042616

big wheel

Friday 042216 I happened to be off work. My younger siblings, whom I recently made my triumphant return home to Baltimore from Chicago for, were in need of a ride and so were a few of their friends; Jumbo pretzels, blow up dolphins, overcoming fears, and watching children vomit filled the evening. It brings me such joy to spend time with these kids, whom in fact are quite mature, often so much so I forget neither of them were born before the Iraq war began. As adult as they may be, carnivals are places where we can all be children and scream the SpongeBob Squarepants theme song at a disgruntled woman exchanging cash for ride tickets.

white marsh carnival

patricia the goldfish

Speaking of adult behavior…

Drinking, Pt. I

(of many, I’m sure)

I used to be what I’m sure many would call a ‘heavy drinker’... Someone who falls asleep on the restroom floor of a diner, wipes the vomit off his face and finishes his meal. However, in the past year and a half or so, I’ve honestly enjoyed a nice glass of prosecco more than anything; even if I foresee myself drinking well past the witching hour, which these days doesn’t happen very often, it is usually where I begin. Can’t say the same for its more commonly referenced friend Champagne, I am simply not a huge fan.

bohigas, avec chicago

Now, before I go further into this, I am by absolutely no means an expert on any drink aside from Arizona Iced Tea, and probably Taro bubble tea. I find that the bubbles in champagne are (in my mind) closer to little pricks, where prosecco (again, up in lala-land) has bubbles that feel rounder. Maybe I’m just finding reasons to bash champagne because of my need to be a non-conformist (and of course it is simply THE most conformist of all sparkling wines). Cava is nice, though. The Bohigas I had at Avec last summer is probably my top choice for cava as it also happens to be the only one I've tried in the past year. My first encounter with the faint bubbles was at a restaurant I worked at in 2010 that no longer exists, so I’m free to mention the name; Vino Rosina. It was used in a steamed mussels dish and at the time I had no idea that it was even slightly carbonated, but I remember the scent produced being so intoxicating (in more ways than one)!  I was fresh out of culinary school the year before so no judgment.

And speaking of college, hey Smirnoff! Vodka straight up was nice in the past, I just don’t find it drinkable at this particular time in life. Vodka, in general, I feel I've simply overdone. 

Obviously, the goal isn't to get shit faced drunk anymore but it definitely has been in the past. 7am battles with the rising sun, nasty large plastic handles and Dunkin Donuts in tow. Vodka & soda, shot for shot out of two different cups, or no soda at all. On more than one occasion I have told people that my chewing gum was my chaser.

drunk me

I used to drink Dmitri and Skol when I first moved to Chicago. The flavor of such cheap grain alcohol made it so that I could just drink practically an entire bottle straight up. The taste was so close to the scent of hand sanitizer/ antiseptic/ poison that also served as the chaser, albeit a rather disgusting one, it simply did not taste like alcohol that people drink. Somehow I was fine with that.

drunk me stuff

In 2016, I’d much rather be drinking a dirty martini. For some reason, drinking any one type of liquor straight pretty much always grosses me out now, a combination of two or more / some sort of refinement makes it alright. I just don't like using alcohol like a drug anymore I guess.

Dirty martinis were always my go to cocktail in Chicago. Every now and again I’d head over to the bar that looked like somebodies grandmas Christmas Tree threw up all over a basement that doubled as a pizza restaurant, and order a few Absolut dirty martinis with blue cheese olives (only on $5 martini night of course).

These days I enjoy drinking more at a restaurant, or at least in a setting where there's food involved and the entire experience is not just about the alcohol; not only because it makes me feel a little better physically, but I am simply not a fan of just pounding liquor anymore. Some cocktails are nice, though. I used to hate them but lately I’ve found that I actually enjoy certain “thought out” cocktails. To me, they're reminiscent of a composed dish from the mind of a chef... a vodka soda seems more like the fast food equivalent of drinking.

I think the overall point that I'm realizing about myself is that it truly is the effort, thought, and preparation that make the difference for me. I'm not saying I haven't in the past (and quite recently) done shots out of a bottle, but the actual finished product that most "real" (non-industry) people see in upscale venues is just so much more appealing.

I have in the past enjoyed quite a few bottles of Cupcake prosecco. To me, it says, “let’s get ghetto fabulous tonight”, and I’m cool with that.

Prosecco is cool. I am telling you, it is a cool thing to drink. However in 2015, my new obsession was sparkling rose (as was most of the Midwest apparently). Flat Rose is fine, but obviously not as exciting, and it’s usually chilled, further indulging my need to practically freezer burn my throat. My absolute favorite sparkling Rose was a bottle I bought at Parachute to celebrate with a friend for her birthday last September.

salmon skin chicharron, za'atar, yogurt

chameh melon, green gochu, feta, burnt onion, shiso

confit albacore, raspberries

pork belly and mung bean pancake, kimchi, black garlic, hen egg, pineapple

pavlova

parachute whiskey sour & hibicus vermouth, gran classico, spicy bitters 

Recently, I’ve been drinking quite a bit of flat water on the line at work; I find it hydrates better, although it leaves me having to pee more, especially if we aren’t busy enough for me to just sweat out all the liquid instead. Not many trips to the bar after work these days, though. I often feel that driving 30+ minutes to and from work prevent me from fully immersing myself in the food and beverage world here in Baltimore.

As happy and grateful as I am to be here with my family, I can’t help but miss the time in my life where everything didn’t feel so… pressing. My life can only become busier and snowball from here, but knowing and accepting that doesn't change my longing for those evenings. “Barbie’s plastic dream house”, we called it. Sitting on a couch we didn’t pay for in our little attic apartment, dressed like Disgaea characters come to life, drinking sparkling wine and talking about music and fashion and art as the sun appeared only as a reminder that time still existed.

042016

I got to work with some really beautiful kale blossoms today. As expected, they had a similar flavor and texture to rapini, but amazingly kept their color even after being cooked (chicken stock, butter, small amount garlic oil).

 kale blossoms

***

Glasses

My glasses are often my blinders to the world. No one can see my eyes. I can look as looking was meant to be.

I suppose this used to be more of a thing when I lived in Chicago , not having to stare people in the face on the train was kind of a convenience. I mostly wore them to keep people looking at me from knowing where my eyes are pointed as if that gave me some sort of facial invisibility cloak.

04.18.15 01:53

04.18.15 04:31

04.18.15 06:58

04.18.15 07:17

04.18.15 12:49

04.19.15 00:00

It feels cool to wear them. I’m not a huge fan of hot weather and the sun is usually at its brightest during those times, sunglasses are pretty much necessary for anyone to expect me to come outside. I guess now that I drive to work every day I’d have to use that visor thing in the car if I forgot them. It’d probably fall off if I touched it. I haven’t since I’ve been driving this truck.

gold & blue, iridium chicago

I prefer blinder type sunglasses, usually with round lenses. I like the far away appearance of black circle lenses on people, I think it comes across rather ethereal.

 silver & black, iridium chicago

For about three plus years I’ve been purchasing glasses from Iridium in Block 37 in Chicago. Just about every time I went to the bank to cash my check I’d walk right down the street and buy new sunglasses. It was like my reward to myself for two more great weeks of cooking, although the case was usually that I’d either sat or stepped on them, and broken them, and they needed to be replaced. Whatever the circumstance, somehow I always ended up back at this store.

I bought a pair at Belmont Army once.

 black round lens w/ thin frame, belmont army chicago

They were actually the first sunglasses I’d owned that weren’t wayfarers. Speaking of wayfarers, once I was on vacation in south beach in Miami and the sun was sooo bright, I literally could not see outside. I bought a pair of Ray Bans at the store in the Fontainebleau for $200 and lost them two days later… I think, reading this back to myself, my record for mishandling glasses is quite evident. I used to wear glasses as a child and until I was old enough to wear contacts, I had those transition lenses (which I still think are very unique).

 gold w/ flip out blinders, iridium chicago

Out of all of them, I’d say my favorite had to be the gold with the flip out blinders, which fold in to close them when they aren’t on your face. Something about the clear plastic protectors on them seem so futuristic to me, an unlikely pairing of materials. Of course these I lost when I had a bottle of prosecco at dinner and continued drinking at the got a little out of hand at the movie theater and left them there.

There should exist more easily accessible places to replace the arms on sunglasses also. I have about three pair of $40 glasses just packed away because they all only have one arm. Looking back at some older camera roll photos the other day, I came across pictures of one pair that I used to wear. Moments later I created a prosthesis out of a bobby pin.

black & mirror pince-nez, iridium chicago 

Some of the vintage frames on ebay right now look pretty interesting, although most of the blinder bearing frames have ones made of leather for some reason. The concept seems so odd to me.

silver w/ flip out blinders, iridium chicago

The origin of humanity cannot be the only connection between food and clothing.

041716

Hi. I’m violently blasting my sinus with wasabi peas!! I feel very awake!!

It has been an interesting week so far. Had my first actual meal out since I’ve been back in Baltimore on Friday, hilarity ensued…

Dinner at Hersh's Pizza

I had the day off so I met up with a friend and decided to actually have dinner someplace and not just aggressively chew giant pieces of meat over a garbage can...

wood fire spring onions, romesco, toasted almonds

calamari, sweet chili honey

crispy chicken skin

sausage plate, chop salad #3

The sausage plate was the highlight of the food for me.  The dry aged brisket went great with the grainy mustard. Pickled mushrooms noted as crazy strong although it could've been the Brancaia Tre I had…

love in rome, corpse Reviver #2

 Came home to Pizza (seemingly the only thing I didn’t order from a pizza restaurant)

***

I played a jubeat on saturday!

…this kind of snowballs from here. The jubeat with the j-pop got me thinking about DDR and anime and the Ramune that they sold in the anime store…

strawberry, melon ramune sodas

The moment I hear the glass ball fall into the bottle, I am immediately filled with a hunger for lychee jelly candies and mochi ice cream. I took the truck up to get detailed and as the sun went down in the evening, the journey began.

Among my favorite stores, H-mart is one Asian market that I’ve been familiar with for years. I suppose it’s a more frequented place these days but when I was younger, it was kind of secret location for authentic Korean and other Asian sourced products.

bakery display

matari, maitake, shimeji

 parking lot spicy salmon roll, mochi

aloe vera, red sugar cane

imitation crab & the greatest condiment ever made

shrimp tempura roll, spicy tuna roll, octopus

instant noodles, shrimp pop

spicy nori roll-ups, daifuku mochi, muscat gummy candies, wasabi peas

white peach and lychee calpico non-carbonated soft drinks, mango juice with fruit pieces, aloe vera drink, lychee ramune, choco baby pellets, cherry hi-chew, thai tea

60-75% of my usual purchases at food stores tend to be beverages.

I find that these sort of products interest me more than most convenience store options. I wouldn't be likely to eat this number of different items at many other places.

Goodnight :)

041116

Hello.

english pea faggotini, cherry mostarda, cabbage, hazelnuts

I am concerned about finding the connection between food and fashion. 

Not necessarily just fashion but things that you put on your body (consciously or not)

Does that make any sense?

cocido, cheese board

It's like, ‘looks’

I’ve always been obsessed with a variation in looks but with a focus, like a person

Any sort of object looking different

Transformation, really, is what my mind is focusing on

serrano ham, pickled grapes, walnut, parmigiano

Clothes are just fabrics. Plant material, well no I suppose now it would be plastic. Synthesized or not, originally clothes came from plants… and we eat plants.

demonia platform, aztec quilt

Food consumption behaves similarly to clothing consumption.

They are both arts, both visual arts.

p.289, issue 34, pop magazine

My obsession with visual arts translates to my work. You can follow a recipe and satisfy a passing hunger, but for people to be able to express a certain control over the manipulation of raw materials, flavor pairings, placement, textures…

Food must be recognized as an art.

white wash denim guess jacket

It is all an intake and outtake. It is one or zero.

Not fashion. Find another word for fashion. It displeases my ears.

free mind / chained body

chogia beet, mozzarella, baby kale

Explain food beyond 'this is a nutrient block'. This will keep you alive because human beings have to eat. Anything beyond that is what you find in food houses.

Fashion house = clothing brand, food house = restaurant.

mme

So much sameness in the two arts. Incredible efforts reduced to “breakfast” or those pair of pants I wear three days a year.