Beethoven In Trance - Episode 25

The joy and pain of cooking...

I don't have to explain to you the joy of cooking as it's a book by itself. But why the pain? The struggle of creating the new cuisine, the unbearable sight of colleagues biting into Chipottle every noon, the uncontrollable desire to clean up each every corner of the kitchen and polish all the stainless steel cookware before sleep, or the ever-lasting pursuit of a 'better' piece of cookware.

Wondering if those people working in AllClad or Calphalon share the same pain... guess not.

An article on eGullet about stovetop cookware is indeed an eye opener to me. It's a much deeper thesis on cookware. Felt like graduating from the class after reading the whole thing. No wonder it's called 'eGullet Cuilinary Institute'.

The satisfaction of knowing worn out quickly, turned into a rush of adrenaline into the head calling out for owning. Then the concious kicked in and supressed impulse and cooled down the mind. $150 for a piece of stainless steel and aluminum, ARE YOU NUTS?!

I keep a list for tracking all the cookware I bought over the years. It's a long one, and the total amount spent broke a record that I could not imagine. How in the world I spent that much money?

After the guilt slowly washed out, the self-remedy mechanism started the operation. Have I been enjoying what I owned? Well, yes, I have some good time with them. But I don't feel like I have used the best out of them yet as I have so many pieces to choose from, each one is enjoyed a few times but none is used extensively not to mention abused. Involuntarily, I have been protecting those metals...

Tracing the sadness, it's not difficult to find that my income can no way fulfill my wish list in the kitchen in any time soon. So how to quench the thirst, other than staring at the pictures online and posting blogs?

The kitchen syndrome...

Stop.

I can hardly recognize my friends in Shanghai now as they are changed much. Shiny and glamorous, almost a 'wow' as I open their pictures. Are they changed or am I?

Cowboy beebop. Suddenly this name appreared in my mind. It is'my favorate Japanese Manga TV series. The reason it came up is because I was viewed as a 'countryboy' now by a friend of mine back home. Country boy, cowboy, cowboy beebop. Speaking of Cowboy Beebop, I don't know how is one of my friend in Australia doing. We lost contact a while ago since he arrived in Australia.

I guess I just miss my friends.

Really need to install a range hood soon as the burge sets off smoke alarm again tonight... Smokin'..

Beethoven In Trance - Episode 24

Long time...

Glad to see a note left from a friend of mine on my blog. The blog comes to life with the touch of other people...

It's been snowy lately in Cleveland. Cold, wet, and snowy. Went to the high school gym for swimming this noon only found out it was close. School is shut down because of the poor weather. Went out running the other at a temperature of -16C, co-workers called me crazy. YES, I AM. It was a good run, sunny, too sunny too, snow reflected too much sun shine and it hurt my eyes. A scarf is mendatory.

Got a poor PE last year because of my carelessness. Too much fun on the job is not gonna do me any good. Now, I have to buckle up and play catch up. It reminds me my senior year in the high school, battled a whole year to catch up the two years wasted before then.

Therefore, the new year resolution seems to have an update. It will be a year I do my job differently, it's about accuracy and attention to details. The two major weakness of mine. So far the progress is evident but slow. Well, run before I fly.

Started a new show last week - Heroes. Hooked right away. Finishing up Gray's Anatomy Season II at the same time. TV is big now, I remember seeing it somewhere in the news. Many TV stars are entering the big screen in 2007 though. Guess big screen pays better...

Speaking of Heroes, has this idea 'I am a special person with special ability and I will do something extraordinary in my life' ever came into your mind, maybe just for a second, before your rationale knocks on your brain telling you that you are normal and perhaps a dull human being?

Don't know what DJ Tiesto is doing these days. Listening his early album "In my memory", and wonder how his latest installment of the famous "In search of Sunrise" series fall short that much.