Volcanic Disruptions

There is a saying that when we make plans, God is somewhere laughing at us. This is proven true every time there is a natural disaster, and most recently with the eruption of the Eyjafjalljoekull volcano in Iceland. In the past, I’ve always been slightly removed from these disasters, from the earthquakes in Haiti, China, Chile, tsunami in Thailand, mudslide in Uganda, various hurricanes in New Orleans and throughout the Caribbean, among other deadly natural disasters. But the volcanic ash that is spreading across Europe may just put a major crimp in my travel plans. I really can’t, in good conscience, gripe about this though or about any issue where safety is the main concern.

After spending copious numbers of hours planning my next adventure, booking a flight, finding a hotel, planning activities, and packing, I now have to face the fact that I may (just maybe) have to settle for a stay-cation as time continues to creep closer with little change in the situation. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the updates of airports closing and re-opening across Europe and chances are good that I may get to my destination, but slightly later than I need to be there (I always knew my habit of cutting things close would one day come back to bite me). But a change to vacation plans isn’t the worst that can happen right? There are thousands of people who are stuck in foreign countries where they don’t speak the language, are low on funds having come to the end of their vacations, are lacking the medicine they need to survive, or those who spent days traveling by cars, trains, ferry— any way they could— just so they could make it home. There are cash-poor nations whose very survival depends on the goods they are able to export to Europe and small farmers who have to watch helpless as their livelihood go to waste. Although, I do think it’s right that the European transport ministers are erring on the side of caution, despite the frustrations that it incites in many. Again, better safe than sorry!

Cooking Joy

I’ve been bad. I’ve cooked once in the past few weeks. Not good for someone who’s trying to get better at cooking. Still, my cooking excitement continues! These days I even get excited when I go shopping for cooking utensils and other home essentials. I spent an inordinate amount of time picking out a saute pan and I even salivated over a stainless steel set that I thought would fit in perfectly with my imaginary dream home. What’s gotten over me? I’m feeling a bit…domesticated. Hmm.

I’ve toyed around with the idea of signing up for a series of cooking classes. The ones that most interested me were the series on Asian Cooking and the Essential Cooking series at the Institute of Culinary Education . Why these two? Well, I count Asian food, particularly Thai, among my top 3 favorite types of food to eat (the other two are Caribbean and Italian). I often find myself ordering from my favorite Thai restaurant on average of once a week, pretty frequent for me. But then I decided that I could learn as much as I would in a classroom through true experimentation in my own kitchen. Why not make use of the cookbooks laying around my apartment? I mean, how bad could it be? I try it, it's either good or it's not. I'll still eat it. So, the cooking classes are on still on hold. For now, I’m still experimenting with seasonings (more to come on this). Happy eating!

Waving Bye to "Ugly Betty"

If you plan to watch any of the episodes of the last season of ABC’s “Ugly Betty”, read no further. For everyone else, Betty has come full circle from her time as a geeky, fashion-challenged assistant at Mode to her posh London gig as a stylish editor in need of her own assistant. Who but Betty would have employers find her and offer her once-in-a-lifetime opportunities when she wasn’t even looking for a job? Unbelievable aspects aside, and although I was prepared for this moment after having to scramble around to find the showings each week, I am sad to see it go. But really, where else could they go with the storyline? Betty was completely transformed and moving on to a different phase in her life. A completely different show. The end. I’m sad that so many loose ends had to be tied up in one episode thereby leaving little room for the over-dramatizations that the show is known for. But I’m not sad that most everyone seems to have their own version of a happy ending, trite though some of them may seem. Mark is back to dating his stalker, Amanda finally found her dad, Justin is happily out of the closet, and Hilda has the family she’s always wanted and is moving to Manhattan (for a die-hard Queens girl like Hilda, did not see that one coming. And how did they find a reasonably priced home in such an overpriced city?) That’s all well and good but Wilhemena Slater being nice! Just for the sake of it, with no agenda? Unbelievable, but less so than Daniel thinking he’s in love with Betty, enough to give up his lucrative position and follow her to London. Since when do people give up positions that were handed to them on silver platters? So he has a conscience, I’m fine with that. But there is something so surreal about the fact that all is right in everyone’s life. No drama whatsoever! Anti-climatic. If only true life were that neat and tidy (we'd all be bored). Still, “Ugly Betty” will be missed by this blogger.

Glee - OK

So, Glee (season 2) premiered on Fox last night and it was just okay for me. A little pitch problem (Randy Jackson voice). Okay, just kidding but it really wasn’t as good as I remembered it being from last season. As a general rule, I will watch almost anything that involves some singing (a la Broadway) but with last season’s success I’ve come to expect a bit more from Glee. So why wasn’t I thrilled? I can’t quite put my finger on it. I do remember thinking that the ‘New Directions dude’ did not blow me away with his singing (after that lead-in about his legendary status) but I did like the harmony between his and Rachel’s voice (or maybe I just love duets). Also, Rachel was a bit much with the drama queen bit. And, the whole feeling of betrayal on the part of the choir when Rachel finally got a boyfriend, well, a bit of an overreaction no? Although, it is pretty plain to see that things will not end well for Ms. Drama Queen in that regard- a good enough reason to keep watching. I liked the idea of building a theme around a single word, hello (kinda clever if you think about the fact that it’s the first episode after a long break), and I loved the cameo by Idina Menzel (I still think that she is Rachel’s doppleganger) and I can’t wait to hear her bust one out! So my verdict, Glee got off to an okay start with some potentially interesting story lines and room for improvement. I’ll keep watching.

"Window Seat" Parodies

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last couple weeks, you've heard about Eryka Badu's controversial new video to her latest track, "Window Seat". While pleasantly entertaining, there's nothing particularly special about the beat or the lyrics (for me) but the fact that Ms. Badu strips completely naked while walking down a public street in Dallas has made people stop and think, and question. People seem to fall into two different schools of thought: those who find the video empowering in the message that it sends and those who believe that Ms. Badu is an attention-seeking sex-fiend. And, a bad example for her children. Frankly, I did wonder about the fact that there was a kid or two on the street as Ms. Badu was filming but I don't see much difference between what she did and what the band Matt & Kim (who inspired Ms. Badu's video) did in the over-populated Times Square in New York a few years ago. They certainly caught people's attention, like Ms. Badu did, but I don't recall them catching as much of the backlash. Double standard? I think so! Regardless, i'm not here to discuss whether Ms. Badu is right or wrong but to share this and this, two parodies of "Window Seat". You knew the parodies would follow, right? Enjoy!

Double Down: Here's to Your Health!

With construction for a new KFC currently underway in my neighborhood, I have a bit of interest in the goings on of this fast food chain. This bit of news that I’m about to share with you is slightly old but still timely. Apparently, KFC is premiering a new bun-less sandwich on April 12th called the double down (see images here). Now a bun-less sandwich sounds healthy, right? After all, you're cutting out the waist-busting carbs. Not this sandwich, never mind the grilled option. I love bacon but slapping a few pieces of pork and cheese between two pieces of fried/grilled chicken breast does not a sandwich make! This combo cannot be good for anyone! From where I stand, it seems like the double down (specifically the fried option) was especially designed to clog the arteries and induce a heart attack. And it’s true what they say, you are what you eat. Beware of the double down!

I feel queasy just thinking about this sandwich. Does this sound appetizing to anyone?

Enough is Enough, Steve!

Why does it seem that every time I turn around, Steve Harvey has some money-making scheme he’s trying to push to his readers. He’s pushed his clothing line, his comedy shows, award show, mentoring programs, various website, and his relationship book. Next up is a gala (according to him, it’s not for everyone) and a dating site (which I refuse to name here). The one thing that all these things have in common is that they require you to come up out your pocket to support Steve. I listen to the Steve Harvey Morning Show on a regular basis but I’m really starting to get disgusted by his endless greed. I know a few people who have stopped listening to the show for this very reason. Instead of always asking your listeners to give you their hard-earned money, why don’t you focus on making your comedy shows funny for a change?

Cooking 101

Cooking and baking are recent and developing hobbies of mine and I will be writing more about my attempts to perfect a dish and about other topics related to cooking. I will also be sharing flavorful recipes in upcoming posts. But first, you ought to know a little about my cooking history.

I once baked a pan of chicken legs and thighs that was completely flavorless. They were coated in some kind of green concoction that my mother liked to mix up and that I mistook for seasoning. Not the case at all! It could have been a colossal waste but bless my dear brother, he can eat anything. The rest of us couldn’t choke down more than one or two pieces but he didn’t let anything go to waste. In hindsight, this memory from my teenage years characterizes a lot of my cooking attempts to date: the best of intentions marred by mishaps.

During my teenage years, my mother would call me to sit in the kitchen while she prepared dinner. I wasn’t an active participant during these times, merely an observer. I think my mother believed that by having me watch her, I would pick up on the steps that she took to prepare meals. And while I did learn how to make some very basic dishes, I consider the overall experience a failure. I learn best by doing and frankly, I just wasn’t all that interested in learning how to cook at that time (especially since it took me away from my precious books). So, it’s ironic that I now wish that I had paid closer attention and asked a lot of questions then. Yet, on the other hand, I am having so much fun trying out different recipes, experimenting with seasoning and developing different flavor palates now that I can’t begrudge the effort it took to get me to this point. Lately, I set out to cook a dish not knowing which seasonings I would add to it and what flavors I could cull out of it. I leave myself open for surprises and I am satisfied if it’s at least edible. But on those occasions when everything comes together, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. Happy cooking!