taste memory

at the beach. misty clouds. tangerine sun.

2009-09-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday.

abrupt thoughts.

mist.

water.

light.

just peeking in ;-)

comfort me with apples

2009-09-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

baby asian pears. sprigs of baby roses. thinking out loud by the kitchen window.

It's been Total. Drama. Island.

Really the first words that come to mind!

I've been truly manifesting otherwise but it's like the flood gates opened when I decided unleash those sails.

Thinking about you guys.........hope summer has been swell + full of sights that make you just plain smile.

We were surprised to find our first harvest of asian pears + blossoms of baby roses greet us this past summer. So with that I often think of their sweet fragrance that makes my many senses smile.

I hope you're still there ~ as I miss writing, sharing + sprinkling my thoughts on here. I truly look forward to posting more and look forward to that dialogue again. Thank you for coming around + sending light + love to you.

Be back very soon my dears......

peeling back to light: cantelope smoothie with hints of lychees and the green stuff

2009-06-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

cantaloupe has been a morning ritual lately........

Can't find my lights, my white boards, filters, back splash.....nothing. I had them specifically and specially packed to be easily retrieved and they are nowhere to be found at the moment.

I did find my camera.

Where the heck is that eyelash curler now........

so just to let you know the taste memory of litchis/lychees ring a familiar tone to me......they're not as odd tasting as they appear really......there is a familiar sweetness to them and almost wine~like fragrant quality that lingers.......

Biting into lychees reminds of something familiar but perhaps not.

with a slight of a paring knife or even a finely manicured fingernail is just enough to peel back the layers......

What I do is to simplify, everyday.

I took these photos without my special lights, my handmade filters and such that give it the *glow*

In between the uneven clouds passing and tagging around the sun, I was able to capture vibrant beginnings of my ritual morning smoothie.

I recently bought a bundle of fresh lychees. Don't be dismayed by their extraterrestrial type rind. Once you get past their tough exterior, you will find the sweetest flesh to the bite. Interestingly enough, each fruit has a different finish. Kinda like wine or biting into chocolate truffles. They are sweet, soft, slightly sour for some, even briny and has a slight lingering aged like finish that reminds me of strawberry wine. They remind me of things that have been waiting, hidden.....perhaps forbidden. Lychees......the forbidden fruit.

Actually my usual smoothie blend is quite simple: cantelope + chunks of cucumbers with skin and all plus a good douse of electrolyte water.

Ladies.....this has been a perfect blend to hydrate your cells thus your skin.

morning light smoothie: fresh cantaloupe, cucumbers, romaine lettuce + lychees

To simplify, to blend, to glow.......

june gloom: walking through fog

2009-06-12T08:46:00.005-07:00

I like things in a orderly disarray........I think

This blog is still alive.

I am here.

Seriously.

Rather than bore you with the 450 boxes I am dealing with (I took a rough count to amuse myself in between breaks), I just wanted to say hi and that I am still planning on blogging about taste memories, life, food + just plain being.

There are fruit trees at this new place; amidst dandelions as tall as my kids with minuscule thorns throughout.

I had a dream last night I was flying in between walls and windows made of wooden crates. I felt boxed-in but then I imagined a big picture window that open to a vast blue sky.

The sky opened up in my dream and I was finally in full sail in its expansiveness.

I will post soon.

I am very sorry I have been delayed.

My kids started their third school in one year.

I know, excuses......I have decided to post about our transitons as well as my continued love of fresh + savory foods.

I am trying to help lead a helm with assurance that it's okay to live like gypsies as we have.

Bare feet and all.

Just walking through and feeling the breeze.......

bright side to double delight

2009-05-10T08:22:00.007-07:00

.....a bloom from my fire and ice rose bush last spring.....these *double delight* roses I passed on to my dear friend and neighbor prior the move. It makes me smile to know she can tend to its beauty now.....

Happy Mother's Day!

I was at my mother's house the other day to bring her a pot of homemade soup. She had been feeling out of sorts so I made a vegetable soup with chunky amounts of carrots, yellow + green zucchini, celery and roughly chopped cabbage leaves among other niceties......

Then she made her favorite dumplings which I dotted with freshly minced parsley, sea salt + garlic powder. She showed the girls how to knead + form the dumplings before they were gently simmered in a ginger, onion, garlic + rose infused broth.

I ladled the soup into the very bowls we used for soup when I was little. She used to make me soup when I was sick too.

My mother recently told me she missed her mother's cooking. She told me grandma used to be an excellent cook and she shared with me some of her taste memories from growing up in Korea. Family recipes are often not written.....especially back in the days of my mother's childhood. It made me think about the foods my mother made for us growing up as well as today. It also made me think about passing on the love of nurturing, feeding + healing to my own children, to my family + friends.

Right now I feel like I am in a holding pattern until the next flight. As an old friend and writing mentor shared with me about motherhood: ".....it's about the picking up and putting down in our lives.....we strive for the male counterpart where we cherish to have the long sustained amount of time to complete a project.....as mothers we pick up and put down.....just as the simplicity and moment of sweeping the walk.....take in the moment for what it is."

So as I miss tending to my roses, I am also happy to know that my dear friend has been able to enjoy their blooms. I love the *double delight* roses that have outer petals of pink and red. They were my wedding flowers that I had in my bouquet and in my hair. It was the hottest day of the year, my wedding day.

The double delight blooms in my hair lasted from the early morning photos shoot until we tied the knot at church with a kiss. By the time we drove up to the reception at the wooded retreat center in the hills......they looked like wilted rag muffins.

Back then I didn't have the multi-tasking mode as polished as I do now (or so I think!). I think motherhood does that to you. For the seasoned ladies I know that have not chosen the path of motherhood ~ I have been quite taken with the wisdom that has broadened their horizons as women. It's funny that when one door opens, another opens in unexpected places as well.

Wishing you a day of double delights......

finding peace

2009-04-30T09:10:00.005-07:00

a glimpse of the path that leads to the wooded preserve area of our former home in Florida......

Hello dear friends.

My apologies for being away. Are you still there? I am soooo sorry. So much happening + so little time.

I feel as I have been far away.

We found out last February about the confirming details of our move

Then I had a month. Less than thirty days really, to pack our lives of over six years of living in Florida to the west coast.

As those of you know that have moved, as well as moved with a cast + crew of children......there is a wealth of *closure* involved.

The path going into the back lot of our preserves is a brocade of overhanging leaves, blooms, branches and vines. The groundworks of the path itself is mottled with degrees of soil, rocks + tree roots grasping it's way to the surface.

My kids grew up on the little teal colored tree swing shown here.

It was the only tree on the property that securely held their care free recklessness so they could do what kids do.........abandon themselves into the ride.

My recent path has just done that.

Abandoning myself into a ride that is often times unfamiliar and un-orchestrated creates a harrowing yet liberating journey.

Especially the journey returning home.

The enclosed deck overlooking the trees + spring-fed pond in our backyard was a place of good memories. When I look at this picture, it reminds of the kid's birthday parties, breaking bread with family + friends, having Saturday morning coffee with hubz, watching the glow of the sunset highlight the tall trees and in closing, the fragrance of chilled white wine lingering through the frost of translucent wine glasses.......

Those are the memories I have that capture perhaps the more evocative times of living here.

So hey, thank you for sticking with me and coming back.

I am saying my goodbyes to my old home. Allowing myself to feel the emptiness of being away from good friends, familiar faces + places that brought me joy + comfort. Letting go of the old to make way for new possibilities. I love the fact that I can share this with you and hope there is a similarity in ways we journey through transitions.

I love this old house, but I know it's time to let go.......

So now I gather my cherished thoughts, scent memories, taste thoughts, taste memories and tuck a few away in my heart. The rest I'll scatter like fresh petals and remind myself to fear not if I bruise a few petals along the way.

Most definitely if you were wondering.....yes new food finds + savory fresh delights have treated me well lately in southern California!

Talk with you soon.

xoxo ~ tastememory girl

comforts of home: going back to Cali

2009-02-22T06:59:00.005-08:00

sweetly tempered with pure maple syrup over a hot griddle.......sticky gooey carmelized seduction: fried bananas with bits of chocolate shavings

Fried bananas. My saving grace when I was transitioning my diet to incorporate more raw foods. So instead of the glass of red wine after dinner or the bowl of ice cream or chocolate torte, I would linger over a sweetly glazed fried banana carmelized with pure maple syrup. It was inspired to me after reading Natalia Rose's The Raw Food Detox Diet book that literally steered me forward on the positively feeling ever so clarified + focused track.

As many of my readers know, I have a healthy + loving balance with raw foods, gourmet cooked foods as well as the love for pure, natural + savory ingredients. To this day, these true loves of mine make me crazy passionate about my intense commitment for fine food, cooking, family, friends + life!

Many things happening here........

First I want to apologize for the delays in my postings as of late.

As I mentioned in my previous post that I spent 2008 cleaning house in more ways than one and the effort brought me back full circle tapping constantly at what I really wanted in my life.

In my consulting work, I am versed with the business plan + fine tuned proposals for my clients. I decided to take a step back and develop my *life plan* *divine plan* *master plan* or some call it the *vision board* of what I really WANTED out of my life. It also included short term, mid-term + long term goals. Then I went in to fudge back my details to make things more fluid in my way too organized life! I think we all have some sort of plan for ourselves.....I decided to take it a step farther and make it more concrete.

Mind you......I also had to take in consideration the munchkins in tow + the hubs. As a marketing specialist, I did pitch them well.....he he he! But found that after orchestrating the *vision board* that really, I had to let it BE and just let things transpire on their own.

Like planting seeds + watering.

Mind you......the whole intent of the *vision board* is to make reality of what you are desiring or wanting, thus taking steps in the direction and walking through the doors that open along the way.

Overall, I felt fulfilled yet oddly, knowing that something had to change in order for me to get to the next level of my life.

So now, I am happy to say.......I am going back home.

We are moving back to California.......like RIGHT NOW!

We just found out, so my life is a bit of a flurry right now. We will be leaving on our one way flight to California (that sounds soooo good to say, ONE WAY FLIGHT TO CALIFORNIA, I've been wanting to say that!) in the middle of March.

Can you believe it?

When it rains, it pours.

From the research I gathered, it was suggested to be very specific when you create your *vision board* For example: dates, places, needs, timeline, etc.

When I created the *vision board* with my hubs in 2008 we were very specific. For everything to *flow* in accordance to our family's needs, our hopes were to return to California no later than March 31, 2009. Plus it has to be southern California for family reasons. I know, I know......NORTHERN CALIFORNIA is the place to be, especially to the haunts of Passionate Eater and Foodhoe's Foraging. You guys are the BEST! We did consider noCal, but the cards were not flying.....

So surreal.

I am finding the *vision board* to be a quite a process. It involves some down time that can be hard to relinquish for busy types. But the down time makes space for the empty space to be created in order to be filled again. You often wonder what will be filled in that void when one goes on a diet, breaks up with a boyfriend, let's go of a bad situation/relationship or perhaps make a TOTALLY different career leap......there's always that fear.

My vision board encompassed my diverse life goals that I won't bore you with.....but you get the idea, ya know?!

After I created the vision board and spent time every morning reviewing it and meditating over it before I began my day, something happened.

Heart.

The vision and word: Heart

Then I heard a verse from a song from a contemplative musician I used to listen to often.....I heard this verse in it's full melody: wherever you treasure is.....there also your heart shall be.....

Then I started taking steps to make the *vision board* a reality. At times it seemed like nothing was happening. But then things startle to trickle. Trickle. There's resistance too.....kinda like when I started to incorporate more raw + more pure foods in my diet, my body/mind created a resistance.

But the best part of this journey is waking up to the dream coming true.

I plan to complete my previous post once I get settled.

There will be a little more down time until I post again. There will be a bit of down time visiting your blogs + commenting until I get up and running.

But in no time, I will be raising a glass to my fellow bloggers as I watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

The comforts of returning home.

full plate special + taste memories: california chopped salad

2009-02-10T13:16:00.005-08:00

remnants to livelihood........

I spent last year clearing house.

Clearing out my house in so many ways.

It can be hard to let go of familiar ways and routines.

With all that empty space, open ground, the blank page, the slot to be filled......oh my goodness it will be a void in space.

One might wonder....what's next? What will happen? I don't know what!

Scary.

I need a doughnut. Just give me a freaking doughnut.

No gravy. I want GRAVY. Remember that old time Warner Bros. cartoon with the bull dog going crazy looking for GRAVY? Perhaps half of you don't! Remember Gumby? Underdog? Land of the Lost? Very scary how long ago that was......

I have had so much on my plate today. This past week. The weeks gone by.

Yet I keep thinking about this place. My next blog post. You guys.....fellow bloggers......enthusiasts.......lifers of the blog life. Love you guys!

I spent 2008 clearing house. In more ways then one. I spent 2008 sowing seeds.

Yes a lot on my plate as of late.

It is as if being in a garden; blossoming, tending, grooming, mending, watering and watching the blooms return.

Today, right now.......outside my window.....the sun is shining. Half the trees in the backyard are slightly bare naked of their leaves. Some green leaves linger the color of last summer as the remaining dried up faintly red maple leaves falter + dangle a bit prior their fall on straw-like winter crab grass. The pool filter is humming and there is a faint spell of fighter jets in the distance reminding me of time we are in and the fact that I live near a naval base.

And NO! I am not pregnant, jumping ship or running off with the butcher/baker or sushi guy.....

More words + pictures to follow......very shortly.

view from the kitchen sink

2009-01-27T08:05:00.007-08:00

© 2009 Ingar Brunnett, original illustration VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN SINK: duo of roses, potted basil + chives, fresh cut daisies, bowl of cherries being washed......

I read somewhere that adding illustrations onto your blog will add depth and interest to your blog. Not that I believe everything that I read but it made me think about a series of pen and ink illustrations I created during the years that we lived in northeast Ohio. So I thought to give you a glimpse......

I was also constantly *preggers* which seemed like a 5 year span in my life.

My memories of Ohio: I remember lots of pot lucks, lake effects snow, lots of sleet, driving on ice, skidding on ice, maple syrup, being pregnant (hah! I already said that!), more pot lucks, more snow, falling on ice, really good corn on the cob, orchard apples, my Mennonite best girlfriend forever Ida, having babies, late harvest grapes, mud, having a *mud room*, writing poetry, my writing circle, my first writing mentor and another best friend forever, the blanketed silence after a heavy snowfall, the maple syrup festival, harvest festivals, children's tea parties and the memory would not be replete without my kitchen window.

My kitchen window looked out to our back woods. We had close to an acre of woods (which was a lot of space for someone growing up in California) full of oak and maple trees. Many times deer ran through our backyard.

One time, when my kids were toddlers they were playing in the sandbox in the backyard. I was doing something over the kitchen sink and watching them here and there through the kitchen window. I loved the view from the kitchen window into our backyard. It was always a beautiful scene that changed with the seasons. The children were quietly playing making sand mounds.....then I happened to look up and I saw a male buck charge toward the sandbox! I screamed at the kids out the window and then ran out to the back yelling at them to get into the house. The buck continued to charge at them and suddenly steered away when he saw me run out with my hands swaying, hair flying and me, mama bear going crazy.

We still talk about that day and now we can laugh about it.

It was really weird that happened since the kids were just in the sandbox and not doing anything to provoke the deer.

Just a glimpse of a memory to share......while I am working on my next savory post.

something about strawberries....

2009-01-20T19:22:00.002-08:00

dairy free + free love: coconut cream, mango + chocolate......such bliss and no soy

Finally, today and I realize all of us have such a diverse stance on life, politics + even food (the *diversity*; isn't that fantastic?!).

Perhaps just for one day we can be t r a n s p a r e n t.

As always, the rest will just trickle forth and fall into place.

*A day to celebrate our similarities, embrace our differences, send good vibes + prayers and just chill the f*ck out*

As a recovering Type A personality ~ I do try to relinquish to this on a daily basis { lol } My life of organized synchronicity which also included the every so often rewards of planned chaos that celebrated the artist in me came to an abrupt halt once I started having kids.

The more children arrived, the more everything became, you know?

So { { { s i g h } } } 'tis better to sink into the bliss of happy rather than restraining order.

Even in art school I was quite an odd egg. I think I was the only art student/artist that had to have my studio in order, car cleaned + check book balanced in order to go forward with whatever spectacular project I was working on.

Do you ever find you just exhaust YOURSELF?

Maybe it's just me.

By the way, always ALWAYS celebrate + live the artist in you. Perhaps if there were more arts funding + flourishing + beauty of the creative life encouraged......what if?

as for me and my house......all heck has broken loose.

January 17th: My dad's birthday.......Happy Birthday Dad as you're forever in my heart.

January 19th: Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as you are forever reminding us so eloquently of the importance of our dreams.......

January 20th: Inauguration Day here in the states ~ A place my parents have held in their hearts to be their homeland.......whatever our differences, I truly hope today will spring forth a new era for you, your lives, surrounding communities we all touch, as well as throughout globally.

non-dairy, non-soy, nothing artificial + lotsa organic loving care.....ice cream made with coconut milk ~ tastes just as creamy as the real thing without the dairy

I have been in the process of making dairy free, young coconut meat + milk based homemade ice cream. It will eventually get posted here.

Meanwhile, I discovered PURELY DECADENT non-dairy frozen dessert (I call ice cream since it tastes just like!) at Whole Foods recently. It is not considered a raw ice cream. But I find this a great transitional ice cream for those increasing raw foods in their diet, or even if you are looking for dairy and soy free alternatives.

The ingredients are quite pure including organic coconut milk and organic agave syrup instead of white cane sugar.

Life is pulling in various directions so instead of striving for order today, I thought to let loose on my canvas of colors and even dessert.

Talk soon,
xoxo

Yes ~ amazingly enough it's strawberry season in Florida right now......

By the way.......Happy Blessed New Year to you!

Iron Chef: what is myth, passion + tomatoes

2008-12-29T08:00:00.003-08:00

amuse bouche ~ playfully taut shot of freshly puréed tomatoes, watermelon topped with a layer of pop rocks.......artistry of Chef Erika Davis of Ponte Vedra Inn & Club

Catching up with my 2008 posts!

This past summer I had the opportunity to be on the panel of judges for a local Iron Chef competition hosted by Publix Aprons Cooking School and Shands Jacksonville for the annual Art & WineFest at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront.

First off ~ my apologies about the photography.

These were done by *ahem* a friend in between the evening's gourmet tastings + open bar, so you can well imagine.

Well, at least he was having a good time.

Alas, the photos are by TasteMemory.com unless otherwise noted.

Also, I have been having a serious problem with people borrowing my photos without asking (((sigh))). Please see copyright notice @ the sidebar and be nice.

So the secret ingredient of the evening?

from the left: Chef ?, Chef Tony Corrente, Chef Erika Davis, Chef Grace Glhan discover the secret ingredient......tomatoes

The annual event is hosted to benefit the UF & Shands Medical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Jacksonville Florida. It's a community event that unites local chefs, restaurateurs, artists, collectors, the business + medical community as well as food enthusiasts.

plating

I thought to share with you just a glimpse......

Chef Patrick Walley of Publix Aprons Cooking School overseeing the assembly........

for the babies: proceeds for the event benefit the babies in the UF & Shands Medical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

toasty beginnings: an earthy bowl of tomato soup with potatoes, bacon and of course toppled with truffle oil

perfectly caramilzed scallops with chutney like tomato salsa served wtih blanched asparagus al denté to the bite

savory + sweet: grilled snapper lovingly takes bed with yellow heirloom tomatoes + topped with just a breath of microgreens

*Photo courtesy of Publix Aprons Cooking School
Chef Patrick Walley, Publix Aprons Cooking School

I met Chef Patrick a couple of years ago when I signed up for The Basics of Culinary at the cooking school. He definitely inspires his students to learn skills with great ease, fun and insight. Also to note, the local 'Iron Chef' competitions hosted by the cooking school have become his signature appeal which is a perfect example of how Chef Patrick is dedicated to building community + comradarie around the gourmet food culture. The cooking school also offers everythig from knife skills, dim sum, Italian cooking, regional cooking, kids camps and sushi making. They are also noted for having incredible celebrity guests as Top Chef's Tom Colicchio, Food Network's Michael Chiarello and the ever cool Chef Ming Tsai.

You can learn more about the cooking school here.

Also here's my interview with Chef Patrick Walley.

TM: What made you decide to become a chef?

CPW: Most chef's will claim that watching their mother, aunt or grandma magical whip up childhood treats in the kitchen is what spurred them into the crazy world of culinary. This is partly true for myself.....but I can pin point the moment that I just know that I had a connection with food. My senior year in high school in West Virginia. I needed to fill a class so I enrolled in home economics and that hand made cherry pie scored me a date with a very pretty girl. I found the power to lure women my way!! WOW. The rest is as they say, history.

TM: What was your first job in a professional kitchen?

CPW: Mostly every chef started as a dishwasher, or they should have. I to was a sud buster at a local chain steakhouse in my hometown. My true first pro chef job came when I had ran into C.M.C Michael Russell at a culinary salon in Morgantown West Virginia in 1985. I apprenticed under Chef Russell for 3 years at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor MI. This experience at such an early stage of my career begin shape my view of what great food should be about.

TM: What experience was a turning point that formed your viewpoint as a chef today?

CPW: For years chef's have been talking about knowing where your product comes from. From 2003 to 2005, I was the executive chef at an upscale guest ranch in western Colorado where I sourced 95% of my products from local ranchers and farmers. Hand picking my eggs once a week, helping harvest local fruit and vegetable to be served to our guests that night to petting the goat that gave the milk to produce great unpasturized cheeses. Knowing the people that put their heart and soul into producing the highest quality product that the earth would allow them.

TM: Who do you admire and why?

CPW: I admire the individual who is willing to take a culinary risk and taste or cook something different. Everyone has the ability to change what they consume on a daily basis and I applaud and admire the people that go out of their way to try something different.

TM: What do you enjoy the most about your work?

CPW: I enjoy introducing someone to a product that they have not used before but may have walked past a hundred times and always wondered how to cook this product. I enjoy the fact that I am making a difference in someone's daily life by helping them expand their culinary repertoire and getting them out of the rut of cooking the same dishes with the same ingredients over an over again.

TM: What is one of your favorite meals.....ever?

CPW: A year or so ago I was in Charleston South Caroline visiting some friends and was invited to a oyster roast party. Every 20 minutes a fresh batch of steamed local oysters came spilling out onto a huge wooden table, where a group of 10-12 people would quickly devour the succulent bivalves quickly as possible. No white linen tablecloth, napkin, chair or snooty waiters; just impeccably fresh food.

TM: Well said.....*just impeccably fresh food*

as sweet as can be: season of lights + memories

2008-12-25T07:53:00.010-08:00

from our house to yours......

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas ~ Season of Lights ~ Happiness + Peace!
I wanted to share this vintage spot from Coca~Cola which I think aired back in 1971. I recall watching this when I was little and to this day it brings back insightful taste memories of the late sixties and early seventies. There was so much going on during that time socially + culturally. Coca~Cola came out with a later version of the same commercial in the mid-eighties and it just didn't have the same feel.

Here's the original version from 1971.

Wishing you blessings, p e a c e + prosperity ~

the importance of being: The Present Moment Cafe

2008-12-22T07:37:00.005-08:00

fresh pecan-apple cobbler with dairy-free house made ice creme

Dessert first?

No, although I do like the concept.

I recently made several trips to one of my favorite restaurants The Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine Florida.

The restaurant features organic, raw, live + vegan cuisine. Their slogan of excellence: Fresh Organic Living Food Made With Love & Gratitude

I just love that!

simple beginnings: pot of fresh mint leaf tea, cucumber infused water and Samuel Adams......

Middle East Peace Hummus: light + fluffy, no beans, "no mean hummus is blended with cashews and topped with mint oil and tahini sauces.....served with fresh veggies and FRESH corn chips" ~ excerpt from The Present Moment Cafe menu

The creamy hummus always arrives with an array of dehydrated crisp and crunchy house made corn chips.

I am completely addicted to them as they are sweet, savory and enticing.

The chips are made with finely ground golden flax seeds, almonds, fresh corn, yellow bell peppers, onion powder, cumin seeds, oregano + Himalayan pink salt. Thus spread onto flat trays and dehydrated to crispness.

The use of conventional heating elements such as a stove, grill or oven are obsolete here. It's the art of raw food preparation which relies much on the marinating process to 'cook' down the natural elements of vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits without losing the nutritional healing properties.

Don't fear, as I grew up an ardent meat eater, gourmand and still consider myself a slight food snob. Okay, serious food snob.....the dishes are delicious, intriguing and you will NOT leave hungry. That always seems to be the fear for those entering here without knowing....will I still be hungry?

No, and the best thing about it is you'll leave feeling fantastic.

vegetable sushi maki roll made with ground fresh parsnip root with shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, herbs, carrots + avocado rolled in nori and served with wasabi aioli + namu shoyu dipping sauce.

I make this at home often. I like to make my *sushi rice* with ground parsnips, fresh + raw ground almonds and a bit o' ginger.

You can see my raw maki sushi roll here.

Too answer your question: YES it tastes like a sushi vegetable roll!

coconut wrap samosa filled with curried veggies + lentils with a creamy cashew nut creme drizzle on a bed of fresh spinach leaves.....

Fresh young coconut meat is ground to a pasty consistency and spread on flat pans then dehydrated to form these lovely samosa wraps that are crisp + tender to the bite.

The dining room itself beholds for creativity, ease, tranquility + lotsa fun......

pad thai noodles - savory, crunchy, slightly spicy + sweet with glass noodles made out of fresh sea kelp......Is this getting too weird?

Upon visiting The Present Moment, you will want to note the menu does change with the seasons......as they must be ~ in the present moment.

*Me, TasteMemory and Jenn, The Left Over Queen just being girls + foodies.....*

Isn't Jenn cute? She is the sweetest thing too. She wrote a lovely post on our visit with her usual intrinsic + passion fitted detail.

If you haven't already, you must visit her blog and read about it
here

And mind you ~ she's the real deal (exquisite food writer that is)....did not even see her flick out a pen + pad during the dinner! Now that's expertise + taste memory!

flourless pure cacao truffle with cashew nut ice cream

Imagine chocolate in its purest form.

Imagine food in its purest form.

The Present Moment Cafe

*this photo courtesy of The Left Over Queen

yellow curry with pumpkin: savory spun thoughts over rice alongside taste memories

2008-12-15T09:40:00.002-08:00

like stone soup: little bit of pumpkin.......

little bit of asparagus......

little bit of spinach........shredded just so

simmered to slightly sweet savory spicy perfection

This is one of my favorite seasonal dishes to make for the family. I like to make a vegetarian version as well, but opted to make this version to blog about since it's a definite crowd pleaser. I often times cook with organic preferably free-range chicken. The meat is more tender + tastier. I pre-marinate tender bite size trimmed chicken breast meat with a little bit of yellow curry powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and a touch of agave nectar to bring the flavor forward.

Cover + chill in the refrigerator for three hours or overnight will do.

adding coconut butter + coconut milk adds another dimension to this dish......

The fresh pumpkin wedges are simmered slowly in a heavy saucepan with minced garlic, olive oil, extra virgin coconut butter, fresh ginger root, coconut milk, garam masala and freshly ground black pepper.

Simmered and stirred on occasion to avoid scalding the curry concoction developing.....

comfort and delight in every bite

Stir in the marinated chicken.

Add dried chiles, curry powder, chili garlic sauce, touch of fish sauce, water to smoothe and asparagus.

Fast simmer . stir . reduce to low simmer . stir on occasion . saucepan to be simmering until chicken is cooked through just so yet still tender to the chew........

Fold in shredded spinach leaves, fresh basil + cilantro just prior serving with steamed Jasmine or Basmati rice.

homespun curry with asparagus, pumpkin, shredded spinach, organic well-tended chicken breasts + spiced to love

When I was little my mother used to make Japanese inspired yellow curry served over rice for the mid-week meal. Curry brings back taste memories of home.

Reflections of home include thoughts of nourishment, enclosure, growth, sense of community, peace, a place to take flight, a place to come back to and nourish again.......

This is a version using the abundance of pumpkins from this season. You can also add your own batch of favorite vegetables.....

As usual, am time sensitive here. I have FOUR posts I want upload before the end of 2008, including my visit with fellow food blogger Jenn at The Leftover Queen in St. Augustine recently. She wrote a lovely post about our recent visit together, you can read about here.

I plan to blog about my recent happenings + insight before the end of December ~ yikes!

With that said, I'll be right back.....

the abundance of giving thanks.....

2008-12-03T19:30:00.002-08:00

fruits of our labor: new granite counter tops for this foodie

Well here it is.

Brand new granite counter tops.

The former was a Formica powder blue atrocity.

It took us awhile to pick out this design. What's amazes me about the beauty of granite is that it is not a man made design. So you can image me in the granite yard (yes a huge Flintstones like quarry with a variety of granite slabs) as I was overwhelmed with the natural beauty of granite.

I felt as if I were at The Louvre.

Each slab, quite exquisite.

For the new counter tops; I am ever so grateful!

pomegranate season: illuminated, jewels, vibrancy and the visual harvest

the morning cup: my le petit déjeuner cup reminds me of the *white shoulders* perfume bottle......wish one could forget the scent though

intermezzo toward winter

Day at the beach: Dad and I in Vung Tau, Vietnam during the war

Remembering Dad.

I was born is Seoul, Korea yet we moved rather swiftly to and through Vietnam during the mid-60's. This picture was taken when we lived in the coastal resort town of Vung Tau, Vietnam. Dad rented a French style villa not too far from this beach. This was during the war and just prior the deadly takeover that prompted us to leave. When I look at this picture it reminds me of how courageous Dad was. This was a difficult time for Korea's economic crises......to make a long story short, Dad was able to gain employment with the U.S. Army stationed in Saigon. Yes, he was a risk taker. Amazing to recall, his job had to do with managing services for food and beverages for the various U.S. Army barracks stationed throughout Vietnam. Another point in my food lineage!

A taste memory: I remember going to bed after eating homemade ice cream made with condensed milk and orange juice (the dreamsicle, 50/50 bar) while watching fighter jets go by. You can read more about it here and here.

This was a very strange, scary + sad time. Talk about fate and all things falling into place.......

Dad had friends in high places, we left swiftly left Vietnam through the central port city of Can Tho by way of army helicopter to Saigon, then somewhere in between a flight on a military cargo plane, then finally we boarded Pan Am to Hawaii to San Francisco.

My mom gave me Juicy Fruit gum to ease my nausea from all the traveling. To this day, I have mixed feelings about Juicy Fruit gum!

My father passed away six years ago, November 29th.

Remembering you Dad for your brilliance, sowing the seeds for a new life and most importantly finding ~

freedom

For this, I am so grateful.

biting into bliss: just like jewels from a crown

Pomegranate fruit is the perfect seasonal dichotomy. The abundance of these seeded capsules loaded with high vitamin juice content during the Autumn season of harvest is a peripheral reminder of more things to come.

What are you expecting as the new year beckons around?

Isn't amazing how much you have lived in this past year?

Do you already see what the new year is unfolding?

Of course, new taste memories revealed.

To American readers, blessings that you had an incredible Thanksgiving holiday!

Autumnal equinox + winter solstice bliss as well to everyone.

Also to many others welcoming in the new spring; a new found vibrancy.

Wishing you today + the days to follow an abundance of peace, good cheer + most of all.......

freedom

oh so easy mulligatawny soup

2008-11-17T13:42:00.008-08:00

freshly chopped cilantro the final touch.....

secrets to my mulligatawny soup: blended yellow + red lentils, ginger root, fresh tomatoes, extra virgin coconut oil, black mustard seeds and......

The temperament of this soup has a rustic appeal. Perfect with potato stuffed roti or toasted flat bread with hints of olive oil, garlic + freshly minced cilantro slathered about. I like to make this soup often and it makes a common place in our home as a quick comforting meal that satiates without the fuss. Slightly nutty, very savory + smoky, with hints of spice of ginger, garlic it is robust + opulent as the broth is drenched with chopped zucchini, celery, carrots, tomatoes, parsley + cilantro.

I love making this soup in the cold weather because it's like serving the fruits of the sun in a bowl on a drab wintry day.

mulligatawny as defined in the Tamil language literally means *pepper water*

spooning up my efforts: simmered with chopped curry leaves and lime leaves would be a delight as well......

I have to admit this is not the traditional method. I have taken out the initial step of *tempering* the spices in oil. Instead, the blender works swell and so does the slow simmer. I do promise this will make a sure fire hit to even non-lentil lovers. Kinda like my beet salad, even if you don't like beets. Poor beets have a bad rap since many of our earliest memories stem from aluminum ridden beets from the can.....we were forced to eat: *Eat Your Beets*! Anyways, about this soup: it is my tried and true oh so easy recipe that is nourishing, yummy and healing to the bod + senses. At least way easier than some of Emeril's recipes.......oooh though they are quite yummy. This recipe is definitely shorter.

Also, perfect to ease the chill.

It has been colder than usual......oh forbid, last night there was a pre-frost warning so I hauled in a surviving potted plant that I have not neglected. It's a white orchid that is massively blooming and to my amazement has survived my brown thumb.

My experience with soup made out of lentils has always been a mass of brown murky chunky lentils in a bland broth. Perhaps with a ham hock leg sticking out with overt douses of smoke liquid that left little to desire to my spoiled palate.

Later, I discovered mulligatawny soup at our neighborhood Indian restaurant and found myself smitten.....totally.

Nowhere to be seen were the gooey eewy brown bad mush muddy lentils.

They were lovingly replaced by a brocade of bright yellow dal(lentils) and a sunny shades of orange-red dal as well. Then I also found myself at the Indian market immersed with decadent shades of dal that reminded me of the brightness of the sun.

New found *inventory* always makes me happy.

Screw the brown lentils......cheers to sun-kissed lentils to brighten any drab Fall/Winter day.

TasteMemory's oh so easy mulligatawny soup
recipe written by me, Ingar B.

3/4 cup yellow lentils(moong dal), soak in cool water 1 hour
1/2 cup red lentils(masoor dal), soak in cool water 1 hour
3 garlic cloves
1" knob fresh ginger root, peeled
2 whole tomatoes
2 cups filtered water
After soaking yellow + red lentils together in water, rinse well + drain. Combine about half the lentils in a blender with the garlic cloves, ginger root, tomatoes + additional water. Put aside the remaining lentils in stock pot. Blend ingredients until smooth. Add to stock pot with remaining lentils and combine with:
1/4 cup good olive oil
3-4 cups filtered water
4 dried chiles
Combine these ingredients well as the oil + water will help prevent the lentils from burning. Bring to medium simmer while stirring often so lentils do not stick and burn. Then add:
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 zucchini, coursely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped with seeds
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil, it's thick like butter
Splash of agave nectar
1 1/2 teasp. Garam Masala
1 teasp. black mustard seeds
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring to medium-high simmer and stir often to combine ingredients well, avoid lentils from burning + clumping. Then reduce heat to medium-low for approximately 30to 45 minutes, stirring occassionally until vegetables are tender.
Must try: 1/2 cup or more freshly chopped cilantro
Serve in soup bowls and top with generous portions of chopped cilantro.

Delicious with a lively salad and/or your choice of naan.

Vegetarian/Vegan. Dairy-free.

If you have easy access to fresh curry and/or lime leaves......now that's an added delight.

freaking out about Fall: weak in the knees about Autumn

2008-11-12T08:40:00.004-08:00

I often wait until late Fall to buy concord grapes.....they are so much sweeter later in the season with just enough tang in the skin

I don't know what to say except that I've been a bad blogger.

I have been cooking....eating....taking photographs....breathing + easing into Fall....yet not blogging.

I am sorry.

I still love blogging.

Just taking a breather ~

Another excuse (aside from the daily drama of my life) is the new kitchen renovations as of late. It's near done. I've had this embarrassing kitchen for a food lover + food blogger......yes, overall I am thankful....quite grateful for a roof over my head and a kitchen that works, but......if you saw this kitchen.....

I do have before *pictures* of powder blue kitchen counters and stained off-white appliances that are no longer.

Of course, with the new range/oven installed; I am AGAIN doing another weird thing......I am afraid to cook or even bake as so not to dirty the new stovetop and oven!

This is where raw foods + grapes comes in handy, but for awhile was without a kitchen sink too.

But really.....can you imagine a brand spanking new oven with NO *crustineeys* embedded within? So I do a weird thing often; open the spanking new oven and just smile at it's beauty. Well, I plan to line with foil shortly and it will be initiated to baker's bliss with the holidays looming ~

Otherwise; I am alive and well.

Just thought to take a breather during summer......oh yea, summer is over....right!

a lone concord grape in a long shot with one of my robes in the background. Every time I look at that robe it reminds me of nursing my kids when they were little babies. I used to wear that robe while nursing. Very strange taste memories. Actually, I now use that robe as a tint for lighting my food shots. In the foreground are remnants of a few concord grapes I smashed for a shot that will follow below in this post.

a concord grape

owtcha my knee! no not my knee.......peeling back some thoughts with late harvest concord grapes

Seckel pears that I often crave can be quite haunting to the taste

I first came across these baby pears at the Union Square Greenmarket. It was love at first bite.

Seckel pears are petite in size compared to other pears. To the bite they are crisp and firm yet slightly gritty. I love the earthy texture and they have floral after taste that lingers sweetly. They are a definite must try compared to grocery store pears like Bartlett, Anjou or even the Bosc pear that packs a punch with sweetness.

Seckel pears are shaped to fit perfectly in a child's palm.

Perfect for the lunch box or picnic basket too.

these white grapes I picked up at the grocery store remind me of the late harvest Niagara grapes we used to buy at the fruit stands in northeast Ohio

insight into late harvest grapes: sweet with honey undertones

playing with my palette

I have been intrigued lately by micro images as you can see. I have also been lingering with foods + cultures that keep haunting my taste memories.

I promise to be back very shortly with my findings.....

latest obsession: green papaya salad

2008-10-10T05:42:00.010-07:00

saigon bistro's perfectly seasoned green papaya salad: freshly shredded green papaya, topped with shredded basil + faux beef (made of tofu + other accoutrements I am not familiar with. The owner says he buys his fake meat from Japan). The marinade is sweet, saucy, slightly salty with hints of heat from the chili sauce. Just enough savory appeal is also provided by the faux beef. It really REALLY tastes like beef.....spooky.

I crave this dish about once a week.

The green papaya yields a mild + mellow flavor that is both tender yet crunchy.

For the life of me, I cannot find green papaya anywhere here.

I have found it on amazon for $20 through one of their vendors.

We recently discovered a dining hideaway called Saigon Bistro. I rarely post about restaurants in this area because for one reason or other, if it's not a chain the longevity of the establishment is up to question. With that said, call before you high-tail it over there.

Saigon Bistro is a fairly new restaurant located in one of northeast Florida's brand new precalculated strip malls. Every time we go there, the strip mall itself appears somewhat.....haunted. No patrons as far as the eye can see, well except this bistro.

The restaurant is invitingly friendly, in itself pleasant, handsomely designed and quaint.

Service is slightly shaky but the overall menu is the something to rave about since leaving California. This area is known for ethnic restaurants using the foulest of ingredients, hardly any fresh produce to appease to the meat + potatoes crowd as well as watering down it's ethnic identity in order not to scare off the daily grind. The owner/chef of Saigon Bistro stays true to his Vietnamese roots. The ingredients are absolutely fresh, lively and intrinsic to Vietnamese flavors. The menu does offer typical dishes for those in fear of eating God forbid I don't know whats, so for that bunch: egg rolls, fried rice, etc. ( ( ( y a w n ) ) ).

Aside from trying to please the timid, the menu is quite diverse and lovingly spectacular to fresh, fragrant Vietnamese cuisine.

Traditional bowls of Phở are offered in chicken, beef, veggie and more options. The delicate broth is served with a side of fresh crunchy bean sprouts, cilantro + basil alongside spices + sauces to bring it up a notch. They provide a great deal of vegetarian options as well as dishes with tofu and fake/faux meats that look and taste really like meat!

Also in true Vietnamese form......lots of BEEF options.

I have also tried the green bean salad which is stock full of crunchy green beans, veggies and only flash blanched to retain it's fresh snap.

The kitchen's hand is quite versed in delicately marinating their dishes to exquisite appeal to the sensitive palate.

We have spoken to the owner on several occasions and he is passionate about his menu, his customers and foremost Vietnamese cuisine. His passion is contagious.

My best wishes for culinary success to Saigon Bistro.

Saigon Bistro
Unit 202
3546 Saint Johns Bluff Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32224
Tel 904.645-0222

breakfast beauty + memory of light

2008-10-07T08:02:00.018-07:00

breakfast bowl in the raw: granola with trinkets of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried sulphur-free mango snippets, bananas + figs glorious sexy figs......

doused in homemade almond milk and agave nectar

it's like biting into the earth and revealing the sun

For the most part, I am not a breakfast person. I would rather have a smoothie on the go and just get it over with.

For the most part, I wake up not a least bit hungry.

But as you know by 11 a.m. for the most part, I am violently hungry and unable to focus unless I eat something gratuitous.

So to avoid further drama in my life, as if I don't have enough drama; I have decided to include a solid breakfast on those mornings that I know an extra shimmy will be needed to get me through the day.

So why not include a combination of ingredients I just adore?

I love bananas.

Let's throw in some bananas, mangoes, dried mangoes specifically. As well as granola. I found something called the *sugar free buzz free* granola at my local health food store. I don't like sickly sweet overtly syrupy granola. Figs.....what's there not to love about figs. Okay, I know a lot of people don't like figs. Like beets, not a lot of beet fans either. But here's to figs or perhaps pears. When outta figs, chopped pears are perfectly dicey!

Add some almond milk like I have made here.

I love granola. I would make homemade granola but already have a yard long list of too many things to orchestrate in a day. Granola reminds me of GORP. When I was growing up in San Francisco, they used to call trail mix: GORP (granola oats raisins peanuts or gobs of raw protein).

GORP reminds me of my post-hippie teachers I had in elementary school in the Mission District.

I loved how fluid, relaxed and non-traditionalist they were!

The post-hippie teachers wanted the students to call them by their first names. Of course, never addressing them by names like Mrs. Tipton or something. They wore loose fitting cotton garments, nose rings, curly rambunctious hair or the time spun 'fro.

One specific year I recall I had a slew of these teachers for a summer program. For the most part their classes held no structure throughout the day. We would go through our required math and reading lessons before lunch. Then after a long leisurely lunch and recess they would teach us about performance art. We wrote plays in the third grade. Experimented with costume design, set design and body movement.

I loved how they let things slide into oblivion.....it made me feel daring.

They revealed a Pandora's box of options for us when it came to creative play. They *shared* with us about their personal relationships and spoke to us as if we were their confidante friends, not children. I recall that made us children feel comfortably confident about ourselves.

I felt our insecurites and shyness that children often harbor, slowly dimish that summer.

One teacher shared with us about the misconception of beauty in our society. She was not a beauty according to iconic movie star standards. She looked like an exotic gypsy to me. I thought she was ravishing but she told us about an old boyfriend that used to tell her often times how ugly she was. She shared with us how important it is to take pride in our individual beauty and not hold fast to negative opinions brought on by others. I recall her speaking with us about the subject matter quite intimately as the girls in my classroom including myself, did not mirror the blue eyed blonde Barbies we loved to play with. My homegirls were Mexican, Filipina, Black, Vietnamese, Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Puerto Rican and Jewish. Then there was me......one Korean girl, couldn't even speak Korean. Quite the bunch we were. I recall later, a blue eyed blonde northern Italian girl came in to rally up the bunch even more. We actually became best buddies for a long time after that. I wonder what she's up to today?

We were in the third grade, yet opinions about ourselves were already setting in fast.

She gave me a book about fairy tales from all over the globe. Many of the stories heightened the fact that the heroine was not always the beautiful princess or prince charming. It was as if she wanted us to embrace the fantasy of beauty but seek it's truth foremost.

This was a liberating time in my life. The memories return in brilliant form and often nudge me to break free of my own preconceptions.

When I think about this time, I visually encapsulate a great deal of light in the photo memory of it. Yes, it was an intriguing moment and to this day haunts my many taste memories......often times beginning at breakfast.

biting into the sun ©

· scoop of your favorite granola (mine has lotsa seeds: sunflower + sesame)
· sliced bananas
· sliced figs, pears or other favorite fleshy bright fruit
· snippets of dried sulphur-free mango or other favorite energy dense dried fruit
· agave nectar or honey (optional)
· chilled fresh almond milk or organic milk

© 2008 Taste Memory, the blog, the concept + concepts within, words, writing and photography is the property and copyright by TasteMemory, Melt Into Arts Inc. and Ingar Brunnett.

Please don't copy cat or steal.

Everyone else.....thanks for stopping by ;-)

creating taste memories: American Girl Café

2008-10-02T05:36:00.010-07:00

creating the setting with pretty bows + detailed ambiance throughout.........

Last summer while visiting in southern California, I took my girls out to lunch at the American Girl Cafe in Los Angeles.

Yes, I said last summer, so this is a back-logged post soooo long overdue!

We had scheduled to spend the afternoon with Grandma and Auntie but due to some last minute travel issues they were not able to join us. Fortunately, we were still able to have a *girls day out* on a wonderful sunny southern California afternoon.

Ahhhhhhhh, so nice to be without humidity for awhile.

dessert first concept: toasty warm miniature cinnamon rolls were served upon arrival

The American Girl Place is located inside The Grove shopping area located adjacent to my favorite Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax.

So much to say here about all this.

First off, the American Girl Place is just plain HUGE.

Downstairs is a shop with the variety American Girl dolls displayed plus their outfits, toys and other accessories.

Yes......accessories and lots of it. This store; namely this brand teaches young girls to accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Learning about accessories at a young age may be quite harmful, don't you think? Especially to the gullible parent(s) involved.

He he....

There is also a beauty salon downstairs where the dolls can get their battered faces, eschewed and entwined knotty hair refreshed and revitalized.

Ooooh and did I mention ear piercing? Yes, ear piercing for the dolls.....plus earrings, earring sets and more accessories.

Upstairs, there are more dolls, more clothes and more accessories. There is also a doll museum. My girls loved the doll museum.

The cafe is located upstairs as well. You can traipse through the store and do a bit of damage before you finally hit the cafe.

sparkling apple cider with Samantha.........

You MUST make reservations at the cafe. This is a highly coveted experience.

My brother told me about this place. He said he had never been inside, but the last time he was at The Grove he said he *saw kids looking through the store window and salivating*

We arrived, checked in and were given a place number. We browsed until the doors were open for our allotted time span to *lunch*. There was a HUGE mob at the door. It reminded me of trying to get into a stadium of a rock concert or sports event (my brief mention about sports here). I haven't been to a sports event since leaving California.......another story.

Everyone was being quite pleasant though. I did have thoughts that kept rewinding forward from months back of a stage mom shoving me aside while I was walking up the stairs to get seats in the theatre to for my daughter's ballet recital.

Motherhood can be quite intense.

I am trying to go with the flow.......really.

So about The Grove.

The Grove is a pleasant outdoor shopping mall, complete with water fountains, shady sitting areas and lots of decadent shops.

There is even a movie theatre embedded in between which I just adore. The movie theatre located within the hub of shops, restaurants and other activities is such a southern California concept I have surely missed. Many movie theatres or lets say ALL the movie theatres on the east side of the coast where I live near now are stand alones.

My kids gotta kick out of the movie theatres in the midst of shops and community-centric activities. This is from a consumer + marketing p.o.v thought - but I do relish the thought of urban-centric gathering areas especially in such a spread out community as Los Angeles.

Speaking of community, this brings me to the Farmer's Market I just adore.

all the girls were given a tea set + plate for their dolls to use during lunch.

The vintage farmer's market is in walking distance and a must see. I love it's old world charm, diverse ethnic pace and the ease emanated by the visitors gathered to share a moment in time together.

Really good nachos too.........

Kit enjoying cheeseburger + curly fries

dessert trio: chocolate mousse, sugar cookie with white frosting + pink sprinkles, heart shaped white cake.....

check out the grand total: $1400 for apple bubbly, burgers, salad + pasta. Wwwwwwhhhhaattt?

Okay.......the food at the cafe wasn't anything to write home about. I was biting my lip as our lunch arrived. I don't know why, but I immediately thought of Sisco and Aramark.

Then I decided to think forward. The farmer's market perhaps later. Nachos perhaps if I had any funds left over from this decadent lunch.

((( s i g h )))

But wait.....when I received the bill for our girls' lunch out, I nearly dropped when I saw the $1401.00 tallied on the receipt.

Geez, talk about snafus.

When I brought it to my server's attention she thought I was trying to get out on a bill until she caught sight of what I was talking about.

It was pleasantly corrected and I was able to breathe again.

stick on pedicures ~ lovely way to end the day

triple buzz: florida food bloggers + todd english's bluezoo + foodbuzz

2008-09-16T05:48:00.026-07:00

before twilight set the amuse-bouche: clam + bacon ragout

Last weekend we had a fantastic evening meeting up with Florida food bloggers at Todd English's bluezoo in Orlando.

It was an incredible night hosted by Foodbuzz of San Francisco for featured publishers.....and I have to say quite decadent.

Again, my heartfelt thanks goes out to Jenn at The Leftover Queen,
Judy at No Fear Entertaining, Ryan at Foodbuzz and bluezoo for orchestrating a memorable evening of community, enlightment and good cheer.

A personalized six course tasting menu was prepared especially for all of us. As shown above, we began with the saucy n' savory clam + bacon amuse-bouche that elevated the evening into bliss along with the ease + flow of great company......

first course: shrimp cocktail steamrollers in modern form

My sweetie took a picture of me in action. Basically this first course had to be sucked out of it's tube. The picture of me doing this came out a bit too weird so......

Instead, you may view The Leftover Queen in action.....gawww she's so pretty too! ;-)

second course: beet salad avec candied walnuts et goat cheese fondue

You know me, I could have had another plate of this!

Delightful; it was like walking into a candy store with each bite.

third course: spice route char with curried beluga lentils + zhataar carrot et yogurt spill

My hubs just loved this dish.

The preparation of the char absolutely was exquisite.

Perfectly seasoned and *charred* on top; yet the interior was delicate but flagrant and quite sheer of being cooked through so biting into the center was almost near sashimi tenderness with hints of soft heat.

Lovely.

sous vide amish chicken with parmesan polenta hidden in between......

I have always preferred Amish Chicken especially from my experiences of cooking with it when we lived in northeast Ohio. The skin on the sous vide preparation was perfect, yet parts of the chicken were slightly dry. The parmesan polenta combined with the picholine olive tomato sauce became its redeeming component.

and quite lovely the picholine olive deconstructed tomato sauce

The faint olive spell in the tomato sauce furrowed the taste memory of olive trees in northern California.......on a very sunny day.

warm chocolate cake with liquid ganache center awaits a maracaibo chocolate cream pudding and peanut ice cream atop

By this time debauchery had set in.

Hubs told me by the time he got to finishing 1/3 of the wine in his glass they filled it back up again.......

it was quite comforting to take food shots with a table full of other food porn fantatics......

It was soooooo nice to take food porn photos with other food bloggers.

I felt less of a freak. This was a fantastic evening spent!

You've gotta check out everyone's blogs as I am sure they have/will be posting on the triple buzz of a night we had.

These are also some fabulous + insightful food blogs you must read if you haven't already:

Lys @ Cooking in Stilettos
Christey + Peter @ Foto Cuisine
Rachel @ My Little Marshmallow
Judy @ No Fear Entertaining
Chris @ Pickles and Cake
Susan @ Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy
Moi/Ingar @ Taste Memory
Jenn @ The Leftover Queen
Erin and Chris @ The Olive Notes
Bryan @ The Tattooed Gourmet

Chef de Cuisine at Bluezoo: Aaron Christian describes his approach to sous vide amish chicken and more.......

Thank you Chef Aaron for an exquisite dining experience! Not enough can be said about our dining experience at bluezoo.

It was *dining* at its purest form and replete of exceptional service, style and ambiance. The service was attentive, knowledgeable yet flowed with that Florida ease......

goodie bags galore to finish the evening

Between Jenn/The Leftover Queen and I, we brought goodie bags to top off the evening.

that *end of the evening group shot*......lest I say more?!

To Florida food bloggers: This was a gracious way to meet and we gotta do this again!

To food bloggers and readers: Continue blogging + partaking. This is such a great community.

Don't forget to check out Foodbuzz. There's an incredible network of foodies out there!

To my raw food readers: As you know, I am 80/20. That was probably a 70/30 raw by day/decadent by evening!

Laughing + smiling here.

Thank you for stopping by.

bluezoo's Chef Aaron Christian describes preparation of sous vide amish chicken in the midst of well-fed, well-amused + quite pleased food bloggers

crazy beautiful: delicious definitious without the dairy

2008-09-12T08:30:00.002-07:00

remnants of chocolate pots de crème re-inspired in a vintage sherry glass I picked up some years back.....

I have been holding onto what remains of summer with dear life.

I love the yellow glow of the sun......especially when I photograph food and exquisite lively things. They respond so well to the vibrancy of the sun visually.

Who doesn't love the swirl and curl of a creamy chocolaty dessert?

This past summer has been an inspiring time between the sun, sand, storm + ocean blue to re-define the tumultuous desserts I love to linger over by rummaging through the pages of my taste memories of years gone by......

chocolate pots de crème......re-defined with mocha mousse frosting and......

We know how everyone feels about chocolate, don't we?

I wanted something crazy beautiful to elevate my palate into a bliss like state without all the remnants of dairy, creme, eggs and white sugar that make me feel a bit tuckered out, bloated and edgy.

This version is dairy free, egg free, soy free, sugar free and even gluten free.

Hmmmmmm.......so what gives?

I don't want to fool you, but this is pretty full~proof stuff and very much tastes like the real thing.

Ever since I've had children, my taste + smell senses have blustered full force as I find my palette extremely sensitive.

It was weird when it happened.

Actually the more kids I had, the more sensitive my sense of smell became thus effecting my taste buds.

My last pregnancy I recall I was sitting in the middle of the pews during Sunday Mass. Some guy sitting behind me was reeking of steamed buttered corn, cigarettes and beer that he probably drank a half hour prior.

It was the twisted sour scent the beer that silently beckoned toward me which eventually put me over sensory overload.

Love thy neighbor.

Well, I just couldn't stomach that one at the moment so I ended up standing in the back of the church for the entire service......and as I recall until I eventually delivered.

a lovely version in cup and saucer from our wedding registry

I have so many of these cups and saucers. What was I thinking back then as a young bride~to~be to allow myself to register for such an endless sea of china?

Today we use mugs from World Market with vintage inspired prints for our hot drinks: tea, coffee, hot cocoa or gently warmed homemade tomato soup topped with crushed pistachios rolled in trinkets of garam masala........

near grandmaster fudge~ness

Though I have already made several versions of this recipe, it is still in development. I don't cook with measurements as it restrains the evolvement process.

Yet during final phases, I am able to lock down exact measurements for proper use.

I will say that the chocolate pudding~custard portion is similar to the one found in RAW FOOD REAL WORLD ......btw, an amazing book!

One of the main ingredients is the soft flesh of the young coconut. If you have ever been wondering how to open one of those you can see how I did it here.

I have re~dubbed this pots de crème with other ingredients to add weight and silk to the texture without the dairy and other frills some of us may have issues with.

The whipped cream portion was made to re~create the taste and texture of the fresh dollops of creamed frosting on the Japanese/ French inspired cakes I grew up with as well as the Danish desserts I used to frequent when I was a young working stiff in L.A. For this I used grated cacao as one of the elements.

The orange twist atop is well.....not from an orange.

It's sulphur~free dried mangoes trimmed with a very sharp pair of scissors.

What's really weird about this recipe is it reminds me of this song.

Is chocolate so intent?

translucence of memory: the art raw memory

2008-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

marinated cucumbers inspired by the Korean side dishes also called *banchan*

As I have been going forward with my new found love in raw food preparation, I am also rekindling my taste memories of growing up with fantastic flavors from my mother's Korean inspired recipes.

Many of the Korean vegetable dishes, as well as the namesake that identifies Korean food we know as kimchee can also be considered raw foods.

That is of course, depending on the types of ingredients and style of preparation.

I grew up in California and the majority of my mother's style of cooking was a lighter and fresher version of traditional Korean recipes. She did have some dishes that were more on the hefty side too. It was a fusion of gosh it must have been Korean and Southern cooking. I am scarily remembering her ham hock and red beans recipe that used to freak me out with the bright red gelatinous piggy blugger. Her vegetable *banchan* dishes and kimchees, are more reminiscent of fresh crunchy salads.

We'll get to kimchee later, that's a hot topic for me because my mother is the queen of kimchee preparation. I have yet to perfect the art of kimchee. But for you meat, potatoes and kimchee fantatics, you can go here for a lighter version of the savory kimchee chigae I posted about back when.....

Just thinking out loud, there is the separate + second *kimchee* refrigerator that can be found in the garages of Korean households.....as well as mine. Though for the most part, ours is now stocked with over sized bags of carrots for juicing, romaine lettuce, celery, miso paste and Samuel Adam's Oktoberfest brew.

radish kimchee ~ this is a similar version from my mother's side of the family. There are no chili pepper flakes in this version. The beauty of this is the mild taste that comes from the radish itself melded with sea salt and black pepper. Another trick is to pre-salt the radish slices as you would in kimchee preparation. Thereafter when the slices soften the juices are squeezed out by hand. After the spices are blended in, allow time to chill before serving. This way the radish is able to regain its crunchy composure.

Also, for those of you not familar with raw foods. It doesn't mean I eat RAW MEATS....ewwwww....I have had people ask me that!

It's raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and then some.

This can all be done in great taste and savory appeal.

Not to sound like a repeating gong, but I am just excited to share this with you....

I have been on this raw diet exposé since January of this year. I had to slowly work my way from a very complicated mix of foods to where I have comfortably retained myself today at 80% raw foods and 20% cooked foods. The latter being smart choices in cooked foods with occasional lively obsessions like tacos. I have a weakness for Mexican flavors!

Yet by allowing more ease into this new way of eating at 80/20 lessens the stress of my balancing act of a life. My current lifestyle which is about being mother of three, wife, working woman, the other breadwinner, activist (this should be another blog and what seems like another lifetime of events I am passionate about), fashionista while retaining my health and sanity sort of thing in the midst of hurricanes + tropical storm threats and pre-teenism......

You get the picture.

The excitement never seems to end around here.

Otherwise, I would be someone else perhaps as incense wove through our house, while I sat on a hammock spinning my Asian girl dreadlocks, making herbal remedies, let the kids run wild without bathing, eat root vegetables for dinner and let frogs into the house.....can't do that we have white kitchen tiles and cream colored carpet that kinda looks dark beige now. Well, I do all of the above except dreadlocks, we don't have a hammock, frogs and on occasion allow the kids to bathe. Perhaps we'll ease into the rest as well?!!

With that said, since January of this year I LOST 18 POUNDS!!!

I have literally dropped 3 sizes downward and shopping for clothes can be a b*tch now.

18 lbs. is a lot for me as I am small framed and stand at 5 foot 5 inches.

the scent and imagery of freshly sliced cucumbers brings me back to my mother's kitchen

It's been a delight to *cook* this way.

I have enjoyed the benefits of eating natural, organic when able, raw and especially more vegetables.

But what is truly refreshing is something I need to share with you......

scallions....green onions....call it what you want. They bring zest to each bite, don't they?

The clarity.

I am all about mincing. I love developing my knife skills with green onions. So when I share recipes with mincing involved with friends that hate chopping, they tell me that because of me they've hauled their food processor out. At least they said it was well worth it.

There is so much more clarity in mind.

beauty in simplicity

I look forward to bringing you more highlights about savory foods both cooked and *uncooked*.

I will share with you my take on fresh, natural and savory foods with a slight tumultuous ethnic twist.

YES, this is a passion of mine!

What's your passion?

Fresh Intentions: santa monica's farmer's market + Juliano's Planet Raw

2008-08-09T07:06:00.021-07:00

Italian plums, those flying saucer peaches + California strawberries

I am radically particular about my photography.

The photo shown above is the only photo (in this post) I find technically 'yeah, that's okay for now' enough to publish.

The photos shown thereafter in this post, were all taken in haste as I will explain further as you read. But at least it will give you an idea of what I have been getting myself into. So ahead of time ~ my apologies for the photos below.....

While in Southern California, I loved shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables at Trader Joe's and the farmer's markets. I am presently going through withdrawels of not having access to Trader Joes at this present moment.

The fruit platter shown above is a perfect example of how I started my mornings while visiting at my mom's house. It's how my mornings got started upon arrival of our vacation to SoCal!

The plums were sugary sweet and the strawberries melted in your mouth like cotton candy.

Well as I mentioned, this is how I got started with good intentions in mind......

courgettes in bloom

We happened to be in Santa Monica on a Wednesday so we took advantage of their mid-week farmer's market.

You can find more details about this insanely heavenly event here.

* s e a * of artichokes with lengthy stems attached too.

I took all of these photos in haste.

It was day #5 of our vacation and in the midst of the farmer's market, she had decided it was time to go home.

She decided in the middle of this communal fruitopian/vegetable hoopla she was well ready to call it a day and head back home.

Thus, initiation of the breakdown......

I snapped photos quickly, bought a basket of precious looking strawberries that were ruby red alongside plump apricots + plums.

variety of carrots ~ more colors than imagineable. The twine~like melange of root vegetables have always been a favorite of mine to illustrate when I used to draw in pen + ink years back. It often times reminds me of how we desire to hold onto dear things we are familiar with like the soil embedded deeply below the earth.....

There was an abundance of vegetable, fruit, herb, pastry stalls and more. I was overwhelmed as I had not been back to a *real* farmer's market since last year when I went to the GreenMarket at Union Square Park in New York.

But no time was wasted here to *be* in the moment.

A breakdown was already in session........

On another day we ventured to a raw restaurant Juliano's Planet Raw on Broadway in Santa Monica.

Smoothies: Mango Tango & Strawberry Shake for the kids. The green one on the far right is ALIEN BLOOD for hubs + I. It was quite lush.

ALIEN BLOOD smoothie combines a thick blend of field greens, burdock, cucumber, seaweed, black olive, zucchini, red bell & spirulina.

Not for the faint of heart.

spring rolls made of coconut curry wrapper with shredded vegetables & Thai herbs served with no-peanut Thai

For those of you that have read my blog prior, I have pretty much been balancing a raw food diet at 80% of the day combined with 20% of cooked foods (for the most part vegan, and on some days I can be a bit more decadent than that......I like to have fun and with the craziness in my life ~ so important to be at E A S E to avoid combustion).

So, I have eased my family into it as well with their positive response.

But this was the first time the munchkins tried raw dining in a restaurant.

Raw Nachos made with dairy free nut cheese, guacamole, salsa, dairy free sour cream, veggies and served with dehydrated flax chips

I ordered this for the munchkins and when it arrived to the table, it just about put them over the edge.

They completely freaked and would not go near this gorgeous creation.

this was some sort of sushi roll aka monster roll filled with nut cheese (dairy free), greens, sea veggies and even kimchi.

I have dined in raw restaurants prior and I have to say this was an enlightening experience. Yet the methodry was a bit heavy for my tastes at the moment. There is quite a bit of use of raw nuts + seeds made into dairy free 'cheese', soups, creams, etc. which I found a bit too rich for me.

It was a delight to experience this type of food preparation from a completely vegan and raw approach.

It was extreme.

I love extreme!

There was a nice SoCal open air vibe to our dining experience as well......I had missed that immensely ~ it was nice to be back.

Anyways, this is how things got started on our vacation.

I really shouldn't complain about heavy foods just now.......

beginnings of The Korean BBQ.......next post

then suddenly ~ it's summer........

2008-07-26T21:25:00.027-07:00

Exquisite perfection: Squash flowers at Wednesday's Santa Monica's Farmer's Market

I haven't been at a loss for words.

Plainly, I have been spending too much time in the sun and neglecting my *flat screen* duties.

We played for about two weeks in southern California visiting family, friends and old haunts.

Beginnings were innocent enough ~

a farmer's market, raw food restaurant, the beach.......

Bill and I at one of my favorite beaches: Nicholas Canyon, a bit past Zuma......

with the munchkins enjoying the sun setting over the Pacific Coast Highway ~

It is almost an impossible task to exactly capture the light that radiates around us when the sun is setting.

Lunch at Juliano's Raw Restaurant in Santa Monica. Isn't this pretty? Lunch was quite busy there. More photos to follow on this visit too.

We ordered the raw nachos for the kids and they wouldn't go near this once it arrived. Hubs and I enjoyed it ~ though it was a bit heavy for me. I'm not used to the heavy *nut* cheeses + creams. I've never been a fan of heavy dairy in my cooking and I think this dish appealed to more of the meat n' potatoes crowd.

Don't get me wrong ~ I am a former meat n' potatoes girl.

Grew up in a deli in S.F. totally surrounded by a huge deli case stock full of roasts, humps of ham, head cheese, liverwurst, Salamis and so forth; you name it and it was there.

I am just into the lighter scene these days.....he he he.....

Will tell more later: Miley Cyrus citing. My paparazzi shot of Miley/Hannah Montana in action. At least it was *behind the scenes/backstage* type shot! I have more......this is just a tease. Oh I am good......I was at least trying to be a polite paparazzi!

Yes do tell ~ at Santa Monica Pier one day they were shooting an episode of Hannah Montana. My girls went completely nutz~zoid when they found out.

Boy, can girls really scream ~ like loud.

In N'Out Burger: an absolute sheer weakness of mine. Well what do you think happened? It was bound to happen. If you spend enough time hanging out in southern California; it will happen. Look at this thing........mine is the one on the upper left hand corner. Hey at least I asked for extra lettuce.

Thanks so much for returning, reading, viewing and salivating.

I'll be back on the roll very soon, visiting my fav blogs, chatting, blogging and all the fun stuff in no time.

Hope you've been having a *grande* summer as well.

Oh, and I thought to share some pictures of myself and those dearest to me.......including the veggies + burgers........

More pictures, words + escapades to follow very very shortly.....

All words & photographs property of © 2008 TasteMemory.com