Garbage Night (aka Playing Ketchup)

Empty Fridge with film and ketchup

The refrigerator is oddly empty so I’ve decided that tonight should be Garbage Night. Tonight we will eat whatever crap is in there. Hopefully it isn’t a gross combo…

DINNER MENU

• Whitefish salad (Russ & Daughters) on cracker. There is only one cracker’s worth (each) left. And that sh!t is too good to toss.

• Edamame from freezer. (see, NEW RULES)

• Salad. Definitely the last day for the greens. Thankfully we’re getting more food tomorrow.

• Pea Soup. Just made from frozen peas.

• Butternut Squash Soufflé. Heated up in oven from freezer. I have no idea where they came from or when we bought them. (see, NEW RULES)

• Sausage. Grilled in pan. A little salsa on top. These are the most delicious vegetarian sausage in existence. We discovered this company at Bark. I like them better than meat sausages. We always have these around and are great when you need a protein. No, I’m not a vegetarian. Yes, they’re very good.

• Vanilla ice cream. Leftover from the tasting. Can probably find some cookies, too.

• Beer or wine, water or seltzer.

NEW RULES:

No more frozen fruits and vegetables. Not until we prove that we actually eat it. We never just “toss some in” as we think we might. And we don’t bring edamame as snacks. We just don’t. Keep buying peas though. It’s a good soup and only takes a few minutes to make.

No more impulse buys at Trader Joes’. Under what situation will frozen File of Sole suddenly sound appealing? And, please, no more random meals from Asian markets. There is too much sodium. And questionable ingredients. I am too afraid to actually try them. Yes, (vegetarian) mackerel would be delicious as an appetizer with nori and avocado, I just can’t imagine defrosting that thing when I happen to remember to buy nori and my avocado is perfectly ripe.

IN CONCLUSION:

I think Garbage Night was a success. The fridge and freezer are neat and organized and I didn’t spend a cent. I had some protein, some veg, some carbs, some fiber and some fat. And I stayed on Plan. With all of the money I saved, maybe I should buy a new pair of skinny jeans...

New Years’ Resolution

This year I vow to make more cocktails.

I love a great cocktail but I don’t really know much about them. I did go to bartending school once for kicks but never really made any. Yes, we have our small repertoire of pretty good drinks (our favorite is The Back Forty, which I can tell you how to make but then I’d have to kill you so...) but mostly we drink beer* or red wine**. Honestly, I didn’t know much about beer or wine (or cheeses), or much of anything, until I met JustAwesome five years ago. She knows quite a bit about beer (even started a brewing collective once upon a time), but the other things just developed as things do...

We started at Saxelby Cheesmongers and Anne suggested, we tried and loved it, Anne suggested something else, we tried and loved it again. And so it grew. And then we tried this olive oil and that olive oil. And so it grew. And as I began to taste, I began to read more. I read about this new chef and that new product. And so it goes...

For wine, we just picked a good local shop, which had nice employees and good picks for under $20 and ordered a mixed (red) case. And we drank. And drank. And drank. And then we ordered another and another. And so it grew. And now I can go to a restaurant and pick out something that I’d like. I’m not intimidated. Do I know anything about wine? No, not really, but I’m definitely in a different place than I was 5 years ago. And so it goes...

We found a bartender (Michael C from Savoy) and he introduced us to bourbons and Meyer lemons and the freshest of freshest ingredients. And we drank. And then we tried cocktails at different places and found more bartenders (none as wonderful as Michael C) and drank more drinks. And so it goes...

I sometimes say I never tasted or smelled or saw color before I met JustAwesome. This embarrasses her, but it’s true. I really began to taste. She does have an amazing palate—she can really pull out ingredients from a particular dish—which helps (and also embarrasses her) but really she taught me to slow down and pay attention. This is our slow food movement. Discovering and enjoying new things with each other. And stopping to taste. Really taste in. It is a fun hobby.

So, where to begin? We downloaded a copy of The PDT Cocktail Book onto the iPad and we’re ready to jump in... Let the games begin!!!

L’Chaim! And a Happy New Year to you all!

*I think beer deserves the same respect that people give wine, damn it!

**We tend to drink the Italian & French ones, assuming that those come by boat, rather than Californian, which would presumably come by train. True? I don’t know. But they’re less expensive so that’s how we do it at the Feral Casa.

Auntie Feral’s Root Beer Tasting

My niece, Rad Wigs, was coming to town and we wanted to have some fun.

Pizza night, of course. But then JustAwesome confessed that she was feeling JustAwful from her cold so we needed a new plan. And quickly!

And so I present:

Auntie Feral’s Root Beer* Tasting 2012

The Judges:

• Feral Cook, aka Auntie Feral

• Rad Wigs, a nine year old representing the state of Colorado

• JustAwesome, feeling JustAwful

The Categories:

• Smell

• Body

• Flavor

• Sweetness

The Contenders (I know, I did the best I could!):

• Boylans

• Gus

• A&W

• Mug

• C&C

• Stewart’s

The Winner(s):

Believe it or not, A&W and C&C did the best!

Next time, we should make our own root beer!

Some of our notes said:

Not as minty but not as sweet. Thick body, hints of vanilla. Smells like wintergreen.

Dessert:

Root Beer Floats with Adirondack Creamery Vanilla Ice Cream.

(The only nice thing that bodega sells!)

*Root beers came from our local supermarket so...

We Scream for Tissues

This is the most beautiful box of tissues I have ever seen in my whole life. Although not eco-friendly or super-soft, I knew JustAwesome* needed to have these.

Upon seeing them JA said, “Whoa!”

In a conference room at Kleenex headquarters, someone said, “Everyone loves ice cream.” Someone else must’ve chimed in, “YES! Dairy and phlegm.” The intern said, “let’s make it triangular, like an upside-down ice cream cone!”

Bless these thinkers. I love seeing this box of tissues in the house. It makes me smile and reminds me that just because something is really, really stupid, doesn’t mean it isn’t totally awesome and beautiful.

*Your Feral leader uses these. Because she loves the planet and they’re super soft.

Baking with Dorie

Lenox Almond Biscotti

Big fans of Dorie Greenspan, it was pretty much a no-brainer when we got our iPad that we’d get the Baking with Dorie app. To be completely honest, I knew I wanted an iPad because they’re sleek and shiny but I had no clue of what to do with one. I was essentially using it like a giant iPhone. This app makes sense. As my dad would say, “Azoy*!”

You can make notes to the recipe, add ingredients to your shopping list, make it a favorite. It is clear and easy to follow, plus there are instructional videos throughout. It is like having Dorie in the kitchen with you. And the biscotti was delicious! Just the right amount of salty.

The app costs $7.99, comes with 20+ recipes and 100+ videos.

Anxiously awaiting the Lucky Peach iPad app. I loved the first issue but it was, um, print. How yesteryear. (Beautifully designed print, I thought. And on my favorite topic! RAMEN!)

What other apps are worthwhile?

*That’s how it goes!

JA, Your dinner is ready!

There is a possibility that I have made the ugliest soup in the world. And, I doubled the recipe so that we can have a lifetime supply of it. Some Feral readers might beg to differ. This looked pretty ugly. This too.

I have the last laugh though: when I plan out my meals, I lose weight. And what can be bad? Its a green lentil soup with curried brown butter, coconut milk (and coconut oil!!) and chives. Yum!! I hope JA likes it. (I’m going out tonight. Tomorrow’s lunch).

Green Curry Lentil Soup

with curried brown butter, and chives

JA,

Drizzle top with brown butter curry and chives—it’ll

help it not be so ugly. Eat with baguette. Drink beer.

And don’t forget to have a salad.

Love,

Feral

Beer. Brown butter curry. Chives.

No Posts. And a cheese tour.

Yes, we’ve been cooking A LOT at the Feral household. So why no posts? Because they all come from the same freakin’ cookbook. I feel like a jerk. I ain’t no freakin’ cheerleader. Ugh. To date I think we’ve made 20 recipes from the bookwhichwon’tbenamed. All pretty great. That’s enough.

This was last night (and today’s lunch). Miso-Curry Delicata Squash with tofu, potato, kale, cilantro & toasted pepita seeds. Warm and delicious. The pepitas add a nice crunch. Definitely adding to the rotation.

Maybe I should tell you about our mini cheese tour of Vermont. The best stop was Cato Corner Farm (in Connecticut on the way up to Vermont). But they were out of Hooligan, my favorite of their cheeses. Was there anything we found in CT/VT that we couldn’t get from Saxelby Cheese at the Essex Street Market? No, not really. But she doesn’t have animals in her stall. Or fresh air. Maybe we should take a field trip to her cheese cave in Red Hook. Who wants to go?

We also got apples and caramel and syrups and jellies. Mmmmm!