Randomness

organic reed avocados

2008-11-18T12:50:00.001-08:00

organic reed avocados
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

compared to other fruits, avocados aren't cheap, especially if you're buying organic. on a good day, they're $1.50 a piece at the local whole foods. for the past few weeks, i've been eying these large reed avocados that are about 4-5 in on the long side. they run $3.99 each. that's a lot to spend on one piece of fruit, but i guess it's up there with their neighbors in the produce department, the california grown heirloom tomatoes.

something about their bounty was calling me today at the supermarket, so i splurged & picked one up to make a lovely arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and a light vinaigrette. i could only do it justice by using the olivier's lemon infused olive oil and a white wine vinegar.

i opened up the avocado i selected to discover a perfectly ripe fruit that came right off the peel without much effort, but was still firm to the touch, and wow was it creamy. all this for a healthy accompaniment to my lunch of leftover scrambled eggs.

felt club 08

2008-11-16T20:18:00.001-08:00

felt club 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

on the drive to shriners auditorium, i was listening to the depressing reportage on the anticipated slow retail turnout this holiday season and what the various big shops were doing to get people to come out and spend money. it was a another sad sign of our ailing economy and further descent into recession that made me pause to reflect on the wisdom of my own imminent shopping spree--whether i would be helping myself and/or the economy.

what i encountered at felt club was so contrary to the news on the radio. there was a long line of people wrapping around two sides of the building just to get in, and once you got inside, it was fairly packed with crafty vendors and shoppers galore. this event has more than doubled since last year. i was impressed by the presentation and organization. i didn't even realize there were workshops. if i weren't so tired from being out all day at LACMA on saturday, i would have liked to have checked those out.

checking everything out was quite a thing in and of itself. it took me almost three hours to go through all the tables once. some were so crowded, it was difficult to even see, but people were considerate and patient. nonetheless, i picked up some great gifts for friends, families & holiday gift exchanges. of course, i couldn't resist picking up a few things for myself, mike & the kitties.

tasca

2008-11-16T19:30:00.001-08:00

tasca
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (6/143)
after our mediocre meal at cafe sevilla a few weeks ago, i was still craving spanish tapas, so we ate here. we arrived early on a saturday night without reservations, and were promptly seated, which made me a little nervous about the quality of the food because any good restaurant in LA would not be empty on a saturday night, but it turns out maybe we were just a little early, as people didn't start filling up the restaurant until 7pm.

have you ever ordered a good burger seared so it gets that smoky flavor on the outside but is still juicy on the inside, then the juice flavors the lettuce. well, the ceasar salad--a special--we ordered reminded me of that. it consisted of a heart of lettuce that had been grilled and thus infused with a nice, smoky aroma and drizzled with a tart, lobster flavored dressing and plated with a single grilled shrimp. the only complaint i had was the shrimp was a little overcooked and mushy.

in addition to the salad, we also ordered two similar, but different tapas--bunuelo de bacalao, which were salted cod fritters in salbetxada sauce and arancini, which were wild mustroom risotto fritters. both had a light crispy shell like a japanese croquette. the tender cod had a light texture that reminded me of canned tuna and a subtle flavor. the accompanying tomato relish, however, was very garlicky and slightly tart from a vinaigrette. in contrast, the arancini had a creamy, earthy flavor that was further enhanced by the creamy sauce that came with it. both were tasty.

they offer both tapas and entrees, although the entrees aren't full entree size, and the tapas are a little bigger than typical tapas. we shared the pasta special, which was a tagliolini pasta with chanterelle & shitake mushrooms with shaved black truffle. if you like mushrooms, this is earthy, nutty dish is for you. the mushroom sauce is creamy and rich as well.

we ended our meal with a pot de creme, a sizeble cup of chocolate mousse with cardamom infused whipped cream and copious amounts of shaved chocolate topping. the mousse was a little more sweet than rich like i like it, but it was still good. i loved that they give you lots of bits of chocolate, and the cardamom in the whipped cream enhanced the dessert.

we tried two different wines that were specials that night--a french bordeaux (chateau sorbey) rich in tannins & an earthy chilean syrah (bayo oscuro--and a sweet, oaky meritage from mendocino. the first two were ok. i liked the last the best, as i thought it had a richness that had a strong finish.

our waiter was very attentive, although service slowed towards the end of our meal as more people filled the restaurant. a good meal overall. i would come back to try other things on the menu.

machine project @ lacma

2008-11-16T17:45:00.001-08:00

machine project @ lacma
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

yesterday, machine project took over LACMA with installations, workshops and performances. i weathered the post-apocalyptic air from regional fires and lost myself in the whole experience, and though i spent most of the day there and still didn't see everything, i did discover parts of the museum i'd never been to, explored a familiar process (crochet) in a new way, and experienced the museum in a new way. in contrast to the usual quiet museum experience, the many people that attended added a feeling of controlled chaos as well as festive excitement to the event. there were lots of families with kids who could actually touch things inside the museum.

i started the visit learning to crochet a hyperbolic object using plastic bags as "yarn." crochet easily lends itself to three dimensional surface and materials experimentation. already, i'm thinking about making something on a bigger scale or in other materials. the two women who were orchestrating the class are working on a huge coral reef project made up of crocheted pieces.

after a few hours crocheting, i wandered around the museum, which is really quite large, now that they have the bcam. i've never even been inside some of the buildings. most of the time, my visits are to specific shows that take place in some of the same buildings. i had no idea there was a huge tony smith sculpture in the ahmanson building--i didn't even know that was the name of the building.

one of the favorite things i saw was this interactive piece using the monome interface. it consisted of what looked like a keyboard of white buttons with internal lighting that would turn on and off as you pressed them and would activate the rhythmic tapping of metal mallets on fabricated ceramic vessels. it was mesmerizing to watch and listen. it would take too long to go into detail on everything, but there were plenty of amusing things, and while some were more interesting than others, i thought it was great to see an intervention/installation of this kind at a major museum.

polenta gratin w/ mushrooms & tomato

2008-11-15T09:41:00.001-08:00

polenta gratin w/ mushrooms & tomato
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

inspired by how well the lentil minestrone i made last week turned out, i decided to try another recipe from deborah madison's vegetarian cooking for everyone last night. not only is this cookbook akin to a bible for vegetarians, it exemplifies what cooking vegetables should be--flavorful, healthy and not difficult to achieve both with quality ingredients.

so maybe all the cheese that went into this dish isn't the healthiest thing, it's got to be healthier than a meat-filled pie or an organic processed tv dinner, which apparently, isn't all that great according to the chapter on organic industrial farming that i've been reading about in omnivore's dilemma.

i did intend to make an arugula salad to balance out our dinner, but after the time that went into the preparation of this dish and the heat generated in the kitchen (we have no ac) from a 400 degree oven, i was ready to get out of there. the dish was delicious, but next time, i will make more mushroom & tomato filling as i thought it was a little heavy on the polenta side.

grown-up booties

2008-11-13T10:44:00.001-08:00

grown-up booties
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

contrary to my complaints about not feeling jiggy with the knitting lately, it is happening. i whipped up these grown up booties this week using 1.5 skeins of debbie bliss' alpaca silk. a pleasure to knit, this mostly garter stitch in an aran weight project was fast and easy. the pattern is theoretically a great gift project, but i discovered a few things about the pattern i wasn't too crazy about.

first, there's only one size, and i think it runs about a woman's size 8. i'm a size 6, so even though i cast on fewer stitches, it still came out too big. the diagram and photos look great, but unless it's felted, the shape really doesn't sit well on the foot meaning it doesn't keep it's well-designed slipper with a rounded square toe shape. the toe corners end up being floppy or misshapen if it actually fits snugly. this brings me to what i will be doing with these--felt them and hope for the best because i really like this super soft yarn.

it was a test knit to see if it would be a good gift. since i'm such a perfectionist, i won't give away a handmade gift that i think is crap. i know. friends tell me most people won't even notice certain things like my less than stellar finishing job, but i can't escape my warped thought of making something that someone would politely accept but not use or think was poorly done. so we'll see how they come out after felting.

xinjian bbq

2008-11-11T14:48:00.001-08:00

xinjian bbq
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (5/143)
if you like skewered meat and are looking for something off the beaten path, xinjian bbq is worth a visit. the food here represents a certain variety of street food found in the northwest part of china. dusted with cumin & and chili spices, skewered and grilled, these snacks will satisfy. i went with a group, and we shared a number of appetizers and bbq'd meats. though all i had were tasty, some tended on the dry, overcooked side. here is what we had:

gouba soup: tortilla like pancake pieces in a five spice flavored thick gravy. some people liked it better than others.

oil pancake: like a buttermilk biscuit--good as a side to the meats rather than an appetizer

beef pancake: same pancake except filled with marinated beef with cilantro & green onions. the marinade was flavorful.

cucumber salad: i couldn't taste much beyond the copious amounts of garlic

vegetables: blanched vegetables flavored with sesame oil--pretty good and a nice balance to the heavy meats

pork & chives dumplings: these were juicy and flavorful, but they are on the big side, and the skin is rather thick

lamb chop: you can either get the lamb or lamb chop. others in my group got the lamb and really liked it. i got the lamb chop, which was a little tough, but the combination of cumin & chili went well with the meat.

chinese sausage: sweet, salty & spicy, this was good skewered as the fat kept the meat from drying out.

chicken wing & pieces of chicken: the skin and fattiness of the dark meat on the wing make for some good flavors. i recommend it over the chicken by itself

quail eggs: i like quail eggs. these needed a little soy sauce

corn: can't beat sweet grilled corn

yellow croaker: tender white meat inside, crispy skin on the outside

beef: these look like short rib slices and were on the tough and dry end. i wouldn't get them again.

mussels: i didn't taste these, but were told they were dry and overcooked.

it's a small place, and little english is spoken, but the prices can't be beat. also, the rub is spiced but not super spicy. each table has a variety of spices including white pepper, cumin, chili paste and red pepper flakes which you can add if you want more.

lentil minestrone

2008-11-09T15:48:00.001-08:00

lentil minestrone
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

not being a huge fan of kidney beans, i had to try out this recipe from deborah madison's vegetarian cooking for everyone when i came upon it, looking for a lentil soup recipe. a hearty soup made with green lentils, leafy greens (your choice of chard, mustard or spinach), and shell pasta, it fills you up with goodness and warmth. now if only the weather would stay cool!

fur in process

2008-11-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

fur in process
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#2 on my 101 in 1001 list
the installation of my cat fur sculpture in the display case at long beach city college made me realize how installing is half the work, and almost more difficult than the nearly mindless, meditative handwork that went into the piece. i still have more to do, but it's looking pretty good. another thing i've learned is that not all cat fur is created equal. some kinds are easier to work with, some felt better, and are more inclined towards certain shapes and manipulations. not sure what i will call it yet, but it furthers my investigation of time and process in art. one of the best things about this piece is that it's the cheapest art piece i have ever made, which is a consideration in these trying economic times.

week in review: 101 in 1001

2008-11-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

starling diner
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the difficulty of making a list of 100 goals and sticking to that list has not been lost on me, especially as i move further away in time from the initial list-making part. it's sunday, and i'm looking at 250 sit ups that need to be done before the end of the day. not impossible, but there are other things that need to be done today. i also missed calling my mom and seeing the ocean last week. it rained last weekend, and i bought yarn instead of riding my bike along the beach. flossing itself is not so bad, but remembering to do it every night is.

at the same time, i have tried at least two new restaurants a week. enjoyable, yes, but also points to my need to do sit ups. one thing i have realized in this experiment is the amount of focus and reassessing of goals that are required to meet those goals.

8 oz

2008-11-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

8 oz
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i can't remember having a burger that i could actually taste the meat without really focusing all my attention and searching out the sanguine juices with my tongue. amazingly, i didn't have to with 8 oz's estancia grass-fed beef burger. some people think there is a difference in taste between grass-fed and corn-fed and that the latter is better. i agree that there is a difference, but grass-fed is better, not only for the environment and your health, also for your palate and the respect of the animal. how sad and disrespectful is it to kill something only to make mediocre food?

if you've never had grass-fed beef, you may forget that all the other stuff on the burger is only an accent. sure, the heirloom tomato ketchup is tasty, but the meat flavor in this burger is more prominent than anything else, and that was good. it reminded me of an excellent pho broth that has been cooking for 8 hours and absorbed all the great flavors from the marrow and the bones. i felt like i had been asleep for years and woken up realizing how much i'd missed out. my only complaint was that the bottom bun soaked up a lot of juices and became mushy. they need a more substantial bun or do something about excess juices.

i wish i could say their onion rings were as good, but i thought they were ok. i like my onion rings with a little texture, and the ones here were thick and kind of oily. the chorizo stuffed fried olives are as good as they sound and definitely worth trying though. not the healthiest thing to eat, but at least they're small.

they have a lightly pan-fried filet of fish that's moist and tasty as well if you're looking for something leaner. i haven't tried any of the other entrees, but would come back to.

what burger meal is not complete without a chocolate malt--thick and yummy with just a hint of nuttiness. it's a casual gourmet burger place where ingredients are high quality, many locally produced. prices are on par with other gourmet burger places.

apple cinnamon muffins

2008-11-09T10:42:00.001-08:00

in the kitchen
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

(makes 12 - 14 regular sized muffins)
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1-2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (reserve 1/2 chopped apple for topping)

Topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

* can substitute whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup white & use 1/2 brown sugar for 1/2 white & half applesauce for oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease six - eight muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and milk. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the cup.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix together with fork and top over unbaked muffins. Mince remaining apple into smaller pieces and sprinkle on top. Finish with cinnamon sugar on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

#94 on the 101 in 1001 list

2008-11-09T10:29:00.001-08:00

10 in 1001
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i picked up a fancy water bottle from whole foods yesterday. admittedly, i paid $22 for it, and do believe that is a lot for a water bottle, but it is metal, so won't leech weird plastic chemicals into the water from heat or uv AND it has a cute design screenprinted on it and nifty cap. extra motivation towards contributing to less plastic in landfills and less energy consumption in manufacturing and saving money on buying bottled water.

shinsengumi yakitori

2008-11-07T13:07:00.001-08:00

shinsengumi yakitori
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (4/143)
steph & i checked this festive yakitori joint out on monday. from the start, workers welcome you by shouting in japanese and bowing. we sat at the bar where we could watch the griller cook up a variety of the skewered items we ordered. all were tasty and made from quality ingredients served by friendly and attentive waitpeople. we ate:

chicken livers: i love pate, but have never been a fan of liver. theirs didn't completely sell me, but it was the best that i've had, and if i were to eat liver, i would recommend theirs. marinated in a slightly sweet, salty marinade, they were fresh, dark pink and plump.

quail eggs: i love quail eggs, and grilling them adds a smoky flavor

chicken thighs w/ salt & chicken thighs w/ special sauce: both were good, but i would recommend the special sauce, which is slightly sweet, over the salt.

bacon-wrapped enoki: the flavor of the bacon soaked into chewy bundles of enoki mushrooms wrapped inside which makes for a great combination of earthy, sweet and smoky flavors.

fried chicken: this one is quite tasty. lightly crunchy with a batter similar to that typically found on the fried soft shell crab, it was not at all oily or heavy.

scallop special: you get two whole large scallops, uncut, and seared. a little pricey, but i thought it was worth it for the flavor.

green chilis: these remind me of shiso peppers, though not as bitter. good if you like chilis.

smelt: these 3-4 inch whole fish come two on a skewer and are filled with tiny, cream colored eggs. they taste like the sea. i think they're less fishy when deep-fried.

shitake mushrooms: tasty.

they offer quite a variety of desserts, including creme brulee and ice cream. we had the green tea ice cream, which was a little on the icey side, but had a good, strong earthy flavor.

the service was really top notch and fun. we didn't drink this time, but seems like a great place to wind down with some beer or sake and some good food.

king's hawaiian restaurant

2008-11-06T15:21:00.001-08:00

king's hawaiian restaurant
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on 101 in 1001: 3/143
saturday, i went with fellow knitters to the torrance spinning & weaving fiber festival. unfortunately for the lack of space in our little apartment, i undid the stash busting from the yarn swap a month ago, but discovered a great lunch at king's hawaiian.

the restaurant with adjoining bakery is diner-esque with a splash of hawaiian flavor and familiar comfort food. i went here with a large group for lunch, and it seems very popular among families. they offer typical breakfasts with a twist. you can get a side of spam, portuguese sausage or char siu with your omelet. if you get a burger, you have the option of one with pineapple and teriyaki sauce.

we shared an order of the macadamia nut encrusted onion rings which were awesome. i liked the textured, crunchy, nutty batter covering thick slices of onions. yum! i had the fried rice with egg over easy. the fried rice, although a little more moist than i like it, tasted homemade, with bits of char siu, imitation fish, green onions and egg. the fried egg on top is good, although mine was a little more cooked (not as runny yolk) than i liked. the bowl of fruit i had was freshly chopped and a good balance for an otherwise heavy meal. oh, and their rolls are sweet and buttery good.

everyone's food looked great, and no one had any complaints. i highly recommend it for kids, especially if they may be picky eaters. there's something for everyone.

election 08

2008-11-06T09:50:00.001-08:00

election 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

it was a wet morning. i had a tummy ache and nausea from having stayed up late researching ballot measures and waking up early to get to my polling station when it opened at 7am and feeling general nervousness about the outcome of the election, but i made it. in times past, there was usually no more than a ten minute wait, but on this morning, i knew to expect a long line. it turned out not to be as long as i thought it would be, but i did wait for about an hour which passed quickly with some knitting.

everyone in line was patient and polite. no one seemed particularly irked at having to wait, myself included. i don't know about the other people, but i was excited to be a part of history making. i was afraid of getting my hopes up too much to be dashed as in the previous two elections, but i couldn't help feeling good about the whole thing, encouraged by the large numbers.

i'm glad that i was wrong in my fears and so relieved that we as a nation elected someone able, intelligent and pragmatic for president. the whole process amazed me and made me proud for the first time in a long time to be american. people cared, and they made their voices heard.

my only disappointment was in the passage of prop 8. i find it ironic considering that we were doing so much for equality by electing an able president independent of skin color, that one of the more progressive states in this country voted down equal rights for gays and lesbians. there's still a ways to go, and some time before we see obama in action, but i think for the next week, the bliss of hiss victory will hang in the air.

as i see it: prelude to the election, part 2

2008-11-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

tonight i was thinking about the negativism and fear i have been feeling about the election. in 2000, i couldn't possibly imagine why anyone would vote for bush, and yet they did. i want to believe in the hope that obama espouses. i do. but i will be going to the polls with some trepidation and cautiousness. i hope that it only takes someone with hope to overcome the racism that not only incites violence but could rob this country of all that it can be. i hope that i am wrong in my fears about the so-called "bradley effect".

the complexity of racism astounds and scares me, especially when i notice it in my vietnamese family or even myself. that racism is not solely owned by white men speaks to this. it's no longer an overt evil, but something more subtly sinister. i heard a middle-aged white woman on npr express fear towards black people and what violence she believed "they" would do if obama wins. i thought this to be the most irrational fear, and in my gut, it made me angry. yet, as a woman, how many times have you felt fear in the presence of a black man when walking down a darkened street? it makes me think twice about ingrained societal beliefs and if we will be able to rise above negative stereotypes and fears of the unfamiliar. if it's difficult for someone like me, someone in their thirties who is a relativist and fairly open-minded, to be innocent of it, i wonder at the beliefs of people with more narrow world views or people who have grown up in a time when racism was more overt, and how they will vote. still, if the election does anything, it confronts me with the issue of race, and that is a good thing.

as i see it: prelude to the election, part 1

2008-11-03T22:01:00.001-08:00

making politics cool
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

before i knew much about barack obama, i was more of a hillary clinton supporter. as the race drew closer to the primaries, i reviewed both their positions and plans and didn't discern a huge difference between the two but leaned towards hillary's slightly more fiscally conservative platform.

the thing that strongly influenced my decision was obama's honest and reasonable response to the public's response to the inflammatory speeches of reverend wright and hillary's increasingly ugly campaign. granted, politics is nasty, there are more ethical ways of winning a campaign as has become evident. moreover, the way obama dealt with the situation impressed me.

between obama and mccain, for me the choice is clear. i had a certain amount of respect for mccain and his bipartisan record, but he has become more disappointing under the pressure of the campaign and gone against a lot of who he claimed to be in order to win, while obama has remained true to his message. picking palin, a person unqualified for the position but who was attractive, controversial, and extremely conservative indicated to me that he would do anything to win including follow the strategy of bush campaign advisors. i think he did it because she was a woman (a form of discrimination) and he thought that would attract hillary fans as well as female votes (which is an insult in itself).

mccain's campaign has erratically moved between unattractive personal attacks and generalized and varying rhetoric without a strong, consistent message. as i see it, our country and the world are going through difficult times, and we need a leader. i don't see it in mccain as i do in obama. as president, obama may or may not accomplish the many issues and policies he has highlighted, but i think it's important that i vote for someone i can believe in and someone i believe cares about not only our country but the world. these are a few of the reasons why i am voting for obama tomorrow. i admit that i am leftist leaning in my views but have purposely avoided putting forth any partisan political views because you can go back and forth on that. now is the time to put someone in office who will be less focused on partisan politics and more so on working to improve the sad state of the economy (and consequently the people) and the environment.

a little rain

2008-10-31T12:19:00.001-07:00

mouse
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i love the rain, especially since it's such a rarity here in southern california, but it makes me want to stay in bed and do nothing but read. something in my body knew about the rain on a subconscious level, thus i slept through it this morning, and in fact overslept. despite that, i lazily prepared myself for tennis only to realize as i opened the door that the ground was wet.

no tennis. just a little work and mostly unchecked web surfing nonsense ensued. so i blame the rain for my lack of motivation this morning. i must find some ounce of it to get myself to yet more almost endless soldering. i keep thinking that the end is close, but just out of reach.

a (busy) day in the life

2008-10-30T22:49:00.001-07:00

mouse
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

what does this photo of mouse have to do with my busy day? nothing except that in the midst of it, it occurred to me that fall may actually be around the corner.

i started out the morning frantically putting together an estimate for some future web work, then multi-tasked working on two websites, and mostly debugging css issues. people need to get on the ball and stop using IE 6. it doesn't comply with w3C standards, and it's always the lone browser with quirky rendering of styles.

it was some time after 12:45 before i finished the urgent items on my to do list and realized i had to get my crap together before rushing off to class. i grabbed a box with the birthday gifts for my friend that should have been put in the mail by tuesday and some packing tape. there was one more item i needed to pick up to go with one of the gifts from blue windows. oh, and i had to print a copy of the rx form to get a refill on henry's fluids called into drs. foster and smith.

showed up late to class once again with no time for lunch. after class, i chatted some with friends, had to stop to fill my car with gas (already learned the hard way not to let it get too low), then drop my friend who didn't want to pay for parking in the lot and who incidentally had an ailing foot by her car.

i am the queen of last minute mailing of birthday gifts. rather than doing everything in my power not to once again be in that stressful situation, i have only gotten better at it.

after picking up the one last gift item at blue windows, i taped up the box and reminded myself that i needed to get one of those big printed labels from the post office machine that i could put the address on and obscure the old label from the recycled box. well, somehow in my urgency, i missed something, and the machine printed out a tiny little label hardly big enough to cover the old labels. doh! luckily, the postal worker woman who was waiting behind me to help someone else was nice enough to suggest one of their large priority labels which i then used to barely cover the old label and hoped that though i was clearly not complying with the requirements of the united states post office, they would still mail my package. this poor postal worker must think i'm an idiot, yet she is always so helpful. last week, i had dropped off a package with postage and gone home before realizing i hadn't put a return or send to address.

continuing on my voyage home, i had to stop off at the vet to get a refill prescription, but at least i enlisted the help of one of the veterinary assistants to collect cat fur for my project. score!

i finally made it home some time around 5pm. after having a bowl of soup for lunch, i cleaned the cat box, tidied up, tried not to freak out too much about the messy home and washed the dishes in relief that the day was finally slowing down. oh, but there was still a bit of web work and photos to retouch and upload and convincing mike to come home at a reasonable time so we could have a nice dinner out.

on days like this, it's difficult to squeeze in any work on art. i often feel that if i don't have at least an hour to spend on it, i really don't want to make the effort. it takes that long to get into the right head space, and by that, i mean concentration level.

so it's 10:39pm. i'm hoping i can squeeze in some reading, sit-ups (which i am soooo behind on) and flossing, before bed. shoot. and i promised to help mike with some processing programming.

Animal

2008-10-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

Animal
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on 101 in 1001: 2/143
if you didn't get a clue from the name, Animal caters to meat-eating foodies. even though the meats were surprisingly lean, you could easily fill up on meat-heavy appetizers alone. i went with a group, and most of us shared, so i was able to sample a broad range of appetizers and entrees on their single sheet menu.

appetizers
i found the appetizers to be more interesting than the entrees, though no less heavy on the protein.
house smoked pork belly, lentil & butterbean salad- one of the better choices of the evening, the pork belly was a shockingly lean piece of meat with a section of fat. marinated in a thick bbq sauce, it was sweet on first bite and ended with an almost too salty finish. thankfully, the tangy vinaigrette from the beans cut through some of the intensity of the sauce.

pork ribs, balsamic, delicata squash & rocket salad, pecans- smothered in a dark balsamic sauce, the meat was tender and easily came off the bones. thank goodness for the spicy rocket salad with sweet slices of squash to balance all the pork. the sauce was somewhat generic.

poutine, ox-tail gravy, vermont cheddar- theirs is a gourmet version of a canadian specialty that consists of french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. the gravy on this had pieces of ox-tail in it. without much to compare it to, all i can say is that french fries do taste good with gravy on them. the cheese was a little scarce on this one.

entrees
flat iron, sunchoke, lobster & chanterelle mushrooms, hotel butter- this is a quality, thick piece of meat. another diner in the group thought their medium rare was a little too rare, but i found it to be just right. the steak was tender, simply prepared and mostly focused on the natural meat flavor. personally, i would have preferred more mushrooms, less meat.

halibut, king crab, tabasco butter, gold rice succotash, cipollini- one of two fish dishes on the menu, this one consisted of a piece of halibut that has been pan seared and covered with a good amount of king crab, plated with a mixture of beans and sweet corn and a butter sauce. i love crab, and it was good with the butter, so nothing to complain here.

although the preparations are straightforward, and the flavors are a little uninspired, overall, i thought the food was tasty. the ingredients, fresh, high quality, mostly organic and locally produced/grown, were good. our waiter was attentive and friendly, answering the various questions from our large group. though it's definitely not a place for vegetarians, but they do have fish and vegetarian salads, so if you wanted to eat a little lighter, it is possible.

week in progress 10/26

2008-10-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

see Louise Bourgeois in person: not only did i go see her work, we went on opening day, and attended a talk with the curator. the only disappointment was that there wasn't more work in the show.

no coke for a week: i did it. i went an entire week without coke. instead of coke, i drank ginger brew or water. it wasn't as difficult as i thought it would be. as a result, i've picked up more soda so i can keep my coke drinking to a minimum.

flossing every night for 30 days: it's been a little difficult to remember to floss, but i'm doing it.

sit ups 250/wk: ok, so this has been the most difficult to work into the routine. not to mention that it's not all that fun. i have a crapload to catch up on.

try a new restaurant a wk (2/143): no problem here. friday, we had lunch at nem nuong khanh hoa, and tonight, i had a decadent meal at animal (review forthcoming).

see the ocean once a wk (1/143): had another nice bike ride along the beach. this time we did 3 lengths of the shoreline path from junipero to belmont shore.

participate in a class through the public school: this wasn't on the list, but it really should be. mike & i spent last sun and this one frantically reading various essays on site specific art and discussing them with art history geeks inside richard serra's sculpture Symmetry. it started out a little confusing, but turned out interesting. i think i would have gotten more out of it if i had been more versed in contemporary criticism and art history.

uWink

2008-10-26T23:42:00.001-07:00

hollywood scavenger hunt
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 of 101 in 1001: 1/143
we were in hollywood for a scavenger hunt so tried this restaurant where you can place your order and play games through a touchscreen. food was ok. the veggie burger was actually tasty. for what it was, a restaurant in the hollywood highland mall, it was fine and fulfills my one new restaurant a week goal. the games won't push any boundaries in the gaming world, but they were entertaining while you wait for your food.

tgif

2008-10-24T18:00:00.001-07:00

nem nuong khanh hoa
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

so my friday hasn't been as productive as it could have been, but it was pretty good. mike's been overworked lately, and finally took my advice and got some staycation days, today being one of them, to have a leisurely day at home.

after my tennis class this morning, i got in some soldering before we drove to little saigon for lunch at a restaurant that may be an alternative to the popular brodard. both are known for their nem nuong (pork paste filled spring rolls). they have a variety of rolls in addition to the pork ones, including some made with shrimp paste and bbq beef. we ordered a sampler plate. each roll is generously stuffed with fragrant herbs including lettuce, mint, cilantro and a sprig of green onion. the sampler comes with two dipping sauces, a nutty turmeric-y, slightly spicy yellow sauce, and a sweet, salty, sour one similar to the fish sauce that comes with most vietnamese dishes, except this one is filled with chopped garlic bits.

the fresh herbs were nice, but without the dipping sauce, the pork & shrimp could have been spiced more to strike a more even balance of flavors. we shared a banh xeo, which is a vietnamese omelette/crepe thing filled with shrimp and bean sprouts. the flavor was very subtle here as well without the fish sauce. we had to try the banh khot as well. these fried rice cakes filled with shredded shrimp, scallions and fried onions were great if you're into fried foods (and who isn't?). i thought the fried flavoring of the rice cake overpowered the subtle shrimp flavors. i think i will get the banh beo next time. it's a similar dish, but steamed discs of rice cakes instead of fried.

after lunch, i had a much needed hair cut. when we came home, i started some freelance work, while mike fixed my fucked up car window that had gone off its track. now i have a bunch of sit ups to catch up on.

lace scarf

2008-10-23T14:45:00.001-07:00

lace scarf
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i started this lace scarf from knitty last night, but am still not feeling it. the rhythm and satisfaction of knitting has been drifting lately. i'm tempted to start a more exciting sweater project, but then there are the christmas presents i had hoped to do as well...too many things going on right now. i find it hard to focus on more than one thing even though i'm certainly trying to fit it all in.