Hair of the Blog

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Editor’s Note:  As stated in our cheating section, we here at endless simmer know we can be a little snobby. In fact, that’s kind of the point. But we also know not everyone wants to sit at home all day inventing white wine reductions and learning the difference between a scallion and a shallot. Not everyone has that much free time. Some of you may even have jobs. Yes, double-marinated, indirectly grilled, rosemary-infused lamb kebabs are exciting, but you know what? So are Extreme Nacho Cheese Doritos. So in the spirit of our more primal food urges, please welcome ES’ newest contributor: Liza. 

Liza’s expertise is in cooking for busy moms, stoned teenagers, and perhaps most relevant to the day after a national party, hungover people.

Even though scientists can’t seem to find a cure for the common hangover (besides not drinking), I truly believe that I finally have found one by using the most under-appreciated cooking device in the kitchen: the microwave. I promise, in mere minutes you can have the most satisfying meal your post-4th of July hungover mind can imagine.

Now, throw all of your judgements out the window and get ready to make some PACKAGED NOODLES. Some may call them “pasta sides,” but trust me,  you will want the entire package to yourself. Research suggests that eating a carbohydrate early on in the day can make you feel less hungover.

For those of you who don’t regularly buy packaged noodles, they are usually located in the soup aisle, although a considerate grocer will often have a “packaged dinner” aisle.

Pick the flavor you think sounds the best – they have creamy chicken, teriyaki and so many more – my personal favorite is the fettucini alfredo. And for health nuts, they also make a great whole grain alternative.

Liza’s must-read directions after the jump.

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Flightless Fred’s Linguistic Lessons

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Many of you may have already read today’s breaking Mauritius news (it’s about a dodo bird  named Flightless Fred). You may also be aware that I recently escaped the confines of working America for an extended vacation to Mauritius, a one-of-a-kind paradise island.  See above pic.

I will certainly be adding additional culinary details from my travels to make you all (and my present self) jealous. But for now, good ol’ Flightless Fred made me remember a basic food question I had after much dining out in Mauritius, where they happen to speak French.

In the U.S., any restaurant fancier than Applebees refers to main courses as entrees. I always assumed “entree” was a fancy French word for main course. BUT NO! In French, as I learned from Mauritian menus, entree actually means appetizer! So what gives?

Webster says that entree is either French for “entering” or American for “main course,” but offers no reason for the blatant contradiction. Are we doing this just to piss off the French? Was entree the original Freedom Fries? Can anyone offer any insight?

Discuss. 

Bunny Chow

In my recent trek through South Africa, I was in general not too wowed by the food scene. Every meal from breakfast to dinner is served with french fries (def not complaining, but not exactly exotic) and many meals are anchored by a dry, mealy porridge-like substance called pap (I tried to provide you with a pic of this, but learned that google image searching for the word ‘pap’ is not a good idea.)

There is however, one original South African dish that is a must-eat:  bunny chow. A specialty of street vendors in Durban, a port city with a huge Indian population, bunny chow is a straight-forward but utterly genuis creation. The insides of a loaf of bread are removed and replaced with spicy veggie curries, and less frequently, lamb or chicken curry. When I first heard about this dish I thought they meant something like a bread roll, but no, they are not kidding around; it’s an entire loaf of sandwich bread filled to the brim.  The pic above (not mine) is a half order. The best part is once the curry is gone, the remaining bread crust is soaked full of tasty curry spices.

Bunny chow is so popular in SA that it is even the title of an upcoming movie from the country’s MTV division, which looks pretty amazing so here’s hoping it will be released in the states.

Kool-aid Pickles? Oh Yeah!

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What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done with a pickle?

According to this NYT article, if you’re under the age of ten and live South of the Mason-Dixon line, you’ve probably eaten a kool-aid one. (True or false, Dixie correspondents?)

As the co-inventor of the Pickletini, I’m in no position to look down my nose at what anyone else chooses to do with the great green gourd, but this sounds a little far out. I would definitely give it a try though. It also got me thinking – how else could you mix up the old pickle brine? Jalapeno pickles? Lemon? Wasabi? Hmm…we might have to put a brining contest on our to-do list.

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