JLoeats.com

in perspective.

so it took me 3 months to really get a hang of all this grad school stuff, living in new york again, finding my passion, and feeling like I’m on top of my world again.  I had a lot of refreshing moments today — even though the panda like shadows under my eyes from lack of sleep show otherwise.

the whole idea of finding my groove, and where i fit in to all of this food world stuff, and what and how i want to add to this discourse that I’ve chosen to immerse my life in, all seems to be falling into place…finally. Hahaha at least slowly in my head, I am feeling it through my soul.

I’m also slowly learning to take ownership of my ideas, opinions, and biases that are as juicy as my research methods class on monday nights.  aww baby’s all grows up. :)

I toot my own horn. toot, toot! Because frankly, if you’re not your biggest fan in life, who else can give you the amount of confidence that punches you forward?  Amen.

so after 6 hours of digging around last night for new wave technologies in agriculture for my food systems class, we gave a very truncated 5 min presentation on VERTICAL FARMING today.  Interesting stuff, worth a peruse if you gots some time. Wikipeadia it, and a quick Google search will pop up tons of links and other references to this interesting idea first spear headed by Dr. Dickson Despommier of Colombia U.  The skinny: A high rise self-contained all year round indoor “farmscraper” powered by urban waste: aka your poop, and utilizes filtered municipal “grey/black” water pumped through the building and existing agro-water technologies such as aeroponics, fogoponics, hydroponics, and drip irrigation to grow food locally within the urban “food shed” sphere of a city dense in population.  (Think tons of roots suspended in water solution with dissolvable nutrients, absent of soil and the earth initiated by artificial light and solar energy stacked high).  Check out the pics on the sites, interesting stuff…

Of course I have my criticisms of this completely artificial alternative food system (that is my job now; to assess these movements in grad school ain’t it? hahaha…) and it creeps me out a bit like the way Wall E. did in giving me a sense of desolate futurism with “people” “living” in self-contained artificially controlled environments.   Woohhweee, those are mouthfuls to say.  Is this the future of our urban cities? Will our earth become one giant city? Slightly terrifying ain’t it? Either way, check it out, and you tell me, I’d love to hear your opinion on the purposed architectural concepts.

yup, talk about BRAIN FRY. I smell food and good conversation. Enter Lee, my partner in crime today.  We exited the infamous library at 1pm, completely starved and in search for some good food.  Which way should we walk? East Village or West Village?  East.  He brought me to the coveted 4th st. co-op and we bulked up on grains.  I surveyed all the fresh local kale, beautiful tomatoes from a farther place (what blithe?), and avocados of course from Cali — which of course always remind me of last January when standing in Q’s kitchen, smelling and feeling all the fresh pomelos, garlic, and avocados freshly grown and picked or fallen from his parent’s backyard fruit orchard in San Diego.  Lucky bastard. LOL.

“You know, I’m more Granola than I thought…”

“Hahaha, I’ve never heard egalitarianism described like that before…in that case, I AM SO GRANOLA! by the way i made you a vegan cookie.”

“Aww. I feel so Loved!”

We walked to Abraco, (thank you Leiti!) after that so we could grab an olive oil cake slice. *ummm, heavenly”… and time for a real meal!  We stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant with a chef in the window rolling out fresh Soba noodles. “I was actually looking for the Organic Kitchen down the street (wearing the new badges with pride today) – but I’m sold. let’s go in.” You know me, I always have a soft spot for “traditional” Japanese cuisine.

FRESH.

YUM.

PARTY IN MY MOUTH, and HEARTY IN MY SOUL.

MMMMMMMMMMM FACE MMMMMMMMMMMM!!! :)

Soba Koh was an awesome find! It’s places like these in Manhattan where I feel so tucked in from it all, really they are the best parts of this city, on days where I need it the most.  Comfy, homey, and remind me of my travels.  Refreshing as hell, and full of great joy and awesome conversation.

Lee: 3 questions that I love to ask people, that says a lot about who they are, you ready?

J: Ok Bring it.

Q1 – If you could speak any 5 new languages, which ones would you pick?

J – French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, and…… Oooh, a CLICKING one like Swahili, aboriginal African something or Hawaiian (LOL: Scott… so un-PC but always makes me laugh just thinking about it…)

Q2 – What is your inner ethnicity/culture? Of what culture do you believe your soul gravitates towards?

That’s easy: Japanese & French for the food & cultural lifestyles, past and present, and Hawaiian & British for the politics. I dunno why, but I find an eternal and intrinsic fascination with these cultures…

Q3 (and the one that makes me the most uncomfortable and nervous and fiery inside all at the same time) – If you had to choose your last meal on earth… (Oh No, I know what you’re going to ask! I hate thinking about this question! Also because people ask me ALL THE TIME! aghhh!!!) WHAT WOULD YOU EAT?!

I resign, I think I would die before I could choose. HAHAHAHA… fact of the matter is, I just love the act of EATING.  The culture of eating, the time, the place, the setting, the mood, the company! The Chewing, Oral Fixations, Flavour Parties in my Mouth, Nostalgic Heightened Emotions, Orgasmic Mouth Feel, Texture, Viscosity, Salivation, … Ahhhh!!!

And every time I’m asked this question, I always answer differently depending on who I am at the moment.  I’ve definitely had meals where afterwards I was so satisfied that I definitely felt like and voiced out that I could die happy.  And most of those memories are of regional Japanese cuisine meals in various parts of the world…or just some damn home cooking that knocked me over with so much love.

Lee: Mine would be fresh baked bread in a perfect dome flaky crunchy crust, soft warm middle, a block of perfect cheese, a fresh bowl of simple organic salad greens and maybe the sweetest crispiest crunchy apple out there.

Hahaha, I was drooling by the time he said apple even though I was full of hand crafted soba and the most artful bento I had the pleasure in inhaling outside of Nippon.  This gave me a whole new meaning of FRESH really.

… So an hour after I was prompted, I believe I finally said: my mom’s 12 hour (give or take) 40 ingredient (give or take) black whole chicken soup steeped to perfection in the ceramic pot with two lids placed in a boiling water bath in a steel pot on the stove top.  What I have so endearingly called “Liquid Home” before.

Ahh Food.  If it don’t equal Love in your books, you ain’t living.  I know my body is craving some nurturing right now in every realm possible, and I am really looking forward to Christmas this year, back home, in the new pad, hopefully with snow and all sorts of mom soups and my annual list of places to eat out at when in Toronto :)  Also comprising my Cali list too… I can’t wait. ;)

but alas! there is so much to accomplish before then! and that is just half of the foodie fun…

So, What would YOUR last meal be? I am so curious to know!

Hoping that you find a bit of liquid home this safe and warm thanksgiving holiday,

Have a good one!

xoxo J xoxo

Tags: Liquid Home, Vertical Farming