what happened to jack?

there is something about this halloween season that seems so different from years past. streets lined with houses reminiscent of a ghostly "fearville." goblins hanging from trees, spiderwebs stretching across bushes, bloody body parts poking through the front lawn. one morning on my run, i was scared silly by a witch's head hiding behind a tree. to the residents of the house on 17th street, congratulations. you managed to induce heart palpitations in broad daylight!


it's true. i'm a little freaked out by the lengths some people will go through to adorn their houses for a day like halloween. to each his own, i suppose. the one thing i refuse to get over is the slow disappearance of mr. jack-o-lantern.

long gone are the days of triangles and jagged smiles. and forget about saving the seeds for roasting. now it's all about detail. creativity. the WOW factor. jack has been replaced by popular cartoon characters, college letters, reinterpreted paintings. and the seeds! no longer collected for a mid-carving snack. they are now used as props, like vomit spewing from a drunken pumpkin.

sure, people are more creative these days. and we all know a thing or two about competition. but for once, can't we just embrace unadorned simplicity? let our overbearing ambitions subside? call me old fashioned, but i prefer to keep it classic. real. jack is a dear friend of mine, and without his humble features, i would have never mastered my primary shapes.

here's to you, jack!

sunday surprise

this morning at the market, i felt like a kid in a candy shop as i locked my bike to a tree and laid eyes upon the greatness before me. stand after gleaming stand of fall specialties: kabocha squash, persimmons, chanterelles, pomegranates. i don't know why i was so surprised to feel as excited as i did, but i was giddy nonetheless. i remember at one point feeling like an aimless buffoon, standing in the middle of the market thoroughfare with half a sense as to what i'd lay my hands on. 

back and forth i went - tasting, touching, smelling - while my mind filled with a streaming line of potential hearty meals. i was overwhelmed with possibilities, an instant sugar rush. once i pulled myself together, i went for the goods: golden beets, heirloom carrots, fingerling potatoes, rapini, and three varieties of apples, to name a few. and to top it all off - a "cherry" if you will - a jar of artisan white truffle salt. 

don't mind me for the stereotype, but i was that chubby kid with grubby hands and a sticky face after running loose in a land of treats. now if only the farmer's market had a chocolatier...

see you in seattle!

have you ever felt like you just belong? like you were taken to a place, or introduced to a group of people, for the sole purpose of giving you a glimpse of a new life to come?

well that's how i felt in seattle.

g and i found our niche. a city in the depths of evergreens. lakes. mountains. a place where people run, hike, and bike, regardless of the temperature. where traffic exists during - dare i say - rush hour! the uber-fresh seafood, the bakeries, the pacific northwest wine. a home to people who take pride in their surroundings. where, although the public folk pay high taxes, they can rest assured their money is going to preserving the natural community. give me a city where it is illegal to NOT recycle and to NOT have a compost, and i'll give you all my respect.

in short, g and i had one of the greatest adventures. we chatted with locals, indulged in seasonal cuisine, explored the outskirts, and basically, we just fell in love. and i guess you could say we grew pretty fond of each other too :)

here is a glimpse of our travels:

just had to do the starbucks thing

him: cappuccino. me: cafe latte. (btw, first latte ever)

our cozy studio

a 7-item "thali." the star: lavendar duck leg with braised pomegranate

a brisk morning run

at the ballard locks, watching the salmon swim upstream

hike at little si

at the summit

watching the chef at the harvest vine

tortilla espanola and shaved beet salad

braised oxtail wrapped in puff pastry

baby octopus with fleur de sel, paprika, olive oil

so, i'm sold. i love seattle. come this time in the next couple of years, i'll be seeing you there!

and we're off!

well, almost.

come saturday, g and i will bid adieu to the city of angels and brace ourselves for fall-time adventures in seattle. oh how my heart fills with tenderness at the mere thought of leaving everything behind for a few days. no work. no schedules. no traffic, stress...and did i mention work?

having never been to seattle, we plan to explore. to let our stomachs lead us to pacific northwest cuisine. to let our feet trek the great outdoors. to let ourselves relish our freedom.

now all i have to do is pack away some scarves, secure my cameras, and put my out-of-control excitement on standby. it's only thursday.

october air

there's something so subtly fine about october air. i feel it before the sun rises - that biting chill that begs me to snuggle in the fetal position, or most mornings, don my running gear for a refreshing wake-up call. and when i run, the air feels so thin. no resistance as i inhale. somehow, i think the characteristic smog of la is pushed aside with summer as fall makes its grand entrance. (smog, summer, neither of you will be missed, as far as i'm concerned).

oh and the breeze dancing through the october air. ever so crisp. ever so seductive. take in a deep breath in town. how can you resist the intermingling of pumpkin, ginger, caramel? a quick whiff, and my body methodically anticipates wool socks and lounging comfies. throw in a warm embrace from g, and i'm all set.

it's this october air that gets me every time. the mere simplicity of it instills so much joy within my core, i can't help but savor this invisible treat. and trust you me, when i savor treats, it's deeply and purposefully.

again, i welcome you back dear fall!