борщ чудовий

Ukrainian Borscht is one of the most complicated soups I have ever made but it always tastes great on a cold rainy day. When I first moved to Amherst I was seeing an acupuncturist who suggested I eat earthy root vegetables to improve my circulation. He also said that this would help me to grow some roots in my new town.

Definitely a cold weather earthy soup, Borscht is made with a beet, cabbage, dill base with a sweet and sour taste made from combining a bit of vinegar with sugar. The best way to eat it is by breaking off a chunk of hard crusted bread, dipping it in some sour creme, and then soaking up the liquid and vegetables until it turns your fingertips bright red with broth.

The first time I had ever eaten Borscht was with my friend Fatima at the Russian bathhouse in Sheepshead Bay where we drank tea with cherries, soaked in the hot saunas all day, and talked about places we'd always wanted to go.

Big Yellow Taxi

I once had an idea to open a theme restaurant called Big Yellow Taxi. Inspired by the Joni Mitchel song of the same name, the main idea behind BYT was that the menu would only consist of old New York City favorites-hot dogs, bagels, pizza, knishes, habichuelas, etc. This in and of itself may not seem that appetizing, healthy, or nutritious. What was going to be the real kicker, what was going to bring mobs of tourists in through the doors, was the dining experience.

I imagined somehow acquiring about 10-20 old yellow New York City cabs and converting them into dining cars. These would be parked inside the restaurant where visitors would literally open the door to sit down to their table. I imagined each car would have a working radio for selected listening pleasure, food would be ordered through the CB radio rigged to the kitchen, and waitresses could be called to attention by the honk of a horn.

Unfortunately the high cost of such a project, and my 3 years of waitressing experience at Newport Creamery while I was in high school, never got this project off the ground.

I recently made a great cranberry nut bread, and tonight for dinner a homemade pizza with a rosemary crust. I think if I were to open a restaurant today its theme would be something like Food that's pretty good to eat at home but not exciting enough to be served anywhere else.

Dagobah System

There it is R2. Dagobah...I'm not picking up any cities or technology. Massive life form readings, though. There's something alive down there.

Today I finished spring vacation. I spent the last week relaxing at my parents' house and a few in between hanging out with my friend Amy in Boston. Now I am back in Amherst, getting ready to write some final papers for classes which will most likely consume the days, nights, and weeks ahead. By now I've gotten used to certain times of the semester being a bit more of a headache than others.

You will go to the Dagobah System. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.

My little puppito does not adjust so well to the changes in schedule. He likes to play. A LOT. If I so much as sneeze he will take this as an invitation to play, and will begin to search the apartment frantically for any light weight projectile object for me to toss around for his amusement.

Dagobah: an outer rim planet in the Dagobah System. A remote world of swamps and forests, it served as refuge for Master Jedi Yoda during his exile, but otherwise has no notable intelligent life form.

I've gotten pretty good at reading a book with one hand while mechanically throwing a chew toy with the other. On days when I am especially agile, I can even drink a cup of hot coffee at the same time.

Mudhole?! Slimy?! My home this is!

Well, back to my pal's mood disorder. Whenever we return to Amherst from a trip to my parents' house, my little Lemon falls into a deep funk. After having spent the week conspiring with my mother's two Japaneses Chins, being fed bits of steak and hamburger from my father's dinner plate, running around a fenced backyard, and hanging out with the local mutts on my block, it's hard for my dog to adjust back to the solitude of grad school life.

Yes, I'm sure it's perfectly safe for droids.

I see him searching around my apartment and backyard for a trail scent of path that will lead him back to his other life. But we are too far from home now.

That's right R2, we're going to the Dagobah System. I have a promise to keep...to an old friend.

Jennifer Lee & Her Boyfriends

That Funke is some kind of something. Boy, this Funke is all anybody's ever talking about. So sick and tired of hearing about how brilliant that Funke is. Overrated.
















This week I spent chilling in Providence and Boston. Had a nice time with my best friend Amy. Walked around in the spring time weather. Enjoyed my first ice coffee of the season. Bought a cute dress, a cross between Breathless and 500 Days of Summer. Watched a lot of green. Ate too much food.

I love Amy because she always introduces me to quirky things happening in the world. Left to my own devices I'd still be rocking rock band t-shirts from 2003 and wondering why people aren't replying to my Myspace postings. She is my connection to what's new and funny in the world. Here's a sampling of her pop cultural generosity this past week-comedian Rajiv Satyal, Lupe Fiasco, the visceral experience of an R. Kelly concert, The Sandman Chronicles, chocolate covered lasagna, Arrested Development, scarves, flats, hats, and vintage clothes stores.

To Conclude,

Nathan from Will & Grace + Seally Booth from Bones + Spike from Buffy + Michael Bluth from Arrested Development = Perfect TV Boyfriend Hybrid

Salsa de Huevo

This is a great plate I learned to cook in Mexico. Typical of Oaxaca, it's a tomato, onion, garlic, and jalapeno based sauce served over an omelet. Covered in cheese and accompanied with a hunk of bread or some corn tortillas, it's an excellent and easy to prepare traditional Mexican dish.

Apples

New England is very beautiful in October. When I first moved to Amherst I was just too overwhelmed with life adjustments to really appreciate it. My friend Sam, a PhD student in Microbiology who I met in a dance class at UMASS, took these pictures of us apple picking last fall. Besides jars and jars and jars of apple butter and pans of apple crisp, in looking at them I am reminded of what it was that I couldn't quite see.

Oscars 2010

I have been looking forward to the Oscars since about January. Usually I try to see as many of the films up for nomination as possible before the event, and for the past few years I have been pretty successful at this. This is mainly due to the excellent import of pirated DVDs that were available to purchase in Mexico. Let me set this scene for you-

If walking down nearly any street in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca one will come across a variety of established and not so established establishments offering new and old pirated films for 20 pesos each (this is roughly the equivalent to $2.00 American). Usually blaring some type of Latin based sound under a tarped wire and mesh booth, equip with TV and DVD player to ensure good quality, men and women would use their best techniques of persuasion to make a sale on anything from Hollywood classics to the latest Tarentino to Xbox games to old Mexican Rancheros.

Every weekend I would make my way to the downtown to buy a stack of pirated DVDs. In Tuxtepec, where my mother tongue was hardly ever spoken, these movies felt like home to me. They reminded me of what was left behind, of where I was headed, of how things were changing.

Last year I caught all of the Oscar nominated films before the ceremonies thanks to the bootleg vendors. I got to see Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler, Milk, The Dark Knight, WALL-E, etc., all while they were still in the cinema.

This year I haven't been so fortunate. Of the films up for awards this year I've seen-Avatar, The Blind Side, Crazy Heart, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Julie & Julia, A Serious Man, Star Trek, Transformers, and Up.

Of these, I am rooting for Crazy Heart, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Inglorious Basterds. If it comes down to Avatar or The Hurt Locker for best film of the year I vote The Hurt Locker. I thought Avatar a better film overall but my politics are getting in the way. I would much prefer a female director to win best picture than James Cameron.

It is close to 8:00 now so I am going to turn on my TV to catch some of the Red Carpet interviews preshow.

Sugar Shack