Art Appreciation: After Dinner

Inspired by a piece of Spencer Finch artwork currently on display at the RISD Museum.

Big News!

There is exciting news at the Old Maid HQ these days.  One of my cartoons got picked up by the online food magazine Pork and Gin for an article about boiling your first lobster. (You can check out the article here.)

If anyone's looking for me, I'm out shopping for berets and looking for a place in Newport that sells Gauloises.

Want

Image: tinybutmightyfoods.com

It's no secret among my longtime readers that I love popcorn.  It's also no secret that I have been known to burn microwave popcorn by leaving the room and doing something else while it's popping, which is a violation of the directions on the package.  The minor point we can take away from this is that there are no secrets when you are a blogger; the major point is that I love popcorn and I eat a lot of it.

So you can imagine my excitement when I learned about Tiny But Mighty, an heirloom variety that is native to the prehistoric Americas and was all but forgotten by the 1970s as the food industry bred corn for drought resistance and giant popped kernels (and lost a lot of flavor and genetic diversity in the process).  The Tiny But Mighty plants are different from our current corn varieties.  They only grow to about 3 feet high,  the ears are only 3-4 inches long, and apparently the kernels have big flavor packed inside them.

This is a paleo diet I am eager to try.



Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Did you know that an overcooked single-serving bag of microwave popcorn can generate enough smoke to make you cough?  Apparently, the part in the directions where they tell you to stand in the kitchen and listen for the popping to stop isn't just a suggestion.  They really mean it.

Meatless Mondays, Old Camp Songs, and a Recipe

Lots of people are going meatless on Mondays.  Gentle Readers, it's a thing.  Not only is it trendy, it's good for your health and the health of the planet.  Pasta with pesto is an easy and delicious way to get a meatless dinner on the table.  In the time it takes you to heat the water and boil the pasta, you can make the pesto and throw a salad together.  It's also great as a sandwich spread.

I came up with this pesto variation the way I create a lot of my recipes: with what was on hand.  It got rave reviews because the arugula gives it a nice peppery bite, but feel free to tweak it based on what's in your fridge.

By the way... do kids sing the "Comet, it makes your teeth turn green" song anymore?  I don't even know.

Basil Pesto Variation
makes 2 cups

2 cloves garlic, peeled and with the root end removed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup packed baby arugula leaves
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place garlic and pine nuts in food processor and process until finely chopped.  Add basil and arugula leaves and process.  Add asiago cheese and process until everything is combined and finely chopped.  With the motor running, add olive oil in a stream to create a paste.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Crabby (But with Recipes!)

We don't indulge in political rants here at Foodtoons, preferring instead to uplift, nourish, and entertain.  But lately I feel as though if I hear one more politician say one more stupid and completely illogical thing, my head will explode.

Gentle Readers, it's very difficult to draw pictures of happy dancing food when you're worring about your head exploding at any moment.  But I figured if I'm feeling crabby, the least I could do is give you some links to delicious-looking crab recipes.

First up,  a recipe for Crab Mac & Cheese from Closet Cooking.  I found this blog awhile back and his recipes are amazing.  I'm guessing this dude has a very active social life.

Emeril Lagasse will always have a spot in my heart because he's French and Portuguese (as am I, with a couple other things thrown in), he's from Fall River, MA (as is part of my family) and he "drahps his ahs" like a good New Englander should.  His recipe for Crabmeat Crusted Diver Scallops with a warm Chorizo Potato Salad sounds fancy but looks dead easy to make.

For my friends who live far from an ocean and for whom crabmeat is a major investment, here is a recipe from Emily over at Tomato Kumato for Spaghetti with Crab that uses canned crabmeat.  Make it and pretend you're at a seaside resort.

I haven't forgotten to help keep the Deadliest Catch guys in business.  I'll admit that out of a lot of options, I chose Robert Irvine's Alaskan King Crab Tempura recipe because Chef Irvine is seriously sexy.

And finally, these Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli look delicious and easy.  Lolly's Sweet and Savory Treats is a blog I hadn't seen before but I am definitely following despite the fact that I now have "Lolly, lolly, lolly, get your adverbs here" stuck in my head.

Easter Sundae

Nothing says Happy Easter like a little ice cream, hot fudge, walnuts, and whipped cream, amirite?