Pollo Guajillo

in an area
of intense ethnic diversity
there many opportunities
to travel only with one’s belly
this is a trip to Puebla Mexico
and a Grandmother’s kitchen
where a sauce was created that was so good
it has passed from generation to generation

the sauce created was made of guajillo peppers
carefully blended with sour cream
at Palo Alto Sol the sauce is used over
a chicken burrito
an outstanding taste treat
their mole sauce is a winner as well

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman

Palo Alto Sol
HECTOR & HELENA SOL
408 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94040
650.328-8840

Roasted Gold

leaving the known
and allowing chance
to guide
all sorts of doors open
we stumbled in to Asana Teas
in Santa Cruz California
the menu said
roasted butternut squash
usually tasty, but mushy
they had shredded the squash
put oil and pepper on it
what came out was
tiny squash French fries
with spinach, red peppers,
and a chive aioli
on focaccia
fresh out of a panini press
it was with some regret
that I brushed my teeth
and let go of the flavor

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman
Asana Teas
103 Lincoln St.
Santa Cruz, CA831-425-8327
They also have an outstanding
Selection of teas from around
the world. I want to try the
Yerba Mate Latte.

Meatballs Then and Now

once upon a time
the Lord of the manor
had a joint of meat
the serfs got the scraps
fat, sinew, bones
these leavings
had flavor
but were difficult
to eat as is

the little scraps
would be finely chopped
and mixed with
other ingredients
barley, rice, stale bread
added to absorb the flavors
and make them go farther

in hard times ground meats
become popular
because they are less costly
depression meatballs
were at least half
fillers with an egg
to bind it all together
they can be baked or fried
one type of meat or
mixed meats
finally a sauce is added
tomato is a favorite
glazes with fruit, a possibility
Kecap Manis and lime juice
if you like an Indonesian touch
teriyaki sauce, more Asian in flavor
let your imagination run wild

the photo is TJ’s
gourmet chicken meat balls
no fillers
nuked in TJ’s fresh cherry preserves
grandma’s hard times cooking
comes full circle

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman

Thanks to S. Rai for suggesting
meatballs and the kecap manis

Grievous Errors

if you study statistics
you may come to realize
that only twenty percent
of any group is normal
while eighty percent
thusly becomes abnormal
only twenty percent of
humans read and learn
they way they should
while the rest of us
unique individuals
must struggle along

I have transposition problems
knowing this
I am hyper careful
when measuring
setting out to bake
a new cake
I misread seven ounces
to read seven cups of flour
the flavorless chocolate
brick now sits
in my trash can
instinct said
something is wrong
but, no I had checked
and checked
they were wrong
it couldn’t have been me
I even wrote and complained
before I checked one more time

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman

Ode to Asparagus

that harbinger of spring
tender tips piercing
the still sleeping earth
and a hungry two legged critter
longing for green
takes their first bite
looking for more
about a month later
there were no longer
tight green buds
but feathery ferns
waving in the breeze
thanks to that first person
whose hunger gave us
the edible form of asparagus
I like to blanch
just the tips of
these tender spears
until their color
becomes more radiant
two to three minutes
at that moment
I plunge them into ice water
to stop the cooking
a sauce of 1/3 sesame oil
and 2/3 soy sauce
is used to dress this
as a salad
add chopped pickled ginger
for color and an extra tang

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman

Three Bean Salad

opening a 1960s vintage cookbook
and noticing most salad recipes
began with at least a cup of mayo
I almost threw out the book
but three bean salad had possibilities
did I really have to be exact
and use canned green beans,
wax beans and kidney beans?
why not kidney, garbanzo,
and Caribbean black beans
some scallions
and celery
a must for a 60s salad
apple jelly melted with
cider vinegar
a sweet sour tang
thickened again with
corn starch
poured hot over
well drained and
rinsed beans
chill and serve

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman

3 cans of assorted beans
1 bunch of scallions
2 cups chopped celery
cup of apple jelly
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
5 tsp corn starch

Ahi Tuna with Mango Curry Cream

a simple lunch al fresco
tuna salad
with a big twist
grill or pan sear
an ahi tuna steak
slice it across the grain
and chill
both you and the tuna
this is the tricky part
all the ingredients
taste different
from label to label
mango chutney
mayonnaise
sour cream
curry powder
mixed to taste
use the sour cream
to cut the harshness
of the other ingredients
serve over tuna

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman