recycle those garden containers!

plastic garden containers. ever wondered a good green thing to do with the abundance of plastic plant containers you inherited from garden planting? take 'em to the little rock zoo. read the e-mail:

We can use the containers, or see that they get used. The best thing would be to bring them to our service entrance, on the east side of the zoo (facing Ray Winder Field). There is a call box mounted on a post in front of the gate. Tell the receptionist that you are there to see Tom, and they will open the gate for you. The greenhouse is directly to your right as you come in the gate. I’m normally at the Zoo from 7:00 to 3:30, Monday through Friday. If I’m not there for some reason when you come by, you can leave the containers anywhere near the greenhouse. Thank you for thinking of us.

Tom Frothingham
Horticulture Foreman
Little Rock Zoological Gardens
1 Jonesboro Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
661-7227

note: now that you have tom's schedule, please don't rob or kill him. thank you.

hot sausage & peppers!

sausage & peppers. ask me where i got this. ask me where i got this. a super tasty and super delicious lunch! chicken italian hot sausage and a mix of vidalia onion and red & yellow peppers simmered in white wine. come on, ask me where i got this! i made it. ha. and you can too. here’s how:

you’ll need:

4 sausage links
veg oil
1 vidalia onion, sliced
2-3 peppers, mixed, sliced
2 cups white wine
hoagie buns
butter
maille mustard

you’ll do:

add a tablespoon of veg oil in a cast iron skillet on med-high heat, when hot add sausages. brown on all four sides. this will take a while. be patient. in another sauté pan, add enough veg oil to have a thin layer of oil covering the bottom of the pan, when hot, add onions and peppers. sauté on medium until soft, this will take a good 20 minutes. when the sausages are browned on all sides and the onions and peppers are getting a touch of brown, add wine to the onions & peppers and increase the heat to high. add sausages to the onions & peppers and cook uncovered until the wine cooks out. butter & griddle hoagie buns. serve with maille mustard. YUM.

chang thai & asian cuisine

prawn crackers

meing kham

chicken pad thai and condiment caddy

chang thai & asian cuisine. check out this small restaurant with a charismatic matriarch. lunch buffet for $6.99 or $8.99 for dinner. we passed up the buffet to order off the menu. first up, complimentary prawn crackers, these are light and airy and much like styrofoam - in a good way. i tried the meing kham ($4.50) - a delicious and very sweet appetizer of ginger, toasted coconut, dried shrimp, cashew nuts, shallot, lime and a tamarind coconut sauce served up beautifully on a betel leaf (which resembled a common philodendron house plant leaf). next up was the chicken pad thai ($7.99). i liked the sauce caddy of sambal, fish sauce, salt, dried chiles and fresh, sliced, red & green hot peppers spiked with vinegar that was delivered with to decorate the dish. this pad thai is the best i’ve had in the area.

changthai & asian cuisine
9830 hwy 107
sherwood501-835-4488

watermelon juice!

watermelon juice. super refreshing and super satisfying. if you have a juicer, you simply must juice a watermelon; with or without the rind it’s delicious. if you include the rind the juice will separate - no worries, a quick stir solves that. do it, you will thank me. add a piece of mint for a sensory treat.

tip: if you drink it all; i will love you.

Ded Lobster

ded lobster. ok, i was sucked in by the crabfest commercial. i admit it. but, that doesn’t mean you have to be. in search of sweet, tender crab, i have been known to venture into places i normally would not...denton’s trotline in benton is one sad example. back to ded lobster, i ordered the alaskan and snow crab leg combo ($24.50). the alaskan legs were overcooked, dry & rubbery. the snow legs were ok, but puny in comparison to legs to be had elsewhere. the best part of this visit was the zack galifianakis waiter that we saw but didn’t get. we got cesar, and he screwed up a salad then brought me the wrong crabfest special. so, our table ate in shifts. my amazement doesn’t cease on the popularity of ded lobster. ask what’s the appeal and they say it’s the bisquick biscuit with the dry ranch dressing packet mix sprinkled on top...ok. whatever. want legs? go to the flying fish.

note: yes, the flying fish pays me to write glowing reviews about them. so do many little rock restaurants. dear idiot: read my tag...it does not state unbiased reviews, because, guess what? these are my opinions. & yes, when i am "recognized" i am offered and gladly accept free meals! yee haw!

sprouted chickpea hummus

sprouted chickpea hummus. i picked up a bag of sprouted chickpeas from the CAFM (certified arkansas farmers market) in argenta. sprouted beans are supposed to be easier for the body to digest. a couple e-mails with VAD led me to do some recipe research. first try: victorious. this is another too simple recipe. there is no reason to buy hummus pre-packaged, pre-made, in a powder or a mix. this hummus is fresh and delicious! here’s how;

you'll need:
1 cup sprouted chickpeas, blanched
1 cup water
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
½ lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, smashed & blanched
1 teaspoon salt

you'll do:

bring a pot of water to a boil. remove water from heat and let sit for 1 minute. place sprouted chickpeas and the garlic in the hot water for one minute; drain. do not skip this step.

place chickpeas, water, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin & salt in a food processor. whiz until smooth. if you must, you can thin it out more with additional water.

taste and adjust seasonings.

note: you can sprout your own chickpeas: soak dried chickpeas in water for 1 day. drain. let sit for 2 days, rinsing and draining once or twice per day. chickpeas are ready when the sprouts are about ½ inch long.

orange leaf

orange leaf. i am a frozen yogurt purist. i like the plain tart and orange leaf's plain tart was yum. to maximize your experience, here's the drill: once inside orange leaf, grab a plastic spoon, they are by the cash register. then head for the cups. choose between the 2 cup sizes they offer; large or extra large, then pick a flavor from the 16, yeah, 16 flavors at the self-serve, soft-serve bins. drop a dollop into the cup, & here’s where that spoon comes in handy --- taste. choose the one, two or more flavors desired and head to the icky, toppings bar where gross people and snotty children are allowed to go willy nilly. i skipped that horror and went straight to the cashier and scale. yep, yogurt by the ounce. weigh & pay, then take a seat on the mod orange hydraulic bar stool and watch the gross people plunder the toppings.

Orange Leaf
11525 Cantrell Road
Pleasant Ridge Town Center
Little Rock
501-227-4522
Open Hours: 11am to 11pm
7 Days A Week

12 of the 16 flavors: plain, vanilla, peanut butter, coconut, pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, chocolate, orange, cheesecake, peach & 4 others i can’t remember. from the orange leaf website, eating {frozen} yogurt Prevents: Infections, Constipation, Diarrhea, Bloating, Harmful Bacteria Growth. hmmm.

taj mahal

taj mahal. the newest of the indian restaurants in LR. a small buffet was in the process of being set up when we arrived. nothing exciting on that buffet and nothing as delicious as the dishes of star of india. the sauces were thin and tasteless. the naan was less tasty, less puffy & less tandoori-ed than at star. the rice is even better at star. does it sound like i should have spent my $15 at star of india? good, that what it’s suppose to sound like. go to star of india.

note: Tasty Bite shelf stable ready to eat meals are more satisfying.

bar louie

bar louie. have you ever wondered what it would be like to eat lunch inside an abercrombie & fitch? yeah, me neither. but that’s what you’ll get for lunch at bar louie. black & white over-sized prints of “models” hang on the wall and the music is turned up way too much --- that scene may be ok while you belly up to the bar during happy hour, but for lunch, not so much. the loud music made it difficult to have a tête-à-tête. the burger was OK but the foil packet of mayo was strike two. sweet potato fries served with an unappetizing chili sauce and no onion rings on the menu. that’s three. bar louie is out. go to the hop.

lo mein

lo mein. i stumbled onto some lo mein noodles at whole foods and thought i’d give ‘em a try. if you’ve ever heard that you can substitute italian spaghetti noodles in a lo mein recipe, you’ve been duped. traditional lo mein noodles have a less gummy texture than italian spaghetti. it makes a big difference. try ‘em, you’ll be happy you did. for me, lo mein is a clear out the fridge dish, so, use what you have & love. this is a super delicious and super fast meal. it’s doubtful you’ll order that tasteless & overly greasy chinese version again. here’s how:

you’ll need:

8 oz - lo mein noodles
8 oz - shiitake mushrooms, sliced
veg oil
1 garlic clove
1 carrot, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
handful broccoli flourets
broccoli stems, julenned
handful of sugar snap peas

for sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sambal olek
grated ginger
3 tablespoons veg stock
a drizzle of toasted sesame oil

you'll do:

boil lo main water. prep veggies. cook lo mein noodles - when there is 2 minutes cooking time left, add broccoli and snap peas . when time is up, drain & rinse with cold water.

add veg oil to large skillet or wok. drop in a smashed piece of garlic. add shiitakes. stir fry for 3 minutes. remove and discard garlic. add red pepper, broccoli stems and stir fry for a minute. add carrots and stir, add noodles, broccoli and snap peas. add teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, sambal and stock. toss carefully with tongs. add ginger and toss. drizzle with toasted sesame oil and serve. MMmm.

arugula parsley pesto!!

arugula parsley pesto. yum. this delicious sauce can be used as a sandwich spread or as a topping for hot or cold pasta. i plan to use it for all three. today, it’s for my fresh mozzerella cheese and farmers market tomato baguette. make it. here’s how:

you’ll need:

one food processor/blender
one spatula

parmesan cheese, grated
parsley
arugula
1 garlic clove, smashed thru a garlic press
salt
olive oil
cayenne

you’ll do:

add about ¼ cup of grated parm cheese to processor or blender. add a large handful each of arugula and parsley. press one garlic clove into processor/blender. sprinkle with salt and a pinch of cayenne. whiz and drizzle a slow stream of olive oil into processor/blender. scrape down sides and whiz again. taste. yum. yes, i know, no pine nuts or walnuts. i don’t miss them.

note: no caterpillars were harmed in the making of this pesto.