xo

"I remember when we took such cares to step never on the cracks
no, only on the squares
or else we'd be abducted by the bears
it was so easy then, never makin' any plans
it was so easy then, holdin' hands"
- Carly Simon

Cathedral of Junk

No really, that's the name of this magical place.

Sometimes I find myself thinking that Austin isn't as weird as it likes to think it is. Or rather, I fear that the weirdness is being usurped by gentrification, suburbanizers, and normies. BUT THEN, I learn of a place like the Cathedral of Junk. What started as a pack rat/artist's yard collection (a common and cool theme here--which I love) turned into a city ordinance violation. The artist then worked with architects and lawyers to make a public art piece/set of buildings and structures (that you can walk through and explore) in his very own back yard.

If Austin really wants to solidify its status as a den of weird, then I think the local government ought to make the Cathedral of Junk its new city hall. I'm totally taking any future visitors here to experience its oodles of knickknackery; I could explore it for hours!

Perfect meal for a rainy January day

So super overcast for many days. Never really feels like daytime, feels more like pre-dusk. Pre-dusk from 8 am to 5 pm, and then night. Today and tomorrow are waterlogged (is this a foreshadow of Mother Earth giving us a spring of resplendent wildflowers? Hope so). What's the perfect time goblin for nine potentially boring and definitely soggy hours of pre-dusk? Cooking and baking a late lunch with my partner while listening to Paul McCartney's Ram and George Harrison's All Things Must Pass on vinyl. Simple solution, indeed, to Texas's version of the winter doldrums. Also, feels so great to have a mate who knows all the words to "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey;" I'm a lucky one.

Matt made Lentil and Spinach Soup and Focaccia. I had never heard of nor seen (let alone, ate) a spinach soup. So verdant! So yummy! So super food-y!

The soup recipe is from an out-of-print vegetarian cookbook (apparently without an author). I can transcribe the recipe in the comments section, if wanted.

P.S. The immersion blender Christmas present came in super handy for this one.

The focaccia recipe is from our food bible.

P.S. The mandolin slicer (plus protective gloves) Christmas presents came in super handy for the decadently thin tomato slices!

The apple crisp recipe is from Can you Believe it's Vegan? I stumbled upon this cookbook at the library. It's a very healthy recipe, using oats and spelt flour (an ancient grain high in both fiber and protein) and sunflower oil (instead of a butter substitute). Very delicious.

The long ride home...

We are back to Texas.

We took a different route this time, and it was something we will never do again. Eastern Oklahoma is the antithesis of a happy, hopeful place. Between real-life images of dead dogs on the side of the highway and blown-out meth lab shells of houses, it seemed to never end. Part of me would have liked to have taken some photos of the abject American poverty there as proof of that other America we forget conveniently when it hurts too much to see; however, I just couldn't handle the thought and sight of standing amidst bloody, mangled pit bulls bodies, among other yucky stuff. In other words, I wanted to get through it and be done with it. There, I admit it. I want to forget conveniently, too. At least for now.

We said bye-bye to Minnesota snow and bitter cold on the first day of 2011. As always, part of me was sad to leave, and the other part was craving reality.

Trees passing on the road, in Southern Minn.














We stopped in the little industrial town of Nevada, Missouri, located on the cusp of the Ozarks for lunch yesterday. I love Missouri's town squares. These quaint centers are always asking for pictures to be taken.

Pretty Picture Postcard Perfect.

Wintry. Albert Lea, Minn.

Soundtrack: Radio K (the best radio station in the world) -or This Minneapolis Band

Calle Limon!

A modest working-class street of houses in Southeast Austin where everyone gets all holiday cheery and adorns their exteriors with LEDs galore. We've visited every year that we've been here. Yes, the name of the street really is Calle Limon.

2nd Edition!: Cooking Plant-Based Recipes -- a SIX day retrospective

The almost-vegan (we eat honey!) cooking team has returned to show off their awesome yumminesses. Annnnnnnnnd, here we go!

Thursday: Drunkard's Noodles
A delicious Thai dish, usually made with fish sauce and/or oyster sauce. Matt's recipe uses vegan oyster sauce (available at an Asian supermarket near you!). Matt's really perfected the art of deep fried delicious tofu, and I am grateful.





















Friday: Creamy Pesto
Yep, that's correct; I said creamy pesto. It's actually super easy and decadent to make one's own vegan cream. Just throw a bunch of nuts (we used cashews) and water into a food processer until, well, creamy. So delicious and fatty (just like real cream, but with the healthy fats).
















Saturday: Vegan Pizza
The key to our amazing pizza? A marble rolling pin! Seriously, don't skimp on this amazing tool. The heavier, the better. Ours was a I'm-cleaning-out-the-basement-,-so-take-what-you-want kind of gift from my mother-in-law, and it's the most wonderful inadvertent present I could have ever hoped for.

Oh, and we know a superb soy-based mozzarella cheeze, if you're interested.

When my brother visited last month, we made some pizza, and he gave us one of the best compliments on it. He said, "It tastes like pizza!" So there you go.
















Sunday: Pumpkin Muffins (breakfast) -and- Pearled Barley, Tofu, and Kale Stew
'Tis the season for pumpkin stuff, which is convenient because this prettiest veggie works well for as an egg substitute when baking.































Monday: Braised Butternut Squash in a Tomato Sauce, with quinoa
This recipe actually calls for any pumpkin or squash of one's choice. In Chile, we made this dish often with this amazing, unique pumpkin they sold everywhere. It was great. Butternut squash worked fantastically, too. This is such a simple recipe with minimal ingredients but with so many taste dimensions. Plus, one of the ingredients is wine, so that means leftover wine TO DRINK!
















Tuesday: Bulgur Chile -and- Cornbread
This chile recipe has a special taste component--reconstituted dried chiles of one's choice (e.g. chipotle, guajillo, ancho, etc.). The bulgur is nice and filling and takes the place of ground meat or soy chunks.