magid: (Default)
[personal profile] magid
It became more obvious to me this week that my brain doesn't quite work like other people's: it's much more food-wired than the average person (whoever the hell that is).

I was driving along, Queue was in the car, and he read part of a sign out loud, "Mandarin Chicken." And suddenly a recipe came to me: chicken with mandarin oranges, scallions, and water chestnuts, in a dressing mixing soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and orange juice. I haven't yet tried this, but I do have some leftover chicken, so I might. I mentioned this to another friend, and she suggested water cress might be needed, too. I don't have any cress right now, though, so if I experiment tonight, cress doesn't make the cut.

[update 2035: I made the chicken salad, and it came out ok. I think the dressing needs something a little thicker in it, too, and tahini seems the obvious choice. I'm hoping the flavors intensify overnight, though.]

One night last week, I was lying in bed, trying to get to sleep, the mind unable to slow down enough. I thought about an upcoming event, and the thought of bringing snacks drifted through. I remembered the big chocolate bar (5 lb, I think) that calls out to be used, and I thought of truffles. However, I'd like to make them vegan. I usually do this by adding thinned marzipan, but I don't have any right now, and don't feel like making almond truffles necessarily. What to use instead? Hrm. Ponder. And then I started thinking about vegan pudding, thinned a bit with soy milk. It might just work. Really, it might. It would require finding vegan pudding, however, and that I haven't managed yet, despite a trip to Bread & Circus. So if anyone has any suggestions on that front, I'd appreciate them.

Does anyone else tend to have recipes spring into mind, out of nowhere? Or does everyone else figure out what they're going to cook from cookbooks or tried-and-true favorites, get the appropriate groceries, and make the food they'd planned? (I also modify menus while shopping, depending on what looks appealing.)

Date: 2003-05-11 04:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bitty.livejournal.com
Harvest has vegan pudding, but I don't know about boxed mixes.
(I just know that they make me as sick as dairy puddings, so didn't pay attention.)

Date: 2003-05-11 04:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] magid.livejournal.com
I shall have to stop by Harvest, then (an excuse for a walk this week; a good thing). I'm not looking for boxed mixes, but already-made stuff that's vegan, kosher, and has readily identifiable ingredients, if at all possible. Then I can thin it a bit with the soy milk and be done with that part.

Would something made with the puddings likely make you sick, too, if there's lots of other stuff (well, chocolate) diluting it, d'you think?

Date: 2003-05-11 05:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bitty.livejournal.com
"Imagine" brand puddings. in the little plastic lunch-size packs. soy-pudding. um, last time i saw it, it was near the cooking supplies, but i haven't looked since their reorginaztion.

dunno if it'd make me sick. the idea of food at all right now is making me sick. [livejournal.com profile] bubblebabble's mom was talking about the whole yin/yang theory of food, and i'm beginning to think it has merit. if it's not a garlic roasted chicken, i'm not even going to look at it for 12 hours or so.

Date: 2003-05-12 06:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] surrealestate.livejournal.com
What sorts of pudding are you looking for, exactly? I've tried a variety of vegan pudding: chocolate, vanilla, some fruity, tapioca... From Wild Oats, B&C, etc. I also have assorted recipes in cookbooks if you're looking to make your own. Let me know. :)

Date: 2003-05-12 06:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] teddywolf.livejournal.com
I make garlic roasted chickens, usually with lemon zest.

Sorry to hear you're feeling out of it, bitty

Date: 2003-05-12 06:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] teddywolf.livejournal.com
I've been known to do the same. Not surprising, really.

Date: 2003-05-12 06:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] magid.livejournal.com
I hadn't decided on a particular pudding, except that it has to be something smooth, for mixing into melted chocolate; somehow tapioca pearls don't seem quite the thing in truffles.

Right now, I'm looking for the easy way out, so buying something prepared would be good. Since I didn't find anything at B&C yesterday (everything in their prepared pudding section was dairy, which rather surprised me), I'm hoping that Harvest will have something, that's not only vegan but kosher certified too. However, having backup recipes would probably be a good idea.... I have to pick up a few things I left at your house anyway; perhaps a recipe transfer could happen then?

Date: 2003-05-12 09:31 am (UTC)
cellio: (Monica)
From: [personal profile] cellio
I don't so much have recipes come to mind fully-formed; rather, I'll see (or think of) an ingredient or two in the fridge or cupboard, then think about ways to use it, looking around the kitchen while I do so to check for other ingredients.

I sometimes also use cookbooks and tried-and-true solutions, of course. I never bake by instinct; I don't have those clues. Cooking is different from baking.

Date: 2003-05-12 09:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] magid.livejournal.com
Cooking is different from baking, definitely, except bread, which is rather forgiving on proportions, though I have the impression that not so many people bake bread, so see it as a mysterious process, or something.

I like pantry cooking, using up things I have around the house. Usually that kind of cooking falls into variations on things I usually do, like using different vegetables with pasta, or in a frittata, or on flatbreads, all things I can make without much thought, rather than actually new recipes.

Date: 2003-05-12 09:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] magid.livejournal.com
Related brains....

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