A little about Szechuan eggplant, a lot about nothing
I’m popping in to say hi because although I don’t have much to share with you, I may not have a chance to post for a few days. So I took photos of the Szechuan Eggplant that Jes posted yesterday and I made for dinner tonight:
I liked it, but Mark emphatically did not. Actually, when I told him I was making eggplant for dinner, he promptly started preparing himself some soy nuggets, exclaiming he hated eggplant and wasn’t going to touch it. He did get very brave and snatched a piece off my plate to try…and immediately spit it out into the sink. So it MAY not be the dish for eggplant haters. Since I was cooking for just myself, I was glad how quick it was. I halved everything but the garlic and the Szechuan peppers, and since I didn’t have scallions, put about 1/4 white onion, chopped, in the wok about a minute before the eggplant.
In the same post, Jes mentioned that she was finding Roanoke a little too suburban for her tastes and that she often needs to get away to nature. Which reminded me of a “hike” I’d taken just the day before here in Northern Virginia. (I put hike in quotation marks because I realized I wasn’t having to put much effort into it when I came across a couple pushing their baby along the trail in a stoller.) Here’s Northern Virginia’s idea of nature, my friends:
That’s SO typical. Tree decimation is rampant in these parts.
In the middle of the woods, I came across this:
I feel like I should know what it is?
It’s also sort of discouraging when I’m tempted to listen to my iPod on the “hike” with the sole intent of drowning out the sounds of that delightful NoVA traffic I love so much.
On the upside, here are a few shots of nature not looking quite so infringed upon:
In cat news, Brachtune ran away Saturday night. Now, don’t be alarmed. She’s back home, safe and sound. But it was pretty rocky for about 20 minutes there after I finished making my last post here and realized afterwards that it was strange Brachtune hadn’t been on my lap while I was typing it, her chin on my hand as I type, drooling all over me and the keyboard. I searched the house and became a bit frantic when we realized she must be outside. (I later determined she must have snuck out about an hour earlier when I’d stepped outside for a moment.) It was dark, so Mark took the flashlight and started off looking for her (he later told me he thought about way Tigger would have run and went in the opposite direction), while I stayed near the house looking in the side yard, where she likes to sit and eat grass when she’s on her leash and we’re on the patio supervising her.
Not having any luck, I went back inside and searched even more thoroughly, getting a bit upset because if she was in the house and hadn’t heard me calling her, something was very wrong. Just as I was about to burst into tears with worry, I heard the back door open and a familiar meow: Mark had found her across the street, looking scared. Now, I don’t know what in the world could possibly have possessed a 17-year old cat, who probably has cancer, who’s wasting away (she’d down to 5 pounds), who’s currently battling a urinary tract infection, who is the sweetest little bundle of love and affection, and who prior to this year was too scared to try to go outside and if she ever worked up the nerve, would go about a foot and run back in terrified, to suddenly decide – in the middle of the night – that she wants to run away from home. She’s been wanting to go out a lot lately, but the vet said she’s not allowed, even on her leash, until she’s recovered from this latest infection and can get her shots. So we have to keep an eye on her when we’re going in and out, but I never thought she’d do this, and certainly never thought she’d take off across the street! Fortunately we don’t get much traffic in our neighborhood and none of our wild friends like the neighborhood raccoon were around. And fortunately Mark was able to find her when he did. But I think she must be crazy! And the next day? She was on her hind legs, pawing at the back door, reaching for the handle, howling piteously, demanding to go back out. Despite the fact she must have been terrified. Who is this cat???
Josiane Said,
September 17, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
I love your pictures! You’ve got beautiful ones there.
I’m sorry to read that Brachtune is that sick. I don’t know if it’s a common reaction for sick cats to want to go out and isolate themselves, but that’s what my cat did when she got very sick towards the end of her life, as if she didn’t want us to see her suffering. I hope Brachtune will be back to her normal self soon!
Josiane Said,
September 17, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
I love your pictures! You’ve got beautiful ones there.
I’m sorry to read that Brachtune is that sick. I don’t know if it’s a common reaction for sick cats to want to go out and isolate themselves, but that’s what my cat did when she got very sick towards the end of her life, as if she didn’t want us to see her suffering. I hope Brachtune will be back to her normal self soon!
renae Said,
September 17, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
Josiane, thank you!
I was worried about that when I discovered she was missing because I know that is the case for some cats, but I’d be really surprised if Brachtune did that at the end; she’s soooo needy of our attention. And Tigger got even needier at the end, so I figure Brachtune will be the same way. And it also didn’t fit because she’s been acting completely fine: very happy and loving and as energetic as she’s ever been. But yeah, that’s a big part of the reason I was starting to totally flip out. She’s really hanging in there, though.
renae Said,
September 17, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
Josiane, thank you!
I was worried about that when I discovered she was missing because I know that is the case for some cats, but I’d be really surprised if Brachtune did that at the end; she’s soooo needy of our attention. And Tigger got even needier at the end, so I figure Brachtune will be the same way. And it also didn’t fit because she’s been acting completely fine: very happy and loving and as energetic as she’s ever been. But yeah, that’s a big part of the reason I was starting to totally flip out. She’s really hanging in there, though.
Jes Said,
September 17, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
Sad about Mark not liking the eggplant! I guess you can’t win everyone over. 🙂 And I’m so glad you guys found Brachtune–it’s so scary when the cats get out. Horrible to hear about the maybe cancer; poor cat’s dealing with a lot. 🙁
Your nature tromp looks lovely. I think the colors on that pipe are exquisite! In Atlanta I always had to seek out “nature”–sometimes I miss the urban walks!
Jes Said,
September 17, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
Sad about Mark not liking the eggplant! I guess you can’t win everyone over. 🙂 And I’m so glad you guys found Brachtune–it’s so scary when the cats get out. Horrible to hear about the maybe cancer; poor cat’s dealing with a lot. 🙁
Your nature tromp looks lovely. I think the colors on that pipe are exquisite! In Atlanta I always had to seek out “nature”–sometimes I miss the urban walks!
Ksenia Said,
September 18, 2009 @ 9:13 am
Strangely enough, I am not crazy about eggplant. I don’t hate it, and I don’t have problems if I have to eat it, but maybe it’s the only vegetable I never crave. I think I probably ate too much of it a time ago (I have the strange feeling that I have already explained it once xD)
I am glad to hear that Brachtune is OK and at home. The cat of my cousin, with who I stayed in Moscow, run away a couple of weeks ago too. Luckily, now she is at home =)
Ksenia Said,
September 18, 2009 @ 9:13 am
Strangely enough, I am not crazy about eggplant. I don’t hate it, and I don’t have problems if I have to eat it, but maybe it’s the only vegetable I never crave. I think I probably ate too much of it a time ago (I have the strange feeling that I have already explained it once xD)
I am glad to hear that Brachtune is OK and at home. The cat of my cousin, with who I stayed in Moscow, run away a couple of weeks ago too. Luckily, now she is at home =)