I’m always reminded how lucky I am to live in Hawaii when I see guys paddling out after work.
As most of you already know, I’m the human to two dogs, Sunny and Indy.
And they’re a little annoyed that I have a blog and they don’t.
So in the interest of keeping a peaceful household — I don’t need any revolts around here! — I’ve added a page just for them. It’s called The Dog Dish — and it’s entirely theirs.
I take no responsibility for what happens here.
In the meantime, meet Sunny — before Indy came along and ruined her life:
My morning routine typical starts off with two things: a Diet Coke and NBC’s “Today.”
I enjoy waking up — or coming home from the beach — to the pairing of Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira at the anchor desk. I learn something, I laugh, I look forward to it.
So I was shocked — I nearly spit out my Diet Coke — when I watched yesterday’s show, where Vieira announced she was leaving on June 8 to spend more time with her husband, Richard Cohen, who has multiple sclerosis. “Time is one of those weird things,” she said on-air. “You can never get enough of it, and it just keep ticking away.”
That made me tear up. (Well, that made her tear up, and I’m a sympathetic crier.)
It’s interesting how connected we are to TV anchors, especially those on the morning shows. Maybe it’s the living room sets or the friendly way they tell you about a seven-car accident on the highway that will likely make you 12 hours late to work, but “it’s still a beautiful day out there, guys!” But they become part of our daily morning routines, and it’s sad when that changes.
It’s sad when anything changes, actually.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m a big believe in change. In fact, I think change is necessary to keep this world humming. But change isn’t always the easiest thing to endure.
I hate seeing locally own businesses shut down. I hate when Apple introduces a better iPhone weeks after I bought one. I hate when companies rebrand or re-formulate their products. (Case in point: New Coke. Wasn’t that a mistake!)
But so much good happens through change, too.
In the case of “Today,” Ann Curry, a 15-year veteran of the show and, let’s face it, one of the nicest people on TV ever — ever the bridesmaid — is taking over the co-anchor job. That’s good. And Natalie Morales, who’s been an eager correspondent for five years, will replace Curry on the news desk. That’s good, too.
But Vieira, to me, isn’t someone easily replaced. Who’s going to put Lauer in his place or make snide comments at the anchor desk? (Not Curry. She’s too nice.)
Change. I’ll have to learn to embrace it. As long as Katie Couric doesn’t come back to the show.
What doesn’t chef Alan Wong win these days?
His restaurants — Alan Wong’s and The Pineapple Room — win every award you can think of, including “Restaurant of the Year” and “Best Restaurant” — 10 times. (You’ll see why when you eat anything on the menu, including the sweet pork belly appetizer above.)
In addition, he’s earned the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef-Northwest in 1996 and was one of 10 U.S. chef nominated by the Wedgewood Awards for the title of World Master of Culinary Arts and ranked as one of the best restaurants and chefs by national food publications.
So it’s no surprise his book, “The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong,” would be award-winning, too.
It won the Award of Excellence in Cookbooks on Friday — the top award in the category — by the Hawaii Book Publishers Association‘s Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards. (It also got an honorable mention for design.)
And for good reason.
Every foodie should have this book. It belongs with the staple of cookbooks including:
• “The French Laundry Cookbook” by Thomas Keller
• “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman
• “The Dessert Bible” by Christopher Kimball
• “Joy of Cooking” by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer, Ethan Becker
• “America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook” by the producers of PBS’ cooking show of the same name
• “James Beard’s American Cookery”
• “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child
“The Blue Tomato” ranks up there for two reasons: 1) You hear about Wong’s inspiration through his own words — it’s a personal journey — and 2) the recipes are pornographic just to read.
Plus, Wong’s book is the only way you’ll get your hands on the recipe for his popular Li Hing Mui Dressing.
Congratulations to Wong and Watermark Publishing!
When the cheesecake you make for your mom comes out better than you had anticipated.
(This is the lemon cheesecake with gingersnap crust I baked yesterday for Mother’s Day. It was a little undercooked, but the flavors were great. I think there’s something wrong with my oven…)
