It’s one thing to get to be sent marinara and vodka sauces.  It’s another to be sent Paul Sorvino’s authentic neapolitian marinara and vodka sauces. 

Now, I’m not one to go ga ga for a movie star, but I really like the movies Goodfellas and Bulworth (both starring Mister Sorvino) so it was kind of cool when someone from Paul Sorvino Food sent me two jars of sauce: one of marinara and the other of vodka sauce.  It was even cooler when I came home to find my wife watching Goodfellas and I could go in to the pantry and grab one the jars (which feature a picture of Mister Sorvino) and ask “Look familar?”

It was less of a thrill when she replied “No.  Who is the guy on the jar?”

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there.  It was still pretty cool to review a sauce made by one of the stars of arguably the greatest mafia movie ever (yes, I preferred it to The Godfather. What you gonna do about it??)  And yes, I realize Mister Sorvino is an actor, but let me say he’s a supremely good actor.  Maybe a little too good.

So, just in case, let me say in no uncertain terms that Paul Sorvino Foods’ sauces are the best pasta sauces I’ve ever had.  No questions asked.

Okay, in all seriousness, Paul Sorvino Foods opened in 2007 when Mister Sorvino decide to release a series of food products based on his mother’s recipes.  Undoubtedly, his mother was a great cook because her sauce, even after it survived the jarring and shipping process was nice and rich and chunky.  That was a very pleasant surprise and more like what I expect from an Italian restaurant.  The vodka sauce was a lot smoother, but creamier.

And how do they taste?

Let’s start with the vodka sauce.  I am not the world’s greatest alla vodka sauce fan.  I like my vodka, I just don’t like it with tomatoes.  With that said, if I had to do penne alla vodka, I’d probably reach for a jar of Paul Sorvino Foods’ sauce.  I really like both its sweentess and its pronounced tang.  I especially liked the lack of overpowering alcohol flavor.  When fixing for guests, I might add a pinch more red pepper flake, but that’s because I like heat and I want it to balance the sweet.

On the other hand, the marinara was definitely my favorite.  When we first tried it, I took some straight out of the jar and put it on my noodles (shells in this case, because they are BWD, Jr. friendly)  and the sauce tasted fine, but it was a little thin. 

After dinner was over, I got to thinking about the thinness of the sauce and went back and read the label.  Sure enough, it said that the marinara needed to be simmered before eating.  So I put it in a sauce pan over medium heat (per the label) and let it bubble away for 10-15 minutes.

The resulting sauce was so much better.  The flavors were bolder, the chunky tomatoes broke down and gave the sauce a much richer tomato flavor, and the chunks of garlic got soft and perfumed the marinara.  Much, much better.  Much better.

So, my suggestion is that you try Paul Sorvino’s mama’s marinara and vodka sauces.  My recommendation is that you set them to simmering about the same time you get your pasta water boiling.  Cleaning the extra pot will definitely be worth all that extra flavor.

The picture was taken from Facebook.com/PaulSorvinoFoods and is used without explicit permission.

Cooking the Cowboy Way

Cooking the Cowboy Way

The good folks at Andrews McMeel sent me Cooking the Cowboy Way: Recipes Inspired by Campfires, Chuck Wagons, and Ranch Kitchens by Grady Spears with June Naylor to review.  This may have something to do with my previous comments regarding the impossibility of dissolving my marriage on the grounds of my wife not liking seafood in Kansas, a state in love with it’s barbecue.  But either way, I’m always happy to review cookbooks and learn new ways to cook, especially when I get back to my cowboy roots.

Actually, that’s a lie.  I have no cowboy roots, but maybe I could grow some with the right cookbook?  Maybe Cooking the Cowboy Way could let me do just that.  Weighing in at 222 pages, the book is divided into 10 chapters, each featuring the cowboy cuisine of a different region from Alberta, Canada to Sasabe, Arizona, to Arlington, Texas to right here in Kansas City, MO.  Each chapter begins with a write up of the area and the cowboys that live there and then showcases regional specialties as prepared by the owners of famous ranches, cowboy eateries, and barbecue joints at each location.  

Spears is given some pretty amazing access into some of these restaurants and manages to snag  signature dishes from each ranch or restaurant, including the Jackstack Hickory Pit Baked Beans (recipe below), a flavorful mole sauce from Sasabe, and Lonesome Pine Ranch’s Kolaches (Czech pastries for breakfast or dessert.)  Also, every chapter is graced with dozens of professional color photos, both of the food, and the cowboys who eat it.

Cooking the Cowboy Way: The Good

Overall, Cooking the Cowboy Way is a great cookbook with lots of good recipes for how to cook beef, poultry, fish, and other meat according to traditional regional styles.  The mole sauce, for instance, stuck out as being something that looked really good, but something I could make despite having so many ingredients.  Plus, I learned something about my own town…apparently we were one of the originators of the Arnold Palmer drink, a mixture of half lemonade and iced tea.

Plus, the photography in the book is nothing short of stunning.  They’re the kind of pictures that make you want to get on a horse and run down some cattle.  Which having ridden a horse before, I can tell you is sure recipe for saddle sores.  But that’s another story.

So, the book gets high marks there.

Cooking the Cowboy Way: The Hrmm…

So, the one thing that surprised me about the book was that I was expecting something a little less… civilized.  Spears went to restaurants and ranch owners to get their recipes.  I was expecting something a bit more primal, like a campfire cookbook or something that would let me cook 120 meals with nothing but a knife, my Dutch oven, and a campfire.

It wasn’t that.  Sadly, I could make everything with a stove, a couple burners, and the other accoutrements of civilization.

On the other hand, I got the recipe for Jackstack’s hickory pit beans, so I guess civilization isn’t so bad.

Cooking the Cowbow Way: The Recipe

So, here is the bean recipe I keep talking so much about.  See, in Kansas City we have more BBQ places per capita than anywhere else in the world.  Still, for the most part, the debate about where the best BBQ can be found boils down to two places: Fiorella’s Jackstack (a family owned chain of barbecue restaurants) and Oklahoma Joe’s (a BBQ place that started in half of a gas station.  Though to be fair, it was a large gas station.)

My personal favorite is Jackstack.  It’s 1A, but 1B is definitely Oklahoma Joe’s.  Really you can’t go wrong either place.  One of the things that nudges Jackstack ahead of Okie Joe’s, though, is their baked beans.  They’re sweet and smoky and just packed full of meat.  I’d be happy with them and some fries…heck, I’d make the greatest loaded French fries in the history of humankind with that…

So of course, when I saw the recipe in the book, I knew that was the recipe I’d try from the cookbook. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Aunt Else's Aebleskiver

Who’s ready for aebleskiver?  What, you’ve never heard of aebleskiver?  Well, you won’t be able to say that anymore after we talk about

Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver

Okay, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had never heard of aebleskiver.  I hadn’t until a chance viewing of The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network in which someone (Duff Goldman maybe?) mentioned how much he loved the things.  I didn’t give it much thought until I happened to meet Aunt Else Aebleskiver on Twitter, who started a company selling all organic aebleskiver mixes, complete with their own hardware!

When she offered me a pan, I absolutely jumped at the chance to try them out for myself.  So she sent me Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver Starter Kit (scroll down to the bottom of the page to order one for yourself!) which included my really cool 9 hole aebleskiver pan, a bag of mix, a stainless steel chopstick, and the heat resistant handle cover.  Like it says, it was everything I needed to get started aebleskivering. 

What is an Aebleskiver?

An Aebleskiver is a Danish pastry (and believe me the Danish know pastries.  Think about it, they had one named after them.)   Strangely enough, the term Aebleskiver means “apple slice” since they were originally filled with apples, though more modern versions come filled with any number of savory and sweet combinations.

Personally, I tend to think of it as a pancake dumpling.  When I was mixing the batter, it looked a lot like pancake batter (and bubbled like it, too.)  However, the batter is poured into holes maybe two inches around and fried to make things that look like dumplings.  Top with powdered sugar, maybe a little syrup, and boom!  Aebleskiver.

I love the contrasting textures in the aebleskivers.  The outside of the aebleskiver is firm and tender while the inside is moist, tender, and chewy.  They are a perfect little bite that is surprisingly unsweet without the assistance of the aforementioned powdered sugar.

There is One Problem: Making the Aebleskiver is HARD!

To make an aebleskiver, one must:

1. Season your pan if it’s brand new because Aunt Else just sent it to you.
2. Heat your pan
3. Make your batter
4. Pour in about 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil
5. Fill the aebleskiver hole about 90% of the way up
6. Let the oil fry the batter forming a stiff outer edge (this should take as long as it takes to fill the aebleskiver holes)
7. Stick your chopstick or special Aunt Else aebleskiver chopstick into the batter and pull up the already cooked outside and quarter turn.  (The instructions refer to this as turn.  I would have called it a pull or a flip myself since your are pulling the outside out of the pan rather than rotating it.)
8. Wait a bit, turn them again.
9. Finally, turn them a final time.

Now, if you are reading this and thinking “what?”  It’s okay, I was to.  I had to find an online demo of how to make the darn things, like the one Aunt Else has on her Aunt Else’s Organic Aebleskiver homepage.  I would highly recommend you don’t even THINK about making an aebleskiver without watching that video.  Twice.

Even then, it will probably take several tries to really figure out the aebleskivering process.

My hope is that I can get Aunt Else to come on the blog and help us figure out  a few things.

1.  The directions say that the pan should be “hot.”  However, how hot is hot?  And conversely, how hot is too hot?  (I know I found too hot once, but that’s a different story.

2.  When, precisely, do I know that the outside is set.  I think that’s the key to knowing when to turn.

Still, once it’s all said and done, you can truly sit back and say that you have learned a skill only a few possess!  Then you, too, can sit back with a big plate of these little Danish fried goodies and truly enjoy.

Notes I learned the hard way:

• The handle guard that comes with the aebleskiver pan is flammable.  At least I think it’s flammable.  It might be some batter got inside of it and that caught on fire.  One way or the other, don’t leave it on the handle when making aebleskiver.

Milagro Mole Brushed Shrimp

Mole sauce tastes good on beef, burgers, and pork, why not

Milagro Mole Brushed Shrimp

Yes, sadly we have come to the final part of the trinity: the last delicious meal I made from one single bottle of @melanieyunk’s delicious mole sauce that she gave me.  Now, this is the second bottle of Big Acres Gourmet® Milagro Mole® sauce that she’s sent my way.  The first time I blew it all one dish.  The second time I got smart: I spread it out, making not one but three delicious dishes including these beautiful shrimp.

For those who haven’t had the Milagro mole, it’s a little bit heat and a little bit sweet, but it’s really good.  It’s a surprisingly complex mixture of raisins, nuts, chocolate and chilies so it simultaneously excites all your taste buds.  It’s one of those sauces that if the raisins were a little more sweet, the chocolate and chilies a little more savory, or the nuts a little more intense in flavor, the sauce would go from delicately balanced to disastrously awful.

The good news is none of that happens and you get a great sauce for making amazing Tex Mex dishes.

Read the rest of this entry »

So, for the past few days, we’ve been talking about Le Grand’s delicious sauces.  (Read here for an introduction to Le Grand’s gourmet raw sauces.)  Yesterday, we made braised meatballs in sun-dried tomato pesto, today we’re going to try something different:

Cucumber “Fettuccini” with Le Grand Garden Pesto Sauce

So I think in my intro, I said I was going to be making cooked food with Le Grand’s array of gourmet cold pressed, raw sauces.  However, the more I got to thinking about it, the more I wanted to make a raw meal with from the raw sauce.  So, I did!

This is a take on raw stroganoff that we made at the SolFud raw tasting dinner.  However, I took this dish from Russia and sent it to Italy with the help of Le Grand Garden Pesto sauce.

Read the rest of this entry »

For those of you still not on Twitter, what are you waiting for?  If you don’t Tweet, you might not have ever heard of:

Tanka Bars

At least I know I wouldn’t have heard of them.  However, it seems like at least half their marketing team has Twitter accounts, so one day I asked Linda, their head of marketing what, exactly, a Tanka Bar was.  To answer, she offered to send me a box.

So before we get into what, exactly, a Tanka Bar is, we’re going to begin a list of all the things a Tanka Bar is not.

• It’s not a granola bar

I just feel the need to point that out since I thought it was a granola bar until I opened the package and realized either I was either grossly wrong or this was the single most moldy granola bar in the entire world.  Of course, it turned out I was just wrong.

Tanka Bars Are Buffalo Cranberry Bars

Yep, you heard that right.  It’s a mixture of very tender buffalo meat mixed with cranberries.

• It’s not jerky

So once I got over my initial shock and came to grips that what I was about to eat was not, in fact, a granola bar, I got to thinking maybe a Tanka Bar was buffalo jerky.  Wrong again.

Tanka Bars are far too moist and chewy to be jerky.

• It’s not bad

So once I finally got the darned thing in my mouth, I figured out these things are pretty good.

Make no mistake about it, a Tanka Bar is absolutely unlike anything you’ve had before (well unless you’ve had Tanka Bars before I guess.)  Somehow, someway the buffalo and the cranberry just mix together very well.  The Buffalo is mild and salty and savory while the cranberries give it an unexpected sweetness and tang.  I enjoyed them to the point that part of me wanted to chop up a few of them to make taco filling because I just wanted to get that flavor into other dishes.

There’s One Caveat…

I can find no fault with the taste of my Tanka Bars.  However, if you decide to buy one, be prepared.  They’re not exactly pretty.  And while everything looks much the same once you get it in your mouth, we do eat with our eyes first.  If I had any complaints about the bar, that would be it.

With that being said, I’d say go for it.  Try one.  Especially because you have two ways to do it!

Way #1: Win a box

Linda was nice enough to give me a box of Tanka Bars to give away to all of you.  All you need to do is be the first person to tall me what Wagie Yutapi means.  Just leave it in the comments and I’ll be in touch!

Way #2: You’ve got a coupon!

Now, if a treasure hunt is not your thing or maybe you just missed out, you can still get Tanka Bars…and you can get them at a discount.  All you need to do is go to Tanka Bar’s website and enter the coupon code BLOGWELLDONE and receive $5 off your purchase of a box of Tanka Bars.  Let it never be said BlogWellDone.com is not hip to bad economic times.

Two easy ways so that you can enjoy!

Fine dining is very much alive in Kansas City, MO at The American Restaurant.  Located right next to Crown Center, The American is making a name for Kansas City upscale/fine dining cuisine and serves wonderful contemporary American food.

The American and Chef Debbie Gold

Returning to helm the kitchen at The American is Chef Debbie Gold, an easy going, likeable chef who was more than happy to talk cooking.  I got to talk to Chef for a few minutes about her career, the restaurant and all topics food.  Like all of the KC chefs I’ve talked to, I was very impressed with Chef Gold’s passion for food.  For instance, the question “What’s your favorite Spring vegetable?” could not be answered with a single vegetable.

Chef Gold on Molecular Gastronomy

On the topic of trends, she mentioned molecular gastronomy at which point she made a statement I found deeply profound.  It seems Chef Gold is not a huge proponent of molecular gastronomy because, as she put it “We’ve worked so hard to get the chemicals out of our food when we grow it, why would we put it in in the end when we cook it?”  As much of a fan of Chef Richard Blais, the gastronomic wizard from Top Chef, I found myself suddenly calling into question the whole practice.

Why’s She Not Yelling?

Still, what stands out most to me about Chef Gold, other than her food, which we’ll get to in a moment, was just how happy her brigade seemed to be.  I live and die on Gordon Ramsey reruns so I am used to the idea of the chef as screaming slave driver.  A Gordon Ramsey kitchen seems devoid of humor and fun.  From the moment I walked into the kitchen, I could tell her staff was having a good time.  Yes, there was dinner going on, but everyone was all smiles and there was a enthusiasm  in everyone’s work.

Strangely enough, there was no fear Chef Gold was going to break into a tirade of F bombs and screaming.  By the end of the tour, i wanted to work for her.

Lamb Belly and Duck Breast

So, the thing that stands out most about Chef Gold including her food was her food.  She treated me to some of her roast lamb belly (the meat near the stomach, not the stomach itself!) served on top of a green peas with a little splash of what I think was a tomato ginger relish.  This dish reflects both the high and the low point of the meal.

That lamb belly was… supercalifragilisticexpedaladocious.  I seriously can’t think of another word for it.  Granted, I don’t eat a lot of lamb, but the lamb belly I had there was unbelievable.  The best I ever had.  I could cut it with my fork.  It was flavorful, perfectly seasoned with simple salt and pepper, and cooked, I think, just on it’s own fat.  Amazing.  The tomato relish was also wonderful.  It was strong, so there wasn’t much, but it mixed with the lamb and the peas.

Which brings us to the low point.  The peas.  I was not a fan of the peas.  They were a little too al dente for my taste and could have used a little…something else.  It wasn’t bad enough to detract from the lamb, but not perfect.

I also had the La Belle duck breast served on a sunchoke puree with ramps.  The sauce was a Grand Marnier gastrique.  This dish was a total success.  The duck was rich, but tender.  The sunchokes were mild, but worked perfectly with the duck and the broad beans were terrific.  Had I only had this meal, I would have been very happy.  However, after the lamb… well… I can say the duck’s major failing was that it wasn’t a second plate of lamb belly.

All in all, I had a great talk with Chef and a great meal.  The next time you are looking for a fine meal, a place for an anniversary, or just a tremendous view of the city, stop by The American Restaurant.  Ask for the lamb and tell them BlogWellDone sent you.  Enjoy!!

Thanks to the Kansas City Star for the picture.

If you’re looking for the giveaway, scroll down!

Okay, tomorrow starts perhaps the most impressive spectacle in sports: 64 teams, 1 goal.  That’s right, it’s college basketball championship time.  The Big Dance.  The Big Show.  The brackets.  The munchies.

So while I’ve noted that basketball doesn’t really have it’s quintessential meal, it does have snacking!  Lots of snacking on chips, wings, nachos, dips, and all the usual suspects.   So yes, lots of snacking and lots of sitting to boot!

While I would never hope to end snacking and basketball, I do have a thought.  Instead of gorging on chili cheese fries and hot dogs, why not snack on

Matt’s Munchies

Matt’s Munchies, made by Chef Robert’s, are “fruit leathers”, which I think is code for fruit rollup, but instead of being made with dyes and corn syrups and junk, they are made from things you want to eat like mango, bananas, real chocolate, and ginger.  They are also all-natural and gluten, nut, egg, and dairy free.

And oh yeah, they’re AWESOME.

They sent me six flavors:

• Choco Nana
• Apple Pie
• Island Mango
• Ginger Zest
• Mango
• Banana

In packs that were basically about 70 calories each.  I dutifully tried each one and they were great.  If Matt tasted as good as his munchies, I’d eat him.

I think my favorite was the Island Mango.  It was a blend of mango and coconut and had a great texture I wouldn’t expect in a fruit leather.  In close second, though, was the Apple Pie because it tasted like apple pie.  I’ve had a lot of gluten free, all-natural, dairy free snacks that claim to taste like something and they end up tasting kinda like what they’re supposed to.  Not the Apple Pie.  It tasted like honest to goodness cinnamony apple pie.

I think my least favorite was the Ginger Zest, but that’s because I am just not a huge ginger fan.  Nothing against Matt and his munchies, but the Ginger Zest were REALLY gingery.  They weren’t bad, I think they just require someone who likes that flavor.

Matt’s Munchies and Basketball

So I’m absolutely serious.  If you can find them in your local store, when you sit down to watch some hoops, tear into Matt’s Munchies instead of fried hot wings.  Well maybe try Matt’s Munchies instead of only hot wings?  I promise your tastebuds and your waist won’t regret it.

And…I’m Giving Some Away

Chef Robert’s was nice enough to send me a second pack that I can give away to one lucky reader.  All I want you to do is leave me a comment and tell me your favorite healthy snack or a snack you want me to make healthy by March 25th and I’ll draw for a winner.  That person will have a full set of Matt’s Munchies to snack on by the championship game.

Now, get to commenting and enjoy!

(Image from ChefRobertsDirect.com)

It’s 8:30 AM… The time has come to introduce something new… (cue the theme from 2001 please.)

The world of food is all about pairing things that go together: peanut butter and jelly, surf and turf, fried and lean pockets.  All timeless, all delicious.

The world of food is also about pairing food with other great things.  Food + Competition = Top Chef.  Food + Wine = a necessity of life.  Food + Sex = BrokeAssGourmet.com

What is BrokeAssGourmet.com?

You want the scoop?  Here’s esteemed Food Blogger Gabi Moskowitz to explain:

Interview with Gabi

In other words, the recession has hit us all, but so what? We gotta eat.  We gotta drink.  We gotta be merry (and by merry I mean something a bit more adult), right?

Enter BrokeAssGourmet.com.

First off, you get food like this:

• A great meal under $20 that looks and tastes like you paid $200.
• No food from a box with a talking glove on it.
• Tips on stocking your bar on the cheap
• The Chef Challenge: 1 big name chef + $20 + 2 blocks + 1 hour = Dinner?

And we are talking some great meals like veggie lasagna in under 40 minutes, red wine beef stew, and salmon/spinch burgers with cilantro brown rice…

Then you get a twist.

Once you’re done with your meal, it’s time for sex, sex, sex.

Well, kind of.   But if it is, go for it.  Seriously.  You can read blogs later.

Either way, what you you’re gonna get from BrokeAssGourmet.com is sex and advice from Violet Blue, writer for (O) Oprah Magazine and Forbes, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s weekly sex columnist.  Every other week, you’re going to learn how to take the heat you made in the kitchen and move it into the bedroom, the living room, the chimney if there’s room… Oh yeah, it’s going there.

Oh, and did I mention they are launching TODAY.  Like right now.  They wouldn’t let me tell you about the site until it went live.  So go.  Now.

What?  Need More Reasons to go to BrokeAssGourmet.com?

Okay, how about this.  This recipe will be featured on a future post on BrokeAssGourmet.com.  See the price sheet?  See the delicious?  Good…go see the site!!

Kale-Cannelini Soup with Garlic Crostini

This delicious, hearty soup is a great way to show your dinner companion a little love. From the heart-healthy olive oil to the fiber-rich beans and kale, this soup is full of healthful, whole ingredients, so you can feel good about what you’re serving. The crostini is the perfect sponge for sopping up the rich broth and also works nicely served as a large crouton atop the soup. Also, since the soup is a one-pot meal, whomever you’re cooking for can spend less time doing the dishes and more time—ahem—thanking you for all your hard work.
Ingredients
    3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the crostini—pantry item
    4 cloves garlic, chopped, plus 1 clove cut in half for the crostini—pantry item
    3 stems fresh oregano—minced—$2
    1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste—$1
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar—pantry item
    2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed–$3
    4 cups water—free!
    salt and freshly ground black pepper—pantry item
    1 small bunch kale, cleaned and chopped (stems removed)—$3
    1 mini baguette–$2

__________________________________________________________

Total Cost of Recipe: $11

Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic and oregano and cook no more than a minute. Add tomato paste and vinegar, and cook another minute. Add beans and stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add kale and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Season, to taste, again with salt and pepper before serving.

Preheat oven to 375. Slice baguette on a heavy angle to create long slices and drizzle with a little olive oil. Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Rub on both sides with half of a garlic clove and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve alongside the soup.

—-

I hope you’ve seen why BrokeAssGourmet.com is the only Broke Ass Eating/Sex site I personally recommend with my BlogWellDone seal of approval.  Seriously, though give it a look when you’re not at work.  And enjoy me saying ass.  It’s the only time I’ll ever swear on my blog.  Ass.

Okay, enjoy!!  Ass.

So at some urging from Judy, here is my recipe for fried artichokes, which  was heavily inspired by the same dish at La Bodega in Kansas City, MO.  It is the perfect combination of salt from the “ham” and sweet from the garlic vegannaise.

Fried Artichokes

• 8 large artichokes
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 4 slices of tofurkey lunch meat (if you’re not veg, you can substitute ham), halved
• 6 tablespoons of egg replacer
• 2 tablespoons of soy milk
• 1 cup of All Purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• Canola oil for frying

To make the dipping sauce:

• 8 tablespoons of vegannaise
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder (or roasted garlic)
• Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sriracha hot sauce

Process the artichokes.  I’m going to defer to eHow until I can get some pictures up.  (I know, I know.)

Dredge the artichokes in corn starch and shake off the excess.  Then wrap the artichoke in half of a slice of the lunch “meat”.  Trim any extra meat so that it wraps around perfectly.   Stick a toothpick through the artichoke so that the lunch meat stays closed.  Let the artichokes sit for 10 minutes to let the cornstarch set.

While the artichokes are resting, mix the egg replacer and soy milk (or eggs and regular milk if you are not vegan) together in one bowl and the flour, garlic, and salt and pepper in another bowl.

After ten minutes, dip the artichokes into the egg mixture and then the flour.  Shake off the excess flour and put on a plate to set.

Bring the frier to temperature while the crust is forming on the artichokes.  Fry the artichokes until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.

To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.