back in good form

a lil token turned jewelry / blog post late at night from a good friend back on this side of the pond.

more

it's been a really long day, but I have found solace in repetition and it seems that as the years pas, this is where it will be found, time and again.

a few here

this is going to be a long project, but if I keep plugging away, I will have enough in time.

getting there

these are by no means finished, but the beginnings of many in a series. I will be posting as I create them for a deadline of the15th this month. copper wire, soldered.

English Breakfast

I think that this dish, while not shared by my back from the other side of the pond love, was entirely fit for her return. My english breakfast is vegetarian tho, not quite the full deal, what with all the lovely pork products that this is missing.

Beans:

Heinz Beans, that is all. I found these at the World Market, where lots of lovely things international can be found. (also a nice rump roast waiting for preparation in the background)

Grilled Tomatos:

1 large tomato, such as beefsteak, cored, cut in half and then sliced into 1/2 rounds about 1/2 - 3/4 in thick. Butter, pan, sear off at medium heat until a nice brown crust begins to form, remove from heat before they fall apart completely.
lil S&P

Toast with Cheese:

4 slices bread
1/3 c finely shredded cheese
toast in oven with cheese until golden brown.
this is my liberal interpretation as all things are better with cheese.
if feeling adventurous, spread with onion marmalade. Delish.

Fried Eggs:

(caution, do not attempt to create and eat fried eggs without aforementioned toast, you will indeed be sorry, unless you like soup for breakfast, then my friend there really is no hope for you whatsoever.)

2-4 lovely farm raised eggs
1-2 tbs (again, I am VERY liberal with the fats, they are good for all sorts of things and just plain tasty.) Butter.
lil S&P
Medium high heat, fry with the butter until the sides firm up just enough to look like they aren't water and GENTLY flip them over to cook on the other side for the same amount of time. Make and cook these last as you won't want to wait once these are done, that and they don't hold very long/well.

Enjoy with good company and a cup of tea.
Happy Jubilee

You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't loose what you ain never had

Poor woman's diet consists of lack of time + lack of funds / what's in the fridge x innovation and ingenuity... or something like that. Motivated by muddy waters blues and plenty of vino / vodka.

This evening's fair is brought to you by all of the above and a lack of house mates which ='s plenty of time. Too much math for as many drinks as I have had. This is not My Drunk Kitchen, it's a tiny bit classier and you'd have to watch some other broad for that.

On with the foods.*


Eggs in Tuna Sauce:
2 boiled eggs ( to "hard" boil my eggs, I throw them mercilessly in the boiling pasta water when the pasta is considered about 1/2 way finished cooking or 3-4 min and pull them about a min before I pull the pasta.  Side note of side notes, I will use the pasta water infinitum throughout the evening since it's got magical powers.)

1 can 8 oz tuna in water (does not matter the quality, you will be pulverizing it to oblivion)
2 tbs olive oil (quality always matters here)
1 crank peppercorn mill (staple)
1 dash sea salt (staple)

4 kalamata olives (these should be a constant pantry staple, if not fridge)
2-4 tbs (you know what kind of person you are) Dukes (there is no other kind) mayo

puree until nothing resembles the original form and creates a "sauce" of sorts. Friggen amazing with eggs and bread, or licked shamelessly off the spoon.

Brocletti:

(my personal all time fave)

1 bunch broclini / baby broccoli / broccoli floretts with kale leaves if really desperate

cut in 2 in pieces and place in the bottom of your pasta bowl, place strainer basket over top of. When eggs are fin, and pasta is fin, pour the pasta in the strainer and LEAVE the water in the bowl with the greens of whatever assortment you have. You can leave for up to 10 min here while tending to other things as it's technically not cooking, but resting, as you should be, but you somehow have found yourself in the kitchen, yet again, alone with the blues and a bottle at 8 o'clock at night.

Put the pasta in the pan it came from with about 1/2 c olive oil. Does that seem like too much, well you need to loosen the F up and live it up a lil. That shit is good for you and your shiny coat.

The remainder of the brocletti is easy. After you strain it off, add 2 large pinches red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp sea salt and squeeze 1 whole lemon over it. Toss liberally with 2 tbs olive oil.

Pasta (finally):
( this should really be a staple in every house. Amazing, filling, somewhat healthy, and totally versatile.)
you've gotten (my god I hope so) by now that you have already suposed to cooked the pasta at this point. Let it rest in its nourishing bath of olive oil while you prep it's sauce. It will be fine. It will not feel neglect, as you may at this point in the evening.

Sauce:

I found 1/4 jar sauce in the fridge ( don't freak out, if you've been paying attention, I had people over the other night and it was open less than 3 days)

3/4 c grape tomatos, still plump and juicy, diced them up and tossed them with 1/2 yellow onion (staple) and 2 cloves garlic ( again, if you don't have onions and garlic in your house, I am seriously contemplating our friendship and my consultative skills at this point.)

let them all hang out like friends in the pan with copious amounts of olive oil and get to know one another for like 5-10 min. It's all good. Salt, pepper and a lil fresh oregano, I know, not many people have fresh anything growing in their backyard/window garden what have you, but this is a good thing to have, dried/fresh.

Serve up like you know what you are doing, or at least watch enough food network to pretend like you do, or look like you have a cough, problem / addiction.



Enjoy by yourself with yet another glass of, what's this, SPRITE ZERO and vodka. Ok, I now need company. Anybody? I have food...

*you will find, if you are a patron of fine RVA foods, that I have liberated some of the above recipes from a known italian take out establishment, located in the heart of the fan, cough, 8 1/2 ( of which I am a huge fan and would have, under normal circumstances, chosen to patronize & eat out at, and not pretend to know how to cook their amazing foods). Please forgive me if I have bastardized the food and if I have somehow improved upon, hem hem, I will then count myself as awesomesauce.

reflection in the moment

I always look for signs of devine inspiration while I am on my runs/walks especially street walking, shells and bits of bone, the random lost toy, what have you. This morning, was una mariposa azul broche. Some little girl must have lost it while playing. It brought me back to a simpler time and a bit of ink on my hip. Gona have to do better than this.