Thursday, September 10, 2009

bukanlah anak idaman



mama.
jari ini menaip ditemani air mata yang tak pernah henti dengan kesedihan bila memikirkan mama. maaf sgt sbb anak mama ni selalu sgt lukakan hati mama. selalu sgt buat mama sedih. selalu sgt anak mama ni buat mama kecil hati. selalu sgt buat mama marah. ya, aqilah tak membesar menjadi anak idaman yg mama harapkan, yg semua ibu bapa harapkan. maaflah aqilah sedikitpun tak seperti tu. malangnya, mama hanya ada seorg anak yg tak guna ni, aqilah. kalau ada adik beradik ramai, mesti ada yg berjuta lebih baik dr aqilah. mama. kalau lah tuhan dgr permintaan aqilah, aqilah nak mati je skrng. tak ada ape nak dikejar dalam hidup. mati utk gantikan anak yg lain yg baik utk mama. biar mama happy sentiasa hendaknya...

mama.
aqilah sedar mama banyak bekorban, mengalah dan utamakan aqilah dlm apa saja bnda yg mama lakukan. di mana mama berada, mama tak pernah lupakan anak mama ni. kalaupun anak mama bz, mama cuba jgk call tnya khabar walaupun selalunya anak mama tgh bz & jawab dgn nada yg sgt tidak menceriakan hati mama n abah. aqilah taw mama selalu ckp aqilah tak reti bersyukur, tak boleh ssh sikit dan kasar. ye mama, betul, aqilah pun dah lama sedar diri aqilah ni yg penuh dgn perangai tak elok. tang mana yg elok? tak ada. ini bkn nak berdebat dgn mama, cuma aqilah sendiri mmg dah lama sedar bertapa kosongnya diri ni.

mama.
bukan kita tak pernah berbincang. bukan kita tak pernah bergaduh. apa tah lg aqilah meluahkan semuanya, tapi penat. penat aqilah terus mencuba utk memuaskan hati mama, dlm masa yg sama darah muda ni membuak - buak jgk utk mempertahankan diri. penat tgk selalunya ia berakhir dgn tangisan aqilah senyap2 dan tangisan dlm hati mama jgk. mama selalu ckp, bila mama tua mama tak harapkan aqilah utk jaga mama. sbb mama nmpk anak mama ni panas baran. ya, cpt marah, tp mama, marah aqilah tak lama. aqilah tak reti nak merajuk. dan skrng, tgh cuba utk merajuk. merajuk bukan menggedik utk buat mama rasa bersalah, tp aqilah tgh cuba utk buatkan kita kurang berkomunikasi. bunyinya bodoh, tp kalau itu cara yg terbaik utk aqilah tak melukakan hati mama, tak apalah.

mama.
semlm anak mama tak cukup tidur. assignment perlu disiapkan. blk dr kelas, 7pm .berbuka, dan tidur sebelum pukul 9pm kerana terlalu letih. bangun semula 1130pm melihat mama & abah berada d depan mata. pukul 12am, on9, sampai 3am. aqilah off9 pun sbb mama dah bising. mama marah aqilah menghadap comp 3jam, sampai 3 pagi. mama ckp, bulan baik, tak pernah mengaji, teruk betul dll. mama, aqilah bkn tgk laman web lucah, aqilah bukan jual diri, aqilah 0n9 hanya utk chatting dgn kwn2 rapat @ main game je ma. tak tahan dgn leteran mama seolah - olah aqilah tak hormat langsung dgn bulan Ramadan. aqilah ttp laptop, menangis sampai tertidur.

mama.
entah kali ke berapa dah, aqilah katakan, apakah semua bnda baik yg aqilah lakukan, aqilah perlu bgtaw mama? sampai smlm aqilah ckp "pasang CCTV la 1 rumah". biar mama nmpk aqilah buat baik 24jam. mama. TLGLAH. anak mama tak suka nak bgtaw perkara baik yg dibuat. kalau aqilah sedekah, biarlah diam2. kalau aqilah solat, dan mengaji, tak kan nak ketuk pintu bilik mama, dan ckp, "mama. aqilah nak mengaji ni. 3oms" mcm tuh? mama. sumpah aqilah BENCI bila mama tak habis2 pertikaikan ttg ni. kalau time mama bekerja, solat zohor & asar cthnya aqilah mengaji, masakan mama blh taw? TAKKK. sbb mama tak ada dkt rumah. mama. letih la macam ni. aqilah buat bnda baik, mmg mama tak akan pernah nmpk.

mama.
bnda kecik ni sama la mcm aqilah mkn sayur. time makan nasi, aqilah ambil bnyk sayur, cpt2 aqilah habiskan esp kalau sayur tu aqilah tak suka. sbb lepas tu blhlah aqilah mkn lauk yg aqilah suka. tp selalunya mama akan ckp, "kenapa tak ambil sayur?" dan mmg kebetulannya aqilah tgh mengunyah suapan terakhir yg penuhhh dgn sayur. selalunya mmg mama akan bising setelah aqilah habiskan sayur tuh. tak apalah, lepas ni ambil je sayur, tak makan, biar mama nmpk ade je sayur sampai habis aqilah mkn. letih tiap kali nak ckp... "ma, baru lepas mkn sayur ni. penuhhh gle aqilah ambik. tak pernah nak nmpk" yess mama. it's a small silly things but mcm ni la example nye, bnda baik mama tak pernah nmpk.

mama.
anak mama slalu ckp, anak mama ni tak akan, tak boleh, tak nak, and tak mampu jd cikgu. taw kenapa? sbb anak mama ni tak cukup sabar. ya, silap2 nnt 1 kelas, semua anak murid lebam je kena penampar. yes, mama selalu ckp aqilah kasar & tak boleh ssh sikit. itu aqilah pun sedar. mmg aqilah kasar. cpt marah. esp bila aqila ajar org buat something / what-so-ever. kalau org tu x fhm2 bnda yg kononnya senang bg aqilah, mmg aqilah cpt melenting. mcm td, mama ajar mcm mana nak buat 'new folder'. mama x fhm tp mama diam. aqilah ajar lg skali, mmg dgn nada yg kurang menyenangkan sikit sbb aqilah masih terasa hati dgn mama yg bising2 pukul 3am td ttg aqilah tak hormat Ramadan tu. selesai mengajar, aqilah terlepas pendrive ke tgn mama, tak kasi elok2 ke dlm tgn mama, terus mama ckp "awk ni x blh ssh skit. awk pk diri awk je. tak penah pk penat lelah mama" dan mcm biasa, berakhir dgn tangisan aqilah sbb tak dpt kasi penjelasan, dan tangisan mama dlm hati.

mama.
sampai saat ni sambil menaip, aqilah tak berhenti menangis lg. seiring dan sejalan air mata dan jari menaip. mmg selalu sgt aqilah dgr, dan ingtkan diri, "hormatilah org tua selagi mereka ada sebelum nnt terlambat". aqilah cuba utk hormat mama, pendpt mama, ikut ckp mama. tp darah panas, darah muda anak mama ni kdng2 bersuara jgk. tak mcm anak org lain yg mungkin akan diam sepenuhnya mengalah atau mungkin terus keluar dr rumah sambil menghempas pintu. ya, aqilah anak yg sederhana itu. anak yg kdng berguna, kdng menyusahkann itu. kdng, bila aqilah tertinggikan suara, dan terlalu ikot amarah da rajuk dkt mama dan abah, menyesal jgk, kesian tgk mama dan abah. tp, aqilah pun mmg jenis pertahankan emosi sendiri. maaf.

mama.
ttg bersyukur. semlm aqila ckp "1st time tak shopping raya tahun ni. sdeyhhh la" mama ckp, x dpt bonus, and so on. mama ckp jgk aqilah dah bnyk shopping tahun ni, berlambak dah baju raya & so on. and aqilah ckp, tu lain. and apa yg berlegar di minda ni cuma nak beli kasut raya. and aqilah ckp lg, "tu lain lah mama" tp, tiba2 terus mama ckp aqilah tak bersyukur. anak tunggal pun tak reti bersyukur. ya Allah mama,bkn aqilah tak bersyukur. just lainlah shopping raya + shopping biasa. terus mama tarik muka. yesss, aqilah kecil hati. bnda kecil pon mama da buat muka kecewa dgn sikap aqilah. aqilah bersyukur, mmg kita hidup senang. cuma, 1st time tak shopping utk raya, itu yg rasa sdeyh skit. tgk ramai kwn kwn lain shopping. tp, mama terus pk anak mama ni mmg tak taw dek untung.

mama.
mama selalu ckp, semua permintaan aqilah seboleh - bolehnya mama nah penuhkan. aqilah taw. aqilah nmpk. tp mama jgk selalu ckp aqilah boros and demand. mama. aqilah sikit pun tak nak meminta dgn duit org lain, duit bf ke, duit kawan ke, sbb tu kdng2 aqilah minta dgn mama n abah. tp bknnya aqilah meminta2 sgt. just, kdg bnda aqilah tak mampu, aqilah akan ckp dgn mama, aqilah nak bnda tuh. rasanya lebih elok drpd aqilah mintak dgn tah jantan mane, ataw pun minta dgn org lain. mama n abah jgk yg dah ajar aqilah jgn meminta dgn org lain kan? entahlah. buat masa ni mmg mama n abah je sumber kewangan aqilah. tunggulah aqilah kerja, insya allah 1sen pun duit mama n abah aqilah tak nak guna. cukuplah skrng ni pun dah bnyk menyusahkan mama & abah.

mama.
sejak kita duduk jarak jauh dgn abah, selama dah hampir 10 bulan ni, abah d srwk & aqilah dan mama di kl, apa aqilah buat, aqilah akan pk mama dlu. sbb abah jauh, jd mama jd extra sensitive. dan, aqilah kene jage hati mama seboleh mungkin. mama, mungkin mama tak nmpk di sebalik aqilah yg kurang ajar ni, aqilah selalu tolak ajakan kawan2 utk keluar sbb pk mama dlu. esp weekend ataw malam. mmg weekend jaranggg sgt aqilah keluar sbb tak nak tinggalkan mama dkt rumah. bila mlm, kalau keluar pun, muka mama ketat ckp jgn balik lmbt sgt. pdhal aqilah nak minum je. penyudahnya, banyak pelawaan aqilah tolak. utk mama. tp, mama mesti tak pernah sedar pun semua tu. bila aqilah tak ada kelas, sebolehnya aqilah teman mama. sampai mama pergi kerja. tp... sama. mama tak akan nampak.

mama.
sbb abah tak ada di sisi mama, aqilah tidur dgn mama tiap - tiap mlm. bukan kerana aqilah nak air cond, tp sbb kesian nak teman mama. aqilah on9 dlm bilik mama sbb bilik mama antara tmpt terbaik utk connection internet yg mmg teruk di rumah kita ni. tp, kdng, aqilah mmg serabut bila mama bising aqilah selalu menghadap comp, ataw aqilah bgn lmbt skit. mmg bnyk ketika mma tak kisah aqilah bgn lmbt skit, tp ada masanya mama bising. tp mama tak taw aqilah baru berapa jam tidur time tu. aqilah bgn jgk. utk mama. teman mama tidur. utk mama. tak on9 dpn mama. utk mama. bnda ni kecil mama. tp benar, aqilah yg tak hormat mama ni, masih lagi sedaya upaya mencuba utk memuaskan hati mama.

mama.
hari ni. tak lama shja lg. abah akan sahkan samada abah akan ke aussie ataw tak. aqilah mmg lebih suka abah tak pergi, sbb nak duduk dgn mama & abah di kl ni. tp, mama & abah excited nak pergi kali ni, tak apalah, aqilah mmg happy utk abah. tp mama. jika ini mmg yg terbaik utk kita berdua, lebih baik rasanya kita berjauhan. tak ada masa utk kita berselisih pendapat sbb kurangnya komunikasi. bila berjauhan, lebih menghargai. jd, pergilah mama. itu yg terbaik mungkin. aqilah nak mama happy je, walaupun kdng bila tgk drama tv ttg anak derhaka, tgk mcm aqilah ada potensi shja jd anak yg lupakan mama n abah bila sudah dewasa nnt. sbb apa? sbb perangai aqilah yg tak boleh ssh sedikit + kurang sabar nnt.

mama.
anak org lain tatkala ni masih bersuka ria dgn kawan2. anak org lain masih ada yg sedang tidur bersama kekasih hati. anak org lain sedang on9 24 jam. anak org lain jgk sedang mencuri duit emaknya. tapi... anak org lain jgk sedang membantu ibunya mengemas rumah. anak org lain jgk sedang bercakap dgn penuh lemah lembut dgn ibunya. anak org lain itu sedang mengaji di hadapan ibunya. ya, aqilah anak yg sederhana, tp boleh dikatakan tidak berguna jgk. maaflah anak mama ni mmg besar sikap panas barannya, terutamanya dpn org yg betul2 telah mengenali dirinya, yakni mama dan abah. dpn org yg kurang dikenali, mungkin ada perasaan malu, sbb tu tak tahu ttg perangai buruk ni. mama. maaflah... anak mama yg tak guna ni masih tak berubah - ubah.

mama.
aqilah cuma nak mama tahu, mcm mana cpt maranya aqilah. mcm mana tak bersyukurnya aqilah, just nak mama tahu, aqilah syg mama sgt3. syg mama lebih dr semua bnda. syg mama walaupun sering lukakan hati mama. maaf jgk, anak mama sering tak memuaskan hati mama. betul mama, kalau dpt anak mama ni ditukar ganti dgn seorg anak solehah, aqilah akan tukar. utk tgk mama happy sentiase... bkn kdg2 mkn hati, kdng2 happy mcm aqilah buat. mama, minta maaf utk semua bnda. maaf jgk kalau aqilah lebeyh bnyk diamkan diri, tu tandanya aqilah penat lukakan hati mama. dan hati aqilah jgk. take care. i love u so.


20 years of nutrition headliners


Well, I would first like to announce my initiation into the Foodie Blog Roll - yay! I hope to draw in more randos to my blog and continue the flow of comments, feedback, opposition, and support of my thoughts, ideas, and interests. And for all you lurkers, help me out and click "follow blog" up there at the top. I need to appear more popular in the cyber world!! Half kidding...but really, I've received many emails and comments from people I'm not sure I know IRL (in real life) and/or know that they follow my blog. Anyways..


Found an interesting article highlighting nutrition headliners making their way in nutrition over the past 20 years. I found them really interesting, so maybe you will (:cough:should:cough:), too! A lot really has changed about what we know and what we've adopted into our diets. Here's a snapshot [1].



New pyramid. We've changed the way we measure portions and we've added exercise. Also, the "use in moderation" section is done-zo. There's also a customizable "My Pyramid" available online. When you plug in your sex, age, height, and weight...the details of a suggested diet are laid before you. For free. Ahhh technology!



Food labels. The CNN article states, "In 1994 when the Food and Drug Administration required products to carry nutrition facts labels that listed the amount of calories, calories from fat, total and saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron per serving." Today, 50% of adults peek at those labels. Continue doing your part, America! The information is accurate in invaluable in your weight management and health endeavors.


Fish and omega-3's. Need I say more? Eat'em love'em...and quite possibly...supplement'em.


"Fat is not a four letter word". AMEN! I think this is my favorite one! Fat is essential in the diet. Labels are including information on saturated, trans, mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Embrace the new information and use it to your benefit. Anybody have any any guacamole...? It's true, even the Sonic will serve a whole wheat bun if you ask. Up the complex carbohydrates! The Whole Grains Council and their stamp has assisted consumers in choosing healthier grain options. Ever see a red heart on your whole grain bread? It's not for decoration, I assure you.



Food for what ails you. Food works for you in preventing chronic disease and assisting in weight management. Food can help lower your cholesterol, keep your bowels regular, and regulate your blood sugars to an extent...just to name a few perks. What we eat predicts our level of satiety and satisfaction, and cooking and meal time provides enjoyable times and memories for all. Food is power, truly...and food + knowledge is invincible.


Cheers! Drinking to good health is recommended! Maybe this is my favorite headline.,.I'm not sure. Probably...as I blog enjoying a glass of wine from a local winery! But not just wine -- water and milk and others. And consumers are becoming aware of the calories they consume in liquid form. Many consumers are now opting for water or other low-calorie and calorie-free options like Crystal Light.
Variety. Not only is NO food a forbidden food, but we're expanding our palates. More Americans are familiar with and consume ethnic foods and a larger variety of foods than in decades past. We've all heard "eat your colors" or "eat the colors of a rainbow daily" -- this is emphasizing variety. And now too we see that consuming our nutrients through the diet versus a supplements is more strongly encouraged. It's amazing how quickly headliners go to rule of thumb, isn't it?


Go fresh. Farmers markets and the availability of fresh (organic) produce, meats, and other foods are gaining speed in the world. Stores such as Trader Joe's (which isn't in Oklahoma...leave me to pout), leave consumers with a cost-effective, fun means of freshening up, and lightening up their diet. Or should I say "bulking up" since all that produce is packed with fiber!!? Anyways, freshness is taking on a huge role in consumer choices as of recently.

Awesome article! Thank you, CNN!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of our Lily. She's nearly 20 weeks old and is just a doll. She got a new, big girl bed this week. Can you tell we are proud, proud parents!?

[1]. Squires, Sally. The 10 Most Important Nutrition Stories of the Last Two Decades. CNN Health. September 8, 2009.



Here we go....

No photos, no recipe, no nothing in this post. Just the statement that I have made the decision to lose 25 pounds and actually BECOME a skinny cook (of course, you will still be able to trust me because I will always be a chubby girl at heart).

Ugh. I love food, I love to cook and I love to eat. Ugh.

I signed up for a program today, so now I will have to do it. Ugh.

But it's a done deal. Wish me luck. I will keep you posted.

Oh yeah, and don't worry about this blog. I will suck it up and still keep cooking, baking and writing for you! I just won't be able to taste it. Ugh.

Tribes

September 10

“That’s Duff Goldman,” said Metromix’s Matt Rodbard.

“I don’t know who that is,” I said.

“You know, from Ace of Cakes.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“You know, it’s, like, the Food Network’s biggest show.”

“I don’t watch it.”

“Ace of Cakes!”

“Don’t know it. I don’t watch food TV.”

“It’s, like, a huge show.”

I don’t think Matt was being obtuse, he was just having fun. And I was being a curmudgeon who doesn’t watch food TV — like lawyers don’t watch law shows and doctors don’t watch medical dramas — because there’s already enough food and food-related things in my work life. I don’t want to sit in front of the TV at home and watch more of it.

Being in the presence of a celebrity you don’t care about can be awkward, because the fawning fans look so pathetic and I feel embarrassed for them.

We were at the James Beard House, at a Greens event. That’s what the Beard Foundation calls events targeting people younger than 40. I think it’s an attempt to create a tribe of young food enthusiasts who are loyal to the Beard Foundation, and I’m not sure how well it’s working. Greens have been around for as long as I’ve been in New York, but I don’t hear about them much.

This particular party was in celebration of Jack Daniels’ birthday, which is celebrated for the entire month of September as no one knows the exact day on which the whiskey’s namesake was born. I don’t expect that anyone has tried too hard to find out, either, as not knowing gives Jack Daniels, the company, an excuse to celebrate and promote the brand for an entire month.

Duff Goldman had made a 150-pound human-shaped cake that looked like Jack Daniels. It was pretty cool. My friend Andy Battaglia of The Onion was appropriately impressed.

I was more interested in checking in with Dave Wondrich, the cocktail historian, drink maven and delightful person who had developed the cocktails for the evening — the Monkey Nut and the Little Ricky.

The monkey nut was a type of Manhattan with orange bitters. I asked if he was using Regan’s orange bitters. Their creator, Gary Regan, was Nation’s Restaurant News’ beverage columnist, and thus we are forever inextricably bound.

In fact, Dave said, he was using a blend of Regan’s bitters and another company’s orange bitters. He said the New York tribe of cocktail makers had all decided pretty much simultaneously that one of those bitters was too orangey and the other was too bitter, so now it’s common practice here to combine the two.

Tribe’s my word, not Dave’s, because tribes are the theme of this blog entry. But Gotham’s mixologist community really is a tribe. It is.

Anyway, the Little Rickey was exactly that.

Not to say it was Desi Arnaz Jr.

Dave explains: Jo Rickey, of Fulton County, Mo., was a prominent Democratic lobbyist at the end of the 19th century. His signature drink was bourbon with soda water and lime juice; later, people made it with gin.

So a Rickey can be any cocktail of booze, citrus and soda water. This one was made with a fancy small-batch bottle of Jack Daniels, a little honey syrup — an addition of which Jo Rickey would not have approved, as he believed sugar heated the blood, Dave said — and lemon juice, shaken, poured into cylindrical shot glasses and topped with sparkling water. Little Rickeys.

I didn’t meet Duff Goldman, and during all the speeches in honor of Jack Daniels I hung back and let the gawkers gawk, but he sounded like a smart, good-natured guy.

“Let them eat cake!” declared Beard Foundation president Susan Ungaro, which was silly of her, because, as Duff pointed out, the person who originally said that was beheaded.

As you may know, that sentence was supposedly uttered by Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and wife of King Louis XVI, when she heard that the peasants had no bread to eat.

In fact, I believe what she was supposed to have said was “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” or, “they should eat brioche.” It displayed her failure to comprehend the fact that her peasantry was so poor that it had nothing to eat — that their caloric shortfall caused by the lack of ordinary bread could not be alleviated by switching to richer, egg-enriched bread, because they didn’t have that either. Ignorance is not a crime, but it’s no excuse, either, and perhaps her executioners decided that it should, in fact, be a crime.

Anyway, they killed her, and uttering her infamous declaration at an event of well-heeled young New Yorkers who have been spending the evening gorging themselves on ribs and little mac & cheese tartlets is weird at best. It was nice that Duff knew that.

Also, incidentally, his cake was delicious.

Anyway, tribes. Legitimate tribes of cocktail makers, an attempt to invent a tribe of young Beard Foundation devotees.

In recent weeks over at the listserv of the Association for the Study of Food and Society , in which I participate, there was quite a kerfuffle that started with a discussion of the meaning and sociological implications of the word “gastronomy,” and that ended with the departure from the list of a person who felt completely justified to hurl ignorant, baseless and personal insults at the gastronomy program of Boston University simply because she felt like doing so.

Other members of the listserv disagreed. She left in a somewhat self-righteous huff, and some of those who remained began a navel-gazing exercise into what the ASFS was. It is, Ken Albala suggested, a tribe.

“ Our interactions work nothing like a business or even a department within a college, because we're not in competition. We all work in different places, and if one of us benefits, the whole group and discipline benefits. And it's why we rose to the defense of our members, and it's why everyone here is so generous with time and ideas — a common enterprise and common goals.”

A tribe. Why not?

I had been at another tribal event the night before. It was the second anniversary party of Bobo, Carlos Suarez’s plaything of a restaurant in the West Village.

I don’t mean “plaything” in a bad way. I mean that it has very personal touches appropriate for his intention, which was to make his restaurant like a private home where he was throwing a dinner party, only you had to pay to eat there. Only recently did he relent and put a sign bearing the restaurant’s name outside the house, on 7th Avenue South and West 10th Street, where the restaurant’s located.

He has a top-shelf cocktail developer in Naren Young and a well pedigreed chef in Patrick Connolly, and a dining room that I find enchanting.

And he has style. He has a turntable and a collection of vinyl. At the party he served Champagne in classic tulips rather than modern flutes.

Tulips do cause a drink to slosh, but there is something extra-celebratory in being drenched in Champagne, even if inadvertently.

Usually parties like that are inhabited by fellow members of my own food-writing tribe, but I was an alien at this gathering which seemed otherwise to be populated by Carlos’s well-groomed, not-quite-lock-jawed Upper East Side friends whom I suspect might otherwise been eating at the Waverly Inn.

At least that’s what I surmised. I don’t know, as I don’t read the society pages. It seemed like some of the people there would have been mentioned in them, though.

They all seemed to know each other from the monosyllabic prep schools they had attended together.

I ended up chatting with young Diana Foote, of the Memphis Footes. I don’t know if there really are Memphis Footes, but Diana was from Memphis, and she vacationed on Martha’s Vineyard (“not Nantuckett?” I thought), although her current visit to New York was making her consider visiting the city more often.

They were gracious and lovely people. Many of them actually brought birthday gifts for the restaurant.

There was an unusually large percentage of very tall blond women there.

There was also an unusually large percentage of very tall blond women at my next party of the evening, the opening of Le Souk Harem.

We all know what a harem is. Souk is Arabic for “market.” So I can think of no other way to translate the name other than “whore house.”

I was invited by the Hall Company, who were doing PR for the restaurant’s food (the chef consultant is Doug Psaltis), but the party was really by Lizzie Grubman, whom you might remember as the society publicist who faced criminal prosecution some years ago when, in a fit of pique, she ploughed her SUV into a bunch pedestrians who were in her way when she was leaving a party.

This scenester tribe also has a bunch of tall blonde women, but rather than being gracious and elegant they’re tacky and boorish. One physically moved me out of her way so she could walk down the stairs.

The restaurant itself had hookahs and belly dancers (dancing to, among other things, Rockin’ the Casbah by The Clash — oh yes, they went there). It all seemed oddly out of place in these dour times.

Anyway, it wasn’t my scene, but I did have a tasty Caipirinha there.

So I was at Bobo and Le Souk Harem on Tuesday, and then took Andy to the Beard House on Wednesday. And then Andy took me to Le Poisson Rouge, a music venue on Bleecker Street that I remembered as Life, a loud nightclub catering to the same tribe as Le Souk Harem.

But Poisson Rouge is a dark and arty spot, and performing there was Circulatory System, and they are members of Andy’s tribe.

Andy is a music writer who went to the University of Georgia, and Circulatory System is a group of psychedelic musicians based in Athens, Ga. When Andy was in college they were Olivia Tremor Control, and he said they had tremendous influence on him.

I don’t think I knew what psychedelic music was, really, but I have an idea, now, and I think it has given me insight into electronica that might help me appreciate it more the next time Andy takes me to one of those shows.

I tend to focus on lyrics and melody and harmony when I listen to music, but Circulatory System was really creating an entire atmosphere of sound that had nothing to do with those things. They just kind of created a music bubble that filled the room, so I just let it wash over me and it was a lot of fun. Sounded pretty, too.

We went back stage after the show, and Andy was greeted with hugs and happy noises of greeting that pleased him. He was clearly glad to reconnect.

Carrot Yema Balls

Yema balls is one of my favorite desserts to do. I had my craving a week ago of doing this traditional Filipino dessert. My secret for my Yema Balls is adding mashed potato to make it more beefy. One day I headed to the supermarket and bought the ingredients for my Yema balls. I got a bit disappointed not to find some potatoes. So to substitute, I bought carrots instead. I'm afraid it won't result as good as the potato version but surprisingly it did! This new concoction is very sinful but very healthy also on the other hand. My Chinese, Thai & Vietnamese friends tasted it. They find it too sweet but very yummy. I myself was also surprised that I can eat 4 balls in one eating. Quite a lot. So allow me to share you this simple recipe I concocted.

Ingredients:
• 1 can Condensed Milk
• 3 pcs. Large Carrot
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• 3 pcs. Egg yolks
• 100 grams Cashew Nuts
• Butter

Procedure:
Boil carrots for 20 minutes. Make sure you have it over cooked. Mashed it smoothly then set aside. Heat pan with butter then add condensed milk. Stir for 10 minutes in medium heat then add the beaten egg yolks. Continue stirring until it thickens. Add the mashed carrots then fold the mixture. Approximately it will thicken after adding the mashed carrots. Add two scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream then continue stirring until it thickens again. Add the chopped cashew nuts. When thick and ready like a mashed potato, scoop some using a spoon on your palm then roll it like a ball. Then ready. Serve hot for a unique satisfaction.

Hope you like my simple recipe :-)

hugs,
joanie xxx

Hikmah bulan Ramadhan 2009, ssstt ketemu guru bimbel ganteng! ;P

Assalammualaikum Wr. Wb.
*Walaikum salam Wr. Wb.* -halaaaah!-

Puasa puasa puasa, udah hari ke 20, ya kaan ya?
Enggak terasa yaa? Cepet banget!
Hmm, entah kenapa gue ngerasa puasa tahun ini berbeda.
Waktu terasa cepat banget. Tapi puasanya enggak berasa...
Hambatan buat ngebatalin puasa enggak begitu sulit, hanya sajaaaa.. ibadahnya makin tipis.
Bahkan bisa jadi menyaingi tipisnya G-string. Huh. -_-'
Ya ya ini bulan puasa, bulan suci, dan itu terlalu vulgar. (Buat anda)
Tapi, ehhmm ini cocok dan enak di lidah. haaalaah!
Anyway, ngerasa berat dengan ramadhan kali ini enggak?
Kalo gue, iya! Iya banget malah.


Gue enggak terganggu dengan panasnya matahari, atau keriuk keriuk laper, tapi gue terganggu soal perasaan dan ketakutan.
Wew, kita serius dikit yaa.
Gue mau curhat aja, entahlah akan menghibur atau malah useless.


Entah kenapa gue berubah, ada yang berubah dalam diri gue, sayangnya gue enggak menemukan itu apa.
gue sangat merasa, perubahan itu berdampak banyak, tapi lagi-lagi gue enggak tahu.
Mungkinkah sikap dan sifat gue yang berubah?
Ataukah cara pandang dan ego yang menetas. Hmm.
Gue merasa memiliki beban yang berat tapi semu.
Gue terlalu terlarut campur aduk kocok-kocok dalam perasaan dan perkiraan gue sendiri.
Up and down, high and then fall.
Cheesy!


Hari ini puncaknya.
GUE MAU NANGIS!
Gue emang orang yang sensitif tapi dableg.
Sensitif ngerasain tanggapan atas gue, dan dableg enggak sensitif sama apa yang gue lakuin.
Mulai dari soal cowok, persahabatan, sekolah, sampai ke kerjaan sekalipun.
gue selalu ngerasa kalah, dan kadang gue suka aneh kenapa banyak orang yang merasa hidup gue sempurna, atau paling enggak lebih baik.
Ya mungkin ada yang lebih baik, tapi ada yang jauh gue lebih buruk.


Gue suka sama seseorang, tapi disaat bersamaan gue ngerasa males dan sebel sama dia. Aneh? Wajar? Pernah?
Gue sayang sama teman=teman gue, tapi tanpa sadar gue nyakitin mereka. (meskipun ini gue belum sadarin)
Gue mau yang terbaik tapi gue enggak usaha, dan gue enggak rela gue tersaingi.
Yup. egois banget ya gue!
Gue pusing sendiri jadinya.

BODOH TOLOL BEGO!
kenapa ya gue begini?


Apakah ini karena janji yang gue buat dengan diri gue sendiri?
Atau ini karena keadaan?
Atau perlahan rasional gue makin sekarat terlindas kepalsuan?
Ckckck.
Drama queen banget ya gue!


Thanks to Raden Roro Frillia ikakusuma Putri, yang sabar banget dengerin gue curhat sampe nangis, meskipun enggak deres.
Dan i wanna say sorry to Adya A. Respati, i knew, all my faults.Please forgive me.
Maaf gue terlalu pengecut untuk bisa berhadapan sama lo hari ini, maaf karena gue enggak sadar nyinggung lo, sekalipun niatan awal gue bukan lo, tapi gue tau gue salah. Maaf yaa Dy. Terlalu maha; harganya gue ngorbanin temen sebaik lo. Dan gue enggak akan rela untuk itu.

i wanna say thanks to Septia Rahmi N. you're not alone.
Thanks to Uza, yvonne, and Gevi.
Thanks to Mia imey, my crazy sista.
thanks to Mas Acel, for your care.

And last but not least, thanks to Agnes Violani Marcelina, sahabat gue yang meskipun enggak gue ceritain masalah gue, tapi bersedia nemenin gue.

Hikmah ramadhan tahun ini yang gue baru banget rasain adalah.
Persahabatan itu terindah.
Dan mahal harganya.
Seperti apapun wujudnya itu, dan seapaadanya pun mereka menerima, tapi hanya rasa sayang itu belum cukup.
Gue beruntung banget!
Beruntung punya teman-teman sebaik mereka.
yang perhatian dan sayang sama gue, yang bersedia nolong gue, yang nerima gue apa adanya, yang menghargai gue, yang mendengarkan gue, yang nemenin gue.
Meskipun gue enggak bisa seperti mereka. Enggak sehebat mereka.
terutama untuk Adya dan Roro.
Enggak cukup kata maaf dan terima kasih yang gue ucapin, apalagi lewat tulisan ini.
Dan percaya deh, gue selalu sayang kalian.
Without you, i'm nothing!
Really love you guys!


By the way, hari ini gue mulai gila.
Saking seteresnya sama perasaan gue yang kurang ajar itu, akhirnya gue berulah.
Setelah sukses ngegeret Agnes ke CBD ciledug buat melakukan 'ritual' kami, gue punya ide yang norak.
Really weird and freak.
Di tempat perbelanjaan seperti ITC itu, gue ngajak Agnes foto box. hahaha.
Sayangnya, di CBD enggak ada fuji film.
Tapi ternyata ada tempat foto box, dan damn!


Setelah ribet nanya ke information, dan melewati toko-toko murahan *hueeeks sok banget gue!*
Sampailah gue pada titah si mbak yang di information tadi.
Naik eskalator. Hmmm.
Eskalator doang kan? Cemen.
Pas gue sama Agnes naik, tiba-tiba ada suara.
"Ngek, ngek, ngik, nging." Gue sama Agnes langsung liat-liatan.
Dan saat itu juga mukanya kaya di sirem oli. SURAM
"huaaaa, ketty!"
Gue meringis, "Ngggg, hiiii, aduuuh"
Sumpah, baru kali ini gue ngerasa naik eskalator lama banget!
Sereeeeeem anjrit!


Dan pas sampai lantai yang dituju, singgah lah di tempat foto box.
Gue agak aneh sebenernya.
Abisnya, diatas box-nya ada tulisan : "FOTO BOX, 6x gaya Rp 6000."
Beeeh murah amir!
Tapi yasudahlah, dicoba.
Ternyataaaa jeng jeng jeng jeng.
Box sih emang box, yang fotoin orangnya. hahaha.
jadi Gue di dalam box, tapi enggak bebas bergaya dengan kamera otomatis, melainkan mbak-mbaknya yang motoin. Wew!
Yasudahlah, udah terlanjur, enggak enak ngebatalinnya.
Walhasil, foto dengan agak malu-malu tai kucing deh. haha.
Tapi enggak apalah, udah lama juga gue sama Agnes yang sama-sama hobby foto enggak foto bareng hahaha.

Abis itu gue pulang dan sampe rumah cuma ganti sepatu sama tas lalu berangkat les.
Gue telat les, dan gue tau pasti itu!
gue tenang-tenang aja, pasalnya pelajaran pertamanya matematika.
Biasanya gurunya kak T**... dan gue agak enggak begitu care sama matematika di bimbel.
Gimana enggak, gue punya guru les mat dan guru sekolah mat yang canggih, Bu Dwi Wahyati.
(Fyi : semalem Bu Dwi ngewall gue di fb, nanyain gue soal pr yang 340 butir soal dari beliau. Dan dia bilang kalo enggak ngerti suruh tanya aja sama dia. Baiknyaaaa huhu)
Dan ternyata, gue enggak nyesel dateng telat. Kenapa?
Bukan karena gue bete matematika di bimbel, melainkaaaan..
Gurunya bukan kak T**... melainkan kakak yang lebih muda dan ganteng. hmm.
Dan dengan gue telat, pastinya dia bakal lebih inget nama gue. HAHAHAAH *ganjen banget deh gue!*
Dan ternyata dia masih kuliah. weeeets, anak stan pula.

belum lagi, pas istirahat pergantian jam bimbel, gue di kasih kado sama sahabat gue yang satu bimbel.
Roland. Dia sahabat gue di SMP bareng Agnes juga.
Di kasih boneka sapi. Thanks yaa roland!
Hari ini berat tapi ditutup dengan manis.

Eh iya, gue baru beli dua DVD film Drama gitu.
Judulnya :
  • The life before her eyes
  • Feast of love
Bekal liburan. Karena ini hari terakhir bimbel sebelum libur lebaran. Yuhuuu.
Semoga filmnya enggak mengecewakan. Amiiiin amiiin amiiiin.



Chicken and Pineapple Egg Fried Rice

There are a great many misconceptions surrounding the process of how to make egg fried rice. The procedure is not a difficult one, however, and if the necessary steps are taken in the correct order, the result can easily rival that purchased from any restaurant.

Ingredients

3oz basmati or long grained rice
2 eggs
2oz cooked chicken
1 ring of pineapple
1 clove of garlic
1 small red chilli pepper
2 large basil leaves
1 tbsp corn oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method

The first step is to boil the rice. Fried rice is made with rice which has already been cooked and not raw rice. Boil it therefore per the instructions on the packet. Drain it well when cooked then run it under cold water for a minute in a sieve to enhance the cooling process. Put it in a bowl and cover to allow it to cool completely.

The egg for making egg fried rice is usually deep fried in a wok prior to making the dish to form something akin to an omelette. I prefer, however, to make instead a traditional French style omelette. This involves melting a little butter in a non-stick frying pan and pouring in the beaten eggs, cooking over a medium heat. Use a spatula to draw the egg mixture from the edge of the pan in towards the centre until the eggs begin to set. When the eggs begin to set, simply leave them until the process is complete and then remove the omelette on to a plate.

Finely chop the garlic and de-seed and finely chop the chilli pepper. The chicken and pineapple should be roughly chopped.

Put the wok on at maximum heat until it is smoking hot. Add the corn oil and heat through. Add the garlic, followed by the chilli and fry off for a minute, remembering to stir constantly. Add the chicken to fry, followed shortly after by the pineapple.

I like to roll up the omelette I have made and roughly chop it but it should be chopped to the size of personal preference. Add the rice and stir fry, then finally the chopped egg.

When done, season to taste and mix through the torn basil leaves before serving with the garnish or accompaniment of choice.

Food Tip of the Day - Thursday, September 10th, 2009: How to Make Simple Onion Gravy

Onion gravy is a delicious accompaniment to a great many meat dishes. I believe that the main reason why it is not more widely made is simply due to the length of time it can take to prepare. If we view it, however, as simply an accompanying process to roasting a joint of meat, we can easily incorporate it in to our overall cooking process.

How to make simple onion gravy