Local diner. Corner booth. (In memoriam)

I sit down across from you,
and your withered warm hand shakily reaches out
to pat my cheek.

You smile,
and your eyes, dim and sad,
suddenly twinkle and brighten.

They are sky blue
and they smile at me
from your aged face.

I ask how you are doing,
and you say, I'm fine honey,
so glad to have a little company.

You were so lonely
in your room
with the view of the ocean and the hills.

But you were so lonely.
So very alone.

You wanted to walk to your local diner
and sit in the corner booth,
with red vinyl seats and a white chipped counter.

You would say hello to everyone
who came in for coffee or breakfast
and they would sit down to visit with you.

You would eat real eggs,
and real bacon,
and drink black coffee, while visiting.

You would not be lonely.

I hope that your heaven
is a corner booth in the local diner,
with scrambled eggs and bacon,
surrounded with visitors.


Thank you for visiting with me.

Asparagus risotto

Before I start I have to confess - I stole this idea from the new Sunset magazine, and then revised it a little bit... so if you subscribe to Sunset you may have run across this recipe. Whew - confession done!

Now onto the good stuff!!

Asparagus is in season right now and it is sooooo good. Asparagus is at it's most tender, most sweet, most delicious right now, so why not enjoy it?

I made this tonight after a full day of work, a little yoga, and  few moments sitting on the couch wishing the food-fairy would just come through the window and deliver dinner (yes, I know, technically that would be take-out and they would use the door, but I like to dream). This dish really evolved based on what I had in the frig that was close to going bad (green onions and asparagus) and what I had in the pantry to compliment it (garlic, rice, white wine).

Asparagus Risotto (with optional chicken)

Ingredients: 

• 6 green onions, diced (whites and greens)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (rinsed)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 7 cups of hot water
• 1 very large (or 2 smallish) bunch(es) of asparagus - chopped into 1 inch pieces
• Optional: 2 cooked chicken breasts (chopped into small pieces)
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Fresh cilantro (chopped) or dry cilantro

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil over med-high heat in a large saucepan - add green onion and garlic - saute for approx 1 minute
2. Add the arborio rice - saute everything together for a few more minutes (until it is fragrant) 
3. Add the wine - stir frequently to mix in the wine
4. Start adding the hot water a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously over med-high to high heat until the fluid is mostly absorbed - continue adding the water a 1/2 cup at a time until all the fluid is cooked into the rice (this takes about 15 minutes and requires continuous stirring, otherwise your risotto will stick to your pan and make a really big mess and not a very tasty meal)
5. When you only have a 1/2 cup of water left to add, mix in the asparagus pieces and add the final 1/2 cup of water - continue to stir for another 3-5 minutes, frequently checking the asparagus for tenderness (the longer you stir and cook the softer your asparagus will become, if you want a crisper asparagus lean towards cooking for 3 minutes, not 5)
6. Optional - stir in the chopped chicken breast
7. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with a little cilantro, salt and pepper on top

Take-home thoughts: 

• Risotto is a bit labor intensive with all the stirring that is required, but it makes a really great meal (and leftovers!!!)
• Time investment is pretty light - approximately30 minutes from the time I got off the couch and started hunting in the frig to sit-down-and-eat time
• I would love to have a food-fairy, but as that is simply not going to happen, I might as well continue to peruse my frig and experiment with what I have in the pantry
• Sorry for no picture - I was too hungry!!!

Mmmmmm chocolate.

Chocolate Pudding

I love this pudding. Let me repeat: I LOVE this pudding. It is so rich and chocolatey and delicious. Some of the ingredients are a little different, but that is what it makes it dairy-free. So all of you with lactose issues get ready to enjoy!! At the bottom of the recipe I will give details on where I found supplies.

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbs arrowroot powder
• 1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1/3 cup agave nectar 
• 2 Tbs & 2 tsp of organic cocoa powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Directions: 

1. Place the arrowroot powder and 1/2 cup of coconut milk in a small bowl - whisk together. 
2. In a saucepan combine the remaining coconut milk and additional ingredients. Slowly whisk everything together (this takes a few minutes) over medium heat. Then bring the mixture to a light boil. 
3. After the mixture has come to a boil add the coconut milk and arrowroot powder - stir in quickly and continue to stir until you feel the mixture thicken. 
4. After the mixture thickens pour into a bowl or individual ramekins - store in the refrigerator to cool. 
5. After the pudding is chilled - eat and enjoy!

Other information

• Arrowroot powder - I found this in Whole Foods in the baking section in a small bottle (similar to the size of spice bottles)
• Coconut milk, agave nectar, cocoa powder - I usually pick both of these up at Trader Joes
• The recipe - borrowed from "Gluten Free Vegan" by Susan O'Brien
• The photo - pudding just isn't terribly photogenic... so no picture this time 

Garden Update

A few updated pictures of the garden. Things are growing (even if I don't remember what they are)!

News

The good news: Things are growing!!!!!

The bad news: I do not remember what I planted in each pot.

Tea (in memoriam)

You were dying and you offered me tea.
You were living and you offered me tea.
You were sitting on your bed, curled in a ball, in pain, and you looked up to offer me tea.
You boiled water and walked slowly back to your bed.
I was witness to your struggle.
You offered me tea.

You lost twenty pounds your body did not have to lose and offered me tea.
You watched cancer eat you from the inside out and you offered me tea.
You could not eat anything and you offered me tea. 
You felt your body betray you and you fought for your dignity.
I was witness to your battle. 
You offered me tea.

You grew so weak you could not lift a ceramic mug.
Your best friend bought you a plastic cup so you could drink tea.
You told me your fears and we cried, together.
You were gracious and beautiful and you offered me tea.
I was witness to your life.
Thank you for the gift of knowing you.
Thank you for the tea.

Is that an alien in the vegetable section?

I was at the grocery store last week when I came upon what I am calling "the coolest looking vegetable I have seen in a store".  Here's a picture:

Do you know what it is?  It's celery root! Also known as celeriac. And it's totally cool.

I bought one, mostly because I had never seen one before, brought it home, set it on the countertop, then tried to figure out what to do with it for dinner. It turns out there aren't a whole lot of recipes out there in the world for celery root...

Here's what I ended up creating:

Creamy mashed celery root

Ingredients: 

• 1 celery root
• 1 Tbs butter 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil to preferred consistency
• Pinch of dried parsley

Directions: 

1. Remove the tops from the root, wash and set aside. 
2. Peel the root and chop into 1 inch pieces.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the root pieces and the washed tops. Boil for approximately 30 minutes or until the root pieces are tender. 
4. Drain the root pieces and tops - discard the tops. 
5. Place the root pieces in a bowl (make sure it's a bowl you can use a hand mixer or blender in). Add the butter and a small amount of oil. 
6. Blend for approximately one minute - add additional oil to increase creaminess and continue to blend to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
7. Serve warm and sprinkle with parsley.