it's not what you think

to poo or not to poo

So I've been trying to go no-poo for awhile. But it's not what you think! i'm talking about giving up standard hair shampoo folks, in case you never heard of the no-poo thing.

See, as most of you know, I've got super-sensitive skin (combined with a general decision to forego unnecessary carcinogenic chemicals & perfumes) and I had attempted several times before to use only all-natural shampoos, but because of my hair type (and how henna has altered my hair), the pure kind gives me the awful stringy/greasies.

These days I'm trying a new thing (apple cider vinegar and, maybe later, baking soda) and it seems to be working better. Please share your no-poo (hair!) experiences, if you have any, folks.

Those ain't hot

So last night we went to try a nearby Asian restaurant (called Hong Kong but has a mixture of Vietnamese, Thai & Chinese food) and we were so excited to revisit our recent culinary past.

Of course, as luck (reality?) would have it, it wasn't 'all that'. I ordered the "spicy" Ma Po tofu and when it arrived at the table, Alain said "Oh-boy", thinking he wouldn't be able to share it due to the rampant red bits of pepper in the sauce.

But to my heat-loving disappointment, it was mostly finely diced sweet red peppers in there.

Over all, the food was fresh and the service great (they let us bring G inside the restaurant cuz their was a weird windstorm going on last night and the patio was a battle ground) but the food was unfortunately very Westernized.

We've yet to try a Japanese restaurant, probably because we've yet to see one that wasn't so totally obviously either Westernized and/or expensive. But there is hope: we found one not far from our place the other night that has a decent menu that includes tempura soba, katsu don and some other stuff that we might chance when we're "homesick".

Salmo-what?

I realize now, a few days after originally posting, that I forgot a "it's not what you think": my new favourite cold Spanish soup. It's called salmorejo and is even yummier than its cousin gazpacho. So yes, tthat's right, it is indeed not salmon-based but rather tomato-based yet smoother, creamy and more filling than good old gaz. Going to make myself some tomorrow as this recipe is just child's play!

 Salmorejo (aka Cordoban Gazpacho)

• 4-inch piece baguette, crust discarded
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mild olive oil
• 2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (or to taste)
• 12 whole blanched almonds (optional)

Garnish with

• finely chopped hard-boiled egg whites
• thinly sliced & julienned serrano ham or prosciutto (which I omit, of course!)

Soak the bread in water 1 minute, then squeeze dry. Throw almonds in a food processor/blender & whiz until very finely chopped. Mash or mince the garlic then blend it, the bread, and almonds. Add oil in a slow stream with motor running, blending until thick and smooth. Then add tomatoes and vinegar and blend until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute. 

The Epicurious recipe says to strain it through a fine sieve into a (glass) bowl (pressing firmly on solids) but I don't know if that's necessary if you peel your tomatoes first and seems like you'd therefore be wasting the almonds by straining them out... For the lazy out there, the Nibbledish version of this dish is a bit simpler but has raw egg yolk.

Chill, covered, until cold and then baby, believe me, you will enjoy!