grumpy

Just got around to reading the SNR, seriously Downtown Partnership, 7 DUDES running concerts in the park and not one woman?  That's fucked up.  Seriously fucked up.  I guess women just don't know anything about music or the local music scene.  I find it so refreshing to go see young bands and see how often they're half female, at least.  Your roster is seriously behind the times, especially because it's made up of ex-radio people mostly.  How long has it been since radio (besides KDVS) has been the least bit relevant?  Quite a few years now, sadly.  Also, if I were a business owner downtown and knew that my dues were going to hire 7 people to book one concert series that would piss me off.  The whole thing just stinks, from the stupid  name on down.

ugh, Buble

A skit on SNL actually made me laugh this week! Fallon's shtick of laughing all the time actually worked in this
and there are some really good puns. Musical guest Buble was a nightmare, however.

lists

Things I recently learned that I hate:
Stu and the Negro Problem (thanks NPR for making me listen to the worst song ever)
The Miranda July movie The Future (it stopped playing 45 minutes in and I didn't even care) these two things are very alike in my mind

Things I love: day drinking at Shady Lady

a good Ramos Fizz
posting our horrible couch for free on craigslist and having someone come pick it up!

What about you? Any loves/hates? That question is so lame that I'm kind of joking.

Friday video

So rad!

listen to Insight

At ten on Insight DWB is going to interview "local cheesemongers", which includes Ed Roehr from Magpie, and I'm presuming Felicia from Taylor's.  And the Alkali Flats will be on!

Speaking of Ed, I spied him and Janelle and their adorable tot at OneSpeed last night.  There was a chicken arborio rice soup with olive oil, egg, and parmesan on the menu that tasted like it was sprinkled with fairy dust. It was fucking delicious.  I have never made a soup as delicious.  And of course the frito misto is always superb. Even ignoring everything else he has done, that frito misto and the fact that he introduced Sac to sweetbreads puts Rick Mahan in the Sac Food Pantheon.

Christine Shields is playing at the Blue Lamp tomorrow night!! This lady is rad. Come see!

Yeah!

Awesome. The definitive pop single reviewing sage has spoken.

remember when I had non-food posts?

 The Chinese New Year detritus was still in full effect outside of SF Market.  Some year I'll remember to head to South Sac on the actual day to check out the festivities.

 Have you ever made flour tortillas?  EC clued me into it.  I got out the ol' Diana Kennedy and checked out the recipe.  First, you mix the lard into the flour by hand, kind of like a pie crust.  Even just lard and flour together smells good.  Don't get those yucky white blocks of lard, go to a Mexican market (like La Esperanza) and get the light brown stuff they render.  I put in half wheat flour because why not?

 This dough was really nice to work with.  Moist but not sticky.

 Charring pasilla chiles to make rajas.

 I made up some tomatillo salsa and it was not that great.

 I asked for some asada-type steak at the carniceria.

My only mistake (ever, in life) was not chopping up the asada smaller.  Next time!

Opposite world review

Oh sure, everyone else make a gueuze joke and it's funny, I make one and it kills the comment thread.  I see how it is.

Ugh, Shame at the Crest.  Two giant dongs down as far as I'm concerned.  I have never seen a movie screech to a stop like Shame does when Carey Mulligan slowly sings New York New York in tight close up. I sat there trying to mentally teleport myself out of the theater.  Funny quote from David Edelstein about it:
 “Watching Carey Mulligan slowly torture 'New York, New York' to death,” wrote David Edelstein, ”I passed the time writing my Opposite World review: 'Mulligan strips away the song’s facile optimism and lays bare her heartbreaking need for affirmation. Devastating!'”

 The Four Eyes also played a gid on Saturday while the Vergestravaganza was going on.  They opened with a rage jam and played classics such as "back to school", while Charles and I fought over whether Back To School or Less Than Zero came out first.  He was right, it was Back To School.  He knew because he could precisely date the Slayer song on the Less Than Zero soundtrack.

 
 Here's the bread I made from that Moore's flour.

 Pretty dense and didn't rise that much, but that's understandable for an all wheat flour loaf.  I missed the Lautner doc to make this, but doesn't it kind of look like a Lautner house?  Coincidence?

 Here's the fish sauce chicken. I guess it looks fugly in this picture.  But it was delish!

Bacon-y post

Hmm...so judging the baconfest: fun, kind of chaotic, bacon-y.  I'm naturally very judgmental (I try to chill on it) so maybe judging things is my true calling? I shoulda been a judge.  I think the rules of submission were not that clear to people so some people who just submitted bacon they had cured (e.g. Jaymes from Fat Face) got a little bit screwed.  You see, other people submitted dishes they had made with the bacon they cured, so that gave them an advantage over just a slice o' bacon.  Jaymes also submitted mini versions of her bacon and egg popsicle (it is very good and custardy, not gross like you might be thinking) which probably would have won if there was a bacon dessert category, which there probably should have been.

The judges couldn't come to a consensus so we had to give numerical scores and tally them.  My favorite dish was Mulvaney's "tongue in cheek" which was bacon-wrapped tongue with a tomatillo salsa.  The bacon was very succulent and the flavors melded coherently into a whole, delicious bite.  The guy who won works for the Grange and he submitted a whole platter of dishes.  Some of the dishes were so-so (undercooked beans) but he won on the strength of a bacon cheddar biscuit sandwich loaded up with bacon jam, Canadian bacon, regular bacon, and an herbed slaw.  It was a dish I would definitely revisit at a restaurant.  It was fun chatting with Chris Macias as we judged, and I did indeed call for a palate-cleanser of bourbon on the rocks, which tasted fucking great with all that smoky bacon.  CM, if you're reading, what was the name of that type of pig?

Some pictures, including the Verge party, after the jump

rad

YEahhhhh! This is rad.  Did you get your record yet?  Copies at Phono Select.

Baconfest weekend?!?!? I don't think there will be any bacon at the Verge party, though.  It's shaping up to be fun weekend, right guys? I am bringing my labcoat and a clipboard for the judging.  but i might not wear them.

That Verge membership thing is a good deal.  I'll have to sign up. Here are the deets:

2012 VCA MEMBERSHIP IS HERE!!!! 

BECOME A MEMBER!!! Starting at tomorrow's night party, Verge will be launching it's year-long membership program. In addition to all the benefits listed below, we will be throwing in a FREE, LIMITED EDITION, TOTE or T-SHIRT, designed by Interval Press!

FEES:

Individual: $40

Student/Artist: $30 (please present valid student ID)

BENEFITS:

• Pre-registration for classes and workshops
• Members only discount for classes and workshops
• Members only discount to Verge's annual events
• VIP passes to exclusive preview parties
• 2 free passes for one Verge film program screening at the Crest Theatre (value: $30)
• Free limited edition tote bag

Yes, YOU, are the best artist!

Look for our membership table at the party and sign up!!!!

gripe of the day is back

So my dentist is really into gadgets and he has a high-tech photo setup, which leads to him forcing me to look at pictures of my teeth all drilled to shit, while they are currently like that.  It sucks! I want to say no thanks but I don't know how.  He's convincing me that I need the fillings, but I believe him! Gripe of the day!!!!

This is outrageous! 

 Thanks for the spaetzle maker Skipper!!!! Works like a champ.  This is spaetzle (with a little wheat flour thrown in) Morant's weisswurst, and carrots and onions.

I finally made the bread that America was in love with a few years ago, that 24 hour no-knead bread.  Now that I have a deep cast-iron pot with a lid, it was a snap.  It sure is pretty.  I confess I haven't tried a piece yet.  However, like many things that are supposed to be "easier" (like pancake mix), making the no-knead bread is basically the same amount of hassle as knead bread, minus the 10 minutes of kneading that is a pretty Zen, pleasant activity.  But maybe it tastes better because of the time involved.  I'm sure you're waiting with bated breath to know what I think.

Did I mention I'm one of the judges of the bacon contest on Sunday?  Would it be funny if I wear a lab coat?

Breton, you must be joking

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but what more proof do you need that Republicans are the crappier, more evil party than that they consistently try to keep people from voting?  E.G., opposing same-day voter registration and many other examples.

Breton, you have got to be kidding.  "What matters is the will of a community" to build an arena?  There is no will!  Talk to the common man in Sac: there is no will.  There is no desire.  There is no money.

Did you guys read Cosmo's excellent piece on parking privatization?  Hopefully this will be the next harebrained scheme to fall by the wayside.

Sunday at MOBS

You guys are quiet today. Is everyone over on FB arguing about that panel discussion?

MOBS is showing this on Sunday at 7:30, donation only. Sponsored by SacTown.

This just in: I'm one of the judges of the bacon contest on Sunday! 1 pm. Mulvaney's. You can get tickets here, which include bacon snacks and 3 brews or ciders.

Also, Michele Hebert's wine tasting is at Bows tonight, starting at 7 pm

I love LA

Just got back from L.A.  It was so fun.  That town sure has some good grub.  I didn't take many pictures.  Celebs spotted: Busy Phillips (from Freaks and Geeks! I was thrilled), Kirsten Dunst (with one of the Rodarte sisters), Frodo, Kelly Osbourne, David Arquette, and then a whole bunch of TV people (Topher Grace, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Heard? Don't know who that is).  Sully tried to bum a cig off Frodo, but he ignored him.  A few pictures after the jump

ugly, delicious grub

 Wow, spaetzle is so easy to make.  Where can I get a spaetzle macher?  Skipper?  Oh yeah, you don't read heckasac, do you?  I over nutmegged this because I didn't measure but I kinda likes it.  The finished dish was too ugly to show here but it involved onions and sausage. More cooking crap after the jump.  Finches tonight at the Javalounge!

Don't fuck with Knock Knock

As we can all tell, all the action is over at the Halloween blog, although it ate my last two comments.  Maybe it is being taxed by the constant flood of comments.

Here's some video of the MidMo March cover shoot, featuring Knock Knock.
P.S. you guys know about the Finches show on Thursday, right?  It's been moved to Javalounge.

Friday video

dudes, have you seen this? I want to see this band again so bad!
Grass Widow "Milo Minute" from what rabbit on Vimeo.

hubba hubba

I saw Sunset Boulevard at the Crocker last night.  So fucking good.  It was really packed.  Gloria Swanson was amazing.  What a courageous role for her to take on.  It's harsh. Now I want to see some of her earlier films.

What do you guys think of Philip K. Dick?  Favorite books?  I just read this one and I loved it.  Doesn't the guy on the front look like Kevin Spacey?  The plot is crap and so is most of the dialogue but the genius is in the little comical touches and character vignettes.  There's one page that's so genius some other adjective I thought about just typing it in here, but that seems like going too far.  Was he a diagnosed schizophrenic?  There's a scene where he's digging a tiny implanted camera out of his wrist that is so similar to schizophrenic thinking that it's creepy.

the most depressing

Did the most depressing break room in the world  just get more or less depressing with the addition of this ancient exercise bike that no one will ever use?  Yep, these are the luxurious quarters that UC Davis employees can expect.  P.S. the median age of these magazines is 4 years.

Hoo, boy, the roster of shows for the next couple of months is not looking too hot.  And the show I'm most stoked about, Babies, lacks a venue currently.  The Wounded Lion show was really raging but I don't like their new album at all.  They're a better live band.  G. Green sounded really good.  It was nice to go to such a raging show on Dec 30th because my new years eve was pretty mellow (besides the appearance by celebrity spokesman Kokopelli)

Man, I forgot about this article.  I wish this would have gotten into the mag.

picture post

Picture post! After the jump

Jammin' in the New Year

I had fun jammin in the New Year in Petaluma.  Kokopelli even made an appearance as we danced around the fire.  It's exactly as cool as it sounds.

I love Animal Collective, but I popped in Feels on the way to work today and it's hard not to put it in the context of how it kind of fucked up a generation of bands (by young people, darn them) who just try to ape Animal Collective instead of making up their own thing.  I guess that's my Gripe Of The Day.

Fuck, dudes, did you know that a nice man (Vince) in Stockton (so not THE Vince) put out the Bright Ideas LP?  It looks rad and sounds even radder.  I love it!  You can stream it here today, if you like, and you can get a copy at Phono Select or straight from smiller.