the fertile fig rides again

Pan-Asian Harvest

Autumn is upon us. The plow rests idly in the fields of our hearts.  It is time to partake of the blessed bounty of the harvest, and/or nearby supermarket stocked by well-oiled global industrial food supply chain.

Behold, Pan-Asian Sunday Supper.

• Hearty vegetable stew.

• Pumpkin curry, wild rice & Chinese broccoli.

• To close: an ooey, gooey pumpkin pie.

• Bonus: Ahh! The satisfaction of whipping cream.
   

a man's first fig

1. The fig must be bitten into with gusto.

2. Then, the flavor, the texture --- to be savored.

3. And finally, contemplation.

p.s. in fact i find the taste of the fig is thrilling me less these days than it used to, but i still to delight to share them with others...

yummy birthday mandala cake

crafted by my talented roommate: figs, bicycles, touchpads, thom yorke, maple leafs, ice cream.

Burning Man 2006

I have finally lived in the absurdly delightful world of Black Rock City. Some favorite sights from the playa, below...

The wonders of Black Rock City

Sep 5, 2006 - 89 Photos

Plane pictures

Rode a commuter plane from San Jose to Orange County. Here's the fascinating view from the skies..

The very dry, very brown East Bay.

Very paved, very orderly, South Bay suburban sprawl.

Quiltwork fields and wrinkly mountains.

Summer bounty

Knoll Farm's first figs of the season at the Ferry Plaza farmer's market.

Figged

It happened so unexpectedly. My first fig of the summer.

There I was at the checkout counter of a my Rose's Gourmet Deli, when suddenly I leaned over to inspect the box of big green limes. But no, these were no limes. Oh, no.

They were giant figs. Giant, lime-sized figs.

I handed over some cash and ate one on the spot. The fresh, succulent, tentacled flesh hit my tongue in with familiar wave of pleasure...

this omnivore's dilemma: John Mackey v. Michael Pollan

Ever since I started reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, my trips to Whole Foods have been filled with ambivalence and industrial-food-chain-anxiety. (I try to go to farmer's markets whenever I can, but I'm still dependent on late evening grocery store trips for stocking the kitchen...)

Sure, I know I'm shopping better than I would at Safeway, but just how much am I fooling myself? I scan the shelves warily, ever on guard to dismiss the comforting connotations of a clever label. Just how free were the "cage-free" hens that produced my dozen Omega-3 enriched eggs? And those smiling cows on my tub of virtuous-looking tub of all-natural yogurt?? Dubious. Perhaps I ought to be making my own yogurt instead of buying it in a convenient, plastic-sealed tub that no doubt created significant carbon dioxide emissions to produce and transport...

Hmm, Amish, anyone??

So, tonight, after stocking my fridge with my ambivalently organic carrots and tofu, I went on the web in search of some answers...

For a start, I found something interesting to chew on: an open letter from the founder/CEO of Whole Foods John Mackey, to Michael Pollan.

bad dreams

I suddenly remembered what I dreamt of last night: distress and drama over an imagined Unix file management kerfuffle, an imprudent "remove" command issued by a co-worker, deleting a crucial directory of designs and documents.

I think it is a not a good sign that Unix command line bloopers are the stuff of my dreams.

Back in the USA

Back in America for almost a week, and still strangely bewildered by the giant-sized cars and giant-sized streets. I've already driven on the wrong side of the road and been pulled over by a cop. Eeeks.

There's a new photo album: Gastronomic Europe.