I’m hesitant to admit that I’ve ever craved something like a sloppy joe… but, well, sometimes you just miss childhood. So, I set out to create a satisfying veggie version, and this isn’t too far from the mark. Whip this up to satisfy those picky eaters in your life… or just as a nostalgic comfort food for yourself.

TVP may sound like an intimidating industrial chemical, but it’s really just dried out vegetable protein. You can keep it in the freezer for pretty much forever… at least I do.

Makes about 8 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 oz green chilies, diced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 12 oz tomato paste
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground corriander
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• liberal dash paprika
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Saute onion, garlic, and chilies in olive oil about 10 minutes over low heat. Add chili powder, garlic powder, mustard, and cumin and saute for a few more minutes. Add tomato paste, water, TVP, vinegar, soy sauce, corriander, and brown sugar. Bring to low boil and cook, covered, about 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Add remaining ingredients. Dish onto buns and serve. Enjoy!

One of the things I liked about Vegan For Life is that there are recommendations supported by science. Two servings of fruit are good and just 2 tsp of oil a day is a good idea. And that whacky TVP? It isn’t as scary as you may think. It may be a processed soy product, but it is basically defatted soy flour that is high in protein. A varied diet is more important. Everything in moderation is ok.

This may or may not have given me the nudge to use up the last of my TVP that had been languishing in my pantry. I bought it planning to make Cara’s Pumpkin Gingerbread Protein Bars, and then bookmarked Laura’s Squash Breakfast TVP and Maple TVP Oatmeal but happy I eventually settled on making these TVP Sloppy Joes.

Not that I grew up eating Sloppy Joe’s. I don’t think I have ever eaten the real thing, but I know this tasted good. A sweet tomato sauce accentuated with Worcestershire sauce, mustard and liquid smoke. A bit sweet for me with the added sweetener, so I suggest not adding it until the end to see if it needs it. The TVP confers a granular hamburger meat texture. I am thinking mashed lentils could be a good substitute next time.

Instead of the standard bun, I piled the sloppiness overtop a roasted baked potato. Paired wonderfully.

What do you think of TVP?

Here are my other meals with TVP:

Pumpkin Chili
Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Portobello Mushrooms (Portobello Feijoada)
Beefy Portobello Mushroom and Cranberry Stew

This is my submission to this month’s Bookmarked Recipes.

TVP Sloppy Joes Stuffed Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Tasty Yummies via Forks & Beans

2-4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1.5 cups TVP
3 cups crushed tomatoes (0r a 28-oz can)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (make sure it is vegan)
1/2 tsp Aleppo chile flakes
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tbsp yellow stone-ground mustard (the prepared stuff)
1 tsp agave, (optional, or to taste)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
vegetable broth, to thin
1/2 tsp salt
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast sweet potato at 400F, wrapped in foil, for 45-60 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, heat oil. Once warm, add onion and bell pepper and saute until softened, around 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 2 minutes more.

3. Add the TVP, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chile flakes, liquid smoke, mustard, agave (if using), nutritional yeast, 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until it becomes nice and thick. Stir occasionally and add water/broth if it becomes too thick.

4. Serve overtop baked sweet potatoes.

Serves 4.

Having cooked with it I have to say I prefer the texture of TVP and I think it doesn’t make the sauce as runny as the Quorn mince does. TVP does need long cooking though or it’ll be like the dried bits in Pot Noodles, but give it at least an hour and it will pay back any care and attention with a great texture and mouthfeel.

I’ve been fairly conservative in how much heat this chilli packs. Add more chilli powder with the green peppers if you think it needs it.

One ingredient that may surprise you is cocoa powder, a trick I learned in my meat eating days. It adds a background richness to the stew that you can’t identify as being chocolate. I have heard a teaspoon of instant coffee has the same effect, but I’ve never tried it myself.

I also make no claims to the authenticity of this chilli. I leave the Texans and the Mexicans to fight that battle on their own.

Ingredients
50g TVP/soy mince
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1 400g tin beans in brine, drained (usually red kidney beans, the version I photoed uses canellini beans)
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp veg stock powder
1 tbsp vegetarian worcester sauce
2 tsp cocoa powder

1 green pepper, diced
fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Soak the TVP in enough boiling water to cover an inch above the granules. Leave for 5 minutes.
Soften the onion, garlic and chilli in a little oil in a pan.
Add the TVP including the water, plus the rest of the ingredients.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir and leave to simmer for 60 minutes.
Check the seasoning and add more chilli powder if you want it a little hotter.
Add the diced green pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Season with salt & pepper.
Serve on boiled rice, garnished with the coriander.

Serves 4

Iv done a couple of quick tests of a shadow monster hand. I tried out different ways of colouring them as well to test out how they will look compared to how time consuming each method will be. I think that the scribbly test looks better as it makes it look more jagged and scary however the smokey test was much less time consuming and looks more fluid. I will test out some more techniques to try and find a happy medium.

I then tested these out on a background just to test the transparency as they are shadows I want to be able see through them a bit. To do this I just rendered them out of TVP with an alpha channel then added the background in using After effects.

Włączając którąkolwiek z polskich stacji telewizyjnych o dowolnej porze możemy z całą pewnością stwierdzić, że ludzie tworzący polską telewizję o badaniach kanadyjskich naukowców, o których pisałem w poprzedniej notce, nie słyszeli i nawet nie udają, że próbują zmusić widza do myślenia. Na pierwszy rzut oka widać, że wysoka jakoś programów jest na dalekim miejscu na ich liście priorytetów. Od porannych programów śniadaniowych po emitowane późnym wieczorem programy typu talk show – serwowane nam są formy bez treści, ludzie mówiący dla samego mówienia i seriale, które kręcone są według jednego scenariusza napisanego przez, wydawać by się mogło, średnio rozgarniętą gospodynię domową.

Ciężko wybrać najgłupszego z najgłupszych, ale osobiście uważam, że palma pierwszeństwa należy się programowi Kocham Cię, Polsko – jestem pod wrażeniem osób pracujących przy produkcji tego widowiska – upchnąć taką ilość obciachu w 80 minut to nie lada wyczyn. Połączenie teleturnieju, przaśnej muzyki i talk show, wszystko to w stylistyce wiejskiego wesela dało piorunujący efekt. Oglądałem jeden odcinek tego „szoł” i było mi wstyd za ludzi, którzy w nim występowali. Ale kiedy dowiedziałem się ile uczestnicy tego programu zarabiają, naszła mnie refleks – zrobiłbym dużo gorsze rzeczy, za dużo niską stawkę.

Dlatego jeśli jakiś producent telewizyjny przypadkiem zajrzy na tę stronę, niech zapamięta – autor tego bloga jest biedny! I gotowy na wszystko….

I have been searching for a hearty, meaty (yet vegan), filling stew.

I had early success with mushroom bourguignon, but wanted something lighter, with less oil and flour. I tried recipe after recipe, without avail. Beet bourguignon did not satisfy. Beans bourguignon from 1000 Vegan Recipes was ok but not quite up to my high standards. Seitan-less Burgundy Stew with Parsnips from Big Vegan was not my favourite either. I almost gave up…

And then this treat popped out of nowhere.

After my success with baked (fresh) cranberries in the stuffed carnival squashes and roasted balsamic curry fall vegetables, I began exploring other savoury ideas for fresh (or frozen) cranberries. I stumbled upon Bryanna’s Mushroom and Cranberry Stew and was immediately intrigued. I don’t normally cook with TVP but had picked up some large chunk TVP at some point. Might as well use it and clear out the pantry, I mused.

I hadn’t really thought this was a bourguignon. However, it has a lot of similar flavours: red wine and sherry, carrots, thyme, mushrooms. No tomatoes, though and no need to use a thickener. TVP was used as a meat mimicker, texture only. I think a large bean could substitute if you are averse to TVP. The real beefy flavour came from Marmite. A yeasty, salty spread that Kiwis adore. The lovely twist in this recipe came from the fresh cranberries. Pleasantly tart, not sweet, but complemented the beefy stew incredibly well.

I will happily curl up with a bowl of this over the winter months.

This is my submission to Deb for this week’s Souper Sundays and to this month’s Simple and in Season.

Beefy Mushroom and Cranberry Stew
Adapted from Vegan Feast Kitchen

1.5 cups large-chunk TVP (similar to this)
3 cups water or vegetable broth (I used 1.5 tbsp Chicky baby seasoning with 3 cups water)
1 tsp low-sodium tamari
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
8 oz Portobello mushrooms (4 large caps), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup red wine
8 oz carrot (4 carrots), thickly sliced
1 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Marmite
1 tsp dried thyme

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water/broth and tamari to a boil and add TVP. Simmer for 5 minutes, turn off heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, until water is absorbed. Not all the water will be absorbed. Keep that liquid, it was around 2 cups for me.

2. Once the TVP has cooled slightly, squish it dry and panfry it in a medium non-stick skillet until browned on all sides.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, around 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes. Add in the mushrooms and saute until browned. Deglaze with the sherry and red wine. Add in the carrots, cranberries, balsamic vinegar, Marmite, thyme and the reserved broth from the TVP. If you do not have 2 cups, add more vegetable broth. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the flavours have melded. Add in the browned TVP when it is ready and continue to simmer to infuse the flavours. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

I took a break from not just starcraft but the internet as a whole.

There are some news that caught my eyes when I visited TL. For example, PartinG leaves Startale. But I believe Flash’s godlike performance against EG-TL in SPL is worth a mention on TerranCraft.

As I had mentioned in the past, I have no experience in SC:BW. However, I’m more than aware who Flash is, and what he means to the community. With that being said, I do not exactly know how he plays in Brood War. Anyway, from his SC2 games, I have an impression that he likes to play economical builds (often 14 CC), and utilizes the map well. Clearly, he has excellent mechanics but his micro is not that spectacular compared to some other players like MarineKing and Taeja. But I’m impressed by his effective apm usage, and his tactical movements. These qualities are demonstrated in his 4 games against EG-TL.

Game 1: vs. Revival

The first thing that come to my mind when I think about TvZ is Broodlord and infestor composition. I’m not going to talk about balance issue here. Flash shows you how to play against the ultimate composition by avoiding direct battle. Theoretically, everyone knows that Terran should start to drop when Broodlords are out. Simply because Broodlord has low movement speed and it is hard for the zerg player to defend against multiple drops. Although everyone knows about it, few can execute it as well as Flash did in this game.

If Terran drops with one medivac, Zerg should be able to defend reasonably well with static defensive structures and queens. If Terran send you more medivacs to drop, it may turn out to be an unwinnable base trade scenario if the Zerg just push over with the death ball. The amount of pressure that Flash asserted to deal with the situation was close to perfection. More importantly, the way he effectively free up supply to get some ravens to face the Zerg deathball for the final battle is an art.

Simply brilliant.

Game 2: vs. HerO

I won’t be surprised if HerO won the game. Afterall, HerO’s TvP is THAT good that he can 4-0 and 4-1 Taeja in recent tournaments. Flash’s early marine pressure seems to be an anti-metagame move. Protoss always has a few stalkers positioned outside of Terran’s base as a form of contain due to the range advantage stalkers have over marines. Flash sneaked some marines to HerO’s base could be deadly if HerO cut stalkers and positioned them outside of Flash’s base. The move could be better if the timing of the bunker at the natural was completed when the marines reach HerO’s base.

In the mid game (when the first two medivacs are out), Flash didn’t try to deal damage but constantly try to delay HerO’s third by containing him at the natural. This is a standard TvP midgame tactical movement nowadays. When HerO’s third was up, Flash then dropped in his main as HerO got stretched.

Game 3: vs. Taeja

Anyone would have expected both of them to use marine tank composition instead of Mech vs Mech. Flash was ahead by a little in every aspect, e.g. double armory and a mining third. Interestingly, Flash opted to have thors instead of building up his tank count as the game approached the midgame. I couldn’t tell what’s the intention of having hellion and thor composition since Flash wasn’t exactly doing anything with them. However, when the game reached the stalemate position as per every Mech vs Mech game once someone took a certain critical position, Flash moved his thors and hellions to counter attack. It was certainly more effective than having hellions run by.

Game 4: vs. JYP

Tactical brilliance. That just sums it up.

—

Post-match interview:

Recently, it felt like you were losing a lot.

It really brought me down. So I just ate and played like 50-60 games a day. I was satisfied in the amount of practice I was doing so I earned the confidence to grab an all kill.

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup of TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• 1 tbsp rolled oats
• 2 tsp ground flax
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pumpkin or apple spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp stevia
• 1 egg white

1. Add all ingredients except egg white to a small pot and bring to a boil
2. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 min (usually less)
3. Add egg white and stir well
4. Let cook for another 2-3 min
5. Scoop into a bowl and add your favorite toppings

I usually add some kind of berries, banana, nuts, or sugar free syrup.

The Choice is yours!

Looks delicious doesn’t it? Well it is, and it’s really easy, considerably quick, and cheap to make! I found the recipe on the side of Bob Mills TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) package. Before you get all scared off because you dont know what TVP is it is a soy protein used as a meat analogue and it’s got the protein equivalent with out any of the cholesterol! It doesn’t have much of a taste but absorbs the flavors you put into the chili and has the texture of ground meat in this instance.

You will need (for about 10 servings):

2 cups boiling water

2 cups Bob’s Red Mill TVP (found in health food or larger grocery stores)

2 TBSP. Ketchup

2 TBSP Oil

1 Large Onion, Chopped

1 Green Pepper Chopped ( I used a few baby peppers of all colors)

1 Jalapeno Pepper Chopped ( I chopped a 1/2 cup of jarred Jalapenos)

2 cloves of Garlic (I used about 4..I love garlic)

2 TBSP. Chili Powder

2 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Oregano

1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper ( I used 2 TSP, I like things hot)

2-28oz Can Tomatoes chopped (I just used 28 Oz’s)

2-16 oz cans Red Kidney Beans with Liquid

2 Cups Hot water (Didn’t add the last 2 cups of hot water, I forgot but it didn’t appear to matter).

Directions: Takes about 1:30 with prep.

In a large bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill TVP and Ketchup. Set Aside.

Heat Large Dutch Over (I just used a large pan). Add 2 tsbp oil, Saute the onions, pepper, and garlic for a few minutes.

Spinkle seasoning into TVP mixture and stir with a fork. Add to the vegtable mixture, cook for a few minutes.

Stir in Tomatoes, Kidney beans and 2 cups of hot water.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Taste and add salt if needed.

I added some pine nuts when I was eating it because I need crunch.

1. Powdered Soy Milk  changed my backpacking life, so much so that I found myself using this stuff even while at home.  It’s a lot less packaging, cheaper and it’s nice to have on hand for baking or when I don’t feel like going to the store.  I first discovered powdered soy milk while backpacking in Guatemala for a month and really wanting to have cereal for breakfast. Browsing the aisles, the only non-dairy milk I could find was a powdered version.  I loved it and since coming back to the states, realized it was perfect for backpacking in the forest and bike touring as well.  Better Than Milk Vegan Soy Powder (Original) is my favorite and I think it actually tastes great, although some of my friends may tell you otherwise.  You don’t have to use it in your cold cereal/granola, but it’s nice as an added protein source to oatmeal and excellent for mac and not-cheese.  It can be found on the shelves of many health food stores.
2. Nutritional Yeast: If you are vegan, there is a good chance that you are addicted to this stuff already.  Nutritional yeast  is used to add flavor to various vegan dishes, and is really popular in mac and not-cheese dishes.  Some say it has a “cheesy” or nutty flavor.  It’s high in B-vitamins and  also adds deliciousness to any meal.  You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of health food stores and sometimes in with the spices / cooking products in a shaker.  It’s cheapest to buy in bulk.  I keep it on hand to add to pasta or anything I make really.
3. Dehydrated Beans:  I stumbled upon the joy of dehydrated beans while collecting some  foods for camping in the bulk section of a health food store.    It’s kind of hit or miss to find them in bulk, and since I’ve actually special ordered bulk bags of them from local shops if they didn’t have it in stock.  I’ve always went with the black beans but for the most recent bike tour, neither Jason nor I could find them in stock, but they found dehydrated refried beans instead, also delicious.  Fantastic World Foods offer a lot of dehydrated food options, including beans and are easy to find in lots of grocery stores.  Simple and fast backcountry meal ideas:  Boil water, add couscous or quinoa then add dehydrated beans a few minutes later.  Add in spices/bouillon cube while cooking or any garlic/onions/peppers if you happen to have those.  As a bonus, if I feel like carrying it with me, I’ll pick up a pouch of enchilada sauce or a spice packet.
4. Couscous / Quinoa:  Maybe you never heard of these items, but growing up with middle eastern grandma, couscous was common for me and a favorite veg dish as a kid.  You can find couscous at most grocery stores, it’s lightweight and cooks quickly.  It’s also a good way to get some carbs and protein for hiking.  Quinoa isn’t quite as common but it’s becoming more popular, it’s not actually a grain but is used in meals similar to how rice is used.  It’s delicious, lightweight, cooks quickly and full of protein and vitamins.  You can find it in the bulk section of any health food store, and it’s starting to appear in more grocery stores as well- packaged in a box on the shelf with grains usually.
   

   Matt making some black bean quinoa enchilada stew for our xmas dinner while bike touring.

5. TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein):  TVP is a quick way to add protein to any meal and helps to fill you up after hiking or biking all day.  Perfect to add to noodle soups, mix with couscous, make vegan sloppy joes, add to spagetti and so many more options.  While cooking, add spices or a bouillon cube to the pot so the TVP will absorb the flavor.  It’s fairly common and as like other items already listed, it can be bought in bulk or packaged.  I’ve found it in health food stores and your traditional market, even in small towns and it’s somewhat common in Central and South America as well.  Really light weight and cooks quickly.
6. Dried Fruits and Nuts:  That should seem obvious enough.  But seriously, don’t ever forget these.  My favorites are almonds, dates, raisins and mango slices.  I once had a dream that the world had pretty much ended but a few of us survived and someone asked me what food I was able to bring with me.  I thought I had grabbed a bag of raisins but when I looked in my hand I realized I was clutching fresh grapes instead.  Needless to say, I was bummed.  Even in my sleep I worry about survival food.  Dates are a perfect way to sweeten up oatmeal and to give you a burst of energy.  If it’s not summer, as a treat, bring some vegan dark chocolate chips to add to your trail mix.  Try to get the fruits and nuts raw without added oils and salts and other weird crap.  Your best bet is buying them in bulk from health food stores.  But if you are in rural areas, you can still find peanuts and raisins and any grocery store / market in the middle of nowhere.
7. Oatmeal / Granola:  Another obvious one, but sometimes people forget how many things out there are vegan.  I seem to find myself outside on adventures during cold weather and oatmeal is always perfect for warming up.  On summer adventures, I usually just mix some granola with soymilk (yay powdered soymilk!).
8. Nutbutters:  I don’t usually take peanut butter with me when backpacking, but it’s been nice to have on bike tours when splitting the food weight with another person.  I don’t have to tell you how great this stuff is.
9. Mac and “Cheese”:  I can’t even tell you how excited I have been to have a nice pot of hot vegan mac and “cheese” after hiking or biking all day.  I have no trouble devouring the box myself.  It cooks pretty quickly, since you just have to cook the pasta and you’ll be ecstatic that you have the powdered soy milk.  Road’s End Organics make some delicious boxed Mac & Chreese found at any health food store, and I’ve also had enjoyed Leahey Gardens brand Mac and “Cheese” but it’s harder to find.  Or you can be not fancy, just make some pasta, add a bunch of nutritional yeast, soy milk and spices to it and it’ll still taste good if you’ve been out hiking for days.  If you have any dehydrated veggies, throw those in, too.
   

   Vegan mac n chz- plus powdered soymilk is the best for backpacking.

10. Rice Noodle Soups or Ramen:  There are a wide variety of rice noodle/ramen noodle soups out there that are vegan.  Many contain tofu and dehydrated veggies in them already.  But it’s great to add TVP to them while they cook.  We all know how great the ease of throwing a soup packet into boiling water is.  Lightweight, cooks quickly and easy to find in stores.  If you are bike touring through small towns you may not be able to find a spice packet that’s vegan but the noodles usually are, so in desperate times just use the vegan noodles and add your own spices with TVP.
    

    Add some TVP for extra protein.

11. Vegetable Bouillon Cubes / Spices:   I always keep a couple of vegan bouillon (broth) cubes in with my gear.  I often just shave some of it off and add it to the hot water for the couscous.  It’s a simple way to add flavor to your food.  I love spicy food and I love to cook.  I have a hard time thriving without cayenne and other spices so I also carry some spices with me and love these silly spice containers.  I sometimes just take one that holds two spices, it’s not necessary, but kind of nice to have.

Also, if you aren’t on a tight budget or if you find them on sale, Mary Jane Farm Organics has a line of backcountry foods with lots of vegan options.  They are labeled as vegan and very lightweight but not cheap.  I got a couple a packs on clearance once and they were delicious.

Please add your vegan suggestions in the comments!  I’d love to hear them.  I’ll also make sure to add a link to any additional vegan food suggestions that I write about in the future to the comments section.  There are plenty of options out there, but these are some of my go-to items when getting things together for an adventure.  Hope this helps!

For those of you who were fans of my veggie Big Stack. Flip it on its head and bake it for 30 minutes to create:

a delicious vegetarian cottage pie.

You might notice that instead of just potato, I made a mixed veggie mash with carrot and sweet potato added.

Chcąc – nie chcąc, u mojej rodziny oglądałem kilka programów w tv , na co-dzień nie posiadam takich luksusów w postaci telewizora z bogatą ofertą programów i nie mam dostępu do tylu “atrakcji”… – ku mojemu zdziwieniu okazuje się że żyjąc w telewizyjnym celibacie niczego nie tracę…

Program TVP na Święta mnie rozczarował – na dobrą sprawę nie warto było mu poświęcić więcej, niż tyle ile potrzeba aby zapoznać się z wiadomościami…

Filmy w większości już ludzie w moim wieku widzieli – bądź w kinie, bądź w poprzednich latach w TVP.

Politycy na szczęście na okres Świąt ograniczyli się do okolicznościowych życzeń bądź w sposób dla nich mało naturalny, tonowali swoje wypowiedzi, chowając codzienną mowę nienawistną pod świąteczny obrus… – niezobaczenie ich na szklanym ekranie nie powodowało żadnych wartości ujemnych…

Niecodziennie często natomiast mieliśmy okazje zobaczyć na ekranie przedstawicieli Kościoła Katolickiego, którzy moim zdaniem, poprzez swoje bądź nieprecyzyjne bądź kłamliwe wypowiedzi dotyczące np. “przemocy wobec kobiet” robili wszystko aby odstraszyć swoich wiernych od czynnego uczestnictwa w życiu i polityce kościoła..

Myślę, że przywództwo Kościoła Katolickiego w Polsce przespało trochę czas reformy społeczeństwa, które w dużej mierze, z zastraszonego i zgnębionego poprzez ustrój komunistyczny, ewoluowało do miana ludzi światłych, myślących – nie wierzących już ślepo we wszystko co słyszy z ust panów w sutannach – obojętnie czy z kościelnej ambony czy ze szklanego ekranu…

To jednak, czego osobiście mnie najbardziej brakło w telewizyjnym programie świątecznym był choćby cień kultury przez trochę większe “K”.

Jeżeli reprezentują ten rodzaj sztuki, nikomu oczywiście nie umniejszając, tylko przedstawiciele sceny kabaretowej czy zespoły (im dziwniej tym lepiej) wykonywujące kolędy to … nic tylko ręce załamać… albo zdać sobie sprawę z tego że albo JA mam coś z głową albo zawiadujący polską TVP i mający wpływ na społeczny przekaz, traktują naród jak … niedorozwiniętych emocjonalnie i nieświadomych kulturalnie pół-mózgowców…

Nie doszukałem się, w przecież misyjnej, telewizji publicznej żadnego spektaklu operowego, koncertu symfonicznego czy premiery teatralnej – jest przecież mnóstwo dzieł najwybitniejszych kompozytorów, którzy uświetnili TEN CZAS swoimi arcydziełami, niech wspomnę chociaż takich jak Bach, Mozart, Beethoven czy Vivaldi…  - ale nie szukając po lewej stronie Odry, znajdziemy polskich kompozytorów, którzy specjalnie na TEN okres tworzyli swoje arcydzieła – nie sposób tu nie wspomnieć o naszym narodowym wieszczu sztuki operowej – Stanisławie Moniuszce

i jego operze “Straszny Dwór”…

Nie piszę tego artykułu z myślą o sobie, umiem większość dziel Moniuszki na pamięć… – żal mi po prostu, że pomimo tak wielu wypowiedzi polityków w sprawie znaczenia polskiej kultury i jej dziedzictwa (nawiasem mówiąc, dziedzictwo to bardzo nieszczęśliwe sformułowanie – jest bowiem w historii Polski wiele wątków o których wspominać bardzo by się nie chciało…) – to tak mało robi się w kierunku jej propagowania nie wspominając już o jej rozwoju… Bo jak tu mówić o rozwoju kultury bez jej dostępu do mediów…???

W tym miejscu pytam jeszcze raz: – gdzie się podział “Straszny Dwór”?

Nie wiem.. ale mam szczerą nadzieję, że w przyszłości, również na ekranach TVP, doczekamy się programów, koncertów i spektakli, które będą trafiały w gusta nie tylko tych, którzy włączając odbiornik, oczekują tylko i wyłącznie (taniej) rozrywki…

Bo w przeciwnym razie po co placic abonament…???

PS. Przed kilkoma laty, wspólnie ze Sławomirem Pietrasem, Orkiestrą Filharmonii Sudeckiej i solistami Opery Poznańskiej zrealizowaliśmy koncertową wersję tego dzieła – jest to niestety zapis niestudyjny… – jestem jednak przekonany, że dostarczy WAM emocji i wrażeń których moim zdaniem bardzo zabrakło w tegorocznym Świątecznym programie Polskiej Telewizji Publicznej…

Zapraszam do obejrzenia

This is the best lasagna I ever ate. It is a basic lasagna bolognese, so there’s room for experimenting with it. It takes about 10-20 minutes of preparation, 1-1 1/2 hours of cooking the sauce, and 35-50 minutes of baking. So it’s not the quickest lasagna you can make, but it’s well worth the time in my opinion. The ingredients are for an 11×7 baking dish.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dehydrated TVP or other ground meat substitute
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can (16 ounce) peeled tomatoes
• 1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• pinch of dried basil
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• pinch of Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (9 ounce) ricotta cheese, probably won’t need all of it
• 1 egg
• 1 (4 1/2 ounce) fresh mozzarella, sliced
• grated parmesan to taste
• lasagna noodles (I prefer the fresh refrigerated ones)

For the bolognese sauce:

1. Rehydrate the TVP. To do this put it in a cup and pour about the same amount of hot water on it. Add some salt/pepper for seasoning, mix it well and let it absorb the liquid.

2. Saute the onion and the garlic on some olive oil until onion transparent / lightly browned (according to taste).

3. Add peeled tomatoes (with liquid, which is usually tomato juice) and tomato paste. Stir it well, crushing the tomatoes with your spatula to make it smoother.

4. Gradually add the water until you reach the desired consistency. You might want to add more or less water than specified above.

5. Add spices: basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning (if not on hand just use random Italian spices: oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc.), salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir it well, taste it and adjust sugar/salt if necessary. Again, it’s best to start out with less because you can always add more.

6. Push some of the water out of the now rehydrated TVP and stir it in.

7. Bring sauce to boil and let it simmer covered for 1-1/2 hours while stirring occasionally. Taste once more before taking it off the heat and adjust seasoning to taste.

For ricotta sauce:

1. Mix ricotta with one egg and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.

Assembling the lasagna:

1. Prepare the cheeses: slice mozzarella, grate parmesan.

2. Start off with some bolognese sauce just to prevent the lasagna noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. Cover the dish with a layer of lasagna noodles, then add a thin layer of ricotta sauce, half of the mozzarella slices, some parmesan and 1/3 of the bolognese sauce. Repeat this layer two more times, and top with most of the parmesan.

4. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and put it in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 25 minutes, discard the aluminium foil and bake for another 10-25 minutes, depending on how fast your oven is.

This recipe was inspired by and is based on the “World’s Best Lasagna” recipe on allrecipes.com.

A Big Stack is a dish I love from a local Australian pie place in Montreal: TA.

A Big Stack is: Mashed potatoes, mushy peas, and gravy. I have been working for a while to perfect a vegetarian version. I found that I prefer, rather than vegetarian gravy, to use a version of textured veggie protein.

My “gravy” recipe:

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 tablespoon spicy paprika
1 pinch pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix in a pan.

Stir and heat on medium until well combined.

Add:

1 1/2 cups dry textured vegetable protein

Stir until sauce is mostly incorporated.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/tvp-vegan-sloppy-joes-220980?oc=linkback

For the mushy peas:

I used dried peas to be traditional but you could easily replace them with frozen peas. If you want to try the dried peas, here is what I did:

I used Bigga peas.

You dissolve the peas and the tablets in boiling water and let sit for 10-16 hours. Then just boil until soft and add a pinch of salt, sugar, and a bit of butter.

For my mashed potatoes:

I peel and boil potatoes. I like to add a splash of milk, a tab of butter, a pinch of salt, and a little spoonful of mayonnaise.

Pile them together and you have:

Dinner!

*Pro Tip: You can also reverse the order of the stack and bake for a delicious vegetarian cottage pie.

Vegetarian Empanadas

I fell in love with Spanish food about 10 years ago.  Before then, my passion was Mexican food ranging from  simple tacos to enchiladas.  Some would say it was Tex-Mex but no it was really Mexican to the point I would hunt out authentic Mexican restaurants. Then one day, while walking down Palisade Avenue, I glimpsed into Fonda de Paisa , a Columbian restaurant.  Curious I went in and ordered their $6.00 special which was a meat, rice, beans or soup and salad with friend plantain   I was shocked that they were offering real knife and fork  food for less than a burger combo meal at the local fast food restaurants down the street.  Finally I had discovered a better alternative than eating fast food for lunch.  As I was checking out, I saw the empanadas and bought one for only$1.  For those of you who don’t know what an empanada is, they are a small turnovers that can be filled with beef, chicken or cheese  and usually deep fried.  In Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and places like Costa Rica and Panama they are call pastelillos often made with ground beef and raisins.  Being the person that I am, I decided to imitate a healthier version for vegetarians.  The following recipe is what I came up.

Ingredients:

• 1 Package of thawed  pre-made empanada skins (Goya)
• 2 cups or re-hydrated TVP or frozen soy crumbles
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of  defrosted sofrito
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of Adobo (1/2 teaspoon if using frozen soy crumbles)
• 2 tablespoons of oil for sauting
• canola or vegetable oil for frying
• Spanish green olives, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup of water

*Empanda Skins are the turnover dough already colored and cut into circles and sold in packages of 10 by companies like Goya.

*Sofrito is a blend of cilantro, onion and garlic with spices that can be bought frozen in the Spanish section of your freezer department.

Preparing the Filling

1. Warm saute oil in a medium frying pan
2. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and saute for 2 minutes
3. Mix in TVP or soy crumbles and heat thoroughly
4. Season with taco seasoning and adobo, mix well
5. Make a well in the filling mixture and spoon in sofrito and tomato paste
6. Mix all ingredients together well in the pan, add 1/2 cup of water ( if it look dry, add another 1/2 cup)
7. Stir in chopped olives and cover over medium-low heat for 10 minute
8. Remove filling to cool for 15 minutes before filling the pastry

Preparing the Empanada

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
3. Take one empanada skin and fill 1 tablespoon of filling on one side of the circle
4. Fold over the other half
5. Crimp with fork
6. Brush lightly with milk (soy milk for vegans)
7. Bake for 10 -12 minutes until brown

Visit La Fonda de Paisa

95 West Palisade Avenue

Englewood, NJ 07631

201-871-3544

taken by Louis M. on Yelp.com

Mary and Me! Playing in the fountain after finals

Last year, Mary competed in a chili cook-off and won FIRST PLACE! She was kind enough to share her recipe with me — though the original calls for bacon and ground beef, the seasonings are really what makes this chili so fantastic. They include cocoa powder(!!), hot sauce, and LIQUID SMOKE. So even though my chili was meatless, it had a really nice smoky meat flavor to it! Mary’s recipe calls for Chipotle Chili Powder, which I did not have in my pantry. I’m really dumb about which chili powders are actually spicy…apparently plain old chili powder is NOT. My chili lacked spiciness because I used regular chili powder instead of the chipotle kind. If you’re a heat wimp, then my recipe is PERFECT for you. If you would like to spice it up, I recommend you add chipotle chili powder, or some other spice so that you can feel the burn. I recently hosted a chili potluck with a bunch of my friends in Gettysburg, and I made my vegan version of this chili (throwing in some fake meat), along with firecracker cornbread. The cornbread was very spicy, which made up for the fact that my chili was not. This was my second time making the chili, so I can’t say I was surprised at how tasty goody it turned out. I tripled the recipe for the amount of guests I had, and wound up with some leftovers to freeze. It freezes very well!

Mary has generously agreed to let me feature her award-winning chili recipe on my blog so that I can share it with you all! I’m posting my adapted version, but THIS is her recipe: Mary’s Victory Chili (aka Smoky Bacon Chili Delish)

Smoky Vegan Chili Delish
original meat recipe from Mary: Mary’s Victory Chili
yield: about 5 large servings

1 package / 12 oz. fake ground beef, otherwise known as TVP (texturized vegetable protein), original flavor (they only carry the LightLife brand at my grocery store)
1-2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 t. liquid smoke
1/2 T. chili powder (use chipotle chili powder if you want it spicy!)
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano leaves
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 t. Tapatío (or other hot sauce)
1 can / 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 can / 15 oz. light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can / 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen or canned (drained and rinsed) corn

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, and liquid smoke until the onions are clear. Just before the onions are done, add the fake meat/TVP.

Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the beans and corn. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in beans and corn. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.

Serve with cornbread, a little bit of shredded cheese, and enjoy!

So if you’re ever in Ann Arbor and bump into Mary, or she happens to be your librarian in the future, just walk up to her, say, “Hay gurl haaay,” and thank her for sharing this chili recipe. Because it’s totally awesome, JUST LIKE HER!

WordPress chce, zeby La Mamma M., niczym jedna z ciotek Joanny Marii K. umarla ze zlosci(tzn. to byla apopleksja, no ale wiadomo, ze apopleksji nie dostaje sie od spiewania”Barki” Co najwyzej od jej sluchania) i wykasowal mi notke, ktora juz obiecujaco zawierala 698 slow-wstep przedwstepny, ale lubicie to, taa?
W ogole niefartowna dzisiaj jestem, bo jak nie moge ogladac Barborki lajw, to chociaz zrobie relacje lajw z relacji lajw. TVP Sport pokazala mi fucka w tej sprawie, a raczej talerz anteny, ktory przy sztormach przesunal sie o 0.38mm, co jest dobrym powodem do tego, by M. zrzucic programy TVNu ( i chuj, nie wiem, co u Antosi z Na Wspolnej, nie wiem, czy Roman znowu zaczal pic i zapomnialam, jak wyglada Kuba Wojewodzki) no i TVP Sport wlasnie, o czym za pozno sie zorientowalam( za to regularny TVP stoi murem. Pies to jebal, Ojcze Mateuszu, ktorys sie dzisiaj w godzinach streamu z Karowej w telewizyi lansowal, amen)

Pomyslalam- Ynternet! No to cyku-cyk i jestem na stronie TVP (podzieki dla Qby za to, ze napisal mi na fejsie, iz relacji TVP Sport nalezy szukac na stronie internetowej TVP Sport…Bo widzisz kurwa, moj mily chlopcze, na TVN24 chcieli obciac mi leb smiglem Blekitnego 24 za pytanie “Kuuuzniar, skonczyles juz wraz z PerFuckcyjna Pania Domu zmywac Durczokowi ujebany stol? To znajdzcie Rurka i niech mi przekaze tasmy z Karowej, bez odbioru”)

TVPolska dla Polakow oznajmil mi jednak, ze “material jest niedostepny”- jawna dyskryminacja, poczulam sie Murzynem. Albo Ukrainka. Albo kobieta za rzadow PISu.
Po pieciu wdechach( przy drugim chcialam wywalic tele za okno, po trzecim chcialam sie upic, a przy czwartym przypomnialam sobie, ze te obydwie idee sa o kant dupy potluc) stwierdzilam, ze moze to i lepiej.

Lizanie cukierka przez szybe i masturbacja w kondomie to nie moje klimaty- jak szamac cukierki, to tonami, a jak walic konia…to nie wiem niestety:D Anyway, Karowa ma sens tylko wtedy, kiedy mozesz na nia jechac w pieciu parach rajstop, szesciu swetrach, a wszystko po to, zeby nie zamarznac w swej PIEKNEJ kurteczce Subaru (jeszcze ze starej kolekcji, z Hirvonenem! Wersja Solberg byla niestety drozsza, co znajdowalo uzasadnienie, gdy sie spojrzalo na generalke kierowcow. Posiadacze ciuchow sygnowanych nazwiskiem Kuziego  wzdychali zazdrosnie, propozycji odkupienia nie zlicze, a panie z Manolo Blahnikami moga sobie nimi oczy powykluwac niczym Edyp, gdyz zwracam meska uwage o wiele skuteczniej niz one dzieki mej PIEKNEJ kurteczce), wypic koniak z dobrym towarzychem pod telebimem, wysciskac sie i wymacac z ziomami, czy tez nawet o wiele lepszym zamiennikiem rodziny, a potem zahaczyc sie na chinczyka, sushi albo belgijskie fryty w okolicach Nowego Swiatu. Ogladanie w TV to opcja dla esow, ot co.

Przy okazji esow- uwazam, ze restrykcyjne zasady przyznawania akredytacji na Karowa sa sluszne, bo to nie jest impra dla kolesi z IPhonami, tylko powazny, celebsowy dryg. Chociaz ktos przeszacowal z optymizmem, wymyslajac zakaz poruszania sie miedzy strefami foto- toz u nas jeszcze nie ma wielkopanskich obyczajow wysylania kilku kolezkow z jednej agencji, zeby stali na roznych pozycjach! Propo celebsow i Karowej, to chyba nie zapomne, jak na Barborce jakies…trzy lata temu? holowal sie Durczok Kamil; ma u mnie dozywotni nie tylko za zajebisa elokwencje, ale za to, ze za czasow pracy w TVP wozil sie Subarka i mialam okazje go ogladac, jak uprawia mistrzostwa prostej, jadac do pracusi No wiec gdy Kamil D. chwilowo porzucil Rurka na rzecz kogos z licencja pilota rajdowego, my z Joanna Maria K. pycilysmy wzdluz serwisowki-pewnie zasmiewajac sie przy okazji z jakiegos kombatanta wojen z miska olejowa-gdy prezenter ogladnal sie, rozpoznal Dzoane, ktora go niegdys wywiadowala i powiedzial “dzien dobry”!

W sumie nie robilabym z tego helol, gdyby nie to, ze ten sam glos slyszalam zazwyczaj kolo godziny 19.00 w zupelnie innych okolicznosciach. Utwierdzilo mnie to w przekonaniu, ze praca w mediach to magia i piekna iluzja, ale mysle, ze konieczna w zyciu, choc czesto jest powiazana z wejsciem w swiat syfu, wsadzania palcow w dupe, a nawet calej reki i innych, o ktorych szary obywatel, niczym o produkcji parowki i pasztetu, nie powinien miec pojecia, wiec…keep it in the closet.

Ogladam ci ja newsy, zeby nie zapomniec, ze swiat  nadal kreci sie wokol wlasnej osi, choc po wytrzepaniu sobie mozgu breaking news mysle, ze lubi zbaczac z tego kursu.

Protesty o GMO i darcie ryja pod Palacem Prezydenckim- gratuluje przemyslnosci, Bronny pewnie i tak ma na was wyjebane i organizuje lekcje historii na Zamku Krolewskim ( i jak ta mlodziez ma byc normalna, skoro naucza ich gosciu, ktorego trawi “bul”, pewnie Weltsmerz, hehe). Gratuluje tez pomyslunku z innych wzgledow- mandarynka jest krzyzowka paru cytrusow, a wiec mieszano jej w genach, bo pomarancz nie daje sie zapylic cytrynie raczej, tylko drugiej pomaranczy- jak to mawiaja, swej polowce ( a w calodobowym mozna odnalezc duzo polowek, moze nie pomaranczy, ale po przytuleniu jednej takiej w ramionach tez moze byc milo, choc ja zwolennikiem picia do lustra nie jestem).

Winogrona bez pestek tez nie sa takie, jak je matka ziemia stworzyla, bo nikt wczesniej nie slyszal o bezplodnym owocu ( i na chuj kastrowac frukta, ja sie pytam? To pewnie z mysla o debilach, ktorzy nadal wierza w to, ze jak polkna pestke, to im drzewo wyrosnie. W takim razie powinnam juz byc sadem; chociaz mysle, ze to pewnie projekt jakiejs nedzy, ktora ksztusi sie pestkami, jak Joanna Maria K.) Przeciwnicy GieeMol pewnie wpierdalaja mandarynki i winogrona na tony, wiec proponuje wizyte u doktora Malejki. Albo obranie winogronka- kto ogladal “Krowe i Kurczaka” i podobnie jak ja zachwycal sie surrealizmem tej kreskowki, zwrocil pewnie uwage na czerwonodupego diabla, ktory w jednym z odcinkow byl Telula Posladek, proponujaca rozkosze podniebienia w postaci obranego winogronka

Na druga linie frontu wytoczono mieszkancow pewnej wioski, ktorzy nie chca, aby zbudowano u nich elektrownie atomowa. Biorac pod uwage fakt, ze u nas drogi buduje sie z roztopionych klapek typu japonki (konstruktorze japonek stop czy ja mam ci popelnic seppuku stop czy jednak wolisz to zrobic ty stop pozdrawiam wkurwiona butami bez butow M stop) importowanych ze Sierra Leone, a jako budulca wiazacego uzywa sie wulkanizowanych kondomow, to  ich obawy co do jakosci elektrowni nie sa bezpodstawne. Sorry, ale dla mnie to by bylo srednie pocieszenie, jakby po ewentualnym rozdupczeniu takiego obiektu przyjechal do mnie na lans premier Donny i obiecywal, ze na pewno nie bede swiecic w nocy. Moglabym go wtedy kopnac w dupe trzecia noga, ktora by mi wyrosla, a on by sie nadal dopytywal, czy jestem ol rajt, bo Donnie ma w sobie cos z Angliczana, niestety.

Nie ma to w sobie nic z kreatywnego rozwiazywania trudnych problemow, odcinek nr. 1, zaprezentowane przez M.M, tytul odcinka ” Hipsteriade czas zaczac”.Didaskalia:

M. swego czasu mogla wypic 10 kaw dziennie, ale juz jej przeszlo, bo zrozumiala, ze nie chce wykitowac z tak marnego powodu (a zrozumiala to, pijac wodke z redbullem,ah, me zepsucie i demoralizacja) Zamiast ilosci, idzie w jakosc. Dlatego kawa rozpuszczalna wykreca jej ryja,a akurat w piatek, gdy temperatura siegala -3 (yeee, to juz calkiem bliskie prawdziwej zimie; szkoda tylko,ze snieg byl tu widziany ostatnio w 2008/9 roku, wiec na razie jestesmy na etapie mega wypizdowka i lepienia balwanow ze szronu) i wrocila ze swoich edukacyj, zamarzyla jej sie KAWA- piekna, pachnaca i nie dublujac Mickiewicza zajebista.
Scena wlasciwa:

Jest!! Dostrzega kawe Starbucks, do ktorej odczuwa niezdrowy, hipsterski afekt, jak zreszta do calej tej sieci, moze dlatego, ze przypomina jej petanie sie po Wawie z E. ( kiedys podczas czyszczenia portfela z paragonow, ktorych nie wyrzucam, odkrylam cale kleby kwitkow ze StarFucksa+ rachunek za moja kiecke studniowkowa…Smichy-chichy skonczyly sie, jak z ciekawosci podliczylam wartosc billow ze Starbucksa i z lekka wtedy umarlam) Kawa ziarnista, czyli to, z czym zboki musza sie niezle najebac.

Jeestes, mlyneczku od mego warszawskiego sasiada Riczarda. Riczard jest znanym na osiedlu animatorem kultury, a harmonogram jego imprez przebiega wedle nastepujacego schematu: ambasadorowie spod miejscowego smietnika zachodza. Uprawiaja small talk o aktualnej sytuacji gospodarczej Paragwaju. Pan domu wyciaga swoj instrument, zwany keyboardem i wtem z jego klawiszy plyna czarowne tony, czyli napierdala palcem przez godzine w jeden przycisk. Ewentualnie zapodaje za posrednictwem kina domowego wiazanke hitow Queen, nie szczedzac spiewu, ktory z grubsza brzmi “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee(….)EEEEE” Spiewu choralnego, bo dolaczaja do niego rowniez ambasadorowie. Okolo godziny trzeciej nad ranem, gdy jeden z ambasadorow robi sie niegrzeczny, zostaje wyjebany na schody i rozstaje sie z melanzem w sposob huczny- doslownie i w przenosni, dzieki smialej aranzacji akustycznej naszego bloku, budowanego z mysla o podsluchiwaniu antykomunistycznych dyskusji pod klatka- mieszkajac na ostatnim pietrze, nawet nie musze sie wysilac, by sluchac wraz z ambasadorami opierdolu, jaki dostaja od malzonek za uczestnictwo w obradach z Riczardem.(ah, “Ambasadorowie”, obraz Hansa Hobaina Mlodszego, ktory mnie przesladowal przed matura z historii sztuki)

No to zesmy powspomynaly…Aha, mlyneczek. Mlyneczek odpada, bo polski i brak mu przejsciowki (ktora jak sie potem okazalo, gdzies sobie spoczywala) A M. w desperacji ima sie nawet najglupszych sposobow rozwiklania swych zyciowych problemow- od wymiksowania sie z zabawy w rodzine (obawiam sie, ze w realu odwale kiedys podobny numer) po…No wlasnie. Spojrzalam na MOZDZIERZ i juz wiedzialam- jestes rozwiazaniem wszelkich mych trosk!I moge toba komus przypierdolic z fasonem, podobnie jak i marmurowym walkiem do ciasta- totalnie nie mam pojecia, na waca Flafiemu te dwa artefakty; moze chce przekazac w ten sposob, ze zupa nie powinna byc za slona? Marny strzal, bo to ty tu gotujesz, gosciu, a wkladanie wrogowi broni do reki to blad.

Pewnie byscie mi powymierali ze smiechu, jakbyscie zobaczyli, jak rozprawiam sie mozdzierzem z kawa, niczym panienka rodem z XIX wieku, ale przestalibyscie sie smiac, jakbyscie poczuli ten piekny zapach espresso…

No i jakbyscie musieli pozniej myc pod biezaca woda ta aparature, ktora wazy ladnych pare kilo i obracac nia jedna reka na wszystkie strony- moj staw w nadgarstku, ktory zawsze ma jakies “ale,” nie posiada sie wprost ze szczescia.

O czym nadala M., ktora zamiast odwalac researche na studyja, robi projekt nowego dizajnu blogaska i przeprowadza rozkmin w sprawie skuteczniejszej akcji marketingowej wokol Konfesjonalu- widzicie, te 227 wejsc w ciagu miesiaca i 10 dni to milusio, ale…To fcionga, a jak fcionga, to chce sie wiecej i wiecej.I wiecej.

One barrack expand in TvP is the most commonly used build now. Although there are different variations (e.g. Bomber’s delay refinery build), they still generally converge back to three barracks, one starport and one engineering bay by 9:30. By 10:00, Terran should be outside of the Protoss’s natural with marines, marauders and two medivacs. However, this timing is so typical that both Terran and Protoss know what to expect from each other. Then, what is the objective of Terran at this time frame?

In the 10:00 – 12:00 time frame, Terran has the map control and is the aggressor. At the same time, there is no way Terran can just stim and A move at the natural. Protoss will just use force field accordingly to turn to battle around. The first instinct is to drop in the main since Protoss park the units at the natural. Indeed, this worked really well way back, whereby Terran just pull the Protoss apart with good drop and micro. But it does not work anymore.

In the current metagame, Protoss will position three to five stalkers in the main to anticipate the drop. At the same time, sentries, zealots and immortals/colossus are stationed at the natural. Even MarineKing and Polt, who are two of the best TvP players in the world, stop attempting to drop at this time frame unless they are sure that the Protoss is out of positioning.

The frustrating fact for Terran is that, despite having the army advantage, no damage can be done at that time frame. Terran cannot exactly just sit back as the momentum will swing back to the Protoss when colossus count reaches three or four. After studying quite a number of games, I found that Polt’s play displays a clear objective in the 10:00 – 12:00 time frame. I will use his match against PartinG in GSL season 5 RO16 as the example. Polt did a one barrack expand in Daybreak against PartinG. Although he proxy the one barrack, the game quickly turned into a typical TvP. Thus, it is still highly relevant.

For clarification purposes, the whole post is based on the following assumptions:

- Terran has the army advantage, and map control.
- Terran is the aggressor and Protoss is the defender.
- Terran cannot make a direct attack from the natural due to force field.
- Terran cannot do a drop because of the positioning of the stalkers.

Polt’s answer is simply to play standard. That is, continue to get upgrades, and get a third. Build two more barracks to make it five etc. The one thing that he constantly does is not to attack, but to delay and deny the third base of Protoss.

First of all, stay mobile and move around the skirt of Protoss’s natural and third (as shown in the image below).

As noted earlier, the objective is to delay the third. Polt always has a marine at the third when he is moving his army around. This allows him to know if Protoss is trying to expand. If Protoss does not even try to send a probe to the third, or try to clear away the marine, then Protoss may do a two bases all in. A scan in Protoss’s main should be helpful when this happens.

If Protoss try to get a third and the marine will be killed. When that happens, move the army to the third and kill the zealot/stalker, then place a marine there again. Deny the third, if it is building. Remember, the objective is the delay the third.

While staying mobile is important, knowing the positioning of the Protoss army is crucial. The factory can be used as an ‘observer’ to spot the positioning of the Protoss army.

Protoss would be forced to move his army to the third in order to secure the location. It might be appealing and intuitive to drop in the main when the Protoss army is in the third. Subsequently, stim another group of units to deny the third when Protoss army moves back to the main to defend the main. Good Protoss players will not allow that to happen as they will always have units well positioned in the main base to anticipate the drop.

In the game, Polt was constantly moving around and tried to pull PartinG out of position. When he did, he quickly moved to the third and deny it. While Polt was delaying and denying the third, he had his third mining all along. The supply difference right after Polt deny the third was around 40. Instead of trying to do a risky drop and attack the third at the same time, Polt’s play is much safer and perhaps equally or more effective.

Eventually, Polt just had more and took the game.

In sum, denying and delaying the third is an alternative way to make use of the army advantage at that time frame.