coming home & starting again.



i have been away & i am on my way back. i did not go on an airplane or visit another language. i did not take long naps by the beach or go to exotic dinners. it's been a time of family needs. a time to stop everything & focus on family. i can hear you nodding your heads..."yes, me too, i have been there"... i have missed you, me, these words, the kitchen, the energy of the summer starting & i want to jump in and embrace it all... the only photos i have to share are of my travels since last we connected. it's been a poem of a time (other titles that could work are twlight zone or whirlwind) and this is our life as renaissance mamas... women who do it all, who live life, who make life, who create the nourishment for all to feed & grow, women who have a deep desire to change or shift the world AND women who take care of themselves and nurture others. that's the biggest one for RM: NURTURING YOU to fuel the nourishment of your family. we can only learn this one together...it's a communal effort as it's a new paradigm of truely taking care of oneself and family..we have to support each other in it.



as i am coming through to the other side of this time....i am rediscovering a whole new way with my business of renaissance mamas AND i am coming to your neighborhood!! i am determined to build and create a nurturing culture in america where families know how to cook & eat well, surrounded by beauty, inspired by what's growing locally & empowered with the confidence to know how regardless of the shame, guilt & resistance we have surrounding our daily food culture today. i see a country of people who take back their local farms by supporting their local farmers, demanding good food from the government & taking charge of what they put in the their bodies. i want to empower women to take charge in the kitchen, inspire them to create rustic meals for their families and sate their needs at the same time. there is so much more on this... for now, invite me to your school, your town hall, your kitchen & lets get this conversation going... this renaissance mama is ready to get myself & everybody back on the wagon supporting this piece in all of us. see you in the kitchenxxx


**all photos were captured by my dear friend ingrid moriarty
please check more of her work out at www.ifmphoto.com**

small magazine.


hi mamas.. happy june! i hope all is well & inspiring in the kitchen. i feel really honored and excited to be apart of this incredible collaboration of artists, mamas & papas that make up small magazine. RM is in their summer issue with a flourless chocolate cake! if you have not heard of small mag. you are in for a real treat. it's AMAZING. everything is inspiring... page after page. take some self-care time and browse.... i promise every page is worth a look. they are definitely doing something right. (now if i could just get all the outfits in my size!) see you in the kitchenxxx

hot house.













it's cucumber salad time... i mean if you want it to be. this is a sweet & sour (more sweet) so so simple recipe that comes from my mom's kitchen... she always made it as a side dish served during the jewish holidays... but i make it a lot right about now. if you can get organic hot house cucumbers, those are the best b/c they are skinny and fit in the cuisineart for a fast slice or you can thinly slice by hand which is perfect too. if you can leave some time for this to steep and sit in the fridge a bit.. that is even better. if you are in los angeles, scott from peacock farms has cucumbers that are not too thin but oh so good. you can find him in hollywood on sunday & santa monica on wednesdays.

so slice the cucs, put them in a bowl you love (preferably medium to large and wide), mix the dressing which is 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of canola oil & 1/4 cup of rice vinegar... add water to taste... mix well with whatever feels good in your hand... i usually do this in a pyrex measuring cup with a fork. then i will taste a lot to see what i need... add whatever you are feeling... it could be a little water or more of one of the key ingredients...pour on cucumbers....cover & put in fridge for an hour or more. let me know how it goes & see you in the kitchenxxx

tweet, tweet.

Follow RMkitchenlove on Twitter

YEP. i did it...i have been invited to be apart of another great event
next week (thursday, may 20th) for PAM & it's called (get ready) a
twitter party!! thus, the beginning of my tweeting career. i guess
the saying really stands true: if you don't have any energy to fight
em', join em.' what would make this so amazing and fun? you ask.
follow me on twitter! it's a whole new world over there.. up to date
info from the RM kitchen, insights and daily inspiration from being
out on the road with other mamas in their kitchens & a whole lot more!
i hope you will consider it. it took me this long. see you on twitterxxx
here is where you can find me: www.twitter.com/RMkitchenlove

parsnip poem.



i want to tip toe, so silent, sit and stare at this poem of parsnips. the beauty that lies here...so still. it yeilds & speaks to me a the same time.. to a deep piece in me & us perhaps....withered & worn, exhausted and yet still here, more present then people i talk to in the day to day...they inspire me... this was the last of the pickins' at the market last week... i picked every last one.. they are so small and at the end of their season... i am not quite sure why i chose a dungeness crab parsnip soup to make with the mamas in the RM kitchen last week but it was so incredible that i had to share it with you..unfortunately, no more photos to share of the soup b/c it was gone before i could grab my camera. it was described as a pillow, soft like a duvee, grounding and so gentle, it was a round soup in it's nature and rythymn... it really is worth your time. i found it here from the kitchn....

Parsnip & Crab Soup
serves 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, sliced into thin rings
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
5-7 parsnips, peeled and chopped (i used all these little ones)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3-5 cups water with 2 vegan repunzel cubes (ones with sea salt)
1/2 pound cooked lump crab meat
Chopped Italian parsley, mint, cilantro to garnish

In a 4-6 quart pot over medium flame, heat the olive oil. When glistening, sweat the onion, leek, potato, parsnips, garlic and ginger with the salt for a few minutes until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Add the stock to cover, bring to a boil then lower heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the crab meat and cook another 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt if needed and freshly ground black pepper.

For a smooth soup, blend using either an immersion blender or in batches in a blender, taking care not to overfill. For a more rustic soup, mash any large bits of potato with the back of a wooden spoon. Serve warm and garnish with chopped herbs.

Serve warm and garnish with chopped herbs.


we had it rustic style and it was beautiful. let me know how it goes & see you in the kitchenxxx

tools.


here are a few of my tools that go wherever i go...

1. timer.. it's cute and it ticks aloud
2. mits that fit my hands and cute too
3. bread knife.. one tool that cuts everything... fast.

it's essential to have the right tools in your kitchen & here are few rules to go with gathering your tools..

first: you must love the tool.. whether it's the feel of the tool in your hand, the color, the look of it, the way it feels/looks in your space. two: the impact it had being born on the planet... i am a huge believer in quality over anything else... cooking is a craft & it requires the best tools.. if you use crappy tools, you will have a crappy time of cooking... and it works the other way around.. when you have a tool that you admire and respect, you begin to feel that with what you gather, create & cook. three: quality tools.. yep they do cost. you can save up & get the most important thing first and create a wish list of things you know you need. we are a country of consumers of what we never use!! so when it comes down to actually spending a little more on what you will use everyday ( 2 -3 meals a day), we resist....we really won't buy it because we believe we could use that money to buy so much more... yeah, so much more of what we won't ever use.... we have all been brainwashed by the cheap, easy, convenient ways of the world. i am like a phoenix rising to that idea... i am so passionate about it i almost want to send this with a little fire attachment to get the message across ;) if you have questions about tools please ask in the comment boxes.. i am sure everyone has the same or similar questions. it's basic: get things you love, that feel good to you and the mama earth, if it's cheap question why, start to value what you buy... lean more towards wood and steel. see you in the kitchenxxx