My Bit of Earth

Omnivore's Hundred: Chicken Tikka Masala and Salted Lassi

I got in a few Indian foods from the Omnivore's Hundred last weekend, when some friends talked us into going to India Palace for dinner.

First, an order of chicken tikka masala.  Common wisdom is this dish is not actually Indian in origin, but was invented in Glasgow, Scotland, then imported to India.  Wherever it's from, it was pretty darned good though!  It had that sweet-spicy thing going on.  (I'm a sucker for that!)

Second, a salted lassi, which is a yogurt drink.  Imagine sipping salty cottage cheese through a straw.  While it was disgusting, it was kind of fun watching everyone's faces screw up as I passed it around the table for sampling.  In the end all four of us agreed--it was not good.  (Note Nice Friend making a kinda-creepy face for this kinda-creepy drink!)

If you can stand to discuss food yet...

...I have a few more foods to cross off the Omnivore's Hundred.

1. Baklava, which I ordered as dessert one night at Ingredient.  It was sticky, sticky, sticky, but good if you love honey.
2. Apple wine (i.e. fruit wine made from something other than grapes) from our trip to Davenport Winery.  It tastes a lot like apple cider, but without the sickly-sweet taste that some ciders have.  The owner of the winery suggested heating it up with a cinnamon stick, which was a very nice.

To see how I'm progressing on the Omnivore's Hundred, click here.

The Omnivore's Hundred: Four More to Check Off

A few more to cross-off on the Omnivore's Hundred....

...Wasabi Peas.  The Asian equivalent of spicy peanuts, I'm not even sure that I really like these but somehow they're addictive nonetheless!

...Raw scotch bonnet pepper.  I forgot that I'd planted scotch bonnets until I found some in my garden a few weeks ago.  I was nervous for this one, so I had a glass of milk at the ready.  While the peppers were certainly warm, once the hot subsided the aftertaste was very nice.  I think one in a pot of chili could do great things.

...a Big Mac Meal.  We rarely eat fast food except when we're on the road, when we often grab a cheeseburger and eat it in the car.  For the Big Mac though, we actually went in and sat down because they're kind of messy.  How does the song go?  Two all-beef patties, special sauce....???  Anyway, although it was enough calories for two meals, it was some yummy, yummy junk food!

...a S'more.  Two of the three nights we were at Rock Eddy, we had a fire and S'mores.  I like my marshmallows a little burnt, Sweet Husbands likes them perfectly browned--either way, there's nothing bad about chocolate, graham crackers, and gooey marshmallow happiness!

To see how I'm progressing on the Omnivore's Hundred, click here.

Daring Bakers and Omnivore's Hundred: Lavash Crackers with Baba Ghanoush

This month's Daring Bakers challenge--posed by Natalie of Gluten a Go Go and Shel of Musings From the Fishbowl--was to make lavash crackers and a vegan and gluten free topping to go with them.  The crackers were super easy and very good.  I just did a salt and pepper topping--it didn't stick quite as well as I would have liked, but I think I just needed to spritz the dough a bit better.  For my topping I tried to make baba ghanoush, but got distracted while the veggies were roasting.  They came out a little, um, black, so I had to resort to a tub from the store.  Eh.

I don't think I've ever actually had baba ghanoush before.  I expected it to taste a bit like hummus, but it was much creamier and smokier.  Although I like the basic idea (it's one of my favorite pasta sauces), I didn't love the smokiness, to be honest. 

For the recipe for the lavash crackers (with both regular and gluten free options), read on.  Check out how I'm doing on the Omnivore's Hundred here.

The Omnivore's Hundred: Heirloom Tomatoes

Another easy cross-off on the Omnivore's Hundred--heirloom tomatoes.

There are different definitions of an heirloom tomato. 

"One school of thought places an age or date point on the cultivars. For instance, one school says that the seeds must be over 100 years old, others 50 years, and others prefer the date of 1945 which marks the end of World War II and roughly the beginning of widespread hybrid use by growers and seed companies or industrial agriculture. It was in the 1970s that hybrid seeds began to proliferate in the commercial seed trade.

"Another way of defining heirloom cultivars is to use the definition of the word "heirloom" in its truest sense. Under this interpretation, a true heirloom is a cultivar that has been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one family member to another for many generations." (Via.)

I don't know how the Guy With the Cool Tomatoes at the farmer's market defines his, but however it is they're good.  More than anything, I love the surprise--even if you get two that look alike, the flavor is always unique--sometimes smoky, sometimes salty, sometimes light, sometimes tangy. 

And always perfect for a BLT with egg and avocado.  We got these in early September, so they were among the last really good summer tomatoes for the season....

To see how I'm progressing on the Omnivore's Hundred, click here.

The Omnivore's Hundred: Huevos Rancheros

Making further progress on the Omnivore's Hundred I enjoyed some huevos rancheros last weekend at our new favorite breakfast place.  (I'm not telling where, I love the fact that we can still get a table there with no waiting!)

"Huevos rancheros" means "ranch eggs".  Mine consisted of beans and poached eggs in enchilada sauce topped with sour cream, cheese, and a teensy bit of pesto--all on two corn tortillas with a dab of rice on the side.  Yum!

To see how I'm progressing on the Omnivore's Hundred, click here.

The Omnivore's Hundred: Eel and Sea Urchin

I crossed my first two things off the Omnivore's Hundred list last week--eel and sea urchin.  Our favorite sushi place in town offers both as nigiri, so I ordered it there. 

I had tried eel before (Unagi in sushi speak), so that wasn't a big deal.  It's usually cooked and brushed with a sauce that makes it taste smoky or barbecued--certainly tasty, but not necessarily all that exotic in the grand scheme of things.

The sea urchin (Uni) on the other hand was a bit more of an adventure.  Although I didn't find this out until the day after I ate it,

"[U]ni is actually the [sea urchin]'s gonads . . . . Uni ranges in color from rich gold to light yellow, and has a creamy consistency that some love and is off-putting to others. It is nevertheless one sushi item that is in incredible demand around the world, which is reflected in its price. Sea Urchins are a rare treat for those who acquire a taste. Uni has a light, sweet, and somewhat briny flavor and is is usually enjoyed as nigiri sushi or sashimi."

Our waitress was very excited when I ordered it, she said it was one of her favorites and they had it fresh that day.  (Apparently the freshness makes a big difference.)  I was a little nervous when it came out.  I was imagining something that would look more like an actual sea urchin, but what I got looked like a pale slice of raw liver.  Nonetheless, I gamely dipped it in a little soy sauce and popped it in my mouth.

It wasn't bad.  The texture was very soft and light, and it tasted a bit like an oyster--salty and wet, but not overly fishy.  Although it was a bit expensive ($5 for a single piece), I would definitely eat it again.

To see how I'm progressing on the Omnivore's Hundred, click here.

The Omnivore's Hundred

I found this list (via BlogHer) the other day of 100 foods every omnivore should try.  (There's also a list for vegans.)  The list is actually pretty expansive--everything from Kobe Beef to a Big Mac Meal from McDonald's--and there's a bit about the methodology used to chose items here.

Although I've already tried many of the items on this list (Krispy Kreme donut--guilty!), I thought it might be fun to start over, so to speak, and chronicle my experiences trying each item on the list.  It might take me years--I have a feeling some of the items might be interesting to track down--but it's certain to be an adventure.

Look for my posts to be forthcoming.  For the list, which I will update as I go, click here.