May 13, 2008
dear masarap
dear blog,
i’m sorry you are currently malnourished.
let me feed you a tidbit: http://stuffedandstarved.org/drupal/frontpage
love,
lizL
March 19, 2008
spring blues
i’ve got the spring blues.
been stuck in a bit of a really bad rut right now, battling bouts of doubt, needing to attach myself to some inspiration…
and tonight, a friend sent me an email about a book her friend suggested called “staying healthy with the seasons”, i was re-vived:
“The beginning of spring is March 20, the time of the spring equinox, when day equals night. For the next six months daylight, the sun and yang principle, will be dominating our lives. You may now feel a new spark and power, and be filled with inspiration and energy to act upon your ideas. This is a good time to take a look at your life and make a new plan. What do you want to clear out as the past in your environment and within yourself–and what do you wish to see happen this year? This can be a new start. Take a little time to write a new health/life plan, including goals for how you wish to feel and what you would like to do and see happen. Let those dreams blossom. Spring is the greening season. It is the time for planting. After the rain and snow of winter, the seeds begin to sprout from the depths of the soil, trees bud, and nature awakens in her green, flowering beauty. New growth in our lives, relationships, and work is stimulated now as well. We and nature will flourish this season.”
just what i needed in this exact moment.
and i have just the project to rejuvenate my soul…
[stay tuned]
February 21, 2008
the detox continues
With the booming headlines about the recent beef recall and this past weekend’s eating debauchery, my stomach recoiled this week and I reached out to the greener side.
On my quest towards colon cleansing, my roomate suggested Manzanita in Emeryville, a vegan macrobiotic restaurant. For $10.25, you get a hefty serving of an organic melange of pretty tasty stuff. The menu changes each day and includes a soup, short grain brown rice and salad. The dinner also includes twig tea or water. Last night, the memorable element was steamed broccoli with almond-garlic sauce. My friend and I were about to try some of the vegan baked goodies but opted to try and see if Cafe Cacao was open (it was not).
After a 3-mile run tonight, my body was craving a bit more protein so I made garlic tilapia with zucchini, medium grain brown rice and chilled sauteed red chard. One of my most memorable meals was a dinner shared with my family about 10 years ago as we were on vacation in Baja California. I ordered tilapia that was simply sauteed with garlic and oil. Here’s my rendition:
Garlic Tilapia with Zucchini
3 fillets of tilapia
1/2 head of garlic, minced
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchini, cut into 1/4 in slices
salt and pepper to taste
1. Create a paste by mixing olive oil and garlic.
2. Rub paste onto fillets.
3. Lay zucchini onto pan. Place fillets atop zucchini.
4. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Continuing my quest to eat good, feel good, do good.
February 20, 2008
vita-vega-vegamin
Pseudo-healthy detox from the 4-day weekend fixin’
Easy Peas-y Pea Soup* with Basil & Thyme (you can make it organic if you want to)
*say it like Jamie Oliver, kay?
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
1 carton veggie stock
1 bag frozen peas
2 basil leaves, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
extra virgin olive oil
1. Saute onions and garlic till onions are translucent in a pot with a few tablespoons e.v olive oil.
2. Add veggie stock and bring to a boil.
3. Add frozen peas. Bring to a simmer then turn off heat. Blend with hand blender/emulsion blender.
4. Add chopped basil and dried thyme.
5. Serve with a drizzle of e.v olive oil. Voila!
Blueberry Muffins, Vegan-Style: Burstin with blueberries, these muffins are not half bad as the vegan variety. You could also do it non-vegan as well, which yields a very scrumptious version. The secret is in the light wrist action.
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c unbleached ap flour
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c plain or vanilla soymilk
2 1/4 tsp Egg Replacer mixed with 3 T warm water
2 c fresh blueberries, tossed in 2 T unbleached ap flour
1. Heat Earth Balance over low heat till melted. Whisk in Egg Replacer, soymilk and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
3. Gently stir in wet into dry ingredients bowl. DO NOT OVERMIX!!
4. Stir in blueberries. DO NOT OVERMIX!!
5. Portion out approx. 3 T batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 30 min. Toothpick should come out clean when inserted.
VOILA!
February 3, 2008
free writemoving
at the speed of light. times are changing, but people you love are the same. happier, hopefully, from the lilt in their voices on sharing the news. feeling a bit older in the oh-eight, a bit wiser but daring. taking risks, putting yourself out there. expecting respect in return or moving on.
sunday night’s sustenance:
dad’s oxtail stew - oxtail braised in red wine with potatoes, carrots and button mushrooms
baked tilapia stuffed with green onions and lime wedges
buko pandan salad
leche flan
[leftovers for the week, i heart home]
January 31, 2008
a night in bed with…
Last Thursday I was graciously invited to the premiere evening of TasteTV’s “Dinner in Bed With…” dinner series featuring Ryan Scott from Myth, one of the four SF chef contenders for the new season of Top Chef starting in March 2008. The Yay represent!!! It was lovely meeting Ryan Scott. He’s got passion yet has got some down to earth sensibility. I hope he makes it far on the contest but even still, he’s got big plans in the works, stay tuned!!
The Rundown
Through the polished aluminum double doors of Supperclub, instantaneously I realize that I’m in a whole different dimension. Exhibit #1:
As I mill through folks waiting for their parties, I glance at a case containing pairs of gleaming handcuffs. An unsmiling voluptuous queen greets me at the front, asking if I was on Andre’s list. I nodded and push out my right wrist. She glares at me as if saying, Oh, puh-leese honey, and sheepishly, I immediately turn my hand where she stamps a heart. Yikes, it’s gonna be this kind of place, I thought to myself.
I find my friend and fellow foodie, Angela, and we wait in bar area, a room in the center of the restaurant with a ceiling studded with gyrating disco balls. It’s packed elbow to chin. Little did we know, the room would shortly morph into a deserted island as people were led to their respective spaces. Exhibit #2:
This is our space, a cozy private spot for 16.
Slowly our party assembles itself into our comfy commode as we all anticipated what would come next. Angela started us off by crackin open bottles of yummy New Zealand Pinot Noir. We get settled onto the bed and finally the guest of honor arrives. Our server brings us a bottle of Moet and it too is unfurled as we congratulate Ryan:
Our server brings us a bottle of Herradura and down the hatch one or two go, again a congrats to our guest of honor. Our salad of mixed greens, blue cheese, marinated grapes and wonton bits with thyme vinegrette comes next lots of sipping and laughing with a pair of mimes dropping by:
The main course is an orgasmic, succulent seared Kobe beef with pepper coulis and neon red polenta topped with microgreens:
(After dinner, Angela and I stumble out of the restaurant, giddy on wine and meeting cutie patootie Top Chef and almost knocked into one of the kitchen chefs for that night. Needless to say, we gush about the amazing plate of carnivorage that was in our bellies. He looked amused as he escapes my attempted loving embrace.)
Throughout the night, our attentive waitstaff pops a head through the curtains and announces that a show would begin shortly:
(The room where the common-folk reside is actually one large, lofted room with two stages: a trapeze and an open kitchen and bar. It was nice to watch the show but also nice to skate across in our socks back into the cozy private bed.)
Dessert is a nice pair - a scoop of housemade vanilla ice cream topped with crisp candied ginger with a tangerine scented brownie in a doggie bowl:
We toast again, this time some Vermeer chocolate goodness:
We laugh, we drink more, we take pictures:
We happy. Fin.
(thanks Andre!!)
January 22, 2008
This week (and next)!
Saturday, Jan 26
KAMALAYANG MUSIKA: an evening of Filipino music and
cultural expressions for change
Saturday, January 26, 2008 @ Bayanihan Community
Center 1010 Mission St. Suite B, San Francisco CA
94103 (near civic center BART)
Doors open 6pm, performances 630-930pm
Tickets: $12 youth/senior, $14 pre-event, $15-$35 at
the door
Reserve tickets: info@facessolidarit y.org, or call
925-285-4977
The Filipino/American Coalition for Environmental
Solidarity (FACES) hosts “Kamalayang Musika” an
evening benefit concert of multi-genre Filipino world
music and cultural expressions. Featured performances
from the acclaimed Ang Grupong Pendong (formerly of
the legendary Filipino group Asin), Autonomous Region
and Kulintronica thread sounds of the pre-colonial
kulintang (brass gong) and thirteen-stringed oktavina
into a contemporary mix of rock, folk, electronica,
and more. With spoken word from poet and educator
Aimee Suzara.
Proceeds support women’s rights and environmental
justice organizations in the Philippines — Task Force
Subic Rape, Metro Subic Network, and United Front to
Oust Oil Depot — and FACES.
For more information, email: info@facessolidarity.org
Visit www.facessolidarity .org and
www.myspace. com/facessolidarity.org
Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Eating our words: reading and chapbook release
Join Kearny Street Workshop for an evening of readings of new work developed in KSW’s fall 2007 Eating Our Words Workshop with Thy Tran. The evening will also feature the launch of a new chapbook from KSW Press.
Featuring readings by:
Aileen Suzara
Nicole Hsiang
Noelle de la Paz
Rui Bing Zheng
Lizelle Festejo
Lauren Guza
Julianne Hing
and emceed by Thy Tran
Date: Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Time: 7pm
Location: KSW’s space180, 180 capp street, @ 17th street, San Francisco
Cost: $5 suggested
Kearny Street Workshop is a community-based arts nonprofit based in San Francisco. Founded in 1972, KSW’s mission is to produce and present art that enriches and empowers Asian Pacific American communities. Our vision is to achieve a more just society by connecting APA artists to community members to give voice to our cultural, historical, and contemporary issues. KSW offers workshops, visual exhibitions, readings, artist salons and panel discussions, an annual arts festival, and more. For more information, please visit www.kearnystreet.org
January 17, 2008
triptych.2 (home)
drive
block
eat
arugula pasta
handful cherry tomatoes
handful arugula, stems trimmed
handful multigrain flaxseed pasta
garlic chips, crushed
douse of olive oil, sprinkle of salt
