Sushi and Ramen

Been awhile.  I've been working on my movie a day blog and been a bit of a zombie lately.

I saw the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi  today.   I didn't care for it.  It's a documentary about this 3 Michelin star Sushi master and his son.
Besides the usual complaint I have of subtitles that are too tiny to read, it just sort of doesn't explain anything.  You go in circles with this guy and why he refuses to retire.

And I just read  The Ramen King and I   an autobiography about this guy who becomes obsessed with the creator of instant ramen, and how he becomes the model for how he ends up living his own life.
This I liked a lot.

Fall Back Man

Wow!  Time flies Eh?

I picked up a few cookbooks in the last couple of months, { Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen, Joy of Cooking.}  and have been randomly trying things.  I find myself coming back to the Joy of Cooking book more and more.

Risotto.
Dude, it's kicking my ass.  I know it's like one of the easiest things to do right.  It would seem I'm getting stupider or something with my cooking ability.

I had gone on a short trip the other month, and was planning on blogging about the places I ate and and showing off the fabulous meals I had.   Only,  I took the photos with my cell phone and when I tried to transfer them to the computer... NOT COMPATIBLE ERROR
So, I suck with cameras and such.

With my cooking,  I try something and work on it for about four days till I either get it right or it gets the submission on me.  I'm giving the risotto another rematch but I've tapped out to the cell phone photos.
Which is a shame, because I wanted to share the size and fabulousness of the fettuccine and sauted mushrooms that I ate more then once when I was on my trip.

If you've been hanging out at all on my main blog lately, then you know I've been just soaking up the Free Preview of the Food Network Canada, and catching as many episodes of Worst Cooks in America   online.
Talked over on that blog a bit about what shows I'm digging, the conversations they've started, and some food fears.

But my version of risotto...I was trying a sweet version with apples and apple juice and screwed up.

A food thought

I'm reading  Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain and a thought came to me.   Why am I not doing this?
Food/Travel writing?

I put the book down, went made a cup of tea and played an entire conversation over in my mind while I did.  Telling myself on one hand that I've managed to write on so many other levels, then pointing out to myself on the other hand that I do not have a background in the culinary arts.  I don't even eat meat.  How could I possibly be a real food writer?  And where would I possibly get money to travel around eating my way through cities?

This was about three days ago I had this internal conversation.   I'm in the last chapter of the book right now, and something else sprang into my mind.
I went out for brunch with my sister and brother in law couple of days ago, and I got told to shut up about two hours afterwards.  I was still talking about the food. 
It wasn't even a fancy place, just the local family restaurant down the street.  A building that has seen more then it's fair share of owners, had it's name changed close to twelve times in under 25 years, has it's staff for only three months at a time during summers or the school year. 
The thought I had about the place was I did not even think to write about it.   Not when I was there.  Not for the few hours afterwards that my sister got tired of listening to me about the sea salt on the fries.  Did not even consider the idea about writing about it until now.  Three days later.

Just something to think about.

A Philly Moment

I know many of you have joined the race to be part of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest.  Good luck to each and all who have entered.
I'm kicking around over there on the community, but I can not enter. (If you wish to friend me on there, poke me in the tummy, or just share some links you can locate me under the name Domestic Damned)

So I thought I would share my favourite Philly cream cheese cheat.  Yes, I call it a cheat.   Why, because it's a too simple recipe for cucumber sandwiches.  

 I used Italian bread, and the Philadelphia Herb and Garlic cream cheese, sliced cucumbers. 
Honestly, it's the easiest thing to create.  Simple, fast, and a perfect for when you get company last minute. 

I'm sure some of you are more skilled at making things look pretty compared to me.  But if you like cucumber tea sandwiches, you have to try it.

Sidenote,   I just got my hands on a copy of As Always, Julia The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto Food Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece  by Joan Reardon

You know the book that was inspired by all the letters in the movie Julie/Julia.

Though, I have no idea when I will have the chance to read it.  I might try sneaking in bits and pieces between the books I do for review.

Confessions of a former HamburgerJunkie

This is a title I have used in the past for other blogs.  One was a spiritual blog, the one before that actually was a news/fashion blog. 
Nether blog did very well.   But it's a title I hold true to my heart.

Being a vegetarian makes it difficult at times to get enough protein.  Which is why the soya replacement products are a good idea. 
The real down side to the soya replacement products (veggie dogs, veggie burgers etc)  is the weight and the cost. 
Our local grocery just had a massive two for one sale on a major line of the veggie soya replacement products.  And I bought alot of them.  Most of which is still sitting in my mother's deep freeze because I don't have room for them in my own apartment's tiny fridge.  The rest, I've been eating nearly non stop for the last two weeks.

I've gained more weight then I was planning on.  Other health issues keep me from being able to work out properly. (car crash + collapsed lung = breathing issues) 

I'm thinking I need to do a bit of an overhaul with my cooking.
Trust me this is not a surprise.  Nor will this become any kind of "diet" blog, as I just do not believe in diets. 
I do believe in changing attitudes and how you look at things. 

When I started this blog few years ago, my original plan was to take traditional Newfoundland foods and make then in a vegetarian way.  Cutting out the fish/meat etc.  The results as you've seen have been more failures then successes.  Newfoundland cooking is just not vegetarian/vegan friendly.  Which I learned the hard way.
I also thought it would bring me closer to my family, but it's proven to push even farther away. 

I'm still trying to find that perfect cookbook. One that will spark something in me the way Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking vol 1   did for Julie Powell. 

What I think I learned from....

reading  The Man Who Ate The World  by Jay Rayner.

I mentioned on my main blog few days ago, that I was taking a few sick days off {I still have not shaken this horrible cold I've had for over a week} of my normal book reviews, to read something for me. I chose to read a book that I bought awhile ago that has been sitting on my coffee table taunting me { and I quote- "like an X-Division tag team" } 
All I can say is I picked the right book for a little guilty pleasure.

There are moments when you are faced with addiction head on.  As in his addiction to food, and even your own.  Or in my case the addiction to other people's addictions.
I have to say my favourite part was when he described his lust for food blogs on the same level as porn.  It was both funny and way too true for many of us.

Ironically, the whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking not just of my own food vices, but of my other main vices = books and wrestling.
There is an underling quality, which he expresses in the last two chapters, about no longer being sure he is doing what he's meant to be doing on this planet. And it just brought me back to the odd journey I myself am going on {internally speaking as I haven't been on holiday in a few years} of total uncertainty about ... well everything. 

In the end, it seems Rayner found his answer.  Even when you turn your lustful hobby into a passionate career, you can suffer burn out.  It's only when you admit even on the worst days you still are willing to do it because it's such a natural part of you, that you're truly on the right track.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason when it happens to whom it happens to. And that books and other such media find you when you are ready to listen.  

I haven't the scope to compliment the actual food descriptions he has written about, only to say that this book is for reading with lunch.

Why do you cook?

Everyone has to eat.  But not everyone has to learn to cook.

I know there are a few Spudguns (my blog readers/fans), out there who read some of my other blogs, but for those who are just foodies and maybe stumbled upon this here blog,  I want to share.

For those who are loyal Spudguns you can just skip to the QandA part of the post which is ....Why did you decide to get into cooking? 

I've actually been trying to figure that out for myself. 
I think it just boils down to the fact I love to eat. And I love to create stuff.  If you've been reading my other internet stuff, then you know I'm sort of going through a Julie/Julia  stage right now.  Trying a few hobbies on for size and seeing what fits.  I keep coming back to cooking.

Sidenote* I finally got around to doing some form of review on the Jamie Oliver cookbook -Jamie's America -  a few of you have commented on the other site and you know where I'm headed here.  I'm not even going to bother linking it, as it was a disappointment.

And in other news... Looking extremely forward to Top Chef Canada! which is set to start airing next month on the Food Network Canada.  Hopefully they will post it online for TC junkies worldwide.

Mushroom Burgers

I've mentioned on here while ago about getting a few cookbooks for review.
One of the books happens to be 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know  by the editors at Glamour Magazine. 
I tried a variation of their mushroom burger. 

Meatless Monday Portobello Burger  as found on page 187

1 garlic clove
2 ounces roasted red peppers from jar drained
1/2 c mayo
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Four  4 inch diameter portobello caps
Four 1/4 inch thick slices red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 thick slices good Italian bread
4 loosely packed cups baby arugula

In blender puree garlic, red pepper, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, and cheese until smooth. Add 1/4 c olive oil until blended and thick   set aside.

Preheat broiler. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet side by side with onion. Brush top with rest of olive oil and use salt and pepper.
Broil for 10 minutes until tender and lightly charred in spots.

Lightly brush the bread slices on one side only with the rest of the olive oil, then broil, without turning, about 1 minute until lightly golden on the oiled sides.

Arrange the bread on work surface, top with the mushrooms, onion, arugula, spread the roasted red pepper sauce on the top slices of bread.

serves 4

My version:
Well, for me that's just too spicy.  I simply used the oil, mayo and mustard. 
I also had a flat style bun instead of the bread.

I also have to say, that our local store here packages the mushroom caps in twos.  At at $4.79 a package, this is not something I would be making too often.

Personally, I find that doing mushroom burgers are better on an outdoor grill during BBQ season.
I much prefer to do eggplant as a burger paddy replacement when doing veggie burger items on a stove.


 You can catch what else I had to say about the cookbook here on my book blog

My Thoughts on the Book....

Cleaving by Julie Powell.
I finished reading it last night.  And have posted it to my book club blog.  Which you can check out here 

Let me know what you think of it, if you read it or if you are going to read it.

I liked this book.  Not as much as the first one -Julie/Julia-  but I did like this book.

It surprised me on a few levels, one of which was the stark honesty of the butchery scenes and how the author translates those scenes into her emotions. Or I should say, how she translates and connects her emotions to the slicing of the meat.

The cook books arrived

About two months ago, I made a complaint about how I do reviews for 5 different publishers, but yet no one had sent me any cook books in the year and a half I'd been doing this.
Then I was given a chance to have a couple of cook books.  I was just glowing happy.  One, because I love cook books in general, and two, because it would give me a much needed break from the constant reading of regular books which leaves me with massive eyestrain and headaches after a few days.

I knew I was getting one of the Jamie Oliver books.  Double joy on this news.   The books were sent out the week of Christmas and only got here two days ago.  Yeah, it took over 3 weeks for the books to come from the U.S.A. over the border to Canada.  And let me tell you, they didn't have a happy journey as the packaging was half gone and the bottom of the books were bent in.

I'm a vegetarian, and over 80% of the books are meat dishes, so I took the books with me to mom's.  The plan is to next weekend, pick out a couple of recipes from each book, make them and see how they fair.   In the meantime, I have to finish reading another Jane Austen sequel that's due for Friday.

But, I'm going by the reaction mom had to the two cook books in question, that the Jamie Oliver book won't be as much a hit.  Which is sad cause we're both big fans of his other works.

New Year, New Food Challenges

Last year, I had promised a few recipes that I just never got around to. (nor did I ever end up finishing reading that book Cleaving by Julie Powell, but I will...)

I've become addicted to Top Chef  in the past month, and there was one particular challenge that they had to do.  The Vending Machine challenge.
The chefs had to make a fabulous meal with only what they could find in a vending machine and gas station corner store.  (actually it was two challenges)
I posted on my main blog  the other week about it.  I'm very much thinking about trying to do this challenge. 

I'm not giving a date on this, just sometime in the up coming year. 

With the ice rink that this city had become and will stay covered in until March, I won't be getting out much at all.  Which will be leaving grocery shopping in general pretty slim.  It's a good thing I still have that 1kg of Silly Circles cereal Eh?.... I also have a storage bin of ramen noodles.  The trick is figuring out how to make those things interesting.   Just not together.  No, that would be bad.

Okay my Spudguns, has anyone else become addicted enough to the Top Chef shows, to actually try any of their challenges at home?

My Life in France- by Julia Child

I bought this book last November. Every time I picked it up to read it, I was overloaded with books for review (I have a whopping 8 to still review before the first of December!)  I finally decided to just add it to my book club list and spent the last week reading it (when I should have been reading books for review)

My book club will be meeting on the weekend, but I thought I would talk about it a bit here now. While it's fresh in my mind.

I understand why they decided to make this into a movie, her life was just amazing in every turn.  Though I did think she spent too much time on the first half of things and not enough on the later half of her cooking life, (but it was about her start in cooking so it makes perfect sense)

From her friendship/partnership with Simone Beck, to her partnership with her husband, their research and dedication to creating the perfect cookbook took them close to 12 years. The ups and downs of such a project would be more then I think I could handle. 

Almost every page is a listed with menu items that she adored. I can not tell you how many times in the last week that I got it into my head I wanted something from the pages (to the point I invaded my mom's kitchen two days ago and made a creamed potato soup from scratch)
Those of us who do not speak french it did get bogged down at times when she would list off recipes without a translation.  I can also see why with her energetic flavour for things when she describes the recipes; she inspired so many to become cooks.  I found myself scrambling online for episodes of her show to see a few of the recipes first hand.

I, as you can see from the photo,  have the movie tie in version, that does not have the photos and extra indexes that the original printing is suppose to contain. 

I am now on the hunt for a copies of her cookbooks. 

Saturday... what's for supper?

Well, it was suppose to be a meatless meatloaf (soy product replacement)  but I don't have any ketchup. 
I bought it, when I was out with mom, helped her carry her bags home, and left it and a few other things at her place. 
Seriously, I believe my brain would fall out of my skull if my ears were any bigger. 
It would have been nice to get some photos up on here again, as I haven't added any as of late.

Still haven't finished reading Cleaving.  I should have had that book done in under three days, but I can't tell you what's been wrong with me lately.  I just can't seem to get into reading at the moment. 
Between the doctors appointments I've had this week and general housework, the only blogging I've done has been my wrestling stuff. 

I'm going to have to start scheduling when I work on each blog.   
Okay, so the update is this,   I messed up on the planning for supper (which was to be the big blog post this week for here) and am still only on chapter 8 of Cleaving.

Tomorrow the meatless meatloaf success or fail with photos.  No excuses.

Brutal Erotic

Not what you are thinking.

I'm reading Cleaving a Story of Marriage Meat and Obsession by Julie Powell, and it's well, not what I was expecting.

I knew as a vegetarian, I would find it a hard read as it is about her time as a butcher's assistant. I was prepared for that, for the blood and guts of it.
I wasn't prepared for how she makes it sound more poetic and sensual then just tearing steaks from the bone.

I'm only three chapters into it at this point, but it's one I am having to say will make you think about your place in life. I'll have a review in a few days when I'm done reading it.

The Herbal Tarot by Michael Tierra and Candis Cantin

Photo by Kimberly Hulst

I came across this deck few years ago. I have to say, I rarely used it till now.
The interpretation of each card matched up with the many different herb/spice is both inspiring and clever.
Though I have been trying to track down a larger copy of the instruction book, as the print is so tiny it makes reading the various herb uses difficult.
This deck uses the popular Rider-Waite deck as it's main model, which is the most widely recognizable tarot deck out there.
The choice of herb/spice with each card is based on the combination of medical use for the herb, folklore and astrology match up.

This is a treat for collectors, and a great way to learn what herb/spice is each used for.

Julie/Julia -Review (book)

Here is what I wrote on this book back on Aug 4th 2009 on my book blog

I picked this up Sunday night, and did not stop reading until just after 1 am this morning.

This is a semi-autobiography about a woman going through a life crisis. She's been told she may never have kids, she is unsatisfied in her job, and she just moved. She is coming unglued and finds the only thing that is keeping her together is cooking.

Julie Powell became an internet hit when it was still a new idea to blog. It ended up changing her life. What she blogged about was the year long challenge she set for herself to cook all the recipes in the first volume of Julia Childs most impressive book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This earned Powell her first book deal and a new chance to find herself.

Her second book is due this winter and I am looking forward to seeing what she has to offer this time around.


I still love this book. There is something inspirational in her story. Something raw. I have read pieces of her blog since, and can see why she had the following of blog readers (bleeders as she calls them in her book) she does not sugarcoat anything when she writes. I admire that.
Julie Powell is the Queen Bean of food blogs, hands down. There would not be a large a following of food blogs if it was not for her.

Not going to lie, it was that book that sprang me into this blog. Like so many others who read it. Mind you, I was already blogging on other topics before reading it, but this was what made me say "hey I cook too".

When you can connect to a story, either fiction or non-fiction, is when you know you hold something on the cusp of greatness. I have been known to ask "why food?" why do we as a society do so much around food? This book can answer that.
Witty, touching, brilliant.

She started the movement of foodie bloggers and I for one am glad.

I still have to get her second book Cleaving Marriage Meat Obsession.

365 Ways To Cook Hamburger

I will not lie to you, for about 12 years this was one of my main cook books.
I was going through a stack of stuff to be packed into storage, and came across this book. Little dusty, little worn but still useful.
So, let's see how many recipes I can successfully take and turn into vegetarian versions?
I know the meat replacement (soy product Ground Round) is usable for so many dishes, but there are some it just does not work in.
There are about 30 meatloaf recipes in this book alone. I am sure there is a few that will work with the soy product replacement.

Okay, so keep coming back to the blog, I will have be getting started on things soon.

Coming soon

I have a slow cooker. I kind of forgot I even had it. The insurance company got it for me back after the car accident, I maybe used it once.

I have to do another version of the mock seal flipper pie still, and mom pointed out I still have not tried a version of Jig's Dinner.
So they are on the menu at some point in the next few weeks.

After that, I will try a few slow cooker recipes.

The reason this blog has gotten sort of left behind (it's not the only one my book blog and my vampire movie blog has too) is
A) I've been working on my novel. I've been working now for the last two weeks with my editor on the first draft.

B) BlindTag.com is starting to take off nicely. We've gotten a bunch of new readers and now with the move of TNA Impact to Mondays it's going to be bumpy.

C) my health has been bad.

D) I've been fairly broke.

Just don't give up on me yet.

Book Giveaway

Bit of a cheat as it has nothing to do with food, but I am still part of the book giveaway for Catherine Mckenzie's Spin.
The giveaway is being held on my book blog http://pushersink.blogspot.com Until March 1st
So if you are in Canada and would like a copy head over to that blog and leave a comment.

But what do you want to do?

Originally posted on my other blog Andrew and the Aluminumsidings on Dec 8th 2009

Julie and Julia came out on dvd today. I had to rent it. I saw it back in the cinema this summer, and read the original book by Julie Powell, and am half way through the book My Life in France by Julia Childs.

I was suppose to be reading the next book for review from Harper Collins Canada, but I just did not feel like it today.
What I did do, was rent the movie and decide I wanted to spend the day cooking. I haven't been really serious about food in 10 years. Before I became a vegetarian I used to cook every night of the week. Roasted chicken with cous-cous and peppers in a yogurt sauce. Meatloaf with scalloped potatoes and green beans. Casseroles with home made tea biscuits. You get the idea.
I was good at it too. Not great, but no one ever starved. I can even make Fish and Brews. Not that I ever liked seafood. Hate it actually, even more so since becoming vegetarian 9 years ago.

Anyway, today I made a Hashbrown casserole, and a potato/asparagus cream soup. Still have to make the stock for the vegetable soup.

So there is one burning question in the movie that both characters face "what do you want to do?" Cooking ends up being the answer one gives and does it by doing a cook book and Writing is the answer the other gives, and does it by cooking then blogging it.
Cooking and Writing.

Hmmm. So while I was mixing up the casserole, I was letting my mind drift to that question. I want to write. But other then that, I want to paint, make videos, edit movies, basically just create. Which I do now.
So if I am doing what I want then why do I still feel like a bucket of dren? Then I thought maybe I picked the wrong role model?
I have been framing my life after Dorothy Parker. And I realized from what I have managed to learn of her, she had 2 failed marriages and a failed love affair. Great mind, fabulous skills as far as being a literary genius, but not really good at the domestic side.

So what is it that I want to do that I am not doing? To be useful, to be needed, to be someone's wife.
Am I going to find my purpose through cooking? Maybe who knows, but at the moment it's a great form of meditation. You tend to stop thinking of the stress in your life and focus for the few minutes it takes to chop an onion or mix a batter ,on the moment.

I think the one Yule gift I am going to buy myself this year is Julie Powell's second book Cleaving A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession. It came out last week. That and I am really coveting a new spice rack. The steel kind with the two shelves that spins and hold 40 spice bottles.