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center-parting

Everything in its right place. Photos from Vietnam, July 2009.

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yum

Last night’s good fun and food.

We had mushroom ragout, bread with olive oil and herb dip, penne in tomato herb sauce, Pat’s awesome chicken recipe and lemon-sugar pancakes (ala Coliseum) with custard and apples. Decadence.

one big mash up

I rarely begin a post with text. Usually it starts with a photo. But this is going to be a little different because this will be a bit of everything. Since returning from Myanmar, I haven’t had the time to sit and not do anything. And I have yet to fully go through all the photos from Myanmar. So this is a break from it all.

This is what I do when I have nothing to do:

Today I began my morning with ca phe sua da and then made some Vietnamese lemongrass pork rolls for lunch. My basil plant is almost botak (bald) now.

I love Chinese product packaging. That’s white rice vinegar, to be added into the dipping sauce for the rolls.

The sliced pork is marinated in lemongrass and ginger powder with some light soy.

Steamed okra in a dressing of soy sauce, chopped chillies, lime juice and toasted sesame seeds. My cat hangs around the kitchen when something is cooking. He is as mean as he looks.

The meat is rolled up with some romaine lettuce leaves, mint and basil. In Vietnam, they usually roll the meat last so you get to see the meat under the translucent rice paper. It’s really just for presentation, but presentation is almost as important as the taste. I’m a sucker for those things. The dipping sauce is made with fish sauce, chopped chillies, white rice vinegar, lime zest and juice and some sugar. The bottom right photo is unrelated to this dish but I couldn’t help not not throwing it into this photo mash up of sorts. It’s rosemary growing in my little compost tray, next to the cabbage and chili.

This is where I dwell. Just some room details.

(I try to be organized usually.)

(Some junk inside the cupboard. Cheap and vintage jewelry from my mom. Cotton buds are morning essentials. And I have far too many photos of my blind dog inside that it looks like a mini shrine.)

(I know. Too many stripes and gray and blue and white and black. That’s the other cat — also found on the street.)

(Bottom right: books I’m reading. Unfinished.)

(Found items and secondhand books. They smell awesome.)

needs vs. wants

1. Where the Wild Things Are LP Soundtrack – Karen O and the Kids, $18.98 from Urban Outfitters
2.  Everybody needs at least one floaty pen. You can’t write a hateful letter with these made-in-China goodness. Minimum order is 5000pc.
3.  Swingtime snowglobe — who needs a reason? $40 from Robmat.
4. Birds on a branch frame clutch with green interior, $94 from Briana Edelman.
5. Vintage children books for inspiration, from Paul K.
6. Ceramic “Paper Plates”, from Joshua Gajownik.
7. Midnight blue Fairtrade shirred waist tunic, £16 from Topshop.
8. YOKO vintage sunglasses, $18 from Quidvintage.
9. Gentleman shirt bangle, $98 from Yellowgoat.
10. Vegan chocolate cookie dough, from EatPastry.
11. Leather foldover satchel, £50 from Topshop.
12. Temper lace up point plimsole, £15 from Topshop.
13. Darwin Finches by Charley Harper, notecard, $2 from Day-Lab.

Score: 0-13