I've been running on the ragged edge of exhaustion for a while now and fell face-first into it Sunday. Rewind: Friday, Day of the Dead party. Excellent gathering full of people I didn't know. Ended up talking at random mostly to one particular unknown woman, who turned out to be okelle . We didn't figure this out until quite late in the evening when exchanging email addresses. As far as we...

This is an incredibly easy recipe and good for when you're not feeling too hot. Soba noodles are made from buckweat rather than wheat flour, so they're good if you have to avoid white flour. Sorry, I didn't get a shot of the bowl before I emptied it. Ingredients needed: Plus chicken broth: appx 1-2 C chicken broth shredded dried seaweed (available in most Asian groceries. This kind is called...

Ridiculously easy to make and much more appealing than this photo shows -- I took it halfway through the meal. That's white rice in a bowl on the side, aren't I all authentic with my eating of the Chinese-ish food? Ingredients: 1 steak tip (about 8 oz) 1 bunch chinese broccoli 1/2 onion olive & peanut oil for the pan Marinade: balsamic vinegar soy sauce tamari chopped ginger ponzu lemon...

Hamburger, homemade guacamole and tortilla chips, locally grown lettuce/arugula salad The burger: For those of you whose parents never taught you how to cook (or were vegetarians): mix cumin and a tiny bit of salt into the ground beef. Yes, you will get beef ick all over your hands. You're eating a cow. You should get your hands dirty. Shape into a patty -- rule of thumb: 4oz of meat is...

Nothing fancy here, but a nice change for a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast/brunch: Ingredients: 4 corn tortillas 1 C shredded cheddar cheese (I used the lowfat kind) ~ 4 tbsp salsa 1 small onion, diced a little olive oil for the pan In a dry cast iron pan, warm up the tortillas and transfer them to another pan or plate to keep them warm. Place a small amount of olive oil in the same...

I wasn't really that happy with the results of the salmon -- overall, this meal was blander than I would have liked. Although bland can sometimes be good for training your palate to taste the actual food instead of the dressings or sauces on top of them. It was my first time poaching fish -- I'd love to hear how other people have handled it * I didn't plan ahead, so I took the salmon right out...

I finally got around to using that korma sauce from Trader Joe's. The salad required some creativity, so I'm posting a shot of it here Chicken korma: 2 small to medium onions, sliced (these are vidalia) 4-5 chicken drumsticks (substitute whatever chicken you like here -- or use tempeh as a vegetarian alternative) korma sauce (canned -- sorry, my cooking kung fu does not extend to making...

One salad made with collard greens, black beans, and wheat berries One salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, goat cheese, and lettuce Collard Salad 1 bunch collard greens 1/2 box chicken stock 2.5 C wheat berries, cooked 1/2 to 1 can black beans, washed and rinsed To taste: olive oil rice vinegar crushed ginger salt In a rice cooker or medium pot, bring 2 1/2 C water to a boil. Add...

These are the results of my latest Farmer's Market haul. Beefsteak tomato, sliced (important: don't put the tomato in the fridge!) Cucumber, peeled and sliced ~ 1/2 C savory rice crackers ~ 5 slices from a black-pepper-crusted goat cheese log. Fresh basil, chopped Arrange the tomatoes nicely on the plate as shown. Sprinkle chopped basil leaves over the tomatoes. Pour a capful of olive...

Green beans (about a handful) 2 radishes 1/2 green pepper 1/2 italian green pepper ~1 C brown rice ~ 1/2 C canned black beans Dressing (amounts are approximate): 2 tsp olive oil 3 tsp rice wine vinegar dried orange peel to taste crushed ginger to taste