Four-year-olds make great friends. In fact, lately, they've been better friends than some of my friends who are my age and tell me that they are "all booked up" when I ask them if they want to hang out, don't return any of my calls or emails, even though I've left several messages and then followed up with a few emails, or send me annoying forwards but never have time to write me substantive emails.
Thus, here's to all of the four-year-olds in my life who in times of frustration have made me smile.
Why four-year-olds rule:
1. They give you a big smile when they see you and are genuinely excited to see you.
2. You can tell that they are genuinely excited, because they want to share/show you their latest cool toy, magnetic circus coloring thing, costume, halloween candy, game, etc. with you and will run off and get it.
3. They give you the excuse to go trick-or-treating for the first time in, oh, 15-20 years. :)
4. They let you eat waffles for dinner.
5. They share their prized artwork with you.
6. In this age of email, they give you hand-written invitations for dinner, and moreover, bike to your house and hand-deliver said invitation (with adult help).
7. One of them still pronounces my name better than 80 percent of the non-Spanish-speaking grown up population.
8. They say "prestidigitation" while showing me their latest magic trick.
9. I am still cool to them.
04 November 2007
On my lesbianism
In my non-left wing workplace, I like to flaunt my lesbianism. Well, ok, I wasn't always lesbian, but on my very first day of work, within 3 minutes of meeting one of my coworkers, I was asked whether I was married. Instead of saying it's none of your freaking beeswax (hellooooo. I've known you for less than 2 minutes. Don't you want to know the proper way to pronounce my name first????????), I said no. Then she asked me if I was engaged. Perhaps you'd like to know what I did before coming to this workplace? After I replied in the negative, she then asked me if I had a boyfriend. Now, those of you who know me know that I'm pretty private until you get to know me, and even then, if I want to tell you information, I will tell you. No need to waza waza *ask* me anything. (Conversely, if you ask me 5 times when my birthday is and I don't tell you, it means I don't want you to know. So if this has happened to you, and you don't know me well enough to figure out that if I don't answer a question that you've asked five times, take a hint; I don't want to tell you.) So you can imagine how peeved I was with this person.
Anyway, I didn't feel like continuing with this line of questioning, so I said, "actually, I like girls." So I have now worked at this place for 3 years, and some people are on to me while others are not.
The other day, one of my coworkers who is on to me said, "so you want to be the
poster child of lesbianism at XYZ and associates? Well, that's kind of selfish of
you. Maybe we should let an actual lesbian be a lesbian. . ."
I wasn't trying to be "selfish", really. . ..
Anyway, I didn't feel like continuing with this line of questioning, so I said, "actually, I like girls." So I have now worked at this place for 3 years, and some people are on to me while others are not.
The other day, one of my coworkers who is on to me said, "so you want to be the
poster child of lesbianism at XYZ and associates? Well, that's kind of selfish of
you. Maybe we should let an actual lesbian be a lesbian. . ."
I wasn't trying to be "selfish", really. . ..
03 September 2007
Why shopping for such a fundamental item is so hard
Why is it so hard to find something that we all wear? I'm talking about underwear. Not panties. I really don't understand who the heck came up with the term panties. Ugh. Just the thought makes me cringe. I mean, who the heck calls these things panties, besides a) clueless guys who think that panties sounds sexier than underwear (it doesn't), b) possibly the older generation--the same generation that owns blouses, or c) companies like Victoria's Secret that think women feel sexier if they called underwear panties (we don't).
To all that, I say blegh.
No grounded female that I know calls underwear panties. (Though no offense if you either wear panties or have a spouse or SO who wears panties.)
But this was not the point of this posting.
My question is, why can't I find simple functional underwear?
I don't want sexy. I've tried the lacy, satin/silk things, back in the day, but they are functionally impractical, probably because they are not meant to be on for long. Thus, they are also uncomfortable and slide around a lot, which is extremely annoying. Granted, I am basing this on a minuscule sample size, but it was enough to learn that I don't like these. These lacy, satiny things also have very flimsy elastic, so they don't really stay on securely. If I wanted my underwear off, I would simply not wear underwear.
Nor do I want frumpy.
I used to do my underwear shopping at VS. They had cotton underwear in a style that I liked that were comfortable, functional, and (well, to me) not frumpy-looking. Then they changed the style of their cotton line. Whereas before, the cotton underwear had a sturdy elastic waistband, this new line comes with a very flimsy one, which I already mentioned I do not like. After a few washings, some of them already feel rather loose.
Thus, I've decided to leave VS for a while and tried Macy's.
Macy's has two types of underwear: frumpy and sexy.
What I'm looking for is something in between.
I do not want underwear that is 7 inches thick. That would come up past my belly button and perhaps up to my waist. Unfortunately, most of the cotton underwear was of this sort.
I do not want microfiber or silk or satin or nylon or all of these other fabrics that many underwear were offered in. Microfiber is useful for travel, so I own a few of these, but I am a creature of habit, and for me, cotton works best. Thus, cotton or bust.
I do not want underwear in bright pink, or turquoise polka dots, or flourescent stripes. I do have my share of brightly-colored fare, but it turns out that in warm weather, I wear a lot of light-colored skirts and pants, and patterns and dark colors show right through. I don't know why anyone didn't think of this when they came out with the color line. Today at Macy's, other than the huge 7-inch high (wide?) cotton underwear that only came in well, the boring colors that I wanted, actually, there was nary a pale-hued undergarment in sight.
Not to be picky, but I also do not want white, which I think is the most utterly useless color for women's underwear. Though in general, I don't think white is a terribly useful color for any clothing.
And I certainly do not want a cutesy little bow secured by a bead at the front of my underwear. Actually, if I found underwear that fit all of my criteria except for this, I'd happily buy it, but this was not the case. What is the point of this tiny bow, anyway?
This might sound like a lot of demands, but it's really not. I want functional non-frumpy underwear that is made with cotton, has a decent-quality elastic waistband, and comes in light (but not white) colors. And yet, I could not find anything like this at Macy's, even though they had a whole corner devoted to just underwear. How could a store have hundreds of different types of underwear and not have the kind I want? Guy underwear is always functional. Other than the boxer vs. briefs divide, there are not 100 different types of guy underwear to choose from, because they only carry functional guy underwear. Why can't we have only functional types of underwear? Why are we the ones with pretty useless little bows or satiny straps? I mean, I'm not suggesting they add bows to guy underwear. The male equivalent might be spoilers or something on their underwear. But I have never seen such a thing. It turns out that this is b/c any such thing would be utterly absurd. So would offering guy underwear in 200 different colors and 10 different fabrics.
And yet, with females, this is the norm.
To all that, I say blegh.
No grounded female that I know calls underwear panties. (Though no offense if you either wear panties or have a spouse or SO who wears panties.)
But this was not the point of this posting.
My question is, why can't I find simple functional underwear?
I don't want sexy. I've tried the lacy, satin/silk things, back in the day, but they are functionally impractical, probably because they are not meant to be on for long. Thus, they are also uncomfortable and slide around a lot, which is extremely annoying. Granted, I am basing this on a minuscule sample size, but it was enough to learn that I don't like these. These lacy, satiny things also have very flimsy elastic, so they don't really stay on securely. If I wanted my underwear off, I would simply not wear underwear.
Nor do I want frumpy.
I used to do my underwear shopping at VS. They had cotton underwear in a style that I liked that were comfortable, functional, and (well, to me) not frumpy-looking. Then they changed the style of their cotton line. Whereas before, the cotton underwear had a sturdy elastic waistband, this new line comes with a very flimsy one, which I already mentioned I do not like. After a few washings, some of them already feel rather loose.
Thus, I've decided to leave VS for a while and tried Macy's.
Macy's has two types of underwear: frumpy and sexy.
What I'm looking for is something in between.
I do not want underwear that is 7 inches thick. That would come up past my belly button and perhaps up to my waist. Unfortunately, most of the cotton underwear was of this sort.
I do not want microfiber or silk or satin or nylon or all of these other fabrics that many underwear were offered in. Microfiber is useful for travel, so I own a few of these, but I am a creature of habit, and for me, cotton works best. Thus, cotton or bust.
I do not want underwear in bright pink, or turquoise polka dots, or flourescent stripes. I do have my share of brightly-colored fare, but it turns out that in warm weather, I wear a lot of light-colored skirts and pants, and patterns and dark colors show right through. I don't know why anyone didn't think of this when they came out with the color line. Today at Macy's, other than the huge 7-inch high (wide?) cotton underwear that only came in well, the boring colors that I wanted, actually, there was nary a pale-hued undergarment in sight.
Not to be picky, but I also do not want white, which I think is the most utterly useless color for women's underwear. Though in general, I don't think white is a terribly useful color for any clothing.
And I certainly do not want a cutesy little bow secured by a bead at the front of my underwear. Actually, if I found underwear that fit all of my criteria except for this, I'd happily buy it, but this was not the case. What is the point of this tiny bow, anyway?
This might sound like a lot of demands, but it's really not. I want functional non-frumpy underwear that is made with cotton, has a decent-quality elastic waistband, and comes in light (but not white) colors. And yet, I could not find anything like this at Macy's, even though they had a whole corner devoted to just underwear. How could a store have hundreds of different types of underwear and not have the kind I want? Guy underwear is always functional. Other than the boxer vs. briefs divide, there are not 100 different types of guy underwear to choose from, because they only carry functional guy underwear. Why can't we have only functional types of underwear? Why are we the ones with pretty useless little bows or satiny straps? I mean, I'm not suggesting they add bows to guy underwear. The male equivalent might be spoilers or something on their underwear. But I have never seen such a thing. It turns out that this is b/c any such thing would be utterly absurd. So would offering guy underwear in 200 different colors and 10 different fabrics.
And yet, with females, this is the norm.
07 July 2007
Moratoriums
This month--and perhaps next--I'm issuing a moratorium on eating out and driving more than oh, 15-20 minutes, which basically means staying within biking distance. Why am I doing this? The main reason is b/c I have been eating out way too much and have been feeling like meh for the past few months. Plus everything here is so eating-out-centric, that I think I'm just rebelling against the idea of eating out 5 or 6 times a week. This just isn't normal. But this was pretty much my May and June.
So now I'm going the other extreme and not eating out. Actually, I already have to break this twice, b/c of work-related stuff, but for the most part, I plan to spend more time cooking with friends and cooking at home.
How has it been so far? I'm loving it. What have I made these past seven days? Let's see. . .
-Sunday, I had gwind over for brunch. I made mango gazpacho and buckwheat crepes stuffed w/ gruyere cheese and spinach. Yum.
-Monday, in addition to leftovers from Sunday, I steamed yellow beets and made a shaved fennel, radish, beet, orange and toasted walnut salad w/ a lime/honey vinaigrette. This is a recipe I stole from our lovely Canadian friends who are now far, far away. . . but I digress. It is a delectable summer salad.
-Tuesday, I went over to another friend's house and made samosas, after which, I thought I died and went to heaven. :)
-Wednesday (the 4th of July!), I made a saffron-laced pasta salad w/ toasted pine nuts, currants, and almond slivers for a picnic.
-Thursday, in addition to enjoying leftovers of the saffron pasta salad (for both lunch and dinner), I made my favorite summer dish-- a savory watermelon salad with ricotta salata, pine nuts, and chiffonaded basil, dressed with a lime vinaigrette. I also made a ground peanut cucumber salad, which came out ok. Nothing out of this world, but cold cucumber anything is refreshing in the summer.
-Friday, I made a corn salad w/ toasted mustard seeds, and cornmeal shortcakes w/ tomatoes and mozzarella.
-Today, I had people over for a temaki party.
Normally, I don't cook daily like this-- but the salads entailed very little cooking (mostly chopping, making vinaigrettes, etc.), and I must have felt kitchen-deprived, b/c I did go out of control this week. However, I sat down to a lovely healthful meal full of vibrant beautiful colors every day of this past week. Thus, the first week, I thoroughly enjoyed my week "at home".
I loved that I could take advantage of the bounty of seasonal veggies that I got at the farmer's market.
Next week, I don't expect to cook as much, but I imagine I'll do some more similar salads. Perhaps make lavender melon soup w/ the melon I just bought today. . ..
So now I'm going the other extreme and not eating out. Actually, I already have to break this twice, b/c of work-related stuff, but for the most part, I plan to spend more time cooking with friends and cooking at home.
How has it been so far? I'm loving it. What have I made these past seven days? Let's see. . .
-Sunday, I had gwind over for brunch. I made mango gazpacho and buckwheat crepes stuffed w/ gruyere cheese and spinach. Yum.
-Monday, in addition to leftovers from Sunday, I steamed yellow beets and made a shaved fennel, radish, beet, orange and toasted walnut salad w/ a lime/honey vinaigrette. This is a recipe I stole from our lovely Canadian friends who are now far, far away. . . but I digress. It is a delectable summer salad.
-Tuesday, I went over to another friend's house and made samosas, after which, I thought I died and went to heaven. :)
-Wednesday (the 4th of July!), I made a saffron-laced pasta salad w/ toasted pine nuts, currants, and almond slivers for a picnic.
-Thursday, in addition to enjoying leftovers of the saffron pasta salad (for both lunch and dinner), I made my favorite summer dish-- a savory watermelon salad with ricotta salata, pine nuts, and chiffonaded basil, dressed with a lime vinaigrette. I also made a ground peanut cucumber salad, which came out ok. Nothing out of this world, but cold cucumber anything is refreshing in the summer.
-Friday, I made a corn salad w/ toasted mustard seeds, and cornmeal shortcakes w/ tomatoes and mozzarella.
-Today, I had people over for a temaki party.
Normally, I don't cook daily like this-- but the salads entailed very little cooking (mostly chopping, making vinaigrettes, etc.), and I must have felt kitchen-deprived, b/c I did go out of control this week. However, I sat down to a lovely healthful meal full of vibrant beautiful colors every day of this past week. Thus, the first week, I thoroughly enjoyed my week "at home".
I loved that I could take advantage of the bounty of seasonal veggies that I got at the farmer's market.
Next week, I don't expect to cook as much, but I imagine I'll do some more similar salads. Perhaps make lavender melon soup w/ the melon I just bought today. . ..
17 June 2007
Dinner with Mr. Might-be-engaged
I had my dinner last night with Mr. might-be-engaged. We had a lovely dinner at Pizzaiolo. If I had any better foodie credentials, I would have taken pictures to document the gluttony that transpired that evening, but alas, in my frantic frenzy to find out whether my friend is engaged, I forgot to take the requisite pictures.
Thus in lieu of photos, I will give you a description of what we ordered:
For appetizers, we got
-roasted figs w/ a ricotta-like cheese that had a young balsamic glaze that was slightly caramelized and baked over it (superb. I really liked this appetizer, which can also double as a dessert.)
-A faro salad with arugula and cherry tomatoes and shaved pecorino cheese. (also really yummy. I mean, with pecorino-tomatoes-baby arugula combination, can you possibly go wrong? Not overdoused with dressing as many salads tend to be.)
For the main dish, I got a summer squash pizza with basil oil, while my friend got a halibut. The pizza was quite good. Although it is not NY pizza, the thin crust had just enough crisp/chewy factor, as well as the right amount of cheese. I also liked the delicate flavor that the basil oil imparted. The halibut was also quite tasty, though I was more partial to my squash pizza.
For dessert, we split what I thought was going to be something in which strawberries were going to be the central theme, but in fact, turned out to be amaretto-flavored ice cream w/ a big crumbly cookie and a few strawberries mixed in. I wasn't crazy about the amaretto-flavored ice cream (it should've been vanilla w/ black specks!), but the berries and the crumbly cookie were very good.
Overall, I really liked the food at this place.
But to return to Mr. might-be-engaged, he turned out not to be engaged. He is also not as east-coast reserved as I had originally thought. Let's just leave it at that. . ..
Thus in lieu of photos, I will give you a description of what we ordered:
For appetizers, we got
-roasted figs w/ a ricotta-like cheese that had a young balsamic glaze that was slightly caramelized and baked over it (superb. I really liked this appetizer, which can also double as a dessert.)
-A faro salad with arugula and cherry tomatoes and shaved pecorino cheese. (also really yummy. I mean, with pecorino-tomatoes-baby arugula combination, can you possibly go wrong? Not overdoused with dressing as many salads tend to be.)
For the main dish, I got a summer squash pizza with basil oil, while my friend got a halibut. The pizza was quite good. Although it is not NY pizza, the thin crust had just enough crisp/chewy factor, as well as the right amount of cheese. I also liked the delicate flavor that the basil oil imparted. The halibut was also quite tasty, though I was more partial to my squash pizza.
For dessert, we split what I thought was going to be something in which strawberries were going to be the central theme, but in fact, turned out to be amaretto-flavored ice cream w/ a big crumbly cookie and a few strawberries mixed in. I wasn't crazy about the amaretto-flavored ice cream (it should've been vanilla w/ black specks!), but the berries and the crumbly cookie were very good.
Overall, I really liked the food at this place.
But to return to Mr. might-be-engaged, he turned out not to be engaged. He is also not as east-coast reserved as I had originally thought. Let's just leave it at that. . ..
15 June 2007
My five favorite kitchen utensils/appliances
So I was in Sur La Table today looking for a graduation gift idea. I know I know-- kitchen stuff don't really have much to do w/ graduation, but my friend just got her PhD, and will be moving across the country to start a teaching position in August. She won't have a new house or anything, (which is probably the more appropriate time to get kitchen stuff-- or if/when she gets married), but nonetheless, she is starting anew.
I actually intended to get her a nice pepper mill (since everyone should have a pepper grinder), but then my eyes started wandering over to the cheese section, the cool silicone baking mats. . . I ended up spending a good hour in the store trying to figure out what would be useful to her.
Which then got me thinking about my favorite or most-utilized kitchen gadgets and appliances. Stuff I cannot live without. So here goes a list of my favorite kitchen tools in no particular order.
1. Microplane grater-it grates Parmesan cheese, chocolate, nutmeg; it zests citrus. . . I think this is probably my favorite kitchen gadget. So versatile, so elegantly simple, and so useful! I mean, it grates three of my favorite food groups. :)
(this isn't a "must have", but if you are going to get a microplane, then you must also get whole nutmegs, so you can grate it over oatmeal, hot cocoa, steamed soy milk, over sweet potatoes, pancakes, sauteed spinach, soups. . . once you go whole, you will never go back to that powdered stuff again, but I digress. . .)
2. Wine opener my roommate got me from Germany-I don't actually use this frequently enough, but I am really fond of this thing and will probably cry if I ever lose it, since I have not been able to find anything similar in the U.S., much to my annoyance. If I ever go to Germany, I will buy 10 of these things. I just love the simple design. Mine has a plastic end, which I could part with, but the rest of it is stainless steel. There is a t-shaped lever on top w/ a nose-like thing that you point down to turn the screw into the cork. Once the screw is deep enough in the cork, the nose-like thing at the top catches on the protruding edge, and automatically gets tipped up, at which point, the screw now starts to travel upward till the cork can't go any further. Every time I use it, I marvel at the engineering and design of this thing.
3. Pepper mill- everyone who is serious about food should have a fresh pepper grinder, imbo. I personally sprinkle freshly ground pepper on almost everything. Well, ok, not ice cream or cake, but I've put it in pies, sprinkle it on certain fruits, use it in vinaigrettes, and pretty much use it to season almost everything that is made on a stove (sautes, stir fries, soups, omelets, sauces, pasta, curry, etc.) and most savory things that come out of an oven. The fresh stuff tastes worlds apart from the pre-ground stuff that you find in the spice section. One of these days, I will upgrade to one of these wooden ones that has 3 or 4 different sizes of grind, but my acrylic one works just as splendidly for now.
4. Immersion blender-this is another thing that everyone should have. Make sure you get one that comes with a chopper and whisk attachment. I am partial to my microplane, but I use this thing several times a week for chopping, pureeing, mincing. . . pretty much everything.
In fact, I used it so much that my original immersion blender, a Braun, broke. Twice. After that, I got myself a Cuisinart, which seems to be doing fine for now. Here are the many things you can do w/ an immersion blender:
-beat egg whites so you can make meringues and souffles
-make tapenade
-make hummus
-make baba ghanoush
-finely chop nuts
-finely or coarsely chop lots of things
-make smoothies
-froth milk
-puree soups
-make breadcrumbs
5. A really good chef's knife- you do not need an 11-piece knife set, but what you do need is one good chef's knife. You can eventually add on other types and sizes of knives, but if you get just one knife, get a chef's knife and make sure it is a J.A. Henkels or Wustof. If you take good care of it, you will have it for life. Forget the $39.99 knife sets they sell at Target. I'm not trying to bash Target, but they sell the kinds of knives that are too dull to cut tomatoes or leave you with a string of onion dominoes, b/c they are too dull to fully pierce the papery onion skin.
6. (if you have 5, then you will want this--) knife sharpener to sharpen #5. Though actually, according to Patita, you can sharpen knives on the back of a ceramic bowl as well.
7. Silicone spatulas-another kitchen tool that gets frequent use in this apartment. They are especially useful for baking, but I use it for sauteeing, mixing, serving, cutting, as well as for many other things.
After all that time spent at Sur La Table, I ended up getting my friend a pepper mill after all.
Next time: essential things you should have in your pantry.
(Peppercorns, whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, maldon sea salt, olives, soup stock. . .)
I actually intended to get her a nice pepper mill (since everyone should have a pepper grinder), but then my eyes started wandering over to the cheese section, the cool silicone baking mats. . . I ended up spending a good hour in the store trying to figure out what would be useful to her.
Which then got me thinking about my favorite or most-utilized kitchen gadgets and appliances. Stuff I cannot live without. So here goes a list of my favorite kitchen tools in no particular order.
1. Microplane grater-it grates Parmesan cheese, chocolate, nutmeg; it zests citrus. . . I think this is probably my favorite kitchen gadget. So versatile, so elegantly simple, and so useful! I mean, it grates three of my favorite food groups. :)
(this isn't a "must have", but if you are going to get a microplane, then you must also get whole nutmegs, so you can grate it over oatmeal, hot cocoa, steamed soy milk, over sweet potatoes, pancakes, sauteed spinach, soups. . . once you go whole, you will never go back to that powdered stuff again, but I digress. . .)
2. Wine opener my roommate got me from Germany-I don't actually use this frequently enough, but I am really fond of this thing and will probably cry if I ever lose it, since I have not been able to find anything similar in the U.S., much to my annoyance. If I ever go to Germany, I will buy 10 of these things. I just love the simple design. Mine has a plastic end, which I could part with, but the rest of it is stainless steel. There is a t-shaped lever on top w/ a nose-like thing that you point down to turn the screw into the cork. Once the screw is deep enough in the cork, the nose-like thing at the top catches on the protruding edge, and automatically gets tipped up, at which point, the screw now starts to travel upward till the cork can't go any further. Every time I use it, I marvel at the engineering and design of this thing.
3. Pepper mill- everyone who is serious about food should have a fresh pepper grinder, imbo. I personally sprinkle freshly ground pepper on almost everything. Well, ok, not ice cream or cake, but I've put it in pies, sprinkle it on certain fruits, use it in vinaigrettes, and pretty much use it to season almost everything that is made on a stove (sautes, stir fries, soups, omelets, sauces, pasta, curry, etc.) and most savory things that come out of an oven. The fresh stuff tastes worlds apart from the pre-ground stuff that you find in the spice section. One of these days, I will upgrade to one of these wooden ones that has 3 or 4 different sizes of grind, but my acrylic one works just as splendidly for now.
4. Immersion blender-this is another thing that everyone should have. Make sure you get one that comes with a chopper and whisk attachment. I am partial to my microplane, but I use this thing several times a week for chopping, pureeing, mincing. . . pretty much everything.
In fact, I used it so much that my original immersion blender, a Braun, broke. Twice. After that, I got myself a Cuisinart, which seems to be doing fine for now. Here are the many things you can do w/ an immersion blender:
-beat egg whites so you can make meringues and souffles
-make tapenade
-make hummus
-make baba ghanoush
-finely chop nuts
-finely or coarsely chop lots of things
-make smoothies
-froth milk
-puree soups
-make breadcrumbs
5. A really good chef's knife- you do not need an 11-piece knife set, but what you do need is one good chef's knife. You can eventually add on other types and sizes of knives, but if you get just one knife, get a chef's knife and make sure it is a J.A. Henkels or Wustof. If you take good care of it, you will have it for life. Forget the $39.99 knife sets they sell at Target. I'm not trying to bash Target, but they sell the kinds of knives that are too dull to cut tomatoes or leave you with a string of onion dominoes, b/c they are too dull to fully pierce the papery onion skin.
6. (if you have 5, then you will want this--) knife sharpener to sharpen #5. Though actually, according to Patita, you can sharpen knives on the back of a ceramic bowl as well.
7. Silicone spatulas-another kitchen tool that gets frequent use in this apartment. They are especially useful for baking, but I use it for sauteeing, mixing, serving, cutting, as well as for many other things.
After all that time spent at Sur La Table, I ended up getting my friend a pepper mill after all.
Next time: essential things you should have in your pantry.
(Peppercorns, whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, maldon sea salt, olives, soup stock. . .)
09 June 2007
Asking awkward questions
So I am supposed to go on a info-seeking mission to the East Bay at some point to find out if a certain guy is engaged. I guess I could just ask him point-blank, but the problem is that I don't really know him too well. Oh, and he's one of these formal, reserved, east coast types. He is also one of these serious eldest child types. (Note: I am not mocking these types. I can caricature these two types, b/c technically, I'm one of these types as well, except that I occasionally need to be frivolous as well.) In other words, he is the very sort of person that I'd have a difficult time extracting this information out of.
This could happen one of two ways:
1) The "subtle" way-- probably the method that my friend prefers, but I can see myself spending hours at this pizza joint in Oakland, half paying attention to his conversation, and half trying to find an angle to subtly work this whole engagement thing into this conversation. Hmm. What would be likely to get him to open up about his personal life and fiancees or lack thereof to someone who has hung out with him maybe all but two or three times? Maybe I need to conjure up an imaginary fiance of mine. I'll tell him that I'm engaged, and then hopefully, he'll say, "me too", or not. Oh wait. Scratch that. I don't have a ring that could even remotely pass for an engagement ring. . .. NM. :-P
Thus, I think then, I'll go with method #2:
2) The "ask point-blank" way-- I'm usually not a "point blank" asking type of person, especially if I were interested in this particular guy. However, in certain situations, and with certain people, I can be very point blank to the point of probably being rude.
For example, I once saw $120 per spoon spoons from Tiffany listed on someone's registry. I mean, wth. Granted, I know it is a registry and you are supposed to request things you wouldn't buy for yourself, but I was looking for something appropriate to give to a "sort-of-but-not-close friend" level, and I think the cheapest option were these $120 Tiffany spoons. Ok, I'm majorly digressing, b/c this $120 spoon thing really baffles me, but do people a) suddenly take up an interest in $120 per utensil place settings just b/c they are getting married? Or b) do people have these wish list of things they want-but-will-hold-out-till-they-get-married? B/c although I might upgrade from my el cheapo Ikea silverware, I don't think I will ever suddenly want $120 spoons just b/c I am getting married. But on the second possibility, again, I understand to an extent about people holding back on buying things like the cuisinart big mixer thing. But what if you don't end up getting married? I mean, if there is a $120 spoon that you really want, why don't you just get it instead of waiting for the big day?
Anyway, So I called my friend, the groom who had probably nothing to do with this registry and asked-- "So you're like 45 or so. The average life expectancy is about 87, so we'll tack on a few years and make it 90, which means that you've finished living half of your life already. And right now, you are using what sort of spoons? Oh. Mismatched from good will? Yeah, me too. So tell me. What is the rationale behind you at your halfway point in life suddenly deciding that you have to get $120 spoons. I mean, if you were going to get maximum use out of them, then shouldn't you have bought them way earlier? Or do you suddenly at 45 have a newfound appreciation for high-end spoons?" We have the sort of relationship I can get away with asking such blunt questions, b/c that is how I think we first met.
But back to Mr. eldest child/east-coast reserved type. I'm not sure how point blank I can be with him. Mr.-$120 spoon can roll with the punches and take my line of questioning/uncouthness. I'm not sure about Mr. is-he-engaged. Will he be taken aback? Get flustered? Get mad?
Since I am not asking this information for myself, but rather on behalf of someone else, I feel less inhibited. All the same, I still probably need to find a nice segue into, "so, are you engaged?" As I was telling my friend, if it were left up to me, this is how the conversation would transpire:
(Setting: hip-ish restaurant in the east bay. We are almost done eating our main meal. Actually, we could have just finished ordering appetizers, but somehow, I think, just in case this doesn't go over too well, I will save it till we are both almost done with the meal. Mr. possibly-engaged is updating me about his summer plans.)
Mr. Possibly-engaged: ". . .so I really want to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro w/o the help of Sherpas. I've been doing some conditioning and training, etc. and have been keeping myself busy."
moi: "Wow. I just did my big travel thing a month ago, so probably this summer, I will stay put. Maybe date around a little. Look for a new job. Elope. Speaking of eloping, are you engaged?"
Mr. Possibly-engaged: "shemme?"
moi: "Oh, I'm not propositioning you or anything. I'm just idly curious." (Actually, I am not really idly curious at all, but I'm asking this on behalf of a friend. I actually really don't care if you are engaged or not, other than whether the outcome will make my friend happy. I want her to be happy, so in this sense, I guess I indirectly care. However, since I can't actually tell you this, I'm feigning idle curiosity.)
Does anyone have a less overt way of asking someone if they are engaged? I mean, with females, it's a bit more obvious, but w/ guys. . . they don't go around sporting engagement rings. (They really should though. Sometimes this is very critical information.)
This could happen one of two ways:
1) The "subtle" way-- probably the method that my friend prefers, but I can see myself spending hours at this pizza joint in Oakland, half paying attention to his conversation, and half trying to find an angle to subtly work this whole engagement thing into this conversation. Hmm. What would be likely to get him to open up about his personal life and fiancees or lack thereof to someone who has hung out with him maybe all but two or three times? Maybe I need to conjure up an imaginary fiance of mine. I'll tell him that I'm engaged, and then hopefully, he'll say, "me too", or not. Oh wait. Scratch that. I don't have a ring that could even remotely pass for an engagement ring. . .. NM. :-P
Thus, I think then, I'll go with method #2:
2) The "ask point-blank" way-- I'm usually not a "point blank" asking type of person, especially if I were interested in this particular guy. However, in certain situations, and with certain people, I can be very point blank to the point of probably being rude.
For example, I once saw $120 per spoon spoons from Tiffany listed on someone's registry. I mean, wth. Granted, I know it is a registry and you are supposed to request things you wouldn't buy for yourself, but I was looking for something appropriate to give to a "sort-of-but-not-close friend" level, and I think the cheapest option were these $120 Tiffany spoons. Ok, I'm majorly digressing, b/c this $120 spoon thing really baffles me, but do people a) suddenly take up an interest in $120 per utensil place settings just b/c they are getting married? Or b) do people have these wish list of things they want-but-will-hold-out-till-they-get-married? B/c although I might upgrade from my el cheapo Ikea silverware, I don't think I will ever suddenly want $120 spoons just b/c I am getting married. But on the second possibility, again, I understand to an extent about people holding back on buying things like the cuisinart big mixer thing. But what if you don't end up getting married? I mean, if there is a $120 spoon that you really want, why don't you just get it instead of waiting for the big day?
Anyway, So I called my friend, the groom who had probably nothing to do with this registry and asked-- "So you're like 45 or so. The average life expectancy is about 87, so we'll tack on a few years and make it 90, which means that you've finished living half of your life already. And right now, you are using what sort of spoons? Oh. Mismatched from good will? Yeah, me too. So tell me. What is the rationale behind you at your halfway point in life suddenly deciding that you have to get $120 spoons. I mean, if you were going to get maximum use out of them, then shouldn't you have bought them way earlier? Or do you suddenly at 45 have a newfound appreciation for high-end spoons?" We have the sort of relationship I can get away with asking such blunt questions, b/c that is how I think we first met.
But back to Mr. eldest child/east-coast reserved type. I'm not sure how point blank I can be with him. Mr.-$120 spoon can roll with the punches and take my line of questioning/uncouthness. I'm not sure about Mr. is-he-engaged. Will he be taken aback? Get flustered? Get mad?
Since I am not asking this information for myself, but rather on behalf of someone else, I feel less inhibited. All the same, I still probably need to find a nice segue into, "so, are you engaged?" As I was telling my friend, if it were left up to me, this is how the conversation would transpire:
(Setting: hip-ish restaurant in the east bay. We are almost done eating our main meal. Actually, we could have just finished ordering appetizers, but somehow, I think, just in case this doesn't go over too well, I will save it till we are both almost done with the meal. Mr. possibly-engaged is updating me about his summer plans.)
Mr. Possibly-engaged: ". . .so I really want to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro w/o the help of Sherpas. I've been doing some conditioning and training, etc. and have been keeping myself busy."
moi: "Wow. I just did my big travel thing a month ago, so probably this summer, I will stay put. Maybe date around a little. Look for a new job. Elope. Speaking of eloping, are you engaged?"
Mr. Possibly-engaged: "shemme?"
moi: "Oh, I'm not propositioning you or anything. I'm just idly curious." (Actually, I am not really idly curious at all, but I'm asking this on behalf of a friend. I actually really don't care if you are engaged or not, other than whether the outcome will make my friend happy. I want her to be happy, so in this sense, I guess I indirectly care. However, since I can't actually tell you this, I'm feigning idle curiosity.)
Does anyone have a less overt way of asking someone if they are engaged? I mean, with females, it's a bit more obvious, but w/ guys. . . they don't go around sporting engagement rings. (They really should though. Sometimes this is very critical information.)
01 June 2007
We can all use a little music in our lives
I'm having one of these trying weeks. I'm forgetting to attend meetings and inadvertently scheduling 2 lunches on the same day, b/c I forgot that I already scheduled a prior lunch! It probably doesn't help that I've had some after-work commitment/event every day this week. That, coupled with the week starting on a Tuesday rather than a Monday, has made me feel off-kilter this entire week. Even my bedtimes are off-kilter (as one may surmise from the very late time of this posting).
In the midst of such a week, my Congan drum instructor emailed me a very moving email with a very timely, inspiring quote which made my day and moreover, made me smile. It is on the subject of why (music teachers) teach music:
"We teach music: not because we expect you to major in muisic, not because we expect you to play or sing all your life, not so you can relax, not so you can have fun but so you will be: human, recognize beauty, sensitive, closer to an infinite beyond this world, have something to cling to, have more love, compassion, gentleness, goodness - in short, MORE LIFE! Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live? "
I'm currently listening to one of Mozart's piano sonatas--the andante movement. I should really be in bed, but I'm already feeling much better and can feel the tension slowly melt away. I need this right now.
Thank you to people like my Congan drum instructor for providing me with small bouts of inspiration and beauty when I need it and showing me the right way to live--how to be a better human--how to not get bogged down in minor things and live more fully.
We can all use a little music in our lives, but we all need a Congan drum instructor in our lives as well. . ..
In the midst of such a week, my Congan drum instructor emailed me a very moving email with a very timely, inspiring quote which made my day and moreover, made me smile. It is on the subject of why (music teachers) teach music:
"We teach music: not because we expect you to major in muisic, not because we expect you to play or sing all your life, not so you can relax, not so you can have fun but so you will be: human, recognize beauty, sensitive, closer to an infinite beyond this world, have something to cling to, have more love, compassion, gentleness, goodness - in short, MORE LIFE! Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live? "
I'm currently listening to one of Mozart's piano sonatas--the andante movement. I should really be in bed, but I'm already feeling much better and can feel the tension slowly melt away. I need this right now.
Thank you to people like my Congan drum instructor for providing me with small bouts of inspiration and beauty when I need it and showing me the right way to live--how to be a better human--how to not get bogged down in minor things and live more fully.
We can all use a little music in our lives, but we all need a Congan drum instructor in our lives as well. . ..
24 May 2007
Cookies, cookies and more cookies
22 May 2007
Ode to Tea Eggs
This weekend, I made tea eggs with Patita.
Although I cook semi-regularly, I can't remember the last time I've boiled an egg, much less attempt to make tea eggs. In fact, I actually did not know that to boil eggs, one has to put them in the water while the water is still cold.
We threw--er, gently placed--the eggs in cold water and started to boil them. I feel like boiling eggs should be a very simple straigthforward process, but I managed to crack some eggs before the eggs were fully boiled. (Since the recipe called for cracking the eggs anyway, I hailed this as a time-saving measure, rather than regard it as a sign of my incompetence and inability to perform the simple task of boiling eggs.)
At this point, we decided to just throw in the tea bags and some random and not-so-random collections of spices. Pretty soon, Patita's whole kitchen filled with the delicous aroma of mystery spices--a wonderful melange of cardamon, Sechuan peppers, star anise, black tea, bay leaves, peppercorns and other fabulous flavors. We let the concoction brew for several hours, while we sat around like old Chinese ladies and made jiaozi and talked about travels.
Three days later, I cracked open one to eat for dinner. They turned out absolutely beautifully, replete with the cracked design.
But after soaking in our mystery broth for three days, they still tasted kindof bland. Thus, I stood in my kitchen, hovering over our masterpiece, torn between choosing aesthetics over taste. However, after taking my requisite photo as evidence of aforementioned lovely cracked design motif,
I decided that taste won out in the end and placed them back in the broth after cracking them open. Thus tomorrow, I shall look forward to eating some no-longer-aesthetic-but-(hopefully)-boldly-flavored tea eggs.
Although I cook semi-regularly, I can't remember the last time I've boiled an egg, much less attempt to make tea eggs. In fact, I actually did not know that to boil eggs, one has to put them in the water while the water is still cold.
We threw--er, gently placed--the eggs in cold water and started to boil them. I feel like boiling eggs should be a very simple straigthforward process, but I managed to crack some eggs before the eggs were fully boiled. (Since the recipe called for cracking the eggs anyway, I hailed this as a time-saving measure, rather than regard it as a sign of my incompetence and inability to perform the simple task of boiling eggs.)
At this point, we decided to just throw in the tea bags and some random and not-so-random collections of spices. Pretty soon, Patita's whole kitchen filled with the delicous aroma of mystery spices--a wonderful melange of cardamon, Sechuan peppers, star anise, black tea, bay leaves, peppercorns and other fabulous flavors. We let the concoction brew for several hours, while we sat around like old Chinese ladies and made jiaozi and talked about travels.
Three days later, I cracked open one to eat for dinner. They turned out absolutely beautifully, replete with the cracked design.
But after soaking in our mystery broth for three days, they still tasted kindof bland. Thus, I stood in my kitchen, hovering over our masterpiece, torn between choosing aesthetics over taste. However, after taking my requisite photo as evidence of aforementioned lovely cracked design motif,
I decided that taste won out in the end and placed them back in the broth after cracking them open. Thus tomorrow, I shall look forward to eating some no-longer-aesthetic-but-(hopefully)-boldly-flavored tea eggs.
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