two pennies for a...

It's Time for Rehab. Petroleum: The Invisible Addiction

2011-12-21T18:07:00.006-05:00

Without even realizing it, it seems like I'm addicted to petroleum...

Well, I've made steps in my life to get rid of the obvious petroleum ties. For example, I do not own a car, and avoid regular transportation that involves fossil fuels. Instead I ride my bike or walk. I've also taken steps to avoid other harsh chemicals that are often derived from petroleum products. For example, I make my own cleaning products, using lemon juice, baking soda, lavender and tea tree essential oils, and vinegar. I'll get back to that part in a moment. In my young, radical days, I also used to make my own face and body products. However, this was more done as a way to ensure that my products were vegan and not tested on animals. But, making products at home can be time consuming and expensive, so it's something that I've gradually fallen out of. And, of course, petroleum-filled products have gradually made their way back onto my shelf.

Fossil fuels and petrochemicals have a detrimental effect on our environment and health. From the hazardous effects of Alberta's tar sands on animal and human populations, from the damage caused by oil spills and deep sea drilling to marine life--the effects of which are still not entirely clear--to other forms of oil exploration and drilling, which involve interrupting ecosystems, it's pretty clear how fossil fuels are detrimental to the environment. And of course, there's that whole climate change thing... Sure, driving a car and limiting the amount we as individuals use fossil fuels is important in addressing climate change, but the primary polluters are industrial manufacturers. Besides limiting the amount of fuel we use, lobbying governments, and pushing for change in other ways to address our socioeconomic addiction to petroleum, the biggest change we can make as individuals is to boycott or avoid purchasing products that contribute to pollution. The less chemical processing, the less manufacturing involved, the better. The only problem is that so many of our products contain petroleum and petrochemicals. And, beyond simply being associated with environmental hazard, petrochemicals have a detrimental effect on human health, primarily affecting hormone and endocrine function. Petrochemicals have been linked to development and mental health concerns, cancers, and lung problems (Ecology Center, 2003).

The Ecology Center's "The True Costs of Petroleum: Body Map" is a great source of online information. It lists a number of different petrochemicals and where they can be found. It lists phthalates as a common group of petrochemicals with endocrine disruption properties that can be found in cosmetics, toothbrushes, food packaging, toys, aspirin, hair spray, tampon packaging, and more. Tampons and sanitary pads can often contain synthetic fibers that are derived from petroleum. The same goes for synthetic fabrics. The pesticides and plastics involved in growing and packaging food are also huge sources of petrochemicals in our lives. However, perhaps the most common are all the lotions and potions we use on our bodies, heads, and faces.While I generally try to buy local from the farmer's market, and organic as much as possible, the food options in Peterborough, Ontario are not necessarily as plentiful as other cities. I try my best to, at least, purchase as whole of foods as possible and foods that do not involve a lot of (or any) packaging. If I had taken enough time this summer to buy some veggies in bushels and do a ton of canning and freezing, I could perhaps be eating only local this winter, to reduce my footprint. But, alas, this is not an option for me. I am stuck to grabbing whatever winter veggies I can from the market and skeptically making my way through the aisles of the grocery store. I feel like there is a great deal of politics involved in eating, and that's not just because I am writing my thesis about it. So, I won't get into what I buy here or how I justify it. I think that's another conversation to be had, but feel free to ask.

But, as I've said, what I've let go it my commitment to petroleum-free, vegan products. I know that Lush is a great place to look for natural, vegan products. Their products do contain parabens, but they are naturally derived from vegetables. However, Lush is a pretty expensive place to shop. Through all the researching that I did online and looking into products and chemicals (I still mix them up sometimes), I tend to be the most comfortable with Kiss My Face shampoos and moisturizers. Although, I have also found some other local options through small business people in the farmer's market and local health food store. I have been a big fan of using Dr. Bronner's soap for a long time. It's fair trade and eco-friendly. It's great when diluted for washing your body. You can also use a small amount diluted for your laundry, for washing your floor, and for other cleaning. I have also used it to wash my hair, but found that it was very drying. But, this can be remedied with a good conditioner. The good thing about Dr. B's is that you can buy it in huge 4 L containers too, so you save in the long run on packaging. This month I purchased a huge jar of coconut oil. Okay, not the expensive, extra-virgin, ultra-organic kind, but a regular jar. I rub it on my body as a moisturizer and I use it to moisturize my hair. I also just wash my hair less. The other big switch one can make is to using soap nuts (re-usable and natural seeds that you throw in the laundry) instead of laundry detergent, or to an old-fashioned soda-based powder detergent in a cardboard box. You can find both of these things at the health food store near you. I know that The Soap Works makes a good laundry powder. So many of the products we buy involve a ton of plastic packaging produced with petrochemicals. I have e-mailed Dr. Bronner's and Kiss My Face to ask if they take packages that are mailed back to them to be re-filled. But, alas, I haven't received a response, although, both companies do sell larger re-fill versions of their products.

Switching back to eco-friendly products was pretty easy. Well, I do kind of miss that super-minty whitening toothpaste... Sure, they cost a little more, but I also find that I don't need to wash my hair as much, or use as much soap when it's not loaded with artificial moisturizers that block my pores and make me sweat more. I've also gone back to thinking about experimenting with making my own products. But, in general, any kind of natural oil makes a great moisturizer on its own. For a lot of folks, this might be too much on the face, which is understandable. While there are some interesting recipes on the Internet, I think, for myself, personally, I'd rather just stick to buying a moisturizer from a company I trust that uses naturally derived parabens as preservatives rather than petrochemicals. For this, I like Lush, especially because they use recycled materials for their packaging! But, I realize I am in a place of privilege to be able to say I prefer lush products. So, I think when it comes down to it, we should just do the best with whatever we can afford. At first, I gulped at my first purchase of coconut oil, because it can be so expensive. But, a little goes a long way, and I use it for everything. So, it depends how we think about it.

The other big switch I made was to burning beeswax candles rather than traditional paraffin wax tea lights, which contain petrochemicals and pollute the air. Beeswax candles instead clean the air. They are very expensive, it's true, but I bought two HUGE candles, which should last for a very long time.

Finally, I was reading an article entitled "Eco-Kitchen" in the November 2011 issue of Alive magazine that pushed me into another frenzy. The article mentioned plastic containers, wax paper, plastic packaging and other petroleum-laden products that have made their way into our lives. I tend not to use any kind of plastic wrap, paper towel, etc., but rather glass jars to store my food. But, the article also mentioned VINEGAR. I use vinegar to clean pretty much everything from my yoga clothes, to my toilet, to my bathroom mirror, to my kitchen counter. It's natural... or so I thought. It turns out that most of the acetic acid in that dirt-cheap vinegar we buy at the grocery store, apart from being stored in a petrochemical-based plastic bottle, is also synthetically derived from.... PETROLEUM PRODUCTS!! This caused a giant "what the f***" moment for me. Now what am I supposed to do? I suppose I could possibly switch to cleaning with natural, chlorine-free bleach diluted in water to clean my house. Apparently there is some hope, though. "Natural" white vinegar from a health food store is apparently petroleum-free. "Oh great, so I'm doing to spend $8 on a tiny jar of this stuff when I go through maybe a jar like that a week? No thanks!" I still don't have a real solution. Lemons aren't local, so there's that whole transportation thing, when it comes to cleaning with lemon juice. And, there really is nothing else that gets the stink out quite like vinegar. I am a big fan of Benefect, which I use for cleaning sometimes. I bought it at the yoga studio (it's supposed to be a great mat spray), but I mostly use it around the house. It's more expensive that natural vinegar, so it's not really a solution. So, I haven't completely gotten rid of the petroleum in my life. But, at least I'm more aware of what's out there.

I know a few years ago when I started researching this stuff, I found it really worrying and stressful. Everything was evil. I suppose I still kind of feel that way... deep down I know there is something tricky to every choice we make as consumers. But, I suppose what's changed is my attitude. I used to have more of a militant attitude, where I needed to purge my life of all morally dubious dealings. So, every decision became an ethical crisis. I suppose now I can just say that maybe I'm just jaded. Maybe I'm a little cynical? It's not that I don't think that my actions as an individual can't make a change on the world. Rather, it's that I feel that I understand that the real problem here is the culture, the economy, the politics, and the entire social system that continues to make these particular choices available. Our ecological crisis will not be solved by consumers being guilted and coaxed into choosing one option over another. No, this is a deflection from the real problems of industrial pollution, and industries which continue to produce health-hazardous and ecologically harmful products for a profit. Sure, as consumers, we can pick the ethical, expensive option and hope that all others go out of business. Except that most folks are poor and can't afford to be spending $10 on shampoo. Heck, buying shampoo is even a luxury. So, instead, as a society, we need to re-evaluate what's important. We need to demand a certain standard from governments, businesses, manufacturers, etc. Or, we need to topple this whole system and make a better one.

Insta-Pie! (15-minute Apple Almost-Pie)

2011-09-06T21:01:00.008-04:00

Have you ever wanted a sweet snack, maybe a quick and easy dessert to appease that mid-week after dinner sweet-tooth? Well, make sure you keep a box of graham crackers in your pantry and apples in your fridge... And- this recipe can be easily made vegan by using vegan graham crackers (Nabisco Original Graham Crackers are vegan) and oil instead of butter... it's just as good. It takes less than 15 minutes and makes a quick yet substantial dessert for 2, or a taster for six.

The best part is: you can whip up the apples while you're preparing dinner and let it sit while you're eating--or even prepare a big batch of diced apples to keep in the fridge to put on crepes or mix with granola and yogurt/soygurt--so that all you have to do is pop your delights in the toaster oven for 5 minutes when you're ready for dessert!

6 graham crackers

1-2 tbsp butter (or oil, with 1/2 a pinch of salt if vegan)

1 apple, diced

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp maple syrup (or 1/2-1 tsp brown or regular sugar)

2 tbsp grated cheddar cheese (optional, omit if vegan)

1. In a small saucepan on medium heat, brown the butter or heat the oil.

2. Sauté the diced apple in the butter for 4 minutes, until it's starting to soften, then add the cinnamon, lemon juice, and maple syrup or cinnamon. Turn heat down to medium-low continue to cook for around 5 minutes- until cooked through.

3. On your toaster oven baking sheet, arrange 6 graham crackers. Spoon apple mixture evenly (about 1 heaping tbsp. per cracker) over each cracker. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

4. Heat in toaster oven either on toast setting or at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes, until cheese melts. Even if omitting the cheese, do this step, as the sauce over the cracker in the oven will soften the crackers slightly so that they become more like pie crust. Because the crackers are softer, make sure you use a spatula to remove them from the tray... eat immediately.

I Can't Believe It's Tofu! Dip

2011-09-05T18:24:00.011-04:00

1 package silken tofu

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 tsp. finely ground salt

2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (freshly ground seeds are best)

1/2 tsp. garam masala**

1 tsp. curry powder or paste**

1/4 tsp. powdered ginger (or 1/8 tsp fresh, grated)**

1/8 - 1/2 tsp. chipotle chilli powder, to taste

3-4 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. unpasteurized honey (or maple syrup)

1/2 cucumber, seeded and finely diced

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and finely diced

1/2 - 3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped)

1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped**

(** = optional)

1. Let the tofu drain in a mesh strainer or colander to drain excess liquid for a few minutes, with the option of pressing lightly against it with a towel.

2. Whip the tofu in a large bowl with a fork and add all the spices, the lime juice, the soy sauce, and the honey (everything that isn't diced or chopped to provide texture). Whip vigorously, or use a hand blender to get a smooth texture. You can also use a food processor, regular blender, or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment.

3. Once whipped and blended set the mixture in the freezer to thicken (for 10-15 minutes) while you chop the cucumber, apple, cilantro and almonds. Stir them in by hand with a spoon.

4. Let the dip refrigerate for at least half an hour (2-3 hours, or overnight is best) to allow the tofu to absorb the flavours.

5. Serve with sliced pita or cucumber slices.

You can easily substitute a container of natural yogurt instead of tofu if you can't have soy.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Smoothie

2011-03-12T16:03:00.003-05:00

4 ice cubes

1-2 ripe bananas

1 heaping tbsp milled flax seeds

1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar

1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk (You can use cow's milk too, I guess)

1. If you are using whole flax seeds, use the pulse or ice-crush setting on your blender to mash them, then add the ice cubes and crush them. If not, simply crush the ice cubes first in your blender.

2. Add all the other ingredients and blend on the lowest setting for a few seconds until smooth.

You will end up with a very frothy and tasty treat. I like this smoothy because it's full of natural proteins from peanut butter, soy/almond milk, and even the flax seeds. You have fiber from the flax and bananas, and electrolyte replenishing potassium from the bananas. There isn't too much sugar either. Plus, the flax meal gives it a bit of body, so it's filling. If you're starving, you could add 2 tablespoons of rolled oats too. Usually I make hippie health smoothies with spinach and fruit, and nasty hemp and brown rice protein, so the fact that this smoothie is DELICIOUS, pretty filling, and isn't unhealthy, is really great. It's like a frothy chocolate, banana milkshake and the peanut butter makes it so creamy.

Eggs Polenta with Tomato Balsamic Sauce

2011-03-12T15:14:00.004-05:00

I wanted to make brunch, and I didn't really have anything in the house except for eggs, an onion, a fresh tomato, and some garlic. Thankfully, I always have cornmeal in a canister and I have a giant brick of parmesan in my fridge. This is a play on the polenta recipe I posted recently on my blog. It doesn't take more than half an hour to whip up this awesome breakfast. The poached eggs can be omitted or substituted with fried mushrooms or tofu, or white beans cooked with garlic, salt and pepper, for it to be vegan, and the cheese and butter can be substituted for olive oil. This recipe serves 4-8 (1 or 2 per person).

Pan-Seared Polenta

1 cup corn meal, "polenta"
2 cups water
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp butter (substitute with 3 tablespoons olive oil, if vegan)
1/2 cup whole milk (omit if vegan)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
+ 1 tbsp of butter or olive oil

1. In a medium pot, boil water with a pinch of salt. Once water is boiled, turn the heat to medium and add the corn meal, stirring often. It should cook very quickly (about 3 minutes).
2. Once the polenta starts to form, whip rigorously, to avoid clumps, with a fork, and add the remaining ingredients, including the milk, butter, cheese, salt and pepper, and cayenne or chipotle. If you're vegan, salt generously and be generous with olive oil to add that creaminess.
3. Smooth your polenta into a rectangular cake or brownie pan (8x13??) with a spoon to let it set enough to slice. I recommend throwing it in the freezer for 5-8 minutes while you get your sauce together, so it'll be ready to slice and fry while your eggs are poaching.
4. In a heavy-bottomed, medium-large sauté pan, melt your remaining 1 tbsp of butter, or heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the polenta is set enough to slice, slice it with a butter knife into 8 (4x2). Fry the polenta slices until crispy brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side.

Tomato-Balsamic Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
1/2 tsp chili flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a small sauté pan on medium heat, warm the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes.
2. Add the balsamic, chili flakes, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Let the sauce continue to cook on medium for about 5 to 8 minutes until, to help the balsamic reduce. Then, lower the heat to low and continue to simmer the sauce gently until you're ready to use it.

Poached Eggs

8 eggs

3 tsp white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. In a saucepan boil water with vinegar and salt on high. You can begin boiling the water immediately after you put your polenta into the freezer, right before you're getting your tomato sauce together. Timing wise, you will begin poaching your eggs while your sauce is simmering and your polenta is frying.

2. Once boiled, reduce the temperature to medium, so that the water is still at boiling temperature, but no longer boiling rapidly.

3. Crack eggs individually into a small bowl and slip them into the water one at a time. If you do this carefully and the water is hot enough (just below boiling temperature so that it is still), you should not need to coach the egg with a spoon. But, if your egg starts to go for a swim, just direct it lightly with a spoon. It's easiest if you put the eggs in one at a time so that they do not run together.
4. Cook each egg for around 6 minutes, or a little longer if you like it firmer (around 3-4 if you like your yolk really runny).
5. To remove your eggs, scoop each one out with a serving spoon. You can use another serving spoon to hold back the egg and drain excess water off, as if you were using a pot lid to drain a pot of pasta.

***If you're vegan, you can sauté a can of white beans or white kidney beans in some olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic and substitute them for the eggs. Or, you can sauté a portabello mushroom cap with salt, pepper, and garlic in olive oil.

To serve...

On the pan seared polenta, place the poached egg and a heaping tablespoon of the reduced sauce. Top with grated parmesan cheese, and serve with salt and pepper to taste. If you have a side, like fruit or salad, one per person allows to serve 8. If you're just serving the polenta and eggs, 2 each makes for a very hearty brunch!!

I apologize for the terrible photo quality; it was taken with my cell phone camera.

"The Common Man" and "His" Counterparts: Poking Fun at Intellectuals

2011-02-08T14:47:00.006-05:00

I'm not one to theorize universal categories of the "universal (hu)man," mostly because my post-modern sensibilities find this incredibly problematic. However, lastnight a friend and I were jokingly describing our mutual acquaintances and ourselves. This resulted in "types" or "categories" of people. As someone who buys into post-structuralism--the theories of Deleuze and Guattari, post-colonial theory, and critiques of universalism as imperialist--I often poke fun at theories of human nature in the liberal tradition, which imply some kind of rational essence to human beings, or some kind of universal essence to their behaviours. Yet, as a scholar, I continuously find myself placing things into predefined categories. In my defense, I was trained as a Political Scientist, where analytical thinking, and placement of events, ideas, bodies, modes of being, etc., into predefined categories is the hegemonic method. So, simply as a joke, here are my "Types of Men." I use "men" facetiously here to play back to the philosophical tradition which theorizes about "human nature" as "the nature of men."

The Man with His Feet on the Ground and His Head Upright

The Common Man. The one who is hardworking, pragmatic, rational, reasonable, and is "in touch with reality."

The Man with His Feet on the Ground

and His Head Underground

The Political Activist. The one whose feet remain in the material relations of society, the one who experiences struggle, yet burrows his head in revolutionary ideas and political theory. Many Marxists fall into this category.

The Man Underground

The Hippie Commie Anarcho Anti-Civilizationist. This is the one who has built his own counter-hegemonic world, the one who refuses to engage with society. This is also the Marxist who spends so much time in his arm chair theorizing that his feet are no longer on the ground; he is no longer rooted in material struggle, but rather theorizes about it.

The Man with His Feet on the Ground

and His Head in the Clouds

The Philosopher. This man can still relate to the Common Man, but spends his time day dreaming and idealizing. He takes joy in pondering life's philosophical questions, and then takes a break to watch the hockey game, or to go to the pub.

The Man in the Clouds

The Philosopher of Metaphysics. This is the man who spends all his time philosophizing. It is difficult for him to relate to The Common Man, as he finds his interests banal, and void of substance. The Man in the Clouds is happiest when he is in his arm chair, pondering everything but "life."

The Man with His Feet on the Ground

and His Head Up His Ass

The Art Theorist. This man has his feet on the ground enough to be a part of the world, well at least a part of the art world. He believes his interests are "too high brow" for The Common Man, and his interest in them can only be explained in the length of an essay, that only he can understand. As his head gets further and further up his ass, as his intellectual interests become increasingly narcissistic and self-absorbed, and his taste in art about which he theorizes becomes more and more obscure, this man becomes:

The Man in the Clouds with His Head Up His Ass.

The Philosopher of Avant Garde Art.

. . .

I hope it is painfully obvious that these highly offensive and stereotypical type-castings are intended to be a playful joke, poking fun at myself and intellectuals. Please do not take these seriously, or as a serious representation of my work as a scholar or of my opinions about scholarship and intellectual life. I think I have qualified as all of these "Men" at one time or another. I've painted a kind of vulgar and crude picture of philosophy here, and maybe of theory as well. Please do not think that I actually draw distinctions between "The Common Man" or that I think philosophers are up in the clouds and have their head up their ass. I don't. I value theory and philosophy, and I do not think there is even a category for what is called "The Common Man" or even "philosophy" or "theory." This is the point of creating these categories. They are futile, meaningless, and poke fun at the process of categorization in general.

Greek Eggs Florentine

2011-02-06T14:35:00.009-05:00

I got this idea from my aunt, this holiday season, who had whipped up a batch of special "healthy greens" Spanokopita (Greek spinach pie) in no time, telling us she keeps a batch of this mixture in her fridge to make Eggs Florentine with. I had to try it myself. She told us she added more eggs to the mixture to make Spanokopita with, but, without getting her recipe, I decided to just have a go of it on my own. Thanks Auntie Fay!

Chard, Kale, and Spinach & Feta Warmed Salad

1 large onion, halved and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch of swiss chard, with stems removed, chopped

1 bunch lacino kale (the dark green, almost black, kind with a flat leaf), chopped

500 g (one package) frozen spinach (chopped or whole leaf), thawed and drained

2-3 tsp (a splash) of lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

3/4-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F on broil.

2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large (oven safe) sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them until they begin to be tender. Add the garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the swiss chard and lacino kale and stir. Cover the pan for 5-10 minutes until the chard and kale are cooked down.

2. Stir in the spinach and season with the lemon juice, the remainder of the 1 tbsp olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Continue to sauté for around 5 minutes until the spinach begins to cook. You'll smell it.

3. Stir in the beaten egg. Continue stirring for 3-5 minutes until egg cooks in.

4. Stir in the feta cheese. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until cheese distributed.

5. Put pan in oven for 5 minutes to broil. Watch closely. You just want the mixture in the oven long enough for the cheese to begin to melt, while adding a bit of a golden brown colour. You can turn down the oven temperature and keep the mixture in there to stay warm, while making other preparations.

This makes enough for at least 12 people. You'll have lots of leftovers! I'll give you some ideas for what to do with them below. For anyone who has made Greek Spanokopita, you'll notice that this bears a striking resemblance to the filling... You can substitute a 500 g package of frozen spinach for the chard and kale bunches.

Poached Eggs

2 eggs per person

3 tsp white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. In a saucepan boil water on high heat. Once boiled, reduce the temperature to medium, so that the water is still at boiling temperature, but no longer boiling rapidly.

2. Add 3 tsp of vinegar and a pinch of salt to the water.

3. Crack eggs individually into a small bowl and slip them into the water one at a time. If you do this carefully and the water is hot enough (just below boiling temperature so that it is still), you should not need to coach the egg with a spoon. But, if your egg starts to go for a swim, just direct it lightly with a spoon. It's easiest if you put the eggs in one at a time so that they do not run together.

4. Cook each egg for around 6 minutes, or a little longer if you like it firmer (around 3-4 if you like your yolk really runny).

5. To remove your eggs, scoop each one out with a serving spoon. You can use another serving spoon to hold back the egg and drain excess water off, as if you were using a pot lid to drain a pot of pasta.

Toast

You'll need 2 slices of bread per person. I use rye or pumpernickel bread from the local bakery, but you can also use English muffins, or ciabatta or French loaf. You can brush slices of bread with olive oil and place them on a cookie sheet under your already warmed broiler, moving the spinach mixture to the bottom rack, or taking it out of the oven, and putting it back in for a moment before assembling the plate. Or, you can just use the toaster...

To assemble

Layer the spinach mixture onto your bread slices, about two generous tablespoons each. Place a poached egg on top. Sprinkle some fresh Parmesan or another hard cheese, and season with salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle finely crumbled feta instead of Parmesan. The runny yolks act as their own hollandaise sauce.

. . .

Other variations

Leftovers keep in the fridge really well, especially if you pack the spinach mixture into mason jars while warm, because they vacuum seal themselves once you put them in the fridge. I've been eating this mixture on its own, simply heated up, as a warm side dish. I also layered it on my sandwiches, both heated and cold, as a flavourful spread that added a bit of green.

I also took it for lunch as a chilled eggs Florentine salad: I layered a few tomato slices at the bottom of my tupperware, spooned some of the Florentine mixture on top, and, for a bit of protein, layered a sliced poached egg on top. I whipped up vinaigrette with lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil to drizzle on top. I've also eaten it plain, and I've also used a small drizzle of a store bought fig-balsamic-olive oil dressing. You could easily make this into a sandwich by putting it in a tortilla wrap, or between two slices of yummy pumpernickel bread.

Like my Auntie Fay, you could add 2-3 more beaten eggs to the mixture, dolloping it onto rectangles of phyllo pastry, and folding into triangles. Make sure to use lots of olive oil or butter to brush your pastry. You would need to bake it for around 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

If Nerdy Academics Started a Band...

2011-02-02T22:22:00.008-05:00

A friend of mine, noting how both of us had fallen ill, jokingly remarked that our first album name could be "Of Germs Between Us." Considering we're both nerdy grad students into theory and philosophy, this sent me spiraling into thinking up ridiculous possibilities for band names. I've also managed to include commentary on genre, and in some cases, names for the first single. In no particular order:

Too Drunk to Foucault.

. . . [a punk band?? Single: "Subjectivity, Suspect Titties"]

Guattari and the Soft Subversion.

. . . [this could be like psytrance meets grindcore...]

Derridisco and the Deconstructionworkers.

. . . [experimental disco, obviously. Single: "Break My Binaries"]

The Bataillions.

. . . [60's hippie rock with some hardcore thrown in. Single: "Marcusin' You")]

Will to Cower and the Nietzchean Nightmare.

. . . [thrash metal!]

Homi and the Bharbharians.

. . . [post-colonial metal. Singles: "Po-Mo/Po-Co" & "Franz Fanonatic"]

Arendt You Ready to Dance?

. . . [good & evil / morality-themed disco]

Y'Artaudally Cruel and the Pirate Spectacle.

. . . [the spectacle of glam rock... but with pirates in straight-jackets?]

Similarity and Singularity.

. . . [a play on Difference and Repetition -- monotone keyboard tunes]

Baudretarded and the Simulacrazy.

. . . [experimental noise with gibberish singing?]

The Spectral Corporeal Temporal Aporial Messianic Events.

. . . [chaotic experimental existentialist noise]

Judith's Butlers.

. . .[sweet 80's Men At Work styled tunes performed by ladies in tuxedoes.]

Lukacsucker and the Manifesto-thumpers.

. . .[sexified/pornographic political garage rock?]

Gayatri and Guattari.

. . .[there'd be go-go dancers as back-up, and some mixes of Atari-tunes]

Spivak and the Post-colonial Zizek's.

. . .[I'm thinking like if M.I.A. did punk rock...]

The Spivak-Zizek Love Affair.

. . .["multicultural" mod-punk?]

From Freud to Marx.

. . .[The first single could be, "Yet another one, 'cuz everyone's doin' it" -- classic grunge rock]

Lacan't Stop the Music.

. . .[mirrorball disco. A single could be, "Zizek's Knocking on My Open Door"]

Deleuz'in It.

. . .[noise meets hip-hop, Singles: "Repeat Dis!" & "A Thousand Platinum Plateaus"]

Badiou & Badion't.

. . .[math metal.]

Proudhonesty & the Anarchist Economy.

. . .[obviously a punk band. Single: "Marx Doesn't Like Us!"]

Sartrean Sycophant and the Being Nothingnessness.

. . .[??? it could be anything... or nothing?]

Sir Francis and the Bacon Bits.

. . .[some kind of modernist, nihilistic, yet punk-y stuff]

Metaphysically Whiteheads.

. . .[obviously an experimental noise band. Single: "Too Trendy to Cite Us"]

Husserl's Table.

. . .[is there such a genre as phenomenological music? I bet it was popular in the 70's.]

Being Hannah & Hiedegger's Mistress.

. . .[some kind of Sid and Nancy punk duo]

Just Irigiray of Sunshine.

. . .[a 60's-ish garage mod/punk/pop band]

Immanence Airplane / Deterritorialized Modalities.

. . .[a chaotic experimental noise band]

Immaculate Misconceptions and the Messianic Temporalities

. . .[psytrance?]

This is what "Writing Mode" looks like:

2010-12-19T14:52:00.003-05:00

The bottle is filled with water, not wine. Although, Scotch or a glass of red wine are sometimes quite useful and enjoyable.

Candied Mushrooms on a Bed of Polenta

2010-12-13T14:52:00.006-05:00

Candied Mushrooms:

3 shallots, sliced thinly

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of cremini mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup (a splash) of red wine

3 tbsp - 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

Salt and Pepper to taste

Freshly grated parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

1. Begin by heating the olive oil in a medium sauté pan on medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic until translucent.

2. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about two minutes, just enough so that they start to brown a bit.

3. Add the remaining ingredients (balsamic vinegar, red wine, maple syrup, salt and pepper). Let the alcohol from the wine cook off a bit (about 5 minutes) and then lower the head to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for about another 10 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the more "candied" (caramelized) the mushrooms become.

Polenta:

3/4 cups finely ground cornmeal

1 1/2 cups water

3 tbsp half & half or whole milk

1 tbsp butter

~3 heaping tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan on high heat, add the cornmeal and water with a pinch of salt.

2. Once the polenta starts to bubble and boil, lower the head to medium and stir constantly with a fork.

3. Once the polenta has thickened (it should only take 2-3 minutes), stir in the butter, cream or milk, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Serve the mushrooms on a bed of the polenta and top with some more freshly grated parmesan cheese. A very quick and tasty snack.

If you want to take some extra time and get fancy, make the polenta first, before the mushrooms, and while the polenta is hot, spread it evenly in a shallow cake pan so it's about 1/2 inch to an inch thick. Let it it set. You can make this go faster by putting it in the fridge. It'll take about 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour... enough time to cook the mushrooms. Once the polenta has set, slice it into squares or rectangles and then slice them diagonally, so you have triangles. Fry these triangles in olive oil until crisp on both sides. Serve under the candied mushrooms with freshly grated parmesan.

Some Thoughts on 'Redefining Our Relationships' (2.0 / The original version has been slightly edited.)

2010-11-26T15:26:00.021-05:00

Last year, a really important and special person in my life introduced me, not to the idea, but to the actual, realizable possibility of polyamory/non-monogamy/open relationships. I was always interested in the radical possibilities of alternative relationship forms in their way of actively attempting to destabilize systems of patriarchy and heteronormativity. What I mean to say is that, alternative relationship forms allow us to take the "possession" out of relationships. They're a way of actively recognizing and realizing (putting into action) that we do not own our partner's body. If one truly believes in individuals' autonomy and freedom, and one believes that one's own body cannot be possessed by another, one can only afford his or her partner(s) the same respect. But I always figured I was "too jealous" to be involved in non-monogamous relationships. Even when my best friends hang out without me, I end up getting jealous or feeling excluded, so how could I be okay with having a partner have lovers outside of me?

Well, this "very important person in my life," passed on a book to me by Wendy O-Matik entitled Redefining Our Relationships. I just recently picked it up again and I thought I would take the time to write about it. O-Matik is an anarchist and, if you hadn't guessed by the title, her 80-ish page long, easy-to-pick-up-and-read-in-an-afternoon book is about open relationships. I must confess here that I find some of the analysis, language, and political outlooks in the book a little too shallow. I'm harshly critical about folks that use general terms like "society" and "culture" to explain complex, multifaceted, inter-relational, and highly varying social, political, economic, and cultural circumstances. I'm also weary of people that presuppose autonomous choice and base revolutionary possibilities on individual choice. Nor do I appreciate those that think of complex assemblages of power/knowledge as "institutions" or "pre-conceived notions," but I'm also highly academically invested in this stuff. So, I kind of just let that stuff fall aside. Part of what I love about O-Matik's book is that it is aimed at being accessible to everyone. Radical relationships shouldn't just be a privilege for theory-reading people. One other caveat I would like to make briefly is that O-Matik's book discusses one very particular type of alternative relationship, where one has a primary, stable partner and other lovers. This is definitely not the only type of alternative relationship to explore. I think ultimately it comes down to preferences. Nonetheless, I think there are some key things that I was able to take away from the book, enough to realize that alternative relationships, while they are not for everyone, don't require you to be some magical person that doesn't experience jealousy, and is just really cool and open and awesome. Rather, in order to be in open relationships (or really in any relationship for that matter), we need to unpack our jealous feelings to find their source. Anyway, I have made a kind of list, in no special order of some great things I got out of the book that I feel can be applied to any relationship.

1. Defining Our "Lovers."

Lovers aren't just people with whom you have sex; they're people for whom you care and love. O-Matik explains that our friends, best friends, cuddle-buddies, pen pals, occasional bed buddies--really anyone who is important to us in our lives--can be considered our lover. Why? Because we love them. These are all people that are important to us and meet our needs in some way, and we meet their needs in some way. As lovers, we share something with each other that is fulfilling to us, and what we "get out" of the relationship is likely unique to it, because it is based on unique personalities coming together. Think about your different friendships with people: there are some friends perhaps that we have with whom we just relax and drink our sorrows away, and others with whom we go on mind-boggling intellectual journeys. A key element in redefining love and lovers is realizing that love comes in all forms, and thinking about our friendships as love allows us to explore them in a deep and meaningful way. It also allows us to put out in the open the realization that no one relationship can meet all of our needs. In this way, we can manage our relationships better. In a traditionally or hegemonically monogamous context, "the L(ove) Word" can be rather scary, as it implies some kind of scary commitment (that is scary because it means we are agreeing to contract ourselves into loving only one person and close ourselves off to other forms of love). But, if we it put out in the open that love exists in all sorts of forms, and is shown in a number of different ways, not just sexually, and we agree that these forms of love do no take away from our other relationship, but rather offer us perhaps a greater sense of fulfillment, we're more free to be open with our feelings about people. In the end, it allows for deeper, more meaningful and intimate relationships with people. When intimacy doesn't just mean sex, it is easier for us (in a monogamous context) to recognize the loving connections we have with people (and however sex is added in to the intimacy equation is something to be negotiated and discussed openly). As a result of redefining love and intimacy so that they no longer have the scary meaning they do in a traditionally monogamous context, I'm never afraid to tell my friends how much I love them and how important they are to me. I'm no longer afraid to tell anyone in my life how important he or she is to me.

2. Loving for the sake of loving.

This kind of goes with the first point, but just to build on those last two "confessions," I thought I'd add this point. I think monogamy implies some kind of reciprocal contractual thing, in the sense that we form a kind of contract with another person, where we're bound to them. In the most extreme cases, which actually do exist, it's as if we do not exist as subjects, as individuals, outside of this contract. Part of alternative relationships means putting ourselves at the centre, being self-possessed. We don't start our relationships based on the idea that we possess another and they possess us. Instead, we each belong to our own selves. It may sound cheesy but the first step in loving is to love yourself. I think a lot of people find comfort in monogamy because it's a contracted guarantee that someone else loves and cares for us, so we don't have to worry so much about loving ourselves. We can kind of hold back our insecurities instead of opening them up, exploring them, and maybe overcoming them. Loving for the sake of loving has the goal of ultimately loving to our fullest potential and having more love to give and more love in our lives. This means we must love ourselves and take care of ourselves. Part of this involves deep introspection about who we are, what we want, and who we want to be. This can be scary because it could mean setting up a plan or goals for ourselves that may or may not be achieved. Loving for love's sake is also scary because it means expressing our love and care for others without expecting anything in return. This can be really hurtful, but if we take the time to love ourselves and work at building meaningful relationships around us, what could be crippling and debilitating simply becomes a little bruise to the ego. That's fine; let's move on.

3. Trust and Communication.

All relationships, be they family ties, workplace relationships, friendships, or romantic/partner relationships, require constant communication and a solid foundation of trust. I think for most of us this seems really obvious, but even in picking up O-Matik's book again recently, I was reminded that we don't always practice this stuff in our everyday lives. We don't always talk about our deepest insecurities, fears, or emotions with our friends/family/partners/lovers for fear of being too needy, or perhaps because we're afraid to address them ourselves. It's also important to remind ourselves to actively communicate our needs. I think in monogamous relationships once we've kind of had "the talk" about being together, the lines of communication aren't always open. Open relationships, simply because of their structure, require constant negotiation of boundaries, re-evaluation of feelings, and active discussion of needs, etc. Part of having an 'open' relationship means having open lines of communication. When you hardly ever talk about your relationship, it can be really scary to bring things up, for fear of stirring things up. But, when you always talk about your feelings, needs, and relationship, it's really easy to check in.

I think there are at least two elements in establishing an open line of communication. The first comes from the "loving yourself" bit. The less insecurities you have about your partner not loving you because you don't love you, the less afraid you feel of bringing anything up that could "shake up" your relationship with him or her. The second comes from trust. This also, in a way, has to do with insecurities as well. The more you trust your partner and that he or she cares about you, the easier it is to communicate. I really see trust and communication operating as a kind of dialectic. You can't have communication without trust and you can't have trust without communication. I think the key to trusting each other is being open and honest, but the even bigger key is to open yourself up. I really do believe that the less insecurities we have, the stronger support networks we have, and the more "good things" (activities, hobbies, endeavors), and "good people" (family, friends, lovers, etc.) we have going on for us in our lives, the easier it is to take leaps in relationships. We have something to fall back on. Having "full" lives and love for ourselves, and hence no need for another individual to feel fulfilled or happy, doesn't mean that we're flippant or insincere and insensitive about those relationships. Rather, it means we can be more open, up front, and honest about our needs, intentions, etc., and are able to put ourselves into things more deeply and fully because we have less of our own personal happiness invested into things. There's less to be afraid of if things go awry. To put it simply, when we're not looking to specific relationships to make us happy--when we love ourselves and are fulfilled by that love--we put less strain on our relationships. Everything else comes to us as a beautiful, loving supplement instead of the thing we need to make us happy. Okay, I'm starting to feel like I'm writing a self-help book here. I know I am stating the obvious. But, as much as we believe or know these things, we don't always practice them in our daily lives. I mean, letting go of our insecurities is easier said than done.

4. Jealousy.

This is the part of O-Matik's book that I think really helped me the most. As I said, I once thought I was "too jealous" for non-monogamous relationships. But, what I learned from O-Matik, is that people in open relationships experience jealousy too. The key is to not simply repress those emotions and let them fester, but to recognize and unpack them. We need to firstly address (to ourselves) that we're feeling jealous. Next, we need to ask ourselves why we're feeling jealous. Usually jealousy is rooted in some other emotion or insecurity. O-Matik asks, are we jealous that our friend/lover/partner is out with someone else because he or she is out without us, or are we jealous because we feel lonely or empty when we are not with him or her? If the former is the case we might remind ourselves that we appreciate alone time with certain people, so of course our friend/partner/lover does too, and this does not change how he or she feels about us. If the latter is the case, then we should address circumstances in our own lives so that we don't feel lonely or empty without another person.

Cultural representations of monogamous relationships normalize those feelings of "needing" someone else, or feeling "empty" without him or her. Instead of reveling in those emotions, we might take those times when we're not with someone else to perform self love, to do something just for ourselves (take a bath, go for a walk, masturbate, cook an amazing dinner for 1, read, etc.), or to spend time with other important people in our lives. This way, instead of feeling left out, we can take the time to enjoy our own alone time. O-Matik says this helps us better "cherish" the time we have with our lovers/partners. Again, this is easier said than done. And, I admit, there have been a few occasions in my life when my whole group of friends was out without me and didn't call to invite me. How could I not be hurt? Of course I was hurt! I felt like I had missed out on something, and like I had been forgotten. But, I've also been on the other side of those situations, so I try and remind myself that, in the midst of fun, it doesn't always occur to us to "call the rest of the gang." And, as I have been reminded several times, it's not fair to expect others to always be the ones that call you. I could have just as easily called one of them if I wanted to hang out!

It's a bit different with romantic relationships, especially with (sexually/romantically) open relationships. When our partners, whom we love, are spending time with other people, we tend to feel threatened. This is a legitimate feeling. However, this is where trust and communication come in. When we have communicated clear boundaries about our relationships with lovers and are open about our friendships, etc. and our love and care for other people, it's more difficult to let our imaginations run wild. Usually when we feel threatened it's because we've imagined all sorts of wild scenarios about what could be going on between two people without us, and perhaps we're feeling a bit insecure about how this might change our relationship with the absent partner. This is not to say we should rationalize our feelings away and never bring them up with our partners. It's important to share our worries and feelings. However, this is where trust comes in. If we have solid foundations to our relationships with open communication, such that both parties display an active investment in the relationship, it's easier to trust that our partner loves and respects us. We're less likely to feel "replaceable" when our partners are clearly invested in our relationships with them and spend time communicating with us. When everyone is clear and open about intentions, desires, and needs, and all parties involved pay respect to those intentions, desires, and needs, if trust is established, there is usually less to feel threatened or worried over.

All I can say about this is, "This is true, friends." Having been in open relationships, I can say that having a partner that regularly communicated their affection towards me and took the time to check in with me about my feelings was very reassuring. I was never jealous of anyone else in their life because I knew that their feelings for anyone else did not change their feelings about me. I felt like I had a really comfortable place in their life and wasn't "replaceable." Because of this, it was much easier for me to feel comfortable showing my affection and letting my guard down. When my partner is open and honest with me, and I remember, value, and take the time to enjoy all of the other great relationships in my life, I am no longer afraid to love and to show affection. Communication has always been something very difficult for me, because I have always been terrified of conflict and confrontation. But, I've learned that assuming the worst (conflict and confrontation) about open communication is not only irrational, but a horrible way to think about people. If we care about someone, we should think the best of him or her, not the worst. So, knowing that people in our lives care about and respect us, there is nothing to fear in opening the lines of communication. And, if we're testing the waters with someone new, the worst that can happen is that he or she will not necessarily reciprocate our feelings in the same way. It's just a small bruise to the ego; nothing that a little time performing self love, or spending time with those who do love us, can't fix!

5. Dealing with Conflict.

By now this blog entry has got to be about as long as the book it is about, but I just want to address one last part of Redefining Our Relationships that I think is really great. There's a great section in O-Matik's book that specifically looks at dealing with conflict. It explains that the first part of resolving a conflict is to, after a fight, harsh words, or an emotionally intense situation, walk away, cool down, and give yourself time to get rid of intense emotions. I would add it is during this time we reflect on how and what it is we are feeling, what was said and done to make us feel that way, as well as recognizing what we have said and done that we regret, and what we are responsible for in terms of our actions and behaviour for addressing a solution. This seems obvious, but I think it's a good reminder. O-Matik reminds us that part of resolving conflict means: a) realizing that not everything can be resolved; agreeing to disagree; b) coming at things from a 50-50 perspective, meaning that we listen to and recognize each other's feelings, even if we don't agree, and each agree that we're responsible for 50 percent of the solution, instead of just thinking, "I'm right and you need to realize that and do better" or "It's all your fault; you made me feel like shit, now fix it!"; c) discuss things in terms of actions and words ("This is what was said/done, and this is how it made me feel") instead of accusations ("You [always] make me feel like this!" and/or "You did this to hurt me!").

These strategies for resolving conflict are not new to me, and they're something I have tried to make use of for a few years now. Sometimes things really get under our skin, and it's hard to step out of those emotions to analyze them. But, I think the more we remind ourselves of these strategies and keep them in mind, the easier it is to try and put them into practice.

Some Final Thoughts.

I hope you don't feel like I was trying to be your therapist. I think in the end I didn't really end up talking about too much about open relationships and how they're theoretically radical, or how they're better (for me) than monogamous relationships. I think it's because I'm not necessarily against monogamous relationships. Rather, I'm against cultural representations of monogamy that embody heteropatriarchal values such as "ownership" or "possession" of another's body, and loyalty. We can trust and love and care and respect another person "fully and truly" (post-modern criticisms of essentialist notions of "full" and "true" aside; if you can't do this then simply read that statement as "in a way that is mutually satisfying/sufficient"), without having to "possess" them. And, valuing loyalty is just false in the sense that it denies that we love more than one person in our lives and that our different forms of love are expressed in different ways. Loyalty implies that my love for one person will "threaten" my love for another, or prove me disloyal. I think all the talk of insecurities and jealousy above just goes to show that this is not necessarily the case.

In the end, I realize that it's not monogamy that is oppressive. It is the way we think about relationships and love that causes problems in them. I think I've moved beyond thinking about things in terms of monogamy/non-monogamy. I like, instead, to think of all of my relationships as open relationships (or at least embodying the principles of "open relationships" outlined above, whatever name I apply to them doesn't necessarily matter so much to me), because I will always have important loving bonds outside of romantic/intimate partnerships, and I would like all of my relationships to involve open communication and trust. To me, open relationships, or the principles of openness embodied in "Whatever-you-wanna-call-your-relationship," are a way of, in theory, resisting the patterns of possession, insecurity, and loyalty that come from "traditionally" or hegemonically (heteropatriarchal) monogamous relationships. They are not a ticket for me to do whatever, and whomever, I want. Each relationship should be based on clearly discussed and defined levels of comfort (and, therefore boundaries) that are respected by everyone. Whether or not I explore sexual relationships outside of my primary partnership, I still like to think of all of my relationships as open.

However, I think that we can also use the tools and ways of thinking about relationships outlined by Wendy O-Matik to "radicalize" monogamy. I think any healthy relationship can embody all of the above things I just mentioned. This is why I prefer not to fix any specific name to the principles outlined above and also prefer to break down the monogamy/non-monogamy binary. These ways of thinking and acting do not only apply to non-monogamous relationships. If these values are internalized into all relationship forms, so that all relationships operate such that both parties are equal (not in the shallow-liberal-political-theory sense, but in a actively-analyzing-how-power-is-shared-and-taking-steps-to-put-power-processes-out-in-the-open kind of way) and no one possesses or controls anyone else, then monogamy becomes less tied up in the historicized power-relations baggage that makes it so unappealing to those that value radical liberation and autonomy. Instead, it simply means that you have one sexual partner as opposed to more than one sexual partner. And, as a final caveat, please don't take this attempt to radicalize monogamy as my perverted way of valorizing it over other relationship forms. I do not think it is wrong/bag/deviant/unfair/disloyal to have more than one sexual partner. (If I did, I obviously wouldn't be such a fan of open relationships as I am!).

Instead, part of wanting instead to "radicalize" monogamy comes from a critical awareness that often people who practice open relationships or polyamory hold it up as "the most radical" to the point that people involved in radical politics who are in monogamous relationships begin to feel bad or guilty about it. Just because someone prefers to sleep with one person and doesn't feel comfortable having their partner sleep with anyone else doesn't mean they are possessive or practice all the heteropatriarchal baggage that has been tied up with monogamy through history. In fact, as Brenden reminded me with his comment, opening things up sexually can take a lot of work, negotiation, and communication, that can be really exhausting and take away from other areas in our lives. This is not to say that only sexually open relationships require "work" (or, emotional labour) in terms of constant communication, and perhaps negotiation. Ultimately, I think that these choices are up to individuals in whatever partnerships they establish. In my own relationships, I like to have open conversations with people to see what types of relationship patterns they are comfortable with, and I am respectful of them. I don't hold anyone's choices against them. It doesn't mean they are "less radical" or that they are "possessive" and "oppressive" if they prefer that I don't sleep with anyone else. Perhaps it's something that can be re-evaluated in the future as trust and 'security' builds. If not, no problem. That's where open communication about sexual needs and compromise come in. I try not to hold up open sexual relationships as some ideal radical standard to be attained. It's a personal decision. End of story. What matters are the ways in which we attempt to make whatever relationships we have, in whatever form they take, as mutually fulfilling, as non-oppressive, and as free from relations of power as possible.

If you've managed to read through all of that, thank you for following along, and I hope some of it was helpful to you. I know it seems obvious, etc., etc. However, as I said, this material was really helpful for me, and I find it continually helpful to look back to. It's easier to put things into practice when we're constantly thinking about them. I hope you can take something valuable away to your own relationships. The bit about spreading love and love as revolutionary in O-Matik's book is a bit cheesy, and also quite shallow, to me. However, I think there is something to be said about practicing love and openness in our own lives. I wouldn't advocate this as a social, economic, or political solution to all, or any, of the world's problems as hippies of the 1960's might have. Nonetheless, in a world that at times seems absolutely doomed to the horrors of advanced capitalism and systems of oppression, living (at least partly) to love, as much and as deeply as possible, is at least one change of many that we can make in our own lives to make things a little more tolerable. I recognize that coloniality, racism, sexism, citizenship, dis/ability, heteronormativity, class, criminality, and other systems of oppression complicate each of our individual circumstances, which is why I am not trying to argue that "we should all just try and love as much as possible" and that's it. In many cases, material circumstances make one's ability to express one's affection for another risky, dangerous, or punishable. So, I realize there is a privilege in even being able to sit back and analyze how I express my love. But, if we take time to love, in whatever capacity we do (even if it's just ourselves), and to feed our bodies, minds and spirits with just a little bit of something "good," it makes us stronger in our struggles. The more meaningful ties and relationships that we build, the more allies we have, building a stronger collectivity.

Gnocchi and Plum Tomato Sauce

2010-11-19T19:39:00.008-05:00

3 tablespoons+ olive oil

5 shallots, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 cups cooking wine (red)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 - 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (to taste)

1 pinch of salt (to taste)

Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

3 -4 portobello mushroom caps, sliced

1 pints plum tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup olives (green or black), pitted and sliced (or fresh capers)

7-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (garnish)

1/3 - 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (optional)

Grated parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

1 kg gnocchi

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet (preferably cast-iron) on medium heat.

2. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent.

3. Add the garlic, mushrooms and a 1/2 pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper.

4. Once the shallot have caramelized a little bit, and the mushrooms are tender, add the balsamic vinegar, red wine, and maple syrup. Stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the sauce simmer and reduce.

5. In a separate sauté pan, heat about a teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat. Lighty sauté the plum tomato halves, so blacken them a bit. Once they've cooked up a bit (about 4 minutes), add them to the simmering sauce.

6. Add the olives or capers. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Let the sauce simmer until any remaining liquid has reduced to desired consistency.

9. If you choose to add the ricotta cheese, to make the sauce creamy, stir it in. You can also let each diner stir in their own cheesy garnish at the end. I stirred mine into the pasta.

10. Add the boiled gnocchi to your skillet and you're ready to serve with fresh basil and parmesan as garnish.

I served mine with a baby arugala salad with fig-balsamic dressing and a few cherry tomatoes on top!

Bon appetit!

Tasty Vegan Chili

2010-11-10T19:27:00.007-05:00

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 green peppers, diced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 roasted squash, cubed

1 roasted sweet potato, cubed

1 roasted potato, cubed

~2 cups okra, chopped

1 cup of textured vegetable protein (TVP)

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes

- 1 can tomato paste

1/3 cup chili powder

2 jalapeños, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup chipotle sauce (or the sauce of 1 can of chipotle peppers with 2-3 of them minced)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 molasses

Salt to taste

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp vegetable bouillon (optional)

1. In a large pot on medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.

2. Add the sliced carrots and peppers. Cook until relatively tender.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the TVP with the bouillon (or just leave it as is), and then add 1-2 cups of boiling water, to rehydrate it.

4. Add the jalapeños, chipotle peppers, pepper flakes, and chili powder to the pot and stir.

5. Add the canned tomatoes, squash, sweet potato, potato, can of tomatoes, TVP, molasses, and cocoa powder.

6. Add the okra. Let simmer.

7. Salt to taste. Once all the vegetables are tender, add the swiss chard.

Great on its own or served over brown rice. Hearty and healthy. You might want to adjust the spice level, molasses, and cocoa powder to taste.

Vegan Whole Wheat Oatmeal-Nut Scones

2010-02-22T16:24:00.008-05:00

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground (or fresh grated) ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

3/4 cup refrigerated vegan crisco or margarine, cubed

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts, raisins, and/or chopped dried fruit (optional)

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or molasses)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3-1 cup of almond, soy, or rice milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

3. Cut in, bit by bit, the margarine or crisco. If you are not using a mixer, it is easier to do this by hand, using your fingers to break apart the clumps. Continue to stir until the mixture reaches a fluffy consistently that forms light clumps as you stir.

4. Cut in the nuts and/or fruit and oats.

5. In a separate measuring cup, lightly whisk together the maple syrup (or molasses), vanilla extract, and almond (or soy or rice) milk.

6. Bit by bit stir the liquid into the other ingredients. Mix lightly until the bowl begins to form. Once it has come together, lightly form it into a ball with your hands. Do not work the dough too much.

7. Gently press the ball onto a cutting board, forming about a 7" rectangle. It should be about a 1.5" thick. Cut the rectangle into 2x2 inch pieces with a knife. Lightly form each piece into a loose circle and place on a baking sheet.

8. Sprinkle each scone with sugar. Or, for the last 5-10 minutes of baking, lightly glaze each with maple syrup.

10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and firm in the centre.

Vegan Lemon-Raspberry Scones

2010-02-22T15:37:00.008-05:00

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup refrigerated vegan margarine (or vegan shortening), cubed

1 tsp baking soda (Or 1 tsp. corn starch in 2 tbsp. water)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 lemon zested (approx. 3 tablespoons of zest)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1+ cups of fresh or frozen raspberries

1/2 cup almond, soy, or rice milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. If you're using egg replacer mix instead, wait to add this with the wet ingredients.

3. Bit by bit, cut in the vegan crisco or margarine. If you have an electric mixer this should be easy: keep mixing until you have a sort of fluffy/grainy mixture. If you're mixing by hand, it's easiest to mix with your hands, breaking apart clumps of margarine with your fingers.

4. Stir in the lemon zest and raspberries.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, almond (or soy or rice) milk. If you're using egg replacer mix instead of baking soda, ad this to the mix as well.

6. Bit by bit, cut the wet mixture into the other ingredients. Keep stirring until the dough begins to form a ball.

7. Lightly form the dough into a ball with your hands, Push down into about an 8" rectangle onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 pieces about 2 inches squared each. Gently separate each piece into a loose circle and place on a baking tray. Be careful not to overwork the dough.

8. Lightly sprinkle scones with sugar and extra lemon zest if you so desire.

9. Bake for 20-25 mins, until golden brown and firm when pressed lightly in the centre.

DIY Buttons! Acid-wash Planets.

2009-11-03T01:29:00.011-05:00

In honour of my attendance to see Handmade Nation (at The Mercury Lounge) tomorrow (Tuesday) night, I will just make a quick post about a really easy DIY recycling project. They are by no means done (I still want to exact-o up a cool stencil appliqué, and need to purchase some spray glue or lacquer to add in tiny collage pieces), but I think they look pretty cool the way they are. Maybe I will leave some of them the way they are, and work on the rest. I've taken some old activist and election buttons and spiced them up. This isn't a new concept- it just involves a bit of spray paint, and maybe some further design elements.

I have limited spray paint supplies right now, and craft supplies in general, it seems. I have an exact-o knife, but no suitable stencil making material, and no clear spray paint or glue... and also a missing glue gun!!! But, with the paint colours I do have, I decided to go with an Acid-wash planet inspired theme.

I'll be sure to post any updates in design, but until then, you can have a look that the photos so far. I wasn't wearing my glasses when taking them or choosing the best edits, by the way, and I think some of them are a tiny bit out of focus. Poor lighting...

Two Good Soups

2009-10-28T12:36:00.006-04:00

I have a giant soup pot at my place--the kind big enough to boil a whole turkey in, if you had to. These soup recipes are enough to fill the pot. I love making big pots of soup because I live with a lot of people, so it gets eaten really quicky. In fact, I put the soup in individual jars so that people can just grab it and go. Alternatively, a mason jar with a ribbon on it, full of tasty soup, makes a nice little present/treat for a friend. These soups also freeze really well. And they make really nice potluck treats. So, here are 2 really hearty good soups:

"v8" Soup.

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled

3 medium-largish potatoes

6-7 carrots

4-5 large beets

1 bunch of green kale, chopped

2 cans of white beans

2 cans of crushed tomatoes

3 litres of unsalted vegetable broth or water (as needed)

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

Thyme, or whatever herb you like

1/2+ tsp of chipotle chili powder

1. Cube the potatoes, peeled sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots. In a bowl, rub in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven at 350, for about 45 minutes, or however long it takes your oven to roast them...

2. In a large pot, sautée the onion in about a tablespoon of olive oil at medium heat. Add the garlic, chipotle chili powder, some thyme or other herb (if you'd like), and a bit of black pepper. Continue sautéeing.

3. Once the onions are "done," add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and the two cans of white beans. Let it simmer to a boil.

4. Once the start of your broth is boiling, add the kale and 1 1/2 litres of vegetable broth. Cover the pot and steam the kale in your broth. This should take 5-10 minutes. Once the kale is steamed, use a hand blender to completely blend the broth, kale and all. If you want to make the kale chunks as small as possible, you can use a food processor, but if you don't mind a bit of texture, the hand blender is a lot easier and less messy.

5. Finally, add your finished roasted veggies. Let them simmer in your mashed up broth for 20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

6. Once the roasted flavour has simmered into the broth, use a hand blender to blend in the roasted veggies. Add liquid (broth or water) and seasoning as desired.

White Bean, Kale, Potato, Roasted Garlic Soup

1 bag of white beans (about 2 1/2 cups dried), soaked for 24 hours.

2 onions, sliced

16 small-medium potatoes, diced

1 bunch of kale, chopped

6 large cloves of garlic (unpeeled)

Fresh rosemary, about 5-6 "branches"

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

4 tbsp Lemon juice

2 cubes of unsalted vegetable bouillon

1. Rub the diced potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Rub the unpeeled garlic cloves in olive oil. On a cookie sheet, roast them in the oven. About 40-45 minutes, or less- depending on your oven.

2. Sautée the onions in a large pot. At 2 tbsps fresh rosemary, chopped, and pepper.

3. In a separate smaller pot, boil the white beans until cooked. You can add a bit of bouillon so that they absorb the flavour. When they're done (about 20 mins on high), add them to the pot with the onions.

4. Once you've added the white beans to the onions, add 2 cups of boiling water with 1 cube of vegetable bouillon dissolved in it. Then add the chopped kale and cover the pot with a lid. Steam the kale for about 10 minutes.

5. Once the kale is steamed, use a hand blender to blend the broth.

6. Add the roasted potatoes, and blend. Dissolve the second cube of bouillon in another 2 cups of water, and add as needed. Peel the roasted garlic cloves and add them as well.

7. Chop the rest of the rosemary, and it along with the lemon juice and more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes and it's ready to eat.

*I also added broccoli stalks to this soup. I Chopped them and boiled them in with the onions before I added the kale. I found them to be very "woody," but if you want to use broccoli, or broccoli stalks, it works well in this soup.

Daal Meets Chili Stew

2009-06-21T12:53:00.005-04:00

This is a super quick and easy dish to make that requires very little attention. You can add spinach and other veggies to it beside the leeks, as well.

3-4 cups of dried red lentils

1 small onion, diced

1 cup (or one whole bunch) of leeks, chopped

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 can white beans

2 cans kidney beans

2 heaping tbsps low salt vegetable bullion

2 tbsps garlic powder

2 heaping tbsps chipotle chili powder

2 heaping tbsps cumin

1/4 cup of red pepper flakes

3 tbsps lemon juice

2 tbsps olive oil

2-4 cups water

1. Rinse the red lentils and soak them for approximately three hours. Rinse and drain.

2. In a large pot, heat 2 tbsps olive oil on medium-high heat. Begin to sautée the diced onion and chopped leeks. Once they have softened up a bit, add 1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice to the pot and finish sautéeing until tender.

3. In a measuring cup, mix two cups of hot tap water with the vegetable bullion and 1 heaping tablespoon each of the garlic powder, cumin, and chipotle chili powder. Reserve the other 1 heaping tablespoon of each to add later.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the lentils and water-spice mixture to the pot. Allow to simmer until the lentils begin to thicken and cook a bit. Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer.

*** You can totally stop here and eat the lentils like this with rice... super yummy! ***

5. Once the lentils are soft, add the three cans of beans and the remaining amount of spices. Add more or no water depending on how much water the lentils soak up. I added about another cup with the rest of the spices.

This dish is great when served with rice cooked with a little bit of tumeric. The cumin and red lentils give it a kind of daal feel while the chipotle, lemon juice, and kidney beans give it a chili feel. You can try adding TVP for extra texture and more of a chili feel.

Sexy Pasta Salad

2009-06-19T17:39:00.005-04:00

1 900g bag of rotini (or any other pasta)

1 8oz bag of spinach (or frozen, thawed)

1 bunch of asparagus, blanched & sliced into 1 " pieces

1 cup of blanched peas (or frozen peas, thawed)

1 large tomato, diced

1 large avocado, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsps of fresh basil, chopped

Dressing:

1 1/2 cups pesto (if you are vegan, make sure you get a cheese free pesto)

1/4 cup milk, soymilk, olive oil, or vegannaise (I used milk)

6 tbsps lime juice

1 tsp of chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 clove of fresh garlic, minced

A dash of salt

Optional (i.e. if you're feeling ritzy)

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan

1. Cook the pasta. When you are finished, rinse it in a strainer with cold water to cool it down quickly, and also to keep it from sticking.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sautée pan on medium-high heat. Add the four cloves of garlic and cook for a minute. Once they are starting to brown, add the entire 8 oz. bag of spinach. Cook until just wilted. It helps if you put a lid on the pan, once you've stirred it around for a bit.

3. Once the spinach is done, transfer it into a bowl and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it down quickly.

4. While your pasta is cooking, you will blanch the peas and asparagus. (You can even use the same pan that you just cooked the spinach in). Just add an inch and a half of water, put in the veggies, and put on medium heat. Cook until just bright green, so that they are cooked but still have a bit of a crunch (about 3-4 minutes). Then, drain them and rinse them with ice cold water.

5. Toss every thing in a large mixing bowl and stir together, including the chopped basil, and diced avocado and tomatoes.

6. Stir in the dressing, a little bit at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that pesto is quite salty. If you are going to add fresh parmesan and pine nuts, add them bit by bit with the dressing.

For a super healthy option, use vegan pesto, omit the milk and go for olive oil cut with extra lemon juice and a bit of water (or apple cidar vinegar). For the pasta, use brown rice pasta, and put in 2 tbsps of flax seed into your dressing.

Food for thought... thought for food?

2009-03-26T13:24:00.004-04:00

I initially wanted this blog to be primarily recipes again, but I have only posted two recipes so far. This is unacceptable! So, here are a couple more veggie/vegan friendly recipes that I have up my sleeve. The first recipe just sort of happened a couple months ago. I was making a grilled cheese sandwich and I had some extra tomato left over, so I just fried it up, put it on top of my sandwich, and ate it with a fork and knife. With a little thinking, it turned into this:

Black Tomato Open-Face Sandwich

2-4 Slices of bread (halved ciabiatta buns, crumpets, french loaf), toasted

1-2 Large Beefsteak Tomato(es)

1+ Avocado(es) OR Fresh Mozzarella cheese

Fresh basil leaves or dried basil

Oil

Salt and Pepper

1. You can do this on a grill or in a pan, if on the grill, heat it to high flame. If you are doing it in a frying pan, heat it on med-high heat with about a teaspoon of oil.

2. Slice the avocado or mozzarella and set aside. If you're using mozzarella, you can put it on top of the bread under the broiler for a minute to melt it.

3. Slice the tomatoes into 1 cm thick rounds, so they look like tomato steaks. If you're cooking them on the grill, brush them with oil and pepper (and dried basil if you're using it dry). Grill for 5+ minutes until soft and grill-marks appear, with golden brown/black edges. If you're pan-frying the tomatoes, fry for about 5+ minutes until golden brown with black edges. Season with pepper and dried basil while cooking, or just pepper.

4. Assemble the sandwiches, open-faced style with the bread and cheese/avocado on the bottom, followed by fresh basil if you have it, and then topped with your grilled tomato and some salt, and perhaps some extra pepper.

The vegan avocado version of this sandwich is amazing! I ate it for breakfast this morning on the Wild Oat's potato sage sourdough bread. I really like using avocado as a substitute for fresh mozzarella because it provides the same creamy freshness. It's also amazing what a little grilling does to bring out the flavour of tomatoes. I never used to like cooked tomatoes, but I think it's because they have always been over-cooked. By the way- you can definitely make this sandwich english-muffin/eggs bennie style and use egg instead of avocado, and add cheese too. I think it would be really delicious.

Now that grill season is almost upon us, I think I'm going to bust out a little portobello mushroom burger action! Since, I can't leave you with just one recipe, I'll leave you with this one too:

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers

4 Ciabatta buns

4 Large Portobello mushroom caps

4 slices of smoked provolone or smoked gouda OR avocado AND/OR carmellized onions

1 Bunch of fresh, washed arugala

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

Dried Thyme (optional)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. If you have a top rack for toasting things, makes sure you put it on.

2. Slice the buns in half and brush each side with olive oil and garlic. You can sprinkle a bit of salt to. The first time I made this I made a sort of garlic butter and used it on each side, which is amazing, but if you want a vegan version, go for the olive oil, and sprinkle a bit of salt for flavour, if you'd like.

3. Brush the mushroom caps with olive oil, any leftover garlic from the bread and lots of pepper. You can also season them with thyme if you'd like.

4. Grill the mushrooms 3-5 minutes on each side, until soft and juicy, but still meaty. Toast the buns until golden brown.

5. If you're making "cheeseburgers" add the provolone or gouda on top of the caps a few minutes before they are done to melt the cheese. And season with Salt.

6. Assemble the burgers, adding the arugala (and avocado or onion if you're going for the vegan version).

These are absolutely heavenly. When served with some fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumber, or a nice salad, they make a really great backyard meal.

Fixed life.

2009-03-24T13:01:00.008-04:00

Saturday was host to a sort of fixed gear circle jerk known as March Madness. It was put on by my friend Jason and some of his friends/roommates. It was a trackstanding, sprinting, and skidding (worst stopper) competition. Mostly it was just a place for people to all meet up and do the thing they love to do. I am not really a competitive person, nor do I like to "show off" my skills (or lack thereof), so I treated it like a party more than anything. It was awesome to just joke around and have a good time. I really liked how down to earth and fun this event was. Everyone was just there to have a good time. No one talked smack, no one was intimidating or sized anyone up. It was really welcoming. This was the first time that my friends and I wore our "crew" hats, which we made last summer as a sort of joke. Originally, they were a silly jab at fixed gear hipsters and their mutated cycling cap style involving baseball caps with turned up brims. Now I just like to think of them as ridiculously awesome.

They even have glow-in-the-dark paint around the cogs and lettering. The best part is that not only do we have a crew named "Crew" with a font logo of DIY-style lettering on top of a cog stencil, we also have a "symbol" that is fluorescent orange. It is essentially two circles with a triangle in between them in the style of the triangle that is formed by the top-tube, seat-tube and down-tube on a bicycle frame. As you can tell from the photo above, things got pretty silly. There was a good ten-minute photo session of trying to look ridiculous and hardcore. Here are some of the gems:

And, just in case you were wondering, a good time was indeed had by all. In fact, the photo below serves as proof to this, as much as it also proves that some of us did indeed wear helmets!

It was also the place that I unveiled my new "whip" to all who were there to see. Anyone who knows me knows well that I am not a "ballin'" person. Having really nice things makes me feel uncomfortable. If took me practically a million years to get an iPod, and it was only after I saw how practical they were for treeplanters and people who travel and love music. And, well, once I had an iPod and Mac software, and then started to see Mac OS's and how well they work and my computer started to die... well, it was only logical to get a Mac. And... well, yeah I have a cellphone, but it's not an iPhone or a razor or a krazor or anything like that. Anyway. I like to think I am practical. I like good quality things that will last me forever. If I had the money, I would totally be one of those yuppies with all sorts of outerwear and technical fabrics. I love technical layering. I think it's because I cycle through the winter and tree-planted. Tree-planting made me appreciate dry warmth in only a few layers that I could take on and off throughout the day with the weather, and cycling made me appreciate the compact ness of the layers. A wool sweater, hoodie, and jacket provide nice layered warmth, but they make you look like a damn marshmallow!

So, in that sense, having a nice, sturdy bike is a practical thing. In the past I have been all about "whatever works" in terms of cheapness and quality. However, I was lucky enough to have a KHS track frame practically fall into my lap for $40 bucks cash and a dinner date. Sweet! How could I say no?! After the hell I put my first fixie through with working as a messenger bike full-time, being my sole source of transportation, and riding through the shittiest winter days, I figured it was time for a frame that was less tired. Plus, it's great to have a spare bike to ride on balmy days, and also to have a spare bike for friends to ride, and also to have something to put on the road while I overhaul my first bike. I was also lucky enough to have gone into Phat Moose Cycles on the right day. Kent had built a set of 48 spoke wheels with Velocity Deep V's around a set of Steelwool hubs that had been ridden for a few miles and were being resold at $250 for the set. When it was going to cost me around $180 for a Velocity Deep V around a Miche hub... and then find another front wheel in the garbage somewhere, how could I say no to a set?! So, I have a practically brand new set of amazing wheels... with radial lacing in the front. 48-spoke radial. All I needed to do to the frame was repack and re-grease the headset. I had a pair of Nitto track drops given to me for Valentine's day by a special someone, which fit beautifully on the frame. That special someone was also nice enough to lend me his Miche Advanced track crank, with a beautiful, buttery Italian bottom bracket. I am saving up to buy it from him or get another cheaper crank, as it is much to nice of a piece of art to just have given to me, so, it is on loan to me indefinitely. And, I must say, it is the most beautiful piece of equipment I have ever ridden upon. I finally understand the difference between "whatever works" and "high class rollin'." This is what makes me want to buy the crank in installments rather than give it up one day. Of course, the bike still has a bit of my character added to it- an "I like to ride on top" sticker, and hideous yellow bar tape. Okay, the yellow bar tape was what I had laying around in my drawer. Originally it was so offensive and hideous to me (beautiful bars like that should not be wrapped fully like that, especially with matching-but-not-quite-exactly-to-the-frame-coloured tape). However, now I think it just adds a bit of humour, to go along with the silly sticker and mad spoke cards (which I will definitely take out soon, once I've rolled with them for awhile). You must be curious, after all this textual-oogling I've done, what my bicycle (who is yet to be named, but is definitely female) looks like. Here she is in all her against-a-tree-photo-shoot glory:

And, just in case you were wondering, I am indeed rolling brakeless for the first time ever. It's sweet! And it looks really sexy too! See:

I haven't been so glowing with joy since my first build. The second time around is even better than the first!

A recipe, but not for disaster

2009-03-17T12:32:00.004-04:00

So, for my mother's birthday we ended up going to Play, Stephen Beckta's new restaurant at the corner of York and Sussex. It's a kind of tapas concept, with wine pairings. One of the starters we had there was grilled romaine hearts served with prosciutto, gorgonzola and crushed pistachio. We had it without the prosciutto of course, but considering they had the most amazing fine cheese selection there, I opted for a little cheese action. Shitty cheese is a no-no, but fine, local, artisanal cheese is something I just cannot resist. I think it's important to support ethical farming, after all! Anyway, the richness of this dish is an absolutely amazing appetizer that will have you thinking you just ate the meatiest cheeseburger ever in terms of satisfaction! Romaine hearts were on the 50% off rack at the grocery store so there was no better time than to try it at home!

Grilled Romaine Hearts

3+ romaine hearts

3 tbsp+ olive oil

1+ clove of garlic, crushed

Salt & Pepper

Dried basil or fresh basil, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup Pistachios, crushed

1/8 cup crumbled strong cheese OR nutritional yeast (vegan)

1. Preheat the barbeque to full flame. Charcoal barbeques add a great flavour (or charcoal chunks in the bottom of your propane bbq), but without it works too.

2. Chop the stems off the romaine hearts and separate them into leaves. Leave the smaller interiors together as one piece so they don't fall through the bbq grates.

3. Drizzle the leaves with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and basil (optional). You can also do this while they're on the grill, which works well.

4. Toss the leaves on the grill. Agitate every once and a while with tongs. There is no need to flip them. It takes 5+ minutes to cook them- just until they are still crunchy, but with blackened and browned edges and are a tad wilted.

5. Top with pistachios & cheese while still hot, or nutritional yeast.

Enjoy!

Mangoes and strawberries were on special so for desert I made an amazing fruit salad too:

Strawberry Mango Salad

2 mangoes, cubed

2 handfuls of strawberries, quartered

1/2 lime

1/8 cup poppyseeds

10 mint leaves, chopped finely

2 tbsp sugar or maple syrup to taste

1. Mix the mangoes and strawberries together in relatively equal parts.

2. Sprinkle in the mint, poppyseeds, sugar/syrup and mix well.

3. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over top and mix again.

Enjoy!

In the lack of an empowered labour movement, there's always thoughts about kitchens to hold onto.

2009-03-16T12:04:00.004-04:00

So, for a seminar presentation the professor suggested a debate-style, two-sided kind of thing which discusses how Canadian identity [sic] has gotten to where it is and where it's going or what are issues for concern in the future. My group is the future group, and, as theoretically po-mo (post-modern) as we are, we came the title to “Evolution? Of Identit(ies) in Canada.” I won't get into how worn thin I feel past/future arguments are, and it doesn't really need to be re-iterated that these type of arguments simply further normalize the already dominant eurocentric Hegelian understanding of history. Our group is working under the understanding that there is not and cannot be one coherent Canadian identity and that dividing identity struggles between present and future implies that certain struggles have been addressed. Yes! gains have been made, yes! Battles have been won. However, the more we look at it this way, the more likely movements are to fade and we are to lose ground. Whatever happened to solidarity? Okay, so maybe you've won a battle, turn your efforts in solidarity with others. Imagine how much levelling power there would be if every struggle banded together. Mind you, this is problematic because oppression, just as identity, is intersectional and sometimes the oppressed can be the oppressor.

However, it is this type of thinking that got me interested in my portion of the presentation. We've angled our presentation to essentially discuss how for the future, while there are new points of concern, movements that have petered out need to be reinvigorated and ones that have been silenced need to come to the forefront. I don't want to go on a rant here. Okay, I reaaaaaally do, but I don't have the time right this minute to come up with a completely well-thought-out argument, so maybe I can post it in the future. But, my topic is the labour movement. I say this because while the old unions are still going strong, they have also become heavily bureaucratic- forgetting the essence of what they represent. Moreover, it seems to me that young workers have become far more complacent. There's no sense of radical solidarity. I'm not saying we all have to occupy our coffee shop establishments or send threats of violent action to the pizza restaurants. But, whatever happened to demanding a living wage, and banding together? There's power in numbers. It makes me so sad to see that young workers (especially with manual labour jobs like treeplanting and bike couriering, that are particularly dependent on the economy) have little to no bargaining power. I am not blaming this on the workers. I am blaming this on the system. It's hard to stand up and fight for better circumstances when employers can full-well just fire you and hire some other chump eager to take your job. We as workers need to be less willing to put up with bullshit to give us bargaining power as a whole. But, sometimes a job is a job and a paycheque is a paycheque. But, oh how them union-busting assholes make me want to go on a path of guerilla worker warfare. It's hard to organize when you feel threatened of losing your job. But, something has to be done. They can't have all the power. We will fight and we will win, and we will support each other.

Okay, that was a little more of a political rant than I wanted to post here, especially since it is not at all engaging or intelligent. I apologize. Tomorrow, I promise to post a recipe. I will leave you with five fun kitchen thoughts though:

1. Filling the ice cube tray is the forever forgotten task.

2. The unlabelled jar is always the source of the smell.

3. The last coffee filter was always used in vain.

4. The pot you need is always the one that needs to be washed.

5. Spoons and Tupperware love are talented escape artists.

What are felines that live in laneways?

2009-03-15T12:07:00.018-04:00

The past few days have been pretty crazy. I've been working like mad and am also in the process of getting organized in terms of finding work and thinking about summer plans. Not to mention school work and spending as much time on my bicycle as I can. The swimming pact that I made to go swimming every morning hasn't been too successful, but I will keep at it anyway.

People in the Treehouse Collective (my house) are also trying to organize more events for the community and such. Our last concert with Paper Beat Scissors was really amazing. There was a great turnout and everyone seemed to have a really great time. We know we have concerts down. We learned that from last summer, but we're wanting to branch out. My craft night, for example, has been fleeting, but the idea is gold, so it's something I want to keep working on. We've also made a pact to keep having house dinners on Thursday nights, and we're going to have a clothing/everything swap in April.

On Friday night a bunch of friends got together at my place to hang out and have a sleepover so that on Saturday we could head to MEC to take care of some business (more about that later), and then go for breakfast at Bramasole! Breakfast was awesome. We were expecting 6+ people, but ended up with 3, then four. This is us at Breakfast:

This is breakfast! I was soooo starving after our morning ride. I was also still a little hung over, and I had just loaded up with vitamins, so my stomach was turning and in great need of food. It didn't help that we wanted to arrive half an hour early to get a table, so I ended up sitting there with tasty food smells and nothing but coffee. Luckily, Rishi arrived and helped me feel better by giving me one of these:

I guess I should get to the point at tell you that this breakfast was only the precursor to a day of fun: my second ever Alleycat! The first one I did was when I was still a messenger. It was part of the annual North Side Polo Invitational. I got to do that one with my best friend Jesse. This one was a fundraiser for NSPI, so eeeeeveryone was invited, which was awesome.

I like going to more open events like this, that are more welcoming. I don't know why but for whatever reason I get really shy and reserved around the messengers. Anyone who knows me would know that I am by all means not a shy person- in fact I am quite loud and silly, and happy to get to know everyone. I know in the summer it was because I was intimidated. I knew I wasn't a "real" messenger; I hadn't ridden winters, I hadn't proved myself. So, hanging out with messengers and going to messenger events just made me feel uncomfortable. But, when people are friendly and invite me to things, I like to go.

And, this race was really fun. There were 40 people, which is huge for Ottawa standards. And, I did it with my friend Matt, which was awesome. Not only do our bikes looks happy together:

we also make a really good team! Matt was the iPhone photographer and speed demon and I was the sense of direction. If it weren't for Matt, I probably would have happily moseyed my way through, quite enjoying myself, and probably come in almost last. Big swarms of people all intense to get to places are a little much for me sometimes. I'd rather sit back and let everybody go ahead of me! But, thankfully I had Matt to light the fire under my butt. It was only when I was a messenger that I biked as fast as I possibly could, and I forgot what a great feeling that was!

I found that the start of the race was an interesting dynamic, as people were trying to scope each other out and see what was up. There was also a lot of standing around waiting for things to start happening:

(the early arrivals)

(a few more show up)

(everyone standing around waiting)

Then there was the end of the race, where the ranks were in and it was just time to celebrate. There was less shit-shooting to be done, and more talking and catching up, and just being friendly.

Since the big boss security people were hot at our feet, we had to be quick at the Whale, which was the finish line, and head right to Bug Guy's house for the real after party and prize ceremony. This wasn't such a bad thing. It gave us a space to drink and shoot the shit and wait for the prizes. Plus, bikes look a lot cooler in big piles outside of Chinatown houses:

In case you're wondering, this is what bike messengers, fixters, and--well--Alleycat racers in general look like when they're socializing. Notice the beer that is involved and what looks like standing around and talking:

And of course, you're probably just a little bit curious of what the rankings were. There were 40 people in total. Rankings 18-28 (or even 29?) all arrived seconds apart. Silly me, I wasn't in any rush to burst through the door and hand in my manifest, so I ranked 27th. But hey- what's a few seconds anyway? A certain gentleman friend of mine may or may not have done really well... top 3 maybe?

So for my second Alleycat ever, it was a pretty fun day. It was nice to talk to people that I hadn't seen in awhile. Unfortunately, I had to get going pretty quickly for a work party. Mmm free dinner at So Good! So, just as I was kind of getting in the mood to be more sociable, I had to get going. I guess there is always next time.

I've been busy.

2009-03-11T00:56:00.016-04:00

So, my mother's forty-ninth birthday has absolutely crept up on me! Tomorrow night we're going out for dinner as soon as I finish work. So, after getting home tonight at 11:00, I had to get busy. Since I am building my new baby (more on that to come - perhaps in the next post), I am absolutely broke. Besides that, I don't usually like spending a lot of money on presents anyway- at least not on people that have a lot of money and can pretty much buy themselves anything they want. I feel terrible because my mother wanted some earrings, and I easily could have made her some, but I didn't have any good beads laying around and I didn't have the time/money to go out and find some. All the bead stores in Ottawa are severely overpriced. I used to have so many awesome beads to make jewellery, but I guess I slowly used them all. Luckily, I had some canvases laying around that I bought on sale at Wallacks for a dollar each. I really like the small, fat, cube canvases. They are really easy to paint and they stick out from the wall, which is cool.

So, here is what I have accomplished in the past hour or so:

I found this hilarious picture of a fabulous lady on the cover of National Geographic, so I decided to make a card out of it. Unfortunately, I only had sketchbook paper, so the card kind of curled and I had to tape the sides. It is a seriously ghetto looking card, but I think that's what makes it funny:

I also spent time on (one of) these paintings:

I had already painted the sunset a while ago at a craft night (more on the craft nights later). I know the sunset is an uncreative and easy cop-out, but it was fun to paint and I think my mom will like it... it's not so ugly that she won't actually hang it anywhere. I quickly painted the second one with just the clouds tonight. I think they make a cute pair, and I really like paintings that are a continuation on several canvases. Unfortunately, I only bought two of those size. I painted the clouds on the second one with highlights on the top so that they could hang like this:

Most of my acrylic paints are almost gone; I had to squeeze the yellow out of the tube like the last of the toothpaste. Unfortunately, I squeezed out a little too much and had some left over. I also had the last "artist trading card" in the pack. It was a pack of six little square watercolour papers. Thankfully it was on sale, so I think it was only 2.50 or something, but as soon as I bought it I realized what a stupid waste of money it was. I could have just cut up my own from watercolour paper. However, I don't own a paper cutter, nor do I own a book of watercolour paper because it is quite expensive and I don't usually paint with watercolours. I quickly flipped through a National Geographic to find a cool collage-worthy photo, and I made this:

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with this, but I think it will make a cute little tag or something for the bag that I made. I had some cool scrap fabric that I wanted to wrap the gift in. It wasn't quite wide enough to pin or tie at the ends--plus, it wasn't hemmed--so, I went to the sewing machine and made this cute bag, which I think will re-use quite nicely for anything, especially for gifting a bottle of wine:

And, that is all my DIY action wrapped up with a pretty red bow!