Stuffed Peppers

Time to get my butt in gear and get this Bordertown cookbook finished. That way, when next summer rolls around and we're down to mere days or hours before our copies are available, all the Townies can gather for a huge pot luck of their favorite Bordertown inspired dishes. Today on the menu is...

Stuffed Peppers
“...if the staff decides they want to do Chinese that day, that’s what’s for dinner. If you don’t like it, that’s - all together now - Your Hard Luck. That day it looked like mixed down-home: fish chowder, lentil and spinach casserole, stuffed peppers, Brunswick stew.”
- Finder, pg 21

• 6 medium assorted bell peppers
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese

Slice off tops of peppers about 1/2 inch down from stems. Remove and compost seeds and cores.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to often, about 5 minutes. Add carrot and cook until just soft. Add mushrooms and cook until vegetables are just tender.

Stir in rice; cook mixture, tossing to coat, for 1 minute. Stir in stock, the water, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and paprika. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer; cook, uncovered, until the rice is just tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the corn, black beans, and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Divide the mixture among the bell-pepper shells, mounding it. Top with remaining cheese. Peppers can be made a day ahead up to this point.

Bake until peppers are tender and filling is hot, about 1 hour.

In case you don't read comments...

...this deserves repeating! THE BOOK IS DONE!! All the stories are written! A website is in the works! Yippee!! Terri Windling was kind enough to leave the following comment in the last post.

"*All* the stories are now done, and have been turned in to our publisher, Random House. The book is called Welcome to Bordertown -- and that's also the name of the story that Ellen Kushner and I wrote together for the volume.

Here's the Table of Contents:

Voice Like a Hole - Cat Valente
Stairs in Her Hair (poem) - Amal El-Mohtar
Welcome to Bordertown - Ellen Kushner & Terri Windling
Shannon's Law - Cory Doctorow
Cruel Sister (poem) - Patricia A. McKillip
Fair Trade (comic) - Sara Ryan and Dylan Meconis
Lullabye (song) - Jane Yolen
Prince of Thirteen Days - Alaya Dawn Johnson
Incunabulum - Emma Bull
We Do Not Come in Peace - Christopher Barzak
Jump Rope Rhyme (poem) - Jane Yolen
Elf Blood - Annette Curtis Klause
The Sages of Elsewhere - Will Shetterly
Run Back (song) - Steven Brust
Our Stars Ourselves - Tim Pratt
The Wall (poem) - Delia Sherman
Ours is the Prettiest - Nalo Hopkinson
Crossings - Janni Lee Simner
Rap (song) - Jane Yolen
The Rowan Gentleman - Cassandra Clare & Holly Black
The Song of the Song (song) - Neil Gaiman
A Tangle of Green Men - Charles de Lint

The book will be published in 2011, and a new Bordertown website is in the works."

How cool is that?! So here's my question: The way to Bordertown is tricky (unless it turns out to be easy). How do you start your trip and what do you bring with you?

(Photo used without permission from Kristen Hernstrom)

Keeping you posted

I don't know about where you are, but it's damn hot and humid here. Too hot to cook fabulous things and post them. Too hot to tolerate poking through websites for awesome things you can make to enhance your appearance. Not too hot for music, but hot enough that anything new better kick some serious ass. Yeah, it's the kind of summer we dream about when the snowdrifts are 10 feet high but grumble over while we experience it.

If you're in the same boat, join me as I attempt a more zen approach to the heat. Accept that this moment is summer, don your cutoffs, head for your favorite cheap eatery, get whatever's good plus an ale and discuss the following: Ellen has made it known that Terri has finished her Bordertown story and that it's called "Welcome to Bordertown". One step closer, my friends, one step closer.

One year ago today....

I got the best birthday present EVER. The announcement that a new Borderlands book was forthcoming. Here's hoping next year brings a new standard for Best Birthday Present Ever - the book itself.

350ish days and counting...

Fringe Necklace

It's been a bit since I've posted a fashion DIY that might get you noticed at the next Danceland show. How about crafting a wild, mixed media fringe necklace? If you are missing some of the suggested fringe elements, feel free to substitute with materials you have on hand.

Next year at this time...

So, we've been promised the new Borderlands book sometime in the summer of 2011. Since today is the first day of summer, one year from now we'll be queuing for our copies! 365 (give or take) days and counting!

Tofu Teriyaki and Fiddleheads

For the empty of pocket and hungry for company, Soho provides an unrivaled range of greasy spoons, soup joints, quick-fix taquerias, noodle-shops, and usquah bars. Some of these are ptomaine heavens; most of them pride themselves on serving decent, cheap food; some of them are magnificent. This kind of operation tends to have the lifespan of a mayfly, but enduring favorites are the Hard Luck Cafe on the west end of Ho (watch the blackboard for Stone Soup of the Day), Chaz’N’Chang’s at 24 Ison Street (Tofu Teriyaki and fiddleheads)...

from The Essential Bordertown, pg. 146

Fiddlehead season is almost over here, so I figured I should get this recipe out there while you still have a chance of catching those tasty wild greens.

Tofu Teriyaki and Fiddleheads

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin or sake
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• fresh grated ginger to taste
• 1 lb extra firm tofu

• 3 big handfuls of fiddleheads
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water or vegetable stock
  
• 1 tsp your favorite curry powder

For the tofu:
Combine soy sauce, mirin or sake, honey, sesame oil and ginger in a saucepan. Stir the mixture, place on medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until marinade is reduced and thickened to a syrup consistency. Refrigerate marinade overnight to let flavors come together.

Remove tofu from package, drain liquid, and place between two plates. Put a book or saucepan or something else with a bit of weight on top of the plate to press as much extra liquid out of the tofu as possible. Let drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Slice into six 3/4-inch slabs. Place in bowl and cover with marinade, tossing gently to make sure the tofu is coated. Let marinade for 1 to 3 hours.

Heat your grill to medium hot, making sure the grates are clean and well oiled. Remove tofu from marinade and place a few inches apart on the grill. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes each side, basting with marinade as necessary. Tofu is done when it is crisping at the edges.

For the rice:
Combine basmati rice and 2 cups of water or vegetable stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, add curry powder to rice and mix well. Recover pot and let sit for 5 minutes.

For the fiddleheads:
Make sure your fiddleheads are clean; remove any of the brown papery chaff that might still cling to your fiddleheads and snap off any long stems. At their peak, fiddleheads should be tightly coiled and a lovely, rich green color.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add fiddleheads and cook for 10 minutes. While fiddleheads cook, mix rice vinegar with sugar and salt. Toss vinegar mix with fiddleheads and serve.