This Pesto Barley Salad looks really healthy, right? Balanced, vibrant, and potentially packed with a good stack of vitamins. It looks that way because it is! I know this is a shock, especially after I warned you things were going to get dangerously decadent from now until New Years. Don’t go thinking I’ve gone back on my word. I have recipes planned that will rob you of every last reserve of willpower you have. But not today. Today, I bring you a salad because we are in the midst of that blissful gap between Canadian Thanksgiving and Halloween. So, let’s give a few vegetables a whirl. You know, just to say we did.
Today’s Korean Fried Tofu Mazemen Ramen combines three of my favorite things: Japanese food, Korean food, and vegetarian-friendly food because I am friendly with many a vegetarian. For those of you who are perplexed by the fourth word in today’s recipe title, don’t panic. It’s nothing weird or hard to make. In fact, it might actually make the recipe easier. Mazemen is a type of ramen that is served without broth. Yeah, no need to make soup. It’s typically served during the summer, or at least it is here in Toronto, and it often features a variety of toppings as well as a sauce. The idea is to admire the bowl for a moment before piling in sauce and giving it a good swoosh. Yes, the old pile and swoosh.
I live in a bubble. It’s not something I’m proud of but it’s something I can’t escape. Sure, every now and then I can expand this bubble but I can’t break it. My only consolation is you have a bubble too. We all do. We’re all locked in a collection of our experiences and from these personal triumphs, let downs and lessons we construct our worldview. There’s nothing wrong with this – it’s human nature. The problem arises when we forget about our bubble. And, as the news cycle continuously and mercilessly remind us, not recognizing our bubble can lead to hurtful and disastrous actions. But this isn’t that kind of blog. Instead, let’s talk about the more lighthearted misunderstandings that come from suddenly seeing beyond one’s bubble. For instance, when I set out to make this Granny Smith Potato Gratin, I had no idea I was wading into controversy.
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