Suspension

Attention All,

This blog is currently in a state of suspension due to time constraints.

Please feel free to view any the of the 411 posts that have been published over the years.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

No Mas Blogging

No more blogging for a while.

After having poster 411 blogs I'm burnt out on what is called social media. It all seems so 1) self indulgent 2) a stupid waste of time.

I started this stupid blog to chronicle losing weight. I lost 45 pounds, and I've kept it off. I still need to lose another 20 pounds,  but I don't that I can accomplish that goal.

I feel physically healthy. Most of the aches and pains I had are gone.
I love to exercise. There's not much else to say besides the fact that I think social media is insipid, at least for me.

That's it.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

Fools Day

That's me, without a beard. The biggest fool of them all.  Have a wonderful day. Play a trick on someone. The fool is the only person who could tell the king to go to hell. What a wonderful job.

That's it today.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

Spring planting

This week I was planning on planting my spring veggies and herbs, but it is cold today. I'm going to pay a visit to my friends at Sunnyside Seedlings, and get my herbs and spices.

These folks can be found at the Lake Merritt farmers market every Saturday or just stop out at the farm in Richmond. That's all I have in the world of food today.

Time to plant. Time to grow.

That's it.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

Funeral + What's For DInner + Weekend

The funeral for my dear old friend Jimmy Nolan was the best best service I have ever attended. The boys choir of St. Vincent De Paul in the City were world class. The was was packed. A testament to a good man.

I had no blog today or no desire to create one then I got the call from the wife.The one that comes everyday with a frequently asked important question, what's for dinner?

Tonight my response was to suggest going out to eat, so I don't have to work at preparing a meal. The next question of course is, what do you want to eat?

That seems like a ridiculous to me because anyone who has been with me for 25 years should know the answer. It would be pizza of course. It's always my answer. It's really all I want to eat, and chocolate. "A salad would be fine dear, and a walk with the dogs."

Pizza brings me to my next subject which is it's spring time, and that means it's time to crank up the Forno Bravo pizza oven in the back yard. Lovin' my oven continues. I am itching to cook some pies.

Off to visit friends in the forest this weekend.

That's it.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

 

Quinoa Tubbouleh

Geri made this dish last week, and no exaggeration,  it's just about the best thing I've ever had in my life. I know I'm on a mid-eastern thing right now. It's so healthy and the flavor is great.

This salad with some roasted chicken, humus, and a little toasted peta bread, and you don't need anything else. Maybe a little dark chocolate

and almonds, or some fresh fruit for dessert, and it's complete.

This is my recipe for the week. Geri got this from somewhere else, and here it goes around again with our additions. Make this, eat this regularly, and you'll live longer.

That's it.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients;

* i cup cooked quinoa

*1/2 tsp kosher salt

*2 tablespoons fresh lemon

*1 clove garlic

*1/2 cup EVOO

*fresh ground black pepper

*1 English cucumber cut 1/4 pieces

*1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved

*2/3 cup flat leaf parsley 

*2 scallions thinly sliced

*large handful of Kalamata olives

*1/3 cup fresh cut mint leaf

Instructions;

Cook quinoa and fluff up with a fork...keep it fluffy OK. Spread the quinoa on large baking sheet, let cool (there is a recipe in an old blog)

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the lemon, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Then add in the salt and pepper.

Transfere the cooled quinoa to a large mixing bowl and mix in 1/4 cup of dressing.

Add the cut and diced veggies, tomatoes, scallions, herbs and drizzle the remaining dressing over the mixture.

You're good to go. 

Zatar , Climbing That Mountain, Good Jim Nolan RIP

Saturday night we went to dinner at Zatar in Berkeley. Zatar is spelled several different ways, and it's name refers to a mixture of spices that is commonly used in mid-eastern cooking. It's the med-eastern version of herbs of Provence. These spice include; sumac, thyme, roasted sesame seeds, marjoram, oregano and corse sea salt.

This restaurant is located at 1981 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. The cross street is University. This tiny little cafe has been serving great eclectic mid-eastern food for twenty years. Many of the herbs and other ingredients that are served are grown at the home of the husband and wife team who own the restaurant. The food here is superb. One of my favorite mid-eatern restaurants in the Bay Area.
Go. We've never called for reservations and always get a table.

That mountain that looms to the east of me has plagued me since I started riding a bicycle again. It got a little smaller this weekend. The top of Skyline Drive, at Grisley Peak, in the Oakland hills it is 1500 feet. This Sunday Geri and I made it up the second leg of that mountain. We have one more tough leg to go. My bike is back at the shop to get tweaked to reconfigure to my body.

My old boss and friend Jim Nolan of Nolan Brother's Painting,  San Francisco, died this last week. This was a kind, gentle, sweet, talented, husband, father, grandfather, and all around stand up human being. He was a devoted husband to his wife Daisy, his four children, and his two grandchildren. I worked for these guys 20 years ago when they first started their business. He will be sorely missed. He was 53 years old.  RIP  Jim. This world is cruel. The veil is thin.

That's it.

Life is what happens in between meals.

Peace,

Marke Food/Not War