twentysix pick up sticks

Childhood Trash Cravings is now generally Asian edition.




I was convinced to get up weekend early for a morning run. And that pretty much shot most of the day to hell. Because I ate two bowls of pork leftovers with the rest of my carrot pickles and a carbonated tea egg (which I boiled to death in its marinade to kill whatever was starting to ferment) and burrito'd myself in bed.

(Also the egg only looks mauled because I pinched it in half with chopsticks.)

Until the evening during which I fought off the urge to nap and eat more leftovers to make some ravioli instead.
The inspiration was my lovely CSA cilantro and broccoli flowers and Chef Boyardee. I used to eat these raviolis cold and straight out of the can - this is the kind of trash child I used to be. Chef B and I lost touch for many years though until Kelsey added little ravioli meat sauce cups to our snack stash at work. Wow did the waves of memories come flooding back one early afternoon when I was searching for something a bit more substantial than goldfish but less effort than ramen.
If you haven't had these things, they are the most basic, most simple, uber soft pockets of beef - that make you question if it's really beef - in a tomato sauce that is almost too sickly sweet. But you love it for what it is, not what it's not, and like almost all things I craved excessively as a child, it's just so quintessentially American.

I still appreciate quintessential American, and I'll continue to appreciate it even if select Americans do not appreciate me, but in the mean time, let me proudly shove my weird meats and intense smells down your throat. Because just admit it's delicious (and trending now).

Dough per Krissy
2/3c Capay Mills whole grain flour (that I've had in my freezer for a couple years just waiting for a special occasion because I spent waaaayyy too much on this bag of flour)
1/4t salt
1 egg
1T water
pretty flowers


Filling
1lb ground beef
1/2c spicy marinade from Sohntaste
3 handfuls of grated parmesan
2 handfuls of grated cheddar
2t tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
some cilantro leaves

Sauce
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
some shakes of dried basil, oregano, thyme
~1T tomato paste
1 can whole tomatoes
1 can water
2 spoonfuls spicy marinade
generous dollops of honey (or sugar) for that classic Boyardee sickly sweetness
salt&&pepper


Not that I celebrate Easter, but the lavender and yellow flowers also feel quite appropriate. Just need to find a chocolate bunny. [Spoiler: I have one in my car from last year.....]


pc Joyce
Socially distanced dinner party = same dinner, one block away.