Madhur Jaffrey's Far Eastern cookery

I don't buy many cookbooks anymore.  The internet has become the de facto place to get recipes.  But, there are a multitude of recipes that will never make it to the internet.  So, I'd buy more cook books but I just don't have the room for more, just yet.

The Far Eastern Cookery is one of those timeless cook books that is just stuffed with great recipes.  The recipe I made today was the "Smokey Eggplants in Lime Sauce".

The recipe is really quite simple...except for charring the eggplants on a gas stove top.  That takes time.

Here's the cover of the cook book.  And here's the link to it on Amazon.

Gnocci, shrimp, asparagus and cheese in one skillet From The Detroit News

I made this tonight and it was a hit.  However, I have a peev about recipes like this.  For one, it uses one cup of chicken broth.  Our Kroger doesn't sell the 8 oz asceptic boxes.  Just the 14 oz cans.  So I had to boil off the excess water.  But first I removed all of the stuff from the pan.  Then I boiled off as much of the water a possible without burning the remaining good stuff.

Also, I added garlic.  What's an Italian dish without garlic??

Follow those tracks!

I learned an important lesson while living in Germany.  When you never drive and just use mass transit, your entire way of thinking as to how to navigate the city completely changes.

One day at the Linde office on Bodenbacher Str, the Project Manager, an affable Englishman, and excellent engineer ,offered to take me home in his car.  I was just a lowly engineer and was not allowed to have my own car.  So I just used the buses and trams to get around.

We got in his car and we drove off.  At the exit of the complex he asked "So, which way?"

That's when I realized.  I didn't know.  By this time I have traveled back and forth every day for the last 6 months to work and home.  But I didn't know how to get home by car.

I asked for his map and started to franctically figure it out.  Turn here.  Right, no left!

The way was awkward and twisting.  Certainly, not the most efficient GPS generated route.

Then we landed on a street and I recognized the tram tracks.  "There! Follow those tracks!  I know where I am now!"

And sure enough.  We made it to my house.

By mass transit, I could jump from tram to bus with the greatest of ease, finding myself anywhere I wanted.  But by car?  Forget it.

Breakfast in Germany

I was the Gedeckzweimann.  This is a picture of my breakfast almost every morning while living in Germany in 2005 and 2006.

Gosh, I loved that Dell Axim PDA!

Kipper, spinach, bacon and new potato salad

Kroger deep discounted their canned kippers so I picked up a can to see if I could make a meal out of it.  I have never had them before but my wife had.  She explained to me that they were a very English thing.  Brits would have them for breakfast.

I found a nice recipe that also included the other very English food:  Rashers. These are sort of a combination of Canadian bacon and American bacon.  However, I used baby spinach leaves and only needed half the amount required by the recipe.

The meal was a big hit.  There was no great fishy smell or taste from the kippers...until the next day.  The fishy smell and taste would infuse itself into everything. So, make sure you eat it fresh.  If you eat leftovers, like I do, you have been warned.

Waldo's Coffee House

Originally posted September 4, 2012

"Would you like that heated?"  I winced inside.  The death call for a croissant.  I knew then it would not be fresh.

Waldo's is literally a house.  A house that was converted into a coffee, uh, house. It's located right on Heights Blvd on the east side of the esplanade (or maybe it's just a wide medium) where joggers and dog-walkers like to run up and down.

The place was, well, homey.  Tranquil.  I was relaxed....until a worker started hammering a sign on the door post of an adjoining room. "This area closed" for who knows what reason.  But I supposed, hammering doesn't always occur.

The floor looks to have been kept in its original worn condition.  More patina, I guess.

There is a certain polish missing in the place.  I'm looking at a torch lamp that is leaning to the left.  There are stacks of leaflets over by the restrooms.  The choice of artwork needs more work, needs a more discerning eye.

Outside, the neighbor has a pickup truck with one wheel missing.  But that may be temporary.

Croissant Brioche French Bakery and Cafe

Originally Posted August 29, 2012

Today I went to the limits of where I can go without running into time constraints.  I'm out at the Rice Village area at the Croissant Brioche French Bakery and Cafe.  And I am not disappointed.  If this place shows one thing it is that if you build it, they really will come.

I am surprised (but....maybe shouldn't be).  I mean, the name.  Look at the name.  The word CROISSANT is in it.  So immediately expectations (although, guardedly) go up. 

And the place is busy.  You can tell the place is popular on a regular basis.  They've jammed lots of tables into the dining area and for spill-over there is outside seating.

There is a medium amount of a "roar" as people talk.


The only thing that irritates me is the number of retirees that come here.  I've discussed this before so I won't get into it again.

The flooring is a red tile with patina to give an old world look, I guess.  The glass counter is filled with nice muffins, tarts, carrot cake, etc. The place is decorated nicely with a couple of high shelves lined with many curios, quite a few of them being clay and ceramic chickens.  I guess we're to feel like we're in a country French farm.  Just a guess.