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 <<<  SPRING  >>>

has truly arrived

!

and there is no time to waste

to soak it up in its entirety

afternoon absorption of vitamin D,

fresh batch of pu-erh kombucha,

Kinfolk and Hemingway

fresh garden mizuna & parsley,

roasted parsnips, brown rice, avocado,

toasted pumpkin seeds,

lemon, olive oil

(tomorrow, a bottle of Champagne?)

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breathtaking gems

of the woods

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full-spectrum post-rain sky drama

florescent green mossy rock carpets

Hansel > < Sylvie

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aut(i)obiography volume three

and

can't seem to get enough of

bill withers lately,

especially
((( this )))

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large patches of wild miner's lettuce

make buttery, tender, little salads

(rainy day harvest & conversation with deer)

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Soba Noodles with Bok Choy & Ginger

It's overcast and cold out today. Mom was baking her famous cookies for my brother's upcoming art show in Santa Barbara, and I got sucked into major pantry organization; consolidating bulk teas and grains and baking stuff, throwing old things out, and putting new things in jars. We were dancing to this and were both in the mood for something warm and delicious for lunch. I put together this simple pasta dish with buckwheat soba noodles, sprouted tofu, and bok choy.

Roughly chop 1/2 yellow onion. In a medium sized pot, heat 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger with 2 Tbsp sesame oil. After 1-2 minutes, add chopped onion. Turn heat to low and cover, remembering to stir occasionally. In a smaller pot, boil water for noodles. While onions are slowly cooking and water is heating, cut 1/2 package firm sprouted tofu into small cubes, and roughly chop 1-2 baby bok choy. Set aside. In small mixing bowl, combine 1 heaping tablespoon white miso paste, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp brown rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp mirin (rice cooking wine), 1-2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (depending on how spicy you like it), 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp soy sauce. When water is boiling, add 1 bundle (about 3.5 oz) soba noodles. Add tofu and bok choy to onion pot, give a good stir, and turn up the heat to med-high, leaving uncovered. When noodles are cooked through, strain and transfer them to vegetable pot, along with sauce mixture. Cook for another minute or two (until excess liquid evaporates and ingredients come together), then remove from heat and serve. Garnish with chopped toasted peanuts (I used pinenuts since I had no peanuts on hand and they were great), and/or chopped green onions. Serves 2.

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a common scene

 these days

the communal cutting board

i'd like to do a time lapse video

of its constant evolution

beauty in haphazard configurations

ps. on repeat

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Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Cumin-Orange Walnuts

Made this one up. I suppose it's fitting to make a dish with Jerusalem artichokes after my recent time spent in the beautiful ancient city. I love love the flavor of these delicious tubers.

Chop 8 large (16 small) Jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes) and 6 medium fingerling potatoes into fairly uniform-sized pieces (about 1/2" thick). Roughly chop one onion and mince 3 cloves garlic. Add 2 tsp each of: ground cumin, coriander & nutmeg to a large pot. Toast spices on medium for a few minutes. Add a few tablespoons olive oil and onion. Cover and cook on low-med heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sunchokes, potatoes, and garlic; stir & cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock to just above the level of the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat. Cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes and sunchokes are tender. Remove from heat. In batches, transfer mixture to a blender and puree everything until smooth. Add pureed soup back to pot, keep on low heat. Add salt to taste and 3 leaves chopped kale or chard (optional). In small skillet, lightly toast 1/2 c chopped walnuts with 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp olive oil, & 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Transfer to small bowl and toss with the zest of one medium orange. Garnish soup with walnut-orange zest mixture.

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in any case,

and in all cases

the only thing to do

is free oneself

from internal distortions

and external addictions 

(timothy leary)

 

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bejeweled & adorned

she moves effusively

into the new year

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total accidental placement
&
later realization
of correlating rays

(funny ways of the subconscious)

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crocheted beanie

for our family handmade

gift exchange

p.s. can't get enough

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gold wire & vintage sequin neckpiece

p.s. cannot stop dancing to this.

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still reeling

from a marvelous weekend

beneath the full moon

reveling in each others' company

(& using every piece of dishware in the house)

<<< >>>

Friday >> fresh crab >> butter lettuce salad with beets & pinenuts >>

quinoa >> manchego & quince >> Manhattans

Saturday >> chard & carmelized onion quiche >> raw kale salad >> roasted kabocha squash >> negronis >> 

chicken liver mousse with balsamic glazed shallots >> braised lamb shanks with roasted parsnips & carrots >>

creamy polenta with sage brown butter and parmigiano

Sunday >> buttermilk currant scones with crème fraîche >> frittata with brussels sprouts, onions, sweet potato >> bacon >> autumn gimlets >> bucatini al ragù >> butter lettuce with tahini poppyseed dressing, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds >>

roasted scarlet turnips, chioggia beets, brussels sprouts, onions >> apple crisp with Straus vanilla bean ice cream

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leather/canvas sketchbook & pen holster

for Jess

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for Dad's 65th

birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.

i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.

in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

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small pillow made from

worn silk kimono,

my aunt's old

belly dancing costume

& black velvet

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delicious, comforting minestrone soup

(for late wintry afternoons by the fire)

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in love with my

gilded dreamcatcher

made by miss Jesse Lynn

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these weeks cycle by,

days blending into one another,

morning fires flowing into evening fires

and even our seemingly momentous

concerns

are ultimately distilled

to simplicity

& peace.