à la Sophia

I'm not a vegetarian, it just seems like it.

2009-09-10T20:57:00.006-04:00

Garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) are awesome. So healthy and versatile. This stir-fry adaptation that I made up turned out delicious! Cumin + soy sauce (or tamari, for the gluten-challened) = magic.

Sauté minced garlic, chopped onion, and ~5 dashes of cumin in a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large wok or pan. Keep it on medium or slightly above medium. Add chopped broccoli, garbanzo beans, and bean sprouts (optional -- I had some left over from making spring rolls again -- but you can really add whatever else you want here). Add more cumin. Add some more cumin. Stir everything around and then add a mix of 1/3 C soy sauce and 1/4 C water and cover, letting it simmer until the broccoli is cooked. Add more cumin and perhaps some red pepper flakes.

Keeping cool

2009-08-31T23:08:00.010-04:00

I just got back from a week-long visit home to NorCal! It went by entirely too fast. It got pretty hot one day, so we escaped to the natural air-conditioning of the redwoods and the ice-cold Pacific Ocean! It is hard to get an original shot of really tall trees, especially when confined to the designated walkways, but the light was so pretty that afternoon. And it was definitely a good 12 degrees cooler among the redwoods!

I named them Falcor 1, Falcor 2, and Mercury.

2009-08-17T11:44:00.006-04:00

Left brain right brain

2009-07-30T23:03:00.008-04:00

I took these 1-2 years (!) ago while waiting for an experiment in lab. A series of ~25 have been in local exhibits and a couple reside in the administrative offices of my school. Another lab photoshoot is long overdue!

PS. The one with the crystals is just a close-up of some dirty glasswear that had been sitting out for weeks!

PPS. To any scientists out there, yes those are glass pipettes. We're the only lab I know of who washes and re-uses the glass ones instead of throwing away plastic ones. Biomedical research can be EXTREMELY unfriendly to the earth (it's incredible how much plastic and styrofoam gets thrown away every day), so this at the very least is something. Hmm maybe we should sell reviewers on our "green research style" to get an edge on funding.

Geez they're cute.

2009-07-23T19:48:00.010-04:00

Here are a few more of the >300 photos from this weekend's engagement shoot with my friends:

I'm so happy that they loved the photos -- it's a lot of pressure to make something for someone that they will look at for the rest of their lives! I'm doing my first wedding for some friends in October, so the pressure will be EXTRA on for that (but I'm excited)!

I must say, I am not actively seeking out photography jobs/selling. I'm mainly focused (har har) on my day job. I don't take my (big) camera out that often, but when I go home at the end of August I will probably take enough photos to post Photo Mondays until I go to Europe in October! Then no doubt I will take enough photos to post Photo Mondays for the next year!

Gosh I love quinoa

2009-07-12T21:53:00.005-04:00

The past couple weeks I've been saving time and money by making some form of quinoa salad on Sunday night to last for lunches the rest of the week. I'm really liking this system -- it keeps well, it's never boring, and it is delish! I've definitely posted about quinoa a few times before here. If I turn even one person on to quinoa from this then my job is done.

Here is an umbrella recipe for 5 servings of Quinoa Salad:
Rinse 1 cup quinoa and cook it like rice. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and dice 1 medium yellow onion. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until fragrant, then put in a large (I mean large) bowl with the quinoa. Add any combo of veggies, protein, and herbs, plus salt and pepper (I've been picking things based on what's on sale) and mix. For example:

Variation #1: Mexicana
2 cans black beans
Kernels from 3 ears of raw corn (it's yummy!)
1 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Variation #2: Italiana
1 can garbanzo beans
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large red bell pepper, diced
Kernels from 3 ears raw corn
Dried basil, salt and pepper

Variation #3: Americana? (pictured)
1 can garbanzo beans
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green bell pepper, diced
Kernels from 3 ears raw corn
1 cup chopped baby carrots, lightly sauteed
1 cup chopped and sauteed asparagus spears
1 cup sliced mushrooms, lightly sauteed
Dried basil, salt and pepper

Dispense into tupperware for lunches:

(I ate some for dinner, so there was 4 left for the week.) I usually supplement it with string cheese, yogurt, and fruit/veggies. I tend to get hungry like clockwork at 11am (eat yogurt), 12:30pm (eat quinoa salad and fruit or veggies), and 3:45pm (eat string cheese and fruit). Gotta be prepared!

Even more flora (and a little fauna)

2009-05-28T23:35:00.010-04:00

Mama bird hit the jackpot on the worms! And that is an out-of-focus bee in the upper right hand corner of the second-to-last picture -- I didn't notice it until it was on my computer! I love how alien some vegetation can look. In the third picture there is a solitary droplet of water in the middle of the cabbage, somehow not yet evaporated. Same garden as in the last post.

More Flora

2009-05-26T21:56:00.012-04:00

I will never tire of photographing flowers! I think that everyone has an intrinsic urge to take pictures of pretty flowers (and that some have suppressed it more than others). I think the first image will be on all of my engagement/wedding cards to people from now on.

It's officially summer!

2009-05-25T22:48:00.014-04:00

Last week my lab took a few hours off to go strawberry picking! I ended up with almost 9 lbs of strawberries for $9.00! My office smelled SO good afterward: Picking the strawberries reminded me of this book from when I was little! These strawberries barely lasted through the weekend. What did I do with them?

Strawberry-rhubarb compote: It is really easy. I adapted this recipe: Place orange zest and juice from 1 orange in a large sauce pan along with 1/4 cup light agave nectar and 1 lb sliced rhubarb. Simmer for ten minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in 1-2 lb sliced strawberries.

Rhubarb is so pretty alone, but it definitely needs the strawberries to taste good. I like the hint of orange in there, too. Here is how I've been eating it:

Over arugula with goat cheese, balsamic, and toasted almond slivers

Over vanilla frozen yogurt. I've also mixed it into greek yogurt. A couple more uses for strawberries (besides just eating them of course):

Strawberry-infused water, just like in the fancy spas! I would've liked to put a few sprigs of mint in there too. I have a feeling this has started a water-infusing kick for the summer -- so refreshing! (ps. you don't need that much fruit, I was enthusiastic)

And, of course, strawberries and champagne!

I'm already looking forward to cherry and blueberry picking seasons!

On a walk

2009-05-18T12:35:00.008-04:00

Don't have much to say...took these on a walk last week, same as from the last post. Have a good Monday! I don't know about you but I'm ready for the weekend already.

Graffiti Series: Round 2

2009-05-14T22:54:00.007-04:00

I finally got out and took some photos after work today, and I noticed some new decoration around town. Now, if your memory serves you, I've posted a pic of the yellow turtle before -- now it seems like there is a new "life" gang in town; it is scrawled everywhere. Perhaps some pro-life teenage hooligans? Who knows. And can I just say, I LOVE the parking garage gatekeeper! Boring objects should be anthropomorphized more often!

Indulge me for a bit

2009-04-27T22:06:00.007-04:00

Last Friday I volunteered to talk about science at a high school, which turned out to be a visual and performing arts high school. I was a bit jealous of these kids -- their high school seems like camp with homework! When I got there at lunchtime there were kids playing around on keyboards, sitting next to African drums with their bag lunches, and breaking out into snippets of song. Not quite like High School Musical (yes, I've seen #'s 1 and 3, but could get through only part of 2), but probably as close as real life gets.

Anyway, while talking to these kids about DNA I used a metaphor that I'm pretty (dorkily) proud of. 80% of the class were musicians. I told them that DNA is like the sheet music, or score, of a symphony. If you've ever seen the sheet music for a symphony, it can be as big as a doctoral thesis-length book. Likewise, the human genome, or complete set of DNA, is quite extensive. Are you following? So, each individual note in the score is like an individual base pair of DNA (you know, those letters A, T, C, or G). The order of the notes is important for the melody of the sheet music, while the order of the DNA base pairs is important to code for the genes of the genome. One mis-placed or lost note or notation in the sheet music can lead to an incorrect note, or perhaps a note that is cut short instead of held. Likewise, one mis-placed or lost DNA base pair can lead to an incorrect/mutated gene or perhaps silence the gene completely.

Still following? Each musician in the symphony can get a copy of the entire score, but each musician plays only their designated segment of the score, specialized for their respective instruments. Likewise, each cell in the body has an entire copy of the genome, but each cell expresses and uses only certain genes, specialized for the cell-types (ie. the gene for eye color is expressed only in the eye). Even more specifically, each musician plays their designated segments at certain times as directed by the conductor (and by the order of the notes). Gene expression can be turned on and off at certain times as directed by a variety of factors.

If the music notation in the sheet music is the genotype, or genetic code of an organism, then the sound of the music that is produced is the phenotype, or the physical outcome of gene expression (ie. blue eyes, blond hair, freckles, long toes, etc.). Humans share 99.9% of their genetic material, but that 0.1% of variation is sufficient to make us different at the genetic and physical levels (unless you have a twin. And we won't even get into nature vs. nurture today!). Along these lines, if two different sets of musicians play music from the exact same score, then there will be variation depending on how the musicians and the conductor interpret it.

OK, that is all I have for now, but I'm sure that there are more similarities out there. Music and science are so intertwined, and not just metaphorically! Here is an interesting article about "protein songs," for example.

Bubblegum tree

2009-04-15T21:41:00.007-04:00

I know, it seems like all I take pictures of these days are flowers -- It looks like I have a bubblegum tree in my front yard, though! Dooce recently posted about how a flower's natural colors can barely be replicated in photoshop, and when I went to play around with the levels on these photos, sure enough, the first three looked WORSE with any changes! Gotta love spring. The last three are definitely 'shopped, though.

Weekend in pictures

2009-04-13T13:25:00.003-04:00

Hohn hohn hohn...*

2009-04-02T16:49:00.008-04:00

Oh wow, I find this really funny. A (French) group of scientists recently published in the Journal of Food Science an article titled "Optimization of Gluten-Free Formulations for French-Style Breads" (or, trying to make a decent gluten-free baguette). Now, I know first-hand that current gluten-free French bread is terrible and desparately needs optimization. However, can't we leave that job to the awesome and smart GF bakers out there and let the scientists try to find a cure for Celiac Disease instead?

As someone who reads scientific journals regularly, I found this one hilarious. It has an abstract, materials and methods, results, statistical analyses, AND discussion! But its tested variables were things like, "crumb softness" and "crust hue." I mean, look at this figure...I hope you don't have to be a scientist to find this funny:

And, for all their super-sciencey analyses, they didn't even do a taste test! It is, however, one of their future directions:

"In addition to this physical characterization (specific volume, hardness, gas cell distribution, crust color, and bread dry matter), sensory analysis [a.k.a. taste test] is now underway to evaluate the acceptance of this formulation by a panel of consumers."

Because really, all that matters is how it ranks on the yumminess index.

*That's supposed to sound like a French laugh...

March blossoms

2009-03-28T14:37:00.006-04:00

Same tree, same day, same camera. This sums up March: sunny and springy and rainy and grey. I can't wait for real spring!

Hazardous life

2009-03-16T21:23:00.006-04:00

I don't talk much about my personal OR work life here, but here is a glimpse of what I look at (almost) every day! I have a whole series of lab photos. I should put more up here. Top: a waste recepticle. Bottom: cells under magnification.

Attn: artists

2009-03-10T19:32:00.004-04:00

This weekend I went to a matinee of the symphony, which had a famous guest conductor. As I was watching this conductor move so beautifully, I wondered if anybody had ever based paintings or sculpture on the path of a conductor's baton. (I also wondered what percentage of conductors have had dance training in their past.) A quick Google search showed nothing (and if it doesn't show up on a Google search, then it doesn't exist!).

Wouldn't that be cool though? A series of paintings as if the baton was a paintbrush, and they could be of snippets from all sorts of pieces with different moods, different composers, and different significances. Even cooler would be a 3-D rendering of the path of the tip of the baton using sculpture! Especially in a dramatic piece with lots of stabs and jabs and over-the-shoulder stuff. I know a bit about conducting due to my musician parents and my years in choir, and there are certain moves that are common to pieces in 3/4, 4/4, etc. But conductors go WAY beyond those moves, and the great conductors are like dancers.

That's just something I'd like to see. I can't be the first one who has thought of this. Maybe I'll run into something like it someday!

'Tis the season

2009-03-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

I didn't notice the one upside-down box until I looked at them on my computer :)

Within a span of 24 hours

2009-03-03T19:21:00.005-05:00

...and it's supposed to be in the 70's this weekend!

Color!

2009-03-02T11:59:00.005-05:00

I took these back in 2006. Today, my world (and much of the rest of the world) is black-and-white. I took some nice photos of the snow on my walk to work today, which was beautiful, but I didn't bring my camera cord so I couldn't upload them. However, it is March now, and I am ready for some spring colors! I know it's still kind of early, but in the meantime I have old photos to warm me up.

PS. It's March already! I will try get back to posting more regularly soon!

PPS. Check out my bloggy friend Ashley's brand new Twenty-something Writers blog that started today! I won't be contributing writing, but perhaps it will inspire some photography :)

Jeeepers creeepers, where'd ya get those peeepers?

2009-02-16T20:40:00.005-05:00

I snapped these of my sister after dinner one summer evening about 3 years ago. They are grainy and slightly blurry and I wouldn't have it any other way. As you may notice, we are opposites, both physically and personality-wise. But she is the best sister and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Trapped

2009-02-02T00:28:00.003-05:00

I took these on the same walk (with the lil' Canon Powershot SD450), though the lighting looks different post-processing. I heart macro!

Textures in San Diego

2009-01-26T00:57:00.004-05:00

As the title suggests, I was at a conference in San Diego last weekend. What a great place for a conference in January! I got to walk in the sun (though it did rain a tiny bit), see friends, drink overpriced drinks, and learn lots of science. So much fun! The pics: seagull feather in the grass on the embarcadero and a Seuss-ish tree inside an old mission.

Functional art

2009-01-19T20:35:00.004-05:00

Some of my dad's home décor. I will be traveling to a conference this week so I'll see you next Photo Monday!

Blues

2009-01-05T00:02:00.000-05:00

I guess the rain and the cold can be nice sometimes.

Random Series

2008-12-29T11:15:00.006-05:00

Can't talk now, gotta go take advantage of my last two days on vacation!

Long Shadows

2008-12-22T00:19:00.005-05:00

On a walk with my dad on a sunny winter afternoon. Being home is wonderful!

Blurry Neon Ballerina Series

2008-12-15T09:49:00.008-05:00

I saw some college student dancers perform a couple weekends ago and I took photos, since I'd been wanted to take photos of dancing. However, I was sitting in the audience and I didn't want to use flash, so the photos turned out terribly. But I quite like them in technicolor!

Photo Monday: Big News Edition!

2008-12-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

Guess What?!

Remember this Saturday Aspiration back in July where I wanted to find a place to display and sell my photos? Well I took my portfolio to one place and the manager said that he liked my stuff, but they didn't have any wall space, but they are building a new place right downtown and would I like to take photos of downtown specifically for this restaurant/bar? So I took about 100 photos and the manager and his art consultant and the restaurant's designer all loved them and the designer picked 15 to hang in the restaurant (a few of which I've posted here!). And the restaurant finally opened last week! They are still working on getting my nameplates up and I am going to make business cards to leave there, since apparently the photos have already been getting compliments! It is insane!

And, even cooler, this place is THE new hotspot downtown. It has a younger crowd than the other bars and it isn't as expensive as it looks. It has been packed since it opened!

There's more: I am now working with the designer who has hired me to photograph his work at the restaurant as well as other work he has done. These photos will be for his website, his publicity package, and for submission to interior design publications!

If I hadn't made that Saturday Aspiration, I probably would've put off showing my portfolio and I probably would've missed this amazing opportunity. Definitely the best outcome from starting this blog so far! Thank you all for your support when I posted that aspiration and on all my other photos that I've shared here!

Solution

2008-12-01T10:22:00.005-05:00

I took these in lab the other day with my old camera; technically not happy with them but it's all I got. I haven't really had time to take many pictures lately, but I really want to take my new camera into the lab one of these days!

Titanic

2008-11-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

I was sitting in the balcony at a concert a couple weeks ago in this church-y venue and I loved how cool the chandeliers looked in the crazy lights from the concert. I seriously kept looking at the chandeliers instead of the band -- I have a thing for interesting chandeliers. I think the lighting and angle makes it look like it is underwater. Anyway, I took this shot really quickly with my tiny Canon Elph, zoomed in as much as possible, and hoped that the people behind me didn't think I was weird. This could've been better with my new digital SLR but that would have been harder to sneak past security in my purse.

Ubiquitous Fall Pic

2008-11-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

I got to take photos of some friends this weekend and I really liked how this one turned out. When they threw the leaves up they blew straight at me! I wish the one leaf wasn't hiding her face, but I can still see her smile! In retrospect, this is a situation in which I should have used the continuous shutter release to capture the best possible moment. Gotta keep practicing.

Portrait Series

2008-11-10T09:32:00.003-05:00

As you can probably tell by my Photo Mondays thus far, I never photograph people in an artsy way. It's kinda awkward taking photos of strangers or even of people you know. But, in order to expand my repertoire and build technique, I asked my beautiful friend to help me practice! It was so much fun!

Street Sun Scenes

2008-10-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Love that time of day...

Reflection

2008-10-20T11:57:00.002-04:00

I've liked photographing contrasting architechture ever since High School.

Concrete Jungle Series

2008-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Took the new camera out for a spin the other weekend...

Graffiti Series

2008-10-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

New York City this is not. But we do love our turtles (?).

Trying to compete with Rockband

2008-09-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

I love architectural details.

Late afternoon, early Fall

2008-09-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

This was like inadvertant, ephemeral installation art.

David (Foster) Wallace's Syllabus

2008-09-17T17:59:00.017-04:00

For those who are interested, here is his syllabus for the Literary Interpretation class I took in Spring '05. I wonder if any of the contemporary authors knew he was teaching their work? Click to enlarge. You can download a PDF copy here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/74315843/Literary-Interpretation-Syllabus If that doesn't work, you can email me at sophilosoph@gmail.com

Remembering David Foster Wallace

2008-09-15T20:30:00.016-04:00

**Updated

Taking a class from David Foster Wallace was one of my best academic experiences at Pomona. I was already in awe of his work, and when I had the opportunity to take a Literary Interpretation class from him my Senior year at Pomona (a rare opportunity for a Biology major), I jumped.

Even though he was the most genuine, modest, and awkward person, I couldn't help but be intimidated. How could you not be intimidated when writing something to be read and graded by THE David Foster Wallace? On a short story by an author who is a personal friend of the certified genius David Foster Wallace (He wanted to be called Dave, but that seemed so irreverent...which was probably the point -- he actively deflected all reverence when possible.)? But I got over the intimidation, at least during class. He corrected our stuff with three color-coded pens and typed 3/4 page, 10pt-font responses, full of constructive criticism, praise (!), and humor. If anything, he was intimidated by us (a class full of mostly freshmen and sophomores), and was greatly devoted to our learning, even though we weren't the advanced creative writers for whom his classes were usually reserved. His seven-page, footnoted syllabus contained a caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware") section, the first point stating that he was not a "real" professor because he did not have a Ph.D., so his course would most likely be filled with "pedagogical clunkiness," in case that changed our minds about taking the class. He told us to think of his teaching as, rather, his dispensing "avuncular advice."

This "advice" included abundant grammar (of course -- see "Authority and American Usage" in Consider the Lobster, or the original article in Harper's HERE), vocabulary (also, of course), and Latin, in addition to literary interpretation. He wrote in "And" and "But" in front of a lot of my sentences, which was one of his own writing habits ("And but so..."). He encouraged me to stop using fancy words and phrases when I should have been using the accurate, simple words (In his case, the accurate, simple word is the one everyone else has to look up, but, sure enough, is right on target.), a practice that is very relevant to scientific writing (oh yeah, he was also a genius in math and science which he incorporated into his books, and he had an article in Science). He taught me how to use commas. He had us read and interpret Silence of the Lambs among the D.H. Lawrence and A.M. Homes literature. He chewed tobacco (a glimpse of his own addiction) and brought his dog to class. He never used email, and he gave us his cell phone number to call whenever we had a grammatical question, "even after you graduate." He offered to subsidize the cost of a good dictionary for any student who didn't already have one. He was a very dedicated SNOOT (see "Authority and American Usage" again).

Our class discussions were always interesting, but whenever a theme that is common in his writing (such as addiction or the media) came up, I wouldn't even blink should I miss any new insight from him. There was an unspoken rule at Pomona to never mention his work. He spoke just like how he wrote, which was really cool. Critics often accused his writing of being too show-off-y, but, the fact is, he was the last person who would ever try to show off -- that was just the way he communicated. He was incredibly self-conscious, which [sense of self] is another big theme in his writing. I can't fully articulate the experience of taking a class from him, but it was unparalleled. If you haven't read anything of his yet, I highly suggest you do. Start with A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (read this story online HERE) to get a feel for his style, and then delve into the rest.

He has impacted me, as all good teachers do, not only through his class but also through his books, which have and will continue to impact thousands more.

I was so lucky to have seen him when I visited Pomona last semester. I stopped by his office to thank him for teaching me grammar, because I had realized that too many scientists slip through the cracks in that area. He heartily agreed and we discussed grad school and other things. He didn't look the same as he did when I took his class, or as he does in all the stock photos being circulated in the news articles online. He looked thinner and pale and I think his signature hair was chopped (woah, biblical ref.). Apparently he had gone off of his depression medication in July '07. I am so glad I got to thank him, even just for that one little aspect of his impact (any more and he probably would have just cut me off and left), and I think (and hope) that he appreciated it.

I feel so much better after writing that out. These are the things I would have been remembering at the vigils and memorials going on at Pomona right now that I am getting the emails for but cannot attend. Thank you for listening, internet.

** Some DFW online:
Short stories in Harper's, including favorites "Ticket to the Fair" and "Shipping Out"
The McCain piece
One of many tennis articles
Consider the Lobster

More remembrances: http://mcsweeneys.net/

There were funny parts, too.

2008-09-14T20:08:00.006-04:00

An exceprt from my term paper (which I wrote one year before taking a class from DFW at Pomona) about Infinite Jest:

David Foster Wallace’s portrayals of addiction and obsession in American culture send a warning to his readers about the fragility of life and the dangerous traps in the pursuit of happiness. Wallace describes obsession as “a very American illness, the idea of giving yourself away entirely to the idea of working in order to achieve some sort of brass ring that usually involves people feeling some way about you – I mean, people wonder why we walk around feeling alienated and lonely and stressed out?” (Miller). The view that people are simply “chasing a carrot” in a futile attempt at success and acceptance by others reinforces the initial feelings of loneliness and stress that catalyze the pursuit of addiction in the first place. It is a cycle that, as the novel shows, has no happy ending.

Miller, Laura. “Interview With David Foster Wallace.” Salon. March 9-22 1996.

Infinite

2008-09-13T23:37:00.003-04:00

I'm stunned. He was my favorite author and professor.

"As I'm sure you guys know by now, it is extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive, instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monologue inside your own head (may be happening right now). Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about quote the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master."

From David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon

Looks like summer...

2008-09-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

...and feels like summer, but it's not quite summer anymore. At least fall will bring the colors of the leaves...until they fall down all of a sudden and everything is grey, at which point, wake me in the spring.

Recipe Thursday

2008-08-28T07:47:00.000-04:00

When I was home last week my mom gave me a package of rice paper that she probably found at an Asian grocery store or Whole Foods. I was very excited about these, and I immediately had to try my hand at making Vietnamese spring rolls. The Whole Foods website has a recipe for spring rolls and a peanut sauce (already naturally gluten-free) that didn't look very daunting, which you can find here. However, I was pressed for time so I just bought Thai Kitchen's Peanut Satay Sauce instead which, if not authentic, worked out well. Here is the spring roll recipe that I adapted, the ingredients of which are entirely interchangeable (but the mint and cilantro are KEY):

2 ounces thin rice stick noodles (I cooked the whole bag without thinking and had a huge pile of rice noodles leftover)
18 or so shrimp, cooked and peeled (I just bought cocktail shrimp and cut them in half lengthwise so they would fit in the roll better)
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
1 large head of stiff lettuce or cabbage (chop some of it into thin, short strips)
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Rice paper (spring roll wrappers)

Cook rice noodles as directed. Dip rice paper wrapper in hot water. Wrapper will feel rubbery -- don't leave it in the hot water longer than a few seconds for maximum workability. Layer ingredients on wrapper. Fold the bottom of wrapper over the top of the ingredients. Fold sides, roll up, place seam side down on plate. Cover with wet lettuce leaves to keep them from drying out. I stored them in the fridge under a damp paper towel, all covered with saran wrap.

These were so fun to make, and sooooo good! Turning appetizers into a main course is always a good idea.

Adventurous

2008-08-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hmmmm

2008-08-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it is obvious when a photograph is more suited for black and white rather than color or vice versa. This is something I've been learning just in the past three years since I got a digital camera. Before then I would shoot with black and white film only and was trained to look for shots that would look good in black and white. But the digital camera thing has opened up worlds of options!

But with options comes indecision. These are some photos on which I can't decide -- b&w or color? What do you think?

Recipe Thursday

2008-07-31T07:34:00.004-04:00

My Mom and sister (who took this photo) made this recipe whilst in Paris and emailed it to me. First of all, I was jealous that they were in Paris. Second of all, as much as I like the food that I cook, I still miss food cooked by my parents. So here is the recipe, straight from my Gmail à la my sister's latest blog post.

From: mom @ emailaddress.com
Jun 19
Re: Great Recipe

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

Delicious, especially if you're a fan of black beans and limes like I am. Ingredients (use vegan versions):

Soph--we tried this quinoa black bean salad (without black beans) and it was pretty terriffic--kind of like the whole foods version !!--worth the effort--make a ton at a time !
LOVEMom

1 cup quinoa, washed & drained
2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 fresh limes (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (108-oz pkg), cut in half
5 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Wash & rinse quinoa. In a saucepan, bring quinoa & water to a boil. Reduce & simmer, cover & cook until all water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
3. Combine cooled quinoa, beans, tomatoes, & onions in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss with cilantro. Season with salt & pepper and serve.

I haven't gotten around to making this yet, but it sounds really easy (I don't know why she said it was 'worth the effort,' though I suppose it takes more effort than a bowl of cereal which has been my go-to lately) and delicious! Especially if you love quinoa like me. I don't know why she said to use vegan ingredients since she's never mentioned veganism ever before, and I can't even think of any non-vegan versions of these ingredients, but whatev. Also, now I see where I get my affinity for hyphens and exclamation points!

Pre-Craigslist

2008-07-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

A relic from the days before internet advertising.

Surface Tension Series

2008-07-21T07:47:00.001-04:00

This caught my eye on the way into lab one morning -- they looked like diamonds suspended in the bushes!

Photo Monday: Cancer Camp Edition

2008-07-14T11:12:00.011-04:00

I am back from cancer camp! Beautiful Colorado, great students, post-docs, and faculty from around the world, lots of learning, good food...it couldn't have been any better!

We managed to get some hiking in -- Aspen trees in the mountains of Snowmass.

Worked hard, played hard: 7am to 9:30pm with breaks for eating and hiking! This was one of the classrooms. Microscopes for everyone!

Went hiking at the beautiful Maroon Bells on our free day, then ventured into Aspen.

Free concert on the slopes outside our hotel!

Partying it up on the last night! Don't think scientists can't dance! It was a blast, but made for getting up at 4:15 yesterday morning quite difficult.

Flora Series

2008-06-30T07:47:00.000-04:00

Love those curliques!

The Secret Life of Shadows

2008-06-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

When it's 1:45 and the bar is about to close, I take pictures (same as in this post).

CaCaawww

2008-06-16T07:04:00.001-04:00

Self-portrait in front of a projection screen of birds in flight.

Shapes and Colors

2008-06-02T07:05:00.000-04:00

This is peeking through the door to a traveling stage in the middle of the street. During the summer there is lots of live music in the streets (the backdrop reads "Music Downtown"), and here they were setting up.

Orchid Series

2008-05-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

As you can tell I had some fun playing with these pictures. The light was coming from behind which made the center glow -- there is no yellow on the flower itself. I am entranced by the filamentous curliques on the bottom petal; they are insect-like!

Anticipation

2008-05-19T00:01:00.003-04:00

There were thousands of folding chairs set up for the graduation ceremonies this weekend. I do not envy those who had to put them out and take them away. And for those who didn't get there early enough to get a seat in the shade.

Primaries

2008-05-12T00:01:00.003-04:00

I like the blue-yellow-red sequence, which I don't think I noticed until I looked at it on my computer.

Begemot

2008-05-05T00:01:00.005-04:00

I was spending a quiet, bright Sunday morning in a dimly-lit, quirky coffeeshop and spotted this black cat lurking in the shadows.

Fire in the sky

2008-04-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

I took this late in the evening at La Jolla Shores a couple weeks ago. I played with the contrast using Microsoft Office Picture Manager. There was a thick layer of clouds with just a bit of blue sky coming through, and the resulting light makes the clouds look tye-dyed and the ocean look like chipped obsidian or black molten lava. Ominous but pretty, I think.

Organic

2008-04-21T00:35:00.000-04:00

A couple summers ago some friends and I went blueberry picking in someone's backyard (they were running a business - we didn't just sneak in at night...) and we came away with buckets of them for just a few dollars! I am very much looking forward to summer again.