Seed Catalog Season

The Cook's Garden catalog arrived in the mail this week, just in time for dreaming about Spring.

Organic, dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes

Leafing through it took me back to the winters of my childhood, when the ground was too hard to sink a shovel into and bare trees reached towards bleak skies threatening (or promising, on school nights) snow.

We'd sprawl in front of the fireplace with catalogs from Burpees and Parks, making our wish lists and trying to imagine the feel of heat and humidity that the photos of verdant gardens evoked.

These days, I'm not jonesing to turn over damp earth and nestle seedlings into their beds. I'd rather be cooking the ingredients than raising them, a task I leave mostly (and gratefully) to local family farms who bring their produce to my local farmers markets.

But the Cook's Garden folks seem to know this about me, for they've included tempting recipes and alluring photos. And they've called out the heirlooms and the organics. Now the seed of doubt is germinating - what if I can't find purple asparagus or pink-and-white-swirled chiogga beets at the market?
Perhaps I should try growing just a few things this year . . .

The Kitchen Imp Gets Spicy

Are you a serious locavore, but love to cook with flavors from around the world?  Then there's two pieces of good news for you:

One of many Kitchen Imp spice mixes

1.  Chef Laura Stec, author of Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming, understands just how you feel. She suggests a pragmatic approach - buy your meat, grains, and produce as locally as you can, and save your long-distance purchases for spices and flavorings not available nearby.

2.  The Kitchen Imp, a locavore cook based in Seattle, stands ready to help you spice up your culinary adventures with hand-ground and custom-blended flavorings.  When you order from her Etsy store, she'll even include a recipe to fit your selection. And the photos and descriptions alone are worth the visit.

If you want a glimpse into the Kitchen Imp's magic, pre- or post-order, you can Like the Imp on Facebook.

Last Holiday - Movie Review

Last Holiday did not make a huge splash at the box office; but for me it's keeper. Maybe it'll become a cult classic.

Watch it on Amazon Instant Video, too

Queen Latifah's character, Georgia Byrd, starts out as a self-depriving good girl from New Orleans. She rushes home from her job in a department store, making gourmet dishes while Emeril gives instructions on TV. Then she feeds them to her grateful teenage neighbor while she microwaves herself a diet dinner.

Pronounced terminally ill, Georgia cashes in her savings and flies off to a posh resort in the Alps, where others mistake her for a jet-setter. There she lives out her dreams, yet manages to keep her values and speak her truth, with some hilarious moments as a result. She gambles in a high-stakes casino, base-jumps, and shows such an appreciation for Chef Didier's cuisine that he invites her into the kitchen to cook with him.

Spoiler
The happy ending involves a realization of her dream to create beautiful food, in a way that affirms her local (hometown) community.

Summary
A fairly predictable vehicle for Queen Latifah - but so delightfully executed that I didn't care. Tellingly, the bad characters don't appreciate good food but only see dining as an extension of personal power.

Supporting Cast
Gerard Depardieu, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, and Susan Kellermann particularly sparkle.

Holiday Tamales de Elote

Gathering in the kitchen to craft hand-made tamales with fillings to suit every taste is a time-honored family tradition for the holidays. Not my family, and not only the Christmas holiday.

Sweet corn tamale with a sprinkle of cheese, plus crema

Still, when I saw sweet corn tamales for sale in the local mercado latino, I knew right away what the perfect Christmas breakfast would be. Tamales de elote can be eaten as lunch or dinner, plated elegantly on a thin layer of salsa verde and drizzled with crema.

Or they can be found at street markets, like the one where I first tried them. Fresh off a plane from Seattle, I wandered the market overdue for breakfast. The sweet corn tamales smelled so good, I couldn't resist - and what a revelation!

Most of the time, one finds tamales of simple masa harina filled with savory or spicy meat or cheese mixtures. Whether in an open air market, at home, or in a restaurant, the sweet corn variety are a rare find. For me they will also be a treat, and especially good as a late morning breakfast.