Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 127

June 11, 2022: Decide the fate of my linkedin account!

Yes, it’s true.  I’m putting it to a vote.  Do I delete or keep my linkedin profile?  Its fate rests in your hands!

Delete Linkedin? Yes/No

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 11, 2022

Seriously, just say you don’t want to hang out instead of coming up with lame dietary excuses.

Guess who’s making plum wine?

Apparently, we have to wait three months to drink it.  THREE MONTHS!!!

Hopefully it turns out as good as the limoncello Akemi made last year…

Recipe here!

So what types of boozy concoctions do you get up to in your respective parts?  Do tell.

Today’s Yes/No…

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Rolls? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/YFF4GGR2qq

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 11, 2022

 

 

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June 10, 2022: Out and About!

Akemi had a hankering for pasta so, today, we ended up making the trek to Famiglia Baldassarre for lunch.  Our timing was off and we ended up arriving a half hour before open – which was just as well since a line had already started to form.  So we killed time chatting with the couple behind us and eventually ended up sharing a table with them.

The place serves lunch from noon until 2:00, or until they run out of pasta (which is often before 2:00).  The menu changes daily, but there are only two pasta options on the day.  Today, it was tagliatelle (with butter and morels or tomato sauce base) or ravioli (butter and pecorino or tomato sauce).

I went with the morel mushroom tagliatelle while Akemi went with the tomato sauce.  They were both terrific.  I preferred mine and, of course, she preferred hers, but my favorite is still their sans rigi rigatoni (the toni) because I love that al dente bite you don’t really get with tagliatelle.

On this trip, I decided to forego the appetizer in favor of a third plate of pasta: the ravioli.  Also great

For dessert, we ended up taking a walk down to an ice cream shop called Ruru Baked.

There are other offerings in addition to ice cream and, on this trip, we tried the Hawaiian butter mochi – which reminded Akemi of the mochi she used to eat as a kid.

And, since we WERE visiting an ice cream shop, we picked up some ice cream as well – a double scoop of horlicks and everything chocolate.  Also good…but, boy, it’s tough to be boozy ice cream.

We then ended up walking him.  It took us two hours.  And now my feet hurt.  You’re up to date!

Completed a killer pitch for the big screen adaptation of that game yesterday, then spent a good chunk of this afternoon running through it.  Action, adventure, heart, humor, twists, turns, and a terrific redemption arc.  It’s so good that the only way they pass is if they’re forced to hire a mobster’s son to write it.

Today’s Yes/No…

Pork Floss Sweets? Yes/No
We eat “pork floss sweets” that confuse our senses, stimulate our minds【Taste test】 https://t.co/9MrMMfmtdh via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 10, 2022

 

 

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June 9, 2022: Meanwhile, on the home front!

The mundanities of home life…

Chocolate tasting…but Akemi has the better palate…

Smoked gouda!

Today’s Yes/No…

Sweet Tea Ice Cream? Yes/No
McAlister's Deli is serving up sweet tea ice cream this summer https://t.co/cvCtMhAOkh

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 9, 2022

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June 8, 2022: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Barbarella #10 – cover art by Celina

Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy #6 – cover art by Shannon Maer

Thor #26 – cover art by Taurin Clarke

Venom #8 – cover art by In-Hyuk Lee

Aquaman: Andromeda #1 – cover art by Christian Ward

Batman #124 – cover art by Garbriele Dell’otto

Dark Crisis #1 – cover art by Mahmud A. Asrar

Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #1 – cover art by Jae Lee

Rai – cover art by Jae Lee

The Flexible The Art of Yo Shimizu – cover art by Yo Shimizu

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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Top 10 Kpop Songs of May, 2022!

Top 10 Kpop Songs of May, 2022
9. Wish You Were Here – #Luminous #루미너스
Another pleasant surprise was this song from a fairly young group now firmly on my radar. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/qG6p3yOBRZ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 7, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of May, 2022
7. Upside Down – #KangDaniel #강다니엘
Consistently great and one of my favorite male soloists. Not surprisingly, Yellow was also one of my favorite albums of 2021. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/5BpMlwtg9G

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 7, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of May, 2022
5. Paradigm – #SONJINWOOK #손진욱
Wow. The pipes on this guy! #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/HruS3SfOyn

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 7, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of May, 2022
3. 2020 March – #2Z #tuzi #2Zband #투지
Name me a K-group that rocks harder. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/d8lGFFsBCV

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 7, 2022

Top 10 Kpop Songs of May, 2022
1. Venom – #BVNDIT #밴디트
This one blew the doors off my spotify playlist. A year-end Top 10 finisher for sure. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/DYuaRrPTbE

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 7, 2022

Honorable mentions: Acacia by Yezi, Good Boy Gone Bad by TXT, and Rocky by ATEEZ .

@HippyNinjaSimmy with her KpopTop10 https://twitter.com/HippyNinjaSimmy/status/1533860694105509888…@TVWatchtower with her ranking https://twitter.com/TVWatchtower/status/1533891047968804864…@CarrieCnh12 with her list: https://twitter.com/CarrieCnh12/status/1534247191300169731So, which were YOUR favorites?

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June 6, 2022: Meanwhile, on the home front!

Taste-testing vegan birthday cake!

Taste-testing mango-chili chocolate!

Today’s Yes/No…

Shitake Snacks? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/NsurMlp3vU?

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 6, 2022

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June 5, 2022: Suji Sunday!

Samurai Suji.

Samurai Suji with a touch of Ninja.

Channeling her shinigami.

Cool cool cool.

Sunny day stroll.

Flower Power!

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Top 10 Most Unusual Foods I Have Eaten!

And by unusual, I mean unusual to me at the time they were first sampled.  Today, I don’t find most of them unusual at all.

Well.  Most of them.

10) Beef Tendon

This one was an usual one for me to wrap my head around at first.  No meat.  Just the tendon?  I’ll have to admit, I wasn’t convinced the first time I tried it but, on subsequent outings, the dish has grown on me – at first as an accompaniment to beef, and now a favorite all on its own.  Served with a side of white rice – delicious!

Recommended?  Yes!

9) Snake Soup

I have always considered myself an adventurous eater, so when the opportunity presented itself to try some snake soup at the Hong Kong airport enroute to Tokyo, I thought “Why not?”.  The verdict?  I found it unremarkable.  More notable, however, was the ensuing week of gastrointestinal distress that saw me shed 15 lbs, inadvertently allowing me to stumble upon what I would later coin The Snake Soup Diet!

Recommended?  Hell, no!

8) Alligator

I first tried alligator at a  cajun restaurant in Montreal back in college days.  I found it an uninspired dish that would be best described as as a cross between overcooked veal and frog.

Recommended?  Nope.

7) Frog’s Legs

Less chewy than alligator, but more fishy-tasting.

Recommended?  Also no.

6) Fugu

The first time I tried fugu was on one of my first trips to Japan when I was served it, sashimi style, as a part of an omakase (chef’s choice menu) meal at a high-end restaurant in Tokyo.  I was, admittedly leery.  We all remember that episode of The Simpsons, right?  The fish is deadly and can only be prepared and served by trained masters.  A misstep could mean certain death for the diner.  I have since learned that most fugu in Japan is now farmed and toxin-free – although some high-end restaurants still kick it old school.  I suspect my experience was the latter.  Although Akemi loves fugu, I found it neutral in flavor.

Recommended?  Not really.

5) Haggis

Sheep stomach stuffed with offal, oatmeal, onions and spices.  What’s not to like?  Well…  I picked up a haggis out of curiosity back in Vancouver and looked up preparation methods.  Most were incredibly unappealing, but I happened on one that involved roasting the haggis and serving it with a butter-whiskey sauce.  When I mentioned this to actor Robert Carlyle, he briefly looked like he was going to throttle me – before politely and calmly informing me that boiling is the proper preparation.

Recommended?  No.

4) Chicken Feet

It’s all skin and bone and, to be honest, cartilage.  But the sauce really puts it over the top.

Recommended?  Depending on the preparation, a cautious yes.

3) Lamb’s Brains

I came home from school one day to discover my visiting roasting up some lamb brains in the oven.  Seasoned with oil, garlic, salt and black pepper, they smelled delicious.  But had an off-putting coppery taste.

Recommend?  Afraid not.

2) Sweetbreads

A.k.a. thymus gland.  It has a bit of a brain-like appearance and, in that respect, is instantly off-putting – BUT is surprisingly delicious served bacon-wrapped, fried, or pan-roasted with garlic and thyme.

Recommended?  Yes.

1) Century Eggs.

A terrific accompaniment to most any congee, but I find a little goes a long way.  A deeper dive into their preparation methods has somewhat dampened my enthusiasm.

Recommended?  Yes.  Occasionally.  In congee.

And one for good luck) Shirako

On my first trip to Tokyo, I enjoyed a soup at the Hyatt in Shinjuku that contained some unusual dumplings – slightly sweet and very creamy.  When I asked the waitress about them, she informed me I was eating milt.  I asked her for the English translation and she told me that milt was the English translation.  It wasn’t until I got back to my hotel room that I was able to google it and learn milt is cod sperm.  I’ve since been served it steamed (not recommended) and tempura’d (high recommended).

Recommended?   Yes.

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June 3, 2022: Meanwhile on the home front…

Discovering a new snack…

Discovering a variation on a new snack…

Today’s Yes/No…

Honey Cornbread with Strawberry Jam Ice Cream? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/EpD0PSMyOA

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 3, 2022

I mean – come on.  Why is there a “G” in G-Idle if you’re not even going to acknowledge it?

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June 2, 2022: Let’s see how it goes!

Today’s zoom call about that video game feature adaptation went well.  I’ve got 2-3 weeks to come up with a killer take that will blow their socks off.  I could probably do it in 1, but I don’t want to seem overly eager.  There’s a lot of world and a lot of story to cover in a single movie, but you can do it with: 1) a concise focus and 2) a character-driven narrative with heart and humor that pays tribute to the source material.  I know, I know.  Respect the source material?  How positively antiquated of you, Joe – especially in an era where adaptations are often so far removed from the I.P. that you’d swear the writers never even watched/read/played the original.  But let’s see how it goes.

The future looks increasingly less promising as time wears on…

Seeking bogus babysitter to watch over imaginary baby. Paying $15 bullshit dollars/hour.
We'll have 'virtual' babies within 50 years, AI expert predicts https://t.co/kKLUNZhLj3 via @nypost

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 2, 2022

I’m going to need a top up before I tackle the next draft…

"- scientists found that certain genes could be used to elicit the same response without extracting brain fluid from younger mice."
All things being equal, I think I'm going to go ahead with brain fluid from youngsters just to be on the safe side.https://t.co/dy01KMs7RN

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 2, 2022

In the event you’re going in for surgery shortly…

Substitute the antibiotics for Glen Moray!
Older boozers recover FASTER from surgery than teetotallers, study reveals https://t.co/RRnMkAhYFQ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 2, 2022

Good boy! https://t.co/wMxrzN6NH0

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 2, 2022

And today’s Yes/No…

Cold Brew Margarita? Yes/No
Tequila comes to Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo with exclusive collaboration drinks https://t.co/TsNltKQfgA via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) June 2, 2022

 

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