VSK in SLC

I read in the City Weekly that Vegan Soul Kitchen author, Bryant Terry, was coming to speak in Salt Lake City in January. I knew I had to go. I love Bryant’s cookbook and have made at least a dozen of the recipes. I love his message: 1. Start with the visceral (growing, cooking, and eating food) 2. Move to the cerebral (comprehending / pondering our choices and their relation to the lives we live) 3. End with the political (collective action to bring about collective changes). He gave an inspiring lecture and finished it by making the entire audience collard greens with citrus and raisins.

La Caille

My handsome, talented husband entered a design contest for the owners of La Caille restaurant. His entry was rushed as it was one more thing piled onto his very full plate. And he still won 2nd place. His prize included a scholarship and dinner for 4 at La Caille. Saturday, January 22, 2011 we went with my parents. We had a wonderful time. I could really enjoy this good life. When the waitress brought the bill (not to be paid, just to be gawked at) I realized this good life comes with a price tag, and one I could never afford.

Recovery from Illness

I think when any illness arises, it is a message telling us to slow down. That is probably the #1 prescription: Rest. Sleep, read a book, stop your constant doing. I always give up on coffee and exercise when I am sick. Coffee will wake you up and also dehydrate you a bit. Exercise does the same. To really heal, you need to sleep and hydrate. In the early stages it is good to drink as much herbal tea as you can. Homemade broth-y soups are great. I believe in the magic of chicken soup, but veggie broth is also healing. Your broth could include mushrooms and as many onions (or onion family members) as possible. And, finally, the magical radish is a powerful healer. This little veggie alkalizes the body. It breaks fevers. It clears the body of excess mucus. It gets rid of heat. Eaten regularly, radish can prevent the common cold and other viruses.

Bibimbap, or, a Mixed Meal with Friends

My friend Taeyoung came over last night and showed us how to cook the traditional Korean dish, bibimbap. Literally translated, it means mixed meal. The night began with a shopping trip to 2 different Asian markets. We brought the ingredients back and got to work. It is quite an undertaking and could be made many different ways. Your basic ingredients are short grain rice, vegetables, egg, and seasonings (probably miso and chili paste).

You can go gourmet or simple from there. Here is a glimpse of our version: *Cook white sushi rice in rice cooker (we made 6 cups) *Sautee sliced carrots with salt, pepper, and garlic *Combine sliced cucumber with diced red onion, vinegar, chili paste, and paprika *Saute zucchini with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika *Boil soy sprouts just until soft. Drain and add garlic, paprika, diced green onion, cayenne, salt, and pepper. *Saute fresh oyster mushrooms (yum!) and shiitake mushrooms(yum!) with sliced leeks, salt, garlic, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and balsamic vinegar. *Steam some spinach. *Steam some eggplant and sprinkle with paprika and cayenne. *Softly fry some eggs (so the yolks will break when everything is mixed) *Top with special sauce: miso, garlic, chili paste, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, green onion, and rice vinegar.

*Also, Taeyoung prepared traditional Korean meat dish called bul-go-gi. Very delicious! I will definitely be trying out some of these seasonings and cooking methods. I also purchased some wakame and nori from the Asian market which I hope to incorporate into more of my meals. Seaweed gives us important vitamins and minerals from the ocean. In addition to a mixed meal, we had a mix of good friends and family: Fredy, myself, Taeyoung, Ben, Elizabeth, Tom, Sam, and Stephanie. Food tastes better when you have someone to share it with.

Immunity Boosting Potato Soup

So... I wanted to clean out the fridge and I had some potatoes, onion, and broccoli. I thought a little, searched a little, and came up with this delicious, creamy soup. It can be made vegan super easy although mine was not. (I was also using up what was in my pantry). Try this yummy winter dinner.

1 Tbsp. ghee (for vegan use olive oil)

1 yellow onion, diced

2 red potatoes

2 yukon gold potatoes

2 Tbsp. dried parsley (or herb of choice)

2 cups water

2 cups organic chicken broth (for vegan use veggie broth)

dash of salt

pinch of fresh ground black pepper

broccoli

Sautee onion in ghee until it is fragrant and soft (about 5-10 minutes). Add diced potatoes and sautee another 5 minutes. Add broth and water. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Add seasonings. (I just thought red pepper flakes would be yummy and warming). Simmer 20 minutes. Puree in batches. At the very end, add chopped broccoli. I didn't want to cook the broccoli too much and end up with mushy, gray looking stuff. I also didn't want to dice it all up and make a mess so I left long pieces in. This is personal preference. I served mine with left over corn muffins (had chili on Sunday) but it is really good on its own or with toast.

*Note: red potatoes are great for building the kidneys. Onions prevent all kinds of disease. And everyone needs to eat more green foods. I found recipes that called for flour or cream or butter, but this soup turns out super creamy and comforting without any of that junk. *

Shhh... Secrets to a Happy Life

-Whatever you feel the world is withholding from you- give that

-Greatness is an illusion. Life is made up of moments and each moment is very small.

-Make peace with each moment. Make peace with difficult moments in order to get out of the difficulty. What you resist, persists.

-Become friendly with your life exactly as it is. Right... now.

-There is sacredness in our difficulties if we allow for it.

-Stop looking for grand spiritual practice- your life is your spiritual practice.

-Remember, you are life. You are not separate from life. Begin to see the interconnectedness of all things.

-No matter how active we are, our state of consciousness creates our world. No amount of action can compensate for this. What you do is always secondary, who you are is primary.

-Its not what you do, but how you do it, that counts.

- In our modern world we know much about doing and almost little about being. What we don't realize is that it is the "being" that gives our "doing" meaning.

-People become very unhappy when they are focused on the surface of their lives. Even intelligence, without connection or depth, becomes destructive.

-Finally, how spiritual you are, how happy you are, has nothing to do with what you believe and everything to do with your state of consciousness. Be present now. Be at peace. Who you are will radiate and (the best part) you don't have to worry about it!

-Now go out and have a great week.

Curry Noodle Soup

No photo, but very warm, yellow, and spicy!

1 onion
1-2Tbsp. coconut oil
4 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/2 carton of button mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen shittake mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas and/or carrots
1 package Asian whole wheat noodles
3 cups broth
3 cups water
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. sri racha (or sambal)
1/2 tsp. ginger
sea salt to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Saute onion in coconut oil. Add cashews and garlic. When golden and fragrant, add broth, water, spices, and veggies. Bring to a boil. Add noodles. Simmer 7 minutes. Squeeze lemon over the whole thing. Ladle into big bowls and slurp it up!!

JOE!

There are few things in life better than a little brother. Especially when that little brother is Joe. Rock on, Tyke! Play fair, stay safe. I love you. Have a nice day.

Green Soup

This is a recipe I made, but did not make up. It came out of Anna Thomas' Love Soup book. I love it because you literally fill up your soup pot with all kinds of delicious, healing greens.

Original Green Soup
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch kale
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
2 small Yukon Gold potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups veggie broth
cayenne
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
freh ground black pepper
Instructions: Combine all green ingredients with 3 cups of water, salt, and potato. Bring to a boil and then simmer 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute onion in 1 Tbsp oil until soft and golden. The longer you cook it the better- at least 20 min. Keep an eye on the onion. You want golden brown, not charred black. Add onion to soup.
Pour 1/2 Tbsp. oil into skillet and saute garlic a couple of minutes. Add this to the pot and simmer 5-10 more minutes.
Puree mixture in an upright blender. Return to the soup pot. Add cayenne and black pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with a drizzle of fresh olive oil and a sprinkling of cheese. Serve with a crust of bread.

Sprouted Soup For The Dead

There is a huge celebration in Fredy's hometown. It is called Dia De Los Muertos (day of the dead) and is a mix of Halloween and Memorial Day with a dash of Mexican chispa. Fredy tells me that families gather together and have a picnic in the cemetary. They cook the favorite meals of their loved ones who have passed on and the whole family sits and eats together with the dead.
I have wanted to do this ever since I heard. Last Saturday was the day. I took the leftover sprouted wheat (from the fermented rejuvelac I had made) and turned it into a soup. Then I packed it up, drove to the cemetary, and ate it with my brother and grandmother. There I sat on the earth between the two, watching the sun set, eating my soup, and talking to 2 of the people I love most.
So I offer you my sprouted wheat soup recipe in honor of Charlie and Grandma. On their shoulders I stand.

Sprouted Wheat Soup
5 cups water
1 large bunch collard greens, stems removed, chop leaves into strips, stems diced
1 large onion
2 small carrots
1 Tbsp. olive oil or ghee
1 cup wheat sprouts
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. dried herbs (I had basil, thyme, and oregano)
2 tsp. miso
1 Tbsp. Bragg's aminos
(I also threw in a dash of garlic salt and topped it with hot sauce because I love pungent hot sauce and I live with a Mexican. Oh, and my brother likes hot, punget things and this was for him, too. You could leave these things out if you eat more purely than I do.)

I boiled the water and then turned off the heat. I didn't want to boil the miso, sprouts, or greens. In a skillet, saute onion and carrot in oil until soft. Add cooked onion mixture, collards stems and leaves into the pan with other ingredients except miso. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Put soup in your bowl and stir in 1 tsp. miso. Yum!

Life is Happy, Life is Precious

I received this in an email from a good friend. It was written by a Korean teacher named Haejin. It is probably translated into English, but the beauty of the words are not lost in translation. Here it is:

We often say someone or something is precious to us. This is easy to say but its meaning is not to be treated lightly. Because of the precious, the path of our life is determined; there arise things we must do and things we must absolutely not do; and we may put ourselves in a situation where we have to risk our life. Because of the precious, a favorable situation may suddenly turn against us but because of it we are also able to overcome even the most painful and extreme situation. Based on our understanding of the precious, we are able to make our decisions with no regrets at the moment of choice hundreds of times every day. What is interesting is that people often forget about the precious. Unless we consciously ask ourselves what is precious to us, we forget about it as we forget about the existence of air. But even when we consciously ask ourselves the meaning of someone or something being precious to us, we may not always be able to answer with certainty. In other words, what is precious to us is often obscure and confusing. In any case, 'what is most precious to us in life' is a question we must seriously ask ourselves first before we ask what we are going to do in our life.

My First Attempt at an Educational Mashup

Health - Health: ""

Technology: Good or Bad?

KUER: 1/31/11: What Technology Wants (2011-01-30)

This RadioWest (yes, I am a shameless Doug Fabrizio fan) has a thoughtful discussion about technology. I find myself at various times drawn to and repulsed by technology. Interesting note: because the Amish have fewer labor saving devices, they have more free time.

Fredy's Hometown

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Simple Joys of Life

I just recently re-watched a favorite movie, Stranger Than Fiction. I love the movie, the message, and the presentation. It is about a man who faces his own death, and thus, learns to really live. The closing words are beautiful:

"Sometimes when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And fortunately when there aren’t any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or a subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort… not to mention hospital gurneys, and nose plugs, and a little danish, soft spoken secrets, and fender Stratocasters, and maybe, the occasional piece of fiction.
And we must remember that ALL these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties which we assume only accessorize our days are in fact here for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange. But I also know that is just so happens to be true."

Sun in the Winter

These pics are a little old (say, last week of October 2010). I took a break from blogging, but a recent technology class has me back at it. So much sun, so much fun :)

Ad Hoc Minestrone in 2 bowls

Homemade minestrone soup. The photos are from the second night when we had leftovers. The initial soup was much more red and green with dark spinach. I find that, even eating leftovers, I never eat the same meal twice. The ingredients change, I change, the world changes. We never eat the same meal twice.

Improvised minestrone recipe (improvise your own)

In a 5 quart stock pot I combined:
6 cups liquid (I used tomato broth given to me by my friend Elizabeth in the summer with garden fresh tomatos and spicy yellow peppers. It had been sitting in my freezer for just such a cold day. I added a cup of water and some diced tomato.)
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 small carrots, chopped
1 yellow potato, chopped
1 carton button mushrooms, chopped
1/3 bunch of parsley, you guessed it, chopped
1 tsp. herbs de provence
fresh ground pepper and sea salt
Bring this to a boil, and then simmer 15 minutes. Then, I added:
1 can white beans (I used the kidney beans to make dip earlier that day)
3/4 cup whole wheat pasta
1 tsp. basil
Let simmer anohter 15 minutes. Then, add 1 huge bunch of spinach, stems removed and give a good stir. I don't like my greens cooked too long.

That's it. Soup. So delicious. All the different ingredients settle their differences in the pot so it is easy for your stomach to digest! Serve with toasted Ezekial bread topped with Earth Balance butter. I LOVE SOUP.

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Joy of Life in Music

Effuga Bbi by the one and only Joze Chameleone. Get your dance on.