There's more to my life than cooking, I promise . . .

But it's what I do everyday, and it's fun to take pictures of!


Slow Cooker Pork with steamed broccoli and homemade chedder garlic biscuits.


Stuffed Peppers. Yum! Used the leftover tomoto sauce from the pork.


Pot Stickers, Basmati Rice, and Napa Cabbage salad with almonds. Various dipping sauces.


Peanut butter Chocolate Chip cookies and milk, and 10 Days in Africa game. I almost won this time! Foiled by Brian again . I just needed to switch Angola for Mali, and he covered up Mali on the discard pile right before my turn! Blast!

In other arenas, I just finished my first cable knitting experience. I love this new scarf, and I'll put up a picture when it's done.

Going dancing with friends again tonight. I started a cutting a dress last night and I hope to get it put together in time to wear it tonight. I'll blish pics of that too, once it's done. First Ben and I are going back to the Pacific Ocean Market for more ingredients.

More International Bittman

This one was delicious: Thai peanut chicken, ginger snap peas, and sticky rice. The peas were so easy and good! Saute the peas in a little oil with 1 tsp minced ginger. When they are bright green, add a Tbs soy sauce and a Tbs of sesame oil. Salt and pepper and serve.




Chicken Biryani and Coconut Dal. Both of these turned out pretty good, though it took much longer to cook the grains at high altitude and I think the chicken was overspiced (I followed the recipe exactly). Also pictured is homemade ginger ale: ginger steeps in the sugar syrup and then combine with sparkling lime water (La Croix).



Simple Italian: Turkey meatball spaghetti, steamed green beans, and parmesan fennel. Gotta go! Family Guy is on.


i

Mehndi

I gave my old airbrush a whirl with henna this weekend.






In my quest for a decent hair-do, I got a perm. It's . . . eh. I don't love it or hate it. It looks scruffy, which is how I used to scrunch my hair beforehand. Not the head of curls I was hoping for, but not bad either.

Making dieting difficult

Lots of good new recipes lately!


Spicy black bean croquettes with sauteed vegetables.



Caramel Apple Bars (Mmmm, although I thought they would make a sturdier bar cookie)



Cabbage Soup. Kind of boring, but a good old fashioned budget soup.



Lemon poundcake with cherries and orange glaze.



Trying out my new Mark Bittman International cookbook. For my lemon grass chicken I pureed ginger, garlic, sugar, tumeric, lemon grass, fish sauce (can you believe it?), coconut milk, and cilantro.



Panfried potatoes and eggplant with Indian spices.



The finished meal. Yum!

Louvre: 360

These are always fun.
http://www.virtualsweden.se/projects/louvre/

Edward Scissorhands

While whetting my appetite for Swan Lake in February, I found video of the new Matthew Bourne ballet: Edward Scissorhands. (You need the latest version of flash to view, link provided). Now I want this ballet to tour America too! Scissorhands seems like a natural fit as a ballet. It's dream-like with fairy tale elements and a haunting score.

TMNT

It's TURTLE TIME for Ben and Jeff's birthdays!


Note the mutegen.


Brian contributed the original series to our merriment. None of that new pupil-less crap for us 80s bred young adults!






No one wants to be Raphael :-( (Hey, Raphael is cool, but rude)

I'm starting a new trend: norwegian print socks with heels. I think it could catch on ;-)





And I'm only posting this picture because I haven't been able to fit into these pants for 2 1/2 years. Rock.

Dot's Diner

Ah, Boulder! For Ben's "birthday," we had breakfast with friends at my favorite diner, Dot's.



Dot's is in the college neighborhood, but is equally frequented by bums. You can bet your waitress is a lesbian enviromental activist. They regularly rotate the art with installations by locals. They have fresh flowers on the tables. You can order any meal vegan - with avocado or tofu, and request cage-free eggs be used in your omelette. But they can also make a mean, greasy plate of sausage. I come for the non-vegan fair.

Ben is enjoying a favorite: Arnold's eggs (foreground). Ham, eggs, cheese on a biscuit smothered in gravy. Oh, blessed biscuits! I drive all the way just for the biscuits. Cut from a pan, they are savory, buttery, melt in your mouth pieces of heaven, served with a squeeze bottle of raspberry jam.



I opt for a house breakfast: sausage, egg, incredible peppery hash browns, and that perfect biscuit.

Caviar

We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there . . .

Yummy!

Chicken soup, mmmm!!


Poached chicken, sweet peppers, carrots, watercress, and scallions, seasoned with soy sauce, srirancha, and sesame oil. Light and tasty!



Oh the gluttony that is rakott krumpli.


This food dehydrater is great. I've made raisins, dried apple, and various fruit roll-ups. Puree fruit and pour on tray - couldn't be easier. Pictured here are peach and blackberry purees, frozen leftovers from summer.

New movie

The trailer for Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is online here. (Stupid moviefone exclusive with its teeny tiny screen and noncompatability with firefox).

I'm excited for it. Yes, we all hate Kirsten Dunst. But hey, Jason Schwartzman as Louis XVI? Rock on!

The Garlic Card

The Garlic Card

How can you NOT want one after this instructional film?

Whew!

Wow, huge picture dump. I think I'm all caught up.

If you loved the Shining trailer, you must see the new A Christmas Gory trailer.

This morning I couldn't find my cat. After two hours I heard her tags clinking, but muffled. I called and she mewed back - from inside Ben's dresser. She had been trapped inside his shirt drawer all morning!

Holiday Cooking!

The most incredible cookie! Big Soft Ginger cookies with molasses and sugar crystal crust.


Somosas (baked, not fried). Filling from here, with a crust from Mark Bittman's book.



Butternut Squash soup with parmesan croutons and brussel sprouts. Combine 1 onion, 1 peeled and seeded squash with vegetable broth and salt/pepper in a slow cooker. Cook on low 5 hours. Puree, add cream cheese, parmesan, and nutmeg, and cook for 30 minutes or until you are ready to eat.



Baked Sandwich using Rhodes dough, with pulled chicken breast, provolone, and pesto filling.


Pumpkin Spice cake with honey frosting. From Martha's Everyday Food magazine (recipe).

Thanksgiving