Location:
Seattle, WA
(PST, PHZ 8)
Interests:
Gardening
Cooking
Reading
Learning
Making
Hiking
Camping
Experimenting
Entertaining
countless other ings.
Felicitilia Rhizomata
Location:
Seattle, WA
(PST, PHZ 8)
Interests:
Gardening
Cooking
Reading
Learning
Making
Hiking
Camping
Experimenting
Entertaining
countless other ings.
This week we'll explore some Oaxacan dishes. Oaxaca has a unique history compared to the rest of Mexico in that it maintained much of its native culture throughout the various stages of Spanish conquest. The state is mostly inhabited by mountains, and Oaxaca city is nestled right inside the deep Valle de Oaxaca, almost completely surrounded by mountains. The people of the Valle de Oaxaca were some of the few the Spanish conquistadores were not given permission to remove. To this day native Mexicans make up about 60% of the population of Oaxaca.
I just couldn't pass up on the opportunity to make some Irish dishes for St. Patties Day. Irish food is something that I don't have too much experience with, which makes it all the more interesting to me. It is probably pretty familiar to most of you, so I won't labor the food descriptions.
One of my favorite cuisines is Thai. Thai food is typically known for strong overlapping flavors that pull the taste buds in several directions at once. Much of the cuisine uses very fresh ingredients, but it is also known to pack a spice that makes you sweat, and aromas that make you wonder if the food has been sitting in the fish pit for a couple of days. We explored all of these experiences, but kept the fishiness to a minimum.
This Friday was build your own pizza night at the Hausienda. We had an assortment of gorgeous toppings and few different freshly made crust doughs to choose from. Since everyone was the creator of their own destiny pizza, I can't post the pizza recipes. However, below are the two sauces that I made, and the salads.
With the sunny days we're having recently, my thoughts are drifting to a warmer climate and fragrant spices. This week's Friday dinner presents tastes from India. My goal is to provide a healthy Indian meal with minimal use of oil. In fact, nothing will be fried. I'm aiming to pay attention to Ayurvedic notions of mental and physical balance and ease of digestion without losing any of the flavor or spice. Ingredients were chosen based on their nutritional/healing qualities, so this is an especially good meal if you've been feeling ill.
Celebration of Roots
This week's Friday dinner has turned into a celebration of root vegetables. Root vegetables have a long history of saving people in times of severe famine, and are a real winter treat. One that I have long neglected.
Well, it's a dream come true. We've moved into a new place that has real dirt outside for me to play in. I'm planning my first vegetable garden, and I'm trying to get it right from the beginning. I might drive myself crazy with too much information, but a girl has to do her research.
Hausienda
This blog entry has been brewing for a while now. The plants that I grew with these planters are long gone, but the planters are still around and I will use them again soon. I learned to use pantyhose as a wicking medium from my grandmother who grew African violets all through my childhood. These easy seedling planters are a great way to reuse water/soda bottles and keep your seedlings' soil nice and moist.