PopLab and Picnic

Monday evening, a small group of PopLab (see here) participants had a picnic and talk in Washington Square Park.  We found an accessible place to circle our wagons, then dropped a lot of food inside the circle.



Several people had made dishes using CSA bounty.  Prinny cooked up bok choy with garlic; Kelly made a salad.  I had nothing to share, but I still felt welcome.  Even our conversation was sometimes delicious, as I'd hoped.


Sandals from Payless. 


p.s. These were good.

PopLab and Potluck

Here's where you go to buy the meat bread to take to a potluck lunch.  Vegetarians, fear not!  I also bought blueberries.

A few weekends ago, pepperoni and cheese "meat bread" in hand, I attended the inaugural PopLab event, held at Judson Memorial Church.  This was a (free) day-long interactive seminar or creative think-tank of sorts, in which participants explored our pasts, presents and futures in small groups -- through the lenses and intersections of faith, culture, politics, and activism.

Here is part of how the event was described by the founders:

Ever ask yourself why the progressive left doesn't do a better job at capturing America's political imagination?
Ever reflect on why life is so interesting and yet church can be so boring?

PopLab is the place for you.  Join us Saturday, April 10th for a creative workshop/retreat.  Join us for socializing, discussion, brainstorming games, and food. (Yes, FOOD.)  Our primary agenda is a very laid back one: reconnecting, free-associating, and talking smack about the future, progressive politics, and making a scene in order to make a point.  Maybe there's a more interesting (or just more fun) way to develop our collective voice and build the kind of future we all dream of?

Also: it was always our intention to have this be the first meeting of an ongoing conversation, a kind of "artistic and political think-tank for populist theology," so if you can't make it on the 10th, but want to be in the loop on what grows out of this, please let us know.  And please feel free to email us with any questions, concerns, or ideas...

You see how "FOOD" is written in all caps in the text above?  That certainly captured my attention.  And, yeah, the rest of it was intriguing, too.  I made sure to attend.

This first event was themed loosely around the idea of "superheroes," and all that might imply/encompass.  Over the course of the event, we were asked to answer the following questions on paper and in person:

• When was the first time you can remember being politically “activated,” (however you define this)? 
• What was your earliest moment of insight (or inspiration) in regards to the spirit, God, or religion (for or against, however you define this)? 
• What was the first time you can remember being truly moved by a work of art?  Could be a book, play, song, or painting, but what was it? 
• Name one superhero you have personally known.  Imagine what his/her icon might be.

• Where are you most “hooked” politically?  What are the issues that motivate you?  Wherever possible, push yourself to ask “what am I for?” 
• What are your spiritual values (however you define that), and how do they manifest themselves (or not manifest themselves) in your life today? 
• Give an example of artistic expression that truly moves you today.  This could be a song that’s stuck in your head, a movie you saw, or something you are creating yourself. 
• What is the greatest living super villain of our times?  And what might his/her icon be?

• What next step do you see yourself taking to actualize your ideal political future? 
• What action do you see yourself taking in your ongoing spiritual evolution? 
• What creative endeavor are looking forward to most?  Is it yours?  Is it someone else’s? 
• Describe what kind of super hero you’ll be, along with one element of your costume.

Have any answers in mind?  Much discussion ensued, to say the least.  At the end of it all, I found the day challenging, exciting, fascinating, inspiring, and delicious.  And just what was so delicious? Why, that aforementioned FOOD.  We enjoyed a buffet breakfast and outrageous potluck lunch.  Take a gander:


A welcoming breakfast table.  I committed one misstep and drowned my blueberry green tea bag (brought from home) in coffee.  I thought it was a hot water urn!  Strange as it might seem, I sometimes forget people drink coffee.


What to do when your breakfast clashes with your pants?  Eat quickly.  Also, I think it was Suresh who found the sea salt in the kitchen closet.  A thousand blessings upon him!  A little salt makes tomato slices so much more divine.


Incredibly incredible potluck spread.  Ah, deviled eggs.  How you bedevil me.


Grainy phone photo spotlight on my meaty meat bread.


My delightful lunch.

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I'm looking forward to future soul-searching, stomach-filling installments of PopLab.  If you're in NYC and you'd like to know when the next one happens, just comment below.  I'll make sure you get all the details.

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It's not just about the knitting.

Another knitting night, another awesome meal.

Kara and Jen W. (yes, another "Jenny") have really upped the ante. We used to sort of snack sporadically while crafting. Now we're eating fully-formed, healthy meals.








This time, at Jen's house, we had risotto-stuffed peppers, a spicy quinoa salad, a beet and greens salad, the softest ginger cookies, and lemon sandwich cookies (the last made by Jenny G.). I hardly even wanted to knit.




p.s. Bob is welcome at knitting night any time.

Poetry Tuesday: Yoga and...Samosa Wrap

Though I bend
You do not bend,
Tortilla you are
Stiffer than my hips.
Microwaved, even.


[The newly certified Kara started a Sunday afternoon yoga class in the neighborhood. $10! It's so challenging and that is awesome. After the first class, I ate this.]

Lunch Club round-up: Week 3

I participated in a third round of Jane's Lunch Club at work, but I failed to have my camera in with me for two days' worth of the lunches. Rats! Everything was really tasty.

Here's an incomplete breakdown of the week:




Monday - Jane
Mollie Katzen's solyanka and beets





Tuesday - Ethan
5-alarm veggie chili and jalapeno cornbread.



Wednesday - David
(sadly, not pictured)
Squash and olive lasagna (the olives were inspired) and salad with homemade dressing.



Thursday - Sarah
(sadly, not pictured)
Many-vegetable curry with rice and a tangerine.





Friday - Me
Many-vegetable soup (see CSA post), Napoli Bakery baguette, cheddar cheese, and salty brownie.

Lunch Club round-up: Week 1

My coworker Jane came up with the idea to have Lunch Club at the office. She got 5 of us together (one vegetarian and 4 non-vegetarians) to make it happen for a trial week. Each day, one of us made five identical (more or less) offerings to share at work.

All five of the lunches were amazing, if you ask me. Let's look back.




Monday - Jane
Vegetable lasagna and chocolate pudding with whipped cream. The secret ingredient in the lasagna is nutmeg!





Tuesday - David
Spicy curry with broccoli, tofu, potato, bell pepper, peanut, onion, and red/brown rice.





Wednesday - Dave
Penne with tomato sauce and roasted vegetables, served with Parmesan cheese.





Thursday - Jeff
Sandwich of tomato, mozzarella cheese, basil, and garlic dressing.





Friday - Me
Bouchons au Thon (meant for the four non-vegetarians, though one of us was not interested); tomato stuffed with corn, jalapeno, and buttermilk dressing (this recipe, without bacon, for our vegetarian member); green bean salad with soy-glazed almonds (recipe in this post), onion bread from the corner store, and Jimmy's Pink Cookies.

The bouchons and the cookies were made with recipes found in the book A Homemade Life, by Orangette's Molly Wizenberg. I've mentioned this book before. Delicious! I'll be making both of these recipes again. And again.

Mollie Katzen wins again!

(made and photographed by Dan)

Her Parmesan-Encrusted Zucchini has joined the ranks of dishes that do not disappoint. Ours needed only a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Next time there's zucchini in the house, we should to try to replicate the Zuccanoes (pronounced zoo-canooz) of Dan's childhood. Did your mom make these? Here's Katzen's version.

My Salad Days

(photo by Dan)

I have an old Jamie Oliver cookbook, dating back to when he was The Naked Chef on the Food Network. One of my favorite things about it is that many of the recipes are described quite casually, in a free-form-cooking sort of fashion. Last night's "Crunchy Thai" salad was that sort of recipe. Oliver offered a list of ingredients one might like to be in one's salad and encouraged his the readers to pick and choose. Yes, of course, we always have a choice to change up recipes, but I have a tendency to be a strict recipe-follower to an unnecessary degree, so I appreciate the nudge to make a dish my own.

I chose:
baby spinach, scallions, red chili, green bell pepper, sugar snap peas, cucumber, toasted cashews, toasted black sesame seeds, sprouts, mint.

The suggested dressing was terrif. on top:
brown sugar, (Key) lime juice, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh chopped basil.


(photo by Dan)

Cream of the Crop

Ah, leftovers. Our kitchen is filled with foodstuffs in varying stages of decomposition. I'm only willing to eat the not-that-decomposed stuff, of course. Tonight, cream of celery soup sounded better than eating a bunch of celery and carrot sticks.


What to Do
Boil:

• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock

Add:

• 6 ounces celery, sliced thin
  
• 2-3 medium carrots, sliced thin
  
• 1 medium shallot, chopped

Heat in another pan:

• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
  

Add to hot cream, whisking until combined:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 cups hot milk

Add hot cream to vegetable and broth mixture, along with:

• 2 tablespoons butter

Boil everything 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immersion blender (or regular blender) to mix to a creamier consistency (it's okay if it isn't completely smooth).

Garnish each bowl with a few gratings of fresh nutmeg.


(adapted from an Allrecipes recipe)

Cheers.

I made Kenny Shopsin's Brown Rice Special.

Brown rice! Muenster Cheese! Carrots! Broccoli! Baby Portobello Mushrooms! Walnuts! Romaine! Soy Sauce! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Corn blog

One or two vegetarian corn dogs from MorningStar Farms with a tangy mustard (more on mustard later) make a very fine snack.

I don't know what it is about these. I'm not a vegetarian, and I think most brands of vegetarian hot dogs are disgusting. But wrap the vegetarian hot dog up in some corn bread, and I'm in heaven.

These are best cooked in the oven (if you like a firmer crust), but it takes longer and makes the house too hot on a muggy day. In a pinch, the microwave is fine (and takes only 2 minutes). A toaster oven works, too.