Eats: 2005 Archives

Ever hear a Kallisti's blood curdling scream? Well, Mr. Kallisti did when I got this in the mail today...

There's a reason they don't actually put "20 Year High School Reunion"... so they are not liable for my coronary. Someone, fan me!

And then there's this:

Mr. Kallisti: "Kallisti, a porn room and "Slerpis at home".
Now I really do have everything I need."

Everyone say Happy Birthday! He's 37 on Saturday... now we're off to Tahoe in the morning. I want mountains, a pedicure and thou. Oh, and maybe all you can eat crab at the buffet. Mmmmmm!!!

OMG. Weekends are so awesome. I've been singing happy saturday songs all morning (very off key, of course).

We went and saw Oliver Twist last night. And it was brilliant. BRILLIANT, I say...

The murder of Nancy is a pivotal moment in English literature. Gah, Dickens is a god. And Polanski surely does him justice.

And on that note, something I've been meaning to share: Mr. Kallisti loves me so much he mounted this old magazine cross-promotional bit on hotdogs and the Broadway production of Oliver! a few months ago. Two great tastes that taste great together!

Note the red & yellow thumbtacks. Aw!

And Biscuit caught sleeping in my MSD clothing box. My bad for leaving the lid off, I guess! But you get the picture about what a small kitty he is.

We're cleaning the house, getting ready for the Halloween decorations that will be going up tomorrow. The nephews are coming over to help, fun will be had by all! Oh boy.

Also, I've pre-ordered Liebchen. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Diep, I can't wait to see her.

This is what we did last night. I had the Hacienda Combo, in case you wanna know... beef taco, beef enchilada & a chile relleno. "Beef" as in hamburger. Teehee!

And check out what we did Saturday night! I likes my brother lots.

Spent yesterday as Sister of the Host at the First Bay Area's Food Blogger's Picnic, hosted by my brother at MeatHenge.com and several of his buddies. OMG. I am still full of yummy goodness. And sunburned to boot.

And look, my arms in a stranger's blog (scroll down a few images) pouring some mighty fine Nouvelle Orleans absinthe. I thought: now here's a crowd who can appreciate a fine artisan-made liquor. I did several food network style presentations, giving history, background, method, tasting notes and myth busting. Much approval and interest all around. Very receptive, and they DIDN'T ARGUE when I told them why it wasn't proper to set the sugar cube on fire.

Also, did I mention the meat? OMG. My brother is a genious.

Sorry I haven't been around this week, answering emails or replying or sharing my dollies. I've had a house guest all week... I'm so excited. She's moving back to the area after having been in San Diego for 6 years and finished her Masters. In one week she landed a job as a teacher in a very challenging school district and got a large studio in our neighborhood. YAY! I'm so proud of her I could squeal (and I do, frequently). School starts one week from today so she's running back home to pack up and move everything up here in the next few days. Yowie.

But it is 10pm and the milk tea heaven store across the street is closed. Yummy, milky goodness that tastes like melon and cake.

Gah!

And a big pink straw to suck up the giant tapiocas. Sloop!

We tried to see Hitchhikers last night in Emeryville with the effervescent and lovely Cola. We got to the theater early, got the best seats, but half way through the Star Wars preview the lights went on and the fire alarm started sounding. We were ordered out of the theater. When let in a few minutes later (a false alarm, duh) we of course had lost our seats. There was a long line of others who had lost their seats waiting to get refunds. So we left, went home and pouted.

I know I'm the last person on the planet to see it, but we watched Napoleon Dynamite instead. Seemed like a cross between Square Pegs, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and Ghost World. Took a long time to figure out what decade they were in. Still not sure because of all the purposely anachronistic references. But refreshing, none the less.

SO. We woke up early this morning and headed to the city to attempt to see Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy AGAIN. This time at the Sony Metreon. Where we could geek out on the rest of the surroundings before and after the movie. The film was good in its own right, but lacked the sparkle and verve of the BBC radio recordings, books & tv series. I loved Stephen Fry's narration, he sounds very close to the original (though this is not a prerequisite) and I enjoyed the Marvin/Arthur Dent cameos from the TV series.

After the movie, and a spin at the Portal One arcade, we didn't feel like going home yet so we headed to Japan Town for books & sashimi & soba.

Still hasn't sunk in. O. M. G!

Also, just got back from the Alameda Antiques Faire and got some Cool Stuff™. Pix to follow, I'm sure...

I've had no time to paint my F05. Bleh.

BUT, oh man... I ate raw oysters for the first time last night. Went to din-din with lovely friends Morrigan, Meatbear and Crosby of the Forum to "Spenger's Fish Grotto" last night, which is an old Berkeley landmark restaurant my grandmother used to go to. Old fashioned style wood panelled walls covered with giant stuffed fish, guns, and sea farin' gear. Lovely bar too.

Dear Dad,

I ate fried calamari, fresh oysters and a whole Dungeness crab. Are you proud of me yet?

Love,
Me

Honestly, seafood has been a mystery to me my whole life. I have to be brave and adventurous to try new stuff. And oysters, well... they're raw! But they were really good. Tasted like the ocean. There is difference between being fishy, and tasting like the ocean. Wow, that was fun.

No drinks over 50¢... All drinks Man sized! A two part menu for the restaurant and their take-out offshoot "The Side Door."

Chickens serving cocktails, it just don't get much better than that.

Bertola's Restaurant was a local favorite when my brother and I were growing up along the San Pablo Ave. corridor. Gramma used to take us on the weekends. Weeeeeeeeee!

Click while it is still on the front page of the Chronicle food section. Or click here for a direct link to the article.

That burly redhead with fambly is my brother and his wife and kids.

Weee! Now I'm going to go read the article.

And if you look reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally close at the second pic you can see the dollfie I made for my brother, Madamoiselle Crepinette in her red gingham get-up. DOLLFIE IN THE NEWS! I like to help.

I couldn't be happier.

I wish, o' wish I could get veggie back bacon this side of the pond.

Also, if yer down, this oughta cheer ya up.

ONE MISSION BURRITO

How far does a Mission super burrito go in meeting your daily food goals under the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines? It's heavy on refined grains, salt and saturated fat, and provides much of a day's worth of food (based on the average moderately active adult woman's needs of 2,000 calories a day).

TOMATO 1 slice (.6 ounces)

ICEBERG LETTUCE 5/8 cup (1.4 ounces)

Counts as: 1/2 cup vegetables (out of 2 1/2 cups daily; 1 cup of lettuce counts as 1/2 cup)

COOKED PINTO BEANS 3/4 cup (5 ounces)

Counts as: 3/4 cup vegetables (out of 2 1/2 cups)

SPANISH RICE 1 cup (4.8 ounces)

Counts as: 2 servings of refined grains (out of 3).

COOKED CHOPPED BEEF 1 cup (3.7 ounces)

Counts as: 2/3 of daily meat/chicken/fish (5.5 ounces)

SHREDDED CHEESE 1/2 cup (2 ounces)

Counts as: (including sour cream, below): 1 1/3 servings dairy (out of 3 servings)

FRESH SALSA 1/2 cup (4 ounces)

Counts as: 1/2 cup vegetables (out of 2 1/2 cups daily)

SOUR CREAM 3 tablespoons (1.8 ounces)

Counts as: See cheese, above

GUACAMOLE 3 tablespoons (2.1 ounces)

Counts as: 1/4 cup vegetables (out of 2 1/2 cups)

TORTILLA 12-inch flour (3.1 ounces)

Counts as: 3 servings of refined grains (recommendation is 3), plus 1/4 day's added fat

Weight: 1 2/3 pounds

Fascinating (scary) article in its own right.

Now that I'm feeling better, we've had a whirlwind weekend. Started Friday evening with a trip to El Cerrito's little Japantown at the Jay Vee strip mall. Katana-ya is the most awesome ramen/sushi place in the area. If you go too late on ANY night it is packed beyond belief. We ordered Snow Crab Shabu Shabu to split and a mess o' sushi. We brought the camera in but realized halfway through the meal that we'd forgotten to snap. Oh well, so you get the mess we made. It was, to say the least, amazing. I love food you have to crack and pull apart and pick at to eat. So fun! I call it little Japantown because in the same wee strip mall (that has been here since I was a baby) there is a Japanese food market, where we got cleaning sponges like Volks sells, and Re-ment, and little chocolate burger crackers. And there is also a Japanese dollar store next door where we bought more crap. El Cerrito rocks.

Went to the farmer's market with my brother early Saturday, got lots of fancy meats and veggies and ate like true aging hippies last night with our dandelion greens and crepinettes. Mew!

The weather has been GORGEOUS so we headed out for Martinez since we had some pennies burning holes in our pockets. Mr. Kallisti picked up a beauty. A circa 1940's Diana-F plastic camera bought for a mere pittance. Very cool, mang.

I found a boudoir doll (1920's) that I am thinking on. GORGEOUS as well. Had to research before I dropped the dosh. I can't find anything like her online or in my books. She is smaller, probably under 20"? German made with very petite composition features, hands and legs all in peach silk that looks original. And mohair marcelle waves. I um, have to have her. So I will be emptying my coin jars and maybe selling some other stuff to assuage the guilt. She's not that expensive, honest... but I am spoiled and need to justify my purchases to myself.

On the way back to the car we stopped into a shop we'd been in last winter where we had coveted a petite uranium glass apothecary jar. The woman had just got it in but hadn't priced it yet. It had a chip in the lip so she knew it would be under value but even the ballpark was more than our comfort zone. Well. It was still there! The lady wasn't there, but the owner was. And the price was a under what her previous estimate had been and he knocked off an additional 10%. Pristine, this jar is worth a lot of money. I don't spend that kind of money on collectibles usually, so a lot of the stuff I have has tiny flaws. Which is fine by me. I love the loot for itself not its value really. And this piece is gorgeous.

Mid to late 19th century, hand painted label uranium glass Valerian apothecary jar. It of course glows under black light.

And last but not least, I got Aimee's outfit by Imai. I am so happy to own this! I love the outrageous take on traditional Japanese couture. I'll do a better photo shoot with all the girls in Japanese garb, but Demelza looked so fab, and she was already wearing the neosium zouk eyes too.

Sorry for the wrinkly backdrop. I'm lazy and I suck. And I'm late to go spend the rest of my glorious weekend moving my mother into a new apartment. Eeep!