Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fond

Last summer when I was at a music festival in Portland, Oregon, I had the pleasure of trying some absinthe (well....it was quite the raging party, so I guess I had my fair share). The theme of the music festival was "A Dark Victorian Dream", so naturally I bought an absinthe glass and spoon while I was there.

I've been meaning to buy some absinthe so I could actually be able to use my glass and spoon, but being that I'm not much of a drinker, I just never got around to buying any until today. I had gift cards, which was probably the only way I could justify spending $60 on a bottle of alcohol. So I bought a bottle of Le Tourment Vert, which I'm excited to try it, although I'm not sure when that will be....the bottle is so beautiful I'd hate to ruin it by opening it. It is hand glazed and numbered.

They say Van Gogh was intoxicated with absinthe when he cut his ear off....lets hope I don't get to that point :)

Mexican Country Tofu Scramble

Ay Caramba! This is currently my favorite breakfast item. Its fairly quick to make (about 20 minutes) and will definitely satisfy you if you're hungry. It is surprisingly light, however. This is a variation on my normal tofu scramble, but the difference is enough to warrant its own entry.

This time I used silken tofu instead of extra firm (thought I had some in the fridge but I was wrong). I was apprehensive but it actually turned out great. The key to making this recipe awesome is.....the gravy! My grandmother is a gravy master, and she was nice enough to teach me a while back. Its pretty easy, you just have to be careful when mixing the flour and the hot bouillon water, or else you'll end up making dumplings instead of gravy (I know from experience).

The Scramble

• 1/3 block silken tofu (full block if you are cooking for more people, or if you have a REALLY big appetite)


• 1/4 onion, diced (again, 1/2 onion for more than one person)


• 1/2 tsp turmeric (this is what gives it the yellow color)


• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos


• curry powder, seasoned to taste


• garlic powder, seasoned to taste


• 1 soy breakfast sausage link


• Soyrizo (soy chorizo)

Added to this affair is a Tofurky chipotle breakfast link, chopped up and mixed with the scramble, and because I love spicy, I add a few shakes of Tapatio hot sauce and Tabasco. Also, can't go without the smoky tempeh bacon!

The Gravy

• 1/2 or 1 cube of vegetable bouillon


• 2 cups water


• 3-5 tablespoons flour

Directions

• Start off with 1 cup of water and the bouillon in a pot, and bring to a boil so that the bouillon dissolves; once dissolved, bring the heat down to medium


• Pour 1/2 cup water into a measure cup and add about 2 tablespoons of flour


• Whisk the flour and water until its evenly mixed, and slowly pour into the hot bouillon water, stirring as you do this


• I usually add another tablespoon or two of flour mixed with another 1/2 cup of water at this point, and this is the part where you can decide how thick you want your gravy to be

Let it simmer while you cook your scramble and you are ready for one seriously hearty meal....yee haw!