Half-Assed Homemaker

The chicken story

2008-08-07T12:24:00.001-07:00

When one talks in the past tense about pets that some consider food, people always ask what happened to them. Some even bluntly say "did you eat them?" Since I haven't blogged in foreversville, I owe myself a post. It's a cute story

I adopted the birds from The Princess of Poultry and the Duke of Dairy, a lovely couple living on a hillside in Oakland. They had a number of chickens and wanted to adopt some more (of different breeds.) They ordered the minimum sized order of chicks from the hatchery, kept the number they wanted and offered the rest for adoption in exchange for their cost ($7/hatchling).

As I was preparing to move to Boston, I realized that bringing the hens across the country and keeping them a harsh climate wasn't so nice. I contacted the aforementioned royalty and asked if they knew of a loving home for my two laying hens, including their own. They offered to give them a home in their roost. After polite questioning from me, they told me that all of their hens live out the rest of their days at their home rather than becoming food.

They were so nice when I came to deliver the ladies, almost to the point of consoling. They offered to provide updates or photos upon request. They even offered to let me take them back tend them again, wherever or whenever I chose to do so.

I miss those chickens, I miss their sounds, their beautiful plumage, their curious ways and the comforting eggs.

nori-wrapped tofu

2008-03-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

The fishy nori and chewy tofu come together in a dish that has not yet received a clever name. My friend Daisie suggested that naming meatless food with meat-inspired names is strange (and makes people think vegans are crazy). I am refraining from such naming for a while to see if it makes any impact on me.

1 one pound block of firm tofu
1 sheet nori
soy sauce
sesame seeds

Freeze the block of tofu (I didn't remove it from the package) overnight and then defrost completely. This will make the texture chewier. Drain the water, squeeze most of the water from the tofu, it's spongier now. Cut it in half (crosswise) and drizzle on some soy sauce and let it marinate for a little bit.

Cut a sheet of nori in half (longwise) and wrap each half around each half of the tofu block. Repeat. With a sharp knife, slice the wrapped tofu.

Spread some oil on a hot skillet, just a thin layer. Place some of the slices on the skillet, sprinkle with sesame seeds and let them grill. Leave them alone so they develop a nice crust. Turn and cook the other side. Cook them in batches so you don't crowd the pan and reapply oil when the pan looks dry.

Serve as finger food or as part of a meal with veggies and rice or noodles. Pictured here are soba noodles, kale and raw ribbons of carrot and green onions. I have also heard of them cooked in a curry.

Black Bean Chili

2008-03-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

I made a very good chili today. It's more like a stew but it's spicy and has black beans so I can imagine it being called chili (except by purists). No need to use these ingredients exactly but since it came out so good, I had to post the recipe.

1 onion (diced)
3 red potatos (diced)
1/2 or a whole green bell pepper (chopped)
1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
2 carrots (finely chopped)

1 each dried jalapeño, dried mild chili, roasted dried chili (ground)
black pepper (ground)
cumin seed (ground)
black beans and the water they were cooked in.
1 can tomatoes (well drained of their juice)

salt to taste (see note below)

Saute the onions in the pressure cooker pot in some oil. Add the rest of the vegetables along with the tomatoes, the chilies, black pepper, the black bean water the cumin (I used some from a jar that my housemate had). Pour black bean water to a depth 2/3 that of the other food. Turn up the heat, cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit for a while. When you open the pressure cooker, remove a few cups of it, blend it smooth (with a handful of tortilla chip crumbs) and reintegrate it to thicken the sauce. Add the black beans.

It goes well with quinoa.

As for the tomato, I used the drained juice in a batch of tomato sauce so if you don't have some drained tomatoes around try using a chopped fresh tomato or any tomato product, even a scoop of salsa. Using the tomato juice would make it sweeter than I would want it.

A Note about Salt
I spend way too much time seeking canned tomatoes without salt added so I can control the salt content. That is also one of the reasons I buy dry black beans instead of cans. So you will need to add less or no salt depending on your ingredients.

Beans AND Noodles?

2008-02-28T09:16:00.001-08:00

There is something about the rich broth of home-boiled beans that goes very well with soba noodles and soy sauce (and the beans, of course). I also add any combination of ribbons of carrots, celery, grilled tofu and dress with green onions and sesame seeds.

I want to try black soy beans instead. I promised myself I'd get through my dry black beans stockpile before buying some.

corncake on my mind

2008-02-12T20:39:00.001-08:00

It's a bit too early to be writing again about corncakes since I've made them once and haven't even eaten all of them but I am giddy with the possibilities. If you think the ideas for Mole and breakfast corncakes were cute, there were many combinations that didn't make it because it seemed like a can of worms was opening.

I, of course, want to try different toppings. I also want to try different types of flour. Not only different types of wheat flour but flour from different grains and different kinds of corn product (stone ground, slaked, whole).

After years of searching for my favorites, I will open a booth at the San Jose Japantown farmer's market and serve them on banana leaves.

Corncakes

2008-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired to make Arepas since my trip to Colombia but until I get my hands on some Arepa flour (or pre-cooked masa harina) I have been keeping busy making other things with standard cornmeal. This recipe is basically a pancake with topping applied before it's flipped. You can do the same with fruit on pancakes.

Topping Ingredients:
finely diced onion
drained black beans
cilantro Leaves
ground dried chili (or in season, chopped fresh chili)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
splash of lime juice

Batter, Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or any flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Batter, Wet Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
3/4 cup plus 3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon Agave nectar, Maple Syrup or Honey

Combine topping ingredients in reasonable proportions, set aside. Mix the ground flax seed with the 3 tablespoons water, stir and let sit. In a separate container, combine the dry ingredients. Add the water and sweetener to the soaked flax seeds, stir. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir to combine. Add more water if batter is too thick to spoon onto griddle.

Pour 1/4 -1/3 cup of batter onto a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Let cook for 30 seconds and then spoon on a heaping tablespoon of the topping onto the pancake. When the edges looked cooked, flip the pancake and cook for 2-3 minutes. Vary these steps with your favorite pancake technique if applicable.

Store cooked corncakes on a plate in a warm oven.

Eat corncake with a knife and fork or top with your favorite raw toppings or salsa, fold slightly and eat like a taco.

Topping Variations: try any combination of the following and the original ingredients
finely chopped bell pepper
cooked mushrooms
salted and rinsed zucchini
cilantro leaves

Mole Style: I haven't tried this but I can not wait
toasted pumpkin seeds
toasted sesame seeds
toasted nuts
shaved bitter chocolate
ground roasted dried chili (or chipotle)
ground dried chili (or chopped fresh chili)

Breakfast Corncakes:
Make a topping of fruit and nuts and then dress with buttery spread, maple syrup, honey or agave nectar.

Black Bean Chowda

2007-11-14T12:06:00.001-08:00

Greens-guilt is something that strikes me from time to time. If I ever find myself hungry but also feeling like I haven't had many greens lately I call it greens guilt. Most of the time I enjoy greens but every now and then I'll slip them in because I feel I should. Here we are, named in honor of my recent New England surroundings.

Black Bean Chowda

Tear washed spinach leaves into some black beans simmering in their water. Grind in some black pepper and a squirt of Braags or soy sauce. When hot remove from heat and add some tortilla chip crumbs. They can be stale, something like this is the best use for them. Let the chips and beans absorb some water as it cools to a comfortable temperature. The chips should provide salt as would canned beans so you probably won't need to add any. Enjoy.

Hoe Bound

2007-09-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

The transition from residence in California to living in the United States has been rough indeed but sometimes you feel a sense of ownership over the ground beneath you. After a summer of homelessness, I have never looked more like a hobo than this morning. I packed some groceries in my day pack which is normal enough but what got amused nods from fellow cyclists was the set of pillows strapped to the pack.

On the road

2007-08-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Half-Assed Homemaker is now homeless. I moved out of the house spent the summer visiting friends and family and volunteering on organic farms. I am now across the country, across the river from Boston and will be living here. The first few days were rough, I was so hard up for something familiar, I picked up a fallen peach (with only a small spot of mold), tore it in half and ate it as I walked along. While on the go, vegetarian food options are limited, cheese pizza and ale is what I usually turn to for nutrition. As my knowledge of the roads strengthens, I am biking farther each day so this diet isn't going to be immediately problematic. I also stop in at any farmers markets I pass and get a piece of fruit which is really nice. Once I have my own kitchen, I'll settle into having a more regular supply of nutritious food.

My sister suggests to pretend I'm on a long trip abroad. The humidity is certainly helping that mindset.

Hipster Pie

2007-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

I have seen more Hipsters in my neighborhood in the last week than in the four years I have lived at this house. I guess it means nothing but good things for property appreciation. In honor of knit skull cap before me at the ATM, mister blonde and black stripes waiting behind me at the ATM and chunky skateboard girl rolling down the block I dub my dinner Hipster Pie.

Hipster Pie

Pile some gallo pinto in the center of a pasta bowl or your vessel of choice. For my gallo pinto, I use pressure cooked black beans and short grain brown rice. On one edge of the pile, place some onions grilled with some sliced chilies, these beautiful wrinkly mild chilies I got at the farmers market work well grilled as well as in salads. Next to that I dress with the closest I've come to yellow mole. Around the rest of the circumference of the bowl, shredded lettuce.

Step away from the Tamale Lady, Missionites; hold onto your Buddy Holly glasses because the half assed homemaker is here, chase your PBR with something so ironically titled, it will blow your John Deere cap right off your head.

Skewers and Pins

2007-03-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Preparing to have people over seems to motivate me to get going on projects that I want to get to. I have meant to make this for a while. Sometimes, I'd rather attack a project than find a hiding place for the materials sitting around. The time constraint makes me create a simpler approach. The procrastination is usually caused by complexity. If the project is daunting, I won't want to get to it. But when I am motivated to do it fast, I'll create a super-awesome simple approach and love it!

This is a lamp shade. The screw-top that normally holds a lampshade onto the lamp is tightened on a wooden skewer. The paper is rolled into a cylinder and fastened with small brass safety pins and, as you can see, the shade hangs on the wooden skewer via more safety pins.
more photos

Happy World Water Day

2007-03-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Why do people buy products that smell like flowers and forests for their bathroom. I say if you want to smell those smells while you pee, why are you inside?

Coffee, chocolate and toast

2007-02-16T00:17:00.000-08:00

I was at a brew pub and when some friends sat down and asked the waitress what they had, I recommended what I had. After she said "Stout" I said "it tastes like chocolate, and coffee and toast." At least one person ordered the stout and asked me to repeat my description as he sipped.

The caramel sweetness feels all cool your mouth while the gentle bitterness gives you a little tingle. The color is really what fills your mouth. There is something about darkness, it attracts us and scares us. I like to joke that in the dark, you can't see what you should be scared of so why worry? Standing in a well lit room with a monster, that is scary. A dark beer like that is something you can stare into but not see to the other side, like it just goes on forever. I find myself taking big bites sometimes because I like they way they feel, a big mouthful of beans is so much fun to chew and to taste and feel on every surface possible. That, friends, is how a nice full bodied beer feels, endlessly filling your mouth without the need for excessive volume.

So here we are, years after that day in the brew pub. Many beers later, some of them brewed on my own. I think to myself, isn't time for some coffee, chocolate and toast? I brewed a pot before work and brought it with me in a thermos. I have bread in the office these days so I toasted a few slices and spread on some chocolate coconut spread. Sadly it was another day of eating at my desk, the breakfast memories didn't get to take their rightful place in my mind. After my first sip of coffee, though, I did remark that it tasted like a Saturday. May a Saturday soon show us all breakfast as memorable as my description of that beer.

autoclave

2007-02-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

India loves the pressure cooker. I think I knew this before but I was reminded on my recent trip. I have been reading a lot about it and it seems to be a miracle machine. Containing the steam retains nutrients (and essence, I imagine). It also conserves energy and takes less time. The pressure allows water to cook at temperatures beyond its boiling point. Similar machines used to sterilize medical tools are called autoclaves.

I have been pressure cooking my black beans the last two weekends. I suggested it with vegan mike one night for a soup he was making. We discussed its mechanics as I showed him how to use it. He has since made two soups and two batches of red beans.

I haven't done anything complex in it, just plain black beans at an amazing speed. I will do some kind of soup or stew and report back.

Autoclaved Black Beans

Add dry beans to pressure cooker. Add water until the bean are submerged by a few inches. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, turn off heat and let soak for 1 to 4 hours. Remove water, rinse slightly. Add water until beans are submerged by one inch. Close pressure cooker, place the weight on top on its highest setting (my weight has different little holes with different numbers next to them). Boil. When pressure builds up enough to hiss or shake the weight, start the timer for 25 minutes. Lower the heat until just a little shaking or hissing takes place. Once time has passed remove the weight. Remove from heat and run some cold water on the pressure cooker until steam stops charging out. Open, season and enjoy.

Vegan Mocha Awsomeness

2006-12-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

I love the idea of mocha cake. I rarely have it so the last two times I was asked to choose a birthday cake, I chose Mocha Cake. Coincidentally, they were both vegan and both winners. As such, I am developing very specific standards which will prevent burnout.

Someone: Mocha Cake?
Me: Is it vegan?
Someone: No(?)
Me: I'll wait until my birthday.

Vegan Mike made me a vegan mocha birthday cake with Caffy's help. It was based on this recipe from Martha Stewart and hats off to the lady, it was a really great cake that was straightforward to make. Rather than a layer cake with icing in between and ganache on top, we made it in a 9x13 and iced the top.

The recipe called for espresso powder for which we substituted coffee. I had never used espresso powder so I winged it on the proportions. The results were great but I will experiment sometime with more. Instead of 4 tablespoons espresso powder in 2 cups water, I brewed 2 cups of french press coffee using 4 tablespoons of ground dark roast coffee. Instead of espresso powder in the icing, I supplied the icing team with finely ground coffee. The coffee flavor came across as a subtle but rich finish which played so nicely with all the other flavors.

The vegan margarine used was from Earth Balance, tropical oils are back!

Tortilla Español

2006-11-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

This is a hearty egg dish that I like to make on a weekend when people are around and I have a lot of eggs. I use 4 or 5 eggs for 2 or 3 people respectively.

canola oil
potato
onion and chili, chopped
eggs, beaten
water, milk or cream
cilantro, chopped
salt
black pepper, ground
small iron skillet

Heat some oil in a small iron skillet. Break off chunks of a cooked potato into the skillet. Chop some onion and chili, add to the pan and stir until the potatoes are slightly brown.

Beat some fresh eggs with salt, black pepper and a splash of water (or milk or cream if you like). Stir in some chopped cilantro and pour into the pan. Preheat the oven.

Cook over low heat (on the stove) until the edges and bottom look done, move it to the oven and bake until almost done. Remove from oven, let it sit for 30 seconds, slice and serve.

If it's particularly thick, all packed with veggies and such, the top may not cook completely so you can finish it under the broiler for a about a minute (maybe less).

Hemp Milk

2006-11-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

I am going to try to make hemp milk and then try to make it regularly. I currently keep brick packs of soy milk in my office and use it on cereal. I want to try something new and am attracted to hemp for various nutrition advantages and the ability to easily process it without cooking it. Making hemp milk will also reduce waste. According to the recipe below a 10oz foil pouch will produce 5 brick packs worth of product. That also lightens the shopping cart load. It will cost less than buying soymilk and cost more than making soymilk but is far less work. Making soymilk involves soaking the beans, grinding, boiling and straining. Since the seeds are hulled, the hard fibrous part has been removed and there is no need for soaking or straining. It is not necessary to boil hemp so the product is live and raw.

It also sounds like tons of fun.

In a one quart mason jar, add:
1/3 cup hulled hemp seeds
1 cup water
some raisins or some other sweetener (optional)

Screw the blender base (the cap with the blades) onto mason jar and fit into blender as normal. Blend well. Add water until total volume is 1 quart. Shake and serve or store chilled.

FAQ

Q: Where did you get this idea?
A: I tasted hemp milk and liked it. I came across this recipe and decided I wanted to try it. I scaled it up slightly to make a quart at a time and incorporated this blender + mason jar trick to save some cleaning.

Q: Why raisins and how many should I use?
A: I currently pour unsweetened soymilk over shredded wheat and raisins. For this recipe, I decided to move some raisins up the timeline. I imagine you'll need less raisins if you blend them in than if you ate them with the finish product because the blending, soaking and shaking will probably allow better distribution of the sugar. Start with a clump and experiment to determine for yourself.

Q: Have you tried this yet?
A: No, not yet. I'll update if I need to adjust the proportions after I try it out.

Q: Are you excited?
A: So excited.

UPDATE: Hemp Milk is very strong tasting. It has a nutty, grassy flavor. I need to work on the recipe. Stay tuned.

Spinach Quesadilla

2006-11-16T17:20:00.000-08:00

I adapted this recipe from the first recipe and then realized that even though it has no cheese, it can still be called a quesadilla.

Vegan Spinach Quesadilla

1 handful Spinach, chopped
a few cloves garlic, chopped
small handful walnuts chopped
2 whole wheat tortilla, slightly warmed or toasted
salt

Heat the garlic and walnuts in oil until they smell very good. Stir in spinach, add salt and saute until bright green. Add half into each tortilla, fold and enjoy.

This is an excellent dish that can be cooked and assembled on the go. One night Caffy wanted something with fat and vegetables, I modified the following recipe because she doesn't eat cheese. These are simple enough that some might not consider them recipes so call them whatever you want. Most important, they are fast, wholesome and satisfying.

Spinach Quesadilla

1 handful Spinach, chopped
1 handful cheese, shredded
(Oaxaca, Monterey Jack or any good melting cheese; Oaxaca can be shredded by hand!)
2 tortillas

Warm a nonstick pan, over low heat and place one tortilla. Spread out half of the cheese. Pile on the Spinach, top with the rest of the cheese and the other tortilla. Cover and let cook a few minutes, flip and cook until the other side is toasty and warm.

Chimichurri

2006-11-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

I heard about Chimichurri on the radio and decided to take a stab at it. I made up a recipe according to the description heard and it wasn't quite right so I decided to take another stab at it. My first attempt was essentially a fine relish of garlic and parsley which I loosened with olive oil, it didn't taste great and the texture wasn't so pleasing.

I recalled a time in college when a friend of mine had some take out from a Columbian restaurant, he gave me a taste. I don't recall what it was, the picture in my mind resembles an empanada, I dipped it in a sauce accidentally dropping it in said sauce and felt a little bad for storming up his meal with my little mishap. I don't remember the taste at all but I do have a clear visual memory of the sauce. It was a semi-clear liquid with ingredients floating in it.

Chimichurri

1 good pinch parsely leaves, chopped
1 smaller pinch cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small pinch chili, minced
(I used some tiny Thai chilis of which I have a bouquet hanging up to dry in my kitchen)
1 pinch salt
black pepper, ground
1 Lime, juiced
1 small drizzle of oil

Combine in a bowl and serve or to be fancy, combine most of the greens with the salt, pepper, chili and garlic and pound gently to get the natural oils going. Add the lime juice and oil, stir and serve.

Bugalow Tacos

2006-11-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

I have been making these quite often over the past few weeks, with most of the prep work done ahead of time (ie the weekend), it is a badass meal after work without much time. Some things to prepare ahead of time include brown rice, a crock pot of black beans, and chopped vegetables. The vegetables have included red and white onions, bell pepper, portabello mushroom, and salted and rinsed zucchini (technique). Toss in oil and a little spicy vinegar, store in fridge.

Grilled Veggies

At meal time, get your iron skillet pretty hot. Drizzle in a little oil and mix in some vegetables. The goal is to get all sides of the veggies in contact with the skillet. Spread them out so they are in one layer after each time you toss or stir them. I like to use high heat to get a slight char and to cook the vegtables quickly, leaving them crunchy.

The Extras
Any or all of these extras can be included in your meal depending on what you have on hand and something like beans or egg can be used as the main attraction. Heat the beans and/or rice in a pan with a little water, ideally the water the beans cooked in. Wash some large leaves of romaine lettuce. The lettuce lines the tortilla, providing some extra crunch and keeping the tortilla dry. Egg is nice with this from time to time, beat one or just have it ready.

Assembly
The veggies can be pushed to the edges of the skillet while other things can be quickly cooked in the middle like the egg and the tortilla. Cook each side of the tortilla on the grill until slightly puffed up. Cook the egg if you are using one. Cover the tortilla with a lettuce leaf, add the rest of the ingredients.

Recently I made a chimicurri sauce to go with it, I'll blog that next. The next experimental step for this recipe is to make my own flatbread instead of using tortilla.

dung is the new black gold

2006-11-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

I was looking at this, thinking how ridiculous an idea this electric quesadilla maker is. I was astounded to see reviews for the product and curious to see how many people love their quesadilla maker. Then I recalled the electric sandwich maker my mother brought home one day. I first saw something like it on an infomercial, I loved infomercials in those days. You load in a slice of bread, something else and then another slice of bread close it and let it heat-seal in the fun. It would even do two at a time.

Now I try to minimize electric heat appliances and ponder what life would be like if I used a wood burning stove. I always decide against it when I recall my mother telling me the story of how magical gas heat seemed because it was hot instantly. In addition to wood and coal, they burned cow patties. Today dairy farmers are encouraged to gather methane released by manure lagoons to generate power.

All together now, the oil digging makes the fertilizer, the fertilizer grows the the feed corn, the feed corn feeds and moo cow,the moo cow poops the cow dung, the anaerobic digester treats the cow dung, the cow dung releases the biogas, the generator burns the biogas, the combustion drives the pistons, the piston generate electricity, the electricity powers a quesadilla maker, the quesadilla maker generates heat!, the heat browns the corn tortilla, the corn tortilla melts the cow cheese. All thanks to fossil fuel!

Fossil fuel has enabled a complexity which has it's own sort of beauty, like oil swirls in puddles. I find it kind of fascinating, I like the way some solutions to problems are enabled by the original problem itself but enable other problems. I also realize that I have no idea how so modern populations can be sustained without such complexity seeping out across the globe, making sure everyone has something to do. I am not being completely sarcastic here, I really do admire the complexity and little wins that work their way into such a system. It's like staring into a crystal.

The cutest part is where the digester has to keep the dung at 95°F for which it uses 30% of the biogas produced. It's great that it's off the grid but 30% seems like a lot, not that I know much it compares to other power generation. I guess there is usually a lot of give in the acceptable efficiency of an energy source whose raw material is in seemingly endless supply.

Pico de Tabouli

2006-10-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

At the farmers market, I was happy knowing that the bunch of cilantro before me would serve the household well this week, salsa, guacamole, hari chutney (Cafy's new favorite), you name it. It even smells like cilantro so I was sure it was not parsley.

Days later, I noticed cilantro doesn't smell as much like cilantro as the farmer's market did. It's parsley and I'm not happy. You see, cilantro is what I was craving. Since it was already washed and chopped, I tossed it to this salsa and had it with my dinner.

I then looked into a tabouli recipe to use up some more of the parsley. It seems my salsa's ingredients are similar to those of tabouli so I divided the leftover salsa into two containers, added some bulgar wheat, water, more parsley, olive oil and mint. The next day, tabouli and lettuce for lunchy!

Recipe

tomatos, diced
onions, chopped
garlic cloves, parsley, and a fresh chili (jalapeño, in my case), minced
salt
lime, juiced
black pepper, ground

combine and consume and/or continue

one cup bulgar wheat
one cup water
a few tablespoons of olive oil
mint, chopped
parsley, chopped

mix and chill

Brekkie

2006-10-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Eggs
Originally uploaded by amul.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Monday and Tuesday. They collaborated with a bagel my parents brought from New York to become breakfast this morning.

The intensely deep orange colored yolks posed a worhy staring contest oponent. By that I mean, I am satisfied with the quality of lovingly raised eggs.

First Egg

2006-10-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

First Egg
Originally uploaded by amul.

Good morning Poppy, where's Milo? Milo, oh Milo's in the nesting box
with an egg. An egg!? This photo does not do justice to the size and color of the egg. It's diminutive blue egg.

Curry Zucchini Soup

2006-08-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

Curry Zucchini Soup

2-3 Large Zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 Onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 Cups Vegetable Broth (or water flavored with bouillon or nutritional yeast).
3-4 cloves Garlic
Ground Cumin
Ground Coriander
Ground Black Pepper
Ginger (grated or dried)
Ground Dried Chili (or chopped fresh chili)

2-3 small Zucchini, chopped into thin discs (salted and rinsed, see below)
1 Carrot, sliced thin
1 Handful chopped green beans

Slice the small zucchini and lay out in a single layer on a plate or in a strainer. Apply a generous amount of course salt. This will pull out the water and allow it to keep its texture when cooked.

Saute the large zucchini and onion until very soft and then add to the broth. Add the garlic and spices and blend until creamy.

Rinse the zucchini slices and saute gently with the carrot. Combine all ingredients, the green beans will cook slightly from residual heat.

savor the brew

2006-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Me: (lovingly pouring a glass of beer, sipping, whafting, making yummy sounds and the occasional growl)
Sister: (who does not drink alcohol) Oh I get it, you treat beer like it's chocolate.

rice in the afternoon

2006-07-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

I had lunch with three Database Administrators the other day. I've never sat down with that many Indian people I wasn't related to. Of course, I was the only one not toting Indian food. "That's very healthy" one guy said, "oh, this is my favorite lunch" I said. "I need rice in the afternoon." another guy replied.

Black Bean Salad.

Make a pot of black beans, stash some in the fridge and some in the freezer. Spoon it over a salad of greens (spinach or lettuce), slivers of red onions and fresh tomatoes. The critical ingredients here are the beans and tomatoes. I seem to have red onion and lettuce more often then not but I tomatoes came to the farmer's market in June so it was exciting to have tomatoes again after my two-Sunday sabbatical in Boulder. The beans are courtesy of having access to a crock-pot that works. I also got some long mild chilies a few weeks ago that have kept nicely, I slice them thinly into this salad. Serve with tortilla chips.

on soap making

2006-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you find a soap making recipe that really speaks to you.

if a chicken feather starts to dissolve in it, then the lye water is at the right strength

booxntea

2006-06-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

booxntea
Originally uploaded by amul.

I put up a shelf in my kitchen! It's right next to my table so I want to keep tea and cookbooks on it along with cocoa, vegetation and hang from it drying herbs and aprons.

Once I got my hands on my tools, a grand backlog of minor projects came to the forefront. It culminating with a 2am excursion behind a little plate on my kitchen wall to see what what behind it... black wire to white wire. There was once a switch there, where'd it go? Why?

I could turn off the power, use the circuit tester I don't have to see what is connected to that splice and then install a switch if I like or just skip the testing and install a switch.

Pollos Locales

2006-05-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

In an effort to increase the biodiversity of my garden, I've adopted two hatchlings. The ladies are proud Araucanas, a South American breed of chicken known for laying eggs with pastel colored shells. Their newly built coop will provide protection from nocturnal predators. As they get stronger, they'll be able to roam the grounds unattended. For now they'll have supervised installments of scratching around the compost bin, hiding in the weeds and generally amusing their human pets.

Yucarrific

2006-03-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Yuca is so many things to so many peoples. Across the world, it is known as yucca, cassava, manioc, rumu, mandioca, aipim, macaxeira, mandio, mogho, bi ketella, kasp, balinghoy, cây ngọc giá, maniok, tapioca and arrowroot according to the internet.

Last night is was a creamy and playfully sinuous seductress. Peeled and steamed yuca is the most exciting tuber treat I can think of. It ends up like potato but only more fibrous enough to be, as I say, playful. In between the fibers is a gently sweet and velvety delight. This structure causes it to break into morsels rough enough to lap up dipping sauce in a way that makes ask yourself what life is without a the bite of fresh lemon and garlic swimming in olive oil sliding around the inside of your mouth.

cutest monkey ever

2006-03-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

I always tell Sesame (the cat) that he is such a monkey. No reason, just that he is cute, as are monkeys. Well today, much like every Monday, the sound of the trucks collecting our green waste terrified him. As always he runs into my room (at the rear of the house) and approached the window, thinking I would get out of bed and open it for him. I usually invite him onto the bed to comfort him. "Composting is our friend, it's nothing to be scared of." I tell him.

Today, I figured I would lift up the covers. While he would normally just crawl in and immediately turn around and crawl out, today he immersed himself. I saw this little lump migrate all the way to the foot of the bed. He must have liked it because he crashed out and was there for hours.

hot pasta

2006-02-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted spaghetti. I really wanted spaghetti with tomato sauce. Since the closest store to me doesn't have the nice fire roasted organic tomatoes in a can, I went a different way. You see, I was at Mi Pueblo earlier today buying my next few day's ration of avocados. I noticed some Mexican tomato sauce in perfect single serving size cans. So what I did was grab a handful of change, stowed it in the back pocket of my scrubs pants and took a walk. This sauce is so hot. I'd have to agree, the cascabel chile is similar in heat to the guajillo.

skillet zoning

2006-02-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

I bet you could put the stove burner off to the side of an iron skillet and cook foods at different temeratures in crescent shaped areas.

grilled tofu fantasy

2006-02-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

When you cook all your tofu on Thursday, you know what you have to do on Saturday. Visit the San Jose Tofu Company, and that's an order!

I was thinking, what if, instead of salting the slender pressed pieces of this delicate block, I sprinkled kosher salt on the bottom of a hot iron skillet. I could down the tofu spiced side up to let that spice soak in the sweat of this moist little delight. Then I'd turn it and brush on some garlicky oil. I'm going to let it sit atop some raw spinach and then serve with an avocado and some black beans and brown rice. Sauteed onions and green chilies would be nice, use the skillet.

guess what I had at lunch

2006-02-16T21:43:00.001-08:00

and then again at dinner...

Avocado!

Avocado Over Salad

Grate some carrots over some spinach. Slice in some onion. Dress with some oil and bring to work. At lunch time, slice a ripe avocado in half and then, without slicing the skin, slice each half into quarters. Scoop out each quarter with a spoon over the salad. Half the lemon, squeeze one half into the salad and toss. Crumble in some salty mexican cheese and enjoy.

Use the other half lemon when you make guacamole with dinner. Life is so good.

raw protein smack down

2006-02-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Avocados have protein? Live raw protein. The only stronger source for raw protein is nuts but walnuts have half as much fiber as avocados. Half? Are you joking? Get your sorry ass outta here! Avocados have potassium too, can you say that walnuts? Speak up. I can't hear you with all that cryin. Oh you're crying. Come back. Don't cry. No, you're right; you can't put avocados in cookies. Of course, cookies are aren't raw. I distinctively hear the word cook in there so what else you got? I could make avocado cookies.

Avocados

2006-02-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

I find comical the nutritional information provided by the California Congregation of Amlgamated Brothers in Avocado Cultivation's website and this other dude who reminds us to "Wait at least 3 hours after eating avocado before eating sweet fruit."

The CCABAvC uses the roll-off-your-tongue unit of one fifth of a medium sized avocado. Um, the serving size is 30 grams, why not say 30 grams!? What kind of metric-hatin shit is that? It weighs 1.1 ounces. Why not say 1 ounce or you can even say it with no numbers at all... an ounce. Notice also how they describe fat as a "nutrient booster." It seems those geniuses over in science have concluded that fat enables the body to absorb fat-soluble nutrients. Doesn't that group anything containing fat as a "nutrient booster?"

Not too days ago I peeling an avocado I could barely lift.

Bob: I think they cross-breed them.
Me: With what? Lumberjacks?

Believe me it's funnier when it's hot outside and you are holding an avocado you could barely lift, try it.

so many words

2006-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

This Spanish-speaker (from Spain) was telling me about her work with whales but she used the English word whales. I asked what the word was in Spanish and she told me ballena. "They have a word for everything", I thought. The story was so well received later that night by the English-speakers at the table that I decided to tell the Spanish-speaker (from Spain).

Apparently they have a word for stupid as well.

roadin

2006-02-06T12:14:00.001-08:00

I´m on the road again. It gets depressing sometimes having these stopovers in these bustling cities en route to cute little towns that I´d rather be in.

On the plus side I spent some time this morning learning some phrases in Cho´ol, a local indigenus dialect from the girl beside me. She also asked me about some phrases in English. Oddly, it was only hours after a Dutch woman asked me about the word crap.

Ruination

2006-02-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

I saw some Mayan Ruins in Honduras and in Guatemala, very impressive. I almost got into some trouble for calling the immigration officials on their little bribery scheme. I decided I didn´t want to get shot over five dollars.

Between two hills

2006-02-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Much thanks to the cargo ship that puttered me along Lake Nicaragua to Isla Ometepe. Great relaxation and hiking. Hasta Luego.

neutral?

2006-01-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

Swiss Guy: You guys are nice, you´re not like other gringos.
Me: Ve are Dutch.

coffee, water, dance

2006-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

Took a cooking class at the school and just as we put our orange cake in the oven...

Cooking Class Teacher: Se vuelven en cuarenta minutos. Ahora toman cafe, toman agua, bailan. (come back in 40 minutes, have coffee, have water, dance.)

Yes folks, life here is that sweet.

fungibility

2006-01-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

Had a problem with some banks here in Nicoya. Ran out of cash after the first leg of a three bus (three separate operators) journey to Nicaragua. Had a great deal of trouble finding a bank that would allow me to get cash (fifth time is a charm). I now bow before the idea of stashing emergency cash.

Thanks to the help of a friend and the continued hospitality of the host family I stayed with while in school last week, I am on track. I will be a day behind but since wisdom is my only agenda, I am ahead. Lessons learned and much time to think about them. More details are on a paper delay (meaning they are scribbled in my notebook and I will transcribe them later.)

Puerto Carrillo

2006-01-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Spending the weekend at the beach with a friend from the spanish language school. We were going to stay at a place she heard of but a misunderstanding in the booking communication left us without a room. Upon our arrival, the proprietor arranged for bed and breakfast in the spare room at a local farmhouse. It´s more like a dude with a penchant for foul and equine. He even shared with us the pot of soup and rice he had going for his dinner. The place is on a palm tree lined bay and it is absolutely beautiful. I´m a little sunburned and just happy to be here. Adios!

exit stage left

2006-01-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight I leave this frozen uninsulated wasteland and wake up somewhere warm. So happy!

This is a happy time

2005-12-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

The night shades randomly situated in my front lawn are growing in. I am enjoying more comfortable temperatures. I also realized that it will be time to start some seeds when I get back from my vacation. Sweet.

No mug, no foam

2005-12-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

I left my mug at home
I can't make tea
I've been using the jar I use to bring my beans for lunch.
But that is only available in the afternoon.
Now, before lunch, I'm hungry and can't distract myself with tea.

conduction

2005-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

The little one man theater that I perform in my home for an audience of me has gone too far. Sleeping in a down sleeping bag is cute but maybe I should think bigger.

I need to insulate the house. It is cold. I've never been this cold before because there has previously been a female turning up the heat. I think I also had more insulation on my person before.

My holiday and bday gift will be one of insulation. Insulating attic is the easiest and will make the most impact. The crawl space is harder but it will help a lot. Injecting it into the walls would be nice. I don't want to replace my beautiful old windows. They are single pane and drafty but I hope the insulation makes the place warm enough to compensate. Now to find a contractor.

Smokey Chili Beans

2005-12-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Roast an Anaheim chili and a jalapeño anywhere hot (under the broiler, directly on the rack on the gas range, atop the chimney starter or just on the grill regular style).

Pull off most of the charred skin and try to pull the seed cluster along with the stem of the jalapeño. With a smashed clove of garlic, add to a crockpot of soaked pinto beans and some water. Invite Soren over so he can point out that you forgot to serve them.

The problem I had was that the crockpot was really slow. I read 5 hours was enough but needed more like 8 to 12. I poured them into a pot and boiled them on the stove after a few hours of unsatisfying crockpottery. I put them back in the crockpot and let them stay warm in there. So much left over, so happy!

The steps until adding to the crock pot comprise my famed chilili dip except you want more numerous and varied chilies. I also use poblanos and these yellow things shaped like jalapeños but not spicy. Add raw garlic and salt and chop fine or blend.

UPDATE: Kidney beans? No. Pinto Beans.

Victorian technology

2005-11-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

My house is so cold. I have resisted turning on my heat. I have been hanging out here for most of last week and I have done my best to stay warm. I wrap a fleece blanket around my waist, over flannel pants. Wool hats indoors? Yes! I run java apps in the background to warm up my laptop. I'm afraid my windows are wooden and old and beautiful but are not double pane so running the heat is such a sad venture. I need to get some heavy curtains like they had during the Victorian era to keep warm. I'd look beautiful in one of those.

Update: fixed me typo

Farmer's Market Dash

2005-11-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

I had just julienned and roasted some potatoes. I had some with may late breakfast and was about to put the rest away. "Mom will like these." I thought. Mom! Crap! I had barely bought enough for myself at the farmer's market. The additional mouth to feed is not so much a problem (actually two because I imagine sister will be around for meals). It's just that I don't have the standard Indian food raw materials on hand.

I had cooked all my potatoes, had no eggplant, a scant two onions, half a bulb of weak Mexican garlic, and I just finished the dregs of a chili in my tomatillo salsa. Luckily the Farmer's Market wasn't scheduled to end for ten minutes. I hopped on ye olde bike and buzzed over there. "Walk the bike" kindly armed peace officer informed me. I left it there on a sidewalk and checked out what was left over. I got a few pounds of red potatoes and various slender eggplant. I picked out two perky looking white onions. On to the next booth for a bush of cilantro and some more bulbs of garlic, it's weak so we get to use a lot. I also got a giant bushel of Thai chilies, sounds yummy. I wish I got more bunches of spinach when they were available, I now have a healthy amount for salad purposes or a modest dish of saag.

I came home to some well steeped tea and the hiss of the inner groove of the record I was playing.

What me Awkward?

2005-10-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

George has been looking good. Too good, in fact, for someone with a wife and four kids. Perhaps he's divorced, haha.

Me: (haha) George did you get divorced?
George: Yes.
Me: Oh

Well what do you know?

2005-09-27T09:35:00.001-07:00

It seems the average Brit is more familiar with phenomena involving voyeurism (and exhibitionism) and documented battery than reading about some losers's garden or listening to audio recordings about some loser's garden.

article

My Brother Called

2005-09-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Me: Last night I had some toast with peanut butter and figs that were so ripe and sweet it was better than jelly.
Brother: You have such a simple life I envy that, I wish I could be so happy about a piece of fruit.
Me: Well you should at least come out here and taste the fruit.

Nothing more to say

2005-09-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Working the Master Composter Table at the Living Well Expo
Me: Do you compost at home?
Them: No. Do you gamble?
Me: No

Peanut Butter and Fig

2005-09-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Spread some peanut butter on toast and over that tear up some incredibly ripe figs.

And Icarus' Wings Melted

2005-09-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Me: I was sitting at a huge table eating and drinking alone. I got up for some more ketchup when I came back and the table had been cleared.
He: Sorry about that. What did you have?
Me: A bitter pint and (pause) the lob-
He: We don't serve lobster, here's some fries.

How did he know I was eating fries?

Urbanity

2005-09-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that I live in a stand alone house but the neighborhood is dense enough that I can hear the sound effects of someone else's Tivo.

Ripening

2005-09-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Me: Those tomatoes have been sitting on your desk for a few days, are you going to eat them?
She: Every time I think of it, I'm too lazy get up and wash them.
Me: I don't always wash them, I haven't sprayed them with anything toxic.
She: It's just dirt and dirt's good for you, it has vitamins. Just kidding.

Me: (reluctant) B12, indirectly.

More Baggism

2005-09-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Me: I won't need a bag (for those twelve frames.)
Catherine: OK
Me: (Signing the receipt) You see, if I have to carry the frames in my hands it will prevent me from buying beer at Rite Aid on the way to the car... because I have a problem.
Catherine: Heh

Of course I drove 10 yards before parking again and buying beer. 12 bottles of Bass for $9, that is sweet!

Earlier that week.
Me: I don't need a bag, I brought one.
She: YOU NEED A BAG. Otherwise they'll think you didn't pay for this.
Me: Can I have an extra bag?

I then stole some jewelry, I feel bad but I was proving a point.

Fabienne

2005-09-20T21:26:00.001-07:00

She has no hands. She is sitting in an unladylike manner, probably in the same spot she landed after falling hours ago. Her hair is perfectly pixie flipped. Her face is vacant and consists of three tiny shapes. She's not just drunk, she has a substance abuse problem. I guess it happens to the most magical of all of us. I did not draw her, I found her, she found me.

Yes, everybody

2005-09-09T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today I received in the mail, my passage to the carpool lane, solo. As such, I would like to take this opportunity to say fuck everybody.

Yeah, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing but with arts commission meetings and related goings on, I've been driving during rush hour more. Traffic is worse now that school is back in session and I hate all living things that drive.

Lycopene is your friend

2005-08-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

I picked some cherry tomatos and put out a big bowl of them at the office. A sign taped to it reads:

Eat some now
Take some home
Don't be shy,
take the last one.
Lycopene is your friend

climate control

2005-08-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Me: (Via Email) I live in [building and office number]. It's very cold in here, I can stand it but the penguins tend to collect here and they leave quite a mess. Can you ask one of the kind HVAC technicians to take a look at the ducts and vents and elves that control the temperature in my office?

Kind HVAC technician: [facilities representative] said something about penguins?

It's Nice to See you Too

2005-08-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

I keep a cloth towel in my office and dry my hands when I get back from washing them. On one such jaunts, I saw my manager with the new guy, it's his first day. He remembered me, greeted me and extended his hand. Holding my hands up I said "I just washed my hands and I need to go dry them first."

New Guy: "Well it's nice to see you too."

Chasing the gluten

2005-08-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ring Ring

T : I want to go to Ben's.
Me: Ben's is closed on Sunday.

T : Whaa?
Me: But Good Karma is open.

T : I haven't been there in a while.

Intermission

Me: Good Karma appears to be closed too. How about Vegetarian House.?
T : What kind of place is it?

Me: Slightly cultish.
T : I don't know... I wanted something Asian.
Me: It is Asian.

Intermission

T : Why haven't you brought me here before!?
Me: Supreme Master Ching Hai comes into our lives when we are ready and not a moment sooner.

There he goes

2005-08-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Pane 1:
C : So, Whatcha got going on tonight?
Me: Going to a gallery opening.

Pane 2
C : That should be fun.
Me: Yeah, they'll be drinks and random people. Not that you really care what the answer is, you're clearly asking because you are married, so married and want our answers ORed together be equal to 1.

Intermission

Pane 3:
C : Well I gotta ask, how's the lady situation?
Me: I believe we discussed the problem with these questions earlier. I was a little out of line but rather clear.

I actually made one of those statements.

Notes from the Road

2005-08-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I got off the plane after my (very)red eye at JFK airport. Realizing Jetblue has WiFi in their terminal I sat down to consume some bandwidth. I sat next to a flight attendant and plugged my phone charger into the outlet next to hers, she smiled. "Nomads", I smiled back. I wandered around trying to find transit. I found the AirTrain which rocks by the way. It whirls you around the airport and then to Jamaica station in under 15 minutes, sweet. On the subway I spoke to someone with a backpack. I noticed a sleeping pad strapped to it "are you camping or staying at a really bad hotel?" I speak from experience on choice B. Choice A in town for a prewedding camping trip. A while later we arrived at my connecting stop in the middle of her sentence, "bye." The six took me to Grand Central. I bought my ticket north and noticed there was time before the next train out, coffee! Walk!

Drinking hot coffee on a balmy August Manhattan morning isn't so easy, unless it's from Dunkin Donuts. I got my coffee and wandered for a few blocks, walking and gawking. This is the my first time arriving in NY alone. Accompanied or not, I usually am met by parents at the airport and Long Island is the first stop. This time I am free to soak it all in, the familarity of New York and the city are both happening at once now.

I'm now on the Metro North train. Riding along the Hudson river. I'm taking in the sites, watching the old world river side industry remains, wishing the train was half as fast.

I got off the train at Beacon, my first destination/detour. Is it wrong to photograph a building you consider to be a work of art if the building houses a museum that forbits photography of the art? If it is, then I don't want to be right. I visited Dia: Beacon, an amazing museum housed in an old factory. Two hundred and forty thousand square feet of magical naturally lit generously spaced modern art. It was a feast.

I waited at the train with an anarchist kid. He said he wanted to get a paper but couldn't find a machine on the platform, in that complaining way. I don't have a whole lot against anarchist kids, we have a lot of beliefs in common but they complain a lot. Confused by his choice of equipment, I told him papers are free right there. One of the greatest innovations of the Metro Transit Authority are bins solely for newspaper. Why buy old news in the middle of the afternoon, it's already been consumed fresh by the morning commuters. He offered me some, I read an article on public art, it mentioned an exhibit that I forgot to go see. He was smoking a tobacco pipe to see how socially acceptable it would to light up a pipe in public. Apparently he's never seen an old man, or Popeye.

After I got to my hostel, I caught up on some sleep. I woke up and ate some rice that was left over from dinner, I just wanted something hot. I met the hostel owner's parents. They needed to check ebay real bad and the hostel computer was angry at the network. My powerbook victorious, I offered the use of it's browser. The second his fingers touched the keys he was gone. I talked to his wife while he surfed, old lady's love me. It must be all the dark hair that they miss.

I walked to a bar to check out some music. It was a cheap man's dream. I got there before there was a cover and at the end of happy hour, two for one. I sat down with my beers on a velvet couch and watched all the people and the bands. The second one was sucking and then someone spilled half of my beer into my lap. I moved over from the wet spot and waited out the next song. I wandered by a pizza placed and asked one of the employees out side if they sold pizza by the slice. "No, we only sell whole pies." I've been away too long because he was shitting me and I believed him. It was huge and good.

The wedding was fun. Manhattan with Travis and Misha the next day, we walked her ragged. Another day with Travis followed in Long Island; parents, bagels, beach.

I have to work this into a conversation tomorrow

2005-08-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Saying "I'll be dog gone" in a prospector-like raspy gentle howl, kind of like the guy from the Bevery Hillbillies. But while I say the words "dog" and "gone", I will slap my hands together while raising up an ankle and then slapping my foot during each respective word. Get it? I'd be slapping my hand while saying dog, not slapping my foot which could also be known as a dog (of course not as commonly as its plural).

The word "dog" and it's namesake body part are misplaced; GONE.

respond or perish

2005-08-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

Many VoIP customers will be disconnected on Monday due to an FCC ordered action that Yahoo says "could create a situation where some VoIP users suddenly find themselves with no phone service at all during an emergency rather than a functioning phone with inferior 911 service." Customers will be disconnected if they have not replied to a "notice about 911 risks." The TV Movie business is salivating.

Theft

2005-08-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Someone has been stealing from me. The culprits are the hose bibs that dot my house. One at the front and one at the back for garden hoses and the two for the washing machine. Yeah I've caught them in the act, sneaking drops of water that should be going to good use in the garden or to clean my clothes.

I took care of them though. They've been eliminated. I replaced them with a more honest bunch. It was a process though, I had to shut of the main water valve. I bought a meter key but it was still a tough job, it was good and stuck. The meter key is a a big T shaped thing with a little groove at the bottom which fits over the valve knob thing. Of course it fit rather loosely and kept slipping off so a conscientious meter key operator feels the need to push down and turn which does not work.

Soren helped me out, he threw some weight into in while I held it on the valve. Thanks Soren!

entropy to the rescue

2005-06-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

I have so many tomato plants growing right now. I diligently planted a number of seeds of for many different delicacies and nurtured them in little pots inside so that when the ground warmed up they would be ready to go in. I pictured myself lying flat on my back in the dirt drenched in sun crunching raw vegetables of every variety. Then I got consumed by deliverables at work and with C5. I didn't get to plant any of that stuff. Fortunately, seeds from last year's spectacular tomato plants found themselves in the oddest locations. I'm not sure how they got there, by critters and birds I suppose. The rain made sure they felt at home and all of a sudden, I saw some pretty and fragrant weeds. I dug them up and transplanted them into a bed. Then I started to find more throughout the yard. I left those where they were for fun. It is going to be a huge year for tomatoes, hello sandwiches! Hello pasta sauce! Hello salsa! Hello eating cherry tomatoes plucked one by one from the bush like a bunch of grapes (while lying in the dirt of course).

Good Location

2005-06-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

When I bought my house two years ago, I was happy to tell myself that it is only 5 blocks from the site of the new civic center (and just as close to Ben's). I figured that would be good for resale blah blah. The new civic center opens in a month and conveniently enough, I'll need to start showing up there for Arts Commission meetings. I knew that looming tower meant more to me.

Wish you were here!

2005-06-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

After a few weekend days of toiling in the garden we finally spent the day enjoying it. I had a little vacation day in San Jose.

Breakfast was late and filling. After the farmer's market Sunday morning, I made huevos rancheros with a can of veg chili I needed to use for a while and some onions, sauteed zucchini (cuz I like it), mi pueblo salsa on a tortilla with some avocado and a little crumbled smoked cheese. I spent the rest of the day sitting under the sun in the garden, returning inside (repeatedly) to assemble some cocktails with various juices (cranberry, fresh lemon and had to made a nectar run to mi pueblo), and the spirits that I rarely use outside of party events. In the glasses, floated berries, cherries and little apricots. At some point, muffins with apricot, banana, walnut and chocolate chunks! Dinner was broiled veggies (eggplant and mixed squashes) over pasta with oil and cheese and raw diced tomato. I even roasted some garlic cloves in a bunch of oil for bread purposes.

The Other Comparison

2005-05-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

In an article about C5, I was compared to Fez from That 70's show. I was mostly indifferent to it when I read the first draft. At least now I am also compared to someone of artistic talent and rather handsome, transgender tendencies aside.

C5 Landscape Initiative

2005-05-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

For the past 18 months I have been working on a collaborative art project as part of C5. We've squiggled along paths in various parts of the world, commemorating our presence with GPS receivers. This data is the basis of the C5 Landscape Initiative. After many hours of analysis and inspiration we are completing the process of celebrating the data with a gallery exhibit. The pieces will be on display from May 24 through June 24 2005. The opening reception is May 24 from 5 to 8 pm.

San Francisco Camerawork
1246 Folsom St
San Francisco
Z10 E551877.9 N4180963.2

Gallery Website

C5

UPDATE: The ongoing link collection was moved here

Age

2005-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

She: I thought the house was built in the 40's.
Me: Nope, 1918. (proudly) It's a kit house.
She: (listening)
Me: The kits came with the paster the wood, nails, paint, shingles...
She: Did you get a hammer?
Me: I don't think so.
She: (mad face) They always get you somewhere!

Lucky Slugs

2005-05-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

I gave some serious thought to slug abatement logistics. The plan is to put out a bowl of beer, the slugs are attracted to it and drown. The problem is I don't want to use the good stuff that I've got. I figure cans of domestic can be purchased individually at a nearby bodega. But the wasted time and fuel if I drive, the energy that would be used to ring up the purchase and the cold lost by the opening their fridge and the special trip make this a time and resource intensive endeavor, especially since the beer in my fridge cost a dollar a bottle at Trader Joe's, and I go there anyway.

The part that will still kill me is pouring out that malty frothy amber goodness for the purposes of evil rather than pure beer fulfillment. But it's all in the name of strawberries.

She: But they might not like that beer.
Me: If they are any kind of slugs they will!

Magical Place

2005-05-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

Someone was over my house one night but I was stuck at work. I was with my boss close to 9 o'clock when my office phone rings.

She: The Tamale Lady is here do you want anything?
Me: Yes two Jalapeño and Cheese please.
She: Okay, Bye.

"A lady selling Tamales was at my door." I said to my boss, "I live in a magical place."

Sesame coming through once again

2005-05-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

The alarm wasn't set but Sesame was.

"Still living in San Jose?"

2005-05-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Fuzzy Brian, that I don't see so often asked me that today. What seems to be a no-brainer for me could be a reasonable question if you can overlook my exuberance for this city. It's not quite a diamond in the rough, more like Copper Ore. There is a deep beauty within that you have to seek. Having said that, if my place of employment/creation were to be in Prague, New York City or greater Southeast Asia, I'd certainly dislodge myself. Until then, Fuzzy, the answer is "yes."

Salad Q

2005-05-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay here's an idea.

Line up some plates on a table, cover the whole table with plates if possible. Spread out some spinach and salad greens on the plates. Provide whatever other vegetables are abound on an adjacent table. Next to that table is the grill. Once the salad is nicely heaped, approach the grill. Nicely marinaded and sizzling before you is fish, tofu, portabella mushroom, and perhaps some other grilled vegetables and meats in small salad appropriate pieces. Some hard cooked eggs, in the shell in warm water to keep them warm would be nice to peel and add to the salads.

The big finish is, of course, my favorite part. The last part of the Queue presents rows of shot glasses each containing a serving of oil, vinegar and seasoning and some large empty bowls. Pour on a dressing shooter, cover the plate with a bowl and toss until coated.

Cat Powered Alarm Clock

2005-05-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

I slept passed my alarm and Sesame meowed just once 12 minutes later, 12 minutes! That's perfect!

My Nitrogen!

2005-04-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

I muttered as I shook a tea bag from its glass into one of my lunch containers after lunch.

Rain

2005-04-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

i just saw the most beautiful burst of rain. It was bathed in sunlight and fell diagonally in the breathe of the wind that is dancing with the trees.

Ambiance

2005-04-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

I saw the garbage truck again today. I don't notice it often enough for it to be a problem though. What does irk me a bit is the sound from the other direction.

The vending machines. Throughout the day, I hear the "cling cling cling" of coins and then an electric servo until the sound of a bag of something hit the floor of the machine. The door creeks and then the worst part of all, the seam of the bag is ripped apart revealing the individually wrapped portion belched out of some enormous agribusiness onto a truck halfway across the country or the world. It barely resembles food once it has its nutrients stripped out, and has been dyed, fried, and preserved.

No offense to anyone enjoying a tasty treat, to each his own. The impact of knowing what they are eating is just compounded by the fact that I can only hear what is going on and and it doesn't even sound like food.

"Bigger Than Composting"

2005-04-23T00:52:00.000-07:00

Online auction company eBay sponsored a study on the waste trends of it's customers. eBay claims to be responsible for diverting 32% of the average customer's waste from the landfill. "eBay" a company spokesperson said, "is bigger than composting." Composters everywhere... well.. agree.

On Strawberry Tolerance

2005-04-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Daisie asked me about the strawberry post, "Are you really not going to share with anyone?" That is not the case, I share everything. Some may argue with the assessment of "capacity to barely suffice one" assessment was inaccurate. Bollocks I say! I love strawberries. The conversation turned into the difference between too many zucchini (last year's challenge) and too many strawberries. Strawberries can be eaten as fast as they can be washed. What I mean is there is no further prep required. To me that means it's harder to have too many. There are 24 hours in the day and if I get sick on strawberries, I'll so under a summer sky on a comfy bed of straw.

Strawberry Pond

2005-04-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

If you were wondering what the volume of the largest solid rectangular section of the cargo room of a Prius is. Twice that of a bale of straw. Strawberries anyone?

That wasn't really an offer of abundadnt free strawberries, as you can see there is capacity to barely suffice one.

Rot Powered Seed Starter

2005-04-16T02:36:00.001-07:00

Many out there may have seen one or twenty five of the pumpkin plants which sprung to life in my compost bin. You'll be pleased to know that along with two avocado trees, The compost has also cradled a potato in its fiery bosom. Which will be a shame to harvest by the way. Root vegetable harvest is kinda brutal. I don't think my Root Vegetable binge of late 2004 early 2005 would have happened with such zest had I to rip them from the ground with my bare hands. A withered plant is different because I feel like it dies in my arms with dignity. I hacked up some withered out soy plants and found in it's pods, nicely dried soy beans. I should roast them with sunflower seeds. I shucked some of them and then lost interest for a few months so I'll just toss the remaining ones in the compost and let the compost take care of those.

Garbage Art

2005-04-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

How cool is it that a Norcal Waste Systems has an artist in residency program? So cool! Such coolness is magnified by the fact that I found out about it ten days before their next art show.

I hope to see you al there! I'll be working the Master Composter's table display earlier that day, does it get any better?

Compostable vs Non Compostable

2005-03-29T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Compost Diet, try this common sense approach to snacking and let composition guide you.

Orange Peels: Compostable
Potato Chip Bag: Not Compostable
Apple Core: Compostable
Pudding Cup: Not Compostable
Peanut Shells: Compostable
Candy Wrapper: Not Compostable
Tea Bag: Compostable
Soda Can: Not Compostable

irony

2005-03-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

So I now work in a window office. As luck would have it, the sought after window provides a view of the garbage truck (or refuse lorry) collecting the mountains of landfill-bound trash generated all around me.

Always be composting!

raw vs baked

2005-03-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

At Compost Class

Me: Oh Jerusalem artichokes, I wonder how they taste raw.
Classmate: Oh are you raw?
Bystander: No, he's baked!

Saturday

2005-03-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

When your second drink is three drinks, don't be surprised when you wake up and your worm bin is missing.

Lossless OJ the other way

2005-03-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

Peel, blend, sip.

Crazy Composter Revisited

2005-03-15T12:03:00.001-08:00

A few highlights from my presentation at the teacher training:

- I worked in my favorite saying "Answers are easy, questions are the hard part." By that I mean questioning is where learning really happens and you can't ask them for someone. Answers are always easy to come by, once the question is asked.

- One of the teachers harkened back to the reduce, reuse, recycle lessons that they learned in school but was upset that they are not present in today's curriculum. I suggested a compost bin as a way to create that awareness.

- Someone asked why compost rather than let things decompose naturally when you throw them away. I thought, "if we were in a bar, so many bottles would be getting broken right now." I explained to her that researchers have found recognizable food in 15 year old garbage because decomposition does not occur in the landfill. It was a good question because nobody would expect an intelligent society to spend money and space storing organic material for all time.

- When the worms were being passed around, I lost the class' concentration for a minute. I got their attention as well as mad educator street cred at the same time. I clapped five times in rhythm, the class answered in kind and resumed concentration. It's a little trick I learned back in Nam or while tutoring, I forget which one.

Crazy Composter

2005-03-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

I gave a presentation at a teacher training today at SJSU. Did a demonstration of a worm bin and went through various science curriculum ideas for science lessons that center around compost.