spiciness

(i'm laying in a hammock in my apartment. jealous?)

but that's not the point the point is i read ree drummond's blog today (the pioneer woman) and she was talking about what it takes to be a good blogger. she points our that you have to write and write often. you have to push through 'blogger' blocks and just produce and, don't talk about the same thing twice! most importantly, make sure you have a perspective, a point of view, a personality...what's you voice? i think i do this. i hope i do. i hope it's not too boring on here. 

okay. real point! last night i made my own homemade hot sauce. there was a great post on food 52 about homemade sriracha and there were so many great comments about how easy it was and how good it was. and...lucky me, i just happened to have almost a 1/2 pound of red and green jalapenos. so. task accepted. and its quite simple and pretty good. i didn't follow the recipe fully, which might be better than mine, so if you want it it's here.

jordan's okay hot sauce
adapted from the year of eating consciously
ingredients
almost a 1/2 pound of jalapenos
1/2 cup cooking white wine
1/2 cup apple cider
4 cloves of garlic (i didn't have garlic and sort of wish i had)
teaspoon salt
pepper
2 tablespoons sugar (the recipe calls for palm sugar, clearly, i didn't have it...)
a few pinches of brown sugar


first, you roughly chop the jalapenos. (don't touch your face, eyes, mouth, better yet, wear gloves?) put them in a jar. roughly chop the garlic, add to said jar. pour the liquid over the peppers and garlic. add the salt. cover the jar, this should sit overnight. sort of like a brine. 

after those 24 hours have passed the fun begins. place the mixture and the sugar into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and let simmer for 5 minutes. this is the part in the process that stinks, literally. it smells bad and it burns your eyes and throat so i suggest keeping the top on the pot. once 5 minutes has passed, let the mixture come to room temperature.


once cooled put the mixture in a blender and puree for about 5 minutes or until basically all liquid. then push the mixture through a strainer to get as much of the liquid out as possible into a jar that you can seal tightly and refrigerate.

i took the leftover mush (seeds and bits of peppers) put them in a jar and added a little salt and olive oil. chili paste-ish. had it on the eggs this morning. awesome.


do you like hot sauce enough to make your own?
xo

sweet treats

whats with the time away?! i have been so busy. and when i'm not sleeping, i'm rehearsing and when i'm not doing that i'm either working or going back to my script to work some more on the text. needless to say, i've opted-out of late night meals (i ain't no Julie Powel cooking my way through Mastering The Art of French Cooking with a death wish and a desire to gain 20 lbs), so i'm really only snacking on raw veggies and a piece of bread w. peanut butter here and there...there's been no time to cook. sadly. i wish i could...give me a week or so and i'll be back on point. i'm excited to play around with summer dishes. i read this article in the NYTimes a few weeks ago about making meals that keep you out of a hot kitchen (ie. doing a lot of prep - a lot is an exaggeration - before you start cooking) which is totally calling my name. so much so, that i actually bought a tin of sardines the other day whilst at the grocery store! i cannot wait.

i've not talked about it before - but i love honey. i like to use it as a sweetener in my coffee and i wish i made myself bake with it more. i could eat raw honey, the kind that is thick and pasty, by the spoonful.  one of my friends from college owns a farm with her husband and sister-in-law in williamsport, ohio called Honeyrun Farm. 
its pretty amazing. its awesome, rather. its so inspiring to know that jayne, becky and issac are doing something they love. they are working the land and providing wholesome food for themselves and those in their area. so very inspiring. i mean...it really is awesome. i go to the farmers market maybe every-other-weekend and whenever i go, i just want to be behind one of those farm stands and talking to everyone about the produce, herbs, flowers, bread, whatever was made by this farm.

well, jayne was nice enough to send me some of their black locust honey...its awesome. its really light and smooth and it so clear. i think its clearer than most honey i've had in the past. its this light golden color, it reminds me of a toe-headed little child on a warm august day. the flavor is really clean and simple and floral. they grow their own flowers and i can only imagine they bees adore them all! their bees probably say things like, "the barnes' flowers are to die for, Herb, you really should try them the next time you go on a pollen run."

what i'm really trying to say is a) go to Honeyrun, and if you're in the area, literally...go there. b) support your local farmers. they're the ones who know how to do things right. we're a civilization that is living off the land in all the wrong ways. we're wasting and consuming far too much and not understanding how to properly use the little land that we have left. the farmers - they know what and how to do. we should learn from them. we should all figure out how to be more self-sustaining. for those of you in the NYC area, here is a map and schedule of all the green markets throughout the city. do this. i promise you'll love it.


i almost forgot! i made crockpot veggie chili...i haven't tasted it yet, but i have it for lunch today, so i will give a full review. here's what i did though - so freakin' easy.

1 large (i think ours was too large) white onion
1/2 green bell pepper
6 garlic scapes


chop these puppies up, toss them in the crock pot (i used - i think - a 4Q crockpot, i wanted more room, so perhaps don't think as large as i did). next, take a can of pinto beans, a can of kidney beans, a can of black beans (we used this black bean/bacon/soup stuff), a can of fava beans, a can of corn, a whole can of tomato paste, a 28oz can of chopped tomatoes (we used whole peeled roma and chopped them ourselves, you can also use crushed...it all depends on what you like, i like a lot of texture in my chili hence the whole peeled), 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper, a little salt, a little pepper and a cup of water. mix it all together, put the lid on and let it sit (med/high) for 8ish hours.  ours stewed for probably 12 hours. it was so easy. it made A LOT of chili. i will let you know what i thought after lunch.

xo

a long way to a point

i'm amazed by so much in life. so much. the little things make me happy, they confuse me, they excite me, they challenge me, they inspire me, they amaze me. 

my junior year in college i took a course called "Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions" with Dr. Oldstone-Moore, it was eye opening. i had already started down the path of simplicity, or at least what i thought at the time was simplicity. i had also always been really in-tune w. nature, i was into healthy food and my sister had introduced me to yoga principals and practices. but this class. this class blew my mind. i wasn't expecting much as this was my "required" R class for graduation and sure, i wasn't the only one thinking this class would be an easily filled requirement. much to my dismay, i fell in love. i have to be honest, i don't remember much of what we studied in this class, i just know it was taking me down a path.

then my senior year, when i had filled all of my requirements and didnt want to be a pud and not take ANY classes, i decided to sign up for another Oldstone-Moore class...this time around i tried "Buddhist Thoughts and Scriptures" the Wittenberg website states that this course is:

       Seminar studying the teachings and practices of schools of the Buddhist tradition through pivotal scriptures.  Sutras and other texts from Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism will be considered in their historical and cultural contexts, and within the framework of central themes of Buddhism.  Requirements include class discussion and presentations, two exams, one short paper, and a term paper.  Writing intensive. Every third year.

well, sure, thats what we did. i remember devouring the texts, relishing in writing my papers, but the most fulfilling part of this class was the monastic project. 

whats that you ask? it was when we became practicing monks for three weeks. we altered our diets (no meat, no coffee, no processed sugars, no white flour/rice...ALL VEGGIES/ALL ORGANIC), we had group meditation, individual meditation and a yoga practice, we journal-ed everyday, we didn't speak unless spoken to all three Monday's and when we ate we practiced eating meditation. where we weren't supposed to do anything but talk during our meals. no books, no tv, no music, just chewing and talking if anyone else was there. we also had to put our forks down after every bite and really chew and engage with our food. (i lived with three of my best friends my senior year and we had weekly family meals.  

[this picture is from sarah's wedding] we'd all cook together and eat together, it was one of the best things about my senior year and i was lucky that they all were patient with me during this monastic project and even, when we all ate, played along.) this project was awesome. it was really rooting and humbling. its established some of the ideas with which i live my life. its one of those experiences that i think back on all the time.  its the little things from the project that i hold onto and try to practice now and then.

it even helped me, subconsciously (i think), come up with my tattoo.

its in Sanskrit and says 'Chinne mūle maivashakhā na patram' (no branches, no leaves in the absence of the roots.) this is a vedic medical expression that i discovered. and the tree is a bodhi tree, the tree that Buddha was enlightened under. the idea of a tree came to me in a rough/transitional patch. you have to be grounded, rooted to solid ground personally and professionally. you have to have a strong body physically and mentally. finally there is a constant reach towards something, be it a goal, a dream, whatever. and there's also the idea of a cycle, with the leaves, it begins all over again...

where was i going...amazement. i think this foundation (i'd call it that, i guess) in buddhism and breaking down to the simplest form of anything is what led me to this whole cooking endeavor. this wanting to touch what i eat and know where it came from. this sharing of a process and eating at a community table with everyone i know... i wanted to share with you, if you haven't found it already, something that i adore. i can easily say - i effing LOVE this site: food. curated. (www.foodcurated.com) liza basically interviews local foodies, chefs, farmers, fisherman, bee keepers, etc. its pretty amazing. i want you to know about it because this is the sort of thing thats fueling me and inspiring me right now. i love love love it. and there are some really good and innovative ideas. theres all this talk about rooftop farms and backyard farms, its awesome. i think i sense something i may be looking into doing in LA...here we go new chapter.

what gets you going right now? is there someone, some place you go on a regular basis to infuse your life?

xo

 

i couldnt resist

i know. i was just going to keep going on about california...but i made dinner tonight. i assure you, it was not fancy style. it was in fact, poached egg style. :) i went on about this yesterday so, i thought i would finally share my obsession. i am obsessed. seriously. its just a good accompaniment to any meal, and good for you! golly gee wilikers. the best part about dinner was that most of it was bought at the green market. eggs, check. beets, check. greens, check.

it was tasty and easy. made a simple vinaigrette: 1/3 C olive oil, 2+ (this depends on what you like) tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a few shakes of mustard powder, and shook it all up. it was really good. threw some pine nuts onto a bed of greens addedd dressing, mixed it all together. that was the bottom layer. i steamed some beets, tossed with salt and pepper. my next layer. and, of course, poached two eggs. 

delish. xo

FOOD INC.

the title should be enough said. but its not. clearly. i cannot right now, b.c i am still reeling from it, describe to you how i feel about this movie. other that the fact that it has affected (to touch or to move) me. quite deeply. i want to do something. 

what i was just thinking about is that its about - not only about - having a relationship with your food. fine, i'll say it, obsess about food. i love it. i love making it, i love eating it, i love looking at it, i love touching it. i love the things i put in my body. the things that give me fuel and energy. but, even i don't have a real relationship with my food. yes, i buy local and organic as much as i can but i dont always read labels and when i'm in a rush, strapped on cash...i dont even thing about it. i want to think about it. i want to be educated. i want to make a small change, even if its just my single self doing something...that'll make a difference some place. and on a friends urging. ... i am going to go out and read some of pollan's books. and, if need be, i will get back on this soapbox. 

xo

sign it!

ya'll should sign his petition! i big hearts his ideas, as seen here.

words of wisdom from Jamie Oliver

i just watched Jamie Oliver's TED prize wish speech.  that guy, knows his sh*t. he's smart, he's well informed, he's resourceful, he's inspiring.  when i was in high school i used to watch the food network like it was my job. i didn't really fancy MTV and all the popular shows that people were watching, i watched the food network, bravo and...i'll admit it, TLC. as my boyfriend likes to say, i'm a nerd, what can i do. i would watch Jamie Oliver's Naked Chef religiously, i went out and bought his cookbooks when i was 17. sure, maybe i also had a wee crush on the brit, but it was the way he handled his food. it was raw. the food that you put on your plate and in your mouth was good, natural and simple. there's really no bells and whistles about what he did. and none about what he's trying to do. he is empowered to make a change. to save live how he can, through what we eat. he is trying to empower each and every one of us to make a change, bit by bit, so that we live longer, so that our children live longer. so that we become a more sustainable country...planet, really.  i think he's so right, the kitchen in your home is where tradition is passed from generation to generation.  i learned how to cook from my parents and i couldnt be happier. the stage and kitchen are my safe havens. they are my go-to de-stressers. some people run to get out of their heads, i find something i've never made and always wanted to try and i make it. i dont think when i cook, i just do. it just happens. i know its different for everyone but i think there is so much worth and value in what Jamie is tying to do.  i'm not sure what you and i can do, but we can effect change some how. towards the end of his speech, and i am paraphrasing, he made the statement that if one chap, teaches three of his mates to cook, and they teach three of their mates to cook....its the whole country.  lets be the generation that helps change, thats brings us back to the basics. that brings us back to the ground.  i will gladly teach any of my friends anything i know. i'm no expert but i know my way around the kitchen.  eat organic. eat locally. as often as you can.

enjoy Jamie's talk.  xo

i love the word quinoa (keen-waa...keeeeen-waaaaaaaahhh)

stuff done: Mediterrarean Quinoa Bowl. i cannot believe how easy this was b.c it was so good! i discovered this on sprouted kitchen today. i really like that site. it always has tasty (healthy-er) food.

anyway. made it for dinner. tops 30 minutes. i added poached chicken for protien. i also increased the amount of broccolinis. they added a great crunch. i also took out the capers (add a 1/4 cup rinsed and drained when you add the red peppers, if you're interested). the only thing ... i dont think i cook quino right, its always on the mushy-er side, dont get me wrong, this meal was great, but i just think i do something not quite right. 'nuff said. eat up!

mediterranean quinoa bowl
makes 2 big bowls, with leftovers for tomorrow!
adapted from here

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Quinoa, dry
• 4 Broccolinis
• 4 to 6 oz. Block of Feta Cheese, cut in cubes
• 1 Cup Roasted Red Peppers, cut in slivers (I use jarred in the off season)
• 1 Chicken Breast (*leave out chicken you have a great veggie meal!)
  
• 1 Cup Chickpeas, cooked
• 3 Tbsp. Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• Generous pinch of Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 Meyer Lemon
• 1 Tbsp. Good Quality Olive Oil

Preparation
1. For the quinoa, typically, bring two cups water and one cup dry quinoa to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Place the broccolini right on top after ten minutes (who wants to dirty another pot? - good point sp.k!) and cover to finish the quinoa and the broccolini will steam on top. (i should have put the broccolinis in for more time, they were more on the crunchy side) Remove the broccolini to a cutting board, and transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, poach your chicken. To do this, place the chicken breast in enough water to cover it, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reached a boil, turn down heat to simmer, cover and let cook for about 20 minutes. (until your chicken is not pink in the middle anymore)
3. Toss the red pepper slivers, chickpeas, dried oregano and salt and pepper to the quinoa and stir. Give the broccolini a rough chop and toss it in the bowl. Squeeze the juice of the entire meyer lemon (avoiding seeds) and the olive oil, stir again.
4. Lastly, cut the feta into small cubes (easiest if done straight from the fridge or even let it sit in the freezer for a few minutes). Add the cubes and the parsley to the quinoa and give it a gentle fold. At this point, it is probably a tad warmer than room temperature, which is great. If you’d rather it cold, let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool down.