Toluu

Not The Knowing One

Wake up call.December 13 2008

This is how Jeff asks for his breakfast.

      

It’s kind of creepy here.December 1 2008

The dogs are in Austin with Andy till tomorrow so it’s quiet and solitary. Much of my stuff’s in boxes which are stacked up in corners and taped neatly. There are bare nails in the walls and dust on the floors from all the things pulled out of long packed places. My usually tidy hobbit hole is in disarray. Things are just strewn about waiting to be boxed out of sight.  I always think, in this stage of moving, of what it will be like when somebody else does this to my house someday and they don’t understand how the twist ties are treasures, the quilt still under the comforter on the bed to be hand carried later reminds me of sharing the couch with my sister on cold Saturday mornings, and that it’s perfectly normal to store your double sided tape with your cookbooks.

      

Papas y CarneNovember 14 2008

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

What shall I cleave…October 22 2008

with my brand new Global cleaver??  Chicken? Duck? Winter Squash?  I thirst for culinary violence!!

http://images.surlatable.com/surlatable/images/en_US/local/products/detail/20139.jpg

      

Wedding plansOctober 5 2008

I just got back from a trip to Vermont with Andy to make some wedding plans, visit new family, and set him off on a motorcyle trip back home.  Here’s a few pics.  Unfortunatly some really great ones were spoiled by my ability to pull a face.  The rest are available here: http://flickr.com/photos/aggiezoe/