GEEKERY  
ADVENTURE  
CONTEMPLATION  

20080728

Peach Arugula Salad

This past week was my last week in training, which means that I get to do actual work now! This also means, however, that work no longer pays for my lunches. I will miss the particularly good salads, so I must write a brief ode to the salad that caused four people to ask me if I was vegetarian last week. Apparently I "look" vegetarian. I didn't know it was a look.

The Salad:
Baby Arugula
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Sliced Peaches
White Corn (cut off the cob)
Red Wine Vinaigrette

For the record, I am not vegetarian, but I do not eat meat excessively. I enjoy vegetarian and vegan foods, try to eat contentiously, and like bacon.

20080724

Potato Leek Magic

I made Potato Leek soup yesterday, inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks. The only ingredients that my version shared with the original recipe, however, were the potatoes and leeks. And salt.

1 largish leek
2 medium red potatoes
salt
~2c water
dill (or whatever spices you like...the original called for bay leaves)
3 Tbs olive oil
1-2Tbs wheat kernels (or barley or 1 Tbs flour)

Slice the leek however you like, my preference is to get pretty rings. Sautee it in the bottom of a medium pot with the oil until the pieces soften. Add plenty of salt (adjust to taste later), the spices, wheat, and water. Be careful while adding he water so as not to spray the oil. (I took the pot off the stove) Chop the potatoes into small squares while the water heats, add them whenever you finish chopping them. Let the broth boil until the potatoes are soft and the kernels aren't too chewy. Salt to taste. For a smoother and less watery texture of the broth, pulse an immersion blender a few times in the soup.

20080703

My Feet Have Balls

And those balls hurt. I couldn't find my dance shoes today (apparently I didn't bring them up with me) and I went to a contra dance. I danced barefoot, which was a lot of fun, and they had a nice, smooth, fairly clean floor. The dance itself was a blast, but I had to leave at the break because I wanted to be able to walk tomorrow. Definitely going to go back, though, as soon as I find my shoes or buy new ones or improvise somehow (in a way that does not involve bare feet).

20080701

Again with the house!

I thought I'd show the craigslist picture of the house I'll be living in for the next year! It's so adorable! It's about a 20 minute drive from my work!
In other news, I saw my friend Cole today, met his cousin-ish relative from France, and his friends. Two of the friends were "kiwis," or New Zealand dudes. The Americans had a hard enough time comprehending their crazy speak, let alone the French girl. We went to the Amoeba music store in SF, which was way fun. I bought three CDs, which was too many, but it was hard to resist. The CDs: My Brightest Diamond's A Thousand Shark's Teeth, The Polyphonic Spree's The Fragile Army, and Coldplay's newest album, Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. But honestly, with a house as gorgeous as the one I'll be living in, I need wonderful, new music to listen to, right? ...Right?