Caramelized OpiNIONS - Food blog, frugality, and uncouth social action

Archive for June, 2008

dominion power, global warming, politics

June 30, 2008

Why Protest Dominion Power?

Environmentalist protesters blockaded the Dominion HQ in Richmond. The coverge in the RTD focused on the logistics of the protest, its effect on corporate employees, and included dismissive notes about the ages of the participants. Only two sentences at the end of the article mention their motives or any allusions to their supporting arguments.

Blue Ridge Earth First!, along with another group called Mountain Justice, say the proposed $1.8 billion plant would emit too much mercury and carbon dioxide into the air, promote strip mining for coal in Southwest Virginia and cost consumers too much for electricity. They also protested Dominion’s possible plans to build a third nuclear reactor at its North Anna power plant in Louisa County.

To find out more about the reasoning for these activists’ direct action in opposition to polution-causing coal plants, take a look at their blog right here (including more recent updates). Their perspective is pretty widely shared and really should get more attention. In fact, according to a local blog commentator:

Gray at June 29, 2008 12:07 am :

Okay this is off the subject of city council candidates and please, anyone, feel free to correct any mistakes I make here because I’m writing this from the top of my head and I’m not an environmentalist.

In the past week, James Hansen, NASA climate expert, told congress that if we don’t starting doing something today to reduce CO2 in the world, in ten years “we will be toast” –it will be too late then to reverse the catastrophic climate changes that will occur. He says we should start with getting rid of coal burning plants immediately. They put off more CO2 than gas. Virginia Dominion Power wants to open a coal burning plant in Wise county, VA. Go here. Robert Grey, one of Richmond’s mayoral candidates, is being backed by Dominion Power chief, Tom Farrell (go here).

I know that the mayor has no power over what happens in Wise County or with State issues, but this corporation is wanting to install the very thing that is frying the world. If I were a mayoral candidate, I wouldn’t want the devil backing me.

I’m sure there will be loads of fallout about the tactics of the protest. But the issues behind the action must remain on the table. For more coverage, check out: Southern Studies and “It’s Getting Hot in Here.”

community, pride

June 29, 2008

Armageddon Comes to Byrd Park (a pictorial)

Clear signs of doom were in evidence today, including an electric peach sorbet-colored fire in the sky.


At first, I spied it out the window and thought maybe the pretty colored sky was due to some early July 4th celebration in Byrd Park.


Then, I stood on the porch, basking in the beautiful soul-searing “end times,” and praying to The Flying Spaghetti Monster to spare my life…


And the lives of my lovely wife and child… or could these be two more horsemen of the apocalypse? Women and children, get thee behind me! I’m outta here.


When I got online to investigate, it appears that people are fleeing the neighborhood, for allegedly legitimate reasons. Sure that I have not been a good enough neighbor and ally, I’m bargaining for my redemption by taking up the pride challenge and “coming out” of blogging retirement. I also found a restaurant reviewer speaking in tongues and writing in nautical gobble-dee-guk.


In the end, it wasn’t divine judgment descending on Byrd Park, but actually mother nature’s decision to end the suffering of my garden by bringing down a bit of rain.

Well, what’s a Sunday with out a little hellfire and brimstone to go with my “Chicken Little” style embarrassment?
———-

ps: Seriously, did anyone else see that sky?

Byrd Park, community, dogs

June 23, 2008

Legalize Dogs in Byrd Park. IN TWO WEEKS!!!

City Council will vote tonight on an ordinance to lift the ban on dogs in Byrd Park (or so I hear). I’ve never really understood the law. Where else can Byrd Park residents take our dogs on walks? The Downtown Expressway? And isn’t it kinda hypocritical to bring in border collies every other week to chase off the geese, but call neighborhood dog-walking (with leashes) an illegal act?

Here’s the message that I just sent to Bill Pantele, City Council President (bill.pantele@richmondgov.com) and E. Marty Jewel, 5th District Councilman
(Marty.Jewell@Richmondgov.com). My message is a little flip, but honest. At least I did my civic duty. Maybe you should get in touch with your representative before the big vote as well.
———————

Councilmen,
I live a few blocks from Fountain and Swan Lakes and I enjoy walking my dogs around the park (on a leash and with plastic bags in hand). In the three and half years that I’ve lived here, I’ve ignored the ordinance that prohibits dogs in the park, considering it ridiculous. Some of my neighbors have done the same and report being harassed by police for walking their dogs in the park. The common reaction to this is, “don’t the police have anything more important to do?” Obviously, they do. I hope that you as elected officials and policy makers will change the policy to free up the police to fight crime and reinstate accessibility to the the great neighborhood resource that is Byrd Park.
Sincerely,
Jason Guard
Rosewood Ave
Richmond, VA

brunch, food, rowland fine dining

June 22, 2008

Eating Past the Point of Enlightenment: Rowland Brunch

Tags:

When Rowland Fine Dining announced that they were starting a Sunday brunch service, I felt like I needed to try it out ASAP, before it got overrun with foodies. I mean, Rowland’s dinners have been pretty awesome in my experience. Brunch would probably be stellar as well. Well, weeks passed without my paying a visit and I haven’t heard a peep about the Rowland brunch. Until today…

At about noon, Karen and I walked up to Rowland, with Jasper in tow. We were braced for a throng of diners. To our amazement, the place was empty, save three tables. We got a secluded corner booth/table and started looking over the menu. Maybe I shouldn’t have had a preconception in my head, but I was a little disappointed with the lack of egg dishes on the menu. You know that list of fancy sounding food that comes along side the egg/french toast section of the brunch menu? The Rowland menu is mostly that stuff (more on that in a bit). However, right off the bat, we were served three great surprises that made us swoon and will surely bring me back.

Surprise # 1: Lavazza coffee. By noontime on Sunday, I NEED coffee. This stuff was strong and smooth Italian brew and it was refilled three times during my meal (for $1.50).

Surprise # 2: Instead of bread or biscuits, every table got a plate of mini banana nut muffins dusted with powdered sugar. Sublime, with the coffee. Virginia Rowland is known for her deserts and it showed with these light and tasty treats. We’ll be back for more, but as bakers like to try different things, I wouldn’t be surprised to find another flavor next time.

Surprise # 3: I asked to start with a side: Potato latke with scallion creme fresh. For four bucks, this thing was bigger and tastier than it had any right to be. AND, here were my eggs. It looked like any shredded potato pancake with a dollop of creamy stuff in the middle, but the texture was very eggy and the potatoes were undercooked to perfection, just the right amount of crunch, and the seasoning… I dunno what it was, but please give me more. Jewish treats like these willl make me happily convert.

By this point, we had about reached nirvana. The satisaction we experienced was that euphoric (probably cuz the baby was still asleep). And we hadn’t even been served our entrees. Maybe this is how Buddha got so fat, eating past the point of enlightenment. Speaking of knowledge, the list of entrees was unfamiliar brunch territory for me: mostly southern and cajun accented dishes. I was tempted by the shrimp po boy and the butterbean cakes. Karen was on the verge of ordering the skillet fried chicken with summer squash casserole (and pan gravy). Ultimately we steered toward the seafood; BBQ shrimp over creamy polenta and tuna cakes with pico de gallo.

Do those things sound fancy? Well, the fine-ness of the dining is mostly in the accents. Fried egg and prosciutto sandwich with pomme frites, apple wood bacon, Mongolian hangar steak. We’ll see how they rotate their menu when we head back. By the way, the shrimps were good, slathered in a cajun gravy that was an interesting take on BBQ sauce. The tuna cakes were filled out with some corn and rice and surrounded by a crunchy crust. On top, was a very fresh salad of toms, diced red onions and jalapeno slivers (pico de gallo, but tastier, as the menu described).

Obviously, the highlights for us were the first three rounds. I don’t think we’d go for those two entrees again, but we had plenty of other interests on the menu. Oh, and they do serve french toast, as it turns out. If you’re smart, you’ll split an entree, pile on the sides, and save room for desert.

Rowland Fine Dining is located at Main Street and Shields. Brunch goes from 10-3 on Sundays and entrees range from $7:50-13. They’ve also got some cute looking patio tables out front that you might like to try.

MMA, UFC, amir sadollah, team combat

June 21, 2008

Congrats to RVA’s Amir Sadollah

For some reason, neither local media nor blogs reported the news that Richmonder, Amir Sadollah, was a contestant on Season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on Spike. In each week’s episode, Amir, flew under the radar by ducking the sensational amateurish antics of his fellow fighters/housemates, instead showing understated flashes of charm and wit. In the cage, Amir’s Chesterfield kickboxing training from Team Combat was an asset that intimidated his opponents into wrestling him to the ground. Unfortunately for them, Sadollah’s slick submission moves made the seemingly bigger and stroger fighters “tap out” one after another (except one, see below). Amir’s improbable success propelled him into the finals and toward stardom in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA).

Well, our Richmond fighter won the whole thing. On Saturday, June 21st, televised live on the Spike network, Amir tapped out the favorite to win, C.B. Dolloway, with a textbook armbar from the bottom. The victory garners the middleweight (185 lbs) fighter and MCV surgical technician, Amir Sadollah, a six figure contract to fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Now, he’s on a collision course with UFC middlewieght champ, Anderson Silva, a man who is widely considered to be the best fighter in the world. The home team is gonna need all the help he can get during his next few bouts.

If you missed the chance to cheer on a local hero during the season of TUF (don’t worry, the show is super annoying), you’ll have plenty more chances to see Amir Sadollah in the future. Previous reality show winners have received top priority from the biggest MMA promotion in the world. And in the fastest growing sport in the world, that’s a lot of exposure.

During tonight’s prefight build-up, 27 year old Amir said that he still lives with his parents. It will be interesting to see if he’s going to stay in Richmond, or relocate to a big league training hotbed like Las Vegas. However, in my only other MMA story on this blog, I reported that the first ever lightweight UFC champion, Jens Pulver had plans to take charge of the Amir’s Chesterfield gym and rename it, Pulver Combat Sports. However these situations turn out, Richmond is starting to get mentioned in the fight game more and more, so expect to hear about MMA in the media around here, like it or not. At least with Amir involved, we’ve got a local hero who’s amusing (and, I don’t mind sayin it, kinda cute) leading the way.

  • Here’s one of Amir’s old kickboxing fights where you can check out his killer head kick.
  • This one is Amir coming from behind to beat a strong wrestler with a vicious knee.

————-
Update: Not sure why I tried to write this story like a reporter. The real story here is Amir’s classy approach to the sport. Unlike the other TUF contestants who talked tough, Amir simply showed he had the fighting skills in the cage when it counted. He’s not cheesy, doesn’t act mean, and his face doesn’t look like a cinder block. With his “wolfcut” hairdo (it’s not a mullet), he’s a pretty accurate amalgamation of all things hipster (think Ilan from Top Chef, but less pretentious). The dude is goofy and honest and if you saw him during the post-fight award ceremony, you’d be charmed by him for sure. During his moment in the limelight, Amir was at a loss for words, instead, making faces for the camera and little antics with his crystaline award. I’ve never met, Amir, but I’ve got a feeling that he’s someone that even non fight-watching Richmonders would be proud of. Check him out.

bateman, jasper

June 20, 2008

Baby Hardship: Jason Speaks for Jason

During blogging disillusionment, I’ve stumbled upon a stand-in who will vent on my behalf about the nightmarish combination of an infant’s perpetual digestive distress and dad’s noise-triggered migraines.

Sorry for referring to myself in the third person in the title. Totally not my style… Jason’s maybe, but not mine. Also, like Bateman, I can’t sing, but I’m sure I will find myself doing whatever works and discovering new talents.

For the Jasper junkies out there, here’s the light of my life (or the “wind” beneath my wings?), in spite of it all:

fox news, obama, racism

Fox’s "Baby Mama" Drama: Racist Newsmaking

Dear ____,

Right now, Fox News is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign, un-American, suspicious, and scary. They’re trying to send Americans the message that our country’s first viable Black candidate for President is not “one of us.”

We’ve seen this before from Fox. They won’t stop until it becomes too painful to continue–until the public calls them out and advertisers start getting worried.

Now is the time to draw a line in the sand by putting Fox on notice that their behavior won’t be tolerated. In less than a minute, you can help us do that. Then invite your friends and family to do the same. Just click here:

http://colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=2502-47485

After Senator Obama won the nomination, he and his wife gave each other a “pound” in front of the cameras. Fox anchor E.D. Hill called the act of celebration a “terrorist fist jab.”[1] Then last week, a Fox News on-screen graphic referred to Michelle Obama as “Obama’s baby
mama”[2]–slang used to describe the unmarried mother of a man’s child. It was a clear attempt to associate the Obamas with negative cultural stereotypes about Black people, an insult not only to Michelle Obama but to women and Black people everywhere.

Last month, a Fox guest pretended to confuse Obama’s name with “Osama,” associating him with terrorism, which has happened before on Fox. But then she goes further, stating that the assassination of both Osama and Obama would be a good thing.[3,4] It is unconscionable for an organization that calls itself a news network to advocate for the assassination of a presidential candidate.

After each of the incidents mentioned, Fox issued some form of weak apology. But what does it mean when you slap someone in the face, apologize the next day, then slap them again on the third? It means the apology is meaningless.

Now is the time to call out Fox for these attacks and their fake apologies. The first stop is Fox. Next will be their advertisers and the FCC. If we don’t push back now, we will see more of the same from now until November. Please join us to demand that Fox answer for it’s
behavior:

http://colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=2502-47485

These aren’t one-time incidents–they’re part of a pattern that continues no matter how often Fox is forced to apologize. Fox has a clear record of attacking and undermining Black institutions, Black leaders, and Black people in general.[5,6] Their team of producers and on-air personalities uses innuendo to prey on fear and racist stereotypes that ridicule the progress, politics and personalities of Black America.[7]

But this pattern grew even more noticeable when Barack Obama became a serious presidential contender. Fox’s smears against Obama are part of a larger effort, working together with anonymous emails[8], outrageous statements by right-wing pundits and officials[9] and fear-mongering ads paid for by local chapters of the Republican party[10]. These tactics have deception at their core, and they’re designed to take advantage of the racist fears and prejudices ingrained in our society.

Fox plays a very specific, key role in this effort. It uses its position in the media to inject racist attacks on Obama into the mainstream political conversation. Because Fox paints itself as a news
network and has a large audience, it’s able to give credibility and exposure to unfounded rumors and bigoted, extremist statements.

Stopping Fox will take a sustained effort, but we’ve done it before[11]. Once you’ve signed the letter to Fox, you’ll be the first to hear about future racist smears and how we can fight them. Please join us:

http://colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=2502-47485

Thanks and Peace,

— James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, and the rest of the
ColorOfChange.org team
June 20th, 2008

References:

1. “Fox News’ E.D. Hill teased discussion of Obama dap: “A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab?” Media Matters, June 6, 2008
http://mediamatters.org/items/200806060007?f=h_clips

2. “Fox News in trouble again over Obama smear: ‘baby mama’” Los Angeles Times, June 12, 2008
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/06/baby-mama.html

3. “Dems cancel debate over Fox Chief’s Obama joke,” CNN.com, March 10, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/10/debate.canceled/index.html

4. Liz Trotta on Fox News Channel, May 25, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjYpkvcmog0

5. “Fox Attacks: Black America,” FoxAttacks.com, June 2007
http://foxattacks.com/blog/572-fox-attacks-black-america

6. “Fox Attacks: Obama, Part 2,” FoxAttacks.com, June 2007
http://foxattacks.com/blog/32376-fox-attacks-obama-part-2

7. “Fox News and its problem with African-Americans,” ColorOfChange.org overview, March 2007
http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci/message.html

8. “SMEAR: Obama’s Books Contain Racially Incendiary Remarks,” FighttheSmears.com, June, 2008
http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/therealquote

9. “Schlussel: Should Barack Hussein Obama be president “when we are fighting the war of our lives against Islam”?,” Media Matters, December 20, 2006
http://mediamatters.org/items/200612200005

10. “Tennessee GOP Smears Obama With Alleged Ties to Anti-Semitism and Farrakhan,” TPM Election Central, February 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/28y72j

11. “Obama, Clinton to skip Fox-backed debate,” MSNBC.com, April 10, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18035439/

aioli, food

June 1, 2008

Agony with Aioli: Four Failed Attempts

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I just wasted two cups of EVOO, four eggs, and 18 cloves of garlic and all I’ve got to show for it is an elevated blood pressure. If any of you can point out where I went wrong, I’d certainly appreciate it (as will other readers). This confession won’t impress most chefs, but I hope that other foodies will benefit from my mistakes.It all started with Karen cooking up zucchini fritters (from a low-carb recipe). It included a recipe for garlic aioli dip. Since the baby kept diverting Karen from the kitchen, I volunteered to make the aioli, figuring that slowly drizzling olive oil into egg yolks couldn’t be that hard.

With the first attempt, I put two egg yolks in the blender with six cloves of minced garlic (salt/pepper) and beat it up real good. Then, slowly drizzled a cup of olive oil in with the motor running. After a minute or two, all I had was soup, no mayonnaisey fluff. Grrrr.

Karen said that I should try again with the food processor and we both reckoned that we didn’t need a whole recipe. So, I took out the cuise (pronounced: kweeze) and halfed the ingredients. Right off the bat, the s-blade in the food-pro would not touch the yolk/garlic. They just lay below the spinning blade. Grrrrr. I took the stuff out and put it into the smaller bowl that came with the same machine. Same result. No contact with the blade. Obviously, I wasn’t using enough product. Maybe adding the olive oil would help. Half a cup later, all I had was soup.

Karen volunteered to make it in a bowl with a whisk. New egg and garlic. She beat it while I drizzed the EVOO. Then we switched until our arms were tired. Again, no fluff. We were both livid and needed to take a breath and walk away.

I tried the blender again, with the half proportions. At first the stuff started to turn a lighter shade of yellow and it was thickening and then it just turned into two layers with the oil whirling around on top of the egg/garlic… face turning red, curse words, but luckily no appliances got thrown through any windows. Instead, we both had a cold beer and pulled out a jar of mayo and said FUCK IT.

Now that I have some hindsight, I’m sure there’s a logical explanation, but I’m still too mad to see straight. So, I’m turning to my online commisserators. Whats the lesson here?

Gravel 1.0 by noonnoo.com.
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