Winter Sunset

It was nice to be able to enjoy the sunset this evening. I'm not sure why summertime sunsets aren't as pretty.

Day 240/365

Perhaps it is the change from weeks of overcast skies, which I actually love, when one can appreciate the sun[set] on a crisp, clear evening. It was warm enough that I didn't need to bundle up and look like the Michelin man.

Day 240/365

In the summertime, there's just too much...sun.

- Cassaendra

My Favorite Cookie

I am a sucker for cookies and cake, but I don't eat cookies or cake as often as I'd like to. Who really does? Actually, I don't eat them very often, which is a good thing.

Day 239/365

Yesterday, we went to our favorite Indian restaurant, India's Cafe. Displayed on the counter were cookies made from gram flour (ground chickpea/garbanzo beans), almonds, and presumably a lot of butter.

What sets these beautiful bars apart from most cookies is its texture. Midline in texture, they are soft, dense, and somewhat pliable, not gooey nor crumbly. I don't look like a Cookie Monster poster child with flying crumbs all over my clothes when I scarf these down. A perfect cookie.

Lightly sweetened, buttery, and nutty, it is all too easy to eat several of these and not think twice about eating 100 more. Quite versatile, these treats complement spicy masala chai, as we indulged at India's Cafe, as well as floral Earl Grey tea at home. I'm sure they would go well with [soy] milk. Hmm...

When I find out the name of these cookies, I'll edit this post. 

- Cassaendra

India's Cafe
5549 Ridge Rd
Cleveland, OH 44129
Tel: (440) 842-7724

Leopard and the Snowman

With clear skies, several hours after this picture was taken, the snowy lawn became a [mushy] field of green. In that time, we shopped for groceries and filled our bellies with delicious Indian food -- butter chicken, goat curry, lentil curry with ginger and coconut milk.

Day 238/365

Our grocery run consisted of supplies for cha gio (Vietnamese spring rolls), mabo tofu, crab rangoon, and kimbap, meals we will be making through the week. Tonight, we did a trial run and made a handful of cha gio. The recipe needs tweaking, which we will revisit in the next few days.

Day 238/365

Overnight and throughout the day, icy tendrils stretch earthbound as time dripped onward.

My plan over my lunch breaks this week is to finish up Jo Nesbo's "The Leopard." Despite having had this book for nearly a month, I prefer his latest novel over his previous, "The Snowman." I don't recall references to his previous case when I read "The Snowman," however, halfway through "The Leopard," I've already come across several references to "The Snowman."  

- Cassaendra

Surprise

I passed out at around 21:15 last night to rain with occasional gusts that rattled the windows, and woke up this morning to a surprise. Snow had fallen overnight.

Day 237/365

Akemi was extremely happy and trotted about shoveling snow in her mouth at every opportunity.

Day 237/365 - flaky like a croissant

Even after nearly 4 years, Akemi still barks at snow shovels and plows, people with bulky coats, and large hats...basically, everyone we passed today.

Day 237/365 - eating snow

Odd stuff distracts her from feeding and sniffing, I suppose.

Day 237/365 - more infrequent shots not of the back of Akemi's head

With a mild winter and spring likely to arrive earlier than expected, Akemi and I savor every fun moment (snacking and taking pictures, respectively) before the dreadful heat of summer is upon us.  It seems Bug isn't quite as fond of the snow anymore, sighing every time Akemi eats snow and I stop to take pictures.

- Cassaendra

Brown Bag It

While I have enjoyed great burgers from B Spot, Five Guys, and Hardee's, my favorite burgers are from Brown Bag Burgers in North Olmsted. Good burgers and toppings, always getting my order right, cordial and fun interaction with workers, and a clean restaurant for an incredibly reasonable price are all that I ask for in a restaurant. I don't ask for much.

Day 236/365

On every trip, I order a "build your own" burger. The regular ($5.29) contains two patties and a junior ($4.29) comes with 1 patty. It had been a while, so I had forgotten how big these burgers are and ordered a regular. Silly me.

My sandwich on this trip was made with lettuce, tomatoes, onion straws, sauteed burgundy mushrooms, pepper jack cheese, jalapeno, chipotle mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. Their buns are fantastic, fresh, soft, grilled, and just the right size for the burger, large enough to hold all the pieces together without being overbearing or soggy. By default, the meat is cooked to medium.

We made another mistake ordering large fries ($3.99), enough to happily feed four people. They were delicious, but too much for the two of us. I'd be lying if I said we ate until we were sated and, as a result, left some behind. We happily gobbled everything we ordered.

Day 236/365

One of these days, I'll pull myself away from ordering a burger to try the shrimp "burger" with roasted red peppers and sauteed mushrooms as toppings. Perhaps I'll try one of their soups, either the mushroom brie bisque or serrano chicken tortilla soup.  If I make it past Go, i.e, shrimp burger, I'll give their hot dog with chili a try. I'm not sure when that will be. We have been coming here for 4 years and it has yet to occur.

- Cassaendra

Brown Bag Burgers
25853 Brookpark Rd
North Olmsted, OH 44070
Tel: (440) 801-1122

Home, Sweet Home

For someone (not us). In this angle, the home reminds me of one of the housing schematics in Star Wars Galaxies (SWG), an old MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment.

Day 235/365

It has been interesting watching this house being built last year. The clean lines and glass are lovely. Although, with neighbors so near and its location at a corner of a well traveled street certain nights of the week, sadly, I don't foresee the inhabitants maintaining the open view.

In June, 2011

Wood paneling wraps around all the light green areas.While it isn't my dream home, parts of it are similar in style to one I have pictured in my head for the past 15 years. We're probably $400,000 too poor to afford this place anyway. :)

- Cassaendra

Sticky Situation

I think I may be just a tad food-obsessed. 

Day 234/365

What immediately came to mind:
slow-cooked
hero sandwich
jelly beans -- licorice, of course

- Cassaendra

More Cheese, Please

If you asked me about cheese a year ago, I would have told you I like smoked cheese and gooey mozzarella but wouldn't really care if I never saw cheese again. Nowadays, I will voluntarily wander over to the cheese section to explore. I am nowhere near a cheese connoisseur and will probably never be one.

Day 233/365

Costco has a varied selection of cheeses. The variety pack caught my eye, or maybe it was the pretty black box with shiny gold print. For $15, it didn't seem like much of a gamble to try four different cheeses. I was bound to at least like the smoked cheese.

The aged cheddar smoked over oak chips had a sharp and smoky flavor through and through. The texture was dry but not crumbly like the remaining 3 cheeses. Bug and I fought over this. Too bad he snoozed (so he losed?).

Cheddar with port had a hint of port flavor. The scent of the wine was more prevalent than its flavor. I probably wouldn't have liked it if the port were stronger. This was fine in my smoked turkey sandwich.

Wensleydale with cranberries had just enough whole cranberries to enjoy without feeling like it ought to be bagel spread, aside from it being crumbly. I enjoyed this with my favorite super crunchy crackers (that sounds like exercise equipment), Crunchmaster multigrain crackers. It also nicely complemented our vegetable wrap with red peppers.

Their farmhouse cheddar was the least crumbly after the smoked cheddar. With a sharp flavor, it was a bit tangy but not astringent. I found this to be better on its own than on crackers.

I'm still not a fan of stinky cheese.

- Cassaendra

Spring Cleaning

While riding around tonight, we came across white plumes billowing from the street. Was it a fire?

Day 232/365 - goofy shot

Blocking the center lane on each side of the intersection were a few trucks, the nondescript kind that you see in movies like Mission Impossible, where some funky covert operation takes place under the truck.

Day 232/365

As there were no emergency vehicles, Bug and I deduced the underground pipes were being cleaned, even though it looks the city has gone up in flames.  

Day 232/365

I don't recall seeing this take place so early in the year. It has been a rather mild winter...

- Cassaendra

Rally Car

I thought the window sticker was funny -- "If you can read this...Roll me over." Well, it is not so funny that I'd affix it, if I had an off-road rally car.  

Day 231/375

Years ago, there was a console game where the objective was to race off-road rally cars to the finish line. I didn't share the same objective. Driving toward the start line and flipping the car on its roof, watching the car rocking on its roof was too hilarious to consider taking their objective seriously. A game is about having fun, right?

While tears streamed down my face and my cheeks would ache from laughing so hard, Bug probably sobbed from boredom. Sadly, we didn't play this game very often.

- Cassaendra

Live Life

Akemi recognized where we were headed and began to whine anxiously, or she noticed the fire hydrant.

Day 230/365

Since it has been fairly dry the past few days, we decided to take Akemi to the dog park. It was her first trip since last fall. There is no use taking her to any kind of park when the weather has been wet. It may seem selfish on our part, but she does not like to walk on soppy ground or mud, so she will not budge from the entrance. 

Later in the day (elsewhere)...

Day 230/365 - not the dog park

Akemi doesn't wait until someone leaves the gate open. She kicks the fence down. RAWR.

- Cassaendra

Frosty

Day 229/365

Vanilla shakes are my favorite. B Spot's vanilla apple pie bacon shake hits the spot after a burger. I even enjoy the Shamrock shakes at McDonald's. Right now, I want a Frosty (malt shake) from Wendy's! :)

- Cassaendra

Neenah

Behold, a Neenah Foundry grate. Out of curiosity, I looked up their website. I didn't expect it to be so cool and industrial. It's what an industrial website "should" look like, but I've noticed some companies either can't spend the money to build a nice website or don't care to. I'm in love. :)

Day 227/365

Akemi doesn't walk on grates. I suppose there must have been something really intriguing...

Day 227/365

I'm not exactly happy that Neenah Foundry has reminded me of the song, "Buffalo Stance," by Neneh Cherry. It wasn't a particularly bad song, but it wasn't my type of music, then MTV played it like it was one of 10 songs released in the late 1980s -- song fatigue!

Speaking of fatigue...good night!

- Cassaendra

Irontree

Ah, this is not about an area in Felwood in World of Warcraft. You can't get four for $4 tacos, $5 burgers, and $5 two-topping pizzas in Felwood.

Day 226/365

I've always found the front gate at Treehouse to be pretty nifty. It's too bad you don't open it when you walk in. It's almost (okay, not exactly) invisible during business hours. You won't find Illidan serving drinks here.

- Cassaendra

Literary

Day 225/365

Literary Cafe in Tremont is housed in a very cool looking red brick building. For several years, I've thought about stopping in but just haven't gotten around to doing it yet -- no particular reason. Perhaps this spring...?

- Cassaendra

Literary Cafe
1031 Literary Rd
Cleveland, OH 44113
Tel: (216) 308-1962

Pho 97

My father is not a picky eater at all. He will kindly eat mediocre food without complaint and chalk it up as sustenance. Honolulu has a plethora of Vietnamese restaurants, however, having had many meals in Vietnam and quite the accomplished home cook of the cuisine, he can be strict on presentation and particular where he eats. Pho 97 is where he frequently rests his chopsticks.

Vegetables

My father's go-to dish for lunch here is bun bo Hue, a hearty rice noodle dish with chunks of bone-in beef and pig knuckle. Unlike pho tai (what I ordered), the beefy soup is spicy and richly-seasoned with lemongrass and fermented shrimp paste.

Bun Bo Hue

I feel like the newbie foreigner each time I order pho tai with him. On this trip, I was on the fence between pho tai and bun rieu (tomato crab noodle soup), but opted for pho to be different. I realize that sounded odd, but when we go out to a Vietnamese restaurant in Cleveland, I may order pho once a year or less as much as I love it.

Pho tai

While I love the slightly meatier broth at #1 Pho (Cleveland), I prefer the flowery aromatic soup that is more common in Hawaii. Aside from the selection of fresh greens available to garnish our bowls, I really appreciate the default service of sliced meat raw on the side; a very common practice in Hawaii and impossible in Cleveland.

Beef slices

This was a perfect lunch, delicious, nostalgic, and light, with dinner at Bernini (an upcoming post) with my aunts and uncle on my itinerary in 3 hours. I would have ordered a vat otherwise. As one of a handful of restaurants my father and I dined together before I left home, it is always a pleasure to return to Pho 97.

- Cassaendra

 Pho 97
1120 Maunakea St 176
Honolulu, HI 96817
Tel: (808) 538-0708

Red Velvet

Day 224/365

This morning, I was in the mood for a slice of red velvet cake. Guess I got my wish...sorta.

Bah, who am I trying to kid? Every few days, I daydream about eating moist red velvet cake with cream cheese icing.

- Cassaendra

Moonwalk

Day 223/365

Winter returns with a blustery alooooha! Minuscule granules of snow have been steadily swirling and whipping from all directions like a shaken snow globe since yesterday afternoon.

Since I took the day off on Friday, we ran our usual weekend errands during the day stocking up on groceries for the week before the snow hit the fan.

- Cassaendra

Locavore Loco Moco

During my trip home to Hawaii in November, my father took me to many cool restaurants. Honolulu Burger Company was one of them. On the drive, he mentioned the numerous write-ups lauding their use of local ingredients like free-range, grass-fed beef from family owned ranches on the Big Island, Manoa lettuce, Waimanalo tomatoes, in addition to being delicious.

Hawaii is ideally situated for strategic reasons and a tropical paradise, however, bulk fresh-picked produce and meats at reasonable prices is unavailable, a downside of being in the middle of the Pacific. In addition, varying degrees of animosity towards the mainland was pretty evident, even for a 5-year-old.  As far back as I can remember, grocery stores focused on local products with "local pride" shelf flags and signs. I was unaware there was a whole world of lettuce until I left Hawaii, as my mother bought Manoa lettuce exclusively.

As we walked into Honolulu Burger Company, my eyes were drawn to two large, snazzy flat screen televisions hanging on the wall above the counter that displaying their menu items. The decor, 6-7 wood tables, a freezer case, and soda fridge, plopped us somewhere along the North Shore where I would expect to find the glare of a beach across the street, the rhythmic effervescence from the waves, and the salty sandy smell of the ocean, instead of standing along urban Beretania Street bustling with cars whizzing by on a breezy night.

Being a burger lover with so many burger choices like pastrami, loco moco, kalua pig, teri-kim (teriyaki-kimchi), and more (!), it was torturous making a decision...until my eyes fell upon the Loco Moco section.

Loco moco

The loco moco choices were:
1) loco moco: 1/3 lb patty, 1 egg, grilled Maui onions, and brown gravy over rice with macaroni salad
2) loco moco deluxe: 1) + another egg, Spam, and bacon
3) The Macomber: 2) + 1/2 lb kalua pig and another scoop of macaroni salad

I cried a little inside because I wanted the Macomber ($11.75) since this would likely be my only shot eating here. With several days of fabulous meals behind me, I could not bring myself to order it and asked for the standard loco moco ($6.95).

My father ordered the Blue Hawaii, a burger with blue cheese, grilled Maui onions, lettuce, and a tomato slice. He asked me about the sweet potato fries, and I responded not to worry about them since I can make those. Later that evening, I regretted responding so callously, as I didn't even make him a batch.  I continue to feel guilty about that moment.

Blue Hawaii

We ordered 1 each of their hand-cut garlic and regular fries. My regular fries were an excellent representation of thin-cut, skin-on fries -- a crisp outer crunch and solid potato flavor without feeling like I'm being suffocated by a baked potato. With grated garlic sprinkled atop my father's garlic fries, there was no turning back for him to try my fries.  

From the occasional mmphmm between prolonged masticating silence, my father enjoyed his burger. My loco moco was the best I have ever eaten. I'm not just saying that as if a starry-eyed follower of locally grown food. The beef was tender, moist, with good texture (substantial grind). The beef flavor shined through the brown gravy without being gamey.

The mac salad was superb -- creamy local style, firm pasta, without the crunch of raw onions that I abhor. If I lived there, I would order a bucket of their macaroni salad and rock gleefully at the front of their store savoring every spoonful.

Constrained by time and health, I have a limited number of meals on each visit. Honolulu Burger Company has been added to my "must visit" list with the hope that either the restaurant will remain strong when I next visit or that I am able to visit soon!

- Cassaendra

Honolulu Burger Co.
1295 S Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96814
Tel: (808) 626-5202

Rhubarb

Day 222/365

For the first several decades of my life, I had never tasted rhubarb. I may not have seen an actual stalk of rhubarb until ~15 years ago. A few years ago, I had a bite of rhubarb pie. It was slightly TART! I filed it away in the "tried and have no need to actively pursue" folder. It wasn't particularly bad, just TART.

Last December, we noticed pans of raspberry-rhubarb crisp sitting on a bakery table at Costco. We took a chance, brought one home. This was not a cheap doughy mess, but chock full of raspberries and rhubarb that was not extremely tart, which surely meant that a loving heap of sugar was poured into this dessert.

We've reasoned (convinced ourselves) that this fruit combination will only be available for a limited time. As a result, since our discovery, it is a rare day when we do not have this crisp sitting on our counter. At least 6-7 of these 50 oz containers have found their way into our loving home.

- Cassaendra

Friendly

Day 221/365

When I took several pictures of this kitty sitting on his (or her) porch, he trotted down the stairs to see me. After circling around me several times and rubbing his head on my legs, he sat down at my feet.

When Akemi, Bug, and I continued with our walk, he trailed behind us for ~20 yards, then headed back home. What a friendly kitty!

- Cassaendra

Lake Erie Monster

I have a weigh-in in two days and was doing really well until Bug reminded me that Melt was bringing back the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon melt today.

I have no willpower.

With so many phenomenal choices, which one should I get?  I was in the mood for vegetables or fish, so three sandwiches stood out:

1) Lake Erie Monster -- beer battered walleye, American cheese, and jalapeno tartar sauce

2) Big Popper -- herb cream cheese, fresh jalapeno peppers, and cheddar cheese. The sandwich is dipped in beer batter then deep fried and comes with mixed berry preserves.

3) Roasted Vegetable -- zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, carrots, sun-dried tomato pesto, and muenster cheese

Day 220/365

Compared to the Big Popper, Lake Erie Monster ($14.00) seemed pretty tame. I decided to order the Roasted Vegetable on my next visit. The fresh jalapeno crunch and flavor, as well as a not so vinegary mayonnaise, made the jalapeno tartar sauce lick-the-cup-clean good. I asked for another cup of sauce ($0.75).

A generous portion of battered then fried walleye was tasty and firm, not fishy or cooked to mush. Of course, the fries were great with the tartar sauce -- the reason I ran out of tartar sauce a quarter of the way through the sandwich.

Of course, Bug ordered the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon melt. Rather ironically, his sandwich had much more vegetables (lettuce and tomatoes) than mine (none).

For dessert, we ordered the amaretto chocolate cherry cordial bread pudding with amaretto chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. The chocolate bread pudding was simply decadent -- thick, rich, and chocolate overload. My favorite was the amaretto chocolate sauce, a beautiful marriage of rich cherry flavor and sultry chocolate oomph that was lick-the-paws-clean delicious. Yes, there is a theme here.

Day 220/365

Despite being called "Melt" and seeing grilled cheese, grilled cheese, grilled cheese, at a glance on their menu, Melt has an astounding array of food stuffed into their sandwiches, that is always cooked properly, whether it is pierog, falafel, fish, hummus, bacon, sweet sour chicken, dressing, ...Melt is definitely not a gimmicky idea with mediocre food.

Oh, I didn't eat my entire sandwich AND the bread pudding in one sitting. Half of the sandwich and 2/3 of the fries were tucked away into a container to relish again tomorrow. The dessert was so rich, I ate ~1/5 of it and Bug ate the remainder.

Bug is going to have sweet bacon dreams tonight and I'm already daydreaming about our next trip. We really are a country of gluttons!

- Cassaendra

Melt Bar and Grilled
14718 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107
Tel: (216) 226-3699

Lemko Dome

Day 219/365

With the relatively warm weather we have been having with temperatures in the 40s and 50s (Fahrenheit), today's upper 30s with occasional gusts feels like autumn. I should have stopped by Civilization across the street for a cup of coffee.

When I shop for my next light jacket, I hope I'll remember to buy one with a hood that has a drawstring. It doesn't make sense to have a hood that doesn't remain on my head under whisper faint breeze conditions.

- Cassaendra

Log

Day 218/365

The first two things that came to mind:
1) Ren and Stimpy - Log ("It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!")
2) Twin Peaks - The Log Lady

Log from Blammo!

Scene with the Log Lady and Major Garland Briggs from "Twin Peaks"

I can't believe "Ren and Stimpy" and "Twin Peaks" are over 20 years old!

- Cassaendra

Tide is High

Craving noodles for breakfast, I scrounged around the refrigerator for toppings that would complement the baby clams and miso broth that Michael sent. When I drink miso soup, tofu isn't very far. How shall I prepare the tofu?

Day 217/365

Tofu cut in cubes with shoyu and katsuobushi (shaved dried tuna) sprinkled on top is an easy yet satisfying tofu side.  It is a cool and refreshing balance to a warm soup.

The fridge was packed with brussels sprouts, broccoli, red peppers, and snap peas. I wasn't feeling very green (sorry, Kermit), so I chopped up some red peppers.  

Day 217/365

All it took for the vacuum packed baby clams to open up was to stir the little gems in hot water. The miso paste was added once I fished out the unopened clams. With a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi after the soup and clams were poured over the buckwheat noodles and red peppers, the meal was ready in 15 minutes.

With my noodle craving sated, I was happy as a clam at high tide.

- Cassaendra

Alles Klar?

Day 216/365

When I took this picture, the first thought that came to my mind was the expression: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Yes, that was quite random. I suppose, on a dangerously frigid day walking outdoors without gloves, stumbling across this glove waiting for a matching red pair, the saying would be appropriate.

The earliest instance of the expression is discussed on Phrase Finder, where a translation from the 12th century of a passage in the bible is cited ("A living dog is better than a dead lion" (Ecc 9:4)). A reference to existing pubs from medieval times is also mentioned. One citation notes the expression is related to a falcon and its prey. Aha, a glove reference!

"Der Kommissar" by Falco brings back fond memories :)

- Cassaendra

Blue Friday

Day 215/365

It feels great to have a relaxing weekend ahead. The weather is beautiful with nothing pressing that requires our immediate attention. Well, we are due to have our rear brakes replaced -- it's been 4 years after all -- but that can wait until next week (again).  Perhaps I'll curl up to "The Art of French Baking" or restart "The Leopard" by Joe Nesbo.

- Cassaendra

Not Quite Omega

The alpha...

Day 214/365

We didn't make it to omega, but made it to gamma (sort of).

Day 214/365

I'm not concerned one iota...too busy eating pie.

- Cassaendra

Nice is Boring

I thought I'd write about "pleasant" weather for a change. 

Day 213/365

I am not a sun worshiper and the warm weather that comes along with it, but I can't help but smile when it is in the 50s and 60s (Fahrenheit) in late January and early February. It's almost warm enough to go for a swim.

- Cassaendra