25 February 2010
24 February 2010
delicious
Take some good old canned vegetable broth - 5 cups. Pour it in a medium stock pot.
Add three cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
Add 1.5 ounces of dried shitake mushrooms, 1/4 cup thinly sliced ginger, 1 lemongrass stalk, and two 6" strips of kombu. Simmer, covered, for half an hour or until the shitakes are good and cooked through.
Remove the shitakes with a hand strainer, slice into 1/4" strips after removing the stems. Set aside. Add tamari and rice wine vinegar to the broth to taste, as well as salt. Strain the remainder of the broth through a strainer, reserve the broth and discard the solids.
Heat a medium sized pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1-2 cups of snow peas until tender, 30 seconds. Remove with hand strainer and set aside. Cook 2 nicely sliced carrots (thin rounds) until tender, 2 minutes, remove with hand strainer, set aside. Cook 1.5 cups of yam diced in 1/2" cubes, 3-5 minutes, strain, set aside. Cook 2 cups of cored and thinly sliced Napa cabbage, 1.5 minutes, remove with hand strainer, set aside.
Bring water back to a boil, cook one package of buckwheat soba noodles. When al dente, drain. Put some of the vegetables, noodles, and some cubed tofu (optional) to a boil. Pour the veggie broth over the top. Bask in the heady steam, enjoy the visuals of the brightly colored and still slightly crisp vegetables, then dig in.
Leftovers - put the veggies in one container, the broth in another, and the noodles in yet another. Reheat as a soup OR -
warm the veggies and noodles in a frying pan together, season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Pour one - two beaten eggs over the top. Flip once the eggs have settled (or stick in the oven under a broiler). Street noodles meets fritatta - I LOVE these leftovers.
Other options - instead of tofu, add some nicely cooked salmon or chicken to the broth for variety.
I love this recipe, oh so much.
Add three cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
Add 1.5 ounces of dried shitake mushrooms, 1/4 cup thinly sliced ginger, 1 lemongrass stalk, and two 6" strips of kombu. Simmer, covered, for half an hour or until the shitakes are good and cooked through.
Remove the shitakes with a hand strainer, slice into 1/4" strips after removing the stems. Set aside. Add tamari and rice wine vinegar to the broth to taste, as well as salt. Strain the remainder of the broth through a strainer, reserve the broth and discard the solids.
Heat a medium sized pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1-2 cups of snow peas until tender, 30 seconds. Remove with hand strainer and set aside. Cook 2 nicely sliced carrots (thin rounds) until tender, 2 minutes, remove with hand strainer, set aside. Cook 1.5 cups of yam diced in 1/2" cubes, 3-5 minutes, strain, set aside. Cook 2 cups of cored and thinly sliced Napa cabbage, 1.5 minutes, remove with hand strainer, set aside.
Bring water back to a boil, cook one package of buckwheat soba noodles. When al dente, drain. Put some of the vegetables, noodles, and some cubed tofu (optional) to a boil. Pour the veggie broth over the top. Bask in the heady steam, enjoy the visuals of the brightly colored and still slightly crisp vegetables, then dig in.
Leftovers - put the veggies in one container, the broth in another, and the noodles in yet another. Reheat as a soup OR -
warm the veggies and noodles in a frying pan together, season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Pour one - two beaten eggs over the top. Flip once the eggs have settled (or stick in the oven under a broiler). Street noodles meets fritatta - I LOVE these leftovers.
Other options - instead of tofu, add some nicely cooked salmon or chicken to the broth for variety.
I love this recipe, oh so much.
16 February 2010
Ew
Last night I watched "the Machinist" with Christian Bale. HORRIFYING. But not because its a horror movie, which it isn't. Horrifying, because the normally 195 lbs Bale lost about 70lbs for this role - he looks like a Holocaust victim. Extremely gaunt and genuinely creepy! It took me a long time to adjust to seeing him like that. Really kind of gross and unnerving.
Equally unnerving was after watching it for a little while I realized that the character he was playing reminded me of the last guy I dated. He and I went out about four times or so. Bale's character's face and loser/weird/trying way too hard demeanor is what reminded me of him and confirmed to me that I made the right decision in not calling him back. That too was unsettling. There was something genuinely similar between the two. Creepy.
Something made me sick last night, I overdid it again and this morning am paying the consequences. Oh and I have a test in Islamic Art History that I am FAR from prepared for, but in the spirit of the funk I have found myself in of late, I really can't be bothered to try much harder.
le sigh.
Equally unnerving was after watching it for a little while I realized that the character he was playing reminded me of the last guy I dated. He and I went out about four times or so. Bale's character's face and loser/weird/trying way too hard demeanor is what reminded me of him and confirmed to me that I made the right decision in not calling him back. That too was unsettling. There was something genuinely similar between the two. Creepy.
Something made me sick last night, I overdid it again and this morning am paying the consequences. Oh and I have a test in Islamic Art History that I am FAR from prepared for, but in the spirit of the funk I have found myself in of late, I really can't be bothered to try much harder.
le sigh.
15 February 2010
a few confessions, and a few suggestions
1) I must come clean, not one of the tattoos I have photos of plastered all over my blog are my own. Do I wish some of them were? Not really. Despite my long-lasting passion for body art, I've never yet found any ink that I've ever wished on myself. Key word - FOUND. And YET. I love love love to look at pictures of tattoos, I find nothing more erotic than running my fingers over someone else's skinwork, but I just can't envision any on myself. Sorry if I mislead anyone with my choices for imagery on this blog!
2) I must confess that I've not drank a drop of alchohol in over 2 months. TWO MONTHS! That may seems like a few mere weeks to some but to me, for me to remain voluntarily sober for two months is epic. *pat on my back* good for me! I'm visiting a dear friend in under a month, a dear friend who was a drinking buddy of mine in my Seattle days. Am I nervous? A little. I'm touring north Africa, the Middle East and Europe in the summer. Am I nervous about temptation to drink wine and gorgeous aperitifs made with Pernod, Campari, and other delightful liquers that I find irresistible?? Extremely.
3) It is becoming abundantly apparent that my attention span and diligence as a student is waning. I don't know if its because the weather is getting me down, if my brain is becoming overwhelmed by the school overload for the past 6 months, if I am feeling unfocused because I am experiencing the "jilt" factor yet again, if I'm nearing a psychotic break, or what. Now and then I get spurts of energy and snap that help me keep my head above water, but I don't feel nearly as driven as last semester. The sake of appearances and keeping a good face is pretty much my major motivation right now. Ugh.
4) Cook a bunch of brown rice. Set aside. Chop half a red onion, saute in a large pan in olive oil. Add to the onions two shredded carrots. Season w/ salt and pepper. Add to the pan as much chopped up chard/kale/spinach/greens that will fit. Cover, reduce the heat, and braise until the greens are tender. Add more chopped up greens now that there is more room. Repeat the braise. Stir everything up. Serve the greens/carrot/onion mixture on top of the brown rice, sprinkle all this with a little feta cheese. Season to taste. Enjoy!
5) I confess I'm not a vegetarian. I just enjoy food that makes me feel good and the recipe above is one such thing.
6) I confess that lately I have been drinking about 4-5 diet Pepsis a day. Diet Pepsi and caffiene-free Diet Pepsi. Does that make me a bad person? I worry about all the water I'm not drinking because I'm drinking so much diet Pepsi. Maybe I need a vice to cover my previous vices of whisky, beer and cigarettes.
7) Find a job that gives you at least one or two moments of intense pleasure per shift. My new job in seafood gives me those feelings. When? When I open a container of super-fresh sea scallops and take a deep sniff. The delicate, sweet yet briney ocean scent that envelops my senses transcends me for a moment. When? When I cut or estimate a perfect piece - someone asks for half a pound of salmon and I cut them off a perfect .50 lbs serving. This happens more and more every day. When? When get brief moments of flirtation with male customers who like the female fishmonger in the bright orange waders with logger suspenders and a knit beanie. When I see that they come over and purchase perhaps only because I give them a cheeky grin and make prolonged eye contact. Find a job that gives you a few moments of pleasure.
2) I must confess that I've not drank a drop of alchohol in over 2 months. TWO MONTHS! That may seems like a few mere weeks to some but to me, for me to remain voluntarily sober for two months is epic. *pat on my back* good for me! I'm visiting a dear friend in under a month, a dear friend who was a drinking buddy of mine in my Seattle days. Am I nervous? A little. I'm touring north Africa, the Middle East and Europe in the summer. Am I nervous about temptation to drink wine and gorgeous aperitifs made with Pernod, Campari, and other delightful liquers that I find irresistible?? Extremely.
3) It is becoming abundantly apparent that my attention span and diligence as a student is waning. I don't know if its because the weather is getting me down, if my brain is becoming overwhelmed by the school overload for the past 6 months, if I am feeling unfocused because I am experiencing the "jilt" factor yet again, if I'm nearing a psychotic break, or what. Now and then I get spurts of energy and snap that help me keep my head above water, but I don't feel nearly as driven as last semester. The sake of appearances and keeping a good face is pretty much my major motivation right now. Ugh.
4) Cook a bunch of brown rice. Set aside. Chop half a red onion, saute in a large pan in olive oil. Add to the onions two shredded carrots. Season w/ salt and pepper. Add to the pan as much chopped up chard/kale/spinach/greens that will fit. Cover, reduce the heat, and braise until the greens are tender. Add more chopped up greens now that there is more room. Repeat the braise. Stir everything up. Serve the greens/carrot/onion mixture on top of the brown rice, sprinkle all this with a little feta cheese. Season to taste. Enjoy!
5) I confess I'm not a vegetarian. I just enjoy food that makes me feel good and the recipe above is one such thing.
6) I confess that lately I have been drinking about 4-5 diet Pepsis a day. Diet Pepsi and caffiene-free Diet Pepsi. Does that make me a bad person? I worry about all the water I'm not drinking because I'm drinking so much diet Pepsi. Maybe I need a vice to cover my previous vices of whisky, beer and cigarettes.
7) Find a job that gives you at least one or two moments of intense pleasure per shift. My new job in seafood gives me those feelings. When? When I open a container of super-fresh sea scallops and take a deep sniff. The delicate, sweet yet briney ocean scent that envelops my senses transcends me for a moment. When? When I cut or estimate a perfect piece - someone asks for half a pound of salmon and I cut them off a perfect .50 lbs serving. This happens more and more every day. When? When get brief moments of flirtation with male customers who like the female fishmonger in the bright orange waders with logger suspenders and a knit beanie. When I see that they come over and purchase perhaps only because I give them a cheeky grin and make prolonged eye contact. Find a job that gives you a few moments of pleasure.
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About Me
- Ann Marie
- I would be remiss if I didn't extend my gratitude to the Fulbright program for this jaw-dropping opportunity, as well as to the Honors Department at the University of Louisville, for its hard work in ensuring my selection as an English Teaching Assistant to Oman for the 2012-2013 year. My brief bio - Born and raised in Amboy, WA, I attended Clark College in Vancouver, before going on to the University of Washington in Seattle where I earned a BFA in Fine Arts - Oil Painting in 2004. I then attended USMC Officer Candidate's School, and accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the summer of 2005. I served for four years as a logistics officer, stationed in Camp Lejeune and deployed worldwide. After the conclusion of my commission, I moved to Louisville, KY where I attended the University of Louisville, achieving a BA in Art History and a minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies.
