Texas Stream Of Consciousness

Rome: Campo Di Fiori

2010-11-30T21:38:00.007-06:00

Campo di Fiori is one of the most colorful neighborhoods in Rome. Its the home of the Jewish community and, not too terribly unexpected, great opportunities for groceries. The open air Saturday Market is lively and interesting albeit mostly a photo opp and takeaway gift shopping experience for tourists.

Don't miss corner groceries on the periphery of the Market, they're Kosher. Well, except for all the ham.

Interesting stops include the impressive Synagogue of Rome, remnant of the Jewish Ghetto, rebuilt -- Teatro di Marcello, a theatre started by Caesar and finished by Augustus -- Portico d'Ottavia, built in 146 BC, it was part of the triumphal procession route taken by the emperor in arms and the army to celebrate victories and the trophies of battle. It was dedicated by Augustus to his sister Otttavia.

This neighborhood is also home to one of the best restaurants in Rome. It is also one of the most difficult to find restaurants in Rome - Sora Margherita. If you can find it treat yourself to some Jewish-Roman cuisine. Definitely order the whole fried artichoke!

Campo Di Fiori Saturday Market

Synagogue Of Rome

Portico d'Ottavia

Teatro di Marcello

Sora Margherita: Jewish-Roman Restaurant

Rome: Piazza Di Spagna

2010-11-28T17:41:00.001-06:00

Piazza Di Spagna is one of the most central, most visited and possible most crowded squares in Rome. It is host to many interesting and historical sights.

The most famous of the sights is arguably the Spanish Steps. The monumental stairway of 138 steps was built in 1723–1725, linking the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, today still located in Palazzo Monaldeschi in the piazza, below, with the Trinità dei Monti the church that was under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France, above.

In the Piazza at the base is the Early Baroque fountain called Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat), built in 1627-29 and often credited to Pietro Bernini, father of a more famous son, Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Colonna dell’Immacolata is devoted to the dogma of Immaculate Conception established by the Catholic Church in 1854. The structure consists of a base of marble, upon which a column of cipolin , which in turn supports a bronze statue depicting the Madonna.

Sant'Andrea delle Fratte is a 17th-century basilica devoted to St. Andrew. The outside is mostly the work of Boromini, particularly the striking bell tower. The inside sculptures are most notably Bernini. I found it interesting that the two prominent and allegedly competitive artists jointly created many sights.

Piazza Di Spagna from Spanish Steps

Bernini's Fontana della Barcaccia

Colonna dell’Immacolata

Boromini & Bernini: Sant'Andrea delle Fratte

Rome: Piazza Del Popolo

2010-11-25T07:45:00.006-06:00

Piazza del Popolo is a large square in Rome, Italy. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars, after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.

The Piazza lies inside the northern gate in the Aurelian Walls, once the Porta Flaminia of ancient Rome, and now called Porta del Popolo. This was the starting point of the Via Flaminia, the most important route to the north.

Flaminio, an Egyptian obelisk of Sety I from Heliopolis stands in the center of the Piazza. 3 sides of the obelisk are carved by Sety I and the fourth side, carved by Ramesses II. The obelisk is the second oldest and one of the tallest in Rome.

On one side of piazza are Bernini's twin churches, Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. While Bernini had a hand in the design, he did not start, finish nor finance the project. Also, the churches are significantly different despite their appearance.

This was one of my favorite piazzas in Rome, despite the crazy flower guys that put roses in your hand then get belligerent about payment. "Vafanculo" seems to get the message across.

Piazza del Popolo, Flaminio Obelisk

Bernini's Twin Churches: Santa Maria in Montesanto (left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli

Piazza del Popolo, Fontana Nettuno

Piazza del Popolo, View From Pincio

Rome: Pantheon

2010-11-23T08:01:00.002-06:00

The Pantheon was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 ft. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church informally known as Santa Maria Rotonda.

Do not confuse this Pantheon with Pantheon West, otherwise known as Hadrian's Temple.

Rome: Hadrian's Temple

2010-11-22T20:24:00.004-06:00

Hadrian's Temple is a temple to the deified Emperor, Hadrian, on the Campus Martius in Rome, built by his adoptive son and successor Antoninus Pius in 145 and now incorporated into a later building in the Piazza di Pietra. Borsa Bank now occupies the space.

At first I thought this was the Pantheon. What did I know? About an hour later we stumbled across the actual Pantheon and deemed Hadrian's Temple Pantheon West, so we wouldn't confuse it with the other Pantheon.

Note to self: in the future, no Chianti before sightseeing.

Rome: Intro & Ara Pacis

2010-11-21T09:40:00.005-06:00

Rome is an exciting city and definitely a place I will visit again. I tried to characterize what was unique about Rome versus other places in Italy I have visited. Its really fairly straight forward: a density of Roman artifacts, the Roman propensity to brand food with their own style, it is much more dense, it has a much more pronounced frenetic energy. And then there's the people, which words cannot do justice; they are warm, outspoken, passionate and without conventional boundaries.

A few tips about visiting Rome.

1) Go in late October: Weather is between 50-75, sunny and dry. The tourists are mostly gone.

2) Do not bring dressy clothes: Despite the myths of Italians dressing up for everything, I did not find this to be anywhere close to truth. Jeans, scarves and funky footwear seem to be the status quo.

3) Get a ROMA pass

4) Shop for groceries in Campo Di Fiori

5) Avoid Piazza Di Spagna, Navona and Rotonda on Saturday night: Its a freaking nightmare of congestion; like Times Square on NY Eve, only without any organization whatsoever!

6) Don't expect no smoking sections. They do exist but noone enforces them.

7) See Vatican, Vatican Museum, Colesseo and Forum.

Ara Pacis is an altar to Peace, envisioned as a Roman goddess. It was commissioned by the Roman Senate on 4 July 13 BC to honor the triumphal return from Hispania and Gaul of the Roman emperor Augustus, and was consecrated on 30 January 9 BC by the Senate to celebrate the peace established in the Empire after Augustus's victories.

A large modern museum has been constructed around this monument. Its definitely worth a couple of hours to see the monument. Once inside the museum don't miss the post modern black and white photo exhibits downstairs. Also, while difficult to locate within the museum, there are some interesting residual Ara Pacis artifacts. To access go all the way through the downstairs photo exhibit to the back. There is a small sign about the size of an electron indicating the additional rooms.

So long, Porsche

2010-10-31T17:23:00.006-05:00

Before I start blogging about my trip to Rome, there was one other minor detail --Porsche died; transmission issue, $25K to repair; buh bye.

It took about a millisecond to get rid of it then about another two months to decide what I might want. Not that I really need a car anymore since I've managed to turn Houston into my own personal Manhattan.

Here's the new one.

People keep asking me if I miss Porsche. I find that a really odd question. Of course I dont. It no longer served any purpose other than to become a growing liability. I always move on from anything displaying this characteristic.

Quickly.

Qi

2010-08-15T09:51:00.006-05:00

Qi is a Lapsang Souchong based liqueur made by the good folks at Hangar One Vodka. If you have not tried Lapsang Souchong tea, I insist you run out and try it. Now. I'll wait.

Lapsang Souchong is a black tea that has been smoked within an inch of its life. Out of the box it smells like a campfire. Prepared with a touch of Agave, its reasonable substitute for coffee. As a base for a liqueur mixed with Lillet Blanc, Vodka, Orange and Peychaud bitters, its fanstastic.

Here is the current blueprint for a QiTini, which has been mostly a hit with the 'less sweet' martini crowd.

1.25 Qi Black

1 Vodka

1 Lillet Blanc

1/3 Agave

Dash Orange Bitters

Dash Peychaud Bitters

Shake with ice and strain.

San Francisco

2010-08-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

Bar @ Neiman Marcus, Union Square

I was lucky enough to spend a huge chunk of my youth in the bay area. Its a unique place; I have only found the density and diversity in one other city - NYC.

I was excited to attend a week-long conference in SF, not only because the conference was centered around my PhD thesis but also to see how the city had changed since I last lived there.

While the core of the city remains exactly, disturbingly the same, the eastern edge has exploded. Gone are the distribution warehouses, now replaced with high-dollar residential and commercial. There are 50 new high rises slated for this area over the next 5 years; so much for California's economic crisis. High tech is opting out of Silicon Valley and taking up roost in the city, filling the void left by the exiting financial crowd.

Sather Gate, UC Berkeley

The Campanile, UC Berkeley

The conference was frenetic but I still managed to sneak onto the subway to see my old college, UC Berkeley. Although there are many new buildings around the perimeter of campus, the core campus seemed exactly the same. Still the same kids on skateboards with mohawks and slightly gothic-surf look. Still the vendors on Telegraph hawking t-shirts, necklaces and drugs. Still Blondies takeaway pizza. Still the same orthogonal mindset that sets Berkeley apart in its own liberal category making an already liberal state seem like a suffocating autocracy in comparison.

And people wonder where I get it from.

Bay Bridge from Embarcadero

The rest of the bay area I have explored to exhaustion, particularly in the city, so there wasnt much need to 'see the sights'. However, I was traveling with people who hadnt lived there for 14 years, so I showed them around. Most of the touring involved eating, of course, since San Francisco still holds its crown and septor as king of highest rated restaurants per capita.

Findings ...

La Briciola
489 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94107-1234
(415) 512-0300

If you're looking for the heavy tomato-sauce and garlic version of Italian food, you need to leave the city as most Italian in SF will be of the lighter Northern Italy variety.

La Briciola was a random stop on a Sunday night. Strangely, in a city like SF, most restaurants are closed on Sunday or at least close early. Not conducive to my 10p dinner hour at all! But as a crossed under the freeway to a part of SoMa I had never been, this place appeared.

If you have time to try only one item it must be the Sea Bass Stuffed Ravioli in Lobster Reduction. I don't think I need to elaborate.

Hunan Homes
622 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA‎
415) 982-2844‎

In a city with a disproportionately large Chinatown, its almost impossible to make a choice of Chinese restaurants. In theory they are all great, however, in reality some are just better. Look for large crowds of Chinese patrons, little decor, little visibility and noone passing out coupons for the place on every street corner.

Stacked up against the rest of the Chinese I've had in SF, this place, hidden deep in the heart of Chinatown, shines. No signature cocktails, no valet parking, no chatty staff. Noone here is likely to care if you're a tourist, rock star, Chinese or Mexican pre-op tranny in full drag with tiara, seriously. Bascially what you get is incredibly efficient service and some of the best Hunan food around. Period.

The knockouts here were the Pork Dumplings in Pepper Sauce (hot even for me) and anything with the name 'Hunan' in the description; Hunan Chicken was my favorite. Hunan style is a little hotter than others but the staff at Hunan Homes will ask what level of spicyness you want. Please be afraid to crank it up beyond how its normally prepared unless you are one to eat raw Jalapenos and find them amusingly warm.

Kirala
2100 Ward Street
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 549-3486

One day took my friends to see the UC Berkeley campus since they had never been. Prior to getting in the tube that goes under the bay we talked about where we might eat. Since both my friends are from The Gambia, West Africa we decided to try a West African place in South Berkeley. Ah, the best of plans. When we arrived we found not only was the restaurant closed, it was closed for good.

No worries these days, we just pulled out our phones and Yelped our way to a new place. Kirala was only a mile away and we all thought Japanese sounded pretty good. To our surprise, when we arrived at this small, neighborhood restaurant, buried in a primarily residential area, the wait was a hour long. I over heard two student-esque patrons comment that an hour wasnt so bad. Really? An hour? Considering our options were limited we decided to saddle up on barstools and eat bar nibbles, have a cocktail and wait for table. I mean, if an hour wait is acceptable, the premise is that the food will be great.

Beware of Kirala's Pomegranate Soju cocktails. I had 3, that was probably one too many but wow, are they smooth. And tasty! I've decided Soju is the equivalent of Bacardi 151, you might not feel it going down, but you will when you try to stand up.

A hour passed quickly and we sloshed to our table. Alcohol notwithstanding, this would my best Japanese meal ever.

The menu covers many Japanese styles but the sushi and robata bar are brilliant. Collectively we tried almost every item on the robata bar menu; while simple in preparation, the result will leave you advocating the 'less is more' principle quite strongly. Particular favorite were the Shitakes, Scallops and Chicken Meatballs. Sushi follows a more traditional path and is exquisitely fresh and flavorful. Don't miss the Hamachi and Unagi here, I was almost afraid the Hamachi would swim away with freshness.

Although this was hands down my best meal in SF (if not ever), the bill was surprising light.

If I'm ever in SF again, there will be a BART trip out to South Berkeley for Kirala!

Kirala, Gambian Approved Dining

Haven

2010-06-18T18:00:00.002-05:00

From outward appearances one would not guess that it has been deemed the best new restaurant to hit the Houston scene since it opened last December. Rather, it almost looks like a wayward Zen Garden that became frozen in the constant stream of headlights on Southwest Freeway.

I don't get out much, so I can't speak to the 'best new' crown that Haven is currently strutting around town. I can tell you it should not be missed.

Continuing the escalating restaurant trend in Houston of using locally grown ingredients, Haven creates an ecclectic menu that is equal parts down-home-Southern and urban sophistication.

Shrimp Corn Dogs

The Shrimp Corn Dogs were an excellent choice of app. Created in upscale street fair fashion, super-sized shrimp meet a tasty thick batter which become greaselessly deep-fried to a visceral crunch. A spicy remoulade with lemon overtones was a perfect dipping sauce. Clever, that each plate was accompanied by a homemade lemonade shot. Really, this was the perfect sweet, airy counterbalance to the savory weight of the Shrimp Corn Dog.

Wild Boar Chili with Redneck Cheddar was equally excellent. Thick, meaty and midly spiced. The Redneck Cheddar, sour cream and grated purple onion that were served with, not only create visual texture, they added dimension to a chili that already had a lovable, quirky personality of its own. BTW, Redneck Cheddar is a cheddar that has been washed in Shiner Bock.

Alas, although I'm sure the chef would work with a vegetarian, there were not many vegetarian options. And for vegans, you can have the water with lemon. Yum!

Decor was casually chic-minimalist. Service was upbeat, efficient and informed. While the space was one-big and open, the noise factor supported inside-voice conversations. Street parking was easy on Algerian Way for lunch but the valet might come in handy for dinner, given its meteoric rise in popularity. Prices were the upper end of moderate but that was expected and easily digested.

Haven: Manager BQQ Approved Dining

2502 Algerian Way
Houston, TX, 77098
713-581-6101

Miami: Eat

2010-06-17T06:15:00.012-05:00

My perception of the Miami dining scene was that it would be saturated with Cuban fare and fast seafood. Absurd! Of course, some of the best Cuban meals can be had in Miami, if thats what you're looking for. To my surprise Miami is influenced by ALL of Latin America, particularly those cultures that are semi-resident in the city due to the financial industry; yes, Miami is the financial representative in the US for much of Central and South America.

My favorites were:

Versailles
55 SW Eighth St
Miami, FL 33135

I have to believe that this is the quintessential Cuban restaurant. Located deep in the heart of Little Havana on Calle Ocho, comfortable, loud and constantly packed with people from all cultures. The menu, while it is heavily dominated by pork and seafood has just about everything imaginable. I let our sevrer decide my meal and it was a beautiful Garlic Soup and a Calle Ocho Special pressed sandwich.

The Garlic Soup was prepared by placing a large, thick slice of buttered garlic bread in a bowl, topping that with a over easy egg, then ladeling a super roasted garlic broth over the top. Easily a meal but why stop there? The Calle Ocho Special press, which I now refer to as the Triple Pigging, was a weighty combination of ham, roasted pork shoulder and bacon, combined with some other less important ingredients that might have been vegetables but really, who cares! This was probably the best sandwich I've ever had. As with everything, it came with enough plantain chips to feed a small country. I highly doubt these were fried in 'good' oil, they tasted way too good!

Dont miss their bakery next door for a Cuban pastry and Cortadito, Cuban coffee.

Versailles: Niecelette Approved Dining

Inka
947 Brickell Ave
Miami, FL 33131

Peruvian food is terrific but almost impossible to find in Houston. Its a shame, the combinations of flavors are surprisingly good. Inka had just opened the week prior but judging by the crowds infiltrating the rather swank dining area, they will be very successful.

We had a trilogy of ceviches, each of which were prepared very differently, the most outstanding was Yellowtail mixed with key lime, papaya and just a smattering of hot pepper. The staple Peruvian potatoes in 'cheese sauce', Papas a la Huancaina, were also surprisingly good; thick firmly cooked sliced potatoes served cold, topped with the cheese sauce, which is actually not cheese based, its made from hot yellow Peruvian pepper and cream, giving it the appearance of cheese.

I had a fantastic fish special, but for the life of me I cant remember what it was. It was certainly artfully prepared. And I have proof. Those Pisco Sours were really, really good. All 4 of them.

My Mysterious Dish

As you can infer, the Pisco Sours were phenomenal; its amazing the difference when you have a good Pisco Sour; crisp, refreshing with right balance of lime and very little foamy egg whites. I discovered that Pisco is distilled from a Peruvian white grape.

Inka: Sis and BroInLaw Approved Dining

Miami: Stay

2010-06-11T22:13:00.012-05:00

I've never actually been to Miami. Sure, I've flown into Miami airport, then begrudgingly convinced my rental car to go to the outbanks of Miami, otherwise known as South Beach. I've since equated Miami to South Beach, which is not only unfair, I happy to report its completely absurd.

Miami has changed since the last time I saw it, in the late 90's. Now the skyline looks like mini-Manhattan. Sure, its only one or two streets deep of 60-story buildings but still its an impressive, if not unbelievable change. I liked.

View From Room

Epic
I don't usually comment on hotels, more or less from my travel perspective a hotel is a room to store stuff, shower and sleep. However, in this case I feel compelled.

Attention other hotels, you should be learning from Epic.

Location: Ideal. Safe. Surprisingly quiet. Walking distance to major event venues, retail, upscale and hole-in-the-wall dining, nightlife, museums and design district. 10-minute drives to Little Havana, Little Haiti, Coconut Grove and beaches.

Decor: Modern, sleek, sophisticated. Floor to ceiling glass, rich wood tones and white in varying textures set the tone. Epic's focus is on solid design and architecture. Not pummeling patrons to death with every sparkle-and-fade trend.

Pool: On the 16th floor, a pool with a great view. Two infinity pools, many canopy covered seating areas, roving wait staff, plenty of eye candy and several private 'cabanas' around the perimeter.

Pool

Rooms: Consistently followed the decor theme. Beds were disturbingly comfortable. Bathrooms were well-stocked and spacious; ceiling mounted rain showers were a nice touch. The view from my patio on the 23rd floor overlooking Brickell Ave and the water was incredible. Requisite flat-panel TV, iHome alarm and wireless were all in check.

Service: Class. Epic has service honed to an art form. Not once was I upsold, cross-sold or pitched anything. Genuinely friendly staff are always available but never intrusive. All requests I had became feverish missions for the staff. Expectations exceeded.

Examples:

"I'd like a restaurant that can handle both an organic vegan and a carnivore, preferably an Italian or Thai and within a 15-minute drive" -- They found two. They made reservations, printed a map and the next day followed up to make sure we enjoyed.

"I'd like a 7-10 mile walking path through downtown." Done. Map printed, path highlighted in yellow; recommended sites, coffehouses and restaurants circled, areas to avoid were outlined in red. An umbrella was handed to me on the way out for those everyday at 3pm, 'surprise' rainshowers.

"Is there any way I can get a coffee maker in my room?" Moments later a Keurig appeared with a variety of coffee pods.

The next time I travel to Miami I will not check for other hotels, I will simply make a reservation at Epic and feel 100% confident that I'll enjoy my stay.

Pre Miami

2010-06-11T22:09:00.002-05:00

Its bad this time. Its been so long since I logged on that I forgot both my username and password :)

Back for a bit to report on a interesting trip to Miami. I should probably get that done before the other trips.

Tomorrow, really, I will.

Costa Rica and Doctoral Stuff

2010-03-01T19:16:00.002-06:00

Sorry for yet another lapse in blogging.

The Costa Rica party was a great success. The parental units came in and were the hit of the party with all my friends. It was nice to see everyone I know mingling and getting to know each other. I think the biggest culinary hits of the party were the Rosemary Agave Cake and the Pineapple Basil infused vodka. Neither of which lasted very long. There was a standoff over who would get the last piece of cake, it ended without bloodshed :)

In other news, I was formally accepted into the PhD program today. Wish me luck!

Tropical Infusion

2010-02-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

Does anyone else hate store bought infused vodka? I've tried just about every brand but they all wind up tasting artificial. And I mean cleaning agent mixed with KoolAid kind of artificial. In my quest to have a tropical infused vodka for the pending Costa Rica get together, I decided to experiment with making them myself.

Here's what I've learned so far in a few pioneering efforts.

First, for tropical flavor I thought pineapple and papaya. Yum, that sounds good! I ran the idea by the Indian Culinary Academy (aka, the ladies that I work with) and they suggested maybe mixing in a bit of basil, cilantro or mint. Ooooh, that sounds even better! Hmmm, with all those ingredients I have 5 factorial combinations. Better trim it down. Pineapple, papaya and cilantro. Yes, thats it!

Click, basic research on the web for technique. Zip, over to Fiesta for fruits and herbs. Bing, over to Specs for vodka. Ohh, the vodka ailse is next to the scotch ailse and I've recently become curious about scotch so I diverted. But the resident Scotch Guy decided to give me a disseration on the many merits of oak casking before sherry casking and which exactly was the best of the infinite number of regions in Scotland for scotch production. I finally termed the monologue by telling Scotch Guy that I was a scotch neophyte and that at this point in my education, all scotch tasted like someone had put out a cigar in a cup of whiskey.

But I digress.

Zoom, over to Sur La Table to pick up some glass infusion containers for the experiments. It is always surprising when there is something kitchen related that I don't already have. Funny how often I'm surprised.

Really, there isnt much to making an infusion. Cut up the fruit. Wash, dry and crush the herbs lightly, then mix them in a container with vodka. Close and set in a dark cool place for a week. Drain through a fine mesh strainer. Then again through a coffee filter. Presto, infusion!

Tropical Vodka Infusions

Since the infusions matured today, lets go over the results.

Pineapple Cilantro
[1C pineapple, 1C vodka, 1/4C loosely packed cilantro - 7 days infusion time]

Wow, great flavor! The cilantro is a little strong but I bet it will mix well with a little pineapple juice and ice. Keeper, maybe cut back a little on the cilantro.

Pineapple
[1C pineapple, 1C vodka - 7 days infusion time]

Sit down before trying, whoa, intensely flavored and sweet! This could be good mixed with orange or lime. Keeper.

Papaya
[1C papaya, 1C vodka - 7 days infusion time]

Gross. First of all, there is something in papaya, post cutting, that has the consistency of school paste. The infusion wasnt just thick, it was clumpy. I managed to strain off a little bit of liquid. Good flavor but the consistency was gagg-o-licious. Pass.

Papaya Cilantro
[1C papaya, 1C vodka, 1/4C cilantro - 7 days infusion time]

Gross, for the same reason. Pass.

Pineapple Papaya
[1C pineapple, 1/2C papaya, 1C vodka - 7 days infusion time]

Good, but still suffers a bit from the papaya clumping syndrome. I think cutting the amount of papaya in half might make this one a keeper.

Pineapple Papaya Cilantro
[1C pineapple, 1/2C papaya, 1C vodka, 1/4C cilantro - 7 days infusion time]

Also good flavors but again it suffers from papaya clumping syndrome. I think the cilantro overpowers the softer papaya flavor in this case, so I would probably cut its amount in half.

I am trying one more - Pineapple Mint but you will have to wait with me for a week before the results can be announced.

One more thing I learned. You can, in fact, buy super cheap vodka and filter it through a Brita filter (like 7 times) to produce very nice tasting vodka on the order of Skyy or Titos. This is not without some cost, the filter, which has to be thrown out afterwards. Not to mention the time it will take. But if volume is your MO, then it might work for you!

Kam's

2010-02-02T18:20:00.003-06:00

Spending my teens and 20's in San Francisco spoiled me in many ways. For example, I grew up thinking that everyone made Chinese food exactly the way it was made in Chinatown. Leaving San Francisco was a reality jolt in that respect. Since then I have not had good Chinese food anywhere, save a few weekend getaways to NYC.

When I spotted this Chinese restaurant on a walk up Montrose, I did not initially warm to the idea of eating there. I think it was post traumatic stress disorder from one too many Chinese meals in Dallas that were too oily, too salty and in short -- just bad. But I found myself weeks later reading about that very restaurant in a Houston foodie rag. Stellar reviews. Best Chinese for 10 years running. The Chinese co-workers raved. I felt pressured, they must know something I don't, so I tried it.

It must be the year of the its-about-damn-time. Finally, after years of choking down dull-witted, Pei Wei-esque interpretations of Chinese dishes, I am happy to report that I've found not just good, but excellent Chinese food. In Houston, its called Kam's.

Mommie Coolest Approved Dining

Litmus tests of Mongolian Beef and General Tso's Chicken were excellent, flavorful without the mediocre-chef technique of over oiling and over soysaucing. But the real gems here are the Shrimp and Scallops in Basil Sauce and a rouge vietnamese staple, Bo Luc Lac, which is a savory-sweet beef fillet, cubed and grilled, served with salt, pepper and lime.

Kam's is relatively small so its best to go off peak, say at 1115am or 130p for lunch or anytime after 830p for dinner. Parking is scant and wildly difficult to navigate, so you are better off parking on the side streets east of Montrose and crossing over.

Kams
4500 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX 77006-5842
713.529.5057

Arenal

2010-02-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

Arenal was the last area of Costa Rica that I visited before returning to San Jose. This area continues my fascination with volcanoes. I stayed at a place that is about as close as you can get to the volcano without hiking gear and overnight supplies. The problem with the volcanoes, in general, is that they are generally covered in clouds. Arenal was no exception.

Sunny and Rainy Volcano, Arenal, Costa Rica

Arenal is definitely beautiful. And its a place where you can be completely isolated, if thats what you want. There are the same adventure sports here that exist in Manuel Antonio but the operations are smaller and it will require more elaborate transportation to get there. Outside of hiking the jungle, the unique activites here are touring the hanging bridges and mineral baths.

The Hanging Bridges are a wonderful way to spend 3-4 hours. The bridges vary in height and spanse from a few feet to a several hundred feet. The plant life here is extraordinary to see, if you dont rush through, which is what most people were doing. This is not a hard trek but dont look down when youre on the bridges if you are afraid of heights. The are open weave grates; you can see straight down :)

Hanging Bridges, Arenal, Costa Rica

On my last day I found a surprise in my shower. This little guy looked totally disoriented by the tile, soap and the fact that I seemed to like hot water falling on me (he clearly did not). I finally managed to coax him into a laudry bag then released him on the porch. He stayed on this plant for hours before venturing back into the jungle.

Thats about all for Costa Rica. I totally loved my time there and look forward to going back some day. I still need to see the OSA peninsula (the most biodiverse area on the planet), Limon (the Afro-Caribe side) and MonteVerde (the cloud forest). But all in good time.

Next trip, Argentina! Or maybe Germany. Turkey? Who knows :)

Manuel Antonio

2010-01-31T14:00:00.002-06:00

Wow, I'm going to need to wrap up this Costa Rica thread before I completely forget the details.

Manuel Antonio is the everything area of Costa Rica. By that I mean that there will be something for everyone. Whether your thing is lounging by the beach, exploring the jungle's wildlife, adventure sports or pretending to be EuroTrash and hoping from overdone spa to overdone spa and bar to bar, you will find it here.

One thing I loved about this area was how easy it was to navigate on foot. There is only one road and it leads either to the neighboring city of Quepos or the Manuel Antonio National Park. Beware, the hill coming and going is about a 30% grade, so its not for everyone.

Beach, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

White Faced Monkeys, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Sunbathing Iguana, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Toucans, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Aside from the zipline, which I highly recommend, the other must do item in this area is the Manuel Antonio National Park. Almost all of my photos of wildlife came from the tour of the park. You can walk it yourself but it better to hire a guide, they will point out many things that you will miss on your own. Plus, they are usually very entertaining. Our guide was great, Paul Gonsalves (506-27773442), he was definitely the alpha guide and I'll leave it at that :)

Zip

2010-01-19T22:10:00.000-06:00

After spending a few days based in San Jose I boarded a bus to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is the most popular beach destination. Calling the area a beach community is probably a misnomer since only part of the area's appeal is beach related. The jungle and rivers also appeal and they do so in the form of adventure sports. I tried just about every activity: rappeling, waterfall repelling, ziplining, hiking and so on but my favorite was the zip line.

After being outiftted and walking a bit to the first platform I came face to face with the first jump. The first one was kind of weird, if only because I had no idea how it would feel to fly through the air attached to a pulley, fastened to a steel cable, hundreds of feet off the ground. I'm not afraid of heights but I am afraid of falling, arms and legs wildly flailing about and screaming like a 10 year old girl, to my death.

Blah, blah, blah -- just jump.

In a nutshell, its super fun!

Titi Canopy Tours is the way to go for an intro to ziplining. Their run is 12 lines and takes about 2 hours. The crew is great! Each of the four guys will go first down the line. 2 on either end of the line will make sure you get on and off safely. Oh, and the camera guy will be there to capture any and all of your mistakes so your friends can point and laugh later!

Grecia y Sarchi

2010-01-18T09:55:00.003-06:00

Before we move on to the beach area, Manuel Antonio, there are a pair of smaller cities that earned honorable mention.

Grecia is a small town, very small, but they have at least two things that are interesting. One is the sweetened condensed milk treats they make. Sometimes mixed with cocoa, sometimes coconut, these treats are so dense and sweet that they put fudge to shame. The other is a church made entirely from metal.

Apparently, the community here became annoyed with rebuilding this church everytime an earthquake rolled through. So, on their final iteration, they decided to build it out of metal. Hard to tell from the paint job, but it is indeed steel.

Metal Church, Grecia, Costa Rica

This "Halloween Beetle" decided it liked my neighbor's Kindle.

Halloween Beetle, Grecia, Costa Rica

Sarchi is known for one thing, Ox Carts. Of course they are still in use, don't be silly! But these are hand painted, and beautifully so, so you might not want to use them to transport your coffee harvest into town. If I had a place to put one of these, I would have brought one home.

Ox Cart Wheel, Sarchi, Costa Rica

World's Largest Ox Cart, Sarchi, Costa Rica

Doka

2010-01-12T20:40:00.000-06:00

It comes as no surpise to anyone that I would visit a coffee plantation. Doka Estate was a fascinating half-day, if only to see the whole coffee production cycle.

I had never seen a coffee plant before. Interesting that they first grow them in small, protective cages before transplanting them into the ground. Noone would tell me why beyond the vague and general - it ensures their survival. Coffee fruit (the beans are inside) are deep red when ready to be picked. I picked a few and squished out the seed, which to my surprise was almost white. I guess roasting is actually essential :)

Coffee Cages, Doka Estate, Costa Rica

Coffee Plant, Doka Estate, Costa Rica

But before the coffee can be roasted, it must first be dried. This they do in big open areas. The coffee guy rakes the beans over and over all day long. Thanks coffee guy, us addicts really appreciate your efforts!

Coffee Dry Out, Doka Estate, Costa Rica

The rest of the story is roasting and optional grinding. Interestingly the coffee guy basically vilified decaf coffee as if it were a destructive force send straight from hell. I had never heard anyone so opposed. Of course, I agreed, coffee sans caffiene is just, well, brown water.

Coffee Guy Grinds It, Doka Estate, Costa Rica

Doka Estate shares coffee mafia status in Costa Rica with another company, Cafe Brit. While I thought both had great coffees I liked a smaller local roaster better. We'll get to them later when we visit Manuel Antonio.

Poás

2010-01-10T08:30:00.001-06:00

The next volcano I visited was Poás. The Poás volcano is park of a national park. As you can imagine, being a national park, it is far more comercialized that others. However, the scenery is much more dramatic. What looks like clouds hovering over the volcano, is actually the volcano bubbling away.

Poás Volcano

If your up to it, there is a walking trail about 3/4 mile long that leads up to a beautiful lake. Don't be fooled though, this path looks innocuous enough, however, it is about a 30% grade all the way up. I saw many people stop and turn around. I thought about it but refused to let it get to me.

Poás Trail

Poás Lake

Lankester Gardens

2010-01-06T22:00:00.003-06:00

We made one more stop before returning to the big city, the Lankester Botanical Gardens. A total must see, if only because of the 1200 varieties of orchids found in the country, half of them can be seen here.

Jardín Botánico Lankester, near Cartago, Costa Rica

Orosi Valley

2010-01-06T05:58:00.002-06:00

Continuing down the volcano, we spent some time in the Orosi valley. The first stop was to see the most important church in Costa Rica, Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles. As the story goes, before the church was built, on its site, a young girl found a small figure of the Virgin Mary holding an infant Jesus. She took it home only to find the figure was back at the site the next morning. No matter where they took the figure it somehow returned over and over to the same site. The towns people decided it was a sign to build the church at that exact site.

Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, Cartago, Costa Rica

In August there is a massive 1.5 million person visitation of this church ( in a town that only has 4000 residents). The truly faithful traverse "the path", a 22 kilometer stretch, on their knees. Yeah, they crawl. They bring silver figures of body parts that need to be cured.

Leg Figures @ Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, Cartago, Costa Rica

I saw a couple of ladies crawling up the aisle of the church, both had small silver figures of a head in their hands, which they placed at an altar. I really wanted to take a picture of the whole progression but it felt wrong.

Later we had lunch. The patio overlooked some beautiful scenery and the food was excellent. Every meal in Costa Rica, including breakfast, comes with black beans and rice. Sometimes separately, sometimes mixed together into what is known as Gallo Pinto. This lunch was no different. We also had a delicious Dorado and carmelized plantains with lime and butter.

La Casona del Cafetal, Orosi, Costa Rica

After lunch we completed our descent off the volcano. We stopped briefly to see the oldest church in Costa Rica. It was small and unassuming but still amazing, since it was the only structure to survive the many earthquakes in the region since it was built in the early 1700's.

Iglesia de San Jose Orosi, Orosi, Costa Rica

Irazú

2010-01-04T19:45:00.001-06:00

While in San Jose I took day trips to other nearby locations. My first was to the Irazú Volcano. This day also included my first exposure to another element of Costa Rican culture - nicknaming. If Costa Ricans like you, you will know it because they will give you a nickname straight away, usually something to do with a physical characteristic. Within 5 minutes I got mine from the tour guide, I was El Rubio (the blonde).

With my new name in tow, El Rubio set out to see Irazú.

I'm not sure why I'm fascinated with volcanoes, the large protruding masses of instability which at any moment could bring total destruction to those in its path, but I am. Its odd really, those characteristics in a person would cause them to be systematically removed from my life.

Anyway, Irazú, like most volcanoes in Costa Rica, are mostly shrouded in wispy clouds. However, I was able to catch a couple of shots as the clouds momentarily broke away. The whole site is eerie. What is left of the volcano is a deep water-filled crater. One side is hilly with dense plant life. The other side is a flat, black swatch of land resembling something like the surface of the moon. Guess which side caught the fury of the last eruption.

Volcano Crater, Irazú, Costa Rica

Flat Black Side, Irazú, Costa Rica

The trip up to Irazú is an experience in itself. The country side is beautiful. On the way up the side of the volcano, I was mesmerized by the vegetation and the many small, hidden villages that would inexplicably appear at a turn in the road. I was so engrossed with one side of the road that I missed many things until we came back down.

For instance, this random hotel and restaurant combination that is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Random Hotel and Restaurant, Irazú, Costa Rica
When I saw this collection of empty but well preserved buildings, I asked the tour guide what it was. An old leper colony, he said. LEPER COLONY? Yes, apparently there was an active leper colony here until the 40's. I had them stop the bus so I could trudge up a muddy hill to get this shot. The wispy fog hovering over the tops of the trees gave it the appropriate creepy feeling. Not to mention there was nothing else around this complex as far as the eye could see. There was no sound whatsoever but the wind. The tour guides were uncharacteristically UNchatty about the leper colony or what it was being used for these days. Somethings might be better left undiscovered.

Decommissioned Leper Colony, Irazú, Costa Rica

San Jose

2010-01-03T15:29:00.010-06:00

Everyone told me to avoid Costa Rica's capital city, San Jose. "Oh just skip it, its loud, busy, dirty and dangerous!"

Oh ok. Sounds like every major city in Latin America. Advice appreciated but rejected. And I'm glad I didn't listen. 60% of Costa Rica's population live in and around San Jose. It seemed to me that if I wanted first hand experience with the real people of Costa Rica I would need to spend some time in San Jose. This is one of the main reasons I travel outside the US.

San Jose is absolutely loud, dirty and busy, so there was no disappointment there. Dangerous? More so than Dallas or Houston, less so than Rio or Mexico City. I followed common sense rules for travel and had no bad experiences. However, I would not recommend walking long distances in the city at night alone if you don't know Spanish very well; petty theft is relatively common downtown.

Downtown San Jose has a density of museums which can be seen in one day on foot. This is a nice way to spend either the first or last day in the country. The history of Costa Rica is very well documented in these museums and they will give you a clear understanding of Tico culture. I particularly liked the Pre-Colombian Gold, Jade and National Museums.

Museo National, San Jose, Costa Rica
Museo National is located in an old bullet ridden fort, an artifact from the country's civil war in 1948. Ironically housed, since Costa Rica no longer has a military. It is the most comprehensive collection of art and history, if you only have time for one museum.

Museo National, San Jose, Costa Rica

Downtown proved to be the best place to find the typical Costa Rican meals. Sodas (small takeaway restaurants) were gold mine for me. I could get the national dish of casado or arroz con pollo for about $3. My meals in San Jose for 4 days were less than $35, and they were extremely good!

Two steps away from the busiest square is the stately and peaceful Gran Hotel de Costa Rica. A wonderful place to momentarily escape the rush-rush and just sip a cup of coffee.

Gran Hotel de Costa Rica, Downtown San Jose

I learned in San Jose that Costa Rican men have a full contact culture. By that I mean they will take every opportunity to touch you. I found it typical for them to grab my arm or thigh while talking to me. I also experienced arms draped around my shoulders, pats on the butt, light pinches and hugs that last a little too long by North American standards. None of this was a come on, its just the way they are.

Also, I learned there is a small but visible Chinese population in Costa Rica, I think they immigrated in the 40's and 50's. I saw the second and third generation of these immigrants wandering around town. I found it very disarming to see people of Chinese ancestry speaking beautiful Spanish. I don't know why that surprised me, I mean it is their native language. A bonus, great Chinese food in Costa Rica, not something I expected in Central America!

Regreso

2010-01-01T08:12:00.002-06:00

I'm back! After I get used to speaking English again I'll start posting about Costa Rica, lol :)

Kibbeh Shiftah B'Shwandar

2009-11-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Turkey? Ha! Anyone can do turkey. For Thanksgiving I tried something new, an old Iraqi Jewish dish, Kibbeh Shiftah B'Shwandar.

It took some time but the flavors emerging from the complexity of ingredients were surprisingly good.

Kibbeh Shiftah B'Shwandar (Lamb Meatball & Beet Stew with Tumeric Rice)

Meatballs

2T Olive Oil

1 Red Onion, chopped

1 LB Ground Lamb

4 T Dried Currants

2 T Parsley, chopped

1 t Smoked Paprika

1 Egg, beaten

Sautee onions in oil over medium-high until carmelized, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large mixing bowl add onions and all other ingredients. Hand mix until blended. Roll mixture into 15-20 balls, placing them on a wax-paper lined container. Place container in refrigerator for at least an hour, this will firm them up for what comes later.

Tumeric Rice

1 1/2 C Long Grain White Rice

2 C Water

1 t Tumeric

1 t Sea Salt

1/8 t Cinnamon

1/8 t Clove

Soak rice in water for 20 minues. Drain in fine mesh colander, then rinse several times. Over medium-high heat, bring rice and water to a low boil. Lower heat to low then add other ingredients. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Keep warm. (Ordinarily I would use brown rice but it will not work for this dish)

Stew

6 Red Beets, peeled and quartered

6 C Lamb Stock

1 Red Onion, chopped

1/2 C Tomato Paste

6 T Olive Oil

1 T Butter

6 Garlic Cloves, smashed

1 T Coriander

1 T Cumin

1 T Sweet Curry Powder

2 t Tumeric

2 t Smoked Paprika

1 t Ground Ginger

1/2 t Cayenne

1 t Red Pepper Flakes

6 T Lemon Juice, fresh

2 T Sugar

2 T Parsley, chopped

Unless you are feeling very energetic, I would not try making lamb stock from scratch. There is a perfectly good off-the-rack lamb stock by a company called "More Than Gourmet".

Bring lamb stock to a boil, add beets, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook beets for 30 minutes. Remove beets with slotted spoon, reserve beets and beet/lamb stock liquid.

Make a spice paste. Add smashed garlic, 3T olive oil, coriander, cumin, curry, tumeric, paprika, cayenne and pepper flakes to a small bowl and mix until a paste is formed. Reserve.

Add remaining oil and the butter to a large sock pot (large enough to hold everything, including beets and meatballs, about 6 Qt). Sautee onion over medium-high heat until carmelized, about 7 minutes.

Add spice paste and tomato paste and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Make sure to stir continuously so nothing burns. Stir in a cup or two of the reserved beet/lamb stock liquid. Blend the liquid with the spice/tomato paste, scraping up any bits that make have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add all remaining reserved beet/lamb stock liquid, stir to blend. Add lemon juice and sugar, stir to blend. Simmer mixture for 10 minutes, uncovered.

Gently add meatballs to stew, simmer covered for 15 additional minutes. Do not stir during this time, give the meatballs time to firm up.

Uncover the pot, skim the foam off the surface, then add beets. Stir several times, then let simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings (you might want more salt since the flavors here lean heavy to hot/sweet).

To serve: Place a cup of tumeric rice in the middle of a wide, shallow bowl. Spoon stew around the rice, then top with chopped parsley. A dollop of thickened yogurt is also a good addition, particularly if you've made a hotter version.

One note, in case you have not worked with beets or tumeric. They stain. Badly. I cover my chopping board in wax paper before working with beets. And I wear black. Also, any plastic containers used in the process will naturally be sacrificial.

Phrenia

2009-11-16T19:54:00.005-06:00

While I had some issues with the filming style, the plot and acting were great. I walked away from the film having a small but gritty and moving view of what it might be like to live with schizophrenia.

Well-known critics dismissed this film; some saying it wandered and that the dialogue was not cohesive. Others criticized the multiple, simultaneous voice tracks as not adding value and detracting from the drama. Granted, those aspects are not entertaining, however I have to imagine people suffereing from this mental illness are not entertained by it either. Schizophrenia does not so much lend itself to linear thought process or scheduling internal voices to talk serially. Besides, sometimes there needs to be a break from entertainment for some other activity, I dont know, lets just say learning, for example.

Its a good thing I routinely ignore anyone who is a self-professed expert or critic, they often miss the larger more important message for surface deformities and other irrelevant details.

Jamie Foxx, who has racked up some stellar performances, definitely captures the dischord and misalignment with reality whole heartedly. He has moments of bone-crushing brilliance that make the film worth watching. Even Robert Downey, who frankly has never rated very high in my book, captured what I can imagine to be the frustration of trying to communicate with someone who can be several personalities at once and prone to spontaneous and sometimes violent espisodes.

This story of the prodigy Julliard cellist turned LA homeless man is based on a true story, and it is not uncommon. Since I started walking my 7 miles a day to and from the Cancer Shoppe, I too have run into my share of mentally ill and homeless in Houston. Watching this film doesn't change their plight in any way but maybe I understand what they face just a little better.

The Soloist
8.5/10

Pathetic

2009-11-15T16:40:00.002-06:00

Wow, I am a pathetic blogger. Its been so long that blogger did not automatically log me in and I had to go searching for my username and password! Sheesh.

High level summary: Work, School, Work, School, cook, WorkSchool. Cook is intentionally written with a lower case "c" :) Work and School are one in the same since both involve digging into the representation and processing of genomic cancer data. Good thing I love it since I do it about 90 hours a week.

More later (later as in sometime before Thanksgiving!)

Cincinnati

2009-09-17T20:25:00.014-05:00

Cincinnati by night and day
Cincinnati isn't a bad town after all. I had been growing to hate it with every fiber of my being but that was largely due to a culturally imposed, illogical and unneccesary migratory pattern in the dead of winter, otherwise known as going home for Christmas. But that tradition is cooked and served.

Since I will be sitting by the beach, climbing volcanoes and sailing through treetops on a thin wire during the holidays this year, I did Christmas in September with my sister and her family in Cincinnati. Sister's girls were thrilled with their present, a Wii. We spent about 4 hours making Mii's and I was pretty impressed with my niecelettes ability to kick ass on Wii boxing.

Niecelettes discover they are Wii owners

Since it was also my birthday there were a few birthday treats.

Freedom Center
50 E Freedom Way
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.333.7606

I'm not going to say go to Cincinnati to see this museum but if you are in the area, definitely make an effort. The building design and layout combined with very interesting and innovative multimedia content make the Underground Railroad Freedom Center one of the best single-focus museums I've seen.

Freedom Center, Portrait

Freedom Center, Fiber Art

Freedom Center, Downtown Cincinnati

Nada
600 Walnut St
Cincinnati, OH
513.721.6232

Downtown Cincinnati is kinda happening. I didn't see that the last time I stayed downtown because it was winter; a season during which noone should be further north of Houston. Nada is a new entry into the downtown arena. I'm not sure about the food, since we only stopped for drinks, but the drinks were well-done. Definitely opt for the Passion Fruit Caipirihna, which will no doubt be delivered by an impossibly cute server.

Nada, Downtown Cincinnati

Bootsy's
631 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.241.0707

Ever wonder what happened to the king of late 70's, early 80's funk? Bootsy Collins apparently took his collection of crazy sunglasses and music awards back to his hometown and opened a restaurant. A Spanish-laced restaurant with a fun, hi-vis, lounge-esque feel. I dont know why this happened but despite the tacky advertisement clad exterior and an interior requiring a pair of polarizing sunglasses, the food here is mostly excellent. Applause for Patatas Bravas and Ceviche. Total walkout on Paella, it was uninspired.

Bootsy's, Downtown Cincinnati

Party City
You have to love a Home Depot sized liquor store that has wine tastings on Sunday. It was Argentinian wines at this tasting. Frankly I have not had good luck with wines from Argentina. Apparently I just needed to try the right wines, thanks to Party City's wine expert, Danny Gold, I found them. I was impressed with this wine tasting. 8 wines and a delicious collection of high brow nibbles for $15. Danny was personable and informative; you could immediately tell he absolutely loved his job. If you are wondering how Party City could put on a wine tasting like that for $15, I will tell you that I spent $100 in the store afterwards and sister spent close to $400. Clever, very clever.

Deweys
Oakley Square
3014 Madison Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45209
513.731.7755

You simply can't visit Cincinnati without a stop to the indigenous pizza parlor. Get over the small, crowded conditions and get ready for pizza that rivals NYC's most authentic. Thin crust, numerous vegetarian options, friendly staff and a mind boggling array of microbrews make Deweys an entry into my pizza favorties.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that sister has a new addition to the family, Rex. This is the world's largest puppy. He's 105 pounds but only a year old, another 50-60 pounds to go. Despite his appearance, he has the friendliest personality, which is good since he outweighs both of my nieces significantly.

Rex, the puppy

Moon

2009-08-16T18:05:00.004-05:00

I didn't go see Julie and Julia this weekend like the rest of the world. The film I did see, people had told me was like 2001 Space Odyssey. It wasn't. Sure, it took place off-planet and there was a talking computer involved but that is where the similarity ended.

The story line is clever and it will ambush you somewhere mid-film. I think just the title gives the impression that this will be about sci-fi space exploration, possbily involving high technobabble and perhaps aliens that need a good thrashing. Not even in the right ballpark. Juxtaposition of the waning humanity of corporate ethics and the rising humanity of a systematically oppressed population define the ballpark.

Filming style is great; some of the moon-to-earth scenes are simply beautiful. Choppy, grainy segments capture an expected reality of traversing the moon's surface on foot and vehicle. Framing of Sam Rockwell in the particularly emotional scenes was tight and angular, tweezing even more tension out of an existing hand-wringer.

Sam Rockwell does an outstanding job, considering he is only person on film for 2 hours. I've heard his performance in this film compared to Tom Hanks' in Cast Away. Kind of, but Sam Rockwell plays two characters simultaneously, both different personalities and motivations, both come across in a frighteningly believable way.

So far, post Oscar, Moon is my favorite film - brilliant.

Moon
10/10

If (Mercy > Law) Then

2009-08-11T19:48:00.003-05:00

It wasnt well received in theatres and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as the original, but I did. The filming style is modernized, the storyline is pushed forward 50 years to something more salient to the region and time but the questions this film poses are still as thought-provoking now. 50+ years later we still asking but no closer to answering the better-or-worse questions posed in 12 Angry Men. Fate boxing Choice, Situational Ethics, The Uncertainty Principle, Intuition dueling Reason. And of course, the ever popular Upholding The Law vs. Showing Mercy.

These are good questions. Its not necessary to answer them but it will be forever necessary to ask. We are, and in this case, we are asking them in Russian.

12
9.0/10

XMAS09

2009-08-09T13:51:00.002-05:00

I decided what Im doing for XMAS break this year. It will involve leaving the country, zip-touring over city and forest (that would be wire flying), coffee, pre-Columbian art and beaches. Anyone know where yet? :)

July

2009-08-05T19:19:00.006-05:00

Catching you up.

The parents came to Houston for a visit. They just came to see me this time, not the collection of friends they made in their 10-year stopover before moving on to New Orleans. It was fun! We did a small culinary tour of Houston, which included Frenchy's fried chicken at my dad's insistence. He liked.

While return visits to SOMA, Voice and T'afia were wonderful, the big winner from the culinary tour was new-to-us, Reef, a comfortable but sophisticated seafood venue in Midtown. I could go on about the menu and what we tried but the menu changes. If available try the Yellowtail Ceviche with Mango, Avocado and Smoked Paprika. This is awesome; the lime marinade imparts a clean, crisp flavor which then folds into complex layers with the addition of creamy avocado, earthy smoked paprika and sweet mango. The novelty item here is the fried mac and cheese. Right, lets just take an already heart bomb side dish and fry it up. Good but its soooo heavy!

Reef

The weekend following a group of friends and I went to see the touring Cirque in Houston, Saltimbanco. This was my 4th Cirque and I have to say one of my favorites. Definitely not the same drama factor as O at Bellagio but very enjoyable just the same. Saltimbanco is a stripped down Cirque with no integrating theme with a much lighter presentation. There were the requisite high-flying acrobatics but there were some very one-off acts that were fascinating!

Other than that, the work and school thing is going well!

Bad Jim

2009-07-27T18:43:00.002-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know, its been almost 3 weeks. New department is keeping me busy. Its a good busy with really interesting exploration of the cancer genome. This is very cool, its all genetic changes that occur during the progression of cancer.

Rotisserie

2009-07-09T12:05:00.001-05:00

Last year I spent the 4th in Corpus Christi, it was a lovely gulf-side mini vacation and exploration, since I had never been. This year I did friend maintenance in Dallas. It was about time, it had been over a year since I left and many people had braved the heat and humidity to visit me in Houston.

In conversation with the friends I omitted the fact that I had to be in Dallas before the weekend for work anyway :)

Surprisingly everyone in Dallas is doing quite well. I say surprisingly since the signs of the bad economy are much more obvious in Dallas than in Houston. Big, very visible projects all over town are boarded up mid construction. Expensive townhomes are now mid-level rentals. Whole neighborhoods have for sale signs. Even Highland Park homes are staying on the market over a year; even at a decent price per square foot. I'm so happy I sold and left when I did!

While I still dislike Dallas from almost every perspective, I still have alot of respect for their restaurant scene; its still very innovative! This trip we discovered two new and notables.

Bolla
2927 Maple Avenue
Dallas, TX 75201

Bolla is the anchor restaurant in the massively renovated Stoneleigh Hotel. For those not knowing, the Stoneleigh is fantastic 1920's hotel in uptown. It's always been an island of character in a sea of post-modern dull that is uptown Dallas. Now its even better, the renovation gives the old hotel a modern feel without compromising its original character.

Stoneleigh Hotel Entrance

Bolla is "new Italian". There are a slew of new Italian in this area of town but Bolla seems to take extra steps in presentation and innovative ingredient combos to set themselves apart. Enter Kalamata Scones with Basil Garlic Butter.

Service is a bit overly attentive. However, this could be a singleton experience since over the 4th there was noone in the restaurant but us. And actually, there was noone in the hotel or even in Uptown Dallas.

Bolla Interior

Bolla Lighting

Screen Door
1722 Routh St # 132
Dallas, TX 75201-2503
(214) 720-9111

Anchoring the north end of the Dallas Arts District is a new mixed-use structure known as 1 Arts Plaza. This is home to Southland Corp on the lower floors and the insanely wealthy on the top floors. Units in this building go for a unbelievably ridiculous $770 a square foot. Yes, higher than Manhattan.

Lobby@ 1Arts

The retail entering the ground floor is quite nice, Screen Door being one of the culinary entries. Screen Door is eccentric Southern. I say eccentric because they take standard Southern recipes and do things to them that are odd and unexpected. Take for example the Shrimp and Grits. This is a stellar dish. Its what you might be expecting, except the grits are more the consistency of firm mashed potatoes, perhaps mixed with an innocous white cheese. It comes together well and presents as creamy, toothy and delicious. The accompanying sauce is based from the New Orleans holy trinity of onion-pepper-carrots but with a spicy kick that adds a much needed dimension to the creamy texture of the grits.

Carrot cake is another standard that has been renovated. The cake part is cut into large circles which are glazed in a ginger syrup; they form a cookie of sorts with a cinnamon laced cream cheese middle. The 2 squiggles of sauce were Raspberry-Currant and Double-Vanilla. Had I not been driving back home I would have ordered one of my own rather than stealing bites from my friend.

All in all it was a good visit. While I still dislike Dallas I was very happy to catch up with my Dallas friends.

Also, I dont care what people say Houston it is not as brutal in the summer as Dallas. We might be more humid but at least at the end of the day you dont feel like a well-done rotisserie chicken.

Beaver-licious

2009-07-02T15:27:00.004-05:00

One of my co-workers has an unusual pet. A beaver. Yes, a beaver. A wood-chewing, dam-building, long-tailed, big-toothed beaver. In fact, the Beaver-girl is the only person in the state of Texas licensed to have a beaver as a pet. As you can imagine Beaver-girl cannot in any way, shape or form talk about her pet without a tidal-wave of Beaver jokes. She even sometimes goes on the offensive and tells her own Beaver jokes as a way to diffuse the obvious.

That said, when I discovered there was a restaurant in Houston named Beavers, well, it was a foregone conclusion that we would have an outing!

Beaver's is a BBQ joint. But its upscale BBQ; BBQ with style, not to mention BBQ with options for vegetarians. I liked Beaver's alot, particularly their Beaver Nut Burger, a meatless burger made out of brown rice and cashews, which quite frankly was more weighty and filling that some real meat burgers I've had.

The fried pickles were amazing. Oddly, these are not fried pickle chips, they are fried pickle spears. BIG fried pickle spears. I liked the spicy ranch like sauce that kept the pickles company.

We watched the two guys next two us gasp in amazement as their Shrimp and Oyster Poboys were delivered. I swear this Poboy was bigger than a watermelon and spilling over with huge fried shrimp. The Poboy was served on a plate, no, platter, that was crammed to capacity with the restaurant's signature smoky chips and coleslaw. Apparently moderation is not the theme in Beaver-land.

Beaver-girl was quite pleased with the experience. In fact, she had a brief conversation with the manager about her beaver and it seems like her beaver might be making a special public appearance sometime soon.

I'll be sure to post some pics of that, should there be a beaver sighting :)

Beaver-girl @ Beaver's via Blackberry

Beaver's
2310 Decatur St
Houston, TX 77007-7519
(713) 864-2328

Rabbinical

2009-06-24T06:00:00.002-05:00

We have a rabbi in the family now. Cousin Avi, after years (10, I think) of studying and countless grueling tests is now official. We are very proud!

Cousin Rabbi @ closing ceremonies in Israel

I know, you can hardly tell us apart, he's like my Israeli twin!

Decade

2009-06-20T19:15:00.001-05:00

For my sister's birthday this year I took her on her first trip to NYC. Like all trips to NYC, this one was great. However this one had a few bonuses.

The day sister left for NYC, her 7 year old daughter gave her a frog keychain, named Lucky Frog, as a bon-voyage good luck charm. Lucky Frog obviously has power. When we checked into our hotel room in Midtown we were expecting the ususal 250-sf room with no view and no counter space. What we discovered was a full living room with 2-stories of glass forming a 180 degree view over looking midtown Manhattan. Then we discovered the full kitchen. Then the 20x20 bedroom with floor to ceiling windows. It wasnt until later that we discovered the hallway with the other 2 bedrooms and bathrooms. They had given us the penthouse suite on the 41st floor. We were the 41st floor.

Sister checks out the penthouse terrace

View from the bedroom

Lucky Frog welcomes you to NYC!

We had a whirlwind tour: Avenue Q on Broadway, Central Park, The Met, Battery Park, Ground Zero, Uppper East Side, Chelsea, Times Square, Hells Kitchen, and many interesting and delicious organic vegetarian meals!

Winners for this trip were

Double Crown
316 Bowery @ Bleecker
NYC
212.254.0350

Holy crap! This newcomer to Nolita is fantastic. We loved the English ruled India theme, which manifested itself in a wonderful drink called a Kumquat, Red Chili and Elderflower Mash. A citrusy whallop with spicy undertones and almost no sugar! The food is comparably amazing. Randomly pick an entree since they will all satisfy but dont forget to have the Yellowfin Tuna app, easily the best use of tuna on the planet!

Guy & Gallard
120 East 34th @ Lexington
NYC
212.684.3898

Why am I getting so excited about a coffehouse? Easy, its not Starbucks and they have a salad bar with several kinds of marinated tofu. Then there's the fresh juice bar, the better-than-Starbucks coffee and options for breakfast that don't include the 1200-calorie blueberry muffin (aka, pie in a muffin tin)

Lucky Frog recommends Guy & Gallard

The Met
1000 5th Ave
NYC

We really wanted to see the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Gugg, but it had just opened so all of Manhattan was there. Instead we were thrilled to walk several blocks to the infinitely larger Metropolitan Museum of Art. I've been to this museum literally dozens of times but there is always something new. This time sister and I became quite fascinated with the Asian Art wing.

Right, you aren't supposed to take pictures inside The Met. But then I have a Lucky Frog and you don't :)

The last day I treated sister to a subway ride from Park & 33rd down to Battery Park. She loved the subway! I wanted her to see Battery Park; the view to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as well as a casual stroll around Ground Zero. Battery Park was particularly busy as it was a warm sunny day. We stumbled across this 9/11 memorial of sorts. I think it was once stationed around Wall St. but as you can see it was somewhat damaged in the attacks. I thought it was very cool to preserve it in its battered state in Battery Park.

On the cab ride back to La Guardia sister was asking just how she could fit her 150 pound puppy into a 500 SF apt. Well, NY'ers are known for making the seemingly impossible, possible.

It's why we love them.

SOMA

2009-05-31T14:54:00.005-05:00

I continue to be impressed with the Houston restaurant scene. I was a little worried when I moved to Houston (a year ago today) simply because I remember a Houston of the early 1990's. A lot has changed. 1990 Houston did not eat sushi, or at least not the raw variety. Sushi houses in 2009 Houston are shoe-horned between every Starbucks and Chipotle and completely unecessary bank branch. There have been several that will not get a return visit but mostly they are good; SOMA in particular is very good.

Sushi @ SOMA via Blackberry

"Modern" sushi scares me a little. I always think that by modern they mean - fry it up, melt cheese on it or drown perfectly good sushi in gooey, sweet, over-the-top sauce. This is the Dallas version of modern sushi, which to me is analogous to putting ketchup on filet mignon while watching WWF reruns in your double-wide with your sister-wife. I'm happy to report "modern sushi" in Houston parlance just means modern presentation.

SOMA is a relatively new sushi entry in Rice Military, a neighborhood quickly earning a rep for being foodie heaven. SOMA is modern most senses but it doesnt feel the need to be compulsive about it. The litmus test of Hamachi and Unagi passed with flying colors. In fact, the sushi chef actually subbed our second Hamachi order for Toro; same price, we liked him for some reason. The rolls were creative and well-presented. I think our favorite this trip was the Rainbow Spider, which is the standard soft-shelled crab roll but with tuna, escolar, yellow tail and salmon wrapped on the outside.

SOMA has happy hour most days from 4-7p, during which many of their higher-priced rolls are half off. Hmm, half-priced Rainbow Spiders and a glass of Pear Sake2Me, I feel a 12-step program right around the corner.

SOMA
4820 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007

(713) 861-2726‎

Transfer

2009-05-19T22:07:00.002-05:00

Its been a busy month what with the layoffs at the Cancer Shoppe. It was sad to see so many of my co-workers leave, but the severance package was extremely generous and most walked out on a little puffy cloud. I will probably put on 10 pounds with all of the going away parties. Such is life, lol.

I was not one of the 10% reduced. In fact, I was one of a handful of people transfered to new departments. I am now in the department that handles computational oncology.

And in case I didnt mention it, I'm now working on a PhD in Health Informatics.

Super cool!

Blakemore

2009-05-10T09:08:00.004-05:00

Last month I joined the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston at a level that allows me to see the exhibits before they open to the public. I did it on purpose so I could actually see the art instead of the people trying to cram into the museum to see the art. I haven't figured out why with 30 different museums in Houston, the MFA is always packed to discomfort.

Yesterday I saw a photography exhibit by Houston's own Amy Blakemore. It was nice to walk through the gallery with only 4 other people.

Blakemore has an interesting style. The composition seems innocuous enough until you look at it for a long enough period of time. Then her photos become evocative and even downright disturbing. She has a knack for light, focus and bringing out elements of the casual street scene that are unexpected and thought-provoking.

Take for example the item below. If you're familiar with I-45 between Houston and Dallas, you have no doubt seen this monument of Sam Houston. Maybe you've even stopped and walked around the surrounding park. I really doubt you've seen it like this. Its 1950's sci-fi, you can almost hear Portishead's Mysterons on loop-back in your head.

Her exhibit opens today and runs through mid-September, definitely worth a visit.

White Sangria

2009-05-07T06:27:00.005-05:00

The party celebrating Spain, otherwise known as a cover for me to make all the recipies I learned in Barcelona, was a success. Fortunately, whether it was the "collapsing economy" or the "H1N1 global pandemic", the crowd was much smaller than the previous party. I've found that 15-20 people is ideal; more becomes too much work, less is just a dinner party.

The most requested recipies were the White Sangria and the Saffron Meatballs.

White Sangria

2 T Sugar
3 Shots Apple Brandy (Calvados is good)
4 Kiwi, peeled and sliced 1/2"
3 Granny Smith Apples, cored and sliced into wedges
1 Lemon, sliced 1/4"
1 Lime, sliced 1/4"
1 Pint Raspberries
1 Bottle Savignon Blanc (I liked Monkey Bay)

In a large container, mix the brandy and sugar until the sugar in dissolved. Add in sequence: apples, lemon, lime, raspberries, kiwi, wine. Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Its interesting that the order in which you stack the fruit in the container changes the flavor of the sangria. I think its the weight of the ingredients that forces the juice out of the fruit you place on bottom. If you like your sangria with more citrus notes, add the lemon and lime first. If you like it fruit forward, add the apples, kiwis and raspberries first.

T'Afia

2009-04-21T19:43:00.005-05:00

Well enough about Spain. For now. You will of course hear more about Spain after my Spain party next month. But for now lets get local.

The lovely ladies and I went out to a new place. New to me, that is, since the last time I lived in Houston this place did not exist. Its interesting how the midtown Houston area has incubated the mainstream deflecting indie crowd in all facets. I'm finding not only is the art in this area unique and thought-provoking, so is the food.

New place is called T'Afia. T'Afia is the realization of talent from chef Monica Pope. Chef Monica was actually cooking that night so it was a special treat. I learned that Chef Monica is part of the gay community, loves Houston and insists that all of her ingredients are local to the area. She also loves to push flavors into collaboration which do not at all seem intuitive. Or at times even appetizing. But I have to say, she's got a gift and everything works well together. Surprisingly well and in a completely unclassifiable way.

Things to try here.

Ratafias. A ratafia is a fortified wine infused with seasonal produce. I had a white wine infused with strawberry (hint of basil) and a red wine infused with grapefruit. Both were amazing.

Red potatoes, bacon, maple & nutmeg. You know how pancakes taste when you get a bit of bacon and a bit of maple syrup on them? Well this is the same thing. Unbelievable. I would have never thought of creating a maple-based sauce for my red potatoes, but you better believe I will be trying this at home.

Chermoula scallops, red quinoa, buerre blanc. Chermoula is a Moroccan inspired seasoning which seems to take on a peppery paprika flavor. This blended extremely well with the earthy nuttiness of quinoa, one of the best-for-you grains around. Of course everything tastes just a bit better with a buttery beurre blanc sauce on it. Texture, flavor, discovery and wonder - this dish has it all.

Caramel semifreddo, crunchy sesame. I'm not much on dessert but the table ordered this one so I was "forced" into trying it. Semifreddo has the consistency of ice cream blended with marshmallow creme, quite airy despite its heavy caloric punch. What was interesting were the candied sesame seed clusters and the very unconventional addition of a sauce based on a balsamic reduction. I know, it sounds odd but I bet you will not be able to stop.

So far, T'Afia has kicked the other Houston restaurants' collective culinary butt. You know where I will take you should you decide to visit.

T'Afia
3701 Travis
Houston, Texas
713.524.6922

BCN: Eat

2009-04-05T10:30:00.001-05:00

For my last post about Barcelona I make you a promise - You won't go hungry in Barcelona.

You will find just about any flavor but you should expect the regional Catalan fare to take stage everywhere. And you should try as much of the local food as possible. You can get pasta and baked chicken anywhere, you dont need to fly 14 hours for that.

Sister and I narrowed down our Top 3 to these 5 (alas there were 2 ties, otherwise known as we couldn't make a decision)

Third place

Sagarra
Xuclá i Pintor Fortuny
Barcelona

Located behind the swanky Hotel 1898 we found an alley. The alley had three great indoor / outdoor restaurants. We liked Sagarra the best. Definitely try to snag one of the outdoor tables. You might have to put up with a beggar or two but the street musicians are worth the minor annoyance.

Tapas to try here are: Patatas Bravas, Crab Salad and the uber addictive Spinach Croquettes! Of course, it goes without saying that you will order a litre of Sangria.

Sagarra

Basement of Cortes Ingles
Placa de Catalunya
Barcelona

Sure, you are entering a big mall. So what? Take the escalators down to the basement and round the corner to the counter deli. Pick up a couple of bocadillos (ironically called flautas); make sure to try at least one that is made from Torta de Espana (the ubiquitous potato omlette). This is an inexpensive snack or lunch. Sister and I had these for breakfast so often we started referring to them as Mc Torta Sandwiches.

Second Place

Taller De Tapas
Rambla de Catalunya, 49
Barcelona

On the northern stretch of Las Ramblas in the La Eixample hood. Definitely get an outdoor table and remember noone eats here until at least 10pm. There are items on this menu that we did not see elsewhere and there are some that are just better here.

Tapas to try here: Spinach and Chickpeas with Serrano Ham (we ate this at least four times and loved it!), Patatas Bravas (because you cant get enough of fried potatoes) and Octopus in Garlic Olive Oil (I'm usually luke warm about the Pus but this was unbelievably good!) Once again, you will need to order a litre of Sangria, just in case you forgot.

Taller De Tapas

El Che
Vilà I Vilà, 71
Barcelona

No trip to Barcelona is complete without trying Paella, the most wonderful saffron rice dish. When we asked for the best Paella restaurant we got many responses but this one came up more often as the place the locals would go for their Paella fix.

It was a small, elegant restaurant in the middle of the most diverse neighborhood we saw in Barcelona. Not far from the harbor and only a 15 minute walk from La Rambla. We went old school, Paella with seafood, although we were jealously eyeing our neighbors Paella Negra, a paella made with rice and squid ink; the deep purple of the rice definitely set off everything else. We were totally happy with our paella, although we wanted more seafood.

With paella I recommend taking a break from Sangria and switching over to one of the many wonderful Spanish Tempranillos or Riojas.

Our Favorite

Cuidad Comdal
Rambla de Catalunya, 18
Barcelona

Ask any Barcelona native and they will tell you this place is the best place for tapas. We agree. By now you know the drill: sangria, patatas bravas. Here you should also try Pan con Tomate, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Pork Loin and the Tuna Stuffed Peppers! If you like beer, try the one brewed in Barcelona, Estrella Damm. If you like desserts try the Catalonain Creme, its like Creme Brulee only more pudding like. Its better to sit inside to capture the whole natives-eat-out feel, however be prepared to scream to be heard; its always busy and the Barcelona crowd is loud.

Cuidad Comdal

BCN: Barcelonetta and Port Olimpic

2009-04-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

Barcelonetta is a sea-hugging, older part of town having a dual life: it hosts the working class fisherman of the city and its one of the new, "cool" parts of town under gentrification. It's gritty, offers an amazing array of seafood and should not be missed. After strolling through the ultra-confusing, nameless and signless grid of streets, try to emerge at the sea and follow the massive sidewalk toward Port Olimpic, the newer part of town in which you'll find Barcelona's rendition of the "Twin Towers", the "World Trade Center", as well as every luxury hotel built in the last decade.

Port Olimpic

The two taller buildings in the background are known locally as the Twin Towers. They are not twins, of course. The big copper looking structure is known as Moby Dick, its a huge metal scupture of a whale.

Port Olimpic - Jungle Gym at the Sea

Port Olimpic - Boats!

Port Olimpic - World Trade Center (seriously)

Barcelona's World Trade Center is currently up and running although as you can see from the photo, the top floors are still under construction.

BCN: Parc De La Ciutadella

2009-04-03T07:30:00.003-05:00

Walking east from La Rambla allows you to explore the soulful neighborhood of Barri Gòtic; an interesting and ecclectic mix of people, smells and sounds, all nestled casually into narrow, criss-crossing streets and older construction vaguely reminding me of Florence, Italy. A eastern exit of Barri Gòtic will place you at the entrance to yet another lovely and historic park known as Parc De La Ciutadella.

Here you will find the Barcelona Zoo, the Catalan Parliament Building and the huge fountain area known as Cascada, loosely modeled after the Trevi fountains in Rome. If you dont know the convergence and divergence of Catalan and Spanish history, this is the place to learn. I would recommend not asking a Barcelona resident about the difference between Catalonia and Spain; this is a black hole from which discussion never exits. Keep in mind the Catalan sense of nationalism is extremely strong and they do not consider themselves part of Spain, technicalities aside.

Building Detail

Metal Sculpture

Creepy Trees

Grand Walkway

Cascada

Cascada

Catalan Parliament Building

BCN: Miró

2009-03-29T11:50:00.000-05:00

Along the eastern edge of Montjüic lies The Miró Museum. Even if you are very familiar with Miró's work, you will see pieces here that will surprise you, particularly the paintings from early in his career.

The museum is very thoughtfully spaced and lighted; the architecture includes walkout decks to showcase some of Miró's brighter, metal-based sculptures. They are simply stunning against the starck white stucco of the exterior and the deep blue of the sky.

Another surprise, the in-house cafe is excellent and reasonably priced, so make sure to stop for bocadillos (small sandwich) and cafe solo (espresso).

BCN: Montjüic

2009-03-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Montjüic is another lovely hillside park. Its a pleasant 2-mile stroll from La Rambla and a good way to see the southwest part of the city along the sea. The "hill" can be approached from many directions; sister and I tried them all, the southern most approach off the main street was definitely the kindest.

There are some must see items here: The 1992 Olympic/ 1929 Worlds' Fair site, The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, and The Miró Museum. Between those sites are many surprise gardens and walkways, all of which offer breath-taking views of the city.

1929 World's Fair & 1992 Outdoor Olympic Stadium

1992 Indoor Olympic Stadium

Olympic Telecommunications Tower

Olympic Statue

Random Montjüic park with tree pagoda

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Closer

View from Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

A gaggle of Barcelona's younger set

Rooftops to Sea

Over The Oranges To The Harbor

The other attraction here is the Fountain of Lights but that only comes alive at night. Considering we had many tapas to try that night and remembering the universal rule of *tapas covers fountain*, we would have to see the fountain on a return trip.

Next - The Miró Museum.

BCN: Gaudí House

2009-03-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

The house where Gaudí lived is also within Parc Guell. I was surprised by the house; I was expecting something larger. I was expecting something more grand, more ornate with more linear defying architecture. But there was none of that. Still it was interesting and I'm glad I saw it. Oh yeah, it was pink, yes, Gaudí lived in a pink house. Ick.

BCN: Parc Güell

2009-03-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Parc Güell - Signage
Parc Güell is a beautiful, hilly park and yet another Gaudí achitectural showcase and in fact, was where he lived for a time. The park is located in the northern neighborhood of Gracia. From La Rambla its a 4 mile hike but I highly recommend the walk, since you will see things by foot that are easy to miss otherwise.

Parc Güell - First Front House

Parc Güell - Second Front House

After passing the entrance and marveling over the two houses in the front you reach the stairs with the famous dragon fountain. It was hard to photograph the dragon fountain, apparently noone knew they were supposed to clear the area when I took out my camera. Tourists!

Parc Güell - Gaudí's Dragon Fountain

Behind the dragon fountain there is a semi circular seating area. Beautiful tile work which photos hardly do justice.

Parc Güell - Sister @ Tiled Seating Area

Behind the seating area is what I called the hall of columns. From far away the columns look white and shiny but really they are covered in light colored mosaic tiles; none of which are exactly white, they are light shades of gray, blue, yellow and pink. The entire ceiling of this area is covered in mosiac pieces, mostly looking like elaborate sun dials.

Parc Güell - Hall of Columns

On the way up to the "roof" of the Hall of Columns there is an interesting arched walkway. Asymmetric is an understatement; its almost impossible to walk through the archway without leaning to one side.

Parc Güell - Arched Walkway

Finally, on top of the Hall of Columns is the Serpentine seating. A long ribbon of mosaic tiled seating that created a huge semi circular public area. It was covered in tourists so I didnt get any really good shots.

Parc Güell - Serpentine Seating

BCN: La Boqueria

2009-03-19T12:56:00.005-05:00

La Rambla is the big walking street in the heart of Barcelona. There are sidealks on both sides of the street with a quadruple sized sidewalk in the middle of the street, usually housing all sorts of street vendors. Its busy all hours of the day and night. And I mean Barney's annual sale kind of busy. While it can be oppressively touristy, once you know the street, you can get anywhere by foot.

One day while taversing La Rambla we came across this open ar market called La Boqueria. "Market" is an understatement considering you could have done all of your grocery shopping, had lunch, espresso, picked up a few Christmas presents and a date for Friday night.

Sister and I became daily visitors for the fresh juice stand. Sure they had fresh squeezed orange juice. But why bother with that when you can have fresh blackberry juice. Or kiwi. Or pineapple-coconut. Or mango-papaya. Or raspberry-apple. Or that crazy bright pink fruit that looks like a kiwi on the inside.

La Boqueria, Approach

La Boqueria, Closer

La Boqueria, Side

La Boqueria, Meat

La Boqueria, Fruit

BCN: La Sagrada Familia

2009-03-18T06:15:00.023-05:00

La Sagrada Familia is the unbelievably massive and elaborate Catholic church Gaudí designed in the late 1800's. Construction began in 1882 and is still going. Dont worry though, even after 127 years of construction, it is scheduled to be complete in 2026, a mere 100 years after Gaudí's death.

When you see the detail, both internal and external, you begin to understand why this church has taken so long to build. Looking up from the bottom floor onto the ceiling, you realize that there are no squared off intersections, everything is rounded. Everything is covered in mosiac tiles; however did they get the tiles placed so high on ceiling back in 1880 something and still make it look like cohesive artwork from the ground? Scaffolding? Pulley system? Was there alot of alcohol involved?

Sagrada Familia - Front

Sagrada Familia - Front, Closer

Sagrada Familia - Stained Glass

Sagrada Familia - Front Windows

Sagrada Familia - Ceiling Detail

Sagrada Familia - Back

Sagrada Familia - Back, Closer

Whatever you do, make sure you take the elevator to the "top" of the church so you can walk around. Walk straight past the front elevators, which will be swarming with people waiting a hour, to the back elevators which will be empty. Also, be prepared to walk sideways, since the paths in and out of the tourets will be very narrow. The views of the city and the detail at the top of the building are alone worth the rather steep $20 price of admission.

Sagrada Familia - View From Top

Sagrada Familia - Peace Pillar

Sagrada Familia - Orange Pillar

Sagrada Familia - Gold Pillar

Sagrada Familia - View To Torre Agbar

Torre Agbar, the building looking like a 30-story vibrator, is an interesting piece of architecture in itself. Its covered in 5000 windows, which open and close relative to the ambient temperature. Thats interesting but whats more fascinating is that each of the windows has an embedded LED. The whole building changes colors at night in swirling, asymmetrical patterns.

BCN

2009-03-17T23:22:00.001-05:00

Why Barcelona? Believe it or not I decided to go while I was watching the film Vicky Christina Barcelona. I realized during the film that most of Gaudí's architecture was in Barcelona. Not only that but Miró and Picasso were also rooted in the city. Then there's a port, mountains, sea, cava and of course actual real tapas from the experts.

Also, since my sister is turing the big four O this year and had never been out fo the country, the trip to Barcelona was an early birthday present to her (and Christmas, Easter, New Years and Thanksgiving). Also, it was my evil plan to let her see that there is so much more life beyond her troubled relationship with her estranged husband. It was certainly a success in that context, she gets it now, there is more to life.

Since its late and I'm not going to get much blogging done tonight, here is an introduction to our trip.

Ferran & Sister - Barcelona, Catalonia

Ferran is a lovely man we met while in Barcelona. He was so helpful at explaining the Catalonian culture, the Catalan language and the do and do nots of the city, that we kind of adopted him.

Tomorrow, La Sagrada Familia, one of Gaudí's most interesting creations and certainly one of the longest running projects in history, now in its 120th year of construction and still going!

Home again

2009-03-17T06:18:00.002-05:00

Sister and I are back from Spain. We had a great time and met some extremely warm, friendly (and a little wacky) people from Catalonia. I hope to start the postings of the trip tonight!

¡Me gusta!

2009-03-11T16:56:00.003-05:00

Barcelona is now one of favorite cities. So far we have had an incredible time; the people, food, culture and lifestyle are just about perfect for me. I might have been Spanish at some point. We even have new friends from Barcelona who will be coming to the states to live :)

More later.

Still Here

2009-03-04T21:11:00.003-06:00

I know its been a while but I am still alive, just swamped! After sister and I have our little reunion, I will be back (with photos).

Cheers!

Happy Valentines Mom!

2009-02-14T18:38:00.005-06:00

Or happy black history month, whichever you are celebrating today.

Me & Mom, San Francisco - 1979

(lay off my wings, you know you had them too! lol)

Final Answer

2009-02-08T16:54:00.006-06:00

Three reschedules later I finally was able to see this one. And I'm probably the last person I know to do so. Hyped up? Yes. Deserving? Also, yes.

I liked the public-facing storyline of Jamal, the Indian teen who winds up on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. But if you haven't seen this one yet, know that this is pivotal on the surface but irrelevant to the underlying story.

Flashback story telling is hardly novel but the use of such in this film tells a broader story of not just the main character's life but of mainstream life for the underpriviliged in India's largest city. If you haven't been to India yet, this film will give you a very small glimpse of what most Westerner's perceive as an almost impossible contrast in lifestyles. Each question asked on the show yields another flashback to how he knows the answer, another glimpse into modern day Indian life and another fragment of what becomes the actual story and message.

I had to laugh out loud at the end. Even though this film is shot more in the style of City Of God and definitely resists the conventional path of Bollywood, there was however the obligatory, if not parody of Bollywood, group dancing scene at the end. Nice though that they wove it into the credits rather than after every scene.

Definitely a whopping success for director, Danny Boyle, who managed to tweeze out what will likely be this year's best film from a cast of virtual unknowns. Dev Patel, who plays the lead, along with the two kids who play him at younger ages definitely steal the scenes. While I don't think any of them will nab acting awards this go 'round, they all put forth one hell of a performance.

It seems from Slumdog Millionaire, what we should know, what they deliver in Buddhist tone wrapped up in slick production, is that the final answer for eveything is fate.

Slumdog Millionaire
10/10

Tie Dye

2009-01-24T11:26:00.003-06:00

Wasnt tie dye from the 60's? How come we all still like it and I still find it in high dollar clothes in department stores? I don't know, maybe there is a resurgence of fascination with the era and the sentiment it expressed.

Whatever the reason it manifested itself last weekend in the form of a tie dye party. One of my new friends, who conveniently lives around the corner, has an annual tie dye party, a close circle of 125 people all bring their white cotton items and spend the afternoon with pot luck, beer and a variety of dyes creating, well, art.

I had to duck in and out of the party to take care of work stuff but I managed to turn an old T-shirt and an older Banana Republic dress shirt into something else.

Groovy.

Mom Blogs

2009-01-19T08:38:00.003-06:00

First came the upconverting HD DVD players, then the flat screen TVs and now, my parents the technowizards of the retirement set, are blogging. Its only a matter of time before my dad gets a smart phone and starts trading stocks on the golf course! :)

Mom's Jewelry Blog

Unravel

2009-01-18T11:19:00.003-06:00

If you've been looking for the perfect indie film that is both interesting and feel good, a comedy with a romantic spin and only a time commitment of 85 minutes. Look no further.

The themes in this film are love, mathematics, the illusion of control overlaying the inevitable reality of chaos. All of which are wrapped up in a clever script, good flow and dead-pan dark comedy.

Ryan Reynolds scorches as the efficiency expert who realizes that lists and careful planning are not a panacea. And really, they create a narrow, unaccomodating structure from he must escape as he learns surprising details surrounding his marriage and friends. I'd have never thought of Reynolds as a leading man, having only ever seen him make a brief appearance in an X-Files episode cicra 1995, but he firmly holds this underrated Indie together. I'll look forward to seeing more him in the future.

Chaos Theory
8.5/10

A Little Israel In Texas

2009-01-11T17:07:00.005-06:00

Today The Ladies and I went to try a new restaurant. I've been wanting to try this place since I moved to Houston. There are many Kosher restaurants here, if only because the Jewish community is so large, but, to my knowledge there is only one Kosher (Dairy) restaurant run by Israeli's. Its called Saba.

I'll eat almost anything but The Ladies both have specific tastes. Luckily Saba's menu had something that appealed to everyone: Shakshuka, Hummous, (your mom's) Egg Salad, Bourekas, and the incredibly addictive מלאווח‎ (Malawach) Pizza! If you have never had Malawach Pizza, you need to find the closest Kosher Dairy restaurant run by Israeli's and try it. Malawach Pizza is like a 100 layers of what I would consider phyllo dough, fried, then topped with cheese and spices (and probably other things but we opted for cheese).

Having been a complete Shakshuka (egg dish with spicy tomato, onion, pepper sauce) nut while I toured Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheva and Jerusalem, I'm clearly a self-appointed expert. I've tried it in a couple of places back in the States, even went so far as to make it myself. Good, but Saba's is better, more reminiscent of the dish I had all over Israel.

Hummous is thick and creamy, light on the garlic, heavy on the tahini. Pita are apparently hand made and fresh. Of course, all plates come with the obligatory Israeli salad of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes ( lemon juice and olive oil are at the table).

I found the service to be friendly, efficient and very comfortable. The atmosphere, well, its casual - very casual. Saba's is located in a non-descript stip mall south of a very dingy part of Fondren. I took pictures of the outside but I wont post them since it does nothing for the experience of the wonderful food on the inside.

Saba's was moderately busy on a Sunday afternoon, a steady stream of people came in for a noon-time sit down meal or ordered Malawach to go. Note that you will hear almost exclusively Hebrew conservations from the patrons here, however English comes easily for those manning the counter.

Lunch for 3 with enough to take away came to under $30, which we found more than reasonable.

We all loved this place and it might become a Sunday ritual.

Saba's Kosher Kitchen
9704 Fondren Road
Houston, TX 77096
713-270-7222

(note: they are closed from Fri 3p to Sun 9a for Sabbath)

Family Update

2009-01-07T06:30:00.002-06:00

I had an email from my cousin last night, everyone is Israel is fine. Ironcially one cousin gave birth right before the fighting started, another during. Middle cousin was actually delivering when a rocket hit a high school behind the hospital. I guess thats one way to speed the delivery raipdly along. Cousin Marnina wrapped up her newborn and headed out to another city. I guess youngest cousin is still expecting, still. Strangely youngest cousin may the safest of all, living in the West Bank. I never thought I write safe and West Bank together in one sentence.

Jerusalem

2009-01-05T21:19:00.004-06:00

Done. Kind of done. I keep adding more red if only to tone down the orange. Occassionally I add a brown or black streak. I doubt I'll truly ever be "done".

A lot of people have seen this in person and they always have questions. Here is my spin.

This is my abstract impression of Jerusalem after my trip to Israel.

It was a very emotional experience being inside the walls of the old city. Its overload in every respect, not to mention this is the birthplace of the three big religions. Because it was more emotional I went with red and orange as the dominant colors since those are most emotional to me.

The big red circle is G-d. I was going to put the Hebrew word for G-d in the center, but that seemed trite. Plus I suck at Hebrew script. Then I was going to fill te big circle with a white-yellow color to be more G-d like but that seemed ugly. And stupid. I finally decided to go Kabbalah; you cannot describe or represent that which is G-d. So, I didn't.

The 3 smaller red circles are the 3 religions represented in Jerusalem. The circles are raised and rough-edge with fiber paste. The symbols are not centered in the circles. My point here, albeit very unpopular, is that no religion is perfect or centered. They are interpretations of G-d according to independent systems of thought. Only collectively do they make sense and converge on a true meaning.

Oh yeah, I also needed something to match my red and orange vase. LOL

Israel

2009-01-04T11:20:00.000-06:00

People have been asking how my family in Israel is doing. As far as I know they are fine, I haven't heard anything to the contrary. Yes, the city most of them live in, Be'er Sheva, has been bombed. To make things more fun, all three of the cousins are expecting this month. I may not hear from them again until February, considering.

I was reluctantly glad to see Israel make the move on Gaza, considering the missle range of Hamas is now reaching Israel's third largest city. Continuing to wait would only bring certain destruction to Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv and, who knows, probably Jerusalem. Hamas is a loose cannon; irresponsible, illogical, immoral and a complete disservice to the its people and the region.

I think Israel's Achille's heel has been waiting and bowing to world opinion. Through every "truce" and "ceasfire" Hamas has continued launching missles on Israel, clearly indicating peaceful co-existence is not on their agenda. But of course, what would one expect from them, destruction of the state of Israel is part of their manifest. In writing and certainly in practice.

Israel not responding to these threats since leaving the Gaza strip has lulled the public into a "oh another rocket was launched into Israel" reaction, like it's as benign as a penny rise in gas prices. It is not benign; their intent, no matter how successful, is still to destroy. I'm betting if Mexico starting launching missles on Houston the reaction would be a little different at home. We would probably see the USAF taking out anything that moved in Mexico. Not to mention the inevitable traffic jam that would result from the many pickups and concealed weapons rushing southward toward the border.

But fortunately for us we have reasonable neighbors that don't want us destroyed.

Baruch Atah Y'all

2008-12-30T20:55:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot. In my unconventional holiday this year I celebrated Hanukkah. A co-worker turned friend who lives around the corner from me invited me over to help their family celebrate Hanukkah. They are a great couple with a very smart, well-behaved 8 year old son; my Jewish family when I can't be with my Jewish family in Israel (who apparently are quite busy right now kicking the crap out of Hamas but thats a post for another day).

They had a interesting collection of minoras. I really liked the multi-colored metal one that comes apart and can be reconfigured in 8! ways. That might be the architectural geek in me. Or maybe the math geek in me condsidering I just used a factorial sign in a blog post. Sheesh. Anyway, the most interesting one (not pictured simply because we ate it) was the edible minora; frozen oreos topped with chocolate ice cream, each of which had a candle embedded. There were 8 of them and only 5 of us so I had to help them out and try one. I'm sure thats a mitzvah despite the sugar coma that followed.

Minora Collection

Turchickini Bowl

2008-12-29T19:30:00.008-06:00

I love cooking but it has taken a way back seat lately. With work, school, 3 new acrylic painting projects, 2 pops over the pond and attempting to not slip into my natural hermitdom state, its been secondary. With 5 whole days off I was determined to try some new recipes. We will skip right over the utterly gross attempt I made at the Classic French Omlette; good taste but it looked like the 7th circle of hell in egg form.

Moving right along to my Chicken Soup. Naturally I made a few changes, like making a turkey stock instead of chicken, subbing collard green for spinach and spinach fettucini for egg noodles.

Turchickini Stock

1 lb Ground Turkey
1 Red Onion, Chopped
2 Carrots, Peeled and Chopped
2 Celery Ribs, Chopped
1 T Canola Oil
4 C Water
8 C Chicken Broth (low sodium)
3 Bay Leaves
2 T Black Salt
1 t Black Pepper
1/4 t Red Pepper
1 1/2 lb Chicken Thighs

Add oil to a large pan over medium high heat until shimmering. Add ground turkey, carrot, onion and celery. Stir until turkey is almost coooked through, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add water, broth, bay leaves, salt, peppers and chicken thighs. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid, crank up heat until boiling. Remove thighs and set aside. Continue to cook stock for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through mesh.

Turchickini Soup

3 T Cornstarch
1/4 C Water
1 Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
2 Carrots, DIced
1 Celery Rib, Diced
1 Large Potato, Diced
1/3 C Collard Greens
6-8 Oz Spinach Fettucini
2 T Parsley, Chopped

Tear thigh meat into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Return stock to medium high heat. Whisk cornstarch into water until blended and smooth. Gradually stir cornstarch liquid into stock stirring constantly. Allow soup to boil gently for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add onion, carrot, celery, potato, collard greens and cook until all are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add fettucini to soup and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat then add parsley. Readjust seasoning with salt, black and red pepper then serve.

( Of course its not really soup until you add the red garlic chili sauce! :))

Strange Holiday

2008-12-28T23:10:00.006-06:00

First time I've done the holidays solo. I liked it, although it was strange not having my niecelettes jumping up and down on my bed at 5 am to open presents. Did I say strange? I meant really, really great. LOL.

I painted. I finally finished my "Jerusalem" painting. Picture pending until there is sun again. I started a new one "Rio", which is an excercise in bright, intersecting circles and Swarovski crystals. Its got bling but so does the city of Rio. Its taking forever but I hope to finish it before I run off to Spain.

Cooking, of course. I finally made a Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch. Except it was more a chicken, turkey, collard green and egg noodle soup. Delicious and postable this week (hopefully, if work goes well)

I found out from my dad that my soon to be former bro-in-law is now back living with my sister. WTF? When did multiple affairs with multiple women spanning multiple years become a forgivable crime? How did we move from divorce court to "lets try to work this out"? LOL. Well, whatever, my sister can do whatever she feels is necessary but as for me and the bro-in-law its done.

No trust and no respect = no relationship. Its just that simple.

Clearly I made the right choice staying in Houston; I missed snow, delays in travel, being stuck in a suburban Cincinnati hell and a bro-in-law that I would have completely and intentionally disrespected in my subtle, overly-sympathetic way.

Decoration

2008-12-17T19:29:00.006-06:00

Oh no, its that time of year again - Holiday Decorations. What to do. I have a new place, which means new lighting to consider, new layout of furniture, new issues of balance, symmetry, reflection and composition. Not to mention the new people and what they might think; new people at work and new people in the neighborhood. And we all know how sensitive I am to what others think about my decorations! The pressure is really on!

OK. Deep Breath.

Unpack all four holder. Unpack all four ornaments. Place the ornaments on the holders. Place the assembled pieces on the table. New this year - unpack the 100 red balls. String the red balls on the red ribbon, hang the assembled balls from the wall.

Whew! I'm exhausted. This definitely calls for a martini, maybe 2!

Snow

2008-12-10T18:39:00.001-06:00

Its now snowing in Houston. Big flufy flakes falling at a pretty good pace. Might not be news-worthy to most but doesn't snow here often!

Como Se Dice "Trade Off"?

2008-12-08T06:29:00.002-06:00

Sister is doing well now. The parentals are going up to visit with her this week as she visits with a lovely divorce lawyer. She was sad for a time, then one day, she just got her bitch on. Something tells me soon-to-be former bro-in-law will be living in a studio apt and driving a Moped soon. That'll teach him to have multiple simultaneous affairs. Karma is a MoFo.

I wont be going home for the holidays for the first time in many years this year. I know its bad timing with all the drama but I'm low man on the totem pole at work. That and I dont feel like paying $1200 to spend 2 days in freezing temps. Sister was upset until I told her what was behind door number three. I'm taking her with me to Spain in the Spring, we'll do our celebrating then and there.

"You know brother, you really shouldn't spend all that money just to come up here for a few days. I totally understand. I'll just see you in Barcelona!"

Yep, life is a series of trade offs.

Replicazzi

2008-12-02T23:00:00.000-06:00

Well aren't I clever thinking I would be so unique in my going to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. I mean, who in their right mind drags their family to Vegas for Thanksgiving, right? Apparently the answer is all of Los Angeles, part of Phoenix and about 2 million other people.

Paris, Las Vegas
My friend Donnie, also known as the Godfather of the Strip, put HEU Tara and I up at Paris. Not only that but he upgraded us to the super suite on the 20th floor overlooking the Bellagio fountains. Bonus!

Paris, Las Vegas

I liked Paris, particularly that it could be easily accessed by a side street and not Las Vegas Blvd. Also the Crepe place just outside of the registration area is a quick, inexpensive and wonderful place to snack.

As per my usual MO, I tried all new in LV.

O @ Bellagio
My favorite experience was seeing O at Bellagio. If you haven't seen any Cirques before, I'd recommend seeing another like Ka or Mystere before you see O. O is undescribable. It's similar to any other Cirque but the giant pool built into the stage, the acrobatics many stories above the water followed by the dizzying diving into the water are amazing. Its slightly less than 2 hours with no intermissions, but you will be thoroughly exhausted by the end. Sit close so you can see the intricate logisitics of raising and lowering the many platforms in the water to get the outrageous effects. Also, don't go into sticker shock over the $165 tickets, its actually well-worth the cost.

Hoover Dam
I finally saw Hoover Dam, incredibly interesting, particularly when you think that this structure was built in the 20's with 20's technology. Its weird to think that the concrete they poured over 80 years ago is still curing in spots. Its just that massive. Also interesting is the new freeway they are building over the dam area. If you are at all interested in massive and complicated construction projects, this would be the sight to visit. If you venture out to Hoover from LV, leave early. HEU Tara and I spent 2 hours in bump-2-bump getting there, and its less than 30 miles. No regrets that we did but next time I will get out before the masses.

Hoover Dam

Liberace Museum
There are many sights to see in LV but the one you shouldn't miss is the Liberace Museum. I know what you're thinking but c'mon, he was SO Las Vegas. And I have to think he was in on the whole joke. While I was not a fan of his music, I totally respected his self-made-ness and the fact that he never let anyone else manage his money. The museum itself is in a very subtle, run-down strip mall, diagonally across from what could only be called bad student housing. Don't let that stop you.

Some of these costumes weighed over 200 pounds. Liberace had to be fitted with a special truss just to be able to wear these puppies while seated. Fashion is hell people; pure rhinstone-covered, pink ostrich glitterati hell.

Mix @ Mandalay
Good grief, there is so much to eat in LV its ridiculous. While I wouldnt be caught dead at even a good buffet, I did manage to eat well just the same. I think my favorite was Mix at the Manadaly Hotel. Mix is part nightclub, part restaurant. Nightclub is the very ordinary psuedo VIP crap complete with the over-and-out bottle service which died a few years back. Restaurant is extraordinary. Not only is the 360-view from the 64th floor amazing, the decor is starck white, post-modern 60's and the food is 5-star.

Glass Spheres hanging from ceiling @ Mix

While I am not a gambler, couldnt care less about partying all night or sleezy, forgettable affairs, I love Las Vegas for what it is; a replica of many other cities all jam packed in to one thriving neon-lit playground devoid of day-to-day troubles or adult responsibilities.

Viva.

Unconventional

2008-11-25T20:51:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone has a good T-Day, if thats your thing. I'm doing something that I havent done before for the Thanskgiving Holiday. More on that when its all said and done.

Special thoughts goi out to my sister this year. She is having a rough time right now, divorce pending. She will pull through, be better and stronger. How could she not, she is talented, smart and a wonderful person. One of the suckiest aspects of life is that bad things happen to good people. But when it does happen you are lucky to have good friends and a supportive family.

That is my hope for everyone pre-holiday.

Peace, שָׁלוֹם

Hippomobile

2008-11-16T17:25:00.001-06:00

Walking really is the best way to get to know any city. Take for example my stroll through dowtown Houston recently. I was on my way to one of the downtown Art Fests when I noticed this interesting piece of Art just sitting on Dallas St.

It would be hard to have road rage if you were stuck in traffic next to this.

Of Interest

2008-11-07T19:19:00.004-06:00

I've had some low grade bug for the last couple of weeks. Not that its of interest but its basically made me so tired I've been asleep by 9p every night. For those that know me, that is about 5 hours earlier than normal.

So Obama, yay! Predicitable win but who knew by such a landslide. I dont think of this as so much a slam against McCain as it is a long overdue, collective reaction to the last 8 years.

I signed up for a PHD program, in Health Informatics. The fun never stops. You have about 5-8 years before you'll need to start calling me Doctor :) lol

Bocconcini App

2008-10-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

36-48 Bocconcini (little monz balls)
1/2 lb Proscuitto, Thinly Sliced
Grape Tomatoes, Sliced
Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Chopped
Truffle Oil
Black Pepper
Toothpicks

Roll each bocconcini in a slice of proscuitto, trim edges. Thread a piece of marinated artichoke heart and grape tomato on a toothpick then spear the wrapped bocconcini. When all bocconcini are assembled, drizzle with truffle oil and a couple pinches of fresh black pepper.

Of all the new experiments in party appetizers, this one was by far the simplest and most popular.

Smoked Salmon App

2008-10-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

1/2 lb Scottish Smoked Salmon
16 oz Sour Cream
1/2 C Dill, Chopped
1 3oz Jar Capers, Drained
1/4 t White Pepper
1/2 t Salt
2 Cucumbers
Red Onion, Chopped
2 Eggs, Hard Boiled
Lemon Wedges
Dark Rye Bread, Sliced Thinly

Peel and seed one cucumber then chop finely. Add the chopped cucumber to the sour cream with the dill, half the jar of capers, white pepper and salt. Mix well, place in a serving bowl then regrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Peel and thinly slice the other cucumber. Separate egg yolks from whites and finely chop both.

To serve: on a large tray place smoked salmon, cucumber dill sauce, onion, caper, egg whites, egg yolks, lemon wedges and bread slices.

To assemble: explain to guests that cucumber covers bread, smoked salmon covers cucumber, cucumber dill sauce covers smoked salmon. Capers, onion, eggs and lemon are optional.

Pesto Cheesecake

2008-10-27T19:00:00.001-05:00

1 t Flour
8 Oz Sour Cream
Olive Oil
2 T Bread crumbs
15 Oz Ricotta
8 Oz Cream Cheese
1/2 C Parmesan, Grated
1 - 1.5 C Pesto
1 Egg
Red Pepper

1) Preheat oven to 375

2) Lightly coat 2 7" springforms with olive oil then sprinkle each with the bread crumbs.

3) Mix ricotta and cream cheese with a hand mixer in a medium sized bowl until smooth. Add Parmesan, pepper and egg. Continue mixing until smooth.

4) Place 3/4 C of the ricotta mixture in each pan. Top with 1/2 C of pesto, then another 3/4 C of the ricotta mixture.

5) Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

6) Combine 1/4 pesto, flour and sour cream in a bowl, stirring well. Spread evenly over each cheesecake and continue to bake for 7 minutes.

7) Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

These will store micely in the fridge for a day or two and can even be frozen, if you want to prepare ahead of time.

(Sorry to report that these were gone before I could get a picture of them)

Housewarming

2008-10-26T10:28:00.004-05:00

Four months after actually moving in I did have a housewarming party. I found out that is about normal if not early since others at the party had moved into their new homes almost a year ago sans party.

We had a great time. It was nice to see the Dallas people mix with the new Houston people. I was also surprised at how many Dallas people actually came.

Thanks to everyone!

I know some people have been waiting for the party food recipes, those are coming soon.

Preparation

2008-10-17T00:26:00.002-05:00

Sorry again. Been preparing for the party this weekend. And of course there is the ongoing busy work thing. Back soon with party pics and recipes.

4AM @ 23rd & 8th

2008-10-06T21:32:00.009-05:00

If you've known me for than a second you know I can't go too long without returning to the ancestoral homeland. Every trip to NYC makes me feel more centered, focused and, I realize how odd it sounds as I write the words, more relaxed.

I try not to do the same things as I did before so this time I tried a new, well, everything. Starting off the new, I stayed at the Chelsea Hotel. If you feel you have a bohemian spirit, staying here will test that theory. The Chelsea has an interesting history, a camp and playground for writers and artists from an era gone by, it always stuck in my mind that it could have been the location where Sid Vicious (allegedly) murdered his girlfriend in the 70's. The hotel is quirky in decor, layout and patronage, although I think the all-night parties and rampant drug use are gone with the new management and an unfortunate upscaling of the neighborhood. Still, The Chelsea will never host the Champagne sipping UES debutinas, nor the investment bankers they begrudgingly marry. Pluses to the The Chelsea are large rooms, incredible location and relatively good rates.

Chelsea Hotel, Entrance

Chelsea Hotel, 8th floor stairwell

Honorable mention for this trip goes to the restaurant/bar called Public in Nolita (Elizabeth & Spring). I was late getting into the city so I didnt arrive for dinner until midnight, about 5 minutes after they stopped serving food. But the Pineapple Pink Peppercorn Caipirinha will be remembered!

The highlights were many for the 48 hours.

Equus, the new play making its opening on Broadway last week, was excellent. If you are not knowing, try renting the movie version circa 1977 starring Richard Burton. Its an intense and interesting pyscho-sexual drama involving the interaction and inversion of a very disturbed and isolated young man and his equally disturbed analyst. The acting by Daniel Radcliffe was extraordinary. He is convincing, clever and he is showing his intent and ability to wriggle out from under his illustrious Harry Potter stigma. He also seemed to be quite at home stripping down to nothing and staying that way.

Equus @ Broadhurst Theatre

Food recommendations for this trip are two:

Empanada Mamas
Hells Kitchen
763 9th Ave @ 51st
NYC

I loved this place and went 3 times in 2 days. We have empanada shoppes in Houston, plenty of them but none with the variety EM's has. Personal favorites are the Brasil (ham, potato, cheese and olives) Spicy Chicken (hot red pepper in the dough and the pulled chicken) and the Reggaeton (pork, curry, rice, veggies). Definitely make liberal use of the green sauce that will already be at the table. Service is fantastic and trust me when I say this is one of the few sit down restaurants in NYC where you'll be able to lay down a $20 and walk away with change.

Empanada Mamas, Hell's Kitchen

Highline
Meat Packing
835 Washington St @ Little W 12th
NYC

Upscale, stylish and trendy but not oppressive. Very impressive Thai fusion, particularly the Ginger Mohito and the Black Thai Tuna Tartar (chopped tuna, basil, orange and thai bird chile). Go early or late for dinner as reservations are not accepted.

The other new place I tried was the NYC Eagle. Waaaay out near 11th Ave where you can almost feel the Hudson, I found where every gay man over 30 with facial hair goes on a Saturday night. I liked it. Its dark, cavernous and crowded. It could've been naughty but that wasnt what I found on the rooftop patio for the hours I was there. The friend I went out with, went away with a lovely Englishman leaving me alone to watch the city and crowd by myself. At 330a I made my way out of the building, crossed the street, passed the strip club, the hip hop bar, every Italian man from Brooklyn and a strip of lonely subsidized housing. At 4am I found myself turning the corner to The Chelsea. And I thought, here I am, 4am at 23rd & 8th with hundreds of other people like me, all quietly walking home, soaking it all in, happy but unaffected.

I love New York.

Asian Moo on Crack

2008-09-26T10:50:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack-o-post, its been a busy post-hurricane week. But the show must go on. And by that I mean the housewarming party. I've been experimenting in preparation and really liked this one.

1/2 C Light Soy
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 T Ginger, Minced
2 T Honey
1 T Sesame Oil
4 T Olive Oil, Divided
2 Limes, Juice Squeezed
4 Oz Cream Cheese
4 T Sour Cream
1/3 C Wasabi
1/2 C Cilantro Leaves
1 LB Flank Steak
Sesame Crackers
Grape Tomatoes, Halved

Mix soy, garlic, ginger, honey, sesame oil and half of the olive oil in a large Ziploc bag. Add steak and shake. Refrigerate flat for at least 3 hours, turning over once.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and wasabi in a small bowl then refrigerate.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large pan over med high heat. Sear steak on each side for 3 minutes then continue to cook to the desired doneness (another 3 minutes on each side for med rare). Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Slice thinly against grain.

To assemble, spread wasabi cream cheese mixture on a sesame cracker. Fix a cilantro leaf to the cream cheese mixture. Add a slice of beef on top. Optionally add a grape tomato half on top of the beef.

IKE, you cheeky sod

2008-09-14T18:16:00.003-05:00

That was fun.

Actually watching the hurricane from the bedroom was extremely dramatic. 4 stories of glass looking out onto trees and rooftops. The trees mainly stayed horizontal, first to the left, then the right. The wind sounded like a train rushing by. What I thought was lightning and thunder was actually the sound and sight of every transformer in my neighborhood blowing up. It was unsettling to feel the house MOVE with the wind, although logically I knew it was better for it to bend a little.

Mostly my hood faired well. Ironically the guy who left the Big Wheel unattended was also the guy who's fence was flattened like a pancake. The Big Wheel was crushed by the fence, lol. Mostly all the wood fences are completely down. There are medium tree limbs everywhere, some large. A couple of very dramatic scenes where 100 year old oaks were completely uprooted and slammed into houses, cars or just into a neighbors pool. I was going to post pictures but there are enough dramatic photos online already, no value would be added.

What impressed me the most was how the neighborhood came together. The morning after EVERYONE was out with rakes, bags, chain saws and trucks removing the aftermath. Noone had to ask for help, people roamed the streets helping where they saw help was needed. People with outdoor grills cooked and ditributed. The mood was surprisingly upbeat.

The one thing that I will remember were the sounds of sirens. Without power there was not the usual fare of white noise, no entertainment and no distractions. All you could here every minute of every hour were the sounds of sirens. Everywhere.

Red Ball Of Joy 2

2008-09-11T21:42:00.006-05:00

Friday 10:20pm

Its Heeeeeere.

Obviously my power and internet is holding out but crap is falling all over the place. I'm assuming its branches. I'm hoping the Big Wheel that some idiot left out back doesnt become a missile. I'd hate for the one story from my "I survived IKE" chapter to be I got knocked out by a Big Wheel traveling at 80 MPH. That would be tragic, lol :)

Friday 9:20pm

Wind died down a bit. Neighbors are having a hurricane party. Beer and ping pong, bring a friend, lol.

Friday 8pm:

Holy crap, the wind has definitely picked up! Still no rain but now its dark and new place feels creepy. I made buffalo burgers with apricot chipotle sauce for dinner. Yum! I know it sounds crazy to be cooking but I find it comforting.

I just had my second RBV, I'll be wide awake but relaxed by the time Ike comes to town, lol. I'll be making my way to the interior room with no windows by midnight, which would be the upstairs bathroom :)

Friday 6pm :

So the winds are picking up now. Not really noteworthy just much stronger. No rain, lots of scary clouds. All of my neighbors are "hunkered down" (lol). Appears as though noone in my hood is leaving. And it would be "certain death" if they tried.

PS: As a fun game take a shot every time you hear "hunkered down" or "certain death" in reference to Ike. You'll be long passed out under the sofa before it hits at midnight!

Thursday 9pm:

Thanks for the all phone calls and words of wisdom. I'm riding out the storm in Houston. Ike is a strange storm, its a Cat 3 but that is at the top of the storm, The bottom, which is what we will feel is Cat 1.

We'll get 100 MPH wind "gusts". Bad but not nearly as bad as say Camille, which I lived through in Mobile AL. If remember correctly we had upwards of 170 MPH "gusts".

Evacuations were not mandatory or even suggested for my area. And considering Austin, San Anotnio and Dallas will all feel Cat 1 hurricane winds and experience some massive flooding, why spend countless hours on the road for something you can get at home! :)

Red Ball of Joy

2008-09-07T21:00:00.004-05:00

Another busy week at the Cancer Shoppe and still trying to catch up from my Dallas journey. Mostly I still like the job thing but Manager and I will be having some discussions at week's end to clarify direction. Nothing big, just clarification. Meanwhile Sistah L, the J's and I continue our ritual Friday lunching at Specs in downtown Houston. For those not knowing, Specs is a kajillion square foot liquor store with a deli and specialty groceries. The sandwichs are basically big enough for 3 and cost $6. I seriously couldnt buy the lunch meat for the price of the sandwich. We lunch, shop for new wines and snacks then return back to researchland. (I promise a picture next time!)

In other news, there is the recurring joy of living in a tropical weather zone.

Its a little early to tell but Hurricane Ike appears to be gunning for the Texas Coast. If you follow the path of the Red Ball of Joy you can see it leads to the little divet on the Texas Coast otherwise known as the 8-million person metro Houston area. I looked at the weather underground computer models and the paths basically center around Houston. Just for fun they predict by next weekend the Red ball will turn to a Pink ball, meaning Category 4.

Perhaps another trip to Dallas is in order.

Burger

2008-09-03T19:00:00.000-05:00

I've been on a quest for a Turkey Burger that doesnt taste like highly salted cardboard. I asked a few of my foodie friends and one of them had the platform from which I made the JLO Turkey Burger.

Burger

1/4 C Green Onions, finely chopped
1/4 C Celery, finely chopped
2 Granny Smith Apples, finely chopped
1/4 C Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 Cashews, finely chopped
1 LB Ground Turkey Breast
1 T Salt
1 T Black Pepper
2 T Chipotle Tobasco
Zest and Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/4 C Mango Chutney

Sautee green onions, celery and apples over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat and cool. In a large mixing bowl add turkey, sauteed items and all other ingredients. Mix brirefly then shape into 4 patties. Cover and efrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Cook patties on grill or in frying pan for 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Sauce

1 Pear, very ripe, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Allspice
1/2 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Chipotle Tobasco
1 t Salt
1 1/2 C Mango Chutney
1/4 Golden Rasins, chopped
1/4 Cashews, chopped

Toss pear in the next five ingredients then bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool. Mix the pear with the other ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cook over low heat until ready to serve burgers.

Plate up on burger and a 1/4 sauce. I did this once with brown rice and another time over an English Muffin - both good.

Dallas

2008-09-01T20:49:00.002-05:00

I spent Labor Day in Dallas. It was my first trip back since leaving. I had a great time: Birthday party, BBQ and pool party, a trip to the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth along with many meals out. I realized I miss my friends but I don't miss the city at all. I was super glad to leave today and return home to Houston.

Albóndigas de Jaime

2008-08-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

San Antonio left a culinary impression. I was really impressed with the Albóndigas I had at Guajillo's, so I tried them myself. Not exactly like the one's I had but still noteworthy and servable to guests.

These are extra spicy, so cut the chipotle in half if you are heat-challenged.

Meatballs

1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Pork
1/4 C Plain Breadcrumbs
1/2 C Cooked Short-grain Rice
3 T Chopped Garlic
3 T Chopped Cilantro
1 T Dried Oregano
1/2 T Salt
1 t Black Pepper
1/4 t Chipotle Pepper
1/4 t Allspice
1 t Cumin

Sauce

60 ounce tomato puree
3/4 C Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
2 t Onion Powder
2 t Garlic Salt
1 t Ground Cinnamon
1 t Dried Oregano
2 Ounce Dark Chocolate, Chopped
1 t Black Pepper

To make sauce: Place all ingredients into a large saucepan and cook over high heat until bubbling. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour, occassionally uncovering to stir, taste and adjust seasonings.

To make meatballs: Preheat oven to 400. Mix meat and spices together by hand in a large bowl until blended. Form into 1-2 inch balls. Place meatballs on a baking pan and cook in the oven until firm, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and place into sauce. Simmer the meatballs in sauce covered for about 10 minutes.

To assemble: Serve 4-5 meatballs and sauce over rice, pasta or just by themselves. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Alas I was bad and ate them before taking a picture, when I defrost one of the leftovers I'll capture an image.

Weekend

2008-08-21T06:20:00.003-05:00

Apparently I am back to writing with a significant lag.

The work thing is busy this week; the principal is out for a bit and I am his backup.

I had a $1500 "tune up" on my car; good thing I dont have a car payment!

HEU Tara and the parentals were in weekend past, a good time was had by all. We ate at Cafe Annie, which was good 15 years ago and now its better. I drug them all to Pasha, which was surprisingly bad; dry meat and slow service, I'm hoping it was a glitch. We made it to the Museum of Fine Arts; still impressed with how easily I can get lost in the layers of exhibits that are below ground level. HEU Tara and I explored the world of $100+ bottle of Brunello, needless to say we did not make it off the sofa much that night :)

Joyce

2008-08-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

One of my neighbors while living in Dallas was a lovely lady named Joyce. Joyce was an interesting character - Chinese ancestry, born in London and raised in Jamaica; she didn.t see the U.S. until she was in her 60's. She had the accent, mannerisms and stories of a Jamaican. She was animated, energetic to the point that most people immediately shaved 30 years from her age, usually calling her 50 something not realizing she was 84. And she could cook Jerk Chicken like noone's business.

I love Jerk Chicken and while many try to make the dish happen in the US, it often just lays there lifeless. Lucky for me I live around the corner from Reggae Hut, a wonderful Jamaican restaurant serving authentic Jerk Chicken.

A co-worker, Sistah L, found this place online. I recognized the name having seen it daily and a group of us from the Cancer Shoppe decided to give a lunchtime try. There wasn't much conversation during lunch. The J's, engaged non-verbal communication; eyebrow raises and a few sounds that universally mean "We Like". And like we did. Sistah L was given due praise for her excellent find and we all vowed to return.

The atmosphere at Reggae Hut is very casual, the decor defintely could be considered island-ish. Not the place to take your snooty friends, more a place to take your real friends, your real friends who appreciate great food.

Other items to try here beside the Jerk Chicken are the Meat Pies; a spicy curry-spiked pastry shell wrapped around sweet-savory spiced ground beef. These are the size of small calzones so becareful not to order a dozen for apps. The Cocoa Bread was very interesting; a spongy-firm bread resemebling King rolls but with a hint of unsweetened cocoa. You'll definitely appreciate the neutralizing effect of the Cocoa Bread against the heat of the Casabel chile.

A special note to anyone who thinks they like spicy food. Jamaican fare is partial to Casabel chiles, which could be used as a lethal weapon, making the Habanero seems as tame as a bell pepper. So be careful with the colorful array of Casabel-based sauces stacked up at the entry. You could put an eye out.

Reggae Hut
4814 Almeda
Houston, TX 77004

713.520.7171

בסדר

2008-08-14T20:30:00.002-05:00

After cousin Marnina's huge news about her pregnancy I got to thinking I had not been learning any Hebrew and I hadn't seen an Israeli movie in ages. In order keep in touch with my Middle Eastern roots I rented this one. Its a slow-mover but powerful just the same. It was nice to see an Israeli film that did not cover the terrorist or Palestinian topic.

Basically this is a story of one family unraveling and coming back together after the unexpected (and very odd) death of the father/husband. What I liked, aside from the scenery of Haifa, which I have not visited yet, was that the story resonated with reality. Scenes were awkward, tense and heart-warming in way that was believable rather than contrived. Despite the implosion of family architecture, in the end perspectives are adjusted and everything is בסדר (B'Seder, alright).

כנפיים שבורות‎ (Knafayim Shvurot, Broken Wings)
8.5/10

Famlius Interruptus

2008-08-12T21:39:00.003-05:00

Cousin from Austin was in town over the weekend for a get away from the kids trip. It was a surprise visit but still a great one. We gathered at Danton's, a seafood place near the Montrose bridge. A great evening of Gumbo and Martinis mixed with venting and dreaming.

We missed each other on Saturday somewhere between their massages and facials and my going downtown to see Dark Knight. We really intended to try Pasha on Sunday but they checked out of their hotel at 3am on Sunday morning. Apparently a frat party broke out in the room next door and hotel security could not get the situation in order even after three attempts. Suckage for them since they get few opportunities to get away. Also a good data point for me not to stay at or recommend Hotel Zsa Zsa. I kinda got the feeling it was a self-congratulatory, bubble-world clientele anyway.

Good Job, Heath

2008-08-09T19:40:00.002-05:00

There's a reason Dark Knight has dethroned The Godfather from its #1 movie of all time position.

The Dark Knight
11/10

Turkey

2008-08-06T18:20:00.000-05:00

Turkey has been popping up more and more on the radar. My parents just got back from a tour of Istanbul. They loved the city, people and food. I never thought we would get them anywhere close to the Middle East but now it seems we won't be able to hold them back from a return. Two other friends are set for late summer departures. Turkey has been on my to-see list for an eternity.

Since I have no vacation time until January, I will be living vicarously through others and continue to sublimate my jealousy by eating at Turkish restaurants. Ha, that'll show 'em.

I had a favorite Turkish in Dallas - Cafe Istanbul. It became the ruler by which others were measured. Not so much anymore, there is a better place in Houston - Pasha.

Pasha is hard to find. Its on a main street, Univeristy, near Rice. However, its in an old house with minimal street frontage and the street repairs and townhome construction are completely blocking it's westbound approach. The other gotcha with Pasha is that there are 4 parking spots in front (more in the back but noone knows how to get to them). No worries for me because I walk there, its only a mile from the subway stop and the big trees along University make the Houston heat almost bearable for walking.

I've been twice and twice I've been impressed. The menu is comprehensive and very well-priced. The service is casual but efficient. The decor is quirky but inviting; partly blood red deco, otherwise token Turkish items and generic Middle Eastern touches.

Pasha is super busy during the week and at night which is why I consistently go on Saturday afternoon. Last time I went it was me and two older Turkish men in the restaurant. They spoke Turkish and true to their Turkish roots they could not stand that I was at a table by myself. They talked and talked to me, they questioned and laughed. I could barely understand them but I think they felt they did their duty of entertaining the party of one. This time it was me and a table full of Muslim ladies. Odd - I was expecting them to converse in Arabic or some foriegn language but I got chicken-fried southern English. The other interesting aspect was that they were all black ladies. I've learned to expect the unexpected in Houston.

Muslim Ladies

Pasha has every dish honed to perfection. The hummous is thick and creamy with just the right garlic and lemon kick. The dolmas are dense and flavorful even without the yogurty dill sauce that comes with. The Iskeden Doner ( thinly sliced beef cooked in a garlicy tomato sauce then served over chopped pita) is awesome! Portions here are Texas sized. I can never eat a whole meal, I have to bring at least half home with me (although this time I gave the to-go box to a homeless guy in the Medical Center)

Pasha is now a staple; if you come to visit me in Houston, I will make sure you visit it at least once.

Turkish Coffee
Pasha
2325 University Blvd
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 592-0020

Eddie

2008-08-05T06:45:00.001-05:00

Today we get a snow day. Except theres no snow, just a big green comma hanging out over the city spitting out upwards of 10 inches of rain and some gusty 60MPH winds.

This isnt really a big deal, except the streets will flood, there will be tree branches all over the place and the power will go out.

Most people left work yesterday between noon and 3pm to "prepare". The building was completely empty by the time I headed home. This morning there are light sprinkles and no wind. I've yet to secure all the stuff on the patio because there won't be any weather drama until 9am.

Updates if anything interesting happens; just dont count on it.

UPDATE (330p) Oh my, there were leaves falling and I think my patio got wet! LOL. There is some serious street flooding, so I would have had alot of trouble getting around.

500ml Epinephrine Push

2008-08-03T16:50:00.003-05:00

I shut my cable down years ago - no regrets. It does keep me from watching some series real-time but I've found renting them from Blockbuster with a lag is perfectly acceptable. Of course I dont know what shows are available on TV but my friends offer recommendations. So far I've really liked some of their suggestions like Six Feet Under and Sopranos.

Earlier this year someone recommended this series. Probably because when I worked for The Company, I worked with a few people I was sure didn't have social security numbers, employment records or any other information that could verify their existence.

The someone was right. After watching the first show I went on gluttonous weekend of watching the complete first season, all 24 espisodes. All I can say is this is not the show to watch right before bedtime, you probably wont descend the suspense cliff quickly.

I love the writers for this show. While mainly sledgehammer action and insane suspense that loops back on itself, the situations and dialogue required some head work to make the progression of events seem anywhere near believable.

I've always liked Kiefer Sutherland and now I like him more. I would not have cast him as the hard-boiled counter terrorist operative but it works well. I'm only up to Season 4 but so far, aside from the Jack Bauer character, my favorite is Chloe. Her "personality disorder" driven behavior gives a much needed, quirky pause to the 45 minutes of jaw-clenching suspense.

Now that I've seen it I really dont understand the years-gone-by Muslim (over)reaction to 24. Yes, they portray some of their terrorists as Muslim. That is realism on screen, isnt it? They have also portrayed some terrorists as American, Serbian, French, German and Mexican; none of which had any connection to Islam. It seems balanced, not pointed or skewed to me.

Besides that, isnt the big picture message of the show that no matter how crazy and evil you are there will always be someone just as crazy but good to invalidate all of your well-planned destruction and, in fact, your very existence?

24
9.5/10

Live

2008-07-31T17:05:00.000-05:00

Sofa, To Dining

Living, To Patio

3rd Floor, To Living

4th Floor, To Living

Wine Glass Cabinet

Wine Tasting Station

Entry To Living

Whew, so there is the living room and patio. There will be a few more paintings after I finish Jerusalem, otherwise its the way I want it!

Interesting development: I found out this morning that all three of my cousins in Israel are expecting. In January 09 my aunt and uncle will be doubling their stash of grandkids. Live, live, live. מזל טוב‎!

Grease

2008-07-26T12:00:00.003-05:00

After plumping up to 165 I went back on my F.IT diet. Its a pretty easy diet I find, just 6 days of a certain calorie limit then 1 day where I say F. IT and eat anything. I'm 11 pounds down but will continue for another two weeks as a preemptive strike against Houston Restaurant Week starting Aug 11th.

On my F. IT day, which was today. I decided to try a Houston legend - Frenchy's. If you are not knowing, they are Creole restaurant offering many items but if you ask anyone living in Houston after 1969 where the best fried chicken lives, they will all answer with Frenchy's.

Having spent a hunk of my youth in the Deep South I have consumed many a fried chicken part. Frenchy's is definitely a cut above the others. I loved the crispy heat thanks to the Creole-inspired recipe. And the Collard Greens were toothsome, spicy and savory with small bits of very non-kosherness.

Next week when I have my F.IT day I might have to go back. Its terribly convenient that I live close to the original location on the other side of 288. It might be a scary neighborhood but this kind of fried chicken tends to dampen down any residual fear.

.

Frenchy's
3919 Scott Street
Houston, TX 77004