Red Elephant

Burgers for MS

Well, May is here again. That means that my father and I will be riding bikes to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. We've been doing this for several years now, and it's always a good time. I'm sure some of you already got hit up by Joe for the MS Walk in NYC. Joe's mother is living with MS, so he takes raising money pretty seriously.

I'll be doing my part by hosting a little fundraiser at my house this Saturday, May 20, at 7pm. I'll be grilling burgers and asking for a $5 donation.  No, you don't need to donate to come. Yes, there will be turkey burgers & soyburgs for those who are not into cow. Yes, dogs are welcome. Yes, I will provide drinks. Yes, you can bring your own side dish.

If you can't make it, you can always pledge over the web through my team's webpage. [Thanks to Lindsy, who was the first to do this. It's not hard, is it Ms. D?] Thanks also to Dan & Erin, both of whom have sent checks already.

While we're on the subject of food & drink, check out this great article on fat v. skinny asparagus in the NYT.

And feel free to try out the new wine tagging / review site Cork'd.

Chocolate Biscuits

It all started with a throwaway comment on the daily notes for Questionable Content, one of my favorite webcomics. Jeph was talking about Tim Tams, which just floored me. I hadn't thought about them in years. You see, Tim Tams are these excellent Australian biscuits [cookies to us Yanks], dipped in chocolate.

When I was studying abroad in Oz, Tim Tams were like little chocolate gold. They were a bit expensive, but we all thought they were worth it. We could buy them from the little shop in the residence hall, but they had to jack up the price further to make money.

I guess is that what I am getting at is that even then, when they were freely available, they were kind of precious. And man, were they good. Perfect thing to dunk into your coffee or tea. Or, if you were feeling adventurous, you could go for a Tim Tam Slam.

They're made by Arnott's, which is roughly the Australian equivalent of Pepperidge Farm. That is to say, higher-end brand-name baked goods & treats that you can still find in most supermarkets. The appearance of luxury, but still affordable to most folks. Well, and they were pretty luxurious. Or at least, hella-good.

I suppose the appeal like Walker's Shortbread. You've got a tasty cookie [biscuit, whatever] that they don't make around here. I've always been drawn to new tastes, new flavors, especially if they evoke faraway places. And especially if I've been there.

Erin, friend & former roommate, developed a taste for McVitie's, which are an English "digestive biscuit" [read as:  cookie] widely available in Britain & Scotland. When I emailed her for the name of said treats, she said she'd now have to run out at and get some. She also said she'd have to get some Irn Bru , a Scottish soda, available only at a local import shop.

I've always had a penchant for groceries from other countries. La Buvette, besides being one of my favorite places to get a bite to eat, or a glass of wine, has a pretty extensive import grocery. When I was younger, I used to go in there and check out the [then] strange foods from other places. I pictured myself older, more worldly, drinking wine and knowing what I was talking about when I ordered it.

Likewise, when I lived in Lincoln, I made an occasional point of visiting Ideal Grocery, which was a cross between a local market & import grocery, and King Tut's, which was run by an older Egyptian man. It was my source for feta, frozen falafel mix, and cheap spices. Plus, they make a mean Baklava.

I suppose these things are a little less exotic as the world gets more connected. I've found Milo in Asian markets, and Vegemite at the local Cost Plus World Market. Pocky is available at both. Hell, if I want some Tim Tams, I can order them from an American company that specializes in Australian imports. Hell, they even sell Australian boots -- Rossi's to be specific -- with American sizes.

So, if you've ever envied my R.M.Williams boots, you can get some that are almost as good -- I'm being a boot snob here -- but that are considerably cheaper. Come to think of it, Blundstones sell their boots domestically, now. While I'm all for them expanding their market, it kind makes one more thing less exotic, makes the world just a little smaller. One more thing that was one foreign and strange that is now commonplace, or at least more common.

It's a bit inevitable, I suppose, what with globalization. Still, there's plenty of things that people here in Middle America have never been exposed to. I occasionally meet people who've never had Thai food, or Dim Sum. But, I do my best to introduce them, open their eyes, give them some new flavor.

Mini Me & Mama Mia

It's been one hell of a long time since I used a Macintosh at work. Like maybe five years. It's been tough, die-hard Apple-fan that I am. Well that all changed last week as the new server arrived at work. And by server, I mean Mac Mini & Macintosh Panther Server Software, all of which cost me slightly less than the Microsoft server software alone. Needless to say, I'm pretty freaking stoked.

Look, it's so pretty. That is to say, pretty freaking small. It's as powerful as my desktop, if not moreso, and it's like 1/16 of the size. Granted, there's a lot of air inside my PC, not to mention dust, and that's the main difference. I'm not going to rave too much, because there's not too much difference in the applications I use at work, especially since I've been pushing Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice at work. But there are some subtle differences, like iPhoto, that I'm really enjoying.

Not to mention that I own a much newer legit version of Photoshop than the one that I have on my PC [try Photoshop 5 LE, that came with a scanner], so I can do some pretty powerful stuff. Just moving from the scanner edition to a full version is big, not to mention jumping a couple of generations. Woot. I'll be posting on b3ta in no time!

I mean, not at work. Of course not.

It seems like it's been forever since I've posted. Been to a couple of weddings in the meantime. Mike & Abby's and Ian & Sarah's. Photos will be forthcoming, both in album form here & on my Flickr account. Mike & Abby's wedding was quite the event -- not only because I was in the wedding, but because I spent a week [and around a thousand dollars] whooping it up in the windy city. Gawddamn that was a good time. Put my shiny new digital camera to work.

I also ate ridiculously good food -- large amounts of it -- and returned with lots of new things to cook, some of which I et, and some of which I done just thought up. Yessum I did. Spicy Falafel after having it at Sultan's. Flaming cheese after having it at The Parthenon. And of course, deep dish pizza from Giordano's. Although, Max just told me that you can get UNO pizza at Hy-Vee.

Dat's what I'm talkin' about.

Plated

Fear my l33t haxxor skillz in the kitchen and on the grill.

Tandoori Chicken with Asparagus and Couscous

Okay, this isn't a proper recipie as I get my Tandoori paste out of a jar, but it's still a quick and easy meal. The leftovers also heat up real nice to munch on while you're posting.

For Chicken [Patak's Recipie]:

     2 chicken or turkey breasts, skinless*
     3 tbsp natural yogurt
     5 tbsp tandoori paste
     1/2 lime [per Sonali]
     salt to taste [ditto]

So, you mix the yogurt, tandoori paste, lime & salt to create a marinade. Lightly score the chicken/turkey breasts, then cover with the mixture and let marinate overnight. You can bake it in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes, or throw it on the grill, about 8-10 minutes a side.

For Asparagus:

    1/2 bunch asparagus
    2 tsp. butter or ghee
    1 scallion or green onion
    lemon juice & salt to taste

Okay, Julia Child says that you should peel your asparagus before cooking it, that it allows you to cook it better & that it doesn't get all stringy towards the bottom. You know what? She's right. So, peel the asparagus with a knife or peeler, taking care not to peel too much away. This works best with the mondo-thick stalks that supermarkets seem to prefer.

Mince the scallion/onion. Heat the butter/ghee in a frying pan, and brown the onion slightly. Add the asparagus, and lower the heat to medium. Sautee for six to eight minutes, depending on how thick. Finally, add a dash of lemon juice to finish it. Cover & let the steam from the lemon juice evaporate. Serve immediately.

For the Couscous:

...you follow the directions on the box. Boil 1 cup of water. Add a little oil, if you like. Once it boils, remove from heat and stir in one cup of couscous. Cover & let set until all water is absorbed, usually a couple of minutes. Then stir a couple of teaspoons of butter in with a fork to separate the couscous. You can add feta cheese or herbs if you want to dress it up. Top couscous with a dollop of yogurt and some sweet chili sauce.

Voila.

Food Gross Outs

When I was a kid, my brother bet me $10 I couldn't eat all the Jalapenos we had picked off of our large nachos at Julio's. I managed to do it, but then he tried to say that I wasn't allowed to drink anything after. Didn't matter, milk was the only thing that would have helped me. I think I drank like five more Pepsis or waters or whatever.

So, when I came across Steve, Don't Eat It, I was reminded not only of my Jalapeno experience, but of a story. My friend Sean and a bunch of his friends used to play this game called "Make Sean Drink This," during which they would mix together whatever they could find in the fridge, cabinets, spice rack, and dare Sean to chug.

I sent this to them as a reminder of the good old days. Then I got back Mystery Can back from Brian. If I've learned anything from these little food games, it's that you have to be willing, and that you have to spell out the rules beforehand.

Then there are people who are taking the whole Super Size Me idea and improvising. There's the guy who is blogging his experience of drinking nothing but Pepsi Spice until Christmas. That's 45 days of nothing but Pepsi Spice. That's a lot of holiday cola. I also just came across Crazy Asian Drink Reviews. Go for it, guys.

What's the grossest thing you've ever eaten or drink/drank/drunk?

I Should Be Writing

But I was too busy making tom kha tofu for the first time. It turned out pretty well, but I don't have it quite spicy enough off the bat. I was able to doctor it with rooster sauce. After a couple of bowls, I feel much less sick than I have in the last couple of days. This is the first thing that's turned out right since the party. But that's another story.

Okay, time to kick out some pages before my battery dies.

...

Update - 672 words before going to bed. Not bad for a warm up. Going to have to do much better if I'm going to hit 50,000 by December. Then again, I'm not going to have things go wrong all day & then try to make thai soup every night, either. Okay, back to it.

Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago

Debauchery Report. Dateline: Windy City.

Friday. Easy flight into O'Hare, then take the Blue Line to Wicker Park. Get out, buy a pack of Nats, turn down the three for the price of two offer [while I allow myself a pack at weddings, three packs seems a little over the top], and start walking up Damen. I get up to Armitage, and i realize: that I am tired, that my trip is long, that I am wasting valuable drinking time. I needed the constitutional, but I call my friend/host Kelly to pick me up. Can't flag a cab for the life of me.

Off to Corcoran's for a Jameson and for some catching up with the couple and my friends in town for the weekend. Kumars present: Anchal & Sonali. Rileys: Andrea & Bronson. Various Browns & Jonses -- bride's & bridegroom's families, respectively. At eleven, we had a junior high moment as we debated what to do next. "Well, Bar Louie is packed." "A table just opened up inside." "We could always drink back at the hotel."

We opted for Bar Louie, split a chicken quesadilla, Beam Manhattans for the boys, frou-frou drinks for the girls. Andrea had a particularly candy drink, Raspberry Creme or something. Very fruity, but tasty. Call it a night.

Saturday. Wake up with the sun, do some journal writing, enjoy the early morning light. Enjoy the morning air, take a couple of pics with the new camera phone. Try to figure out a way to get them off the phone & post them here. Chuck [my other host, Kelly's fiancé] is off for a firefighter exam. Kelly and I take Sam [Siberian Husky] to the dog park & drink Starbucks. We talk about writing until it is time for her to run errands and for me to meet the Kumars for Brunch.

Go to the Bongo Room, check that our name is in, and head off to the Renegade Craft Fair for some pre-brunch browsing. Many, many cool items for sale. Handmade cards, screen printed posters, t-shirts that are embroidered, lots of jewelry for the ladies. Kickass apron with a skull & crossbones for $25 -- just outside my budget, I'll steal the idea and file it for later. Eggs florentine for me, pancakes for the Rupi & the Anch, lots of coffee and catching up.

Rupi's friend Molly shows up, as do Sonali & Andrea. Back to the craft fair. Lots of little purchases for friends back home who couldn't make it. Trying to take pictures w/ my phone & send them to Lindsy. Sprint tells me that I can't do it with my plan, so I call them up and upgrade. After much ado, they say I can switch my plan and do that in four hours. It still doesn't work a day later. Get some new fresh kicks at the shoe store where Rupi used to work. Lunch at a little Falafel joint that Sonali loves.

Off to buy mixers at Sam's Liquor outlet. Almost go to a Sox game, but we can't get enough tickets. More errands. Trader Joe's. Back to Anchals for munchies, drinks and planning for the night ahead. Charge my phone on Rupi's charger b/c I forgot mine. [D'oh!] Figure out our next move. Dinner at the noodle bar & drinks at the Holiday bar. Several hours, cigarettes & Ketel Ones later, I'm taking a cab back to my place. Cabbie and I talk politics, the failure of the current administration, "He is such a liar! The rest of the world hates us. When i came to this country..." Call it a night.

Sunday. Check my mail on Chuck's sexy TiBook, then off to the store. Whip up a little breakfast for my hosts: fresh pineapple and eggs benedict -- smoked salmon instead of canadian bacon & capers to garnish. Whip up some hollandaise sauce for the fourth time in my life and it doesn't curdle this time. Thank god. Nice breakfast w/ Kell & Chuck. Anchal picks me up and we're off to Filter in Wicker Park for some coffee, finally. Pick up one more t-shirt at the Reneg Craft Fair, and call it good.

Anch and I tool around a bit, take some pictures of cool signs, buy some Romeo & Juliet Robustos, then decide not to smoke them. Go for a drive on the lake instead. It's beautiful out again. Get ready for the wedding, then pick up Sonali and Anch gives us a ride to A New Leaf, where the wedding & reception will be. Flower shop & event space, it's beautiful. All finished concrete, bricks, floating candles & greenery. The couple scripted the whole wedding, wrote their own vows, and it's lovely. Will, the bridegroom, is a lot more emotional than Val, at least visibly. All the girls are drooling over the spanish-speaking guitarist & the waiters -- the Hearty boys.

What is up with the Brown girls marrying emo boys? Yes, Bronson, this means you, too.

Okay, sensitive new-age guys -- SNAGs.

Reception is a blast. Dinner is lovely and we get to know a few of their friends. Back downstairs for the cake cutting ceremony, which is civil. No cake smashing in the face. Then there is drinks & dancing. Will has his mp3 player set up with his own playlist. Let's hear it for technology. Many Vodka Gimlet [spritzers] & much champagne later, it's time to tear down. We end up hauling many heavy gifts & bottles of booze back to the couple's apartment, two blocks down. Catch a cab and call it a night. Cabbie tells me dirty jokes, including: Take the 'L' off 'Louisiana" and put it at the end of the word. What do you get?

Eww.

Monday. Up a little later, maybe eight am, and Kelly's off to work by nine. Notice this sign on the back door. Tool around w/ Chuck a bit and head downtown to check out Millenium Park. Stop for a pizza and a beer at Demon's grill. My pizza is late, so the hot Romanian bartender comps me another brew. Get some writing done in the meantime. Decide to paint my kitchen blue while reading the latest Dwell. Leave her a $3 tip on an $8 tab. Catch some sun in the park, and it's about naptime.

Take the Red Line up to Belmont and walk back to the apartment. Stop off to get some Arizona green tea to be kind to my body for a change. Stop in at Paper Boy, a wonderful little paper shop. I make it out of there only spending $42. Trinkets for the kids back home. Never sure what to get my dad. Pack up back at the apartment, watch my phone slowly die, and catch a ride from Chuck back to the Blue Line station in Wicker. Full circle. Good trip.

Flight home sucked. Tired. Middle seat [never again] and much turbulence. And, they're out of ginger ale. WTF? Apple juice instead and try and do a little pranayama to keep myself sane, and make it home. Phone officially dies as I try to get my messages to know who is picking me up. Nikki from the office owes my dad an airport ride, so she obliges me instead, and I pick up my car. Call it a night.

Call it a trip.