Now, out of the loft.....I was tickled to find a great, authentic Italian thin-crust vegan pizza at Slice at 18th and Sansom. This is how pizza should taste.

 

A reader recently asked about Buttons, and it made me realize I hadn't posted a photo of her in awhile. She is fabulous and has come such a long way since hiding behind the water heater when I first brought her in. She is the sweetest, most affectionate cat -- a featherweight, as you can see, weighing in at just under 6 pounds. Pablo loves her. They play all the time, and he is so gentle with her, especially compared to how roughly he plays with Bossa Nova. It's as if he knows she is petite and older. She's deaf and she is probably around 10. She has a thyroid condition and I think a touch of arthritis....but she is happy and seems to really enjoy her life here. 

I'd like to share the wealth, so I'm giving one away. All you need to do is leave a comment. I'll pick a winner at random next week. Please make sure there's a way I can rech you, either via email or a blog. Good luck!

Around this stage of summer, many of us with gardens or CSA shares – as well as the budget conscious who take full advantage of cheap, seasonal produce – are facing a surplus of yellow squash and/or zucchini. You can use these two August staples pretty much interchangeably in recipes. Yellow squash is ever-so-slightly more watery than zucchini. But that is no reason for yellow squash to continually be upstaged by its more popular green sibling, especially where baking is concerned. In fact, I consider the higher water content of yellow squash to be an advantage, making for moister, lighter muffins and quick breads.

Hence the concept behind my Summer Squash and Applesauce Muffins. I modified the Zucchini Bread recipe from my cookbook, and used it as the foundation for these easy breakfast treats. Not only is the name fun to say, but the recipe makes enough muffins to feed a small army. They freeze beautifully, but the fact that you can't eat just one means that they will probably disappear before you can say cucurbita pepo. [Aw. Go ahead, use zucchini if you must!]

Thanks to my participation in a CSA share this summer, I am literally up to my ears in fresh, locally grown organic produce. I can barely keep up with using it up! It's a fun conundrum, though. Instead of going to the market and choosing my veggies, I get a box of whatever is abundant and in season; it's kind of like homework – or "Iron Chef" on a smaller scale. The CSA veggies have been absolutely gorgeous: much more vibrant than I would find at the supermarket. I leave you with photos, rather than words.

Close up of lining

Carrying this bag--or any Art for Pitties bag-- is an instant mood lifter!

In this society, we can enjoy virtually any food we want at any time. Instant gratification is now the norm, in food and in many other areas. But the fleeting appearance of ruby-red sour cherries reminds me of how important it is to pursue and to savor space around all experiences, culinary or otherwise. We bask, for example, in delicious anticipation, waiting for the sour cherries' arrival, licking our lips at the thought of succulent sour cherry pies, cobblers and preserves. Flash forward to the short-but-sweet sour cherry season: we are fully present, savoring each sweet-sour bite, partly because the cherries taste heavenly, and partly sparked by gratitude – knowing [ahem!] that they are only here for a short while. 

The rest ended up in an improvised mixed berry cobbler, made with sour cherries, blueberries and strawberries.

Nova [not to be confused with my cat, Bossa Nova] is a 2-year-old, black on grey and brown tabby with bright pink collar, a pink nose against a white patch of fur on her face, and she has a white underbelly and white paws. She weights about 9 lbs. Nova was last seen near her home on the 3300 block of West Penn St, in East Falls, Philadelphia, PA, Thursday, June 17th. 

Nova is wearing an ID tag with phone number and name on it (267 241 3426). She is extremely shy, so she would probably be hard to catch unless she's ill or weak, and it's doubtful she will come when called. Nova's been spayed and she has all of her claws. Scroll down to see more photos.

If you have seen Nova, please call or text 267 241 3426 or leave a comment here. If you live in Philly's East Falls neighborhood, please leave water and food out for the strays/lost animals in this heat. Please help by forwarding this post, cross-posting and tweeting.


Nova, come home!!!

Serves 4

Prepare the marinade: Mix oil, soy sauce and fresh ground pepper in a shallow pan. Soak the tofu in the marinade for at least an hour [preferably overnight], turning occasionally to ensure all sides soak up the marinade.

Make sandwiches:  Drizzle each bread slice with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Fill sandwich with one slice of tofu, one or two slices of tomato, and basil to taste. Season with salt and pepper, and if you're in a hedonistic mood, add another drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Press together slightly and enjoy!