Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 412

August 10, 2014: Dumplings! Dumplings! And more Dumplings!

Guess what we had for lunch today?  Why, yes!  How’d you know?

Let’s rock some dumplings!

Today, Akemi and I headed down to Chinatown for Vancouver’s Golden Dumpling Cook Off, featuring signature dumplings from a variety of local chefs, all in support of The Chinese Elders Community Kitchen.  The purchase of a “golden dumpling passport” got you a dumpling at each of the 20 event participants.  Unfortunately, advance passports sold out weeks ago – BUT 1oo passports were to be made available on a “first come first buy” basis on the day so Akemi and I got there early, well ahead of the noon kick-off.

We joined about two dozen people in line at 11:00 a.m.  By the time the passports went on sale an hour later, there were well over a hundred people waiting.

As we inched along, I kept doing the math in my head.  We were 20th and 21st in line.  If the people ahead of us each got a ticket, there’d be plenty left for us.  Hell, they could buy an average of five tickets each and we’d still be okay.  But more than five…

Fortunately, there were still plenty of passports available by the time we reached the ticket table.  I, of course, purchased two because: a) I wasn’t sharing and, b) I was counting on Akemi being a light eater and passing on the foie gras and truffle dumplings which would mean more for me.

Once we had our passport and chopsticks (which we were instructed not to lose as they were apparently in short supply), we waded into the crowd…

Each stand had its own mini line-up.  After making your way to the front, someone would stamp your passport after which you’d be handed a dumpling.  After a while, to save time, we would simply eat our dumplings while waiting in line for more dumplings.

There were quite a variety of dumplings on display, from obvious Asian influenced entries to Italian, Indian, and Mexican-inspired offerings.

The full line-up:

Ask For Luigi: Chicken Liver Capelletti in Brodo with Pancetta and Sage (Chef Letitia Wan)

Bearfoot Bistro: Duck and Shrimp Dumplings with Lemongrass and Fried Garlic (Chef Jimmy Stewart)

Bambudda: Fried Nest Dumpling, Spot Prawn Mayo, Seaweed Powder (Chef Scott Korzack)

Bestie: Smokey Bison Wonton with Chili Jam and Kohlrabi Slaw (Chef Colin Johnson)

Campagnolo: Ricotta and Kale Gnudi, Local Tomatoes, Ricotta Salata (Chefs Nathan Lowey and Joachim Hayward)

Cibo Trattoria: Braised Pork and Fig Agnoli with Taleggio and Crispy Sage (Chef Faizal Kassam)

Cinara: Pork and Swiss Chard Agnolotti (Chefs Lucas Syme and Gill Book)

Danso: Kimchee Mandoo Dumpling

Gyuu: Pork & Shrimp Dumpling wrapped with Dumpling Wrapper and Tofu Bag (Chef Yuki Ota)

Harvest Community Foods: Pork Ramen in a Dumpling (Chef Hokuto Yamanka)

Homer Street Cafe & Bar: Chicken and Leek Dumpling (Chef Tret Jordan)

La Mezcaleria: Braised Beef Chicharron and Guajillo Chili Sauce Dumpling (Chef Alejandro Cruz)

Maenam: Thai Seafood Dumpling in Southern Style Tumeric Curry (Chef Angus An)

Merchant’s Oyster Bar: Braised Duck and Smoked Plum, House Buttermilk and Shiso Sauce (Chef David Jackman)

Pidgin: Sweet Potato and Chocolate Dumplings (Chef Makoto Ono)

Railtown Cafe: No idea.  Went by twice and they were having trouble getting food out both times so I skipped it.

The Union: Red Curry Duck Lychee Potsticker (Chef Lisa Henderson)

Vij’s: Chicken Samos (Chef Vikram Vij)

Wildebeest: Foie Gras and Duck Dumpling (Chef Wesley Young)

Winner Winner: Coastal Dumplings – Local Crab and Shellfish Parcels with Preserved Duck Egg Yolks and Seasoned Vinegar (Chefs Alain Chow, Chen-Wei Lee, Stanley Yung)

Stuffing wrappers at the Homer St. Cafe stand

Gyuu’s tofu-wrapped dumpling. Tied off with watermelon!

I helped subdue this wild panda until animal control arrived on the scene.

The Union’s red curry duck potsticker.

Wildebeest’s foie gras and duck dumplings.

The culinary team at the Vij’s stand.

Campagnolo’s ricotta and kale gnudi

Bearfoot Bistro’s duck and shrimp dumpling with lemongrass and fried garlic

A crazy amount of dumplings and I managed to sample them all – with the exception of Railtown Cafe that seemed to be having trouble with their steamer. The first time I went by, they had no dumplings on the table and, half an hour later when I went by again – same problem.  Some hits, some misses as well, but my favorite was the entry from Maenam’s Angus An – that ended up winning the event as the crowd favorite.  Second place went to Winner Winner.  La Mezcaleria took third.

A great time was had by all – but especially me since, as expected, I ended up polishing off most of Akemi’s dumplings as well.

May skip dinner tonight.

Tagged: Golden Dumplings

August 9, 2014: My poor girl!

Akemi and I came back from visiting the farmer’s market to find Jelly’s water bowl upended and Jelly splayed out on the wet hardwood floor.  Her head was completely drenched and I suspect she must have done a face plant into the water before losing her balance and falling…and then not being able to get back on account of her arthritic joints and hip dysplasia.  I dried her off and took her out back to see if she was okay.  On the one hand, she is still able to squat/support herself and do her business; on the other hand, she can barely walk.  So, I whisked her off to the local animal hospital where they did an x-ray and discovered her right hip is dislocated.  If she were younger, the vet would recommend surgery but given her advanced age (fifteen and half – which is about 78 in human years) he’s suggested pain management might be the best way to go.  She’s already on Metacam and she was on Tramadol, but the vet suggested we try Gabapentin.

So, we’ll see how that works out but I face a bit of a dilemma here.  If her hip is dislocated, my initial response would be to curtail her walks and save her the pain of putting pressure on the joint.  But if I don’t walk her, I’m afraid her muscles will atrophy.  What to do?

While at the farmer’s market, Akemi and I came across a stand for Beyond Bread (http://beyondbread.ca).  While waiting to be served, someone stepped up – and got served before us.  I waited, impatiently, and then when they had moved on, I started making my order – when the guy redirected his attention to ANOTHER couple.  At that point, I was ready to leave – but Akemi desperately wanted a poppyseed bagel.  Fortunately, another guy – who apparently WASN’T wearing blinders – noticed us standing there and took our order.  Akemi got her bagel and I picked up a couple of amaretti and pistachio-lemon cookies:

Sweet, citrusy, and slightly bitter from the almond…and my customer service experience.

Which reminds me.  I watched Elysium yesterday and, after that experience, have decided to start a Worst Recent Watches movie list.  You’ll find it in the right sidebar under my Top 20 Recent Reads.

August 8, 2014: News of note!

Well, hey – just in time for travel season!  Conde Nast offers up a list of the U.S.’s friendliest – and unfriendliest – cites: http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/06/travel/us-unfriendliest-friendliest-cities/

Charleston and Savannah, two cities I REALLY want to visit, top the “friendliest” list.  On the flip side, I’m reconsidering my travel plans to Newark.

No wonder they had so much in common!  Like DNA for instance: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2718216/Woman-tracks-mother-abandoned-baby-realises-unwittingly-married-BROTHER.html

The feel-good story of the week: http://gawker.com/man-buys-every-pie-at-local-burger-king-to-spite-shitty-1617088150

Bride kindly takes the time to inform acquaintances why they weren’t invited to her wedding: http://jezebel.com/rude-bride-tells-facebook-pals-why-they-arent-invited-t-1618234621

8-bit Matrix c/o Phillip Raupach:

Aquaman: awesome superhero or cold fish? http://www.deadline.com/2014/08/zack-snyder-aquaman-radio-batman-v-superman/  Trick question.  With Jason Momoa playing him, of course he’ll be awesome.

 

August 7, 2014: Seafood! Sumo! And scripts!

Well, my Pescatarian Week was a success.  To those of you who don’t know, pescatarianism is “the practice of following a diet that includes fish or other seafood” (Wikipedia).  I decided to give it a try and, after seven days, I have to say, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be – partly thanks to my inner strength and stalwart determination, partly due to a willingness on my part to seek out and discover interesting recipes, but mostly because I actually ended up eating meat 5 out of those 7 days.  There were surprisingly few fish options at the Japanese food festival so I was forced to eat chicken karaage and a pork cutlet sandwich instead.  That time we went out for sushi I had the pork gyoza starters.  I snacked on the tongue cold cuts I picked up for the dogs the other day.  And the other incidents were accidents.  More or less.  Anyway, all this to say that, after one meatless week, I really do feel healthier and encourage you all to follow in my dietary footsteps.

Wish me luck with Vegetarian Week staring Sunday!

Well, I’m sure you’ll all be pleased to heat I completed a first draft of episode #2 this morning.  Yep, 2 scripts down, 11 to go!  I’ll send it Paul’s way for his official “logic review” and I’ll switch gears and start work on episode #4.  In a best case scenario, I’ll finish that script with plenty of time to complete one more ahead of my Japan trip in September.

Yes, since we’ll be heavy into prep during the time of my usual winter Tokyo trek, I’ve had to move up my trip by a few months.  Sadly, I’ll miss out on the festive Christmas spirit that invariably outdoes it’s comparatively staid North American counterparts, but I WILL be there in time for baseball and sumo season!  Can you imagine actually being there to experience the thrill of a playoff run?  Or catching a Hanshin Tiger foul ball?  Or having a sweaty four hundred pound man stumble onto your lap?

That could be me!

Okay, off to re-read my script.  Tomorrow, I have a scheduled conference call with our Casting Director to discuss…wait for it…casting!  We’ve got seven recurring roles to cast so should be very interesting.

August 6, 2014: Closing in on that first draft! Beware food! Eat cardboard and live longer! (Wait. Now there’s a new study that says cardboard is bad for you too?)

Gratuitous French Bulldog Pic #1

Well, I’m exhausted.  Although I only wrote seven pages today, I also ended up rewriting another twenty.  By the time the dust settled on my laptop this evening, I’d hit the 50 page mark.  All I have to do now is finish off this conversation, completing Act V, then write the tag which will include not one, not two, but THREE surprises.  So when the series finally airs, make sure to wait for those final credits – otherwise, you’ll miss something VERY important.  And then you’ll definitely feel like odd person out at the water cooler Monday morning.

Anyway, I hope to get my writing producing partner, Paul, a first draft by Friday so that I can take a break…from episode #2 by starting the script for 3 episode #4.

We’ve also started talking about potential first season directors – and who will helm our big two-part opener.  Quite a few incredibly talented candidates – some of whom you are no doubt familiar with…

Speaking of chocolate…What?  We weren’t talking about chocolate?  Well, NOW that we’re on the subject: http://www.answers.com/article/1184282/7-scientifically-supported-reasons-to-eat-chocolate-every-day?param4=fb-ca-de-health&param1=null&param2=null&param5=5&param6=6

Uh oh: http://www.businessinsider.com/gluten-sensitivity-and-study-replication-2014-5  Apparently only 1% of Americans suffer from celiac allergy.  And I apparently know ALL of them.

And I needn’t remind you that like red meat animals fats coconut oil eggs coffee gluten (?), sugar is bad for you: http://dailyburn.com/life/health/sugar-bad-for-you-health-effects/?fb_action_ids=10204200568245260&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

My favorite part of this article: “…people who consumed more than a quarter of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die than those who restricted their intake to less than 10 percent of total calories, regardless of age, sex, level of activity and body-mass index.”

To which I reply: “Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence suggests that people who were born face a whopping 100% mortality rate (!) irrespective of age, sex, level of activity and body-mass index.”

Gratuitous French Bulldog Pic #2

August 5, 2014: Top 12 Superheroines in Need of the Big Screen Treatment!

With the news that Sony is fast-tracking a superhoine movie that will hit the big screen before the turn of the decade (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=41823), I thought this would be a good time to weigh in with my suggestions for My Top 11 Superheroines in need of the big screen treatment!  Just in case the studios were wondering…

BATWOMAN

I’ll be honest with you.  I’d sooner watch a movie featuring this fantastic new and improved version of Batwoman than another Batman movie.

BLACK WIDOW

I know.  She’s already received the big screen treatment.  Still, rather than play second banana to Iron Man and the rest of The Avengers, I’d love to see Natasha Romanoff headline her own big screen adventure.  Less alien swarms invading the Earth and more espionage, counter-espionage, and reverse counter-counter-espionage with a twist of lime.

 

DOMINO

Yes, there was a movie called Domino that came out in 2005.  A terrible movie. And a different Domino.  A kick-ass protagonist with a bit of a mean streak to boot.

ELEKTRA

Like Jennifer Garner, let’s forget that other movie never happened and start fresh.

GHOST

Mystery!  Suspense!  Intra-dimensional travel!  And one awesome heroine!

JENNY SPARKS

A great character with a narrative that spans most of the 20th century.  There’s potential here for a dozen movies.  Also, love the accent.

KABUKI

Agent for a super-secret government organization called “The Noh”, operating in near-future Japan.

POWER GIRL

A female superhero to rival Superman!

PROMETHEA

Magic, mysticism, and a provocative and engaging narrative.  If the big screen version could look half as good as the comic, it would be spectacular.

SHE-HULK

Brilliant attorney by day, kick-ass superhero by – er – also day.  As far removed from The Hulk as Spiderman is from Superman.  Number two on this wish list after Batwoman.

SILVER SABLE

Because I have a soft spot for female mercenaries.

WONDER WOMAN

Come on.  This one’s way overdue.

August 4, 2014: News of note!

Screen Rant’s “1 Good Movies with Bad Endings”: http://screenrant.com/good-movies-bad-endings/  Hmmm.  I agree only insofar as some of these movies have bad endings.  But to call them “good” is a bit of a reach.  Maybe 2001: A Space Odyssey – and Sunshine and The Wolverine which I haven’t seen.

Space noise: http://www.thedailyepic.com/nasa-probes-record-sounds-in-space-and-its-terrifying/

See, this is why I don’t golf.  It’s too rough: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/08/04/police-fight-over-golf-rules-sends-2-to-hospital/

Something to try when I’m in Japan: http://deadspin.com/crazy-japanese-sport-is-equal-parts-awesome-and-dangero-1616021904

Author Joel Shepherd is cycling from Maine to DC to raise money for cancer research: http://joelshepherd.com/?page_id=831

Mom punishes daughter by selling her Katy Perry concert tickets on Facebook: http://time.com/3079421/katy-perry-facebook-brat-daughter-ticket/

You know what’s worse for business than a guest writing a bad review?  Threatening to charges guests for writing a bad review and having your policy go viral: http://gawker.com/hotel-threatens-to-charge-guests-500-for-every-negativ-1615977935

Love it!  Artist uses thrift store paintings as canvasses for his truly inspired artwork: http://www.gnarledbranch.com/ReDirectedArt.html

August 3, 2014: Sunday – food with friends!

Today, Akemi and I checked out the Japanese-Canadian Powell Street Festival with our friends Nicole and Lan.  The highlights (most of it food-related, natch)…

The onstage entertainment.

Guy mans the barbecued salmon grill.

Akemi discovers how HOT the udon is.

Nicole and Lan: Let the Eating Games Begin!

The spam sushi – an Okinawan culinary tradition.

Mogu – Akemi’s favorite food truck.

Akemi and Nicole knock back some chicken karate.

My miso katsu (pork cutlet) sandwich.

Akemi cools down with a strawberry shaved ice.

I snap a photo for my blog of Nicole snapping a photo for her tumblr account.

Cosplayers drum up interest in the forthcoming AnimeRevolution con (http://www.animerevolution.ca)

I, of course, have my outfit all planned out.

Assorted stands.

I sample the matcha (green tea) ice-cream macaron sandwich.

I think it glows in the dark!  Not a huge fan of the macaron portion, but the ice cream was great.

My chocolate-covered matcha (green tea) ice cream pop.  “Looks like poopy,”remarked Akemi.

A nice thin chocolate shell covers a surprisingly good green tea ice cream.  Poopylicious!

After the festival, we swung by Nicole and Lan’s place to check out their thriving bee colony.  Sadly, no honey until next summer. :(

 Okay.  Back to that script!

August 2, 2014: The Visitors!

Today, we entertained.  First, my cousin Evelina’s husband and son, Brian and Jake (pictured above on their hogs), stopped by.  They’re apparently on a whirlwind motorcycle tour of Canada, covering the west coast before heading back home to Saskatoon before embarking on the more challenging cross-country leg of their adventure that will take them through Toronto to their ultimate destination: New Brunswick.  After which they’ll just get on their bikes and ride all the way back.

I’m reminded of this:

I am, of course, the character played by Jack Nicholson.

Also in town and dropping by for an impromptu visit was Fondy who, some of you may recall, was once a series regular on this blog.

Anyway, a wonderful time was had by all – especially the dogs and my french bulldog Lulu in particular who ran around, got all sorts of attention, and then spent the afternoon lying in the sun contentedly farting.

You’ll all be pleased to hear that my 5 pages/day pace continues as I wrapped up Act II of episode #2 in spectacular (guns) blazing fashion.  Tomorrow, I tackle the top of Act III where, back on the ship, a certain someone hosts a visitor of her own…

You’ll find out what I’m talking about soon enough.

August 1, 2014: Bookly Matters and Birthday Wishes!

I have a feeling that working on scripts for this new show is really going to put a crimp in my rapid-fire reading pace.  Last year, I read a paltry 65 books.  I was so embarrassed that I set a seemingly lofty goal for myself in 2014: 120 books!  At the time, I figured it would be tight but now, with July officially behind us, I’ve tallied an impressive 107 reads.  Yeah, getting to 120 will be more than doable, even with all the prep and script work, so I’ve decided to raise the bar.  150 books! That’s my new 2014 goal.

In addition to impeding my reading, this new gig has also slowed things down on the writing end – as far as my monthly book reviews for this blog are concerned. I’ve still got to get around to doing write-ups on 11 of the 19 titles I read in June.

In the meantime, you can always check out my right sidebar for my reading recommendations (Listing my Top 20 Recent Reads).

Since we’re on the subject, I thought I’d put in a shout-out for our friend – and fantasy author extraordinaire – Joe Abercrombie and his new book Half A King.  I already mentioned last week, it’s one of his best – incredibly engaging and nearly impossible to put down.  I read the first one hundred pages in one night, then blazed through the final 200+ the following day.

Another friend to this blog – and equally extraordinary in his own right – is long-time editor and first-time author Lou Anders whose YA novel, Frostborn (Thrones & Bones), hits the shelves next week.  It’s perfect for budding young fantasy enthusiasts looking for their first foray into the world of giants, wyverns, and treacherous relatives.

My recent purchases.  Every time I knock a title off my to-read pile, two more take its place.  It’s like my own literary hydra.

Sorry, needed to add this link to a story about a language school blogger who was fired for writing about homophones: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2712312/Language-school-blogger-fired-boss-confuses-homophones-homophobes-accuses-promoting-gay-agenda.html#ixzz39BU4mBQ5

P.S. : Hey, Mark – The novel I mentioned at lunch was Fortune’s Pawn by Rachel Bach.  A great mix of action, adventure and humor with a terrific protagonist in Devi Morris.  My only criticism was the romantic subplot that, at times, undermined our hitherto kick-ass heroine.

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to sis on her birthday:

P.P.S. They were apparently shooting the Grumpy Cat Christmas movie while we are at The Bridge Studios last week.  Alas, no celebrity sighting despite keeping my eye on every vehicle that rolled on and off the lot.  I hear he’s a self-drive.