Commutism

Each new leap in technology enables us to become more and more productive. We can now work on our tans while simultaneously surfing the Internet, responding to emails, and running a fortune 500 company. Amazing. No, mind you, we cannot do all those things well and simultaneously. How many fortune 500 CEOs really spend weeks on the beach. I don't know either, but it's definitely not many. And who likes getting sunscreen smudged emails, and the iPad tan is really hideous.

So why not take a moment, and relax. Sip a delicious cup of coffee in a mug, not a to go cup. Savor your food from a plate, not a styrofoam tray. Read a book, not a blog. Sip a wine and try to discern it's flavors. Do something, anything, with the intention of doing it slowly and really, really enjoying it.

Why the Luddite ranting? Because I am a Luddite on an iPad getting a horrible iPad tan. No, because I am a cyclist. I had a conversation last night about bikers. And cars. So, where are you going in such a dang hurry that you cannot slow down enough to NOT RUN OVER A CYCLIST. I know, "Two cars and a cyclist cannot both fit on that road at the same time.". Excellent argument Mre. Overeager car driver. Nearly irrefutable.

However, time progresses at relatively the same pace from day to day. So plan ahead.

Observe: our prime time TV shows will not begin until 8pm. It was like that yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. So, if it takes 27 minutes to get home from work, and Real Desperate Housewives of the Jersey Shore begins at 8pm, then you have to leave work at 6:45 in order to drive those 27 minutes, stop at the store and microwave your lean cuisine healthy choice three cheese manicotti and pop open your diet soda all in time to get your ample and spreading backside into the couch by 8pm. Unless you get stuck behind a cyclist and then have to wait for another car to go by before you can pass. The solution is clear. Pass the cyclist on a blind curve.

NO. There are other options. You could, in no particular order, microwave your lean cuisine for 3 minutes and 12 seconds, leave work at 6:44:42, miss the first 18 seconds of reality TV (but then you won't know who the special guest cowriter was for that particular episode), you could just skip the first 18 seconds of the recap of the last episode which you watched last week and still have TiVOed, or you could stop being such jerk and do something about your expanding backside and the overall waste of space that you have become and go ride your own bike. I know, it is really, really important what you do at work, which is to collate reports written by someone else about the financial situation and the general feeling on wall street. And, when no one reads them, at least they will be collated in a damn fine fashion.

So, just slow down, stop scaring cyclists, and enjoy those 18 seconds of your life that you will never get back. You weren't really going to do anything with them anyway. Its a dangerous world out there.





BE CAREFUL!

Time managementism and prison food

Have you ever had one of those days? Yeah, one of those days...

It just seems like there is a vast conspiracy against me. Not that people are working to bring me down, but that they are not working to bring me up. Apathy, incompetence, idle chatter and the like have, so to speak, put me in a funk. I have also done my part, you know, given them something to talk about. But, THEY did their part, which was the largest part... Really, just a scheduling glitch. It was a glitch. It was a problem. They kind of admitted it... Then did nothing about it.

Whew. Some venting, a little catharsis.

My time has become really, really short lately. I feel like I'm living fifteen hour days. I am staying busy, accomplishing nothing, and constantly short on time.... More venting. Of course, a lot of that is my fault. I have been cycling... A lot. This month is only 5 days old and my cycling is just a shade over 120 miles. That can eat up some time.

Today was a good ride. The wind was straight in my face the whole time... Which is weird for an out and back ride. Occasionally on a very long ride the wind changes direction, but today was not that long.

But, for you ambulatory non ambi-turners...


So, with my time being short, my cooking has changed a little. Here is my recipe for:

SHORT TIME PRISON NACHO SOUP
a handful of Tortilla chips... In a small bowl
A tablespoon of tomato sauce or salsa
Some chili sauce, hot sauce, chili powder... Or other things
Water... Just a little over the tortillas. Don't drown them.
Grated cheese on the top

Then microwave it for roughly a minute. Awesome.

Okay, no picture, but this soup is actually really good. It is a great way to deal with the last little bit of tortilla chips in the bottom of the bag.

Droidism and black bean soup

I have a new phone. It's brilliant (I mean that, it's smarter than me). The pictures come out so much better than the blackberry. Don't get me wrong, owning a blackberry is a way of entering a world where people can look at you and say, man, that guy is responsible. Unfortunately I used to look at my blackberry and think, "Man, I wish this thing would work." Now I have a Droid device... I just entered a world of fun and adventure. I've been using it on my bike rides. Amazing!
I turn it on, turn on sporty pal, drop it into my back pocket and go. It tracks my speed, location, vertical, it even approximates the calories I burned. And I'm sure it can do do much more if I were to just read the manual. Whatever. The one complaint I have about it is that everyone I turn it on, the default workout category is... roller skating. Seriously! Who even does that anymore? if this were 1987 and I was wearing fluorescent, then roller skating. But this day and age... It's only slightly annoying. I have to shift it to bicycling. Then the world is right.
There has been a theme to my posting lately: not doing it. And there has been a theme to my cooking lately: beans. That I'd why I love the pressure cooker. For best results, soaking the beans is a must. For results, soaking the beans is optional.

With that in mind, how about some black bean soup... Super easy too.






1.5 C dry black beans
1 onion
1 jalapeno seeded and deveined
2 cloves garlic
Chili powder
Oregano... Sprinkle generously to taste
Salt and pepper
1 C Tomatoes (canned for the lazy)
A water source
2 T chopped Cilantro
Dash of ground cloves. Really.
Lime. Cut it in half and squeeze it in their. Save the other 1/2 as garnish.

Soak the beans for a few hours of overnight. Done. Throw them in the pressure cooker for, say, 30 minutes. When that's done, sauté your pepper and onion and then the garlic too. Pour the beans with their liquid over the onions peppers and garlic. Mix in the tomatoes with or without their juices. Add everything else and feel good about yourself as this soup simmers.

Meanwhile...
Toast 1 T of whole cumin seeds in a dry frying pan then grind them.
Mix into 1 T of cream cheese and 1 T of half and half or milk. Beat or whisk the cheese and milk together. It gives kind of a rich cream, now flavored with toasted cumin.

Serve in a hand spun earthen bowl made by demure female artisans in an exotic tropical locale then sold at ikea garnished with the toasted cumin-ey cheeseness, cilantro, a wedge of lime, and a fine beer.

Tofuism

This week finally saw winter break... By which I mean that we had a couple of nice days for some long rides. And the air conditioning came on in my house. This NEVER would have happened had I been home. But sometimes, when roommates are left to themselves, things happen differently. He closed the windows, and put on the air. For the record, it did hit 83. But, it is March.
The other day, I put in a little 57 miler over some of the rolling hills to the west. The day did not go as the weatherman planned. It was colder and cloudier than thought. But the sun finally came out. And I took this picture.



Now, I digress. I need to get something off my chest. I went to the store with someone very dear to me, we will not use her name, we will only call her... "mom." I got this person, "mom," to buy tofu. It is lent, that means vegetarian Fridays, etc. But, whatever the reason, it is an awful thing to trick someone into buying tofu to cook it for them, and then leave without touching said tofu. So, this "mom" has a block of tofu. What can be done? Change the water on a regular basis. And...

Salad...


Spinach
Tofu, cut into small 1cm cubes
Citrus (I'm using blood oranges. There are other options like kumquats)
Dressing (oil and vinegar, soy sauce, Ginger, carrots, pepper, and I added some capers). Honestly, it looked better than it tasted.

Stir fry...



Rice in the rice cooker
Tofu, chopped up into 1cm
Spinach or bok Choy
Olive oil
Onions
Carrots
Garlic
Brown sugar... No sugar so I used molasses and a handful of raisins
Chili pepper
Soy or fish sauce.... I had no soy. Mine was fishy, and good.
Vinegar
Almond butter (or peanut butter)... Ah, I skipped that.
Mix the almond butter straight into the rice. Yes, I did skip this, but I also highly recommend it. Then, heat the olive oil and throw the onions and carrots in. Once they have begun to cook, add the garlic and keep the heat low. then mix in the greens (spinach or bok choy) and tofu. Once it begins to wilt, add a small amount of brown sugar, and some vinegar and chili.

Curried Tofu carbonara


Rice noodles (cooking)
Egg
Cilantro
Chopped tofu
Oil
Onion
Garlic
Curry paste
Salt and pepper
Chili pepper
Sauté the onions and garlic and add about a tsp of curry paste. Stir that all together add tofu and a little pasta water.
In a seperate bowl, crack an egg and then add the hot, cooked pasta fresh off the stove and stir. Add the oil and curry paste mixture and continue stirring. Add about 2T of chopped cilantro and some chili powder.
Don't be afraid to add some almond or peanut butter or just nuts.

And, of course, to care for your tofu. Once the package is open, it will go bad very quickly unless you change the water daily, or almost daily.
For a different flavor, change the water with a marinade. Any marinade.

Cubism

I went and saw a Picasso exhibit. Amazing. His artwork harkens back to a childlike view of the world. Those strange paintings that look like a 4 year old drew them, well, that's what he was going for. They were not without the adult elements and the brushstrokes of a master, but his paintings really do look at the world in a different way.
Let me digress... And explain. Have you ever had a young child explain a picture he drew of, say, his father? If you ask who it is in the picture he will look at you like you just asked the most obvious question and tell you it's his dad. Then he'll tell you why. Maybe it's a look on the face or a curl in the hair or a way of holding his hands, or something. Something that the child has picked up that is truly insightful and tells us that this kid knows what he is talking about.
That is what Picasso tried to do. I also saw some Degas, Renoir, Sargeant, and the Rockefeller Bedroom. But no picture Spoke to me quite like this one:


Then, of course, we dined. We started off with an appetizer of sweet potato in a goat cheese sauce. Then, in honor of St. joseph's feast day we had the most amazing hott cross buns (to the tune of three blind mice) and prosecco on rooftop.

That was when I got busy making a Coffee and Chili Rubbed Pork Loin with Parsnip Puree with Asparagus Pesto.


First off, the parsnip puree. Boil the parsnips in salty water until they are done (took about 10 minutes). Then, add salt and pepper and puree. I added parsnip water to get the right consistency and to help the blender. That was it. Part mashed potato, part carrot... Really, really good and amazingly delicious.

The Pork Loin
Rub with a mix of:
2T coffee fresh grounds plus another 2T of used coffee grounds
2T whole grain mustard
1T chili powder
1.5t unsweetened cocoa powder
1t coriander
2 medium cloves of garlic
Cayenne and salt to taste
mash that into a paste and rub the pork and then allow the pork to sit. I used the hott cross buns and bottle of prosecco method to time that. Once the prosecco is done, heat up a cast iron pan with some olive oil and sear the pork loin for 3 minutes per side. Then take the whole pan and put it into a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until the pork reaches the proper temperature. I also periodically added some parsnip water and about 1/4 C of red wine to keep it moist.

The drippings were nothing short of incredible. Do not waste them. And this was, of course, rounded out with a little gluten free bread courtesy of... You guessed it: her.

Sushiism souf of da bordah

First off, SAFETY FIRST.


IN CASE OF FIRE, DO NOT USE THE FIRE ALARM.
I just came off a whirlwind vacation. Which means I haven't slept much. What did do was spend the first half of my week missing my bike... And the second half of the week riding. I purchased some new bike parts: a saddle and a cycling computer with an altimeter. I'm an altimeter junkie. I love those things and I don't quite know why. So, I was carrying those things around without my bike.
Until yesterday. I was finally reunited with my bike. I, of course, was elated and put on the new computer with altimeter (I registered a 9% grade today, that's hott). I refrained from reseating my bike as I was about to embark on an epic 110 mile ride. I should have. A long ride is a good way to break in a saddle, and my previous saddle, despite its roughly 5000 miles of breaking in, could not have been more uncomfortable... Just an aside, if you lose weight, be prepared for an entirely different experience of sitting.
Which brings me to the Mexican Sushi. For some reason, people are narrow minded about everything. Sushi is NOT Mexican. The very concept requires some mental flexibility. So, why, after explaining what was in this dish did I get I have this discussion:
"So, what kind of Fish did you use."
"I didn't use any fish."
"but it's sushi."
"Yeah, kind of."
"And sushi has fish."
Ah, first of all, no, not necessarily. Second of all, sushi is not Mexican. Not even remotely. The paradigm is already way, way off.

MEXICAN SUSHI (without fish, but you could add some if you want)


1 onion
1 green pepper
1 portabella cap
Season with Cumin, Chili, oregano, salt and pepper the sauté with oil and finish it with a balsamic reduction.
1 C jasmine/sushi rice... Cooked
1 avocado, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Cheese, shredded
Chili sauce
Egg beaten and placed in bowl
Oil in a pan cause your frying
Corn Tortillas

Cook the rice and let it cool so you can stick your hand in it. Warm the tortillas in a damp towel so they are pliable. Then, spread a small amount of rice over the tortilla, put in some of the mushroom and pepper mix and a little bit avacado (when you roll them, they hold less than you think). Roll them up, and stick 2 toothpicks near the center. Then slice it in half between the toothpicks. Stick the cut ends in the egg for a few seconds the place it cut end down in the hot, hot oil. Give it a minute and pull it out. Sprinkle it with cheese, cilantro, and chili sauce.

Secret of Life Chili

Yes, I have discovered the meaning of life. I really wish I could tell you, but you are not ready for that kind of spiritual awakening. But, have no fear. When you are ready, that knowledge will literally fall into your lap... Unless you are standing, in which case the secret of life will fall to the floor and your destiny will remain unfulfilled and you will probably wind up with an office job.
So how does one prepare oneself for the secret of life? Mong Beans.
True story:

In India, there was a very saintly person. Mung beans and rice with yogurt was his entire diet. He would make it each night and eat it for breakfast the next morning. That man was a radiant light, just from the food he eat. People would come from all over to be healed by this man. Each morning they would form a line outside his door. Whatever sickness they had, he would give them mung beans and rice with yogurt. And they would be cured! That's why it is called the food of the angels. It has protein, carbohydrates, everything you need.

You can easily check up on the specifics, or you can just look it up Here. The good news is that you can do this and still drink Yogi Tea. All other tea brands will disturb your Qi. The plural of which, and this is important, is NOT "Qis" but it is, in fact, cheese.
I must admit that I accidentally stumbled on the secret of life in the grocery store. I have a pressure cooker which opens the world of dry beans. Whereas, it used to take a fortnight to prepare dried kidney beans, I can now do that in a half hour. So, dried beans are back, baby! And I went a little crazy. I branched out to mong beans and adzuki beans, and consequently have achieved total consciousness. Something that would not have been possible with a jar of Goya Cuban Style Black Beans.
And what did I do with my newly achieved total consciousness? I made chili (something that would have been possible with Goya Cuban Style Black Beans).



Secret of Life Chili
1/2 C mong beans
1/2 C adzuki beans .... Soaked then cooked in the pressure cooker
1 onion
1.5 T olive oil
2 Jalapeno ................. Sauté then add
2 cloves of garlic
The cooked beans
1 C diced tomatoes
1 C water
1/2 C chopped parsley
chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and cumin, salt and pepper

Cook for 30 more minutes and serve over rice and under cheese.