I don't normally cook in my kitchen.
I don't mean that I rarely use my kitchen. It is just that the microwave, coffee maker and the rice cooker are the three top used food preparation appliances in my kitchen.
Tonight, I decided to save myself some money by learning to make my favorite dish (well, the dish of the moment, which is a spinach and peanut sauce that they make at the Thai place steps from my apartment). In the process of making this dish, I discovered two things.
1. I may not have been eating as vegetarian as I thought, since the dish can be made with Thai fish sauce.
2. Slightly browned coconut milk is the best artery-hardening base for a non-desert sauce in the known universe.
On the first point, I did what any self-respecting geek would do: went to the internet. I tried to find a vegetarian substitute for fish sauce, and came up with a preparation for light soy sauce that seemed to take more time to make than the resultant peanut sauce. So, I did what any self-respecting vegetarian would do: went to the co-op and asked my friendly neighborhood granola specialists what to do. (Turns out, the prep doesn't have to be as in depth as my original internet search led me to believe. It ain't going to taste like real fish sauce no matter what you do, so don't bother with all the prep.)
Anyway, long story short. I am sitting here, with a bowl of peanutty and spinachy goodness (in the making of which no anchovies were harmed), that - while not tasting exactly like the more expensive version across the street - tastes a heck of a lot better than my previous attempts at making a peanut sauce from scratch.
Now for the tweaking of the recipe to begin...
I realized this weekend that none of my existing ties were going to work for a wedding I am going to this weekend.
I will be wearing a yellow boutonniere, and I have no ties with any yellow in them. So, off I went to the group of stores along Nicollet Mall after work today.
Gwaa. Shopping for a tie is difficult. I know what I want. Something with a hint of yellow but mainly grey/silver and navy, and not the standard 45% angle business tie stripes.
I went to five stores. And all I have to show for it is a better understanding of what I don't want.
Formal, but not boring.
Not too "J. Garcia" but not solid either.
Art Deco over paisleys. But Art Nouveau over corporate.
Ah well, tomorrow is another day of tie searching.