Review: The Mother Hips

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Kiss the Crystal FlakeThe latest Mother Hips album, Kiss The Crystal Flake, is so good I can hardly stop listening to it. It’s rousing and swoon-inducing by turns (especially if you close your eyes and visualize demi-god Tim Bluhm ;-) I’m in danger of overdosing on the ballad “Let Somebody.” I always did have a sweet tooth.

The Mother Hips are the epitome of California soul. If you don’t know them, catch an earful at their Web site.

Jim Trageser sums it up nicely in his review:

Good songs, solid playing – if you like accessible, guitar-based rock with sunny melodies and great vocal harmonies, it probably doesn’t matter how old you are: You’ll like the Mother Hips’ new album.

Quick trick for peeling garlic

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I find peeling garlic in the normal manner very tedious. I use this trick to speed it up.

Put your unpeeled garlic clove(s) in a microwave oven and heat for a few seconds. How long depends on how much garlic you have and how powerful your microwave is. I usually set it for 10 seconds.

The garlic gets hot and sort of pops its skin, making it easy to shuck off.

Sole with ginger lime peanut sauce

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Usually my cooking is very humdrum. I just steam some vegies and cook some form of protein and grains. I don’t think much about seasoning, beyond a bit of salt.

Once in a while, though, I get inspired.

I found such a nice fresh piece of petrale sole at the market, and then at the checkout stand I heard someone talking about peanut sauce. That’s it! I thought, and as I biked home, I started imagining the flavors I wanted.

Good cooking is a bit like good sex in that the most important organ involved is the brain. The anticipation and preparations add to the final sensual experience. By the time I was finally lifting my first forkful, I was all worked up for tastebud heaven.

I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Here’s what I cooked.

I had a couple of leeks that needed to be used, so I sliced them thinly and sauteed them a bit. Then I added the sole fillet and sauteed it among the leeks, flipping it early enough not to overcook it.

Meanwhile I whipped up some peanut sauce as follows. Amounts are estimates. Use your own judgment.

Ginger Lime Peanut Sauce

1/2 c peanut butter
1 1/2 c water
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
3 T lime juice
to taste:
tamari or soy sauce
powdered ginger (if you have fresh on hand, though, use that)
mild curry powder

Heat gently, mixing all ingredients, until smooth and warm.

I made a bed of rice and steamed dandelion greens, put some sole and leeks on top, then glopped a bunch of peanut sauce over everything.

Like I said, tastebud heaven!

Tomatillos and cabbage for vitamins

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Desperately wanting to get more vitamins into myself, especially A and C, I tried tomatillos in my slaw.

My favorite source of vitamin A and C is dandelion greens (actually they’re really chicory). They’re an amazing power-packed food, and I always count on them to alleviate my fatigue, but unfortunately I haven’t seen them in the store lately. Thus the desperation.

I just sliced tomatillos and red cabbage, put a bit of roasted-garlic mayo in (I get this at either New Leaf or Staff of Life, if I recall correctly), sprinkled it with lime juice and a dash of pepper, and mixed it up good.

The tongue-curling tartness of the tomatillos with the peppery sweetness of cabbage and the creamy mayo add up to a good dish of slaw. I don’t usually put mayo in my slaw but I figured the tomatillos needed a little mellowing.

I’ll improve on this dish next time by adding a little jicama or shredded carrot, and maybe some sunflower seeds.

I’m taking A+E supplements too; they seem to be alleviating the painfully-dry skin problem I’ve had lately, thank goodness.