Rhino Force, Funny, Books.

Yesterday I received a delightful gift from South Africa, in the mail. It was a Rhino Force bracelet the proceeds from which will be used to fight against rhino poaching which is such a big problem these days. I  nearly fell over when I saw they were R 199, then found out that is $20 Canadian. I then thought I wouldn’t mind getting the little bead rhino Baby Ralph. Its a delightful way of aiding rhinos which are dying by the hundreds to provide medicine for Asians which nothing can convince them is useless. There is a lot of money in the trade and not only do they steal rhino horn, not always killing the animal either, but they kill the rangers too. Elephants are also under attack because of their tusks. Soon the only ones of these creatures will be in zoos.

Here’s another funny I picked up on Facebook and which I thought I would share.
Someone commented this gag has legs.

I am very upset, I have just found out the last book in the series I am reading, In Her Name, won’t be out til December this year, I thought it was already published. Woe is me and all that. How very frustrating, I am not far from the end of the penultimate book having read seven so far, it has been a gripping series and I could wish it to go on forever.  This is a copy of the proposed last book, I gather the title is not yet fixed. I now have another book by this author called Season of the Harvest. The author, Michael R. Hicks gives away the first book in his trilogies so, he says, you can find out if you want to read the rest. I will see what this other trilogy is like. If this first set of books is anything to go by I should enjoy them. If you haven’t yet tried them, I recommend you pick up the first book for free. It’s called First Contact.

I really am not familiar with the following dish, but it sounds delicious and apparently only needs a fried egg on top to make it into a non vegan dish if that is your choice. I love this kind of dish so am sure I will enjoy it, if I can find the ingredients locally.

Crispy Tofu Bibimbap with Mustard Greens and Zucchini

Contributed by Michael Natkin 

• SERVINGS: 4

Michael Natkin’s version of the Korean dish bibimbap—rice topped with a mix of pickled and cooked vegetables—forgoes the usual runny fried egg on top to be a delicious vegan dish.

1. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2. 1 teaspoon sugar
3. 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
4. 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
5. Kosher salt
6. 1 cup sushi rice
7. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8. 2 garlic cloves, minced
9. 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thickly sliced
10. One 14-ounce box extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 3-by- 1/3-inch sticks
11. One 12-ounce bunch of mustard greens—stems and inner ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
12. 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
13. 1 small zucchini, cubed
14. 2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) or 2 tablespoons of soy sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon of molasses
15. 4 scallions, thinly sliced
16. Gochujang (Korean chile paste, see Note) or Sriracha, for serving

1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar with the sugar, cucumbers, 1 teaspoon of the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with 1 1/3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until tender, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and shiitake, season with salt and cook over high heat, stirring, until browned, 6 minutes; scrape onto a platter. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and add the tofu. Cook over high heat, turning, until browned, 5 minutes. Scrape the tofu onto the platter, keeping it separate from the mushrooms.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the mustard greens and sesame oil, season with salt and cook until the greens are wilted and just tender, 4 minutes. Add the greens to the platter. Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the zucchini and cook over high heat until softened, 3 minutes. Add the kecap manis and cook until the zucchini is glazed, 1 minute; scrape onto the platter. Keep warm.
5. Mound the rice in bowls and arrange the cooked vegetables in separate piles. Using a slotted spoon, add the pickled cucumbers to the bowls. Garnish with the scallions and a dollop of gochujang and serve.

Notes Gochujang is available at Korean markets or from hmart.com.

Have a great day

Snake Disaster, Books.

The New Brunswick python tragedy report reveals that the African Rock Python was illegal in that Province. I really hope the owner of the store is heavily penalised. He was extremely lucky his own kid was not one of the victims. Apparently they have put the snake down, like it was the snake’s fault. Poor critter was abstracted from its habitat (or its parents were) and expected to adapt to our conditions. I get so angry at things like that. No, I wouldn’t want the snake around me, but I think it’s a shame when a creature is put down for something which is not the fault of the animal in question. It just keeps going through my mind as to whether those poor little kids knew what was happening to them, I do so hope not. There needs to be much stricter control over the import of exotic animals or reptiles, if it was illegal in NB then it shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I suppose the response will be that it’s very difficult to keep track of such pet stores and costs too much perhaps. I hope the people of New Brunswick will petition for a) the closure of this store and b) stricter controls. I now wonder if we have such stores here, I don’t know of them, but I bet they are around. I guess I should put my money where my mouth is.

Damn, that’s the second time the In Her Name books have made me forget everything else, including blogging, to stay up reading. I have now finished the two original trilogies and the next lot go back in time several thousand years, however, I had better leave them alone for a while as I am not getting anything else done. I have a book to proof read for someone too and although I have made a start, I have neglected that too for this series. I have very much enjoyed these books and am, of course, sorry they have ended.

I love carrot cake, I love chocolate, this recipe combines both so what’s not to like. This is another from the LCBO’s Food and Wine.

Double Chocolate Carrot Cake with Mocha Frosting
BY MONDA ROSENBERG

If you’re in the mood for a rich dessert, this one takes the cake. Just one bite tweaks your taste buds—think a shot of cappuccino and a hit of chocolate at the same time. The warm, comforting flavour in the coffee-spiked frosting comes from mascarpone cheese, the star in classic Italian tiramisu.

5 cups (1.25 L) grated carrots
2¼ cups (550 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
¼ cup (50 mL) cocoa
4 squares (4 oz/125 g) semi-sweet chocolate
¼ cup (50 mL) milk
¾ cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
1¼ cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
 
MOCHA FROSTING
1½ cups (375 mL) mascarpone cheese
1 cup (250 mL) cold whipping cream
2 tbsp (25 mL) instant coffee granules
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) sifted icing sugar
 
GARNISH  
Shaved Chocolate

1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Spray or lightly oil two 8- or 9-inch (2- or 2.5-L) square cake pans.
2 Grate carrots using a food processor. Measure out 5 cups (1.25 L) and set aside. Place flour in a large bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa. Stir until blended, then make a well in the centre. Separately, coarsely chop chocolate and place in a small microwave bowl or saucepan. Add milk.
3 Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Microwave chocolate and milk combo on medium for 1½ minutes. Stir, then heat on medium for 1 more minute. Stir until smooth. Or on stovetop, stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Pour into cake batter while beating on low speed. Scrape into well in fl our mixture and stir with a spoon or spatula until even in colour. Stir in carrots. Batter will be thick.
4 Divide batter between pans, adding about 3 cups (750 mL) to each. To remove air pockets, bang pans on counter 5 to 6 times. Bake until centres seem set when lightly tapped and cakes start to come away from sides of pans, 35 to 38 minutes. Remove pans to a baking rack to cool. After about 15 minutes, turn cakes out of pans and fi nish cooling on racks. It’s best to bake cakes a day ahead of icing and leave at room temperature overnight.
5 Place mascarpone in a bowl. Microwave ¼ cup (50 mL) cream in another small bowl or heat in a small saucepan until bubbles appear around edge. Stir in coffee until dissolved. Then, beating mascarpone on low, gradually add hot coffee-cream. As soon as no lumps remain, beat in cold cream and vanilla. Gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat about 30 seconds. Beating too much will cause thinning. Refrigerate until frosting has a good spreading consistency, about a half-hour, before icing cake.
6 To assemble, place 1 cake, flat-side up on a platter. Generously spread with icing, leaving a narrow border of cake around the edge. Top with the second cake, fl at-side down and gently press down. Smoothly spread icing over the sides of the cake, then the top. Garnish top of cake with shaved chocolate. It’s best to refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.
 
Serves 10

Have a great day.

In Her Name, Death by Snake.

I wrote last week about the books by Michael R. Hicks, at that time I was reading the first trilogy, In Her Name The Last War, now I am reading, I should say devouring, the second book of the In Her Name: Redemption trilogy. I am absolutely fascinated by the stories and the aliens portrayed. It is a long time since a series of books has kept me so interested from start to the current point. This series started with the history of a young human, Reza, who after all kinds of vicissitudes is captured by the Kreelans and taken back to their home world and then his problems there adapting to his host planet and to a people who would kill him as soon as look at him. As the author points out himself, the first trilogy is more militaristic than the second trilogy, but both are, to me, absorbing. Michael R. Hicks allows you to obtain the first ebook in each trilogy for nothing so that you can decide if you like the story. Being on book five, you can see that I like them. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Hideous tale of two young boys, 5 and 7, murdered in their sleep by a snake. It turns out they were staying in an apartment above a reptile store, one of the pythons escaped and climbed up to the floor above. The store owner, Jean-Claude Savoie, was hosting the two boys for a sleepover with his own son. Reports say it was an African Rock Python which is about 4.5 metres long and weighed about 45 kg. That’s a large lump of reptile. Being a python it crushes its victims. Another reptile expert from a small, private zoo has said that it is unlikely the snake regarded the boys as food and it is unusual for them to attack humans. They figure the snake escaped and then got into the ventilation system which carried it to the apartment upstairs. This happened in New Brunswick by the way. Personally I consider the sale and owning of such reptiles to be intrinsically wrong as is the import, transport, capture and sale of any exotic animal.

This recipe from Food and Wine interested me because it’s for crab cakes without the crab. Not sure about that, but it does sound tasty just the same and for my Vegan friends, right up your street. I am not certain if we can get Old Bay seasoning round here, but I am sure there is something similar.

Crabless Cakes with Hearts of Palm and Corn

Contributed by Richard Landau

SERVINGS: 6

When chopped, hearts of palm break down into shreds that look like fresh crab meat. Richard Landau seasons the hearts of palm cakes with Old Bay, vegan mayonnaise and Dijon mustard for a sensational main course.

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
2. 2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 4 ears of corn)
3. 1/4 cup minced onion
4. 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
5. One 15-ounce can whole hearts of palm—drained, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch lengths
6. 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
7. 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
9. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
10. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs, plus more for coating
11. Salt
12. Freshly ground pepper

1. In a nonstick skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the corn, onion and bell pepper and cook over high heat until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Scrape 1 cup of the mixture into a food processor and pulse to a coarse puree.
2. In a bowl, squeeze the hearts of palm to break them into shards. Add the puree and the remaining sautéed vegetables to the bowl, along with the Old Bay, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard and the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir until evenly moistened.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and fill a pie plate with bread crumbs. Scoop scant 1/4-cup mounds of the hearts of palm mixture into the bread crumbs and roll to coat. Form the mounds into eighteen 2-inch cakes and transfer to the baking sheet.
4. Wipe out the nonstick skillet, then add a scant 1/8 inch of oil. Fry half of the cakes over moderate heat, turning once, until crispy, 2 minutes per side. Wipe out the skillet and add clean oil before frying the remaining cakes. Serve the cakes hot.

Make Ahead The formed, uncooked cakes can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Serve With Green salad.

Have a great day

Facebook, New Trilogies.

Sheesh, my Facebook account was hacked over the weekend, all kinds of people were getting friend requests even though they were already friends. I had to change my photo and my password so I hope this will fix the problem. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to do this – just because they can I suppose.

It is not very nice that I have to admit I am a dingbat. I’m not even blonde although I have been during my life. I am taking part in a diabetes study and have to complete a diary every day and Saturday I forgot. No particular reason, I wasn’t excessively busy or anything, I just forgot. Mind you I have discovered a very good set of stories by Michael R. Hicks. I am reading The Last War Trilogy, you can get the first book for free – it’s called In Her Name - First Contact I am now on the second book In Her Name – Legend of the Sword. The series is in three trilogies and you can also get the first book of the second trilogy free – as an ebook that is. It the series continues the way it has started, I highly recommend it. The first book begins with a space ship, the Aurora, which is an explorer ship sent to discover new worlds which they have been doing. However, they suddenly land in an area where there are ships so much more advanced than anything we have in the human worlds. Then comes trouble. However, the author manages to build a sympathetic interest in the aliens even though they kill all the humans bar one The Messenger. If you haven’t read these books I highly recommend them. Space Opera at its finest. Nearly forgot to post this blog, so busy reading my book.

Here’s a weird one. Because of my vascular problems in my legs I do most of my computing from my lounger with my feet up. My laptop doesn’t leave the area and certainly didn’t yesterday. One of the feet has a tendency to come off. I am always sticking it back on. Yesterday it not only came off but has disappeared completely. We have both been hunting for it but cannot find it anywhere. It has completely disappeared. We didn’t leave the apartment or anything. Several hours later, I found it under the laptop stand, I thought I had looked before but…..

I liked the sound of this recipe. Will have to buy some of the ingredients though. About the only thing I have is the chicken and the oil. Oh and the ginger and a couple of other things.

Saucy Coconut-Chicken Stir-Fry

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Thai flavours of coconut and basil come together in this fresh and spicy chicken and cabbage stir-fry. If your family prefers a milder meal, forgo the jalapeño. Serve with: Rice noodles and mango slices.


Ingredients
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1  jalapeño pepper, minced, optional
1 bunch scallions, sliced, whites and greens, separated
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup “lite” coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 cups sliced napa cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the wok or pot. Add jalapeño (if using), scallion whites, mushrooms and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the mushrooms start to soften, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
3. Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cabbage, the chicken and scallion greens; cook, stirring constantly, until the cabbage is slightly wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in basil just before serving.

Have a great day