Happy Holidays! There will be no menu posted this week. Ryan and I are cleaning out the refrigerator and playing a bit of 'iron chef' with the ingredients that we have. Also, I have been dealing with the stress of a car accident that significantly impacted my car. Luckily, I wasn't in the car at the time of the accident; a minor that had been drinking hit my VW at 4:30 am on Thursday morning. It's been a headache, but I am trying to stay positive. Luckily Ryan can loan me his vehicle so I can head out to Connecticut this evening. I hope to take many photos and post them to the blog throughout the holiday.

It will take me some time to get used to the regularly scheduled post. Stay with me!

Sunday.... Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Monday....Chicken with Apples, Pears, and Camembert Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday....Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Wednesday....Turkey Taco Salads
Thursday....Gnocchi (homemade) with Braised Mushrooms and Peas
Friday... Greek Salad with Sliced Steak

Yikes!  I'm glad I didn't have the shark fin soup.

In Singapore, Desmond was excited to order it; he really wanted me to try it.  But thinking it might be a bit of a risk digestively, not to mention the fact that I still had to get through 24 hours on press, I passed it up.  Sarah gently shook her head as well.  Looking back, I wonder if it is because she knew that ecologically it was a bad idea.

Check it out:  Shark Fin Soup Alters an Ecosystem

One of the many things I miss now that Theresa is on her journey around the world, is our habit of spending time each Monday to discuss our dinner menu for the week. Granted, Monday wasn't the only day we talked about food, it was a topic that snuck into almost every conversation. But on Mondays, we typically hashed out our plan for the week, sharing new recipes and old favorites.

Because this conversation has been quieted by the many miles between us, I would like to share my weekly menu on A Document of Days. I plan to post on the topic early each week. If a particular meal really stands out, I will post the recipe, otherwise, if something sounds good, feel free to drop me a line and I'll be happy to send it along.

Saturday....Pan-Seared Duck with Plum Sauce
Sunday....Red Pepper and Pear Soup with Spinach Salad
Monday....Salmon with Citrus Vinaigrette
Tuesday....Grilled Polenta with Balsamic Mushrooms
Wednesday....Moroccan Spiced Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Thursday....Cuban Black Bean Stew
Friday....We usually eat out on Fridays

I'm not feeling particularly creative or reflective these past few days... maybe I'm still digesting turkey.  Hopefully this will turn around and you'll hear from me soon.

Not too long ago I was sitting on the metro on my way home from work. A white-haired woman sat directly in front of me. Though I couldn't see her face, her fragile hands and small stature suggested that she was elderly. But her most striking characteristic was her scent.

She smelled of freshly cut roses.  

I hope that when I am elderly I smell that good. I know the scent of roses is closely associated with older women, but there was something about her scent that was so beautiful, and not at all old. I hope that when I am her age I smell like roses instead of moth balls, Ben Gay, or even worse, body odor.

And so I sat there, lost in thoughts of my twilight years, imagining the woman in front of me going home to her cats and photos of grandchildren. But I stirred from my thoughts when the woman reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She flipped to her marked page and commenced reading, but not before I caught a glimpse of the title.

"It's a Guy Thing:  How to Prevent Teen Pregnancy"

Poof. All of my preconceived notions of grandma disappeared instantly. For all I know, she'd just spent the day on Capitol Hill writing policy to decrease teen pregnancy. She was probably in the Presidential rose garden mulling over budgets and business plans, where she inadvertently bumped into a bush and picked up the scent of roses.  

Washington is full of surprises.

It is uplifting when I encounter people or situations that remind me that D.C. isn't such a bad place.  I admit, I am typically hard-pressed to identify these positive factors, especially when on the spot, but they do exist.

I will never tire of motorcades. Just last week I was walking to the metro after work when I heard sirens in the distance. Motorcade sirens are not to be confused with a routine police siren.  They are unmistakably layered and demanding of each passer-by's attention. Even at the hint of a motorcade, my excitement begins to mount. As the lights come into view, and fleet of black SUVs head my way, I bubble over with giddiness.  

First the motorcycles flash by.  Then the Chevy Tahoes, two by two, each one identical, their windows tinted an impenetrable black.  They are followed by yet another group of motorcycles. And in a flash, they are gone.

Typically, I try to act cool -- I'm a local, I'm supposed to be used to this right?  Wrong. Especially now that I know Obama could be staring back at me through that heavily tinted glass, I can't help but to feel  like I've just witnessed something.  I never know quite what, but something.

On Tuesday, November 18th, I became an aunt again! Camden Henry Peoples was born at 3:13 pm in San Jose, CA. Click here to see photos of the new baby, big brother Alex, and the proud parents.

For those of you who commonly read food blogs, the following will be familiar. The blogger over at Very Good Taste put together the list below. He believes every omnivore should try these foods at least once.

What on this list have you had that you loved?

What foods would you never even consider and which do you hope to try?

Those that I have had are typeset in bold. Had I been a bit more adventurous in Singapore I could have knocked off a few more (eel --which Ryan had, abalone, and durian.)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty vodka martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

43 out of 100. I have some work to do. But really, I will never complete this list. I will not eat whole insects or roadkill, ever. However, there are things on this list that sound pretty tasty. I recently heard a spot on NPR about Poutine, and it sounds scrumptious – it is a French Canadian dish that consists of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy. That would sound especially good after a long night of drinking.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 started off just like any other day. I went to work, likely never left the office to experience the wonderful autumn weather, and departed around 6 p.m. As I approached the large parking lot that I typically cross on my way home (located at the corner of 11th and H streets) I couldn't help but to notice the massive amount of people crowded into one half of the lot, and the carefully positioned security guards protecting this group. I continued halfway through the empty side of the lot and then stopped, just at the edge of the excited crowd.

What was going on?

There was a stage set up to my left, but it was empty.

My gaze swept the scene until it rested on the few men standing about 20 feet to my right.

It took a few moments for it to register, but soon my stomach was all butterflies. I was standing 20 feet from Barack Obama. President-elect Barack Obama.

My fingers flew into action, dialing everyone I knew that was within walking distance. In minutes, Theresa B. was standing at my side.

At this time Barack Obama still had a lot of competition for the democratic nomination. It would be months before Kucinich, Gravel, Dodd, Biden, Richardson, Edwards, and finally, Clinton, conceded to Obama for the nomination. In our house, it was still a toss up as to who we would support.

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty took the stage and spoke about Barack Obama, concluding the introduction with his endorsement. And then, as Obama took the stage, the crowd erupted. I couldn't help but feeling overcome with pure excitement.

Even at that time I felt like I was witnessing history.

For the next 50 minutes I was mesmerized. I took in every word and then walked away feeling positively jubilant. I knew then and there who I would support as the next President of the United States. Ryan later laughed at me for being so easily smitten, "One speech was all it took?"

Yes. One speech.

Even after Obama won the nomination, he had a long and hard road ahead of him.

But here we are. Over a year later and Barack Obama is slated to be the next President of the United States.

D. C. is abuzz about the inauguration. The offices of state representatives are being overwhelmed with requests for tickets. Ticket agencies are selling tickets they only hope to distribute for up to $20,050. A block of 300 hotel rooms at the downtown Marriott has been booked for $1 million and locals are renting out there home and apartments for thousands of dollars.

D.C.'s official convention and tourism corporation, Destination DC, estimates 1.5 million people will attend the inauguration, compared to George W. Bush's 300,000 attendees.

I likely won't score a ticket, but on January 20th, I will be down on the National Mall.

Though I haven't met a single one of them, I know not everyone loves the idea of Obama as president -- a fact that is hard to remember when you live in a city/state of which 92% voted for him. And I know that those of us who do believe in him have placed a monumental set of expectations on the man. He will not be perfect. But at this moment, the most important part of Barack Obama's presidential victory is that people are humming with optimism. For the first time in years, the political chatter around our 'water-cooler' is positive. Hopeful.

California was a whirlwind! As usual, time flies and before we knew it, we were on a plane headed back toward the east coast. I miss Alex already!



The view from out hotel room in Monterey was incredible!




Santa Cruz - Home to the biggest seagulls I've ever seen!

Once again, we're off!

Ryan and I are leaving this afternoon for California. Alex is already 17 months old and since we saw him last he has learned to walk, run, even dance! (See his new dance here.) We arrive back in DC just in time to cast our ballot.

Please check back on Tuesday or Wednesday for photos from our trip.

Before we left for our trip to Singapore, colleagues of mine who had been to the country told me that while there, I must do two things: Go to Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling, and eat Chilli Crab. Ryan and I managed to do both. Just before we headed back to the hotel to clean up for dinner, we stopped at the famous Raffles hotel and paid $17 for a drink. We thought of it like going to New Orleans for the first time and splurging on the Hurricane...it's just something you have to do.

A 7 p.m. we met Desmond and Sarah outside the Orchard Hotel. Desmond drove us to the area known Downtown East where we had a great seafood dinner. As Desmond explained, Singaporeans prefer their seafood fresh, not frozen. So, they have live seafood flown in from around the world and it is kept in tanks at the restaurant until is it ordered. Click photos to enlarge.




This is a photo of the Chilli Crab. It is excellent. The sauce is rich and addictive. We couldn't stop talking about the Chilli Crab.


The last night in Singapore was so much fun and will be a cherished memory.

From the Arab district we walked over to Little India. What a difference a few blocks make! While the Arab district was quiet with men streaming to the mosque to pray, little India was bustling. The colors of every shop were brilliant and beautiful and in the air lingered perfumes and incense.




And though we had eaten in the Arab district, we couldn't pass up eating curry in Little India. We had curry chicken, curry bean curd (tofu) and rice.

We finished on press Thursday night, around 3 a.m. I arrived at the hotel around 3:30 a.m. and was able to get a good amount of sleep before we were up and facing our last day in Singapore. We took advantage of this day by spending time on Arab Street and in Little India. In the Arab district, we ate lunch at a hawker center...





... and then we walked around the market.

The markets are fascinating. I may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but I absolutely love going to all markets (fresh, seafood, super) when traveling. They are so revealing of a culture -- and so much fun. However, the market in the Arab district may have triggered the slightest desire to return home... or at the very least, pizza.

Like every day in Singapore, Friday was a very hot day. The outdoor markets that boast all sorts of dried fish and seafood were smelling especially pungent and my stomach was in no mood. Both Ryan and I were giddy and grossed out. It just smelled so bad. (Literally, when I look at a couple of these pictures, I can smell that place and I gag a little.) But we still enjoyed ourselves, and we took a lot of pictures. Click to enlarge.


What is this?


Mussels...



Little Fish... These were actually on my plate when I ordered a local breakfast. I didn't eat them.

Without the Food Network or the Travel Channel, many Asian foods that would have otherwise baffled me were quite familiar. Still, some remain exotic enough to unnerve me (shark's fin and durian) but others have become very enticing. Ever since I first saw them on television, I have longed for steamed buns (stay with me, I'm still talking about food). So, imagine my excitement when we went we walked into a 7-11 and saw this:


7-11s are everywhere in Singapore. In some instances, we counted three 7-11 stores on one block. They are as common as Starbucks are in US cities.

I held back on the convenience store steamed bun, as I wanted my first experience to be a bit more authentic. So, on Wednesday, October 1st, Ryan and I went to a food court (slightly different than a hawker center, it is air-conditioned and a bit, well, cleaner) and ate steamed buns, wild mushroom and spinach dim sum, and chicken feet.




The wait was worth it. Those buns were delicious! Since I've always associated them with dumplings, I expected them to be more like a thick dumpling and less like bread. But just as their name implies, they were soft and bread-like; like a bun. The wild mushroom dim sum was excellent, and the chicken feet... they were tasty, but there wasn't much to them.

Ostrich and wrasse weren't the only new foods I tried in Singapore. There were many new experiences!

Whenever Ryan and I ate in town, we ate almost exclusively at hawker centers. These are open-air complexes that are made up of rented stalls from which individuals sell their food. Hawker centers are similar to a food courts, as we know them in the States, but they are typically outside and you will not find commercial restaurants there. The food is fresh and often made right in front of you. It is a common and inexpensive place for locals to eat. Each time we at at a hawker center we were the only tourists there.

Day One: I ate dumplings that were made-to-order and so good. 10 dumplings, $3 Singapore dollars / $2.00 USD. Ryan ate duck and rice, also for $2.00 USD


Above: Man making my dumplings...
Below: My dumplings!



Hawker Stall

Steamed Fish Head!


To be continued...

I have a weeny stomach. Ryan tells me this all of the time. But I try not to let that hold me back. I still love almost every type of food, and with the years, I have become more and more adventurous. I have learned that the best food isn't always cooked in the most sanitary of places, so, I travel prepared with a purse filled with every type of intestinal remedy. (And when I forget and start to panic, Ryan typically has me backed up... because he knows me that well.)

Honestly, I wasn't too concerned about my stomach the first time Desmond, Sarah, and I dined together. Though the fish was new to me (again, I'm sorry fish) and each dish prepared in a Cantonese style, the ingredients weren't wildly different from ingredients I am accustomed to: noodles, rice, steamed greens, deep fried tofu, braised beef.

Dinner was another story. The first dish presented was a platter of prawns. Shrimp! I love shrimp! (I still can't grasp the difference between shrimp and prawns. Is it really only a size issue?) But these buggers were not pretty. With their heads on, beady black eyes staring into space, and spiced with that sweet mystery spice that seems to be in every Singapore dish, I started to feel uneasy. But I couldn't turn back! With Desmond, I had established myself as a culinary adventurer. Desmond seemed so excited that I was willing to try whatever he ordered... and honestly, I was proud to wear that badge.

So when he suggested ostrich, I didn't bat an eye.

The dish arrived and it looked quite good! The meat was dark, sauteed with a light (soy? teriyaki?) sauce and topped with green onions. It also tasted great. But as I chewed, I grew more and more anxious. My thoughts flitted back to the best night I've ever spent in Verona, Italy, in which I dined with friends/colleagues Claudia, Steven, and Daniel at Antica Bottega Del Vino. That night, I ate cavallo (horse meat). It was very good; prepared in a style I'd never expected: dried in paper thin slices, and then shredded and served in the shape of a nest. I thoroughly enjoyed the dish, but the entire time, I was horrified that my stomach would soon be cramping and with embarrassment I would have to return to the hotel. But it never happened.

Even though I'd been spared in Italy, I still worried and worried about the ostrich. I believed my fears had been realized when the room started getting really warm. Soon, I was sweating. Not profusely, but enough to worry. Immediately I asked for directions to the rest room.

Now let me set this up: We were dining at a seafood restaurant in the more remote industrial area of Singapore. By day, the place was hopping, but at night, so much as the sound of a rustled napkin could be heard by the chef, in the back, in the kitchen. Because we were, literally, the only patrons at this particular time, we had about 5 to 6 waitresses taking care of our every need. If I took a sip of tea, within seconds, a waitress was pouring a refill. If I dirtied a dish with, say, 2 shrimp, immediately, a waitress was switching my dirtied plate for a clean one. All eyes were on us. It didn't help that Sarah and I were caucasian. Clearly, we were tourists.

So when I stood up and asked for directions to the rest room, all eyes were on me. I concentrated my full attention on not passing out (as I felt like I would at any moment) and I made my way to the back of the restaurant.

Oh, Asian bathrooms. Why oh why would one choose a squat-toilet when you have a normal, western-style toilet just feet away. It is beyond me. However, almost every bathroom I went in (aside from the hotel bathrooms) had the option of a squat-toilet, or western-toilet. I never tried the squat toilet. Girls shouldn't have to aim. (There was one of those really advanced toilets in the Tokyo airport that has all sorts of buttons and options: music, water sounds (should you need to cover up any sounds of you own), warm water for your bum, and others. I have a picture of one that I will post.... yes, I took photos in the bathroom.)

Anyway, I spent a few minutes in the bathroom at the restaurant, ran my wrists under cold water, and returned to the table. It was then that I had to admit to my fellow-diners that I wasn't feeling well. As I assured a very concerned Desmond that it wasn't the food, I was simultaneously and silently mumbling prayers to any god listening that it really wasn't the food.

Turns out, the gods (or God) was listening. It was jet lag. It hit me like a hammer in the face. I returned to the hotel for a couple of hours to rest and was as good as new.

Once again, I survived adventurous eating.

On Monday morning, September 29th, Sarah McLaughlin (no, not that Sarah McLaughlin, Sarah my associate from Giles publishing in London) and I met up with Desmond, our print rep from Singapore. Over the course of the following four days, the three of us spent many, many hours together. My schedule for the first two days went like this:

Monday - Began at 10:15am, had a break to shower and refresh at 7:00 p.m. then worked through until 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning: 21 hour shift with no sleep.

Tuesday - Was able to sleep at the hotel from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. (1 hour only!) then we worked through until 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning: 22 hour shift with no sleep

So actually, that adds up to 44 hours worked with one hour of sleep.

Obviously, shifts like this bring you close to your coworkers. For every lunch and dinner break, Desmond took us to a new restaurant. He was intent on helping us to experience the local flavors.

The first day we went to lunch at an upscale restaurant that served food prepared in the Hong Kong and Cantonese style. Desmond ordered for us, as he would at each meal. The spread was incredible. Dish after dish arrived, each one new and delicious. We started with a fish that was cooked in two ways. First stir-fried with a brown sauce, and secondly, steamed with vegetables and tofu. It was delicious, but it wasn't until I returned to the States and did a little research that I realized exactly what type of fish I was eating.

We were dining on wrasse. Wrasse is a coral reef fish, and a highly controversial catch.

The grouper and the Napoleon wrasse live in the Coral Triangle spanning the waters of Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. They are dwindling in numbers and their disappearance could seriously upset the eco-balance of the coral reefs there, says the WWF.

After Hong Kong, Singapore is the second-largest consumer of these fish in the region, noted the leader of the WWF's Coral Triangle Network Initiative, Dr Lida Pet-Soede.

Read this entire article here.

In order to protect the delicate balance of coral reefs, the World Wildlife Fund is asking that we cut down on the consumption of wrasse. From now on, I will comply. (Sorry fish! You were tasty!)

As far as I know, I didn't eat anything else controversial. I skipped the shark's fin. Not because of my morals, or because it wasn't offered to me, honestly, I was just concerned about my stomach.

To be continued...

The second part of our Sunday was spent at Boat Quay (pronounced KEY.) One of the very interesting things about this area is the very large umbrellas that were constructed over the streets. Even the monsoon season can't shut down the clubs.


The area is a fairly new construction that is made up mostly of restaurants and clubs. While exploring we came across this bar called The Clinic. Very unique.

For clearer photographs below, click to enlarge.

Before heading to work on Monday morning, Ryan and I had all day on Sunday to explore. We chose to start with Chinatown.


Many shops in Chinatown sell all sorts of snacks. Barbecued pork is very popular, as are all sorts of packaged, dried snacks. For some reason, the fish rings just didn't appeal to me.


We spent quite a bit of time in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The roof-top gardens were my favorite, but the architecture and many sculptures were also fascinating.





After we left the temple, we went on to explore an indoor market. Quite different from Florence's Mercato Centrale. Those are huge fish heads in basket at the lower right of the photo. Steamed fish head is a very popular dish in Singapore. I did not indulge.



These guys aren't pets... they are lunch.

We arrived in Singapore on Sunday morning at 3 a.m., caught a cab and headed out to Raffles Marina, where we would be staying for the next three days. Not long after we arrived and did some exploring, we fell fast asleep.

In the morning, we ordered room service and decided to try a local dish called Congee (pictured below, right.) Congee is a sort of rice porridge. It is mixed with a raw, or partially cooked egg, and in this case, chicken. Congee is served with a fried breadstick. We also ordered an "American" breakfast, just in case. Our local meal was quite good, but I was glad to have some fried eggs and a hashbrown too.


Raffles Marina is located in the industrial area of Singapore (making it easy for me to get to and from the printing plant) and it is quite nice. Many international travelers sail up and dock for a night or two. In the photo below, the land you can just barely see in the distance is Malaysia. From the hotel, you can also see the customs checkpoint and the bridge to Malaysia.




From the few facts I picked up while talking to our printer representative, Desmond, I learned that Singapore has an interesting relationship with Malaysia. Because Singapore is so small (only 273 square miles), has no fresh water resource, and virtually no land to produce crops, the city-state relies heavily on Malaysia for their water supply and the import of fresh produce. In order to ensure that they will not forever be reliant upon Malaysia for water, Singapore collects a large amount of rainwater for domestic use, has a water recycling program, and is currently developing desalination plants.

Other interesting facts about the Singapore/Malaysia relationship:

Because gasoline is so inexpensive in Malaysia, border patrol requires (and checks!) that a Singaporean's car has at least 3/4 of a tank of gas or they won't let you in the country. Previous to these laws, Singapore residents were driving over to get cheap gas and subsequently forcing prices up for the Malay people.

Though unregulated (they don't check your trunk for groceries) Singapore people commonly shop in Malaysia because it is cheaper. Again, this change in supply/demand drives prices up. The Malay people aren't too happy to shop alongside folks from Singapore.