Sweet Heat

Kalen would take me to Half Priced Books when I would be leaving Texas to fly home. It became a tradition that we buy a book for one another. The first cookbook he bought me was “Headin’ For the Sweet Heat: Fruit and Fire-Spice Cooking” by Jacqueline Landeen.

The book has inspired me to create two stocks, using left over vegetable and fruits that would be otherwise composted or thrown away.

The first stock consisted of purple carrots (primary), pablano and jalapeno top, celery, onion peels/roots, garlic peals, green apple core and skin, whole pepper corns, and bay leafs with a pinch of salt. I didn’t intend to put meat in it but I boiled chopped freezer burn pork (that was removed from some pork steaks) in water for an hour and half. The stock is pink in color. I removed all excess material and threw in trash since there was meat in the stock, I could not compost.

I used the stock for the spaghetti that night as well now I’m using it to boil pinto beans with sautéed chopped pablano peppers, jalapeno pepper, purple carrots, celery, onion, and tomatoes; topped with another bay leaf and minced celery leafs. I’m pretty excited. Depending on the amount of broth left, I may just throw in some rice to boil at the end. 

The second stock consisted of onion peels/roots, celery, purple carrots, broccoli, and pineapple core with bay leaf and whole lemon pepper corns. I bought a whole pineapple and deconstructed it. It seems that pineapple is a lot of waste when you remove the meat. So I decided to make a second stock using that as my primary fruit. Boiled for an hour and half, removed contents and let cool to put into compost.  I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be using this stock for but the possibilities are endless. 

On another note, I’ve been pretty pissed about the fruit fly situation in the house and in the compost. Since my lizard friend hasn’t left yet. I decided to move the bucket closer to the railing in hopes that he may sit on the lid and catch those stupid flies as they leave the vent holes. This was Thursday evening. I saw him today sitting on the lid. I’m super excited that I’m going to have a very fat lizard this Summer.

And if it gets to bad in the apartment, I learned that they love the smell of vinegar. I found them inside the easy pour vinegar bottles above the stove. They were trapped and drowned. It’s annoying however because I can’t leave the easy pour bottles out. And have to dig around in the cabinet for vinegars if I need any. On a positive note, I went to World Market and purchased a nice compost pail. So now I don't have to deal with as many flies in the kitchen looking for food scraps.