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United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

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Wednesday, May 19, 2004

As promised, here is that strained chili sauce, streaked onto a plate, as close as you dare get if you appreciate your eyes. It's hot, but not that hot - not the sort of heat that does an oily creep to the back of your throat to implant a threat of anaphylactic shock. A holy heat, starting on the tip of the tongue, delivering a payload of garlic and onion like a dependable postal employee, but lingering a bit courtesy of a late-blooming ad hoc cast of sweet spicy seeds there, they don't know why, but they know how to sing backup. Bless 'em. The postman knocks twice. No salt. 8:20:30 PM    comment []

No cicadas in my chili sauce, but some people think the pepper skins are just as bad. I do. They are like pieces of parchment to get stuck against you gums, between you teeth, and maybe even choke you.   So as I beefed up the chili sauce last evening, I was kicking myself for not getting them out of there earlier. The food processor just can’t chop them up and a cup or two at a time in the blender is just too damn tedious.   Three other methods of removing them came to mind – rinsing through a sieve (which would mean reducing the sauce again), running them through the vegetable juicer (a combination pulverizer/centrifugal strainer), or getting out the Villaware strainer. I decided on the latter, as you can see here. It also got all the seeds out too – you can see the pulp extruding from the front tube while the sauce slides silkily down the little plastic ramp. The finished sauce is think and smooth – resembling ketchup. A close-up of it will follow later. The Villaware strainer is in the dishwasher getting cleaned up for its next gig.   The first time I learned that you had to remove the skins it was already too late. The sauce had been incorporated into Texas Chili and the only way to get the skins out was to remove them one at a time. That’s not cooking, that’s hard labor. 5:44:20 PM    comment []

Carpe Diem   Check out the Cicada-Licious cookbook, prepared by Jenna Jadin and the University of Matyland Cicadamaniacs.   You will find recipes for Soft-shelled cicadas, Shanghai Cicadas, Cicada Dumplings, Cicada Stir-Fry, Maryland Cicadas, El Chirper Tacos, Cica-delicious Pizza, The Simple Cicada, Sizzling Chili Cicadas, Emergence Cookies, Southern Cicada Tartlets, Banana Cicada Bread, Chocolate Chip Trillers, Cicada Rhubarb Pie, and Chocolate Covered Cicadas.   Act now to prepare these delicacies because it will be 17 years before you get the chance again! Thanks to HAIL DUBYUS! for the link. I’m inspired to make some Cicada Boudin!   4:54:54 PM    comment []

A mushroom volunteer (coded-named "Harry") from Sister Ruth's backyard. 5:24:33 AM    comment []