“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” B. Olatunji

Cuba

Who would have guessed that "snow days" as an "adult" would be just as fun? Okay, well, maybe doing taxes and laundry on this day isn't in the exact definition of "fun," but I will say that a day the office closes due to a blizzard is an opportunity to be seized and appreciated. I got up at my usual time so I could take advantage of the whole day. It didn't look so bad out from my fifth story window, measuring the few inches of snow on the decks of the apartments below me. I was motivated to hit the gym, which I always prefer to do and get over with in the morning. As I crossed the street, I was smacked by attacking snowflakes being shoved in to my face by the gusts of wind. After this experience during my short trek to the gym along with walking through mounds of slush, I agreed it would be best to stay home the remainder of the day instead of the fleeting idea I had to go hang out in Central Park, which probably would be miserable with lack of a snow suit. This snow day, I would devote myself to cooking, taxes, laundry and movies. After I finished my "work" of taxes, I made a pot of green tea with lemon grass and honey and laid in bed watching the beauty of winter. The massive snowflakes were falling harder and faster and made for a New York wonderland moment. After wandering off to la la land in my mind, I had the urge to prepare something warm and comforting to eat that didn't necessarily have to be quick, since I did have the whole day ahead of me.

I'm still on my soup kick, and the weather made for the perfect occasion for soup. I used to be afraid that soups were too complicated and time consuming, but I've now grown to enjoy the methodical process of chopping, simmering, and pureeing to create your own personal masterpiece. While I know I said my next soup was going to be the green soup with ginger, I was in a mood for split pea soup and had picked up dry split green peas at the store the day before. It was simple and delicious, using few ingredients that are usually on hand. In a large pot over medium-high heat, I stirred 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 large chopped onions with some salt until softened. After adding two cups of the dry split peas and about 5 cups of water, I turned the heat down to let it all simmer. About 30 minutes later, I blended half of the mixture into a puree that was then added back to the pot so there was a hearty consistency, not too soupy and not too chunky. It had great texture. I then added some diced carrots, fresh dill, salt, pepper to taste, and lemon juice and let it all simmer once again together as the carrots softened and the flavors fused. Vegetarian split pea soup with dense whole wheat bread is the perfect meal to go along with watching movies in bed during a snow storm.

Okay, so maybe snow days aren't the same as in childhood when you were extatic not to have to schlep yourself to the bus for school in the morning and instead bundled up in puffy snow suits, boots, hats, gloves (the whole kit and caboodle) to set off on the adventure in wonderland, sledding and making snow angels. . . But, they are much appreciated as "adults."

"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

Every so often, I sit down to re-evaluate and revise my list of things I want to accomplish in life. I remember starting this back in 2002 on the pages of the in house flight magazine as I was flying to New York to visit my sister in her first year of college. On the spread that had the map of the world with all the airport hubs and flights Northwest had between cities, I wrote to ad nauseam things I wanted to do and goals I had in my life. This included everything from sky diving to teaching to falling in love. Sometimes I'll look back at this list or I'll just start over since I am constantly changing with new desires or I've already accomplished some. A few I've been able to check off: salsa dancing and performing, teaching and living abroad.
The Buried Life is a new MTV reality series based on the question, "If you had one day left to live what would you do?" It's like pay-it-forward in the adventures of 4 boys that are working to accomplish their list of dreams - "dreams too often buried by life." I love this idea. And, while most of us don't have the financial backing of a huge network to let us make this our job, it still serves as a reminder not to let our dreams get buried by life. With all the previous "bad choices" and issues and challenges I've experienced, I have no regrets and hope to never have any. Luckily, this is all in my control. I don't usually open emails that have been forwarded to me like chain letters, but I read one the other day and one point stood out to me. . . the only thing I can remember from the entirety. It was a list written by someone dying of cancer, a list of "I wish. . ." She said, I wish I would have invited friends over for dinner more often and not worried about not having a proper table, place settings or space. So true! Living in a New York sized apartment with no kitchen table and frugal funding, I put aside one of the things in life I love to do most: dinner parties. In college, I often had friends over to my nice-sized studio apartment, table set with proper plates and silverware and a spread of appetizers, side dishes, entree and drinks on my parent's dime. My situation has changed slightly now as I live in a Manhattan walk-up on my "hard-earned" income, but I am not going to let this stop me from entertaining and cooking for friends. I was reminded last night of the joy I get from hosting dinner parties. What started off as the normal weekly cooking night with my friend Bria, turned in to a small gathering. Putting the worry about space aside, the informality with good food, drinks, company and conversation made for a great night.

The ancient Incas called it the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred. Quinoa was used to sustain Incan armies, which frequently marched for many days eating a mixture of quinoa and fat, known as "war balls." While quinoa is technically not a true grain, its versatality in cooking treats it as one. The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. If you've ever used couscous, quinoa is similar in that it can be mixed with almost anything to make a complete, delicious and healthy meal. I was recently reading 101 cookbooks and came across a vegan recipe called Heather's Quinoa. In the recipe, quiona is mixed with tofu, corn, spinach (or other green), toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatoes and a pesto sauce. This peaked my interest in the quinoa ingredient, and I started researching other recipes that incorporated it. Then, I met my friend at a coffee shop and she got a side of garlicky quinoa with chickpeas, green beans and roasted peppers. It was amazing! That's when I decided that would be the entree for my upcoming cooking night. The meal was simple and quick while also being delicious and beautiful.

I always like having a few appetizers/hors d'oeuvres so that people can munch on that while I can focus on cooking and not feel pressured by them being famished. Olives are always nice to have out and crudite. Earlier in the day, I prepared an artichoke olive tapenade to be served on crostini. I'm kind of obsessed with small plates and tapas and the idea of crostinis that can be topped with almost anything in any combination. The tapenade was a coarse blending of artichokes, pitted green olives, rinsed and drained capers and olive oil. On home-made whole wheat crostinis or lemon peppered cucumber slices, it was a wonderful start. While my brussel sprouts and broccoli, delicately coated with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary, were roasting in the oven, I started to prepare the quinoa dish. . nervous since it was my first time using the ingredient.

In a pot of 2 cups of boiling water and salt, I added 1 cup of dry quinoa and reduced the heat, covering for it to simmer for about 15 minutes. While walking through the farmer's market in Union Square, I came across a tent selling a variety of mushrooms and fresh herbs. I was inspired to do a mushroom thyme quinoa dish. In a large skillet, I heated 2 tablespoons of olive oil and added one diced onion. After the onions sweetened and clarified, I added pressed garlic and sliced crimini (baby bella) and shitake mushrooms. As the dry white wine steamed and turned in to a syrup around the islands of mushrooms, fresh thyme was mixed in, and the quinoa had opened. The outer germ twisted outward to form a little white, spiral tail, which is attached to the kernel. It became fluffy when stirred and the water was absorbed, which was my alert that it was ready to be combined with the mushroom mixture. After tasting the product, I wanted to add more garlic and salt. Then, it was finito. Timing with the roasted vegetables was perfect and ready to be served. It was all so good (wish I would have made more to have extra), and I'm excited to use quinoa much more in the future, experimenting with. . .whatever I feel like.

The successful meal ended with a little reminiscent taste of my college years, kir royales. . .chambord and champagne with sliced strawberries. Yum!. .. and yum to the memories of the grad student wine bar on main street with Radiohead in the background and sitting with the girls as we were approached by guys offering to buy us endless kir royales. . .ahhh .. .good times!





Heather's Quinoa Recipe (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

a splash of extra-virgin olive oil

a pinch of fine grain sea salt

1 shallot, minced

3 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

1 1/2 cups kale, spinach or other hearty green, finely chopped

2 cups extra-firm nigari tofu, browned in a skillet a bit

1/3 cup homemade pesto

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes

In a big skillet or pot heat the olive oil and salt over medium-high heat.

Stir in the shallot and cook for a minute or two.

Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling.

Stir in the kale and then the tofu, cooking until tofu is heated through.

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the pesto and pumpkin seeds.

Mix well so the pesto is spread throughout.

Turn everything out onto a platter and top with the cherry tomatoes.

"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." Henry David Thoreau

With days like today in New York City, I can't remember why I decided to move away from the sunny beaches of Costa Rica. It's so brutally cold and windy that it takes way too much effort to get myself out from the rapture of my heated bedroom where I am cocooned in pillows, blankets, and the weight of my down comforter. The sun shining through is deceiving because the second I step outside, I'm hit by the bitterness of winter and want to crawl right back in to my cave. But, then it hits me why I sacrafice surfer's paradise for the bustling city life. It's the greatest place for self-exploration as a twenty-something, people to constantly be meeting and places to constantly be seeing. And, as a soup lover, there's no better time to try out all those recipes than on a snowy winter evening. This wouldn't be as appealing in the ninety-degree heat of CR (Hey, have to make lemonade out of lemons, right?!). While I love throwing spontaneous dinner parties for others, the cooking experience is enhanced when shared with another. Sometimes there is clashing in the kitchen though, especially with two stubborn people or a duo with completely different cooking styles, but it's usually a fun time sharing responsibilities and more efficient. Plus, if you're one who doesn't like to grate garlic or chop onions, it could be passed on to the other half. I'm going to try and make cooking with a partner a weekly happening because it really just feels good and is often nicer, healthier and cheaper than going to a restaurant. You can stay in the warmth of your own home and know exactly what ingredients are being used and that they will be fresh, which is key to deliciousness and having a satisfying, feel-good meal. Plus, it's an accomplishment, creating something from start to finish and being able to enjoy it with all your senses. It's also best to cook with someone that has similar taste and appreciation for food. I like cooking with my vegetarian friend, whipping up clean and comforting foods. We've made a mediterranean meal with grilled eggplant, herbed couscous and taboule, whole wheat pizzas with fresh tomatoes and basil and last week a lentil soup with home-made skillet croutons and mashed "cauliflower potatoes." With a glass of rich red wine, the evening was complete.

When I walked in to my friend's upper west side apartment with my contribution of fresh dill and whole wheat rolls, the aroma of garlic, onion and olive oil was already seeping in to the hallway and down the stairs. Lentil soup was the perfect idea for this freezing night. As soon as I stepped foot in the apartment, welcomed by Duke the cat,I thawed out. The onion and olive oil were already simmering in a large pot with chopped carrots and celery. As the onions clarified and carrots softened, diced tomatoes, water and dry, rinsed, lentils were added. We sprinkled in some corriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and fresh dill to bring warm flavors together in to the soup. As all this was taking its time to interlace flavors, the cauliflower was just about done boiling and ready to be put in the food processor with garlic, salt and some sour cream. I much prefer this lighter version to mashed potatoes. I mixed the diced bread with olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh grated garlic and some parsley, firing it in a skillet at the last moments before serving. We decided to leave the soup un-pureed, garnished with fresh dill and the toasted croutons. I like chunkier soups as it feels heartier and I can make each bite different and appreciate the individuality of the complexity more.


I'm actually looking forward to winter lasting a bit longer (6 more weeks according to the groundhog) so I can try out some more soup recipes. The next one I'd like to try, I found on one of my favorite food blogs: 101 cookbooks. She adapted the recipe from Love Soup by Anna Thomas.


Green Soup with Ginger Recipe

1 large yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 large sweet potato
1 large leek, white and light green parts
1 bunch spinach
1 large bunch green chard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, plus more to taste
2 cups good-tasting vegetable broth
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Chop the onion and cook it slowly in the olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, stirring now and then, over low heat until it is soft and golden, about half an hour.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato and put it in a large soup pot with 4 cups (1 liter) water and a teaspoon of sea salt. Thoroughly wash the leek, spinach, and chard, chop them coarsely, and add them to the pot, along with the chopped ginger.
Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the caramelized onions when they are ready. When the vegetables are soft, add the vegetable broth (you can add less if you like a thicker soup) and decide whether you want your soup chunky, like this, or smooth. If the latter, puree the soup in a blender, in batches, or with an immersion blender until it is smooth.
Stir in 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste, and correct the seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice.
Serves 5-6.