Ride Home. Colin and I left Rancho Mirage around 9:30 a.m., and with a couple stops on the way, arrived in Japantown, San Franicsco around 6:30 p.m. Colin requested Japanese flavors for dinner, so I told him that we would walk down a LONG hall of Japanese restaurants, and he could choose any one he liked for dinner. Wouldn't you know it, he picked BENIHANA's. After some teppan-yaki, "San Francisco" style, we were just in time to catch the newly released movie "Superman Returns", which we both enjoyed. We got finally to my place around 11:30 p.m.

The Living Desert. After driving all day yesterday to arrive at Erika's new place in Rancho Mirage, I watched Colin & Collette while Erika went to work for the day. After breakfast at Collette's requested place, Ruby's Diner, we set off for The Living Desert. At 113 degrees F, it was a good thing that I picked up the shuttle ride option for the tour. I can't remember ever being in as hot of weather. The animals weren't very active in that heat either, but we did see most of them. We also explored the largest wild animal hospital in north America there, and it was quite interesting. The kids loved it, although the heat sapped them too.

I'm afraid I went back with the kids and collapsed on the sofa with a pounding headache. The heat was just too much. When I finally roused myself or was roused by a couple hungry kids, it was Colin's choice for lunch, and we went to Maki Maki. The food was simply horrid, and hardly Japanese. I had a Japanese chicken salad -- the wilted pieces of lettuce were floating in sesame dressing soup. The 'tempura' chicken on top were more like beer-battered deep fried stuff with big hunks of won tons hanging off. Will pass on ever visiting that one again (and so will Colin!).

Erika came back later with her Chef's Toolbox -- amazing! And better yet, she showed off her culinary skills by making the most tender and well-flavored short ribs.. mmmmmm!

Wolf House. Dad and I met Linda and Miss Olivia at the Wolf House for lunch. Feeling like having lighter fare, we all had sandwiches. Dad's salmon sandwich looked perfectly done, and he enjoyed it. Reports of the burgers from Linda & Miss Olivia gave those good marks. The only misstep was that the chicken in my sandwich was underdone, but the management wisked it off and took care of it with apologies and a perfectly cooked one, so no complaints.

Dad enjoyed his shirt and belt from me, and the lovely hand drawn greetings from Miss Olivia, and is looking forward to the Giradelli chocolates she and Linda gave him.

Father's Day. Celebrating Father's Day at one of Dad's favorite restaurants, Wolf House, in Glen Ellen.

Found a great new Marin/Bay Area food blog, the Daily Feed. It had a nice past review of one of my favorite ethnic spots in San Rafael, Hatam's.

Well, best be off to REI to get Dad that new shirt! Will blog further on the Wolf House experience later!

Fresh tisane. Having recently discovered that this blog is listed on the Marin Food Blogs reference on Becks & Posh (one of only 4), I think that I'd better make a more concerted effort to include more of my 'cool finds', or musings on things food.

I have to admit, sometimes I'm a little lazy in my posting and don't include all of the fun things there are to be noticed or discovered each day. I really can't imagine why people become bored. Those who know me, know I love adventure and discovery -- and what is more accessible than food? One must eat (usually) every day, and good food adventures are not limited to expensive forays. A little imagination and a good eye go far!

Another thing my friends notice is that I have more shelves devoted to tea and tisanes in my pantry than any other category of food! And tisanes, like food, are best freshly prepared out of high quality ingredients! So I've been making my own concoctions rather than taking the dusty little tea bags prepared and sitting! What a nice smell in the kitchen freshly ground whole Jamaican hibsicus flowers or whole leaf dried peppermint make! And that is before steeping the tea! The nice thing about tisanes is that most will hold up to a higher steeping temperature than 'real' tea. And that fragrance wafts about the house as well. I snapped my freshly ground and made hibisucus tea above... now by my side to sip as I complete this posting. The color is even more garnet than the photo shows (the flash bleached out the color in the photo a bit).

Hibiscus has many reports of good health effects (Google "hibicus health" for backup articles). Some of the ones I've found are:

reduces cholesterol and artery fat build up
lowers blood pressure
weight loss
gentle laxitive
diuretic
abundant vitamin C and antioxidants

These have varying levels of scientific back up, but whatever the documentation - the tea tastes great!

Oh, and by the way, if you are looking for the best buy on whole Jamacian Hibiscus Flowers in Marin -- go to Hatam's on B Street in San Rafael. Whole Spice in San Rafael does have a bit better price judging from its website, but I haven't tried their product yet, so am not sure if the quality matches.

Toran's 7th Birthday Party. Oops. I forgot my camera in the quickly leaving the house to pick up ice on the way... however, imagine a bunch of 7-9 yo Luke Skywalkers, Hans Solos, Darth Vaders and numerous white-clothed Princess Leah's. Interesting - there was much more variety in the choices of male characters. And yes, I went as an alien costumed as a human.

The menu was even more creative than the costumes -- Yoda Soda, Jabba Jiggles, something that looked like dirt with worms in it (chocolate pudding with bright worm gummies and oreo cookies crumbled on top). Light saber duels, pin the saber on Yoda, and Darth Vader pinata were among the games eagerly participated in, while the adults sipped cool drinks in the shade.

Luckily the Star Wars chess set I gave him appeared to be well-received (big hug to Auntie Anna and kisses to the game!).

An eye-opening drink. Having picked a BIG package Ginger/Honey Crystals tea up at 99 Ranch yesterday, I tried a cup for breakfast, and woke up fast! Packs a punch, but is smooth and good. I'm thinking it would be great to add to a POT of regular tea as a taste novelty and sweetner.

Now I have to get in 'costume' for Toran's 7th birthday party in Star Wars theme. I think I'll go as an alien cloaked as a human...

A full day. Up at the crack of dawn, I organized my mission & vision materials as well as organized the Marin Entrepreuneurs Group's minutes and got them posted. (I started the group last month and it's going gangbusters.) Jo-Ann and I planned to go to 99 Ranch and see if Michael was up to a visit after surgery. The market was fun, the live sea urchins were the most interesting, wriggling around their spikes at the fish department. I just can't see myself trying to use those myself!

Michael was up for a visit and we got to meet Karen for the first time at her Oakland apartment. Through the painkiller grogginess, we could tell that the Meiji chocolate and Mango pudding treats we brought were hits.

The Dandy's Brand Lentil Pea Chips were a good find at the market as well, qualifying as a "Cool Find".

Erika called and said she'd taken my message to heart about taking the kids a week each again for Camp Auntie Anna, and already told Colin and Collette, so I couldn't change now! I guess I'll be driving to Rancho Mirage to pick them up at Erika's new home later this month!

I got home just in time to meet Sachiko for our night out -- to Avance for tapas and checking out a singles meet-up, and then on to Mission Impossible III. We enjoyed both - MI3 was particularly action packed and was a very thrilling end to the evening!

Yosemite

Yosemite,
originally uploaded by me!

My week in Yosemite! The photos paint the best picture, but Linda and I packed a lot in our week at the remote cabin at Fish Camp.

We were woken up one morning by a big rockslide that blocked the main entrance to the park -- a friend, Jan, called early to see if we were affected, but since Fish Camp was on the south end of the park, we didn't skip a beat!

We enjoyed lunching at The Forks at Bass Lake, a place having won an award for the best burger in California. Followed by a one-hour boat cruise on the popular and picturesque lake. Manmade and owned by PG & E, the development has been controlled such that the north side of the lake has private development, and the south side is mostly recreation and natural.

All the falls were full and cascading heavily over the cliffs. We enjoyed a hike to lower Yosemite Falls, and a 2-hour valley tram tour covering the highlights of the valley floor.

On Friday we enjoyed Jazz on the Lake at Ducey's on Bass Lake. It was a beautiful night with a BBQ buffet and easy sounding music provided by the Yosemite Jazz Band.

Supper Club

Table shot,
originally uploaded by me!

Another Wonderful Supper Club - Persian Style. I created a Flickr account to capture all the food photos from last night. You can access it from the link below the photo.

Cooking quotes:

"Good food has a magic appeal. You may grow old, even ugly, but if you are a good cook, people will always find the path to your door." - James Beard

"A good meal makes a man feel more charitable toward the world than any sermon." - Arthur Pendenys

"The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star." -Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

The ashe-paz (soup preparer) reveals her secrets (well, the recipe was from a dear friend, Linda) for the Ash e-jow (barley soup) being prepared for the Supper Club, Persian theme. I'm preparing a day ahead, as it is recommended for melding the flavors.

I first enjoyed going to the San Rafael Farmer's Market with my neighbor Jerrie, and Jo-Ann to pick up some of the ingredients fresh and organic! It's amazing how fresh dill and coriander smell! I picked up the more exotic things like kashk last night after a quick and delicious dinner at Hatam's.

Ash e- jow (barley soup)

3 onions peeled and thinkly sliced
1/2 pound stew meat (beef, lamb or veal) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon tumeric
10 cups water
1/4 cup dried chick peas (optional)
1/4 cup lentils
1 cup barley
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup fresh coriander
4 cups fresh spinach wash and chopped
1/4 cup rice
1 cup whey (kashk)

garnish
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

1) Brown 2 of the onions and meat in 1/3 cup of the oil in a large pot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and tumeric. Pour in the water and add the kidney beans, chick peas and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 50 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

2) Add barley. Cover and cook 50 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

3) Add parsley, coriander, dill, spinach and rice. cover and cook 50 minutes

4) Check to see that the meat is tender and the beans are done. Adjust seasoning and add more warm water if ash is too thick.

5) Stir in the liquid whey and continue stirring constantly for 5 minutes with a wooden spoon to prevent curdling.

6) Just before serving, prepare the garnish. Pour the rest of the oil into a small frying pan and brown the remaining onion and garlic. Add tumeric and remove from heat. Crush dried mint in the palm of your hand and add to the pan.

7) Pour the simmering soup into a tureen and garnish with mint and garlic mixture.

For best results, cook your ash a day in advance so that the flavors meld. Add kashk and garnish at the last minute.

Week of business pursuits, mixed with pleasure, of course. Spending time in classes for budding entrepreneurs and meeting with potential business partners. Using the Sports Club LA/San Francisco as my base in the city. Even getting in a few workouts along the way. Enjoying some meals with friends... had breakfast with Paul at the Rain Tree Cafe, lunch with Carl in the city.

Did buy another cool thing: z-coils. I'm getting stopped on the street and asked about these cool shoes!

Happy Endings for Dad. Was wonderful to see Dad looking so perky having all good news about his cancer remission. He packed up and I took him back to his Sonoma living space this afternoon. I enjoyed lunch with Carolyn at E&O Trading in Larkspur. It really does a good job of fusion food.

In the evening, coached along by Michael, I finally made the decision to buy a MacBook Pro, the new laptop with Intel processor allowing it to run Windows as well. It's a slick machine, and you could almost use the Mac side for everything, but there are still a few programs it won't run. But with the ability to run it as a PC, you can have the best of both worlds (or so it is promoted).

The other factor is that the Dell sales staff were very difficult to work with, and my configured laptop would have been more expensive than the Mac I bought.

Sunday at the Napa Valley Symphony. Yalda treated us with tickets to the symphony today, and it was lovely. Linda, Jan & I enjoyed the program featuring Alan Feinberg.

Classical Concert V: Early American

Sunday April 23, 2006 3:00 PM
Tuesday April 25, 2006 8:00 PM

Alan Feinberg, piano

Buck Festival Overture on the American National Air Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Listen Kathryn Selby, piano Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Hayman, conductor Gottschalk Grande Tarantelle for piano and orchestra Listen Kathryn Selby, piano Hot Springs Music Festival; Richard Rosenberg, conductor Chadwick Symphonic Sketches Listen Jubilee National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor Recordings courtesy of Naxos of America

After the symphony, we met Yalda at Don Giovanni's for a lovely dinner.

Sakura on Saturday. It is Cherry Blossom Festival time again in Japantown, and the 100th anniversary of Japantown. Linda, Michael & I attended a wonderful Taiko and Kitaro concert this evening, after a delicious dinner of fresh handmade ramen (miso-ramen soup, and yakisoba) at Sapporo-ya.

2006 US–Japan Taiko Festival

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Kabuki Theater, Post & Filmore Streets

San Francisco Japantown

Featuring San Francisco Taiko Dojo

with Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka

Special Guest: KITARO

with Keiko Takahashi - Synthesizer

Koichi Tamano - Butoh Dancer

Special Guests from Japan:

Akita Gojome Tensho Taiko

An unusual recipe from the World Museum, Liverpool.

Honeypot Ants

Ingredients

1 bowlful of honeypot ants Melophorus bagoti

Preparation

Hold an ant by the head and simply bite off the honey sack, letting the nectar slide down your throat. This is the best way to eat the honey.

Other ways are to squeeze it into a glass and drink it, or to fill a chocolate cup half full of honey, top with whipped cream and decorate with a frozen honeypot ant.

Notes

Honeypot ants are special worker ants that store the nectar gathered by their nest-mates. They are too full to move so they hang upside down in the nest.

These ants are considered a delicacy by the Aborigines and have been
incorporated into many recipes that are popular across Australia.

And you thought loofahs were just for bathing.


LOOFAH AND CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 35 min

1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 lb fresh angled loofah* (about 12 inches long)
1 cup peanut oil
3 small fresh shiitakes, stems discarded and caps sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 teaspoon Chinese fermented black beans**
5 small (2-inch) fresh red chiles such as Thai, seeded and cut into fine julienne (2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Accompaniment: cooked white rice
Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Stir together chicken, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl.

Stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and stock in another bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Remove ridges from loofah with a vegetable peeler, then scrape skin lightly with a sharp small knife (a little green skin should remain). Cut loofah lengthwise into 2- by 1/2-inch sticks.

Heat peanut oil in a wok over moderate heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer, then cook chicken, stirring, just until no longer pink, about 11/2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then pour oil into a heatproof container and reserve.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water dropped onto cooking surface evaporates immediately. Add 3 tablespoons reserved peanut oil, swirling wok to coat evenly, and heat until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry mushrooms until lightly browned and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans, chiles, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add loofah and toss until well coated.

Add stock mixture and bring to a boil. Add chicken and return sauce to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to sauce, then boil, stirring, until sauce thickens slightly and becomes translucent.

Serve drizzled with remaining 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.

* Also known as "ridged gourd" and "Chinese okra."
** Available at Asian markets and by mail order from Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

Makes 2 to 4 main-course servings.

Gourmet
March 2002

Google cooking. Found a new an interesting service on Google this morning -- a place to search recipes in specific! It's part of Google Base a beta product for collecting useful user fed data.

Easter at Anna's. There was an Easter celebration and dinner at my place. Dad, Linda, Yalda, Olivia, Jonathon, Jo-Ann, Toran & Aurelia were the all there.

The three children decorated sugar cookies in Easter shapes for the adults (and themselves) and Yalda brought a champagne cake and champagne!

The children also were delighted to get three separate Easter surprises -- bags from Linda & Yalda, Jo-Ann & Anna, and Dad's handmade baskets. Dad also made baskets for all the adults with a parmesean shaker inside for the treat!

I also shared the interesting information below with everyone, which was sent from Keith & Marie in the UK earlier this morning as an Easter hello.

Some Easter Superstitions

At the pagan feast of Eostre an ox was sacrificed. The ox’s horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread which is where "hot cross buns" originated. The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means sacred ox. Nowadays the symbol of a cross is used to decorate buns. Hot cross buns are thought to act as a charm against evil. Sailors believed that the buns would protect them against shipwreck if taken to sea. Farmers in many parts of England also believed that they would protect their granaries against rats. Tradition states that hot cross buns actually baked on Good Friday will never go mouldy.

The goddess Eostre was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons and her symbols were the egg and the hare so from that we still have the egg and the rabbit or Easter Bunny. Eggs have always been associated with rebirth and continuity.

Mary Magdalene is supposed to have visited the roman Emperor Tiberias and she gave him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection - the symbol of new life. It is believed that the Christian tradition of giving eggs to each other at Easter came from this event. For a long time Eggs have been painted in bright colours to celebrate the Spring. Hard-boiled egg rolling contests still take place in some parts of England over Easter.

People would not use nails or iron tools during Easter time. This was because of the nails hammered into Christ’s feet and hands. The planting of crops was never done at Easter because it would mean that metal would enter the ground in the form of a spade or fork.

It was generally believed that it was very unlucky to sweep your house or yard on a Good Friday. Likewise it was also unlucky to sweep dust directly out of the house as you may sweep your good luck out with it. It was considered better to sweep all the dust into the centre of the room and then pick it up and dispose of it from there.

Another unlucky thing was to wash clothes on a Good Friday as nothing good would come of it. This is associated with a story about Christ, who whilst carrying his cross to Calvary, had a woman wave wet garments in his face. It is said that Jesus proclaimed "Cursed be everyone who hereafter shall wash on this day."

On the other hand, it was very lucky to wear new clothes at Easter. It was "deemed essential by many people to wear some new article of dress, if only a pair of gloves or a ribbon, for not to do so is considered unlucky and the birds will be angry with you."

Touching wood is thought by some to be the result of the Christian belief in the Crucifixion. As Christ was sacrificed on a cross of wood touching wood was a sign of deep compassion and reverence for Christ’s resurrection.

The Hawthorn tree is either lucky or unlucky. Some considered it a tree destined to bring bad fortune to the owner as it is thought that this is the tree from which the crown of thorns was made. However, some people believe that the Hawthorn is a very holy plant for exactly the same reason and that cutting down or attacking a Hawthorn will result in terrible misfortune.

A very widespread belief was that when the sun rose on Easter Sunday it danced "for joy". People at Castleton, Derbyshire used to climb the hill on which the castle is built at six o'clock in the morning to see the sun rise. "On this day the sun is said to dance for joy at His rising." Some people would put out pails of water or gathered at rivers or ponds to see the sun dance's reflection. When the sun set on Easter Sunday it was supposed to spin around and people also used to gather to see it turning.