phoenix rising

Last night my little Escoffier says to me " can I have salmon with lime for breakfast" to which I replied, "salmon with lime, are you sure?" and he said "yes." I couldn't actually believe it until this morning when he asked "what are we having for breakfast" and I said "salmon with lime" and he said "good". I made his and he gobbled it right up before I could even get a chance to blink. So as I was blinking I snapped these shots of him eliminating his portion.

It was so good I felt like I was having breakfast in Japan even though I have never been to Japan and I dont even know if this is typical Japanese breakfast, but to me it was, and if it isnt when I come back in the next life in Japan this will be my breakfast. Pan seared salmon with jasmine rice and cucumber seasoned with salt, pepper and hungarian paprika and of course lime.

Fire Island

Boogie boards and me do not go way back. I was in my twenties before I saw waves of any size. Sure we went to anahiem when I was a kid to visit disney world and my dad took us to see the ocean but it was a bay yet he said it was the ocean and it was - but it wasnt THE ocean. Remember we are from the sunny dryness of new mexico and I guess He didnt want us to drown so I guess you gotta give him credit for that at least, and well, I do. So years go by and I find myself 27 or so years old in california on a job paid for by people in new york who flew us there, NY my home for the previous two years my first 2 years, any way we are on a job photographing old surfers from the 60's, for some wierd trade magazine, well my friend was photgraphing them, I was along for support and as a liason and as an assistant and to have fun on this trip. This wasnt the usual assisting situation since we were old college roomates, friends or whatever and we were like some little production team. Anyway we are at La Jolla Beach below this cliff along a NUDE beach, but it is like in the AM, I wanna say 5 am just to sound knarly but it was more like 6 or 7 and there were a few topless elderly out, any way this beach was below a cliff and that is the coolest thing I had ever seen - ever - and the waves were awesome. I was using the waterproof camera in that bulky yellow case thing, a boogie board and a full body wetsuit that belonged to one of the 60's dudes that he loaned me. Many firsts here. 1) first time in a wetsuit. 2) first time with a boogie board 3) first time with the waterproof bulky thing 4) first time in big waves.

I got trashed! all the photos are from me clicking away while trying to stay alive as I get pummeled from every single wave, and all you see is water and the occasional sky. Not one single picture of these guys in the water. I made it my mission to get used to waves after that. Many other wave adventures since then....some scary, most fun but none as terrifying as that very first time.

Me and the Guy checked it out for his first time at Robert Moses beach, small waves that broke on shore.

Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mulcazitl

Just as I thought I was escaping Nahuatl it creeps back in this time disguised as Spanish. While in Woodstock cruising the little shops we came across a Molcajete and they only wanted 12 bucks for it. I bet I could have offred them less but knowing it was at least half of its orginal price and a piglet to boot I accepted the price. It was missing the Tejolote or pestle but since we were swimming at the stream and there were tons of river rocks we found a good one, or two or a few. Its so hard to choose the right rock when there are just way too many and all good.




It was just as easy to pick the wrong one as it would have been to pick the right one.




I have a wooden mortar and pestle and the marble one too but nothing compares to this. I feel like sing the Sinead O Conner tune, I know I am a dork!

1 tomato, 2 tomatoes..

First off my profile picture keeps disappearing so I replace it and it disappears again. Secondly I will post in not so greater detail as to who the occasional woman is in my posts. Thirdly its hotter than pistols. Fourthly its feeding time. Everyone, at least I think everyone, likes tomatoes, mozzarella and basil and this is how I like it. I have posted this version before but here it is again. Why make one when you can make three, after all what good is sharing when you can be a little piggy and have one to yourself? I scattered some balsamic vinager and some extra virgin olive oil along with fresh ground pepper and sea salt to liven it up a little more.



There were also deep fried smelts with a tomato, white peach, parsley and blueberry vinager salsa, followed by some gumbo.

This pot was seriously chock full. It had salmon, tilapia, whole smelts, crabs, shrimp, and mussels as well as okra summer peas carrots and potatoes and one jalapeno sliced in half for that little tiny kick. Why eat such a hot dish in this weather? I dunno.

Woodstock

Every now and then I have to get my hippie on but not before having fresh strawberry and yoghurt soy milk shakes (we are fake healthy since that is real whipped cream).

It is a two hour drive not including bad traffic but it is nice to get out.



Quaint shops....



Cute things....



A stream with a swimming hole....



Oh and that same mystery "babe" that has followed me around for the last 5 years....
(She looks like she is on the phone but she is actually taking pictures.)



Lastly a dog for the guy to play with (blurry, my Fuji camera apparently sucks).