locrianRhapsody

birthday preparations,

2011-02-23T09:01:00.005+04:00

as you may discern from the dated posts, i am not as dedicated a writer as i'd like to be. life gets in the way. in january, i made the mistake of adding a photo stream & thought i'd remove extra shots or those that were not my own. as i wasn't paying close enough attention to the pop-up warning me that i was actually deleting them from my account, poof, they were gone. needless to say, i've been feeling a somewhat dishearted, & my motivation for blogging (or remeding the situation) has been deflated.

life at the mo is busy. we're preparing to leave Dubai & return to Canada. my little ones 5th birthday is very soon (friday), which of course means lots of little things to do before i can really pack. i'm planning a bit of a themed party this year with rainbows, hearts & unicorns as quasi-requested. it is so hot here now (33° at 9a.m), an outside party is out of the question. the girls are going for a swim in the a.m. before the heat really hits for the day, & then 7 little girls, & their parents, will need too be fed & entertained in my not really big apartment. i've been preparing, but there's always more i seem to add to the list. food's ordered, most of the decorations are made, party bags are almost done... still must bake a cake, some cookies, perhaps some muffins, & clean the house a bit.

today's the day before the real work begins, so i'm trying to chill a little & go over planning details. i'm also going to get started on packing i think... must make some more coffee!

good enough.

Colours from Nature - natural dyeing, part III

2011-01-03T11:30:00.006+04:00

A Day with Jjok ~ a.k.a Indigo

on the 31st of august 2003, my teacher took a couple of us to learn a korean technique for dyeing with indigo. at the time, i had no idea that it was indigo, i knew it as jjok. you may wonder why the colour seems to be green rather than the expected blue. green in the easiest colour to extract. the blue requires rigorous processing.

[while on a trip to Kyoto, Japan in february 2004, i learned of the Aizenkobo workshop, so i had to seek out their traditional method, & try my hand at indigo dyeing. i dyed a beautifully patterned scarf. it took about 3 hours to complete. the session included an introduction to the skill, packed with information on the craft, & was followed by a cup of tea with the family. The Utsuki family were really nice & answered our copious questions without hesitation. Their family have been dyeing with naturally fermented indigo for 3 generations, & are among only a few in the country who still dye this way. a few families produce the cloth patterns, one pattern to a family, so their sole work is to prepare cloth, basting a specific design for dyeing. alas, the scarf i produced is in Canada, no photos at this time. i did learn the process, though not having studied chemistry extensively, or the years working as an apprentice, i could not reproduce the colour on my own. perhaps in a future post, i could explain the day's events. for now, i've found another who's written about her experience with the workshop, Indigo Dyeing in Kyoto, & an article about the workshop, Beloved Blue.]

i apologize for the crappy images, they were taken with a cheap 35mm & scanned, & have been now copied from my old site, though i`ve tried to doctor them thru picasa.

Pickin' bagfuls

Snipped to bite-sized pieces

Soaking the jjok, reminiscent of a tisane

Filling muslin bag with the plant material

Extracting the juice

Squeezing workout

Empty the bag, begin again

Green colour, the first soak cycle

all of my notes are not in Dubai, & my memory is foggy, so i`ve left out the details. i think the pics tell the story fairly well. i have much more study on the subject (hopefully producing a decent essay) ahead of me as well as much experimentation with plants found & grown in NS. i`d love to return to Korea at some point to fill in the blanks & acquire more information. *fingers crossed*

Quick & Delish, III: Scrambled Tofu

2011-01-02T19:33:00.007+04:00

for a quick supper or leisurely weekend brunch, a family favourite.

Scrambled Tofu

1 package tofu, rinsed, pressed 10mins, mashed
4 or 5 scallions, snipped to 1/4"
1 small handful carrot, diced small
1 handful broccoli, cut into little florets
1 handful red &/or yellow pepper, diced small
1 small handful asparagus, snapped to tasty tips
1 Tbsp basil
2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp curry
1 to 2 Tbsp tamari
pinch of cayenne, optional
s & p, to taste
sesame seeds, toasted

in the wok, sauté scallions in some heated olive/sesame oil (about 1 Tbsp) for 1 or 2 minutes. then add carrot & broccoli, toss. cover a few minutes 'til the carrot is half done. add the red pepper & asparagus, toss. make a well in the centre, heat a little oil & add curry powder until aromatic. add remaining herbs, tamari & mashed tofu. season with cayenne, s & p. toss until heated through. sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. garnish with basil leaves julienne & sliced cherry tomatoes (if you have 'em).

serve on a bed of jasmine basmati or brown rice with a side of good bread, toasted. makes 4 small servings.

(the 3 of us get just about enough. my little one loves this dish. the above pic is her third bowl for supper tonight. i've tossed the rice into the tofu as i had some leftover red rice.) to get the most of this dish, for a brunch we include some homefried potatoes, sesame coated sweet potatoes (oven-baked), cajun potatoes, or perhaps some french toast. ah, do you have a fav french toast recipe? i have one here somewhere... good idea for tomorrow.

enjoy!

2011

2011-01-02T10:01:00.005+04:00

Dubai, 2011

a new year, a new decade - a new beginning. i went on a bit of an unintentional hiatus this past month. life got busy. & the blank wall reappeared. with veganMoFo over, motivation deflated. i must set a writing goal. well, the little one goes back to school, but not until the 9th, so i'm unsure how much i'll get to think & read between now & then.

a little journal entry...

put down Emma (bio) for Bone (comic). reading Emma is wonderful, though there are so many people to meet, & a 'friendship' will dissolve with the end of the book. i feel like this with many books, but bios are different, so i keep interrupting her for other books to extend the relationship. i must finish, or i'll never succeed with the 12 books, 12 months challenge. i'm so behind.

the house is in disarray & i'm having one of those i cannot make myself do anything days. ah well.

still tryin' new recipes though nothing worth reporting really. i'm thinking of two baked beans recipes that were good, not bombshell. though i came across a few nice things from a couple of new cookbooks from my last post. i had a party for solstice & experimented with a few new dips. we did try our hand this year at my very first gingerbread house. in fact, we're still eating it. it is a tasty recipe. i veganised the one from Simply Recipes.

life is going to evolve around the journey home in six months. i must begin to purge. i still seems like a long way off. our goal was to buy land, or a house with land, but to set all that up will take a bit of time, & not really doable from overseas. that translates to renting again, at least, for another year. i'm trying to accept this concept. it is not what i want to do. when do we really ever get what we want? i suppose, reluctantly, that this will give time to find the 'perfect' spot. oh, i've been waiting for this for sooo long. & the idea of moving at least three more times is sooo unappealing.

well i'm using this post as motivation as a way to get back on track. hope this new year brings awareness & change.

good enough.

new cookbooks!

2010-11-30T07:46:00.009+04:00

the last day of vegan MOFO. it's been great getting to blog almost everyday this month. this opportunity seems to be the encouragment needed to dedicate time to the padding of my blog. an edible & potable repertoire has been birthed & rooted, & now needs nuturing to grow. as i mentioned yesterday, i want to return to other interests as well. there remains about a dozen draft posts to finish, hopefully by the year's end.

i bought a few new cookbooks the other day. *big smile* : vegan fusion world cuisine, the shoshoni cookbook & tassajara cookbook - lunches, picnics & appetizers. & i'm tickled, i'm pleased to say. i love the unqiue take on veg cooking in each of them. i'm a bit of a collector & really appreciate the efforts to make a cookbook interesting, beautiful & well-organised. i will, as always, take time to become well-acquainted with each new book, but these are my first impressions.

the vegan fusion has some wonderful photography that promotes tranquil well-being, a sense of connection to many places in the natural world. it has lots of resources & thoughts on being vegan. encouraging fresh, organic & live food, the recipes sound delish. there may be a few ingredients to stock, or it's a good chance to learn a few substitutes. keep in mind this book, from the Blossoming Lotus Café (which is currently closed) in Kaua'i, has access to fresh nuts, fruit & veg year-round. while there, it may be cheap & easy to buy local produce, alas in the wintery north, this book will be brought out only through the growing season. as the book is centred on the concept of world cuisine, imported foodstuffs associated with thai, japanese, indian, carribean & everywhere in between, must be purchased (usually available at the local health food store). as i'm presently in the middle east (where practically eveything is imported year-round), i look forward to experimenting soon.

tassajara cookbook is simply elegant & beautiful. *drool* owned by the san fancisco zen center, tassajara is a zen mountain center in california, & has been there since the 60's. it hosts visitors to sustain itself, & offers a wonderful palatte of vegetarian fare. i have a few other cookbooks they've produced, & they are lovely. this one focuses on finger foods & snacks in hand, which has been a focus of mine as of late, so i'm excited to say the least. again, because veg fare is found in all world cuisine, veg cuisine collects foodstuffs from around the world. this can always be simplified, but a few things will be needed, & are readily available, but it doesn't always follow 'local' to the letter. there is a whole section devoted to chutneys, sauces & salsas. yay! & another on pâtés & loaves. i love portable feasts. (btw, i have another cookbook, a thriftstore find, called the portable feast: picnic, lunch box & knapsack fare. knapsack fare! how great is that?)

the shoshoni cookbook - vegetarian recipes from the shoshoni yoga retreat, has been on my wishlist for some time. now, it's in my hand. it is not fancy, but it is packed with fairly quick & easy, & nutritious, recipes. there's a recipe for tofu feta, i cannot wait to try. unfortunately, many recipes call for apple juice concentrate, which may be easily accessible at home, i've not yet found it here in dubai. so i must find a substitute, or make my own?

needless to say, i really must stay out of the bookstore. it is a costly obsession. i usually relieve my guilt by only frequenting the used bookstores, but went upon a friend's request. who am i to deny someone else access to wonderful world of new books?

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good enough.

Perfect Potluck Dish: Curried Lentil & Wild Rice Salad

2010-11-29T00:00:00.009+04:00

the second to last post of vegan MOFO, so what to post? there's so many great recipes i could share, ones i'll continue to add. i have some food related ideas i'd like to research as well as mini-essays on nutrition, especially iron, b12 & omegas. i'll also resume posting about ufo craft projects that are awaiting the next snow season in canada.

tonight's supper was Stuffed Portabellos in Tomato Sauce (i had to use a walnut garnish in lieu of the pine nut) accompanied by brown rice & Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Honey Butter (i've cut the cinnamon by 1 tsp).

as i've posted the portabello recipe, i must think of another, that'll have no pic for the time being.

there are a few ingredients in this dish, but it's worth it, nutritious & delicious. i love a dish that can be done in stages, plus it matures in flavour with a day in the fridge. i have my friend Mary to thank for bringing this to my attention, but it was published in the Canadian Living Magazine: July 2009.

Curried Lentil, Wild Rice & Orzo Salad

1/2 cup wild rice (cooked in 1 1/4 cups water)
2/3 cup green or brown lentils (2 1/3 cups water)
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dijon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
pinch each of cinnamon, cloves & cayenne
1/3 cup oil

cook wild rice (30-35mins). cook lentils (20-25mins). cook orzo (5mins). drain each & transfer to a casserole dish (great for storing or transporting). add currants, onion & almonds. whisk the remaining ingredients & pour over lentil mixture. refridgerate at least 4 hours before serving.

i typically double the recipe, enough for the potluck & some for home.

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enjoy.

Stove-top Anasazi Beans

2010-11-25T19:48:00.004+04:00

i came across this recipe in a cookbook i found in a bookstore in Kyoto, Japan. i don't remember which one. it looked good. i've made it a few times now, & it's pretty tasty.

Anasazi beans are small kidney shaped purple and white beans in the same family as pinto beans. They can be used in Latin American and Southwestern cuisines, and have a mild, sweet flavor which pairs with a mealy texture. Anasazi beans cook much more quickly than regular beans, and they appear to have been a part of the human diet in the Americas for thousands of years. The beans are also marketed as New Mexico cave beans, Aztec beans, New Mexico appaloosas, and Jacob's Cattle beans.'

Anasazi Beans

2 cups dried anasazi beans*, soak overnight
5 cups veggie broth, or water
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp nutmeg
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
¼ cup olive oil, divided
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup onion, diced
½ cup red & green pepper, diced
½ cup carrot, diced
1 Tbsp tomato paste, or to taste
¼ tsp salt, to taste
1 Tbsp black treacle (molasses), or a couple Tbsps of maple syrup, optional

in a soup pot, cook beans in spices & broth until half done. meanwhile sauté veggies in olive oil, then add to the beans, & let simmer until done. add tomato paste, salt & molasses, simmer to mesh flavours. finish with freshly squeezed lemon juice & 1 Tbsp olive oil.

(i've transfered the beans to a casserole dish for leftovers & easy storage)

* pinto beans are a lovely substitute, though this time i used navy & kidney beans. beans, of course, have varying cooking times, so cook separately. i must follow this advice next time.

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enjoy.

Quick & Delish, II: Mushroom Bake

2010-11-24T18:30:00.007+04:00

here are a couple of two-step dishes that we love. they were both recipes that i remember from my childhood, though they are now updated (ie. without canned mushrooms) & veganized. both call for a rich stock, so a roasted veg or mushroom would probably be outstanding, though i used my basic sautéed stock, which is on-hand in the freezer.

looks like i've got a bit ahead as this was last night's supper. next time, i'll try adding a handful of broccoli, or perhaps some swiss chard, to add some colour, vitamins & aesthetics. & for a bit more nutrition, with little to no change of taste, lightly dust each serving with nutritional yeast.

Glamour Mushroom Rice

1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup butter
1 lb mushrooms, button or cremini
1 cup long grain rice
1 1/2 cups stock
s & p, to taste

preheat oven to 350º.

sauté onions in the butter. add the mushrooms & rice & stir until lightly golden. put his mixture into a 2qt casserole dish. cover & bake for an hour.

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Wild Rice with Mushrooms & Almonds

1 cup wild rice, washed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbsp chives, or scallions
8 oz mushrooms, button, cremini or portabello, sliced
2 1/2 cups stock

preheat oven to 325º.

sauté rice, almonds, chives & mushrooms in the butter until the almonds are golden (about 20mins).

transfer rice mixture into a greased 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. bring stock to a boil, then pour over the rice, & stir. cover & bake for 1 1/2 hours, ot until all the liquid is absorbed.

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enjoy!

Chickpeas, Chickpeas, Chickpeas!

2010-11-23T19:37:00.007+04:00

my internet connection was interrupted for some reason, so i missed the chance to post yesterday.

these past few weeks, i've been scramblin' to make the recipes i've been posting for veganMOFO, so i may include pics. i've been adding some to previous posts with a few more on the way. these recipes are pretty much this week's menu. here are some great things to do with chickpeas.

[oops! i've realised that i've already posted (04/30/09) this recipe, but it's good enough to leave it here twice, hope you like it! the previous post includes the recipe for Cloud Biscuits as well.]

this recipe was inspired by a café on pizza corner in Halifax, NS. it is another of my absolute fav soups,

Garlic, Spinach & Chickpea Soup

1 large onion, roughly chopped
5 or more cloves garlic, minced
spices ~ 1 or 2 tsp crushed fennel seed, pinch cayenne, pinch paprika
a couple of handfuls of spinach*, finely sliced
half a red pepper, cut into a small dice
1 fennel (anise) bulb, sliced
3 small potatoes, cubed or half moons
2 cans (13 ½ oz, 398 ml) chickpeas, rinsed well & drained, or 3 cups cooked
1 can coconut milk (13 ½ oz, 398 ml)
4 cups veg stock, simmered to a boil
handful of fresh herbs, basil & parsley, finely chopped
freshly grated nutmeg (7 swipes along a little grater)
s & p

sauté onion with garlic for about 5mins. add spices, stir for 2 minutes. & then the spinach for another 2mins. add the remaining ingredients, & simmer gently until the potatoes are tender. fold in the fresh herbs & nutmeg. season with s & p to taste, then finish the soup with 'butter' for extra richness.

* the spinach could always be added directly to the bowl, & the soup poured atop just before serving. i wonder if kale would be tasty, or detract from the overall yumminess?

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Chickpea Stir-fry

1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
pinch of cayenne, to taste
1/2 red pepper, small dice
2 cans chickpeas, washed
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small tomato
handful of fresh basil, torn
s & p

sauté onion, celery & garlic. add spices, & stir for 2 mins. then add red pepper. add chickpeas & lemon juice, & stir until heated through. toss the chickpeas with the tomato & basil. season with s & p, to taste.

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Garbanzo Gravy

3/4 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 small onion, minced (2 Tbsp dried minced onion)
1 large clove garlic, minced with salt (1/4 tsp garlic powder)
s & p
3 cups veg broth
2 Tbsp veg worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp tamari

combine dry ingrediets in saucepan, & toast over medium heat, stirring for 2 mins. gradually whisk in the broth & the worcestershire sauce. cook, stirring until smooth & thickened. serve immediately. makes 2 cups.

i find this gravy rather mild, so use a rich veg stock or mushroom stock, & perhaps sautéed onions & garlic would boost the flavour.

from the vegan handbook, page 239 with amendments

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enjoy!

i won.

2010-11-19T18:10:00.001+04:00

thanks to vegannifer for creating a contest, & lucky me, i won. i so look forward to opening up my bag of goodies.

the contest rules included perusing a list of earthy tips & goodies, or sharing personal tips on promoting a healthy world|home environment. good notion, eh? well, think i'll pose some questions for those of you who may have missed the 72 hour blog party.

1. what do you do to promote a healthy world?

2. what have you changed for a more sustainable future?

3. what can you do to further the cause?

i'm unsure how inundated you feel with the pressure of a doomed planet. i feel the weight of it as i'm always reading about the environment thru blogs, twitter, fb pages, & google reader. i realise that there are monumental changes that need to be addressed by large corporations & governmental agencies. & of course, the earth itself creates its own share of CO₂, but these are things in which i have little to no control. i arm myself with knowledge when possible, & i do not support companies with no respect for the world & those of us that live in it. but i cannot do nothing. if all i can do is reduce, recycle, & reuse at the present moment, so be it. when a time arrives, where i can initiate large scale change, dag nammit, i will. for now, i'll attempt to answer these questions on behalf of my household in the hope to convey my respect for you, & the earth.

1a. cleaning products of the chemical variety have no place in my home. although they may well clean, & kill germs, effectively, they also leave residues, bad odors, & a feeling of unwellness within us. i have just as much faith in the cleaning power of baking soda, salt & vinegar. i also employ essential oils for their astringent qualities & wonderful scents. for now, i do purchase a natural toilet cleaner. & i've just bought my first container of non-clorine bleach for the grungy school uniforms that won't come clean with other methods.

baking soda cleaner

for a simple cleaning paste, pour into a bowl some baking soda (3cups?), a few drops of dish soap, a few drops of tea tree or lemon oil (about 7-9), & just enough water (little bit at a time) to make a paste. mix with a spatula for ease & keep in an airtight container. it will have to be stirred before using as the water tends to separate. use it on sinks, counters, dishes, walls... last time i made some i used half table salt. seems to work just as well, & perhaps, it's a little less abrasive.

how clean is your house? is a great resource for natural cleaning solutions. i love how they use lemon juice, tea bags, et al for cleaning the worst imaginable filth known to man. a great book on the subject is better basics for the home: simple solutions for less toxic living from annie berthold-bond.

1b. i reduce, reuse & recycle as much as possible.

reuse paper shopping bags & print paper from the uni for craft projects
reuse juice bottles to store grains & beans
reuse smaller kitchen containers (eg. baking soda cans) for creative play
reuse plastic take-out containers for leftovers (& giving some to friends)
recycle plastic, cans, glass
reuse boxes for packing, or decorate boxes for toy storage
buy second-hand books, lend books, borrow books from the library
use virtual docs, tunes, films et al., rather than their physical counterparts
buy fewer good-quality (lasting) products, organic, when economically feasible

2. i suppose the biggest change i've made is becoming vegan. a journey i will share in a future post. my lifestyle is, in fact, very different in almost every way from that of my childhood. this is due, in part, to the world that is changing around us - the awareness for of our environment.

3. i can further change to be more environmentally conscious. i can leave dubai for one (& i will, this is a temp gig), but before i do, i can live as green as possible, & encourage friends to do the same.
ensure the a/c is turned low at night
implement a recycling drive in my building
eat homemade meals more often
bring lunches, not just snacks, to the park
try not to buy veggies covered in plastic on styrofoam plates
remember reusable shopping bags every time!
buy fewer ready-made vegan products
eating all the leftovers to reduce food waste
turn off electronics when not in use, esp the laptops
+ + +

btw, the irony of my living here, in Dubai, being a quasi-environmentalist, & this news (U.A.E., Australia, U.S. Are World's Worst CO₂ Polluters), or this news (Dubai tops list as World's top CO₂ polluter from energy use) has not been lost on me. :|

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good enough.

Quick One-pot Dishes II: Curried Pinto Beans

2010-11-19T15:24:00.003+04:00

thanks! to i'm an herbivore for the inspiration for today's lunch. in lieu of split peas for the following soup|stew, she used lentils, which was also my plan until i realised i had none, so i've used pinto beans.

Curried Pinto Beans,
a variation on a legume soup|stew

2 (15 oz.) cans of pinto beans, or lentils, or split peas (about 3 cups cooked*)
2 carrots, chopped into coins & half-moons
2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
a third veggie, sweet potato, celery, squash, optional
1 red onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves chopped garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry powder (i use the sundays at moosewoods blend)
1 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
a pinch of cinnamon, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
water, or veg stock, just enough to cover beans
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp quick oats, for the stew option
s & p, to taste

cook the beans, or lentils, or use canned*.

add the beans to small soup pot, as well as, the remaining ingredients. the onions & garlic could be sautéed here if time allows. simmer for 20 minutes. since i had it on hand, & because only water was used, i added 1/2 cup mushroom stock for more flavour.

to reduce the water & make more creamy, take out about a cup of beans (even if there's a few veg mixed in) & mash, return to the pot. bring back to a simmer, add the oats (if using) & simmer hard for 1minute. add the nutritional yeast, s & p.

makes 4 good sized bowls (if served, with or over rice, would go further).

* 1 cup dry beans (most kinds) = 2.5 cups cooked beans, or
1 cup dried lentils = 3 cups cooked
reluctantGourmet.com

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enjoy.

Found Questionnaire, II

2010-11-18T10:24:00.002+04:00

from organarchy via I EAT TREES

1. What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t? i still do miss foods, though i think it's mostly the memory that's tied to these foods. i enjoy the memories, but it won't change my mind|actions.

2. What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now? i was turned off spaghetti & tomato sauce at one point (perhaps it was mushy, cannot abide over-done pasta), & still have to remember that i actually like it today. there are some foods i wouldn't touch: not-so-fresh mushrooms (because of these, fresh mushrooms), fresh tomatoes (bits of stewed tomato), raw onions & garlic, banana peppers (anything with even a hint of spicy pepper).

3. What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t? again, there's certain veg|foods i wish i could get used to, but can only in small amounts - okra, eggplant, seaweed

4. What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day? water, then tea.

5. What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings? cakes, cookies, squares - baked goods.

6. Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate, or no nuts in sweets)? i feel a bit cheated if i don't have a grain|potato without a minimum of 3 veggie dishes of varying colour & texture. i don't drink alcohol with food. for me, one nullifies the other. in fact, i don't usually drink anything with most meals. there are more, i just can't think of any at the mo.

7. What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home? i've learned many of these 'lessons' the hard way, so i try not to do this with anything, but... dwen-jeong chi gae| Korean bean paste stew with all the side dishes is my guilty pleasure.

8. What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged? veggie stock, salad dressings, preserves...

9. What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”? organic veg, olive or other oils, earth balance...

10. Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks? potato chips

11. What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings? mushrooms, onions, black olives, broccoli, pineapple.

12. What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit? i cannot answer this with one: broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato, carrots... apples, pears, berries, pineapple...

13. What is the best salad dressing? homemade, oil & vinegar or just lemon & lime.

14. What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread? 'butter'.

15. What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best? on a chilly day, spinach lentil soup or weighted veggie soup. when a bit under, i like simple broth with miso, tofu & zucchini.

16. What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor? vanilla with rose flavoured buttercream.

17. What is your favorite kind of cookie? old-fashioned oatmeal with raisins, or scottish shortbread.

18. What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”? simple homemade soup, or simple noodle|pasta.

19. What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat? this does not occur, except for my 'lil one who is a bit pickier.

20. How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day? every day is different. some days are for prep, some days are for cooking, & others are for dishes, so some days hours. some days i order in.

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good enough.

Found Questionnaire, I

2010-11-17T10:02:00.004+04:00

thanks to organarchy, i have found a couple of fun posts (one for today & one for tomorrow) to add to the month of vegan thoughts to share.

1. Favorite non-dairy milk? noël nog, plain or chocolate peppermint.

2. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure? a few years ago, made a veggie soup, & the last minute decided to throw in some eggplant. blehk!

3. Favorite pickled item? pickled beets.

4. If you were stranded on an island & could only bring 3 foods, what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)? let's see (tough one)... apples, cucumber & brown rice.

5. Fondest food memory from your childhood? ah, so many. well, i'll have to go with a holiday fav where we could choose the midnight meal on christmas eve. my mother would prepare whichever we chose, be it cabbage rolls, (*ahem*) homemade meat pie, or some other labour intensive dish probably with some delish dessert.

6. Favorite vegan ice cream? mmm... vanilla, plain or doctored with maple syrup. though chocolate raspberry would be second.

7. Most loved kitchen appliance? rice cooker.

8. Spice/herb you would die without? basil.

9. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly? though i don't often eat jams or jellies, when i do... i love raspberry jam. i usually only have one or two open at a time. now, if there was competition with apple jelly, pumpkin butter, wild strawberry jam, apricot jam, or blackberry jam, there would be a dilemma.

10. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend? depends on the friend really, for those for have sweet tooths, i'll bake a pie or cake, but i do love to introduce Korean-style meals.

11. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh? i've not actually tried either seitan or tempeh, so tofu it is, prepared in any way imaginable.

12. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)? i would have to say lunch, but one that resembles a meal with the substance of dinner, or perhaps dinner, & hopefully for friends & fam.

13. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking. bananas, veg stock, puff pastry.

14. What’s on your grocery list?
mushrooms, bread, molasses, olives, flat-leaf parsley, squash, celery...

15. Favorite grocery store?
at the moment, the dubai organic market in the dubai mall, for i can get vegan mayo, & my new, & all-time, fav soy yoghurt.

16. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet. this was one decadent evening i had about 14 years ago... manicotti stuffed with ricotta smothered in a white sauce followed by hungarian cheesecake, chocolate liqueur & spanish coffee. milk, butter, cream, milk, butter, cream... repeat ad nauseum.

17. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3? after this month, my list won't just be long, but extensive. VeganLovlie, Musings from the Fishbowl, Hello Veggie

18. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate? i don't really have a sweet tooth, except for after a Korean meal!? it's been a while as i'm tryin' to behave treat-wise, but i think it's called Vive (peppermint, or the red chili), i'll have to check. i also love dark chocolate covered coffee beans. & there's a few i miss from the gelatin food group.

19. Most extravagant food item purchased lately? cherry soy yoghurt (x5), organic black strap molasses, fresh strawberries & flax oil.

oops! i meant to publish this one yesterday. i didn't even realise i hadn't posted yesterday, until now! i'm sure i had. it's Eid at the moment, so the family are home on a week vacation. (*'lil distracted*) :)

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good enough.

a vegan's bio & thoughts, point form

2010-11-15T12:00:00.009+04:00

CubbyHole of
Expositions & Obscurities

i'm an optimistic pessimist
i know practically nothing
i have my hands in many cookie jars
i love trees
the concept of time alludes me
i love to read ~ study
everything is interesting, except sports
i love most classical music, even opera
i enjoy walking thru galleries & museums
i love to do the dishes in winter
cooking is fun, baking is more fun
organisation is important to me
i don't understand the world
i've learned that i think differently than many
at the time, this surprised me greatly... it still does
i love molasses, whole grains, veggies, water & wine
i am a tea & coffee drinker
i believe in compassion
i like simple things
i despise the telephone
libraries & the web are overwhelming but enthralling
i am constantly striving to be aware of the now
trying new things is exciting
traditional ways should be valued, not dismissed
i'm not a traditionalist
i am straightforward, honest
i believe in freedom
my humour is a bit bizarre
life is amusing though i'm usually accused of being too serious
i adore & respect nature
i like art, i love some art
i love craft, i don't love it all
i tend to be a bit of a clean-manic
i believe reality is what you choose it to be
my reality isn't constant
the dream world is intriguing
i used to i spend much time there
i organise waking time terribly
it is difficult to do what must be done, it is also difficult to be still [caffeine?!?]
hobbies: learning, embroidery, collecting, natural dyeing, photography, musical instruments, blogging, reading...
stuff i'd like to try: pottery, sculpture, mosaics, crochet, soap & candle making...
interests: herbology, botany, myths, black humour, travel, sustainable living, thought, yoga, cooking, unschooling, teaching, cultural history...
want my own house with garden & acreage, greenhouse
favourites: autumn, good black licorice, jeweltones| earthtones| black, stone| wood, handmade things, fine point pens...
i read just about anything, esp. sf, philosophy, occult, science, lit.
a goat & a rat were ruling when i was born
there will not be enough time in my life, or so i think now
the moonlight & the forest draw me, the ocean beckons
i am a serious person but i often laugh at myself
i don't readily share personal beliefs, this is unusual for me, i'm tryin' to change
i do not practice religion
i don't know if peace is possible, at this point - not
war is futile, the extravagant element of political & economical fueds
anger usually stems from ignorance, incomprehension, &/or selfishness
change is difficult, but a change is imperative
compassion, tolerance & acceptance are imperative
speaking cosmically & worldly, we assert little to no control
this sends shivers thru my bones
we each have many fates, each decision narrows the choices
i don't buy nationalism, patriotism, capitalism or other -isms
there aren't many 'chemicals' in my house
i dislike confrontations
i will speak my mind, tryin' to change the how? when? to whom?
sometimes i can be too honest
i dislike having to explain myself, but i realise it is necessary
i do want to be more articulate
i also want to express myself in ways other than words
i don't know if i have anything interesting to express
candle light is bliss
i enjoy theatre
boredom| stillness is a necessity for creativity
i enjoy concerts
the long hours of the afternoon, & direct sun, is oppressive
the night is liberating
i strongly dislike placating phrases
would love to propagate, & photograph, wildflowers
want to grow bamboo
study cello & perform with a chamber ensemble
i love music
fav art styles: art deco & art nouveau, trompe l'oeil, ink painting, gothic art...
fav artists: ertè, bosch, vermeer, magritte, o'keefe, susan seddon boulet, blossfeldt, rodin
i love the quiet of the snow
i enjoy working with pastry
i enjoy challenges
fav music genres: folk, instrumental, chamber, chansons, jazz, roma, tradional music from ireland, scotland, korea...
fav musicians/singers: m.coughlan, r.sorrels, k.dalton, p.seeger, j.mitchell, fela kuti, e.piaf, jacques brel, n.simone, t.waits, bonnie prince billy, m.hurley, cat power, fred neil, portishead, django reinhardt, siouxsie, n.drake, taraf de haidouks, m.davis, ella, r.johnson, b.holiday, mississippi john hurt, jj.johanson...
fav composers: greig, rachmaninoff, beethovan (late), tchaikovsky, chopin...
i don't like much orchestral or symphonic stuff
a friend in kindergarten taught me to tie my shoes, & blow bubbles with gum
i don't like gum anymore
as a child, i wanted to be an amateur naturalist
i still do :)
where i go, so goes natural incense
i enjoy being vegan
i love film - quiet, quirky, raw, sf, off beat, indie, foreign...
especially from miyazaki, tarkovsky, kurosawa, p.weir, cohen brothers, cassavettes, mike lee, ken loach, s.frears...
indoor plants are necessities
over-cooked pasta
cold fruit
peeling butternut squash
canned or frozen vegetables, except frozen peas
waking from a deep sleep earlier than was necessary.

good enough.

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the 'why'.

2010-11-14T10:34:00.014+04:00

on being vegan,

to make waves or not to make waves? this is my question. making waves may make change - uncontrollable change. i want to affect this world in a positive way, therefore, i have chosen a lifestyle that reflects this. i will answer 'why?' if asked. but to what degree? how much honesty can be digested in a sitting? i do not want to preach, demand or command. it is all too easy to point & scorn. nuturing an evolution of consciousness will take education, patience, & a strong will. if we are to be on the front lines of change, we must be brave, understanding, & willing to put aside our own judgemental slights in our behaviour & our language, as well as the cyclic nature of retribution. it takes strength, wisdom, & compassion to be that which people do not understand.

i'll pose a question: how would you know you live in a dark box unless there was a window? should i, can i be that window? no. i cannot be the idea, the window is the idea. the window must be discovered without manipulation. is this possible? breadcrumbs may be left to be found & digested slowly, with each new area being explored, each new territory assimilated. the light growing brighter, acclimatisation to brightness, an evolution of our senses.

there are two ideas that define me. if you must label me, think in these terms: freedom & compassion. i hold to no other. these are all there is.

okay, so a quick run down, a list of 'why's' & other answers...

* Compassion for all living things. yes, it's a buddhist notion, though i do not follow the religion per se. compassion for something as lowly as a rodent, speaks voluminous truths concerning the compassion we then bestow on our children, our elderly, our meek, our men, our women.

* Evolution of humanity to a higher plane of consciousness, to rise above our barbaric, animalistic nature. to utilise the intelligence we've earned & become something more. one cannot say we are not animals on one hand, then say it is our nature to kill & eat meat. realistically, we are animals - social, intelligent animals. if we are truly intellectually more capable than the others in the animal kingdom, our decorum should reflect this through our choices. note, however, that spiritually we are equal, & therefore, we must respect the threads of life woven around us.

* It not wrong to eat meat. it is not a moral issue.

* It's not that i do not like meat. i remember it tasting great.

* Yes, i despise the factory farming. i despise the disrespect for life. i despise thoughtlessness, & the unquestioning behaviour of the masses.

* I do not think myself as superior - morally or otherwise.

* I am not right & you are wrong. you are not wrong & i am right. nor am i wrong & you are right.

* I am not against you, nor should you be against me.

* Life is a series of decisions. i have found myself on this path because of a series of little decisions i have made.

* I am not convinced about the theory of eating right for your blood type. i am not privy to unquestionable scientific evidence that being vegan is harmful, or that some people need meat. though i think that we do not need to eat it, therefore, i do not.

* I do not want to kill or harm life. i do not know under what circumstances i would. perhaps, perhaps not. i do not live a life of hypotheticals. i live here. i live now. you should not speak for me, i do not speak for you. i have to live with my choices. i do not see with hindsight. with the knowledge i acquire, i assimilate the 'truths', & make decisions with which i can live.

* I do not jump on trends or bandwagons. each decision i have made is weighed with the knowledge i have at the given time. with new knowledge comes more decisions & compromises. my lifestyle choice affects all i do. the root is compassion, which i believe is the core of most religion & philosophy. the vegan aspect is a food choice, but the idea behind it, is my centre. it compells me. i try not to do without thinking, but it is the energy, the driving force behind all decisions.

* I have not subscribed to a dogma, in which i blindly follow rules that have been written from the divine, or from the assumptions & logic of one man. this does not mean i am without ethics - on the contrary. i believe in myself. i believe in my own powers of deduction from an accumulated range of knowledge. this road is a difficult one as you walk alone, even if there are others on the road with you. we can have shared experiences, though never identical, but we walk alone. we choose for ourselves, so we must believe in ourselves, be comfortable with ourselves. we must support each other in this. with this, we can change the world.

* Everyday i choose to love. everyday i choose to live a vegan lifestyle. everyday i choose to learn. everyday i make a decision to leave this world better than i found it. this is all i can hope to accomplish. meanwhile, i work at becoming an individual with my own thoughts & emotions that have been freed of predjudices, past dramas or societal rearing. i do not think myself superior. i am simply living outside the box because i choose to do so. my choices|actions should not give rise to resentment or self-deprication, but inspire thought & compassion.

i am writing this post to solidify my thoughts for when i am asked, 'why are you vegan?'. it's a big question, not one i can answer with a sound bite. it is for the environment. it is a philosophy. it is my way of life. thanks for taking the time to ask, but i do hope you do so in the spirit of learning, not for the sake of proving our self-worth through snap judgement of a concept that is not fully understood. one short answer, or one long conversation cannot encompass the full notion. it took a good while of mulling over the fine details, but i will remain on this road.

good enough.

Mushroom Stock & Mushroom Soup

2010-11-12T10:04:00.010+04:00

to make both the stock & the soup in a day takes a bit of work & time, so divide it up if you can. i think i buy 3 lbs of mushrooms for both. if i can get them at reduced cost, i'll buy cremini. otherwise i'll buy white. either way, try not to use fresh, but a few days old for more flavour. i'm assuming portabellos would be fantastic, but expensive. i'm gonna try this recipe with wild mushrooms someday. use the mushrooms from the stock as a side dish. i may sauté them in a bit of butter with some added thyme, s & p, balsamic, or eat them cold & plain. my daughter likes them this way.

i love soup. i have a few absolute favs, this is one of them.

Mushroom Stock

2 lbs sliced mushrooms
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
s & p

sauté mushrooms in 1 tsp butter with 1 tsp olive oil, until just browned, or lay them onto a large baking sheet & bake @ 375° until browned.

add mushrooms through to the thyme to a stockpot, & add just enough water to cover the mushrooms. simmer, covered, for 2 hours. check peridically, add as little water as necessary.

strain stock, simmer for another 10 to 15mins, to reduce & concentrate further, then season with s & p.

makes about 4 cups. for the following soup you will need to double this recipe, or use 4 cups veg stock, or plain water.

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Mushroom Soup

2 quarts (8 cups) of mushroom stock
2 cups (7 to 9) mushrooms (definitely cremini)
2 large carrots, cut into half moons & coins
2 stalks celery, cut into halved half moons
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 large potatoes, cut into halved half moons
1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
some fresh basil, thyme, oregano, to taste
s & p, to taste
finish with a couple of tsp butter or olive oil

clean & slice mushrooms, carrots, onion, celery & potatoes. cook in the mushroom stock until tender. season with s & p.

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enjoy!

Vegetable Broth Basics

2010-11-11T00:33:00.002+04:00

this is one of my fav things to do. nothin'll change your dish quite like the veg broth. whatever i have goes in, but i do follow a bit of a guideline. & of course, the option is there to sauté the veg in the pot, or first roast them in the oven. the latter will give a full rich broth. when converting conventional recipes to vegan, i use the sauté veg stock for general usage, ie. a vitamin rich replacement for plain water. i consider a roasted veg broth more of a chicken stock substitute, & roasted mushrooms/veg (perhaps with miso) as a base for recipes that would otherwise call for beef stock. that all said, i don't have these broths on hand at all times, i do usually keep the sauté veg stock in 2 cup portions in the freezer. someday *dream*, i'll have a standup freezer for such things, so i can have all of the above on hand.

Basic Vegetable Stock

olive oil, 1 Tbsp
onion, 1 large
celery, 2 stalks
carrots, 2 large
green onions, whole bunch
garlic, whole head
fresh parsley 9 sprigs
fresh thyme, 6 sprigs
bay leaves
salt, 1 tsp
2 litres water

remove any dirt, or any questionable spots, but leave the peels on, then chop veggies into 1" chunks. heat oil in a stock pot, sauté veg for 10 to 20mins, stirring frequently, though i let them stick a bit, as if carmelizing to brown them for flavouring. stir in the salt, let sweat a few mins. then add water, bring to boil, then to a simmer for 30mins. strain.

when simmering, throw in other roasted or raw veggies on hand: broccoli, cauilflower, sweet potato, parsnip, zucchini, other squash. just be aware of the changes some veg will produce; colour, sweetness, bitterness.

also you can throw in spices that will complement a dish you may have in mind: hot peppers, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, anise, oregano... the list goes on endlessly.

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enjoy!

Quick & Delish, I: Cauliflower Cakes

2010-11-09T19:55:00.008+04:00

the first, what i hope to be many, dish that may not exactly be one-pot, but is still rather quick to prep & throw together. to keep in harmony with the title, the second key here is that these dishes be tasty.

Cauliflower Cakes

1 medium-sized cauliflower, 1 1/2 lbs, cut into florets
2 cups, or as needed, whole-grain breadcrumbs
handful of toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup tahini & 1/2 cup almond butter (or 1/3 cup cashew butter)
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
s & p
1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil with 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

* stem florets until tender, 10 to 12mins. Transfer to a big bowl & mash well. stir-in breadcrumbs (1 1/2 cups), nut butter, sesame oil & scallions. season with s & p.
* shape into 12 patties, 1/2" thick & press into the remaining breadcrumbs mixed with toasted sesame seeds spread onto was paper.
* fry patties in oil until brown.

lovely served with a combined vegan mayo & thai chili sauce dip. they are quite filling, so think a light side dish, some greens, or cuke & tomato in balsamic, or even a nice quinoa salad.

this recipe was found in the veg times, september 2005 with a few amendments.
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enjoy!

Quick One-pot Dishes, I: Stuffed Portabellos

2010-11-08T09:05:00.014+04:00

i have also discovered that things get complicated & stressful too quickly. perhaps it's just me, but i really need to simplify everything i do. i would like to focus on one-pot dinners for a while that can include leftovers for lunch.

nut or tofu loaves make excellent & filling sandwiches. a recipe that my great friend, Carol, gave me is also fantastic! i have veganised it & added my own touches. this is wonderful as the meaty portion of dinner, or on bread for lunch. i can not express how much i love this dish.

Stuffed Portabellos in Tomato Sauce

4-6 large portabello mushrooms, stems removed & brushed clean
tomato sauce, plain or fancy with sautéed garlic, onions in butter & sesame oil

16oz. firm tofu
1 to 2 Tbsp tamari
1/2 to 1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp dried greek oregano, this is best if you can get it
handful fresh basil
herbs salees, or salted green onion with parsley, to taste (if you have some on hand), or handful of fresh green onion & fresh parsley
1 to 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
s & p
little milk or sour cream, just for extra creaminess, optional
1 Tbsp of the tomato sauce
pine nuts

prepare a baking dish, large enough to accomodate the number of mushrooms, by spooning a good layer of tomato sauce to cover, i use almost 2 jars. make a filling with the mashed tofu, tamari, sesame oil, s & p, sour cream & chopped oregano & basil. put a couple of Tbsp atop of the prepared mushrooms & place them in the dish. garnish each with a few pine nuts. carefully, spoon a little extra sauce around the mushrooms, so that the sides are being cocooned, but they are not swimming. since there's a bit of space, it's nice to submerse a few florets of broccoli into the sauce.

Bake 350°, at for 30 mins.

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enjoy!

Fluffy Pancakes with Blueberry Compote aside Coconut smothered Bananas

2010-11-07T20:15:00.013+04:00

this recipe is quick & wonderful, it has become one of our favs. it is from a great little canadian mag, T.O.F.U..

i made this for a brunch one friday last november, & saved it as a blog draft, where is has been sitting until now. today i'll actually post it. *tsktsk* sorry, it got gobbled up so fast, i didn't get a pic. (just added a photo from another batch)

they are called fluffly pancakes, & they are. here, i have substituted the all white flour with whole wheat flour, so not quite so fluffy, but you could go retro. i also like to cut back the taste of baking powder in every recipe, so i changed that as well. here's my version...

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp arrowroot
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartart
1/4 cup sunflower or safflower oil

add vinegar to milk, & let sit. meanwhile, sift dry ingredients. gently stir the milk into the dry mixture. let sit again, so the gluten has time to stretch. turn on the gas, & slowly warm the cast iron to almost hot. griddle your cakes any way you like. *wait 'til you see the bubbles, then flip*

perhaps next time, i'll try adding a few drop of maple extract... & some cinnamon to the batter.

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Blueberry Compote (any fruit compote)

see page 137, Vegan cupcakes Take over the World. as i'm unsure about copyright, i'll just tell you where i got the recipe, & the ingredients... blueberries, arrowroot, lemon juice, sweetness.

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thanks to my friend, Krista, for this next recipe. i think it would be nice to throw some spice (nutmeg, cardamon, anise) while the coconut milk is simmering. okay, i didn't have coconut cream, so i added some soy cream in its stead. can you really tell the difference? not authentic thai style, i added some star anise today. it wasn't particularly strong in licorice flavour, but added some depth.

Glooay buat chee,
Coconut smothered Bananas

3 bananas, ripeness depends on preference, i like mine just ripe
1/2 cup thick coconut cream
2 cups coconut milk
3-5 tbsp sugar, to taste (the more ripe the bananas, add less sugar)
1/2 tsp salt

Bring coconut milk to simmer over medium heat. meanwhile, peel the bananas, cut in half, then half again lengthwise.

Add the bananas, simmer until softened, a few mins, then add sugar & salt. once the sugar has completely dissolved, pour the cocounut cream into the saucepan, stir another minute. Remove from heat & serve.

if there is some leftover rice, throw it in & balance the starch with some extra sweetness.

__________________

did you know?

"...that most monkeys eat bananas by pinching the bottom end of the banana -- NOT by peeling back from the stem end? Try it! The pressure from the pinching method creates a tear in the peel, and voila! -- the fruit is easily revealed and ready to munch on.

Besides the ease of peeling a banana the 'monkey way', an added advantage to this method is that once you eat your way to the bottom (the stem end -- it makes a nice "handle", by the way), the banana comes out easily, with no teeth or finger prompting.

Finally, those nasty clingy stringy things (which usually remain on the banana after you've peeled it the traditional way) can be more easily eliminated when you peel from the non-stem end. For some reason, the strings tend to stay attached to the skin when peeled non-traditionally. Thus an extra "string-removal step" is not needed, and you're able to enjoy your banana sooner."

thanks BananaBaker!

enjoy!

Dubai Weekend, & Thank you! vegan MOFO

2010-11-05T00:00:00.007+04:00

just wanted to add a quick note today concerning my writing schedule for veganMOFO as it'll be slightly different than in North America because the weekend here is friday/saturday, needless to say weekdays are sunday thru thursday. with everything happening on a weekend, i won't have time on fridays, but will post on sundays.

also wanted to add a thanks to those working so hard putting this awesome idea together. it's fun to come together like this, discover new things, & get to share thoughts & ideas. i love taking part. during dark times, it is a bit trying to 'stick to my guns'. this helps me realise that it's not just me standing alone on some achromatic linear void, while the world revolves beside me in technocolor. i'm getting traffic to my site & comments too! it feels great to be communicating with people. i have just discovered vegan month of food. i was completely unaware of it, & by chance came across it on november 1st, whew. i'm not as prepared for this round as i'll be for the next. [i thought this was only the 2nd round as there's only a bloglist for 2009, when were the others?] i have few photos of food that i've not already posted. & i've not been cooking up a storm this week. guess i'll have to add that to this week's list. :)

that's it for now, onto the weekend of reading the 713 blogs now added to my googleReader! i just bought Fable III, so i will probably get behind in the reading plan. & i have a craft date tomorrow, yeah! i will be revisiting quilt blocks i started last january. i had decided to try at least 1 block from each of the 15 examples from Stars by Chris Franses, & perhaps put them into a quilt at some point. *no pressure* i got so far as making the first two templates, buying|washing|ironing the material, cutting a few pieces & that's about it. think i need to add some pressure.

good enough!

let's talk cookbooks with some Mulled Wine

2010-11-04T21:30:00.006+04:00

it's one of my favourite past times, to sit with a new, or new to me, cookbook & flip through the recipes. i test a good cookbook by it's ability to index well, give simple instructions without a lot of clutter on the pages, &, of course, providing great food ideas. photography is always nice, but not essential. that said, one of my favs (Korean temples & food) is full of wonderful photography. i prefer it to feel nice in my hand as the other is usually preoccupied with a glass of wine or a cuppa. speaking of which, that's a great topic, vegan wines. any preferences?

i must have a few hundred cookbooks, which are at home at the moment, & could probably be weeded a bit. still i have 15 here, plus all my handwritten recipes. i'm in the process of including all i can remember into my libraryThing. i'm also trying to type all my collected handwritten recipes into a database.

a good cookbook should excite my interest enough to lure me to the kitchen. i have bought one recently that may have something in it, but too many recipes i've thought of on my own or have favourites of already. i should have read through it more carefully i suppose. i'm not a beginner cook as i've been practicing since i could hold a knife. & started baking with my easy bake oven (i was so proud of those little cakes), & making candy cane cookies with my mom. nor am i an expert as i am always learning new things & have mastered very little. so i'm always looking for a book that will teach as well as inspire. one that will skip much of the everyday basics, but will include little known basics. if that makes any sense. when i return home & the years that follow, i hope to focus almost exclusively on local produce, mostly from my garden & wild gathered herbs & mushrooms. some of my books represent this desire. anyways, i thought i'd include some of my favs, but it is so difficult to choose. & most are not in sight.

short list of essential cookbooks (veg ones) that musn't leave my shelf,

~ Korean temples & food, Jung Lee
~ laurel's kitchen. Laurel Robertson
~ the New Farmhouse Vegetarian Cookbook, Louise Hagler
~ my Black Book, handwritten, gathered from every nook & cranny
~ la Dolce vegan, Sarah Kramer
~ Essential Vegetarian
~ Madhur Jaffrey'd World Vegetarian
~ Everyday Vegan, Dreena Burton
~ Mediterranean Vegan, Donna Klein
~ Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson

i think there are a few more to add to this list, then again, it would no longer be a short list. well, i was hoping to add more to this post, but the day has gotten away. perhaps this will be continued...
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Mulled Wine, Glühwein

thanks to my friend Suzanne, who i met in Korea, for this great recipe. i threw a party, & she made this at my place, it's that quick & easy. per bottle of vegan red & in a large enough pot, steep together...

2-4 Tbsp sugar
3-4 mandarin oranges, or 1 navel orange
juice of half a lemon, little less than half (usually use half of a lemon for 2 bottles of wine)
3 or 4 cloves
a cinnamon stick or 2

for a few mins let the flavours combine, but don't bring to a boil. *sip carefully*

here's a few finds that i'm looking forward to trying... Hot Cranberry Cider & Glögi, a traditional Finnish winter drink.

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give the Bard of Cornwall a listen while you chill out, he's good.

enjoy!

re: spice organising, plus Pesto Pasta with Squash, Spinach & Sweet Peppers

2010-11-03T20:21:00.005+04:00

in response to In the Mood for Noodles' post (thanks K) about spice organisation, i thought i'd share my filing system. i've never given it any thought really, nor have i asked friends for their ideas, but i think it rather an interesting topic & perhaps i will inquire. i do tend to lean towards mania for organisation. my brain being so chaotic, that it is essential my physical environment be composed.

i don't know if anyone has choosen to do this, but i loosely group the 47 bottles of herbs & spices by cuisine & usage. i find this an extremely easy way to quickly grab what i need. for example, i have all Indian spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry, garam masala et al.) & Middle Eastern (za'atar, sumac...) on one side of the drawer, while the pepper spices (paprika, cayenne, Korean chili pepper...) opposite. at home, i have 4 drawers, but here i have 2 big ones, so there's also two rows of French & Italian spices (parsley, basil, oregano... plus the garlic powder for when i'm in a hurry). in a separate drawer, there's the baking spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice...). i keep the salt, pepper & sesame salt on the counter for easy access. white & black sesame seeds & nutritional yeast are kept on the shelf with the oils & vinegars.

the spices are usually bought in small quantities (or i share with friends) & kept in spice jars in a couple of drawers. i tend not to label them as i know them by sight or smell, well except for a few, mostly the blends, for which i use found recipes. my labels are not fancy, masking tape with a sharpie pen (it won't bleed or smudge once dry, great labels for the freezer too.)

Can you guess the black spice in the centre? it's a new find for me. (*hint, it's not mustard seed)

i like the drawer system, deep drawers would allow for bigger bottles, such as tarragon vinegar. or a garlic pot. but when i build my house someday *fingers crossed*, i want a special built in cupboard in the wall that is only as deep as a spice bottle. i have some ideas on the cupboard door too, but i guess i shouldn't dream in such detail.

i like to keep my teas in a similar pattern, divided into caffeine & herbal, then subdivided. well, that's my 2¢. anyone else file in a similar fashion?
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Pesto Pasta with Squash, Spinach & Sweet Peppers

as with many meals cooked at home, this was inspired from restaurant fare in Korea.

1 clove garlic - minced
1 large spanish onion, roughly chopped
¼ cup veg stock, or water
1 butternut squash, peeled, cut into ¼" slices
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced strips
a handful baby spinach, thinly sliced strips
3 Tbsp pesto, to taste
1 cup pasta shells

garnish with fresh italian parsley, roughly chopped, with cherry tomatoes, halved

Sauté garlic with onion 'til golden. Add veg stock & squash, cover 'til medium softness on low heat. Throw on the red pepper, cover & turn off. Meanwhile prepare pasta el dente. When pasta is drained, gently heat the covered veggies, without stirring, with the spinach thrown on top. As spinach begins to wilt, gently toss in the pesto & then shells. To serve, top with fresh parsley & cherry tomatoes. Good with crusty bread.

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enjoy!

Pumpkin Porridge

2010-11-02T18:09:00.014+04:00

since i've been on a kick about my travels in South Korea, i thought i'd share a recipe my teacher taught me. it's easy & delicious. & since it's pumpkin season (in some parts), it's mostly local. it does have a couple of specialised ingredients, that can be found at an asian grocery store or health food store, though i've not tried to look for these things at a typical grocery store.

i love recipes that can be done in stages. here the beans can be cooked one day, the pumpkin gutted & peeled on another, then thrown together the following day in a little time. wonderful.

'hobak' is a general term used to describe pumpkin, squash or zucchini. i tend to use a butternut squash or a pumpkin as in the halloween variety. i had to borrow this photo, but will add my own next time i make some. the photo is linked to a blog that describes with pics how to make this, though my recipe differs slightly.

Pumpkin Porridge, 'Hobakjuk'

small pumpkin, halved, scraped clean, peeled, cut into chunks (can be frozen)
1 cup azuki beans, small red beans, cooked separately
1/2 cup glutinous rice
3 to 5 Tbsp dark brown sugar, to taste
1 tsp sea salt

place the beans in a saucepan covered in a couple of inches of water. bring to a boil & simmer until soft, strain & discard water. place the pumpkin in a large soup pot, covering it in a couple of inches of water. bring the pumpkin to a boil & simmer gently for 15mins. turn down the heat to low & break up the pumpkin chunks into small pieces. add the cooked beans & the rice, simmer for another 20mins on a medium heat. add sugar (in small amounts whilst taste testing) & salt, continue to simmer for another 20mins on medium heat. stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

this is great served either warm or cold, alone in a bowl with some toast, or as a side dish to lunch or supper.
__________________

enjoy!

Colours from Nature - natural dyeing, part II

2010-11-02T00:54:00.005+04:00

july 28~30th, 2001

this is another trip centered on natural dyeing. teacher conducted the weekend seminar in the town of 'Kong-gu', about an hour outside of Seoul. 'Kong-gu' is a nice town, full of artisans & beautiful people! there is a lovely museum in the village that exhibits many traditional items used throughout Korean history. i will have to contact my teacher to remember its name, then i will post it here.

it was a busy weekend as we dyed three colours; yellow (tumeric), purple (an insect casing, cochineal?) & a burnt orange (immature persimmon). as with the other posts on dyeing, these fun-filled days were a good couple of years ago, & very little English was spoken, so please bear with me as i pull my cerebral strings. i may have more detailed accounts which can be included someday, once i return to Canada, where my belongings & memories are in storage.

here's a peep at the day's events...

First Colour ~ Yellow (Turmeric)

Straining

for the dye bath, the bark was brought to boil & simmered for some time, until teacher deemed it ready. i can not recall if there was a mordant used, but the cloth turned out beautifully rich, so i'm guessing yes... with alum.

Drippin'

it was then strained onto a piece of muslin, which sits atop of a round flat basket for support, to drip.

Dryin' bark

i'm unsure if the bark is reusable, or what was done with it once it cooled.

Adding cloth to the yellow dye bath

again, the cloth is given a cold bath, & folded fan-style, to immerse it evenly into the water to prevent blotching.

Teacher's apprentice

The Yellow

Hangin' out

Second Colour ~ Burnt Orange ('Kam', persimmon)

Preparation

persimmons picked from a nearby tree, were pounded in the mortar & pestle until much of their juice was released.

Smushing the 'kam'

the smushing process begun, the cotton cloth was rub into the raw pulverised fruit, squeezing the juice through the fabric,

More smushing

& continues, until the cloth is quite saturated with the starchy fruit.

each fibre of the fabric is well coated with all the squeezing.

Only the first layer of colour

not much colour is to be seen through the next few cycles. it takes much time & energy to create beautiful rich hues, therefore it is expensive to buy.

Soaking in the rays

once the fabric is coated, it is given time in the sun to enhance the depth of colour. without the sun, not much, if any, colour is ever realised. this process is repeated ad nauseam until the depth of desired colour is acheived.

Orange

ta da! almost there. perhaps a few more smushings & sun-bathings.

Third Colour ~ Purple (an insect casing)

Simmered Casings

Straining the Casings

The Casings

Purple Dye Bath

Adding textural designs

While the cloth was being dyed, marbles were inserted, & string was tightly wound around the fabric. once released, beautiful patterns emerged. this was cotton. though i have some ramie dyed in purple.

Drying in the sun

Fruit of the day's labour

at the end of the day, each of us receives a few pieces of cloth from each colour. the persimmon dyed cotton, however, was far from reaching an acceptable colour, but we each received a nice piece from the lady who collaborated with teacher to host the workshop. a few of us then took our beloved pieces to a traditional shoe maker.

Traditional Korean shoes

in fact, i had enough material for two pairs. these shoes are worn with my traditional dress, the 'hanbok'. my shoes are in canada at present. though quite different from those above, this is the general idea... i will replace this with my own photo at some point.

A friendly spectator

while exploring the brush for a broader photographic perspective, i felt an indescribable presence in close vicinity, & was a bit ruffled to realise i had entered a congregation of many such creatures suspended in the foilage surrounding me.

Home-style Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-11-01T15:01:00.013+04:00

to kick of Vegan Month of Food, i'm gonna include, one of favs, a sweet recipe that is divine with an accidental variation that is also delish, plus another idea for the next time i'm gonna make these.

Home-style Chocolate Cookies

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp black strap molasses, for the 'buttery-ness'
1 to 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil (if more is needed [dry batter], also add 1 tsp more maple syrup)
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Accidental Molasses Cookies
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 tsp ginger

Home-style Cranberry Cookies
1/3 cup dried cranberries
aniseed

Yield: 9 -12 cookies
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Bake for 10-11mins, let cool for a min before removing from sheet

Tips

* these cookies spread well, so leave generous spacing.

* whenever possible, i like to substitute an all white flour recipe, so this is my rule of thumb,

3/4 cup white flour : 1/4 cup ww flour

* spelt flour may be used interchangeably, but add an extra 2 to 4 Tbsp of spelt, depending on amount that the flour is refined.

__________________

enjoy!

Colours from Nature - natural dyeing, part I

2010-10-30T12:00:00.008+04:00

In March 2000, i began my studies with Yoo Hee-soon, an embroidery professor for Dong-guk Dae, a buddhist university in Seoul, South Korea. i can't say enough about her as she is one of the loveliest people i've ever met. she is always patient, & is willing to teach me anything i want to learn. she has taken me on a few expeditions to a temple on a mountain in An Seong (a town outside of the city) to teach me the art of dyeing with natural colours.

Many times that year, teacher had taken me along with a few other students to An Seong, a little village about an hour & a half outside of Seoul, to naturally colour silk & ramie. these photos were taken on one of those sojourns.

The mountain road
Usually, we take a bus to the bottom of the mountain & walk up to the temple, about 20 minutes. the climb is not too difficult, but it is envigorating.

The Buddhist temple
The stairs to the right are not as easy as they may seem. a full day running up & down is noticed tomorrow. they lead to the Buddha statue & a shrine behind him.

The pots you see in the front are 'kimchi' pots. Koreans marinate cabbage, or other vegetable, in these pots with red chilies, hot pepper paste et al for several days & these become side dishes to a main course of stew or rice dish.

from behind the Buddha
Taken in spring, the azaleas in full bloom, my teacher strolls past in her traditional Korean dress, the 'hanbok'.

A monk's haven
The monks reside in the house to the left. inside there are a few bedrooms & a kitchen. There is a building behind the house that is reminiscent of the cottage outhouse & little further up another structure that houses the shower rooms. In the foreground the earth lies naked awaiting the birth of seeds & planting of vegetables, which will prove to grow thick & lush.

A little destruction for creation's sake
We've collected branches of some nearby bushes (stephandra?) & the flower heads of marigolds for the 2 colours being prepared for the day's work. the branches were broken smaller to fit into the large cauldron. we must have collected 6 bags of flower heads for the pot.

the requisite washing
This is back-breaking labour, as you are either bent over, or in the squatting position, to clean & then fold the material from the cold mountian water. the silk & ramie are loosely folded into a fan as to put the material into the dye bath evenly, reducing the chance of blotching.

A monk making our fire

Marigold flowers stewing & simmering
So far, i've dyed various greens, reds & yellows. we've collected marigolds, stephanandra, mugwort & japanese butterbur using leaves, twigs & flower petals.

Is it ready
Periodically, we checked to see if the water was saturated with colour. we probably waited about an hour for the water to boil & for the right amount of pigment to be released from the plants.

It's ready
The coloured water is then strained through a chessecloth for obvious reasons. the tricky part is not inhaling the smoke.

Here~ there has been a time lapse
Teacher is taking out the second batch of natural goodness, the stephanandra, or red colour.

Powders for the elixers
Each of these creates a different hue, or depth, of the colour. there's iron (for dark hues), copper & alum (for lighter hues), & brown rice vinegar for colour fasting.

Submerging the cloth

The clean fan folded cloth is released evenly & quickly into the bath to ensure an even distribution of colour, & is kept constantly submerged.

The soaking process
The is the first dye bath for the silk & ramie. Higher temperatures, alotted time, & the # of baths determine the hue intensity. the bathwater should be constantly kept between 60-80 degrees. the pot is sitting on a little portable gas burner.

Many hands make light work
Seen here is different stages of soaking.

depth of colour ~ soak dye bath, & soak in mordant
1st cycle ~ 20mins, & 10-15mins
2nd cycle ~ 30-40mins, & 10mins
3rd cycle ~ repeat the 2nd cycle.

Cotton gloves worn beneath heavy rubber gloves, protect the hands from the heat while the cloth is kept submerged.

Still at it

The gang
from left to right... my friend, Leslie, & other embroidery students; teacher with the hat & white apron; stewing, is her apprentice; & tucked in the back, is the head monk of the temple, &, of course, i'm behind the camera.

vegan MOFO

2010-10-29T20:49:00.009+04:00

just signed up for vegan MOFO... should prove to be a challenge, but it'll get me to blogging with some regularity, at least for november. :)

"VeganMoFo was originally created on the Post Punk Kitchen, as an homage to NaNoWriMo. Because we do want to write novels, but sometimes cooking gets in the way. So why not combine them! The idea is to write as much as you can all month, about vegan food.

The blog entries can be about anything food related – your love of tongs, your top secret tofu pressing techniques, the first time your mom cooked vegan for you, vegan options in Timbuktu...

There aren’t strict guidelines for how often to write, but the idea is to shoot for every weekday, or about 20 times in the month."

good enough.

i am free.

2010-10-28T08:53:00.011+04:00

i am free,

i long to be free

to love myself unconditionally, a spiritual being in human fashion
to love & receive love from others
from the enslavement of emotional fears & trials
to express myself responsibly & thoughtfully without heedless retaliation
to share & support the world around me
from societal labels which artlessly dept nothing & no one
to be confident, based not upon the strength of my youth & ignorance
to mend fences sans a sense of betrayal
from a society that defends monochromatic individuals
to become a change-maker
to be

to live my life according to the guidance of my inner voice as it stands incomprehensibly in the face of a society that imperatively & passively commands of us to blindly follow rules, regulations, values, demands, rituals & practices that have been inherited from uneducated & manipulated generations.

___________________

"No man is good enough to govern any woman without her consent."
~Susan B. Anthony

"If you would lift me you must be on higher ground. If you would liberate me you must be free."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I am an intelligent river which has reflected successively all the banks before which it has flowed by meditating only on the images offered by those changing shores. ~ Victor Hugo

good enough.

changing things up a bit,

2010-10-19T15:02:00.003+04:00

got rather bored of the last design, so i've chosen a new template. what d'you think? a bit flashy really, but i needed a little spice today.

i've been on the computer now for a fair amount of time, trying to sort out photos, recipes, fb, books, et al. i should have finished cleaning the kitchen. would have felt more accomplished. ah well, it'll all get done, right?

i've been working on my primary goals this past while, organising my schedule & tryin' to fit it all in. all & all i've been pretty up in the accomplishments column, but have been pretty slack thus far this afternoon. i've added studying korean to the list & just this morning had my second lesson. things are going rather smoothly. i'm proud to admit to getting to the gym four times in the past week. & was feeling good about that until 3 or 4 hours ago, when i became a sloth. as always, i hestitate to write stuff down as though through the solidification of ideas into written word, the good fortune morphs into a ethereal being who'll curse my name & alter future happenings. thus far, teaching is too going well with six beginning piano students. i was hoping for 10, but there's still time? i have also read the first of my 12 books, 12 months challenge. i've added the libraryThing on the right where i intend to keep track of my library & write reviews. well i think that about covers it.

good enough.

thoughts on the eve of September, re: 2010 Focus(es)

2010-08-28T01:23:00.008+04:00

i know this isn't the beginning of a new year, but it will be the beginning of the first (& hopefully last) school year for ava, so to fill my time whilst in Dubai (as it is illegal for me to work w/out going thru proper channels, though i will teach if i find some willing students) i thought i should plan, make a schedule & have a few goals, or i will squander each & every day playing rpg games & surfin' the net. i have sooo many things i'd like to do/learn, alas i can only do so many in a day/year. this year's energy will be consumed with the following list, but hope that next year i'll make an entirely new list from a long list i have on a sticky note somewhere.

Primary Goals:

1. exercise: we have a gym & a pool in our apt bldg (*shame*); &, of course, yoga

2. practice vegan cooking/baking; org recipes into my cookbook db; think about cookbook idea

3. practice some music: piano, singing & clairnet

4. read books on my reading challenge list+

5. learn all the buttons on my SLR & take photos; work on 'ava 2 1/2 years later'

6. blog about my accomplishments

Secondary Goals:

i'd like to include travel, macrame, sewing, quilting & embroidery if/when i can find the time.

_________

i'm hoping to actually see more of the UAE & not-to-distant countries, as well as a trip to Korea. :) for gayageum & jasu, as well as, food & friends. all the above is done while trying to save money for a house/land when we return to canada. ha!

i'm making this public as a push to myself. looking at it, it doesn't seem realistic. crap. i don't think i could simplify this if i tried even harder. well i hope to at least post some accomplishments by the end of september. we'll see...

12 Books, 12 Months Challenge

* Pick 12 titles from your To Read Pile. These should be titles you currently own in whatever format you prefer.
* Acquisition of other formats or translations is permitted. So, if you have a paperback but want to read on your Kindle, you can get a Kindle copy. If you have a library copy but want to buy your own, that’s kosher. Heck, if you own a copy and want to check another out from the library, I’m not gonna stop you.
* Post your list in your public space of choice by September 1, 2010.
* Read all 12 titles between now and September 5, 2011. Might as well tack on an extra long weekend at the end for cramming.
* When you finish a title on your list, post about it in your public space of choice.

okay, so here's my picks for the year... they've not necessarily been on my shelf for a while, but it's what i have in Dubai. i'm gonna leave the final three empty as i don't recall what titles are on my shelf in Dubai, but i'll fill them in next week. i'd like to include all the books i've started reading this past year or two, but i'm trying to be realisitic! as well most of them are boxed up in canada.

1. Neil Gaiman - Anansi Boys

2. Jonathan Lethem - Motherless Brooklyn

3. Ian Banks - the Wasp Factory

4. Shree Ghatage - Brahma's Dream

5. Karen Armstrong - Islam

6. A. Hourani - the History of Arab Peoples

7. William Dalrymple - Age of Kali

8. Ghada Karmi - In Search of Fatima

9. Emma Goldman - Living my life Vol.II (& finish Vol.I)

10. William H. Burroughs - Interzone

11. Simone Weil - the Need for Roots

12. Julian Barnes - Talking it Over

what books will you challenge yourself to this year?

good enough.

strawberry season

2010-07-25T12:55:00.005+04:00

i can't just get enough of berry season. i find it difficult to use berries in recipes whilst they've been sun-ripened, & are so fresh & juicy. i simply love berries in a bowl of milk with a little maple syprup, or thrown into salads, or smoothies. that said, & because i cannot just buy/pick one quart at a time, i end up having to use quantities in a hurry, hence the following couple of recipes...

Strawberry Chocolate Puddin' Pie

as usual, i begin with someone else's recipe (or two), skeletonize it to patchwork my own. the beginning to this one is here, How to Make Vegan Pudding, but i'll revise it here...

Vegan Puddin'

2 Tbsp arrowroot (i prefer this to cornstarch)
1 cup coconut cream/milk
1 cup soy milk, reserve 1/3 cup cold
1/2 cup sugar (i must still experiment with other sweeteners)
3 Tbsp egg substitute*
3 oz. chocolate, chopped fine
2 tsp vanilla

Whisk first three ingredients together in a saucepan. Begin to heat, then dissolve the sugar, whisking frequently to boil.

Whisk egg substitute into cold milk otherwise it'll lump. Add this to the hot milk. Heat over medium flame for 4 mins.

*i have a store-bought one, but i will make my own, from here,

Starch-based egg replacer recipe for 2 eggs, sift together,
1 Tbsp tapioca or corn starch
1 Tbsp potato starch
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp xanthan gum (if you have it)

Add a scant 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp oil. Whisk until thoroughly combined and somewhat frothy.

This egg replacement works well in delicate, light-colored items like yellow cakes, and sweet muffins. It does not alter the flavor, like Ener-G Egg Replacer or Flax goop does. It provides the structure that egg whites normally do. It leavens like beaten egg whites do, because you trapped lots of air bubbles when you were whisking it (you did whisk it thoroughly before you dumped it in, right?) And it contains some baking powder. It provides the moisture and fat that egg yolks provide.

once the puddin' is made, i let it sit in the pot while i wait for the graham crust to cool. (once you can touch the bottom of the pie plate, put it in the freezer for a few for less wait time.) to the puddin' i added a handful or 2 of mashed strawberries, though i think i should have strained them. the pudding still set, but perhaps it would have been firmer still without the extra juice.

Graham Crust according to directions on the pkg,
1 cup crumbs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter

i thought about putting some strawberry mash on top of the crust, but i put some into the puddin', maybe next time. i'm thinking it might soften the crust too much? suppose if i drain the berries well.

once crust is cool, cover in puddin' & put into fridge for a while, about 3-4 hours. while it is chillin', i washed & thinly sliced about quart of strawberries. i used most of it in a spiral atop of the puddin'. then i poured some maple syrup over the berries & sprinkled with cinnamon. i was going for a glaze look, next time i'll try these tips.

* tips * from the Joy of Baking

A fruit tart is best eaten the day it is made. So while you can make the pastry shell and the pastry cream a few days in advance, it is best to assemble the dessert the day it is to be served. The sweet pastry crust, also know as pate sucree, is prebaked and once the pastry shell has been baked and cooled, it is a good idea to seal the crust by spreading a thin layer of apricot glaze or even melted chocolate over its base. This 'sealing' prevents the cream from softening the crust over time...

Apricot Glaze
1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
1 Tbsp Grand Marnier (or other liqueur), or water

Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water (if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted). Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps. (If using, add the liqueur at this point.) Let cool until it is only slightly warm.

Variation: If glazing strawberries, raspberries or any other red fruit you can make a red currant glaze. Gently whisk 1/2 cup (125 grams) of red currant jelly over medium heat until melted. Let cool slightly and then lightly glaze the fruit using a pastry brush.

After arranging the fruit, rewarm the glaze, if using, and gently brush a light coat on the fruit. Do not put it on too thick or it will look like Jell-O. Try not to get any glaze on the tart shell. The idea is to make the fruit look shiny. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. Take out about 30 minutes before serving to give the fruit and cream a chance to warm to room temperature.

from a quick search, any jelly preserve seems to work, apple, currant, strawberry jelly. or you can start with a fruit syrup. To prepare glaze, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, and 1/8 tsp salt in a small heavy saucepan, then stir in 1 1/2 Tbsp water & 3/4 cup syrup. Cook & stir over direct heat until boiling; boil 2 to 3 mins. Remove from heat & blend in 1/8 tsp grated lemon peel, 1/ 1/2 tsp juice & 1 tsp butter. cool & refridgerate. to turn it inside out, i imagine you can start with a fruit juice & experiment with extracts. okay, to remember the showcase, creaminess & berries, right.

& according to Paul Masse from Masse's Pastries in Berkeley CA, blackberries shouldn't be glazed.
__________________

Strawberry Cream Parfait

Peach Parfait from Mothering Mag is a great place for inspiration. let your imagination run.

mashed strawberries
favourite soy ice cream
crushed graham crakers

layered twice in dish. freeze. voila!

next time i was thinking about crushed cookies or granola, blueberries with a homamade whipped cream or vegan cream cheese concoction! that graham wafer crust above would be nice crumbled, & adds a rich cheesecake quality.

enjoy!

argh... & a thank you, Dave

2010-05-25T11:52:00.010+04:00

there are issues with the internet here in the UAE. many sites are blocked & others have problems, like twitter's api. i can not access tweetdeck, nor can i see my tweets over there ->, so it was annoying trying to change font colours & melt the thing into the background while refreshing on my partner's pc using vpn software, which basically tricks folks into thinkin' we're comin' from the USA.

also, spent a great deal of time this a.m. trying to add my shared google reader page in widget form. argh! can not. added a link there to the left for now. man, is it frustrating trying to learn/figure out how each page is configured. i'm all for different, but the essentials of the thing should/must be easy to spot & easy to follow. perhaps i'm missing smthg.

_________

the point of today's posting (this post was started on the 20th) was to be a...

thanks to Dave for once again provoking my thoughts with his post...
The Hard Part is Finding People Who Care

"...instead of asking people we’ve just met what they “do” (usually “for a living”), we should ask them what they care about. What keeps them awake at night. What they would die for. And likewise when others ask us what we “do” we should deflect the question and instead tell them what we really care about. If there’s an obvious disconnect between what we/they do and what we/they care about, that in itself should be the basis for an interesting and soul-searching conversation: Why the disconnect, and what can we do about it? And if the conversation resolves that you and the other(s) you’re speaking with care about the same things, then so much more will have been accomplished than in you had merely exchanged data on your current employment..."

the precursor to most relationships is the time & effort it takes putting-in time with a lot of small talk. hinting at matters, scouting for covalent bonding on issues which seem presently opinion-worthy. it was fascinating to me in my early 20s to primarily gather as much info from people as possible, to follow/study/analyze their paths of thought. there are so many people, therefore, unique ways of seeing, internalizing & rephrasing knowledge - so many stories & histories. now, my mind seems to cloud over with this much info, i'd rather solely learn the heart of the matter. i was never much of a bull shitter, but i could small talk when necessary. i seem to have lost this important ability, important when meeting most people. now, i think i just seem awkward & offish. of course, you never know how people see you. with the more i have learned, i have become (as many do) narrow, not narrow-minded, though not really focused as i'm pretty scattered these days, more sacred than secular (not church-like, a way of discrimminating info into core rather than broad), filtering misconceptions, making decisions, being forced into decisions based on previous ones... my thinking was circular. today, it's more of a cresent, or a dot, & sometimes a squiggly line that abruptly stops.

after many times around the round about, what do i care about?

i'm going to try to answer this question while not sounding like a bleeding heart, or a self-centered jerk, or an ignorant caucasion mama. i don't want this to seem like a bitch session, calling out the global negatives. i won't really label myself with this or that belief system because each is not a complete picture. no -ism or title is a definition on its own, only a small part of the complicated gestalt. i'm not usually one to speak about what i think. it is risky, making yourself visible. if most people actually believe what they spout, then i don't see things the same. i think i'm finally more prepared, not to defend my thinking or actions, but to discuss them. i will not preach. i will question. i will encourage. there is no one right answer. things are too complicated for that. i'm trying not to sound definite about some things as i work to be flexible, adaptable, but i must decide, take a stand at a certain point. i work to understand the world of my childhood, so i may understand the previous generation & their impact on my own. i need to understand my own upbringing, so i may choose to be, choose that which to embrace & that in which to abolish.

with all the preamble out of the way, what weighs on my consciousness? what is paralyzing me, preventing action, change?

i know what i care about, but to translate this on an empty page with no jumping off point... i'll begin by listing things to which i feel connected or passionate: first thought - trees, ocean, mountains... as one whole thought; freedom, real freedom (not without obligations, not with license, with responsibility); sharing comfortable time with friends & family; understanding the global narrative & working to improve conditions for everyone.

what else?

_________

aside from this, i'm wondering if people are reading blogs anymore. i know i check in from time to time. i'm tryin' to get more into my google reader thing. but i do spend most of my small amount of computer time googling stuff i don't know, & checking twitter & facebook - reading about friends & interesting findings. it's hard then to squeeze all this info into a post & comment. i have time today as my lil one is down with a cold, & not needing my full attention at the present mo as she watches some time-passing shows. it's the only time i really let her sit like a mindless automaton.

_________

leaving you with these thoughts... thanks to Smile and Think for posting this today, now yesterday. it sums up the way i do things rather nicely. i've not heard it expressed before. i've always tried to explain it as the easiest & most efficient way of doing things. my partner has finally understood me, "the laziest!" well, okay, in his mind, sure. but this is what i've been getting at!

In 1982 Gus Van Sant's 1st project was a short based on the William Burroughs' essay Do Easy.

"DE is a way of doing. It is a way of doing everything you do. DE simply means doing whatever you do in the easiest most relaxed way you can manage which is also the quickest and most efficient way, as you will find as you advance in DE." ~William Burroughs

good enough.

torn

2010-05-19T12:13:00.003+04:00

as usual, i sit here trying to grapple with the vastness of information before me, jumping from site to site, reading a little of this & that. i know i don't have too much time, so i seem to be choosing to collect stuff to read for later. i have sooo much bookmarked & usually about 40 tabs open. i do check over most of this, but sometimes the battery dies & i lose it all. ugh! & proceed to forget about it, perhaps permanently.

when writing a blog post, i have not been able to sit & write what i think. i look stuff up, i read about it from 10 diff wesites, then can i fairly confidently write smthg. i really should have taken a philosophy course in uni. (thinkin' it would teach me to express my own opinions?)

The Shape of a Mother is a site i've come across the past few days & would like to share. it's an important concept for the well-being of society. i've read through the site, alas, i can not access any photos as they are blocked here in the UAE. not surprising since they are of nudes, & are therefore, not respectfully veiled. the site promotes healthy attitudes about our bodies as they are after childbirth. a place to celebrate "the beauty that created and nourished our children." our scars, our skin, our shape is the way it is, the necessary changes from maidenhood to motherhood, & it is not unsightly. we will change again. age, with its wrinkles & grey hairs, is bestowed upon us, enriching our shells with honour from living life, gaining knowledge, loving & surviving. why are we choosing to place the youth stage of our lives on pedestals? how can we celebrate & praise the individual if our ideas/values of beauty are exactly the same? how do we change society to be more accepting? simply, begin with accepting yourself. understand that which makes us uncomfortable about our own bodies, & then ask why? the difficulty lies with thinking & being different, being an individual? when you go for a walk through the forest with comfortable shoes & a scarf around your neck, are you wondering if every hair is in place? does it matter there's a smudge? why then, does this change? life is no different in one place over the other. perspective.

good enough.

Some Dubai Weather

2010-03-02T11:48:00.003+04:00

this is a bit of weather we've had the past 24 hours. i post it here as it was a surprise to me to see this kind of day in the desert. this is the second of such occasion here in the past six months.

Applesauce Cake, & Applesauce

2009-12-31T18:59:00.001+04:00

chicken or the egg. well, i began with the cake, so there it is.

i forgot myself today as i was distracted with the lil one, who's been spending much time with me in the kitchen this week, & i used only white flour in the cake. as i sit here & begin to type, i realise my folly. ah well, what's done is done. this recipe is based on the one in the New Farm's Cookbook p.200, but i reduce sugar & oil, & usually use a whole wheat & white flour blend. this time i omitted the raisins, & placed a layer of halved strawberries on the pan before pouring in the batter.

Applesauce Cake

2 cups flour, ¼-½ cup of which is ww
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
2 cups applesauce
¼ cup oil
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup raisins

sift dry ingredients. gently stir in wet ingredients once the oven is to temperature, 350º. if using a loaf pan, 45-50mins. if using a 9x13" pan, 30-35mins.

here, i have a small gas oven, my first. so i bought an oven thermometer. i use a 9x13" pan at about 180º, which about 300º, for about 25mins.

_________

two days ago, i used up some peaches in the fridge that had almost expired, plus the apples awaiting the pot. i mostly/loosely follow laurel's kitchen, applesauce recipe p. 96, but it's sort of a veggie stock philosophy. of course, this is how i cook, & bake, much of the time. hence, the 're-writing' of the recipes here. now, i've heard it's cheaper to buy bottled applesauce than to make it, but i buy into the local food concept, as hypocritical as that may be here in dubai. as well, i like to know what's in the food i make. plus, i enjoy it. besides, my home country is apple country.

here's my version...

Applesauce

6-7 apples, tart or sweet
fresh fruit, whatever needs to be eaten
handful raisins*, adjusted to the kind of apples & other fruit used
handful of frozen strawberries or blueberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice*, fresh
½ cup apple juice or water
½ tsp cinnamon, or to taste
pinch salt, optional

if using organic fruit, just cut it all up, throw in a pot & simmer for 20mins. mash, or if you like, & my lil one does, purée in a blender once mostly cooled. voilá!

notes:
* or other sweet dried fruit, apricots work well. since i'm in an Arab country, i think i'll try dates next time.
* neat little trick, roll a lemon, slash about 2" cut in the side, squeeze, no fuss no muss, more juice less seeds.

i like to change things up with different spices, pinch of cardamon is interesting, or perhaps simmer with anise.

btw, both of these cookbooks are classics & though i change things here & there, they are awesome books & are counted among the best on my shelf.

enjoy!

sourdough starter

2009-12-31T02:54:00.001+04:00

okay, a little gap in time there. & just published a draft i wrote a bit ago. don't know why i hung on to it. it's a bit short, i suppose i had intended to elaborate. as i didn't find the time, here it sat. so moved to dubai with the fam. lots on which to comment, alas the time to think long enough to form comprehensive senteces with structure & punctuation is severely limited. at present, here's what's cookin'...

am growing a cheater sourdough starter. it all began on december 29th with some whole wheat flour, water & some active dry yeast left on the counter in our warm kitchen overnight. the following day a half cup was removed & discarded, then it was fed 1/2 cup flour & 1/2 cup water. i'm just about to go in & feed it again. according to Sourdough Baking, by S. John Ross, it should almost be done what it is supposed to be doing.

"Within three or four days (it can take longer, a week or more, and it can happen more quickly) you should start getting lots of bubbles throughought, and a pleasant sour or beery smell. The starter may start to puff up, too. This is good. Here's the gist: When your starter develops a bubbly froth, it is done. You have succeeded."

so what do you think? i just fed it again. i hope it looks more frothy tomorrow. it does have a bit of a beery smell, more lager than stout. again, perhaps by the morrow it will have aged enough to refridgerate & feed once a week. i've had sourdough in the fridge before, but this is the first time creating it. we'll see how it turns out. i have so many delish recipes that includes sourdough. *glee*

dubai living

2009-10-16T09:42:00.004+04:00

life here in dubai is extraordinarily different than rural nova scotia. so many things i've seen in the past few months, & yet so many more things to see. trying to find some time to think & jot down some ideas seems almost impossible. having found a few moments, must think of something to say.

the journey itself wasn't as bad as anticipated as the lil one slept thru most of the travel time. the next few days are pretty much a blur. so tired. the jet lag was intense for days & days.

we've been busy organising our lives around work, a three year old, shopping for stuff & trying to get some sleep. finally, with beds & clothes hangers in the proper spaces, a table & sofa, some pots & coffee cups, the only shopping we were doing was at the grocery store & bookstores. been catching up on some needed reading. i think i've counted 15 books in the past couple of months. granted 3 or 4 of these were cookbooks, i'm in the middle of a few others, as well. & a few others are graphic novels. the majority are fiction. i feel a little more literate than i've felt in a long while. i miss devouring books a few at a time. i've had to put aside housework for this. neither has much else has been accomplished. ah well.

Alzheimer Awareness

2009-06-28T16:31:00.005+04:00

though alzheimer's has not affected any of my family or friends, it has come to my life via a course my mother-in-law is taking. she has a major project on it due in july. we have spoken on it, & i've given some ideas on beginning her project, their group has decided to write & video a play. anyhow, this has made alzheimer's jump out at me everywhere, & knowing nothing about it i've had to read a bit. i found this site. fantastic little film, one of four, that explains what's what.

i suppose there's tons of info on the subject, but i thought i'd share a few things that were interesting.

there's also the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) Raising Awareness & Funding Research Through Art. "Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece" is an exhibit of 52 extraordinary art quilts about Alzheimer's disease that is traveling throughout the United States October 2010. The work of 54 quilt artists from 30 states, plus one artist from New Zealand is represented in the exhibit. The artists, many internationally renowned, offer poignant interpretations of the Alzheimer's experience in fiber. Themes include imaginings of an existence stripped of memory and learning; gritty illustrations of the anger, frustration, and stress of care-giving; beautiful tributes to loved ones taken by Alzheimer's; and the anticipation of a future cure. They are quilts of heartbreak and hope. Each artist statement is paired with a fact about Alzheimer's.

i hope i never have to learn about this disease first hand, but for those that have my heart & thoughts are with you & your family.

create awareness.

help fund Alzheimer's research to find a cure,

Purple Patch Project to honour & remember. The AAQI is preparing for a new traveling exhibit that will open in January 2011. The backdrop to the exhibit will be 10,000 names of people who have/had Alzheimer's each printed in permanent marker on the wrong side of purple fabric patches and stitched into 182 quilts that measure 6" wide by about 7 feet long.

Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece (book)

Alzheimer's Society of Canada

sylvia d. hamilton

2009-06-21T17:03:00.007+04:00

just watched the film, 'the little black schoolhouse' by sylvia hamilton. i'm ashamed to say it's my first one, though i intend to catch up on them all. sylvia lives here in the valley, & was my neighbour for a time. she focuses on african black history in nova scotia. her films have much to teach most of us as we do not learn this facet of our history. there are many aspects of our history that are left out for our convenience of saving face. the denial of past opinions & decisions provide a false sense of progress. but for the simple sake of humanity, for a real sense of progress for the 'human' race, we need to see, to understand & acknowledge history as it is seen through every child's eye & embrace every culture. if we ignore & dismiss the events of the past, we will not learn nor will we teach our children the importance of real compassion, we will strip ourselves, the human race, of our humanity.

this is another film by sylvia hamilton about 28mins available for free from the nfb.

one more from the nfb. one that i grew up occasionally seeing on cbc {one of three channels i had to get up off the sofa to change}.

good enough.

sunday's shindig, 'farewell for now' & ava's 3rd birthday

2009-06-04T21:08:00.014+04:00

as is usual for every party i throw, i like to fill a table with veggie delights to share with my friends. i also want to confront & confute the idea that a vegan diet is boring. i want to tantalize the taste buds & stimulate the mind. people tend to relax & converse with good food & wine, two very important elements for any party.

& as is usual for every party i throw, i am never ready on time. i am always an hour or 2 behind, rushing to finish dishes. & this party was no exception. due to this over-zealousness or unpreparedness on my part, i rarely get to eat what i make, or take a pic. the pics included are of leftovers.

finishing the cupcakes! ►►►

i'm unsure of copyrights on recipes, so i've not included the cupcake recipe, but have given the name of the book in which it exits. there are some great cupcake tips at cupcakes take the cake. i have included recipes from the web, & have given links to the site in which they belong. i have 'veganised' some of them, so they vary from the original.

the menu:

٭ Garlic Soba Noodles, from 101 Cookbooks
٭ Pumpkin Bars, from sally at allrecipes
٭ Triple Layer Chocolate 'Cream' Cake, from Dreena Burton's the Everyday Vegan
٭ Pinto Beans with Watercress, from care2
٭ Marinated Vegetables, i cannot remember from where i got this, but kudos!
٭ Sushi Party Balls, from care2
٭ Rosemary Foccacia, from Jess at vegan-a-go-go
٭ Pasta Salad, from a café in which i used to work, it no longer exists
٭ Quinoa Tabbouleh, from vegan-a-go-go
٭ Roasted Potato, Garlic & Pepper Salad, from vegan-a-go-go

the recipes:

٭ Garlic Soba Noodles ٭ ('veganised')

Serves 4-6, makes a mountain 'o noodles.

8 ounces dried soba noodles

12 ounces extra firm organic tofu, cut into 6 rectangular slabs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
big pinch of salt
2 flax 'eggs', 4 Tbsp ground flax : 6 Tbsp water

a generous splash of olive oil
1 bunch green onions, greens trimmed, thinly sliced
4 big handfuls of chard, spinach or kale, stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

a few baby radishes, sliced paper thin

Boil a large pot of water and cook soba noodles.

Dredge each of the tofu slabs into the 'egg' mixture, then coat well with bread crumbs. (i found that there was plenty of leftover breadcrumbs, so this could be cut down or dredge 2 pkgs of tofu.) Place each piece on a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake in a 375º oven or pan-fry in a skillet in a bit of olive oil until both sides are golden, flipping once along the way. Slice into strips and set aside.

Add the olive oil (and bit of salt) to a large skillet over med-high heat. Stir in the green onions, chard, and cook for a minute until the chard collapses. Stir in the soba noodles. Stir in the garlic powder and Parmesan. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sliced radishes. Serve family-style or on individual plates - each nest of noodles topped with some of the tofu slices.

this looked fantastic. i wish i got a pic. & it disappeared very quickly. the bday girl of 3, consumed much.
_________

٭ Pumpkin Bars ٭ ('veganised')

1 cup flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup veg oil
1 cup sugar, i am slowly cutting this down, this time i used 3/4 cup, it was fine.
2 flax 'eggs' + 1 Tbsp flax
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup raisins

Glaze:
½ cup sifted icing sugar
1 Tbsp real maple syrup

preheat oven to 350ºF. grease & flour a 9x13” pan

stir together dry ingredients, set aside. beat 'eggs', oil & sugar 'til smooth. stir in the pumpkin, then the dry ingredients. finally, stir in the raisins.

pour into pan & bake for 30-40mins. allow bars to completely cool before adding glaze.

*Pumpkin Pie Spice:
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp mace
_________

٭ Pinto Beans with Watercress ٭

2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup watercress leaves, i used arugula instead
2 medium firm plum tomatoes, finely diced
1 medium celery stalk, finely diced

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayo
1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
s & p
_________

٭ Marinated Vegetables ٭

Marinade:
3/4 to 1 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 olive oil
2 or more garlic
3-4 springs fresh parsley, minced
1/2 bay leaf
4-5 whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp salt

combine above ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 5mins.

put your choice of veg into a bowl. while marinade is still hot, pour over veg & leave in the fridge up to 24hours. turn with a big spoon every couple of hours. garnish with more parsley.

steam: cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, zucchini, asparagus
raw: bell peppers, radishes, red cabbage, tomatoes

above is the recipe i have found somewhere, but i can not remember where. if any of you have come across it please let me know so i can reference it here. i have found, accidentally, that steaming the veg is not necessary. the veg are 'cooked' in the vinegar mixture much like solomon gundy. i don't usually like red wine vinegar, but this is a great easy dish. & it makes as much as you want.
_________

٭ Sushi Party Balls ٭

Rice Balls, makes 16 large:
2 cups uncooked white rice
2 cups water
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped cooked hijiki, optional
2 carrots, minced
5 scallions, green part, chopped fine
1/4 cup hulled black or whit sesame seeds

Wasabi-ginger dip:
1 Tbsp wasabi powder
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove
1" fresh ginger, sliced
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce

combine rice and water. bring to boil, cook 5mins. reduce heat to low and cook for 15mins more. don't open lid. take the pot off heat and let stand 10mins.

combine rice vinegar, sugar, salt, hijiki, carrots, scallions. toast sesame seeds.

turn rice out into the bowl containing the vinegar-scallion mixture. stir with wooden spoon for 3mins to cool rice. now can let sit for an hour or 2. when rice has cooled, form balls, roll into sesame seeds and place on an oiled baking sheet. refrigerate, wrapped well for up to 2 days. let sit at room temp for 10mins before serving.

in processor, combine dip ingredients. blend 'til garlic and ginger are finely chopped.
_________

٭ Rosemary Foccacia ٭

Serves: 10-12
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: ~45 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

This amazing bread can be customized in so many ways; it’s a great recipe to have on hand. Impress your friends/family when you tell them the bread is homemade!

1 tablespoon sugar or agave nectar
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
5 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Dissolve sugar in the warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to foam. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions, and 5 cups of flour until the dough comes together. Knead on a well-floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 415 degrees F (215 degrees C). Place dough onto oiled baking sheet, and flatten to cover the whole sheet evenly. Use the tips of your fingers to make indentations all over the dough spaced about 1 inch apart. Drizzle the focaccia with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle rosemary and remaining 1 tablespoon of kosher salt over the top. Let rise for 10 minutes. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes until golden brown.

*Notes*
This bread makes good pizza dough. Just omit the onions. You can make it ahead and refrigerate for two-three days.
Change the toppings by adding:
Oregano and kalamata olives.
Tomato, basil, sliced olives and garlic.
Sliced red onions, artichoke hearts and kalamata olives.

for the party i tried something a little different. instead of the incorporated onion, as i had a few people who couldn't eat onions, i minced a whole garlic head. & topped the bread with fresh thyme instead of rosemary. i guess it turned out, i didn't get a piece.
_________

٭ Pasta Salad ٭

Dressing: for 1 cup of uncooked pasta,
2 Tablespoons mayo
2 Tablespoons plain yoghurt, it's good with raspberry too
1 Tablespoon sweetener, i like maple syrup
2 teaspoons vinegar, i like apple cider
fresh cracked black pepper

i like to use rotini with apple, carrot, cuke, broccoli, red onion, celery & sweet peppers.
_________

٭ Quinoa Tabbouleh ٭

Serves: 6-8
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes (Cooling time: 30 min to 1 hr)

This tasty salad could easily be the main course! It’s a great way to showcase quinoa in a familiar recipe.

2 cups veggie broth or water
1 cup quinoa, i used red quinoa.
1 pinch salt
2 tbs to 1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced
2 carrots, grated
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a saucepan bring veggie broth/water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

*Notes*
Quarter cherry tomatoes for a nice presentation.
Add two cloves of crushed or minced garlic to add a little extra punch.
Try using cilantro instead of parsley, or use half cilantro, half parsley.
Veggie broth might give this a heartier flavor, but water works great if no veggie broth is on hand.
You can place the quinoa in the refrigerator to accelerate cooling.
_________

٭ Roasted Potato, Garlic & Pepper Salad ٭

Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy/medium
Prep Time: 10-15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

A refreshing alternative to traditional potato salad!

8 red potatoes - unpeeled, scrubbed and cubed
2 red bell peppers or one jar of roasted red bell peppers
2 medium heads garlic
2 tbsp olive oil (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp cup olive oil (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss the cubed potatoes in the oil until coated, and then spread them evenly on a baking sheet. If using fresh red peppers, pass coat them with oil from the bowl. Place on a separate baking sheet. Cut about 1/2 inch off the tops of the garlic and drizzle with the remaining oil from the bowl. Place on the baking sheet with the red peppers. Sprinkle the potatoes, peppers and garlic with salt and pepper, and then place both sheets in the oven for about 20 minutes. Check the potatoes: they should be soft, brown and crispy. If not, return them to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until they are done. The peppers and garlic will take longer, and are done when the skins on the peppers are black and garlic is brown and soft (no more than 40 minutes total).

Once everything has been roasted, place the potatoes in a large bowl and seal the peppers in a plastic bag to let them steam for 10 minutes. (This will loosen their skins.) Take the peppers out of the bag, remove their skins and seeds and chop them up. Add to the bowl with the potatoes and stir to mix.

To remove the garlic, use a fork to pull the cloves out of the head of garlic. Alternatively, turn the garlic heads upside down and squeeze the softened garlic past into a separate, small bowl. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and oregano until smooth. Pour the dressing onto the potatoes and peppers and toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Best when served warm or at room temperature. To prepare in advance for an occasion, refrigerate and then reheat in the microwave just until warmed through.

these potatoes were loved by all, especially by dad.
_________

if you try some of these, let me know what you think.
enjoy!

my new UFO from Deb Plestid's workshop

2009-05-21T10:05:00.001+04:00

this post i started a bit ago... everyday life has interrupted the blogging process.
_________

well, what a great weekend. i had 2 full days of creativity. it was mentally exhausting by the end of it. Deb Plestid is a wonderful lady. how fun was it to play with fabric, & toss around ideas with someone around for guidance.

i should have taken some photos of the workshop itself, but was so engrossed in my project, & watching the projects of the other 14 participants enfold. it is very interesting to see the creativity of others. the same idea having so many facets.

i got to the workshop with only a raw idea in my mind. it took the whole 2 days to sketch it, work out the spatial organisation, make templates, choose & cut the fabric, fussy-cut a bunch of flowers, iron on steam seam (or wonder under) beneath each piece of fabric & prepare for sewing. i also learned much by watching the others work on their pieces.

by the 2nd day, it was a bit stressful watching the experienced quilters create a top, make the quilt sandwich, cut their holes & start stitching over the water soluble 'fabric'. while i sat & decided fabric for the top.

my piece, as of yet unnamed, was inspired by a few different works i have in my collection. it took me a while to be inspired, & as my little one is my muse & motivator, she aided me in this. i love collage using fabric, notions, pastels et al, so thinking about a new fun pastime decided to 'paint' a picture of a little girl blowing bubbles in the garden. the bubbles will be the holes in the quilt once i get to that stage.

i'm planning on quilting the girl separately, & then the fun part of embellishing with findings, fabric flowers & embroidery. now i need to find the time.

a few
flowers
from
my garden

Garlic, Spinach & Chickpea Soup with Apple Cinnamon Biscuits

2009-04-30T18:14:00.006+04:00

this soup is based on something i ordered at a little café in the city, though i've changed it so many times, it would now be unrecognizable. i made this for supper last night. it has become one of my fav soups.

Garlic, Spinach & Chickpea Soup

1 large onion, finely chopped
5 or more cloves garlic, minced
spices ~ 1 or 2 tsp crushed fennel seed, pinch cayenne, pinch paprika
a couple of handfuls of spinach*, finely sliced
half a red pepper, cut into a small dice
1 fennel (anise) bulb, sliced
3 small potatoes, cubed or half moon
2 cans (13 ½ oz, 398 ml) chickpeas, rinsed well & drained, or 3 cups cooked
4 cups veg stock, simmered to a boil
1 can coconut milk (13 ½ oz, 398 ml)
2 Tbsp 'butter'
handful of fresh herbs, basil & parsley, finely chopped
freshly grated nutmeg (7 swipes along a little grater)
s & p

sauté onion with garlic for about 5mins. add spices, stir for 2 minutes. & then the spinach for another 2mins. add the remaining ingredients, & simmer gently until the potatoes are tender. fold in the fresh herbs & nutmeg. season with s & p to taste, then finish the soup with 'butter' for extra richness.

* the spinach could always be added directly to the bowl, & the soup poured atop just before serving.

_________

Cloud Biscuits

these biscuits are so quick, simple & delicious. this recipe is specific, but it is also adaptable. the baking soda & cream of tartar is added to reduce 1 tsp of baking powder. i find baking powder leaves a bitter quality. i like the nuttiness of whole wheat, but it can be eliminated. the flavourings can be changed to make more savory biscuits by adding caraway, or thyme, or some vegan 'cheese'. the vinegar creates 'buttermilk', & may be omitted or substituted with another vinegar. try any variation from your imagination.

sift together,
1 ¾ cup flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt

cut ½ cup 'butter' into this with a pastry cutter, or 2 butter knives, then add, 2 apples, peeled & diced small.

combine in a measuring cup, then add to dry ingredients,
1 flax 'egg' (2 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water, let sit for a few minutes)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
enough 'milk' to make 1 cup
1 tsp vanilla

drop large spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. bake @ 450º for 10-15mins. let sit on sheet for a minute or 2 before removing to a cooling rack. then, i know they smell awesome, but do try to wait a few minutes before eating to prevent burns.

enjoy!

Deb Plestid's Workshop

2009-04-23T17:40:00.000+04:00

i'm having mixed emotions on this weekend's quilt workshop with Deb Plestid because i'm new to quilting & this is a full-on two day workshop. i'm excited to try something new, but i remain a bit apprehensive.

the workshop is a landscape portrait of my choosing demonstrating the use of water soluble machine embroidery stabilizer, & free motion machine quilting. to use the water soluble stabilizer, there is a decision to be made as to where i will cut a hole in my quilt! i have still to pick a design, & collect the long list of necessary supplies. luckily i have a great friend that knows i'm leaving the area soon, so is letting me borrow much from her. even so, i don't have some of the things on the list. i will have to wing it.

this is an example of a hole in a quilt.

Deb Plestid is from here in nova scotia, & is renown for fibre art (quilted wall tapestries) focused on nature & landscapes. on her 'about page' is written, "I am drawn to the interactions of nature, light, shadow, and colour, which I attempt to transpose into my work using fabrics and motifs that I create and fabric that I collect from around the world."

one of my favs...

buy & eat local

2009-04-19T19:49:00.003+04:00

8 Ways to Join the Local Food Movement
By Sarah van Gelder, YES! Magazine. Posted April 1, 2009.

1. From Lawn to Lunchas, as soon as i have land for a lawn, it will be a garden, though i usually have one where i'm renting. it's possible, but difficult when you're constantly moving.
2. Eat Your Vegetables, well, i'm vegan.
3. Party with Your Preserves, a can swapping party sounds like fun. i'll have to try this. plus i'd like to get a preserving the harvest party going as soon as i have a 'lawn'.
4. Glean Those Fields Clean, i'll have to look into gleaning.
5. Shop Outside of Supermarkets, we have a great farmer's market here, & there's numerous other markets that sell local produce.
6. Start a Community Garden, as soon as i get back from overseas. while i'm gone, i'll probably have a window garden to share with the neighbours.
7. Plant a Row for the Hungry, as soon as i plant a garden.
8. Share Your Table, this is something i do with frequency. i love to cook for others & share a meal.

Gleaning, collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.

my new friend, Larissa

2009-04-16T05:49:00.002+04:00

on my recent trip to Fredricton, i met a henna artist, Larissa of Dragonfly Designs Henna.

she came over, & did some doodling on my friend & i. i really enjoyed the process. & hope to have many more done in the future. perhaps permanently???

oooh, pretty sparkles.

thanks to my friend, jeff, for the photos.

if you're interested, she will be a vendor at the maritime tattoo festival, & you can find her on facebook.

the Korean zither, an essay

2009-04-08T20:28:00.013+04:00

my Korean zither, the gayageum or kayageum.

i began studying Korean music in the spring of 2003 in the International Program at the National Center for Traditional Korean Performing Arts (NCTKPA). it was a basic introduction course. & then, i went in search of a teacher. i found my teacher, Song YoungSook, through a friend, & began studies of traditional court & sanjo music (solo instrumental music) immediately. court music is played with a different gayageum than in sanjo music, & it is written in chinese notation, something else i had to learn.

i also learned that the zither i had bought was not of very good quality, which i could tell by the poor sound it produced. very shortly after my studies began, i put in an order for a handmade gayageum. i met the man, Choi (pronounced Chae). he was of 3 generations, in Cholla-do, that created instruments of high quality. each instrument has it's own unique sound. my gayageum is beautifully rich & deep, & will only improve with play. mr. Choi offered me a choice of three gayageums that he had made the day i drove to his studio. i listened to each as he played them. as it turns out, i choose the very instrument he said he created with me in mind. we had met before this day, but how he determined the type of sound i would enjoy is beyond me. my gayageum is made of a piece of paulownia that he said was an old tree when cut down, & he's left it to cure for many years. the age of the wood plays a major role in the ultimate sound the instrument does & will create. &, of course, also affects its price.

the instrument itself is made of 12 twisted-silk strings, though you can find ones with many more (13,15,18,21 & 25) strings. the 25-stringed instrument can then play more modern, or western styled, music (chromatic vs. pentatonic). it is kept in tune by ensuring the tautness of each string from the tolgwae (tuning pegs), over each anjok (movable bridge, literally translated as "wild-goose foot") to the bottom of the instrument, where the strings are then covered, & inserted up through the holes to form a beautiful utilitarian knot.

the knot,

the anjok can then make smaller adjustments to the tuning. the instrument spans three octaves, the strings being D,G,A - D,E,G,A,B - D,E,G,A, though they are not exactly the same pitch as in western tuning.

the gayageum is made from a single piece paulownia wood on the front & chestnut on it's back. it dates around the 6th century when King Kasil built one based upon a Chinese instrument, zheng. 'gaya' is the name of an ancient Korean tribal country, & 'geum' means instrument (there is also the hyeongeum, haegeum, yonggeum, daegeum). at the top, the face is engraved with the words, 'pleasure pleasure', & they are inset with carved bone. the 12 silk strings represent the 12 months of the year. the decorative elements along its soundboard (on the back) too have significant meaning. the crescent moon, the sun & the centre opening representing the milky-way, spiritually link the avowed musician with the cosmos. its sound resonating between nature (as it is made of silk & wood, & played with a human touch) & the heavens.

once tuned, it is played with the right hand using a few movements of plucking (pizzicato) & flicking. whereas the left hand is used for varying vibrato, & can also change the pitch of the string. the sound is delicate & subtle, resounding with music from the heart like the voice.

listen to a few audio clips of Korean Sanjo.

this next video is not me, though once i practice a bit, i'll attempt a 'performance'. it is a good example of the right & left hand movements. gayageum sanjo (1:26)

a quick history... the gayageum was traditionally used as accompaniment, or in an orchestra, to perform at court for royalty. it wasn't until the 19th century that sanjo, or solo style, music came along. of course, today without a monarchy, sanjo is the preferred style of play. since there have been other schools of thought concerning its play, i'll continue with a more in-depth study at a latter date.

this next performance (6:09) is beautiful, an ensemble of three modern gayageums performing at a recital. it's only a link as the embedding code was disabled.

& one last performance... Hwang Byung-Ki (10:23)

more about Hwang ByungKi in a post about the schools of sanjo.

some other projects from S. Korea

2009-04-05T17:54:00.004+04:00

this bag is technically the first thing i've ever quilted, though i didn't know that was what we were going to do that day. my teacher had set up a workshop that i had agreed to, & this is what the day produced. the language barrier has always been a small thing between teacher & i. not that we've spoke of the heavens or politics, but we seem to understand each other in a visual, colourful way.

this hat was created on another workshop day. on both the bag & the hat, the decorations & knot are also hand made. i have another hat pattern cut & ready to be sewn. another ufo, it's been waiting for me since this day.

i'd like to take a brief moment, & tell you how wonderful my teacher is. she has devoted her life to her art, & loves to teach anyone willing to learn anything they ask, including an awesome pumpkin porridge, i'll share with you the next time i make it.

i'd like to thank you teacher for being so kind & patient with your boundless energy, & for sharing your art, your life.

lately

2009-04-01T04:02:00.000+04:00

with our move to Dubai being fairly imminent (4months), i've been busy making lists of 'things to do', 'things to donate| put into consignment', & 'things to take'. i'm trying to get recent projects ready to take & finish when i arrive, or ready enough to leave & complete when i return. i'm not considering taking the flannel quilt with me, but i'd like to have the peek-a-boo quilt ready to go. i must also finish a robe for my wee one & the wall hanging. i must decide on taking my embroidery. plus i wanted to start some crewel embroidery since i bought the supplies (took them with me to korea & dropped it for jasu).

i recently got a laptop, so i've had to re-order the program i'm using that organises my recipe box. yeah! i can now begin to consolidate my fav recipes into one place, & have only to take my laptop with me to the UAE (though i'll prob sneak in a few cookbooks anyways). we've also recently discovered a site that allows for great amount of document storage for little per month. we're still looking into that to see if it's viable & stable before investing time transfering info. my partner found an awesome site, xmarks, that consolidates bookmarks from different computers, & keeps them online, so if i were to go to your house, i can access my links. cool, eh!

luckily, i have a great friend who's letting us store most of our stuff in their big warm basement. & another great friend who's going to take care of my cat. the decisions about what to take will be difficult. i really only want to take a backpack, but then i remember the quilt i'm working on, the books i'm trying to read, the music i want to make, & think unless i have a carpet bag like mary poppins, there's no way i can fit it all into one bag.

a gratuitous shot of my beautiful pussycat, lillian. she's 13 this year.

Vegan Neatballs, or Meatless Meatballs

2009-03-31T04:26:00.007+04:00

i've been workin' on this recipe for sometime now. trying to find one that i'm happy with. i had not defined the taste & texture i was looking for, so i was sort of aiming in the dark. i guess i've been trying to duplicate the texture of meatballs, but change the flavour. i've decided to surf the net, & see what i could find, perhaps amend my recipe & get some other ideas. so far, i've found little different from my own, except what i was expecting to find, dry textured soy protein granules. now where do i find these? i'll hit the grocery store & see. also, there was the idea of using vital wheat gluten flour. i want to make them from scratch, as prepared meatless meatballs are not available world wide. i did come across the recipe, Vegan Visitor. i've also discovered the page, vegetarian meatless meatballs aka neatballs, that includes many ideas to derive your own recipe.

& this is the one i've not yet perfected. i was hoping to before i posted it, but who knows when that'll happen.

٭ Meatless Meatballs ٭

Combine in a bowl,
1 cup tvp ( 1 cup tvp: 7/8 cup veg stock, or water, boil liquid & let sit covered for 10mins)
1 cup cooked brown rice (1 cup rice : bit less than 2 cups water)
1 cup cooked bulgar (1 cup bulgar : 2 1/2 cups liquid, 20mins or so, pending size of the grind, smaller = less time)

Sauté for 5mins,
2 onions, chopped small
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Add spices to onions until aromatic, 1-2mins. i like...
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
pinch cayenne

Add the onion mixture to the rice mixture with the following,
small handful nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp brown or seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
½ cup toasted flour
1 flax 'egg' (2 Tbsp ground flax whisked with 3 Tbsp water, let sit for a bit)
s & p, to taste

(i found that the 'meat' was a bit wet this time, so i added more flour)
roll into patties, or balls, & fry in a bit of oil, turning 'til browned. makes about 2 dozen.

*Variations i've played with...

1 cup cremini mushrooms
small handful of diced sweet red pepper
1 cup walnuts, or pecans, chopped fine

_________

also wanted to post a couple of sauce recipes for either the homemade, or store-bought variety. & i found a sauce i must try at the vegan lunch box made from 1/3 cup grape jelly & 1/3 cup chili sauce (stir in a saucepan 'til the jelly melts). in the comments, grape jelly was substituted with cranberry jelly. both very good notions i think.

these recipes are from my childhood...

this is a simple & awesome recipe that can be whipped up in 10-15mins if using the prepared meatless meatballs (1lb), about 6 servings.

٭ Waikiki Sauce ٭

2 Tbsp arrowroot, or cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 can (13 1/2oz) pineapple pieces*, drained, reserve syrup
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp tamari
⅓ cup green pepper, chopped

combine in a large saucepan, arrowroot & sugar. stir in reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar & tamari 'til smooth. cook over medium heat, stirring constatly, 'til mixture thickens & comes to a boil. let boil for 1 min. add 'meatballs', pineapple pieces & green pepper, heat 'meatballs' thru.

*if you happen to have fresh pineapple on hand, use it. it's much better, but you'll have to substitute a juice for the syrup. i have used pineapple juice, or i really like an orange|peach|mango.

_________

i don't have any clue as to the origin of the name, but it's simple & delish. it could be jazzed up some if you have the inclination.

٭ Swedish Sauce ٭

1 onion, chopped fine
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp dry mustard

combine above ingredients in a large saucepan. add 'meatballs' & simmer on low heat for an hour.

enjoy!

copper smithing

2009-03-29T20:04:00.000+04:00

i began learning copper smithing with Marie of the Copper Meadow last october. at first, i designed a piece that was too difficult, but it remains in the book for a later date. then rethinking it, i came up with this.

this is a maquette of my piece. once the copper pieces were annealed, then they were either put through a press with various textural objects, or pounded with a ball peen hammer. each circle is cut with a jewellery saw, & then filed. each will have a jump ring soldered to it, & coloured in blues, reds, black & shiny copper. finally, about 30 will be chosen & placed on a trio of silver wire. i refer to it as the Coin Choker for now. i have another design that will incorporate similar elements that will be a Coin Necklace.

pics of screen panels

2009-03-29T05:14:00.002+04:00

these next close-up photos are the 4 panels of my folding screen. Shin, SaImDang (1504-1551) painted them during the Joseon dynasty. she became one of the most famous female artists in the 5,000 year-long Korean history. her work is known for the stylised subjects of insects, birds & other animals, plants & fruit which is referred to as chochungdo. She is also honoured & respected as her son, Yulgŏk, became a famous Confucian scholar. & she is considered to be the mother of modern Koreans. she lived with her parents at her family's Kangwon Province ancestral home, Ojukeon. her life consisted of caring for her husband & aging parents, raising seven children & artistic use of her education of Chinese classics, poetry, calligraphy & embroidery invested in by her father.

the photos are presented in the order i embroidered them. each colour used, is embroidered with 3 shades for a more natural feel. the thread is mostly hand-dyed silk with the stitches in long & short lengths. there are some french knots used for the eyes of the butterflies, strawberry seeds, & for other decorative embellishments.

i really enjoy this type of embroidery. especially in the quiet with the window ajar, listening to the breeze & the sound of silk on silk. left only with the form of the line & the beautifully coloured thread.

1st quilt

2009-03-27T17:39:00.000+04:00

returning from South Korea in 2004, i took a class on quilting for the beginner. this quilt is a sampler from this class.

it was pieced by hand, & i will finish quilting it by hand at some point. for now it remains a ufo. i was going to use it for a crib quilt. lol. at this rate, it may be for a grandchild. i don't think it'll take too long, i just need to dig it out & finish it. i really enjoyed trying out the different types of blocks, particularly the drunkard's path (bottom RH corner). i love working with the curves. & i'll have to do some more applique (bottom LH corner ). i've not yet bound a quilt before. once the quilting is finished, then i'll have to figure out this part.

new projects

2009-03-26T16:15:00.000+04:00

where does the time go? well, a month has elapsed since my last post. *shame* i've been busy with various projects & family obligations. i've taken a few photos on current projects, & will post them here shortly. for now i just need to get into the swing of things.

i'm in the process of cutting all the fabric for a new quilt. belonging to the quilt guild has been loads of fun this year with so many workshops. i'm participating in the guild's mystery quilt. if you're not familiar with the concept, here's a quick run-down ~ every month members are given a clue, for example, the first month the clue was a list of fabrics, of which there were six, in various lengths. the second to sixth clues have been cutting & piecing instructions. last month, for the seventh clue, we were given a sneak peak into the main blocks for the quilt. looks like a pretty quilt. looking forward to seeing how my colour choices will fit into these blocks. of course, this is my first big quilt. quite a project. & to top it off, i've decided to use flannel. other members have called me brave, but secretly i must say it's a matter of ignorance. our president has had to work the cutting out a little differently for me because of the flannel. :)

i'm trying to have all the fabric cut & some idea of the piecing for the workshop this saturday. so i've not been great at getting the blog updated. i'm really unsure as to how other bloggers are so prolific. esp getting photos done with each post. i must sign up with flickr. i suppose having a two year old slows things down.

i'm also near finished a wall hanging that i've done in another guild workshop from january. i've got a few photos of that as well. i must do some embellishing once i get done the binding. that was a fun little project. i'd like to do another one. i've decided to use mostly purples in my little one's room, so both the quilt & the wall hanging are predominately purple. it is a 'quilt as you go' pleated picture. it is very important to cut & number the strips of background fabric & sew them in order, to create an illusion of movement. i've used a batik that subtly changes colours of a more royal purple to a violet & back from one seam allowance to the other. the pleats have a complementary purple fabric on one side & black on the other. once completed the pleats will be ironed & sewn open across the picture creating movement. i'm hoping to embellish the piece with some couching & some shiny objects.

the third project i've started this past month, is another quilt, but a 'quilt as you go'. it was from a magazine. i'll have to look into the copyright before i explain it too much, but i'll include that info in the next post. i'm calling this one a double coverlet as it will just fit over a double bed like a throw. it's to cuddle-in, & for some extra warmth if needed. it too, is predominately in purples. it is called a peek-a-boo quilt. we had a workshop in february that explained the 'how to'. very simple. very cool. we were not given a quilt design, so i created one. as i was drawing it out on paper, i noticed (as with most quilt designs) how some elements pop, or could pop, if given the chance. it's amazing what colour & texture can achieve. so i, as with most things i do, have made a very simple design complicated. if it's not difficult, it's not fun. not really a motto i live by, but one that seems to guide me thru life. lol. i'll leave the difficult thing to a surprise. i hope it works out. more on this later.

i must get back to cutting...

a beginning must...

2009-02-24T00:22:00.002+04:00

i'd like to get this blog rolling, so i thought i'd post a pic or 2 on some previous projects. i don't have any pics of some of the things i'm working on now. perhaps for my next post. below is my very first try at traditional Korean embroidery, known as jasu. i was very lucky to meet my teacher, Yoo HeeSoon, the second month i had arrived in Seoul, & began studying this beautiful art of embroidering silk on silk.

this next piece consumed the next year i was there, but it was 4 separate panels. these paintings are by a woman of the 16th century named, Shin Sa Im Dang. these pictures are not traditionally embroidered. my teacher sketched them, & i transfered the drawings onto the silk.

this link will take you to her Cockscomb print which is one of the pieces i've embroidered in the screen.

i have close up shots of each panel, but, dag nammit, they're not accessible on this computer. perhaps another time.