Check out Episode 18 of the new food podcast,
Chicken 'n Waffles!

A bench I found in St. Kilda Community (urban) Garden near Melbourne in Australia. I think it says it all.

The phrase "urban garden" is mentioned a lot lately, in the news, on blogs, in your grandma's Stitch 'n Bitch circle...and when it gets to grandma, you know it is time to pay attention. An urban garden is literally that--a garden planted in an urban setting. Urban gardens are becoming more popular as more people start to care about the food they eat and how it is grown, but living in an urban setting means getting creative with the little space that is available to you. This has led to a large variety of urban gardens around the world today.

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The remains of a most delicious Thai shrimp curry.

I know, I know. I am just as bummed about the death of Michael Jackson as all of you are. The media is already commenting on how much money he left, the custody of his children, but I believe there are more pressing matters at hand. Like wtf ever happened to Bubbles the Chimp?! Who gets custody of that little bundle of diaper-wearing, banana-eating joy?

It is almost too much to take. So what better way to drown my celebrity death sorrows than a spicy curry dish? I really wish I would have taken a proper photo of this curry, because hot damn if it isn't the best new dish I've made in my kitchen in a year. A gigantic, cruise-ship sized thank you goes out to my two gastro gal pals, Jackie (who created the recipe) and Cari (who posted about it on her blog so I could steal the recipe!). The ingredients require a bit of searching on your part, especially if you don't live near a decent Asian store, but it is totally worth the trouble to create this spicy, sweet, sour dish of happiness.

And no, this is not an Indian curry, but a Thai curry. Same general region of the world, different type of brown people, completely different dish. And if you wear a white glove while making it, MJ will be smiling down upon you. Be sure to ask him wtf he did with Bubbles.

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CSA Week #1 from Harvest Moon Farm. Greens, anyone?

Join us this week with guest host Claire as delve into the exciting and delicious world of CSAs! We highly recommend you pair this episode with a buttload of greens (since that is all we are getting in our CSA at the moment), maybe a bit of bacon, and a nice, crisp bio-dynamic wine. Mmmm. Organic-y.

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**We interrupt your weekly Leena Cooks to celebrate a week full of farm lovin.**

I. Love. Basil. Especially when it is purple.

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Travel and cook with the Muji spice book. Eat paper! From http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/05/05/spicy-hot-book/.

Designer Nick Bampton has created a book to answer the age old question: how the hell can I cook properly while on vacation? Meet the Muji Spice book, where every page is created with a different spice that can be torn up and dissolved into your favorite dish. That's right, it is a portable spice rack for travelers who love to cook or people living in shoeboxes.

You eat paper. Being that I am not a goat, I'm still not sure how that makes me feel.

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Locally-made lollipops by Das foods.

I love a good lollipop. It lasts forever, tastes delicious, and is not messy at all, a plus for someone whose hair acts as a magnet for food. Living in a city where I constantly use public transportation, a nice hands-free candy is always appreciated. So guess who did Balki's Dance of Joy when she stumbled upon locally made Das lollipops at a wine and cheese store in Chicago, Provenance?

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It all starts with a waffle shoved full of bacon. A thing of beauty, if you ask me.

I heart the show Top Chef. If you have never seen it, I'm sorry, because your life is that much less richer than mine. If you have seen it, girrrrrrrl, then you know what I'm talkin' bout. A bunch of professional chefs get a series of cooking challenges to compete in during each episode, and the lowest performing chef is kicked off.

Unlike many reality game shows, this one maintains an edge by providing creative challenges, ones that really make you think. Like, here is $4.00. Go buy some shit from a vending machine and turn into a 4 star amuse bouche in 20 minutes (all while trying not to fight with the psycho cheftestant hyped up on coke), and feed it to Tom Coliccho and some other famous chef, and you best be prepared to tell them why it isn't amazing. But no pressure.

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Me and Dale? Oh we go waaaaaaaaaaaay back. Look how not awkward this photo is.

What is it about meeting celebrities that turns a perfectly normal, intelligent person into a blubbering idiot who can't string together a coherent thought? For the longest time, I thought I was immune to such behavior. I was always flabbergasted when my friends would burst into tears or start hyperventilating when they got within 100 feet of their favorite celebrities ("Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmyfrickinggod!!").

After all, aren't celebrities are just normal people (who happen to make a lot more money than we do)? They still get gassy and occasional gastrointestinal distress after Taco Bell like the rest of us.

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