split pea soup

split pea soup is for blustery days. it's a soup that you might eat at home. not often on menus split pea's solo food most likely you'de eat it alone.

here is a recipe i made mid october on a blustery day like today. summer is so over.

1 onion, small dice

3 shallots, small dice

2 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. celery seeds

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

1/4 c. olive oil

4 stalks celery, moon cut

2 carrots, small dice

1 yellow bell pepper, medium dice

1 parsnip, medium dice

3" kombu, ribbon cut

1 c. split peas

8 c. water

1. in a large stockpot combine onion, shallots, spices, salt and olive oil. cook covered over low heat until onions are soft.

2. add the rest of the vegetables, kombu, split peas and water.

3. cook together over medium heat until split peas fall apart. skim off any foam that forms on the surface of the soup.

this soup is vegan, and delicious as is. it also tastes good with a little bit of ribbon cut bacon, cooked crisp and stirred in. either way be really grateful for it.

cafe helloakland

my friend devinfresh has his own cafe now. it's on the corner of claremont and forest streets in oakland. it's a cafe inside a convenience store called wally's world market. it was called the greenbean forever and was home of the veggie bagel and so-so coffee. my friend super-hot jen worked there, and at one point robert balinsky showed a few paintings.

now serving all organic fair trade mclaughlin coffee and the pepples vegan donuts, helloakland is open during transformation. also available are custom juice cocktails and free wi-fi for the beloved customers.

signature savories include the avocadonator sandwich, the hella vegan bagel and the trainhopper: a half sandwich on sourdough of white cheddar and salami.

namaste devin see you sunday.

full belly farm

me and my donut man, nate the great, and one of his pals went to the hoes down harvest celebration at full belly farm. we burned biodiesel. as we arrived judith the farmer bicycled right past us. i knew it would be a great day. it was beyond inspiring.

a lot of my favorite people were there: my assistant remyfresh, chef leif, carl the peach guy, scoutmaster gren, his impish children and his sexy british wife, chef charlie, celeste cupcake, and my old friend arthur, a scientist that knows his way around yeasted doughs. there was so much time to talk and be with our friends.

the feeling i left with after coming to this event is that your work and your life can be the same thing. that making food and feeding people can be your whole life and that can sustain you.

thank you full belly farm, i came close to forgetting.

i set an intention on the full moon: for my work and life to be integrated.

we left down a pathway illuminated by jack-o-lanterns.