rainbows!

Gee, with a post title like that, I feel like I should have dancing gifs of My Little Pony.

No real commentary to offer, just a couple of shots of one of the rainbows we saw while in Honolulu last weekend. I struggle to think when last I saw a rainbow. Being the good gay I am, I was tickled to see it (and the others later in the weekend).

Something pretty to brighten your day, in other words.

Honolulu beyond Waikiki

I suspect most people don't give much thought to the existence of Honolulu beyond Waikiki (and, perhaps, the big mall or the university). In doing so, they miss out on a kind of funky downtown, the cultural institutions around the Capitol, the stores, Chinatown, and more.

The first morning we were together in Honolulu, we ventured into the downtown. Quiet on a Saturday morning, the city was a mass of "interesting" high rises, scattered vintage buildings among them. It's hard to get a grasp on the architectural vernacular in the city. Older buildings echo Spanish mission styles, newer ones have a touch of urban brutal about them. Still, there are gems in there, and even the more modern ones at least provoke some discussion of whether they are good or so horrible as to be fascinating.





















I rather like them, I think.

The next day, after walking over to the Made in Hawaii Festival, we continued on past the Capitol to get lunch in Chinatown. It wasn't this latter that really interested us (though lunch certainly was good). The Capitol, frankly, astounds me. I truly love it. So different from the gold (or copper? - I haven't seen enough state capitals) domes of elsewhere. And goodness does the building bludgeon the viewer with symbolism. The sky, the sea, the volcanoes, the palms, the islands. Check out those columns, lean back and look up to the skies above.






I always like strolling through the area.

Lastly, we skirted through the tourist-trap (think Fisherman's Wharf) area surrounding the Aloha Tower and ascended to the viewing decks.





Honolulu was spread about us, and it's here that you can see not only the real city (and a glimpse of the tourism that drives it), but also the working port and busy airport. No, it's not as pretty as Waikiki (and believe me, I do like that stretch of beach, stores, hotels, and dining), but it is very real and fascinating all the same.

dinner at Mariposa

Conrad has worked a lot over in Hawaii in the past couple of years, and has cultivated a short list of restaurants he very much enjoys. I've tried most of them and liked them, too. I do encourage him to try other places, but if it isn't broken, etc.

So it was on my first night on the recent jaunt to Honolulu we made our way to Mariposa at Neiman Marcus.

I'd been there for lunch once before and quite liked it. I was keen to see what dinner would be like.

A promising start. Mai tai in hand (sweet and fruity but welcome) and balcony seating. The menu had some very intriguing options, too, and because I'd spent 9 hours on a plane, hardly dining well there, I prevailed on Conrad to have an appetizer as well as an entree. Bad me.

The appetizers were quite good. I wouldn't normally opt for a hot soup in a hot climate, but white bean and coconut sounded too good to pass up. Delicious choice. Conrad, meanwhile, went for a gorgeous salad of jewel-like tomatoes.
Also a good choice.

We each had the same entree, and this is where things deflated a little. Diver scallops with pancetta, beet greens, and a squid ink risotto. In the end, it was fine, but kind of unexceptional. I liked it, but I wouldn't sing its praises and I wouldn't bother ordering it again. I'm damning it with faint praise, I apologize. It was nice but little more.

If we can choose cheese, we will, and so we did. This is where things further deflated. I was trying not to sip my sole glass of wine too quickly because I wanted to have some left for the cheese. Goodness, though, that course took a long time to come. Conrad and I were patient, in an easy mood. I also noted to him that since it was from the lunch/afternoon menu, they may have wanted to bring the cheese up to serving temperature. Still, it was a long wait, to the point where though we hadn't commented to anyone on it, the waiter and the hostess each came by to apologize.

When the cheese came, I was disheartened to see the plating. Oh, the cheese was fine - we were pleased to see a Maui cheese as an option and ordered it, a goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves. But really, look at the photo. A mass of sliced almonds, not the easiest thing to pick up and eat, honeydew (?!), some raisins. The pineapple was sweet, I'll give them that. The cheese, however, was lost on the plate instead of starring on it. And with that, a dinner that had started out with such delicious appetizers was, sadly, diminished.

multiple mai tais

So, since I can't go back in the water yet (doctor's orders, let the foot finish healing, I'll jump the gun and get back in on Monday), I may as well get back to blogging while Conrad is at practice.

It was a quiet couple of weeks without him home. My meals were lazy, often. It wasn't until last weekend (wow, a full week ago) that I had bloggable goods, and then I had no laptop with. Time to catch up.

If I may poke fun at myself a moment or two, then indulge me as I perpetuate a growing impression amongst you all that I am a lush or something. I was in Hawaii for a few days, after all, so I got happily reacquainted with the lovely lovely mai tai. Mmmmm...

In fact, a lot of places there make very sweet fruity versions, and those don't quite sit as well with me. One is more than enough of those. A sweet exception was the last one, at the poolside bar at the Marriott in Waikiki. A better, not-too-sweet mai tai was at our beloved Halekulani (and I call it that having only dined and drank there, not stayed - ah, to dream!). Nonetheless, no matter the sweet or fruity levels, I was simply delighted to be there and sipping. So, no complaints, just photos of my with liquor.

Mariposa (the restaurant at Neiman Marcus).


Beachside bar at the Turtle Bay Resort.

Mai Tai Bar at the Ala Moana Shopping Center.


La Mer, Halekulani.

Marriott poolside bar.

As a bonus, the shots do give you some idea of the variety of Hawaiian shirts I wear ever so winningly!

celebration

How funny is it that I, who (along with the handsome and wonderful Conrad) so often photographs my food in restaurants, neglects my camera most of the night on a significant evening? Ah well. Sometimes it makes for a nice evening when I don't take photos of everything.

I managed four shots last night before Bradley arrived, and only one of those is worth keeping. Once Bradley got here, I lost track of the camera, and instead we had a lovely evening catching up outside on the balcony over dinner. No Conrad - he's in Honolulu - but I wish he were here because he utterly delights in Bradley's good company as well.

In any case, I made the most of it. I stole a page from CG and made some pork earlier in the day. A tenderloin, roasted earlier so I could cool down the kitchen. I reheated it gently and served it with a very simple salad (almost the end of our delicious lime-infused olive oil from New Zealand) and a room-temperature relish of charred tomato, red onion, and mint. We started with some cheese and smoked salmon and caper berries, and finished with walnut cake and a but more cheese. A bottle of Conundrum saw us through the second half of dinner, but it was Champagne to start with. Not the priciest Champagne out there, but real stuff. And it was ever so satisfying.

Yesterday, you see, was reason to celebrate. I don't talk about work on my blog, but I'll let this one slip through: yesterday - with the start of the new academic year at my university - was my first day as a tenured faculty member. I made it through the six-year track, and I deserved a celebration. A celebration it was, and I'm glad that, in lieu of Conrad, I was able to use it as a good occasion to catch up with a friend.

Butch? Or stupid? Both?

I'll keep this short and try not to revolt you too much. As injuries go, it's fairly minor. Three stitches on my right heel, two smaller lacerations. Also (unseen) a tetanus shot.

I can't decide if last night I was very butch, very stupid, some of both, or what. In the end, though, my advice is that if you're going to kick in the glass front of the case holding the fire extinguisher, maybe wear better shoes than a pair of sandals.

the tyranny of green salads

Yes, yes, yes. Local produce, seasonal produce. Blah blah blah. Sometimes at this time of year there's just too much. And so beginneth my whining.

No, actually, what I find at this time of year is that there's all this wonderful stuff that cries out to be laid on plates and consumed. Among the things we tend to have a lot, then, are salads with all the great greens popping up. And after a while, well, I get kind of bored with them. It's a tyranny of green salad: delicate leafy things in various shades, some other fresh produce, a protein (smoked fish? cheese? nuts?), a dressing. It's tasty, but it begins to dictate my dinner planning. I blame the salad greens.

We're getting rather warm weather lately in Chicago, and I've wanted to keep my cooking as minimal as possible, another thing that pushes me toward salads. Tonight, though, I had no lettuces in my fridge. A napa cabbage, yes, but no lettuces. And that's quite fine. Time to break free and salad up some other items. And that, friends, led me to cauliflower.

This was an easy one to make. I blanched some florets and drained them, then tossed them with sliced red onion, capers, black olives, golden raisins, diced red pepper, sherry vinegar, coarse salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and olive oil. If I had anchovies, I might have tossed them in, too. As it was, it made for a nice mix to sit and marinate while we were at the pool.

Once home, it was out on the balcony with these simple marinated cauliflower salads. I also set out some smoked salmon, almonds, radishes, and a bit of feta on a plate. A very easy dinner for post-practice, and the apartment isn't any hotter because of it. Hooray!

But best of all, it was just a little different. It didn't bore me. A touch of green came from some chopped parsley, and that was good for me. No leafy stuff tonight.

And now I sit and blog while Conrad packs for Honolulu. A week and a half without him. I'll have to challenge myself to come up with another half-decent dish or two.

chanterelles

I cannot abide button mushrooms. Revolting things. I have been known to spend many minutes picking them out of otherwise perfectly reasonable food. Disgusting.

And so it is that some of my friends joke (justifiably so) about how my food snobbery kicks in and I, therefore, CAN abide expensive mushrooms. Morels? Delightful. Truffles? Certainly. Chanterelles? Ah, chanterelles.

Ever had them? Gorgeous scent to them, like apricots. No, I'm not joking. Conrad couldn't smell it tonight, but oh, I could, very much.

Earlier this week, my lovely and wonderful friend CG invited me to dinner at her place. We had intended to see a movie, too, but, ah well. Life happens, and it was too fine an evening to spoil by going to sit in a cinema. Instead, I had a fine dinner of roast pork, crisp green beans, and fresh chanterelles that she had brought back from her family's property in Indiana. Even better, she had some for me to take home.

So we ate a fine dinner in the kitchen, washed down with a modest Chilean Pinot Noir I'd brought round, and then we headed up to the roof deck to chat more, sip more, sip more. It was a very fine evening, no two ways about it.

And that left me with a bag of fresh, fragrant chanterelles to work with - and quickly!

Conrad's travel forced us to cancel plans to head up to the UP, and while I was very sorry to miss his nephew's races, I was also a little relieved for a weekend off. I hope we can make up for it with a fall trip up there when the colours are at their peak. But for tonight, it was our first dinner together in almost a week, and I think I treated Conrad well: Pinot Noir (his favourite), some olives (in some very good and boozy martinis), cheese (to go with the olives), raspberries and chocolate for dessert, and salmon (hitting all his favourites tonight). The salmon - coho, BTW - was simply seasoned and seared. I set it alongside a smattering of lettuces dressed with a bit of lime-infused olive oil and salt and pepper and atop a pile of chanterelles - sauteed, like CG had done, with leeks and lots of butter and some sherry.

Gotta say, it was good. A very warm night, so we ate out on the balcony. And definitely, we toasted CG for her terrific gift of mushrooms this week.

I am not a snob (yes I am)

Hey, I secretly love Hamburger Helper. I throw crap together for my dinner when I'm alone. I survive at work on nutrition bars.

Ok, I am a food snob. But I'm truly not THAT bad, am I?

Don't answer.

But I think I shocked Jeph and simultaneously presented him with a delightful opportunity when I (of all people) suggested that we have our Saturday lunch at the infamous Chick-fil-A. Infamous in that Jeph talks a lot about fast food and especially that chain. Well gosh, he's being such a good host, why not indulge him.



And that was before I even knew they had waffle fries!



I've been taken to task on Facebook by friends about the anti-gayness of the chain and doubtless will be taken to task again for this post. Apologies to them, and thanks to them for informing me better of these things. At least it will serve to make me a food snob with better convictions.

size matters

Bigger is better. Or perhaps I should say that more is better. Quantity and quality. I'm insatiable. I have... cookbook envy.



Actually, I think I mostly feel jealous of Jeph that he has so darn many and that he has dedicated shelving for it in his kitchen.

I assure you, I gave Conrad many not-so-subtle hints about how many more cookbooks I would want to fit into our kitchen in place of the vintage Fiestaware there right now.

big dinner at Jeph's

It's a wonder I haven't gained pounds and pounds and started having to wear big boy pants again. No, really. You scoff? Read on...

Last weekend was our relaxing visit with Jeph and Brett. Relaxing for me and for Conrad, that is. Jeph, on the other hand, went to town on food preparation. Add to that the contributions of his friends he'd invited over, and we had mighty substantial fixings for a dinner on the back lawn for about 16 of us.

I posted a couple of teaser shots the other night. I should add this: the theme was local. We shared the wine we'd purchased earlier that day. Most of the vegetables were from Jeph's garden, and what wasn't came from friends' gardens or local producers. And Jeph, bless him, even butchered his own chickens at a farm in New York - not too far away. Impressive. Hence the tart and salad I blogged a few nights ago in brief. With very minor assistance from me, Jeph put together two of these stunning and delicious squash and leek tarts. I stayed away from his stove and managed a caprese-style salad that we left unadorned with any oils or vinegars.
I also chopped up the veggie mix that Jeph put into a grill pan - I kept going back for more of that mix. Heck, he even had his own little eggplants in it!

What else? Oh the chickens, very tender and well-seasoned.
Brisket he smoked himself. Corn on the cob a friend brought over and shucked (and then she and Jeph argued over who would get the husks for compost!).

As you can see from what Sharon, Jeph, and I set out,

we had plenty. Jeph and I, meanwhile, turned the husbands to the duty of setting up the table (Jeph cut flowers from his garden).
Finally, somewhere around 6 or so, I think, we all got to gather and dine.

Now then, do you see why I worry about my waistline?



More importantly, though, all of this just goes to show how utterly amazing the NBF is in his own right, leaving aside whatever I think of the cute/hot factor of his husband. Jeph put on a remarkable evening for us all, and he deserves much praise and thanks.

awww, cute!

No, really, isn't he adorable?

Ooops, no, wait, I meant to put a picture of Doogie here. Doogie. Lovely, rambunctious, handsome, friendly dog. Sorry about that...


;-)

Ohio wine

I was trying to think last night about all the states in which Conrad and I have visited wineries. Michigan, New Mexico, Hawaii, Texas, Missouri. The usual suspects, right?

Add Ohio to the list.

This was fun, truly. Brett and Jeph took us to a winery not far from where they live. Viking Vineyards is the name, and you know what? We found some lovely wines for our big dinner that night. Success!

I think a lot of non-California wineries are like this: buying grapes from California to make wines locally. Of course, we all think that makes the wines less than good, but as we learned in New Zealand, a lot of grapes get shipped around, and yet decent wine is being made for the table. Having said that, however, I would say that though we thought well of all we tasted (well, maybe except the Cabernet Sauvignon), Viking's best wines are made with local grapes. In our opinion.

We ended up coming home with five bottles: two of the Traminette, two of the Lemberger, and one of the wine infused with chocolate. This last one didn't get consumed that night, but the gathered guests made easy work of the others. I especially liked the Traminette. It was full of fruit on the nose and in the mouth. A great wine to have chilled with friends outside. Fun, but a little serious just the same.



Conrad rather liked the red - it was light and full of berries. A shame the winery won't try it again because of heavy loss of vines over the winter. Ah well.


Once again, though, we learn that the occasion, the situation, enhances the wine. Tasting with the guys was simply fun, and even better, we found some bottles that the guests that night liked a lot as well. Well done Ohio, well done.

Rootstown quickie

I shan't bore you with the details of how I thrillingly updated my iPhone tonight. Yes, while Conrad is out of town, I have too too much fun, I know.

And now it's late. Plus, I'm awaiting Conrad's call. Content yourselves, then, with a food porn shot or two from the weekend that was with a promise to write more in days ahead.

Food porn that I wished I'd done. Darn was this good.

Food porn I did do. I didn't eat any, to be honest, but Conrad liked it.

Enough for now. More food - of course! - to come...