Words are not my friend at the moment so I'm relying on the pictures below to articulate our most recent epicurean adventure - an enjoyable one. I recently dined at Jardiniere with my favorite eating troupe - ML, Colonel Mustard, and C-Monster. C-Monster has graduated from excusing herself when wine is ordered at the table to avoid being carded to now leading the charge when ordering a pre-meal cocktail. She is officially ready for a decade plus of broken heels and running mascara.
Anyway, I feel that the elegant French offerings at Jardiniere are a bit more "approachable" than say, Michael Mina. I think that a la carte menus lend themselves to a more relaxed atmosphere in general. Additionally, it's a treat to dine at locations in which the owner has battled on Iron Chef America. Chef Traci Des Jardins gave Mario Batalli a whoopin' when they competed onthe show a few years ago (let's ignore that she was the first cheftestant booted off of The Next Iron Chef).
My aversion grows more deep for foam each time I eat (suck? slurp?) it. Can you honestly look at this and not immediately think of saliva? The culinary world should definitely put this fad to rest...
My novice food dictionary took a leap forward when I learned the definition of "suckling pig" which basically is a piglet (I did not know this). The pigs are young enough that they have only fed on their mothers' teats. They are slaughtered between the ages of two and six weeks. It begs the question, why would I gnaw on the tough flesh of a grown animal, when I can be enjoying the silky smooth, supple meat of a newborn?
...
...hhmm, I'm going sans meat for Lent next year; call me on this when Mardi Gras 2010 rolls around.
I would like to begin this entry with a quote from the supremely talented Ichiro Suzuki prior to the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006:
"I want to beat South Korea so badly, that the South Koreans won't want to play Japan for another 30 years."
Years before that he had this to say about a visit to Korea:
"Korea smells like garlic." (GreensandBrowns would have responded: "You smell golden. You also smell like a shower.")
If possible, it's always easier to tell a story with a protagonist endeavoring to overcome the dastardly deeds of the antagonist. It's even easier when the villain is beady-eyed and rodent-like. (For more information on this supreme jack ass, visit the Ichiro Exhibition Center).
Korea lost to Japan on Monday night (3-5, 10 innings) in the championship game of the 2009 WBC. Up until Monday’s final, I couldn't help but feel that the tournament was too exhibition-like. All of that changed when all that stood in Team Korea's way was the school bully (with spiky blue and pink hair).
As such, the contest turned out to be one of the most exhilarating baseball games that I have ever watched, and I’m still a little peeved at myself for not taking the day off to personally attend the game. As I've told ML in the past, my presence at sporting events (or even watching on TV) alters outcomes. It just does. I'll take full responsibility for this loss. I see no other way to salvage this blunder but to attend this (I am a dutiful servant to the motherland).
Japan clearly churns out superior talent, and Team Korea's valiant rally at the end of the game couldn't be sustained in extra innings. The comeback alone was worth the four hour commitment during the game and the subsequent post-game hours wondering "What if?" What more could a Korean ask for? Our precondition demands that we we relish the role of prideful loser. We can blithely convince ourselves that the agony of defeat breeds a strength and character greater than those of the victor.
Tangent: The Japanese players actually look like athletes - lean and hungry; several of them should be playing in Major League Baseball. A few of the Korean players look like they eat too much rice.
Perhaps the loss would have been easier to stomach had the game winning hit come from someone other than Suzuki. Perhaps not. Irregardless, there is no shame in losing to this baseball juggernaut. I’m just glad we didn't lose any women from this exchange. Kudos, Korea.
Anyway, here is an ESPN package of the game's highlights, complete with the great John Miller’s play-by-play sprinkled throughout. It’s too bad this doesn't include every momentum changing play. For instance, it doesn't show Korea’s amazing double play turn that kept Japan from padding their lead, and it doesn't showcase Korea cutting into the lead by half on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth that set the table for the ninth inning dramatics.
If you like your kimchee spicy, I highly discourage you from watching this clip past 2:30 or so.
One last thing. How about we plunk Suzuki in the head the next time there is an open base?
For the most part, I try to avoid upscale Italian restaurants. Most Italian dining experiences haven't been that special to me which has always saddened this noodle enthusiast. Noodles of all kinds are an integral part of my overall well-being. I think about it as much as any inanimate object in my life. I digress...
I usually feel like I could replicate a $30 pasta dish with relative ease in my own kitchen (Yes, I am that good). Even the more popular and highly rated destinations in North Beach have never left a lasting impression. All I ask for is a little creativity and perfectly cooked al dente noodles. Is this too much to ask?
I found this recently, far away from the lights and noise of North Beach.
La Ciccia, a Sardinian restaurant in Noe Valley, is my new BFF (Can you share a bromance with a restaurant?). Sardinia is an island off of Italy so it's a tasty marriage between Italian cuisine and seafood. This place is fantastic and easily the best Italian restaurant I've been to in San Francisco (I think I can categorize this place as an Italian establishment). And since I've never been to Italy, this is probably the best pasta I've had. Ever. Perhaps my words appear a bit over-zealous, but really, La Ciccia's offerings deserve the drama. I can't say enough good things about this place.
The highlight of our succulent evening had to be a spaghetti dish prepared with a fish roe (below). I'm not a fan of spaghetti noodles, but this place is different. Go taste for yourself. And take me with you please.
Laser recently gave me a home brewing kit from Mr. Beer (I never got to say thanks!).
It had been sitting in my room for a couple of weeks until ML and I opened it up the other day and crafted a pale ale. At least that's what it's supposed to be. I'll be checking on its progress in a week or so and then bottling thereafter.
If you would like a formal invitation to the tasting party in three to four weeks, please submit a comment as to why you would like to put this poison to your lips.
Thanks for stopping by. Unfortunately, you have died of dysentery.
Not only is this one of the greatest tee shirts ever made, it’s also a hallmark of some valuable lessons learned during our formative grammar school years (by ‘our’ I mean the 80s latch key generation).I’m not convinced that kids these days receive the same quality education that we benefited from.Among other things, we learned basic survival skills that would keep us safe...if we were to ever travel across the great northwest...against insurmountable odds…in a covered wagon…hunting two dimensional animals…in the 1800s.
Why the sudden nostalgia, you ask?
A couple of weeks ago, I spent time in Oregon for work. While on the road, I saw a road sign that leads to the Dalles. This made me very excited. I wanted to attempt to ford the river with my rental car and not wait for conditions to improve. I wanted to trade something with a stranger, maybe my GPS system for 12 bullets. I wanted to shoot an ungodly amount of buffalo even though I knew that I can only load 100 lbs. in my rental car.
Well, this inspired me to rekindle a long lost childhood love - The Oregon Trail.I hunted the game down on the internets and was immediately mesmerized by the pixelized graphics and obnoxious music. And I got to share it with C-Monsterwho was astonished at how terrible the game looks - the same things that I think are terrific aout it. The simplicity was too difficult for her to deal with. I love it.
You can find an Apple IIe emulator and the game here.
You’ll need both. When you are playing the game, you’ll be asked to “flip” the disk to side 2 which you can do with the menu tool on the right-hand side of the emulator. It took me a few tries to figure this out, but you will. I promise.
In my first Oregon Trail expedition in twenty years, I made it across the Dalles with only one other survivor. At the onset of the trip, I forgot to purchase clothing for my party – which included ML, Salma Hayek, Megan Fox, and Scarlett Johansson. If you know me, I always like to role with the punches so I took this to mean that we were headed westward to establish a nudist colony somewhere in an idyllic valley along the Oregonian coast. I must regrettably report that three ladies perished during the harsh winter months (unrelated to our lack of clothing, I'm sure). I was forced to colonize the new land with Scarlett. Tisk tisk.
I was pretty displeased with my score so I played again. I am attaching my high score from my two attempts thus far. I highly encourage everyone to download the software and recapture some of that elementary school magic. Please post your score in the comments section if you somehow best my great feat. I have a feeling that I will be doing this by myself. If you have never played, what are you waiting for?!
After fumbling with an extremely lengthy draft of this entry, I am conceding defeat and moving forward with this abridged version. I leave it to my Jumpmen brethren to capture the exhilaration of this memorable afternoon. I apologize for any crude language. These guys didn't get the memo that GreensandBrowns is a family-friendly blog.
WonQ explains:
"I think the real payoff is the unique sense of accomplishment. It's not so much a win over nature or death, as we know that it's actually really safe, but more so a victory over self-doubt and insecurity. It's a very personal victory. Nobody pushed me off that bridge. Nobody jumped (alright, lean) alongside with me. I fought off those demons on my own and I came out on top. The pictures don't capture that, but I think if you look at the picture of the four of us before and after, you catch a small glimpse."
Federal Investigation explains:
"Before (on the rail): Oh my god, i can't do this. Seriously, what the fuck am i doing? What if i die? [gripping the rail tight, knuckles white]. Oh man, it's beautiful up here. Damn it, tell that little girl to count her way into the damn car. Okay, [Whistle Blower] told me it's going to be okay. i feel better. Stand up...okay, standing...5 4 3 2 1 During: !!! blank out...whoa! the bungee cord stretching out to its full length felt really smooth. up we go again, don't touch the cord. phew, done. After: Exhilarated, scared shitless, shaking, smiling until it hurts. probably wouldn't do it again but would recommend it."
Togna explains:
"BEFORE - bungee jumping wasn't really something i was dying to do. but i wondered how it might feel to do something that normally results in immediate death. and in doing so, maybe i would more closely understand my own mortality. and in doing so, maybe i would more deeply understand my life.
DURING - start countdown. 5, 4, holy shit. why's the little indian girl counting down so fast; when i get back up i'm gonna punch her in her forehead. 3, 2, 1, gulp. blood curdling scream. start falling. oh well, too late now. left calf cramp. i stop breathing. i want to stop falling. i want this to end. am i still falling? oh shit, i'm falling up now. what is this? i want this to end. my head's gonna hit the bridge. i want my mommy. oh shit, i'm falling again. repeat x3.
AFTER - bungee jumping isn't really something i'm dying to do."
I will get no closer to feeling like a super hero than this; I deeply regret not wearing a cape during my fall. Stay tuned for more Jumpmen adventures in the near future.
Greetings from Eugene, Oregon! (More to follow on this soon).
Until then, I am excited to debut ML's new blog, a self-proclaimed authority on the G&B experience. Who knows, maybe we can discuss the same topic in the future and compare how remarkably different our perspectives are on shared experiences. That can only lead down a path of merriment and amusement, right?
On an unrelated note, I would like to apologize to the Greenies and Brownies (this is your unofficial name until you you can come up with something better) for the conspicuous lack of postings throughout February (which happens to be the greatest month of all). I will say simply that last month was extremely challenging both personally and professionally. A tranquility emerged as soon as the month closed along with some much needed clarity.
I, and hopefully you, are constantly in the process of retaining the good and discarding the bad. It's one of the true purposes of life, isn't it? All in all, I feel as though February took me a tiny step in the right direction. So...thanks for stopping by even with such minimal activity over the last couple of weeks.
