Food, Travel and Exercise

2009-08-05T15:47:00.001-07:00

My site is live!!!
http://www.learntojuggle.com
check it out!!
:0)

Crazy Taxi

2007-12-19T11:13:00.001-08:00

Whilst travelling by cab from downtown to dinner, there was a lot of traffic. There was a crossing, like a crossroads but more of an X and somehow the cab we were all in made it half way across before the light went red for us and green for the other road. NY drivers don't like to wait, and they didn't and for the first time ever, I sat an looked out of a front windscreen at multiple lanes of cars heading straight towards me but veering to the left and right and so missing us on both sides. It was like being in the path of a school of fish, all I saw was oncoming headlights, it was beautiful in a surreal way and it occurred to me that for most people that get to see this sight, they open their eyes to a hospital ceiling next...

Still Transient

2007-12-19T11:09:00.002-08:00

I'm on a train. Heading from NY back to DC. I got to DC on tuesday morning, I had work scheduled in VA for wed/thurs and then found out that the job was actually about 200 miles away. Gymnastics doesn't finish till 1030 so I got there about 4am on wed and was working by 10. Finished up on thursday, drove back to DC and... Went to the gym again till 1030 :o). Its great to be there but it really sucks when you can't do something that you used to be able to. Then again, it's also inspiring.
I was planning on flying back to LA on sat but got a message on friday asking me to be at a meeting at the pentagon on monday so I extended my stay till tue and came up to NY for a couple of days. My schedule works a bit like that... I often buy one way tickets the day before, that way there's no fee to change/cancel them... And I call and book hotels for yesterday since it's after midnight and I'm still on my way there.
So, I had 2 days in NY. Went out to DB Bistro Moderne on 44th, Daniel Boulud's modern style bistro. The name is actually quite descriptive funnily enough...
They have a burger there, I had it once before, made with ground beef filled with a layer of braised short ribs, foie and black truffles. If you get the 'royale' version, I comes with 10g of shaved black truffles on top. I remember not liking the texture of the short ribs but the rest was delicious.
I was there with a couple of friends, Gina and Damien, both very food people, and we had three different appetizers and then three db burger royales :o). Damien pointed out to me that the best way to eat it is to take all the truffles from the top of one half of the burger and eat them in one bite. They're gently warmed and have soaked up the juices and flavours from the meat and that one bite (and you get 2 of them in total) was worth the trip to NY and made the burger entirely worth ordering again. They have a 'super royale' with 20g of truffles... But really, I should buy prime sirloin or chuck, grind it myself and then get a perigord truffle and just make my own super burger.
So what do you serve with the burger? Pommes souffles, which you almost never see on a menu. They look like potato footballs or balloons filles with air but golden and crispy. And they're a pain to make and don't always work. And the wine? A nice red from southwestern france, near where the truffles come from.
Incidentally, I was looking at Damien when he took his truffle bite. His eyes closed, his face relaxed and his body tensed slightly, he didn't move for a few moments, completely oblivious to his surroundings, and then his shoulders slumped forwards, his back relaxed, he exhaled and opened his eyes and came back to the rest of the world. That's pretty much exactly what I do (you can't see my toes curling and uncurling) when I eat something that good and I don't know if it was the mannerisms or the fact that we both have ponytails but a lady at the next table asked me if we were brothers.
Which is actually really funny for a bunch of reasons.
The second day I met up with another friend Mauro for dinner at Lan. We did the sushi tasting menu with a couple of a la carte additions like japanese sweet shrimp, japanese sea urchin and the pork cheeks. Really nice meal.
Mauro cooks at Falai in the lower east side and does the best risottos I've ever had. I've had beet, mushroom and coffee/capers risottos made by him, all 3 excellent. Anyway thay have a white truffle risotto on the menu right now and I was going to stay in NY till sun night so I could go there for dinner but they ran out on sat and aren't getting more truffle till monday :o( (I can just feel waves of sympathy from you all... Poor me...)
Maybe I could drive up after work on monday and then drive back on tuesday... Then again... Maybe not...

Waiting in Line at Salumi

2007-12-19T11:09:00.001-08:00

I'm in Seattle. Circumstances conspired in my favor to allow me the time to come to Salumi for lunch and I am currently standing on a cold sidewalk in a long line waiting for my pork sandwich.
I've been eating well here, Seattle has good food. I've eaten at Shiros which is good sushi, restaurant Zoe which was very nice, had 6 apps and dessert and a very nice montrachet, and Crush which was excellent. Had some really good sweetbreads, pork sausage and sunchoke soup. Overall, the general standard is high and there are quite a few really good places around.
The last couple of weeks I've been in LA, and the night before I left to come here was my first in my new apt. Its actually about 250 sq ft but its the best place I've ever lived in its own way. From the moment I walked in the door and every moment since that I've been there I've felt at home and comfortable. I have at least 2 windows on all 4 sides of my room, incredible views and yet a lot of privacy. Sunlight like nowhere I've lived before and so much within walking distance I go days without driving. I'm planning on staying there for a while and making it really nice inside. Its a rental but I don't have the rental mentality anymore, I'm used to owning and making the space my own so I already have a list of things to do from lofting the bed to create a work space to getting some wood blinds and some nice furniture.
Anyway, I'm at the front of the line now and about to order :o) Today I'm planning on walking round the sculpture park and going up the space needle which I last did the year that they had the worlds fair in Vancouver...
Maybe it reminds me of childhood but I like walking about on a chilly overcast day here... I still haven't figured out quite why I ike seattle so much, I think its a lot of small things that add up good food, good geography, friendly and cool people, good attitudes, and really good coffee on every corner (even the starbucks is better here, like Guiness in dublin) certainly doesn't hurt.

Alinea

2007-11-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

Duck tenderloin with banana pudding, peanut, thai spices, served with butternut squash soup
Rainbow trout with cucumber, kombu, coriander
Yuba with shrimp, togarashi and miso mayonaise
Navy bean puree with pancetta chip, selection of garnishes served on pillow of nutmeg air
Sweetbreads, chestnut puree, burnt bread puree, toasted hay sauce, cauliflower
Black truffle liquid ravioli with shaved truffle and parmesan
Beef heart, fig, long peppercorn, celery root.
Pork belly, smoked paprika, polenta, pickled vegetables
Liquified caramel corn shot
Roasted quince, quince soup, foie fat, candied fennel, sweet spices
Cranberry, frozen with lemon and ginger
Pineapple with bacon powder, black pepper
Trout roe, in maple syrup "packet", corn
Apple cider in cinammon gel shel, walnut milk, cinnamon, vegetable ash, served as shot
Tagliatelle with white truffle and parmesan
Scallop with parsnip, orange zest pate de fruit, chamomile/orange vapour
Hot potato with shaved truffle, cold potato and black truffle soup
Kuroge Wagyu with matsutake duxelle, cedar branch aroma
Lamb loin and rilette with sauces, pomegranite, yoghurt, mustard, lemon, mint, saffron, and one other
Maytag blue cheese with ginger gelee, pear gelee and tarragon
Transparency of rasberry with rose petal and yoghurt
Avocado and brie semi-freddos, guava bavarian, guava soda, key lime juice basil ice, pine nut powder with rum and brown sugar spherification
Frozen liquorice cake, muscovado sugar gelee, orange, liquorice spun sugar, hyssop
Venezuelan chocolate pudding with soy caramel, soy marshmellow, lemongrass ice
Pumpkin pie, brown sugar, pie, dough, served on oak branch with smouldering leaves
+ 4 kinds of bread, milk & honey roll, apricot and indian spice bread, caramelized onion roll and radish knot,
served with house churned cows milk butter with black lava salt on top, and goats milk butter

It has the attention to detail that you find at Per Se with a little bit of WD-50 thrown in. Overall, definitely 2 stars, maybe 3... The service throughout was exceptional,not just flawless but considerate and usually a step ahead of any requests you might have. The valet was pretty cool as well, hung out with him a bit whilst stepping outside for a cigarette. The desserts let things down a little for me, too many places try too hard to do funky flavours and weird things with dessert... they rarely really work. I think the 12 course chefs menu might have been better, there were a couple of weaker dishes that lowered the average slightly. If I could pick 12 from the 20 and bump up the desserts a little, it would get definitely get 3 stars.
My favourites... the tagliatelle with white truffles was maybe the best thing I've ever had... I spent about 5 mins with my nose a couple of inches above it and my eyes closed... The wagyu was excellent as well... but at least 10 others were really reaaly good, the trout, the navy bean puree, the sweetbreads were creamy and perfectly done. about 5 didn't work for me at all though... where I think they sacrificed overall flavour for novelty value.

Sears tower, Skydeck, Clear night

2007-11-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

I actually wish I did have my camera...
Incredible...

Chicago

2007-11-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

I'm on a cab on my way to the sears tower, hoping I can go up and check out the view.
I decided to stay an extra night in Chicago.
Given just how much I've been looking forward to getting back to LA, you may be wondering what would make me delay my return to sunshine and warmth and an incredible deck that should be ready for me when I get there...
The answer is Alinea.
Alinea is not, unfortunately, someone that I've just met. Rather its a restaurant that I've been wanting to try for a long time. its supposed to be fabulous. Along the lines of WD-50 or Moto or Minibar but with better flavours. Most of the cutlery and serving plates are custom designed and I'm booked in for the chef's tour, about 20 courses.
The menu will be in my next email along with comments.
No camera so if I do get up the tower before dinner, I'll just have to appreciate the view all the more whilst I can :o)

Stuck in Dayton Airport

2007-11-14T22:22:00.001-08:00

My meetings finished early today but not early enough for me to catch a 2o'clock flight so I'm stuck waiting for one at 720.
This gets me into DC at around 9 so if I book it to the gym, I can get about half an hour of rings, which is enough if your enthusiastic :o)
The last week and a half or so have been quite eventful. I went back to LA for a couple of days and walked around my new hood. Bought some rollerblades, haven't rollerbladed since college, and went up and down the boardwalk. Didn't fall, was a bit wobbly, but it'll be a while before I'm as at home on them as I used to be. I like it as a low-impact form of exercise, gets me outdoors and uses more energy than walking. And it'll help me to strengthen my ankles for warrior 3 and standing half-moon etc...
I took my first pilates class in Hermosa beach. Good instructor, seems like a good studio, I'll be working my way round the different teachers there to see which one is the best fit but really glad its 5 mins walk from my new place. I also found a place to play pool, its not a huge warehousy, dingy seedy dive with well maintained tables and balls as is my preference (yay q-ball in springfield), its more of a bar and grill but their tables are decent and it's walking distance. I'm putting a priority on walking distance, going to try to not use my car as much as possible in LA which sounds backwards but I think I can do it.
The airport is a 10 minute cab ride, don't even use a freeway and I have all of my day to day needs within a few blocks. Will see how it goes but I expect I'll be doing a lot less driving than I'm used to in DC.
I went from LA to Seattle :o). Haven't been there for almost 8 months and I've missed it! I really like seattle... So I got to go to my favourite pilates studio and have my ass kicked on Monday. And on Tuesday. And on Wednesday when I took a class and then got a cab from the studio to the airport on my way out of town. I've been slacking for a couple of months, only going to the gym once or twice a week, partially due to constant travel. I can tell that I've backslid a little, some stuff is just harder than it used to be. Also, I've gotten sloppy without someone to point out where I'm cheating and correcting my form, so it was great to get back there and my sore torso was a welcome reminder that I need to do this more often. :o)
Thank you Heidi, you take my breath away and make me feel inadequate, leaving me somehow both grinning (in disbelief at the mind that conceived these exercises) and gasping for oxygen simultaneously. And I laugh more in Rebecca's mat class than any other I've taken, which only makes it harder:o)
and I haven't even mentioned the commercial low-boy fridge with beer and wine, or the projector for Sonics games...
If you're in Seattle, look up Powerhouse Pilates and go get a private lesson. Listen, learn and apply.
Repeat as necessary...
I ate at Tilth and had a very nice meal. The best course was spotted prawns which are a medium sized prawn from alaska with a hard spiny shell. They are really tender with a sweet lobster-like taste, delicious.
A celery-root custard with truffle was really good as well.
When I was a kid, people used to joke that I chose my meal by looking down the right hand side of the menu. Its not true! Its just coincidence that I love foie and lobster and truffles and toro and caviar and wagyu... :o/
Otherwise, I had a few days in DC and managed to see a lot of friends in a short time. And also managed to make it up to NY for a meal. Ate at Lan. Where else can I have really good toro, amazing pork cheeks, scrambled egg with uni and caviar, cream of enoki soup with truffles, foie custard and perfect shrimp and vegetable dumplings, all in one place. Fabulous, fabulous restaurant (east village).
I'm off to Chicago tomorrow and then I get a whole week (at least) to stay in LA. That's seven days in one place!
You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it :o)

Minestrone Soup

2007-11-06T11:52:00.003-08:00

I'm sitting on a hertz shuttle, headed to san antonio airport, wearing a Pat O'Brien's. "I survived a hurricane!" T-shirt with a picture of a huge drink on the back.
I know that none of you have ever seen me in a shirt this cheesy because I don't buy or wear them. I turned down 2 different F5 shirts at our conference because I won't wear them, I like plain shirts for the most part, occasionally some interesting design.
So, what happened? Well... The title should give you something of a hint...
I was walking down the road, typing on my blackberry and half looking ahead. At that moment, a guyin a chef coat with his back to me decided to turn round and head my way. Unfortunately, as he turned, his hand collided with my shoulder. Even more unfortunately, his hand was holding a cup of hot liquid. Initially I thought it was coffee and I was glad I wasn't scalded but it didn't smell like coffee and when I looked at the ground, I could see why. It wasn't coffee, it was minestrone... So, I'm standing there with bits of veggie clinging to my hair, sunglasses, face, shirt and pants, looking as if I projectile vomited straight up in the air and then caught it on the way down... with my face... I started laughing and said "at least it wasn't too hot" and since the guy had a chef's coat, I asked where he worked so I could clean up.
That's how I ended up at Pat O'Briens. I cleaned up as best as I could (I still smell like minestrone) and once I was done, the manager gave me a t-shirt and bought me a drink.
Incidentally, both my watch and in fact my blackberry are, de facto, soup-resistant. To what depth I will never know...

The Alamo

2007-11-06T11:52:00.001-08:00

I'm here at the Alamo...
It has a very nice garden...
And no basement ;o)

First couple nights in LA

2007-10-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm in Colorado Springs at the moment, sitting in an airplane that's been converted into a restaurant... Our waitress just introduced herself as our flight attendant... Wonder if they have sick bags...
Last week was a huge work conference in Palm Springs. 750 people from my company in one hotel for 4 days... The official events were pretty tedious (unless you're a Cheap Trick fan... They played at our work party on Friday) but its fun to see a bunch of old friends, some of whom I've known for 7+ yrs and hang out with some cool new people. There's a whole bunch of seminars but the best thing I learned was that a starbucks cup with a lid on it is a really trashy but effective way to carry your beer around in public...
I've spent the last couple of nights in LA in my temporary studio. I'm starting to realise just how much space I'm giving up, basically, I brought in the 5 boxes of kitchen stuff, pots, pans, moulds, rings, whisks, sieves, trays, tools of all kinds, and realized that there's no space in this place for it all. And this place is way bigger than where I'm moving to in 2 weeks.
I'm still in a sort of holding pattern, until I get into my final place, I'm waiting to buy anything significant and I'm not unpacking either at the moment but I'm travelling the whole next 2 weeks so by the time I have a chance to relax (assuming my schedule doesn't keep filling up like it has been) I should be in the new place :o). Then I just have to find a week or so to get DMV stuff and other life things organized and start to discover/create a new routine.
I have a yoga studio round the corner and 2 pilates studios and a gym, haven't found a set of rings yet but still looking...
Did a yoga class yest, sort of 1/2 way between yoga and gym-style, like a real yoga class that has adjusted to current demands by making it a bit more aerobic, but I'm out of shape and it kicked my ass! Going to be really really sore later. (And once again I'm sooo appreciative of Kerry from whom I learned what yoga poses are supposed to look/feel like and because of whom I know the form for which I'm striving) And I'm scared of the private Pilates lesons I have booked for next week in Seattle but sooo looking forward to them. Poke my belly next week for amusement and when I cringe remind me it's all my own fault...
Also, incidentally, something clicked with handstands and I can balance them now!! Still need to improve but very happy about that after over a year of trying.
Back in DC tomorrow for about 36 hrs :o)

I found a place... and what a place!!

2007-10-20T16:10:00.001-07:00

OMG! I'm moving into a small 1br on the strand, (840 the strand, hermosa beach, map it!!) And in 2 weeks or so, into a small (4-500 sq ft) penthouse on the 4th floor with a private deck and panoramic unbelievable views. I can't believe that I found it and I've put down a deposit so its definite. Sacrificing space and kitchen for a rooftop deck that even after seeing it, still not sure I believe it... Walking back to my car about 6 inches off the ground, don't even care if I have a parking ticket :o)
Haha, no ticket :o)

Back in LA again

2007-10-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well I'm already back in LA, had 3 days in DC and extended it to 4. Didn't get anything that I meant to get done whilst there (except laundry) but did manage to see most of the people I wanted to (not all) and that counts for more anyway.
I've got appointments to look at a few places tomorrow, one is a month-month and if I can grab it I will and then have time to look for something more permanent. Still not sure if I'll have a roomate or not, all things will work themselves out in due course...
I have an insane next 4 weeks ahead, about 20,000 miles of flying to texas, chicago, DC, SF, Colorado, seattle and LA. After that, my calendar is empty but I'm sure that'll change. This year I'll have flown around 80,000 miles which doesn't sound like all that much to me but I guess it's a lot since it's all domestic. Enough that I'm a united elite member and hilton gold... Hooray...
For the moment I'm encouraging the sales guys to set up meetings for me in DC when possible. If I can have the company covering my flights, that's a good thing and I'm looking forward to when I can get a room at the Hilton in Dupont Circle and finally have more than 2 drinks at Gazuza :o)

Back in DC

2007-10-16T09:14:00.001-07:00

I'm at Dulles airport. It's early morning and it was surreal to drive to LAX in my car and leave it there whilst I go to DC for a few days... Every now and then I actually appreciate that I'm moving and it scares the crap out of me... It's not scary in that I think that anything bad could happen but just intimidating. There's so much unknown stuff ahead and I think about how much easier and how much less stressful it would be to just stay here. That's part of why I drove the car across, now either I have to bring it back or move myself to it which makes the hassle and stress of not moving much more in balance with that of moving... Anyway it's happening.
3400+ miles of driving last week (and no tickets!!).
After Austin which I really enjoyed (went to a local bar and saw a couple of bands playing) there was a thousand mile day to Phoenix and then a mere 400 to Las Vegas where I spent a night at an old friend's house and a night at Treasure Island. Didn't have time to eat anywhere fancy but had a good locals breakfast at a place called the cracked egg. Vegas turned out well this time around, I saw my first $1000 chip (won it, didn't change cash for it ;0) and left town a winner.
So I'm here until thurs (or maybe fri) and then back west to look for a new abode. Back in DC by halloween.

Austin again

2007-10-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the people I'm travelling with went on to El Paso today. Not because there's anything to see/do particularly there but because its where you are at about the time when you'll be sick of driving...
I have no interest in el paso, and after that they're all going to see friends or family in Phoenix. I don't have either there so I'm staying an extra night in Austin, which seems to be a very cool city, and then heading to Vegas with a stop somewhere along the way.
Dallas was odd because I've been there a few times before but always flown in and got a rental car. It was strange to be there on roads I've driven before and recognize but not having flown in and being in my car instead... I think Vegas will be weirder for that reason and then LA is going to be a real trip.
I've moved a fair amount before but never left a place that I've been for this long, 8yrs in DC and 7 in my house. There's a lot that I'm going to miss and I have a lot of great memories from DC.

Austin

2007-10-16T09:11:00.002-07:00

Hanging out in austin with friends of friends, one is a chef and we had awesome TX bbq, best beef rib I've had, ironworks in austin. 3 martinis later sitting on a porch chilling hung out at 4 seasons bar... Enough for now, have a good night :o)

Marriot in Atlanta

2007-10-16T09:11:00.001-07:00

I'm spending tonight at the hilton in atlanta and I wandered across the street to check out the bar at the marriot since I'm too tired to go far. This building is amazing. There's a 50 storey atrium with rooms around the edges, inward tiering balconies and a column of glass sided elevators in the middle. Imagine an ice cream cone upside down lined with rooms and squashed a little so its cross section is more oval than round... Then make it 500 feet tall and take the elevators up to the 41st floor (higher ones need keys).
I don't know why but elevators like that scare the crap out of me. I can stand on the eiffel tower and look down or around no problem, but put me in a glass elevator in an atrium and when it starts getting near the roof my knees get weak and I feel panic rising... Something about looking up and seeing how close I am to the roof, when I'd stand on the high diving board at school, I was fine as long as I didn't look up.
I took this one because there's nothing like irrational fear with an underlying certainty of safety :o)
So I'm having a much needed Patron silver (the guy poured me about a triple shot by mistake) and calming down, my camera's in my car in a parking lot somewhere so no you'll have to use your imagination or come visit. It may sound odd but seriously, if you're in Atlanta, check out the marriot atrium, makes the Luxor seem like a bit of a joke... And that's saying something...

Dinner was a small local southern food cafe, not bad but nothing special. The south isn't as bad as Scotland, land of deep fried cadburys creme eggs, but they do love their fried food. A chef friend in mississippi has the motto "if you fry it, they will buy it" and although it's not intentional and probably mostly due to my mom, I don't like fried food that much.

Tomorrow- driving to Dallas... 800 miles of fun :o)

I have berkley basic physics lectures on my ipod (Physics for Presidents, free podcast!), maybe by next time I write, I'll have a little better understanding of electromagnetism...

Driving to CA

2007-10-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

I'm moving to CA and since I have some friends driving a moving truck across the country and since they offered to let me put stuff on their truck and since they asked if I wanted to join them and since I decided to take my car to CA, and since I've always wanted to drive across the USA and I'd much rather do it in a Porsche convertible :o) than a rental, I decided to cross the country via Atlanta, dallas, austin, albaquerque, vegas and anywhere else along the way seeing friends where possible.
We set out yesterday, they left my house in the truck around 4 pm, I left around 7 and caught up with them around 145 am (thanks Steve, the radar detector pointed out 3 cops last night), we got where we were going at 4...
Today is an easy day in atlanta, going to get some good southern food tonight and then tomorrow drive to Dallas :o)

Missing flights

2007-09-27T04:25:00.001-07:00

I sent out an email about 8 months ago where I missed a flight for the first time. I have missed a bunch since then. Fortunately its usually just a matter of calling the travel agent and rebooking a new, later flight. And since I usually book less than 24 hrs before departure they can cancel the missed one with no charge.
So why do I miss flights? Because I always think I have enough time. I missed the last one because I tried to check in 35 mins before departure and they changed it from 1/2 hour to 40 mins minimum... It always used to be 1/2 hr since that's when the plane starts boarding and that's the final cutoff for checking in. It seems that some airlines, at least at Dulles, have changed their policy...
Another was because of a 40 min security line, but really they're all because I leave too late.
I know when I have to leave and have time to spare, when to leave with no time to spare and when to leave so I have to break speed limits, park in an hourly lot and run from my car to the self checkin thing with credit card in hand to hopefully get there in time.
I lean towards the last of the three and scrape by more often than you would expect...
This time, I waited till the last moment, then another 15 mins, then another 5, and then booked it to Hertz to return the car, parked, ran to the shuttle (left keys in car, will get receipt later) fretted whilst the shuttle sat there, got to the terminal with 35 mins till takeoff and a mouth like a sailor cursing my own stupidity, ran to curbside checkin (about 20 steps or 20 seconds closer than self-checkin) and asked if I was too late...
A guy said he'd help, we ran in, the self checkin didn't find my reservation, he took my ID and disappeared behind the counter. With 30 mins to go he came back with a boarding pass.
I tipped him a 20 and made it through security and to the gate in time to be the last to board.
Slept from takeoff till "we will be landing in approximately 20 minutes", best kind of flight.

Slacking

2007-09-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on these emails for a bit, and also on my blog. Not sure why, I guess it seems a bit repetitive since I keep going to the same places and also I just don't always bother to write down everything that I eat.
Recently, I've been going back and forth to CA and was up in NY for a couple of days as well as in St. Louis for about 8 hours. I've been eating pretty well, of note was Lan in NY, a japanese restaurant, which was excellent, the best prawns I've had since a chinese place in London years ago, Berkshire pork cheeks (Berkshire is an older breed of pig from when flavour was king) and scrambled eggs with uni and caviar, a definite case of 1 + 1 + 1 = about 5 at least. Egg and uni is great, egg and caviar is great, egg and uni and caviar is phenomenal! They also have shabu shabu with meat from american choice to japanese wagyu but that'll have to wait till next time. Its the kind of place I wouldn't go on a first date, I'd spend all the time either looking at the food or with my mouth full and eyes closed oblivious to my surroundings and probably not make the best impression "well... He's definitely passionate, just not about me"
Right now I'm in Los Angeles for about 24 hrs then heading back to DC. In fact, right now I'm sitting on Hermosa beach enjoying the sun. Looks like I may be back out here next week as well...

Corvette

2007-09-14T20:30:00.001-07:00

:o). Yay for SJC Hertz!!!
Roflmao!!!
Compared to the shelby, this thing is faster, tighter, smoother with paddle shifters, powered seat side bolsters that hug you, a g-meter (hit .95 on an onramp and was starting to lose traction), heads up display and rfid based ignition so keep your keys in your pocket.
The way I see it, the porsche is like pulling a mower starter cord, as you pull it out you gain speed and power but not much at the very low end. The corvette is like tying the cord to a tree branch, lifting the mower till the cord retracts and then dropping it...
Takes about a second to go from 70 to 80 and from a rolling start, hits sixty before you have time to look at the heads up display speedo...
*GRIN*

Mustangs

2007-09-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to rent something fun this time in LA. Hertz had no Corvettes in stock (I've been wanting to drive the new one for a while) so I ended up with a Shelby GT-H mustang convertible. I've rented a couple regular mustangs before and I'm not a fan. Anyway, the shelby's a little different, had a couple of people shouting compliments on the freeway and a couple of people asking about it when parked. I'm not a fan of the looks too much and the ride is still a bit boaty, car feels heavy and somewhat loose/soft in the steering and the drivers seat is too high off the ground...
But the engine!! Oh my god, it rumbles and screams like Thor gargling hammers (Jeremy Clarkson's similie) or a tiger that purrs until you put its tail in a mangle.
And the acceleration is awesome, even at 80 it drops a gear (automatic SUCKS, sucks less if you put in gear 3 or 2 though ;o), makes a glorious noise, and takes off, pushing you back in your seat, until you yank your foot off the pedal and brake hard with paranoid visions of blue flashing lights. From a standstill it accelerates hard and keeps accelerating and accelerating until you yank.... Etc.
I could have enough fun driving it that I'd forget to eat and that's saying a lot...
I'm still far from a mustang fan but I'd rent one of these again :o)

Leaving Las Vegas

2007-09-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Where do I start?

Hanging out with both brothers and no parents for the first time ever, awesome kumamoto oysters, wagyu ribeye, a shot with sake, soy sauce, uni and a raw quail egg... foie wrapped in hamachi with black truffle, "O" at the bellagio, blackjack monkey style, passing 8 times in a row at a craps table, the hard rock, MGM, treaure island, the wynn, losing my shirt (metaphorically), getting new shirts (literally), and gorgeous ones at that, sunglasses, crazy shoes, the Bulgari store, bumping into a really good friend from college I haven't seen in 10+ years, oh my god, what a crazy, crazy trip.

I think I need a break till I come back but now I have a good friend that's local so next time will be less strip and more chill...
I'm too compulsive to stay here long but for a few days... It's awesome!

New Orleans

2007-08-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note.
The rest of my meal was unremarkable. I ordered a crab, shrimp and avocado salad. For some reason I think that I like crab but whenever it's really good... I don't. So I order it and then remember that I don't really like it but it still always looks so good on the menu...
Anyway, I'll forget the salad and the fish and the etouffee...
The gumbo I'll remember forever :0P

Gumbo

2007-08-18T12:05:00.001-07:00

I just had a cup of chicken and andouille gumbo at K-Paul's louisiana kitchen... Wow. I've just realised that I've never had gumbo before, just a pale,poor shadow of what gumbo's supposed to be. The depth of flavour is staggering and yet its still chicken, rice and sausage. I was making quiet contented noises (as I do when the food is really good) with every bite and am sorry the cup was small. However, I have shrimp etouffee coming and then blackened drum for main course and a delcious bottle of montrachet sitting on the table. Still loving every bite but sort of bored with being an ace...

New Orleans

2007-08-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

I spent wed in Houston working at NASA, nothing too exciting about work but I did get to stand in the viewing galleries for the Mission Control Centres for both the Space Station as well as the shuttle which actually launched whilst I was there. I saw the launch from a few different cameras on HD screens and watched live feeds of people on the space station doing nothing interesting, but then again if you're on the ISS, just twiddling your thumbs is pretty cool, except for the orange outfits...
Fortunately the launch went well and I got out of there in time to get some texas bbq. Yes I know it's not real southern bbq ;o) but the brisket was the most fallapart I've had and tasty too.
Got to Norleans around midnight and got to my hotel around 1, went across the street to Harrahs casino, didn't realise they had table games here, and found me a hot craps table. Made almost enough to cover my dinner on thurs, almost...
I was staying at the Hilton riverside and I guess I have enough stays at Hiltons now that they upgrade me to the executive floor, great view from the room looking south over the river and part of the city. Anyway, on thurs I woke up early so that I could meet a co-workwer at cafe du monde for beignets, figured since it was only 1/2 a mile from the hotel it would be a nice riverside walk at 830 am. Er... By the time I got there I was both soaking and dripping with sweat. It's hot but not that hot but its amazingly, stickily, unpleasantly humid. The coffee with chicory was ok, the beignet were good. The mayor came in and sat a couple of tables away fom us and his 2 bodyguards who looked straight out of pulp fiction (one was a big bald black guy with a huge neck who you could well imagine getting medievel on your ass and the other had an afro and a wallet that said bad motherf*cker) sat at an adjacent table.
We left them alone this time...
So on thurs, we were working by the lake and on the way there we passed through one of the worst hit areas of Norleans. It was pretty freaky, asked the cab driver how deep the water was in this neighbourhood and he said 12 ft... A lot of the buildings are brick so you don't see many signs of damage but you see a lot of trailers in front yards and as you look in through any non-boarded up windows (and there were a lot since windows didn't get blown out) you start to realise that every single one of the homes is uninhabited, all the interiors are dark and empty, no curtains, no furniture, nothing. And it's not just like a bad area of town with a lot of abandoned buildings, its every single one in the neighbourhood, all of them, no one living there... Some of them are being worked on but a lot of people didn't have insurance and a lot of insurance companies declared bankruptcy so having had it is a long way from having received anything... More than half of the people left after Katrina and most of those won't be coming back. At the moment there is a huge population of migrant workers but they're probably not going to stat once the work starts to dry up. Not great prospects for this town...
At least not in the short term but even long term a lot of people realise its not that sensible to live between the sea and a lake, alongside a river and below them all...
After work I had made a reservation for myself and the guy I was working with at Stella! which I got from my handy blackberry zagat guide. It sounded like updated cajun style and is well rated for food. We decided to meet up at Pat O'Brians because I had a mint julep there thirteen years ago and have been wanting to go back ever since. It was not quite as good as I remembered but still delicious.
I didn't pack anything nice and due to the heat I'd gone through all my shirts faster than expected so I went to buy something decent to wear to dinner, I went to a banana republic but all their shirts fit me like tents, so I figured what the hell and went to saks instead... Tried on about 10 shirts, spent too much but got an awesome one :o)
Stella! was a 5 block walk from Pat's, so we were dripping by the time that we arrived... We did the tasting menu with one dish a la carte and subbed the dessert for a dessert tasting instead. I didn't write down the desserts, though I liked the fig trio and it was nice to see huckleberries on the plate, mainly because we had a wonderful chaussagne-montrachet and a very nice oregon pinot plus a glass of a cabernet that the sommelier wanted us to try and I really didn't care about typing stuff on my little crackberry keys at that point...
The food was good but not memorable, menu follows.
We walked back down Bourbon st, it took a little while...
One thing very much in Norleans favour, a couple of people pointed out that in CA there's a John Wayne airport and I'm sure that in time there'll be a Schvatzaneggerrr airport too (code SZG) but my favourite so far is New Orleans'
Louis Armstrong International :o)

Hope none of y'all live below sea level...

Crostini duckliver pate, lamb sausage
Foie blt, foie torchon, toast, lettuce, heirloom tomato, duck pate, smoked bacon, balsamic
3 layer gazpacho, crab and tomato salad, ciucumnber salad
Lobster with farm egg and summer truffle
Asparagus puree, asparagus mousse, lump crab
Fish and chips sunfish with sweet potato, chili-rib sauce, bok choy
Filet with shrimp, sweet potato and taro chips

notes, lamb sausage was good, foie was good but too much else on plate, liked the gazpacho, not a huge summer truffle fan, asaparagus was really nice, nothing special about either of next two for me...

New York, Bar Masa and Falai

2007-08-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

I was woken on Friday by a taxi driver knocking on the door... It was 545 in the morning and I had fallen asleep half dressed and not packed having been out till late the night before, and having spent the previous day in Houston (took a taxi from home at 545...). I answered the door, told him I'd be ready soon and in 3 mins was changed into work clothes and packed and out the door. To be honest, I had no idea what I'd packed, I grabbed 4 big handfuls from the dryer into a duffelbag and figured it had to be enough for 2 nights...
I spent friday working in Queens and headed into the city in the evening. I can eat in this city so much better than I can in DC. I have the connections and the food up here is just so much better anyway. So I was going to go to Upstairs for sushi but I was starving by the time I got there and there was a 45 min wait so I went to Odeon for a burger. Had a frisee salad that was not nearly as good as bistro du coin in DC and a good burger with ok fries. Had freshly cooked doughnuts for dessert, served with strawberry jam and maple syrup dips, mmmm, fffrreeesshh ddoooooouuggghhnnuuttsss.... :oP
I was invited to a party in brooklyn, crazy crazy place, like 2 apartments knocked together and decorated over a period of years by a bunch of wacky artists on good drugs... There were four main rooms of different sizes with live bands or djs along with space outside and a double roof that you had to climb one of 2 ladders to get to. I spent a while on the roof watching the lightning from the storm that had just passed overhead.
On saturday I walked in the heat in the morning to Bouchon, supposedly the best croissant in NY and I haven't had a really good croissant for years... Last time I went to bouchon it was closed and this time... It was closed... For 2 weeks in august... I was disappointed... So I decided to have some sushi at Bar Masa...
Masa is one of the best sushi restaurants in the world, seriously, and you pay for it, 350 for food with no menu.
Bar Masa let's you order some of the food a la carte, I have eaten there twice, the sashimi is unreal, the cod with miso is better than Nobu, the sashimi is unreal, I think its the best I've ever had, it's so good it makes you think that 350 to eat in the main restaurant might be, if not reasonable, justifiable... Oh my god it's that good...
I headed downtown to see friends, stopping along the way at MarieBelle in Soho for some chocolates and iced chocolate (I wanted to get chocolates from Ki's chocolates in soho, one of my favs but I can never remember where it is, or find it when I want to...).
I had called another friend, Mauro, who is now working at Falai in the lower east side, he's an amazing chef, genuinely world class talent and I've been wanting to eat where he's working for a while. Problem is the last place apparently sucked so much that he told me not to eat there... I've been waiting for him to move and he finally did. He had a table for me at 7 and when he asked how many courses I wanted I said as many as he wanted to send out... So, after an amuse there were 7 savoury courses, then a palette cleanser, then 4 desserts and finally petits fours and coffee... Menu follows at the end. The food was delicious, definitely gets one star in my book (I rate like michelin so a star is damn good, eg no 2 star restaurants in DC)
Mauro was apologizing that since I only called him that day he hadn't had time to prepare anything special...
Been a while since I've had the chance to eat like that... Mmmmm
Had brunch at cafe Falai in Soho on sunday, spent the day walking round in the sun and am now on a train back to dc...

Yoghurt with cherry and cucumber jus
Date polenta chicken liver mousse mushroom vellutata sauce seared chanterelle
Foie torchon, spinetta jelly, milk meringue, breaded Foie with shaved truffle, foie lollypop dipped in choc, crushed olives, truffled toast
Naked Ravioli baby spinach and ricotta, milk foam, butter sage sauce
Tagliatellle, buf mozz, american caviar bottarga
Beet risotto scallops octopus and mussels
Merluzzo. cod, chipolate onions mushrooms, squid ink sauce, squid ink brioche, tomato with balsamic glaze
Rack of lamb, blue potato puree, plum$ compote, baby artichoke
Kiwi and strawberry in tropical sparkling juice wioth rum and honey
Panna cotta, orzata foam, cocoa butter sauce.
Mille-foille with citrus cream, choc dorbet with oranges
Profiterole with marsala mousse and dark choc sauce
Celery cake, milk gelato strawberries and strawberry jus
Petits fours, choc feullitine, financier, choc-hazelnut, rasberry gelee

A Reason to be Good.

2007-08-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Forget ethics, and morality, and karma and all that stuff. I'm a confirmed atheist, anti-religious if anything but just on that minute off chance, that one in a million, trillion, brazillian (haha one of my fav Bush jokes) chance that I'll die and wake up in bar Masa, it's worth being good all my life...

Wish you all could try the seasonal sashimi plate,

San Diego and Sushi knives

2007-07-31T23:30:00.001-07:00

I'm on harbour island in San Diego. In a hotel, in the restaurant, about to take in a good amount of protein and carbs and fat which is to say, given that its a late dinner, a chicken ceaser with extra chicken. I figure even a mediocre hotel restaurant can't mess that one up...
Got here yesterday, spent the day at a navy industry day which consists of 350 people from 150 companies listening to navy people talk about what they need their upcoming multi-billion dollar IT solution to do. After about an hour or so, I got up, got a cup of coffee and stood at the back since I couldn't stop myself from dozing off when seated... Seriously, I was worried I'd fall off my chair... I got a decent amount of sleep last night due to the helpful bit of jetlag so I have to blame it on the speakers and their presentations.
The reason I'm here and not out looking for better food is that I don't have a car and figure a quiet night would be good since I have to be up at 6 tomorrow, again to fly back to DC. I just got harry potter 7 so I'll start it tonight and by the time I get back to the east coast all will have been revealed... I re-read books 5 and 6 and was happily reminded of how good they are. Yeah, I like kids books ;o). (Read the BFG by Roald Dahl, best book he ever wrote, better than charlie and the chocolate factory, james and the giant peach and the witches put together)
I had lunch at Top of the Market, above the fish market, not bad, nothing special except for the yellowtail sashimi, the description that sprung to mind was perhaps a little harsh but it made me laugh...
Substandard fish sliced by a monkey with parkinsons...
Let me explain a bit, a real sushi knife can only be made by a handful of masters in Japan, the steel cannot be worked by machine, it takes tens of years to develop the skill and they are sharper than anything you've ever seen. "This knife is for fish without bones, do not cut a fish with bones with it". That's how fragile the edge is but you can see and feel the quality of the cut when you look at good sashimi, one side has a roughly 7 degre slope (regular knives are about 20) the other is concave so the fish doesn't stick when you slice it. The best ones cost thousands of dollars, good ones hundreds, but a true japanese sushi chef would live in a box and eat it's cardboard walls to get one so it hurts to see fish that looks as if they used a cheese cutter to make uneven slices... Ok I am a bit harsh, I still ate it but I pity anyone that never gets to try the real thing. Hamachi, good yellowtail, is my second favourite behind bluefin and its closer than you might think.
Anyway enough ranting, my food arrived and I'm hungry
Its Houston next, leave thurs morn, hoping for some good real bbq in texas :o)

Hope you all your sushi chefs are knifeoholics and know how to use them,

Salad

2007-07-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

I went to one of my regular haunts, bistro du coin, the other night and as I was leaving (after a decent roast chicken with really really good fries) and saying goodbye to the owner, manager and chef, the chef asked if I liked salad and if I was going to making myself lunch the next day. I said yes and he ushered me back in to the kitchen where he explained that a local farmer had just dropped off 4 boxes of salad greens that he'd picked that afternoon and did I want some? I tried a couple of bites and remembered what simple salad greens can and should taste like. There's a texture to real freshness that refrigeration tries but fails to preserve, a slight crunch that you recognize on an instinctive level but not from recent experience (unless you are very lucky). Each variety has a different flavor, some are spicy, some slightly bitter, some sweet, you barely need dressing just a touch of salt, pepper and olive oil.
I gave some to a friend at a bar that I went to afterwards, after one bite her eyes went wide, she took another and said it was the best salad she'd ever had. No dressing, no preparation, nothing.
So, remember, sometimes serving the best food doesn't always take the best ideas, or techniques, or talent...

Just get the best ingredients that you can find, and don't mess them up.

Hope you all have a farmers market in your area,

Starbucks at LAX

2007-07-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Originally sent July 19th

Just tried to order my regular morning drink. Quad grande 2 pump vanilla 2% latte.
$6.44!!!
Even at this early hour, even with my 7-10 shot a day habit, even though I'm gagging for a coffee, I still can't do it! That's more than at any other airport, more than in vegas casinos, the most expensive I've ever seen so I walked away... But I want my coffee... :o(
If I hadn't had a cup of extra strong coffee with a hot chocolate packet thrown in for that homemade mocha effect before leaving the hotel, I probably would have given in, bent over and taken it like the caffeine addict that I am... ;o)
Thank you starbucks may I have another...

Hope you all have affordable addictions, or, even better, none at all (but almost all the good stuff is addictive, even endorphins)

Los Angeles

2007-07-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles,

First things first, I've been criticized for not being techie enough.
That is that I'm still using an old fashioned email list (email is dead according to the younger generation of which I guess I'm no longer part..) instead of blogging it to a proper blog so I can add photos etc and other people can use an RSS feed to find out when I've added something new.
I'm going to start a conversion, I already blog all these to my myspace page but I'll get a real blog going and do it there. Will let you all know when it happens and then you can let me know if you prefer to get emails or not.
Thurs, I was supposed to be flying up to San Jose for a meeting in Monterrey but that got cancelled so I could go back to the guys who weren't ready on Tuesday. I flew to LAX, rented a miata (used to have the second generation and really wanted to try out the new one) and got halfway to the customer when they called me to say that they weren't ready again... So I had the day off. Went to see friends and ended up staying with an old friend of my brothers called Karim who I've known for about 25 years (scary...) who now lives in Silver Lake.
I tried PeaBerry which is a new style frozen yoghurt place that is incredibly popular, I heard stories of lines around the block. It was good, actually tastes like yoghurt with some acidity and it comes with your choice of toppings, fresh fruit or crumbled cookies, nuts etc...
Friday, nothing again... so I drove to Santa Barbara since Karim was going up there as well later on to see an old friend of his who I hadn't met but who's older brother I went to school with. It turned out he knows tons of people in London that I know, lots of friends in common and now his parents have moved to Santa Barbara.
Anyway, i got up there during the day and managed to meet up with an old college friend who still lives up there that I haven't seen in almost 10 years. Then I headed for the hills and drove up West Camino Cielo to a place called Lizards Mouth where there are some amazing rock formations that you can run around on. I used to frequently with friends when in college. Next, East Camino Cielo and up to the peak again, any chance i get...
I was really low on gas all the way up there and was very glad it was downhill on the way back, kept imagining running out and having to walk a loooong way. The miata was a lot of fun on the mountain roads, the tiptronic style gear changing means you can just leave it in 2nd most of the time and it doesn't try to do anything by itself. The way it handles is great, it's not as much of a toy as the older ones, feels more like a real car but it's still a light weight 2 seater rear wheel drive toy car that feels more like an oversized go cart. It made me want an Elise even more than I already do... someday, maybe someday soon... I do like the miata but I'm too big for it, if I have to drive it with the top up, I have to squash down a bit and eventually it makes my back hurt :0(
I had to work saturday morning at 10 in Compton (oh yeah) so I left SB at around 8 am and drove down, spent my day doing nothing.... They put our equip into production, I was there in case anything went wrong, which it didn't. So I sat in a conference room for about 8 hours and then left and headed straight for Malibu where there was a party in a beach house that I had been invited to. Ended up playing football on the beach and whilst tackling Karim, we both ended up fully submerged whilst wearing jeans. It's been a long time since I've been underwater in the pacific, I used to swim just down the beach when visiting my uncle far too long ago... We headed back and were worn out from running in the sand.
Sunday we went to something park north of west sunset where people walk their dogs. We took a steep path which it turned out wasn't so much of a path as a bit that was too steep for vegetation to grow on it... it started out ok but got steeper and looser and steeper until near the end you needed handholds and footholds and it got pretty sketchy. At one point Karim had to grab a bush with one hand and me witht he other to stop me sliding back down (much appreciated). Then we went to Santa Monica to the Promenade and wandered round a bit, I bought a pair of Earth shoes. They have a negative heel, i.e. the heel is slightly lower on the inside than the front of the shoe so you are effectively standing or walking slightly uphill all the time. They are supposed to be really good for posture and I was recommended them by an awesome pilates teacher in Arizona over Christmas. I have to say that after a few days of wearing them, I’m hooked. I really like them and normal shoes feel weird…
Then to Venice beach where I got to use a set of rings!! (and I was whining about it just a couple of days ago...). They have them set up near where all the bodybuilders work out at the muscle beach area. Awesome but after killing my legs in the park and then my whole upper body on the rings (and a sort of high bar!) I was completely exhausted. We hung out at the drum circle for a while and then headed back before going out to Westwood that night to meet some people.
Today, I was up early again, went to Compton again for 9.00 and spent the whole day doing nothing.... again.... our equipment tends to work pretty well...
Since I finished about 5, I decided to change my flight to a Monday night redeye (on which I am typing this now) and I'll be back in DC at 5.30 am.... and ready to go home and crash for the day. So this trip turned out to be a bust from a work point of view, didn't do anything, just was present, but turned ou to be surprisingly fun overall, did a lot more than I expected that I was going to. Next time I have to find a yoga studio in LA, there's about a million of them...

Hope things are turning out better than expected for all of you,

More Socal

2007-07-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

Originally July 18

Well, the meeting on tue was a bust, they didn't have their stuff ready and our stuff wasn't working and needed to be rebuilt so trying again on thurs... But we went to Capital Grill for lunch and then George's in La Jolla for a drink. Very nice bar, very nice view, very civilized. I wasn't driving so it was martini time, have to be careful with martinis in the afternoon...
A lot depends on which sales guy you're working with, some prefer to eat/drink well, others prefer Dennys...
For dinner we hit Fred's in old town for "eat my taco tuesdays".
Today meetings were cancelled but I have no car and am stuck at the hotel... Looks like In'n'Out for lunch but there's a lot within a short walk, a pool at the hotel and I just arranged an hour of Pilates at a local studio :o). Haven't had a good Pilates class in a month and with all the travelling all my exercise schedules have been screwed up (try finding a set of rings or high bar when travelling, doesn't happen). Interestingly, this studio seems to like the "gravity training system" using the stuff you see christie brinkley and chuck norris using on tv... Will let you know what I think of it later. But then again, if Chuck Norris uses it... ;o). (Chuck is so quick he can turn out the lights and be in bed before it gets dark... Actually it doesn't get dark for him, the dark is afraid of Chuck)
Spending thurs through mon in LA, back to DC on tue and then coming back to socal again for the 31st (I could probably keep this position and move to the west coast... Hmmmmm). Really want to be in DC next weekend for a friend's play so I may have to do some juggling somewhere or take some late night flights...
Getting to the point where I need a vacation... Heard Montreal is really nice... Maybe take a few days and go there in Aug... Anyone been there? Any comments/suggestions?...

Hope you are all happy, healthy and where you want to be, or at least on the way,

Socal

2007-07-25T15:35:00.001-07:00

Originally July 16

I'm back at LAX, out in CA for a whirlwind tour of meetings. Flying to SD now, driving up to LA for a meeting tues, then SD meeting wed, then th morn fly to SJ for a meeting in monterey, then back to LA friday, then working in LA sat-mon, then back home on tue... Probably, may try to take an extra day or two out here. So after he volunteered and the offer was accepted to have me work sat-mon, the sales guy (sales guys vary on the evolutionary scale from around gorilla at the top end to multi-cellular ooze at the other) sent an email out to me and my managers proclaiming that I luckily get to party in LA this weekend.
I replied to all that it sounded more like I'd be working all weekend, no longer having the chance to party, but perhaps I just don't have a sales guy's perspective...
I don't mind working the weekend, just can't do with him pretending he's doing me a favour... If you let sales guys walk on you, you'll spend your whole career trying to get tread marks off your back. Push back hard, our objectives may overlap but they're not my boss... :o)
At this point there are 4 people in my team, we're understaffed and 2 of them are pretty new. The other has experience and he's good, I worked with him for 3 years before. That leaves me as one of the top federal guys, I'm getting a rep for making customers happy, send me onsite and you don't have to worry anymore which cuts both ways. I get more clout and can get away with more (maybe I can get Sr. added to my title) but I'm more in demand and get less lazy days.
Just tried to give up my seat for a free round trip ticket but not enough people showed up and I got my seat back :o(
Damn, that could have gotten me to Seattle...
This was supposed to more food and less travel based but I haven't been eating anywhere special recently. Spent more time seeing people than searching out food. Old friends take priority (over most restaurants at least, I'd stand up a friend at the airport for the french laundry) and I haven't even been cooking much except for a Pistachio, pineapple and Patron (silver) galette that I made. Been trying to use patron in something for a while and it works, both with the pistachio and with the pineapple (in moderation) spent a while tasting pineapple, sipping patron, tasting pistachio and sipping patron, smelling patron whilst eating pineapple/pistachio etc. to make sure they went ok. Good reviews from those that tried it though I did eat about 3/4 of one myself (made 2) and I won't eat it if it sucks. One quick note, 2 secrets to good galettes, 1 use hardly any water, the dough should not gather properly in the mixer rather it needs an hour in the fridge till it becomes cohesive enough to roll. Too much water and you won't get the crunch in the crust. 2 big lumps of butter, the size of grapes, in the dough, these roll out flat and make the galette flaky.
Anyway, about to take off and don't want to be the one that made the instruments go haywire...

Hope none of you ever have a calendar to which 8 sales guys have author rights...