eG Foodblog: Lindacakes - EIK PREWAR

[Lindacakes]

Thank you, sincerely, for the vegetable cookbook tips. I am always looking for those perfect, perfectly easy veggie dishes.

Tommy the Vegetable Guy? Wow. That's astounding. When I was a kid, we had potato chips delivered to the door! The Charles Chip van would come round and fill up your tin. We had a milk delivery in those metal boxes you are talking about, you leave a slip in there and check off what you want and the milkman leaves it. We also had dry cleaning delivered.

When I first moved into this neighborhood, 12 years ago, there was a knife grinder who would go down the street, really slow, and toot his musical horn. You could go out and have your knives sharpened. I haven't seen him for about ten years.

The vegetable box is kindly taken in by my landlord most of the time. The guy rings the bell, and leaves it with the landlord and sometimes the guy who lives next door. I still don't know what happened, it is one of the drawbacks of the delivery. Sometimes this happens, sometimes you get bad produce. Bugs in the broccoli, mealy oranges, things like that. But mostly it works. It's not for people who have to have absolute control.

[Lindacakes]

Good Friday. Indian Food.

My mother always served a salmon loaf on Good Friday. Which was kind of odd, because we weren’t supposed to eat meat and yet, when she opened the can of salmon, there it was: a spinal cord. Oddly enough, in the last six months or so I got a huge hankering for a salmon loaf (life is very, very strange) and I made one. There’s a recipe in the Joy of Cooking. And I enjoyed it.

So, I am thinking, what can I eat that is meatless that would be sort of fun for you to watch me eat and I think, well, Indian food. And then I think, oh, boy, would I like to have some paneer pasanda. This is my favorite Indian dish. The taste of this dish is like music to me. So, I decide that we need to go out to Jackson Heights, where there is a large Indian population, and we need to go to the Jackson Diner.

Now, those of you who are watching who know New York might be thinking, “Heh, Jackson Diner! Idiot! That’s overdone. There’s better Indian food in Jackson Heights”. And you know, you are right, and usually I go to those places, too. But when I want paneer pasanda, I go to the Jackson Diner. If you know where I can get better, PM me, operators are standing by.

On the street that the Jackson Diner is on, there are quite a few sari shops. They have really funny manikins because the manikins are Caucasian and Caucasian manikins look pretty ridiculous in Indian clothing.

This is the Jackson Diner. I’m starving and I can’t wait.

The Jackson Diner has these really fun water pitchers on the tables. They come in green and pink, and they have embossed fruit on the side. You can order really hot food and drink the whole pitcher and even ask for more.

This is the goddess of Indian dishes, the pinnacle of spice, the gravy of the gods, paneer pasanda.

Lynn has ordered chicken tikka, and we have some rice and onion kulcha. We load up our plates. This is my plate.

OH MY GOD!!! I came out here to have a vegetarian meal, I ordered a cheese dish, I put a piece of Lynn’s chicken on my plate, cut it and put a piece in my mouth. MEAT!!! I immediately spit it out. I am mortified. Which is really odd, because I was raised Protestant and I do not practice an organized religion in my adult life. And yet, I feel the repercussive horror.

At least, my mom didn’t see. She doesn’t have a computer.

The meal was extremely satisfying, absolutely delicious and made me very, very happy. We ended the meal sharing this wonderful rice pudding. It has raisins plumped from being in the ricey milk and cashews in it.

[Lindacakes]

Pancake Feed.

Saturday morning. Ah, the deliciousness of it all. A deliciousness which can only be improved with the addition of pancakes. Really good pancakes.

I have several pancake recipes that I keep in regular rotation –

One that is classic, like mom used to make (from Bisquick), which I like with bananas.

One that is rich and precious.

One that includes cornmeal and corn kernels.

All of them have to have buttermilk.

Let’s try something new.

I’ve been wanting to make a recipe that was included in the Saveur Top 100 issue, which came out, I think, last month, just before the butter issue (!). These were from a particular restaurant called Robie’s.

This is the bowl of batter – it’s quite thick and puffy.

Pancakes in the cast iron skillet. Because the batter is so thick and puffy, you can’t pour these round.

The finished beauties. The recipe makes twelve. They’re thick, and fluffy and very tasty. I would make these again, and put less sugar in the batter. The sugar tips them a little closer to the cakey type pancake. I’m a classicist. Butter and maple syrup, Grade B.

Mr. E. is a big fan of pancakes.

Robie’s Buttermilk Flapjacks

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

Whisk together in a large bowl and set aside.

2 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 beaten eggs

Whisk together in a medium bowl.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture.

Whisk until just combined.

Allow to set at least ten minutes.

Heat an 8 inch skillet over medium heat.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and heat until the butter’s foam subsides.

Ladle in 1/2 cup batter.

Cook, turning once until deep golden brown on both sides.

Transfer to a large plate and keep warm.

Repeat to make 8 flapjacks.

Serve hot with maple syrup.

[Lindacakes]

In Which the Sink is Used for Alternative Purposes.

Ernie likes to have a bath on Saturday mornings. He’d probably like to have one on other mornings, but I like to make sure he’s completely dry before I leave the house, which I don’t have time to do on a weekday. I give him a bath in the sink, although he has come into the shower with me.

Birds like ritual, like kids, and his bath is always the same. He stands on the T-stand and gets used to it, I position the water so that it will run down his back, he offers his feet, which I rub under the water to remove any sticky fruit, when he’s done he gets toweled off, and held for a few minutes, then released into his cage where I’ve placed a space heater focused on his perch.

[petite tête de chou]

I adore your bird! Truly, some of the best pet pictures I've seen in a food blog.

What does that gravy taste like? Is it like a curry-type gravy?

Edited March 23, 2008 by petite tête de chou (log)

[tsquare]

I am completely astounded you can have vegetables delivered to your door I have honestly never heard of that ..wow!!! Vegetable boxes delivered ..never heard of such a thing

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You must be in the sticks - lots of CSA's in the area that deliver. Oh, I guess most you have to go pick up at a common drop off site. Are you out of Pioneer Organics delivery range? They are merging with SPUD. There is New Roots too.

[davidthomas8779]

I guess this year some of the cookies got different names, due to different bakers is what I was able to find out.  Here's what I ended up with:

Samoa's were called Caramel Delights

All Abouts were called Thank Yous

Do Si dos were called Peanut Butter Sandwiches or something like that.

Tagalongs also had a new name, it's escaping my mind right now. 

Luckily, thin mints stayed thin mints.

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The naming split is essentially an Eastern US v. Western US think. The left names are the eastern and the right is the west.

[hummingbirdkiss]

"You must be in the sticks - lots of CSA's in the area that deliver. Oh, I guess most you have to go pick up at a common drop off site. Are you out of Pioneer Organics delivery range? They are merging with SPUD. There is New Roots too."

Happy Easter! or as my husband says "Happy Pagan Egg and Bunny day!"

Nope not at LOL but I dont live in Seattle either!... I am right between Tacoma and Olympia ...maybe I just missed this somehow! I have honestly never heard of it ...

I dont need it myself but I can think of a few folks who would love this kind of thing

Linda Ernie is beyond adorable ...

and the really white plastic anglo's in Indian Clothing ...completely hysterical

thanks for sharing!

I have everything and could actually make those pancakes this morning ..except the grade B ..how did that happen

Edited March 23, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[MarketStEl]

Okay, Linda, here's one more Philadelphian you need to look up the next time you drive down to catch a blockbuster exhibit at the PMA. Here you were, tromping through my stomping grounds, and you didn't even say hello! Look me up when you're next in town and I'll show you a wonderful cafe at the 9th Street market's south end that's a little piece of the French Riviera plopped down in South Philly. As I trust you've picked up from Mr. Moore, Ms. Loeb and my own foodblogs, this is a great city for food lovers. As the editor of Food & Wine discovered, the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

However: I gotta complain about your fellow New Yorkers coming down here in search of bargains and driving up the house prices to crazy expensive levels.

It's not clear to me whether you have forsworn all meat or only certain types. The ground beef I understand, but if others, on what grounds, and if not all meat, why not all meat? (FTR, I remain a carnivore but toss in tofu every now and then.)

Loved the Girl Scout Cookie tasting! It was interesting -- and amusing -- to read an educated palate concerning baked goods pass judgment on these all-American staples.

BTW, I think the differing names for the same cookies emerged when Burry Baking Company (now part of French biscuit maker Lefevre-Utile [LU]) lost the exclusive nationwide contract to produce cookies for the Girl Scouts. There are IIRC three different companies now that can bake Girl Scout Cookies, and while all produce Thin Mints and the shortbread and peanut butter cookies, I think there are some varieties that are baked by one or two of the bakers but not by the others.

Historical trivia: The Girl Scouts' annual cookie sale originated in Philadelphia in the 1930s. There's a state historical marker somewhere in Center City (I want to say near the Municipal Services Building across from City Hall but am not sure) commemorating the first cookie sale.

Finally: Where are the fridges? Did I miss them as I scanned the pictures?

[BarbaraY]

I so envy you having decent Indian places to eat at. We recently had an Indian Restaurant open in our small town. My daughter and I tried it and were disappointed, strangest Butter Chicken I've ever had. I've had better tasting food at the food court near Oakland.

As to the mannequins, I'm a great fan of Salwar suits and have seven of them. I do get some odd looks at times but they're comfortable. Not as revealing as those shown above.

My favorite sari shop in Berkeley has mannequins with really big plastic hair.

[Lindacakes]

Petite Tete de Chou --

I don't know how to begin to describe what paneer pasanda tastes like . . . it's thick and creamy, hot, and then with an indescribable spice mix.

Oddly, I never tried to crack this code before. Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking doesn't have anything. Below I compare two recipes -- items in green are items that are identical in the recipes. Items in black are where they differ.

It's sort of sad to have the magic revealed, but when you see the mix you can see how it is impossible to describe the taste. The one I'm liking has the cashew nuts and definitely the tomatoes, and definitely cream. I would not have identified the cashew nut flavor on my own, but it makes perfect sense to me that this taste drives me wild. I love peanut butter enough not to be able to have it in the house.

Indian Food Forever has a recipe -- click.

Paneer is cottage cheese, but a very firm curd.

This is the rest of the ingredients:

onion

tomato

ginger

green chili

cream

curd

butter

red chili powder

turmeric

dried pudina Leaves

garam masala

milk

Flavors of India has a slightly different recipe -- click.

chopped cashew nuts

cornflour

bay leaf

chopped green chilli

garlic paste

ginger paste

red chilli powder

onion paste

cashewnut paste

tomato puree

green cardamon powder

cream

oil

salt

garam masala:

black cardamom

green cardamom

cinnamon

cloves

mace

peppercorns

Edited March 23, 2008 by Lindacakes (log)

[Lindacakes]

Market Street El --

Well, shucks. Next time I'm in Philadelphia, I'll send a warning. That's very kind of you.

Interestingly, this topic of vegetarianism was discussed over lunch at Lord & Taylor (department store, I kind of like lunching in department stores and museums . . . but only when I'm there to shop or gawk -- still it's a little pocket of foodity, isn't it?) yesterday. Lynn ordered the BLT, I had a spinach, mushroom and cheese whole wheat wrap with sweet potato fries. And I brought up the thread from eGullet on which food it was that you left the vegetarian wagon for. Most folks say bacon.

Lynn and I both have been vegetarians in our youth. It was me who tempted her off the wagon with a hot dog in the Museum of Natural History museum cafe.

What we decided was that Americans are raised to be meat-centric, at least, we were growing up in Ohio in the 60's. And when you go to college, this is the first time you get acquainted with a lot of ideas you didn't get at home, and vegetarianism is one of them. You learn that the act of eating is a political issue. And you exercise your right to rebel, and to voice your political opinion through your food choices. And in the process of being a vegetarian in the years that follow, you rethink how to eat. So that when the strip of bacon flirts with you, and you leave your lover Tofu behind, you are a changed person.

And you don't eat meat the way you used to.

This is me.

I eat meat, but it isn't the centerpiece of a meal for me. I like turkey and lamb the most. Lately I've been playing with roast pork and pork in all its forms. I'm suspicious of beef, though, as I had a brush with E. Coli and learned something about it. Lynn's cousin died of an E. Coli infection, so it's real to me. And more than that, I do believe that there is mad cow disease in our meat supply. Not in a real paranoic way, but in a realistic sense. There's a huge not-so-clean and powerful beef industry in America.

I don't buy a lot of meat and either buy what goes as "organic" (better food and living conditions for the animals) or buy directly from the butcher. I like buying from the butcher the best, as it is a pleasant cultural experience. I like big beefy butchers and the repartee over the meat counter.

Note in the picture of the meat market on Ninth Street, there are spring lambs in the window.

[Lindacakes]

Pudina leaves, we find out, are mint leaves!

[Lindacakes]

The Refrigerator Door is Opened.

The folks who posted comments on the existence of other two-kitchen situations made me think about two kitchens as a class and culture issue. And made me remember that the Italian ladies in my family all have two kitchens, which amazed me.

We’re using the word kitchen loosely here, but my grandmother, even when she lived in an old folks apartment complex, had a “fruit cellar” in which extra food was kept. I don’t know who was going to eat it, and she no longer had the fruit trees or tomato plants that led to the canning, but she used her walk-in closet to store the same items that she once stored in the basement. Huge cans of flour, preserves, boxes of ancient cookies, the pizzelle iron. Her two daughters also had the same set up – but more. Coffin-like deep freezes. Huge sinks. Storage of canned and preserved foods. Big family get-together meals were actually served in the basement, which could hold several long folding tables.

There are two reasons why I particularly like having the two kitchens. One is storage for dishes. I like to buy dishes and after I do, I have to have somewhere to put them. Having additional cupboard space helps, and later, there’s eBay. But the best part is the opportunity to have two fridges. New York apartment fridges are small. I’ve always had a problem with freezer space, and one year I had to cook a turkey, carve it, and freeze the meat before Thanksgiving because I had no room for a turkey.

The savory fridge holds all the vegetables, and food that is in use like milk and yogurt and cans of coffee. Cheese is kept there, in a basket. There’s a little basket for Ernie’s foods – kiwi, apples, sweet potatoes. Everyday condiments are on the door. If you squint, you can see Penzey's Foxpoint and this chicken paste product I'm fond of from Penzey's. That miniature milk jug is the buttermilk.

The freezer has a couple of homemade soups, some chicken breasts, some stock. Those little boxes are frozen herbs -- shallots and parsley. I always forget to use them. I wouldn't buy that again. On the door there's bags of extra spices, peppercorns. Cubes of homemade chili colorado. Normally I have a lot of frozen food, but as winter is over, we're trying to clean out the old to bring in the new.

The sweet fridge holds overflow food. Note that the vegetable keeper is empty. The eggs must have been out when I took these, I notice I have no eggs in the fridge. Normally there's two dozen. For two people. On the door you'll see the jelly -- right now there's candied ginger jelly and rose petal jelly.

Once, when I was a kid, my mother made rose petal jelly from roses in our garden. I've never forgotten that and whenever I see rose petal jelly, I buy a jar. None of it tastes anything like hers did, but the one that's there now is the closest I've come. It's not pleasant enough to spread on toast, so every once in a while I melt a tablespoon of it in a cup of hot water and make a tea.

In the freezer, there's ice and an ice cream maker. Avocado from Costco. Containers of leaf lard. A bag of grits. On the door are my baking items. Yeast, nuts, cherries, persimmons, a frozen pie crust. Some chili peppers, which are not for baking.

[mukki]

Love the story and pictures of Ernie's bath time. Particularly the part about him offering up his feet to be cleaned by you!

It looks like you keep your vinegar (& molasses) in the fridge. I've never seen this before. Any particular reason you do so?

[Lindacakes]

Good question.

Answer: I don't know. I realize you don't have to, for both. I don't even think my mom did. I was conscious of putting the molasses in the fridge and I usually don't and I'm not sure why I did, except that I use it very infrequently.

That's an interesting topic, food in fridge and food not in fridge. My grandmother used to put weird things in the fridge. Chocolate, for one.

I lived for a whole year without a fridge and used to keep butter. I ate a lot of instant mashed potatoes back then, I was too busy being young to cook. I kept milk outside on the windowsill in the winter.

I suppose I should take those out of the fridge. I actually have more fridge space than cupboard space, though . . .

[Abra]

Ernie is way too cute! But instead, I want to talk about black cake. I started my fruits about a year ago, so they'd be ready for last Christmas. But by last Christmas I'd moved to France for a while, so I gave one big jar to Chefpeon to try out, and saved one big jar for when I get home. So it'll be almost two years old by the time I finally bake with it. Do you think it will still be good? Better than ever?

[Lindacakes]

The Cheese Plate.

Saturday night. Time to relax. We’ve rented some old episodes of Prime Suspect. We have supplies for a cheese plate that we bought in Philadelphia. A bottle of Prosecco is opened.

I love me a good cheese plate. I love to make cheese plates. I love to go to wine and cheese tastings. What did we do before the invention of the cheese plate? Never mind, I know, we unwrapped a cube of Laughing Cow.

I’m going to order some more of the candied orange peel from Market Hall. That was excellent, and although I’ve never had candied orange peel on a cheese plate, I understand that it is delicious.

This is the prosecco. A very nice one. I discovered this during one of those Astor Place wine tastings. This was not a boon to the cheese plate offerings. But it was tasty on its own.

This is the cheese plate. A bite of fig and a bite of the St. Andre together was mind blowing. Really good. The gorgonzola stuffed olives were tasty, but I prefer my olives stuffed with a garlic clove.

The Prime Suspect was riveting. We stayed up until 3:30 to watch Part 2. Couldn’t help it. You can get this on NetFlix, I checked.

[Chris Hennes]

Our final cookie of the tasting is a Samoa.  What do you suppose that is?  If you said dictator, you are dating yourself.  If you said Indian pu pu, you’re still wrong.  It’s a shortbread cookie with caramel on top, shredded coconut and stripes of chocolate.  It is the only cookie which deviates from the round shape, and is pierced in the middle.  It also tastes like a--.

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NOOOO!!!!! Sorry to chime in on this so late... I haven't had a Samoa in years, but I have very fond memories of them growing up.

I love your bird, and I don't even generally like birds (unless they're called "poultry" ): Ernie's beautiful, though. Great blog, thanks...

[Lindacakes]

Easter Morning: The Bunny Stops By.

Sunday morning, Easter morning. And the sun is out. Very good. I’m in the mood for grits and eggs. This is a regular Sunday dish for me.

I get my grits from Falls Mill. I’ve always liked grits, since a college friend from South Carolina introduced me to them. But these are really gritty grits. Their corn meal is special, too.

Falls Mill

Naturally, Ernie relishes eggs. It is a bird’s first food, after all.

Loves grits, too.

After breakfast, the Easter Bunny stopped by and we had a little chat, and he dropped off this nice Italian Easter egg. This is a formal portrait of the chocolate egg. The Italians, just another thing they do really well, wrapping food. Try buying four cookies in Venice and see what you get. You’d think it was your birthday.

Someone upthread asked to see the binding presses. I think you would be really disappointed in my binding equipment, which is quite makeshift. I removed the clothing from the chocolate egg and posed it nude on the printing press instead.

This is the ceremonial opening of the Easter Egg:

Madonna mia! There’s something inside the egg!

Look what’s inside! A cunning little blue net bag with a silver heart charm and a cord to wear it around your neck with.

The E.B. tells me you can pick up one of these nice eggs at Market Hall.

[Lindacakes]

I think, Chris, that the taste of the cookies has gone downhill. I used to like them, too. Very processed. Not good.

Ernie, by the way, would be glad to chew the flesh web between your thumb and first finger any time you come near him . . .

[Chris Hennes]

I think, Chris, that the taste of the cookies has gone downhill.  I used to like them, too.  Very processed.  Not good.

Bummer. Glad I've been resisting the impulse when I walk by them...

Ernie, by the way, would be glad to chew the flesh web between your thumb and first finger any time you come near him . . . 

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[Lindacakes]

He's going to buy a used leather jacket from one of Hummingbirdkiss's bad birds.

You know it's a joke, but that's what he does when he wants attention. Chews that web of flesh.

I don't think it would hurt to try one cookie. They're only in season once a year.

[KatieLoeb]

Sorry to be getting back so late on this. Working late the last couple of nights...

What is that sandwich with what looks like a nice long, breaded and fried slice of eggplant, a cereal bowl of green spinachy looking stuff (chard?), some cheese, and etc.? The guy at the counter next to me had one of those and I was seriously jealous. I could not figure out what it was based on the menu.

I suspect that was a vegetarian sandwich or maybe an eggplant parmesan sandwich? Maybe you couldn't see the sauce? The eggplant and sauteed greens (they usually have spinach, broccoli rabe or both) at Shank's are really good. It also might have been something off-menu that customer had them put together for him. It's a shame they're closed today. Now I want one and would have gladly taken one for the team in the name of research and gone and solved this mystery definitively.

Ernie is far too cute and well behaved. Would that I could get my cats to climb into the tub for a bath once in a while. My dear departed dachshund Elvis used to jump right in for his bath, as he just loved it. Not so easy with the kitties. Ernie seems to have a lot of personality. Does he talk or make noise? Or is it only when he's hungry?

I'm loving your varied eatings throughout the week. Looking forward to the rest of the blog.

[Lindacakes]

The Main Drag in the Nabe.

These are some of the businesses in my neighborhood.

This is where they sell the bread made in the bakery below me. After 9/11, many businesses had supportive slogans on posters in their windows. In the window here, there was a sign that said, “We salute our heros who gave their lives at the World Trade Center. Try our new stuffed ravioli.”

This is the laundry mat where a guy once poured bleach in my washer by accident. He nearly gave birth to a cow while we waited for my clothes to come out. They were unharmed, and I wouldn’t have cared anyway. I never saw someone so socially mortified in all my life, except when Barbie Hall peed her pants in fourth grade.

I witnessed a knifing here once. I like their Sicilian pie, which I get delivered and then freeze the slices for a quick lunch.

Once upon a time my friend Jake and I, in a state of altered consciousness, stood outside a place like this and laughed at the poor ladies under the dryers so hard someone got up and closed the curtains.

This is where I get my prescriptions filled. Until the recent smoking ban in New York City, the people who work behind the cash register would smoke.

I used to buy a horseradish cheese here until the last time, when Lou sliced my cheese on the same slicer I’d just seen him slicing raw meat on.

Luckily, I haven't needed to shop here, but the sign painted on the side of the building is cool.