The Pig and I

I feel like I owe all of you an apology. I have made this recipe more than a dozen times since I've actively kept this blog up and not once have I posted it, despite it being the recipe I use for potluck events, treats for P and I, depression food (meaning, "I'm sad today so I will eat meatballs"), and really every other event I can think of. I never posted it because I always thought I had posted it already. I figured there was no way I hadn't posted one of my most loved comfort foods. But there it is - I hadn't posted it. So today I am doing so. I started making this dish somewhere between 7th and 9th grade, and over the years it evolved from a much less flavourful, not-quite-cooked-through-rice thing to a more complicated, but far better staple dish. It has some exotic ingredients, but it's not necessary to keep them in there if you don't have them, don't like them, don't want them, or just find them too expensive. Anyway, I really hope y

I have really been on an eggplant kick lately, but today I wanted to have some beans also. Hope you enjoy! 1 globe eggplant, cut into 1" dice 1-ish teaspoon kosher salt 5 coffee filters vegetable oil spray 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses juice of 1 lime 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 diced carrot 1 diced stalk celery 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes 2 cups appaloosa beans 1/3 cup water 1 cup white rice 1/2 teaspoon tumeric 1 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cups water Arrange coffee filters on a plate and spray lightly with oil spray. Toss salt and eggplant then spread onto plate. Microwave 10 minutes. Set aside Combine oil, onion and pomegranate molasses in a saucepan. Cook over low-ish heat until onions are soft (10-15 minutes). Add lime juice, garlic, carrot, celery and coriander, then cook until carrot and celery are soft. Add in crushed tomatoes, beans, eggplant and water, then simmer for 1

I initially was planning to just make a quick stock, but life got in the way, so this became a slow cooking stock, then soup. It can easily be modified for any kind of fowl carcass you've got laying about, and for any size crock pot. I hope you enjoy! 1 turkey carcass, bones plus and attached meat/skin water to cover 3 bay leaves 2 large slices dried galangal or ginger 4 whole dried lemons/limes, barely crushed 1/4 navel orange 1/2 cup each: celery, carrot, onion any remaining meat/bones you have laying about from cooking the bird that didn't make its way to sandwiches 1 tablespoon salt 1 large onion, diced 2 carrots, diced 1 cup celery, diced 1 1/2 cups frozen corn 1 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes (I don't buy mine in oil) 1 can sliced potatoes, drained 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and chopped Put the all of the first group of ingredients in your crock pot with enough water to cover everything. Set to high heat, cover and go about your business. Come back

We bought some lovely asparagus the other day, which ordinarily I would either saute or roast. I've really been craving a quiche, however, so I thought I'd make one really quickly. The lovely thing about quiche is that even though it seems fancy, it's quite easy to make (especially if you cheat and use prepared pie crust). This time, I am setting apart the base so you can see the general pattern for making a quiche: make the base, cook the fillings and add them to the pie shell, pour the base over and bake. Any filling can be used, but I generally feel all filling materials should be pre-cooked. If you prefer a stronger cheese in your quiche, substitute the one you prefer for the mozzarella. Sometimes I like to put a layer of cheese on top of the crust before I add in the fillings too. Either way, it's very flexible, and inexpensive to make a great meal for up to 8 people per pie. I hope you enjoy! Quiche base: 1 prepared pie crust (I'm not convinced it matters

I like to have a turkey around the holidays, as well as one in the summer. I'm not really sure why I want one in the summer when it's already so hot outside, but I always do. I think from now on, since I'm currently only feeding two (as opposed to previously, when I never knew how many people would be sitting at my table on any given night), I'll probably just buy a small breast for myself and a couple legs for P. Which should give us a few days of turkey without getting tired of it. Anyway, this is the first time I've brined one. I looked at several recipes until I kind of got the gist of how brining works. This is what I wound up deciding on. Hope you enjoy! Brine: 10 bay leaves 1 1/4 cup kosher salt 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 large slices dried galangal 5 dried lemons/limes (omani) 2 tablespoons each: black peppercorns, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, coriander seeds 1 dried chile pod (I used chile arbol, but you should use whatever you have on hand)