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.