The precariousness of monocultures...

From Michael Pollan's latest article in the New York Times Magazine:
"Whenever we try to rearrange natural systems along the lines of a machine or a factory, whether by raising too many pigs in one place or too many almond trees, whatever we may gain in industrial efficiency, we sacrifice in biological resilience. The question is not whether systems this brittle will break down, but when and how, and whether when they do, we’ll be prepared to treat the whole idea of sustainability as something more than a nice word."
He's got a new book coming out: In Defense of Food!

For the love of soup & film

Two new loves perfect for winter:
1. Film at the Castro

Classic movies at a classic theater. Until a couple of weeks ago, I had only seen old movies on my tiny TV screen--I'm now completely addicted to seeing them on the big screen! Doctor Zhivago on 12/23 I'm so there.

Don't miss any chance to watch Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLaine on screen together! The Apartment is one of my all time favorites...


2. And the best new cookbook on the shelf, from the Queen herself, Ms Deborah Madison...so many delectable soups to choose from!

Tiffin makes it big time

Remember Tiffin? Well he's made it big time...I found this shot on the home page of Design Within Reach!

My body is a battleground

Since I woke up on Tuesday morning, with a fog of nightmares hanging over me, I've been battling the flu or some sort of evil cold that left my bones wracked with aching and a fever for a rough 24 hours. Now I'm just one big stuffy, throbbing head. Boo. I'm good for nothin. That photo there is some healing soup, yummy hot & sour Tom Yum from Marnee Thai. Mmmm. I miss the taste of food....I'm such a big baby, but four days seems like forever! I hope I recover in time to make a big Christmas Eve feast.

Flowers that brave the cold.

My first wintry walk through Golden Gate Park was utterly beautiful. I love trees without thier leaves and winter flowers. Little delicate flowers, steeling themselves against the cold and wind. Discovery; Botanical Garden's Library is epic.

NYC Food on Film.

Only in New York, only in the Village. A hilarious portrait. Awesome website: I like killing flies.

Now: Cooking night for gardening graduation feast!

I'm trying a new recipe Farro & Roasted Butternut Squash, from my favorite beautiful little food blog: 101 cookbooks. Mmmmmm. Can't wait for the gardening graduation & feast tomorrow night, in honor of 3 months of Saturday days & Wednesday nights spent learning how to garden & compost & how to teach it too. I can't believe I made it.

In awe of Central Park in Fall.

Highlights of the 10 day trip: An evening stumble around the West Village: Three Lives Bookstore (also happens to be a title of a Gertrude Stein book, a recent obsession) a signed copy of Maira Kalman's The Principles of Uncertainty. A mythic cookbook store: Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, Out of Print & Antiquarian. Serendipity. Drinks at WXOU & Jason's IPhone. Italian food under Bonnie Slotnick's. Shopping for the Thanksgiving feast on the upper west side. Sienna's first turkey. Central Park in fall. Crusing 125 Ave in Harlem. Goodbye Carlito's. Hot & cold wine with friends old & new. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan on a night lit with a fiery orange full moon. Blunts around the dinner table. Vegan lunch with adamc in a basement steps from Wall Street. Heavenly Babycakes. A solo walk amidst community gardens, missed fortune tellers, and coffee with rockstars. Cheese coma & comedy.

And some good good art. Kara Walker at the Whitney: shocking, abrasive, necessary, a must see. Richard Prince at the Guggenheim (you'd recognize his Sonic Nurse cover) a collector at his core, an observer of the perversity and beauty of American culture. And another not to be missed, Kori Newkirk at the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Damn. I could move in a heartbeat. I've gone and fallen in love with another city...

End of an era. Goodbye Ste. 304

Goodbye Oaktown, goodbye tree, goodbye office with a door. Goodbye windows that open. Ready for change...

Here's where I clocked my 7 hours/day:


From an old post:
Realized today that I have less than two months left in plush office land in Rockridge before ED(f) upgrades to the 28th floor of 123 Mission Street, SF. This means cubicle land is not far off...I started thinking about everything I'll miss:
I will miss spending lunches at the bookstore across the street, sax man @ 4:30, sweet samples from the bakery, killer salsa bar @ Cactus, local produce downstairs, chocolate covered almonds, thai patio lunches, dirty chicken, take out fresh ravioli with arrabbiata sauce, the Rockridge library that never has what I'm looking for, the used clothing store fueled by Rockridgites & CCA students, walks in the hood. But most of all I'll miss my tree, my two windows, and the ability to close my door. I've been spoiled & I don't want it to end. That said, I won't miss the commute and its price tag=$160/month.

Composting at home. It's on.

Hell yeah! Here's my beautiful new worm compost bin, one of the many benefits of my gardening class. I never thought I would be into a worm bin at home--but it's so cool. I'll make sure to track my progress on this little bloggity blog.