What. The fuck. Is “Milk Pulp”.

Google fails me on this. I found some at a local Chinese-disguised-as-Japanese grocery store, and was too curious to pass it by. Plus, super cute:

i ate one before i realized i didn’t know what it was

Also, discounted. If there’s one thing I love, it’s mystery food on sale because it’s about to expire! Sign me the fuck up! I bought a fresh one, then the two remaining price-slashed orange ones because tiny jars featuring faithful elephants are my fucking JAM.

Which is appropriate, as these mysterious things were labeled as “Milk Pulp with Jam”. What does that mean? Nothing in my random Asian heritage foretold of milk pulp, or why it was served with “jam”. It wasn’t really jam, it was more like a compote. Milk Pulp with Compote, Nature *AND* Human.

Every search for “milk pulp” resulted in information about almond milk and what to do with all the dry, dusty almond schmutz leftover from the milking. This was definitely a dairy product (and almonds weren’t a listed ingredient), so I didn’t think I was dealing with some sort of vegan goo. The lack of available information annoyed me, so there was really only one thing left to do: eat it and see what happened.

Nothing really happened, other than my still being alive and not knowing what milk pulp is. Near as I can figure, it’s .. Chinese flan? Maybe a little more solid than flan. Chinese pannacotta? Is that a thing? Whatever it was, it was pretty good. The orange goo turned out to be mango (always a bonus), and the dark stuff is blueberry. I was worried it was going to be cottage cheese or something because of the fruit, but was pleased at the (still mysterious) reality. Would totally milk pulp again, if I can get over my frustration at not knowing what it is. Good practice for Japan, I suppose.

We’ve been experimenting with different foods around the house, and last night I roasted some brussels sprouts. They turned out fucking amazing, so I’m posting what I did here mostly for my own memory:

• Turn oven on to 425
• In a bowl:
  • Buncha sprouts: wash ’em, trim off the ends, and cut them in half
  • Lots of garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and pepper
• Stir them up until they’re all coated and junk. If you like things hot, add peppers. I used crushed chilies because I use them in everything, and it was lovely.
• Spread the oily spouts out onto a baking sheet.
• BACON! Add lots and lots of bacon. I don’t actually buy rashers anymore, we get these from Costco. They’re pre-cooked, but not as cooked as I would like – so I just tossed a couple of handfuls right onto the sprouts so they get extra crispy and delicious. Also, the fat from the bacon lubricates the brussels sprouts, so you can use a great deal less olive oil than usually recommended (I’ve seen anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup; I used a couple of tablespoons worth)
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the sprouts are tender and charred
• Squeeze lemon juice on the sprouts
• Drizzle with a balsamic glaze which is super handy to always have on hand because it’s delicious and goes with everything
• Liberally apply parmesan cheese (fresh grated if you’ve got it, but anything other than the cardboard shelf cheese)
• Sprinkle fresh cilantro on the whole mess (sorry Shan)
• Chow the fuck down

They were super easy and so, so good. Will definitely be doing them again.

Adulting with vegetables!