Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Meatless Monday, Magical Mouth

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday. But this was yesterday's supper. Yesterday, if you recall, really was Monday.
I have created a vegetarian cook, and his name is Chef Cranky! All I had to do was say, "Gee, we haven't eaten a tortilla pie in a while."
Somebody's juices got flowing, because within a few extracurricular (shopping) moments, we had corn tortillas, orange cheddar cheese, fresh chile peppers and a bunch of cilantro in the kitchen. Tomato and onion were already on hand.
The funny thing is, chicken did not appear. I usually make tortilla pie with leftover turkey or chicken. It didn't even OCCUR to Cranky to buy meat.
He used canned refried beans.
Fine! Fine with me!
You don't wanna know how to assemble this silly dish (layers in a little casserole, moistened with vegetable broth here and there, that's basically it, and baked for half an hour). But every time I've eaten it in recent years, it has tasted like candy. My taste buds are so extensively recalibrated that good food tastes like candy. Not in a sickly way, no. Good, sweet, natural.
I'm going to say something dippy here. I love having recalibrated taste buds. I can eat canned beans now and then (and even gummi bears), and my mouth is still full of magical flavors from a newly sensitive palate. A little cheating won't hurt.
If you're interested, I'd say stop using sugar in your food. That's a good beginning.

14 comments:

cookiecrumb said...

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS WALK AROUND WITH THOSE THINGS.

Zoomie said...

I know what you mean about the recalibration. I have never known how they handle all that stuff, but then I guess they wonder how we walk around jiggling like that. Did you know that bespoke men's pants take those things into account? Apparently, a guy either "dresses" to the right or to the left. Who knew?

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Is that an Arnie comment? Or the IMF chappie?
So, this pie, it's like a Lasagne only using tortillas?
I have one sugar in my coffee, none in my tea and, other than when baking, don't really use sugar. I guess this is why I love B Sprouts and Mr Brown, who eats his weight in chocolate each week, hates them!

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Zoomie, I was once reading a book while waiting for my mum in her office. I read the term "dresses to the right" and called out across the news room, "Mum, hey, mum, what does dress to the right mean?"
It went very, very quiet.
Oppski!

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: I avoid jiggle like hell. Lots of Spandex.
And, yes, I knew about the angle of the dangle. They think the crown jewels are pretty special if they have a SIDE! Jeez, really.

Mouse: Yes! Totally Arnie and Dominique. Utter swine.
I guess the tortilla pie is just like a lasagna. Different flavors, and not as damp. I'm making my next lasagna with matzos, BTW.
Funny story about the office. Still, I bet half the people don't know what it means. Shouldn't, say I.

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: PS, I don't like B sprouts either. I have one small spoon of honey in my tea, and don't bake. I will make Popsicles in summer, though. :)

Zoomie said...

Just heard the news about Arnie, so now I get the reference. What is it about powerful men and their zippers - can't seem to keep them up. The zippers, I mean.

Kate said...

Oh, I thought you meant Gunderson. Never mind. Got it. But sometimes you *are* hard to keep up with, Cookie.

Recalibration? Hmm. I did the whole low-carb thing for a while, a while back. I remember that the occasional bite of (Acme) white bread tasted like cake. No longer avoiding carbs so assiduously. But my bread is far from white these days, and I like it that way.

kudzu said...

Almost fell off the chair over your comment. If they kept walking, there would be far less trouble.

As for using matzo -- hmm. I did that in a lasagna once. Never again. I do think you would miss the flavor of the tortillas, not to mention the texture. But a Cookie is going to do what a Cookie is going to do!

cookiecrumb said...

Kate: It's just sort of an accident I don't eat sugar. I'm not doing the paleo diet! But I like the way food tastes now, and I'm not a zealot about it.

Kudzu: It just came to me. Their junk is so superb it needs asymmetrical tailoring? Get over yourselves!

You might just have talked me out of the matzo lasagna. Never tried it before, but you have. I trust you.

Greg said...

Well done Cranky. I like the meatless Monday idea.We just overdosed on meat during a little "business" trip.Time for a rest.

cookiecrumb said...

Greg: Yeah, where you been?
Again, I'm not a zealot about meatless, either, but I sure don't want to have a load of it. It's easy and tasty to drift toward plants.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

You also make your own bacon so you are my hero :) xx
My Edison arrived today *swoons*

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: Oh, my, yippee for the speckled Edison! I had a funny chat with Brian. I had thought he was the pen maker from Ohio referred to on a local newspaper story. Turns out he had read the story, but he wasn't the anonymous guy. What a relief, because the story is about a hideous, baroque, ornate pen seller.

Bacon is EASY.