My Desires
Things I want:
1. To edit my blog posts so that I publish writing I am proud of as opposed to off the cuff, non-literary, stream-of-semi-consciousness crap.
2. To start a local restaurant selling local treats from our Asian trip. I know it would be a success--it is my short-term back-up plan if my firm lays me off.
3. To speak Spanish fluently. Pimlseur is helping. But not fast enough. All of the Spanish speakers I encounter speak English better than I speak Spanish.
4. To do more pro-bono legal work.
5. To read more good books.
6. To work out more and to be in better shape.
7. To laugh more often and to take life less seriously because it is short and I may as well enjoy it.
8. To cook more good food.
9. To be a better friend and family member -- to be there for folks in the way that they need me, not in the way that I *want* them to need me.
10. To be a better wife.
It would appear that my New Year's Resolution should be to find a way to stretch time, since if I can do that #1-10 would be much more feasible...
December 27, 2008
Roll on You Bears
Yet another advantage of the slow economy and my lack of work this holiday season: I got to watch the Cal Bowl Game. For the first several quarters, we looked to each other and asked, "who is Emerald?" "What is Emerald?" but then, finally, a commercial explained they were the nuts company. And, well, since my papa subscribed to California Nut and Bean Grower back in the day, it felt like it was my ball game -- in my old town, SF, with my team playing, sponsored by an industry that my family was built upon. I felt very attached to this game.
So, after we enjoyed our delicious steak dinner with the family, paired with one of my new favorite wines, we headed home to enjoy the rest of the game.
The Bears did not disappoint. Both Miami and Berkeley treated us to some great football from some young teams (making young mistakes on both sides, but a ton of heart, which you just can't dispute).
It was a good contest to the end. I was happy to see Nate Longshore go out on a good note. I was more happy to see the young ones like Jahvid Best and Anthony Miller kicking butt.
Plus, we won the bowl game, which is always nice.
Next year should be a fun year to be a Cal football fan.
Yet another advantage of the slow economy and my lack of work this holiday season: I got to watch the Cal Bowl Game. For the first several quarters, we looked to each other and asked, "who is Emerald?" "What is Emerald?" but then, finally, a commercial explained they were the nuts company. And, well, since my papa subscribed to California Nut and Bean Grower back in the day, it felt like it was my ball game -- in my old town, SF, with my team playing, sponsored by an industry that my family was built upon. I felt very attached to this game.
So, after we enjoyed our delicious steak dinner with the family, paired with one of my new favorite wines, we headed home to enjoy the rest of the game.
The Bears did not disappoint. Both Miami and Berkeley treated us to some great football from some young teams (making young mistakes on both sides, but a ton of heart, which you just can't dispute).
It was a good contest to the end. I was happy to see Nate Longshore go out on a good note. I was more happy to see the young ones like Jahvid Best and Anthony Miller kicking butt.
Plus, we won the bowl game, which is always nice.
Next year should be a fun year to be a Cal football fan.
December 26, 2008
Boxing Day
E's family is *very* social. Every time we visit, there are parties we never expected to attend where we are always the least well dressed. Of course, everyone is so happy we came, and gracious, and welcoming, and it almost makes us want to come back next time better dressed.
Almost.
The problem, of course, is that it just isn't that important to us and we are only here every 2 years. So, it falls off the list. Similarly, every year, we receive these gorgeous holiday cards from the majority of our friends, and every year, we say, "Oh! How gorgeous! Next year! Next year, we are going to do holiday cards!"
Somehow, it never happens, and the closest to a holiday card that folks get from us is an evite to BBQ season.
We have no excuse. We have all the addresses. We take pictures that would work wonderfully. And yet, for whatever reason, it never makes our top priority list.
Maybe next year...
Tonight, just like when we receive the holiday cards, we accepted the invitation to a Southern Boxing Day party and thought, "we should do that next year." I, for one, was amazed that I had never celebrated Boxing Day. What a brilliant idea! We showed up with food for the hungry to be distributed by affiliated churches *after* the holidays. You know, when they *really* need it.
Say what you will about the South. The folks I have met really do have a charitable spirit that exceeds any I have encountered in my Californian existence. I am impressed.
So,I think this set of holidays in the South will go down as the year I finally made my peace with the South. Until now, I fought it. But now, I love it here. I adopted what I love (which, in fairness, is part of the reason I fell in love with my husband), and I finally had enough courage to be my own person while here, to challenge them to love me for who I am against their grain just as I love them for who they are.
It seems to be working out.
It doesn't hurt that today, Boxing Day, the day after the traditional Southern Christmas, we slept in, which apparently, is what one is supposed to do, according to the experts (we're on it for the future!) and then, we went to lunch with a long lost friend who left the bay area -- who, in fairness, is the one who deserves credit for E's and my introduction.
This afternoon, after the required reunion lunch at Waffle House, after I ate myself silly on scattered, smothered, covered, diced, peppered hash browns, I left the boys to laugh and chat, and, much to each of their surprise did an 8 mile loop in the hills of Atlanta (despite the stories, there are enough sidewalks, and I think it could be just as pedestrian as our hometown), and from there we went to the Boxing Day party, where we ate small bits of food 'til we'd all had entirely too much.
Overall, I'm happy. The weather, coupled with my health, meant I could run 8 miles today on a whim. Tomorrow, no doubt, I'll have work, or something. But for today, it was perfect: sleep in, lunch at waffle house with a long lost friend, a medium long run through the city and cold, boxing day party, and late night at home. I got to speak to my mom, sister, and niece. They delivered messages from my brother, uncles, etc, and I was content.
Happy Boxing Day to all.
E's family is *very* social. Every time we visit, there are parties we never expected to attend where we are always the least well dressed. Of course, everyone is so happy we came, and gracious, and welcoming, and it almost makes us want to come back next time better dressed.
Almost.
The problem, of course, is that it just isn't that important to us and we are only here every 2 years. So, it falls off the list. Similarly, every year, we receive these gorgeous holiday cards from the majority of our friends, and every year, we say, "Oh! How gorgeous! Next year! Next year, we are going to do holiday cards!"
Somehow, it never happens, and the closest to a holiday card that folks get from us is an evite to BBQ season.
We have no excuse. We have all the addresses. We take pictures that would work wonderfully. And yet, for whatever reason, it never makes our top priority list.
Maybe next year...
Tonight, just like when we receive the holiday cards, we accepted the invitation to a Southern Boxing Day party and thought, "we should do that next year." I, for one, was amazed that I had never celebrated Boxing Day. What a brilliant idea! We showed up with food for the hungry to be distributed by affiliated churches *after* the holidays. You know, when they *really* need it.
Say what you will about the South. The folks I have met really do have a charitable spirit that exceeds any I have encountered in my Californian existence. I am impressed.
So,I think this set of holidays in the South will go down as the year I finally made my peace with the South. Until now, I fought it. But now, I love it here. I adopted what I love (which, in fairness, is part of the reason I fell in love with my husband), and I finally had enough courage to be my own person while here, to challenge them to love me for who I am against their grain just as I love them for who they are.
It seems to be working out.
It doesn't hurt that today, Boxing Day, the day after the traditional Southern Christmas, we slept in, which apparently, is what one is supposed to do, according to the experts (we're on it for the future!) and then, we went to lunch with a long lost friend who left the bay area -- who, in fairness, is the one who deserves credit for E's and my introduction.
This afternoon, after the required reunion lunch at Waffle House, after I ate myself silly on scattered, smothered, covered, diced, peppered hash browns, I left the boys to laugh and chat, and, much to each of their surprise did an 8 mile loop in the hills of Atlanta (despite the stories, there are enough sidewalks, and I think it could be just as pedestrian as our hometown), and from there we went to the Boxing Day party, where we ate small bits of food 'til we'd all had entirely too much.
Overall, I'm happy. The weather, coupled with my health, meant I could run 8 miles today on a whim. Tomorrow, no doubt, I'll have work, or something. But for today, it was perfect: sleep in, lunch at waffle house with a long lost friend, a medium long run through the city and cold, boxing day party, and late night at home. I got to speak to my mom, sister, and niece. They delivered messages from my brother, uncles, etc, and I was content.
Happy Boxing Day to all.
December 25, 2008
Celebrate!
Regardless of whether this is your holiday (and, for reference, I spent much of the Christmas dinner being told by a practicing Zen Buddhist that I, as a reading but not sitting Zen buddhist, really should join the local sitting group in town, which, of course, is true, but not what one thinks of as traditional Christmas dinner conversation), I hope you had a lovely day.
Daddy, in his hilarious wisdom ("Life's not fair kid, get used to it." and "Never get too good at something you don't like.") always said to celebrate the good things, no matter what.
So, if Christmas isn't your day, celebrate the day off work. Celebrate the general holiday spirit. Just celebrate. Because at the end of the day, I think Daddy's right. Celebration, as often as possible, is a good thing.
And, in that vein, while there are things that suck about the economy, the relative lack of work and pressure over the last few days and today were nice changes that both E and I have been trying to enjoy and even celebrate this holiday. I made it to a local yoga studio for a class (which I haven't done in at least a year) and purchased a 10-day pass, so ideally I'll be going back. Additionally, I've fit in multiple runs, visits to E's extended family, long lunches with family, and just general free time.
I even had to take vacation PTO yesterday because there was no work to do. Had there been work, I would have done it and saved the vacation. But there was none to do. This seemed strange, given my whole 2 years of previous holiday experience as a lawyer. But, as dad instructed, I'll assume it was a blessing and enjoy it.
Today, we started the celebration by sleeping in.
Then, we ate entirely too much breakfast of pannetone french toast (so rich!) and, of course, bacon.
Then, presents. Less than last time, with more time for creativity (E's sister created cards for all of us from faceinwhole.com, the elf on the front page -- yeah, my gift came with that with my face.) Less presents is good for E and me. That way, our relative lack of commitment to presents looks less lame. We had covered E's family, but then we realized that going around the circle meant that everyone else had gotten each other presents and we hadn't gotten each other anything (our NYE trip, food on vacation, etc. tend to be our gifts to one another).
So, we made a quick run to Target for a Queen sizedaerobed Eddie Bauer inflatable bed (so we could sleep together like the married couple we are while staying in E's childhood room with 2 twin beds) and each picked out our favorite teas, some lip gloss for me and some barbeque tools for E.
We wrapped the small gifts yesterday and unwrapped them today while E's parents unwrapped their gifts to each other. Present balance was maintained.
After presents, I fit in a quick 3 mile run, which felt awesome even if it did draw me some strange looks from E's family and later arriving guests.
And then, there was the shower of ridiculously wonderful water pressure due to the super-old house, followed by the dress-up and the huge traditional southern, sit-down, multi-course Christmas meal with 2 other families. It's the same families for Christmas every year and many of them join for Thanksgiving and/or weddings or other events.
We alternate years and holidays, so I'm slowly getting to know and love these folks as I become more intertwined with E's family and culture. They were happy to see E and me, we were happy to see them, and, as one should on a holiday, we all ate well, drank well, and caught up.
In the midst of the socializing, I got to run out of the room when my phone rang to speak with my sister, brother, niece, and arvay. I traded voicemails with my mom and aunt (who promised to deliver hellos and hugs to the extended family). I even traded text messages with bear, a good friend from college.
After the guests left, we changed into comfortable clothes and watched PBS's documentary on Truman. What an amazing, underappreciated man! He made me proud.
All in all, it was a great holiday, and I hope that your day was equally wonderful.
Regardless of whether this is your holiday (and, for reference, I spent much of the Christmas dinner being told by a practicing Zen Buddhist that I, as a reading but not sitting Zen buddhist, really should join the local sitting group in town, which, of course, is true, but not what one thinks of as traditional Christmas dinner conversation), I hope you had a lovely day.
Daddy, in his hilarious wisdom ("Life's not fair kid, get used to it." and "Never get too good at something you don't like.") always said to celebrate the good things, no matter what.
So, if Christmas isn't your day, celebrate the day off work. Celebrate the general holiday spirit. Just celebrate. Because at the end of the day, I think Daddy's right. Celebration, as often as possible, is a good thing.
And, in that vein, while there are things that suck about the economy, the relative lack of work and pressure over the last few days and today were nice changes that both E and I have been trying to enjoy and even celebrate this holiday. I made it to a local yoga studio for a class (which I haven't done in at least a year) and purchased a 10-day pass, so ideally I'll be going back. Additionally, I've fit in multiple runs, visits to E's extended family, long lunches with family, and just general free time.
I even had to take vacation PTO yesterday because there was no work to do. Had there been work, I would have done it and saved the vacation. But there was none to do. This seemed strange, given my whole 2 years of previous holiday experience as a lawyer. But, as dad instructed, I'll assume it was a blessing and enjoy it.
Today, we started the celebration by sleeping in.
Then, we ate entirely too much breakfast of pannetone french toast (so rich!) and, of course, bacon.
Then, presents. Less than last time, with more time for creativity (E's sister created cards for all of us from faceinwhole.com, the elf on the front page -- yeah, my gift came with that with my face.) Less presents is good for E and me. That way, our relative lack of commitment to presents looks less lame. We had covered E's family, but then we realized that going around the circle meant that everyone else had gotten each other presents and we hadn't gotten each other anything (our NYE trip, food on vacation, etc. tend to be our gifts to one another).
So, we made a quick run to Target for a Queen sized
We wrapped the small gifts yesterday and unwrapped them today while E's parents unwrapped their gifts to each other. Present balance was maintained.
After presents, I fit in a quick 3 mile run, which felt awesome even if it did draw me some strange looks from E's family and later arriving guests.
And then, there was the shower of ridiculously wonderful water pressure due to the super-old house, followed by the dress-up and the huge traditional southern, sit-down, multi-course Christmas meal with 2 other families. It's the same families for Christmas every year and many of them join for Thanksgiving and/or weddings or other events.
We alternate years and holidays, so I'm slowly getting to know and love these folks as I become more intertwined with E's family and culture. They were happy to see E and me, we were happy to see them, and, as one should on a holiday, we all ate well, drank well, and caught up.
In the midst of the socializing, I got to run out of the room when my phone rang to speak with my sister, brother, niece, and arvay. I traded voicemails with my mom and aunt (who promised to deliver hellos and hugs to the extended family). I even traded text messages with bear, a good friend from college.
After the guests left, we changed into comfortable clothes and watched PBS's documentary on Truman. What an amazing, underappreciated man! He made me proud.
All in all, it was a great holiday, and I hope that your day was equally wonderful.
December 24, 2008
The White Tiger
D gave me The White Tiger as a gift because he claimed that after reading the first 3 pages he knew I would love it.
He was right.
This book won this year's Man Booker Prize for fiction, and I can see why. The tale is told as an autobiographical letter, composed in the evenings, from a self-made, self-educated, "half-baked" Indian entrepreneur to the Premier of the People's Republic of China.
Many of the reviews compared it favorably to other Indian literature and noted with pleasure its lack of swirling saris and scents of saffron. They celebrated its setting in the grainy underbelly of the day-to-day India of the lower castes. I could not compare the setting, as I'd never read anything set in India before, but I can say that it is an enthralling and fast read.
Before you know it, you are swept up into the competitive world of Balram, a servant-driver who eventually becomes a successful business owner.
Balram's letter is an exercise in character development. We learn more about Balram, his wants, desires, and disappointments than we do about anything else. However, because his tale is set first in a poor Indian village in the "Darkness," later in a rich suburb of New Dehli, and finally in Bangalore, his story is woven through the binds that his family, his country, his culture, his employer, and his poverty place upon him. In describing these struggles, he paints a fascinating picture of the modern Indian man, and how India "works" through multi-layered competition and corruption.
I highly recommend it.
D gave me The White Tiger as a gift because he claimed that after reading the first 3 pages he knew I would love it.
He was right.
This book won this year's Man Booker Prize for fiction, and I can see why. The tale is told as an autobiographical letter, composed in the evenings, from a self-made, self-educated, "half-baked" Indian entrepreneur to the Premier of the People's Republic of China.
Many of the reviews compared it favorably to other Indian literature and noted with pleasure its lack of swirling saris and scents of saffron. They celebrated its setting in the grainy underbelly of the day-to-day India of the lower castes. I could not compare the setting, as I'd never read anything set in India before, but I can say that it is an enthralling and fast read.
Before you know it, you are swept up into the competitive world of Balram, a servant-driver who eventually becomes a successful business owner.
Balram's letter is an exercise in character development. We learn more about Balram, his wants, desires, and disappointments than we do about anything else. However, because his tale is set first in a poor Indian village in the "Darkness," later in a rich suburb of New Dehli, and finally in Bangalore, his story is woven through the binds that his family, his country, his culture, his employer, and his poverty place upon him. In describing these struggles, he paints a fascinating picture of the modern Indian man, and how India "works" through multi-layered competition and corruption.
I highly recommend it.
December 23, 2008
Southern Cultural Observations
On Running
Today, I went for a 6.5 mile run around noon in the more rural parts of Atlanta. Despite perfect running weather (clear, 45F, no wind) a few miles on some major thoroughfares and a loop around the trail at Atlanta Memorial Park, I saw only one other runner.
In my home town under similar conditions, I would have encountered at least a dozen, and likely two dozen, because it is so close to the holidays.
Upon arriving home, I heard my husband explain to someone that I had gone running because I was, "crazy." My friend, S, who also lives in Atlanta and runs regularly, is also "crazy" by local standards.
On Manners
Yesterday, I went to Bliss Spa to buy a gift certificate for my sister-in-law's present. E waited in the car.
As I entered, I explained why I was there and one of the bellmen (it's in the W hotel) opened the door for me and walked me down 1 flight of stairs to open the door to the spa. The woman at the counter, was, predictably, charming, chatty, and slower on the customer service than I am used to (but I didn't mind because I'm on semi-vacation and just being in a spa feels decadently relaxing).
When I left the building, another bellman said, "Good Afternoon, Ma'am." I smiled and replied in kind and briskly walked to the car (because it was cold). When he realized I was headed for the car, he ran ahead of me and opened the passenger car door for me.
Last night at dinner, E pulled out my chair. At home, he always waits to sit until I do, which I adore, but the chair is just an example of how much *more* polite the South is than California.
On Running
Today, I went for a 6.5 mile run around noon in the more rural parts of Atlanta. Despite perfect running weather (clear, 45F, no wind) a few miles on some major thoroughfares and a loop around the trail at Atlanta Memorial Park, I saw only one other runner.
In my home town under similar conditions, I would have encountered at least a dozen, and likely two dozen, because it is so close to the holidays.
Upon arriving home, I heard my husband explain to someone that I had gone running because I was, "crazy." My friend, S, who also lives in Atlanta and runs regularly, is also "crazy" by local standards.
On Manners
Yesterday, I went to Bliss Spa to buy a gift certificate for my sister-in-law's present. E waited in the car.
As I entered, I explained why I was there and one of the bellmen (it's in the W hotel) opened the door for me and walked me down 1 flight of stairs to open the door to the spa. The woman at the counter, was, predictably, charming, chatty, and slower on the customer service than I am used to (but I didn't mind because I'm on semi-vacation and just being in a spa feels decadently relaxing).
When I left the building, another bellman said, "Good Afternoon, Ma'am." I smiled and replied in kind and briskly walked to the car (because it was cold). When he realized I was headed for the car, he ran ahead of me and opened the passenger car door for me.
Last night at dinner, E pulled out my chair. At home, he always waits to sit until I do, which I adore, but the chair is just an example of how much *more* polite the South is than California.
December 22, 2008
It's Bacon Christmas Again
E and I are back in the South. We arrived to a house that smelled of bacon because E's mom prepped for our arrival by cooking 5 pounds of bacon.
5 Pounds!
This AM, rather than go for a solo run, I joined E's mom and his sister at the gym for a personal training session. I haven't lifted a weight since mid-2006. After an hour of weights and calisthenics selected by a very perky and perfectly fit woman named "Yogi," I remembered why.
Now, all of my muscles feel swollen. Strong, but bulky. Tomorrow, no doubt, I will have trouble moving.
Just the thing to go with the bacon Christmas!
E and I are back in the South. We arrived to a house that smelled of bacon because E's mom prepped for our arrival by cooking 5 pounds of bacon.
5 Pounds!
This AM, rather than go for a solo run, I joined E's mom and his sister at the gym for a personal training session. I haven't lifted a weight since mid-2006. After an hour of weights and calisthenics selected by a very perky and perfectly fit woman named "Yogi," I remembered why.
Now, all of my muscles feel swollen. Strong, but bulky. Tomorrow, no doubt, I will have trouble moving.
Just the thing to go with the bacon Christmas!
December 18, 2008
Lemon Grass Lay-Off Venison
In keeping with the theme we've been following, I present yet another variation on learning how to cook southeast asian food from books combined with venison from brother. This one, apparently, is a very popular Vietnamese beef recipe.
Grilled Lemongrass beef.
But, you know, modified based on what was in our kitchen. So, it ends up being grilled lemongrass venison in a sauce that only has dried red pepper flakes instead of fresh chiles. It was delicious!
So first, you make a paste. If you are hard-core, you do it with a mortar and pestle and then stir in some additional liquids. I am not hard core -- I put all the paste ingredients (garlic, lemon grass, shallots, chiles) and the liquids (fish sauce, lime juice, water) in the blender to make a paste/soup of a marinade. I followed the instructions and let the marinade sit on the venison for 1 hour, covered. Then I put it on skewers, topped it with sesame seeds and prepped it for 4-6 minutes under the broiler. Here is how it looked pre-broiling:
Now, this brings me to an important point -- the sauce on this meat is pink! I am constantly surprised by the instructions in Hot, Salty, Sour, Sweet. Everything is foreign. I do what they tell me to do and end up with things that have weird colors, smells, textures and tastes. It is such a wonderful exploration. Take this recipe -- things I would do very quickly are given much time. Things I would do leisurely are rushed. Spices I would not combine are mixed.
This book has been an amazing education for me, and, as I start preparing the recipes, I have no doubt I will learn more in the process.
Anyways, the result was a success. E and I enjoyed the pleasure of rolling and eating 6 spring rolls each of soaked tapioca papers, leafy lettuce, arugula and other greens from the garden, and broiled venison according to the recipe in HSSS for grilled lemon grass beef, all dipped in nuoc cham ("vietnamese must-have table sauce" according to HSSS -- I made it with red pepper flakes instead of fresh peppers and it was amazing. It probably made the meal.)
In other news, a good friend of mine was recently laid off from her job (not at a law firm). Many local law firms are doing lay-offs, both stealth and vocal (personally, I think vocal is much better for all involved). We, like most folks in our market had one. I couldn't help but think that if I hadn't been spared I might be embarking upon some food-inspired 5th career.
Crazy. Non?
In keeping with the theme we've been following, I present yet another variation on learning how to cook southeast asian food from books combined with venison from brother. This one, apparently, is a very popular Vietnamese beef recipe.
Grilled Lemongrass beef.
But, you know, modified based on what was in our kitchen. So, it ends up being grilled lemongrass venison in a sauce that only has dried red pepper flakes instead of fresh chiles. It was delicious!
So first, you make a paste. If you are hard-core, you do it with a mortar and pestle and then stir in some additional liquids. I am not hard core -- I put all the paste ingredients (garlic, lemon grass, shallots, chiles) and the liquids (fish sauce, lime juice, water) in the blender to make a paste/soup of a marinade. I followed the instructions and let the marinade sit on the venison for 1 hour, covered. Then I put it on skewers, topped it with sesame seeds and prepped it for 4-6 minutes under the broiler. Here is how it looked pre-broiling:
Now, this brings me to an important point -- the sauce on this meat is pink! I am constantly surprised by the instructions in Hot, Salty, Sour, Sweet. Everything is foreign. I do what they tell me to do and end up with things that have weird colors, smells, textures and tastes. It is such a wonderful exploration. Take this recipe -- things I would do very quickly are given much time. Things I would do leisurely are rushed. Spices I would not combine are mixed.
This book has been an amazing education for me, and, as I start preparing the recipes, I have no doubt I will learn more in the process.
Anyways, the result was a success. E and I enjoyed the pleasure of rolling and eating 6 spring rolls each of soaked tapioca papers, leafy lettuce, arugula and other greens from the garden, and broiled venison according to the recipe in HSSS for grilled lemon grass beef, all dipped in nuoc cham ("vietnamese must-have table sauce" according to HSSS -- I made it with red pepper flakes instead of fresh peppers and it was amazing. It probably made the meal.)
In other news, a good friend of mine was recently laid off from her job (not at a law firm). Many local law firms are doing lay-offs, both stealth and vocal (personally, I think vocal is much better for all involved). We, like most folks in our market had one. I couldn't help but think that if I hadn't been spared I might be embarking upon some food-inspired 5th career.
Crazy. Non?
December 11, 2008
Peruvian-style Venison Noodle Stew
In terms of return on effort, this Stew rocks. Maybe 30 minutes, max, and in return, filling happy deliciousness.
I had marked a Peruvian Beef and Noodle Stew recipe from Food & Wine in November of 2005. Last night, I modified it to work with what we had in the house, namely, Venison shoulder steaks from brother, a package of chinese bird's nest noodles, a full red bell pepper instead of half, and olive oil.
-4 T olive oil
-1 or 1.5 lbs venison, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes. I used shoulder steak.
-1 large yellow onion, diced.
-1 large red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 cans beef broth
-1 large russet potato, scrubbed, cut into 1/2 in pieces, skin left on
-1 T ground cumin
-1 t crushed bay leaf (or 1 full bay leaf)
-3 birds' nests
1. In a soup pot, heat 1/2 the olive oil on high heat. Sautee the meat until browned on the outside (2 minutes?) and transfer to a plate.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the pot and sautee the onion, bell pepper and garlic 'til softened (4-5 minutes?).
3. Add the stock, potato, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the noodles and simmer until al dente, approx 5 minutes or so. They will break apart when done.
5. Add the meat and any juices on the plate to the pot and cook for 1 minute.
6. Discard bay leaf if whole. Serve into bowls and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
In terms of return on effort, this Stew rocks. Maybe 30 minutes, max, and in return, filling happy deliciousness.
I had marked a Peruvian Beef and Noodle Stew recipe from Food & Wine in November of 2005. Last night, I modified it to work with what we had in the house, namely, Venison shoulder steaks from brother, a package of chinese bird's nest noodles, a full red bell pepper instead of half, and olive oil.
-4 T olive oil
-1 or 1.5 lbs venison, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes. I used shoulder steak.
-1 large yellow onion, diced.
-1 large red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 cans beef broth
-1 large russet potato, scrubbed, cut into 1/2 in pieces, skin left on
-1 T ground cumin
-1 t crushed bay leaf (or 1 full bay leaf)
-3 birds' nests
1. In a soup pot, heat 1/2 the olive oil on high heat. Sautee the meat until browned on the outside (2 minutes?) and transfer to a plate.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the pot and sautee the onion, bell pepper and garlic 'til softened (4-5 minutes?).
3. Add the stock, potato, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the noodles and simmer until al dente, approx 5 minutes or so. They will break apart when done.
5. Add the meat and any juices on the plate to the pot and cook for 1 minute.
6. Discard bay leaf if whole. Serve into bowls and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
December 8, 2008
Winter Harvest Comfort Food
Tonight, we feasted on the first to ripen of our broccoli and cauliflower. Have I mentioned how much I love the winter garden?
Broccoli-Cauliflower Cheesy Casserole
First, preheat the oven to 400F.
Then,
-cut 1 head broccoli, soak it briefly in vinegar water to get the slugs to escape, then rinse, and chopp into florets, which you rinse again
-1 head cauliflower, treated exactly like the broccoli
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1.5 rounds of bread left over from middle eastern dinner, chopped into crouton size chunks
Layer all of the above ingredients in a 9X13 inch baking dish. Bake at 400F, while you do the next steps:
-melt 2 T butter in a saucepan over medium heat
-add 1/2 C milk, bring to a simmer
-add 1 C cheddar cheese chunks, stir and melt
-add 2-3 T flour, stir briskly, remove from heat, add additional milk and stir briskly if necessary until a nice creamy consistency
Open the oven, pull out the casserole dish, which smells of heavenly roasted garlic and the nutty smell of cooked cauliflower. Pour the cheese sauce over the casserole dish and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool. Serve immediately on 2 plates, topped with black pepper.
Mmmmmm... it's childlike in its flavorful simplicity and deliciousness. Fresh roasted vegetables. Croutons. Cheese sauce. What's not to like?
Tonight, we feasted on the first to ripen of our broccoli and cauliflower. Have I mentioned how much I love the winter garden?
Broccoli-Cauliflower Cheesy Casserole
First, preheat the oven to 400F.
Then,
-cut 1 head broccoli, soak it briefly in vinegar water to get the slugs to escape, then rinse, and chopp into florets, which you rinse again
-1 head cauliflower, treated exactly like the broccoli
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1.5 rounds of bread left over from middle eastern dinner, chopped into crouton size chunks
Layer all of the above ingredients in a 9X13 inch baking dish. Bake at 400F, while you do the next steps:
-melt 2 T butter in a saucepan over medium heat
-add 1/2 C milk, bring to a simmer
-add 1 C cheddar cheese chunks, stir and melt
-add 2-3 T flour, stir briskly, remove from heat, add additional milk and stir briskly if necessary until a nice creamy consistency
Open the oven, pull out the casserole dish, which smells of heavenly roasted garlic and the nutty smell of cooked cauliflower. Pour the cheese sauce over the casserole dish and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool. Serve immediately on 2 plates, topped with black pepper.
Mmmmmm... it's childlike in its flavorful simplicity and deliciousness. Fresh roasted vegetables. Croutons. Cheese sauce. What's not to like?
December 5, 2008
An Education
There is nothing like the fast click-click-click-click of handcuffs behind someone you love. I would try to describe it, but I cannot. I just hurts. I suspect each of us experiences that moment just as severely, but in unique ways.
Supposedly, I have an education in the law.
And yet, I was more or less useless. Perhaps, my last minute plea to the judge got the bail to be decreased. But not enough.
All I know is that after taking 3/4 of a day off work to be at a criminal arraignment for someone I care about -- holy shit -- did I learn quite a bit.
I think I learned more about the reality of law in this country in that 6 hour session than I had in at least the last month of my practice. Perhaps the last 3 or even 6 months. I guess it depends on how important you think contract law is vis-a-vis criminal law.
Sitting there, watching the freedom of various actors be bartered and traded at a breakneck pace -- it seemed that criminal law was much more important.
Sure, most of what I learned wasn't actually law, it was norms: How to plea; How to ask for an offer; How to extend this date or that. But regardless, for me, who never sets foot in a courtroom, it was a world of difference.
Also, I realized how much privilege comes with the bar card. When push came to shove and the person I was there to support did not state their own good points at the bail setting and the Public Defender had not had time to learn them, I ran up, announced myself as a member of the bar and spoke. The judge gave me a nod of approval, as if to say, "good for you for being a supportive advocate." And then, he had me spell my name, repeat my points and referenced them as countervailing considerations in setting bail.
I think I helped, but I shook in my boots. Literally. (I was wearing boots with my suit.)
It was my first appearance in court as a member of the bar, my heart was racing and I have to assume my voice shook too.
I'm excited to return to a life of IP transactions.
There is nothing like the fast click-click-click-click of handcuffs behind someone you love. I would try to describe it, but I cannot. I just hurts. I suspect each of us experiences that moment just as severely, but in unique ways.
Supposedly, I have an education in the law.
And yet, I was more or less useless. Perhaps, my last minute plea to the judge got the bail to be decreased. But not enough.
All I know is that after taking 3/4 of a day off work to be at a criminal arraignment for someone I care about -- holy shit -- did I learn quite a bit.
I think I learned more about the reality of law in this country in that 6 hour session than I had in at least the last month of my practice. Perhaps the last 3 or even 6 months. I guess it depends on how important you think contract law is vis-a-vis criminal law.
Sitting there, watching the freedom of various actors be bartered and traded at a breakneck pace -- it seemed that criminal law was much more important.
Sure, most of what I learned wasn't actually law, it was norms: How to plea; How to ask for an offer; How to extend this date or that. But regardless, for me, who never sets foot in a courtroom, it was a world of difference.
Also, I realized how much privilege comes with the bar card. When push came to shove and the person I was there to support did not state their own good points at the bail setting and the Public Defender had not had time to learn them, I ran up, announced myself as a member of the bar and spoke. The judge gave me a nod of approval, as if to say, "good for you for being a supportive advocate." And then, he had me spell my name, repeat my points and referenced them as countervailing considerations in setting bail.
I think I helped, but I shook in my boots. Literally. (I was wearing boots with my suit.)
It was my first appearance in court as a member of the bar, my heart was racing and I have to assume my voice shook too.
I'm excited to return to a life of IP transactions.
November 30, 2008
Sacramento Races Rock
Thanksgiving morning, Sister and I jointly set 10K personal records at the Run to Feed the Hungry. This is why I love races in the Sacramento area -- they are designed first for the folks who are in them and the charities they benefit, so they are the antithesis of the mass-marketed bay area races.
With 28,000 participants this year, this is the largest running event in Sacramento. That's 10,000 more participants than those who tangled into 6 starting waves at the San Francisco Marathon and Half Marathon last August. And yet, the RTFTH managed it perfectly with 2 starts: one for runners, who lined up according to signs announcing approximately pace goals; and a second start, 10 minutes later, for walkers, strollers and baby joggers (which are prohibited from most bay area races).
When I compare Sacramento races to the bay area and the bay area falls short, I am not speaking about the well run bay area trail runs put on by PCTR and Envirosports. Nor am I talking about super-small local races put on to benefit small local charities (yes, these are often not as well-run as they could be, but they are charitable events first and races second, and I can respect that).
When I get worked up about bay area races and their corporate inefficiencies and wastes, I'm talking about the highly publicized destination races, like the Big, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Yes, I love that I live in one of the easiest places in the world to find a local race and run in it. Yes, I know I am spoiled. But, as a spoiled bay area beneficiary, I'm telling you, Sacramento races are, on average, much better run, cheaper, and less annoyingly commercial than their bay area parallels.
For example, this year, despite limiting paid entrants to a number that requires random selection if you don't raise money for team in training, the fastest time didn't win the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Why? Well, if you ask me, it's because my least favorite bay area marathon and half marathon is a product and not a race. Sure, after initially telling her she lost because she didn't register as an elite runner, they eventually named her as something like the "other winner." But she beat the "official winner" by 11 minutes.
I mean, come on! She didn't have an elite bib and she crossed the finish line with the elites. The non-elites started 20 minutes after the elites. It's not rocket science, people! If Nike paid just a little more attention to the race, and a little less attention to the "product" then perhaps they could have capitalized on the good press and feel good story about this 24-year-old school teacher from Brooklyn.
Instead, Nike's initial response was to make it seem it was her fault for not realizing she might win and failing to register as an elite. Here's something to think about, Nike, when the awards are undefined "commemorative memorabilia" designed by Tiffany, the true elites are unlikely to come out and the winning time is probably going to be significantly slower than what an amateur runner thinks of when they think about elite times.
Reebok, however, kicked ass with their response of awarding her the F.U.N. award as the "Winner and Heroine of Non-Elite Runners Everywhere". The N stands for Nike, right?
One of my biggest complaints about these bay area races is that they require you to pre-register and show up in person the day or two before the race and pick up your packet, bib, and chip or RFID at the "expo." If you haven't had the pleasure of this experience, imagine deciding between a hotel stay near the race or an unnecessary drive to the race location. Once you've found a way there, imagine navigating through a county fair, complete with tents, carnies, crowds, and confusion, only instead of beer, games, and mechanically questionable carnival rides, this labrynth of white tents will be filled with advertisements and products and services hawked by loud salesfolks eagerly hoping to separate race participants from their disposable income.
Even my favorite local race, with its 5,000 participants, commits this sin. This year, I avoided all of the tents at the expo, and made a bee-line straight for the registration area. I thought I made it out unmolested until I got home and opened the bag where my t-shirt was placed. In addition to the unnecessary 2-hour round-trip, I was treated to several pounds of paper advertisements they'd crammed into the bag, plus this:
I can't even begin to spew the expletives deserved by these un-regulated, un-tested, non-quality-controlled supplements and wackadoo crap marketed as magical weight-loss, fat-loss, and energy-intensifying cure-alls. (In the interests of avoiding waste, I ate the larabars, rice crackers, melatonin, and the vitamin C).
The RTFTH, in contrast, has the *option* of picking up your packet a day or two before the race at local REI outlets. Perhaps they have marketing crap there too, but I wouldn't know. Because, you can also pick up your bib on the morning of the race. And, [gasp!] they even allow day-of registration if you are willing to forgo an electronically recorded time. What a brilliant trade-off! I was more than happy to pay $40 instead of $35 on the morning of thanksgiving to run this inspirational race without an official time. I still got a bib. I'll still get the T-shirt mailed to me. And, I was able to contribute to and be part of a *huge* race that raised over $700,000 to feed local hungry folks. Bay Area charities could really learn some lessons here -- for every additional day-off registrant, the charity probably cleared at least $30.
If RTFTH can pull off day-of registration and packet pick-up for 28,000 participants, the bay area races have no excuse.
Finally, if my ranting doesn't touch anything you care about but you are a runner looking for another reason to consider doing a race in Sacramento, then consider that it's flat, and when the weather cooperates, it's a ridiculously fast place to run. As of Thursday, my marathon, half marathon, and now 10K PRs are all from races in the Sacramento area.
Thanksgiving morning, Sister and I jointly set 10K personal records at the Run to Feed the Hungry. This is why I love races in the Sacramento area -- they are designed first for the folks who are in them and the charities they benefit, so they are the antithesis of the mass-marketed bay area races.
With 28,000 participants this year, this is the largest running event in Sacramento. That's 10,000 more participants than those who tangled into 6 starting waves at the San Francisco Marathon and Half Marathon last August. And yet, the RTFTH managed it perfectly with 2 starts: one for runners, who lined up according to signs announcing approximately pace goals; and a second start, 10 minutes later, for walkers, strollers and baby joggers (which are prohibited from most bay area races).
When I compare Sacramento races to the bay area and the bay area falls short, I am not speaking about the well run bay area trail runs put on by PCTR and Envirosports. Nor am I talking about super-small local races put on to benefit small local charities (yes, these are often not as well-run as they could be, but they are charitable events first and races second, and I can respect that).
When I get worked up about bay area races and their corporate inefficiencies and wastes, I'm talking about the highly publicized destination races, like the Big, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Yes, I love that I live in one of the easiest places in the world to find a local race and run in it. Yes, I know I am spoiled. But, as a spoiled bay area beneficiary, I'm telling you, Sacramento races are, on average, much better run, cheaper, and less annoyingly commercial than their bay area parallels.
For example, this year, despite limiting paid entrants to a number that requires random selection if you don't raise money for team in training, the fastest time didn't win the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Why? Well, if you ask me, it's because my least favorite bay area marathon and half marathon is a product and not a race. Sure, after initially telling her she lost because she didn't register as an elite runner, they eventually named her as something like the "other winner." But she beat the "official winner" by 11 minutes.
I mean, come on! She didn't have an elite bib and she crossed the finish line with the elites. The non-elites started 20 minutes after the elites. It's not rocket science, people! If Nike paid just a little more attention to the race, and a little less attention to the "product" then perhaps they could have capitalized on the good press and feel good story about this 24-year-old school teacher from Brooklyn.
Instead, Nike's initial response was to make it seem it was her fault for not realizing she might win and failing to register as an elite. Here's something to think about, Nike, when the awards are undefined "commemorative memorabilia" designed by Tiffany, the true elites are unlikely to come out and the winning time is probably going to be significantly slower than what an amateur runner thinks of when they think about elite times.
Reebok, however, kicked ass with their response of awarding her the F.U.N. award as the "Winner and Heroine of Non-Elite Runners Everywhere". The N stands for Nike, right?
One of my biggest complaints about these bay area races is that they require you to pre-register and show up in person the day or two before the race and pick up your packet, bib, and chip or RFID at the "expo." If you haven't had the pleasure of this experience, imagine deciding between a hotel stay near the race or an unnecessary drive to the race location. Once you've found a way there, imagine navigating through a county fair, complete with tents, carnies, crowds, and confusion, only instead of beer, games, and mechanically questionable carnival rides, this labrynth of white tents will be filled with advertisements and products and services hawked by loud salesfolks eagerly hoping to separate race participants from their disposable income.
Even my favorite local race, with its 5,000 participants, commits this sin. This year, I avoided all of the tents at the expo, and made a bee-line straight for the registration area. I thought I made it out unmolested until I got home and opened the bag where my t-shirt was placed. In addition to the unnecessary 2-hour round-trip, I was treated to several pounds of paper advertisements they'd crammed into the bag, plus this:
I can't even begin to spew the expletives deserved by these un-regulated, un-tested, non-quality-controlled supplements and wackadoo crap marketed as magical weight-loss, fat-loss, and energy-intensifying cure-alls. (In the interests of avoiding waste, I ate the larabars, rice crackers, melatonin, and the vitamin C).
The RTFTH, in contrast, has the *option* of picking up your packet a day or two before the race at local REI outlets. Perhaps they have marketing crap there too, but I wouldn't know. Because, you can also pick up your bib on the morning of the race. And, [gasp!] they even allow day-of registration if you are willing to forgo an electronically recorded time. What a brilliant trade-off! I was more than happy to pay $40 instead of $35 on the morning of thanksgiving to run this inspirational race without an official time. I still got a bib. I'll still get the T-shirt mailed to me. And, I was able to contribute to and be part of a *huge* race that raised over $700,000 to feed local hungry folks. Bay Area charities could really learn some lessons here -- for every additional day-off registrant, the charity probably cleared at least $30.
If RTFTH can pull off day-of registration and packet pick-up for 28,000 participants, the bay area races have no excuse.
Finally, if my ranting doesn't touch anything you care about but you are a runner looking for another reason to consider doing a race in Sacramento, then consider that it's flat, and when the weather cooperates, it's a ridiculously fast place to run. As of Thursday, my marathon, half marathon, and now 10K PRs are all from races in the Sacramento area.
November 24, 2008
Simple Pleasures
It's almost thanksgiving and I woke up this morning, thankful for:
- the restful bliss of a full night's sleep
- my health, which allows me to enjoy sleep, hunger, taste, running, stretching, and a million other physical pleasures
- that I get to live with and be married to my best friend
- my family and friends
- telephones and the internet which allow me to keep in touch with my family and friends
- food, in all of its forms
- the garden, and the wonder I experience as I watch the plants grow, change, and eventually feed us
- books
- the mind-bending joy of learning something new
- and too many other things to list.
In short, I'm thankful for life.
It's almost thanksgiving and I woke up this morning, thankful for:
- the restful bliss of a full night's sleep
- my health, which allows me to enjoy sleep, hunger, taste, running, stretching, and a million other physical pleasures
- that I get to live with and be married to my best friend
- my family and friends
- telephones and the internet which allow me to keep in touch with my family and friends
- food, in all of its forms
- the garden, and the wonder I experience as I watch the plants grow, change, and eventually feed us
- books
- the mind-bending joy of learning something new
- and too many other things to list.
In short, I'm thankful for life.
November 19, 2008
A present
Ray Bradbury's short story about the first tennis shoes of summer has always stuck with me, ever since reading Dandelion Wine in high school.
I just put on brand new running shoes and they feel so wonderful. I can feel why Ray was inspired to write his story. New shoes are the promise of so much possibility in the world. Bouncy. Fresh. New.
Now, I'm off for a gloriously late morning run before showing up devilishly late to work.
What a fabulous way to celebrate my dad's birthday!
Ray Bradbury's short story about the first tennis shoes of summer has always stuck with me, ever since reading Dandelion Wine in high school.
I just put on brand new running shoes and they feel so wonderful. I can feel why Ray was inspired to write his story. New shoes are the promise of so much possibility in the world. Bouncy. Fresh. New.
Now, I'm off for a gloriously late morning run before showing up devilishly late to work.
What a fabulous way to celebrate my dad's birthday!
November 15, 2008
Book Review: Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet
At the recommendation of R's little brother, I put Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet on my wish list. E bought it for me as a gift. I loved it.
Tonight, in a blissfully mellow evening at home, after a light meal, I sat down to finish this awesome book. I laugh at myself, because I've become someone who reads cookbooks for fun and counts them on her "books read" challenge.
But this is an entertaining read all on its own, even without trying any of the recipes. It's almost 350 pages blended between travelogues mainly focused on food, recipes, history lessons, encyclopedic explanations of indigenous ingredients and techniques, and gorgeous photographs.
The common theme is that all of these tidbits are always focused on the peoples bordering the southern portion of the Mekong River.
This collection of 25 years of knowledge and experiences gained through repeated visits by a husband and wife (often accompanied by their two sons) to the Yunan Province of China, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam is the most evocative cookbook-esque book I've ever read.
Their descriptions of the peoples, their troubles, the wars, and the slow opening of the region to foreigners helped me feel as if I'd traveled there myself. The pictures and descriptions of preparations made me drool.
I was happy to learn that my belief that "Vietnamese food is my favorite Asian food (other than japanese)" is actually wrong -- many of the things I love about Vietnamese food are common to much of southeast Asia.
As the title hints, the food theme of balancing hot, salty, sweet, and sour flavors all in one dish is shared throughout the region. This flavor combination is one of my favorites, and I look forward to practicing the techniques I read about.
Predictably, I am now inspired to try entirely too many new recipes. I hope the increase in pork in our household over the next year as I try to make several of meals I flagged will convince E that he made the right choice in his gift.
At the recommendation of R's little brother, I put Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet on my wish list. E bought it for me as a gift. I loved it.
Tonight, in a blissfully mellow evening at home, after a light meal, I sat down to finish this awesome book. I laugh at myself, because I've become someone who reads cookbooks for fun and counts them on her "books read" challenge.
But this is an entertaining read all on its own, even without trying any of the recipes. It's almost 350 pages blended between travelogues mainly focused on food, recipes, history lessons, encyclopedic explanations of indigenous ingredients and techniques, and gorgeous photographs.
The common theme is that all of these tidbits are always focused on the peoples bordering the southern portion of the Mekong River.
This collection of 25 years of knowledge and experiences gained through repeated visits by a husband and wife (often accompanied by their two sons) to the Yunan Province of China, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam is the most evocative cookbook-esque book I've ever read.
Their descriptions of the peoples, their troubles, the wars, and the slow opening of the region to foreigners helped me feel as if I'd traveled there myself. The pictures and descriptions of preparations made me drool.
I was happy to learn that my belief that "Vietnamese food is my favorite Asian food (other than japanese)" is actually wrong -- many of the things I love about Vietnamese food are common to much of southeast Asia.
As the title hints, the food theme of balancing hot, salty, sweet, and sour flavors all in one dish is shared throughout the region. This flavor combination is one of my favorites, and I look forward to practicing the techniques I read about.
Predictably, I am now inspired to try entirely too many new recipes. I hope the increase in pork in our household over the next year as I try to make several of meals I flagged will convince E that he made the right choice in his gift.
Garden Lebanese CousCous
Our 6 arugula plants had generated an impressive amount of regrowth after the harvest for halloween dinner party salads. So, last night, I trimmed again:
The salad section of the garden looked much neater after their trimming (the arugula is to the left of the spinach and to the right of the lettuce, so you can imagine how crowded things were prior to harvest):
We're home this weekend, so in the interests of making them even neater, I think I'm going to transplant the lettuces in the left row to where the radishes used to be. The brussel sprouts appear to be claiming that section.
Once I had all of the arugula cleaned, I had to come up with a use for it. So, I present last night's healthy and yummy dinner (it wasn't a hit with E, just "okay" he said, but I loved it.)
Garden Lebanese Cous Cous
-approx 1 lb arugula trimmed from the garden, washed and broken into bite size pieces and stripped from the stems where they are too broad.
-1/2 cup of parsley trimmed from the garden, washed
-1/2 cup of basil trimmed from the garden, washed
-1 yellow onion, diced finely
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
-3 cups chicken broth
-1 T butter
-olive oil
-1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
-1 cup Lebanese Cous Cous (much larger than ordinary Cous Cous, the balls are the size of peas, but I'm guessing this recipe would work with ordinary cous cous as well)
-lemon juice to taste
1. Before you prep the vegetables, bring broth and butter to a boil in a pot. Lower to a simmer. Add Cous Cous. Stir. Cover, and allow to cook. Add more broth if it appears to be getting too dry before it's fully cooked (approx 40 minutes). Remove from heat when cooked through, stir, and allow to cool a bit with the lid off.
2. Prep vegetables. You can chop the parsley and basil together, at the same time.
3. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and sautée until the onions are almost translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and break them into smaller pieces with the spoon.
5. Raise the pan's heat to high. Add the arugula and lemon juice. Stir quickly, sautéing until wilted and the majority of the liquid boils off. Remove from heat.
6. Add the arugula mixture to the Cous Cous pot. Stir. Add the basil and parsely. Stir again.
7. Serve immediately and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the serving bowls.
Enjoy!
Our 6 arugula plants had generated an impressive amount of regrowth after the harvest for halloween dinner party salads. So, last night, I trimmed again:
The salad section of the garden looked much neater after their trimming (the arugula is to the left of the spinach and to the right of the lettuce, so you can imagine how crowded things were prior to harvest):
We're home this weekend, so in the interests of making them even neater, I think I'm going to transplant the lettuces in the left row to where the radishes used to be. The brussel sprouts appear to be claiming that section.
Once I had all of the arugula cleaned, I had to come up with a use for it. So, I present last night's healthy and yummy dinner (it wasn't a hit with E, just "okay" he said, but I loved it.)
Garden Lebanese Cous Cous
-approx 1 lb arugula trimmed from the garden, washed and broken into bite size pieces and stripped from the stems where they are too broad.
-1/2 cup of parsley trimmed from the garden, washed
-1/2 cup of basil trimmed from the garden, washed
-1 yellow onion, diced finely
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
-3 cups chicken broth
-1 T butter
-olive oil
-1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
-1 cup Lebanese Cous Cous (much larger than ordinary Cous Cous, the balls are the size of peas, but I'm guessing this recipe would work with ordinary cous cous as well)
-lemon juice to taste
1. Before you prep the vegetables, bring broth and butter to a boil in a pot. Lower to a simmer. Add Cous Cous. Stir. Cover, and allow to cook. Add more broth if it appears to be getting too dry before it's fully cooked (approx 40 minutes). Remove from heat when cooked through, stir, and allow to cool a bit with the lid off.
2. Prep vegetables. You can chop the parsley and basil together, at the same time.
3. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and sautée until the onions are almost translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and break them into smaller pieces with the spoon.
5. Raise the pan's heat to high. Add the arugula and lemon juice. Stir quickly, sautéing until wilted and the majority of the liquid boils off. Remove from heat.
6. Add the arugula mixture to the Cous Cous pot. Stir. Add the basil and parsely. Stir again.
7. Serve immediately and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the serving bowls.
Enjoy!
November 12, 2008
Gifts from the Mountain Man
Brother came for a quick visit yesterday to pick up some of his tools that he'd left on his last visit. Unannounced 'til 12 hours prior. Unplanned. Appreciated.
He also dropped of 15 pounds of frozen venison. Meat from the wild that he killed, cleaned, and butchered himself:
If you love to cook and have a garden (and are not vegetarian), then having hunting/fishing family members contribute meat to the mix is about the coolest thing ever!
Fresh, natural, environmentally friendly, delicious home-made food doesn't get much better than this.
This delivery was so exciting -- after weeks of misses, he closed out the season by getting not one, but two bucks in the final two weeks. This means he didn't have enough freezer space and we were to be the lucky recipients of some of the overflow.
Used to be, brother took his meat to the professional butcher. But this year, times are tough. So, he butchered the meat himself, with Dad's best friend, a former butcher.
This was the first time since 2004 that I'd received wild game in brown paper bags. Last time, it was Dead Elk Stew from Dad. This time, it was a variety of venison, from Brother, butchered in the same garage as the Dead Elk Stew.
He reminds me more of Dad each time I see him. He looks more like him. His hair is longer and curlier now, more like Dad's. Even his handwriting on the meat looks like Dad's on the long-ago-famed Elk.
Apparently, his next endeavor is to make homemade venison-pork sausage with some of the lower extremity deer muscles that were not proper cuts. He wants to use all of the animal and to experiment with spices, just like me. He identifies movie-stars by saying, "listen to his voice," just like I do. I see so many of my strongest personality traits when I look at him honestly -- my oddities that are strengths, and truly, most of my oddities that are faults as well, albeit expressed differently.
And yet. Seriously. Pretty much everyone agrees that we literally could not be more different. I'm not sure I agree. Regardless, siblings are fascinating (and frustrating) -- but, I could not be more thankful for or in love with mine (Sister too!).
Also, I'm now open to venison recipe suggestions.
Brother came for a quick visit yesterday to pick up some of his tools that he'd left on his last visit. Unannounced 'til 12 hours prior. Unplanned. Appreciated.
He also dropped of 15 pounds of frozen venison. Meat from the wild that he killed, cleaned, and butchered himself:
If you love to cook and have a garden (and are not vegetarian), then having hunting/fishing family members contribute meat to the mix is about the coolest thing ever!
Fresh, natural, environmentally friendly, delicious home-made food doesn't get much better than this.
This delivery was so exciting -- after weeks of misses, he closed out the season by getting not one, but two bucks in the final two weeks. This means he didn't have enough freezer space and we were to be the lucky recipients of some of the overflow.
Used to be, brother took his meat to the professional butcher. But this year, times are tough. So, he butchered the meat himself, with Dad's best friend, a former butcher.
This was the first time since 2004 that I'd received wild game in brown paper bags. Last time, it was Dead Elk Stew from Dad. This time, it was a variety of venison, from Brother, butchered in the same garage as the Dead Elk Stew.
He reminds me more of Dad each time I see him. He looks more like him. His hair is longer and curlier now, more like Dad's. Even his handwriting on the meat looks like Dad's on the long-ago-famed Elk.
Apparently, his next endeavor is to make homemade venison-pork sausage with some of the lower extremity deer muscles that were not proper cuts. He wants to use all of the animal and to experiment with spices, just like me. He identifies movie-stars by saying, "listen to his voice," just like I do. I see so many of my strongest personality traits when I look at him honestly -- my oddities that are strengths, and truly, most of my oddities that are faults as well, albeit expressed differently.
And yet. Seriously. Pretty much everyone agrees that we literally could not be more different. I'm not sure I agree. Regardless, siblings are fascinating (and frustrating) -- but, I could not be more thankful for or in love with mine (Sister too!).
Also, I'm now open to venison recipe suggestions.
November 9, 2008
Winter Garden Update
Well, it's been 7 weeks since we built the winter garden boxes and planted the first transplants and seeds. What have we learned?
1. Swiss Chard grows quickly, and is tasty or bitter depending on your perspective. If it gets an aphid infection that you don't treat soon enough, the leaves will all curl and be useless and you have to cut it down to nubs. I hope some of them come back...
2. The Japanese cucumber plant in the pot is still going strong and producing cukes like crazy. Definitely the most prolific plant of the year:
3. The Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower seem to really like the soil and were doing quite well other than some holes in the leaves we were trying to identify. The peas seem to be flowering and growing well, too:
4. The first set of onion seeds all sprouted, we even had to cull, and the peas seem to be flowering and growing reasonably well. You can see the Chard between the peas on the left, and the onions on the right, trying to make a comeback:
5. The brussel sprouts seem to be growing well, but they too, have the holes in the leaves. In all of the plants with holes, they started as small shot-like holes, and then grew each week:
6. We planted two carrot seeds per indentation, and about half of the indentations sprouted. My gran tells me 50% is great yield. I'm not so impressed...
7. The beets are very sorry looking. We planted 9, 5 sprouted but 2 were destroyed by the squirrels digging nearby for their lost nuts (stupid, forgetful squirrels). To date, 3 are still hanging in there -- 2 red and one yellow:
8. The French radishes were the easiest winter thing to grow from seed. They all sprouted, and produced radishes in 4 short weeks. They just keep getting bigger while we wait to eat the rest:
9. The transplanted greens for salad have been my favorite part of the winter garden. Very few pests. Arugula, I love you! Spinach, and mixed salad pack -- you guys are awesome too. We regularly trim the outer leaves for fresh salads and then the baby leaves in the middle continue to grow outward. The parsely and chives on the far right are nice to have for fresh accents to meals (just like the herb box) Greens fresh from the plant are amazing:
10. So far, 41 of the 42 garlic cloves we planted have sprouted. I'm holding out hope for the last one because it was 40/42 'til this AM when the late-bloomer 41 poked through, so perhaps 42 is just even slower. I can't wait to have 42 heads of gourmet garlic next year! Also, at the far end, we planted more onions and 6 artichoke seeds. Supposedly, artichokes are hard to germinate and take up 3 feet of space per plant. We were shocked to find the 5 of the 6 seeds sprouted despite serious squirrel destruction in this box (they are much more attracted to plain dirt than dirt with plants, so next year we will intersperse the transplants with the seeds more evenly). We surrounded the artichokes with onion seeds, most of which were decimated by the squirrels. So, in a month or so, we'll probably cull 3 of the artichoke plants and try with a third round of onions.
11. Remember the book about the Very Hungry Caterpillar?
12. Yeah, we finally figured out what was causing the tiny holes in our plants. At first, we just saw lots of black dots on the plants that seemed to grow bigger over time, and some of them were darker green. The Big Book didn't have anything to say about the balls, so I'd spray them off with the hose and we made plans to spray the plants with Neem Oil Spray in hopes that it would ward off whatever was the problem:
13. It turns out, the balls are caterpillar poop that grow as the caterpillars (and consequently the holes in the leaves) grow (see the right hand of this leaf for super-small balls, the first sign we saw when we had small holes):
14. For some of the plants, I fear we did not act quickly enough:
15. But finally, we had an afternoon caterpillar genocide:
In our terrible scientific experiments, we learned that they will drown in plain water, but try to climb out. If you add bleach to the water, they don't try to climb out. The neem oil spray also kills them if they are drenched.
16. The moral of the story is that this guy is not the friend of your cabbage, brussel sprout, brocolli, or cauliflower plants:
If you see one or more of these guys, and then you see small holes in your leaves, act quickly. I think next year we'll try to proactively spray with neem oil.
Well, it's been 7 weeks since we built the winter garden boxes and planted the first transplants and seeds. What have we learned?
1. Swiss Chard grows quickly, and is tasty or bitter depending on your perspective. If it gets an aphid infection that you don't treat soon enough, the leaves will all curl and be useless and you have to cut it down to nubs. I hope some of them come back...
2. The Japanese cucumber plant in the pot is still going strong and producing cukes like crazy. Definitely the most prolific plant of the year:
3. The Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower seem to really like the soil and were doing quite well other than some holes in the leaves we were trying to identify. The peas seem to be flowering and growing well, too:
4. The first set of onion seeds all sprouted, we even had to cull, and the peas seem to be flowering and growing reasonably well. You can see the Chard between the peas on the left, and the onions on the right, trying to make a comeback:
5. The brussel sprouts seem to be growing well, but they too, have the holes in the leaves. In all of the plants with holes, they started as small shot-like holes, and then grew each week:
6. We planted two carrot seeds per indentation, and about half of the indentations sprouted. My gran tells me 50% is great yield. I'm not so impressed...
7. The beets are very sorry looking. We planted 9, 5 sprouted but 2 were destroyed by the squirrels digging nearby for their lost nuts (stupid, forgetful squirrels). To date, 3 are still hanging in there -- 2 red and one yellow:
8. The French radishes were the easiest winter thing to grow from seed. They all sprouted, and produced radishes in 4 short weeks. They just keep getting bigger while we wait to eat the rest:
9. The transplanted greens for salad have been my favorite part of the winter garden. Very few pests. Arugula, I love you! Spinach, and mixed salad pack -- you guys are awesome too. We regularly trim the outer leaves for fresh salads and then the baby leaves in the middle continue to grow outward. The parsely and chives on the far right are nice to have for fresh accents to meals (just like the herb box) Greens fresh from the plant are amazing:
10. So far, 41 of the 42 garlic cloves we planted have sprouted. I'm holding out hope for the last one because it was 40/42 'til this AM when the late-bloomer 41 poked through, so perhaps 42 is just even slower. I can't wait to have 42 heads of gourmet garlic next year! Also, at the far end, we planted more onions and 6 artichoke seeds. Supposedly, artichokes are hard to germinate and take up 3 feet of space per plant. We were shocked to find the 5 of the 6 seeds sprouted despite serious squirrel destruction in this box (they are much more attracted to plain dirt than dirt with plants, so next year we will intersperse the transplants with the seeds more evenly). We surrounded the artichokes with onion seeds, most of which were decimated by the squirrels. So, in a month or so, we'll probably cull 3 of the artichoke plants and try with a third round of onions.
11. Remember the book about the Very Hungry Caterpillar?
12. Yeah, we finally figured out what was causing the tiny holes in our plants. At first, we just saw lots of black dots on the plants that seemed to grow bigger over time, and some of them were darker green. The Big Book didn't have anything to say about the balls, so I'd spray them off with the hose and we made plans to spray the plants with Neem Oil Spray in hopes that it would ward off whatever was the problem:
13. It turns out, the balls are caterpillar poop that grow as the caterpillars (and consequently the holes in the leaves) grow (see the right hand of this leaf for super-small balls, the first sign we saw when we had small holes):
14. For some of the plants, I fear we did not act quickly enough:
15. But finally, we had an afternoon caterpillar genocide:
In our terrible scientific experiments, we learned that they will drown in plain water, but try to climb out. If you add bleach to the water, they don't try to climb out. The neem oil spray also kills them if they are drenched.
16. The moral of the story is that this guy is not the friend of your cabbage, brussel sprout, brocolli, or cauliflower plants:
If you see one or more of these guys, and then you see small holes in your leaves, act quickly. I think next year we'll try to proactively spray with neem oil.
November 7, 2008
E's Birthday
As R pointed out -- it sounds like E is 10.
I explained that I would have some time to chat on the phone this evening because it was E's birthday and I would be making gnocchi from scratch, topped with bolognese, followed by individual baked alaskas.
While I am doing this, the invitees will be playing video games.
After they eat, they will return to the same activity.
You might think I am frustrated with this, but the truth is, I love it. E is a simple man. He thinks my bolognese and gnocchi are acts of God and video games with friends are the highest level of pleasure available. How can you argue with that?
Especially if you are cooking the acts of god?
As R pointed out -- it sounds like E is 10.
I explained that I would have some time to chat on the phone this evening because it was E's birthday and I would be making gnocchi from scratch, topped with bolognese, followed by individual baked alaskas.
While I am doing this, the invitees will be playing video games.
After they eat, they will return to the same activity.
You might think I am frustrated with this, but the truth is, I love it. E is a simple man. He thinks my bolognese and gnocchi are acts of God and video games with friends are the highest level of pleasure available. How can you argue with that?
Especially if you are cooking the acts of god?
November 6, 2008
It's a fun time to be an American
Tuesday night, for the first time in a long time, we brought the bunny ears in from the garage and turned on the TV.
As we made dinner (mmm... emmenthaller polenta with sauteed crimini mushrooms, onions, and truffle oil ... DELICIOUS) E and I watched the states light up, and then, earlier than either of us expected, we sat to eat our dinner on the couch, in front of the TV, so we could watch the speeches.
McCain's speech was so gracious. I was proud to have such a wonderful response from the losing candidate for the American presidency. So much is revealed about character when you lose. And typically, I think Americans are known for being absolutionist in their approach, unable to concede and compromise, and very sore losers. McCain set a high standard for us -- one that I hope we can look to. And I was proud.
Obama's speech was nothing short of historic greatness. I found myself crying with joy. It will be fun to have such a great speaker as the figurehead of our country.
Tuesday night, for the first time in a long time, we brought the bunny ears in from the garage and turned on the TV.
As we made dinner (mmm... emmenthaller polenta with sauteed crimini mushrooms, onions, and truffle oil ... DELICIOUS) E and I watched the states light up, and then, earlier than either of us expected, we sat to eat our dinner on the couch, in front of the TV, so we could watch the speeches.
McCain's speech was so gracious. I was proud to have such a wonderful response from the losing candidate for the American presidency. So much is revealed about character when you lose. And typically, I think Americans are known for being absolutionist in their approach, unable to concede and compromise, and very sore losers. McCain set a high standard for us -- one that I hope we can look to. And I was proud.
Obama's speech was nothing short of historic greatness. I found myself crying with joy. It will be fun to have such a great speaker as the figurehead of our country.
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