PFB #3: Fantasy Dinner Party

lux·u·ry n. 1. An object, service, or experience that is both out of the ordinary and conducive to joy and pleasure.  ...What could be more luxurious than a dinner party out of one's imagination?

You are Invited to  
My Fantasy Luxury Dinner Party!

Play along with me?

The Theme

Top Iron Chef Masters, Judges' Table

It is a tranquil evening, unseasonably moderate for early October.  You are seated at a beautiful candle-lit table setting for eight, on a elegant stone terrace that overlooks an incredible ocean sunset.  One by one, guests start to arrive, and seated amongst you are some intriguingly friendly faces that you don't know, as well as some you do!  In the background, a soft yet lively arrangement of music plays, and just as you have finished taking in the view and thoughts start to wander, in walks myself, and...

   

The Chefs!

Masaharu Morimoto, Rick Bayless, and Cat Cora

Their Challenge

As the host, I reveal that they must each create a flavorful and exotic three-course meal for the 8 guest judges seated here tonight.

Surprise Twist

"But there is a twist," I add, in my best Colicchio impersonation.  

"Your dishes [dramatic pause]... must be vegan! 

[close-up of the chefs' faces: Morimoto- no change; Bayless- slight, but friendly smirk; Cora- closes her eyes with slight irritation, but quickly looks up with a steel-like determination]
...As master chefs, this will be a challenge- but not one you can't handle!"

The Guests

I love an intimate table of people sharing the same conversation.  Too many, and you lose some of that magic.  Close your eyes and imagine all of your favorite people, from present and/or past.  Now narrow it down to 4 people.

My Picks:

1)  Mike- a.k.a. DJ Destiny, husband extraordinaire, lover of all things fun and creative, wit like a whip, sushi connoisseur, and can play a wicked set on the DJ decks if I ask.

2)  Cee- Best friend, expert dietician (registered!), foodie with a very discerning palette, chocolate lover, expert baker of cupcakes and bubble bread.

3) Mark- a.k.a. MC Storm, Brother from another mother, class clown, owner of two restaurants, Ex-Coordinator of Hard Rock Cafe Marketing and Entertainment (US), and extreme foodie from England.

4) You, and all your wonderfulness!

Celebrity Guests

(It's a fantasy, right?)... Now think of 2 people that you've never met, but would love to invite to this table.  Would it be a famous chef?  Oprah?  Robin Williams?  President Obama?

My Picks:

1) Ellen Degeneres- will definitely write about this on Twitter, and would be the first to get up and dance!

2) Betty White- will sit there and be Betty White, who could complain about that?

Plus, they're both extremely funny, lovable, will appreciate the veg menu, and love animals... which leads to my next guest.

Special Celebrity Guest

One more spot is reserved for a famous fictional character.  Again, why not?  It's a fantasy!

My Pick:

Scooby-Doo- I just love a dog who can speak human in a doggy accent, and besides, he's a lovable character with an infectious laugh and a voracious stoner-like appetite (just gotta make sure he'll keep his paws off everyone else's plates- hehehehehehe!).  

... Now cue music, and insert commercial break for Buick Lacrosse and FoodBuzz.com (shamless plugs)

Now, its time to watch the chefs prepare our meals in Kitchen Stadium (which is conveniently located just inside the terrace).  The incredible aromas fill the air, as Alton Brown adds his usual colorful commentary and the Chairman does back- flips off one of the stages.
The Matrix Lady's voice finally counts down from 10, as the chefs and their helpers scurry around for last-second plating!  "10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1.." [unnecessarily loud air horn goes off] The chefs raise their arms quickly, as if being held up by muggers, marking the end of the battle.   

 "And now, to the Judges' Table!" I yell enthusiastically.

Appetizer Round

"Please describe your point of view, and what you have made for us." 

Rick Bayless's Original:  Tamal de Pato

Cat Cora's Original:  Greek Style Nachos

Main Course Round

Morimoto's Original: Sushi Platter and Shikaimaki Sushi

Cat Cora's Original: Sweet Corn Risotto with Herbs de Provence

Dessert Round

Rick Bayless's Churros and Mexican Hot Chocolate -Churro Recipe


Reactions from Judges' Table

"These dishes were so exotic, I'm gonna Twitter my fans and ask them if they can identify what was on my plate- first to get it right will win a Buick!"

"I haven't had vegetables this good since that time I was a guest star on Gilligan's Island!"

"I ROVE regetables!  Even more than Scooby-Snacks! Hehehehehehehe!"

As judges, no one could pick a clear winner, as every dish was beyond perfection, dream-like even.  We all looked at each other for a moment, bellies warm, backs slouched in our seats, each of us in our own state of content euphoria.  "Should we make them do a Breakfast Round tomorrow morning?" one clever member sluggishly offered.  That apparently sounded good to everyone, as we all grunted sleepily in approval.  

Who would you pick as the winner?  Leave a comment and let me know. I'll be sure to read it tomorrow... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If you liked this post, you can vote for me here.

Disclaimer: VegSpinz in no way claims that any of the above quotes are real or a true reflection of any person's words or character. This is a fictional work, based on the author's own quirky interpretations.

PFB #2: The Turtle and the Sea

Once upon a time, long long ago, there was a beautiful and rare white turtle named Keiko, who was known in her village to sing the most beautiful melodies. Sweet, innocent, and very obedient, she rarely ventured outside of her village and quiet cove, for fear of the unknown- plus her slow turtle gait didn't help either.
 

Day after day, she stayed in the village and entertained her family and friends with her beautiful voice. But soon, she grew bored and longed for new experiences. Although the other turtles begged her to stay, and warned her of possible dangers, she made the difficult decision to go on a journey.

So she began her trek- slowly, yet deliberately, until she finally reached the edge of her village and crossed the line into the unknown world. For days she pushed forward with her clumsy flipper-feet, alone along a sandy dirt road, passing tall wispy red pines, and stopping to munch on some tasty wild ninjin (carrots). She sang to keep herself company, and often wondered what she might discover. The sun beat down upon her, and soon turned her pure white shell to a golden hue.

On the third day, she noticed a faint sound in the distance. "Boom, swish, boom, swish!" it repeated. And, it became louder and louder as she walked towards it. "What could that be?" Keiko wondered with nervous excitement.

Suddenly, the road opened up before her. She saw a vast sky, that was crystal blue with puffy clouds, and directly below- an enormous emerald sparkling sea, with waves gently crashing onto the rocks at the water's edge. "Oh, I've never seen anything so beautiful!" she remarked aloud.

To her surprise, the sea (named Kai) answered back in a booming voice, "Why, thank you! I've been admiring your wonderful singing voice." And so for hours they chatted, and quickly became good friends. Then, Keiko had a most glorious idea. "Why don't you use your waves to make a rhythm, and I'll sing along?" "What a lovely idea," said Kai. After some practice, the pair finally made the most incredible music together. Kai would even make different rhythms for the young turtle to sing to, as she gleefully swam and floated in the sea's waters. The beautiful songs that resulted can still be heard to this day... if you listen carefully.

When Keiko returned to her village, she spread the news of the wonderful Kai, and all the turtles decided to follow suit and venture outside of their comfy village. Soon, all the turtles lived in the sea, and only returned to their village to lay their eggs, so the next generation could make the same trek that Keiko did.

The Inspiration:

This post is dedicated to my host daughter, Keiko from Japan. She left us to go back to her home country a few years ago, and we are thrilled that she will be coming back to visit us next month! On top of that, the story symbolizes her brave journey to the United States, back when she barely spoke any English... Plus, she loves turtles! :)

About This Dish:

This curry dish (called karē) is very popular in Japan. My host daughter didn't cook much, so she never made us this dish, but she did show us the instant curry mix (comes in blocks) that so many Japanese people use to make it. I would describe it as a milder curry (as compared to Indian curries), and is thick like a gravy with a unique sweetness. It almost always has potatoes, carrots, and onion, and is usually served over rice.

A Little History:

From Wiki: Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1869–1913) by the British, at a time when India was under the administration of the British. The dish became popular and available for purchase in supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s. It has been adapted since its introduction to Japan, and is so widely consumed that it can be called a national dish.

The Recipe:

Instead of using the instant mix which usually contains MSG, I made this from scratch. It is essentially a sauce made from a seasoned roux as its base, which is unusual to me.  I also wanted to try making my own garam masala spice mix, which was a lot easier than I expected!  I borrowed instructions from this site.

Ingredients:

For the Roux:

4 T. Earth Balance margarine

1 T. garam masala

1/4 C. all purpose flour

For the Rest:

1 C. finely chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 C. carrots, chopped (size desired)

1 C. red or yukon potatoes, chopped (sized desired)

3 C. vegetable stock
1 T. brown sugar

salt to taste

Spinz:

Make the roux first by heating the margarine in a sauce pan.  Stir garam masala into melted margarine for a minute or two.  Add flour and stir until well combined.  Take off heat and set aside.  

In a large skillet or pot, saute the onions in a little vegetable oil until tender and golden.  Add carrots, and saute for a few minutes before adding the potatoes and garlic and doing the same.  Season with salt. Once a little browned, add the vegetable stock, sugar, and more salt (if needed), and simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender but still firm (al dente).  Mix in the roux and let simmer to finish.  Serve over Japanese short grain rice.

The End

Story, illustrations, and food by DJ Karma

Project Food Blog: Jam Master Jay Meets Martha Stewart

I'm "a vegan DJ with a passion for food," as my headline reads above. Most who have visited this blog don't know the "DJ" side of me very well- mainly because I've chosen to focus more on the food. This online identity of mine does raise questions. Why should I even mention the "DJ" part of my life? After all, what does DJing and cooking have to do with one another?

For me, they're just two creative outlets in my life -two outlets of opposite extremes. I mean, Jam Master Jay meets Martha Stewart kind of extreme. How to marry them into one little blog has, believe me, been a challenge- one that I usually end up ignoring with a shrug.

When people ask me what I do, I'll admit it's wierd. "I own a DJ company... and, uh... write vegan recipes..." It doesn't exactly flow. But after pondering this juxtaposition of self identity for a while, it started to make sense...

Cooking requires mixing and blending harmonious ingredients to produce a tasty and enjoyable dish.

DJing requires mixing and blending harmonious songs to produce enjoyable listening and good entertainment.

Cooking is a hands-on activity, with a lot of precise chopping, slicing, and dicing.

DJing is a hands-on activity, with a lot of precise button-pushing, record-handling, and "scratching."

And besides, good music and good food always seem to come together.

And, experts agree:

"If music be the food of love, play on."

-William Shakespeare

"Good food is like music you can taste..."
-Remy the Rat, Ratatouille

Ok, so maybe I've made my point, or maybe I'm reaching a bit. The reality is that I put my creativity into two very different things, and sometimes...they become a part of one another.

Can you guess these songs?

♫ Let's groove tonight, share the spice of life. Baby slice it right. We're gonna groove tonight. ♫

♫ Seems like everywhere I go, the more I see the less I know, but I know one thing, that I love you. ♫

♫ Take time to make yourself feel good, and you do whatever you want. 'cause you can now, in my world... ♫

How do you think you did?