A Blog Mainly About Food

Mainly About Dead

2006-01-06T12:41:00.000-05:00

Today I formally purchased tickets for Pakistan.

And as of today this blog is dead.

Please direct all of your readership, links, and such to the new blog, The Diplodocus.

R.I.P., Mainly About Food. We've had good times. But onwards and upwards; Islamabad calls.

The Best Sandwich in DC Bar None

2006-01-01T18:45:00.000-05:00

To State Dept. colleagues embarking on consultations, friends who work anywhere near the White House, and anyone else who likes the taste of deliciousness: get thee over to Breadline. I stopped by Christmas Eve Eve after a brief trip to the Department and had the Triancria Sausage sandwich: it was phenomenal. I’m a sandwich lover, and I can say with conviction I do not think I’ve had a better sandwich. I have no idea how Au Bon Pain stays in business on the same block as this gem.

Local foodies report that Breadline supplies the bread for many top restaurants in the city. That doesn’t surprise me, as the bread was absolutely stunning. Its bread that would make any Atkins dieter cry, bread that would make Wonder Bread CEOs commit hari kari for their insult to the staff of life.

Make it your New Year’s resolution to visit Breadline. If you have friends/family touristing, consider it a mandatory stop. Yes, Cosi may be cheaper, but the few extra dollars spent for a truly amazing sandwich are worth it.

(cross posted to the new blog, still in development)

(unrelated: can it be that I'm actually cheering for the Redskins in a game that isn't against the Cowboys? That I actually, unironically, want a team I have hated vehemently for all of my sports-watching life to make the playoffs? This feels weird. Of course, if the 'Skins don't make the playoffs the Cowboys will -- a team I hate even more. So there may be some subconscious reasoning going on here.)

New Blog in Development

2005-12-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

I'm using Wordpress instead of blogger for the new blog. Right now, I'm liking it, though I wish I knew more HTML.

If you want to be on my blogroll (and currently aren't on it), let me know. This goes double for current FS peeps -- those who know me and those who don't -- as I'm trying to get a good roll going.

(Dak, PR, Furnish, Aaron, got you already)

Site address will be announced shortly. There's still a lot to do with it, but I'm having fun. The aesthetics alone are far, far better than this blog, though the new one doesn't have the same greeny goodness. And for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to add an image to the sidebar without having to put it in the links section.

Okay Smarty, Go to a Party

2005-12-29T19:44:00.000-05:00

Somehow over the last two days I have gone from having exactly zero New Year's plans to being invited to three separate shindigs. This would normally be a banner thing, but the fact is I'm way too stressed to even think about NYE, and planning the logistics of going to three places not exactly close to one another is a big ole' pain. Right now it's looking like Shaw-U St-Dupont (okay, they aren't that far from one another). Of course, I only really know people at the host at the first; the other two are more like crashing. Maybe I'll try to have a different accent at each, just for kicks.

In other news, I started cleaning out my drawers of assorted detritus in preparation for the big move. In one drawer I found a bag of really old mix tapes (like, summer of 94 old). It took me a while, but I finally did the smart thing and tossed the tapes. Sentimentality is one thing, but mix tapes that feature tracks from the first Daft Punk album and things I actually taped off the radio is another. Man, remember HFS's Ten O'Clock News? Those were the days.

Here's to 2006 starting off better than 2005 did.

(side bleg: any suggested corporate housing units in the Rosslyn area? I don't want to go too expensive, so I'm thinking the Residence Inn. Other thoughts?)

The Importance of Line Editing

2005-12-28T11:14:00.000-05:00

From a Post profile of Islamabad:

"Bananas, apples, mangoes, plums, cherries, pomegranates, strawberries, peaches, plums, citrus fruits, leeches, grapes, raisins, prunes, and watermelons are of good quality but seasonal."

Well at least there's an off-season.

The Other Family

2005-12-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

Last Domestic Supper with the Pak Pack, originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Happy holidays, friends. Next Christmas, lets do it at my place. Yeah, I know Nina's is bigger, but it's a pain to find secure parking.

Secret Santa Calcutta Style

2005-12-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

At the front of a room sits a table, covered in gifts of various sizes. A diminutive woman stands and yells out a number. The person whose number is called comes to the front of the room and picks out a present. Shaking, weighing, squeezing, or smelling the packages is not allowed. Of course, that doesn't keep people from doing it: "oh babu, just this once, it's okay, really, just a little shake." At some point, an individual whose number is called stands and looks around, seeing what gifts others have picked out. If they see something they like, they can steal it -- but an item can only be stolen twice. What, you want to steal something that's already been stolen twice? Oh, just cajole the lucky person into giving it to you and maybe you'll get lucky. Of course, you'll also have to deal with people hiding gifts perceived as better than others, though the organizer will remind people that all gifts must be visible to everyone. Also, you'll be implored by people who have received less appealing gifts to take them off their hands so they can get a new one: "Take this cheapy didi, take it, it's so nice!" Someone want to steal your silver salt and pepper shaker, despite the fact that you really really want it? Beg. Beg and plead. And then yell: "no dada, please dada, you don't want this. The other one is better, really please dada no!" Maybe you'll get lucky and they'll give up and try to steal something else -- that gift box of apricot preserves and orange pekoe tea looks appealing.

A room full of yelling Bengalis, screaming various semi-profane things at the top of their lungs, sipping "sheeraj," fighting over knick knacks someone picked up at the tchotchke store two hours prior, embarassing their children (who sit in the corner watching the madness, aghast).

Highly recommended as a game to spice up the office Christmas party. Bengalis not included.

The Pitter Patter

2005-12-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

Mom has already started with the crying, the "you're both leaving soon and we'll be all alone," the "it's so nice to have you both back" (followed, of course by tears).

And you'd think she'd be happy that both her kids were back for the holiday, especially the one in England -- who chose to spend time with her family on the holidays instead of drunkenly traipsing about Anglia (unlike her brother, six years prior). But noooo.

Emo!

Just When You Think You're Out

2005-12-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

Here I thought my trials with my former employer were over, what with the quitting and moving on thing. How wrong I was.

Before I go on, it should be said that for the first 2.5 years there, I really didn't know I was being mistreated. It was my first job and I basically didn't have any framework for comparison. But it became abundantly clear at some point that the company I worked for was fiscally irresponsible, ethically dubious, and offered no chances for me to advance. Of course, getting a new job took me the better part of a year and a half, but it happened, and I left work semi-amicably.

Since departing, I've been kept in the loop about my old office's money problems -- problems that I personally am convinced will lead to the company going out of business at some point, or at the very least radically restructuring and letting significant numbers of employees go. Since the bulk of my 401K savings were being matched by them, I thought "hmm... time to get on the ball and roll that money over to my TSP account. So I filled out the paperwork, and in process decided to cash out a portion to get me some needed liquid funds (don't ask, just trust me, the need outweighs the tax penalty).

And here I am, five business days since I faxed my forms to the old office. I check with the old HR department and they say yes, they did get my fax, fill it out, and then fax it to the 401K folks. So I call the account folks to find out when I'm going to get my not-insignificant check. They say to me (rather annoyingly cheerily, I might add) "Oh, we're not seeing anything in process for your account. We would have processed any paperwork in 24 hours."

My 401k is administered by a big, well-known organization. And the trustworthiness of my old office has always been... shall we say... dubious. So, my emotional conclusion: the old office is lying to me. I call them on it and, hey, whaddya know, they did actually forget about it. They'll fax the forms over right away.

I should not criticize them for lying, saying they did something when they didn't. Back at the old job, I did that all the time. Heck, we were practically trained to do that sort of thing. But this is my money. (yes, shoe on other foot, I know).

And my anger toward how mistreated I was at the old job, which had subsided and/or changed into a dull sort of nostalgia, is like a phoenix reborn. What a bunch of jerks.

Snapshots of Your Tax Dollars At Work

2005-12-16T17:06:00.000-05:00

The following stories are true.

1. Three snowstorms ago, on the shuttle back to the Metro, the gentlemen in front of me began to draw on the condensation accumulating on the window. The script looked curious: "stick tree equal sign with line through it..." I asked the gentleman if they were, indeed, runes. He replied, in a thick Scandinavian accent, yes. "I ask Thor for help. More snow, so we not have to teach tomorrow!"

Yesterday, the same gentleman (who, I must note, wears an absurdly light jacket and a thick wool hat in this cold) stood at the bus stop and scoffed at the weather. "This Washington. It does not even do winter correctly!"

2. Waiting, again at the bus stop, I struck up a conversation with an older man clearly well into his career. He told me, without flinching, that Peshawar is the capital of Pakistani pornography. "Much of it is quite brutal, actually. Very degrading." Though he hadn't been in Pakistan for nigh on ten years, he remembered the industry flourishing aside open air drug and gun bazaars. Drugs, guns, and porno: these Pashtuns make American libertarians look like fascists.

3. Today we were informed that if an American citizen dies abroad, we are not to send pornography or drugs back to the deceased's next of kin. So if you were hoping to get the meth lab materials from your uncle that died in Montevideo, you're straight out of luck.

We were also advised that certain "sensitive materials" should not be returned to the deceased. A classmate (a former missionary (!!)) piped up: "So, vibrators, dildoes, we shouldn't send those back?"

When is the last time the word "dildo" was uttered in a government building? Times involving Clarence Thomas excluded?

On days like these, where I hear Christmas Carols in Polish, where I argue with friends about whether Amharic or Georgian is the most useless language in the world to learn, where I mention as an aside to a Mormon friend that I'd not had much experience with Mormons before meeting him and he tells me "You know, we have huge penises,"... it is days like these where I realize that my life is insane. Crazy. Probably one of the more odd paths that any individual could ever choose.

Life is good. Alhumdulilah.

aaaand...

2005-12-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

We have official travel orders.

Commence ending gym membership, cell phone service, and working to find someone to fill a room in an awesome three bedroom Capitol Hill apartment. So if you or anyone you know is looking for housing, please please please be in touch. A comment with email or an email to me would be appreciated.

Green Plate Special

2005-12-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

Saturday night after an amusing afternoon spent with my parents, a classmate, his wife, and my CDO (Career Development Officer, basically the person that controls the next few years of my life) I went to Corduroy to see what Chef Power had been cooking up. My date and I had already agreed that we'd sit at the bar, which was a smart decision -- the main dining area was hosting a private function. We pulled up stools and checked out the bar menu for the night, which (!!!) did not have the pork belly Rockwell types had been swooning about. Blast. But there were still plenty of awesome menu options. We decided to share the Kabocha Squash Soup and the spring rolls (natch); my date had the striped bass with a truffle-potato cream sauce and haricots verts. I went for seared ahi tuna served on sushi rice with shiso.

The soup and the spring rolls were, as expected, wonderful. Normally I'm not huge on squash soup, but I had settled on the spring rolls and deferred the choice of soup to the lady. She definitely made a good choice. The soup was rich without being overly decadent, though the texture was creamier than I thought it could possibly be. I resisted the urge to add some pepper or salt after my first taste, which was smart; subsequent spoonfuls made the subtle flavor more pronounced. The spring rolls were, as usual, awesome. I was mainly having them for the pork goodness (sans pork belly on the menu, I was compelled) but I'd forgotten just how good the spring rolls (not to mention the sauce accompaniment) actually were.

Side note: how crappy is the Sheraton Four Points? Let's put it this way: while we were having our appetizers, a pair of rather interesting gentlemen came to the bar and ordered a Coors Light and a Wild Turkey with water. Later, they each bought a Long Island Iced Tea to go and left the bar. At Corduroy. Now I don't mean to sound like too much of a snob but holy frijoles, that just screamed insulting. Corduroy shouldn't even be carrying Coors Light. Just should not.

The mains came out not to long after we had finished off the apps. The presentation of the seared tuna had me sold immediately: a beautiful square plate with a rich green border that transitioned to black at one corner, a delicious looking seared piece of tuna sitting on a bed of sushi rice that smelled like no rice I'd ever enjoyed (those familiar know my love of all things green). The meal tasted as fantastic as the presentation was beautiful, if not more so. The tuna was seared to that the inside was as close to raw as possible -- my favorite way to enjoy a great piece of fish. But (and I don't mean this as a negative, the fish was really really good!) that sushi rice. Wow. I savored every single bite and woke up Sunday morning thinking of the rice more. As a South Asian I've had my share of good rice, but never any rice this good. What was it? I tasted light hints of soy in the preparation, and the texture was divine. The light scattering of seaweed and a clear sauce I couldn't really identify made it even better. Really, there's no easy comparison here; the dish was creative without being pretentious (something that probably can't be said for my writing), presented artfully, and so delicious I can still taste it. Wow. My date's bass? I assume it was good; I had a taste, but immediately turned back to my own plate. She stated it was "pretty fabulous," and she's a fish snob, so I believe her.

One of the nicer touches of the evening came at the end, when Rissa (the GM) came up to say hello/goodbye. I'd only met her once prior, so I was very surprised she recognized me. As usual, she was sweet and great to talk to. On exiting, Ferhat (whose exact role I'm unsure of, but he's always there and dressed well) also said hello, and stated the common misconception that "off to Baghdad, eh?" (quickly corrected -- why do people keep asking me that?). It was amusing to have the date confused by the fact that random people seem to know me, though at this point she's probably not surprised by that sort of thing. It is a small town, after all.

So onwards and upwards goes my a bientôt tour of DC restaurants. I'm not sure where I'll be hitting next, but it's likely to be either Komi, Palena, or some cheap Salvadorean. And I can't wait.

Red Red Meat

2005-12-08T13:07:00.000-05:00

The dinner Monday night at Ray's the Steaks was fantastic in more ways than one. First, special kudos to Chef Michael Landrum, who not only served every single person in the room, but cooked all the meals with just two other helping hands. How many total tops do you think he had? Guess.

If you guessed anywhere near forty, you're an absolute lunatic. The answer is 52.

The meal started with a dense and tasty bread, served piping hot. It was a no-frills starter, with no fancy grains or flavorings. That was soon followed by Devilishly Good Eggs, deviled eggs stuffed with steak tartare. It was tempting to savor each bite, but eating one whole like a real deviled egg seemed the right thing to do at the time. The tartare was like butter.

Next out were two more amuses, a scallop dusted with what tasted like a chili-based rub and two different kinds of shrimp scampi. They were all very tasty, with the spicier shrimp my personal favorite. All the shellfish were cooked to perfection. How does someone get such consistency with 104 shrimp? It boggles the mind.

After the amuses, we had what was my favorite dish of the night, a crab bisque that definitely made my knees slightly buckle. At this point the weather outside was frightful, and the bisque was quite delightful. The chunks of crab were immense and the soup was just salty enough to balance the sweetness of the meat. I wanted a piece of that bread for dipping. Would that be an insult? Who cares! With this crowd I'm sure it wouldn't matter.

After a small, light palate cleansing Caesar salad, it was time for the main course: steak. We both had the hanger steak, described by the chef as "the way beef is supposed to taste," cooked medium rare. The grill marks on the steak were, well, beautiful. The kind of marks you see on the faux meats in Outback commercials. The taste seemed almost earthy to me, in a good way -- like I was eating meat fresh from the farm, more fibrous than the tasteless supermarket dreck we're subjected too but fifteen times as flavorful. The creamed spinach and mashed potato sides were awesome accompaniments, though I must admit after a few bites I realized how full of cream my body was (after the bisque...) and gave my stomach a break. By the last bites of steak I was sweating a little... but when that key lime pie came out, I had to hit it. Though I may not usually enjoy sweets, I'll make an exception for key lime -- especially if it as good as this one was.

I'll spare you some cheesey concluding paragraph and just leave you with the following statistics. Ponder them as you complain about the next dinner party you have to cook for.

3 amuses, including 2 different kinds of shrimp.

1 salad.

1 soup.

1 main (two types, salmon and steak).

2 sides.

1 dessert.

52 tops.

1 chef, 2 sous.

1 server (also the chef).

1 dropped plate.

52 satisfied customers.

The INA Can Ram It

2005-12-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

Currently: in the middle of my Non-Immigrant Visa test, sending emails to family and friends, and basically wasting time. Work is pretty fun at the current moment, as is obvious. I mean, who blogs during a test?

Today was a banner day, as I arranged for my departure from these hallowed grounds. Official departure as of now is January 18th. Itinerary takes me to NYC for two days, departing Saturday the 20th. Onward to Heathrow, Dubai, and ultimately Islamabad. The last two legs of the flight? Gulf Air, First Class. That's what I'm talking about, people.

The flood of departures has not begun, but it's close: our first leaves for Saudi tomorrow, and around December 17th the floodgates really open, with a departure each week it seems. We had the first goodbye party last night at Old Ebbitt, where I enjoyed a half dozen oysters and an oyster shooter. And! I found some people willing to go in on the Orca Platter with me. Now that, friends, is awesome.

First Class and Orca Platters. I should enjoy this while it lasts. God Bless America.

Somewhere between $29 and $36 per Hour

2005-12-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

Newsflash: I know what my housing in Islamabad will be like for my first few months over there. According to Post, I will be living either here or here.

Seems a bit decadent, no? I can see how it would get totally old after a while. But for a little bit, it could be fun times.

And no, I don't plan on living like Raoul Duke. At least not much.

Two Amys, a Religious Experience

2005-12-04T14:44:00.000-05:00

My first foray into knocking out items on my now evolving to-do list was marred by the fact that I left my camera on my kitchen counter. But it was still a very good day. I started at Two Amys where my companion and I enjoyed grilled stuffed squid with green sauce -- awesome. After the starter we diverged; she had the margherita extra while I had the ribieno extra. That's basically a calzone stuffed with pancetta, prosciutto, salami, ricotta, and mozarella. When it first arrived at our table I stifled a laugh; this was totally going to be two meals. But when I dug in I realized that reheating would be an insult to this awesome crust, so I slowly but surely soldiered through eating the entire thing. It helped that it was delicious. The quality of the ricotta stood out in particular, better than any simple ricotta I have ever had. I wish I had a little bit more tomato sauce, but the benefits of that could be argued.

After Two Amys we walked down to the Cathedral, the most inexplicable of the landmarks in DC I've ignored. Unfortunately, construction prevented us from seeing Darth Vader, but the Cathedral was still impressive. The unusual marriage of pride in America and Episcopalianism was a little strange to me -- it seemed directly in conflict with the establishment clause -- but it worked, overall. I was pleased to see an entire bay of stained glass windows devoted to Maryland, and the architecture was Gothic-tastic. In comparison to other Cathedrals I've seen, the Washington version seemed a little excessively modern, no comparison to the York Minster, but it was still a beautiful building. Overall, a very nice excuse to actually drive in the city. I'm upset I missed Messiah, but that's what happens when you spend your days away from a computer and don't research things ahead of time.

Stephen King, Eat Your Heart Out

2005-11-30T13:37:00.000-05:00

Ghost Wars is the scariest book I have read in a long, long time. And the timing of my class the day afterwards -- an analysis of the 9/11 hijackers visa applications -- was alarmingly apropos.

In reality, the fact that the Mohammed Atta et. al. entered the US fradulently is a small, small portion of the story. The entire story is much deeper, and frankly, much more tragic then that one day. The years leading up to September 11th were a symphony of mistakes played by both political parties in the US and all the involved agencies. No one had the whole picture, and the whole was much, much greater then the sum of its parts.

If you haven't read Ghost Wars, you owe it to yourself. It isn't an easy read, and it isn't a short read. There are no heroes and who the antagonists (beyond the obvious) are may surprise you. You'll look at that Tuesday in an entirely different light.

Happy Birthday to Blog

2005-11-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Mainlyaboutfood! You turned one a couple days ago. This time last year, posts were numerous, recipes were delicious, and complaining was ubiquitous. Now? Your blogger posts perhaps twice a week, frequently survives on Morningstar Farms fake meat products, and actually likes his life.

Being that the original trends/themes of this site are now at the best nascent, or at the worst gone, there's one logical option: infanticide.

In exactly eight weeks, I am going to kill this blog. The time has come. Previous ideas like "islamablog" (cute, but geographically limiting) have also been tabled. A new blog -- this time also announced to my parents -- will debut in its place, and will detail my travels and travails in South Asia and various airport lounges. Name suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Please, nothing that involves any part of my real name: anonymity, once impossible, is now preferred.

Vino Bleg

2005-11-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

Carrying on from my last entry: through some online friends I won a spot for two at Ray's the Steaks Monday the 5th. The dinner is a great deal and since it's a private event, it's BYOB. Which is awesome, except I don't want to roll up with a bottle of Yellow Tail.

I'm thinking, as usual, a full bodied Syrah. My date's not a big fan of the oaky Cabs and I'm not as good with wine as I was this time last year, so I figured a standby wouldn't be so bad. But in addition to knocking off an item on my to-do list, the dinner is a special occasion (a birthday). And I ALWAYS do Syrah/Shiraz. I'd like something different.

So, readers, can anyone suggest a good bottle of Red to go with outstanding steak that will run me around $20, maybe a bit more? Vendors where the suggested wine is available would also be appreciated. I do have easy access to Schneiders, but can get pretty much anywhere.

Yes, this is a ridiculously easy bleg. But if you look at what I've had for dinner the past few days, it would become obvious how low I've sunk culinarily. No daydream time = no recipe contemplation.

The Big To-Do

2005-11-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

Like Catherine and RJ3 before her, my thoughts have wandered to how I will spend my last couple (quite literally) months in the city. Though I can't claim to have been here as long as the Zuntas, I've certainly done some time within the boundaries of 495 -- but there are many things I haven't done. Couple that with the fact that I'll be going some place where certain activities will be impossible to enjoy, and you have the foundations of a theoretically infinite list. Perhaps unsurprisingly, much of this list involves some sort of consumption (hello, blog title peeps!), a predeliction that I will embrace with a fullness.

Unfortunately, some of the things I've never done are limited by the unpredictability of DC weather. So though I haven't, for example, watched planes land at Gravelly Point, I think I'll only include such ideas as suggested if weather allows.

So here goes the first go at a list:

1. Hear Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral.
2. Watch the White House Christmas tree lighting.
3. For that matter, get a tour of the White House.
4. Eat at: Acadiana, Ray's the Steaks, the back room of Palena, Colorado Kitchen, Kaz Sushi Bistro (let's leave Citronelle and CityZen for when my differential pay comes in, okay?).
5. To echo Catherine, get drinks at the Mandarin Oriental or the Hay-Adams.
6. Take a walking tour of Anacostia.
7. Watch the sun rise over the Capitol (preferrably as the end to a looooong night).
8. Go back to Nation one last time.
9. Crap, another from the Zunta list: go to the top of the Washington Monument.
10. Eat as much good, fresh seafood as humanly possible. And for that matter, pork.

There are, of course, a number of other things I plan on doing here before I go -- but these are some priorities. If you have ideas of other things I need to do, hit me up -- especially if you can facilitate #'s 3 and 4, or want to join in on any of these (ad)ventures. I've got some time, a digital camera, and the wind at my sails. Let's do this thing.

Gone Way Up to Mars

2005-11-16T15:55:00.000-05:00

As I sat down to read super-interesting Immigrant Visa Law this afternoon (sidenote: man, this stuff is awful. I never realized the fine differences between "child" and "son," and how the U.S. government runs one of the few lotteries where you pay them (sidesidenote: "In Capitalist America, Winner Pays Lottery!")) I decided that instead of a CD I'd enjoy some of the fine music offered up by DirecTV. Imagine the surprise when I clicked over to channel 800 and saw that as of yesterday, DirecTV had teamed up with XM Radio. No more intuitive channel titles like "Classic R&B" or "Adult Alternative (Uncensored)" -- instead, now we have Fred, Ethel, Lucy, and Fish.

For the last half hour the new radio options have proved fairly entertaining. The DJ on "Soul Street" is entertaining, the metal channel played my favorite Tool song, and unlike the old DirecTV music stations, the actual names of the songs showed up just as song began instead of thirty seconds in. This move by the two companies is certainly smart marketing. Were I a more frequent driver, I would probably consider subscribing. But I doubt that you can get satellite radio in Pak. Of course, cell phone use has probably spread to the FATA, sp I might be wrong. For all I know Opie and Anthony are incredibly popular over there.

He Got That Ambition Baby

2005-11-13T22:38:00.000-05:00

This was one of the best weekends I have had in recent memory. No in depth recaps because I don't feel like it, but...

-- Chief Ike's Saturday night parties are awesome. Yeah, there's a cover, but the dancing is almost as good as the old Kingpin Saturday nights.

-- My mother can still cook Indian food well. But she needs pointers in everything else.

-- I ran into more old high school friends than ever this weekend. Kids, I come back to Perry Hall about once every few months. Why now, all of a sudden?

-- Waiting, drunkenly, for the 90/92/96 bus at 3 AM is a great time for a heart to heart. No, really.

This was a weekend of realizations. Paramount is the fact that I have 10 weekends left in the United States -- 9 now. Forgive the language, but holy effing ess. One step at a time, I suppose. If you are a friend who reads this blog but hasn't been in touch with me recently (and if you haven't received a reply from me via my gmail account, this includes you, I suck...), I implore you to leave a comment on this entry with your email addy. The truth is I've been a jerk about staying in touch with people, and I want to change that. The best way is to start fresh.

9 Saturdays to go....

Girlfight Ends with One Woman Dead, One Iraqi Livid

2005-11-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

Arrrgggh. Lost!!! Now where am I going to get my Maggie Grace fix? The internet kind of works, and yeah, her character was a spoiled brat. But she was a spoiled brat with issues, my favorite kind.

That said, loved it. I was spoiler free and didn't know someone was going to bite it before Catherine blogged about it, and even then I was skeptical. But the whispers! The, err, Walt-spers! And no annoyingly long-winded Party of Five guy. As long as they have some Kate to compensate, I'll be happy. She's hotter -- the fact that she can shoot guarantees that. Jury's still out on the tail ender with the gun skills; will evaluate after they clean up a little. Jeez, just cuz it's a deserted island doesn't mean you can't wash a little, people.

No Vaccine for It

2005-11-09T07:23:00.000-05:00

What I've learned after two days of Consular training: "American" nationality is much closer to an STD than I ever thought. Transmission, legitimation, small "freedom bumps" that develop near your nether regions. Who knew.

Also, though I like the sentiment behind Scott's bovinity thing, that particular neologism seems incorrect. If anything deserved the "bovinity" tag, it would be a steak. But we're talking ground beef here -- it's already the spare bits of beef mangled beyond recognition. It's creative, and the "platonic ideal" thing is a bit played, but bovinity seems a bit to close to "cruncheweesy".

Off now to school (with direct deposit). Today I begin LU930, Teach Yourself Urdu for Fun & Profit. Teaching yourself a language is awesome!

(total double quote pairs in this hastily assembled blog entry: 5. New record?)

Deserves a Quiet Night

2005-11-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

In other, more personal news:

The personal terror alert level has reached the Zen-like level of "Acceptance of the Complete and Utter Fear that Consumes Every Day." What do I do with my car? When will I have time to cash out a portion of the old 401K and pay off my debt, rolling the rest over? Do I keep some of my crappy furniture for when I return or just purge? As far as the latter, I'm leaning towards a grand purge. Tutoring is over and not a second too soon; if I had to keep that crap up, I'd really be up the proverbial creek. Of course, I have yet to receive my travel orders, which makes things a bit more complex. There are a few plusses on the horizon, the tops being some trips back to Perry Hall to drop off possessions that I'd rather not keep in storage but want to save nonetheless -- and valuable time relaxing with the parents (who knew, I find time with Mr. and Mrs. G relaxing now). Books are highest on this list. Still need to confirm this arrangement with the 'rents but I think they won't mind.

The car is the other big thing on my mind. It's certainly not traveling with me, and Reenee doesn't get back into the States until June. She won't have permission to retrieve the car from storage and frankly, I'd rather not put it there. This needs serious thought, and I don't want to sell.

Dinners of late have been good. Went to Ceviche in Silver Sprung (what the heck is that kind of space doing there, anyway?) with Audrey Monday night, which was tasty. Unfortunately, the service was maddeningly slow and I wanted to throttle someone by the end of the meal. Had Indique with Katie on Sunday night and spent too much money on good food and even better wine. Brunch at the Bombay Club Sunday -- moderate quality, but great company. A very nice homemade dinner Saturday consisting of a tomato sauce made from scratch (tomatoes, onion, garlic, anchovies, chili flakes, Valipolcella) and served with chicken and artichoke sausage, asparagus, and linguine. The cooking is beginning again, albeit slowly, and I'm back at the gym with some regularity after developing a healthy layer of diplofat during A-100.

Still. The horror, the horror. Waking up in the middle of the night, every night -- not because of the usual insomnia, but because of some nagging nightmares. Maybe it's time to investigate OTC remedies for this situation. But of course, this is stubborn Kanishka. For the time being, I'm powering through.

Less than three months until I depart. Despite my subconscious, I hope that things work out smoothly. Inshallah.

So What So What So What's The

2005-11-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

Another day, another great South Asia class. We had Pamela Constable come in to speak to us on Human Rights -- fresh of an interview with Mukhtar Mai last night. It was much more powerful than I was expecting, and the Human Rights situation in South Asia is rather scary, women's rights in particular.

Later in the afternoon we heard from Ambassador Ashley Wills, who's now with USTR. He's a South Asia expert and served as Ambassador in Sri Lanka. Much of the talk was about the coming election in Sri Lanka. It was a little sobering. A paraphrase: "Sri Lanka is one of the most Edenic countries in a world... with the scar of 25 years of civil war running down its face." Yikes.

On the Metro home I cooked up a nightmare scenario. If you're even slightly familiar with South Asian politics, does this make sense?:

Please note: The following represents my prognostications and views and not those of the US Government, the State Dept., or any related organization.

Currently: India is led by a delicate coalition that includes vote support from the CPI(M) of Bengal, though they are not formally part of the coalition. Through this most fragile of alliances, Singh has risen to power. He has begun a thawing process with Musharraf, bringing the two countries to a state of careful detente. But we know how these things can change...

Sri Lanka has been through civil war for years, and Wickramasinghe is apparently (this according to Wills) running for PM with a policy that would be very offensive to the Tamils. Right now he's behind in the polls but only by a few points.

So: Wickramasinghe wins in Sri Lanka, and his more left-wing allies (LVP, right?) push him to implement the ant-Tamil policies. This inflames not only the Tigers, but Tamil Nadu. Civil war (or at least civil conflict) starts again, and India perceives the happenings in Sri Lanka as anti-Hindu. Singh's ruling coalition falls apart from increased pressure from the BJP, who ride a renewed crest of Hindutva to victory in Parliament. In the meantime (this is where I'm really stretching things), the Pakistani government sees weakness both in the increasingly accomodationist Musharraf and the Indian government... and the Pak military does what they are wont to do. Of course, we're watching Musharraf's back, so hopefully the latter part of this prediction is less likely.

So: a new BJP led government in India, a civil war in Sri Lanka, and (possibly) a new dictatorship in Pakistan that could be more hard line than Mr. Musharraf. And after that? Well, if you remember Kargil, and 2002, and so on, you know where I'm going.

Of course this is all speculation. Will someone with more expertise in South Asian politics please tell me that all the above proves is that I'm a crappy political analyst with no idea of the realities involved here? That would make me feel much better. Also, State peeps: should I delete this entry? I know, I won't be able to write like this at post, but by then I'll have a different blog.

UPDATE: Clarifications are needed. I don't think violence would spread to Tamil Nadu -- but feelings of anger leading to a BJP revival certainly could. And my feelings about the Pak military could be off the mark, which is why it's really just a nightmare scenario. I think Musharraf is stronger than how I characterize him here.

Speaking of South Asian Politics...

2005-10-29T10:15:00.000-04:00

... scary happenings abroad. Hey, I'm moving to Pakistan. Great.

Unrealpolitick

2005-10-28T20:14:00.000-04:00

South Asian Politics. Wow. My first course after A-100 has been with Stephen Dachi, a distinguished former FSO who has catapulted himself into my top-ten lecturer list. We listen to him for seven hours a day (roughly) and he is phenomenal, working off few notes, cracking the class up with some great off-color statements and anecdotes, and providing Kissinger-esque realpolitick insights into the world of South Asia. I thought I knew a little about South Asian Politics, but I was wrong. It's a startling world of living history and illogic that no two week course can do justice to, but Dachi is trying. It's definitely fascinating stuff, though some of his insights into Pakistan are a little scary.

We spent an hour today on Afghanistan, in which we learned that it's basically a libertarian's dream. Hey you Unabomber/militia types? Why are you still in America? Move to Kandahar or Herat -- no taxes, no gun control, little central government, and now that pesky Taliban is gone. Sure your wives might not like it as much, but they can learn to deal.

More on South Asia later. I just looked at the clock and beer calls.

A Little Service, Inshallah

2005-10-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

There are bad times to go to a Pakistani restaurant, like just after sundown during Ramadan. Those devout Moslems love their iftar and eat like woah. Of course, I had forgotten this when I suggested to the rest of the Pak Pack that we dine at Ravi Kabob Monday night. Cold, rainy, a perfect night for some kabob action -- but alas, the restaurant was more crowded than the great mosque during the Hajj (not that I'd know; am not allowed, have only seen pictures, and man is it crowded).

But the food, it was worth it. Damn good kabobs, and the rest of the Pakistan group concurred. I had the lamb chop, which was good, but made better by the delicious yogurt dipping sauce and a cool Maaza on the side. The naan was blisteringly hot, and the selection was far greater than Food Factory. However: the customer service was decidedly lacking. The servers would put your food on the counter, yell your number offhand, and then wander away. If you don't pay attention, or if the restaurant is even slightly loud (and during this particular iftar it was), you're close to SOL. So bring a wing man to watch for the both of you.

I'd rate Ravi Kabob a step below Food Factory because of service issues. The food was slightly better, though the naan is better at FF. The selection is wider, but not having tried anything more than the bone in lamb chop I can't comment. The prices are a bit higher, but the portions are much bigger. Location is a trump -- but it depends, here, on where you are. It's walking distance from FSI so I may be back after Ramadan ends.

In other news, my personal terror alert level is nearing "bloodcurdling." There's so much to do before January, and a number of people (important people) have not been in touch with me in regards to some rather vital concerns. In the mean time I'm occupying myself with thoughts of cleaning, though certainly not the real thing right now (pshaw). My tutoring is most likely over, alhumdullilah, leaving me some more time on the weekends for the regular tasks. But still: this is the big drawback to being a local and moving so soon. I have not the foggiest where to start as far as what to toss, what to keep, and frankly, where to start.

That Stuff You Make Syrup From

2005-10-21T18:25:00.000-04:00

Dean Acheson Auditorium
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

So I'm now an official officer of the U.S. Foreign Service. It would be lying to say that I didn't well up a bit today. I have met some of the most impressive and interesting people ever in the past seven weeks, people that I know will be friends for life. Now we're scattered to the four winds, but we'll be close in heart forever.

If anyone from the 126th is reading, thank you. You have been some of the greatest people I've ever met. Some of you are coming out to Pak with me, while 89 of you are headed elsewhere -- but I know no matter what a bond has been forged that is forever.

Also, thanks to Danny at Notti Bianche. What a great lunch.

Anyway, peruse my flickr stream for additional swearing in pictures. You know you want to, at the very least to look at pics of my super cute parents. Reenee, I miss you so much. We toasted to you today; oddly, in future years, it will probably be me that you, Ma, and Baba toast to.

The great adventure that is life lays ahead.

Reactive

2005-10-15T16:55:00.000-04:00

Today was my hometown Bengali association's celebration of Durga Puja, an event that kind of boils down to a mix between Christmas, a family reunion, an Amish barn raising, and a tapir. It's a good time, soggy french fries and all, but I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the legions of fake aunts and uncles barraging me and my parents with questions about my career path.

(note to probably all except Reenee: because we Indians rarely come to the country with blood relations, extremely close ties are forged with our linguistic community, in our case Bengalis. I've known many Baltimore Bengalis since the day I was born and commonly refer to all of them as "mashis" and "kakus," the Bengali equivalent of "aunt" and "uncle." For more information, see Lahiri, Jhumpa, The Namesake, Houghton Mifflin, September 2003)

Mostly, the mashis and kakus were supportive, if a bit surprised. A few knew already and it was clear that the gossip chain was coming together. (I wouldn't be surprised if a random Bengali in Arkansas hears through the grapevine that I'm a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso in a week.) There were, however, some pretty funny questions. A choice selection:

"Make sure you don't come home with a Muslim girl." (predictable)

"Are you going to take out your earrings?" (ditto)

"Thank God, now you'll take out your earrings." (these people are direct!)

"What will you really be doing? (wink wink)"

"Now all of your mom's hair will fall out."

(multiple times)"Why couldn't you go somewhere more civilized like London/New Delhi/Sydney/etc.?"

"Are you crazy?" (yes)

Mom started to well up a few times, especially after someone noted that I wouldn't be coming to a Prantik Puja next year and that neither child will be on the same continent as their parents for a while. Oh was that fun to hear. Also amusing was the kaku who said to my mother "What did you do wrong? It's like your kids are itching to be as far away from you as possible!"

(note: the generic Bengali term for going abroad is "baye-ray," which generically means "outside." It's like they're Hobbits and think of anything outside of the Shire as outside their frame of reference. Often, people from outside the community (not to mention the country) are described as "outside people." Hilarious.)

To any Prantik heads that couldn't make it: the soggy fries were there, the khitchouri was tasteless, and the papadams didn't have enough masala, the prasad was the usual, and the aachaar was neither spicy nor sour enough.

Anyway, that hurdle is out of the way. It was nice to hear that apparently a party is being planned for me at some point with all of my fake cousins. Next up: Thanksgiving. That is going to be hella emo.

Well this is a Surprise

2005-10-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

Well this is a Surprise
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Islamabad, Pakistan. January 2006. Wow.

T Minus 26.5 Hours

2005-10-10T13:26:00.000-04:00

Good god... it's not long yet. I'm nervous as all get out. Or am I just starving? Probably a little of both.

Next blog post will include a flag. I promise.

Mixed Nuts

2005-10-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

1. Obligatory Food Content II
Kaz Sushi Bistro served up a pretty fine omakase sushi dinner on Saturday night. Highlights included fatty tuna with foie gras, sweet shrimp with tapioca pearls, and a piece of Japanese eggplant that was surprising. It's going to cost you a touch more than Kotobuki (by touch I mean a lot, friends) but I was splurging and it was worth it. 180 ml carafe of sake, omakase sushi plate (6 nigiri plus a roll), $45 with tax and (a big) tip.

2. State and Main
We're fast approaching the end of our time at A-100. The end of week 5 (Friday!) marks the beginning of a sea change in what occurs in class. That's (natch) because of Flag Day, but also because with our flags will come myriad different assignments, breaking the hundred-odd of us into smaller groups studying everything from motor pool operations to Amharic. It's kind of sad, really -- but we'll have happy hours to keep us together.

But what about in specific, you ask? Well, yesterday I had my Bengali test (did okay, half a grade less than I was hoping), took a trip to the Pentagon, and hosted a panel on counterterrorism at Main State. It was a pretty stressful day in terms of movement alone, though I am proud to say I believe I have the layout of the first floor of Foggy Bottom down. Tomorrow we have some lectures and a seminar on child abduction issues (a big deal for consular work, which we'll all have to do).

(deleted: the part where I wax rhapsodic about work and all that is good with it in comparison to the previous job, blah blah blah. I'm going to put a moratorium on that, thanks)

3. Famous for DC and Perhaps Otherwise
Monday afternoon I walked by Karl Rove in Main State (no, I did not hit/yell at/throw projectiles at him, sorry, to do so would probably be a violation). And yesterday a colleague and I saw George Will at the front desk waiting to get in. Haha, sucker: I got a badge.

4. Looking to the Future
God bless the American Government and its continued support for ~~Italian American~~Columbus Day. That means Monday for sleeping in and Sunday for some more partying. It's really my duty as a good American. Numerous parties seem to be dotting this weekend, as well as tutoring duties (which I am quickly getting tired of).

Also, I need to go on a run to purchase more ties. I have not repeated a tie through all of A-100 and may have enough to get me through next week without dipping into the novelty tie collection -- but Week 7 may be a challenge. Never thought I'd enjoy these nooses so much, but the ladies, they love them. Impetus enough to search for that perfect cravate.

Falter When You're the Rock of Gibraltar

2005-10-02T18:43:00.000-04:00

Topic: Late Registration by Kanye West

Assertion: Though the album as a whole is innovative, catchy, and at times almost profound, the "Broke Phi Broke" skits add absolutely nothing to the album. The addition of the skits significantly detracts from the quality of the album as a whole, diminishing what could have been an easy A+ effort from Mr. West.

Discuss.

Like a Record Baby

2005-09-29T23:04:00.000-04:00

Roast Chicken with Heirloom Tomato & Mesclun Salad
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

First, obligatory via blog title food content, long time coming. Pictured is my first real substantial cooking in a pretty long time. It's kind of like my usual roast chicken but not at all. I took some beurre composee I had made (chive and garlic) and stuffed some medallions under the skin, and then wrapped the entire bird in bacon and roasted it for about 1.5 hours at 300 degrees. The results were predictably greasy and delicious. The salad was, you know, for my heart. I'm trying to get as many tomatoes into me as possible before the season ends. Photo of the bird carcass available on my flickr account. Some, most likely Missy, may note that this is not my first go at bacon-wrapped entrees, but I don't do it very often. But it's great once in a while.

Today was one of the most interesting days at A-100. We had a fantastically dynamic lecturer teach us a seminar called "Composure Under Fire" -- basically, dealing with hostile, challenging questions. Prior days have been spent learning about public speaking from the page. I really suck at that. But today was different. Extemporaneous speaking is where I'm Viking. The emphasis was on the fact that we're all now representatives of the American government, and when at post will be such 24-7. Yeah, that's not pressure at all.

A-100 continues to go well overall. Monday and Tuesday will be incredibly stressful for me and one of my colleagues, not to mention the fact that I have a Bengali test Tuesday. But the weeks are really flying by (tomorrow is Friday???) so the flag should be coming soon enough. The class is going from cameraderie to some good friendships and I'm really happy about that. Oh yeah, and we got our first paychecks. I'm a thousandaire!

Soapy Soup

2005-09-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

It's been fun to watch my readership plummet due to my complete lack of blogging. Chalk being MIA up to the fact that I'm no longer in a cubicle and not in front of a computer often. We're on a rare 15 minute break right now, having just had a rather interesting lecture from the Director General of the FS.

It's impossible to encapsulate the last weeks via a non-verbal medium. The best way is the mantra I came up with this weekend: it's amazing to move from a job to a career. The people, the training... the only real bad part about this whole dilly is that we're ridiculously overcrowded in a teeny room. Really, I'm not feeling any other negatives.

Unrelated: the Tom Yum soup at Spices tastes like lemon pledge, and if you have a chance to buy a Mr. Stripey tomato from Cinda Sebastian at Eastern Market, I highly recommend it.

Maybe I'll actually start cooking again at some point... but dudes, no time now. Balancing happy hours and culinary pursuits is hard yo.

Le Deuxieme Semaine

2005-09-17T12:50:00.000-04:00

So week two is over, punctuated by an fantastic dinner that I cannot adequately describe in prose and a happy hour well attended and extremely fun. The stress of the last two weeks was palpable as my classmates and I prepared our bid lists, turning in a list of missions around the world we'd love to work for. I posted an early draft of this list, but here are the final "High" posts:

Abuja
Accra
Addis Ababa
Astana
Chennai
Dhaka
Islamabad
Kiev
Kuala Lumpur
Lahore
Moscow
New Delhi
Peshawar
Pristina
Sarajevo
Sofia
Warsaw

For those who don't know, the 126th A-100 class (that's us) will find out where they are going on October 11th in a peculiar little ceremony known as "Flag Day". A miniature flag representing the nation of a particular post is held up. The peanut gallery yells out the name of the country, the MC announces the job and who the lucky person will be. Before that point very few Junior Officers know for sure where their first tour will take them. I really cannot wait.

This week was also a little odd as I had a rare sleep in day Thursday, my French test yesterday, and a bunch of lectures that ranged from interesting to godawful boring. I was very nervous about the French test, since I haven't spoken francais since 2002 -- and haven't formally studied the language since 1999. But seven years later, my basic reading remains at the intermediate level, though my spoken is, in a world, pathetic. No matter; I'm happy my reading is still strong.

Next week: two days in DC training and then off to the wilds of West Virginia and The Woods for fun and frolic. But more immediately, time for food in my belly and the market.

Contemplating Blog Name Change

2005-09-12T21:45:00.000-04:00

Do you remember your first week at college, or in a new city, or that study abroad trip that after the first week had you absolutely bubbling over with stories of complete awesomeness and utter terror that you were so totally sure your friends would totally want to hear about? And then you wrote an email/made a phone call/(for you early adopters) wrote a blog entry and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE CARED. Yeah, well I'm trying to avoid that. For example, do you care that today I took the ridiculously hard MLAT? Probably not. And you couldn't care less about the fact that I know no less than 20-some Pickering Fellows, am learning how to write a diplomatic cable tomorrow, reconfirmed the fact that I'm an ENTP, and am basically back in a college-type environment -- except I'm wearing a suit, amongst a group that ranges in age from 23 to 51, and oh yeah, getting paid to do this.

It's nuts. Really, there's nothing else to describe it. A new lesson, and new insights, every day. It's been a while since I've had this much fun, been this (productively) busy, worked with so little sleep but so much energy, and met a group of talented, amazing people. Though frankly, there's no reason you should care. It's quickly becoming clear that I'm moving swiftly into the world of esoterica. Not that that's a particularly bad thing (if the shoe fits...)

Life is such that I'm not cooking nearly as much, and all my pathetically defined regular patterns are being disrupted. Despite this (I was at one point a rather unexpected fan of rigid structure) things are very good, if a little unsettled. Wednesday our first draft of the dread Bid List is due, after which we meet with our CDOs (Career Development Officers) to discuss where in the world we'll be. Though Dhaka looks like a distinct possibility, I'll still try to make a pitch for some other, more interesting destinations (though Dhaka ain't bad).

And I think I've spent more time in Virginia over the last week or so than ever before in my life. This, I'm not so happy about.

Where In The World Is

2005-09-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a prelim rundown on where I may be bidding High:

SARAJEVO
ISLAMABAD
KIEV
NEW DELHI
DHAKA
DHAKA
LAHORE
SOFIA
ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD
ST PETERSBURG
CHENNAI
PESHAWAR
PRISTINA
ASTANA
ADDIS ABABA

The multiple Islamabads and Dhakas are for different type tours. Also, note that this list was compiled out of pure gut instinct; I'll be doing research to refine it, and some of my mediums (not listed) may move up to high.

Yes I will have a recipe for you, and soon; it's currently sitting, mingling a little so the flavors settle. Still have to determine whether the balance is on (there may not be enough cilantro).

(If anyone has insights into the cities above, or questions, or whatevs, holla)

Sensitive but not Confidential

2005-09-06T22:41:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone. I know I promised a blog entry about my first day at State, but the truth is everything is jumping around in my head like Mexican jumping beans. Appropriate considering that 20% of our bid list is Mexican. Who know my decision to not learn Spanish was actually helpful?

So yeah, the day. What a long, long, long, stressful, awesome, long day. Did I mention how awesomely long it was? But it really was something. There's alot I'd like to say but no way to express it without relative diarrhea of the blog.

One thing looks pretty certain, and that's the fact that soon(ish) I'll be headed to a certain third world country beloved by George Harrison and not-so-coincidentally my ancestral home. This isn't a lock but it's as close as anything is at ItDependsiversity. But I'll know for sure Oct. 11. Maybe I'll put a list of my high bids up at some point. That, friends, is still TBD.

And being a suit kind of rocks now that it's not hot as heck.

Flutterbies

2005-09-06T05:42:00.000-04:00

Remember that feeling you had on the firsy day of high school?

Yeah, multiply that by like eleventy-seven.

Back later today with such fun as bid lists and a report on the day. At least the part I'm allowed to tell you about.

PS: Guarapos -- you need to change the lightbulb in your upstairs men's room. And can you make your mojito less sugary? Thx.

I Might be Wrong

2005-09-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

From someone who has seen both:

"I was in New York during September 11 and the weeks that followed and I say the following with complete certainty: this disaster is so much worse than September 11 that they are not even comparable"

Original, eye-opening, bowel-shuddering post here.

If it weren't for the new job I would be on the first bus/train to NoLa.

Auf Wiedershenist

2005-09-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

Previous post is not in reference to this, but other goodbyes are also happening this weekend.

Transition time ain't easy, but it's welcome. Change is good, friends, change is good.

A Feeling I Haven't Had in a While

2005-09-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is totally cheesetastic, but it also happened:

Sunglasses on. Radio blaring. Driving 75 on the highway, bad vibes behind me, the road open ahead. The sky's blue and I'm leaving for good, off to a life that's simultaneously terrifying and amazing. Finally, it's over. There's nothing holding me back and the feeling is indescribably euphoric. "Solsbury Hill" comes on the stereo and I speed up, beaming, glowing, completely adrenalized.

That's a rush everyone needs to feel, once in their lives. It's like nothing else.

Hijack This

2005-08-30T22:35:00.000-04:00

It just upsets me that a fine post about a great restaurant was hijacked by an off-topic comment stream. It's really just out of hand, especially with some of the volume those folk are commenting with. For the record, I'm anti-smoking in restaurants, but think bars are different. So I guess I fall in the owner-choice camp. Basically, I think smoking sections are a good thing.

But for every comment stream like that, it's great to have Joe Englert, Hill entrepreneur supreme, read and comment on DCist. Say what you will about him, he's a good business man and Trusty's alone makes me like the guy.

This Forearm Burrito Trend

2005-08-30T08:27:00.000-04:00

So last Thursday I was faced with the dangerous combination of a ridiculous rush, a suffering wallet, and an empty stomach. Stranded with a half hour to kill in Cleveland Park I decided that just this once I'd check out California Tortilla. Now chain fast food I can deal with, but since I've really got no love for Chipotle (never saw the point) I was skeptical about "CalTor" (as my student refers to it). The menu options, however, looked promising, and the plain fact of it was that I needed food, I needed it fast, and I needed it cheap.

(normally when teaching in CP I take advantage of the restaurants. But times are tight now people. Sorry. Return to Palena, Dino, etc. to come sometime in the future)

If you click on the company's website, you'll see that they are a smaller than average chain, and seem to have a healthy sense of humor. The music in the joint was kicking out hot 80s jams (never a bad thing) and the staff were pretty friendly. Food came out slower than at McBurrito, but maybe that was because it took me a few listens before I understood the heavily accented and heavily distorted "83!!!" over the loudspeaker.

The burrito was superior to anything I've ever had at Chipotle; yes, forearm sized, drippy with filler, all that good stuff. The flavor I requested was "buffalo chicken fajita" and tasted nothing of buffalo, or of the related-by-three-degrees vinegary wing sauce I love so much. Probably because in mixing with the black beans, the sauce turned some shade of purple. But it was good nonetheless. Not outstanding, but as circumstances are similar today I may have to return. Please God don't let this become a habit.

Yes, I know. The Well Dressed Burrito. This is the problem with not working downtown (or in town for that matter): no Breadline, no Galileo grill, no WDB. As I'll be in the wasteland of Foggy Bottom occasionally next month, I'll try to broaden my lunch horizons via Metroing about, promise.

Among the Many Things that Must End...

2005-08-28T20:08:00.000-04:00

... are the white suit. White jackets, over jeans? I can dig that. But the suit is a whole 'nother thing. The Miami style is one that I just cannot get on board with. Perhaps because of my dislike for all things Miami/LA. Yes, I realize that putting the two together is reductionist. But they're close enough. Yuck.

Also: If Go Fug Yourself doesn't note Jessica Simpsons absolutely hideous outfit at the MTV VMAs, then I'll be very disappointed.

(yes I watched the VMAs tonight. Low culture baby!)

Out and Over this Iridescent Grid

2005-08-28T14:24:00.000-04:00

Pancakes are so played. French Toast is where it's at, people. That is unless the pancakes are some sort of fancy rolled/crepe version. Then it's a virtual tie, though I think French Toast still wins. Also, why hasn't the mimosa been supplanted by the far superior poinsettia? These are the things I wonder about. No wonder I can never remember where I left my cell phone.

Off topic: I have been obsessively listening to "The City" for like eleventeen hours. No idea why.

That last sentence was a joke, natch.

Apologia

2005-08-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

I 1000% planned on going to Catherine's last night for her goodbye party. I had clothes picked out, a drop in at Ollie's Trolley planned, the whole nine yards. Around 7 I thought "hmm, maybe I'll take a little nap". And... how obvious is this?... I just woke up. 13 hours later.

So I missed what was apparently a good party. Bummer, but there will be others. The greater result here is the formulation of a masterful exit strategy. This small incident will be the beginning of a larger plan, one in which I don't exactly leave DC as much as gradually fade away. Leaving people with only vague memories of my existence, like a fleeting fever dream, ethereal wisps of someone they knew, somewhere, somewhen. The effort, at the very least, could be interesting.

Real Ultimate Power

2005-08-26T11:54:00.000-04:00

NPR says "the blogs christened him 'Butterstick'. Shoutouts to The Zuntas and the originators of this hypermeme, Chrisafer, Ben Beaverhausen, and Michael Artiloop.

Eternal Sunshine of the Wandering Mind

2005-08-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

Man, concentration is ebbing for me. Kind of wish I had taken off a week earlier than announced and sat on my ass relaxing for a bit. Could have spent days wandering the DC, getting lunch at downtown spots I haven't been able to hit (number three worst thing about this job: location location location) and in general taking some semblance of a vacation. But nooooo. Instead, I sit hear working on onerous tasks I wouldn't want to hand off to myself as an office newbie four-odd years ago.

Sorry -- you want food content? How's this -- the very funny DonRockwell.com thread on horrific dining experiences. Can't say I've had many pure meals (that is, not like my contribution which was just drinks -- though I could go on about bars I'll never step in again) that inspire such feelings, but some of these situations are really quite funny. I'm especially amused by instances where diners find really odd things in their food. Hair? Fingernails? Heck, even metal shavings don't seem that odd. But teeth? Or crowns? How in the world does that happen? If someone can proffer an explanation for how someone loses part of their mouth in someones pasta primavera, I'd love to hear it.

And in Sadder News

2005-08-24T11:35:00.000-04:00

Poor Capitol Lounge. I was just thinking it had been to long and was going to stop in to make my own Bloody Saturday morning. Alas, no Arlene for me.

Given Joe Englert, I don't think we've seen the last of you. Come back soon. And I'm sure I'll see half your staff at Trusty's Thursday.

Augustus

2005-08-24T09:08:00.000-04:00

How slow has this month been? Good god, it's creeping by at a snail's pace. That's what happens, I guess, when the news slows down and folks hit the road.

Computer hardware has been upgraded and I now am working on a fully operational, bug free box. Didn't lose much to speak of either. Helps to not be a poweruser of any sort; it was all basically MP3s, and most of the rare ones are backed up. Next up: a wireless card, an iPod.

Cooking is again on hiatus just because; despite prior complaints about the month's slowness, I have been keeping rather busy. And living on leftovers, which sadly ended last night. Saturday morning I'm off to the market to replenish. Fall is coming -- squash, apples, root veggies. It's braising time, and the wine will soon be red again. Friends, some of you may be lucky enough to get some of my pot roast served with celery root... but I guess it's still not cold enough for that. Maybe I'll roast a chicken next week.

Goin' on a Holiday

2005-08-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

Not really. But the last few days have been spent being practically on a holiday. Friday night was Sonoma, where we enjoyed a few too many glasses of wine and a really big three course meal. The highlights: an heirloom pepper bruschetta with goat cheese, which had a spicy kick to it seemingly out of left field. The shmear of goat cheese was heavier than expected, and the bread wasn't exactly crisp -- necessitating the use of silverware. Still, it was quite delicious and a surprise. But the best plate of the night was the first, a massive charcuterie plate with speck, prosciutto, and Amish chicken pate. The pate was the standout -- rich and delicious, unexpectedly so. The accents (pickled onions, pickled figs, whole grain mustard) added some interesting flavors, though the blackberry compote was comparatively flavorless. We ordered a ton of food, but the bill wasn't too bad given the amount. I'm glad I went back and look forward to returning again.

Other than that, the fooding has not been particularly exciting. I've been tying up loose ends at work, and I'll finally take some time and fix my laptop tonight. This weekend is open save for a party Saturday; hoping to catch up on some much needed sleep. Oh, and I start tutoring again Thursday, so Cleveland Park you best be on the lookout.

Back to work. 61 more hours.

You've Been Out Benned

2005-08-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

Forget the venerable, consistently overrated, often crowded, and molasses slow U Street Eatery. I'm considering selling my own chili dogs -- spicy half smokes topped with buffalo chili -- from my back yard. Call ahead and allow 20 minutes for your order to be prepared. Alternately, order on site and wait in one of our comfortable lawn chairs. Cost to be determined.

(sorry for the short posts lately, nothing of interest has been happening and my home computer is broken. I'll have a report about my second trip to Sonoma Mondayish)

Interviewer Interviewer

2005-08-18T13:32:00.000-04:00

Hey Charles D (sidenote: ever thought about going by the name "Chuck D"?), be on the lookout: I was interviewed today by someone from the Windy City's Associated Press outpost for my feelings on the Billy Goat Tavern coming to DC. The short summary: we've already got Five Guys for low quality, overrated, gimicky burgers -- what do we need a Billy Goat for? Ridiculous.

Bleating In

2005-08-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting recipes because I was doing Eating In for DCist this week. And it's up now, with more photographic content than this site, that's for sure. Take a look -- beets are delicious!

Clearly the Best Europe Song

2005-08-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

So it's countdown week over here at MAF central. Many different endings coming, mostly good but some poignant. But also about a jillion things to look forward to. Most notably:

-- There are less than 13 work days until I leave this cube forever. My motivation is exponentially approaching the limit of zero.

-- 19 days until I get this ridiculous facial hair removed. Yeah, it's nice now, but just wait until this time next week, when I'll be something closer to a mountain man. No one wants to see that.

-- 21 says until the first welcome party and 22 until I start training for the new gig. I get a little less nervous with every odd day, which is good because with every even day I get nervous twice-over. Also, 22 days until the fabled bid list, after which, dear readers, you'll be party to the agonizing process of me deciding what third world country I want to live in for two years.

-- 29 days until SCREEECH

Apologies for coming to a halt, but I'm blogging in real time here, people. See that first countdown item? Well, let's put it this way: I am extremely happy about that number right now. Here's a word of advice to anyone who wants to work in publishing: Do not work where I work. There are some serious bad business practices going on here. More Office Space (the management at Initech, not the employees) than Enron, and soul crushing at the current moment. It's never been this bad, and it's certainly a good time to be leaving.

It's Like I'm Handing You Money

2005-08-15T14:17:00.000-04:00

A pleasant hangover spawned a million dollar idea that, instead of implementing myself, I'm just going to post on the internet for tens of tens to steal. It's not even a terribly innovative idea, and I'm certain it exists somewhere... but not in Metro D.C. That idea: A breakfast delivery service.

You can get lunch or dinner in a number of different cuisines delivered to your door with just a phone call. But I've never seen or heard of a restaurant that delivers bagels with lox or pancakes or cinnamon rolls right to your door. But I can see it. Imagine, rolling over, head throbbing, ravenous for grease but unable to gather the motivation to walk more than ten feet. So you pick up your phone, call "Breakfast in Bed" (business name can be changed) and order hasbrowns, bacon, and two eggs scrambled with cheddar cheese. 30 minutes later, someone knocks on your door, you stumble out in your robe, exchange grunts and currency, and you've got the lard and B vitamins to wake your weary head.

There are some difficulties to this proposition. Delivering eggs sunny side up, for example. A general lack of weekday business provides. Difficulty in obtaining permits for delivering Bloody Marys. But I still think this is a venture that should be explored. If anyone decides to jump on the bandwagon, let me know, and we'll discuss options. Over brunch, obviously.

No Seriously, Don't

2005-08-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

Latest internet find: Steve, Don't Eat It! Complete and utter genius.

Tales of weekend adventures (there weren't that many), weekend woe (there was some) and weekend eating (there was plenty) to come.

Roam in My Stomach

2005-08-10T10:27:00.000-04:00

I eat an inordinate amount of buffalo, probably more than 90% of people. It's usually a minimum of 4-6 meals a month, sometimes less, depending on season. It really can't be helped; I've got a source for good free-range red meat within walking distance from my house, the only thing being that it's buffalo and not cow.

Last night felt like chili weather, and in keeping with policy I opted out of pre-packaged mixes or any recipe, really, and went by gut. The only thing I regret is not buying any garlic at the store; when I got home, I realized my garlic was one step past edible and I had no garlic powder. Must remedy that situation! Anyway, this is an incredibly easy recipe, and I suspect it will taste even better tonight.

1 lb ground buffalo (or beef, or turkey)
1/2 large white onion, diced
3 cherry red peppers, diced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 16 oz can red kidney beans
3 tbspns chili powder (I used more because I like it VERY spicy, adjust to taste)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsps kosher salt
Worcestershire sauce

Sauté the onion over medium heat in a healthy pour of olive oil if using buffalo or turkey, less if using beef. Wait until the onion is translucent and add in the meat, and brown. When the meat is about a quarter of the way done, add in the chili powder, salt, cumin, and peppers. When the meat is done browning, pour in the tomatoes and kidney beans juice and all. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes depending on your desired consistency (more time = less liquid). Top with any desired toppings (sour cream, cheese, green onions, whatever) and serve with a piece of crusty bread.

Packaged chili powder mix is for suckers. Come up with your own spice combos -- it's not that hard, and you're making the recipe your own. Add cinnamon for some light sweetness, or maybe a dash of brown sugar. Add garlic and you have my favorite variation on chili. Any other suggestions for good chili recipes? This is one of my favorite dishes to cook when I'm feeling lazy... but I'm getting lazy on the innovation front too, so tips are welcome.

From the Department of Coincidence

2005-08-09T12:11:00.000-04:00

There is at least one other Maryland Alum that went on to the Foreign Service. Oh, and it just so happens we're both alums of the Maryland nerd team, aka Quiz Bowl. Tervo (yes, of Memories of Finland fame) and I were on the "least likely to actually show up to practice" list, though we did drop in on occasion. He's off to Baghdad in a few weeks (good luck Mark!) and we won't be able to meet up before I start A-100, but it's nice to have someone already in the service. Now I wonder what ever happened to Julie Singer and Shaun Hayeslip... (if you're out there, holla at yer boy!)

Mainly About Fake Food

2005-08-09T11:19:00.000-04:00

As previous posts mention, I'm a big fan of Morningstar Farms, the possibly-Satanist Kellogs subsidiary that churns out fake meat products that, IMHO, make Boca products look very crappy in comparison. Last night, as a result of general laziness and malaise, I tried the MSFarms Buffalo "wings" on a relatively pleasing Buffalo Chicken Salad-type thingy. They were good, though they needed much Crystal hot sauce to get up to the required tanginess/spiciness level. The fake chicken had a fairly close texture to the real deal, though they weren't wings by a long shot

Which makes me wonder -- why not try to make fake bones for the fake chicken? One of my personal favorite parts of eating wings is getting every bit off of the bone. It would be a challenge for the leading lights in food science to create viable fake bones, or indeed faux meat that actually sticks the way wing meat usually does, but I think it would be an interesting effort. Hear me, food scientists? Get on that, and let me know how it goes.

Somebody Told Me

2005-08-08T13:06:00.000-04:00

"Working for the Foreign Service is 10% protocol and 90% alcohol." -- Foreign Service officer "Bob", who I sat next to at Tunnis for two hours, discussing what the life was like.

This was actually a chance encounter, not pre-arranged. Tunnis is great for that sort of thing.

Warm comma Fuzzy

2005-08-06T11:12:00.000-04:00

I am blessed to have a network of interesting, cool, kind people in this city that somehow, despite constant changes, remains wonderful.

Thanks DC. Yup, it's a city of transients. It's also a city that knows this, where friendships are forged quickly and honestly, where people appreciate other's coolness right away. Some have said that DC is one of the more pretentious cities in the world, but I've found the opposite to be the case.

Of course, I have like zero friends who work for the government. No, wait, two friends that work for the government, a roommate that works for A government, and me, who's going to work for the man.

Still. This city has been good to me in ways I'm really starting to appreciate. I wish I had started to appreciate it earlier.

Food related side note: the lomo SALTado at Bar Pilar is just that. Salty.

It's A Miracle

2005-08-05T14:09:00.000-04:00

I think I'm pregnant. Which is odd, because I have testicles. I'm getting the strangest cravings. Not dirt eating or anything like that, but cravings for food I don't normally desire. Like Jello. And Taco Bell. It's very strange. Cravings in general are rather odd feelings. How do normal people deal with these sorts of things? Crikey.

Unrequited Linkage

2005-08-05T09:58:00.000-04:00

I know I linked to Zunta just in the last post, but this link is too good to pass up... as Catherine notes, DCist broke the story about Reagan Boulevard yesterday, and now the MSM are biting our steez WITHOUT GIVING US CREDIT. Yes, Catherine found the link on an online forum originally, but she went to the trouble of researching and tracking down concrete evidence, so I think it's fair to say that the story came from us first. Neighborhood Blogs? Last I checked, DC wasn't a neighborhood, Spence, it was a city. And it's DCist. Not Petworthist, Hilleastist, or what have you.

In related news, the City Paper jumps on the game of Joe Englert coverage, something well covered by DCist, Voice of the Hill, Frozen Tropics, and many others. Eventually, we'll be able to do an Englert only bar crawl. Is that a good or a bad thing? No clue.

Somebody's Watching Me

2005-08-04T10:13:00.000-04:00

For thoughts on everything but the food at Zola, head on over to Catherine's Blog, where she sums up everything well. Man, I haven't had that kind of service in many restaurants. The guy seemed genuinely happy to be serving eight 20 somethings that showed up staggered. Probably helped that we all got booze. I was drinking girlie cocktails in fanciful colors all night and they were delish.

Zola's neat, and the decor is certainly hip and with it. I just wish the menu had a more fanciful, spy theme. You know, entrées with secret (agent) ingredients, amuse bouches served on magnifying glasses, maybe a dessert menu that's in code.

Wait, that's a stupid idea. Never mind guys, keep your restaurant just as it is.

Side question: when you think "wow, I spent alot on that meal" how much money is it usually?

Post Poste Postcard

2005-08-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Dear Good People at Poste and the Hotel Monaco,

First, I'd like to thank you for a lovely meal last night. My dining companion and I enjoyed your takes on French cuisine, both classic (escargots, braised rabbit with tagliatelle and chanterelle mushrooms) and modern (softshell crab on a bed of fennel, kobe beef tartare on a brioche). My personal favorite dish of the meal was the beef tartare, which was truly delicious. At $11, it's more expensive than the Palena burger, but it tastes like another gastronomic "essay" on what beef can be.

One quibble -- one that has been echoed by some other recent diners. I know you have an open kitchen, and that staff work in long sleeved shirts, ties, and vests. However, your diners are entering the restaurant from 90-100 degree weather, dressed for the outside. And as good as your food may be, sitting for two hours in 60 degree air conditioning, underneath a vent that is constantly blowing cold air, is just uncomfortable. Well, worse than uncomfortable -- at some point, it reaches the level of frustrating before going directly to annoying. If you could, it would be nice to reduce the air conditioning a bit. Unless you're trying to make the rabbit dish seem more seasonal than it actually is. In that case, smart work.

Best,

K

PS: I hope you found my sunglasses!

It All Comes Back to My Stomach

2005-08-01T21:18:00.000-04:00

Back in the early spring of 2004 I was going through a phase of dating as many different women as possible. We're talking an average of 3-4 dates with different women a month. Like many serial daters, I used a billion different methods for "getting" said dates -- bars, friends, the internets in all their wonder -- and rarely had what some would define as "success." No big deal, really. I was having fun and forming the beginnings of my restaurant obsession. Of course I met my fair share of, shall we say, interesting women, but this is about one first date that didn't go horribly awry, but had fairly long lasting affects on me.

I put a fairly innocuous Craigslist ad up one afternoon. Craigslist? Sure, why not. It was free, I thought it would be fun (fun enough to try again). From what I remember, one important element of the post was that the woman had to be a fan of things foodie. Well, one response stood out -- a young California transplant who I found out later had a voicemail message that actually said "leave your name, number, and the last great meal you had and I'll get back to you." Cool, I thought. When we finally met up, I found out some other things about her. She was learning Bengali (no, she wasn't Indian) and preparing for a job in Dhaka -- a job with the Foreign Service.

Thus the seeds were planted for what, more than two years later, has been my next big life move. Our date ended nicely enough, though we never went out again. But the next day, I hopped on the internet and signed up for the summer Foreign Service Written Exam. One thing led to another, and now, here I am.

(I say the seeds were planted, but that's not entirely true. I had signed up for the test once before, senior year of college, but never took them. I think that was because of a hangover.)

So, here's to you, girl whose name I don't remember. I hope Bangladesh is treating you well. Though our brunch at Bistro du Coin was nice enough, the chemistry just wasn't there. Despite that, you had a serious impact on my life. I barely remember what you look like, but you remain a fond memory.

Drink This

2005-07-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

2004 Margan Shiraz Saignee
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Enjoyed a bottle of rose last night. And when I say enjoy, I mean savored every last drop as if it was the last bit of booze left on the continent. If it wasn't 11:30 and if I weren't drunk, I would have gone to Schneiders and purchased another bottle.

Oh yeah, as the title of the image says, this is a bottle of Margan Family 2004 Shiraz Saignee. I'll probably write a DCist entry about it Monday. This stuff is totally and utterly the wine of summer. Two more months of heat to enjoy it -- so get drinkin', people.

(For those who have an aversion to pink wine: try this. You'll change your mind.)

Turning Green (or Grey)

2005-07-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the easiest way to make me extremely angry short of being mean to Reenee (only I'm allowed to do that): say something pejorative about my race. To wit, read the first comment on my latest DCist post to see a prime example.

I love cowardly white people who hide behind pseudonyms and spout trash. It's a testament to a person's upbringing. And seriously, can't you be more creative than using "off the boat" as a euphemism for an immigrant? Most immigrants eschewed using boats as conveyance years ago. If you showed some sort of creativity in your insults -- maybe referring to H1 visas, or call centers, or something with more current relevance to the issue -- I'd be just as insulted, but also slightly impressed by the expression of basic intelligence.

Buffalo Smolder

2005-07-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

Buffalo NY Strip Steak
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

In your semi-regular "what did Kanishka cook" photo update, I present you Buffalo NY Strip Steak, medium rare, with a mesclun salad. Every Saturday, Cibola Farms come to Eastern Market to sell their outstanding free range meats and eggs. I had their version of a Slim Jim, a Buffalo Trail Stick, last weekend and gotta say even that was good. Their eggs are truly outstanding, if a little unpredictable. The ground free range pork and ground buffalo make some good burgers.

But the highlight is the buffalo steak. This was marinaded simply in chili flakes, salt, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil overnight. Tonight, it was grilled for about five minutes over hot hot flames -- witness those great grill marks. It was delicious. One of measures I have for a good steak is that you shouldn't need more than a butter knife to slice it, and that was certainly the case here. Helps that buffalo are totally lazy animals.

Oxymoronic Shrimp

2005-07-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

Shtimp Pasta, Day 2
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

First, man is my camera sucky. Must have investment for future: very good digital camera.

But this was, I think, one of the better dinners to come out of the depths of "I'm too good for recipes" land. I picked up some nice looking jumbo shrimp along with the other ingredients from the market on Saturday, but waited until Sunday to do it up. Stem to stern this recipe took about an hour or so, and was well worth it.

1 dozen jumbo shrimp (head on if available)
2 medium or one large, fresh heirloom tomato, diced
1 shallot, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced or crushed
Cilantro to taste
Salt to taste

Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells. Pour 1 cup water in a small saucepan or pot and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp shells (and heads if you have them) along with a touch of salt and spare veggies (celery, carrots, that sort) if you like, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes. Sit back for a bit; have a glass of pinot grigio.

After 20 minutes, start your pasta going in a large pot while sautéeing the shallots and garlic over medium heat in a heavy pan. Throw in the tomato and stir around, breaking up any large pieces with your spatula. Here's where I differ from many: I don't care if the tomatoes are skinned or not. You may, in which case good luck to you; this is where our paths part.

Throw in the raw shrimp and lower heat to medium low. Take your shrimp stock and strain in a very fine sieve or cheesecloth. Discard leftover solids. Your stock should have the color of a Sam Adams, though it certainly won't taste like one. Pour half a cup of the stock into the pan and heat (your stock should aleady be at a boil) until the shrimp is just barely opaque. Finish the pasta in the sauce and add in cilantro as you like. Enjoy.

***

A few things about this meal. I realize now I should have used thinner pasta, but oh well. But the real fun part here was making the stock, which I'd never done before. I assume that since shrimp shells are significantly thinner than, say, veal bones, shrimp stock is much easier to make. I was actually inspired by the ground beef episode of Iron Chef America, where I believe the opponent made a consommé from the beef. Not a bad idea! Finally, I would have benefitted with some citrus on this to brighten it -- lemon zest, or maybe lemon juice. But that's an experiment for another day.

(btw, it was fine reheated, but not as good as day 1, natch.)

Intermezzo

2005-07-26T08:35:00.000-04:00

I'll have a picture and a basic recipe for what I suspect was one of the best meals I've ever cooked up for perusal later. It was really, really, really good. Until then, please, read the latest Waiter Rant. Don't give a toss if Waiter's stories are true or false. This guy can turn from melancholy to potty humor on a dime. He's fantastic.

Also: The dining agenda for the coming weeks: 8/2 Poste, 8/3 Zola, 8/6 a restaurant in Baltimore to be named later. Suggestions for the third are welcome. Cannot be chain, cannot be only sushi, seasonal cuisine preferred, cost should be average (well, high for Baltimore). Might also do Etete in Lil'E this weekend. I'm living off the fat of the land.

Chicken Curry and Running Commentary

2005-07-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

2 chicken breasts, skinned, bone in
1/2 large white onion, broadly sliced
2 jalapenos, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup basil (I used purple)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt
Flour
Spices to taste: may include chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, whatever strikes your fancy

I've never made "curry" from scratch -- that is, without using curry powder or something of the like. Whatever; it's not like the term curry has any *ahem* currency. It's a catch all that just means gravy.

(speaking of gravy, just found out that I'll be financially covered during the lag between new and old job. Not taking a vacation for two years paid off, nice.)

Take a strong knife and chop the chicken breast, breaking the bones. Leave the bones though -- there's a lot of flavor in there! Boneless chicken breasts are an abomination. Cover the chopped pieces in your choice of spices and let sit for a while.

(speaking of sitting for a while, that is what the last few weeks at this job are gonna be for me. Just sittin'. W00t!)

In a large and heavy saucepan, sauté the onions in a healthy glug of olive oil over medium-low heat until almost translucent. Throw in the chicken and cook it all until the chicken is cooked on the exterior. Then add the chicken stock and jalapenos and bring to a boil. When at boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Now is the time to start your rice.

(speaking of rice, am having trouble conceiving of the fact that my ultimate boss will soon be Condi Rice. How crazed is that?)

After 20 minutes, mix in small amounts of flour, stirring carefully with a whisk or small spoon to avoid clumping. Add salt to taste -- you'll need some, especially if you go heavy on the flour. At the very, very last minute throw in your basil and cilantro; your curry should now have a nice green color to it.

(speaking of nice green, there's a lot more green coming my way now. Dream job + raise = elation.)

This curry turned out very spicy, and I did under salt (me, under salt? weird) the dish a little. But it was good. Next time I make it, I think I'm going to eschew the breast and go for the tastier leg and thigh pieces of the chicken. Chicken breast is overrated anyway.

(speaking of chicken breast... err, actually not, everything has now been made official. Contract is in, papers are signed. Oddly, right now Radiohead lyrics are going through my head... "I'm not here... this isn't happening..." Of course, the feeling behind those lyrics and my current feelings are pretty much opposite.)

FSO: Feeling So Odd

2005-07-21T12:20:00.000-04:00

Enough teasing. Yesterday I found out that I made it in to the Foreign Service -- that is, passed the written, passed the orals, passed the language, passed security, and passed the medical. Paperwork in regards to my salary is currently being worked out, and it's about 99% that I'll be starting my training at the Foreign Service Institute on September 6th. Seven weeks of intense training followed by a 6-8 month period of more training.

I've got so many mixed feelings about this. This has been a dream of mine for some time, but the actuality of it all still hasn't hit me. And from the moment I received "the tap" things have been moving very, very quickly. Thank goodness I live in DC; otherwise, this would have been an even more nervewracking situation. And there are the feelings of sadness about leaving my current job, my first real job ever.

So where to from here? I don't know. There's no use in theorizing about where I'm going to end up until I see the actual bid list. There's no use thinking about packing, as I'm here in DC already. Predictably, fashion has become my preoccupation. Suits every day! Those Esquires were really handy.

It appears that the months after this summer will be amazingly intense. So I'll probably spend ample time in celebration in August. And then? Life changes. Significantly.

Woah.

So Close

2005-07-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

I'm very, very close.

Life is funny sometimes.

Stay tuned for details.

@Q$_Q@!

2005-07-19T15:23:00.000-04:00

Stupid work things, bringing me down on the day I find out I'm fit to work in Tajikistan, Lesotho, and even Detroit.

Sudden news -- even if it isn't surprising -- isn't particularly pleasant. It's got me down, that's for sure.

Apologies, by the way, for the vagueness. It's related to the real job, and won't be of interest to others. Real job readers/friends, a formal announcement is coming.

Non Food Related Life Update

2005-07-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

So, guess what? I got a letter in the mail yesterday with five really nice words. They were "Unlimited Clearance for Worldwide Assignment."

Unfortunately, this is just the med clearance. No word on security yet. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed. (for reference, new reader, I'm talking about this.)

If you had this chance, where would you go? I think about it like every day, and my choices constantly change...

Summer's Harvest

2005-07-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

Just got back from the market, where I picked up

-- A bunch of beets (official discovery of summer '05)
-- Purple basil (this stuff looks so good -- wish I didn't leave my camera at work)
-- An eggplant
-- Locally grown white peaches
-- Locally grown tomatoes
-- Some of Cinda Sebastian's fantastic mesclun salad
-- A piece of buffalo NY strip
-- Two organic chicken breasts (bone in, natch)

There's good eating ahead. I haven't been cooking as much as usual, but I want that to change.

Tonight, I'm off to Corduroy for some softshells. Did you read Kliman's cover story in the City Paper? You should. I don't think I want to return to Phillips, ever.

Swilling

2005-07-15T12:18:00.000-04:00

Beer at Trustys
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Sorry, haven't blogged in a while. Since Grass left, we've radically restructured the way DCist works. It's more decentralized, and a little more time consuming -- but worth it. It's becoming a more collaborative effort, and (sorry to go all meta blog on you, my four dedicated readers) post pacing, advance planning, and intrastaff communication have become well structured. My current wishlist for the site includes a monuments writer and another newsblogger. There are feelers out there for the latter, but if, on the off chance, there's a reader of this blog that would be interested in the former, please leave a comment.

Also in DCist stuff, check out the inaugural Coalition of the Swilling! If you've got bars you'd like covered, leave a comment in the post.

Last night Audrey and I checked out La Lomita on 13th and Penn. A totally non-descript place serving good, solid food. Nothing to write to your congressman about, but nothing to write the health department about either. One problem: I wish they had more clearly delineated smoking and non-smoking sections.

Weekend dining outlook: cloudy.

Pork & Pineapple "Salad," Wilted Beet Greens, Chili Vinaigrette

2005-07-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

Pork & Pineapple "Salad," Wilted Beet Greens, Chili Vinaigrette
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

So this was my leftover solution, with the addition of the pork chop.

I took an extremely thick pork chop (about .75 lbs.) and dry rubbed it in chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and kosher salt for about two days (flipping about every 12 hours).

After the two days, I threw the pork on the grill over medium high flames for 40 minutes, 20 on one side, 15 on the other, and 2.5 on the two longer edges. In the meantime, I washed and chopped a cup of fresh beet greens, minced half a shallot, and minced four cloves of garlic. Oh, and diced a half cup of pineapple.

After the pork was done (easily told -- test the resistance the meat has to slight pressure. If it's like the heel of your palm, you're at medium rare; your forearm, rare; the top of your foot, thoroughly inedible), I took the meat off to rest. While it was resting (4-8 minutes) I sauteed the garlic and shallots in a healthy glug of olive oil and threw in the chopped greens, sauteeing them all together and mixing over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. You can tell the beet greens are done when they turn bright ~~red~~ green (it was late, I was tired! Yeesh).

I plated the greens and put 1/3 cup cider vinegar and a tablespoon of chili flakes in a teeny sauce pan to heat. I chopped the pork into pieces about the same size as the pineapple and plated the whole mess, and then drizzled on the vinegar/chili flake mix.

The result was interesting. The garlic had caramelized because of a heat mishap, but the sweetness wasn't a bad element, especially when countering the bitter greens. The pork, well, it was too salty, even for me. Must learn to have a lighter hand with that. But all together -- the pineapple, the pork, the greens, the dressing -- I enjoyed this meal. A bit much to prepare when you start at a quarter to 9, but it was good.

One question: what the heck kind of cuisine is this? Its surely not Polynesian. Good god, I think I'm cooking fusion.

Fish Evaluated

2005-07-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

Below is my photo log of cooking Bacon wrapped trout. I realized later I hadn't posted my thoughts on the meal. One thing I don't know how to do yet is incorporate multiple flickr images onto a blogger blog well. I'll have to, you know, study or something for that.

Anyway, I'm not sure how to do this right and I'm currently annoyed at how crappy my camera is. But seriously: finished product later in the blog, or first, telling people to scroll down? That whole "scroll down, read down, scroll up" routine is straight up played.

But enough of that. The trout was good, not great. As mentioned earlier, the savory was a little too strong and the flavor of lemon -- probably because I bought one of inferior quality -- wasn't that evident. But the fish and the bacon matched fairly well, and any meal is made better with the addition of corn.

Next up: some party attendees will remember the pork and pineapple appetizer I made. Tomorrow, I swing that baby main-course style, in a dish I like to call "delicious pork and pineapple thing made up after seeing a show about dry rubs and realizing there was leftover pineapple in the crisper."

The Finished Product

2005-07-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

The Finished Product
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Here's the finished result in all it's poorly lit glory. Bacon wrapped trout served with bi-color corn and a mesclun/sorrel salad. I'm not at Scott's level, but hey, I can hold my own. Wait till winter, peeps, when I rock it soup style. Though I love summer meals, stews where I gradually add ingredients over the course of six hours, drinking the whole time -- that's more my steez.

For the full tale, scroll down to the first fishy picture, blog style. Come on, you guys have heard of blogs, right?

Obvious Choice of Cooking Apparatus

2005-07-11T21:50:00.000-04:00

Flame On!
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

What else would I use for this purpose? The sheer possibility of singeing my eyebrows off from flying flames caused by cooking bacon on a grill was temptation enough. Here we see Mr. Fish (who I didn't actually name, come on guys, that would be weird) enjoying a nice bath of flame. His bacon blanket was clearly not the best choice to bring out that evening. I mean really, it looks kind of uncomfortable.

All Wrapped Up with No Place to Go

2005-07-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

All Wrapped Up with No Place to Go
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

I hear that fish actually love it when you wrap them in bacon. Or is that women? In any case, doing this was pretty fun. Barely visible are the soaked toothpicks used to hold that bacon onto the fish. Piercing the skin of the trout (not to mention skull) with toothpicks? Not as easy as you'd think.

Stuff That Cavity

2005-07-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

Summer Savory, a Bit Too Smoky
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

I used summer savory, thyme, kosher salt, and later slices of lemon to dress the interior. Here you see the filleted trout with all the ingredients sans the lemon. This was my first ever experience with savory and I have to admit, I wasn't huge about it. I mean, it was okay, but I think I overused it and the distinct peppery notes overpowered the fish and the citrus. It was okay, but not great.

I'm So Cute and Filleted. You Know You Want Me

2005-07-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

I'm So Cute and Filleted. You Know You Want Me
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Its time for trout! Actually, I don't know why I put an exclamation point there. I mean, I like trout okay and all, but really, fish bones scare the living daylights out of me and trout is about as boney as a female marathon runner. But you know, I'm always up for experimenting, and remembering Missy's adage that everything is better with bacon, I decided to take a shot at a recipe I'd heard of but never tried, bacon wrapped trout. Plus, you know, grill and all... how could I resist?

MetaBlogging the London Bombings

2005-07-07T09:35:00.000-04:00

Not much to blog about except the ever interesting meta-blogging. Recommended (other than the obvious Londonist) are the Guardian's news blog and the Flickr photo pool. The latter has some rather morbid and/or darkly funny pictures. For example, this image. Utilizing a combination of MSPaint and Flickr to communicate with your friends in the wake of disaster... wow. In a utilitarian sense, I guess when mobile lines are jammed (as they are in London, apparently) all of a sudden the 'net becomes the quickest method of communication. But to me, this is a marriage of a clumsy standard application and a fairly elegant website to result in something approaching profundity.

Updated to Add: This is in no way to trivialize what happened today. It's an incredibly sad day, and on reading back I realize my off the cuff statements seem to trivialize things a bit -- which is not my intention. This is all very, very scary and as many of you know, a part of my heart has long been in London, especially in the areas around Aldgate East and King's Cross/St. Pancras station. Prayers for all affected...

In Retrospect

2005-07-06T16:19:00.000-04:00

Food Almost Gone
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

The party was great. Very crowded, lots of randoms making up for some people not showing *coughcoughcertaincoworkerscough*. Also, fireworks, an 8:30 beer run that turned into having no beers left at 11, nice comments on the new place and the food... I really like this apartment. Though I really didn't like the hangover, the hangover hangover, and the fact that I couldn't move my shoulders this morning.

But all that is okay. This was the first party, and ambitious. Next time I'll probably go for smaller menus, maybe more interesting food with less guests. I'm still kinda scared, but would love to grill a whole fish. And scallops. And if I could find them, softshells (I know they're around, I'm just lazy). But for now, I'm looking forward to a weekend where I get my sit on.

Man That Chicken Can Drink

2005-07-06T07:38:00.000-04:00

Beer Can Chicken
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

Beer can chicken about halfway through grilling. You may notice that it is rather precariously balanced. This was a problem towards the end of the grilling process, as it toppled a couple of times. Still, it was supposedly good. The skin didn't get as crispy as I wanted it, but thee flesh was pretty tender. I've got to experiment with different rubs and probably some woodchips and stuff to perfect this one.

The Appetizer Spread

2005-07-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

The Appetizer Spread
Originally uploaded by Kanishka.

From 12 O'Clock, clockwise: nuclear chedder and sour cream potato chips; pork and pineapple skewers; deviled eggs two ways (with and without bacon); peppers with a dill/chive sour cream dip; homemade salsa; Tostitos. I only had a touch of the dip and one deviled egg, but people said everything was good.

(oh yeah, I've joined flickr)

Sorted

2005-07-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

Full on report about party to come. Brief summation: Bee ay enn ay enn ay ess.

Mixed Nuts

2005-07-01T12:07:00.000-04:00

Quite the mental bouillabaise today. I'm riding the warm and fuzzies for all the DCist love (thanks Judy!), vague nervousness about the coming nuclear summer, and a mix of panic and anticipation for what will probably be a ridiculous party Sunday. Like woah.

Last night Martin, Rob, and I went to Oohhs and Aahhs for dinner. We sat upstairs and despite the unexpectedly long wait for food, everything was pretty darn awesome. The blackened catfish was so spicy and so good -- I definitely want to get some more of that. Normally when I get something blackened, the spice level is okay but requires some hot sauce to keep it going. Not this fish... so so so good. Three "so"s people! This place is fo'rilla. I was also charmed by the service; it seems clear that Oohhs and Aahhs hires local, and what the food runner lacked in polish he abundantly made up for in politeness and attention.

There will be many more people coming to the house Sunday than anticipated. Nice. Hey lurkers, how much food do you think is needed for like 40 people? So far, I'm buying 2 chickens and probably 5 lbs. of meat for burgers. Also around 15 sausages, a dozen eggs to devil, vegetarian grilling options (probably portabello 'shrooms and eggplant), and a dozen ears of corn. Am wondering if that is enough. Am nervous that it won't be. I've seen my friends eat. They're animals.

Repeat Ad Nauseum

2005-06-30T15:21:00.000-04:00

Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled. Unbuckled.

Also: Why am I currently obsessed with the crunchy guitars of Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing"? Mark Knopfler's riffs are delicious.

TechnoGrilling

2005-06-29T16:46:00.000-04:00

My god. How much do I want one of these?

Steak Retrospective

2005-06-29T12:51:00.000-04:00

Sunday afternoon I went to the market to see what they had left. It was just past 3 in the afternoon, so there was a strong possibility that all the good stuff was gone. But, in a pleasant surprise, I saw that Union Meat Co. had a good slection of New York strips remaining. They were a tad pricey -- something like $11.99 a pound -- so I went for the one that looked the smallest. Of course, the eyes failed me and I ended up purchasing a $10 steak.

A delicious $10 steak.

With such a good looking piece of meat (about an inch and a half thick, nicely marbled) I elected to go the simple route. After rubbing on some Kosher salt, some Adobo and massaging the spices in, I dripped on some Worcestershire sauce and let the thing sit for about four hours, turning twice. In the meantime I shucked some corn and made some salad dressing. Simple and summery, that was the goal of the meal.

I fired up one burner of the grill and let the temperature rise to about 250 before dropping on the steak. The cooking was an easy seven minutes on each side -- giving the beef fantastic looking grill marks and cooking the interior to a medium-medium rare. Served it all with some good bi-color corn and an arugula and mesclun salad dressed in a cider vinaigrette.

The weather was sweltering, the corn sweet and crunchy, the steak tender enough to cut with a butter knife. I sat back on the couch and watched the Simpsons, taking my time to savor the pleasure of a simply prepared steak cooked over an open fire.

The perfect summer dinner.

This is a Public Service Announcement

2005-06-28T09:34:00.000-04:00

With guitars...

(and if you're a DC person who reads this, you should know about the party already...)

There will be music at the Black Cat backstage Thursday night. Also, giveaways, and DJ ILB will probably play something by Oasis. We asked ILB if he was willing to perform with a slideshow of Mr. Pink going on in the background, but he declined.

Come on out -- its the official best way to kick off your long weekend.