nessa

Yeah. I'm obsessed with food. Luckily for me, My SO is exceedingly indulgent. I'm smart enough to know better than to try and drag him on my shopping escapades. Its a his thing/my thing thing. I go shop at 15 different little ethnic stores, he stays home and mans the computer. I don't henpeck him about his obsession, he doesnt rile me about mine. He doesn't try and make me partake of his, and vice versa. We both reap the benifits. He is picky to a certain degree yet still adventursome. He likes different ethnic foods, with some boundaries. I'm free to shop to my heart's content so long as I dont ask him to come along, and so long as theres dinner on the table later. Most of my friends are also foodies so it seems the norm, rather than the exception. I do understand that my.... obsession could have and likely does have ramifications on my health. I'm trying to find that ever-so-elusive balance. It, like me, is a work in progress.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE pepper jelly. I always have. I got my first taste at the mall one day during grade school. New Caanan Farms used to set up shop during the holidays and give out tastes. It was crack. I've had to have it ever since. The hotter, the better. My current favorite is from a brand called Austin Slow Burn. Its their Habanero-Rosemary jelly. I'm pondering learning to make jelly so that I can make my own habanero-rosemary concotion. If only my habaneros would bloom. Another thing that I adore is candied jalepenos. Some local guy makes them and calls them something like sweet heat. It is indeed. I'm hardpressed to find something better to put in my mouth besides some good pepper jelly slathered over fresh, hot-out-of-the-oven sourdough thats dripping in fresh butter.

My SO won't stop asking for Jaymes' carnitas. Coming from him, thats seriously high praise indeed. I don't think my waistline can handle another batch anytime soon though. I have no willpower when it comes to those lovely, tender, juicy, flavor packed nuggets from heaven. Such is the way of life, eh? Thats why they have gyms. Now if I only went........

Oh, about 3 dozen eggplant pakoras...... Some masoor dal, saffron rice, and aloo gobi mattar. Surprisingly enough, the pakoras defrost and reheat rather well. Not nearly as good as freshly fried, but still good enough to snack on with some pickles and yogurt. I'm getting a hankerin' for some parippu vada. They freeze well and defrost beautifully, so are ideal for big batches. Coming soon to a freezer near me.

All I have are a nasty gas grill and a smoker. Maybe I'll smoke it for a few minutes then throw it on the grill? I don't want it overly smokey. I have to convince the SO that we either need a new grill, or that we need to build a yard pit...... wish me luck. I'm interested in ANY recipe you want to post! Thanks so much for the help, I'll get started on this ASAP!

Elie, heck yeah I want a recipe/explaination/any info you care to impart. I made it once and was rather dissapointed. It just lacked. This recipe I had Sat. night had smoked eggplant as the base, not just roasted. I've got a smoker so its on the menu just as soon as I come up with a recipe and method. I'm thinking of adding a little tahini, garlic and lemon. Am I even close to the mark? I'm going to make your recipe for fatteh, since thats what inspired me to order it in the first place. I LOOOOOOOOVE me some chickpeas. And while I've got your attention... what kind of rice is most commonly used in Lebanese cooking? The two Lebanese restaurants that I've been to so far served rice that I didn't like. I don't know if it was the method, or if it was the type of rice. But to me its like some kind of parboiled rice. It reminds me of that nasty rice you cook in a bag or that comes in frozen dinners. Thanks ever so much for your help!

Coffee and pretty much nothing else. Though, I'm *sure* I could be convinced to consider a good chocolate mousse.....

I had fatteh at Al Amir's in Dallas last night. The menu described it as being chickpeas and tahini sauce over a bed of crispy pita. I had the option of adding chicken or beef. I chose chicken. What I got was a little dissapointing. Nowhere in their description did they mention rice. What I got was a bunch of rice with a barely discernable sauce, with crispy pita, and topped with chicken. No chickpeas to be found anywhere. I asked the waitress about it and she said they were "in the sauce". It tasted good, but it wasn't what I was expecting so I was dissapointed. I was expecting a lot of chickpeas The rice was just ok. The baba ganoush that I got to go with it was absolutely freakin' outstanding. Now I'm on a quest to make fatteh and smokey baba ganoush.

I have okra envy . I am now compelled to forage for okra tomorrow.

There are some poor slobs, like myself, who don't have a pressure cooker. The concept is so totally foriegn and even scarey. Channa and the like slow-cook just fine and dandy . I *am* going to get a pressure cooker soon, however. Right after I re-read that whole pressure cooker thread. I'm still at work, so I tuned in to have 3 whole pages of Mongo-blogging glory. Chin up, Mongo. Your blog is so delightfully unique and it makes me smile and chuckle as my own energy is flagging. Final pictures are great, anything else is just gravy.

I have a stuffed red chili pickle that smells like heaven and tastes almost as good. I also have a lime pickle and a green chili pickle. I have yet to actually try them. I yearn for this green mango pickle that I used to get at a restaurant in Chicago. I am not at all well versed in pickles or chutneys so thats an area that I'm trying to experiment with. I'm not ready to make them myself so I'm open to folks suggesting brands and types for me to try.

Pick Mongo, pick Mongo!!!

Chicken, mayo, curry powder, green seedless grapes, chopped slivered almonds A touch of sugar can be added as well. Even my sweety who doesn't like "curry" can't get enough of this.

MMMMmmmmmmm. Biscuits!!!! Good ones are hard to beat. As for lunch... I'm a scarf it down whenever I'm hungry and get back to work so I can leave early kind of gal.

Mongo, is this what you are looking for? Biscuits Let me know. I'll look here at our Taj imports, and If I find any, I'll send them your way. No man should be without his favorite tea-dipping biscuit!

Muchas Gracias!

Might I suggest tossing in an offering of fresh fish before you cross the threshold?

:blush:

oh yaaa A good thing? It was so good it was almost X rated. Must... have... more....mango!

I was in our finest local grocery the other day. They had mangos on sale. I had tried one years ago and found it rather vile. Hairy, tasteless, weird, nasty. But I loved mango ice cream and mango candy. I recalled the passion that Mongo and Vikram had when talking about mangos, so I decided to give them one more try. I bought a very large Marathon Mango from Mexico. It seemed to be perfectly ripe, so I took it with me to work the next day. I forgot it at work over the weekend. When I got in this morning, I looked at it in the fridge and thought that it was probably very overripe at this point and considered chunking it. I just had it for lunch. If anything quite so divine has ever passed my lips, other than really good chocolate mousse, I'm not aware of it. I did manage to take dainty bites. I did not dribble juice down my chin, but I did get my hands all sticky. I gnawed (daintily mind you) every square inch of skin free of any meat. I sucked the seed like it was my last meal. If it were, I'd die happy. It was cold, and juicy, sweet, creamy, smooth, perfection. I'm afraid to have another one. What if it isnt as good? I want to go buy a bushel and just wallow in their glory. Maybe I need to make some mango sorbet or icecream so that when they aren't in season, I can still indulge. And you say that Indian varities are even better? I might expire were I to test that theory. Assuming I could get ahold of said contraband, that is.

Well sure! You're so worried about your mouth going up in flames, you don't percieve other pain Just kidding. Seriously though, I've heard capsaicin works well as a pain releiver. Here's a blurb I found at Click here "Capsaicin is the purified extracted alkaloid from red chilli peppers (capsicums). This is the substance that makes chilli peppers hot. The purified form capsaicin has been found to relieve pain by reducing substance P, which is found at nerve endings and is involved in transmitting neuralgic and arthritic pain signals to the brain. Pain relief is not instantaneous after application as it is the cumulative depletion of substance P over a period of weeks that brings the full effect." Sounds plausible. This might be more reputable a source, however click here Neat-o!! Pass the tabasco, please.

I was reading back over the blog and I missed this! Sorry foodie! I don't guess I have a favorite, since I drink rarely. I got the cheapest I could find since it was destined to be carnita marinade. It was $13 for a liter. I did get to sample some Anejo something or other at the store, and it was so smooth and delicious that if pressed, THAT is my fav. A bargain at 40 dollars a bottle. One of these days, hopefully soon, I'm going to actually stock our nonexistant bar and get some quality stuff :) Scotch first, though.

adoxograph, your blog is gonna rock. Already does, as far as I'm concerned. Chai has a special place in my heart . I always cringe to see one blog compared to another. I think that each one is so unique and so educational that they totally stand alone. I just love getting to view a slice of someone else's life! Blogging should be fun, not make you feel pressured. Granted its a hellova lotta work, so theres always the pressure to get stuff posted Thank GAWD you get to tag someone at the end of the week. Tee hee. Anyway, since I just moved to Dallas from Chicago, it will be a wonderful way for me to pretend like I'm taking a vacation back up north. Especially as the dog days set in . I do so miss my view of the lake But I don't miss the commute! I hope you have just a splendidly fun time this week!

In general, I've heard an hour per pound. Last week I smoked a 9-10 lb brisket for about 7 hours. It was certainly *done* but not fork tender, and to me, brisket should melt in your mouth and fall apart when gently teased. So I put it in the oven at 350 for another 3 hours, and it was just perfect. So, it did turn out to be about an hour per pound.

Pardon me while I bathe in the compliments and soak up the glory. I hear its good for the skin Seriously, thank you phaelon! Dallas has a lot to offer, especially if you know where to look!