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LAPL At Home | Let’s Take It From The Top

i’ve got 26 books and a horror flick out on loan.  this is most of what’s at home…

I  got a little ahead of myself.

Months ago, I started thinking about chronicling what an amazing resource the Los Angeles Public Library is and hopefully, will continue to be.(♥: Shade to the Mayor and City Council, intended.)  It’s given me the opportunity to really spend time with books instead of being swayed by aesthetics and a discount at my old house of worship, Barnes and Noble.

I still ache a little when I think about all the books I sold when I packed up and moved west.  Okay, I ache a lot.  The cookbooks took the biggest hit because they’d cost the most to ship.  So, slowly, I’m re-building my collection, using LAPL for research.  Mindfully, looking at the books for more than just a recipe.

The Obvi and Superficial…

Ummm, The Good Stuff Cookbook.  Spike’s cute, I watch Top Chef and he kinda had me at Old Bay Mayonnaise.  There, I’ll admit that.  But, I’m probably a little more critical of the book because of it as well.  Eh, on cursory glance, the photographs don’t grab me at all.  I don’t know why the pictures of the salads and anything with corn annoy me, but they do.  Otherwise, it looks fun.  We’ll see.

Because I Can Can…

Took a bit of a canning/putting up break over the holidays.  Still building my canning library.  Spending time with Putting Food By, The Joy of Keeping a Root Cellar, Urban Pantry, Preserve It!, Canning for a New Generation.  It’s so different reading them for pleasure/information and not looking for Can Jam inspiration.

I Like The World At My Table…

I am so lucky that my mom introduced us to the world when we were kids, even if I HATED IT. (♥: Tofu and Bulgur, still not feeling you) The flavors that I loved make the global culinary adventure exciting and familiar.  I think this year is going to be a serious South Asian exploration.  I wish it weren’t all from books, though.  There was that guy who… Oh, you don’t know that story.  I might have to actually read Ginger and Ganesh.  It’s more a memoir with recipes.

Still trying to feel my way around Japanese cooking without much luck.  Simply Japanese went back to LAPL pretty quickly.

I’m working on an In Bed With | Momofuku.  I can’t remember if this is the second or third time it’s made it home.

On Your Recommendation…

For a minute there, I thought I was losing it.  I couldn’t remember why I wanted to check out Rose’s Heavenly Cakes.  Then, it hit me.  My favorite librarian thought I might like it and held it aside for me.  J’adore her.

I always check out the book section on the Anthro site and cross-reference with LAPL to see if I can’t get my hands on the curated goodness.  It tends to take a while after release, but I’ve become patient.  I first saw The Commonsense Kitchen and Sweety Pies there.

The Odd Man Out…

I’ve been taking out fewer doing books lately.  Sometimes, I like to give up on the illusion that I’m going to make something.  It’s easier that way.  And since I’ve always had a penchant for buying expensive yarn that tends to pill like crazy, I thought it was time to take a few steps back and learn more about it with The Knitter’s Book of Wool.

Time to dig it before this batch of books comes due.

N♥

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Tigress’ Can Jam | Ashley’s Outstanding Rhubarb Chutney (May)

april & may tcj are fighting for my heart

What can I say, but thank you.  Ashley, thank you.  Loving this recipe.  Loving my Rhubarb & Amaretto Chutney.  I didn’t even do anything to it. (♥:Do I know you????)

I get all giddy when I learn a thing or five.  This month in canning has been really cool.  Hello, this is so not a late Friday night post.  Again.  Yay!  I planned, experimented and didn’t rush.  I might have to apply that to the rest of my…

Okay.  So, I still haven’t found a locally grown source for the barb.  I kinda stopped looking for it after I found it at the downtown Ralphs.  *Bad Nikki Shrug*  I’m keeping an eye out, though.

I wanted to try something different from last week’s tasty jam.  Since most of the other canning titles on the shelf went sweet, I was excitedly hoping that Canning & Preserving with Ashley English would surprise me with something I couldn’t pass up.  HELLOOOOOO, Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney.  I mean, really.  HELLOOOO.

As I looked over the ingredients, I saw a long overdue trip in the making.  Coriander and cumin were already on my list to get from the South Asian grocery in the neighborhood.  I’d scouted out the place before, but hadn’t put the card on the counter to pay.

It’s like spice nirvana in there.  Freakish price and quantity difference from conventional stores.  I picked up a few other things that just might find their way into a new take on Market.Watch.

Can we talk about the big bottle of amaretto I’ve got in the cabinet now?  See, that’s what I get for not reading the entire recipe.  I was way too excited to grab the straw shopping basket Mom got me and go all euro with my multiple stops that I didn’t see that I could have just replaced the alcohol with orange juice.

It’s not that I don’t drink.  A bottle of wine usually won’t make it ’til morning.  I just don’t know what to do with the makings of a little bar.  Cute, I guess.  But it means I’ll need to get some friends to hang out with the soju and amaretto.  Right?

Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney
barely, yet adoringly adapted from Canning & Preserving with Ashley English

cheesecloth or a muslin tea bag
3 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 1/2 c rhubarb, chopped
2 c brown sugar
1 1/4 c sweet onions, chopped
1/2 c seedless raisins
2 cloves garlic, mince
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c amaretto
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
3/4 teaspoon pickling or kosher salt

Make a spice pouch from a small the cheesecloth or muslin square.  Add the cardamom pods, whole cumin, coriander, cloves, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and cinnamon to the cheesecloth.  Secure the bundle with kitchen twine.

Add the spices, brown sugar, rhubarb, onions, raisins, garlic, ginger, and vinegar to sauce pan.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Cook over medium heat, uncovered for 30 min.  Add amaretto, lemon zest, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, mustard seeds and salt.  Simmer for 30 more minutes.  Stir, stir, stir.  Ashley suggests adding a bit more water to the chutney if it begins to stick to the pot.  1/8 cup to start.

Prep and sterilize jars and lids.  Fill jars and water bath process for 10 minutes.

NikkiBits: While this is pretty much halved, where it isn’t I chose over in the over/under debate in my head.  This yields 2 .25L or 1/2 pint jars with some extra for the fridge.   I had a bit with some fish and cous cous I threw together with a bit of curry, broccoli, coconut milk and Matouk’s.  OMFrigginG.

What’s Next: Awww, man.  I can’t wait to get more/better priced rhubarb.  This really kicks.  I so want to make it to give to friends and my fave librarian. (♥:Save LAPL!)

I think I might be glad that I didn’t really like the rhubarb pie I had that summer in Canada forever ago.  I wonder if I’d appreciate the journey to the savory and sweet.
Nikki♥