Thinking About Menus

These days as I think about spring catering and also about the new- relocated- wine bar I am thinking thinking thinking about menus. What would be good with wine, what could we do for new canapes, how can we present better and do better plating?

It is rather all consuming but fun too.

I will post some more ideas soon but just wanted to post here and ask for ideas in the comment thread. Good brunch items, good new finger food recipes and delicious dishes to pair with wine.

Reading Room Review

Just finished a pretty wonderful novel, The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine. It would be a hard one to describe- takes place in Beruit now and in the middle east of the 13th century and in a truly bizarre realm of Almaeddine's imagination.

Good read in the winter snows, as the dessert imagines certainly take you away to somewhere very different. I want to read an entire book about the mother now though- the female characters were intriguing but very iconic. I wanted more about who they were on their own, not who they were within the context of the men in their lives. But still mothers, lovers, seductresses, all were compelling.

It was amazing that the author could borrow and retell so much from history and storytelling tradition and still be so original. Bravo.

I highly recommend it.

Back from the Snowpocalypse

I spent last week in Washington DC. arrived on wed. and was planning to stay till sunday but then the snows hit. And Hit Hard! It was a good trip with a few high and low points. I was there for the DNC meeting as a representative and delegate to the Democratic National Committee. I got to hear President Obama speak both Thurs and Sat. AND I got to shake his hand which was great!

The low point was- this weekend was also my mom's birthday and I was really looking forward to seeing her. She was going to drive down from Pennsylvania and hang out in DC with me- but then the snows came, and kept coming and coming. No driving, no good roads, no mom. :-(

We got to talk on the phone a bit which was nice.

Another high point- the city was gorgeous in the snow.
Low point the city was basically closed. I had been also looking forward to doing some museums and other fun stuff- but the federal gov. and all those types of attractions closed down on friday and never re-opened while I was there.

I came back to Japan, flying on tues. and just made it out of DC before the second huge snow storm hit. I hear they are still digging out. Back here in Tokyo we had some flurries and the temps are pretty chilly but this is a much more mild place to be in winter- and I am reminded of the things I DON'T miss from the north east. brrrr.

I got to go out to one ok restaurant Georgia Brown's - southern food. I loved my appetizer did not love the Jambalaya. It was some de-constructed version- which is a hard thing to pull off well. But it was ok.

Now back to real life, work, and play in Tokyo. Next month we are headed to SXSWi this time I get to go with Chris and that is much more fun!