Another Blogger's List

I found this via another blogger's site, and I thought I'd try it here. It's a list of one hundred foods every omnivore should try. Sorry, but I can't figure out how to make the blue go away. :(

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Italicize all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The Omnivore's 100

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche (If you count the ice cream...)
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat (I had it BBQ'd, not curried)
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Xenophobe vs. Xenophile

I realized just yesterday, as I was perusing some past entries here, just how frequently I espouse the superiority of non-American cultures. I am, to use a term borrowed from humour writer Robert Lanham, a bit of a hexpatriate, an "expatriate who never actually [left] the county. They just speak ill of (hex) America's corruption and lack of refinement." However, one finds oneself in a strange predicament as a xenophile in a predominantly xenophobic culture--it leaves me in a constant state of unrest as I continually plan my life elsewhere, instead of living what I have to live here.

On the subject of xenophilia, I must expose my new obsession: Bento! O-bento is Japanese lunch in a box. The Japanese are the only culture to my knowledge to glorify the lunchbox as much as they do! Bento is packed in a compartmented box and bought from a shop or packed at home, and often included all sort of delicious finger-foods, like rice balls, pickled fruits and vegetables, sushi, fish, and eggs. Here's a pic:
Cute, no? Mothers often take special care packing their children's lunches, as you can see, to be cute. Look at the little seaweed faces on the rice and egg!

FABLES

So, I have an embarrassing admission to make. As a child, I never gave a stinking hoot about comics--even when I got romantic notions about them after reading the Amelia books. When I was young, I tried to get into them, but none of them caught my interest. Now, at nineteen, I have finally discovered one that I cannot put down. It is--dum dum dum DUM--

I've now finished Volume 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers, which was the MOST EPIC volume yet; I am making my way slowly but surely through the book volumes before I start buying it monthly in New York. I've only finished up to issue twenty-seven (number 87 was published this month!) so I still have a long trek ahead of. I have a feeling, however, that it will be worthwhile.

Now, for a bit of a synopsis--the series revolves around a rather extensive collection of characters, all of whom the ordinary person knows a little about to begin with, because they are the characters of fairy tales: Snow White and Bigby (think Big Bad) Wolf are essential, as well as Rose Red, Jack Horner (of beanstalk fame), Goldilocks, Prince Charming, and Beauty and the Beast. After being dispelled from their historical lands by a vaguely ugly, powerful, evil force known as The Adversary, they travelled to this world to live among the normal, or Mundy, people. They have a secret, underground community (how can you not love that!) known as Fabletown in New York City, and the comic follows all of the various shenanigans between the Fables and their enemies and friends. It has everything you want in a guilty-pleasure comic: romance, crime, sex, action, humor, awesome references to namesake fairy tales, and some deliciously bright-red bloodshed every now and again. Also, having been a lover of graphic novels and even some manga for several years, I enjoy the vintage, film noir, classic feel of this comic, the traditional illustrations and suspense, and the feeling I get when I read it of wishing I were wearing a full, wide skirt, pigtails, and saddle oxfords and sipping a cherry coke at a fountain while I read. :)

A New Intrigue...

I've always been a lover of tea and tea ritual from all over the world, and a new aspect of this culture has only yesterday come to my attention: Dim Sum. It's a dining experience I've enjoyed numerous time since Dynasty Gardens opened in my home town and became the only Chinese restaurant around to serve this style of lunch, comprised of small, finger-foodie usually steamed dishes to be served alongside traditional tea. This tea ritual, or yum cha, has provided the world many delicious, bite-sized delicacies, and I would like to talk now about one of them: sticky rice in lotus leaves, or lo mai gai. I experienced this treat for the first time yesterday, and it has fast become one of my favourite foods in the world. I saw its lovely picture on the dim sum menu and, automatically intrigued by any sort of food wrapped in leaves, I ordered it.

When it arrived, I carefully unwrapped the steaming package with my fork to reveal a serving of moist, fragrant rice, which I quickly began to devour. on reaching the center of the package, I met with a nice surprise--a nugget of sweet sausage and a pile of teeny-tiny shrimp! All of this amid a variety of rice so sweet, so earthy and herbal . . . it was almost too much!

I'm in the process of looking for an easy enough recipe to make this phenomenal dish at home, but so far, it looks like they are all going to require ingredients I cannot come by and excessive quantities of time which I cannot procure. Hopefully, I will be able to master this, now easily one of my most favourite foods of all time.

17 Reasons Why Iceland Roxxors my Boxxors

17. Iceland Ponies--super cute, hardy, and fun to ride; bred to be loyal and soft on the move.

16. Geologic activity--tons of volcanoes, hot springs, earthquakes. Plus, it is one of the "youngest" lands on Earth and one of the only places where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises out of the ocean, making it integral to geologic historians.

15. Tundra Climate--not only stunningly beautiful (think cold, Northern Tolkeinian Middle Earth) but also surprisingly mild, dipping only barely below freezing during winter in capital Reykjavík. Despite its chilly name, the climate is often described as similar to that in Northern Scotland, mostly because of an ocean current which heats the West coast of the island.

14. The Sagas and Eddas--some of the most important works of Scandinavian folkloric literature, these histories were written in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, describing the earlier histories and mythologies of Iceland.

13. Turf Houses--houses covered in grass or built into hills for better insulation. Tell me these aren't the most charming things you've ever seen!
12. Birches--once the most commom native Icelandic tree, and appropriately pale and delicate.

11. Reykjavík--this beautiful capital city (and the most populous in the nation) has fewer inhabitants than Modesto, CA.

10. Arctic Foxes and Puffins--two of the cutest animal on Earth, which just happen to coexist in this magical place.
9. Scandinavian Sweaters--they keep you warm stylishly.

8. Fjords--okay, so you can find these all over Scandinavia, but tell me they aren't that much cooler in Iceland!

7. Environmental Concerns--Icelanders as a people tend to be very environmentally concerned. When you live in a place that is so directly affected by global warming, you have to be. A majority of the manufacturing processes use geothermal energy, wind power, and even tidal energy to operate.

6. Quality of Life--although it has made the news in the last year for a minor financial crisis, Iceland has, for the last five years, overall been rated in the top ten nations for quality of life in the world.

5. Reindeer--not originally native to Iceland, they were brought to the island in the 1800's, and are the largest land mammals in Iceland.

4. Jónsi and Alex--mostly the cutest couple who has ever lived, the lead singer of phenomenal band Sigur Rós and the artist who does much of the band's record design.

3. Vikings--Iceland's first settlers. Enough said.

2. Icelandic--the most beautiful language in the world, full of whimsical rolled R's and reminiscent of epic poetry, Icelandic is the closest "living" language to Old Norse. While incredibly difficult for English speakers to learn (especially if they are incapable of rolling their R's), this language imparts on its native speakers a most charming accent. Check out my earlier video of Cute Couple Jónsi and Alex to hear Jónsi's.

1. Music--Okay, just in case those who know me didn't see this one coming, let me enlighten my readers as to the magic and beauty of the Music of the North. Icelandic music tends to be all at once poetic, melancholy, epic, delicate, sacred, and fanciful, orchestrally full and climactic, yet intensel personal and quiet. Some amazing performers, the reasons why music is the number one reason Iceland roxxors my boxxors, are: Sigur Rós, Björk, Emiliana Torrini, the Sugarcubes, Bang Gang, Amiina, Ampop, and múm. Check them out--you will not be sorry!

You Can't Tell Me that Iceland Isn't Perfect....

When they give us images like this. These are some beautiful Iceland Ponies in the beautiful Iceland wind...



Some more on Iceland soon, I think. <3<3<3

P.S. A Little Inspiration

Here's a video of the lead singer of Sigur Rós, Jónsi, and his boyfriend, Alex, preparing a delicious raw foodie treat. They have a cookbook--the link to the PDF is embedded below as well:

Jónsi & Alex Recipe Show - Macadamia Monster Mash from Jónsi & Alex on Vimeo.

Their cookbook, The Good Heart Cookbook, is located at http://jonsiandalex.com/media/recipebook/.

Enjoy their cuteness and good recipes! We sure have already!

Two Fantastic New Concoctions

Michael Benjamin spent most of the week here, and I am still swooning over the phenomenal chicken dish we concocted on his last evening here. We winged it, but here's an after-the-fact recipe with estimated quantities:

Pâtes avec Poulet, Poivron, et Vinaigrette

1 package angel hair pasta
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into little-ish pieces
1 coloured pepper cut into bite-sized strips
1 handful fresh cress
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup feta cheese
1-1 1/2 cups vinaigrette
1 small clove garlic, minced

1. Boil pasta according to package directions.
2. Sautée chicken pieces, pepper pieces, and garlic with generous salt and lemon pepper, until beginning to carmelize.
3. At the Last minute, add 1/2 of the chopped cress and 1/4 cup of dressing to chicken mixture.
4. Toss pasta with dressing, rest of the cress, feta, chicken mixture, and walnuts.

Vinaigrette:

Mix together in a small bowl:
Juice and zest of one lemon
2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic,, minced
2 tbsp. chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. honey
salt and pepper
1 scant cup of olive oil

With the leftovers of this dish, I created a new one this evening:

Deconstructed Tzatziki Salad

1 cucumber, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch of radishes, chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2-3/4 cup Greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic, minced
2-4 tbsp. chopped herbs (mint, cilantro, parsley, and cilantro all taste nice)
1/2 tsp. honey
juice of one small lemon
pepper to taste

1. Toss together radishes, cucumber, and shallot.
2. Mix together remaining ingredients into a thick sauce and toss with veggies until lightly coated/
3. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts and chopped watercress on top.

Comme le Livre "Rebecca"

Michael Benjamin returns from his tour of art schools tomorrow, which indicates his nearing a visit to Modesto, as well. I feel rather confident after all the positive feedback from his various portfolio reviews that he should get into whichever school he desires. He has visited these schools, in their corresponding locations:

Pratt Institute; New York, NY
Parsons the New School for Design; New York, NY
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Rhode Island School of Design; Providence, RI
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Boston, MA
Maine College of Art; Portland, ME
Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, IL

The ones which are italicized are his top three choices, in this order: SVA, AIC, and SMFA. I hope he chooses SVA, although I must say that the source of my bias is the school's location in Chelsea, only about a half an hour away from Bronxville and, therefore, Sarah Lawrence College and me.

In any case, while my dove has been away visiting schools, I have taken two jobs which have ended up really only being the same job, in a way. First of all, I am tutoring a thirteen-year-old Parisian girl in English while she is visiting Modesto for several weeks. Her name is Estelle, and she knows very, very little English, although she is learning quickly.

The second job I've taken is an odd jobs, housework, and paperwork helper for my Auntie Cathleen. Today, I washed all the woodwork inside her downtown Modesto home with TSP in preparation for painting this week. Despite the seeming dissimilarity of these jobs, they've really just turned into the same thing for these two people; I'm mostly serving as a companion for both of them. I take Estelle out for giant American ice cream cones and teach her the corresponding vocabulary--I also follow Cathleen around with a notebook, jotting down all of her thoughts and helping her make decisions about her remodel.

In the book Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier, the main character gets her start with a companionship job to wealthy old woman. I can see similarities between her job and mine--and being as the idea of "companionship" is a terribly romantic one, I'm raw-ther happy with that.

Of the Lovely DeVotchKa, from the High Sierra Music Festival

It occurred to me today that I never posted photos of the DeVotchKa show I saw in Quincy on the weekend of the Fourth of July. It was a fun concert, although I must say I could see why they call it, fondly, the Hippie Fest up there. Here are the incomparable Nick Urata, Tom Hagerman, Jeanie Schroder, and Shawn King:


(DeVotchKa on stage as a group)


(The ever-plaintive Nick Urata)


(The multi-talented Tom Hagerman)


(Lovely--and bad-ass!--Jeanie Schroder)

(The finale: Nick plays the bouzouki with his half-empty wine bottle!)

So, there's a little bit of a peek at a live show with Gypsy-mariachi-old-world-romantic-ecstatic DeVotchKa!

MacCracken 9!

Housing assignments for my First Year at Sarah Lawrence are in, and I've been assigned to the MacCracken Dormitory, one of the old dorms, and supposedly the nicest on campus (if you disregard rumors of infrequent centipede infestation, which fascinate and excite me more than creep me out!) I'm still trying to contact my new roomie, with no luck so far. I am excited, however, that we will share a suite-style bathroom with only one other dormitory, which means fewer people tromping through our space!

Here's a picture of the old dorms, but I don't know if this is MacCracken, in particular:


One has to love the beautiful bricks and Tudor-style woodwork, courtesy of the 1920's revival!

Endeavouring to Find New Passions

As I have not been feeling entirely up to par this weekend, I spent much of it sprawled on the couch with a stack of graphic novels and manhwa (Korean comics) lent to me by Amina, all of which were fantastic. So far this summer I've read:

The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way, art by Gabriel Ba
































Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham, art by Mark Buckingham

























Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Niko Henrichon




























The Bride of the Water God: 1 & 2 by Yun Mi-kyung