For all you sports fans, the Insight Bowl is coming to Sun Devil Stadium on December 31, 2009!

Lucky for competing teams’ fans, too, because they’re from some pretty chilly places – Iowa and Minnesota, to be exact. Welcome to the desert! I’m thinking our 60-degree weather is positively balmy for you guys.  While you’re here, we hope you’ll take advantage of all the great stuff to do, including coming over to Mill Ave and coming to see the museum, ’cause there’s nothing wrong with a little culture in between games and parties (especially when said culture is Free!)

There’s a nice article here from Iowa’s Gazette Online of things to do while you’re in town, or just head to the Tempe CVB site for ideas, too.

For the locals reading this – all those people who’ll soon be wandering about in t-shirts and shorts aren’t crazy. They’re just football fans.

-Diane (who is only teasing, football fans!)

If you’re a runner, you may have experienced these familiar symptoms:  a few miles into a run the lateral hip or knee begins to hurt, many times forcing you to cut the run short.  You stretch, and stretch, and stretch…but nonetheless the pain comes back your next trip out to pound the pavement.  What gives?  The iliotibial band, or ITB, is a band of connective tissue that starts at the ileum (top) of the pelvis and travels the outside of the leg, inserting just below the knee in the tibia (shin bone). If it is tight it rubs on bony prominences, either at the knee or at the hip area. Treatment is easy on paper: stretching with use of a foam roller or the stick and this gets better. Sometimes overpronation stretches the ITB during the swing phase of running gait and then it contracts tighter when you land. (Think of a rubber band when you stretch it then let go: it becomes shorter.) In this case an orthotic can be useful, decreasing the pain by correcting for over pronation.

So why doesn’t stretching in itself take care of the problem?  The problem lies in the makeup of the ITB.  Connective tissue has a different function than muscle in your body, primarily present to cover muscles to allow gliding over one another with movement.  The ITB is actually an extension of a muscle, the tensor fascia latae (TFL), and many times is not actually stretched in itself.  While stretching the gluteal and TFL muscles can help, many times manual soft tissue treatments (ART, massage, foam rolling, the stick) are necessary in conjunction.

If the pain is persistent regardless of your self-treatment, it may be time to see a sports physician, such as a chiropractor or physical therapist.  Active Release Technique has proven to be an effective treatment for ITB syndrome in conjunction with self-treatment, and many times will speed up treatment time.  As with many running injuries, it is always a good idea to consider the shoes you are running in.  It is recommended that you replace running shoes between 350-550 miles depending on your running style, body weight, and the surface on which you run. Lighter runners can get closer to the upper end of the recommendation, while heavier runners are harder on shoes and should consider replacement shoes closer to 350 miles.

The most difficult part of treating ITB syndrome is the obvious: in order for the pain to decrease you may need to take a short break in your running schedule.  In most cases, treatment can be done while you continue training.  Always seek the advice of a professional if self-treatment does not bring relief in 7-10 days.

Dr. Bobbie is a full body ART practitioner and practicing chiropractic physician in Tempe, AZ, and has personally dealt with most running injuries in the book over her 15 year running career.

Sekarang sudah memasuki akhir bulan, keuangan pun semakin menipis. Belanja kebutuhan sekunder dan tersier tidak memungkinkan. Apalagi dua hari yang lalu keluarga besar; orangtua dan adik dari luar kota datang berkunjung dan menginap. Memasak untuk porsi ekstra  pun dilakukan dengan resiko budget belanja menjadi sangat minim. Untungnya mereka membawa buah tangan dari luar kota berupa ikan asin seberat 1 kg, tiga bungkus roti tawar beserta selai nenas dan beberapa bungkus indomie. Alhamdulillah…

Meskipun mereka membawa sekian banyak buah tangan, aku juga belanja bahan-bahan makanan di pasar. Tentu saja disesuaikan dengan budget yang tersedia. Sayur sawi putih seharga Rp 2500, tempe seharga Rp 2000, terong seharga Rp 3000 dan daun bawang seharga Rp 500. Itu semua cukup untuk memenuhi kebutuhan makan malam pada hari itu. Sebenarnya masih ada jenis sayur lain seperti kangkung, bayam atau daun genjer. Tapi itu terlalu biasa, maksudnya menu yang terlalu biasa di keluargaku. Jadi aku pilih sawi putih (Brassica chinensis). Tempe adalah makanan kesukaan di keluarga ini dan mereka paling suka tempe goreng dari hasil racikanku.

Sawi putih rebus untuk melancarkan pencernaan, telur dadar, tempe goreng yang bergizi dan dilengkapi dengan sambal hijau merupakan menu yang sederhana namun sangat menggugah selera. Aku harap mereka menikmati makan malam dengan menu yang sekedarnya ini.

Untuk sarapan besok, aku memanggang roti yang mereka bawa. Hanya diolesi selai nenas dan beberapa roti ditaburi meses Ceres, kemudian dipanggang. Karena roti-roti itu sudah manis, Teh tawar Dilmah hangat disajikan bersama dengan roti panggang. Nikmat banget dan dijamin tidak akan membuat kita megap dan eneg. Oya, sebenarnya pemberian gula ke dalam minuman Teh tidak dianjurkan. Sebab, gula itu justru akan membuat kita lemas dan energi yang didapat dari gula sangat cepat menghilang idibandingkan dengan gula yang terkandung di dalam beras.

A housing mortgage seems to be the new trend these days. Gone were the days where you have to haggle and beg to your family, friends and relatives to borrow for money because there’s an effective way to ask for financial assistance. With a bank, you’ll be safe and it will take you faster to get a real estate property in Tempe.

But bear in mind that applying for a mortgage on any of the Tempe houses for sale requires lots of work on your part. Once your apllication is approved and you move in to your new house, you need to be honest and pay up every month. You must meet these obligations and abide by the rules of the bank or else you’ll end up in big trouble. The only tip we can give you is to research on the kind of bank that you will be applying in because there are some mortgage schemes that might be confusing and will lure you into bad debts instead. So think wisely on getting a mortgage deal on a house.

The deafening silence of photography is powerful. When making photographs or viewing photos no sound is captured. The sound of the people, the music or the weather lays within our minds.

Light rail turns one years old today. What a milestone not only for the transit system but the Valley as a whole! And today, Metro is celebrating Charlie-in-the-Chocolate style. Valleymetro.org reports:

The 30 lucky winners who receive a “golden” transit pass will be entitled to a pair of US Airways Center event tickets of their choice – either an upcoming Phoenix Suns regular season home game, concert or family show. In addition, the lucky winners will be entered into a drawing to win one of two Grand Golden VIP Experiences. … Platinum Pass or U-Pass users who validate on December 19 will be entered into a random drawing for six of the thirty “golden” passes and contacted shortly thereafter by METRO, their employer or ASU, should they win.

A number of businesses along the line will also be offering discounts to those with a valid transit pass.

Breakfast:

Nasi putih + Telur mata sapi

disajikan dengan susu hangat.

Lunch:

Nasi putih + Telur dadar + tempe goreng + sambal hijau

Dinner:

Nasi putih + ikan terubuk goreng + sayur sawi putih rebus + tempe goreng + kerupuk udang

sajikan dengan sambal hijau.

Taken at the Desert Botanical Garden’s Luminary Display.  Shot in full HD at 24fps with the Canon 50mm f1.4 lens.

The semester is over and with it my poetry class.  Tomorrow I bike to school to pick up my term project: a collection of poems with revisions and an essay describing what I’ve learned about myself as a poet.

I’ll tell you a little of my journey here.

Once upon a time, I hated poetry.  I thought it overly sentimental and pretentious.  Keeping an open mind, I signed up for Intro to Poetry in hopes that it would help me develop my descriptive abilities.

Day One.  The instructor, Josh, is young and passionate.  Our first lesson: “What is Poetry?”  He tells us that poetry conveys a message, just as any other writing, but it focuses on the details–on the specific, the concrete (evoking the senses) and the meaningful (evoking emotion).  That made me think of macro photography.  Probably because, at the time, I had been taking hundreds of photos like these:

Aloe Vera

Toes

That’s when Poetry and I fell in love.  I am a glutton for detail, and I dig into the human experience with an intensity that frightens the fainthearted.  We’re perfect for each other.

Day two.  Lesson number two: “Bad Poetry or What to Avoid”.  Josh tells us to stay away from abstractions, generalizations and judgements.  Judgements include stereotypes and giving undeserved emotion to people, places or things (e.g. angry wind, melancholy skyscraper, etc.)  In other words, they’re the very thing that makes a poem sound cheesy.

Our first poem, a “place poem”, is due at the end of class, to be written in only 20 minutes time.  I feel both nervous and exhilarated by the challenge.  Given line by line directions, this is what I wrote:

In Tempe, bicycles wheel along cracked sidewalks.

The spokes throw sunlight, poking drivers’ eyes.

Tires write stop marks against the white cement.

They sound like the shrieking of cats in heat.

The tires remind me

Of kids running

In canvas sneakers

On neighborhood streets.

But in Tempe, ice cream melts before your lips can touch it,

Cacti threaten you with sharp objects,

And coffee shops pull their shades, closing before ten.

Is the poem meaningful?  Not really, though it’s pretty accurate to my experience of Tempe, but the joy of creating such sensory-rich description emboldened me to write more.

In the first few months, I wrote twice as many poems as were due, and I tortured myself with a good 40 hours of revising my first assignment. This is when I decided that if there is a hell, it is filled with poetry revision.

The second half of the semester was rough.  Somewhere along the way I lost my thirst for poems and assignments were only written the night or morning before class because they were due.  I could probably point to many reasons for my loss of zeal, but it is best summed by saying that I exhausted myself with my own fervency.  Nonetheless, those due dates kept coming, and I ended up writing things I wouldn’t have otherwise written–thereby discovering things about myself I wouldn’t have discovered.

I still have the bad habit of only writing when I feel like it. That’s why it has taken me a month to write a new blog post. Many successful writers have advised daily writing–writing when you’re up, down or just plain apathetic. I’m starting to think this might be useful advice. Maybe I’ll follow it.

more of my poetry

Untuk 4 porsi.

Bahan-bahan:

1 papan tempeh, potong dadu.

Ikan teri bilis sesuai selera.

15 buah cabe hijau, iris miring.

1 buah bawang bombay, iris tipis.

6 siung bawang merah, iris tipis.

3 siung bawang putih, cincang halus.

1 ruas jahe, iris tipis.

2 lembar daun jeruk.

4 sdm kecap manis.

Cara membuat:

goreng tempe, sisihkan.

goreng ikan teri, sisihkan.

Tumis bawang putih hingga harum, masukkan bawang bombay, kemudian tumis hingga harum. Masukkan bawang merah dan cabe hijau, tumis hingga layu.

Beri sedikit air ke dalam tumisan, tumis hingga air mendidih. Masukkan irisan jahe dan daun jeruk.

Masukkan tempe dan ikan teri yang telah digoreng, aduk rata.

Beri gula dan garam, aduk rata.

Beri kecap manis, aduk rata.

Cicipi masakan, tambahkan garam atau gula sesuai selera.

[Source: EV Living] – Glendale is home to two professional sports franchises, an Air Force base, and more than a few casinos, but not the Metro Light Rail.  Valley Metro introduced the light rail in December, 2008, with a 20-mile route extending from Mesa through Tempe, and into Phoenix.

The light rail is the first of its kind in the Valley.  Although effective in transporting Arizona State University students between campuses, fans to downtown Phoenix sports complexes, and commuters going to work, the rest of the Valley has yet to feel its impact.  But Valley Metro has future extension plans in the works.

According to www.valleymetro.org, they plan to extend further into north Phoenix, further east into Mesa, and west to Glendale between 2012 and 2030.  The Valley Metro board is already beginning to enter into a study phase of five different routes to the Glendale area, Metro Light Rail Public Information Officer Hillary Foose said.

Some of the proposed routes include one to historic downtown Glendale, one west along Interstate 10 and north on Loop 101, and one going along Glendale Avenue, Foose said.  Initial plans were to have the extension go directly to downtown, however after some uproar they decided to look into other options.  “Plans are still very preliminary at this point,” she said.   [Note: To read the full article, visit Future light rail extensions to Glendale in study phase.]

As many people around the valley have heard, Skylar Stock, a 27 year old Tempe firefighter, was killed on Monday, December 7, 2009 while hunting outside of Payson. While sleeping in a tent a tree was snapped by a high-wind storm and fell on him, killing him instantly. Here is a link to the story from ABC 15. Skylar is survived by his young wife Kari and their 3 children, ages 4, 2.5 and 10 months. Skylar was my brother-in-law and this has hit very close to home. While many of us struggle with these realities in life it has been quite amazing being around Kari and seeing her strength throughout this last week. Skylar was a selfless individual always eager to help others and do the right thing. He chose a well-suited career path and had only been with the Tempe Fire Department about 2 years, but had been aiming for this career his entire life.

     The funeral this past weekend was quite amazing with the amount of support from family and friends and including the Tempe Fire Department and other departments. The service was extraordinary and it was a true, uplifting celebration of his life. Skylar will sorely be missed and I can only pray that these circumstances help us all re-focus our purpose and our goals in life. His young children don’t quite grasp what has happened but still have a sense of their father missing; however, they are surrounded by strong people and support and I have the utmost faith that the entire Stock family will move forward stronger than ever and with peace in their hearts. Words can never express enough sympathy to help someone through, but it is the simple ”I’m sorry” that is a genuine heart-felt expression to those who have suffered a loss. To Kari and the kids, I’m sorry. I love you all and we will all be here for anything that you need.

     For those interested in helping out the Stock Family, there are 3 ways you can help. You can donate directly to the Stock Family Donation Fund at any Wells Fargo bank. The account # is 7218152986.

     For those who may not have access to a Wells Fargo, you can donate via Paypal by clicking here. 

     There is also a fundraiser set for Thursday, December 17, 2009 at any Chili’s Restaurant in Mesa, Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert. For those who may have planned to eat out, if you do so on Thursday at Chili’s and mention the Stock Family, they will contribute 10% of the bill to the Stock Donation Fund. If you can donate in lieu of eating out it will benefit the family more; however if you planned to eat out or want to get together with friends, please go to Chili’s and eat that night, and tell your friends. Print this coupon and share it with whoever you can.

Dagnasty & Breaks Inc. Present:

The Pound…..A Tuesday Night Weekly!

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the well known AZ tues. night weekly, The Pound, has moved to a new location…bigger AND better. Come on out tonight and celebrate DJ Babels birthday in the new venue!

The Pound Invites You To… Dj Babels Birthday Throwdown!!!!…..

Babel Vs. Enzyme – MIA Phoenix
Craft – Craft Productions /Phoenix
Bern Skematix – Organized Confusion
Excell – 602

—————————-
Set Times to be Posted
—————————-

9:30 – 11:00
Excell

11:00 – 12:00
Bern Skematix

12:00 – 1:00
Babel Vs. Enzyme

1:00 – 2:00
Craft

—————————-
Drink Specials:
—————————-
$2 PBR’s
$3 Domestic Beers (Drafts & Bottles)
$3 U-Call-It Cuervo Drinks
$3 Well Drinks
$4 Import Beers (Drafts & Bottles)

……just to name a few, along w/ other weekly specials….

—————————-
New Location Info:
—————————-

21+
Door @ 9:30 p.m. Until 2:00 a.m.
No Cover
Plenty of Parking
Devil’s Hideaway
1807 E Baseline Rd (SE Corner of McClintock & Baseline Rd. – In the Peter Piper Plaza)
Tempe, AZ 85283-1524
(480) 491-0442

Has the creative bar been raised now that the point of entry into photography has been lowered?

My mind wonders sometimes and during an afternoon in traffic school I posed this question to myself. Now that almost anyone can afford a camera whether it’s an entry level DSLR or ‘Point and Shoot’ – what has happened to us creatively?

I’m sure there are plenty of arguments for both sides but I think that the creative bar has been raised. Professionals now are separating themselves exhibiting a higher level of expertise more than ever. If we took three photographers (professional, serious hobbyist and amateur) and shot 5 photos of 5 different objects – I’m sure the professional would take away the best pictures. No brainer…they have the most experience and the highest level of technical skill.

The new reality is that the professional has to be on their game so that they do not come back to the pack. No longer can a professional photographer show up and deliver mediocre photographs. My sister’s cousin’s brother could have delivered mediocrity – but a pro…no way. That’s why they are a professional and not someone who take photos occasionally.

Granted, there may be more professional photographers but creatively the hobbyist is pushing the professional to justify their title (and fees.)

What do you think – Has the creative bar been raised? I really want to hear what others have to say about this topic…drop me a line – GRT2

Penelitian membuktikan bahwa tempe adalah makanan sehat karena di buat dari kedelai utuh,inilah yang membuat
tempe jadi unik dengan kaya manfaat sbb:
+ Tinggi serat
satu sajian tempe mengandung serat tingi yang di butuhkan untuk kesehatan saluran pencernaan & mencegah segala penyakit kronis di masa depan.
o Mudah di cerna
tempe merupakan pilihan terbaik yang bagi mereka yang punya kesulitan untuk mencerna makanan berprotein tinggi seperti kacang2an.Proses fermentasi tempe membuat kacang kedelai dalam tempe menjadi lebih lembut,jamur Rhizopus dalam tempe memproduksi enzim phytates,sehingga meningkatkan penyerapan mineral seperti zinc,besi &kalsium.
* Bagus untuk pola makan rendah garam

tempe rendah garam sehingga aman di konsumsi orang yang harus mengurangi garam.
mengandung antibiotika alami
Jamur Rhizopus memproduksi zat antibiotika alami untuk melawan orgasme merugikan & bisa jadi obat disentri bila di konsumsi setiap hari.
# Bagus untuk diabetes

American icon modern architect Frank Lloyd Wright reflection pool at Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, the world renowned architect’s former winter home, studio and architectural laboratory, is preparing to undergo some major remodeling.  However, it is not the actual home of the famed architect that will experience the renovations, but rather the pool, which was a special request of Wright’s wife Olga, at the time the house was built.  Renovations are set to begin soon and Aquavida Pools of Phoenix has been awarded the contract for the pool remodeling. 

Taliesin West was designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937 as a winter home for himself and his third wife Olga.  It was at Olga’s request that a pool was added to the design plans for Taliesin West and the 600-acres upon which it sits. A real estate broker at the time warned Wright that the land was virtually worthless because it had no water and tried to sway him away from the purchase.  But Wright could not be deterred, believing if he just dug deep enough he would find water.  And he was correct. 

Wright felt comforted by the sight and sounds of water and chose a triangular-shaped reflecting pool at the front of the main building to fulfill Olga’s request for a swimming pool.  Olga’s beloved pool juts out from the terrace, which provides sweeping views of Paradise Valley.  The property also boasts additional water features, including a circular fountain, which graces the center of the courtyard. At the entrance to the visitor’s center another Wright-designed metal dish fountain sits raised high on a wall. 

The pool at Taliesin West has not been altered since the early 1960’s.  Aquavida Pools plans to remove the existing pool interior “plaster” and resurface the pool with white plaster that includes a pozzolan admixture for strength and durability. The existing waterline tile will be removed and an exact “period correct” 6″ X 6″ deco aqua blue tile will be added, keeping the pool true to its original design. Taliesin West, just like its sister property, Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin, is listed as a National Historic Landmark, so great care has to be taken to maintain the integrity and original design, making the job just that much more challenging. We are honored to be involved with the Wright foundation and an American icon of modern design, says Thomas Lopez, Owner of Aquavida Pools.    

The project is scheduled to start the second week of January and will take one week to complete.

I wish so much I could be in Tempe tonight after sunset to sit by Tempe Town Lake (even though it’s not a real lake) and watch the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade go by. From the pictures, it looks like a truly amazing sight put on by APS each year.

After dark, boats of all sizes and makes will be festooned with lights and holiday decorations. Both motorized and human-powered, they parade and entertain the crowd as they glitter and glide along the shoreline parade route.

Too bad I’ll be at work.

Photos courtesy of azcentral.com.

What else is going on today? SHOP and SHARE in downtown phx. A number of businesses along Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue will donate 10% of their sales to Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). It’ll be happening at the same time as Roosevelt Row’s new Second Saturday Sidewalk Sale … it’s first time I’ve heard of this though.

2009 New Years Eve Package[1]NEW YEARS EVE / MONTI’S IS OUTSIDE OF THE BLOCK PARTY
Here is the special. This year our guests will be able to drive to Monti’s without having to enter the party. Please share this with friends and family!

New Year’s Eve Package for Two: $99.00
Gift Certificate to Monti’s for $70.00 (Good anytime, not just on New Year…’s Eve)
One Parking Pass in Monti’s parking lot
Two tickets to the Block Party

New Year’s Eve Package for One:$59.00
Gift Certificate to Monti’s for $35.00 (Good anytime, not just on New Year’s Eve)
One Parking Pass in Monti’s parking lot
One ticket to the Block Party

(480) 967-7594

I had never heard of Merrimack until I read who was supporting Marduk on their tour. The day before the show I checked out some songs on their MySpace and was shocked at how good they are! I had to think of Deathspell Omega because of the…well..French connection.

Merrimack
w/Marduk, Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Anihilist, Six Million Dead

2009_12_03
Tempe, AZ
The Clubhouse

ST-11 > CA-9100 > R09 (24-bit/48kHz)
R09 > MacPro > Wave Editor Pro 1.3 (fade, eq, split tracks)> WAV > Max 0.8.1> FLAC 24-bit 48kHz or 256kbps mp3

01 When The Stars Align
02 Insemination
03 The Golden Door
04 Redeem Restless Souls
05 Seraphic Conspiracy
06 Melancholia Balneam Diaboli

Line-up:
Perversifier – guitar
EsX – guitar
Necrolith – drums
Daethorn – bass
Terrorizt – vocals

—-Download—-

sample mp3 (1MB): The Golden Door sample

mp3 (60MB): Merrimack_20091203.zip

FLAC (356MB): Merrimack_20091203-FLAC.zip

I succeeded.

I had to wake up at 8 in the morning after a late night of work and hitch a ride with my aunt, who was biting her nails that morning having to share the pressure of her daughter’s ballet test (thus was not actually in her best mood) and I had to grind, chop, and snap till four hours before sundown, but dammit, I did it.

Indonesian food, at least the ones I’m constantly exposed to, does not offer much for the vegetarian life. The soups and stir-fries often contain animal stock and the seemingly innocent sauces sometimes include shrimp paste as one of their ingredients.

So I decided to try out one of the recipes in my ‘Asian Vegetarian’ cookbook: The Laksa.

Now, Laksa is a rich food. Correction: it is in fact one of the billionaires of cusine. There are plenty of variations available throughout southeast asia and even throughout the country: the malay one, the Betawi one, the bogor one, and so on.

Despite the variations, all Laksas apparently have two things in common: They are children born out of a happy Peranakan (Malay and Chinese) marriage , thus making them historically rich and they need like gazillions of spices to work, making them rich in, duh, spices.

If you want details on the varieties of laksa, you can go to the good old wiki here, and if you want to see how some people are dead serious about the food, check this out.

I was determined that I’m not going to follow some Laksa recipe in a “how to cook asian food” book in a city where the laksa man pass through the local streets everyday, so I decided to browse for local laksa recipes. However, all of them use either chicken or prawn

so, to add the veg touch and to do the book some justice, I combined the vegetarian cookbook version and what I found in cyberspace, and whaddayaknow, it wasn’t that bad. I think I’ll add up more vegetable and chili in the future, but since the cuisine was to go with spicy tempeh I didn’t think it necessary.

Back to the story, so I shopped in my beloved neighborhood market for the ingredients and I fell in love with the place all over again.

The pasar rocks. First of all, I love the flexibility. Grab a bunch of chilis, say, “Ini dapat dua ribu?” (can I have this for Rp 2,000?) and you’ll walk away with just the right amount for your recipe. No way you can do that in supermarkets, where you tend to end up buying and paying way too much.

Second, I used to be so intimidated of the place because I’m an amateur cook and I didn’t want to look stupid for not being able to tell the difference between ginger, turmeric and galangal in front of the seasoned housewives. But that morning I discovered that I wasn’t the only novice.

Some shoppers were also inquiring the sellers about what spices and ingredients they should use forenglish making lodeh soup and some were asking about vegs they weren’t familiar with and what they could do with them. It was fun!

Mission one accomplished. Now to get whippin. It was exhausting but maann, i felt so productive that day.

Here’s how I do it, folks:

First of all, you need broth for the flavor. There are no ready-use veg broth here, but I found an easy breezy recipe in the net that I used:

Oriental Veg stock:

around 1 litre of cold water

2 Onions

Some greens ( I used a stalk of Bok Choy)

a bit of garlic

a lemongrass stalk

3 citrus leaves

3 coriander stalks-chopped

half an inch of ginger

To make:

boil everything for around 40 minutes and strain.

Now,

The Vegetarian Laksa

For the paste, you’ll need:

5 shallots

3 garlic cloves

around 1 cm of turmeric (kunyit)

1 cm of ginger

1 cm of galangal (lengkuas)

2 cm of curcuma mangga (temu mangga)

2 candlenuts (kemiri)

1 tbsp of coriander (ketumbar)

half tsp of cumin (jinten)

half tsp of pepper

See? I told you the number of spices involved is crazy. grind all this to form a paste. For me, it’s a bitch. but nothing beats the old mortar and I have found it to be an interesting exercise.

the main ingredients are:

about two handfuls of bean sprouts (tauge)

two pieces of firm, fried tofu, cut across to form triangles

about a handful of snow peas (kapri)

about 100 grams of oncom (a soybean product slightly similar to tempe but made with different fungi. has a crumbly texture and orange on the surface), chop roughly into small pieces

a little more than half a litre of thin coconut milk.

a stalk of lemongrass, give it a nice, firm whack with the mortar so that its slightly hammered

half a handful of perilla leaves (kemangi)

2 citrus leaves

2 indonesian bay leaf (daun salam)

How-to:

Blanche or pour boiling water over the sprouts, oncom and snow peas (preferably separately) to have them mildly cooked

sautee the paste to the point where it lets out its mild, fragrant scent

add the lemongrass, citrus leaves and daun salam

add around half of the veg stock, or to your suitable consistency, cook to a boil

add the coconut milk, cook again to a boil, stirring constantly

arrange in serving plate: the sprouts, the snow peas, the kemangi and oncom, preferably in that order.

arrange the tofu on the sides

pour the boiling coconut milk concoction over them, thus speed-cooking the ingredients again.

serve while hot.

Better eat it fast because it spoils quickly. This is a showy dish great to serve while having guests.

I had a feeling that this rich but mild-tasting dish goes well with greasy, spicy tempe balado -spicy, stir fried tempe, so I planned to cook that as well.Hooowever, I made a mistake, which was in a way a blessing because it gave me a chance to experiment on a new way of cooking the dish and use the leftover of my veg stock. Let me explain…

Tempe Balado, sort of:

The paste:

around 7 shallots (bawang merah), peeled, cut in half

4 garlic cloves, peeled, cut in half

a tomato, peeled, cut into four pieces

a handful of chilies, cut in three pieces

salt

a lime (jeruk limau)

2 citrus leaves

The main ingredients

Half a block of tempeh, which is a little more than half a block of supermarket butter -cut into small pieces

How I do it:

First, grind the whole paste ingredients into..ta-daah, a rough paste. add the citrus leaves and squeeze some juice from the lime into it. grind again until smoother.

Ok, the second part, if you’re making proper tempe balado: fry the chopped tempe until it’s slightly crispy but not too brown.

Put that aside for a bit and sautee the paste until it lets out the yummy scent. then add the fried tempe and mix good, add the rest of the leaves in the process.You’re done.

HOWEVER

I forgot the first frying part, so when I mixed up the stuff, the tempe was still uncooked and limp.

I panicked.

the spices might get burnt while the tempe would still be raw. Oh no.

So I added the stock and let it simmer, in a covered saucepan for around 10 minutes.

everytime it gets dry, I added a little more stock, until I am convinced it is well cooked despite not being brown and crispy as I want it.

The tempeh wasn’t a disaster. It was tasty, and, in fact, I’m pretty sure that there is a dish somewhere in Java that tastes, and looks, just like it.

But still, I was hoping for something slightly crunchier than that to go with the soupy laksa. so this dish is probably better suited when you’re cooking stir-fried green beans or the like. 

Anyhoo, that’s a wrap, guys. Hope to share more recipes with you in the future.

PS. check out another version of Vegetarian laksa here!

I’ve been waiting to see Nachtmystium play live since I heard Instinct:Decay and Assassins. I wasn’t sure if the more progressive parts of Assassins would translate live, but was happy to see/hear they could easily do it (well, no Seasick pt2 w/saxophone but still…). Check out their Wikipedia entry for more info. Their sound is tough to explain since some songs are ‘pure’ black metal, some thrash, some punk influences, and some with progressive/psychedelic touches thrown in with the mix. Aura Noir tripping, playing Darkthrone songs?

Nachtmystium
w/Marduk, Merrimack, Mantic Ritual, Anihilist, Six Million Dead

2009_12_03
Tempe, AZ
The Clubhouse
ST-11 > CA-9100 > R09 (24-bit/48kHz)
R09 > MacPro > Wave Editor Pro 1.3 (fade, eq, split tracks)> WAV > Max 0.8.1> FLAC 24-bit 48kHz or 256kbps mp3

01 Intro
02 Your True Enemy
03 Ghosts Of Grace
04 Cold Tormentor (I’ve Become)
05 Life Of Fire
06 A Seed For Suffering
07 Hellish Overdose
08 Chosen By No One
09 One Of These Nights….
10 Assassins
11 I Kill Everything I Fuck

Line-up:
Blake Judd – Guitars / Throat
Jeff Wilson – Guitars
Jon Necromancer – Bass
Bob Fouts – Touring Drummer

—-Download—-

sample mp3 (1MB): Assassins sample

mp3 (88MB): Nachtmystium_20091203.zip

FLAC (504MB): Nachtmystium_20091203-FLAC.zip

Sometimes there are situations in photography that the moment is instant and spontaneous. Capturing that moment, that feeling and making a great photograph is the only thing that is on your agenda. There is no time to get familiar with the subject or the location. – click or it may be gone.

There are rules to photography. There are rules and there are suggestions. I try to know the rules and suggestions (I am not the most technical photographer I work on instinct with settings etc.) and when it comes time to make a picture – go with what feels right.

Central Ave Boxing Gym is a place I had never been before. I never really knew what a boxing gym looked liked or what it felt like to be in one. (I can tell you now that it’s very hot.) I didn’t know what the lighting conditions would be like or spacial restrictions. I went and spoke to some people and observed for a couple of moment before shooting anything. This photo was taken from a balcony above the training floor. It was the place that I could get the best exposure and the best composition.

Moments like this are great when you walk into a situation without knowing anything and leave with a photograph that you really like.

The more you know about something the better your end result will be but don’t let that limit you. The best way I’ve found to familiarize yourself with a subject is immersion. Go out and shoot something, then go photograph it again. Measure your progress – keep notes. What do you wish you did differently? Go and repeat. Great photographers are made by shooting photographs.