momofurkey.

As usual, it doesn't look like much, but this was deeply satisfying and very easy. It's supposed to be based on Hainanese Chicken Rice, but I wonder how it would be on a non-meat like tempeh...I think tofu would not be quite right. I didn't make the rice.

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soy-braised turkey with ginger. 

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced, plus 1 small shallot, quartered
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste

1/3 cup light or low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups water
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 to 4 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh ginger
500g/3 cups shredded turkey meat
2 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter (if using white meat)

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cherry bomb.

This Saveur article is what restarted my thinking about escabeches, well that and the temperature. It's finally hot here, so the idea of eating something vinegary out of the fridge sounds even better than usual. Maybe I'll eventually write down this turkey escabeche I made Friday night (oregano, habanero, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, vinegar, garlic, onion), but yes it may have to wait.

While I was poking about on the Saveur website I started looking at their picnic recipes, since etc what I said before about the temperature, and found this interesting-looking rice salad, also timely b/c Mara came into a bunch of cherries (that's what I said) and I've got kale and basil and spinach sitting around wilting and so I am making it right now. I'm unsure about the artichoke and cherry combo, that part sounds drug-induced, but will give it a try. Preliminary tasting results very positive (everything except cherries, almonds, and artichokes). Other items on the menu: Ottolenghi's smashed garlic cucumbers and that ol' beet carpaccio with feta. And maybe something with shrimp. We gwine be stinkee in our damn mouf.

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And later: cherries provided a beauteeful visual contrast but as suspected were unnecessary and/or distracting in terms of taste. They are now off macerating somewhere instead of participating in this recipe. Artichokes on the other hand were a great addition and almonds would probably also work nicely, but it was also great without them, this ended up being really one of my favorite things I've made recently.

kale and brown rice salad with basil and cherries.

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 and 1/2 tbsp raw/turbinado sugar

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup frozen chopped kale, drained
1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach leaves, chiffonaded or roughly chopped.
4 to 8 artichoke hearts, rinsed well, drained and quartered
1/2 cup toasted almonds, slivered or roughly crushed
1 cup or maybe even 2 cups cherries, pitted and halved, or quartered if you have time and patience

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half of my leg is still my calf.

We generally don't like to get all mushy around here, but tonight was one of those nights when there couldn't be anything better than hanging out in the kitchen cooking and monkeying around with your monkey while listening to your shared musical history on shuffle.

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This was one of the more casual results, not the slice of cheesecake it looks like, but a piece of turkey breast. If I ran a women's magazine I would place this recipe in my "Fast 'N' Breezy Weeknight Dinners in 30 Minutes" thingie (right before I slit my own throat! hahahaha). Would be even more appetizing if "turkey" wasn't such an ugly word. Maybe Italian will help.























tacchino con salvia, senape, e mandorle con olio di semi di zucca.

turkey breast
dried sage
Dijon mustard
salt
pepper
raw almonds, chopped
roasted pumpkinseed oil
possibly fig or raspberry preserves or another fruity option for garnish/drizzle (grizzle?)

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mo hanh, please.

This photo is a perfect encapsulation of my last Sunday in Phoenix: NFL on the TV, scallion oil being made as an experimental turkey condiment for dinner, and a USB cable off to the right representing Technology Day here at the homestead.

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The scallion oil is inspired first by David Chang's Thanksgiving leftovers bit for Food and Wine, and secondly, by Scimmieland's Vietnamese dinner from a couple weeks back. Chang doesn't cook his scallions, while the traditional Vietnamese mo hanh that Mara made does fry them for a few seconds.

I'm undecided. The simple, traditional recipe is what I tried first, and it seemed good, but not amazing. My normal tendency would be to upgrade to the Chang version, but instead, I'm going to just salt the mo hanh as is and see how it works. Eh, no. Actually I Chang-ed it and it's more to my taste.

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wild turkey, wild turkey.

Last night I made some perfect pork tenderloin, and so here I am finally documenting my pork rub proportions.

Then, today, I uncharacteristically did something useful with my leftover black beans from last night...I made chili. But not just any chili: turkey confit chili. More later.



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my afro-cuban pork rub.

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2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground black peppercorns
1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp chile molido
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp Spanish paprika
1/2 cup orange juice

Toast the first 3, combine them with the rest, and rub.
Also, I made a perfect quick pickle with cukes, allspice, cloves, sugar, and red wine vinegar.

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