Swiss chard, parsnips, cannellini beans

This is a plate of potassium. With bacon, pecans and tomatoes. It's a lot easier than going to emergency hospital that was strongly suggested, and a lot less trouble and a lot more fun.

And a lot less expensive too. Even with a generous tip. I think these delivery guys actually do the shopping. They're the ones who fill the cart then drive it to me then bring it up to my apartment. That's a lot of work just for me. Yes, they are being paid salary, but they are working specifically for me. And that means the world to me. The young man did a very fine job. There is already a delivery charge, but I want this specific person who did this specific thing for me specifically to feel great about all that he did. I want him to know we're not all a bunch of ungrateful schmucks, and he's not a slave. He doesn't even know the extreme trouble he saved me. And less trouble for me to do all of this than for him.

Mushroom omelet with cheese, tomato and orange

A medical office called me today to rattle me about lab results I had done yesterday. They're an incredibly demanding office. Shockingly low potassium. I was instructed to go to emergency immediately.

But I don't like emergency anymore.

Last time they didn't do anything and I was admitted to hospital instead for more tests. And that turned out to be horrible.

So my trust is used up.

I'd rather eat a banana.

They said, okay. But eat a lot of other things too. The woman listed foods high in potassium.

I don't mean to be difficult but I just went to Whole Foods. I just plunked down a small fortune. I don't have the energy or interest to do that again so soon. So I called in an order for delivery. But it's snowing here. Everyone is rushing the groceries. The fastest I could get is tomorrow afternoon. 

My meals will be 100% high potassium for a few days. Then another lab test. 

Then undoubtedly another call from the specialist and more immediate demands. 

This meal has an entire punnet of mushrooms. On the list of things is tomato sauce and orange juice. So just scrounging I can manage potassium until the load arrives tomorrow. Luckily all my favorite things. High potassium diet is easy. 

Punnet?

Yeah, punnet.

Stick with me, Kid, you'll learn something.

Knees are aching, backs are breaking
Ladies fair who eat our spoils
Have you ever 'midst enjoyment
Realised our painful toils? 

Forty, fifty in a punnet,
Each one picked by hand with care,
For a penny paid each punnet...
Thus you get your dainty fare.

As if. They were picked by machine and they cost $6.00 each.

Enhanced cheese sandwich, bacon, egg, avocado and tomato salad

Chefs sprinkle hard cheese onto a baking pan or into a frying pan and stand there and watch it separate, bubble, darken and harden and then the cook lifts it off. The thin cheese cracker is pliable for a few seconds until it cools. The cook drapes it over a wine bottle for a basket or around an upturned ramekin to form a cup then loads with other things such as salad. These same discs can be used as plate decoration. The hard cheese discs  are intensely concentrated cheese flavor made much more complex by browning. Here they are used on the outside of a cheese sandwich on both sides with the same cheese melted on the inside for layered cheese flavor in varying aspects. This type of regular cheese sandwich with two cheese crackers stuck on the outsides and loaded with intensely flavored bacon with omelet-style egg will blow your mind.

Fantastic cheese.

Wonderful bread.

Incredible bacon. 

It's hard to go wrong.

Tuna sushi

It's not the best tuna for this but I don't care. And it's not expertly fashioned as pros do but I don't care about that either.

For I love it so.

Penne pasta, salmon, tomato, cheese sauce

Cheese sandwich, bacon, and berries

Cheese frying directly on the pan, toasted side of the bread placed on the cheese, more cheese added to the top non-toasted side and bacon on top of that. ↑

More cheese placed on top of the bacon to sandwich the bacon bits between cheese. ↓

The second piece of bread that was toasted on one side will be placed on top of this. Then the whole thing lifted out of the pan. 

Yet more cheese directly onto the pan and this sandwich turned upside down onto it. Toasted bread side down. 

This really is the best cheese sandwich that I ever shoved into my boca. 

Bread, mixed grain, pullman loaf

40% all purpose flour

40% bread flour

20% home-milled malted wheat grain

This was late at night and rather slap-dash. It over-proofed twice in the closed metal pan. The dough came squishing out all over the place so I just trimmed it off. That's why it collapsed as it cooled. So when a slice is cut off it looks like it has two pert upright ears. 

But, Boy, does it ever taste good. That small amount of malted whole grain really does it. I bought it downstairs from the brewing company and I'm nearly out of it. Time to do that again. It's outrageously expensive buying wheat this way, but I don't care. At least it's available. And these brewers are particular about the taste of their grains. Last time I asked for heavily malted American type and I think I'll do that again.

I only measured the water. And the yeast was taken out by the teaspoon. The flour was added by the tablespoonful alternating between bags of flour. I made the dough a little bit stiffer than usual.

Salmon, green beans, tofu, pecans

The tofu is soaked in seven magical Asian ingredients listed below on this blog.

That liquid is mixed corn starch and all the liquid in the tin of green beans.

No other salt or pepper is added to the salmon separately.

Plated is half of this salmon filet. 

The other half is cooked and wrapped and refrigerated for something tomorrow. 

Burger Fi, chicken tenders, double burger with jalapeño, French fries

Meatloaf

* Onion

* Jalapeño pepper

* breadcrumbs

* milk

* ground beef

* 2 large eggs

* Hoisin sauce

* Worcestershire sauce

* Oregano

* salt/pepper

* bacon

This type of deli bacon is not that great as slices IMO and does much better as bacon bits.

I didn't have any catsup around. But I do have tomato sauce and tomato paste so I could have made some easily enough but I used Hoisin sauce instead. The meatloaf is very good. Finn on Adventure Time would approve.

Catfish and napa cabbage

ARTS!

I wish the whole world could eat this.

I usually make it with shrimp but any seafood will do. So will any other vegetable. 

My brother called today and I told him about this. He has all seven magical ingredients listed on the front page of this blog. 

I had to convey each ingredient is rather gross on its own. We both dislike sake, fish sauce is fermented anchovy similar to ancient Roman garum but not nearly that gross, sesame seed oil is intolerable on it own, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, but then together they push out the profile and they blend with vegetable water beautifully. The heat from scant minimal cooking damages the delicate cabbage cells that are filled with water and the cabbage releases its water as it cools in the serving bowl and blends with the seven magical ingredients to produce the most amazing broth in the world. I mean it. No exaggeration. The liquid at finish is incredible. About a cup. And you go, "Oh man, this right here is ambrosia." This is the food meant for gods. 

Not really.

It's the most incredible food meant for humans. 

It's what being human is all about. 

And when your body dies and your spirit moves on then no more napa cabbage for you! 

And no more seven magical Asian ingredients. 

This here is for earth. 

And for earth alone.