Monthly Archives: September 2011

Fits and Starts + Chard, White Bean & Tamarind Stew

September 20, 2011

Fall arrives in fits and starts in here in San Diego. Friday was a tease with its grey skies, cool breeze, and invitation for thinking books and black coffee. Sun, shorts, and summer squash on Sunday — September keeps us wanting. My creative process follows suit. Ideas come and go, passing through me before I have time to bottle them up or at least find a working pen.

I bought a sketchbook at the end of summer, it was on sale at the art store and at the time I had these great intentions of writing everyday; “creativity for creativity’s sake.” I was inspired by a recent feature Shaun and I had collaborated on about a new friend, colleague who encouraged “artists need to be creative for the sake of it, not for work, but because it’s who you are.” Agree. So does Julia Cameron, who insists on a practice of writing every day, among other things, to “recover creativity, as it is the natural expression and direction of life.” It’s been three weeks, and that sketchbook is barely filled with the caught inspiration, captured realizations, or daydreams like I envisioned.

I love, and fully one hundred and fifty percent believe in the practice of “creativity for creativity’s sake,” but as Elizabeth Gilbert, writer, says in her ’09 TED Talk, it can’t always account for “the utter maddening capriciousness of the creative process, a process which everyone who has ever tried to make something knows doesn’t behave rationally, and sometimes seems downright paranormal.”

Case in point, Shaun and I saw Bon Iver this past weekend, and in the middle of a solo set the creative rain comes like a flood and I have nowhere to put it in the dark, musty auditorium. Vernon is singing, I am completely in the present moment, engrossed, emotional, and the ideas come a’knocking. WTF, creativity? I needed you a few days ago. I can’t deal with you right now.

We have to be okay with that. Part of being creative for creativity’s sake is not documenting it, saving it for later, making it a practice. Let it just be. A thing that comes, at random, irrationally, and reminds you that it’s there and that it will come back because it always does . Let the creativity just be there for the sake of it, even if it’s stuck in your head or heart and can’t be rendered “useful.” Perhaps this is the extended meaning of being creative for the sake of it. Feeling it. Enjoying it. Not having to go anywhere with it. Just letting it affirm our sometimes maddening humanness.

Fall will come in San Diego. Eventually. It will fake us out for a while. And it may feel inconvenient when it does make an appearance because we’ll be wearing shorts and sandals. But heck. Let it come when it does. The sketchbook will be there, and if it doesn’t get love everyday, there will be times later when I’ll be glad I have all the extra pages. I think. I hope.

White Bean, Tamarind, Chard Stew with several adaptions from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Chickpea Stew in Plenty 

  • 4 tbsp seedless tamarind pulp
  • 1 bunch (stalks and leaves) Swiss chard
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
  • 3 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lbs roma or plum tomatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 cups freshly cooked cannelli beans
  • handful of fresh cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked with a tsp of olive oil
Soak dry beans overnight, and cook for 45 minutes before you plan to get started. Alternatively, you could use canned, but I discourage it – BPA, the same stuff we’re on the watch for in water bottles is found in tin can linings. While you’re cooking the beans, put on the rice too.
Okay, now we can start. Whist the tamarind with 3 tbsp of water until it dissolves into a paste. Set aside. Place chopped onion and caraway seeds in a large pan with olive oil and saute on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, honey, beans, ground coriander, cumin, chard, and a bit of salt and pepper. Strain the tamarind water through a fine mesh strainer over the pan. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes. If you like a more soup-y stew, add a bit more water. If you prefer a thicker stew, remove the lid to let the steam evaporate. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When you’re ready to serve, spoon rice into a shallow bowl, creating crater in the center. Put a ladle or two over the rice, and top with fresh cilantro.

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Chez Suzanne / The Wimpy Vegetarian - I really just love your recipes. And your photographs are so gorgeous. I could spend all day just looking at your blog!

Elizabeth - Just made this for my dinner tonight! I served it up sans rice, and my husband and I loved the flavor of the broth. Next time I’m going to puree some of the vegetables (been on a creamy soup kick)to see how that changes the feel of things. Tamarind is one of my favorite flavors and it added such depth to this soup. Will be making it again for sure, thanks for the recipe!

Maria @ Scandifoodie - I love Ottolenghi’s recipes! This one sounds so so tasty, I can’t wait to try it :-)

Kasey - So well put, Kelsey! Creativity doesn’t always strike when we want it to, but I think that’s ok. Summer also comes in fits and starts in San Francisco, though, unlike San Diego, we haven’t really had our summer yet! xo

mustardseed - Oh wow!! what a delicious recipe! the photographs made me sooo hungry!!

Robin - This sounds excellent? Where do you get tamarind pulp?

Karen from Globetrotter Diaries - What a great post and I love your insights on creativity– so very true. Love this recipe– swiss chard and tamarind?? Never thought to combine those but sounds delicious!

Kiele Gregoire - I LOVE this post. thank you. I 100% agree and have blogged these thoughts myself before (the fleeting-ness of creativity) so i loved knowing you feel the same way, and, that you were able to articulate it in such a beautiful way. thank you!

Kate - This looks delicious! I can almost smell all the spices and aromas that would come from cooking this dish! What I love most about it is that it’s so super healthy, something I’d eat, and aside from the tamarind pulp…something that can be put together with essentials on hand in my pantry. LOVE!

genevieve - My goodness, does this look good (and warm and filling; yum)!

Whitney Johnson - these photos are absolutely beautiful, i can’t believe it. i tried chard once and wasn’t too crazy about it, but maybe it is better cooked? definitely want to try this recipe! thanks for sharing :)

Vanilla Lemonade - What great flavor profiles! It looks delicious!

la domestique - Gorgeous post, Kelsey! I’m loving the photos and your words on creativity. For me, those moments (like the one you had at Bon Iver) are what being live is all about. :)

Cookie and Kate - First of all, I love waking up to a Happyolks post. Second, I was inspired by a similar talk by Gilbert on a Radiolab episode. I’m going to get around to watching the TED talk today, for sure. On the subject of creativity, I started my blog as a much needed creative outlet while I was working at a mind-numbing office job. Sure glad I did! Still, I I want to (absolutely need to) step away from the computer and read books and write on paper more often. Creativity can be maddeningly fleeting and elusive, but I don’t think it would be creativity if it weren’t a little maddening. I appreciated Gilbert’s idea that you could put creativity on hold and it would come back to you. Oh, and lastly, your tamarind stew looks delicious. Everything you make looks delicious. I’m sorry if I get a little too taken with your stories to comment on the recipe part!

Chrissy - I love that TED talk. So inspiring.

I’ve been doing the Morning Pages thing – wake up, drink coffee and write first thing, at least one page. I like writing when it’s still dark, when I’m the only one awake, when the world still seems like a dream. So far, it’s been both creative AND productive, which is the best combination.

This recipe looks wonderful. I can’t wait to try it out!

Lisa - Looks amazing, as usual!
I relate to the creativity thing—when I’m longing for it, it doesn’t come. But when I’m really present and clear, it flows right in. When I put my focus on finding ways to be present rather than on seeking something specific, I get “more” …although I periodically need reminders of that too :)

Here and There, Surprises

September 13, 2011

You’re probably thinking, didn’t we just see a new post from this girl? Yes. Two posts in one week. They say the busier you get the more you get done, right? We created this video to help Megan at The Fresh Exchange celebrate the surprise announcement of her new creative venture (today! see more here).  Megan is awesome — someone I would like to call friend in real life sometime soon, she’s a young seeker too.

As I’ve shared in our “contact” drop down, before starting this blog I was admittedly anti social-media. People need people, not computers. Nothing replaces real human connection and relationships, but I’ve learned over the past year that social networks, blogs, and digital media actually do bring people closer together. This space has served as reinforcement to my fundamental belief that we are not alone; there are thousands of people who share similar passions, interests, and goals. Together, we can be better, do better, and inspire new ideas and new ways to look at the world.

If you’re a creative, blogger, or just looking for new friends, hop on over to The Fresh Exchange  for a bit of inspiration and the recipe to these sweet and spicy macaroons adapted from Rebecca Katz in the Cancer Fighting Kitchen.

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argone - I could not find the recipe, but thank you for the video !

{av} - so so happy to have “met” you today during blog brunch! your posts are incredible! this video was AMAZING. I started blogging to find great people like you :) have a happy weekend! xoxo {av} | {long distance loving}

Laken - In love with this video.

myfudo - Love the post, so inspiring. Great recipe.. In love with your blog.

Golubka - This is so so beautiful, I’m speechless! And what a lovely and simple treat. Also, great choice of music, we love Sufjan Stevens. Thank you for linking :)

Laura - Oh my gosh I loooved this! It’s so genuine and sweet. If I knew how to make those little hearts in text, they would be all over the place here. Very inspired. Must. Make. Video. Now. And macaroons! Holy yum.

sara - love it! andddd I need to eat those.

la domestique - Great job on the video! The whole social media thing has surprised me as well. For me, it is the real world, and I’ve enjoyed new friendships that warm my heart and inspire my soul. Thanks for being one of those friends! :)

Lisa - This is great!

Wellness Within - Ditto, Melissa ~ I love, love love the video. It has kept me smiling all day! Happyolks makes our folks very happy! Thank you for caring so much about others minds & bodies, your blog continues to inspire & make a difference, love you so much!

Melissa @ thefauxmartha - Love love love love this video! You are awesome.

Em {pushups with polish} - hi! i”m so happy i came across your blog through the surprise party! your pictures are beautiful xxo

Melissa - Great video! I love watching these.

Kasey - You are adorable! I love this video. And I totally agree – people need people, but social media actually helps bring us together a lot of times! xoxo

Kimberley - Love this. Absolutely gorgeous!

Starting a trend in the kitchen » Boyte Creative {the blog} - [...] the first of probably what will be more to come. I shot and edited this little video, for a recent post Kels wrote on Happyolks, in just over an hour or so (with a healing hairline fracture in my right [...]

Starting a trend in the kitchen » Boyte Creative (the blog) - [...] the first of probably what will be more to come. I shot and edited this little video, for a recent post Kels wrote on Happyolks, in just over an hour or so (with a healing hairline fracture in my right [...]

Seeking

September 10, 2011

I should start thinking up some creative responses to the question I’ve been getting lately, “what are your plans for the future?” It would be so liberating to ditch the glossy answer and say something unexpected  like “I want to be a good friend,” or “I’d like to learn to play the guitar.” Although a few years ago I would have had told you exactly what I’d be doing after I graduate, today the plans are looking a lot more fluid. And to be honest, I kinda like it.  I’m a seeker; a person who is in a constant state of inquiry and exploration of self and the world around me. My formal education will end soon but the search won’t stop when I have a fancy diploma to hang on the wall. I’ll find something good that may lead to something else that’s good, leaving myself open to new plans, places, and people. Maybe I should tell people my plans are “to keep seeking.” 

Everyone is a seeker in his or her own way, I think. We are concerned about understanding people, place, time, experience and will exert at least some degree of effort trying to develop that understanding further. We seek truth, in many different forms – greater truth, simple truth, and other truths individual to our unique human experience. In the process, we are constantly absorbing ideas, information, and energy to process, accept, reject, or reconsider later. Seeking is both incredibly exciting and exhausting. Throughout the course of our lives, we will find ourselves confident in and frustrated with the vast amounts of input we try so hard to process.

I’ll try and get to the point. For most seekers, the more we begin to see of the world and the more information and experiences we collect in the pursuit of truth, the more we realize just how little of a clue we have at all about what “it all” means. If this sounds cryptic, it’s not meant to be.  I guess I’m just trying to elaborate on that catchy chorus of that Michael Franti radio hit “it seems like everywhere I go / the more I see / the less I know.” We seek to seek. To learn, grow, change habits, try new things. We don’t shouldn’t seek just to find answers. There are no concrete answers. Unless you’re into math I guess. Insight comes in waves and the sets roll in larger at some points in our lives than others. The “answers” are glimmers, flashes, and wonderings that are arrive then disappear for us to find again later.

We’re not supposed to get “it.” And this time I’m being deliberately vague. “It” is the different thing we each seek from our unique view of the world at a single moment. If there were an instructional manual to seeking, I would say this should be the first order of business to address. You won’t always understand, and that’s okay. Second order of business then is to not be afraid. Don’t be afraid of the things you don’t understand. This is true for all things, be they about the future, health, relationships, culture, religion, etc. It is our animal instinct to resist the things that we aren’t familiar with. Fight that. Fight it with every fiber of your being. I’m not talking about intuition. Keep that flame a’glowin’ but try hard to embrace those things you don’t understand, seek them more, for it is in these areas that we resist that we most likely still need to develop our purpose.

Let’s keep seeking.

Warm Green Millet Salad 

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Green Couscous in Plenty. (He is basically a genius)

  • 1 cup millet  (or couscous)
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
  • 1 carton green figs
  • 4-5 cups baby arugula
  • 1 head italian parsley
  • 1 head cilantro
  • 1/4 cup tarragon
  • 1/4 cup mint
  • 1/4 + cup olive oil
Place the millet in a saucepan with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the onion in olive oil on medium heat until golden and soft. Add the salt and cumin, mix well, and move around the onions over high heat until just browned. Set aside.

For the “green” part of this dish, prepare the herb paste by placing all four herb greens and the olive oil into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add this to the cooked millet, and mix together well with a fork to fluff it up. Add the cooked onion, pistachios, figs, and arugula and mix until consistent. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

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Marie - We remain seekers, through the years.

We find it, and forget about it, only to look for it again.

And its alright.

I thought I wouldn’t feel this vulnerable and incomplete again. But the gift of impermanence presented itself to me, and I have to remember how take that one breath to get my sanity back.

Your post says to me, its ok, things are just as they are to be.

Thank you.

Lindsay @ Rosemarried - I’m probably a little late in saying this, but this is such a lovely recipe. So unexpected and such a fantastic mix of ingredients.

Kaitlin - What a beautiful post! A great read :) I’m definitely a seeker and I think I know a few people who could benefit by becoming one themselves.

lynn @ the actor’s diet - gorgeous blog/photos/recipes – i can never get enough of figs and am sad the season will soon be coming to an end.

Eva - Looks absolutely beautiful, and it sounds delicious and healthy too!

kellypea - Smart thinking, you. I honestly believe at this point in my life that having a sense of direction coupled with an open mind allows one to consider all kinds of possibilities and opportunities. The best experiences I’ve had I’ve labeled “left turns” because they can be harder to make against oncoming traffic. They’re the paths we take on our travels we didn’t expect to take and found something special or different. “A path diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by…” right? Seeker, indeed. Enjoy it. And keep writing so others may enjoy.

Lovely salad, ethereal photography. Always a complete breath of fresh air.

talley - what a beautiful post Kelsey. I think I’m just entering a seeking phase. I thought I had it all figured out – went to college then to grad school, had a great job in my profession and then without warning we up and move to Zürich. I’ve realized the answer to “what are your plans for the future” isn’t really an answer at all, but a feeling. I just want to be happy, so however I can do that each day is a good plan for my future. Funny that it took moving abroad to make me realize this. And right now cooking makes me happy so you can be sure I’ll be trying that millet salad.

Karen from Globetrotter Diaries - Green gorgeousness! this is what I need lately… I’ve never cooked w millet before but now I have a reason to do :)

Shannalee - your blog is so beautiful, Kelsey! Love the idea of seeking and learning continually.

celia - This salad looks amazing. I love the colors and the ingredients. So vibrant!

Maria @ Scandifoodie - I love what you’re saying about seeking and fully agree!
This salad sounds amazing, I can’t wait to try it!

Cookie and Kate - I’ve generally referred to myself as an explorer. Seeker is a better term, though, because there is almost a desperate desire to experience new things, learn from them and progress in life. I don’t know if you know much about the Myers Briggs personality test, but I’m very strong in the intuition (N) and perception (P) scales, and I bet you are, too.

Also, the “what’s next?” question—hate it. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree and two minor’s, only because I wanted to have more options after college. It was never because I had a clear career path in mind (I am a seeker).

Snippets of Thyme - What a wonderful post! I really enjoyed your message inbetween those beautiful photos. Just wonderful.

Laura - So jealous of your heart shaped measuring cup! Love all of the lively green things happening in this salad. Any chance I can get to use tarragon, I’m in.

Melissa - Great post! I am a seeker too. For me it makes picking just one career difficult. I figure that as long as I am learning something new and enjoying every moment then that is all that matters. I think that my desire to always learn something new is one reason why I enjoy cooking so much. It’s what make me want to try your recipe. It’s unlike anything I usually make, it sounds healthy and delish too. I have never cooked with millet before. The seeker in me wants to figure it all out.

Lisa - I like how you put this—I often contemplate my tendency to “seek” but have previously labeled myself as being a “seekaholic” which has a negative connotation. I love how it’s possible to change perspective and re-write the story to be positive. So I’m doing that now. :)

The millet salad looks great!

Sarah - You know, for the longest time I thought something was wrong with me, because I kept running around, fascinated by everything at the same time. Committing to one thing felt like a loss. But I think I’ve come to the same conclusion as you—I’m a seeker. There’s a Jack Kerouac quotation that says something along the lines of, “I get all hung up running from one star to the next”—but it’s a big thing to realize that that’s not bad. Thanks for this post (and the millet salad looks amazing…figs are my absolute favorite.)

la domestique - I love it- the idea of being a “seeker”. I often struggle trying to put myself in a box when someone asks, “what do you do?” I feel like I don’t have the right answer, because I’m a creative. Thanks for a wonderful post! The recipe looks delicious too.

Cody Small - This is lovely! It’s breakfast time, but I’m ready to skip straight to this delicious looking salad! Inspiring words as well, I agree – embrace the unknown; be uncomfortable. No one tells stories to their children all the “safe, comfortable” decisions they made in life.

sara - mmm that is all my favorite things in a bowl… millet, figs, pistachios, herbs. Heaven! I hate that question of people asking your ‘plan’ – you’d think people would understand that it’s not helpful? Beautiful words, friend.

Here and There, Surprises » Happyolks - [...] awesome — someone I would like to call friend in real life sometime soon, she’s a young seeker [...]

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