cooking school

a couple of nites ago john, karen (his sister) and i went to a cooking class at the viking cooking school in fairfield new jersey. it was actually a very belated, combined birthday gift for john and me from karen. the recipe theme for the evening was fish. we cooked a tilapia with julienned red pepper, leeks and compound butter en papillot; seared salmon with a citrus vinaigrette; tuna burgers with wasabi slaw, and a fried haddock with avocado salsa. the recipes were all very simple and incredibly delicious. when the class was over the group was able to sit and eat what they cooked. i think my favorite was the tuna burger with the wasabi slaw, although i actually ate EVERYTHING!! i think it's fun to prepare food together when you are will be having dinner together afterwards. it's such a great way to share the experience, and of course an opportunity to drink. we couldn't really drink while we were cooking at the school but they did serve us wine with our meal. i usually drink while i'm cooking, maybe that's why i enjoy it so much!!! well, next week brings an opportunity to do some heavy drinking with cooking during the thanksgiving festivities. don't miss the opportunity, i promise it will make everything better. not perfect, but better.

animation

we are always in the midst of change. whether we realize it or not, want it or not, are ready for it or not, we are perpetually in that state of active equilibrium, the difference between what we are truly on the inside and what we want the world to see, what we were today, last minute, yesterday and what we become the next second, tomorrow, in a decade due to the choices we make. in making these choices for ourselves the changes stay within our character and we grow, when we abdicate the power to choose or willingly let others choose for us we are less happy with the choices because they are out of character. my friend odalys calls these "out of character" actions animation. we hate to see out favourite watering holes and eateries change because those changes generally will create a diversion from the nature of these establishments which we have grown to love, appreciate and to which we have become accustomed and familiar. change, in this case, is not always good, and can seriously detract from the experience. at long beach island, on a FABULOUS weekend with John and his sister Karen (compliments of her generosity), i visited two places of which i have previously been a fan that went through "changes". the new incarnation of Bistro 14 suffered in the change. animation. the place never had "a look", not even in a beach town where that sort of thing is not only de rigeur, but usually means nautical; but the food used to be a great representation. somewhere along the change they stopped making the fried seafood basket, including no fried clams (a staple in that type of place), they "fancified" some of the fish dishes (you can have it with this type of sauce or that type of sauce...blah,blah,blah), poussin chicken (really? in a great fish place?), and (gasp!) they stopped offering both types of chowder (yes, clam of course) and now only offer their "award winning manhattan". ok, so they won the '07 LBI chowderfest with their manhattan style chowder; but really? no new england style? that just plain sucks 'cause when i'm in LBI i wanna have them alllllll!!!!! and, hold on to your cocktail glass, they don't have a liquor license anymore. who was the fucking asshole that let THAT happen? and why don't they advertise that it is BYOB, which would have been perfectly fine; but really? i'm sitting at the table and you tell me i can't order liquor? i should really have left at that point. the chowder was good (award-winning? really?, i don't know), the mussels didn't have enough garlic, butter or white wine sauce (although they were deliciously fresh), the fried artichokes were greasy... ok i've said enuf. i hate change. at our dinner at the new Gables Inn (nee Green Gables Inn) i was pleasantly surprised that the drastic renovations which the place had undergone were actually very beautiful, in spite of the fact that it was not as rustic as it used to be. on this point, some people might say that rustic in just a word for run-down, and to be honest the place was looking a little rough around the edges, and the majority of the changes had actually been done to the living quarters and not the food. they still offered their fantastic prix-fixe multi-course dinner complete with amouse-bouche (i highly recommend it), but they extended their menu to include a la carte. as in the past, the service was gracious and expert, and the food was, well, delish. pate de foix gras with figs and a balsamic reduction as an appetizer, and a delicious and huge piece of perfectly cooked butterfish in a broth, over vegetables. the place is even more beautiful than it ever has been in its long history and i am happy to say that i look forward to going back. i actually like change, appreciate change, know that it is good, but...i guess the chef at Bistro 14 was being true to himself, and, well, no-one was really twisting my arm to eat there and i'm just letting you know what i thought. the Gables, well, i wish places like that didn't change at all, but then i have Cancer rising, and for the Crab that takes its home around on its back i have to be eased in to that type of change. having sun in Gemini, a mutable sign and the proverbial purveyor of change, i'm constantly in that state of equilibrium, loving it and hating it. so, "don't change your hair for me, not if you care for me..." anyway, there are the sites there on the side and don't hesitate to visit them both, and all the great places at LBI. and if you have to change, at least stay true to your nature, it'll be less shocking for the rest of us that way.
Changes, gotta love 'em.

%BURP%

ok, so no sooner do i spout off about light summer eating do i go out and have two of the most food-packed days ever. honestly, i think i ate enough to feed two third-world villages. friday nite was mr. c's surprise birthday party. it was definitely a surprise when you consider his birthday was in may. anyway, it was at the villa amalfi in cliffside park new jersey (link on the side there for those interested) and the food was italian. hors d'ouvres, salad, hot anti-pasta plate, canneloni, entree, and dessert. not to mention that earlier that afternoon john and i had gone for tapas (salpicon de mariscos y buñuelos de bacalao)and sangria. well, i just couldn't even eat the dessert it got to THAT point (although i was able to have a piece later when i found out that karen had saved some, and it was an incredible napolean cake, courtesy of the palisade park bakery-and let me tell you, if you are anywhere near the reach of this blog, RUN, do not walk there). i love italian and i thought they did a nice job, the only thing i didn't really care for was the strawberry zabaglione. mr. c really enjoyed himself. he and i have a really good relationship. although it was rough in the beginning. you know, when you are first trying to carve your own place as a new member of a group/family it can be tough. sometimes it can feel like being at a party where you know you're not really wanted. also, not everyone's expressions of acceptance or affection are the same you know. for some it is all warm and fuzzy and for some not so much. with mr. c when you get a shot of love it may be followed by a piss and vinegar chaser. so the first indication i had that i was getting close to that inner circle was when i told mr. c i was going to have eye surgery and he suggested i ask the surgeon if he would also take the lead out of my ass. THAT'S love.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY (AGAIN) MR. C!

St. Pats/Easter - Green Eggs and Ham?!

so i'm working like a slave on all my homework and really just getting batty and John's sister Karen emails me to say that this year she wants to do a joint St.Pats and Easter thing and what day can both John and I make it so the whole family can be together. i'm like, St.Pats AND Easter? i realize they're both really close this year and it would give us all a chance to celebrate both, and all together; but to me this just seems like somebody getting away with only feeding me once. also, i'm latin, and therefore only irish by injection; and easter, well, as i said, an opportunity for food and drink, not to mention chocolate. still, it's an opportunity to do the food and drink thing, you know; and get together with the family, which i love. and i love Karen and Wayne, not to mention that Karen's a good cook and she and Wayne keep a very well stocked wine fridge. and i do love good wine (Todd, Karen and Wayne's son, calls me a wine-aholic) kids say the darnest things don't they? ;-) so i'm down with the whole joint celebration thing and then i start thinking about are we going to have a leprechaun with bunny ears or a green easter rabbit for the egg hunt? and of course the food and drink, and naturally in my state of mind i think dr. seuss and start quoting green eggs and ham to Karen. everything has become blog fodder, what can i say? it's like those ink blot tests, it all looks like food or sex to me. last year John and i were going to miss the St.Pats get-together because we had a flight to Tulum on that day, and then, if any of you remember, we had that freak ice storm and the flight never got off the ground. of course, it wasn't bad enough to keep us from going out and eating and drinking to excess so we all met at a place in jersey called "the crow's nest" which was doing a full blown St.Pats thing complete with bagpipes and the requisite menu. i showed up with green hair and ate corned beef and cabbage like a true irishman. anyway, here's some pics of past St.Pats get-togethers.

Karen, Wayne, Mr. C, Shivann(see you DID make it to my blog) and Todd

Karen and Wayne :-*

Karen, John, Me and Shivann

with Hailey and James

with Kim, Myung and Tommy

LOVE YOU ALL, SEE YOU IN A FEW WEEKS!!!

And of course, Green Eggs and Ham...