I’m sure you’ve heard it. ” Sorry, I can’t attend your function. I have stuff to do.” Or perhaps, “I’m not in a good place cause I’m dealing with some bad stuff!” I The overuse of the word is so flimsy as to defy translation when you hear it. It so non-specific! Have you heard these:

“Family stuff is driving me crazy!”
“Work stuff is keeping me from taking a day off.”
“Hey, I can’t deal with your stuff cause I got my own stuff to deal with!”
“Why are you always throwing stuff up in my face?”
“If I didn’t have so much stuff on my plate, maybe I could get some other stuff done.”

Either tell me what stuff you are talking about or use something a bit more specific. Oh well, come to think of it, I’m not really interested in your stuff!

In the beginning is was all well and good. Lucy and Desi or Burns and Allen were great. I’m thinking this silly sitcom disconnect started around 1985 with Moonlighting with Cybil Sheppard and Bruce Willis (probably the last time he had hair) hit the tube with a cute little mystery sitcom. It was a great program and took American television by storm. They keep us on the edge of our seats week after week mainly trying to figure out whether they would hook up or not. Every since then it seems like every other sitcom uses this device of NOT having the romantic couple to get together. Think about it…Ross and Rachel took forever to finally get their act together. I’ll challenge you to find one romantic sitcom where the couple got together within 4 episodes. Can’t find one can you?

In real life that would be soooo unrealistic. If it took that long to hook up with the object of your affection, it would drive you to frustration. The only good thing would that the birth rate would drop. Why we continue to let the networks lead us around by the nose using this device is beyond me so we still torture ourselves wonder “will they or won’t they”! Please stop, I beg you.

Of my favorite programs, Chuck, Burn Notice or Leverage, they all have the same problem. These couples just can’t seem to get it together. All of these seemingly intelligent people have no romantic skills whatsoever and the network want us to believe this is real life. Bull. Chuck and Sarah should hookup and become kickass spies! Or Michael and Fiona can spend more time blowing stuff up if they didn’t have the romance barrier in front of them…although I’d tread carefully around Fiona since she is so good with explosives and large guns. And don’t get me started on Sophie and Nate of Leverage. Watching them fence week after week makes me want to tear my eyeballs out. All the guys need to grow a set or the women need to move on. Frankly I lose interest after a few weeks and it becomes as annoying as watching commercials…both are unavoidable.

I realize however, that the nature of television being what it is, they will use any device to keep us glued to the TV set week after week. I just wish they would try a different approach. It sometimes painful watching seemly intelligent men fumble their way around equally clueless women. Stop it, I say. Just stop it!

In my family the love of cooking has been handed down from both my parents and grandparents. Meals with the family were mostly a great occasion and remain that way even today. My mom never made cooking look like a chore and she seem to share that duty equally with my dad who had been a cook on a ship during World War II. You’d think cooking under those circumstances would make you swear off being in the kitchen forever. But no, he seemed to loved to cook for the family and friends that dropped by our home…the more the better. He even managed to invent dishes during lean times with cheaper cuts of meat and home-grown veggies.

My mom on the other hand, is a artist in the kitchen and made it look easy. If you ever came to her New Year celebration you’d understand why. She picked up her skills from her mother…my grandmother. I spent one glorious summer with, running around her country home, barefoot and dirty. I watched my grandmother kill her chickens fresh, pick her own vegetables and send me out to pick berries growing along the back roads of North Carolina. She made biscuits and pies with no visible recipes that I could see. All of them encouraged any talents we had in the kitchen. I even remember developing a recipe for the Betty Crocker BakeOff when I was 12! Cherry donuts. I’m not sure whether they were good or not…but I was encouraged by the dream of them tasting good and in the process winning the $10,000 prize.

So why do so many people hate cooking? I understand that a lot of people never had a family mentor who passed along the joys of cooking without making it look like a chore. After talking to different people (even people that I have taught to cook) I think the answer is simple…fear! Make no mistake, cooking can be work. But the theraputic value far outweighs the work factor in my opinion. More importantly, the fear of failure could be a debilitating factor. If someone doesn’t like something that you’ve cooked, most people treat it as a huge failure and refuse to try again. Instead, tryusing the failure as a teaching tool.

I love to try new things in the kitchen, to innovate. Its not always successful but I keep trying. A few weeks ago I tried an idea I had involving the use of wanton wrappers and a filling. Sort of a shortcut to making a ravioli. So I made a chicken and sausage filling and used pre-made wonton wrappers in place of the homemade pasta I usually make. Everything was fine until I placed them into boiling water, where they promptly fell apart and turned mushy. And with the pasta sauce I made they quickly because a disaster. Wanton wrappers are way too thin. I mentioned to Hannamari that they hadn’t come out like I had wanted. But the real test came when our good friend Yee came over. My friend will eat almost anything and in huge amounts for her 90lb frame. But she took one bite and honestly said what I already knew, “I can’t eat these!” This from a women that had never turned down a meal. I laughed and we all headed out to eat. My feelings were not hurt and I learned a good lesson about wanton wrapper. In fact I found a whole new use for them based on my failure. I’ll give you that recipe in another post.

The point here is that I was not afraid to fail. Everyone fails but it can become not only a good motivator but a nice memory…like my friends honesty about my faux-ravioli. Or the fact that some years ago my mom made me my favorite cake as birthday present…pineapple upside down cake. Only she used “baking soda” instead of baking powder. What can you do? I ate the cake and to this day we both have a great laugh when we think about it. On of my greatest family memories is my oldest sisters first try at making biscuits…a total failure…which precipitated the one and only food fight we ever had during a family dinner. And it was started by my Dad who threw one of the aforementioned biscuits against the dining room wall and proclaimed that those biscuit could be used as weapons! It was totally fun and my sister learned from it, because her second batch were totally sublime. To this day she remains one of my favorite cooks and I look forward to the time we can share the kitchen.

So the the next time you are afraid of cooking, try to make a few memories and discover the joy of cooking. Find someone that you like and have them join you or you join them in making a meal. Everyone loves to eat. but cooking is more fun and the memories are better.

I’m actually stunned by the hold incident and begin to wonder about the subject of human intelligence (or lack thereof). Like you I get these emails or ads that ask you to take IQ Test or on Social sites, the ones that say “So and So took the IQ test which was 160…whats your?” I have avoided these test…mainly because I hate being pigeonholed. Plus they really are not a good indication of being “smart”. As the above example shows, intelligence doesn’t mean you are smart.

This got me to thinking about collapse of the world. Most people agree that the cockroaches would probably be the main survivors. But how about humans. Can human intelligence save us? Doubtful, since human intelligence got us in this pickle in the first place. Which is sad. We go around from day to day flaunting our so-call intelligence. I’m sure you been a party to hazing of some people that don’t seem to have a clue. If not you’ve laughed at movies or sitcoms ensemble cast where one of the member is some hick from the backwoods or farmland. And just like everything else we are brainwashed to believe this person lacks intelligence just because they talk funny or not from the centers of intelligent discourse. So consider this. We are so fond of hearing that most of us are one paycheck away from poverty. How about being one disaster away from being placed back into the stone age. Yep, if you are one of those that take a simple thing like electricity for granted, what would happen if it was suddenly discountinued? No phone, computers, no TV, no gas for your car cause the pumps run on electricity, no refrigerator, no stoves and no food because the trucks that bring your food to the market can’t get the gas it need. And in all this chaos who survives? You guessed it (providing you are intelligent enough to figure it out). its the hick farmer that we turned our noses up as being unintelligent or stupid…and of course his wife and his kids Kids (I might add) that were allowed to play in the dirt and pick up branches from trees and who are not allergic to anything!

Food for thought…food for though! But wash your hands first, please.

In Japan, Ramen is a big deal and in some areas a VERY BIG DEAL. Its a bit like the hamburger competition here in the States. Some of you will probably point to the movie Ramen Girl as being what ramen is. Actually truth is stranger then fiction…but its pretty close for a Hollywood movie. Ramen shops are Japan’s Fast food…sometimes even beating out sushi eateries, especially if one has a taste for something hot. As to the origin of ramen, that debate rages on…the Chinese say they invented it and of course both the Korean’s and the Japanese say the same. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle.

So what is ramen? Thats pretty tough to answer since regional recipes differ, but it is acknowledged that there are three main components to ramen. 1. The Broth: Generally a flavored stock made with fish, vegetable or meat (chicken or beef but rarely pork). Nearly every ramen shop or home I’ve been in makes it to different taste. A lot of chefs say that if you don’t have a great broth, then you have a bad ramen experience. 2. The Noodles: There are some of the more diehard ramen chefs that make their own noodle. But for a lot it is quite a time intensive undertaking and they prefer to get them from places that specialized in noodle making. Two types of noodle are used for ramen…flour or egg based. Rice noodle are rarely used since they won’t soak up the flavors of the broth as well as the former. There is a competitive nature to the type of noodles used, but not as bad as the broth wars. 3. The Filling: This could be a combination of fresh vegetables, meat or seafood and, very rarely, firm tofu. The combination of filling are endless and are only dictated by one’s own personal taste. I once went with a party of 12 to a ramen shop and everyone had something different. Having an endless choice of flavor combinations is what makes ramen a perfect meal for any family where everyones tastes vary.

Here in the US, things like Top Ramen are a big hit in Colleges filled with student with barely enough change to buy a few cups or perhaps a harried office worker tired of spending large sums for bland lunches. I fear however that many here don’t go far enough to really have a “ramen” experience. So here are a few tips to make it better and give you a nicer experience.

Make your own broth and store it. You can get pre-made broth at any market…chicken, beef or vegetable. I buy a couple and add my own spices until there is something I like. I add things like basel, crushed peppers, garlic, onions, fresh ginger and a host of other spices. I even add wine, or liquids like lemon juice, sesame oil, or soy sauce. Once you get it to your liking its pretty easy to cool it down and store until the next time you need to make something good and fast. Buy good noodles from an Asian market. Most big cities have at least one great Asian Market and exploring one can be an eye opener. Ask if you can’t read the packaging. I like the egg noodle better, but that’s just my choice. The flour noodles go well with certain flavors. You decide. Anything goes for fillings. But always have fresh ingredients. Slice your meat as thin as you can. This will help to cook it quickly and evenly. Especially chicken. A trick for slicing meat is to almost freeze it and then slicing will be easier. Use firm white fish like snapper or bass. Avoid oily fish as it will cloud your broth and give it a more fish taste. Shrimp is always as great choice. Veggies can be anything you like…slice thinly or chopped into bit-size pieces. Instead of chopping carrots I generally shred mine with a grater. Remove the woody stems from mushroom before using. Once you have all your ingredients, bring your broth to a slow boil or simmer and add your meat or chicken. Cook until done. Most noodles come fully cooked, however you should drop the noodles in boiling water just enough to cook. When done, drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Place the noodles in the bottom of a bowl, arrange your veggies on top and cover with your broth and meat. Garnish with green onions or basel or parsley and enjoy! Slurpping is polite.

One last thing. At the Asiam market there are packages of ramen pre-made. Generally these are ok but be warned that each is slightly different. Most consist of noodles, packages of freeze-dried veggies or meat and some flavor packets which you pour into boiling water to make a broth. Be aware that unlike in America, MSG is legal in imports. Other then that, the next time you want to bad mouth this cheap and delicious food, just give Ramen a chance.

I never had a pet growing up. My brothers and sisters did, but I had other agendas and only was aware of them when they crossed my path as a nuisance. During most of my adult life I have avoided owning pets. Mainly because I traveled so much, but partly i secretly didn’t want to end up like a few of my friends that talked endless of their pets…with photos! “Oh my cat did this or that and my dog was so cute when he/she…”, gag! Fast forward to a couple of years ago when we moved back to the US from Finland. We adopted a stray cat…or to be correct, the cat adopted us. I was left alone with Musta for a couple of months while H returned to Finland to finish her Masters. First couple of weeks, we tried to come to some accommodations but eventually we came to some agreement. I like to say Musta was my first dog…mainly because he follows me around like a puppy. But he was great company while H was away. When we move into our townhouse and Musta was not allowed out, we decided to adopt another cat as a companion. We got a rescued Siamese cat we named Asia. A dainty and really funny little lady, with an appetite like a Sumo wrestler. Its been a great fit for us.

H grew up with a dog and for years she has talked about getting a dog…mostly wanting a German Shepard. I was pretty cool to the idea because after all we had two cats, why a dog? We had the room, so I was steam-rolled into getting a dog. So we got Major from a breeder. Again, it was the animal that chose the human. He was the only one of the pack that looked cool to my eyes. While the other puppies froliced around us, little Major just sat and observed. Its pretty disconcerting to have a small puppy fixate on you like that. And he was so tiny…how hard could it be to take care of him??? Nine months later and after many battles there is a real friendship between me and this 105 pound animal. Oh, no mistake,,,he can try my patience to the boiling point, but the payoff is when you fall and hurt yourself and have him totally want to help. Think about that. If you fell in the big city (or some of them) chances are no one would help. Plus after being diagnosed with Diabetes and told I had to exercise a bit more, walking Major has cause me to quit smoking and I have lost 19lbs! And you know how there is always one dog in the neighborhood that everyone know? Thats our Major…he is his own ambassador for owing a dog…friendly, loves kids and it seems that everyone knows his name and wants to pet him. When the kids from the local Montessori school see him they go nuts and line the fence of the playground just so he can sniff their little hands. He’s learn to sit politely for any child.

Now I’m more aware of the pets around me and find that generally pet owners are nicer people. Pets do add something to our lives. I’m also appalled but the lack of disregard some people have for animals. Like most people, you see the cruelty to animals on the TV news, but are disconnected from it because its “not your pet.” Now I find my blood boiling when I see these reports of cruelty. Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisper says that the problem is not with the animal, but with the people. I tend to believe that statement.

So these days I’m more than happy to trade pet stories with my friends. Thanks Major.

Dreams are defined as: A succession of images, thoughts, sounds, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.

Generally the biggest mental stimulus I have before falling asleep seems to dictate the type of dreams I’ll have later. Lately though, that rule doesn’t seem to apply. My dreams have been absolutely silly, not to mention weird. Like this one: H and I are driving around the country in weather that is snowy and icy. This silly part is that the vehicle we are driving is a large blue tennis shoe with ripple soles. (A least we had good traction.) Of course the steering wheel is the shoe laces! Could be that dream was the result of my road trip down to San Francisco.

However I’m at a lose to understand last nights dream. I’m playing tennis against Serena Williams! My racket is made from a large upside-down turkey wishbone strung with angel-hair pasta and she is beating me badly. And she is doing that grunting thing that is so un-nerving. I wake up asking myself why it couldn’t be one of those sweet Russian ladies. I might still be getting my head handed to me but at least she wouldn’t be grunting!

Frankly, I hope to get my dreams back on track. Not that I don’t like silly, but I prefer the adventure of being the King of the World!

1 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
13.5 ounces Coconut Milk
1 can Yellow Kernel Corn
24 Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in half
20 26/40 count shrimp
24-32 ounces chicken stock (low sodium)
1 bunch cilantro

Heat the red curry paste in a saucepan until it starts to sizzle in its own oil. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the corn and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and prawns and cook for another 2 minutes, until pink. Add the chicken stock and heat until simmering, stirring well. Stir in cilantro at the end and use for garnish. Add wedge of lemon on the side. You can add some rice or noodles to this soup it you need something more substantial.

A recently married friend asked why women need sooo many shoes. After all they can only wear one pair at a time? This question has perplexed men for some time since the burden of giving up valuable closet and storage space falls heavily on our shoulders. My guess it was the man who came up with the phase “barefoot and pregnant” to come to terms with his wife’s shoe “problem”. Now, I won’t pretend I understand this shoe thing most women are affected with, although I do have some theories. I won’t divulge them here cause I like breathing.

My advice to men is to stay well away from trying to understand this strange behavior that turns otherwise normal functioning humans into raging manics when they see the sign “Shoe Sale” or the ones that get touchy when you ask “Honey, why do you need to so many shoes?” The latter is usually answered with a raised eyebrow and a look that makes you feel like the leavings of a single cell animal. Frankly I don’t think most women can answer that question, but of course I won’t wager my manhood on being right.

Somethings don’t make sense. My friend and neighbor Yee, an otherwise quite intelligent and highly capable profession women, who decorates like she lives in a college dorm but whose shoe collection is immaculately displayed…all nice and neat. Or my own wife whose tiny feet have a huge collection of footwear to choose from…in fact she can still wear the same shoes she had when she was ten! Whatever the reason, it will forever remain a mystery to the male of the species. From the poor caveman idiot who nearly killed himself to bring down a dinosaur just to give his mate a new pair of shoes or the confused, put-upon modern man who can only shake his head after being asked to build more shelves for his wife shoes, the problems still remains the same.

My advice to my friend is to suck it up, smile and say ‘yes dear’. I’ve found that zoning out by thinking of white sunny beaches with nubile young ladies prancing about works. At least they are barefoot!

You look online or watch TV and see the endless “Year or Decade In Review” and I wonder if most people have the same, on a more personal level. My decade wasn’t too bad. Below are some of the highlights…

2000-2003 was a banner year…Moved back to DC from San Francisco, got married, stopped being a travel photographer for an international magazine and started working for the Washington Post, which meant I finally got to use some of my educational values. After all, a Master’s Degree in computer science is only good if you use it

2003-2006 — Moved to Finland as Hannamari closed in on her degree and got to understand the Finnish society and language. Second hardest language in the world, but met some wonderful people and made a number of great friends. Became a permanent Finnish citizen, used my Culinary education and worked as a chef. Had to have an operation which cost me all of 72 euro ($103) including doctors and medicine and hospital stay. Puts American healthcare to shame. Returned to America like immigrants of old…on a ship. A nice trans-atlantic cruise.

2007-2009 — Relocated to Portland, Oregon. We love the Pacific Northwest and it doesn’t rain here as nearly as much as people think! Hannamari went to Finland for a few months to finish her degree while I stayed home, worked and took care of a rescued black cat we named Musta. Hannamari gets a job as a nurse and I freelance writing security software and doing graphics. Lived in a beautiful area in an apartment where we could see Mt. Hood. Moved into a new townhouse and added another rescued cat named Asia. Started piano lessons and have met wonderful new friends. Was diagnosed with diabetes but with the help of my friend Yee (who was my doctor at the time) I have got it under control. Even managed to stop smoking…cold turkey…no patch, no gum! One day I was smoking and the next I wasn’t. Interesting. Finally getting back to painting and doing my art and still cooking up a storm. Spent a bunch of time traveling, including several cruises and two cross country trips via automobile and one road trip up and down the west coast. We acquired another pet…a German Shepard name Major, who is now 8 months old and 100lbs! He is keeping me healthy. Now I can do 5 miles without breaking a sweat. Hannamari is finishing another educational spurt with a legal nurse course.

And loads of new experience and made lot of new friends. Of course for all of the good things, we lost few people, most notably my Aunt Broncie (100 years old), my Aunt Ethel and my uncle Mac. Also two friends lost in New York during 9/11. They will be missed terribly. All in all, the decade was not too bad and hopefully the new decade will be better. Happy New Year one and all.