Berry Almond Muffins

I just made up this recipe yesterday, and they turned out quite well. (They are all gone now) However, they didn't puff up as much as I would have liked, but were very healthy and tasty. I might try adding more leavening next time.

1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup milk
1 cup oats
4 tablespoons buckwheat honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

bake at 350 C for 45 mins.

the wonder of cheese

"Cheese is one of the great achievements of humankind."
-Harold McGee

science + history + food = interesting reading

I just started reading an awesome book: On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee. It is amazing. I'm still on the first section, which talks about milk and dairy products, but it is fascinating. It discusses the scientific principles underlying cooking techniques, such as the formation of ice crystals in ice cream, or the interactions of fat, water, and protein molecules in the formation of butter. And it goes into this detail on pretty much every food there is...it's over 800 pages long. I can't wait to read the whole thing. yeah...I think I am earning my blog title.

A fresh start

So after several months of neglect, I have decided to give this blog a new look, and a new theme. I never really liked my old blog title, so I'm trying this one out for size. I will probably mostly post healthy, tasty recipes I've discovered or invented, or other thoughts/info on food and science.
Here is my first recipe. I make this quite frequently and it is delicious, and very healthy. It's good with avocado or sour cream.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 sweet potato
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs chili powder (chili seasoning from a packet works well too)
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 c canned tomatoes (I use roasted tomatoes with chilies)
2 tsp lime juice
2 tbs chopped cilantro (optional)

1) Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook until onion is softened, about 4 mins.
2) Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, and salt
3) Add water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until potato is tender, 10-12 mins
4) Add beans, tomatoes, and lime juice
5) simmer 4 mins
6) remove from heat, add cilantro
7) top with sliced avocado or sour cream.
8) Enjoy!

note: I do not recommend adding cilantro to the whole pot, but to individual portions. The chili itself keeps well, but the cilantro gets a bit wilted and slimy after refrigeration.

A new year

It's been a while since my last post. Thanksgiving and Christmas were a bit hectic, but enjoyable. Now, it's back to the daily grind. At work, hopefully in about two weeks I will be finished with the annoying microhomology-mediated end joining project I've been slogging away at for about six months. For my first weekend back in LA I went to a concert at the Natural History Museum. Apparently, bands in LA like to play in museums. It's an interesting experience watching a band perform surrounded by taxidermied animals in their little dioramas.