Kim Bap: Roll With Me

Kim Bap served with Sriracha, Pureed Ginger, and Ground Shiso

Many years before I worked at The Steeping Room, I worked at a lovely Asian bakery, restaurant, and teahouse called Eastern Accents.  Specializing in Chinese baked goods, Korean food, and tea, I discovered the small family owned business while attending the University of Michigan.  And while I only worked there for a little over a year, it still remains one of the best jobs I've ever had. 

Breathing In

It all started with a dream.  In it, I was talking to Amy, one of owners at The Steeping Room.  We were in a stark white room, sun shining through the windows, and amidst our pleasant conversation, she turned from me and said, "It's a hot mess."  Confused, I asked her, "What is?"  And still facing away from me, she simply replied, "Your blog."

Kale: Simply Delicious

Steamed Kale with Roasted Vegetables

There's been a lot of hype surrounding cruciferous vegetables lately.  But unlike most celebrities or sports teams, in this case the buzz is actually well-deserved.  Research shows that cruciferous vegetables can help lower cholesterol, prevent certain types of cancer, counter inflammation, and detoxify the body.  Wow, is right.  It's actually quite an extensive family of vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, brussel sprouts, arugula, watercress, and collard greens.  And if you were to look to the top of that list, you would find the star of today's recipe: Kale.

A Drop in the Bucket

People who live in Texas would not be likely to use the word, "comfortable," to describe our summers.  And as the years progress since I moved here almost 10 years ago, they seem to be becoming not only increasingly uncomfortable, but unpredictable as well.  If anything, "excessive," might be a more appropriate adjective - excessive heat, excessive lack of rain, excessive use of electricity to maintain cool interiors.  And ah, yes, excessive use of water to maintain the illusion that we're not living amidst a drought.

Not Your Mother's Meatloaf

Meatloaf served with Romanesco Broccoli and Zucchini with Pesto

People are usually shocked when I tell them I eat meat.  Even good friends of mine do a double-take when I order chicken at a restaurant.  And if your knowledge of my diet was to come strictly from my recipe postings, then you would probably be under the impression that I'm a vegetarian with pescatarian tendencies.

But nope - this canary is omnivorous.

Ten Years Ago Today

Remember.

Honor.

Learn.

Grow.  

Love.

Because without a past, we have no future.

The Love and Labor of Juicing

Double Raw Juice Happiness

At work, there has been a lot of juicing lately.  From day to day, there would be a variety of recycled glass jars filled with a spectrum of colors above the server station.  Grassy green, hot-ember orange, vibrant magenta.  It would inevitably turn into a juicing potluck, with each person sharing their concoction with everyone else.  And afterwards, we would all be beaming from ear to ear, exchanging "ooo's" and "aaahh's" and hugs, glowing both figuratively and literally.

Time for a Tweet

Tweet, re-Tweet....

I remember when I first became aware of Twitter in 2007.  I had just returned to acting and was working on the show, "Take Me Out."  A number of cast members, particularly those from New York, would often be typing furiously during breaks in rehearsal.  I would come to learn that they were, in fact, "tweeting."