June 30, 2018

Happy (early) 4th of July! This year, we turned our little corner of Doha into a mini – ‘Merica and threw a bbq/birthday party for friends.

(Most of) the spread:

A selection of Qatari chips + vegetarian chicharrones, deviled eggs, corn on the cob, watermelon/haloumi/pepita salad, classic potato salad, mango/ruby grapefruit salad, redneck Kool-Aid, watermelon cocktail.

Not pictured: burgers, turkey dogs, smoked beef kielbasa, and local spicy sausages.

And for dessert:

America cake! Plus peanut butter pie, which also didn’t make it to pictures.

We didn’t have fireworks, but a good time was had by all.

Okra Mango Hash

I know. Hang with me for a second. While this may sound like stoner or pregnant woman food, it strangely works.

Unbeknownst to me until relatively recently, the American South doesn’t actually corner the market in okra – okra curries are actually popular throughout India, and they’re delicious. Mango curries are also a thing that are delicious.

I had intended on including a couple spoons red pepper pesto to make a vaguely curries sauce, buuuuuuuut mine had molded. Oops. As did the miso butter I made months ago. So, no sauce but egg yolk and the taste I was thinking of turned out much more subtle than the original Chopped style concept (what can I say, I’ve been too lazy to go grocery shopping).

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian

Okra Mango Hash

1/2 – 1 c. okra, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds

1 small mango – I used the yellow kind

2 ounces leftover chicken – I used curried breasts I’d bulk cooked earlier in the week

2 tsp. fat of choice

2 eggs

1 tsp. butter or other egg cooking fat

Salt, pepper & your favorite curry powder

In a large pan over medium-high heat, bring the 2 tsp. fat to temperature. Add the okra, hit with the spices, and cook, stirring frequently, until the okra is browned a bit.

While that is working, shred your chicken and peel and chop the mango.

When the okra is done, add the chicken and mango and cook, stirring frequently, until the mango gets a kiss of brown.

While that is working, cook your eggs to their desired doneness after sprinkling with the spices.

To serve, top the hash with the eggs.

Serves 1 because DH is 1000% not into anything about this dinner

June 29, 2018

Operating under the assumption that she’s too smart to allow herself to get heat stroke.

It’s 103 F, and she switched to laying on her back (before falling over) right after this.

June 28, 2018

When, tf, did I start being drawn toward pink?

Rose – as both a scent and a taste, btw, is still horrid.

June 27, 2018

Another take on jellyfish

June 26, 2018

Wraparound billboard at a stoplight

June 25, 2018

This is not the scenery in which you’d expect to hear the Phantom of the Opera song blaring from the speakers. Especially not after Tchaikovsky (something from Nutcracker).

June 24, 2018

June 23, 2018

June 22, 2018