to g

tonite it's raining...it made everything incredibly quiet. i have all the doors and windows open. it's cool...like long sleeve tshirt cool. perfect. for dinner i made vegetable massaman curry & thought of you. i used all fresh ingredients: green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, cilantro, lime, thai basil. i put it over brown rice. it was the absolute best i've ever made it. it was the perfect culmination of flavors & textures: earthy, crunchy, rich, silky, spicy, pungent, herby, creamy, sweet, salty...and the rice seemed so wholesome & nutty. i made a great glass of limeade (with date sugar, filtered water, fresh limes, & crushed ice ) to wash it all down. it was just perfect. i wish you could've joined me. i just finished watching the movie "shrink" and now am going to bed.

i miss you, my little potato pancake. get in touch when u can.
love ya
-ly

last friday's lunch

damn damn dammmitttt!!!
it’s too hot—mouthful of lava. god, i’ve done this a million times.
after i finally swallow the molten mix & calm down, i begin to savor what’s passing across my lips….the velvety silken broth: creamy & salty. so buttery it’s almost sweet. punctuated by treasured chunks here & there…a cubed potato or onion…a sliver of celery…dissolving between my tongue & the roof of my mouth. a tender morsel of clam that is bursting with the essence of the sea itself. closing my eyes & leaning back onto the headrest. overspray from the rain as it hits the partially rolled down driver’s side window & mists my face. the continual splashing of a fountain 100 feet away. happy. warm. satiated. dreamy. high. how quickly comfort wraps me up in this brief indulgence. intense soothing found in a simple hot cup of chowder during a cold & rainy lunch break.
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so here’s my recipe. it’s a little more herby than other chowders i’ve come across, simply because i consistently lean toward “big” flavors. give it a twirl, adjusting spices/ herbs as desired along the way…and keep in mind that it’ll be even more flavorful the next day (as if you’re actually gonna have leftovers, ha!), as all the elements have had a chance to meld with the broth and permeate the veggies. let me know how it goes….

New England Clam Chowder
· 3 c. diced potatoes (1/2”)
· 1 stick butter (4 oz.)
· 2 c. diced onions (1/2”)
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 ½ c. diced celery (1/4”)
· 1 10oz bottle clam broth/juice (PLEASE add 1-2 T. clam base if you can find it)
· 1 t. dried thyme leaves
· 2 dried bay leaves, whole
· 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
· 1 1/2 c whole baby clams, large can with juice they’re packed in
· 2 c half-n-half
· 1 T. dried parsley
Directions:
1. Cover potatoes w/ water & cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter & sauté onions, celery, & garlic until onions are clear.
3. Add clam broth/juice, thyme, black pepper & bay leaves being careful not to break the leaves.
4. Cook for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Turn heat to low.
5. Add clams & potatoes, simmering for 15 minutes more.
6. Add the half-n-half & parsley. turn off the burner.
7. Refrigerate leftovers (ha!).
8. Serves 7-10.
9. I had it with crusty chunks of olive & rosemary filone and pinot grigio (Barefoot cellars)

p.s. of course the big omission here is the pork. (im a pescetarian now). i love bacon, but i’m currently trying to circumvent what i’ve heard is impending cardio doom for anyone with my family genetics who continues to travel a path of gastronomic hedonism. proceed at your own risk.

p.s.s. and certainly using fresh clams, herbs, etc. makes everything better. i concocted this on a “school night” so it had to be a quickie. if you have a recipe that uses fresh ingredients and you want to share, by all means send it to me! i’d love to try it out next time i spend all day saturday cooking.

-peace

New Apple Product called "i" - the permanent personal internet connection

"Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings."


Apple is planning introduction of a new product called i, also being marketed as iTablet.
A small unassuming pill, that when taken, the surrounding digestible case dissolves, exposing the microchip within. This chip is a microscopic version (in construction) of its cousin, the SIM chip. Once the protective casing is digested, the enclosed chip passes through the GI tract, where it becomes attached to the small intestine. Once there, the board on which the microscopic circuit is designed, begins to grow into the cellular structure of the inner wall of the small intestine via a complex and newly patented microchip biotechnological breakthrough.
After firmly establishing itself as a permanent part of the human body (usually after 7-10 business days), the chip enables the carrier (human) to connect with the internet anywhere in the world. The human body acts as a wireless internet signal carrier and makes all external modems, broadband cards, etc. not only unnecessary, but obsolete.

The technology has been available for quite some time, but because of threats from many broadband carriers and equipment manufacturers, the release to the general public has been delayed....until now. A spokesman for Apple Europe, Ltd. said "We became increasingly wary to release any information on the technology during the conception to Beta stages, but have now been assured safety by reaching agreements with competitors in the market". Off record, the source divulged that total amounts exceeding ten billion dollars had been paid to competitors as part of an arrangement for release of the chip.

A price range estimated at $200-300, with a release date of November 11th, 2009 is expected for the "i".