11.03.2010

Go here and see what I cooked for Amanda Hesser (SWOON).

11.02.2010

Election returns are making me sad. Change takes time. Who do you think got us where we are?

Think.Before.You.Vote

Now think how much longer it is going to make changes mid stream.

We live in a want it now world, guess what the gov't doesn't work that way and privatizing, streamlining and thinking you can make things better usually inflates and reinvents the wheel.

Been there, done that.

Nm / head aching and heart sobbing

where I've been

What it is November already?

Where does time go?

Last month, I went to two of my favorite places in the world and a new place that I want to visit again and again...



Storm King Art center is outside of West Point, NY. I believe I could go there everyday of the year and be surprised by what I see in different light and different seasons.

The leaves on the Palisades Parkway were magnificent.


We went to Maine, via Montreal.

I got to meet Sophie and her mom. Meeting someone you have been interacting with on line for four years is a daunting thing. What happens if you don't click? Do you just walk away? Do you feign illness to get out of dinner you've planned a month in advance? What if the dog bites you? Montreal, I am enchanted by your city, your bagels and your dogs. Thank you.



and then Maine....

What can I say about Maine?

I'm sorry we couldn't spend a lot of time together this trip. Next time, we'll be running your parks and kayaking in your kettle bogs.

mwah.



(This picture was taken in New Hampshire, but shh don't tell anyone).

I'm participating in NaBloPoMo. You'll see more of me here, lamely, but still....

nm - six states, one province, and 1.5 cider donuts later....

falling down again

Fall is here in Seattle. It seems as if summer was three minutes long and boom we're into fall. I am home for a while. Not a long while, but long enough to get a few projects wrapped up and get ready for winter. In the last month, I have been to Zurich, Paris and Spokane. All great cities, but honestly, nothing beats home.

We spent a lot of the summer waiting for Godot, or in this case, the contractor to decide if he had time to do a job that he had bid out in early March. Turns out he didn't and like most things, except for open heart surgery and negotiating a plane ticket in Mexico, its easier to just go ahead and do it.

TH, and a cast of characters - did an amazing job of the project and pretty soon we can call it done. Nothing is done until the last paint can is put away.

Things I set out to accomplish this summer have slow slushy deadlines. Things will get done, in due time. Right now I think it is time for a nap.

I will admit that I have been a slacker in the blogging department as well as the photography department. The photography thing bothers me the most. I take a picture everyday, but have not been disciplined enough to upload them on daily basis. I haven't done a good job of thinking about my subjects or composition, I just point and shoot, be it my iphone (shut up) or our nifty new canon s90.

Next week I am taking a all day photo class with my trusty DSLR - I cannot wait. I am learning that shooting with a fixed focal length is okay. I don't know why this hadn't occurred to me before - I shot with a 50mm camera all throughout grad school.

It is good to go back to basics, n'est ce pas?

happy new year

I am here, don't ask why.

The last year to the day has been interesting, but nothing I want to repeat.

My friend Jan believes that the new year begins with the school year, all bright and shiny.

If you want a do over, this is it.

Happy new year.

I have been doing some pretty deep thinking these days about the direction of where I want my writing and blog to go. I apologize to all who have come here (the three of you) in hopes of something deep or meaningful.

It hasn't been here, nor has it been something I want to share with the world.

I have been working on finding a purpose to what I am doing with updating the world. No one really cares what I think about Jon and Kate, nor the state of the government. My best comments and side conversations come from folks who enjoy my stories about food, travel, family and cooking.

To that end, we start over.

I'm moving the contents of this opus to a new site - tagging those posts that I feel relevant and share with you the skeleton of something I believe will make good reading and teach you a few things.

www.banamak.org

Here I will share what as I learn how to cook Persian food and learn a few things about my family - who were were, how we got here and where we are now. You will meet my mother, watch me learn to boil water for rice (really) and hopefully come back over and over again.

Remember, this is a work in progress, some things don't work yet. I had fully intended to spend every day in the past few months working on this - but time was not on my side.

So, be gentle. Helpful criticism would be appreciated.

Thanks to those who listened to me and made helpful suggestions - Viv, Keren, Beth and Carol and TH have been so supportive.

You rock.

well?

Three months later and not even a peep.

You know when your mind is full of things you want to write about and
you realize that sometimes some things are better left unsaid.

That is where I am. However, things are looking up (really!). I have
committed myself to something in public and have been made accountable. That always helps. Perhaps it is true - I'm usually much better under pressure.

I have been reading a lot these days about breaking out/changing things and making things happen. Most of this is not siss boom rah kind of reading, but how to starting making those changes. I think most of us are happy being miserable, or if not miserable, complacent. Content to keep on putting up with stuff that you wouldn't wish on your best friend but have no energy to fight.

No, its not always you, but it could be partially you. That my dear, is a hard thing to swallow.

In any respect, I'm here. Follow me tweet. I am moving on and as usual, a moving target.

nm hitting the save key to save my own life

La Fin

Happy to end of the worst year of my life.

nm

I am really here. I just can't even bear to even begin.

Eat, Pray, Love my ass.

how about this:

Can, Stress and then let it go.

That is more like it.

Update

Things are under construction, stay tuned for a better blog.

Thankful

- Ref 71 passage
- TH screening my work email and everything else
- Missy for putting up with my fretting and being a patient chocolate shopper
- Beth for her thoughtful emails this past week
- JP for sending SP pictures almost daily
- for the freedom to come and go as I wish
- for the familiarity that comes with visiting somewhere over and over again

- the wonder of finding something new

Today

Constant, Genin, La Maison, Aoki, Hevin, Foucher...
Chocolated out

Cruise hair

There must be an art to how to create a hairdo that will withstand a transatlantic journey and a 10 day cruise from Barcelona to Venice while looking like you just walked out of Mr Armand's House of Beauty in Huckleberry, USA.

Other than that I so hope Missy gets on my flight we have a lot of Paris to recapture!

Hotel pet peeve 36711

Phone on one side of bed and clock on the other.

Nice.

My rooms here in BCN have been on La Rambla. A bit loud but what a nice view. I managed to score the same suite on both visits.

Its a shame that I am here for such a short time. Monday means Paris and the familiarity of patterns and routines are comforting.

Walk, macaron, tea, chocolate, walk and hopefully do some mind clearing when the time is available.

Testing testing

One two three

Over my lack of trackball ghetto bb, as soon as I return I am buying
an iPhone . Wondering if my bb is really set to not roam.
Sent from my iPod

an apology

I have been remiss. I have been busy, overwhelmed and frankly really crummy company.

So, I wouldn't want you to have to suffer through any of this.

I am working on something now that I hope will come to fruition mid December. I will try and visit at least twice weekly, but honestly, sometimes it is just painful.

I'm off for a week's vacation - heaven help those who will be trying to contact me. It just isn't going to happen.

Be safe all.

Pickled peaches

We're in the middle of a canning frenzy. Honestly, we've been canning since June, but now, we're really getting into it. TH is also starting to dry fruit. Why? Because when neighbor's fig tree breaks branches under the weight of the fruit, you have to do something. Figs led to apricots and now peaches.

Peaches, we had a lot of them this year, we have two trees that produce -- one Babcock - the ubiquitous white peach and one yellow peach that has seen better days, but still produces fantastic peaches. The Babcock is directly outside our dining room window - TH would monitor her peach development and curse each squirrel who would eye her tender peaches.

Everyday was a peach orgy here -- breakfast, lunch and after dinner would see us slicing and eating peaches - TH likes hers with milk and I just like them. Peaches are one of the things that brought TH and I together in the beginning and that in itself is key.

Life around here can be sweet, but these days, I'm being sour. Work and family stress is making life with me a bit trying. Just ask TH and the dog. Instead of making peach conserves with my plethora of peaches - we try something else, a pickled peach. Imagine the concept of peaches with a little bite, but still sweet and with a non mushy texture. Pickled peaches are a great accompaniment for pork or just by themselves. You can can them, however we just make them as we need them. They are delicious and made even more delicious when made with peaches from your own tree.

Pickled Peaches - from Chez Panisse Fruits, Alice Waters

Makes six halves, can double or triple recipe

3 peaches
2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (my guess is white would be just fine)
2 T honey (1 T is fine)
1/2 t peppercorns
4 whole cloves
2 allspice berries
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf - fresh if you have it

Pickle the peaches one day before you need to serve them to let the flavor mature.

Peel peaches - if they are ripe, the skin should peel right off, if not, plunge in boiling water for a minute and remove and place peaches in cold water to stop the cooking process. Skin should peel off easily. Cut peaches in half and remove the pits.

Measure water into a non reactive heavy bottomed sauce pan, I use Le Creuset for this. Add peppercorns, cloves, honey, vinegar, allspice, cinnamon and bay leaf and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add peach halves and cook for 3-5 minutes under low heat, after 3 minutes they peaches should be tender. Remove pan from heat. Carefully remove the peaches from the pickling mixture (slotted spoon is good for this, or a 1 cup ladle), place peaches into a non-reactive container - I use pyrex or glass working bowls. Let pickling mixture cool, strain out the solids and pour liquid over peaches to cover. Store overnight in fridge and serve the next day. Will keep in the fridge for a week, good luck having them last that long.

Alice suggests serving with duck, me not so much. I like a nice pork loin.

plums

I have been rejoicing over plums this year. There is a big plum tree that overhangs the ppatch wall. I have no idea on the variety, all I know is that the plums start in early July and they are red on the outside and red on the inside. They taste like a plum - tangy and sweet. I have yet to find a plum tree to plant that has the same characteristics. With the plums we picked day aft
er day - windfalls mostly and some off the tree, not trying to be too greedy, we made plum jam to mix into yoghurt and have slathered on toast come January.

The ubiquitous Italian prune which seems to drop its beautiful blue/grey fruits this time of year is another plum that I can do without when fresh - a bit astringent when under ripe and mushy when ripe. Not a flavor or texture that works for me - but oh, my my oh my when combined with apple for chutney or made into a plum sauce for meats - it transforms itself to a much nobler fruit. Blessedly at least six people you know have a tree in their back yard and will be happy to part with their fruit in exchange for a jar of chutney. I won't even go into the myriad of recipes for plum cakes that will use up the excess . Much like zucchini - many have been the victims of a drive by pruning.

Last weekend at the farmer's market, I saw Damson plums for the first time in a long time. This is a plum that has definitely fallen out of favor in the past generation. I can't blame you for not loving them - they are tiny, the pit versus flesh ratio is high and they are very astringent. However, with a bit of lemon juice, some sugar and time, you can create something that will bring you back to fall sometime in January.

Damson plum jam - makes approximately 4 pts

2 lbs damson plums
3 cups sugar
juice of one lemon

If you are patient, you can pit each plum.

If not, place plums in a heavy non reactive pot - I used Le Creuset with an enamel interior and cook until plums are soft - approximately 10 minutes, be careful to keep the heat even and low and check to make sure the plums aren't sticking.

Once soft and easy to pit, remove from heat.

Place softened plum into food mill or into sieve to remove the seeds. Collect plum puree and place into non reactive pan.

If you are patient and have pitted the plums by hand, pat yourself on the back with your sticky plumy hand and place the pitted plums into a non reactive heavy pot and heat under low heat until plums are soft. Stir often to prevent sticking and burning.

You can now use your food mill to remove the skins, but don't bother.

Add 3 cups of sugar and the juice of one lemon to the plum puree. Stir until mixed and heat under low to medium heat -stirring frequently to prevent sticking until jam starts to thicken - approximately 20 minutes, the mixture will come to a boil. When it has reached the desired thickness, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes. Skim off any foam.

Place into hot jars - process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Eat within two years.

Dinner, all ready. I'm over it.

My father knows how to make three dishes tops, which considering his age and the era in which he was raised, is pretty good.

When we were little, my father left Seattle to go to London to take a course in biomechanical engineering. He went three months earlier than the rest of us. While I missed my father, I was more worried about what he was going to eat. As far as I was concerned, the only thing he knew how to cook was ab-gusht, the Persian lamb stew with shanks, chickpeas, onions, and tomatoes -- all slow cooked to a meaty goodness. The marrow was the best part. My mom assured me that he was going to be okay.

Later, his repetoire expanded to addas katteh - rice with lentils - easy fast and surprisingly meaty and hearty and his version of piperade - a mix up of eggs, tomatoes and potatoes. I used to love watching him make it, mostly because the idea of my father cooking was so unusual. His time at home was outside, or reading and studying. I also loved this combination of flavors - except back them I did not like runny eggs. The sharpness of the tomato combined with the richness of the egg yolks and the substrate of the potato was a classic combination, little did I know my dad was not this dish's inventor, but his version was a knock out.

Piperade is very much the same classic combination of flavors -- sweet peppers and onions as a base with a touch of smoked paprika or chile powder and tomatoes added and cooked down and the crowning glory -- eggs, glorious eggs. The potatoes are addition. Most people would mop up the eggy goodness with bread -- the potatoes are just a nice addition. Ditto for adding ham to liven things up.

The recipe I used was from Chocolate and Zucchini -- I'm going everywhere these days to excite my palate. The best part is the vegetable prep can be done the day before, leaving you with only adding the egg and cooking.

My hack:

2 peppers - red pepper and yellow pepper -- sliced
1 medium onion - chopped
1 t ground chile pepper - not hot
1 T olive oil
1/2 clove chopped garlic
sea salt
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped - could used canned in the winter
sliced cooked potatoes if you have some sitting around
8 eggs

In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil, add sliced peppers, onions, garlic and cook using low heat until everything is softened and melting - approximately 35 minutes.

Add seeded chopped tomatoes and potatoes if you have them and cook another 15 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat -- crack each egg, without breaking the yolks. Add each egg to the pan one by one and cook over low heat until the yolks are softly set.

Remove from heat, divide into fourths and serve with crusty bread.