In which food and beverages are consumed, and the weather is strange

[sabotabby]

Seriously you guys, it is weird out there. Hot as hell—went up to 30 degrees—and windy, but the wind brought no coolness with it. And flash rainstorms. It's the weather of the apocalypse, with dead leaves blowing, and cops blocking off my street—

—wait? What? The wind knocked a few trees down in the neighbourhood. So when I returned home, the streets were full of cops, city workers, gawkers, and angry 905ers who had somewhere to be that was currently blocked by a tree. Anyway, it was kind of cool.

But you probably want to know about the food, right? Much was eaten, and I'm counting on other folks to fill in the blanks with what exactly it was that they brought and how to make it. And in return, I will share with you a recipe for how to make



doctor reviews

First, a picture of my cat being ridiculously cute:






This wasn't part of the feast tonight. This was just zingerella deciding to make leek and goat cheese galette on Tuesday because why not? Possibly the best thing I've eaten in I don't remember how long.


Here's what I made. It is super easy. I doubled the recipe from Canadian Living, and it made 8 or 9 drinks.

Lemon Meringue Pie Martinis

4 organic eggs (Yes, raw. Don't worry about it. There are far worse health concerns with this drink.)
8 oz vodka (I used Russian Standard, that new kind. Great in the drink, no idea how it is as a standalone.)
6 oz lemon juice (I got to use my new monstrous juicer, which is the best juicer)
1 cup icing sugar
16 ice cubes
lemon wedges
4 tbsp graham wafer crumbs (this was too much)

Using a lemon wedge, rim the edges of the glasses and press into the graham crumbs.

Combine eggs, vodka, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender. Add ice after beating it with a hammer on the sidewalk outside of your house, while dressed like a 1950s housewife, in front of a bunch of amused police officers. I think the last part is probably optional. Blend until smooth and frothy. It takes 30 seconds to a minute. Pour into the glasses and let it stand until it separates.

Verdict: This drink is terrible for you and tastes like the jizz of angels. I am totally making it again.


I bought wine glasses because we broke all the wine and martini glasses. So I bought six wine glasses that all match. This is not a proper martini anyway.


Dips of yum by J.. One involves beets.


culpster made this and it was spicy and delicious.


Stuffed onions by the other J.


chickenfeet2003 made yummy lasagna.


Oh, and here is the police tape currently attached to our house.

Comments

[thegiantkiller.livejournal.com]

Pear cardamom cheesecake, based on this recipe.

[sabotabby]

I was too busy NOMming the cheesecake to get pictures.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Same here. God it was tasty.

[lienne.livejournal.com]

Add ice after beating it with a hammer on the sidewalk outside of your house, while dressed like a 1950s housewife, in front of a bunch of amused police officers. I think the last part is probably optional.

Sabs I love you

[sabotabby]

It was pretty funny.

Vodka

[islenskr.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine introduced me to Russian Standard earlier this summer. He spent some time in Russia and declared that that brand was *the* brand people buy there. Isn't it marvelous?? And all this time, I thought vodka was supposed to taste like jet fuel.

I will make those martinis. Oh, yes. Thank you for posting the recipe!

Re: Vodka

[sabotabby]

Most people drank Stoli when I was there, and then there were mysterious vodkas that I can't find here at all. But there was Russian Standard too.

If vodka tastes like jet fuel, you are Doing It Wrong. I drank it straight all the time both when I was in Russia and when I was staying with Russians in Germany.

Re: Vodka

[islenskr.livejournal.com]

I'm learning about alcohol this year. :) The best quality vodka I had had before RS was Smirnov, which I found to be vile. It was years and years ago, which is when I decided that all vodka tasted like jet fuel and should be avoided at all costs.

I'm looking to further my education, so any suggestions or advice you might be willing to part with is hugely appreciated! :)

Re: Vodka

[sabotabby]

Really, my default is Stoli. In Russia, there are infused versions, which do not suck.* Most of the infused vodkas I've had here do, so this is to be avoided.

When I am not trying to impress walking national stereotypes, I typically drink vodka in something, generally orange or cranberry juice, because I'm too lazy to make martinis.

* Exception: Garlic infused vodka. Why you do that?

Re: Vodka

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

How about bacon vodka? Do they have that? My friend made such an infusion.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

The lasagne was a vegetarian version of Lasagna al Forno a la Bolognese.

Roughly as follows:

Make a generous pint of thickish bechamel and season with salt pepper and nutmeg.

Make a ragu with an onion, a carrot and a stick of celery; all finely chopped and sauteed in olive oil. About 500g of mushrooms, also finely chopped (I used 50/50 portobello and cremini). A small can of tomato paste, a glug of Madeira (or sherry or white wine). Water enough to produce a pasta sauce consistency. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Butter a lasagne pan. Layer a quarter of the ragu, a quarter of the bechamel and a layer of pasta. Repaet so you have four layers of sauce and three of noodles. Top with grated parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins at 375F. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes and then cut into portions and serve.

Makes about 8 main course or 12 pasta course portions.

[sabotabby]

A glug? This is a technical measurement?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

It is exactly 1000 milliglugs

[northbard.livejournal.com]

You win at internets today. Thank you for playing.

[culpster.livejournal.com]

Last night I doubled this recipe, with substitutions indicated:

Gobi Ka Paratha
(From Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian")

dough
2 cups chapati flour plus extra for dusting
(I used equal parts white and whole wheat all-purpose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tb olive oil plus a little extra

stuffing
1 tb olive oil
2 tsp grated ginger
1 chopped green chile (I used chipotle)
2c grated raw cauliflower
4 tb chopped cilantro
black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne

4 tb margarine for cooking

Put flour and salt in bowl. rub in oil. slowly add 1c or a bit more of water, mixing as you do so. aim for a soft and manageable dough. knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. form a ball. rub with a bit of oil and put in a bowl. cover and let sit 30 minutes.

Heat oil in frying pan. put in ginger when hot. stir once and add chile and cauliflower. stir and fry for 30s. add cilantro, salt, pepper to taste, and cayenne. toss for 30s. turn heat to low, cook 3-4 min, or until cauliflower almost cooked and fairly dry. leave to cool.

knead dough again for five minutes. divide into five balls, and stuffing into five portions.

set frying pan over medium heat.

dust rolling surface and rolling pin. flatten one ball and roll it into sphere about 5 inches across. take one portion of stuffing and place in center. bring edges of sphere around, pleating as you do so, until stuffing enclosed in kind of round dumpling. pinch and twist pleated portion firmly so it won't open up. flatten dumpling so it looks like a patty. flour surface again, roll out patty pleated side down until you have a 7" round.

put paratha on hot frying pan. cook for 45 seconds, flip. cook for 30 seconds, flip. dribble melted butter around the edge of the paratha. cook for 15 seconds. flip, cook for 10 seconds. now flip every 5 seconds until it has light brown spots all over and slightly crisp on outside, about 3 1/2 minutes. Repeat.

[sabotabby]

It was delish.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

It was very tasty, but to everyone who said it was spicy, I have to say, that was mild. Maybe I live in a different dimension of spicy...

[culpster.livejournal.com]

I think it varied from slice to slice, depending on the filling which I skimped on a bit. I'm a spice fan, and I felt the heat, though it didn't bother me.

[deanarae.livejournal.com]

Way to use food and drink to effectively distract everyone from what that cat is doing to that bear! It inspires me to post the scandalous pictures I took last month of my son and his bear.

[sabotabby]

He was just hugging it! Honestly!

[snarkitysnarks.livejournal.com]

That is quite some foods.

Add ice after beating it with a hammer on the sidewalk outside of your house, while dressed like a 1950s housewife, in front of a bunch of amused police office

Now I want Mrs. Sophocles to do this.
Also: adorables.

This drink is terrible for you and tastes like the jizz of angels.

You realize that after you've described it like that, I can never have this drink.

I had a food unhappy yesterday that I will probably have to tell you about, but not in a post full of such deliciousness.

[sabotabby]

Now I want Mrs. Sophocles to do this.

I want her to do this to a person. It would be Appropriate.

I could rename the drink the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster if it is less squicksome, but I hear the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster involves an olive, and this drink does not.

[ivytheadventure.livejournal.com]

This drink is terrible for you and tastes like the jizz of angels.

best. description. ever!

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

If only we had acquired the drink by giving head to angels...

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

Looks like awesome fun!

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Zucchini brownies, which weren't sweet enough.

[krinndnz.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, that's a lot of delicious. Gonna have to try those martinis - we have a lemon tree, so that makes it easier.