intrepid brevity

sanguine

modern frida is under construction :)

Gardenia Synchronicity

Yesterday I received a gardenia from someone's garden, and, I found one of my lost Billie Holiday cd's at a thrift store (with her trademark gardenia in her hair). I am not embarrassed to admit that small little things like these, they just make me happy...

Darkroom, Dancing, Sade

This is one of my favorite photos of me with my late brother Andy.
Every time May rolls around, I think of him even more since May 19th marks his birthday.

It's because of him that I love to take photos, love to dance, and still in love with Sade. His love was King.

Injured Sun Ray

The colibri (hummingbird) is a sacred symbol for the Taino people of the Caribbean, as well as for many other indigenous people of the Americas (North, Central, South). 
The ancient Taino stories call him the Guaracacigaba or Guacariga, which means
the "Rays of the Sun".

Well, this little Sun Ray was found by Paloma over the weekend. She put him in this little box outfitted with random flowers, documented his stay, and then waited in hopes that he would rest and then could fly away.

He drank sweet water, ate whatever she gave him, and then slept,
I guess, for the night. He flew away this afternoon.

palm trees

Oya

Orisha Oya mad in the sky.

my secret ripe love jungle

my garden is a muse

Pink fever

Angoleras

www.joaogrande.org

stimulating chi

found money

thoughts of Morocco

sari stroll

Just another day at work...

falling apart

Scene from the Chinese herbalist...I feel like I am falling apart these days.

"Who are YOU?", said the Caterpillar

My new little friend. I just need to get him a hookah so we can hang out 'til spring.

Paloma wanted him to have a little hat...

Thank you Corn Mother

Oh Seven Cobs of Corn...arise now,
awaken...You are Our Mother!
You would leave us orphans;
go now to your house, Tlalocan.

Oh Seven Cobs of Corn...arise now,
awaken...You are Our Mother!
You would leave us orphans;
go now to your house, Tlalocan.

Ancient Nahuatl Poem

Cowboys & Indians

Sade

Birthday wish  #1, check. 

Stephen Marley & Spragga Benz

Did I tell you how much I love reggae? 

Mercado with D'anjou pears

Watermelon Zen

Agua de Jamaica (Mexico, Jamaica, Trinidad)

To make about 2 quarts


1 ounce dried  *Jamaica flowers
1 stick of cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1" piece of ginger, sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 cups cane sugar
2 quarts water
1/4 cup rum


Place the water, Jamaica flowers, cinnamon stick, lime juice, ginger slices, cloves, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and let the flowers steep for about 20 minutes.  Add the rum. Pour into a glass container and chill. Serve over ice. 


*Jamaica flowers (Jamaican sorrel, hibiscus flowers or flor de Jamaica) can be found in Latin or Caribbean markets. 

Bliss

Definition of Bliss

Bliss   Orig., blithesomeness; gladness; now, the highest degree of happiness; blessedness; exalted felicity. Exhaulted Felicia; heavenly joy. Andrea, Amada, and Paloma.

Definition of Bliss

Bliss  

---

Orig., blithesomeness; gladness; now, the highest degree of happiness; blessedness; exalted felicity. Exhaulted Felicia; heavenly joy. Andrea, Amada, and Paloma. 

Unintended Bug Series

Moonlight Movie with Paloma

Shakshuka (Israeli Huevos Rancheros)

Shakshuka? Sha-what? Every time I make this dish, that's pretty much the confused question/look I get. I believe shakshuka means "all mixed up" in Hebrew, and not to insinuate my friends are not bright, I just tell them it's Israeli huevos rancheros and call it a day. We do live in the Southwest.  And who knows, maybe there's some girl in Israel making Mexican Shakshuka (huevos rancheros)  for her friends. 


There are many recipes for shakshuka. However, this is a good basic starter to which you can add whichever herbs and vegetables you wish.  I think a good dinner variation would be the addition of eggplant or zucchini. 

Shakshuka (Israeli Huevos Rancheros)

3 Anaheim Chiles or Sweet Italian Peppers, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 fresh bay leaf

1 yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1 - 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

6 eggs

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet  over medium-high heat. Add chiles, red pepper, onion, and bay leaf, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 6 - 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with the tomato paste, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. 

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 - 7 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with parsley and serve with flatbread. 


*BTW, I'd like to dedicate this recipe posting to my friend, Eric al-Buenostone :) aka Gitenstein.  

Coronado Farmer's Market

Indian Rice Pudding - Kheer

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Basmati Rice
6 cups Whole or 2% Milk
3/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Raw Pistachios, slightly crushed
1/4 tsp. Ground Cardamom

1 Cinnamon Stick

Method
Rinse rice well in cold water. In a medium saucepan, cook the milk, rice, pistachios, cardamom and 

cinnamon stick until semi thick stirring frequently so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan 

and the rice is well cooked (about 20 minutes).

Reduce heat, remove the cinnamon stick and add the sugar.  Once the sugar is incorporated, remove from heat.

Serve warm or chilled garnished with ground cinnamon, ground pistachios, a dollop of honey, or dried fruit.