Tuesday 21 August 2007

Disheveled

... There is only one thing I don't enjoy about cooking: my food is never pretty. I make delicious, scrumptious, savory dishes... but they're not going to win any beauty pageants. I would love to post more recipes here on Quixotic but the main reason I don't is that I can't manage to get good photographs out of them. It's no surprise that my best baked good is a "crumble crisp" - messiness is built right into the name. My favorite dinners to make people are jumbled, mixed up, triple-napkin threats. I know that when it comes to food, it's more important that it tastes good than looks good but... just once I'd like to make a dish that's a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.

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posted on Mexico time @ 0.22 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism | comments (1)

Monday 16 July 2007

Cold Brewed Irony

And when I feel the undeniable call of a lazy summer afternoon, I carry my glass of cold brewed coffee and my copy of Uncommon Grounds* down to the garden. Nothing like enjoying a delicious cup of coffee while reading about the centuries of oppression that have resulted from its cultivation.

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posted on Mexico time @ 4.25 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism

Saturday 19 August 2006

Take This Website Away from Me before I Cry

So here I am, happily clicking my way across the web when one of my daily distractions, Fat Free Vegan, led me to Naughty Curry.

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posted on Mexico time @ 14.23 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism | comments (2)

Monday 17 July 2006

The Accidental Cultist Part 2: La Playa Sur Diet, Zihua-style

Ya'll might remember the ridiculous amount of moaning I did two months ago when my doctor mandated I cut all sugars out of my diet for several weeks while adjusting to new medications. Without my yogurt, fruit, or red wine, I thought I might just lose my mind or starve to death. I was used to eating yogurt and fruit for breakfast and lunch, rice and vegetables, topped off by a fudgsicle for my nightly dessert. Not only did I have to cut all of my regular foods out of my menu, I also had to bulk up my menu, eating every 2 hours to maintain my blood sugar at a stable level. This was going to be very difficult as I have resisted my doctor's admonitions to increase my food intake for 4 years now.

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posted on Mexico time @ 21.42 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism

Monday 10 July 2006

The Accidental Cultist Part 1: Mango-A-Go-Go

For the next few Mondays, I will be writing entries that follow the theme of "The Accidental Cultist" which is not really a theme but a confessional of my obsessions in the hopes that you will join me in my fanaticism. I don't know how long the series of entries will last so don't go forming a cult of readership based on them... but here goes number 1.

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posted on Mexico time @ 23.43 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism | comments (3)

Monday 30 January 2006

Okay, okay, I found the freakin' silver lining

I got out of the house for a few hours today for the first time in over two weeks which was truly a breath of fresh air. Sylvia fetched me in her car and we went to Dona Licha's where I ordered the usual, huevos a la mexicana. I proudly ate about half of the order and I really savored the food after my simple bare bones menu while enduring the latest bout of illness. Lunch and dinner have been variations on tofu, rice, chicken broth, and steamed frozen vegetables while I've snacked on frozen strawberries & peaches. I've had many friends graciously offer to go grocery shopping for me but I kept my requests down to the basics. I'm quite cognizant of the fact that I need my friends for the long haul so I don't want to wear out my favors on a silly little case of pneumonia.

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posted on Mexico time @ 23.30 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism | comments (3)

Saturday 21 January 2006

The Land of Flavoured Nuts

Mexicans sure love their cacahuates. But they don't just like them plain, oh no. Even salted isn't good enough. Almost every little tienda and road side stand carries at least 4 varieties of spiced nuts and Comercial has dozens if you had up the different brand names and the bulk options. The most popular here are the enchilada (red spicy) and the japonese (wasabi-flavoured) peanuts. I will admit that I share the local love for them and don't keep them in my house because I know a bag, no matter the size, will disappear in less than 24 hours. Instead, I treat myself to the occasional mini snack pack and try not to seem too desperate by snarfing them down before I even leave the store.

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posted on Mexico time @ 0.29 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism | comments (1)

Saturday 03 December 2005

Tart-Flavoured Thankfulness

At last year's "Gringo Thanksgiving" dinner (where over 100 Zihua locals and vacationers converge for a massive potluck), I was so happy to see the 5 kinds of cranberry sauce that I simply had a scoop of each and skipped over the potatoes, stuffing, and turkey. Needless to say, my friends all made fun of me but I didn't mind; the tart sauce gave me plenty of reasons to be thankful. This year, when Bev said that she doesn't really care for cranberry sauce, I quickly offered to make it to ensure it was on the table at our smaller feast (there were 8 of us). I didn't stop to wonder if there are real cranberries available in Zihua -- there are not. Thus, the night before Thanksgiving I experimented with reconstituting dried cranberries which I learned isn't very difficult at all. I just put the dried cranberries in a pot full of water, brought it to a boil, and let it simmer for 45 minutes. I forgot that dried cranberries have added sweetener which made the sauce much sweeter than usual as I used the full amount of sugar. Ooops. I cut the sugar with more orange juice and, although it was a more candied taste than I am used to, no one else seemed to mind.

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posted on Mexico time @ 1.02 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism | comments (2)

Monday 21 November 2005

A Whole Wheat Embrace

We remember from whence we came by the little moments. We embrace how far we've come and, yet, yearn for the quieter times. The smell of rising bread rekindles all our senses. Come sit with me and share this bread. Would you like honey, jam, butter, or cheese?

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posted on Mexico time @ 19.06 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism

Saturday 30 April 2005

Ginger Lemonade

Two weeks ago, I hosted an afternoon baby shower for my dear friend, Bev. I'll admit that, in true Isahrai fashion, I got a little obsessed. Wanting to make sure everyone's thirst was quenched on a hot Sunday afternoon, I spent quite the pretty penny on various liquors and mixers so any drink request could be filled from gin & tonics to mimosas to a refreshing glass of white wine. At the last minute, I also decided to make ginger lemonade for a non-alcoholic alternative. I had made a double batch of base syrup, planning to use the leftovers for a month of afternoon lemonades. Imagine my surprise when the ginger lemonade was the smash hit of the party and there was not a drop of ginger syrup left to take home.

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posted on Mexico time @ 19.30 (menos o mas) | link to this Quixoticism