C is for Cookie.... and Cookie is for Me

I just returned from an hour long run and have a little downtown before I head up to campus to support the Walkout. Therefore, it seemed like an excellent idea to write a post; especially considering it has been a month since I made my last one. It's not my fault I haven't written in a while... I just haven't cooked anything worth noting. Ok, so I guess that would be my fault. There's just so much going on that I really haven't had the time to cook something exciting. There have been small things... cucumber salsa tacos, heirloom tomato bruschetta, zucchini latkes, but the lack of camera availalbe and the lapse of time since I have made those has been a little too long.

However, I can talk about cookies... I can always talk about cookies. I am second cousins with the cookie monster.

I think the ultimate cookie is the chocolate chip cookie. It's a classic. No one ever becomes sick of a chocolate chip cookie. They're just so dang tasty. My favorite is when they are a bit crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. And with dark chocolate! I also love a bit of cinnamon just to add a little spice.

A few weeks back I made a batch for my roommates that literally were gone within an hour of pulling them out of the oven. I can't blame their quick disappearence... they were good. And their aroma was so sweet that you couldn't escape from them inside our cozy apartment.

My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe hands down is from Ghiradelli chocolate. However, this one I had to adapt seeing as I was missing a few ingredients. But what can I say? I'm a college student I have to learn to adapt!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and add almond extract. Combine remaining ingrediants in a seperate bowl and slowly add to creamed mixture. Plop mounds onto a baking sheet, bake for 8-10 minutes and enjoy!

Cooking hiatus

It's been a while.
I apologize.
Life's been pretty hectic lately.
In the way summer and college should be.

I'm taking a break from UCSB for the year and exploring the other options provided by the UC system. For the next four months, I will be living in Berkeley and attending CAL. It's a nice change from the beach and bike life in Santa Barbara. Berkeley is a lot bigger city with a lot more going on. That's not to say Santa Barbara isn't amazing... Berkeley is just exciting in a different way. It's the town versus city kind of excitement. Santa Barbara has the beaches and surfing (which I love) and Berkeley has the hustle and bustle of a city and a ton of really good, cheap food. Thus the reason I have not cooked much over the past month. Well, that and for the first two weeks my living situation was not exactly ideal to say the least (aka I had a sleeze of a housemate). But now everything has worked out. I have a beautiful apartment, which I share with 3 other students, across the street from campus and in the heart of town.

Heart of town... hmmm, good cheap food everywhere I look? Yes, that has been a problem. I have finally remembered that I am a broke college student and don't have the funds to eat out every night. Tonight was the first time I have cooked in a looong time. But who can resist Cheeseboard Pizza or delicious Thai food or burritos? And I finally have awesome public transportation... which means it's hard not to take BART into SF Mission district and eat at Del Fina and Bi-rite Creamery.

Ok, I admit it... Hi, my name's Caroline and I have an obsession with food.

Oakland Dim Sum

A couple months ago I mentioned to my brother's girlfriend, Cindy, that I had not had dim sum in what felt like forever. Therefore, because she's Chinese and speaks Mandarin and Shanghainese it only made sense for her to take me. Although we have been talking about going for two months, there never seemed to be a good time. I was either in Santa Barbara finishing spring quarter or my brother was abroad backpacking his way through Europe. Finally we found a day that worked for everyone: last Sunday.
Maybe it was the anticipated wait that made it so delicious... or maybe it was the fact that I tried things I would never have dreamed of eating when I was younger. Either way, Sunday turned out to be a wonderful meal.
There were five of us that made the trek to Oakland China Town. We went to Joy Luck Restaurant which is known for cheap, good food. It must be noted that people in Oakland China Town speak Cantonese which made ordering a bit more difficult. Luckily, both Cindy and our other friend were experienced enough in the art of dim sum that they were able to order everything for us.
We began the meal with a few recognizable treats including the infamous pork buns (my brother's favorite) and became more adventurous as the carts came by. Cindy ordered tripe and chicken's feet, both of which I had never had before. The funny thing is that three or four years ago the aforementioned items would have disgusted me. However, now I was just extremely curious. I took a chicken's foot, intrigued by the fact that it looked exactly like a live chicken's foot. And after a bit of difficulty with the chopsticks (I refused to use a fork) took a bit--- imagine that... it tasted just like chicken! And it was kind of fun to eat because you have to pick out all the little foot bones. I tried to get my brother to try but he refused; he said he was quite content with his pork buns.
After the chicken's foot, I decided it was time to try the tripe. Or maybe I did not know it was tripe and just wanted to try everything. It was off-white and cut into long strips with little bumps on them. The texture was sensational- crunchy but chewy and a bit rough. But it was delicious! It was cooked in ginger and tasted just like ginger.
Basically we stuffed ourselves on everything we could get our hands on. The only disappointing part of the entire day was that they ran out of egg custards and sesame buns by the time we finished the savory dishes.
O and the best thing about Joy Luck, is the 5 of us ordered over a dozen dishes, all left completely satisfied and only paid 6 dollars each! Perfect for broke college students!

My Little Garden

When I was little, my mom used to grow lots of vegetables in our yard. I remember going out back and picking corn, carrots, tomatoes, watermelon, squash, strawberries... I think you get the picture. The lush garden lasted for the early years of my childhood. But then, the trees grew and covered the area in shade, and the deer moved in. Between the lack of sunlight and the constant grazing of deer families, growing vegetables in the ground became a thing of the past.



When I returned home from college in late June, I decided I wanted to have my own garden. My mom and I thought it out and determined that we could buy planters and grow a couple small things on the brick patio. Our backyard is terraced and the deer stay up top or near the deck; they have yet to find the patio! Because I was getting a late start, a bought seedlings of zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, parsley, basil, and seeds of carrots and beets. Well the zucchini has taken off like wildfire (although it's not ready to pick yet), and the carrots and beets have sprouted beautifully. But the best part thus far is the fact that I was able to make a salad last night with my spinach and my first tomato!



Though it was just a simple salad, the fact that the produce came from my garden made it that much better!
And the culprit escapes!

Fresh from British Columbia

I am sitting here waiting to go to a Giant's game (though I am an A's fan) and realized this is a perfect time to write a post. Plus it's been a little while since the last one and I am way overdue. But who can blame me? The California summer is so nice, it's hard for me to sit down at a computer and write when I should be outside hiking, running, swimming, or causing whatever mayhem is appropriate for the moment. I have been cooking a lot and baking a ton. Moving back into my parent's house for the summer means I become the "second mom" (that's how my mom puts it anyway). My mom works long hours so I become responsible for most dinners; not that I mind. The only problem is my family is full of fussy eaters. If you have ever seen the sketch by George Carlin about 'fussy eaters' apply that to my family x five and welcome to my household.

We usually don't eat fish in my house unless my mom and I decide we want to cook for ourselves but last night was a rare treat. My mom is away in Atlanta on business so dinner was just my dad, my sister, and me. I figured it was going to be another hamburger night until.... my dad brought home fresh fish! What is this madness? Sorry, I guess that only makes sense if you know my dad, but he's usually not a fan of fish. However, one of my dad's students (my dad's a flight instructor) went up to British Columbia on a fishing trip and caught some halibut (just for the 'hal-ib-ut') and salmon and decided to give some to my dad. We no complaints there. I greatly appreciated the fish, at least the halibut which we ate last night. I'll post something for the salmon in a few days if I remember because it will be tomorrow night's dinner.

But the halibut was so good. Not fishy just mild and subtle flavor and flaky and moist and scrumptious! And my dad and my sister both really enjoyed it! That's when you know it's a good fish.

Grilled Halibut with Salsa Verde and Nu Potatoes

Halibut
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rosemary
16oz fresh wild halibut
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Combine the first 4 ingrediants and mix. Add halibut and let it marinate for an hour, turning it over once. Just before grilling add sea salt and pepper to taste. Grill 4-5 minutes per side until flesh in opaque and flakey.

Salsa Verde
1/2 bunch Italian parsley finely chopped
1 tablespoon red onion finely chopped
handful fresh basil finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregeno finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingrediants in a bowl. Simple as that. And spoon over prepared fish.

Nu potatoes

5 potatoes
tablespoon olive oil
tablespoon rosemary finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon white wine
sea salt and pepper to taste

Par boil potatoes until just about done. Let cool and then quarter. Mix olive oil, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes and let marinade for 30 minutes. Finish on grill until there is a little char and the potato flesh is golden.

Summer Baking

I feel that I have been MIA lately, but no worries... I'm back! This past weekend was quite hectic. The annual softball tournament in my town meant my sister and I worked long days in a small snack shack wreaking of french fries and with an ever constant flood of rude softball fans. That's right, rude. There were a select few that were nice and appreciative of our gourmet snack bar food but you would be surprised at how nasty softball parents can be. Now, I'm sure you're wondering how a snack bar at a softball field can be gourmet right? I'm not going to lie, we sell all the basics- hot dogs, nachos, soft pretzels- but the owner is a top chef at his day job and his creativity spills over onto the snack bar. We have amazing salads including a goat cheese, candied walnut, and pear salad, and each day we had a special. Penne pasta with homemade bolognase or pesto sauce, fish/chicken/pork tacos, and tri-tip and steak sandwiches. YUM!

You would think that after working all day on my feet serving other people, I would have had enough of food. But, no, I'm unstoppable. It's like the energizer bunny, I just keep going and going and going. And going and going and going. Or maybe it was just the night before Father's day and I had yet to get my dad a present. The nice thing about moving back home is having my mom to help in situations like this. That day, she had gone to the farmer's market and bought me rhubarb and strawberries. So come 9pm Saturday night, I made a strawberry rhubarb pie. This is why I love early summer. There is so much amazing produce available. The pie was a great success. I used a recipe I found on the food network website and made a few tweaks to the crust and filling. It's aroma was so tantalizing I wanted to eat it all that night!

On Father's day my sister and I had to work until five. At which point it was still beautiful and warm out (Summer solstice remember?) and we decided we needed to go somewhere special for dinner. Having a pilot for a dad makes things convenient. We flew to Half Moon Bay, a place we used to go when I was a baby but hadn't been to in more than a decade. Half Moon Bay is the site of Mavericks and more importantly the site of my first solid food as a baby- fried clams! Go figure right? So dinner was great... we enjoyed it on the deck of the restaurant overlooking the harbor. And the flight was gorgeous. The air was smooth as silk and the sky was cloudless. The route we took was just off the coast of San Francisco and on the way back, we could see all the lights from the planes in the SFO holding pattern. It basically doubled the amount of "stars" in the sky.

Finally, at ten that night we returned home to enjoy the pie! So good, especially with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (add an additional 1/4 cup if needed)
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup room temperature butter
pinch sea salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons ice water (plus more if needed)

Mix flour, sugar, shortening, butter, salt, and lemon zest until resembles coarse crumbs. Add lemon juice and just enough water to firm a firm dough. Separate into two disks and chill.

Filling

4 cups fresh chopped red rhubarb
4 cups fresh chopped de-stemmed strawberries
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Roll out 1 pastry disk and place in 9in pie dish. Pour filling in and have it mounded in the center. Roll out second pastry disk and place over filling. Crimp edges and cut slits in the crust. Brush crust with an egg wash. Cover edges with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 425. Reduce heat to 375, take the foil off the edges and bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!!!

If you give a mouse a cookie...

You know that story I'm talking about. "If you give a mouse a cookie, he'll ask for a glass a milk..." and it goes on and on and on. Well, I feel like that is a good allusion to my family when they come in contact with sweets. Or rather, if you give my family cookies, they'll eat the whole plate. But that's a good thing right? It shows my baking is appreciated. My dad's a funny one though. It has to be the traditional recipes used. The recipes that he grew up with, that his mother made. So anytime you make something and it's different than Grandma's he'll tell you. "You know when my mother makes this...." or my other favorite is I'll be in the kitchen making one thing and he'll come in and say "You know I like ___". Well then make it yourself dad!

At this point I think it is necessary for me to point out that I really love my dad. And I rant about him in the most deeply loving way. And I understand why he compares everything to my grandma's baking; she is a phenomenal cook/baker. Seriously, everything she makes is amazing. Even foods I normally don't like a delicious... but this could also be due to the fact she swears by the theory that a stick of butter solves any cooking disaster.

These past few weeks have been hectic. It has consisted of studying, writing 28 page reports, and driving from Santa Barbara to Petaluma for numerous graduations. My brother graduated from UC Berkeley and my sister graduated from high school (note that she is attending UC Santa Barbara in the fall!). So I made the 6 hour trek up from Santa Barbara and my grandma hopped on the 6 hour flight out from New York to stay with us for three weeks in order to see both graduations. Along with the two graduations came two graduation parties which meant lots of baking for Grandma and me. We made numerous types of cookies, brownies, and a bread pudding with all the excess rolls left from the party. Grandma has the best snickerdoodle recipe which I will post at a later time when I have it in front of me. The other favorite I made was chocolate chip cookies! I have had the Ghiradelli's chocolate chip cookie recipe memorized since I was ten years old. But I decided to change it up a little bit this past weekend and replace the granulated sugar with honey and add nutmeg and cinnamon. The cookies were gone very quickly!

Honey nutmeg chocolate chip cookies

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg at room temperature

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cream butter and add sugar and honey until well combined. Add the vanilla and a beaten egg. When well combined (make sure not to overmix). Combine all dry ingrediants in a seperate bowl and add 1/3 of the dry ingrediants at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. Bake for 9-10 minutes and enjoy!

CHECK IT!!

Go check this out. You know you want to.

Bay Area Bites

A long Awkward wait...

So after positive steps in the contact process with the the holy trinity of bay coffee, I feel like I have reached a wall. After two interviews and one "offer" I feel disheartened without anything tangible to show for it. There is nothing to really stress about, but patience would be the most important valuable tool i seem not to possess. My day has been riddle with awkward phone calls to lifeless answering machines. Lets hope things come together soon. I am going to cook to relieve stress.

The Dreaded Job Hunt...

So I was sitting on my couch after waking up the other morning (it was around 11) and I realized that I need a J.O.B. After a month of rest and relaxation which was desperately needed I have finally started to beg for a job. The places i am applying don't exactly display help wanted signs in the window so getting a position is an uphill battle. But I think I have Finally overcome my crippling anxiety, my resume and cover letter are now in the hands of the powers that be... Now comes the hard part actually securing a job and rockin it. I can't think about it it makes me stressed out! Step 1 complete

Stress Relieving Food?

I am a classic emotional eater, but i would not have it any other way! These foods have been alleviating my recent job hunt stress... Food is healing so here are the recipes of my medicine.

Fava Bean Pesto on Everything!
Ingredients
As many Favas as you can get your hands on
1 handful of basil
1 handful of mint
Piave Cheese
Olive Oil
4 Cloves of Garlic

Best secret ever passed down to me, blanch the mint and basil before using so you preserve the bright green color of the pesto. Ok so bust out the greatest invention since the wheel, your handy Cuisinart thing! Cut up cheese, take out. Put in Garlic and cut up, then... Add Blanched and peeled favas, mint, basil, and cheese. Slowly add in olive oil while everything is being turned into a fine paste. Do is to the consistency that looks good! Use on bread, for sandwiches, pasta, apples(JK). Almost anything

Next...

Cherry Arugala Salad

So this is super simple since cherries are coming into season pair them with a nice green that balances their sweetness like arugala. Dress up however you want with lemon, sherry, or balsamic, and olive oil... Just a yummy idea that i have been eating recently. Also try adding the elusive crunch element, almonds, fennel, something good...

Ok So F.F. about my life
1. Humphry Slocombe!!! Holy Fucking Christ! Most amazing Ice cream ever! Salt-Peppa ice cream and Secret Breakfast (bourbon and cornflakes), you must travel to the holy site

2776 Harrison St. Cross street is 16th S.F. duh

2. Been hearing whispers of secret street food gatherings on friday nights in the Mission must investigate
3. Applied to RITUAL today...

Annie!

Blueberry Picking

I drove up to San Luis Obispo on Friday to have a reunion with three of my best friends from home. It was great to catch up with them, especially since one drove cross country from Florida to be there. After a stressful week of school, it was great to escape Santa Barbara and forget about all the stuff I have to do (aka paleoethnobotany plant collection project!). Saturday was perfect, relaxing. Tide pooling at the beach, eating amazing burritos, soaking up that warm California sun... life can't get any better.

I left SLO late afternoon while the sun was still high and its warmth still strong. I was rocking out to The Eagles and Pink Floyd my whole way back, windows down, enjoying the way the wind tossed around my hair. About five miles north of Gaviota there's a sign for pick your own blueberries. I had seen it before, though never felt inclined to stop. For some reason, yesterday, I had the urge to. Maybe it was my desire to prolong my arrival back in Santa Barbara or maybe it was just a desire to get some delicious berries and embrace the last hour of sunlight.

And so it went, I went and picked blueberries. There's something about repetitive tasks that is very theraputic and relaxing. One by one picking the plumb little purple morsels from the comfort of their bushes. Delicately holding them within my hand, taking care not to smooth them, and then PLUNK! dropping them into my little metal pale. I was out there for probably an hour... most likely smiling the whole time. It was like a little treasure hunt... looking for the perfect little gem.... thinking I had found it.... having to taste a sample.... and then starting the cycle all over again. Search, pick, plunk.... with the occasional taste. They were sweet, they were tart. They were fragrant and aromatic.

I was in the field for probably about an hour... unaware as to high full my little tin pale was becoming. As the sun faded behind the mountains, I called it a night and decided it was time to head to Santa Barbara. I looked down at my sandeled feet, stained brown from the dirt and recall wiggling my toes- feeling in tune with my surroundings. I paid for my bounty and got back on highway 101. As I rounded a bend, fog appeared between two mountains. It was that perfect line of fog, misty, alluding- beckoning me forth. Alas it consumed me and I felt all giddy, happy, calm. Is it weird that fog can sooth me?

A Perfect Party

People in IV are always trying to come up with new ways to have a party. We party in the park with live music and alcohol licenses, at the beach with our profs on biology field trips, and even in the ocean on barges made of inflatable kindergarten pools and kitchen tables. For Taylor's birthday, we threw a party that I'd say was incredibly successful, mostly because of the concentration of awesome people* in one little apartment celebrating Taylor's special day, but also because of what they had to eat and drink.

Deciding on the libations we would provide at the party was a topic of discussion all week. My main concerns were cost and my grandmother's couch. We couldn't break the bank, and we also couldn't have anyone get sick in the apartment. With the fires raging a few miles away, the ash kept most people inside despite the perfect May temperature that night, but thanks to the consideration of great friends and the carefully executed menu, we had a perfect and mess-free party.

To throw your own perfect party you need to find your own perfect boyfriend and gather all yours and his perfect friends on his birthday.. i.e. I can't help you there. But, once you've got that, here's what you should do:

Step one: feed 'em.
...because we dine before we drink! We made fajitas with barbecued chicken and carne asada. This lucky meat got a killer marinade of citrus, cilantro, cerveza and... chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (GO BUY THIS NOW!). Homemade guac, wokked-up peppers and onions (the Q ran out of propane), good Santa Barbara salsa, and lots of limes! Thanks to the boys for barbecueing!

Step two: hydrate.
Margaritas were the ideal drink to accompany our Mexican spread. Instead of leaving bottles of tequila around the house (bad move) we made margaritas. All that slurried ice helped everyone on their way to avoiding that nasty, "they don't call it te-kill-ya for nothin!"** hangover. I don't know that it actually worked for everyone, but people seemed to enjoy them anyways. Also, if you make drinks, you sorta play bartender, which is not only fun, but, at least theoretically, prevents anyone from doing handle-pulls on your carpet.

Margaritas for a party

6 lbs limes, squeezed for their juice
2 c simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 Handle tequila (whatever is in your means)
Salt
Ice

Fill a blender about 3/4 full of ice. Follow with 2-3 shot glasses of lime juice, 1/2 shot glass simple syrup, 6-7 shots of tequila, and a dash of ice. Blend until smooth. This makes 3-4 drinks, depending on the size of your blender. The recipe accounts for approximately 5 batches.

To make watermelon margaritas:
First fill the blender about 1/2 full of watermelon. Blend with the tequila. Then add the ice and the rest of the ingredients and blend as usual.

Simple Syrup:
Combine equal parts water and granulated sugar in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer down until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

~~~
Party Hearty :)

La

~~~

*Thanks to the Tahoe/SLO crew for coming all that way! We love you!
**What ALC's mom says!

MAC AND CHEESE!

As this American classic always begs for reinvention, I am happily sharing a recipe courtesy of Greg... This recipe takes on new meaning with the inclusion of interesting cheeses. Beware...

Mac and Cheese

1/2 lb Vermont Chabot Cheddar
1/2 lb of Swiss Cave Aged Gruyere
1/2 lb of Fresh Pecorino Brigante (Sheeps milk, soft)
Fresh Oregano
1 pint of Strauss heavy cream
Butter+Flour= Roux
Salt and Pepper
Oh yeah you need Pasta too! 1lb Preferably something that cheese can get into

First cook pasta in HEAVILY salted water (It should taste like the sea), Drain don't rinse.
Hard Part in a sauce pan melt 3 tbs of butter and add an equal amount of flour, cook the mixture while stirring until it because a light golden caramel color. Slowly whisk in cream that has warmed slightly to room temp. Make sure everything is smooth, let this heat up for a few minutes until hot enough to melt cheese. In handfuls add the cheese to cream mixture reserving half of the cheese. Once sauce is incorporated and pasta, mix. Next is the fun part that takes a little skill. Have gentle heat underneath the pan and begin adding the remaining amounts of cheese to the pasta mixture. Stir and let cheese melt and become gooey! Salt.Pepper.Oregano. Serve

Please, Don't Eat and Drive

What I Advise You Do With Spinach

I go through phases with spinach. It's a green not unlike that guy that I meet every-other weekend since Fall quarter but he never remembers my name and even though we got along so well two weeks ago, and two weeks before that, seems we start from the beginning every time. Such is spinach. I used to buy it for salads, but I realized some time ago that I prefer feisty greens like arugula in my digestif.* It's great chopped into ribbons and swirled through my breakfast eggs, and I love beds of the sautéed stuff right below a filet of pan-fried fish. Nevertheless, when I'm buying greens, it's the arugula, the chard, and (when it's available) the mâche that I go for.

But, after tonight's dinner, I will certainly be buying more spinach. It was as a last resort that I bought the fateful bag last Saturday, but my trusty salad man had sold out of the tender greens and only had spinach left. After a surprisingly satisfying sandwhich** on Sunday, I went back to the fridge looking to make a salad. I made the vinagrette in my favorite salad bowl that Taylor ...acquired... for me and put a handful of the greens in too. One bite and I knew, this was not salad spinach.

It sat in the fridge until tonight, and I knew what I had to do: chicken saag. I wanted to eat something rich but not too heavy, so this was the perfect dish. The spinach blends into the tomatoes and spices and the whole thing gets velvety and luxurious, especially after the addition of the butter (don't skimp on the butter!). The saag was my favorite dish at the late Star of India in Petaluma (you will be missed!) and what I ate nearly every week through junior and sophomore years of high school. I loved it and I'd never attempted it, but after studying a few recipes online, I got the method and got to work.

~~~
This is a highly modified version of the recipe at www.indianfoodforever.com

Chicken Saag For Two
This is lovely served over steamed basmati rice.
Also, it will get better with age, so make a
bigger batch if you are in to left overs.

2 chicken breast, cut into pieces
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/3" piece of ginger, minced
1 Tbs milk
About 6 cups chopped fresh spinach
4 tinned tomatoes, chopped, with a few Tbs of their juice
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs curry powder (I like Madras)
8 cardamom seeds, smashed
A few tishes of cayenne pepper
Olive oil
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt

In a little oil, fry up the chicken until golden. Remove and set aside.Sauté the spinach with a few tablespoons of water until it's wilted and the water is boiling. Blend the spinach with the water until the water begins to take on the color of the spinach. Set aside.

Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger a bit of oil until onions are translucent. Add the tomatos and their juice, the curry powder, the cardamom the cayenne and a tish of water. Simmer on low for about ten minutes. If it begins to dry out, add a little water and cover. Add the chicken and the milk and simmer until the chicken is tender.

Add the spinach and the garam masala to the pan. Cook on low until most of the liquid has evaporated and the spinach sticks to the pan. Turn off the heat, stir in the butter, and cover until ready to serve.

~~~
Enjoy!
-La

~~~
*As Taylor has taught me, a clean and well executed green salad at the end of a meal makes for a wonderful finishing course. A salad seems to cleanse my palate, makes me feel like the meal is complete, not to mention, it aids digestion!
** Two slices of TJ's Harvest Whole Wheat Bread (one slice toasted), tomato slices, really good deli cut turkey, salad greens, avocado, sharp cheddar, brown mustard, freshly-ground pepper. Yum!

Glorious Gluttony

Ok so my weekend as usual consisted of some serious competition level eating. I think that I truly might have a slight chance against the greatest of Japanese competitive eaters. So here is the menu for the weekend that must be recreated...
Thurs:
Lamb petit rack with a spring ragout of fiddle heads, ramps, sunchokes, fava beans, and shallots drizzled with a maderia reduction
Friday:
Smoked Salmon Scramble, Whole wheat walnut bread, Applewood smoked bacon
Oven fried chicken covered with parm and breadcrumbs, braised collared greens, MOST AMAZING MAC AND CHEESE! and homemade Pecan Pie
Six wine tasting
Saturday:
Duck prosciutto, Pugs Leap cheese, baby lettuce mix
Pulled chicken in mex spices, homemade salsa, fried black beans, and quesodillas
Recipes to follow shortly

Baked Penne With A Twist

Lately I've been wanting to cook more foods from places that I have a heritage in. This should be quite simple, considering I'm a mutt of eight different ethnicities, however, I find that I really only want to cook one type of cuisine: Italian. I know exactly why, it reminds me of my mom's cooking and home. My mom's primarily Italian, her mom was full Italian and therefore Italian food is what I grew up eating. No complaints there. Who can resist a good chicken parmigiana or lasagna? And quite honestly, whoever can is a fool.

So last night after a very long day of classes, indoor cycling, work, class, and rock climbing, and before my indoor soccer game, I decided it was definitely a night for pasta. I really wanted to do some sort of baked pasta type thing but I wasn't feeling tomato sauce. It's just not the same when I don't have time to slow cook it and tomatoes aren't in season. So instead I decided to use some left over fava bean pesto I had made for crostini a few days back. And then I said, what the heck? I need some more Mediterranean flava in here and decided to use some eggplant I had bought last week. And I know, eggplant isn't quite in season but give me a break... I really want to make eggplant parmagiana... or grilled eggplant sandwiches. Yum!


So there it went. And I was quite impressed. I only had an hour to do this all before my soccer game which meant I had to be speed racer in my kitchen. The methodology may be a little unorthodox, the ingrediants a little different than what it normally seen in a baked pasta dish but it worked out wonderfully!

Fava Bean Pesto

1 pound fava beans (you know the drill, shelled, peeled, all that fun stuff!)
1 minced garlic clove
juice from 1 lemon
a sprig of rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil (or less if you want)
and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

put the fava beans, garlic, lemon juice, and rosemary in a food processor and pulse until it's all coarsely chopped. Add in the olive oil, while still blending, to the desired consistency. Finally add in the salt and pepper.

Baked Penne
2 1/3 cups whole wheat penne
1 large eggplant
a few good handfuls fresh spinach

Turn oven to 400 degrees F. Cook penne on the stove as normally would. While doing this, cut the eggplant into bite size morsels and steam in another pot for about 10 minutes. When pasta is al dente remove from heat and drain. Make sure to reserve a little liquid to mix in with the pesto. Put pasta back in the pot and coat with the pesto. Stir in eggplant and spinach. Move to a 8x8 baking dish in bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and bake for an additional 5.
(note: I didn't do this, but it adding mozzerella to the top of the pasta before baking may be really tasty!)

-Caroline

Fresh Chickpeas

I had heard whispers, but I was unsure if the rumors were true. Could I maybe be totally out of touch with the industry and trends I love so dearly? Well upon entering the W.F. I came upon something i had yet to caress between my fingers... Fresh Chickpeas (or Garbanzos). I had never seen such a thing before, not even at the farmers market. Of course I am dimwitted enough to think that there was no such thing as fresh chickpeas the only forms i had ever seen were canned or dried, I had merely assumed that none of the crop was reserved for the produce section. I grabbed about a pound of the strange pods. Fresh chickpeas are almost an oval shape that has pointed ends that slightly curl upward and a thin rigid outer layer. Upon opening the pod you discover that there is more air inside than chickpeas... but that was fine some surprised me with two well developed peas. After shelling the peas I submerged them for a few minutes in boiling water heavily salted along with fava beans i had shelled as well (Luckily i enjoy repetitive mundane tasks). Using both of these beans i took a note from Caroline and made Bruschetta.

Fava bean and Fresh Chickpea Bruschetta

1lb Favas
1lb Chickpeas
1 handful of Mint
2 handfuls of Mache
2 cloves of Garlic
1/4 Red Onion diced
1 meyer lemon
Olive Oil
Salty Pepper

After the tedious task of shelling the beans and peas throw them down in a pot of boiling water for about three minutes (No one likes mushy beans!). After draining hit them with an ice bath so they stop cooking. Now i didn't know this and maybe i am just blond but the Favas aren't done yet! They must first shed their skin before you use them. After cutting all the goodies to the texture you like throw them all in a bowl to get and mix. Voila!

SERVE RIGHT AWAY! ON A BAGUETTE... or i used Sweet BATARD!

Annie

Sour and Bitter

This is a recipe for the most incredible salad that i rocked out last night!

Salad Part:
1 grapefruit (segments)
2 Belgium Endives
2 handfuls of Mache
1 bunch of Watercress
Mint
Cilantro
1 Lime
Tish of Olive Oil
Cut the everything so it looks pretty or whatever, throw it all in a bowl. Squeeze the lime on top and drizzle the tish of olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste. (Try rocking out some crazy sea salts like the Black Cyprus)

Shrimp Part:
1/2 lb. of Shrimp
Cilantro
2 cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil
Olive Oil in Pan. Heat Oil. Add Shrimp and goodies. Cook for a minute or two. Put Shrimp delicately on top of the salad mixture...

Annie

From China with Love

my mom's in China on a business trip. Everytime she goes, she comes back with some sort of wild story about something that she ate or she experienced. Usually she tries to stick to food that she is accustomed to or able to recognize. Apparently last night's dinner was a little much for her. (No offense mom). I think it sounds pretty fun!

"OK, so we went to that old seafood restaurant tonight. It is on stilts in the middle of the dirty river. The floor is old and I am afraid we will collapse and drown. We had pigeon! It is supposed to be famous in Zhongshan. It was BBQed and cut up into sections but still looked like a pigeon—lots of bones! Yuck! We also had shrimp with the heads, spicy crab-mixed in chile peppers. We used chopsticks and our teeth to crack the shells! Oh yes, eggs, like a frittata, with small fish mixed in. Needless to say, I am hungry now, since I couldn’t eat much. So you are correct, Chinese food is not filling!

I almost forgot the pear and chicken soup. And no dessert. Miss you and love you.

Ann/mom"

-Caroline

So good!

...Need I say more? Okay, I probably do because 'so good' could allude to all sorts of foods and things. Last night I went out to dinner with a few good friends. Downtown Santa Barbara has all sorts of dining possibilities but we decided on SpiritLand Bistro on East Victoria St. I had heard about this place months ago but it's hidden off of State St, nestled in between Spanish style apartments, and somehow it always alluded me. But last night a friend suggested we go and I could not have been more excited.

Spiritland Bistro prides itself on being 95% organic and buys the majority of its produce from the fantastic Santa Barbara farmer's market. However, since it is global cuisine it must import some things that are not available at a local level. The restuarant is adorable- cozy, intimate, and simple. There is a mix of freshness and relaxation in the air that suggests the need to take the time to sit down, relax, and embrace the cuisine.

As it happened one of my friends used to go to school with the daughter of the woman who owns the restaurant. Score! an in!


The menu was fantastic- everything sounded excellent and our waitress was so knowledgeable about the menu (owner's daughter). We casually grilled her with questions about the menu which ranged from macademian crusted sea bass to raw vegetarian lasagna. There were also multiple drink options that spanned the spectrum from elixirs to fruit martinis. I was in heaven. Fresh, local food. Multiple vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free options. Basically hippie heaven. I mean, come on, the logo even has an Ohm sign in it. The chef is from Sri Lanka and studied culinary arts in France and was a genius. I had the Caribbean curried sweet potato soup which was amazing. The other girls had Tuscan Primavera and Fusilli Rice Pasta, Hawaiian Nut Crusted Sea Bass, and a Caesar Salad. Everything was delicious. The Sea Bass was so buttery and rich and perfectly cooked. It was a satisfying meal but not over powering. Not heavy, leaving us with that disgustingly full feeling but rich and delectable and perfect.
Plus we had an in remember? There was a reason I told you that. As our waitress cleared our plates she asked if we were in a rush or we had time for dessert because she would like to bring out a few things for us to try. Well of course no one can resist free dessert.


She brought out wildflower honey lavender creme brule, dark chocolate macadamian truffles with coconut, and dark chocolate beet flourless cake with vanilla ice cream and a beet reduction. O my goodness. Orgasmic! I took a bite of the truffle and thought I died and went to heaven. It's amazing what good quality chocolate can do for you. We slowly devoured the entire dessert plate- cherrishing the tastes, textures, scents. Letting each bite linger in our mouths. The truffles melted upon touching your tongue, the creme brule was so smooth so light so irresistable, the cake was rich and moist and gooey... honestly, I could go on forever describing the perfection of these desserts.


We sat in the resturant for almost three hours embracing our meal, our food, and our company. Needless to say, the night was a success.

-Caroline

Lima

She says it tastes like a lime without the acid. She looks sad, disappointed by her not sweet, not sour, exotic Mexican fruit from the Farmer's Market.

I want to try it, too. I take a small slice and bring it to my mouth. It is not like a lime.

This lima is mildly sweet, with these delicate, almost secret flavors. Secret flowers and the scents of some far-off Mexican garden creep into the pulp. They don't explode on the tongue. If you are patient, they bloom, mostly on the back of the tongue, like those tea leaf bouquets at fancy Japanese joints that unfold in hot water and infuse the teapot. Notes of jasmin and lavender sit on my tongue and make my whole mouth feel lighter, a little tingly, like how the lining of my skin seems to blend a little more into my surroundings after a few drinks, so that the separation between my body and my environment blurs a little and I'm not sure where one starts and the other begins.

It's like white pepper. She says basil, and I understand that popping then numbing feeling you get when drink good peppery chai. The lima pulp pops but doesn't explode. It's less feisty than other citrus, and the juice spreads.. and numbs you gently.. and it is not like a lime.. and I like it.. and I want to try it again..

...and then I wonder.

( How much of this am I pulling out of my ass?)


-La

Asparagus.... o how I love thee....

...Let me count the ways. As a distraction from my paleoethnobotany (try saying that 5 times fast eh?) reading I decided to plan what I was going to make for dinner. I bought a bunch of asparagus yesterday at a farm stand and, above the Eric Clapton song playing in my apartment, I hear it calling to me. Ok, so maybe all my pbot reading has me going a bit delusional but, none-the-less you have to admit food speaks. It tells you if it's ripe through its color, its fragrance, its feel. It tells you if its ready to be eaten through much of the same elements along with its pop, snap, or sizzle as it roasts elegantly in the oven or simmers, bubbling ever so lightly, on the stove.

MMmmm, just thinking about the luxurious smells and sounds makes me hungry. And reminds me of my audacious asparagus that was yearning to be eaten. But that's where the dilemma came in. What to do with it? So many options... so many choices... what is my indecisive self supposed to do? My desire to make the perfect dish has gotten the best of me. Normally I love grilling asparagus with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and lemon but I feel like I do that too often. So then I started looking around through various blogs and cookbooks trying to find something that sparked my interest. Orangette has a asparagus flan that though I'm curious about doesn't fit my evening, Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson has an asparagus puree that did catch my eye but I don't want pasta, Jamie Oliver and Jamie's Kitchen had poached eggs with asparagus on toast which I have been wanting to try but again, it just doesn't seem right tonight. And then roast asparagus and a balsamic vinegar reduction sneaks it's way in and always does its magic... BUT NO! I want something else... so I kept looking, searching, yearning for the perfect asparagus recipe... and finally it came like a shining star in a dark night. I know, I had you worried there for a second didn't I?

There it was on 101 cookbooks... simple, elegant, perfect. " Spring Panzanella". I know right, why didn't I think of this earlier? It was exactly what I wanted for a warm spring night- lots of veggies and crunchy, toasted bread. Besides the fact that anything based on Italian food is excellent, it was a Swanson recipe (aka my current culinary muse).


The recipe is so simple but yielded an aromatic, colorful masterpiece. My first bite was like an explosion of tasty Italian flavors in my mouth. And the contrast of textures between the toasted, garlicky bread and the crunchy, oily asparagus was a perfect pairing. I made a few minor tweaks such as substituting the thyme for rosemary on the croutons, using a sweet onion instead of a shallot since that's what I had in my pantry, and frozen spinach because I always have that on hand. Never the less, I'm happy to say my taste buds are satisfied and my tummy full!

Ando so it went,
Caroline

Sticky, Sweet and Salty Pasta

Today it rained. After Floatopia, sweat stains in class and short shorts since Spring Break, it rained. The lunch that Taylor and I came up with was fitting, because it was sticky and sweet and salty and most important, warm and hearty, like a winter dish. Here's the method:

Sticky, Sweet and Salty Pasta (of the Woods!)

Bring a pot of water to a boil; cook 1/2 box of whole wheat penne or other dried pasta.

To season two chicken thighs (mine were boneless and skinless,) Taylor uses olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides, finishing with a generous dash of Herbs de Provence.

In a large and shallow preheated saucepan on medium-high, we cooked a bit of olive oil with two smashed garlic cloves and added the chicken thighs. We cooked them on both sides to nearly done, then took them off the heat and transferred to a plate.

In the same pan we added a bit more olive oil, and one chopped leek, cooking over medium heat until almost golden around the edges. Then add one very large sliced portabella mushroom (you could use any kind you like) along with a handful of chopped thyme, and a sliced red bell pepper. Cook these for a few minutes, just until the mushrooms are nearly cooked through.

About here we drained the pasta, reserving some of the pasta liquid. Then we added the chicken back to the saucepan, along with a few tablespoons each balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Stirring at this point helped keep the carmelization of the vinegar and soy on the food and not the pan. Once the liquid added has been cooked into the chicken and veggies, add the pasta and a bit of the pasta water to the pan. Toss and plate.

We topped ours with lots of ground pepper, shaved parmesan and herbed goat cheese (Taylor liked the goat cheese!! Yay!).

-La

Welcome spring! I love this time of year. I think it's my favorite. The air filled with the scent of flowers and fertilizer; the grass a vibrant, brilliant green; and purple and yellow wildflowers consume the open fields. I don't know, you the saying "spring is in the air" well there's reason that's so popular. There's just such a fresh atmosphere abEditout spring. Everything comes back to life and is rejuvenated. Maybe it's because I'm a spring baby myself that I appreciate the beauty of spring so much. Or maybe it's just because it's a great season and means the emergence of spring fruits and veggies!! Hooray!

I went down to the farmer's market in Santa Barbara on Saturday and was so giddy. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the market was bubbling full of life. I couldn't help but smile as I walked around (or rather skipped around dodging anyway in my way) tasting all the juicy red strawberries I could get my hands on. And there were fava beans! Score! Fava beans are such a rare treat that I hop on the opportunity to get them any chance I get.
I have been waiting for an opportune time to eat them. I wanted to do it when I had the time to prepare them or someone to share them with. However, being a busy college student living alone and having busy college friends meant I had to settle for just one of the two. So last night, coming back from a soccer game I decided I could not wait any longer. I wanted, needed to eat my magical beans!But honestly, they are soo soo soo much work! Although half the fun of them is the anticipation and anxiousness one feels while she is standing in her kitchen for 20 minutes peeling the little boogers. But after a stressful and somewhat hectic day the repetitive motion of removing the brilliant green beans from their cushioning home was somewhat theraputic. I had a pretty good method of removing the inner bean from its casing too. It seemed to help to peel back the end that was attached to the pod and then use my index finger and thumb to squeeze the little gem out.

Originally I thought I was going to make bruscchetta with the fava beans but after all my preperation I decided they had to be eaten el naturale. I had to savor their flavor in the purest form, unihibited by things like thyme and bread and olive oil (although I will make that the next chance I get). And so it went, I ate my beans like the delicate jewels that they are. With just a hint of sea salt, I ate the little things slowly, one by one, and with my hands. They were too dainty for utensils. Plus it's more fun to play with my food!
-Caroline

Passion and Fish Tacos

The aesthetic beauty of the world has been laboriously sought after by a select within history. The things that we see, taste, and hear are all products of one person’s passion for their task and practice. Passion is the most fruitful quality; everything that is brought forth from it is of the upmost value. Even the simplest things that have been created by passions, such as fruit, are heighted to exceptional levels. I am always seeking the labors and products of others passions, whatever their craft may be. My life is guided by my desire to surround myself with things that others pour their hearts into. Above things of a personal nature what I value most is passion, whether it is a farmer’s, a painter’s, or my own. Passion has been central to the way in which I live my life and those I choose to share it with.

As I began to mature and seek out my life’s path I was disheartened because I had yet to find a special talent or something that I was clearly successful at. It was not until I found I loved coffee did I understand what is most important about life, and that is finding a passion for something and being willing to pour everything that you possess into it. I realized that Passion was what guided innovation and culture as well as my own life. Often times passion takes on negative connotations in our society, it is viewed as something negative to shy away from. Obviously a product of our puritan roots the definitions given by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary and Dictionary.com, all depict passion as being a quality of something that is uncontrollable and because of the strong emotions that surround it, it is thus negative. I disagree strongly with the subtle innuendos of these definitions, which I find to be rigid and negative.

Though passion in all of its forms can often times be associated with irrationality, this irrationality is also what drives that single focus to perfection. A person of moderation and apathy may lead a stable life but it will never amount to one that is fully lived. I hope to never be a person that is absorbed in the myth that happiness is found through apathy; I believe that contentment can only be sought through pursuing something that you feel passion for regardless of the actual task. The extremes of passion are where life can be fully lived even if some believe that it is a life lead by an irrational desire. The events that I value most within life are created by a person’s passion for their task, whether it be preparing food all day in the kitchen in order to enjoy it with family and friends or creating something for a person to enjoy and indulge in. Passion should not be a value that we shrink from but one that should be completely embraced within our society and culture.

On that note... everything that we do and eat should be created out of passion for the ingredients and the experience of eating with the people that we care most about. Sharing a meal with friends and family is of the up most priority to us, but not always a reality. Sitting in Lala's kitchen is a treat that happens all too rarely. On the last occasion we sat chatting excitedly about the opening of Lala's Creamery, an old fashioned ice cream parlor, and making amazing fish tacos.

Family Fish Tacos

2 lbs Petrale Sole

1 can of refined black beans

1 onion

1 tomato

bunch of cilantro

tortillas

garlic

and basic house hold ingredients (not sure if that is allowed in a recipe)

So we started the delicious meal by preparing the fish. First rinse all of the fillets gently to get off any grossness, then grab a plate or bowl and throw in about a cup of all purpose flour. Lightly flour each side of the fish so that there is an even coat. Preheat a huge pan with oil and butter (You will know when it is hot enough when you throw in a drop of water and it sizzles). Throw the fuckers in the pan and let them fry up minute and a half on each side or when each side is golden and crisp.

As for the black beans I was only gazing over La's shoulder while she made them but it looked as if you... Preheat oil in the pan add a little bit of diced onion after that gets going throw in the garlic ( Burnt garlic tastes bad). Add the whole can of beans and let that all cook together till it is heated through and smelling amazing, at the end throw in some cilantro action.

We ate out whole meal family style with 8 people, the fish tacos were served with Spanish rice, beans, diced onions, and tomatoes. But just throw down whatever suits your palate.

Diary of a Bourgie, Vol. II: "Okay guys, hands in...Gypsies on three!"

This edition of Diary of a Bourgie will stray from the beaten path, taking a different approach to better represent our extraordinary experiences from this past Sunday. Instead of one account, you will be given a separate account from each of us, totaling in four stories. Please, embrace the beauty of change and enjoy accordingly! (A quick aside, Annie's account is part of the one above!)

* * *

There is no proper way to explain how wonderfully decadent this past Sunday was. Not only was it one of those rare occasions when all of us were home, but it also marked a new epoch in the life of the Bourgies: the preview of Lala's Creamery, the ice cream shoppe La's parents are opening in downtown Petaluma. The afternoon was spent scooping delicious, homemade ice cream, creating traditional banana splits and indulging in the various flavors being showcased that day (including peanut butter and jelly ice cream, a rather spontaneous flavor La and I developed on Friday night; in a word: AMAZING). While this was pure happiness in itself, it cannot even compare to the conversation that followed shortly after all the customers had left.

Over coke floats and French folk music, we talked about our future. I say future, because it is collective, and involves all four of us living together on a sustainable hippie compound in Occidental once we reach the age of 40 (I'll let the others elaborate on the details of this wonderful venture, for I could never do it as much justice as is deserved). It is possible you are reading this, thinking one of the following: that this plan will never work because we will be far too poor, that we will never follow through, or that we are insane. On the contrary my friends! Okay, I'll admit we are a bit insane, but we are also four intelligent and driven girls (adults? women? I don't know what to call us!) who WILL make this happen. And of course, we have a back up plan....

...Now, how could we ever run a successful and prosperous hippie commune without a plot of land devoted to the growth of ganja? After I achieve all hipster desires as a graphic designer living in SOMA or the Mission District in San Francisco with my artsy husband, I will undergo a transformation and return to my hippie roots. It has all been planned out in a few short steps:

Step 1: turn my head of luscious, hip length curls into dreds, start wearing mumus and walking barefoot, and adopt an African or Indonesian baby.

Step 2: obtain a medical marijuana license from Oaksterdam, create a rare blend of weed and master the craft of baking edibles.

Step 3: sell my glorious product out of a psychedelic VW bus at local farmer's markets.

See? Problem solved. Yes, we may be hippie freaks, but actually, we prefer to be called gypsies, thank you very much.

Peace and love, my friends...

Meesh

* * *

I'm very excited to announce that Lala's Creamery (NOT to be confused with Laloo's Goats Milk Ice Cream) is scheduled to open in downtown P-town this weekend! It's been a dream of my family's since I can remember, and when the opportunity arose to have a space, my father, the entrepreneur-extraordinaire/super hero that he is, seized it, and my mother, the goddess/super-woman that she is, will be running it! In true Lala fashion, the ice cream parlor features many classic flavors alongside locally and seasonally inspired and unique combinations, all made on site, some by yours truly! Also in the tradition of me and my mom, a serious tea service will be available, most likely by Meesh, as well as sick 'spro libations, crafted by young jedi baristas under the guidance of the her Majesty, the Sick-ass 'Spro queen, Annie.

So we're all pumped because we'll all likely be working at this joint, at least come summertime. And the beauty of it is, the gorgeous parlor bears an uncanny resemblance to my own kitchen (wonder who designed it) and thus, we all feel completely at home in it already. It's like we never left the nest. The nest just got some new shit for us to play with.

Last Sunday the four of us found ourselves satisfied and maybe too full of ice cream, with arms made weak from scooping countless boules of frozen creamy goodness, retired around a table in the parlor, in the reflection of the afternoon sun. Crowded around this table, we spoke of the future, and as Meesh has described, we spoke more seriously than one might assume.

I don't know what lies ahead for me. Right now, I'm on a sort of quest, squeezing answers for my millions of questions from biology classes, anthropology classes, professors, experiences, books and sometimes blogs. I say squeezing because it's not always readily apparent what I might discover in a lecture, or in a conversation, but it all feels connected to this understanding I'm building of food, life, earth, health and relationships. Therefore, even when I find myself searching, I know that I'm on to something worthwhile. Building a major out of salty, seawater air and a few cookbooks is wonderfully challenging, and it seems everything, from Lala's, to this blog, to my happiness, and to the beauty of sharing good food and good words with the people I love, are connected to it. My life is, as Annie has so eloquently described, one that strives toward passion and dedication. After only a few handfuls of entries, this blog has expressed more completely and creatively than any of us could have done on our own, the effect that passion about food as a ritual and a necessity, transcends the literal meaning of nourishment, and how it can transform a situation, build a family, and stimulate culture in a time (now) and demographic (our own) that many claim is apathetic.

Passion and food; words picked ripe, and ready for inspiration.

* * *

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little intimidated to write something right now. Annie just wrote up an amazing post, and in this post, I am preceded by two eloquent and beautiful accounts of last Sunday and life in general. I think that's the best part about this blog; the fact that it combines four different girls from four different backgrounds and each has a strikingly unique style and flare of her own. Yet, however different we all may be, we share a few common entities: passion (the theme for today) for life, love of food and sense of friendship that connect us all.

As the sun peaked through the windows of LaLa's Creamery and we all sat chatting about life, food, the future, etc., there was a comforting warmth that filled the air. And though it was a glorious Petaluma day, it was not a warmth that was emitted solely from the sun, but a warmth that came from within. Illuminating the room through our smiles, our laughs, transcending the shine of the sun and the glow of the ceiling lights and reaching each and everyone of us in a uplifting way.

I sat there listening to the conversation, embracing the atmosphere, taking as much of it in as I could- totally immersed in my surroundings. Who could not be at peace in a time like this? This is what life is all about- enjoyment, happiness, blissfulness, serenity. You can call it whatever you'd like but it is all the same. It's embracing the life you have. It's taking the time to, excuse the cliche, but stop and smell the roses, to stop sweating about the small stuff and know everything is going to work out.

This is probably sounding so corny but I don't care. Looking back on this past six months, I cannot think of anything else I would want to be doing. I have a new-found passion for anthropology, which has presented me with amazing opportunities to study subjects like paleoethnobotany and conduct research on a beautiful Maya site, El Pilar, which has lead me into the journalism field. Not to mention that my friends are amazing. The kind of people that you don't have to worry about judging you. That are all so different and intelligent and caring and you can always count on to have your back.

I have always heard of the magic of La's kitchen. How it is the spot that everyone rushes to to hangout. As a newcomer to the group, my first experience of the kitchen came over break. The funny thing was that it didn't start in the kitchen. It started in the creamery, the second kitchen as you could call it, and continued into the actual kitchen. Or maybe, it's not the magic of the kitchen, it was the magic of good friends being together- laughing, joking, watching La's little brothers create mayhem wherever they went. But everything was done with a smile- and even as I type this I can't help but smile. And laugh.

I started out thinking I would write this post about the creamery, the ice cream flavors, and the commune, however, it's turned into a reflection about life. So sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear. But everything did stem off of that day and the thought of living in four different airstreams in Occidental and growing all of our own food and making amazing breads in an outdoor oven and what ever else we proposed for our compound. Yep, I think we have a pretty solid game plan. At least for when we turn forty. Until then, we just have to enjoy the ride and whatever adventures that entails.

Here's to lookin' at you kid,
Caroline