Cenk on NY Times!

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/travel/09Foodie.htm

I had to run

I had to run to check my email just because I have tons of people
working in the cafe...It is so strange, everyday I am amazed of the
worker flow in this little town. I wish I kept a list of the people
and showed you in a graph. There is either 2 people or 6...So
weird...If one day someone from the USF Business School reads my blog,
I am ready to give my diploma. I agree that I haven't learn a thing at
school...To my credit, I learned a lot in one year...I can say no much
easier now:) With some exceptions of cute guys...Now, strangely more
guys are willing to take a job than girls...They don't mind doing the
dishes, serving or chatting with the customers...I like to have a
balance, so it is nice to have some male energy around.

What are we baking these days....Chocolate chip cookies,
apricot-almond oatmeal cookies and chocolate coconut cake. The rest is
still the same...I got a few requests for a cookbook...That's
something...I also got a request for a wedding cake this sunday.
Things are moving well...

Latest on the menu, get ready for this....Veggie Fries...Plantains,
Yuka and Sweet Potato! I swear I would have never imagined selling
fries a year ago, but I am...They are so tasty...Healthy Fries...yeah
sure:)))

ouch!

I got a notice from the muni that they will close down the store in 3
days if I dont have the paperwork and the fines paid by then...this
was 2 days ago...After spending hours in between several unnecessary
bureaucratic conversations, paperwork, copies, signatures, crying, all
is done and what a relief...for 10 minutes...my only costa rican
employee, who was working with me for 8 months, tells me she is
leaving for vacation for one month!!!!! By the end of december, the
busiest time of the season...you would think I am used to this by now
but still it gets me...Come on...I was closed for 2 MONTHS!

I have no idea...it will be fine of course, as it was before...Let the
new energy fill my beautiful cafe with lots of love and ideas...Let
the sprit enjoy the flow and dance with eternity...Now, I really want
to kick ass with open buffet vegetarian dinners! I am sooo on it!

what a great idea

The best part about Costa Rica is the coconuts...they are everywhere,
almost free if you know how to open them...Even if you open one by
smashing against the ground, getting the meat out is a painful
process. I broke many spoons, cut my hand and fingers many many times.
Yesterday, at Jeylin's house in Cabuya, I discovered the best tool
ever. Her father built this machine specially to take the meat out
from the coconuts...They have actually built a small scale assembly
line. All the coconuts are gathered in one location, you take one and
move on two the second base, where there is a big wood piece and an
axe. The coconut stays in put in this location and it is easy to cut
it..(relatively easy) Then the best part. Station three. There is a
big metal knob with sharp round points all over...Like a all around
comb... it turns in one direction really fast with electricity. You
take the coconut half and hold carefully stable. As the thing turns,
it shreds the fresh coconut in seconds...It is amazing...Fantastic
idea, life saver and of course the shredded coconut is so tasty, soft
and smells like heaven. We made coconut rice...She makes coconut milk,
coconut oil and so many other things... Sweet life!

working away

its been a tough and rough adjustment back in Montezuma...all is going
ok, working long hours as I have some groups for breakfast and
dinner...

Not much is new, trying to revise and simplify the menu one more time.
However, I got super excited today because we got the Elvis Sandwich
back into the menu with homemade peanut butter!!! I made it with my
new Champion Juicer and it rocks...

Yes, now I have a juicer and we make all kinds of fresh juices,
pineapple beet orange is sooo good, as well as carrot banana
ginger...Thai Greens with cilantro and lime is next to try... Totally
unrelated, I also got a Thai massage this morning and it is the best
ever, I am intrigued by the idea of learning more about it...Maybe
Thailand for my next vacation...

o la la!

there is a snake in my house. I saw him a week ago and I am dead
scared. Dona Betty, my superhero, came by to check on him and we
couldn't find any trace...Yesterday, I was home cleaning up and found
a meter long snake skin on my shoes...it is soooo freaky...

Then all over is scorpions, spiders and on top today in the kitchen, a
rat...I have no idea who to call for help or what to do, so I just
took a break and came down to check my emails. I am soooo ready to
leave here.

Gobble Gobble!

http://yumsugar.com/tags/cupcake+of+the+week

:)

I don't learn

Worked all day, it was so busy and I had new people to try...by noon,
I recounted the money at the cash, $60 missing...I fired the girl. I
can't do it all alone. Also today, left these amazing people from the
film festival..Eric and Stephanie..They are angels! Eric promised to
come back soon to check out some other ideas...That's a blessing here,
to meet with angels, day by day...

I am freaking out about 18 people...ordering food for them, doing the
prep work....awwww...

Happy Sunday!

Train yourself in doing good
that lasts and brings happiness.
Cultivate generosity, the life of peace,
and a mind of boundless love.

Making yogurt, soy milk, green tea ice-cream and having 18 people for
breakfast and dinner for next week! Busy!

Film Festival!

http://www.ticotimes.net/culture.htm

Its about to start and I have soooo much to do...100 different kinds
of bugs ate all my flour, oats and nori sheets! Cleaning
non-stop...It's raining today so, I am not missing much out there.

in the bank

A couple days ago...Me in the bank to exchange dollars. I had 600
USD. I hand the money to the teller, she takes my bills and gives me
colones and a receipt. The receipt says, I gave her 500 USD. I ask her
to count again, since I am 100% sure that I gave her $600. She counts
the dollar bills in front of me, with a weird look on her face and
smiles with a "este $ 500, don't you know to count!". Opps, my fault!
I always lose stuff, nothing new...so feeling guilty that I misplaced
my money, or possibly dropped it in between two seconds, I removed it
from my wallet to place into my passport...Banks never make mistakes!
woowooo!

I had to step away from the teller, frustrated with myself, not
knowing what to do...i need to complain but i cant do it a lone, i
dont speak Spanish. I need to learn Spanish. I beg the Universe,
please help me with this. I need to learn this language or I am going
to sink in this country. I was lucky to have a friend with me,
embarrassed of the situation, I told her what happened and she told me
many stories where banks did similar things to her. A little relieved,
we walked back to the cashier and complained...We talked to the
manager and complained again...Finally they agreed to recount the
money in the cashier. That took 5 minutes and I was rightttttttttt! We
took the $600...the girl never apologized...not even a I am sorry
smile. I wanted to punch her in the eye so bad...i couldn't of course
but the whole feeling of been taken advantage of sucks...so lesson
learned, double count money, in front of the teller; watch them count
the money without blinking the eye; go to the bank with a friend
until fluent in Spanish!

and of course, don't be nice!

Heading to Montezuma

Goodbye wireless internet, goodbye city life. Its been 2 months I've
been away and now its time to go back to Montezuma. It's 5:30 am in
San Jose. I am half asleep, I couldn't sleep last night. I am nervous,
it is strange, I am not sure if I want to jump back to fire but I have
got so many new ideas, I know once I get there, it will all come
together. The festival, the yoga groups, friends coming for a visit,
friends to hang out....

I am so grateful to my friend Maria, aka Dirty Spatualas. She has been
taking me around San Jose, to find the best flour, ice-cream cones,
buckwheat (only one Russian lady in the middle of no where sells
buckwheat, her name is Irina). We found mung beans, adzuki beans,
matcha powder in a Taiwanese store that looks like a home unless you
know the secret code to enter. I am trying to convince Maria to start
consulting for new businesses. She knows every little secret place, if
she doesn't know it, she would find a phone number and call...If they
don't pick up, she will call again and again!

I have 11 boxes all packed with ingredients, new tools, plates,
cookbooks, ect. It feels like moving...I probably don't have that much
stuff in my house right now. Its hounding on me how I will manage to
get all that stuff into the bus, then into my house, then into the
cafe, but I know it will work some way or the other.

Katy is taking me to the bus station. Mark and Kati also are my
family, they have taken such good care of me here. Knock knock!
Somebody is at the door, this is Mark with a cup of coffee for me...I
am heading to MONTEZUMA!

Secret Superfood! Pumpkins!

I am amazed to learn that pumpkins are superfood!

A cup of cooked pumpkin has very little fat (.17 g), 2.7 g of fiber,
87% of daily requirements of vitamin A, 15% of daily requirements
vitamin C, along with beta-carotene and potassium. It doesn't end
here, seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids (powerful anti-oxidants). Its
loaded with alpha-carotene that help fight tumor growth!

I always loved pumpkins, but growing up in Turkey, we only eat them
sweet, very sweet indeed. It tastes great but on my New Zealand trip,
I fell in love with the savory pumpkin dishes. Especially the
pumpkin-lemon ricotta bruschetta with olive oil and pumpkin seeds, we
ate at Morrison's, best food in Nelson.

The second one is a hearty soup recipe, mom and I created at home. It
is a great cold weather soup, perfect for supper with family or to
cuddle with a bowl while watching Grey's Anatomy, my new addiction,
under cozy blankets!

Save the seeds, they make a great snack toasted and kill harmful parasites!

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

* 1 lb of pumpkin, chopped and roasted for 45 minutes
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 4 cups vegetable stock or just boil water with carrots, celery, onions
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 can of kidney beans
* 1 cup of peas
* 1 carrot, diced
* 1 potato, diced
* 2 teaspoon each of cumin, curry powder and cardamom
* salt and pepper to taste

First roast the pumpkin until well done. It will have some brown skin,
that's ok, it tastes great.

Then, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan
until the onion is translucent.

Add three cups of the stock and your vegetables (carrots and potato),
spices and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, add a cup of this mixture and your roasted pumpkin
and blend with a hand blender.

Add the blended pumpkin to your base.

Add canned kidney beans and peas. Simmer for another 15 minutes....

How to cook your life

There is a special invitation for the San Francisco Premiere of How to Cook Your Life on Tuesday, October 23rd at 7 pm at the Zen Center.

Edward Espe Brown will be in attendance, I love his cookbook Tassajara Cooking and I am excited to see him in the movie! It sounds really exciting.

"What is the meaning of cooking and eating for the community and the individual? Is cooking a political act? How does cooking reflect our attitude toward life and the world?

Edward Brown is a happy priest, but for sure no saint. To him, the whole world can be found in a watermelon. In his pots, rivers and mountains are cooked. Fast food restaurants, organic farmers, starving homeless people and a woman who only eats what other people discard. Doris Dörrie's observations in San Francisco reveal a world of contradictions and diversity.  80% of all Americans don't eat at home, neither do they cook. If you don't know how to cook and you are poor, you have to live on cheap and bad food. No time for cooking and eating together is a loss of community and culture. To learn how to cook means to experience and preserve the richness of one's culture and traditions."

http://www.cookyourlifemovie.com/home.html

Love Poems from Rumi

I cannot sleep in your presence.
In your absence, tears prevent me.
You wa tch me My Beloved
On each sleepless night and
Only You see the difference

Rumi

NZ pictures uploaded!

Check out my NZ pictures! I miss it very much for sure! Especially these two!

Happy Tuesday!

"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.  There is no enlightenment outside of daily life."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Maple Walnut Cookies

The recipe is from Vegan with a Vengeance with some slight changes. We used wholewheat flour and more walnuts.

Makes 15.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
2 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir until mixed well. Add the soy milk and arrowroot and mix until the arrowroot is mixed well. Add flour, salt and baking soda, mix with a wooden spoon, fold in the chopped walnuts.

Drop on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Wait until cool, if you can! In New Zealand, you are not allowed to touch your cookies if you haven't finished your wine...That's at least what these two crazy friends of mine (Miss Supreme Cupcake and  Jason Sutter) made me believe. Pepperjack Shiraz from Australia, great wine. Highly highly recommended!!!!

Maple Walnut Cookies

Back in Istanbul with fresh memories of New Zealand, I had to post about these cookies.
Lane and I made these in about 20 minutes and Sutter finished them all in about 10 minutes.

ps. During my stay, we also had a little house guest, related to Remy from Ratatouille, he might have helped with the cookies!

Now I have to log-out from Blogger and signin to my gmail to get the recipe. It sucks that I have to login to blogger to post a picture and log out to get to my gmail.

Alex Grey

Alex Grey's work is amazing, I had seen this painting a couple years ago in San Francisco and was totally scared. Now, I am trying the buy his book from Amazon. People change.