Christopher's Big New York Adventure

I am launching a new blog called Christopher's Big New York Adventure. It will document my process of moving from Philadelphia to Manhattan by the end of Summer 2008. Check it out!

Azaleas

Here are some azaleas on the campus of Sanford School, where I teach piano Monday through Thursday every week. Pretty!

Concert, MamaLucy visit, Longwood Gardens

First of all, today is my birthday, and I got so many nice greetings from my friends, I feel truly blessed! I love you all :)

Last Friday, April 28, Maria and I played a concert at Immaculata University. It was a really nice event, hosted by the Friends of Music and Jacobs Music, who threw us a lovely dessert reception afterwards! MamaLucy drove up from NC for it, and stayed for the weekend. We hung out all weekend - saw The Counterfeiters on Saturday, then celebrated Meegan's birthday that night at the Continental. On Sunday we had brunch, then drove out to Longwood Gardens - which brings me to my pictures:



They were having an orchid show, which was rather impressive...

I also love their topiary garden, with its bush-critters and weird geometric shapes:

These lillies had an unbelievably strong fragrance:

and I think this was just an enormous hibiscus blossom

Presidents' Day Weekend in NYC

I spent Saturday and Sunday nights in NYC with D.S., just hanging out. We went out for Ethiopian food in the East Village on Saturday night, then went out for a couple drinks. On Sunday we had brunch with Nicol at our favorite spot, Cafe Mogador, did a little shopping (I bought the Rufus Wainwright cd of his Carnegie Hall Judy Garland concert - I love it!)

We went home for a nap, then out for a couple drinks. On Monday, we had lunch at this silly new diner on the Upper East Side - I forget what they were called, but it was packed with families with kids, I guess because it was new and shiny and full of bright colors. We would have run screaming, but we really wanted to try the vegetarian chili and 'tater tots, which were decidedly yummy. We took the bus down to 60th street, went to Borders to use up the rest of my Christmas gift cards (I got Beowulf, Middlesex, and The Joy of Vegan Baking, and still had enough left to buy DS a James Baldwin novel). Then we walked over and took the Roosevelt Island Tramway over to Roosevelt Island. I had never done it before - it was such a warm day, so it was a great time to do it:

The tram is part of the public transit system, so you just swipe your metrocard the same as if taking the subway or a bus. The view was nice.

Once on Roosevelt Island, you can walk along the river and see the skyline, including the United Nations:


All the pictures from this and the last post were taken with my favorite new toy, the Palm Centro. I'm in love with it.

Leslie and the Lys

On the Friday before Presidents' Day weekend, Mark and I went to see Leslie and the Lys at the Northstar bar here in Philly. They put on a great show!

Several people wearing "gem sweaters" (Leslie is the proprietor of the Mobile Museum of Gem Sweaters) were invited on stage, and had their sweaters named by Leslie herself. The ceremony was rather like a faith healing.

new program and concert dates

My piano duo will be presenting a new program, "Celestial Harmonies," in the coming months. We'll be doing music of Mozart, Holst, MacDowell, and George Crumb. Several concert dates are already set. Visit our website, and come see us play!

General Tao's Tofu

It just seemed like the right day to try it. I've been eyeing the recipe for General Tao's Tofu on vegweb.com for some time now. It turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so m'self:

I must say, it's not the healthiest thing, what with the frying and the sweet sauce, but it sure is a treat! Next time, double the sauce, more veggies, less frying.

they like my recipe!

A couple months ago, after I figured out a simple and yummy way to prepare quinoa, I posted the recipe on vegweb.com. I decided to check back and see if the recipe ever got published, since it never appeared right away, and several people had tried it, LIKED it, and reviewed it!

It's basically the same recipe posted below, but here is the official website with the reviews.

Middlebury, VT

Just got back yesterday from a week up and down the east coast. I spent Saturday-Tuesday in Middlebury visiting Beth & kids, arriving just in time to hear little Suzie sing with her a capella group at St. Stephen's church - where I played organ (!) the next morning for Sunday service:

I should have taken a picture of the organ itself; it was my first time playing a tracker, and as a pianist, I actually preferred having the extra resistance in the action. I had to give myself a crash course on how to use it, but it all worked out well. Having Beth by my side giving me cues was also a big help!

While in Vermont, I also got to play Wii for the first time, as well as visit the Otter Creek brewery, and the many cute shops around Middlebury. I also got to visit the auto mechanic and get a rather large bill for two new tires and a complete brake job. There is a waterfall downtown,

and it was cold enough that the spray from the falls was making these cool ice crystal formations:

It also snowed on Tuesday morning, just before I was to drive back to Philly. Pretty!

who knew I was so hot?

I'd be happy to look 50% like Josh Hartnett... so I'll take 63% any day :)

OMG Soup.

Ok, it's October, and even though the temperature has been consistently in the 80's, I just can't help eating like it's Fall:

Several cloves of garlic, and half an onion, sauteed in olive oil; half an acorn squash, a couple carrots, and 4 little red potatoes, all chopped up and steamed until soft; sea salt and fresh ground pepper; put all in a blender with the reserved steaming liquid.

Yum.

I love cooking for one

I never understood why some people say they just don't think it's worth the trouble to cook just for themselves. It's one of my favorite things to do. Lately, I've been finding all sorts of ways to cook yummy things without animal products of any kind. No, I have not totally made a declaration of true veganism, but I find I'm so happy and guilt-free when I know I've made food choices that are better for me, for the environment, and most certainly for the animals of the world!

Here are two dishes I made recently that came out GREAT:

Quinoa, Kale and Cherry Tomato Pilaf

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 veggie bouillon cube
1 bunch of kale, torn into small pieces
1 dozen or so cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters

This is ridiculously quick and easy. You may rinse the quinoa, sometimes unrinsed quinoa is a little bitter. You basically throw everything in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 or 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff it up with a fork and chow down! It's high in protein (quinoa is a complete protein), calcium, iron, all sorts of goodness, and basically fat-free.


Inari Stuffed with Rice and Veggies

Ok, this one's a little more complicated, so I'm not going to type out the whole recipe, but basically I made sushi rice and mixed it with seasoning and veggies, then stuffed it inside fried, marinated tofu pockets (inarizushi-no-moto). The tofu pockets come from the Asian grocery, and come in a can of about 16 pieces. I have done this with various veggie combinations, like edamame, green onions, and nori fumi furikake (a japanese rice seasoning). This time I went all out (and wanted to use up some veggies that were sitting around, so I used avocado, cucumber, green onions, carrots, shitake mushrooms (sauteed in peanut oil, ginger & soy sauce), and the aforementioned furikake seasoning.

These are so good, I ate several during the stuffing process, brought 5 to work with me for lunch the following day, then finished the rest off when I got home from work. They can be dipped in soy sauce, or just eaten as is. The only downside is the prepared tofu is made with MSG (apparently that's the "no-moto" part), which I would rather avoid, though it doesn't seem to give me headaches or anything. If anyone knows where to get non-msg inarizushi - a longshot, I realize, given my huge audience - let me know!

linky link

You might remember, dear readers, my trip to Berlin. About a year ago I went over to visit Mark Butler, who was living and doing research there. He is back over there for the whole Fall semester, and has started up a new blog, for those of you who might be interested.

I heart Colleen Patrick-Goudreu

She is the founder of Compassionate Cooks - and has a fabulous vegan podcast that I get through iTunes, called Vegetarian Food for Thought. I have learned so much from listening to her, AND the clincher was today, when I made her "Better Than Tuna Salad" - which came out great!

(from Greenoptions.com)

Better-than-Tuna Salad
Serves 4-6, depending on serving style: sandwiches or side dish

1 can organic garbanzo beans/chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup (or more) eggless mayonnaise (Wildwood’s Garlic Aioli, Nayonnaise, or Vegenaise are great options)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 scallions (white and light green parts), finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Add the chick peas to a food processor or blender and grind them down into small pieces. You can even grind them down so it becomes somewhat like a thick puree. The ultimate texture is up to you. Grinding the beans is optional, but I find that it’s easier to eat it as a sandwich this way; plus, it really does resemble tuna in taste and texture when the beans are ground up. It's best if you use the "pulse" button on your food processor so you can control the ultimate texture of the beans.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Season with salt, pepper, and the amount of aioli/eggless mayonnaise you desire.

Serving Suggestions:
*Wonderful as a sandwich filling on a hard roll or stuffed in a pita
*Serve on crackers as an appetizer or party dish
*Serve as a side salad – great for picnics and BBQs!

Variation Suggestions:
*Of course you may also use beans made from scratch, as opposed to canned beans.
*Use cubed, steamed tempeh for a “Better Than Chicken Salad."
*Use potatoes for a tasty potato salad.
*Use mashed extra firm tofu for an “eggless egg” salad.
*The walnuts are optional, but they add a really nice texture.
*You may sprinkle some kelp flakes in as well, to really add to the “fishy” flavor.


I used red onion instead of scallions, and just estimated most of the quantities, and I used Nayonnaise. I chopped everything with a food processor to get it done quickly. But I'm thinking a simple version of just the chickpeas, onion, mayo, maybe celery and/or walnuts would be great for making back-to-school bag lunch sandwiches. Yum! And no dead fish or tortured chickens were involved!

my (lacking) memory

People who know me well know better than to ask me the plot of a movie, book, or play, if it has been months or years since I've seen/read it. For some reason my brain doesn't hold on to narrative. I'm not sure what's wrong with me. I can tell you whether or not it was a good movie, book, or play, and whether or not I liked it. I can recall how it made me feel. Who was in it? Maybe. (You know, that guy who was in that other movie, with that other guy where they, uh... oh forget it.) What exactly happens in it? No clue. A vague remeniscence of the general subject matter, ok, probably, but actual plot? Never. Not unless I've seen it over and over again. Sure I can tell you the story of the Wizard of Oz, but only because I've seen it a zillion times.

I say my brain doesn't hold on to the plot, but that's not exactly accurate. More than once, I've rented a movie that I've already seen. I've even read the summary feeling fairly certain that I'd never seen it, but in the first few minutes of the film, a light bulb goes on. The synapses connect, and an overwhelming "oh yeah!" feeling brings the whole story flooding back to me. It's as though the information is tucked away, but I just can't get at it. It's frustrating at times, but nothing I can't live with.

Take, for example, "Gone With The Wind." I know I loved it, I know it's about the Civil War, I know Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler are in love, and that he's a soldier, that he goes and comes back, and "Frankly... I don't give a damn." What doesn't he give a damn about? Not sure. I know Tara, the plantation, burns. I know a thing or two about Hattie McDaniel. I know Scarlett has some kind of "let's worry about it tomorrow" thing going on. This is actually quite a bit more than I can remember about most movies, which is next to nothing, but still I can't say what happens, in what sequence, or retrieve the details from my mind. I haven't seen it for several years, but I know if I saw it tonight, it would all come back to me during the first scene.

This weekend I stored several more narratives in my memory banks, wondering as I always do, "Will I remember this in a week? A month? A year?" How can I stop losing this information, or at least, losing the pathways that let me unlock the information that just sits there? This weekend I saw a play, "Eurydice", three movies: "Mon meilleur ami", "The Fan", and "Sicko", and I finished one book, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. I don't really have the time or the desire to keep notes about these stories. I wish I could talk intelligently about them a year from now, but I don't know if it will be possible! ("The Fan" was worth forgetting, but the others were good, and "Sicko" was great.)

Is it from the countless hours I spent watching terrible TV sitcoms as a kid, that kind of vegetating I did in front of the tube where the brain is virtually turned off? How many times did I go to the kitchen to get a snack during a commercial, and not even remember what it was I had been watching? Of course all those Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island and Bewitched episodes are also stored away, somewhere beside the Ingmar Bergman and Krzysztof Kieslowski films, just next to the Vonnegut novels, and behind various musicals, plays, and operas I've seen over the years. I guess there's some comfort in knowing they're somewhere in there.

renovations, phase II

I decided to do paint my bathroom next, since it was small enough to tackle in one day, didn't involve a huge amount of furniture moving, and didn't require any new sheetrock (as my living room now does.)

I took a chance and bought the color "American Blue" - it only took one quart - without even bringing home a sample! I have to say, it turned out pretty good. Definitely better than the chipping dirty white paint that preceded it. Before:

And after:

facelift for my kitchen

Right before I left for Hawaii, my landlord finally got around to fixing my kitchen floor. It had obviously been rotting out underneath the linoleum for quite some time. The clincher was when I saw soap bubbles coming out between the wall and the floor! They tore a huge hole in both the floor and the wall, and replaced pipes, rebuilt the floor, etc. When I got home from my trip it was almost done, but it was left looking like this:

Unfinished, flithy walls, tons of dust everywhere, a lumpy-bumpy concrete floor with a ratty piece of linoleum simply laying on it, no baseboards. To add insult to injury, when I called my landlord asking when I was going to have a real floor, he started threatening to not renew my lease! WTF?!

Anyway, after much discussion about how I was not asking for anything unreasonable, he agreed to get a professional in to do the floor, and I offered to finish the walls. Finally, at about midnight last night, I finished paining, and was able to move my stuff back into the kitchen:

Hooray! It's hard to see the exact color in the photos, but the walls are "pale tangerine". I'm so happy with it, I just might tackle my living room next...

Summer Rolls and Mochi! Hooray!

After my 9:00am dentist appointment, I thought I'd reward myself with a trip to the asian supermarket. Ever since I tasted mochi ice cream treats - little bonbons of ice cream covered in mochi - in Hawaii, I've been craving them. (Ha, now that I looked on wikipedia for mochi, I see it's available at Trader Joe's - so maybe it's not that exotic anymore...) Nevertheless, I hit the jackpot at the asian store. They had green tea, red bean, and mango flavors. I decided to get the green tea and the mango:

I also bought a bunch of other stuff for making sushi and for summer rolls. I decided since I had to get rid of some lettuce and green onions, I'd make some summer rolls when I got home. It was my first time, so I was kind of nervous working with rice paper! But I think I figured it out pretty well:

Thanks to some cooking tips from Miss K, I was pretty sure I could come up with something tasty. They're stuffed with romaine lettuce, tofu (fried in sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, lime), mint leaves, green onion, and rice vermicelli. Yum! Dipping sauce is soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, & a splash orange-mango juice.

The Submarine Ride in Kailua-Kona

Who knew? In Kona you can get on a submarine that seats about 20 people, and dive a hundred feet below the surface! Coral reef, pretty fishies, shipwrecks... so cool!

More airplane photos

The other highlight of the plane ride was seeing the Hamakua coast from the air. The view of these huge gorges, lush vegetation, and beautiful waterfalls was spectacular.

At one point the pilot said, "watch this!" and did a turn that revealed these beauties:

This is the only road that leads down into the Waipio Valley:

Two days earlier, Kirsten and I made a valiant attempt at walking down it. It was so steep, and so hard just to walk down, we decided to stop (we think) about 1/3 of the way. Going back up was a workout!

On the way back up, we ran into a Japanese family walking down, that included an old lady with a walker! I don't know how they got her back up! We didn't take her picture, but here's Miss K. illustrating just how steep hit is...