tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22472567472328330902023-11-16T12:38:56.903-05:00How I Plan My DayMickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-75295069961254369252015-09-02T18:14:00.003-04:002015-09-02T18:16:00.078-04:00ProcrastinationProcrastination has taken on a new meaning in medical school. I used to think that procrastination was substituting a desired activity for a mundane or necessary task. Reading a magazine instead of doing the dishes. Getting a pedicure (and reading a magazine) instead of grocery shopping. But that's not an option any more. Now I procrastinate by doing those mundane and necessary tasks that keep life running. Like setting up bill pay for my new internet provider. Sending my brother a birthday present. Researching local running groups. That's what I did today in lieu of: listening for five minutes during Biochem; spending my ten minute break between classes previewing the lecture; researching good examples of Motivational Interviewing online.<br />
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And so what am I doing right now? Procrastinating, I suppose. Trying to make a little sense of this whirlwind by "talking it out." I am used to being busy. In my old life (which seems so far away, despite the fact that I was a regular working stiff until just two months ago), I woke up at 0700 to lift weights, studied, cooked, went to class, went to work. Usually all in the same day. And tumbled into bed at midnight and did it all over again in the morning. But, I used my brain in different ways, I had responsibilities, I fit into the societal fabric more intricately. This busy-ness is a different beast. My first week of studying from morning coffee to goodnight meditation was exhausting in an entirely new way. It all seems a bit more manageable on Day 13 and I imagine this trend will continue. I'll keep you posted.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-55753371420200252952015-08-23T23:25:00.000-04:002015-09-02T18:15:40.334-04:00One down, 198 more to go.On Friday I made my first incision. I was absolutely terrified leading up to Anatomy lab, terrified that I would faint or do something stupid or realize that I was in the wrong place and that I shouldn't have spent the last four years (10, 20?) of my life on this path. And up until the moment that I picked up the scalpel I felt lightheaded and worried. And then I made that cut and realized that I was in exactly the right place.<br />
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What an amazing gift we have all been given, to study the body in sickness and health, life and death. I will try not to forget how lucky I am, even when I am exhausted and frustrated and confused over the next four years. I am resurrecting this blog and keeping the name, because while I used to plan my day around cooking and eating, now I have 18 hours per day to cram as much information as possible into my head. And that's going to take some planning. So here's to surviving the first week, and looking forward to the next 198.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-79509440162503824312009-04-29T00:13:00.001-04:002009-04-29T00:19:08.923-04:00Challenge: beer.So, the secret ingredient for Saturday's cookoff was beer, chosen by the chooser of ridiculous ingredients, Nate. I'm sure you'll be surprised to see the winner:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm8YrvYXCXr6rBGWVebFJPgjKY9HMa5_mGlmjQLSN4h9Dqj6vIt0JUY-eYFaJh4MiL75s1lNFtnRlKa_833Tof14mhWZ9eTez8BIBt4DA_OsFGxhq3UnSFLB1vlEPAeIFHMERKlNSEsDs/s1600-h/IMG_0334.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm8YrvYXCXr6rBGWVebFJPgjKY9HMa5_mGlmjQLSN4h9Dqj6vIt0JUY-eYFaJh4MiL75s1lNFtnRlKa_833Tof14mhWZ9eTez8BIBt4DA_OsFGxhq3UnSFLB1vlEPAeIFHMERKlNSEsDs/s320/IMG_0334.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329961865764662546" /></a><br />Yes, that is ice cream. Bailey's ice cream, actually, with Jameson marshmallows and Guinness syrup. Quite good, although a bit of a sugar overload. Mr. Chef, Josh, thinks that the winner, Christian, is a pastry chef in disguise.<br /><br />And something a little more expected, beer can chicken. This was my entry, along with some <a href="http://www.vintagevictuals.com/2009/04/fizzy-margaritas.html">fizzy beer margaritas</a> and although it barely got an honorable mention, I was super pleased. Not counting the trek to the Bayshore to get a new propane tank, it was very easy to make, the skin was perfectly crispy and the chicken itself was full of spice and not dry at all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVIOEArAGcvHcZsadMNo65f7ExcStEZ00Yx331J-iSVCN6iJ1UN1NQXoSJKM28DaUs7IjixR91HUMemLax6uUWC0ekWimEiKvWZzuVNXmWbWfVlDfeQefqq6op_2m2bqIkifU5u0GnRST/s1600-h/IMG_0333.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVIOEArAGcvHcZsadMNo65f7ExcStEZ00Yx331J-iSVCN6iJ1UN1NQXoSJKM28DaUs7IjixR91HUMemLax6uUWC0ekWimEiKvWZzuVNXmWbWfVlDfeQefqq6op_2m2bqIkifU5u0GnRST/s320/IMG_0333.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329961765095258562" /></a>Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-44456630228540609442009-04-29T00:06:00.000-04:002009-04-29T00:12:57.340-04:00Adventures in easy Japanese food.I would like to say that this chicken katsu recipe is from my favorite new cookbook, "Let's Cook Japanese Food," but all of my katsu skills are courtesy of the katsu master, Kiko's mom.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr3gn6lNX6LbARPl7P-El5tjV98E1MpvLr-m2tYvH0SZbygRf6yN7CRX3HrNhbCZ4udR5KZoE0G-tPCRKiOU76rD5vPFUR0mz5QFw5Ds0tZs3e8oYbNrikpqsJg4Z24mt_YOrJU2oxplk/s1600-h/IMG_0338.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr3gn6lNX6LbARPl7P-El5tjV98E1MpvLr-m2tYvH0SZbygRf6yN7CRX3HrNhbCZ4udR5KZoE0G-tPCRKiOU76rD5vPFUR0mz5QFw5Ds0tZs3e8oYbNrikpqsJg4Z24mt_YOrJU2oxplk/s320/IMG_0338.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329960918900083554" /></a><br /><br />Omelet with chicken tomato rice. This was surprisingly good, although I have yet to make an omelet that isn't a bit overcooked. Unfortunately, we lost our appetites a few minutes into Slumdog Millionaire as the protagonist was zapped with a car battery.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRB-ICl7Mho1ezJOdl9W4-sGBOod2vzi4ASqgqJ0_LbpZsDi3RE4H-szB4iCM-clhnCEuYiU2yLPFwweFaB4YOZLrkJ-0-rzUmOSPqHLIrzw0vWx4n22EI_ipf3J0t5JbCgh3VhoOAy_D/s1600-h/IMG_0336.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRB-ICl7Mho1ezJOdl9W4-sGBOod2vzi4ASqgqJ0_LbpZsDi3RE4H-szB4iCM-clhnCEuYiU2yLPFwweFaB4YOZLrkJ-0-rzUmOSPqHLIrzw0vWx4n22EI_ipf3J0t5JbCgh3VhoOAy_D/s320/IMG_0336.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329960526232524034" /></a><br /><br />Not actually Japanese food, but leftover Easter brunch made into mu shu. The pancakes were surprisingly easy, but Nate didn't really appreciate the collard greens in lieu of cabbage.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYj7NQTE02akLQeNLiUHTuOW3T25L4bZ6_atO36NNI5ZNLZ2vjRvZWx-k6JpfRmXEFLn1fU3Drr4QXbqPkgcQI4cfBy3j_bPW6ndC1WagpVp1xW3SDCyLeQT-I0YQmERIA1Z1_UxW5A7O/s1600-h/IMG_0332.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYj7NQTE02akLQeNLiUHTuOW3T25L4bZ6_atO36NNI5ZNLZ2vjRvZWx-k6JpfRmXEFLn1fU3Drr4QXbqPkgcQI4cfBy3j_bPW6ndC1WagpVp1xW3SDCyLeQT-I0YQmERIA1Z1_UxW5A7O/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329960194622421170" /></a>Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-13004781745254459852009-04-13T18:08:00.001-04:002009-04-13T18:10:42.406-04:00Easter.I couldn't let another Easter go by without lamby cake, so here are the remnants, trapped under a cheese dome.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LjljyYe8G_Cyu43MvkxJLZepK5zdclXRBIRkp47Z6wWkqmDgm5k-GEn7i578vSbGLluHQ0vob4hc8Z74Jlw0cjHrlmSKsp1PQGcvxL4Ij7Vq0woCJUH1JWkEY8e_WG3vZTDHpg25D9RJ/s1600-h/IMG_0329.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LjljyYe8G_Cyu43MvkxJLZepK5zdclXRBIRkp47Z6wWkqmDgm5k-GEn7i578vSbGLluHQ0vob4hc8Z74Jlw0cjHrlmSKsp1PQGcvxL4Ij7Vq0woCJUH1JWkEY8e_WG3vZTDHpg25D9RJ/s320/IMG_0329.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324301702456333858" /></a>Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-58945535462645465742009-04-13T17:44:00.000-04:002009-04-13T18:08:15.975-04:00All alone in Mendocino.Don't be scared, we're still married. It was just so nice to be away from the hubub that was Phoenix the week before the wedding.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmzzu9DnVNp1MCVqwpkp1jYPhbFWFnQw9pMgKUkzGhgMmOV1GmRa856SDmjMhr1LeY1FdlM87DcY4Cv1v-dmWwnXiSHQG_7MfX3gsqTEibB_8mHgTUXMcrlzBgF2qs-eooV4kgwH4QUCb/s1600-h/IMG_0305.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmzzu9DnVNp1MCVqwpkp1jYPhbFWFnQw9pMgKUkzGhgMmOV1GmRa856SDmjMhr1LeY1FdlM87DcY4Cv1v-dmWwnXiSHQG_7MfX3gsqTEibB_8mHgTUXMcrlzBgF2qs-eooV4kgwH4QUCb/s320/IMG_0305.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324297409444758658" border="0" /></a><br />The best burgers ever. Really.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OvChGyGsxyKcaHtHUpju4xCrlFeWAWyOqpVQZ7bxI97s-LgrrmJOZziIF4FEibybl3jFtjCxIsML1aXCcDbQo_nyDB2FHJiCFfqMnRQuFNgkXQ-X3gnOC65bhAZE580W9aswwzxnh53_/s1600-h/IMG_0281.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OvChGyGsxyKcaHtHUpju4xCrlFeWAWyOqpVQZ7bxI97s-LgrrmJOZziIF4FEibybl3jFtjCxIsML1aXCcDbQo_nyDB2FHJiCFfqMnRQuFNgkXQ-X3gnOC65bhAZE580W9aswwzxnh53_/s320/IMG_0281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324297978376245106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ignore the bratty girl in front and admire the view.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-t0rVITra6b1shEwFNmrAnLTQqVjzK9vHNAv4dI_Ovhr6ikiYkEUhBiwSbMw68Ew5y8He0p72Otz_89Cv7MjrTZdVOT_GmrfARGa4pzo08T3we9HNKZ8Y70smcups8BHEcRCtHtlRh9O/s1600-h/IMG_0290.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-t0rVITra6b1shEwFNmrAnLTQqVjzK9vHNAv4dI_Ovhr6ikiYkEUhBiwSbMw68Ew5y8He0p72Otz_89Cv7MjrTZdVOT_GmrfARGa4pzo08T3we9HNKZ8Y70smcups8BHEcRCtHtlRh9O/s320/IMG_0290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324298265355493250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV18nd0Ou3m902TOCC-bmm_saTl7cT_u8s594X4XIrHWC2k0pMwYbGqS9tJm8mJt6VG1yftRoDfEduxMmnzg8fxMiujLKKMbcLDbSLZEe7JM0h1Tm_l9SYOqfBALnW2yiN0pklDnRfECk/s1600-h/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV18nd0Ou3m902TOCC-bmm_saTl7cT_u8s594X4XIrHWC2k0pMwYbGqS9tJm8mJt6VG1yftRoDfEduxMmnzg8fxMiujLKKMbcLDbSLZEe7JM0h1Tm_l9SYOqfBALnW2yiN0pklDnRfECk/s320/IMG_0297.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324299508642800786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ27CvI4fGqNmiU6fr6yK56uLChm15iyEvWlpKs1UXKX9OemcDLPj7FojuchuVOP9P8MdMcaUBeIoCwUoqKqZ6qrK-dvIzdWo7TqGw3IJf0pgE35Rrc9Zz2W4X2IO_klvpe_tkPCgQmY6N/s1600-h/IMG_0303.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ27CvI4fGqNmiU6fr6yK56uLChm15iyEvWlpKs1UXKX9OemcDLPj7FojuchuVOP9P8MdMcaUBeIoCwUoqKqZ6qrK-dvIzdWo7TqGw3IJf0pgE35Rrc9Zz2W4X2IO_klvpe_tkPCgQmY6N/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324299792671313650" /></a><br />Why can't you find this at Walgreens?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDY_OCvTDo0IxD8zMLHDs0XsV-TVNc4v6j1ozrnFLktOvWsWfFimZA7Bna9gH1PW7hPOnhL83Vj3nZ7McxbSR49MnVvjmKE94WwSAf-ZNM6SLi8c0_JBkHESviKr-2-UzNPINJP74YHJn/s1600-h/IMG_0308.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDY_OCvTDo0IxD8zMLHDs0XsV-TVNc4v6j1ozrnFLktOvWsWfFimZA7Bna9gH1PW7hPOnhL83Vj3nZ7McxbSR49MnVvjmKE94WwSAf-ZNM6SLi8c0_JBkHESviKr-2-UzNPINJP74YHJn/s320/IMG_0308.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324299962937073170" /></a><br /><br />When we own a winery and are making the best late harvest muscats in Sonoma, we will have poppies like this in our charming terrace boxes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXDZF6tckUK04PElhjCYtPFIN2DJflE8HVpZDMU3XliwU4_fQ3tJDP6u4HSfIZc22IPSvaX2bfhThU_8ickyE-gJy-E6_HKpNaJyCKYLkPeLVhkP7orXM3XvT8mXA4C-pWbscCJZBlaVH/s1600-h/IMG_0325.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXDZF6tckUK04PElhjCYtPFIN2DJflE8HVpZDMU3XliwU4_fQ3tJDP6u4HSfIZc22IPSvaX2bfhThU_8ickyE-gJy-E6_HKpNaJyCKYLkPeLVhkP7orXM3XvT8mXA4C-pWbscCJZBlaVH/s320/IMG_0325.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324300262096219218" /></a>Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-51370543304237178572009-03-07T15:17:00.000-05:002009-03-07T15:29:27.148-05:00Last night we finally tried Farina. It was very busy when we arrived at 8:30 PM without a reservation, but we were seated at the focaccia bar within twenty minutes. Luckily, we had stopped at Minimum (my new favorite bar) on the way there to have a glass of cava and cheese plate, so the wait wasn't painful.<br /><br />The focaccia bar is awesome. There are lots of old marble blocks acting as counters and attractive young chefs make pasta and focaccia. We were there during the Festa del Pesto and I was very excited to try the pesto that Shaina has been raving about. Nate, however, was absolutely insistent that we try the ravioli filled with veal and sweetbreads, and I backed down.<br /><br />The star of the night was something they called Focaccia di Recco, two thin layers of dough filled with Stracchino and baked until crispy. Oh Stracchino. When I lived in Italy, my host mom would often pull the aluminum foil wrapped package of Stracchino out of the fridge, and we would slather it on hard dusty rolls from the bakery downstairs. It's sour and smooth and a little astringent. A great snack cheese. Like Laughing Cow but less fake (maybe) and more complex.<br /><br />My attention kept drifting away from the conversation and towards the enormous pasta roller three feet away. Then I was mesmerized by the girl chef rolling out dough for Focaccia. Nate said, at one point, "I hope someday we win the lottery so you can go to cooking school." See, this is why I love him.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-72640209046244009132009-02-16T14:26:00.001-05:002009-02-16T14:37:40.742-05:00I never get sickEveryone at my office has had a cold for the past few weeks. I was feeling very smug with my clear airways until Friday, when they were no longer so clear. I got the cold. Not the horrible version that a few of my offcemates have had, but unpleasant enough. I have alligator scales on my cheeks from blowing my nose, I had to lay my head on the table during a massage instead of in the face donut thingy (which made my neck hurt), and I cannot smell. This last bit is really the most upsetting.<br /><br />Not being able to smell is horrible. I cannot taste my food and wine, and I cannot smell my house or Nate. My day slides by without asserting itself. Somehow, I was in charge of food for the non-Valentine's dinner party on Saturday night. I think it turned out okay, but who am I to judge? I found myself making pronouncements on the wine, but who was I kidding?<br /><br />However, I think I may have developed the perfect dinner for a cold, rainy night and a cold. Last night, I had rice and creamed kale with a sunnyside up egg on top. I may have it for lunch again. The richness of the egg is detectable without functioning scent receptors and the whole thing is salty and a little bitter. I feel like it's reasonably healthy, too (but I also thought the Greyhounds I was drinking yesterday during poker were good for my cold).Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-6466629126088699252008-12-03T20:52:00.000-05:002008-12-03T20:57:40.110-05:00I am thankful for...Capay farms!<br /><br />Look at what I got delivered to my doorstep yesterday:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0Xrra7snRCMSP_TdcJ5g-gZfEvY6T8j9H6SYNiymwZS2y5-Ke0yI3d1bjQvc5T85_-ju4Vln2icycqaGgEAqMmL-6Vfc_KpNtsMPQvWiQLHXcAjSUZ_UcyfyaZnWAoiDbBFdrONMJrhl/s1600-h/IMG_1748.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0Xrra7snRCMSP_TdcJ5g-gZfEvY6T8j9H6SYNiymwZS2y5-Ke0yI3d1bjQvc5T85_-ju4Vln2icycqaGgEAqMmL-6Vfc_KpNtsMPQvWiQLHXcAjSUZ_UcyfyaZnWAoiDbBFdrONMJrhl/s320/IMG_1748.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275747617844049810" /></a><br />All organic and local (as long as you specify Capay only) and all for $29. I suppose that might seem like a lot, but it's all very fresh and tasty and I don't have to shop for it.<br /><br />The leeks and chard are going into some soup for me tonight. I feel on the brink of a cold, but I hope to stave it off with this magic concoction.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-83212711389825215802008-12-03T20:34:00.000-05:002008-12-03T20:52:22.697-05:00Thanksgiving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFbAdugnv77LgpUthnx5BZkRlD1BEJMs1WJuFhiaUyzUO8XHliRpPMLJS9LdWZdf_po-LLmIfT1baUvmXEVU_4bCHnwN8CACMnA_mDfW9GICimwwtgnGEHbRjDqPQFAOYmoqS_9ad0HqS/s1600-h/IMG_1718.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFbAdugnv77LgpUthnx5BZkRlD1BEJMs1WJuFhiaUyzUO8XHliRpPMLJS9LdWZdf_po-LLmIfT1baUvmXEVU_4bCHnwN8CACMnA_mDfW9GICimwwtgnGEHbRjDqPQFAOYmoqS_9ad0HqS/s200/IMG_1718.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275742725339623906" /></a><br />Due to a last minute freakout on my part, Nate and I found ourselves sitting through 17 hours of traffic the day before Thanksgiving. I decided, last minute, that I absolutely could not be in the same country as my family and not see them on Thanksgiving. So we went, and listened to a very bad audiobook, and Nate was nice enough to drive most of the way.<br /><br />I am so happy we did. Really, the only way I am able to live 1500 miles from my family is that I somehow manage to see them once every couple of months.<br /><br />Above you see the beautiful turkey my Grama roasted in the oven. It was very good, as turkeys go (turkey is not my favorite fowl). We had all the other usual suspects. One thing that was missing from the table, that I sorely missed, was the sweet potato, bacon, Gruyere, and rosemary casserole. This recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart twice baked potato thing-y many years ago, and we have loved it ever since. However, this year, Grama's friend brought the sweet potatoes. No bacon, no love, in my opinion.<br /><br />My contribution was Grama's famous onion and mushroom casserole (weird how we switch jobs around here) - I believe this is adapted from an ancient Sunset magazine recipe. We made it with fresh onions this year, instead of frozen, and I thought it was an improvement. Here's how it goes:<br /><br />Blanch a bag of pearl onions in boiling water for a minute. Once they are cool, slip them out of their skins. Saute the same amount of mushrooms in a chunk of butter until they are a bit browned.<br /><br />Remove mushrooms to a casserole and combine with the onions.<br /><br />Saute a spoonful of flour in the leftover fat and then slowly whisk in a cup of milk. Remove from the fire and whisk in a cup of grated Swiss cheese, along with a bit of oregano and parsley. Pour this into the casserole and fold in the veggies.<br /><br />Top with buttered croƻtons and pop in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-74310513937354945192008-11-16T19:50:00.000-05:002008-11-16T19:54:36.112-05:00how i really plan my dayChow has an interesting <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/570512#">thread</a> going about when people eat, what and why. My response is below:<br /><br />weekdays: oatmeal with raisins around 9 am at work, occasionally a snack of cheese and crackers or fruit mid-morning, lunch of leftovers at my desk anytime between 11 and 2, snack of yogurt and raisins or crackers mid-afternoon, snack of popcorn or cheese and crackers (i like cheese and crackers, you see) at home around 6, dinner around 8, usually rice or pasta based with a glass of wine. on rare occasion, will have a cookie or a few spoonfuls of salted caramel (thank you, bi-rite) ice cream after dinner. i don't love sweets.<br /><br />weekends: decaf coffee with milk and sugar whenever i wake up. eggs of some sort an hour or so afterwards. snack (popcorn, fruit, or chips) in the early afternoon or lunch depending on when i woke up. dinner out or take away, usually around 7/8. <br /><br />i eat when hungry, out of necessity. i get very cranky, nauseous, and tired if i don't eat as soon as i am hungry. however, the food choices are usually purely for pleasure, although i like to use up the contents of my csa box for health reasons. hopefully those vegetable experiments turn out pleasurable as well.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-10188487444369197942008-08-17T23:58:00.000-04:002008-08-18T00:13:17.911-04:00Something to talk aboutI've eaten two foods in the last two weeks that forced me to sign onto this blog. The first, french fries from Magnolia gastropub on Haight. The second, halibut and gazpacho from Cortez.<br /><br />Magnolia is delightful. It's a real pub, not in the completely dark and wooden English sense, but in the Californian sense. There are big tables and wood pillars, but there are also lots of windows and light. The beer is great, even at 2 pm on a hungover Sunday. Actually, I'm not sure that the people who were actually hung over that Sunday (my twin brothers and their friend) would concur, as one of them didn't even have a beer. But my pale ale was refreshing and alcoholic enough to put a fun spin on the rest of the day. <br /><br />So, the beer is good and the sandwiches are good. Really good, actually. Their Cubano has spinach on it, which may seem like heresy, but the house made (I assume, as they're too delicious to come from a market) pickles will quell any uprising. What is great at Magnolia, and I mean really great, are the fries. They are crispy, maybe double fried, maybe parboiled in advance of frying to dry them out a bit. And then tossed in parsley. They are officially the best fries I've had in my 27 years.<br /><br />So, go to Magnolia, have a beer and some fries, and disfrute.<br /><br />And then, when you're done with the pub atmosphere, head to Cortez for dinner. Cortez makes a regular appearance here, as it should in any diner's playlist. Cortez is consistently interesting, with well-crafted drinks and attentive service. Friday was no different, although our entrees were almost unforgivably late coming out of the kitchen. But then our server comp-ed us dessert and two glasses of Moscato, and all was forgotten.<br /><br />On to the standouts. I had halibut with a beautiful crust, perched atop skinned cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons. And after the server set down my dish, he poured a moat of perfectly salty gazpacho around the fish. Honestly, I was a little concerned about the hot fish and cold soup and the potential tackiness of it all. But it was so good that it inspired me to make gazpacho this weekend. An inspiration I should have ignored (or at least I should have followed a recipe).<br /><br />And then there was dessert. Pistachio crusted french toast with pancetta ice cream, washed down with Moscato d'Asti. The french toasts were more like nut crusted beignets and the bacon ice cream was all that it promised to be.<br /><br />Thank you Cortez, for making me feel like a grown up.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-23152473075450995302008-08-05T14:54:00.000-04:002008-08-05T15:04:47.479-04:00Heaven.Yogurt, lamb, and rice. Boring, you say? Pedestrian?<br /><br />No, it's heaven.<br /><br />This little piece of the sky can be found at <a href="http://www.fattoush.com/">Fattoush </a>on Church and 26th St. An unassuming Middle Eastern restaurant, this place holds the recipe for my new favorite dish, Mansaf.<br /><br />According to Wikipedia, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansaf">Mansaf </a>is the national dish of Jordan. I'm glad to hear this, as it definitely needs an official designation.<br /><br />I'm not going to attempt to describe it, except to say that it tastes like three of my favorite things: cheese, rice, and butter. However, Mansaf is truly more that the sum of its parts. Try it and you'll see.<br /><br />While you're there, have the cold meze platter, full of wonderful spreads and fresh falafel (not cold). The mango laban is good, like a thin lassi. And then order the crazy pink hairy dessert, for fun. It's actually quite delicious (if Nate is not around to make unfavorable comparisons to it).Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-84940774667424515492008-07-14T13:26:00.001-04:002008-07-14T13:38:59.082-04:00Getting away from it all.In wine country. Nate says it doesn't really count as camping (because we ate lunch in town) but Kara, Shaina, and I slept in tents by Lake Sonoma this weekend. It was awesome. No cars, no pollution, no stinky smells (except for those in the outhouse).<br /><br />Some highlights:<br /><br />Friday night, I built a fire! It lasted for several hours, and on it we cooked preformed burgers from Big John's Market. They had little cubes of cheese in them and lots of Worcestershire sauce. So good and easy. They would have been even better on buns, but we ate them on regular bread, because that's what we had. And we were roughing it, you know.<br /><br />Saturday morning, I swam in the lake. I did somersaults and headstands and tried to float. I lost myself in the water until my myopic eyes thought that K + S were making faces at me and wanted me to get out. I love swimming. That's one way that SF and I are not compatible - no good swimming 'round these parts.<br /><br />Saturday lunch. Best BLT ever. On toasted white bread. At a place in Cloverdale called the Owl Cafe. The coleslaw was also amazing and had just the right amount of dry mustard in it.<br /><br />Saturday snack. Orange freeze. Like a root beer freeze, but with orange soda. We got our sodas at Pick's Drive-in, also in Cloverdale, and sat on the picnic tables in our shorts. It was like being ten and going to Dairy Queen after swim practice or Grama's house.<br /><br />Really, the whole weekend was like being ten, with the warmth and the swimming and the junk food and the girl talk. It was wonderful. Thanks ladies.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-779136015388035562008-07-10T00:31:00.000-04:002008-07-10T00:43:48.963-04:00third time's a charm<a href="http://berettasf.com/">Beretta</a> was fabulous, as usual. The only fault I can find with the place is that the drinks are so good, it's very challenging to leave without having at least two. And really, is that a fault?<br /><br />I'd say no, considering how delicious the drinks are. One of them, the Lonsdale, is so wonderful that we are trying to steal the recipe. Our server was going to ferret it out for us, until she realized that might not be good for business. Next time we go, we'll sit at the bar and order Lonsdales until we've figured it out. It includes apple, gin, lemon, honey, and basil, but it's the proportions I'm after. And is the apple in juice form? Fresh squeezed (I'm sure)?<br /><br />The food is not too shabby, either. Burrata on pizza? Yes, please. Pork wrapped in pancetta sitting atop green beans (which were swimming in butter and wine)? Don't mind if I do. And grilled asparagus. I'm trying to avoid saying something silly here, like "Finger lickin' good," but it seems I cannot help myself.<br /><br />See, Beretta drives me to distraction. I think I'll have to make it a regular habit.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-84903984233514003512008-07-02T17:58:00.000-04:002008-07-02T18:09:36.695-04:00Where does your food come from?So, a bunch of people recently had <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/01/AR2008070102134.html">salmonellosis</a>. The FDA thinks that the bugs are from tomatoes, although they are starting to change their minds a little. Problem is, no-one knows where the tomatoes came from. Why? Because tomatoes are imported from god-knows-where to US distribution centers, where they're repacked and sent to stores, etc. And what does the FDA say about this? Let's track the tomatoes better. What do I say about this? Let's get our tomatoes from a farm. Let's have them picked ripe, not green, let's have them go from the vine, to the picker's hands, to a box, to my <a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php">doorstep</a>.<br /><br />Now, before you suggest that I get off (or fall off) my high horse, know that I buy fast food and don't always eat at restaurants that grow their own veggies in the backyard. But, in an ideal world, I wouldn't (eat fast food) and would (eat as locally as possible). Why does the government's answer to all of these food contamination problems involve even more money, oversight, and centralization, when so many problems can be solved by going smaller?Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-48861028350695721412008-06-18T13:58:00.001-04:002008-06-18T14:08:36.961-04:00Coco500 has fried green beansAnd truffled zucchini flower flatbread. They are awesome. Also good but not <span style="font-style:italic;">awesome</span> was the duck liver terrine and the tomato braised pork shoulder. <br /><br />Nate and I had eyes bigger than our stomachs last night and ordered two small plates, a large plate and one flatbread (after consuming lots of wine and white cheddar Cheezits at home). We finished about half of the food. Our waiter chastised us. When we ordered dessert (!?) he said that he wouldn't bring it to us unless we promised to finish it. Well, it was hard not to, given its deliciousness. Cherry gelee with buttermilk panna cotta and nice little shortbreads on the side. A fifty-fifty, it was called. And really, just the perfect mix.<br /><br />Now I'm enjoying a fancy lunch of leftover truffled flat bread and cottage cheese (eaten separately) while I type a report and try not to think about wedding dresses.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-54855264235305753472008-06-06T14:29:00.000-04:002008-06-06T14:43:57.597-04:00Eat your veggies!Nate doesn't like green things, except for salad. He especially doesn't like greens that verge towards bitter, like collards and kale. Unfortunately, it's that time of year when the <a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php">grocery box</a> is full of these things. And I like them, having a penchant for bitter tastes (Campari and tonic water being my favorite examples).<br /><br />My not-so-sneaky plan is to just make them, regardless of Nate's preference. He seldom eats them, but it means more lunch for me the next day. The grocery box people are nice enough to include a letter with recipes specific to each week's box. A few weeks ago, they had a recipe for collard greens, which I made to great effect for the Southern BBQ cookoff. It involves a little garlic, raisins, and orange juice, which soften the bitter edge of the greens (I think).<br /><br />It goes something like this:<br /><br />Blanch the greens (which you've washed and torn/sliced into bite sized pieces)<br />Shock them in ice water<br />Soften some garlic in a bit of olive oil in a saute pan<br />Put the drained greens in the garlic-y pan, along with some raisins<br />Squeeze half an orange in with the greens (drink the other half's juice, if it's nice and ripe)<br />Cover the pan for a few minutes to braise the greens<br />Voila!<br /><br />I mixed this with some brown rice for what turned out to be a ridiculously healthy meal. Tonight, to repent, I'll have something cheesy or meaty.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-25689588214020699052008-05-27T17:45:00.000-04:002008-05-27T17:50:43.450-04:00Please forgive me, gluten-free cobbler.Eagle-eyed reader Kara spotted a grave omission from my cookoff post. Although I listed apricot cobbler in the list of delicious dishes on offer at the barbecue, I forgot two very important points about it.<br /><br />1. It was awesome. Despite (or perhaps due to) being made with gluten-free flour, it was crunchy and sweet and gooey, just like cobbler should be.<br /><br />2. It tied for first place!<br /><br />So, gluten-free cobbler of Kara's, I beg your forgiveness.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-14857736148140936482008-05-26T19:53:00.001-04:002008-05-26T20:06:39.289-04:00Range is good.Very, very good. Too good to write about.<br /><br />Just know that we are so happy to have it in our neighborhood.<br /><br />You should be jealous.<br /><br />Just kidding - we started out with a selection from Range's nicely composed cocktail list. Actually, I had the special cocktail of the evening, a cherry margarita, up. And Nate had the Envy, which he described as a cucumber mojito. As aperitifs, I think his won, as it whet the appetite a bit better than mine. We had the goat cheese ravioli and marinated leeks (two separate dishes) to begin. No clear winners here. The ravioli had a nice bite, provided by both the filling and the pasta. And the leeks were topped with a poached egg that released its eggy goodness with each forkful. <br /><br />I was very excited to try the Tokaji Furmint that was on the wine list. I read about this wine several years ago and have never gotten around to having a glass. Luckily, our server felt that it would go perfectly with the roasted chicken, my main. And it did - a little flower and minerals to balance the oil in my bread salad. Nate had a Temperanillo (as is his way) with his pan roasted hangar steak. <br /><br />To finish, I cheese and a glass of Madeira. The kind of cheese escapes me, something sheepy, but it was exactly what I was looking for. A little sharp and very creamy. I had to have a a bit of Nate's dessert, of course. Who could say no to chocolate crepes with grapefruit and pepper ice cream? No one sane, I think.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-88301607196162176402008-05-26T19:23:00.000-04:002008-12-10T18:50:24.865-05:00And the winner is...Audrey's pulled pork and beans. With homemade barbecue sauce. Sooooooooo tasty, especially on the Wonder Bread she brought.<br /><br />Yesterday was the occasion of our third cookoff - the theme this time was a Southern barbecue. We had the aforementioned pork and beans, black eyed pea and ham soup, biscuits, red velvet cupcakes, apricot cobbler, cole slaw, collard greens, bacon wrapped shrimp, corn, mashed sweet potatoes and cheese, and Rice Krispie treats. A great spread, considering it was potluck and not planned at all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwJLbR31L-waNBB8QQfLXQSWzeaelXUJQDLZv_c6dmKY-RJPNPgNyWXDo3wU5rpf5w5ntEe2WIx4rWnkZ5p_xLz1_II0Jsl0rvafgWrOqWKhETDJcJXbCU2nkG4ncgaYpBocs2CrbECGT/s1600-h/IMG_1498.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwJLbR31L-waNBB8QQfLXQSWzeaelXUJQDLZv_c6dmKY-RJPNPgNyWXDo3wU5rpf5w5ntEe2WIx4rWnkZ5p_xLz1_II0Jsl0rvafgWrOqWKhETDJcJXbCU2nkG4ncgaYpBocs2CrbECGT/s200/IMG_1498.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204837678406208946" /></a><br />Sadly missing from that list was the pork butt that I started a little too late in the day to enter the competition. I rubbed the porks with brown sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. They went down on the grill at noon, along with our little smoker box. I kept them on indirect heat with the grill around 260 F all afternoon. I was mistakenly thinking that two smaller pieces would need less time than one larger piece, but they held out for eight hours on the grill (and another hour in the oven). Oops. Most of the cookoff participants had left by the time the pork was ready to eat, so Lindsay, Kara, Ben, Nate and I were able to throw manners out the window and stuff shreds into our mouth with our hands. So greasy, greasy good.<br /><br />Perhaps a picture is in order.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQOUcTqAbboqddwsiKtNwt6VCJ2G8Z7KsqrewN1cQNl6mHiIJYsuSa5h8lklKS6V8VmuP8qQSd73JZrKa1Nax-cEqCosSoXS2F6JmMeYZD1UoDZOq_co0sRCPeoibAYdUR2kT61zJkAUU/s1600-h/IMG_1502.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQOUcTqAbboqddwsiKtNwt6VCJ2G8Z7KsqrewN1cQNl6mHiIJYsuSa5h8lklKS6V8VmuP8qQSd73JZrKa1Nax-cEqCosSoXS2F6JmMeYZD1UoDZOq_co0sRCPeoibAYdUR2kT61zJkAUU/s200/IMG_1502.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204837669816274338" /></a>Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-71559556716141172622008-05-16T16:45:00.000-04:002008-05-16T16:50:03.783-04:00Champagne and burritosWhat better way to celebrate the hottest day of the year than with our usual Thursday fare and a fantastic bottle of Bollinger from Dad? I know it was meant for Nate and I to share, but we wanted to spread the wealth. Surprisingly, champagne is a great foil for Papalote's masterpieces. After Kara, Kiko, Rudy, Josh, Nate and I savored the first bottle, we opened Josh's offering of Moet. Yummy. Normally my bubbles are along the order of Freixinet, so this was an exciting departure.<br /><br />While we're on the topic, I have to mention that our backyard is sooo much more wonderful with a table on the deck. Really, it was useless before, and a backyard shouldn't be useless.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-70728987452110822882008-05-12T13:29:00.001-04:002008-05-12T13:32:55.888-04:00How I plan my weddingNate and I are engaged! It's amazing how quickly you have to start talking about all of the details - it only happened last Thursday and already we're picking a date.<br /><br />What do you eat at a backyard wedding reception in March? Mind you, this will be in Phoenix, not San Francisco, so the weather will be balmy.<br /><br />I suggested grilled steaks, but Nate feels that a barbecue is either too bo-ring, or too tacky. So maybe...?<br /><br />I'm at a bit of a loss. Any comments are appreciated.Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-71531203664130266432008-04-28T18:20:00.000-04:002008-04-28T18:42:06.120-04:00Veinte y siete de abrilApril 27th is the new May 5th, in my book. Josh, Rudy, Lindsay, Anna, Kara, Nate and I BBQed it up. Kara came over first, around lunchtime, and we made delicious hamburgers for lunch. Despite Nate's nay saying, I ground the beef chuck myself, in the food processor. This is better from a food safety standpoint and I think it makes the meat taste fresher (I'm sure the latter is an artifact of my imagination). To give credit back where credit is due, Nate suggested including pickles and onions in the hamburger patties, so I threw a few spoonfuls of bread and butter pickles into the mix. The hamburgers were quite good, although a little overcooked, thanks to Kara and I's dawdling. The real star of the meal was the banana sauce and mayonnaise spread, which we slathered on our burgers. It was a great dip for the Tater Tots, too. <br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_ketchup">Banana sauce</a> alone is a little boring (don't tell Nate), but added to mayo is a thing of beauty. It brings a little spice and a lot of sweetness and turns it an appealing pink. I first had this dip at the Spider House in Boracay with their magical meatloaf cum hamburger sandwich. <br /><br />Later in the afternoon, we grilled up some carne asada on the replacement BBQ (which is now chained to the deck, to prevent another backyard robbery). This was my first attempt at marinating my own and I think it turned out well. It wasn't exactly like that of <a href="http://www.superafoods.com/">Super A Foods</a> in Eagle Rock, but good in its own right. I drenched a fair amount of top sirloin slices in a mixture of sliced onions, garlic, key lime juice, orange juice, oil, cumin, and cayenne pepper. A few hours (and beers) later, we threw this on the grill and gobbled it down with some warm corn tortillas. And a great pineapple, cilantro, onion, avocado, and jalapeno salsa courtesy of Josh. And...a sugar snap, corn, and spinach salad with blue cheese dressing that would have been more interesting with real blue cheese.<br /><br />Please sun, grace San Francisco with your presence for a few more weeks (or the whole summer if you're feeling particularly generous).Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2247256747232833090.post-46304981029030146782008-04-23T12:20:00.001-04:002008-04-23T12:21:06.788-04:00More badass than we knewIt turns out that we finished in 31:13:31! At 147th place (out of 250ish).Mickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15647230027254159679noreply@blogger.com0