Suppertime

#1 is cooking supper, Persian Jewel Rice. He worked for awhile at a Persian cafe in Madison, WI and learned to like, and then to make, Persian food. His cooking is always excellent.
Today we went on a walking tour here in San Francisco. The weather was quite chilly with a wind but the tour and tour guide were both very good. In previous trips to SF I was never on a historic tour. There is a lot to learn about the history of this fine city. I didn't realize that much of the eastern edge of old town is built on top of the remains of ships abndoned by crews who ran to the gold fields. We crossed Balance street, named after the ship Balance which is burried beneath fill.

It is possible to spend one's entire life in SF without ever having to learn English. There are ethnic communities of so many various nationalities it is truly cosmopolitan. Riding down Market Street we passed cafes of a dozen ethnic origins as well as specialty grocery stores to accomodate localsof each group. The street scene is rich with language and smells unknown in the far north where I live. The scents fascinate me. We had noon lunch at a vegan Mexican restaurant. My meal will remain in memory for some time. The food was delicious. Being exposed to the new is the highlight of travel for me. Although there are some things people eat that I am reluctant to put in my mouth for the most part each nationality has dishes of unique character that are wonderful even to the uneducated palate. I've got to learn to be a better cook.

LN