Signs of Spring

Yesterday was a beautiful day that actually felt like the beginning of Spring with sunny skies and warm temps.

I found an old fashioned breakfast spot in Longmeadow, MA called Coghlan's Place. Many people I know dream of owning a breakfast place at some point. Based on the hours, I could never be one of them. I'll remain a customer.

Baseball is back today. Tomorrow the Red Sox take the field in Arlington. I am exceptionally excited for this season, even with all the hype. Looking forward to listen to Don & Jerry and, of course, the Eck!

Sleep well tonight, and wish the Celtics well. In doing so, wish for an imminent return for Shaquille O'Neal!

Cherry Pop

I just submitted my first wine order; thus, I have officially entered the world of wine sales.

The All Day Firecracker

Well, the Bleacher Bar's Sandwich Showdown was cancelled so it looks like I'll be finding another venue for the All Day Firecracker and the A-Rod Wiener.

For those who want a headstart, here is the Firecracker, with options.

Last June I arrived in Albuquerque in the evening but did not go out anywhere for food until almost 10 o'clock. I found a hippie bar whose kitchen was still open and serving food. Of course they were out of most stuff, it was late on Monday night. I ordered a breakfast sandwich, but they were out of turkey, and ham, and bacon (which was turkey bacon anyway). So I opted for green chilies instead, and green chilies are available on most items in New Mexico. That sandwich was fantastic and one of the most memorable I've ever had. So here you go, in honor of New Mexico, a colorful, hearty, and very spicy sandwich that is good any time of the day or night.

The All Day Firecracker:

2 eggs
Sliced Swiss or Monterrey Jack Cheese
Choice of Ham, Smoked Turkey, Bacon, or none at all
Onions
Red Pepper
Green chilies
Soft roll

Get some olive oil going in your skillet and put in the onions and red pepper. As those start to cook and get tender, take your sliced roll and put it over them to soak up the flavor. Once the bread has absorbed some of the oil from the vegetables, transfer it into a heated oven to crisp. Then move the onions/peppers to the side to clear space for the eggs. Drop those in, add some cracked pepper and sea salt. As the eggs are cooking, add in your green chilies. If you're adding meat, put that in along the side of the pan to warm (unless it's bacon, which you'll need to cook in a separate pan). Once the eggs are nearing the end zone, add your sliced cheese over the eggs, then take the meat, onions and peppers and pile them on top. Just as the cheese begins to melt, pull that roll out of the oven and place it on a plate. Bring your spatula under the eggs and place on the bun and serve.

This sandwich is very spicy based on the heat of the hot pepper you used. Green chilies can come pickled to be a bit milder, or if you really want to blast it, use a fresh Serrano or jalapeno pepper.

Pair with iced tea or very cold beer.

Enjoy!

Walking In Beantown

Got to spend a few hours on Friday and Saturday walking through Beantown. This was surprisingly enjoyable.

In the past, I always felt constricted and restrained no matter where I was, and especially while I was in Boston. That is no longer the case. I feel more comfortable and confident in myself than I ever have. So it felt great to get around Boston over the weekend and do a bit of shopping (March contains the birthdays of my mother, sister, girlfriend, and girlfriend's mother, yowza).

I found 2 hour parking spots on both days in Bay Village (my old neighborhood) and the South End--huge! Caught site of this alley right off of Tremont street which leads to a number of private apartment gardens. Somehow I came across Stuart Street in a rare lull during Friday rush hour and snapped this shot looking west. There's a shot of the nightclub 33 that is now out of business. I remember when this spot was first purchased back in 2002. I watched the construction as I took meetings at Mistral about the creation of Teatro. And then when that project got delayed I worked in front of 33 as a valet, driving many flash cars including Antoine Walker's massive Escalade ---which has almost certainly been repossessed in the years since. Surprised to see the Boston Crossing Pond completely drained. I imagine that is a byproduct of the harsh winter, can't remember seeing that before, but in just a few weeks that will be full of water and tourists on swan boats.

Good times.

Culinary Exploits

With the extra time on my hands and the use of a spacious and well stocked kitchen, I'm trying to keep up my culinary skills up to snuff.

The usual dishes are the oft requested tuna tartare, guacamole, bruschetta, fried oysters; many repeat appearances for those.

I recently re-worked a Jacques Pepin original of sauteed asparagus/shallots (sensational and very simple dish). I kept the asparagus and shallots, but added shiitake mushrooms and champagne to fantastic effect (this side is pictured with the grilled chicken and parsnip puree).

On last week's snow day I slow cooked some pulled chicken which resulted in an excellent day after sandwich.

My travels through New Mexico also inspired a new breakfast sandwich that I will be submitting to the Bleacher Bar's sandwich contest as the All-Day Firecracker. Details on that for those that inquire.

Not pictured are the fantastic burgers I grilled last Thursday. First time I've used the grill for beef in over a year. Delicious.

And finally last night was grilled swordfish (unsustainable but delicious and I was not present when it was purchased) and panko crusted haddock loin cooked in lemon/white wine.

Update

Wow. A week between posts. I'm slipping! My new level of domesticity and suburban surroundings are thwarting my daily correspondence.

All is well. It's about 40 degrees but feels colder. Was up this morning for a run through the woods before 8am. Felt very good. Yesterday we all went to the beach for to celebrate the birthday of my girlfriend's mom. It was colder yesterday. Still, an absolutely clear blue sky filled with brilliant sunshine. We had a full-fledged picnic on the shore despite constant wind punctuated by forceful gusts. As you can see, the dog was very happy.

Culinary Distractions...

Made a nice dinner last night: fried malpeque oysters, sauteed asparagus, and grilled sesame crusted tuna with mango salsa. I started off the session with a homemade black velvet, which, if you like champagne and Guinness, is a pretty good drink. Basically, the Guinness becomes a bit brighter and sweeter with the addition of the champagne. It looks cool, and has a good name, so I recommend it.

First Day of Spring...

...Snow Squall!!!

Ridiculousity

Here we go, Chase is now testing out a $5 ATM fee in certain markets. Not sure what kind of beta test this will be, it's just the start of all major banks raising their ATM fees to recoup revenue lost from pernicious overdraft fees.

Tell yourself and all of your friends, take all of your personal day to day money out of the big banks and put it into a local bank with no ATM fees. Big banks are doing nothing for you, why do something for them?

Another Warm Day

Expected to hit 66 today, it is lovely outside. The sky is rather overcast but the sun is still streaking through. Already went for another run and about to head out and take care of some errands.

Enjoy the day!

Declining State

For some further reading, check out this excellent piece from this week's San Diego Reader. Don Bauder examines the local history of union support in San Diego, but goes on to make a greater point about the decline of the middle class in America.

Eye Opening excerpt:
Americans should feel bitter resentment that average people’s wages, adjusted for inflation, have gone nowhere for 20 years, while the richest 1 percent have seen their incomes grow 33 percent over the period. Folks should gnash their teeth that the richest 1 percent rake in 24 percent of total income and the wealthiest 1 percent have more net worth than the bottom 90 percent. The top 15 hedge-fund managers are bringing home an average of $1 billion a year and paying only 17 percent taxes.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Beautiful 61 degrees and sunny here in South Windsor on St. Patrick's Day. We have a little deck that faces west, there's a stream just about 20 feet beyond the railing. The sound of the water is soothing and this is our first time enjoying the deck. According to the calendar, in 3 days it will be Spring. It sure feels like it today.

This morning I went for my first run since returning to the Northeast. Introduced my San Diego running shoes to the thawing snow of our local wilderness trail. Many people were out, smiles all around. There's nothing like the advent of warm weather after a long harsh winter. Obviously I skipped out on the winter part this year but I'm enjoying seeing everyone else's frowns soften into grins. Though we're sure to have some cold and even snowy days ahead, there's a chance I'll be able to maintain my tan. That would rule.

So Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone, and Evacuation Day to those in Boston. I'll be heading out tonight and look forward to trying a black velvet, also known as a Bismarck. Cheers!

Headway

Making some headway on the job front and feeling great being back in the Northeast. Receiving positivity from all around and feeling strong from within. It was the right move to come back here. Looking forward to a bright future.

Readjusting

Felt great headed into Beantown yesterday. Found a spot on a back road. Walked into The Parish Cafe brimming with confidence. But they changed the cheese on my favorite sandwich and it was noticeably inferior. Went into the salon and was well received by all. Then left languishing under a hair dryer with a hair relaxer burning into my scalp.

Nearly three hours later made my way up north. I missed one of my contacts by an hour, and the other was on an errand. I stopped home to regroup. The other contact return and we had a great meeting. Then stopped by to see a good friend and we briefly caught up.

Couple more hellos today before heading back to CT. May each step bring me closer to good money and opportunity.

Have a good day, everyone.

Happy International Women's Day

Wishing a happy day of strength to all the women of this world.

And Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Waiting 5 Minutes

Lovely to see my family over the weekend and get further settled here at the house.

Another unique aspect of calling New England home has reincorporated itself into my life, the ever changing weather. Yesterday morning was a balmy 55 degrees under overcast skies, causing steam to rise up from the melting snow banks. On the way West towards Connecticut there were sprinkles of rain that developed into a full on deluge which carried through the night. This morning the rain was reduced to a drizzle, the temperature down to the 40s. By 10 am there was white out snow flurry, with zero accumulation. Not twenty minutes later, the temperature was down to the low 30s, where it stayed for the day. But of course by the afternoon the skies were clear and full of sunshine. Rollercoaster ride.

It's a cold night. I've definitely been eating more in a typical survivalist manner to combat the cold. Tonight I'll be making meatloaf. I love meatloaf, and would never have felt right about making it out in San Diego. I had clam chowder last week and baked haddock the other night, all dishes that wouldn't really speak to me in a moderate climate and I am glad to have them back.

Stay warm tonight and be happy for health, peace, and love.

Blah, Blah, Blah

Assembled a book case yesterday. Also performed laundry and other domestic acts. Kind of the same today.

The cold weather has broken a bit for the the weekend but not before cracking the skin on my hands. My tan is also waning. Alas, Spring is not far off.

Ikea Bed Assembly, or Insufferably Banal Aggravation

It took over three hours to assemble this damn bed frame today. I also had disassemble the previous one, but a highly irritating experience. Which resulted in grand relief.

To celebrate I cooked steak and shared it with Amos, who was displaced from his usual daily perch for the day and deserved a reward for his troubles.

Now watching a replay of some Spring baseball. Here in SW we get NESN, YES, and SNY, which means Red Sox, Yankees and Mets, not to mention Celtics, Bruins, Knicks, and Rangers. It's a good deal. I'm half watching a Mets-Cardinals game which took place this afternoon in St. Lucie, Florida and finally feeling very relaxed after spending far too many minutes trying to decipher black & white diagrams and trying to manipulate impossibly small screws into tiny holes.

All is well. Hope everyone is warm and happy tonight.

Happy March

March 2nd. 45 degrees, partly cloudy. Low tonight of 9, high of 27 tomorrow.

There's snow everywhere. All old, frozen, and brown.

The weather isn't bothering me at all. On the trip back I think the lowest temp I saw was around 31 degrees on the infamous initial Saturday voyage and then again heading through Texas into Oklahoma. I don't have any winter clothes here in Connecticut other than a pea coat and my Red Sox ski hat. Getting along just fine.

But there is a huge difference in terms of diversion. There really is just so much to do in California. Everywhere here is an end destination. A store. A gym. A restaurant. Get in your car, go from here to there. Get in your car, go back. Nothing to see along the way. That's the difference. In California there's a whole world around you that is open and free. People here are bitter and frustrated. So the last couple days being in the house all day really bothered me. Today has been much better. I'm unpacking some bags and filling up a closet. Still living out of suitcases. Making all of my own food, nice change. It does make me manic that there is no place to get wheat grass. The emphasis on health and happy living is largely buried behind closed walls here. But I'll break through.

Making some progress on the job front, in that people are receiving my communications and sending them up the chain. That's not much but compared to the last few months it is a tremendous improvement. Got to watch a few quarters of the Celtics game the other night, that was pretty sweet. And I'm here in a lovely place, with an awesome dog to hang out with, so this is all headed in the right direction.