Salsa Verde

Ok so this has nothing to do with cooking - but I am totally freaked out right now.  And unfortunately Mr. Vittles is not home tonight, meaning I have no one else to share this with but all of you.

So I think by now you know how much I despise moths.

I had them on the brain earlier today because Mr. Vittles showed me a picture he snapped of a moth at the golf course, which spanned the length of a Bic pen.

I know this because there was a pen next to it in the picture.

Naturally my first thought was, Eww, he got close enough to that thing to put a pen next to it??

But now that I think of it - man, what a jerk my husband is.

"Hey I know you're deathly afraid of these things, but I saw this mammoth moth and thought of you."

Gee, thanks.

(Reminds me of when my college "friends" Nat and Flav Vittles brought me back a giant, framed moth from their summer trip to Spain, and then insisted we hang it on the wall of our apartment.)

So then on Graphics Fairy, a vintage clip art blog I like to look at, I see a recent post of this moth drawing:

Which I am sure to some people is very... lovely?  But to me it is positively revolting.  This image will probably give me nightmares, and sadly I'm not joking.

The caption says that it's from an early natural history book, and the moth is called a "Death's Head Hawk Moth."

See, Moth = Death.  I knew it.

Anyway, the most disturbing part is a comment that a reader left, saying that they are native to Europe & Asia (thank goodness) and they have a strange ability to squeak when irritated.

Umm... first of all, I'm not sure what constitutes moth "irritation".  Second of all... squeaking?  I don't really know what that means, but regardless it's creepy.

So then as I was doing some internet research on this filthy creature (rule #1 - know thy enemy!) I actually SAW a moth fluttering out of the corner of my eye.

And... I dropped my laptop.

The last time I did that I broke the power cord - thankfully, this time no damage was done.

Which is especially good since it was actually just a feather from our little parrot that got swept up in a breeze from the fan, and not a moth at all.

Our Senegal Parrot, C.J.

Ok!  Well on that note... I guess you're probably looking for a recipe.

I really have no good 'story' for this salsa so this is probably as good a time to post it as any.  I just felt like trying out a green salsa recipe because I always enjoy it at restaurants.  This one isn't quite as good, but it's pretty darn close.

So, uh, that's it.  End of story.

If you need me, I'll be in bed with the covers pulled over my head.

Salsa Verde

• 8 tomatillos, husked & chopped into large chunks
• 3 shallots (or, 1 medium onion), chopped into large chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 4 oz. can chopped chiles
• 1/4 C. fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, seeded
• salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor.  Using pulse setting, coarsely chop.  Cover & chill in refrigerator.

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

*Note: For anyone who has never worked with tomatillos - they come in a papery husk that you have to peel off and then you'll want to wash them thoroughly (they have a sticky exterior).  Otherwise, they are basically like a green tomato, just with more seeds.

 tomatillos