Can't Stop Going Loco

Let's see... September 9th, and we've gotten a few nonlocal cravings out of the way. Last night, it was sticky rice stuffed with chicken and steamed inside a wrapper of delicious, flavor-imparting lotus leaves — which I didn't make, trust me. It came from a fantastic "bakery" (read dim sum shop) in San Francisco's other Chinatown, the Richmond district.
A couple days ago, it was a not-entirely satisfying tostada.
Last week, in fact just as soon as August ended, we had spaghetti with one of our old pantry standbys, Barilla Puttanesca (tomato sauce with green and black olives). I've always thought it was one of the better commercial jarred sauces. But both beloved husband and I found it shockingly artificial tasting, especially since we had eaten NO processed foods for an entire month. That was an eye opener. Er, palate cleanser. I mean, dirtier.
So we're pretty much back to local. We will now allow nonlocal wheat into our diet, along with olives (which I've missed), Asian foods and — well, we'll just have to see.
For lunch today it was roasted stuffed peppers from East Palo Alto: Innards were Rancho Gordo beans from Napa, Lundberg brown & wild rice from Richvale, onions from Wild Blue Farm in Tomales, and feta cheese from Marin Cheese Company in San Rafael. I haven't been able to figure out much about that cheese company... Do we even have dairy herds in San Rafael? I don't think so. Anyway, wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Still tasty.
And picturesque.
With this totally unseasonable chilly weather, a warm lunch hit the spot.
Meanwhile, FEMA chief Michael Brown has been dispatched to Washington — i.e., relieved of his "relief" efforts in the ravaged Gulf states — for emergency desk duty. Heck of a job, Brownie. Buh-bye.