Friday, August 15, 2008

Of This and That



I am helping some friends put on a large dinner, 40 plus diners, I am doing the fermentation and slow cooking part. Last month I made some cabbage, carrot and fennel sauerkraut that has been fermenting in a large crock for a month. Three days ago I made a huge amount of Five Flavor Abodo ( a peasant stew with beef, onions, mushrooms, soy sauce, balsamic, white pepper, and porter), it is best after it has been in the fridge for two or three days, then reheated, hmmmm like ambrosia. Two days ago I started this Kefir Rose Hip Hibisicus Soda. 
Here's my little work desk, it is on one wall of the bedroom. Luckily, I don't need much space to do Moku Hanga, which is one of it's many charms. The guy on the wall is a large print I found in my parent's broom closet when I was cleaning their apartment for selling purposes, it was rubber banded around a broom handle. My mother had Alzheimers and I imagine it made sense a the time. I had the print framed and for a time it adorned my acupuncture office wall, but circumstances and locations changed and it has been roosting at home for a couple years. On the desk is the contents of a lovely package I received from M.Kate at La Vie Est Belle, if you are not familiar with her blog, check it out. She has lots of great photos and stories from her part of the world, Malaysia, and she is a rabbit person, 7 bunnies at the last count. She sent me a little fan with pressed orchids. I like orchids a lot, though I don't go to orchids blogs, I have four plants. Two were rescued from abusive environments and two were bought cheap from the distressed area at the garden store. Now I have a sort of portable orchid in the form of the fan. Also enclosed was a bookmark with my name in Chinese, so cool. And a handkercheif with Double Happiness characters on it, who can't use extra happiness I ask? And some very nice picture postcords. It will be a pleasure to respond in kind to this kindness! Double thanks to M.Kate.
Here's a close-up of the the wood of my desk, it is Tiger Stripe Maple, looks wrinkled, but it's not. The edges of the desk are wiggly, it is designed to have natural (not straight) lines. A friend made the desk as part of an acupuncture trade. It is the only piece of furniture I own (Boyfriend has plenty for both of us). 
Got to run, visitors this weekend, they will be sleeping the living room which is rabbit domain, Tyler and Sydney may not like this too very much. I have clean the house NOW.



10 comments:

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Note to self; you forgot to mention the ginger in the Abodo.

Anonymous said...

A zippy fast bunny bum!

Unknown said...

Hello D, I am not familiar with those pickles..must taste real good. OH, tks for the mention, what are friends for right..if we cant connect more than just via the internet, just glad I found you and all those rabbit links :D Your table looks so tidy..cant show you mine unless I clear it haha..Ah, the bunnies, 7 is correct and the next post is definitely a bunny overdose post for all my wonderful bunny friends, and those without bunnies are asking about the 'baby' bunnies..at 2months +,they are as big as my other bunnies! One question, your bunnies live in the living room. I know they are really clean and easily poop trained, but do they leave trails of poop everywhere? They are so pampered..my bunnies will be envious of them!!

RG said...

We are bringing another 12 for the dinner :<)

Nice workspace ... I'm not showing!

Anonymous said...

i love maple wood - beautiful

the food sounds very exotic to me ;-) i'm definitely impressed!

Jess and Flynn said...

I love your desk! Looks really neat.
I'm double-majoring in english & political science. My dream is to do journalism for awhile, go to law school, and eventually become a prosecuting attorney when I feel mature & ready enough.
loooove the red piglets down below!

Rima Staines said...

Gosh you've been busy.. what a nice little snippet of your life :)
I like the idea of guests sleeping in the living room with rabbits hopping all over them while they snooze :)

PJ said...

I had to think about your post for a day or two. Yours is the third to mention fermenting. Now I'm very curious. I've been hearing about slow cooking for a good while but have never done it. I'm going through house-rehab so detailed cooking procedures are not an option, only cooking to eat.
I expecially like that you only have one piece of furniture and that it is both the soul of simplicity and complexity.

Anonymous said...

The five flavour abodo sounds fantastic! Love your desk, it looks very tactile.
And Bunny in a Hurry, of course!

tlchang said...

I want to hear more about this Kefir Rose Hip Hibiscus concoction!