Toluu

Not The Knowing One

Cornbread dressingNovember 26

Cornbread:
1 ½ cups cornmeal
½ cup unbleached flour
2 tbs sugar (Don’t tell…. they’ll kick me out of Texas for putting sugar in my cornbread)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup butter, melted

Set a cast iron skillet (9 inch round) on the stove and heat on high while you make the batter.  Combine dry ingredients, then make a well in which to add the wet ingredients.  Mix, just to bring together.  Place a few tablespoons of vegetable oil (or bacon grease if you’ve only a few months to live) in the skillet and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. A little oil should pool in the bottom.  Carelfully pour the batter into the hot pan. It will sizzle as the batter cooks a little.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Run a knife around the edge to loosen, then turn the cornbread out to cool.

Cornbread dressing:
4 skillets of cornbread, allowed to dry for a few days
1 batch buttermilk biscuits (there’s a recipe on this blog somewhere), dried
2 cups white onions, minced
1½ cups celery, minced
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup cooked turkey giblets, chopped (optional)
4-6 tbs poultry seasonings or rubbed sage (I like mine to be heavily seasoned. Back it off if you’d like)
1 tbs kosher salt
Fresh cracked p

Cranberry RelishNovember 26

1 12oz package whole cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp kosher salt
2-3 tbs orange liqueur
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

Combine sugar, water, salt, liqueur, zest, and ginger. Bring to a boil and add cranberries.  Bring back to a boil, the lid and reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens a little. (Approx 15 minutes)  Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until needed.

      

Papas y CarneNovember 14

This dish is something prepared by little Mexican grandmothers across Texas and Mexico. It uses a tougher cut of meat, a handful of spices, and potatoes to make a lovely gooey tastey mess of comfort food for little cash. This is a dish that you throw together in the morning, and then back-burner all day until it just falls apart.  I serve it wrapped up in fresh tortillas.  You should make a pretty big mess eating this. Also, be forwarned that there’s no way to make just a little.  Make this stuff when you have a football team to feed.

2 lbs beef, cubed (I use round steak or sometimes chuck)
2-4 tbs olive oil
2 large white onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 large russet poatoes, cubed (I didn’t bother to peel them today)
1- 16oz can tomato sauce
3 tbs cumin
1 tbs chili powder
2 bay leaves
kosher salt/ fresh pepper to taste

Cut the round steaks into approximately ½ inch cubes. This is far easier to accomplish if the meat is still partially frozen.  Toss some kosher salt and cracked pepper with the meat.  Heat olive oil to medium high in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Barely brown the cubed steak and then remove it from th pan, reserving any juice that has formed.  Add a little more olive oil to the pan and then cook the onions until just soft. Add the garlic to soften, then add back the meat. Stir in remaining ingredients and add water until the mixture is just barely covered. B

Vegan Blackeyed PeasNovember 7

I served this with stewed cabbage, though it isn’t New Years.  I love blackeyed peas, but I’ve always found it difficult to get them nice and savory without a giant hunk of yummy dead pig floating in the middle of them.  The coffee seemed to do nicely here, giving the broth a little depth.

1 lb dried blackeyed peas, soaked overnight
4 tbs olive oil
2 medium white onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 tbs fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Serrano peppers, seeded and minced
1 cup white wine
1 cup black coffee
kosher salt
½ tbs cumin
½ tbs chili powder
hot water

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil.  Add onions and celery, mixing to coat with the oil.  Clamp the lid on and allow to cook until softened, stirring occasionally.  Add peppers, garlic, and ginger and saute until just tender.  Deglaze the pan with the white wine, add coffee, beans and seasonings.  Cover with water by two or three inches.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer until the peas soften.  Taste the broth and re-season as needed.  If you must add water to the pot while it simmers, make certain it is near boiling. Cold water will cause the beans to split an the broth to muddy.

      

Mortification UnderpantsOctober 31

Good name for a rock band?

I’m getting married.  This seems to necessitate the purchase of something called Spanx. This is underpants that comes up to your armpits.  My friend Cathy got me liquored up and took me to try the things on.  This was the most compassionate thing anyone has ever done for me.  I’ll admit they make me look really smooth and slimmer than normal, but there’s this silly little butt shaking dance I have to do to get into the things.

There’s also some sort of plunging neckline bra thingy that we’re calling “A boob job in a box.” Also does great things by way of foundation undergarments.  Also mortifying.

I just put on both of these things and tried on bits of my wedding dress, which will be very pretty when finished.  For now though, I’m thinking about what kind of songs my new band will play.

Live from Austin Texas, it’s MORTIFICATION UNDERPANTS!