chancel's New Writeups

Seared peanut-scallion rice cakes (thing)

2005-05-18T05:25:54Z

I love food. You can make and eat this food. It is great. It is tasty. It is vegan. Eat it!

I suppose some of the inspiration for this came from Nigel Slater's spicy pork meatball recipe in Appetite. I heart these meatballs, but only want pork once every couple months, if that. So an appropriate seared cake of non-meat is an excellent substitute along the same spicy ball/cake lines.

To feed two:

1 cup sticky rice, with appropriate water for cooking
a couple splashes oil, pref plain vegetable or sesame
3-5 cloves minced garlic
slosh of vegetable broth
big spoonful or two of peanut butter, chunky or creamy
several shakes of soy sauce
curving arc of sriracha sauce, or appropriate substitute
two big handfuls chopped peanuts, baby carrots, and scallions, mixed
a delicate dusting of flour
salt and pepper if you so desire

Cook the rice according to package/rice cooker directions.…

What to do if you are disenfranchised in the United States (idea)

2004-10-31T04:14:52Z

1. Stand your ground.

A friend of mine in North Carolina was almost disenfranchised at her early voting station. She refused to move until they let her vote. Strangely enough, they eventually did let her vote.

If you are registered to vote, you are at the correct polling station, and there is no other good reason why you should not vote, DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL THEY LET YOU VOTE. State your case to officials clearly and civilly. Ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain that you are registered, show your state ID and voter registration card, and ask why they will not let you vote. Ask poll workers to call county officials, if necessary. Be polite and respectful at all times.

If they still will not let you vote,

2. Contact local elections officials.

Again, be polite. Ask what the problem is, and work with them to solve it, if possible. Have documents ready to prove your residence in the correct state and county. Your state ID and voter…

peanut and sesame sauce (thing)

2004-03-23T21:43:58Z

I make a slightly different peanut/sesame sauce. Served over udon, it is traditionally known as DANGER NOODLE. I like these either hot or cold; your leftovers will be GREAT. It would be fine fine on hot rice or stirfry vegetables as well, though.

For copious dinner for two, you need:

sesame and/or peanut oil
a shallot
several cloves of garlic
fivespice: cinnamon, clove, anise, ginger, I think coriander? I put coriander in at any rate.
red pepper flakes, salt, pepper
handful of sesame seeds
tofu or meat if you want
3-4 big spoonfuls peanut butter
2 big spoonfuls tahini (or just more peanut butter)
maybe 2 cups vegetable broth
mirin OR pinches of sugar
some kind of vinegar, pref Asian but whatever
hot pepper oil
chopped green onion and shredded carrot for garnish
udon noodles OR rice AND/OR steamed vegetables such as broccoli, with which to eat

…

yogurt cheese (thing)

2004-03-22T18:23:37Z

aka "cheese".

Lately I have been all about the cheese and crackers, largely because we have a serious dearth of snack food in the house. I like cheddar; I like mozzarella; I like swiss; I certainly like any actual quality cheese we might have around. But sometimes we end up making, say, a lasagne, and using up all our cheese stock at once. Sometimes we have only cheddar, and I want a softer, tangier cheese. It is at times like this that I make yogurt cheese.

Yogurt cheese is a raw cheese made by draining the whey from plain, full-fat yogurt. As there is no cooking involved, it's even easier to make than paneer and queso blanco. It is not necessarily an authentic "cheese" so much as a milk solid. But it is light and tangy and easily spreadable, and provides cheese for your cracker at reasonably short notice, considering you are making cheese. Also, yogurt is generally cheaper than cheese; this…

Potentially Hungarian chicken in wine (thing)

2003-11-04T16:43:54Z

(Or: No, my diet is only mostly vegetarian.)

Last night I was making some regular vegetable broth with a handful of alphabet noodles, and lo, a protein craving came upon me. So I dug a chicken breast from the depths of the freezer, defrosted the hell out of it, and threw it in the oven with minor preparations. It came out delicious and tender and substantial. This was quite fortunate, as the soup ended up bland and thin and not what I wanted at all. Chiiiicken was my nearly immediate salvation.

I found some variation of this online a while ago, and tweaked it for my own nefarious purposes. I have no idea whether it is actually of Hungarian origin. However, it certainly tastes like it.

For one, you need:

A raw chicken breast.
A yellow onion or two.
Thyme, marjoram, and black pepper on the onion layer.
Paprika and fresh parsley on the chicken layer.
1/4 cup melted butter or olive oil.
1/4 cup white wine,

…

Mashed potatoes and cottage cheese (thing)

2003-10-09T14:52:23Z

I don't know What was going on with my taste buds the other day, but I ended up with two bowls in front of me: one of hot mashed potatoes, and one of cold cottage cheese. Lo, I had been innocently eating my potatoes, but the warm, peppery, sour-creamy goodness cried out for more dairy! More! (I am never getting osteoporosis.) CHEESE! Not the block of bulk factory cheddar traditionally shredded and melted over your baked potato, but COTTAGE CHEESE! This is how I ended up layering my fork over and over with hot potato and cool, sharp cheese. I did not melt it; I did not mix it; I did not pervert it in any way. I ate the full two bowls, and fell over in my chair to submit to a nap of happiness.

You may ask, What the fuck is up with her?

That is an excellent question. The fuck that is up is that this combination is stupidly good.

I remember reading a story out of one of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books when I was little. In said story, the kid would…