Funloving

These entries will be out of order and sporadic while I don't have regular (cheap/free) Internet access. Sorry to those one or two of you out there who thrive on this blog.

:-)

It's not yet fully daylight here in Queenstown, in the south of the South Island. We've already had breakfast at the hotel buffet, and before we head off for a day of wine tasting, we want to stroll into town, maybe pick up a good coffee there. A short entry then, and - of course - food related!

Conrad and I arrived in New Zealand Sunday night, too late for dinner, though not too late to re-pack for a flight Monday morning. A good night of sleep, and then on a sunny Auckland Monday morning, we joined Dion and Minna (we were staying at their place) and Minna's parents for breakfast nearby. Jafa is the name of the place, and a clever little name, too.

Jaffa (two "f"s), as we've learned is an orange and chocolate candy. Food, of a type. Jafa, we've also been reminded, is New Zealander slang for a resident of Auckland. Understand, quite like Chicago in relation to the rest of Illinois, Auckland is vastly more populous than any other city, and much more happens there. This sets up an odd, occasionally uneasy relationship with the non-Aucklanders, and it gets expressed as a nickname: Just Another Funloving Aucklander. JAFA.

Except Funloving isn't quite the word that the "f" stands for.

Breakfast was great. I'm keen to go back. A lot of the food tastes different and better here, kind of like how food is supposed to taste. Unadulterated. Does that make sense?

Conrad opted for eggs benedict made with house-cured salmon (which had a sweetness to it) while I had the potato cakes with poached egg, arugula, and bacon. Very very good, and to wash it down, flat whites. New Zealand coffee. I spent two years yearning to have this coffee again.

A great start to a vacation, and when I get a chance, I can report more on the flight over incredible scenery, the beauty of Queenstown, the relaxing spa treatment, and the marvelous dinner in Arrowtown we had to close off just this first day.

airport lounges: addendum

This is so cool, sitting here in the lounge in Sydney. A gorgeously mostly sunny day out there, wide windows, plenty to eat and drink. We're seeing all kinds of airlines going by, ones we never see in Chicago. Norfolk Air? Really? Neat!

The lounge emptied out about 15 minutes ago thanks to flights to Seoul, Beijing, Bangkok, Vancouver, and Auckland all coming closely timed. The last of those really drained the numbers from in here. From what I can tell, Conrad and I are sharing this lounge with one other passenger and a number of staff. Peaceful.

I took some photos. We could vacation here, really. Food and wine and coffee. Newspapers. Free wireless. Great showers (two nozzles!). And tomorrow, before we fly down to Queenstown, we'll get to enjoy the lounge in Auckland.

Yes, this vacation WILL be about more than just spending time in airports!

Photos:

luxuries of travel: part, the first

It pays to join loyalty programs and accumulate points/miles/stays/whatever. Goodness knows we've benefited a number of times now in terms of dining, cashing in points for gift certificates to use on some very very fine restaurants. Miles, too. I've used mine in the past for shorter hops - a trip to Spain in 2004, Allison's wedding last year. Conrad's accumulates more, and we've leveraged his miles for other wonderful jaunts: Sweden, Hawaii, New Zealand, and now New Zealand again.

This time is a bit different: United for 2/3 of the way each direction, flying in and out of different cities. And we're not suffering, oh no. Conrad's miles have got us first class tickets to and from, and on a long haul, that's a good thing. So an entry or two or three devoted to travel comfort. Yes, bragging, I know, but also a glimpse into the luxuries of it all for any of the two or three of you reading this who might want to splurge one day.

First up: O'Hare. Now yes, I know, I just wrote knocking the airport some for its lack of services and style. This is true for regular travelers. First Class? Well, it gets a bit better. Tucked in by our gate was the United International First Class Lounge. Some observations:

1. it's not very big, but it's not heavily used. The Red Carpet Club can be as hectic and unpleasant as being in a throng at a gate, but this room was serene. Lovely.

2. the food and drink was in a compact area, but it was fairly good. We each took a little snack, and I would gladly have dined more. Also, real champagne. I'm in a champagne mood these days.

3. super staff. They made some seat changes for us, scrambled about, alerted us to a delay, brought us more champagne to wait out the delay, escorted us to a side door that let us get into line at the gate without wading through folks.

So it was that we started the trip well.

The San Francisco lounge? Well, that was magnificent. A grand space, and with almost no one in it when we got there. Beautiful. Look at that chair Conrad is in. Lovely.

I liked Chicago more.

Why? At SFO, the only staff person was at the reception upstairs from the main part of the lounge. Well, also one person picking up dishes. No sense of service. The food in Chicago was better, I think, though I liked the cold, grilled tandoori shrimp. Finally, it got progressively busier in the lounge, and I got (unfairly) cranky as I had to put up with the noise of conversation around me. Yes, I know I'm being unreasonable.

I don't have photos of the Koru Club lounge we're presently in, but it stacks up well. It's been busy this morning, but the place is huge. The food selection is good, and best of all? Showers. Ahhhhh, refreshing after 24 hours of travel. I may yet take a few shots, and if so, I'll post a supplementary entry.

unexpected art

Wow, is it really almost 6 more hours until the next flight? This, after that 13 hour overnight flight from San Francisco to Sydney? What time is it? Where am I? Oooo, NZ white wine free for the pouring here in the lounge.

So while I have free wireless and time on my hands, I'll post some smaller entries about the joys and luxuries of the trip so far. And what better way to start than by a lovely little surprise in San Francisco.

O'Hare, in my opinion, is not at all a lovely airport. It's functions (barely at times), its amenities and services are laughable, especially for those who are not past security, and it lacks any noteworthy art. Compare it to a place like Vancouver with the remarkable installations of First Nations works in the airport there. As we switched planes yesterday in San Francisco, we came upon a wonderful exhibit en route over to the international terminal: Russel Wright.





In hindsight, we didn't explore it enough. You see, Conrad (and now I do, too) has collected Russel Wright stoneware in the past with able assistance from his sister. The collection languished in basement storage, however, taking a distant second to the vibrant Fiestaware that goes so well with the golden walls of our place. Ah, but the Vancouver condo - concrete and modern - that will suit the Russel Wright quite well. And so our interest has been re-awakened. We browsed among the cases, admiring pieces we have or want and some of the materials (glasses, aluminum) that we didn't know of. And yet, in all that time, we didn't look for anything to tell us the connection between Wright and San Francisco. Silly us.

It was a neat thing, and a delight, encountering that after the first phase of our trip. So far we've seen nothing comparable at Sydney airport, but no matter. The sunny view outside is lovely enough, too.

Spring - the restaurant

While I have time at SFO, awaiting the plane to Sydney, I may as well catch up on a bit of blogging.

Last year Conrad successfully bid on gift certificates for dinner at a very good restaurant called Spring when we were at the Farmers Foundation Dinner at Topolobampo. It took us a while to get there, but this past Wednesday night we met up with RAD and enjoyed a few hours there. I'd dined at Green Zebra and Custom House, the chef's second and third restaurants, but now it was time for a meal at his Wicker Park (or is it Bucktown?) flagship.

I walked over from the Red Line North Avenue stop, a nice mile and a half on a cloudy and comfortably brisk day. Crossed the river and took a few photos of the city and bridge, thought he cloudy day didn't do the scenery any favours. In the end, I made it to the restaurant just minutes before the other two.

Now here's where I confess my absent-mindedness: vacation mode kicking in early. I recharged the camera battery but forgot to replace the memory card in it. Without the card, the camera holds only about a dozen photos. Which meant that a delightful 5 course (plus extras and a cheese course) dinner with a cocktail each, wine pairings, and then a half bottle of wine to finish is largely undocumented in image.

I wish more people were in the restaurant - more energy would have made the meal even more enjoyable. As it was, I saw many things on the menu I wanted to try, and I liked everything we ate, start to finish. Hazelnut couscous, a lemongrass soup with shrimp wontons, the beef short rib with ramen and fried quail egg (shown here), and more: all of it was outstanding.

We'll go back, and may Spring be busier. RAD is always a treat to dine with, of course, and I have a feeling Cg would enjoy the place, too.

cook one day, dine the next

It's tough to have friends over for dinner on a weeknight, even if it is casual. Tougher still is doing so on a Monday. I coach on Monday nights, so that eats up an hour and a half or so out of the dinner hour. Advance preparation is clearly in order.

Sunday was ideal for that. I rubbed a few lamb shanks with oil, cumin, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, then browned them in a pan. They then went into a big roasting pan while I sauteed some spices (peppercorns, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and bit of coriander, a few bay leaves) with some sliced onion and celery. Some chicken broth went into the pan, then when it was hot, poured with the rest of the mixture over the lamb. I popped on the cover and put it in a slow oven for a good couple of hours or more.

Up next: eggplant and green pea curry. I learned this recipe years ago at the restaurant. Saute some whole mustard seeds, sesame seeds, and cumin seeds. Add some turmeric, cayenne, and salt plus chopped onions. Cook for a bit to remove the rawness from the spices, then add chopped eggplant. Let that soften some, then mix in frozen (yes!) green peas and bit of water. Let this come to a nice stewiness until the eggplant is soft.

Note: I closed off all the doors in the house and opened a window to get some of the fragrance out.

While the curry was cooking, I sliced some red onion and tossed it into a small saucepan with sliced dried apricot, candy ginger nibs, sherry vinegar, and brown sugar. This I cooked into a chutney of sorts.

I let the items cool when done, then refrigerated them.

Flash forward one day, and post-practice, Brian came over to chat about Vancouver and gossip about our swim team mates. I was gently reheating the lamb during swimming, plating it a little while after he got there. Conrad and Brian helped themselves to the chutney and a very simple green salad while I dished up the lamb atop the curry and drizzled it with a seasoned mixture of yogurt and coconut milk.



Nice little dinner, in fact. Cheese, grapes, and chocolate for dessert. The cook one day, dine the next strategy paid off in a relaxed time enjoying Brian's company.

And even as I type, I have pork in the oven for after swimming tonight!

spring?

I swear I saw a few crocuses beginning to unfurl little shocks of purple, gold, and white in a few places around town today. It's been a very sunny Sunday here, and mild temperatures. We ate lunch at Letizia's on Division, and really, we should have grabbed a table outside given this early-in-the-year opportunity to sit outside comfortably. A glorious day.

First order of business today - after breakfast and showering and dressing - was coffee. Our habit, thanks to months of winter, would have been to bring reading material and/or laptops. Ah no, I suggested otherwise. Coffees in hand, we headed to the lake, aiming for a bit of stroll down by the water in Lincoln Park.

Most of the walk we didn't even notice too much of what was around us, in fact. Basking int he sun, holding hands, chatting and not chatting. At the Waveland Fieldhouse, though, we did stop to admire the blue skies the morning offered and the look of this fine old - disused? - building. A few shots from a morning walk in the park, then, and a wish that spring is with us all.

odd foods I like

Friday night I was at Tsuki with Conrad and CG, perusing the menu for some more items to order, and catching sight of something that gave me that, hmmm - slightly mischievous?, look that CG has come to know. No worries, I assured her and Conrad as I ordered.

A little while later out came three raw sweet shrimp. Tasty! Not long after that came part two: the shrimp heads fried to crispy, salty yumminess. The iPhone photo doesn't do them justice, though perhaps a better photo might not help any squeamish readers. They were hot out of the oil, though, and very good. It reminded me of a similar thing we enjoyed two years or so ago at the same restaurant involving the fried skeleton of horse mackerel. Also tasty. A nice echo of that particular night.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

...bunnies!



Chocolatey good bunnies. Easter must be upon us. Conrad caught sight of them in the window of a neighbourhood coffee shop yesterday, and we couldn't resist posing me with them when we went in for coffee today.
Nice little shop, by the way. I am a fan of Starbucks and gladly go to the one nearby, but I like this little independent shop, too. We each got our lattes and set out lakeward. Hopping along? Perhaps.

Sunshine Coast jaunt - last few shots

And just to squeeze out one more entry tonight (even if it doesn't get posted until some time tomorrow)...

Dad, in case I didn't mention it, has about 350 feet or so of waterfront at his place. The house is modest, the beach is rocky/barnacly (is that a word?), but it's waterfront, and that's pretty cool. Off to the north are some structures that have been there ever since I can recall - remnants of an old pier? Whatever they are, they make for a popular resting spot for cormorants. This was about the least crowded we saw it the couple of days we were up there.

Wheatberries. You may have seen in the blog, or on Facebook, or on Twitter that I would spend time there. My usual habit when I'm up visiting Dad is to get up at around 5:30, leave the hotel and drive down to Sechelt for a swim. After that, breakfast and coffee with a side of wireless Internet access at the downtown Sechelt location of this small chain. I'm rather fond of it. Also nice is the little shack out at the Langdale ferry terminal. Marie and I grabbed more coffee and a light bite there for lunch while awaiting the 2:30 sailing.

As the ferry approached Horseshoe Bay, we were all summoned back to our vehicles. Our car was pretty close to the bow of the boat, and we wandered as far forward as we could to catch a shot or two. Our reward was great gusts blowing our layers of clothes about and doing an especially hilarious job of styling Marie's hair.
She'll hate me for these photos (but not because of the hair), but they really are funny without being mean, I think.

English Bay

Another in a small series of quick posts to get some photos up. It was a busy week behind me of being out of town, and it will be a busy weekend ahead of seeing Conrad for the first time in almost two weeks. Beyond that? Off to New Zealand in 8 days. If I'm not blogging, it's because I'm just too distracted with trying to clear everything off my plate and get myself onto that plane.

Tuesday night, after a slightly brutal practice with the English Bay Masters Swim Team (Fins, for almost an hour? Hello cramps!), Chris and I walked over to Denman along the waterfront. Evening was coming on, and the sunset amidst the clouds was lovely. I, of course, took a few shots. Small wonder we'll eventually move up there, right?

Seattle scenes

I should be doing work, but I should be catching up on my blog. Decision, decisions...

A week ago now I arrived in Seattle to gorgeous sunny weather. The city truly is a gem at any time, but in the sunshine, it's amazing. Don't worry Vancouver/Montreal/Chicago/many other cities - I love you, too.

The Thursday afternoon I did a bit of work in the hotel room, but otherwise met up with Medgar for happy hour. That evening I met CG and some of her friends/colleagues for dinner and ended up back at the same place Medgar and I went to. Other shots here are from the Saturday as we wandered through the Market area in search of lunch.

I managed some other shots through the weekend, mostly of a small area of downtown within easy walking distance of my hotel and the conference centre. I only wish the last of them - from a Starbucks (I unapologetically like the chain) near my hotel - showed the fat, fluffy Sunday morning flakes much better. Ah well, in any case it's pretty kick ass that I can take photos like that with my iPhone!

deliciousness

Frankly, I could not care less that it is St. Patrick's Day. Big whoop.

And so it is that I "celebrate" an "Irish" festival by turning to a dish associated (in my mind) with Scotland. Deliciousness itself, the deep fried Mars Bar.

In fact, Chris and I didn't talk about Ireland - or even Scotland - all dinner long. Come on, we were busy savouring. The fish and chips, I should add, were quite fine, too.

more evidence of impending spring

Evidence of spring on the Sunshine Coast, that is. Aside from the crocuses in bloom in many places (and they are such a glorious sight after a long dreary winter, I love them so), I spotted these in bloom on the grounds of our hotel here.

Filipino cooking

Ah, if only I could make this food. I never learned, and I've never sought out the recipes. Shame on me.

A couple of days on the Sunshine Coast, visiting family, and for the first time in (I think) almost 6 years, I got to have a bunch of homemade Filipino food. Ah, memories of many delicious meals made by my step-mother in years gone by. Bella's sister, Alberta, took care of most of the cooking while Bella was at work, offering up a dish of noodles and local prawns with a sauce made from the prawn shells and heads,
adobo chicken, and another chicken dish. And salad, by the way. A family dinner for me for a change.



Truly, it rocked. So very nice after all these years. I hope it's not 6 more years. After dinner, rain - then hail - moved through the area, then things brightened up enough for sunset over Texada.

Marie and I came back to the hotel, and all felt contentedly well.

coffee breaks with former colleagues

I'm tired. I was at the airport by 10 this morning, only to put up with inexplicably slow lines, crabby United staff, and flight delays. Some 10 hours later, I made it to my hotel here on the Sunshine Coast, only to get some room service so that I could do some work that needs doing by midweek while I'm still out of town. I'm tired.

I'm post-dating some entries, and this is one. There's much more I can and will say about the few days in Seattle, but I think it nice to end the blogging for the evening (regardless of when this is posted) with a couple of shots of former colleagues whom I caught up with in Seattle.

Tim taught English 161, and I taught library sessions for his classes. Curiously, some subsequent work I've been doing (and the topic of my poster) is of interest to work he's done and continues to do. In any case, a heck of a nice guy (and I'll say it again: I want that sweater), and I've already heard back from a former prof of his how delighted she is to have seen the photos.
I think we've lost him and his wife to Seattle, but I do hope to cross paths with him again back west or in Chicago.

Kristina, I adore. I miss working with her, and I miss the occasional lunch we fit in. On top of that, her husband is more into Christmas than I am, if such a thing is possible, so you just know that I think very highly of him, too. It's a sad fact of Chicago life that I don't see too many colleagues from other area institutions except at conferences. I'm glad she pinned me down for coffee; in fact, given the grant work I was stuck in the hotel with most of that day, I'm especially grateful to her and Tim for the human company and live conversation. Kristina, I'll add, looks gorgeous.

And that's a night for me. Sleep well, everyone, whenever you read this, whoever you are.

karaoke

Oh, don't get your hopes up. Remember how I'm actually a shy kind of guy? You know, the sort of shy guy who can stand in an exhibits hall for an hour and talk with any person who comes by to look at my poster session? Yes, that kind of shy guy, the sort who will sit back and only watch/listen as his friends tear through karaoke.

I sing, as CG (for one) will tell you, but I have no confidence in my voice. So it was that Friday night was a late one for me (happily, little alcohol, just a late night) with some De Paulians and associated librarians, enjoying a karaoke bar. Hula Hula Tiki Bar, I think it was called. Sweetest mai tai I've ever had (and I've had more than a few in my time now), but gosh darn, was that a fun night.

I mean, come on, there were some mighty good performances. One librarian (the place was overrrun with us) was a ringer, voicewise, for Steven page as he wailed through "Brian Wilson". A friend of his, a woman, was not just a good singer, but she worked the room very well. I was impressed.

And then there was my crew:

Missy, singing country. I just wish she'd turned to face all of her admirers.

Jake.
Straight and married, a cross between Barney from HIMYM and Howie Mandel, and yet just super cool and (I admit) kind of (quite) sexy. Whatever. He ripped through "Need You Tonight", and he had people up dancing and cheering.

My favourite, not shown here, was CG's take on "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree". I've long liked the song, and she did it well. Almost as good, though, was her take on that forgotten (at least, I'd kind of forgotten it) 80s duet "Separate Lives". Remember it? Her friend Josh was Marilyn Martin, CG was Phil Collins. The emoting was fantastic.
It rather makes the three young men who did "Welcome to the Jungle" later in the evening seem all the sadder for it.

Maybe one day I'll be braver, but not that night. Ah well. I have fun photos to show for it, at least. And yes, I really did go do actual conference activities!

mighty big coffee?

A few days in Seattle, the land of Starbucks and many other coffee houses, chains, shops. Frankly, I like Starbucks. Oh, rail against it if you will, and I freely admit that there is good coffee elsewhere. Just the same, I think they deliver a consistent and good-enough product. Venti whole milk misto? Makes me happy most every time.

Arek snapped the shot at Sea-Tac while we were waiting for his bags and Heather's (his wife). Jokingly, he made it wanted it posed as if I had hit upon the venti-est venti of them all. Truthfully? The tube holds my poster session.

Good days in Seattle, and some blog entries in the days ahead. I'll be back to Chicago on Thursday.

splurge recommendation

So, do you have some money lying around and a desire to treat yourself nicely? Yes? I have a helpful suggestion.

Brunch at NoMI.

Get a window table. Not always possible, but the view over the Water Tower is something else. Admire the Chihuly chandeliers, if that's what they are. Get a glass of champagne (the cocktails are not a strong suit there, so go with the wine by itself). And indulge in the food.

Ah, yes. Yummy, pretty food. Stations set up for serving yourself, plus entrees made to order. I loved the remoulade (I think it was) scented with truffle. The Brussels sprouts salad was another winner. Seafood, cheeses, bacon and sausages. All of it good. My meal was grouper, and I was very pleased with it.

But really, good food, good view, let's get to desserts.


Ah, desserts. Ahhhhhh. I was greedy and happy and was especially charmed by the simple little macaroon and the very light bottom layer of the parfait crowned with candied pineapple.


Allison, Brenda, and I waited out a great deal of lashing rain, with such a wicked view of it coming down. Some coffee, much contentedly wandering conversation, and after a good two hours or more we ventured out shopping and playing the tourist. In amidst the horrid weather that caused them an extra night in Chicago we got a smidgen of blue sky and took advantage for photos.
It really is an impressive city, you know.

we should have guessed

Ah, Mother Nature and Air Canada. Such merry co-conspirators. Or something.

Conrad got off the ground on time on Sunday morning, and he made it to Honolulu without the slightest difficulty. Allison and Brenda, returning to Toronto? Not so easy or lucky. It was mighty nasty Sunday morning when I dashed for a latte nearby, and it was similarly wet and stormy through until mid-afternoon.
Is it any wonder that as the system moved Toronto-wards that I ended up with a relaxing extra night of company?

I'm not complaining. I'm impressed with the look of the weather, and I'm not-so-secretly delighted and grateful to steal extra time with me friends.

a long-awaited trip to our second home

For so long, years even, Brenda has heard about our love for Yoshi's. Last Friday, she got to know it herself. Welcome to our second home, Brenda. We hope you liked the dessert!

:-)

entertaining

As mentioned a couple of days ago, we had Brenda and Allison in town this weekend. Allison has visited several times before, and there were some Chicago folks she was hoping to see again. Dominic and Francis couldn't make it, but we were really delighted to have Kim, CG, and Rachel over. Added to this was a new face for Allison (and Brenda, who had heard of the others and even exchanged e-mail and FB messages, but had never met them), Tim. 8 of us for dinner. I hadn't done a proper dinner party in ages. Was I up for it?

Heck yeah!

I should say that Conrad gets huge credit for pulling through this. We had this all planned before his work travel schedule for March reared its ugly head, and he was left with only 36 hours in town on the weekend. I know he would have liked a quiet weekend, and I would have liked one with him. Still, we didn't want to let our friends down, so we soldiered on. Thank you, my handsome guy!

Also, no photos of the guests. I was in the kitchen, and Conrad was tending to drinks and enjoying the conversation. He did take photos of food for me for the blog, but I didn't want him stuck taking shots all night long. Sorry gang, your days of glory on the blog will have to wait.

Dinners are a great excuse to use the big table, get out the nice linens and silver, and play with colours of Fiestaware. I went with a blues through purples to reds theme and by happy coincidence, CG brought us tulips to match.




The guests arrived, and we dined in a fairly leisurely manner. Up first were some cheese, ham, nuts, and a sparkling Spanish rose. People got acquainted or reacquainted. I got busy in the kitchen.

To the table, then, and it was a simple asparagus soup with lemon creme fraiche. To drink? A Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc. I am sorry we won't go to Marlborough on the upcoming trip to NZ (oh, and Allison, if you read this, the book is getting much better) because we did love the wines and the area. Ah well. Less than three weeks to go. But that's a different blog entry.

For a main course, brined Cornish game hens with some parsnip leek puree and Brussels sprouts. Simple stuff paired with Georges Duboeuf Chiroubles Beaujolais. I'm drinking the last of the last bottle even as I write this.

Dessert was geared toward a gift Allison and her husband Sean had given us a couple of years back: Niagara ice wine. It's such a luxury, and I wanted it to be the star. Accordingly, I made a simple walnut gateau breton and set out four cheeses. Clockwise from top left:

• Cana de Cabra (Spain, goat milk)
• Cypress Grove Midnight Moon (USA, goat milk)
• Valdeon Blue (Spain, goat and cow milk)
• Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog (USA, goat milk)

Some pieces of chocolate, some grapes, there's your dessert.

I feel badly that we had to chase people out at about 11 but Conrad did have an early flight. I'm just grateful that we have such terrific friends, and that they've become friendly with each other through us. Having Brenda and Allison in town was a great reason for a dinner party, but I'd be glad to have any and all of them over again. Hmmm....

Brenda!

This may take me a few days to catch up. It already feels late to me, and it's not yet 9:00. I'm getting old.

But hey, a happy post. Brenda just made her visit to Chicago and even got a bonus day out of it. Yay bad weather! I'll have more to write about the dinner I cooked for her and Allison (also in town from Toronto) and some other dear friends, as well as a post on brunch at NoMI yesterday (Kick. Ass.), but I think I'll beg off a long post today and just leave a few photos from Brenda's first full day here.

Last Friday. 67 Fahrenheit degrees. Sunny. Perfect. I worked for an hour or so until she got up, then took her over to Whole Foods/Center on Halsted for a bite of breakfast. After that, I put her on a bus downtown to explore. She had a great day. I came downtown to have lunch at Bin 36 with her (lobster club sandwich with celery and blue cheese soup for me) before coming home to continue working away at a grant proposal. She continued seeing it all and loving it.

More to come in the next day or two. For now, let's be content that we got to see her here for once and that she had one brilliant day of weather to show for it.

cookies for a birthday boy

So you may have read how the NBF has his fortieth birthday today. 40, JEPH, 40!

:-)

I'm evil, and he will get me back when I turn 40 YEARS from now.

Anyway.... Sunday I was in the kitchen a bunch after getting work done that I'd brought home. Cookies were the order of business. Over the course of the afternoon I managed to get dough put into the freezer and batches of three other cookies made.

These are the ones I'm most happy with: Martha's bourbon raisin recipe. In fact, no bourbon in these but Irish Whiskey instead. No one will know the difference, will they? I loved the flavour of the dough, and it was soft and easy to work with. One drawback: cut out cookies with currants in them? The bits of currant stick out and make for raggedy cookies. Ah well.


I love to make biscotti, though I've come to wonder if ANYONE likes eating them. Perhaps. This is a simple recipe from a biscotti cookbook: Biscotti Toscani. Never made them before, but they had a nice light flavour from blood orange zest, almond extract, and nutmeg. They're the cookies in back.



The others (triangle shaped) were a simple recipe I spotted in a book of Swedish baking. I'd been meaning to explore it since Karen gave it to me, and this was a nice opportunity to try it. In the end, I'm not sure the recipe is great. Not bad, but not great. A bunch of dough wasted by the process of cutting out the cookies from a solid sheet of baked dough. A too-subtle flavour. I'll think on whether I want to try that one again.

Happy 40th

A landmark birthday for the NBF: 40! Happy birthday Jeph! How funny that it was the never-ending Web Committee work that introduced us on a field trip to your library. How wonderful a friend you've become in the three years since. You deserve nothing less than a wonderful birthday, and I wish you all the best for it.

Yes, I still not-so-secretly covet your BF.

:-)








Awwww, who's a handsome little guy?

I love lamb

Yes, it's true. Oh sure, my Dad (and now other people) josh me about my love for pork. Hey, pig is good! But I love lamb very much. My step-father won't eat it, so when I was young, my Mum would only cook it when he was away at logging camp for the week. But then we'd have it with a vengeance - I swear we had a three lamb dinners one week!

I rely on shanks a lot. As cuts go, they're hard to mess up. Put 'em in liquid and braise in the oven for a couple of hours or so. Turn occasionally. Easy, and tasty. The braising liquid reduces down into a good sauce. Add veggies, and instant YUM!



This was last night. A busy weekend, including hours in the kitchen. We had a bottle of an unfamiliar French red that also went into the braising liquid. And darned if it wasn't a fine meal in the end!