“One must maintain a little bittle of summer, even in the middle of winter.”
― Henry David Thoreau
― Henry David Thoreau
Janurary 9th, 2012
Delusion of the Illusion, what pumpernickel I’ve become over these pivoting days of the New Year. I am but a vagabond carelessly skipping through the tarnished streets of Los Angeles, oblivious to the modest treasures of mankind and forever tinkering with my speechless companion; a green & white stripped yo-yo. Up and down, walk the dog, flick forward and reel back . . . mesmerized by the minute, the traffic passing by without care or concern . . . maybe I should get on the bus and at least pretend that I have a destination?
To say that I organized my physical affairs yesterday would be like saying that the Dalai Lama is gracious – a big understatement. The chaos that was once my catering bins in the garage is roughly 90% packaged into practical method and means; my room “the attic” is now features more than four square yards of free space exposing the hardwood floors below and more importantly, vanquishing a substantial portion of the “cluttered as f’k feeling.” My unkempt piles of paperwork harboring the plethora of documents and copies concerning my lawsuit, bills left for dead, various business proposals, menu’s, consulting outlines . . . all filed away both physically and mentally. I now know where I stand (for better or worse) and what actions are required to either complete, dismiss or recalibrate.
Back to creating a list. It really didn’t work last week as I was overwhelmed by the mess of my affairs (professionally and as of recent personally) and the desire to escape without clear direction. Not to say that I haven’t made any progress, but fair to establish that I gained more from m digression than any plausible ascension. My lawyer has an important meeting with the judge this coming Friday, the whereabouts of my assigned tasks are outlined and I shall attack these prioritized duties first. Next, I will attend to the various facets that might yield some financial sustenance – broke as a yolk I am. Fortunately, I have a few golden nuggets that are my primary focus for establishing a regular income stream but these items won’t furnish immediate monetary relief . . as such, I have to whittle & whore my chef skills to the nearest bidder. The remaining items of interest are not likely to receive any immediate attention but at the very least – they have been acknowledged, named and charted for future intent. Lastly, I am writing my journal entry and having returned from never-never land – “Peter Pan choked out Tinkerbell over a box of Whoppers; he’s made his amends, buried her little fairy ass in the dirt below a rat infested Date Palm and is at last listening to the reader.”
I haven’t gone to the gym, I haven’t made lunch in half a century, I haven’t chanted Nam Myoho Renge Kyo . . . I had abolished my routine all together. It’s time to put the pieces back together with a rejuvenated outlook and so I give you a recipe for assembly – the Potsticker
With Culinary Blessings,
Chef Scotty
The Foundation of a Potsticker
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground pork or turkey, chicken, lamb, shrimp or beef
- 1/2 medium head cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 2 slices fresh ginger root, finely chopped
- 2 water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- 1 cup of fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, mint or mixture thereof)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 (14 ounce) package wonton wrappers
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Directions
- Crumble pork into a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the pork, cabbage, green onion, ginger, water chestnuts, herbs, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Chill in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
- Place a tablespoon of the pork mixture into each of the wonton wrappers. Fold the wrappers, and seal the edges with a moistened fork.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Place the pot stickers into the oil seam sides up. Heat 30 seconds to a minute. Pour water into the skillet. Gently boil 7 to 8 minutes, until oil and water begins to sizzle, then add remaining oil. When the bottoms begin to brown, remove pot stickers from heat.
- In a small serving bowl, mix together the chili oil, soy sauce, and vinegar, adjusting proportions to taste.
