Archive for the ‘food’ tag
On the Road……An Egg Ranch in Tennessee Valley?
Show on mapIt seems a little crazy to spend $8-$9 for a dozen eggs, but fresh eggs are one of the things that I’m willing to splurge on.
A carton lasts me a week and I just love the dark, golden yolks. And I swear fresh, old fashioned, eggs really do taste much, much better than mass produced factory eggs.
So noticing this place (the Wooly Egg Ranch) on my ride back from the ocean was a revelation since it’s not too far from where I live.
On the Road……A sandy beach near downtown Sausalito
This little sandy beach is within easy walking distance from my place in Sausalito.
Here you can rent SUPs (i.e. stand-up paddle boards) or a sea kayak or just kick-back on the sand. La Garage the french bistro is nearby too.
That’s appropriate because this view — with the sunshine and yachts — made me think of Marseilles or Saint Tropez; Jean-Luc Goddard; and French Ye-ye music such as this song by Francoise Hardy (which was prominently featured in Wes Anderson’s film Moonrise Kingdom).
On the Road……Persimmons: A Most Refreshing Snack
Part of the fun of having a bike equipped with a handlebar bag is how easy it becomes to carry whatever strikes your fancy. I’ll often pack bread, cheese, nuts — sometimes even a small amount of wine!
For this ride out to the ocean, I brought my handlebar bag basics: a few tools, spare tubes, a camera, a cell phone, and a GPS device.
But the extras for this trip consisted of an extremely light merino wool turtleneck (for after sunset) and a persimmon — a sweet, refreshing bit of energy to consume at the turnaround point.
Wool sweater and persimmon — packed and ready for the ride.
On the Road……Bicycling, Carbon Footprints, and a Sense of Wonder
Organic New Zealand Kiwi Fruit
I recently pedaled up to Alpine Lake and had the foresight to pack a little fruit and one of these spiffy stainless steel Japanese Suncraft knives.
As I bit into this juicy kiwi, I remember thinking:
How is it that I’m sitting here now and eating a tiny fruit that was harvested on the other side of the earth?
There was no judgment over the astronomical (one might even say grotesque) carbon footprint of my organic New Zealand kiwi – it was simply a sense of wonder that I live at a time in human history where such an act is even possible.
Note: After writing the above post I discovered that a “sense of wonder” is a recognized concept in science fiction literature. It’s related to a “numinous” experience. Here’s an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry:
The sense of wonder is related to, but not identical to, the concept of the numinous…the numinous, in this case, is the understanding that there is something not directly comprehensible, but large and entirely other, in the world. The sense of wonder, by contrast, is the understanding that there is something that one had not fully comprehended — or perhaps had not even recognized that there was something to be comprehended — until that point.
Gear Gallery……Mother’s Day Brunch
The Ebisu‘s rear basket is loaded with supplies (grapefruit, rustic cantaloupe, and goat’s milk yogurt) to add to a Mother’s Day brunch held at my brother’s house.
The basket is made by Wald and it’s attached to the rear rack with plastic zip-ties. I usually anchor the corners and then add a few more ties until it can’t move or slide the slightest bit. For a clean look snip off the zip ties close to the rack. (Here, I was too lazy and left the excess.)
Biking Culture……Bicycles in Vietnam
I was looking at Mai’s Vietnam pictures over at Meli’s blog and became nostalgic. Here’s a few bike-related pictures from a trip I made in 2007.
How I miss Hanoi’s Pho and the Mekong’s delicious Hu Tieu.
Btw, look how practical the bike in the top photo is. Step-through frame. Large front basket. Wide tires. Rear Rack. Built-in kick-stand. Comfortable handlebar position.
On the Road…Laurel Dell snack
Persimmon bread and — for a change — some tea!
Food and Espresso Reviews……Artisan Bread Recipe
It’s cold and rainy and not much bike riding going on, but I’m thrilled with a newly discovered bread making method guaranteed to produce the finest, rustic loaf you can imagine — perfectly developed crumb structure on the inside and a light outside crust — with very little effort and no special ingredients required.
Below is my first attempt. I’m amazed! See how simple it is here (the recipe link is half-way down the page in the left column).
Gear Gallery……Wald Grocery Basket, a mini-review
Mini-Review: This is Wald’s model 114 basket attached to my Nishiki. There is no fork or brake bolt hardware to deal with; it stays attached with curved pressure points resting below the headset and with hooks around the handlebars. So for around $20 and two minutes of work you’ve got a basket (granted it’s not particularly elegant or permanent). Still, I’ve severely overloaded mine and it performed really well.
A standard grocery sack will almost fit, but not quite (If that matters the model 133 may be the better choice) so it’s not good for big hauls — a six-pack, a carton of eggs and some bread, that sort of thing works best. The other day it was overflowing with veggies — leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, some shallots — for making a blended Portugese-style soup. This photo was made after a morning breakfast run.
A lift-up handle releases the basket from the its mount so you can carry it into the store or around the market.
