Twas the night before X-Mas vacation

Today was a fantastic day. I am really loving the new pad. it is raw and needs work but the kitchen is getting there. I made dinner for my roommate and I. We prepared salad with sprouted beans. alfalfa sprouts. 2 slices of wheat bread; arugula. romaine and red lettuce. adobo. capers. with cucumber. campari tomatoes. chopped red. green. yellow and light green peppers. olive oil and the last of the balsamic vinegar.

I am quitting balsamic forever. Watch out for Balsamic Vinegars being sold for cheap prices. Investigate thoroughly because the 2 stores that I saw the balsamic said: May contain lead. No thank you.

I also made sweet potatoes in the oven and sauteed some spinach with olive oil. onions. garlic and red pepper. Alec. my roomate does not like mushrooms.

After our fine repast I proceeded to clean up the dishes and clean the stove and it was totally a pleasure with the introduction of the internet radio. I spent most of the night listening to Sirius First Wave (I guess its because its not so "New" anymore. ) It is a great station!

That's all for tonight the kitchen looks very nice again. my food and plates are away and my breakfasts for the next 10 days have been packed . I am so happy! I am going to meditate before I sleep tonight. I feel extra thankful.

Good Night!

Thank You Ari Up

A word about Ari Up. She was a friend to the Checkerboard Kid program. She was always cool so giving. I still have messages she left on my voice mail. She was always wild, always a party. I remembered when we did a live show she came on stage with us and sung "You Can Get It If You Really Want". She also did a full show with us and another bit with Brave New Girl. My sympathies go out to her friends, family especially her kids. Ari was all about bringing people together. She truly was one of a kind. Respect to you Ari! Thank you so much!

Eat Your Face!

What's gonna happen to Salad face? Red Leaf green leaf lettuce. heirloom tomatoes, beans and quinoa, capers, egg white, cucumbers, red, yellow, green, orange peppers with some olive oil and balsamic. and a sweet potato.

My Uncle also hipped me to chopping up a hot pepper and putting it in the bottle of olive oil. the pepper I'm using is called a volcanic hot pepper.

The Passing of Vicker Gringo

The Checkerboard Kids is primarily a ska program. I have to really believe in a band to have a band that is not ska on. Thus was the case with the innovative band The Deuce and a Quarter headed up by artist, animator, actor and general raconteur Vickers "Bastard" Gringo (Paul Vickers Lyon) I met Vickers about 1995, a kid with green hair and big ideas about music and life. I was happy to reconnect with him in 2009 and have the band on Checkerboard Kids. Upon my return from Canada yesterday I received a call from The Deuce drummer, Jerry who told me after the Gig they played on Saturday, Vickers passed away in his sleep. Wow. I'm still processing this but while I'm sitting around scratching my head. Lets never forget the music that he and his bandmates loved so much. My sincerest sympathies go out to his friends, family, girlfriend, and especially Jerry, Patrick, Adam and the entire network of The Deuce and a Quarter who were just putting the finishing touches on a new release. I'm sure Vickers would have wanted that music in the hands of the people. Rest in peace, Vickers. Thank you for everything.

His friend Abbi from Dart Gun Radio put up a touching tribute on her blog so check it out! http://abigailallan.blogspot.com/

Here are some clips:


Amero:



Absorbing the Head of a Fly:



Whiskey Bottle and a Shot Glass



The entire episode:

MondayTuesday in Canada

Monday: Ride in was very crampy. Met a nice Womens Studies Major named Betty. Met with my Uncle and his homeboy, Bobby and we took the train from Montreal to Sorel. Then we went shopping for everything that I eat. I have simple needs. then we had lunch. Enclosed is a picture of Lunch:

Sorry I said I was going to really stop posting pictures of my food up but Its what I do.

Exibit A: A yam and a salad made of lettuce, cucumbers, capers, red, green, orange, yellow and sweet long red peppers, carrots

Exibit B: Quinoa and kidney beans white and red with hot sauce, adobo and milled flaseeds.

Afterwards I went out and met with a freind from Sorel and hung out for a bit. then I came home and hung out on the porch with my family. My Uncle made Salmon and I had a smaller salad with 2 slices of wheat bread. Then we planned out the rest of the week and decided Weds was going to be Karaoke night! Yay! Emailed folks and went to bed after listening to the same song like a million times.

My cousin says I can get a job teaching English and stay in Canada. It sounds like a nice dream. Looking at the stars from this vantage point it almost seems feasable. Who knows what the future brings. For now Im happy to be on vacation.

Tuesday: I prayed, meditated and showered then I counted raisins:

63 sun maid raisins makes one ounce. put them on a napkin and make sure they dont touch each other. I dont take my travel scale across the border. I bet you can guess what kind of scenario that could create.

I count 27 squares of spoon sized shredded wheat. I make sure the grains of the cereal go up down up down up down. (look at photo closely for details) 27 squares is about ounce also. From there I add 3 teaspoons of flaxseeds for the needed amount and put them together in a tupperware sandwich case. I do this 3 more times. Note: at home I can do this 9 more times (see other blog entries) but time and tupperware constraints were upon me.

I chop up one banana and add one cup (8 ounces) of unsweetened soymilk. That is how I roll.

Next my Uncle and I went around Sorel Tracy and looked at the homes, some had homes with 2 cars, some had boats on their lawns one guy even had a plane. Then we went to visit my Aunt in the Cemetery. That was sad. I miss her. from there we came home and had lunch I ate the same thing I had yesterday. After lunch its been threatening to storm so we kicked back with Clash of the Titans then I broke out Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths I think hes digging it. Hes a very hip Uncle. Thats it for this moment more later. See ya!

Little Wonder About My Latest Obsession

On my way up to Canada I had a lot of David Bowie I was listening to, a lot of it I had never heard before. In the middle of the night I was awoken by this song that I enjoyed so much that pretty much I listened to on a loop since I found it. People know that I have this tendancy to do this. So here is my latest obsession, a song called Little Wonder off Bowies album Earthling. I was wondering why I liked it so much since I love to analyze stuff into the ground but I found somebody who really hit the nail on the head of what makes it such a catchy tune. Peep this article out. Ill have my normal blog about whats going on here in Canada next time. I think im gonna count raisins and listen to this song a couple of more times before going on a walk with my uncle.

Here is the video so I can watch it at my leisure:

Taking Off To The Great White North

Psyching myself up for my big Canadian Adventure! With the real actors doing the voices! watch the end for the preview to their animated television show.

What's Grosser Than Gross?

Warning: do not read this if you get easily grossed out. It makes me sick just thinking about it.

I was just discussing with my homegirl Maya Bidiya the virtues of veganism. Personally I eat salad to keep my food pretty much cruelty free. Yesterday I chopped open a red pepper to see that not only had I had successfully chopped the top off said pepper but also cut some sort of tiny caterpillar in half. We sat there looking at each other for a bit. the lil' feller was a gonner and he didn't even know it. So I just made him comfortable putting him in the bag with all the vegetable trimmings where he could eat his fill while the food kept pouring out the other side. I cleaned my pepper and pressed on. This hearkened me back to days in the Bronx as a child and roaches would get into the box of Golden Grahams and I would have to turn on the kitchen light, wait a minute. enter the room. grab the box, open the box, smack the box three times on the table, leave for a couple of minutes as a courtesy for them to get out of the box. Gingerly I'd pour cereal into the bowl. inspect it for any dead roaches or stragglers. Then pour the milk, eat, repeat. Any roaches alive or dead that would float to the surface I'd just remove with my spoon and keep it moving. Disgusting, I know but this is how it was. I am grateful that I don't ever have to experience any of that again on many levels. It is a fantastic life. Now without flinching I'm going sit, pray and fully appreciate my shredded wheat, banana, raisins and milled flaxseeds measured out perfectly with eight ounces of silk unsweetened soy milk. cruelty free of course. Have a great morning. Eat a good breakfast it's the most important part of your day.

Meet Buster!

This is my roommates 6 year old Dachshund, Buster. I cant help but be drawn to him. I was petting him on the head and he jumped into my lap. He flinches at every sound. Nervous thing.

HEY BUSTER! WHERE ARE YOU?
ROVER HERE!

Double Happiness

Two different versions of steamed veggies with black bean sauce on the side and brown rice.



Lunch in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Wild Ginger 112 Smith st. offers a small serving of brown rice with white cannelloni beans in it. but they make up for it with a wide assortment of vegetables including everything from asparagus to zucchini, pea pods, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and some weird white vegetable. What the heck is that thing?




Dinner in Manhattan Chinese Fast Wok 230 7th Avenue between 23rd and 24th st. are fast and have low priced eats and a nice amount of grub (carrots, water chestnuts, baby corn, green pepper and broccoli which I always remove and eat separate) Drawback: sometimes the patrons don't know the term "indoor voice"

Skyrockets in flight: American Buddhist Delight

One of my favorite spots to eat is
Fuji Asian Restaurant 1367 First Ave. (Between 73rd and 74th) American Buddhist Delight (fresh pea pods, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, string beans, baby carrots and soft bean curd aka tofu) I add a lil' cashew nuts and some steamed Broccoli for maximum vegetablelocity and brown rice, black bean sauce on the side. This restaurant used to go by the monicker "Maple" (I know, it sounds like a Canadian pancake house!) but after a lovely renovation this place has stepped up their food game as well as the ambiance level. The workers are courteous and never give me the ol stink eye if I languish around for a while. This place gets a major thumbs up from me.

It's Supper Time

95% of the time I eat the same exact dinner every day with small deviation. I don't use menus ever.

Diner Dinner: Veggie Burger on toasted wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, pickle and a baked potato

Should I deign to eat fish (on rare occasion) I will have Salmon, side salad, (w/o onion) with a green steamed vegetable or on occasion lightly sauteed spinach with mushroom and a baked potato.



Chinese food: steamed vegetables with tofu and black bean sauce on the side with cashew nuts and brown rice.

Empire Schezuan "Design your own dish": steamed broccoli, spinach, green beans and soft bean curd (tofu) with black bean sauce on the side with cashew nuts and brown rice.

My "Standard Lunch" but for dinner: I prepare a salad with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and 4 different color peppers, cucumbers and alfalfa or broccoli sprouts, chopped radish with balsamic and extra virgin olive oil, adobo and capers. top it off baked yam or sweet potato. two slices wheat bread. For protein I will add beans or beans and quinoa

A Letter From Chef Dave

This just in from Chef Dave via Facebook:

I’m with a friend on Wednesday, and he introduces me to Quinoa. I come to find out it’s the Incan “Mother Grain”. Phil teaches me how to cook it, and now I’m a big fan. Thursday I audition to cater a wedding for labor for 70 people in Brooklyn, and I had given my client a list of ingredients I needed in which to prepare a chickpea salad. I get there, and she had forgotten the chickpeas. I open her cabinets and find a collections of unmarked grain in jars, the client hands me a jar and asks, “Is this Quinoa?” I pop open the jar, put my nose in it, and say, “This is Quinoa”. Not a commercial Quinoa product, yet I prepare it the way Phil had taught me the day before…and I take a scoop of this diced cucumber and tomato salad I had prepared earlier, dump some in the perfectly cooked Quinoa I had cooled down and made a Quinoa salad with cucumber and tomato . The client loves it, she wants it for the wedding and hires me on the spot. Friday I share the story with these affluent members in the upper east side, and they absolutely flipped over the recipe. 5 days later, the New York Times publishes a recipe for a Quinoa Salad with cucumber and tomato. “My” salad. Thank you, Phil.

Way to go, Chef Dave! Glad to be service! :)

Water Aerobics: Not For Wimps!

This young lady is holding a "noodle". It seems innocuous enough until you get it into the pool. it is one of the weapons in the water aerobicisers arsenal.


I really hate going to the gym. Its repetitive. It's boring, like being on a treadmill. (Actually I prefer being on the elliptical machine.) So In order to step it up a notch I started doing water aerobics. I got my speedo swim cap. (no rubber flowers) I think I was the youngest guy in the class and a woman was all like "I think you're in the wrong place whippersnapper!" I must admit I was a little intimidated but its hot outside and I'm grateful to be in a pool. The instructor arrives and we begin. Much to my surprise this stuff is hard. after a while I'm thinking "Do we get breaks up in here?" the answer is a resounding NO. I'm thinking I gotta finish strong I don't want to wimp out in a room full of a peeps in their golden years! at the end of the class I felt pretty accomplished. A couple more sessions and I started noticing a further range of motion in my extensor digitorum longus muscle. (I started noticing a stiffness during Tai Chi.) There is a lot of chop busting in that class but people are always willing to help a brother out. Man i have to learn how to tread water or I'm gonna drown in the shallow side of the pool and that would totally be ultra embarrassing! The class I went to yesterday we had equipment that looked like big toys, bright yellow weights. I was amused. that is until I put them under water these things got heavy and hard to move around. Then there is this noodle thingy! ya got to push this down and it really makes you tired! in any case you haven't seen the last of me yet! I'll be back!

Chef Dave is in the House

Painter and Martial Artist, Chef Dave wanted to come over and show me Master Tony Jaa's Ong Bak 2. We even cooked lunch I made Quinoa and black beans with kumato. i also made the salad but Chef Dave busted out these Wustof knives that defied reality. his ability to cut vegetables and put together entrees was mind boggling. "Sometimes people refer to me as the human Cuisinart" here's what we had:

salad with with quad color julienne peppers, radishes, capers and cucumber in a balsamic vinaigrette

1 baked yam


wilted spinach salad with sauteed yellow squash, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red onions, sliced granny smith apples, raisins and a touch of honey, lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and dill.

Quinoa and black beans with aromatic vegetables (garlic, red onions and peppers) a little sea salt and adobo seasoning

2 slices of wheat bread and a tall glass of water chef Dave then prepared himself a tall espresso in my Montezuma cup. He seemed quite pleased. "Next time let's invite some girls over." I hope they dig martial arts flicks!



Dave pouring his espresso from his beat up espresso pot. "nectar of the Gods" he calls it. Coffee makes me a mite nervous! (I only drink water.)

Shopping List

I just did a compra. that's grocery shopping for those of you that weren't brought up Hispanic. All the stuff that I usually buy is right here. On the left is Dr. Bronners Peppermint Castille soap good for people and vegetables, A new toothbrush, dental floss and toothpaste. A pack of kumato tomatoes (delicious) 4 colored peppers, a jar of capers, Granny Smith apples, a container of alfalfa sprouts, unripe bananas. a half gallon and carton (you can store it unrefrigerated for a year!) of Silk unsweetened soymilk (sorry to tell you if you like the plain one: cane juice = sugar), Traditional and Inca Red quinoa (I just couldn't choose so I got both) Yams and a bag of Bob's organic milled flaxseeds.

Things that I'm missing from this picture: Original (red box) Post spoon sized shredded wheat, Sun Maid Raisins, beans of all types, Lettuces of all types, Wheat bread made without high fructose corn syrup, tofu, seasonings like extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, Goya Adobo, sea salt, Tabasco sauce, Bragg liquid aminos and a bunch of vegetables that I add to salads or steam like spinach, mushrooms, Kale, radishes, and many many more. I also take a daily multivitamin.

That is pretty much all I eat. As for drinking I only drink water. no bubbles, no flavors or vitamins just water. sometimes I go nuts and have some ice with it but that's as far as I go.

It's a very simple structure that works for me. Personally, I can complicate a glass of water if you let me. My ultimate choice is no choice.

Independence Day 2010

Did you know I used to totally rock a beard? Yep it's true. here is a shot from Thanksgiving 2006, contrasted with a May 2010 pic. As it stands today july 2010 I am now 159.4 lbs, I was a 300+ pound hot mess. Though I am still a work in progress. I can tell you physically I feel much better. My snoring is gone. Knees feel much better and my doctors couldn't be happier. The best result i've experienced is, I'm genuinely happier. I post this as a reminder. Memo to myself: Don't you give me any more sass when i ask you to do something like do your exercises, I'm trying to prolong your life! A fellow public access producer told me a contemporary of ours passed away from heart failure. I scoured his blog for any indication he was ill. a year back there was one simple entry that just had some sterile information about heart failure. No personal insight.

Let me be real with you. On the off chance that I die sooner than later, I want you to know that this has been the best life ever. Everything happened as it was supposed to and despite various luxury problems I have, It's been terrific and I will agree with what my Grandfather told me before he passed off this plane of existence "it's all good."

I'm going to enjoy this Independence Day, not with the traditional eating grilled meats in sugary BBQ sauce, grazing salted finger foods while pounding brewskis 'till I'm spewing the technicolor yawn into the porcelain altar. I'm going to honor myself. engage in some quiet meditation, exercise without sassiness, eat right. Tell my family I love them.

Here is a great song by Comsat Angels from 1983. i used to listen to this on WLIR when I was a kid. Enjoy. Be good to yourself and others. Live.

Phil's Home Journal

I'm trying to do more writing now that summer is upon us so here's a little excerpt from my War Journal er Food Journal same thing as far as I'm concerned.

Friday: I didn't have time to prepare a salad for school so I went to Organic Forever (2053 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, NYC) and had a little of the sprouted brown rice, chick pea salad (w potato and spinach) and steamed veggies with a veggies black bean chipotle burger on sprouted wheat bread w/ sprouts and lettuce and tomato.

there was a baby shower for the Assistant Principal of the school and I contributed to her gift but originally didn't want to go to the party because "there's gonna be a lot of food there so I should avoid it" luckily I thought better of it and came in and hung out. It was completely decorated in a checkerboard motif, flags and tablecloths (that's always an indication to me something is approved by the universe) I had fun, spoke to people. I felt a part of. We shouted "surprise!" I had some water with ice and when the food started getting doled out it was time for me to cover a class. so I bid the guest of honor a hearty farewell and was out. and I felt good.

I was at MNN working behind the scenes on "Something To Offer" i did my best. I did audio, character generation and some camerawork. I felt good about it. Reminder to take that final cut class this summer!

Her first guests were Jeremy Taylor (Step Up!) and Richard Speziale (DVTV) who were the Director and Editor of Burma: An indictment I highly encourage everybody to check the documentary and go to the website: FreeBurmaAlliance.org

In contrast to the starving in Burma, the hallway s of MNN had every single tempting food laid out for me in mass quantities, junk food, munchies, candies I liked, even bunches of apples and bananas, grapes. The second show had as guest, Joyce White made a great salad but with big healthy slabs of chicken. I had to calm down and relax I was scheduled to eat later and i gotta stick to the plan. never deviate from the plan.

For dinner I went to my absolute favorite restaurant Empire Schezuan Kyoto, I had my normal design your own dish: steamed vegetables (broccoli, spinach and green beans) with tofu, cashews and brown rice with black bean sauce on the side. I had a nice conversation with two eighth grade boys who engaged me in conversation during dinner over the book I was reading (Napoleon Hills Laws of Success) over 1000 pages! We discussed literature summer reading plans and artistic pursuits. they were sharp and will go far in life. it gave me optimism for the future of youth.


Saturdays food:
Breakfast: 1oz shredded wheat, 1oz raisins, .5oz milled flaxseeds, 1 banana, 8oz unsweetened soymilk

Snax: Granny smith apples

Lunch: steamed vegetables and tofu with cashew nuts, brown rice and black bean sauce on the side.

Dinnr: if I go to a diner I will have a veggie burger on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato, pickle and baked potato (if they offer a salad or steamed vegetable, that too.) If not I will go home and have my regular home meal of salad with cucumber, 4 color peppers, tomatoes, radish, alfalfa sprouts, capers, balsamic and olive oil. Perhaps some quinoa with beans and tofu, 1 baked yam, 2 slices of wheat bread and if I'm feeling crazy a lil steamed kale.

Mercury Rising

Safe among the vegetation: Jason Trachtenburg from the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and the Pendulum Swings strikes a pose with me and my Mercury t-shirt at the 4th street Food Co op.


For the past couple of years I had cut out all meat except for fish. this was going well i was feeling healthy (with the exception of a strange lung thing that wasn't going away and and an itchy feeling all over that my doctors could not find the origins of or proof I was even feeling this.) was I going nuts? then it dawned on me puritis is a symptom of mercury poisoning so is insane thinking. so I got tested. I got a phone call from my doctor while i was on my way to buy more white albacore tuna in water for i only had 7 cans left an was in constant fear of running out (insane thinking) He asked how much fish do you eat. I said 7-12 servings a week over about a year. He asked if I could pare it down to 2 times a week and not eat tuna. (I was still trying to figure out ways I could sneak in some tuna into my diet until I realized that was insane thinking) .5 nanoliters of mercury in your blood is ok I had a whopping 29nl in my blood I received a letter from the Department of Health and spoke to the person in charge of Mercury. They also have one for Lead and other elements he informed me. He said when I got tested, anybody who hits over a 25nl of mercury on their blood sets off a red flag and he interviewed me to see if I had been exposed to anything like neon lights and other things. i told him how much fish I ate and he ran down a list of what I was not to eat

HIGH MERCURY Eat three servings or less per month:
Bluefish, Grouper, Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf), Sea Bass (Chilean) Ive had it, Tuna (Canned Albacore) a staple to my eating, Tuna (Yellowfin) no more sushi!,

HIGHEST MERCURY Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King) holy mackerel!, Marlin, Orange Roughy, Shark (I had it in Hawaii), Swordfish (I had it twice), Tilefish, Tuna (constantly)

this list can be found http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp plus a list of fish you can eat (Wild caught salmon is ok farm ones has PCBs) but considering the current oil situation maybe I will stick to advice from Jason Trachtenburg of the 4th street food co op. (open to the public) and roll cruelty free. Here is a list of top 10 vegetarian protein sources. http://www.womenfitness.net/protien-option.htm

Personally, I enjoy quinoa (Inca red or plain) with beans is considered a complete protein.

Incidentally when I stopped messing with the mercury laden items, the itching and lung thing both went away. the insane thinking is still up for debate.

What exactly do I eat anyhoo?

Salutations all. It's been a hot minute since my last post. As of 3/1/10 I weighed in at 169.2 lbs, which begs the question: What the heck am I eating? I'm posting this now so I will never have to answer this question ever again. I can simply refer any curious person to this blog entry and their questions will be answered and the world spins.

Keep in mind I am a little ocd. Even as a child I categorized and stacked items like baseball cards and comic books in many different configurations. I do the same with food. I don't have to understand 'em, just rope 'em, throw em, brand 'em.


Breakfast: I eat the same thing 99% of the time 1 ounce of spoon sized shredded wheat (usually around 27 squares) 1 ounce sun maid raisins (approximately 63 raisins) .5 ounces milled flaxseed. 8 ounces (one cup) of unsweetened "Silk" soymilk (the green container, the regular has cane juice!) 1 banana and one centrum multivitamin. I use a polder travel scale to precisely weigh everything. I make at least 7 to 9 breakfasts at a clip so I dont have to do this every day like I did when I started this routine.


A friend told me there was a sale on shredded wheat so you can guess what I did: (My roomate walked in and said "Um.. What's this cereal display doing in the house?")












Dude! it was a dollar a box at Wallgreens! You woulda done it too except I cleaned em out!

Snacks: between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner I have one handheld fruit. I can have an orange, apple or pear. at this moment I prefer apples. I enjoy, honey crisps, cameo, pinova, galas, and golden delicious. I hate mealy apples like mackintosh and jonagold. Waxy apples like the incorrectly monikered red "delicious" super sweet ambrosia and winesaps. I am currently into Granny Smiths. The Iron Gym handbook extols the virtues of this apple so I'm holding that down. (Note all apples are face up, face down, face up...)



Lunch will be a salad of lettuce (I dig romaine, red, green, curly leaf and boston. I hate frisée and iceberg lettuce) Tomatoes (Vine ripened usually, heirloom when available) and 4 different peppers, cucumbers and alfalfa sprouts if use dressing it's balsamic and extra virgin olive oil, a lil' adobo or some sea salt. I mustn't forget the capers

!

I always like a baked potato. sometimes a yam or sweet potato. Tho I find yams sweeter than sweet potatoes, can you belive it?



the golden sweet potato is in the center then the yam.

Next I make a yum yum bumble bee salmon sandwich (in water) and I use veganaise. just read the ingredients and you'll never return to mayo again.




Dinner: actually I'll finish this later because this blog has reminded me it's time to eat! More later!