Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Random Cookery by humans and robots alike

Robots unite! First there was the Donut Robot. Now there is the ChefStack, a robot that can crank out 200 pancakes per hour. If only Asimov were around to see this.

In comparison, here are Andy made pancakes. He switches back and forth from the Candle Cafe cookbook and Vegan Brunch, so these could come from either cookbook. The blueberries are from the recent harvest.

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Back in mid July, I was lucky enough to find garlic scapes at PCC. Garlic scapes aka ramps aka whistles are the flower stem of garlic. Some farmers cut off the stems before the plant flowers so that it can focus it's energy on the garlic bulb instead of making a flower. I'm all for that because I like to eat them. They have the texture of asparagus and taste slightly like garlic. I used them in a stirfry.
Next up is a veganized version of my mom's version of Rinctum Ditty. It's pretty simple stuff that might sound gross, but it's tomato cheezly goodness. If you search online, you will find recipes that ask for more ingredients and pour it over toast (as well as some disgusting definitions, ignore them). Using crackers is much easier than making toast.

  • Heat up a can of stewed/diced tomatoes (use about 1/2 the liquid, reserve the rest).
  • Add some grated cheddar Cheezly and stir once in a while.
  • When the cheezly has melted, and it's runny enough (you might need to add some of the reserved tomato liquid), pour over crushed saltines.


I had a craving for English Breakfast recently, so I fulfilled it with canned baked beans, toast, slightly fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, gardenburger brand fake sausage, and tea. Andy, if you're reading this, we're having this again for dinner tonight.

Glutino makes "Dark Chocolate Candy Bars". They look like chocolate coated styrofoam in the pic below, but they taste like kit kats! Seattle peeps, you can get them at Sidecar.

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Meet my newest employee, Tubs, Chief Laundry Guard. He makes sure the cats don't get on the laundry. Hey! Wait a minute!
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Kobie and I are going outside now to see if the blackberries are ready for harvest. I might as well take advantage of the plant that has invaded my yard.

10 comments:

Andrea said...

Our CSA gives us ramps and scapes but here, they are different. The ramps are kind of green onion-like (a wild leek, actually) and grow wild in the woods early in the spring. The have two (I think) tall, wide leaves. The scapes are what you described. I've never heard the term whistles applied to either but it's catchy.

Tubbs looks very good at his job. It's nice when the cats help out around the house.

Tara said...

Your food always looks so good! Pancakes! Scapes! Rinctum Ditty! ENGLISH BREAKFAST!
And Tubs looks very official! I think he needs a badge. Or a hat. Or a badge and a hat!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Oooh, yum! I adore English breakfast.

Jen Treehugger said...

Oooh I often get a craving for an English fry. Usually on a Sunday morning! Andy's Pancakes look yummy sounds like you've got your own Pancake robot.
;)
I've always wanted to try Garlic scapes but I've never seen them in the shops - here or in the UK.
Tubs makes a mighty fine laundry guard. No-one's gonna get past him!
LOL!

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

ooh my garlic plant on the balcony has some long old shoots on it, i didn't realise they were good for eating, i'll have to cut it down.

I'm craving pancakes now.

Tubs looks very comfy there - cats do love to mess up clean laundry don't they!

Lisa -- Cravin' Veggies said...

Mmm... pancakes...

I had never heard of ramps/scapes until I started reading blogs. Weird, huh? I didn't know until now what they were.

Also, I have never had an English breakfast. I probably need to crawl out from under this rock and give it a try.

I've got a laundry guard too. She is a little more covert in her patrolling though. She buries herself in - folded or unfolded clothes - and hisses at the unsuspecting passersby. ;o)

For the Love of Guava said...

WOW! I wish my yard was suffering from a blackberry invasion!! Not fair! And... I wish my kitchen was suffering from andycakes and fresh fruit... hehe... AndyCakes... how awkward and uncomfortable is my calling Andy made pancakes "Andycakes"? One more time... everyone together... MORE ANDYCAKES! (hehe... you should start referring to your better half as such ... hehee..)

For the Love of Guava said...

.. oh right i was too busy being obnoxious to also voice my envy of your scapes I still haven't ever seen these around!

Amy said...

Haha I love it! Tubs~guardcat of all things fluffy and warm!!!

I saw garlic scapes (I think) in the supermarket the other week but I didn't know what on earth I'd do with them so I left them there. Maybe I should have picked some up.

Mmmm pancakes.

Hannah said...

Goodness, now I'm hungry all of a sudden! That stir fry looks like the perfect thing right about now... Well, I think I just figured out what I'm making for dinner. Thanks for the inspiration!