PO'!

truly caring is like being a tetherball.

you get all wrapped up and pummeled.

and there's only so far you can travel when you aren't being beaten back.

damn.

the thing of it is-

NOT caring makes you an A*-hole,

and we all know how uncool that is.

so,

what do we do, dudes?

we sign up for yet another 'nother back-and-forth bash-up,

where we eventually get tied down and lose all our momentum.

jeez. 

i care, even when i don't know why.

and what i worry about, for real, is that i'll be too distracted by that investment

to adequately and adeptly discharge my duty when it comes time to 

represent expert Folk Life & Liberty kitchen hottness, 

and having that turn to sh!t after a long day of giving a sh!t .

hahahaha!

c'mon, dudes!

SIIIIIKE!!!!

i can't be havin' my food effed up by emotional investments, bro.

no way.

i can live without a lot,

but i'm not trying to exist in a world without radical vegan boomfire for my face.

word.

if i didn't care, none of this would even be happening.

unconventional intentional active participation is what i live for.

it's why i'm vegan.

and why i don't F*ing drink.

it's why i don't bother with small talks and pointless pleasantries.

and it's why i put so much effort into all the littlest things-

it's ALL really happening, and there's no time to waste on weak sauce, man.

nope.

i want that really realness, 

and no back-and-forth beat-ups and beat-downs will mute or dilute 

the bass-boosted breakbeats of y'boi's hot fiery furnace, 

nor thin out the high-test ammonia-and-acid piss 'n' vinegar 

of the salty, iron-rich molto-magma pumpin' around inside my veins-

i care a LOT.

and that sometimes makes the whole world into a cruel and ugly place.

and circumstances can add up to a great big cauterized caterwauling cavern

where optimism used to sit... 

on the ones,

the last thing i wanted to do last night was make dinner,

so y'know what i did?

i made DINNER.

yup.

check the teleport:

no lame breaks or excuses, kids,.

in fact, i double-battered my blops!

and i baked my own buns!

there is no good reason not to just be dope.

not one.

and that's the truth. 

and spicy, smoky deep-freid cajun cauliflower po'boys are DOPE.

i'll tell you all about it right now:

-

*

DOUBLE BATTERED CAJUN CAULIFLOWER!

-

in a medium saucepot, heat up 2" of vegetable oil to medium-high heat.

i have no idea what the temperature is, that's not my area, kids.

-

in a pair of big bowls, we have to make a dredge and a flour-

so,

bowl one is the dredge:

1 cup non-dairy milk;

1 T ground flax/chia meal;

1 tsp egg replacer;

3 T ho'sauce.

and bowl two is the breading:

1 1/4 cups flour;

1 tsp ea. Garlic Powder and Onion Powder....

1 T smoked hot paprika;

plus a whole mess of spices-

oregano, cayenne, pink salt, black pepper, basil, sage, thyme, and ground mustard,

whisked in, to taste, as you see fit.

now,

you've gotta cut up about half a head of cauliflower into chunks-

(this made two sandwiches, btw)

dunk 'em deep, coating all the crevices in that thick wetness,

then roll 'em around just as thoroughly in the flour.... 

and then do it again.

yup. 

DOUBLE-battering is the key.

yup.

too much is the right amount....

this stuff is crazy good.

i had to fry it in two batches, for about five minutes apiece, 

but holy sh!t, it was expert af.

and on homemade fresh-baked soft and hearty bread?

F* yeah.

-

*

HOMEMADE BREAD!

-

preheat your oven to 400℉

-

in your ol' reliable stand mixer, combine:

2 cups flour;

2 tsp salt;

3 T vegan butter;

1 pkg yeast;

2 T sesame seeds,

and add 3/4 cup warm water + 1 T sugar, + 1 tsp bread machine yeast, bloomed.

knead it for eight minutes, let it rise, covered for fifteen,

then divide and shape it into 4 long rolls,

and let those proof for another 15-20 minutes, 

before making them for yet another twenty minutes, or until they're golden and luscious.

-

you'll need pickles on your sandwich, because those jauns always make it better.

and shredded salad stuff, or course-

this one is green and purple cabbage, radicchio, scallions, 

parsley and cilantro, with lemon juice.

we got thin-sliced red onion up on it, too.

and there's sririacha to activate that back-end heat......

but it's that dill-mayo-rancho spread that turns it up to eleven.

yeah!

2 T vegenaise, 

a heavy shake of GPOP, fresh parsley, lemon, and dill for the win!!!

yumyumyumyum!!!

*

and then there's potato wedges with MORE rancho-belgiano sauce?!?!

come ON, friends.

and all of this on NO motivation at all,

just the understanding that if you want that P.M.A., you can have that P.M.A....

but you don't get it by being an A*-hole, man.

nope.

you've got to do something.

rules is rules, 

and when the things you dread become the things that confront you,

what's the right answer?

that's easy: the answer is MORE. 

never ever ever ever giving up,

and then turning up the level of interactive investment,

so that the limits are constantly expanding....

that's warrior poetry, that's what i'm on about,

that's. my. sh!t. bro. 

it's really that simple, and that demanding, and that difficult.

but the only way to get it is to do it;

never quiet, never soft.....