Food Notes and Birthday Weekend

Okay, so admittedly the focus has been a bit politically skewed here on the blogspot. The satirist event (Thursday) and Krassner encounters (Coliseum Books) have re-charged my batteries - and consciously so - owing to the birthday weekend and timing of the Jewish holidays.

But anyone who knows me knows of my love for food and flavors, of cooking and dining out. Ahh, the gustatory pleasures and conviviality of dining with friends.

So on Friday, in my friend's neighborhood - Rego Park / Forest Hills - that would be the bargain sushi joint: Chikurin Japanese Restaurant @ 9709 64th Ave.

Of note was the Tuna Tataki appetizer - nicely prepared with pieces of tuna, not strips, and not drenched in sauce, but merely seared with sauce drizzled. The White Tuna was melt in your mouth and the PK Roll (an evening special) was especially flavorful. The meal was paired with a bottle of Sake, a shot of Vodka, and a BIG Yankee loss to kick off my celebration with a bang.

Not to be outdone, Saturday included a before noon repair of another friend's DSL connection. Not only does Ben know food, but he is handy with computers as well.

Taking advantage of the Upper West Side, I stopped at all time cookie favorite, Levain Bakery and after chatting with Emily, the jamband-loving counterperson, brought 8 cookies back to the office and distributed 6 among co-workers. Levain cookies pack a punch - weighing in at 6 ounces - and come in four flavors (Chocolate Chip Walnut, Double Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Chocolate Peanut Butter). Yummy!!!!!! :-P

Lunch around the corner from my office was Roasted Butternut Squash soup and Salad from Pret A Manger. Combined with my Odwalla Berries GoMega, it was comfort food for a rain-soaked Saturday.

Saturday night brought more rain - torrential at times. I deftly flagged down a westbound cab as we departed the apartment on 75th and Amsterdam to travel a whopping two blocks and one avenue to our restaurant for the evening.

"And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall." Now I have driven in and danced outdoors in heavy rainstorms but last night was crazy. So totally worth it to have cabbed the short distance - the rain drove on with greater intensity as we neared the restaurant. We later walked home in the misty, light drizzle, which became heavier rain later after midnight.

The meal was superb -- only eclipsed by the fine company I was in. We split three appetizers: Carpaccio, Beet Salad, and Gamberoni (whose fennel was well received at both the beginning and end of the meal); and one entree: Dentice, which was perfectly breaded and served with flavorful Escarole. A side of Broccoli Rabe rounded out the meal.

"One More Saturday Night"

I went down to the mountain, I was drinking some wine,
Looked up in the heavens lord I saw a mighty sign,
Writt’n fire across the heaven, plain as black and white;
Get prepared, there’s gonna be a party tonight.

Uhuh, hey! saturday night!
Yeh, uhuh one more saturday night,
Hey saturday night!

Everybody’s dancin’ down the local armory
With a basement full of dynamite and live artillery.
The temperature keeps risin’, everybody gittin’ high;
Come the rockin’ stroke of midnite, the whole place gonna fly.

Uhuh, hey! saturday night!
Yeh, uhuh one more saturday night,
Hey saturday night!

Turn on channel six, the president comes on the news,
Says, I get no satisfaction, that’s why I sing the blues.
His wife say don’t get crazy, lord, you know just what to do,
Crank up that old victrola, put on them rockin’ shoes.

Uhuh, hey! saturday night!
Yeh, uhuh one more saturday night,
Hey saturday night!

Then God way up in heaven, for whatever it was worth,
Thought he’d have a big old party, thought he’d call it planet earth.
Don’t worry about tomorrow, lord, you’ll know it when it comes,
When the rock and roll music meets the risin’ sun.

So ended Day 2 of the Birthday Weekend.