Hot Friday, cool knitting.

Today I can’t get excited about food too much, ’cause I went grocery shopping. At Target. At the request of the hubby-man, who likes to go there and check out the Star Wars toys. I blew out my enthusiasm before 2pm, after a great knitting club/class at Brighton Place, where I learned to cast on-- again. [Knitting Club is free and informal, and takes place on Fridays at 10am or Tuesdays at 6pm. The regulars are more than pleasant and knowledgeable. All skill levels welcome.]

So tonight it’s an old standby for us, tacos with some fajita-style veggies, and Meyer lemon salsa. The taco fillings are simple- -broccoli, garlic, zucchini and peppers sliced thin and cooked on a fairly hot griddle (no oil needed) so they get cooked through but still retain a bit of crunch, and fat-free refried beans. It’s easier to find FF than vegetarian refried beans in a can and they’re still safe for us, although I rarely buy them. But there they were, in front of me, cheap and easy, so I didn’t resist this time. Even with 3 cups of cooked lentils in the fridge-- sometimes, temptation is too much, but at least I’m only tempted by overly salty convenience stuff once in a while. Well, maybe other temptations make their way behind my eyelids, but this is a food blog, so let’s keep it clean.

It’s too cold out this week not to eat a hot meal, and when I say hot I mean spicy! I love Frank’s, ’natch, but also Melinda’s, our own local Koop’s made and bottled right on Richmond Avenue, and in summertime I buy plums or peaches or nectarines and make my own fruity habanero sauce. I’m testing out a vegan Worcestershire, too, as soon as I can retrieve my block of tamarind paste from where it’s stuck in the lazy-susan shelf under my kitchen counter. Speaking of hot vegetarian, don’t you wish we had Biker Billy Cooks with Fire on local TV or the Food Network? If you don’t know him, find out. He’s raucous fun, never backs down, and has had his own vegetarian cooking show for more than a decade. Would be wonderful if the powers that be gave a rat’s bum and put up some serious veg cooking shows that aren’t beginner only… I might even start watching TV again.

Anyway, the night approaches, and the lemon salsa* needs making… and tomorrow I’ve promised myself to take down the sparse Yule decorations still cluttering up the house. Have a hot night. Peace, Mari

Oh, I've included the link to the original recipe for the lemon salsa, by Nigella Lawson, despite it's use in a fish dish. We like it with lots of things other than fish, and make it mild or spicy as needed. Tonight, switching out regular lemons for Meyer lemons that were graciously gifted to me from a friend in San Diego, and using just fresh parsley and dried dill as herbs, with maybe a dash of crushed red pepper for heat. I like a recipe that is flexible!