Finding the ROOT

I have been cultivating a big love for all the DIY, indie craft, Hackerhouses, make it yourself, sell it and tell stories cultures that are springing up everywhere. We just got back from SXSWi where I went to a number of sessions talking about that kind of thing directly or tangentally.

And today I have a new passion. TO get a bottle of ROOT somehow here to Japan to serve in my tiny restaurant that will re-open in April. ROOT is made by the folks I just discovered, based in my hometown of Philly "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" they have a shop, make art, clothes, support artists AND make a great organic Liqueur. Gotta get me a bottle.

Other recent things I need to find out more about are WALKING-PAPERS.org and THE NEWSPAPER CLUB, as well as THE KAHANI MOVEMENT. People doing awesome stuff because they love it and because they can. I heard all these folks talk about their projects at sxsw and was truly inspired.

Gotta get going on the MAKE-O-MATTIC project. And do some more DIY ideas myself. My want to do list is getting longer and longer.

Spring is in the air

Near our catering co. ! very spring feeling, greeny green green!

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!

Sublime Per Se

About a month ago during my trip back to the North East in the USA I had a chance to go to a few fantastic restaurants. One of them was Thomas Keller's gorgeous spot on Columbus circle. Per Se.

Keller is extremely famous. Creator of one of the world's best restaurants in California, The French Laundry, Keller has consistently produced some of the most amazing and delicious food that the culinary world has ever seen.

Per Se was amazing. The food was stellar. Keller's approach was so different. Not in crazy exotic ingredients, or in tricks and gimmicks. His gift is to make fantastic combinations where every element on the plate works together but maintains it's own glorious identity.

One difference I noticed is that many chef's create a main dish and then add things to the plate that support and draw attention to that main item. That is a perfectly wonderful approach. Think of it as main actors and supporting roles that add to and highlight the main character's role. That is NOT the way things work at Per Se. Each dish is like an ensemble cast, each ingredient plays it's own special role, and together a taste profile develops on the plate that is new, creative, and unique.

It is quite something.

The decor at Per Se was nice, not phenomenal. And the service was very good but not the best I had on this trip. However the food was amazing, and at the end of the day that is why I went there. I wish Keller had chosen a more modest address- more to his roots of making his first home in Yonteville ca. rather than right in the middle of a trendy neighborhood. I think his address in NYC makes it necessary to over charge for his course menus. Per Se is significantly more expensive than the other famous chef-restaurants in NYC. I believe food pilgrims would have come to find him anywhere in the city so It would have been nice if he had chosen something a bit more interesting in locations that would have been a bit less pricey. With Jean George just across the street it felt a little like keeping up with the jones's.

It was an incredible meal, and there are several taste elements that I can remember a month later as if I had just tasted today. wonderful.

Trivia note, Thomas Keller was the food adviser for the Pixar fill Ratatouille. He helped the animators understand how things work in a kitchen and on a plate and for restaurant professionals around the world the truth of those aspects of the film was a delightful surprise.

PS. the Christmas tree at Per Se was totally gorgeous!

Resurgence of the Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are back in vogue and better than ever. On our trip home for the holidays we picked up two for the catering business and the wine bar. There are tons of recipes out there and slow cookers make it easy for even busy folks to make and eat real food.

We test drove the smaller of the two - this one was a christmas present from my mom. It is a 5 qt. simple slow cooker with 3 settings; keep warm/ low/ and high.
Our first test was a pork roast, my catering chef prepped and browned it for some nice color, then tossed it in the pot with carrots, potatoes and some very fresh nice rosemary. TaDa! done. This one needed maybe more juices added to keep it moister but we are testing so trial and error is A-OK. Next up perhaps is a Winter Beef Stew. Didn't get photos of the first dish (bad-food-blogger-bad!) But I will be sure to better document the next one.

Anyway, I recommend either getting a slow cooker or dusting off the one that you put in storage and trying it out again!

Heaven is Cheese

Looking back at Christmas 09- one of the fun things we did while in NYC is browse leisurely through the Grand Central Station Market. And my favorite, hands down, booth in the market was Murray's Cheese. Friends and readers know I love cheese. And it is a continued trial and tribulation that here in Japan cheese is hard to come by and quite expensive- So seeing these rows and rows of cheeses was just heaven. I wanted to try everything!

We picked 5 and got small amounts cut for us by the fantastic and knowledgeable staff and then that night back at our friend's house where we were staying we had a tasty cheese plate, salami and some champagne. YUM.

The cool thing at Murray's is reading all the cheese descriptions. They know everything about cheese and are more than happy to share that knowledge. For those of you who want to know more about cheese and for anyone stateside you can go to the Murray's website and read, browse and order. sadly they can't ship to me here in Japan.

time to get organized and get rid of stuff

drawing from Writer in Waiting

A nice tradition in Japan is that so-called spring cleaning is actually done as New Year's cleaning. You start the new year as much as possible by cleaning house, paying bills, getting caught up. Actually you try to do all this by Dec. 31st so you can truly start the new year with a fresh slate. I was traveling till the end of the year so I am using this first week of 2010 to try to get some organizing done.

This month is likely to be rocky because of some unresolved stuff and money as usual, but I am determined to get the apartment more organized and cleaned up. Move stuff over to the admin office at the hacker space and get rid of stuff. I need some room to think. And the clutter here just makes that impossible.

Time to unload and get back on the simplfy track.

there are little irritating problems left right and center that I need to resolve. Hoping to get that all done by the end of January. That is the goal anyway. Today unpacked from the trip. Packed up a ton of geek wires, plugs, and gear. Unburied my desk. But still sooooooo much more to do.

Just have to do a little at a time till it is all done.

Been too long

New year`s resolution, write again on my little corner of the food world...

oh and Happy New Year

Common Sense Conservative? And Pigs Will Fly

Apparently Ms. ex-gov- Palin is waxing philosophical about the kind of change she can bring outside of those pesky job responsibilities as a governor. Or even as a part of one of the two major political parties! I am hearing 3-rd-party-palin music building in the background. Perhaps this little closed door speech was a kick of to the split that we've all seen coming between the greedy-gop and the bat-shit-crazy gop.

According to The Swamp,

There is suddenly a growing sentiment to just "throw the bums out" of Washington, D.C. - and by bums they mean the Republicans and the Democrats,'' Palin suggested in her address to the CLSA investors conference.

"Americans are suffering from pay cuts and job losses, and they want to know why their elected leaders are not tightening their belts,'' she said. "There is a growing sense of frustration on Main Street. But even in the midst of crisis and despair, we see signs of hope.

"In fact, it's a sea change in America, I believe,'' she said. "Recently, there have been protests by ordinary Americans who marched on Washington to demand their government stop spending away their future. Large numbers of ordinary, middle-class Democrats, Republicans, and Independents from all over the country marching on Washington?! You know something's up!

"These are the same people who flocked to the town halls this summer to face their elected officials who were home on hiatus from that distant capital and were now confronted with the people they represent. Big town hall meetings - video clips circulating coverage - people watching, feeling not so alone anymore.

"The town halls and the Tea Party movement are both part of a growing grassroots consciousness among ordinary Americans who've decided that if they want real change, they must take the lead and not wait to be led. Real change - and, you know, you don't need a title to do it.

Yup apparently she is queen of the tea-party-town-hall-nuts!
2012 here we come!

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Sorry to Be Absent

Work on the Catering Kitchen and the new wine bar continue. Here is the logo. Going for 1925-35 art deco Japan.

Life's Been Strange

 

My life has been a bit odd in recent months, downright strange actually- so this fits right in.

I mean, I like Coke (probably more than I should) And I like Green Tea. But I never in a million years would have put the two together. Yet there I was, innocently looking for beverages and junk food in my local Tokyo Convenience store. AND... Green Tea Coke! And it is icky no-calorie coke too.

Well- it is not as disgusting as it sounds, mostly because all you can taste is the diet-zero-calorie chemicals. But this is not a combo that sounds or tastes good. So if you said ewww at my lovely photo, you were spot on.

I suspect this will be as popular as the coffee coke, which means not popular at all.

This is not "Coke and a Smile" territory.
oh well.

Huit; Wonderful Little Joint in My Neighborhood

One of my favorite neighborhood spots is a little french place called Huit. I love their 3 cheese plate, and the great pate' (above) it's a great homemade place- warm decor, fresh baked bread, and the staff knows us know so we get a good table and great service. YUM.

They have some great 1000 yen lunch sets too- with bread and tasty iced-tea.

This is a wonderful place to have a simple dinner, or to relax in the afternoon- with my e-mobile wi-fi device I can even hang out there and work on my laptop. It is quite cozy. The owners have also eshewed fancy interior design and done a real DIY deal on the place. Handmade wooden shelving, and mix and match tables and chairs add tons of charm. AND it is right along the river on a shady back corner, trees, and flowers... very lovely.

Hanami Picnic

A view of our cheese, crackers, salami and wine under the cherry trees. We had a little impromptu picnic. Quite nice. The streets around my place are still jam packed with cherry blossom viewers. We probably have about a week left- before the trees go all green and leafy and the blossoms are done for another year.

This year was extraordinary so far, weather wise. Fairly mild, very sunny, not too windy. Ideal for a long extended blossom season. I am off on Friday and hopeful that it will stay nice and I will get another good day to people and blossom watch.

(yes, those are my crocs- and no I don't care that they are not popular any more- they are still comfortable.)

My Neighborhood is Gorgeous Right Now

Spring is really something here in Japan. The cherry blossoms are out in full bloom and since I live in a major blossom viewing area-- I get to really enjoy the blooming-beauty every day.

Probably about 1 week left- before it goes all green.
The pics above are a collage made of 3 days viewing photos.
Click picture to see larger version.

A Taco Moment in Austin

(from sxsw interactive in mid March)

The sun was finally out and meeting what I had expected on the trip. The first four days had been shockingly wet and cold for Austin, but on day 5-- clear skies, bright sun, greens, blues and vibrant colors leaping to life.

We sat down under a newly planted stick-tree that cast just enough shade to make sunglasses unnecessary. The white Styrofoam boxes spread out in front of us contained our "soft-taco lunch sets" and crispy homemade tortilla chips with too small thimble sized plastic cups of green and red salsa. At last, it felt like Texas.

We ate and chatted about all the inspiring seminars we had attended and we watched the youngish technorati walking by talking animatedly about this or that new gadget or concept. The buzz in the air was almost visible- as the twitterers tweeted- and the iphone'rs messaged each other and used their 3G Google maps to locate the best parties that would be packed and loud that night.

It was my first "South by Southwest" Interactive Convention- a mix of old school laid back creativity and high speed overdrive technology. Add sunshine, and Texas tacos and enjoy

Local Joints

I am not done looking back at the wonderful xmas trip 2008... but here's a post about more recent food. Last night we went to one of our favorite little joints in Nakameguro. It is a little, and I mean little, place. about 15 seats, some on a counter right infront of the chef. French country style. Simple food perfectly prepared.

The chef-owner loves what he does and it shows.

Last night was a cold Jan. evening here in the big city. And the two dishes we shared above were a perfect remedy. On the left-- pork and lentils, on the right steak frite. I have decided that I am still not ready to share the location or details of this local place. Keeping it a secret for me and the mr. right now. It is nice to have a little place that hardly anyone knows about.

@ The Kampa in Prague

click pic for lg view.

More musings from our holiday-trip 2008. On 12/19 we spent the day at the Kampa Art Museum in Prague. It was truly amazing. Great collection of modern Czech art -- well displayed in two connected and interesting buildings. The rooms and layout lent themselves wonderfully to a rambling, slow and thoughtful day of art. Wonderful paints, sculptures, outdoor pieces, and even a roof-top installation. Highly recommended. The Kampa sits on Kampa Island just off the Charles bridge and next to the little quater.

It is a quiet part of town during the winter. Probably quite a bit busier in the heat of summer. There is a park just in front and we saw lots of families and dog walkers getting some exercise even in the chill.

I especially enjoyed discovering the works of František Kupka

His abstract work was ground breaking. This famous image (click to view) was the cornerstone of the Kampa collection.

The complex had great outdoor spaces as well. One wall in the Kampa courtyard pictured above says "If a nations culture survives, so too does the nation." After touring the collection we picked up a Prague Street Art book in the museum shop, and wandered out for a sit down in a nice cafe.

perfect.