I’ve been working on some munny’s in my spare time and changed my food habits. I will continue to focus on art and food, and will post a lot more about food, my passion. I’ve been experimenting with eating the “paleo” or “primal” way with a few tweaks to suit my lifestyle, and I’m happy with how it’s going and how I feel now that I don’t eat processed food. Look out for recipes, reviews, articles, and everything in between.

Who wants to be involved in a Toy Camera Photo Show?

I’m thinking anything Holga, Diana, Lomo, anything in the toy camera genre. I’d even open it up to handmade pinholes. I’ve seen this type of show done elsewhere but never in town, and I think it could be really great show. I’m also looking for venues, so if you’re interested and have ideas, feel free!

]]> http://zellerpress.com/2009/06/art-show-yes-plz/feed/ 1 http://zellerpress.com/2009/06/foodie-review-fu-hao-bistro/ http://zellerpress.com/2009/06/foodie-review-fu-hao-bistro/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:51:21 +0000 z http://zellerpress.com/?p=180 My partner in crime and I tried out Fu Hao Bistro in 5 Points this week. After the review from Jacksonville.com, I was interested to see how dinner would be. The decor was the first thing I immediately noticed. Simple and asian themed, with high backed booths wrapped in tan and black fabric laced with kanji characters. The pendants hanging into each booth and around the restaurant are long cylinders with red and blue LED lights that flash at the top. These weren’t immediately distracting, but once they caught my eye I couldn’t stop glancing at them every now and then. Take the flashing LED’s off, and the decor was perfect.
We were seated in the second room near the bar, and were the only people in that room. Our server came over, placing down wooden coasters and asked for our drink selections. These looked like the cheap bamboo blinds you can buy at home depot and were rather ineffective as coasters. We perused the menu and found the dinner prices to be a tad more than we had expected. The lunch menu consists of several choices averaging in the $7.50-7.95 range, while the dinner entrees average in the $15-25 range. I can’t lie, I’m on a budget and I don’t get expense reimbursements from some fancy, amazing paper or magazine to fund restaurant reviews. I chose the phad thai with chicken ($10), while my date chose the Moo Goo Gai Pan ($10). Our entrees came with a choice of soup. I chose wonton soup while she chose the egg drop.
The Wonton Soup was really refreshing. A complex and flavorful chicken broth with two shrimp, water chestnut, and carrot filled wontons. The wrappers on the wontons were delicate and light, which was a nice surprise. I added some thai chili oil from the table, which added to the broth’s complexity. Floating in the clear broth were finely chopped scallions and basil.
As for the Egg Drop Soup, I didn’t care for it. My date however, thoroughly enjoyed it. We both jokingly thought the consistency was of motor oil, but it was flavorful and she said it was the best she’s had in town.
The service was consistent and our server was attentive, if not too much. Our meals were brought out in a timely fashion. Both dishes smelled divine, and the portions were huge, and we both had enough for lunch the next day. My Pad thai was in abundance with large, thiny slice pieces of chicken draping the wide rice noodles throughout the bowl. Some chopped peanuts and lime were in the corners, which I sprinkled as well as some more thai chili oil. I did ask for it to be spicy, and was sad to see it was rather bland and no heat was added. It wasn’t a strictly traditional pad thai, and the sauce was thin and in abundance, but it was good and I would have it again. It lacked cilantro, red chili pepper, and even some bean sprouts. The chicken was fairly appetitizing but wasn’t marinated and only soaked up some flavor from the sauce, resulting in a little blandness.
The Moo Goo Gai Pan however, looked and was tantalizing. The same thin, wide slices of chicken in a very garlicy clear sauce with sauteed vegetables. The menu suggests it was a white wine sauce, but I only tasted the garlic in it. Regardless, Partner in Crime loved it. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and we both enjoyed the dish.

Overall the meal was decent, and we would both go back again. I would definitely like to try something different and see how their curries hold up. The plus side was that their wine list looked good, and the ambience is inviting. The down side, was the food was only ‘good’ and not stellar.

While I cannot have locally grown produce delivered to my door, I do frequent the Riverside Arts Market. If you haven’t been out on a Saturday yet, GO! I try to make it out every other week. The produce is delicious and cheap, and last trip I walked away with a half flat of strawberries, and a reusable publix bag chock full of assorted veggies for $12. I’m eager to make it out when the Sweet Grass Dairy folks are there. I’ve heard their cheeses are quite delicious!
My only hope for the RAM is that the arts and crafts side of things picks up a little more. I’ve seen few visual artists and mostly jewelry and other housewares. Check it out every Saturday under the I-95 overpass on Riverside Ave. 10-4pm!

In other news, I had my first experience at O’Brother’s in Five Points, and another delightful trip down to Bistro Aix last weekend. I have to say, I was disappointed in O’Brother’s and doubt I’ll return any time soon. My partner had a Blue Moon (overpriced for a $5 pint) and we started with the tomato bisque and then Fish and Chips.
The tomato bisque was rather delicious. On the menu, it boasts a “mini grilled cheese sandwich” on the side. This ended up being a small wedge of a grilled cheese, which was good enough but more like a suggestion of a grilled cheese. We both enjoyed the bisque and thought it was well seasoned.
For the fish and chips, the fish was Icelandic cod. It was tasty but the batter could have definitely been better. Also not crispy and a pretty lackluster batter, a good beer batter would’ve done wonders. The chips were good but under seasoned wedges of potato that should have been cooked a little longer. I like my chips crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and these were anything but crispy. The portion was enough for us both to feel satisfied, and I did enjoy the coconut curry sauce that accompanied the dish. For $13, I expected a little more than what was offered. We sat inside by the bar, and our service was sub-par. Our server was fairly attentive, but when the bill came she gave a fit and lied to our face about splitting the bill.
As two people who’ve worked in the food industry for quite some time, we knew the system by the ticket print out. Tip: Don’t lie to someone and say you can’t split a check, and definitely don’t talk about a customer to another bartender in front of the customer. The other bartender blatantly stared at us, and I could see our server gabbing away throwing a miniature tantrum.
I wanted to like O’Brother’s. The menu looks inviting and delicious, but it failed to live up to my hopes.

next post will be the trip to Bistro Aix on San Marco Blvd. which was nothing but stellar and incredibly delicious!

If you’d like to, read this google doc about what’s happening with Stem Cell Research and the National Institute of Health: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd5vs2xt_0hkwp6xd8

Should you want to express your opinion on stem cell research, say it loud: http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm
(the link to Neil’s post is here as well. )

Secondly, I’ve started following the updates of Urban Sketchers. I have always had an immense fascination with other peoples’ sketchbooks and seeing how other artists sketch, doodle, etc. Check it out, I’m in love with it and enjoy most of the sketchers who post.

I’ve also been checking out the new stuff James Greene has been working on over at Valuistics, and really digging the Road Window series. Check it out!

And a few update related notes… I’m still waiting on some sweet new interviews to show up in my inbox, as soon as I get them back they’ll be up! As I said before I’ll be expanding the blog to food as well. We’re in the process of testing jams and recipes to possibly sell at RAM. Last weekend we made Orange Strawberry Preserves which turned out splendidly! A little Cointreau added so much flavor and body to it. I’ll start blogging some of my favorite recipes as well as reinvented, healthier ones as I make a rather large life change involving eating locally and tremendously better than I ever have. But that is for another post.

Enjoy the week and this cool weather we’re having!

With the election of Barack Obama, I’ve noticed a change already. When can you remember the President-Elect creating a website for the transition into office? [http://www.change.gov] For those who believe in him, there’s excitement brewing. There is hope. For the first time in 8 years, an intelligent and well-spoken man has been elected as President. That in itself is exciting. He’s bringing his own change, and I’m also excited to see what happens. 

My hope is that we aren’t disappointed as a nation. I hope that these changes Obama brings really do help our country get out of this recession, and get people to give a shit. The election itself did this, and did it well. The number of votes cast was astounding… in the range of 127 million. We almost beat the record for voter turnout. It shows that people were sick and tired of how things were going, and they want this change. 

I am sincerely excited about what is to come, and I hope it brings some great changes. 
I’m also disheartened to see that Florida, Arizona, and California all have now banned gay marriage and defined it as between a man and a woman only. I’m saving this one for another rant… as I live in Florida, I’m definitely considering moving because of this decision. I honestly can’t believe it passed in all three states, and with such a high percentage that it did in Florida (63%).

Almost 2000 years ago, the Romans conquered much of Britain, which included much of the Celt population. Samhain was merged with another fall roman holiday honoring Pomona, goddess of fruit and trees, which supposedly is where bobbing for apples comes from. When the Romans became Christians, the holiday got another twist. November 1st used to be All Hallow’s, a day for celebrating saints and martyrs. October 31st was known as All Hallow’s Even (old school for evening). Thus, it became Halloween. As the years passed, the religious connotations dropped away, the trick-or-treating began through a community feel for the holiday. 

Then sadly, it became a commercial holiday like all the others. Candy companies make money because many households buy bags upon bags of candy to pass out. Even Hallmark makes bank on Halloween cards. It’s not about the dead anymore, not about saints or martyrs, it’s about candy and costumes, and in many cases, getting drunk.

(sources: mental floss magazine, wikipedia)