Remove the curtain please

Alright team, it's time. Time to unveil what it was I ate thanks to my dad's adventures. Unfortunately none of you got it right but some of you came pretty close.

So my dad LOVES sushi. I don't think "love" is a strong enough word. He eats it every weekend and he's very much a purist, he only likes sashimi or sushi with the nagiri, he'll rarely eat rolls. According to my favorite food podcast, you should go to the same restaurant time and time again and eat at the sushi bar because that way the chefs get to know you and save the best stuff for you. Eventually you work your way up to saying, "omakase" which means, "I trust you chef, serve me what you think is best." My dad is pretty much there, the chefs at the bar recognize him and know his favorites.

A type of omakase is how we got to drink the aforementioned stuff. We were sitting at the bar with my dad enjoying a wonderful variety of stuff (Brandon by the way has really expanded his sushi eating, I'm way proud). My dad had had all his favorites and asked the chef, "What haven't I had before?" The chefs smiled and impish smile (not always a good thing) and served up the dark goopy stuff and said, "We like this."
"Really?" said my dad.
"Just try it," said one of the chefs.
"You did ask..." I reminded him, "I'll have some too."

He tried it and made a face I couldn't decipher, then passed it to me and I took a gulp, then I passed it to Brandon who paled just a little.

"Do it, do it," we all chanted. He gulped some down and made the same face my dad and I had already made.
"It's not bad..." he said.
"I know, but... it's just so..." I squinted my right eye and moved my lips to the left.
"Yeah..." said my dad and Brandon. To this day we have yet to find words that describe that taste. And the reason is that what we had was:

Raw tiny squid...


marinated their own ink and...


...also marinated in sake.

I know... I don't know whose idea that was, but whoever it was that thought that up deserves props. What I like about food is that it gives you such a great glimpse into other cultures with just one slurp, or gulp, or crunchy bite. It's a way to connect, much like visiting a different country or trying to learn a different language. Refusal of different ethnics foods is like denying yourself a quick travel to a place you might have never been able to go. Yes, some places you don't need to see twice, and some things go against your moral standards but hey, as long as you keep an open mind... Keep eating everyone!

A few of my favorite things...

I'm surrounded by very talented people. It's enough to make a girl feel jealous.

My friend Heidi, style guru and maker of fabulous things, recently went live with her headband company that she co-owns with her twin sister. She made this headband for me a little while ago:

I can't go anywhere with this thing on where everyone that walks by me doesn't ask where I got it. It's incredibly cute and more importantly, super comfortable. Please check out her website and buy stuff from it. If you type in HOLIDAY in the promotion code thingie you'll get 40% off. So go to www.truebirds.com. Right now. Go.

And while we're on the gifted note, check these out:

I've yet to meet a cuter dog.


The entire fam, just kickin' back. It's kind of our thing.


I love this one of Brandon. Seeing him smile like that makes my existence worth it. Also, this pic makes Brandon look like a Cullen... kinda, right?

Our most talented photographer was Mariah Baddas. We went to Old Town and just kind of walked around and had a great time. She made us feel so comfortable and the finished products were awesome. Obviously there are more pics than this and they were all great. If you need pictures for whatever reason or you're just a narcissist please call Mariah. And look at her website at www.mariahbaddasphotography.com.

So, now you know. Go out and employ the services of these talented women.

10 bucks

Ok, maybe not ten bucks, but I'll make dinner for whoever can guess what this is (Veils don't count):



I'd like to think of myself of an adventurous eater. I was thinking about it today when Brandon was carefully mentioning that while he mostly enjoys my experiments he doesn't enjoy cleaning after them. And I thought that I started eating adventurously at an early age, not because I was born with a sporting spirit but because I was born with a lot of pride. Unfortunately for me, my crowd yelling "Chug!" was my parents. It's them with the sporting spirit and me with the consequences. Still, my pride has allowed me to develop my pallet into something if not, sophisticated, then at least sturdy. There aren't many things I won't eat. I thought I had tasted a lot of things until I tasted the above. I had no frame of reference for what the above tasted like. I can only break down the texture as slimy and the tastes as: a little sweet, a little salty and very strong. And of course I was with my dad so I had to eat it and then smile - except this time I wasn't faking it. I guess pride sometimes pays off.

Cast your votes. I'll reveal the answer and winner if a few days...

Grievance Treatises

If I had a giant church door, I would stick these on there - a la Luther.

1. I'm not loving Christmas this year.
2. I don't know if Newton's discovery of gravity was so much a discovery as it was a lack of things to do.
3. You know the world is going downhill when your 57-year-old coworker says, "TTFN!"
4. Why is Rosie allowed on network TV again?
5. Please, let's just all back down from the exclamation marks. Let's have them rest, perhaps we can rediscover our friend the period. Hell, I'll take a question mark. Semicolon?
6. Don't heart clerks who yell at you. And I'd like to think that this is the physical manifestation of the over-use of the exclamation point. Observe.

Saturday I saunter into Charlotte Russe searching for a handbag for my mom. La, la, la, sauntering...
"HI!!! WELCOME TO CHARLOTTE!!!"
Holy cow... I'm like, right here...
"CAN I HELP YOU!?!"
Yes, back off.
"No, thanks, just lookin'"
"OK!!! LET ME KNOW IF I CAN!!!"
Seriously? I'm RIGHT here...

See? I'm innocent. It's the store's fault I'm bitter about Christmas.

Culprit?

Some has signed me up for a Bon Apettit subscription. I want to know who it is so I can thank them, unless the Food Fairy Godmother really does exist...

Shout out to James Dean

Love James Franco, but my favorite here is his brother.

See more James Franco videos at Funny or Die

This one goes out to my cousin Dave - who is an actor.

The Greatest Gift of All

Seeing how it’s the giving season I thought I’d share a story about the gift of giving.

Sitting in the front at work has its advantages and disadvantages. Mainly that I have to meet people I wouldn’t usually meet on the street. Advantage and disadvantage. Recently a guy came in from one of our messenger services (ask me how many messenger services a law firm employs…) donning a tweed jacket, a sweater-vest and a retro tie. Very sharp. While I summoned the person he had come to talk to, we got to talking and as it turns out we both share a deep passion for bacon.

“Have you heard of the bacon of the month club?” he inquired.
“Shut up! There’s a bacon of the month club?” I responded, with surprise and delight.
“Yeah, I heard about it somewhere, I wonder how much it costs.”
“Here, let me look it up,” I said.

By then the person he had come to speak with came, gave him her order and he had to depart.

“We’ll reconvene when I come back tomorrow.” He said.
“Yes, I’ll be ready with bacon info for ya.”

The sun set and rose again and Kyle, as it turns out his name is, came back to the office.

“The Grateful Palate has a bacon of the month club for $150 per year. That’s a whole case of bacon every month for only $150!” I spit out before he could greet me.
“I know! That’s not bad at all!” he responded matching my enthusiasm
“Although I don’t know what I would do with all that bacon…”
“Give some to me!” he said.
“What? Get your own case!” I responded playfully.

When he had finished his business he departed with polite and enthusiastic bacon good-bye.

About 45 minutes later Kyle came back with a big smile on his face.

“Hi!” I said, “Did you forget something?”
“No, we just went to breakfast and I wanted to give you this.”

Out from his pocket came a perfectly crisped piece of bacon in a plastic baggie.

“Just thought you’d like it.”
“Oh my gosh! This is the sweetest present anyone has thought to give me! Thank you so much!!!”
“No problem,” he said nonchalantly, “just thought you’d enjoy it.”
“I do! I will! Thank you!” I gushed.

When Kyle departed I carefully opened my baggie containing my bacon and considered that he is a better person than I. I would NEVER share bacon from my plate with anyone I was sitting with. Much less drive with it without attacking it at the first stop light. It’s not like I don’t like sharing, or the thought of sharing bacon displeases me, I just can’t think of a situation where I could realistically bring myself to do it. During this Holiday season we could learn a lot from Kyle’s giving example.



(Someone buy me Bacon of the Month club – www.gratefulpalate.com)