Oh, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Gravy Boats...

(A Manic Thrift Store Shopper/bigYELLOWbowl crossover post.)

Let's face it, I have a very acute case of dishmorphia. When I'm shopping at the thrift store or home store or wherever, I see something and think, "okay, I absolutely need ten of those." When in reality I already have twenty of them at home. Small dishes? Check. Chopsticks? Check. Asian soup spoons? I think we all learned our lesson about that last week. I really do have twenty-four more Asian soup spoons on their way to me as I type.

But perhaps the most ridiculous? Gravy boats.

First of all, how many gravy boats does a vegetarian need? Sure, there are lots of great vegetarian gravies or sauces out there. Case in point, the amazing gravy Jimmy made for our New Year's Day breakfast. But, how often do I actually serve gravy? On a very rare and special occasion, it's true. Raise your hand if you have been served gravy or sauce from a gravy boat at my house?

But when I was growing up, gravy was just something you always had. It went over the meat, it went on the potatoes, it went over the chicken and it went on the biscuits. Sometimes, it just went on torn up pieces of bread which I loved and always thought of as a special treat. We always had gravy. It was so important that when Barbara made crispy fried chicken, she would also pan fry some chicken in order to have the drippings necessary for gravy. And she still does.

How many gravy boats did my mother have? Only one that I can remember.

But, when it's 2010 and you're whipping up a curry, pasta or bowl of Asian noodles for dinner, you don't really need a gravy boat. So why do I have six? That's right, I have six different gravy boats. Six, different, beautiful and elegant gravy boats--each a star in their own right.

So, how does this happen? I'll walk your through it.

Well, I'm at the thrift store and I find a gravy boat (above) that is lovely and different. It's Sango and I'm a total bitch for Sango. I have a couple of plates and a set of eight, very low bowls in red. I'm pretty sure that Sango made nothing that was cute after 1968, but before that: LOVE-ly. Love it all.

So I find this gravy boat (above) and it's lovely and in perfect shape. It doesn't really have a handle, just a small indention at the back to slip a thumb in as your gingerly pour gravy (or sauce) onto whatever it is you are gravy-ing (or saucing). It's different. It's unique. I'm already hooked, but I think to myself, "You know, you don't really have a nice, simple gravy boat in the cupboard. This is really a useful piece and you really need one."

Say what?

It's like this: I look at my china cabinet, my sideboard, my front closet filled with Pyrex and my bedroom closet filled with china and I think, "I don't have ANY dishes. Nothing fun or interesting. It's a wasteland!" And you are looking at the same china cabinet, sideboard, front closet filled with Pyrex and bedroom closet filled with china and probably thinking one of three things:

1. He is crazy.
2. Is there a shortage in the China mines? Are the Pyrex trees drying up? Did a blight take out the tiny dish fields this season?
3. Maybe he is opening up a store.

I have dishmorphia. Pure and simple. There isn't a cure. I mean, there isn't a cure I'm willing to participate in. Intervention? Try it. I'll be out of the hotel suite and in the nearest thrift store before you can say, "We've all written letters about how your shopping and dishmorphia affect us."

But, I will walk you through the collection:

This gravy boat is très important because it is what began the Temporama madness--I mean Temporama collection! I found it at the DAV on Douglas in Wichita, KS and said to myself, "Someday I will have a china cabinet full of this amazing pattern." I didn't even know at that point there was a separate under plate in a lovely robin's egg blue that accents all this amazing china. If I had, I probably would have dropped to my knees at that very moment and sworn a lifetime of allegiance.

I was visiting my friends Susan in Dallas, TX and she offered me some colors and duplicates from her Russel Wright collection. I love the streamlined nature of this gravy boat and its amazing ergonomic form. Ergonomic before it was cool! It is a little crazed, but I could still never part with it.

This odd specimen has an attached under plate and was produced by Tamac Pottery in Perry, OK. This color is called 'frosty fudge' and while it isn't my favorite in their line, the loose organic shape makes up for the fact it is not avocado. No matter how strong I will it.

This lovely little gravy boat with the Aladdin's lamp handle and separate under plate is part of the collection of Metlox Shore Line started by a gift from the playwright and actress Helena Hale on one of her trips to Wichita, KS. It would do her memory a disservice were I ever to part with it.

Finally, an example from Schonwald in white, German porcelain. The under plate is attached and I also have a large serving bowl, a small serving bowl and a platter in this same ovoid shape. How could I break them up?

See? All six are necessary and important.

Wichita Asian Market

I always love to stop into Thai Binh when I'm in Wichita--one of my favorite Asian markets. They've remodeled since I left the city and you never know what you are going to find! I was hoping to stock up on to-go soup containers they usually stock, which I use for ice cream when I'm taking it to a friend. Alas, there were none to be had. Oh well, we had lots of fun looking at all of the wonderful things and I did come away with a treasure.

What are these? Some sort of dock from another planet? Strange, beautiful and magnificent.

The decor items at Thai Binh are all about more, as in 'more is more, less is a bore.' It's certainly an aesthetic I appreciate.

I had been researching a substitute for fish sauce to use in Asian recipes, and several sources noted that it is possible to find a vegetarian fish sauce at some Vietnamese markets. Lo and behold, after careful look there it was on the shelf. So, now I have enough fish sauce to last me for....a decade? Who knows. It's still so high in sodium you only need a little. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll report back after I use it in a recipe.

Wichita Eats

Thai tea is better when sipped through a giant straw tucked into a
second giant straw and wearing arm warmers. She's a maniac, maniac...

While in Wichita, we got to dine at Zen Vegetarian Cuisine. Zen serves an all vegetarian menu, offering many of your favorite Asian dishes with meat analogs. I don't know if it's run by a cult or not, but the all of the employees sure seemed beatific! Perhaps it was just all of the delicious veggie food they get to eat?

We started with some dumplings which might be the best I have ever had and also ordered edamame and vegetable tempura. One dish sounded suspiciously like Protein 2000, my favorite menu item at Veggie Heaven in Austin, TX, so of course I ordered it. Not quite the same, but delicious and served with a heaping bowl of a beautiful multi-grain rice. Which is cheaper at the restaurant than white rice--I guess they are trying to promote good and healthy eating. (Cult?) I tried a bite of almost everyone's dish and were wonderful. The skipped the one Francie ordered, 'Perfection from the Ocean,' as I never cared for actual fish and wasn't interested in a substitute. Molly, the sole meat eater at the table, declared it the closest faux-meat she had ever consumed. It was a great meal and a beautiful restaurant. Wichita finally has an all-vegetarian place to dine! I'd be there at least once a week if I was still living in the ICT.

Confession: I don't really care for donuts all that much. I mean, if you stop and buy a box of donuts and drop them off, I'll probably have one. But I'll pay for it the rest of the day with heartburn. So, I'm probably never going to say, "Let's go get donuts." Just not my weakness, even without the heartburn. Now, offer me a box of chocolate cupcakes and I'll sing a different song.

But all that could change thanks to the Donut Hole in Wichita. Oh my, Molly and I went for breakfast on Saturday and my expectations and preconceptions about donuts have been changed forever. The difference? Cake. Yes, cake donuts. I'm used to being offered one or two cake donuts at donut store and I love the cinnamon ones they serve at Boo's Cafe, but I have never been to a donut shop that served only cake donuts. I should say only cake donuts, I should say: a mindblowing array of spectacular cake donuts. In every flavor you can imagine and some you would never think of: cocao krispies, bacon, buttermilk, peanut butter and more. All transformed into a delicious breakfast treat. And served with great coffee with Cafe du Monde as one of the choices. Coffee with chicory! It was heaven. It was so good, we stopped by on the way out of town that Sunday.

On top of the delicious donuts, the decor is fab and fun and funky. There is a giant cock on the roof and lots of crazy things spread around the interior. If I lived in Wichita, it would be donuts from the Donut Hole for breakfast five days a week and I would be as big as a house. Driving through? They have a drive through open 24-hours a day. Honestly, if you're close, it's worth the stop for delicious donuts and a peek at Wichita, which is a little cooler and a little funkier these days. As always, on the verge. And, you can buy their VERY cool t-shirts and other merch with the awesome logo designed by our friend Chris without ever setting foot in Kansas.

While there, I sampled the original buttermilk, maple and a bite of Molly's chocolate peanut butter.

Holiday 2007 Rehash

This year, we did the tour of the 'ahs' for the holidays--Wichit-ah, Omah-ah and Tuls-ah. Here are some dining highlights from the long, long....LONG (but fun) trip.

Wichit-ah
In Wichita, we saw lots of friends. It was a super-fast visit, but we squeezed every bit of friend-time in we could. Sorry if I missed you this visit, but you're top of the list next time I'm in town! Wednesday night we went to N&J Bakery which is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in the city--and there are many. I think they have the tastiest fattoush salads in Wichita, crisp and perfectly seasoned. Barb was planning on having a few people over on the following night and ordered their hummus, homemade pita and pistachio cookies. I love the pistachio cookies, but more on that later.

When we got back to Barb's, we kept her company as she began some of the prep for her Thursday night menu. One of the sweet treats was 'crispy crackers' which involves baking club crackers that have been topped with nuts and a buttery caramel. They are like crack, once you start you are hooked. Barb and I are carefully watching them in the over as they bake.

Thursday morning, Mitchell and I had breakfast at the Beacon Restaurant with an old friend from work and his new bride. The Beacon is the greasy spoon of all greasy spoons. It's located right next to the newspaper office (Which used to be the Eagle-Beacon back in the day) and is decorated with a lighthouse theme. Many of the very artistic items are for sale. If you eat meat and find yourself 'dining' at the Beacon, be sure and order the Beacon Traditional which is an open-face, lightly toasted English muffin topped with 2 eggs cooked to order, your choice of bacon or ham, and cheese melted over the top.

Thursday night at Barb's was fun and we got to hang out with many of our Wichita friends. I even got to have Molly sit in my lap, which is something I really miss being so far away from her. Barb made tons of delicious treats and served her wonderful mulled wine, but I think everyone enjoyed the pumpkin biscuits more than anything else. They're a classic and even better served with the maple pumpkin sauce which Barb had never tried before. Make them, but don't even think about serving them without the sauce!

Recipe: Barb's Pumpkin Biscuits with Pumpkin Maple Sauce
Biscuits 2 ½ cups all-purpose baking mix (like Bisquick) 1/3 cup instant non fat dry milk ¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ¾ cup 100% pure pumpkin 1 tablespoon water

Sauce
1 cup maple syrup 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine baking mix, dry milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and water until just moistened.
• Knead 10 times on lightly floured surface.
• Roll dough to ½ inch thickness; cut into 12 biscuits.
• Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Heat syrup, pumpkin and cinnamon in a small saucepan until warm.
• Spoon sauce over warm biscuits.

Of course, no visit to Wichita would be complete without a trip to the Nifty Nut House. They have all of my favorites, so I stocked up. Plus, it's always fun to be there during the holidays because there is so much electricity in the air. People are crazy for nuts! I bought:

• Double-dipped chocolate covered peanuts (the size of gum balls)
  
• Dark-chocolate covered pistachios
• Bridge Mix (with fruits)
• Yogurt-covered pretzel Christmas trees. (I swear their's are the best!)
  

Omah-ah
Old Town Omaha is filled with lots of great shops and restaurants, and we were sure to hit several of our favorites. We stayed at the Magnolia Hotel (which is in a converted office building and very nice if you're looking for a place to stay in Omaha) and it was easy walking to breakfast or dinner. Plus, the Magnolia has a complimentary continental breakfast, cocktails in the evening and a milk and cookie bar at night. Not kidding. Milk and cookie bar.

Zio's pizza is always a special treat and by the slice. You can order whatever toppings you wish and they're happy to oblige with piping hot slices right to your table. We had broccoli and onion (I won't apologize. I love broccoli on pizza.) and tomato and spinach. They have so many topping choices it will boggle your mind.

Even though we live right smack dab in the epicenter of Indian culture in Austin, TX, that doesn't keep us from ordering it when we're out of town. The Indian Oven, also in Old Town, serves all of your favorite Indian treats and has a great wine list to boot. Cold night? Fresh curries and a glass of wine will warm you right up.

Reader, are you eating your lunch at your desk while you catch up on my blog? Are you using a plastic spoon? I thought so! Do you know how it's made? Well a visit to the Omaha Children's Museum will cure you of that ignorance. Push a single button and moments later, a fresh plastic spoon emerges from the injection machine. Like magic.

Sammy and Jakalee (two and three respectively) were more interested in the car and the balls and the millions of other things you can do at the Museum.

Of course, I had to stop and pay me respects to Quan Yin while I was in Omaha. Driving down the Sorrenson Parkway, you just kind of come across her, perched on a hill and surveying the white, snowy world. The gate was locked, but I hopped it easily and trudged up the snow-covered steps to the top. I guess there were rabbits nesting behind because when I reached the top they ran quickly away in that breathy, panicked rabbit sort of way. I left Quan Yin an offering of four pistachio cookies that Barb had sent us away with, piled at the base of her feet. I didn't stay long because I thought since the gate was locked, some angry Buddhists might come after me from the temple in the distance. I spent the rest of the day with the Smith's song Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before running through my head. "And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder."

Tuls-ah

In Tulsa we ate and gorged ourselves on Christmas fare at the parents, including our traditional dinner of fried chicken. It's a long story, but tasty nonetheless. We still found time to join Paula, Brennan and Loren for a little pizza at the Hideaway. Probably the best pizza in Oklahoma, the Hideaway is a Stillwater/OSU tradition, but we don't hold that against them. Good pizza is good pizza!

Food I Will Miss in Wichita

I'm officially moved from Wichita and on the way back to Austin was thinking about what I would miss (besides all of my wonderful friends!) and the list was pretty food oriented:

1. The Friday special at Byblos: lentil pilaf. It's so unbelievable good
2. The Nifty Nut House, I think you all know I how I feel, but if not it's all right here.
3. Those green cookies (pistachio) at N&J.
4. The bread pudding (and soup) at Tanya's Soup Kitchen, even thought its been closed for years.
5. Dinner at my house with friends

Mangez!