Spicy Shrimp Tortillitas

So, in the spirit of food exploration, I bought some chickpea flour from Sahadi's the other day. {More on that wonderful place soon.} I couldn't remember the recipe that called for it and when I did a google search for chickpea flour, of course a Bittman recipe for tortillitas with shrimp was one of the first to pop up. This delicious Spanish treat is fairly painless to prepare. Ya'll know me, I had to make the recipe my own. I used cayenne pepper instead of black and half a cup of whole wheat flour instead of white. You will need to add more water since the flour is heavier. I used a generous amount of olive oil on the first pancake as Bittman instructed. As you can see below, it spilled over a bit, but it's actually a good thing. I used less oil on the second pancake and it wasn't quite the same consistency. They are brilliant. Explore & Enjoy!

Don't mind the oil on top, it helps cook the other side.

I almost never make pancakes, but I flipped this b like a pro!

Great color & texture. Try it with a small salad.

Get Your Mac On!

It's Friday, so Ms Christiana's getting her mac on . . . old black lady style. I was a vegan for many years so I hadn't cooked mac & cheese since I was in HS. Anyone who comes from a Black Southern family knows that this wicked dish is an easier said then done. It takes patience, good timing, and a bit of finesse. My family doesn't f with eggs or extra milk or any of that ish. We go for a straight rue over pasta, then pop it in the oven. I used cavatappi because it looks more fun then a standard macaroni. I also used a New Zealand Cheddar which is on sale at Whole Foods this week. The cheese is a bit oily, but it melted well. I dashed some pimenton on top for a bit of color contrast. To put it simply, the shit was good.

Anyway you slice it, they're still good!

Gorgeous!

By god is that bacon? Nope, it's something much much sweeter. I've had it in my head for weeks now that I wanted to make plantain chips. I love snacks, but hate packaging, and highly processed foods. Munching on dal was cool for awhile, but sometimes I yearn for something with a crunch to it. So, the experiments started. I don't have a mandolin and could not find a plantain slicer so, on the first go round, I cut the plantains free hand with a small knife. It's a no go, at least for me. They tasted fine, but the pieces were too thick for them to be crunchy. Today I remembered that I have a vegetable peeler and used it to delicately slice the fruit. It does get a bit sticky, and the chips were super thin, but damn if they weren't oh so good! I had to force myself to stop eating them and grab my camera.

 What you'll need: peanut oil, black {sweet} or yellow {less sweet} plantains, a plate with a paper towel on top for grease collection, a deep pan to get your fry on, and some tongs. I placed one strip in the oil to see if it was hot enough. You'll have to move very quickly once it is because they fry up fast. Try to shake off as much access oil before placing in on the paper towel. Let them cool for a minute or two before diving in. For attempt number three I will be using a proper slicer. I'll keep you posted.

Dark & Lovely!

Mmmm, sweet lusciousness! Sometimes I like my beans how I like my men, dark & delicious. This was my first attempt at making black beans from scratch. I must admit, it started out as a bit of a disaster. I used maggi cubes which gave them a strange taste. But this bitch can cook her way out of most situations. I had a friend over so I was a tad distracted, but I think it went something like this: chopped garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, maggi cubes {would not necessarily suggest, but a veggie bouillon cube does the trick for my friend Camilla.}, cream of coconut, fresh carrots, and I feel like I threw in some coriander. They grew more and more delicious as the spices settled. Then I paired the beans with some maduros {sweet fried plantains}, pan seared shrimp, and basmati rice. It was heavenly!

Untitled.

Boo-Urns!

No more Conan! NBC is clearly all dollars and no sense! Peep the update from the NYTimes. It was so lovely watching the whole crew back together in the big time slot. Not to mention I never watched The Tonight Show before because Leno is one corny motherfucker! Sadly poor taste prevails once again. I'll miss you Conan.

"If you're not really here, then the stars don't even matter. . ."

I have to admit, I'm a bit down on love at the moment, but this Sam Sparro song surely does a bitch's heart good. Shout out to Elizabeth for passing this tune along many moons ago. And can I just say, if I were a man or a tall woman with small boobs, I'd so get myself a light up tux like they sport in the video. Watch and get some warm fuzzy feelings.