Alvin Mark Tan: Thirty Days on the Camino

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I love the ingenious use of real props to authenticate the experience at the exhibition.

 A journey of any sort is always becomes bigger than the original intention . This goes without saying for an intended pilgrimage.

Local artist and illustrator Alvin Mark Tan when on a peregrino's journey on the Spanish camino down the famous Camino de Santiago this year. His exciting and eventful journey culminated in a book that journaled his adventures visually and textually.

At the launch of his book, I was invited to the event and experienced the journey vicariously through an ingenious use of real equipment used on the actual journey put on display.

Cafe Sketchwalk 4: Teahouses in Chinatown.

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The complete tea set from the first Chinese teahouse - Tea Chapter《茶渊》along Neil Road

Second stop: Yi Xin Xuan《怡心轩》

My first memories of Chinese were of my grandmother preparing them for festivals as offerings to the invisible deities. They were made thick, strong and in copious amounts. We get to drink them later as we feast on the food prepared for the festivities of the day.


My grandmother made copious amounts of Oolong《乌龙》 and sometimes Pu Erh《普洱》. Then was when I acquired my taste for Chinese tea. My grandmother also helped me to acquire my taste for coffee, but that's another story.


In secondary school, my maths teacher introduced me to the idea of the Chinese tea ceremony: a ritual of making tea that slows you down and opens up your senses, making even the tiniest of gestures an amplified motion. Your sense of hearing, tasting and even seeing is suddenly amplified and enhanced. This was then picked up again during my military stint. A group buddies I hang out with are also into tea drinking.


The last introduction came with my current job: my boss is an avid tea drinker and is absolutely fanatic about tea and often urges us to have tea with him. Being in a working enviroenment with a strong Chinese cultural influence also helped to further nurture and mature my understanding of the sensorial expereince and art of the tea ceremony. This culminates in part 4 of my cafe sketchwalk: tea houses.


Spurred by Liz's interest in Chinese teas, I arranged for one during her visit. Much to my delight, we were also joined by Parka, Favian and Su Min. The experience proved to be a wonderfully therapeutic and quieting experience for all those who were there a the sketchwalk. So inspired was I that I went ahead and acquired a set of tea making instruments for my personal exploration and enjoyment at home...
 

the complete tea set	tea set in use	tea and conversation

USK Sketchwalk at Bedok Estate

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The sports area in Bedok estate.

Map of Bedok's sports area

The last sketchwalk of 2012 was held at one of Singapore older estates, Bedok. It also marks the beginning of the third project with Epigram to pictorially record selections of Singapore's estates. The area which my group was tasked to cover comprises the sports area in the estate. This includes the swimming complex, the stadium and sports hall, the tennis courts and the community centre with its basketball court.
Bedok is a neighbourhood in the eastern part of Singapore. Bedok New Town is the fifth Housing and Development Board (HDB) new town; its development started in April 1973 and continued over some 15 years.
The Bedok Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority, encompasses the Bedok New Town itself, the low-rise private residential areas along Upper East Coast Road, and in the districts of Kembangan, Siglap and Telok Kurau, and the high-rise private condominium developments in the eastern part of Marine Parade.
"Bedok" seems to be a very old place name. In the 1604 Manuel Gomes de Erédia's map of Singapore, there is a reference to the Bedok River called sune bodo (Sungei Bedok).
Bedok is one of the early native place names in existence around the time of Sir Stamford Raffles. In the first comprehensive map of Singapore Island completed by Frankin and Jackson and reproduced in John Crawfurd's 1828 book, the place name appears on the south east coast of the island as a river, Badok S. (Sungei Bedok), around the "small red cliff", a part of present Tanah Merah.
The Malay word bedoh refers to a type of slit drum made from a large hollowed log for calling people to a mosque for prayers or to sound the alarm in the days before loudspeakers. There was a prominent mosque in the 1950s at Jalan Bilal that still used the drum about five times a day. The "h" in the word bedoh was replaced with a "k", and, as with most Malay words that end with a "k", it is pronounced with an inaudible glottal stop.
A less popular version refers to an equally uncommon Malay term of biduk, a small fishing boat like the sampan, or more likely, a dugout canoe, as the east coast was dotted with many fishing villages.

Bedok Community Centre

Shade study

Located just minutes away from Bedok MRT station and bus interchange, and opposite the Bedok Swimming Complex, the CC provides a place of fun and games for sports enthusiasts. The CC offers a wide range of sports facilities from gateball courts to sheltered basketball and badminton courts.
Besides sports, there is wireless broadband access throughout the CC.

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Los Angeles

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This year, more than any other year I've taught in South Los Angeles, I've never had so many students come to school hungry. My 2nd grade students were coming in cranky and tired and I had no idea why until I asked them. One of my girls broke down crying saying all she had for dinner were potato chips. It hit me and it hit me hard this year, there are way too many kids growing up hungry. 85% of our student population is on reduced/free lunches here at my school. A large percentage of those students actually rely on their two meals at school and usually go home hungry with little or nothing to eat at home. I've never told Dylan this, but I'd bring extra apples and oranges or our delicious dinner leftovers to school because I know I would have a little one run in with a hungry stomach. We've got some major battles to fight for our youth.

I love everything about Share our Strength and their commitment to ending childhood hunger. It was great seeing our community of eaters, volunteers, chefs and restaurant owners come together to support Share Our Strength at this year's Taste of the Nation Los Angeles.






Susan Feniger and Cochinita Pibil Tostaditas


Horseradish Dusted Braised Short Rib on Smoked Potatoes and Quinn Hatfield


Crème Fraîche Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote


Marcel Vigneron and Thai Shrimp Skewers with POM Spherification


Marinated Hamachi with Cucumber Vinegar, Avocado, Granny Smith Apple and Crispy Chocolate Hazelnut with Chocolate Mousse



Chilled Porcini Soup with Mirabelle Coulis, Foie Gras Chantilly/Espuma and Macedoine Salad, Uni Dressing, Maine Lobster


Albacore Onion




Shortrib Tortelli “Caramelles” with Sweet Corn, Chanterelles, Summer Truffle


Carne Deshebrada with Fresh Guacamole, Chipotle Sauce and Mole Poblano Con Pollo


Cochinita Pibil


Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho


Grilled Pork Sliders,Onion Bacon Jam, Violet Mustard


Charred Beef with Grated Radish


Duck and Fennel Sausage with Grape Apple Slaw


Braised Octopus


Braised and Grilled Piedmontese Beef Cheeks with Lime Hoisin Glaze, Summer Corn Foam, Micro Cilantro


Leffe Blonde


St. Germain Champagne Cocktail


Devon Espinosa


Michael Voltaggio

Giving back never tasted and felt so good. See everyone next year!

The People's Cocktail Competition at Drago Centro

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For four weeks straight, Drago Centro and Michael Shearin, Drago Centro's Sommelier and Beverage Director hosted The People's Cocktail, a weekly cocktail contest held over Twitter. Each Monday they would tweet out a secret ingredient and you have until Friday afternoon to tweet in your recipe. Over the weekend, Michael Shearin and head bartender Jaymee Mandeville worked on the submitted recipes and by Monday afternoon a winner was announced.



Last week, all four winners came together for a final battle for a spot on Drago Centro's summer cocktail list. I ain't gonna lie. I was terrified going up against guys with monikers like SazeracLA, Rumdood and LushAngeles. What did I get myself into???





So thankful my husband Dylan emailed our friends in the area to stop on by. There was a lot of waiting around but with good friends and a stiff Aviation, it was easy to relax and have fun.



My best friends, my husband Dylan and my brother Jeremy. They knew I was nervous but both of them were so encouraging. Love you guys!

Once all the judges arrived, it was time to make cocktails.



Week 1 Chuck Taggart
Secret Ingredient: Blueberries

• 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
• 20 blueberries
• .5 ounce Amaro Ramazzotti
• 1 barspoon (tsp) Trader Tiki’s Cinnamon Syrup
• Lemon peel for garnish
  

In a mixing glass, muddle the blueberries thoroughly in the whiskey. Add the Amaro and syrup, ice and shake for 15 seconds. Double-strain over ice into a large Old Fashioned glass, and garnish with a large swath of lemon peel.

Week 2 Ron Dollete
Secret Ingredient: Fernet Branca

• 1 oz. Fernet-Branca
• 1 oz. Krogstad Aquavit
• 1 oz. Cointreau
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.




Week 3 Matt Robold
Secret Ingredient: Gin

• 2 oz. Bols Genever
• .5 oz. Scotch
• .25 oz. Simple Syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters.

Stir with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.





Week 4 Jeni Afuso
Secret Ingredient: Lemon

• 1/2 fresh peach
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
• 1 oz lemon juice
• Club soda

Muddle the peach with simple syrup. Add the rye and lemon juice. Shake with ice, strain into a tall glass over ice, and top with club soda.




When it was my turn to make my cocktail, all I was left with melted ice and some shaky knees. I don't know how I did it, but I threw out four Momo Rye Fizz's within minutes and even made several drinks for my friends who came.

After the judges, Caroline from Caroline on Crack, Lesley of The Tasting Table, Shauna of The Minty, and Chef Celestino Drago from Drago Centro had time to sip through all the cocktails, they announced Drago Centro's Peoples Cocktail Winner. It was a very close finish, but I was able to push past the big boys and win it with my Momo Rye Fizz. Hooraaaaay!



We spent the remainder of the night celebrating at Caña Rum Bar. Lots of party punch went down. It was truly a great night.

Thanks for reading!

Sale - Sucre

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For some crepe craving in the Heights, we decided to try Sale' - Sucre' on White Oak.The place is tiny and quaint, but if you want to make a reservation, they will accommodate.  To the best seats in the house no less, so for special occasion, it's worth it.I ordered the Beef Bourguignon Crepe.  That's not something you see everyday and oh so French!See, tons of meat and sauce to go with the crepe.  It was filling for sure!For dessert, I had to split banana, strawberry, chocolate sauce crepe.  Tons of whip cream.  I just wanted the chocolate sauce.
We also ordered a side of frites, and it was shoe string style.  They also have a full bar and a big wine list, and if you buy a bottle of wine, you can take it with you if you don't finish.  Of course, you have to answer to the open container law.  They call themselves a pastry shop but didn't see anything in display.  I do know that they do have a nice list of dessert that's not necessary crepes.  I may go back for non-crepe food, the crepes aren't bad but let's say I've had better.  
I will say that pick a time to go where there's not a game or people out partying because parking is limited at their lot and street parking you can forget about since the other party-ers already beat you to it.

Sale' - Sucre'
2916 White Oak
Houston, TX 77007
713-623-1406

Ruggle's Green

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Whenever I have a hinkering for pasta and have to go gluten free, I'd go to Ruggles Green to get my fix.Of course, what's more classic than a big giant bowl of meatball and pasta.  The pasta is quinoa linguini, each of the turkey meatball is huge and filling.  The sauce, I wish it's thicker, but it'll do.  Douse my pasta with tons of cheese will do it for me too!One thing I like about Ruggles Green is that to ensure you are getting a truly Gluten Free dish, they make sure you get one of these cards, so you can rest assured that there's no mixing with the 'bad stuff' in your food.
You can call in and order to go, they are pretty quick about turning it around, and special parking for to go too.
Ruggles Green2311 W. Alabama St.Houston, TX 77098713-533-0777http://www.rugglesgreen.com/