random appetites

Random Appetites: Pick-Me-Ups

Nibbles

Had a bad day? A rough year? Or maybe you don’t have a Valentine of your own. There’s nothing that says you can’t be your own cheerleader, champion or sweetheart. After all–who knows you better than you do?

Whatever the reason, pick-me-ups are one of those staples of life that we all need from time to time. They come in all shapes and sizes–from fluffy reads to high-carb treats–with the acquisition sometimes part of the fun (aka retail therapy).

Here are some of my indulgences when I want to boost my mood, lift my spirits or just treat myself.

  • Flowers. I used to buy myself flowers every week at the grocery store. They didn’t cost a lot and I would spread them throughout my little apartment to brighten up the place. My second husband took the stance that killing flowers for the enjoyment of one person was wrong, that everyone got to enjoy them as they grew in the wild. Another ex- considered the giving of flowers even more intimate than saying “I love you” so I learned a long time about to get them when I wanted them and not to expect someone else to. Because cutting them does kill them, it’d be lovely to be able to grow my own but I’ve got a horrid black thumb so I’ll have to settle for the cut variety when the mood strikes.
  • TV on DVD. Perfect veg-out fodder: immersing myself in a season or two of a favorite television show. Even though most of my favorites (Charmed, Friends, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, ST:The Next Generation, Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City) are now off-the-air, it makes them all the easier to find on DVD and stock up for that emotionally rainy day. Best for weekend indulgences, weeknights still work (especially during reruns or those blank slate nights where nothing I like is on) just in smaller doses.
  • Chocolate. This certainly should have been obvious. Hershey’s and Dove are all right for day-to-day consumption but when I want decadent, I want Godiva. Of course, that means a trek out to the Mall most times, so I settle for second best (but still not shabby) Lindt.

Those are my preferred pick-me-ups but no matter what form yours take, treat yourself often and in a preemptive manner and you might find the need for the emergency mood lifters decreases.

(Oh! Notice alcohol isn’t on that list? I prefer to keep that for celebratory times since any euphoric effects are temporary and seem to make the doldrums worse. We here at Random Acts… encourage you to have all the legal fun you want, as long as you do it responsibly.)

Random Appetites: the Food of Love

Nibbles

Aphrodisiacs are one of those things you either believe in or you don’t because there’s no real scientific evidence that any of them work. Superstitious in origin, they build on various forms of sympathetic magic (the idea that if an animal, for instance, possesses a lot of one quality, then the ingesting of the animal will give you some measure of it) or simple vitamin-boosts from what would have otherwise been lacking.

Named for Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, who was supposedly born from the sea, many seafood and shellfish varieties fall under the heading of aphrodisiacs; sort of a “gulit” by association thing (not to mention the similarity of certain foods to certain items to be affected by the aphrodisiac). Many people can’t quite stomach the thought of oysters on the half-shell and fried foods don’t always put one in the mood for love. Still, if you want to serve oysters and see how much of a spark they give, try my favorite way…

Oyster Stew

2-3 dozen small oysters, with liquor
6 green onions, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
2 Tbsp minced parsley (fresh)
1 quart milk
1 stick butter
Salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste

Saute the green onions, celery and parsley in a little bit of the butter while you heat the rest of the butter and milk in a separate pot–heat, don’t boil! Add the oysters and liquor to the vegetables and cook until the oysters are almost cooked and then add them to the milk and butter mixture. Let the oysters cook through and season the soup with the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Garnish with a few oyster crackers or some homemade croutons.

Often, though, it’s less about the foods you eat and more about how you eat them. Notice that many of the foods found on lists of aphrodisiacs are able, and common, to be eaten as finger foods? Set up a romantic buffet of carrot sticks, steamed artichokes (the scraping of the leaves via the teeth is remeniscent of certain romantic biting techniques from the Kama Sutra), honey-glazed figs, asparagus spears, peeled shrimp and oysters and feed them to each other in a comfortable setting. Feel free to add your own preferred foods and not stick too closely to the recommendations of this or any site: the important thing is your perception of the food and the event, not what you’re eating.

Though I would caution against overly heavy foodstuffs. Have you ever noticed that there are are no red meats listed as aphrodisiacs? I think it’s because red meat in any quantity (while undeniably satisfying from time to time) tends to weight the body down and tie up the digestive system for so long that the point, generally the immediate one, of aphrodisiacs is lost. So, if you must include some heavier proteins, keep them then, small, not overcooked and without heavy sauces.

And, no, I’m not forgetting about one major aphrodisiac. Once prized for it’s scarcity but now widely available in all manner of concoctions, a good chocolate will almost always be welcome at the end of a romantic meal (or the beginning, for that matter). And what better way to feed each other chocolate than by the very convivial means of fondue.

Chocolate Fondue for 2

4 oz plain chocolate, chopped
2/3 c heavy cream
1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or other fruit or citrus liqueur
1 Tbsp butter, diced
Bananas, strawberries, sponge cake and other foods for dipping

Melt together the chocolate, cream and liqueur in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or double-boiler, stirring constantly and without overheating. Alternately, place the mixture into a fondue pot over sterno or a tea light (depending on the fondue set). Once smooth, dip the fruit or cake into the chocolate and enjoy.

Now go start those plans for Valentine’s Day; it’s right around the corner!

Random Appetites: Bono’s Barbecue

Nibbles

Bono’s Put Bar-B-Q
Locations in Florida and Colorado

The second husband introduced me to Bono’s in Gainesville on one of our trips down to Orlando and I have to say that might just be one of the best things to come out of that marriage 😉

I was told they had the best smoked turkey. Ever. And I was told right. Most smoked turkey breast tends to be kinda dry, at least in my experience. Not Bono’s. I don’t know how they do it (I suspect a deal with some dark overlord), but their turkey breast is moist and flavorful, you don’t even need any sauce!

But speaking of sauces, there’s another stand-out in the Bono’s smoke pit: the Mustard sauce. Technically known as the Original 1949 Sauce, this mustard sauce is the tops, be all end all of meat condiments.

Granted, they also offer pork (tasty), chicken (standard) and beef (can be dry, needs the sauce!) along with 3 other sauces in their stable: Sweet & Tangy, Hickory Red and Smokin’ Pit Hot sauces are all available to try and bring home in bottles behind the register. Next to the mustard I’m partial to their sweet sauce, as I am with most places, but usually don’t even bother when the beloved Mustard sauce is on the table.

Side dishes range from green beans redolent with bacon (very salty so it might actually be salt pork instead of bacon), the usual fries, sweet potatoes and (Todd’s favorite) the deep-fried corn on the cob. I’ve also ordered their potato salad (which is the only side not made on the premises, according to our waitress)  and their squash casserole.

Now, at every barbecue some rain must fall. There have been a few less-than-stellar experiences at Bono’s. As I hinted above, the smoked beef was rather dry on our last visit (both Todd and I ordered it with similar results) and their Texas toast is often similarly dry (I like mine with penty of garlic butter, thank you very much, and last time there was almost no butter and definitely no garlic!). But probably the worst item we’ve ever had there were their onion rings. It’s sad, right: how can you screw up onion rings? I’m afraid they did, though. While nice and large (always a good start) they were coated with such a load of heavy, caked-on, barely seasoned batter which made the size overwhelming, and not in a good way. The sauce they came with was good, though.

So if you find yourself in one of the many cities along the Florida east coast (or Gainesville, or, you know, Colorado?) with a Bono’s and you want some good smoked turkey, Bono’s is the place to try! And if anyone is brave enough to order the “Hawg Size” portion of one of their plates, please take a picture and send it to me!

Random Appetites: Boat Drinks

Nibbles

And by boat I mean ship. And by ship I mean cruise-ship.

That’s right, folks, in case you missed the earlier note I’m on vacation this week, bobbing around the Gulf of Mexico on the Carnival Mircale. Today we were in Belize where I picked up both Ginger and Cashew wines which I’ll have to review in full once I’m back state-side, along with the Tamarind liqueur I picked up in Roatan.

But first, back to the boat. I think Boat Drinks are essentially the same as what some call “skirt drinks”: the  fruity concoctions that may or may not come with an umbrella or some other sort of decoration on the rim. The Jimmy Buffet song of the same name makes me wonder if boat drinks are purely a modern invention or if these cocktails reach far enough back to have been something like scurvy prevention and the like. (My reasoning is that cirtus and other fresh fruits would have spoiled on long journeys without some sort of preservation and fermentation would have been the method of choice for the juices. Mixing them with other liquids would let you stretch them farther.)

But enough of my meandering…

Almost the first thing you’re presented with on a Carnival cruise is the Drink of the Day (DoD). On embarkation it’s the Fun Ship, made up of Vodka, Light Rum, Apricot Brandy, Amaretto and fruit punch and garnished with an orange slice, cherry and an umbrella. Of course I had one with lunch and got my souvenir cup needs out of the way (if only I knew which day the drinks came in the coconut cups!).

One night at dinner I tried the Mojito of the Day. Apparently Mojitos are the new martini, with all sorts of varieties available. This one was a Melon Mojito and, I would presume, just took the addition of some Midori or other Melon liqueur along with the Rum, Simple Syrup, muddled mint leaves and club soda to make it what it was (tasty!). Other options I’ve seen (but not tried) were the Mojito Margarita and the Apple Mojito. I have to admit, I’m a bit of a purest with the Mojito. As much as I enjoyed the Melon one, I think the regular Mojito is enough of a stand-alone, definitive presence that the additions really aren’t necessary.

Today, being Innauguration Day, the ship’s bartenders have decieded to offer three themed cocktails: The White House (a frozen drink of melon liqueur, pina colada and blue curacao), the President (vodka, triple sec, amaretto, sloe gin and cranberry juice over ice) and the Oval Office (a non-alcoholic drink of mango mix and grenadine). Just like I’ve chosen not to watch the Innauguration in the lounge (I’m on vacation, folks!) I think I’ll pass on the politically-tinged beverages as well.

But that won’t necessarily stop me from finding out just what the Coco Loco Monkey is…

Random Appetites: Have a Cuppa!

Nibbles

Let us depart the ethanol-tinged waters I usually tread for a more sedate beverage today: tea.

It’s chilly this week in Florida and that has me reaching for the kettle and my stash of various teas and tisanes. What’s a tisane? Well, only beverages brewed from tea leaves are tea, the herbal beverages that are frequently called teas but contain no tea leaves are technically tisanes. Doesn’t change them, really, it’s just a bit more correct.

My favorite tea is Earl Grey and Twinings is thoughful enough to provide a decaf version that most stores carry, so I can steep myself in Oil of Bergamot (that citrusy note that makes Earl Grey Tea, Earl Grey Tea). I will occasionally take it with a bit of milk and a sugar cube or two (yes, I buy sugar cubes just for drinking tea) but usually I’m good with a healthy dollop of honey for sweetness. (And as much of a geek as I am, it’s not because of Captain Picard, it’s merely a coincidence that my favorite captain prefers my favorite tea.) And for those hot months (which is most of the time, here in Florida) a mix of Earl Grey and Lemonade makes the BEST drink in the World (courtesy of the Earl of Sandwhich in Downtown Disney).

Another frequent tea in my cup is the “Herbal Revive” tisane (also from Twinings) that is essentially ginger and lemon peel with a bit of other flavors thrown in (but no actual tea leaves, hence it’s a tisane despite the fact that the package says “herbal tea”). When combined with honey, the lemon perks up a sore throat and stuffy sinuses and the ginger is good for settling an upset tummy.

Now, those two teas come in bags and I’m generally okay with bagged teas for everyday use: they’re economical and you can sometimes get another cup to half a cup out of a good tea bag by adding more hot water to the cup (referred to as “rebolitto” when talking soups, the reboiling usually gives you a slightly weaker cup of tea so if I’m planning on stretching out that cup I’ll refill once I’ve finished about 2/3 of the first one). Loose teas are generally a step up in quality and I have some of those, too, mostly from Adagio.com.

Of course, if you can’t find a blend you prefer on the store shelves, you can make a tisane out of practically anything. Put your ingredients (citrus zest strips, herbs, spices, etc) in a cup and top with water from a tea kettle and let steep for 3-8 minutes. The time depends on how tough it is for the water to work the oils and flavors from the items in your cup. Fresh herbs and zests will take less time than dried flowers of, say, chamomile or lavendar, and those take less time, still, that a bit of cinnamon stick or dried woody herbs like rosemary or thyme. You can use a tea ball or reusable muslin tea bag to steep your teas but it’s really not that tough to drink loose teas–after all, you’re supposed to sip , not gulp.

And for the gardner or hands-on tea drinker I’ve just come across this Indoor Deluxe Herbal Tea Herb Garden that I’m really itching to try. Granted, I have a pair of black thumbs, but maybe something small like this I could actually manage to grow!