The snow is forcing me to stay indoors and be domestic. Thoroughly outfitted… pearl necklace, red lipstick, a frilly apron and duster in hand-I am a Stepford down to my congenial head tilt. No no, not really but it certainly feels that way at times when I bake. Disoriented and a bit out of my head…the urge to set fire to the curtains and climb aboard a Greyhound is borderline irrepressible. Crazy? yes. Alas, it does not keep me from baking…instead I kind of relish the domesticity for a minute before lighting up a cigarette and taking a healthy swig of gin. It’s all about balance folks. With the weather being so shitty and the oven being so warm, clearly biscotti baking was bound to occur. (more…)

It has been fucking cold for the past few days. I’ve grown indifferent to rain, I’m okay with light snow (which dissolves as soon as it hits ground)…but not this. Looking outside this morning…this shit is piling up. Its at a couple inches right now and is still coming down heavy. Winter weather is no good. I am accustomed to extreme heat, whether it be lush tropical or dry desert. You cant slap the smile off my face when the burn sets in-much to the disapproving glare of the sun block slathered. This climate is unorthodox, I’m as misplaced in habitat as an iguana in upstate New York. Seattle has somehow bewitched me to go without sun 9 months out of the year. Just writing that makes me feel as though I need to revisit what my intention is here. This stew aided in abating the cold last night and I’m counting on the leftovers today to help me cope with the the continuing madness. Indian spiced, creamy with coconut milk, and crowded with vegetables this is an inspired version of a conventional classic. (more…)

A new vegan cookbook came out this month- “This Crazy Vegan Life” by Christina Pirello. Well, its kind of a cookbook. I was sent an advanced copy of it to review and have spent the last couple weeks picking through it. The book cover sings her praises- shes noted to be a darling of public television with the longest running vegetarian cooking show as well as an Emmy under her belt. I think TV sucks so I can’t say that I have any idea who this lady is nor am I super impressed by her accolades in the television arena. To be fair, she does have awards and fans to back her..that’s testament to something right? (more…)

The rice crispy treat…ah, the memories. Kids in grade school were forever pulling them out of their sack lunches, while I sat sick with envy. Always ambitious, I got my grubby little hands on them by trading up with my pals…the suckers. My Mama was clueless when it came to packing my lunches-I shit you not when I tell you that she at one point included a non alcoholic beer in my brown bag. Talk about bartering potential. She had no idea what a rice crispy treat was and surely to this day still doesn’t. She refers, not so kindly mind you, to these kinds of foods as “American”-in a snooty and disgusted “I cant believe people eat that garbage” way. Regardless, these lovely little bricks of sweetness- crackling, chewy, sticky, gooey… are entirely just fucking good. (more…)

I have really beautiful memories of my life in Mexico. Not surprisingly a lot of those memories are in relation to food. Fresh handmade tortillas, dark rich beer, pots of beans so savory it makes sense that cooking them is a three day process. Fried plantains, refreshing horchata, chilies that have a flavor other than hot, sweet guanabana…the tropical fruit and vegetables are just one of many reasons I go back. I daydream of the street market stands that adorn my little town as soon as I begin preparations for my trip. I love thinking about what’s new and anticipate my favorites. This goes for the foods as well as the vendors that I’ve befriended over the years. (more…)

Firstly (is that a word?), before I launch into my tirade of nonsense- I need to give credit where credit is due. I came home last night feeling run down with no love in the direction of cooking. My feet ached, my back was sore and I hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast which was thirteen hours prior. You know when you get past the point of hunger? Its as though you get so damn hungry that instead of your body continuing to nag at you, your brain just tells your body to shut the fuck. Suddenly, you find yourself in this state where you no longer need food…you feel a little stoned, a little delirious and a pinch nauseous. That’s where I was at. I rode it out as long as possible and by the time I walked in my front door I was spent. More than willing to settle for take out at this point, I was stoked that Wes wanted to cook. (more…)

Yesterday seemed promising weather-wise…little bit of sun, not a whole lot of rain. This being Seattle it took a downward turn relatively quickly. The sky darkened around 5 and with that came the cold and wet. Shitty Seattle weather…I know I have no grounds to be disappointed. I am used to this by now..really… I am. I wanted to at all costs avoid going back out into the mess once I got home so dinner was set to be made up of ingredients I already had around the kitchen. Soup is always the answer in these circumstances. (more…)