Reading Assignments

Head over to Significant Objects to read my friend Lakin's story about a paper fan that, like a pet-store puppy, she had to take home. (No, I don't condone pet stores selling animals. But I do condone artistic license and simile).

Then, head on over to my new website, MichellePanik.com, and check out my latest blog entry, which includes a link to an article I wrote for TCSD's Newsletter.

Veggie Month: The Month After

I made it.

Sure, I might not have blogged on February 27, but rest assured that, along with Veronika, I ate fried green tomatoes here, and loved them.

This month-long experiment had a bigger effect on me than I'd anticipated in late January.

I thought I'd improve my knife skills, patronize new sections of Vons' produce section, and have some tasty meals.

I already eat a lot of vegetables. But I eat the same ones. My worst offense is Costco's 5lb bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and two types of carrots. This is my staple. And while it's tasty, and cheap, it's only three vegetables. There are so many more out there.

After the first week of February, I was in a rhythm. I looked forward to cooking up heaps of leafy greens, or experimenting with a new stir fry sauce, or Googling a vegetable to see just what I had bought.

I think this will change the way I cook and eat. And I'm all the better for it.

Veggie Month: Opo Squash

Apparently opo squash is used in Asian cooking. I made an Italian-style dish that was a rif on this recipe. I used jar pasta sauce, and included carrots. It reminds me of the ratatouille my family used to get at Rosine's; the opo squash tastes a lot like eggplant. This would probably be good over pasta, or with ground turkey, but I ate it alone.

(Has a saute pan ever been so well documented in such a short amount of time? Or, for that matter, a dog over a blog's lifetime?)

Veggie Month: Spinach

(Shown minus the first of many pieces that would be eaten tonight.)

I made this recipe in December for my end-of-class party. The students ate the whole thing, so Bryan didn't get to try it.

Tonight, he had two servings. (Me, too.)

The only changes I made to this recipe were to use egg whites and skip the butter. It still had enough good stuff to make it tasty--cheese and a pie crust--but wasn't too dense like quiche can sometimes be.

Veggie Month: Tomatillos

(Make sure you rinse off all the stick stuff underneath the wrappers.)

You have got to try this.

Bryan and I made an approximation of this Tomatillo Salad--without the jalapeno or fresh ginger, but with artichoke hearts. Delish.

Next time, we'll add sliced almonds. Someone invite us to a barbecue so we can bring this salad.

(I like when I exceed my expectations.)

Veggie Month: Radishes

(Radish "chips.")

Let's just say I wouldn't make these again. It's not that they're completely terrible--they're coated in chili powder, garlic salt, and paprika--but they aren't exactly tasty, either. Nor are they terribly crisp.

Veggie Month: Piloncillo/Panela

Today's ingredient is essentially brown sugar, but it counts as a vegetable because I found it in the produce section. Let me explain:

I chose a box of three brown cones with the name "piloncillo." Since there was no explanation, I assumed they were a tuber. Once I got them home, a Google search explained that they are made from sugar cane. Sugar cane is a plant. Lots of plants are vegetables. Which makes piloncillo a vegetable. See?

If you don't agree with my logic, you'll at least agree that fruits cooked in a sugar syrup are delicious. So let's get right to it.

This recipe is courtesy of Elaina Rodriguez, who gave it to V over the phone while we wandered the awesome aisles of Cost Plus.

I dissolved one cone in hot water, and let it reduce:

Then I put a little oil, sliced bananas, and some syrup in a pan and let it saute. (Afterwards, I realized that I'd forgotten the cinnamon and cloves):

Bryan came home right as I was cooking these, so I shared. Which was a good thing. Because I'll always share with him, and because these are really sweet.