This is not a recipe

Ceci n'est pas une pipe.

My apologies to Magritte. Okay. Seriously.

Today's post is not a recipe. It's more of an...assemblage? Yes, this is that. You've had those evenings too, right? Staring into the depths of your fridge waiting for inspiration to strike. Or a frozen pizza. Whichever strikes first. Tonight's dinner was an assemblage made of chapati (Costco impulse), boneless turkey breast (Whole Foods sale), and some veggies (CSA). Add some pesto from a local restaurant (I know some of you green-thumb folks have last summer's pesto frozen), and you have...cultural confusion. Or in other words...

Pesto flatbread pizza with turkey and balsamic vegetables

6 pre-made chapati
Boneless turkey breast (or substitute chicken breast or cutlets)
1 large summer squash, cut once lengthwise and then sliced into half-rounds
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
Fresh mozzarella, roughly chopped, or shredded mozzarella
Pre-made pesto
Olive oil
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Slice the turkey breast vertically across the grain into slices about 1/2" wide. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour a bit of olive oil into a frying pan. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Add the turkey slices and cook until done. Remove from heat and cut into thin strips.

In another pan, add a bit of olive oil. Sauté onion until it starts to caramelize. Add summer squash. Cook until soft. Drizzle with approximately 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.

In a sauté pan (cast iron works well), heat the chapati until lightly brown on both sides (per package instructions).

Place chapati on a cookie sheet. Slather a base layer of pesto onto the chapati. Add other ingredients (turkey, balsamic vegetables, tomatoes). Top with mozzarella. Pop into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

If you're curious about how to make your own chapati, here's Mark Bittman's take.

Everything's bigger in Texas...even the Whole Foods

Ahhh...the Whole Foods flagship store in downtown Austin. How I miss thee. Thy rooftop deck with dining tables and playscape for the kiddos. Thy mouthwatering, awe-inspiring bulk foods section.

"How can a bulk foods section be awe-inspiring?" you ask. After all, bulk foods sound sensible, economical, but hardly jaw-dropping. You haven't seen nuthin' yet, my friends.

(I had to get special dispensation from the very nice Whole Foods higher-ups to take these photos. I wore a special badge sticker and felt quite special.)

Behold...

...the mighty wall of spices and dried peppers...This wall reminds me of an incredible pantry. Vintage and organized and inviting...all at the same time.

Flours, grains, beans...oh my!

I'm absolutely in love with these specialty sugars. So much that little bags of the green chili cane sugar and lime cane sugar came home with me. The green chili sugar is amazing. Redolent of green chili. Spicy and sweet. I think it would pair beautifully with shrimp. And the lime sugar just speaks to me. "Perfect for rimming margarita glasses," it says. 

Whoever thought dried beans could be inspirational? Here, they are. Their subtle, varied colors and textures displayed in these old-fashioned bins remind me of artisan-made beads. Art in legume form.

Thanks to the Whole Foods folks for allowing me to share these photos with you. There's lots to think about here. Ways to use stored foods decoratively. Chalkboards with hand-written quotes and info. Fabulous flavored sugars. Definite food for thought.

Still keeping it weird...

Pedestrians. Cyclists. Hipsters and folks meditating. A typical scene in Austin, Texas...

...And then there are the pianos...

"Keep Austin Weird"

If you visit Austin, you'll see this slogan emblazoning t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs. The slogan was born as Austin struggled with its population boom and all of the attendant challenges. It urged folks to frequent local small businesses. For Austin to keep its unique flavor amidst the blossoming of Starbucks and Gaps. As local landmarks were demolished in favor of new, gleaming downtown condos and office spaces.

Perfectly in character for a city that embraces music, art, and idiosyncrasy, you can find 14 colorfully painted pianos scattered outdoors for the month of April. On pedestrian bridges and tucked around a hike and bike trail. By City Hall. Folks are welcome to play them, and while I took photos, I saw a few people try out some tunes.

Thank you, Austin, for keeping it so very wonderfully, colorfully weird.

Toto...

"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Boston anymore."

I'm in a place of saturated, riotous color...

...and relaxed, outdoor living. Perfect for dining al fresco with pitchers of margaritas and friends.

Where when you talk about metal ceilings, you don't mean historic tin ceilings, but a collage of shiny hubcaps...

Where you can feast on Polvos Enchiladas Doña Clara: enchiladas dipped in guajillo sauce, stuffed with monterey jack cheese and onions, topped with shredded cabbage, jalapeños, fresh avocado, and dried cheese. Or Torchy's Trailer Park tacos: fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico de gallo, and cheese on flour tortilla with poblano sauce. Done extra trashy (queso, no lettuce). Or Chuy's Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom: roasted chicken and cheese with Boom-Boom sauce (cheese, roasted New Mexican green chiles, tomatillos, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice). This last was so spicy that it made my nose run. I'm obviously out of training.

I'm visiting in a place that will always hold a piece of my heart. The land of family, great friends, great food...and bluebonnets. I'll be back soon to Beantown (hopefully with some fabulous dried peppers and spices stashed in my luggage), ready to share some great Mexican-inspired recipes. Meanwhile, I hope you're having a wonderful Easter weekend/Passover.

Baked kale chips

I have a wee confession to make.

Kale is one of those vegetables that I walk past in the grocery store. No eye contact. No howdy-do. Nuthin'. I head for the broccoli (possibly the broccoli rabe if I'm feeling adventurous), the onions, the asparagus, the spinach (sometimes the bok choy). I'm not even sure that "kale" was in my vegetable lexicon.

But when kale showed up in my CSA box, I was super excited. (Yeah...I know...kale excites me. I must lead a sad sort of life...) I'd wanted to make kale chips ever since a friend posted about them on Facebook. A green leafy vegetable that preschool children devour? That's crispy and light and snack-a-licious? There must be some sort of catch, right?

Let's find out.

(On the plus side, the beautifully ruffled kale that I received proved to be quite photogenic. Intricate and organic.)

I was a bit surprised when I washed the kale. The leaves felt rubbery, not delicate like lettuce. They felt more like cabbage. I was growing ever more dubious about the kale chips.

The verdict? I need not have worried. They were light, crispy, salty perfection. Exactly as advertised. Best of all, Pretzel Boy ate a few kale chips. He then ate a few Cape Cod potato chips and mused, "How can they taste the same? One's a leaf, and one's a potato." If the pickiest of the picky will eat these chips, I'm officially calling this one a winner.

Baked kale chips
Seen on epicurious.com and smitten kitchen

1 bunch kale (approximately 12 leaves)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 275ºF. Wash and dry kale. Cut away stalk and center rib, and cut into large pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. (Hint: Use much less salt than you think you need. My first batch was much too salty.)

Place in a single layer on parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until crispy. Place on rack to cool.

(For a delicious variation, add a pinch of paprika and garlic powder before baking.)