Five Dollar Beer

2007-05-18T15:25:00.000-04:00

Update:

As I mentioned in an addendum to the last post, the DOT plan to add bike lanes (and a left turn lane) to 9th St. was passed by the community board. That's not to say it went on without a fight. Previously, the plan had been brought up to CB6 by the DOT and, after complains from 9th St residents, was sent back to the DOT was further discussion by the board. The forum I went to happened because the DOT sent the proposal back to CB6, along with the distinct impression that everyone opposed was being a bit irrational. I have to say, I am apt to agree. I have never been to a community board meeting, but never have I seen such rancor, such flat-out contempt, as I saw among the residents who opposed it. The first voice of opposition (and the first speaker), I was sure, was going to be kicked out of the proceedings. I can't even remember what the question was (only questions were allowed, no statements, though people sure found ways to sneak the latter in, on both sides), she was so loud and rude. She interrupted the DOT speakers numerous times, attempted to ask follow-up "questions" (also not allowed), raised her hand, despite being told that everyone would have a turn to ask a question before they allowed a second round and generally made a nuisance of herself. Though there were some exceptions, I found the divide to be extremely generational. Almost guaranteed, if a speaker started out with 'I am a 9th St resident, I've lived in Brooklyn all my life/50 years/etc', the next words were an opposition to the plan. There seemed to be a distinct seperation between "old brooklyn", which did not want the plan and "new brooklyn", which did. Though there was the occasional agitated cyclists, the group that did themselves the most disservice were the opposition. One accused the co-chair of the CB6 of playing favorites, only choosing pro-plan people to speak, claiming a conspiracy. Another, the appalling highlight of the night, said..and I quote:
"So you have a plan! You know who else had a plan? HITLER!"

No one in the room, even most of the opposition, knew how to respond to that one.
Yes, adding a left turn and bike lane, it's just like systematically killing Jewish people. It's exactly like that!

2007-05-17T16:05:00.000-04:00

Random Bike Stuff

May is Bike Month and, in particular, tomorrow (Friday May 18th) is National Bike to Work Day. Though biking is part of my everyday world, I've been thinking about various aspects of biking in the city quite a bit lately. I'm not going to bother trying to tie one story to the other, consider this post a series of mini rants.

God, I hate driving in New York
By "New York", I do mean New York City. It's a very common thing to, shortly after moving to the city, simply drop the "city" part of the name. After all, where else could a resident possibly be talking about...Albany? anyways, Two days ago, I was asked to drive to an area of Brooklyn called Bay Ridge. I was picking up cupcakes for a party and, being a short 90 blocks, it seemed relatively close. I borrowed my boss's car and started making my way there. No sooner had I gotten on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway before I was stuck in stopped traffic. The same traffic I see everyday. I ended up having to get off the highway, pump a bit of $3.15/gallon gas into the car and take side roads the whole way. Total time it took me to drive a total of 180 blocks: over an hour and half. To give this distance some perspective, I could bike there in less time. Truly, I have biked into that same area and, from my house, it takes just about half an hour. I don't understand this car culture in the city. When not only is the subway faster, but *biking* is faster (and completely free to fill up the tank! ;)), why do people still pile into their cars to wait and wait and wait!?

In Related News
I am heading to my first community meeting tonight. I will be there in support of a DOT proposed plan for a "road diet" for 9th St. The plan includes adding a bike lane to this street and is based on the idea that there is simply not enough traffic for the road (which results in people going too fast and causing dangerous conditions). Despite the fact that this road has been the site of many accidents, including a famous one in which a car crashed into Dizzy's Diner, there is actually a very vocal opposition to this plan! The opposition's viewpoint seems, to me, focused on two points. One, they don't want to encourage cyclists to use a dangerous road. This is neglecting the fact that cyclists, like myself, are already using the road and that the bike lane is intended to make the road less dangerous. The next point of argument is that people are afraid of losing the "right' to double-park on the street (parking in a bike lane is technically illegal). I say 'technically' because, in my time biking these city streets (and, as you readers know, I've biked ALOT of them), I have never seen a car get ticketed for being in the bike lane. That's not to say it doesn't happen. Today, on my way home from work, I counted 8 cars parked in the bike lane, in just a 13 block span. That's more than a car every other block. I don't think these people get (or care) about the impact of this. Everytime a car parks in a bike lane, the cyclists who are supposed to be using that lane are forced out into the main flow of traffic. Now, fast as bikes can go, they do not go as fast as a car, so cars behind the cylists must either move further to the left to avoid them or slow down to accomodate them. Though these sound like rational courses of action, I have learned that you can never trust a motorist to be rational. It remains the equivilent of waking into oncoming traffic. If everyone notices you, you'll be fine, but all it takes is one car to not notice you. You see, when two cars hit, the drivers walk out of their vehicles, maybe yell at one another, call the cops and exchange insurance info. If a bike and a car hit, while the driver may be fine, the cyclist can look forward to serious injury or perhaps death.
Update: The DOT's proposed plan passed!

Think Before You Act
I can not count the number of times I have been honked at by drivers. I actually had a delivery van curse me out the other day. (I called him a few choice words too, I should add). It's always ironic that, most of the time it happens, I am going with the flow of traffic and, if I were a car going the same speed, the driver would think nothing of it. In over half the occasions, I've even passed the driver later on, while I zoomed through stopped traffic. After driving in the city, I think it's the act of driving that makes people like that. Something about being in a huge enclosed metal box makes me people assholes. I'm not quite sure why. It's no wonder that a group of cyclists move like a silent stream while a group of cars is called Gridlock and is accompanied by the honking of horns and gnashing of teeth.

Well, I'm off my high horse for the day. Thanks!

2007-05-08T20:45:00.000-04:00

"Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan"

Two days ago, Genevieve and I completed our first first bike tour. During the Five Boro Bike Tour, we rode a (car-free) 42 miles through the streets of New York. The tour took us through all five boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan). Genevieve sent a beautifully detailed e-mail about the whole ride out, which I will reprint at the bottom of this post. Since that covers the details of the tour pretty well, I'll stick to talking about some feelings (good and bad) I took out of the ride.

First, the best feeling of all: seeing thousands of bicycles on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (the tour roster was the biggest ever, with 42,000 cyclists taking part). I ride near the BQE everyday on my way to work and it's constantly gridlocked. It doesn't matter if I'm heading to work at 4 in the afternoon or 8 in the morning, cars simply do not move on the BQE. Now, if you turned all the bikes on the expressway on sunday into cars, you would not only have that traffic instantly, but you would literally have to pile cars on top of one another to get those sort of numbers. With the bikes though, traffic moved. Thousands of cyclists flowed like a river over the concrete: silently moving along. It was probably the first time I've ever been on a highway and felt some sort of peace of mind, it felt almost like a utopian vision. The only sound was people talking to one another and not on cell phones either: person to person. I finished the tour imagining what it would be like if commuter traffic in New York stopped (obviously, there will always be and should be commercial traffic). It was a good image.

My feelings were deflated a bit on the ferry ride back to Manhattan (from the end in Staten Island), when both Genevieve and I overheard conversations where people expressed the general sentiment of "oh man, now that the tour is over, I never want to ride my bike again until next year!" Apparently, some folks were so exhausted from riding 42 miles on their own power, they were positively ecstatic to get back to their cars. I guess some people don't see the broader picture.

The next day, it was back to normal. I was back riding with cars again. As I made my way down Union St., after dropping books off at the library, I was honked at and skimmed past by an impatient driver. I sighed and pedaled on (and, though it was a bit immature, gave him the finger as I passed him when he got stuck in traffic just a block down the road).

Anyways, without further ado, those who want to see picture from the tour, head here. Genevieve's e-mail is below:

Patrick and I rode in the 5 Boro Bike Tour yesterday.

We got up at a very painful 5:30am to get ready for the ride. After stretching, breakfast, and last minute bike-packing, we were out of the house at about 6:45. We were the only ones on the road from Park Slope to Cobble Hill, but once we were on the Clinton St bike lane we started picking up other riders at every block like the pied piper. By the time we exited the Brooklyn Bridge and headed onto Broadway, the road was filled with cyclists. As I remarked to Patrick, "It's like critical mass
except the cops are helping."

We followed directions from tour marshals to Church St and ended up in formation (also known as a sea of cyclists) on Church between Park Place and Murray St. The tour formation started at Battery Park and stretched
to the starting line at Franklin St; over 20 blocks of what we later found out was 42,000 people.

After waiting in the cold (the low was something like 40 degrees the night before) for what seemed like forever, we started out, very slowly, at a little after 8. They were letting people go in sections, so we walked the bikes a few blocks, stopped, and then walked some more until we got near Franklin St where we actually got going.

It was a beautiful, smooth ride up Church St and 6th Ave for all of about 15-20 minutes, when we all had to stop at 49th st. to wait to enter Central Park. Between 10,000 more people than last year, the much narrower Central Park roads, and crossing floats lining up for the Israel Day parade, we were stuck there for about an hour and a half.

It was slow going in Central Park as well, as people got into their own grooves, and also figured out that we were supposed to be on the car section of the path, and the bike lanes were now filled with joggers. We finally hit the (relatively) open road as we exited the park onto Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (aka 7th Ave north of the park). We took that up through what I think is Harlem (we crossed 125th St) and then took the Madison Ave bridge into the Bronx.

We were in the Bronx for literally about 5 minutes, long enough to count it in the "5 boro tour" and long enough for the marshals to point out Yankee Stadium to all of the people from out of town. We reentered Manhattan and got onto our first highway, FDR Drive. It really is an amazing thing to see a highway filled with cyclists, and it gives such a perspective on traffic density, realizing that it would be physically impossible to have a car for every rider on the road.

After a quick break to call Caleb, we arrived at the Queensboro Bridge, where he and JoAnne were waiting to snap a picture and cheer us on as we entered the first long bridge of the trip. It was really windy and pretty steep, but I made it up the incline of the bridge, and met Patrick when we reached the bottom in Queens.

A brief ride through Long Island City, and we crossed the Pulaski bridge into Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We rode through Greenpoint and Williamsburg and then stopped at the rest area near the Navy Yard for bathrooms, snacks, and some general refueling.

The next leg of the tour took us through the business district of Dumbo, where a lot of riders were stopping off for a slice at Grimaldis, and then down Columbia Street in Downtown Brooklyn and onto the Brooklyn Queens Expressway at Atlantic Ave.

For those of you who have ridden to F train to our apartment, the BQE is the elevated highway that can be seen from the train when it is above ground. We rode up the BQE to the top, where the view was amazing, but I couldn't stop for a picture because, for once, traffic was actually moving on the highway.

We followed the road down through the edge of our neighborhood and into Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, where we split off onto the very scenic Shore Parkway, which runs south along the bay on the eastern edge of Brooklyn. The whole way down the parkway, the Verrazano Bridge loomed in the distance, like a challenging nemesis waiting for me.

We followed a clover leaf exit off the parkway and into the final rest area, literally beneath the bridge. After stretching, eating, drinking, and psyching myself up, it was time for the lest leg of the tour, 3 miles across the Verrazano Bridge into Staten Island. I paced myself along it and, surprisingly, it wasn't too bad. We ended up at the tour-ending festival at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island at about 1:45. If it hadn't been for the wait at Central Park, we would have completed the tour in about 4 - 4 1/2 hours.

After surveying the long lines for less than appetizing food (who wants to eat hot dogs after biking for 40 miles?), we headed down on the longest 3 miles of the tour to the ferry dock. Between a lot of people, a broken down ferry, and the fact that, even with the tour, they could only manage to get the ferries running every 30 minutes, we waited about an hour before we were ready to board. I have to say that it made us really glad we don't live on Staten Island, because we really felt trapped there.

We arrived back in Manhattan at about 4:30, and foolishly for me, started trying to bike home, very stiff and sore after sitting for so long. I had heard about "hitting the wall", but I didn't realize how dramatic and sudden that could be. About halfway up the incline on the Brooklyn Bridge, I was overcome with the most total physical exhaustion I have ever felt. Since we weren't near a train that would take me home, and once I made it to the top it would be downhill most of the way home, I walked up the bridge and we rode to Smith St in Cobble Hill. Once there, Patrick continued home, while I took the subway 3 stops instead of facing the 4 block incline to our house.

All told, I biked about 47 miles and Patrick did about 50. And yes, I would do it again, although I hope they will cap the registrations earlier in the future.

Good Things:
- I finished the ride!
- It was really fun seeing the city by bike, especially riding on the highways.
- I didn't have to walk my bike up any of the bridges in the tour.
- Neither of us got into an accident (which I, at least, feel very lucky for, since we saw a guy being taken away in an ambulance)
- People were generally really nice.
- It was well organized.
- They didn't run out of food, water, or toilet paper at any of the rest areas.
- I'm not sunburned.
- I'm not too sore today.

Not So Good Things:
- There were about 10,000 too many people
- Waiting to start, at Central Park, and for the ferry. (It was well organized, but for about 30k, not 42k)
- It was really, really cold waiting to start
- The one thing I forgot to bring was lip balm, and my lips are still chapped today.
- I really should have just taken the subway home.

2007-04-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning to find out that Kurt Vonnegut had died.

I remember when I first read one of his books. It was "Breakfast of Champions". A friend of mine had lent it to me and it turned out to be only the start. About a year later, I was making weekly run to Half-Price Books to buy more of his books, which I was tearing through at a intense rate. "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater", "Bluebeard", "Cat's Cradle", "Sirens of Titan", "Welcome to the Monkeyhouse" and more, including his famous "Slaughterhouse Five" and "Mother Night", the latter of which is still my favorite and I've been re-reading it today in memory of this great writer. I even remember "Galapagos", the one Vonnegut book I could never get through (honestly, I found it boring).

Though, now, I often find his books a little "young" for me, I still consider him one of my favorite writers. I am sorry to see him go.

"And so on."

2007-03-30T14:56:00.000-04:00

In my previous article, I mentioned a future ride that would bring me to Roosevelt Island. Well, just a few days later, here we are! Actually, despite the slight dip in temperature, the weather turned out to be perfect for a ride. The skies were sunny and clear and the wind was low. I was ready to complete my touring of New York City and head off into Queens and, once again, off the island (though a considerably smaller distance). Still, it's nice to be out and about in the city in spring!

Though probably one of the most photographed places in Brooklyn, I thought the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch was as good a place to start as any.

If there's one thing I've learned while biking New York, it's that you really have to trust the maps that there's a bike path on a bridge. I mean really trust them. I don't know about you, but when I came upon this scene (it's the Pulaski Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Queens, by the way), I couldn't for the life of me fathom there being a bike lane. All I saw was 4 lanes of very high speed traffic. Sure enough, though extremely well hidden (psst..its under the bridge), it's there.

And here it is! A barbed-wire entrance off of an industrial road. Friendly!

The upside is that, while crossing over the bridge, you get a pretty amazing view of the city. Not Brooklyn Bridge "amazing", but still..quite nice. It took me a few times to get this shot. I was standing on the drawbridge portion of the bridge and it shook pretty well everytime a car passed over it.

Into Queens, I go. Apparently, Helen Marshall doesn't have the same sense of humor that our Marty Markowitz has. Still, it was nice to have the transition be acknowledged.

I wasn't able to find too much information on this sign online (except other people who also took pictures of it). There were quite a few of these in Long Island City, where I was biking through. They seemed to lay out a path one could hike to tour the neighborhood. To be quite honest though, I don't know who would want to. This would mark my second time in LIC and neither time left me very impressed. The area where this sign appeared was actually pretty industrial.

The Queensboro Bridge. I had a bit of trouble finding a good place to take this shot. As you can see, there were alot of trees at the base of the bridge. Not that I have a problem with that, it just made finding a good angle hard and I did want to get a shot of it. During an earlier plan, I had intended to ride over the bridge, as well. After reading numerous accounts by other cyclists about how crappy it was, I decided against it and instead continued on.

Roosevelt Island, bringing a new definition to "peace and quiet" in the city. Living in New York, you take noise for granted. It's always there, like a constant hum. Roosevelt Island, on the other hand, which is very small and mainly travelled by foot, was incredibly serene. On a sunny day like today, it was hard not to want to spend my whole day relaxing there. The only constant sound is of the water around you. Not a bad thing at all.

The lighthouse on the tip of the island. Apparently it was built in 1872 by the same designer who did St. Patrick's cathedral. Just north of the lighthouse was the same small island I pictured in my first trip (along with the Triborough Bridge. What you might not know is that there was a little debate at home as to what that island was (as well as the bridge itself, which Genevieve was right on, it is the Triborough). Turns out, it's called Mill Rock Park, a small island that's been closed to the public since the 1960's.

A bow of the ship built into the island, looking out into Manhattan. Okay, technically, Roosevelt Island is part of the borough of Manhattan (making it 3 boroughs I hit during today's trip), but you know what I mean.

These two sculptures by Tom Otterness were just off of the edge of the island. I've seen this artist's work before, in the subway. Though the first one is kind of cute, I found the second to be more than a little creepy.

This probably marks my last "tour" within the city, not counting any official ones like the Five Boro Bike Tour", which Genevieve and I plan on doing this year, as well as "The New York Century", which these rides have been my way of gauging if I'll be prepared for. In case you don't know, a bike tour that's a "Century" is 100 miles. I'm going to be working up my endurance at Prospect Park. According to my math, I'll have to be able to do the lap 30 times in order to equal 100 miles. Don't expect pictures of that ;)

2007-03-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

Escape from New York

In this week's trip, I leave the county of Kings (and the city of New York) to head into Long Island, ending up in Atlantic Beach, New York. The ride started out well. 70 degrees, sunnny and a path that runs along the ocean coast, what can you not like? The return trip, on the other hand, was a bit of a nightmare. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Onto the pictures!

The first leg of the trip was to head to Coney Island (again). This time, I opted to use a seperated bike path running along Ocean Pkwy. After experiencing the amount of street-riding needed for the alternative path on my last trip, it seemed like a better bet. There's more stops, but the whole trip to Coney Island could be made on a single, continuous, path.

Once the bike path ended, there was a bit of road biking before I was back off the road again at Manhattan Beach. You can't see it here, but the whole area is populated by fishing boats and, strangely, swans. There was a whole flock of the birds in the water. It's definitely the least scenic waterfront area around.

A bridge! This one is the Marine Parkway Bridge, not quite as well known (or nearly as attractive) as the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge, this one bridges Jamaica Bay and took me into the Rockaway Peninsula (and, technically, into Queens). Because of the very narrow pedestrian bridge, bike riding was prohibited. I did still end up biking it, but not without a little fear. I don't know if you can see it from this photo, but there's a large gap between the path and the main part of the road. What this means is that I could see the water (very far!) below me from both sides. There was absolutely no way to fall over, but that didn't stop the death grip I had on my handlebars.

The Atlantic Ocean! Now, I've biked along the Hudson River, East River, Lake Erie and the Erie Canal, but no body of water matches riding along the ocean. The whole experience was made even more peaceful by the fact it is the off-season and nobody was on the beach or the boardwalk. In fact, if you've never had a chance to go to a ghost town, go to a popular beach on the off-season. It was very weird to know that, in a few months time, this very abandoned looking place will be bustling with people..

The boardway stretched on for milles and marked the most relaxing part of the trip. I was a bit amazed, as it basically extends the whole length of the peninsula.

For those who don't live in the city, I'll explain what this is. This is what's called a 'ghost bike', it's been placed there, along with the marker you see in the picture below it, to mark the spot where someone was killed on a bike by a car. I had actually read about this person on the day before my trip and was suprised when I came upon the memorial. It was a very sad case, made worse by the fact the driver was never charged. This is not uncommon in the city and many bike/car collisions get classified as accidents and not vehicular manslaughter. Ironically, the next car to pass me was an SUV.

Looking over into Nassau County from the bridge. During this picture, I was not biking over the bridge. In addition to it being prohibited to bike over, on this bridge they backed it up with a $250 fine. As it was well supervised, it wasn't worth it to me to risk it and I walked my bike over.

The Village of Atlantic Beach, New York. This was the first time, during my trips, that I'd left the city and it really felt like it. Nothing about this town seems to reveal that one of the biggest cities in America was a couple bridges away. It felt truly and utterly suburban, with not a single house above 2 or 3 stories. I felt like a big 'city boy' too, when I presumed that a "Coffee Shop" would be the type that served a variety of a coffee & espresso drinks and pastries. Instead, the West End Coffee Shop, the end of my journey and where I got the worst chocolate milkshake in my life, was nothing more than a diner.

By this point, I was back on the peninsula and heading home. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this cat. The area he's in was abandoned (and it didn't look like for just the summer either), but he seemed to be well fed and was friendly. Then again, I couldn't really reach him. The boardwalk was above this area and I'd have to jump the rail and fall below the boardwalk to get to him and maybe he knew that.

The scariest looking "whale" I've seen in my life. I don't know if this was made by a class of children or by some artist, but in attempting to be playful, it looks positively psychotic.

Now the trip starts going downhill. Perhaps that's the wrong word to use. You see, I was actually going against the wind and uphill most of the way home. The wind that was to my back and made the trip out a breeze made the trip back sheer torture. Instead of heading home the same way, I decided to take an alternative route over the Cross Bay Bridge, a longer bridge which goes over another small island (whose name I do not know, but this picture was taken in). Sometime during this journey home, I also lost my map. So, when the path deposited me in Howard Beach (right near JFK airport) before abruptly ending, I was quite sure where to go. Knowing a bike path ran along the bay, I did my best to get back to that. In the end, I found it. What I didn't think about though was the fact that I'd ended up pretty close to parallel to my house, farther east. So, instead of cutting through on roads and taking, literally, hours out of my trip, I took the path, which took me way further south. This was all made even more aggrevating by the conditions of the 'path', if it could be called that. You see, the path runs along the Belt Pkwy, a highway.

At times, there wasn't even a railing to seperate the path from the highway. As you see here, I am riding alongside oncoming traffic on a walkway which, though it's supposed to be wide enough for 2 lanes of bike traffic and 1 lane of pedestrian, it barely wide enough for just me. If I were to fall at this point, it would be straight into high speed traffic. Yet they call this a Greenway.

Other times, the water was at fault. See those white spots? Those are millions of shards of shells. They literally lined the path. I was lucky to have larger, hybrid tires. I can imagine your average road bike tires getting slashed to bits by these things.

My last picture of the trip. This is what it looked like when I wasn't riding along the highway or over shells. Can you see the trash strewn along the branches? I certainly could. Ah, nature! I actually ended up giving up when I reached Coney Island. All in all, I'd biked over 50 miles and for approx 6+ hours and just didn't feel like making the trip from there, one that I'd made a few times before. So, I took the subway home.

This marks one of my last trips within the city. I have a (much shorter) trip planned up to Roosavelt Island, going through parts of Brooklyn and Queens. After that, I'm kind of out of bike paths, of any sort of good length, in the city. Soon, the LIRR and Metronorth will helping me start my routes.

2007-03-13T18:33:00.000-04:00

With a day off from work and temperatures in the 60's, I decided to continue the trip I logged previously. I had plans for later in the day, so I didn't take as long of a trip as I'd like, but it was definitely a good day out.

This is where I had to turn around on my last trip. As you can see, the conditions have improved greatly.

Though bike paths in New York seem to often have to involve a little street riding, this one was irritating on another level: the bikepath was broken for a parking lot.

There were spots like this in Manhattan, but I still couldn't help but appreciate the irony of the above photograph. If you look, above the broken sign, you'll see the Greenway sign.

Coney Island at last!

Though most of the boardwalk was closed for the winter season, I still got a shot of the classic Nathan's Hot Dogs.

After about an hour of biking, a window full of candy apples was too much to resist! I also ended up getting one of the little sticks you see in the front, which were candy covered marshmallows. How were they? Honestly, not that good, certainly not as good as the snack mix I brought for myself. It was still a neat place to stop in.

The Cyclone at Coney Island.

The Coney Island boardwalk. This was perhaps the best part of the trip. It was quiet, with just the creaking of the boards, the whirr of my tires and occasional bits of conversation from construction workers to dot the soundscape.

This picture was taken in the neighborhood of Homecrest. I'd not heard of it before and for good reason, it's completely boring. Two blocks of it were a little unsettling though. You see this house here? The whole block, both sides of it, were lined with houses that looked identical to this one. The next block was lined with houses that also looked exactly the same, except with a different design.

The Sears & Roebuck building. From the look of it, I kept expecting Cary Grant to come walking out of it.

I hope this picture and the one after it truly convey the creepiness of this Midwood home. The single upstairs window was covered in the faux-stained glasswork you see here and it just looked like something out of a horror movie. This picture was actually taken on a side street, a glimpse out of the corner of my eye brought me to it.

This place is in our neighborhoood. I'd never visited it before, but in need of a little sugar fix, I stopped by on my way back. Inside, it looks exactly as you'd imagine: like it hasn't changed in over 50 years. Pretty amazing.

That's it! I got through a whole set of pictures with not one of a bridge! Next up, Northern Brooklyn and Queens.

2007-02-20T18:11:00.000-05:00

Biking Brooklyn, a trip aborted

It was in the 40's today in New York, a veritable heat wave compared to the weather we've been having lately. I know the Cleveland folks who read this got it worse, a whole lot worse. As folks without a car, we're outside in it a whole lot more, so I feel justified in my complaining. Anyways, to celebrate the warm weather, I decided to make a bike trip out to Coney Island. This would mark my second trip out there and, this time, I decided to take an alternative route, one that follows the coast of the island. Unfortunately, my trip was not meant to be. A little more than halfway to Coney Island, the path became covered in snow. I hadn't thought about the fact that, though the weather was warm, it hadn't had time to melt all of the snow, especially for a trail that receives very little traffic and a steady breeze off of the water. I tried to trudge through it, but after walking my bike for about 20 minutes straight, with no end in sight, I decided to give it up. Though the trip was shortened, I did have the chance to snap some more Brooklyn pictures for you folks. I hope you enjoy!

Okay, this picture was actually taken towards the end of my trip, but I thought it would make a good introduction.

This is actually the first picture I took. It's the entrance to Greenwood Cemetary, an impossibly huge cemetary close to our apartment.

After a pretty much unnamed deadland (though some call it "South Slope") that extends the length of the cemetary, I entered into Sunset Park. If it weren't for its distance to my work, this would be an excellent area for us to move to. The residential streets are quiet and full of nice houses and the neighborhood is family oriented and safe. Plus, at least in this section, it's largely hispanic, so there would always be a good taqueria within walking distance.

Next up is Bay Ridge, a nice neighborhood, if not more than a little akin to suburbia in feel. Some streets, including the one pictured here, reminded me of an even more crowded Lakewood. Suprisingly quiet for Brooklyn.

Before I could get on the actual path, I had to take the pedestrian bridge across the highway. I got some vertigo crossing this, especially when I got towards the end and there was nothing but a waist-high railing keeping me from falling into the water.

No trip of mine would be complete without a picture of a bridge and here it is! In this case, it's the Verrazano Bridge, a spectacular structure which connects Brooklyn to Staten Island. Fortunately or not, it's completely inaccessible by bike (cyclists have to take a Ferry from Lower Manhattan).

Finally, here's the reason I had to turn around. What's worst is that I could see the rides at Coney Island from here. It was just too far away to keep trudging on. Ah well, maybe next time!

2007-02-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

It's strange, everytime I leave the Lower East Side (Manhattan), I'm in a unbelievably great mood.

One of the reasons is that few places feel more like "New York" to me. Times Square? That's not New York. That's some hideously gaudy, tourist-trap of an area painted over a den of strip clubs and XXX theaters. To me, nowhere in Midtown is New York, anymore than you are your job. It's just where New York works. The Lower East Side represents New York now. Gourmet food shops lay in the shadow of the housing projects, the same market has both an area which smells like dirt and rotten fruit and another which smells like stinky cheese and kids trying to look like gangsters walk with young fashionistas. It's possible to pay $2,000/month for an apartment where someone might have once O.D'ed. It's that odd dicotomy that, to me, defines New York now.

Then again, maybe it's because two of my favorite places to visit are there. First up, there's Saxelby Cheesemongers. In many of Anthony Bourdain's books, he talks about the places chef's go to eat. Saxelby's is the place where I go to get my cheese geek on. One would think I'd be heading back to my old workplace, Murray's. After all, at a stock of over 250 cheeses, there's plenty to geek out over. But, it's too much! Too much uniforms and waiting in line and constant rotation of staff. It's nice to go somewhere and see just about 40 cheeses (if that), laid out nicely, with the same person behind the counter everytime, someone who knows each cheese as well as you know your friends. Plus, there's always something new, something I find myself unable to leave without and I like that.

As it that weren't fatty enough, the other place is a donut shop! Not just any donut joint though, this is the Donut Plant. Just a few blocks away from Saxelby's, the Donut Plant makes donuts so impossibly good that, at $2.00 each, you feel like you're getting a deal. This time, I picked up not only a Blackout cake donut (imagine if they made a flourless chocolate cake in donut form!) and a Tres Leches donut, which provoked the, honest to god, reaction of "rolling my eyes back in utter extasy", that usually is only reserved for cheese. While I was at the Donut Plant, I got to experience a bit of scene, as well. Apparently, a newspaper had called the store looking for it's opinion on part of the neighborhood being renamed LoHo (a very common thing in Manhattan). He was infuriated.

"Loho, what is that? It's the LOWER EAST SIDE! Why change the name? You know why they want to change the name? Rich people! You name it LoHo and charge more for the rent. Rich peope love it! I didn't always live here. I grew up in India. There, I'd read books about New York and, in those books, they talk about the Lower East Side. Now I work here! Noho! It's all for rich people!"

a customer ask for Chai, then complains that they don't make it with soy milk

"With *soy milk*?! That is not chai! That is some hideous American tea! We make this chai here and we make it right, with milk! Chai with soy milk! You know, Chai needs some basic components: first, it must have at least five ingredients, in order to be called Chai. Then, it must have milk. Chai with soy milk is.not.chai."

Sometimes, I can't help but love this city.

2007-01-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I lied about the previous song being the last one from Subliminal Self. Truth be told, there's one more, which I am linking to below. Both of these songs hung out in limbo for awhile simply due to my own obsessive behavior. There were actually 3 or 4 different mixes of Oracle around. The problem was that I found myself constantly tweaking it, never happy with the outcome. Though I am still not 100% satisfied with what I posted, I've come to the realization that these songs will either be finished simply adequetly or not at all. So I mixed them. I didn't try anything funny like additional intruments or fx. They are simply mixed, possibly with a bit of a blunt or heavy hand. But I wanted to get these songs out there and I'm glad I did. 'Cry to Heaven', the song linked below, is possibly one of my favorite Subliminal Self songs, lyrically, and I'm glad to have a final mix .
I hope you enjoy!

Cry to Heaven

2007-01-18T11:34:00.001-05:00

For those who may be interested, I've (finally) completed the mix on the last song Subliminal Self ever recorded.
I hope you enjoy!

Oracle

2007-01-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

"First, we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin!" - Leonard Cohen 'First We Take Manhattan'

Often, with a day off during the week, I get all sorts of fidgety. Not satisfied with just relaxing, I want to do something. Usually, this is cleaning the house or doing laundry or the like, but this morning, I decided to do something different: I wanted to bike the whole island of Manhattan. At over 40 miles (including the trip into Manhattan from Brooklyn and the countless number of detours), it was the longest ride I have done, probably ever. A good 70% of it is covered by the Greenway, a beautiful shared use path which runs along the edge of the island. The problem was the other 30%, mainly on the east side, during which I found myself racing down, among other roads, 2nd Ave and, occasionally, Broadway. The irony is that these detours are still labeled Greenways. I wanted to take a picture of a Greenway sign among the tall buildings and concrete jungle but I decided my time was better spent trying not to get run over by cabbies. Overall, the trip was very nice though. I learned some lessons on distance biking (bring high-energy snacks!), got to see some beautiful sections of the city that I would have never seen otherwise and got to have a meditative day pushing the pedals. I took quite a few pictures along the way. Dad, if you want larger versions, let me know.

Heading out from our Brooklyn apartment.

Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. This is the neighborhood I work in and a very quiet and serene stretch.

Heading across the Brooklyn Bridge. This is tourist central, with most bobbing and weaving into the bike lane. I'm suprised there's not more accidents here. Though I never even came close, it's only because I noticed the pedestrians. They, on the other hand, would almost always not notice me until I was right up on them. I can't blame people too much though. It's a nice bridge and a absolutely stunning view of the city.

The Statue of Liberty, as seen from Battery Park (I'm in Manhattan now)

Another cyclist, taking a break to stare across at Hoboken, NJ

The Meatpacking district. Besides what you see here, the rest of this area is trendy clubs and restaurants

The ruins of a turn-of-the-century pier. It burned down once in 1880, was rebuilt, then burned down again in 1960. There was quite a few of these old piers in this section of the ride. A reminder of what a huge port city New York used to be. Honestly, the only port commerce going on now, that I saw, was tourists lining up to take boat/helicoptor rides.

The George Washington Bridge. Other than heading up into Westchester, one of the few ways of getting out of New York by bike.

The Inwood neighborhood in Manhattan. This is as far north as you can get in Manhattan. It's, in fact, on a mini peninsula and the Bronx is to the East of it.

Harlem. I took this one for Genevieve's dad.

I'm on my way back. This is a view of Manhattan from the north. There was actually a beautiful view of the city as I was heading up the island, but our camera batteries died before I could take it.

A small lighthouse on the coast of the East river. There's a similar one on the other side (again, missed because of dead batteries).

The Triborough Bridge. In the foreground is a small island off the main one. It's entrance is completely cut off by the drawbridge you see in the previous picture.

In the foreground is the Manhattan Bridge, in the back is the Brooklyn Bridge. With all the bridge pictures here, I had considered getting a shot of the last one I cross (The Union St. bridge, over the Gowanus canal), but decided against it.

6 hours later..Back home!

2007-01-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

2006...

Though some years could be accused of going by without much fanfare, 2006 was definitely not such a year for me. During this past year, I graduated from culinary school, worked at: one of the city's largest cheese shops, a catering company/cafe in Chelsea and a sandwich shop, all this before ending up back in the gourmet food biz, at a small neighborhood shop in Brooklyn. It also marked my first full year in the culinary field. There’s been no desks, endless hours before a computer screen and team meetings, though tomorrow night I'll be having my first official staff meeting since I quit West in 2005. Being at the owner’s house in Brooklyn, I doubt it will be much like the ones I am used to though. Speaking of, 2006 also marks our first full year in New York. It’s not exaggerating to say it’s a year where my life changed drastically.

2007 is shaping up to be more of the same. Genevieve and I are planning a trip to France to celebrate our 30th birthdays and I’ll be taking over at cheese manager at my current job. It should prove to be quite an exciting year.

2006-12-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

I've got a new set of wheels!

After deciding that my current Schwinn road bike, though a good bike, was not really the bike I needed for what I use it for: daily city travel. Sure, it goes fast and handles well, but it treats every pothole like a moon crater and I wasn't really using it's enchanced aerodynamics. So, after doing some shopping around, I picked up a Giant Cypress EX. It's a hybrid, meaning it's somewhere between a road bike and a mountain bike. It's also built for comfort, with adjustable shocks, on-handle shifting and a quick-release seat with some give to it, as well. The end result is that, though it doesn't handle as tightly as my Schwinn, it rides alot nicer. I'm excited. It's like buying a new car.

2006-12-05T18:58:00.000-05:00

For the first time since I was 18, I have no synthesizers or any musical instruments of any kind. I reached a decision last week. It's been almost 2 years since I've completed a new song. Though there's a handful of songs in various stages sitting on my computer, it seems I had this extremely long-running creative block. I'd call it laziness, but it's more than my energies have been focused in other directions. I just feel that I can't truly call myself a musician anymore and the stuff I had left was just going to sit there, unused. It's a very strange feeling for me and part of my wishes I hadn't unloaded it all. I was even partially hoping that no one would bid on my Korg EM-1, so I could have a reason to keep it. That said, Genevieve and I are planning to move to a bigger place next year and, I hope, with that, I can bring the Hammond Organ back from my Dad's. But it's obviously not a instrument that I can make a complete song with and will function as a display piece as much as an instrument.

2006-11-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

Book Recommendation:

For those who do any sort of street biking, be it on the one way streets of Brooklyn, packed with parked cars, or on the bicycle-unfriendly streets of Cleveland, I can't recommend enough: The Art of Urban Cycling by Robert Hurst. I picked this up from the library a few weeks ago and it's positively the most entertaining book on cycling I have seen. It's written in a very conversational and low-key style with a message of flexibility and safety throughout. It, numerous times, simply tells the reader to break the law. This is not to get you somewhere faster, but with the idea of keeping the cyclist safe and riding easily in a car heavy environment. Though it lays the facts about accidents out: that basically every cyclist who travels with frequency will "wipe-out" about once a year and get in a serious accident once every five years, regardless of skill level, it does so in a way that doesn't intend to scare the reader, but to reinforce why paying attention to your surroundings and biking defensively are so important. Even in these past few rides, I find myself not only biking with more awareness of potential hazards but with additional confidence from this knowledge.

In related news, Genevieve found this t-shirt for me the other day.

I am definitely buying this!

2006-11-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Going home again..

For once, I am ignoring my weekly cheese article in favor of posting to my personal blog, instead of the other way around.

Saturday night, Genevieve and I returned from a visit back to Cleveland. Though the city will always be my home and fills me with a certain amount of the type of comfort one gets from something familiar, I doubt I could ever truly return. Driving a car around a loosely populated city is a poor comparison to biking around tight and svelte New York. Even in the few days we were there, I missed: my bike, good bagels, good restaurants within walking distance..shoot, I missed walking as a means of honest transportation.

I did get to see some things I missed while in Brooklyn, namely, my family and friends. This Thanksgiving marked the first time in many years that my mom, sister and I were all together under one roof for the holidays. The opportunity was taken to lay on some nostalgia quite thick. My sister brought a DVD player, which could play the DVD transfer of some old home movies my mom had. Most of the movie consisted of me as a baby, though there were appearances by my cousins, aunts & uncles and a brief cameo from my sister. We also thumbed through a library old photo albums and my sister took a trip back to the old farm.

In addition to seeing my family, I had a chance to hang out with some friends at a bar which has popped up since I left town and whose mix of Belgian beers and nearby Vietnamese and Cambodian food would have made it a permanent fixture in my day, if I still lived there.

Turkey day, itself, was busy and went by pretty quickly. I woke up early in the morning to prepare the bird for roasting. I had brined it overnight and spent the morning roasting it and preparing all the accoutrements (gravy, stuffing and some roasted veggies). It was the first time I'd cooked the bird for Thanksgiving and despite, through school, having previously roasted just about every animal out there, I was a bit nervous. It all turned out though and I was proud of how moist the bird was.

Well, life is pretty much back to normal now. I returned to work yesterday and Genevieve had her first day back today. I have some good cheese ready to review and I better get on that.

2006-11-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

A perfect lunch:
German Potato Salad, battered trout, tomato soup w/ paprika & sour cream and a pint of lager.

2006-10-23T19:38:00.000-04:00

Small Update:
I just finished my first week at the new shop and it's been alot of fun. I've worked for a "startup" once before and it was much more of a different experience. I think, in part, the difference is me. When I worked for the startup restaurant, I can say with complete certainty that I had no idea what I was doing. I could not possibly be a help to them. One person learning their job from the ground up working for someone learning their (restauranteur) job from the ground up, it just doesn't work.

With the new place, it's different. I am confident in my ability to work there. It's all a matter of finding the vibe of the current place, the tempo and the beat of it and I think I am heading towards that (though not completely there). It's been fun and I hope to be there for awhile.

That said, I'm still very much looking forward to leaving the city in November to come back home to Cleveland for a bit. I hope I can see all you Cleveland folk then.

2006-10-09T19:34:00.000-04:00

However anyone else reads it, I can't help but feel odd about the fact that I'm following up a post about quitting one cheese shop to find my way in the cafe world in order to announce that I am leaving the cafe world to return back to cheese (at a different shop).

But, it's true.
It's not that I didn't enjoy working there. It's just that some opportunities are hard to pass up, even though I was about to.

You see, originally I wasn't going to take this new cheese job. I was enjoying where I was working and saw no reason to move on. I changed my mind over a weekend trip to Ithaca, New York. During this trip, we stopped by Lively Run Goat Dairy, a little family run dairy who produce the excellent Cayuga Blue (a blue cheese made with goat's milk). As we toured the farm and talked about cheese, I started to realize that this was where I was truly happy, that I couldn't talk about sandwiches for five minutes, but if given the slightest nudging, will talk on and on about cheese. Add this to the fact that the new shop, a small neighborhood location which will also sell craft beers as well as offering premade foods, is exactly the sort of shop I would open when I open one.

So this week is my last at the cafe and I'm really excited about what's coming up.

2006-09-20T16:49:00.000-04:00

Last night was my final day working for Murray's Cheese. Today, I start a new job at a cafe in Brooklyn. Though I am excited to be doing something new, in a way, I'm also feeling a bit sad about the whole thing. To me, it marks the end of a certain continuity I had going since we moved to New York. First, there was school, then Murray's, then my externship, where I continued on at Murray's. Once my externship ended, I started working even more at the cheese shop. My entire New York experience, from school, to my first city winter and summer was encased within this time I spent there. When I came home from work last night, I felt out of sorts, like I was unsure of my place here. It's the same feeling I had before I started working.

I'm actually glad I chose not to take any time off between jobs. Though a break is always nice, I don't think it's what I need right now. I need to pick up and immediately start down this new road. Nostalgia aside, it'll be exciting, for sure.

In other news, I've started working on music again, with a possible new collaborator (who will, once again, provide vocals and perhaps occasional guitar). Though I did spend most of my morning simply doodling with ideas, it's getting my brain going in that direction again, which is a good thing. There's nothing recorded yet, though I do have a few new song sketches. I'll be sure to post them, once things progress.

I'm also looking forward to a mini-vacation up to Ithaca next weekend. Genevieve and I went up there once before, around this time of year and absolutely fell in love with the area. It's a beautiful area full of good food and will be an even more welcome diversion from the craziness of the city.

Hope everyone is doing well! I'd say I promise to post more, but that seems to just curse things, as it means I'll not post in months! ;)

2006-07-10T21:57:00.000-04:00

It seems like I have spent half of my day writing. I wrote two articles for The Kitchen (to appear in the coming days) and now, here I am, writing this long overdue blog post.

Other than writing, it was quite an exciting day for me. I attended my first food trade show. On behalf of Murray's Cheese, I got to visit the 52nd Fancy Food Show. To call it "large and expansive" would not do it justice. "Huge" would be more like it, with speciality food producers of all types and from around the globe. I got a chance to say hello to a number of our suppliers and just had a really good time, wandering the isles, picking up samples along the way.

I'd also had a good time on Sunday, when Genevieve and I headed to Long Beach to spend the day at the beach. Though I don't have the attachment to the ocean that Genevieve has, I had a great time swimming in the ocean waves. We are both a little burned though.

In other news, it's been over a year since I last performed with Greyson as Subliminal Self and I find myself missing it. The smoky clubs, rude soundmen, I miss it all. I've started working on new music, but without another person to push me along the way, I've been slow going.

2006-06-21T21:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight, Genevieve and I headed out on our second visit to the New York Public Library (main). This time, for a talk by Bill Buford, who's written a new book on working in Mario Batali's kitchen (he's actually a writer, not a chef, so it's similar to what Michael Ruhlman did with his books). He was joined by Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain (since you can't have a event about the "real world" of restaurant kitchens without him involved) ;)

We got there early, so our seats were very good, just 5 rows back from the stage. Most of the first 4 rows were taken by reserved seating (i.e. old rich people who smelled like scratch n' sniff at Bergdorf Goodman).

It started with a set of questions about the book and Mr. Buford's experiences working at Babo, MC'ed by Bourdain and then moved into the (more entertaining) Q&A from the audience. The last one of these we'd been to was a cringe-fest, with most people asking incredibly awkward or geeky questions. This time, other than someone basically asking Batali why he was so fat, they were quite good. Bourdain, of course, was the most entertaining of the three, with his Lou Reed-as-Chef persona, often poking fun at his own stardom and the culture of the celebrity chef. (Even bringing up the, in his words "evil devil", Rachael Ray. Who he encouraged to, in her "$40 a Day Show"..in his words "TIP, BITCH!")

The talk was ended by Mr. Bourdain announcing that "we have time for one more question, 'cause I really want a cigarette."

2006-06-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

This post is for my sister, who is looking for new ways to cook veggies. I hope the rest of you enjoy it, as well.
I hope to do this in a series, each spotlighting a different cooking method.

First up, we had some baby bok choy. I came up with a really yummy quick recipe for this. It took about 5minutes from start to finish. This is using a method called braising.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan. I used my cast-iron skillet, but a regular nonstick pan will work. You just can't get it as hot.
Cut the bok choy in half.
Place the bok choy, cut side down, in the pan (make sure it's nice and hot).
Cook until the bok choy is browned. Throw in a splash of rice wine vinegar and immediately cover.
Cook for approx 1m. Uncover. Remove from pan. Add salt and pepper. Serve.

2006-06-15T17:44:00.000-04:00

Well, after many years of explaining how the tattoo on my arm was not a nazi symbol, this past week I finally decided to take the leap and get it covered up. The last straw was really moving to New York. I found myself explaining the tattoo to a whole new set of people and realized that I should have gotten it covered up a long time ago. I searched on the net to try and find something suitable to cover it up with, but nothing really struck me. So, I went to a nearby shop, Hand of Glory Tattoos, and talked with the artist there about what I could do. We agreed on a design which is a variant of the original, but obscured it enough, as well.

Here's what I got:

It wraps around my whole arm, connecting at the back. In total, it ended up taking 3 hours. 1 hour to get the design placement right on my arm and then another 2 hours of the actual tattoo. The day after, my arm was very swollen and red, but today most of the swelling as gone down and, though it's still very senstive and a little red, it's much better than it was. I'm very excited/relieved to have it and to have the other one covered up.

I already have plans for my next ones.

2006-05-29T19:31:00.000-04:00

Tired of bland black beans? I know I am. After a visit to a Mexican restaurant while on vacation recently, where I was served some very bland beans, I feel the world needs some schooling on how to make these. So I start here. This is a "recipe" I learned from working at a Mexican restaurant and from the handful of Mexicans I worked with during my externship. I use quotes because I will give you no measurements here. Use your head. Put in what looks good and makes sense. I will be nice and give approx. counts though.

In a large pot, place:
black beans (which you've, of course, soaked overnight. Right?)
garlic (approx 1-2 cloves to every cup of black beans) - crushed
onions (approx 1/2 large to each cup) - quartered

Cover with only the amount of water needed to cover. Bring to simmer.
Continue to simmer until beans are soft. You will need to add additional water while simmering, as well as stir occasionally.
When the beans are almost soft, stop adding water, stir more and let the rest of the water just evaporate.

Remove the garlic and onions. If you don't get them all, it's no big deal, they're basically mush by now.
Finish with some salt to taste. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF SALT.
Top with finely chopped white onions and cilantro.

** Addition: If you can find it, add some dried epazote to the simmering dish. Cleveland folks, you can get this easily at Mi Pueblo. Just a large pinch **

Options for meat eaters:
When simmering, add pork fat/lard. It'll taste that much better.
Top with Mexican chorizo when finished.

You can use these beans for tacos, smashed and fried for refried beans, for the base of an awesome bean salad or just used on their own.

2006-05-17T22:50:00.000-04:00

I realize it's been over a month since my last post and even longer since my last "real" post, but I promise this will change. As of yesterday, I am done with my externship! They did offer to hire me in for freelance, but I really need some steady work now. Just one job, 5 days a week. So, I am going to work full-time at the cheese shop. I enjoy it and it's something I can do with little stress.

My externship was definitely an enjoyable experience though. The people were friendly and I feel like I learned alot. I don't know how I feel about the length of time I was required to work for free. There were folks from another local culinary school there who only had to work 95 (I had to do 210), but it gives me a great feeling of accomplishment to have gone through it.

Anyways, so I am on to a semi-regular schedule for awhile. I promise to post more.
For those looking for a consistent weekly, non-personal, post though: check out kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com, where I contribute a weekly cheese review.

Enjoy!

2006-04-04T21:38:00.000-04:00

For those of you who caught it, back in 2002 there was a flash movie released called 'The Meatrix' . Using the basic premise of the Matrix, it was an educational movie on the horrible practices of factory farming and made in support of small farms. (In class, we also watched a video which I can't seem to find online called 'The Real Cost of Food', which was along similar veins).

Well, it seems they've finally released a sequel. This one deals with factory dairy farms. Working at a cheese shop where pretty much all of our product comes from small, family-run farms, I wanted to pass the link onto anyone reading:

The Meatrix 2

2006-03-26T18:02:00.000-05:00

In response to Kerry's question in my last post's comments section...
Hey, if people ask, I will tell :)

Artichokes...they *are* intimidating and even as someone who has been taught the "correct" way to handle one, I am loath to do so unless absolutely needed. Truthfully, it's alot of work for a very little amount of usable product. That said, the idea of canned is kind of icky and bottled in oil is just greasy. So, if you want to make your own, here's how you do it:

Half a lemon and reserve one half. Squeeze the other half into a bowl and fill the bowl the rest of the way with water. Throw in the juiced lemon half for good measure.

Take the artichoke and, using a bread knife, cut off the very tip (about 1/2"-3/4"), rub with remaining lemon half.

Start removing leaves. You want to get rid of all of that green. That also means peeling the stem (which is edible) and probably having to take a paring knife to the little bits of leaf left at the bottom when they are removed. Keep tearing off leaves until you get a artichoke that is a very lovely pale color. Occasionally give it a rub with that lemon half or a dunk in the bowl of water. Artichokes oxidize and turn brown very quickly, so keeping all exposed cut parts covered in an acid is essential.

Once you've removed all of the green, it's now time to remove the "choke." This is a furry mass in the center of the artichoke which is very unpleasant to eat. So, grab yourself a melon-baller or, if you don't have one, a teaspoon and start digging away. There should be a nice little entrance in the center from cutting off the top previously. Just stick the implement of choice in there and start scraping. Basically, you'll see alot of small leaves with purple tips coming out. You want to get all of those out, along with any very small, bristly looking leaves. Remember to keep dunking and rubbing with the lemon juice.

When that is done, well, you're done. The artichoke is ready to be cooked however you'd like. In class, we braised them with a bit of stock, some tomatoes, olives and such and it was very yummy. Hope this helps!

As for the link to the "Dream Dinners" article..well, first let me explain to everyone else what "Dream Dinners" are. Basically, it's a service where working men and women choose their meals for the week and, once a week, go into the Dream Dinners kitchen and are given all the ingredients needed and the recipe needed to assemble their meals. They then put together their meals for the week, which are then packed up and sent back with them. That way, come meal-time, they just need to pop the container in the microwave or oven and have a complete meal with almost no work.

In theory, I don't think this is necessarily a bad idea, especially if it's a mealtime that would normally be spent getting take-out or crappy food. That said, I do agree with Madhur Jaffey (who is quoted in the article) in that the people who do this are fooling themselves. They are not cooking, they are *assembling*. There is a difference. Example: At Olive Garden, your food arrives at the site pre-made. The person "cooking" your food just has to heat up some pasta and sauce and throw one on the other and, there you go, that's your meal. That's why that person makes minimum wage. It takes no thought or creativity. While someone at a high end Italian restaurant, well, the sausage on your pasta might have been made in the kitchen and the pasta itself most likely was, as well. That's why you pay $25.00 for a bowl of pasta. Quality and creativity. The point is the people who go to these kitchens should be under no impression that they are cooking their meals. They are not chefs, they are not evern cooks, they are simply assembling meals already created and prepared for them. They are a McDonald's employee.

In addition, the raw ingredients are supplied by companies like Sysco, which means not only is the customer not getting very high quality ingredients, but, even this chance to have some connection with the food their preparing is denied. The end result, to me, brings people no closer to homemade meals than they were before. They are simply aren't eating Chinese every night.

So do these people have no options? Of course not! We always have food around the house ready to heat up and eat, but it's food we've made. When we make soup, there's always enough extra to freeze for another day. When I make pizza dough, I make enough for a few pizzas, freeze some dough and when we want pizza, we simply put it in the fridge the day before, then top with whatever we have the day of. We have a fridge full of frozen food, but it's good and it's homemade.

2006-03-18T22:25:00.000-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I love my job at Murray's. I like the people i work with and the customer's who come into the store are great. But, there are still things that annoy me. Here's a few of those things:

* People who ask for low-fat cheeses. Simply put, low fat cheeses are processed cheese. It's not just pressed curds and salt. It's gone through alot more than that. Things I'd rather not think about. If you are watching your weight, just eat less. Most of the cheeses we sell are very complex in flavor, you wouldn't want to sit down and eat a huge hunk of it anyways. If you do need something lowER-fat, which we do sell a few types of (they are made from skim-milk), but please don't complain that it doesn't taste as good as the full fat stuff. Of course it doesn't...fat tastes good! Fat often makes things taste better. So, yes, a cheese with less fat won't taste as good. (Well, except #3 list below)

That said, everyone is often looking to trim a couple inches off here and there and, if you are and if you want to try and make a change in your cheese buying, here's a few tips:

1. Goat's milk is usually lower in fat than cow's milk. The difference is relatively small, I think somewhere around 5% less fat, but still, it's a step.

2. Softer, creamier cheeses are often lower in fat. I know, this makes no logical sense. We think "soft..creamy..high fat!" But, truly, this is not the case. In order for something to be creamy or soft, it must contain a higher level of water. Water does not have any fat (duh). So, if you take a 1" square piece of a soft cheese and the same size of a hard one, the softer one will have less fat in that piece because there is simply more water per volume in that cheese.

3. Parmigiano Reggiano is made from skim-milk and tastes freggin' awesome. Eat that. Just don't get the stuff from Argentina, like I used to. I know, it's cheaper, it's alot cheaper. But it simply does not taste as good and this is not one of those subtle differences you think only cheese freaks get, it isn't. You'll eat the real stuff and wonder wtf you were eating the other stuff for.

* I can save you some time with a quick answer, in case you were wondering. No, we do not sell "regular, American cheese". American cheese is processed cheese. Again, processed cheese has oil, added water and comes from very unhappy cows in a factory. We sell real cheeses from real people. Do you want to buy you cheese from Velveeta or from these folks? (Who, by the way, make some very kick-ass cheese). The same goes for Cracker Barrel and all that other cheese "stuff". Nope, not here.

* Please don't ask "this cheese is good, but do you have something more yellow?". I don't know why Americans like yellow and orange cheese (and yes, it's just Americans, no one else thinks weird shit like this). It's *food dye* people! Admittedly, a natural one and one that has no harmful effect on the cheese. But, at the same time, it has no positive effect on the taste either. That said, if you drank green beer the other night, it's just too late, enjoy some orange cheese.

I want to end this on a positive note, so here's one: be honest with your cheesemonger when you shop. Really and truly, when I work, I want to find a cheese you will take home and adore and will make people ask you "where did you get this awesome cheese?" I want you to enjoy the cheese you take home. Don't just take my word for it, I'm weird, I like cheese that smells like gym socks and whose taste I could describe as "barnyardy" and maybe that's you too. But, maybe you want something fun and mild and sweet and that's fine too, I know what cheese that is, as well.

2006-03-16T17:36:00.000-05:00

FYI, for those who managed to catch the "Boy Meets Grill" episode featuring what they said would be the Grand Central location, I am sorry, but that was not what was on the episode. Though Mr. Flay does visit Murray's, it's actually the old Bleeker location. They've moved and expanded since then and that location doesn't even exist any longer.

That said, we do still carry most of the cheeses he bought during the episode, so if anyone would be interested in any of them, let me know.

2006-03-12T22:29:00.000-05:00

This past week marked my first week of my new 6-day externship schedule. Three days a week I work at the Cleaver Company for my externship, three days a week I'm at Murray's Cheese and then, on Sunday, I rest..my day off.

I somehow managed to make my first week the hardest though. While still in school, I volunteered for a couple of events, not paying attention to the dates. Turns out, they were both this week. The first was assisting at a Beer and Cheese pairing class at Murray's. The class was taught by my manager at Grand Central, Tom, as well as Garrett Oliver (of Brooklyn Brewing Company). They're both very opinionated, energetic and entertaining guys and they put on a great class. I was in charge of assisting in the setup of the class, pouring beers during the class and helping clean up afterwards. For my work, I got to watch the class for free and sample some awesome pairings. Truthfully, though it marked one of my two 13 hour days that week, it was alot of fun and I can't complain too much about an event which filled me with lots of free, good beer.

The other 13 hour day was when I assisted Chef Torres of Suenos during "A Slice of Latin America", a gala event at the Hyatt featuring a ton of local restaurants as well as some auctions, all to benefit the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (tickets were $350 a pop. As a volunteer, I got in for free). It was a great chance to taste a wide selection of what's going on in New York, in ways of Latin cuisine, as well as get a chance to network a little bit. Again, it was a very long day and I came home worn from being on my feet for 13 hours straight (literally, in both these instances, I went from work to..well, work)., but it was a great time and I'd so it again. I'm just glad I don't have to ;)

As for the Cleaver Company, that's been great, as well. I was worried, going in on Monday, that perhaps I wouldn't like it..maybe I should have gone in there for another session of trailing. But, as usual, all the worry was for nothing. I really enjoy the work and the people and it's very laid back, making it a perfect second job. That said, I will be glad to finish all this externship stuff up and get on to working one full time job, which I've not done since August of last year.

That's about it for now. Today, we relaxed, got brunch at this local restaurant called Beso, had some yummy chocolate desserts at the Chocolate Room and got the house picked up a bit. I look forward to next week being more low key.

Well, except the Winter Career Fair at my school tomorrow, I guess I can spare a few hours there....
Argh..want.more.hours.in.a.day.

2006-03-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

My Project Menu

First, the complete one that Genevieve designed is available here.

Below, is my post in text-only format. Following that is my essay which accompanied in, detailing how I chose the menu items I did. Enjoy!

Snacks:

Chilied Peanuts – tossed with roasted garlic - $3.50

Peptias – oven roasted pumpkin seeds - $3.00

Roasted Jalapenos – drizzled with crema - $3.50

Pickled vegetables – a mix of carrots, beets, and other seasonal vegetables - $4.50

Tortillas – made fresh to order and served with 3 types of cheese and 3 salsas - $6.00

Appetizers:

Posole – a hearty stew slow cooked with pork, hominy, garlic and spices - $9.00

Sopa Seca – a fiery mexican pasta dish with a chipotle-tomato sauce - $7.00

Chilaquiles – homemade tortilla chips cooked in a spicy tomato sauce and covered with melted asadero cheese - $7.00

Sopes – warm tortilla cakes topped with refried beans and homemade chorizo - $10.00

Daily Special Tamale - ask your server about the tamale of the day - $12.00 (order of 3)

Main entrees:

Grilled Sea Bass - marinated in a mixture of cascabel peppers and pineapple, served over a bed of jicama - $22.00

Pork Roast – rubbed with ancho chilis, slow cooked and shredded. served with a chayote salad and a basket of warm tortillas - $20.00

Fire-Roasted Chicken –topped with a traditional mole sauce and served over green rice - $17.00

Winter Squash - roasted in a corn husk package prepared Veracruz-style with tomatoes and olives, served with vegetarian pot beans - $15.00

Tortilla pie – shredded chicken and roasted poblano peppers slathered with crema, layered with tortillas and baked - $15.00

Dessert:
(all desserts are $6.00)

Churros – sweet fried pastry served with chocolate, vanilla and raspberry dipping sauces-

Flan – enrobed in a traditional caramel sauce

Sweet Empanadas - stuffed with sweet potatoes and toasted almonds

Grilled Plantains – enrobed in a caramel sauce and topped with vanilla and lime crema

Tres Leches Cake – a butter cake soaked in cinnamon-infused milk and served with a rich coffee frosting

Drinks:

Hot chocolate – homemade and served hot and frothy with shaved dark chocolate on top - $6.00

Rompope - a rich Mexican eggnog lightly spiked with rum - $8.00

Horchata – a rice and almond drink. Crisp and refreshing $4.00

Café de Olla – a coffee drink, infused with cinnamon and sweetened with unrefined sugar, prepared in an earthenware pot - $4.00

Atole – a tarm, thick cornmeal drink flavored with a mix of fresh vanilla and Cinnamon - $4.50

My interest in Mexican cooking extends even farther back than when I began to cook. When, as a young boy, I first tasted a chili pepper, it was like a light went off in my head. I immediately became enthralled with their fiery bite and flavor, going so far as to taking a large chunk out of a habenero when I first found one, an experience in pain that I will never forget. Also, being from Ohio and with a cornfield literally in my back yard, I grew up loving that sweet vegetable. When I found out that Mexican cooking had a backbone in these very ingredients, I just naturally fell in love with it. Admittedly, it wasn’t until I was older and more adventurous when I began going off the beaten bath and exploring the restaurants and mercados that I got to taste true Mexican cuisine, but it just made me love it all the more. The environment was festive and family-oriented. There was a tendency towards involvement with the creation of the foods you ate. A simple taco would be accompanied by a wealthy of salsas, pickled vegetables and the ubiquitous cilantro and white onion mix, allowing the customer to choose what they wanted.

I wanted to convey this festive feeling in my dishes. There’s no pretension of ideas of haute
cuisine throughout the menu. It’s simply, fun, good tasting food with an emphasis on the balance of sweetness and heat that Mexican cuisine does so well. In addition, I sought to offer the customer variety. One could easily make a light meal from some tortillas, a bowl of posole and a bottle of cerverza or there is the typical 3-course meal available as well.

The addition of drinks was something I couldn’t avoid. As I wrote it, additions like hot chocolate and rompope kept finding their way into my dessert menu, until they simply overpowered it. The Mexican culture has such excellent drinks, especially for the winter months. I just couldn’t keep them out, hence their inclusion.

There were a few things I sought to steer clear of in creating this menu. The first was not to do any fusion or Neuvo Mexicano fare. Though I greatly enjoy this type of cuisine, it’s often the antithesis of the homestyle and rustic menu I sought to create. When I traveled to southern California, I found restaurants were often divided into two kinds: the taquerias, which were rarely visited by gringos, except myself, of course; or Neuvo Mexicano establishments, which seemed to completely catered towards a middle-class, white, English speaking audience. My goal with this menu is to offer something in between that. Towards that end, I made a point to avoid some of the typical taqueria fare (though if designing a lunch menu, I don’t think I could avoid offering tortas). So, though tortillas do make their appearance (it would be impossible to create a Mexican menu and not offer this most universal of Mexican breads), I’ve chosen use them in ways other than your typical taco bar.

This menu is written to reflect the winter season, especially December-January, a time of celebration in the mainly Catholic Mexico. As such, I’ve made liberal use of more expensive ingredients like crema, which finds it’s way into a number of dishes. I’ve also catered towards the season by offering hearty, warm and comforting foods. If doing a summer menu, I’d bring things like tomatoes, fresh corn and fruits to the forefront. But, in winter, I tried to stick with dried chilis, masa and chocolate, food that knows no season and whose rich flavors would warm up the dishes and the customer.

I hope this menu conveys all these ideas and my deep love of true Mexican cuisine.

2006-03-02T15:59:00.000-05:00

Well, it's done. Though I still have my externship ahead of me, the in-school part of my training at ICE is over. This Tuesday marked my last day of school as well as my graduation. Here's how it all panned out:

In the morning, I had my last practical. A practical is kind of like a test except, instead of being a written test, you are graded on your cooking skills. This is given to each student in addition to a written exam. In our final practical, all recipes were thrown out the window. We were given one protein that we had to use and, from that, produce one entree based on nothing but our own imaginations. From that, we were graded on our technique, plating, taste and creativity. The stickler is that we would not be told what the protein was until the morning of our practical. From all clues, it seemed that our protein would be chicken, a really easy meat (truly, if someone can go through cooking school and not be able to butcher and cook a chicken, something is wrong). As it turne dout, we were wrong. When I was in the locker area, a classmate of mine ran up to me. "It's rabbit!", he said, "she changed the protein at the last minute. It's going to be a whole rabbit." Everyone got freaked out. Though we'd done chicken a dozen or more times, we'd only done rabbit three times in the program. So, it was a bit of a added challenge.

What did I end up doing? Braised rabbit served morrocan-style (with tomatoes, eggplant, olives, etc.) on a bed of couscous.

How did I end up doing? Not as good as I'd hoped. Though, really, no one did as well as we'd hoped. The grading was harsh and everyone was shocked about how points were taken off for the smallest things. Anyways, I got an 86. On the upside, I completely nailed my last project paper (a menu of my own design, which I shall post shortly).

After that, I headed home to meet my mom and Joe, who had come in for my graduation that evening. After grabbing some lunch at Russo's and hanging around the house, we all headed back to school for my graduation.

The graduation ceremony was very informal and quite nice. There was finger food, wine and beer being served and everyone had brought their family and friends. It was a good time and bittersweet to see my classmates for what will be the last time for many of them. Genevieve's posted some pictures here. If I can, I'll add more shortly. After some mingling, our head of student services came up, gave a short speech, then our last Chef instructor came up and gave another short speech. Finally, we were each called up, given our toque (funny chef hat) and a copy of Larousse's 'Gastronomique', a huge culinary encyclopedia or ingredients and techniques.
I'd made dinner plans for after graduation, so after saying my goodbye's to everyone, we headed out.

For dinner, we hit a restaurant I'd been wanting to try called Zarela's. It's owned by Zarela Martinez, whose cookbook was very influential to me while writing my project menu. As we entered in, the sound of the place was staggering loud. I thought it would get better as we were led upstairs to the maining dining area, but instead it went from really loud to just plain noisy. Since we'd already had some food beforehand, we all just settled for entrees only. I ended up getting a pork shoulder pibil, served in a banana leaf package with fresh tortillas in a basket. It was extremely good and, if it not for the horrible atmosphere (and the slow service), I'd not hesitate to go back. After that, we were all pretty tired and headed home.

The next morning, Genevieve went out to work and Joe, my mom and I all went to a nearby diner to meet Joe's brother, who lives just a few blocks form us. His brother, Jerry, is a really fun guy with lots of stories, so breakfast went by quickly. After breakfast, we departed from Jerry and headed into the city to see the sites. I showed them Times Square and Grand Central station, where I work, before having to head home to grab some lunch, turn around and head back into work.

And now...
I start at my externship on monday. I am all sorts of emotions. I'm nervous and excited about the externship. I'm happy to be done with school, but sad that it's over so quickly and I'm worried about what the future holds for me. I'd made these plans: move to New York, go to school, find a food job. I've done all of those, so the question I keep thinking to myself is: what now?

2006-02-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is Genevieve temporarily hijacking Patrick's blog to remind everyone that tomorrow morning is Patrick's final practical for school and tomorrow evening is his graduation (technically not graduation since there's still the practical, but still a very big deal).

So - send him your best wishes, good luck, and congratulations in the comments!

2006-02-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

By the way, for those who are wondering if Patrick 'the cook' ate Patrick 'the musician' for dinner, I realize I've done 0 musically recently. Truthfully, there have been days where I've had some freetime to do it, but for me, it was always something I did for fun and I just can't switch it on and be like "I must work on music now or never!" So, Subliminal Self has kind of gone by the wayside.

I miss it (and Greyson!) terribly though. I had a great time doing it and have very fond memories of the whole experience. Well, okay, maybe not of the Pat's in the Flats show ;) But, for the indefinite future, it's just not happening and I doubt, when I do start working on it again, it'll be the same thing. Though I'd love to work with Greyson, synching both of our erratic musical outputs will be hard when it's hundred of miles apart. So, we'll see what happens.

Just wanted to say I hadn't forgotten.

2006-02-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

For those who remember, way back in November, I posted a list of my favorite cheeses. I'd only been working at Murray's for a few weeks, so it was kind of a list of the best of the best of the very meager amount of cheeses I'd tried. Well, today, the Murray's staff r/c'ed an e-mail asking for our favorite cheeses. I replied and, looking back, it's strange that none of the cheeses I originally listed are on there. So, for an update, here's my current top five cheeses you should seek out and try (with links this time!)

Cato Corner's 'Hooligan' - This dairy is a regular at our Green Market, where they tout quite a few cheeses we don't have at the store, almost all of which are awesome (though their 'Bridgid's Abbey' leaves me kind of "ehh.."). The Hooligan is my favorite of the ones we carry. It's a wash rind cheese, which means it has a little pungency and meatiness to it. Creamy and full flavored, without being over-the-top.
Pecorino Ginepro- Hard sheep's cheese bathed in balsamic vinegar and juniper. Sour, sweet and salty all at once. A strange cheese, but an excellent break from the more standard pecorinos.
Aged Mettowee - An aged goat cheese from the Consider Bardwell farms. Their website is sadly lacking in any sort of info, so I've decided not to include it. The cheese itself is semi-hard with a tough, bitey rind and a rich dense inside. A welcome alternative to all those lemony young goat cheeses.
Strathdon Blue - An intense meaty blue from Scotland. Creamy and rich with lots of that blue cheese punch.
Rolf Beeler's 'Hoch Ybrig' - Probably, hands down, the best alpine-style (think Gruyere, Emmentaler, Appenzeller) cheese we carry. Sharp and complex, beats normal Gruyere into the ground. Would make an awesome mac and cheese addition, if you have the $$.

That's it for now folks, enjoy!
Oh
and eat lots of cheese!

2006-02-11T23:14:00.000-05:00

More work stuff..

For those with a good high speed connection. Check out Food Tv's online episode of "Eat This with Dave Lieberman"
It's available Here

Note: Before anyone asks, I believe this to be an online-only episode, so don't expect to see it on Food Network at any point. You do get to see Murray's Bleeker location as well as my boss.

For those who would like to see Murray's on FoodNetwork, check out 'Boy Meets Grill' on March 16th. This episode features the Grand Central location where I work. Again, this was filmed before I worked there, but still, it should be fun.
More info available here here

As an odd twist, the building in which I will be doing my externship, Chelsea Market, is also the home of the FoodNetwork. There's a little elevator there with their logo plastered on the entrance. I've talked with at least one employee there who frequents the place in which I will be working. Should be alot of fun.

2006-02-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

First of all, whoever has not read Genevieve's post about our trip to Queens, do so now. It's okay, I'll wait.

Done? Good. Anyways, as an addendum to all of that:
Getting around in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, I was completely embarassed by my lack of Spanish skills. Despite having a great cd and book set from my dad, I've just completely not had the time to sit down and learn it. Being someone interested in Mexican cooking and living in a city like New York, with such a high spanish speaking population, it's, to me, an almost inexcusable amout of ignorance. It truly makes me feel very limited in learning about a culture I am very much interested in. It's my hope that, after school, I can buckle down and learn it.

I did get a chance to completely clean my molcajete today. You see, being made of lava rock, there's still some sediment in there. This is cleaned up by grinding rice to powder in it, until the rice stops turning so gray. (Which, if you buy a cheap molcajete like I did last time, never....ever...happens). In this case though, it took about 2 rounds of it before it became clean and ready to go. I am very excited :)

I did more international exploring today, walking for awhile through Chinatown. Truly, other than in it's size and breadth of cuisine (which is impressive), Chinatown doesn't do much for me. Unless you're looking for some good food (though the grocery spots left me wary of the produce they carried) or cheap bootleg handbags, it's just that...alot of cheap junk. THough I wasn't able to resist when I saw a small stuffed Gizmo in a little shop in chinatown (a terribly geeky recreation of the beginning of the movie).

Tonight, we grabbed some awesome sushi at Blue Ribbon (the last time we went there was before we moved) and finished it off with a slice of cake and tea at Cococa Bar. THis was all to celebrate Genevieve's new job. Very exciting :)

That's it for now.

2006-01-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

For those interested, where I work:

here

2006-01-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged with a meme. Normally, I never do these things, but considering it's Genevieve who tagged me, I feel I better ;)
Anyways, here goes:

Four jobs I've had in my life:

Pizza Delivery Guy
Electronic Publishing Coordinator (blech!)
Cheesemonger
Garbage man

Four movies I can watch over and over:
Gremlins
Ghostbusters
Dr. Strangelove (..these are all so obvious)
The Princess Bride

Four places I have lived
Vermilion, Ohio
Lakewood, Ohio
Tremont, Ohio
Brooklyn, NY

Four TV shows I love to watch:
Lost
The Daily Show
Anything by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) <-all stolen from Genevieve's post
X-Files

Four places I have been on vacation:
Ireland
Toronto
Florida
North Carolina

Four of my favorite dishes:
Anything from Phnom Pehn
General Tso's
Torta al Pastor
real tacos (must be on a 2 soft, corn tortillas and served with cilantro and onion, as it standard)

Four Albums I Can't Live Without:

Area 'Fragments of the Morning'
Slowdive 'Souvlaki'
Hungry Lucy 'To Kill a King'
something goth rock with lots of drum machine

Four Vehicles I've Owned:

Oldsmobile somethingorother
Ford minivan somethingorother
Ford stationwagon somethingorother
Honda Accord

Four websites I visit daily:

My webmail
Blogs
Chud
there is no #4

Four places I would rather be right now:

Ohio in the fall
Back in Ireland with Genevieve
In Oaxaca, chowing on some serious food (and never getting sick! hey, this is fantasy, right?)
Riding a train across Europe

Four bloggers I am tagging:

I am not so cruel! ;)

2006-01-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, we recieved some cookbooks from my sister. They're really unique books (one of which is a Czechoslovak cookbook, which I'm dying to make something from), but one, in particular, suprised me as I flipped through it. The book is based on TBS' series "Dinner & a Movie", where they play a movie and, during the breaks, provide some recipes loosely based on the film they're showing. It's a cute and fun book, but, in the back, it contains a list of tips that I think should be in every cookbook. It's a well explained handful of suggestions for making your dinners even better. This is stuff I paid a good chunk of money to learn and I thought I'd reprint them (not verbatim, of course) here for everyone, as they are good things to know.

* Use seasonal produce whenever possible! It's cheaper and will always taste better.

* Always rest your meat after cooking. If you cut into it right after it's cooked, you're losing all those good juices. They need time to redistribute after being heated through the cooking process.

* Taste a dish constantly, as you're cooking.

* Don't be afraid of salt! Things with salt do not tasty salty (unless over-salted), they taste more like what they are. They just taste better. But, do not salt things (like sauces) that will be reduced, until they are finished. Because, along with flavors, reduction will intensify the saltiness, as well.

* Clean as you work.

* Calibrate your oven. Nobody's oven is perfect and the right temp can make a good amount of difference, especially when it comes to baking.

* Buy whole spices and grind them yourself. A coffee grinder works well for this.

* Warm your plates before serving. This is a very common restaurant trick. Warm food should be served on warm plates and cold on cold.

Enjoy!

2006-01-20T11:17:00.000-05:00

I had a great birthday yesterday. Thanks so much to those who called, e-mailed, etc. to wish me well!
I got some great gifts, including sil-pads (the ultimate in non-stick) and a great Projekt cd I was listening to on the train today. I also got a hand mixer, which I'd been wanting for awhile, but never picked up. Thanks Susan!

To celebrate, Genevieve and I went out to a place in Park Slope called Al Di La. They're an italian restaurant, considered to be one of the best restaurants in the area and they definitely lived up to the hype. I was a bit worried though, as they'd recently gotten a good review in the NYT and were, based on online reviews, kind of infamous for their wait. But, even arriving at 7pm, we were seated promptly in their family styl tables.I started out with a dish of grilled polenta and salt cod, which was excellent (though Genevieve had to comment that the salt cod looked like gefilte fish ;) Genevieve had an imported radiccio salad, which was a bit tart, but otherwise yummy.
For my main course, I had a glass of red wine and pork loin, served with a pan sauce, sage and proscuttio. For her main entree, Genevieve got beet ravioli and, despite being nervous (beets are one of those things that can either be amazingly good or gross and it's a very thing line. They're a vegetable I have yet to master, though I will continue to work on it. Because, when they're good, they're really good. Earthy, sweet and vibrant. And yes, her ravioli was all of these things). Finishing things off, we had a pear tart with whipped cream and a plate of three gelatos (Honey - which Genevieve loved, Ginger and Early Grey. I was very wary of the latter, but it turned out to be really good. I would never have thought). It was a really comfortable and enjoyable experience and I wouldn't hesistate to go back.

In other news, I have now finished Module 4 - Baking and Pastry! Unfortunately, I work tonight, so having a large drink, as I often do to celebrate, is out of the question, but I am happy to be done with it. At the beginning, I was really excited and the relaxed pace was nice, but I dunno..I'm just tired of sweets and looking forward to getting back to cooking. Next and last in-school module is International cuisine. Should be alot of fun.

2006-01-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

A quick update for everyone:

My holidays went really well, got a lot of great gifts and I enjoyed heading back home (yes, I still consider Cleveland "home") and visiting family and friends. I hit the ground running when I came back though, having to work 4 days in a row starting the day I flew in. It wouldn't of been so bad, but they were the days leading up to New Year's Eve (which I worked and was completely nuts).

TO make matters worse, Genevieve started getting sick on the last day of vacation and hasn't managed to shake it since. I've gotten a bit of it: sore throat (which caused me to lose my voice on the busiest day of the year at work..not fun) and some coughing, but nowhere as bad as Genevieve has gotten it.

Other than that, things have been going smoothly. I'm halfway through module 4 (baking) of school, which has been a welcome relief from the very intense mod 3. The next and last in-school module is after that and then it's off into the real world for my externship. I am simulatanously excited and nervous (as is often the case with me).

Genevieve and I have also been exploring new areas of town recently. The other day we took a brief train ride into Hoboken, which was strange since it's soo close to New York, but seems so different in personality. First things, it's *much* quieter and cleaner. It also has less personality. There's always trade-offs. We also hit Sunset Park, a neighborhood in Brooklyn very close to ours. It's the Mexican area of town and I really enjoy it. It's pretty middle-class and chock full of exciting (and cheap!) food joints (I hesistate to say restaurants, as the two I have been to are such tiny hole-in-the-wall locales). I can see myself returning quite a bit. If anything, on the search for unprepared masa (not to be confused with corn flour), which my new book, Tamales 101, recommends as the best source for good tamale batter.

That's it for now. Hope everyone had a great holiday!

2005-12-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

Addendum:
I just got home from school. Though it was my intention to take a cab, storing my bike at school, this ended up not happening. Simply put: cabbies as a**holes. For, try as I might, I could not get one cab, *one* cab to take me home. Out of the 5 or 6 I stopped, one claimed he would get lost, 2 simply said 'no' and drove away when I asked and 1 tried to see how much I'd pay for a ride (there's actually a set system of charges during the strike). So, left with no other choice, I had to bike home while sick.

urgh

2005-12-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

The Strike - Day 3

I'm sick.
I haven't been able to keep anything down all morning. I hate to call off of work, but I already had to make an emergency puke run from class today. I don't want to even think about stinky cheese.

2005-12-21T11:48:00.000-05:00

The Strike - Day 2

So I biked into school this morning. Left at shortly before 7 and ended up getting here just 5 minutes late for class. I would have even been on time if the bastards at the security desk didn't give me a hard time about bringing my bike through the lobby (they originally said I couldn't bring it in the building at all). I was completely pissed off. Not only did ICE tell us we could store our bikes up here, but it's not like I freggin *wanted* to ride in. With all this craziness, you think they'd make some *logical* concessions to people. Anyways, after a bit of fighting, they let me bring it in the loading dock and up the freight elevator and onto the 5th floor.

Other than that, the bike ride wasn't bad at all. In fact, biking through Washington Sq. Park (which was oddly empty and quiet) was kind of enjoyable.

What I am not looking forward to is biking home at 10:30 at night.

2005-12-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

In non-work or school news, I just wanted to quickly say that Weyerbacher makes a kick-ass beer called Prophecy. It's aged in bourbon oak barrels and is amazingly good. It has a very wine-like nose, some toffee flavors up front and then oak hits you in it's round finish. Often, I've found aged beers to be too wine-like in their flavors, resulting in a very astringent drink, but this one is nicely balanced.

It's also another example of how "ice cold beer!" is probably the worst way to serve it. As with beer or wine with a decent amount of complexity, all of that is lost when the drink is cold. You get none of the subtleties. I found this one to be best when out of the fridge for about half an hour.

My only complaint is that the beer is a little rich. It's sold only in 12 oz. bottles and, truthfully, I couldn't imagine drinking more of it than that in a sitting. They do make another oak aged beer called Insanity that I'm looking forward to trying.

Until then!

2005-12-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's happened...
For those who haven't heard, the transportation workers' union has gone on strike, completely cutting off all subway and bus service. Luckily, I don't have to work tonight (and I was up till 1am getting Christmas packages together to mail today), so I skipped heading into the city for school. But, I'm already planning how I'll handle both work and school tomorrow. Right now, I'm thinking I'll bike. If I can handle the 7 mile trek in (which should be no problem, considering I used to do 12 when I worked at West) , then the short hop from school to Murray's should be no prloblem.

My secondary worry is for Murray's though. This is the holiday season, our busiest time of the year *and* most of our business is from commuters in Grand Central. Each day the strike is on, we're (I imagine) losing thousands of dollars. This is to say nothing of the small vendors out there who hawk papers and the like at the bus stops, who will be completely out of work. Last time (in the 1980's) a strike like this happened, it went on for 11 days. I can't imagine if that all repeated today.

For those who are wondering how such a vital service can be shut off, well, it's not supposed to be able to happen. In fact, it's illegal and those who strike will be fined twice their pay each day it goes on. But that doesn't keep the union from doing it. For what? For benefits most of us can't even imagine getting, let alone stop working if we didn't get.

Well, tomorrow is another day and, if it's still going on, I'll be bundling up and heading out.

2005-12-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I am done with module 3, the hardest module so far.
Yesterday, as I mentioned, was the Grand Buffet. Today, we had our test and practical (where we're graded on a dish we prep and cook). I am not sure how I did on the test, though I think I got a solid B or B+. My practical, I got a 90 (out of 100) on that. My seasoning was spot-on and my strip steak was a perfect medium-rare, but my bacon wasn't cooked enough and I had a bit too much odd negative space on the plate. Ah well, I'm happy with my grade.

I also had a paper to turn in. A um..book report. Yes, at 28, I had to write a book report. But, what he paper was really supposed to be about was setting a plan for our culinary careers. Actually, I really liked it. The chance to sit down and think about my career goals helped me define more of what I am looking for (and not in some lame way, as I thought it would).

After all this work at school, I'm heading to Murray's tonight and then tomorrow I have off of both school and work. So, though I usually celebrate the ending of a module with some drinking, I am afraid that will have to wait until then.

2005-12-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

So today was our Grand Buffet at school. To give you some background, last week we spent most of our time preparing terrines, with aspic gelee and otherwise, as well as pates. It was very stressful and intense work. On Friday, we all left class with a fridge full of goodies (or, as good as something which is the equivilent of meat jello can be).

Then, this monday, we came in.....
to discover the fridge had died over the weekend, completely killing all of our work.

In a rush, the chef orchestrated a new buffet filled with more typical appetizer fare (crab cakes, samosas, grilled chicken on skewers). All in all, it went over well, though everyone was a little disappointed not to see their hard work brought to fruition.
That's not to say everyone started crying, as well..nobody really wanted to *eat* that stuff. Except, of course, the fois gras.

The champagne we had helped too...

2005-12-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't blogged lately. Sometimes, I just get too caught up with work and school and blogging, well..that's kind of down there on the list. But, I'm home today, so I thought I'd blog really quick.

Not much new has really been going on. I'm nearing the end of my 3rd module and we've been working on terrines and pates. It's part of the Garde Manger (cold foods) section of the course, which has been a mix of exciting and stressful, since these are very intense preparations. At the same time, it's a culinary corner I was previously unfamiliar with, so it's probably the most I've learned during any section, so far.

The next module is pastry and baking, which I'm really excited about. It's also supposed to be a break from the intense module I am in now.

Work has been going nicely, as well. It looks like they'll be cutting down on hours after the holidays, which isn't too bad, as I picked up an extra day anyways. I talked to them about working there after school is done and they seemed up for it. I have alot more that I can learn there, so as long as there's something to learn, I'll stick around.

2005-11-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

Urgh...
I just finished running my first holiday retail gauntlet. As everyone knows, the holidays are busy for retail jobs and Murray's was no exception. It was definitely an...experience. All in all, I came out with no damage done. I held my own and managed to get through without having to ask too many questions (really, the only ones being about PLU #'s or location of cheeses that moved). But, it was harsh. We ran out of all but our most bland bries (which is saying something, as we carry about 3 or 4 different kinds at any different time)..then, when those ran out, we started promoting our triple-cremes as an alternative (of which we had 3 different kinds, as well)..only to run out of those. This was how busy it was. We were running out of stuff left and right and by the end of the night, the normally overflowing cheese case was looking more than a little scant. I ended up having to switch some of my holiday cheeses based on this. So, unfortunately, no one in the house will get to enjoy the Brie de Meaux (probably the best brie out there) I planned on bring home. I tried to choose some good alternatives which I hope everyone will enjoy.

Though I admit some sick part of me really enjoyed the onslaught of people and having to hustle, I am glad to have tomorrow off :)

2005-11-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

A bit more on our trip to Rosa Mexicano (see previous blog entry):

I was actually suprised by this meal by my loving wife, who made reservations there in celebration of our seven year "getting together" anniversary.

We started out meal out with their famous guacamole, which they make tableside. At $14.00 an order (which feeds two), you are paying as much for the theater of it as the dish itself. The waiter's hands move about accurately and oh-so-quickly, it's truly fun to watch. It's then served in the traditional molcajete in which it was made.

We also got a bottle of wine to share (their bottle prices were very reasonable, making it truly more economical to get the whole bottle). It was a Petite Syrah from Southern California and, though I was nervous at first (since hotter climates tend to yield sickly sweet wines), it was a good bottle. It had a bit of tannins, not too much and only a little bit of the blackberry I thought would overpower it. Genevieve liked it, as well, but somehow I ended up finishing most of it and was just a little tipsy ;)

For our meals, Genevieve got a stuffed poblano dish, which was very tasty. I ended up getting one of the specials (it was "chocolate month" on their list), a pork enchillada with a chocolate-tinged sauce. It was excellent and very rich.

We finished the meal off by splitting a chocolate souffle, served with a tomatillo sauce (which was, despite the weirdness, really good. The citrus taste of the tomatillos worked really well with the chocolate). It also had a scoop of ice cream on the side, though I can't remember what it was.

Though certainly a step-up, price wise, from your average mexican place, the flavors, the atmosphere, and the service was all well above average and made it all worth it :)

2005-11-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I blogged last, so I'll try to take everyone up to speed.

School has been going well. I've finished module 2 (of 6) at school. Module 3 began with a little breakfast cookery and now we're on to simulation line cooking. I have to admit, I was very nervous about it, though my fears were completely unnecessary (as I've been a line cook before, so it's nothing new to me). Overall, it's been going very well.

Work, as well, has been going well. I've picked up an extra day a week for the holiday season. I worried, at first, that the extra time would be too much, but it's really been not that bad. I enjoy work and the people I work with. I only hope I'm doing well there, to them. I get to give my cheese knowledge a twirl at home this Thanksgiving in preparing a cheese plate for dinner. I won't reveal my list yet, but it's sure to be some fun stuff :) I work tomorrow and wednesday, both of which should be crazy busy. But, I kind of like it that way. The time goes by way faster.

Since the last post, Genevieve and I also celebrated our 7th "getting together" anniversary. We've now been an item for 7 years :) To celebrate, we went out to this Mexican restaurant, which I've owned the cookbook from for quite awhile: Rosa Mexicano. I'll post more on this later....

Unfortunately, not too much has been happening outside of that. Genevieve and I have gotten some work done around the house and I've been watching lots of horror flicks and playing video games. Thank you tivo and Dreamcast.

Oh, so I am on my ..who knows what number..attempt to make these meringues. I've employed all the techniques I've learned in class and still the last batch flattened out. It's all a bit frustrating. I'm here, paying lots of money, learning classical french cooking techniques and I still can't keep a meringue up in oven. Here's hoping this batch turns out better.

I'm kind of babbling now, so I'll end.
Oh yea, I'm looking forward to coming home for Christmas. Seeing friends and family. I can practically taste the Great Lakes beer now ;)

2005-11-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

Just for Adam, my first New York Burger report.

I'd heard of the joint, Island Burger from the Food Network, even before we moved to the city. It is supposed to be one of the best burger joints in the city and, with over 60 different burgers on the menu, it had a stack of expectations to live up to.

Genevieve and I both ordered a malted shake, sandwich (obviously, she got a veggie one which I will not report on here) and split an order of guac, salsa and chips.

The malts were excellent. Genevieve even went so far as proclaiming them "better than Tommy's!", which is saying something considering we both consider Tommy's to serve the best shakes in Cleveland. The ice cream was rich and tasty and thick enough to cause some trouble getting it through the straw, but not enough your mouth hurt when you were done.

The chips dish was kind of eh....it wasn't bad, but didn't do anything for me and the chips, themselves, were overly saltly.

Now..the main course, the burger. I ordered mine seasoned with cajun spices and topped with bacon, blue cheese and avocados. It came out, a bit over my request for medium, but once I bit into it, I didn't mind. The burger was juicy, spicy and did..in fact..taste of real meat (as opposed to bad burgers, which taste like cardboard). It was also a horrible mess, with avocado sliping and sliding everywhere. Did it overwhelm it's bun, leaving it a soggy (but yummy) mess? Eh..not so much. Though the bottom bun all but disappeared, the top stayed with it till the end (read my Stevenson's blog for more info on this). I don't fault the burger for this though. The bun was just too substantial, too much for it to take on. Now, would I call it better than Stevenson's? I don't know. I would more call it different. Stevenson's, or most Cleveland places, would not offer such "fancy toppings" as avocados, their ticket is with basic, down to earth, burgers. Island Burger is looking to offer something more. Definitely a tasty burger, any way you eat it.

2005-11-05T23:15:00.000-05:00

You know those tv channels which seem like nothing but Top 10 lists (-ahem- Discovery channel)? Well, though I've done it numerous times in the past, I'm doing it again, as well. Another top 10 listing to suck up blog space.

Top 5 Cheeses (that you should try...if you eat cheese ;)
or
My Favorite Cheeses (currently)
In no particular order

Cabrales - Blue cheese wrapped in leaves. Saltly, crumbly and pungent (though not enough to knock you over). Everything a good blue should be.
Monte Enebro - Goat's cheese. Semi-soft and ooh so goaty, it's kind of an aquired taste. I still do more 'tastings' of this at work than are needed ;) Not too sweet like younger goat cheeses either.
English Farmhouse cheddar - NOT bright orange, NOT sold in a brick. Real cheddar. Even has a little mold in it. Yummy. Taste this and you'll never go back to Kraft.
Rocblue - Yea, I know, another blue. But this one is *way* different from cabrales. Has the buttery taste of brie with some of that blue twang. A perfect combination.
Brie de Nangis - Speaking of brie...this is brie the way it's meant to taste. Absolutely exploding with mushroom flavors. Nothing about this cheese is subtle.
Fiore Sardo - I had to sneak one hard cheese in here. A spanish cheese with a nice nut and herbiness. I recommend this to people who want a good grating cheese that's not Parm.

Next week..I learn to count.

2005-11-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

A quick eye update..
My eye is doing fine and pretty much completely healed.

Today at school went very well. I aced my quiz (100) and managed to fillet a fish like a ninja (umm..that means really well).

Not much else to report.

2005-10-31T17:51:00.000-05:00

So I am home for Halloween today. I hadn't intended to be, in fact, I was supposed to be working till 10:30pm doing inventory at Murray's. But, thanks to a oil spray while I was sauteing in class, I am the owner of a nice burn on my eye. It hurts like hell and is just as red, but I can see, thankfully. I did stop by the eye doctor (who, thankfully, understand my lack of health insurance and didn't drain my bank account with the visit). The end result is some ointment, some pain relievers (which don't seem to be doing squat) and I gotta wait a few days to let it heal.

I would rather be at work.

2005-10-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

A small update...

The cheese job at Murray's has been going well. I still have alot to learn about the cheeses we provide, but I've been happy that between working with the cheese and reading 'Cheese Primer', I've been able to identify (by name and sight, at least) much more than I could just a week ago. Last night, I brought home my first cheese, the Selles su Cher. I picked it because, as a small mold, it wasn't something I could taste at work and it was an AOC approved cheese. The AOC is a "seal of approval" by the government of France. Very few cheeses get this approval, since it requires the cheese be produced in the "correct" location and method. Any cheese with this seal can be counted on as a quality cheese (albiet probably not a cheap one). The Selles su Cher I picked up was a young goat cheese and, as such, very mild (though, since it was a whole mold and, therefore, still alive, I could have aged it at home, which would have resulted in a sharper and chalkier taste). Anyways, it was quite good, with a light nutty taste.

In other news, I also finished "module 1" of school today. The finishing test was a written exam and "practical", where we were required to make a cream of broccoli soup and a mayonnaise. I am happy to say I got a 100 on the mayo and a 98 on the soup (it needed a little more salt). I'm not sure what I got on the written exam yet. I celebrated by opening a bottle of hard cider that we picked up on our trip to the orchards of New York (and finished with a bit of pumpkin flan I made).

Not much else to report, I promise a more substantial blogging (and some horror movie reviews at 'Come Play with Us Danny..') soon...

2005-10-13T14:18:00.000-04:00

Good News!

I can open that bottle of hard cider that's been sitting in my fridge for over a week now, waiting for a special occasion. I have a job!

I got hired this afternoon to work at Murray's Cheese Shop. Though the name might not mean much to either non-New Yorkers or non-cheese freaks, it's a considerable name to have on my resume. Murray's supplies cheese for most of the major upscale restaurants in town (as well as out of town, they supply cheese for the famous French Laundry) and is a well known establishment in the city.

It's also a job I was really hoping for, since it'll give me a chance to learn way more about cheeses than my school could possibly offer. I will be working there three days a week, during the weekdays (their main traffic is from commuters during rush hour - the store i will be working at is at Grand Central Market), which is the perfect schedule for balancing my school and work.

I do have another interview on Sunday. I haven't cancelled it, as it's supposed to be for just once a week (on Sundays) and it's pretty close to home, so it might be a good source of a few extra bucks. Okay, I'll be honest, it's because it's a speciality beer and wine store and if I can get a employee discount on both my beer *and* my cheese, well, that's just a bit of heaven.

So, I'm really excited. I'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes.

2005-10-10T18:32:00.000-04:00

Home again, home again...

We just got back from a short trip into upstate New York. You see, growing up next to a Cider Mill (and being a big fan of Halloween ;), fall has always meant alot to me. The air is fragrant with the smell of hot apple cider and fallen leaves, pumpkins are lit up with huge smiles and the cold chill of winter hasn't quite hit. So, here in New York, already with a bit of homesickness, I found myself really missing my Ohio Fall. Unfortunately, a trip back home would have cost too much, so we opted to rent a car and head upstate.

Our first stop was a small Cider Mill in Westchester County. For those who don't know, Westchester is the kind of place all exclusive snobby country towns want to be (Martha Stewart has a fortress around there, to give you an idea). The house across from the Mill was going for 1.5 million. Anyways, we grabbed some good, if not kind of pricey, cider and a few apples.

The next stop was closer to our final destination (a Bed and Breakfast built from an old Cider Mill..sense a theme here?), a pick-your-own orchard. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. Wandering around a huge orchard, munching on apples fresh picked from the tree and ending up with a whopping 14+ lbs of them (for only 8.50), it was heaven for me.

Before heading to the b&b, we had one more stop, Warwick Valley Winery, makers of wine and hard cider. We arrived in the middle of a tasting, so I grabbed a awesome slice of pumpkin cheesecake and sat down to wait for the next one. As it turned out, the cheesecake was better than what I was waiting for. Though the hard cider was good, more of European style cider with a definite dry wine taste, the wines were ranging from iffy to, in the case of their port, downright astringent and bad.

Not much to say about the bed and breakfast. It was nice, quaint and our host (the b&b is owned by a husband and wife team, but we never saw the wife) was very helpful and friendly. But, we were around there for the Fall experience, the cozy night was just an added plus. That said, if you ever find yourself around Warwick in the Hudson Valley, I would definitely recommend the Cider Mill Inn. They even helped us make reservations at a nice dinner location (the chef, like so many around there, was a CIA grad), as well as pointed us to a nice dry bit of the Appalachian Trail the next morning.

After hiking a bit this morning, we slowly made our way back home, but not before making a couple more stops. Once at a small store and cider mill (more cider!) and next at another cidery and winery, this one called Applewood Winery. Applewood was a definite step up from Warwick Valley. Though their Reisling smelled and tasted slightly of diapers, their apple wines were very good. They managed to hit that nice balance of a fruity, sweet taste upfront and finish with something a bit drier. They also had a dessert wine which was the equivilent of fermented mulled apple cider, which I picked up. We finished our trip with some fresh doughnuts (which are 100X better than those stale, hanging out all morning, kind I'm used to) and hot apple cider.

There was a huge hassle in getting home, but I'm trying to put that past me, so I won't share that with you. All in all, we had a great time and our fridge is currently stuffed to the brim with the taste of fall.

2005-10-03T21:01:00.000-04:00

Sadly, there's not been much news on the job front. I had an interview today with a cheese shop that seemed really promising (good hours, no crazy kitchen environment and I would get to learn about lots of artisanal cheese), but sadly, they were supposed to call me back this evening, but never did.

I do have another interview scheduled for tomorrow at a chocolate shop (high class, not like Malley's). In addition, I have another scheduled for thursday at a bakery just down the street. At this point, I'm looking for work that will increase my general food knowledge, instead of kitchen knowledge. Maybe I just want something where I can count on getting home at a decent time, who knows.

Oh, I have a nice bottle of hard cider I bought today that I've decided to hold on to until I get a new job. I hope to get to open it soon.

School has been going well. We've been dealing with butchering meats these past few days. It's an area I (obviously) have very little experience in so, as school should be, it's been a learning experience. The first day of it, when i was behind most, it was also a very humbling experience. But, by the second day, I was doing significantly better and was not among the last to get done with their cuts of meat.

Halloween is starting to get in the air and my mind has been turning to what I'm going to do this year. There's a ton to do in New York, so it's all a matter of picking what to do of the myraid of events (and what won't cost me $30 or so). I'm interested to find out how trick-or-treating works around here. Our neighborhood is very kid-infested, so I hope to see all the goblins outside, but we'll see.

Anyways, at this point I'm rambling. More later.

2005-09-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

I hate to leave everyone in suspense, so here's what went on last night (I didn't work monday night, so I didn't have a chance to talk with the owner).

First of all, to dispell all fears: there was no drama. No throwing of chairs, no screaming. He completely understood my reasons for leaving, apologized for the whole thing, thanked me for being a gentleman about it and, at the end of the night, he paid me out for all the time I'd worked (at a median rate of $10.00/hr). We left with no hard feelings between the two of us. So, though I doubt I'll be back since the food really didn't do much for me, personally, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable or weird going there. I also got a chance to drop off my phone # with the sous-chef, who I'd gotten along with really well. He plays guitar, so him and I agreed to get together and jam for a bit.

Quitting a job can kind of be like breaking up with a significant other, so I am very glad that the last two jobs I've had, I've left on good terms.

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated with what happens next.

2005-09-26T12:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone for their comments of support! I was going to put this in the comments of the last post, but it was just too long.

As Genevieve mentioned, I didn't walk out because I would not have gotten paid if I did. Also, I was at work, I was ready to go, I just thought it would be best if I simply accepted what he said and got on with my job (I'm bullheaded like that). There was stuff that needed to be done at work and I just felt I needed to get on with that while I got my head straight. It wasn't till I was biking home and had a chance to think that all the frustration and indignation started piling up on me.

And you're right, Susan, I could easily get something else for $8.00 a hour. Shoot, the job I turned down was 8 an hr, under the table. Right now, I'd be getting 8 - taxes and such. Getting another job isn't my worry, I've seemed to have no problems in that department. I just needed some time (luckily, I have today off) to think about it. Tofu, to his credit, I do think it's a disorganization thing. I knew he'd be like that from the day I came in to work and it turned out he thought he was talking to a guy coming in for an interview (even though I'd already interviewed a few days prior). I could also get into the mass chaos that has been trying to open the restaurant (it was supposed to open 2 weeks ago and is (supposedly) finally opening for more than just dinner today. I guess I'd hoped it would not be something which would effect me and my job.

Part of the reason I didn't quit there and needed time to think was that I really didn't know if I'd be quitting 'cause my ego was bruised. I mean, I'll admit it, getting a severe pay cut on my 5th day was a huge hit to the ego, especially since I'd considered myself working my ass off while I was there (even while many leaned around and talked). I did not want to walk away like a little kid because my feelings were hurt.

But, even if I can't deny the above will factor in, I have decided to quit simply because I can't trust him. From the get-go, I set up a series of rules: I needed 1 day off from school and work and I could only work 4 days a week. He set up a rule too: that I would be paid at a rate for $12.00 a hour. Right now, all of these have been broken. I just can't trust that he won't schedule me for a day I request off or, in fact, that pay might not come up again later. The place is going to have a hard time of it for the first few months, just trying to survive, and I can't trust that i will get paid as promised. I can easily see requests to hold off a few days on getting paid or asking to not cash a check until after a few days.

So, tomorrow, I am going to go in and tell him, make it clear that I will work out the week, provided he pays me for my time at the end of it and -sigh- begin looking for something else again. I'm not worried about finding it, just a look into Craigslist yesterday pulled up things I'd be qualified for and like to do. I just wish this place had worked out.

2005-09-25T19:12:00.000-04:00

ARGH!

So I get into work this afternoon to be told 2 things:

1. My boss hadn't well..bothered to check my resume before hiring me!! So, after finally getting around to looking at it, he determined that he was grossly overpaying me for my limited experience and promptly cut my already meager $12.00/hr pay rate to $8.00. Shit, one of the reasons I took that job was the pay rate! I told him so and he was very apologetic, but firm that he couldn't afford to pay me more than that.

2. Even though I told him, say, 3+ times that I wanted to only work a 4 day week, I come downstairs and..wow..there's a schedule posted (a first) and wow I'm on there for a 40 hour, 5 day week, including both Saturday and Sunday. What the hell?! I told him, numerous times, that I was in school and could only work 4 days. I said it when I first came in to interview, I said it when I came in a second time to make my schedule, I said it on Wednesday when he was making the schedule. So I confront him with it and he acts like it's news to him (he was the one who offered, even before I suggested, that I take Saturday off, so I can have a day off from school and work) and then goes on how he "really needs me" this Saturday, as everyone else is off. Well, whoop-de-fucking-do, I was supposed to be off too! And I don't know when they request it, but I did so the day I was hired.

Okay, I am done ranting. Sorry for all the cursing. Just a little ticked right now.

2005-09-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

A few of my favorite local eats, so far. By "local", I mean "easy walking distance". I know that by sticking to my local stomping ground, I am missing out on the eats a bit farther from my home, but with dozens upon dozens of restaurants an easy walk away, it's hard to even get the initiative up to hop on a train. Anyways:

Little Red Hen Bakery - I can already tell that, when we move, I will miss this place. Just 1 block from my house, they make the best baked sweets I've found around. Their muffins, especially their fruit ones, kick all sorts of ass. We probably go more than we should ;)
Uncle Moe's - Okay, they're not the best Mexican around, even by far. But they're about a block and half away, have an excellent $5.00 Mole Poblano Enchilada special and their rice and beans are actually really good (not bland filler, like at most places).
Neidre's - They get mention for, among many other good offerings, the Woodstock. A yummy blend of chipotle spiked hummos, avacados, cheese and some veggies, the Woodstock is a veggie sandwich which beats out their meat offerings, by far. (Though their Farmer John sandwich, with turkey, apples and cheddar came very close). Oh, and we can see them from our window ;)
Mr. Falafel - With a name like that, you can guess the best thing on the menu. Their lunch special hits you with some awesome falafel, nice and creamy baba ghanoush and well...some overly tahini flavored hummos. But throw in some pita and a salad, all for about $6.00 and it's a deal I willl take them up on again.

In non-food related stuff, thanks to Lauren (the defective one) and Maura for coming by to visit!! it was awesome to see some Cleveland folks again :) We all grabbed some good sandwiches from the above mentioned Neidre's and munched them in Prospect Park. An excellent afternoon. Hope you both enjoyed your cultural trip to the Museum ;)

2005-09-22T12:45:00.000-04:00

My life in very short (as I have to go to work in a bit):

School has been going well. I got there a bit late today, as the F train (my sole ride into school) was having troubles, so we all had to leave and wait for the next one. It wouldn't be so bad, but we get knocked grade points off for being late and I have high hopes of graduating with honors, or at least trying to.
Work..is finally supposed to open today, after a series of false starts. Since, due to their troubles, I didn't work my regularly scheduled sunday or tuesday, I agreed to go in today and tomorrow. Then I get a day off (Saturday), before heading back on Sunday. I hope to resume a normal Sun-Wed schedule after that.
I've been having this horrible neck pain, which has only gotten worse over the days. Urgh

Hope all is well for everyone!

2005-09-19T21:34:00.000-04:00

I know many of you are wondering about my first day of school and work and I wish I could post more about it, but I am just sooo tired right now. I had to get up at 5:30am for my ultra-early-orientation-day class (had to be at school at 7:15 and school is a 45 minutetrainride) and I had just enough time to come home, make myself some lunch, do my homework from school and wonder if I could really nap only 15 minutes before I had to head to work.

In short, school was mainly orientation. The do's and don't of the school, followed by a lecture on identifying veggies (which was terribly easy for me). Though we didn't do any actual cooking today, they did feed us (a plate of cheeses, fruit and bread). Big bonus there. Though the coffee was an even bigger bonus.

Work today was...interesting. It is the day before the restaurant opened and the owner was kind of flipping out because he wasn't happy with the menu or the direction he's chosen. Thankfully, he did not take any of this stress out on the staff (which was excellent and a very good sign) and, by the end of the night, had calmed down and was working out how he might solve his problems. As it was a massive effort to get the restaurant ready, there were alot of employees there, some of which probably work the breakfast/lunch shift and, as such, I might rarely see again. I did get to work with a close friend of the owner and co-chef who was an excellent guy and I liked quite a bit. I look forward to working with him. All in all, I was worried that, between school and work, I was going to have some sort of breakdown, but I leave today firmly believing that I will be able to do it and maybe, at times, have fun at the same time ;)

2005-09-16T19:18:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I love about New York, it's the food stores. While in Cleveland, speciality food shops are like these little jewels to be treasured. With so few of them, a trip to one was a special treat. Not so in New York. One needs only to look to find just about any ingredient imaginable.

For starters, there's the Green Market, a regional farmers' market (no middlemen allowed). Though the prices often make me wistful for the days of the West Side Market, the quality is very high. Plus, you have the satisfaction of buying from local growers and supporting small farms. Since vendors can only sell what they produce, it also spurs a reliance on seasonal products (which results in a better dish anyways, since you're mainly using ingredients at their prime, taste-wise).

Then, there's all the little shops out there. Unfortunately, not many are walking distance. Biking is a easy ride to most though.
My personal favorite is the White Eagle Provisions, a medium-sized grocery with a heavy eastern European tint. In addition to lots of fresh made baked goods, they also have a *huge* selection of beers, including some obscure brands from Poland and Lithuania (which I want to try, just for novelty value). Their prices, though not dirt cheap, are well priced, especially when compared to other grocers around.

If I'm looking for cheap, right across the street from White Eagle is Lopez Bakery, a small bakery who sell homemade bread for prices better than any I've found in town (I managed to walk out of there with a loaf of sourdough and some treats for about three bucks). Though the bread was not the best I've had, it had a certain lingering taste which made the loaf disappear fast.

Then, today, I found Sahadi, a grocery located in the predominantly middle eastern area (if one were the judge by the deluge of such stores) of Brooklyn. It's kind of a hike, even on my bike, but it was worth it. Their selection of olives, dried fruit (including dates...mmmm), and nuts is the best I've found and even manages to beat the West Side Market, price wise (kind of a feat around here). Plus, their pitas are extremely cheap. I managed to pick up a bag of small pitas for $0.60. They also sell a ton of speciality middle eastern items, including a very large selection of cheeses and yogurts. The only thing that keeps them from beating out White Eagle is that, at that White Eagle, I can get more standard food items as well....and they sells lots of beer. That's always a big plus ;)

I could go into others, like PS Spice (very cheap quality spices, teas and coffee), but I'll let it go for now. I'm sure I've bored everyone enough already.

Sunday is my first day of work in about a month. Who, me, nervous?

2005-09-14T20:49:00.000-04:00

Oh, for those of you (hi Mike) who watch Food TV, I had my "yes, this is New York" experience today. As I was wandering through the Union Sq. Green Market, I happened to notice a bunch of tv cameras and a guy who I kind of recognized. On second glance, it struck me that it was Tyler Florence, of Food Network fame. The experience was that nobody seemed to notice/care (well, except for a select few, who seemed inclined to stare).

I looked around for Rachel Ray, to give her a little kick, but eh..no such luck.

2005-09-14T15:11:00.000-04:00

Oh to be young and wanted...

As all of you know, since the move to New York, I've been on the lookout for a restaurant gig. One of my earliest hits came when I was hired in to work at a new restaurant, opening up just a short 15 minute bike ride away. I got along with the owner and his take on food (think simple and seasonal) jived with my own. In short, it looked like a good gig. The only problem was that I was, at the time, hired on nothing but his word and there was no definite date for the restaurant to open.

So, I kept looking.

I ended up next talking with another restaurant, literally a 2 minute walk from my house. It was a great little place which mainly does a lunch crowd, who were looking for someone to take over the PM shift. The owner was very nice and I even worked a (free) test shift, to see how I liked it and how they liked me. I really did like it. The people were nice and the food was really fun. The only problem was that it would be 6 days a week. The shifts would be short (about 6 hours),but still...my only day off would be monday, when I'd have school. So I would have no days without school or work.

Not fun.

So, to help with my decision, in the meantime, the 1st restaurant called me back, wanting me to come in and set a schedule (to start next week). After much thought, I decided to go with my first choice. Granted, there are some disadvantages. For example, I'll be working longer hours ( 8 hour shifts on weekdays, 11 on Sunday), but then I will be only working 4 days a week, leaving me Saturday free. The main entrees are also, though interesting, not as much my schtick (all meat and fish, no veggie entree options). But, the owner also has a very open ended menu system, leaving lots of chances to experiment (if I get to that point where I want to try and voice my opinion).

Anyways, that's been where my mind has been at for the last few days. Not much else going on. I waited in the hell that is the New York State DMV for over 2 hours today, to be given a paper slip that's supposed to be my new driver's license, until I get the real one mailed to me (granted, I knew this was happening, as Genevieve went through it a few weeks ago).

Saying that ("a few weeks ago") is so weird to me, as it reminds me that we've really not been here that long. It seems like, with all the life changes, that we must've been here soo much longer. But, in truth, all of this craziness has happened within less than a month. I haven't even started school yet.

Well, until next time.

2005-09-10T17:10:00.000-04:00

Yah! My geeky, but beautiful, wife got the wireless working. So, we are now flying free and wireless on our own connection.

Not too much has been going on the last few days. I was supposed to work today, but that didn't pan out. Apparently, all the times I was calling him, asking questions like "when do you want me to come into work?", the owner thought I was someone who was coming in for an interview. Yes, it turns out they won't need me until "the middle of next week." So, with the vagueness of this whole gig, I am on the lookout for other things. I will keep this place as a backup, if someone doesn't pop up, but I can already see this being the schedule-less just-call-me-everyday-to-come-in situations that drove me mad with my first restaurant job. Again, I am not ruling it out, just looking to see what else is out there.

Other than that, Genevieve's mom has been visiting since Friday, so we've been showing her what little of our city we know. We went up the Green Market this morning (where we got some wonderful Artisanal cheeses, a first taste for me), then walked around the lush Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, which certainly transport you out of the busy city. Oh, we also went up to an awesome Indian place last night called Banjara, thus breaking the streak of bad indian places we've had since moving here. Living in a city like New York, with an impossible number of options for going out to eat, it's hard to cook at home, even for someone who loves to cook. For, as much as I love to cook, I love to eat just as much, especially new things. I did make some awesome pickled jalapenos last night though (which I then used some of this afternoon, served over homemade refried black beans. yummy)

That's about it for now. Hope everything is going well back in Cleveland. I miss Tremont quite a bit still, even though I am increasingly comfortable in my new surroundings. It's just tough to go without a loaf of Christopher's Bakery bread, or City Roast coffee..not to mention all my friends. When one of you all come to visit, please bring one of the above ;)

2005-09-06T19:02:00.000-04:00

This post will be short, as I'm currently sapping wi-fi from a neighbor, which they could catch on to any moment and shut me down.

Anyways, I have a new job. It'll start this Saturday...or this Thursday. Not quite sure. You see, it's a restaurant "startup". They haven't opened yet and the guy's not quite sure when they will, though he's shooting for this Saturday. But there might be a party on Thursday for it that he might need me for. I should know more tomorrow. It sounds like it could be alot of fun (the owner is about my age and wants to do American Bistro sort of fare), providing everything takes off. We shall see. Saturday, I will be working, though I don't know if it'll be cooking or helping clean up the place.

I also got a chance to bike around our neighborhood, which was really fun. For being such a populated place, New York (or, at least, our neighborhood in Brooklyn) is suprisingly bike-able. Not once was I skimmed by a car or subject to an intolerant driver. Pedestrians, well, they're another story, as most of them feel comfortable basically walking into an oncoming bike. I did encounter a few a**holes who thought the bike lane (and there IS usually one :) was just another place to park. Seeing as parking is a nightmare around here, I didn't mind this too much..except for the jerkoff who thought it was time to move from his "space" right as I was passing him. I got to have my first experience cursing someone out loudly in New York. I feel like a native ;)

That's about it for now. Our new furniture is being delivered from Ikea tomorrow. I am looking forward to finally getting some of these boxes of books and cd's off the ground and onto some shelving.

2005-09-03T18:23:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and well wishes!
As Genevieve mentioned in her blog, things have been getting better. I've been cooking at home again, which not only makes us both feel better (to be filled with homemade food), but makes me feel good to be in the kitchen and cooking again, as that's where I'm (usually) at my most zen-like calm state.

I also got a chance to hit up the local green market (all local farmers, all organic), though it did make me miss the West Side Market (even if the green market was technically better, as you buy directly from the farmer, no middleman). But, either way, that made me smile.

So, yea, things are getting better. I miss Tremont and my friends quite a bit, but I'm not feeling like packing up and moving home anymore.

2005-09-01T11:38:00.000-04:00

As promised, a blog update for everyone. Actually, I am going to be kind of lazy and point you to Genevieve's most recent entry here. In short, it's been a horrible few days and we've often been wondering if we've made the biggest and most expensive mistake of our lives. We're really hoping it gets better.

By the way, due to a slight fuck up with the utilities, internet access (for about a week) is limited to our ability to tap into Wi-Fi hotspots (like the Barnes & Noble we're at now). So, if you e-mail either one of us and it takes awhile to reply, that's why.

2005-08-29T21:11:00.000-04:00

echo..echo...echo...

Our apartment is virtually empty and sounds very hollow and cavernous. We just finished the last of the loading up into the U-Haul and cleaning the apartment. All we have left is a handful of items and a mattress to sleep on. We're leaving tomorrow at 9am and, well, that's it. Spent the day just loading up and cleaning, not exactly fun.

We did, on the other hand, get to see some very good friends one last time before heading out. In order: Adam, Lauren & Kerry, thank you all so much for stopping by. We'll miss all of you greatly :) You all better visit too ;)

Talk to all of you soon, when you next hear from me, I will be sporting a thick Brooklyn accent.

2005-08-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

Today's entry is going to be pretty short, as 1) I'm really tired from cleaning and packing all day (with breaks to eat premade food and play some Galaga) and 2) Thursday was just not that exciting. It was another night with no family/friends to meet, so we grabbed what may be our last takeout from Phnom Penh (an amazing thai/vietnamese/cambodian restaurant in Cleveland). A little interesting tidbit though...Phnom Penh is the only place in Cleveland to serve Cambodian food, which is really not that odd, considering the city's size. What *is* weird is that New York, as well, only has ONE restaurant that serves Cambodian food. I guess I always except that if there's one of something in Cleveland, there'll be a dozen or more in New York. Guess not. It might not be such a bad thing if not for the fact that the two dishes Genevieve and I get there are among their Cambodian specialities. The plus side is that the one restaurant in New York happens to be near our apartment. Yah!

Anyways, that's it for now. I can't promise I'll be able to write tomorrow, or the next day for that matter, as we'll be busy loading everything up into the U-Haul, cleaning up and heading out to our new place. I am overcome with a mixture of excitement, apprehension and exhaustion. I'll report back as soon as I can.

2005-08-27T22:15:00.000-04:00

So...as I was saying, before I stuffed my face with some freggin amazing kielbasa (topped with kraut, of course)...Wednesday:

Lunch, I got to spend with my Dad and his wife, Sally. They'd come into town from Louisville to pick up my Hammond Organ and store it for me while we're in NYC (a fact I am immensely grateful for, as I really didn't want to sell it). We had some time to kill while waiting for Adam to get off of work (he was going to help up move the organ, but we ended up being able to do it ourselves, but that's neither here nor there), so we all stopped by a local sandwich shop called Take-a-Bite. Despite being almost around the corner from our house, this only marked our 3rd trip there. Their hours, which mainly cater to the lunch crowd, just clashed with our work and life schedules. But, I was glad for a chance to stop by one last time. Their sandwiches, though not outstanding, are consistently fresh and yummy and perfect for the summer day lunch in the park we decided to do. I grabbed, among other snacks, a Marco Polo, which is their wednesday special. Imagine two layers of ham, turkey and cheese, batter dipped and fried to a gooey, heart-attack-inducing pile of goodness. It was, far and away, the best thing I'd had there. I find myself already craving another. The weather was beautiful, it was great to see my dad and Sally before heading to NYC and the food was just awesome, it all made for a really nice lunch.

Dinner, we had with my mom and Joe down at this place called Fulton Bar & Grill. Fulton is another place that serves excellent food, is a quick drive away and yet..this also marked our third time. For this one, it was completely my fault. At some point, I'd gotten it into my head that Fulton was pricey (which it's not really), so I avoided us going as a regular place. The truth of it is that, though they're not like Johnny Mango cheap, they are very reasonably priced, especially with the quality of the food there and there's really no reason why we couldn't have gone there more. Anyways, like lunch, we opted to sit outside for our meal (though the temperature had dropped a bit, it was still very pleasant). Dinner was very slowly paced, allowing us to talk for quite awhile and enjoy a very relaxing meal. Genevieve and I started things out by sharing a pistachio and carrot posticker appetizer plate. It was good, but even though it's more conventional, I enjoy the potstickers at Peking Gourmet more. For my dinner entree, I picked up a pork tenderloin, grilled with a chilli rub and topped with bbq sauce. On the side, I had some coconut milk soaked collard greens (which were soo impossibly good, I was saddened by the sparse quantity on my plate) and a sweet potato tamale. I can't lavish the same praise on the tamale, as it was kind of bland and, personally, I don't count some mixture with the consistency of porridge wrapped in a banana leaf to be a tamale. It seemed more like a side of mashed sweet potatoes with a odd wrapper. The pork tenderloin was excellent though. Very spicy and full of flavor punch, I was able to forgive the fact that, though I ordered medium, it came very much on the side of well-done. We filled ourselves up so much on dinner, we all opted out of dessert, deciding instead to hang out a little bit longer before heading home.

Yes, Wednesday turned out to be a great day. I got to see both my parents, enjoy the nice weather and have some great food in the process.

2005-08-27T18:35:00.000-04:00

Mmmm...I just finished a meal of pan-seared tilapia with a spicy lime butter. It's the first dinner I've made for myself since Saturday and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Of course, because I am a pig, I'll be heading to the Slavic Village festival later for some kielbasa, but for now I'm feeling pretty satisfied.

Anyways, I took care of Sunday and Monday last night. Today, we're on to Tuesday. Since we had no plans with friends, we took the opportunity to try Cleveland's new restaurant, Lolita. Lolita is the child of Michael Symon's amazing restaurant, Lola, and stands in the same location (Lola is moving downtown). If you want to read my review of Lola, check it out here.

Lolita, as it name suggests, is decidely younger and hipper. The price point is lower (I wasn't able to find one entree above $19) and, at least on the night we went, there were much less suits and more kids with spikey hair. In fact, a table near us was comprised of a bunch of kids younger than us, one of whom was being treated to his/her 18th birthday. I think the person was a relative of either Symon or someone else within the restaunt, but still..

The menu is divided into 4 sections: little plates, meats & cheeses, appetizers and entrees. Unlike our previous experience with little plates, at the now defunct Mojo, these were definitely tasting plates. In other words, as we were warned by our waitress, don't expect to be able to get 3 or 4 of them as an entree, unless you have a very little stomach. We got three (they are $4.50 each or 3 for $12.00) and found it to be approx. appetizer size. In fact, I would definitely suggest them over the actual appetizers, as (probably due to the inclusion of the little plates), that list was awfully meager, with just 4-5 offerings..and they were also amazing. We ended up splitting a three order, with a bowl of octopus salad (sliced octopus with chickpeas and olive oil, good, but not outstanding the the olive oil was thrown in with a bit of a heavy hand), a creamy polenta with fried mushrooms (amazing!) and an artichoke filo pie (to die for). We ended up skipping the meats and cheeses, as well, since we were looking at some pretty hefty dinners ahead. For entrees, we both ended up getting the same thing with a variation on the sauce. They were both a baked penne pasta topped with a awesomely creamy goat cheese, except while mine was in a lamb sauce, Genevieve's was in a tomato sauce. Both were excellent, though heavy. Vegetarians, be aware: despite what I thought previously, they do not have any veggie options on their standard entrees, but you can get two dishes (the baked penne or the gnochi) without meat. On the upside, half of their small plates are veggie as well as some of their appetizers.

We finished the meal off by splitting a flourless chocolate cake with chili and orange in a caramel sauce. Now, normally, I avoid orange and chocolate like the plague. It's a combo I've never gotten into. But this cake was soo good that I was able to overlook that, as well as my bursting full stomach, and finish my half.

For the young or young-at-heart crowd, I can't help but recommend Lolita. The price point on the entrees can fit easily fit within most budgets and the atmosphere and crowd was about as unstuffy as you can get and still be able to feel you're going out to a nice dinner.

I was hoping to get Wednesday in here too, but this has been long already and I want my Keilbasa, so that will have to wait.

2005-08-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

Since I left work on Friday, last week, it seems like I've been eating like a madman. Hitting the houses of friends I might not see for a bit and restaurants I've either wanted to try or try one more time before we leave. It started on Saturday with the party.

Then, Sunday, we went over to Kerry's house for dinner. Drinks were a fab, a mix of mango and vodka (the name slips me) which was deceptively easy going down. On the side, we had a slaw with a lime dressing which was crisp and refreshing. The main course was black bean empanadas with cheese and bananas. The bananas worked really well with the savory beans, a idea I will definitely be stealing (along with the puff pastry crust, since I've had such bad luck with empanada crusts in the past). We finished things off with a nice orange sorbet. Much thanks to Kerry for a great dinner!

The next day brought another dinner party, this time at Adam's house. He started things out with a glass of sweet chardonnay and some cheese and crackers (this all sounds very quiet and refined, but it was, in fact, very casual). The main course was a vegetable moussaka (which you can read about here). That, of course, was excellent. For someone who claims not to be able to cook, I've seen nothing but good things come from Adam's kitchen. Dessert was strawberry shortcake (with homemade cake!). It was soo good and very summery. I wished I could have eaten more, but after 2 helpings of moussaka, I was stuffed to the brim. We all talked for a bit before Genevieve and I made the long (5 minutes or less) walk home.

2005-08-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

Since they were requested, some recipes from last night's party:

Apple and Jalapeno Coleslaw
I actually stole this idea from a vendor at Taste of Tremont this year. I believe it was Starkweather. They had this slaw that unbelievable good and I did my best to recreate it (though mine did turn out a bit spicier than theirs).

1 small head of cabbage
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
a few generous splashes of tabasco sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 granny smith apples
1 can of pickled jalapenos
1/2 cup of golden raisins
3 tbsb sugar
1 cup of shredded carrots
1/3 cup of mayo (or nayonaise, as I used)

Wash and quarter the cabbage. Remove the stem and any loose leaves. Finely slice the cabbage.
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the salt. Wait at least half an hour and drain the liquid (the cabbage should now be soft and pliable).
Add the remaining ingredients, toss well and taste. Adjust the pepper and tabasco as needed.

Simple Bruschetta
I made a large batch of this, so it's kind of hard to tell you quantity, but I'll say how I prepared it.

Get that grill ready.

Roughly chop 5-6 gloves of garlic. Immerse them in about 1/2 cup of olive oil. Add a few shakes of black pepper as well. Let sit overnight, if possible. I had fine results with about 8 hours though. Brush the garlic infused oil liberally on both sides of a good white bread (I used the amazingly good pugliese from Christopher's Bakery, available in the West Side Market) and throw it on a hot grill. It probably won't take more than 20-30 seconds per side, so be careful and check your bread often. flip it and grill the other side.
Top with fresh basil (I was generous with it, about 1tbsp + per slice) and two slices of tomato. Slice in half. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve.

You'll probably, unless you're making as much as I did, have some garlic olive oil left over. I wouldn't be crying too much over this, as it makes an excellent way to make quick garlic bread (just slather and toast in the broiler) or a beginning to a garlicky vinagrette.

Pizza toppings

Blue cheese, granny smith apples (cored, skinned and sliced thin), half an onion, sliced thin and caramelized.
Roasted tomatoes and poblanos with corn. (You can add all three items to a hot broiler. Make sure you have a new sheet of foil under your ingredients though, gotta catch all those good tomato juices. I used 3 tomatoes, 2 poblanos and 2 ears of corn. Roast all of them, remove the skin from the tomatoes and peppers, blend with those juices and some salt to taste and voila! Add a little sugar and cilantro and you'd have a killer salsa, as well.)
Roasted corn, sliced red onions, chives, olive oil and smoked provolone

I know giving recipes by just listing the ingredients is sheer torture for people like my sister ;) But, just add the toppings till it seems sensible. I mean, in my 1st pizza, I had like a half a pound of blue cheese, half an onion, and about 1.5 granny smith apples, but you could play around with it to your own tastes and I'm sure it would taste good.

That's it for now. I will try to post more later.

2005-08-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

Now it's time to say goodbye, to all our company..

Yup, today is my last day at work. Next week, we're seeing lots of family and friends before packing it in and heading to New York. I've worked here for over 4 years now, so it's kind of strange to be leaving today. I don't think it's quite sunk in, even if my cube is completely empty of all personal belongings and my e-mail down to a few tasks I am going to try and finish today.

I am glad to be leaving though. This job has been nothing but a dead end for me since I started it. I hope today is the last time I'll ever have to sit in a drab gray cube all day, staring at a computer screen and trying to fix problems with products I could truly care less about.

But, I can't be completely bitter. Despite the depressing work environment, there's alot of great and creative people who work here, who were a joy to meet and get to know. I only hope that these people get out as soon as they can! :)

I guess this is it. I know I haven't been updating this blog much, but I expect/hope this will change when we move to New York. On the one hand, I am sure I will have alot more to blog about. On the other, I'm not sure if I'll have the time to do it! But, I will certainly try.

2005-08-08T18:24:00.000-04:00

We have a new apartment in Brooklyn!

Genevieve's posted pictures here.

Check it out!

2005-07-29T13:33:00.000-04:00

Urgh..work has been hectic today and I need a break from it. So, a few rants I've been holding onto.
First up...

eHarmony - Finding everlasting love with 29 Dimensions of Compatibility - except sexual orientation

For those of us with cable, we've all seen the eHarmony commercials, ad naseum. It starts with a wholesome looking fellow, Dr. Clark, coming on TV and telling everyone that he's found the key to "long lasting, meaningful relationships", as various couples relate their heartwarming stories of meeting through eHarmony. But, something always seemed off about the ads. First, it was the lack of well...non-white people. Apparently middle-class white people were not only the best examples, but only examples eHarmony could come up with for their ads. (They did add one black couple, about a year after their commercial debuted).

The second thing you'll notice, and this is more subtle but MUCH more sinister, is that the implied message is that you're going on eHarmony to find a person, not to date, but to marry. There's a definite reason for this that Genevieve and I only discovered this past week. The head of eHarmony, Dr. Neil Clark Warren, is also the publisher of many books through the evangelical Christian group 'Focus on the Family' and has close ties to Dr. Dobson, the conservative head of 'Focus on the Family'. If all this Family talk. In fact, if you happen to be among the group of Americans who are gay, well, you are completely out of luck, eHarmony offers absolutely no option for homosexual relationships on their site. All of these facts turn, to me, a commercial which was once mildly annoying into one whose message that only straight Christian white folks can have meaningful relationships pisses me off to no end. Obviously, I was never going to visit eHarmony in the first place, but I encourage all your single folks to pass this info on to your single friends and boycott this site.

In more lighthearted news, as most of you know, we have some pretty trashy neighbors. It all started well enough, with a single mother moving into the upstairs apartment with her son and daughter. Then, the first boyfriend (we're currently on #2 or 3) moved in with his 2 kids, the wal-mart lawn chairs went up on the completely dirt front "lawn" and the bottles of Wild Irish Rose began to show up all over the place. Then, the trash started lining the side of the house. Half broken grills, moldy and soiled baby strollers, random junk that makes our once nice looking house into something straight out of West Virginia. were increasing on a daily basis. Then we discovered that, through all this *great* upkeep they were doing, they weren't even paying rent. Yup, 2 months and going and they haven't paid a cent of rent to the place. The landlord is in the process of evicting them, but they've either ignored or refused all notices he's sent them. All of this and they live like they own the whole house. The other day, as they sat in our front yard, their conversation got so loud that, on one of the few nice days of summer, I had to shut the front windows so we could hear ourselves think. (Which, despite Genevieve's protests, I had to do with a slam). Needless to say, I plan on leaving them a few "going away presents" on our last day there.

2005-07-26T19:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I promised a review of Stevenson's and now, as I sit here with it settling in my stomach, would be as good a time as any.

Through a horrible traffic jam and pouring rain, we slogged our way into Euclid. A small shack on Lake Shore Blvd., Stevenson's was the poster child for "hole-in-the-wall." Inside, it wasn't much different. To the left, a grungy bar with the most basic grill and deep frier behind it. To the right, well, not much..unless you count a minature bowling alley machine and a lonely table in the corner.

Sitting down at the bar, Adam and I both ordered a 'Big Guy' and an order of onion rings. The only staff was a friendly older couple, with the guy taking orders and the wife (?) on the grill. Service was prompt and it wasn't long before we saw our burgers sizzling away on the grill. Once cooked and stacked, my first thought about the burger was "massive!" Here we had two half pound patties, topped with cheese and a fistful of lettuce with special sauce (something mayo based), served between grilled buns which just couldn't support the quantity of the fillings. Piled on the side, there were the onion rings. To be honest, the rings didn't do anything for me. Deep-fried, direct from the bag with no accompaniments, they were just too bland, especially when coming from my last restaurant job, where we made all the rings in house.

Anyways..the burger. Let me get it out of the way, yes, this was the Best Burger we've had in Cleveland...so far (we have only hit 2 other places in town). It was greasy, juicy and practically ate the bun it was on. This was a good thing. It wasn't fancy, in fact, the menu only had 3 choices ('Big Guy', 'Little Guy' and Cheeseburger). They were there to do one thing: serve burgers. Looking for blue cheese and roasted peppers? You're at the wrong place, pal. On the other hand, if you're looking for a massive burger dripping with goodness that will guarantee that you'll be ripping through napkins like it's going out style, those flimsy bar stools are your transport to burger heaven.

We're not announcing a winner yet, there's still alot more burgers in Cleveland to try, but at least now we have a benchmark against which to judge all others.

2005-07-26T08:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I caught the premier of Anthony Bourdain's new show 'No Reservations'. For those who don't know who Tony Bourdain is, imagine a chain smoking, foul mouthed, anti-veggie asshole of a chef, who somehow manages to pump out highly entertaining books and TV shows. This is as opposed to that Gordon Ramsey fellow, who just looks like an asshole without the redeeming entertainment value.

Mr. Bourdain's show is on the Travel Channel and features a weekly trip to some location, where he seeks out food and culture way off the beaten path. After watching this show and reading his books, I begrudgingly have to admit, I kind of relate to him. I don't know if this means I'm an asshole, I've certainly been called it enough times that it may be so. But, his philosophies on getting away from the tour busses and iternaries and reaching out to local culture really jives with my sense of what I want my travel experiences to be like. His basic work ethic of "show up on time and work hard while you're there", well, it might not so much apply to my current job, but it's something that originally, to me, seemed jerky in how he presented it, but really just boils down to an anti-slacker attitude, which I can relate to (even if I continue to slack at my current job).

Anyways, in this past week's episode, he hit Paris, which must've been a no-brainer for the Travel Channel (he spent part of his youth in France and his restaurant, Les Halles is French). Overall, the episode succeeded in getting Genevieve to yearn to return to France and wax nostalgic about her trip there. It really did well in giving a feel for the culture. We each had our segments we could have done without though. For Genevieve, it was the trip to the meat market, where wild boars, fur still attached, hung by hooks on the walls. For me, it was a section of Absinth, which employed lots of special FX to give the feel of a strung-out hallucinatory experience, but really came across as really silly in a show otherwise very built on reality.

Well, that's it for now. Oh yes, Adam and I are finally heading to Stevenson's tonight, on the recommendation of FoodGoat. I'll be sure to post a review here tomorrow.

2005-07-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

Hammond 'Model M' organ for sale - $75

1950's Spinet organ with drawbars.
2X 44 note manuals (keyboards)
12 note bass pedalboard
Vibrato/Chorus Vibrato
2 sets of Drawbars (one for each manual)
Tube Amp (you can actually run external audio through this, for those who like that tube sound)

Unit is in good shape. There are some scratches and wear on the Mahogany wood paneling and the drawbars are kind of scratchy, but with a little cleaning, that could be taken care of. Electronics are all in excellent working order and plays beautifully. Comes with original music stand, as well.

Buyer *must* pick up (downtown Cleveland are). Though the Model M is one of the smaller Hammonds out there, it is heavy and I have no way to transport it in my compact car.

This is a beautiful instrument. I love it and would ordinarily never sell it, but I'm moving to NYC in September and I'm afraid I won't have enough room for it in a tiny NY apartment.

Will include a bottle of special Hammond oil for free.
I wasn't able to find a picture of one, but it looks almost exactly like a M-2, pictured here:
http://www.eboardmuseum.com/FOTO%20HAMMOND%20M%202.JPG
E-mail me if you're interested or for more info. patrick@subliminalself.com
thanks!

My weekend in short..

2005-07-24T21:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday, spent a majority of the day packing things up, cooking, cleaning & etc. In the evening, went to a great party (full of awesome food...I could have snacked on those peanut butter & chocolate balls all night, had I not had to head out) at the home of Miss Defective Life.

Sunday, after a night of very strange dreams, I spent a majority of the morning transferring data to the laptop and playing video games, while Genevieve shopped with Kerry. Spent the rest of the day doing more sorting and packing. It's very strange to have stuff in boxes already, makes the whole "moving to NYC" event that much more real.

Oh, I promise more food related blogs..soon.

2005-07-17T21:51:00.000-04:00

Today, Genevieve, Kerry and I went to Taste of Tremont, an annual celebration of the restaurants within Tremont, as well the neighborhood itself. I hesitate to say it was our last time going there, since I love it so much I would probably schedule a trip home, just to go. That said, I was filled with a little sadness, knowing it would be our last time as Tremonters. We took full advantage of it though.

We started our grazing lunch with a stop by Sokolowski's (a polish cafeteria and well known local establishment) to grab their impossibly good Perogi (matched equally in it's tastiness by it's artery hardening abilities). Unfortunately, we had to enjoy our perogi under the safety of a nearby overhang, as a harsh storm swept in and pelted the area with rain. But, within about 20 minutes, the rain let up and street began to, once again, fill with people.

Next up, we stopped by Grumpy's stand, which we were a bit suprised to see, as it's original location had burned down awhile ago and had yet to reopen in it's new location. But, we were happy to see them up and about at the festival and enjoyed a couple yummy kabobs (which seemed to be the food of the day, featured at no less than 3 stands, in different forms). Genevieve had, of course, a veggie kabob, while I chowed down on a spicy sausage one.

Just a few stands down from them was La Tortilla Feliz, who we make a point to visit during every one of these type of events (as they're always there). I grabbed a small pupusa, which was very enjoyable, if not completely fireworks to my taste buds.

After that, Genevieve and I split a pasta salad from 806 Wine Bar and ginger limeade, care of Theory. Neither of the offerings did much for us. The pasta was certainly serviceable, but nothing to write home about and the ginger and lime drink scored sour faces from everyone. Genevieve did take a trip across the street and pick up an excellent little bowl of watermelon, topped with honey and mint from the newly opened Lolita though, thus proving that Michael Symon can take any basic ingredient and give it a twist to make it great.

Genevieve finished things up with an awesome berry and chocolate dessert from Sweet Mosiac, while I, not in the mood for sweets, grabbed a apple and jalapeno slaw from SouthSide, which was so good, I was scraping the cup to get every last bit.

I did return a few hours later, on the hunt for frozen bananas (which had sold out), but instead grabbed a certainly worthwhile (but not *the best*) burger, also from SouthSide.

I'm sad the festival is over, but I look forward to seeing how the neighborhood's culinary offerings evolve, through the years to come.

2005-07-11T13:34:00.000-04:00

So, I have put in my notice at work. August 19th will be my last day. I was originally going to wait until next week, but Genevieve was telling her work today, so I thought it best that we both do it on the same day. As it turned out, it wasn't too bad. My supervisor was very excited and supportive. Of course, as I thought, it means the beginning of the great 'Documentation rush', where I have to write down all the haphazard procedures I've used to piece together my products through the years.

Ah well, it's a relief to have the end in sight.

what we came home to

2005-07-06T20:36:00.000-04:00

We have some very happy housecats right now.

After picking Genevieve up at work, we came home to find Byron playing with something. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dead mouse. Now, Byron isn't the brightest kitty around, so I have real doubts that he killed it (most likely the smart and stealthy Audrey did the deed). But, he was enjoying the spoils.

I let him play with it until I heard the loud *crunch*crunch* of mouse skull. Byron seemed to be trying to eat it, but not having much luck with it. For fear he'd choke on it, or worse, manage to swallow it, only to puke it up hours later (they are just housecats, used to dry food, after all), I took it away from him, but gave everyone treats for their good deed.

Beware the deadly kitties!

2005-07-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

Back from Vacation (addendum)

Oh, I also devoted a huge amount of time to watching Sci-Fi Channel's 'Twilight Zone Marathon', which they seem to do every year (and I always seem to have the joy of catching). This time, I actually did find a few episodes which I had not seen. As it turns out, there was a reason, they weren't particularly good ones. The "twist ending" which defines so many Twilight Zone episodes, was apparent very early on in each of them.

I still love the old Twilight Zones, which is why I flat-out refuse to see any of the "newer" ones.

2005-07-06T08:11:00.000-04:00

Back from Vacation

Nothing overly fun to report. Well, besides heading out to see 'Batman Begins' and dinner at Fire, but Genevieve chronicles that well here. Other than that, I played alot of video games on my not-so-trusty Genesis, watched Gremlins with the Commentary on (geeky, I know), had an awesome lunch at Lelolai (tres leches cake...mmmmmm) and did some cleaning. big fun.

Oh, also did some biking at the "Bike and Hike Trail". The trail is part of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and was really nice, for the parts we could ride (we were met, on either end of our ride, by a very steep uphill climb and a chunk of trail which is on the road, which then appears to hit a trail going back the way we came). Recommended for those who have ridden the Towpath to death, as we have.

That's about it...

2005-06-23T08:17:00.000-04:00

Last Night's Show

Thanks much to all the folks who came out to the Rain Nightclub show last night! I don't think we've had that much fun performing in a long time. We had a great time and hope you did too. It was really nice to see so many familiar and friendly faces :)

Special thanks to: DJ Nomad (for spinning such awesome tunes), Fluxmonkey, Thieves like Me (sorry about f*cking up your name!), Geo and, of course, Mike/Tofu for organizing the event.

2005-06-22T07:45:00.000-04:00

Subliminal Self show tonight!

Reminder: We'll be playing tonight (June 22nd) at Rain Nightclub (4142 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland). Show starts at 8:00pm and admission is only $3.00.

Also performing will be: Fluxmonkey ("cajoling sonic mutantmachines of his own devise") and Thieves Like Me ("laptops and other goodies -- leaving the orbit of the knob twiddler for greener pastures").

Spinning before/between/after the bands will be DJ Nomad.

This is our first show since October of last year, so we'd love to see you out! We'll be debuting a few new songs off our upcoming EP, as well as the old favorites you've come to know and love.

Until then!
Patrick
www.subliminalself.com

2005-06-20T13:41:00.000-04:00

Quick blog entry today...

Heads up!
Cleveland's bizarre electro-pop duo, Furnace St., have posted their (supposedly) final album 'Extroversion' as a web-only release. They claim it to be their "best record" and I am strongly inclined to agree. I've been listening to this thing since last night and it's, frankly, amazing. The fact that the band broke up prior to the album's release makes it's greatness a little bittersweet, but it's still definitely worth checking out. And hey, you cheap-o's, it's free, so go download it already. (They do ask that you download the album in it's entirety and since there's not a bad song here, there's no reason why you shouldn't.)

For those who haven't heard Furnace St., it's kind of difficult to explain their sound. Try mashing the best of 80's new wave with some indie rock, lots of electronic noises and a little bit of industrial, just for good measure. It's a whirlwind of styles that works perfectly.

And it's available here
Download it.
now.

2005-06-16T09:56:00.000-04:00

I know, I've gone to Chicago and back and no blog entry yet. I completely suck.

Truly, it's been pretty busy at work and home, so I haven't had too much time. For the sake of not appearing dead, I will post some quick notes from our Chicago trip. Overall, the city didn't impress me that much. Sure, the Lincoln Park and Wicker Park areas were great and the Maxwell Street Market (imagine a flea market, except all the food stands there were serving deliscious tacos, tortas, tamales and the like) was like a dream come true, but the city lacked a certain feeling. It's the feeling I get when going to Toronto or San Diego that I really can't explain, but endears a city to me. Maybe it was that the public transportation was just like a bigger version of Cleveland's RTA (continually late and smelling like pee) or that it lacked the near-downtown residential neighborhoods that I love so much about Cleveland.
There were some culinary high points though:

The Indo-Pak community on Devon Ave. Imagine, if you will, a distance of about 3 city blocks (or so) filled with Indian Restaurants (including a few Indian sweets shops. I have a weakness for Indian sweets. I'd go so far as to say they were my favorite kind of treats ever. So, a store selling nothing but was pure bliss. Somehow we walked out of one with a full pound of milkfudge. I still haven't figured that one out.) Genevieve, obviously, was in heaven and wanted to try all the restaurants, though we settled on one called India Garden, which was very good.
The previously mentioned Maxwell Street Market. At first, I was a bit lost, as most people were speaking very rapid Spanish and, in the flurry of activity, I had trouble figuring out the ordering system for the food stands. But, I eventually figured it out (as well as the fact that most vendors were very happy to explain things to me, in english). I started out with a yummy snack of grilled corn, covered in crema, some sort of flakey mexican cheese and chili. I'd read about this sort of street food in my cookbooks, but its high fat content had kept me from making it at home. Pierced on a stick, it was a great snack while wandering around the market though. Next up, I grabbed possibly the biggest taco ever, filled with beef simmered in a mole rojo sauce. The tortillas were homemade, as well (in fact, they were being made right there, on a huge cast iron plate), which is, as always, 100X better than store bought. After browsing the various bootleg items there, I settled on a tamale shop (yes, I was a complete pig). I ended up getting two pork tamales with red sauce (for the low low price of 0.75 a piece. nice.) These were, unfortunately, really dry and I caught a good gob of fat in one of them. Not very good. I finished things off with a churro (mexican deep-fried dough, basically, a donut). Again, this was a disappointment. They must've been sitting out all day, as they were very dry and chewy. All in all, I stuffed myself for just under 9.00, I was pleased.
Okay, not a high point, but a bit of a complaint. I understand that Mr. Rick Bayless is hot property and has been so for quite some time. To find out if we need reservations for his restaurant, Frontera Grill, we pop on over to their site, where they say that, for small parties, that you do not need reservations. So, we head on over there for dinner on Saturday night. Now, granted, it was a saturday night, but it was also after 9:00pm, well after the big 7:00pm dinner rush. Still, upon arriving, we get told there was a 2-hour wait for a table!! You know, we wouldn't have minded making reservations, but if people are going to need them, you need to *tell them*! The evening was not a complete wash though. We walked down the street and had our real Chicago deep-dish pizza experience, over at Gino's East. I'd had what Pizza Hut and the like consider deep-dish before and this was nothing like that. The dough was so dense, it bordered on cakey. I am a big fan of pizzas of all sorts and I love their 1-piece-almost-makes-a-meal huge chunks of crust, sauce and cheese.

That's it for now. I may blog more random thoughts are the week goes on.

2005-06-07T13:09:00.000-04:00

I am quite geeked right now. You see, I just got my autographed copy of Shotgun Wedding's album 'A Big World of Fun'.

Oh, hold on, let me rewind a bit here...

For one, I am not the sort to generally go crazy over an autograph. Probably the only other signed item I've owned is a NON poster, signed by Boyd Rice. I've had the chance to get autographs from alot of other artists, many of whom I like quite a deal, but it's just not my thing. If I get to meet someone whose music/book/movie I like, I am happy to just have the memory of meeting them, I don't really need them to sign their name on a product in order to make that memory more real. (note: Dad might comment in here how I used to go to comic conventions, when I was a young goob, and get comics signed. That was a different story, that was a commodity ;)

Anyways, this one is kind of special. You see, a few weeks ago, I ordered a cd by this band Moon Seven Times from Half.com. When I received it, enclosed with the cd was a note, telling me that the mother of the singer of Moon Seven Times (Lynn Canfield) was selling some of her daughter's cds on ebay. Namely, the last cd Lynn produced, this time under the band name Shotgun Wedding. (To make things more confusing, I should point out that I got into all of this through the band Area, who also had Lynn Canfield on vocals and is an excellent example of ethereal goth 80's stuff. Projekt Records material before Projekt Records existed). So, I think my joy in this cd isn't so much in the autograph, but the process. That one person tipped off another (me) to a good deal and then the knowledge that, somewhere in Illinois, this person's mom (who, other than the cd's, sells jewelry on ebay) brought this to her daughter to sign. It almost makes the whole thing more personal than if I had just gotten it at some show, if that makes any sense.

2005-06-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posts on this blog lately. Not been feeling too well the last few days (afraid I caught something from Genevieve, who was sick over this past weekend).

Will blog more soon...
(in the meantime, if you want to check out reviews of movies I've seen recently, check out this)