Sabs' Got Talent

Last night I went karaokoeing with a few people, including Sabs. Sabs is no stranger to karaoke. I first got a taste of her skills during a holiday party last year, where she say the Banana Boat Song. You know, the one that goes Day Oh! Me say daaaayy oh. daylight comin me 'wan go home. Needless to say, it was inspirational.

Anyway, last night we went to The Mint to get our inner diva on. Sadly, it was overrun by a bunch of MoFos (lawyers who work at this place called Morrison & Foerster. They call themselves MoFos. Isn't that so...thought provoking?). They have their annual summer associate party at The Mint and drop hella money. Needless to say, the karaoke nazi pays attention to nobody's karaoke needs but theirs. While Sabs and I did get in 1 rendition of Proud Mary (hat tip to LL for asking the MoFos to let us in on the fun), the urge to karaoke could not be satisfied due to the 45 minute wait.

So, serendipitously, we found ourselves at Martuni's, that piano lounge on Market where people do their thang accompanied by a mousy, middle-aged woman on a (baby?) grand piano. It wasn't long before Sabs morphed into a sultry, sexy, oh so sad and lonely Bessie Smith. Below is a sample of Sabs' formidable talent.



Formidable indeed.

The Palo Alto Creamery Has an Identity Crisis

This past weekend I went to the PA Creamery for some fries, a grilled cheese w/bacon and tomato and a black and white milkshake. I had a great time. That is, until I saw the final item listed for sale on the menu, aptly called The Bubbly Burger:



Only in a place like Palo Alto, which had a McCafe (that McDonalds place that wanted to be a less nice version of Starbucks but still scare away the working-class Dunkin' Donuts crowd) would you be able to buy a burger at an otherwise fairly bonafide diner that comes with Dom Perignon. Without, I should add, a hint of irony. If that doesn't make you saw WTF, I don't know what will. Why yes, I will take my ground chuck with a side of smug.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Last night I made sweet potato enchiladas for dinner. They were delicious. Hat tip to Aly B for making this dish for me a few weeks ago.

It sounded like a strange combination at first: sweet potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce (?) but it works. My favorite things about this dish are:

- It's dairy-free and vegetarian
- The heat provided by chili peppers is tempered by the potatoes, which I simmered in coconut milk before pureeing
- The creamy consistency is extremely satisfying and feels decadent on the tongue but not in the belly

See below for the recipe [sidebar: I doubt I outlined the recipe as well as Martha may have, but I think you get the idea].

Ingredients:
2-3 sweet potatoes, chopped into 2-inch cubes
1 can coconut milk
1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
1.5 cans tomato paste
1-2 cups water
a few dried chili peppers (depending on how spicy you like your food to be)
6 soft flour tortillas
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
curry powder
red chili flakes
Cilantro
Avocado
Scallions

Directions:
Preheat oven at 350
Boil sweet potatoes until semi-firm. Drain and simmer in coconut milk until soft.

Puree/mash sweet potatoes and roll into tortillas. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, over medium flame, saute onion until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add chili peppers and saute for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant. Add tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, curry powder, red chili flakes and simmer 5-8 minutes.

Pour tomato sauce over enchiladas and bake 5-8 minutes more.

Top with cilantro, scallions and avocado, if desired.

Yum.

Apparently, I Have a Tick

That's right. A tick. Not a physical tick, but a verbal one. According to Keith, I say the word "shit" very often. So often I don't even realize that I'm saying it. He just pointed this out to me the other night and said that he'd stopped asking me what was wrong when I said, "shit" months ago because the word, normally used to express something relatively negative, had lost all of its value. I found this to be hilarious, but also embarrassing.

Last night, I realized that I had forgotten to pack something that I needed for work and apparently I said, "Shit! I forgot _____." When I retrieved _____ item, Keith started laughing hysterically and asked me why, oh why, do I say "shit" oh so often? I had no good answer for him because I didn't even realized that I had said it. So I said, "I guess I have a tick." He said, "No, Ashley. When someone swears uncontrollably, it's called Tourrettes."

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

When threats, arrests, and shooting don't work to pacify the opposition, try a Lord of the Rings marathon! At least that's what Iran is doing.

As Slashdot astutely points out, the movie choice is a bit odd. The film is inspirational and left me feeling like I could conquer the world - or save it from an evil oppressor. Makes me wonder if anybody over at the state television Channel Two has even seen the movie...

Latest Obsession

These bad boys:





They are bad indeed. They hurt me good.

Sadly, they are just slightly out of my price range. Sigh. Perhaps they'll go on sale come fall.

MJ: Update

I'm sad that he's dead. I forgot to say that.