Can-Can

Make it fast.

Make it easy.

Can(s) of beans - your choice (drained).

Can(s) of fruit - orange, pineapple, fruit cocktail, etc.

Can(s) of chiles - your choice.

Cilantro, cumin, oregano, basil, salt, pepper.

Stop here or:

add fresh - fruit (mango, watermelon, etc.) , tomatoes, etc.
add dried - fruit, tomatoes, etc.

Mix, let sit in fridge for a while.

Add texture if you want - nuts, toffee, dark chocolate, etc.

Now figure out how to spend the remaining 23:55 hours:mins of your day.

Spreads

As the weather gets warmer, the stove becomes a less attractive option for cooking since it makes even more heat. Here is a cool approach to making spreads that can be meals or side dishes.

Beans - pinto, white, black, etc.
Spices - cumin, coriander, chili powder, blend (from the website, e.g, Indian), etc., salt and pepper to taste.
Salsa - add a Gourmet-O-Matic ^tm salsa, if you want.

Drain beans if using canned.
Put in food processor.
Add spices. Blend 'til desired consistency.
Add salsa if you want. Blend if you want smooth. Stir in if you like things chunkier (this is easier if you remove the spread from the food processor).
Remove from food processor.
Chill, if you like.
Get bread, crackers, etc.
Spread.
Eat.

Coffee Nut?

Are you a coffee perfectionist?

If so, know this.

Brewed coffee is acidic and when done, it should have a pH around 5.0.

The best water to use for coffee should have a pH that is neutral, around 7.0.

Municipal water is frequently alkaline, i.e., of a pH greater than 7.0, to prevent corrosion of pipes.

To acidify your coffee water, i.e., lower the pH from greater than 7.0 to 7.0, add pinches of tartaric acid, aka cream of tartar, until the water tastes slightly tart.

Or you can get a pH meter to measure the pH. (That is known as overkill. Although, if you are a coffee nut...)

Do not add steak tartare. It will not work.

Ripen Right

Fruits.

Some can ripen at home.

Others, well... buy ripe or you are committed to eating unripened fruits, i.e., they will not get any riper.

Fruits that will ripen after they are picked are known as climacteric fruits. They include:

avocados
bananas
kiwis
pears
tomatoes

Fruits that will NOT ripen after they are picked are known as non-climacteric fruits. They include:

apples
most berries
citrus
melons
pineapples

To nudge climacteric fruits to ripen, place them in a paper bag with a ripe fruit. This will hasten the process.

The World's Fastest Indian

No, not the motorcycle.

We are talking the spice thing.

To make just about anything take on an Indian flavor use the following spices:

coriander
cumin
garam masala
ginger

Simple, spicy, different.

Frozen Veggies That Work

It is winter.

You cannot pick these frozen, but if you get your hands on them, they will reward you with pretty darned good results.

Here are 5 frozen veggies that can be as good as their fresh versions:

Soybeans (edmame)
Brussels sprouts
Peas
Green beans
Artichoke hearts

BTW, they are not just for winter, right?

"Many Way" Satay

The essentials of satay?

Protein + sweet + nut.

Satay The Gourmet-O-Matic ^tm way?

Protein (generally cooked): chicken, beef, lamb, duck, goose, goat, pork, tofu, tempeh, seitan, fish, seafood, other (horse ?)

Sweet: jelly, jam/preserves, caramel, honey, agave nectar, molasses, corn syrup, candy, marshmallow, etc.

Nut: nut butters - smooth or crunchy and you can add sweet to the nut butter to make life easier (e.g., cashew, peanut, almond) or the nuts themselves (in pieces for the larger nuts) as a topping for even more crunch (cashew, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.)

Cover protein with sweet or sweet nut butter combination. Cover sweet and or sweet nut butter combination with nuts.

Or you can make the protein and use the other stuff for dipping.

Done.

Serve.