Miss Tibby

Miss Tibby.

Tiburona! I found her at El Vago's, along with her sister - Arena. We had some good times together, and I was especially fond of Tibby. In my final hours before heading out for Mexico - only Arena was adopted. I was a bit stressed out when a pleasantly buzzed Lagarto {aka Brett} said "Well, I guess I'll take 'er". It turned out to be a match in heaven. I'm so excited that my prized puppy has Brett as a Dad, and I'm stoked that Lagarto has such a sweet puppy to hang at the Soda. Here's some photos of her...

Tastes of Home.

Tonight grilled corn brought me to tears.

It was delicious, but not so sublime that it made me cry...
the taste of corn reminded me of home.

There are certain songs that remind you of a specific time. When I hear Mason Jennings "Boneclouds" album I am instantly brought back to Mexico ... emotions I felt, memories had, salty surf sessions. When I smell the lowtide and it's seaweed aroma I can close my eyes and be back home, on the back bay - on the boat with my Dad. I was flipping through channels the other day and came across the movie "American Pie"...memories flooded back of high school. Well, tonight when Gray and I dined on Grilled Salmon with grilled veggies {maui onion, broccoli, and mushrooms} and grilled corn - the corn overwhelmed me with thoughts of home. It's so random what hits, and when it hits....but it was so intense that I almost burst into tears as Gray and I sat at the dinner table. The corn brought up the best memories of sitting in my parents backyard, eating corn on the cob - downing steamers and clams on the 1/2, maybe even drinking a few beers. The dinner table in my family is so important, and for me - the respect I learned for having 'family' dinners - sharing food with people you love - has stuck with me through the years. So cheers Mom + Dad, pretty soon I'll be home eating corn on the cob with you - but until then you are always in my heart...when I'm in the kitchen, when I'm cooking food for people I love, and especially when I'm getting down and dirty with a cob of corn....

Gray...marinating some veggies and getting ready to grill some wild salmon.


Wild Salmon from my favorite, Seaside Market.


Gray, the Grillmaster.

Grilled Maui Onions + Broccoli.

Dining with D...A Taste of the Finer Things.

Todo, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore.

Everyone drives a shiny new car,

the only sizes in stores are 0, 2, + 4,

and a meal out starts at around $50.

Welcome to LA.

AuntieD and Me @ Geoffrey's in Malibu.

http://www.geoffreysmalibu.com/

27400 Pacific Coast Highway

Malibu, California

310.457.1519

Bah. Arrived in LA to Auntie D's. Money has just been flying out the window, but atleast it has been spent on my favorite thing: FOOD. We went to Geoffrey's (my moms FAVORITE) in Malibu for an expensive but delicious lunch. We sipped champagne cocktails and had a little bit of everything from the menu. Our waiter, Gary, was wonderful - knowledgable service with a smile. We started out with an appetizer special, Lobster Cakes. Divine.

Delicious, Delicious Lobster Cakes.

Next on the lineup was brie baked in a puff pastry with toasted pine nuts and carmelized pears, which were served with an orange zest - the perfect compliments to their sweet flavor and the saltiness of the baked brie.

Baked Brie in Puff PastryPear Chutney, Beurre Blanc, Roasted Pine Nuts

After the baked brie there was a salad, which was so delicious I forgot to take a photo of it! Poached Pear Salad ...Baby Pears, Mixed Greens, Cayenne Candied Pecans,Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, Pear Honey Vinaigrette . Our main course was Scallops - probably the best scallops I've ever had in my life. They were cooked to perfection - most and succulent...they melted in your mouth. Served over a bed of creamy foie gras risotto which was mellowed down by a pomegranate and balsamic reduction. Hands down, epic.

Sautéed Day Boat Sea ScallopsHudson Valley Foie Gras Risotto,

Drizzle of Star Anise Infused Pomegranate Reduction

It was Auntie D's birthday, and her favorite dessert is Creme Brulee....so, of course we got the creme brulee! The chocolate mousse on the bottom was just right!

Classic Geoffrey’s Crème BruléeLayer of Traditional Vanilla Bruleeon top of a Layer of Dark Chocolate Mousse

The damage: $200. A price that I was more than happy to pay for a totally sublime meal, in a beautiful setting, with wonderful service and a chilly champagne in hand!

Later in the day Lara came and met up with D and I in Studio City. We bopped and shopped and chattted and eventually made our way out to a great little Tapas place in the neighborhood for dinner. I LOVE tapas, because you get a little bit of this and a little bit of that! I love variety!

The Ladies who Lunch {or in the case, "Dinner"}.

Me, Diane, Lara.

Mussels. Plu mp, Juicy, Delicious. Fennel, butter, White Wine. With french fries.

Saffron Seafood Paella.
Grilled Cheese w/ Greuyere and Proscuitto

Curry Kabobs: Chicken, Pineapple, Zucchini
The best Tapa: India Zucchini Pockets. Shaved zucchini filled with raisins, pine nuts and some other totally wonderful ingredients that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Dear Food,
I love you, but you are making me fat.

Dear LA,

I love you, but you are making me poor.

Dear Encinitas,

I love you, I love you, I love you - and I'll be home soon.

Love, Cailin

Just Peachy.

Just Peachy is a happy place. They have everything you could need - speciality international foods that are reasonably priced and a huge selection of produce! I have yet to be unable to find something I'm looking for - the prices are right and the service is always super friendly. It's a 3 minute bike ride from wherever I'm staying and Just Peachy has made my dinner parties a breeze! The owner of the store gets a kick out of me - always arriving on my bike, in my PJs, with a list in hand and a smile on my face. We chat about "whats on the menu" and how the previous nights meal turned out. I love small towns, I love Encinitas, I love a good produce store - and I LOVE Just Peachy!

1354 N Coast Hwy 101 Encinitas, CA 92024

Fixin' Bikes + Eatin' Food

MmMm Veggie Stir Fry!

So I've been having some pretty big dinner parties lately. I decided that I was going to have a small, quality gathering: Gray, Erin, Chris and Me. I was in the mood for a spicy yet sweet veggie stirfry, and then Gray chimed in that he was marinating some tofu so he'd bring that over. Tofu is somewhat foreign to me, and I was skeptical at first - but it was totally delicious and I look forward to having an adventure with this food in the future. I'm totally crazy, so of course I prepped for dinner around 10am, riding my bike to Just Peachy - buying all the ingredients, and then slicing and dicing. On the tray I arranged them in order of first to go into the wok {onions} to the last thing in the pan {zucchini}. Some things need some more sizzle time than others! In the stirfry was onions, garlic, carrots, snap peas, string beans, broccoli, mushrooms, 3 kinds of zucchini/squash, pineapple, cabbage, dried apricots, raisins and then all of it topped with crushed cashews. I like to serve this over brown rice or jasmine rice. I sautee the veggies in a combo of coconut oil + olive oil. When the stir fry is about 2 minutes from being done I drizzle some toasted sesame oil on top, a decent amount of soy sauce, just the right amount of sriracha chili sauce to give it a kick and then a huge heaping spoon of apricot jelly. Vavavoom it was delicious, and the company was wonderful! While I was cooking dinner Chris was kind enough to fix up my new bike that Ali gifted me. It had several ailments, the main problem being the back tire. SO, a few minutes with Mechanic Del Moro and voila - new tire! Good eats, good chat and then good movie {Zoolander} make for ANOTHER successful evening in Encinitas :)

Mechanic Del Moro.

Soul Lifting.

You can purchase a print of this on Etsy.com, supporting artisans around the world.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/42404161/art-print-giclee-birthing-potential?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_query=lotus+painting&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Wow.

So...Saturday night I had a dinner party at my house. I was making a Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and a huge Garden Salad with a honey lime dressing and some homemade hummus with fresh baked pita chips. MmMm. When making a list of people to invite it was totally overwhelming, because I had over 25 amazing people on the list who I really wanted to join! I ended up widdling it down, putting out the intention that at the next dinner party I will invite the rest of the list. There were 16 people at the dinner party, and the energy was amazing! Two new faces, Michelle and Nicole - both yogini's and good friends with Gray + Chris. The food was outstanding...the few hours it took me to prep and cook for the soup was worth it! {recipes will follow, i promise}. As the crowd started dwindling, a dance party began! How, I don't remember - but it was organic and wonderful and soul-lifting. We danced like crazy people fully in touch with our inner dancers - with no reservations. DJing was Erin's great friend from college, Lindsay - fresh outta Brooklyn. The playlist was glorious, filled with oldschool hiphop, dancehall and michael jackson! Sunday was a day of rest, cleaning up, laughing and eating leftovers. Wonderful.

Last night Erin and I went to Kristen's peaceful, fulfilling Jivamutki yoga class @ the yurt. There were so many people that we had to all turn our mats in rows, able to feel the sweat and breath of the people beside you, in front of you, and behind you. Sometimes this crowdiness is a distraction and sometimes it fills me with a sense of community. At the end of the day I guess that how I interpret this many people depends upon myself, and just me...I cannot allow it to be a distraction. Money is running low so in her donation bucket I placed $5 and a big serving of my roasted butternut squash soup. Hey - give what you can. After yoga Chris had invited us to Nicole's house {the one yogini that was at my dinner party a few nights before} for some food. Well, we arrive and instantly were filled up with the good stuff. Good people, good conversations and good food. Gray was there and aside from him, Chris and Erin, it was all new faces! We had a "Kava Circle" which was kinda trippy and kinda like drinking mud - with little effect. BUT - I was digging the sense of community that it created. Following the Kava Ceremony we did some Kundalini meditation...for a serious amount of time. Meditation is something that I really struggle with - sitting still, calming the mind, not focusing on how bad my back hurts...getting a hold and coming to peace with meditation is definitely on my list of intentions this month. Afterwards we ate and chatted, and then I played music. Lots of music. Lots of originals. And I was showered with lots of love! It is so wonderful as a musician to play music that you've poured your heart and soul into - for a group of people who want to listen, really listen...and appreciate. This overwhelmed me with love, and it helped me to take my day's intention off the yoga mat and focus harder on the obstacle of releasing insecurities. Breath in love, exhale insecurities. Breath in confidence, exhale insecurities. We left pretty late - arriving home after 1am. Still hungry {sorry yogi's, I still am not sold on eh vegetarian food and the whole raw thing}, I cooked up some sauteed spicy asparagus for Erin and I along with some hummus. I had such a difficult time falling to sleep - my mind and body were racing, high off of this wonderful people and wonderful experiences. I read for a bit and then slept for a few hours. Woke up early, coffee in hand - pen and paper. Tomorrow is Wednesday, the New Moon, so be sure to make a list of intentions.

http://cailincallahan.blogspot.com/2010/04/intention.html

I'm headed out the door now to my favorite yoga class of the week with Katie -- so flowly, so fabulous. Tonight is - you guessed it - ANOTHER dinner party!! I'm heading over to Andy's house {Carly - erin's roomates - boyfriend} to cook up a big asian veggie stirfry over brown rice, followed by a jam session. Andy is an outstanding musician, and his roommate is in the famous band, Slightly Stoopid. He plays saxaphone and piano..and I'm sure much much more. Pura Vida and Namaste my friends.

vagabond.

Vagabond.

My Aunt Kate called me a "vagabond" yesterday. I looked it up in the dictionary to get a specific, politically correct definition...and I guess I'm kinda vagabondish. Dicitionary.com had somewhat of a negative connotation towards Vagabond, but I liked Wikipedia's definition..so we'll just go with that one!

Wikipedia says...

A Vagabond, or drifter, is an itinerant person. {Itinerant: a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home} Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterized by almost continuous traveling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for traveling, preferring to stay in one location.

Historically, "vagabond" was a British legal term similar to vagrant, deriving from the Lation for "purposeless wandering". Following the Peasants' Revolt, British constables were authorized to collar vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were jailed.

By the 19th century the vagabond was associated more closely with Bohemianism. The critic Aruthur Compton-Rickett compiled review of the type, in which he defined it as men "with a vagrant strain in the blood, a natural inquisitiveness about the world beyond their doors." Examples include Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Leo Tolstoy, William Hazlitt and Thomas de Quincey.

SO...yeah, I guess I'm a vagabond. There's lots of words for it, though I prefer "World Citizen"! So for all of you nomad's out there, I raise my glass to you. Let the adventure begin.

"Con mis pezuñas de cordero ,

me propuse recorrer el continente entero ,

Sin brújula, sin tiempo, sin agenda"

- Calle 13 'Pal Norte'

Doreen Callahan

Doreen Callahan

aka "Mom"

Wow. Where to begin? Such a profound person for words to describe.

Unconditional love.

The woman will dance anywhere, anytime...so long as the music is good.

Usually I'm really great with words, but it's hard to rally all the right ones for my mom. SO, a woman who knows my mom sent out an email and I think that she hit the nail right on the head! Happy Mothers Day Ma!

Now about this woman named Doreen.:

She grooms dogs. That means she washes and cuts their hair and clips their nails. Looks for problems she may have to discuss with owner. Clean up and get ready for the next patient. Check what supplies are needed and places the orders. Keeps a record of earnings and expenses for personal and tax purposes. Etc.etc.etc.

She prepares gourmet meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. This means consulting with nutritionalists and health food experts and then shopping at the different stores for the necessary items, bringing them home, cleaning, preparing and cooking the meals. Etc.etc.etc.

She listens and discusses with the doctor Paul's medications and leaves to fetch them at whatever time they're ready, sometimes having to argue and return when insurance rules throw up a barrier. She monitors and checks Paul's response to the medications and takes whatever steps are necessaey to adjust. Etc.etc.etc.

She keeps a close watch that Paul takes his medication, doesn't overtire and when possible take daily walks and sit outside to enjoy the beauty and wonders of nature. She encourages his and her friends to visit and spend some pleasant time with him. Etc.etc.etc.

She schedules his medical visits and off they go for more consultations, treatment. medicine whatever. These are anxious and exhausting times for Paul and she does all she can to support and comfort him. It's something she does willingly and lovingly knowing his good health is her good health his joy and happiness is her joy and happiness. They are united as one. And etc.etc.etc.

She keeps a log and sends updates to an ever-growing circle of friends and relatives. She encourages them to pray in whatever manner they can. God is all good and will hear their prayers. Etc.etc.etc.

She gardens, cuts down trees, entertains with scrumptuous meals, keeps close contact with her daughter and close kin, cleans house and everytime I get another email I shake my head in wonder. Who is this woman? How does she do it all? Absolutely remarkable. God bless you and keep you fit and able. Love. Happy Mother's Day . Gilda

I Pray You Enough

I just received a FWD to my email. I usually don't open them, but today I did. In it there was a prayer that really hit the spot, and I thought I'd share it. Sometimes you need the not so wonderful to appreciate the small things. Take time to live.

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger...

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess..

Casa de Gray.

Casa de Gray:

Utopia : an imaginary and indefinitely remote place

Oasis : something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

Shangri-La : a remote beautiful imaginary place where life approaches perfection

*Arcadia : a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet

Nap time @ Gray's.

I've been in California just under 3 weeks, and I have had so many magical experiences. Most of these outstanding memories are at Grays house. It's a place where I can be %110 myself, which is... elating. Goofy, sensitive, passionate, a touch of crazy...all of it. I can be every bit of me. The people that I've met at Grays house have made me a better person. They are artists or musicians or surfers or all of the above....but no matter what, we all have one thing in common: passion for life. I hope that everyone has a Casa de Gray in their lives - a safe place, a cozy place, a place of good food and good people and good conversations.

Checkin out the Circus Van.

Lila + her Circus Van full of homemade handmade costumes.

Gray + Erin, Biking to the Beach.

Coconut Curry

Dinner party #1,032.

I'm way backed up on my blogging...because I'm having so much g'damn fun! A few nights ago we went to Jen's house for a little dinner party. She made an amazing salad and a kickass cheese plate and I made a big batch of Coconut Curry. MmMmMm. It was quality girl time and of course another night filled with laughter.

Chef Cailin.

Jen, Lindsay, Erin.

Our Dinner Party Crew:

Shannon, Lindsay, Jen, Me and Erin.

CAILIN'S COCONUT CURRY

Ingredients:

- 2 cans coconut milk

- 1 can coconut cream

- 1 can chick peas

- Curry Paste {red, green or yellow...I prefer green}

- EVOO

- 1 large yellow onion

- 1 head of garlic

- 1 little pint of cherry or grape tomatoes

- 1 lime

- 1 jalapeno

- string beans! lots of em.

- fresh cilantro

- fresh basil

- curry powder

- cayenne pepper

- ground meat {optional}

So...I begin by cutting the onion in half and instead of dicing it, slicing it in 1/2 moon's. Dice up a whole head of garlic. Slice up the jalapeno. Add all three of these to a pan on med-high heat with some EVOO. While these are sauteeing, {if you aren't a vegetarian or cooking for a veg} make little tiny meatballs with the ground meat. I season the meat with a little bit of salt, pepper, cayenne and curry powder. The meatballs are only about an inch around. Throw them into the pan with the onions, garlic, and jalapeno - you may have to add some extra EVOO. When the meatballs are about 1/2way cooked, add in the cans of coconut milk and coconut creme. Add two heaping tablespoons of curry paste into the pot. Slice tomatoes in half and toss into the pot...along with a nice handful of basil {preferably thai basil but any basil will do the trick} and a nice handful of fresh cilantro. Add in the juice of one lime. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper and curry powder into the pot. Give it a taste...too sweet? Not spicy enough? Maybe add some more curry paste - this is totally up to your personal palate. Now add in the can of chick peas {if you aren't using meat, add in extra chick peas}. The meatballs are cooking in the curry and soaking up all of that yummy goodness...flavors are coming together. The last thing that you add to the mix are the string beans {because you don't want them to be soggy}. I steam them for a few minutes before tossing them into the pot, and then I serve it. I love this dish over a nice bed of brown rice or jasmine rice - again, its all personal preference, so go with your favorite. ENJOY.

Cinco de Drinko

Cinco de Mayo should be called "Cinco de Drinko" because at the end of the day...that's what it was all about! Bah. We spent the 6th of May hanging at the beach, sipped a few Michalada's {beer with ice, tomato juice and lime juice} and just takin' it easy.

DJ DAZZER + Mix Master relaxin' at the beach.

Goldy, our escort, taking the day off.

Erin and I...doing what we do best....

My favorite Encinitas ladies...

CINCO DE MAYO

Erin Rath, Erin Williams, Shelby, Ali, Me, Goldy, Kyle and Alisa.

CINCO DE MAYO

....Encinitas Style!

Wow. Way too much fun. So much fun that right now I feel like I'm dying. A gallon of water, several advil, a cup of coffee and some orange juice -- I think I need bacon, and....a cupcake. Soak up the tequila. Christ. I woke up the morning of Cinco de Mayo in my new casa -- Casa de Ali Dodge. I have my own room with a comfy bed, and though I was sad to leave Lenny's - it's nice to be living with a lady. Erin came over for coffee in the new casa and then we spent the day lounging and soaking up some sun. I made us a delicious Orange + Avocado salad for lunch and then we went and bought some goodies @ Seaside Market {the BEST supermarket EVER} for our dinner party. Ali made some cabbage salad, Blair made spicy beans, and I cooked up some delicious fish for our fish tacos. It was a feast! Ladies only -- and we had way too much fun. Food, booze, laughing and mini-dance-party and then Goldy came to pick us up and bring us to the Saloon. Well, we stopped off for a margarita first and that was a bad idea. Too much to drink, tons of crazy dancing @ the Saloon {thanks to Dazzie the DJ} and then I was asleep by midnight. Feeling rotten now, but I have a smile on my face and I'm getting ready for a surf. Let the good times roll...

Ramblin'

I just realized that almost every post recently has been about food + recipes. And then I realized that I have a definite trend in my ramblings on the blog:

Summer:

The blogs are not as frequent as the other seasons, and range from ramblings of food, family, WORK, surf, community, and yoga.

Fall:

Lots of ramblings about food and family: I finally have some free time from work so I am either fishing with my Dad, hanging at my parents house, or one of my favorite things --- GOING OUT TO DINNER! Fall's posts have tons of my self-proclaimed "Restaurant Reviews"! Ha.

Winter:

Travel, Travel, Travel and More Travel. Daily blogs from Costa Rica and then the ridiculous ramblings of my gypsy travels through here, there and everywhere. This year it was Ecuador, Galapagos, Panama, Mexico, and now California. Recipes are far and few between during the wintertime posts.

Spring:

RECIPES. I haven't gone back to work full time, the weather is beautiful, delicious fruits and veggies are everywhere - and all I want to do is eat food, create food, and dream about food.

So there you have it. If you want recipes, now's the time! If you want fun travel stories, go back into posts from this Winter. If you need a good recommedation for a restaurant in South Jersey or Philadelphia - check out the Fall blogs. And if a good ol' fashioned ramble is what you want to read - no worries...Summer is right around the corner...

Scrumptious Springtime Salad.

I opened my eyes at 6:30am and before I even acknowledged that I was awake my first thought was "AVOCADO + ORANGE SALAD"! Bah, I'm certifiable. I bought a huge 10lb bag of yummy, just-perfect Navel oranges at the farmers market the other day. Why a 10lb bag? I don't know...just in case, I guess. So now I have a gazillion oranges that need to be eaten, and I have two amazingly creamy and delicious avocados that are listo para comer as well. Usually I make this salad with ruby red grapefruit but some sweet and tangy oranges will do the trick. It is the easiest, most satisfying spring salad...perfect for this time of year.

salad:

Romaine + Red Lettuce

Orange Sections

Avocado

Hulled, Raw Sunflower Seeds

dressing:

Juice of Oranges

Dash of Balsamic Vinegar

EV.Olive Oil

Salt + Pepp

It's pretty self-explanatory, but for you people who need blow by blow, here it is:

Prepare your greens, top with sliced avocado. To get the orange sections I've found that the best way is to slice off both top and bottom of the orange. With the orange sitting flat proceed to take the knife all along the outside of the orange, cutting off ALL of the rind and the white parts, just exposing the flesh of the orange. Once you've cut it all off, run a sharp knife along the thin sections and voila! If you are having a dinner party and making this salad, I would recommend slicing up the oranges earlier in the day - it's not difficult, but can be tedious. For a little sumthin' sumthin' extra I like to sprinkle a few hulled raw sunflower seeds on top - they just seem very "Spring-y" to me. For the dressing you use the fresh orange juice as your vinegar - I also like to add a dash or two of balsamic to it as well. You do a little more than 1/3 vinegar {or in this case juice} and then less then 2/3 EV.OO. Easier than mixing them - squeeze the orange over the salad til it seems right and then drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle a little salt on top and then a few turns of the Peppermill and bam - you got yourself a scrumptious springtime salad!