Urban Simplicty

 So I was in NYC this past weekend again and these are photos I snapped with my iPhone along the way. It’s amazing what a couple of days and a few hundred miles make. The two above were taken on the way there (even though the warm colors it was still frigid outside) and those below were taken on the way home during a snow storm and further upstate.

Urban Simplicity.

Ok. So these are so easy to make and so tasty that your going to wonder why you’ve never made them before. They go great with a beer or glass of wine or simply as a snack on their own (or even over a salad). Just make them, you wont be sorry.

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

2 egg whites
3 cups raw almonds
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat an oven to 350F. In a medium bowl beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Stir in the almonds and mix them to coat them thoroughly. Mix the sugar, cayenne, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the almonds, then mix to coat. Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet, making sure the baking sheet is large enough to hold the almonds in a single layer (otherwise use two baking sheets). Bake the almonds for about 10 minutes, then turn them using a spatula, and bake them for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool before serving.

Urban Simplicity.

…that president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the second bill of rights. Now I’m no politician, nor do I consider myself the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it seems to me that these should be basic rights for every American and it should be something we should really be focusing on. I’ll get off my little soapbox now.

Urban Simplicity.

I just wanted to mention that I will be away from away computer for the next four days or so…likely will not post again until Tuesday. Thanks as always  for sticking with me, hopefully you’ll visit in a few days. Until then, peace.

Urban Simplicity.

Ok, so to some this may be a bit odd…raw meat. Yup, that’s what one version of this famous Lebanese dish is; raw lamb and bulgar wheat (pictured above). In it’s raw form it is referred to as kibbeh nayeh; think of it as a sort of Middle Eastern steak tartare. When I was a kid we had this every weekend at my grandmothers house, but on a large platter not fancy individual servings as pictured (this was a test meal for an upcoming dinner I’ll e serving…sort of haute cuisine libanaise). It’s funny to think that I never really thought of it as raw meat back then…it was simply kibbeh. We would layer it in flatbread that was fresh from the oven with vegetables and dripping with olive oil (yum!). Pictured above it is garnished with pickled vegetables and whole grain sesame crackers . After the first day then you can cook it in any number of ways—baked, stuffed, fried, patties, etc–but one of my favorites is simply to roll it into meatballs, bake them and eat them on a salad with yogurt and vinaigrette. Now this is making me hungry. Anyhow, the basic recipe is below. If you’d like to see other ways in which to cook/use this recipe, including pictures of it being made, click here. If you’d like other Lebanese inspired recipes, click here.

On the bike…a case of red wine, a gym bag full of wet clothes, and about $100 in groceries.

A few words…It’s interesting, I think, of some people’s reaction to carrying stuff on a bike. I’m so accustomed to it that I sometimes–often–forget that this is not the norm for mainstream America. Earlier today there was a young kid (and listen to me sounding old…he was probably about 19) who started asking me about the bike, and then he told me it was “gnarly” (he actually said gnarly). Anyhow, pictured above is Jim, one of the owners of Hodge Liquors here in Buffalo, one of my favorite places to purchase my wine. He and a couple other guys came out last year to see me load stuff on my bike only that time I had my trailer with me. Tonight he was curious to see a case of wine on a bike without a trailer (meanwhile I also had all the groceries). Anyhow, he came out to chat while I loaded it (on this very cold night) and I asked if he would pose with his wine on my bike. And there you have it. Thanks Jim!

Urban Simplicity.

So I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions how fortunate I am to work in a place that is not only such an incredibly beautiful building, but also has such a lovely garden. And on some days–as a form of stress relief–I’ll go out in the garden on my lunch break. It’s interesting in that exactly one week ago today we were in the midst of the “blizzard of 2014” and today it was 40f and lovely out. There was so much activity in the garden today–animals and plants–that I found it really inspiring. It also reminded me of this quote about Brother Lawrence…

“During that winter, upon seeing a tree stripped of its leaves and considering that, within a little time, the leaves would be renewed and, after that, the flowers and fruit appear; Brother Lawrence received a high view of the providence and power of God which has never since been effaced from his soul.” 

Beautiful, right? Inspiring.  Anyhow, click any image for a larger view.

Urban Simplicity.

What a lovely winter’s night this is. I had been sick on the couch for the past few days, and today was the first day I felt better, so I went for a long city winter walk. Beautiful. That’s a photo I took from my front porch just before I left for the walk. The days are getting longer, they most certainly are!

Urban Simplicity.

Three books, a camera bag, a canvas bag, and two large empanadas.

Urban Simplicity.

Okay. So this is one of those recipes that I’ve either posted multiple times or offered different variations of it. It’s just so delicious and so good for you and so easy to make that I feel I have to post it again. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together and wait (seriously, that’s it). The images are the recipe that I made today…now I wait (luckily I still have some from a previous batch to carry me until this one is ready). Anyhow, the basic recipe is below but if you want additional recipes or to read background material on fermented foods please read this article I wrote some time ago.