Baby Birthin' Stew

Becca, of B's Bakery and Bistro fame, became the first friend to HAVE A BABY.

Everyone is growing up, buying houses, getting married and spawning.

I, on the other hand, have fit all of my belongings into two bags and moved across the world. I might get another tattoo too, on my face.

So, here we are, launched from the world of making drunk cornbread into making food for friends to freeze as they lose sleep for their poop monsters.

Becca requested something healthy and freezable. I was inspired to make something that looked like the baby poop that she'll be bathing in for the next 18 years.
Lilah (who is actually super cute and old now) also took a while to get here and apparently spicy things help pregnant ladies pop.

Therefore...

Moroccan Stew

You'll need:

Vegetable oil
1 onion- chopped
1 zucchini- chopped
1 yam- peeled and chopped
1 can of chickpeas- drained
4 cloves of garlic- minced
3 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 tsp of each:  cinnamon, cumin, dried thyme and chili powder
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 c chunky salsa
2 cups of spinach- roughly chopped.

Thanks to George for the Haines grown zucchini

To do:
- Heat oil in a pan, add the spices, cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Add in the onion and garlic, cook for another minute or so. Throw the yam into the mix, cook for about a minute. Throw in the zucchini, cook for another minute.

-Add in the vegetable broth, salsa, peanut butter and salsa (if you want it to a stew, use less vegetable broth, for a soup, use more). Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Throw the spinach in right before you're about to serve, just so it wilts a little bit.
- Serve over couscous

- have that baby.

*Reheats, freezes and doubles very easily.

Spotify thinks that I listen to too much bluegrass and is trying to get me to branch out, so it started playing The Belle Brigade.
Spotify robots +1
All other robots -1

A little bit pop, a little bit rock, a little bit country. "Losers" is pretty amazing and a good drink PBR, cry and dance it out jam. But my cold cold heart was first warmed by this gem:

They make me want to start a band with my brother, but would end, tragically, with audiences bleeding out through their ears. The Ingram-Wolf kids aren't musically gifted.

Israeli Salad

I spent 10 days in Israel and now consider myself an expert on Israeli salad. As one does.

But David Lebovitz had some pretty good ideas about it too.
I mean, how could you not with a name like Lebovitz.

Israeli Salad (from David Lebovitz)

You'll need
1 ripe tomato
1 cucumber
1 carrot- peeled
2-3 tbsp red onion- chopped
1 small beet- peeled
arugula
1/4 c parsley or cilantro- chopped*
2/3 c mixed nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc...)- chopped
1/3 c feta or goat cheese- crumbled
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper

* If you want to get crazy, try mint, chives, tarragon... every country claims this salad as their own.

-Chop all the vegetables into tiny tiny cubes. Slice the arugula.
-Toast the nuts in a skillet (no oil), over medium heat and shake the pan frequently so they don't burn. Stop when they are a little brown and you can smell them.
-Mix all of the vegetables, nuts, cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

-Serve pretty quickly, no one likes old salad.

Spotify has changed my life again by introducing me to LP

It's common knowledge that I'm a sucker for whistling.

Quinoa doesn't like to be patty(ed)

There is a reason why quinoa burgers aren't a thing.
Quinoa, by nature, doesn't like to be bound together, forced into unnatural shapes or squished between slices of bread. Each little quinoa granula is constantly trying to be it's own, unique entity and quinoa actively resents you when you try to make it anything else.

Moral of the story, we all grew up in the "Free To Be You and Me" era, so just let quinoa be quinoa.
Lesson learned.

Enjoy this quinoa hash.

You'll need:
2 1/2 cooked quinoa
4 large eggs- beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c fresh chives-chopped
1 yellow or white onion- chopped
3 garlic cloves- chopped
1 c bread crumbs
water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c parmesan cheese- optional

You'll need to:
- Mix the quinoa, eggs, salt, chives, onion, cheese, garlic and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Let it sit so the bread crumbs can get a little soggy.

-Try to make the quinoa into patties. Or give up and make a scramble.
- Heat the oil in a skillet, cook the unnatural patties, or hash until it's all deep brown, like 7 minutes per side.

- Serve however you want. Try not to think about  cheeseburgers while eating.

So "The Great Gatsby" is kind of a big deal right now.
The book, the show (GATZ), the film and now the soundtrack. I have heard many rumors about the film, how awful it is, how awesome it is.... but, if the soundtrack is pretty awesome and that means I'll give the film a shot.
It was available on NPR First Listen and it's now on Spotify, but I might actually buy it.

. I kind of love that they aren't using period music, that there is an attempt to go for the risque feeling of that era with music of today. It's not only Jay-Z, but the xx, Florence and the Machine and Jack White, among others. Is there a history of music lesson here? Or is NPR reading into it a little too much. Who knows?

All I do know is that the soundtrack makes me even more excited to see the movie and it feeds my not so secret love for Beyonce.

And there is new Daft Punk. Life is good.

Spinach with Chickpeas and Fried eggs

You'll need:
3 Tbsp Olive oil
4 garlic cloves- sliced
8 c spinach- chopped
salt and pepper
1 c onion- chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 15 oz cans chickpeas- rinsed
5 canned whole tomatoes- crushed
3 c vegetable broth
4 large eggs

-Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add 1 garlic clove and stir until golden brown (1-2 mins), throw in spinach and salt and pepper and cook until sort of wilted, but still green (2-3 mins). Remove from heat, wipe down pan.
-Heat 2 Tbsp oil in the same pot. Add in onion and garlic, cook until onion is softened (3-4 mins).
- Add cumin and paprika, stir until it's toasty and fragrant. Add in chickpeas and tomatoes, cook until the tomatoes begin to caramelize and the chickpeas begin to brown (8-10 mins). Add 3 cups broth, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and simmer. Crush some of the chickpeas and let simmer until the sauce is thickened (15-20 mins). Fold in spinach, simmer for awesome flavor-melding, add more broth if it gets too thick (8-10 mins).

-Egg frying: Pour oil into a heavy skillet until it's 1/8" thick, heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Crack 2 eggs into the hot oil, spaced apart. Use a large spoon and baste the egg whites until they are set and lacy, about 2-3 mins (you will be burned, accept it). Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. Do the same with the other two eggs.
-Put the chickpeas in a bowl, put the egg on top. Eat with crusty bread while nursing second degree burns. It was worth it.

-Courtesy of Bon Appetit

Currently jamming to:
Josh Ritter is sad.
It's hard to tell with such upbeat tunes, but the guy is feeling ALL the emotions in this album (his response to his divorce).
Josh Ritter is also super understanding and forgiving.
And I hate him a little bit for that.
I agree that "Joy To You Baby" might be the best song of his career.

The album drops on March 5th. Check it out... maybe while sitting in a hammock, drinking PBR and crying... just maybe.

WAR ON CHRISTMAS

Happy Holiday's KDP fans (Mom, did I send you a card?)
I'm having a war on Christmas this year.
I'm working a lot and taking latkes (and drinking driedel) to an Orphan Christmas Party and avoiding all work parties like the plague. I believe that this is an acceptable response to not going home or being with family this year.
I'll see a movie (let's be honest, I'm seeing Les Miz ("The Mopes" in English), eat some Chinese food and sleep until January 2nd.

Only someone who either loved or eternally hated Christmas could do what Sufjan Steven's has done with his SECOND epic 5 volume Christmas box set.

And it is a fine line between love and hate. A very very fine line.

My latest cooking devotion has been to this book, An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler, who believes that the ends of meals inspire and feed the next one and that we don't make mistakes in the kitchen, we create an experiment. The book is about cooking with grace, trust and economically. Below are some of the pictures I've taken while following this principal.

The basic premise is that you should be using everything when cooking- the ends of bread, the rinds of cheese, the stems of kale and in a mixture of life advice and recipes, Tamar Adler seeks a world where people pay attention to what they eat, why they are eating and how their food is prepared.

I did this for like a week.

It was a good week though, a very full fridge week. 

The idea is that you buy all of your greens and fruit at the farmers market and cook it the day of, so that you have things to play with throughout the week that are already prepared. You spend a few hours slaving over a hot stove and in return, can take beet sandwiches to work! It's a fantastic idea and I wish I had more time to do this.

I came away from that week with stem/core pesto, roasted beets, the best omelet I've ever made, bean soup stock, roasted pine nuts, an appreciation for red wine vinegar and more awareness around how to love and care for the food we use to fuel ourselves. 

Plus, An Everlasting Meal has entire chapters devoted to how to treat your eggs (the ones from chickens), how to boil water, how to set a table, ideas for sauces, vinegars and the trust that you'll be okay, no matter what you do. 

Also, I made Hot Sauce!

Take 1 lb of stemmed fresh chilies and 2 Tbsp kosher salt. 

Mix in a food processor until it's a puree. 

Put in a glass jar and let ferment for about 12 hours at room temp. Make sure that the top of the jar isn't tightly screwed on. 

Add in 1 1/2 c distilled white vinegar, loosely screw on the top. 

Let sit for at least 1 day and at most 2 weeks. Try it along the way to see if it's to your liking. 

Put the mixture in the food processor and blend until smooth. 

Strain it through a sieve and store in the fridge for up to 4 months. 

Well Spotify, you've done it again. You know more about the music that I'll like than I do. I'm continually in debt to your musical algorithm that introduces me to artists like Justin Townes Earle

The son of Steve Earle, he's embraced the soul in bluegrass and putting blues back in country music. Wrapped up in the sound are heartfelt and wrenching stories. I crave to hear him live,at a dive bar, preferably with a dance partner.
Only goal for the new year is to do just that.

Maybe the holidays away from Juneau makes me just a tad homesick (if you couldn't tell...), but I've been devouring bluegrass/Americana/blues music like it's my job. There are no problems with this, it's perfect Sunday listening.

Plus he kind of sounds like Elvis (if he "kicked a gospel choir in the butt" in this one and that makes me all a-twitter.

Wild Rice and Mango salad

Garden update- Basil sucks and nobody likes it. 

Wild Rice and Mango Salad (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 orange
1/4 c fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 c wild rice
Kosher salt
2 ripe mangoes- peeled, pitted and cut into cubes
1 c fresh cilantro leaves
1 c chopped red onion
1/2 c dry roasted peanuts
6 scallions- sliced
2 jalapenos- seeded and minced

- Remove the peel and white pith from oranges. Over a bowl, use a small knife to cut between the membranes and release the orange segments into the bowl (yes, it should be that frustrating and hard). Whisk in 1/4 c lime juice and oil and set aside.

- Bring rice and 2 3/4 c water to boil, season with salt. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 25 mins, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, place a folded dish towel between the pot and lid (to soak up more water) and let sit for for 15 minutes. Spread out the rice on a baking sheet, drizzle with the orange dressing, season with salt and let it cool.
- Put mangoes and everything else in a bowl, add in the rice and toss. Season with salt, lime juice and more cilantro.

So many new albums to check out! I am NPR First Listen's biggest and most thankful fan.
New Avett Brothers- coming up
New Cat Powers- on my play list
New Deerhoof- on the playlist
New Stars- playlisted

And I'm currently listening to the New Animal Collective, 'Centipede Hz'.
If you are into Animal Collective, this holds up with their typical stuff. A little jagged, a little disjointed, discombobulated, at times a little off putting. This one has a little more of a rock quality, rather than making a sound scape. It feels more like an album than a soundtrack.
I dig it, it comes out on September 4th. I'm buying it.
And I am so excited to get my sweaty dance on during their NY tour stop.

It's like someone had a severe acid trip while watching Never Ending Story. 

Indian Style Noodle Salad

Note to Self- write down when you experiment, so that you don't have to try to remember the ingredients a month later when the blog is posted.... 

Indian Style Soba Noodle Salad with Baked Tofu

ALSO

LOOK WHAT I DID!
<----------


(and by me, I mean the sun and science and stuff)
















Indian Baked Tofu (From Moosewood)

Marinade:
1/2 c greek yogurt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
juice of 1 lemon
1 package of tofu

-Press the tofu for 15 minutes.
-Combine everything else in a bowl.
-cut the tofu into cubes, put in the marinade.
Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
-preheat oven to 425. Oil a baking sheet and lay out the tofu cubes.
-Bake for 25-30 mins, turning the tofu halfway.

Raita Sauce (someone else invented this)
1 1/2 c greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cucumber- grated
fresh mint
fresh cilantro
salt

-mix everything in a bowl. Easy peasy.

Noodle Salad (a Hannah creation)

1 packet of soba noodles- cooked

Red Bell pepper- sliced

Snap Peas

Cilantro

Carrots- sliced

Green onions

Cucumber- sliced

Baked Tofu

Raita

-Cook, drain and rinse the soba noodles.
-Take the raita, pour over the noodles and use your hands to massage the yogurt into the noodles, make sure everything is covered.
-add in the vegetables and keep mixing with your hands. Season with salt and pepper.
-Once everything is well mixed, lay the tofu on top and sprinkle the cilantro over.

Currently jamming to:
Dan Deacon's "America" on NPR First Listen

It's a multi listen, everyone has their own personal opinion about it kind of track.
So do it.
Listen to the entire thing in one sitting, devote some time to it and get back to me.
But think about split personalities and American culture clash when you do.

The album is officially out on August 27th. I'm putting it on my buy list.

"Chikin" Salad

I'm sensing a trend in my posts. I blog about how much I miss a various meat product and then I try to recreate that with vegetables, tofu, seitan or tempeh. And also ignore the needling comments about how eating meat again would make everything much easier. 

Usually these experiments fail, but this "chicken" salad is a winner!

It should be noted though, the only reason why I like chicken and egg salad is because of the mayo, and this has that!

Winner Winner "chikin" dinner!

Tofu Salad (From The Moosewood)

1 cake firm tofu

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Braggs Amino's

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp white miso

3 tbsp tahini

1/3 c mayo

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 c carrots- peeled and grated

1 1/2c red bell pepper- dices

1 1/2 c celery- diced

1/3 c green onion- chopped

1 tbsp fresh dill

salt and pepper to taste

- Crumble the tofu (it helps if it's been frozen and then thawed). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the tofu, stirring constantly, until dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 

Someone got Instagram...

-Whisk the miso, tahini, mayo and mustard in a bowl. Add carrots, bell peppers, celery, scallions, herbs and tofu. Let sit and get juicy for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

-Try not to eat it all at once, it's supposed to last for a weeks worth of meals. 

Right before my Spotify (now it's just like Pandora..epic fail) trial ran out, I listened to Citizen Cope's newest album, One Lovely Day

I vividly remember my first (and only) Citizen Cope concert. It was at WWU, everyone was embracing the dreadlocks and expressing themselves through the hippy bump and grind. I couldn't dance (still can't), wasn't brave enough to dread my hair and remember being appalled and scandalized that people were smoking INSIDE! 

I wasn't much fun in college. 

So his new album shows that he has aged into the urban folk category. It's pure, updated Americana, a mesh of RnB, acoustic, blues and folk. It's a little slower, more laid back and more complex sounding than his earlier stuff. One Lovely Day now solidly rockets Citizen Cope into into the DSSJ category (ask Val what that means). 

It's a good summer album, it's perfect for grilling on a deck, rocking the day drunk and experimenting with your own hippy bump and grind. I may not have gotten better at dancing, but I've learned the art of not giving a damn. 

Brown Rice and Tofu Salad

Dear KDP Fans (Hi Mom),

It's been far too long.
I've been in an amazing directors workshop for the past 3 weeks, meaning I never had time to make food, much less blog about it.
Things happened in the past 3 weeks (including the now infamous String Cheese and Toast Dinner ). Our dear Mags officially turned old and celebrated by eating cookies and drinking whiskey (true story). Juneau has apparently had the worst summer ever and I still haven't bought an AC.
All in all, it's been busy. But here's a make up, back log post about a salad that I didn't really like.

Enjoy!
Hannah

Too much cookies and whiskey

Baked Tofu (From The Moosewood)
16oz firm tofu
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 garlic clove- minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger- minced
1 1/2 c bread crumbs
2 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
cayenne
red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp white flour
6 Tbsp cold water

-Cut the tofu into sticks- so you have about 24 total. Arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish
-Mix together the soy sauce, rice vingear, garlic and ginger. Pour over the tofu sticks, let marinate for at least 30 mins.
-Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a baking tray.
-In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and spices. In another bowl, mix together the flour and water.
-Dip each marinated tofu stick in the flour mix and coat well. Then dunk it in the breadcrumbs mix and make sure it's covered. Arrange the sticks on the baking tray. Bake for 30 mins, until crisp and hot.

Brown Rice Salad 
1 1/2 to 2 cups short-grain brown
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallion
1 small or 1/2 large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped or shredded celery
1/4 cup finely chopped or shredded carrot
baked tofu
6 tablespoons miso paste
3/4 cup warm water or sake
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon mirin or honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or more to taste
2 sheets of nori, lightly toasted (optional- I don't actually know how to do this and forgot about Google for a second).
2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds, toasted.


- Cook rice. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, then combine with vegetables and tofu in a large bowl.
- Put black pepper, miso, water or sake, sugar, mirin or honey, and vinegar in a small bowl, and whisk together. Taste, and add more vinegar and a pinch of salt, if needed.
- Combine rice mixture with miso dressing with 2 big forks, fluffing rice and tossing gently to separate grains. Crumble nori (if you figured it out) over salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.


Verdict: While I'm sure this was a stunning brown rice salad, I am not a huge fan. Too salty/soy saucy, I usually ended up just eating the tofu. The tofu is good (thus proving that if you add bread crumbs to anything it will make it taste like bread crumbs).
I also realized that I was so underwhelmed by the final product that I never took pictures. 
Imagine it looked like this:

In more uplifting news, Passion Pit has come out with their new album Gossamer, you can hear it on NPR First Listen for a few more days.
I'm in love. These are not only my cooking jams, but also my walking, working out, working, rehearsing and living jams. I'm like the blonde that listens to an audio tape that tells her to breath in and out, but my life line is Passion Pit. It's incredibly textured and each song rings of extremely detailed and precise work.
It's also about a failed romance, so I'm adding it to my "Sit in a hammock, drink PBR and cry" list.
You know the one.
Someone else described this album as a "tortured beast, wrapped in a hard candy shell"
Totally my groove.

Gettin' creative with salad.

I eat a lot of salad, especially now that it's too hot to turn on the stove, I'm too busy and poor to make something new every night. 

So I mixed a couple of recipes from The Moosewood New Classics, threw in some left overs, got some beets and tomatoes to add color and voila! 

A curried tofu and corn salad that's worthy of any high class vegetarian/vegan restaurant. 

In other news, I'm in major lack of grill depression. I don't have the balls to put one on my fire escape, so if you have one in NY,  I will trade many, slightly charred, tasty things in exchange for a grill take over. 

Curried Tofu (from Moosewood New Classics)
1 packet firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves- pressed
1 c onion- minced
1 jalapeno- seeded and minced
2 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp braggs liquid aminos

-Press the tofu for 15 mins. Cut into bite sized pieces.
-Heat the oil in a skillet, saute the garlic, onions and jalapeno until the onions are golden, about 15 mins. Mix in the curry paste, turmeric, cumin and soy sauce.
-Add the tofu to the skillet and cook on low heat for 10 mins, stirring often, until heated through.

Curried Corn (adapted from Moosewood New Classics)
1 c shallots- chopped
1 jalapeno- seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves- minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 c frozen corn
1 tbsp curry powder

The actual recipe calls for coconut milk. I omitted it because I didn't want to the corn to be over saturated with liquid going into the salad (read- I didn't have any). 

-warm the oil in a sauce pan, add the shallots and jalapeno and saute for 3 mins. Stir in the curry powder and saute until the spices darken, about another 3 mins.
-stir in the corn. Saute until heated, add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble curried tofu and corn salad (a Hannah original (patent pending))
1 c quinoa

3 bell peppers- chopped

grape tomatoes- sliced in half

4 beets- chopped

-Put everything in a big bowl. Mix around. 

-season with salt, pepper, sriracha and curry powder to taste. 

I've been on a major RadioLab kick. 

I spend most of my commute listening to podcasts, but I've run into the unfortunate problem that sometimes Ira Flatow's soothing voice and dense topics on Science Friday puts me to sleep and I get too distracted by the various MTA characters/subway drama to really commit to an episode of This American Life. And the TAL stories often make me cry, which can be mildly embarrassing and unwanted attention getting at 10am on a Wednesday. 

RadioLab is the perfect medium, a mix of science and story, weird soundscapes that jolt one awake and make you stride that fine line between being intrigued and thinking too much. 

Plus, I'm in awe of the online community they are making through social media. 

And let's be honest, the only reason I listen to Science Friday is for the rare and priceless times when Ira F gets pissed off. 

Curried Lentil Dip

Liz bought me a copy of The Moosewood cookbook for Hanukkah (in April, but it's the thought that counts).
It brings me back to my childhood. I remember my mother skimming the recipes, looking for kid friendly vegetarian meals. I also remember abhorring everything the cookbook stood for (that we weren't going to have hot dogs and mac n' cheese for dinner).
But the circles have turned. I own my own copy. I use it on a regular basis. I read it when I'm bored.

I'm turning into my mother.


Curried Lentil Dip (From The Moosewood)

1 c red lentils
2 1/2 c water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c diced onions
1 1/2 c apples- peeled, cored and diced
3 garlic cloves- minced
1/4 c raisins
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 c coconut milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

-Boil the lentils and water. Lower heat and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 20 mins.
-heat oil in a skillet, saute the onions, apples and garlic for about 5 mins. Add the raisins, curry powder and garam masala and saute for another 10 mins.
-Put everything in the food processor. Process.

This is amazing with tortillas, vegetables and fruit.
Hummus, you finally have some competition for that special place in my heart.

I've talked about Black Prairie (The Decemberists side project) on here before, but they've come out with a new album, The Storm in the Barn.
It definitely feels like a concept album, but I'm not totally sure what the concept is.
This trailer cleared it up for me:

So there's that.

In other news, I listened to Fiona Apple's new album on NPR First Listen. Girl is still angry.