During a quick jaunt to the Ortega Public Library, I picked up some good books including 'Diet for a Small Planet' by Frances Lappe. Originally published in 1971, I consider this part protein debate, part analysis of American values and part cookbook an oldie but a goodie. More than a vegetarian manifesto, Lappe is honest, comically and well researched in her address towards world hunger and the distancing of consumer from food source. I think it's neat and worth a look through.

Lappe was also a founder of Food First, a bay area based non-profit dedicated to issues of global hunger, food security and social justice- www.foodfirst.org. They published 'Alternatives to the Peace Corps' which I would like to get my paws on (ahem, birthday, wink wink, nudge nudge).

Speaking of food, I gots to go cook din-din. Besos, filibertha

This song was written over warm brewed bevereges in Santa Cruz. It's to the tune of 'Heart of Gold'. The chorus is set and you have fun making up verses.... Be silly and extra points for rhyming.


CHORUS
Em C D G
This tea is a lot like me
It's kinda weak and warm and very lonely
You always knew it, that I've been brewing
How can you stay warm when your life is waiting

EXAMPLE VERSE
Em C D G
I sit on coasters, I like band posters
My favorite appliance would have to be a toaster...

Magical Spinach and Mushroom Souffle

That's right boys and girls, last night I made my first souffle and it turned out quite well. Here is the recipe, slightly modified, from Nicola Graime's COMPLETE VEGETARIAN cookbook. P.S.- Polly and Andrew, it takes a little while to put together but I think you might dig it.

8 oz/half a bunch fresh washed spinach (or 4 oz frozen)
4 tablespoons/ a half stick of butter
1 clove garlic, sliced
6 oz sliced mushrooms (any variety)
(1/2 cup diced firm tofu, optional)
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
6 eggs, whites and yolks seperated
salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese

1.)Preheat oven to 375. Thoroughly grease a 4+ cup casserole dish and sprinkle a lil cheese on the sides.

2.) Steam spinach 3-4 minutes. Let cool and squeze out extra water and chop.

3.) Melt butter and saute mushrooms until tender. Turn up heat and cook off extra liquid, then add the spinach and set aside.

4.)In a saucepan, heat milk to a boil. In a seperate bowl, combine egg yolks and flour. Pour milk over eggs and flour and stir well. Return to heat briefly to thicken.

5.)Add mixture to mushroom and spinach mixture. Add tofu is desired.

6.) Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold whites into mushroom and egg mixture.

7.) Pour into prepared pan, smoothing the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes and serve immediately.

The past two days, Sasha and I went on an amazing mission for bay area hiking. We fueled our bodies with avocado and spinach sandwiches, then headed south to Martin's Beach. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. There are some scary 'keep out' and 'Bush-Chaney' signs on the highway turn-off but we braved the republican threats and drove down to one of the most incredible and carefully hidden California coastal spots. We visited Sasha's friend Ana who just came home after a year working for a Brazilian dance troope.

We mosied south to Santa Cruz and crashed Natural Bridges park with our guitar and hollared folk tunes to the waves, the sky, the cold winter breezes and a dead sea lion. Some of our favorite songs are Angel from Montgomery, Rock Me Mama, Miss Ohio, Navajo Rug, You were meant for me, and anything by Shania Twain or the Dixie Chicks.

Then began the Zoe treasure hunt. Our mission: to find Sasha's old high school friend living somewhere in Santa Cruz with a strong aversion to answering her phone. We stalked around aisles of Safeway assuming that most college students go grochery shopping on sunday nights. We cruised streets she might live on. We new teh street name began with an 'N' and she lives in a duplex. Despite our good detective work, still no signs of the elusive Zoe. The lead from an annonymous outside source, we began to search for a bar where a short fat white guy was performing who sounds like Tracy Chapman.

We finally found Zoe on Nobel drive. We laughed and danced and assembled Ikea furniture to celebrate the success of our mission. We cooked a big kinoa dinner and I ate chard, a leafy green vegetable with red stalks, for the first time. Mmmm delicious. Then we hung out with Felix, another one of Sasha's high school frineds, drank tea and played guitar. We wrote a song for our 'Refresh mint tea' from Mt Mazuma. It chorus goes a lil something like this... 'This tea is a lot like me, it's kinda weak and warm and very lonely...'. It's going top fourty, I just know it.

The next morning, we had breakfast with Felix and his 3 year old toehead flatmate Miles. We made omlettes with eggs from their backyard chickens, onions, mushrooms and more of my favorite new vegetable. Maybe the best omlette I've ever had.

Sasha and I drove up to Big Basin state park and blazed the Berry Creek Falls trial. The terrain was steep and winding through the most beautiful Redwood forests. I forgot that trees can get SO BIG. We named one big tree Herman and his lady tree Sherylyn. The falls were roaring and spectacular. It was nice to be in the woods. We stopped at Hidden Villa, www.hiddenvilla.org, a working farm and summer camp where Sasha works. Dang, that was one good trip, full of music, food, beaches, redwoods, nice poeple and everything else I like about California.