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dreamcatcher for Jess' birthday

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this evening was

an explosion

of flavors

(to say the least)

first of the season's sweet blackberries

on hike back from the lake

gorgeous, juicy apricots

from a friend's tree

that drip all the way down your forearms

"reject" chicken eggs

from local Natural Trading Company

that are actually the most

aesthetically beautiful eggs

i've ever seen,

textured, oversized, multicolored

and these lovely little squash blossoms

picked just this morning from our garden at home

stuffed with ricotta,

panfried in olive oil till golden

& topped with lemon zest

salt & black pepper

<< i am the luckiest girl in the world >>

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never have i had the pleasure

of tasting

a pecan

fresh from the shell

Jess & i were so in love

that we bought 6 lbs

from the fruit sheds in Loomis

<<< place atop a fresh fig with ricotta >>>

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to exist is to change;

to change is to mature;

to mature is to create oneself endlessly

(Henri Bergson)

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loving this

DJR Poached from Endgame Films on Vimeo.

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i have decided

i am obsessed

with

U N I

i purchased a flat from

my old workplace

and proceeded to indulge

for an entire weekend

(although divine eaten plain,

straight out of the fridge)

i rather enjoyed uni in pasta

such as...

<<< >>>

Bucatini with Fresh Uni

(please adjust measurements according to taste)

1/2 package dried Rustichella d'Abruzzo bucatini

1 tsp red chili flake

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 or 4 pieces fresh uni (sea urchin roe)

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, finely grated

salt to taste

Boil pot of salted water. Once boiling, add noodles. Cook until 90% done. In separate pot, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and chili flake. Toast for 1-2 minutes on med-high heat. Once noodles are almost fully cooked, transfer them to pot with chili flake, adding about 1/2 c pasta water. Allow noodles to cook fully, adding remaining olive oil and tossing. Once liquid is absorbed, remove pot from heat. Add parsley, chives, & lemon zest. Break uni apart into small pieces (about 1 tsp) and sprinkle over pasta. Toss for a couple of minutes, until uni melts and whole pieces are no longer visible. Season with salt and serve.

 

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once again

i thank my raw foodist brother

for introducing me to yet another

indulgent concoction

<<< >>>

Rich Raw Chocolate

These are approximate measurements; the flavor and texture of this recipe can be easily adjusted according to your tastes. Raw cashews can be used instead of/in addition to walnuts. Add other spices (nutmeg, cardamom) if you'd like. Add more cocoa powder for a slightly richer version. Add a bit more honey for sweetness, or to bind chocolate together more. The addition of a bit of arrowroot powder also acts as a slight binder. This makes 1 serving.

With a mortar & pestle, grind 4 raw walnuts, 1 tsp sunflower seeds & 1 tsp cacao nibs until uniform texture. Add to mortar about 1 Tbsp raw cacao powder, 1/2 tsp maca powder, a dash of ground cinnamon & 1 chopped medjool date. Combine. Add about 1 tsp good quality honey and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed. Chocolate is great eaten with a spoon, but can be rolled with a rolling pin into a flat shape, or rolled by hand into spherical truffle shapes.

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T H E Y  H A V E  A R R I V E D

<< !!! >>>

first gorgeous, ripe, yellow peach of summer 2012:

in a salad of escarole, pistachios, sheep's milk feta & avocado

drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

 

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For my dear brother's quarter-of-a-century birthday he requested a gourmet raw dinner of my creation. I made several dishes from "Raw: The UNcook Book" by Juliano, all which were tasty. But as a non-raw-foodist, (but culinary devotee) I believe this recipe stood above and beyond the others and I am very excited to recreate it. It's perfect for hot summer weather as it is a chilled soup, and the coconut, chilies and lemongrass flavors invigorate and cool the palate.

<<< >>>

Tom Khai

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced ginger

2/3 c fresh mint, chopped

2/3 c fresh basil, chopped

2/3 c fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

2/3 c marinated portobellos (see recipe below)

2 Tbsp chives and/or green onions, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp fresh Thai chili, minced

1 Tbsp minced galanga

1 c fresh coconut meat, chopped

1 medium-sized avocado

2 Tbsp kaffir lime leaves, well minced

1 Tbsp lemongrass, well minced

4 c coconut water (from 2-3 coconuts)

2/3 c Nama Shoyu (i substituted about 1/2 c garbanzo miso paste)

2/3 c olive oil

In a serving bowl combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, mint, basil, cilantro, walnuts, mushrooms, chives and/or green onions, lime juice, Thai chili, and galanga. Stir and set aside. Grind the kaffir lime leaves in a coffee grinder or mince by hand. Set aside. Chop 1 c coconut meat by hand and put it in the blender. Just before you're ready to eat, add to the blender the galanga, avocado, lemongrass, coconut water, Nama Shoyu (or miso paste), olive oil, and curry chutney. Blend until the soup is creamy with no remaining chunks. Pour blender contents over ingredients in serving bowl, mix, and serve right away.

Marinated Portobellos

2 c diced portobello mushrooms

1 c Nama Shoyu (i substituted about 1/4 c garbanzo miso paste & 1/2 c water here)

1/4 c olive oil

Mix Nama Shoyu (or miso paste) with olive oil. In a bowl, soak mushrooms in this mixture for at least 10 minutes and up to 6 hours. Discard marinade.