aceofkittens

Long ago, I said I was going to cook more and post the resulting photos in this LJ. Obviously, like with most things I promise, it takes anywhere between three and five years for me to actually deliver on it. It's not that I haven't been cooking; I'm just too lazy to post about it.

However, this latest culinary adventure was just too awesome not to chronicle in LJ! Over the weekend, I made the "kitty litter" cake in Chip's honor. This is a novelty cake that essentially looks like a "used" kitty litter box (complete with cat poop). A recipe for this wondrous (yet disgusting-looking) cake can be found here. I changed things up a bit, because my cake had to be vegan. It was challenging to find box mixes that didn't already have milk products cunningly concealed within! Also, for the same reason, I used licorice instead of Tootsie Rolls. In any case, it was, in my opinion, quite delicious. Of course, I managed to burn my left forearm quite severely while pulling the glass baking dish out of the oven, but I don't think I'm going to lose that arm. ;)

Unfortunately, the cake was a hard sell in terms of people actually trying it. It went a little something like this: Potential cake-eater sees cake: "That is DISGUSTING!!!" (pause) "What IS that? What's in it?" (pause) "I think I'll pass." One of the people who did try it said, "It's good... for a vegan cake. But that's not saying much. That's like saying, "I'm the world's tallest midget!" :D I forgave him because he was drunk.

Well, I know you really want photos, so here they are:
( Chip's kitty litter cake )

Coming soon: The Adventures of Sluggy Hat! Stay tuned!

Oddly enough, last year at this time, I was in the same exact place I am now: sick with a nasty phlegmy illness (and whining about it!). In that same entry, I vowed that I would start cooking more and start posting more about it.

Obviously, I got over last year's nasty illness (so that gives me hope for this year's). But I didn't really post all that much about my culinary adventures and I certainly never offered up any photos of these degustatory delights. That's because I am lazy. I actually have been cooking a lot more lately, mostly soups (as evidenced by my recent romp with Botulism Soup).

My signature soup right now is what I call "The soup that is too hot for anyone else to eat." plumb_crazy tried a slightly less spicy version of this soup on his last trip to LA. I have since enhanced the recipe, by which I mean that I tripled the amount of cayenne pepper I put in there and started using jabanero peppers instead of jalapeno peppers. I also like to dump chili powder and dry mustard into the pot, just for a bit of kick. The soup contains random other vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, carrots, onions, and various peppers. I don't get bored of eating this soup. It definitely clears the sinuses.

Now I have all these mangoes that I bought during a Costco frenzy. I already found a recipe for mango & jabanero chutney that I will probably make. But in trying to get rid of the mangoes, I've decided I want to know how you — yes, you, my loyal readers — eat your mangoes!

Thus, The Mango Poll: (Shoutout to mango_king)
( Mango Poll )

( I owe this one to Len )

I have had a really shitty day. Even making that Moosewood curried squash soup didn't make it better. I'm sure I munged up the recipe somehow and it probably tastes like ass.

However, passing the 8th grade math quiz with flying colors did make things a little better. (And I stole that quiz from my Internet gf, zazouu!) Because math is fun.

This weekend was a Lost Weekend for me. Sadly, it was not lost in a haze of vodka, kittens, and gummi bears like I would have liked; instead, I was wracked with endless fever dreams due to my latest bout of mysterious illness (which I picked up either from a small sick child or from licking everyone's tonsils at the Orbit Room on Drinksgiving).

In any case, one of the things I did do this weekend was cook a dish from a recipe. Unsurprisingly, I didn't do a great job with it. See, I'm not much for recipes — I'm more of seat-of-my-pants kind of chef. ("Hmm, this banana bread frosting looks like it needs more powdered sugar. And more sour cream. Hell, let's just turn it into crepe batter!") But I used to have a whole set of "signature" dishes and I realize I can barely even remember what they were. I think I used to make this tasty baked portobello mushroom with chopped olives, walnuts, and cilantro... and I seem to recall making red pepper halves filled with pine nuts and melted feta cheese. And of course my famous apple cake. Hmm... more fever dreams?

In any case, because I've got entirely too much other shit to do AND I'm still sick, I've decided I'm going to cook more again and post the adventures in this journal. Since I don't eat, I'm afraid some of you may be forced to suffer as the guinea pigs in this new life experiment.

Apparently so...

( My first ever pumpkin pie! )

Of course, the proof of the pie is in the eating, and I don't plan to test that out just yet. Do you know that picture in The Little Prince of the python which swallowed an elephant? That's me right now.

Sadly, the gingerbread didn't work out. I guess when it says "baking soda" in the recipe, that isn't just a loose guideline...