Father’s Day dinner
Yesterday, we went downtown for dinner at Jaleo, one of Jose Andres' restaurants (perhaps you heard Alex name drop him on Top Chef DC last week?). It was "Kids Restaurant Week" in DC, which meant that the kids paid their age for two tapas and a fruit dessert. It was a good thing too, because it was not a cheap meal! I took a few (bad) cell phone pictures of the food, so allow me to describe them to you.
First up was the sea urchin:
A spoonful of refreshing summer goodness. Next up were three Ibérico hams.
As you can see by the picture, this was one of our favorites, and I didn't get to take the picture before most of it was gone already! I really enjoyed the fancy shmancy acorn-fed Lomo Ibérico de bellota.
The fried artichoke was a mild disappointment, though the tapenade was very good.
Then came Lisa's new favorite dish: fried bacon wrapped dates. I have to say, this was definitely a standout.
The menu said you would want to eat them every day, and I think that's absolutely true. I miss them already.
The last dish I took a picture of was the rabbit confit.
It was a good dish, the apricot puree went nicely with the gamy rabbit, but the sauce was a little grainy for me.
Not pictured: the kids' chicken croquettes (not at all like chicken nuggets), salmon, Pan con tomate, and garlic shrimp. Also, Lisa's rice with duck confit and warm green bean salad. Also, the desserts: Chocolate and hazelnut mousse torte, and apple charlotte, both of which were delicious.
All told, we had a good time at our fancy dinner with the kids. The favorites were definitely the ham, the dates, and the desserts. Here's hoping your father's day went just as well.
Incarceron
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very good YA sci-fi here, though I knock it down just a touch because I still didn't really understand the prison being alive bit. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read, trying to piece together the connection between the characters and the two worlds they live in. Very imaginative in its setting though, which made it fun to read.
Merry Strasmas!
A couple of weeks ago, I took a flier on a long shot. No, not the Kentucky Derby. I took a reasonable guess that the date of Stephen Strasburg's Major League debut would be June 4. I turned out to be wrong, but we went to the game anyway and had a good time. The kids played on the playground, had ice cream, and we managed to escape without buying any souvenirs.
Last night was Strasburg's actual debut, and you'd have to say he lived up to the hype. 7 innings, 94 pitches, 2 runs, 4 hits, no walks, and 14 strikeouts. FOURTEEN! Including the last 7 batters IN A ROW! After giving up a homerun, he retired the next ten batters, including eight by strikeout. Phenomenal.
At least I will have a better idea of when he'll actually pitch from now on. Every five days, mark it down.
Logicomix
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Did you know I was a math major in college? I wasn't necessarily interested in math problems as much as I was just good at getting the answers right. Logicomix delves into some difficult questions at the very root of mathematics, that stuff that I wasn't interested in, and makes it really interesting. And it's not just the fact that it's in graphic novel form, but that it's in a nice narrative form that puts you into the story. This effectively puts Bertrand Russell's life and pursuit of answers into a fine perspective, accessible to a LOT more people than would have ever been interested in the topic, including geeks like me who should have been interested in it in the first place. Tremendous.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought that the "dog as narrator" gimmick would end up bugging me after a while, but it actually did end up working well (even though it was strained for a big portion of the pivotal trial which did not allow dogs to be present of course). The thing that knocks it down a touch for me is the overwhelming sadness that pervaded the story and never let up. You are set up from the outset for the big sadness, but man, the sad moments just kept coming throughout the whole thing.
On the positive side, I now know that in Mongolia, they believe that dogs are reincarnated into men when their souls are ready, so that's uplifting anyway.
This book is the "All Fairfax Reads" selection for this summer, so if you're a neighbor, go get it!
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