Eat This Blog Photo Essay: Spicy Duck … What???
Posted on 18 March 2008 under Asian, Eat This Blog, Gifts, Photos | 3 Comments
This post was almost complete when the second bleed mentioned in my previous post began on March 9th. I apologize to Jaden for taking so long on this one!
Above are some spicy duck giblets. Scary-looking little beasties, aren’t they? Rather gelatinous as our wonderful Asian friend in Florida told us. We were a bit afraid of the “spicy” bit as we’re fully aware of just how spicy Asian food can be. But these weren’t spicy whatsoever. In fact they were pretty darn good, reminding us of a good smoked duck breast … but maybe dipped in a rather tasty version of the gel packed between Spam and the Spam can.
Back on January 17th I’d posted that Jaden of SteamyKitchen.com had sent along a lovely package of snacks:
More after the jump …
Spicy Duck … What?? Nope, Can’t Do It Yet.
Posted on 17 January 2008 under Food Blogs, Gifts, Snacking | 5 Comments
I was going to title this post, “Beware of Asians Bearing Gifts”. Then I remembered … I kinda asked for these gifts.
Oops.
Back on January 7th the lovely Jaden of SteamyKitchen.com posted a blog entry she titled, “Friendship in the Form of Duck Necks“. She wrote:
In addition the duck neck and duck feet, I got dried squid, lots of seaweed snacks, duck tongues and duck gizzards. Anyone want to try? I’ll send you a snackity snack if you agree to try it!!!
I had the audacity to write a comment which read:
Me, I’ll try anything once! Sometimes twice. Often, manytimes. Who’da’ thunk it?
See, that was my mistake. I believe I meant what I wrote at the time I wrote it. Dear Jaden gets upwards of 400,000 page views each month on her blog, along with teaching classes in Asian cooking, cooking on the morning show on the local ABC affiliate station in Sarasota, and appearing in this month’s Sarasota Magazine. She gets over 100 comments on each blog entry she posts. What would be the odds of her shipping me some of …
Her email was almost instantaneous, as though my pinging her blog programmatically triggered a response:
email me your address! I’m sending you some.
On Monday Terry, our postmaster, told me I had a package. Smiling and rather sarcastically, I asked, “Is it Spicy Duck Necks?” Terry looked at the package and asked, “From Jaden?” Of course, I happily opened the back right there, dumped the mylar packages on the post office’s counter, and dramatically read the labels of the packagas for anyone within earshot. Some faces turned positively green.
I photographed the packages for the above photo, complete with Jaden’s lovely business card.
That’s as far as I got.
My stomach has prevented my hands from opening the things. The hands just keep putting them back in the package Jaden had sent them in.
I invited 13abc’s Zack Ottenstein for dinner Monday evening. I even went so far as to make every possible attempt to get him to try these snacks with me.
I’m not sure if he was laughing at me. If he was laughing with me, I know I wasn’t joining in.
So, here they sit. Still unopened.
Spicy Chicken Claws.
Spicy Duck Necks.
Spicy Duck Tongues.
Spicy Duck Giblets.
17-year-old John was in China this past summer. Just now I said, “John, you were in China this past summer. You ate a lot of stuff you’d never ate before. Why don’t you and I try these Spicy Duck Necks?”
His reply?
“Ummm … see, I ate that stuff because I made it a point never to ask what the name of it was. Ignorance is strength.”
Damn kid’s too smart for me …
So, they wait. Adam will be here this weekend. Maybe he’ll try them with me.
Why wait for someone else?
See, then I don’t have to eat all of it if I don’t actually like it.
Sigh.
Beware of Asians bearing gifts. At least, that’s what I’m doing for now.
Yeah, I’m a wuss. Deal with it.
Some Unexpected Gifts
Posted on 1 January 2008 under Gifts, Holidays | No Comments
The question has come up in quite a few online forums: What do you get a Chef for Christmas? We bought Chef Tad a copy of A Fork In The Road by Eric Villegas, while giving Catherine a one-hour massage from one of her long-time friends who owns a licensed massage therapy center.
We weren’t expecting anything in return, especially the kind of stuff in this photo! The 8″ Chef’s knife is beautifully made, and I’d mentioned to Tad that he needed to check out the panini skillet for his own use at the restaurant. “The Cook’s Companion” is the kind of book I really enjoy, outlining thousands of basic techniques in one volume.
But even more special is the basket. While containing a bottle of the 2005 Stephen Vincent Crimson we had at dinner tonight, it also contains a pair of custom handpainted Frog Leg Inn wine glasses.
Thanks Tad and Catherine for a wonderful evening!
Marshmallow Fluff On My Desk
Posted on 19 April 2007 under Gifts | 14 Comments
There’s marshmallow fluff on my desk. A whole jar of it. It’s wrapped up in a paper doily tied with a maroon ribbon. There’s a card attached.
The artist who left it here, Arjuna Durrant, left it as a Thank You for assistance with the video portion of her four-projector piece titled “Strange Ghosts”. This piece isn’t showing anymore as there’s been a fire in the gallery, but she’s still apparently thankful for the help I gave her. The note is great, and I can’t help but share it here:
David Liske!
Hi! I thought this would be a really funny thank you gift but now I sorta feel like it’s just stupid ==> hopefully you will laugh though!
Remember when you were debating with the Australian woman over which was better, Vegemite or marshmallow fluff? Ok, the point is, Thank You soooooo much for all your help!!! [Arjuna drew a long arrow to the other end of the card where she continued …] My project would probably still not work if it weren’t for you –> Actually, it doesn’t work because of the fire –> but thanks to you, it did work for the opening.
This is the worst thank you ever. I’m sorry.
Thank You!!! -Arjuna
Actually, Arjuna, this couldn’t have been nicer, or shown up at a better time.
The past couple days, Mary’s dad’s viewing at Urbanski’s Funeral Home in Toledo on Tuesday, the funeral and wake yesterday, the power steering in the van coming apart last night … it’s been really hard on all of us. This morning after Morning Coffee, I specifically told Mary I didn’t feel like coming in to work at all.
I hope the rest of the day is full of pleasant surprises like this one.
Thank you, Arjuna.
Updated 9:18 a.m.: Arjuna has come in to say hello, but didn’t know about this blog entry. I showed it to her, and it gave her a serious case of the giggles … until she read the bottom couple paragraphs. It seems someone had told her, “You can’t give him the Kroger brand!” She now knows the thought was what really matters in this, especially with what’s been going on with Mary’s dad. She now also realizes I can’t make fudge out of Vegemite.
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