A Holby in the District

It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. Every time I make a post, I feel like it needs to be worth reading, so I just don’t actually do it…that and my coworkers have found my blog. In order to avoid an incredible amount of teasing, posting has been non-existent, but tonight I’m tipsy and not tired, so here we go.

I’m definitely becoming a better cook, and things that I used to have to think about all the time are becoming more intuitive. In addition, I’m slowly gaining the ability to multi-task in the kitchen. For instance, tonight I came home from work uninspired. Halfway through a Manhattan, I decided I needed to do something about that…

I put some water on to boil and thought about what else I might be inspired to cook. Within 30 minutes, I had a bowl of pasta with a simple olive oil-s&p dressing and a side of pan-roasted asparagus with pan seared red pepper, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and chopped mint leaves. There was little planning involved, and everything was very, very good! I’ll definitely make the asparagus dish again…tonight it was in memory of Franklin living here, but in the future, it will just be for the hell of it.

Sunday, I’m biking with Marg and am pretty pumped about it. I ride about 3.5-4 miles to work every day and it will be good to just go for a while, especially with someone else! We’re probably going to bike around Arlington, but I’ve never been down there before, so I’m hoping it works out well and we don’t have to alter our route seriously…Either way, it should be a beautiful day and just being outside will be a treat. Being able to push someone and pushing myself to work hard should be really rewarding.

This past week+ has been crazy. Starting the weekend before last, Blake Mann and his friend Amber stayed with us for a couple of days. It was great to catch up with Blake because I literally haven’t seen him in years. We went to Bohemian Cavern on Tuesday night for the hell of it and just talked for a long time. Though I’m sure that’s not a highlight for most people, it was the first time I’d gotten a chance to sit down with them and talk, so it was a highlight for me. On Friday, Jenny’s friend Nicole came in town and on Sunday she was joined by JP and Webb who’d been in Bham at Jordan’s wedding and Katie and Emmy who came up for their Spring Break. To say it felt like Spring Break is a complete understatement. Between Saturday night and Tuesday, I didn’t get much sleep and drank way too much alcohol. Of course, it was all sooooo good. Haha. Among the wines I opened…all of which were excellent, the Alphonse Mellot “Edmond” Sancerre from 2001 stood out for it’s incredible depth and richness…the Karl Erbes Urziger Wuzgarten Kabinett 2003 was exceptional for its elegance and length…and the 2004 Coppo Camp du Rouss Barbera d’Asti lived up to its high expectations as both an exceptional food wine and a wine with enough complexity to carry it on its own merits. At work on Tuesday…hung over but happy…recounting the number of exceptional wines I’d drunk seemed unfair, but I’m so glad everything got opened. Yum!

I’m getting pretty good at this wine thing, and though I’m a pretty bad salesman, working at the store helps me expand my knowledge every day. The best part is that when I come home, I want to sit around and talk wine more…if only I knew how I could be successful in this damn business. It bothers me that there isn’t a “path to success” in wine, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got a good head start on anyone my age. Unfortunately, there’s just no way to support a family on a measly “wine guy” salary. Fortunately, I don’t have to think about that for a long ass time…

I have to get to bed…

Sometimes, great cooking is what’s on your mind. There was a great article in this week’s Dining Section of the New York Times about how America is the only place in the world where cold cereal is considered an acceptable dinner. Admit it – you’ve eaten cold cereal for dinner at least a few times. I know I have…sometimes there’s nothing like a bowl of frosted mini-wheats to make the evening that much more special, haha. Anyway, after getting home tonight and while cleaning up, this article appeared atop some newspaper I was tossing in our recycling area. The recipe for polenta (grits) and fried eggs called to me like a siren to Odysseus and his men, so I turned on the stove and began working away. I thirded the recipe, (is that even a word?), and eyeballed most of the spices because it was so late, but everything came out beautifully (and deliciously). Alabama stone-ground organic grits are incredible when topped with two fried eggs (sunny side up since the runny yolk makes the grits extra tasty), and a healthy dose (garnish) of roughly grated Parmesan, black pepper, and Maldon salt. It was almost perfect until, in a stroke of genius, added the final two pieces of my applewood smoked bacon from Whole Foods, fried and torn into small bits. This fried-pork addition rounded out the dish and added a bit of hardiness that was only slighly lacking. I hogged the whole thing, though Webb, Franklin, and JP all made comments about how good it smelled. Usually, the generosity gets to me and sharing ensues, but tonight, I was hungry and happy to devour my anti-cold cereal dinner by myself.

PS – I will be making this dish on a regular basis (next time a la garlicy chard, mentioned in the recipe). As an added bonus, it’s also extremely easy, and quick in smaller portions.

Those were the words of one E. Webb Lyons tonight when he opened the door to find snow falling for the second time in DC this year. It’s sticking, and it looks like we’re going to get at least a couple of inches. I wish they would shut the city down…an extra day off would be beautiful. After having stomach trouble since Sunday, my throat started becoming scratchy tonight after work. It’s happened before with no serious consequences, but it can be a sign that a cold is about to set in.

Speaking of cold, the temperature is ludicrously low right now. It was 15 degrees with a wind chill of -1 on my way to work this morning… And no, I didn’t ride my bike. Sometimes, it’s just too cold – and my stomach was still being weird. It’s difficult to remember another day with such frigid temperatures in my life. I mean, it hasn’t been above 32 since the end of last week. The “four season experience” is a bit of a shock, but is kinda nice, in a masochistic way. On the bright (and warmer) side there’s something to look forward to in Spring now!

I’m not sure why food has been on my mind so much lately. Usually, nausea and food don’t mix well, but there is still this inherent urge to cook or bake or do something. Tonight, I made brown sugar cookies and they are AMAZING. Besides taking all of 20 minutes to whip up and an additional 30 to bake in two batches, they are in the running for most delicious cookie baked at 1010 thus far this year. As a side effect, I’m learning some new techniques, and why melted butter in a recipe acts different than whipped butter, and why European-style butter is different than regular unsalted butter. Food science is beautiful .

Ethicurean.com is a food blog Kate pointed me to today at work. There was an interview with the blogger at Grist if I remember correctly, and Kate of AccidentalHedonist.com did a post on it, too. The second post down about Canada’s new food guide pyramid caught my attention because after reading Pollan’s article on “Nutritionism” two weeks ago in the New York Times magazine, I’m in the market for some new food guidelines – government style! Haha. Actually, I was pretty interested in their approach, and how women and men and different age groups receive different guidelines in addition to the general ones. The guidelines play down the need for meats, and encourage other sources of protein in addition to big helpings of leafy greens and fruits. This was my favorite comment from ethicurean:

“Can you imagine the USDA telling Americans to eat tofu? The shit-caked boots of the beef lobby would be firmly holding their necks to the ground within minutes of their typing the words.”

Awesome, just awesome – and true, though I think their necks are already held to the ground while the beef lobby is typing up the guidelines. FYI, here’s the link: Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating

If you don’t read Jenny’s blog, you may have missed her posting of Panda Sneeze, a 15 second clip of…well, just watch it. Jenny has probably seen it more than a hundred times, and is still entertained. In fact, I heard her watching it at least 5 times tonight and laughing each time.

Make sure your sound is on: Panda Sneeze

Yes. Eighty percent of 1010 Euclid writes a blog…now we all have to do it regularly, so I’ll have something else to look forward to reading at night before I go to bed, or during the day when I am able to sneak a peak at the internet at work. Anyway, I’m glad you’re writing a blog now JP, way to jump off a bridge with the rest of us.

I’ve been thinking a lot about being time-poor lately, especially when I’m at work. If you’ve yet to read the post where I talk about people being money-poor or time-poor, scroll down a few and check it out. I’ve even quoted the most important part of the article so you can just read a paragraph and feel extra accomplished. Back to being time-poor…and why work is such a waste of time… On days like today and yesterday, when there aren’t that many people in the store who are looking for wine advice, it is exceptionally frustrating that I can’t be reading the newspaper, or catching up on my economics reading, or thinking about how I’m going to pilfer The Omnivores Dilemma from JP as soon as he’s finished reading it so I can be reading that. I don’t know, it just seems so inefficient to sit in a wine shop when there are other, more important things to be done. Come to think of it, I’m definitely not the only person I know who has that problem. People sit on gChat all day long, waiting for something interesting to happen. Kate reads most of the newspaper…JP stays on CNN.com…Jenny reminds people to close their billing sheets…(wait, that’s work)…Jenny also peruses cuteoverload.com. Webb actually works – that little shit. I suppose homelessness is still a problem in America *sigh*.

When I got home tonight, cooking commenced. I made a big pot of minestrone soup that should feed me and maybe a few lucky others for the next couple of days. About an inch or so of snow, plus freezing rain, is expected to fall on DC and the surrounding areas tomorrow evening and I can’t help but imagine being back in Alabama where everything would have shut down with a hint of a threat of snow or ice accumulating on the ground. If we all got snowed in tomorrow, minestrone could feed us. Ha . I also made some delicious homestyle cornbread. I accidentally added a teaspoon of salt instead of a half-teaspoon, and you can tell, unfortunately. Next time, when I don’t have to worry about bacon frying and chopping vegetables and everything else, it will be more successful. I’m continuing to do well with my plan to eat more naturally and healthfully. Thus far this week, my only meats have been the turkey in the chowder on Monday night and the bacon tonight which I already had in the fridge. I should cook some fish soon, but continue to stay clear of red meat and chicken.

Finishing up the dishes is not high on my priority list right now. Good night.

Flags of Our Fathers is an awesome movie, and I agree with A.O. Scott that Clint Eastwood is possibly one of the best American directors today. It is both powerful and disturbing, with flashbacks from the battles on the island reminding me why war is such an awful thing. Fortunately, the movie isn’t soley about the fight for Iwo Jima and it does an especially excellent job of tackling blatant racism among other serious issues. After finishing it, scenes and dialogue between characters (not necessarily from fight scenes) stuck with me throughout the day. It is one that sticks with you and demands a viewer consider deeper questions than what seems to be obvious at first glance.  I am excited about seeing Letters from Iwo Jima soon.

It’s pretty impossible for me to have a job (that doesn’t allow me to get on the internet), have a life, and write three or four posts per day. Throughout a day, there are enough serious ideas that go through my head that warrant posting (which is really just me hashing out ideas) but there just isn’t enough time. Maybe there’s a way for me to not be so verbose, but get across the basic ideas.

Hopefully, some of you have read this article by Michael Pollan that was the cover story in the NYT Magazine this Sunday: Unhappy Meals. If not, do it…now.  Though lengthy, it is shorter than his excellent book, The Omnivores Dilemma which I’ll summarily steal from either John Paul or Kate – hehe , and t makes many of the same points. The most basic and overriding of these he basically gives away in the first few sentences: “Eat naturally, mostly like a vegetarian, especially leafy greans. When you choose to eat meat, do it in moderation and think of it more as a side dish than a main course.” It has truly changed the way I am looking at my meals in the short term, and hopefully will alter my habits in the long term, since I love my meat – steak, chicken, lamb, fish, etc. and will find it difficult to renounce them on a regular basis. He ends the article with nine steps to live and eat better and more responsibly. Here are my favorites.

“1. Eat food. Though in our current state of confusion, this is much easier said than done. So try this: Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. (Sorry, but at this point Moms are as confused as the rest of us, which is why we have to go back a couple of generations, to a time before the advent of modern food products.) There are a great many foodlike items in the supermarket your ancestors wouldn’t recognize as food (Go-Gurt? Breakfast-cereal bars? Nondairy creamer?); stay away from these.”

“4. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. You won’t find any high-fructose corn syrup at the farmer’s market; you also won’t find food harvested long ago and far away. What you will find are fresh whole foods picked at the peak of nutritional quality. Precisely the kind of food your great-great-grandmother would have recognized as food.”

“6. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves. Scientists may disagree on what’s so good about plants — the antioxidants? Fiber? Omega-3s? — but they do agree that they’re probably really good for you and certainly can’t hurt. Also, by eating a plant-based diet, you’ll be consuming far fewer calories, since plant foods (except seeds) are typically less “energy dense” than the other things you might eat. Vegetarians are healthier than carnivores, but near vegetarians (“flexitarians”) are as healthy as vegetarians. Thomas Jefferson was on to something when he advised treating meat more as a flavoring than a food.”

“9. Eat like an omnivore. Try to add new species, not just new foods, to your diet. The greater the diversity of species you eat, the more likely you are to cover all your nutritional bases. That of course is an argument from nutritionism, but there is a better one, one that takes a broader view of “health.” Biodiversity in the diet means less monoculture in the fields. What does that have to do with your health? Everything. The vast monocultures that now feed us require tremendous amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to keep from collapsing. Diversifying those fields will mean fewer chemicals, healthier soils, healthier plants and animals and, in turn, healthier people. It’s all connected, which is another way of saying that your health isn’t bordered by your body and that what’s good for the soil is probably good for you, too.”

I want to join a CSA for the Spring or Summer/Fall. It’s not terribly expensive considering the quality of produce received, and it will help me accomplish #9 and #6.

To celebrate this new discovery of healthy eating, I cooked myself a three-egg omelet this afternoon for breakfast/lunch and tossed in some bacon, red bell pepper, shittake mushrooms and cheddar cheese. (That last sentance should have bled sarcasm if you didn’t pick it up.) It was delicious and now there is a little less meat in the fridge, plus it got me through the day quite well and the only snack I ate was a handful or two of raisins between lunch and dinner.

Speaking of dinner, tonight I continued what is becoming a tradition at 1010 Euclid: family dinner on Monday night. Throughout the week, I enjoy cooking for myself, but it is often difficult for me to also cook for everyone else, especially if I have to get ingredients at the grocery store by the time I come home. Tonight was a serious undertaking because I attempted two different dishes; which turned into three by the end of the night. The first was a Smoked Turkey Chowder. I simplified the recipe a bit, cutting out the bacon for Jenny and Sara’s sake, (though I’m glad I did) and skipping the brussel sprout and cranberry crouton part of the garnish. It’s my second attempt at chowder, my first being the corn chowder that Kate and I made this summer with ingredients from the Farmer’s Market.  (That was so damn good, too.) The second was also an altered recipe – a Buffalo-style Mac and Cheese. For this one, the fried “buffalo” chicken was left out because the M-n-C was designed to be a side dish and also because Sara doesn’t eat meat. It was also good and the hot sauce provided a much needed kick at the end. In fact, the sauce kind of covered up the fact that it was a little runny and the provolone had somehow broken down or something so it was really mealy. Fortunately, I think I was the only one who noticed these flaws. The Smoked Turkey Chowder was also good and hearty, and I was very pleased with the consistency I got from the food processor, especially since the turkey didn’t get processed. The Dutch Oven is an amazing piece of equipment and totally worth the forty bucks spent on it. Props go to JP for helping me chop ingredients in the kitchen. I couldn’t have thrown together two complicated dishes tonight without him or someone helping me chop and stir. Basically, I just needed someone to bark orders at, haha. When we were playing Monkey Balls tonight after everyone else had gone to bed, he told me that he came home not looking forward to potentially spending all night in the kitchen, but once there, he really enjoyed himself.

I’m making Minestrone soon. Doing research tonight on a good recipe, I found that through some leftover produce from tonight, most of the ingredients are already in the house. Yes, it give me gas, but it is so hearty and delicious, my intestines will just have to grow the microbes needed to break down all that rustic goodness. Yum! Since I’m off early on Wednesday, it’ll be the night to make a huge batch of it to eat some of and freeze a lot of.

The new issue of Cook’s Illustrated arrived today. After perusing it this afternoon and evening, the most compelling articles discuss bread baking and a recipe for an Olive Rosemary bread and some ideas for sauteeing asparagus for when it comes in season again. Unlike Bon Appetit, which has in nearly all of its recipes, some sort of meat, the majority of Cook’s recipes are edible by vegetarians as well as omnivores. I think that’s enough cooking discussion for tonight. Bed time.

The title of this post doesn’t have anything to do with this first paragraph. Today was mostly spent recovering from staying out in the frigid cold from 9pm until around 3am waiting for Sufjan Stevens ticks. Where was I recovering? Work.  There were brain freezes here and there and I made a few errors, but I think I’ll still have a job on Monday.

When I came home tonight – wonderful biking weather by the way  – I saw this post on the Lifehacker.com feed on my Netvibes page. It was about whether or not people would rather have more money or more personal time. Though the article referenced makes a strong case that more money does in fact buy happiness, there is a significant paragraph about people desiring more personal time:

From Making the Most of the Money You Have:

How much would people sacrifice to spend an extra hour a day with family or loved ones? A quarter would only give up 5 percent of their salary; 15 percent would sacrifice 10 percent of their income; 4 percent would give up 20 percent of pay; and 5 percent would tolerate a cut of more than 20 percent.

The group who most desired time rather than the money? Men age 45 to 54, with 61 percent reporting they would make the tradeoff. “We’re one of few nations in the world without a mandatory vacation policy or a maximum limit on the amount of overtime you can ask someone to work,” says Kasser. “We’re time-poverty-stricken.”

Kasser has conducted a variety of studies that found people who are “time affluent” are happier than those who are materially affluent. “Time-affluent people had more time to spend engaged in activities focused on personal growth, friends, and family and contributing to community” — all essential factors in happiness, he explains.

I like the last paragraph in that it implies that being rich in your family and friends is almost as important if not more important than having enough money. This sort of analysis backs up the Cowen piece I wrote about earlier in the week that postulated that wealth was not the only  (or most important) determinant of  happiness.

That Beatles song that has the lyrics “money can’t buy you love” is so appropriate right now.

There were some interesting things in todays New York Times, though strangely lacking is how the country is going to cut (projected) gasoline usage by 20% or encourage industry to produce more alternative fuels, namely ethanol. Including the word “subsidy” anywhere is probably a non-starter among the American people, though if it were coupled with campaign contributions, would be with Members of Congress.

One thing that did catch my eye was Tyler Cowen’s piece on Inequality in the Economic Scene article in the Business section of the paper. He talks about how despite rising income inequality in America, reported happiness inequality has remained close to the same over the past few years. Here’s a good exerpt:

Studies of personal happiness, based on questionnaires and self-reporting, indicate that the inequality of happiness is not growing over time in the United States. Furthermore, the United States has an inequality of happiness roughly comparable to that of Sweden or Denmark, two nations with strongly egalitarian reputations.

Self-reported happiness to me is still a poor way to measure how satisfied someone really is because it can change so rapidly. Basically, as long as we believe we’re doing okay, everything is fine and the general population is satisfied, but when it gets out of hand and inequality becomes more of a conscious thought, I imagine that the “happiness gap” will widen rapidly. The article makes two good points, however: income alone is a poor way of measuring a person’s happiness, though it is often quoted as such and the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns (is that the right one?) applies to income, too. “Someone who makes $500,000 per year is not ten times happier than someone else making $50,000 per year.” Very true, money can’t buy you love…or happiness for that matter.

I am glad I work in a great wine shop. Though there were old people and it was slow, the day overall was wonderful. We had two unexpected tastings today – Bacchus Importers came and let us sample the Vineyard Brands line. Then the winemaker and owner of Valdicava came in and let us sample his Rosso di Montalcino (2004), Brunello di Montalcino (2000) and the single vineyard Brunello, Madonna del Piano (2001 – yet to be released). Just about everything we sampled was delicious – here are the quick notes for you to take with you when you go to the wine store next time (just in case you don’t have my number).

Vineyard Brands

South America

Con Sur “Vision” Sauvignon Blanc 2006 – very grassy, 8.5/10 for the value, technically sound wine

Con Sur Organic Pinot Noir 2006 – great nose, layers of fruit with subtle spice, 8.5-9, better than any other pinot at this price point

Alsace

Weinbach Pinot Blanc Reserve 2005 – 9, great minerality and concentration, lots of depth for a pinot blanc
Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2005 and Cuvee St. Catherine 2005 – 8.5+, St. Cath 9+, acidity in spades, minerality, with some petrol overtones…very classically Alsace, but also tight and closed down, this would probably be best late 2007 or early 2008+
Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvee Theo 2005 – 9.5+
Weinbach Gewurtztraminer Cuvee Laurence 2005 – 9.5++, 10? For both of these wines, my only note is  “these are INSANE” They’re both sweet, with the Cuvee Laurence containing slightly more residual sugar and concentration. Candied lychee, pineapple and pear dominated the nose and taste, but there was a large amount of acidity and enough concentration for these guys to last as long as an Auslese level German Riesling. They would pair well with sushi or other spicy food, but they’re so complex and deep by themselves having food almost seems like it might take away from the wines. These are two wines, $45 & $60, respectively, that are truly worth the cashola.

Burgundy

JM Boillot Montagny Blanc 1er Cru 2005 – 8.5 this wine is a chardonnay, it’s from just south of the Cote d’Or in Burgundy, and the grapes tasted like they had a bit more ripeness than just a regular white Burgundy, the oak integration is wonderful in this wine, it’s what I think California chardonnay’s say they want to achieve but fail miserably at actually doing.

Matrot Mersault Les Chevaliers 2005 – 8.5 wonderful finish on this wine, though i wish i didn’t have to rush through this one (and the rest of the chardonnays) it shows great potential and complexity

Michel Chablis Montee de Tonnerre 2005 – 7.5-8 not a ton of acidity, and lots of minerality. This wine should retail for about $40 and i don’t think it’s worth it, at all. If I tasted it alone, maybe more stuff would jump out at me.

Rhone/Southern France

La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon White – 8, porch-y wine, uncomplex blend of some Rhone grapes, very drinkable and undemanding

Perrin Reserve Cote du Rhone Blanc and Rouge – 8.5, these are both outstanding values, very pleasing, technically well made and delicious if uncomplex and straightforward, this and the La Vieille Ferme do exactly what they’re designed to do, which is be friendly and approachable

Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 2004 – 9.5 – gamey as hell and closed up, this wine shows great potential but won’t be accessible for another four or five years easily and won’t reach its peak until at least 2015 or so

I’m tempted to write about the Italian wines, but I’ll save that for tomorrow because it’s late. Sorry that this post probably won’t be interesting to most people .

From the most recent issue of Wired, in the article “What We Don’t Know”:

How do entangled particles communicate?

One of the zanier notions in the plenty zany world of quantum mechanics is that a pair of subatomic particles can sometimes become “entangled.” This means that the fate of one instantly affects the other, no matter how far they are apart. It’s such a bizarre phenomenon that Einstein dissed the idea in the 1930s as “spooky action at a distance,” saying it showed that the developing model of the atomic world needed rethinking.
But it turns out that the universe is spooky after all. In 1997, scientists separated a pair of entangled photons by shooting them through fiber-optic cables to two villages six miles apart. Tipping one into a particular quantum state forced the other into the opposite state less than five-trillionths of a second later, or nearly 7 million times faster than light could travel between the two. Of course, according to relativity, nothing travels faster than the speed of light — not even information between particles.
Even the best theories to explain how entanglement gets around this problem seem preposterous. One, for example, speculates that the signals are shot back through time. Ultimately, the answer is bound to be unnerving: According to a famous doctrine called Bell’s Inequality, for entanglement to square with relativity, either we have no free will or reality is an illusion. Same choice.

Whoaaaaaaaaa…did that just blow your mind as much as it did mine? Read the second-to-last sentence again.

Damn.

Also quoted in the article: all the tea in China is worth $1,590,653,400 and all the coffee in Brazil is worth $6,645,461,089.