Saturday, November 29, 2008

Movie: "Bolt"


I saw this movie with my son Michael, and grandchildren Essi and Niepa. Great animation and an appealing story.

My rating: *** (out of 5)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Lunch at Cesar



Today we had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area, Cesar, a tapas bar. We had olives, pimentos de padron, a tuna egg sandwich, brussels sprouts, cauliflower salad, chicken salad, and sangria. Delicious!

Essi Bakes a Pie


On Wednesday, my granddaughter Essi baked a pumpkin pie with minimal supervision from me. This is one of our annual traditions. She did an excellent job, even with crimping the crust. Next year I'll be able to just hand her the recipe and let her go it alone.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Movie: "Man on Wire"


This is a documentary about Philippe Petit, who walked a tightrope between New York's World Trade Center Twin Towers in 1974. There were interviews with the principal participants and recreations of the historical events.

The movie entices you into supporting this dangerous and illegal endeavor even though Petit comes across as a bit of a megalomaniac.

**** (out of 5)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Lunch at Chez Panisse


I treated myself to a wonderful lunch at Chez Panisse today. My son, Michael, had to work, so I went there alone. For a starter I had celery sunchoke soup with turmeric. The entree was pan-fried petrale sole with cabbage, celery root, and caper butter. For dessert I had persimmon pudding with chantilly cream. I can't remember the name of the wine. There were lots of people in the restaurant and I was too self-conscious to take photos of my food. Maybe I'll get bolder after I've been blogging longer.

California


I arrived in San Francisco yesterday and we stopped by Twin Peaks before heading home to Oakland. That's me and my granddaughter, Essi. Then off to a birthday party for a 4-year-old at a sports park. What energy!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

French Bistro Cooking Class











Today I took a class in French Bistro cooking at Schoolcraft college, with my friend Dolores.

The first course was potato mushroom soup with fresh sage. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo.

This was followed by a tart of shrimp, oyster mushrooms and watercress.

Then we had a small filet topped with cafe de Paris butter.

Dessert was frozen Grand Marnier souffle.

The food was delicious. Even though the recipes were fairly complex, I expect to cook some of these dishes in the future.

DVD: "The Chorus" (in French)

A new teacher at a strict reform school for boys teaches them to sing. It stretches the imagination to believe that choral singing can cause a child to totally change his life. However, the music was good and the movie was appealing despite the sentimentality.

My rating: *** (out of 5)

Monday, November 17, 2008

On the Needles: Cabled Socks



Pattern by sock maven Lynne
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
Color: Manzanita
Size 0 needles

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Yarn Shop Hop - Stimulating the Economy


Today 5 local yarn shops had a "shop hop." If you visited at least 4 shops and spent at least $10 per shop, you got a chance to win a $50 gift certificate. Fortunately, I didn't go too crazy. Now, pardon me, please. I have some yarn to wind with my new yarn winder.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Homemade Applesauce



Several weeks ago at knit night, Lynne told me she had been making applesauce. I remembered my mother making applesauce when I was very young, but had never done it myself and didn't own a food mill. Lynne had an extra food mill, and yesterday she gave it to me. This morning I made applesauce using a Martha Stewart recipe. The only modification is that I added some lemon zest with the lemon juice. It turned out great! I'll definitely be making more.

Obama Sock Patterns!


I love to wear hand knitted socks. However, I don't particularly love knitting them. Nevertheless, when I made a contribution to the Obama campaign through Knitters for Obama, I bought a chance on a set of Lynne's sock patterns. And, guess what? I won! I got them directly from Lynne last night (she attends my knit night). I probably won't be casting on soon, because I already have another pair of socks on the needles.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Book: "The English Major" by Jim Harrison


This was a quick, enjoyable read by one of my favorite authors. Cliff, in his sixties, taught high school for 10 years, then spent 25 years farming in northern Michigan on his wife's family farm. When the wife divorces him and sells the farm he goes on a road trip where he meets up with one of his former students, sexually voracious but mentally unstable Marybelle. He embarks on a project to rename the states after the Indian tribes who had inhabited them, and to rename the state birds.

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Finished Object - Essi's Pulli


Pattern: Kid's Top-down Raglan by Gail Tanquary
Yarn: Shepherd's Wool from Stonehedge Fiber Mill
Color: Ivy

Monday, November 10, 2008

Lunch at Zinc


After French class today, we went to Zinc for lunch. I had a crispy calamari salad. Delicious!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Movie: " Happy Go Lucky"


British director Mike Leigh's movies tend to be black comedies (You're never more than 30 feet away from a rat in London) or bleak social realism dramas (Vera Drake). This movie is about Poppy, an eternally (and sometimes irritatingly) cheerful elementary school teacher, who thinks she can make everything better. Of course she can't. The British dialect was difficult to follow at times.

My rating: ** (out of 5)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Thai Cooking Class


I took a Thai cooking class this evening. We made chicken pad Thai, Gang Gai (coconut curry) chicken, cucumbers in Thai cucumber sauce, and Pad Prik (green beans in brown sauce). I forgot to take photos while at the class, but got this photo of my take out box at home. Delicious!

Book: "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Petterson


This highly acclaimed book moves back and forth between the summer of 1948 and 1999. Trond spends the summer of 1948 with his father in a remote area of Norway near the Swedish border. He and his friend Jon ride a neighbor's horses without permission, referring to this prank as "stealing horses." During the summer Trond discovers several secrets about his father. He also takes some tentative steps toward adult responsibilities. At the end of the summer, his father sends him home to Oslo. The father later sends a letter to the family announcing that he will not be returning to them.

In 1999 Trond, now divorced, has moved to another remote area of Norway without notifying his two children. He encounters Jon's younger brother and this meeting evokes memories of the earlier summer.

My rating: **** (out of 5)

Monday, November 3, 2008

Cider Mill




On Mondays I take a French class in Bloomfield Hills. For the last few weeks I've been stopping at Franklin Cider Mill, established 1832, to buy some of their unpasturized cider.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

More Fall Color


Question: When does a photo taken looking up from beneath a tree become a cliche?

Answer: It was a cliche before the first photo I took. This one is in our side yard.

Knitting Progress: Essi's Pulli


Tina, from Knit Night, has a knitting gathering on the first Saturday of every month. Today I worked on Essi's pulli, finishing the second sleeve and doing about 2 inches of the body below the sleeves. I'm quite happy with how this is turning out.