Author Archive
ArtnCreation – Jewelry With Attitude
Category: Random Talk Tags: ArtnCreation, Fashion, Sushanta Bhandarkar, Zansus Purses
When is the last time you’ve worn a hand crafted black and white onyx necklace? How about a show-stopping statement piece of quartz and agate? If its been a while, now is a good time to check out ArtnCreation Jewelry.
My Photo shoot With Zansus Purses
Category: Random Talk Tags: Eco Chic, Kara Ashe, Naz Saeed, Sushanta Bhandarkar, Upcycled, Upcycling, Zansus, Zansus Clutch, Zansus Pursangle
In November, I posted an interview with Naz Saeed and Sushanta Bhandarkar, the Bay Area duo behind eco-chic bag line, Zansus Purses. Zansus intercepts high quality fabrics sourced from drapery, upholstery and other design shops, which would otherwise be destined for landfills, and uses them to create clutches, totes and wristlets that are as stylish as they are good for the environment.
Last month I had the pleasure of modeling bags from Zansus’ 2011 collection, and I must say, if you think they’re gorgeous via photos, just wait till you get your hands on one. Each bag is hand crafted with an impeccable attention to detail, from texturally luscious materials. Once you pick one up, you won’t want to walk away with out it. Case and point: I bought a clutch at the end of my shoot!
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi
Category: Recipes Tags: gnocchi, parmesan, ricotta, simplyrecipes.com, Spinach
Even the picture isn’t pretty
Spinach + ricotta + gnocchi– sounds delicious, right? That’s what I thought when I found this recipe on SimplyRecipes.com . I’ve made potato gnocchi before, and have run into the “this chews more like a dough ball than a delicious dough pillow” issue, so upon reading, I was enticed by the author’s promise of ricotta making the gnocchi more forgiving.
I’m going to level with you: this did not turn out well. At all. That’s probably my fault– I accidentally picked up skim ricotta instead of whole milk, and I only used 1/2 the amount of ricotta the recipe called for. I also inadvertently used too much flour. I’m sure all of these things combined to make an epically dreadful gnocchi.
I’m posting this anyway, A: because I promised I would on Facebook before actually trying it out, and B: because I encourage you to try the recipe as it appears on SimplyRecipes.com , or even try my recipe below, but use the proper ingredients/measurements!
Let me know how your version goes!
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Category: Recipes Tags: Bell Pepper, goat cheese, Quinoa, Spinach, stuffed peppers, yves meatless ground
It’s a hand held!
Last night I came up with another YUMMY experimental dish — I call all the dishes I make, sans recipe, experiments. These “experiments” usually involve combining a bunch of ingredients from my cupboard and fridge that have almost run out.
I combined bell peppers, goat cheese, quinoa, spinach and Yves meatless ground (along with an aromatic hear, a couple seasonings there…) to make stuffed bell peppers. Bonus– spinach, an important flavor in the dish, is at its peak in the spring.
Try out the recipe and let me know what you think! Email me at kara@goveeblog.com!
Jamie Oliver Wants You To Eat More Creatively
Category: Random Talk, Site Updates Tags: Bok Choy, Creative Eating, Jamie Oliver, Leave it Better, LeaveItBetter.com, Lychees
International celebrity-chef phenom Jamie Oliver wants us to eat our best so that we can be our best. He also wants us to spend more time in the kitchen–cooking–and really enjoy ourselves. This video from 2010, entitled Try Something New, really gets that point across.
What new foods have you tried lately? Community-development social network, Leave It Better, asks the same question on their Facebook page. I wrote bok choy and lychees!
Seasonal Vegetables – California Spring
Category: News, Random Talk, Recipes Tags: Aparagus, california, Epicurious, risotto, seasonal vegetables, Vegan, Vegetarian
Everyone should know that its best to buy produce when its in season. Like most things in life, the value of fruits and vegetables are highly time sensitive; the freshness, taste and even nutritional value of produce is degraded when eaten out of season.
In doing research to find out what vegetables are currently in season, I came across an interactive Peak Season Map at Epicurious.com, which breaks out the season’s best fruit and veggie picks, by state.
Check Out Coco Eco’s New YouTube Tab
Category: News, Random Talk Tags: Coco Eco, Fashion, Green Style, YouTube
I love Coco Eco Magazine, and their Facebook page’s new YouTube tab is a great spot for green style inspiration. Case and point: check out their behind the scenes video from the holiday Red Hot and Green beauty shoot.
So, I met Rachel Roy Last Night
Category: Random Talk Tags: Fashion, Macy's, OrphanAid Africa, Rachel Roy, Rachel Roy: Recycled Reused Initiative, san francisco, Sarah Liller Designs, Sugar Lips Lifestyle Tips, The Beauty Bohemian
Yeah- THE Rachel Roy, internationally known fashion designer. Ms Roy made an appearance at Macy’s Union Square for “Dance Into Spring,” a fashionable fête celebrating Rachel’s spring collection. I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to take a look at the Rachel Rachel Roy Spring 2011 look book feature on her website. Her clothes are modeled by dancers in motion–Dance Into Spring– get the connection?– which makes for an aesthetically stunning effect.
Tofuti Cuties… YUM
Category: Random Talk Tags: cuties, ice cream, non dairy, Tofuti
How cute are these? They’re like 3.5 inches! What’s your favorite non-dairy frozen treat?
Pasta della California
Category: Recipes Tags: Avocado, broccoli, Food.com, pasta, Pasta della California, Post Punk Kitchen, Safeway, Vegan, Vegetarian
Pasta della California is one of my all time favorite vegan pasta dishes, the recipe for which I originally found at The Post Punk Kitchen. The broccoli in this plate adds distinct crunch, and the avocado creates a delicate creaminess that is a real textural treat. The kick of red pepper flakes and lime tie everything together. This pasta creates a phenomenal opportunity to make use of the seasons best produce. Better still, you get to cook with wine, and I love cooking with wine. Especially the intermittent sips from the measuring cup.
Sadly, Pasta della California seems to no longer be on a href=”http://www.theppk.com/” target=”_blank”>the Post Punk Kitchen site, but I was able to brush up on the pasta recipe (it had been a while!) using the version found on Food.com. I’m pretty sure that either it was taken from the PPK, or the PPK got their version from here- the verbiage is pretty familiar. I skipped the arugula, but I encourage you to try it. I just wasn’t willing to fit the Safeway bill for it.
