recently: pixels and pub food

An evolution: in pixels.
From a yellow 60s circle phone plugged into the wall of my teenage poster plastered room, to cordless phones, pay as you go cell phones, finally! Finally! on a cell phone, followed closely by a blackberry. You've called in hung over hazes from Edinburgh, from a patchy line in Kosovo, from the wintry depths of grad school on the east coast, from rush hour traffic in AZ, from the back of the tour van. But now! Here you are in pixel form! It's not always crystal clear--you are in Bangladesh after all-- but it's good. I'm so glad we still do this thing of keeping up over the divide of space and time. What will our phone conversations will be like when we're 65?

An evolution: in pub food.
Stinky B took pub food to a new level this weekend. Tofu buffalo wings. Homemade nacho cheese served over heirloom beans in a nacho pile. Masala sweet potatertots. And my favorite beers. All for a very appreciative group of very fun, very good eaters. Decadence!

magic ca coast

ventured south on the coast to see some magic. kayaking within paddles reach of playful sea otters, harbor seals, pelicans and loud sea lions. artichoke feast in the artichoke capital. a quiet hike on carpets of clover and ferns. ocean cliffs and whale spouts. sing-a-longs and quinoa tofu dinners tucked in a cabin in the forest by the sea. warm happy hour sunset with quite a view. and a beautiful beach hike well earned by a wintry river crossing. 

 

X-Mass Xtreme Feast

The Xtreme XMass vegetarian meal. Lovingly crafted over two celebratory days. Shared with appreciative family. A gift in the giving.

aruuugla from my garden!

pomegranate concentrate for the muhammara recipe

veggies roasted to perfection for the sauce and the muhammara

the sauce in action

dessert in the making

first course: potato leek soup with greens and cauliflower, salad with peanut drizzle

a walk up Bernal to work up an appetite

second course: olives, cheese, muhammara, hummus and martini

third course: artichokes with dipping sauce extravaganza

fourth course: pasta with b's roasted veggie and tofu marinara sauce made with love

fifth course: vegan chocolate mousse with champs

Add caption

we let the pets join in the party

and we sail

sailing the SF bay in the winter sun. soaking it up. squeezing it out.

    

each time we push off that coast and head towards the golden gate, each time the wind brings us towards alcatraz, each time I turn back and look at that sky line and each time I take in the cloudscape above, it does not get old. 




























wind power! the sails luff and we trim. the boat heels and we are trucking fast. i yell 'ready about' and 'hard-a-lee' and before you know it, we tack.

and the full moon rose. and the roar of niners fans on shore echoed.

 

 and we may become sailors yet. 

 

 

more photos here.

Lunch Break exhibit

From Sharon Lockhart's Lunch Break exhibit

Bummed I missed this SFMOMA Exhibit. Yes, I obsess not only about food, but I love thinking about the processes and culture of how we eat. Especially lunch...

"For Lunch Break (2008), Lockhart spent a year at a naval shipbuilding plant in Maine, observing and engaging with workers during their daily routines. The photographs and film installation presented in this exhibition contemplate workers' activities during their time off from production, bringing into view everyday situations that typically escape our collective attention.

Source: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/420#ixzz1k1qPvRea
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art"

PS: I miss google buzz--I must be the only one. I miss hitting "share this" to people I know would read it. So easy to do (especially at work...) But it might just get me back to blogging about my stumbled upons.

out and about

fall colors in January

madien voyage of the novices

because sometimes you have to make the jump. because sometimes you must trust. your instincts. because life is about scaring yourself every once in awhile. but mostly, B & I sailed Destiny for the first time on our own because it was a beautiful day, because it was vacation day and is there a better way?

the Captain making it look easy

Yes, I learned by doing--gearing the boat up for the sail, helping get the boat on and off the dock--yes this included jumping from boat to dock and back again and (attempting to) tie off lines. Owing to my unique grace and tactile coordination this was nothing short of a miracle. Steering through boat traffic in the bay, finding the way to take big ferry wakes smoothly while B raised the sails.

And finally, doing one of my favorite things about doing, packing and cleaning up. Yes, I love the process of it, slowly going through each step of tidying up--and saying, yes! I'm done for the day.

It couldn't have been done without B's many years of boat knowledge, or without lessons learned on other sails from our calm teacher mr. andrew. It couldn't have been done without just taking the jump because. Without calm water and the flooding tide. It was good.

Then, of course Lucy wanted to celebrate afterwards at the Attic. Sheesh! Such a party girl.