Here’s what people usually say when they almost kill you in traffic: “Sorry, I didn’t see you.” Here’s why I never want to hear it again: 1) I assume you didn’t see me, because I assume it wasn’t your goal to run into, hurt, or kill me. Most people don’t set out into traffic with […]
Author Archives: Alexis
Mees 3: Have your cake and eat it too?
The quote that first caught my eye from this chapter was: However, the same citizens who are most concerned about sustainable transport are often the fiercest defenders of leafy, low-rise neighborhoods. This is a particularly pertinent note for Portland, especially right now in light of the discussion around the code allowing developers to build apartment […]
Smitten Kitchen cookbook adventures (5)
Over the holidays, since I wasn’t going to be cooking a lot of my traditional holiday stuff with family, I decided to make myself a few special meals. And what better book than Smitten Kitchen? #6: Baked ranchero eggs with blistered jack cheese and lime crema This is one of those recipes that when I […]
How ‘bus stigma’ can be contagious
I participated in an interesting conversation today that reminded me how ‘bus stigma’ is self-reinforcing. Scene: at work, in the lunchroom. Our company owner, a very smart guy based in Irvine, is visiting us this week. He asked where the nearest Red Line MAX station to the office was, to find out how to get […]
Smitten Kitchen cookbook adventures (4)
#5: Slow cooker black bean ragout Apparently a ragout is a main-dish stew (related to the Italian ragu), usually cooked long and slow. Now you know! This is a basic bean dish, probably not that different from one you’d find in any veggie or vegan cookbook, and that’s exactly what I wanted for post-Thanksgiving. It […]
Smitten Kitchen cookbook adventures (3)
#4: Butternut squash and caramelized onion galette This is one of the recipes that immediately hit me with a “Where has this been all my life?” kind of force. I love winter squash, lately I’m obsessed with caramelized onions, and anything that involves expanding my pastry dough repertoire is a fun challenge. I decided to […]
Smitten Kitchen cookbook adventures (2)
Update on the gratin: I baked some delicata squash tonight and pureed a bit of it with some vegetable broth, to put under the leftover gratin. As I expected, it was delicious that way. #3: Kale salad with dried cherries, walnuts, and goat cheese My lackadaisical grocery shopping also interfered with the execution on this […]
Mees 2: Was auto dominance inevitable?
One of the most interesting myths that Mees spends time debunking in this chapter is actually not that auto dominance was inevitable (since I didn’t believe that to begin with) but the idea that American public transit declined and died because of a conspiracy by the auto industry. His analysis is that the tram industry […]
Smitten Kitchen cookbook adventures (1)
I just got the Smitten Kitchen cookbook and have been drooling over the recipes. I decided to make a few this week and see how it went. #1: Fingerlings vinaigrette with sieved eggs and pickled celery ZOMG, if you’ve never put eggs through a sieve (and really, who has?) you are missing out. This salad […]
Mees 1: “Density as destiny” is a convenient story
One of the most interesting points that Mees makes early on is that the story of “density as destiny” where transit is concerned is convenient for a lot of people on both sides of the spectrum. Road-builders who’d like to keep building roads can say that they have to, because density is insufficient for effective […]