2003-07-15, 8:35 p.m.
- I love my Kaiser optometrist. I'm going to look into lasik. After that, maybe when I fly, I'll stop having visions of me ending up like Piggy from Lord of the Flies.
- I heard a DJ on Alice refer to Freddy Mercury as Frankie Mercury today. Ouch.
- $3.99 lunch bento from local Korean market: jap chae, kim bap, some fish & zuchini tempura, and a side of wakame. And I also picked up a 32cm stir-fry pan for $5.
- I was going to wash my car because it gets so dirty from the fog condensation, but then it started raining. Not the kind of rain that actually washes things away, though. The kind of anemic sprinkle that makes my car even dirtier.
- I'm quickly approaching the quarter-century mark.
- State School Tuitions Significantly Increase. Good thing my brother finished school in July--that fee increase would have hurt my parents significantly. Not to mention the loans that my brother and I had to take out to help pay for school (which we'll be paying for the next ten years). State schools are becoming more unaffordable, which will definitely contribute to the increasing disparity between rich and poor. It was hard enough to pay for my education before the fee increases! Cost is also a contributing factor to my decision to end my formal education with a B.A. (Aside: Culinary school costs more than an MBA)
- There are a lot of dead pigeons on the Bay Bridge.
- I still can't stop thinking about last week's dinner at the French Laundry. The lobster & nutty mushrooms made me swoon. To complement my experience, I reread the French Laundry chapter of A Cook's Tour (Anthony Bourdain) and now I just have to wait for a rerun of the episode where he visits with Thomas Keller in Yountville. I also finished The Soul of A Chef (written by co-author of the French Laundry cookbook). A third of the book is about Thomas Keller's quest for perfection and the first third covers the Culinary Institute of America. I also ordered a book by the same author (The Making of a Chef; should arrive next week) which is about the first year of cooking school at the CIA. I thought I wanted to go to cooking school (partly because I see the chauvinistic kitchen as a challenge), but the expense isn't something I want to tackle. I realized that I enjoy eating food more than creating it.
- With that in mind, now I'm reading Comfort Me with Apples, a book by Ruth Reichl, a famous food critic.
- I like food. I like the taste, the smell, the experience. Because of that, I have difficulty with picky eaters. I explore the world through food, and I think those with strict (non-allergy-related) ideas of food limit themselves. The American concept of what can/can't/should/shouldn't is idiocy to me (not to mention wasteful). I'll eat anything once. Like my mom told me when I was young: "You can't say you don't like it until you've tried it." I've eaten tete de veaux, dog, turtle, snake, sea urchin, grub...I'll try anything once. I tend to surround myself with likeminded people, especially since eating is an activity I enjoy a lot. Its not very fun to share a meal with people who won't try anything new. If you don't like it, fine--but at least try it! Its quite pathetic that the American view of food is so narrow-minded, but that just means more for me, I guess. I'm lucky that J is also an adventurous eater. He likes chicken feet.
HOLY SHIT IT WAS GOOD! Nine courses (really, it was more like twelve). I kept cramming food down the hatch even though I was clearly beyond full. My pants are definitely tighter today.
On a Saturday afternoon a few months ago, I was talking to J�s mom about food and wine and mentioned the French Laundry. Because I wasn�t the only one who had told her how good this restaurant was supposed to be, she immediately picked up the phone and called for reservations. On her first try, she got reservations for 6 people at 9:15pm on a Wednesday night. A little late, but I�m not going to complain�we�re going to the French Laundry! I was a little surprised that getting the reservation was so easy, but J�s mom gets things done. She once ate Double Rainbow ice cream and liked it so much, she got a hold of the CEOs and flew them to Taiwan (but that�s another story).
The limo picked us up at 7 and we were on our way. We arrived around 8:30 and hung out in the gardens�smells wafting from the kitchen. We watched as some apprentices diligently cut the tops off of raw eggs for about half an hour. While we were sitting out there, a waiter brought out tiny (some sort of) cheese brioches. Yum! I love brioche. J leaned over and whispered, "this kind of tastes like a giant goldfish", so I ate the rest of his.
For the record, J is very skeptical of fancy restaurants. He often leaves them feeling still hungry, a little unsatisfied, and a little ripped off. More than once, we�ve gone from a fancy restaurant straight to a Chinese restaurant so he can fill up. Of course, he�s 35 pounds less of a man these days.
Promptly at 9:15, our table was ready. We climbed up the stairs to a room with 3-4 other tables. Ours was the largest, seating six. We all decided to get the Chef�s tasting menu�nine courses. The only decision to make was for the second course: either a fresh tomato salad or foie gras. I chose foie gras, because before going here, I�d hoped for three things: foie gras, lobster, and truffles.
The wine was J's choice: Rudd Jericho Canyon Vineyards, 2000 Cabernet, Napa Valley. Incredibly tasty, considering I�m not very partial to Cabernets. We both loved it.
Start: A cone filled with red onion cr�me fraiche topped with a little �ice cream ball� of salmon tartare. I could eat that all night!
First course: �Oysters and Pearls� �Sabayon� of Pearl Tapioca with Bagaduce Oysters and Iranian Osetra Caviar. It was like a creamy Chinese dessert (because of the pearls) only salty. The caviar was fantastic. I ate the whole thing with a pearl spoon.
Bread: french baguette and a slice of potato chive bread with two kinds of butter: a rich and creamy local butter and one from Vermont that had kosher salt. I preferred the saltier one. In retrospect, I should not have eaten the baguette. Oddly, the bread wasn�t served warm; but it was still tasty.
Second course: Sauteed Moulard Duck Foie Gras, Lapin Cherry Marmelade with Coriander, Minced Scallions, and Micro Celery Salad. Yum. Foie Gras just melts in your mouth�I could have stopped here and died happy.
Third Course: Sauteed Filet of Atlantic Halibut, Glazed Garden Fennel Bulb and Fennel Front Jus. Yum. J LOVED this one.
Fourth: Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Braised Lobster Mushrooms, Melted Green Leeks, and a Creamy Lobster Broth. Holy fuck. This was it. The best food that has ever passed my lips. I cut it into bite-sized pieces and savored it with my eyes closed. The lobster (claw and tail) was sweet, juicy, and flavorful. The mushrooms were nutty and delicious�I don�t remember melted green leeks, but I must have eaten them because my plate was empty.
Fifth: �Peas and Carrots� Pan Roasted Sirloin of Cloverdale Farms Rabbit with Sweet Carrot �Parisienne,� Pea Shoots and Rabbit Sauce How did they make pea-shaped carrots? I have a picture of this which I�ll post later�for all the other dishes, I forgot because I dove into the food. I�ve had rabbit when I was a kid and I also had rabbit at Patout�s in New Orleans. I remembered the rabbit at Patout�s wasn�t exactly to my liking. Last night, I came to the realization that I just don�t like rabbit that much. If the French Laundry can�t make me like it, odds are, I probably just don�t like it. The sauce was tasty.
Sixth: Snake River Ranch �Calotte de Boeuf Grille� Yukon Gold Potato �Fondant,� White Corn, Sweet Peppers, and �Bearnaise Mousseline�. (All these quotation marks are straight off the menu). The steak was tender with the juices exploding into my mouth. It was a generous portion and we ended up taking our portions home. Neither J nor I could swallow much more�and it�s a shame if you can�t appreciate what you�re swallowing. I�ll eat it when I get home tonight.
Seventh: �Epoisses� with Santa Rosa Plum Salad and Tellicherry Black Pepper Shortbread Holy crap. I didn�t think I could eat any more, but CHEESE! From Normandy! The plum salad was like a salsa, and I ate the cheese with the shortbread and some leftover baguette. Stinkalicious.
Eighth: Royal Blenheim Apricot Sorbet and Toasted Almond Financier It also came with a warm almond mini-muffin, which went perfectly with the cold, creamy apricot sorbet.
Ninth: �Delice Au Chocolat et Caramel� with Passion Fruit �Coulis,� Chocolate �Dentelle� and Yogurt �Foam� Agh. So rich, so delicious, no more room. I ate half of it anyway�a thick mousse covered with a coat of dark chocolate surrounded by splashes of passion fruit syrupy stuff and yogurt stuff. I�m more than full at this point. I�m about to die.
BONUS ROUNDS: �Mignardises� Girls got tiny creme brulees (1.5" diameter ramekins. yum, but I only managed a quarter of it). Boys got pots de creme, which J astutely pointed out tasted like Fruit Loops. An assortment of tiny tarts (about the size of a quarter) and things. I took a bite of the pecan tart as well as a shortbread cookie with a boobie shaped lemon blob. Sooo good�but there was absolutely no room left. If the napkins were made of paper, I would have taken them home. Oh, and I forgot about the plate of what I called �sugar hamburgers.� They were about 3.5� in diameter and looked like hamburger buns with cr�me in between. Sugar attack.
Its almost 1am. J was impressed; he loved it. Hooray! The limo took us home and I slept the entire way. By the time we got back to J�s place in El Cerrito, it was past 3am. And here I am at work. I�m still full. I might not be hungry for a week.
- I just got an email from my friend, whom I've known since we were six, stationed in Iraq. His emails always make me smile; its like getting a letter from Jack Kerouac. He's got an amazing way with words. Joining the Marines was a totally unexpected thing for him to do, although he's always been the master of randomness and unpredictability. One time, he picked me up in his old 2002 BMW wearing a white linen suit, white hat, and a corncob pipe. We were going to the beach. A few years later, he came home from Officer Training School wearing cowboy boots.
- I bowled a personal best of 159 last night. Bowling scoring still makes no sense to me, however. My inability to understand it is further proof that I don't have the focus necessary to return to school. I don't know what I would study, anyway.
- I just realized my Rio only holds 32mb. Time for an iPod.
- I just found my Rio 600, a 22nd birthday gift from J, which I promptly abandoned two years ago when I started kickboxing and no longer had a need for portable music. Now that I'm running again, it will be rather useful. That is, if I can find the USB cable. And if I started downloading mp3s. Post-Napster, where does one get mp3s anyhow?
- I went kickboxing for the last time for a while yesterday. Because I'm in-between gyms, I don't want to pay the huge initial costs (its cheaper to pay for 6-12 months at a time) after just paying for moving. Plus car insurance and a trip to Vegas are coming up. Running is free. Not to mention I came to the realization the other day that I like this running body better. Kickboxing builds bulkier muscles since its a more explosive action. Running muscles are leaner. Once my knee starts bugging me again (which it inevitably will), I'll probably head back to kickboxing. Its a good stress reliever. I just won't try as hard to kick ass.
- Arizmendi just opened a new location on 43rd/San Pablo in Emeryville. I went there for lunch--yum. Basil, tomatoes, zuchini, ricotta, mozarella, and olive oil on a sourdough crust. Anyone who hasn't tried Arizmendi or Cheeseboard should make a special trip for this vegetarian pizza--even J, the hardcore carnivore, loves it.
- I'm cranky and snippy. Apologies to my targets.
- I walked up to Amoeba last night and picked up Death Cab for Cutie (because I really like the Postal Service album) and Dance Hall Crashers (because I hadn't listened to them since early college and Adrian Tomine did the cover art). Crossing the panhandle in the dark misty fog made me think of the cover for the Mists of Avalon (which I've never read). A man running without his shirt on passed me in the darkness as I wrapped my scarf tighter around my neck. If only I weren't a girl, I'd also run in that weather...its the same kind of weather I used to row in. It reminds me of the peaceful solitude of those early morning torture sessions--the only sounds disturbing the stillness was the coaching of the coxswain and the synchronized splashes of eight oars. I also passed two people in a loud heated discussion about animal rights, which made me roll my eyes. I thought I'd left loud pretentious discussions behind when I left Berkeley--boy was I misguided. These people, the ones who talk loudly and think their opinions are global epiphanies, are all over the Bay Area. Even still, I love wandering the cold, misty streets by myself...people pay less attention to me that way and I can catch bits and pieces of other peoples' lives. I like being alone yet not lonely.
- Just finished Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides (author of Virgin Suicides). It was a good read (about a hermaphrodite), although not a great book. I wish he would have explored more about the transition from life as a female to that of a male, rather than how the mutation came to be. I judge movies and books in the same way: if it can transport me to the story, its great. If it doesn't transport me to that realm but still entertains, its good. If I'm keenly aware that I'm watching a book or a movie, its not that good. If I can't finish it, then it sucks.
- Do you like spicy food? I almost got an ulcer last night at Spices Cafe (there are two locations just off Clement on 8th or 9th or 11th or something). The food was quite tasty and they even got me to eat eggplant, which I normally abhor. I got 2/4 stars on the spicy scale and it still made me sweat. I'm going to take my friend here, who LOOOOOOOVES spicy food. Plus it has Taiwanese food, too.
- Oops! I cut my hair too short. I feel like an ice skater.
- Went to a sewing class this weekend--Introduction to Your Machine--offered by the Sewing Machine Shop where I bought my machine. Hey, I'm not as bad as I thought, and since I have vague memories of helping my mom thread the machine when I was younger, I kind of knew what I was doing. Surprise! The real test comes next week, when I start my REAL sewing lessons: How to Make a Skirt. I'm a little jealous of the women with the higher-end machines (some costing almost $2k) that do everything automatically. Its amazing what modern machines can do. I bought the lowest-end model, which is basically what my mom had only newer and made of plastic.
- I really like the fabrics carried by Satin Moon (32 Clement at Arguello). Unfortunately, my favorite fabric is almost $50/yard.
- Hung out with old friends in Palo Alto Friday night. I've known some of them since I was five. Its amazing how little we have in common, yet I can spend the whole evening talking to them.
- My tummy is still a little uneasy from the spicy food last night. I wonder if it was a smart thing to pack the leftovers for lunch.
- French Laundry this week. Hooray! I need to get back to the gym. I was out all last week with a cold.
- Booked my roundtrip flight to Vegas and two nights' stay at the Monte Carlo for $325/person. Hooray!
While waiting to be seated at San Tung, we saw this Golden Retriever sprawled out in the middle of the sidewalk. It looked like he had given up on life, very unlike the typical happy-go-lucky Retriever. What tickled me was his stuffed cat, which was tied to the parking meter with a noose around its neck.
Foods I'm currently craving: Indian, Korean cold spicy noodles, and Italian Ciabatta with olive oil. Unfortunately, dinner tonight is Italian. Ho hum.
