LUNCHLETTER #45
ft. lacto mango honey, tuna de tigre, nine gems
FROM ANDY đŻ TO LUKE
thurs, 3/26 â lb bowl + salmon, ginger juice shot from âď¸lb mini martâď¸
fri, 3/27 â leftover chicken tikka, navratan korma, punjabi naan from âď¸tandoorâď¸
sat, 3/28 â leftover chicken tikka, navratan korma (with additional chickpeas) from âď¸tandoorâď¸
sun, 3/29 â miso soup, tuna de tigre, halibut roll, maine crab roll, salmon mango roll from âď¸mr. tunaâď¸
mon, 3/30 â sweet and spicy tofu, roasted ponzu broccoli, brown rice
tues, 3/31 â leftover jerk salmon, black beans, roasted plantains, cucumber salad, cilantro brown rice
weds, 4/1 â leftover sweet and spicy tofu, roasted ponzu broccoli, brown rice
Dear Luke,
Papou and I are well, thanks for the warm wishes. He sends his best and would like to add: opa.
Iâm thrilled about your arepa discovery, as well as this green plum elixir. I feel like I can taste both of these thingâs in my mindâs eye (mouth?). After a bit of research, it seems that Onggi doesnât sell the plum potion, but they do occassionally stock a different plum potion. I also uncovered a Maine arepa brand that looks promisingâhope to report on that soon. Papou would like to know if your Greek mini market stocks frozen falafel, because if not, he may have a solution.
Glad to be talking drummers on Lunchletter, and I agree that itâs hard to pick a favorite. I can certainly pick a least favorite. Iâm not surprised youâre a Jaki man. I might gotta go Purdie.
Delighted to report that our vacuum sealer in full effect, and our cheese has never felt safer. Iâm really loving #baglife. Who knew it would be so satisfying to 1) slice up your own plastic bags and 2) suck the life out of whatever is inside with the push of a button? Itâs the little things.
Itâs fun to have a new kitchen toy, although Iâm still working out the kinks. Yesterday I tried making a Noma recipe for lacto-fermented mango-scented honey, and I accidentally sealed the bag on âdryâ mode instead of âwet.â Youâre gonna wanna not make this mistake. It caused the sealer to overflow with fragrant honey syrup, and now every surface of our kitchen is sticky. RenĂŠ Redzepiâs cycle of abuse continues. During clean-up, I had a brief hunger-induced meltdown and decided to resort to a jar.
Okay, letâs talk lunch.
LB Mini Mart is the fanciest bodega in Portland. I went there in the hopes of buying some carrot ginger soup for Lily and a $12 deodorant for me (she had a cold and I had a stink), but they didnât have either. Walked out with a salmon bowl instead. Canât apply salmon to your underarms, but you gotta play the hand youâre dealt.
Due to a strange and complicated DoorDash debacle, we ended up receiving duplicate orders of Indian food last Thursday. Hard to explain what went wrong here, all I can say is I hope Emma K. received her corndog and lobster bisque. Anyway, we were overflowing in chicken tikka and navratan korma (aka ânine gemsâ), resulting in enough leftovers for two subsequent lunches. On Saturday I added a tenth gem of chickpeas to the round out the meal, and it really worked. I think this dish could easily be cranked up to twelve, maybe thirteen gems.
Sunday I got some new pants and celebrated the purchase with a cheeky Mr. Tuna. I love popping into Mr. T., and the tuna de tigre was as delicious as ever. We could and probably should start making this dish at home, but I love it when Mr. Tuna makes it for me. Something about the way he does it, the authority. He commands respect.
Since then itâs been back to basics: some usual tofu stuff, a non-blueberry jerk salmon. Our rice makerâs been cranking on âbrownâ mode all week. Iâve found myself making rice in the afternoon and leaving it on âkeep warmâ until dinnerâvery wasteful from an energy standpoint, but very luxurious to have piping hot, perfectly cooked rice at all hours of the day! You only get one life, and it ought to be enjoyed. While I am on this earth, I will allow myself the pleasure of a 120-minute shower and a pot of Forever Rice.
$25 for turnips is a real slap in the face. Turnips are a contender for least satisfying vegetable to me, sort of like eating a fart dipped in Lysol. I actually think they should be free. One time at the farmerâs market, an eight-year-old girl charged me $17 for celery, and I didnât have the heart to correct her. So I understand your experience.
Tomorrow weâre headed to New York for Easter, and you unfortunately wonât get to hear about the chicken teriyaki bentos that Iâm preparing for the car ride, or our yet undetermined lunch following The Great Gatsby: The Musical, or what vegetables will appear on Lilyâs parentsâ Easter crudite board. But in a way, you just did.
Will Christ rise from the dead this Easter? Itâs unlikely.
Will they introduce the lead actor by rhyming âGatsbyâ with âthatâs meâ? I sure hope so.
Will the jar of mango honey explode while Iâm gone? Almost definitely.
Opa,
Andy
bite of the week (home): jerk bowl on couch slightly stoned
bite of the week (out): tiger tuna from âď¸monsieur tunaâď¸
bite of the week (out): tiger tuna from âď¸monsieur tunaâď¸