christmas card, 2011

It's been a memorable year in the GreensandBrowns family. We trust it was the same for you. We here at GreensandBrowns are elated that ___________ happened for you this year. Who would have thought?! We're looking forward to more of __________ in 2012!!! Blast (yourself) off.

Christmas card 2009
Christmas card 2008

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

weekend weathermen

I sometimes forget why I choose not to post too many photos of myself on this blog. And then I download photos from the trusted Nikon D60 like the one below onto my hard drive to remember exactly why. But what a delightful green backdrop. We should have been giving the weekend weather forecast.



Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

susan & yosup wedding reception presentation

Back in August, Mean Miss Colonel Mustard and her beau (we don't know his name yet) wed. Their wedding was filled with white flowers and what not.

But the three reception speeches presented by their three dear siblings were easily the most compelling and lasting moments of a truly special day. After laughter and tear-filled speeches (and song) from the Best Man and Maid of Honor, I took my (unwelcome) turn at the mic. It should be noted that Emmelle suggested that we cancel my presentation due to being behind schedule for nearly the entire day. But that was the fault of the priest and his terribly long ceremony. "Wouldn't it be better to trim the First Dance and cake cutting tradition?" I challenged.

And you know what? The Best Man (Togna) and I had so many gulps of blended whiskey before our speeches (to best prepare ourselves to slur our words and take forever on stage) that by the time the late night activities commenced, I was not in any mental state to remember a First Dance or cake cutting. Alas, all great things are overly planned, eagerly anticipated...and vanish.

The presentation below is slightly modified from the original, as I had to compensate for some PowerPoint animations that cannot be viewed on SlideShare.

Susan & Yosup wedding reception presentation

View more presentations from GreensandBrowns

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

more emmelle

I've got so much to say and share, and no time (read: lazy) to do it. When in a crunch, I can't go wrong with a simple shot of the wife-ling, especially when the subject rests in front of a colorful backdrop.



Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

emmelle at de young museum

Holy crap it's been a long time since my last update. Need to be better - enjoyed this shot from De Young Museum a couple of months ago. Marriage life has happened and continues...



Thanks for stopping by (even though there are never any updates).

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

WhiskyFest preview

I will be attending the 5th annual WhiskyFest San Francisco on October 7, hosted this year at the San Francisco Marriott for a cool $139 (fee included).

It's highly recommended that guests spit out the delicious life-giving malt from their mouths after an adequate tasting has been achieved, similar to a wine tasting. I will do no such thing. So, I am dubious as to whether I will be in a physical state to take proper notes during the several seminars over the course of the three hour event (let alone remain awake), but my plan is to hit up these specific topics:

7:00 - 7:45 pm
Robin Coupar, Senior Brand Manager, The Glenrothes
Vintage Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Why Maturity matters, not age. Taste through different vintages of The Glenrothes to see first-hand, the influence of spirit and oak. *New Vintage Release*

7:45 - 8:30 pm
Neyah White, Brand Ambassador, Yamazaki Single Malts
Suntory Time: The Art of Japanese Whisky
Neyah White, West Coast Brand Ambassador for Suntory whisky will lead his tasting of a full flight of Yamazaki and Hibiki whiskies. Experience the smooth, complex and uniquely Japanese characteristics that have made Yamazaki 12, 18, and the exceptionally rare 25 year old, international award-winners. Neyah will also present Hibiki 12. First seen by Americans in the feature film "Lost In Translation", starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson, Hibiki 12 has just been introduced to the American market and is no longer "lost" to American whisky lovers. "Suntory Time" is not to be missed.....

8:30 - 9:15pm
Martin Daraz, Brand Ambassador, Highland Park
Last Call with Martin Daraz
End your Whisky Fest San Francisco on a high note; come and sample "the best spirit in the world" with Martin Daraz, native Scotsmand and Brand Ambassador for the Highland Park Distillery in the USA. We will be nosting and tasting five expressions from Highland Park 12 year old all the way up to Highland Park 30 year old.

Good times lie ahead. Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

slide show from our wedding reception

Music:
"Chances" by Five for Fighting
"Pictures of You" by The Cure
"The Rollercoaster Ride" by Belle and Sebastian
"What is Life" by George Harrison
"The Joker" by The Steve Miller Band

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

(not so) baby chloe and baby dylan

A weekend trip to southern California afforded Emmelle, C-Monster and me to visit our favorite family in Thousand Oaks. I had my camera to snap a few pictures of the photogenic tots. It also reminded me that I've neglected my photo journal duties of our wedding. So let's get back into the swing of things with some adorable photos of the younglings.

Baby Chloe, (a.k.a. our co-flower girl) who is no longer a baby with her fourth birthday arriving in a matter of weeks. She owned (hogged) our wedding reception dance floor, much to the delight of pretty much everyone in attendance. She is a scene stealer, this one. Chloe's father has been relegated to Muppet Babies' nanny status.



Proudly showing off vastly improving motor skills and Auntie Emmelle's gift - Hello Kitty stickers.



And here is Baby Dylan, who from here on out will be referred to as Baby Godzilla, hell-bent on razing all of older sister's possessions and projects. But let's cut Baby Godzilla some slack. His mother's refusal to cut his hair leaves him partially blind. He has no idea where he's going.



And why is Baby Godzilla smiling below? Because [insert name here] got bludgeoned over the head with a [blunt or sharp object]. That is funny. This occurred after older sister demanded his removal from the Hello Kitty nail application appointment because "it's for girls. Dylan is a boy". This is not fully accurate. Dylan is half boy, half green lizard who terrorizes his older sister (and the Japanese). Moments later, he stole older sister's new nail polish, slammed it shut in his tiny foot-operated vehicle and sped away. He would return later to trample all over a puzzle older sister was working on. Roar!

He is inspiring.



Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

rooster cafe in irvine

Exclusive 12-course fine dining experience at the chef's table or a quick morning bite counter-side at a local diner? No one knows for sure. Great company though.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

i'm going to build a spaceship then

Nearly three months into our relationship, I regret not being able to capture and save the numerous conversations at the dinner table, in the car, tucked in bed for future viewing and sharing. Perhaps those conversations are best kept in private and floated into the ether.

Regardless, at least there's Gmail chat.

Whenever possible (and noteworthy), I'll try to post quips and anecdotes related to Emmelle and my most critical discussions. Such as the one below. "Critical".


Thanks for stopping by! Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

the yusan wedding

Preview clip from videographer. Congratulations to the happy couple; it's always life affirming to see two people who clearly belong together, come together.

Susan and Yosup // SDE from N Compass Cinema on Vimeo.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

nearing the quarter mark

Dear reader,

We hope you are well. It goes without saying that it certainly has been awhile. Blog postings have been sparse (read: almost non-existent) since Mr. GreensandBrowns and Emmelle tied the knot and returned from their sublime honeymoon. Our editorial team certainly expected to update these pages frequently with all sorts of quips and anecdotes about Year One of life as Mister and Misses. We’ve missed the mark, but there is still so much time! Plus,we offer an extremely vague excuse here.

Without going into any detail whatsoever, we can assure you that the two are currently engaged in all manners of mischievous scheming. Just the first phase of planning has consumed unthinkable hours and it’s about to become much more complex. Unfortunately, there are minimal photographs, videos, few content pieces of any kind for posterity to direct you to at this moment. But know this. They are plotting in the shadows. Inconspicuously mapping out their plan to establish their empire and pillage, plunder and conquer the world (or at least their own household). Just wait.

Until then, we are grateful for your patience.

Stay tuned for updates on Mr. GreensandBrowns latest adventures and musings. Until then, thanks for stopping by!

Sincerely,

The GreensandBrowns team

wedding photos: pauly sprocket and the groomsmen five

We recently received our edited wedding photos and are still in the process of viewing, sorting, commenting and generally enjoying the collection. Rather than to share them chronologically, I plan to devote a few GreensandBrowns entries of the key players over the next couple of months (At this current pace, my plan is to complete my thoughts on our eventful day within a year's time). Here's a look at the first batch of photos, focused around the groom and groomsmen.

The beginnings of a truly handsome day. Here's yours truly at the Cypress hotel, putting together the look that will be treasured by millions for years to come.



Our budget allowed us to fly out a wedding day ironing specialist (note: we didn't fly him out). Outside of the complaining, Eddie Money did a more than satisfactory job with the shirts, ties and pocket squares. Check out the beautiful time piece! You'd imagine his services would include boxer brief pressing as well to afford such a handsome piece of wrist candy. He doesn't though; we checked.



From left to right: Laser, Eddie Money, Togna and the groom. Yes, handsome gentlemen also put their pants on one leg at a time. It's unclear whether Togna is wearing pants by this point. Federal Investigation (bless his soul) was out running last minute errands. The bride's brother would arrive later in the afternoon.



A thoughtful gift from the groomsmen. A handsomely crafted cask strength Highland Park, bottled in 1986 and aged 22 years. Sweet and powerful smoke. This is where the bottle started on the wedding day after a few nips the night before and was a reliable companion to squelch nerves leading up to the ceremony.



Scratching off my second to last to-do item of the day in between drams of the Highland Park and a High West bourbon. The hand-written list included "go to the hotel gym", "buy soda" and "give rings to best man" all in my very handsome penmanship. The one remaining item? "Get married!"



Federal Investigation returns just in time to help Togna put his pants on. Is Togna more handsome with or without his pants on? The debate rages on...



Direction from Jason Wu, our photographer: "Can you guys try to be less handsome? My camera is overheating." (Spoiler alert: It didn't work):



With the brother-in-law, a contrast (and complement) of handsome head styles.



From left to right: Handsome, handsome, handsome, handsome, handsome, handsome. Also, Eddie Money practicing for post-reception activities.



Attempting to tone down the handsome level during the ceremony. It's obviously too difficult.



The best man lying at every opportunity throughout the best man's speech. Handsomely done.



Forgetting to be handsome. Shame.



Grabbing the attention of all the women with some handsome dance moves.



Federal Investigation is too handsome to be impressed with the size of anything (or anyone):



You can't be the six handsomest guys all day long and not expect that there wouldn't be some sort of night-end acknowledgment (caressing). Impossible; we are only (handsome) human. Eddie Money was finally able to find a suitable partner to apply his much practiced techniques.



I wake up the next morning and continue to keep it handsome. I have yet to take this expression off my face.



Thanks to Jason Wu for the amazing photos. While he certainly had some handsome subjects to work with, we love the way he brought it all to life! It'll be even more evident in future posts of the beautiful bride. Quick shout out for the Jason Wu blog as well.

And a great big thanks to the groomsmen. I am humbled and forever in gratitude for your humor, intellect, wit, generosity and friendship. Keep it handsome.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

france - time lapse

Crank this bad boy up to 1080p and enjoy. This concludes all thoughts and images from France (for tonight).



Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (nice)

In the blog world, I'm about a month behind as I am just now finally catching up on reviewing pictures taken during the second week of our honeymoon. No matter, I think I'll be playing a little catch up for months to come. I'm quite sure that I'll still be opining about our wedding day six months down the road.



So without wasting anymore time, here's a little from the beach side city of Nice, tucked away neatly along the western side of the French Riviera, just miles from the Italian border. We (famously) lost internet connectivity during this leg of the trip. Besides the pain brought upon my readership's inability to keep abreast of all our of our French escapades, this also prevented Emmelle and I from planning any activities. Thus, the beach town kept us hostage - swimming, shopping, and general frolicking...It's a charmed life (or it was).







Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

the best man

The best man's speech from the best man. I think that Togna, one of the groomsmen, put it best when he said that this was Laser's "shining moment...in his entire life".

Thank you Laser. While there were glaring half-truths and outright lies sprinkled throughout your speech, you get a pass on this one. We'll never forget it.

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (6th full day)

I'm cheating. It's actually the morning of day seven as I write this and Emmelle and I are safe and sound in the comforts of our rented one bedroom condo in Nice. I am sure I am the first American to ever say this: Nice is nice!

We hopped on a 7:45am train from the Gare de Lyon station in Paris and arrived here at just past 1:20pm yesterday. The ride down was fairly quick and in some instances, wonderfully idyllic. We passed through rural farmlands, wine vineyards and picturesque beach towns with apartment complexes (or rich people's homes?!) constructed on cliff sides right along the water. Just like you see in photos of towns near the Mediterranean say to yourself, "I want to go to there" (trademark Liz Lemon from 30 Rock).

We took very few pictures yesterday because we did so little, but promise to put together some choice cuts tonight. I promise! The sun was out and air warm yesterday, providing a perfect beach lounging day that we were unfortunately too tired to take advantage of. But, we did muster enough energy to relax by an outdoor bar on the sand (rocks) and grocery shop for our modern design home for the week.

It's the type of home that you see in Dwell magazine, white walls, high ceilings, rustic wood flooring, compact but full of character in its ability to creatively shove in as many home appliances as possible. The washer is in the kitchen (no dryer), the fridge is a pull-out cupboard, etc. I'm sure it's nothing innovative to what already exists in billions of large European cities, and maybe some NYC modern homes for that matter.

And thereafter, I took a nap around 5pm and slept until 4am this morning. These deleterious naps have been eye opening (pun intended) to say the least. I don't think I'm jet lagged anymore; I just think that given the option to choose leisurely traveler as a profession, I would surely spend a quarter of the daytime on a bed/couch/body lying apparatus completely unconscious.

Speaking of leisurely travel, I feel great to have reached a life stage in which (1) I've found the perfect travel (and life) partner to complement my quirky characteristics and "elementary" needs (Emmelle's description); (2) I've reached a point in my career that monetarily affords me easy travel abroad. These are great things. What's not so great is a nagging back pain that has substantially worsened during our time here. I am popping Advil multiple times a day just to keep up with Emmelle, and I know that a condition like this can only be alleviated temporarily, and most likely can never be permanently healed. This is life I suppose; as soon as we are of a sound mind and healthy, supportive environment, our physical abilities betray us. It's like an aging athlete, especially Magic Johnson.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (5th full day)

Last full day in Paris (we'll be trekking to Nice tomorrow morning pretty much all day and head back up on Saturday in time for one last hotel check-in and dinner). Our last full day turned out to be a lazy Sunday, consisting of (finally) a later start to the day, lunch at Le Comtpoir du Relais and a disappointing visit to the Soucre Cour Basilica on Monmartre. Many of the shops were closed today (Sunday) and rather than try to sniff out some shopping opportunities, we felt it best to spend the evening in our panda cave and detox from the week's mighty consumption.

Thus, today, all I really am interested in sharing is our Le Comptoir lunch experience. To freshen your memory, I'm providing a link to the third part of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations 100th episode in Paris. The show features Le Comptoir starting at 0:53, a restaurant Bourdain calls "the hardest reservation in Paris" and a place that Eric Ripert refers to as "the perfect bistro". Of all the recommendations made during the episode, this was by far, the one place I had to dine at before the end of our trip. True to the show, dinner reservations, when the constantly changing prix fixe menu is available, are nearly impossible. The restaurant holds several reservations for guests of the adjacent hotel (owned by the chef) and non-hotel guests have been famously known to make reservations six months in advance. Let me add to the legend; I've heard it takes in upwards of 16 months to get a dinner reservation. My goodness!

Fortunately, there a la carte lunch menu doesn't require reservations, and we made it a point to arrive early to make sure we were a part of the first seating at noon. Success! After multiple views of the episode above and read-through of dozens of reviews, I found myself a bit giddy and nervous all at once. The French-only menu exacerbated my nervousness. I needed Emmelle and a carafe of Rose to calm me down and remind me that it's just food. It's just food. But man, the cuisine evokes long-lasting smiles, even the "lesser" lunch menu. The highlights:

1. Nicoise salad. We wanted to wait on nicoise salads until we arrived in Nice. But, we really needed something fresh and green; it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Notice the pickled garlic.



2. Deviled eggs. Bourdain's companion at the restaurant during the episode above mentions that he frequents Le Comptoir regularly during lunch service specifically for the oeuf mayonnaise. I'm sure the servers at the restaurant mentally roll their eyes any time American tourists order this dish now, but I couldn't pass it up. This dish is actually very stellar. It's really all about the homemade mayonnaise - rich but not heavy, tangy and bright, even some mustard quality to it. We've eaten nothing quite like it.



3. Lobster ravioli from today's specials. If you go back to the Le Comptoir bit in the No Reservations episode, you'll see Bourdain rave about a blood sausage ravioli dish that was part of his prix fixe dinner. The ravioli pasta we ate today is similar but with a lobster filling and wonderful lobster bisque foam. Not at all cheap, but probably my favorite dish of the day.



Not pictured: Toasted sandwich of smoked salmon and caviar with oozing white cheese, dessert that we regrettable did not order. Shame.

More to come from Nice.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (4th full day)

We haven't rhythmically acclimated ourselves to the Parisian day as of yet, and I'm beginning to think we won't through the duration of our trip. Beside the jet lag, the amount of daylight France receives at this time of year has confused our unsuspecting bodies. Darkness doesn't descend until 10pm or so, and while we've enjoyed it immensely, we physically haven't been able to handle so much daytime. I'm curious to see if this light pattern changes even in the slightest when we trek five hours towards the equator to Nice.

0. We started our day at the Musee d'Orsay to immerse ourselves in the state's modern art collection. The collection is impressive. And not to be outdone, the actual building (a converted train station) is beautiful as well. You would think that the combination of the two would have made for some terrific photo opportunities. But no, nobody informed us that photos are not allowed to be taken inside the Museum. Where were you on that one, Rick Steves (I'm sure his book actually says something about this; who has time to read)?

I was highly disappointed throughout our visit, even while going through some memorable paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, et al. I've never really paid attention to Monet's work (which has always saddened him), but his paintings this time around really caught my attention. I am a fan. I would show you specifically which paintings struck me the deepest, but again, I took no pictures, and you can't find any images of the paintings online - after all, no pictures are allowed to be taken at the Musee d'Orsay. I would be shocked to find anything on the internets, as this would demonstrate a blatant disregard for the rules.

1. We waited until the fourth day to visit the Eiffel Tower. As suggested by many friends, we stocked our backpack with some goodies to picnic at the park across the Seine River from the tower. We enjoyed the scenic view with a couple of tasty cheeses, salami, smoked salmon, warm baguette and a not-so-great rose wine. It made me think why we don't picnic like this at home. It's so easily replicated and perhaps more enjoyable without sad-looking Senegalese vendors hocking their Eiffel Tower trinkets nearby. Besides the baguette, similar and comparable product can be easily procured at our local grocer. I love San Francisco, and really, I need to appreciate it a bit more.



2. After our picnic, we stormed the famed Champ de Elysees for one specific purpose: Laduree Macarons. After exhaustive research, Emmelle concluded that this would be the spot for us to experience a Parisian Macaron. While my macaron consumption has been limited only to Paulette's and Miette's in San Francisco, I didn't think the French-made confectionery would be so much better than its San Francisco counterpart. We quickly made our way through a box of 16 or 17 of the sweet sandwiches, and I've now concluded I need to conduct a side-by-side taste comparison to Paulette's.

Actually, I don't. Laduree is superior, and that is no knock on the delicious Paulette sandwich. Laduree excels in offering a multitude of textures and fillings. You can't really predict what a new piece will taste like based on the one you just finished off. I was particularly pleased the orange macaron which reminded me of an orange creme soda. The interplay between the chewy coated shell and the velvety filling are executed masterfully in each of their offerings.



3. For the fourth day in a row, we took a 3 - 4 hour nap. As a result, we barely made our 10:30pm dinner reservation at La Fontaine de Mars near the Eiffel Tower. The location of the restaurant was ideal as it afforded us an opportunity to check out the Eiffel Tower in the dark, it's iron-clad magnificence illuminated by seemingly a thousand lights. It's quite a different crowd at nighttime (at least on this night). Tourists were still definitely identifiable by their cameras, but the lawn area was overtaken for the most part by young Parisians drinking and passing the time, barely aware of the dominant edifice that stood right above them. While the city barricades the lawn (not sure if this is temporary) by way of some low-level fencing, the obstacle is easily overcome, and young people dominated the grounds until police officers arrived to ruin the night time frivolity. I can't tell if this is a recurring interaction between civilian and state, but it didn't seem like a foreign concept to anyone involved.

Oh by the way, I probably ate the best cooked fish dish of my life at the restaurant - a sea bass on the daily special menu (Emmelle's keen order). I keep watching TV shows describe the importance of a crispy fish skin, and we finally had it. I've thrown around a lot of hyperbole with the food we've had here thus far, but really, I mean it.



Last full day in Paris tomorrow before we train down to Nice early Monday morning. We'll have to make it a memorable one.

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (3rd full day)

Bonjour! Here's a quick synopsis of our third day in Paris, highlighted by our day trip to Versailles and the ridiculously gaudy Palace.

1. Today, Versailles is a suburb of Paris but it's mainly known for the Palace. It was roughly a 30 minute train ride from the RER train station near the Eiffel Tower. The walking tour consists of pretty much the entire grounds - the castle itself and an eight mile stretch of beauty for sure, but obscene decadence as well. So much of the history learned in Paris revolves around the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century, which eventually led to the complete dismantling of the French monarchy. One look through this place, and it's clear to see why poorer than poor peasants and working class would revolt against the nobility. Don't get me wrong; the Palace is mesmerizing - just take a look at the Hall of Mirrors below:



What was even more entertaining than the walking tour was watching Emmelle's reactions throughout. Her daydreaming eyes revealed all; she was imagining living on these grounds, holding court over her loyal subjects. My wife, she reads too many books. For some reason, if she were to indeed be a queen, I feel as though I would only be elevated to prince status. Hhmm.

2. Rick Steves, you are everywhere in this city, and I'm sure that's the case throughout all parts of Europe with American visitors. There's always a brief, awkward moment when Rick Steves disciples make eye contact with each other and try to slightly adjust the book into a more inconspicuous position. I believe this is a wasted opportunity to connect with like-minded travelers to knowledge share. C'mon Rick, you should write a chapter in an upcoming edition on how one should introduce and engage with others traveling the Rick Steves way.

Tangent: notice the beautiful French press on Emmelle's fingertips, a remaining vestige from our near-one week old wedding. Ah, those were the days.



3. Unfortunately, there are no memorable food experiences to discuss from our just completed third day. We did attempt to walk into a small, highly regarded mom and pop bistro near the Louvre but were denied as the chef told us they were full for the night. Whatever that means. Racists.

But this would be the perfect time to share our dear affection for the ubiquitous jambon buerre sandwich. It's a very common Parisian snack consisting of thinly sliced ham (nothing special) and butter in a thin baguette. You can really go crazy by adding cheese, maybe even lettuce and tomatoes if you like to live on the wilder side. Again, it is another simple food that is perfectly delicious. And it can be so easily replicated elsewhere; I am dumbfounded why more US lunch spots don't serve this. Oh yeah, we have Subway. Yum.

We've dabbled in a couple of variations, but my preference is for the classic version with a few slices of cheese.



Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (2nd full day)

Second day completed in this beautiful city, and I've got a few pictures to share before I close my eyes for the night. We've already gotten into a comfortable routine of waking very early in the morning to visit sites, coming back to our hotel room for three to four hour naps and heading back out for dinner around nine. It feels very European, and I can't help but question the work ethic of this country (Europe in general sans Germany). We might try to break our established routine tomorrow by heading outside of the city, but no complaints - this schedule has been very accommodating to us thus far...

1. I don't really have anything to say about this pic. I just liked the seat colors (coated in French patriotism) of this particular Metro station. Paris' public transportation system is efficient like every other international city that I've been in, and begs questions, as always, about San Francisco's embarrassing MUNI system.



2. The day's tourist activities were concentrated around Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle. Emmelle tells me that Notre Dame is the largest Catholic church in the world. It is indeed very majestic when you walk into the church, but I can't help but wonder, how much would we (the world) care if Victor Hugo hadn't written Hunchback? The views of the city from the tower are terrific.

As for Sainte Chapelle - wow. Pretty stunning.



3. I recently wrote on the blog that whenever we dine at a high end French or Japanese restaurant, I feel as though I may possibly be encountering my "best meal ever". It's always in play with these two specific cuisines, and I think it makes sense because they share common characteristics unlike any other type of cuisine - precision, delicacy, balance, the utmost care in quality. These similar qualities may have provoked my subconscious to specifically search for a Parisian dining experience that would merge Japanese/French flavor profiles with French/Japanese techniques into one cohesive epicurean adventure. I think we succeeded with Concert de Cuisine (I would hyperlink to the website if only I could actually find it).



I've listed our tasting menu below (5 courses), so let me just say that the foie gras is one of the best dishes I've ever had in my life. The mastermind behind this restaurant decided that foie gras would pair nicely with unagi. I'm not sure I'll ever get to try something like this again, but...wow. It was unbelievable, and even now, reminiscing on our culinary adventure from just hours ago, I am a bit overwhelmed (and emotional). I read online that the uni at times is layered into the foie gras. I hyperventilate just thinking about that.

Additional highlights included a breaded and fried veal dish (Emmelle pointed out possible play on a katsu dish) in a rich miso and cheese sauce, a firm white cheese served during the cheese course that distinctly featured a fermented miso flavor (or perhaps the courses prior drew out those particular flavor components in the cheese?), the cod in yuzu dish during the fish course, both of our desserts. Simply exceptional and a definite recommendation for anyone that asks me where to go in Paris.

I came to France with the expectation that we wouldn't necessarily be trying anything new; French techniques and flavors have inspired pretty much every fine dining experience in the States. Thus, I thought we would really be experiencing a perfect execution of those familiar flavors and dishes. But Concert de Cuisine was a departure into something new and exciting - and I'm really looking forward to the harmonious convergence of French and Japanese fare in San Francisco at some point soon.

Here's all of the things we had (I'm just copying them verbatim from the menu):

Entree (first course)
* Steak de thon mi-cuit au wasabi, salade croquante shisho
* Terrine de foie gras et anguille teriyaki aux epices sansho

Poisson (Fish course)
* Encornet grille teppan-yaki aux legumes saisons
* Cabillaud grille et crevette au yuzu pimente, asperge blanche

Viande (Meat course)
* Entrecote grillee, choux verts, asperge, oignons rouges confits
* Gratine de carre de veau au miso de kyoto (saikyo-miso)

Fromage (Cheese course)

Dessert (um, dessert)
* Fraises en gelee de umeshu, glace miel lavande
* Paris-Kyoto (pate a choux, glace sesame noire, kinako)

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

honeymoon in france (1st full day)

We're finally in France! It's the second night of our honeymoon and completion of our first full day that was mainly spent at the Louvre, mixed in with a visit to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and some decent eats to keep us going. While a daily summary of the day's events is ambitious to say the least, I'll try to post up to a handful of choice cuts from the day's take.

Doesn't that sound splendid?!

1. View from Arc de Triomphe which happens to be walking distance from our hotel:



2. Breakfast. I've noticed thus far that simple is more. If tasked to make two eggs and cheese look as appetizing (and delicious) as this, I couldn't come close:



3. The Louvre. We went in the morning at open, and came back again in the dark to bask in the lights (will post more from the Louvre at a later time; don't want to miss out on an opportunity to share epic male nudity). There is much too see, but too many visitors to keep your sanity and maintain full appreciation.



Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

wedding ceremony programs

There's some content on the inside as well.

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

reception menu

We're in the home stretch. Years from now, in a completely unrelated argument, Emmelle will remind me about how I spent the week prior to our wedding week in New York, physically displaced from our last minute preparatory needs. Even now, I regret not being available for this critical stretch.

There are still a few items that need tidying up, but we fortunately completed one key task yesterday - our reception drink and food menus. I actually created these in PowerPoint, and Emmelle purchased a special card stock (approved after testing paper softness by rubbing on our chests and cheeks) for home printing. It makes me wonder if we could have gone this route for our invitations and saved a little coin. But at this late stage in the game, those completed details aren't an issue; I just might make the suggestion for future husband-wives to be.

Anyway, our menu consists of Asian-inspired dishes to complement the Japanese Tea Garden where the reception will take place. The small bites served during the cocktail hour are consistent with the yellow peoples' theme as well (But our theme is purple, so it's actually quite confusing). Many of the dishes have been replaced since our tasting from several months ago, so I'm a little curious how everything will turn out. I've personally never had a memorable dining experience at a wedding so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the food is forgettable - in the best way possible.

I'm still keen on the idea of serving kimchee and sriracha sauce in some way. Emmelle is vehemently opposed to this idea. I speculate that it has nothing to do with tackiness, but mostly because these essential food items are red and not in line with our purple (and yellow) color scheme. I'll have to put in a special request for radicchio kimchee; the cock sauce can't be salvaged in this situation.

I'll leave this post with some menu ideas that the bride vetoed on the draft table. I thought it would be great if we could elevate the Asian cuisine theme by giving each dish a suitable Asian-inspired name. The names in parentheses, as you can see, did not make it to print:

pork & chive dumplings (dragon droppings preserved in small intestine casing)
shaking beef (panda loin, cubed)
vietnamese style garlic prawns (tiger cub penis)
thai eggplant (jellied thai elephant bone marrow)
asparagus (green-dyed crane legs)

Thanks for stopping by!

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

ardbeg 10 years

Islay (pronounced "I-luh") is a Scottish island made popular by some of the more famous single malt distilleries in the world - Lagavulin, Laphroig, Ardbeg and Bowmore. All of these whiskys share a common thread - the presence of a wonderful peat in each and every one of their whisky expressions. Peat is formed from decay of vegetation (and perhaps murdered humans) and forms regularly in wetland bogs, marshes, swamp forests and the like. Coincidentally, those locations are also perfect places to hide murdered humans.

Why is it important in whisky production? Well, peat is often used as a source of heat and fuel and distilleries burn it to dry the malted barley. The Islay distilleries in particular use quite a bit more than the average single malt maker and basically hit you over the head with the wonderful peatiness of their drams.

It's not a taste that's enjoyed by all and certainly not by a novice whisky drinker. It can generally be described as smokey, salty and briny. I definitely enjoy it.

A couple of months ago, the Mustard Clan gave me a bottle of Ardbeg 10 years. My Ear, Nose, Throat picks up a subtle sweetness, a meaty BBQ smoke, in addition to what I can only describe as a spearmint finish before that hearty campfire smoke lingers on your throat and tongue for a long time. The smoke is very impressive, if you return to your empty glass the next day, the smoke is still very prominent. Actually, that's what I hear happens because I'm not one to leave dirty dishes in the sink, that's not me. It's just not. So I've only heard that. What I have experienced firsthand is the smallest of pours filling up a room with a wonderful peat aroma.

The one element of this whisky that perplexes me is the spearmint finish. I've read some other resources that describe it as more of a citrus (lemon) note - it's an interesting contrast to the brine, and I'm looking forward to tasting some of the other Ardbeg expressions.

Thanks to the Mustards, and thanks for stopping by.

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

changes

Changes. Not so much about the big sweeping changes that are taking place, but little details during the wedding ceremony and reception are on my mind today. It's like a move re-shoot - when you are able to see disparate pieces come together for the whole, sometimes they complement each other perfectly, sometimes not so much. I'm sure this will be a key component of the remaining pieces of our planning over the next, ahem, 29 days.

My thought du jour has been all about the wedding recessional song, the rousing number that will take our wedding party back down the aisle with Emmelle and me following closely behind as husband and wife. Our music team, especially Wonq, has quietly suffered through my wild aspirations of closing with a Beatles medley.

I don't think it's going to work.

So my new thought that we will attempt to bring to fruition:



Can this work?!?!?!

While we are here, I should mention the following as well:

Bridal party entrance: I Want You Back
Bride and groom entrance: Dope Nose

(I haven't been able to get Emmelle to approve a more suitable Groom's March as of yet).

Thanks for stopping by.

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.

negative one month wedding anniversary

It’s April 20, 2011.

According to my math, Emmelle and I are 31 days removed from our blessed union (I actually just counted off the days in my Outlook calendar). We've fallen into a predictable ritual over the last week – come home from work, cook and eat, execute on some wedding logistics, sleep – which will remain our routine for the next month.

I feel calm and steady, probably because I’m having a difficult time grasping that this significant event will finally come to fruition shortly. I also feel a sense of relief; I can’t help but feel that we are in a state of limbo, removed slightly from reality until we return from our honeymoon. Some examples: all of the exorbitant spending, the gifts being shipped to my office on a daily basis. There will definitely be some sort of consumer withdrawal when this is all over. As much as I look forward to the wedding ceremony and reception, I’m looking forward to building a home, saving, focusing on my career, diverting my consumer spending habits to critical items such as cuff links and time pieces (ahem, that’s plural).

And Emmelle? She is nothing short of amazing. Emmelle is dug in deep into her fox hole and completing all necessary tasks with proficiency and efficiency, really in a way that only she can. I have read and heard from multiple sources the meltdowns that some prospective brides experience leading up to the big day. Not this girl. She’s a machine and potentially going through a trial run for a career change to event planning/wedding coordination. Her even-keel nature has shone brightly through during this entire process.

What else? Hhhmmm. My hair is probably longer than it’s ever been in my adult life…Emmelle has received a series of facials recently…I’m still a shirt and tie short of a wedding day ensemble…I’m also a whole suit away from a wardrobe change…we’ve gone on some neighborhood jogs for minutes at a time (I don’t see a difference in my body, however)…

…

There’s 31 days left and there will surely be plenty of documentation on that day. But I’d like to remember the next 30 days as well, all of the details that we need to complete, any disagreements, any overwhelming emotions that linger, let’s use this as a keepsake just like all of the photographs and wedding day material.

More (frequent) updates to come in the coming days and weeks.

Thanks for stopping by.

Return to the GreensandBrowns home page.