Tuesday eating from your yard tip on okra Even if you couldn’t eat okra it is a striking plant and flower in the garden~the yummy seed pods are an added bonus! I was first introduced to okra by some friends from Ghana with it cooked in spicy tomato gravy served over rice, which is still …
Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer / Portland Timbers Quoting former NFL coach Jim Mora from his famous postgame rant is kind of a cheap shot, but after the Portland Timbers fell 6-2 to archrival Seattle Sounders at home Sunday night, it’s apt. Despite an uneven season so far, the Timbers are still in line, somehow, for …
Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona, which somehow seemed shocking and inevitable at the same time, redrew the world soccer map. The club, at the sport’s pinnacle just six years ago, is in disarray, with serious financial problems and an underwhelming roster. When the greatest soccer player of all time signed with Paris Saint-Germain two days …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~We are nearing the joyous day of my birth, which in non-pandemic years would be celebrated with our annual Garlic Nosh Pot Luck Gathering. You might find it surprising that the most popular garlic creations tend to be the sweets. The most Garlic Nosh wins have gone to Sharon T. …
Drinking to Victory Part III Closing Weekend It may be just what we need right now, and it may be a foolish endeavor to hold the games in the middle of a pandemic, but the Olympics have begun! Since fans are not allowed, it only makes sense to sit back and watch the events on TV …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip ~ herb infused water or tisane. Technically, tea is only made from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis and herb infused water is called a tisane. Many though use the term ”tea” more broadly with good reason ~ you think getting people to try an herb is tricky business, label …
It may be just what we need right now, and it may be a foolish endeavor to hold the games in the middle of a pandemic, but the Olympics have begun! Since fans are not allowed, it only makes sense to sit back and watch the events on TV with a great cocktail in your …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~ Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) are not a berry you pick and pop in your mouth. While birds can eat elderberry off the bush, it is best for humans to remove the seed and heat it up before eating them. The stems, roots, leaves and uncooked seeds and fruit contain cyanogenic …
It may be just what we need right now, and it may be a foolish endeavor to hold the games in the middle of a pandemic, but the Olympics have begun! Since fans are not allowed, you will have to sit back and watch the events on TV. If your team or country doesn’t win, you can …
Photo by Alex Markow Today, Grammy-nominated roots-rock sister duo Larkin Poe announced a new album with pioneering hybrid “chamber orchestra for the 21st century” (New York Times) Nu Deco Ensemble…Paint The Roses: Live In Concert is out September 17 — they’ve just shared new video & single “Every Bird That Flies.”
Visited the George Floyd Memorial and Prince’s home/recording studios today. In the first pic (above), the blue chalk locates the exact spot where George was murdered.
Many of us have happy childhood memories of eating the sour wood sorrel seed pods. The sour clover shaped leaves, yellow flowers and mini cucumber shaped seed pods are all edible. Barbara Salvatore commented that she adds wood sorrel to her lemonade, to salads and soups and as a garnish on cheese. Wood sorrel in …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~the best $3 you will ever spend is on a packet of nasturtium seeds. The leaves, flowers and seeds are edible. There is nothing tricky about eating nasturtiums you can eat them raw or cooked. As I have been sharing these eating from your yard tips it is clear my …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip ~ Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is known as the mother’s little helper and the beekeeper’s friend. Infuse lemon balm in a jar of water in the refrigerator overnight to create a calming drink for both mother and children. My oldest grandson showed great instincts when he plucked lemon balm …
New York-based singer and songwriter Shihori has released a new MV ‘Invisible‘ the previous single from her upcoming album that will be released this late August. With dozens of hit songs and countless moments of brilliance, Shihori has been winning fans at home and abroad for years. However, her new video is unlike anything she has released …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) came to mind this week because it has traditionally been used to help us deal with the heat and recover from heat stroke, as an expectorant or for a dispirited heart. Both the anise hyssop leaves and flowers are edible and taste like licorice/anise, so if you …
With National Bourbon Day occurring last week, it seems like a good time to take a deep dive into “America’s Native Spirit.” Bourbon is one of the first distilled spirits in the New World Well, the term bourbon may be a bit of a stretch, but the early settlers needed something safe to drink, and for far longer than …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) has many health inducing virtues, including more omega 3 than any other leafy green. While many Americans view purslane as a lowly weed, purslane is eaten all over the world. It is baked in bread, pickled and added to soups, stews, stir fries and egg dishes. Google …
I had used lavender to induce sleep, pain relief and for it’s anti~bacterial properties, but the first time I ate lavender was a lavender chocolate truffle at an Herb Society pot luck. When I asked about how it was made she referred to lavender flower, but English is tricky and I was born blonde so …
With the exception of the thirteen years of Prohibition, New York arguably can lay claim to the center of the cocktail universe since cocktails became cocktails. And even during those ‘dry’ years, it wasn’t missing too much of a beat. London has a serious claim and helped usher cocktails back from the brink of extinction in the 1990, and many other cities have …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~ The garlic scape is the stem and seed head forming above the hardneck garlic plant. By cutting off the scape, the energy that was going into creating the seeds is directed back to creating the ultimate garlic bulb. Scapes even come with their own handle for easy gathering. The …
Now that we have moved past Memorial Day, we begin our transition into summer. This means my drinking habits have begun to shift to match the weather as well. A nice bourbon neat with a couple drops of water (to help open up the flavor) is perfect after a long day at work when the weather is cool or cold, but in summer I want a long drink full of ice. Which …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~Rose was the herb of the year in 2012. The Herb Society invited the Rose Society to talk about roses. It quickly became apparent that while Rose Society people strive to grow the perfect rose, Herb Society folks are more interested in how you consume the rose, which baffled the …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip on Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album). If you have any open dirt you most likely have Lamb’s Quarters. Consider it a free gift to fill your tummy. The cooked leaves and soaked seeds are edible, as are the very young leaves uncooked. The young leaves are tender, but like all …
Al Nakba, 1948 Like the loss of a child, I cannot fathom the emotions and turmoil that Palestinians share while being ruled by military order. In “Is Israel An Apartheid State?,” a summary legal study funded and coordinated by the Government of South Africa, apartheid regimes rely on three pillars to maintain domination. The state codifies into law …
Jews are being physically assaulted in London, Toronto, Belgium, Montreal, NYC, Florida, and here in LA. Synagogues are being vandalized all over the west. Chants of “Rape Jewish daughters!” “Who here is a Jew?” (Before beating random diners at a restaurant). Blood libel in our media, the mouths of colleagues, the well of the US …
With the power to aid digestion, freshen breath, calm farts and nausea, mint is an ideal culinary herb. Forget counting sheep, counting all the flavors of mint would lull anyone to sleep~peppermint, spearmint, Mormon mint, chocolate mint, ginger mint and on and on into dreamland. Mint leaves and flowers are edible and one of the …
“Behind Closed Doors” is a dark pop song about the unfortunate dark things that can go on behind closed doors. Domestic abuse is the most common crime in every jurisdiction in America (and probably the world) and has been on the rise during quarantine. This song’s subject matter is incredibly important and must be brought …
Falernum. You may know what it is, and you may not. You may even have a bottle in your home bar. And even if you have never heard of it, if you have had a properly made Tiki drink – you have likely had it without knowing. Falernum is in some ways the Caribbean seasoning of simple syrup. People …
When Fantastic Negrito shills, he does it with integrity. The Oakland blues-soul man has released “Root City,” an anthem for Oakland Roots SC, a three-year-old professional soccer team, and there are no sly, subliminal nudges for your custom in his video. He’s wearing a Puma tracksuit and sneakers in some shots, and he actually points out …




























