Papa Guac - Birthday of the Big Dog

Birthday salute to the man who introduced me to the Beatles, Otis Redding, Burt Bachrach, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, America (the Band), Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Letterman, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, Antonio Carlos Jobim, John Williams, Henry Mancini, Bert Kampfert, Paul Mauriet, Bud Shank, Chuck mangione, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Herbie Mann, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Temptations, the Four Tops, Wilson Pickett, The Irish Tenors, The Boston Pops, Mannheim Steamroller, the Canadian Brass, The Brothers Cazimero, Krispy Kreme Donuts, White Castle, Steak 'n' Shake French Fries, Ollie's Barbecue, Colby-jack cheese, German Chocolate Cake, Pancakes, Crackerjacks, Beernuts, Coca Cola, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Amos Bronson Alcott, Emily Dickinson, L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ozzie Smith, Bear Bryant, Jesse James, The Pony Express, Buffalo Bill Cody, Billy the Kid, The Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, the Sears Tower, Wall Drugstore, Star Wars, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Lawrence of Arabia, Amadeus, The Pink Panther, Singing in the Rain, The Music Man, The Mighty Wurlitzer, The Fox Theatre, The Alabama Theatre, New Salem, St. Louis, the majority of the 50 States, part of Canada, and so much more....

A recipe for you Dad - On your 61st Birthday

Guacamole - from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

1/3 cup finely diced white onion or scallion, including some of the greens
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1 to 2 serrano chiles, finely diced
Salt
3 large avocados, preferably Haas
Juice of 1 or 2 limes

Set aside a few tablespoons of the onion, cilantro, and tomato for garnish. Grind or chop the remaining onion, cilantro, and chile with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to make a rough paste. Peel and mash the avocado with a fork. Add the onion mixture and tomatoes and seanson with lime juice and salt to taste.

If you're not serving the guac right away, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to keep it from browning. To serve, heap the guacamole into a bowl and garnish with reserved onion, cilantro, and tomato.

The Soup Mix - The Birthday of the Kirsten - Lady

My friend Kirsten is celebrating her 30th birthday today.


She's actually not a puppet, but a real girl. This is just Lil' Kirsten (or Lil' Keeks), her birthday fingerpuppet (which she will receive on Saturday. Hurrah!)

In honor of this momentous occasion, I give you the Soup mix, which is actually one of my favorite mixes that James ever made for me. It will be coupled with our new favorite soup, a spinach and quinoa bit of loveliness which is a variation of a soup featured in the January Vegetarian Times.


The Soup Mix

Oceanside - Akron/Family
Dragonfly - Low
Basin Street Blues - Miles Davis
Who Needs Forever? Astrud Gilberto
Stars and Sons - Broken Social Scene
The Song is You - Charlie Parker
But Not For Me - Chet Baker
Poughkeepsie - Over the Rhine
Dylan Part II - Akron/Family
Tears - Django Reinhardt
In A Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) - Astrud Gilberto
When It Hits My Blood - John Vanderslice
What I Don't Believe - The Minus 5
Fruit Tree - Nick Drake
Another Song For a Blue Guitar - Red House Painters

Spinach and Quinoa Soup

1 Tbs olive oil or 1 Tbs butter
1 1/2 medium sweet onion diced
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tomato chopped
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatos with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 large handfuls of spinach
1 small handful of parsley (optional)

Heat olive oil or butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Stir in broth, salt, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and spinach leaves (and parsley) simmer 5 minutes, uncovered, until spinach and quinoa are tender. Season with pepper if desired. Serve immediately.