cookie drop

It's been a very busy month, filled with lots of fun and some sorrow. I've been to the Hamptons, Chicago, Seattle, Chicago again, and Stamford, CT in a month. What was the common factor to these trips? To spend time with good friends that I consider family and the actual biological kind.

The second trip we took to Chicago, was for a very painful reason: Mr. Mari's uncle, David, passed away. One of the magical traits David had, was the ability to make you feel like the center of the universe, no one and nothing else was as important as you at that very moment. My good friend, Pam, tweeted an article about highly charismatic people. It was as if written about Mr. Mari's uncle and aunt, names omitted. 

The funeral got me thinking about time: Time living and doing, time spent with friends and family and how often I tell those close to me how much I value and adore them. Like how my mom's care package made me feel, I decided to start a cookie/goodie drop. Just a token of my time sent via USPS to let the recipient know that I'm thinking of them, that I look forward to seeing them (soon), and that I love them. 

I'm an American. Let's go to Red Lobster.

Last week, my mom became an American citizen. After 48 years of living here, she finally did it. She had a bunch of reasons why she remained a Japanese citizen but the one that finally compelled her to switch was because she couldn't vote. This year being a presidential election, she desperately wanted to become a citizen.

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sadness

I had all the intentions of editing photos like a mad woman and putting up some posts of my Chicago and Seattle trips, cookings and eatings around town. That plan went to pot when Sunday evening, we received word that Mr. Mari's super awesome and kind uncle passed away. I just saw him two weeks ago in Chicago. I stayed at his house. We had dinner and drinks together. We had morning conversations about what Mr. Mari and I ate at Charlie Trotter's, the amazing drinks we had at the Aviary and how we hope to make trips to Chicago more frequently since we enjoy seeing them so much. I'm still in shock and having a hard time functioning. What I'm thinking about the most is Mr. Mari's aunt, and how her life has just shifted in a completely different direction as well as how important it is to make time for your loved ones - to call, to write, to email, to visit, and to hug - to let them know how special and important they are to you. 

Sorry again for the delay in posting my regular content but under the circumstances, I hope you understand. I'll be back next week. 

seattle - a needle in a culinary haystack

Images from top left to right: Serious Biscuit, Crumble & Flake, Book Bindery, Salumi, Space Needle (we're not going but it looks pretty cool), la Spiga, Paseo, Needle & Thread

Other than Starbucks, the throwing of fish at Pike's Place Market or smoked salmon, I'm not super familiar with the Seattle food scene. However, like cookbooks, I collect travel articles on ingredients, restaurants, markets, etc. hoping that one day, I'll visit those distant locales. We're heading to Seattle to visit Mr. Mari's sister this weekend. Since they know me pretty well, they asked if there's any place in particular I'd like to go - I swear they asked! And since they love me, we're pretty much hitting my entire list. 

PS - Since Labor Day has passed, I feel like summer's over. I've got a trip to go on, a ton of images to edit from the past few weeks - including my eating extravaganza in Chicago, two trips out to the Hamptons as well as a project I'm working on for TED. This will be my only post until next Wednesday, Sept. 12th. Thanks for your patience!

hair: the long and the short of mine

I'm guessing if you read this blog, it's to get:
1) cooking ideas,
2) travel ideas,
3) gift ideas,

and maybe

4) a peek at who I am

Well, here's #4. When I was a kid, I had stick straight, blue-black hair. But of course I wanted hair like my best friend who lived down the street from me, which was wavy and medium brown. Curls made with a curling iron would fall flat in about an hour.

At 17, I - and I mean I, started cutting my hair (short). I got a pair of Oster hair clippers and went to town. Kids under 18 shouldn't be allowed to purchase clippers because the photos looking back are criminal. Kidding about the restrictions, not the photos. Although, having a faux hawk while being captain of a cheerleading squad does make interesting cocktail conversation when you're older. See below.

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a my mom-style care package

When I think about care packages, my mind immediately thinks: summer camp, college students and Katz's - "Send A Salami To Your Boy In The Army". For the kids at summer camp, I think store bought cookies, candy, gum - you know, snacky things that kids can gorge on or trade (the inevitable sugar high and craze being the camp counselors problems). For college students, I think Kraft Easy Mac, hot cocoa packs and instant coffee - comfort foods to be made or eaten in a dormroom. I rarely got care packages when I went to college because I lived so close to home. So when a box from my mom showed up yesterday, I wondered what could be inside.

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shrimp, cockle and sausage boil

Mr. Mari didn't grow up eating much in the way of seafood. His exposure was limited to fried fish sticks, shrimp cocktail and on rare occasions, he'd order Dover sole at fahncy restaurants. It wasn't until ten years ago when we went to Japan on a twelve-day trip with my parents that his appetite for seafood changed. Since they were hosting, Mr. Mari said he'd eat whatever was placed in front of him. If he didn't like it, he'd still eat it - but chase it down with lots of sake. There were some strange things, even things my dad didn't like, but Mr. Mari ate everything - raw, baked, boiled and fried. 

We eat seafood about 1-3 times a week now, mainly because it's a healthy source of lean protein. I thank my parents for taking us on the trip that pried Mr. Mari's palette open but I'm also thankful for selfish reasons. I love shellfish and if I could eat it every day - raw, baked, boiled or fried - I would. No sake chaser necessary.

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shopsin's. We're definitely not in kansas anymore, Toto.

Now located in the Essex Street Market, Shopsin's is a compact yet formidable culinary stop in New York City: The customer is not always right, the service is located on the corner of Blunt and Sarcastic, and like the Million Dollar Homepage, the menu is a typographers Nightmare on Elm Street.

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