who said romance is dead?

me: anything special you want to do today?
a certain someone: hmm... let's both register at eharmony.com and see if we're good matches for each other!
me: ???
a.c.s.: and if we're not, then at least i'll have 130 girls to choose from.

big (willie) style

dear gap,

i was thinking of doing some winter shopping; you know, find some clothes that'll keep me warm and fashionable at the same time? maybe some cords or some cashmere sweaters. but you know what i don't think of? a green headscarf, cowlneck sweater/poncho, and a kilt. those three more say scottish jig with a split personality than becca has no sense of fashion. and sadly, i'd rather be a fashion victim than gettin' jiggy wit it.

with warmest (and kiltless) regards,
becca

tastes so good, make a grown man cry

for thanksgiving, i've committed myself to bringing two desserts, a veggie entree, and some other veggie item. one of the desserts will probably be dulce de leche bread pudding, as it travels well and can feed an army. this past friday night, i had the apartment to myself for the greater part of the evening, so i decided to try out a new pie recipe: cranberry-cherry lattice pie (from the most recent vegetarian times). i served this with homemade whipped cream (with almond extract and a little bit of sugar), and todd seemed pretty happy. this recipe is easy as... pie! and it sure is a winner!

cranberry-cherry lattice pie
ingredients

• 3 cups fresh cranberries (washed)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 medium orange, for zest and juice (1 tsp. grated zest; 1/3 cup juice) (i recommend a navel orange- no seeds!)
• 1 cup dried sweet cherries (tart cherries will make it too tart.)
• refrigerated pastry for 2-crust pie

directions

1. preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil, and coat 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
2. place 1 1/2 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, orange zest, and cherries in food processor, and pulse until berries are coarsely chopped. transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups of cranberries, remaining 1 cup sugar, and orange juice.
3. roll 1 piecrust into 10-inch disc. press into prepared pan. spoon in cranberry mixture, and brush edges with water.
4. roll second piecrust into 10-inch disc. cut dough into 1-inch-wide strips. lay strips in lattice pattern over top of pie, pressing edges to seal. trim off any excess from strips.
5. sprinkle lattice with sugar, and bake on prepared baking sheet 55 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden. cool on wire rack.

Faustin Linyekula @YBCA

Let the Festivities Begin
Faustin Linyekula/Les Studios Kabako, "Festival of Lies"
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ Forum
November 8, 2007, 8PM

Faustin Linyekula/Les Studios Kabako returned to the Bay Area this week after a two-year hiatus. The company’s previous work, a mainstage performance of "Triptyque Sans Titre," garnered applause and dripping admiration for the choreographer and his dance troupe, and many eagerly awaited their return. As one of several stops on Linyekula’s American tour, last evening provided a very different sensory and imagery experience from the first moments to the last breath. Enclosed within a nightclub-esque setting in Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ Forum, "Festival of Lies" explored history, memory, and identity through text, propaganda, movement, and song.

For more, go here.

photo by Agathe Poupeney