kim's finally getting married this year.  and because my family is a bit unorthodox about feelings, wedding sentiment is a muddled mix of outward emotions.  excitement is hard to gauge, the hoopla that is my mother is also hot/cold, my dad stays out of the details as always but proclaims his excitement, and i have chosen to stay away from wedding logistics by "running away"...and so if kim couldn't turn me into franck...she decided to make me her officiant...

=)

franckfatherofthebride

1:44 PM

8:29 AM

Tweaking variables.  custom vodka custom vodka custom eat custom sleep repeat.

worst stove in the world.  (but the oven's decent)

custom

9:55 PM

ferrycorsten pachanyc

2:12 AM

"i've been home.  i've cut down drinking a lot."

"i think u've only cut down 10%"

after cooking and cleaning up, i make my way back over to the couch sit in my station, hunch over at the laptop on the coffee table and field a slue of international calls...and after overnight emails are addressed, and conference calls become ambient noise in the headphones, and when my dad's not looking, i scurry to the kitchen with my solo cup.  fill it up with ice, then with vodka, then squeeze a few limes in the cup and then lug the bottle of Pellegrino back to the couch splashing my drink only as an act of show.  and as the vodka kicks in and the work calls hang up, the social calls come in.   

a call came in from london - "the both of us appreciate your advice on the moving average."

then there's the calls from pHj...that last until i basically knock out from being drunk alone.

then there's calls from asia...updates on divorces...and i miss you's....and drama...

my conversational ability isn't a reflection on wisdom, but just a shoulder to vent to.  if u want sympathy.  u've come to the wrong place.  if u want perspective, i can talk forever.  if u want solace in drinks....welcome.  

"ur reckless isn't that reckless"

11:48:58 AM

"....bc your normal is pretty reckless"

9:57 PM

Oysters are two small, round pieces of dark meat on the back of poultry near the thigh,^[1] in the hollow on the dorsal side of the ilium bone. Some regard the "oyster meat" to be the most flavorful and tender part of the bird, while others dislike the taste and texture.

Compared to dark meat found in other parts of the bird, the oyster meat has a somewhat firm/taut texture which gives it a distinct mouth feel. It is also customary for the cook to be given first preference to the oyster meat.

In French, this part of the bird is called sot-l'y-laisse which translates, roughly, to "the fool leaves it there",^[2] as unskilled carvers sometimes accidentally leave it on the skeleton.

TORISHIN WEST - just go for this little gem.  but u can't order it a la carte.  still worth it with the omakase.

chickenoyster sotlylaisse torishin torishinwest

5:00 PM

lawn care and gardening are as basic of life juxtapositions as you can get.  you care for your lawn, it will grow.  u take care of it, it will be green and plush.  you neglect it and it's a mess...but if u mess up, it is forgiving and will recover.  an extra 30 minutes researching the world wide web and a couple of trips to home depot, and everyone can be a pro.  so how do landscapers justify the 4 digit bill for spreading mulch??  cuz no one wants to do it.  unless you learn from lax and split a home depot rental truck with a friend taking advantage of 3 bags for five bucks special.  and if u don't want gardeners...and your guy is back in rehab again....u end up mowing the lawn yourself...like this... (combined with gaser sprints)

lawncare

9:59 PM

sloppy joe in a pie...don't get it.  not so good.

tuckshopnyc meatpie

2:19 AM

THIS THING IS SICK!!!  AMAZING!!!  GROSS....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  for under five bucks at home depot, you cut along the dotted line and fill the bag with water.  hang it away from your house to draw the flies away.  in two weeks, the bag disgustingly filled with about 20 flies with more buzzing around the outside.  i never thought we had that much flies...maybe its working too well that its attracting the neighbors' flies....we shall see..

flytrap rescue

4:03 AM

my standard run of the mill ad hoc last minute whipped up burger is turning out to be a consistent masterpiece...thank you matty....#muurrriiccaa.  salt and pepper lean minced patty.  don't mess with the ground meat strands pointing upwards out of the patty.  i like a leaner mix for a meatier taste, the cheese is enough added fat.  layering the burger is a skill, as long as the bun isn't soaked with grease...add mayo, mustard, ketchup and sriracha.  raw vidalia onion a must.  pickles on the side.   burger bun ratio and bun type varies with my mood.  

cheeseburger

5:10 PM

sousvidesteak

3:45 AM

cooking for my dad is like cooking for a petulant child.  his palate is specific, stubborn, and moody.  he likes pickles with his fried rice, he eats meunster cheese and bananas, sundays are bagel days, and doesn't eat leftovers.  he doesn't like any sweetness in savory dishes and yet he's addicted to condensed milk in his coffee.  fried foods are always good, but if u put fried chicken over fried rice, he'd pick around the protein and just eat the carbs.   and oddly enough, he'll crave his bi weekly solo outing of branzino or chicken marsala.  by now, he's spent more time in the states than in asia, so he craves pastrami, ate white castle last week, and i find his chinese palate peculiar and dated.   and therein marks the start of my housewife rant.  #domesticgoddess

so last week i picked up a boneless pork shoulder rib from costco just to try out a different cut of meat.  after some online research, i went for the homemade 叉燒 adventure...

pretty simple marinade...

Ingredients:

Pork Shoulder Butt: 2.25 lb or 1 kg 
Soy Sauce: 3/8 cup (6 tbsp) or 90 mL 
Sugar: 3/5 cup sugar or 130 g
Mei Kuei Lu Chew: 1/6 cup or 40 mL
Oyster Sauce: 1 tbsp
Hoisin Sauce: 1 tbsp
Ground Bean Sauce: 1 tbsp
Shallot: 1/5 cup or 47 g minced 
Salt: 1 tsp
White Pepper: 1 tsp
Five Spice: 1.5 tsp
Ginger Powder: 1 tbsp
Garlic Powder: 1 tbsp
Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tsp
Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp

Glaze:
Maltose: 350g
Brown Sugar: 1/2 cup
Water: 1/2 cup

   

i felt like my first go around was spot on.  even the crispy charred hoisin/oyster sauce/honey glaze.  i was using a very lean pork cut so benny complained about the meat being tough.  so we went for the immersion circulator....8 hours 65C.

 after 22 hours 

comparison

after 8 hours, the pork is still tough.  at 24 hours, it becomes that melty type protein texture that people pay a ton of money for at michelin restaurants.  I'm not that fond of this style of cooking with lean pork.  i feel like it loses that meat mouthfeel and becomes an odd soft consistency.  however, i can see beef and lamb being more ideal for the sous vide as the muscle fibers are much tougher and maintain that meat bite when broken down for hours...

i can't find my torch.

3:40 PM

over a conversation about exclusivity...this amazing pea agnolotti was not overlooked.  mint, lemon, cheese...tho i might prefer olive oil instead of a butter sauce.    

10:05 PM

u can learn a lot from SIM CITY...and the new version for the iPhone is nostalgically fantastically addicting...reliving llama and cheetah speeds from the 90s on the PC connecting water pipes and building hospitals and bus stations and having your citizens complain about the traffic....

on our way to coachella...we passed by a wind turbine field...and of course i knew they generated little energy and cost a lot to build...thanks to sim city.  and when we discovered a little hidden gem in eatons neck...HOBARTS BEACH....i wondered why this prime real estate never developed like huntington or sands point....and then i see 4 smoke stacks in the air...my simoleans are complaining about their proximity to the coal plant right now....gah!

CHIN CHIN SHAOLIN

FORAGING...

PRIME

3:15 PM

bill simmons ousted by espn has me in deep thought about boss loyalty.  i've been the new hire for jerry maguires new shop 2x.  and not being privy to all the gossip in the market has cost me.

would u follow simmons???

here's one opinion - EC527

Mmmm depends on what he ends up doing. Not guaranteed that he's gonna do a new site. Most of his talented writers will have plenty of offers. I'd stay put and field all opportunities. There're plenty of pple who left grantland prior to Simmons firing. Emily Yoshida left to become head editor of pop culture section at theverge.com there is such thing as life without Simmons.

Risk has to be balanced with reward. Not like he's building a startup with options. As a writer, you prob want the medium that has the larger audience and exposure. The greatest benefit working for Simmons would probably be creative flexibility. But it doesn't mean you can't get that from staying put, or with someone else.

The guy 'who created it all' also put his ego ahead of the organization and it's employees when he got his ass fired. Simmons is a talent (and I'll consume whatever he puts out) but he's not a good leader. He lacks self control.

I don't believe in blind loyalty. Ultimately you're motivated by self interest. No one else is going to protect you better than you can protect yourself. Your boss has his/her own stresses both professionally and personally. They have people that they answer to. More often than not, your situation is nowhere near consideration. Following or not following someone is a professional decision, not a personal one. It has no bearing on loyalty.

2:56 PM

i was walking down the street last week when i saw this poster....lee seung chul has a concert in NY tonight!!!  hahaha....the original lesbian with the most dramatic 쌍까풀 ever.... "just call him caitlyn" - steph.  either way...i still want to see him LIVE!!!  dan,  where are u??

2:46 PM

”那麼乖。。。難得出去玩玩。。。然後變成這樣。。。我覺得你很倒楣。“

where's the silver lining in all of this??

mercury retrograde - thanks jennfung 

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/06/thank-fck-mercury-retrograde-is-over-stay-in-the-shade/

COURAGE AND LUCK....

http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-first-wife-explains-what-it-takes-to-become-a-billionaire-2015-4

“Shift your focus away from what you want (a billion dollars) and get deeply, intensely curious about what the world wants and needs. Ask yourself what you have the potential to offer that is so unique and compelling and helpful that no computer could replace you, no one could outsource you, no one could steal your product and make it better and then club you into oblivion (not literally). Then develop that potential. Choose one thing and become a master of it.  Choose a second thing and become a master of that.  When you become a master of two worlds (say, engineering and business), you can bring them together in a way that will a) introduce hot ideas to each other, so they can have idea sex and make idea babies that no one has seen before and b) create a competitive advantage because you can move between worlds, speak both languages, connect the tribes, mash the elements to spark fresh creative insight until you wake up with the epiphany that changes your life.

The world doesn’t throw a billion dollars at a person because the person wants it or works so hard they feel they deserve it. (The world does not care what you want or deserve.)  The world gives you money in exchange for something it perceives to be of equal or greater value: something that transforms an aspect of the culture, reworks a familiar story or introduces a new one, alters the way people think about the category and make use of it in daily life. There is no roadmap, no blueprint for this; a lot of people will give you a lot of advice, and most of it will be bad, and a lot of it will be good and sound but you’ll have to figure out how it doesn’t apply to you because you’re coming from an unexpected angle. And you’ll be doing it alone, until you develop the charisma and credibility to attract the talent you need to come with you.

Have courage. (You will need it.)

And good luck.  (You’ll need that too.)”

2:33 PM