Back in the Swing

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of working my buns off, and when not working, partying my buns off. Let’s just say, being healthy and exercising have taken a back burner. My schedule these days rarely allows for my nightly spin class/yoga, so instead I signed up for a month of basic training (bootcamp) at 7am Monday-Friday. Today began week two. Although I still haven’t completely gotten back to my lovely routine of staying in and cooking healthy dinners, I have gotten a couple in here and there. Last night I made Fattoush, a Middle Eastern salad that I am obsessed with. I have written about it here before, but I have made some changes to my Fattoush. I now add artichoke hearts, leave out the pita, keep the kalamata olives, add sumac, subtract cilantro and parsley, keep the mint and feta, substitute English cucumbers and baby heirloom tomatoes, and keep the chopped hearts of romaine, lemon vinaigrette and wild Alaskan Salmon.

I have also been baking a bit. Last night I made some pretty tasty meringues with chocolate chips and walnuts. Back in high school when I played soccer, there was this girl on our team whose mom would make the most amazing meringues. I definitely haven’t perfected the recipe, and this one only yielded 10 cookies that were quite flat rather than airy and beautiful. I think my eggs weren’t quite room temperature and I didn’t add the sugar slowly enough. I wanted cookies and I wanted them fast! Unfortunately, meringues aren’t the best cookies to make when in a hurry. And my arm hurts from whisking madly for a good 15 minutes in order to make them even a little fluffy. Those stiff peaks were impossible!

Chocolate Walnut Meringues

4oz chopped up semi-sweet chocolate

3 oz chopped up walnuts

2 egg whites room temp

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whip the egg whites until frothy. Add the salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Beat until mixture starts to thicken. Slowly add sugar and keep beating so stiff peaks form. Gently fold in nuts and chocolate. Spoon mixture onto cookie sheet and cook for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Asparagus soup is my favorite thing

When I see beautiful bunches of asparagus in the grocery store I always end up snatching them up solely because I know that I can make 100 different things with them. Last year I was obsessed with shaved asparagus salad with pancetta and a poached egg. Now I can't stop making this soup. My roommate, Katie, said it's the best soup she's ever had. And it's ridiculously easy and insanely flavorful. I think I have made this soup at least five times in the last couple of months. Total crowd pleaser ;)

Cream of Asparagus Soup

2 or 3 bunches of asparagus

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp dill, chopped (optional)

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp tarragon

3 tbsp flour

2 cups water

2 cups hot milk (I use non-fat)

white pepper, to taste

Break off and discard the tough asparagus bottoms and chop the rest into 1 inch pieces. Reserve the tips for garnish.

Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet. Add onion, asparagus stalks, and salt. Saute for about 10 minutes. When the onions are clear and soft, add the flour, stirring constantly. Cook another 8-10 minutes over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently.

Add water, stirring constantly. Heat to a boil then turn down to simmer. Simultaneously heat up the milk in a separate saucepan, but don't bring to a boil. When milk is hot, add it to the soup, along with the tarragon and dill (if using). Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup.

Steam the asparagus tips until just tender. Add to the blended soup. Add white pepper and more salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Meat Soup

I was looking for something to do with all of this leftover corned beef and I think I found it. I figured split pea soup usually calls for ham, but corned beef is pretty similar cuz it’s salty and I think it tastes better than ham. I love big hunks of meat in my soup and haven’t had yellow split peas in a while so I came up this little number. And don't worry, there is still plenty left to make Reubens for days. And I'm not talking about Paul.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Corned Beef and Carrots

1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and discolored peas discarded

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick half moons

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup cooked corned beef cut into bite-sized pieces

1 32 oz box free-range low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

2 tsp cumin

A splash of olive oil

S+P to taste

Chop up the onions and garlic. Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onions, garlic, carrots and cumin and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add split peas and corned beef and stir to combine. Let mingle for another couple of minutes then add the broth and water. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer over med/low heat for about an hour. Add S+P to taste. Enjoy!

Excessive Meat

Last year when I made corned beef and cabbage it was gone immediately and I had no leftovers with which to make hash, sandos, ect... So this year I thought that I'd better make extra, plus I guess I assumed that everyone would eat more than they actually did. Irish car bombs are pretty filling, after all. Plus, we started out with an assortment of cheeses and salami, including Sharp Irish Cheddar, Toma Trifulera (a soft, creamy cheese with a hint of truffles), and an awesome raw cow's milk cheese from Virginia called Appalachian that had a mild, buttery flavor with a hint of mushroom. So after a healthy amount of booze and cheese, I brought out about 10 lbs of corned beef, along with 3 loaves of Irish Soda Bread, and a massive amount of carrots, red potatoes, and cabbage. Even the dogs had their fill, and I am still left with a crap-load of food today. I made a really tasty hash for breakfast. I am planning on making something corned beef inspired for dinner too, like maybe split pea soup with corned beef instead of ham. We'll see. Any ideas?

Corned Beef Hash

yields breakfast for two

4 red potato halves

1/2 cup cooked carrots

2 slabs cooked corned beef, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

In a bowl, mash up the potatoes, carrots well. Mix in the corned beef. On a cutting board, flatten half the mixture into a patty about 1/2 inch thick and about 6 inches in diameter. Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the patty into the pan and cover. Cook over medium for about 7 minutes per side, or until brown and crispy. Do the same with the remaining mixture. Serve alone or with poached eggs. Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

This was the first thing I made for myself when I moved into the dorms in college. I was probably trying to win friends, and if I remember correctly, it worked! My mom has made this recipe every St. Patty's Day since I can remember. She did not however make Corned Beef and Cabbage because my grandpa used to make it all the time and she hated it. I don't understand how anyone could hate corned beef; it's so salty and fatty. I'm not huge on cabbage anymore since I started this blood type diet, but for one night I'm going to go crazy. I bought three huge slabs of corned beef, two heads of cabbage, a huge bag of both red potatoes and carrots. This is going to be good. Bring on the Jaime!

Irish Soda Bread

yields one big loaf

3 cups flour

2/3 c sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp melted shortening (I used butter)

1 3/4 cup buttermilk (I used lowfat)

2 eggs beaten

1 cup currants (or raisins)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift the first five ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add melted shortening or butter to eggs and mix. Add in buttermilk to egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Attach paddle attachment to mixer. Slowly add egg mixture to the dry ingredients while mixer is on low. Add currants and mix until everything is evenly combined. Pour mixture into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

GTS: Gym, Tan, Soup

Ok, so I don’t tan, but I do make soup. However, not all soups are created equally. I tend to avoid tossing starches into the mix because it can become too heavy and by the next day your leftovers have turned into a thick stew or a pasta dish. But my friend Rose has been talking about this hearty, couscous-laden soup she made the other day that she claimed was still healthy. And so tonight, after an especially grueling day at work (and after plying her with some tasty Moscow Mules from Tipsy Pig), I convinced her to give me the recipe. Turns out she was right, it’s extremely satisfying, and if you use whole wheat couscous, you get a complete, healthy meal in one steaming bowl.

Rose’s Bomb Ass Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 leeks, green parts discarded, white parts chopped (be sure to clean thoroughly)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil

1box of chicken broth (or veggie if you want this to be vegan)

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.

1 bay leaf

2 tsp cumin

1 cup packed spinach

½ cup whole wheat couscous

¼ cup homemade hummus (optional)

S+P

In a large pot, heat about 2 tsp olive oil and sauté the onion, leeks and garlic until softened, about five minutes. Add the cannellini beans, bay leaf, cumin, and broth and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and spinach and turn down heat to low. After five minutes, turn off the heat, add S+P to taste and stir in the hummus. Turn on the latest episode of The Jersey Shore, plop down on the couch and enjoy!

Homemade Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans

Juice of one lemon

1 tsp tahini

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

S+P

Put everything into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. Add more olive oil and S+P to taste.

Soup's On!

I love this time of year when I don’t have to feel weird about eating soup all the time. I’m constantly cold in our drafty old house, and even when I’m bundled up in my new, hideous, fleece socks from dad and sexy UC Davis sweatsuit, all I can think about is warm, hearty soup. Last week, for example, I made asparagus soup one night, went out for ramen at Suzu in Japantown the next night (get the spicy miso ramen), and when I was sick again on Sunday I decided to brave the rain for Little Chihuahua’s Chicken Tortilla Soup. And so this morning, another rainy one, I perused the aisles of the new Whole Foods that just opened up on Haight, and decided on a beautiful head of cauliflower which turned into quite a lovely and velvety soup today. Even though I am usually the one who will throw an entire stick of butter into a soup, I am trying to do things a little healthier these days, and so I am cutting back and only using olive oil to sauté the onions and shallot and garlic in. Trust me, it’s still really tasty. But feel free to use as much butter as your heart desires.

Silky Cauliflower Soup

1 stick of butter (or 3 tbsp olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 head cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets

Water

Salt

1 lemon, cut into fourths

In a soup pot melt the butter or heat up the olive oil. Add the onion, shallot, and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cauliflower, thyme and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 more minutes. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over moderately low heat until the cauliflower is softened, about 25 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until very smooth. Squeeze a fourth of a lemon into each bowl . Enjoy!

Boogers on a Biscuit

When I wasn't plying elderly people with chardonnay, I spent today brainstorming new menu ideas with Chef. We had been going back in forth for the last couple of months about burrata; he doesn't think our clientele would go for it, I think it's the best thing ever. Long story short, he finally listened and we received our first shipment of burrata today. It's going to go on our new and improved bruchetta, which, up until now has consisted of goat cheese with roasted peppers and basil oil. Sorry but I can't stand roasted peppers. Honestly burrata would taste good with boogers sprinkled on top, but I suggested an english pea puree topped with burrata and drizzled with a meyer lemon infused olive oil. Either that or a bed of sauteed kale topped with burrata and finished with a balsalmic reduction. Mmmm...or you could just throw a big hunk of it on a plate with some arugula, olive oil and prosciutto.

I also made a juice today that didn't involve beets for once. Instead I used one kiwi, one grapefruit, one orange, six clementines and four strawberries. Essentially all of the citrus-y flavors I love but never get to eat due to my attempts at 'eating right for my blood type'. According to this doctor, each blood type has a distinct diet that, when followed, can make you run optimally. I heard about it years ago when I was cooking at a health-conscious restaurant in Davis, Ca. Back then, the nutritionist/owner told me that seeing as my blood type was O Positive, I really should not be a vegetarian. Sure, I was sick ALL of the time, but I also lived in a loft in a garage during the coldest time of the year. I didn't even consider meat food and so ignored her and continued to dream about burgers for another four years. Turns out, she was right all along. When I stopped being veg, I lost weight. I had more energy. I didn't get sick anymore. So I thought recently that maybe this whole blood type thing was right on. Even though I felt healthier and more energetic, I always had stomach aches, always felt bloated and felt that my metabolism seemed to be slower than it should be. My diet consisted mainly of Brussels sprouts, cabbage salads, yogurt, berries and oranges, coffee and beer. Of course there were other things thrown in there, like bacon, but when I read the food list of what O Positive's were supposed to avoid, guess what, ALL of those items were on the list. Turns out O Pos Peeps have the primal, predatory, ancestral blood type which means we need a lot of meat, exercise, saltwater fish, and dark leafy greens. Also, we have more stomach acid than other blood types, so we need to avoid acidic foods like tomatoes, oranges, berries, and cabbage and caffeine. Also we tend to have trouble digesting wheat and dairy. I've been following this diet somewhat closely of the last year now, and I must say I've never felt healthier. Once in a while, I just need some grapefruit juice, though, ya know?

The mighty squid, the world's favorite aphrodesiac

This is what I call "spitting rain". From inside it doesn't really look like its raining, just kind of misting, so you forgo the 'brella. But then when you get out into that spit, you realize you are soaking wet in about 10 minutes. That's what happened to me on my way to yoga today. When I got there I was drenched. Then I dried off and replaced the rain with sweat, only to get soaked again on the way home. This is how people get sick. Anyway, my days off are limited, so I am utilizing this rainy one to the fullest. I just downloaded the new Radiohead album, used my new juicer for the first time (4 little beets, 2 stalks of celery, 4 carrots, one nubbin of ginger and 12 clementines) and made a delightful calamari salad for lunch. As for the juicer, I should have captured the mess with my camera. Since I didn't, allow me to elaborate: in order to get the one cupful of delicious, blood red, potent juice, I got about 4 cups of pulpy, rainbow mash that will make a great contribution to my compost, but for some reason feels a little wasteful. Also, a lot of prep went into that magical cup. It takes a minute (or 15) to peel all those veggies and clementines. So, I am not abandoning my juicer after only one try, but I am also not abandoning Taqueria El Castillito across from Safeway on Church that for only $3.04 makes you a small (actually pretty big) juice with the same ingredients in about 3 minutes.

As for the calamari salad:

1 lb squid, cleaned, bodies and tentacles separated

3 c of arugula

1/2 c sliced almonds

1tbsp plum sauce

Juice of 2 lemons

1/2 english cucumber sliced (i just hate regular cukes)

1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil

Saute the squid with the plum sauce for about 3 minutes.

Cut squid body into 1/2 inch rings, and cut tentacles in half if too big to eat. Toss remaining ingredients gently with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Should serve about four small dinner salads or two larger lunch ones.

Long time, lots to eat

No, I haven't died. Still living in San Francisco, only now it's on the other side of town. I guess anywhere is kind of "the other side of town" compared to North Beach though. So now when I step out my front door, I don't manuver my way between smoking patrons of Gino and Carlo and passed out bums in Jasper Alley. I instead carefully carry my bike down our insanely steep stone stairs, turn the corner and find myself in Golden Gate Park. Well, the panhandle really. It's windier over here. Everyone has a dog. And instead of being tempted by friends sitting outside of Del Uva drinking wine on a tuesday afternoon, I hike up to Buena Vista Park or ride around GG Park. It's like I'm growing up or something.

Oh, and a barbecue came with the house. So did a really big, pretty backyard (along with some pretty young, pretty loud kids living upstairs). So I have dubbed this the best summer ever, even though it's still raining, because we will be grilling and entertaining like crazy all summer (and san francisco summers last til November). Already we have held a legit shrimp boil for my B-day, a very successful housewarming dinner party featuring shrimp and skirt steak fajitas, one Bay to Breakers waffle and sausage breakfast (ala Wet Hot American Summer) and at least two fattoush feasts. I love fattoush because it feeds lots of people and is very flavorful and good for you.

Fattoush
(Middle Eastern Salad)

Cut up a package of pita bread into triangles. Put on baking sheet and bake on 350 til crispy...around 15 mins.

Depending on how many people, pan sear salmon filets in a little oil with s+p. I go with about a half pound per person. And just a couple minutes on each side. You can also bake the salmon for about 10 mins at 350. Just drizzle with oil and s+p.

In big bowl combine:
chopped romaine (1.5 heads)
kalamata olives (1 cup)
chopped red onion(1)
peeled and chopped cucumber (1)
chopped fresh mint (1 cup)
crumbled feta
chopped fresh parsley and cilantro (1/2 cup each)
chopped tomatoes (4)

Top with the salmon, pita chips, and a lemony vinegrette. Enjoy!

everything's changed

Last time I posted was right after I returned to SF from SE Asia. Wow, where does the time go? Well, I helped a friend of mine open a Mexican restaurant in North Beach called Don Pisto's. To the left are some of the amazing pulpa tacos with onions and homemade tortillas. I just can't get enough octopus and squid these days, especially in taco-form. I have also been thoroughly enjoying the restaurant scene since making the leap to an omnivorous lifestyle.Of course I still love my veggies, and completely support anyone who wants to help the world by going veg. I just realized that I NEED meat. I'm not just saying that either. I struggled with this realization for about a year before finally caving in to my body. I dreamt about burgers. I would salivate at the words "steak" and "bacon". And it doesn't stop there. Suddenly, I will try anything, from virtually any animal. I think that travelling probably started me on this adventurous track--especially when you are in the middle of a lake in cambodia and all there is to eat is some stringy and meaty thing that has been hanging off of someone's front porch for the last week. Turns out that one was a water snake. I also think that my travels made me realize that vegetarianism can be viewed as extrememely elitist in poor countries. If I even tried to refuse whatever was fed to me on my trek through Laos, I caused extreme confusion and the people assumed that I was being rude and didn't appreciate their hospitality. Don't get me wrong, vegetarians can definitely survive travelling in crazy places, but I found it much more fun to simply try everything.

And I have brought this credo back with me. Since being back in SF, I have tried almost everything meat-related that I had: a)never tried before/heard of before or b)missed desperately from my childhood. Let me tell you, my palate has never been the same! From quail to sweetbreads to bison to antelope to frogs legs to escargot to the basics like bacon wrapped hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches to crazy things like fois gras, bacon ice cream sandwiches, pig's ear ambrosia, a pig's head (including brains, tongue, cheeks...), goat fries, etc...

I know that it may seem that I'm going a bit overboard, but for someone who has just awoken from what seems like 13 years of being half-asleep in vegetarian pajamas, I think this splurge is well deserved. Plus, I think that all those years of vegetarianism give me some karmic leeway. Oh yeah, I suddenly have a sweet-tooth too. Like, I scour our cupboards for a lost cookie or peanut butter cup when I can't sleep at 2a.m. I NEVER liked chocolate before. What's happening to me? I think I am growing up and realizing that I can't spend my life only eating healthy things because it gets boring. It was fine before, when I turned a blind eye to the wonders of meat and chocolate, but now I know the truth, and I cannot pretend that I don't know how fantastic they are--and how necessary to my happiness.

Chow Down in Laos (the 's' is silent)

Here is the second installment of my vay-cay in Laos. (Disclaimer: this was also an article I wrote for VegNews Magazine, so it is pretty veg-heavy. In real life, however, I was inhaling meaty things at an alarming rate, including that awesome whole fish to the left.)

There are quite a few vegetarian cafes and restaurants popping up all over Laos, especially in the serene capital of Vientiane. Phounchup Vegetarian Restaurant, adjoined to the large marketplace in the downtown area of Vientiane, offered tantalizing tastes of Laos unique vegetarian cuisine. Word to the wise: savvy vegetarian travelers seeking an authentic Laos dining experience should avoid the numerous cafes lining the city’s main drag that attempt to lure Western tourists by blaring episodes of Friends or Family Guy.
Luang Nam Tha is a province northwest of Luang Prabang and offers much along the lines of eco-tourism and delicious vegetarian cuisine. The best eco-lodge in Luang Nam Tha is called The Boat Landing Guest House and costs around 200,000 kip per night (or around $21). From here you can book one of many enticing eco-excursions in the Nam Tha Protected Area, which in 2005 was named an ASEAN Heritage Park. This park boasts some of the most diverse and breathtaking wilderness areas in Laos. Many species of conservational concern are currently being protected in the Nam Tha Protected Area, including rare species of pangolin and guar, soft-shelled turtles and the crimson-breasted woodpecker. Plus, one of the best veg restaurants in all of Laos, The Coffee House, can be found here. A combination of Lao and Thai vegetarian cuisines, it is affordable, delicious, and run by the sweetest Thai woman in the world.
During the rare times that I wasn’t eating, I spent my days purposely getting lost in and outside of the cities. In Luang Prabang, I stopped into Green Discovery, an eco-tourism company that offers guided trekking, kayaking, cycling and bird-watching excursions, as well as a cruelty-free elephant safari through the jungle. As it was my first time in Laos, I was unaware of how time consuming travel there can be—there is no rail system and the roads are small and windy—so I had to settle on a two-day trek instead of a five-day. It ended up being a blessing, however, because my travel companion and I ended up getting a very handsome and stoic personal guide who let us choose exactly how to spend our two incredible days. By the way, the myth about Asian men is a myth indeed. For a mere $60 each we experienced the following in no particular order: we rode on elephants formerly used as beasts of burden, swam in bone-chilling waterfalls, hiked through rice paddies, climbed a mountain in order to visit a tiny Khmu hill tribe village, slid down the mountain in the rain, kayaked for hours along the Nam Khan River, negotiated some medium-difficult rapids, and stayed overnight in a Hmong village where we sang traditional Lao songs and drank lao lao (rice wine) with the local teenagers. I’d say it was by far the best $60 I’ve ever spent, not to mention that I was able to request vegetarian food a day in advance, and so was pleasantly surprised with a wild eggplant puree, tomato/chili sambal, sautéed ferns, sticky rice, and other interesting local veggies for both lunch and dinner.
After returning to Luang Prabang, covered in mud and exhausted from our laborious trek, we stumbled upon what I would call the coup de grâce: a vegetarian street buffet that was literally 0.50 cents! Sufficed to say, I ate more than my fare share; seated on a plastic stool, I admired the sunset over the Mekong while a light drizzle cooled my tired skin. Bamboo and moss soup, black rice salad with cashews and tofu, fresh long-bean salad, spicy green mango salad, water lily stir-fry, vegetarian tam lao (with a mushroom sauce substituted for the fish sauce) and ground toasted sticky rice were just a few of the delicate morsels we feasted on in the streets that languid evening. Armed with a couple of lukewarm cans of Beer Lao, we decided to turn in for the night, bellies and hearts full of love for Laos.

LAOS

I said I'd eventually get to writing about Laos and Cambodia and Indonesia, and here it goes, just two months late. First I'll start with Laos--or at least start with starting with Laos:

Rice

Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is one of the smallest and least-visited countries in Southeast Asia. However, despite being about the same size as Utah, Laos boasts incredible ethnic and scenic diversity. From the lush jungles deep in southern Laos to the vast mountain ranges of the north; to the lazy Mekong river that snakes along the western Thai border to the sleepiest capital in the world, Vientiane; Laos is truly the Jewel of the Mekong. Rich in vegetation and largely Buddhist, Laos guarantees a plethora of wild and interesting vegetarian foodstuffs that will peak any adventurous omnivore’s curiosity.

Larb

Due to its rough history, Laos has, until recently, remained relatively untouched by tourism. This is a good thing, because where much of Thailand (especially the islands) is becoming increasingly built up and the beaches littered with buckets, beer-cans and baseball hats, Laos has maintained its wild and untouched feel due to a blossoming eco-tourism industry. Eco-lodges are popping up all over Laos as well as eco-tourism agencies that can help you decide on which excursion is right for you and your budget. I started my jaunt in Laos by flying into the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang directly from Chiang Mai, Thailand. This ancient town is set along the Mekong River and is surrounded by a breathtaking backdrop of lush green mountains and over 30 Buddhist temples. The night market of Luang Prabang is an eco-conscious-shop-a-holic’s dream. A cacophony of brightly colored, high-quality handmade products, the market allows for a symbiotic relationship where the local hilltribespeople can make a fine living by selling their gorgeous embroidery, organically hand-dyed fabrics and clothing, and bamboo paper to the wide-eyed and drooling tourists. Seriously, the gorgeous goods and mouthwatering (and dirt-cheap) vegetarian street food that can be found in the marketplaces all over Laos can be literally stupefying.

Night Market 

Being an ex-French colony, Luang Prabang is probably one of the only towns in Southeast Asia where you can nosh on a freshly baked baguette alongside a traditional Lao meal of tofu larp and sautéed morning glory with a side of moss straight out of the Mekong. I pretty much ate at the cheap vegetarian street buffet ($0.50) every night, which consisted of sitting on plastic stools eating heaping plates of steamed vegetables, sticky rice, and slurping hot noodle soup while the sun set over the Mekong and a faint drizzle cooled our tired skin. Larp is a Lao specialty, which is usually made with some sort of chopped meat, green onion, sesame seeds, lime and red chillies. However, it is becoming more common to see vegetarian renditions that are not to be missed, including tofu, wild eggplant, pumpkin, etc…Lao cuisine is quite similar to Thai, although it’s not as spicy and everything is served with very sticky rice. Its flavors are also a bit more tangy, as it calls for such pungent additions as chilies, lime juice, lemongrass and fresh coriander leaf. One thing to look out for is the common Lao practice of using a clear fish sauce made from anchovies called ‘naam bpaa’, as well as fermented shrimp paste, or ‘ka-pi’, which account for the cuisine’s salty element. One necessary Lao phrase for any vegan or vegetarian, therefore, is “Please don’t use” or ‘ka-lu-naa baw sai’ then add ‘naam npaa’ or ‘ka-pi’. Other common flavors in Lao cuisine include sour tamarind juice, coconut milk, ginger, sweet basil and ground peanuts. And like many of Laos’ Southeast Asian neighbors, it’s a great place to try a wide variety of tropical fruit both in smoothie-form or from a street vendor who will peel and chop the fruit for you. I became basically addicted to sour green mangoes, jackfruit, durian, guava, longan, and my personal favorite, the glamorous dragonfruit.

my body hates me

The veins in the tops of my feet have been virtually sucked dry. There are 25 mosquito bites on my left leg (most concentrated on my ankles and feet) and 23 on my right leg. The veins on the tops of my feet are bulging and itchy and my tummy is rumbling in a most precarious way. It's a travel day --which worries me-- because I have no clean, comfortable, western toilet stocked with plush t.p. to call my own when the inevitable explosion occurs. There is sweat running down my face and neck and into my cleavage, collecting under my boobs which is uncomfortable and gross. I am flying from Bangkok to Jakarta tonight, and am not really looking forward to it. I want to just be in Bali and be over it. Indonesia is a bit unstable, and according to David (perhaps my new boss-to-be) everyone there is quite shady and will try to take advantage of me as soon as I step off the plane. I decided that instead of show up in an unknown place at midnight with nowhere to stay, I would simply suck it up and stay at the airport hotel and bum around until my flight to Bali, tomorrow at 4pm. It is sure to be a long night.

Jen left on Monday after an amazing and raucous couple days in downtown Bangkok. We stayed at the new Dream Bangkok-a swank hotel geared towards young, crazy partiers. Our room looked straight out of some music video or something. There was recessed blue lighting under the beds and in the walls, a huge flatscreen tv, an ipod hookup so we could blast music and even a chandelier! The beds were big and white and cushy and I doubt I ever wasn't wrapped up one of the big amazing terrycloth robes...even when I was jumping wildly from bed to bed.

We even splurged and went out to a nice meal at a really adorable veg place called Tamarind Cafe. We had sesame covered fresh falafel balls with three different mediterranean dips that were to die for. We also had a potato gratin, a fantastic mushroom pasta and this creamy tofu dish with the tofu fried, thai-style served with a fresh tomato sauce. We also had two bottles of white wine (which were both affordable and delicious) I think they were a Sauvignon Blanc of some sort and Brooke fell down the stairs after we finished the first one and had gone outside on the roof deck to smoke a cig before our decadent chocolate cake arrived (with the 2nd bottle) for dessert. Luckily, she is a pro at falling, because she kept her wine glass in the air and managed to land on her knees and one wrist to save the glass! A girl after my own heart: never allow a drop of wine to go un-sipped!

Now I am off to buy some more books before I go to Indo. I have much more to write about Laos and Cambodia, but that is going to have to wait, I'm afraid. I'll wave to you from the top of a volcano!

Stuck-up Hippies

At the moment we are in Laos in a little town called Vang Vieng and the sun has finally decided to come out. Lately it's been cloudy and drizzling everywhere we've been, so now that the sun is out we are renting bicycles ($2 a day) and going to ride out to some limestone caves and then go tubing down the Mekong River. Laos is a lot like Thailand, but there are a lot of French influences because it was a French colony at one point. I really need to study up on my Laotian History! Wow, I can't belive the last time I posted was back when we were on Koh Pha Ngan. Well, after that we took an overnight train to Bangkok (lovely)and then flew to Chang Mai. If we had more time we would have taken the train all the way, but 36 or so hours of train time when we have time-constraints wouldn't have cut it.

Chang Mai is probably my favorite town in Thailand. The old town is surrounded by a moat and there are wats everywhere. The night markets are flush with every sort of food you could possibly imagine, all for about 20 baht for a bag-full. On our first night, Courtney and Joe took us to the market by the Chang Mai Gate and we feasted on sticky rice, a bamboo/straw mushroom soup, Som Tom (Papaya Salad) and fried vegetarian spring rolls. We stayed at an awesome guest house called Julie's where we spent a good chunk of time on the roof deck overlooking the city. We had a very livable room and paid 160 baht for the two of us (about $2.50 each)and rented a scooter to explore the town with. I met a guy named Mike who is studying the Ancient Art of Chinese Nerve Massage which is completely insane. Basically, he is studying under the master of this healing practice and he is unbelievable. Just by looking at my weird curved fourth toe, he knew I had siatic and hip issues. Then he started to move my nerves in my arm around and it was the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced. Many people say that it is even more painful than getting a tattoo. He did about an hour's work on my arms, and I felt like I was going insane. I tried to concentrate on my breathing and it took all of my inner strength to not scream in pain and let him finish. When he did, I could really feel the difference though, my arms actually looked straighter, and felt way less tense. My fingers are still a bit tingly, and I have bruises on my upper arms, but he said that he undid about three years worth of damage that I did to myself by waitressing; in fact he couldn't believe that I had only been a waitress for two and a half years, from the damage and strain, he would have guessed eight! Unfortunately we were only there for three days, but I am going to have to go back to continue my nerve massage. To look him up, go to www.ancienthealingmassge.com

So we left Chang Mai on Thursday and flew to Luang Prabang in Laos. I guess we really aren't "hard-core budget travelers" after all, seeing as though we'd rather spend money on an hour-long plane ride then spend three days taking boats and buses. I'm sick of all these holier-than-thou self-proclaimed "hard-core budget backpackers" anyway. It's possible to spend a long time travelling and living cheaply without becoming a stuck-up hippy. Isn't being a stuck-up hippy like completely against what a hippy should be? Hippies should be welcoming and friendly and happy that other people are travelling and experiencing different cultures, not pissed that everything is becoming "touristy". Aren't they tourists? What-EVER!

Anyway we are now in Vang Vieng, and Laotian food is not as good Thai food, but more like a Vietnamese and HIll-tribal Fusion sort...sticky rice with every meal, lot's of scallions, lime, lemongrass, chilis, moss (!) and even water-buffalo thrown into the mix. We just got back from a two-day trek into the Laotian jungle where a guide took me and Jen into little Hmong and Khmu(?) tribal villages up in the middle of NOwhere. We did a pretty intense hike (about 5 hours) up a mountain where we spent maybe 15 minutes wandering around a tiny (40 family) Hmong village and then set off down the other side of the mountain which was extremely muddy and slippery and dangerous. Jen was only wearing flipflops and almost slid all the way down the side of the mountain! But our stoic guide stuck his foot out and caught her. I slipped twice and by the time we arrived in the larger Hmong village to eat and sleep we were absolutely covered in red mud. But that didn't stop us from befriending the village teenagers and we proceeded to get them drunk off of lao lao (laotian whiskey) that came in a large lable-less jug and only cost about 15 cents. That day we also rode on elephants which was amazing and I was happy to see that the elephants looked very healthy and well taken care of. Yesterday we left the tribe and hiked for another couple of hours, swam in gorgeous waterfalls, then kayaked back to civilization for about 3 hours down the Nam Khan River. Tomorrow we are going back to Luang Probang, an absolutlely adorable little town where we can explore some more vats (buddhist temples) and buy some hand-made crafts from the hill tribes that come down for the night markets. On Tuesday we are flying to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see Ankgor Wat -- the mother of all wats and after that back to Bangkok. It's really sad that I don't have more time to really get to know all of these places, but that just means I'll have to come back! See you soon,

Koh Pha Ngan

We arrived in Koh Pha Ngan at about 8pm on Wednesday after being en route from Koh Lanta since 7:30 a.m. Travel in Thailand takes a while. A van picked us up at Where Else? (our sweet eco-chic rustic bungalow) at 8:30 am and there was a little mix-up with our receptionist (if you could call her that...more like some young girl who showed us to our room) because she thought we were booking our trip (3 vans +3 buses + 1 ferry +1 songthaew) through her so that she would get the commission. Unfortunately, we had wandered around town and found a cheaper deal from a little travel agency...so this girl became rather annoyed. It was the first time I saw a Thai roll their eyes in disgust.


Along the way, we bounced along muddy roads with massive pot-holes. It was impossible to read, and I was dying for a sports-bra after about 15 seconds. Luckily, Jen brought us some nuts to munch on because we didn't have any breakfast, and at one point we stopped at some crappy rest area while we were waiting to transfer to another van and we grabbed some panang curry and rice to tide us over a little longer. Little did we know that would be all we would be eating until midnight! At one of our rest-stops there were disgusting soi dogs with scabs and sporadic patches of hair hanging around us, and one had a whitish viscous substance hanging off of his balls. It was enough to make me dry-heave, so, naturally, I had to alert jen to its existence--much to her dismay. Our final bus ride before arriving in Suratthani where we boarded the ferry was plush and pink and fabulous. We watched Sin City and drank beers and reclined allll the way back.

The ferry was much grosser. It made me a bit sea-sick and there was a disgusting amount of smog being released into the atmosphere--billowing black clouds that occasionally blew back in our faces. It is quite unnerving how much people litter and pollute the islands here. The longtails run on car-motors that have been juiced up and and create an insane amount of smog. There is also a LOT of construction going on everywhere. Huge fancy hotels and resorts are choking out all of the smaller backpacking joints and I think the cheap- and quaint-ness of the Thai islands might soon be a thing of the past.

When we finally arrived in Koh Pha Ngan, we hiked around in the dark, in circles, in search of lodging. Because of the full moon party, every little crappy bungalow was way overpriced and not worth it. We took a songthaew to the west side of the island (further away from all the partying) and found nothing. We eventually ended up back where we had started on the east-side and got a bunglow at Pilada Lodge(sp?) in the back by a swamp and completely surrounded by mooing bullfrogs that were so incredibly loud we couldn't hear each other when we spoke in a normal tone of voice. Then, just as we put down our shit and were about to go eat dinner, we noticed a huge leak--basically our floor was caving in--so we had to go switch rooms. At this point I am about to keel over and die of starvation and when we were finally are on our way to go eat, it started pouring on us and then the island went completely black! I was really worried that I wasn't going to get to eat my pad see ew if they weren't able to cook it, but eventually after watching the storm outside and the palm trees swaying madly in the darkness, and after driking a couple of Changs, the food came out and we feasted! Vegetarian no-names (fried vegetable nests served with a sweet chili sauce, seafood pad see ew (drunken noodles with veggies and prawns and squid) vegetable spring rolls, two orders of rice, green curry, hot and sour chicken, and a broccoli, tofu, and mushroom broth soup crowded our table. We feasted and then we slept. And we were so exhausted that even those damned howling bull-frogs couldn't keep us awake.

The next day we decided that we don't have to live like stinky hippies the entire time we're backpacking around, so we splurged on a really nice, clean, air-conditioned room. Cool tile floors, a huge lovely bathroom with a western toilet that flushes and comes complete with toilet paper and a hot shower...heaven! We realized that after a long night (or three) of full moon partying, we would probably need a nice clean place to crash in, complete with mini-bar full of water, gatorade and Chang. We also have an infinity pool in the shape of a club that looks out over the sea.

Koh Pha Ngan is a party haven for young westerners looking for drugs, loud techno, and other travelers to mingle with. Most of the restaurants here show movies or American TV alllll day. There is one little alley where literally every bar/restauant blasts Friends. Different episodes, different seasons, but all at full blast. Last night we found an amazing bar called Mellow Bar which is situated up on a hill overlooking the sea. It is built into the rocks surrounding it, but does not destroy or take away from the natural beauty of the area. It creativly works it's way into the nature, with lots of steps and different levels to hang out on. There are curving patios with cusions and low tables to lounge around, and really good djs as well. From this high place you can also hear all of the loud music coming off of the beach and see the flashing lights and neon body paint writhing around on the sand below. I drank a happy shake for 500 baht and we spent the night hanging out with some crazy irish kids and enjoying the scene.

mai pen rai

So here I am in Koh Lanta, Thailand. Jen, Courtney and I got here last night after having a mildly annoying day of travel from railay. basically, our driver who was supposed to take us from krabi to koh lanta (an hour's drive) decided to do all of his personal errands and take us around Krabi for an hour and a half before taking us to our destination. finally after he exchanged a hair straightener, went to the hardware store, got gas, dropped off a box of worms at some lady's house, and did something with a cell phone, we started getting fed up and courtney confronted him about it. Shrugging her off, he finally started to take us down the correct road...as slow as humanly possible. even tuk-tuks were shaking their fists at him...but we eventually made it and after a couple hours, found acceptable lodging (cheap, adorable and clean bungalows with a roof deck, outdoor shower and western toilet!)

But let's start at the beginning: a week ago today...
After one day, i was offered a (real) and fucking sweet job--working for the same company that brooke works for in bangkok as a writer and researcher for an online educational company. if i take it, i would be working in bangkok for 3 months, then sf or wherever else I wanted for 3 months, etc... so that was huge, especially after only being in town for 24 hours!
i stayed in bangkok with brooke and her parents in their sweet ass house with a lovely maid who made us breakfast and dinner that was fucking insanely good. one night we had pumpkin curry and fresh mangos off the tree outside of her house. i had my own room and we rode mopeds all around the soi (neighborhood) she lived in. there are semi-mean soi dogs everywhere though, so we had to avoid streets where they ruled the school. i ate delicious street food (chicken satay and papaya salad) and drank the water within the first day and my belly was fine, so i was extra happy about life.
we were in bangkok for 3 days and then met up with courtney correll and jen at bkk (the airport in bangkok) where we (and brooke's new boy, Jeff) all flew down to Krabi. leaving bkk I got my carry-on confiscated because I tried to hide my hair products, sunblock and bugspray (all over 3 oz). "Come on!!!" I pleaded, "can't i at least keep one?! I freckle, I fro, I get eaten alive!" the airline people giggled and shook their heads no. Somehow I got the idea in my head that i would spray allllll of the bug spray all over myself (and jen) if I couldn't carry it on. So right there, I ripped off the top of the can and sprayed a huge cloud of bugspray all over the place, even in our mouths!! then the airline staff started really cracking up and as jen and i were coughing and spitting out bugspray all over the floor. i was pretty shocked that they actually let us do that.
once in Krabi, we noticed that there were no taxis allowed into the airport area, only very expensive vans. So we walked out to the street where we caught a songthaew (a truck with a cover over the back where people sit on benches) to the docks. There we haggled for a long-tail boat and took it (during an amazing sunset) to Railay.
We stayed in Railay for only 3 days, but it seemed much longer because life goes so slowly there. there are no cars or mopeds, only long-tails and feet to carry you around. there were bioluminescent flagellates in the water at night and as you moved your hands through the water, it looked like you were climbing through the stars. amazing. One night courtney taught us the half-moon pose which we did on the beach under the half-moon in the sand which was as soft as finely ground flour. some local guys crouched nearby, watching us curiously, so we waved at them to come join us. We tried to teach them how to do it, but they kept falling over and laughing at us in the moonlight
there is so much more to write about but internet is kind of slow and expensive so I will write more when we get to Chang Mai in the north. Once there I am going to take a thai cookery class and courtney says it is a really cheap and good place to get dental work done, so maybe i'll get my teeth cleaned or something...i got a great thai massage on Ton Sai ( a beach on Railay where all the rock climbers go) and as the lady was massaging and stretching me out, another lady went to smack a giant flying bug on the ceiling and like 5 bugs fell out of the ceiling and onto my face. i screamed and everyone in the place started cracking up. after that broke the ice (and the ceiling) all the ladies started joking around and one told jen she was sexy ( as translated by brooke) and they all crowded around her to gawk at her belly button ring. Then one lady proceeded to lift up her shirt to show us her rolls and tell us that she was "too fat for a belly button ring." We started dying after that and couldn't stop laughing through the entire massage, but it was still really amazing (and only about 6 bucks for an hour!) I think I'll go get one today too...

i'll put up some pictures and write more once i have better internet connection (the power just went out and luckily, this blog was saved!!)

A Week Away

In exactly one week I will be drinking a glass of red wine on my plush cathay pacific aisle seat (#56K) eating my Indian Vegetarian Meal that I ordered over 5 months ago.

But how many books to pack? I really don't want to weigh myself down--I'll already be lugging my allocated two bottles of booze--but I hate not having adequate reading materials on a vacay.

Speaking of reading, I really want to read Mexico's ex-president Vicente Fox's new book Revolution of Hope.


Since Thursday I have been house/pre-teen-sitting for my little brother, Hunter. He was really worried that I was going to make him eat salad every day, and I don't want to our time together to be spent arguing over vegetables. He made a good point though, which was that potatoes are vegetables, so we've been gorging on mashed potatoes at pretty much every meal. So much for dieting before Thailand.

So, what's up with Columbus day? The bank and post office are closed, is that all? Hunter still had school--what a dumb holiday. I dropped him off at 8am and then after I got home I realized that maybe he would be the only kid there because I couldn't remember if schools were in session or not. I sat in mom's minivan for like 8 seconds, pondering whether I noticed any other little pre-teens skulking around the vicinity of the junior high when I dropped him off 10 minutes earlier. I assume there was because when I picked him up later, he didn't seem any more annoyed with me than he usually is. For example, this morning when I came downstairs to make breakfast I exclaimed, "brrr! it's cold in here." And he responded with "DUH, it's called 'morning'."