Asian Cuisines

Apologies for the quiet Chez IK. About two weeks ago, whilst photographing for a post, I bent to retrieve my camera and dislocated my left knee, which refused to slip back into place. This caused a whopping case of bursitis. It got a little difficult to locomote. Also mildly painful. The above…

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Stir-Fried Green Beans With Rice Cake is a compromise dish. Compromise because Mr. IK loves green beans while your hostess does not. She will, however, eat just about anything that’s been stir-fried. Now, I saw some of you flinch at the rice cake. Rice cakes are available at Asian markets,…

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Caregiver’s Noodles

March 15, 2017

You’re wondering what these are. These thigmajigs, scmetchiks, whaddayacallits, are a crucial part of a wheelchair user’s day–that is, if the wheelchair user has a “swing-away” style footrest on his chair. The above objects are called endcaps. Their job is to hold wheelchair footrests in place while allowing them to…

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If you want a recipe to fail, choose one you’ve been meaning to cook for at least a decade. Decide to cook it on a day when you aren’t home alone. A day when you must shop for ingredients before cooking. See chaos ensue. Of course you’ve chosen a recipe necessitating many…

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Braised Oxtail

February 2, 2017

Michael Franti wrote a song called “Everyday Life Has Become A Health Risk.” No explanation necessary, right? — So, food. It feels insane to discuss food right now. The United States is collapsing and we’re talking about oxtail? Well, we still need to eat. And we must escape, if only…

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You would think we only eat pork or poultry around here, and if stats are any indication, some of you are getting bored by this. Then again, you may be distracted by larger events. Maybe your country is leaving the European Union…or perhaps your country is leaving civilized society entirely….

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As Christmas and Chanukah are but days off, the IK seriously doubts you want or need another recipe right now. If you’re doing the cooking, the menu is likely set. Or perhaps the food is being served to you. Either way, having consulted deeply with herself on the life-shattering question of…

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Three-Cup Chicken

December 10, 2016

A few weeks ago the IK attended a literary event sponsored by the San Francisco Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. There numerous Bay Area authors–and a few non-Bay Area folk–gathered to meet, greet, and share nibbles the authors had prepared from their cookbooks, conveniently for sale on nearby tables. Said event…

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So, if you’re American, on American soil, chances are good you’ve come through Thanksgiving. Congratulations. So, this migraine. There are migraines, and migraines. If you are a migraineur, you’re like, if she’s typing, it cannot be that bad. And you’re right: some migraines, it’s puke your way to the ER,…

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Beef Poached in Rasam Broth

November 2, 2016

The mists of time (i.e. early October) saw your intrepid hostess driving to her local pharmacy. While waiting to fill her (ex) oral surgeon’s munificent 10-pill scrip, she hit the local bookshop, her intentions pure. You know, just window shopping. We all know where this is going. There on shelf sat…

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