OK, so I am trying to spice things up a little here. I am always thinking, talking, or writing about food. I think it makes sense to post pictures of food to illustrate. I'm not exactly sure why it took me this long to start doing that. OK, fine, I do know why, and it starts with the letter "L" (hint...it rhymes with "haziness.")

The week before this one, I had a terrible diet. I was too busy and tired to cook, so I ended up ordering in a lot. I got Indian food, Chinese food, burgers, and more Indian food. And boy was it good. And then at some point my body just said "oh no you don't" to another fried dumpling. (Made me miss Mom and Auntie's dumplings, anyway ;P And gyoza..and shumai..argh.)

So last weekend, when I was getting to the end of my Peking duck feast, and my fridge was almost devoid of fresh produce, I finally cooked. I was craving something Moroccan-inspired. My friend Bouchra, a Moroccan educator I met in Philly, was always cooking something fragrant and hearty - in short, delicious. I was eager to try to re-create her apricot-chicken-rice dish.

I had jasmine rice, frozen veggies, salmon, onions, dried apricots, and a fully stocked spice cabinet. BBC's food section had a recipe for spicy Moroccan rice:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1920/spicy-moroccan-rice-

Basically just substituted salmon for chicken, chicken broth for the broth cubes (they are way too salty for me) and added a tomato which was sitting all by itself in the fridge.

Came out with this:




That's half of a potato that was simmering in the pot with the rice, inspired by my roommate's cooking habits :) The potato absorbs the flavors in the pot, and ends up nice and tender. My dish didn't come out quite the same as Bouchra's, and what I remember of it, but it was enough to satisfy my craving. I'm enticed enough by the cuisine in general to keep trying :)


This week was even busier, but I got down to business and made a trip to the grocery store to stock up on food that isn't dried, canned, or frozen.

Tonight I was feeling the garlic naan (I love garlic. Enough that my roommates tease me about it :), fresh mozzarella (I loovee fresh mozzarella..so many possibilities!), a wedge of good Parmigiano Reggiano (a must for my kitchen), fresh sage, good balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and honey.

The naan was toasted briefly, then drizzled with honey. Dollops of mozzarella, roughly chopped Roma tomato, torn sage, and drizzles of balsamic vinegar were next. After a bit more toasting, I sprinkled my sort-of pizza rustica with the king of Italian cheeses, gave it a drizzle of olive oil for good measure, and let that sit for a bit in a warm toaster oven.



Before that was a veggie course - I was too hungry to bother to take a photo - but it was broccoli and carrots, gently steamed with honey, balsamic, olive oil, a bit of ginger and cumin. And generous amounts of chopped garlic, and a dash of sea salt. It's really easy to do. Just take all the ingredients above and microwave in a covered bowl for about 2 minutes. Keep it covered for about another minute, depending on how crisp you like your veggies (I like mine toothy-crisp), and then - bon appetit!

:)

It's been a while since I've seen your face,

Like meeting a stranger all over again.

Have I seen you smile before?

People change, and so have you.

What was there before has been polished, and a

Patina of time glosses and sculpts -

Highlights what was clear to me before.


It's been a long time, and it's

Good to see you smile.

Lara Fabian is first and foremost, an extraordinarily beautiful woman.





Through her crystal clear voice, you hear her soul. Her voice has the power to warm you and lift your spirits. Her eyes and expression amplify every nuance in her music.

You can't help but fall in love with her when she performs; her ability to swing effortlessly between heart-pumping power ballads and gentle love songs captivates you. Her smile is infectious, and she simply radiates the power of her message.

What is most striking is how kind she looks. Her talent puts all the other divas in her class to shame, yet I've never seen or heard of her acting like one. She seems focused and dedicated to her craft, and does it with gusto and joy. I can see her as someone's affectionate and loyal best friend, serene and strong.

Just listen to this selection of songs I've posted. If she doesn't make you smile, want to get up and dance, cry, sit on the very edge of your chair, etc - I don't know what will :-) Pay particular attention to her diction and phrasing in Caruso (I love LOVE LOOOVEEE songs in Italian..), her vocal prowess in I Will Love Again, and the sheer emotion in Broken Vow. Actually, to all four in each song.

Look! Only a week has gone by and I'm posting again :-)

First, I'd like to direct your attention to the Links section of my blog. Two great blogs have been added for your perusing pleasure.

NiseyGlobeTrotting is a collection of travel experiences from Denise, my Amherst/Hopkins classmate and former roommate. Comments Encouraged is a weekly roundup of all the neat things seen and experienced by Anthony, another Hopkins classmate.

I think you'll find them inspiring and interesting, and I guarantee you a good time, so - click away :-)


I've also added a playlist to share the music I'm currently hooked on. "No More Words" takes a bit to start up - but give it a listen, the music is beautiful and worth it.

The version of "Vivo Per Lei" is completely in Italian - there are also duets in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English - which I may or may not be posting in the future xD

And the rest - just makes me happy.

I haven't updated this in a while :) And I always seem to start my posts this way...even though I do want to write more frequently. Maybe a new year's resolution? haha...does anyone still read this?

in any case, happy new year to you. I hope this year brings a little more stability for all. I am looking forward to ushering in the new administration.

Which brings us back to 2008 - what an amazing year in many ways, both good and bad. As you can probably tell I'm still kind of basking in the afterglow of the elections. One more cheer for "That One" please!

So there's the excitement in the political world. My personal life, as you'll soon find, hasn't gone through any earth-shattering changes. 2008 was a pretty quiet and stable time for me in terms of relationships (and I'm not just referring to the romantic type). I was lucky to strengthen friendships with wonderful people and meet some lovely new people along the way. Couldn't have asked for better times with better people, despite all our busy and crazy schedules, and the fact that we're once again scattered all over the place!

Work and school - finished my first year of my MHS program, started a new career in health policy/advocacy/public health (not as nebulous as it sounds).

Travel - didn't get to go overseas this year :( However, discovered the fun in staying local - roaming around Maryland. Plenty to do in such a small state. No devil in the details here..just a lot of charm, history, and beauty.

Other - started driving on a regular basis, for the first time. Driving, and getting lost a LOT at first :-) (best way to learn the roads, really..but not so fuel efficient!)

etc etc.

Outlook for 2009 - finish degree program, bridesmaid for the weddings of two amazing women, planning a getaway, the whole job search thing. Open to adventures always.

more later...I am determined to give my resolution to sleep more a fighting chance ;)