We’ve often been asked why Incanto is not listed on OpenTable.com. For those of you not familiar with the service, OpenTable is the most successful online restaurant reservation portal on Earth; a place on the Web where diners can search for and make reservations at leading restaurants, via a browser or smartphone. Restaurants like Incanto that chose not to offer their seats through OpenTable find themselves in a shrinking minority.
Let me start by stating the obvious: the convenience and immediacy of booking a table online anytime day or night is beneficial to both diners and to restaurants. This was my belief nine years ago, when we first approached OpenTable to inquire about becoming one of its early customers. It’s also why we have found a way to offer Web-based reservations, through our own website, since we opened and why we’ve kept current and revisited OpenTable’s offerings each year, to re-visit our decision.
It’s possible, however, for convenience to come at too dear a price. I don’t mean that only as it relates to the short-term economic price, but also in the sense that sometimes, what may at first seem like a straightforward benefit can in fact require the sacrifice of something much more precious over the long run. That judgment has always been at the core of our concerns about OpenTable, which has to its credit done such a masterful job building its business that it now holds the dominant position here in the U.S. among providers of online reservation services, with a market share estimated at greater than 90%. Whether or not your restaurant is an OpenTable customer, it’s impossible not to feel its impact.
But the question isn’t about whether or not online reservations are themselves a good idea; OpenTable’s many accomplishments are proof enough that they are a great idea. OpenTable is a hugely successful multinational corporation, constructed over 12 challenging years, during which its management has skillfully out-executed and out-maneuvered its competitors to create a valuable business. How valuable, you ask? Well, OpenTable went public in 2009 (NASDAQ: OPEN) and as of September 30, 2010 it was priced at more than $1.5 billion. That translates to more than $100,000 for each contract it holds with the approximately 14,000 restaurants listed on OpenTable.com. Sadly, many small neighborhood restaurants may themselves not be worth as much as the value that has been placed on their future business with OpenTable.
The more important question is whether OpenTable’s role, as the Web’s nearly exclusive gatekeeper to this country’s restaurant seats, is a good thing for restaurants and their customers. Have the ascent of OpenTable and its astronomical market value resulted from delivering $1.5 billion in value to its paying clients, or by cunningly diverting that value from them? What does the hegemony of OpenTable mean both for restaurants and for the dining public in the long run?
Not being entirely sure of my own hypothesis – a few months ago I took an informal survey of several other restaurateurs here in San Francisco and in New York, all of whom offer seats through OpenTable, asking them about the value of OpenTable from the restaurateur’s perspective.
Only one of the dozen or so I spoke with said he felt that OpenTable increased the value of his restaurant and that he wouldn’t imagine opening a new project without it. The rest were less than happy. The recurring themes were the opinion that OpenTable took home a disproportionate (relative to other vendors) chunk of the restaurants’ revenues each month and the feeling of being trapped in the service, it was too expensive to keep, but letting it go could be harmful. The GM of one very well known New York restaurant group, which spends thousands of dollars on OpenTable each month, put it to me this way, “OpenTable is out for itself, the worst business partner I have ever worked with in all my years in restaurants. If I could find a way to eliminate it from my restaurants I would.” Another high-profile, 3.5-star San Francisco restaurateur told me he feels held hostage by OpenTable. For the past several years, his payments to them have been substantially more than he has himself earned from 80-hour workweeks at his restaurant. But he believes that if he stops offering it, his customers will revolt and many would stop coming to his restaurant. So he keeps paying, but carries a grudge and wishes for something better.
What are the actual economics of using OpenTable? First and most importantly, the restaurant pays all the fees. Diners not only don’t pay any fees directly, they earn rewards for showing loyalty to OpenTable. This is the crux – and brilliance – of OpenTable’s business model: OpenTable has convinced restaurants to pay it substantial fees while it takes the customer relationship out of the hands of the restaurant and places control into OpenTable’s hands. Then, after having lent their names to the service, enabled OpenTable to attract online diners, and funded the construction of a powerful database of customers loyal to OpenTable, restaurants find that they themselves no longer own the customer relationship. Restaurants that want continued access to those diners now have to pay OpenTable for the privilege. This may be at the core of why many restaurateurs quietly resent OpenTable.
The access fees can be substantial, particularly for restaurants operating on thin margins. One independent study estimates that OpenTable’s fees (comprised of startup fees, fixed monthly fees, and per-person reservation fees) translate to a cost of roughly $10.40 for each “incremental” 4-top booked through OpenTable.com. To put that in perspective, consider that the average profit margin, before taxes, for a U.S. restaurant is roughly 5%. This means that a table of 4 spending $200 on dinner would generate a $10 profit. In this example, all of that profit would then go to OpenTable fees for having delivered the reservation, leaving the restaurant with nothing other than the hope that that customer would come back (and hopefully book by telephone the next time).
In truth, the actual fees incurred for an “incremental” table may be higher than the $10.40 figure, which assumes that every reservation booked via OpenTable.com is an incremental reservation, i.e. composed of guests who would not have otherwise visited the restaurant and were seated on a table that would otherwise have sat empty for the evening. It’s easy to imagine that, had a restaurant not been listed there, at least some of those booking on OpenTable.com would have otherwise gone to the trouble to find that restaurant some other way.
OpenTable’s pitch to restaurateurs is that the 5% average restaurant profit margin applies only to schmucks who don’t offer reservations through their service. If you sign on with OpenTable, goes the pitch, you will fill more of those empty tables and see an increase in business, the marginal profits of which will more than justify OpenTable’s fees. Your restaurant will be more profitable than the measly 5% to which you have grown accustomed. This pitch is perfectly tuned to the psyche of the independent restaurateur; we always believe we can find a competitive advantage that will enable us to do it a just a little bit better than the guy across the street.
However, once everyone’s restaurant is listed on OpenTable.com, does it still provide that leg up over the guy across the street? Under the old conventional wisdom, restaurateurs considered OpenTable a competitive advantage, in which OpenTable would pay for itself by tapping into a new source of business. Under the new conventional wisdom, however, OpenTable is now considered a gateway to a desirable set of customers (you savvy online diners know who you are). Anyone wanting access to these customers must now pay this new per-customer tax, or risk failure. This is the hard-edged reality of the role OpenTable now plays within fine dining. By controlling access to a growing population of diners, it’s increasingly rare when an ambitious new restaurant decides it can forgo being a part of the service.
_________________________________
We live in the Golden Age of Google, in which Web-based services have transformed many consumer and business functions by making them easier, more accessible, and drastically less expensive. That’s ultimately the most perplexing thing about OpenTable: unlike so many other Web services, this one has actually driven up operating costs, not reduced them.
I am not yet convinced the current approach is healthy either for restaurants or for diners as a whole, over the long term. It is simply not credible to argue, on an industry-wide basis, that a solution that materially increases the operating costs of every restaurant (and therefore the cost of dining out) will also stimulate customers to eat out more frequently, on the whole. My suspicion is that it will actually have the opposite effect. OpenTable’s hefty fee structure (and resulting billion-plus-dollar market capitalization) may have something to do with its dominant market share in online restaurant reservations; there is not yet a strong, fully viable competitor to challenge its grip on its 14,000 customers. On the other hand, perhaps the high cost of doing business with OpenTable merely reflects a harsh reality for which restaurateurs have no one to blame but themselves: the truth that by permitting a third party to own and control access to the customer database, restaurants have unwittingly paid while giving away one of the crown jewels of their business, their customers.
In a perfect world, this situation would matter to you, the diner. It’s yet one more thing adding a hidden, substantial, and not-entirely-necessary cost to the act of dining out. If my unscientific survey is any indication, restaurants are starting to care deeply about this, because as costs beyond our control continue to rise, it means that that our guests’ annual dining budget purchases less value and affords fewer and fewer visits to our establishments. As guests dine out less frequently – for whatever reason – more restaurants will fall victim to what will be blamed on the “economy.” And being listed on OpenTable.com alone is not itself any guarantee that your restaurant won’t be the next to go under.
In the meantime, the next time you’re planning to dine out, consider picking up that 19th-century device, the telephone, and calling. I know I speak for many restaurateurs when I say that we’d love to hear your voice.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Birthday Weekend
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| Mag 7's! |
It was great to see everyone, especially my good friend Matt Magura who is wearing the black shirt and scarf in these pictures. Thanks for a wonderful birthday weekend.
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| TJ, Ida, Mat, Dave |
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| Mag 7's: Ship and Anchor, October 17th 2010 |
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| October 18th/2010 |
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| Nose hill, October 18th/2010 |
Friday, October 15, 2010
Vintage Hand-cranked Meat Slicers Popular Among ‘Green’ Chefs and Restaurants
Vintage Hand-cranked Meat Slicers Popular Among ‘Green’ Chefs and Restaurants
A couple of years ago Emilio Mitidieri was quoted in the SF Chronicle, in an article about Salumi and antique Berkel obsessions that truly captures the aesthetic appeal of these rare machines:
At Quince in San Francisco, chef-owner Michael Tusk was inspired to buy a Berkel after visiting a restaurant in Florence, where three or four women steadily sliced meats for the customers in their midst. “It was so beautiful,” Tusk says.He found his red Berkel — a reproduction of a model made 70 or 80 years ago — in Florence, and bought it on the spot using all the cash he’d brought to pay for his hotel room.Vintage style Berkels have become popular especially among Slow Food-influenced chefs and restauranteurs whose mantra is “local”. Emilio Mitidieri is quoted in a press release today and we’ve reproduced it here:
San Francisco (December 17, 2007) — With the rise in popularity of local, sustainably produced and prepared foods, antique and vintage style food slicers have become popular among “green”-minded restauranteurs. Emilio Mitidieri, owner of Emiliomiti LLC (www.Emiliomiti.com) and a leading expert in specialty restaurant equipment, was recently interviewed for The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels: Cold Cuts”, where he demonstrated the precision cuts of hand-cranked Berkel slicers, and discussed the revival of these artisan constructed machines.
He intended to install it right in his dining room, and imagined standing there slicing for his guests. The reality of running a smash-hit restaurant intervened with that dream, the Berkel resides downstairs in the kitchen, next to an antique Berkel scale, also red.
The pursuit of the Berkel can lead to long hours on eBay. Others have stories of complicated deals with friends who know people in Italy who are friends of New York’s Mario Batali, who has eight Berkels, according to Emilio Mitidieri of San Francisco.
Mitidieri sells antique and reproduction Berkels through his BerkelBiz Web site, and has seen business pick up — even more in New York than in the Bay Area.
His theory about the salumi trend is simple: “Someone saw a picture of Lupa (one of Batali’s restaurants) and the slicer, and they wanted it.”
Now, he says, even “guys opening pizzerias, they’re buying Berkels. Chefs love tools — they have to have it.”
“Along with the popularity of sustainable food items like local, organic, cruelty free, grass fed, and free range,” says Mr. Mitidieri, “we are seeing tremendous demand for reproduction vintage style slicers, from the most conscious US restaurants to the likes of Whole Foods.”
Restored antique slicers aren’t easy to find, as Berkel stopped manufacturing them long ago, and they now draw a premium. Their virtues include: the ability to cut paper thin slices, which is almost impossible with standard electric machines; manual execution, which saves energy and is noise free; and custom refurbishment in Italy, which adds esthetic artisan appeal. Although electric slicers may be faster many culinary aficionados claim the heat caused by the high speed blades “cooks” the meticulously
produced meats.
“The Berkel is the Ferrari of meat slicers,” says Chris Cosentino, chef-owner of Incanto in Noe Valley. “It’s an elegant, beautiful, precision machine, simply the best thing there is to slice meat.”
In an effort to meet this need, Emiliomiti LLC (www.Emiliomiti.com) has partnered with a small Italian manufacturer that specializes in metal casting to create a new vintage style slicer with old Berkel appeal. Using original master moulds, cast iron or aluminum and hand polished chrome, the quality and craftsmanship of the classic Berkel slicers has been reincarnated, recalling the early 1900s through the late 1960s. Emiliomiti LLC is the only showroom in North America featuring reproduction slicers alongside antique Berkel machines, which are also showcased in their online catalog (www.BerkelBiz.com).
With a background in industrial pasta manufacturing, Mr. Mitidieri has become an international consultant and supplier of meat slicers, pasta machines, brick ovens, espresso machines, and sausage makers. His clients include well known restaurants on both coasts including; The French Laundry, A16, Oliveto, Incanto, Lupa, Bar Jamon, Otto, and MoMA Cafe 2.
The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels: Cold Cuts”, is set to air on December 17 at 8 PM PT. Mr. Mitidieri discusses and demos assorted antique and vintage style slicers from the Emiliomiti LLC showroom located in San Francisco’s Mission District.
At Quince in San Francisco, chef-owner Michael Tusk was inspired to buy a Berkel after visiting a restaurant in Florence, where three or four women steadily sliced meats for the customers in their midst. “It was so beautiful,” Tusk says.He found his red Berkel — a reproduction of a model made 70 or 80 years ago — in Florence, and bought it on the spot using all the cash he’d brought to pay for his hotel room.Vintage style Berkels have become popular especially among Slow Food-influenced chefs and restauranteurs whose mantra is “local”. Emilio Mitidieri is quoted in a press release today and we’ve reproduced it here:
San Francisco (December 17, 2007) — With the rise in popularity of local, sustainably produced and prepared foods, antique and vintage style food slicers have become popular among “green”-minded restauranteurs. Emilio Mitidieri, owner of Emiliomiti LLC (www.Emiliomiti.com) and a leading expert in specialty restaurant equipment, was recently interviewed for The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels: Cold Cuts”, where he demonstrated the precision cuts of hand-cranked Berkel slicers, and discussed the revival of these artisan constructed machines.
He intended to install it right in his dining room, and imagined standing there slicing for his guests. The reality of running a smash-hit restaurant intervened with that dream, the Berkel resides downstairs in the kitchen, next to an antique Berkel scale, also red.
The pursuit of the Berkel can lead to long hours on eBay. Others have stories of complicated deals with friends who know people in Italy who are friends of New York’s Mario Batali, who has eight Berkels, according to Emilio Mitidieri of San Francisco.
Mitidieri sells antique and reproduction Berkels through his BerkelBiz Web site, and has seen business pick up — even more in New York than in the Bay Area.
His theory about the salumi trend is simple: “Someone saw a picture of Lupa (one of Batali’s restaurants) and the slicer, and they wanted it.”
Now, he says, even “guys opening pizzerias, they’re buying Berkels. Chefs love tools — they have to have it.”
“Along with the popularity of sustainable food items like local, organic, cruelty free, grass fed, and free range,” says Mr. Mitidieri, “we are seeing tremendous demand for reproduction vintage style slicers, from the most conscious US restaurants to the likes of Whole Foods.”
Restored antique slicers aren’t easy to find, as Berkel stopped manufacturing them long ago, and they now draw a premium. Their virtues include: the ability to cut paper thin slices, which is almost impossible with standard electric machines; manual execution, which saves energy and is noise free; and custom refurbishment in Italy, which adds esthetic artisan appeal. Although electric slicers may be faster many culinary aficionados claim the heat caused by the high speed blades “cooks” the meticulously
produced meats.
“The Berkel is the Ferrari of meat slicers,” says Chris Cosentino, chef-owner of Incanto in Noe Valley. “It’s an elegant, beautiful, precision machine, simply the best thing there is to slice meat.”
In an effort to meet this need, Emiliomiti LLC (www.Emiliomiti.com) has partnered with a small Italian manufacturer that specializes in metal casting to create a new vintage style slicer with old Berkel appeal. Using original master moulds, cast iron or aluminum and hand polished chrome, the quality and craftsmanship of the classic Berkel slicers has been reincarnated, recalling the early 1900s through the late 1960s. Emiliomiti LLC is the only showroom in North America featuring reproduction slicers alongside antique Berkel machines, which are also showcased in their online catalog (www.BerkelBiz.com).
With a background in industrial pasta manufacturing, Mr. Mitidieri has become an international consultant and supplier of meat slicers, pasta machines, brick ovens, espresso machines, and sausage makers. His clients include well known restaurants on both coasts including; The French Laundry, A16, Oliveto, Incanto, Lupa, Bar Jamon, Otto, and MoMA Cafe 2.
The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels: Cold Cuts”, is set to air on December 17 at 8 PM PT. Mr. Mitidieri discusses and demos assorted antique and vintage style slicers from the Emiliomiti LLC showroom located in San Francisco’s Mission District.
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| Hand operated meat slicer |
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| New version: standard issue |
Thursday, October 14, 2010
ZIPP 2001 carbon track bike
2001 zipp - carbon fiber - 1990's
cinelli pista / profile
aero carbon/ king
spinergy
spinergy w/ surly fixxer track converter
fsa / fsa
fizik / N/A
mks track/
48x16
zipp 2001 bikes were nicknamed "fastest bike in the world" in the 90's - limited quantities made- currently illegal for professional racing - very solid ride despite how it looks- beam can be adjusted for suspension or solid - i love this odd looking thing --- sold recently- goin to miss
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
ANCHOR BRIDGESTONE CARBON PHM9 MONSTER in OSAKA
Anchor / Bridgestone PHM9
Nitto TSUBASA ! (death bars)
Shimano Dura Ace NJS , Bridgestone / Anchor fork
Corima 4 spoke tubular
Corima carbon plus + disk tubular
Sugino 75 NJS , Dura Ace sealed BB
Kashimax FG-4P NJS , Corima carbon seat pillar
Mikashimax Royal Nuevo NJS, MKS Alumi NJS clips, Toshi NJS straps - Izumi V Super Tougness NJS chain
52 Sugino Gigas, titanium NJS kerin ring, 16T shimano Dura Ace NJS cog
Friday, October 8, 2010
oh you can't always get what you waaaaa-nnt
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| Bus Stop on 14th and 13th? |
Take that, all you professional photographers... I can do the same thing with my stupid iphone camera
Thursday, October 7, 2010
My little secret: I dumpster dive like an idiot
today i was bored so i walked along the alleyways behind 17th ave. i found:
2 Lbs fresh Rhubarb
1 pack coffee filters
3 5 pack mach 5 turbo razorblades (sealed) hell yah
1 white chevron oil t-shirt size m
1 black v neck t-shirt size m
1 onion and cheddar cheese chiabata loaf, good until october 12th ( I already ate it)
4 packs of sealed nyquil liquid gel caps
1 black and read blank 7 3/8 baseball hat (hell yah)
There was this weirdass keg (Grolsch) sitting by a dumpster and i asked the people at a nearby restaurant door if it was theirs; it was, but it was two years old and needed a really obscure tap to get into it. they didnt have the tap so it was out to the trash.
thats just from one afternoon and me being bored. I also took some pictures of random things
2 Lbs fresh Rhubarb
1 pack coffee filters
3 5 pack mach 5 turbo razorblades (sealed) hell yah
1 white chevron oil t-shirt size m
1 black v neck t-shirt size m
1 onion and cheddar cheese chiabata loaf, good until october 12th ( I already ate it)
4 packs of sealed nyquil liquid gel caps
1 black and read blank 7 3/8 baseball hat (hell yah)
There was this weirdass keg (Grolsch) sitting by a dumpster and i asked the people at a nearby restaurant door if it was theirs; it was, but it was two years old and needed a really obscure tap to get into it. they didnt have the tap so it was out to the trash.
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| Wrong side of the tracks |
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| Bus Stop |
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| Dead Bird in the Median |
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| Stuffed to the tits with garbage finds |
we are the true believers
"Life's so much better when you listen to punk. Man fuck this pop and bullshit they play on mainstream radio and music television nowadays. I'm fucking 17 in the year 2010 and this music the majority loves is shit, it's fucking disposable, one single tops the chart and gets forgotten. Now look at TBS, Sublime, Rancid and all these fucking great bands that sang about how fuckin great life is and what life throws at you, its gold. Now we got lil boys molded by fake corporations singing about love. "
i love comments on the internet
i love comments on the internet
I wish I owned these bikes
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| Cinelli Mash |
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| BMC Time Machine |
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| BMC Time Machine |
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| Planet X Full Carbon Track |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Ian Kowal is stuck in the siberian style rocket ship comparing outfits and wasting toilet paper
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| The one and only Phil 'Gaypack' Kendal |
Friday, October 1, 2010
sexy results
Sexy girl meet me in the bathroom
Sexy girl call me on the phone
Woman friend take me to your bedroom
Let me show how I'm full grown
Sexy woman call me to your office
Sexy woman meet me after work
I wanna show you how I handle business
I wanna show you how the mail-boy flirts
My man wants to buy you something
He wants to take you out for dinner and dancing
My friend wants to take you out then home
Then home alone
Sexy girl call me on the phone
Woman friend take me to your bedroom
Let me show how I'm full grown
Sexy woman call me to your office
Sexy woman meet me after work
I wanna show you how I handle business
I wanna show you how the mail-boy flirts
My man wants to buy you something
He wants to take you out for dinner and dancing
My friend wants to take you out then home
Then home alone
Lifelong Cooking Inspiration
About James
http://www.james-barber.com/
Born in the U.K. in 1923, James Barber immigrated to Canada in 1952 having served in the Royal Air Force during the war. He worked as an engineer before becoming a food writer and critic at the Vancouver Sun, first turning his hand to freelance writing after a skiing accident. Also a Vancouver Sun arts columnist and theatre critic, he appeared on television commercials as the spokesperson for Money’s Mushrooms, acted on The Beachcombers and served as the Dairy Farmer’s Milk Calendar ‘cover boy’ for four years.He was a longtime restaurant critic for Georgia Straight and a successful television chef. His ten-year-long CBC TV show called The Urban Peasant was syndicated around the world. He wrote several bestselling cookbooks, most significantly Ginger Tea Makes Friends (1971), an important bestseller in the evolution of J.J. Douglas Ltd., later known as Douglas & McIntyre.
Barber was president of the Vancouver immigrant society, MOSAIC, and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society.
His career as the ‘Urban Peasant’ began in the early 1970s after complications from a leg infection put him into a body cast; no longer able to work as an engineer, he was divorced soon afterwards and moved into a bachelor room, with a frypan. A longtime Vancouverite, who re-married to Christina Burridge, he relocated to a twelve-acre farm at Cobble Hill near Duncan, B.C. in the Cowichan Valley.
He died in November, 2007. Known for his Rabelaisian wit, he also wrote a whimsical children’s book, Once Upon Anne Elephant There Was a Time. The Genius of James Barber (Harbour, 2008) contains tributes and recipes from other B.C. chefs who admired him, as well as Barber’s “best” recipes.
more pictures of Food!
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| Seared scallop, blood peach reduction, raw proscuitto, micro arugula |
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| Malpaque Oysters with champagne minionette, shaved radish and radish greens |
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| Grilled Flank steak with Heirloom Tomato salad and trio of salts |
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| Tasty Fish |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Repost from Bistro 7/14. I really enjoy the writing style, it reminds me of James Barber a lot
Sage Garden Herbs
check out www.herbs.mb.ca
When you drive up the lane, you enter an oasis of herbs and flowers.
I love going to Sage Garden Herbs. You walk through the greenhouse. You are encouraged to rub your fingers through the herbs. The scents delight and overwhelm. Not only is there basil and thyme and oregano, but there are twelve different types of basil, 6 oreganos, 9 thymes. I have tried lime basil, orange thyme and pineapple sage. This place is a cook and a gardeners paradise.
And Dave Hanson, the friendly proprietor, knows everything about the herbs he sells. He will tell you where they are from, how to grow them, which plants will do best in your conditions, how to harvest them, what to cook with them, all their medicinal properties and tidbits of folklore around them.
The reason I am writing about this place now, is that I was out there last weekend doing a cooking demo. Dave planted a garden last spring filled with squashes, peppers, chard, onions, and a large variety of heirloom tomatoes. Dave wanted me to come out to demonstrate what to do with all his garden's bounty. So, I arrived out there with a knife, a couple of frying pans, a little olive oil, salt, pepper etc. He had a table laid out with a cornucopia of fresh deliciousness, and said "Go!" In fourty five minutes I had prepared an heirloom tomato salad 3 ways; made a tomato and goat cheese galette, rolled some swiss chard rolls and whipped up a delicious choke cherry and lemon verbena mojito. I was just about to whip up a squash pancake with a tomatillo chutney, when Dave Yanked me off the stage. I had been talking for almost an hour and could have gone on for two more hours. Unfortunately, I was trumped by a troupe of belly dancers.
After demonstrating some basic knife skills, I started talking about how I want to encourage people to cook without recipes. I was talking about letting the produce inspire and direct you. I wasn't two minutes into my presentation when a woman in the back row raised her hand and asked "will you be giving us recipes for these?"
so, I told her I would post them on my blog.
Heirloom Tomato Salad, 3 ways
2 lbs assorted heirloom tomatoes, look for a variety of colours, sizes and shapes
2 tbsps white wine vinegar
4 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. cut tomatoes into wedges
2. toss with oil and vinegar, season.
version 1, simple basil
toss basic recipe with a quarter cup fresh basil
version 2, south east asian
1 tbsp mint, chopped
1 tbsp thai basil, chopped
1 tsp lemon grass, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, finely minced
1 tbsp green onion or chive, chopped
1 hot pepper, finely minced
mix all the above with basic tomato mix
version 3, a little bit greek
2 tbsp oregano, chopped
1 tbsp basil, chopped
a few sprigs of thyme
1 small red onion, juilenned
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 cup calamata olives
mix all the above with basic tomato mix
Heirloom Tomato and goat cheese Galette
basic tomato recipe
1 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil
4 round of pastry. (make your own, by frozen puff pastry, even use pita bread)
salt and pepper to taste
spread goat cheese on pastry
arrange tomatoes on top
sprinkle with fresh basil, season with salt and pepper.
bake at 400F for 10 to 15 minutes
Swiss Chard rolls
8 large leaves of swiss chard. (Large beet greens work as well)
1 farmer sausage, removed from casing and chopped up
1 cup cooked white rice
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup heavy cream
1. in skillet, saute garlic sausage. add garlic and dill. remove from skillet and mix in with rice. check seasoning. add salt and pepper as required.
2. cut stem off swiss chard. With the back of a knife, crush the spine of the leaves to make more flexible. blanch leaves quickly in boiling water. fill leaves with sausage rice mixture and roll tightly.
3. in skillet where you cooked the sausage add cream. bring to a boil. place rolls in hot cream and simmer to heat through. serve.
Choke Cherry & Lemon Verbena Mojito
1/4 cup choke cherries
2-3 leaves lemon verbena
2-3 leaves fresh mint
2 wedges of lime (one is for garnish)
1 tsp simple syrup (optional)
1 1/2 oz white rum
4 oz soda water
1. in mixing glass muddle the cherries with the mint and verbena.
2.add squeeze of one lime wedge, throw whole wedge in the glass
3. add rum and simple syrup. Shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass over ice.
4. top with soda water, garnish with a lime wedge. enjoy!
the one I didn't get to:
Over Sized Zucchini Pancake with Tomatillo Relish
2 cups grated zucchini from one of those ridiculously large late season squashes
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
canola oil
1. mix squash with eggs, bread crumbs and seasonings.
2. form into pancakes and fry in oil until both sides are golden and crisp.
3. serve with tomatillo relish and sour cream. this is also a great base for a piece of grilled fish.
Tomatillo Relish
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cups tomatillos, husks removed and diced
1 medium onion, diced.
1 jalepeno or other hot pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1. saute onions. add garlic, spices, jalepeno and tomatillo. saute for 1 minute.
2. add sugar and vinegar. bring to a boil. simmer until the mixture has a "relishy" consistency.
A few more random things you might want to know about sage garden herbs.
* they have the best grass seed. It is called eco-lawn. it uses grasses native to this part of the world. it grows slow, so less mowing. It grows anywhere, even in full shade. It will eventually grow thick enough to choke out weeds. I have never had any luck with grass seed, but this stuff is awesome. Plant in the fall, again in early spring, and again in fall. The only prep work is to rake the lawn before you spread the seed.
*In spring you can order lady bugs from Dave to spread in your garden to eat other bugs. Nature's pesticide! Did you know that in southern california, they drop lady bugs from planes to protect their organic field greens crops?
*Dave and I used to do food and herb demos together. The highlight was the Thyme Martini. We are talking about reviving these in the spring. Look to the Sage Garden Herbs website for more details.
check out www.herbs.mb.ca
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Fighter and a Poet
With his lean build, long reach and heavy hands, you could be forgiven for thinking Rob is a bare-knuckle boxer. Rob, however, isn’t a prize fighter; he is a poet.Once upon a time, Rob’s crack addiction pinned him against the ropes, and knocked him to his knees, forcing him into homelessness. Now, however, Rob no longer uses crack. Rather than punching his way to the next fix, he carries a pen and paper, and writes poetry.
The future is much brighter for this young man who struts through the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, a sly smile never far from his face.
Governor General Michaëlle Jean recently told a Calgary audience, “Art transforms despair and indifference into glimmers of hope and action.” The Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary (S.A.S), a community agency dedicated to assisting young women who have made the decision to leave prostitution and street lifestyle, agrees. In the spring of 2006, S.A.S published a book of poetry called Cry of the Streets. The book is a celebration of dignity, integrity, love, and community. It is a manifesto of how the authors’ integrate into society; how they take simple pleasures in life and turn them into profound life lessons; and, how they have healed from their past so that they can live brighter futures today. It is, according to S.A.S, “Our stories of the healing journey.”
Following a tour of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, an area known as Canada’s poorest postal code, Michaëlle Jean said, “Let’s face it: homelessness is a complex issue. It requires that we look far beyond mere bricks and mortar and envision new ways of tackling the problem that are more holistic, equitable and, dare we say it, more humane.”
Through poetry, Rob found an effective and more humane way to handle his addiction.
Like Muhammed Ali, Rob is a fast, fearless, charismatic, and enthusiastic speaker, never at a loss for words. When I asked him what the arts and writing has given him, he responded with a three word answer that required no further elaboration. He said, “It saved me.”
Rob delivers his poems like a boxer delivers a round one knockout punch. His writings are more then mere words. His poems’ are the essence of his experience in love and in sorrow, and in riches and in poverty. His following poem describes his experience as a crack user. Aptly named Path, it is a 40-line raw, edgy biography with a dire warning for all. It is far more eloquent than any addictions manual. It is also a testament to how far Rob has come.
Up above the world below
All things seem to move so slow
… watching people pound the path
selling crack, making cash
People fighting, getting smashed
All because of crack and cash
They stop and look
As their partners cook
Inhale, exhale, smoke curls into the air
Ready, another life destroyed
People on crack just don’t care
Disposed screams pierce the air
…She’s gone for good and no one knows
But the wounds ’n’ cuts and bullet holes
Yet the river, silently, it flows.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Skateboarding Inspiration
Christian Rosha Hosoi (pronounced /həˈsɔɪ/ hə-SOY; born October 5, 1967) is an American professional skateboarder. He is also known by the nicknames "Christ" and "Holmes".[citation needed] Hosoi is married to Jennifer Lee and has four sons,James Hosoi, Rhythm Hosoi (from a previous relationship),Classic Hosoi and Endless Hosoi.[1]. He is currently living in Huntington Beach, California
Monday, September 27, 2010
So You Think People on Welfare Shouldn't Own Cell Phones?
repost from: http://www.blogher.com/so-you-think-people-welfare-shouldnt-own-cellphones
As you see by the title of my blog page, yes, yes I am a welfare mother. There is a misconception that all people on welfare are lazy, drug addicted, uneducated, dregs of society. Well I am here to tell you that misconception needs to be changed. The simple facts of the matter are that many people like me on welfare are single working moms.
I make no excuses for the choices I have made, like being in love with a drug addict, or that I played a role in my own demise from a bright future. I have made a lot of irresponsible choices along the way to this somewhat happy stage of my forty-something life. Choices that led me to be on and off of welfare for the last 18 years. I have also worked or been in college for those last 18 years. I work at a job that pays me $11.00 dollars an hour, and I have benefits; benefits that I cannot afford. According to the poverty guidelines our state has set for welfare recipients I still qualify for full coverage Medi-cal and food stamps. I have two children that are on my welfare case. Not ten...
The thing that got me writing this blog was, believe it or not, Facebook. I was Facebooking it on break from my job, and I ran across a status that an old high school friend had posted. Something to the effect that she was irritated that someone getting their medication from the pharmacy she works at with Medi-cal benefits had a cell phone with better apps than hers. Well, of course I was reading this on MY cellphone. She went on to say that people on welfare had no business owning cellphones.This really got me thinking how whitebread that statement was. Whitebread is a term I will frequently use for people I view as conservative.
So I had to post a comment back. It basically said that I was sorry she felt that way and that she must feel that way about me, because I too received assistance and worked. I went on to say that my cell phone is my only phone, and that I had commented via my facebook application. Well, if that did not ignite a firestorm. I will admit that throughout the morning I checked for any notifications regarding her status. She went on to comment later that, it was ok if I had a cellphone, OUCH, just not people who abuse the system. Like I needed her approval to have my cellphone -- Cricket didn't even do a credit check!
During the day I kept track of comments left, and the women who did respond all agreed with her. The last person to respond commented that she had just left a Von's grocery store and was in line behind a woman with a multicolored weave and a Juicy Couture track suit, with Rockstar nails and Coach shoes and a Gucci bag. This lady in front of her was complaining about the size of the cereal box she was getting. according to the commentator, with her "foodstamp card thingy". She went on to say that she and her husband who are school teachers work very hard and that they have a budget, blah blah blah blahzooo. I imagined her voice sounding like the Peanuts schoolteacher as I read this, "WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH." So me, being the type who has to have the last word, commented back.
Right now so many people are going without -- sometimes because of misinformation, sometimes because of pride. The economy being what it is I don't see less people on aid anytime soon. Working class poor, people who live paycheck to paycheck like myself, will make the best of it. That is, after all, what we have learned to do -- or do without. I will feed my kids whether I pay cash or use my benefits, because we know all too well what it is like to be hungry. I try to be a no nonsense kind of shopper (it helps that I am a great cook, but that is another blog), but every once in a while we eat a steak bought with food stamps. The hardships I have endured with my children -- everything from hunger to homlessness -- have made us who we are today. I do not live with regrets, because anything I have lived and learned has been well worth it. Now I have the opportunity to write about it -- on the computer I own with internet service. Something else people on welfare should not have. OOOPS.
As you see by the title of my blog page, yes, yes I am a welfare mother. There is a misconception that all people on welfare are lazy, drug addicted, uneducated, dregs of society. Well I am here to tell you that misconception needs to be changed. The simple facts of the matter are that many people like me on welfare are single working moms.
I make no excuses for the choices I have made, like being in love with a drug addict, or that I played a role in my own demise from a bright future. I have made a lot of irresponsible choices along the way to this somewhat happy stage of my forty-something life. Choices that led me to be on and off of welfare for the last 18 years. I have also worked or been in college for those last 18 years. I work at a job that pays me $11.00 dollars an hour, and I have benefits; benefits that I cannot afford. According to the poverty guidelines our state has set for welfare recipients I still qualify for full coverage Medi-cal and food stamps. I have two children that are on my welfare case. Not ten...
The thing that got me writing this blog was, believe it or not, Facebook. I was Facebooking it on break from my job, and I ran across a status that an old high school friend had posted. Something to the effect that she was irritated that someone getting their medication from the pharmacy she works at with Medi-cal benefits had a cell phone with better apps than hers. Well, of course I was reading this on MY cellphone. She went on to say that people on welfare had no business owning cellphones.This really got me thinking how whitebread that statement was. Whitebread is a term I will frequently use for people I view as conservative.
So I had to post a comment back. It basically said that I was sorry she felt that way and that she must feel that way about me, because I too received assistance and worked. I went on to say that my cell phone is my only phone, and that I had commented via my facebook application. Well, if that did not ignite a firestorm. I will admit that throughout the morning I checked for any notifications regarding her status. She went on to comment later that, it was ok if I had a cellphone, OUCH, just not people who abuse the system. Like I needed her approval to have my cellphone -- Cricket didn't even do a credit check!
During the day I kept track of comments left, and the women who did respond all agreed with her. The last person to respond commented that she had just left a Von's grocery store and was in line behind a woman with a multicolored weave and a Juicy Couture track suit, with Rockstar nails and Coach shoes and a Gucci bag. This lady in front of her was complaining about the size of the cereal box she was getting. according to the commentator, with her "foodstamp card thingy". She went on to say that she and her husband who are school teachers work very hard and that they have a budget, blah blah blah blahzooo. I imagined her voice sounding like the Peanuts schoolteacher as I read this, "WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH." So me, being the type who has to have the last word, commented back.
I explained in my post that what that lady was complaining about was probably the WIC program, because with food stamps you can get any size of cereal box! I went on to say that her multicolored weave was probably a "kitchen weave," and her namebrand clothes, shoes, and purse were all probably knockoffs found at the local flea-market and the "Rockstar" nail polish could be found there too! I then explained that the WIC (learn more) or Women Infants and Childrens program were vouchers for specific healthy foods for pregnant, and lactating women and children under five. The food stamp program (learn more) is funded by the USDA as is the WIC program. Then I closed with this little thought: I told her to take a look at her students in whatever school she was teaching in and try to guess which one would go without any dinner that night, a meal most of us take for granted. Maybe their parents let pride stand in the way of getting assistance, maybe they worry about the people that would smile in their faces and then grumble behind their backs in that grocery store checkout line. People like her.
I did this all from my handy dandy pre-paid Cricket cellphone. So I had the last word I think because I received no other notifications. So thanks friend, and friend's friend for inspiring my first blog! I love to inform misinformed people, think of it as community service for the assistance I get!Right now so many people are going without -- sometimes because of misinformation, sometimes because of pride. The economy being what it is I don't see less people on aid anytime soon. Working class poor, people who live paycheck to paycheck like myself, will make the best of it. That is, after all, what we have learned to do -- or do without. I will feed my kids whether I pay cash or use my benefits, because we know all too well what it is like to be hungry. I try to be a no nonsense kind of shopper (it helps that I am a great cook, but that is another blog), but every once in a while we eat a steak bought with food stamps. The hardships I have endured with my children -- everything from hunger to homlessness -- have made us who we are today. I do not live with regrets, because anything I have lived and learned has been well worth it. Now I have the opportunity to write about it -- on the computer I own with internet service. Something else people on welfare should not have. OOOPS.
New form of Simultaneous Global Ceasefire proposal sent to David de Rotheschild an obligation to create a true egalitarian Earth
From Chris Curpin's Facebook Feed
We humans definitely have the capabilities to change of how we share our gift of Earth, by giving up maintenance of the global familial and economic class system and ending the wasteful, immature and exponentially unproductive game of currency acquisition. We owe consideration of the quality of life for all the children and all the future generations by moving to a cooperatively organized planet to allow all 7 billion or so of us, to fulfill our innate natural tendencies of our human nature to create, discover, experience, connect and collaborate with each other to create a rich diverse life tapestry with infinite permutations and combinations of sensory (all our human senses: known and unknown) fulfillment.
How?
Equalizing our resource use (arable land - community gardens/greenhouses: getting to truly know your neighbours and ensure food security, letting the wilds become wild again/moving all human encroachment/ethical hunting of happy animals for those still needing to eat meat (minimally), optimal minimal personal living space, cleanly sourced natural resources: no monoculture/wasting and damaging our water-air-land).
Project managing our tasks that need accomplishing to create our necessary infrastructures to share our planet Earth by having all of us contributing by equalizing our energy and time output, continually innovating and developing our technological tools to maximize this outcome. We would also randomly rotate each of us, across the globe to fulfill all tasks we discover we need fulfilled, with less pleasant (always with maximum safety) fulfilled with shorter time, faster rotations. No more slave labour, no more one person or group of people's threatening or actually taking away someone's ability to live/livelihood.
This shows true love for each other on our planet, by allowing all of us to truly live (everyone will truly have more free time to live and be who they are solving your dilemma of "Been working hard lately need more time to relax").
Truly free to pursue life, with the only stipulation of not negatively affecting and effecting someone else's life, non-consensually and exploitatively. The Golden Rule, which all religions and non-religions (atheist or agnostic), profess. We end concentrations of power, wealth, resources - No "One World Governments" - with select few making decisions as to what they feel best for everyone, while padding their own pockets, power and egos.
To arrive at this possibility, we have to initiate and achieve a Simultaneous Global Ceasefire for say starting with the date of 11/11/2010 " http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=601622343#!/event.php?eid=295274480091&ref=ts " We will share the knowledge of the true cash flows, power flows and ego flows which continue to enable conflicts around our world, barbarically sacrificing our brilliant and potentially brilliant coexisting humans, both young and old, male and female to torture, rape, maiming, resulting psychological trauma, murder. Time to end our idiocy, and truly enable our greatness.
After a great global reflection period and mourning time, we hopefully could come together to enable our collective consciousness to realize the dissolving of our political borders, truly sharing our world with the possibilities of random rotational organizational groups, with better delegation to eliminate high concentrations of power and the potential of corruption. No more wasted energies and time of easily controlled false democracies of elections. By sharing all our human knowledge and awareness in all our ways of learning and teaching, we will finally have a truly educated and aware global human population, fully capable of living ethically. On 11/11/2011, we will hopefully come together to start to enable and initiate our consensually, continually innovated, non-exploitative "Ecologically Sustainable Global Societal Model" - " http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simultaneous-Adoption-of-an-Ecologically-Sustainable-Global-Societal-Model/166375859682?ref=ts "
I have come to know and understand the actuality of achieving these possibilities, because I have received so much priceless magic and serendipity and so many wonderful people have welcomed me into their lives, without any potential gifts of currency, goods or services - just my gift of myself. I propose this for all humans to decide, and we owe it to everyone, especially for all our children, and all those currently suffering and dying.
This also will fulfill the 7th Fire Prophecy, which Indigenous Peoples from around the world, have brought forth knowledge and awareness of a time when all humanity will learn to coexist with nature, without destroying everything that sustains us, while living fun and exciting lives, continually innovating and surprising each other and affecting and effecting each other's senses, consensually and non-exploitatively.
David de Rothschild and all Your Mates you have connected with, will you help bring these achievable possibilities to fruition?
We humans definitely have the capabilities to change of how we share our gift of Earth, by giving up maintenance of the global familial and economic class system and ending the wasteful, immature and exponentially unproductive game of currency acquisition. We owe consideration of the quality of life for all the children and all the future generations by moving to a cooperatively organized planet to allow all 7 billion or so of us, to fulfill our innate natural tendencies of our human nature to create, discover, experience, connect and collaborate with each other to create a rich diverse life tapestry with infinite permutations and combinations of sensory (all our human senses: known and unknown) fulfillment.
How?
Equalizing our resource use (arable land - community gardens/greenhouses: getting to truly know your neighbours and ensure food security, letting the wilds become wild again/moving all human encroachment/ethical hunting of happy animals for those still needing to eat meat (minimally), optimal minimal personal living space, cleanly sourced natural resources: no monoculture/wasting and damaging our water-air-land).
Project managing our tasks that need accomplishing to create our necessary infrastructures to share our planet Earth by having all of us contributing by equalizing our energy and time output, continually innovating and developing our technological tools to maximize this outcome. We would also randomly rotate each of us, across the globe to fulfill all tasks we discover we need fulfilled, with less pleasant (always with maximum safety) fulfilled with shorter time, faster rotations. No more slave labour, no more one person or group of people's threatening or actually taking away someone's ability to live/livelihood.
This shows true love for each other on our planet, by allowing all of us to truly live (everyone will truly have more free time to live and be who they are solving your dilemma of "Been working hard lately need more time to relax").
Truly free to pursue life, with the only stipulation of not negatively affecting and effecting someone else's life, non-consensually and exploitatively. The Golden Rule, which all religions and non-religions (atheist or agnostic), profess. We end concentrations of power, wealth, resources - No "One World Governments" - with select few making decisions as to what they feel best for everyone, while padding their own pockets, power and egos.
To arrive at this possibility, we have to initiate and achieve a Simultaneous Global Ceasefire for say starting with the date of 11/11/2010 " http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=601622343#!/event.php?eid=295274480091&ref=ts " We will share the knowledge of the true cash flows, power flows and ego flows which continue to enable conflicts around our world, barbarically sacrificing our brilliant and potentially brilliant coexisting humans, both young and old, male and female to torture, rape, maiming, resulting psychological trauma, murder. Time to end our idiocy, and truly enable our greatness.
After a great global reflection period and mourning time, we hopefully could come together to enable our collective consciousness to realize the dissolving of our political borders, truly sharing our world with the possibilities of random rotational organizational groups, with better delegation to eliminate high concentrations of power and the potential of corruption. No more wasted energies and time of easily controlled false democracies of elections. By sharing all our human knowledge and awareness in all our ways of learning and teaching, we will finally have a truly educated and aware global human population, fully capable of living ethically. On 11/11/2011, we will hopefully come together to start to enable and initiate our consensually, continually innovated, non-exploitative "Ecologically Sustainable Global Societal Model" - " http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simultaneous-Adoption-of-an-Ecologically-Sustainable-Global-Societal-Model/166375859682?ref=ts "
I have come to know and understand the actuality of achieving these possibilities, because I have received so much priceless magic and serendipity and so many wonderful people have welcomed me into their lives, without any potential gifts of currency, goods or services - just my gift of myself. I propose this for all humans to decide, and we owe it to everyone, especially for all our children, and all those currently suffering and dying.
This also will fulfill the 7th Fire Prophecy, which Indigenous Peoples from around the world, have brought forth knowledge and awareness of a time when all humanity will learn to coexist with nature, without destroying everything that sustains us, while living fun and exciting lives, continually innovating and surprising each other and affecting and effecting each other's senses, consensually and non-exploitatively.
David de Rothschild and all Your Mates you have connected with, will you help bring these achievable possibilities to fruition?
Saturday, September 25, 2010
"style is infinite. the perfect outfit is a craving that cannot be satisfied, that in itself is a beautiful thing"
A good friend of mine is moving back to winnipeg. Her boyfriend went mental last night and they broke up i'm pretty sure. She moved here with her boyfriend to start a new life for themselves. she is pregnant with their child, and they wanted to have a fresh start out here in the west.
I applaud their efforts and i really think that they would have made a great life for themselves.
Her boyfriend is apparently bi polar, and I really can relate to that. My father is bi polar and has been for my entire life. As far as I know, he has been in the hospital 3 times. two major episodes and 1 recent minor one.
The last stemming from issues with his medication and aging. As you grow older, the chemical composition of your brain changes, and thus your body will require different dosages of the particular medication that you are on.
The main difference between my father and my friends boyfriend is obviously age, and life experience.
There are two sides to being bi polar. the manic and the depression. My dad is a manic, meaning he gets loopy and can see, smell and hear memories with extreme clarity. I can only imagine what that kind of 'power' is like. I am extremely envious of this, not to the point of wanting to become bi polar clearly, but you could imagine what that could be like.
chris is different. he gets depressed. and along with depression comes the obvious issue of harming yourself and the ones you love. this is what happened last night. he went off into the night with the intention of harming himself or possibly others. I hope that he is ok, and is in the hospital or at the police station where he belongs, getting the professional help that he is entitled to. I really enjoyed hanging out with him. mostly because we are both from winnipeg and can relate to alot of situations and we do know some of the same people from there.
I wish amber and chris the best of luck in whatever they do, and I'll see them both sometime soon.
I applaud their efforts and i really think that they would have made a great life for themselves.
Her boyfriend is apparently bi polar, and I really can relate to that. My father is bi polar and has been for my entire life. As far as I know, he has been in the hospital 3 times. two major episodes and 1 recent minor one.
The last stemming from issues with his medication and aging. As you grow older, the chemical composition of your brain changes, and thus your body will require different dosages of the particular medication that you are on.
The main difference between my father and my friends boyfriend is obviously age, and life experience.
There are two sides to being bi polar. the manic and the depression. My dad is a manic, meaning he gets loopy and can see, smell and hear memories with extreme clarity. I can only imagine what that kind of 'power' is like. I am extremely envious of this, not to the point of wanting to become bi polar clearly, but you could imagine what that could be like.
chris is different. he gets depressed. and along with depression comes the obvious issue of harming yourself and the ones you love. this is what happened last night. he went off into the night with the intention of harming himself or possibly others. I hope that he is ok, and is in the hospital or at the police station where he belongs, getting the professional help that he is entitled to. I really enjoyed hanging out with him. mostly because we are both from winnipeg and can relate to alot of situations and we do know some of the same people from there.
I wish amber and chris the best of luck in whatever they do, and I'll see them both sometime soon.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
nice day
Today is the first nice day that calgary has had in about 2 weeks. it has been rainy and cold for so long that ive forgotten what good weather is like. I was hanging out with a friend, and then i went down to 17th ave. and was presented with a $25 dollar gift certificate to the chinook mall! I love random giveaways.
I took the C-train to the mall and ate some A & W, got a coffee from 2nd cup and came back downtown.
I'm starting to read a really good book about the soviet union. apparently the USSR was so big it had 11 different time zones... fucked uppp!
I took the C-train to the mall and ate some A & W, got a coffee from 2nd cup and came back downtown.
I'm starting to read a really good book about the soviet union. apparently the USSR was so big it had 11 different time zones... fucked uppp!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
i have a personal life and a work life and im a god damn professional
well, maybe the title will say it all, but you can all probibly guess where this post is going.
I really do not enjoy getting harped on or harassed by people outside of work.
There is a reason why I go to work and its to escape my personal life. I like to make money, but its also a good way to kill time and meet a lot of interesting people. especially if you work in the restaurant world. Theres a reason I leave all of my work related issues at the back door. Guess what that is, maybe perhaps? Its god damn annoying to have your 'friends' tell you what to do and how to run your life based on shit that has happened at another restaurant. Maybe this 'friend' happened to work with the chef of the restaurant previously, and has something to say to me about how i conducted myself at his former bosses establishment.
I'm totally fine with that, but if you think that doing so while im at the bar singing kareoke with my friends is acceptable professional behaviour you've got another thing coming. I've lost some good friends this way. They have some incredible ego to stoke and I really don't want to be a part of that behaviour. People are way too hung up on looking cool, looking awesome and generally being a fucking rock star. The only place for rock stars is on stage, playing hair metal where they belong.
People like to focus too much on the image their restaurant is portraying. This is a very important aspect of any conceptual restaurant but you really can't just be an image and not a real person. I have style and I'm also a unique individual. Nobody skateboards like me, nobody cooks like me and nobody plays the guitar exactly like me. There are so many things that have influenced me. In my cooking, I look towards my former chefs Alex Svenne and Scott Bagshaw. I use my experiences in Japan to shape and also influence the flavors That I develop within certain dishes. I look to my parents for their take on morals and ethics like most people do.
I play guitar the same way my dad has been playing his whole life. He was influenced by the blues. Robert Johnson, BB king, The Beatles, Elvis, The Beach Boys and the Ramones. Thats the type of music i grew up listening to. My dad was cool enough to actually just listen to that stuff without being a pretentous knob. Yeah, guess what... I most definately listened to the ramones before you did. I also listened to Beck before you did, because I got made fun for doing so in grade nine. The only person that knew what was going on was Brodie Sanderson and he's one of the few people I talk to from high school still.
I have my own image, and its not based on what ive seen on tv. Tv is a make believe world where hundreds of people get killed constantly on the other side of the world. Planes crash, storms rage and all the while we north americans sit on our asses, eat copious amounts of free food, throw out way too much food and just generally get our lives handed to us on a platter.
I work for what I get and I'm proud to say that I can work, and still help out within my community. Once you realize that you are insignificant, then you can start to do something to change this world. Once people that you have never met mean more to you than your friends... thats when you can make a difference.
I really do not enjoy getting harped on or harassed by people outside of work.
There is a reason why I go to work and its to escape my personal life. I like to make money, but its also a good way to kill time and meet a lot of interesting people. especially if you work in the restaurant world. Theres a reason I leave all of my work related issues at the back door. Guess what that is, maybe perhaps? Its god damn annoying to have your 'friends' tell you what to do and how to run your life based on shit that has happened at another restaurant. Maybe this 'friend' happened to work with the chef of the restaurant previously, and has something to say to me about how i conducted myself at his former bosses establishment.
I'm totally fine with that, but if you think that doing so while im at the bar singing kareoke with my friends is acceptable professional behaviour you've got another thing coming. I've lost some good friends this way. They have some incredible ego to stoke and I really don't want to be a part of that behaviour. People are way too hung up on looking cool, looking awesome and generally being a fucking rock star. The only place for rock stars is on stage, playing hair metal where they belong.
People like to focus too much on the image their restaurant is portraying. This is a very important aspect of any conceptual restaurant but you really can't just be an image and not a real person. I have style and I'm also a unique individual. Nobody skateboards like me, nobody cooks like me and nobody plays the guitar exactly like me. There are so many things that have influenced me. In my cooking, I look towards my former chefs Alex Svenne and Scott Bagshaw. I use my experiences in Japan to shape and also influence the flavors That I develop within certain dishes. I look to my parents for their take on morals and ethics like most people do.
I play guitar the same way my dad has been playing his whole life. He was influenced by the blues. Robert Johnson, BB king, The Beatles, Elvis, The Beach Boys and the Ramones. Thats the type of music i grew up listening to. My dad was cool enough to actually just listen to that stuff without being a pretentous knob. Yeah, guess what... I most definately listened to the ramones before you did. I also listened to Beck before you did, because I got made fun for doing so in grade nine. The only person that knew what was going on was Brodie Sanderson and he's one of the few people I talk to from high school still.
I have my own image, and its not based on what ive seen on tv. Tv is a make believe world where hundreds of people get killed constantly on the other side of the world. Planes crash, storms rage and all the while we north americans sit on our asses, eat copious amounts of free food, throw out way too much food and just generally get our lives handed to us on a platter.
I work for what I get and I'm proud to say that I can work, and still help out within my community. Once you realize that you are insignificant, then you can start to do something to change this world. Once people that you have never met mean more to you than your friends... thats when you can make a difference.
http://alexandersvenne.blogspot.com/2010/09/now-what-should-i-do-with-pumpkin.html
Repost to Bistro 7 1/4
Saturday, September 18, 2010
I finally met her..
SARAH SATURDAY
Midnight and the sound of rain
Sarah's on her way again
I see her smile and close her eyes
Shutting off the world outside
3rd Avenue rumbles all around her
So unaffected by the chaos that surrounds her
Writing words to the music in her head
It's a perfect song, moving her along
Through a broken world that changes every day
But inside Sarah's head everything's okay
Sarah Saturday, you radiate
And nothing in this world is wrong
Sarah Saturday, like a perfect song
Makes me wanna sing along
Burning down the world of lies
With just one glance of those clear blue eyes
Holding onto the truth with some quiet strength inside
She gives me hope for better times
Thank you Sarah for showing me the strength to free my mind
Rise above these troubled times
Writing words to the music in my head
It's a perfect song, moving me along
In a broken world that's changing every day
You make me feel that everything's okay
Sarah Saturday, you radiate
And nothing in this world is wrong
Sarah Saturday, like a perfect song
Makes me wanna sing along
Writing words to the music in her head
It's a perfect song
Moving me along
Sarah Saturday, you radiate
And nothing in this world is wrong
Sarah Saturday, like a perfect song
Makes me wanna sing along
Sarah Saturday
Makes me wanna sing along
Sarah Saturday
Makes me wanna sing along
Sing along
Sing along
Midnight and the sound of rain
Sarah's on her way again
I see her smile and close her eyes
Shutting off the world outside
3rd Avenue rumbles all around her
So unaffected by the chaos that surrounds her
Writing words to the music in her head
It's a perfect song, moving her along
Through a broken world that changes every day
But inside Sarah's head everything's okay
Sarah Saturday, you radiate
And nothing in this world is wrong
Sarah Saturday, like a perfect song
Makes me wanna sing along
Burning down the world of lies
With just one glance of those clear blue eyes
Holding onto the truth with some quiet strength inside
She gives me hope for better times
Thank you Sarah for showing me the strength to free my mind
Rise above these troubled times
Writing words to the music in my head
It's a perfect song, moving me along
In a broken world that's changing every day
You make me feel that everything's okay
Sarah Saturday, you radiate
And nothing in this world is wrong
Sarah Saturday, like a perfect song
Makes me wanna sing along
Writing words to the music in her head
It's a perfect song
Moving me along
Sarah Saturday, you radiate
And nothing in this world is wrong
Sarah Saturday, like a perfect song
Makes me wanna sing along
Sarah Saturday
Makes me wanna sing along
Sarah Saturday
Makes me wanna sing along
Sing along
Sing along
Friday, September 17, 2010
Repost from my old blog
Zuppa means Soup in Italian.
Soup is the same everywhere in the world. You make soup with whatever you have, and whatever is left over from yesterday. the italians seem to make soup out of everything you could possibly think of.
This is a simple tomato zuppa using the juice from San Marzano tomatoes as the base for a broth.
If you haven't had San Marzano's you should. Best tomatoes ever.
Ingredients:
2 onions small soup dice
3 carrots small soup dice
3 celery stalks small soup dice
150 g panchetta small soup dice
juice from one large can of san marzano tomatoes (italian plum works too)
1 litre veal or chicken stock
400 g cooked white beans
400 g cooked lentils
salt and pepper to taste
garnish:
parmesan to taste
salt and pepper
olive oil
arugula shoots or any microgreen
crustini's
Method:
saute vegetables and panchetta until tender and the panchetta is cooked through
deglaze with stock and add the tomato juice
add the cooked lentils and beans and simmer on low for 20 minutes to allow flavours to merry
season zuppa with salt and pepper
this zuppa is better the next day after it has had a chance to sit and develop flavor.
garnish with shaved parmesan, olive oil and crustinis in the center of the zuppa. finish with a small pile of microgreens
Soup is the same everywhere in the world. You make soup with whatever you have, and whatever is left over from yesterday. the italians seem to make soup out of everything you could possibly think of.
This is a simple tomato zuppa using the juice from San Marzano tomatoes as the base for a broth.
If you haven't had San Marzano's you should. Best tomatoes ever.
Ingredients:
2 onions small soup dice
3 carrots small soup dice
3 celery stalks small soup dice
150 g panchetta small soup dice
juice from one large can of san marzano tomatoes (italian plum works too)
1 litre veal or chicken stock
400 g cooked white beans
400 g cooked lentils
salt and pepper to taste
garnish:
parmesan to taste
salt and pepper
olive oil
arugula shoots or any microgreen
crustini's
Method:
saute vegetables and panchetta until tender and the panchetta is cooked through
deglaze with stock and add the tomato juice
add the cooked lentils and beans and simmer on low for 20 minutes to allow flavours to merry
season zuppa with salt and pepper
this zuppa is better the next day after it has had a chance to sit and develop flavor.
garnish with shaved parmesan, olive oil and crustinis in the center of the zuppa. finish with a small pile of microgreens
lots of posts lately: The Good Life
This has been the most annoying and quite possibly the best summer of my life all rolled up into 6 months of a lot of fun, a lot of heart break and a lot of general good times, bad times, fun times and everything in between. I've lost some great friends, made some new ones, lost those friends and made new ones over and over again. Finally, I find myself in Calgary trying to slow down and not act like a total maniac. I've found out who I am, what I'm supposed to do, where I'm supposed to do it and why I'll be doing it for the rest of my life all in the course of about a month and a half.
I lived in Toronto last year, and for the most part generally had a terrible time. It wasn't the right place or time for me to move away to a big city. I just wasn't really ready yet. Upon moving back to Winnipeg in April, I started to improve my life. My eating habits were generally improving, i stopped smoking as much and drinking every single night after work. I could actually eat, which was really awesome because i had the worst time eating in Toronto because i guess i was so stressed out from whatever it was. not having a job, not having a job that i liked, not making enough money to support myself, not finding any interesting people to hang out with, having a girlfriend that was at school all the time, etc. etc.
Calgary has been totally different. This city is so much like Winnipeg. The streets, the smells, the sounds all say Winnipeg. i feel as if I belong in this 'City'. This is where i think it takes a slight turn for the worse. Native Calgarians (and i mean people originally from Calgary, not native Americans) seem to be the biggest, most pretentious jerk bag waste of space people Ive ever met. I know why they are like this too.
Calgary is and always has been a city with money. The history of Calgary is such that Calgary the city was founded on money. (Oil) So, this is a place that has always seen the boom of economic prosperity. 17th ave. is a perfect example. All the rich cha-chi kids strolling up and down the strip, smoking cigarettes, drinking and dancing in the streets. meanwhile there are blue collar people busting their asses to make a decent living, meanwhile supporting their friends who are down and out, supporting the cracked out, coke head migrant immigrant population of misfit idiot kids that move here looking for the good life.
What is 'The Good Life'
For me, the good life is having food and a place to sleep. having enough money to grab a coffee and a muffin on the way to work and then having some money to go to the bar with some friends afterwards. Having spare time to pursue what i want to do as hobbies, and to try and lead some semblance of an interesting life.
I want to have a way to listen to music other than the musings that go on in my head constantly. I want access to clean drinking water and the ability to cook my own food and share that with my friends. I don't want to have to think about where my next meal is coming from, or have to worry about my family going hungry. I want to be able to know that the people i care about are safe and not getting into trouble.
everyone has their idea of what the good life consists of. I just think that Calgary is a bit of a screwy place, where a lot of things seem to be taken for granted and taken advantage of.
I lived in Toronto last year, and for the most part generally had a terrible time. It wasn't the right place or time for me to move away to a big city. I just wasn't really ready yet. Upon moving back to Winnipeg in April, I started to improve my life. My eating habits were generally improving, i stopped smoking as much and drinking every single night after work. I could actually eat, which was really awesome because i had the worst time eating in Toronto because i guess i was so stressed out from whatever it was. not having a job, not having a job that i liked, not making enough money to support myself, not finding any interesting people to hang out with, having a girlfriend that was at school all the time, etc. etc.
Calgary has been totally different. This city is so much like Winnipeg. The streets, the smells, the sounds all say Winnipeg. i feel as if I belong in this 'City'. This is where i think it takes a slight turn for the worse. Native Calgarians (and i mean people originally from Calgary, not native Americans) seem to be the biggest, most pretentious jerk bag waste of space people Ive ever met. I know why they are like this too.
Calgary is and always has been a city with money. The history of Calgary is such that Calgary the city was founded on money. (Oil) So, this is a place that has always seen the boom of economic prosperity. 17th ave. is a perfect example. All the rich cha-chi kids strolling up and down the strip, smoking cigarettes, drinking and dancing in the streets. meanwhile there are blue collar people busting their asses to make a decent living, meanwhile supporting their friends who are down and out, supporting the cracked out, coke head migrant immigrant population of misfit idiot kids that move here looking for the good life.
What is 'The Good Life'
For me, the good life is having food and a place to sleep. having enough money to grab a coffee and a muffin on the way to work and then having some money to go to the bar with some friends afterwards. Having spare time to pursue what i want to do as hobbies, and to try and lead some semblance of an interesting life.
I want to have a way to listen to music other than the musings that go on in my head constantly. I want access to clean drinking water and the ability to cook my own food and share that with my friends. I don't want to have to think about where my next meal is coming from, or have to worry about my family going hungry. I want to be able to know that the people i care about are safe and not getting into trouble.
everyone has their idea of what the good life consists of. I just think that Calgary is a bit of a screwy place, where a lot of things seem to be taken for granted and taken advantage of.
I don't like pretentious cooks
I hate hate hate people who are so snarky and pretentious and think that their cooking is the be all and end all in the world of 'haute cuisine'. Just because you went to some crappy place in spain called segovia doesn't give you the god given right to say that your oversalted seared scallops with roasted cauliflower puree are simply the best appetizer to come out of north america in the last twenty years.
There are some simple reasons why some food is really good and some food is just only so-so. My philosophy stems from that phrase, 'don't fuck with the classics'. They're Probibly classics for a reason right? There is a reason why people have been making wild mushroom risotto for the last million years in Italy. Porchini mushrooms are probibly the best type of mushroom in existance, and really I'm not super impressed with people that like to throw weird and random items into a classic dish like a risotto. There is something so satisfying about a meal like greasy bacon and eggs that you really can't get with higher end food. Yes, risotto is really good and i could probibly just eat it indefinately, but its not comfort food for me.
Comfort Food
So what really is this thing everyone talks about called 'comfort food'?
Really, its whatever you want it to be. It could be what your mom always made you for supper when you were 6 years old and played soccer 4 nights a week. It could be that ham and turkey christmas meal that your grandparents made every single christmas. It had coleslaw and buns and always a big can of cranberry sauce because nobody ever wanted to make that stuff. it could also be a cold cut sandwich with cheddar cheese and grainy dijon mustard served with some ripple chips and a can of pop. Maybe even, its shepards pie with corn and really creamy mashed potatoes that were blended using a hand mixed. Also it might be a tortiere called 'auntie ethel's meat pie. There was always cheddar cheese on the underside of the crust. The secret ingredients were tabasco, ketchup and oxo cubes in the filling.
comfort food is different for every single person. My sister grew up eating rice. nothing but rice and soy sauce. Popcorn was another staple of her diet right up until now, and shes almost 21. My dad loved to make traditional consumme soup. Thats a beef broth with rice and a lot of thinly sliced green onions on top. He also made a pork and apple 'stew' for lack of better words that was scented with cinnamon and allspice. generally we served that over noodles or sometimes brown rice.
comfort food could also mean different things in different cultures. desserts for instance are very bizzarre in Japan. Everything is made from glutenous rice paste and basically, In my opinion taste like garbage. The Japanese love this stuff and honestly can't get enough of it. We on the other hand, enjoy sweet chocolate desserts with marshmallows and caramel sauce. Japanese people find this disgusting.
all in all, theres no one dish that is comfort food for you and everyone else. its all personal taste and your family upbringing, socio economic status, race, gender and age. Take that!
There are some simple reasons why some food is really good and some food is just only so-so. My philosophy stems from that phrase, 'don't fuck with the classics'. They're Probibly classics for a reason right? There is a reason why people have been making wild mushroom risotto for the last million years in Italy. Porchini mushrooms are probibly the best type of mushroom in existance, and really I'm not super impressed with people that like to throw weird and random items into a classic dish like a risotto. There is something so satisfying about a meal like greasy bacon and eggs that you really can't get with higher end food. Yes, risotto is really good and i could probibly just eat it indefinately, but its not comfort food for me.
Comfort Food
So what really is this thing everyone talks about called 'comfort food'?
Really, its whatever you want it to be. It could be what your mom always made you for supper when you were 6 years old and played soccer 4 nights a week. It could be that ham and turkey christmas meal that your grandparents made every single christmas. It had coleslaw and buns and always a big can of cranberry sauce because nobody ever wanted to make that stuff. it could also be a cold cut sandwich with cheddar cheese and grainy dijon mustard served with some ripple chips and a can of pop. Maybe even, its shepards pie with corn and really creamy mashed potatoes that were blended using a hand mixed. Also it might be a tortiere called 'auntie ethel's meat pie. There was always cheddar cheese on the underside of the crust. The secret ingredients were tabasco, ketchup and oxo cubes in the filling.
comfort food is different for every single person. My sister grew up eating rice. nothing but rice and soy sauce. Popcorn was another staple of her diet right up until now, and shes almost 21. My dad loved to make traditional consumme soup. Thats a beef broth with rice and a lot of thinly sliced green onions on top. He also made a pork and apple 'stew' for lack of better words that was scented with cinnamon and allspice. generally we served that over noodles or sometimes brown rice.
comfort food could also mean different things in different cultures. desserts for instance are very bizzarre in Japan. Everything is made from glutenous rice paste and basically, In my opinion taste like garbage. The Japanese love this stuff and honestly can't get enough of it. We on the other hand, enjoy sweet chocolate desserts with marshmallows and caramel sauce. Japanese people find this disgusting.
all in all, theres no one dish that is comfort food for you and everyone else. its all personal taste and your family upbringing, socio economic status, race, gender and age. Take that!
The Paper chef
see: 'slacker'
I've worked for several of these types of people. They are usually very book smart and know a lot about the fundamentals of cooking. They generally know about how to do food cost, menu planning, labor percentages and all of the actual number work that goes on with running a restaurant properly. They can keep their food cost between 32-34% but they really can't cook much of anything. These are people that worked on a line for a bit and then 'graduated' to doing the administration work at a large chain like earls or a big huge hotel.
Case in point, Iworked for a guy named Wayne. he was a very talented and dedicated cook. he was the chef of a large restaurant in a nice park in Winnipeg. saying this, you would think that this guy could cook pretty well. guess again, because he was the slowest prep cook in the world, extremely forgetful and probably the worst person to work on the line with that i have ever encountered. I have never had to do so much extra work while working with Wayne. I would literally come in to work for 11, but show up at 10:15 because I knew that there was a bunch of stuff to do. the orders would be coming in right when i got there, and sometimes would already be there for me to organize and put away. Pizza cheese would have to be sorted and brought up front, the Meat fridge sorted and organized because the night guys could never figure out how to use the plastic wrap properly to wrap up ends of meat; and the list goes on for days really. Generally, I was the opening cook. This meant that I was responsible for getting stocks off, doing random prep for lunch, making specials with the assistance of the owner or whoever was around at the time. On top of all of that, i was apparently in charge of the front pizza line. making sure it was ready for lunch. making sure everything was topped off, stocked up and cleaned for the owner, who could then just waltz in and cook pizzas and generally shmooze his way through life.
There were several occasions where i would make a list of what i did for the front as well as my huge list of shit that i did in the back. quite often i ended up doing all of the prep for the entire restaurant myself, because there were some slow as fuck cooks working there at the time. (read above regarding wayne)
essentially, wayne got to fuck around and get paid twenty odd dollars an hour while I basically did his job AND mine at the same time, all for about 10 dollars an hour.
Go figure right? makes perfect sense to me....
I've worked for several of these types of people. They are usually very book smart and know a lot about the fundamentals of cooking. They generally know about how to do food cost, menu planning, labor percentages and all of the actual number work that goes on with running a restaurant properly. They can keep their food cost between 32-34% but they really can't cook much of anything. These are people that worked on a line for a bit and then 'graduated' to doing the administration work at a large chain like earls or a big huge hotel.
Case in point, Iworked for a guy named Wayne. he was a very talented and dedicated cook. he was the chef of a large restaurant in a nice park in Winnipeg. saying this, you would think that this guy could cook pretty well. guess again, because he was the slowest prep cook in the world, extremely forgetful and probably the worst person to work on the line with that i have ever encountered. I have never had to do so much extra work while working with Wayne. I would literally come in to work for 11, but show up at 10:15 because I knew that there was a bunch of stuff to do. the orders would be coming in right when i got there, and sometimes would already be there for me to organize and put away. Pizza cheese would have to be sorted and brought up front, the Meat fridge sorted and organized because the night guys could never figure out how to use the plastic wrap properly to wrap up ends of meat; and the list goes on for days really. Generally, I was the opening cook. This meant that I was responsible for getting stocks off, doing random prep for lunch, making specials with the assistance of the owner or whoever was around at the time. On top of all of that, i was apparently in charge of the front pizza line. making sure it was ready for lunch. making sure everything was topped off, stocked up and cleaned for the owner, who could then just waltz in and cook pizzas and generally shmooze his way through life.
There were several occasions where i would make a list of what i did for the front as well as my huge list of shit that i did in the back. quite often i ended up doing all of the prep for the entire restaurant myself, because there were some slow as fuck cooks working there at the time. (read above regarding wayne)
essentially, wayne got to fuck around and get paid twenty odd dollars an hour while I basically did his job AND mine at the same time, all for about 10 dollars an hour.
Go figure right? makes perfect sense to me....
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