26 February 2008
The Orkin Man
The Orkin Man came to the house yesterday. He comes every three months. The Orkin Man wears a white hat and carries two pearl-handled revolvers. He runs up and down the whole house, and he shoots every cockroach! He never misses. When he's done, he climbs into his trusty white Orkin Man Van and drives away.
24 February 2008
Soupy Sunday
Actually, it's been a soupy week, though thankfully not with soupy weather.
Wednesday i made some zucchini soup, because My Better Half loves her some zucchini. This soup tastes fantastically green, though MBH points out that it tastes as much of peas as of zucchini. (MBH insists that she really does like peas, but often asserts that there are too many in a particular dish.) Not knowing a chile de arbol from a chili de hormel, i used a dried red guy from Keith and Beth's garden; MBH says it was too much for the soup. I thought it was just fine, but for her, i can dial it down next time (and dial up the zucchini).
On Saturday it was time to make chicken posolé! We had used this recipe before, and decided to add more hominy (three cans). The one thing i need to remember about this recipe is that it takes me a while to get all the chicken meat off the carcass and back into the soup; other than that, it's easy to make, delicious, crowd-pleasing, great the next day, and makes a boat-load of food. That's a five-star recipe, as far as i'm concerned. We had Keith and Beth and my brother Chuck over for dinner, and we still put several servings in the fridge.
What with company coming, i had to make cookies, of course. I saw this recipe for buckwheat cookies a few days ago and wanted to give it a go, since i'm trying to play around more with something other than white flour. The blog where i found the recipe warns that they have a "dull, gray color", which is a fair understatement -- they really look like something used the oven for a bathroom. But... there was only one left the next day.
Wednesday i made some zucchini soup, because My Better Half loves her some zucchini. This soup tastes fantastically green, though MBH points out that it tastes as much of peas as of zucchini. (MBH insists that she really does like peas, but often asserts that there are too many in a particular dish.) Not knowing a chile de arbol from a chili de hormel, i used a dried red guy from Keith and Beth's garden; MBH says it was too much for the soup. I thought it was just fine, but for her, i can dial it down next time (and dial up the zucchini).
On Saturday it was time to make chicken posolé! We had used this recipe before, and decided to add more hominy (three cans). The one thing i need to remember about this recipe is that it takes me a while to get all the chicken meat off the carcass and back into the soup; other than that, it's easy to make, delicious, crowd-pleasing, great the next day, and makes a boat-load of food. That's a five-star recipe, as far as i'm concerned. We had Keith and Beth and my brother Chuck over for dinner, and we still put several servings in the fridge.
What with company coming, i had to make cookies, of course. I saw this recipe for buckwheat cookies a few days ago and wanted to give it a go, since i'm trying to play around more with something other than white flour. The blog where i found the recipe warns that they have a "dull, gray color", which is a fair understatement -- they really look like something used the oven for a bathroom. But... there was only one left the next day.
27 January 2008
I Are A Baker
Today i baked cookies!
And they're pretty good, too, though i should get some pecans for 'em instead of the walnuts i used.
Next: candlesticks!
And they're pretty good, too, though i should get some pecans for 'em instead of the walnuts i used.
Next: candlesticks!
26 January 2008
Monk Fish Liver
Friday was Keith's birthday celebration, at the East Village sushi outfit Jewel Bako. The food was amazing, beating out even Kitsho, and the restaurant was a perfect combination of New York going-out elegance and East Village nonchalance -- i.e. classy without stuffy.
Keith and i both asked for the tasting menu (thankfully this restaurant doesn't force the entire table to follow along, like some). Everything was crazy-good, and the shining star was three quarter-sized slices of monkfish liver, which i had never eaten before. AM (of the fruit sushi) had recently mentioned the monkfish liver at Taro Sushi, but we hadn't made it there yet, so it was a treat to find it at Jewel Bako. The liver is pure silky smoothness, like a sushi pâté (which is how everyone seems to describe it), and without the strong organ overtones that make cow liver soawfully vile unappealing. More than three little slivers would have been too much, though i would still have eaten it.
Keith and i both asked for the tasting menu (thankfully this restaurant doesn't force the entire table to follow along, like some). Everything was crazy-good, and the shining star was three quarter-sized slices of monkfish liver, which i had never eaten before. AM (of the fruit sushi) had recently mentioned the monkfish liver at Taro Sushi, but we hadn't made it there yet, so it was a treat to find it at Jewel Bako. The liver is pure silky smoothness, like a sushi pâté (which is how everyone seems to describe it), and without the strong organ overtones that make cow liver so
16 January 2008
Fruit Sushi
Last Sunday My Better Half and i had a little family dinner here in Brooklyn, with Chuck, AM, and Todd. Since it's always such a crowd-pleaser we served up the kaddo and vegetable biryani combo. We couldn't find any sugar-pie pumpkins this time, so we made the kaddo with kabocha; it was darn tasty, but perhaps a bit too sweet. We'll have to experiment with the amount and kind of sugar.
AM brought a mystery dessert, and after dinner revealed...
fruit sushi!
Dried strawberries, dried cantaloupe, dried papaya-like thing, and my favorite (because i'm so partial to unagi): plantains! All done up with sushi rice, sweetened with coconut milk. It wasn't too sweet, which made it a perfect chaser for the sugary squash.
AM brought a mystery dessert, and after dinner revealed...
fruit sushi!Dried strawberries, dried cantaloupe, dried papaya-like thing, and my favorite (because i'm so partial to unagi): plantains! All done up with sushi rice, sweetened with coconut milk. It wasn't too sweet, which made it a perfect chaser for the sugary squash.
03 December 2007
29 October 2007
Lou Uh Vulle
Hey, where were My Better Half and i this last weekend? You get three guesses.
Nope.
Nope.
Nope.
We were in Louisville! My father-in-law was attending a "green-industry" conference (lawn care, landscaping, arborculture, etc) and receiving a major award from Lawn & Landscape Magazine, so we (and a bunch of other folks) decided to make a family weekend of it. MBH's mom, sisters, uncles, aunts, and cousins drove or flew in, including the Kentucky arm of her family (based in Lexington).
On Friday, after flying in and attending the award ceremony, we went out to eat with a huge group at Vincenzo's, an Italian place that was fantastic. I think half the table (including myself) had veal in one form or another, and there was virtually no food left on any plates by the time they were cleared. Dessert was a little show of its own: strawberries foster, prepared tableside (of course), accompanied by constant patter from the ebullient serving captain, Garry.
The next day MBH and i got to hang out for the afternoon with our pals Temple and Lucie and their one-year-old Kemp ("Kempie"). T&L used to live in the Boston area, but decided that it was too crazy expensive, and moved to Louisville (Temple's original stomping ground) in time for Kempie's arrival. Lucie works from home (or a coffeeshop), doing publication design and whatnot. Temple's an architect, currently at Tucker Booker Donhoff + Partners; TBD primarily does shopping centers and stuff, but their main office (which we got to see) is a LEED-certified building that the firm designed.
We had a very good time in Louisville. My only gripe is that the people who live there say the city's name funny.
Nope.
Nope.
Nope.
We were in Louisville! My father-in-law was attending a "green-industry" conference (lawn care, landscaping, arborculture, etc) and receiving a major award from Lawn & Landscape Magazine, so we (and a bunch of other folks) decided to make a family weekend of it. MBH's mom, sisters, uncles, aunts, and cousins drove or flew in, including the Kentucky arm of her family (based in Lexington).
On Friday, after flying in and attending the award ceremony, we went out to eat with a huge group at Vincenzo's, an Italian place that was fantastic. I think half the table (including myself) had veal in one form or another, and there was virtually no food left on any plates by the time they were cleared. Dessert was a little show of its own: strawberries foster, prepared tableside (of course), accompanied by constant patter from the ebullient serving captain, Garry.
The next day MBH and i got to hang out for the afternoon with our pals Temple and Lucie and their one-year-old Kemp ("Kempie"). T&L used to live in the Boston area, but decided that it was too crazy expensive, and moved to Louisville (Temple's original stomping ground) in time for Kempie's arrival. Lucie works from home (or a coffeeshop), doing publication design and whatnot. Temple's an architect, currently at Tucker Booker Donhoff + Partners; TBD primarily does shopping centers and stuff, but their main office (which we got to see) is a LEED-certified building that the firm designed.
We had a very good time in Louisville. My only gripe is that the people who live there say the city's name funny.
26 October 2007
Ball and Snowman
Our friend Brian is a printmaker/publisher over on the little island. Last night was the print release for a piece Brian did with artist Todd Hebert:
Todd, it turns out, grew up in North Dakota, as did i. Brian asked whether we had lived anywhere near each other -- not really.
Todd, it turns out, grew up in North Dakota, as did i. Brian asked whether we had lived anywhere near each other -- not really.
25 October 2007
Curry Leaf
The New York Supper Club met again last night. Well, OK, it's really just My Better Half and myself, and friends Jess & Mike and Keren & Adam. This month Keren and Adam selected Curry Leaf, which was yummy, inexpensive (for Manhattan), and relaxed.
24 October 2007
The Shins
Last night My Better Half and i met up with friends Abby and Josh at Empanada Mama before heading over to Terminal 5 to see the Shins. Once again Josh picked a winner on the restaurant front: we all enjoyed our deeleeshos empanadas.
Terminal 5 is (i think) a new venue in New York, a bit larger than the old ballrooms that are my favorites. The sound quality is a little sub-par, especially when it gets loud (though still much better than, say, the Middle East). The Shins put on a fun show as always. Highlights: a slow(er) version of "New Slang"; an encore cover of Pink Floyd's "Breathe".
Terminal 5 is (i think) a new venue in New York, a bit larger than the old ballrooms that are my favorites. The sound quality is a little sub-par, especially when it gets loud (though still much better than, say, the Middle East). The Shins put on a fun show as always. Highlights: a slow(er) version of "New Slang"; an encore cover of Pink Floyd's "Breathe".
22 October 2007
Happy Birthday To Me!
Yesterday was my birthday!
My Better Half gave me two great birthday presents. First, a Monda sculpture and photograph ("From a Silk Purse") that i've loved since i first saw it at Keith's first New York show. Second, knowing that i love Indian food and that we don't eat it as often as i might like, MBH did some legwork and found Spicy Mina in Flushing, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal with Keith & Beth, Karin & Alex, and Josh and Abby. I took home a good birthday haul, too, including one of the first bottles of rye whiskey made in New York state since Prohibition.
My Better Half gave me two great birthday presents. First, a Monda sculpture and photograph ("From a Silk Purse") that i've loved since i first saw it at Keith's first New York show. Second, knowing that i love Indian food and that we don't eat it as often as i might like, MBH did some legwork and found Spicy Mina in Flushing, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal with Keith & Beth, Karin & Alex, and Josh and Abby. I took home a good birthday haul, too, including one of the first bottles of rye whiskey made in New York state since Prohibition.
21 October 2007
Na-Nu Na-Nu, Shabu-Shabu
Our friends Eling and Dane were in town last night, so My Better Half and i met them for dinner on the little island. We foolishly had never eaten anywhere in the Korean strip on West 32nd Street, so we popped into a place called Pho32 & Shabu, which (as its name and location imply) serves up Vietnamese pho and Japanese shabu-shabu for a primarily Korean crowd. Thankfully the menu is in both Korean and English.
Now, i know that many of my faithful readers have been eating shabu-shabu since they wore swaddling clothes, but this was my first time, so i was pretty excited. It's got some of the same make-your-own-meal appeal (or lack thereof, i suppose, for some) as Korean barbecue: you get a bowl of broth simmering on a hotplate, some very thinly sliced raw meat, and a big plate of veggies, bean curd, and fish cakes to play with. It's a very fun thing to do with a small table-full of friends -- an "interactive meal" as Eling described it -- and a bit easier on the stomach than, say, an enormous fondue.
The verdict: yums.
Now, i know that many of my faithful readers have been eating shabu-shabu since they wore swaddling clothes, but this was my first time, so i was pretty excited. It's got some of the same make-your-own-meal appeal (or lack thereof, i suppose, for some) as Korean barbecue: you get a bowl of broth simmering on a hotplate, some very thinly sliced raw meat, and a big plate of veggies, bean curd, and fish cakes to play with. It's a very fun thing to do with a small table-full of friends -- an "interactive meal" as Eling described it -- and a bit easier on the stomach than, say, an enormous fondue.
The verdict: yums.
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