We skipped June because life got in the way, and are doing July a whole lot earlier. So, let's just call this the Scariest Recipe of the past two months.
We don't like to rag on one source for the scariest recipes. We go everywhere for them, we scour the food world for them, and even dream about them in our sleep. But never, and I mean never, have we actually gone ahead and MADE one.
Inadvertently, but still, made one.
Since we still don't have the gas to cook on our stove (a fact that constantly irks our landlord, and is about to irk our plumber when I don't stop calling him for the next nine-hundred days in a row until he LABELS THE GAS LINE SO THE GAS COMPANY CAN TURN IT ON!), we have been reduced to what I like to call the dregs of the foodie world:
Raw foodies.
Mostly.
We bought a hot-pot so we could have coffee in the mornings and have used it hence to melt butter and to make simple syrup. We also have a waffle iron and a rotisserie that my mom bought me for Christmas this past year. We have a lot of waffles.
No chicken yet.
But I digress.
Today, we wandered the city, just to do it. The Green Market in Union Square was unencumbered by the masses. We got a record player and a couple of new LPs. We got lunch at Wogies (a misanthropic tale that is bookended by sadness) and came home.
Hannah was hungry and we thought to ourselves...We will make our famous chili tacos, but with black beans and we will cook them in...
THE CROCK POT.
They were inedible.
Crock Pot Tacos
Recipe courtesy Matthias and Hannah's Dumb Asses
2 Cans Organic Black Beans
1 Cup Tequila
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Powder
1 Onion, julianned
4 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 tsp whole cumin
1 Tbsp brown sugar. Yeah, that's right. Brown sugar.
Lime
Roast the onion, garlic and cumin in your rotisserie oven. Doesn't matter what temperature; this is going to suck anyway.
Throw both cans of beans into the crock pot. Add the tequila/spice mixture and stir. Add onions and garlic and crank that baby. Wait two hours, knowing that the only thing you've eaten today is a bowl of strawberries and two waffles and some gorgonzola that you're allergic to. Have some chips and salsa while you wait. It's better this way.
When the flavor isn't quite what you wanted, add the brown sugar. It will make it worse. Cringe in horror and do your best to fix it with half a lime. This only will result in the realization that there is no God, because if there was, He/She/It would NEVER allow such an evil concoction to manifest itself.
Abandon and eat leftovers.
writing by matthias, comic by hannah
There comes a time in every man's life when he needs to return to the shackles of tradition, lest he feel separated from his roots. I, speak of course, of Latin American food.
About two years ago, I was dating a girl who was a vegetarian (among other things that have no business being discussed on a food blog), but not for any real reason other than "animals are cute." After such a long time of take out Chinese food, my favorite of which is a toss-up between General Tso's Chicken and Roast Pork Lo Mein, she started to crave chicken. This resulted in her stealing bits of my chicken in the General Tso box, but she maintained that she was a vegetarian, with lapses from time to time.
For the tacos:
Green Bean and Corn Salad with Herb and Citrus Vinaigrette
serves 2
Ingredients
3 handfuls fresh green beans (snapped at the ends)
5 oz yellow corn (frozen or fresh)
3-5 tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled
.25 red onion, finely minced
1 lime, juiced
4 fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
.25 tsp. ground cumin
.5 tsp. dried oregano
.25 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste
Begin by preparing the dressing. Combine onion, lime juice, herbs, and olive oil in a medium serving bowl.
Steam the green beans until just tender, about 4 minutes, add corn at minute 3. Drain and blanch in bowl of ice water. Drain again and chill approximately 10-15 minutes.
Combine vegetables and vinaigrette in the serving bowl. Garnish with feta, salt, and additional herbs and seasonings (if you like).**
**We think radishes or cherry tomatoes would also be a great vegetable addition if you happen to have them around. Add with the feta so as to keep the flavors very fresh.
