overly epic post

Holy crap. Step away from the internet for 6 days and all hell breaks loose. I think I missed a chance to interview Alice Waters. I want to punch myself in the face right now for that. I know everything about her, from numerous books. I admire her. I cook from her goddamn cookbook. Fuck!!!!!!!!

On a more positive note, my first post went up on the blog Slice. I am now their Sac correspondent. This is very exciting! I worked very hard on this post, but then blew it a little by closing with a total cliche that the editor then had to (very nicely) rewrite herself before she could post it. Smooth move. That's why I need to get a laptop. That, and because my therapist told me I should get one.

Wow, the Crocker is having a bananas screening on Thursday that I am totally going to. What makes it bananas? It's a two hour and 45 minute film about Marsden Hartley! I say bring it on.

Speaking of movies, the next MidMoMoNi is scheduled for December 16th and it's our most exciting one yet. We are screening food-related shorts, and because they are shorts, we'll have some extra time for discussion, chatting, bathroom breaks, beverage and snack consumption, etc. We'll be showing Les Blank's film "Garlic is as good as 10 mothers", from 1980, which is about what else, garlic, and includes such luminaries as motherfucking Alice Waters. Also, we'll be showing an episode of Michael Jackson's "Beer Hunter" cult TV show. The one on lambics and gueuzes. Who knows, maybe I'll get a wild hair and arrange a tasting. Anything is possible. And there's more! But I'll post about it later so you won't get post fatigue. It's probably too late.

Speaking of the Verge, have you donated to their Kickstarter campaign yet? Even ten bucks can make a difference.

Also, do you know about the MidMo holiday party? I hope you do. It's this Saturday, December 4th, starting around 6 at Phono Select. Knock Knock is playing around 8. Smiller will be djing. I will make some snacks! Maybe spice cake, maybe with homemade ice cream?

Stay with me, we're to the photos now. Me and Skipper and Liv did an Alsatian-themed dinner. We started with this sparkling wine

and then moved to Skipper's pickled beets and eggs
lovely
and then to a vat of sauerkraut that Skipper made. Isn't it great that you can buy pristine duck and goose fat at Taylor's?
Here's the bacon and onion tart/quiche that Liv made
Here's the final platter, complete with Morant's sausages and smoked pork loin, that you guessed it, Skipper smoked himself. BTW did you know that Dirk at Morant's had a baby with the German lady whose name escapes me right now? Isn't that the best?!? Her name is Jenny and she's about 9 weeks old and she was sleeping in the back when I was there.
And here's a dry, dry kugelhopf that I made. It's a yeasted raisin bread.
Everyone loves crossed paws
even I am getting bored with the length of this post. Hmong New Year! I barely took any photos because I wanted to now stand out like a sore thumb. Which still did not work. A nice lady approached me and Jed and quizzed us about what we were doing there. We dubbed her a Hmong cultural ambassador.
Parade preceding the appearance of General Vang Pao, who we missed because he spoke inside and we didn't know.
I hear this was the papaya center. I did not eat the papaya salad this year.

I did have some luscious beef meatballs
and some tripe-heavy larb
these aluminum hats seemed to be big this year. I went twice to Hmong New Year this year. It was nice to just have a little meal each time and not go crazy and stuff myself.
then it was off to Stinson Beach for a few days. Sweet! I ate at this new-ish place in Pt. Reyes Station, called Osteria Stellina. I recommend it. I'm going to write up their oyster pizza for slice.
a signature of theirs is grilled cheese sandwiches, cuz the chef started out with a grilled cheese stand somewhere in Pt. Reyes. I never saw it. This sandwich had grilled cheese and BRAISED GOAT SHOULDER
this dessert could not have been any more perfect for my particular tastes. It was persimmon custard with housemade cardamom ice cream and cookie crumbs!!
phew! that's all for now