Archive for August, 2009

During my last trip to Canada, I once again raided different stores as though the Great White North (and its supremely wonderful selection of snacks and candy) would no longer exist.  In addition to my usual favorites, I also purchased two bottles of ice wine.  Since I have so much fun scrounging for the different delicious foods in Canada each time I visit, I thought it was time to document some of my favorite things to get during a trip to the neighbors up north.

So below, I present some of my favorite foods from Canada.  Props to those non-Canadians who know what everything is!

Yes, like the many other hordes of Americans that have recently discovered the dramatic yet intriguing AMC show (AMC?  Really?) I, too, am a Mad Men fan.  Television shows and movies offer a way for people to escape the banalities of life.  Whether it’s glamorizing what’s around us, what has happened in the past, or what will come of the future, shows that earn a big win make you forget about the list of errands on your kitchen table or assignments waiting in your inbox.

Though the interest goes beyond just the superficial draw of how beautiful the sets and costumes are - the most interesting thing about it is how well AMC portrays the advertising agency in its heyday.  In college, I remember reading about an ad agency in Where The Suckers Moon.  It was a long and drawn out account of how ad agencies were vying for Subaru.  In other words, a snorefest.  But, despite the dry and uncreative prose, I always felt that the advertising/public relations/marketing field was interesting because it was so subjective.

A friend of mine commented once that he didn’t understand how somebody could do the job so well - after all, it’s not like numbers where there is a clear black or white answer.  But in watching Mad Men, apart from the intrigue of the drama between the characters in their personal lives, I think the draw of Don Draper is the fact that audiences can tell that he’s really good at his job.  He knows how to say the right thing at the right time, or has that eye for what will snag someone’s attention.  Sure, all of it is scripted so you’re made to feel this way - but props to the writers for doing such a good job.  Fictional or not, it’s always a great deal of fun to watch someone who is immensely talented at his job kick butt and take names.

I was having a chat with some friends about food (of course, what else?) and I realized that many of the people who absolutely adore food have at least some sort of memory or moment where they tried something and it stuck with them forever.  Anthony Bourdain, for example, spoke of the first time he ever tried a raw oyster in his book Kitchen Confidential.  The pure thrill and flavors were forever burned into his memory, and he felt as thought it marked the beginning of his food adventures.

Similarly, I can remember the first time I had a few dishes and desserts that soon became akin to food lust.  Sure, I love my spaghetti-os and frozen pizza just like any other person.  But sometimes, there is just that one food or drink that really made you step back as your palate dances with giddy glee.

So, I decided to write a sort of a “Foodie survey” if you will - but it’s not multiple choice.  Nope — unfortunately, I’m like one of those heinous English teachers that just wrote a test containing (dun dun DUN) SHORT ANSWERS.

Shoot me an email, post a comment, or just give me a holla.  I can’t wait to hear the different experiences people had with food whether it’s good, bad, or nondescript.  Of course, I’m sure some of these questions are not applicable to everybody.  Either way, they were just things I was curious about.

Answer me these questions…six:

1. What was your first memory of tasting foie gras?

2. What was one of your first memories of tasting wine?

3. What was your first memory of eating a raw oyster?

4. What is your favorite dessert, and what was your first memory of eating it?

5. What was your first memory of eating a steak?

6. What is your absolute favorite dish - and your first memory of it?

I’m pretty sure most people do this - or maybe they do it and they don’t admit it.  With the risk of sounding like an absolutely heinous person, I’ll go ahead and say it: yes, I judge actors and actresses on TV and in movies based on their looks.  I’m sure many of us have had this conversation before. Is she hot?  Is he hot?  What is she on the scale of 1-10?  Where would he place?  So on and so forth.

Then there are those times where people talk about the actors and actresses that aren’t so aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but are nonetheless successful at what they do.  But talent and merit aside, what about those extras who have to play the role with in the credits listed as “Fat Cop #1″?

Recently, I’ve given some though to people who play not so favorable roles.  For example, in those crude comedies — how many times has a distinctly ‘ugly’ or ‘unattractive’ person appeared on screen for comedic effect?  I believe I’ve seen movies and even tv commercials where the children must have been intentionally cast due to their pudginess.

This made me wonder something.  Do actors and actresses who play these so called sub-roles and walk-on roles for these films and shows KNOW that they are supposed to be ‘ugly’ or ’stupid’ or ‘funny looking’?  I would assume so - it must be written somewhere.  Let’s assume that, for all practical reasons, casting agents don’t hold back the tact and do outwardly ask for someone to be the “perverted looking scruffy old dude” for the next Will Farrell film.  Even though these are merely fictional roles and hopefully not real perverse old dudes with weird habits - isn’t it rather demeaning to even win a role like that?  How are people okay with being told that they are the best match to play an “obese boozer at bar”?

Then again, I could also see the appeal of it.  Sure, it might not be the most ideal situation if you’re cast to sell hemorrhoid cream because you actually look like the type of person to be afflicted with such a condition.  But at the same time, as with most jobs, you have to slough through the junk in order to even hope to climb a rung of the ladder.

Maybe that is the secret to finding the right job for yourself.  Would you be willing to fulfill the equivalent role of the “Funny Looking person with harelip on Bus” in the credits in your industry’s movie?  Would you be willing to risk the laughter and derision at the sake of your dignity, and do what it takes?  If so, then hold your head high, I say.  Besides, who am I kidding?  If I could be a walk-on role to a multi-million dollar movie I probably wouldn’t mind being cast as the cross-eyed vertically challenged funny looking girl #1.

After all, it’s nice to get credit.

If you’re a bargain travel hunter like me, you’ve probably scoured different sites like sidestep.com or subscribe to newsletters like AirFareWatchDog. Since I usually try to plan my trips ahead in advance, a predictive site like Farecast.com (now Bing Travel) is also a tool in my arsenal when I’m on the price prowl.

In a way, I feel like a crazed stockbroker watching ticket prices go up and down, crossing my fingers and whispering silent prayers to the Digital Airline Gods for a great deal - then I attack the screen silently shouting “BUY BUY BUY!” when the site tells me prices are more than likely about to increase.

Of course, airlines are battling each other in cost cutting wars helps a lot too. It’s interesting to see what happens after places like Southwest announce their cheap-as-it-can-get deals, and watch the flurry of other places follow suit.

A recent bargain that has caught a lot of attention is JetBlue’s All You Can Jet Pass. I remember reading about it and my instinctive reaction was to reach for my mouse and click purchase. Although the pragmatic side of my brain jumped off the couch and stopped this transaction (it’s not like I have the vacation days to afford this), I was quite impressed by this bold and interesting move.

It seems, at least for now, that the campaign worked: passes sold out early. According to the social media site Mashable, “JetBlue officials attribute Twitter with the success saying, ‘Twitter really drove this in so many ways.’ JetBlue’s tweet about the promotion propelled the campaign to go viral. Bryan Baldwin, a JetBlue spokesman, is quoted as saying, ‘Within minutes (of the Tweet), we could see the response start to trickle in…We were just watching the hits come in on Twitter. They were coming in by the dozens. It really got its jumpstart in the social media world.’”

Interesting. Not only was a unique campaign idea instantly viral, but it was viral because of word-of-tweet. On the surface, it seems like a great success. I’m curious about the financial returns for this all you can fly model — but even more interested in seeing what other airlines tweet back.  After all, Virgin America and Google already took to the skies with an interesting Twitter campaign.  Are the other airlines working on something behind the scenes as well?  For their sake, I hope so…and for ours, I hope it includes more great deals.

I’m sure a lot of people already know about this (and if you don’t and you’ve learned this from me…you’re WELCOME) but I’m incredibly, incredibly excited about the upcoming street food festival in San Francisco this Saturday.  I recently went to check out some of the street food offerings on Thursdays during the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building, and it was delicious.

By the way, I highly recommend the Korean Tacos from Namu, which were meaty and wrapped in a thin and crispy layer of nori.  The flavors were fabulous and the saltiness of the nori made it even better!

At any rate, I can’t wait to get my eat on at this event.  I’ve already staked out the food and drink listings - and here are some that are on the top of my list:

• Cheddar-cheese corn nut brittle
• Moroccan “taco”: flatbread with harissa and braised beef cheeks
• Funnel cake with strawberries and cream
• Pupusa Loca
• Lychee-infused iced tea and las palmalitas ranch organic lemonade
• Pav Bhaji; Spicy potato on grilled white buns with crunchy red onions
• Onigilly; Savory Japanese Rice Balls with Either Teriyaki Chicken or Marinated Eggplant
• Ceviche Clasico; Mahi-Mahi served in a lime juice marinade
• Calamantea (Mactan Island iced tea with pineapple and calamansi)
• Local Corn with Homemade Honey Butter

Now my own problem is figuring out how to widen the real estate in my stomach.  YUM!

Sadly, the third frame really hit home for me.

For some reason, I’ve noticed a small but quiet burst of Korean Mexican fusion: kim chi tacos and bulgogi burritos.  There’s John’s Snack and Deli around the San Francisco financial district, and my friend Liz recently posted some pictures of these tasty taco treats from the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market from Namu.  I don’t know about you guys, but if you haven’t had a chance to savor one of these creations you are truly missing out.

Of all the ones I tasted though, I must pay compliments to my friend Christina who made bulgogi tacos that were so good, I think she laced some sort of addictive narcotic within the homemade spices.  Or maybe that’s just her love.  Interchangeable, I say.

For a full write up about the food throw down from someone more thorough and witty, check out Chesternet.org.  Photo credits go to Chester as well!  Sorry Chester, I had to steal.