Eat Out - Indonesia Restaurant in South Philly

Indonesia Restarant
South Philadelphia
with +Farda Qayyum 

Taste - 8

Health - 5

Value - 7

Service - 7

Overall - 7

http://www.yelp.com/biz/indonesia-restaurant-philadelphia

Suggested Drinking:
Es Lechi  (Lechi Iced Tea)
Riesling (White wine)

In the not-so-touristy part of South Philly, somewhere near Passyunk and Broad, is this very nice little restaurant tucked away.  I say little because it doesn't have a huge presence in the neighborhood, not because it isn't physically large.  I hear there is a bigger room upstairs.

We had passed this Restaurant while driving several times before, and thought that it looked good.  We were not disappointed, from the time we walked in until the time we left.  It was an authentic and very pleasant experience.   And the food was pretty darn good, also.

For those of us who are fortunate enough to love both Indian food and Asian cuisine, the Indonesian palette appeals to both tastes.  My dish was exceptional in that regard.  The Nasi Campur, what i dubbed the tour dish, was a delicious selection of several types of Indonesian foods.  While most of the samplings relied on the sauce for the flavor, like Indian food, there was also the refreshing snap and texture more fitting of an asian dish.  I was thrilled.

We also had the Sate Kambing, or Lamb Satay, as a side dish.  They pack a lot of flavor into that little stick of meat.  Taken with some peanut sauce, or their extra-hot sauce, it is excellent.  Eat it slowly.

For dessert, we shared the coconut milk with tropical fruit.  It was refreshing and tasty, with an interesting texture.  And the tropical fruit flavors were mixed wonderfully.  A great way to end a taste-heavy meal.

Writing in the Morning

It's hard to do.

I suppose that there is a physiological reason for it.  I assume our brains are programmed to start working in the morning.  The caveman needs to go out and catch his breakfast before he can sit and ponder how to make new tools.  Only with full bellies and a content disposition on the animal needs of our bodies can our minds be clear.

And yet, I want to do it.  What can be done to help me get writing in the morning?





img attribution: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunrise_over_the_sea.jpg

Grant's Family Reserve - Drinker's Review

Grant's Family Reserve
Scotch Whisky

Character – 8
Finish – 7
Taste – 6
Value – 7
Overall - 7




Here is a specimen of modest means.


With the unique bottle and the bold label, you've probably seen this
one somewhere in the middle shelves as you were going for the other
Scotch that you wanted.  I’ve done the same thing several times.  But,
feeling bold and seeing that the brand was marked down, I took the
opportunity to try something new.

Perhaps as a calling to my college days, as well as my jitters about
an unknown sip, I chilled the bottle before drinking.  Poured over the
rocks.

First sip was surprisingly pleasant.  The smoothness of the blend
makes for a delicate entry, and there was a nice lightness to the
drink.  There is a noticeable vanilla note, which I consider the
defining aspect of the whisky.  But there are also notes of woodiness,
fruitiness, as well as a few sweet florals.  The overall experience is
therefore complex, but not unpleasantly so; a fairly polished blend.
Finish was not the smoothest, but certainly good for a non-premium
bottle.

Overall, quite good.  I would buy it again.  Highly recommended for
scotch drinkers who don’t want to spend $30+ on a bottle.

Great Gatsby Progress: Chapter 8

In my haste to get the book re-read before the release of the movie, I might have gotten carried away.  Good books tend to do that, amirite?

I plan to do a review of the book.  It will probably be more educated than I normally tend to write. 

Hooray

The Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts Presents Its Final emPAFA After Dark/em Event Of The Season, Thursday, May 2

The Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts Presents Its Final emPAFA After Dark/em Event Of The Season, Thursday, May 2

Technorati claim

G7H3SRAFUSQ6

Recommended: " New Publisher Authors Trust: Themselves "

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/business/media/david-mamet-and-other-big-authors-choose-to-self-publish.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Eat Out - Shady Maple

Eat Out -
Breakfast Smorgsboard
+Shady Maple Smorgasbord - Breakfast
East Earl, PA

with +Bradley Rhodes , +Mitch Good

Yelp @ Shady Maple

"How it should be"


Taste - 9
Health - 0
Value - 9
Service - 4
Overall - 5.5


Suggested Drinking:
Ice Water
Orange Juice


The legend returns to make all of southeastern Pennsylvania fat and content!  While no review can actually summarize just what the experience of Shady Maple entails, this picture should help.

Come in, buy your ticket, get seated, and then go get your food.  Get as much as you want, because it is all fried in hand-churned, fresh-from-the-farm butter.  Or, cooked to order by one of the fine chefs.  Want 10 pancakes, swimming in maple syrup?  You got it.  A plate full of bacon?  No problem.  Five donuts, filled with various excellent creams?  By all means.  Or be a man and get all of the above.

Although it is all served in buffet style, they somehow manage to make everything taste super fresh.  Say Mmmmmmm all day.

I hesitate to say anything bad, as it should be obvious!  Dieters beware!

MEGARITA

It's pretty big.  (click to enhance)
Margarita
@ Mixto
with +Farda Qayyum 
Happy Birthfday to me!

An Excerpt from Marcus Aurelius

Brilliant, poigniant, I-wish-I-could-live-like-thisness

"Bear in mind that every man lives only this present time,
which is an indivisible point, and that all the rest of his life is
either past or it is uncertain. Short then is the time which every
man lives, and small the nook of the earth where he lives; and short
too the longest posthumous fame, and even this only continued by a
succession of poor human beings, who will very soon die, and who know
not even themselves, much less him who died long ago."

from Meditations

Recommended: Why Google+ Is the Best Social Platform for Content Marketers

http://www.copyblogger.com/google-plus-content-advantage/

A Thought on Business Stuff

A casual review, I should say.

Fed Officials Split Over End of Bond Buying

^ While I'm not a fan of the political leanings of the NY Times, it's a good article.


According to the Minutes, the floor of quantitiative easing is to continue.  When that will end is hard to say, and will be judged on a very complex set of factors, I'm sure.

What does that say to folks like me, with a casual but vested interest in the future of America's economy?  Slow growth due to a lack of risk-taking, but less risk of a new financial crisis.  Of course, this is elementary to those in finance.

The big picture, in a nutshell.  In my opinion, the economy is becoming reflective of greater society.  That is, there is a sense of entitlement instead of a spirit of ambition.  Growth and success should be a given, not something that needs to be worked for.  Why else would we continue with this program, in the midst of the greatest debt ever known to man? 

I hope that somwehere in the bowels of the Capitol building, there is someone who knows the end game.

^Melodrama is such a weak way to evoke a reaction

Sleep is Excellent

Did you know that most doctors recommend that you sleep every night?

A day without sleep is a day wasted, wandering through the necessary motions, biding the time until some kind of rest can be had.  Don’t tease me with a comfortable chair - my weakness might lead to an embarrassing snore.  A warm room, with an open wall?  Just a good place to lean my back against, let my mouth hang open, and then startle awake with sudden fears of falling (hopefully no one noticed).

Yes, sleep is excellent.  Full, warm, friendly sleep. 

North Korea: Pfft.

When I was a kid, there was a tiny little dog that used to live next door.  A Chihuahua.  From behind the chain-linked fence, that little dog would bark and yip, for as long as it could see me.  It would piss me off with all its barking.  But there was nothing I could do about it, because the dog wasn’t mine.

If it came down to it - I could climb over that fence, chase down that tiny dog and then squelch it with a swift kick.  I might delight in watching it roll and skip across the ground.  And never at any point would I be in danger. 

No, I don’t condone violence to animals.  This is a metaphor.

I'VE BEEN WORKIN' FROM SEVEN, SEVEN, SEVEN TO ELEVEN OBABY

Mighty +Led Zeppelin

Recommended: SELF-PUBLISHING IS THE BLAH BLAH AND FLOO-DEE-DOO AND POOP NOISE

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/04/04/self-publishing-is-the-blah-blah-and-floo-dee-doo-and-poop-noise/

"...a fascinating mix of artistic wisdom and business fantasy where anecdotal evidence once more becomes artisanal data and we are told that because you can meet 100 very successful self-published authors that is now officially the way to go and oh, by the way, it’s totally the future of all publishing ever."

Eat Out - Tiramisu Stuffed French Toast

Eat Out
Tiramisu Stuffed French Toast
Day by Day – Brunch
Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

http://www.yelp.com/biz/day-by-day-philadelphia


Taste – 9
Health - 2
Value - 5
Service - 5
Overall – 5.3


Suggested Drinking

Light Roast coffee

Ice Water

Comments

If you wanted decadent, yeah. You'll feel really good after a few bites of this richness. The toast is fresh and crispy. Each one is stuffed with a tiramisu sauce and chocolate chips which are semi-melted. Don't bother with butter or syrup, because the sweetness is already there.

Obviously, this is a guilty pleasure. Low marks for health as this combines lots of fried bread and sugars. Value is decent because you get a lot of food. Service was acceptable for a crowded establishment. Be prepared to wait for weekend brunch.

Eat in - Sausage & Peppers

Eat in
Sausage, Peppers & Green Beans (Bro meal)


Taste - 6
Health - 8
Value - 6
Ease of Prep - 5
Overall – 6.3


Ingredients
1 Fresh Bell Pepper (red or yellow preferred)
1 cup frozen (or fresh) sliced green beans
1 turkey Sausage link
Adobo, crushed red Pepper, red wine (preferably Merlot)


Preparation
Preheat frying pan on low.
Wash and slice bell pepper into ribbons. Place into hot frying pan.
Add green beans. Add ½ inch of water. Add adobo to preferred taste, and stir. Bring water to boil, reduce to low heat, and cover the pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Slice sausage into chunky slices. Add sausage to boiling pan. Add a splash (or two) of red wine. Add crushed red pepper. Stir hot veggies and sauce into sausage.
Reduce sauce, uncovered, until desired consistency - at least 5 minutes.


Suggested Drinking
Becks [German Pilsener]
Diet Coke with Lime


Comments
While this little foray gets high marks for taste and health, it does take at least 15 minutes to prepare. While the veggies are cheap, the sausage is less cheap and the wine may be more pricey (depending on your personal tastes). But this is a no-guilt meal. It is definitely worth doing if you have the time and some red wine in the kitchen.

Eines Mannes Bier!

The Glass says it all.  Helles Lager from +Brauhaus Schmitz

How good was it?

Ich fühlte mich wie durch die Hügel von Bayern schneidigen! Neun von zehn!


(click to enhance)

Day four - a few more in the fold

Two new authors have been invited to contribute!  My lovely girlfriend +Farda Qayyum , as well as my brother +Mitch Good .  If she has time somewhere in her Doctor job, Farda will be helping me delve into some Urdu!  Mitch was invited to contribute his talents as a digital artist, including cover art for the upcoming short stories.  Yeah!

Day two - the Author Page

This will also be the landing spot for everything to do with my writing.  I intend to have a small collection of short stories published by the end of May.  I will provide more thorough updates as I finish things up.

Day Two -First ideas

Besides being a repository for my personal ramblings, I hope to publish more formal and fanciful reviews of food that I eat, drinks that I drink, and other things that I do.  I'll try to nail down a scoring system.

Day One - What's going on with this thing?

Originally designed to be a home for my writings, as well as a blog about food and other nice things.  Let's see where it goes.