Actor, Singer, Youngest Child
there’s a calm before the storm they say
so i look up at the blue expanse
the city skyline creates a jagged jawline
the clouds form freckles
(from too much moon?)
the wind hushes my footsteps
the sun escapes between the cracks of branches
dripping onto my face and just as quickly evaporating
as soon as i wipe my forehead with my hankie
tomorrow! tomorrow who knows?
mgs made this cuban-style ground beef for us last night. the pic is from the recipe book (because i forgot i have a blog now to document our culinary experiments and didn’t take a picture). we ate it with rice last night and i made sandwiches with the leftovers tonight.
serves 4 / cooking time: 45 minutes
ingredients
1 1/2 lbs top choice ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 medium white onion, chopped fine
1 small green bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
8 green olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup raisins
salt and fresh ground pepper, to season
1. thoroughly combine the beef, oregano and cumin in a mixing bowl.
2. heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the garlic, onion and bell pepper until soft. add the meat, wine and tomato sauce. cover and cook over a medium to low heat for about 15 minutes.
3. add the potato, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes. add the olives and raisins and cook, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes, or until the liquid is almost fully reduced, making sure that the meat is still moist. season with salt and pepper.
my suggestions: definitely salt and pepper and go a little crazier with the spices for the beef because ours turned out a bit bland. if you like spicy, i’d add a chili or two for taste.
wine pairing: papapietro perry 2007 pauline’s vineyard dry creek valley zinfandel
san anselmo, 2010.
ding ding ding! round 1 goes to oakland BECAUSE:
it’s so much quicker and easier to type “oakland” vs “san francisco” in address forms!
this weekend i went on a retreat with my kt castmates from the past two years.
(btw, i can’t believe that i’ve been with kt since 2008 and in the bay since 2009…)
anyway, we mapped out our three-year goals, discussed company logistics, prepped skits and most importantly, bonded. i’m the oldest member in the group by at least three years. i had forgotten what it was like to be in my early 20s and it was another instance where my skepticism over just how different a few years can be was silenced.
it’s not necessarily the issues they were grappling that was different, but moreso their outlook and perspective on what is possible. i don’t know if life has made me a bit more cynical or just plain realistic, but i don’t believe that all dreams can come true anymore. i don’t believe that people can work hard and succeed. i don’t believe that things can come easily if you invest your heart into it.
not that i would ever tell them any of that.
Will Dao 