Wow

I saw this in downtown Birmingham on Friday. Pretty impressive.

No one will confuse THIS one with a Passat.

Behold, the first cloth-roofed Ford Five Hundred I have seen, spotted this morning on 14 Mile. The only word for this is "stunning."

Watching Noah take a nap.

Bubby used to do this for me too.

Eating

Playing

Bubby's first great-grandchild.

Bubby

Hot!

This is my bubby cutting a hot potato kugel. Note she is holding the pan that just came out of the over with her hand! Lots of chefs talk about how much they get burned in professional kitchens in an effort to sound macho, but I would like to see them try this one.

Homemade Kugel

We went down to Toledo yesterday to see my grandmother and eat potato kugel and talk. That is a fabulous homemade kugel - note how the circular pan promotes maximum crust formation. I have the recipe, and I probably won't post it. You have to have a few secrets.

Returning to current events

My friend George sent me a picture of this beautiful Wagyu strip loin from his employer, D'artagnan. This cow led a good life. I do not think it is an overstatement to note that most people (myself included, so far) do not eat a steak like this in a lifetime. George gets to take stuff like this to fabulous restaurants all the time and eat samples with the chefs, and that is actually a form of employment. Amazing.

Oswiecim, Poland

This week there has been a lot of news concerning the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz, and I am pausing from recording our daily events in acknowledgement. My brother sent me this excerpt from our great-grandfather's memoirs about what Oswiecim, Poland was like before the Nazis transformed it beyond comprehension, and it made me stop and reflect on the magnitude of the loss.

An excerpt:

Oshpitzin! That is the Yiddish name of the famous Galician city Oswiecim, and until the end of the First World War it was the most important point that bordered on the two Upper Silesian towns of Myslowice and Katowice, a part of Germany at that time.

I recall many pleasant youthful memories when I remember the great love and respect with which my father would pronounce the word “Oshpitzin”, and he meant this with regard to the lively and many-faceted Jewish life that existed there, as well as the great influence that Oshpitzin had on other Jewish communities. There was something magical about the fact that the smaller towns around it, which could have possibly been independent in municipal terms, refused to become so, and they chose to remain a part of that cultural milieu in order to be able to say with pride that they were an integral part of that great Jewish municipality which was then called Oshpitzin County.

This is a special essay. Yakov's wonderful writing style is of another era, and it was well-translated, retaining its flowing manner from the original Yiddish. His description is of a lost world - that of the Eastern European Jewry of a unique time and place. The complete excerpt, along with many other accounts, is available at the link as part of the Oshpitsin database at jewishgen.org, and was originally published by the Oshpitsin Society in 1977.

LL Cool N

100% Fact: Ladies Love Cool Noah

The truth comes out.

Of course, a lot of that demand is because Lauren has a lot of stuff in the warehouse, and they want to store actual products in the space. As opposed to ski boots, vacuum cleaners and a pink (of course) golf bag.

Lauren and Noah stopped by the office yesterday

There was considerable demand for an appearance.

How Cold Is It?

It is so cold in Detroit right now that it is hard to type anything but

asdfhfad lasdfjkh hdfsajk kljasdfh asfdjfh,

because your hands keep freezing to the keyboard. I might call off ice-fishing tomorrow. Lauren will be disappointed, but I just don't think it's safe.



Seriously, it's negative 5. I can't believe I left the house.

X-90 Sighting

Lauren and I both love these Suzuki X-90s. They are like tiny Oompa-Loompa cars! The only thing I would rather spot on the road is one of those great, rare Japanese minivans from the early eighties, like the Mitsubishi SpaceWagon (my favorite) or the Toyota Van - especially the 4WD.

Pagina oficial del GARBANZO

This is a crazy Spanish food site, with an introductory essay that Alta Vista translates thusly:

"We are a group of friends whom we like the good one for eating and for giving the great pleasure us to taste a SPANISH STEW It enchants east subject of gossip to us for that reason once to the month we go where it is necessary to prove the chosen one And although always is preferred the SPANISH STEW in the lunch usually does not have complaints if by somebody botillo of the Bierzo is suggested good or fabes with clams"

Click on "Recetas" and it goes on to state:

"There is no region in Spain that does not count on its own prescription of the spanish stew, with its own particularitities. The lebaniegos, mountain, maragatos spanish stews, pote Galician, escudella, the canary stew, the rotted pot..., at heart share the same idea of adapted a healthy and nutritious complete plate to the characteristics of the zone in which it is prepared, all of them within the so Spanish tradition of the spoon kitchen "". Of all these "stews" For us, the MADRILENIAN SPANISH STEW is without doubt the best gastronomical delight than to taste itself it could at any time and place (safe with temperatures superior to the 30 degrees Celsius), like better representative of the gastronomy Madrilenian, not too extensive or well-known but exquisite and nonfree of variety. Proximamente we will go including in these paginas tipicas prescriptions but of the Madrilenian kitchen, and spanish stews in general, without trying to be I simply catalogue exhaustive but an acceptable reference to these subjects that interest to us."

DIRECTIONS FOR USING THIS LINK:
Click on "Cocido" under "Cocina madrilena" to view this recipe. I will be trying it our myself (sans blood sausage - which is available in Birmingham but why?)

Yum - Fried Hummus

Here is recipe from the June 1992 issue of Gourmet that is basically a fried hummus patty - sort of a twist on falafel. If you are looking for a real (and highly-rated) falafel recipe, this looks good:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104489

The definition

Here is how dictionary.com defines this delicious leguminous plant.

HB Produce Thursday Presents: The Chick Pea!

OK, so Produce Thursday had to wait until I had a few minutes at lunch today to post. I guarantee it is worth it, because today’s theme ingredient is: the Chick Pea!

Check out the link for a very helpful "about the check pea" from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Clearly there are deals to be had.

I tell you, it is a buyer's market for pink 1978 Coupe de Villes right now. Note that I am not telling you where to find this beauty, I am keeping this one for myself.

Our anniversary is next month...

Perhaps I could trade Lauren's A4 for this new (to us) pink Cadillac. See below for precedent. Clearly I am an extremely thoughtful husband to understand my partner so well.

Back at Target again

We are really there a lot. The problem here is that they put all of this pink stuff right across from the baby products, so if we go in for a burp cloth or some nipples Lauren sees these and wants to redo a room.

This is what I should have rented in Vegas

I don't think I will qualify to buy one from Ford Racing without a track history, but they should offer this as an appearance package on the Mustang GT. I still won't buy it because I can't see over the hood (see review in HB archives) but I'll enjoy looking at it on Woodward. Maybe I could use the stripes to steer.

Lunch on Tuesday

Leftover sushi from Sushi Cafe, on Maple Road in Troy. Very good fish, very slow service (every time). Bring a book, it's worth it.

"They don't say 'please' in Israel"

This is a really strange riff on the "Royale with Cheese" scene from Pulop Fiction. But hey, it's 100% turkey meat with Tahini! How could that be bad?

Priya and Dr. Fleischman.

Priya is the cat, and I am certain that there is something fairly unusual about this pairing. On the other hand, it is not like they have anyone else to talk to, and the pig is mroe than capable of taking care of himself.

Noah at Target

And how they wound up.

It's pretty good. My guacamole recipe is very simple, yet still a secret. The trick is in the proportions, and it is hard to learn those.

How Bourgeois Killer Guac:

The absolute best avocados you can find. Start with two.
Medium grain sea salt (iodized. It's out there)
Ground pepper
Fresh Cayenne Pepper
Fresh lime juice

Halve avocados and sprinkle with other ingredients to taste. Mash with a fork until smooth with some chunks. Do NOT Blend, you will be disappointed.

Variations:
1. Lemon juice instead of lime (this is a more subtle taste
2. Add a small amount of diced (drained) tomatoes and minced garlic
3. Add a tiny (really minute) amount of California olive oil to mask bland avocadoes. I like "O" brand

Here are those avocados from last Sunday

Finally ripe enough to eat! I have to say they were almost worth the wait. These are not as good as summer California avocados, but they were not a watery mess either.

Telway on John R

Detroit still has a lot of great burger joints where you can go for a couple of sliders. Grilled onions are a must.

And again

Granted, I don't take a lot of pictures when he is crying.

More Typical

More often though, he seems to be smiling or reacting to something.

Very Composed

Our boy is capable of relaxation, sometimes.

Better Made

And they are, too. A real Detroit potato chip, you should consider these if you like potato chips. The hot variety are great too, so support your local snack foods.

On the Mat

Binkie Boy

Need for Speed Underground 2

Tough day today - no time to post anything until now! Happily, the weekend is upon us, with its promise of Italian food, new Netflix selections ("Anchorman" showed up today) and the Detroit auto show.

And, of course, now that the foneGEAR Xbox is back from CES, I can play Need for Speed Underground 2, a carefree jaunt through the world of street racing. It is sweet, just a great racing game. Explore with the link and have a great weekend.

Mmmm....Crete

Here's the label from that olive oil I bought at Papa Joe's the other night. I finally tried it yesterday with some sourdough bread and it is way beyond expectations. This is a $30 taste in an $8 bottle - it is really that good. In color (deep yellow), aroma and mouth feel this is really above average, but the taste just sets it apart. It is intensely flavorful and spicy, and I don't even want to cook with it, it is almost too nice to mask with ingredients.

Uh-Oh

We were at Target and Lauren saw all of this stuff. Now she wants to redo the bedroom in pink. I don't see it happening.

Extremely Charming

Look at this guy!

Lauren's mom sent some new pictures.

Pomegranate Recipes

Here are some recipes for pomegranates from the Texas A & M "Aggie Horticulture Newtwork." I make no claim that these are any good, but how bad could they be - especially that second punch recipe! I would be surprised if you could still taste anything after the second cup. How Bourgeois notes that you are drinking at your own risk!

No Mess Preparation!

How to eat a pomegranate in three easy steps

HB Produce Thursday Presents: The Pomegranate!

That's right! The pomegranate is so wonderful it almost speaks for itself, but for the uninitiated here is a brief but complete description of this tasty fruit.

This article from the Purdue Department of Horticulture & Landscapre Architecture also contains excellent information on many other Mediterranean fruits including the olive, the loquat and the persimmon.

Robbed!

Like much of the modern bourgeois, my familiy stores its income in banks and Krugerrands. Stories like this one give us pause though, especially as my father was in this bank branch yesterday as it was being robbed! He said it was the most exciting thing that's happened in a long time. Apparently no one but the teller knew what was happening, and immediately after the robber left she ran around the counter and shouted, "We've been robbed!" Very dramatic.

Note to robber: Dad could not remember what you look like immediately after the theft. Way to be nondescript!

It's about time it was topical

Noted at the pediatrician's.

Worse for Mom than baby.

Note that Noah is smiling.

Post-shot

Right after. Not the most fun 30 seconds of his young life. Sure beats polio.

Looking good.

And typically happy.

Look at the forearm!

He's like Popeye!

Pre-Vac

Lauren and Noah looking nervous and oblivious, respectively.

Hot Salami

OK, I sync'ed my PC and now the pictures are back. Here is my sandwich from yesterday with some of that fruit from Sunday. I ate at my desk so I could go to Noah's appointment.

Scraping

I'm sitting here working in the living room, and there is this loud repetitive scraping noise coming from the front of the house. I looked out the front blinds, and my neighbor across the street is slowly shoveling his driveway. It is 18 degrees with a windchill of 4 and it is 5:45 AM. This is nuts, I don't care how much it snowed, I'm staying put.

Oh man, now Noah's crying.

***

Well, he feels totally cool now. Baby Tylenol must work, I feel much relieved.

Shhh

Shhh.pdf (application/pdf Object)

As an employee of a headset manufacturer I would prefer people just go ahead and talk, but if you insist on silencing the people around you who are really just trying to have a quiet personal conversation, albeit at 100 dB in a Muni car full of people, then this is the funniest way (to date) to do it.

Brownwood Acres

As we gear up for produce Thursday, I thought I would note that I am hearing a lot from my arthritic, insomniac colleagues about the benefits of tart cherry juice in relieving joint pain and promoting a peaceful nights rest. Michigan of course is renowned for its' cherries, the Traverse City area being home to the annual Cherry Festival.

I don't know anything about the claims of the "Nutraceutical" manufacturers or the science behind the product, but the word-of-mouth is encouraging.

Mmm..Flavonoids

I can't find the pictures!

Maybe I forgot to move them from the memory stick? They are definitely not on my computer. Sort of a bummer, I will go in early and see if they are still in the camera. Weird.

Fever

Noah received his first four vaccinations yesterday, and he took it pretty well. It turned out to be hardest on his mom. Overnight he developed a bit of a fever, so I am up now just making sure it stays low and safe. At 4:30 I threw in the towel on the night and made a pot of coffee. Noah is taking a nap right now, so I can steal a few minutes to post some pictures of his appointment.

Krispy Kreme Shares Jump as Chief Is Ousted

There is nothing not to like about this story (unless you bought Krispy Kreme last March or happen to be the CEO) - it has intrigue, food, accounting irregularities...but the article only obliquely addresses whether their donuts are any good.

I happen to like them, but I also know many people who definitely prefer the cake-ier donuts at the competition. For coffee I definitely prefer Dunkin' Donuts - but that might be a factor of being able to turn right off of 14 Mile into DD on the way to work, while having to go left and into the Oakland Mall parking lot for KK.

This issue merits further research. Stay tuned for updates.


The New York Times > Business > Krispy Kreme Shares Jump as Chief Is Ousted

The New Yorker: Fact

Is Iran the next target in the war on terrorism? Sy Hersh thinks so. This are a lot of very serious allegations in this article.


THE COMING WARS by SEYMOUR M. HERSH

A Snack

Last night Lauren wanted to go to Borders to buy a birthday present, so I dropped her off and ran into Papa Joe's for a minute to look for a snack and a couple of staples. Here is what I came up with:

An orange flavored bar of dark chocolate
Half a pound of Molinari hot salami (from SF. This is where we would stop for sandwiches on the way to Stinson Beach)
A pound of coffee (Birmingham blend)
A bottle of olive oil from Crete

Out the door for about 20 bucks. The coffee is worth noting especially, because Papa Joe's sells excellent coffee that doesn't cost any more than getting whole bean coffee at Meijer or Kroger. The Birmingham Blend is my favorite. I am slightly dismayed that they have not had Monini olive oil for the last several weeks (except the Fruttato, which Lauren does not like as much as the regular), and I will probably go back to that when it is in stock. It is an excellent all purpose extra-virgin oil from Italy and a relative bargain at around eight dollars.

Treo 650 Update

After spending some time on the phone with (very nice) Sprint tech support this morning, I finally have both of the email accounts that I had wanted to work with my Treo actually syncing up and sending email. It did take a hard reset of the phone, but I back up my data very often (typically a couple times a day).

I am now able to use Gmail and my office Outlook email very effectively with the VersaMail program included on the phone, and so I feel that this device is finally approaching the utility I had envisioned it having. Combined with all of the other Palm features I think this is still the phone to beat in the category, and when there are good wifi and gps solutions available it will be pretty impressive.

This is really amazing.

When I arrived at work this morning my colleague Fred said, "there's a present for you on your desk." And was there ever! Fred is moving, and he gave me 71 old records! My collection has long been light on the '70s, but Fred has plugged the gap. In addition to the classic Village People album on top, the rest of the pile contains numerous Chicago, Jackson 5, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Diamond albums, in addition to the odd Bob Seger, Captain and Tenille, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, it just goes on and on...I will try to catalog everything but now at least my 9 copies of "Tom Jones Live at the Flamingo" have some company in the living room.

GC Update

I was behind this one on the way to work this morning. I think it is a little bland and minivan-like from the back. Not a lot of interesting detail on these broad, flat planes. The side and three-quarter profiles are nice though. I think the tail lamps are good looking.

Noah and two grandfathers

It turns out red-eye is genetic.

Lauren's parents came over

And we all went to the Original Pancake House in Birmingham. Lauren and I both had the "49er" flapjacks, Ken had blueberry pancakes, my dad had a baked corned beef omelette, and my mom and Lauren's were sort of at the other end of the table so I am not sure what they had. Must be more observent.

Up Close

The cat could care less

I think she honestly has no opinion about her new crying, gurgling, burping roommate. I have to give her credit for taking it pretty much in stride.