Thursday, October 14, 2010

Close Encounters

Last evening I had one of those close encounters of the worst kind.  Well, maybe not the worst for me, but pretty startling to see the last eighteen inches of a snake slithering down a mouse hole in Ruthie's stall at bedtime.  It was, for sure, going to be the worst for the mousie family living below.  And then at six-thirty this morning Bessie sounded the alarm and I went to the door and found two of my neighbor's dogs, Gigi and Lefty, on the front porch.  I called my neighbor this time, and this time only.  I have zero tolerance for these dogs who are part of the pack that has killed my chickens in the past.

Changing the subject, I tried something new for dinner last night.  Maybe I'm the last in the world to know about frying cauliflower, but dang that's good stuff!  I made a batter with flour, baking powder, salt, tumeric, curry powder, cayenne, and beer, dipped and fried cauliflower florets in a half-inch of oil until golden.  Crispy and flavorful on the outside, sweet and tender-crisp on the inside.  I was making up the recipe on the fly, so didn't write it down on paper, but have definitely filed it in the memory bank.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love (maybe not so fried) cauliflower with pine nuts slapped onto a pita with some hummus. In fact, I just bought some cauliflower and pita bread last night.

Linda Cox said...

Both treatments sound yummy. What role does the baking power play? A foodie whom I trust told me that a bit of baking soda in tomato soup brings in umami taste sensations but I can't confirm it yet through another source. I'm wondering now if baking soda does the same.

Kathryn said...

Yikes on the snake, and I have not fried cauliflower, but was surprised when I moved to Ohio and saw how many veggies they dip and fry...and I think they think that is as acceptable a way to eat their veggies as if they were raw or steamed! (Oh, and they "cream" some of them...white sauce with some sugar in it and then the lima beans or canned tomatoes added!) And fruit in a pie is still a healthy way to eat fruit...right? Never saw more diabetes in my LIFE as in Ohio!!! Oh well, I'm sure not perfect with my eating, (loved the fried zucchini that Coco's used to have as an appetizer) but the geographical differences were amazing...just sayin'