Finished In Defense of Food [12/10/2009]

This follow up to The Omnivore's Dilemma is lacking in all of the statistics and details that made its successor so powerful. It is a much shorter and easier read though. The tone is positive, with much less of the doomsday quality. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in eating healthy and living sustainably.

Kale Salad [12/05/2009]

Kale Salad

2 bunches of Lacinato/Tuscan kale
2-3 tablespoons red bell pepper chopped
1 shallot or small onion chopped
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan or Parmesan/Romano mix
3 medium sized garlic cloves toasted and chopped
1/2 cup crushed bread crumbs

Dressing:
6 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Optional Addition:
1/2 cup pine nuts

In a small bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Fully submerge the kale in water and rinse several times.
Cut out the tough middle stalk.
Slice the leaves into very small strips.
Mix the kale strips with the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Toss with the dressing until it is all thoroughly covered.

This salad will keep in the fridge for several days.

Fun Variation: Use one bunch of kale and one bunch of rainbow chard.

Adapted from various recipes online.

Finished the Lilith's Brood/Xenogenesis Trilogy [12/05/2009]

This was my first encounter with Octavia Butler. She impressed me right away, and I was kept captivated throughout the whole trilogy. These books were written in the late 80's and very little of it seemed dated. Butler's themes are still very relevant today. I am now hooked, and can't wait to read more. For anyone who enjoys science fiction, I'd highly recommend these books.

Mayan Sweet Potatoes [11/26/2009]

Mayan Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sift the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne.
Warm the coconut milk and coconut oil.
Combine the warm milk with half of the sugar/spice mix.
Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Then cut them into half inch slices.
In a 8"x8" glass pan toss the potatoes and milk.
Stir in the pecans.

Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.
Stir at the 20 minute mark.
Stir again at the 35 min mark and sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar/spice mix.

Finished The Year of the Flood [11/04/2009]

This book should get an award for being a long awaited sequel that did not disappoint. At first I found it a little difficult to understand because the narrators change from chapter to chapter as well as the time line. I also didn't really care for the hymns in between each chapter. However, after you get settled in, this ends up giving the reader a much fuller picture of the reality that was hinted at in Oryx and Crake. It is gripping, emotional, and in-your-face. Are all Atwood books like this? I would not recommend reading this unless you have already read Oryx and Crake.

Chicken Chili [11/03/2009]

Chicken Chili

1 jar Trader Joe's salsa verde
1 4 oz can green chili chopped
1 pkg (approx. 5 to 6) boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
1 14 oz can white beans drained
1 fresh jalapeno chopped
1 medium white onion chopped
1 fresh anaheim chili chopped

Fill a large stock pot with water and chicken thighs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a strong simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove chicken and let it cool for 5 minutes while you rinse the pot. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Add it back into the pot along with all the other ingredients except for the beans. Cook on medium heat until the onions and peppers are soft. Add the beans and continue heating for another 5 or 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

(I altered a recipe by Fluttering in Fremont, CA)

Finished The Next Fifty Years: Science in the First Half of the Twenty First Century [10/27/2009]

I find speculating on the future to be at times fun, terrifying, worrisome, hopeful, inspiring, and sometimes even funny. This edge.org book contains only 25 essays. I wished it was like some of the other ones with more entries. Most of the topics covered are physics, technology, biology, and psychology. There wasn't any discussion of government, politics, ecology, social trends, or economics. I'd like to see Brockman do another book on the future, incorporating a wider range of subjects.

Finished What Have You Changed Your Mind About? Today's Leading Minds Rethink Everything [9/17/2009]

This is another interesting edge.org compilation of essays by scientists across several disciplines. I think it's cool to see so many people demonstrating their open-mindedness and willingness to change their mind. It makes me wish I wasn't always so stubborn.

Finished What's Your Dangerous Idea? Today's Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable [9/11/2009]

This edge.org compilation is much longer than previous books, and includes over 80 different essays. While I enjoyed the breadth of topics covered here, a would have liked if some of them were longer and more detailed. It's pretty interesting to see how varied people's ideas are about what is and isn't dangerous. I respect these contributors for being willing to publicly voice their dangerous ideas, knowing that they might stir up controversy and un-wanted attention. One of my personal favorites from this book was Daniel Dennett's "There Aren't Enough Minds to House the Population Explosion of Memes".

Finished The Extended Phenotype [9/03/2009]

I found The Extended Phenotype to be a very enjoyable and thought provoking read. Some of the arguments presented in it are difficult, especially if you are not well versed in evolutionary biology. It is definitely the most technical book Dawkins has written for the general public. The Selfish Gene is required reading prior to tackling this one, as it is pretty much a sequel. The small print also makes it slow going.

This book inspired me to think about the evolution of consciousness. More on that later..