Get to the Heart of the Matter; He said, She said, -- Tale of the J'anniversary Cherimoya

Approximately three years ago I met Chris and we started dating. I say approximately because there has always been the question of what day is our actual anniversary...When we first went out? when we first kissed? when we declared we'd see no others?

To further compliKate® matters, when writing an article for Edible Ojai about southern food traditions for New Year's Day, I put the wrong date entirely as our anniversary. Now Chris doesn't remember it at all and I remember what may or may not be the right date only sporadically. This year when I went along shopping and thinking of anniversaries and he didn't well I just decided until we clarify it for good, our anniversary will span the entire month of January so...Happy J'anniversary Honey!

This year I started our J'anniversary by making eggnog chocolate chip cookies but as usual, I adulterated the recipe and by using too much graham flour they tasted well, very healthy and very very rich between it and the nog. So I also went shopping at our local farmers' market and found a beautiful small coffee cake and a gorgeous heart-shaped cherimoya (which some spell cheramoya, I'm not sure which is right.)

We let it ripen for a few days and right before eating it Chris reminded me we should photograph it. We both pulled out our Verizon Droid phones and started to play. By the time we couldn't take it anymore and really wanted to eat it, we called it quits and then each sat across from one another at the dining room table staring down at our Droids, manipulating our chosen image (I know, romantic, huh? damn artists), while taking delicious bites of our bananay-pineapply, soft, luscious fruit. Oh my! it was incredible.

After spending time reading about cherimoya and learning it originated in Peru, grows in very few climates and has to be hand-pollinated, I learned it was even more special. We've saved the seeds from the heart-shaped "love cherimoya" and hope to grow a tree from the seeds. one blogger describes the fruit as "Lumpy, costly, but the flavor turns some people rhapsodic!"

Cherimoya season in California is from January to May in California, so keep an eye out at the markets for them. For those of you back in Louisiana and other places, I found an exotic fruit club that will deliver them to your door. :)

I also discovered several recipes for cherimoya souffles, parfaits, and fruit salad that I may try if I one day have an abundance but for now it's almost impossible to not simply cut and eat them with a spoon!

Meanwhile, back to the he said/she said part of the program. Here are the photos Chris and I came up with on a lark. Using basically the same phone, flash and fruit and then later, perhaps a couple of photoshop adjustments...We each staged our own shots but then as always happens had the collaborative help of the other but when it comes to which photo we chose and what we did with them, that's all in the chromosomes and personalities baby...(I think his looks a bit like a Lachapelle.

(the photo at the top is one I did afterward when writing this blog, nothing to do with our original j'anniversary photos.)

Enjoy

He said:


She said:

Pot Stickers from LooHoo's Inc Asian Comfort Food and Romance at the Wednesday Farmers' Market

Today I drove down to the Wednesday Farmer's Market in our local mall parking lot. Parking was ferocious and made me glad to be driving a compact. I got out, and cruised the stalls. I like to make a loop before I decide what I want/need that day. I stopped when I came upon this:

I'd heard there were pot stickers at the market but kept missing them. Excited, I ordered a mixed dozen for $10. The lovely Cindy Liu, also a personal chef, caterer and instructor, took my order out of the ice chest, threw oil in the skillet and fired the burners. You can buy them frozen to take home and cook or she'll warm them for you there.

This is her baby, her brain-child. Usually on Farmers' Market days she also has a special, a Chinese beef soup or curry dish but today she was still creaky from the holidays and starting back slow and simple. I didn't mind. :) We talked about her facebook page, for LooHoo's Inc Asian Comfort Food.

She asked what kind of food I like, easy answer, "everything". But I admitted to having a penchant for cooking southern comfort food and/or whatever is fresh and local from our garden or the market. She admitted she loves both French cuisine and concentrating on local foods too.

She kept cooking steaming, sizzling skillets of pot stickers and I watched for a moment before wandering off to explore.

While away from pot sticker land, I pondered buying some organic local beef but my eye strayed and there I was, in front of the apple lady. I choose two Fuji's, two galas, a pink lady and a beautiful round Asian Pear. She was thrilled we were going to sample them and quizzed me on which were which so I could (hopefully) remember and report back on my findings.

Then I came upon gorgeous cherimoyas and bought a perfect heart-shaped one for my sweetie as it's our anniversary. :)

I kept walking and noticed how much beautiful citrus there was. I passed several larger vendors but was magnetically drawn to the man who had only a step ladder, (which doubled as a table), an ice chest and his smile. I bought a container of his sweet satsumas and told him he sounded like Sean Connery. Then he explained he was born in a town "26 Kilometers from Nice" in the south of France when a beautiful older woman who was listening to our conversation jumped in. I left them talking and wondered if romance was in the air?

The Spring Hill Jersey Cheese lady insisted I needed a taste of garlic herb jack, (who am I to say no?) and I considered the last, tiny bunch of kohlrabi for the day. Apparently there'd been a run on it and golden beets!

There was a gentleman selling flat breads and dips who was working his booth like a juggling octopus and literally before I could walk past him I'd stuffed down three samples, a mint garlic cheese spread, lentil spread and cilantro pesto all on spinach flat bread. The prices were all $6 for a container or piece of flat bread. The sweet jalapeno jelly and the mint garlic cheese and spinach flat bread were quite delicious but $18 for them wasn't in my future.

I stopped at Les Bles D'Or (Ojai Bakery) and picked up a $4.50 coffee cake for my sweetie and while the lady was making change a rumble happened behind her and she turned and laughed, saying "there he goes, waving again!". I had to ask and she told me this gentleman always shows up in his loud, rumbling old car each week, circles the market and waves at her. I inquired if there might be a romantic connection..at first she shrugged me off but then she smiled about the potential.

Back to Cindy Liu and her LooHoo's Inc stickers...As I picked them up, a beautiful, smartly dressed Asian woman was eating some and chatting with Cindy. I asked about taking her photo and she refused but said I could photograph her food. What a shame. She was as beautiful as the food.

As I left, I picked up some cauliflower and broccoli. While walking to my car, I saw an older gentleman with fancy-styled white hair and a black leather jacket walking toward me. As he passed, we looked at one another and my instincts said, "That's him!! the waver with the loud rumbly car!" As I got back in my car, he kept turning and staring at me, maybe because I looked suspicious myself or maybe because he was the man who drove by and honked. As he walked into the market, I wondered if our lady of Les Bles D'Or might just end up with a hot date this weekend. The man I "assumed" was Mr. Waver Flirt has quite the ride too parked right next to my car.

I put my potstickers on my dash and dashed home...

When I got home I put them on a plate, got out the chopsticks and prepared for my first bites. Cindy had taken great care to make certain the bottoms and frilly edges were crisped. The pork kimchi were my favorites and had a bit of kick. The chicken were a great, mild, meaty companion to the spicier ones and the veggie, with glass noodles packed throughout were a fascinating texture. What a blast, what a find for a special Wednesday or Saturday Farmers' Market lunch and I cannot WAIT to try some of her specials. Also SO looking forward to following up on the stories of the bread-maker and the waver and the French Sean Connery.