My Salty Friend

My friend Elie (co-owner with her husband, Ali, of the locally famed and extraordinary KooKoo cafe) and I seem to have this obsession connection over salt. I gave her some fleur de sel that I picked up in Brussels. She introduced me to Maldon salt. In fact it seems we both always have some newly discovered container of salt in our bags just in case we might bump into each other.

Well, yesterday Elie bestowed upon me yet another version of this crunchy and required element to my food. Having just returned from a trip to London to visit family, Elie gave me the sweetest jar of salt.

(please excuse the lousy photo from my phone)

This salt happens to be 100% Guerande Salt, or grey salt. 'Champagne of the sea salt'. Here's what I found on the interwebnet thingy:

The mineral rich french grey sea salt harvested by traditional celtic methods in the coastal area of Guérande, Brittany, France is cherished for its exceptional quality and fine taste. The unrefined Guérande grey sea salt is of a light grey colour because of the fine clay from the salt flats. (photo below) Some say it is probably the best sea salt on the planet. With nothing added and nothing removed, just the way nature intended.

Le Paludier sea salt from Guérande is not harvested by machine but by "paludiers" (traditional celtic salt-harvesters: see photo to left) who harvest this fine "fruit of the ocean, sun & wind" for all to enjoy.

Le Paludier Sea Salt from Guérande is available in two forms: coarse crystals or fine stoneground. Le Paludier grey sea salt from Guérande is certified by "Nature et Progres" (European mark of exceptional quality and purity) to be 100% *natural (*no additives), harvested and processed by Organic methods, unrefined, and free of pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals.

This is the highest and most stringent level of certification allowed for salt. Fleur De Sel de Guérande: "the champagne of sea salt" , is a very special sea salt. Delicate and exquisite fine moist granules of whitish-grey sea salt are traditionally harvested (mostly by women) by skimming the surface of the sea water of the salt marshes. From Guérande, France.

Who knew? Mostly harvested by women. Delicate. Exquisite. And one can only imagine the centuries-old traditions that go into both harvesting and celebrating this stuff. And frankly, a sprinkle on top of anything, including a kid's finger, makes the flavor go 'kerpow'.

It's kerpow salt. Really.

A thousand thanks, Elie, for your saltiness sweetness!!!

Bathroom humor or How to Channel Your Inner 7 year old on Your 45th Birthday.

Scott turned 45 yesterday. Big birthday extravaganza planned with a home cooked menu that included your basic meat and potatoes, some green stuff, and an earthy Bordeaux. Scott's brother Paul joined us for what we thought would be a semi-quiet evening of reflection, Obama's address, and chocolate dessert.

What the evening ended up being was more like sitting around the lounge in the Sigma Chi house in 1984. All due to the simple fact of one goofy book I gave Scott for his birthday.

See, turning 45-for me at least was kind of a milestone. But that kind of sucky milestone that you might experience at the dentist. Like, you know you have to go to get your wisdom teeth removed but you don't want to. Or the first cavity. Or the first row of braces. It has to happen, you take it as well as you can but it basically sucks.

So, with my thinking that Scott wasn't exactly psyched about turning 45 (say goodbye to anything remotely young or youthful), I marched right into Urban Outfitters for a little age-ist pick-me-up. I nearly marched right out, realizing what an ironically sad joke it would be if I didn't find the right hip thing for my old man.

But after trying to be ever so nonchalant about stuff, I did end up finding some decent shorts. Scott thought he would look like Angus Young. I begged to differ.


I also got him a nice British racing cap, for his balded noggin. Okay, so maybe I did have Angus on my mind, that sweet Australia-Scottish musical wonder, genius , freaky AC/DC band member.

and a couple of decent linen shirts. Since he's about to spend a week in Singapore, right near the equator, I figure some summer wear was in order.

But the highlight of this birthday 'do were these goofy, asinine, juvenile afterthoughts I rammed into the bag at the register. You know, those last minute gimmicks that sit right on the counter? Those.

This.


I'd give you a 'taste' of what this little gem has to offer (and the laughter that ensues when read aloud after a mighty fine meal and just a splash of wine) but I'd rather direct you to this website, Dr. Stool. The authors? From Brown University (ahahahahaha! ahahahaha!ahaha!.....*cough*).

Josh Richman
Met his co-author while they were undergraduates at Brown University and their shared fascination with the diversity of poo brought them together to write this book. Josh holds an MBA from Stanford University and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife.



Anish Sheth, M.D.
Dr. Sheth holds a medical degree from Brown University and is currently a gastroenterology fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two-year old son. Despite his love for poo, Anish is known to frequently disappear when his son's diaper is in need of changing.

Tashi Delek - A Tibetan Culinary Wonder

Just down the street from where we live in Brookline Village is a row of restaurants. Serving mostly the commuter crowd, you can find sushi, Szechuan Chinese, or Korean as easy as a dry cleaners or coffee house.

At the end of this row sits a small corner restaurant, Tashi Delek. This warm and inviting establishment opened a little over two years ago and serves amazing food from Tibet.


Owned and operated by Lobsang Thargay and his wife Phurbu, they have apparently succeeded in perserving their culture with this peaceful eatery. During the winter we've gotten into the habit of ordering take-out from Tashi Delek. The food is comforting, warm, with just enough heat to open up your senses. And what I really get a kick out of: when you call to order, Phurbu answers with this calm, dreamy voice that takes you immediately to serenity. As if the Tibetan spirit can travel through the phone.


From a review on Boston.com, January, 2008:

In Tibet, where the mountaintop geography has earned the country the nickname "roof of the world," food is fuel. To stay warm in the high altitude, Tibetans have historically eaten energy-rich mutton, yak meat, dried beef, barley flour, high-fat yak milk, and tea blended with salted butter. Root vegetables like turnips and potatoes were staples, since few veggies or fruits grew on the arid plateaus.
R

So are yak and buttered tea on the menu at Tashi Delek, a four-month-old Tibetan restaurant in Brookline Village where Café Samovar used to be? Yak, no. Buttered tea, yes - as well as soups, simple salads, noodle dishes, the famous Tibetan dumplings called momos, and entrees of beef, chicken, shrimp, or greens.

Tibetan cooking is similar to Chinese, Indian, Thai, and Nepali cuisines. But it's not as oily as Chinese food can be, nor as heavy with thick curries, fiery chiles, and clarified butter as many Indian dishes are. It doesn't revolve around the Nepalese mainstays of lentils and rice, and it's not as tropical and seafood-oriented as some Thai menus tend to be. That makes Tibetan a good choice for lighter, mildly spiced Asian foods.

At Tashi Delek (the name is a Tibetan greeting meaning hello and good luck), the food is prepared by chef-owner Lobsang Thargay, who opened the restaurant in September with his wife, Phurbu. The couple came to Boston in the 1990s through a resettlement program for Tibetans living in India and Nepal. They were both born in India, but their parents fled Tibet after it was occupied by China in the 1950s.

Their restaurant is pretty and peaceful. A photo of the Dalai Lama smiles over the dining room, and a panoramic picture of Lhasa, Tibet's ancient capital, graces one wall. A back counter is decorated with the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism, including a lotus blossom and golden fish. "We are doing our best to preserve our culture," said Phurbu, "and tell that world that Tibet is still a country and we are keeping it alive."

Lobsang, who studied at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, is a talent in the kitchen. His warming soups ($4-$5) are perfect for this time of year: shen dal, a thin curried lentil; jhasha thang, a sweet corn soup flecked with whole kernels; tsel thang, miso-like broth with tiny tofu cubes, torn spinach, and mushroom slivers; and, best of all, drothuk, oatmeal porridge speckled with ground beef.

I also love his momos (appetizer $6.50, entrée $14-$17), fat dumplings stuffed with pureed broccoli, cauliflower, and shiitakes; spinach and ricotta sweetened with sugar; tofu; or ground beef. The pasta wrappers are overly thick, but the fillings are richly flavorful and pair nicely with tomato chutney spiked with mint and jalapeno.

Potato patties called sho-go numtak ($4.50) have a thin deep-fried exterior but are perfectly smooth inside. In many of the poultry and shrimp dishes, the meat is battered and lightly fried, which makes the chicken in the jha-sha mango salsa ($15) off-puttingly bready, despite its pleasantly fruity sauce. So we asked for sauteed shrimp in chu bu kha tsa ($16), a mix of yellow and green squash with zippy red curry, and the end result was delicious.

Even better is lhasa shapta ($15), lean slices of tender beef in a light tomato sauce with ginger and scallions. Tofu tsel ne zom ($14), a stir-fry of tofu and mixed vegetables in tomato-garlic sauce, is also excellent. Yellow-tinted sho go khatsa ($13), curried boiled potatoes, taste traditionally Indian. One weak spot: The blanched green beans in shin bi nolpa ($13), a veggie dish, are underdone.

As for that buttered tea, known as bhod jha ($2), it's an acquired taste I've yet to acquire. "It tastes like drinking melted butter," a friend said. I prefer a sweet ending such as deysee ($3.50), sugared basmati rice with raisins, almonds, and a dollop of yogurt for lively tang.

Green Tsel Momo

Shey Thuk with Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms and Cabbage

I have never been to Tibet-but hope to one day. I can only think that the flavors of Tashi Delek portend an unforgettable experience.

Today I crave.....

Sitting in the sun, right on top of the Isle of Capri, drenched in warmth. Eyes closed, maybe a limoncello in one hand. You know that color you see when you close your eyes with your face in the sun? It's like a soft brownish-orange? - I want to see that color and when I open my eyes, I want to see this view.

best of craiglist > boston > winter sale

Vintage British 3 Speed Bicycle, Very Nice! - $30 (Dover)

---

Date: 2009-01-18, 11:49AM EST


Perfect for commuting and just leaving outdoors. Great for everyday use. Great "Winter bike"
I cant remember if it is a Mens or a Womens, but I know its a 3 Speed. Pick up only. Bring a shovel.

Food for Thought

If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you want for your last meal on earth?

Last year my mom gave me this book, "Last Supper", by Melanie Dunea. This book is a collection of 50 great, world-renowned chefs and their description of what they would like to eat for their final meal. Final, as in last, before death. All chefs are beautifully photographed by Melanie Dunea. The interview for each, with recipes included, is the highlight as most chefs so very incredibly descriptive with their dying wish. And it's amazing to read about preparations, locations, and dining companions.

It's a pretty morbid idea, asking anyone really to discuss their death. But what I found so compelling about this book is not the idea of death or dying but how ironic it is to ask a professional chef, a person that has spent nearly a lifetime creating for others, giving to others, thriving on the fine art of feeding the masses, to discuss their last day on earth and what they would like to consume.

For instance:

Lydia Shire
Shire prefers the simplicity of a 14-16 oz. sirloin steak, served with parsnip purée and crispy parsnip chips.

Mario Batali
The celebrity chef would prepare a meal of eight to 10 courses which would include marinated anchovies served with a little bruschetta; mozzarella en carozza (a Neapolitan-style grilled cheese sandwich); and fresh Amalfitana pasta with shrimp and zucchini.



Gary Danko
This final feast, to be eaten by hand like at a Roman or Greek banquet, would comprise the finest foods from around the world, including caviar, spit-roasted suckling pigs, black truffles wrapped in salt pork and a roasted Bleu Bresse chicken.



Vimal Dhar
The Indian chef would choose a basic Kashmiri meal, to be eaten with his hands. It would include churma (crunchy lotus stems), rogan josh (lamb), chowk wangun (tangy eggplant), and steamed rice.



Scott Conant
A last meal for Conant (left) would include fried chicken served with sweet corn; spit-roasted goat; a whole fish cooked in lobster broth with baby tomatoes and fresh basil; Neapolitan Gatto (a mashed potato dish); and white truffles.

Marcus Samuelsson
The New York chef would opt for a simple meal of gravlax (salt-cured salmon) with crisp bread and dill mustard sauce, and nigiri-style sushi.



Fergus Henderson
Henderson (left) would begin with sea urchins, along with muscadet (a dry French white wine), followed by goat cheese and dark butter chocolate ice cream.

Gordon Ramsay
He would prefer a classic roast dinner: roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy.



Elena and Juan Mari Arzak
For Elena, freshly caught whole merluza (hake) fish would be the main course, followed by grilled txipirones (summer squid) with poached onion marmalade. For Juan, the perfect final meal would be flower of egg and tartufo (an Italian ice cream dessert) in goose fat with chorizo and dates, as well as one of the forbidden birds, a becada (a type of woodcock) or ortolan (a small finch-like bird).


Not unlike that favorite question: "If you could go anywhere for a day, where would you go?", or what would you do with a 100 million dollars, the question, "What would you like to eat for your last supper?" can be such a wonderful trip down dreamy lane for me. Especially since the whole idea of this is to choose whatever food you want, regardless of health or vein-clogging elements.

~~~~~~~~

My last supper? Would include all family, all friends, just one mass of my nearest and dearest. The setting would be either the town beach on Block Island, Narragansett, or Charlestown, RI. The meal would include - in no particular order: Wellfleet oysters, foie gras with endless amounts of french baguettes, Shramsburg Champagne, filet mignon w/truffles, a solidly good Châteauneuf-du-Pape, seasonal greens dressed just so, tomatoes with salt, and cheeses for dessert. We would dine from early afternoon well into the night, bonfire included. And no one would ever feel full.

(chefs' photos and abbreviated descriptions from TIME, Inc.)

Happy Anniversary, Eustace Tilley, my Favorite New Yorker!

Happy 84 years New Yorker! My reason for giving up grown-up books, my commuting friend, my bedtime story-you, with your riveting articles, clever sense of humor, and breathtakingly sentimental anecdotes-I wish you a very heartfelt happy 84th. My your next 84 be as strong as your last.

Here you are, with your predictable enigmatic mascot, Eustace Tilley. Always with a monocle, always with the butterfly, but sometimes looking to the right or to the left. You are a very posh representation of the 1920's and I know that's your heritage. Still, nowadays it's not such a timely depiction. Maybe the covers offered up might have suited you better?

Eustace Tilley, New Yorker mascot and anniversary cover

“The Tilley that Dare Not Speak Its Name”
Dave Ortega
Somerville, Mass.

(This is my personal favorite.
Any reference to street artist Banksy gets high marks from me.)

“Eustace Banksy”
Marcus Thiele
Knoxville, Tenn.

“Eustace de Stijl-ley“
Erin Zingré
Fort Scott, Kan.

“A Walk in the Park”
Gary Amaro
Berkeley, Calif.

“Eustacia Titalley”
Krishna Chavda
Natick, Mass.

“Eustace.Mobi”
David Leonard
West Orange, N.J.

“NYC Taxi Eustace”
Eric Almendral
North Hollywood, Calif.

“Rorschach Tilley”
Marcus Thiele
Knoxville, Tenn.

“Social Butterflies Get All the Looks”
Charlene Chua
Toronto, Ontario

“Eustace, the Undead New Yorker”
David Cook
Suwanee, Ga.

“Eustace Tilley XXL”
Adam Koford
Farmington, Utah

“Schach Treatment”
Stephen Price
Wantagh, N.Y.

Word on the Street: Artist Shepard Fairey at the ICA

Shepard Fairey, "OG Sticker," 1989

Shepard Fairey :: Supply and Demand :: Opening 2.6
Boston's ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art) will be exhibiting Shepard Fairey's first solo collection of art, opening February 6 through August 16, 2009.

From the ICA:

"From humble beginnings as a defiant, skateboard-obsessed art student pasting homemade stickers, Shepard Fairey has developed into one of the most influential street artists of our time. Despite breaking many of the spoken and unspoken rules of contemporary art and culture, his work is now seen in museums and galleries, as well as the worlds of graphic design and signature apparel. His multi-faceted, open-ended and generous artistic practice actively resists categorization. Building off of precedents set by artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, Fairey shifts easily between the realms of fine, commercial, and even political art.

Shepard Fairey, "Obey Icon," 1996

Fairey's multi-layered renderings of counter-cultural revolutionaries and rap, punk and rock stars, as well as updated and re-imagined propaganda-style posters, carry his signature graphic style, marked by his frequent use of black, white, and red. Recently, his portrait of Barack Obama, a ubiquitous sight on the campaign trail, drew a new level of attention to the artist's work and was recently acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, for its collection.

Shepard Fairey, "America’s Finest Cop," 2000

Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand traces the development of the artist's career, from the earliest Obey imagery through his latest efforts, and includes screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal, and canvas. The artist is also creating a new mural for the ICA and public art works at sites around Boston."

This is his first solo exhibit.

Shepard Fairey, "Guns and Roses," 2007.

About the ICA:

Museum, Store & Café Hours
Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday and Friday 10 am - 9 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 5 pm

Shepard Fairey, "Mujer Fatal", 2007

Closed Monday, except on the following national holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Open July 4.

Shepard Fairey, "Barack Obama", 2008

Admission
$12 general admission
$10 students and seniors
FREE members and children 17 and under
FREE for all from 5 to 9 pm every Thursday for Target Free Thursday Nights
FREE for families (up to 2 adults accompanied by children 12 and under) on the last Saturday of each month with the exception of December

Black & White Town

It's the depths of winter, here in Boston. 4" to 7" of snow forecasted for today. Everywhere you look it's black and white......so to enliven the spirit I bring you the Doves with their version of Black and White.

(goofy video but the tune's nice)



Doves Black and White Town - The best video clips are here

Healthy Cocktail?

We figured that maybe, somehow, the amount of anti-oxidants in any given cocktail might counter balance the liver-damaging alcohol? Possibly?

(uploaded from www.donjulio.com)


A twist on an old favorite:

Pomegranate Margarita
2 oz tequila
2 oz Blauchant, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau
2 oz fresh lime juice
4 oz pomegranate juice
Crushed ice

Shake until well-blended and serve in to salt-rimmed glass.