Good Morning Gorgeous Smoked Cookies and On This Magnificent Monday and Very Best New Week So Far in 2014; and For All!!!!
Two or three nights ago, I dreamt that I was smoking calamari that was dusted in coffee grinds and cayenne, and that it was outrageously good! No joke.
I awoke thus, told my husband about that bizarre dream, to which he retorted: "That's nice. Go back to sleep!"
But I could not sleep, as now I did lay awake and pondering "why" I'd dreamt such, how it would be, and so forth...
A couple days later, (today), I could not get the idea out of my skull!
And so, if you are ready for one of the most MOOD BOOSTING, (and aphrodisiacal meals ever - am I allowed to say that or will I be "offed the island???"), this humble, simple, healthful, concoction, and from my subconscious mind and/or dreams no less, is now something which I am adding to my "once a week" rotation. It was THAT good!
So do enjoy!
Cheers! - Leah
Starting with a pound of calamari - half bodies/half tentacles - which was NOT enough for two of us by the way, and so next time, TWO pounds it surely shall be!
I ground some coffee beans - which today were Starbucks' "Guatemala-Antigua" beans...
And mixed cayenne pepper onto that mound...
And spread that pile around on a plate...
And started coating the squid, as if with a regular dry rub, shaking off any extra thick debris, or unground chunks (into the sink), after getting each side of every piece, quite thoroughly coated...
Then the gritty looking bodies and tentacles, (but just wait, as this does change hormones and mood, like you will never believe), got placed in a dish...
And put onto my little gas smoker, (on a little grill grate that I wiped with a paper towel dipped in grapeseed oil first, and then layered on the pieces)... on 375 for 20 minutes...(hickory chips)
While the cooked result, still looks brownish and blasé - stay with me, please do, as your dear MOOD is going to be better than ever, and ever, and ever!!!! (OH - AND THE SMOKED SMELL, ALREADY, WAS DOWNRIGHT HYPNOTIC)!!!!
I whipped up my simple Greek "Marouli" (green) salad, of romaine, fresh dill - which smelled sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo AMAZINGLY good - and chopped green onions and dried oregano - dressed with a whisked fresh lime and olive oil...
And OK, "Grizzly Morning Shots of Gals In New Hampshire" are hardly for Vogue Magazine!
BUT, These DOGS: (Steak Tartare & Tabouli), smelled the come hither smoky, mocha, coffee, cayenne essence and were in love!!!!!! And yes, I'll get myself to the shower right after this and look a little more civilized!
But paired with a red wine from Crete, which was just perfect, I coated MORE olive oil over the whole top of everything, (as I can never have enough oil and need it really wet and wonderful), and then ground some GREY sea salt over everything too - 50 Shades Of Grey Sea Salt perhaps - but WOW, and then again even, WOW!!!!!!!!!!! So beyond amazingly delicious!!!
So while this looks so brown and very BLAH, let me indeed share, that the smoky aroma, the acidity of the coffee, (resulting in the single softest calamari I have EVER tasted bar none), and the fun gritty, cayenne sort of seeping flavor which did subtly albeit clearly make its way into the salad, and once the calamari was gone, just made this one of the best things which I have eaten in this entire lifetime!
So simple, healthful, and yet exotic still and quite minimalistically arranged, and "of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world;" this menu does just EXCEED my DREAMS, (literally, and of just two nights ago), and is a mood & libido booster (hope the admin folk aren't mad that I do share that, as it is TRUE and thus helpful information, right) and like you'd never believe! Perhaps a Valentine's menu????
This was so fantastically good!
If grading myself harshly, the only way which I could be more proud of this simple dish, is by adding a tiny extra shake or two of cayenne to that earlier coffee grind mix, and using TWO pounds of calamari, instead of 1.
Otherwise, go forward, and then see if I am right?????
Thank you for sharing in my meal today - all devoured, dishes in the machine, and onto my day, and by 9 even!
I really, REALLY, just loved this, and how very simple, healthful, and interesting the aromas and textures were! One of my favorites for certain!
Cheers and happy WON-DER-FUL week! - Leah
Two or three nights ago, I dreamt that I was smoking calamari that was dusted in coffee grinds and cayenne, and that it was outrageously good! No joke.
I awoke thus, told my husband about that bizarre dream, to which he retorted: "That's nice. Go back to sleep!"
But I could not sleep, as now I did lay awake and pondering "why" I'd dreamt such, how it would be, and so forth...
A couple days later, (today), I could not get the idea out of my skull!
And so, if you are ready for one of the most MOOD BOOSTING, (and aphrodisiacal meals ever - am I allowed to say that or will I be "offed the island???"), this humble, simple, healthful, concoction, and from my subconscious mind and/or dreams no less, is now something which I am adding to my "once a week" rotation. It was THAT good!
So do enjoy!
Cheers! - Leah
Starting with a pound of calamari - half bodies/half tentacles - which was NOT enough for two of us by the way, and so next time, TWO pounds it surely shall be!
I ground some coffee beans - which today were Starbucks' "Guatemala-Antigua" beans...
And mixed cayenne pepper onto that mound...
And spread that pile around on a plate...
And started coating the squid, as if with a regular dry rub, shaking off any extra thick debris, or unground chunks (into the sink), after getting each side of every piece, quite thoroughly coated...
Then the gritty looking bodies and tentacles, (but just wait, as this does change hormones and mood, like you will never believe), got placed in a dish...
And put onto my little gas smoker, (on a little grill grate that I wiped with a paper towel dipped in grapeseed oil first, and then layered on the pieces)... on 375 for 20 minutes...(hickory chips)
While the cooked result, still looks brownish and blasé - stay with me, please do, as your dear MOOD is going to be better than ever, and ever, and ever!!!! (OH - AND THE SMOKED SMELL, ALREADY, WAS DOWNRIGHT HYPNOTIC)!!!!
I whipped up my simple Greek "Marouli" (green) salad, of romaine, fresh dill - which smelled sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo AMAZINGLY good - and chopped green onions and dried oregano - dressed with a whisked fresh lime and olive oil...
And OK, "Grizzly Morning Shots of Gals In New Hampshire" are hardly for Vogue Magazine!
BUT, These DOGS: (Steak Tartare & Tabouli), smelled the come hither smoky, mocha, coffee, cayenne essence and were in love!!!!!! And yes, I'll get myself to the shower right after this and look a little more civilized!
But paired with a red wine from Crete, which was just perfect, I coated MORE olive oil over the whole top of everything, (as I can never have enough oil and need it really wet and wonderful), and then ground some GREY sea salt over everything too - 50 Shades Of Grey Sea Salt perhaps - but WOW, and then again even, WOW!!!!!!!!!!! So beyond amazingly delicious!!!
So while this looks so brown and very BLAH, let me indeed share, that the smoky aroma, the acidity of the coffee, (resulting in the single softest calamari I have EVER tasted bar none), and the fun gritty, cayenne sort of seeping flavor which did subtly albeit clearly make its way into the salad, and once the calamari was gone, just made this one of the best things which I have eaten in this entire lifetime!
So simple, healthful, and yet exotic still and quite minimalistically arranged, and "of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world;" this menu does just EXCEED my DREAMS, (literally, and of just two nights ago), and is a mood & libido booster (hope the admin folk aren't mad that I do share that, as it is TRUE and thus helpful information, right) and like you'd never believe! Perhaps a Valentine's menu????
This was so fantastically good!
If grading myself harshly, the only way which I could be more proud of this simple dish, is by adding a tiny extra shake or two of cayenne to that earlier coffee grind mix, and using TWO pounds of calamari, instead of 1.
Otherwise, go forward, and then see if I am right?????
Thank you for sharing in my meal today - all devoured, dishes in the machine, and onto my day, and by 9 even!
I really, REALLY, just loved this, and how very simple, healthful, and interesting the aromas and textures were! One of my favorites for certain!
Cheers and happy WON-DER-FUL week! - Leah
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