The Tenth Muse My Life In Food

Remember when I said, that next time I head downtown I planned on picking up a copy of The Tenth Muse My Life in Food


Well, it was not the very next time I went downtown, but it was the next time I went downtown with money. I have to admit that when I first saw it, I though to myself that maybe this was not the book for me, but I remembered back to the article I had read about it, and about Judith Jones, and gave in. I am so glad I did. This is why you should not judge a book on its cover. As I am all too often guilty of doing. In fact I can honestly yet ashamedly admit that most of the books I buy are based not on what is on the cover as much as how the cover/book feels in my hand. Silly I know, but a good book often becomes like a good friend that you want to cuddle up with in bed (okay a really really good friend)or on the couch, and who wants a rough, heavy, stiff book to snuggle up with. I don't and that is why I am sure I have missed out on many a good book. Thankfully God gave me more senses than just my sense of touch as valuable I I hold that to be, and I have bought three books of late that have not been smooth, light, and or bendable. All three of which I love.
Which, brings me back to the book I was speaking about, by Judith Jones. The Tenth Muse, is a book written(I like to believe) for me. Not only am I drawn into the captivating yet simple life of its author, but I am fascinated with the insight into the history of food and foodie culture. As if those two things were not enough tucked in the back are recipes. Not your normal ones either. There are recipes for the single person, which I am and can never find good recipes for along with great offerings from both France and America. There is even a recipe for brains if you like that sort of thing. I am not sure I am quite that intense of a foodie just yet, but you never know when that could come into play.
Jones, somehow found herself so intertwined with the changing food culture both here in America and in France that her life story seems to be in itself the tale of how we as a nation went from thinking of food as nothing more than a necessity and a hassle to our seemly love affair we have entered into now.
If you are a foodie, or dream of being a foodie then you should pick up a copy of this book the next time you are downtown with a little extra cash.

Foodie in Me - Revisited

"Other creatures receive food simply as fodder. But we take the raw materials of the earth and work with them—touch them, manipulate them, taste them, glory in their heady smells and colors, and then, through a bit of alchemy, transform them into delicious creations. Cooking demands attention, patience, and, above all, respect. It is a way of worship, a way of giving thanks." -Judith Jones

Had I read this quote even three years ago it would have meant nothing to me. I would have perhaps appreciated the writing but I would not have grasped the sentiment. Why? Because I did not like cooking.


Thankfully something in me changed, somehow I have developed not only a tolerance for spending time in the kitchen but a passion for creating good food. Out of this newly discovered love of food I can read this and identify with every word. I have in fact thought of cooking as not only a way of giving thanks but also as a way of showing thanks. I do not worship the food, but the one who created it, the one who created me, and who has allowed me to enjoy the various flavors of life.

What if, we spent an entire Sunday morning worshiping God together, in a kitchen instead of a sanctuary; then gathered together around the abundant feast that He has provided? What if we moved from giving thanks for the meal to actually thankfully enjoying the meal and showing our thankfulness by the fullness of our contentment with what we have been given?

The quote above is from an article in the Jan/Feb 2008 edition of Books&Culture. The article is entitled "A Way of Giving Thanks", written by, LaVonne Neff. It is a great little piece on the book "The Tenth Muse My Life In Food", by Judith Jones. A book I plan on picking up in my next trip downtown. If for no other reason then a little more food for thought.

The Foodie in Me

I don’t know if I have just lived in Santa Cruz too long or if it was the fact that Margaret Feinberg was the author, but I found myself drawn to her new book, The Organic God. So, I suggested that my dad and I read it for our next reading assignment (we work through books together). I was to read the first two chapters by the following week. (Today) Never having been one to follow the guidelines or have patience, I finished the entire book in two sittings and less than four hours. Needless to say I would recommend the book, to anyone who is looking for a more organic understanding and relationship with God.

Feinberg is quick to defend the title of the book explaining that while organic is most often associated with food that is grown naturally it is also a lifestyle, as we in Santa Cruz County are well aware of; a simple, natural and healthy way of approaching life. It is out of her desire to know God without any additives of culture, tradition and society and her desire for an organic relationship with God that she writes.

As I have with her other writings I found myself in her stories and examples. I joined in her longing for a deep spiritual hunger. My own thoughts mingled with hers and my fathers as we discussed the concepts of an Organic God.

A bit of a Foodie myself the idea of organic versus non-organic painted a picture for me that I hope you will be able to see. We live in what has been described as a “Fast Food Nation” where we have forgone taste and nutrition for a quick fix on the go. Many have studied the effects on our systems. What hasn’t been studied to my knowledge is the effect of a Spiritual Fast Food diet, on our health.

Millions of Americans come to church throughout the week to get their quick fix nourishment. A half hour sermon or lesson that relieves the hunger pangs. There is nothing wrong with this meal on the go, prepared for the masses, however just like fast food these tidy tid-bits offer very little lasting nutritional value. If this is all the average American Christian is feeding themselves with the long term spiritual health of our nation is in danger.

We can take a lesson from the Slow Food Movement; “Slow Food USA envisions a future
food system that is based on the principles of high quality and taste, environmental sustainability, and social justice – in essence, a food system that is good, clean and fair.” Is this not what we should aim for when feeding not only our physical selves but our spiritual as well? If we want long term spiritual health then we must take time to feed our selves. Reading God’s word, seeking out His nature and listening for His voice, are a few of the ongoing things to feast on. Just like food the more time you spend and the less things you add to or take away from the food, the better the nutritional value and the more enjoyable a meal becomes.

Once you have begun to enjoy fine dining wheather at home, or prepared by a master chef the harder it is to be satisfied with the quick fixes, you begin to hunger for the best. You might stop in now and then and enjoy the comfort food of your youth, but you know it can be so much more. So I invite you to eat well, to savor the many flavors this world has to offer both physically and spiritually. Taste of all that God has to offer and enjoy.

Freegan

First I must admit that I am watching Oprah (sorry Brandon) the reason being is the topic.

Freeganism is an anti-consumerism lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on "limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed."[1] The lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters that have passed their sell by date, but are still edible and nutritious. They salvage the food not because they are poor or homeless, but as a political statement.[2][3]

The word "freegan" is a portmanteau of "free" and "vegan".[4] Freeganism started in the mid 1990s, out of the antiglobalization and environmentalist movements. Groups such as Food Not Bombs served free vegetarian and vegan food that was salvaged from food market trash by dumpster diving. The movement also has elements of Diggers, an anarchist street theater group based in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1960s, that gave away rescued food.[4](Wikipedia)

For more info check out...

http://freegan.info/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/garden/21freegan.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
http://www.freegankitchen.com/


There is soooo much more info out there, but I will let those of you who are intrigued do the homework. I have not made up my mind on this, but it sure makes you think.

So what do you think?

Nothing Cheep and Easy is Good For You (so this must be great for you)

Asparagus Sformato with Fondata Soup

Orzo Salad


Prosciutto-Wrapped Breadsticks
Northern Italian Caponata with Potatoes

Braciole


Our Italian Christmas Feast

A Plate of Yummy Sticky Goodness
Honey Drenched Christmas Fritters: Struffoli

All Saints Day

Without meaning I ended up celebrating All Saints Day. On November 1st I made an Italian meal for my family. My Dad named our main dish Trinity's All Saints Lasagna Pie. I think that is a bit long so we'll just drop the Trinity's and stick with the rest. I also made some Tomato Bread Salad and a Blackberry and Pear Crostata.
Not a bad way to celebrate all those saints.

Feasting on Friday

A day of simply soaking up life is always my preferred way to spend my day off. So when my Friday went from sitting around my apartment to spending a few hours with a friend enjoying some delicious dishes, funky fresh atmosphere and of course conversation I was delighted.

My friend Melinda came over and we headed downtown and ended up at 515 Kitchen and Cocktails. It is the third time I have been there for lunch and it did not disappoint. While I am a huge fan of trying new restaurants, in fact prefer it, I often get stuck in a rut when it comes to ordering at a place I have been. That is not the case with 515, each time I have been tempted to try another dish, and each one has been more fabulous than the one before. Melinda also enjoyed a fabulous meal. Dining at 515 is only made better by the atmosphere funky chairs, couches, and lighting mixed together tucked into nooks make the restaurant one of my new favorite places to dine. From 515 we decided to go and search out another new addition to Santa Cruz.

Ironwood and Black China Bakery and Cafe. I discovered this place by watching Travels with Romney one morning this week as I was getting ready for work. I am pleased to say that we found the place to be even better in person than it appeared on TV. We both ordered a coffee drink and sat outside despite the iffy weather, the vibrant bamboo and garden sculptures were just to inviting to turn down.

My day ended with dinner with another one of my favorite friends Faith. We also decided to break away from our normal Friday night spots and tried a place we had both wanted to try for sometime now, Hula's Island Grill.
A great finish to a day of dining with friends. The food was great and we loved the island party atmosphere.

So if you are in the area and have nothing better to do check out one of these three new additions to the amazing collection of restaurants in Santa Cruz. If you won't be here anytime soon then I suggest that you grab a close friend and go find your own new spot to relish on your next day off.

Not Quite Italy

I've been meaning to write about this far a few weeks now. I was waiting to get some pictures off of my phone to post along with the blog, but I am thinking that may never actually happen...so here we are without the visuals.

On a Saturday two weeks ago I took Lizzie (my little sister by 14 years) out for the day. When I picked her up I figured we would just run some errands and end up at the beach. But as it turned out our day took on a life of it's own.

We did run an errand, but then because it wasn't quite warm yet we decided to go downtown. When we got there the streets had been transformed into a rainbow of tents. Surrounded by balloons and filled with people. It was Children's Day in Santa Cruz. So we wandered through the various canopy's and in and out of stores truly enjoying Santa Cruz. As we were strolling along we were instructed to clear the street, because the parade was coming. I love a parade, even the lamest parades offer ample opportunity to people watch with out being rude. And this parade did not disappoint in that regard. This was a bike parade to celebrate the end of Bike to Work Week. At first it was just a bunch of kids with steamers on their bikes, but soon came some of Santa Cruz's best. Bikes fully decked out in propaganda, people dressed to match their bikes. There were those with huge butterfly wings, a guy who had transformed himself and his bike into a giant bug. There was a whole squad of unicycle riders of all ages and heights. A guy on stilts who missed the memo about the bikes. Someone who had deconstructed their bike so that there was nothing connecting the front to the back allowing for some interesting stunts. Others had also altered bikes to hold up to 6 people on two levels, I am not sure why those on top had pedals but they were doing their best to be a part of the team. It was a truly Santa Cruz parade.

When it was over and we were allowed to cross the street, we wandered into Urban outfitters and each picked out 7 outfits for the other to try on. Creating a mini fashion show if you will. To both of our surprise everything fit and we did not buy anything.

Then we made our way back to the car but stopped along the way to make a chalk drawing together. Then covered in chalk we washed off in a near by water fountain, and proceeded to the car. But on the way a sign caught my eye advertising a Saturday Market in the park. So instead of turning left we continued on and crossed the bridge to the park. The Saturday market left much to be desired, but we stumbled upon a Broadway review that was just about to take place on the Duck Pond Stage. So we plunked down on the grassy hill to watch the show. It was by this time sunny and getting quite warm. We sat there together soaking it all in.

We left a bit early, to get back to the car in time, jumped in and headed to lunch. We ended up deciding to eat at the Crows Nest overlooking the beach, harbor, light house and Ocean. We sat outside upstairs to take full advantage of the beauty. By the time lunch was over we decided that it would be okay to save the beach for another day. Ran another errand and headed home. We finished off our day with the rest of the family enjoying BBQ Hamburgers on the patio.

It wasn't quite Italy, but it was a beautiful day filled with vacation like moments. And plenty of memories.

Happy Moments

I have been thinking about what makes me truly happy. You know the kind of happy where you just cannot help but smile inside and out. Where you feel totally content. I guess the train of thought started on Tuesday AM when we (my fellow staff and I) were praying, we prayed for joy. Now I firmly believe that there is a difference between joy and happiness, and I don't really want this to turn into a theological discussion about the difference between the two. I just wanted to share what it is that makes me happy with the hopes that it might inspire you to think of what it is that makes you smile. And perhaps thank God for some of those things that we just take for granted. So here is my list thus far...

Dancing, candles, a good cooking show, cooking, sitting outside at a cafe and people watching, coffee, my family (most days), students who get "it", packages that are from friends (not the IRS), cards, snuggling, when I finish a task, spending time with God, the beach, the sun, a good (but not long) rain, certain songs, old people (the funny nice ones not the grouchy ones), chocolate (this is new for me, I used to not like it), time with my closest friends, buying presents for people just for fun, cute shoes, shopping for my house or a new outfit, the days I wake up and look in the mirror and think "not bad", when I get to write, when I am inspired with a new idea, having fresh flowers in my home, eating out with friends, being held, praying, reading a good book, watching a travel show or a movie about Italy, traveling,driving,throwing parties...

Okay, now it is your turn. What makes you Happy.

Taste of Life

When in high school you could not have paid me enough money to cook you a meal. Well, babysitting kids aside that is, those kids suffered (according to my sister) having to eat my mac and cheese. I even spent some time living with people who forced me to cook, thinking that I would change my mind about cooking if only I was forced to participate in the cooking of meals.

High School is now almost 10 years ago and I can honestly say that I have gone from dreading cooking, to desiring the chance to chef it up for family and friends. This last year or maybe two I have fallen in love with cooking.

The last two weeks have given my ample opportunity try out my cooking skills numerous times. I had my family over for Thai food. Then two of my youth students invited themselves over for some steak, scalloped potato's, and green beans. But this last Sunday was the most adventurous I have been in the kitchen as of late. The theme was Italian.

I had three friend's over to enjoy the meal with me. We started out with a first course of steak tomato's topped with a lightly breaded and fried goat cheese atop of which sat an herb salad spritzed with balsamic vinegar.

Then we had some homemade pizza. An herb crust topped with caramelized onions, green olives stuffed with garlic, Gorgonzola and Fontana cheese and sprinkled with fresh parsley.

There was also an herb pasta tossed with a fresh plumb tomato sauce.

And of course we had to have some tiramisu gelato for desert.

All in all we had a great time around the table. Looking back it is hard to figure out what it was about cooking I could have hated. I am not sure what is on the table next, but I sure look forward to making it.