A Wish for the New Year/Decade/Century

Can we return to not being treated like suspected criminals before boarding an airplane?

Enough is enough.

If someone *REALLY* wants to hijack a plane, don't you think they'd do the research as to which airports are going to use those full body scanning machines - and just avoid them? In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of regular people have to go through the entire tedious process of removing all outerwear and shoes and get full body scans... while the random angry person will just go to some airport that does not have the equipment.

What I want to be able to do again:

• Take my friends/relatives to the gate when they depart... have a drink at the bar while waiting for the plane.
• Greet my friends/relatives at the gate - and help them with the carry-ons while walking to the baggage claim
• Just go on through to the gate without removing my laptop from my bag...
• not have to take off my shoes/coat/belt - this is all so undignified.

Isn't there another way to promote goodwill and return to some sort of civil behavior rather than create more hate? I mean - think of all the poor people who's only "crime" was that they were born in some countries that are being bombed by the U.S. (and other countries)... what kind of quality of life are they living? So all they know is that they are being hated-upon because the country they live in is harboring terrorists... but what kind of terror are we wreaking among them? of course they're going to grow up resenting us... and hating us more...

so we are our own worst enemies. yes i'm ranting incoherently - but all this escalation of security measures is encroaching on our personal freedoms... and it can only continue so much longer until we all are at our wits' end. ENOUGH ALREADY!

If some crazy person is *THAT* angry and wants to kill lots of people - he/she can do it in many different ways - not just on an airplane.

and what's more - i heard the airplane (that landed in detroit - the one with the underpants bomber) referred to a weapon of mass destruction. WTF??? I wish i remembered where i heard that ridiculous statement uttered... It's a vehicle used for transportation... and it was almost hijacked. but it wasn't. what about that subway car in Madrid that was bombed? would that also be referred to as a WMD? I hate talking heads... they do nothing for real discourse. They do nothing for solving problems...

I sometimes hate TV...

but i really hate the whole airport experience now. i might have to stop air travel for a while. Thanks, assholes - for ruining it for the rest of us.

Things i saw in europe

I went to Barcelona for my cousin Vanessa's wedding. But since i've been to Barcelona many times, i wanted to branch off and see new things...

Top of my list for Spain: Granada. why?

The Alhambra (thanks Prof. Irene Bierman, western Islamic Art History - UCLA)

Note: most of these shots were taken with my iphone. yup - that's it - just a phone camera. I was determined to travel light.

The Alhambra

Back in Barcelona, we visited one of the Gaudi' buildings I'd never been to before - also along Paseo de Gracia (further south from Casa Mila aka La Pedrera) is Casa Batllo'. Here's a detail from the rooftop - looks like the spine of a dragon. I love Gaudi. I love Art Nouveau.

Casa Batllo' (pronounced bat-yo)

Then I went to Paris. I stayed at a little hotel right next to the Pere Lachaisse Cemetery. On my last morning, before checking out of the hotel, I decided to wander through this necropolis - i call it that because it was such a huge cemetery - like a city almost - with lanes and mausoleums and crypts dedicated to families going back centuries... i was lost in awe by the stunning beauty of this quiet, peaceful final resting place for so many people. And as previously mentioned, I love art nouveau... I was simply entranced.

A random, errr, tombstone?

Again at the Alhambra - this shot below was with my iphone... the top one was a shot i took using my cousin's camera... when i showed him the reflection i got with this picture, he wanted me to take that shot on his camera - so we played with the angles... but this was the original shot. I think i got them to look through their camera lenses differently... their early shots were very basic and straight on... funny how we all see the world in so many ways.

Paris again - sorry the upload was out of order. Talk about being at the right place at the right time for a dramatic shot! But just about anything in Paris is picturesque. On this day in particular, the sky was so grey and ominous - yet the sun poked through every now and again. Le Sigh.

Cluny, Paris

Of course hundreds of shots were taken... but i thought these were nice to share.

Just like Huell Hauser

My Sunday routine is just like Huell's.

This is where i get my eggs & chickens from...

and of course - some of my apples & peaches too...

I'm on a first name basis with both Thomas & Miguel (and Dexter & Candy from Fair hills farms)

http://www.fairhillsapplefarm.com/video.html

Persimmon time

I've been waiting since late January. And like last year, I simply can't get enough of them. I've already started hoarding them.

clockwise from top right: Hachiya, "chocolate" persimmon with varying degrees of softness & a cross seciton, Giant Fuyu (cross section), Fuyu.

You think this is all I got? Hah! This is just a sampling of the varieties that i got.

Many people ask me about how you eat persimmons. I only learned last year. You see - 2008 was my year of discovering the joy of persimmons.

If you don't know how/when to eat these fruits, you might have a terrible experience which will turn you off from the fruit forever. But once you know the secrets behind them, you'll be treated to a marvelous fruit which is rather plentiful in southern california from October thru January.

Here's my little guide:

There are 2 main varieties - Fuyu & Hachiya

The brighter orange the fruit, the sweeter it is. They continue to ripen off the tree - so keep them on your kitchen counter until ready.

Hachiya - must be completely mushy! DO NOT try to eat this before it feels like pudding enclosed in skin. if you do try it, you will be punished with the most horrid texture filling your mouth... the tannin effect dries out the inside of your mouth - it's astringent and cakes up on your tongue, inside of your cheeks... altogether unpleasant!

Fuyu, on the other hand, can be eaten firm (like an apple) or soft. There are many varieties within the Fuyu family - and if you're not sure when you can eat it, ask the farmer at the stand... they won't deceive you - they want you back as a customer.

I love the sand-dollar pattern that you get when you slice it cross wise... so that's what i usually do. The giant Fuyus are my favorites. And i do like them on the softer side - but unless i buy them that way, they get eaten as soon as the color is right. I can never resist.

I tried that variety called "chocolate" - it had another name, which i can't remember - but the nickname of chocolate was given b/c of the brown flecks within the flesh. It had too many large seeds, so it was annoying to eat... the fruit/pit ratio was off. but it's nice for a bit of variety.

So from the above fruits - the Hachiyas have the right coloring - but are hard as rocks: do not eat yet. The Fuyus to the left are ripe, but not sweet enough for me... they are firm, but i'm waiting for the color to deepen. The soft giant fuyus have already been enjoyed, and of the 5 chocolate-persimmons only 1 remains - the others were soft and bursting apart - so they were eaten first.

The Autumn Market: Pomes

It's Autumn in Southern California.

Windrose Farms - Santa Monica Farmers Market

I felt it this past Sunday morning. There was a little bite (nibble) in the air - that subtle crispness that signifies the changing of the season. Those heat waves lasted a bit too long.

Some of my favorite things about Autumn: the shift in produce available at the market. Not only did i go to the sunday hollywood market - but i went to my favorite wednesday santa monica market.

It's all about the Pomes now... and not just pomme (apple en francais)

Top row - Winesap (fragrant but starchy - best for baking, not eating fresh); Spitzenberg (bright flavor, slightly sour)

Center - Bella (haven't tried it yet)

Bottom - Smokehouse (meh - kinda mealy - but maybe it was that one that i had); Cameo (good for juicing)

Pears & Quince are part of this family called Pome.

clockwise from top center - Asian pear, Forelle Pears, Quince, Yali pears.

I wanted to try Quince.

I've never tried it before (neither tasted it, nor have i used it - i've always heard of it - but never experimented)

I've read about its fragrance, its flavor, how making a tea from its pips can soothe a sore throat, and how it makes a fabulous jam/jelly (membrillo).

So I bought a few... but i'm still waiting for them to fully ripen... they say the ripe ones will be yellow and fragrant. As you can see from the shot above, they're still pale green. I'm keeping them stored in brown paper bags.

Tom Petty said it best - the waiting is the hardest part.

I have about 6 quince. And i have one savory dish and one sweet dish i'd like to try.

the savory one comes from Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook: Sauteed quince, apples and potatoes. It's a side dish for the pork porterhouse.... but i'm not big on pork...

the sweet one is from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors book - Rustic Tart of Quinces Apples and Pears. her book also has recipes for jam & the Pip tea - which i'll make from the skins & cores from the fruit.

I also want to try doing an apple rhubarb pandowdy (also from Local Flavors.

either way - i have a lot of pomes here.

too bad i'm sick with a fever... i don't want to cook anything that will be shared. and this is also why i'm blogging at 1:58am - darned insomnia.

Hello blogspot, my friend

I've missed you... not that i have forgotten about you. On the contrary - I think of you more than ever...

On this triple digit scorcher of a day when i want to remain as immobile as possible, what do i up and decide to do?

Bake a Salmon, of course.

Earlier today, before i left for work, i took a piece of salmon from the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw. And in typical "Sharon" fashion, I open my cookbooks at 10pm to see what can be done.

Suzanne Goin has been my hero for quite a while - my "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" cookbook is flagged with post-it notes sticking out in all directions. I've baked a salmon using her recipe, with modifications since i was limited to what i had on hand...

It's a Salmon covered with herbs... which herbs? Tarragon (check), Dill (check), Italian Parsley (check)! and minced Shallot... when do i ever have those 3 herbs AND a shallot? call it serendipity?

That, and the fact that my roommate is out of town... I'm alone - yet felt like sharing...

and i should be packing for my 17-day trip to europe. I've decided i'm not taking the big suitcase, but a small one and a carry on (yeah, right!). I never even touch half the stuff i pack on most trips anyways. and since i'm staying with family and going off on separate jaunts, i can wash and re-wear... as if i'm going to run into the same people in Granada, Paris & Barcelona...

just waiting for that salmon to be thawed, then i'll sprinkle with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, then slather it with the herb mixture, top off with fleur de sel (both sides)... and bake for 25 min in a 250 degree oven.

did i mention it was in the 100's today?

F*ck this kitchen is hot.

and i'm not even hungry anymore...

Why it's good to force myself to go to the market:

On the heels of an exhausting day of food, the last thing i wanted to do was shop for food.

Yesterday I worked as a sous-chef to Lucy for one of her fabulous dinner parties. and today i'm knackered.

But i got up at 8, got dressed for yoga (which would have followed my quick market shopping)...
"must get there before the pea shoots are all gone!" thought I.
Hahahaha
wishful thinking!

i dragged.
and dragged.

decided to bake cookies for some of my farmer friends.

left my place at 10:30 am.

gave Jimmy - my valet parking guy who always hooks me up with free parking - a box of cookies.
gave Miguel & Candy - my apple farmers from Fair (something or other) Farms - 2 boxes of cookies - since they helped me yesterday when i was in a panic searching high and wide for pea shoots.
gave Tomas - from Lily's Farms - a box because he always saves me a chicken. they're the only chickens & eggs I buy nowadays.

I was still dragging... didn't want to shop. didn't know what to get. didn't feel like being there. I was too late for my pea shoots again.

But i decided on getting a chicken from Tomas.
Since i was going to roast a chicken, i wanted to roast Chiogga Beets too. So i visited McGrath Farms (where i get my pea shoots from) and asked if they had any.

Alas, a restaurant came by earlier and bought 4 cases...
Score! there was one forlorn looking bunch with 2 large & 1 small beet - so he gave it to me. Yay! and the guy promised me that next week he'll bring 2 boxes of pea shoots. (note to self - get there early!!!!)

Miguel & Candy also hooked me up with apples - i only wanted 2. They gave me 6. and they gave me a giant funny looking grapefruit (i forgot the name/variety) - some other farmer had given them a huge box of them so Candy gave me one. It's good to be friends with the farmers.

I stopped at Harry's Berries for one $5 basket of Gaviota strawberries. I like them much better than the cheaper Camarosa variety (which they don't sell).

This was all north of Selma. South of Selma, I stopped at this one table where the guy always has unusual specimens. He's the guy i bought the stinging Nettle from a few months ago. He still had some nettle for sale, but i didn't want to deal with it. Instead I got some interesting looking silvery-gray leaf wild growing plant called Lamb's (something or other). he suggested sauteing it. sure, why not try something different.

now my bags were getting rather full and heavy but i decided i needed shallots & an onion. so i went all the way down almost to sunset where these rather good looking guys from redlands sell a little bit of this and that...

Mind you - i'm still moving in slow motion... and that's when i get into good conversations with the farmers. I'm not just doing the transaction and leaving. I ask questions & learn about them & their produce. That's how i've developed my rapport. I'm not in a rush to get anywhere... i'm lingering slowly and really seeing what's there.

so back to those good looking guys who sell sweet potatoes & onions & a few eggs, winter squashes & these tiny strawberries for $2/basket. they really look pathetically tiny compared to the Camarosa (which i don't like), the Gaviota (which i do like), the Alvion (they're ok)...
These were Chandler strawberries. i sampled one - and it was impressively sweet & delightful. so i asked one of the guys to pick me a nice basket... he grabbed 2 and asked which one i'd prefer... I left it up to him... He went and combined the 2 into one... and gave me an extra large basket.

It's good to slow down. you make real connections that way.

Pictures will be posted soon. i'm overdue for a nap.