive oil

-1 red pepper, diced

-1 yellow pepper, diced

-2 yellow onions, diced

-3 Tbs. roasted garlic

-1 Tbs. cumin

-1 Tbs. oregano

-1/2 tsp. cayenne

-dash turmeric

-dash cinnamon

-1 1/2 cups sherry

-1/2 cup water

-28 ounces of crushed tomatoes

-15 ounces of diced tomatoes

-4 bay leaves

1. Make the seitan according to this recipe. Soak the tofu in the broth with the seitan overnight.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook until they are starting to brown (about twelve minutes). Add garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne, turmeric, and cinnamon. Stir in the pot until the spices are well combined.

3. Put the tofu, seitan, tomatoes, wine, water and bay leaves into the pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for an hour. Serve over rice.

The first one hundred times I heard "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon I enjoyed myself even though it was much more produced and polished than the band's previous albums. But even during this songs heyday in my head, I couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Would I really get this song if I spoke Spanish and loved music that is more fizzy than fuzzy? Spain's La Mujer Blandenga has made this concern dissipate faster than fired up sex.

If you've ever hit up the dance club and tired quickly of the seemingly endless supply of bad, beat driven tunes then you are dancing at the wrong disco. Next time try discoRUIDO!

discoRUIDO!-Amorfos

While I cooked the Ropa Vieja I questioned society, girls and facebook along with Swedish indie popster Weston. "So Sorry" is from his debut EP.

Where we eat: Bricco painted with Alcoholic Faith Mission and U.S. Royalty

Here I was with punk slogans and pictures all across my jacket sitting in the same restaurant as stuffy lawyers, businessman and the governor spending his last few days in office. Needless to say, Bricco was an experience I don't get to enjoy too often. It is an upscale restaurant in downtown Harrisburg, PA. The restaurant is a collaboration between the Olewine School of Culinary Arts at Harrisburg Area Community College and the Harrisburg Hotel Corporation (which manages the Harrisburg Hilton).

Upon entrance, we were met by a hostess who offered to check our coats. I, having worn my the last six days straight, had become attached and kept mine but J-Fur and her mom and sister all checked theirs. We were seated in the dining room, right in front of the 100+ bottles of wine and in the midst of some colorful paintings. Our waitress took our drink orders. I requested water and was surprised when she said "Would you like our Natura water, either sparkling or not, or would you prefer plan tap water?" It seems that Bricco has their purification on site and they call that water Natura water. It is served in a glass bottle that is reusable. The menu says that it is a way to "promote Earth friendly ideas." So is tap water but I guess upscale needs to have an alternative for all those people that look down their noses at water out of a tap.

Our waitress brought out some bread and olive tapenade to munch on while we ordered. The tapenade combined garlic with olives and capers. A little salty for my taste but better than most tapenades I've had in the past:

Bricco has a number of small cold plates that you can start with called Sputini Freddi and J-Fur's mom and I both decided to get one. She picked a beet salad with local goat cheese and pistachios and I ordered the roasted corn, mushrooms and walnuts. A selection of two of these were six dollars. They were small mounds, beautifully arranged on a rectangle plate, and came with toasted bread. While both Freddi's were good, I liked the corn better. It was not overloaded with sauce or oil, just enough to bring out the flavor of the fresh corn and mushrooms. I plan to make my own version when corn comes back in season:

It came time to order and we all took different approaches. J-Fur's sister went with "Chesapeake Sliders" (crab cakes with lettuce, tomato and remoulade), her mom a Kennet Square Stone Oven Pizza (burrata, carmelized onion and truffle oil), J-Fur a "Soma" Margherita Pizza (mozzarella, tomatoes and basil) and I ordered Fungi Trifolati (stewed local mushrooms with Anson Mills polenta) and Bricco "French Fries" with truffle aioli:

Kennet Square Pizza

Bricco Fries

Fungi Trifolati

I'm not a big fan of brick oven pizza. I prefer pizzas with a thick crust that is not very crisp. I do appreciate the brick oven pizza places usually try different toppings and combinations that you won't find at your typical pizza place. Bricco's pizza was no exception. I ate a slice of J-Fur's and wasn't too impressed (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil will do that to me as well). The Kennet Square Pizza was much better because it had the carmelized onion and truffle oil combo which was top notch. The crust wasn't too crisp but still wasn't my thing. The Fungi Trifolati looked very liquidy when it came out, like a bunch of oil rose to the top, but surprisingly it didn't taste that way. What stood out was the fresh mushrooms that topped the dish. These were hundreds of times better than any I had ever eaten before. It made me want to take up foraging (which I've contemplated since reading Omnivore's Dilemma).

But as good as the polenta and mushrooms were it was the fries that left the best impression. They came out in a metal pedestal cup lined by newspaper print paper. Perfectly golden and inviting, the fries had a beautiful blend of crisp and soft and were neither too greasy or salty. Hands down, they were the best fries I ate all last year. The truffle aioli made me forget ketchup for one hour (which doesn't ever happen with aioli).

The prices, especially for the pizzas, might seem a bit expensive but you probably won't finish everything you order and the taste makes the extra dollars worth it. At the very least, come here and order some fries, look at the paintings and then leave without putting too much of a strain on your wallet.

Bricco is located at 31 South Third Street in Harrisburg, PA.
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Bricco signified a return to the capital of my home state. That return, coupled with the wall of wine, remind me of Denmark's Alcoholic Faith Mission (posted about here and interviewed here). The band have announced a new EP coming our way in March. To tide everyone over, they released one of the tracks, "Running with Insanity," for free download.

Alcoholic Faith Mission - Running With Insanity by Paper Garden Records

Out this week is the debut album for U.S. Royalty, Mirrors. One of the songs on the album is "Equestrian" a folksy pop traipse through the mountains with some "Ohs" and guitar solos thrown in. I've seen them compared to Local Natives and Fleet Foxes but I would disagree (mainly because I don't really like either of them and I do like U.S. Royalty).

Equestrian by usroyalty

Hopefully this will quell the tumblr community.

Food Flavored Song of the Day: Breadcrumb Trail by Buried Beds

There was one time, when I was a kid, that my mother had tired of my antics and she ordered my father to walk me into the woods and leave me there. My father obliged. As he grabbed me and began dragging me out the door I frantically looked for a slice of bread to foil their plan Hansel and Gretel style. We were all out of bread. The only thing I saw within my reach was a container of breadcrumbs. I grabbed it. The breadcrumb trail was difficult to find in the woods so I spent about a year working my way back home. Upon seeing me, slightly skinnier and with longer hair, both of my parents burst into tears and loudly exclaimed that they were glad I had "passed their test."

DCF was never notified and I forgave them.

Buried Beds-Breadcrumb Trail

Buried Beds: Website Myspace Facebook Twitter

Vegan Meatloaf Sandwiches madeover with Watch out for Rockets and Robert James and the Unaccountable Freaks

A little over two weeks ago Mister Peanut, a monocled mascot for Planters who has remained virtually unchanged since 1916, received a makeover.

Just hours later I was at Barnes and Nobel looking for some picture books when I came across Jennifer L. Helm's Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf. These two events, seemingly unrelated, got me thinking. The problem with meatloaf is that it is full of meat. How about a vegan makeover, one so solid that it would inspire a comparison between meatloaf and childhood (when everything was great)?

Vegan Meatloaf Sandwiches

(printable version)

-1/2 cup pecan meal
-olive oil
-3 celery stalks, finely chopped
-1 onion, finely chopped
-6 green onions, sliced thinly
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 package of tofu, drained
-12 ounces, soy crumbles
-1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
-3 Tbs. soy sauce
-4 Tbs. ketchup
-1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
-2 tsp. parsley
-1 tsp. poultry seasoning
-salt and pepper (to taste)
-8 slices of vegan grain bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a medium skillet with olive oil. Add celery, onion, green onions and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. Set aside.

2. Mash drained tofu in a bowl. Stir in pecan meal, onion mixture, soy crumbles, oats, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, mustard, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

3. Coat a rectangle loaf pan with cooking spray. Spoon meatloaf mixture into loaf pan. Press down lightly to pack meatloaf in. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of ketchup over top of the loaf. Bake for 60 minutes (or until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the loaf.

4. Heat grill. Remove the meatloaf from the loaf pan and slice into pieces (I sliced mine about 1/2 an inch thick). Place meatloaf on bread. Put the bread on a grill and heat until bread is browned (4 minutes on my grill top). Flip and repeat on the next side. Remove sandwich from grill and tear into it.

Austin's Watch out For Rockets, performers of self proclaimed "rocket fi" and "the best band ever (except for Blind Faith)", have just sprung forth with a new EP and video. The EP, Telepathic War Machine, is seven tracks of roughshod lo-fi meant to debilitate your sense of existence (is this 1969 or 2010). In layman's terms, it's catchy stuff. The first video from the EP, also called "Telepathic War Machine" is featured below. You can download this EP (and their two previous ones) from Watch out For Rockets' bandcamp page.

Also hailing from Texas, about 200 miles to the South, is Robert James and the Unaccountable Freaks. Here's what I can tell you about Robert (all of this comes from his brother Jonathan). Robert is 21 and lives with his parents. He plays in a couple of bands (he also pairs with Jonathan in Record Machine). He is working hard to beak in to a scene that is dominated by "Tool and Godsmack cover bands" (although, according to Jonathan, the Tool one is pretty cool). Robert has been spewing out song after song on a digital four track for the last five years. He is so prolific because he "only works fifteen hours a week." Robert wrote and performed all the instruments on "The Invention of God."

Robert James and the Unaccountable Freaks-The Invention of God

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.

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.

Creamy Garlic Hummus Tahinied with Screaming Females

A few weeks ago I read the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. The book profiles some of the worlds greatest athletes and what their secrets are for performing at such a high level. One section of the book profiles what these athletes eat (the suggestion is that in order to be a good athlete one should "eat like a poor person"). Scott Jurek, a prolific ultra marathoner in the US, eats hummus during his races over 59 miles. This got me thinking, if it works for him why not try it out myself. I made a big batch of hummus and took it with me on my next long run. It worked.

Creamy Garlic Hummus
(printable version)

-1 can of chickpeas
-1/3 cup tahini
-Juice from 1 lemon
-5 cloves garlic, crushed
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-2 Tbsp water
-pinch of cayenne

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.

2. Combine the tahini with lemon juice and blend in a food processor (or blender) until frothy. This step is imperative for making a creamy hummus, creaming these ingredients before adding the chickpeas.

3. Add garlic, salt and olive oil to tahini. Blend.

4. Combine remaining ingredients in food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve with toasted pita, sandwiches, chips or vegetables.

I am a little late to the The Screaming Females party. After all, the New Jersey band made lots of noise last year with Power Move, their third album (and first on Don Giovanni Records). But being fashionably late to parties is my forte. Hey, at least I showed. The Screaming Females new EP, Singles, was released in February. "Arm over Arm" and "Zoo of Death" can both be found on this EP ("Bell" is from Power Move). The band will be embarking on a US tour in May.

Blueberry buckle shined with Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and The Pass

One of my favorite books to read my class when teaching them how to write letters is Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James. The story is about a girl who finds a whale in her backyard and the teacher that gives her information about whales, while not believing her. Had Emily faced the dilemma I did this week, perhaps one of her letters would've gone like this:

Dear Mr. Blueberry,

There most certainly is a whale in my pond. There are also blueberries in my freezer from last summer that need to be used. What shall I make?

Love,
Emily

The reply:

Dear Emily,

I am adamant that there is not a whale in your pond. About the blueberries, make a buckle. It is quite scrumptious and reminds me of a coffee cake.

Love,
Mr. Blueberry

Blueberry Buckle (from the book Lee Bailey's Country Desserts)
(printable version)

for the cake:
-2 cups and all purpose flour
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 large egg
-1/2 cup milk (I used two percent)
-1 pint blueberries

for the topping:
-1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/3 cup sifted all purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch spring form pan with butter.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy (it took about 3 minutes). Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk. Fold in the blueberries. Pour batter into the spring form pan. Set aside.

3. Combine ingredients for topping with a fork to make crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this over the batter.

4. Bake for one hour. Test for being done by inserting a fork. If it comes out clean, it is done. If not, give the cake another 5 to 10 minutes to bake.

5. Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving.

The soundtrack for this baking experience began with a band that just so happens to be hitting Tampa tonight (at the Crowbar), the Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. Aside from a tour, the band will be putting out a new album in May entitled I Love You! I Love You! I Love you and I'm in Love with you! Have an Awesome day! Have the best day of your life! Here is a preview of the album (and what you might hear if you head out to the Crowbar tonight).

I love you! I love you! I love you and I'm in love with you! from theterrorpigeon on Vimeo.

I also enjoyed Louisville's The Pass who recently released an independent EP, Colors before signing to SonaBlast Records. The band is currently working on an LP that they hope to have out this summer. Thanks to indie rock cafe for introducing me to them. "Cross Walk Stereo" comes from Colors.

The Pass-Cross Walk Stereo

Savory Onion Pie encased with care by The Cast of Cheers

There was a time that I swore off alliums altogether. I remember it well. It was late 1998, right after a basketball game. I sat down to read Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (one of my favorite books of all time) and slogged through twenty, thirty, forty pages all about an onion being peeled. I skimmed most of the passage, thinking that it was completely stupid. The following day we were asked to write an essay dissecting the "parable of the onion." It was at that point, as I put pen to paper, that I thought (expletive deleted) onions.

But, as things go, onions are one of J-Fur's favorites and eventually I had to face my past head on. I made it through. Now I do things like this:

Savory Onion Pie (adapted from Valentine Warner recipe)
(printable version)

For the Crust:
-1 1/2 cups of flour
-17 Tbsp. of butter
-3 egg yolks

For the onion pie:
-12 white onions
-1 stick of butter (8 Tbsp.)
-5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
-1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
-2 tsp sea salt
-Parmesan

1. To make the pastry. Put the flour in a food processor and pulse with butter. The mixture should look like crumbs. Add the egg yolks (one at a time) and pulse until the ingredients are combined. Remove from the food processor and form dough into a ball (do not knead). Wrap in cling wrap and store in the fridge for two hours.

2. Dice the onions. Melt the butter in a large pot with a lid. When butter is melted, add the onions. Cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat the oven to 390 degrees and grease a tart pan (mine was non-stick so I didn't bother with the greasing).

4. Add the vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt to the onions. Caramelize the onions (be careful not to burn them) by cooking for another thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Roll out the dough. Line the tart pan with it (leave a little hanging over the sides if possible). Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove the foil and cook an additional five minutes.

6. Remove the crust from the oven and fill with the onion mixture. Use a spatula to smooth it. Top with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Return to the oven and bake another ten minutes. Serve immediately.

As you can tell, this dish took a long time to prepare. So instead of the normal three to four songs by various bands, I listened to an entire album. This time it was The Cast of Cheers, an Irish band that reminds me a lot of Bloc Party. The bands first album, Chariot, won't be released until April 1st but they are currently offering it free at their bandcamp site.

Here are my favorites:

The Cast of Cheers-Goose

The Cast of Cheers-I am lion

The Cast of Cheers-Tip the Can

Love, Liberty and Luck Cabbage Mix: Fang Island, Soft Pack, Kid Cudi, Penguin Prison, Star Fucking Hipsters, Old Canes, Cloud Cult , Soulico and more

Lejla Kazinic Kreho, a Croatian nutritionist that studied at King's College in London, claimed in her book Nutrition of the 21st Century that sauerkraut, or pickled cabbage, could help eliminate erectile dysfunction if it is eaten twice a day. During World War I, sauerkraut makers in America feared that the public would reject a product with a German name so the condiment was temporarily renamed "Liberty Cabbage." Every New Year's Day the Pennsylvania Dutch (myself included) enjoy a feast of sauerkraut in hopes that it will bring good luck in the New Year. Love, Liberty, Luck...all in the form of sauerkraut. That's what January's playlist is all about. Down on your luck, striking out in bed, feeling oppressed by the powers that be...cook up a big batch of sauerkraut and watch the world turn:

Track Listing:

Fang Island-Daisy
The Soft Pack-C'mon
Kid Cudi featuring Vampire Weekend-Cudderisback
Penguin Prison-A Funny Thing
Star Fucking Hipsters-3000 Miles
The Smiles and Frowns-Mechanical Songs
Old Canes-Little Bird Courage
Cloud Cult-And Its Good
Who Knew-Made Believe
Soulico-Exotic on the Speaker
Slideshow Freak-Something More
Signals-Spector
The Sorayas-Perfect Endings

Download Playlist Here

Have a great holiday season...see you in January.

Dried Fruit and Pumpkin Mistake Cakes with Say Hi

I try to teach the kids in my class that making mistakes is a way to discover answers or, in some cases, create things that didn't exist previously. One of my favorite books to read when discussing this topic is Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones. The book is all about inventions and ideas that weren't purposeful, yet wound up helping society immensely (or at least being accepted by it).

I won't say that the cupcakes I made for J-Fur's birthday are going to help society in any way, but they certainly were a mistake. J-Fur asked me to make pumpkin cupcakes according to a recipe she mail ordered from Amy Karol at Angry Chicken. One of the recipe adaptations Amy suggested is to add chopped nuts. I love me some nuts in my baked goods, so I grabbed the bag of chopped walnuts and began dumping. Problem was that J-Fur had made a trail mix in the bag by adding dried cherries and blueberries to the walnuts (and I failed to look before dumping). I had no desire to dig in the batter for the fruits so I figured I'd give it a whirl. I loved the result, J-Fur didn't or so she said, but when I went for a cupcake the next day, they were all gone.

Because the recipe came from Amy Karol's mail order I feel that it is not my liberty to post it. Like I mentioned above, I made a few changes so I am going to just list them here. To her recipe I added a 1/2 cup of nuts and a 1/2 cup of dried blueberries and cherries. For the cream cheese frosting, I cut the powdered sugar from 2 cups to 1.5 cups (I like my frosting to be cream cheesy).

While mistakenly dumping dried fruit into J-Fur's cupcakes I was enjoying some music from Seattle's Say Hi. The band's latest album, Ooohs & Ahhs was released back in March on Barsuk Records. "November was White, December is Grey" and "One, Two...one" are both off of that album. The video for "One, Two...One" was the band's first ever video. Pretty good stuff considering.

Say Hi-November was White, December is Grey

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

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

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

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

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball Sub
(printable recipe)

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


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

2. Shape into balls.

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

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

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

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

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

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



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



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




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

Portobello Sliders: Bringing out the Haunting and Quiet Little Voices in All of Us

As a follow up to Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which strongly influenced my June playlist, I decided to take a step back and read his earlier work The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan wrote this book to shed some light on three different food chains (industrial, organic, foraged) that sustain the American population. During his examination of foraging, Pollan wrote in detail about mushroom hunting and the experience he had searching for hidden mycorrhizals.

My childhood experiences foraging for mushrooms were much easier than Pollan's. I didn't need to get up early in the morning, dig under leaves, or traipse through freshly burned forest. Pennsylvania has mushrooms everywhere. So much so that they have to ship an exorbitant amount out of the state (according to the American Mushroom Institute 61 percent of the United State's mushroom crop comes from PA). Granted most of these weren't of the hidden delicacy variety that Pollan sought out, they were just your normal run-of-the-mill white button 'shrooms. Unlike the mycophiles in The Omnivore's Dilemma, I didn't collect the wild mushrooms for cooking. I found it much more exciting to kick the caps and watch them explode. Imagine finding out later that you used to play soccer with 50 dollar a pound cash crops. That would've been tough to swallow.

Not so tough to swallow is this week's recipe of the week. Not sure when I eventually broke down, stopped destroying mushrooms that I found, and started enjoying them in my belly but I'm glad I did:

Portobello Sliders (adapted from Veg Times July/Aug. 2009)
Printable Version

8 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbs. BBQ rub
2 yellow or white onions thinly sliced
1 tsp. herbes de Provence (optional)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup shredded smoked Gouda
8 rolls

A BBQ Rub Recipe:
To make your own rub combine 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of paprika, 3 Tbs of black pepper, 3 Tbs of sea salt, 2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 tsp celery seed, and 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. Mix well. Store in the refrigerator.

1. Toss mushrooms in a bowl with 3 Tbs. of BBQ rub and 1 Tbs. of olive oil.

2. Heat remaining olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and herbes de Provence (if you are using). Cook for about 30 minutes stirring periodically, you want the onions to have a golden look. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat grill (I used an oven grill topper) over medium heat. Coat grill with vegetable oil. Place the mushrooms stem side down on the grill. Brush mushroom tops with BBQ sauce. Grill until 'shrooms are soft and the edges are slightly charred (4-5 minutes). Flip the mushrooms and grill three to four minutes longer. Divide the gouda amongst the mushrooms, place it in the center of each stem side. Grill until the cheese is melted.

4. Warm buns on the grill, spread remaining BBQ sauce on the bottom of the buns. Top each bun with one mushroom and sauteed onions and the remaining bun.

Put a cap on that one! Speaking of mycophiles, a new documentary, Know Your Mushrooms, is coming out this year. It follows two mushroom hunters as they search for wild mushrooms.

Since we've delved into all things rural let's pay a visit to Don't Haunt this Place by The Rural Alberta Advantage. I've had this song for about a month now, planned on putting it on July's playlist, but I had to cut it at the last minute in favor of Firetop Mountain. It all works out since The Rural Alberta Advantage's first album, Hometowns, was released Tuesday. Brackish album review here.



Another band that released their first album Tuesday was We Were Promised Jetpacks. I am placing the video for Quiet Little Voices on here even though, barring an absolutely amazing last three weeks of July, it will appear on August's playlist. I like it that much.

Can you tell me what's in this mix: You say France and I whistle, T!Katz, Ice Palace, NASA, Ida Maria, Art vs Science, Dan Deacon, and more

In his book, In Defense of Food (a short synopsis is here if you haven't yet read it) Michael Pollan suggests that some of what we eat can no longer be considered food but more accurately "foodlike substances" because of the amount of science involved in creating them. Whatever the new trend in food intake, be it protein, omega 3's, low carb, artificial sweeteners, or acai speckled beatle dung, science has found a way to inject them into our cereals, pastas, frozen foods, and rices to make us "healthier." It's more science fair project, less nature's manna. Case in point:

textured vegetable protein, soy protein isolate, wheat gluten, wheat flour, iron, thiamine mononitrate, corn oil, corn starch, wheat starch, methylceullulose, artificial vinegar flavor, potassium chloride, garlic, sugar, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, natural and artificial flavors from non-meat sources, spices, tapioca dextrin, disodium inosinate, dried yeast, caramel color, maltodextrin, hydrolized soy protein, paprika extract, xantham gum, sodium alginate, cellulose gum, yellow corn flour, inulin from chicory root, onion, annatto extract, nonfat dry milk, dehydrated butter, sodium acetate, malic acid, baking soda, celery extract, wheat fiber, lactic acide, succinic acid, niacinamide, egg whites, citric acid, thiamin mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin B12, tumeric.

Is this the recipe for a laundry detergent? Perhaps a list of components necessary to produce a weapon of mass destruction? The periodic table of elements? No, this is a short list of the ingredients in one of the foods I found in my freezer. I have no idea what half of the ingredients are and I can't pronounce one-fourth of them. That can't be a good thing, can it?

What has science and corporate America put into my food that someday may come back to harm me? I guess I'll just have to wait and see. While I do so, I'll put on June's playlist. It may not cure the cancer that years from now we find out is caused by pyridoxine hydrochloride but it can take the edge off the wait.

Track Listing:

You Say France & I Whistle-When Lover's Die
T!Katz-3 AM
Ice Palace-Thoughts/Ideas
Fight Like Apes-Something Global
Ida Maria-Queen of the World
N.A.S.A featuring Ol Dirty Bastard and Karen O.-Strange Enough
Kasabian-Fire
Interlude by Australian DJ
Japandroids-Wet Hair
Art Vs Science-Flippers

Fearless Vampire Killers-Fearless Vampire Killers

Dan Deacon-Snookered
Intro and Outro Instrumental-Fucked up-Golden Seal

Download Playlist Here