A knock on a stranger's door

Today after thinking about the neighborhood fruit sharing idea and how I would build a similar project here in Victoria, I decided I might as well act on it.

As I drove to work, with fifteen minutes to spare, I made a stop off Navarro Street two block before my usual turn to the Advocate. I pulled over, illegally against traffic, and turned off the engine to my car. I stepped out and onto some truly lush Saint Augustine grass. There was no curb next to the street so I stepped right onto it from the car. My heart was racing and I could feel the blood rushing to
 limbs and my brain signaling to pluck the precious fruits from their limbs. I was beginning to sweat.

Before I could think any further I was pulling open the screen door and knocking on the glossy black door to a house I had never been too. A small sign of a Boston Terrier, probably painted by hand, read "This home is protected by a Boston Terrier." Or at least something like that.

This is a different house that has a pomegranate
tree with fruit on it, but it's in the same area. 

A man answered the door and out poured these words, that I didn't rehearse but probably should have. I explained that he didn't know me and that I couldn't help but notice he had two pomegranate trees outside of his home. He acknowledged them and told me they weren't ready to pick yet but that I could help myself to them if I wanted.

Given a perfect opportunity to explain to him my idea, I told him that I would love to pick them but that I would wait until they were ready. Hopefully, in a not-too-hurried way, I was able to tell him what I was hoping to achieve by disturbing his afternoon watching television in his air-conditioned home. Fruit sharing community this, get people together that, share recipes and network, blah blah blah. I think he understood what I was getting at.

After I spilled my beans and handed him one of my business cards, then introduced myself – all ass backwards, I know – I want on my merry way to work. Oh, but I forgot to add, that he did mention he was interested in helping get this thing started. Its hard to tell what he was thinking – because I didn't know him – but I think he may have been interested in helping me out.

I'm pretty excited about it. There isn't much else to do, but to wait until more fruit pop up and I conjure up enough courage to knock on more doors to talk to people about sharing their bounty or knowledge of where the bounty lay.

No word from the community just yet, but like I said, I will have to keep you posted.

Help from Mother Nature

 The Crossroads were lucky enough to have some rain today. There was a fair amount off rain in the downtown are of Victoria and it brought a smile to my to know that O.U.R. Community Garden was getting a nice soaking from Mother Nature herself.

So far O.U.R. garden has produced a generous amount of vegetables. Rosa Linda Garcia, the mastermind behind the idea, and I tried to keep track of everything we pulled, but lost count along the way. Between the two of doing most of the picking, we need to find a way to document our harvests when the other isn't there. Luke found a nice art set in the dumpster next to the garden so hopefully, we will have our method of keeping track in line soon. But given the way the plants produce and how long ago we lost count, I know the numbers are right around or more than: 150 cucumbers, 200 chile pequin, 60 okra, 7 watermelons, nearly 100 tomatoes, 20 bell peppers, 20 summer squash and soon we will have a handful of weighty butternut squash.

Of all the vegetables we've been lucky enough to harvest a small handful go to those that work in the garden and the rest goes to Christ's Kitchen,  a local soup kitchen, the shut-in ministry and to the Our Lady of Sorrows ReSale Shoppe where it is distributed to other parishioners community members in need. The best thing about being a contributing member of the garden is knowing that the food is fresh and unadulterated but man-made fertilizers and pesticides. All the things in our garden thrive and grow via the dirt and sunshine exactly how we find them every morning or evening when we are there. Knowing the vegetables are fresh and healthy for everyone who eats them is the most gratifying for me.

Along those same lines, I have been trying to get a foraging community up and going. Here in Victoria there is an abundance of food growing out in the open. Not barricaded behind fences and or hidden behind houses. They're growing at the park, along apartment buildings and railroad tracks. I don't know what kind of response, but I hope to get something together soon. The pomegranates are turning red, the grapes are turning purple and its time to start making wonderful eats out of all that Mother Nature is telling us to eat.  I'll keep you posted.

Lent is upon us

As a littler one, I was raised Roman Catholic and remember going to Mass on Ash Wednesday and omitting red meat from our plates every Friday up until Easter Sunday. During that time I remember eating lots of fish and shrimp cooked in traditional Filipino ways, including shrimp sauteed with garlic or fished cooked on the grill.

Going out to eat can be a challenge sometimes, but you can see all the Lent-friendly menus out around town and they are all clad with fish and shrimp dishes that are sure to please. On the other hand, as a friend implied to me, why not accept it as a challenge and try to cook without meat?

Challenge accepted.

Unless I run out of recipes, I will post a Lent-friendly recipe on my blog every Thursday for readers to try up until Easter. Keep in mind that measurements are not entirely precise because have the tendency to fly by the seat of my pants when I am cooking. Also, a good thing to remember is that fish is interchangeable to a varying degree and can substituted by other similar fish. For example, a white fish like tilapia can be replaced by another white fish like halibut or cod. The prices and sizes will vary also, so experimenting with different fish or shellfish is the best way to learn what you like or don't like. Same thing may go for vegetable dishes, if you don't like Brussels sprouts, substitute another vegetable, like broccoli or whatever sounds good to you as the eater.

This dish is one of my favorite seafood concoctions I came up with when I first moved out to Victoria. The H-E-B Plus! had fresh shark and catfish packaged and put on the rack at near the freezer section and I was eager to cook with them. In New Mexico, there isn't much fresh seafood, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned how close to the water I was and how often I would be able to cook fresh fish.

Citrus ceviche

1 filet of shark, cut into small 1/2-inch pieces
1 filet of catfish, cut into small 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup of small scallops
1/2 cup of shrimp, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch small pieces
1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup of green chile or jalapeno, diced small (optional)
1/4 cup of yellow onion, diced small
1 medium orange, sectioned and juice reserved
1/2 of a small lime, sectioned and juice reserved
1/4 cup of cilantro, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package of tostadas for serving
fresh cilantro, minced for serving
fresh avocado, diced for serving

The thing with ceviche, if you have never made it is that it takes some time. The trick is the acids in the liquid will essential cook the fish and the longer it sits, the better it gets. I serve mine on a tostada with fresh cilantro and tomato. This is the same way I had it when I lived in Zacatecas while I was studying Spanish in college.

There is no real method to this, but the easiest way to do it, so there isn't much cleanup to do in the end is to just use one bowl for everything. Cut up your shark and catfish and place it in a glass or ceramic bowl, as some metals will react to the citrus. Since the scallops are small, they don't need much attention and can be thrown right into the mix.

You can buy the shrimp cleaned already or you can do it yourself. Simply remove the head along with the shell and the tail. Once it is free of it's shell, you should have a shrimp body with dark vein along its spine. With a paring knife, cut just deep enough to reach the vein and continue to cut down to the end of the tail. Then cut the shrimp, depending on the size, into three or four pieces. Add the shrimp to the bowl with the other fish.

Moving on the cooking. Pour about apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of orange juice into the bowl, leaving the remaining orange juice as a standby if you need more. Peel the orange just as you would a cantaloupe, cutting off one of the ends and cutting off the rind from the top to bottom to expose the flesh of the orange. There should be no bitter skin left on the flesh. Once this is complete, holding the fruit over the bowl to catch all the extruded juices, cut the orange into sections (just like wedges) as close to the skin as possible. You want to try and get as little of the skin as possible, just the pulp and juice sacs of the orange are what you want. In the end, squeeze the last of the juices from the skin that remains and discard. Follow the same steps for the half of a lime, catching the juices in the bowl and sectioning the flesh of the lime.

Combine all the contents of the bowl together well and salt and pepper generously. At this point, you can add the cilantro, onions and chile. Mix again to get all the aromatics distributed throughout. Also, make sure that all the seafood is submerged under the citrus liquid. At this point you take a spoon and sample the mix. You can add more orange juice, more salt, more jalapeno or whatever you want and then you just wait. Place the bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator and let the acidity do its magic.

When you are ready to serve it, dice up fresh avocado and cilantro and spoon the ceviche onto tostadas and enjoy! You can also warm the tostadas in the oven, or a toaster works well on a low setting, just remember to keep an eye on it. The oils in the tostada can heat up and start smoking if you're not careful.

I've figured it out

For me, 2012 started a few days early. I had a nice long vacation where I had a lot of time to plant some seeds for thought. A few weeks later, those seeds have made their way deep into what I can only hope to be a bed of fertile soil and not some soggy mess in the corner of my mind.

While I returned home to Rio Rancho for the holidays, with my boyfriend Luke in tow, I couldn't help but think about whether I am supposed to return to New Mexico in my near future or if there really is somewhere else I need to be. Having moved around a few times and lived in almost all of the nation's time zones in my adult life, I am used to uprooting my life and moving onto something else. I avoid saying better, because who really knows if that is ever the case.

Moving to Victoria has been a wild adventure. It has been a roller coaster ride with loops and dips and those nosedives that put your stomach in your throat and I still haven't come to a stop yet. I'm strapped in and I am making the most of it. The question is, where does it end? Or does it. I was reading this post, that Luke emailed me and it got me thinking.

At the end of his post, the author asks readers, how are you going to change the world? And I thought to myself, do I have to? Do I have to change the world? It got me thinking about what the things I am passionate about, and I started scribbling things down on paper.

What do I love? Food! Duh.

But what about it? I love everything about it. I love to learn about where it comes from, how it's produced, who eats it. I ask questions about why people eat, why is it packaged that way, what are the beliefs that go hand-and-hand with that food, etc. I love food.

Than it hit me. This is what I wrote.

I want to work with food. I want to feed hungry people healthy food. I want them to have happy memories about food and forget about being hungry. I want to solve some problems about food supplies, child obesity and misinformation. Children should know where food comes from and how to make good eating decisions. I'm going to become a member of a community garden. I am going to educate kids about healthy, but tasty food. I want to share my love of food with other people.

I know it sounds like a lot, but I think I can do it starting with babe steps. I think the first thing to do, is to start my own garden and learn what it takes to feed myself on a budget and make health food choices. I hope I can do it. I know there'll be more loops and turns, but I'm already strapped in. If the ride stops, I can get back in line and do it all over again, right?

Cheers to 2012

I hope I can beat last year's record of only three posts. Really? That is horrible. I haven't even made it to the 50 posts mark yet.

Alas, this is a new year, and as most people do when the ball drops in Times Square, we pledge to make a change in our habits – whether they be to improve good ones or to abolish the bad ones. I, Jessica Rodrigo, make this pledge on this day of Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, to write an entry on my blog at least once a week. I think I can do that. And if I don't then I challenge you, whoever you might be, to jump on my back about it. Send me a topic, at my email address, jess.rodrigo.26@gmail.com, or those that have my cell phone number, text me ideas. I would be more than glad to write about them. No topic is too taboo.

So, here is to 2012.

P.S. This doesn't count as number one, either.

Baconalia!

I'm not sure I'm proud to announce this, or thoroughly shocked, but Denny's has just rolled out its new campaign. Baconalia! That's right, seven new items that are built around that saltly, greasy breakfast meat we all love and salivate over: bacon. There is even a dessert that has bacon.

Here's the greasy spread:

Ultimate Bacon Breakfast – Six strips of bacon served with sides

Bacon Flapjacks – Two pancakes with crumbled bacon in them, served with sides

Pepper Bacon & Eggs – Two strips of peppery bacon served with sides

Triple Bacon Sampler – That's right - turkey, pepper and smoked bacon served with sides

BBBLT – A BLT stacked with eight strips of bacon served with fries or onion rings

Bacon Meatloaf –The original meatloaf, just with added bacon. Along with two sides

And... The one that takes the cake...

Maple Bacon Sundae – You read that right correctly. Start with maple syrup, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, bacon, more maple syrup, another scoop of vanilla ice cream, more bacon and more syrup. Yeah, about that...

It really just re-affirms the idea that Denny's is contributing to the obesity of America. Each plate comes with a side of hash browns and eggs for the breakfast plates, fries with the BBBLT and choice of two sides for the dinner, and all items are priced under $8.99. Not only is it a grip of eats, but its affordable. And in this economy, that's a big lure. To be honest I seldom see a plate go to the dishwasher with anything left on it, and that is not counting the people that take home eats for the the next morning.

I love food. Don't get me wrong, I really love my eats, but all this bacon is just going to add extra pounds to the waistline of America's consumers and the wallets of heart surgeons and the various branches of the medical industry everywhere. Too strong a statement to stomach, maybe? But its true, no?

Guest Topic: Splenda

"Because it's kinda food, and it's kinda not." – Nick Rogers

I don't know what's come over me, but I could not think of anything food-related to write about. I was thinking about what I had for dinner, but I didn't think that it was very exciting (I had a pork chop with browned mushrooms and onions with couscous). So, I sought some assistance. I asked Nick to give me any topic related to food. Splenda, eh?

The topic of Splenda got me thinking about alternative sweeteners – being that it is exactly that. People think about alternative sweeteners when drinking coffee, tea or other drinks, but there are other uses for it. There are also a number of cookbooks made specifically for use with Splenda, which benefit people with diabetes or people watching their sugar intake for specific diets.

Personally, I don't use Splenda. The only sugar I have at home is the raw, turbinado sugar. You know the kind that is all chunky and light brown. I decided I liked that particular kind of sugar better just because it wasn't as refined or processed as much as the the typical sugar that adorns our table tops and kitchen cabinets. However, after reading one of Michael Pollan's books, he made the point of mentioning that sugar is sugar not matter what form, and in excess will always be bad for your body.

But, I have seen people use other methods of sweetening drinks or other consumables without the powdery confections that come in pink, blue, yellow, brown or white packets. These alternatives include honey, agave nectar, corn syrup and other similar concoctions. They sell a lot of these kinds of products in natural food stores and places including Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. I've even heard that honey in your morning coffee will help take away from the bitterness of strong, roasted coffees.

Sweet, no?

I heart old beer

It may sound gross, but alas, there is good reason behind saving a little bit of the dregs.

For instance, when cooking some greens, a little bit of beer can make a wonderful difference in the flavor put out by them. Depending on the greens you choose to cook – there are much more than than just spinach and cabbage – some have subtle flavors while others have metallic or spicy flavors. Adding a little bit of beer can dull down the bite and add a little bit of sweetness.

The last few days I've been on a spinach kick. It's inexpensive, good for you and easily made into a side. I bought some fresh packed fish from the local H-E-B and figured I could plan ahead for the week with some cooked brown rice and some veggies. Here's a new favorite of mine, it's quick and tasty.

I'm trying to save my monies for an upcoming trip to Guatemala to visit an awesome friend who is doing documentary work there and pursing personal projects, so I am trying not to buy fast food on my breaks. I only have an hour break, so I have found myself cooking on my break, which helps take the mind off of the deadline grind, and wrapping up a plate to take back to the office. Today, I decided to go with some couscous, spinach with mushrooms and pan-seared salmon.

First, I cooked the couscous. Such an easy side to go with fish, or pork or chicken. Its really light and cooks in just a few minutes. Then in a second pan, I sauteed some garlic in butter and oil and then added some rough-chopped mushrooms to brown. All the while, I seasoned some salmon with salt and pepper and dropped it in a buttered pan skin-side down. I love crispy skin. I think that is the only reason people don't like fish skin, because they don't cook it so that it's crispy.

I flipped my fish, and squeezed the juice of a half a small lemon on it to help it cook and add some flavor. I then added s healthy handful of spinach to the mushrooms and garlic, poured in some old Miller Lite and covered the pan with a lid. This way it steams and cooks the spinach, melds the flavors of the browned mushrooms and garlic too. The beer brings out a nice added flavor note to the veggies. I dig it.

Bon appetite.

Tomato Soup for the Soul

The weather is beginning its transition from thick, nearly palpable air to its frigid winds that cut like knives. It’s the kind of weather that calls for hearty soups and hot cocoa topped with homemade whipped cream. It will be my first winter here in Victoria. And from the looks of it, it may be a cold one. Despite the climate and location further south, its nearness to the coast and humidity will affect the dew point and therefore the way that it feels. The digital thermometer that so commonly comes with newer model cars may read 52°F outside, but I am pretty sure that you’ll take a step outside and wonder why you didn’t grab a heavier jacket and maybe even that wool scarf your sister got you last Christmas.

With that said, I had a hankering to make some tomato basil soup for the past week and I finally did, tonight. I got out of work later than I had hoped to, ran into a few glitches in the works and am now questioning my ability as a professional – but that’s a different entry. It was a quarter after midnight when I stepped in the door to my apartment and I already had the gears greased and fully in motion about how to go about it. I knew that I wanted to make a tomato basil soup, so I had already purchased everything that I was going to need to get cooking, literally. I don’t quite have the access or the funds to use all fresh ingredients, I have three student loan payments and a healthy serving of credit card debt, so I had to settle for some canned goods and dried herbs. The quality of canned and dried ingredients is also questionable because of said budget.

So I started with some slivered garlic sautéed just slightly in a small pat of butter. To that I added some dried herbs: basil, oregano, parsley and a bay leaf. I let the garlic infuse a little and then poured some chicken broth in the pot. The pork fried rice that I cooked earlier on my break used some broth, so there wasn’t as much as I would have liked to have had in the soup for a base and some depth. I let the flavors meld for a few minutes and then I added a can of diced tomatoes.

In stride with the ever-changing habits of consumers, the variety of canned goods has grown in the last decade. Choices of cream soups, canned vegetables, even canned meats, have evolved and nearly every label wears a recipe or offers a variety of vitamins or other important substances for healthy lifestyles. Case in point, H-E-B specifically has “canned tomatoes” on one of its signs directing consumers to an array of canned tomatoes. You may think to yourself, “And?” Well my friend, as I assume you are since you’re reading my blog, allow me to spill the tomato sauce and stain that brain of yours with the variety of canned tomatoes out there.

Let me start by saying that tomatoes are included in a vast list of culinary cuisines that require tomatoes as the base. There are soups (tomato basil), pastas (spaghetti), chili (Tex-Mex), casseroles dishes (eggplant Parmesan), rice dishes (paella),et cetera. I won’t even touch on the number of brands out there, I solely shop according to price. If its inexpensive, its in the basket. OK, so let us begin.

First off, there is the style of canned tomato. There are the whole, diced, halved, pureed, pasted, sauced, crushed, quartered and stewed kinds. Then the consumer gets into the specifics: seasoned or left alone; salt-added or no salt-added; are other ingredients added, like garlic, parsley, mushrooms, et cetera; or how they are canned, in water, oil, or other liquids. And the seasoning alone can be a tricky one. You only have a label to go by, so I say you follow your gut and go with the product that resembles its natural self as closely as possible. I go with the diced or halved variety with no salt-added, or even low-sodium, variety in water. If you follow the route that I've chosen, you can chose your spices and adjust that as you like.

To eliminate the larger pieces of tomato. I used my immersion blender to puree the soup some and create a more bisque-like texture. I don't like my soups so creamy, because I like the idea of having some texture, otherwise I feel like I should be drinking it through a straw.

In the end, I would call it a successful first attempt. It was tomato soup. Perhaps not exactly what I had envisioned when I first started thinking about the recipe, it was soup, made with tomatoes – which was the goal at hand, right? Right.

The next time I make some soup, however, I am going to purchase a nice sieve. I was chewing – though I took steps to achieve texture – on the dried herbs more than anything else. If I had a sieve I could have eliminated those pieces while retaining the texture that I wanted. If I had a variety of sieves I could even make for a creamier soup, for instances like a potato soup or even a gazpacho.

All in all, it was delicious. I shared it with a friend and even enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich made with Swiss to help mellow the acidity. Swiss is a more creamy-flavored cheese than cheddar, though cheddar would have provided a different kind of note against the tomatoes. Using an herb-butter for the grilled cheese would have also been a nice complement to the soup, but the soup was well-seasoned as it was.

I'll be trying more soups here in the near future as it continues to get colder and I begin to see less of the sun. I look forward to it.

First try at blueberry pie

Today I made two blueberry pies. Yum. It was my first try at blueberry pie and I had a few ideas that I wanted to try out.

First, I wanted to use sage infused sugar for the sweetening agent. I bought some fresh sage and then placed some sprigs in plastic bag with some sugar. The trick is to rub the sugar with the sage leaves to get pull the natural oils out and into the sugar. Sage has a subtle flavor to it that I thought might go well with the tartness of the fruit.

Second, I wanted to use a different acid source than the typical lemon juice that most pies call for. Last week, I purchased two bottles of red wine – one that I enjoyed and the other, not so much. The kind of wine I enjoyed escapes me, but the second was a petite sirah. It was really acidic. There was quite a bite packed in there. A splash of water would have fixed that, I just opted to use it for cooking versus drinking. Since it was so acidic I figured I could use it in the pie.

Third, I want wanted to make a crumble for this pie instead of using a second crust. The textures of the blueberries is much different those of the apples and parsnips. I also wanted to use the sage sugar in the crumb topping.

On a last-minute decision, I decided to use some plums and an overripe nectarine in the pie as well. The other night, I decided to soak some aging plums in the petite sirah and was planning on eating them up after dinner that evening. Things didn't happen that way so they ended up soaking up the wine for an extra night. I tested a piece of plum this morning when I was preparing to hit the local H-E-B for groceries, and was delighted how the plums had mellowed out the wine. I had a bruised and overripe nectarine on my dinner table, that I wasn't going to eat – a texture thing, it was too soft for my liking – so I through in the wine bath. As Emeril Lagasse would say, they would be getting happy... or is that Mario Batalli. I can't remember, I haven't watched the boob in a few months.

I added the drunken stone fruit to the blueberry mix and they provided some extra body and some contrasting flavors. Yum. I also added a chiffonade of sage to the blueberries to add an additional hint of the herb. It was a success. Everyone in the newsroom enjoyed it. I even served it with the cinnamon whipped cream I made for the apple and parsnip pie.

While I was making this set of pies, I started thinking that it may be nice to open a small dessert bakery with early hours and closing at 1 p.m. so that I can go to work. Maybe I can open my sandwich shop here for a trial run. Then a few other options started to weave their way into the thicket of my thoughts and the daydreams began to develop just as the edges of the crusts were browning.

Another option would be to open a catering business. I could maybe even rent the kitchen here at the Advocate to prepare pies for people that wanted them. However, if I decide to go that route, I have to get a certified to handle and sell food. I can do that at the local college if I really wanted to pursue that. I have a friend, Marc, who wants to open up a pizza in the near future. I could see if he'll let me bake some pies and make some desserts for him. I can make some awesome sweets, let him try them out and see if he would like to give them a try at his pizza eatery. That could be exciting. If only he would let me do that I would be thrilled. Right now, I just have to keep practicing and perfecting my recipes.

In retrospect, I think I may have used a bit too much wine in the first pie or at least I think I could have omitted the lemon juice. The pie was little more runny than the second pie. The first pie was a little more saturated in sugar than the second, which I ended up adding some reserve berries too when I realized there wasn't enough berries in the mix. Also, I think that the crumble could have crunchier. I added some store bought granola to it, it added some texture like I wanted. Next time, I think I'll add some slivered almonds, crushed walnuts, or some oats. That might be nice.

Apple and Parsnip Pie

Hurrah! It was a hit. It was something that I had been wanting to test for a while, and I finally had a chance to make it before work. I'm so glad. I brought it into work for some feedback and to feed my co-workers – journalists love free eats, I told you that didn't I? They enjoyed it so much, I didn't even get a chance to taste it. I'm excited about perfecting it. Or at least getting the texture down. I think that I need to try some different apples next time. I don't think that they Gala apples have enough pectin in them to produce the nice gelatinous consistency found in those Blue-ribbon winners.

I know that I can add some gelatin to the apple mixture, but I would love to be able to rely solely on the apple's natural integrity. I didn't add a lot of other ingredients to it, since I didn't want to adulterate the flavors too much. though I think that the parsnips hold more moisture than they look like they do, or at least they don't contain any pectin to provide body for the filling..

I even made a cinnamon whipped cream to go with it, but I forgot it at home. When I got home though, I tried it and realized I put too much sugar in the container, however, I now have some cinnamon frosting to use for cookies or cupcakes. I think a Chai pumpkin pie will be in the works coming up..

Last Thanksgiving I made a simply, scrumptious pumpkin pie with an almond cookie crust and a Chai ice cream. I think that would be perfect for the whipped cream, if I can salvage it. I don't know if adding more cream will transform the frosting into a whipped cream. I'll let you know how the cookies, or cupcakes, or possibly, pies come out.

Kolache Fest, a Date with Gretchen and more

I had the pleasure of enjoying a kolache last weekend during a shift at the newspaper. I guess the presentation editor had a hankering, so she left and returned with a box of assorted fruit Kolaches.

Kolache, eh? When I first heard the word, I imagined a custard-like dessert. Like a flan or something like that.

So here is a box of these little pastry delights, and my editor sends out an e-mail to the newsroom saying she brought some kolaches. Before I could get my paws on them, the multimedia cats were taking their pick and everything was nearly gone. Journalists – of every profession: photographers, reporters, copy editors, designers, etc. – love anything free. So when the goodies arrive – literature, tickets to a local show, kolaches – they don't last long. However, I was able to snag me a piece of a strawberry one, and boy was it good. I enjoyed every minute of its sticky, strawberry, sweetness.

According to the short preview piece that ran in our paper, they are Czech pastries with fruit fillings. I guess they remind me of Danishes, but lighter in texture and oozing with gooey fruit and syrupy, sugar coating. They literally glisten in the light with all the sugar liberally applied.

Well, this weekend, Halletsville is holding its 16th annual Kolache Fest Friday and Saturday. If I can play my cards right, I'll be heading that way after work in the morning after my shift at Denny's. It starts at eight o'clock with a 42 tournament and then the food and regular festivities start at 9. So, I really want to go. The only thing is that I have to go to work at 2 p.m. for the paper and then work at Denny's when I get off. It will be a long few days to come.

But what can I say, the little fat kid in me wants to go and check it out. I also want to learn how to make them. They'll have two demonstrations that day, one at noon and again at 2 p.m. I invited a friend to come with, but he has to be at work by o1 p.m., and I want to stay and see what its like and to photograph the event. I haven't picked up Gretchen (my D80) in a while so I want to get back into the swing of things. I can't have her, or my brain, developing cobwebs where there was once an abundance of activity.

To get back into the habit (of cruising on my board as well), I took my longboard out and I popped Gretchen in my bag and took a cruise around the downtown area. It was chill. I broke a sweat, took some artsy fartsy photographs and I even had some time to read and grub down on a sub. Currently, I'm reading "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, but am hoping to bring it to the killing beds this next week. I want to read more about food. I was thinking about picking up a book from M.F.K. Fisher or Rachel Reichl. Both authors wrote/write about their adventures in the culinary world. Also, one of my good friends, Paul O'Connell, recommended I read anything by Fisher.

My list is growing and I need to get going on it. And by list, I'm talking about list of things to do with my life: read like "Fahrenheit 451" were coming to fruition, capture beautiful things on my camera and share them, get out and cruise (by foot, car, longboard, surf board or snowboard), experience life, and cook and eat well. I'll get there soon enough. I'll get there and when I do, it's going to be awesome.

Pollan's Poison

Hello from Victoria, Texas. That's right, I've moved again. I recently moved here from Rio Rancho, N.M. to pursue a career at their newspaper, the Victoria Advocate. I dig it. I work on the copy desk as a copy editor putting in the grueling hours after everyone has left the office already. Nah, it's not that bad. I come to work at 2 p.m. and leave around 11ish – depending on the day's news and the shiftwork.

I've been here for about a month now and things are going smoothly. I cook my own meals and am thoroughly enjoying that. I've had the opportunity to put together some recipes that I've had on the back burner for a while. I didn't pack a television so all I do to entertain myself before I go to work is read. Since I moved out here, I think I've read at least four books. For me, that is very good. A very good friend of mine, John, bought me two books by Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food and An Eater's Manual, for my birthday and I have been enjoying the chance to catch up on some much needed reading.

Last year I read Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and loved it. In the midst of the market's struggle to revert to unprocessed foods and and organic farming Pollan seeks the answer to one of the most basic of questions that we as humans constantly have to ask: What should we eat? The book was really well written and I enjoyed following him in his adventures.

The following book he wrote was In Defense of Food, which delves deeper into the questions that surfaced during his adventures to the feedlot, the corn fields and so on. Well, I'm not done with the book yet – I'm about half-way through it –but already he has brought up some points that make me think more than twice about what I am putting in my mouth and throwing into the pot on the stove.

A recurring theme the two books cover is the fact that much of what the U.S. consumers eat is comprised of corn- and soy-based products. The animals that we eat are fed corn, the sugar we have in our soft drinks is corn-based, the oils that we cook with are corn- or soy-based, etc. The vast majority of what we are eating these days is made – even packaged – of one of the two products. The problem with that is that the processes that the foods we eat are no longer as healthy for us as they were. They lack certain nutrients that our bodies need. And despite the fact that nutritionist and food scientists, dressed in their white lab coats made of Polypropylene (not natural fibers), are altering the genetics to include some of the valuable nutrients that we need or adding vitamins and minerals to the things that we eat on an almost daily basis – milk, bread and cheeses – food is not as nutritious for us as things used to be decades ago.

I mean if you think about it, corn today has gone through years of genetic alterations and is no longer as vitamin or mineral bearing as it once was. There was a point in corn's long history where you could pluck an ear of corn right off a stalk and eat it then and there. Nowadays, it would be inedible – or at least close to it.

Aside from that, the books lay out a set of guidelines to follow to help make sure that what you're eating is something that you should be eating. In Food Rules, Pollan lays out around 60 rules (I think its 63) that are easy follow and simple enough to commit to memory. He explains that they are more like guidelines and don't need to be followed strictly, but at least considered. A few of the ones that I have remembered easily are:

– Don't eat anything your (great- or great, great-) grandmother wouldn't recognize: His example is Go-Gurt. I don't know if yogurt is popular in the Philippines as it is, but, nonetheless, I don't thing my lola would know what to do with it. In paraphrasing Pollan, "she might mistaken it for a tube of toothpaste if she saw it."

– Don't eat anything with ingredients that are unfamiliar to you or that you are unable to pronounce: A good way to visualize this is to imagine what goes into your food. At home, you don't add polysorbate 60 or cellulose gum (two ingredients in the indestructible Twinkie) to anything you cook, right? And, and most things that you do add to your meals are things that you can pronounce – for the most part, unless its something that you bought in the international foods aisle.

– Do eat wild foods, with consideration to those that are endangered or in danger of becoming endangered: Wild fish, game and plants have most likely fed on or been fed things found in natural rather than processed feed or grains or chemical fertilizers, which makes them less tainted by the effects of processed foods and influence of mankind's constant effort to make things more efficient, nutrient-wise and the time it takes to raise or grow them.

–Eat meals: It may sound easy, but according to his research and the research of others Americans have created this idea of a fourth meal. Not Taco Bell's idea of a fourth meal but instead the act of constant grazing. People eat constantly between meals, whether it's a bag of chips, followed by a candy bar, followed by a soft drink – you get my point.

The list goes on, but those are just a few of the good ones that I think make sense and are easy enough to follow. On another note, I must admit how much this has ruined my experience at the grocery store.

With his easy-to-follow guidelines, I find myself cringing at the sight of the random ingredients thrown into foods that I may have purchased no more than two weeks ago. I've fallen prey to the "nutrition-ism" society that he covers in his books. But in a good way. I'm not picking up foods that make health claims, or are endorsed by health organizations and associations, but rather I am purchasing things that are grown in nature – at least to as much a degree that I can. I may shop at the local H-E-B, but I am buying more perishable foods from fruits and veggies to meats and seafood.

This new wave of thinking has also given me the opportunity to tinker with recipes that I have never had the chance to try. I made a rad seafood soup the other day with catfish and mussels and even roasted up some turnips with potatoes for my dinner a few nights ago. And trust me,turnips and parsnips are two vegetables that you would ever find in my parents' refrigerator, so I get to branch out.

Along with this new school of thought, is a second job.

Wednesday through Sunday do my thing at the newspaper, building the pages and all that jazz, and Friday and Saturday nights I work the graveyard shift at the local Denny's. That's right, Denny's – of all places to work. And as my good friend John has to point out, it makes ma hypocrite – just a bit. In my defense, I told John that even though I work there, it's not like I'm there telling people not to eat there, and that the food is bad for them. I am simply working there for the extra cash and serving them what they want to eat. It is their life, and their diet, right? Perhaps.

However, John does have a valid point. I could very well be working at a restaurant that serves fresh vegetables and not the kind that come from a vacuum-sealed bag, or biscuits that are frozen and then cooked in the oven. What can I say, my schedule wasn't too flexible and there aren't a lot of restaurants to work with out here.

Since reading Pollan's books, I did have a chance to look at the labels on the different foodstuffs that the kitchen prepares and it's pretty bad. Let me just say that the hash browns that everyone, and their mother, so often orders are not just potatoes. Sorry to break it to you hon, but there are more than five on unpronounceable, and incredibly unfamiliar, ingredients on the box. And not to mention the oil they use to cook it in is not the healthiest either. I wouldn't be bursting your bubble if I told you it wasn't extra virgin olive oil or butter, would I?

Anyhow, it has been interesting revelation. And with any sort of change in lifestyle, it takes quite a bit of effort to lock it down. I have to admit that sometimes I stray from Pollan's Food Rules, but I am only human. I also live in a society that is enveloped by convenience. There are fast food joints on every block, sometimes encompassing the entire block, there are convenience foods and assorted foodstuffs in every aisle and beckoning every purchaser as they peruse the grocery stores. You have quick-marinades, microwaveable rice, oatmeal, pasta, sauces, etc., instant this and that, and you can bet that most of those things will either, never perish (another rule: Eat perishable foods.) or could last years without damaging the item's integrity.

It makes you think about where we're headed when it comes to what we put in our bodies for nourishment whether it be food or supplements.

Condiment of the day: Catch-up

A few weeks ago, I hopped on a plane and flew across the country to Boston, Mass. to attend a food writing workshop hosted by MediaBistro.com. It was a short seminar, scheduled to last three hours, and it was clear that I was the only one that traveled more than half an hour to be there – or so I assume. The seminar was straight to the point, titled 'Breaking into Food-Writing', covering pitch-letters in every aspect from how to write them and who to send them to and how to develop a story to pitch to a publication. It was pretty informative considering I have yet to put together a pitch-letter or better yet, come up with a story piece all on my own.

Aside from the three hours I spent in that small, windowless room at the Boston Center for Arts learning little tidbits of information about the students and how to piece together a pitch-letter for the likes of magazine editors, I putted around on the subway and got lost on the streets of Cambridge and Allston.

For the duration of my visit, I couched it (or futon-ed it) at a friend's place. My friend Stephen Hammond was gracious enough to let my New Mexican butt sleep on the futon for a few days equipped with a sleeping bag and a pillow. I was happy, I had a place to shower, brush my teeth and plug in my laptop. We were also just a few steps from Harvard Avenue where there was an abundance of eateries and watering holes for hungry and thirsty.

Conveniently enough, I worked with Stephen at the Tavern and now Stephen works with Paul at Chez Henri. There's the connection–we all worked together last summer on the Vineyard. And so it was only natural that I found my way to Chez a few times during my visit and enjoy a cocktail or two and had the pleasure of watching real chefs do their magic on the line. No microwaves, vacuum sealed meals. Just real food.

I had the opportunity to watch Scott Gates, another friend from the Vineyard, work saute. I saw him start three to four dishes at a time using several pans, some on the range, some in the oven. Plating was always fun for me to watch. A spoonful of celery root puree spread with the back of a spoon and then topped with seared trout and haricot vert. Or there was the seafood appetizer with mussels, pieces of fresh fish, tomatoes, onions, herbs and a light broth. Even the kids pasta was made from fresh pasta and just a pat of butter–or more if Paul was cooking.

When Paul was cooking on the line he was working grill. Or at least for a few plates. He had this awesome looking grill, that had a sort of iron shelf on top of it that would allow for different distributions of heat. Just as a backyard grill has the hanging rack on the lid that can be used to keep things warm or to cook things slowly, the shelf had the same purpose. I even saw another chef use it to blister some tomatoes for another dish. I was impressed and made a mental note for my own kitchen, if I decide to have a grill.

Other than the observations I made of the chefs, the use of flavors and the plating, I was able to try some pretty good eats. Though I didn't visit the places that I had originally planned on visiting, I did get to eat some good food. Of the things I ate, the fresh oysters were probably the best and the beers were definitely awesome.

Paul brought me to the North End, also known as 'Little Italy' to tourists like myself, to eat at this tiny, yet huge in taste, restaurant. It couldn't have been much larger than a two-car garage in width and the seating may have been just about two cars deep. The seating was definitely limited but I dug how they would seat you elbow to elbow with cats you don't know. You had to get to know them, and that is exactly what I saw happen. People would just sit down and when the food started coming people would ask each other what they were eating and then the conversations kept flowing like the wine, or as steadily as the young lady in the front of the store could open fresh oysters, clams and crack open crab claws. This girl had it down to a rhythm that she probably could have done in her sleep.

I can't remember the names of the oysters I ate that day, but if you're an oyster pro, maybe you can identify them from the photo. I know it was five different varieties of oysters from the New England Coastline. They all had different profiles and were delicious each in their own way. We also had some mussels and Suzanne ordered a blue crab salad to start. Once the starters were done, we moved on to the real meal. Paul ordered the Monday special, a lobster spaghettini, Suzanne ordered the vitello tonnato, a sandwich with tuna tartar, roasted veal and a cucumber salad, and I–in hopes to rekindle some memories of the Vineyard–ordered a lobster roll, though instead of the mayo it was just served with warm butter.

And everything was stellar. I enjoyed every bite of it—even the last few bites that I gave to CJ, the guy that delivered the week's fresh bushels of oysters, clams and mussels. He was really chill, he even took a small bite from Paul's spaghettini.

Boston's Got Breweries

I've made recent discovery about myself these last few years as a result of my beer consumption—My favorite beers are those that prove hard to see through or that allow little light to pass through it. Recently that list has been known to include your wheat beers with their hazy, cloudy appearances and stouts and porters. Mmmmm, I do thoroughly enjoy a nicely done stout or porter. 

Last week, I had a day off so I took the opportunity to head north to Santa Fe to visit my  boyfriend John. He took me out to play some Frisbee golf for the first time and brought along some awesome local brews. Santa Fe Brewing Company has this awesome Java Stout that I fell in love with at the first side-sip (I like to drink my brews out of the side of my mouth). We're actually going to make some cake with that same stout tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes. Coffee and chocolate pair well together–throw some great beer in there and I am positive that it will be phenomenal. 

Ahem. Back to the subject at hand, yeah? So in my attempt to devise a plan for this little trip of mine I looked up some of Boston's breweries. I don't know why I didn't think about it sooner, but of course Samuel Adams–brought to us by the Boston Beer Company– is a big company that has a brewery there.  Their brewery offers tours that show the entire process of brewing their craft beers. You can taste the malts, smell the hops and test some brews. How could I pass that up, I can't. According to their website under the 'extreme beers' they have more than just the usual variety of beers worth trying. Among the handful of special brews, two caught my eye for sure: the Chocolate Bock and the Triple Bock. 

The Chocolate Bock (just the sound of it rocks my world–I love chocolate and I love bocks) is a special brew that incorporates chocolate nibs into the brewing process, which add a subtle sweetness to the beer. I'm stoked about that. The Triple Bock is a brew that is compared to 'a vintage port, sherry or a cognac. I actually bought me and John a bottle of port for a sweet close to a nice night of good food and good company a few weeks ago for a date and I dug it a lot. He likes cognac so I bought us a Tawny Port, though the name of the bottle escapes me. Perhaps I'll pick one up to bring home to share with him. 

Harpoon Brewery is another brewery on my list of places to visit if time permits. I had the pleasure of enjoying some Harpoon brews this summer. During my Vineyard internship, the editor planned a catamaran party for us and bought all the booze and brews to go along with us when we left the Edgartown Harbor. Equipped with some pizzas, a few six-packs of the Harpoon IPA and grip of Bud Light–the Harpoons were the first to meet the bottom the trash cans. It was obviously a horrible brew. From the looks of their website, they have a few year-round,seasonal and limited edition brews that sound awesome too. I hope they still have some of their Island Creek Oyster Stout, which is a part of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series–it sounds exciting. 

I hope I can fit them into my trip. I know its only two breweries, but I will be flying solo in a place I've never been, so I could get lost in that big city. I can already feel the cold, refrigerated air of the processing rooms, taste the bitterness and the malty flavors of the brews and the sound of glasses clinking in the tasting room. I'm in for a truly, tasty treat next week–great beer, great food and a great experience. Mmmmmm. 

Mexican Food in Boston?

Hmmmm? That sounds interesting.

In my search of things to do– and of course, places to eat– in Boston, I came across The Best of Boston 2009 list from BostonMagazine.com. It had a variety of categories from best restaurants & food to best of shopping and even homes (designers, contractors, etc.). Under the heading of restaurants & food, I was intrigued to find the category: Mexican. Granted I may be acting a bit close-minded, but I must say that during my stay on Martha's Vineyard– just a few hours south of Boston– I had the opportunity to partake in sampling some 'Mexican food'. 

Perhaps the cartoon shark on the building should have been some sort of indication to how serious this place was going to take their Mexican food– he was wearing a sombrero, a pair of shades and holding a margarita with a giant grin on his face– but I didn't think anything of it at the time. Sharky's Cantina, as it was so justly named, was one of the two places on the Vineyard that claimed stake in offering Mexican food to its visitors. While the menu announced its 'world famous house made salsa', otherwise known as pico de gallo, to be an award-winner,  I was hardly impressed. If I remember correctly (as I do remember the disappointment vividly) it was a whole bunch of tomatoes with just a few specs of what I think, and hope, were jalapenos. If this is what Mexican food is on the East coast, I'm going to in for quite a letdown. 

However, after perusing the menu of The Best of Boston 2009 Mexican winner, Olé, seems to know what's up. Not that I am an expert in all things that are Mexican, or for that matter New Mexican, I've had my share of both and liked what I read. I have always been a fan of Molé, before I even tasted it to the plates to had in Zacatecas, Mexico, and Olé has just that– but with some flair. 

Chef Erwin Ramos has created a Molé substituting chicken with roast duck served with garlic spinach and cilantro rice. Mmmmm, sounds delectable. Among other items on the menu, are pozole (yes, with a 'z' instead of an 's' as it is spelled here), chiles rellenos (yes, with an 's' at the end of chile), enchiladas served with Mexican rice and black beans and more. I'm excited to give them a try– I may only be in Boston a few days, but its possible I could get homesick... and by homesick, I mean missing Las Cruces and the eats there versus the Filipino eats I get at the homestead. 

This Week: Anything Boston

In an attempt to pump myself up for my trip to Boston next week, I am going to dedicate my next few posts to anything Boston-related. I'm not entirely certain what that will consist of, but I am certain that eating a Boston Cream Pie from Flying Star would be a nice place to start.

Despite what the name entails, Boston Cream Pie is actually a cake. The original recipe, also known as "American Pudding Cake", was often cooked in pie tins as cake pans were not so common in kitchens of the mid 1800's.

The Flying Star version of the alleged 'pie' consists of three layers of soft spongecake separated by velvety, vanilla custard, coated in chocolate icing and decorated with mini cream puffs filled with the vanilla custard and covered in caramel. It's a tall slice of cake and I'm afraid it may take me two sittings to tackle it. I'm surviving this economy on a sushi server's wage, so I'm not used to all this 'richness'. For me, it is a very rich cake, but for others, it's probably not too rich. Its a dessert that is perfect for enjoying an afternoon at a cafe watching the cars drive by on an adjacent street or in the kind of company that doesn't require endless conversation and encourages pauses of silence long enough to take a small bite and let the cake dissolve in your mouth.

Boston Cream Pie has the same kind of consistency of Tres Leches Cake, it's light and fluffy and has a very delicate flavor. Aside from the ganache on the 'pie', it has similar flavors–the cool cream has an easy-going vanilla flavor and the cake has a mellow taste. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of enjoying this cake, it is truly a delectable dessert. Tres Leches translates from Spanish to "three milks", as the original recipe is made with three kinds of milk– evaporated milk, sweetened-condensed milk and heavy cream. Though it may sound like a heavy dessert, the cake itself is usually a sponge cake or butter cake. The frosting is often made with the same milks used for soaking the cake. I'll have to make sure that I put some time aside to visit some places that have Massachusetts' state dessert.

Would I be Chopped?

I watch a lot of Food Network in my spare time and when I was growing up. Family time when I was growing up always consisted of eating, cooking or watching cooking shows. This was the start of my predilection for food, cooking and eating—I love to read about food, I love to cook and I love to eat.

Whenever I watch the Food Network "Chopped", I have to wonder to myself, "Would I be chopped?" I wonder. I always like to think about what I would do with the ingredients and whether or not it would work together. For this episode, the first set of ingredients were Macadamia nuts, oysters and apricots. Granted its kind of like cheating, but I always thinks of a different dish after seeing what they do. However, I think I would have been able to put together a fried oyster with Macadamia nut coating and an apricot chutney. Sounds good yeah? I would take the nuts and ground them up and add it to some batter of flour, add some pepper and little bit of milk. the chutney would be made with the apricots, some caramelized onions, brown sugar and a some orange juice. I think that would work out. The presentation would be simple: fried oysters placed in trio, or a triangle, with the chutney pooled under it or drizzled over it. Mmmmm? Perhaps.

The second round for the entree was buttermilk, pork loin, and jackfruit. Crazy right? We eat jackfruit, but usually in a Halo Halo, a Filipino version of the snowcone–so that was a hard one to think of... Or to be completely honest, I'm not sure if I've thought of one yet.

For the dessert, the three ingredients were chocolate, sugar cookie dough, figs and yellow miso paste. That's right, miso paste, otherwise known as soybean paste for soup. Hmmmm. I got nothing on that. But the contestants came up with pretty good ideas. One contestant made a chocolate pudding (though it didn't set up right because there wasn't enough time), with caramelized figs and miso sugar cookies or wafers. I think the other contestant tried to make a sort of Napoleon, a French dessert with layers of puff pastry and cream filling, out of the cookie dough, miso filling, figs and chocolate. I don't think I could have come up with a dessert with those specific components. I think I've only had figs fresh, and that was only once, a long, long time ago.

At least I know I could have come up with a rad appetizer—at least I think it would have been rad. Who knows? I'll just have to make it one of these days.

Pho Night

So like I said in mt last post, I picked up some ingredients for the making of Pho, a Vietnamese soup usually made with a broth, rice noodles and your choice of toppings. However, I cheated a little and bought a jar of beef broth paste. You add a few spoonfuls to some boiling water and Viola! You have 'instant' Pho. But I think the best part of Pho is the variety of toppings or add-ins.

The toppings or add-ins will change with every palate just as the toppings and mix-ins for ice cream will change for every person. For Pho, you can add sprouts, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice, fish sauce, Sriracha, garlic, sugar, etc. Its going to be different for everyone. My brother adds sugar, my sister likes to add oyster sauce, and I like mine bowl of Pho salty with a lot of sprouts.

I made sure to add some thinly sliced beef to the broth as it cooked so as to take away from the possible 'instant' taste or appearance if I hadn't put any meat in it (you can't get beef broth without the beef unless it was an instant recipe, right?). So I let that simmer a while, and let the flavors meld. After a few quick tastes, I added some green onions to the pot and some fish sauce for some extra saltiness. Once that was done, I pulled the noodles out of the pack and placed them in hot water. I wanted to soften them just enough before marrying the broth and the noodles so that they didn't overcook—I failed.

The noodles ended up being too hard and need to be boiled in the broth just a bit longer. We all ended up having to wait an extra 10 or 15 minutes before it could be eaten. But in the end, it was well worthwhile. The broth was almost on spot, I'm sure if I had the time and the meat to cook down in a broth for a few hours it would have been awesome. The noodles also set me back a bit since I have to cook them in the broth. Next time I will boil them in a separate pot and then take them out before they're overdone and then just spoon the broth over the noodles.

It turned out pretty well for a jar version versus the traditional hours over the stove boiling meat, bones and spices to achieve the right taste. I had a few other options other than the jar, they had little packets and boxes of what I would assume were similar to beef bouillon squares. I went for the jar since there were oils and seasonings in there that I thought would have tasted better than the dehydrated version. I want to try and make some Pad Thai next time. I think that would be great.

When I was living on Martha's Vineyard, I had such a strong craving for it that I think I ate it three times in one week once. The last time I had it there was a street fair in Oak Bluffs on Circuit Avenue, and this Thai restaurant had a set up outside. The chef just through in some chicken in a wok, some coconut milk, and let that cook, added sprouts, peanuts, and noodles. I love sprouts, chicken and coconut milk. It looked so easy. I know there is more to it but I think I can finagle a recipe or at least grab one off the Internet. I'll let you know how it goes.

Treasures in Talin

Today I went to Talin to do some exploring. I picked up a 25-pound bag of Jasmine rice for the house, some tea, Pho noodles, and other related ingredients, some baked goods, and snacks–but probably spent about a good hour there just walking around. I was like a bookworm in a library or a fat kid at buffet–I just wanted to everything.

When we were younger, Talin was located just across the parking lot in a smaller, split-level building that reeked of Durian fruits, fish and other fragrances emitted from the foreign produce. I remember playing with the live blue crabs, picking them up with the tongs and trying to get them to fight one another, or following my parents around the aisles looking for something exciting. Back then it was always the baked goods or the colorful gum and candies. Now its the different foods–the variety of noodles, canned foods, jarred vegetables and fruits, and house ware–that catch my attention.

I think I spent a good half hour or so alone in the tea section located at the front of the store. Originally an Oriental store or Asian market (whichever you prefer to call it), Talin has a large selection of Eastern teas: Jasmine, Green, Pu-reh, Oolong to name a few. They have the loose variety, and the individually bagged versions. They also sell other mixes of teas from Earl Grey to Darjeeling to Scottish Breakfast Tea.

Having just moved back to Rio Rancho this past November, it had been a good while since my last visit to Talin. I would say a few years. What I don't remember is the Tea Bar. When I stepped out past the tea section, to my surprise you I found a group of people chatting away at a bar where a young lady was preparing some tea. I was thrilled. Had I not had a drink (a locally brewed Kombucha drink from Santa Fe–more on that later) in the car, I would have took the time to enjoy a nice warm beverage.

I finally settled on a can of some loose Oolong Tea and a box of some Pu-erh Tea. Oolong being a fairly traditional or popular flavor of tea, and Pu-erh being something that I just recently stumbled upon. After researching some local tea, I found the NM Tea Company. They had some Pu-erh on the website and I was interested in trying it. Pu-erh is almost the opposite of the loose leaf-style tea. As far as my understanding of Pu-erh, it's a small piece of packed tea leaves. The version that I bought claims to have digestive properties and may even breakdown certain fats and cholesterol. The pieces are about the size of a marble and break into many pieces when steeped. I need to invest in a new teacup that will allow me to steep and drink out of the same vessel. I'll do that on my next visit to Talin.

After my departure from the tea section, I lallygagged through the aisles examining packages as if I were going to learn what it was through osmosis. Each aisle represents just a small portion of foods from appropriate region of the world: Saigon, Tokyo, Manila, etc. I picked up a jar of 'instant beef Pho flavor' and a some Pho noodles. Tomorrow I'm going to give it a try. I know Julie isn't as excited about it as I am, since she's had the real thing from scratch, but I told her I wanted to test it out. I don't know how to make it all from scratch, so a little help from a jar can't hurt, right? I picked up some sweet basil, some sprouts and had my fingers crossed that pa had some beef that I could cut up in the freezer. I'm excited. I think it will turn out okay. I'll let you know. On that note. I am going to hit the sack and dream about tomorrow evening's meal.