>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#12)

>A large shoulder bag containing a laptop, an extra mouse, and a 25′ extension cord.
A small shoulder bag with a sketchbook, datebook, pens, a couple books and other miscellanea.
A backpack containing almost 30 pounds of my son’s school books/supplies.
An 8-pound bag of dog food.
A bag with 5-pounds of whole wheat flour.
A 14-year-old kid (he sat on his backpack).
The driver of the bike (me…obviously).

Everything’s Got A Purpose

This is one of the many things that I find truly amazing: put a seed in the ground and it grows. Exactly eight days ago I pushed a bunch of seeds into little plastic trays with soil in them, watered them and put the trays on a table. Within a few days some of the seeds already showed signs of life (the non-organic seeds, not surprisingly, sprouted first). By the middle of the summer these tiny plants–which were even tinier seeds just a few days ago–will supply me with food to eat. Amazing. The seedlings in the foreground are organic cucumbers, which I plan to grow vertically to save space…by the end of the summer those teeny little plants will undoubtedly produce so many cucumbers that I’ll be giving them away. And the small forest of skinny little plants in the background are all cabbage plants…looks like I’ll have enough sauerkraut to get me through next winter. Out of the view of the lens, to the left and in the rear, are tiny corn seedlings that just sprouted today…by the end of the summer they will probably be as tall as last year (click here to see an image). It really is amazing, I think. And I also wonder, at times, how anyone can doubt that there is a Higher Power at work here, as there is with all things. Here’s a favorite quote of mine from the movie Cold Mountain (the movie was good, but the book was, of course better). Maddy was telling Inman her personal philosophy: See, I think there’s a plan. There’s a design for each and every one of us. You look at nature. Bird flies somewhere, picks up a seed, shits the seed out, plant grows. Bird’s got a job, shit’s got a job, seed’s got a job. And you’ve got a job.

>Everything’s Got A Purpose

>This is one of the many things that I find truly amazing: put a seed in the ground and it grows. Exactly eight days ago I pushed a bunch of seeds into little plastic trays with soil in them, watered them and put the trays on a table. Within a few days some of the seeds already showed signs of life (the non-organic seeds, not surprisingly, sprouted first). By the middle of the summer these tiny plants–which were even tinier seeds just a few days ago–will supply me with food to eat. Amazing. The seedlings in the foreground are organic cucumbers, which I plan to grow vertically to save space…by the end of the summer those teeny little plants will undoubtedly produce so many cucumbers that I’ll be giving them away. And the small forest of skinny little plants in the background are all cabbage plants…looks like I’ll have enough sauerkraut to get me through next winter. Out of the view of the lens, to the left and in the rear, are tiny corn seedlings that just sprouted today…by the end of the summer they will probably be as tall as last year (click here to see an image). It really is amazing, I think. And I also wonder, at times, how anyone can doubt that there is a Higher Power at work here, as there is with all things. Here’s a favorite quote of mine from the movie Cold Mountain (the movie was good, but the book was, of course better). Maddy was telling Inman her personal philosophy: See, I think there’s a plan. There’s a design for each and every one of us. You look at nature. Bird flies somewhere, picks up a seed, shits the seed out, plant grows. Bird’s got a job, shit’s got a job, seed’s got a job. And you’ve got a job.

My Personal Challenge

I originally started this blog as a sort of New Years resolution in January ’08 (you can read the original post by clicking here). I’ve always been into biking and walking but wanted to…as Emeril would say…kick it up a notch (I have no idea why I just quoted Emeril because I harbor a secret disdain for the whole celebrity chef thing). Anyhow, I began by attempting a two mile challenge, meaning I would ride or walk any distance within two miles of my house. I got the idea from this site. I encourage you to check it out…you can type in your address and it will display a map with a two mile radias. I go in and out of doing well with the challenge…obviously, living in a region such as the north east US, with it’s harsh winters, makes the challenge even more…well, challenging at times. But this time of year it’s a breeze. The above image is of my dashboard in my vehicle. Two weeks ago after returning from my sisters house from Easter dinner I set the odometer back to zero. As of yesterday I have driven it just shy of 4 1/2 miles (4.4), not bad for two weeks. As of today it reads a little over six miles; I drove to church today because it was sprinkling…rain really is the only element I don’t care to ride a bike in…freezing cold; bundle up…snow; bundle up and be very carful…sweltering heat; take it easy (and maybe bring a change of shirts)…but rain; wet, there’s almost no way around it. Anyhow, the forcast looks good this week…hopefully I’ll continue to do well with the challenge.

>My Personal Challenge

>I originally started this blog as a sort of New Years resolution in January ’08 (you can read the original post by clicking here). I’ve always been into biking and walking but wanted to…as Emeril would say…kick it up a notch (I have no idea why I just quoted Emeril because I harbor a secret disdain for the whole celebrity chef thing). Anyhow, I began by attempting a two mile challenge, meaning I would ride or walk any distance within two miles of my house. I got the idea from this site. I encourage you to check it out…you can type in your address and it will display a map with a two mile radias. I go in and out of doing well with the challenge…obviously, living in a region such as the north east US, with it’s harsh winters, makes the challenge even more…well, challenging at times. But this time of year it’s a breeze. The above image is of my dashboard in my vehicle. Two weeks ago after returning from my sisters house from Easter dinner I set the odometer back to zero. As of yesterday I have driven it just shy of 4 1/2 miles (4.4), not bad for two weeks. As of today it reads a little over six miles; I drove to church today because it was sprinkling…rain really is the only element I don’t care to ride a bike in…freezing cold; bundle up…snow; bundle up and be very carful…sweltering heat; take it easy (and maybe bring a change of shirts)…but rain; wet, there’s almost no way around it. Anyhow, the forcast looks good this week…hopefully I’ll continue to do well with the challenge.

Kahlil Gibran, a retrospective

The following is a medium-length clip (a little over 10 minutes) on Khalil Gibran: writer, poet, artist, philosopher, prophet. If you are not familiar with his life or his beautiful work, click here. I encourage you to watch the video; like his writings it is both beautiful and inspiring.

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#10)

A pint of steaming gumbo (dinner!).

Here’s a simple and flavorful recipe:

Shrimp, Sausage and, Okra Gumbo
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces smoked sausage, split lengthwise and sliced
12 okra pods, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup rice

Make a roux by heating the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir the roux continuously for 5-10 minutes, or until the roux is brown and smells of toasted nuts. Add the diced onion, green pepper and celery, stir it into the roux and cook it for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage and okra, stir it into the roux and cook it for an additional 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and chicken stock. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stir it to remove any lumps. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the soup for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook the soup an additional 10 minutes. While the gumbo is simmering, boil the rice in plenty of salted water. Serve the gumbo in a bowl with a small mound of the boiled rice, or stir the rice directly into the gumbo.

The recipe makes about 3 quarts

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#10)

>A pint of steaming gumbo (dinner!).

Here’s a simple and flavorful recipe:

Shrimp, Sausage and, Okra Gumbo
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces smoked sausage, split lengthwise and sliced
12 okra pods, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup rice

Make a roux by heating the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir the roux continuously for 5-10 minutes, or until the roux is brown and smells of toasted nuts. Add the diced onion, green pepper and celery, stir it into the roux and cook it for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage and okra, stir it into the roux and cook it for an additional 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and chicken stock. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stir it to remove any lumps. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the soup for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook the soup an additional 10 minutes. While the gumbo is simmering, boil the rice in plenty of salted water. Serve the gumbo in a bowl with a small mound of the boiled rice, or stir the rice directly into the gumbo.

The recipe makes about 3 quarts

Signs of Renewal

Chives and garlic…these are always the first to emerge; to me it’s the first real sign of spring. And it amazes me, it really does. I’ve mentioned in previous posts about the harshness of this past winter (I don’t mean to keep harping on it, but it really was cold and snowy…even by Buffalo standards) and I am amazed that these plants made it. I mean really…their roots only go a few inches under the soil and the frost-line is something like 3 feet, so they were without doubt frozen solid for a few months.

I planted a tiny chive seedling and pushed a few cloves of garlic into the soil the first spring after purchasing this house 7 summers ago, and they come up like clockwork each year; by early summer I’ll have to cut them back and give some away because I won’t be able to use them as fast as they grow. Then, come autumn, they’ll wither above ground and their roots will go into hibernation mode, only to sprout again and poke through the cold wet soil and reach for the sun when the time is right. At any rate, I really do see these plants as a time of renewal…even though it’s gray and dreary out today (and only 39F as I type these words), when I see these bright green plants in all their glory I know that things are being renewed and the lushness of summer is just around the corner.

For everything there is a season.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

>Signs of Renewal

>Chives and garlic…these are always the first to emerge; to me it’s the first real sign of spring. And it amazes me, it really does. I’ve mentioned in previous posts about the harshness of this past winter (I don’t mean to keep harping on it, but it really was cold and snowy…even by Buffalo standards) and I am amazed that these plants made it. I mean really…their roots only go a few inches under the soil and the frost-line is something like 3 feet, so they were without doubt frozen solid for a few months.

I planted a tiny chive seedling and pushed a few cloves of garlic into the soil the first spring after purchasing this house 7 summers ago, and they come up like clockwork each year; by early summer I’ll have to cut them back and give some away because I won’t be able to use them as fast as they grow. Then, come autumn, they’ll wither above ground and their roots will go into hibernation mode, only to sprout again and poke through the cold wet soil and reach for the sun when the time is right. At any rate, I really do see these plants as a time of renewal…even though it’s gray and dreary out today (and only 39F as I type these words), when I see these bright green plants in all their glory I know that things are being renewed and the lushness of summer is just around the corner.

For everything there is a season.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#9)

Myself.
My teenage son.
His book bag with about 20 pounds of books and school supplies (strapped to the opposite side of the bike.
A salvaged garden urn.
Kindling for my wood stove (in the urn).
A box containing a shoulder bag, a laptop computer, and two loaves of freshly baked bread.

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#9)

>Myself.
My teenage son.
His book bag with about 20 pounds of books and school supplies (strapped to the opposite side of the bike.
A salvaged garden urn.
Kindling for my wood stove (in the urn).
A box containing a shoulder bag, a laptop computer, and two loaves of freshly baked bread.

Anticipation

Well…it’s that time of the year again. Time to start thinking about the vegetable garden. One of the best ways (I think) to live simply in the city, and be in touch with nature, is to grow vegetables. It is so easy…and an on going experiment for me. Because I have such a small city plot, and have been running out of room, I planted some vegetables in containers last year (with mediocre results). I usually buy seedlings to plant; this is the first year I planted my own (pictured above). This picture was taken yesterday, and believe-it-or-not I think there is a shoot or two starting to emerge already…amazing. If you want to see previous posts of my experiment with growing food in an urban setting (including 8-foot tall corn in my front yard) click here, here, here, and here. And yes, one of those little plastic boxes has corn in it germinating as I type these words…it’s exciting to think that in a few months those seeds will produce plants that are taller than me. The anticipation is almost too much to bear.

>Anticipation

>Well…it’s that time of the year again. Time to start thinking about the vegetable garden. One of the best ways (I think) to live simply in the city, and be in touch with nature, is to grow vegetables. It is so easy…and an on going experiment for me. Because I have such a small city plot, and have been running out of room, I planted some vegetables in containers last year (with mediocre results). I usually buy seedlings to plant; this is the first year I planted my own (pictured above). This picture was taken yesterday, and believe-it-or-not I think there is a shoot or two starting to emerge already…amazing. If you want to see previous posts of my experiment with growing food in an urban setting (including 8-foot tall corn in my front yard) click here, here, here, and here. And yes, one of those little plastic boxes has corn in it germinating as I type these words…it’s exciting to think that in a few months those seeds will produce plants that are taller than me. The anticipation is almost too much to bear.

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#8)

Another Bike.

I’ve done this a few times, though not since last fall. I got the idea online but can’t remember where. I came across a site that sold the Mundo Yuba and it actually showed them being delivered by another Yuba. Anyhow, much to my teenage son’s chagrin, that is his bike being towed. I had to pick him up at his mother’s house this morning and run a few errands. As usual, yes I could have easily hopped in my vehicle but it would not have been nearly as fun (unfortunately, I don’t believe my son shares my enthusiasm…but then again I’m not sure I would have if I were his age). Anyhow, the bike is designed so the front tire of another bike fits into one of the drop bars. All you have to do is strap it tight to the Yuba. The bike being towed turns at it’s own fork so you really don’t even notice you’re pulling one (granting it’s strapped on tight…the first time I did this I didn’t have it strapped down well enough and the vibration chipped paint on both bikes). One more way to go car-lite.

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#8)

>Another Bike.

I’ve done this a few times, though not since last fall. I got the idea online but can’t remember where. I came across a site that sold the Mundo Yuba and it actually showed them being delivered by another Yuba. Anyhow, much to my teenage son’s chagrin, that is his bike being towed. I had to pick him up at his mother’s house this morning and run a few errands. As usual, yes I could have easily hopped in my vehicle but it would not have been nearly as fun (unfortunately, I don’t believe my son shares my enthusiasm…but then again I’m not sure I would have if I were his age). Anyhow, the bike is designed so the front tire of another bike fits into one of the drop bars. All you have to do is strap it tight to the Yuba. The bike being towed turns at it’s own fork so you really don’t even notice you’re pulling one (granting it’s strapped on tight…the first time I did this I didn’t have it strapped down well enough and the vibration chipped paint on both bikes). One more way to go car-lite.

Basmati Rice wiith Tilapia and Asparagus

It probably comes to no surprise to readers of this blog that I like to keep things simple when I cook…I’ve learned, by trial-and-error mostly, and through years of experience, that too many flavors often (unnecessarily) complicate a dish. This is also true with technique, I think…the simpler the better in my book. Even the father of modern cuisine, Auguste Escoffier, liked to keep things simple. Supposedly one of his common quotes to aspiring cooks was faite simple, or keep (or make) it simple. His book, Le Guide Culinaire, was a major influence on me as a young culinarian, as was Le Repertoire de la Cuisine (written by one of his students) and Larousse Gastronomique (written by a colleague with a forward by Escoffier). Though I have to question whether any of these guys ever made Tilapia with Basmati Rice…probably not the most popular foods 100+ years ago. At any rate, this is how I made this dish…it really is simple and most definitely delicious.

I started by dicing the fish and marinating it in a little soy sauce and cornstarch.

While the fish was marinating I cooked some basmati rice in a little chicken broth that was seasoned with curry powder. The curry gives the rice not only a beautiful yellow hue but also a subtle fullness in flavor to the finished dish. While the rice cooked and the fish marinated I had a glass of wine and read a few pages of the book I’m currently reading (The Shack, by William P. Young…I highly recommend it).

When the rice was cooked I heated a little peanut oil in a skillet and sauteed the fish. The cornstarch gives the fish a nice delicate coating.

I removed the fish to a plate and added the asparagus, along with 1/2 of a minced onion, a diced piece of green pepper that I had in the refrigerator, and a minced clove of garlic. After sauteing it for a few minutes I seasoned it with a tablespoon (or so) of Thai roasted chili paste.

I came across this chili paste a few weeks ago at The Lexington Co-op. I’ve used this brand curry paste before, and they are good but very spicy (I love spicy food, but these curry pastes are a bit much sometimes). This chili paste, on the other hand is not spicy at all, and it contains, among other things, tamarind, fish sauce, and shrimp, which adds an interesting flavor to the finished dish.

Anyhow, I then added the fish back to the skillet along with some of the rice (which was still warm) and stirred it gently (I added a small amount of water to “loosen” it a bit). And yes…it was as good as it looks (click on any picture for a closer view).