beXnlog

Huitlacoche, Essene, and Free Stuff from Philadelphia

1) At Headhouse Farmers' Market i've eaten at the Los Taquitos de Puebla stand a few times. Usually we order a plate of three tacos filled with either squash blossom, mushroom or corn smut, generously top them with hot sauce and devour. I didn't think anything of this "corn smut" except that it was a "corn fungus," similar to mushrooms. It looked like finely chopped up black bits and tasted like mushrooms. No big deal. Squash blossom was better, anyways. Okay, but now thanks to O and his internet forays, i cannot bear to think of corn smut aka Huitlacoche without feeling ill. The Steve Don't Eat It series, although hilarious, does not even show the worst of Huitlacoche. Don't believe me? Google "Huitlacoche" and check out the images of this disgusting-looking bizarre alien mold podness. Apparently people are trying to rename "corn smut" to "Mexican Truffle" but i'm not sure it's going to take off unless no one ever sees what it really looks like. But yes, it does taste like mushrooms. Would i choose to eat it again? NO! But if it was chopped up fine and called "mushrooms?" I guess?

2) The Madame X fudge from Betty's Tasty Buttons was the bomb! L and i wanted to purchase some but they were already sold out!

3) I'm going to make the "Rutabaga and Leek Chowder with Crisp Smoky Croutons" from Deborah Madison's Vegetable Soups book. I've never used rutabagas before but our CSA was offering them last week, so i thought we'd try something new. I bought 2 leeks from Headhouse and kept smelling delicious onionness wafting from my bag as i walked around the rest of the day. I *may* try to make the stock from scratch, as L strongly suggests, but i may take the lazy route and use bouillon cubes.

4) YAAAY to Essene for stocking Sweet & Sara vegan marshmallows! I bought a box of the coconut ones and we're rationing ourselves to two per day.

5) A little booness to Essene for not stocking the Mexican Chipotle flavor of Field Roast vegan sausages. (But Essene does deserve props for stocking Field Roast at all!) I'm going to send them an email right now. I love the Smoked Apple Sage ones the best, but i need the Mexican Chipotle ones for my vegetarian chorizo soup!

6) I am in love with Smokehouse Almond Nut Thins.

7) be harvested over 20 gallons of compost from our Earth Machine composter! It's amazing how all of our vegetable scraps, peelings, coffee grounds and dead tomato plants + leaves have turned into black compost for our garden. To get your own backyard composter in Philadelphia, check here for upcoming workshops. Sadly, there are no more workshops for a free rain barrel this year, but we're so there in 2009!

8) Sometime this week i'm planning on making: apple butter (from our recent apple picking trip), biscotti, Earl Grey tea cookies and meringues.

posted by beXn @ 11:25 AM