stars all around

Welcome to yet another sellout at AT&T Park! As many know, today the park was passing out Buster Posey bobbleheads to the first 25,000 fans to enter the park. And as many participated themselves, this means it's time to patiently wait in lines that wrap around the park and stretch out to the Bay Bridge. But this time the line was multiplied - after all, Buster Posey is the all-American breakout star of last year who can catch, bat, and throw like a machine. He has the fairytale story of rapidly climbing up the ranks of Minor League Baseball, winning the World Series with his first team, and on top of that winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He is a star "discovered" on the team of our city and he's not at all flashy about this prowess at the plate. He is a hero on the recovery. And it doesn't hurt that he drinks from the fountain of youth with an equally cute wifey to match - who is preggers with twins! So yes, we expected this line to be visible from Coit Tower.

We got to the end of a line around 2:40 PM and ended up waiting somewhere between the Bay Bridge...

... and Pier 28.

And this was one hell of a line! Even after we started moving, the line didn't shrink! Usually the line doesn't grow as fast as it moves!

the suckers behind us

Once we settled in, we were treated to a very special moment for one of my favorites. Today it was officially announced that Pablo "Panda" Sandoval will join the National League at the All-Star Game! He has certainly made up for any shortcomings last year with his rebooted batting average and catlike reflexes.

Panda will appear in the All-Star Game for the first time!

Panda was all over the field today! Not only did he hit a double and contribute to the first scoring streak, he has also lengthened his hits in consecutive games. And while playing at first base, Panda ran to catch foulouts, dove to stop grounders (today, unsuccessfully,) and jumped to catch popflies. Panda can move!

clapping for himself while on second... an act only a panda could get away with!

Homegrown hero Nate Schierholtz batted in the cleanup position today and hit 4 for 4!

Nate the Great!

Some weren't 100% sure that Buster was even here - you might argue that his time might be better spent in physical therapy - but midway through the game the camera panned to a smiling Posey in the dugout. Once his face hit the jumbotron the crowd went wild!

Buster in the house!

The thoughtful people behind the jumbotron program also showed live footage of the last launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis...

Houston, we have blastoff!

Nate and Panda may have been standouts today but truly, everyone was a star. There's no surprise that we won when the whole team works so well together. Torres, Fontenot, Crawford, and the indefatigable Whiteside were all nailing hits... even Matt Cain ripped the ball a few times. The bullpen kept the Mets in the dugout. And the game was finished by none other than International Closer of Epic-ness, Brian Wilson!

jump!

Matt Cain claimed 4 Ks, Afledt and Romo added one apiece, and Brian Wilson left three batters whiffing.

looks like a fan has made off with one of Cain's K's!

WIN! Perfect way to head into the All-Star break!

The swag:

not a bad dupe at all!

While taking out her bobblehead, Speedy accidentally broke off the PG&E logo on the corner of the base. I just might make like her and chip the little logo off myself!

Go wherever the road takes you

... and whatever establishment for which your friends have acquired a promotional coupon.

It so happens that Cabbage did indeed have promotional coupons for this eatery called Currylicious on College Avenue in Oakland, which happens to have some of the best South Asian food around (that's right, stop abusing your tongue and get out of Naan 'n' Curry!)

L to R: garlic naan, fish karahi, lamb vindaloo, and chicken tikka masala.
And rice!

more garlic naan, some shrimp biryani, and more chicken TK!

It's really hard to mess up chicken tikka masala so that was an obvious winner. What stood out for me was the shrimp biryani because it wasn't greasy, it had a spicy kick at the end, and it wasn't the color of yellow turmeric powder. I'm also glad that I picked the fish karahi because this sort of sauce has a different taste... more tangy than spicy or creamy. It's also a tasty way to eat fish if you're not a fan of the fishiness of seafood.

Wish this place was in my neighborhood - or at least in the city - but I have a feeling I'll be returning here for the great grub at a better price.

you win some, you lose some

Squeezing three games in the week before the All-Star Break... two down.

 

First off was Tuesday's game when Cain led the Giants against the San Diego Padres. Though we lost this game, we scored some club level tickets on sale and had fun exploring all the cool stuff on display at the Club Level. These seats were in the left field area where there's a bit of an obstruction and you can't see all of the outfield... but it was a nice change from our usual top-deck tickets (AKA the poors.) Also found the actual chairs in the club level to be a bit wider and the rows to have more leg room... it was like upgrading from coach to a premium or business class!

Crazy Crab 

some of the bobbleheads on display in the club level

slightly frightening kewpie-style bobble

some members of the Peanuts gang make an appearance

Willie Mays's bat

one of the champagne bottles popped at last year's clincher

a baseball signed by the legend

classy condiments... note the tomatoes instead of ketchup!

classier condiments

security nabs the field jumper

the first game for my new Chucks

tricked-out Sheboygan bratwurst...
I piled on so many extras that the bread fell apart

Evened out Tuesday's game with a resounding win tonight! Barry Zito continued his triumphant return with another win, supported by a home run from the under-appreciated Eli Whiteside as well as fantastic defense and some fancy footwork from the entire team. Get better soon, Bill Hall!

Also nabbed some great seats for the View Reserve Infield, in row 1! Going to a game this close with my besties - including Padres fan Cabbage - was just what I needed.

the view in Section 318, Row 1!

Zito commands the mound...

and earns 7 Ks

Panda breaks a bat!

I get tons of whipped cream on my hot cocoa!

the most interesting closer in the world, Brian Wilson, makes quick work of the Padres

Giants win 2-1!

One more game to go... I think I'll take Giants games a little less frequently after the All-Star Break... for the sake of Q-Tip and my wallet and just to put an end to feeling like I live in the ballpark.

celebrate our independence

by exercising your dependence on good food and good times! Took Cabbage and a freshly-washed Q-Tip over to Mumsy's house for a good old-fashioned BBQ in the backyard, done our way:

First, a drink...

essentially a mojito with gin instead of rum

Then fire up the grill...

crowd-pleasing Korean-style marinated short ribs, as grilled by my fantastic mom

Then pile the meat as high as you can...

wouldn't you want to scale this mountain?

Eat!

ribs, fried chicken, lettuce and peppers, a little hot sauce and miso paste,
watermelon, and potato salad.
Don't ever forget the potato salad!

Also, don't forget dessert!

whoopie pie for America: graham cracker with strawberry buttercream

And if someone can't handle the fun, let him run free.

Q-Tip watches it all from the deck

Enjoy and celebrate responsibly! Now I'm off to see the neighborly display of fireworks at the end of the block.

striving for perfection

Saw this retro-styled bottle of heavy cream at my local greengrocer... decided to upgrade to the fancy-sounding stuff in a heartbeat.

totally keeping the glass bottle

Can't wait to turn out some extra rich whoopie pies with this ambrosia!

Let's see, I splurged on a nice bottle of heavy cream so now I'm too broke to stock up on other dairy liquids... looks like anytime the recipe calls for milk or buttermilk, I'm subbing in double cream!

Where have I heard this name before? Oh yes, this is the nice milk they serve at Anthony's Cookies.

work with what you got v2.0

I have never watched Rachael Ray religiously - in fact, whenever my mom tried any of her recipes, it usually did not taste very good. However, I do remember this one turkey burger recipe that for Rachael, evokes the feeling of eating in a French bistro... there was a turkey patty seasoned with anchovy paste, there were sauteed mushrooms and probably onions, and definitely a nice toasty bun.

Well after grocery shopping yesterday, I didn't feel like making another trip out to the store. So it's time to work with whatever the hell I already have!

slicing up a sweet onion.
It's organic! That's a big step for me!

seasoning my ground turkey with salt, pepper, paprika, a little anchovy paste, and a spoonful of garlic
because everything tastes better with garlic

shape your patties... I don't have any exact weights or measures,
I just try to make them all roughly the same size

Time for some substitutions... I don't have mushrooms on hand at the moment, so hopefully artichoke hearts will do. They're both soft and flavor-absorbing little things so I think I'm onto something here. As for the goat cheese... well I love cheese and frankly, a burger is just better with cheese.

two of my loves

Picked out a fancy-schmancy looking goat cheese from Basque France (AKA the descendants of a Celtic culture in France) and am very happy with piment d'espelette... I didn't think that any French pepper would be spicy. I assumed it would be similar to paprika, whose red color belies the sweet smokiness of the Hungarian spice. But piment d'espelette packs a bit of a kick in the aftertaste, once the richness of the cheese has left your tongue. Just a little kick, nothing to be afraid of!

cute in the box and spicier than you think

So after roasting some onion slices and heating up the patties in the skillet (they shrink, by the way,) after roasting some golden potatoes in the oven and assembling everything, I came up with this delightful little lunch:

happy face!

I usually don't stray from recipes but I really wanted to try this, especially because I adore artichoke hearts. I love the tender texture of the cheese and artichoke, the sweetness and hint of crunch from the onion, and the savory taste and smell of grilled turkey, all jiving together... next time I'll season the patties better (more garlic?) but this plate is a winner to me!

Although I understand that it's not very colorful and therefore, probably doesn't have a lot of nutrients... I'll fix that by eating some watermelon!

m

quality programming

Stumbled upon an episode of TLC's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, a program that follows the process of planning and properly enjoying the weddings of a marginalized people -predominantly Irish and somehow Romany - in the UK. I'm not completely sure how Irish people got caught up in the gypsy label, except that continental Europeans don't really like gypsies and British people really used to not like Irish people. Anyways, from the little I've seen of the gypsy culture in Britain, the gypsies must be reading the same "Vogue" as the kids from Jersey Shore because everything was a conglomeration of fake bakes and glitzy, gaudy gowns. But these folks are lot more personable than the crazies from Jersey Shore... I think it helps if you don't say stupid things or fight each other.

The only "stupid" thing was that Mary wanted her wedding to be bigger than Will's and Kate's. And so what if that's a tall order? Deep down, most every girl wants their wedding to as big or greater than a princess's.

she even has her own carriage!

It's a shame she had trouble walking down the narrow church aisle in such a poufy dress...

work with what you got

The shop that was installing an alarm system on my car was way tardy about the pick-up time - and those extraneous kids hanging out there and staring at me didn't help the situation. Time for a pick-me-up...

People who live in the nice and sunny areas of the city can go to Bi-Rite Creamery or Humphrey Slocumbe for ice cream but for those on the foggy side of Twin Peaks, it's all about Joe's and Polly Ann's.

I have a soft spot for Joe's on Geary Boulevard... though you may have reservations of an ice cream parlor that also has a grill, I'm pretty sure my first memory of ice cream comes from Joe's at its original location across the street. I was four years old and someone thought it'd be a great idea to get my ears pierced (I think it was Granny's doing.) Anyways, the place was Madame Jade's (which is no longer there on Geary, or anywhere for that matter,) the store was dark and covered in all sorts of beaded mysteries, and Madame Jade was old. Young innocent me had no idea that getting your ears pierced would hurt so much - obviously didn't know what "pierced" meant back then! All I knew was that I'd get to wear all the pretty things my mom had and that I would get my very own pair of princess pink studs.

Needless to say, Madam Jade had a four year-old bawling on the store floor in just five seconds.

Once the deed was done, my father the genius took me to Joe's (back when it was on the corner) and bought me a scoop of strawberry ice cream. The crying ceased soon after.

Polly Ann's on Noriega Street has been serving the Sunset as far back as I can remember. They rotate 48 different flavors in and out everyday and if you can't make up your mind, you can let the stars decide and spin the wheel.

spinnin' wheel, got to go 'round

a sampling of the flavors...
they've got my 3 favorites: mint choco chip, kooky dough boy, and toasted almond

mint choco chip and kooky dough (the dough is on the inside this time)

Also love that when Polly Ann's moved to their current locations (just a few feet down Noriega) they also kept their cheeky wall of one-liners:

love the cheery attitude!