I am reveling in the wonderful time we had cooking up at California Witchcamp this year. Located in the redwoods 1/2 hour from my home town, we truly made the most amazing food. With a high powered crew of 13 of us, and with a guest paella master, we can do anything.

Here are some photos from that week with cute Kevin, Rascally Jodie and Kirk, and Paul(ie) on his way to Hawaii               .

Here’s Kirky proudly making his fireroasted salsa, Smart Sepe, and me trying to make my first Paella(is it crazy to try it for 100 for the first time?)

Intentionally putting the peas in the paella with Paella Maestro Michael Rauner.

How does one survive eating at buffet resort in Cancun? I did great for a day with all the “free food and drinks”, until the headaches started to kick in.   Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for all the food I get to eat, and that I don’t go hungry. But please, monogrosssmooth guacamole in Mexico? The pain was too great. One day my family and I escaped and found ourselves very happily at Market 28 in Cancun proper. I, in my excitement, ordered everything on the menu. We had guacamole(of course), ice cold beers, Nopales salad, enchiladas with mole, and coconut crusted shrimp with a tamarind/chipotle dipping sauce. I was, to say the least, psyched.

After Cancun I made it to Cozumel, Mexico to learn to dive.  Cozumel is a little island off the coast of Mexico, and apparently Jacques Cousteau said this was some of the best diving in the world.  I took a three day course, and braved the deep crystal clear waters. It was exciting and terrifying and peaceful all at once. Here you can see my instructor Luis, myself, and a turtle.

After diving, I would wander the streets of Cozumel for some good food. I found here some Tickinchik, fish with Achiote. This was excellent. Strangely, like so many coastal places, this fish was not local.

Of Course, there was the  Argentinian Empanada Place, called Del Sur, with Chocolate Banana Empanadas.  Very Excellent! Check out this link if you want to see photos of the empanadas.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g150809-d1575579-Del_Sur_Argentina_Empanadas-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html#24195810

The journey to Joshua Tree ended really well.  I am very happy with the quality and beauty of food that we made. Here Savrah’s raw kale salad that she will teach in the upcoming bolinas cooking series.It is the one of the best ways of making kale that I have ever tried. Remember the first time you ever tried kale? I think it was in collage for me but I can’t remember for sure.  Life before kale…its hard to imagine.

Here is Kathalina with her amazing asian jicama spinach salad with a citrus dressing:

I have been having fun working on a pumpkin coffee spice cake with an almond chocolate ganache recipe that I adapted from the millenium cook book. Here it is:

Pistachio rose cupcake with a rose frosting. The pink color is beet juice.  I would say these cupcakes are a “10″ in my

dessert book. They were really really good.

These babys here are authentic German Potato cakes(we call them Poteo cakes for Teo) with cucumber raita and a pear chutney. A great adaptation to the classic german version. Indian food meets German? Humm, could be good. Does that mean we can have a chai beer?

How about bollywood style peanuts? I ate so many that I couldn’t really breathe anymore.:

:Here’s Jeremy and Me, after he gave he his coveted t-shirt! I am so happy! I think I will wear it to Rainbow grocery.

2 sleepless full moon nights, ephedra and pokey plants everywhere, I am here in Rose Cottage at the Institute of Mental Physics, in Joshua Tree. There are 7 of us cooks in a 3 bedroom cabin.  It is a real testament to the quality of this crew that we can be together all day and then co-habitate as well as we do.  The JTree center was started by Ding Le Mei, one of the first westerners to study in Tibet. Apparently, in the 20′s and 30′s this center was a major spiritual center.  I am here cooking for about 160 folks from the Four Winds Society.  Four Winds, in my small understanding of what they do, teach people shamanic wisdom and healing arts of the ancient Americas.     Joshua tree is growing on me. I like the wide open spaces and the  artist/ outlaw spiritual/in-recovery vibe that is present  here.

We have been making some great food. I have been excited about making brussels and beets with candied walnuts and a balsamic reduction. I have been really into brussel sprouts lately. It helps to boil them before you roast them.

Here’s Teo, as the king of the Brussel Sprouts.

I have enjoyed coming up with a fun new way to make chocolate cake go with with thai food. So here is a chocolate ginger cake with a coconut kefir lime frosting

Yumm.