Food Orgy

In the last few days I have eaten like I have an income. It began on Friday night, and for the life of me I can't remember what I ate.

I've been in a whirlwind of fasting for Lent during Holy Week. Taking to eating only after dinner and getting high off the dropping blood sugar. I have to rework this fasting this since I am pre-diabetic (hypoglycemic). There's got to be a clause where I can be spiritual and yet not feel like my head is about to float away.

Friday night I did laundry across the street from the Parkway Theater and stopped by the boricua Sofrito on 35th and International for dinner. I was craving mami's arroz con gandules and while I was on the phone with O I coooed at the smells when I got to the counter. It was Friday and I was craving me some bacalao (codfish). Sorry, O, a girl's gotta eat. Catch ya later!

Lenten Friday, especially GOOD FRIDAY should have ensured bacalao.

Pero, NO!

There was bistec, carne de puerco, pollo guisado.

All verboten foods on Friday.

I asked to substitute the various land animals for a bacalaito, which is a codfish fritter. It's not the bacalao salad that I was digging on, but the fried goodness made me happy. Completing my plate was arroz blanco, habichuelas rosadas, and a nice organic green ensalada. Para tomar? Pues, una batida de mango.

Que rico.

I took my little cardboard box and drove to the laundromat with my Mrs. Meyers' Lavendar detergent. I loaded two loads and sat with my loaned copy of Confessions of a, Economic Hitman.

I was enthralled. The whirling clothing does in washers is beautiful.

Tumble, tumble, tumble.

Not to mention the mechanics of it all to know when to add water, detergent, and the appropriate water temperature, level and speed of agitation.

Miracles of modern science.

El sabado I was less fastful.

I was on my way to a mask making exercise with a Sister Circle I have been involved with for the last two years. We had a workshop in which we created these masks with each other...be covered in strips of plaster of paris and having affirmations whispered to us as each strip was placed on our faces.

It was an intense birthing experience to emerge from behind this thin shell.

This second part was to decorate our masks.

I thought I might incorporate seed beads in mine, but in the end painted it in the colors of the earth, my ancestors, sky, and foliage. I added seeds, rice, tea, bits of fruit, and spices to decorate my eyes and face. A feather for a shamanistic aspect and on the inside added wishes and symbols of my personal strength. I'm very proud of my work. Not bad for 3 hours.

Then I met my friend Sara for dinner. She was in from Coloma and we went to B in downtown Oakland. I gorged myself with a concoction called a Sweet B or something. Soju, champage, sake, raspberry, and grapefruit juice. It was heavenly. Simultaneously I enjoyed a velvet tea and a San Pellegrino flat water. (I was sad that it's distributed by Nestle. Wah. Now it's off the list.)

For dinner we had a selection of small, yet satisfying dishes.

We began with the garlic green soup topped with handmade mini-potato chips. Accompanying this was a grilled feta with vegetables on toasted artisan bread. We followed this with a beet salad and a duck confit salad. The centerpiece of the meal was roasted vegetable plate shaped in a pyramid that featured a risotto cake, grilled mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, and other seasonal treats.

Sara and I took sensual forkfuls. In between blissful sighs we caught up on each others lives, I made flirtful comments about the waitstaff (they always seem to make one feel like a valued foodie, despite my being in a t-shirt). Our waiter was a quirky, cool white guy with wavy brown hair, a small earring, glasses, medium build and rather helpful with the wine list for Sara. She wasn't into him but I mentioned that he's the type of guy I'd like to just have a conversation with because I know there would be fabulous trivia to be exchanged between us. We'd end up one-upping each other with random factoids, filling in the gaps that we each would have in our knowledge base.

Michelle invited us to dessert at 10.

We arrived very happily at 10:30 and enjoyed the Zodiac Cafe. I had a warm coconut tofu soup and she had a coconut strawberry chilled soup. We also enjoyed some fabulous Taiwanese pop videos featuring an audience participation song that had everyone kissing at various intervals.

Dios mio...mas manana.

P.S. Thank you Mitzi for not embarassing me! WTH is up with my eyes in this shot? I feel like my iris is leaking or something! *giggle* But the twist is flying beautifully.