cookbooks, tempeh, and yogurt
Hannah asked me the other day why I have so many cookbooks but I never make the recipes in them. Interesting. Cookbooks are my favorites - I'm still pissed about the box of them I lost a few moves ago. They're more than recipes, they're beautiful and full of regional and personal history - the last two books I read were Marcella Hazan's Amarcord and Julia Child's My Life in France, after all... Cookbooks inspire me

hello, pesto
Since this year's garden is little more than a water-starved sand patch, I've had little use for a pesto recipe. Nothing a trip to Orlando's Vietnamese district, where a bag of pretty basil can be bought for $1, can't fix. Usually I make my pesto garlicky, but I just didn't feel like it this time. I know, I can't believe I just wrote that.sunflower-basil pesto1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds - get them at the health food store or Publix produce dept.4 cups basil leaves, loosely packed1/4 cup grated parmesan1/2 cup olive oil, to startsalt and pepperToast the sunflower seeds in a hot, dry, cast iron pan just until they begin to brown, shakin

pad thai
My recipe is based on this one from Chez Pim, who makes hers one dish at a time.pad thaisauce½ cup tamarind pulp (get the brick, soak a 2" block in hot water to cover, then push through a sieve)½ cup fish sauce (Pufina Patis is a good one, you want the thin stuff)½ cup palm sugar (or brown sugar)1 tsp or more chili pepperCombine tamarind, fish sauce, and sugar in a small pot over low heat, stirring until the sugar melts. Add the chili to taste. Remove from heat. You want a pretty tangy sauce - the flavor will be diluted by the vast amount of noodles

vegan potato salad
Oh yeah, kids. This is what I make for the people who really deserve the love (and who really hate the mayo - you won't miss it, believe me).As ever, my measurements are a bit sketchy, which is a reflection of my aversion to measuring anything in the first place. It's pretty hard to screw it up unless you gob too much vinegar in there - start with a little bit and taste before adding more. That's how I do it, anyway.

füd
Some recipes that I found over at Flickr...potato currymango salsacurried potato soupcevicheOnly what I remember.