of an amiable British Indian guy at the pub who kindly informed me that we have a Little India in this city where one can get good Indian food & now I have the coordinates hooray!

“Here’s my first list of substitutions for the unhealthy, fat inducing things I crave the most often. All under 300 calories, all easy.

If I’m craving something…

Sweet and chewy, like a candy bar – substitute one cashew coconut chocolate chip Hammer bar. 230 calories, gluten free, 100% organic, and dedangdelicious!

Ice Cream – substitute a Nicolasc Special Smoothie! 1/2 cup Kefir, 1/4 c. frozen peaches, 1/4 avocado, 1 sm. bananna.

White Pasta – I substitute spaghetti squash, and use regular marinara and some shrimp on top.

Burgers and fries – Turkey burger, no bun, with 1/4 avocado on top for mouth feel, and 1/2 cup baked sweet potato fries.

Mexican food – 4 oz. grilled flank steak with sauteed onions and peppers. Dry rub the steak with chili powder, cumin, garlic. Sautee veggies in 1 tsp coconut oil. Eat with luscious homemade guac, a dollop of plain greek yogurt and fresh salsa.

Salty Chips and dip – slice veggies like sweet potatoes and carrots on a mandoline, very thin, spray with non-stick cooking spray and broil in the oven until crispy. Sprinkle with sea salt. Dip in Bolthouse Yogurt based dressings. (60 cal per tbs, low fat, all organic) Serving: one cup of veggie chips.

Sweetened beverages – hot ginger tea, plain. I don’t know why, but this works like a charm. NO calories.”

It was supposed to be Green Chile Stew. No green chiles at the market, so substituted 3 cans of mild chopped green chiles which were all I could find. Not sure that contributed much to the flavor because other changes made it difficult to compare this soup to past GCSs. I also couldn’t be bothered to buy and de-skin and debone and cook chicken to put in it, so except for the chicken broth it was a veggie stew with diced mushrooms, broccoli florets, corn, sliced potatoes and cute tiny mini potatoes. Also, about 3 tbsps crushed garlic, salt, cayenne & black pepper. It totally rocked. Very good for winter. Love those mini potatoes.

new discovery: Trader Joe’s rice and adzuki bean chips! Delicious with guacamole or black olive hummus (yum!)

And an accidental discovery this morning: coffee on a cold morning is divine with a few spoonfuls of Haagen Dazs ginger ice cream !! Who needs to remember to buy milk! (did not try eating cereal with it however I assure my worried readers)

my Swiss friend eats

wasabi with chips

yikes !

He also says they can get CURRY WITH CHIPS AT MCDONALD’S there in Basel !

not…fair….

Here are the ingredients in the curry paste itself
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 thumb-size piece galangal, peeled and sliced (or substitute ginger)
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce, or vegetarian fish sauce (if unavailable, substitute regular soy sauce)
1 tsp. shrimp paste (omit if vegetarian)
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. chilli powder
1 heaping Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground (grind them yourself in a coffee grinder for the best taste)
1-2 red chillies, depending on how spicy you want it – deseeded (omit if you prefer a mild curry)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. cumin

“Guacamole

“4 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 med tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, to taste

“Blend to chunky consistency with fork; serve with tortilla chips” and BACON !

TJ’s Wasabi Sesame Drizzling Sauce

so good

also soft-boiled quail eggs in a can from the Asian grocery…! why have I never known these exist?!

fro’
A Staggering Rat of Heartbreaking Something or Other
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Rumba
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I don’t really drink rum, but I buy it to make ho-made vanilla. I remember walking into an LCBO to ask the staff about the finer points of vanilla-making… they gave me a collective look that I have never seen before but took my questions seriously. The consensus was that dark rum would make a better vanilla for my taste (the molasses gives it a slight brown-sugar flavour). It’s a great project, ho-made rum vanilla.
Aug 18, 10:47AM PDT
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mahinui
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different beans, different flavor
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The madagascar beans are more potent for turning the rum to vanilla, while the hawaiian beans delicately flavor and scent the rum for scrumptious island cocktails.
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Either left in long enough makes the vanilla, I am told.

A Staggering Rat of Heartbreaking Something or Other’s entry “the perseids approacheth Sat. Aug. 8/09”…
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Arborio!
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“Here’s what your Rat does:
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“We chop somewhat finely the carrots, leeks, shallots (if any) and parsnips and toss them in a heavy Mauviel with sweet butter, letting them sweat on medium low for a few minutes. Then we add our Arborio rice to the pan, stir it up a bit, and let it brown slightly. The butter should be very fragrant and nutty, but it should not burn.
We add the white wine… a couple of good glugs of it. Then stock – chicken stock is my homeboy – enough to cover. Stir with a wooden spoon and hover like a helicopter, stirring every few minutes and adding stock as you go. Add sea salt if your stock is anemic.
When the risotto is nearly done, chop your baby bok choy or spinach and add that to the saucepan. When all is “the right risotto consistency”, stir in your grated cheddar.”
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Flutter and I made a dynamite risotto together. She is an expert chopper. Also, she put up with my singing Morrissey songs, and that quality in a chef is priceless.”