Two Recipes Starring Collard Greens

If you, like me, are from the South you may typically think of collard greens just as a mushy side perhaps with some ham or ham hock that you get at places like Cracker Barrel. However, there is so much more you can do with this vegetable, and it is super nutritious. And it is currently in season, so #winning.

I found two recipes featuring collard greens on the Green Loot, in their post of 31 Vegan Clean Eating Winter Recipes: http://thegreenloot.com/vegan-clean-eating-recipes-weight-loss-winter-dinners/. Since the bin at Harris Teeter was overflowing with collard greens, I decided to double up and make two recipes in one week: Eat Healthy Eat Happy’s Fat-Busting Collard Green Soup and Making Thyme for Health’s BBQ Chickpea Collard Wraps with Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing for both lunches and dinners. Both were delicious and filling, but I felt light and energized afterward.

Note: as soon as you buy the collard greens, wash them so they can dry. It can take quite a while. Also, they will look like something from dinosaur times but don’t let that scare you.

Behold my sink. I am not kidding–this was a hugeeeee bunch.

The soup is full of great ingredients like lentils, quinoa, carrots, onions, celery, diced tomatoes, and a ton of spices. When the collard groups get cooked they become super tender and flavorful. I felt really healthy whenever I ate this, and it is great with some whole wheat toast or a grilled cheese sandwich to dip. Warning: this soup makes SO MANY LEFTOVERS. I was planning on halving it, but my dad was like that sounds good, I’ll have some (of course he never did), so I was eating a lot of soup. But it is great. And it’s surprisingly good cold. Definitely recommend.

Now for the BBQ Chickpea Wraps. I LOVED this recipe. I am 100% planning on making again. It is protein-packed with chickpeas and quinoa, and the cabbage slaw brightens it up. I made my slaw with red cabbage to mix it up. I wasn’t feeling trekking to Whole Foods to get hulled hemp seeds, so I just used soaked cashews and it worked perfectly well. The dressing tasted just like ranch but lighter tasting, and all you do is blend everything up in a blender. Voila.

Now when it came to slicing off the stem from the leaves I was having a little trouble, so I just wrapped them with the stem intact and it worked fine for me. Alternatively, you could boil them for a minute or so to soften them, but I actually liked the crunch. I served mine with Annie’s BBQ sauce, since I always love that company’s products.

Look at that goodness.

So, there you have it! Take advantage of these recipes while collard greens are still in season.

#artfulliving

12×12: 12 Artists from the 12th State at SECCA

This exhibit puts the spotlight on 12 contemporary artists from North Carolina: the 12th state. They were presented in spotlight exhibits one by one throughout 2016-2017 in SECCA’s preview gallery, and are reunited now in the main gallery from now until April 22nd. Alphabetically, the group consists of Elizabeth Alexander, Endia Beal, Martha Clippinger, Bill Fick, Mijoo Kim, Kirsten Stalle, Bob Trotman, Hong-an Truong, Beverly McIver, Katy Mixon, Lee Walton, and Pinar Yoldas.

 

Elizabeth Alexander’s piece, Crumbs Under My Pillow, is an installation consisting of wallpaper, Tyvek, glue, found dress, found chair, wood, and paint. It looks like a living room one might find in a haunted house, and is one of the biggest installations in the exhibit. By arranging found objects and status symbols in a new format, Alexander seeks to question domesticity through presenting them in an entirely new context. It is disquieting and takes some time to get used to.

 

 

Beverly McIver’s work consists of portraits that convey subjectivity through color. They are both intimate and painterly, and are worth contemplation.

Left: Daddy Sleeping, 2017, Oil on canvas    Right: Changes are Hard, 2017, Oil on canvas

Kirsten Stalle’s work delves into the political arena; it is a photograph and collage series entitled Disarm that addresses the Cold War-era sensibility and paranoia. She photographed the abandoned launch sites and covered over weapons and buildings with Russian and Sioux Indian patterns in order to insert the voice of those on the receiving end. Stalle tirelessly researched the period in order to be factually accurate.

Left: Front Entry Box, 2016, Collage and gouache on archival pigment print Right: Building #100, 2016, Collage and gouache on archival pigment print

Drone Landscape, 2016, Collage on paper

Pinar Yoldas’s 2016 work is a video entitled Kitty AI: Artificial Intelligence for Governance and is set in the future year of 2039. The kitten is the first non-human governor, and is Yoldas’s vehicle to warn viewers of the risks and impacts of various situations throughout the world, such as the refugee crisis, climate change, and our difficulties to manage our infrastructure. Headphones and chairs are provided for viewers.

Bob Trotman’s work addresses modern business through creating figures that recall traditional religious figures and thus comment on the culture of the modern world incisively. The installation on view at SECCA is entitled No Way from the larger Business as Usual Series from 2013. Its medium is terra cotta, oxide, plywood, paper, and paint. Below: No Way; medium: Terra cotta, oxide, plywood, paper, paint.

Martha Clippinger is a colorist, and her work expresses this sensibility beautifully in both wool and acrylic pieces. Some of the titles refer to her Native American background and are joyful to behold.

untitled, 2017, woven wool

Next up: Mijoo Kim’s eerie photographic series Re-figure from 2015 addresses identity and the cultural entrapments, specifically fabric, of the female throughout history. Their presentation in the present day United States speak to the immigrant experience.

Hong-an Truong’s 2018 piece Perilous Times in Four Texts is an installation that addresses the Asian-American experience. There is audio narration from the 1973 album A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America, recorded by three Asian American activists, as well as a silk screen with their reduced image and album booklets stacked on the floor.

Endia Beal’s contribuion to the exhibition is a photographic series entitled Am I What You’re Looking For? and consists of portraits of African-American college-aged females on the cusp of entering the professional world. Each female wears an outfit they would wear to a job interview and are photographed before a photographic backdrop of an office hallway that is actually placed in the family’s living room. It is in conversation with portraits of Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee, Lee Friedlander’s photographic series At Work, and Rineke Dijkstra’s Beach Portraits. 

Left: Taylor, 2016, pigment print; Right: Deanna, 2016, pigment print

Katy Mixon’s The ran bows and the rainbows (One day we will switch sides) from 2017 is composed of used hand rags on muslin hand rags on muslin. Her artistic process reuses her art making materials and is also preoccupied with colors. The cloths in this work are those she uses to clean her brushes and reveal color gradation beautifully.

A Limp Truce, 2017, Used hand rags on muslin

Last not but least is Lee Walton and Laurent Estoppey’s Listening to the C from 2018 that was designed for the living room of the historic Hanes home part of SECCA. The artists videotaped the C note being played on the piano in 44 people’s homes. The unique aspect and differences between the middle C note addresses the metaphorical dimension of the note and the beauty of difference. The work references Terry Riley’s composition “In C,” microtonal music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, conceptual systems of Sol LeWitt, indeterminacy of John Cage, voyeuristic performances of Sophie Calle, and Fluxus movement. The photo below is of the installation, but the sound is really crucial to get the whole idea.

If you’re in the area, definitely check it out! My personal favorites are Katy Mixon and Beverly McIver.

#artfulliving

**Note: I used the text and labels throughout the exhibit in order to write this post.

 

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Hello! I’m back! Both museums I work at are closed in January, so I took the time to travel and visit friends/family. I still did read a lot, so first review of 2018 (what?) is Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. I picked it out on a whim from the new release section of the library.

It is a very contemporary novel that explores the lives of Frances and Bobbi, two college students living in Dublin who used to date and are now just friends. The first sentence describes the moment they meet a woman named Melissa who writes a profile on them and their spoken word poetry, so you know she is going to be important. It goes on to explore the complicated relationships between Frances, Bobbi, Melissa, and Melissa’s husband Nick despite the ~10 year age difference between the group. Something starts up between Frances and Nick via email, while meanwhile Bobbi is infatuated with Melissa. The novel also explores the difficulty between Frances and her divorced parents, and how she navigates this as a penniless college student.

The writing style is very detached and straightforward. Rooney eliminates quotation marks which makes the dialogue seem somehow more instantaneous than if she utilized them. It also makes the novel more of-the-moment, in my opinion. All of the conversations are intelligent and nuanced, and makes one ruminate on what it means to be a friend or girlfriend/boyfriend or wife/husband in the early-21st century. Very relatable. Highly recommend!

Buzzfeed Tasty Challenge: 32 Fall Recipes with No Meat or Dairy; Numbers 4 and 30–Tofu Cashew Coconut Curry and Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Black Pepper Chickpeas

A week ago, I tackled two more of the recipes (haven’t posted until now because took quick trip to DC): Tofu Cashew Coconut Curry and Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Black Pepper Chickpeas.

I LOVE curries, so I was super excited to whip up the tofu cashew one because CASHEWS. Such a great nut. This recipe is super simple; it’s basically just chopping and stirring. Be sure to press your tofu, though–I typically use three huge cookbooks. This recipe is great because it’s chock full of veggies: sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, and jalopeno, (I even added in some broccoli because #greens), but is still comforting because of the coconut milk.

Paired with ginger, garlic, and warming spices, this makes for a comforting dish. I made cauliflower rice on the side. The ground cashews are a game changer and garnishing with extras brings out their flavor. Garnish with cilantro for some freshness, pair with a glass of red and #winning (I love a good glass of red–looking at you, Apothic Red Blend.

Next, I decided to make the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Black Pepper Chickpeas. Since this recipe calls for a lot of black pepper, I ground a lot of black peppercorns before. Seriously, my hand was sore. DO NOT use the black pepper that comes in its little container. Hardly any taste and no flavor. I also used nutritional yeast for the first time–SO. GOOD. Highly recommend purchasing.

First, I made the chickpeas. Drain and rinse, and heat in skillet with spices and herbs. Delicious. And spicy as per the pepper. Look at those yummy herbs.

I felt super cool roasting my own peppers. Yeah, you can buy them pre-roasted, but it’s way cheaper and empowering to roast your own. And it’s SO easy.

Preheat your oven and leave them in there for around 25 minutes. Then let cool and remove the skins. Easy as pie.

Once they’ve cooled, you can make the sauce. While I started making the sauce, I went ahead and started boiling water for the elbow noodles. Nothing more frustrating than having everything ready and having to wait for water to boil. For the sauce, there is the usual chopping of onion and garlic, addition of roasted red peppers, and blending. Then, when noodles are ready, fold into sauce so it absorbs it better, and garnish with basil. I absolutely loved this recipe. It had a nice kick, but still tasted so comforting. Sometimes I feel guilty eating a big bowl of pasta, but serving a correct portion and having the chickpeas for protein and fiber made it feel super balanced.

I also had a salad and red wine (duh).

There you have it. Thursday was the official first day of winter, so I will not be making any more recipes off the list. BUT I am going to make more wintery recipes in 2018 and blogging, so be on the lookout for that.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

#artfulliving

Buzzfeed Tasty Challenge: 32 Fall Recipes with No Meat or Dairy Numbers 3, 14, and 18

My cooking self is back! Thanksgiving and a quick trip to Richmond are to blame for the hiatus.

I decided to make Number 3, Green Goddess Broccoli Soup, for the first part of one week’s lunches.

Maybe it’s just me, but it always takes me way longer to prep than recipes call for. Washing, slicing, dicing, and drying is time-consuming. This soup called for broccoli (duh), kale, onion, leeks, and garlic. Getting the broccoli floret-ed (is that word? it should be), kale washed, de-stemmed, and chopped, onion diced, leeks cleaned and sliced, and garlic minced took me way longer than it would someone like Bobby Flay. Anyway, I eventually got that all set up and ready to go (note the mise-en-place! Sorry, I know I’m a cooking nerd).

Next came the soup preparation. First you saute the onion, garlic, and leeks in coconut oil. This took way longer than I was expecting–I think because I used too small a pot. Note of caution. Then, add the broccoli and vegetable broth (I really want to make my own one day). Then, once it has boiled and simmered for a bit, the recipe calls for cooling and pureeing. However, I whipped out my immersion blender and then added the mixture to the milk, flour, and seasonings. Then, just add on some kale chips and pepitas. (I made mine while waiting for the aromatics. Then, voila! You have a super fancy  and beautifully green soup.

I know I have mentioned before that often I find recipes to lie about serving sizes. This one most decidedly did not. I had SO. MUCH. SOUP. Luckily, it was delicious and my mom also ate two bowls over the course of the week. No matter how much I love something, I cannot eat the same meal for lunch multiple days in a row. I do need to work on my kale chip making abilities, because mine were a bit soggy. However, the pepita seeds added a nice crunch. Some days I just had a big bowl of the soup, while others I opted for a smaller bowl with a cheese toastie on the side. A great fall meal.

Next up was Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tempeh Chunks. I was excited to get back to making some tempeh after my experience with Number 1. I love the chewiness of it and I find it takes to marinades better than tofu, at least in my experience. Also, fermented foods are all the rage right now, so hop on the bandwagon. The Teet did not have the Soy Lightlife Tempeh the recipe called for. Not to be daunted, I found a soy/maple/balsamic marinade on Pinterest that was actually pretty similar to the one I made for Number 1 on the list. So, I sliced up the tempeh and poured the marinade over for 2 hours.

I peeled and diced up the sweet potatoes when the tempeh was close to being finished marinading and tossed the marinaded tempeh and sweet potatoes in olive oil and rosemary, then popped it in the oven. Easy as pie. Next up was the sauce, which included orange marmalade, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, oregano, and water. I am not too experienced in making sauces, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I do not exaggerate when I say the sauce basically MADE the recipe.

It added lip-smacking flavor. I now understand why chefs always make such a big deal about sauces on Chopped. This recipe is officially one of my favorites thus far. It is super Thanksgiving-y, and I would definitely make it one year for the holidays. As it was, I paired with a little arugula side salad to add some spice and freshness to contrast the sweet, roasted, chewy aspects of the dish. Delicious.

Finally, I decided to make number 14, Autumn Roasted Veggies with Apples and Pecans, to add to a bed of kale. This also required a lot of prep, but I was surprised by how easy it was to break down a butternut squash with my chef’s knife. The last time I did it was before I got mine, and the arduous, time-consuming process put me off it. It was so easy! Add in a red onion, brussels, and apples, toss in some butter and spices/brown sugar, and you’re all set to roast away! The pecans add a nice crunch, while the dried cranberries add an extra fall flavor and sweetness. Warm up and put on top of massaged kale and you have a great and healthy fall meal. If not a vegan, a sprinkle of feta or goat cheese would go great.

So there you have it! 145 total down.

On another note, I looked up the official first day of winter, and it is December 21st. I recently found a list of 31 vegan recipes perfect for winter, so even if I have not finished the fall list by that point, I am going to transition and challenge myself to cook those. I would persist, but since I live with my parents and I don’t cook every night, it is not realistic. I also try and cook with seasonal ingredients as much as possible, and it is almost time for winter vegetables to come out. A side benny of doing these challenges is I never have to wonder what to cook for lunch or the odd night my parents aren’t home for dinner. Stay tuned my friends!

#artfulliving

Frank Campion’s Small Pieces: Paintings/Collages

SECCA’s latest exhibit, Frank Campion’s Small Pieces, opened last night, and I highly recommend it.

Campion is best known for his large-scale works, but I found these smaller paintings to be breath-taking nevertheless. They are also more intimate. The show is hung in SECCA’s preview gallery, and consists of two larger paintings, a few medium-sized ones, and several collages, which feature mixed media.

Campion is a colorist, and this quote describes his views on his art: “Paintings are all about the expressive potential of color to evoke powerful, unpredictable reactions.” He spoke about his approach to his works last night. He makes rectangles and squares of different sizes and paints them a solid color. He later superimposes them on a paper which he has filled with various colors (he mixes them all himself). He then adds more touches on top as he wishes until he feels the piece is done. I love the juxtapositions of the mostly vibrant colors, though occasionally he veers into a paler vein.

The standard format consists of two rectangles of different hues (though sometimes different variants of one color) side-by-side against these color-filled backgrounds. As a result of the rectangles, they remind me a bit of the work of Mark Rothko (my favorite artist) They are very painterly in the sense that you can see the trace of brushstrokes, and some also feature drips and splotches. Names derive from Campion’s chief inspiration: the colors themselves, and range from (yellow field) to (orange and red) to (two blues).

The collages represent a new direction for the artist. While they include Campion’s rectangles, they also include newspaper and magazine cut-outs, and are in a much smaller format. They are all superimposed on a piece of graph paper. The titles here take a different direction, and depart from the abstract nature of the titles of the larger pieces. Curtain call, Kelly’s blues, and Zebra Alley are a few of my favorites.

While SECCA does not usually sell works, these are for sale. Campion is kindly giving all of the proceeds to SECCA. Many have already sold, and I’m sure will only continue to do so. The exhibit closes January 7th. I will be sad to see it go down. Below is my favorite: two reds.

#artfulliving

Love Letters by Eli Cantor

While I’m still reading the Outlander series (currently on The Fiery Cross), I decided to throw some other books in the mix as a break. So, I started Love Letters by Eli Cantor, which I picked out at the library on a whim. And I loved it. I finished it about an hour ago and it is all I can think about. There is literally almost nothing on the web about it. When I typed it in the search engine a movie came up and I got so hopeful, but of course its based on a play by the same name. And there are a ton of other books by the name.

The entire novel is written through letters–when I told my mom this she quickly corrected me with the smarter word “epistolary,” an adjective meaning written in a series of documents. It was published in 1979, so it is set in that time–before phones and emails and social media made everyone hyperaware of what everyone is doing (side note: why do we care what so-and-so ate for lunch whom we don’t even like?). Both letter writers use a typewriter, which I love.

The premise is that Margaret Webb, a woman in her fifties who lives in New York (which I kind of pictured as the New York of When Harry Met Sally), writes a fan letter to a professor of sociology, Brian Curtiss, in his early thirties living in San Francisco, as a result of an article he wrote disparaging the fringe-religions thriving at the time (which also made me really think about them, and the selfish side to them, which I had never given weight to before). He responds, she responds to his response, and on and on until the two consider themselves quite good friends. Margaret, eventually Maggie to him, finds she can tell him things she has never revealed to anyone before. They discuss anything and everything wich each other through these letters, that go on years and years. Though both are married, have children, live on opposite sides of the country, and are separated by decades, the two eventually fall in love. The struggle that is the crux of the book (which reminded me a little of Loving Frank by Nancy Horan–another great book I highly recommend) is if they can turn from convention, from family, from duty, from respectability and be together and honor their deep love.

I read this in two days and it really struck something in me. The ending is heartbreaking but the story is truly beautiful. It really made me reflect on all kinds of things deeply. A review by Norman Cousins describes an impression much more eloquently than I can: “I have seldom been so moved by a book. It has everything a novel should have–originality; people who lay a claim on your affections; motion; humor; tenderness to the point of gentle aching. I find it difficult to think of any human being whose feelings would not be warmed by these Love Letters. Eli Cantor has written a brilliant novel” (Cousins was Chairman of the Editorial Board of Saturday Review). 

When I read a book as good as this one, it takes me a while to be able to read something else. It is amazing what you can find so randomly–incidentally, my favorite book, Gloria by Keith Maillard, I found in exactly the same way–wandering aimlessly in the library. Both books are out of print, and I find that to be a shame.

Buzzfeed Tasty: 32 Fall Recipes with No Meat or Dairy–Numbers 1, 7, and 21

The challenge continues! I think my mom is ready for it to be over–she is not a big cook and is SO picky about cleanliness. I mean, obviously I always clean up, but it is impossible to reach her level of fastidiousness. I’m too scared to tackle another recipe this week because the Thanksgiving stress is descending on her and she does not want any more room taken up in the refrigerator or crumbs on the floor. On hold until post-Thanksgiving.

So, I made number 21, the cauliflower soup, for us to have for dinner one night. My mom and I both LOVED it, but my dad was not a fan. He is an extremely basic eater.

The recipe calls for a lot of slicing and dicing, which I enjoy. It’s like therapy. You break down the cauliflower and roast it along with a head of garlic (look at all those yummy brown bits on the cauliflower), and then start in on the mirepoix. This is actually the first time I have ever made a soup (instead of a stew) from scratch, and the first time I have ever made a mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot: the holy trinity of cooking), and it smelled heavenly cooking. Observe my mise-en-place:

Also note the large glass of red wine: a must. Once the mirepoix has cooked down, add the cauliflower, broth, seasonings, garlic paste, and full-fat coconut milk. Then, puree it to desired smoothness with an immersion blender. I prefer soups a little chunky. Then, top with leftover cauliflower florets, garlic, and a garnish. The recipe calls for parsley, but I forgot it and subbed with celery leaves, which I found refreshing and nice, as the soup has celery in it. We served it with a simple wedge salad.

This soup was incredible. Rich, luscious, but with hints of freshness through the garnishes. I loved it. A perfect fall meal.

Next up: Number one, Maple Balsamic Tempeh bowls with Pumpkin Rice. I have been looking forward to making this one. I halved the recipe to make two lunch servings. I LOVE tempeh. It is hardier than tofu and I enjoy the chewy texture.

I marinated it for about two hours before cooking it. Instead of rice, I made cauliflower rice again since this was going to be for lunch, and I find a lot of carbs in the middle of the day tend to make me sleepy. The canned pumpkin and coconut milk were delicious with it. It was almost a soup-like consistency.

If you made it with actual rice, it would probably absorb the liquid better, but I liked it the way it was. The final step is just steaming some broccoli, and voila.

This is one of my favorite recipes so far, and I will definitely make it again. A bite with the fresh broccoli, chewy tempeh, and sweet rice is perfection. The tempeh especially was delicious.

Now, for number 7: Vegan Beet Burger. I decided to make these to have on hand for packed lunches. I have never actually made a veggie burger patty from scratch before. Most tend to want food processors, and I finally can since I have one! View my mise-en-place again:

You pulse oats to make oat flour, and then add the cooled, sliced beets and chopped dates to the mixture. Then, add these to onions, mushrooms, black beans, and cooked quinoa.

Let rest in the fridge, and then you are ready to cook up a patty! I am so mad at myself because I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE ASSEMBLED BURGER. I had mine with chipotle aioli, tomato, avocado and lettuce. The next two times I was out of those and just had it with the aioli, and it was not quite as good. However, I loved the patty. A hint of sweetness, deep roasted beet flavor, and so much protein from the quinoa and black beans. Will definitely make it again. So, three more down! Excited to continue post Thanksgiving. Happy cooking and eating to all!

#artfulliving

Robyn O’Neil’s Something Vanished Over Paradise @ SECCA

So, here at SECCA we recently opened a new exhibit, and it is super cool. The artist has been drawing for twenty years, and this exhibit marks the first retrospective of her work. It includes both drawings and collages. The drawings are made with a .5 mechanical pencil and can take years to complete. The collages feature color, and O’Neil describes modernist artists like Hartley and O’Keeffe as inspirations.

The drawings are large-scale and confront the viewer with unreal worlds in a surrealist fashion. I’ll start out with one entitled Some Things You Said, 2009, graphite on paper, and measuring 60×60 inches. (That is five feet by five feet!)

To me, this is surrealist in that the world you are presented with does not make sense; it seems like out of a dream. The large, breaking wave is frightening, and the juxtaposition of the unusual land formations is almost alien in sensibility. Where are they located actually? The richness of detail that O’Neil achieves with a mechanical pencil is incredible to behold.

My personal favorite from the exhibit is the following: The Minds of Others, 2009, graphite on paper, 60×60 inches.

This eerie drawing makes me think of how we so often worry about what others think of us, and can let it dictate our lives. It also calls to mind a sense of mind control in a way that is almost Big Brother-like. The ocean beneath the severed heads makes this work very disquieting.

The most famous of her works in the exhibit is most likely the triptych Hell, 2011, graphite on paper, 82×168 inches.

This work took the artist 3 years to complete, and is overwhelming to behold in its immensity. She did this with a mechanical pencil!!! The work is in part inspired by 15th century painter Hieronymus Bosch. It features 65,000 figures. In O’Neil’s imagination, hell is a space that features a threatening environment and human conflict everywhere. The triptych element is ironic, as triptychs began as Christian altarpieces depicting Biblical scenes. This work really makes you think. I could look at it every day and find something new.

Above: Oh, How the Heartless Haunt Us All, 2005, graphite on paper, 89×68 inches.

This work is almost apocalyptic in sensibility. The strange figures gathered together are frightening, as are the cold landscapes they inhabit. The birds at the top call to mind vultures. I see this as a group representing the fears we all have inside of us, as well as a sense of the people we have let down. (Again, she made this with a TINY PENCIL). (Also, I’d be lying if I didn’t say this made me think of the Wall in GOT).

Now, for some of her collages.

Left: Heaven, 2013, collage with oil pastel and graphite on paper, 34 1/2×29 1/2 inches.

Right: Two Icebergs, 2013, collage with oil pastel and graphite on paper, 27 1/2x 34 1/2 inches.

The collages feature the same apocalyptic environments in the drawings, but are smaller and figure-less. Both are desolate, yet Heaven offers a sense of hope through the light emanating from a dark cloud.

Overall, this exhibit is one-of-a-kind and extremely thought-provoking. Highly recommend to any fans of surrealism out there!

#artfulliving

Buzzfeed Tasty Challenge–32 Fall Recipes with No Meat or Dairy: #s 5, 8, & 29

3 recipes. 1 week. Multiple meals. Bam.

I have to plan these meals around my non-vegetarian roommates (aka, my parents. I know, boomerang status over here). This is why so far my meals have been primarily made for lunches that I can pack/have ready when I come home hangry at 1pm since my parents are not about to sit down to, say, beet wellington with balsamic reduction (number 26 is looming over me. Not because of taste, but because it looks so difficult). So, when my parents informed me they were going out for dinner with friends one rainy Sunday night, I decided to make cauliflower “wings,” which is number5 on the list. I have made them before, but this recipe turned out way better, and I think it was because of the crispiness that resulted from the flour.

All you have do is break a cauliflower into florets, dip them in the batter (I regret not shaking off excess batter–caused some sticking), roast, coat them in the sauce of your choosing (Frank’s Red Hot will always have my heart when it comes to this), and roast again.

I paired mine with celery sticks and some blue cheese dressing (I should have made vegan aioli) (I know I use too many parentheses). Anyway, SO good. Great flavor combination and the green onions and celery added a fresh element. The perfect comfort food to kick off my viewing of Stranger Things 2. If you  haven’t yet, WATCH THIS SHOW.

Next up was the Fall Harvest Power Bowl, which I have been looking forward to making. BRING ON THOSE FRUITS AND VEGGIES: brussels sprouts, acorn squash, kale, honeycrisp apple, and tomatoes. I added some sweet potato since I had one lying around. I was glad I started making this at 10:45 because squash. Sqaush is SO HARD to cut, and I always forget this. I struggled for about 15 minutes to get it cut and broken down for roasting. The brussels were easy. Put both veggies on a sheet pan, drizzle with EVOO and salt/pepper, and stick them in the oven. Word to the wise: the squash will take longer, even though the recipe does not say this. Mine needed another 20 minutes while the brussels were perfectly roasted and ready to come out after the allotted time.

(post-brussels removal)

Then, de-stem, chop, and massage that kale, chop up your apple (I prefer really small pieces) and cherry tomatoes, and make the dressing. I used a blender because I find tahini can be quite lumpy and I wanted a smooth texture. The final step is slicing the skin off of the pieces of the squash and assembly. The verdict: THIS WAS SO GOOD. I am already planning on making this again. The perfect fall meal. Crisp apple, rich squash, fresh kale, and creamy dressing punctuated by cherry tomatoes, which to me are like candy. I used red quinoa instead of freekeh since I had some leftover from the Cajun Cauliflower Salad from last week.

I managed to get three lunches out of it instead of the 2 the recipe claimed because the next two days I paired it with a small bowl of….drumroll please….NUMBER 29.

Number 29 is Red Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Carrot Chili. Full disclaimer: my parents agreed to eat this because they like lentil soup in the fall. HOWEVER. My dad does not like sweet potatoes and my mom does not like red lentils–just “regular” lentils. Whatever. So, we made it with white baby potatoes and plain lentils. This meal involves a lot of chopping and then just simmering, so after prep it was pretty hands off. We paired it with a wedge salad with Thousand Island dressing (very fancy of us, I know). This soup was AMAZING. I personally prefer white potatoes to sweet potatoes, so this change didn’t bother me, and I think was actually an improvement. And, lentils are lentils (I personally can never tell a difference between red/white quinoa or lentils. But I can with black). I am still eating this soup. And it makes a huge batch. My dad had two bowls with dinner and my mom and I have been eating it every day since then and I am already looking forward to having a big bowl for dinner tonight. Another comforting fall meal. However, I am not sure how it qualifies as a “chili,” as it lacked the spice and beans I associate with chili. But: delicious soup. Highly recommend.

10 down, 22 to go. Ready to make more soups on the list since my immersion blender came! Stay tuned. #artfulliving