DAY TWO!!

oh, man!
i made a sandwich so tight i even surprised myself!
for real.
dudes,
i have a lot of ideas, and i have them very very often;
but,
that doesn't mean they're good ideas;
and it sure as heck doesn't mean that i'm using my time wisely, either.
however,
in this instance,
everything came together in one place,
and blew the doors off of sandwich week headquarters.
on the ones,
the new hottness is officially in full-bodied full-frontal F*ing effect.
check the day-two-type teleport:

DAAAAAAAAAAMMMMN!
this little mutha-'ucker has a whole LOT of savory flavor flowing from tip to tip,
and in between,
there's just the right amount of sweet to offset all the other notes.
which is to say, of course, that there is an overabundance of both, naturally)
but, seriously-
it's got tart, sharp, bitter, and spicy all set up, all across the palate palette;
and then there are those soft, succulent, juicy pears for sweetness,
and a whole new take on pesto that really turned up the volume on taste,
way way up, to eleven, without even really trying, actually.
neighbors-
i done did it!
LOOK at the herb crust on that tempeh!!
it's a fresh af blend-up, too-
nootch, GPOP, ground dry mustard, crushed fennel seed,
parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, a dash of sugar,
and fresh cracked black pepper!!!
so crispy, so sausagey, so flavorful.
the secret, of course, is to overhydrate the tempeh in a boiling bath of
water, oil, soy sauce and vinegar.
mmmmm.
like, a cup and a half of water, a splash of oil, a heavy dose of salty soy,
and a glug of white wine vinegar, rolling away for at leas fifteen steady minutes in a row,
before dunking each triangle in the herbs.
y'all don't even know, but you will when you're done...
-
arugula is sharp on the tongue. radicchio is somewhat bitter, as well.....
so a double dose is bright as hell on those side-tongue spots.
but,
with starkrimson pear wedges???
expert.
the sweeties really tied the room together,
and lubed up all that hearty spiced thickness, too.
dope.
fresh parsley is just that.
FRESH.
and it has a very specific kind of grassy green goodness that aided the overall contrast
between the rich tempeh, the heady herbed onslaught of the outer crust thereupon,
and those acidic leaves underneath.
besides, i like parsley.
and it's good for you, probably.
-
here's the thing tho-
none of it would've been worth a sh!t without that nutty pesto, bro.
honest to goodness, i did a smart thing,
and i'm so super happy i did.
*
1/4 cup ground pecans;
1 large shallot minced, and caramelized in 3 T olive oil;
himalayan pink salt;
black pepper.
^^^^^^^^^
you need it.
when the shallot starts to brown over medium high heat,
you just salt and pepper it, giving those fresh cracked black sprankles a minute to toast,
and then brown up all that pecan crumble so that the olive oil, the shallot juice,
and all that natural nuttiness blend together in an orgiastic assault on prude food.
guys,
you're making a pesto that'll exxxplode your whole F*ing head with sensory overload!
....and that's no joke.
*
and of course, that's a homemade bun.
i mean, rules is rules, forever an always.
there's something comforting about waking up and making fresh bread.
i've essentially got dough perpetually proofing in the fridge,
so that all week i'll have the most expert sandwiches without a single worry
about quality or quantity.
if you want the big burly barbarian activation,
y'gotta make it happen.
at least, if you're worth a sh!t.
if you're not, by all means just sit around gawking.
that's your right,
but it ain't right.
***********
and yes,
i had two more falafel at the fair.
and yes,
i hit up y'boi steve's french-style fries, too.
too much is the right amount.
and living life like you're less than amazing
just means that you are, in fact, less than amazing.
i'm on a mission to make this month magical.
there;s so much to do,
and so much to make,
and so little time to do it all in.
it's all got to get done, though,
so i'm moving forward in every way.
there's no time to waste,
there's no time to worry,
there's no time but this time,
and it's all really happening.
that's a big deal;
never quiet, never soft.....