i like a fuss.

...because it's my special day! Yep, the big 3-5 (although I was guessed at 36 this morning, dangit)!

As you know, I recently started a new job with big Burrito. It is busy as all get-out, but I'm really enjoying it. It's a great working environment, super co-workers (even the one who guessed me at 36), a challenge (in a good way), and a pretty good time all around. *Especially* if it's your birthday!

Seriously. These peeps treated me right! I got to order lunch from wherever I wanted (Spice Island for some Java Fried Rice--vegetarian with tofu; egg okay. natch.), got the dessert of my choice (I said "coconut cake or cupcakes with ice cream", and got some *amazing* coconut cupcakes in both white and chocolate cake, with a coconut custard center, and white coconut buttercream from Vanilla Pastry Studio--YUM), a gift certificate for the restaurants, some gorgeous hot pink roses, a really cool little succulent houseplant, some Incredibles note cards ('cause I'm incredible), a mug, some cookies, an amazon gift card....

Have you ever heard of such a thing?! I've never had a fuss like this from a workplace--especially considering I've only worked here for a month! It's so super sweet, and I'm just blown away by the generosity, and that it feels really genuine. It's like a big family here, and I'm the newest baby.

Other than all that goodness, I did get something else for my birthday--a sinus infection! Yesterday I felt like something or someone was standing on my face. My body hurt. I wanted to cry and I wanted my mom. But, I got squeezed in for a doctor's appointment, and got some antibiotics. I generally try to avoid taking them, but I'm so thrilled I'm taking them now! I feel a gagillion times better today than yesterday. I [heart] antibiotics, and you--I'm looking at you, Louis Pasteur.

Tonight I will be celebrating with my lady, Mags and E-dawg in a low-key kind of way. I love having a birthday as my own personal holiday of all that is right and good. Hooray!

java fried joy, part deux

It is another beautiful day in Pittsburgh, peeps! Pert-near 70 degrees! And, sunny! What the bleep!? Actually, I'm not going to question it. Just going to enjoy it, and soak up the Vitamin D while the gettin' is good.

And, Kramer evidently felt the same way today. She g-chatted me this morning to say that she was going to make a Spice Island (for that link you gotta click on the Spice Island Tea House thing, and then you can view the menu; they don't have their own site) bike-run today for lunch, and would be dropping an order by for me. Yes, I say, hells yes!

Completely counter to my usual modus operandi, I didn't order java fried rice, but instead ordered the fresh cut green beans with ginger (add tofu). At first bite I was not impressed, but I added a little soy sauce, and it's growing on me. Plus, it includes the most impressive serving of fresh ginger I've ever seen (a good 3 tablespoons!). I don't think any dish has a chance of taking the place in my heart reserved for java fried rice, but I will probably order this again--as a side to JFR (but will probably leave off the tofu since it's just some cut up pieces of silken tofu).

Here's a crappy quality pic of it from my cell phone camera:


But, better than that, are the pics of the actual delivery. Here is Kramer making her speedy delivery:


And, here is my reaction to receiving such a fabulous delivery on such a fantastic day:


It's a good day, friends.

And, it'll be a good evening, too, 'cause of I'm going to check out the k.j. (karaoke jockey) stylings of my pal Nicole. The Thunderbird has an (unofficial) dyke karaoke night on Tuesdays, and Nicole has long been a star of the venue. Now, she's taking that shit by storm! If'n you're in the 'Burgh, come check it out tonight, 9pm. Be there.

the Dawg days!

Happy Birthday, E-dawg!!


It's her special day! If you find yourself in close proximity to an E-dawg today, wish her well.

For my part in her celebration, I whipped her up a batch of cupcakes last night. (She's off work today, and not looking at the internets, so's I can tell you guys about these 'cakes).

When she visited San Francisco this summer she fell in love with some ice cream she had at Bi-Rite. The flavor was salted caramel. And, it sounds divine, doesn't it? I love a salty-sweet intersection (to use a Hurd-term). When I was deciding on a cake/cupcake flavor she said "SALTED CARAMEL? HEY, MAYBE SALTED CARAMEL?"

She doesn't typically enjoy chocolate cake, but I went out on a limb because I know she likes coffee-flavored desserts and went with a dark chocolate-espresso cupcake (the chocolate is subtle; it's the espresso that stands out) with salted caramel frosting. And, I kept a little of the salted caramel to the side to drizzle over the top, then gave a couple quick grinds of some Himilayan pink sea salt.

Of course I had to try one (or, uh, two), and they are really yum!

I adapted the cupcake recipe from this blog. My notes are in brackets:

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes
6 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup espresso, cooled [ek: I used instant espresso powder, constituted it in boiling water, then cooled it]
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Place 9 baking cups on a baking sheet (or 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan).
In a large bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugars, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together espresso, buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Pour the espresso mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Evenly distribute batter into prepared cups.
Bake at 350F for 15-19 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
After 5 minutes of cooling on or in the pan, remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 9 egg-shaped cakes or 12 regular cupcakes.

For the frosting, I adapted from a recipe I found here.

Salted Caramel

4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup [ek: I used brown rice syrup here because it's organic and less highly processed. However, I didn't get the same consistency that this recipe mentions--i.e. couldn't get the caramel to harden enough to make candies even after all night in the freezer--and, I think it may be the syrup. But, that said, it's still amazingly delicious, and the drizzle looks lovely]
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea [ek: I didn't think the salt was prominent enough, so I added more. Probably around another 1/4+ teaspoon]

1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. *** This is the dangerous part *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
9. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Note: There was a small bit of extra caramel that I poured onto a small plate that I covered in aluminum foil and greased with vegetable oil. I transferred the plate to the freezer for about 30 minutes. I chopped the caramel quickly into squares (its starts to get soft) and topped each cupcake with a square. [ek: see my note above, re: the syrup and hardening]



Salted Caramel Frosting

2 sticks butter
8 ounces or 1 package of Philly cream cheese
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar [ek: i only used 3 cups of powdered sugar, and it was plenty]
1 cup salted caramel

1. Bring butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
3. Sift 3 cups of powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
4. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
5. Sift 2-3 cups of powder sugar, in 1 cup increments and beating between each, until you arrive at the thickness and sweetness you desire. I used 6 cups. The frosting wasn’t super thick, but it was starting to get pretty sweet. [ek: again, I just used three cups of powdered sugar]

Assembly
1. Frost cooled cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting.
2. Sprinkle each cupcake with sea or kosher salt. I ground some rock sea salt onto each. [ek: i used a Himilayan pink sea salt]
3. Top with a caramel candy, homemade or otherwise. [ek: and, here's where I used the extra salted caramel that did not set into candy for drizzlin']

Dang. These are good. And, look how cute!


I'm gonna go hang and devour cupcakes and drink some Beaujolais nouveau with E-dawg this evening. Good times! It is her special day and i.will.treat.her.like.a.queen.

In other news Kramer is treating me like a queen! She just offered to ride her bike over to Spice Island, and then drop off a batch of Java Fried Rice for me! Kramer is the wind beneath my wings! Oh, hells yeah!

Kramer delivery:


Java Fried Rice joy:


I've been doing some good eatin' in the past few days! Last night I again had my soup (I've been calling it "peasant soup" in my head; not really for any particular reason except I love the way it sounds, and I think that peasants would enjoy it. I'm a peasant, and I enjoy it!). I stopped on the way home for some creamy brie and a whole wheat baguette. I had those with a glass of the aforementioned Beaujolais nouveau, and some squares from a Barcelona bar to follow it up with. Perfect. This would have been a good meal to eat while listening to Edith Piaf. (I just netflixed La Vie En Rose, so I'm kinda obsessed with her right now).


My lovely peasant dinner:


And, for no good reason except that I Love Lolcats:

moar funny pictures

Have a fabulous holiday weekend, peeps! I am thankful for each and every one of yinz!

I served with divas: I knew divas; divas were friends of mine. Ehrrin, you're no diva.

Okay. So, I tried with the Diva Cup. Twice. Sorta half-heartedly. Day 1 and EK is not the happiest girl, and even less so whilst trying to jam a little cup into her virginia. You feel me? So, strike 1, Diva Cup, strike 1. On the upside, my friends were spared the potential task of fishing 'er outta there for one more day.


In other news, I am a celebrity. For real. Believe it. Let me know where to send your 8x10 autographed glossies.

No, really! I got asked to be a "celebrity guest judge" for Cattivo's Halloween Witches and Warlocks Masquerade Party on the 27th! (beware, there is scary music on that last link). So, come out that night! Judging is at midnight, but I'll be there a littler earlier so's I can check out everyone in their fabulous get-ups!

I just finally signed up for a blog counter thingy. And, it's so much more than that! It tells me not only how many people have visited the ol' blog, but from what countries, and all kinds of other fascinating stats (don't worry; it doesn't identify you). It's so interesting! You may know that I love a spreadsheet. This is like the bestest spreadsheet ever--especially 'cause it's about me. I wish I'd done this when I first started this blog! For you peeps with blogs/sites, check out Google Analytics for the instructions for how to generate your own reports.

Okay, okay. To the eatin'.

I'm attending a potluck on Saturday evening, and it has a "harvest" theme. So, I'm going to make a brussels sprouts dish. I'm thinking of this one from Food & Wine magazine:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Brown Butter

* Vegetarian

ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
SERVES: 12
"This is where I like to use Thanksgiving cranberries," says Dean Fearing, who mixes them into the maple-butter sauce topping his brussels sprouts. He roasts the sprouts to bring out their nutty sweetness. "This dish turns a non-brussels sprouts lover over to the other side," he says.
ingredients

* 4 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
* 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 pound fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
* 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
* 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
* 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
* 1 large shallot, minced
* 1 teaspoon chopped thyme

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. On 2 large rimmed baking sheets, toss the brussels sprouts with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the sprouts are tender and browned in spots.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, ginger and orange zest. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the cranberries break down and thicken, about 10 minutes.
3. In a medium skillet, cook the butter over moderately high heat until deep golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the shallot and thyme and stir into the cranberry sauce. Transfer the butter to a bowl, add the brussels sprouts and toss. Season with salt and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The cranberry brown butter can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Gently reheat the butter before tossing with the brussels sprouts.

Just need to remember to pick up some oranges and thyme. Actually...hmmm...I'm concerned that the butter will coagulate while sitting on a serving table. Hmmm... Okay, I might have to wait on that particular brussels sprouts recipe, and just do them up roasted, as is my usual custom and like I did them last week. Or, maybe I could also add some roasted garlic and toasted pinenuts? Or, some toasted sesame seed oil, toasted sesame seeds and lemon zest? Hmmm...so many varieties to choose from!

Oh brussels sprouts, how I love thee! I love their adorable tender tiny cabbage bodies! If I were going to make a doll out of a small fruit/vegetable (a la Nowlze), it would be a baby brussels sprout. And, while googling away, I found that you could also make a home for your brussels sprout with duct tape (and also use any leftover tape to get rid of your warts!


In other news, the Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival starts today! E-dawg and I are going to hit up the VIP Opening Reception, but she's not going to stay for the film, and I may not either. [Dan mentioned getting together with some friends for a possible bonfire, but I'm also tuh-ired! My uterus demands regular naps (and lots of Java Fried Rice, but don't say that out loud or I won't get any rest until she gets some!)]. And, I'm going to the late film tomorrow night, One Night Stand. It's supposed to be a dirty, dykey, tranny, genderbendery delight! That is up this guy's alley. It's made by Good Dyke Porn (can't link to that right now, if you know what I'm sayin'), so that's a harbinger of good. And, afterwards there's a Girls' Night Out party at Cattivo. I like it.

Uh-oh. UPDATE: a co-worker just walked by and asked if I wanted to have lunch at Spice Island Tea House (home of Java Fried Rice). I think my uterus emailed him when I wasn't paying attention or something. Either way, hells yeah.

housekeeping light

First things first, I got some spammy-ass comment the other day, so I changed things up so that you have to enter some code to prove you're not a bot. Hopefully you're not actually a bot, and won't mind this minor inconvenience. (But, if you are a bot, I'm sort of jealous--not that you spend your days spamming, but just 'cause being a [ro]bot sounds like fun. For one, you could dance like a mo-fo. Personally, I enjoy dancing like a mo-fo).

Can someone give me the definitive answer on a grammar question I constantly struggle with since I'm quite addicted to parentheticals? So, when you're ending a sentence--especially in a series of sentences--inside a set of parentheses, where does the punctuation go? What if the parenthetical is a question, but the sentence as a whole is a statement, of vice versa?

Okay, anyway. I'll wait for your answer while I continue about my blog post, and, will, abuse, commas, as, is, my, custom, and, will, not, care.

I was planning on posting yesterday, but took off at lunch to go to Pitt to attend the PA HB1400 hearing, and decided to stay and take the rest of the afternoon off. It was really interesting. The gist of the bill is that it will include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the language to prohibit discrimination for employment and housing. Luckily, in the 'Burgh, we already have that language, but most of the rest of the state does not. The committee requested more personal stories (of instance where discrimination has occurred based on these factors), so if you have a story, please share. Rep. Dan Frankel is sponsoring this bill, so I'm guessing his office would be a great place to send that, as well as to your very own personal legislator. Take action, peeps! It's important! Even if you don't have a personal story, please express your support!

In other news, I just was able to catch up with one of my favorite ladies on the planet, via the telephone, a couple days ago. Schwatts is one of my dearest friends, if not the nearest. She currently resides in York, PA, and recently started a personal chef business there: Dish! And, she's already super-busy and pretty much taking York by storm. So, I'm going to visit and volunteer as a sous chef for a couple days next month to get a taste of the Day In The Life of a Personal Chef! And, I get to have some Schwattzie-time. I can't wait!

Oh, and here is a pic of the Squash Spice Bread that I made the other day. It was very, very moist (like, puddin') and not very sweet, but good. But, I think it was especially wet because I used some water in baking the squash, and then didn't drain it after. I liked it, but next time I'd remove more of the moisture from the squash (or, um, just cook the squash like the recipe says to), add a little more sugar and a little dash of cloves. Or, mix it up entirely, and use some Indian spicing. Hmmm...


Guess where Mags and I are going to lunch today! Guess! Okay, here's a hint. It rhymes with Brice Bisland Bea Bouse. Say that three times fast. Again! Again! Okay. You can access the menu here, 'cause they don't have their own site. Hello, Brava Bried Brice.

Also, TGIF, my peeps! That is what I'm talkin' about! I'm headed to Gist Street and then a drag king show at the Eagle. And, I'm dog-sitting my special little guy, Zeke, this weekend! And, Sunday is the return of the epic battle: EK vs The Gooch in: Scrabble Smackdown! Weeeeeeeeekkkkkkkeeeeeeennnnnnnnddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crompy

Do you know the term "crompy"? Probably not since the E-dawg invented it as part of the Ellenisms series (see also: "that's my jam!" and "rill good" and "hey hon!"). It's a mix of crampy + grumpy, and it perfectly sums up my feelings about today. I woke up with a headache, weighed myself and found that I was up three pounds from yesterday (I have to believe it's the monthly bloat), came out to find a flatter-than-flat tire, and then had to send an email this morning that was kinda scold-y-ish or something. Blah!

But, putting that aside, I did have a lovely evening last night. It was "Queers: They're What's For Dinner!" night at the Gypsy Cafe, and their food is always fantasmic. They had an array of appies featuring such delights as something-creamy-and-delicious-on-little-toasts, a kalamata hummus, an olive tapenade, and a Tuscan white bean dip. And, a delightful dinner featuring a beautiful green salad with tons of veggies, roasted balsamic veggies (a Hurd's favorite), a pasta with pesto and tomatoes, and--my favorite--a dish with polenta and eggplant. Gah-rum (equals yum). [The next queer dinner will be 10/15, so holla if you need an evite].


I start pet-sitting today for the menagerie--Ripley (dog), Cricket (cat), Macy (cat) and Drake (iguana)! I'm looking forward to it. I just hope that QAF will play on her computer, 'cause there's no TV! Keep your fingers, toes, and any other appendages you may wish, crossed for me!

In other news, Kramer mentioned Java Fried Rice this morning, and now my uterus won't let it go. She likes it, she loves it, she wants some more of it.

oh, it's gonna be that kind of party?

Hurd once asked me why she hardly ever made the blog while it was "Ellen-Ellen-E-dawg all the time". I replied that it just so happened that what we got up to when together wasn't always fit for public consumption. She had no choice but to agree. In fact, she pretty much has to agree with me on everything from now on because I have some hilarious photos of her escapades. Here's a sample. These are the ones that are sorta fit for public consumption (after much editing and censoring).

She and Jen came over to Zeke's house while I was dog-sitting this weekend to soak up some central air and have dinner (I made Eric Gower's crispy tangy tofu and edamame salad again--such a great summer dinner). Seems pretty innocent, eh?

Ah, yeah. Good times. The weekends are where it's at!

Now, to back up a bit, Friday evening I met the Hurd, E-dawg and Lareese out at Spice Island Tea House for a little java fried rice feeding frenzy. So good! I also ordered up some fresh bean sprouts with basil (on Jen's recommendation), which was also taste-a-licious. And, we split a couple desserts. E-dawg and I went with chocolate samoosas with pomegranate sauce and coconut ice cream, and Hurd and Lareese went with coconut cake with mango ice cream. Yuh-um. I love you, Spice Island!

Speaking of E-Dawg and Lareese, on Saturday night they ran into Sue and Ledcat from the Pghlesbian.com blog, and got a shout-out as "characters" from this blog! I love it!

Anyhow, Saturday (prior to the debauchery mentioned above), E-dawg, the Hurd, Emily, Oisin and friend-of-Emily and I met up with my pal Karen. We did a little trade-off of some goods. I brought her a batch of sprouted garbanzo burgers with a tangy tomato sauce. I did this batch of burgers with onion, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and green pepper for a kind of italian flair. The tangy tomato sauce was:

Tangy Tomato Sauce
(serve with your sprout burgers for good times)

-1 c. greek yogurt (used Fage 0% Total)
-fresh lemon juice of one lemon (use the zest in the burgers!)
-1/4 t. dry yellow mustard
-sea salt, to taste
-1/2 t. crushed toasted fennel seeds
-1/2 t. dried parsley
-8 sundried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for ten minutes
-a couple dashes of chipotle powder
-a big pinch of crushed red pepper
-a clove of garlic

Put it all in the food processor, and process until smooth, and adjust seasonings to taste.

I hope she liked them!

After the pool, we rolled over to The Vault, and had some snacks and some iced tea/coffee (free refills!), listened to some good music, perused the magazine selection, flirted with the coffee-boy (I'm serious. I think we all flirted with him. Yes, we are all dyke-tastic, but still. He was a doll-pie.), and had an impromptu dance party. All seemed well until a couple hours later, and we all realized that we were burnt to a crisp. What the hell was I thinking with the not putting on of the sunscreen? Saturday night you could feel the heat radiating offa me from six inches away. Not good.

But, Sunday my burn had mellowed to a lovely bronze, and that made me think, "hey, maybe I shouldn't ever wear sunscreen...?" But that's the kind of thinking that can get you in trouble. But also, tan.

Guess where Ellen and I hit yesterday afternoon? I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with Mita's Mitalian Mices.

again, tgif. i say: TGIF!

Woot! Friday, Friday, how I love thee! Actually, this week flew right on by, and felt like a good mix of productivity and chillin'. I like it. And, tonight I'm meeting a Hurd, E-dawg and Lareese for a little dinner at the Spice Island Tea House. Java fried rice, watch out! I am gunnin' for you--as is my whole party, I think. I seemed to have whipped all of us into a java fried rice feeding frenzy with all my incessant talk about it. I am ready.

And, tomorrow and Sunday I'll be dog-sitting my favorite speckled guy, Zeke. I'm going to take some groceries down with me, and in the glory of central air, I will finally do some cooking this week. Hooray! I'm also tentatively planning to watch some more nature-themed dvds, but I was unsuccessful previously when I tried to work the dvd player. I emailed Zeke's mom today to ask how to work it, and she instructed that her strategy is to sit right in front of it and push a bunch of buttons on both the remote and the machine until something happens. And, also helpfully suggested that I recruit someone from the 9-to-10 year old demographic for technical support. Ha! So, I may be watching nature-themed dvds, or I may just be hangin' out on the internets. Either one sounds pretty good to me.

Peeps, have a super weekend. I'm gonna.

busy beaver

Man, it has been a busy week. Still is, in fact. And, a week of lots of ups and downs--most of which I don't really want to talk about publicly, but it all seems to even out. The universe likes balance, it seems.

Anyhow, let me tell you about two highlights of my week.

One was last night. I went to see Neko Case at the Byham. I bought my tickets a while ago, and expected that they'd be sorta good, but they were hella good (that's the first time I've used "hella"; I'm trying it out)! We were in the fourth row! Amazing! Neko, I love you! She has this voice that blows me away--the range, the richness. Again, amazing. And, she played for hours! Incredible! She just seems really sweet and humble and fun. I still remember the first time I heard her. I used to subscribe to CMJ magazine to find out about what the kids were listening to, and "Twist The Knife" by Neko Case and Her Boyfriends was on that compilation, and I listened to it over and over and over. She didn't play that one last night, but she did play lots of other favorites.

And, her back-up singer, Kelly Hogan, was a riot. I liked the opening band, too--Eric Bachman. Especially this instrumental number called "To the Races". Good stuff.

That show made my heart feel full of joy.

Another thing that made my heart full of joy this week was a meeting that Ellen and I had with Brad Spencer and Elena (didn't catch her last name). They're part of a committee working to create a North Side Food Co-op. I heard about plans a few months ago, and sent out some emails trying to get some info to no avail, but then a few weeks ago my pal Sandra forwarded me an email about the co-op. I sent an email to the google group asking for more info, and then started emailing with Brad about it (he even reads this here blog--hi, Brad!). I thought it was awesome that there would be a co-op in the North Side, but really, this is so much larger and more incredible in scope than I'd ever imagined. It's freakin' revolutionary! They are envisioning a community meeting place where local growers/producers of all sorts would bring their products there and interact with the community members in a very real way. They are envisioning setting up all sorts of local gardens for the community. They are envisioning the co-op being a place where community members could cook meals--in both commercial and non-commercial kitchens. There would be space for meeting and eating and joining together. I got to see some of the plans, and the inspirations, and folks? It was one of the most exciting conversations I've had in and about Pittsburgh! Seriously. This new model for what a co-op can be will rock your socks in the best possible of ways. Really. And, guess what? You don't have to just rely on these little snippets. Tonight there is a community meeting, and you can come and get more information and Be A Part Of Making Pittsburgh A Better Place To Be. Here's the scoop:

If you are interested in making the Northside Community Grocer Coop (NCGC) a reality, please join us this Friday evening for an important meeting to help JUMPSTART the efforts of our MEMBERSHIP Committee.


Meeting details and AGENDA are provided below:
DATE: Friday, July 20th (yes, THIS Friday)
TIME: 7:00 pm-8:30pm (Meeting will start and end ON TIME)
LOCATION: Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church;
416 West North Ave, on the corner of North Ave and Resaca Place (North Side of Pittsburgh)
Directions: http://www.alleghenyuu.org/direct.html

If you would like more information prior to attending, please email: NCGC-Membership@googlegroups.com

Sincerely,
North Side Community Grocery Coop Steering Committee
NCGC-Membership@googlegroups.com

This weekend should be action-packed with goodness, too! I'm attending that meeting tonight, and tomorrow E-dawg and I are meeting up in the morning to ride bikes over to the Firehouse Farmers Market. It'll be the first time I hafta ride my bike up Troy Hill. I'm a little scared, but I'm just going to try to take it slow, and use my gears to the best advantage. I can't wait to pack my little milk crate with fresh goodies and ride around. I think I will feel both happy and badass--what's a better combo than that?

If it's warm in the afternoon we're going to hit another city pool. I'm voting for something close to Squirrel Hill because last Saturday I got a red velvet cupcake from Dozen, and it freaked my freak it was so good. I want one. I know that is not what I should be eating to make my way towards the elusive 200-pound crossing mark, but dang. That is some good stuff. But, speaking of making my way down, I did re-lose a couple more pounds. I'm now at 209. You can do it, little guy! (I mean me. I needed a cheer.)

Also on Saturday, it's the 2nd Annual Pittsburgh DYKE MARCH!!! Woo hoo! Sweet! Dyketastic! Ladyriffic! I'm really excited. Last year was awesome, and I can only assume that this year will be Even Better. And, then afterwards there's a picnic (byop), and that night there's an Operation Sappho dance party spectacular! Right on!

Sunday I'm a-gonna go swimmin' again if it's warm enough, then meet up for my weekly Scrabble Showdown with The Gooch. She's goin' dahn!!!

ps. here is the gorgeousness that is Java Fried Rice:


ps. we went to Sue Murray pool in the N.Side on Wednesday, and it got two thumbs up, way up (actually four 'cause both of us gave it a thumbs' up). here's a friend we met in the pool:


As fun as that friend was, I'll stick with this one:


Happy Friday, my peeps! Make the most of your weekend!

ps. one happy thing, one sad

I went for it. I walked down into Oakland proper and got myself a little pick-me-up in the form of a big plate of java fried rice from Spice Island Tea House. This stuff is amazing. I was studying it between bites, but I honestly don't know how they make it so delicious. It is magical. And, at lunch it's only $5.95 (plus $.50 for adding tofu). Dang. I am in love with it! And, it's enough that I was totally happy eating half, and then having the other half to bring home for dinner later. The gift that keeps on giving. I think I may also have just officially started pms-ing today, as that's when my need for java fried rice peaks. I resisted last month, but Spice Island won today. The sweetest defeat I've ever suffered. [if anyone knows the secret recipe, i will give you one gajillion dollars* for it]. It says it has "sweet soy sauce" on the menu. What's sweet soy sauce? It also has millions of bits of tofu (as well as the big chunks added for the $.50), onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green bell peppers, bits of red chilis, green beans, mushroom, egg and crispy shallots.

And, speaking of sweetness? I topped my lunchtime extravaganza off with a cone of cinnamon-apple-honey-granola yogurt from Dave & Andy's. This is my favorite meal on earth, I think.

But, the sad thing referenced in the title of this post? I was going to bottle my kombucha, and when I took one of the canisters out I saw that it had a tear in the paper towel cover, and there were freakin' fruit flies in it. So, I had to throw out a whole batch and two mothers. Luckily I still have two, so can start new batches today, but that's sad. No one wants fruit fly larvae in their fermented beverage treat.

*don't try redeeming this shit. there's no such thing as a gajillion, sucker.

no rest for the wicked

Dang, it's been a busy few days. Or weeks. Or months. Something like that. Good busy for the most part, but still. But, now I have a minute to settle down with my breakfast (fage 0% total greek yogurt, a handful of blueberries and a drizzle of honey--yum) and write a little something in this here blog.

First of all I'd like to sing the praises of Fred's Eggs. You can occasionally find them at the co-op, and I'd been hearing about them for a while, but had never been lucky enough to be there at the precise moment when they had some in stock. That is, until last week. I heard someone freaking out (in a good way) in front of the dairy case, and went over to inspect. Fred's Eggs! I snatched up a dozen, and I'm so glad I did. These are the premiere eggs in this here township. They're from Araucana chickens--who happen to not only be cute, but to also lay really beautiful blue eggs. And, in addition to being just lovely, the eggs were super fresh and very rich. Everything I've made with them has showcased the brilliant orange yolks and have been full of deliciousness. That's what you get when chickens are allowed to be true to their chickeny nature (paraphrasing Joel Salatin in the narrative related by Michael Pollan in The Omnivores's Dilemma). By the way, if I can convince you to do one thing this year, it would be to read The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan is a fantastic writer, and he takes us through the history of four meals--one from industrial agriculture, one from industrial organic agriculture, one from local, sustainable "organic", and one that he hunts and forages himself. It's fascinating, and he examines these meals from every aspect. And, while he clearly has an agenda (he's become a superstar for slowfooders and the like), he's never preachy. He's not even a vegetarian, if you're worried about him convincing you away from your favorite foods. Read him. Do it. It feels great.

Okay. Anyway, I was talking about Fred's Eggs. See for yourself:


I've done just the littlest bit of cooking the past couple of days. On Monday evening I went to Classic Book Club. I'd been on hiatus for, like, a year, and it was my first meeting back. Guess what we discussed? Ding! Ding! Ding! The Omnivore's Dilemma. I read it back in March, and was all fired up then, and now I'm all a-fire with love for it again. Since I knew it was going to be a snack-a-thon (it was), I just made a snack to take, and went hungry. I made my white bean dip again, but this time made a basil oil dressing to drizzle over it. It's easy as pie.

White Bean Dip

-some cooked white beans (I used white navy beans, soaked them overnight, and cooked them for about 50 minutes with a piece of kombu) - about 3-4 cups
-2 cloves garlic
-1 T. olive oil
-a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the beans (or the can, if you're using canned) to thin the dip to the desired consistency
-sea salt, to taste

Put it in your food processor and puree. Voila! You can also serve this as a side dish like you'd serve mashed potatoes.

...

Basil Dressing
(I just really made this by mixing and tasting, mixing and tasting, so all the amounts are approximations)

-a big handful of basil leaves, washed and patted dry (probably about a closely packed cup)
-1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
-the juice of two lemons
-1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
-1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
-sea salt and pepper to taste

So, it's just like a very thinned-out pesto sauce. Just puree it in a food processor, and just keep tasting until it's delish. Then I drizzled some on the bean dip (and have plenty leftover for salads), and served it with some sliced carrots and cucumbers.


And, last night I went over to my friend Emily's for dinner. She made possibly the best version I've ever had of Sesame Peanut Noodles (spicy-i-licious!), and we had a little white wine (contributed by the other guest, Susheela, who I met for the first time last night) and I brought dessert, a baked lemon custardy thing. I googled for the recipe, and I totally forget where I ended up finding it, so sorry I'm not crediting you, Random Person On The Internets. But, it was really easy and really tasty. I forgot to take a picture, and it's all long gone. But, here's the recipe:

Baked Lemon Custard

2 T. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 T. flour
juice and grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons
2 C. evaporated milk
1 t. lemon extract

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Add flour, juice and zest. Add milk and lemon extract. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold lemon mixture into egg whites. Pour into a buttered 10-inch pie plate.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake 1 hour until brown and firm. Let cool slightly. Consistency is between a custard and soufflé. Cut in wedges and serve warm. [ek note: it didn't really hold up in wedge-shapes, it was more like a blob. maybe if you chilled it first? but, it was so good warm.]

I forgot to bring lunch today, and my thoughts have turned to my faithful friend the java fried rice from Spice Island Tea House. I texted my friend Susie to try to talk her into going with me, but didn't hear back, and am thinking I might just hold out and maybe order it when I leave work, and pick it up on the way home. Except it's in the wrong direction since I need to go pick up my CSA, then go meet Ellen at the pool (unless it's thunderstorming then). Hmmm...should I just go now? I'm hungry thinking about it...