happy 2002. palindrome year. why is the word palindrome NOT a palindrome? it would make the word easier to understand, i would think. does that mean that the year will read the same back to front as it does front to back? that would be interesting...everything goes forward until the middle of june, and then reverses itself. hmm. or maybe not - that sounds like a bad movie plot.

blogger no mas spellcheck. bah. pardon le typos.

dinner at my favorite restaurant last night, millenium. (yeah, i know, we're past the new millenium, but...) the food is all vegan, not animal products whatsoever, organic produce beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. you'd never guess it was vegan. i wish there were more restaurants like that - to show people that healthy and good-for-the-earth eating does not mean rabbit food. fabulous wine pairings, too. oh.so.good. it would make such a huge impact if more restaurants focused on healthful foods that are so tasty - instead of the processed, sodium laden foods americans are used to. doesn't even have to be vegan (though, that would be better), but organic milk, free range beef, cage free eggs....the menu from last night:

Course One: Blackeyed peas and eggplant caviar on grilled flatbread with creamy saffron and white bean hummus, roasted garlic and a tuft of heirloom micro herb mix. Topolos Sherry Fino
Course Two: King trumpet and almond agaricus mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and finished with almond butter, served in baker's parchment over a light salad of rice noodles, sea vegetables, tat soi and mizuna dressed with meyer lemon and cold pressed almond oil vinaigrette. Reverdy Sancerre, Loire 2000
Course Three: Creamy puréed potage of Tierra farm's salsify and leeks served hot with dried cherry and smoked cippollini onion relish and accented with a reduction of pinot noir and porcini mushrooms. David Bruce Pinot Noir
Course Four: A filo pouch stuffed with beets, black chanterelles, black Peringord truffles and grilled seitan served over kamut risotto with blood orange and housemade zinfandel vinegar infusion and an emulsion of gold beets and saffron. Tobin James Zinfandel
Dessert: Lemon Pineapple Extravaganza...almond cake layered with meyer lemon custard served with caramel pineapple compote and creamy almond sherbet.
Bernard Delmas, Blanquette de Limoux Brut, France NV

mmm...a nice way to celebrate the new year...

2pm - after i wrote the above entry, i went for a run. listening to npr on the radio. they were interviewing eric schlosser, author of 'fast food nation'. if people really knew what fast 'food' is made from, would they still eat it?