Food + Art = Love

Food is Love.



Art is Love.



Every little thing is Love.



An ugly black cigar is Love.



A ring from some obnoxious little king is Love.


In the words of Colette's "Gigi",
"Food is Love. Art is Love. Every little thing is Love."
"An ugly black cigar is Love. A ring from some obnoxious little king is Love"
..."I just don't understand the Parisians. Making Love every chance they get."

So there I am, finding my Self again, staring down into a cup, looking for Love.
Could you imagine my surprise, as a looked with my own eyes, what was staring back at me, as a took a sip!

So insatiable I am all the time. Looking around every corner, out the car window, in every unkempt drawer, for something more. I drank it all up. And of course, I still want more but, at least for a moment I took pause. I enjoyed the delight of every little bite, and watched as my glass caught the light.

May your world of art and words and food, deliver you Love and more.
Take the time to enjoy the delight of every little bite.


This is what I did:
Puree a few fresh apricots and pour in glass.
Puree separately a handful of fresh raspberries and drop in as two spoon fulls.
Food + Art = Love.

Hoarding Quietly Among The Harem

Any one who arrives at my desert tent is always waved in with a welcome and well fed.
A tempting buffet of fruits and nuts and spices lay openly about, available to all who may feel the hunger from their journey. Bowls and platters and jars remain willing and waiting for the taking with suggestions of more to follow.
Guests are invited to stay until they are fat and full and fall into snores, only to wake up aroused, yearning for...another round of flavors, and textures and more.

There is a time however, when I suspect all the eyes of the harem are distracted...
I sneak a bite.
I never share.
I would not think to pull out a plate.
I hover instead over the sink.
Over ripe peaches dipped in a hand full of Sumac, this is my private treat.
Sandy texture atop my fresh flesh and juice that tap dance on my tongue.
... it is the cinnamon on my breakfast toast.
... the salt rim to my virgin Margarita.
...the Nori flakes on my hot bowl of popcorn.


A simple pleasure I reveal... virtually,
so that you too may covet it for your private muse.

In exchange I request only that you shimmy over and offer up a similar,
soul-searching-source of satiable inspiration.

What secret-something-snack do you keep all to your Self and no one else?

So, Save Your Self and Keep it Simple, Silly

Sometimes, well...most the time, the simplest scenario is so superior to any other supposed option, it seems silly not to take the easy way out.

If that is the best way, then why not?
Are we stubborn just to spite our Self?
Do we doubt the element of surprise?
Do we stand in our own way of simple play, and instead over-act?
Do we sabotage even the simplest tasks?

This is a simple stage, a simple act, a simple task:

1)Take your tomatoes and slice if you like
2)Sprinkle with sea salt and stir in the fold.
3)No lettuce to be found, grab some fresh herbs, as much as you can hold.
4)Drizzle a spoonful of olive oil, to settle it smooth.

See...we're done!
And we had so much fun.

No sabotage to undo.
No pity. No pressure.
No standing around in a stew.
Just some play, and a taste bud surprise; no doubt.

Request a bit more party posed onto your plate?
Confetti some seeds, any you choose, any you like.



This was the loot:
> Roma/cherry tomatoes...any you have will do but, never chill..they're a summer fruit!
> Italian parsley...any basil, cilantro, parsley version can play.
> "Real" sea salt...only the best from Utah, I choose.
> Extra virgin olive oil...you know this drill.
> Raw sesame seeds, just for contrast, or color, or fun..or none.

I ate mine as same as shown, so simple,
... and chased it with a handful or two of salty Fiesta tortilla chips; so good.
Later, I served it up as a taco topping with raves of.."is there any more"?...
You can have yours with grilled bread and maybe some feta cheese, if you please.

So, save your Self from kitchen distress and just keep it simple...Silly! ;P

Mighty Gorgeous Green Monster

A little envy goes a long way.
When we find our Self starring at another, mesmerized by their glow, and wondering how they got that way. What have they done to be so blessed?...and then we guess: they must have been born that way. We continue wandering along, saving our Self from comparison, when a finer reaction would be to claim some action. A Mighty Gorgeous Green Monster kind of action. Something that will give us a boost, allow us to be mobile, even fluid. We need a game plan to be glowing.

Here is my proposal:
Yes, a daily dose of meditation; give our Self a "time-out" spot.
A threaded through the day, stretching and bending and lifting our own Self, starting before our feet hit the cold morning floor. Knee bends in best are the best.
A constant reminding to breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth deep & slow.
..and a prescription of some mighty fine greens to make us gorgeous!

Blend:
-Kiwi
-Cucumber
-Cilantro
-Mint
-Lime

Don't judge it; just do it!...do it for the sake of glowing gorgeous.


P.S. I just swiped this from Cotton Colors at http://www.themarygoround.blogspot.com/
since it seemed to fit the theme so well. She has some great grilling going on:

Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. - William Faulkner

Hey There, Pink Cheeks!

One of my most favored talents is making great fresh-fruit-blended-ices or smoothies.
I especially love having them and serving them at 'cocktail hour' and I like them a sharp and refreshing. Any time, before or after a meal...pre-breakfast/post-breakfast, pre-lunch/post-lunch, late-after-noon-I-cannot-wait-for-dinner, and even for a fabulous dessert. Juice or fruit for that matter is usually best had by itself, and not to be paired with a meal; just to much confusion for the tummy.
Keep it simple. Keep it sublime. Keep it mine-all-mine.

I am lucky enough to have very generous neighbors, who not only leave town often but, also return bearing fruit! The have property in the dessert that yields trunk loads of citrus. Good citrus. Grapefruits that look tiny and yellow on the out side but, reveal themselves pink and sweet on the inside. I love a good surprise!

Grapefruits are less acidic than oranges, so they settle in easy. They also have a tiny bit of caffeine or something that resembles a perky effort; another nice surprise.
So they make for a great pick-up-that-face-you're-dragging-around-town. And, yes they do melt through cellulite!..what?..yes...fat burning; Can't beat that good surprise.

So here is the dilly-dally: I like my pink grapefruit with fresh ginger, for a little extra prick-up-those-cheeks. Ginger helps digestion by making our tummy sing, warming us up, and therefore making our sweet-cheeks-flush-pink! Smile...

In the blender: Pink grapefruit, fresh grated Ginger root, Honey (secret ingredient), ice, and sometimes...this time with a shot of fresh Pomegranate juice (I get mine from the local farmer's market and it looks like dark Port wine). Push the button high, while you reach for a straw.

Now, Pomegranate does two things that are extremely special. One, it gives us a huge dose of iron, which is good in moderation. So a big shot glass or a small wine glass is will do the trick just right. Two...it is the most fabulous sleepy-time-night-cap!..
One little glass alone after a zooming day, and I am out in 20 minutes flat; I have to remember to brush my teeth and get straight to bed. I have caught myself many times, stuck in the same spot I was sipping in..stuck and I can't get up. Lights on, T.V. on, jeans on...that really sucks. So just jump right it and get it over with.

The combo of the pick up Grapefruit + the sleepy time Pomegranate = a nice little afternoon delight; a.k.a.... "Cocktail".
You could impress the guests and shake it up with a splash of Vodka; I won't tell.
Oh, and a dropper of rose water to take it a step further in creating a "Love Potion".

Cheers to our health, Sweet Cheeks!

Be well.

Hot Sweet & Sour Salsa

Hot, Sweet and Sour Salsa, is a transition piece for plums.
So many ways to taste the seasons, and yet another twist.
A deep dark, and flavor full plum; chopped.
One quarter red onion; chopped.
Sauce it up with a blend of...
One tablespoon...Sesame oil.
Two teaspoons...Honey.
One teaspoon... Vietnamese chili sauce.
Splash a little less, or more, depending who you are making it for.
Dip into it, or top on some favorite taco or such.
Serve it for an intro it an early supper or a late lunch.
Simple and salted slim chips will do; Taro might be better.
Keep fists full of fresh crisp leafy greens to cool the tender tounge down.
Share it over cool cocktails, iced jasmine tea, or even a ginger lemonade.
When the weather cannot decide whether to stay fair, or shower around,
...enjoy this piece of transitional Plum, to make for some good play.