Yesterday, September 5, was International Bacon Day. To celebrate this holy occasion, here are some fun, amazing, cool links to bacony resources that my friends have sent me over the years.

• Bacon Lip Balm
• "Bacon Makes Everything Better" t-shirt
  
• Bacon donuts
• Bacon Explosion (bacon wrapped sausage) and here
• Turducken wrapped in bacon (via Bacon Today)
• Bacon and long-life
• Bacon fail (from Failblog.org)
   
• Chocolate Bakon Martini
• Bacon iPhone holder
• Bacon-wrapped Twinkie Baconhenge
   
• Chocolate-Bacon Cupcakes
• The Holy Church of Bacon

Thanks to Craig, John, David, Kymberlee, Max, Jack, Kellie, Sandi, and Sylvain! I love my awesome friends!

Enjoy your bacon!

Our friend Barbi took the whole family and our mutual friend Kellie out crabbing this weekend on her little speed boat. We put the boat in at Camano Island State Park and motored up the west side of the island on a lovely afternoon. We picked (somewhat arbitrarily) a spot to test our luck. We assembled the two traps, baited them with chicken legs, and then tossed them into the water, hoping to lure a few of the yummy Dungeness crabs in.

After an hour or so of waiting (which we filled with a great picnic lunch Michelle prepared, some fishing, and some lazy conversation), we went back to our buoys and pulled up the traps.

We had a pretty lucky day -- crabs in each trap! We pulled out the keepers (at least 6.25 inches across and male) and reset the traps. We did this a few times (with the intervals between checking going down over time...) We wound up taking nine crabs and a bucket of seawater back to the beach with us.

Here's Andrew helping tie down the traps on the foredeck.

We pulled the boat out, cleaned the crabs on the beach, and then cooked them right there at the park in the seawater. Seven minutes later, they came out of the water perfectly done.

We scarfed down crab after crab, pausing only long enough to wash them down with cold beer. It was gluttonous and luxurious is a way that no five-star meal could ever be. I've never tasted a sweeter, more delicious crab (or three) in my entire life. Here's Barbi happily slurping her crab down as she chucks the shells into the tall grass.

The boys ate a little crab too, but they were happiest building driftwood shelters on the beach and enjoying their ice cream bars. Something for everyone I guess.

It was really one of the most memorable meals of my life (and I've had a lot of fantastic meals as you probably know...) I love Washington and our generous friends!

I need one of these. A lot.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/news/20090704p2a00m0na013000c.html

Ramen robot replaces fleshy chef at Yamanashi eatery

A robot pours soup in a ramen bowl at "Momozono Robot Ramen," a ramen shop in the Yamanashi Prefecture city of Minami-Alps, as shop owner Yoshihira Uchida looks on. (Mainichi)

MINAMI-ALPS, Yamanashi -- "Momozono Robot Ramen," a ramen shop that opened here in November last year, is gaining popularity not only for its delicious ramen noodles, but for its robotic chef.

The ramen-making robot was built by 60-year-old shop owner Yoshihira Uchida, who spent about 20 million yen on its construction. Customers can place their orders on a computer in the shop, customizing various aspects such as the levels of soy sauce, salt, and richness of the soup. Uchida says there are 40 million different flavor permutations.

The noodles themselves are cooked by a human, with the robot creating a perfectly blended soup which is then delivered to the human chef via a conveyor belt, who adds the noodles and toppings. The whole process takes only about two minutes, a minute shorter than instant cup noodles. Prices of ramen per bowl are 500 yen for regular size and 300 yen for small size.

Uchida developed a love of electronics during elementary and junior high school, which he went on to study at the Musashi Institute of Technology (now Tokyo City University) and the University of Toyama's graduate school, focusing on electronic circuits and motors. After graduating, Uchida worked on noodle-packing machines at a food manufacturer until he retired from the company last year.

While working for the company, Uchida, a huge noodle lover, opened a soba noodle shop 10 years ago. He later started to make ramen -- which received mixed comments from friends, with some saying the taste was strong, and others too weak. In the end, Uchida hit upon the idea of creating a robot that can allow customers to choose the flavor they want.

Uchida began to develop the robot at his home in around 2003, asking an iron foundry to produce the specialist parts he needed. He finally completed the robot in November last year, but suffered teething problems: ramen with no taste, and computer crashes caused by spilled soup. After repeated repairs, however, Uchida finally managed to iron out the bugs.

He's now aiming at automating the addition of noodles and toppings, and shrinking the robot itself. He is also planning to open his second ramen shop in Kofu possibly by the end of this year.

"I want to mass produce the robot in the future and leave my mark out there," he says.

(Mainichi Japan) July 4, 2009

Our friend Kellie invited Michelle and me to an incredible wine tasting event - the Garagiste Great Producers Tasting. Garagiste is a small company who sources interesting wines from around the world and then sells them via their mailing list. This tasting event was held in their warehouse in Seattle; definitely nothing fancy. But, for $175, they poured dozens of amazing bottles of wine for the 40-50 people who attended; they maybe had one bottle of each wine, so not everyone got to try everything, and we really got just a taste of each. However, I've never had so many old and (in many cases) rare wines.

 

The theme of the evening (revealed at the end of the night) was "Is it worth it?" In the tastings (some blind) they laid out comparable wines from different areas, producers, or eras. I admit my taste buds are simply not tuned enough to discern what was so great about many of the old wines; the bouquet was often lovely and I loved the brownish color of the old wines, but the flavor was often disappointing to me. Still, I loved the opportunity to learn about the wines (Jon Rimmerman, the owner, presented detailed backstory on the wines and delivered the talks with obvious passion).

My favorite of the evening was a 1978 Chateau Montelena Cab from Sonoma. Absolutely delicious. Some of the other notables in the line-up were 1947 Bourdy Cotes du Jura, 1989 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay (the Australian white that stunned and outraged everyone in blind competition in France), 1966 Grands Echezeaux, a pair of 1942 Spanish wines - Bosconia and Tondonia (interesting how they had to scrounge for bottles during the war), 1982 Sassicaia from Italy (yum), 1982 Yarra Yering (the wine that helped really put Australia on the wine map), a pair of Celestins Chateauneuf-du-Pape (contrasting different styles of Chateauneuf from different eras - 1978 vs. 1998), and an amazing '94 Dunnhoff Auslese. Oh, he also poured some DRC, Screaming Eagle (pretty universally panned that night), and Chateau Lafite.

I think if I knew more about wine (especially old wine) I would have been even more impressed; I didn't get to ooh or ah with everyone else when the wines were announced. Once we move back to Seattle, I'll undoubtedly sign up for the mailing list. The write-ups are fascinating and educational; I just can't handle more email that I can't act on right now though.

It was a great experience. I'm definitely inspired to learn more now.

(For the record, my answer to the question "are they worth it" is no. The stories and history were fascinating, but none of the bottles were worth hundreds or thousands of dollars to me.)

My old high school friend Brian Risch posted this awesome quiz. While I love burgers, I'm clearly still a newbie in Brian's world, only scoring in the "Working up the burger food chain" category. What's your score?

[Thanks, Brian! -- BTW, it's worth checking out Brian's site. He's always been an interesting guy -- Materials Science PhD, competitive power lifter, hunter, and general crazy dude.]

How Well Do You Know Your Burger ?

• You have consumed a burger with two or more patties (1 point)
• You have consumed a burger with cheese on it (1 point)
• You have consumed a burger with an egg on it (2 points)
• You have consumed a burger with pork products on or in it (bacon, sausage, etc.) (1 point)
• You prefer to cook your own burgers. (1 point)
• You use fire (1 point)
• The fire department has been called when you were cooking burgers (2 points)
• They stayed for the burgers (3 points)
• You have a burger “recipe” (1 point)
• You have more than 6 burger “recipes” (3 points)
• You have had family arguments about what burger “recipe” you would be making (2 points)
• You have at least three distinct recipes for “cheeseburgers” that require specific cheeses (i.e. bleu cheese burger, jalapeño Jack burger, cheddar burger, gouda burger, etc.) (2 points)
• You have made a trip to the store because you did not have the specific type of cheese required for your burger (1 point)
• One or more of your burger “recipes” includes exotic meat such as buffalo, elk, venison, moose, or mutton (3 points)
• You know what mutton is (1 point)
• You know where to get buffalo, elk, venison, moose, or mutton (1 point)
• You own your own meat grinder (2 points)
• You use it to make your favorite burger (3 points)
• You do not know where your burger meat comes from other than “the restaurant” or “the supermarket”(-1 point)
• Your favorite burger is made of soy, tofu, or some other non-meat product. (-5 points)
• You do not know what meat your burger is made of (-3 points)
• You know the woods or pasture where your burger came from (3 points)
• You harvested the meat for your burger yourself (5 points)
• You know who butchered your meat (2 points)
• You butchered your meat yourself (5 points)
• You prefer a nice cold beer as your beverage of choice to wash your burger down (1 point)
• You make your own beer (2 points)
• Catsup, pickles, and onions are the only toppings you have on your burger. (-1 point)
• The name of one of your favorite burger toppings includes the word “devil”, “fire”, “flaming”, “hell”, or “insanity”. (2 points)
• To get “just the right taste” you make your own “special sauce” including at least one ingredient that includes the word “devil”, “fire”, “flaming”, “hell”, or “insanity”. (3 points)
• One or more of your burger toppings comes with a warning label. (2 points)
• You have consumed burgers made from at least 3 classes of animals (i.e. bird, fish, mammal, reptile) (3 points)

More than 40 points: You are hardcore.

30 to 40 points: Master burger chef

20 to 30 points: Good healthy meatatarian.

10 to 20 points: Working up the burger food chain

5 to 10 points: Burger “newbie”

< 5 points: What’s the use, go vegetarian.

I saw these slabs of marble at a local market and got very hungry.

I knew it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/5118283/Bacon-sandwich-really-does-cure-a-hangover.html

Researchers claim food also speeds up the metabolism helping the body get rid of the booze more quickly.

Elin Roberts, of Newcastle University's Centre for Life said: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol but it does increase your metabolism helping you deal with the after-effects of over indulgence. So food will often help you feel better.

"Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good."

Ms Roberts told The Mirror: "Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of aminos which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."

Researchers also found a complex chemical interaction in the cooking of bacon produces the winning combination of taste and smell which is almost irresistible.

The reaction between amino acids in the bacon and reducing sugars in the fat is what provides the sandwich with its appeal.

Ms Roberts said: "The smell of sizzling bacon in a pan is enough to tempt even the staunchest of vegetarians. There's something deeper going on inside. It's not just the idea of a tasty snack. There is some complex chemistry going on.

"Meat is made of mostly protein and water. Inside the protein, it's made up of building blocks we call amino acids. But also, you need some fat. Anyone who's been on a diet knows if you take all the fat from the meat, it just doesn't taste the same. We need some of the fat to give it the flavour."

She explained that the reaction released hundreds of smells and flavours but it is the smell which reels in the eater. "Smell and taste are really closely linked," she said. "If we couldn't smell then taste wouldn't be the same."

Just like my Facebook ramen tip, I got a great recommendation for a sake shop from my old friend (and sake expert) Bruce after I mentioned I was in Tokyo (on my last trip actually). So, after our Ippudo ramen dinner, my friend Shinji and I headed over to Fukumitsuya, which was nearby the restaurant in Ginza. (I had actually tried to go the night before with my colleague John, but we got there too late.)

Fukumitsuya is a sake brewery founded in 1625; this is one of three of their retail shops. They have a tasting bar and a retail section full of great sake and lovely sakeware made from ceramic, glass, pewter, and even silver.

We were helped by the very kind and patient Otsu-san, helped by Shinji's translation skills. As we discussed more and showed our appreciation, Otsu-san started pouring more and more expensive sakes for us, ending with this amazing 20 year old Momotose, which was a deep amber color and sherry-like in nose and flavor. I've never had anything like it. She also highly recommended the Hatsugokoro Midorigura 7 year old sake; this is a daiginjo, the highest grade of sake where the rice is milled down to at least 50% of the original size. It was really delicious as well, with a full, round taste that filled my mouth and nose. Kind of hard to describe.

Most sakes are meant to be consumed young, so it's somewhat unusual to see old sakes like this, especially the 20 year old (they had 30 year old sake too.) Shinji was impressed anyway. These were pretty expensive as far as sake goes (~USD$85 for a small bottle of the Momotose and ~USD$150 for a 720ml bottle of the Hatsugokoro), but I figured I couldn't find anything like this in Seattle or Beijing, so I bought a bottle of each to share with my sweetie. Affordable and memorable luxury. (I'd rather have one bottle I'll remember forever than 5-6 bottles I'll forget once the hangover wears off.)

I also picked up a tasty bottle of plum shochu. (Shochu is a distilled Japanese spirit, like vodka but weaker). It'll be great mixed with soda on the rocks. I topped off my shopping splurge with an elegant silver flask/pitcher thing and two egg-like ceramic cups. It took a lot of restraint to not buy more, frankly. I could easily have spend a zillion dollars here.

It was a very enjoyable shopping experience. They have a restaurant upstairs too, which I'd like to try sometime too. I'll definitely be back.

You can read more about the shop (in English!) on Tokyo Qool. (I tried the pink Nipponia Nippon they mention in the article too -- delicious.)

Fukumitsuya
5-5-8 Ginza
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
03-3569-2291

Thanks to my Facebook update saying I was in Tokyo, I got a hot ramen tip from my friend, George, who I met at Foo Camp a few years ago. So, after work today, I headed out with my old buddy Shinji (we worked together on Works and Picture It! a long time ago) to Ippudo. As it turns out, Ippudo is Shinji's favorite ramen place too. After a bit of navigational confusion, we managed to find the branch in Ginza and headed downstairs into the cellar restaurant.

 
(The Ginza Ippudo from across the street. The entrance is actually behind the truck. The sign says "Your happiness of eating this ramen makes us happy." They must have been very happy after I ate my ramen.)

Ippudo serves Hakata-style tonkatsu (pork) based broth, like my beloved Jangara Ramen. Unlike Jangara's super rich and luscious soup, Ippudo serves a lighter but equally delicious bowl of ramen. I followed Shinji's recommendation to try the akamaru (red sea) style instead of the more traditional shiromaru (white  sea) style. The akamaru is Ippudo's innovation, adding spicy miso and garlic oil to the shiromaru. It was simply great. You can even pick how well cooked you like your noodles (I picked one level harder than normal; not sure why. Normal would probably have been a little better, but it was cool to see how much control and attention to detail they have.)

(Here's my bowl of akamaru before I started eating. The cool copper tumbler is my beer. The pots behind the ramen are different kinds of pickles. The low dish at 12:00 is peeled garlic which you mince with the garlic press at 2:00.)

The gyoza (dumplings like Chinese potstickers) were also amazing, perhaps the best I've ever tasted -- savory filling in a light skin. Ippudo also provides pots of free pickles including these great spicy bean sprouts. Yum, yum, yum, with a side of yum.

There are branches around Japan and now there's a branch in New York, Ippudo NY. The chef, Shigemi Kawahara, won the 2005 Ramen King title. I can see why.

(Here's my before I tuck into my bowl of ramen. The after-action photos are NSFW. The scenes of culinary carnage and self-satisfied food ecstasy are probably best left to the imagination.)

As usual, Rameniac has a much better write-up (from which I liberally drew for this post).

Thanks, George!

This is the third of three articles on great Beijing restaurants in beautiful settings. The others are Duck de Chine and Maison Boulud a Pekin.

 

Green T. House Living

Although we've had Green T. House on our list for a while, Michelle and I stumbled upon it one afternoon as we were exploring a village near our house. This striking, all-white, airy restaurant is set at the back of an industrial-area-turned-art district near Hegezhuang Village in Shunyi (the suburby/farmy area east of Beijing where we live.) It's hidden behind all-white walls and centered in a field of white pebbles; the sidewalk to the building skirts the outside edge of this field.

 

The food is innovative Chinese with European fusion elements. For instance, we had an amazing baked eggplant dish topped with Parmesan cheese (a great match, actually) and colorful steamed man tou (buns) with a pesto dipping sauce (also lovely). The names of some of the dishes are fun too, like "Have you been in contact with fowl in the last seven days?" (a great dish with spicy chicken bits in deep fried tea leaves.) The wine list is also good (if pricey); the cocktails were OK. Service is very good and the staff speak English well. The menus are in English and Chinese.

They're building a bathhouse (spa?) behind the restaurant and will soon start to have tea tastings as well, which should be good. There's a Green T. House in Chaoyang too, which is apparently all black. We'll have to get over there too.

Address: No. 318 Cuige Zhuang Xiang, Hege Zhuang Cun, Chaoyang, Beijing +86-10-6434-2519