Chicago: By Kate Greve

Ok I know I said I was going to tell you all about my experience with Level 1 ESL at the not-for profit free English classes I teach. And I haven't finished my Yucca Shephard's Pie post. And ....and....so many more. It's really crazy before I leave for Costa Rica (I bought my 9 year old nephew an MP3 player, had to load mine and his....I'm not so technologically proficient with these sorts of things so it's taken me 3 days after work to arrange my music and load the damn things) and on top of it all I wanted to get this photo book started for my mom for mothers day and my aunt is coming in today from California. Whew. SO sorry but I wanted to share with you some magnificent photos of Chicago by my friend Kate Greve. I always love her photos and I think you will too. They really capture the essence and FEEL of Chicago. In fact, my blog picture is by Kate as well! Thanks Kate!

Ethiopian Food

I had some lentils and green peppers I needed to use up. I googled "recipes with lentils and green peppers". From there I went with it. What a delicious treat! Post recipes tonight if anyone is actually reading this right now.



Recipe:

1 cup brown lentils
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
3/4 cup onions finely chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 x garlic cloves minced
3 tbl olive oil
8 x won-ton wrappers
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 x egg yolk beaten with
1 tbl water
1 tsp fresh ginger root grated peeled
1 tsp coriander seed ground
oil for deep-frying

Rinse the lentils and bring them to a boil in the water. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the spices and chopped green peppers and simmer, covered, for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Remove the pan from the heat. When the lentils are tender, combine them with the sauteed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the won ton wrappers in half to form rectangles. Place a wrapper vertically on a flat surface and brush it with the beaten egg mixture. Put a rounded tablespoon of the filling on the lower end of one of the rectangles. Fold the left bottom corner up and over the filling until it meets the right edge of the wrapper and forms a triangle. Next, flip the filled triangle up and over, folding along its upper edge. Then fold it over to the left on the diagonal. Continue folding until you reach the end of the wrapper and have formed a neat triangular package. Repeat this process with the other won ton wrapper rectangles. Deep-fry each pastry until golden in 2 or 3 inches of oil heated to 360F. You can keep the fried sambussas in a warm oven until they are all prepared and ready to be served. Sambussas are best eaten hot.

source:http://ethiopianrecipes.net/sambussa-ethiopian/

My How The Neighborhood Has Changed......

Your Children Should Learn Spanish

Blagojevich Reality Show In Costa Rican Jungle

As if Illinois weren't already in the spotlight enough due to the scandals of it's government.......You know, looking at Illinois as an insider, I really didn't know how the puzzle piece fit into the rest of the puzzle. I live here. Yes, prior governor George Ryan is in jail for the illegal sale of government licenses, contracts and leases by state employees. He was named in a 22-count federal indictment including charges racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering and tax fraud and is now serving prison time. Ok great. Next up after George Ryan, Governor Rod Blagojevich, the second Serbian American to be elected governor of any state in the United States, was arrested on federal corruption charges. He was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Another point in case regarding citizens of Chicago, in particular, is the well known and accepted fact that City of Chicago government has been corrupt for ages! Love Chicago. And in a sick way I kinda like Mayor Daley, but his camp (and his father's camp before him) are all incestuous in their business affairs. They're all sucking eachothers proverbial d*&cks, so to speak. And we just turn our heads the other way. Poor neighborhoods don't get potholes fixed in timely manners. Downtown gets a revamp of Grant Park that cost millions of dollars, yet schools are closing down in neighborhoods that can't keep up. I should back all of this up with some statistics and stuff but I'm going to have to do that another time. This post is actually intended to be funny. Wait, enter laugh...........As if Blagojevich's "couch antics" on all of the daytime talk shows weren't enough when he was "attempting" to defend himself to the public and garner media support (god knows HOW THE HELL he was going to do that all the while appearing to be a crazy felonious person) he now wants permission from a judge in the middle of his court case to give him permission (which he does NOT have now) to appear in a reality show in Costa Rica in June! He wants to be dropped in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle and appear on a reality show called "I'm A Celebrity....Get Me Out of Here!" Ummm.....whose guessing that this Sneaky Slimy Serb (sorry, I know a lot of really awesome Serbs....but this one's a slimebucket) is going to run off awol in the middle of Central America? BET. he gots a plane waiting to carry him off to the promise land. AHEM.

I cannot stop laughing (and also questioning more deeply the politics of this state) profusely in bewilderment over the antics of this guy WHO USED TO BE OUR GOVERNOR......how did we put someone like this into office? I wouldn't even call him an a-hole, I just call him a pathetic, seriously cuckoo, delusional, wack job out of touch with reality. wtf? So as a Chicagoan, there is so much that comes across our plates on a daily basis, that we just become sort of numbed by the usual corruption of our government. I think that everyone is so busy trying to stay on top of their own life they have little energy left at the end of the day to devote to making a difference. I guess that goes for most people. In the end, we end up shrugging our shoulders and laughing in dismay and going about our business. I also heard Chicago was ranked one of the most miserable cities to live in. That's news to me and I'm going to have to do some research. I love Chicago and think it's one of the best cities in the world.

Ok, enough ranting. I think you will all enjoy "I LIKE SQUARE BUTS" as much as I did.

The Week of Technology

Please bear with me. I'm trying to bear with myself. The list of topics I intend to blog about grows exponentially daily. However, in my quest to make this blog functional and aesthetically pleasing, I've been focusing on the design and technology aspects. As you can see, I learned how to put a "subscribe by email" link on my page. That took about two days. Here's what I intend to accomplish:

1. Learn how to create a "read more" link so that my entire postings don't ramble on, on the face of the blog. Apparently there's some tricky html involved with this. Might be awhile.

2. I really love the photo I have associated with Noisy Chicagoan. However, the trained designer eye (and maybe the untrained eye) notices that there is a light green border on the right side of the photo...and it doesn't look right. It doesn't look HORRIBLE but it doesn't look right. I'm assuming I could photoshop the picture but I'm not sure if that would compromise the pixels or something. Any thoughts?

3. I need to add "tags" (that's what they're called right?) so the postings can be brought up under any one specific topic. Get ready for an onslaught of a lot of random topics. What do I file the edible anus chocolates under? Miscellaneous? Perversions? lol.

4. I'd like to play around with the headings and their colors, sizes and fonts and placement. I really like the way Cancun Canuck did her page layout in terms of the headings and tags etc....All in all, she's got a great blog. Among others.

5. Which leads me to my fifth, and as far as I know at this moment, last item to tackle before I am satisfied about blogging real content where I can invite readers....completing my blog roll. There are so many amazing blogs out there. Much like life the ones I randomly ran across became like favorite books of mine, except they are ongoing and multidimensional and even interactive! Beats television every day to learn about people's lives and the diversity people bring to the world.

Ok that's enough for right now. I'm at work and dreading breaking the news to my boss that my Costa Rican vacation is actually going to have me gone 8 days from the office and not 5. I'm sweatin yo.....I'm sweatin......

VEGAN!! Jamaican Yucca Shephard's Pie DELICIOUS!!

Can I just say wow?! Ok. So you should know, I love to cook. I love taking a random recipe that I've never even heard of....finding all of the ingredients, some of which I've never used and seeing a dish come together. I like the time and effort it takes to make the meal. Going back to ancient times, the communal meal was a material expression of social relationships. I enjoy the time spent with friends chatting (and drinking) while preparing the meal. Last night we did a lot of cooking and a lot of drinking. Ugh. My poor head. And now I have to go see Monsters v. Aliens in 3D....an obligation I can't really back out of. Wish me luck. Here's our delicious creation.....the one I passed up going to free art galleries in Pilsen for. The meal I passed up a party for. Oh I'm only half kidding....I'm pinching my pennies for Costa Rica...cuz you KNOW you will spend some money even on the way to a free art gallery. It's the law of leaving the house. Upon exit, you WILL spend money SOMEWHERE. Anyway...this VEGAN dish included sweet plantains, sweet potatoes, jalapenos, corn, CURRY, yucca, and bunches of culinary delights to please the taste buds. I varied the recipe a bit, I'll give it to you both ways. And if you know me well, you KNOW that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Caribbean and Latin American dishes to a fault. I cook more out of my Latin American cookbook than any other dishes.










-serves 8

3-3 1/2 pounds yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into 1.5 inch chunks. It's a bit difficult to peel, there's no quick and easy way, just peel it best you can with a knife is what I think I used. I don't usually opt for best methods, I just do it. If you have a better way, please indulge me.

1 3/4 tsp salt

3 T olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 T finely chopped fresh ginger

1 T Jamaican curry powder (Note: this has a different mix of spices than the Indian stuff. If you don’t feel like finding and/or buying it, add star anise and coriander to your T of regular curry powder. But who doesn’t want another specialty spice in their cupboard?) Yes, or I just used regular curry!

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks

2 Scotch bonnet peppers, scored down the sides (Note: these guys are HOT. Instead of cutting them, all you need to do is use a paring knife to cut slivers up the sides, which will allow the peppery flavor to be released without the mouth-burning heat. If you can’t find them, use serrano peppers instead. I am new to the "hot" generation, so I used jalapenos. I know I'm a wimp.)

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 cup water or broth

1 (15 oz) can coconut milk (light or not–your choice)

1/2 cup canned corn

1 cup cooked kidney beans, or 1 (15 oz) can, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked lima beans, or 1 (15 oz can, drained and rinsed

2 ripe yellow plantains that have just begun to blacken, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

1. First, prepare the yuca: Place the chunks in a medium stockpot and cover with water until they’re submerged. Cover and bring to a boil, addding 1 tsp of the salt. Lower the heat to medium. Let it boil for 20 minutes, until tender enough to mash.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Preheat a medium stockpot over medium high heat. Place the 2 T of oil, the onions, green pepper, garlic, and ginger in the pot. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add the curry powder, sweet potatoes, Scotch bonnets, thyme, salt, and water. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced.
4. Set your oven to 350.
5. Add the remaining ingredients (coconut milk through plantains) to the mixture and lower the heat. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until everything is heated through. Remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and Scotch bonnets and discard.
6. By this point, the yuca should be done. Drain it and then place it back in the pot you boiled it in. Add the remaining T of oil to the yuca and mash with a potato masher. It usually takes about 20 mashes to get it to the right consistency, creamy but chunky.
7. Pour the curried filling into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to scoop the yuca over it in several mounds. Press the yuca mounds down to spread over the curry. It’s OK if some of the filling is peeking through in places.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, and then turn on the broiler for about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye–the top should be gently browned.
9. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve in rimmed plates or shallow bowls because it will be saucy.

courtesy of Veganomicon

Rotofugi

??????????????????????????????????????????????????

Rotofugi has become a hit amongst my friends. It's a designer toy store, Japanese in style....owned and run by a couple in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood (or East Village or West Town....depending on who you ask, the boundaries and names of neighborhoods in Chicago constantly change or are revised for personal reasons..more on that later). I dipped in there yesterday before $5 gourmet pizzas at Cleo's (Thursday special) and purchased myself a Ye Old English Dunny. Here's an excerpt from their site....and a couple pictures.

"Rotofugi Designer Toy Store & Gallery, established in July 2004, is located in Chicago's eclectic East Village neighborhood. Since opening, Rotofugi has grown to become one of the world's premier sellers of designer toys from artists all over the world. Rotofugi Toy Store features a diverse selection of vinyl figures, capsule toys, plush and more from both eastern and western designers. The adjoining Rotofugi Gallery features monthly art exhibits by a range of both local and nationally known artists.

Beginning in late 2007 Rotofugi partnered with Chicago based product development specialist Squibbles Ink to begin producing artist-designed figures by the talented designers located in their home town. Click here for more information on Squibbles Ink + Rotofugi projects.

Rotofugi is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Kirby and Whitney Kerr. You can find the couple in and around the store on most days. They love to talk about toys. "

Worlds Tiniest Letter

Well, so far this week, I started teaching English again at the Not-For-Profit group in Chicago (immigrant English classes community members can take for free), I resurrected this blog (go me!), I even got started on my blogroll....and visited the library twice. Once to get a shit ton of books about Costa Rica for my impending trip and once to get some Spanish workbooks and such because I almost purchased two or three of them at full price at Border's. Why do that when I can photocopy what I want for half the price, or even less! Nonetheless I DO have my eye on the Spanish Picture Dictionary. I am pretty sure I'm going to buy it today. On to the world's tiniest letter. I'll expound more later on the ESL, Spanish, CHICAGO, and more. Guess I should start mentioning Chicago a bit more, considering I live there.

THE WORLDS TINIEST LETTER www.leafcutterdesigns.com


The World's Smallest Postal Service (WSPS) is a teeny tiny transcription service and roaming post office based in the San Francisco Bay Area and also available online.

Lea Redmond is the Postmaster, setting up her tiny mobile office in cafes and shops where passers-by can write a letter and have it turned into a "world's smallest letter." The letter is transcribed on a miniature desk in the tiniest of script, sealed with a miniscule wax seal with the sender's intial pressed into it, packaged up with a magnifying glass in a glassine envelope, and finished off with a large wax seal (see above). It is a double delight: for both the sender and the recipient, and the WSPS is very happy to provide this important service to the world.

You Know You Live In Chicago.....when you can recite the following commercials word for word......