A Brush with Peanut Brittle, and Awkward

This week has been... rough, to put it lightly. But thankfully there was a sense of reprieve half-way through.

It came in the form of peanut brittle.

Seeing that I have never tried this confection prior, it was a pleasant treat. The story behind is is sweeter, and juicier.

There I was, making sauce for the kale chips in the commercial co-op kitchen that Rawk-n-Roll Cuisine shares. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the Peanut Brittle Man (Yes. Capitalized.) saunter in. He has a timid, mousy demeanor, bushy, indie kid beard, and glasses. I have no idea why, but he reminds me of a Keebler elf. He looked at me and asked,

"Do you mind if I borrow some latex gloves?"

 I nodded and lead him over to where they live.

Ten minutes later...

"Are all of you guys vegan here?"

I retorted saying that I am vegetarian and Richard, our manager is omnivorous, and Kim is the only vegan.

"Do you want some candy?"

I paused. My inner child wagged her finger at me and told me, "What did they tell us in school... not to take candy from strangers!" Suffocating her with a giant proverbial pillow I took the candy. There, I said it. I took the god damned candy.

Thats when it all began.

First, it was the coconut coffee brittle. Five minutes later he came back with a chai flavored and a chili pumpkin seed flavor. All mouth watering. All scrumdiddlyumptious.

But with a price.

Some time passed then, Peanut Brittle Man shuffled back into our kitchen. I turned the vita-mix off, so I could hear his soft voice.

"So, you live in Echo Park, right?"

I explained that I used to (how he knew this, I have no idea).

"Have you heard of Mooey? It's this new raw food restaurant."

Silence.

Awkward silence.

I tell him that I have heard mixed reviews. That the environment is very nice but the food doesn't deliver, according to my sources.

"Oh..."

More silence.


"Well, I've heard they have good ice cream."

Mind you, my co-workers Kim and Richard are standing right next to us. I am standing in front of the vita-mix waiting to flip the switch again and get back to work. Everything is in a very tense state of social stratification. Limbo, if you must!

"I think I'll go check it out sometime. It seems really cool..."

I encourage him to do that and turn the blender back on. Everything becomes a comforting auditory blur, once again.

Ten minutes later...

Peanut Brittle Man pops his head in the door one last time, "Do you guys want me to keep this door between us open or closed?"

Kim tells him it doesn't matter.

We all get back to business. Straining not to crack up. You could cut the awkwardness with a knife. Not that I'm one to hack on people who are awkward. It was endearing in a way, if it is of any consolation!

Later on, I tell one of my best friends, Sharon about the whole incident. She was so inspired by the hilarity, she wrote a haiku about it:

Peanut brittle love
Awkward restaurant offer
Please don't close door!


God, I love her.

Pay her a visit!
Sharon's Blog

Fin!
Jewell

Raw Vegan Chocolate Avocado Pudding

For a while now I have been wanting to make a Chocolate Avocado Pudding. While roving along I stumbled upon this great, simple recipe, from, www.thedailyrawcafe.com. 100% raw, vegan and looks like it will only take a couple minutes to make! I know what we are having for dessert tonight! Best thing is, all of the ingredients are already in our pantry!

There will be photos to follow!

Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

1 avocado, diced

¼ c raw agave nectar, or more to taste

¼ c cocoa powder

¼ c water

2 t vanilla extract

¼ t sea salt

Place avocado, agave nectar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt in a blender. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to achieve a creamy consistency.

www.thedailyrawcafe.com

xoxo

Jewell

Equinox- in Every Sense of the Word

I could feel it in the air the moment my eyes opened this morning.

The cool, crisp, dewey air. Pangs for a hot chai and muffin. The anticipation to don scarves, boots and shawls- long since neglected since the warmer times.

I yearn to nest. To craft. To nestle in my domicile with a fire burning, a hot chocolate or cider in hand, and my lover, nuzzling by my side.

Cook a slew of seasonal dishes, full of squash and pumpkin. Make treats that emanate scents of nutmeg and ginger. Making mouths water and memories come alive.

Embrace new hobbies (like knitting!) and make trinkets for the holidays. 

Set up shop.

Set up home.

Set up heart and soul.

----

Right before I sat down to write tonight I was knitting in bed with my cat, Duvel by my side and I was thinking to myself how blessed I truly am for everything in my life. The world may be insane and my impulse is to write about what is getting under my skin; but as of late, I have tried to focus on what inspires me and makes me feel light. Tending to edge on the heavy side, I have definitely noticed the shift in my demeanor. Just a subtle softening. Worth it.

In the spirit of new projects... here is a follow up story from a previous post:

New recipe I attempted from a previous post: Lemon Mint Avocado Pesto Soba Pasta. It turned out beautifully. I added heirloom tomatoes to contrast the tart flavor of the sauce. Highly recommended recipe. Pardon the bad lighting of these shots- taken in the kitchen of my apartment right after being made.

Artisanal LA!

Artisanal LA Will Celebrate Local, Seasonal and Sustainable Edibles

There is a fun event coming up, Artisanal LA, which I am personally thrilled to be participating in! You will find food booths, workshops, and panels throughout the weekend that all promote local, sustainable, and seasonal morsels. The organizers of Artisanal LA also put on the wildly popular, food truck events earlier this year so it is sure to be a good time for all. 

Come on out to dine on our savory snacks (Rawk-n-Roll Cuisine), stroll the grounds, and meet other like-minded people. I will be in attendance to dish up the grub, gab, and warranted hype- looking forward to meeting you all face-to-face.

Here is the 411. Be sure to buy an advance ticket to save yourself a bit of cash. Who knows, you might even want to put it towards some tasty treats!

Artisanal LA
October 23-24, 2010, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
@The Cooper Design Space Penthouse (860 S Los Angeles St 90014) 
Cost: $10 in advance online or $15 at the door. 12 and under free
Find out the latest event scoop via @ArtisanalLA on Twitter.

Artisanal LA Website

With Love, Anticipation, and Dissent (for the man, per the usual),
Jewell

Taking up Knitting!

In the spirit of feeling the craft bug biting I have signed up for a knitting class this afternoon. The venue looks adorable. It's called, Stitch Cafe and according to their website they have a courtyard/garden like set up in the back where people can hang out and knit. There are also open knitting circle times for people in the community to cruise by. It looks like a little cottage. I am so excited and feel whimsical up the wazoo. By the end of this class I will know how to make a scarf. They offer other classes though that teach you how to follow patterns, make hats, etc. If I end up getting hooked I may have to continue. 

The idea of guerilla knitting sounds appealing. Installing random knit installations in public that make people wonder, "Why they hell would someone make a cozy for the stoplight?!" Sounds like it could be fun and random.

Anyway, Will post photos of the adventure!

With Love and Dissent,

Jewell

So Excited for my Custom Piece Made by Stuart Briedenstien

Stu Briedenstien's Jewelry

I have worked with Stuart a couple times modeling his jewelry. He is honestly one of the most creative, amazing people I know. Hands down. All of his designs are so unique. I like to describe him as a Mad Scientist type. The ring he made me in 2007 sticks up like the one in this photo, but higher and is mounted with a piece of green amber. He acid washed the metal for me too. To date it is my favorite piece of jewelry and it is a great conversation starter. He even has a pendant that is a hand warmer! It burns on alcohol and actually lights on fire! He lives up in Bend, Oregon but I met him originally in Orange County at The Camp. 

There is a beautiful story to it. I had modeled some of his pieces prior to leaving for Europe in 2007 and he asked for me to deliver a custom piece to one of his best friends, Gigi who lived in Rotterdam. I agreed and in return I had met some of the most inspiring, wonderful people in my life to date. I stayed with Gigi and her husband, Jorrit in Rotterdam for a collective two weeks and had such a fantastic time. We went to art shows in, "anti-squats," drank a lot of Duvel (now my cats name), and visited another friend, Bart in Antwerp, Belgium. Such a magical time of my life. When I look back I still get choked up, I was so free. It will happen again. It has to.

Flash forward to now- I shot with him again a few months ago so Stu said he would make me another custom piece. This time, based on our brainstorming, it is going to be a big pendant (another conversational piece) that is edgy, corroded, maybe even rusted, with bolts. I want him to have complete creative freedom- that is always how I like to operate. My look lately has been evolving into capitalizing on juxtaposing my diminutive stature and feminine appearance with harsh accents. I like the contrast. Whether it be with my hair, clothes, or my thoughts- most importantly.

Anyways, I'm super excited. He's amazing. Give his stuff a look. You can find him at his website which I included a link in the beginning or here, at Smashing Darling.com

Go Robot! at Smashing Darling

And a couple shots of my whimsical time while abroad with Gigi and Jorrit:

Antwerp

Hanging with Bart, Sach, Gigi, Jorrit, and Dave in Antwerp

At a theater in Rotterdam with Gigi

Gigi and Sachli in Atwerp

Jeffrey Campbell's New Comma Wedges

One word as to why I love the fall. Boots.

The moment I saw these I became obsessed. They make me swoon. They were meant to be on my feet. Now.

Jefferey Campbell has been impressing me lately. Between the wedges with the notch cut out the back, to the unicorn heels, to these. But these wedges take the cake. I don’t know If I can resist. I may have to splurge. 

My thoughts are racing I can’t think of anything else except how fabulous these are!

Creamy Basil Mint Pasta with Avocado

Ok, so this recipe looks TO-DIE-FOR. I love the idea of a pesto sauce made with avocados to give it a creaminess along with the fresh herbs. I personally am a huge fan of using soba noodles as well so I am super excited to try this out. It looks so fresh, gorgeous, and satisfying. I have an heirloom tomato at home that has its name all over it for this dish. 

There will be evidence afterwards and follow-up with how it went. Beware!

I do plan on making this dish this evening!

findvegan:

Creamy Basil and Mint Pesto Pasta on SpinachServes 6

What You Need:

2 packages soba noodles, or 1 box of regular pasta,any shape

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 2 lemons

2 ripe avocados

1 clove of garlic

few big handfuls fresh basil

1 big handful fresh mint

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3-1/2 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

spinach

To make:In a large pot of salted water, cook the noodles you are using according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the Creamy Basil and Mint Pesto:Add the lemon zest, juice, garlic, avocados, basil, and mint in a food processor. Pulse and mix well. Drizzle in the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse to mix again. The pesto will still taste strong and lemony. Now slowly start adding in vegetable broth (about 1/2 cup) until the flavor and texture is good and to your liking. Add any additional salt and peeper if needed. Add the pesto to the noodles, and toss to mix well.

To Serve:Place a large handful of spinach in the bottom of a bowl or plate. Top with the paste, and garnish with sliced tomatoes. Add a little pepper to the top, and enjoy!!