l'express

shaub xmas montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (13/143)
This may not be the best place to eat in montreal, but the preparations are consistent, made from fresh ingredients and flavorful. We wanted to eat characteristically canadian french on our visit and were looking for a delicious lunch. A casual, but elegant restaurant, this place fit the bill. With your meal, you get complimentary cornichons, tart and crunchy, along with warm, well-made french bread.

Here is what we ate:

Soupe Poisson (fish soup) - thick & flavorful, with a creamy tomato base that complements the seafood flavors, it comes with a side of cheese crusted toast

Brandade - a salty fish & potato puree dip that is great with bread

Country Soup - a hearty vegetable soup with clear broth with lots of flavor, warmth and is good for you too

Croque Monsieur - i didn't try this, but it comes with a salad, and was tasty according to my bf's sister who had it.

Lobster Risotto - rich, creamy, delicious with chunks of lobster

Duck Confit w/ salad - moist, seasoned duck meat is balanced by a nicoise type salad of lettuces & green beans and sprinkled with bits of bacon

Crème Caramel à L'orange - a flan-like custard in a sweet, light caramel with hints of citrus

Chocolate Tart - rich, dark chocolate; like eating a tart made of truffles

The waitstaff was friendly and not annoyed we spoke english. Then standard menu offers translations in six different languages, and our waitress helped with the specials, which are on an insert.

los compadres

los compadres
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (14/143)
last week, i realized how lucky i am to live close to good mexican food when i finally made it to los compadres for dinner. within biking distance, they have a parking lot, good, fresh food in a full restaurant and a variety of tasty margaritas. being from texas, i can be picky when it comes to mexican food, so i'm usually a bit skeptical about authenticity. i am by no means an expert, but this place feels like the real deal, offering a variety of interior mexican specialties along with familiar favorites.

enchiladas michoacanas - cheese enchiladas made with corn tortillas in a light red sauce, topped with cabbage & avocada, choice of meat and spiced potatoes & carrots. the enchiladas were very good, partly owing to the cheese and flavors of red sauce. the white meat chicken was in need of some salt, but the skin was more flavorful.

molcajete de camarones - a hot pot full of shrimp, cactus, pieces of chorizo, chilis, string cheese marinating in a thick salsa. comes with a side of beans & rice and homemade tortillas. you can taste the smokey without heat chili in the chorizo, and the shrimps are on the spicy side from the salsa. tortillas are tender and fresh, not like the dry ones you get from the grocery store.

the margaritas are on the sweet side, but made with quality tequila. i had the patron margarita, which was made with patron silver, patron citron, orange juice and sweet and sour. so good on the rocks with salt and you get a beer mug's worth! service is friendly and fast.

la banquise

shaub xmas montreal 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (12/143)
there are a number of recommended places for poutine, a quintessential canadian comfort food, in montreal. not only was la banquise mentioned by anthony bourdain, but a preview of the menu online indicated there was, in addition to a vegetarian version for the pescetarian bf and the classic poutine, a variety of options of toppings for your poutine including a variation on the gravy.

we opted for the classic (cheese curds, gravy & fries), the veggie (green peppers, mushrooms & onions plus classic ingredients), the mart (sausage, bacon plus classic) and the jaco (minced beef, onions, pepper sauce instead of generic gravy). although the fries were on the greasy could have been more crunchy side (my main complaint), they were all tasty, and definitely worth the experience. i liked the pepper sauce on the jaco the best. the gravy on the others were a little bland and not memorable. i think if you're going to cover your crunchy pommes frites and render them somewhat mushy, you better have some tasty sauce.

the resto has a casual, youthful cafe feel and being open late, seems like a great place for snacking after (or during) drinks. the regular sized poutines are pretty sizable. even if i could eat more, i don't think i could eat a large quantity of such heavy food. they also serve hamburgers and other pub-type foods.

bollini's pizzeria

bollini's
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (11/143)
so the best pizza i've had to date is still one made by dom at di fara pizzeria in brooklyn, but this pizza is pretty damn good, almost 5 stars good, maybe even better than fancy mozze good, but i'll have to return to try the others.

it's a small, warm shop with a wood-fired oven where they make thin crust neapolitan pizza, my favorite kind of pizza. they were out of a few items, including the stuffed mushrooms which sound fabulous, and the arugula salad we wanted. they instead prepared a mixed green salad the same way as the arugula, with corn, cherry tomatoes, smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms & goat cheese. it was a substantial and delicious salad.

for the pizza, we tried one of their signature pizzas, the cal twist. made with tomato sauce, basil pesto, shrimp, sun dried tomato, roasted peppers, mozzarella, herbs and parmesan, it was a flavorful combination of fresh ingredients. i liked how the ingredients were concentrated in areas rather than evenly distributed across the pizza so that as you ate from the point you get pesto, sweet peppers, then sweet tomato sauce and finally a firm piece of shrimp.

we are definitely coming back. the service was excellent. waitress was really nice, and one of the guys making pizzas kept coming by to check on us. seating is limited, but so worth the wait.

ao dinner @ moun of tunis

ao dinner @ moun of tunis
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (10/143)
moun of tunis is a great place to go for food with friends. they have several combinations of shared dinners centered around typical moroccan/tunisian or lebanese dishes. i went with several assistant organizers and abby of pleasure palate, and we were able to get our own room in the back with small tables. the casual and relaxed atmosphere is conducive to conversation and general revelry, especially when the belly dancer comes out, usually introduced with the sudden change of music.

we started by snacking on the complimentary hummus, olives and pita bread and decided on the moroccan feast, a set menu which includes brik-- a fried crepe-like dish filled with an egg, potatoes, capers and parsley, four salads with choice of grilled shrimp or lamb, b'stilla--a puff pastry sprinkled with cinnamon & powdered sugar, and filled with egg and chicken, an entree choice of salmon, lamb or lemon chicken, hot black tea and almond cake dessert.

the brik reminded me of a breakfast burrito, except fried crispy on the outside. the capers in mine tended to one side, so i didn't get the benefit of flavor until the end. there were four salads which consisted of a salsa-like mixture of tomatoes and cucumbers, a bbq'd version of the salsa which was more intense in flavor, thick cut, sweet carrots, and finely minced fragrant carrots & orange blossoms.

it was really, dark, so the b'stilla was more of a textural experience between the flaky exterior, chewy egg & meat. it's usually made with pigeon or squab, but theirs is made with chicken. our group was divided into four smaller table, and each table selected a different meat entree that is shared among the table. the entire meal was shared by table actually.

our table had the salmon, which was braised in a tomato broth with vegetables. the broth was nice, but the salmon was a little dried in parts and for some reason hadn't absorbed much of the flavor of the broth. the chicken & lamb had a bit more flavor, but i thought they were both surprisingly mild. both lamb and chicken were tender and juicy.

i found the couscous with braised vegetables and meatballs that came with the entrees to be more flavorful than the entrees. the almond cake was a densely soaked in liquor and sweet dessert. the hot tea helped to wash it all down.

overall, the food was tasty, although some things were a little bland. our service was excellent. we had a group of about 15 people. our waters were regularly filled, and i didn't notice any long wait times for food. the waiter was friendly and helpful in recommendations.

din tai fung

din tai fung
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (10/143)

how do the juicy dumplings at din tai fung compare? i thought they were tasty. they're better than the ones you generally get at the dim sum houses. the crab & pork leaned more towards crab, than pork flavors, which was interesting and different than the fattier, slightly more flavorful ones i had at mei long village. there was soup to be found, though not a lot, and overall, it was a lighter dumpling with a delicate skin.

the restaurant is clean and newish, and the menu is simple, but you have a variety of options as far as dumplings. we also had the vegetarian dumplings which were stuffed with glass noodles, mushrooms and greens. we also had the shrimp fried rice and baby bok choy. both were standard and properly prepared.

make a (fruit) tart

fruit tart
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#15 of 101 in 1001

making a fruit tart is a multi-step process involving multiple recipes, one for the sweet tart dough, another for the pastry cream and the final one combines both. i used the recipes from the tartine cookbook, and it came out beautifully. except for the apricot jam, most ingredients were easily obtained. the closest i found was apricot preserves and strained them, but it was quite a waste. next time, i'm going to use egg yolks instead of whole eggs for a richer pastry cream.

#27 pay off credit card debt

i don't know how this is possible, but it has happened. i have paid off my credit card debt--at least for now. slowly, but surely, i've been consistently making payments and curbing my spending. even the yarn purchases have been limited. and making a sculpture out of cat fur turned out to be a fantastic idea since it saved me some money.

there's hope for our economy after all, if i can do this because i have had debt for as long as i can remember. i actually think good things can come out of these crazy economic times and spiralling into recession. hopefully, it will lead to a change in how we live our lives. that's the only way the direction of our country is really going to change. i certainly am trying my hardest.

kogi korean taco truck

kogi korean taco truck
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (7/143)
there's a new taco truck in town, & it's serving up korean bbq. using quality ingredients, something not always equated with cheap taco trucks, chef roy choi creates a balance of sweet, savory, spicy & tart that excites the taste buds.

tacos and burritos come in four protein varieties--beef shortrib, spicy pork, chicken and tofu--, and each with its own spicy sauce is topped with a lettuce and onion mixture and sprinkled with sesame seeds. tacos run $2, and burritos are $5.

the caramelized sugars of the beef shortrib, the sweetest of the bunch, has fused with the meat, giving it a rich flavor. this was my favorite. in contrast, the dominant flavor of the pork, which is also slightly sweet and equally rich, is smoky chili. a small wedge of lime or orange that comes with the meat tacos adds some acidic citrus to help break through some of the fat and heaviness. for a lighter alternative, i recommend the chicken, which has a fresh grill flavor accented by the nuttiness of the sesame with just the subtlest of spiciness. for vegetarians, there's the tofu, a light, softly textured taco. compared to the others, this one could have benefited from more marination or a more flavorful sauce. they're still working some things out, so hopefully, this will improve.

chef choi unveiled a new menu item--kogi sliders--bbq shortribs with mayo on a king's hawaiian dinner roll. i liked the idea, although the additional sweetness of the roll, which, if you've never had king's hawaiian bread, is quite good, but very sweet was a little cloying. i'd be interested in seeing other proteins on the sweet roll.

i hope this truck is here to stay. Los Angeles is known to be blessed with ethic diversity, and with it, plenty of good, authentic eats as well as fusion fare that you would be hard-pressed to find in other parts of the country. this truck combines two favorites, and after tasting them, you wonder why no one ever thought of it before as it makes so much sense.

their current favorite spot is next to Green Door and Cabana Club, but regular twitters on their site--www.kogibbq.com will keep you apprised of their whereabouts.

tasca

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.

xinjian bbq

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.

fur in process

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

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.

shinsengumi yakitori

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

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.

Animal

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

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

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.

progress

ok, so it's only been a few days, but i have made some progress on my 101 in 1001.

150 sit ups done
3 days of flossing
researched composting on the LB recycling site
acquired more cat fur for free (although steph's cat yuki is getting a bald spot. poor thing) for my sculpture
2 outings planned to 2 restos i've never been to--uWink in Hollywood and Torimatsu for yakitori in Torrance
called mom

oh, and scavenger hunt really should have been on my list. i've always wanted to participate in one, being a lover of games and puzzles and general running amok. lo and behold, today, my friend abby invited me to one. so far so good. i even considered my no coke thing this week, but i was thinking that may be too much. damn. i'm craving one now.

101 in 1001

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
For more info on meme, click here.

1. Apply and get accepted into an MFA program
2. Make an art piece that costs nothing to make
3. Finish my big led project
4. Make a solar-powered art piece
5. Make an art piece involving video
6. Use Processing in an art project
7. Collect hair from the drain & make art out of it
8. Submit work to four juried shows a year (1/11)
9. See Louise Bourgeois’ work in person
10. Experience James Turrell's crater
11. See art at least once a month (2/32)
12. Learn to make cream puffs & eclairs
13. Bake a cake
14. Bake a pie
15. Make a tart
16. Make ice cream
17. Bake crusty artisan bread
18. Learn to prepare five Vietnamese dishes (0/5)
19. Learn to make sushi
20. Make something from the Tartine cookbook
21. Experience a tasting menu at a 3-star Michelin restaurant (this one's from another meme)
22. Try all the Michelin-rated restaurants in LA
23. Check out Sundays at Three at Silverlake Wine
24. Try a restaurant specializing in food from Africa
25. Try one new restaurant a week (8/143)
26. Have brunch on the Queen Mary
27. Pay off credit card debt
28. Open a High Yield Bank Account at Schwab
29. Figure out expenses and a budget and stick to it
30. Buy a house
31. Clean out & organize garage
32. Get rid of 20% of clothes
33. Stay within household budget of $100 on groceries each week
34. Reorganize contents of kitchen cabinets
35. Get rid of anything > than three years old from kitchen cabinets
36. Get a maidenshair fern and not kill it
37. Clean out dead plants
38. Whittle Netflix queue down to 400
39. Build a content management system
40. Learn to program an arduino board
41. Become more proficient in video editing
42. Become an expert in dom-scripting
43. Redesign my website and build a new one
44. Design & build a database for my website
45. Buy a terrabyte external drive
46. Sew a bag/purse
47. Make a quilt
48. Knit a long-sleeved sweater
49. Knit something with fair isle
50. Knit something by Kim Hargreaves
51. Knit something by Wenlan Chia
52. Knit something from Rowan
53. Crochet an amigurumi
54. Don’t hoard yarn. Knit with the yarn I want
55. Take a walking tour of downtown LA
56. Visit the newly remodeled Griffith Observatory
57. Visit the Arboretum
58. Visit Winchester Mansion
59. Visit Point Reyes
60. Visit the Museum of Jurassic Technology
61. Visit Catalina Island
62. Visit Watts Towers
63. Visit sculpture garden at UCLA
64. Visit Griffith Park
65. Visit Long Beach museum of art
66. Buy a digital slr
67. Complete a bike marathon
68. Don't eat fast food for a year
69. Don't drink Coke for a week (yikes!)
70. Floss every day for a month
71. Reduce red meat consumption to two times a week
72. Get rid of food baby
73. Do 250 sit ups a week (perhaps this will take care of 49)
74. Exercise with Pilates video
75. Finish reading Sync, Omnivore's Dilemma, Stumbling on Happiness, & Hot, Flat and Crowded
76. Make a road trip to Salton Sea
77. Make a road trip to Joshua Tree
78. Take a vacation somewhere tropical
79. Visit another country
80. Visit three state parks (0/3)
81. Take six hikes in California state parks (0/6)
82. Go kayaking in Belmont Shore marina
83. Visit a water park
84. Make a cross-country road trip
85. Watch the sun rise
86. Watch the sun set
87. Organize and host a food event
88. Change out all batteries for rechargeable ones
89. Remember to bring bags everywhere I shop for a month
90. Figure out how to compost at home
91. Make a diary of how much I drive in a month and cut by 20%
92. Make cloth napkins & stop using paper napkins
93. Buy Organic or Local food
94. Buy & use a reusable water bottle
95. Ride in a hot air balloon (scary for someone afraid of heights)
96. Make three new friends
97. Make dinner for a friend four times a year (0/11)
98. Call mom once a week (2/143)
99. Make dinner for my mom
100. See the ocean once a week (5/143)
101. Complete this list