MEAT

I promise this isn't just a craving. I go weak when I hear even a whisper of the word "pastrami" and will collapse at the hands of the best Jewish delis in America. I will boldly proclaim that New York's Katz's Deli is THE place to go to get the most tender and juicy pastrami on rye. It will turn a vegetarian back to the evil world of meat. The best part of this pastrami is the ribbons of melted fat that line each piece of meat. When you take that first bite, it will feel like Christmas and your insides will do a little dance.

They give you a little taste of the fatty goodness to come:

Photos courtesy of Tri

This is love

Results from month 5 ultrasound...

Arms bended

Her little feet

Rolling on her belly

Legs

Profile shot

Oh yeah, it's a girl!!!!

Funny stuff

On the subject of babies, Jon had this to say: "Don't kids start growing teeth at like 2, maybe 3 years old?"

Pho

Recently, I've had a ridiculous craving for pho. I just can't get enough of salty vietnamese soup noodles. I'm growing out of my aversion to sweets but in general don't care to eat chocolate anymore. Whoa, mama! Who knew this day would come.

Yuck

After many years of eating, I've finally decided that I just cannot appreciate the taste of two things: cannolis and chopped olives on pizza. Those who know me well know that I will eat just about anything. But after giving careful consideration to every type of food or animal part I've ever put in my mouth, these two foods do not bode well with me.

Cannolis - it's the ultra hard crunch of the shell and the whipped cream-like center that has me wanting to spit it out each time I take a bite

Chopped olives on pizza (not to be confused with whole olives) - something so darn nasty about dried up black olive pieces

Here I go

I can't believe that our now socialist country has come down to the President stepping in on issues as minor as local police enforcement. Last time I checked we still have an outrageous healthcare reform plan to fight about.

Situation: Harvard professor Gates arrives at his Cambridge home in an upscale neighborhood to find that he's locked out. Bangs door, struggles to get in. Neighbor calls police to report possible break in. Police arrives at home and asks for Gates' identification. Gates refuses and accuses officer of being a racist. Gates becomes irate and is arrested for disorderly conduct.

My conclusion: Arrest was unnecessary. But there's a bigger picture. Gates, an educated black man and professor of race relations, turned a non-issue into one of race by refusing to show his ID and made racial accusations when police officers were following standard protocol in response to a call. This behavior screams deep issues of entitlement and repression for Gates. Isn't that why affirmative action was born? Now bring in Mr. Obama's meddling because this has what to do with him???? Oh, I get it. Obama is a black man so he needs to stick up for his black people. Meanwhile, he's managed to discredit the entire Cambridge police department as well as law enforcement in the rest of our country. Why does a frustrated black man involved in a minor, albeit unnecessary, arrest become another excruciating evaluation of race in America, not to mention days of air time on CNN? Doesn't our President have bigger fish to fry right now? A recession to reverse? And doesn't his wife's new haircut deserve more mention?

The details if you care: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us/politics/25gates.html?em

Rush Limbaugh vs. Sotomayor

What is up with Obama’s nominees?!

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor said in 2001: “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

Then, recently after Sotomayor broke her ankle, Limbaugh said: “I hope she can find a wise Latina doctor to set that ankle, as opposed to an average white doctor, because the wise Latina doctor has much richer experience with broken ankles.”

Don’t tell me that wasn’t clever and funny. Virtual high five to Rush. Say NO to playing the race AND sex card the same way you would say no to drugs.

Round 10000 goes to Rush.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This was a recommendation from a friend. It’s a history lesson (at least for me), the answer to all unfortunate victims of A.D.D. and the quirkiest text since The Importance of Being Earnest (to me!), all in wrapped in one. I’m halfway through the book and find it a delight to read. Thank you, friend!

Don’t be intimidated by the strange title. I can barely say it myself.

Sushi, Beverly Hills style.

It’s an art what these sushi chefs do. A four-hour marathon of a meal at Urasawa ain’t a joke. This chef was a trooper.

Fresh wasabi root:

 

Caviarrrrrrrrrrrrr…could’ve licked that can dry.

Where the caviar went:

 

Silkiest tofu…in a sac. I don’t know what else to call it.

 

Cooking liver in the broth:

Seared Kobe beef fresh from Japan:

Even a slice of melon can look fancy. Them Japanese…

Best Chinese Food in the Pacific NW

Actually, it’s in Vancouver, BC but who wants to concede to the Canadians? If ever in the area, go to this restaurant for either dim sum or dinner. But come pick me up first on your way up.

Alaskan king crab steamed with loads of garlic and green onions:

Just a teaser for more food (and other) posts to come…