Homemade Salami

If you read my blog, which very few do, you'd know by now that I like to experiment in the kitchen.  One thing that I absolutely love to eat is cured meat.  From beef jerky to prosciutto to ham, etc, I like it all!  Beef jerky was at the top of my list of cured or smoke meats to make, but all the 'homemade' recipes I found required a few items, i.e. a box fan, that I didn't own, nor was I willing to purchase.  Eventually my quest led me to finding 2 different recipes that I thought I could replicate.  One was for salami and the other was for summer sausage.  I ended up deciding on the salami for a few reason, those being less ingredients, less meat, and less time needed for it to 'cure.' 

This homemade salami recipe I decided upon seemed relatively easy and it was, more or less.  All the ingredients, minus one, were relatively straightforward and easy to purchase.  The ingredients were ground beef, black pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, liquid smoke and 'Morton's TenderQuick' which is essentially curing salt.  The 'curing' salt was the hard part.  Neither Jewel, Whole Foods, and Treasure Island carried it.  I finally found it at 'The Spice House' in Old Town, highly recommend that place by the way.  They had a version called 'Prague Powder #6' which she assured me was basically the same thing so I went with it. 

Basically all you do is mix all of the above mentioned ingredients together, roll into a log, wrap in foil and let sit for a day.  Then you bake it for 90 minutes and let cool.  I gotta say, it turned out decently.  Yes, even my wife said so.  Its certainly not the prettiest thing in the world w/out the casing, but for a first attempt, I'm fairly pleased with it.  Its probably a little salty, but definitely worth attempting again, perhaps w/different herbs and spices.

Here's the link to the more detailed recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-salami/detail.aspx

 

Beaujolais Nouveau

I've always wondered what the big deal was w/Beaujolais Nouveau.  I knew it only came it once a year, knew it was big enough for a parade, but besides that didn't know too much more about it.  Did a little research and found out that the wines are the first release of the year.  Kelly and I tried one a couple weeks back and it wasn't bad at all.  It was, although not a wine connoiseur, what I would have expected of and tasted like a 'young' wine.  It was a bit tart, not a very full body.  Nonetheless, not a bad wine at all.  I'd drink it again next year.

Anniversary

I was going through some of my old posts and realized that my one year anniversary for blogging was Nov. 4th.  Who knew?!  Honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised that I've made it this long.  As I mentioned over a year ago when I first started, I wasn't sure if this was just going to be a short little daliance into blogging, but I've really come to enjoy the writing.  It may not be the most thought provoking, must-read, introspective work, but to each their own. 

I'm quite pleased with myself that I've made it this far and am looking forward to writing down more ramblings as they come.  Now I just need to write more frequently.

Cookbooks

I really like cookbooks.  Like most people I'm sure, I especially like bright, lively, books with pictures of what the meal 'could' and 'should' look like.  These cookbooks are all fine and dandy, but recently I realized that for me anyways, they haven't been all that useful and utilized.  More importatly, I suppose, I've come across a book thats been a lot more helpful and enlightening.  One thats actually been tucked away, unopened, for probably 2 years. 

I decided to open the book for some reason a few weeks back and it was a revelation.  I had been using recipes found online and in books or just cooking things be experimenting,  without necessarily knowing what I was doing, or the techniques I was using.  This book, more like a binder, on how to cook is broken up and indexed very well.  Basically, its broken up into types of food (i.e. beef, vegetables, eggs, bread, etc).  On top of that it expains different techniques such as braising, roasting, and more.  The book goes into the types of meats, veggies, and other foods and how best to prepare them.  I found it very interesting and as I was reading, felt a lot of gaps fill in in my missing food knowledge.  Gaps I wasn't even sure were there.  I'd definitely suggest it so check it out.  And of course, there are a lot of recipes to choose from!

Recipes

I've been using recipes online forever, but have recently become enamored with one particular website.  Normally, I just google whatever it is that comes to mind, then look through the various links to see which recipe I like (meaning which one I can pull off) and use that one.  http://www.allrecipes.com/ is a site that is often near the top and after some recent exploration of it, I really, really like it.

The reason(s) I really like and use the site are that its very user friendly and oriented.  Users can register and log in and once they've done so, are able to save/add recipes to their 'recipe box.'  It's genius!  Once you find a recipe that you really like by using the search function, you just click the add button and then organize it into the appropriate categories (i.e. appetizer, main dish, bread, etc.).  All the recipes on the site are 'user' added and other members can rate it and give comments/feedback/suggestions. 

Go ahead and check it out.  I'm sure you'll find it useful.

Holla, Challah!

I've been struggling with how, and wanting to make bread for awhile now.  I finally found a good recipe that was perfect for me.  It was relatively easy to make, I didn't need any special ingredients, nor did I need any special tools/equipment.  Right up my alley.

I found a recipe for challah.  My inner Jew just loves it.  It goes great w/butter, honey, or just plain, a bit warmed up.  Delicious.

As I've started messing around with baking more, bread was one thing that I was really interested in, but haven't quite made yet because I didn't have a bread pan, not did I have one of those processors with the plastic spin/spoon thing. 

This recipe just required rolling the dough out into three equal ropes, after allowing to rise.  Then all you do is braid the 3 together, let rise once more and bake basically.  Easy...well...easy enough. 

Now onto tougher breads.

Packers - Undefeated

I debated even writing this post because I'm a little superstitious, but in the end, all I care about is that we win the super bowl, not about an undefeated season.  The Pack is the only remaining undefeated team at 7-0 and now that we're almost at the halfway point, people are starting to talk about it. 

Every few years a team makes a relatively deep, undefeated run and people start talking and comparing them to '72 Dolphins and the '07 Patriots.  The Dolphins are the last team to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl.  The Patriots went undefeated in the regular season, but lost in the playoffs.  To have such an amazing season, but not win it all would be painful.

If it came down to it, I'd rather see us lose a game or two for learning and refocusing so that we got hot at the right time.  Last year's team didn't have great regular season, but they got hot in the end.  Back to back do or die wins against the Bears certainly helped propel them forward.  Either way, the Lombardi Trophy is what matters.  If we can make it a perfect season, even better.

Brewers - playoff baseball!

There Brewers are in the playoffs!  For the first time since I believe '82 they've won their division.  They made it in '08 as the wild card, but got bounced out by Philly.  This year, they have home field for the first series agains the Diamondbacks and there is a great buzz with the team.  They have the best home record in the majors and finally, finally have a solid starting pitching rotation.  They seem to be a very complete team as well.  Great set up man in K-Rod and a closer who has saved 46 straight.  Oh...and they can hit.  4 guys w/over 20 home runs and possibly the best 1-2 punch combo in Braun/Fielder.

I'll be going to the game tomorrow and am pumped!  Had the privilege of going in '08 and there's nothing like playoff baseball.  Packed house, thundersticks, and amazing energy.  Who knows, anything can happen w/these new and improved Brewers!

Baking

I love to cook.  Really really enjoy it.  Never baked before.  Never really had any interest.  Cooking fits my personality.  There are lots of way to do it.  Lots of ways to experiment and sometimes screw-ups can turn into good creations.  Baking on the other hand is totally foreign to me.  Its precise, calculated, and time-sensitive. 

This past week, I tried my hand at baking a little bit.  Started with a pizza dough.  Did some measuring, but not a ton.  Worked out ok, but I didn't add enough flour and it didn't end up being a large pizza.  The recipe is fairly easy so I think that will be an easy repeat performance. 

Shortly thereafter, I attempted making brownies.  The directions from the box made it seem easy, but it was way more difficult than expected.  I made the mix and then poured it into a pan that ended up being way too big.  I tried to recover by spooning the mix into a pan made for small cupcakes.  I ended up baking them for what appeared to be a good amount of time, but they were too dry.  Had it all been in a lump sheet, I think they wouldn't stayed more moist.

Finally, tried making some bread rolls.  Total failure.  Didn't taste good.  Ended up way larger than expected.  Ah well.  I admit that I'm' intrigued.  It will certainly take some more patience and precision, but I can certainly do a few things and will try out a few new ones as well.

Fantasy Football

Ah, the time of year where millions of men and women become armchair quarterbacks.  A great time of year!

I've been playing FF for probably 10 years now.  I've come 2nd and 3rd a few times, but still have yet to win it all.  This year, I'll be playing in 3 leagues.  The game, just like the real NFL is fickle.  Injuries obviously affect your team as well. 

This year, although only a week in, I went 0 - 3.  Not a great start.  I've already lost Tony Moeaki to a season ending injury on one team and probably Peyton Manning in another league. 

You never know though.  Last year in one league, I actually won my division w/ a .500 record.  Maybe, just maybe this will be my year...at least in one league.

Goose Island Brewery Tour

I really enjoy brewery tours.  I enjoy learning about the brewing process, seeing the facilities, hearing the history, and of course, most importantly, tasting the different styles of beer.  I've toured Miller Brewery (a few times) (Milwaukee, WI), New Glarus Brewery (New Glarus, WI), Metropolitan Brewery (Chicago, IL), New Holland Brewery (New Holland, MI), and just recently, Goose Island Brewery (Chicago, IL).

This past Sunday, the Chapman Bros., Scott Tydell, and myself did the tour.  Coincidentally, also ran into Ian Dickman and family (another groomsman in Scott's wedding) who toured with us.  The tour was at the Goose Island in Lincoln Park.  They have a brewpub in Wrigleyville and a production facility, which I found out about on the tour, by Fulton Market. 

The tour itself was just ok.  Cost was $10, which wasn't a big deal.  A guy takes you into the brewery facilities and tells you about the history, the different beers they brew, and the processes.  Although informative, it was a little cramped and quite warm in the facility.  Tours tend to be somewhat similar in that all tour guides talk a little about the process of brewing and the ingredients.  This one was the same. 

The second part of the tour was much better.  They took us into a party room where 6 tasting were set out, light to dark.  We sampled all six and he told us which ones they were.  They were a Wit, a Hefeweizen, a Saison, an Ale, Brown Ale, and a Stout.  All were tasty minus the Hefe.  I generally like them, but this one was a little too gumball/banana sweet for my liking.  We did get a Goose Island Summertime glass to keep which was nice. 

One thing I like about the breweries here which I never noticed in Milwaukee are that you can bring home Growlers, basically jugs of beer.  I know that Goose Island, Piece, and Half Acre do it.  I'm sure others do as well.  Absolutely LOVE that!

Sidenote:  Although I didn't investigate (I'm taking the word of a server at GI Lincoln Park), the menu there is more sophisticated than the Wrigleyville one.  Seems kind of strange that with only 2 brewpubs that they would differ the menus. 

I Love Brunch!

Brunch is by far my favorite meal.  I like it because you can have breakfast foods or lunch food.  Its casual, low key, and there's no rush usually.  I love the big famous brunch places where there's a big buffet, an omelet station, and another mini menu of specialty items.  My family used to go to 2 places that I absolutely loved and unfortunately are no longer there.  Pieces of Eight and Pandl's in Bayside.  Both had my previous requirements for amazing brunch places.

This past weekend, while attending the Walker/Chapman wedding, I had the pleasure of getting brunch both saturday and sunday in Evanston.  On Saturday, 6 of us, including the Mike, had brunch at Dixie Kitchen, a cajun style place.  The decor was made to look like Louisiana which was a nice touch.  I was, however, thwarted by the liquor gods in that they don't serve alcohol in Evanston until 11 am.  We all started with beignets...not sure if I've ever had one before, but I'm glad that I did.  Basically fried sweet dough and powdered sugar.  I continued my sweet brunch with a bananas foster french toast.  Very good, very sweet.  Too much sweet for me in the end, but I'm glad that I tried it.

Sunday, we went to Le Peep with a much larger group.  Of course we didn't have reservations and had to wait a little bit.  We ended up splitting 15 into 6,6, and 3.  This time decided to go savory with a Crab Cake Benedict.  It was excellent. 

Who's in for brunch?  Bloody Mary, Coffee, Mimosa, or all 3?

BACON Vodka - yes and yes

I've done it.  I've been wanting to do it for awhile and had done my research prior.  And voila, success.  I tasted it in a bloody mary yesterday and it was delicioso!

Basically the way it works like this...

1) Start by cutting up a package of bacon into smaller stripes, against the grain.
2) Cook it all thoroughly in a pan.
3) Put it all (cooked bacon and all the grease) in a glass bowl/pitcher and pour in vodka.
4) put it in the freezer for 30-60 min.
5) Spoon/ladle/spatula the fat out (it will have floated to the top to make this relatively easy.

6) Have another container handy and pour through a strainer (to capture more grease and bacon)
7) Strain again if necessary.
8) At this point this could be ready.  I decided to go through one more step of straining through a coffee filter.
9) I ladled it all back into the vodka bottle.


Can someone say bloody mary bar???

Kopps - hometown fav's

Every city/town has these places.  They're the places that everybody loves and treasures.  If you move away, they are the "must go's" anytime your in town.  If people visit, you bring them there and rant and rave about it.

In Iowa City, there are many places, but the ones that really pop to the forefront are the Hamburg Inn and Panchero's.  In Chicago, a couple examples might be the Wiener Circle or Portillo's.  The distinction is always good food, but also exclusivity.  These places certainly aren't nationwide brands/chains.

In my hometown of Milwaukee, one such place is Kopp's.  Its only 15 minutes away and is a frozen custard stand.  Not only does it served rich, delicious custard year round, but it serves amazing greasy food as well.  The burgers, onion rings, and seasoned fries are all amazing.  The custard can be turned into shakes as well. 
The custard is served in a cone, dish w/a wafer, or by the pint.   I believe they even ship it in dry ice if you purchase enough.  Every day the standard flavors are chocolate and vanille and one special of the day.  On their sign, and on the sign inside, they give you the 3 day 'forecast' of the upcoming flavors.  Also inside, there's a sheet w/all the flavors for the month.  You can of course go online to see what they have as well.  http://www.kopps.com/ .

Last month I got a pint of vanilla and mint chocolate chip.  It was to die for!  Oh how I miss it!

Pulled/Shredded Pork - slow cooker

I love using the slow cooker.  I've used it to make chili and pot roast primarily, but have now added shredded pork to my repertoire.  Prep time is easy and short and then you sit back and wait.  The low, slow heat ends up doing all the heat for you and if you stay in your place all day, its a nice long slow tease of yummy aromas.  Makes it that much more satisfying when you do finally get to eat it. 

This slow cooker recipe was just as easy as all my previous ones.  I looked up a few recipes and then just made a combo one of my own. 

Large 2-3 LB piece of pork shoulder/roast
Couple cloves of garlic
Rough cut onion
Seasoning salt
Water/Beef Broth

First rough cut an onion and garlic and throw it in.  Season the pork.  Shoulder/Roast are fairly cheap.  My piece was a little over 2 LB's and was less than $6.  The beauty with slow cookers is that they're perfect for cheaper pieces of meat.  The long, slow heat slowly tenderizes it.  Then add a few cups of water/beef broth, no need to cover.  That's it.  Set your timer and let it do all the work.

When finished, put the pork on a large bowl.  Discard everything else.  Grab two forks and start pulling apart.  Its very easy, the meat just shreds.

Once down, do what you wants with it.  I made pulled pork sandwiches.  I added barbecue sauce and mixed it in.  Put that on a bun, added a few pickles and served with slaw on the side.  You could also have some pulled pork tacos too.  Enjoy!

Eye injuries

If something ever goes wrong with your eyes, go get it checked out immediately.  Don't mess around with your eyes, trust me.  Not being able to see, even if its only out of one eyes is totally and completely debilitating. 

Currently, I have a corneal ulcer.  Gross...yes.  My eye is red, puffy, had a big white spot on my cornea.  I also have blurry vision, and constant tearing.  Not pleasant I tell you.  I've had it almost 2 weeks now.  Its improving, but won't be completely healed for a few weeks here.  There's a good chance that I will have some scarring of my cornea and my vision will probably not quite be the same.  If things had gotten worse, my cornea may have perforated and I may have needed a corneal transplant.  UGH.  UGH. 

Lesson learned.  Don't wait if there's anything wrong with your eyes and hope it gets better.  I had waited a couple of weeks and it had gotten til I couldn't stand it until I went to the emergency room.  Maybe if I had gotten to it sooner, I'd be fully cured by now and wouldn't be worried that my vision will be permanently blurry.  Trust me, having a 'forced' vacation is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Obsession

Ever have an upcoming vacation, although still somewhat far way, that you obsess over?  Kel and I are heading to Poughkeepsie, NY at the end of September for a wedding.  We'll have 2 days to spend in NYC before the wedding though, and I'm super pumped!  I haven't been to New York in probably 15 years or so and Kel never has.  Our flight is booked, but hotel and everything else hasn't been booked/planned yet.  Definitely want to check out Times Square and Central Park.  Would like to hit up a cool, celeb restaurant.  Maybe see a broadway play.  There's limitless possibilities, but limited time. 

Anyone have any suggestion for hotels?  Where to find good prices?  Same w/restaurants and theater.

Tamales II

Still not having the greatest luck finding tamales from a cart.  Been all around the northwest side while out w/clients and have had very limited success.  Usually the carts I see are fruit, ice cream, or tacos/tortas stands.  I was however somewhat successful in my quest just last week in finding a guy all the out by Belmont and Central Park.  Of course this was later in the day, around 4 pm and he only had 2 left.  Still..., the $1.50 for the 2 were well worth it.   

The other day at Target, I found frozen tamales, about 6 for 6 or so.  Pretty decent and only takes about 3 min to nuke them.  Not as good as fresh ones, but a great snack in a pinch.  I'll have to make sure I get out west earlier in the day so I can cleam them out. 

The quest continues...

Infusion II

I attempted another infusion.  Mixed bourbon and blueberries.  My first infusion, green grapes and vodka, was just all right.  B & B turned out better.

With the vodka/grape mix, I didn't really taste the grape.  It was more like it cut down on the bite of the vodka.  This time, I added a lot more blueberries to the mixture and let it sit for a week, a few days longer.  The drawback to this is that once your drain everything, you end up with less drinkable alcohol. 

The infusion worked out better and even had a little blue tint to it.  The taste is interesting, but I still don't love it.  I'll continue on my mad science experiment until I have some really good combos.

Iron River vs. Kelly/Austin

Our trip up to Iron River for Nate/Sara's wedding last month turned into quite the adventure.  In the end, we limped away w/our tails between our legs.  Basically, Iron River kicked our asses.

THE SCOREBOARD:

1.  Before we even left, I forgot the directions at my office. POINT - Iron River
2.  On the way up there, we of course got lost and tacked on an extra hour to our drive. POINT - Iron River
3.  Finally get to the hotel and check in.  Kelly has to go to the Church early because she's doing a reading. 
     Somehome get lost getting to the church, which we find out later is w/in view of the hotel. POINT - Iron
     River
4.  During the ceremony, Kelly does a reading and messes up and says 'my bad' in front of everyone.  At
     least didn't swear. POINT - Iron River
5.  We get to the reception and I reach for my phone to check on who won the Kentucky Derby.  No
     Phone and I think I lost it.  I'm pissed and annoyed, but eventually, find it hours later back at the hotel.
     POINT - Iron River
6.  Find out that I won my $5 derby bet and make $150.  POINT - Kelly/Austin
7.  Shortly thereafter, I drop the camera on the lens and break it.  Totally one of those farcical slow motion
     moments where I reach out and almost catch it like 5 times before it drops. There goes all the $ I just
     won.  POINT - Iron River
8.  After the reception we go to some bars.  The first bar was a total twilight zone and they looked at us like
     like we were very out of place.  They said a few rude things and we left immediately.  I pissed on the side
     of that bar on the way out. POINT - Kelly/Austin
9.  Kelly falls on the way back from the bar and we believe loses her glasses at the same time, never to be
     found again. - POINT - Iron River

FINAL SCORE:  Iron River 7 - Kelly/Austin 2

We got slaughtered.

Tamales!

For whatever reason, I have an obsession with tamales.  Maybe because they're usually very cheap.  Probably because they're hard to find.  Definitely because I enjoy street food. 

I've had tamales twice from a 'street guy.'  One time from a cart guy on Bryn Mawr and another time at Will's from a guy going bar to bar.  5 for $5, its a beautiful thing.  Everytime I drive along Montrose on my way to Milwaukee or on the way back I dream about stopping.  Kelly never lets me, but soon!  Soon I tell you!

The other day, I was in Albany Park, by Kedzie and Irving, visiting a friends new condo.  I saw 2 carts that looked promising and my stomach was very excited.  I parked and walk a block to the corner of Kedzie and Cullom to find my treasure only to find one cart was a fruit cart and another only sold tacos and tortas.  Not to be denied. I saw another cart being pushed down the street away from me and ran, yes ran, 2 blocks after her, only to be denied once more.  To my great disappointment, it was not to be that day. 

If only there was a tamale truck that came by my apartment or office everyday.....   One can hope.

Wedding Season

Another wedding season is upon us.  This season I'm going to 5 weddings out of 6 invites.  I feel like I've been stuck in 'wedding season' for 5 years now and I don't see an end in sight.  Every year I average around 5 weddings or so.

I just went to my first this past weekend in Iron River, MI, in the Upper Peninsula.  Kelly and I had a great time, too good of a time in fact, but more on that in a later post.  We have 2 more in July, separated by a week.  One is in Evanston, a chicago suburb, and the other is in Madison on a friday.  I'm standing up in both and have never been to a friday wedding. 

The last 2 are both in September separted by a week also.  The first is in Chicago and the second is in New York/New Jersey.  Never been to a wedding in either.  I've been to weddings in the suburbs of Chicago, but never a city wedding. 

All of these wedding are always a good time, but its a lot of wedding to go to.  I'm going to predict 4 for next year, but hopefully it will be less. 

Packerpalooza

Every year my favorite bar, Will's Northwoods Inn puts on an event called Packerpalooza.  This year was its 3rd year.  It actually started out 4 years ago as Favre Fest, but since he went to the Jets and so on, they renamed it more appropriately, Packerpalooza.  They do it every year right around draft time and its nice to see everyone that we're friends with outside of the season.  Will's treats it like a game and does its usual dogs/burgers out back and 'halftime' raffle.

The first year they brough in William Henderson and Gilbert Brown.  The special guests all pose for pics and bring stuff that you can purchase and sign.  William was very nice, but I think Gilbert was a little ticked cause he was eating at the time.  And lemme tell ya, you don't want to interrupt a meal from a guy the size of Gilbert.  We have an autographed pic from William and one from Gilbert.  The second year they brough in Ahman Green and Mark Chmura.  We got mini helmet signed from Ahman.  This year they brought in Leroy Butler, inventor of the Lambeau Leap. 

We got a pic taken with him.  For a few games a year and for this event Frank Winters comes.  He lives in the city now and.  They've designated a table to him, which just so happens to be right next to ours.  He's always very nice and signs plenty of things for people and poses for a lot of pics. 
My friend Nate has a plastic Packer hard hat that has all the signatures of everyone mentioned above.  Its a great idea that I wish I would've thought of.  Its just awesome that all these players come into Chicago and we fans can come and appreciate it.

Gambling: Part 2

2 lessons learned:

Lesson 1
If you are at the casino, like I was, and am also asian, like I am, and therefore will have a strong, undeniable compulsion to gamble, then do yourself a favor and play a game that you like and are good at. 

Don't sit around and hope to get on a table that you want, like I did, and then go and lose money at a crappy game like video roulette, because you got bored and wanted to gamble just cause.

Lesson 2
If you have a friend that you know is either very lucky, or skilled, or you just know that he/she is going to win.  Stick to them like glue and bet on the same things they've betting on. 

My friend Tom with whom I've been to the casino twice now is one such individual.  On his first hand in Harrah's in New Orleans he won $300 playing blackjack.  I think he was up over a thousand that weekend.  On our last trip a couple weeks ago, he played a $5 slot machine and won $1100 on one pull. 

SOOO....lesson learned.  Don't play crappy games just to play.  And bet on Tom.

FACT: Asians like to gamble.

It's true.  My dad likes to.  I like to.  I'm not just talking about Chinese folks, ALL Asians like to gamble.  Slots, Bingo, Baccarat, Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Sports betting....you name, we do it. 

Personally, I really enjoy Poker, Craps, and sports betting.  Craps is something that I've really gotten into in recent years.  Unlike poker and sports, however, you can really only play it at the casino which is why I play it the most whenever I'm at one.  Also in Craps, much like Blackjack, many times if you win, everyone wins.  Besides, the wait is generally outrageous for a seat at a poker table anyways, unless your willing to rock the real high stakes.

I definitely enjoy the more interactive games.  Slots and Bingo are pretty boring in my mind.  Poker is the ultimate game.  You can bluff, strategize, and your playing against other people, not the casino.  The casino will still take its rake, but I guess I feel better if I lose to someone rather than the casino. 

Have you ever walked into a casino and noticed that there are an inordinate amount of Asian people.  Usually with a beer in one hand and a cig in the other.  There's a reason why they've built the Las Vegas of the East in Macao (island within ferry distance of Hong Kong).  Many of the same casinos are there are even there, i.e. MGM Macao.

This saturday I'll get my casino fix along with many of my brethren and hopefully win a little bit.

Things I've done that would go on my Chicago Bucket List

As I was writing the previous post about my Chicago Bucket List.  I came to the realization by asking people what might be on there list that people reading this wouldn't have a frame of reference.  They would have no idea what I've already done that would originally be put on the list so here goes again...

In no particular order:

• Cubs game (bleachers, 1st come 1st served)  (Rooftop)
• Sox game (was actually a Cubs/Sox game down at the Cell)
• Bulls game
• Chicago Fire game (Bridgeview)
• South Side Irish Parade - discontinued.  RIP
• Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science of Industry, etc...
• Chinatown
• Multiple festivals - Love summer Chi fests - Mayfest, Oktoberfest, Burger Fest, Sheffield Garden Walk, Belmont Sheffield, and many, many more
• Hancock Building
• Sears deck - yes Sears, not Willis - although I haven't been there since they opened the outdoor see through deck
• Trump Tower - been to the bar a few times.  Ate at the restaurant Sixteen for our engagement dinner.
• Went on a boat on the Lake - caught 311 and Matisyahu at Northerly Island from the lake, very cool
• Mag mile shopping
• Great America
• Arlington Race Track
• Lincoln Park Zoo - free, fun, and easy
• North Ave Beach - one of if not the most popular beach.  Pretty cool restaurant/bar on the beach thats shaped like a ship.  Been playing in a beach volleyball league in the summer for a few years now.
• Millennium Park - sculptures, etc.
• Off Broadway play - saw Mary Poppins

Food is coming next.  Oh baby!

Chicago Bucket List

I saw a local mag the other day that had an article about a Chicago Bucket List.  I didn't get a chance to read the article, but it inspired me to make my own nonetheless.  So here's a loose list of what I'd want to do in Chi and the surrounding areas...

In no particular order:

• Lollapalooza (Grant Park) - probably just 1 day.  Don't need to spend $200 on 3 days.  Sweaty, nasty, and expensive.
• Ravinia (Highland Park)- so many good concerts every year.  Missed the Counting Crows last year and Gipsy Kings the previous year.
• River dye (anywhere along the river downtown)- I've seen it a few days after, but I've never seen it during.  I miss the South Side Irish Parade
• Blackhawks game (United Center)
• Medieval Times (Schaumburg/Palatine) - cheesy, but I think I'd enjoy it
• Run a race - I've been talking about running a half marathon forever.  There are other cool races like Race to Wrigley and one that runs into Soldier Field.  I'm sure there are other themed/dress up in costume races as well that would be fun.
• Air and Water Show (lakefront) - I've heard many planes and even seen 1 or two, but I've never gotten the whole experience.
• Dinner cruise (Navy Pier) - this could be done in most cities probably.
• Blue Man Group (Lakeview) - I know that its not only in Chicago, but it does only play in a few cities.  Also, I've worked 2 blocks away for 5 years now.
• Tours (city) - Architecture Tour (water tour), Gangter Tour,  Ghost Tour, etc...
• Second City, Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatres (Lincoln Park/Old Town)
• Neighborhoods known for specific dining - examples include Greektown, Little Italy, Devon (Rogers Park - Indian Food).
• Metra- yes, kind of silly, but I've never ridden it.
• Segway Tour (loop)
• Art Musem (loop)
• Kingston Mines (Lincoln Park) - I've been to BLUES across the street.  The other Blues clubs on the southside are intriguing also.

I'm sure that I'm missing a ton of things for now that I'll have to edit in later.  My next 2 posts will be about the things I've already done that would make the bucket list and also a whole food section.  I couldn't figure out how to add that in without going on and on about it.

Tell me what's on your bucket list.  Thoughts Melissa (since your the only one who ever comments)?

Infusion

I'm on my second attempt at infusing vodka right now.  I was impressed at my first attempt.  The first thing I did was to do some internet research on the topic, how to do it, what type of alcohol to use, and what to use to infuse. 

After my initial research, I decided on infusing vodka.  Vodka is the easiest to infuse since its the clearest, most neutral spirit.  The actual idea behind vodka is to make it neutral and purify it as much as possible anyway.  Its also a clear spirit, so when infused, the colored tint would show from whatever you used to infuse it with.  I decided to go with Smirnoff, not too cheap, but not too expensive either.  If you think about it, most spirits, aside from vodka, have flavor already imparted on them.  Gin, as an example, has a variety of berries (juniper being a common one) and spices in its flavor.

Once I decided on a spirit, I needed to decide what to infuse it with.  Green seedless grapes were the winner.  I chose them because they were easy to use, and cheap.  In the future, I'd like to use bacon, mango, and other more interesting flavor profiles. 

The process, once you've decided what products to use is relatively simple. 
1) Wash and dry the grapes (poke a small hole in each one) and the mason jar.
2) Once dry, put the grapes into the jar and fill to the top.  Seal the jar.
3) Wait a few days, 3-5, and maybe up to a week.  The longer you wait and the more grapes you use, the stronger the grape flavor will be.
4) Take a secondary jar and pour the liquid through a strainer to catch the grapes. 
5) Filter using a coffee filter, multiple times if necessary.
6) Drink :-)

It will have a yellowish, greenish tint to it.  I tried it straight and it was quite strong.  We ended up trying it with lemonade and it was very tasty.  Now go forth mix masters and find make your home made brew.  Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon.

The madness

I LOVE March Madness!  What a great sporting time!  Probably the best sports time (maybe minus the Super Bowl as long as the Packers are winning it).  So many games with so much on the line.  How can you not love it? 

This year's start to the tourney happend to coincide w/beautiful weather and St. Patty's day!  Awesome!  Last year, I was fortunate enough to be in New Orleans for a friend's bachelor party and got to see a a few teams play.  We got to see returning teams like Old Dominion and Kentucky.  The atmosphere was cool, and you got see 2 games for the price of one.  I was pretty impressed by the Kentucky fans because of how well they travelled.  One of these years, I'd love to be in Vegas for it and just sit in a sportsbook all day.  I've heard its a great time to be there.

I'm doing 2 brackets this year.  One for fun in which I've chosen Duke to repeat.  The other one was for only $10 and chose Kansas.  I won that one last year and chose Duke correctly.  I think that the first time winning.  The cool thing about brackets is that anyone can win.  The most diehard of fan can't predict everything right.  There are so many games and already there's been an upset with #4 seed Louisville losing. 

As the tourney happens its easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The weather gets better.  Baseball and basketball playoffs are right around the corner.   Things are looking up.  Now... Go Kansas!

Shamrock Shakes

You know you love them.  There's no point in hiding it.  What's not to like about a minty green milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry?!  Its quite the phenomenon.  McDonald's only offers them in March and often times, they even run out before the end.  I mean, who doesn't get a Shamrock Shake while its offered at least once in March?  I had my first of the month just last night and it was as scrumptious as I remembered. 

Why do you think they only offer it during March?  Obvious answer of course is for St. Patty's, but why not the rest of the year.  Clearly the demand is there?  Of course the demand is inflated because its only offered for a month, but I bet that it would still be a great seller.  Maybe they do it just to create a buzz or bump in sales.   Can you imaging a Shamrock/Chocolate shake....oh baby!

McDonald's does that a lot with a few of their products like the McRib(yum) and the fish sandwich which I think coincides with Lent.  If they offered their hashbrowns all day I'd be in heaven.

Dim Sum

What is Dim Sum?  I don't know if there's a way to truly define it.  Its a combination of things.  Its a meal around brunch, lunchtime.  I've only had it on the weekends, but places may offer it during the weekday.  Its similar to tapas, in that you get many small portions and you all just share.  You always get tea and a few small dishes of sauce, usually a hoisin sauce and hot chili sauce.  The tea is an assumption, meaning they'll usually ask you what kind of tea you want, not whether you want tea.  Similar to tapas, there's no real rhyme or reason to how you can or should eat.  Servers push around metal carts with all sorts of goodies, noodles, desserts, soups, small bites, etc.  When they come around, they'll stop to let you inspect what they have and tell you what the options are.  You just say what you want and how many plates.  Then they just grab your bill, and put a little stamp/checkmark/number where your dish was and your waiter will tally it up at the end.  Pretty simple strategy.  There's virtually no wait time.  You sit down, and carts just start coming to you.  How great is that?

My parents came down this past weekend and Kelly and I met them at Furama on Broadway and Argyle.  The nice thing about the menu there is they have pictures and English on the menu.  Food was good, but if I can, I prefer to go to Chinatown.  There are more options there and more browsing to do afterwards. 

Hobbies/Borders closing

I love to read.  Love it!  However, like most things, I'm all or nothing.  What has happened to the bookstore?  I love books.  Love to re-read good books.  Love going to the bookstore and browsing.  When I was younger, I used to go to the library w/my dad all the time.  Nowadays, everyone just goes online to Amazon or uses an E-reader like the Ipad or kindle.  Those intrigue me, but I'm not ready to abandon good old fashioned books quite yet. 

I went to Borders on sunday because they've filed for Chapter 11 and are closing many of their stores, including the 3 nearest to me now and the 1 closest to my parents' home.  Sad.  Barnes and Nobles filed last year too I think.  Borders had a big sale, 20 - 40% off the whole store.  It was insane in there.  The cafe was already closed and the shelves were thinning quickly.  The line in there was probably 50 deep.  I bought 2 books, which I've read already, and a juggling set.  Yes, you heard me correctly, a juggling set.  I'm impulsive and like to try new things and am gonna give it a whirl.  Maybe it'll make me feel better that so many bookstores are closing. 

Corona + Computer = BAD

DON'T, I repeat don't spill Corona or any other liquid on your computer.  Unfortunately that is exactly is what I did to the keyboard on my laptop last week.  At first I thought it was fine.  I wiped it off and the keyboard worked.  The next day, however, the computer still turned on, but now I couldn't type anything.  I brought it in and luckily its only the keyboard that needs to be replaced and not the motherboard and/or the whole damn thing.  Still, its gonna cost me over $100, no access to it at home, and no Warcraft playing.  Its about a week now, and I'm hoping I'll get it back today.  Nowadays, you basically can't even function without a computer or a cell at home.

So kids, lesson of the day, don't drink/eat anywhere near your computer.

The Void

What you may ask is the void?  The void is the period beginning with the end of the Super Bowl and March Madness.  It lasts about a month and a half or so.  Still confused?  Basically, the void is the time in which there are no major sporting events that are really that meaningful, in my eyes of course. 

Sure, there's hockey, NBA, and regular college basketball.  There's no college football, NFL, MLS, or baseball though.  Hockey just had its all star game a few weeks ago and the NBA hasn't had theirs yet.  Even the Pro Bowl now takes place in the week before the Super Bowl.  At least I follow the Premier League and thats decent watching material.  Unfortunately, all those sports are right in the middle of their seasons.  And their seasons are quite a grind. 

Well, at least this year's void will be a little easier to stomach as I can reminisce and bask in the Super Bowl win!

THE CHAMPS!

WOW!  Where to even begin?!  Many words come to mind, amazing, unbelievable, historic, etc.  I know tons of people have already written and blogged about the Super Bowl and the state of the packers, but I'm gonna add my two cents as well.

15 years has been a long time to wait, but oh how sweet it is!  There are so many reasons why this win feels so much more special.  With all the adversity during the season that they had to go through and even during the game, it feels like the team was destined to win.  I think the Packers put 12 players on IR this year.  A few would have been major stars/contributors (Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley, Nick Barnett) just to name a few.  They may even have had Pro Bowl years.  Did the Packers blink?  NO?  The next man stepped up (James Starks, Desmond Bishop, Frank Zombo, Eric Walden, etc.), and performed just as well.  Even during the game (Woodson, Shields, Driver) all had injuries, but all they did was to inspire our team to victory. When Charles broke down at half and couldn't say anything inspiring, he didn't need to.  They knew what to do.

Another reason why the win means so much is the the long wait and finally being able to step out of Favre's considerable shadow.  15 years is a long time.  There are longer waits than that, but its still a long time.  Not to mention the last time we were in the SB, we lost and the fact that we've been very close to getting to the big game a few times in the last 5 years.  Much has been said about Rodgers' character, his great handling of the Favre situation, and now winning and equaling his SB titles as well is awesome and should be applauded.  And to think, going into this postseason, everyone wondered whether he could win a playoff game since he was 0-1.  Well, he's won the biggest of them all and we have our answer.

Being the #6 seed and winning it all makes it that much more impressive.  The last team to do so is of course, the Steelers.  Not only did the Packers win 3 road playoff games just to get to the Super Bowl, but they basically played 6 straight playoff games.  To make it that much better, they beat the Bears twice in that stretch.  Around week 14, everyone thought they were dead in the water.  Then that crazy finish in the Eagles/Giants game opened the door and the Pack ran through and never looked back.  The season had turned them into battle hardened vets, and now victors.

The scary part of all this is that we are built to win now (obviously), and possibly for a very long time.  The roster is one of, if not, the youngest roster in the NFL.  Grant and Finley will be back next year.  Hopefully so will Barnett and Hawk (possible contract issues).  A lot of rookies got a lot of playing time this year (Bulaga, Shields, Walden, Zombo).  Raji and Matthews are only in their 2nd year.  Rodgers is 27, in the prime of his career.  McCarthy wants to stay forever.  S-C-A-R-Y!

Victory!  Oh how sweet it is!

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!!

Happy new year to all!  It is now the year of the Rabbit.  Chinese new year is one of my favorite holidays!  Its somewhat unique to me in that although I have a lot of family, I don't have too many Chinese friends.  It becomes almost a personal holiday for me cause I often celebrate w/a few non-Chinese friends.  Usual, more traditional, celebrations may include a parade, lots of fireworks, one of those dragon dances, and eating.  We Chinese like to eat...a lot.  If we can eat some 'da been lo' (hot pot) then were in the money!

Da Been Lo is kind of like fondue, but done with boiling water.  Everything comes raw/uncooked (beef, chicken, pork, squid, fish balls,lettuce, noodles, more food that I'm sure I can't remember right now) and is cooked in the boiling water in an electric pot that you put in the middle of the table.  Everyone gets 2 sets of chopsticks, one for raw and one for cooked, a plate, and a small bowl with sauce.  My mom makes a hoisin, peanut mixed sauce...tasty.

The best part of the new year is getting the little red envelopes.  Red, the chinese color for prosperity, and inside you of course get $.  Its a beautiful thing.  Usually I take that $ and spend it right away at the bar.  I've had a few legendary, raucous nights on the new year w/the $ from the red envelopes.  I've also been known to occasionally only speak cantonese, what few words and phrases I know.  So, for all of you that now know that its Chinese New Year's, have a drink or 6, eat some Chinese food, and hopefully you'll get a red envelope.

Sun Tai Geen Hong!  Sun Leen Fai Lok!

Rose Bowl/L.A.

If you ever get a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, or any bowl for that matter, go!  Please go!  I was fortunate enough to go this past new year and it was amazing.  First and foremost, we were there for the game.  It was a tough loss, but it was a great game.  The Rose Bowl Stadium is enormous, close to 100,000 (biggest stadium I've been in).  It was probably 3/4 Badger fans.  Very cool stadium in a valley in Pasadena.  The Badger tailgate was actually just a half mile away on a golf course.  Can you imagine golfing in the shadow of the 'grand daddy'? 

Although we were there for the game, we also got to see a few sights and was there for New Year's.  Thanks to my in-laws we stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey where we saw a few players from the Atlanta Hawks.  We saw the Badgers' marching band twice.  The first time was at the official pep rally next to the Santa Monica Pier.  Thousands of fans lined the parking lot, the pier itself, and the sidewalk to hear the band play, see the Wisconsin governor, the team, and ex-Badger legends (Ron Dayne).  We saw them the next night, new year's eve, down at L.A. Live.  Its the area down by the Staples Center which is somewhat similar to Times Square.  Open air, lots of restaurants and bars, and big jumbotrons.  We also spent some time by Venice Beach and saw the famous Muscle Beach, interesting street performers, and multiple medicinal marijuana centers.  I even got to spend some time w/my cousin Jason, who was kind enough to drive (you really do need a car down in L.A.)  A one way cab ride from Marina del Rey to the Staples Center was around $70.  The weather wasn't amazing, mid 50's, but better than back home.  Just getting away from the cold and being surrounded so many fans in a great city made the trip.  Next time, whether it be Iowa or Wisconsin, we better win!

                                                                Santa Monica Pier

                                                                       Venice Pier

Red Sweatpants/Comfy Clothes

I know you've all had that one piece of clothing that you wore forever, literally until the there were holes in it and the seams were coming apart.  I've had a few pieces like that and still own one or two, mainly a grey hawkeye hoodie w/the elastic coming apart by the wrist that I've had since college, probably 10 years or so.  My favorite of all time has almost legendary status.  My red sweatpants are famous among a lot of my friends.  I wore them religiously for probably 4-5 years.  They were maroon Adidas pants w/navy blue stripes on the side.  I wore them all around town in Iowa City, to class, around the frat house, to breakfast.  Who knows, I don't remember exactly, but at one point I probably wore them to a bar or a hawkeye game.   I walked around all the time the house w/just those one.  Ah, such good times.  Alas, it was a sad day when my mom threw them out, such was the love that I had for them. 

Sweats are just as good, if not better, than your favorite pair of jeans.  I probably spend as much time in my sweats as I do in work clothes during the week.  Kelly and I laugh about all the time about it because its like a race if we get home at the same time to see who can get their sweats on first.    Nowadays I have a few key items such as Nike sweatpants w/lots of pockets, hawkeye sweatpants, and a also a new Nike hoodie.  However, I still reminise and miss my red sweatpants.  RIP my red sweatpants.

Packers/Bears

Its only Tuesday, the big game isn't until 2pm on Sunday, and my thoughts have been consumed by the game since the Packers' win on Saturday.  How am I going to get through this week?!  Normally, a Pack/Bears game is pretty damn big thing.  Compounding the enormity of the situation is of course that its the NFC Championship game and that they haven't played each other in the playoffs since the '40's.  They've split the series this year so far w/each team winning on home soil.  For the team that loses, it will be monumentally worse.  Not just cause its your hated rival, but you also know that they're playing in the Super Bowl, too.  For Bears fans, I'm sure they're regretting not knocking us out of the playoffs in the last game of the season.  Prior to the game some people wanted this matchup, I did not.  I'd much rather played the Seahawks anyday.  A ... is unfathomable right now.

If we win, the peak is so much higher and if we .... the valley will be that much lower.  So, GO PACK GO!

MLK and Traditions

For the past few years, on MLK day, a group of friends of mine have had the tradition of going to the only Pizza Hut (mmmm....lunch buffet) that I know of in the city and seeing a movie.  It just so happens that Kelly and I usually have off on Mondays normally and some others have off obviously for the holiday.  2 or 3 years ago, we saw 'Cloverfield' which I liked, but a few friends absolutely hated.  Its become a running joke every year that we need to see it again. 

The tradition of it has been something I've looked forward to every year now.  Its unusual to go hang out w/your friends during the day, on a Monday, without alcohol (well, probably without alcohol).  In just 2 days we'll renew the tradition and see 'Green Hornet' and I for one cannot wait.  Sometimes the little things like a tradition for lunch and a movie every year can be very fun and something to look forward to!

What kind of fun traditions do you have?

Feasting

                                                              Enormous pot of sticky rice

                                                                 The rest of the feast

The holidays, as I'm sure is the same for most people, is all about eating.  I sure did my fair share this past xmas.  Its worked out nicely between Kelly and I for splitting time w/our families.  We always spend xmas eve w/her mom's side.  Christmas day is always at my house and then at night her dad's side gets together, although I didn't go this year. 

Above are two photos of the feast that occurs all day and night at my house.  The attendance this year was a little lighter than most, but still respectable.  There were probably around 20-25 people this year.  I'm not sure what the largest attendance ever was, but I'm guessing somewhere in the 50 range.  When I was younger it was a really big deal.  We'd all eat and take lots of pics in front of the same 'ol plastic tree and all the kids, there were a lot of us, would get our gifts and open them.  It was a lot of fun.  Recently, with the newest generation of kids, it feels like we're coming back to that excitement level again.  There's a lot more fuss around the kids and certainly many m gifts around the tree.  Its very nice to see. 

The food is awesome and varied.  The first pic shows a massive bowl of sticky rice.  The rest of the spread is consists of part asian and part normal xmas dishes.  We always have the same punch, OJ, sprite, and rainbow sherbet.  This year we also had ham, smoked salmon, curry fishballs, mini wrapped dogs, pinwheels, spaghetti, potato and fruit salad, shrimp cocktail, a variety of desserts and more.  Usually we eat then open gifts.  Then a few people leave, and some of them come back during which we'll nap and/or rent movies.  Later, we'll eat more and watch movies.  Its a beautiful, waist expanding, time.  Now I gotta get back in the gym.  Maybe next year I'll actually contribute a dish. :-)