Nuts and Oolong Tea

Grabbing the bull by the what? I consider myself to be an adventuresome eater, but ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE49645B20081007?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

ALSO:

Looking for great Chinese in Chestnut Hill? Check out King's Garden on Germantown Avenue.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kings-garden-philadelphia

Enjoyed a fabulous meal there: hot-and-sour soup; vegetable spring roll, and a spicy/sweet shrimp dish that left me wanting to lick the plate. And a special shout-out to the lovely proprietor, who kindly sent me home with a great little bag of the loose oolong tea they serve (Hung Lee brand).

I'd mentioned to the waiter that I liked it, and the next thing you know, we were chatting with the staff and becoming fast friends. Thank you! Lovely dining experience, and I'll look forward to our return.

As easy as boiling water

Cooking pasta should be easy. Often, it’s not. Cook times to achieve the desired al dente are so dependent on the type of heat and the vessel—even the altitude. I’ve been guilty of serving up that gummy stuff Harold McGee talks about in this piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?_r=2&th&emc=th

There’s only one sure-fire way to tell whether pasta is done: Bite it.

I totally get it, Mayor Bloomberg.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/nyregion/26bermuda.html?th&emc=th

I'd be happy with only five

The New York Times says that there are 31 places you must get up close and personal with this year, which is (yikes) more than a quarter over! Get busy, people!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10places.html?th&emc=th

Frankly, I’d be happy to see just five of these. I’d consider myself very fortunate, and if I had to choose …

5. Vancouver Island. Would love to visit soon. It would be nice to see the landscape and friends out there. I feel I missed the opportunity to visit during the Olympics!

4. Breckenridge. Why not? It’s Colorado. I love Colorado.

3. Kuala Lumpur. Because of the food, the people, the culture, the feeling of truly being halfway across the world. http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/travel/20hours.html?th&emc=th

2. Costa Rica. So many friends have been recently, and have returned with a glow that transcends their sun-kissed skin. It’s a new attitude, a certain laid-back air that lingers briefly before life in States reclaims them. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/01/21/costa.rica/index.html

1. Patagonia—Not too far out of the realm of possibility, since we’re feeling the want to visit immediate family in Argentina.

Out of the 31 must-sees the NY Times suggests, what are your top-five picks?

Go to your happy place

The people are happy in Costa Rica:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07kristof.html?th&emc=th

Wasn't Rush Limbaugh supposed to set up residence there if the healthcare Bill passed? Anyone spot any moving PODs at his house?

The Money Shot

Here’s an interesting article about people who photograph food—food they eat, every day:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html?th&emc=th

I have been known to photograph dishes I’ve created, but I’m not OCD or disciplined enough to keep a full-fledged “food diary.” Shoot, I’m no good at simply keeping track of what I eat—and the calories—even when I’m trying to be conscientious about my diet.

There were a couple of interesting tidbits to this article, which piqued my interest. First, that some of these food-photo fetishists brazenly whipped out their cameras at restaurants. Maybe this is a generational thing. I remember all too well when cameras were forbidden at most any event—sporting, music, dining experiences. Then camera-phones came along and destroyed the old rules. So I suppose it’s okay to do this now, to photograph food someone else made. I wonder if the chefs cringe a little when folks do, fearing that they’ll somehow steal the recipe or make money off their culinary creations?

Food in photography is, arguably, art. And I always feel funny about capitalizing on someone else’s artistic expression. Heck, I’m just now retraining my brain to acknowledge that it’s okay to take a camera to a concert or a Flyers game. And when I do, I’m covert in its use.

Also of interest to me was the mention of new cameras coming out—from Nikon, Olympus, Sony and Fuji—that have special “food” or “cuisine” modes. I think I may need (want) one of those!

Planetary TLC

Today, we celebrate Mother Earth. I have to confess that when I first became cognizant of Earth Day—way back in college—its meaning was lost on me. I considered it more of an excuse to blow off classes and party than I did a reason for reflection. Even though I grew up appreciating nature, I, like so many others, took it for granted.

Today, I’m obviously more mature and naturally introspective, so I treasure the day. It’s not that on this day I do any more to reduce my negative impact than I would on a normal day. Still, I could do more. We all could do more. But it’s nice knowing that on this day everyone across the globe is celebrating, considering, learning, and trying, right alongside me. A day when millions of school children are learning about how to protect the environment, and reduce the carnage left behind by earlier generations.

And since this is a “food and travel” type-o-site, I offer some food for thought on how both impact the world we’re renting:

Stop and think about where your food comes from, and how it’s living and dieing before it gets to your plate—like the seafood we (I) covet:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/04/sustainable-seafood-photo_n_522387.html

And if you need empirical proof that we’re all interconnected, one people, one Earth, check this out (and consider the impact the next time you travel):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/world-air-traffic-over-a_n_529905.html