Dreams, Moments, Travels
Protected like a well-defended prison, this cactus on our patio isn’t about to let birds, lizards, or any other critters get very close. It does flower occasionally and the bees have no problem getting at the pollen, but as you can see, anything bigger than an ant better find a more friendly place to call home.
Sonal invited us over for dinner this evening, and, lucky for us, she knows we appreciate a real old-fashioned homecooked meal. Before we could sit down to eat we stepped into the backyard where Sonal lit a propane-fueled burner to heat corn oil in a wok and proceeded to roll out the dough into rounds. Sonal’s mom is seen frying the bhatura (fried bread) that we would eat with chole (spiced garbanzo beans). Also on the menu, this evening was spinach rice that was served with homemade yogurt and papad jeera which was quite simply a papadam sprinkled with a bit of finely chopped red onion, tomato, cilantro, and a light dusting of chaat masala.
The bread is made by mixing 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 small boiled and mashed potato, 2 tbsp plain yogurt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, salt, 3 tbsp corn oil, and enough water to form a dough. This has to sit for 5 – 7 hours before you can pinch off a piece about the size of a ping pong ball. Dip in rice flour and roll to the thickness of a quarter and the size of your hand. Place in hot oil and fry on one side until edges begin to firm. Be sure to press the bubbling dough into the oil, then turn over and fry until just golden brown. Great with chole.
Last Thanksgiving, Caroline and I had plans for a road trip that would take us on one of our favorite drives, up the California coast from San Luis Obispo to Monterey. On Highway 1, we would meander the curves, stop to gaze upon the surf, and break out a Tofurky with the Elephant Seals near San Simeon.
Well, the day we are getting ready to leave, I finally decide to read the instructions for the Tofurky I’m about to throw into the ice-chest. What, I have to let this thing thaw for 24 hours and then bake it for 2 hours? Oh well, so much for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we will have to compromise, so I throw the Tofurky back in the freezer, and that is where it has sat since last year.
Of course, it is still good; this lump of Tofu is good for more miles than a good set of tires or until July 2007, whichever comes first. This time, I’m prepared and whip that plastic bird out of the freezer a good 24 hours in advance. Finally, the moment is upon us, I stoke the fire in the hearth and get ready to, to, well, to take my stuffed Tofurky and simply put it in the oven.
With some carrots, potatoes, onions, and some leftover cauliflower that shouldn’t be baked for two hours, the Tofurky is placed in a large casserole dish and covered with the recommended basting sauce of orange juice, soy sauce, and a sweetener. I actually used orange juice, tamari, and honey – to be honest, I do not know what it really added to the Tofurky. One hundred minutes later, I prepared the rest of the provisions that would accompany our unorthodox Thanksgiving meal.
Mmmm, the Brussels sprouts are turning out great, as is the asparagus. The dumplings that came with the Tofurky are in the boiling water, and the gravy is simmering. As the dumplings begin to float, the dinner is ready to be served. It is out of the oven and actually smells pretty good. The Tofurky looks much the way it did when it went in.
I pull out the carving knife to perform the honors, and the magic veggie turkey is loaded with a secret chamber packed full of stuffing. Great, this is like a special American holiday version of the Kinder Egg! I hesitate to try to build something out of the stuffing instead of proceeding to bring this meal together and find out what a Tofurky tastes like.
First of all, don’t think of this Tofurky as a giant drumstick and chomp off a giant mouthful, you may not ever finish chewing before you decide to attempt a world record try for the largest single swallow of a solid object, and don’t forget the gravy. While I may have made light of this adventure, it turns out that Tofurky isn’t half bad. As a matter of fact, as I made smaller cuts of the Tofurky and ate it with some of the stuffing and gravy, it was quite ok.
The texture is not very familiar. It is not like tofu, nor is it like meat. The large bite was a bit rubbery, but the smaller portions were adequate at hinting that you might be eating turkey. With gravy and stuffing, you are right there, just close your eyes and don’t think very hard about it. The taste is turkeyish, well, I think it is. Being months after Thanksgiving and even longer since I actually ate some turkey, I suppose my taste buds are rusty at being an accurate specialist as to the true flavor of what the old gobbler tastes like.
Would I eat it again? Yes, I would. Although I am a meat eater, this Tofurky while it is probably the butt of many a joke, is pretty good. One taste will not win over the avid turkey eater, but come next Thanksgiving, if we find ourselves out on the road, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring along a Tofurky with us. I probably shouldn’t commit to this yet, as I haven’t warmed the leftovers yet and don’t yet know how well this revived from the cold of the refrigerator.
Oh yeah, those dumplings that come with the Tofurky. Do not cook them, they are a waste of the energy required to take them out of the deep freeze. Send them back to the manufacturer as a revolt against them being packaged as fit for human consumption. Compared to dumplings, Tofurky is a three-star dish.
That’s right, today was Thanksgiving at the Wises. And as we are late celebrating this traditional American holiday, why not go all the way and make it as unconventional as possible. We broke out that old Tofurky we bought way back when, letting it thaw the recommended 24 hours before popping it in the oven for 2 long hours. I was salivating up a monsoon by the time it was ready. You’ve gotta be asking yourself, hey, just what does a Tofurky taste like? Well, now I know and I suppose I’ll tell you a bit more, but you will have to visit my other site www.happybumblebee.com to learn the details.
With the flowers coming home for the weekend, it is now my turn to also enjoy the sweet bouquet. Caroline’s dark office was not the healthiest of environments for flowers so I am happy she brought them home before all of the blooms went droopy. Walking through the front door you are at once greeted by their wonderful scent.
It is magic watching rolled-up green tea leaves unfurl and expand as the hot water works to make tea. Looking at them start as a thin layer of little spheres covering the bottom of the glass to floating effortlessly, you are bound to stare half hypnotized until they fill the bottom third of the glass. Maybe this zen moment is half the benefit of drinking green tea.