Making Time to Eat & Write

Dropping off the blogsphere is inevitable when one's job keeps her in front of clients and not computers. It's refreshing to be not so wed to the fluorescent glow of the computer screen, but it also means I lose touch with the world outside my tiny radius.

Starting school again is invigorating, but stressful in its many ways. Food making drops to the bottom of the list of things to do, and if I make time at all, my repertoire is reduced to large batches of things that can be consumed over a period of time. Like soup. I've become expert at tossing the contents of my fridge into a pot. Call it the "kitchen sink" approach to cooking. The good news is that the produce at Monterrey Market has been abundant and many of the veggies have been making it into my stomach. This is a feat, given that suddenly being transformed into a student usually results in poor food choices.

Amidst my frustration at the lack of food experimentation in my daily routine, I did manage to make an incredible pizza last week, using the remnants of fresh arugula, a small amount of a smoky blue cheese who abandoned its label in another part of the fridge, sliced fresh figs, and carmelized onions. Oooh, harmony!

I've also, as one might imagine, continued the tasting that one can do but not so generously on a student's budget. A recent trip to Universal Cafe with Sami and Hansa was a fun night out, but I'm not sure it's risen to the top of my favorites list. Another Pad Thai adventure in Cal's infamous Food Court on Durant Ave, which I will certainly include in an upcoming blog. And, yesterday, my first taste of the delights that Cesar has to offer. Let me just say, from the glass of moscato and the crisp bocadillo slathered with fresh aioli and filled with grilled eggplant, bacon, and lettuce, it's worthy of its reputation.

I've also paired with a friend, Therine, who is a fellow foodie. Together, we have other adventures planned for the upcoming months, including attending one of the Frugal Foodie events, organized by a Berkeley resident who opens his/her home to strangers who wish to come together to cook healthy veggie food. We're also on a french food-tasting trip, and hope to start with Clementine or Le Charm's (also frugal) prix fixe menus. But if you've got suggestions of places to try, please send them along.

Oh, and one of the most exciting pieces of news of all, I've been given a copy of Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. I'm excited to start a self-education course in the things I've been ingesting since childhood . . .