HRT: Halloumi, Radicchio, and Tomato Sandwich

from Mick Cooke, of Belle & Sebastian

Mick Cooke splits not only his horn-blowing skills but also his sandwich-making expertise between his two bands, Belle & Sebastian and the Amphetamines. The retrieval of this recipe involved meeting up with the tireless trumpeter after a Belle & Sebastian show at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Extensive text messaging helped us find each other above the din of drums and drunkards, but I still got a taste of Mick's Scottish burr through my phone's glowing screen when he wrote, "I am at the sunken bit to the left of the stage but I shall come out front."

Mick explained this recipe in details over a round of Shiner Bocks. It's something like a BLT, but fried Halloumi cheese stands in for the bacon, and spicy radicchio, in place of bland iceberg lettuce, gives it a kick. You may need to scour your local gourmet grocery store for the Halloumi, but this creamy white cheese is worth the search.

Ingredients:

Halloumi cheese

Whole wheat bread, toasted

Radicchio

Cherry tomatoes, chopped

Mayonnaise, to taste

Directions:

1. Basically, all you do is chop the Halloumi cheese into slices about half a centimetre thick, and fry the slices in a frying pan, with no oil, on both sides, until they are nice and brown.

2. Then stick a couple of slices between some nice wholemeal bread, along with the radicchio (or any kind of lettuce would do just fine) and some chopped tomato (cherry is best).

3. Slap on a bit of mayo and, hey presto, a great veggie alternative to a BLT. It's particularly good if you toast the bread first.

Serves 1.

Borrowed from the book, I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In the Kitchen With Your Favorite Bands, by Kara Zuaro

HEALTHY GREEN SOUP

from I LIKE FOOD, FOOD TASTES GOOD: In the kitchen with your favorite bands, by Kara Zuaro

by Marc Beatty, from Brakes

"This basic soup is easy to make and can be used as a template for more adventurous creations. It's a good way to get rid of leftover vegetables and is very good for you. The ingredients in this soup are my preference but you can improvise and use whatever you like really." --Marc Beatty

Ingredients:

3 bits of garlic (cloves, that is)

1 large onion

1 potato, scrubbed

Half a savoy cabbage

1 leek

1 whole bunch of broccoli

5 cups water

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of cheese (cheddar is fine, parmesan and gruyere also work well)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

a sprinkling of chili flakes

1. First WASH YER HANDS! Then wash and chop u the vegetables, as follows: Finely chop the garlic and onion. Set aside in a bowl. Chop the potato in half and then into quarters and slice from there. Shred the cabbage. Chop the end off the leek and then slice the white part into inch-thick chunks. Place the potato, cabbage, and leek in a separate bowl. De-floret the broccoli and put the florets aside, in a third bowl. Take the broccoli stalk and remove any skanky bits. Now chop off the bottom and then chop the whole de-skanked stalk into thick chunks.

2. Boil the water in a saucepan and add the broccoli stalk with a pinch of salt, and turn heat down to let it simmer. After about 10 minutes, add the cabbage, leek, and potato to the saucepan with the broccoli stalk, turn the heat back up, and boil all together for another 10 minutes. The vegetables should be submerged in water--add a little more if you need to.

3. In the meantime, melt butter in a large, deep frying pan and add the onion and garlic, frying lightly.

4. Once the 10 minutes is up, drain the vegetables, but keep the water, as this is your stock. The broccoli stalk should be very soft. Add the boiled vegetables to they frying pan with the onion and garlic. Turn the heat up a bit and give it all a good frying for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Once the potato is a little browned, add the stock. Now, add the broccoli florets, and simmer the whole lot together for just under 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste.

6. While that's bubbling away, grate your cheese onto a plate. When almost 10 minutes have passed take the pan off the heat and give the whole thing a whizz with one of those handheld blenders or let it cool for a few minutes, and then carefully pour it into a food processor to puree it.

7. Once the mixture if fully liquefied, return it to a very low heat, and add the cheese and half a teaspoon of ground cumin. Stir it all in until the cheese has melted.

8. Give the soup a light sprinking of chili flakes, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

9. Serve in bowls with a generous chunk of slightly toasted crusty bread on the side.

Serves 4

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We bring you EGGPLANT PARMESAN

from Pete D'Angelo of Houston McCoy

Found in Kara Zuaro's I LIKE FOOD, FOOD TASTES GOOD.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium-sized eggplants

one 3-pack of little (12-ounce) cartons of Egg Beaters (or 3-4 eggs, if Egg Beaters are not available)

milk

1 container Progresso ITALIAN style Bread Crumbs

olive oil

two 26-ounce jars of sauce (You can usually get some sort of deal from a brand like Classico, which has all sorts of awesome flavors. I like to get two different ones, including one of the spicier varieties, though if you want a more puritan delight I'm sure you can just double up the red sauce.)

one 16-ounce package of whole milk mozzarella (store brand is fine)

1 bunch of fresh basil

oregano

salt

pepper

1 small fresh smoked mozzarella

TOOLS:

1 large skillet

1 rectangular baking dish

1 apron! (you're gonna be frying here and I would hate you to ruin that nice shirt)

1 spatula

1 awesome knife

Ok, here's how this goes...

DIRECTIONS:

1. I don't peel the eggplant. Some folks find the skin unnecessary, but in this context, it's not really a problem. Get your awesomely sharp knife (but be careful) and start slicing the eggplant into round slices about 1/2 to 1/4 of an inch thick. If you make them too big they're gonna be harder to cook through, so err on the side of thinness.

2. Set up a little station for yourself by the stove top. In one bowl, put your first container of Egg Beaters. I don't really get why they taste different, but Grandma swears by them, so we're just gonna take her word. Throw a little splash of milk in there if you've got some to spare, you'll get a little more mileage out of the mixture that way. Get a large plate next to the bowl and give it a liberal covering with the bread crumbs. Both the eggs and the bread crumbs will likely need to be replenished as this process goes on - just fill 'em back up when resources run low.

3. Get some oil sizzling in the frying pan - 1/2 an inch thick or so, at most. Keep the heat strong till it pops when you flick some water on it, and you are ready to fry. Everything tastes better fried, but frying everything will kill you. That said, it's a tasty way to go.

4. Take a slice of eggplant, fully submerge in the Egg Beaters, let the excess drain off, and then drop it in the bread crumbs, flipping around until it's fully coated. Then drop it carefully into the oil and repeat with the next slice. You can usually get a handful of pieces in there at a time, but this does take a little while. Leave the eggplant in the pan until it is fried golden brown and decently crisp. If you don't fry it long enough, this meal is going to be mush, and you have a lot of eggplant, so if you overcook a few it's no big deal. Drain the fried pieces on a plate with a paper towel, and repeat ad infinitum, making more layers with more paper towels; this will keep the earlier batches warm.

5. Get your baking tray and line the bottom with a single layer of eggplant slices. On top of each slice, spoon a big glob of sauce. Top the sauce with a thin slice of the store-brand mozzarella, and top that with a fresh basil leaf. Repeat for all the pieces on that layer. Then sprinkle the whole layer with oregano and some salt and pepper. Cover this all with another layer of eggplant and do it over and over again until you are out of eggplant and have reached the top of the tray. For this final layer, things are a bit different.

6. For the top layer, you can finish off whatever sauce you have left. Go ahead and dump it on there. Now, instead of the store cheese, open up the fresh smoked mozzarella and slice that thin. Cover up the top of the tray and try to arrange the pieces over the circles of the eggplant - it'll make cutting it easier. This cheese melts a little better so it's a nice way to finish things off. Give it another dash of salt and pepper, and you're almost done.

7. Throw the whole tray in the oven at 350° F for about 20 minutes. You want the cheese to get melted, but everything is already cooked so you're pretty safe. I usually stick my finger in the middle of it to see if it's hot all the way through, but that's disgusting and if anyone is looking at you, it may jeopardize their chances of enjoying this meal.

8. Serve with a bottle of red wine and a big loaf of crusty Italian bread. (If you have the choice between seeded and unseeded bread, always get the seeded!) If you don't like this, you are never going to like eggplant.

Serves 4-6.

Be sure to check out all our featured recipes in Kara Zuaro's I LIKE FOOD, FOOD TASTES GOOD.

Day 6 of our Christmas count down brings you...

THE BEST GUACAMOLE EVER & HOTT BOILED PEANUTS

courtesy of Viva Voce's Anita and Kevin Robinson

THE BEST GUACAMOLE EVER

INGREDIENTS:

4 avocados

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 green onion, chopped

10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies

(or whatever brand you can find, drained)

salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel, pit, and mash the avocados with the lemon juice and half the chopped onion.

2. Then add the Rotel tomatoes (completely drained) and mix it all together with a little salt and lots of pepper.

3. Garnish with sour cream and the remaining chopped green onion, and serve with tortilla chips.

Makes about 4 cups.

HOTT BOILED PEANUTS

INGREDIENTS:

24-ounce bag o' raw peanuts (in their shells)

water

salt

two 5-ounce bottles of Tobasco (original flavor)

6-pack of beer (bottled PBR works best)

cayenne pepper

EQUIPMENT:

1 deep soup pot & drainer

2 big spoons

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash raw peanuts thoroughly in cool water; then soak in water for about 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Put peanuts in a deep, heavy soup pot and cover completely with water. Because the shells of some peanuts absorb more salt than others, it's best to begin with 1 tablespoon of salt for each 2 cups of peanuts; you can add more salt to taste later. I prefer them salty as hell, so I usually double this.

2A. Bring water to a boil and add entire 1st bottle of Tobasco with 1/2 a bottle of beer to the water.

2B. Drink rest of beer.

2C. Add a "shot" of cayenne pepper. I usually go for a generous handful, but this is where you can go more or less, to desired spiciness.

3. The cooking time is slightly different for the different varieties of raw peanuts. For instance, the cooking time for a freshly pulled green peanut is shorter than for a bag of packaged raw peanuts. I prefer the bag kind you get at the store, but if you bought them freshly pulled, just keep a closer eye on them.

4. Boil the peanuts for about 35 minutes, then taste one. If they are not salted enough, add more salt. Taste again in 10 minutes, both for the saltiness and to see if the peanuts are fully cooked. When fully cooked, the texture of the peanut should be similar to that of a cooked dry pea or bean - soft but not mushy. If they're still not ready, continue tasting every 5 minutes until they have a satisfactory texture. Or check that your stove still works.

5. Drain peanuts after cooking or they will continue to absorb salt and become oversalted. Return peanuts to original soup pot and add 2nd entire bottle of Tobasco. With two large spoons, mix up the peanuts and let sit for about 10 minutes. Taste again for spiciness. If you're feeling brave, you can mix in another small shot of cayenne pepper.

So now you've got 5 more beers to have your boiled peanuts with. Enjoy!

P.S. Boiled peanuts are usually served as a snack, but I've had them as a meal many times. It's best to eat them while they're hot out of the pot, but they also can be served at room temperature, or chilled in the refrigerator and eaten cold, shelling as you eat them. It's best to eat them outside, where you can throw the shells on the lawn - preferably the front yard, where this can also serve as a conversation starter.

Serves 8.

Last Tuesday Frank Black of Pixies rallied big-name musicians of all sorts to play a benefit concert in LA. The five-and-a-half-hour marathon benefitted a 10-month-old boy from Kansas suffering from a life-threatening illness.

Tenacious D, OK Go, "Weird Al" Yankovic, most of the Pixies, Flea of RHCP, and David J and Kevin Haskins of Love and Rockets were all part of the musical showcase that gathered to help this little boy.

Read Spin's cover of the success of the benefit here.

Or LA Weekly's coverage on their blog here.

"Of course Trail of Dead are no musical novices either. Six albums deep, they’ve honed the aural assault of multi-guitars, pulsing bass and machine gun drums since the late nineties. Eleven years since …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, they show little sign of stopping despite record label changes and member swaps." -- Derek of SSv

Stereo Subversion recently sat down with Conrad of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead to discuss his artwork, his time with the band, and their post-Interscope life.

Read the full article and interview @ Stereo Subversion.

Sorry we've kept you waiting on the last 3 days of our Christmas recipes from some of your favorite indie bands. But we're back, and ready to play catch up!

To see all the featured recipes, plus dozens more, check out Kara Zuaro's book I LIKE FOOD, FOOD TASTES GOOD.

DAY 9

SAUERBRATEN

courtesy of Rahim (Phil's dad, George Sutton to be exact)

INGREDIENTS:

10-12 pounds of venison (or rump roast)

Marinade:

9 cups water

3 cups balsamic vinegar

10 cloves

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 large onion

1 cup brown sugar

6 peppercorns

3 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat above ingredients (except venison) to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Allow to cool and pour marinade over meat. Marinate for 3-4 days in the fridge.

TO COOK:

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 onions, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 stick butter

6 cups of beef broth

24 gingersnap cookies, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown veggies and bay leaves in butter, then add meat and brown.

2. Cover with beef broth and 1 cup marinade. Heat to a rolling boil, then bring down to simmer. (For the sake of food safety, you really need to make sure that the liquid comes to a boil here.)

3. Cover and cook for 1 hour.

4. Add cookies and cook for 1.5 hours at a simmer.

5. TO make gravy, pass liquid and veggies through food processor or blender.

Recommended side dishes: red cabbage and spaetzle (a traditional German side dish of tiny egg noodles).

Makes enough to feed a small army.

DAY 8

BUTTERMILK PIE

courtesy of Okkervil River's Zach Thomas

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1 stick of butter or margarine (My grandmother called margarine "oleo." Nowadays, I wouldn't use it on account of all the transfat.)

1.5 cups sugar

3/4 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pie shell

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

2. Beat this all up together and pour into the pie shell (from scratch is best, of course).

3. Bake for an hour or until lightly brown on top.

4. Take it out of the oven carefully -- the filling may still seem wet, but it should se completely as the pie cools.

Makes 1 pie.

DAY 7

7-LAYER BARS

courtesy of Correne "Guinea Love" Spero of Northern State

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup graham crackers, crushed

1 (6-8 ounces) packaged butterscotch chips

1 (6-8 ounces) packaged chocolate chips

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped

one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

2. Melt butter in 9" x 13" pan.

3. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs and layer the next 4 ingredients.

4. DO NOT STIR!

5. Pour milk over all ingredients.

6. Bake at 350˚ F for 20-30 minutes.

7. Let it cool completely.

8. Cut into bars.

Makes a large tray of bars -- certainly enough for a bumpin' holiday party.

ENJOY!

Austin-based band, The Weirdo Deluxe has just released a new album called "The Silver Key." The fun part? The album doubles as a national scavenger hunt. The packaging and songs themselves act as clues to a $1,000 jackpot hidden somewhere in the country. As a bonus, an additional dollar will be added to the pot for each CD sold.

As a fun surprise, the album includes many guest musicians from Austin, including our own Ian Moore playing the "guitar madness" on a track titled HIKJ.

To find out details on this treasure hunt and listen to Ian play with some new faces, check out the Silver Key's website.

My true love gave to me, "Night-Before-Tour Mac & Cheese."

Courtesy of Mark Rozzo from Maplewood.

INGREDIENTS:

12 cups water

4 cups (1 pound) dried elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons butter, divided

2 large eggs, beaten

4 cups whole milk

1 heaping teaspoon Colman's dry English mustard

2 teaspoons salt

pinch of white pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1.5 tablespoons Tobasco

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 cups shredded sharp cheddar

1 small handful grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 or 2 slices of white sandwich bread

OR 1.5 cups unflavored, preferably homemade, bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚ F.

2. Grease a 9" x 13" casserole.

3. Bring water to boil in a large stockpot and add macaroni. Boil until al dente. Remove and drain colander.

4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in pot and add drained macaroni; stir to combine. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, peppers, Tobasco, and Worcestershire in a bowl.

5. Add mixture to pasta and cheeses and stir constantly over medium-high heat until cheese melts and milk and eggs begin to thicken.

6. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or so, or until creamy and thick. Transfer contents of pot to buttered casserole dish.

7. Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan. Trim crust from bread slice(s) and cut into desired shape(s): initial(s) of loved one or band name, numbers of year ("06"), band logo, heart(s), guitars, the shape of Texas, etc.

8. Gently press carved bread slice(s) into top of macaroni mixture and brush with butter. OR mix melted butter with bread crumbs. Spread bread crumbs evenly over macaroni mixture. (If using bread slices, a small amount of un-buttered crumbs can be dusted on top of macaroni mixture to absorb moisture and encourage browning.)

9. Optional: sprinkle grated fresh Parm on top.

10. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Use broiler to brown further, if necessary.

Pass the sweet tea and Tobasco.

Note: This is great the next day, when it congeals into a dense, cheesy gateau.

Serves 10.

Recipe courtesy of "I Like Food, Food Tastes Good" by Kara Zuaro.

AUSTIN POST PRESENTS: WHITE ELEPHANT PARTY!

When: Thursday, Dec. 17th from 6-9pm
Where: Lanai Lounge (5th & Congress).

***Bring a wrapped “gag” gift to participate in the exchange and join in on the “white elephant” gag gift exchange For a chance to win something fabulous from: *annemarie* - Merritt Gade - SweetWolf - Vintage Rehab - Bella Flora Creative - Lipsting Media - Lucy Blue Studio.
*** Enjoy FREE Food & Drinks from- Dulce Vida tequila, St. Germain, Promise Pizza, Kenichi, MisoHungry & there will also be an OPEN BAR.
***Make n’ take & Event goodies by-The WonderCraft, Hair & Makeup Touchups by Johanna Esper, Po Campo Bags (cool gifts). With a photobooth by Trevor Ray Thompson. Music is by Twist and Shout.

Limited capacity so you must RSVP at www.electricpromotion.com/rsvp

On the second day of Christmas James Hepler gave to me...Chicken on a Stick, MMM doesn't that sound very yummy!

Drummer from Sorry About Dresden, James Hepler, shares his recipe.

Life Of The Party Chicken On A Stick

INGREDIENTS:

Bamboo Skewers
1/2 medium sweet onion cut into a few pieces
4 cloves fresh or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
Lemon zest from one lemon (just the yellow part of the peel, grated)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon curry powder
About 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (you can also you use pork)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Submerge the skewers in a bowl or pan of water they need to soak for at least an hour before you cook the chicken.

2. Combine all of the ingredients except the meat in a blender and blend the shit out of it.

3. Pour the wonderful-smelling marinade over the chicken (or pork) and marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

4. Slap the chicken onto the skewers and grill them. My God. You will be a hero!

All recipes we feature are from the book "I Like Food, Food Tastes Good" by Kara Zuaro.

We at Justice have stumbled across the favorite recipes of some great indie bands.

As we count down the days to Christmas, join us in enjoying recipes from some of our favorites.

So, welcome to Day 1 of Justice's "12 Days of Food from Bands"

Our first recipe comes from Matt Pond of MATT POND PA.

VEGETABLE ENCHILADAS WITH HOMEMADE TOMATILLO SAUCE

The Enchiladas:

2 red onions

2 green bell peppers

2 red bell peppers

2 small-to-medium zucchini

2 small-to-medium yellow squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

16-ounce block (or more) queso blanco

and/0r Jack cheese

12 flour tortillas

The Tomatillo Sauce:

20 fresh tomatillos

1 clove garlic

1 small white onion

1 fresh jalapeño chili

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon or more lime juice

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

2. Cut onions and bell peppers into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Cut zucchini and squash into thin slices. Sauté vegetables in olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, and cook until tender. Allow them to cool while you make tomatillo salsa.

3. Husk, wash, and dice tomatillos. Finely chop garlic, on

ion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Mix tomatillos with everything else and pour in freshly squeezed lime juice. Sprinkle salt to taste. (To save time, use a food processor or blender rather than chopping tomatillos and other items).

4. Grate or chop the queso. Pour a strip of salsa down the middle of a tortilla, cover salsa with cheese, and put veggie mixture on top. Roll up the tortilla and place in a pan or on a cookie sheet that has been rubbed with olive oil. Make each tortilla the same way, and one they are all lined up in the pan, sprinkle cheese and any leftover salsa on top.

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. This dish goes well with beans and rice, and a nice bottle of pinot grigio of cans of Tecate.

Makes 12 enchiladas.

All recipes we feature are from the book "I Like Food, Food Tastes Good" by Kara Zuaro.