Archive for November, 2006
dis ease
Thursday, November 30th, 2006
Strange, isn’t it, that I’m sick again.
Whether it’s back or neck or sniffles or coughs, corneas or aches, I’m sick again.
In the past three months I’ve been sick more than I have in the past five years.
I have a sneaking suspicion my body’s trying to tell me something.
Heh. You probably do too.
But how do you interpret your body telling you,
“I’m unhappy?”
How do you take that and move forward with it?
Yeah, Deepak, yeah, Dr. Weil, yeah, all you Cali-Eastern health practitioners, I’ve got dis-ease.
But now what?
Now what am I supposed to do?
I know I must be unhappy because know I’m getting sick all the time.
Am I unhappy?
I have cried three times this week and it is only Thursday.
I must be unhappy.
Am I unhappy because I am sick, or sick because I’m unhappy?
But there are still bills to pay and
still presents to buy and
still events to attend and
still deadlines to meet and still and still and
be still.
I get that part.
But what next?
Where do I go once I “get” it?
How do I make the changes that will snap me back into my body’s good graces?
(Or is it just a travelling virus and a smattering of bad luck?)
Southeastern Peanut Sauce
Sunday, November 26th, 2006
Southeastern compared to what? Certainly not the United States, certainly not Europe.
Quite frankly, I don’t know, but it’s exotic, and from my experience, exotic things come from the Southeast.
(Like currants and the band, REM)
This exotic peanut sauce has oodles of ingredients, but they’re neither difficult nor expensive to put together. I make it during the weekend, splitting the quantity in half, one half freezes for another time, one half is served with chicken and roasty vegetables later in the week.
Peanut sauce:
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons chili garlic paste or 1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 lemon’s worth of juice
1/2 cup crushed peanuts
1/2 cup boiling water
Put two tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil in a saucepan, heat to medium, add onion and garlic.
Turn heat to low and cook down for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add curry powder and chili paste or chili flakes, cook for another few minutes to settle those flavors down.
Settle down. Settle down. Settle down.
Add the peanut butter and coconut milk, blend all together. Add the cinnamon and bay leaves.
Keep stirring!
Add the vinegar and lemon juice and brown sugar and keep stirring.
Stir in half the crushed peanuts.
Put on the kettle to boil that water.
Bring the whole gloppy, separating mixture to a boil and then turn to low. Simmer for up to twenty minutes.
Pull out the bay leaves and toss them in your favorite toss hole.
Grab your immersion blender, regular blender or food processor and either plunge, dump or pour depending on the machine you’ve grabbed. Take 1/2 cup of the boiling water and add slowly and carefully whilst you blend the sauce. I’ve heard this helps bind the mixture together into that which is smooth.
When “saucy,” split between two containers.
Freeze one and save the other one for dinner!
With the other half of the peanut sauce, you can make an Indonesian chicken salad, a dip for roast broccoli and cauliflower, a tasty toss with rice noodles or hell, just pour it in a coffee mug and slurp it all down.
It’s delicious at room temperature topped with the other half of the crushed peanuts and some shredded basil leaves.
Thanksgiving bellies.
Thursday, November 23rd, 2006
One sister in law fresh off a car accident, one satisfied husband drinking Anchor’s Celebration Ale, one perfect niece, drawing faces on the floor, five full bellies, ten dirty plates and one big hope that when we return, life isn’t as messy as it was when we left.
It’s rainy and windy and perfect.
The breezes come in through the cracks.
The oven is still warm from the turkey.
All family members have been called, all photos taken and we’re ready for bed.