use real butter

Today is a special day. It’s my birthday. But that’s not why the day is special. It’s because two of my good friends share the same birthday with me… and Amy’s twin brother - so make that three!

colorful understory

I received in my email yesterday the best birthday message ever:

Greetings from the future, where it’s already your birthday. The dawning of your birthday in the antipodes was ushered in with the beating of drums, ceremonial dance and breakfast sashimi. Australia has been given a public holiday to mark the occasion, but it is strongly suggested that we either take to the grassy slopes of a nearby park for some mock telemark skiing, or join with other groups at the harbour foreshore for the Grand Crab Boil. At dusk, many Australians will gather with friends, lay down mats facing towards Nederland, Colorado and chant JEN, JEN, JEN…whilst prostrating themselves.

Then we will probably watch some TV.

I did make some carrot cake cupcakes, not for my bday, but because I had bought ten pounds of carrots. Unfortunately the recipe only required two carrots. We took them to our neighbors this evening.

what is carrot cake without cream cheese frosting and a little crystallized ginger on top?

These days I don’t want gifts, cakes, or parties for my birthday. I just want to be well enough to get outside and enjoy it. The past year ranked up there as far as suckage goes, but it wasn’t life altering - it just blew. People say that cancer changed their lives - that it forced them to re-evaluate their priorities. After the diagnosis, surgeries, chemo, radiation, side-effects… I’ve learned something about myself: I learned that my life’s priorities before my diagnosis were bang on. I knew then what was important to me and those same things are just as important to me now. It shouldn’t take death to make us recognize and acknowledge what matters in life. As far as I’m concerned, you only get one shot - so you damn well better make it count.

different perspective

waiting for the snow

I think I learned far more about others than about myself, and not all of it was good. But there were folks who really helped carry me through the last 12 months with small gestures that, for me, meant the difference between loving life and going to that dark place. I consider myself fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life.

small beauties

So there wasn’t anything special going on today except that I needed to eat noodles per the Chinese tradition. You eat long, unbroken noodles on your birthday for long life. Funnily, I forgot to eat noodles on my birthday last year and look at what happened! ha ha ha! Oh, I guess it isn’t all that funny…

get ye some pork

I decided to make some braised pork ribs based on a recipe I got from my ILs a long time ago. The original recipe was called 12345 Ribs. It’s super easy to make. I tried to see if there was a Chinese name for the recipe, but couldn’t find the equivalent. So I gave my parents a call.

flash boiled

When I read the ingredients to my parents my dad immediately said, “Never use vinegar!” and the recipe was henceforth altered. After Dad finished giving me his version of the recipe, he declared that the discussion was no longer productive and went to go do something else. Mom then gave me her version of the recipe and told me it was okay to make it a soup rather than a flashy gourmet dish (Dad’s MO, don’t you know). I think I cook more like my mom than my dad, but Dad as Chef is highly entertaining.

sauté green onions and ginger

You are supposed to use pork ribs, but I got these country style ribs which are really from the shoulder (blade cut). If you want recognizable ribs, you should get ribs cut crosswise in 2-inch slabs and then cut them into 2-inch cubes. For what I was making, any dark meat cut with bone in works. Dad said to briefly boil the pork so the scum and bone bits would release in the water. I drained and rinsed the pork off and then sautéed the meat with ginger and green onions for a few minutes.

add the pork

star anise gives a little kick

I deviated from Dad’s recipe and dumped everything into a saucepan along with sugar, soy sauce, star anise, cooking sherry (I would have used Shao Xing cooking sherry except my DAD used it all up when he was visiting!), and water. I added enough liquid to cover the pork.

chock full of goodies

The contents were brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer and covered. I let it simmer for 2 hours. I’m wondering if this is crock potable? I consider the pork done when it is falling-off-the-bone tender. Dad told me to reduce the liquid to a thick sauce, but I wanted soup for my noodles. Mom said to ignore Dad. I consulted with Grandma tonight and she too said I was allowed to ignore Dad :)

almost ready

I took the extra step of stripping the bones and fat from the pork meat as well as straining the broth and putting it in the freezer for an hour or so in order to remove the disc of solid fat from the top. The noodle soup is easily assembled. I boiled the noodles in water and drained them when they were done, placing them in serving bowls. Then I heated some of the broth with the pork meat until it came to a boil. I tossed in some spinach and then ladled the soup over the noodles.

to long life or something like that

Chinese Pork Rib Soup

1 pound pork spareribs, cut into 2×2 inch cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6-8 green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 tbsp ginger, sliced
1 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp Shao Xing cooking sherry
3 tbsp sugar
2-3 whole star anise
water

Boil a pot of water. Add the pork to the water and let return to a boil. Cook for a few minutes or until pork scum surfaces. Remove from heat and drain the pork. Rinse the pieces clean. Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté the green onions and ginger until fragrant. Add the pork and sauté for a few minutes, browning the sides of the pork. Add the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, star anise, and enough water to cover the pork. Bring the contents to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and let simmer for 2 hours or until meat is falling off the bone. For a soup, the broth should be ready (if it’s too salty, add some water). For a thick sauce, remove the cover and let the broth reduce. [Jen’s Dad says to then place it in a baking dish and bake it (he doesn’t say what temperature, so I’ll guess 350) to further reduce the sauce and intensify the flavor.]

With the exception of our dysfunctional ghetto neighbors to the east, the rest of our neighbors are truly wonderful people. One day as I was walking Kaweah past Marcus’ house, I asked him how their vacation was. He replied from their deck, “It was great! But it’s also nice to be home. I think that’s what a good vacation is: feels good to get away, feels great to come back home.” I would have to agree with Marcus 100%.

familiar fountains at denver international welcome us back

And it *is* good to be home because a cold spell has barreled through our region and it was down right chilly last night - near freezing. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me, to think of crisp fall days and then… TELE SEASON! But I am getting ahead of myself here. It was chilly enough that we used warm water to wash Kaweah after picking her up from Camp Crazy (doggy camp). Yes, this dog who dives paws first into freezing ice cold alpine lakes slinks away from us when we use warm water for her bath.

not everyone was thrilled to get home

The final days of our trip were spent with my grandma in the bay area. We ate fantastic Chinese food and enjoyed QT with a spry 87-year old who puts the rest of us to shame. Her spunk, her mental acuity, her positive attitude and independence are a true inspiration.

awesome lobster e-mien

You can peruse photos from the trip on my photo blog. There are just too many to post here. Oh, and the Perseids were not a failure per se, but I wouldn’t call them a success. I managed to capture 4 shooting stars out of 150 exposures and they are small ones, not the gorgeous streakers I happened to witness in quadrants that my camera wasn’t pointed at.

the huntington gardens
todd and diane (white on rice couple), the kielys
piute pass (first backpack)
mono lake
thousand island lake (second backpack)
reno, tahoe, bay area

After we washed the dog and all of our incredibly stinky backpacking clothes, after unpacking, after getting ourselves situated back into “normal” mode, we crashed - exhausted. Vacation isn’t vacation for me unless I’m totally spent. Jeremy sweetly asked me if I had a good vacation. Before I could answer he rephrased the question, “Did you meet all of your intended goals?” Yes. No snafus, no serious issues - it was mostly good.

and the oscar goes to…
I want to thank everyone for writing in to share your idea of the perfect vacation. I was totally entertained reading what different people enjoy doing. I have to say my favorite was Peabody’s cage diving among Great White sharks because it was so original and because it suits her snarky personality! So Sunday night, Jeremy generated three random numbers in Python from 1 to 139 (sorry Liz, you didn’t quite make it in time): 40 (Manggy), 35 (Mrs. Ergul), and 73 (Cindy in Canada). Then Monday morning…

three dog treats to choose from

Each number was assigned a dog biscuit color: Manggy was red (pink), Mrs. Ergul was green, and Cindy was brown. Then we let the pup decide.

a beeline for green!

Congratulations Mrs. Ergul! You have won a photo! Send me an email with your choice of photo and color of mat along with your mailing address. I will ship it out to you this week! Thanks to all of you for participating. More than anything, it was wonderful to get to know some of you through your candid replies. I hope you all get to experience your ideal vacation over and over again.

funny, as in ha ha?
Curiously enough, my dad informed me that he has begun to read this blog. While some people’s parents are an intimate part of their lives, much of what I do passes under my dad’s radar. It’s nothing personal, he is busy doing his own thing and I really don’t need someone following my every move as if they don’t have a life of their own. I like that my parents have their own lives. I like that they don’t dote on me or else I might become some self-obsessed, delusional ninny in constant need of reassurance and praise. If there is one thing I am grateful for that my dad has given me, it is learning to suck it up and deal with whatever life throws at you. He is one tough SOB and so am I. Okay, but here is the funny thing. He told me not to use the “f-word” in my writing. I laughed. I *like* the f-word, but I don’t use it excessively, do I? Well, I’m still going to use it when I feel I need that extra special emphasis.

It looks as if that wonderous cold spell is leaving us. So perhaps another month of barbecue and salads before I can sink my hands into soups, stews, crock pot dishes, braises, and enjoy the beauty of slow-cooking a cheap cut of meat on a cold day - transforming it into the most tender of dishes. Right. I still have salads in my archives and on the brain! Nothing beats the fresh produce of summer.

main ingredients: yukon gold potatoes, bacon, parsley, and shallots

A while ago I had to alter a barbecue menu because one of my guests was allergic to soy, dairy, and chicken. I searched around and came upon a recipe for German Potato Salad. I tend to prefer vinegary salads over creamy salads, so I decided to give it a try.

mix potatoes and shallots with oil, pepper, and salt before roasting

Instead of boiling the potatoes, I decided to roast them. One of the best salads I ever had was a roasted potato salad that my pal, Carrie, had brought over to our place many years ago. That was before I understood what the heck roasting was.

mmmm, bacon and parsley

Of course, you can’t go wrong with bacon. It makes a dish. It makes up for any flaws that may exist because of other ingredients. Bacon is like duct tape. Bacon is all powerful.

mix with roasted potatoes

The salad went over well, although I probably could have roasted it longer (when juggling 6 dishes to serve together for dinner, I sometimes forget to check the doneness of things in the oven). It is best served warm.

mayonnaiseless goodness

German Roasted Potato Salad
based on Authentic German Potato Salad

3 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into medium chunks
6 shallots, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsps water
3 tbsps white sugar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss the potatoes with shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the potatoes into a baking pan and roast the potatoes for 40 minutes (turn the potatoes every 12 minutes or so). Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, salt, and pepper in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the potatoes. Add the bacon and parsley. Mix together and serve warm.

Do you remember the Go-Go’s song Vacation? It’s so 80s, I know. Hey - I wore the hot pink and turquoise. I watched Duran Duran on MTV. If I have any regrets in my life, it’s being a teen in the 80s. Whenever I’m about to leave on vacay, Belinda Carlisle’s voice enters my head and she is singing that damn song…

Yes, we’re shoving off. Cindy had asked me recently if I ever feel like I’m living someone else’s vacation. I laughed. She always makes me laugh. Believe me, I realize that we live in a fantastic place. I realize this because we spent over a decade’s worth of vacations in places just like our current surrounds! That’s why we chose to settle down here. But that doesn’t keep us from heading out to explore other awesome places.

I’ll still blog from the road when I can and perhaps you will see some familiar faces here… That’s all I’m saying for now.

My question for you: What is your ideal vacation? Is it spent with family, friends, strangers, no one? Is it a particular place? Is it travel, exploration, relaxation, eating, learning? On the water, at the beach, in the mountains, in the desert, in a posh hotel, riding a train, flying, exploring cities, art museums, listening to or watching performances?

I ask because I’m curious. I ask because a lot of people don’t care much for my brand of vacation which usually involves exertion, sweat, and dirt or snow. My friend, Fiona, calls that Fun #2. I am all about Fun #2. My ideal vacation: exploring alpine backcountry with Jeremy in preferably arid climates (wet climates are fine as long as the temp is below freezing).

I’m not asking this for the purposes of evil market research or other crap like that. Right now, the only sponsor of this blog is me. So if you answer my question in the comments section before midnight, August 14 (that’s my mom’s birthday), Mountain Time, you will automatically be entered into a drawing. Jeremy will randomly generate 3 numbers between 1 and the # of comments using trusted Python code, then we will let Kaweah select which of the three will win a matted photo from my gallery.

she’s going to work hard on this

The winner will be the comment # that corresponds to the number selected by the ‘weah. If you have problems with the outcome, you can take it up with teh dawg. Said winner will get to choose an 8×12 photo matted to 12×16 from the following:

the rockburn track, new zealand

the maroon bells, aspen, colorado

aspens, rocky mountain national park, colorado

dahlias at butchart gardens, victoria, canada

I’ll do my best to announce the winner on August 18th, barring any unforeseen disasters. I’ll ship this puppy (the photo, not the actual dog) worldwide. You’ve got a week - so tell me what your idea of the perfect vacay is!

I have been desperately trying to clean out the refrigerator because I hate to leave the house in a state of filth and rotting food. I also hate to waste food, so I handed off several lovely fruits to my friends in town yesterday when we met for lunch. Oy. Better that than exploding into a giant messy fruit salad in the middle of the living room… But I did manage to finish off the fresh figs in a scrumptious salad. I’m all over the salads these days.

pour olive oil over the greens

Arugula didn’t make it onto my radar screen until 5 or so years ago, but I love the stuff. I like the peppery, slightly bitter green prepared in the simplest way: tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I guess that’s the theme for summer here - olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can go quite far on that combination.

tossed

Fresh figs are nothing like dried figs. I am not such a fan of dried figs and I detested fig newtons as a kid. When the teacher would hand those out in class my reaction was, “This is not a treat!” That was a bad scene. Anyway, fresh figs are heavenly and they are available in the markets now. [I will also be visiting a tree that bears the fruit on our trip. I know I will get to gorge on them because the people living with that tree hate figs. Blasphemy, I know!!] Add some halved fresh figs to the greens.

luscious figs

And I cannot help but toss in a few strips of prosciutto. The whole ensemble is a journey through sweet, salty, bitter, spicy. It’s also incredibly easy to slap together without going near the bad bad heat.

some lovely prosciutto rounds out the salad

serve and enjoy

Arugula Salad with Figs and Prosciutto

5 oz. arugula
12 figs, fresh (rinsed)
8 slices prosciutto
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Place arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the greens and toss to evenly coat the leaves. Slice the figs in half. Slice the prosciutto into strips. Divide the greens into four bowls. Divvy up the figs and prosciutto on the salads and serve.