"So, with his passion to kill still keen and unabated, Venters lived out that ride, and drank a rider's sage-sweet cup of wildness to the dregs..."

I have become a cowpoke.

SERIOUSLY. I have fallen in love with the american western tradition. yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a west coast girl, and have been all my life, but dude, if you haven't gathered this from my grommy vernacular already, I grew up in a socal beach town. I'm more likely to get maytagged in a gnarly rip (get tossed underwater like the spin cycle of a washing machine) than straddle my hoss and ride off'n to the sunset.

so read RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (and thank you, google books!). it's sooo romantic, both in the historical/literary and sentimental sense of the word. those are two of my favorite things, fyi. if only my man'd figure this out. le sigh.


it has been inspiring me to light out into the territory on my own a bit, which has been fun. the other day, I mished to woodland and picked up chiles de arbol, the cheapest avocado I've seen in ages (and to think they're five for a buck in SD...!), maria's galletas, and the most amazing pan dulce ever. seriously. they were so good. I need to rework my receta. ANYWAY, yesterday's ride (astride my faithful peugeot) was to the international market, where I got some super cheap henna, delicious pistachio nougat candies, and ZA'ATAR!

for those not in the know, za'atar is this amazing middle eastern spice blend of thyme, marjoram, oregano, sesame, salt... the combinations are mutable, but the taste is undeniable - zingy and almost lemony from the thyme, but toasty from the sesame. it's bomb dusted on pita that's been oiled and then broiled, but yesterday, I did a good thing for LD and me. I dredged some tofu in it, pan fried it, and served it with cauliflower broiled with garam masala and cilantro and a dish of tomatoes sprinkled with lime, cumin, and sea salt. YUM.

for dessert, we had baked pears, but not just ANY baked pears! no sir, these were stuffed with all kinds of things: muesli, dried figs, crystallized ginger, and chocolate chips. soooo good.


a taste:
"He had shot a masked outlaw the very sight of whom had been ill omen to riders; he had carried off a wounded woman whose bloody lips quivered in prayer; he had nursed what seemed a frail, shrunken boy; and now he watched a girl whose face had become strangely sweet..." how can you resist?!