Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu (It's Vegan too!)

One of my favorite things to eat is Ma Po tofu.  Oh so spicy, and oh so delicious!  Unfortunately, the recipe calls for ground pork and broth!  So, my mother and I decided to make a vegetarian version.  After some poking around, modifying and mixing, this is what we came up with.   By replacing the pork with shitake mushrooms, you still get a nice hearty flavor.  

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of sliced shitake mushrooms

2 tsp of vegetable oil

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp of peeled ginger, chopped

3 tbsp of hot bean paste

1 tsp of soy sauce

2 containers of firm tofu, 1 in. cubes

1 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp of water

1.5 tsp of sesame oil

2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. Soak the shitake mushrooms in a generous amount of water for about an hour

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok until it becomes shimmery.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the scallion and stir.

4. Once the garlic becomes golden, add the bean paste and soy sauce and stir.

5. Add the tofu and mix with the other components.

6.  Add the shitake mushrooms and the water they were soaking in.  Don't put all of the water in, because sand and dirt settles at the bottom of the water.

7. Add the cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce.

8.  Bring to a boil, then add the sesame oil and the green parts of the scallion.  

Serve with white rice and enjoy.

Sarah Palin for VP

What was McCain thinking?
A woman that he really only talked to...once.

"Hey! She's a woman. She's clearly conservative. It's perfect."

Those left-over female Clinton supporters ought to be insulted that the McCain campaign thought that they would be swayed just because Palin is a woman. Nevermind that she's an ultra-conservative, who shares no platform with Clinton on her positions; so long as she has breasts, give the woman a prize!

Palin makes the "inexperience" argument that the McCain campaign proudly totes irrelevant. Tell me, how does a woman who's been governor for less than two years (with a supposed preganancy inbetween), mayor of a god-forsaken small town of less than 10,000 for six years, and 3 years as an operator in an oil-money funneling "company" beat out Obama?
Obama, who has been a senator for three years, state senator for seven, and a community organizer for most of his adult life?

And now, for a hilarious piece of op-ed from the New York Times:
Vice In Go-Go Boots?

"...Sarah is a zealot, but she’s a fun zealot. She has a beehive and sexy shoes, and the day she’s named she goes shopping with McCain in Ohio..."

"...she has some expertise in Russia because it’s close to Alaska. “Back off, Commie dude,” she says. “I’m a much better shot than Cheney."

Sit-down Song-edy

So, my friend Alison showed me some YouTube videos of this great band/comedy team called Flights of the Conchords. They're two dorky, guitar-strumming New Zealanders whose songs range from a satirical look at "the issues" to a song about a woman and who she believes to be her long-lost lover. Their musical parody beats Weird Al Yankovic by miles. Inbetween your own spurts of laughing, at times you might notice their impressive lyric craft or harmonies.

As of last year, they have their own TV show about trying to make it big in New York. Some are cynical about the effect "fame" will have on their creativity and how much material it'll provide them with, but I have faith in the spirit of the dork.

Here's two of their songs:

The Issues

Jenny

...

The Hidden City

River Days

...