things I have recently eaten or considered eating

Birthday Cake

The Emergency Food Hotline received a call on Tuesday evening from a friend who lives nearby, who had decided to throw a birthday party for another friend. Trouble was that he didn't have a cake, which is where I came in. He wanted a "very special cake." There were a few clues (carrot, vanilla), but mostly I was on my own. Since moving across the country, I don't have most of my very favorite cookbooks on hand...they are hiding away in lonely boxes somewhere waiting for me to grab them up again (one day!).

So I looked up one of my favorite cake/icing combinations online, altered the recipe to suit my tastes, and here we have it: Ginger Carrot cake with Lemon Cream Cheese icing. It was quite moist, not too dense, and I added extra fresh ginger and a bit of minced dried apricot to brighten it up. Then I took a regular cream cheese icing recipe and added fresh lemon zest and juice, a tiny bit of vanilla, and there it was. It has a brightness that complimented the richness of the carrot well. Yum o'clock.

Recent Food Excitement

I can't wait til I have consistent internet again, so I'll be able to write more about the last couple of weeks' food-fun-times.

They involved:

A visit to my favorite deli and frozen custard spots in Milwaukee,
Mac 'n' Cheese with Tomatillo, Saltines and Rye bread,
Zucchini + Egg Tacos with Apricot Tomato Salsa,
A call from Chicago regarding frostings and fruit sauces....
AND - the best waffle I have ever eaten in my life.

Until I get the chance to write about it, here's a little preview of what I ate at Jake's:

Participation needed!

I am working on a project. If you have the time, I would love to have your responses to the following three questions. The responses will be used as source material for an exhibition I will be a part of this summer in Seattle.

1. What causes silence?

2. Does silence affect relationships?

3. Can you give an example of how silence functions in your life, literally or metaphorically?

Thank you for your time, you're the best.

Carrot excitement!

A couple of nights ago, my friend Rhonda and I opened a gchat window to each other at the exact same time to ask two different questions. We were confused when the other was already there and saying something that didn't answer the question...but that's what happens when you're on "invisible" status most of the time. After the confusion, she explained that she wanted a recipe carrots and fresh ginger. Something that would go well with mashed potatoes (and broccoli, apparently, from the photos...).

So I thought for a minute and decided the best way might be to roast those babies and make a ginger sauce to accompany them. I described what I meant, Rhonda made a few alterations as she went about it, and the following is the combined recipe from our experiment.

Ingredients needed:
bunch-o-carrots, quartered
1/4-1/2 c diced onion
2 T fresh ginger, grated
3 1/2 T brown sugar
1 T or so chopped or minced garlic
olive oil
dash soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Quarter carrots, chop up onion and garlic. Put carrots, about half of the onion and a bit of the garlic in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, toss a little salt and pep on it. Set the veg mixture in a roasting pan (lined with foil if you don't like a messy pan), cover the top with foil, place in oven for 20 min.

After 20 minutes in the oven, take the foil off the carrots, sprinkle with a little b. sug, and put back in for another 20 min. Taking the foil off will allow the carrots to get all nice and crispy golden, and the sugar will caramelize on top!

While that's finishing up...in a pan, throw together the ginger, rest of the onion and garlic, the brown sugar, a tsp or so olive oil and a couple dashes soy sauce. Allow to simmer for a while and cook down to a nice sauce-y consistency. Add a bit more oil if it's too thick. Taste for personal salty/sweet preference.

When the carrots are done the should be fork tender. Let them cool a bit, then drizzle the sauce over the top and serve! Rhonda used them as a side with mashed potatoes and broccoli, but I think they quickly became the star of the meal. Would be a great vegetarian main course.

Photos from the meal dubbed "YOM."



pictures by Rhonda Turnbough

Two nice quotes about this meal:
"The roasted carrots are FUGGEDABOUTIT" (text received shortly after meal)
"This recipe should be patented" (Rhonda's grandmother, Dot)

I think this would also go great with some basmati rice and chicken masala, or next to a delicious burger, or on top of a mixed greens salad with some crumbled gorgonzola. Lots of possibilities. I do believe I'll be making this recipe myself this weekend.