Vox Lucens

Anyone who has spent any time with Katie and I knows that we really like to cook.  We’ll cook anything that sounds good…and I have pretty eclectic tastes, so our culinary willingness leads us to many the exotic taste (and being homemade, it’s generally exceedingly cheap).

But early in our marriage, I had not yet learned how far we could go in our search for homemade exotic deliciosity.  This lack of knowledge on my part was quickly rectified, in a quick and highly delicious manner.

We had not been married too long when Katie asked me what I wanted for dinner, and I answered, “Chinese.”  She agreed that this would be delicious, but expressed a certain amount of chagrin when I began to look up the number to the closest take-out restaurant.

To my foolish brain, you see, eating Chinese always began with calling the local take-out place, speaking specially chosen numbers into the headset, and picking up the finished product in cardboard cartons in 15-20 minutes.  (Anybody else with me on this?)  To my enterprising wife, though, eating Chinese was no different than anything else she cooked.

To my credit, I quickly acknowledged the error of my ways.  Shortly thereafter, Katie used her magical recipe source to find a version of my favorite dish.  And to this day, if you come to our house and order the Number 1, you will probably end up with this:

You can find our recipe here, though we do make some changes (notably substituting the horribly American ketchup for more attemptedly authentic hoisin sauce for a fantastic taste; I also add chili oil to mine for a nice zing).  We’ve made it many times, and shared it with many friends, and so far no one has objected!

Also to my credit, I was smart enough to buy my enterprising wife an ice cream maker.  Perhaps a post on that to come?

With my Valentine around 2,000 miles away, today’s true task was to avoid thinking about how much I’d rather be somewhere else.  For those of you that know me, it’s probably obvious that a task like that would involve food.  And as I was running errands, I saw a Middle Eastern restaurant and began craving hummus.

But the whole “rich attorney” thing hasn’t kicked in yet, so I couldn’t justify a stop there, even to assuage the pain of 2,000 miles of space.  Plus, the idea of paying $10 for a plate of garbanzo beans seems weird.  And when I realized that, today’s project became apparent.

Since I already knew the basic structure of hummus, a quick trip to Google was all I needed to figure out proportions, and I was off to the store.

I generally tend to avoid meatless meals whenever possible.  To that end, it strikes me as weird that I enjoy Middle Eastern food so much - it tends to be low on the meat side (though when they add meat, it is superb).  But Middle Eastern food is delicious and rich and satisfying even without meat.

And in spite of guessing at a variety of things, today’s project was not a disappointment…

Later on, for the record, I fully intend to make up for a meatless lunch by making chorizo/bacon/monterey jack quesadillas.

In other news, don’t use cheap forks to juice limes.

I was elated when my office-mate suggested yesterday that we resurrect what has become affectionately known as the Salad Kick. Basically, it consists of a few of us going in on wholesale boxes of fresh produce and eating salad until it comes out of our ears.

It was one of the things I wanted to do after the bar, and let me tell you, folks, for the past two days I have been in salad heaven.

Spring Mix
Broccoli
Tomatos
Bell Peppers
Mushrooms
Craisins
Feta Cheese
Cashews
Italian Dressing
Pita Chips On The Side

There comes a day in every man’s life when he looks back on the past and realizes its value on the present, when past traditions long abandoned are resurrected into glorious light only magnified by the passage of time. It is on such a day that our hero has now embarked, and as he assayed the traditional feast before him, he could not help but remember the wisdom that he had been taught: “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your Taco Bell coffee, and to your coffee law books…”

–From A Pointless Oral History of One of Mankind’s Dimmest Luminaries

Back when I lived in Northern Virginia, one of my favorite food-related activities was to grab a trusted friend and head to Taco Bell for a two-man, Grande Meal eating show. (And yes, adding the Nachos BellGrande and the Mexican Pizza were musts.)

I will freely admit that it is a hard task to find a friend who is willing to trust you enough to subject his entire digestive system to the bombardment of such a feast, and it is for that reason that I have not attempted this glorious tradition since leaving Northern Virginian climes.

Today I was highly gratified to learn that I have not lost my touch. The Grande Meal still quakes before me…and quakes within me.

And as I add a big cup of coffee to the dozen pounds of I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Beef running through my system, I am amazed at what bar study can do to a man.

I’ve loved Ramen Noodles for a long time. There for a while, I forgot the passion, but lately it is being restored. I don’t know what triggered the restoration, to be honest–probably the desire to be frugal combined with the call of unlimited options.

Now don’t get me wrong, friends. Ramen can be prepared badly, especially if you follow the directions on the packet. If you make a weak, slimy, yellow-green soup, you are doing it all wrong. And don’t bother with anything other than the chicken flavor.

But done right, Ramen is glorious. Done right, Ramen is not just dinner, nor is it just art; Ramen is the canvas upon which dinner is painted.

Just imagine it. Ramen noodles (Maruchan Ramen, not Top Ramen) cooked, drained, and the sauce added. Combine on the top some stir-fried veggies (Costco has an excellent frozen mix), a couple of slices of canned jalapeno, and if you are really adventurous some sliced, stir-fried chicken or steak. A little salt for the veggies and some fresh crushed black pepper, and you have a meal that takes 15 minutes and tastes great.

And the options are unlimited. Versatile, tasty, and undeniably convenient, Ramen is the ultimate American food.

Not convinced? –

Wall o’ Ramen

Ramen, You’re Beautiful

I love Thanksgiving.

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This Thanksgiving feast is particularly momentous, as I prepare this afternoon to leave for Sudan. Our pickings will be slim on the culinary side of things, so I packed some goodies…

Your prayers are greatly appreciated. More to come.