Easter and Dried Cranberry Beans

Hope everyone had a good Easter! I spent the day working. Or rather, hiding in a box in the backroom and scaring my co-workers when they walked in. So much for being a soon-to-be college graduate. But I'm beginning to hold less hostile feelings towards my place of work, especially since my co-workers are pretty fuggin' sweet.

Anyway, onto the Easter cooking: A former sublet-er left behind a bag of dried cranberry beans, a product which I had never cooked with before. Nor had I ventured into the land of cooking with dried beans. Why bother when I can just haul a heavy bag of canned beans from Trader Joe's?

Anyway, the cupboard was looking rather bare, and I had yet to receive my first paycheck from my new job, so I decided to get creative. And by get creative I mean: to the Internet!

Stewed beans with polenta.

I found a recipe for stewed borlotti (fancier name than cranberry beans) beans with polenta, which called for corn meal (check), dried borlotti beans (check), onion and garlic (check). After soaking the beans, sauteing the onion, garlic and herbs in a pot, and simmering the beans in said pot with some broth, it turned out delicious and filling but a tad bit salty. Perhaps it's because of the new chick'n boullion (fake chicken broth from Portland!) I used, but I'll give this recipe another shot.

Lemon garlic beans with mushrooms and tempeh

After depositing my check in the bank, I headed straight to Trader Joe's, of course. I'm one of the few female college students who blows their first paycheck on groceries, rather than clothes. I had recently discovered this recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen, where it called for fava beans to be stewed in a pot, while you sauteed some red onion, mushrooms, and garlic, before coating the mixture in bread crumbs and tossing it into the pot. The author suggested adding some marinated tempeh, and I was more than happy to comply. Sooo fucking delicious, definitely going to post my somewhat-modified recipe here soon.

Oh and my meals the past few weeks have been vegetarian, so I'm thinking of keeping up with the trend. Being a veggie was difficult when I didn't know how to cook, or was too lazy to think of creative swaps. Now that I've found multiple vegan sites (they make everything look so easy and delicious!), they've somewhat guilted me into feeling like a lazy, uncreative cook.

Attempt at Food Photography

Poached egg with chickpeas, spinach, and smoked paprika.

Chickpea rice casserole with lemon, herbs, shallots, and goat cheese.

Wasting Light - Album Review

Working for a certain cupcake company is less glamorous than it sounds. Answering phones, taking orders, boxing cupcakes, folding boxes, running orders out to cars. Everything at once, all while clenching my teeth and forcing my face muscles into something that resembles a smile. I feel like I should be in a circus act, spinning said cupcakes on my hands and feet, while a monkey spins a musical box.

I'm momentarily tearing my face away from my Philosophy of Mind book -- who am I kidding? I've stopped chugging my third Sierra Nevada (like I said, selling cupcakes is stressful) -- to declare my love for the new Foo Fighters album Wasting Light.

Perhaps it's because my ears are still ringing from Monday's concert at the New Parish (I saw Lightning Bolt live, mothertruckers) but I'm digging on their new track "White Limo."



I can't understand a word Dave Grohl is saying, but I like it. It's fun, it still has the signature Foo Fighters sound, it's a song I can blast through my iPod and headbang to without feeling too lamestream.

I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes to music, but I feel as if this album was quietly released (I wasn't spammed with Facebook ads concerning the NEW FOO FIGHTERZ ALBUM, Y'ALL) and it deserves more attention. Louder than Patience, Silence, Echoes, and Grace this album packs a punch.

♥ you Dave Grohl. Keep being sexy.

Picture of the Day

As I promised a few entries ago, I'm finally posting pictures from my adventures abroad. These were taken in the NDSM, in the north of Amsterdam across the river (het IJ). It was a beautiful, sunny day but we were still wrapped up in our peacoats and scarves since winter was approaching. Makes you appreciate California "winters".

NDSM, once a shipyard, is now an area where artists reside. Mostly because the city center of Amsterdam is too damn expensive for poor artists (sound familiar, Oakland?). This results in a wonderland of graffiti and abandoned trains-turned-housing, all surrounding Café Noorderlicht. During the day, the café serves food and beer, while at night it turns into an artsy-fartsy night club.

It's simple things like this that make me homesick for Amsterdam.

Take Me Back To Portland, Part 1

I always find myself attracted to areas of the world that rarely see sunshine. Which is odd, because if anyone knows me, they know I love ridiculously warm California weather.

Voodoo Doughnut truck, Portland.

But those who know me, know I love food more than sunshine. And Portland has some damn good food. Home of the famous Voodoo Doughnuts and Stumptown Coffee, this city has been calling my name for a while. I was too distracted in Amsterdam to hear it.

One thing about Portland shocked me: people are nice. They strike up friendly conversation with people and are actually interested in what you have to say. For example, my mom and I walked into Deschutes Brewery for some pub food, Oregon microbrew, and most importantly, to stare at the TV screens broadcasting the Giants game. The host, a bit puzzled as to why I was so excited that "the game" was on in Oregon, asked why we were visiting Portland (guess tourist season isn't in March). When I answered, "to look at graduate schools," he asked, "what schools?" (my main choice: University of Oregon) and responded with a "Go Ducks! Good luck with schools!"

My mom and I were dumbfounded. Smiling, friendly individuals despite their residency in a city with little sun. Clean sidewalks in the Downtown districts. Free and rather spotless public transportation.

I didn't want to return to San Francisco.

True, there's no other city where I could spend an entire afternoon wasting away in Dolores Park with a tall can and a burrito, then head back to a friend's house and play Zelda: Ocarina of Time on his N64. But after a short ride on the L train back to my house, I would trade anything to reside in Portland. Portland was so friendly and familiar, filled with eco-friendly individuals and practices. Although the sun rarely shines, the citizens of Portland always have a smile on their face, welcoming you to their wonderful city. Delicious food, artisan beer and coffee, and heart-stopping doughnut toppings are only a few things that make this city amazing.

PS: I believe the writers of Portlandia would have so much material if they had chosen to focus on San Francisco rather than Portland. Because in reality, I've seen more fixies and dirty hipsters lying around the Mission in the past few hours than I did the past few days in Oregon.