How does it happen?

Boring Way to Start a Blog Post No. 81653: "Wow, How the Time Has Flown!"

Wow, guys, this year has just flown by! It's July? I haven't posted in nearly two months? NSA what?

I sort of have an excuse for the posting part (and nothing useful to say about that last part). Andy and I tried this weird lifting-related diet that, I admit, is both insane and completely unsustainable. This is particularly true for someone who likes to, you know, chew a variety of salty and sweet foods rather than suck down protein powder and the occasional egg. And then there was vacation, and then there was stressful stuff, and there's still stressful stuff but I'm making my own damn bootstraps and picking myself up by them.

But before we embarked on that questionable endeavor, I cooked a multi-course Indian meal to celebrate Andy passing his quals. He's an official PhD candidate now!

Clockwise starting at top left: sauteed tatsoi, Bengali mustard
cod, cold cucumber soup, and tamarind-mint candied cashews.

 Part 1 of a small sampling of interim dishes: an exciting recipe for pickled mixed vegetables from Smitten Kitchen...

Managed not to ding myself with
the mandoline in the background
(despite using it on snap peas).

The finished product atop lentil burgers.

Seared tofu with roasted red pepper adobo sauce, over quinoa. #whitepeoplefood

Aaand last but not least, squid with black garlic cilantro butter, atop a corn, Savoy cabbage, and roasted red pepper hash.