the glistening of make-up helps to construct a better clown

[schmerica]

Do you ever have a day when you wish that you had, instead of little devils and angels, a miniature Jack Bristow to sit on your shoulder and give you advice and guide you through this crazy, crazy world?

I feel like that every day. Jack Bristow, come and fix my life! Be my spy daddy FOREVER!

Today I made curried cauliflower for dinner as a treat for myself for fixing up my resume and applying for jobs today. I'm always surprised by my treat turns out to be something that's actually really healthy, but oh man, it is so freaking good.

Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver: I am approximately one-third of the way through, which means I just finished the first book-within-the-volume-within-the-cycle. Mmmm, 17th century. Mmmmm, history of science. Mmmmm, big juicy book to lose myself in.

Zee keeps teasing me with the promise of writing Young Avengers Cassie/Kate femslash. I almost help she never does complete this, because I'm already her obedient servant in way too many ways.

If you understand my subject line, you get a shiny new nickel.

Comments

icon for recipe

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Curried cauliflower?

Re: icon for recipe

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

The official recipe is called "Braised Cauliflower with Curry and Tomatoes" from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. I think I typed it up somewhere for someone else; let me check.

Here we go:

Butter, olive oil or vegetable oil
Fresh minced ginger
Fresh minced garlic
Salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and chopped/split into florets
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned are fine, don’t drain)
1/2 cup water

Bittman says 2 tablespoons of fat, and 1 teaspoon each of ginger and garlic, but I tend not to measure any of those ingredients, but just add a little butter and a little olive oil, and mince the garlic and ginger until I get sick of chopping.

You’ll want to measure out all the spices and have them in a bowl together, ready to add all at once. The tomatoes an cauliflower should be all chopped before you start, too.

You need a large skillet or pot with a lid. Heat the fat up over medium until it’s hot, then add the garlic and ginger and saute until the garlic starts coloring (Bittman says five minutes, but it’s usually quicker for me). When that happens, add all the spices and stir until they let out the aroma (not very long). And this point, you add the tomatoes and cauliflower and water, stir it all up, turn the heat to medium low, and let it cook. Stir every four or five minutes and keep an eye out on it. Bittman’s recipes estimates a little over ten minutes before the cauliflower should be tender, but I’ve found mine takes at least twice that (though it’s possible I just like my cauliflower overcooked).

And actually, my simmering time today was even longer than last time, you really just have to keep checking every five minutes until the cauliflower is the consistency you like. You can serve it with rice or cut it with a little dairy, or just have it plain. It's yummy hot, but even better a half hour or hour later, I think.

Re: icon for recipe

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks! Sounds yummy!

Re: icon for recipe

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

The smell of the ginger and garlic sauteeing in the melted butter is in my top 5 kitchen smells, dude.

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[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

(here from cereta's recent post (http://cereta.livejournal.com/311722.html), snagging the recipe!)

I once had a roommate come down from the second floor and into the kitchen, sniffing in ecstacy, asking, "oh, wow, that smells so good, what are you making?"

"I'm sauteeing garlic in olive oil," I said.

Re: icon for recipe

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Mmmm. It's always amazing how something that incredibly simple that smell so heavenly!

[notemily.livejournal.com]

woo! mates of state nickel for me.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

WOOOOO SOPHIE!

You 'almost help'?

[ficbyzee.livejournal.com]

*points and laughs at your typoes*

Re: You 'almost help'?

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

*cries* MEAN ZEE!

Re: You 'almost help'?

[ficbyzee.livejournal.com]

*You're* the one who was making fun of my unfortunate age affliction!

Re: You 'almost help'?

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

You were mocking my incest kink!

Re: You 'almost help'?

[ficbyzee.livejournal.com]

It's impossible to NOT mock your incest kink, dear.

[rossetti.livejournal.com]

Earlier today, even whilst doing something as mundane as selecting produce, I kept thinking, "What would Daddy Jack do? Because he's got cold, hard millions in cash, medical equiptment and guns, and he always knows what to do."

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

It is comforting to think of in tough times!