2.22.2010

My Week #44 (February 15-21) on Vimeo

My Week #44 (February 15-21) on Vimeo

My Week #44 (February 15-21) from nocoastfilms on Vimeo.

Between getting sick and working feverishly on preparing my Pecha Kucha My Week presentation, I've come up with a short one this time, but one that still shows two trucks carrying strange animal facsimiles.

2.16.2010

Kick-That-Cold Miso

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe...

After a busy day at work where what started as a minor sniffle slowly elevated to a full-on head cold, I came home both exhausted and motivated to try to kick the cold in the ass. I'm so backlogged with stuff to edit and looming deadlines that I can't afford to be sick for long. Miso to the rescue!

I remembered my very talented college roommate Marika, whose Japanese mother sent her care packages with instant packets, swearing by miso soup as the surefire cure for any ailment, particularly a bad cold. Fast-forward from instant packets to full-blown and elaborate soups with daikon ribbons and carefully simmered onions, introduced to me by my friend Brett's friend Megumi, whom he met while studying in Tokyo. Tonight, I needed something in between.

Kick-That-Cold Miso

1-2 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 cloves of garlic, whole
2 c. vegetable broth
1/3 c. seaweed/mushroom/leek mix
1 heaping Tbsp. red miso paste
1/4 c. vegetable broth*

1 bundle soba or udon noodles

Extra salt or tamari to taste.


In a medium-sized pot, bring enough water to boil to cook noodles. Meanwhile, cover the bottom of a medium-sized saucepan with sesame oil. Sprinkle in a little coarse sea salt, heat, and add the whole garlic cloves, searing over medium-high heat and stirring frequently. Once the garlic has started to brown and looks kind of deep-fried, carefully add 2 cups of vegetable broth and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the the dried seaweed, and cook gently until the dried mushrooms in the mix have softened. In a separate bowl, dissolve the miso paste into the remaining 1/4 c. of vegetable broth. When your noodles have finished cooking, turn off the heat on the stock and stir in the miso.

Makes two good-sized bowls to feed the cold of one or the starting course for two.


*I highly recommend making your own vegetable stock -- it's so easy and practically free! Save up vegetable peelings, ends of onions, stems, etc. in the freezer until you have a nice containerful. Put these in a large stockpot with an equal amount of water, and add peppercorns, bay leaves, or other herbs. Bring to a low boil and simmer for several hours, strain, and salt if desired. Experimenting with different veggie scrap combinations is fun -- if you use beets, you can make pink broth!

Trailer: La Solidaridad on Vimeo

My friend and documentary co-producer Brent Meier has a new film in the works...

Trailer: La Solidaridad on Vimeo

Trailer: La Solidaridad from Meier_Walters on Vimeo.

A preview to the short documentary about a trip to Cuba where

we investigated mobility and access to the health system.

2.15.2010

Who Knew?

I just discovered canned dolmas. They're on special right now at Open Harvest, and became an impulse buy for me Saturday. I thought there would be no way they'd compete with fresh, restaurant-made ones, but holy wow, they're yummy.

In other news, I'm spending my little employee benefit of a state holiday working on my Pecha Kucha presentation.


Hope to see you at the Bourbon Theatre on the 24th!

2.07.2010

Gravel Roads + Falling Snow + Jo = My first ride with D Street

Today, I braved beautiful freshly falling snow on an early Sunday morning to try my hand at gravel miles with the D Street crew.

Once we hit the gravel rollers, technical know-how and pure fearlessness regarding icy ruts were extremely beneficial. I slowed down anytime I remembered what I was doing, but felt exhilarated whenever I relaxed and sped down a hill.

With taking Hwy 77 back rather than braving the ever-meltier gravel on the way back, I clocked in 51.2 miles, not bad for a snowy day in February.

View Interactive Map on MapMyRide.com


Cornbread has better pictures than I took (and Matt has a nice one on Good Problem), seeing as though I didn't want to take the G11 out in the snow and muck and my cell phone died right after we got out of town. Here, however, is one Ryan snapped of my hands at the Cortland Cenex. It took a lot of calories just to stay warm, and apparently this didn't extend to my fingertips. My hands were purple to the knuckle and white to the tips.

Tommy Two-Tone!