not abandoned, just distracted.

fall is an incredible time - so much that there aren't enough waking hours, or eyes wide enough to take it all in. barely just begun, this fall has found me unprepared, without the creative capacity to balance all the inspirations of the season. i beg the pardon of all the colours of the skydiving autumn leaves. i ask that the crisp, cool air have patience, and allow me the blind indulgence of wearing sandals and dresses without sleeves. my transitional coats are missing buttons, and i can't be bothered to sit still long enough to sew them back on, offering stitches and loops and knots that stand a chance at enduring the efforts of my fumbling fingers. so, for now i bury myself in the distractions of my calling. i'll cover my eyes with hours on end, lightness until dusk, speedy bike rides home, pulling up my collar and reminding myself that it's here and now for a reason. here and now.

i miss these guys.

timber timbre - oh messiah

stops me in my tracks. every time.

the recipe that started it all.

this is cooking right now:

cauliflower dal with panch phoran 

i know everyone has their own go-to dal recipe, but i insist you try this one! it's amazing. now that it is apparent that fall is right around the corner, i think it's about time for some comfort food.

disclaimer: the name of the website this recipe was sourced from is not exactly attractive. ignore it!

oh! and as per usual, i've got a few modifications. i didn't even bother trying to hunt down panch phoran. i already had all it's components in my cupboard - except for "kalonji. what is that anyway? i also use fresh ginger...and lots of it!

enjoy, and let me know what you think.

here and there and back again - samantha pleet

hers is a blog i follow if for no other reason than to see what she is wearing.  if i could, and if i had been more on the ball the past few seasons, i would own at least two of her jumpsuits.  for now, though, i will have to be content with the olive green wool blazer i purchased from nouvelle nouvelle a few seasons back.  fall will come, and more will follow, and i will still be fawning over that lucky, lucky find.  

this album.

there is certain music that makes it a little more comfortable to be alone. this song is the first song on an album that makes the world and the weight of the day disappear.

best. sunday. ever.

thanks, matt. i can't wait.

found objects

while i may not hunt, nor chop down trees, if i did, this would be how.

handmade arrows by fredericks & mae, available here .

axes by best made company, available here & here.

farmer's market fridge clean-out

i may be biased, but i think this is one of my best recipe inventions so far. sorry - there would be pictures, but unfortunately i left my camera at work. here it is:


(serves about three.)


1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (used 1/2 white 1/2 red quinoa)
1 ear of corn
1 medium zucchini (coarsely diced or sliced if you prefer)
about 12 cherry tomatoes
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1/2 lemon
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella (bocconcini)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
olive oil
salt
pepper


*note: all measurements are approximate as i did not actually measure anything! please adjust to taste.


preheat oven to 375 degrees.


cook quinoa according to directions. i usually use a 1:2 ratio. set aside. saute shallots in olive oil for about 3 minutes, add garlic and zucchini. cook for about 5 minutes, until zucchini is al dente.


remove corn from cob. mix with cherry tomatoes, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, a drop of olive oil and juice from 1/2 a lemon. add parmesan and fresh mozzarella. stir. then add quinoa & sauteed zucchini mixture. press into a lightly oiled baking dish and bake for approximately 30 minutes. SO good! let me know what you think.


I had originally planned to make a quinoa salad with these ingredients, then came the rain! slightly damp, about half way through my walk home from work, i decided i might need something comforting and warm for dinner. enjoy!

anyone's ghost

the national play the track "anyone's ghost" from their album "high violet," at an abandoned castle on the hudson river.





often, a soundtrack is inadvertently created for my days off work. more often than not, it is determined by the song in my head when i wake up. "anyone's ghost" was not this song, but as the day progressed, it stuck.


here is the song, also by the national, in my head as i plied myself out of bed this morning:

another saturday..

another saturday is but two hours away.
(there isn't actually a video, so you might as well just shut your eyes and listen.)


another saturday, stuart murdoch 

corn.

my latest cooking obsession involves a new-to-me revelation about corn: you do not need to cook it.  

there are two things i remember about corn growing up. one: wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the microwave oven. two: those cute little plastic corn holders with dual spikes on one end, and a crayola yellow cartoon "corn" shape on the other.  here are a few recipes that do not involve either:

tomato & corn risotto 

*i changed this one a bit - i didn't precook the corn, but instead added it in, along with the tomatoes, about ten minutes before the dish is done. oh! and i like to use barley, instead of arborio rice.

avocado, corn & tomato salad 

tempted? if you are not, then it is most likely not summer where you live. recipes sourced from here .

if only i could eat my words

today we joked about my starting a food blog. no, i couldn't! i'm not sure i should "feed" my already out of control obsession with food. but it's healthy, she said. like how one cannot eat too much salad. i was silenced. after all, i am in no position to argue the fact that i'd gladly walk home from work - and back - and home again in order to not feel guilty about creating a recipe for four, leaving barely enough left-over for a mid-day snack the following afternoon.  so, i started this - which may or may not be about my obsessions with creating mostly edible and therefore disappearing art. either way, my fair-weather friends, you no longer have to come up with an excuse as to why you haven't yet tried my amazing recipe for dal.