Just want to let you know that Lisa’s Culinary Atrocities is growing up and has moved to lisasculinaryatrocities.com.  Whoop!

Thanks for your ongoing support!  I love you.

Description:

One of our most elegant truffles. An ivory chocolate ganache, infused with a champagne reduction and enrobed in dark chocolate, then hand-dipped in ivory chocolate. Hand-decorated with a dark chocolate swirl and topped with edible 22-carat gold.

I am in love with this gem of an omelet I found at the OHSU (Oregon Health Science University) hospital cafeteria. What?! Yes!

There is a spunky Yugoslavian woman there who makes omelets in the morning and HOLY-BOPPALooLee she makes a good one.  Dare I say, it’s the best one in Portland?!  It is full of whatever you want, from green onion to sun-dried tomatoes, numerous cheeses (including feta) and meats, and a whole lotta yum yum.  She even puts cheese on both sides, all for under $5.

This is very much a cheesy mass of delicious.

One of my comfort foods is farina, made thick and buttery, with soy milk and agave nectar. It settles my tum-tum when she’s cranky unlike most anything else.

In this particular case, I made more than usual and had to use 2 small bowls.  To my delight, after taking a photograph of the super cute bunny bowl of warmth, and deciding to eat it all, I went to combine everything in one bowl and Voilà–art was created.

Neat.

Expected Ethiopian Food is good but unexpected Ethiopian food is somehow even better.  My dear husband brought home the Veggie Platter from Dalo’s Kitchen on N. Vancouver Avenue here in Portland, Oregon.

The injera kinda looks like a swan/intestines in this photo, but it was darned tasty (as swans and/or intestines can presumably be à la the Food Network/Travel Channel.)

This glorious feast was from Dalo’s Kitchen–our favorite Ethiopian here in Portland-and even more so than the Ethiopian Restaurant on Colfax in Denver!

I started my waffle lab this week with my brand new pancake-waffle pan from Williams Sonoma!  I know I said I don’t like to fry things..but that was before I discovered you can make WAFFLES on the stove! Utter excitement!

I decided it would be wise to start this experiment with falafel mix and save the homemade stuff for later. Glad I did:

Final and vastly delicious version:

Falafel

Tahini sauce:

1/2 cup tahini (sesame seeds + food processor)

3 gloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped (optional)

In a food processor or blender, combine ingredients and process until desired consistency.  Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce:

1/2 cup cucumber

1/2 cup unsweetened soy yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice (to taste)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 garlic clove, minced

In a food processor or blender, combine ingredients and process until just-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

A new take on those delicious savory waffles I made.  I really wanted to to see if I could fry an egg on the waffle iron…and I did.

Description:

Our new divine mix makes two luscious layers of deep, dark, rich cake. Pamela’s Luscious Chocolate Cake will transport you to chocolate heaven.

INGREDIENTS: Organic Natural Evaporated Cane Sugar, Brown Rice Flour, Organic Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), White Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Chicory Root, Sweet Rice Flour, Grainless & Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch), Sea Salt, Gluten-free Natural Flavor (contains corn derivative), Xanthan Gum.

Make a waffle.

Process fresh raspberries with a bit of agave nectar…num.

This bag of mix made a bazillion waffles (ok, 5 Belgium size), so it looks like my friends, colleagues (same thing) and husband-band-mates are in store for some more waffles…prepare.

Note:  Kept waiting for the sugar high but was just left with a pleasant slothiness.

Note 2: Now… pair a wine with this

Next time: my own special mix, sans sugar (sub agave nectar) now that I know I can make cake waffles!  Maybe some chipotle?  OoOOOO.  Also, I think the raspberry purse by Fulvio Bonavia below would be appropriate to wear while eating these…or is that too much raspberry?

I love to make fresh hummus and since I’ve already posted about this, I’ve decided to repost but with my recipe.

• Soak garbanzo beans at least 7 hours and simmer 2.5 hrs. (I usually soak the beans in the morning, then cook them when I get home from work)

• Pick up favorite baguette on way home (me: Ken’s Artisan Bakery makes a sensational baguette with a crunchy exterior and soft interior…plus it’s fresssssssh)

• Make some tahini:  sesame seeds + dash of sea salt + food processor

• In food processor combine until desired consistency:

1 heaping Tbl. tahini

1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans (use canned if you must)

5 cloves garlic (to taste, of course)

5 tbl Kalamata Olive Oil

sea salt to taste

2 tbl H2O

I often vary between a chunky and a fluffy-creamy hummus, depending on my present culinary temperament.  The longer you process, the fluffier and creamier it gets.  I also like to garnish with fresh roasted garlic (seen here), beans, and sesame seeds and extra virgin olive oil.  Nummy.

I paired this with a 2009 Rendez-Vous Beaujolais Nouveau (thanks Deano).  Now, I must be honest here and admit that I really don’t care for this wine by itself BUT paired with the garlicky hummus is very nice.  ’Nuff Said.