i just wanted to mention a little something one more time:
homemade just tastes better.
.....bumper stickers should be made.
uh-huh.
i woke up with all the nervous energy you could imagine,
a full-red-alert muster of all the myelin-sheathed clusters,
firing in sync with all the synapses, as time elapsed,
and the day began in earnest.
i had seitan, from scratch, bubbling on the stovetop;
i had bread bulk rising on the countertop;
i had cake in the early stages of baking in the oven-piece;
i had this little itchy doggy-doggg doing his jobby-job,
which is to say, freaking out, and canine karate'ing all over the effing place,
and while all that was unfolding along the ley lines of mystery and mastery-
i also had layouts and shoutouts in play,
as some of my most favorite people spanned time alongside me,
in the ever-increasing snowball inertia rollaway avalanche of real life.
yuuuup.
that's some serious sh!t, son.
hmmm?
what does that mean?
well,
that means i had bro-hangs and collaborations with my dudes,
and i had cooperative tag-teaming of tasks,
and when it got late enough for supper to be more accurately called dinner,
i got it poppin' with efficacy and aplomb,
right before my homeboy's very eyes.
ha!
y'get it?
i whipped up some superior homemade hottness,
and it was totally freakin' expert.
on the ones, check it, via teleport:
TERIYAKI!!!!
neighbors,
if you don't have toasted sesame seeds, your sossamon game is weak AF.
but, if you have sesame seeds, and a pan?
yep. that's riiiiiight.
now you too can have those toasty jauns for your face.
sweet.
i sprankle everything.
and everything sprankles me.
rules is rules, y'know?
mmmmmmmm.
and homemade seitan is dope.
and homemade double-dip teriyaki is even doper.
and when they meet in a hot hot sesame oiled pan?
it goes to eleven right away.
here's the order of operations:
-
*
TWO-PART TERIYAKI!
-
here's the custom seitan recipe.
now,
make a floury power punch to dredge your seitan in.
that's cornstarch, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder,
dried ginger, and organic fine sugar.
what are the proportions?
that's up to you. exxxtra sweet. exxtra dry, exxxtra savory, you get to pick.
that's teh best part about making it yourself.
you're in charge, bro.
anyway,
next, you make the glaze- that's a 1:1:1 soy sauce, mirin vinegar, and agave jam,
plus,
to keep it kickin' and crucial,
i also activated it with sriracha and black pepper and liquid smoke.
a blast of each in a small sauce pot,
simmered down a bit, so it thickens and reduces enough
to concentrate all that huge flavor into less liquid.
that's MORE flavor, actually, in a tighter space, and that's dope.
you do that, and the illicit asian bbq magic is right there, ready to go.
mmmmm.
sesame oil, hot, and seitan steaks, starched and seared for a spell, before the glaze,
is what you DO, if what you do is looooove teriyaki, holmes.
that's real.
seareded, drizzled, flipped, caramelized, flipped, drizzled, flipped, dunked, rested.
boom.
that's the process.
just don't burn 'em, and you'll be SO psyched.
word.
on the ones, look how expert:
C'MON!!
with toasty sossamons,
and cilantro sprankles, too?
eff yes, my friends-
too much is the right amount.
also, that rice was a great touch.
sticky jasmine jauns, to soak up any exxxtra sauce!
smart.
-
what do you serve with teriyaki and rice?
obviously, it's soy glazed baby bok-boks,
as in: that choy choice, with braised brocolini, to boot!
simple veggie crunch, slippery green leafy greatness,
and a slap of salty sexxiness to make it happen.
one hot pan, a lid, a splash of the sauce, and a little time.
that's it!
i'm a fan.
*
and is that rainbow lemon-kissed ginger-touched slaw on the side?
it sure is.
purple cabbage, purple carrots, green leafy cabbage, pea tendrils, radish,
lemon juice, black pepper, pink salt, and vegenaise for days!
if it was any simpler, it'd be lame.
luckily, it's got all the right moves, so instead it's super rad.
lucky lucky, i love a good slaw for my jaw.
-
and how about that sesame-oil activated, rice wine pickled cucumber salad?!?
word up.
radicchio to make it pretty,
sossamons to sprank it up,
and cilantro to brighten the flavor even MORE.
that's what's up, bro.
no doubt.
-
quickly, and efficiently.
a whole mess of disparate items, unified at th finale,
and funneled with fervor and fury into my big fat mouth.
damn, i'm lucky.
i have the ingredients and the incentive and the time.
that's a winning combination.
***********
not all family is blood related.
and not for nothing, but it isn't just anybody who gets considered for family status.
seriously,
not everybody becomes family just because we've spanned a long time together.
heck, sometimes, even by marriage, you're barely related.
double heck, sometimes you're barely attached to the person you're married to.
i can attest to all of those truths firsthand.
ha.
however,
if you're an active participant,
and you comprehend and command the lightning-striking virtues of
gratitude and generosity,
spirit and memory,
true stories and warrior poetry,
then maybe, as time passes, bonds will be forged,
and attachments will be formed,
and before long, if you're really involved and invested-
well,
that's what family should be.
i've got a few new full-fledged family members this year,
and nobody new got birthed-
so i am extremely lucky, and extremely grateful,
for the time and the space we span by choice together.
i don't know where to put it, honestly.
people who want to be a part of my Folk Life are a new frontier.
i'm humbled and overwhelmed by the support and excitement,
advice and help of the loved ones i've inherited in the last year.
it's ALL really happening,
and it's all almost too much for me to take.
thanks yous may not ever be big enough words,
but they're the best ones i've got;
never quiet, never soft.....
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