My Journey with Hepatitis C

I have been thinking about writing this blog for a long time.  I was finally spurred forward by a conversation, just yesterday, with some macrobiotic colleagues about the intersection of macrobiotics, Asian medicine and Western medicine.

I am Hepatitic C positive, or at least I was.  I probably got infected in the early 1980's.  I remember a very short period of time when I was so exhausted by even the slightest exertions that I could not make it to work, fell asleep on the subway and missed alot of classes I had been looking forward to taking in cranio-sacral therapy,  Around this time I started seeing an MD that practiced acupuncture.  I had a full panel of blood tests and he said nothing unusual showed up.  Years later I resourced those tests and saw mildly elevated liver enzymes.  While this should have set off some warning, there was, at this time, no test for Hep C.  In fact, if it did get diagnosed, it was called non A-non B.  This MD thought I had chronic fatigue syndrome since nothing showed up on the tests, common for CFS.  Within a few short months of acupuncture treatments, my fatigue totally went away and I felt really well. Note that Hep C produces severe flu like symptoms, including fatigue, but that these symptoms pass and life goes on.  We had thought that I was cured of CFS by acupuncture.

Also, in the early '80's, I found my way to macrobiotics, or at least my version of macrobiotics.  Ever since I was a teenager I had wanted to be  vegetarian.  The motivation for this was confounding since it was completely different from the dietary habits of anyone in my family.  I was motivated in part by animal rights and also by the severe health issues of almost my entire family.  Recently I connected with an aging 2nd cousin who could not believe that I do not have diabetes, since everyone in the family did!  I understood almost nothing about vegetarianism outside of reading a few books and so I became a "junk food lacto ovo vegetarian".  I slipped in and out of vegetarianism for years, partly because I had huge cravings, partly because I did not know how to cook and mostly because I did not understand the philosophy of right eating.
asssssssssssssssssssssssssssssswWhen I moved to NYC I was mostly lacto ovo vegetarian with occasional fish meals.  Wonderfully, NYC has always offered some fine macrobiotic and vegan dining options and I noticed that whenever I ate at the Cauldron or Souen or , there was another great one in the West Village, I felt balanced, clear and really energetic.  I searched for macrobiotic teachers and found both Joshua Rosenthal and then Denny Waxman.  I studied hard, learned how to cook and eventually taught cooking and built a counseling client base.

By the late 80's, I was seeing a great MD for regular check ups.  When my first tests with him showed abnormal liver enzyme levels he went on to  run the Hep C panel ( for now it had an official name and diagnosis) and I am very grateful that he had some initial experience with this diagnosis in the early days.  When the test came back positive I could not believe it.  I had been dealt a death sentence.  In these early days there was no viable treatment and the first specialist I saw pretty much had me giving up and thinking about transplants.  I was  feeling well, exercising, developed a spiritual practice and eating macrobiotically. I believed that I could cure Hep C naturally.  New York City has incredible resources.  In short order, I found a world renowned liver specialist and a gifted DOM.  The liver specialist took a wait and see attitude, as the treatment at that time was a toxic combination of Interferon and Ribavirin that was not terribly effective for my particular genus of Hep C. Since he developed the protocol, he should know.  The advice was to eat healthy, keep stress levels low and wait for a new treatment.  As an aside, the new treatments were not right around the corner, but over 20 years away.  I also found Dr. Nigel Dawes, DOM, who was practicing with Japanese herbs.  He put me on Honso 09, or sho saiko to.  Years later I found out that Memorial Sloan Kettering was experimenting with sho saiko to for liver disease.  I stayed on sho saiko to for 15 years, I think.

As I was moving to New Mexico, I had my NYC liver specialist perform a biopsy.  Actually I was talked in to it, because I was curious.  He was insistent on having the biopsy, as many people were now suffering serious consequences and dying of Hep C  He felt it important to "stage" me and offer the toxic treatment if called for.  My liver enzymes were now normal, which I attributed to macrobiotics and sho saiko to, but I had the elevated viral load.  The specialist was amazed that the biopsy showed  absolutely no cirrhosis or other ill affects of Hep C.

Yearly blood tests showed an increasing viral load.  I knew this was a deadly disease, but now I also knew that macrobiotics and sho saiko to were just part of the picture.  There was still no treatment that I was willing to risk,  The latest, a combination of ribavirin, interferon and another drug has raised the cure rated dramatically, but with 48 weeks of treatment it was still making patients really sick.  Sadly, I have no kind words to say about the liver specialist in Santa Fe who essentially yelled at me and tried to force me take the new treatment.

Miraculously, I found my way to SouthWest Cares, a  speciality clinic for HIV that was moving in to HCV treatment.  Because of the respect that clinic director Dr. Trevor Hawkins has in the medical world, his clinic is able to be a center for advanced clinical trials.  Dr. Hawkins will not do trials that he does not believe will have benefits for the clients of the Center.  I had been reading about a particularly interesting set of trials from Gilead pharmaceuticals, combining Sofosbuvir and another drug in a non-interferon, non-ribavirin protocol of 12 weeks.  SouthWest Cares was a part of these trials.  I went thru extensive tests and although my viral load was increasing, I still was in good shape in all other respects.  Interestingly, sho saiko to was specifically mentioned in the protocols as on the prohibited list.  For me this was a clue that it was very effective, but ulitmately could not rid the body of the virus.

I believe that I had kept the highest level of health possible, in the face of 30 years of Hep C, because of macrobiotics, meditation and sho saiko to.  This combination kept me in the best physical and mental condition where I could be accepted into the Gilead trial.  Several weeks ago, I received my 12 week post treatment results.  The virus is undetectable in my body, as it has been since week 2 of the trial.  The results are called a "cure", with extremely minimal chance of return.  The combination I took should be on the market in 2015.

I owe my current state of health, free from the Hep C virus, to macrobiotics, Asian medicine and Western medicine.

A Dry, Dry Summer

Santa Fe summers are getting much more dry.  We have not had any real moisture since late winter.  Sadly the squirrels, rabbits and birds are very hungry.  It is very difficult to grow any veggies this year or any perennial with a flower.  Today my friend Karen and I are installing a cover for my raised bed.  I am hoping that I can grow some kale and collards, which are absolutely divine freshly picked.  The happy news is that our evenings are quite cool, making for a sweet restful sleep every night.

So it is time for dishes which satisfy and yet keep the kitchen cool.  Just recently I attended the SouthWest Regional leader's meetings of Slow Food USA.  I am pleased to be on the Executive Board of our local chapter.  Our hosts served us remarkable local foods including a dish of farro and native beans.  Native beans can be sourced via: www.nativeseeds.org.  They sell many heirloom varieties but I particularly like the teppary or Anasazi beans in this month's dish.  A new chapter is Slow Food Navajo Nation.  Two representatives joined us.  They are churro ranchers.  Churro is the native sheep in the Navajo community.  While I do not eat meat, churro is critical to the Nation providing food, clothing and income.

On another note I wanted to mark the passing of James Gandolfini.  I so enjoyed and respected his body of work.  Those of us who were Soprano fans noted his diminishing health, from heavy breathing to extreme facial color.  I was more alarmed when I saw him in last year's Not Fade Away when the earlier signs of his condition became more pronounced.  I say this not to disparage James Gandolfini, but to urge all of us to take personal responsibility for our health and lives.  An interview with a leading doctor on one of yesterday's talk shows laid the blame on genes.  We are, assuredly, born with the genes inherited from our parents' conditions.  The genes lay in waiting, to be triggered, or not, by our choices in life.  Smoking, drugs, alcohol, inappropriate sexual behavior, activity and food are the triggers that open the doors to already weakened genes.  It may not be possible to escape our diminishing food and environmental qualities, but we can strengthen our conditions by making good choices and keeping the doors to weakened genes locked.  It is time for our medical community to join Drs. Campbell, Esselsyn, Barnard, Lipman  and MacDougall in discussing the benefits of a healthy plant based diet.

Welcome Spring

...with a damp wet snow.  You know it is Spring in Northern New Mexico when we get a snowy blast that usually freezes the buds on the fruit trees.  I am mostly ok with this as the blooms still arrive on the trees in a glorious display.  I have apple, cherry and plum trees.  Last year I froze so much plum jam, I will probably not need any more for another year.  I have a great recipe for freezer jam for those of you who are not fond of canning.  The recipe ( which I used on apricots and plums in 2012) worked brilliantly.  It does call for a smidge of sweetener, so I used agave.  I realize that agave is not all its cracked up to be, but the rare and occasional use I do not believe is so harmful.  Small amounts of agave also do not set off my sugar cravings.  :)  Brown rice syrup is too heavy for the freezer jam and I am concerned about the arsenic in brown rice, so I am staying away from the highly concentrated forms like the syrup.  Feel free to connect with me at macrojane@hotmail.com if you would like the recipe for freezer jam.

In a week I receive the Soto Zen precepts in the Peacemaker order of Bernie Glassman.  I will be offered these precepts in a lovely ceremony at Upaya by Roshi Joan Halifax.  I have been studying hard and making the rokusu was just about the hardest task I have ever done.  As I study Zen Buddhism more deeply, I realize how closely in alignment Zen is with Macrobiotics.  Zen is part of the middle path  of Buddhism as  Macrobiotics is the middle path of healing.  In Macrobiotics we always moving toward or away from health and working with our mind/body/spirit to stay balanced.  In Zen, sitting is always , for me, a challenge to tame the wild horses of my mind.  By sitting, I actually hear the noise I create every single moment of my day...leading me toward or away from stillness.

There is a new recipe on my site.  I changes a meat recipe to create a most delicious lentil stew with east Indian flavors.

Solstice: Creating Change

The solstice presents us with an opportunity for growth and change.  The shortest day of the year ( in the north) beckons us to draw inward and explore our values and purpose in life.  We are about to explode, naturally, toward the Spring which will ask us to begin to manifest what we have internally created during the more yin, winter months.

What does moving inward mean?  For me it is long quiet walks or hikes in the crisp air.  I am fortunate to live in Santa Fe, New Mexico where I can walk out in the cold night air and view the star show above me, the constellations bright in their orbits.  I inhale the light of the universe and accept my connection to all.

Inward for me means an excellent opportunity to meditate without the pull of a thousand things.  It is dark in the early morning, it gets dark early so my active hours are limited by the availability of sun.

What do I want to manifest in the coming year that I can work with right now?  For each of us it will be different.  Strengthening my macro practice, by working with new clients, teaching myself new recipes and exploring with a deeper understanding the universal truths that Macrobiotics offers.

This year I was fortunate to become certified as a Food For Life Instructor by Dr. Neal Barnard's Physician's Committe for Responsible Medicine.  While very closely aligned with macrobiotic principles, the FFL program has great appeal to professional organizations and their clients/workers/patients using well researched class materials.  I will be delving into all the great materials I was given so that I can take this to a wider audience in 2013.

I have also been preparing to accept the Precepts at the Upaya Zen Center in March.  I have been very busy over the last many months preparing and sewing the elements for this occasion.  I find the Zen practice to be in almost perfect alignment with my macrobiotic practice.  I feel the strands of my life being woven into a coherent pattern,

With gratitude and a deep bow,
Jane

Late summer wind down

Ah the late summer here in New Mexico.  The fruit is ripening on the trees and I have already canned some delicious apricots ( ok that was mid-summer).  End of summer is tricky.  The daytime weather is warm, but the evenings cool considerably.  We still feel like eating lightly cooked dishes, but as the evenings cool it is time to fuel the body with warmer dishes.  Since the fruit is ripening enjoy, but do not overindulge.  The sweetness can cause some buildup leading to the end of summer cold and respiratory problems.

The 5th season, which we are in now reflects sweetness and highlights the stomach and pancreas organs.  It is a short season and we will soon barrel into fall, which absolutely governs your intestines and your lungs.  The more gently we make this entry into the shorter days critically affects our strength.  What I mean by more gently is, enjoy the sweet flavors of fruit harvest, but notice that butternut and kabocha squash are making their way back to the stores.  Use sweet vegetables in lightly cooked stews now, in your nishime, in sweet vegetable jam, in teas.

Did you get that last breath of summer congestion.  Try the Black Soybean Tea.  It really works.  Twice a day!   I'll have it posted in the recipe section shortly. You will see your congestion break up and your lungs feel less stressed.

Mid-Summer

A break in the summer heat and we have the rains now, cooling everything down quite a bit.  As in many parts of the country Santa Fe has experienced day after day of record heat and no rain.  Dry as a bone here.  I remind myself that I need to adapt my cooking styles for this climate.  I have no interest in cooked cereal in the morning, the thought just does not energize me.  What I am wanting and having are green juices.  Made with spinach and kale and green apple, sometimes beet, sometimes apple, these liquid breakfasts fill me and satisfy me.
I am also eating more raw salads, the thought of turning on the stove burners for every meal just does not suit me at this time.  Grated beets and jicama add color and crunch to salads, as do pan roasted seeds.  Topped off with a homemade vinaigrette it is just the thing to sit with on the porch as the evening cools the air.  Grain and bean salads balance  meals, using our more traditional pressed and blanched salads.  The farmer's market in Santa Fe is just beginning to burgeon with the flavors of Northern New Mexico, so summer soups of corn and yellow squash help keep the digestion running smoothly.
But as I mentioned, the cooling summer rains are here and with that my thoughts turn to some lightly cooked dishes....mmmmm Nishime!

Springtime in New Mexico

Most people really don't understand "true" spring in northern New Mexico. It took me a couple of years to get it. Springtime in Northern NM is bright beautiful days and lovely cool evenings. It is also windy, very windy. Windy beyond belief and lots of blowing dust and dirt. Last Sunday, in Santa Fe, we had gusts over 70 miles per hour. I have been told that after 5 years , many people start to suffer incredible seasonal allergies. The juniper is just about to bloom and you can actually see the yellow pollen blowing in big clouds from the trees.

So far, and most likely due to the Macrobiotic lifestyle, I have avoided the runny nose and headaches and itchy eyes. If our blood gets sticky the allergens stick. Our blood quality suffers when we eat unbalanced, processed foods. Our blood quality suffers when we do not begin to transition to spring cooking until it is late ( well into March!) because no matter where we live the signs of spring may not be obvious. But I am achy from the wind. I didn't connect that symptom until I started to think about wind and Chinese theory. So my remedy is apple juice kuzu drink, warm and flexible. My food plan is to eat more lightly cooked vegetables and to enjoy barley. Barley is the spring grain and a helps dissolve and discharge the heavier winter foods and fats.

In honor of the wind and Santa Fe Spring check out the barley soup recipe in the recipe tab.

Winter Morning in Santa Fe

Today is a snowy day, with slick roads and a chilling wind. I actually like these days as New Mexico is often very blue skied with even temperatures. As the summer sets in I actually long for what I call "weather". Spending some extra time under the comforter with a great book is a luxury.

I find that my experiences in Macrobiotics has been of immeasurable help this past month. It has been a month of personal transitions in my work and family. Sadly, both my brother and wonderful companion Bootsy passed away. I also find myself once again on the road to re-imagining my life. To work with people and help them discover their innate healing capabilities is a wonderful journey. I plan to do more teaching and counseling as the New Year unfolds.

Helping others initiates from my personal experiences. Life has not been a straight line to happiness and balance. When is it? Navigating the times when the line zig zags is my key to understanding and maintaining balance so that I can clearly vision the path before me. Here are some of things that work for me:

• get enough sleep
• exercise every day
• eat 3 wholesome meals that include a grain and a vegetable
• meditate, even for a bit
• when I wake up, I view my day and see where fear holds me
• when I sleep, I make a gratitude bow to all the wonderful people in my life

And I make a wonderful pot of soup. Check out this month's recipe!

Harvest Time in Santa Fe

My harvest is beautiful. It has taken 4 years, but I am perhaps becoming a gardener. This year I have harvested lettuce, shisito peppers, 2 kinds of tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, broccoli rabe, kale, collards, tatsoi, cauliflower. The incredible sweetness of just cut collard greens is beyond belief.

The evening temperatures are quite cool and this week we had two soft freezes. I am getting as many tomatoes in as possible and will make and freeze some sauce using my homegrown basil, too.

The broccoli, kale and collards should weather the temperatures well for at least a few more weeks, but I am hooked on the taste of freshly harvested vegetables. I will need to get creative in my cooking this winter to keep my taste buds happy.

It is a paradox to me that as the weather cools, I would like some spice in my foods. Yes, spices warm, but also expel the heat. Hence they are most often used in hotter climates like Southern India and Mexico. Well, a couple of days ago I was craving a bit of a kick so I made the cauliflower and carrot curry ( fresh from my garden), which is the recipe this time.

Returning Home

I just spent the most incredible 3 weeks in Switzerland visiting my friend Giustina in Geneva and hiking in the Bernese Oberland. I experience a lifestyle that is lovely in Switzerland, especially the kind and generous people who live in the Alps. I pushed myself on the hike to overcome fears and learned that I have much to learn. The Alps are beyond words in their majesty and challenges. The hardest part of the trip was trying to maintain any sort of balance. When you are with a group , you are subject to preset menu choices. They were fabulous, but not our macro path, for sure. However, when you are exerting great physical activity some balance can be made.

I returned to Santa Fe with the weather cooling down, rain had come and the challenges of getting back to life. I feel the need for Kinpira Soup and that is the recipe on this site.

Deep Winter in Santa Fe

We have just entered deep winter in Santa Fe. The frigid, record shattering temperatures are causing problems all over the state. I am grateful that my home is warm and secure and that my pantry is well stocked with the staples of a good macrobiotic kitchen: grains, beans, sea veg, greens. The challenge of deep winter is to get enough sun and outdoor activity and also to try eating and cooking more than delicious soups and stews. It all moves hand in hand to help me from becoming emotionally blue. I find that as I age, it is easier for me to isolate, become rigid in my thinking and interactions and "dig in".

Thankfully as macrobiotics we know how to lighten our cooking and understand the importance that even a little daily activity offers. We just entered a # 7 year, so life should seem to be easing up and even experience some momentum. It does not feel that way right now, especially on the international front and the incredibly unusual weather patterns. This time of year does signal that Spring and that uplifting energy is just around the corner.
The recipe I will post helps to stabilize the heaviness of winter: Bok Choy and Shitake. I thank Mayumi Nishimura for her brilliant cooking.

I sit here on my computer awaiting this evening's full moon/eclipse/mercury retrograde event. I have been steadily feeling "crazier" and out of sync. What returns me time and again to balance is the combination of food choice, preparation, activity and other lifestyle choices.

Macrobiotics, to me, offers the concept of balance, yin/yang, inner/outer, up/down etc. Other approaches just seem, to me, to only be about the food and the nutrients in the food. While some think of Macrobiotics as narrow and rigid, I find Macrobiotics to be incredbily expansive with room for dialogue and questions.

Tonight is the cusp of the solstice, a time of deeply turning inward and listening to the small voice. Supposedly the Holiday season beckons us to parties and gatherings. I have always prefered this to be a time of small gatherings and renewals of friendships. A perfect time to share meals lovingly prepared.

Balance and Transition

As we age so many things in our lives seem to go through a more rapid change. Michio Kushi taught us that we get more yang as we age, life quickens; there is a greater urgency to accomplish our goals. I also experience change as my physical body seems to co-operate less. If I don't stretch or do yoga daily I feel some level of pain. Regardless of how balanced and nutritious my daily food, I will ache if i do not take the proper physical care of my body. Of course, if my food choices are not balanced, I hurt even more.

On a recent Macrobioitc online listserv there is a lively discussion on what creates health. The general consensus is that while food choice is critical, a balance of of physical activity and spiritual practice will create a larger sense of balance. I subscribe to this. I have always been physically active and for many years have practiced macrobiotics. I have also pursued a particular spiritual path on and off for years . In the last few months I have returned to daily spiritual practice and find that I am becoming more open, relaxed. The addition of my spiritual practice has grown the effect of food and activity.

In the last few days I have been tending to a family member with serious health issues. It is most difficult for us to help heal our families when they are unable or unwilling to change long ingrained habits. I am confronted with what I call "magical thinking". That is, one can heal and life can change without doing anything, without making one single change. We have all experienced a major health setback changing a person's world view. And some times it doesn't.
Transition is something to be accepted, rather than fought against.

I read a quote recently that all we can take care of is our corner of the world. I cannot take on family, much less the World. I can only c0-create my cornerstones of balance: food, spirit and activity.

Summer 2010

Ok well, I just noticed that it has been since winter since I have written to you all. Where have I been!
Summer has blazed in to Santa Fe, it has been over 90 degrees for almost a week. That is rare here. The blessing is that our evenings and mornings are cool and refreshing. The new recipe is a Noodle Salad. Even tho the last thing we want to do is enter a kitchen, we have to eat in an orderly and well balanced way so we can stay healthy and strong. I don't have to tell you that maintaining our physical and emotional balance in the topsy turvy world is so hard, but is a priority. Wild swings in our eating will eventually cause us to lose our balance. We need to strive to be a part of the solutions that are needed in the coming years. More than ever I am drawn to exploring MacroBiotic programs and travel, being with people who appreciate the inner strength that comes from order and balance.

Lately I have connected with a group in Albuquerque leading a macrobiotic life. I am grateful for our burgeoning group in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Winter Solstice

December 21, 2009

Winter Solstice in Santa Fe comes in colder, with the darkness sending me indoors to warm next to my fireplace. Bootsy, my wonderful husky, is loving the cooler weather and gets me up in the morning singing to go outdoors. All this cold and dark leads me to warmer, nourishing soups and stews. Hence this month's Chickpea Butternut Squash Stew.

It is a season of parties with old friends and new. For a smallish town, Santa Fe has a surprising variety in people, interests and things to do. As soon as I get used to the chill (it seems to take longer as I get older), I will put on the snowshoes and head to mountains, a very short drive away. A few weeks ago we had the Macrobiotic Pot Luck. 18 people came with fantastic foods and great spirit. Our little Santa Fe Macrobiotic community grows a bit at a time. One friend suggested it is time to start a center. We shall see what the year brings.

Warm Days/Cool Nights: Fall in Santa Fe

Fall again in Santa Fe and the macrobiotic cooking is good. The farmer's market overflows with produce and my fruit trees are bursting. This year I am making compotes from my fruit trees with apple, pear and plums. I freeze the delicious fruits for use during the long winter. I am also making and freezing slow roasted tomatoes from my garden.

The hatch chile roasters are back in town and are in the parking lots all over Santa Fe. I picked up a batch and left them in my car while I shopped. When I came back my car smelled just like Abuelita's kitchen (that means grandmother).

Chiles, tomatoes? Macrobiotics....well they make balance in our very dry, very high climate. It all depends on your condition at the moment. We have started our macrobiotic Santa Fe meetup group and are growing nicely. I look forward to a thriving macrobiotic community here in Santa Fe. It was wonderful to have Dr. Jonas Skardis join us. Dr. Skardis is a long time macro practitioner and his insight and experience are wonderful additions to our fledgling group.

Spring Arrives: sort of

April 1, 2009

As in many parts of the West, spring can come with sudden changes that keep us on our toes. So far in the month of March the weather has gone from balmy 70+ degrees to 6 inches of snow. The snow was badly needed, as we have had almost no moisture at the lower elevations all winter. My daffodils and crocuses look like an Easter (or Passover) parade nestled in white. While the snow at this time of year doesn't stay around very long, it stays so white, very different from my New York City experiences. Our farmer's market is pretty slim right now, but there are delicious prepared foodstuffs all made locally like green chile mustards and sprouts of all sorts. The sprouts lady convinced me how easy it is to sprout, so that is the spring recipe: Sprouted Lentils.

Winter arrives!

December 19, 2008

Today is the first real snow of the season here in Santa Fe. New Mexico is a skiers paradise because we get a texture called "powder". The snow comes down and hits fluffy and it stays white on the ground for days. What an interesting celestial season this has been. I hope you had a chance to see the moon conjunction with venus and jupiter. The Santa Fe skies were crystal clear and the conjunction was truly magical. Then, a few days later, we had the enormous full moon, that hung in the sky like a huge pearl. In Santa Fe, the moonrise came over the mountains with gray cloud shadows streaking the ascent. For a few moments the full moon hung over the mountains just touching the peaks.

It is cold now and the warming long cooked dishes feel so nourishing to the soul. This season's recipe is Posole.

The Changing Seasons in New Mexico

October 20, 2008

The seasons begin to change here in a beautiful transition. The days continue to be warm and sunny, but now the nightime temperatures dip comfortably into the high 40's and low 50's. The mornings are crisp and clean. Bootsy, my 12 year old Siberian husky is coming in to her own again. She wakes up spirited and anxious to go out: Maybe we'll see a coyote again this morning.

The Santa Fe farmer's market is bursting with mostly natural or organic bounty. It was just a few weeks ago that the Santa Fe farmers market moved in to its own, permament building in the new Railyard district ( more about the Railyard district in a future blog). There are so many vendors that the stands flow out of the main warehouse and pour like a cornucopia out into the railyard.

It has been almost 30 years since I had a garden and so I started slowly this year. I had to remove the old railroad ties ( creosote!) and fill in with new earth. I am so excited by my efforts, the pure joy of eating and cooking the vegetables you grow yourself. I have plump carrots so sweet it seems like candy, kale so crisp it screams LIFE with every bite. And winter squash....well I did have one very delicious buttercup before the vine died, but my butternut is orange and sweet and deeply flavored. Tomatoes, yes tomatoes, eaten fresh from the garden is an unbelievable experience. Am I sounding like a recent New York City transplant? Well it is hard not to gush. Tonight I savored homegrown carrot and brussel sprout nishime, homegrown creamy squash soup and a Braised Halibut with a homegrown tomato braising juice. Yummmmm.

New Mexico

September 11, 2008

Greetings from Santa Fe. It is almost 1 year since I moved from New York City, my home of 27 years. It has been an incredible journey and learning experience. It is a very different climate here. While we enjoy 4 seasons, the warmer months last longer. We are at 7,000 feet so it means drinking lots of water and cooking a bit differently. I was shocked that the first time I cooked beans it took 2-3 times longer. I am grateful that I had a chance to cook for myself before embarking on cooking for others. Unless one is limited as to use of spices, you do feel the need to add more spice to your food here. This time of year is chile roasting season. The fresh green chilies come up from a town called Hatch and are roasted in big drums on almost every corner of Santa Fe.

I have met many new friends and find people open and friendly, eager to make new acquaintances. This has helped my transition greatly. What has been a huge disappoint is the real lack of quality vegan restaurants. I had become so used to dropping in to Souen and Mana and Ozu when I didn't feel like cooking. I really empathize now will all my classmates from outside the New York City area that complained about all the cooking! Honestly, the couple of vegan restaurants are really not good. I wish you could experience what they call miso soup (or maybe you shouldn't). I had to ask one if they knew about any greens besides chard!

I do love being back out West. There is nothing like the western skies and the open feeling.

I wish you all well.