eG Foodblog: phlawless - La Vida Local

[Susan in FL]

And another thing, I'm not sure who's cuter, your daughter or your husband. Well, both in their own ways.

[Varmint]

And another thing, I'm not sure who's cuter, your daughter or your husband.   Well, both in their own ways. 

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I've heard several women comment on Chuck's looks (particularly his eyes), so you're not alone in that regard! And M is very, very cute!

I've got summer squash salting, peas/beans cooked with local onion and bay leaf (picked from a neighbor's tree). I just got some lavender from my mother-in-law's garden -- I'll try it with the crab.

Mrs. Varmint has been building a tree house today, so I've got to get the house cleaned up for the guests!

[suzilightning]

phlawless-

i just got a chance to catch up with the blog. what beautiful food and a handsome family(has anyone mentioned that your husband looks - at least to me- like a leaner jeff gordon? *ducks since i know many nascar fans dislike him*)

bravo on the sourcing of your food. i noticed it's something showing up more and more in things i read from Jane Goodall's book to various food mags. i, too, try to do this - course it also gives me a bit of an advantage since i'm only 50 miles from nyc and that includes fish - and 90 miles from the inlaws which includes a dynamite meat purveyor.

though the two does wandering around in the neighbor's yard looked interesting, too. how many people see a deer and think - mmmmmm, venison.

can't wait to see the pig

edited to add

and was that handsome puss stealing M's snack? i though only my Yoda was a cracker/bread eater.

Edited July 8, 2006 by suzilightning (log)

[Sony]

Phlawless, your narrative has been beautiful (as well as pictures of your home and family- M is a cutie!)

I've been away on an internship for a few months but will be coming back to Chapel Hill (and the farmers markets) soon! You're making me more and more anxious to return!

Best continued luck with your locavore quest- your blog has been truly inspiring.

[Varmint]

Heh, heh, heh . . . I love having Phlawless over for dinner. Let me tell you one thing: there's nothing better than having friends who REALLY know how to cook. I'm a pretty decent home cook, but Ph. knows how to take things to a completely different level. I just might have to be one of her financial backers should she ever go back into "da bizness" again.

Here's a photo of my ingredients I purchased today.

Extreme close up of the four different types of beans/peas that went into the succotash.

Bandregg made this awesome caponata that primarily came from his garden. Mmm, eggplant!

Appetizer of lump crabmeat and country ham saute with fried sunburst squash and trout roe. The crabmeat was sauteed with butter, garlic, onion, and lavender. It needed a splash of lemon, which really helped bring out the flavors.

Here's the dinner plate of uber-slow roasted pork shoulder (rubbed with awesome spices), summer squash gratin, the succotash, and a watermelon, tomato, cucumber and pheta salad (yes, pheta, not feta, as it's locally produced cheese).

That's me in the orange shirt -- and you can see how fast Ph. is moving!

Bandregg thinking about how good the Barolo he brought is.

Ph plating her dessert.

And now the dessert. Oh My Gawd!! This is one of the most creative desserts ever. First, she made silver queen corn ice cream. That's not something you see every day. Then, she made caramel corn to go on it -- that's cool, eh? Throwing in caramel and blueberries was a fairly logical step. But then the blondies. Yeah, one would think that blondies make sense. And peanut butter blondies at that. But BACON peanut butter blondies??? That's just fucked up. And damn, was it ever awesome! The salty, nutty flavor of the blondies, combined with the richness of the ice cream, the acidity of the blueberrys, and the sweetness of the caramel -- well, hot damn! And then, the caramel corn added a textural element that was just over the top. So, can one person out there ever say they had this dessert before? If you do, you're a damn liar!

Phlawless rocks, and dat's da truth!

[Chufi]

Dinner looks wonderful and dessert looks fantastic!

And I am in awe that you can run around in a kitchen in those gorgeous heels, phlawless!

[Gifted Gourmet]

there's nothing better than having friends who REALLY know how to cook. 

But BACON peanut butter blondies???  That's just fucked up.  And damn, was it ever awesome!  The salty, nutty flavor of the blondies, combined with the richness of the ice cream, the acidity of the blueberrys, and the sweetness of the caramel --well, hot damn! 

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I have rarely heard Dean so enthusiastically excited over food preparation but phlawless really seems to have hit his primary food nerve! The photography is simply wonderful .. one can almost taste the flavors from the screen ... and, in Dean's well-equipped kitchen, a talent like phlawless can find everything at her fingertips ... bravo on this exquisite meal!

[Susan in FL]

.........But BACON peanut butter blondies???  That's just fucked up.  And damn, was it ever awesome!  The salty, nutty flavor of the blondies, combined with the richness of the ice cream, the acidity of the blueberrys, and the sweetness of the caramel --well, hot damn! 

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What a way to start a day, seeing this. Sensational! The entire dinner menu was fabulous.

I'm looking forward to the progression of this final day of the blog, but sorry it has to end. It will be kept open for comments into tomorrow, as usual, and I'm sure there will be many high regards expressed.

[phlawless]

Good Morning!

I can tell you that even though I didn't do it up as I have in evenings past spent with the Varmints, I still had a bit of trouble rolling out of bed this morning...it must have been those last few glasses of bandregg's fantastic Barolo.

The meal turned out really well, and thank you V for hosting all of us and accomodating M. Even though I only had a couple of bites, bandregg's caponata was deelish! The appetizer and sides were all fantastic, my favorite being the tomato/watermelon salad with the local pheta. And thank you also for all the praise on the dessert, it was fun to make and I'm glad everyone enjoyed it. If I can nitpick: the ice cream was a little icey, and I would have liked to have used sorghum instead of the caramel sauce as I originally intended. The bacon also didn't have the presence I would have liked. Other than that, it was pretty yummy. Next time we do one of these, I promise to host and give the V's a break!

For the last day of the blog, I'm going to take it easy cooking wise. A friend is coming over in a bit and we'll be heading to a bakery/cafe for brunch. I seriously doubt much of their stuff is local, but some of their breads are good and they have a fantastic charcuterie plate that I've got a hankering for.

My enthusiasm for this challenge is waning, and I need to get re-invigorated...maybe a mexi dinner will do the trick.

[phlawless]

I am so glad that the cardoon decided to bloom today so you all could see it! I haven't eaten any of this one, it's merely decorative in my herb garden.

We are going mexican tonight...more later.

[Abra]

Phlawless, there's no way you can end this blog without giving us the recipe for that dessert! That is right up there with the most unusual combinations I have ever heard of.

[fou de Bassan]

Oh, my heavens! Your dessert looks fabulous!

and completely off topic, so do your SHOES!

[mizducky]

I am so glad that the cardoon decided to bloom today so you all could see it! I haven't eaten any of this one, it's merely decorative in my herb garden.

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Oooooh! Purty! I really like cardoons--haven't had any, or even seen any in markets, in forever. Do you grow any for food as well as for looks?

If I don't get a chance to get back in here before this blog closes, let me take the time now to say thanks for a most enjoyable blog.

[phlawless]

I have to confess...our meal tonight was not entirely local. I wanted to do mexican, and I got a bit lazy this afternoon, so a few of the ingredients came from a tienda in my neighborhood.

Next door is a fantastic taco stand that makes tortillas by the pound to order:

Funny enough, they weren't the one's who put the cow on the roof, it used to be a country store a few years back.

The menu today:

We started off with a couple of watermelon margaritas and chorizo/potato quesadillas with lime crema for munchies:

After M went to bed, I used the rest of the tortillas for tacos, which we have at least once a week in the summer:

Only the tomatillos, onions, and garlic in the salsa are truly local. Funny thing is, I feel guilty. I've let myself down...I couldn't even make it through one week and I've got three to go!

[phlawless]

Phlawless, there's no way you can end this blog without giving us the recipe for that dessert!  That is right up there with the most unusual combinations I have ever heard of.

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Which one? All?

Oh, my heavens! Your dessert looks fabulous! 

and completely off topic, so do your SHOES!

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Oh fou...thankyouthankyou...I love these shoes! I got them specifically for a wedding back in the spring and I find myself wearing them at every opportunity, which with my little girl isn't many!

[Milagai]

For Triangle area eg-ers, the Panzanella restaurant

in Carrboro is doing an eat local event on July 12th,

where they will serve food sourced within a 250 mile radius

of their location.....

Milagai

[phlawless]

I am so glad that the cardoon decided to bloom today so you all could see it! I haven't eaten any of this one, it's merely decorative in my herb garden.

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Oooooh! Purty! I really like cardoons--haven't had any, or even seen any in markets, in forever. Do you grow any for food as well as for looks?

If I don't get a chance to get back in here before this blog closes, let me take the time now to say thanks for a most enjoyable blog.

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At the last house we lived I had a few that I occasionally ate from. It took me a while to figure out when to 'harvest' the stalks. They were never tender enough to use for bagna cauda, which was the original reason I grew them, so I made gratins with them instead.

[maggiethecat]

Phawless Lady:

Your Mexican dinner, all your meals and your week as a locovore has been inspriring. It also points up how some parts of the country (yours), and, say , California, are blessed with the possibility of eating within the hundred mile radius. If I tried to take it on, I'd be eating a lot of corn , soybeans, and tainted Great Lakes fish.

I want to be a locovore, but unless I buy a farm it ain't happening. I know the sourcing has been a drag for you this week, but you are luckier than most of us. And I'm luckier than people who live in the Badlands, the Yukon, Alaska or Oklahoma. A hundred-odd years ago most people were locovores, ate a limited diet and probably would have yearned for a Trader Joe's.

Thank you for doing this for all of us.

[phlawless]

I have to admit, I was thinking this wasn't going to be all that hard. I figured with the diversity of things available to me locally, my professional background, and just my sure will to win would guarentee my success. HA! I don't know if I can continue the same level of commitment that I have this week for the entire month. Actually I know I can't. Next week my fourteen year old nephew is coming to visit for five days...I am not prepared to fill my house with enough food for a teenager using only local ingredients! I don't think he will find snacking on speckled lima beans all that enticing...

What I have learned this week:

1. I will no longer take the small farmer, or the mega supermarket, for granted.

2. Eating food made/grown from sustainable methods is expensive.

3. I really love my sourdough starter.

4. The area that I live is a much better food community than I've given it credit for.

5. My partner Chuck is such a great sport, and my daughter M will thankfully eat almost anything.

Thanks for giving me a space to rant and complain...I've had a lot of fun, but will not miss the excessive documentation of my eating and cooking habits.

Edited July 10, 2006 by phlawless (log)

[Abra]

Well, I'd love to have the whole series of recipes that went into the Varmint dinner, but with the peanut butter bacon blondie recipe and the corn ice cream recipe I could probably fake the rest, since I'm sure that typing them all up would be a major hassle.

You've really been taking one for the team on the locavore theme. I've been a devoted CSA member for many years, but there's no way I come close to eating as locally as you have this week. My hat's way off to you!

[racheld]

Thanks for all your time and work---it's been a fabulous week, especially our trips with you and your little M. She finds SUCH good groceries!!!

And all the food prep and the finding---what a revelation about what CAN be done.

Not to mention that caramel corn and ice cream!!!

I envy you your bright little helper---I used to have one her age living here. She has always loved to help me cook; still does, but she visited last week and didn't need the little stepstool any more

This was over too soon. Just amazing.

[alanamoana]

one thing i love about the food blogs, and phlawless' bog was exemplary of this, is how it makes me want to move to wherever the blogger lives! it is such a great introduction to another area in our extremely diverse country.

what a pleasure to see how you live, phlawless. i was constantly amazed at how much you accomplished each day, especially with the eating local challenge and your little peanut M.

congratulations on surviving your first foodblog!

[Pan]

[...]I've had a lot of fun, but will not miss the excessive documentation of my eating and cooking habits.

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You deserve to take a rest after such a magnificent blog! I not only had fun; I learned interesting things from this blog. Thanks.

[Chufi]

phlawless, thank you so much for this blog. It was a real inspiration to me. I have been researching the 100-mile diet thanks to you, and plan to try it for a limited time in the near future, and write an article about it. In preparation, I already started to find out where I can get local flour, grains, vegetables, meat etc.

It won't be easy but it will be interesting!

thanks for sharing it all with us!

[therese]

A fun and inspiring blog, Phlawless.

And it looks like we might need to add "picture of really cool shoes worn during food prep" to the obligatory foodblog list of fridge and pet shots.