Category Archives: Food

More Bulgar Joy

Posted on September 18, 2008 by juliebyers

Why did no one tell me about this wonderful grain??  I am thoroughly loving bulgar.  Delicious veggie chili recipe I concocted last night: 

I sauteed chunky zucchini, carrots, jalapeno pepper, and onions in grapeseed oil until the veggies were somewhat tender.  (I found grapeseed oil at the flea market yesterday and wanted to use it).  In a separate pot, I cooked 1 cup of bulgar in 2 cups of water (simmer covered for 15 minutes).  After eating three spoonfuls of plain bulgar, I added the veggies and some cumin and chili powder.  I stirred in a can of black beans and a can of diced tomatoes.  Let’s see, did I do anything else?  I don’t think so.  I served with homemade rosemary bread from Monday’s dinner.  Scott ate two bowls so I call my healthy vegetarian meal a sweet success!

In other news, the funniest comment I overheard at the flea market yesterday:  Old man says to other old man, “I can get you any legs in Seneca.”  I hope he was talking about antiques?

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Cinnamon Apples

Posted on September 9, 2008 by juliebyers

When I make cinnamon apples, I use, um, cinnamon and apples.  What else do you need?  Apples are sweet enough!  I wonder what Chili’s puts in their cinnamon apples to make them three times more loaded with calories than their mandarin oranges.  Chili’s cinnamon apples have 210 calories to be precise. 

And while we’re talking about kid’s meals, did you know that Zaxby’s will not substitute celery for fries in a kid’s meal?  Yeah.  I’ll only make that mistake once.  I’m learning if we must eat out, it is best to order from the adult menu than from the mac/cheese, fried chicken kid’s menu.  Our favorite fast food is Salsarita’s.  Norah gets little cups of lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, shredded cheese, and grilled chicken. 

Wondering which kid’s meals are the best options?  Check out this handy-dandy report my zest quest mother just sent me.  Don’t have time to read it?  The winner is Subway.

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Pickens Flea Market

Posted on August 20, 2008 by juliebyers

I wanted to properly introduce my friend Abby to SC.  She’s from Vermont.  Nothing captures the layers of our unique culture better than the Pickens Flea Market.  Where else can you find old cobalt blue apothecary bottles and gorgeous stained glass windows on the same table with beanie babies, guns, and saran-wrapped meat?  

Today I bought some honey sticks, The Healing Foods Cookbook, Healing with Whole Foods, not-ripe-enough muscadines, yellowroot sticks, Yogi Bedtime tea (1.00/box!), and garam masala.  The trick is…you must look past the haze of cigarette smoke and fried pork skin fumes to see the promising treasures. 

Things we did not buy:  baby turtles, exotic chickens, boiled peanuts, plastic toys, eucalyptus plant, socks, squirrel feeder, or a frightening mole trap (I did get a mole trap demonstration though).

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How Bulgur!

Posted on August 19, 2008 by juliebyers

Love was in the air last night.  My parents and my sister/brother-in-law both celebrated wedding anniversaries.  For Noelle and Zach, this night marked their one year anniversary.  Aww.  They pulled the top of their wedding cake out of the freezer and ever-so-sweetly smashed each other’s faces with it. 

I prepared a feast for the happy couples.  For once, Chef Willy’s famous alfredo recipe was overshadowed by a new appearance.  I made Bulgur Salad with cherries as shared by my friend, Lauren.  It was so beautiful.  And tasty.  So dust off that bag of bulgur and get cooking.

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Lawbreaker

Posted on August 17, 2008 by juliebyers

I found out this week that I’m a lawbreaker.  If you’re still my friend after I confessed to eating oxalis, you may want to reconsider.  Don’t let me near your children; I could be a bad influence.  What is my offense? 

I water my garden.  Yes, our town has deemed watering the garden a $200 offense.  Now I am all for water conservation.  Fine the people watering their grass or pressure washing their house.  Turn off the decorative fountain, drive unwashed cars, take quick showers.  Give out rainbarrels and educate about how to build a graywater system.  But really?  Fining people for growing food?  I live in a rural area and I know that many of my neighbors depend on their gardens.  The food in my freezer may not make or break us, but it certainly helps.  

As my neighbor, Mr. Police Officer, was picking tomatoes, basil, oregano, and a green pepper from my garden for his dinner pizza, he affirmed he wouldn’t enforce this rule for gardens.  So there, city council.

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You say “foca(y)ccia” I say “foca(h)ccia”

Posted on August 3, 2008 by juliebyers

I’m not the best meal planner.  I’m more of a oh-shoot-it-is-4:30-what-will-we-eat-for-dinner kinda gal.  So, this flatbread recipe suits me nicely.  As you’ll see, the recipe makes two focaccia loaves; one of which you can dress for dessert.  Perfect.

In a typical evening (yes, tonight), at 6:15, I start to wonder about dinner.  I decide on pesto spaghetti  and tossed salad.  My trusty flatbread recipe complements my procrastination perfectly.

Throw 2 1/2 cups of flour in the mixer bowl (I have a dough hook attachment with my mixer; you can go the hard route and mix and knead by hand)

Add 1 packet of rapid rise yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and 3/4 tsp of salt. 

Mix 1 cup hot water with 2 tbsp EVOO.  Gradually pour into the dry ingredients while mixing.  Add up to 1/2 cup more flour until dough seems soft and elastic.  I mix about 5 minutes.  Then cover with a towel for 12 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 425.  Divide dough in half and place side-by-side on greased baking sheet.  Press into 8″ circles, cover sheet for 15 minutes.  Press fingertips into dough to make some indentions.  Brush one with EVOO.  Brush the other with butter, maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, whatever sweet is your fancy. 

Add toppings and bake 15-17 minutes.  Tonight I used fresh garlic, basil, greek oregano, rosemary, and chives (thanks Helen!).  Then sprinkled some parm cheese.  I consider focaccia a dipping bread so I serve it with a saucer of oil and ground peppercorn.   

On the sweet bread, you could top with sliced grapes, sugar, cinnamon, or whatever you’re craving.

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Ode to Tomatoes

Posted on July 30, 2008 by juliebyers

Salsa and salads and sandwiches and sauces and soups.  And biting into them right off the vine; warm from the sun with a basil leaf from the plant nearby.  I want admiration for my tomatoes.  I held them up to my husband and demanded he note their perfection.  “Yeah, they are tomatoes.”  (Though he bragged later to my mother about how beautiful they were–he did notice!).  Secretly, what impresses me most:  I put plants in the ground and added water.  No other effort expended.  Grace. 

The street filled with tomatoes, midday, summer, light is halved like a tomato, its juice runs through the streets…Unfortunately, we must murder it: the knife sinks into living flesh, red viscera a cool sun, profound, inexhaustible, populates the salads…happily, it is wed to the clear onion, and to celebrate the union we pour oil, essential child of the olive, onto its halved hemispheres, pepper adds its fragrance, salt, its magnetism;

it is the wedding of the day, parsley hoists its flag, potatoes bubble vigorously, the aroma of the roast knocks at the door, it’s time! come on! and, on the table, at the midpoint of summer, the tomato, star of earth, recurrent and fertile star, displays its convolutions, its canals, its remarkable amplitude and abundance, no pit, no husk, no leaves or thorns, the tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness.  –Pablo Neruda

 

Yes, Scott–we’re having roast for dinner.  Don’t work late.

   

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Shot, smuggling zucchini into mailboxes

Posted on July 4, 2008 by juliebyers

In honor of picked-this-morning tomatoes and zucchini from my garden, I treated myself to my favorite lunch. 

This blending of flavors developed out of a mad throw-together of foods one day when Noelle was coming over for lunch.  The collards and cabbage are boiled for 4 minutes then rinsed with cold water and chopped.  I use the leftover water to cook the grains (I cheat–it is a 7-grain blend from Kashi).  I stir fry the greens in sesame oil and season with rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and pepper.  The zucchini is stir fried in water.  By happenstance, we discovered that fresh pineapple makes the perfect pairing for the greens.  Ah, the goodness from suave reptilian glitter.

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Monday

Posted on June 9, 2008 by juliebyers

All I can say.

This morning I put a meal in the crockpot. 

Tonight, while making salsa to accompany aforementioned meal, I noticed I didn’t turn it on. 

Sigh.

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Pigs Anyone?

Posted on May 4, 2008 by juliebyers

I’m talking “Pass the Pigs.”  Best game on the planet.  Have you passed some pigs? 

I’ll never forget evenings around the Nicewongers’ dining room table; all of us “camp folk” stuffed from Judy’s feast and Dick’s pork tenderloin grilled on the Weber.  While we tried (successfully) to find room for Judy’s peanut butter pie, Dick would bring out the pigs.  We leaned forward in our chairs, some even stood, as the electric charge of competition lit the room.  It was on.  Each of us with our own special technique–pig kisses, the wrist flip, Dick’s special cup toss, the hand roll–we passed pigs late into the NY night. 

Don’t know about the pigs?  Hang in here with me, it gets complicated.  You have these two tiny pigs and you throw them.  The positions in which they land give you points.  The piggies touch and you lose it all.  Toss a Double Leaning Jowler and you hit the jackpot.  I told you it was complicated. 

Snouter/Razorback

So the next time you’re planning a camping trip, pack the pigs.  The next time you have some friends over, bring out the pigs and the peanut butter pie. 

Pig out.     

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