nonsense!

While I’ve been to the Bay area several times (most of them on Mountain View), I had  never properly visited the city. While the weather wasn’t the best (it was like Seattle, which is bad when you’re on vacation!), I really enjoyed doing all the touristy stuff in the city.  The city is quite beautiful and very picturesque.

One thing I really dig about the city is how bike-oriented it is. From my experience, it seems like a lot of people move around San Francisco in a bike, which rocks (even with all those hills). Also, people dress really sharp, especially in down town.

           

Click here to download:

4th_of_July_weekend_in_San_Fra.zip (5141 KB)

Pics: Wells-Fargo in downtown / Yerba buena garden / 'Quantic Man' in SFMOMA / Street car / Pier 39 / Golden gate bridge

- Ramiro

* There’s no such thing, but sure sounds cool ;)

Yesterday, my step-sister was pregnant; today, a brand-new girl came to live.

Albeit it being the one of the most common events on the planet,  I still can’t wrap my head around it. This is for sure an awesome moment, in the literal sense of the word.

- Ramiro

PS: She’ll be getting this book as a birthday present. Check out the video, is really cool.

Victoria is a really cool and relaxed city (something that seems to be shared by every island-city I’ve ever been to, something in the air maybe?), with a great park in the middle of the city (Beacon Hill), and a downtown perfect for an afternoon stroll (which includes Canada’s oldest Chinatown).  In general is a very lovely city, perfect for ditching the car and walking (or biking) around.

           

Click here to download:

memorial-weekend-on-victoria-bc-jwcJfzaFxlEusfkpuDqv.zip (21226 KB)

- Ramiro

PS: Parking near the ferry terminal in downtown for two days was cheaper than taking a cab. The ferry company has a great deal ($10 per day) with the parking lot in the corner of Wall St. and Alaskan Way. 

For the past few days I've found myself mentally repeating a couple of lines from Quevedo's 'Salmo XVII' disturbingly often (at least is not Lady Gaga, right?). The Salmo is one of my favorite poems, one which I vaguely remember having to memorize in one of my junior high classes. I've always like the sonority of it as well as the images it produces, albeit it's very dark subject, the dreading sense of the looming death.

Anyways, I've decided to share the poem here, in an attempt to exorcise it from my mind. I'm putting the Spanish version and below (couldn't make the two columns look good)  a very crude translation  (my own) for all of you who don’t speak Spanish. Hopefully you can get a sense of why I like it so much.

Salmo XVII

Miré los muros de la patria mía,
si un tiempo fuertes, ya desmoronados, 
de la carrera de la edad cansados, 
por quien caduca ya su valentía. 
 
Salíme al campo; vi que el sol bebía 
los arroyos del yelo desatados, 
y del monte quejosos los ganados, 
que con sombras hurtó su luz al día. 
 
Entré en mi casa; vi que, amancillada, 
de anciana habitación era despojos; 
mi báculo, más corvo y menos fuerte. 
 
Vencida de la edad sentí mi espada, 
y no hallé cosa en que poner los ojos 
que no fuese recuerdo de la muerte. 

  Franciso de Quevedo

English translation:

I watched the walls of my country,
at one time strong, now decayed,
tired by time’s race
for whom they bravery now fades.
 
I went to fields; watched the sun drink
the brooks freed from the ice,
and from the mountain the cattle lamenting,
which with shadows stole the light from the day.
 
I walked upon my house; saw that, stained,
it was now ruins of an ancient room;
my walking stick, more bowed and weaker.
 
Defeated from age I felt my sword,
and I couldn’t lay my gaze upon nothing
that wasn’t a reminder of death.

Hope you like it!
Ramiro

In my efforts to successfully complete the great no meat challenge 2010 I’ve been trying out some new meat-less recipes to eat at home (eating out on a no-meat challenge is hard, so say the least). Last week I prepared a coconut milk risotto that turned out fairly good, so I decided to share the recipe, in case a brave soul decides to risk it all and try out something I recommended:

Ingredients (makes for 2 big portions)

• 1 cup of Arborio rice
• 1 14oz can of unsweetened coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen’s)
• 1/2 14oz can of diced tomatoes (or two finely chopped fresh tomatoes, seeded)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped shallots* (eyeball it)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• A handful of fresh cilantro
• A handful of julienned carrot (optional)
• Chili paste (optional, but everything really tastes better with chili paste)

How to

1. Put a pan on medium heat, coat it with the olive oil
2. Once the olive oil is hot (but before it starts smoking) put the butter in the pan
3. Once the butter is melted add the chopped shallots and cook until they are transparent
4. Toss in the rice, moving it around the pan until everything is evenly coated with oil and the rice starts to brown (this is very important!)
5. Once the rice is starting to brown, incorporate about a quarter of the coconut milk and the tomatoes (feel free to use the whole can if you prefer a more tomatoey flavor)
6. Stir the rice until the milk has been absorbed (the rice will start to take a creamy consistence)
7. Repeat 5 and 6 until you incorporate all the milk (I only added ¾ of the can as the coconut was too sweet, but feel free to go all the way)
8. Let the rice cook through for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is tender (feel free to try some rice to test for tenderness, just don’t eat the whole thing)
9. Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the heat.
10. Wait for a couple of minutes for the rice to cool a bit, and stir some more
11. Add chili paste to taste (I recommend adding a bit even if you don’t like chili, it really improves the overall taste of the risotto)
12. Garnish generously with the cilantro and the julienned carrot and serve while it’s still hot

Extra points

I haven’t tried this yet, but adding some chopped peanuts or cashews sounds like a great idea (as they go really well with the whole Thai theme). Let me know how that goes if you give it a try.

Hope you like it!

* Feel free to replace the shallots with garlic or onions. I just like shallots a lot.