monday, monday

It was a good weekend! Kicked it off with a Hurday.2007 hurdabration. Kramer and I made vegan red velvet cupcakes (aka "hurdcakes") on Thursday night (couldn't talk about them then, 'cause then the Hurd would've known that we were making hurdcakes). We used a recipe from the Christian Vegetarian Association. The recipe was a little effed up (it called for "vegan sugar" twice, but not the flour--which Kramer eventually figured out. freakin' christians trying to mislead us...). We'd originally wanted to decorate them in the style of butts with small black heart tattoos, but the icing just wasn't the decorating kind. And, Kramer's kitchen was...well, she told me to just pretend like it was a cooking show challenge, a la "Dinner: Impossible". They still tasted good, though! I wish I'd thought to take some pictures... I wish I had a tiny spy camera that took excellent photos. Mine is nice, but it's big and heavy and bulky-ish. A spy camera would hit the spot.

Anyhow, we hurdabrated on Friday with a dinner at Abay. I love this place. Not only did they not blink when I came in wearing a dick-in-a-box, but the chef came out and serenaded Hurd with the birthday song and chatted us up a bit.

Then there were sparklers, Hurd wearing the dick-in-a-box, a dis from Kelly's (not giving them a link, 'cause they can suck it) by the rudest waitress in Pittsburgh, a Hurd social-worker style intervention with a poor homeless guy having a hard time on the sidewalk, drinks at 5801, and after I left, it seems that the party continued for some time. Glad you had a good birthday, Hurdcakes!


Saturday E-dawg and I took a bike ride over to the farmers market. I hadn't ridden for a while--since it got hellishly hot this summer--and, the short ride (about 3 miles each way) kinda, like, totally kicked my ass. In the Strip we hit up the Firehouse Farmers Market (where has Mushrooms For Life been??), Reyna, Mon Amiee Chocolat, Penn Mac and Cafe Richard. Good stuff. I got my first winter squash of the season (butternut; I think I'm going to make this Squash Spice Cake recipe from the current Vegetarian Times) at the farmers market, the Best Flour Tortillas In The World from Reyna, and the best quiche ever at Cafe Richard (mushroom and goat cheese).

We also got approached by some little old man selling raffle tickets for his church. When we passed we goaded me, "Aren't you going to buy a ticket for the pretty lady?!" (meaning E-dawg). Since he kinda-acknowledged we were lesbionic, I bought two--one for me, one for the pretty lady.

Saturday evening I went to a Dining For Diversity dinner with the lovely Ms. Leslie Fleisher at the home of Lee Fogarty where Louise i-don't-know-her-last-name cooked up some delectable grub (two kinds of pasta, two salads, appetizers, and lotsa wine). It was really nice. And, I ran into Sue and Ledcat from PghLesbian, and had a nice chat. We skipped out on the Dessert Reception downtown, but I heard it was a good time, too.

Sunday, I just kicked it with Zeke all day (my dog-sit job and #1 pal). I made a tasty lunch of an omelette with red peppers, onion and goat cheese, along with a spicy fig salad (riffed from a recipe in the current VT), and some warm tortillas and fresh tomato slices. Yuh-um. That fig salad was the bomb. The recipe had you sear the figs (slice in half, cut side down) in a skillet with a little oil and some chili powder. It was bomb. For reals. The original recipe called for artichoke hearts sauteed with onions and garlic and some roasted red peppers. Instead (since I forgot my artichokes), I just sauteed some onions and red peppers (small dice) in a little evoo. I used half for the omelette, and half to make a vinaigrette for the salad (just the onion/pepper mixture, a dash of chili powder, the juice from half a lemon, a splash of red wine vinegar, evoo, and some sea salt and freshly ground pepper).


Tomorrow I start a pet-sitting gig (one dog, two cats and an iguana) for two weeks, but the oven doesn't work! I think I'm going to make a bunch of soup and salads. And, maybe that spice bread when I'm visiting my pad.

Also, tonight is the "Queers: They're What's For Dinner!" dinner. Want info? Email me, or comment or whatever. It's at the Gypsy Cafe. Should be tastiriffic.

Ooh! We had our weekly weigh-in today. Down two more pounds (five pounds total)! Sweet!

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here's some good local food stuff that I just got in an email from Slowfood Pittsburgh:

silver eye exhibition programs
Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Southside

What’s for Dinner? Photographs by Diana Shearwood
This exhibition, on view September 26 – November 24, 2007 features large-format color inkjet prints by Québec photographer, Diana Shearwood. She documents trucks and the huge advertising photographs that embellish them as they travel cross-country to deliver food miles away from where it has been grown. Once the viewer realizes that the images of delicious, mouth-watering food are wrapped around 18-wheeler trucks, it sets in motion a thought process about the food we eat, how it is delivered to us, and more. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. New Gallery Hours: Wednesday, Noon – 6:00 p.m., Thursday, Noon – 8:00 p.m., Friday, Noon – 6:00 p.m., Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Why would anyone photograph trucks?
Artist’s Talk and Opening Reception
Saturday, September 29, 3:00 p.m.
Reception of freshly harvested local foods will begin immediately after Diana Shearwood’s talk from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Refreshments and flowers kindly provided by Blackberry Meadows Farm, Davis & Davis Gourmet Foods, Emerald Valley Artisan Cheese, Le Pommier Bistro Français, Mediterra Bakehouse, Paul’s Orchard, and Pisarcik Greenhouses & Cut Flowers. Silver Eye members and students, free; Non-members, $5.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Produce Paparazzi: Grow Pittsburgh Reception
Tuesday, October 16, 7:00 p.m.
Six interns from Grow Pittsburgh have photographically recorded their experiences with two Pittsburgh Public schools as they planted and harvested an edible schoolyard garden. Join us for a reception to enjoy and support the fruits of their labor. Refreshments will be served. Silver Eye members and students, $3.00; Non-members, $5.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Longing to keep it local? Food for Thought…
Saturday, November 3, 10:00 a.m.
Join us for a panel discussion on the ways and means of this new trend. Distinguished panelists: Donald Gibbon, Photographer and Consulting Naturalist; Miriam Manion, executive director of Grow Pittsburgh; and Marlene Parrish, food writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Moderated by Erin Hagan, Director of Farm to Table Wellness Program. Panelists will answer questions following the program. Reservations recommended. Refreshments will be served. Silver Eye members and students, $7.00; Non-members, $10.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

FOOD Book Signing
Saturday, November 10, 4:00 p.m.
Published by Alphabet City, Toronto and MIT Press, Cambridge, 2007Book-signing with Editor, John Knechtel, and featured photographer, Diana Shearwood. Admission is free. Co-sponsored with Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

Alice Waters and Her Delicious Revolution
Wednesday, November 14, 7:00 p.m.
Screening of American Masters PBS documentary. 60 minutes. Admission is free. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org
Funding for What’s for Dinner? Photographs by Diana Shearwood is provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation, Peg and Ernie Harris, The Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, Québec Government Office, New York. Media sponsorship kindly provided by Pittsburgh City Paper and WYEP/91.3 FM.


Longing to keep it local? Food for Thought…
Saturday, November 3, 10:00 a.m.
Join us for a panel discussion on the ways and means of this new trend. Distinguished panelists: Donald Gibbon, Photographer and Consulting Naturalist; Miriam Manion, executive director of Grow Pittsburgh; and Marlene Parrish, food writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Moderated by Erin Hagan, Director of Farm to Table Wellness Program. Panelists will answer questions following the program. Reservations recommended. Refreshments will be served. Silver Eye members and students, $7.00; Non-members, $10.00. Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 412.431.1810, www.silvereye.org

For more information or reservations go to www.silvereye.org or contact Education Coordinator Sylvia Ehler, 412-431-1810, ext. 11 or sehler@silvereye.org.

a good time

You know what's a good time? When it feels like the week just started, but it's already Wednesday afternoon. Hump day, folks. You know what else is a good time? It's CSA day. You know what else is a good time? I will have a new QAF disc when I get home, and two more tomorrow.

(p.s. I just updated yesterday's posts with photos. pps. yes, Nowlze, MamMaw Gini and Aunt Boots. wanna make something of it? i didn't think so.)

Last evening I started to get hungry and also whiny about what I was going to make. So, I just started grabbing veggies from the fridge and countertops, and adding them into a dish I'm calling "Garden Glop". It was sooooo good! I just had the leftovers for lunch. Yum.

Garden Glop
(vegan, if you leave off the goat cheese; serves two giant servings or four side-ish servings)

3 medium-sized red potatoes, sliced in super-thin rounds
1 small sweet onion, small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 roma and 1 green zebra tomatoes, cut into large chunks (you can use any kind of tomato; that's just what I had on hand)
1 roasted red pepper, cut into medium-sized dice (here's how to roast your peppers. easy, peasy!)
1 c. shittakes, chopped
1 heaping T. dried parsley
1 heaping T chili-garlic paste (find it in asian groceries)
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
handful of green beans, steamed and cut into small dice on a sharp diagonal
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
some goat cheese, for crumbling on top

So, I sliced the potatoes, and put them in a large skillet with a little evoo and some salt and pepper. I cooked them over med-high heat until they're halfway done, then add in the onion and garlic and lower the heat and cover them loosely (I use a loose piece of foil). Let them cook for about five minutes while you steam your green beans, then shock them in ice water, slice them into small diagonals, and set them aside.

Add the roasted red peppers, chili-garlic paste, tomatoes, mushrooms and parsley to the pan, and cook another five minutes or so. Then add in the basil and green beans, salt and pepper to taste. Dish out, then crumble some goat cheese on top--it'll get all melty and help balance the hot-hot-heat of the chili-garlic paste.

Here's what it looked like mid-way through (isn't it gorgeous?):


And, here it is all ready to be eaten:


Kramer and I had a really fantastic walk this morning. I mean, we walked it out and stuff, but it was amazing how many deer (and deer babies! and, even one young buck) were out. Like, literally, gajillions. Literally. Okay, maybe, like, forty or something. Or, thirty. I don't know. A lot. Especially for being right smack-dab in the middle of the city. And, they're so tame! We brought apples and carrots with us today, and they munched several of Kramer's apples (from our CSA last week)--with a long and wily-looking tongue, and came within about five feet of us. Tomorrow Kramer has to be at work at the ass-crack of dawn, so we have to walk even earlier. I think the only way I'll make it out of bed is to picture adorable deer faces.

And, speaking of Kramer, we had the first weigh-in of the Weight-Off-Off this morning. I lost two pounds! Kramer stayed level (she doesn't want to talk about it), but I think we're both going to do really well. Plus, I actually gained a few extra before we started, so my goal is 22, hers is 18. By December 31st. We are winners*!

[*I'll actually be the winner, but still. She can feel like a winner.]


Have you been hearing all about everyone's CSA subscriptions, but are worried you waited too late? Never fear! I just got this info about a fall share that's just getting started. Check it out:

Greetings!

How does this work? You pay for a weekly delivery of fresh produce, including vegetables and fruit. Your weekly delivery contains whatever is harvested that week. We are working with 2 local farms. There are 6 drop sites including, Mt. Lebanon, McKnight Road, Fox Chapel, East Liberty, Moon Township and Bethel Park. Farm to Table.

Your drop site choice will determine your start date. After you sign up for a 10 week subscription, you will receive a confirmation in 24 hours to notify you of your start date.

Last week's organic share contained Wheat berry bread, Large zucchini, Kale, Green pepper, Cheese, Paddy pan squash, Cherry tomatoes, Potatoes, Watermelon.

The non organic share contained Watermelon, Tomatoes, Green pepper, Apples, Nectarines, Cukes, Eggplant.

Farm subscriptions are available for this fall, starting now! The subscriptions last for 10 weeks. Subscriptions start at $200 and large and small shares are available. You can make 2 payments if you would like.

To get the subscription form, or for questions, contact Erin Hagan:
Please let me know if you have any questions.
I can be reached at (412)563-7807 or
ehagan@american-healthcare.net.

long weekend, why you gotta be so short?

First, just wanted to pass this along:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh presents a talk by SFP’s Marlene Parrish

What: Hear about Slow Food Pittsburgh and the challenges of Eating Local!
When: Wednesday, September 12
Time: 6-8 pm
Where: 4400 Forbes Avenue, Oakland, Main, First Floor Quiet Reading Room
Charge: Open to the public

Speaker: Marlene Parrish, co-leader of SFP and food writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

More info: 412-622-3151, or visit www.carnegielibrary.org

Come and learn about why buying fresh, local and seasonal food matters. If you love to eat and love to shop at farmers’ markets and if you care about the environment and supporting the local economy, you’ll want to hear about Slow Food Pittsburgh in this informal talk.

Plenty of time for questions, and we’ll be giving away some cookbooks, too.
The First Floor Quiet Reading Room won’t be quiet for long.....

I hope everyone had a super long weekend! I definitely did. It was action-packed! In fact, I'm kind of surprised that it all happened in one weekend. That's weird. And, I forgot my dang camera to upload the pics I wanted to include today. Hopefully I'll have it back tomorrow (I think I left it at Maggie's), and can update this post then.

On Friday, E-dawg and I met up at the Greek Festival in our 'hood (North Side represent!) for some delicious treats, some interesting music and some great people-watching. We each got a slice of spanikopita and tiropita (which I'd never had before, and was like the spanikopita without spinach and a fluffier cheese filling). And, I got a box of pastries to take to my mom and stepdad (my mom's favorite dessert is baklava)--a bunch of baklava, some little kourambiethes, a ghalatobouriko and an apricot and a cherry roll. It was a gorgeous assortment, and they were thrilled.

On Saturday morning I drove down to southern WV.

I got there around 2pm, and the cowgirl party was at 3:00. So, we headed up there, and as soon as we pulled up I could hear Savanah yelling "Ehrrin! Ehrrin! EhrrinEhrrinEhrrinEhrrin Ehrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"



That is the most excited anyone has ever been to see me. I liked it. The party was cute, and the kids had fun. Then I went over to my brother's house for more playing and a ride on his new motorcycle.


Then, went out for Mexican food with my parents (there are three awesome Mexican restaurants in their tiny town, and we went to one I hadn't been to before; this was the best--Acapulco). So good. And, then I made them Huevos Rancheros for breakfast the next morning, to continue on with the theme.

Sunday morning my parents split for Ohio (for my nephew's birthday), and I met up with my brother and Savanah again, and we visited my MamMaw Gini and then my Aunt Boots (where, when we pulled up and got out of the car, Savanah said, "Now, where's them chickens?" 'cause they have some chickens that roost in one of the trees behind their house).

with MamMaw Gini:

with Aunt Boots:


After that I hit it back to the 'Burgh, and made it back just in time to get my stuff from the car to the house so that E-dawg could pick me up for the Ditty Bops show at Mr. Small's. They're so cute! And, this tour is the Farm Tour (they say: In addition to playing traditional shows, we will perform benefit concerts on farms to raise money for local farm organizations, "The Growing Connection" and "FARM AID" - Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp's nonprofit.)

On Sunday night I sent Kramer a message to say that I was going to oversleep the next day, so we didn't walk yesterday morning. what? it was labor day! the day of rest!--and, she actually called me a chump.

So, I didn't really sleep in yesterday, but I did a lot of chillaxin', nonetheless. I watched five (five!) episodes of QAF, then napped, then read, then went over to Maggie's to do more chillaxin' with she and Kramer. And, we ate some delicious and nutritious quinoa/black bean/veggie bowls. And, I left my camera. Boo. Hoo.

It was back on track this morning with the walk with Kramer. We did about two miles this morning, and, and, and! there were tons of deer. Lots of mamas and babies-still-with-spots. And, they were completely unafraid of us. A couple of them came so close we could almost pet them. It was amazing. (Kramer said "creepy"). Tomorrow we're going to take some deer snacks and hope we run into them again. So cool.

And, tomorrow is our first official weigh-in for the Weight Off-Off! I already can feel that I'm going to kick her ass!

Also, in other news, I signed up for a "Knife Skills" class at Chop, Wok & Talk (through CCAC). yay!

the take weight off-off

Peeps, I have been seriously stressing lately about slipping into Bad Things and how to get back on track. But, then my dear pal Kramer came up with a perfect solution. We're going to have a weight-off off!

Those who know me may know that I enjoy competition and games of all stripes, so this is really the perfect way to get me reengaged in getting back on track! So, the terms are that we have to lose 18 pounds by Dec. 31st. Whomever is not the winner has to throw a party for the victor. I like it! And, I plan to totally Kick Her Ass. Just sayin'. But, despite the humiliating defeat I must, with every ounce I got in me, deliver, I still am very much grateful for this much-needed kick-in-the-drawers. Kramer, you are on!

And, she challenged me to a no-stakes power water drinking challenge today, too. Thanks, Kramer. For real. I'm already floatin', and that's a good thing.

In other news, I continually forget to take my camera and also to upload the pics when I do remember my camera. What the bleep? I had pictures of the best sandwich ever. Maybe I'll remember them tomorrow. But, anyhow, I made some baked shittakes and some crispy shallots and used them as the substitute B in a BLT-style sandwich. It was divine with my fabulously thick-n-juicy tomato slices (a yellow that was called something like Montana wedding or something? Nebraska birthday? Oklahoma Bah Mitzvah? Something like that. And, a big, hearty, juicy red that I completely forget the name of). Have I mentioned that I love summer tomatoes?

And, seriously, have I mentioned, lately, that I love you?