On Getting It Right

 A trend that should end with the year: The influencer food critic.

The phrase 'go with your gut' has a great many more implications in the food world than most other places, but something all too readily forgotten is the reason it exists in the first place. It comes chiefly from persons of vast experience and expertise who subconsciously drew upon and analyzed those things in their decision making, resulting in more rapid, decisive action than might have been expected. The current common (mis)interpretation is near the reverse- it's used to justify 'shooting from the hip', imprecise decisions with limited information, time, and thought.

It's not that I don't understand it- the general public wants to be heard, so they look for those in which they see some fragment of themselves. Problem is, they aren't willing to accept a feeling of inadequacy, so they pin their attention and faith to the inadequate. Many things are popular because they speak to a familiar outlook or experience- but familiar doesn't mean worthwhile. Being the everyman only matters if it offers something worthy of attention, and there's a lot of improvement that needs to happen to the general public before that's reliably possible.

Listen to experts. Learn the principles behind what's good, why it's good, and do the work to appreciate it that way. Don't take the word of just anyone- especially someone TikTok tells you to.

I'm going to spend my last day of 2023 with a bottle of prosecco, making a very nice dashi for some 年越し蕎麦. A little East, a little West, and a lot of real expertise.

Christmas Humor

 

You know why Christmas is so popular in Japan?

Because it's exactly like Japan.

It's a bunch of customs and miscellany pilfered from other places and times that did it first, and then tweaked harder than a Ph.D's bibliography page.

Anyway- Merry Christmas, everyone.
Here's one of my favorite instrumentals, first introduced to me by an old friend.

Weather!

Dammit, I moved to California so I wouldn't have to deal with weather.

Of course, I grew up around contractors and landscapers, so I learned to deal with weather when it happens.

Whoever renovated this place quite clearly did not. I've spent the entire day stuffing towels in the window frames because there's more dripping and leakage than there is dry space, and it sometimes comes so fast I've had to wring out towels before putting them in the wash.

I bet gutters and a mild slope on the roof might have helped. I bet a sloped grade and a catchbasin for the parking area wouldn't have hurt either. I bet properly sealing the fucking window frames would have done some good too!

Wonder what the 'maintenance' crew will have to say about it. Assuming they ever appear.

Helping With Holidays: Learning to Host

There's a reason so many holiday disasters show up in movies, romcoms, and sitcoms- the general public unreservedly empathizes. Why? Because they don't know how to entertain! The craft of hosting is not as commonly learned or practiced a skill as it ought to be, which is how I've been keeping the lights on lately.

People have been asking me over for my How To Holiday consultation. The concept is pretty straightforward from my end- are you entertaining for the first time in a while, and think you might be in over your head? Have me come visit! For a modest fee, I take a thorough look at your house, decor, arrangements, kitchen, menu, guest list, and whatever else we think needs checking over. Then, together, we make a plan to help you pull it all off without a hitch. I get to eat that week, and they get peace of mind in an otherwise very stressful time. Simple, right?

Well... yes, once you get the basics down.

The notion of spectacle gets everybody from time to time, and it's really easy to give in to ambition, take a leap of faith, and faceplant in front of everybody you were trying to impress. So the first thing to do is Avoid That, and the best way to do that is to keep things simple, and play to your strengths. 

Got a nice house? Decorate without being gaudy, and make it as accessible as possible. Spacious kitchen? Consider bringing the party in there. Love to cook? Lean into it. But above all else, do these things carefully. 

• Fancy decorations? Might get broken if your guests have young children. Know your guests.
• Party in the kitchen? Make sure there's space for everyone, and that there's plenty of food that doesn't need cooking so the mess stays minimal. 
• Doing a whole lot of cooking? Figure out what can be done ahead, so you can spend more time with the people you really want to see while you enjoy yourselves together- last minute touches are all well and good, but not at the expense of your guests.
• How long is everyone over for? Think about traffic, travel, and relative sobriety.
• Shoe space, coat space, fridge space, freezer space, closet space, parking space, it's all important.
• What's on the radio, stereo, or TV? 
• How are you and yours dressing? What mood are you trying to set?

This is just the start of it, really. Learning how to think like a host isn't difficult, exactly, but it does require a measured, thoughtful approach. Once your party's over though, you've learned what worked, what didn't, why, and how to make it better next time. These are skills you can apply over and over again no matter where you are. 

The greatest gifts, after all, are knowledge and understanding.

In Memoriam

You always loved to sleep. You were ready when it was time for the endless one.

Goodbye, Mocha. Uncle Wolfy loves you, now and always.