eG Foodblog: mizducky - The tightwad gourmand shapes up

[Kouign Aman]

kasha - DZ Akins?

they have a small mart.

Looks like we'll be eating vietnamese one day this weekend. Where would you recommend? (Im only familiar with some of the places on Mira Mesa Blvd. Convoy / El Cajon Blvd etc are much closer to home). Are the places you've visited in this blog your favorites? I'm looking at mmm-yoso's blog too.

[mizducky]

kasha - DZ Akins?

they have a small mart.

Looks like we'll be eating vietnamese one day this weekend. Where would you recommend? (Im only familiar with some of the places on Mira Mesa Blvd. Convoy / El Cajon Blvd etc are much closer to home). Are the places you've visited in this blog your favorites? I'm looking at mmm-yoso's blog too.

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Oh yeah! I forgot about DZ Akins. They're in such a funny little location, I have to remember to specifically head over there.

DZ Akins is a big rambling place that strives to be a New York style deli/kosher-"style" restaurant. It's a matter of some opinion as to how well they do. My personal opinion as an ex-pat New Yorker is that they're a decent substitute for when I'm feeling nostalgic for that kind of food, but they're not really quite in that league. But then, any restaurant of this sort, even the best New York ones, is also competing with my memories of how members of my family made some of these same dishes, and tends to suffer by comparison (I have yet to find anyplace anywhere that beats my maternal grandmother's blintzes--may her memory be for a blessing).

Re: Vietnamese restaurants: IMO you certainly can't go wrong with Saigon--I think it's my favorite so far. They have a very extensive menu--pho and boba are only a small part of it. I went for dinner there awhile back with a bunch of other folks (organized by Kirk/mmm-yoso), and we had a terrific meal, including a whole-fish dish and I don't even remember what-all else. But there are bunches of other Vietanmese places on El Cajon and elsewhere that I haven't even had a chance to visit yet--mmm-yoso's way ahead of me on that score.

[mizducky]

Once again, many thanks to everyone who has chimed in on the blog so far. Keep 'em coming, folks!

I'm off now for my day's rounds. See you later, with more photos about buildings and food ...

[racheld]

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Kitty Porn?

Oh, Randall, have I got a girl for you!!! She collects socks, buries her face in shoes til she has to struggle to shake them off, and thinks that feet are almost as good "Petters" as those at the end of arms.

I'm glad that you have such a fun little companion---we enjoy ours.

And all the groceries and restaurants!!! This is my kind of tour.

[mizducky]

And we're back. Well, almost. I have to go upload some photos, and then I'll tell you all about today's explorations.

[snowangel]

You mentioned roomate(s). How do they figure into your life, eating, and fridge/cupboard space?

What's for dinner?

[mizducky]

Whooops! Sorry folks, I hit "Submit" a little early--the complete full-length post is below.

Edited June 10, 2006 by mizducky (log)

[petite tête de chou]

Lestat? Like the vampire?

[mizducky]

Gliding like a big blue cloud

From Tomkins Square to Upper Broadway

Beyond the park to Sugar Hill

Stops a minute for a latte’

--Donald Fagen, "Morph the Cat," from the album of the same name (2006)

Today's wanderings could be titled "A Tale of Two Coffeehouse." Or "A Tale of Two (Or Three) Neighborhoods."

First stop: Normal Heights. Now, this community website helpfully explains that "Normal Heights was named for San Diego Normal School, a teacher's college that was the forerunner to San Diego State University." However, I am informed that some wags have done the inevitable and nicknamed it "Abnormal Heights." Nothing particularly weird about the place--in fact, it's a pretty charming neighborhood, with a cute business district given to antique shops and used bookstores, that hosts a number of terrific yearly street festivals. But then there is this decidedly funky establishment:

I go to LeStat's whenever I start feeling nostalgic for the scene along Broadway/Pike/Pine in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, as this coffeehouse has become a kind of clubhouse for folks of a goth/punk/boho persuasion. The espresso drinks are admittedly a little uneven--my latte today had kinda limp foam and kinda muddy espresso--but the vibe estabilshed by the clientele and thrift-store Edward Gorey decor is some of my kind o' fun:

Alas, the majority of their food menu is stuff I now only eat for splurges (basically scones and muffins), and they were already out of their soup of the day at 1:00pm (?!?), so after I finished up my appointment and latte here, I decided to move on to my next planned stop, to see if I would have better food-luck there.

Note: If I had wanted to linger on Adams Ave., I could have just headed over to the next block and Jyoti-Bihanga, a well-thought-of vegetarian restaurant run by devotees of Sri Chinmoy, but I really did want to have plenty of time to explore my next stop ... which was La Mesa Village.

La Mesa is a town at the east termini of University Ave. and El Cajon Blvd., just beyond the San Diego city limits, that has taken its downtown area and turned it into another cute-as-a-bug's ear little walking neighborhood full of antique shops and etc. They too have a bunch of community events throughout the year--I got to experience their fun Oktoberfest the other year when FXH's band performed there. And ... they also have a farmer's market on Friday afternoons which I had never checked out before, so now was my excuse to do so!

Oh yeah, and there's also a San Diego trolley stop that leaves you right in the heart of the action:

(Sandy, my bruthah, this one's for you. )

Alas, the cheap-and-healthy eats opportunities right on the main drag of this neighborhood seemed to be rather scarce, but fortunately I had scoped this establishment with some advance web research:

My second coffeehouse of the day! Only right now I was craving food, not coffee (because of my GERD, coffee has sadly gone from a several-times-a-day necessity to a very occasional treat).

Cosmos' decor is kind of a laid-back hipster/Jetson's retro look, with a scattering of kidney-shaped tables (some of which I think I recognize from the IKEA catalog):

While I was waiting for my order (not the speediest service, but the 20-somethings behind the counter were sweet and fairly enthusiastic), a guitar-and-standup bass jazz duo set up in front of me and began to work their way through the Brazilian jazz tune "Insensitive."

When my sandwich did arrive, though, it was pretty darned nice:

The ingredients in this veggie sandwich are not in themselves unusual, but the freshness and quality of the ingredients and the care with which they were assembled definitely was. The guacamole had a nice chunky texture. Both it and the cream cheese spread on the other end of the sandwich had slivered almonds embedded in them. The bread was a very fresh and yummy wholegrain. The side salad, a tabbouli-like creation based on couscous instead of bulghur, had a nice bite of pepper to it and little bits of feta and red onion mixed in. At $5.75 this is a little above the "cheap eats" range for a sammich, but was still quite welcome--especially when it came with a jazz duo.

Satiated, I made my way through this muraled walkway to the farmer's market, now in progress:

This turned out to be a sweet, but not very large, market, mostly given over to organic and specialty produce, with a couple of prepared food stands, a few flower-and-plant stalls, and only one vendor of gewgaws (jewelry in this case):

I struck up a nice conversation with the folks staffing this stall about their candy cane beets, of which I got a bunch:

I also bought from them a big bunch of epazote, which I have never played with before! All hints and advice on how and where I can use this stuff will be heartily welcomed.

Everything looked nice and attractive, and the prices were decent for this kind of relatively upscale produce, but again this wasn't exactly tightwad-friendly territory. So ... once again I began to contemplate a Plan B.

(to be continued ... )

[mizducky]

Lestat? Like the vampire? 

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Totally like the vampire. See the complete (not premature) post for a little more detail.

[Smithy]

Oh, I almost forgot--Randall decided to pose for me in a most amusing way, with his own photo previously posted on this blog:

Audience participation time: this photo totally needs a caption. Winning submission wins ... oh, I dunno ... anyone remember the classic Marvel Comics "No-Prize"?    

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Awwww...! OK, I'll play:

"Accept No Substitutions"

When may I expect a non-call from Stan's successors?

[maggiethecat]

Edward Gorey, Vietnamese food, cats, swimsuits and gout: You're talking my talk and walking my walk!

My siblings and I had a hoot teasing our father (a man in otherwise excellent shape) about the gout that popped up in his 75th year. (Fielding and Woodhouse references.)Sure, Daddy had been a bon vivant in his prime. But last year his sister, my Auntie Char, decided to tour Greece and Asia Minor with her church group, hitting all the big St. Paul venues. She was wheeled off the plane in Toronto crippled by gout, and in her case I think we can rule out foie gras and vintage port. Am I doomed?

I've come to think that Vietnamese food just might be the healthiest, lightest and tastiest on earth, not least because mint and basil are served up like a bread basket in a "western" restaurant. Clean , fresh and not weird. My son-in-law (see avatar) is American-born of Vietnamese descent, and his enthusiam for all good food grew up in Louisville, KY, where his "boat people" parents and grandma made great food in poverty and foreign circumstances. (It was hard being cool in high school when everyone knew your grandmother kept chickens.)

Bathing suits: This is an area where women can learn from men. Men just pull on their trunks and get on with it, even if they're not in Speedo shape. So should we.

Lestat's resmebles my living room, which is scary. But a scone every few days keeps the blues away.

[mizducky]

For a change I took University Ave. back westward into town. Interesting watching the neighborhoods transition as you drive along ... it wasn't too long before it was clear I was back in the multi-culti barrio of City Heights, where things are a bit more gritty, but also IMO a bit more real (as in "keepin' it real"). When I saw there was plenty of open on-street parking in front of this establishment, I took it as a sign from the Parking Goddess that I should check it out:

Gayla (or anybody local to San Diego), can you supply some more background on this place? From what I can piece together from Google, this is a relatively new store, opened in a renovated building by one Mark Kassab who seems to have been involved in this neighborhood both as a businessman and as a community supporter for some time ...

Anyway, I felt like I had been giving the Mexican community's food contributions short shrift in this blog so far. Supermercado Murphy's helped correct that pretty quickly.

Inside the well-maintained facade was a compact but full-service market, complete with reasonably-priced produce:

Full-service meat and seafood departments:

And a bakery:

Plus a takeout department with a small dining area, and several aisles of groceries. I assuaged my tightwad heart with a few bargains, and hurried home with the day's haul:

You can't see it in this picture, but the thought-balloon over Randall's head sez: "Hmmmph! The hairless ape is paying more attention to that pile of lawn clippings than she's paying to me! What nerve!!!"

My full haul for today:

From the farmer's market:

Candy cane beets

Epazote

Strawberries (sadly, a little overripe)

From the supermercado:

Spinach

Cilantro

Goat meat! Labeled "chivo", the cuts are big chunks with lots of bone, but at $1.79 a pound I just couldn't resist. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but that's just part of the adventure, y'know?

[mizducky]

Catching up on a few comments:

You mentioned roomate(s).  How do they figure into your life, eating, and fridge/cupboard space? 

What's for dinner?

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There is one roommate. I found him, and the room for sublet, through Craig's List. He's a decent guy--another musician--and as apartment-mates we get along well. We mostly coexist in a neighborly way rather than householding or socializing together. We don't share any cooking, but he's a real good sport about anything stinky or fragrant that I cook--in fact, he seemed to actually like it when I cooked a seaweed-heavy soup the other week and the whole kitchen started radiating the smell of the ocean. He's not the world's tidiest guy--I'm being generous here--but I can live with that. All in all, he's being a good roommate.

Dinner right now has turned into the leftover shirataki/bok choy stuff I made last night--after today's wanderings and eatings, I'm pretty pooped and pretty satiated. But I have big cooking plans for tomorrow--stay tuned for a post coming up shortly!

Oh, I almost forgot--Randall decided to pose for me in a most amusing way, with his own photo previously posted on this blog:

Audience participation time: this photo totally needs a caption. Winning submission wins ... oh, I dunno ... anyone remember the classic Marvel Comics "No-Prize"?    

←

Awwww...! OK, I'll play:

"Accept No Substitutions"

When may I expect a non-call from Stan's successors?

←

Well, I think I want to see if we get any further submissions--I count two official ones so far. Stay tuned!

My siblings and I had a hoot teasing our father (a man in otherwise excellent shape) about the gout that popped up in his 75th year.  (Fielding and Woodhouse references.)Sure, Daddy had been a bon vivant in his prime.  But last year his sister, my Auntie Char, decided to tour Greece and Asia Minor with her church group, hitting all the big St. Paul venues. She was wheeled off the plane in Toronto crippled by gout, and in her case I think we can rule out foie gras and vintage port. Am I doomed?

←

Hmmmm ... I dunno about "doomed", but it does sound like there is a definite genetic predisposition to gout in your family. It might be wise to have your doctor check it out. Often a person can be running elevated levels of purines/uric acid in the blood for years before those nasty crystals precipitate into an attack, and there are tests that can detect that. Your doctor can then suggest what if any preventative actions you might want to take. My dad had gout, but I never thought twice about it until the night my big toe decided to bite me (so to speak), and I found myself wishing I had given it a second thought.

[mizducky]

Big-time Audience Participation Time!!!

To paraphrase the title of one of the more popular long-running posts on eGullet: behold my meat! Any suggestions for what I should do with it?

This is the chivo I bought this afternoon at Supermercado Murphy's (Babelfish translates "chivo" as either "goat" or "kid" i.e. young goat). About 1.25 pounds total. Bone-in meat--I'm no meat expert, but the shape of the bones makes me guess this is meat from right along the spine. Looks like it's meant for stew meat.

The challenge: I'm planning on spending Saturday at home cooking instead of galavanting around town some more, and I'd like to build those plans around this goat. So I soliciting suggestions from the audience. Ya wanna help get my goat? (ow. sorry. couldn't resist... )

To make the game more interesting: as you may recall, I also have several other goodies I've accumulated this week; plus other stuff in my vegetable crisper, some of which may be in need of being used up real soon before they go off; plus a variety of condiments, staples, seasonings, etc. They don't all have to be used in the same dish as the goat--in fact, it might be unpleasantly scary if they were! But I think it would be pretty entertaining if I could come up with some interesting combinations. Like--how about some wacky non-standard borscht using the goat meat and the beets I also bought today?

To recap other stuff I've bought this week:

--shallots

--yellow onion

--Asian basil

--enoki mushrooms

--dried European mushrooms

--chicken broth

--balsamic vinegar

--scallions

--ginger

--red fermented bean curd (nam-yu)

--bean sprouts

--epazote

--candy cane beets with their greens

--spinach

--cilantro

Some likely additional players from the fridge and pantry: garlic; three fresh Roma tomatoes; a big can of peeled Roma tomatos in their own juice; rice (brown, white, and Arborio); chickpeas; a whole troop of Chinese condiments and seasonings, including light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, toban jian (chile-bean) sauce, shrimp paste, salted black beans, Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder, and fu yu (white fermented bean curd) with chile; a handful of Japanese condiments, seasonings, etc, including medium-brown miso, kombu, bonito flakes, dried shiitakes, rice wine vinegar, and hijiki; some miscellaneous other condiments/seasonings/etc. such as extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried red chiles, etc. ... and there's other stuff my brain is no longer remembering. (Damn! I've sure accumulated a bunch o' stuff since I moved in here back in February!)

Oh yeah--whatever we come up with has to fit in my food plan. So, no deep-fried goat burgers or beets in cream sauce, okay?

One other rule: while I'm not adverse to making one more quick shopping trip to pick up an extra ingredient or two, I'd like to keep that to a minimum. I should have enough different things kicking about that additional shopping won't be necessary.

So -- that's the game. I plan to start cooking as soon after noon PDT tomorrow as possible. Let the suggestions commence!

[MissAmy]

A coffee house called Lestat! Magnifique, mon chere!

Ok, so I think San Diego may be the next place I check out. What's not to love: great cheap Vienamese places, cool Asian and Farmer's markets, cool people, and a coffee house called Lestat!

As a connoisseur of all things Lestat, I must go soon!

ETA: Doh! In my zeal for vampire realted paraphanelia, I missed your last post. Here's what I suggest: a nice braise, with roasted beets as a side. Simple, and tasty.

Edited June 10, 2006 by MissAmy (log)

[kalypso]

Hmmm.........Supermercado Murphy's, I haven't been there. What's the cross street on University. I really like Pancho Villa Market on El Cajon where the 805 crosses under it. Really wonderful produce section with pretty decent pricing. The produce department here is run by the Bony family, who used to own Henry's before they sold out to Wild Oats, and who still do run Windmill Farms in Del Cerro and Coronado. Prices are substantially cheaper then Windmill Farms for the same items. I also like the meat counter here because they have all the Mexican cuts of meat rather than the American ones. So when I want to do Milanesa I don't have to hassle with cutting the meat myself. They also sell chicharrones at the meat counter Not so wild about the fish selection. There's also a prepared foods section which I haven't had the opportunity to try yet, but which does appear to hold some possibilities. And it's probably not on your diet, but the bolillos here are really good. Good selection for dairy and Mexican cheeses. Prices for staples, though, are pretty high.

If beans are allowed on your diet, or you go the vegetarian/vegan route every now and again, you can't make a pot of black beans without epazote. Be forewarned, however, a little goes a very long way, even in beans. It's what makes black beans really special, I can't imagine them without it. Epazote has a resinous, strong flavor that some folks say tastes like turpentine. Personally, I think it's an acquired taste.

The other thing it's good in are esquites, also probably not diet food. Have you ever seen the Mexican corn-on-the-cob that's slathered with mayo (or crema), cotija cheese, lime juice and chile powder? Esquites are a kissing cousin. You start with good old field corn, slightly chewy, fairly starchy. Cut the kernels off the cob and then make a stock using the cobs. This is where the epazote comes in, you add it to the corn cob stock. Saute the corn kernels off in some butter and onions and yet more epazote if you want it. Add the stock and simmer until they stock begins to evaporate and the mixture thickens. Drain off the excess liquid, then serve the corn, hot, in plastic cups and adorn with the same add-ins as for on the cob. Clearly not diet food, sorry.

Epazote matches well with cheese, particularly goat cheese, and Mexican goat cheese is milder than American goat cheese. Cheese (like Oaxacan string cheese) and epazote is a common filling in Mexican quesadillas, which are made with masa (not flour tortillas) and toasted on the comal. These are pretty heavenly and depending upon what your starch/carb limitations are, you could probably work real quesadillas into a diet.

You can dry whatever epazote you don't use, though it will loose some of it's pungency.

Since the farmer's market in La Mesa was something of a bust, would you consider going to Hillcrest on Sunday, next to OB that's the next best I think. Where is Cosmo located in La Mesa?

[mmm-yoso]

Cool Super Mercado Murphy - we were just there a few days ago. Man do they have alot of sweets. It's on the corner of University and Menlo! I was suprised to see so many Asians shopping there.

[prasantrin]

Big-time Audience Participation Time!!!

To paraphrase the title of one of the more popular long-running posts on eGullet: behold my meat! Any suggestions for what I should do with it?

The only think I can think of is Rogan Josh, even though it's usually made with mutton, I would think goat would be OK. It would only help use your onions, though, and you would need yoghurt.

[divalasvegas]

Big-time Audience Participation Time!!!

To paraphrase the title of one of the more popular long-running posts on eGullet: behold my meat! Any suggestions for what I should do with it?

This is the chivo I bought this afternoon at Supermercado Murphy's (Babelfish translates "chivo" as either "goat" or "kid" i.e. young goat). About 1.25 pounds total. Bone-in meat--I'm no meat expert, but the shape of the bones makes me guess this is meat from right along the spine. Looks like it's meant for stew meat.

The challenge: I'm planning on spending Saturday at home cooking instead of galavanting around town some more, and I'd like to build those plans around this goat. So I soliciting suggestions from the audience. Ya wanna help get my goat? (ow. sorry. couldn't resist... )

To make the game more interesting: as you may recall, I also have several other goodies I've accumulated this week; plus other stuff in my vegetable crisper, some of which may be in need of being used up real soon before they go off; plus a variety of condiments, staples, seasonings, etc. They don't all have to be used in the same dish as the goat--in fact, it might be unpleasantly scary if they were! But I think it would be pretty entertaining if I could come up with some interesting combinations. Like--how about some wacky non-standard borscht using the goat meat and the beets I also bought today?

To recap other stuff I've bought this week:

--shallots

--yellow onion

--Asian basil

--enoki mushrooms

--dried European mushrooms

--chicken broth

--balsamic vinegar

--scallions

--ginger

--red fermented bean curd (nam-yu)

--bean sprouts

--epazote

--candy cane beets with their greens

--spinach

--cilantro

Some likely additional players from the fridge and pantry: garlic; three fresh Roma tomatoes; a big can of peeled Roma tomatos in their own juice; rice (brown, white, and Arborio); chickpeas; a whole troop of Chinese condiments and seasonings, including light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, toban jian (chile-bean) sauce, shrimp paste, salted black beans, Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder, and fu yu (white fermented bean curd) with chile; a handful of Japanese condiments, seasonings, etc, including medium-brown miso, kombu, bonito flakes, dried shiitakes, rice wine vinegar, and hijiki; some miscellaneous other condiments/seasonings/etc. such as extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried red chiles, etc. ... and there's other stuff my brain is no longer remembering. (Damn! I've sure accumulated a bunch o' stuff since I moved in here back in February!)

Oh yeah--whatever we come up with has to fit in my food plan. So, no deep-fried goat burgers or beets in cream sauce, okay?

One other rule: while I'm not adverse to making one more quick shopping trip to pick up an extra ingredient or two, I'd like to keep that to a minimum. I should have enough different things kicking about that additional shopping won't be necessary.

So -- that's the game. I plan to start cooking as soon after noon PDT tomorrow as possible. Let the suggestions commence!

←

Congrats on a great blog mizducky. I commend your sensible and delicious approach to leading a healthy lifestyle. I have so much more to say about your endeavor, but the hour is late (early?) and I have to turn in soon.

Re: your goat meat: I love goat and have enjoyed it prepared in many different ways. I notice that you already have many of the ingredients for three dishes I have in mind. How about jerk goat or goat curry? I didn't see curry powder or paste listed, but I'll bet you've got those hanging out in your pantry somewhere. And how about a riff on osso buco? Call it mizducky's goat-o bucco!!!

Edited June 10, 2006 by divalasvegas (log)

[hzrt8w]

Big-time Audience Participation Time!!!

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Since you have quite a bit Chinese ingredients, I can suggest the goat/mutton Cantonese style.

I can't tell the scale of these meats. Perhaps make a few cut to make them more manageable.

First brown the meat with a little bit of oil, salt, pepper (white or black would work). Since goat meat is quite musky, you may want to sprinkle some whole cumins while browning. Remove from pot.

Use the same pot, add a little more oil, stir-fry: nam yu (2-3 cubes if small), fu yu (2 cubes), garlic, ginger, a little bit of salt (to taste), drop 2 tsp ShaoHsing wine. Stir well. Add broth and water - just enough that would cover the meat. When the liquid comes to a boil, add five spice powder or the whole five spice (cinnamon, clove, star anise, cumin, sichuan peppercorn and such) and some dark soy sauce, a little bit of sugar. Once boiling, turn down the stove to a simmer. Return the goat meat to let it simmer/bubbly for 2 hours with a lid on. That's it. If you want something to accompany the goat meat: use beancurd sticks (I showed that in the braised bass pictorial recipe) - soak for an hour first. Add to the pot about 30 minutes before serving. Or you can buy a daikon. Peel and wedge it. Add about 1 hour before serving. Use a bit of cilantro to garnish.

Edited June 10, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[misgabi]

Great blog Mizducky!!

With the goat the the prementioned riff on osso bucco, that's what I would do.

Brown the floured goat pieces. Then brown off the onion, some carrots and celery and then deglaze with stock or wine (??? if allowed). Pop your goat pieces on top and pour over a tin of tomato pieces. Slow roast for several hours at 150 degrees and serve with cous cous.

Works just as well for any braising meat with a bone (especially lamb shanks but I add cummin).

Any leftovers, shred meat from bone and add steamed, cubed potato, carrots, pumpkin etc to make the best ever meat pie with either a pastry top or a mashed potato one - YUM

[MarketStEl]

And I'm sitting here thinking, "Barbecued goat...barbecued goat...let's see, how would one prepare goat meat for barbecuing?"

I'd probably take that cumin and mix it with equal amounts of paprika, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, then add half that amount of sugar.

Then I'd rub it all over the goat and let it sit for about 4-6 hours while I rounded up a closed grill.

But you said goat tastes musky (it's been a while since I've eaten any, so I've forgotten what's distinctive about it), so I'm not certain this would be the right blend of spices for a dry rub.

BTW, Ellen, I did see the San Diego Trolley shot. Thanks a bunch. You're a real sweetheart. Love those "Big Red Cars" (oops, wrong city)!

Wish me luck tonight at the Kimmel Center! We will be there all afternoon--dress rehearsal and concert on the same day...

[BarbaraY]

Ellen, I'm loving your blog. A native Californian who has never been to San Diego, I'm visiting it vicariously through you.

Let us know if you learn how to prepare the stuffed Kabocha. Love the stuff. Also love the kitty pics.

[mizducky]

Greetings, earthlings! Man, this foodblogging thing is a workout! I slept like a rock!

Breakfast once again was the roast beast in a whole wheat pita. When it's the first meal of the day, I'm very much a boring creature of habit--it has to be something I can assemble while still not quite compos mentis.

Thanks for all the great responses, including the great responses to my goat query. They've really been stoking my creativity furnace, so of course now I've got enough ideas for about eight batches of goat creations. So please know that even if I don't use your suggestion, I'm definitely filing it away for future purposes--especially now that I know I have a good cheap source for the main ingredient.

Now for some responses:

A coffee house called Lestat!  Magnifique, mon chere!

Ok, so I think San Diego may be the next place I check out. What's not to love: great cheap Vienamese places, cool Asian and Farmer's markets, cool people, and a coffee house called Lestat!

As a connoisseur of all things Lestat, I must go soon!

ETA: Doh! In my zeal for vampire realted paraphanelia, I missed your last post. Here's what I suggest: a nice braise, with roasted beets as a side. Simple, and tasty.

←

Heh. I should add that, while I naturally gravitate to all the funky/ethnic/alternative sides of any city I reside in, the majority of San Diego is a relatively conservative town (in many senses of that word). But yeah, there is indeed some quality funk to be found. For further entertainment about Lestat's, check out their website. I almost forgot to mention one of the best things about this place--they also have a small but nice performance space next door with a little stage, where they have a variety of musical groups and open mics.

The general consensus does seem to be running that I should do the beets separately from the meat. So now I'm going that way--and thinking about ways to cook the beets that preserve as much of their stripey interior coloration as possible.

Hmmm.........Supermercado Murphy's, I haven't been there.  What's the cross street on University.  I really like Pancho Villa Market on El Cajon where the 805 crosses under it.  Really wonderful produce section with pretty decent pricing.  The produce department here is run by the Bony family, who used to own Henry's before they sold out to Wild Oats, and who still do run Windmill Farms in Del Cerro and Coronado.  Prices are substantially cheaper then Windmill Farms for the same items. I also like the meat counter here because they have all the Mexican cuts of meat rather than the American ones. So when I want to do Milanesa I don't have to hassle with cutting the meat myself. They also sell chicharrones at the meat counter    Not so wild about the fish selection.  There's also a prepared foods section which I haven't had the opportunity to try yet, but which does appear to hold some possibilities. And it's probably not on your diet, but the bolillos here are really good. Good selection for dairy and Mexican cheeses. Prices for staples, though, are pretty high.

If beans are allowed on your diet, or you go the vegetarian/vegan route every now and again, you can't make a pot of black beans without epazote.  Be forewarned, however, a little goes a very long way, even in beans. It's what makes black beans really special, I can't imagine them without it.  Epazote has a resinous, strong flavor that some folks say tastes like turpentine. Personally, I think it's an acquired taste.  [ . . . ]

You can dry whatever epazote you don't use, though it will loose some of it's pungency.

Since the farmer's market in La Mesa was something of a bust, would you consider going to Hillcrest on Sunday, next to OB that's the next best I think.  Where is Cosmo located in La Mesa?

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Let's see ... I think Kirk's got the cross-street address for Supermercado Murphy's covered already ... I have been to, and enjoyed, Pancho Villa market--definitely some great produce! I do eat beans on my regimen, and I adore black beans--in fact I checked and I do have some in my pantry. Not sure if I'll cook them today--gotta see how the burner space and personal energy-management go. I'm definitely going to try drying some of the epazote, because I have way too much to use before it loses its freshness anyway.

Hillcrest Farmer's Market: I might be able to fit that in--my organo-groovy UU church is right nearby (over near the UCSD Medical Center). I've got an extremely full plate planned for tomorrow though, so again I might have to see how things go.

Big-time Audience Participation Time!!!

To paraphrase the title of one of the more popular long-running posts on eGullet: behold my meat! Any suggestions for what I should do with it?

The only think I can think of is Rogan Josh, even though it's usually made with mutton, I would think goat would be OK. It would only help use your onions, though, and you would need yoghurt.

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No yogurt in the house right now. I do have some nonfat buttermilk--I'm not sure how well that might sub for yogurt, but I think there's some potential there ...

Re: your goat meat:  I love goat and have enjoyed it prepared in many different ways.  I notice that you already have many of the ingredients for three dishes I have in mind.  How about jerk goat or goat curry?  I didn't see curry powder or paste listed, but I'll bet you've got those hanging out in your pantry somewhere.  And how about a riff on osso buco?  Call it mizducky's goat-o bucco!!!

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Y'know, I just did a pantry check for curry spices, and unfortunately I'm running a little low. I have a small amount of generic curry powder from my food coop. I've got garam masala, ground cumin, ground turmeric, the fresh ginger ... the dried red chiles ... some stick cinnamon ... I could eke out a curry spice blend from those ... For that matter, I also have a packet of Syrian spice blend a.k.a. seven spice powder a.k.a. bajarat. It contains allspice, pepper, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, and other unidentified spices. Yummy stuff. Hmmm ... possibilities!

Since you have quite a bit Chinese ingredients, I can suggest the goat/mutton Cantonese style.

I can't tell the scale of these meats.  Perhaps make a few cut to make them more manageable.

First brown the meat with a little bit of oil, salt, pepper (white or black would work).  Since goat meat is quite musky, you may want to sprinkle some whole cumins while browning.  Remove from pot.

Use the same pot, add a little more oil, stir-fry:  nam yu (2-3 cubes if small), fu yu (2 cubes), garlic, ginger, drop 2 tsp ShaoHsing wine.  Stir well.  Add broth and water - just enough that would cover the meat.  When the liquid comes to a boil, add five spice powder or the whole five spice (cinnamon, clove, star anise, cumin, sichuan peppercorn and such) and some dark soy sauce, a little bit of sugar.  Once boiling, turn down the stove to a simmer.  Return the goat meat to let it simmer/bubbly for 2 hours with a lid on.  That's it.   If you want something to accompany the goat meat:  use beancurd sticks (I showed that in the braised bass pictorial recipe) - soak for an hour first.  Add to the pot about 30 minutes before serving.  Or you can buy a daikon.  Peel and wedge it.  Add about 1 hour before serving.   Use a bit of cilantro to garnish.

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Yum! And this recipe is definitely playing to my long suit ingredient-wise. I even have some dried bean curd sticks, and a chunk of daikon in the crisper that I almost forgot about. Hmmm ... possibilities!

With the goat the the prementioned riff on osso bucco, that's what I would do. 

Brown the floured goat pieces.  Then brown off the onion, some carrots and celery and then deglaze with stock or wine (??? if allowed).  Pop your goat pieces on top and pour over a tin of tomato pieces.  Slow roast for several hours at 150 degrees and serve with cous cous.

Works just as well for any braising meat with a bone (especially lamb shanks but I add cummin).

Any leftovers, shred meat from bone and add steamed, cubed potato, carrots, pumpkin etc to make the best ever meat pie with either a pastry top or a mashed potato one - YUM

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Osso bucco does sound yummy too. And booze for cooking is totally okay for my food plan--but somehow, other than the Shaoxing, I don't have any wine in the house right now! Certainly easy to fix--I was so startled the first time I walked into a big-box drugstore here in California and saw a whole aisle of booze for sale. And even though drugstores are hardly the best source for wines, one can always at least find some of the name-brand vermouths. Ahhhh, decisions ...

And I'm sitting here thinking, "Barbecued goat...barbecued goat...let's see, how would one prepare goat meat for barbecuing?"

I'd probably take that cumin and mix it with equal amounts of paprika, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, then add half that amount of sugar.

Then I'd rub it all over the goat and let it sit for about 4-6 hours while I rounded up a closed grill.

But you said goat tastes musky (it's been a while since I've eaten any, so I've forgotten what's distinctive about it), so I'm not certain this would be the right blend of spices for a dry rub. [ . . . ]

Wish me luck tonight at the Kimmel Center!  We will be there all afternoon--dress rehearsal and concert on the same day... 

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Alas, I'm not sure I can manage the closed-grill thing. My understanding is that the apartment complex management frowns on individual grills--that's why they provide the communal grills installed in the courtyard. And those babies are usually in heavy shared use on weekends, such that I just don't feel right monopolizing one with a closed-lid project of any length. But this is definitely a plan for a future occasion (like, on a workday afternoon when there's no competition for the grills).

Oh yeah--best of luck with your performance! Keep on self-hydrating!

Okay, I'm close to a decision ... stand by for an announcment.

(Edited for minor space-outs...)

Edited June 10, 2006 by mizducky (log)