Best of 2011 (music)

My sister and I were talking while at dinner at Chris' last night, and it seems she likes the top music lists I put together. On occasion, they've been useful to her for finding new things to listen to. And what the heck, I never mind exposing my taste in cheese and other stuff for what it is.

I have every good intention of revitalizing this blog in the year ahead, so perhaps closing 2011 with a posting or two will be a good segue. While I have cake layers in the oven, then, a Top 25 songs of 2011 from me.

(Oh, and a word on how I came about with this list - I went to my iTunes, sorted it for 2011 releases, then sorted by most played and from that pulled this list. The result is presented alphabetically by song.)

Here we go!

1. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan (lead track from the new album, which continues to grow on me, though not as quickly and easily as Nice Nice Very Nice did)
2. Blind Faith - Chase & Status (I also listened a lot to an older track by them, End Credits)
3. Bounce (Radio Edit) - Calvin Harris
4. Broken Record (Jacques Greene Remix) - Katy B (I also had Katy on a Mission on play a bunch)
5. Calgary - Bon Iver (never heard anything else by him despite all the Grammy nom hoopla – this was a free track I took a chance on and rather liked)
6. E.T. (feat. Kanye West) - Katy Perry (I am unashamed of my Katy Perry love acquired at the gym)
7. Leaves, Trees, Forest - Dan Mangan (my favourite track from Oh Fortune)
8. Lights - Ellie Goulding
9. Lotus Flower – Radiohead (terrific album through and through)
10. Marathon - Tennis
11. Moves Like Jagger (Studio Recording from "The Voice" Performance) [feat. Christina Aguilera] - Maroon 5 (I didn’t pay attention to this one until it got me dancing quite happily at my wedding)
12. Never Be Mine - Kate Bush (of all the re-recordings that made up The Director’s Cut, this was my favourite)
13. Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock) – LMFAO (come on, who didn’t enjoy this one?)
14. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People (I also liked a remix of Waste that I have on my iTunes)
15. Rolling In the Deep – Adele (though I confess I got tired of hearing it at the gym all summer)
16. Rows Of Houses - Dan Mangan (a nice rocking side to the man)
17. Set Fire to the Rain – Adele (great third single from the album)
18. Someone Like You – Adele (no, I don’t cry listening to this)
19. Swagger Jagger - Cher Lloyd (hilariously cheesy! And a great use of Darling Clementine)
20. The Tide Pulls From The Moon - William Fitzsimmons (I can’t remember how I stumbled on this, but a nice little strummer of a song)
21. Till the World Ends - Britney Spears (I am gay, after all)
22. ÜBerlin - R.E.M. (typical for them – one decent single, and then nothing more from the album)
23. We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) – Rihanna (I’m so-so on Rihanna, but this song hooked me)
24. What the Water Gave Me - Florence + The Machine (so glad I saw her live this past summer)
25. 50 Words for Snow - Kate Bush (title track from a gorgeous album that will be on heavy play for months to come - my favourite from it will change again and again, I know)

Honourable mention to a song I only heard for the first time post-Christmas: Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene

the first year

Ten years. Today marks ten years from what Conrad and I consider our first date. Ten years.

That's, oh, 20 times longer than any previous relationship I'd previously had. Pats on the back all around.

In the run up to the Big Event (eat your heart out, Will and Kate), I've been casting backward from time to time. I thought it might be fun, then, to share photos from the first year Conrad and I were together.

Unsurprisingly, there are few photos of the two of us. There is this one, however, from about a month after we started dating. Our first appearance as a couple, I guess. It took some of our teammates another year to figure out we were together. We chuckle about that now.

That first year we traveled together: first San Diego (wow, another photo of us!), then trips to my homeland
and his (twice).
San Francisco followed on from that,
and then we capped the year in style, celebrating our anniversary (and his birthday the next day) with a trip to visit his cousins in Sweden.
I was a little afraid to tell him how much I wanted to go with him because I couldn't afford to buy a ticket, and I didn't think he'd use miles for me to go with him. I was delighted and grateful to be wrong.

It was from that trip that one of our household sayings came into our lives: As long as we have snacks and each other...

10 years, much snacking, each other. Enjoy a glimpse into our younger times together.

questioning the hat

So, in an effort to be more grown up and emulate Martin's style (which I genuinely admire - do not read this opening sentence as snark, please!), I have added a couple of hats the wardrobe. When I bought this at an H&M in Toronto (yes, I was in Toronto, it happens), I thought it looked rather dapper. When I wore it Friday night to go out for dinner with Bradley, I found myself thinking it looked old and stuffy and like I was trying too hard.


I'm usually not so torn on my clothing (though Conrad and perhaps Todd and a few other close friends might dispute that), but with the hat, I am. I'll hold on to it, but I fear it may take up residence in a corner of my closet and not see daylight again for quite some time. Like when I'm truly old or something. Which may not be all that far off, come to think of it....

back to NOLA for conference

It's turning out to be a pleasant Sunday here in Chicago. We've just been across the street for a second round of coffee, I've baked more scones and given most of them away. Still ahead: packing for the upcoming travel. But no rush. A bit of time to check in here on the blog first.

I've only ever been to New Orleans for conferences, and with a second conference there this year, my tally is now up to 4 visits. I know there is much of the city I have yet to see, and doubtless much to appreciate. Sticking close to conference hotels on and around Canal Street and the French Quarter, however, does not give the best impression of the city. I don't have a lot of scenic photos to share. My room at the Holiday Inn did have some good views, however.

I do have a few food shots. I kept them to a minimum this past trip, I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps not in the mood? I did eat some good things, though: a pizza at Domenica, dinner at MiLA (including a rice pudding with rum-glazed dates), dinner at the bar at Sylvain where the smoked salmon rillettes were a highlight of my meal.

The conference itself? Enjoyable and rewarding. I didn't have any committee responsibilities, so I was able to sit and listen and let ideas and research findings wash over me. I drank in what I could, and the rest of the time I tried to connect with some of the people I know, like Susan (no photo, alas) and Marisa. And Carolyn, with her fabulous mane of hair.


No more conferences this year, and the remaining travel I have is to the same old, familiar and welcome places. Which means, of course, more food photos to come!

something old, something new

I wheeled out a couple of familiar recipes last night and tried a few new ones. Mixed success, in my brutally honest opinion, but a fine dinner overall.

Speaking of old and new, that was the mix at our kitchen table. Conrad and I have each been with the Smelts 10+ years. Brad and Matt are at about a year apiece. We have a great group of younger swimmers on the team these days, and it was a nice opportunity to get to know both of them a little better. The dinner started from a Facebook post by Brad when he was visiting a particular winery in California, Merry Edwards. I commented that Conrad loved the Pinot Noir from that winery, and Brad said he had picked up a bottle to share. I suggested he bring it for dinner, he agreed and invited Matt along to fill out the table nicely. A vegetarian meal to fit Brad's diet, and some good wine to enjoy. Oh, plus team gossip, of course!

Unusually for me, I did not force everyone out of the kitchen while I cooked. Conrad opened a bottle of Champagne for the four of us (why not celebrate anything we could?), and they munched on cheese, quince paste, crackers, olives, nuts, and caper berries. Me? I finished off a batch of rice cooked with the liquid drained from black beans I'd cooked up. Then I turned my attention to empanadas. Ah yes, fried food. Mmmmmm. A fine recipe, and one you've seen from me before.

I had roasted two types of mushroom (trumpet and hen-of-the-woods) and chopped those up. To them I added some cooked diced potato, charred garlic, diced goat milk gouda, and some chopped rehydrated red chile. This became the filling for the empanadas. While we chatted, I was pressing the dough and folding it closed around the mushroom mixture. A lighter set of flavours - a little earthy, but not too deep and rich - to go with the Pinot, or so I hoped.

But I'll be honest, I could have done better with the empanadas. The oil wasn't hot enough at first, and the slow cooking let the first several I made open up as they cooked. Grrrr. The last several were better, I'm glad to say, but it was a bit embarrassing to have kitchen mistakes on full view. Brad and Matt were very indulgent of them, thankfully.

I served the empanadas with the rice (which also was a bit less good than I would have liked, though I think the leftovers will go nicely with eggs and a chile sauce of some sort - it's been a long time since last I made that recipe, but I used to love it in the days back at the restaurant), red chard, and a sauce I'd made using dried red chiles, onion, charred garlic, dried mushrooms, and tomato. It turned out well, I think, a happy experiment.

And so we dined.

And the wine, I should add, was delicious.

After dinner, we remained in the kitchen. Matt had brought a Washington Cab blend, and we slowly sipped our way through that. Conrad helped tidy a bit, and I started on dessert. Here's where the new recipes came in, and frankly, I thought they were pretty darn good. I had made hazelnut shortbreads from Emily Luchetti's truly wonderful Stars Desserts cookbook (my hardcover edition needs rebinding badly) earlier in the afternoon. I also made a batch of hazelnut ice cream from a recipe I found online. It was well worth skinning all those nuts, I tell you. The nut flavour was subtle, and it would be understandable to think that the ice cream was a good, rich vanilla. There are a lot of leftovers of it, though, and I may find myself tempted in days ahead.

I went with hazelnut, though, because I think its a great complement to plums. The plum season will soon end, and I will be sorry to see it over. For snacking or for cooking, plums are a wonderful fruit, after all. I used 9 prune plums last night in making the showstopper: souffles.

There I was, in the kitchen, mixer running at high speed as I whipped up egg whites and sugar. I folded them in batches into a strained plum puree. Three ingredients, that was it. The mix then went into prepared ramekins and into the oven. A short time after that, Brad started getting excited, asking if I had made baked Alaska. He knew that I had made ice cream, and he thought that egg whites plus ice cream logically meant that classic dessert. Nope, sorry Brad. His excitement was cute, though. My own excitement came with the rising of the souffles. I had plates ready with a scoop of ice cream (for adding into the hot, sweet-tart souffle) and a couple of cookies. The souffles came out of the oven, a nice brown on top, pink around the sides. Onto the plates, onto the table, and delighted reactions all around (including from me). This was one of the best desserts I've done in ages - a little forethought on what to make and how to present it, a willingness to take a small risk.

We ate it all up, full as we were, and settled into contented conversation once the plates were clean.

two dinners in

One drawback to vacation (yes, there are drawbacks to vacations) is all the dining out. My regular eating habits get a little out of whack, too many snacks sneak in, and I enjoy wine all the more than I do at home. Also, I frankly get a little tired of being waited on. Sometimes I want to eat on my own schedule and not have to tip someone afterward. I swear, I am not cheap. I just like to cook for myself.

Well, for Conrad, too.

I didn't photograph Tuesday's dinner, though I perhaps should have. A tasty green pea and eggplant curry with some brown rice and a bit of a slaw on the side. It made for good lunch leftovers. Yesterday made it two vegan dinners in a row (and two slaws, though last night's was a little less sweet and featured a bit of radish). On an evening when the weather was cooling off and when Conrad was home with something like a cold coming on, a stewlike thing seemed best. Chili, then. Three beans (black, pinto, kidney), a generous amount of garlic, and chipotle (powdered and whole) to add a bit of smoky kick. Nothing too hot, mind you. Bowls of this made for a comforting dinner.


I turned to fowl tonight. Not a bad result, though not as good as I might like. Here's something you won't hear me say often: I liked how the mushrooms turned out. I tossed some halved trumpet mushrooms with olive oil and a few seasonings, then put them in a hot oven long enough that they got a bit crisp on the cut side. They were a nice side for the oven-braised chicken thighs along with some red chard (yes, the chard-love continues!) and some kabocha squash that I let scorch while trying to get some caramelization on it. Bad Peter, bad.



Ah well. We aren't hungry here tonight. Perhaps some fish tomorrow, I'm not sure. The approach of autumn means some other fun vegetables to start working with...

1000

I started this blog a little over five years ago, so on average, I've done 200 posts a year. Give or take. My audience is not large, I know. When Dad died in 2009, it got that little bit smaller. Since then, my interest in blogging has waned.

But I can't quite give it up. I'm not sure why. Vanity? Documentary? The pleasure of connecting however distantly and even anonymously? I thought I might get to 1000 entries then call it a day. I shan't do that. I like being able to lob my dining adventures out there, or my self-deprecating comments on my own self-obsession, or photos of lovely scenery I've enjoyed (usually with Conrad).

You, my few readers, are stuck with me a little while longer.

I promised an entry filling in the month+ gap during which I was too lazy to blog, so here we go.

After my birthday entry back in July, I flew out to join Conrad for a weekend in Los Angeles. A highlight of that weekend was getting to watch, for the first time, an ATP event. We saw Mardy Fish and Ryan Harrison play in a semi-final at the Farmers Classic at UCLA. Gorgeous weather, a match that had some compelling moments, and a great afternoon overall. Bonus points for shopping at the Penguin by Munsingwear store on the way back from the tennis.




Back in Chicago, I enjoyed a rare visit by Terraceites: Arjunna and Sonya.



There were meals at Yoshi's. Of course.


My sister came to town for the first time in years, and we were able to get her to a very good and indulgent dinner at one of our favourite places in Chicago, Topolobampo. I cannot speak in praise of sommelier Jill Gubesch often enough. Oh, and the food was pretty darn good.





Marie and I picked up my best friend, Todd, from Milwaukee, and once Allison joined us at Yoshi's that night, the four of us had a terrific bachelor party weekend that featured ComiCon and a Tiffany and Debbie Gibson concert. Yes, you read that right. Be jealous of me. That whole Saturday kicked serious ass.







Conrad and I joined teammates in Madison for an open water swim. He cheered, I swam (and came in second in my age group).



We continued to get to know our neighbour Jeff better. Good guy - a runner, but more importantly, someone who dines. We totally respect and appreciate that. We took him for a maiden voyage to Yoshi's. Of course.


I don't talk work on here, but oh heck. I will note that Val and I co-presented a well-received poster session at the Society of American Archivists conference in Chicago.



And then August came to a close, and Conrad and I made it to our second home, happily.

I won't resolve to do better with blogging, to be more regular. I will beg your indulgence. 1000 posts is a good milestone. But no, I'm not stopping. Care to join me as I press onward in my own particular way?

999 (knackered)

Look, I got up and was out running 7.5 miles (and I'm not even training!) by 6:30 this morning, then tackled my fear of heights to go on the gondola and chair lift at Grouse Mountain, then made myself pretty to head to the Club for a short swim followed by some food and some very good New Zealand Pinot.

I'm tired, I want to read a bit and collapse into sleep. Can you blame me? Blog entry 999 is therefore short, somewhat to the point, and rolled out in anticipation of whatever strikes my fancy in days ahead for post 1000.

Night!