Les Mots Justes

I love food photos on facebook as much as the next person. It's cool to see what other people are eating and even better to see what restaurants are serving up so I know whether to avoid them or immediately book a reservation. However, when a photo surfaces on facebook of some delectable dish from a new restaurant in the Mission in San Francisco, I can't help but feel resentful. I know eateries are constantly turning over in San Francisco, and especially in the Mission due to rapid gentrification. Yet, because I no longer live there, I feel some injustice has been done to be because the neighborhood has changed and will continue to change...like I want it to stay exactly as I had left it, in a moment in time when I still lived there, and that everything will be familiar the day I return.  

One of my favorite memories of San Francisco is walking down Valencia street on a chilly SF night with a bag of italian groceries from Lucca in hand, past restaurants and cafes that look so cozy, lit up by warm light and conversation...people looking terribly frumpy yet distinctly refined SF at the same time. Sounds terribly trite right? It was one of the best times of my life and I never once took a single moment for granted there. I never wanted it to end, but I guess it'll all make sense later why it had to.

Many things in Madison are so distinctly Midwestern that people who have lived here their entire life have become so desensitized to things that seem so foreign to a Californian. For example, below is a Cold War era bomb shelter under the basement of a friend's home. A real bomb shelter!

I just finished my first round of exams and got together to celebrate over sushi. I was surprised to find high quality fish in Madison given there is NO FUCKING OCEAN ANYWHERE NEAR THIS PLACE!!..ahem...wow...I've got some pent up something or other. The nigiri at Muramoto was soooo good, the rolls, soso. I've found a new favorite fish, escolar, which tastes like buttered ocean, or oceaned butter....whichever you prefer...so rich and smooth.

It's all crispy air and colorful trees here in Madison. The fire engine red and bright yellow trees are pretty stunning, and it's fun to watch the same tree slowly change color from the window of my yoga studio as I am in a passive spinal twist position at the end of class. I guess I don't mind things changing here so much as I mind things changing in SF. 

Looking forward to a relaxing weekend and breather in LA with friends and a special someone..

I have my first set of exams next week and the tension in the air is palpable. I wasn't too concerned about the intensity of it all until we had a mock exam today in which we learned how to use the software. Turns out that not only are we recorded on camera, but our exams are recorded, so every single click we make is followed. We also aren't allowed to wear sweaters with pockets, so no hoodies even though the room is freezing. I guess we might as well take the exams naked. Just kidding..I don't want to see that many med students naked. 

I'm craving mexican food but the most convenient thing that closely resembles it is Qdoba (like a lesser Chipotle). These are times I really miss living a block away from five taquerias. At least there is good American food here...and the mail service is surprisingly reliable..I always seem to get my packages on time. No weird unable to deliver notices or lost packages, or mail that seems to have been open, then resealed.

so I guess new things I learned about the midwest:

-don't cheat.

-Mexican food still sucks.

-reliable mail service.

I usually get up pretty early every morning to shower and get to class by 8am, so don't always have time to make breakfast. Because we usually go from 8am - 12pm, I get kind of hungry...ok REALLY hungry...and end up bringing snacks along or buying something from the cafeteria. I grew weary of spending money on tasteless bars that had little to no nutritional value (all sugar, no fiber, no protein to curb my hunger, small portions, etc.) so I decided to take matters into my own hands and make some homemade protein bars! They turned out to be economical AND delicious! 

I adapted mine from a recipe I found online:

1 ripe banana

1.5c rolled oats

0.5c shredded coconut (I used unsweetened, but sweetened is fine too)

0.5c dried cranberries (or blueberries, or raisins, etc.)

0.5c chocolate chips

2 heaping scoops of vanilla whey protein powder

2tbsp flax seeds

2tbsp chia seeds

1.5tsp cinnamon

0.5c agave nectar

1.5c peanut butter

1tsp vanilla extract

1.25c coconut oil

Mash the banana, add dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, then mix it all up! Press into an 8x8 inch pan and pop in the freezer for ~1 hour. Freezing it makes it easy to slice. Total prep time was about 10 minutes to throw everything together. Makes about 8 large bars that I individually wrapped and stored in my freezer. They are good for about 1 month in the freezer, but I'll likely have to make a new batch in a couple of weeks.

Smooshy smoosh the banana:

To keep from making a mess of the kitchen and myself, I lay a piece of saran wrap over it before I pressed it in the pan. I also lined the pan with saran wrap before putting the mixture in it for easy clean up.

The finished product is pretty hearty. It looks and tastes kind of like a fresher Cliff Bar. All raw, vegan, nutritious, elitist, high brow, and hipster!