The Grows Attempt to Grow a Garden

A weekday off seems like a special treat, so much more indulgent than a weekend off, perhaps because of its relative rarity. My husband and I both took the day off yesterday, and off to the nursery we went, in search of some finer plants to put in pots and try our hand at growing our own food. We have limited space on our patio, but certainly don't want to be left out of the organic, home-grown food club. So this is what we came home with:

- 3 kinds of tomato plants (heirloom varieties - all gorgeous!) including: Siletz (good basic red type), Red Pear (little pear-shaped sweet ones), and Health Kick (yellow tomatoes with 50% more lycopene than your average tomato).
- 2 types of strawberries (Eversweet and Quinault)
- 1 yellow bell pepper plant
- In the herb window box (which I found adorable and had to buy): rosemary, flat leaf parsley, lemon thyme, mint, and basil.

I can't wait for things to start growing and to reap the benefits of our labor! I'll let you know how it goes, unless it dies due to lack of sun (which worries me because of the angle of our apartment). I'm hoping for a delicious growing season! Any gardening advice for us?

My Courageous, Outrageous First Attempt at Making Tofu for Dinner

Did you know that April is National Soy Month? American soy milk and I get along fine, perhaps owing to the choice I have between vanilla or chocolate, both of which are fine with me. Tofu and I have a more complex relationship. Chinese stinky tofu is a big no. Just no.

In America, sometimes I enjoy tofu (as in pad thai, miso soup, etc.), but I have encountered two problems: 1) The distinctly fermented taste may come through too strongly or 2) The texture gets too slippery and slimy at times. However, I also know that there’s a lot to love about soy products, which are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and isoflavones.

So, for this week’s Meatless Monday, I decided to add more protein to our daily diet, and the easiest way to do so was to try adding tofu to my vegetable and udon noodle stir fry. I was determined not to end up with slimy bars of goo, so I consulted my most recent cookbook acquisition: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. (Supposedly, it’s the Bible of vegetarian cooking, and was written by the long-time chef from Greens restaurant in San Francisco.)

I have learned that the key to a nice, golden brown, slightly crisp, non-slimy tofu is to follow these steps: Start with extra-firm tofu and drain it between paper towels for maybe 10 minutes. We want to get rid of the extra liquid it has been stored in. Then, slice the tofu into cubes. Next, heat a pan or wok with canola oil until the oil gets really hot and starts popping a bit.

Then, fry the tofu in the oil until it’s brown on both sides. (This is easier said than done if you have a fear of sizzling hot oil popping out onto your arms, as I do. I wore long sleeves as a protective measure.) When golden brown, remove the tofu and place on a plate and set aside. Now you’ve got your crispified tofu all ready to be added to your stir fry, and coated with plenty of sauce if you don’t want to taste too much strong soy flavor. Excellent!

An Unexpected Shout Out Makes My Day

A blog is a funny thing. One moment, you may feel as if you're sending your words and thoughts into the black hole of cyberspace, somewhat anonymously; then the next, you connect with a stranger or get a shout out on another blog and suddenly, your invisibility cloak is swept away. (I like to throw in a good Harry Potter reference where I can, though I'll never forgive Rowling for doing away with Dumbledore. Never, I say!)

I have been blessed to make several new friends through blogging this week, and also be recognized by my friend Mark on his own blog, Noce Stories. Mark is a skilled writer and probably on his way to becoming a published author, so check out his blog for bragging rights that you knew him before he was a household name. My favorite quote from his review of my blog was was this:

"One part cookbook, one part philosophical, and two parts fun, “In Search of the Finer Things” appeals to pretty much anyone with a soul!"

See how articulately he summarizes everything I post? And here I thought it was just stream-of-conscious randomness. I only hope to live up to this praise! Thanks, Mark! Keep up the good work with your writing.

Pukkolla: Quick, Delicious Make-Ahead Breakfast

I think everyone who knows me knows what a huge Jamie Oliver fan I am. This week, I’ve been watching "Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution" on ABC (perhaps one of the most important shows on TV at the moment, in my opinion). Then, my husband procured the entire BBC production of "Jamie’s American Road Trip", and so far we’ve followed him as he explored the Mexican community of east LA and cowboy culture in Cody, Wyoming. Yum!

All of this Oliver mania left me hungry for even more Jamie, so I pulled out my old cookbook "The Naked Chef Takes Off" and found a recipe that I’ve been meaning to try. It’s basically a sort of muesli, and it has a beautiful silky, not-too-thick texture. I have made muesli before, but always with yogurt; I prefer it Jamie’s way. This dish is extremely healthy, and convenient, since you can make it all ahead of time. Both my husband and I absolutely loved it.

The name "Pukkolla" is a play on the British slang "pukka", which means something like "wicked" or "awesome". He’s very informal in his measurements - it’s all part of his natural, laid-back approach. Love it!

Pukkolla
(Jamie Oliver’s Muesli)

several handfuls of rolled oats (not instant or quick)
a handful of dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, dates, etc.)
a handful of crumbled walnuts
a few tablespoons of bran meal
a few tablespoons of flaxseed meal (This was my addition for the nutritional benefits of flaxseed!)

This mixture may be kept in an airtight container for several months if you want to make a large batch and take out a smaller amount each day to prepare. Here is how you prepare it:

The night before:Cover the mixture with milk (or soy/rice/almond milk). Grate in 1 apple, stir, cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning:Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and stir. Slice up a banana and stir it into the mixture. Can add a little honey for extra sweetness if desired. Serves 2.

Making Your Own Dreams Come True

"Do something every day that scares you."-Eleanor Roosevelt

Sometimes I wonder how many things in life we miss out on because of fear, be it insecurity and self-doubt, or just the fear of failure. Although I have experienced these in my life in the past, I am getting to a point of greater stability where I am making an effort to stop listening to the voice in my head that says I can’t and just do things that I want to do. Here are some recent examples:

1) I began taking a yoga class to pursue a long-time desire to learn that had previously always landed squarely in the "someday" category. I was nervous to try yoga because of my limited flexibility and minimal upper body strength. However, I discovered something that I truly enjoy and which nurtures the body, mind and spirit. I can't always do all of the poses or hold them for long, but it's a start down a road that I've been sitting and staring at for a long time.

2) I planned a dinner party, although I have always worried about not being a good enough hostess/cook/conversationalist/etc. I realized that I’m never going to learn how to entertain if I don’t invite friends over, so I’m going for it! (And I'm really excited to plan it, too!)

3) On the booking-reading social network Goodreads.com, I couldn’t find a group to cater to my interest in Food Writing, so I formed my own group. My first impulse was to negatively wonder: "What if no one joins and I look like a loser?" But then a positive voice shot back, "What if people with the same interests do join? What if I can learn more about something that interests me? Why not?"

I am slowly learning to tune into the positive voice and shut out the negative one. I once heard that almost all women (in particular) struggle at times with a negative head voice, or negative self-talk. Maybe the negative head voice is the real enemy for us. Perhaps the only thing holding us back from living the life of our dreams is our own underestimation of our potential. If so, the possibilities are thrilling.

Ode to the Sacramento Soup Nazi

Today, nearly a year since I wrote this review on Yelp, I wanted to share a memory of the most unique, wonderful daytime dining experience I have had in this city...

It was a cloudy, drizzling April morning and I finally had the day off. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it - finally try La Bonne Soupe Cafe, after reading many positive reviews on Yelp. With the restaurant's limited hours of operation, I work too far away to make eating there a possibility under normal circumstances. So, I planned my trip carefully, parking at the Westfield parking lot, walking 2 blocks or so to the restaurant, and arriving right about the time it opens, just a little before 10:45am, before the lunch rush.

The Frenchman does carry somewhat the air of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. He's a little abrupt, but I merely found myself marveling at his presence of mind with a line so long and only him to man the station. He created each sandwich as carefully and attentively as if there had been a single customer in line.

I chose the goat cheese with olive and roasted pepper (a daily special) and the cream of vegetable soup, then sat down at a table and perused one of the books on the bookshelf about the meaning of names as I enjoyed the most perfectly crafted lunch I've had in ages. The sandwich consisted of a good baguette (crispy on the outside, soft on the inside) filled with lettuce, tomato, mild, creamy goat cheese, just one olive and one red pepper, both cut in half, and a few secret sauces that linger in your mouth throughout the day like a haunting melody. The key here is quality over quantity, in true French style. What vegetables were in the cream of vegetable soup? I neither know nor care. Perfect temperature, perfect spices, perfect blend of flavors.

My meal at La Bonne Soupe Cafe was more than a lunch. The food and ambiance transported me back to a Parisian cafe in springtime, flooding me with memories of a study abroad long ago. Would that I could return daily. Alas, I shall await my next day off.

How To Hold A Supper Club

The latest idea that fascinates me is that of a supper club, or dinner group. There are a couple of ways to go about doing this, but the version that most appeals to me is this: A small group of people gather together on a regular basis (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, etc.). On each occasion, one person or couple is in charge of making dinner, with enough food to serve however many people attend. This person/couple also provides copies of the recipe. The dinner is an opportunity to meet new people and learn about new foods at the same time.

The biggest obstacles to carrying off a scheme like this would appear to be:

a) Conflicting schedules. But meeting at a generally open time (like Sunday night, once a month) would seem to be an easy fix to this problem!

b) Food preferences/allergies. You can’t please everyone, and I think some picky people might do well to expand their boundaries. However, any one with food allergies or special needs should make them known at the outset so that a lactose-intolerant person doesn’t end up sitting down to a plate of lasagna!

c) Size. I think a group of 3-5 couples (6-10 people) would be ideal. When you get too many people and opinions and food preferences together, it might get a bit out of control. For this reason, I think a smaller group would be best.

That being said, nothing draws people together like food. I love the idea of the supper club, although don’t get me wrong, I also love sipping a simple soup at home on a quiet, cold evening with just me and my husband, and savoring the silence. But just think what you might learn from your fellow club members, what new experiences you might have, and what friendships might be forged!

Has anyone ever done something like this, successfully? If so, how did it work? If I do form a supper club, I will surely blog about it in the future...