fresh and delicious... and on paper.

maybe I need to 'fess up and change the focus of this blog to the culinary arts. there's just so much to think and say and read and do when it comes to cooking right now... last week, I got a ton of amazing food-related books in the mail - I am currently salivating over the flexitarian table: inspired, flexible meals for vegetarians, meat lovers, and everyone in between, a few new ones from jane and michael stern, how to pick a peach: the search for flavor from farm to table, and the fascinating looking african american foodways: history and culture. I'm also eating, eating, writing up some food stuff for the memphis flyer's annual summer food issue, watching the new spate of prime-time food competitions on TV, and worrying about my daddy, who's back in the hospital...

all hail the sushi king

the zen of fish- which is about the history of sushi in japan and the US - inspired me to pitch a story to the memphis flyer about
jimmy ishii, the south's sushi king. the indomitable justin burks (who took the "octotower" photo at left) and I sat in on ishii's sushi-making class at the viking cooking school last thursday, where I learned how to make regular rolls (spicy tuna and cucumber and crab) inside out rolls (california rolls), and hand rolls. it felt incredibly satisfying to eat my handmade creations - now I've got to shadow ishii at one of his restaurants next week, and interview "zen of fish" author trevor corson.

farmers market

I love the farmers market! last weekend, after eric, amie and phoebe and I wrapped up our yard sale shopping, we headed to the memphis farmers market to watch the crowds and buy some treats. I picked up some radishes, a bag of arugula, a box of baked goods from the pie lady (!!!), and some homemade goat cheese. now I'm pouring over the san francisco ferry farmers market cookbook to see what I should get this week... the fennel recipes look great, and fennel is the only thing that seems to be growing well in my front garden! how are your vegetables faring this year?