.: Comida :.

My kid has to take lunch to school every day now, so I decided to go bento-style. 

I have a Flickr album devoted to his daily lunches.

Yesterday I made a belated birthday cake for my mom. It was totally natural, homemade and almost 100% organic. I even made the frosting by hand (one egg white, two cups of organic powdered sugar, pinch of salt, teaspoon of vanilla, stick of butter).

I also made a mixed berry puree that I squirted along the circumference of the cake to soak up into the sides. I finished it off with a mint leaf garnish.

And this is the first time I've decorated with a piping bag and pastry tips. I made the pattern up as I went along -- I think I may have a knack for decorating cakes. What's funny is, I don't like cake.

Colin Bower, at the New English Review ponders why wine can never be reviewed as tasting like....well, wine.

"Wine is always described as being like something else. This is appealingly post modern. If a chardonnay tastes a bit like a peach, what then does the peach taste like? A chardonnay? And if so, what does either taste like? If you must describe the Van Loveren 2001 limited edition Merlot as being 'chocolately', does it mean that chocolate tastes like the Van Loveren Merlot?  And if we like the Merlot on account if its tasting like chocolate, why don’t we eat chocolate instead of drinking wine?

These are questions of a profound epistemological weight." 

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Do any of you watch Top Chef?  I missed Wednesday's episode and just caught it last night. Holy smokes!

If you haven't seen it and don't want to know what happened, don't read this...
Chef Eric Ripert was the episode's guest judge and the Quick Fire challenge began (make a dish using chocolate) and went along as usual -- nothing out of the ordinary, except for Ilan making ganache  with a chicken liver center.

After Sam is declared the winner, the elimination challenge is given.  The five remaining contestants have to prepare a five-course meal which oozes L-O-V-E.  Cliff's dish ended up being the weakest (Chef Ripert said it was "Hotel Food") and the level of drama was par for the course.

Back at the loft, however, when the elimination was over the gang got a bit tipsy and decided it would be a good idea to a.) film themselves and b.) shave their heads.  Elia and Ilan did it, and Sam was a big wuss and backed off at the last minute and Cliff -- well Cliff had nothing to shave off.  At this point, Sam (the Instigation King) decided it would be funny to shave Marcel's head, without his consent.

Cliff then walks over to Marcel, who is asleep on the couch, and drags him off the couch like he weighs nothing more than 5 pounds and begins to half-nelson him into the ground.  Cliff must be like what, 6' 1" and 200-something pounds?  Marcel is about as big as Elia -- on a good day.  Poor dumb Marcel is flailing, barely managing to get out a "Hey, stop!"  

His little hair swirl just keeps jiggling back and forth as Cliff is pinning him into the sisal carpet yelling for the others to come in and shave his head.  The others aren't coming or doing anything.   It is super uncomfortable to watch and finally Cliff lets Marcel go.  Pissed and scared, Marcel ends up sleeping in the bathroom, presummably with the door locked.

The next day, Chef Colicchio comes and tells Cliff he broke Bravo's rules (i.e., you can't manhandle the competition and make them squeal) and is being asked to leave.

At the judging table the remaining contestants are called idiots, bad examples and not Top Chef material by the judges -- yet all four of them are heading off to Hawaii for the final challenge.
 
I was just left sitting there with my mouth totally hanging open.  Did anyone else see it?

Of course, for me the best part was when super hawt Eric Ripert (Isn't it crazy how his eye color is exactly the same as his hair color?) said that Ilan's dish "should not be served, for example, in a restaurant."

I'm lucky enough to have a kid who likes eating (or at least trying) everything.  He likes california rolls and loves any sort of salmon sushi.

This is a cute gift for any child who loves sushi or imaginative play:

At $20, it's a steal!

-- or anyone who likes curries.

Yesterday, I mad an extremely easy recipe for some nice yellow curried peas using items from Trader Joe's.  If you are in a hurry, this is very tasty and is done in about 1/2 hour.

Curried Peas*

• 2 bags of their frozen organic peas
• 1 bottle of their yellow curry
• 1 can of their coconut milk
• 1 package of firm tofu 

Leave the peas on your counter to defrost briefly, while you drain and cube the tofu into bite-size pieces.  

In a large pan, combine the curry and coconut milk and warm for a few minutes.  Add the peas and heat for about 15 minutes -- stirring occasionally.  Add the tofu and heat for another 15 minutes, or until peas are done.  

My variations include: adding cubed chicken (we had some leftover chicken I roasted, so I put some chicken in my husband's bowl), cubed potatoes and carrots.

The husband made some basmati rice and I popped some naan into the oven and we had a nice, quick dinner.

*Recipe found at Trader Joe Fan.

I just made a simple balsamic vinegar reduction with sugar and freshly grated peppercorns and simmered it until it reduced by half.  I'm going to brush it on some peaches and grill them, but now, honest to god, that damn reduction has made my entire house smell like sweaty-ass feet!

MY HOUSE SMELLS LIKE FEET!