Clara would use any bit of leftover pot or pan for a planter. Her porch and garden overflowed with chipped enamel pots of marigolds; cracked candy dishes of moss roses; a compromised pressure cooker repurposed as the singles bar for Bachelors Buttons and Old Maids. Think – Junkman’s Daughter meets Alan Titchmarsh… Jane had purchased […]
One from Column A – Sweet & Sour Pork
Sweet & Sour “anything’ as we know it, is an American invention. Yes, there are traditional Chinese dishes that have some of the aspects of of those sensory bits – but, you wouldn’t recognise it as anything that comes in one of those white origami boxes. It’s lighter, sharper, has somewhat minimal battering, with an absence of tropical fruit…. we’re not making that.
One from Column “A” ~ Mongolian Beef
Strictly speaking, There is no such thing as Mongolian Beef. There is a “style” of Mongolian Barbeque and a style of stewing things in a Mongolian(ish) way…. but Mongolian Beef as we know it … is an American thing. Almost as American as Apple Pie, as it were…. I know… weird. It varies drastically from […]
Tales of Woe – Those Sunbutter Cookies
FANTASTIC!!!!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!! STUPENDOUS!!!!!!!! 3 INGREDIENT SUNBUTTER COOKIES!!!!!!!!!! … the internetowebbyverse screamed at me as I searched for a peanut-free cookie recipe. All of the recipes.. and I mean ALL… were simply an even swap (Sunbutter for peanut) in a standard peanut cookie formula. I threw caution to the wind, and blindly followed their advice.. wildly […]
One from Column ‘A’ – Five Spice Caramel Pork
To be fair, I’ve never seen this on any Chinese take-out menu. I have only been able to get it in Bangkok…. or at my favorite Chinese fare haunt in the city. So, dont hate me there. In fact, if you are going to hate me at all – its because I’ve monkeyed around with […]
Camera Obscura
About 37 years ago my dad and I went on a safari. No, we didn’t see lions…. or wildebeest… or even meerkat (although, truth be told, that would have been epic.) Frankly, we didn’t even leave Marietta. It was a different kind of safari altogether. We were in search of the vanishing Cobb County. Even […]
Bread Whore ~ Perfect Caraway Rye
I’m really a simple guy in a lot of ways… it doesn’t take a lot to make me happy. But perfection in the grand order of things is one of them. You don’t see it a lot; small perfections are elusive and fleeting. But if you slow down just enough to take it all in, […]
Tales of Woe ~ Love, Hate, and Fake Soy Sauce
Shortly after Soy became an ugly four – letter word in our house (okay… 3, but it’s still a terrible thing), I was convinced I could produce a fake soy sauce that would mimic the properties, taste and joy of the luscious dark brown elixir. I’m here to tell you – I can’t…. And, neither […]
Bread Whore ~ I Pita the Fool
I’ve been sucked in to the hype. “The Bestest Ever Pita Bread!”, “The! ONLY! pita! recipe you’ll ever need!!!!” (note – and be wary of – rampant exclamation points), “Throw out ever other Pita recipe… this one is the BOMB!!!” meh…. They’re not even close to the hype. And why they aren’t is several […]
Radio Silence (2017)
“Whack”… “Whack” …”Whack!” Is this thing on? My great-googly crazy, Aunt Dora….. I’ve been gone a long time! And for that, kind readers, I am truly sorry. Life here at Turtle Creek has been … let’s just say …. … .. . . Interesting. The past two years have been rife with the sound of […]