tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154185272024-03-07T12:13:19.502-08:00Happy ConsumptiveEating, drinking, getting.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-3820450153704672142012-08-27T20:48:00.000-07:002012-08-27T20:48:23.715-07:00Hog Island RevisitedHad the odd experience of stumbling across my own blog in a Google search result the other night.<br />
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<a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2007/07/on-vacation-back-from-hog-island.html">This post</a> from five years ago. I was curious about the actual paddling distance from Marshall to Hog Island. Things were different back in July 2007. We had one son, he was too young for the trip. I ate oysters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTj07VqyWc0AkTDNc6UsoHfwmKybMXLtGjh-3zhOMrLqn3IgOVMYyCm1uPtQnb6tbHwgzmfXSmsmKiAI9pvjXDav2I37kYHM-zIEuRbUkwDmbH3kW-3l97XedtecjGS_W56rkBg/s1600/hog-island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTj07VqyWc0AkTDNc6UsoHfwmKybMXLtGjh-3zhOMrLqn3IgOVMYyCm1uPtQnb6tbHwgzmfXSmsmKiAI9pvjXDav2I37kYHM-zIEuRbUkwDmbH3kW-3l97XedtecjGS_W56rkBg/s320/hog-island.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A full year since my last post. One of these will necessarily be the last entry in my ship's log. Only instead of some doomed vessel, I'm wandering through my good mid-life. Still eating and drinking well, probably even have as much to say about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLX9Sw95ykcygR189OZq_Se_difehCBQy-Lcd43C5QRTgH1qDCWYP2JSy3utIGOnYpRvwBQ1TZrqZTmejgi1hHEjIvJkeR8v3iU0w4W69n_arn3Q5BfWx7_O571NmZOfO6izEKsA/s1600/marin-sun-farms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLX9Sw95ykcygR189OZq_Se_difehCBQy-Lcd43C5QRTgH1qDCWYP2JSy3utIGOnYpRvwBQ1TZrqZTmejgi1hHEjIvJkeR8v3iU0w4W69n_arn3Q5BfWx7_O571NmZOfO6izEKsA/s320/marin-sun-farms.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I prefer the goat burger, with the lamb burger fixings.</i></td></tr>
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Blogger seems to have fixed a bunch of what ailed it since my last visit. They've tidied up, now I can't find anything.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-86635334023596663352011-08-25T20:31:00.000-07:002011-08-25T20:40:16.787-07:00Rum Cocktail: Buddah's Hand Syrup, LimeIf you're like me, and your fridge has several jars of this and that that concocted for cocktails that you never got around to mixing, and you happened to score a jar of my buddah's hand syrup last Christmas, this post is for you. Turns out a 1:1 cocktail of that syrup, your rum of choice, the juice of one lime, and seltzer (to taste) is pretty good - even a little exotic.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-XwsLH0q8LjJ39cqx8_b-cCL1tRcT-4CT3zZGFHB9Xq3_BVy74PvYrSII9gh184-bPr3pW2upZNwio19oSpIoTISevAtO2KVgXRAYMDXBKAtYyB0VDgROG3DzbxLh6WYUim4bw/s1600/buddahpost.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-XwsLH0q8LjJ39cqx8_b-cCL1tRcT-4CT3zZGFHB9Xq3_BVy74PvYrSII9gh184-bPr3pW2upZNwio19oSpIoTISevAtO2KVgXRAYMDXBKAtYyB0VDgROG3DzbxLh6WYUim4bw/s400/buddahpost.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645003773577431938" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-18851536561785026202011-03-05T19:58:00.000-08:002011-03-26T09:31:20.110-07:00An Overdue Entry On the Sazerac CocktailI was on my own for a night in New York a few weeks ago and ate at <a href="http://qualitymeatsnyc.com/">Quality Meats</a>. Waiting for my table to open up, I asked the bartender if he could do a Sazerac. He said he couldn't. "Don't have any rye." In a restaurant paneled with wood recovered from the Mississippi, there wasn't a single rye whiskey. Still, I had to appreciate his commitment to orthodoxy.<br /><br />The history of the Sazerac cocktail is rich with speculation, old New Orleans establishments and family names, and an evolving ingredient list that sees French colonial influence giving way to American rusticism in the wake of the phylloxera epidemic that struck France in the late 1800s. Cognac replaced with Rye whiskey. <br /><br />Other folks have outlined that territory more credibly than I can, even if everybody leans heavily on Wikipedia's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sazerac">Sazerac article</a> for their narrative arc. With two trips to New Orleans under my belt, I didn't have my first Sazerac until last year at San Jose's Fairmont hotel. What I've been mixing up since last fall ignores a lot of Sazerac orthodoxy anyhow.<br /><br />I've settled on a version of<a href="http://www.esquire.com/drinks/sazerac-drink-recipe"> Esquire's recipe</a> using Old Overholt Rye, a simple sugar made with <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2010/11/india-trees-dark-muscovado-sugar.html">Dark Muscovado</a>, Peychaud Bitters, and St. George's Absinthe. I was looking forward to trying this with the Corsair Rye (<a href="http://www.corsairartisan.com/spirits/experimental/100-aged-rye/">Corsair's product page</a>, K&L's <a href="http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1063911">product page</a> or <a href="http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/klwinescom-spirits-blog/2011/1/12/corsair-single-barrel-rye-is-in.html">blog</a>) we picked up a couple of weeks ago, but it was a non-starter. The flavor a mis-match. You can make the drink with any old bourbon in a pinch. You can use Angostoura bitters. In either variation it will be tasty, but it will not be a Sazerac.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-26626690754660436192010-12-20T06:42:00.000-08:002010-12-20T06:53:14.850-08:00Not These; Not These EitherA couple of weeks before the holidays, the baked goods and other sweets start to amass in our house. I have what you might describe as either a typically male or typically oafish relationship to these goods as they emerge from the oven. "Mine." Or maybe, "Fair game." These however we're not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEb9gI5cEWnSUJ0uKlkv5S2TKmzXN-D9uMlOwSg-6_1LyqZAYY9uwasvlPFzrxLEFIF0EjYy8ejG16lTcHP8xHDR2X0yk2-LId53fokn63A_kxx3W_leQ4-GocK1n-X1gYgmhCg/s1600/IMGP7004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEb9gI5cEWnSUJ0uKlkv5S2TKmzXN-D9uMlOwSg-6_1LyqZAYY9uwasvlPFzrxLEFIF0EjYy8ejG16lTcHP8xHDR2X0yk2-LId53fokn63A_kxx3W_leQ4-GocK1n-X1gYgmhCg/s400/IMGP7004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552775592372174466" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltC9krWmUJ9Wb86JFkRs1tp6wov8ecQxkWrNRaxLSQxNsFkTADfs7h8aV5WkPw13HAYOxh3PDIjB9zdATQyCtw6Ot00iDD2tsllbvFc4VrYJCNNq_L_JzWWcO_AlSaVqe7StIvw/s1600/IMGP7005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltC9krWmUJ9Wb86JFkRs1tp6wov8ecQxkWrNRaxLSQxNsFkTADfs7h8aV5WkPw13HAYOxh3PDIjB9zdATQyCtw6Ot00iDD2tsllbvFc4VrYJCNNq_L_JzWWcO_AlSaVqe7StIvw/s400/IMGP7005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552775596245143570" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-88184314081483557182010-11-28T06:22:00.000-08:002010-11-28T06:36:16.664-08:00Two Days of Dessert and More On the WayOver the years I've posted photos of this or that dessert with the tag "<a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/search?q=just+for+the+heck+of+it">Just for the heck of it.</a>" The idea being that this somehow got me off the hook for putting words together. Or that photos of tasty dessert can do their own talking. <br /><br />Amy's<span style="font-weight:bold;"> Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake</span>. I'm always amazed when this works, Amy uses an old school <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/351845">Magnalite</a> frying pan we have laying around. Like a charm. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT9clr0i6iubKOJDUj1trUX6192fY-yU7i2wIwlLPqN4K4qiv5NGTM6jg24aZIGMC5QsJnnd8ipyeQmiR8O6J29IQgaZRsVmZRrW8HfJp8HqCszC8afvdV-Kj1EPc1si7WtFUwA/s1600/upsidedown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyT9clr0i6iubKOJDUj1trUX6192fY-yU7i2wIwlLPqN4K4qiv5NGTM6jg24aZIGMC5QsJnnd8ipyeQmiR8O6J29IQgaZRsVmZRrW8HfJp8HqCszC8afvdV-Kj1EPc1si7WtFUwA/s400/upsidedown.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544607062606928290" /></a><br />Penny's <span style="font-weight:bold;">Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting</span>. The cake rode shotgun for our Thanksgiving Dinner dessert course. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiS5BQr6pOIpMT1C3rWYCVYYYwbJqupcjHm436OZ7wMvndl65u4RHR2uGTx81zkm_5e9iPwF01_2QBDiGuaB8i0sf1yCrCsVqfYvG787dsN9ZDwmRqqP_s8LElFsEETrCrWoHjTw/s1600/frosted.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiS5BQr6pOIpMT1C3rWYCVYYYwbJqupcjHm436OZ7wMvndl65u4RHR2uGTx81zkm_5e9iPwF01_2QBDiGuaB8i0sf1yCrCsVqfYvG787dsN9ZDwmRqqP_s8LElFsEETrCrWoHjTw/s400/frosted.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544607068252699186" /></a><br />We have one last cake engagement to squeeze in before it's back to work. A date with Pumpkin Cheesecake this afternoon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-54918048452954437382010-11-21T14:20:00.000-08:002010-11-21T14:31:19.398-08:00AppletiniI've been sneaking an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appletini">Appletini</a> into the line up once a week or so, mostly to make the next Sazerac taste better. I work with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBA_Official_Cocktail">IBA specified</a> ingredients, but skew heavier on the apple pucker - which tastes exactly like an Apple-flavored<a href="http://www.thehersheycompany.com/brands/jolly-rancher/hard-candy.aspx"> Jolly Rancher</a>. Goes down pretty easy, which is more than I can say for our recent addition.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzffg8-JnvEOyAB3QUt1-F6i75lcn-cID_vAMW8r0zWcD2k1F1j3pbEBkpXnWRxaT5lEQi1tlKdScNXOBJeAS-bRm-oq7CvUSWyQD41bNzQzGfl92vnH21corJT4xwjDY2J5buQ/s1600/IMGP6701.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzffg8-JnvEOyAB3QUt1-F6i75lcn-cID_vAMW8r0zWcD2k1F1j3pbEBkpXnWRxaT5lEQi1tlKdScNXOBJeAS-bRm-oq7CvUSWyQD41bNzQzGfl92vnH21corJT4xwjDY2J5buQ/s400/IMGP6701.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542133268156010546" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4On-abJa4isnF3GcJZTVCXrHHN1wYo0_Ofwjzqa5ejyOHBespUMcmF7zE2wNqzBlNjsmRxSbHT9OB7YbAV0tkyBSC32HX5HwUEnvXRj1ubIzhCQLGFFL69jqPIys3OqYd8eo1A/s1600/IMGP6703.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4On-abJa4isnF3GcJZTVCXrHHN1wYo0_Ofwjzqa5ejyOHBespUMcmF7zE2wNqzBlNjsmRxSbHT9OB7YbAV0tkyBSC32HX5HwUEnvXRj1ubIzhCQLGFFL69jqPIys3OqYd8eo1A/s400/IMGP6703.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542133275435384242" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m6FMElA6GFi3KofhaFTJcQ8bgVAsXJaX1563z-4FnkZkUOgenGKnSUOOZqRvhT4wlufvtFCJBCoV_sZMTqeZIhKnXNlWvUiX3OHEnP1Kz05QRaqN_oG1i0qGpAaXj-uP_M453A/s1600/IMGP6702.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m6FMElA6GFi3KofhaFTJcQ8bgVAsXJaX1563z-4FnkZkUOgenGKnSUOOZqRvhT4wlufvtFCJBCoV_sZMTqeZIhKnXNlWvUiX3OHEnP1Kz05QRaqN_oG1i0qGpAaXj-uP_M453A/s400/IMGP6702.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542133289198401298" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-78349905936697021562010-11-21T14:03:00.000-08:002010-11-21T14:11:41.206-08:00Each Year, The Ferry BuildingEach year in the fall, work takes me across the bay to the Embarcadero Hyatt. Last year I grabbed lunch at <a href="http://www.hogislandoysters.com/bars/san-francisco">Hog Island</a>, this year I stocked up at <a href="http://www.boccalone.com">Boccalone</a>. If you're local and into that sort of thing, grab some <a href="http://www.boccalone.com/Salumi/Lardo-Iberico-de-Bellota-p70.html">Lardo Iberico De Bellota</a>, the price to ship a chunk your way while keeping it cold is a real bluff caller.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuviL9c4knZdMUIAqCNggkGeapVznDgsfiRKum4URcbZZ3A4huhYC432LbRXTV2TLEFula4zVhS0iPZGzQ9WftjP0_FXEMVPqfJ6fsJTAZC0vl0CHAsXXBRyEdPyUDW94A_H5Hg/s1600/IMGP6720.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuviL9c4knZdMUIAqCNggkGeapVznDgsfiRKum4URcbZZ3A4huhYC432LbRXTV2TLEFula4zVhS0iPZGzQ9WftjP0_FXEMVPqfJ6fsJTAZC0vl0CHAsXXBRyEdPyUDW94A_H5Hg/s400/IMGP6720.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542128178593041314" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8zoKEvNH26sB8fkaEjjJkhazVTuU-0YuOftgvvNbVGueI03jxgRCzda9qWJu2XrtbYfp0_ajWVRA-NwuLXJbGsbm8dLvUZUTRNP8qCGZ7UIlo_XmMGSxpl_U1Wfk8U_zKGct7A/s1600/IMGP6719.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8zoKEvNH26sB8fkaEjjJkhazVTuU-0YuOftgvvNbVGueI03jxgRCzda9qWJu2XrtbYfp0_ajWVRA-NwuLXJbGsbm8dLvUZUTRNP8qCGZ7UIlo_XmMGSxpl_U1Wfk8U_zKGct7A/s400/IMGP6719.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542128175194747234" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-70063935591690792622010-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:002010-11-07T08:15:10.489-08:00India Tree's Dark Muscovado SugarThe <a href="http://www.indiatree.com/">India Tree Gourmet</a> line of dark sugars is yours for the grabbing at Berkeley Bowl. My favorite is the <a href="http://www.indiatree.com/products/sweet/bakingsugars.html">Dark Muscovado</a>, jam packed with molasses. It's also a real ding in any perceived aura of locavorism - hauled in from Mauritius. The Bowl has carried this stuff for years, but I don't get over there much these days. <br /><br />I've been using the sugar like a philistine, i.e. just like anyone would use any sugar. Particularly as the basis for simple syrup in Sazeracs. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWsuijBTpD_pVYJRoP6YSvgJGd9gtMFLgzb-6DSVLxRE0Zps9Ql16rrRjV3reMbpeM5b157hdwT3s_LK1ANKGiUvFBXugr4_9GKtaMNHMUJUOejJuqjjB3_ihR_qWPMNcB4KSbw/s1600/muscovado.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWsuijBTpD_pVYJRoP6YSvgJGd9gtMFLgzb-6DSVLxRE0Zps9Ql16rrRjV3reMbpeM5b157hdwT3s_LK1ANKGiUvFBXugr4_9GKtaMNHMUJUOejJuqjjB3_ihR_qWPMNcB4KSbw/s400/muscovado.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536841708836863602" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-60201065740861229832010-11-06T07:51:00.000-07:002010-11-06T08:00:22.761-07:00Belated Feliz Dia de Los MuertosWe developed a soft spot for this holiday at some point. For me it happened around the time we moved to Oakland. Axel took his first unassisted steps at Oakland's Day of the Dead festival a few years ago. Most years we manage to snag some "Dead bread" at Arizmendi. Slightly orange-flavored, fennel seeds, those are chocolate chips that were his eyes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisGA7n0gn1En3pdtrgYQG22IrLh4CS1CPaAIB46Ja8YfWlpv0IcbsQw1WreQ-nIlSuq7c_D60F45K2LPLTcDX1f3UUw4jegJwYLtdisS20bqRCrXW5A-mTWBw0OOBqtTG9_rxMQ/s1600/bread.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisGA7n0gn1En3pdtrgYQG22IrLh4CS1CPaAIB46Ja8YfWlpv0IcbsQw1WreQ-nIlSuq7c_D60F45K2LPLTcDX1f3UUw4jegJwYLtdisS20bqRCrXW5A-mTWBw0OOBqtTG9_rxMQ/s400/bread.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536450864518066114" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-23936777644986157462010-09-15T06:46:00.000-07:002010-09-21T21:49:34.268-07:00Wine's Bargain Bin Still Getting DeeperI've been assembling a case of wine from our son's birth year. The idea is that when he's 21 we'll split it. He has to drink 6 bottles with us, and can do with the other six whatever it is a twenty-one year old does. No one particular wine, no one particular region. <br /><br />2006 was a pretty good vintage if you're stretching your dollar and looking for wine that'll age for 15-20 years. There was flooding in Napa Valley, but there was a dry and hot stretch that got things mostly back on track. My view is there's only so bad that a bottle of wine from a reasonably distinguished producer can be. I don't drink <a href="http://www.lail-vineyards.com/wines_cuvee.html">J Daniel Cuvee</a> or even <a href="http://www.jordanwinery.com/wines/cabernet_sauvignon">Jordan Cabernet</a> often enough to appreciate year over year change.<br /><br />So we started with a few bottles of Bordeaux, and then moved on to California. My wife and I have fond memories of a lot of wines and wineries, and then there are the handful of <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2006/01/wine-zinfandel-rafanelli-vineyards.html">cult</a> <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2005/12/wine-syrah-alban-vineyards-pandora.html">winemakers</a> that I'm <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2006/02/wine-bordeaux-blend-peter-michael-les.html">cultish</a> about. We maxed out our case before I could even get to Italy or Spain.<br /><br />And as we get further from 2006, bigger and bigger name wines are finding their way into Wine Dot Com's close out channels. Like their <a href="http://message.wine.com/servlet/formlink/f?OpgLQSYST">Private Cellar</a> (you can sign up for the emails using that link). You can't see the price for the private cellar wines until you enter a code. I also receive emails from a Wine Dot Com staffer with deals that are pretty good on wine that can be hard to find. You can only buy the wine directly from the email, it won't appear on the website or, at least, won't appear on the website at the same price. It's fairly targeted marketing and I'm falling for it about once a month. <br /><br />I'm also buying wine that I had previously rationalized as uninteresting mostly because I couldn't afford it. I enjoy <a href="http://www.ridgewine.com/index.taf">Ridge</a> wines, but had always dismissed their <a href="http://www.ridgewine.com/wines/Monte_Bello_Wine.tml">Montebello</a> cabernet until it was offered by wine.com for well under one hundred dollars a bottle. Similarly <a href="http://www.caymus.com/">Caymus</a> and S<a href="http://www.cask23.com/history/firstGrowth/">tags Leap</a>. Come to think of it, I'd always found Wine Dot Com uninteresting. Their collection wasn't varied enough to keep me engaged, and the price point wasn't great - particularly once you factored in shipping; usually took a gift certificate to get me there. <br /><br />In April of this year, in a post titled <a href="http://www.google.com/url?url=http://www.vinography.com/archives/2010/04/the_coming_carnage_in_the_cali.html&rct=j&sa=X&ei=bYOZTIn-M4yisQO4162pAw&ved=0CBgQzgQoADAA&q=vinography+wine+til+gone&usg=AFQjCNFe3jKrskWteeKMQ5gCsejzMr51Bg">The Coming Carnage in the California Wine Industry</a>, I read about <a href="http://www.wtso.com">Wine 'til Sold Out</a> for the first time. Checking the link just now, they had an '05 Brunello that Robert Parker had rated at 90 points for 40% off.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-16636190108797743792010-09-12T08:07:00.000-07:002010-09-12T08:22:46.820-07:00Paw Paws: "The Largest Edible Fruit Indigenous To the Continent"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0JlluXtn7qdqCoZ_thTyEO9-SAjTX-UWVCSZ2cBG7P-ZeG7airP8p3S4EKXAQqlyMYbVtjIc-oaW2SdeHYvqtmAAZCjsjBkiwnyoM5Sh8C3nlMzSjuYpKebugAxM-KfH7CRr7g/s1600/pawpaw.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0JlluXtn7qdqCoZ_thTyEO9-SAjTX-UWVCSZ2cBG7P-ZeG7airP8p3S4EKXAQqlyMYbVtjIc-oaW2SdeHYvqtmAAZCjsjBkiwnyoM5Sh8C3nlMzSjuYpKebugAxM-KfH7CRr7g/s400/pawpaw.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516044132907492210" /></a><p>Love-hate relationship with the paw paw in these parts. They are best at their ugliest, the blacker the better up to a point. </p><p>I lump them in with other fruits that I buy as soon as they show up, generally to wasteful effect. Not quite ripe, they languish until they are probably iffy. Then languish some more, until they are definitely iffy. Compost.</p><p>This is probably why I haven't written about them before, aside from this <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/search?q=paw+paw">slight mention</a>. I think they'd make great ice cream.</p><p>The guy working Lagier Ranches' booth at the Lakeshore market expects to have them for a few more weeks.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-39140625954549865492010-03-06T20:52:00.001-08:002010-03-06T21:17:57.363-08:00Second Level: Lagier Ranches Almond Milk and Bronx Raisins<p>Years ago, when Doug used to work the <a href="http://prmeatco.com/mission.html">Prather Ranch</a> stand at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-lake-farmers-market-oakland">Grand Lake Farmers Market</a>, he introduced us to a three level rubric for understanding the degree to which food is being enjoyed. Something like this:<br /><ol><li>Level 1: Talking about how good the food is as it's eaten.</li><br /><li>Level 2: Utter silence as the food is eaten</li><br /><li>Level 3: Gently weeping as the food is eaten</li></ol></p><p>As someone who regularly blogs and tweets about food, I have some kind of disposition to the first level of food enjoyment. There's hardly anything I won't wait to eat until the photos are snapped, the blog post drafted. No foodstuff that I treasure so much that I won't tell everyone I know, and a bunch of people I don't, where to get it. Until today.</p><p>I've been coming to the Grand Lake market for about seven years now, and had never seen Almond Milk (sweetened with dates) or <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2005/09/fruit-bronx-grapes.html">Bronx Grape</a> Raisins at the <a href="http://www.lagierranches.com/StoreFront.bok">Lagier Ranches</a> stand. I sampled, and then I high-tailed it home and shared with my family. No photos. No tweets.</p><p>Delicious.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-44027820414107371382010-01-16T21:02:00.000-08:002010-01-16T21:24:32.434-08:00New Fangled Old Fashioned Cocktail<p>On my first trip to <a href="http://www.thelakechalet.com">Lake Chalet</a>, I ordered their Old Whiskey Cocktail. I'd struck out with their <strong>Dark and Stormy</strong> and didn't want to order a drink with a silly name. Also Lake Chalet uses rye whiskey for their Old Fashioned. While Wild Turkey is available in a rye version, I've had a soft spot for rye whiskey since <a href="http://newlowdown.blogspot.com/">The New Low Down</a> poured me a dram of <a href="http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/oldpotrero_18th.htm">Old Potrero</a>. How long ago was that?</p><p>For whatever reason, the Old Fashioned clicked this year. My first scrounge for a recipe went the usual way - everything I thought I knew about the old fashioned was wrong, because I hadn't read <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/19931/The-Old-Fashioned-Whiskey-Cocktail">this</a>. Tasty stuff:</p><blockquote>'Young impudent sir, he screamed, '...Man and boy I've built Old-Fashioned cocktails these 60 years... and I have never yet had the perverted nastiness of mind to put fruit in an Old-Fashioned. Get out, scram, go over to the Palmer House and drink.' I was rebuked.</blockquote><p>Me too. And the adulteration goes further. In place of sugar I like to add just enough cane syrup to get the cocktail slightly viscous. Please be tolerant of this backward, blurry, and uncomposed photo. I'll replace it one day soon:</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTwCYtTaKHr2apaXKNHKauBdji12t9XtuNh7mqDAhdymYAZEuigvb0bqlJAdhqgwjPZTMXb7_XUE18LkCbNNvsO8Zh8ma5CkScwxIpfKlW9eM8bibQzC_JD3eyXvxs7PcUdxIUg/s1600-h/Photo+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTwCYtTaKHr2apaXKNHKauBdji12t9XtuNh7mqDAhdymYAZEuigvb0bqlJAdhqgwjPZTMXb7_XUE18LkCbNNvsO8Zh8ma5CkScwxIpfKlW9eM8bibQzC_JD3eyXvxs7PcUdxIUg/s400/Photo+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427573283000042994" /></a><p>My new-fangled old-fashioned cocktail recipe goes something like this:</p><ul><li>2 full shot glasses of <a href="http://www.liquorsnob.com/archives/2007/06/bulleit_bourbon_review.php">Bulleit Bourbon</a>, aka the best of the cheap stuff at Trader Joe's. Here's <b>Liquor Snob's</b> <a href="http://www.liquorsnob.com/archives/2007/06/bulleit_bourbon_review.php">review</a>.</li><li>Angostura Bitters, three dashes plus that first splash that splashes out unbidden. </li><li>Water. Maybe 1/2 a shot's worth.</li> <li>Blood orange if you've got it, an obnoxiously large wedge a la <a href="http://www.cafevankleef.com/">Cafe Van Kleef</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=25907">Depaz Cane Syrup</a>, to taste and feel. At least 1/2 tsp.</li><li>Your favorite dried cherries. Will impart hardly any flavor, but are tasty after the fact. My digging for them, as I read in bed, has led to some grumbling from Amy who usually goes to sleep earlier than me.</li><li><em>Directions: Get your orange wedge into the glass somehow. It may take shoving, and some incidental juicing is encouraged. Don't go crazy. Cherries if you like. Then dash in the bitters. Pour in the cane syrup, then the bourbon. Then the water. Somehow 3 ice cubes always seem to fit into our Crate and Barrel highballs.</em></li></ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-49400368556330947342010-01-11T16:45:00.000-08:002010-01-11T16:57:51.866-08:00Peko Peko Guerilla Cafe<p>Speaking of <a href="http://eatpekopeko.com/">Peko Peko</a>, just received email word that they're doing their pop-up izakaya thing at <a href="http://www.guerillacafe.com/Guerilla_Cafe/Home.html">Guerilla Cafe</a> in Berkeley. We plan on being at <a href="http://www.caminorestaurant.com/">Camino</a> that night for crab, but the izakaya poster does say "till late".</p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.eatpekopeko/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIqHjUJiXPF_YORZBs5y2HMZbLndLjFC20firSoEllG7q4Gw1dxBcXGB0vGHzHludDpIUcB83ZWKFlkXj1FeTzl9uUWiYoycJBQ275wpVbRkoDraRUX3yAFa2PkR5G5mbvWonug/s320/Popup-at-Guerilla1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425650639927494770" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-18791623542572081762010-01-07T21:52:00.000-08:002010-01-09T21:41:27.480-08:00Happy New Year<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQtSm27Neq-iRqZ8ixTzaSgEoMIcm5px_rUq_P_Qr4ijpUKQkWwRujW3VlEKzEoVNveXxpziWFfT0YojoKp4HudfQ0A2hTFWvl6LkvVUxlI0bCtCLM3yF2rs8n5wBoheJi7v2LQ/s1600-h/IMGP3926.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQtSm27Neq-iRqZ8ixTzaSgEoMIcm5px_rUq_P_Qr4ijpUKQkWwRujW3VlEKzEoVNveXxpziWFfT0YojoKp4HudfQ0A2hTFWvl6LkvVUxlI0bCtCLM3yF2rs8n5wBoheJi7v2LQ/s200/IMGP3926.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424973538641325762" /></a><p>Happy New Year everyone, hangover-curing ham and cheese popovers at left there. </p><p>Time for that annual first post, full of promise and retrospection. While I'd planned on not addressing the specifics, the time that I had spent blogging was given over to other pursuits for most of 2009. There were vacations that I thought would get me back in the blogging saddle. Mostly I <a href="http://mychalmccabe.tumblr.com/">rode my bike</a> instead. The accompanying weight loss has been a welcome benefit, though I'm also having an on-again off-again discussion with my physician about whether this renewed interest in cycling and the like has had the positive impact on my overall health that I suggest.</p><p>To be sure, we ate well last year. We signed up for a <a href="http://www.fullbellyfarm.com/">Fully Belly Farm</a> CSA, kept at the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Grand Lake Farmers Market</span>, and ate and drank more than our share. I've been slowly assembling a case of wine from Axel's birth year, sampling as we went so we'd know that the cellar-worthy bordeaux and new world stuff were actually interesting. I <a href="http://twitter.com/mychalmccabe">tweeted</a> about some of these things. Which means some of them wound up on Facebook. I got into the habit of visiting <a href="http://www.boccalone.com/">Boccalone</a> once a month or so (Amy gave me a membership in their <span style="font-weight:bold;">Salumi Societ</span>y for my birthday), which got me to the Ferry Building Farmers Market for the first time - a former colleague described this as "going Hollywood".</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGxRu9iKtoRNIDUa0ioNdrAb0NMCaX6D23-d-z3CYpAGg_EXVppcciFkBgms2QWikoSuz8JgHVRuPGLlvPoV2kSickcJ1yxHzjcPCa1nztbAxzidAOFf1lpjqGjOi6uRsEtSEng/s1600-h/IMGP3225.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGxRu9iKtoRNIDUa0ioNdrAb0NMCaX6D23-d-z3CYpAGg_EXVppcciFkBgms2QWikoSuz8JgHVRuPGLlvPoV2kSickcJ1yxHzjcPCa1nztbAxzidAOFf1lpjqGjOi6uRsEtSEng/s320/IMGP3225.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424974504101766354" /></a><p>The last handful of posts here were about the food we were eating in Ukraine. I'm not sure I recovered and I'm not sure what the affliction is. If it's that eating well continues to be too privileged, then surely all these newfangled <a href="http://twitter.com/CATacoTrucks">food trucks</a> represent progress?</p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6uFTHYH8MzmdhYwWC89bNCWlgAVGMKTPI4LXQVGKY9t1BzEaVv9ZUDcqjA2fLLlCjs5ZtJHzRNCHCIoINHZf1TS4tyGde_uj9xqDe6TLZ3DB1UoDXX6MLg8e5jt4KqZulWWYww/s1600-h/41500519.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6uFTHYH8MzmdhYwWC89bNCWlgAVGMKTPI4LXQVGKY9t1BzEaVv9ZUDcqjA2fLLlCjs5ZtJHzRNCHCIoINHZf1TS4tyGde_uj9xqDe6TLZ3DB1UoDXX6MLg8e5jt4KqZulWWYww/s320/41500519.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424979356963631298" /></a><em>Photo credit shout out to <a href="http://twitpic.com/opi07">Rob Peterson</a>, food truck fan and sometime partner in crime.</em><p>Or the community vibe of <a href="http://www.radioafricakitchen.com/">Radio Africa Kitchen</a>. Or the lack of pretense involved in picking up <a href="http://www.eatpekopeko.com/">Peko Peko</a> at some random storefront. When I showed up with Axel to pick up bento the first time, they couldn't make change. So, they offered me a beer while they went to go find some. <a href="http://www.commisrestaurant.com/#/home">Commis</a> may hold out a different kind of promise for people getting over the pretense surrounding serious food. Haven't gotten around to going though, in part because it seems so self-conscious.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lVqWwOvuDTbsyzdBnBZx9QCCUZUCfiIFHAfj5DecYf3cnTI2H92ugZXmp-L7GrQYaDJfNPdKVuBHMacjGm3jaS80Njd6Rv5QoAy7ot6guN6sG3RzXhuSRO_OAxqBsux_8pVbvw/s1600-h/IMGP1802.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lVqWwOvuDTbsyzdBnBZx9QCCUZUCfiIFHAfj5DecYf3cnTI2H92ugZXmp-L7GrQYaDJfNPdKVuBHMacjGm3jaS80Njd6Rv5QoAy7ot6guN6sG3RzXhuSRO_OAxqBsux_8pVbvw/s320/IMGP1802.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424974762628797250" /></a><em>Our first order of Peko Peko bento for two, with bonus peaches.</em><br /><br />It's not the pretense or privilege though; I found ways to cope with that a while ago. I had a great time at <a href="http://www.restaurants-joel-robuchon.com/modele.php?resto=12&ville=Las%20Vegas&rub=presentation&image=1&langue=eng">l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon</a> - even if the cocktails aren't as good as what <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-grand-tavern-oakland-4">Grand Tavern</a> serves up (Mai Tai). I even manage a soft spot for <a href="http://www.thelakechalet.com/">Lake Chalet</a> (Old Fashioned Whisky Cocktail).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_WjjHCsyQ9wj8iMKdyMkmnIXuE5cEB8pwY67oOiEUtzsL1tf9AECnlcphyphenhyphenT7nfEuv_ls54uTuAo74UOFAbgs5fNynfb8JmrY05ehwy1rkf0hidfonopfYtx5CV7HosKZMHbRhw/s1600-h/IMGP1195.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_WjjHCsyQ9wj8iMKdyMkmnIXuE5cEB8pwY67oOiEUtzsL1tf9AECnlcphyphenhyphenT7nfEuv_ls54uTuAo74UOFAbgs5fNynfb8JmrY05ehwy1rkf0hidfonopfYtx5CV7HosKZMHbRhw/s320/IMGP1195.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424973998909133554" /></a><em>Window display at <a href="http://www.bitterundzart.de/blog/">Bitter & Zart</a> in Frankfurt on our way back from Ukraine.</em><br /><p>Mostly it's the blogging itself. Which is necessarily what I make of it. Still cracking that code.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-18823370352193761612009-03-16T12:09:00.000-07:002009-03-16T13:23:40.660-07:00Lviv and Being ResourcefulA few days ago Amy showed up at our apartment with the package of eggs you see below - cut to fit for six and tied together with the entrails of a cassette tape. She also had a Fanta bottle filled with raw milk. We'd walked past old timers selling it on the sidewalk and I hadn't even noticed that the bottles were being reused.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0xA77SStLQ8c95nl9HcsE8MR2FKZkMV1se0mrZmoeAwRaUu82P9o8_Bwhlk5hhRVp9_uLEa8IzHt0azvOcSQPSN_fZ5wr8wjpfwlz5RKD_7pfWgeUReCteA-DYF9u6ISWf9P7w/s1600-h/eggs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0xA77SStLQ8c95nl9HcsE8MR2FKZkMV1se0mrZmoeAwRaUu82P9o8_Bwhlk5hhRVp9_uLEa8IzHt0azvOcSQPSN_fZ5wr8wjpfwlz5RKD_7pfWgeUReCteA-DYF9u6ISWf9P7w/s400/eggs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313868551773320018" /></a><br />As a westerner it's tempting to read more than common sense and resourcefulness into this, maybe something in the spirit of the <a href="http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2008/10/17/innovating-from-constraint/">creative reuse</a> noise emanating from Africa. That temptation has something to do with how hard pressed we are to accomplish basic behavior change in our own society. For me it also has something to do with how bats folks went at the Grand Lake Farmer's Market when vendors asked everyone to bring their own bags for Earth Day. <br /><br />Ultimately a culture is either resourceful or not. Americans may be inventive and driven but this isn't the same thing. I submit as a kind of Exhibit B this tapestry at Lviv's <a href="http://marchinlviv.blogspot.com/2009/03/lviv-museum-of-ethnography-and-crafts.html">Ethnographic Museum</a>, the shiny bits of which are also cassette tape material. While examples of exactly this sort of material resourcefulness may abound in rural or economically depressed areas back home, Lviv isn't strictly speaking rural. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_l9D23XUUYetX6Dn-luZc34_fwSyPK12km155g5zNmtVAl9v3TLtrwoaETxti1el8cxTP4PkOPqtKiRZlqM4UvLeSYK3ODEwdTIyzSjyKkcptVhebRpcw-PY9YVbPW-WemuG8Q/s1600-h/tape.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_l9D23XUUYetX6Dn-luZc34_fwSyPK12km155g5zNmtVAl9v3TLtrwoaETxti1el8cxTP4PkOPqtKiRZlqM4UvLeSYK3ODEwdTIyzSjyKkcptVhebRpcw-PY9YVbPW-WemuG8Q/s400/tape.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313869268211665762" /></a><br /><br />It's maybe obvious but still worth pointing out that being resourceful is no indication that a culture will stay that way. Last week I posted some photos of vegetables tied together with sewing thread. It's probably acrylic and who knows whether it's better or worse for the environment or you than rubber bands. But could you imagine a city of 700,000 in America where the majority of folks selling stuff from farm stands would have string enough on hand for it to make sense?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzWp7rG7br5rHkDAn9SjQK3MkFOY0-CmT5Q5mognmkYhVZDrWyNlRhk4A-E1am2eMgYULc5_POSlf0h80S8JKAkezgX8ifIhlXHYFPYEx14bHuG8JxeOdmjsAsSTM-8YAgRw5fQ/s1600-h/turnips.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzWp7rG7br5rHkDAn9SjQK3MkFOY0-CmT5Q5mognmkYhVZDrWyNlRhk4A-E1am2eMgYULc5_POSlf0h80S8JKAkezgX8ifIhlXHYFPYEx14bHuG8JxeOdmjsAsSTM-8YAgRw5fQ/s400/turnips.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313869554522981714" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-31384723569736358312009-03-15T13:09:00.000-07:002009-03-16T13:21:16.456-07:00Ramp Season in LvivOur stay in Lviv happened to coincide with the arrival of <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2006/04/ramps.html">ramps</a>. We noticed them for the first time a few days ago, invariably old women with huge bags full of little ramp bundles. <br /><br />Not sure what the locals make of them. I heard a seller pitch them to a passerby other than us as lettuces. When Amy picked up today's batch another customer asked what to do with them. The woman selling them said that she disliked them and that people who bought them cooked them as they saw fit. Somehow this didn't deter the prospective buyer from requesting a couple of bunches, in response the woman selling them said that she'd be cooking them herself and should pick them out herself as well. <br /><br />They were the real deal though. Very garlicky. Our pantry is pretty meager here, no olive oil even. When Amy asked me what I cooked them in I replied,"Bacon." Three bunches of ramps, a pound of pasta, three batons of bacon, and some peppercorns. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggH5qRzOqqYbs7064wXuwzRInKK6Uhqc50YKbEwKn0SeFrijkBD__Xzsgk_G6UEvfM0xpTNq8HRozzVt4tdcyaYY4U9B1NMmtbP7JZ4Hscgif4vr6zFGQ447AQ0wo7UUEEplKIQ/s1600-h/ramps.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggH5qRzOqqYbs7064wXuwzRInKK6Uhqc50YKbEwKn0SeFrijkBD__Xzsgk_G6UEvfM0xpTNq8HRozzVt4tdcyaYY4U9B1NMmtbP7JZ4Hscgif4vr6zFGQ447AQ0wo7UUEEplKIQ/s400/ramps.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313880407574847170" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-40307470381219931402009-03-15T13:04:00.000-07:002009-03-16T13:21:46.767-07:00Purple Beans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RD8Z-M-HhAh5y75NgvCdIMsbi3sgDZBlXt5VBsVXiqvmooOkc59qYnK84dN-bVpIGCGknaYD5V-PlhbomDfFvAkt5bRyZPO8wn3nfOPlzGbaeyORjuQKg3MLsc_hUP7ucjHW1w/s1600-h/beans.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RD8Z-M-HhAh5y75NgvCdIMsbi3sgDZBlXt5VBsVXiqvmooOkc59qYnK84dN-bVpIGCGknaYD5V-PlhbomDfFvAkt5bRyZPO8wn3nfOPlzGbaeyORjuQKg3MLsc_hUP7ucjHW1w/s400/beans.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313879450740664082" /></a><br /><em>A pot of beans that Amy found at one of the markets here in Lviv. More purple than the picasa'd photo suggests.</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-12671167944912152442009-03-10T05:46:00.000-07:002009-03-10T06:04:15.178-07:00Café Veronika - Lviv, UkraineWe had a mid-morning snack at Café Veronika this morning. Won't say too much about this place other than that our snack was delicious, cost more than dinner had two nights before, and that most of the people dining there were either business men or well-heeled women meeting other well-heeled women. The pastry case was an awfully compelling mix of seemingly traditional fare like cabbage-stuffed puff pastry and slicker modern-looking cakes and tarts. Amy and I tucked into our quiche while we tried to convince Axel not to touch the lace table cloth with his chocolate croissant fingers. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKGlMhay5qZuriLd1h2Uf6bQXDTk1A2DGtQNErQgn_HOvOAGKDFJjad3b9Ao-MBWe6Xr-APUnp13lKOB2R-unVbS-fLL72Li1LA71QVi6Tmry8iJiewGrBO9Z9gWhp83g2motIg/s1600-h/IMGP0216.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKGlMhay5qZuriLd1h2Uf6bQXDTk1A2DGtQNErQgn_HOvOAGKDFJjad3b9Ao-MBWe6Xr-APUnp13lKOB2R-unVbS-fLL72Li1LA71QVi6Tmry8iJiewGrBO9Z9gWhp83g2motIg/s400/IMGP0216.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311542830549853042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQN0Ptv0JZHozGWZHUzV6axsrIHPE-pbdYx-r8lZsalJdoaoHCvXgRnEVZ2RGXe16R8X292U3ksPSFq8KxipymcwJ9c6m2DXfsFt6Vch49AJY8X9an2lYNWxe6F2tnPvBqqiK2AA/s1600-h/IMGP0219.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQN0Ptv0JZHozGWZHUzV6axsrIHPE-pbdYx-r8lZsalJdoaoHCvXgRnEVZ2RGXe16R8X292U3ksPSFq8KxipymcwJ9c6m2DXfsFt6Vch49AJY8X9an2lYNWxe6F2tnPvBqqiK2AA/s400/IMGP0219.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311542840697710946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaroGA3T6I7-fYBfqntCqjASH8hF8G5aYHDz_RVsED8wJ7Pb9ZSLiSA4Q215ibiAm_9OAkgHZ3HVSBsB-za5rfuGEH5O3ZzEIolg11cXBOgPEcHkp3dHAvbmVBXNhG_Vj_Hpr5hA/s1600-h/IMGP0217.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaroGA3T6I7-fYBfqntCqjASH8hF8G5aYHDz_RVsED8wJ7Pb9ZSLiSA4Q215ibiAm_9OAkgHZ3HVSBsB-za5rfuGEH5O3ZzEIolg11cXBOgPEcHkp3dHAvbmVBXNhG_Vj_Hpr5hA/s400/IMGP0217.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311542834414742018" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-69732183114868939402009-03-09T22:26:00.000-07:002009-03-09T22:59:07.442-07:00Another Market - Lviv, UkraineYesterday we <a href="http://waitingforeuphoria.blogspot.com/2009/03/walking-to-rails.html">schlepped</a> over to a train museum that turned out to be closed. We licked our wounds in a cafe alongside this market. We'd walked for half an hour at this point and the espresso, cake, and buttered toast with cured fish were very welcome. The guy one table over had more or less the same and supplemented with a vodka shot. <br /><br />A cold or wet morning will more or less wipe out the weekly markets back home. This <em>daily</em> market was humming along with six inches of snow on the ground and a stiff wind ripping through the flimsy umbrellas. Apples looked amazing in all that snow. We got four cucumbers, half a squash, three potatoes, a few bananas, 500 grams worth of clementines, and the leeks and turnips for about three bucks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h3GOKBuuvj6s_cHhu-GBghlWA1XvnJ6SS2DDnJAPY3ubQ-hdnP9UT-MvAGkuv-_QEsZ2uLdT1UWJF7qx_i36gfcUGz-RKyOEUntx5yCsP30WBt_OL4PZY_3SBr9mPcbRsHYvpw/s1600-h/IMGP0140.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5h3GOKBuuvj6s_cHhu-GBghlWA1XvnJ6SS2DDnJAPY3ubQ-hdnP9UT-MvAGkuv-_QEsZ2uLdT1UWJF7qx_i36gfcUGz-RKyOEUntx5yCsP30WBt_OL4PZY_3SBr9mPcbRsHYvpw/s400/IMGP0140.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311427208716914146" /></a><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorm0AQzeFyr8pxO_E0JRy9x9V4bMfo5qegNyHNMXvkr4FWTrICA4kXEypdunbSxGQEJjURz1f6ihspFZj4soiZBI3ZVRH-pENaCLgTZ7FlM8KgjKsDw9LBIK0OjdJ3ShrciYibQ/s1600-h/IMGP0143.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorm0AQzeFyr8pxO_E0JRy9x9V4bMfo5qegNyHNMXvkr4FWTrICA4kXEypdunbSxGQEJjURz1f6ihspFZj4soiZBI3ZVRH-pENaCLgTZ7FlM8KgjKsDw9LBIK0OjdJ3ShrciYibQ/s400/IMGP0143.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311427211444695106" /></a><br /><em>Amy lugged Axel around on her back. In exchange for this service I carried her China Town Batz-Maru purse.</em><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmDKrKHVm3eFzTfS8WB8ocwPOuVYaH-MiXrhIv5zWF6505fWd1oCImB2S1AT0BlBkuXxkBpI7H6nY1NcsKN82d2hxcJ_35j3ZvdT4gvCd_8rUCf4naoxdQDsPYxMB-TA6hzp2Q/s1600-h/IMGP0141.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmDKrKHVm3eFzTfS8WB8ocwPOuVYaH-MiXrhIv5zWF6505fWd1oCImB2S1AT0BlBkuXxkBpI7H6nY1NcsKN82d2hxcJ_35j3ZvdT4gvCd_8rUCf4naoxdQDsPYxMB-TA6hzp2Q/s400/IMGP0141.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311427210857024946" /></a><br /><em>Through our first few days here, the only green things I ate were parsley and dill. We waited a long time for these cucumbers, while the woman in front of us bought a big bag of grapes. The vendor picked out each of the bad ones.</em><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiiqFJbyCP4ZjOWj8U78zvDZgPxrLQqKw5ubYlFFpI7XRrjS3YZ9dWzoRhwqqitFFP51P1sbA1_x28kJG2nUzHqaaqYiVUSnqj_tNT3Q1yZUkZR0oDq9Uh5B9rLL07-Zud8nigA/s1600-h/IMGP0145.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiiqFJbyCP4ZjOWj8U78zvDZgPxrLQqKw5ubYlFFpI7XRrjS3YZ9dWzoRhwqqitFFP51P1sbA1_x28kJG2nUzHqaaqYiVUSnqj_tNT3Q1yZUkZR0oDq9Uh5B9rLL07-Zud8nigA/s400/IMGP0145.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311427216286480578" /></a><br /><em>Every meal we've eaten, whether at home or our and about has been served on this scalloped white place setting. The Krakow Cafe, a fast food pizza place, and the cafe yesterday.</em><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrzFjLsKZ_2mH8Wz67P2evBW5IG_POEDPI9SSgncFuhlnuPwl-dKf0w2PNwz3kKo7oy4e8rm9dANyq6xrVdr_mMABlICkbHIvfjPHOYYQedPkzS0GZCX6zhGvB6qoJuG0rpBlig/s1600-h/IMGP0146.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrzFjLsKZ_2mH8Wz67P2evBW5IG_POEDPI9SSgncFuhlnuPwl-dKf0w2PNwz3kKo7oy4e8rm9dANyq6xrVdr_mMABlICkbHIvfjPHOYYQedPkzS0GZCX6zhGvB6qoJuG0rpBlig/s400/IMGP0146.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311427215175603810" /></a><br /><em>I mentioned the herb bundles tied together with sewing thread, but turns out bundles of jut about everything are tied together with it.</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-717307126756830362009-03-08T06:31:00.000-07:002009-03-08T06:52:59.416-07:00Strysky Market - Lviv, UkraineGetting my sea legs after two days of travel. I've thrown together a blog to capture all of my navel gazing about our trip to <a href="http://marchinlviv.blogspot.com/">Lviv</a>, but will still be posting food-related items here. Long time readers will wonder why the heck I've somewhat customized this new blog and still intermittently plug away in the minima template here. A good question which might be in need of an answer this year. In the mean time, some shots from the market we've been frequenting. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTahkGGFjo8d1DVUWIr4gQ79kwRO44ZthI2zQItSfjQ3GOSsZxT0g7etpyewTSutciizFqHKVF61q2vDevm9ul6g9J5Ix2mLyZXdQE6AmUPblHXkR3K0c7KdBC9fcTDG_Am234FQ/s1600-h/IMGP0107.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTahkGGFjo8d1DVUWIr4gQ79kwRO44ZthI2zQItSfjQ3GOSsZxT0g7etpyewTSutciizFqHKVF61q2vDevm9ul6g9J5Ix2mLyZXdQE6AmUPblHXkR3K0c7KdBC9fcTDG_Am234FQ/s400/IMGP0107.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310811341812840354" /></a><br /><em>This sign reads Strysky Market. The market sits at the bottom of a hill where Strysky Park begins.</em><br /><hr><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYQiLpdw2smBZbib34HB0K0okcjf1mthi0_HSJI3XGpEJZg8mYZkhbZcFRj693ZYIAw6x5OMvue8sXr21JuA34ZYPIZDbWiLpBPud5VtYl1THv5fEqprhs6cIPiaPDqHDgjrCtA/s1600-h/IMGP0079.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYQiLpdw2smBZbib34HB0K0okcjf1mthi0_HSJI3XGpEJZg8mYZkhbZcFRj693ZYIAw6x5OMvue8sXr21JuA34ZYPIZDbWiLpBPud5VtYl1THv5fEqprhs6cIPiaPDqHDgjrCtA/s400/IMGP0079.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310811346957001666" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD7zNJZUQTW_zusTVgj5jR2DyQrOWUyk6n7d_9gvY-qzW1liiaKhuA-qnfWFMIT-AoecD3Uj2eq7bpDaiuHj4jQoe07Qtieanius1AOsdzfCP9UQsWYq_hlGhs9yBouoWAsC8rQ/s1600-h/IMGP0080.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD7zNJZUQTW_zusTVgj5jR2DyQrOWUyk6n7d_9gvY-qzW1liiaKhuA-qnfWFMIT-AoecD3Uj2eq7bpDaiuHj4jQoe07Qtieanius1AOsdzfCP9UQsWYq_hlGhs9yBouoWAsC8rQ/s400/IMGP0080.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310811360007272674" /></a><br /><em>The market is housed in a permanent structure that's flanked along one side by flower stands and a guy who sells fresh fish from a truck - just like those ladies at the Old Oakland Friday market.</em><br /><hr><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNFhZeuThlwfLvME2YaCG86q9mriOU0w1-CQzOVBGFTqTvLDs2Tg0qbrMprYa4JpZUUnPivgJJYmSXK_HD1GgM5tRPR8xiXY9nt6Ja0HkFAN3LJxM9-sArMu6TTyMoK1H402xhQ/s1600-h/IMGP0078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNFhZeuThlwfLvME2YaCG86q9mriOU0w1-CQzOVBGFTqTvLDs2Tg0qbrMprYa4JpZUUnPivgJJYmSXK_HD1GgM5tRPR8xiXY9nt6Ja0HkFAN3LJxM9-sArMu6TTyMoK1H402xhQ/s400/IMGP0078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310811350018639890" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlNhrgdg-PLUdNGe6rZN8lynInZZPSsti4ipTg30nFdSaLHNbD5V9rPRj2seoax9BOhYHCks4A-sRCi1moLwvbiWXQOyuS38m16wyyRJaoSJLsUVn5mm3iAg9lvXOFB5bHk6wqQ/s1600-h/IMGP0077.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlNhrgdg-PLUdNGe6rZN8lynInZZPSsti4ipTg30nFdSaLHNbD5V9rPRj2seoax9BOhYHCks4A-sRCi1moLwvbiWXQOyuS38m16wyyRJaoSJLsUVn5mm3iAg9lvXOFB5bHk6wqQ/s400/IMGP0077.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310811351528675890" /></a><br /><em>Inside the walls of the market there are permanent stalls for dry goods, toys, you name it. Some of the food vendors occupy these as well, but most of the action is on long tables. The box of what looks like gelatinous blood is actually a tasty apricot paste. More wet than membrillo but the same idea. </em><br /><hr>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-68344258586483591402009-03-01T13:14:00.000-08:002009-03-01T14:17:24.075-08:00It's Been a WhileI missed some can't miss blogging opportunities during my hiatus - something to do with Facebook, <a href="http://twitter.com/mychalmccabe">Twitter</a>, and work. There was a meal at <a href="http://www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de/index.php?page=home_2_1">Weihenstephan</a> (the oldest brewery in the world), <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/flora-oakland">Flora</a> & <a href="http://www.caminorestaurant.com/bar.html">Camino</a> cracking my line-up of cocktail destinations, and a clutch of foodstuffs and drink better than I have a right to - <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bodega-goat-cheese-farm-bodega#hrid:4nDsVWGN2OWkxr_0HwDlag">Bodega Bay Cheese</a> Gouda and a <a href="http://www.boccalone.com/">Boccalone</a> subscription come to mind. Some of you may take issue with me promoting Camino as a cocktail destination, but house-made bitters and curaçao mean someone's playing ball. <br /><br />I've spent the last few days getting ready for a trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lviv">Lviv, Ukraine</a>. Mostly this getting ready has meant meeting friends for food I'm not expecting them to have in Lviv. Drinks at Flora a couple of nights ago, sushi at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tanuki-restaurant-san-francisco">Tanuki</a> last night, and lunch at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cam-huong-restaurant-oakland">Cam Huong</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1A9bQ64eJDVqYLkGpZBqY299mm6uH_QycoNv2WTwrhGYAGPGATIUA0ed-bwQaz3Fr8v4mIdBVhVmOOl2ohbAkKtDb-RdcVKNCVr6KqrhP0cwQ-TFSvwvrjN3ffUxKs0l__cDjeA/s1600-h/halibut-unagi-shiso.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1A9bQ64eJDVqYLkGpZBqY299mm6uH_QycoNv2WTwrhGYAGPGATIUA0ed-bwQaz3Fr8v4mIdBVhVmOOl2ohbAkKtDb-RdcVKNCVr6KqrhP0cwQ-TFSvwvrjN3ffUxKs0l__cDjeA/s400/halibut-unagi-shiso.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308345898672732754" /></a><br /><em>A fried halibut, unagi, and shiso leaf concoction from Tanuki.</em><br /><br />All this eating and drinking out is admittedly an indulgence. But over the last month we'd eaten a startling number of CSA box derived dinners. I've been softening the leafy green blows with cured meat - saucisson sec and duck prosciutto. Lviv should be more of the same I think. Amy's been there for a few days already. She called to say that I would love the markets. More soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-87093650601369057582008-10-04T13:44:00.001-07:002008-10-04T14:10:20.786-07:00Fall in Oakland, Our Blackberry BushI'm gonna let the my 3 month hiatus go largely unaddressed this time around. Rest assured, we're all eating well... and are plotting to eat even better (or more locally) for at least the next year. <br /><br />So, while the bony remains of several <a href="http://www.soulfoodfarm.com/">Soul Food Farms</a> chickens simmer down to stock, while a batch of <a href="http://www.wildboarfarms.com/index_1.html">Wild Boar Farms</a> tomatoes roast in the oven, and while a bunch of duck legs and thighs sit under 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt each in the fridge, thought I'd post a couple of photos of the blackberry bush in our backyard. <br /><br />A couple of weekends ago I noticed that the bush was, all of the sudden, more than a foot shorter. As summer really gets going, the bush towers over the iron stake running through the middle of this photo:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNg3mCAk6wmHGRXwFyVXaljYBifDX4ucRJdh6rrKV_l34tQQRtS9wdGCa6ZViVP5HGzIuy98v1HoQiP_iVd-SitE8z09GTowCZxsFQ2RfojbyRAs7wrVqQL6PD6V-Bo7RhLUL1Q/s1600-h/berries.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNg3mCAk6wmHGRXwFyVXaljYBifDX4ucRJdh6rrKV_l34tQQRtS9wdGCa6ZViVP5HGzIuy98v1HoQiP_iVd-SitE8z09GTowCZxsFQ2RfojbyRAs7wrVqQL6PD6V-Bo7RhLUL1Q/s400/berries.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253407739391098754" /></a><br />A very slight rain perked it up some a day later, but we're not getting much fruit off of it these days. Still, the fruit that is there is flavorful and heavy with sugar. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGiqYZ2kmTRJAVet0CUwtbQ9uibt2eMtu_TEfz8exXYKjM_WRzVUBmq3J6sqYRNxRivrNuydkbQ1GSwjjKtOx61xjlkmdoJsgypYk-9FE2HAS9UG5Zt2-rni14hKAx4beVpk1Jg/s1600-h/berries-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGiqYZ2kmTRJAVet0CUwtbQ9uibt2eMtu_TEfz8exXYKjM_WRzVUBmq3J6sqYRNxRivrNuydkbQ1GSwjjKtOx61xjlkmdoJsgypYk-9FE2HAS9UG5Zt2-rni14hKAx4beVpk1Jg/s400/berries-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253407831542449346" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-14843717086808121442008-10-04T12:43:00.000-07:002008-10-04T13:42:06.875-07:00MoNo Jack London Square Oakland :(|)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gyTJpAoUtT0ETey4HTcx6Yqt_HLAuCHBkMDi_MAF5URvlIfXtpY0x4M0VRRYl0mDQc5ZnGAYiC_wmpinaDAGZMCSjUVqMk17J7OQyJCgmKxmdtzGcPQ9vv3dl3329zjxbSrieg/s1600-h/l.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gyTJpAoUtT0ETey4HTcx6Yqt_HLAuCHBkMDi_MAF5URvlIfXtpY0x4M0VRRYl0mDQc5ZnGAYiC_wmpinaDAGZMCSjUVqMk17J7OQyJCgmKxmdtzGcPQ9vv3dl3329zjxbSrieg/s200/l.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253398685424135314" /></a>We ate at <a href="http://www.monorestaurant.com/">MoNo</a> last night, down by Jack London Square. This space used to be a lunch-crowd stalwart called <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cuckoos-nest-oakland">Cuckoo's Nest</a>, a place I'd never eaten at but that I knew of indirectly - having worked at a place that did some concrete table tops for them. That place was <a href="concreteworks.com">Concreteworks Studio</a>, which moved a few years back - incidentally, the old Concreteworks space is now <a href="http://lindenbeer.com/">Linden Street Brewery</a>. <br /><br />My nostalgia for the neighborhood, the proximity to home, and the availability of <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2006/03/crudo-olive-oil-flavored-salts-thyme.html">crudo</a> all factored into our looking past a menu that seemed to promise what the <a href="http://www.eastbayexpress.com/restaurants/warehouse_style/Content?oid=722102">East Bay Express</a> described as,"standard global-fusion, small-plate, local-purveyor razzmatazz."<br /><br />And the food was pretty good. We stuck to small plates and had the salumi, a watermelon salad, asparagus with eggs and prosciutto, and two of their three crudo. They were out of the arctic char, which I'd been wanting to try largely so I could compare it with the arctic char at <a href="http://happyconsumptive.blogspot.com/2006/03/restaurants-san-francisco-bar-crudo.html">Bar Crudo</a> in the city. <br /><br />The day boat scallops were tasty, but the micro bulls blood green contributed a taste which <a>A.</a> immediately identified as muddy. The ahi tuna crudo didn't work so well for me (a lot going on, way too much soy sauce, etc.) but it was topped with a show-stopping jalapeno granita. <br /><br />We were so enthusiastic about this granita that our waiter confessed to sneaking it by the spoon-full, and then brought us a small bowl of it to go with dessert. <br /><br />Truth be told, the bowl of granita was probably exchange in kind for our sitting for nearly 10 minutes while each of the waiters thought the other had our table. If you're familiar with either Cuckoo's Nest or Mono you will appreciate how odd this is. It's a very small space for folks to lose track of a table in. In addition to the granita, we were treated to marcona almonds and olives and two rounds of drinks. <br /><br /><em>Photo credit, Yelp user <a href="http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=MczmhXJNT06cDbyGPKuV7Q">Pooh T</a>.</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15418527.post-74703641545616199792008-06-28T22:00:00.000-07:002008-07-05T13:26:18.123-07:00Restaurants, Oakland: Camino<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_BAu_4cWTT1ihFDNbHSNdqe3Tquv5udVV5BvBSEpu0MDY55C5fy9QICCj1_UIVo8jnm_J-suEAZAM4ZOM_w-rgcBmzacN0tFe0LPMe-OkuteDsktzelEBaNxWo8-USykkpwpow/s1600-h/info.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_BAu_4cWTT1ihFDNbHSNdqe3Tquv5udVV5BvBSEpu0MDY55C5fy9QICCj1_UIVo8jnm_J-suEAZAM4ZOM_w-rgcBmzacN0tFe0LPMe-OkuteDsktzelEBaNxWo8-USykkpwpow/s200/info.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217183625112471762" /></a>A few weeks before <a href="http://www.caminorestaurant.com/">Camino</a> opened, I happened to be looking through the window, when Russ walked up and asked if we wanted to go in. <br /><br />Another way you can tell that I'm not a blogger with food journalist ambitions, is that I didn't say,"Sure! Let me get my camera!" and then blog about it weeks before the restaurant opened. I was also mildly surprised that Russ was inviting us in even though I had my son with me - Axel was 20 months old at the time, and the restaurant was very much under construction. The 30' long communal tables were there already, so was the cladding for the bar and open kitchen - salvaged from a friend's house. And of course the fireplace.<br /><br />Years ago, Russ told me that if he ever did his own thing it would need to be very specific. He didn't want to fall into the routine of cooking <a href="http://www.chezpanisse.com">Chez Panisse</a> food. He said,"Something like cooking everything in a fireplace."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDEVZ3CnRWKteO7zJ86cd_1NrUSxi9YfXZJHBG1zqHwfscP0Op1D7dEBL9Sn6ZswtTGjw5OEjj_EC6bQ-foQKXDuG75kIDuii6HJ7E_4fsxv6CVOAqvOzg2yYpPDmp6Sklp9fVw/s1600-h/camino-exterior-02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDEVZ3CnRWKteO7zJ86cd_1NrUSxi9YfXZJHBG1zqHwfscP0Op1D7dEBL9Sn6ZswtTGjw5OEjj_EC6bQ-foQKXDuG75kIDuii6HJ7E_4fsxv6CVOAqvOzg2yYpPDmp6Sklp9fVw/s400/camino-exterior-02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217176251572176834" /></a><br />I mentioned that I'd dropped by to a friend, and he offered up that the painted sign out front was kind of bad ass. I agreed, the happy confluence of American roadhouse, and as John Sarriugarte would put it <a href="http://www.formandreform.com/wordpress/?p=279">Basque boarding house</a>. Luck would conspire against my wife and I - we missed the opening party. Still, the invite was very fetching. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/camino-oakland">Yelpers</a> seem to be splitting the verdict on Camino. Some folks think the bar that only serves the drinks on the menu is weird. I admit I didn't know how this worked at first. After having a rum drink, I asked if they did a Caiphirinia. I was told that what I'd had wasn't a caiphirinia but that they'd be happy to bring me another one. There's seems to be a prevailing opinion that the drinks should come in bigger glasses. I come and go on this. The drinks can be potent enough that the small glasses don't bother me. Some folks think the restaurant feels like a cafeteria, with a very limited menu. Whatever. <br /><br />We've been a few times now, and the fact that I don't have to drive outside of Oakland to eat food like this trumps any foibles yelper's might care to point out. It's odd to find parking in front of a restaurant that serves food this good, and then walking in to find a packed bar of people waiting for a table. <br /><br />Also, some of those cocktails are just delicious. Rum, orgeat, bitters, and absinthe. Really. I may muster a review at some point, or I could just say that they some times have duck cracklins on the menu.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06570916301750275522noreply@blogger.com0