(picture: Triangular Sushi mold picked up at the Asian Store)
I have been a little busy for the last couple of days. However, today I get to spend the entire day blissfully at home puttering around the house. While many people would consider this torture, it is my idea of heaven. There is nothing I love more than a day I spend in the kitchen playing with my food. Experimenting with food is one of the most relaxing activities for me. I consider cooking therapeutic and when it is healthy cooking it is good for the mind and body. I have not completely decided what I am going to make today, but I will enjoy it and will learn something from it even if I don’t get the results I want.
Yesterday I needed to make a trip to the vet to pick of prednisone for one of the felines that appears to have asthma. This morning we had the pleasure of trying to get the first pill into the cat. Clearly the cat had other ideas about this situation. While my vet tells me that cats can’t spit, my felines clearly didn’t get that memo. Our oldest feline spit the pill out three times this morning before we finally got it down her throat. With all the wiggling and meowing, the pilling process seemed to go on forever this morning. My husband, the cat holder, was undoubtedly happy to go to work this morning and escape the chaos. I can’t say I blame him. Lucky us, we get the pleasure of giving Luca Bella another pill again this evening. Yippee! I love the felines but it would be nice if they could be slightly more cooperative.
(pictured: Fermented Bean Curd)
After the vet yesterday I decided to stop at the Asian market (H-Mart for those nearby) before heading to cooking class. I always love a trip to the Asian market and finding things I haven’t bought before so that I don’t get into a cooking rut. Yesterday I hit the mother load of new “stuff”. First, I found a great triangular sushi mold that I can’t wait to use. Then I found a jar of fermented bean curd. I have no idea how I am going to use this but I can’t wait to try it. Bryanna Clark Grogan mentioned it a while back as having an umami that is similar to cheese. Definitely sounds like another “cheese” experiment is in my future soon. I also picked up a box of organic barley tea. My Japanese friend Reiko drinks it and thinks I will like it so I am going to try it later today. I also bought a bag of dried eggplant slices that I think will be great marinated it an Asian sauce and put into the middle of sushi rolls. The last new ingredient for me is brined jackfruit. I have heard the texture is like shredded beef so I have some ideas for this, which I will be trying soon.
If any of you have used fermented bean curd before I would love to hear how you use it. My Japanese friend immediately thought of using a little of it in soup. She wasn’t familiar with the product so I am going to assume it isn’t traditionally used in Japanese cuisine.
After the Asian market I ran into Home Goods and bought a few kitchen items I didn’t need but I wanted. I found the cutest little single serving pie tins and had to have them. There was a beautiful Lenox coffee mug on clearance for $5 that I decided would make a lovely green tea mug. I picked up a few more pieces of Deruta pottery, which I don’t need but I can never resist. I also picked up another cookbook; this book is a two hundred and fifty page tome on nothing but Tapas. Now, I love tapas. I love eating a little nibble of this and then a little nibble of that. Expect to see a few tapas recipes soon as I take some of these recipes and make them healthy and vegan.
Today the weather is cold with temps in the mid-40’s Fahrenheit, and rainy. It is not good weather for venturing out of the house. I need to get moving and get a few things accomplished today. I will be back later with a few recipes. I hope you are all having a great day. I am off to play in the kitchen just as soon as I finish my green tea.
I love your blog and have found so many wonderful ideas for stuff to eat. I am pretty diligent about making healthy food for my husband and I at home.
ReplyDeleteI have something to suggest to you! My dog takes pills three times a day, and there is no way to force them down. We have been using Greenies brand "pill pockets" (they have them for cats too)- or peanut butter. Anyway- maybe you can put the pill in something edible?
Good luck and thanks for your great info and ideas-
Suzi
Suzi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice compliment. I am glad you are getting some good ideas.
I appreciate the suggestion on the pill pockets. I will see if I can find them. Thanks for the idea.
Alicia
I love Asian grocery stores--so much fun to explore :-) I hope you make something good with your discoveries!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about your cat...I hope he is doing better soon.
Courtney
Courtney,
ReplyDeleteI agree, Asian markets are a lot of fun. I have been trying to make more Asian food so hopefully I will come up with some interesting things with the "stuff" I bought.
The kitty is okay. She coughs once or twice a day as though she has a hairball but nothing happens. Since she had her annual physical a month ago and the blood results were all normal the vet thinks it is asthma so we will be medicating her for 15 days to see if there is a change. I don't think it is big deal (at least I hope not). But I appreciate the concern. Thanks!
Alicia
does your cat need to take the pills for life, or does he have more of a seasonal problem? we were at the vet just today(binkys nails got done) and we talked to them about allergy shots. it is a steroid shot that they only have to get every month or six months depending on the animal. we are going o look into that for our dog. did you ever try the pill pockets?
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI don't know yet if the kitty will be on pills for life. Thanks for letting me know that there are shots too.
I didn't buy the pill pockets because I got really good at opening her mouth and dropping the pill onto the back of her throat so she couldn't spit it out. However, if or when that stops working I will definitely be trying the pill pockets. It was a great suggestion from Suzi. If I try them I will let you know what the cat thinks of them.
Alicia