Amusements

True that.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

I never at seafood before I moved to Japan. I grew up near polluted fresh water great lakes, not the ocean.

Now that I live in Baltimore, seafood is the iconic food. Everyone comes here to eat crabs and things that burrow in the seabed. A month or so ago I tried mussels for the first time. I was really scared because they came in this huge steaming bowl, and there they were. A bowl full of shells, like this:

Not too appetizing. However, I soon found out they are totally fun to eat! Crack the shell scoop it out, dunk in butter, YUM!

Today I had lunch at a noodle place. Kind of an "all asia" inspired noodle place. Nice outdoor seating in the back with vines and everything. We ordered the special mussels, it was steamed mussels with a spicy, kimchi sauce... amazing!!!! After mowing through the bowl, I was eating the last one when I felt something.

I remember reading on the menu of another seafood place "beware of pearls". I laughed thinking that this was just one of the wacky things that themed restaurants add to their menus, like "Beware of the Waitress" or "Beer: It's what's for dinner". I was surprised when my tooth came in contact with a very hard something. I worked it around, loosening it from the delicious mussel meat and there it was, A PEARL!

I pulled the tiny beauty out of my mouth and felt quite proud of it. My friend asked "is that your tooth?"
"No," I said with much glee, "It's a PEARL!"

I was honestly amazed at my luck and at mother nature. It's not like you eat a carrot and then find a vein of gold in it, this was a true treasure! I placed it on my napkin and finished my glass of wine. A strong breeze came and blew my napkin and pearl onto the patio deck. I watched as my little pearl slowly bounced, then dropped between the cracks of the patio never to be seen again.

No, don't feel sad I did find one more and gave that to my friend. Share the wealth.

Spooks and Creeps

It's Indian Summer here in Baltimore. Sunday is the autumnal equinox, which will open the doors of perception for the spooks and creeps to come out. Feeling more spooked lately, I will be re-salting the house.

Happy Fall!

Two favorite things!

LOL catz. Totally halarious. What could be better? LOL Presidents!

Best of Baltimore Party

Major fashion crisis. What to wear to the "best of baltimore" party. Party dress? Pant suit? Tribal embroidered tunic? ugh....

New Obsession: Dax Flame

I don't know if this kid is for real or not, but I really love it!

Black Studio

This is my best friend Anne, she painted her studio black and has an amazing beehive sometimes.

Check out her blog Dark Was The Night

Books: Ray Bradbury, spooky Sci-Fi Nostalgia

There are some summer memories that just hang so thick in the brain. I remember a dark earth smell, creek, lightening bugs, old paper... I'm honestly bad with remembering the specifics of things, like which summer this happened, how old I was, or even if I could drive at that time.

All I have is that lazy, comfy, electric feeling.






I had to ask my mom what dandelion wine was. I thought you could only make wine out of grapes... right?
Similarly, I am confused as to why Ray Bradbury is considered "Sci-Fi". I always considered his books fantasy rooted in a bit of small town reality.... and sometimes space. I prayed that a wicked traveling circus would invade my township and promise me all sorts of sexy and spooky things. I relished the flavor of his writing, and his 20- years- too- late social commentary. He is still my favorite escape.

The above memory, I believe was 90% informed from this book. His writing became a part of my memory bank and with his symbols and scenarios easily replaced with familiar locations and faces.

FW 2007: Marc Jacobs, Thank goodness!

I have really liked Marc Jacobs. I know he has had his ups and downs this year with his battle with addiction. But after reuniting with his boytoy, and now practicing sexy yoga everyday he has gone from this:

To THIS:
(taken from Perez Hilton )

Marc is looking mean, lean and sexy again! I think that is why his designs have gone from
This:
(Marc Jacobs Fall 2007, Annie Hall Grandma look)



TO THIS:

(Marc Jacobs Ready to Wear Spring 2008)

Oooh! Ooh la la! My, is that fun! Marc Jacobs is fun again! After seeing the Fall 2007 collection I thought, "This is the end of an era". But the new Spring 2008 line looks AMAZING! There are so many fun and cute details for the accessories as well:

Golden Peter Pan Booties! Backward High Heels! Coin Purses on the outside of bags!

This is like a beautiful sideshow of fashion. It's a bit gimmicky but quite fun! Apparently the theme was "backwards fashion". He even ran down the runway first before the looks came out, to complete this lovely backwards theme. These new designs show the fun and ingenuity that so many people have associated with Marc Jacobs since the mid- 90's. Now, we just need to see how those backwards high heels work on the sidewalk.

Partially True

100% scary.

Current Research Project: Mandalas/Rose Windows

Classic Best Fwends

This past labor day I also spend a lovely breakfast and afternoon with my pal Erin! We have been friends since August of 1993. We met at a birthday party and then quickly realized everyone else was lame. Our friends ship was cemented with the wonderful act of pushing the birthday girl in the pool at her own slumber party.

We continued our friendship at the beginning of 7th grade, when we shared a math class and we would live notes in each other's lockers. We later joined Odyssey of the Mind and Girl Scouts. These stories to come at a later date.


To see photos of the weekend please check out her blog "Erin with an E"

Cheese Files: Gorgonzola

The healthy lump you see above, marbled with blue patches is the one and only gorgonzola. This is a wonderfully creamy cheese with a smooth texture and stinky "bite". There are two types of gorgonzola that are easy to find, the firm and cumbly one, or the creamy soft one. I prefer the creamy soft one, it lends itself easier to making pasta or risotto. This is a fatty, creamy cheese that may take a bit of getting used to, but once you have the taste you will crave it!

Here you see my most favorite dish, gorgonzola penne. Simple and pure. This is a true comfort food, what beats carbs and cheese? Sign me up! If given the choice I would eat this every single day for lunch. When melted with cream or whole fat milk and butter, gorgonzola blends into a creamy thick sauce. Add some pepper and some veggies, and there you have it. A lovely comfort dish with a creamy mellow aroma.

Now, I consider myself quite a cheese snob. I can tell the cheap factory stuff from the handmade or farm made imported cheeses. What's the big difference you may ask, it's vegetable oil! Like all food found in chain super markets, manufacturers add fillers to save money and actual product. Cheap cheese usually advertises less fat, making it seem healthier. Wrong! Fat is what a nice rich cheese is made of! What do manufacturers use to compensate for taking out the expensive and delicious whole milk fat... vegetable oil!

How can you tell if you have a junk cheese. First, is it sold by the pound? If so it generally comes from a larger block that was aged in a creamery and will usually be a better cheese. Second, if you leave the cheese out on the counter while cooking does it "sweat" (this is common in lower grade cheddar). Third, is it individually wrapped? You know who I am talking about....




If I found this in my refrigerator I would have to shout and exorcise the demons of this funky plastic sheet that they call cheese! Her name is Kraft, she's 24 and single. She's also American... but is it cheese?

If you have never had gorgonzola go to your local Little Italy and try it out! You may find it to be a little salty and musky tasting, but try to enjoy it. If you too obsess about quality cheeses, please leave me a comment.

Peace Pops

My favorite photo of my dad.

Pizza Hut Japan: Party Pizza!!!

Pizza Hut is all over the world, and much like it's sister fast food chains it adapts part of it's menu to the local tastes. Above you see the delicious Japanese party pizza! We have all had stuffed crust pizza but this takes it to a whole new level. Check it out, the crust has been repaced with cheese rolls and pigs in a blanket with ketchup!
The main body of the pizza has mini hamburgers (which is usually featured in children's obento boxes), tomatoes and probably corn. There is always corn on pizza in Japan.

Since we are on the topic of Japanese Pizza Hut, I would like to present, my favorite Japanese pizza!!!! This images is a bit hard to see, but this is the MAYO Q!!! A wonderful combination of BBQ chicken, mayo, nori, mushrooms, onion, and yes.... CORN! There is no tomato sauce, mostly just a mayo sauce with yummy chicken . Also, you may not be able to see the details, but a small costs 2,400 JPY, roughly $20 USD. yipes! but when I really need some pizza, usually only when my bf. is in Tokyo, we order this treat!

Overview, at 2,400 JPY this is a bit pricey. This is obviously not healthy but is awesome if eaten twice a year. Bonus, in Japan you don't have to tip the delivery boy!

(sorry these images are so small!)

Midwestern Labor Day

Every Fall I try to make it back home for the Labor Day holiday weekend. For those who are unfamiliar with the origin of Labor Day, it is a public holiday here in America to celebrate the working and laboring class! It also commemorates "the 8 hour day". This was a concept originally purposed by Benjamin Franklin! To improve the American worker's quality of life where by it was a workers right to have each of their days divided into 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep, and 8 hours of personal time (that's 24 hours in all).

That being said, I returned to the midwest to celebrate with my UAW father and UofM nurse mother (and a bevy of chirping chihuahuas). We made our way to an RV campground. Unlike the rustic camping city folk indulge in to become "more connected with nature", country folk jam themselves together in cramped RV's on tiny plots of land and engage in social experiments of their own living quite simply in a micro-city!

I love people watching while camping. There are amazing outfits, golf cart adornments, and a sea of contemporary country music flowing out of each camp site. I was a little overwhelmed with all of the people, talking and strange sounds, but I found a nice fishing pond in the wooded area. There was a simple slide/swing set with see-saws. The air was cooler there, with beautiful blue shadows shading the swing set. The disadvantage of this was, mosquitoes. I forgot how many mosquitoes there is in Michigan. After walking into the wooded areas at nighttime there was a cloud of mosquitoes buzzing around.

There was Bingo on Saturday night at the "bingo barn", this is my first time playing actual bingo for money and my 3rd time gambling. I played 5 cards and we all chatted it up while yelling at everyone else to be quite. We also consumed a bottle of white wine and various snackies!

My weekend wrapped up with a night of dancing to live country classics at the red barn bandstand. The band was terrific and they payed a wonderful mix of classic country and Elvis. The christmas lights glowed while my boyfriend did the twist with an awesome vivacity, my parents slow danced to Patsy Cline, my Pops and I shimmied to the Johnny Cash melody. It was beautiful, sweet, and iconic.


Each year my trips home are more satisfying. I enjoy my parents more, and I can talk to my siblings earnestly and I get to touch base with my roots.