[ m i s t e r s t a r f i s h ]

Cafe Sabarsky

Just had some tasty Sabarskytorte (Chocolate and rum cake) at Cafe Sabarsky inside the Neue Galerie. One of the few places in New York where you feel completely transplanted away from America. link

[ photo by myself ]

Reducing liquid weight in trash

In the old roll of film I recently developed, I found this seemingly mundane photo I shot in Tokyo.

I was having coffee with my sister at a Starbucks that day. As we were about to leave and throw my ice coffee cup away, she pointed out that I should pour the remaining liquid into the a separate trash can first (shown above). It made immediate sense to me. By taking the liquid out, the trash weighs less, it's easier to take out, it emits less carbon to haul the trash to the landfills. I already pour liquid out from containers before throwing out bottles at home as many of you might as well. So why isn't it more common in commercial environments? All the sodas swishing around in tightly sealed garbage bags probably gets broken by the time it gets compacted on the back of garbage trucks but that water weight gets carried to the dump, wasting fuel. It seems like a good idea that we can quickly implement in this country as well.

breakfast

What a wonderful glimpse into people's lives. Beautifully executed by Jon Huck.

breakfast: "

Breakfast | Another fascinating photography project by Jon Huck.

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(Via swissmiss.)

Indian food wasn't spicy 500 years ago?

Heard on KCRW's wonderful all about food show Good Food (if you haven't done so already, you have to listen to the podcast):

"Most Americans are familiar only with Punjabi cuisine from the north of India. Culinary historian and Bengali food expert Chitrita Banerji, who has traveled throughout India, introduces us to that country's many other regional cuisines in Eating India. Chitrita says that many different cultures have impacted Indian cuisine. The Muslims introduced more meats and various ways of preparing it.

The Portuguese made the greatest impact in the 15th century because they brought the chili pepper. Before their arrival, all the heat in Indian cuisine derived from ginger and black pepper."

Fascinating. Her book Eating India: An Odyssey into the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices is definitely going on my wishlist.

Japanese beer for children - Kodomo no nomimono

Only in Japan....

[from kilian-nakamura.com]Japanese beer for children - Kodomo no nomimono: "

Can you imagine these products being marketed overseas? With so much concern about ‘the children’ these days we doubt that fake beer for kids would make it past the pitch stage at any beverage company. Well, almost any company. Sure, there’s the sparkling grape juice that kids sometimes get on New Years Eve in lieu of champagne, but to have it specifically marketed to kids is a different matter. While Americans would likely overreact and freak out, we haven’t seen any such reaction here in Japan and these drinks have been out for a couple of years now.

Sangaria started their line of fake alcoholic drinks for kids with Kodomo no nomimono (Children’s drink), and has been successful enough to offer it in bottles, cans, and even six-packs. They also expanded the product line to include children’s versions of wine, champagne, and cocktails. The beer, flavored like apple juice, even foams at the top when poured into a glass!

Doesn’t the kid with the onigiri look alot surlier with a beer in front of him?

The differences between the West and Japan are often highlighted the most in the little things in life, and this is definitely one of them. Japan is well known for its group drinking culture, and this is actually a great way to include the kids during family celebrations. These are even sold at restaurants, which is ideal since most parties in Japan are done outside of the home. Of course, if find your four-year-old passed out in front of the TV with a pile of empty fake beer cans around him, it might be time for a kodomo no intervention.

Posted by Michael Keferl
Pictures of children via Sangaria

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(Via Trends in Japan - Tokyo Blog.)

Technorati Tags: japan, food culture, humor, children, drinks, beer

Sick Sheep Eat Their Way to Better Health

Fascinating report from Science Network Western Australia (link). I imagine it being similar to Orangutans eating certain leaves to cure stomach aches. I guess very creature seems to have their instinctive way to keeping themselves healthy. Makes me wonder about natural remedies out there in the wild instead of depending on my medicine cabinet.

Sick Sheep Eat Their Way to Better Health!: "

Australian scientists found out how sick sheep heal themselves: they eat things that make them feel better, and they learn it from their moms!

Sheep, he says, are smarter than we think. 'There is something called nutritional wisdom and it means that sheep, like other animals,have the capacity to make a choice,' he says. …

‘It could be that sheep need certain medicinal paddocks where we take them to self-medicate … or it could be that they need ongoing low-level intakes of certain plants to keep parasites at bay,’ he says.

Link

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(Via Neatorama.)

Technorati Tags: herbal, health, sheep, chicory

Wordless Pancake Recipe

Wordless Pancake Recipe: "

How do you communicate ideas without language? Say, for instance, how would you give directions on making pancakes without using words? Take a look: Wordless Pancake Recipe [Flickr]

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(Via Neatorama.)

Instant ramen (noodles) inventor Ando dies at 96

The inventor of instant ramen Momofuku Ando died today. For better or worse, he changed the eating habits of millions of people when he launched the Nissin Chicken Ramen in 1958. Here's the article link from Yomiuri Shinbun. I'm sure many otakus and college students are raising their styrofoam bowls in his honor.
A few cool ramen sites: ramen blog, world ramen.net, Instant Ramen Facts, and a nice tribute to the art of ramen on the nytimes.

Technorati Tags: japan, ramen, noodles, nissin, instant, food culture, cup noodles

Have a Kentucky Fried Christmas

Well, it's that time of the year again. Time to gather around the family table by the tree and share a traditional... bucket of KFC. Yes, if you're in Japan, that's often the case. And if you actually want to make sure you come home with that Colonel Sanders bucket with a Santa hat, you better reserve it weeks in advance.

It's the one story about Christmas in Japan I tell my friends that seem to get the most looks of disbelief so I'll share it here. Apparently this seemingly odd (but perfectly accepted in Japan) phenomenon started in 1974 as KFC started its first Christmas marketing campaign. Back then, the Japanese didn't eat fried chicken the way Americans do nor did they celebrate Christmas as widely either. The newly introduced fast food chain saw an opportunity to create enthusiasm around both after a regional manager took a hint from a foreigner in Tokyo commenting "Since I can't get a turkey in Japan, I'll get some chicken at KFC for Christmas." Imagine a TV commercial of a "typical" American family gathered around a Norman Rockwell Christmas eve, complete with tree, fireplace, stockings, reindeer sweaters and of course, a bucket of KFC on the table. This image resonated on Japanese minds and soon the red and white bucket became a staple in Japanese homes.

Here's the link to the current commercial on air in Japan. (link)

Happy Holidays everyone. Hope you're enjoying your bucket of KFC, where ever you are.

Technorati Tags: christmas, kentucky fried chicken, kfc, japan

How many calories have you eaten?

Here's a great way to keep track of how much chocolate you're eating (or would you rather not know?) If only potato chips came with such information...

How many calories have you eaten?: "

From Italian ADF (Agencia per il Disegno & la Funzione) via via Coolfinds via Elmanco.

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(Via swissmiss.)

Technorati Tags: chocolate, diet