Meet Pete. Pete is a distant cousin of the original Peter Rabbit from the Lake District of England. He wears a handknit sweater (very similar to his cousin's though this is a yogurt & granola original) and carries around a contraband carrot, most definitely filched from a neighbor's garden. He's very lucky that Mr. McGregor doesn't live stateside, lest he lose that adorable little blue sweater to McGregor's scarecrow pole when caught stealing veggies from his garden.
Pete now lives in the American Southwest. He's trying to get as far away from Mr. McGregor as he can (and from the neighbor from whom he stole that carrot) and so he decided to join the MJF Spring Dishcloth Swap and jump in the hand-stenciled bag that I sent off to Kristina this week. The dishcloths were fun to knit up and everything else was so fun to put together. She just got it yesterday and loved it. I have a package traveling to Minnesota from Kristina but it's making a pit-stop in the Bahamas first...can't wait!
Jackson and Simon were having quite the adventure this morning with our Biker Guy from Uncle Rob & Aunt Maria*. It's one of those springy toys that hangs on the ceiling and bounces up and down. Perfect ten minutes of play for a toddler and a hunting cat. After ten minutes, it's all over though, as the toddler gets pissed off that he can't actually grab it (and is really over-tired and ready for a nap) and the cat gets smart and jumps up on the chair to pounce. Biker Guy went back to his perch on the curtain rod, Jackson went down for a nap and Simon is just being Simon. Looking for another comfy place to sleep for the entire day.
I just realized that I never actually shared the famous y&g guacamole recipe from the other day. Well, that's because it's not really a recipe and this particular batch was not that good. It would probably help if I actually measured things every now and then, but I don't. So sometimes the guac is incredible and sometimes it has too much of this or not enough of that. Simple though, I just mash an avocado, throw in some diced red onion, add some diced roma tomatoes, sprinkle some lime juice and some ground cumin and mix it all up. I did too much lime juice last time, though my husband didn't seem to mind. We always finish it. Always.The tamales? Lacking. There is one tamale-maker who has a corner on the South Minneapolis market and these tamales are sold *everywhere* around here. All festivals, farmer's markets, the Global Market, some of my favorite coffeehouses, everywhere. I've always ordered the corn & cheese one with the big green pepper in it. Love it. But when I actually went to the source of this tamale bliss at the big Mercado this week to get some in person to take home, I read on the menu that my favorite one is made with pork lard. PORK LARD. It was still under the vegetarian side of the menu even though it is made with pork lard. And nobody else in the entire region thought to share the news that this "vegetarian" tamale is made with pork lard.
*sigh*
I'm so bummed about this. But not to the point of giving up on tamales all together. To the point of deciding that it's time - as a crafty girl who loves to try making new things of all varieties - that I make my own. Not a knit tamale, like my knit carrot, but a real one. Anyone out there have a good, authentic-yet-vegetarian tamale recipe to share? I promise to measure this time.
______________________
* You must click on this link. Rob & Maria's new blog: mrandmrsme.blogspot.com. Help welcome them to the world of blogging with the thing that all bloggers love: comments!
4 comments:
CUTE package/bunny!!!!!
My hubbo makes to die for tamales, we just use the instant masa from the grocery store (walmart has it). You just add water and put your own filling in. We even put blueberries in, yum!! Dale did discover we all like them baked almost better (and sooo much easier) then steaming. I can email you allll the details if you want. I will double check my masa mix but I'm pretty sure it's all vegggie. We're out so I can't look at the package.
Love Pete! What a cutie. I hate it when I have to explain to people in the food business that "vegetarian" means absolutely no meat anywhere, anytime.
Heather
www.spiritblog.net
The menu at our local mexican restaurant until fairly recently had *chicken enchiladas* on the "vegetarian" menu....
Whoakay. Sorry i can't help you with the recipe, but I did find this
I'm sorry about the misled tamale incident, but had to laugh out loud... I swear the pork lard is probably what made them taste so darn good, even though it sounds nasty. It supports my theory that a good piece of bacon will bring down a weak vegetarian over any other meat product. All that to say, please post your recommendations for a substitute tamale when you find it! My mouth is watering for guacamole now and it's only 9 a.m.
Post a Comment