The Break up Diet

The Break up diet, week 2.

For being the most commited gastronome I know, the break up hits every aspect of life with hurricane force winds. and my appetite suffers.
if it weren't for my friends dropping by and making sure I eat, I would waste away, like all the organic local produce and delicious leftovers in my fridge.

Today, "the Splendid Table" on the radio, reminds me of that love I've lost. The flavors my tastebuds are desperately missing.

I am raising my water glass, to rediscovering tastes that take me on romantic adventures.

fried bees

Tonight I am in Las Vegas on the 32nd floor of the Signature at MGM Grand. It is midnight, and all day I worked at Project tradeshow selling organic cotton sweatshirts and dresses, by the amazing Seattle based brand Prairie Underground.

Now, in the comfort of my king sized bed, I watch a man on the Travel Channel eat fried bees in Taiwan. Salted Pork that sat out for 2 weeks, and chicken uteri soaked in cinnamon.

I barely have a TV at home, and generally prefer to travel in real life, but there is something about the scaliness of Las Vegas , the 107 degree heat, the neverending chill of miles of AC and even more miles of fake women, and more gladiator sandals than anyone should ever see in their lives, that makes me want to curl up in short shorts and drink wine in bed and watch a thick and smiling white man devour bizarre cultural delicacies .

So with a tired head and body, a belly full of room service, and clean cotton sheets heavy over me, I travelled to Taiwan and could almost smell the steaming soups. The aromas drifting through the vast market places wrap me in sweet slumber.

taking in beauty in all things

whiskey with my water
sugar in my tea
my sails in rags
with the scatters and the jags

i dream
a highway
back to you.
(lines from a gillian welch song)

this photo was taken by my friend matia kelly, at her dad's ranch in eastern oregon. myself and jessica by the pool after a day of hiking, drinking wine and lovely conversation. oh and naps....
i left my camera the other night at a friends house, on her porch, it will return shortly. until then:

poetry
Las Vegas
105 degree weather
new love?
rain on my tomatoes
and very sound sleep....

seeking nourishment

mouth seeking nourishment:
seeking something soft and wet
something healthy
seeking a cooler today, so things might have been different.
seeking strength

belly seeking fulfillment:
all the peach crisp in my kitchen
and i can't take a bite.


picture of joni mitchell to inspire my spirit and remind me to eat...

a good bye dinner

making peach cobbler from scratch...
oh the bounty of summer! the way tiny tomatoes burst in your mouth!
I grew basil on my balcony this summer and made really garlicky pesto! and then made pesto pasta. here are all the stages...yum


my friend Eliot Rose moved to Berkley California to attend grad school, and we ate fantastically as always in his presence to send him off to new friends, adventures and learning.
Eliot is pensive about something....and Jeevan is wondering who is making the mojitos.
my friend jessica made lemon feta a few days before, and I decided to try my had at it. i soaked the feta and oil with lemon rind and whole lemons.
Eliot made tilapia fish tacos with delicious accoutrement...

a green sahara

Mike Hettwer / National Geographic Society

Archaeologist Helene Jousse holds up a belly plate from a soft-shelled turtle found in a Tenerian garbage dump.

Scientists uncover skeletons thought to be as old as 10,000 years, when monsoon rains created a 'green Sahara.'

wowow!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-sahara15-2008aug15,0,583067.story

beast, oh my god

i have the menu,
and I will enter it in tomorrow. now it is 12:33 am, and I just rode my little brown raleigh bike home from the best dinner i have ever eaten.
it was at beast, the fixe prix establishment operated by Naomi Pomeroy, and I have been there 2 times before, but this blew it out of the water!


i am excited like the breeze cooling down my room on this sweltering august night!
the food made me blush like a thousand roses in bloom!
the wine pairings danced in my mouth with grace and precision!

pictures and menu and story to come later.....

oh
my
god.
yum!

Kir

On First Friday on east Burnside, Matt, Abe and I walked around to a few galleries and stores. The drummer for Love Menu, Emily Baker, opened a boutique where she sells her wonderful jewelry and other lovely things. I had a few watercolor paintings on the wall.
After looking around and saying hello, and eating homemade tartlets, we walked over to a new little wine bar called Kir, that is in the old space on 7th and NE Burnside where L'Astra used to be.
I went to the opening a few weeks ago with my friend Natasha who knows everyone.
above is the trout salad.
Matt really loved the red wine that the sweet owner suggested.
Abe got the same one. yummy.

1920's soiree

Matia and I in the women's lounge

Jessica Moskovitz is one of those wonderful women who always has put the right amount of thought into the details. For her birthday this year, she asked everyone to join her at a prohibition inspired speakeasy called The Secret Society Lounge on N. Russell above Toro Bravo.
She asked for no gifts(with the exclusion of good booze), but she did request all invited to dress the part. She did not call the bar to let them know that her entourage would show up dressed to the 9's in our 1920-1940's regalia.

The cocktails at the bar were all prohibition era, and with the recently legalization of Absinthe, and a local distillery, Integrity Spirits, making beautiful artisanal bottles called Trillium.
www.integrityspirits.com

The drink I imbibed was titled: The Corpse Reviver #2.
This drink is direct from the 1800's and was suggested to be a fantastic hangover remedy. So I could have one for breakfast?
here are the indredients for the yummy cocktail:
Aviation Gin
Lillet
Lemon juice
Trillium Absinthe

I suggest you seduce all your friends to dressed up, and either head to this bar, or make your own prohibition party and celebrate our freedom to drink!

I just got off the phone with the sweet manager of the Ballroom and Lounge, she told me it was her birthday yesterday and they also celebrated there.

Sean R. MgGrath is a local comedy writer, actor, and all around wise guy...can't you tell?