goodbye double headphone.

So yesterday was the official release of The Double Headphone Project, just about one year after it started.

It was also the official end of my vegetarianism experiment, which I'll write about eventually. Capsule review: vegetarianism will continue for the forseeable future.

And it also begins an alcohol-free month. Well, there was nothing alcohol-free about yesterday, but you know, moving forward.

To tide yourself over until I feel like writing again, maybe you can read this article that pretty much describes my life from 2001-2004, if you substitute "CD" for "coffee". I may have even linked to it before, but guess what? It's still relevant: especially the bit at the end about what happens to your relationship with your spouse when you decide to work behind the counter yourself. Fun stuff....

"Guess what, dear dreamers? The psychological gap between working in a cafe because it's fun and romantic and doing the exact same thing because you have to is enormous. Within weeks, Lily and I—previously ensconced in an enviably stress-free marriage—were at each other's throats. I hesitate to say which was worse: working the same shift or alternating. Each option presented its own small tortures. Two highly educated professionals with artistic aspirations have just put themselves—or, as we saw it, each other—on $8-per-hour jobs slinging coffee. After four more months, we grew suspicious of each other's motives, obsessively kept track of each other's contributions to the cause ("You worked three days last week!"), and generally waltzed on the edge of divorce. The marriage appears to have been saved by a well-timed bankruptcy."

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Speaking of fun stuff, we saw Revolutionary Road last Wednesday. Unsurprisingly depressing, and sometimes unpleasantly shrill. High points were the constant pre-blubbering torment on DiCaprio's face, a face which I normally find completely uninspiring; and Michael Shannon. Bottom line: I can't believe so many critics are calling this the American movie of the year. The trailer, though...great trailer.

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Anyway! Here is a recipe that Mara has been tinkering with. Last time she did this, the beans were too broken down, and the bulgur was too cooked, and the texture was too much like a potato pancake or something. Something you could add that would probably be good is walnuts, but Miss Mara doesn't really like nuts "in things". Regardless, the doneness of the bulgur and the roughness of the mashed beans are integral to making the texture vaguely hamburger-like.

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mara's veggie burgers.

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1/2 cup onion
3/4 cup fine bulgur
3/4 cup water
100gr white beans, cooked
200gr brown beans, cooked
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg

Saute onions, when they're brown, add bulgur and water, cover, and turn off. You just want the bulgur to be slightly al dente and not mushy. Let cool.

Mash up the beans (roughly, not a puree), add bulgur and raw onion, soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, and spices to taste. Then add egg and breadcrumbs, thoroughly combine and chill for at least an hour.

Form into patties and pan-fry.

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