Murphy's, Shinsaibashi, August 19th

Well, it was smaller than I expected. That's no way a knock on Murphy's Pub, I love Irish bars and was happy to swallow a stout and some Bushmill's before I hit the mic. Usually with WhyNotJapan.com events they're usually at bigger venues, but yet with the talent turnout last night, it was perfect size. Including myself, only four performers turned out and cozy, warm buzz fill the pub.
I walked in to a soulful rendition of Redemption Song, and since I got lost twice trying to find the place, it was unfortunately the last song of the first act. A lovely lady with great pipes followed singing in Japanese, Portuguese and French plucking away on a ukulele. The third act was a couple Japanese guys doing pop covers who I had seen at other open mics before.
I was nervous. The turn out was decent for the space and most of the people were there to see me play. I was playing a whole new set, new songs and a new cover(Bare Naked Ladies - Be My Yoko Ono - which went over well), and the jitters were there. Plus being last on the list I was the de facto "Headliner". After playing Doing Time(a song I hadn't played live in 3 years), the jitters subsided and I felt like I was having fun. Thirty minutes later, I left the stage having played the longest set I've ever played live. I still have a lot of work to do and the mountain is still high, but last night felt good. And I followed it up with fish and chips and my first Magner's in ages.
Cheers.

Brown Now How? Cow, Stop That Now!

There's always two questions I always get asked around these parts when people find out that I am Hispanic/Puerto Rican. #1: Is my skin naturally this color? Why yes, I don't tan. I am a natural shade of café latte/au lait/ mocha. And #2: How do I stop aguacate/avocado/アボガド　abogado(it means lawyer in Spanish, but somehow avocado in Japanese) from turning brown?
One way is the fresh lemon juice method, specifically when you make guacamole, squeeze some on top. Yesterday I made a Avocado Burger with homemade Potato Chips and Margaritas. Now, since I only used a couple of slices of aguacate, I had practically to whole halves left to make a salad, or eat local style, soy sauce and a fork. The old Puerto Rican trick that I learned is to leave the pit(big seed) in it. What would naturally keep it fresh and green than it's very own brown stopper. The picture I posted is of the one I cut then stored in the fridge for over night and as you can see, as enticing and edible as it was the day before. Hope this helps and remember, wear your sun block.

What to wear?

No, not what clothes I was going to wear on stage Sunday night when I played at Tin's Hall, Tennoji, Japan. No, what underwear.

First, comfort. I had enough to worry about with singing, playing and always the possible hostile crowd, because of my singing and playing.(Kidding, I do well up there). I didn't want to be shifting and fidgeting on my feet. I tried on about 5-6 pairs before I settled on a kind blue tye-dye-ish model I just got at the Gap. Good fit and support, and with no bra to match('cause I'm a guy, not cause I didn't buy or have a clean one or...got it?), the blue went well with my shirt and shoes. Boy's gotta match, no?

Before I sang, I took part in a little banter in Japanese with the MC of the event. Mind you, I went after a guy who air guitar-ed to "Danger Zone"(yep, Kenny Loggins, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, you know buddy). I was calm.

After some pleasantries, the MC said something in Japanese, that left me aghast. Sighting the bit shock to my face, Mr. MC, in his best english translated for me, "You are very cute!"

Oh, I understood, in both languages. I guess the underwear worked.

Take it where you can kids, take it where you can.

April, 2007

Up coming Hanibal live events.

Just a quick note on when I'm playing next.

Next gigs: doing WhynotJapan.com open mic at Murphy's in Shinsaibashi on 8/19 and opening for a Bossa/Jazz band Nomad(great band and very nice folk) at Shushinkan Brewery in Kobe on 9/23.

It's hot, get of the house, come down, get a drink or two. Or for some of you, it's hot, get out of the country, we got some good sushi here.

Thanks.

Tarde y sin reservación.

La vida es una mesa larga donde muchos comen, pero pocos disfrutan. O sea, poco saben lo que están comiendo. Algunos piensan que es la calidad de la comida que que es lo mas que importa. Otros la cantidad, mas es mejor. Hay unos que tienen muy poca comida pero aprecian lo que tiene. Para mi es la variedad. La oportunidad de sentarse y poder disfrutar y entender lo que está en mi plato.

Bueno, piense, ¿en que lado de la mesa come usted? ¿Como mide usted el exito o el fracaso que hacido su vida?

(Esto fue una lección para todos, nuncas mezcles hambre, pensamientos de su existencia y vodka rusa. Pero si no tienes remedio, por favor, con moderación. ¿Y yo? Bueno, a seguir mi propio consejo).

Easy, Refreshing Summer Snack

It's hot, humid and sticky in the big "O" and I'm feeling it. Trying to stay cool or just enjoying a healthy snack is a chore. My favorite snack are apples. Unfortunately, they're very expensive and for the price of one here I can buy a bag full back home. But I love apples and when I have the extra scratch , I get an apple or two. When I first got to Japan, I noticed that when ever I was served an apple, it would be peeled, cut and washed in salt. Of course, the salt prevents browning of the apple, but for my taste, not the ideal way. Back home I would wipe my knife with a lime or a lemon, cut the apple, then squeezed more lemon on it after I'm done cutting it. Now, a new twist. The benefits of apple vinegar are endless(some people drink it with some honey everyday) and that got me to experimenting.

Frozen Vinegar Apple
One frozen large Apple
Apple vinegar

Freeze the apple first, then wash in lukewarm water and the rind should come right off. Slice and de-core and place the slices in a bowl. Pour some apple vinegar and eat! The sweetness of the apple and vinegar flavor go great together. And to further make it a summer treat, freeze it in a plastic container and eat when ever. Now you have a frozen, refreshing, tasty treat. Enjoy!

The Alternative White Steak

Making new discoveries. As a child every time I made a new discovery, I could remember the excitement, that "Oh! Wow!" feeling I got. To this day I get that feeling from learning, and in my travels it seems like everyday I get to experience that feeling.
One particular moment of eureka I can recall from my childhood involved none other than pork chops. Allow me elaborate. No better feeling than coming home from school or where ever and no matter what mood I was in, the scent of my mom's pork chops would put a smile to my face and drive my taste buds in to a frenzy. Being the boy or man of the house (loosely used term) I often got an extra chop. I would bite down like on cannibal on a leg and tear every morsel down to the bone. Always satisfied with my lips and finger tips glistening with alternative white meat juices.
Sometime during my teenage years in the US, my family was shopping in one of those big wholesale, giant beef-o-rino stores and found something that would change my life forever. Boneless pork chops. All chop, no bone. A large pack of them no less and at a wholesale price. Granted, skepticism was my initial feeling, no bone, no handle to hold and maneuver during my eating ritual. But, fork and knife in hand attacking at a full meat surface area was also not bad. Needless to say it was all I hoped it would be.
Recently I was craving for a piece of meat and went looking for a nice piece of steak. Beef being a luxury around these parts, I couldn't find a good cut for a decent price. And with a spark of rare genius, I bought boneless pork chops.
In the US, chops for some reason go with apple sauce. Not my cup of tea, but I decided to marinate the chops in apple vinegar.

Apple Vinegar Pork Chops
2-4 boneless pork steak/chop
apple vinegar
shallots/large clove of vinegar
salt
white pepper
paprika

In a metal or glass bowl pour in some apple vinegar and soak the chops. The more vinegar, the more "vinegar-y" the flavor but also the meat becomes more tender. Mongolians would put their meat in a leather sack and put it under their horse's saddle and after riding for a day the meat would be tenderized from the pounding and the sweat of the horse. Now, unless you have a horse and enjoy the flavor of sweaty meat, you can pound the meat with a kitchen mallet to soften it. I prefer not to pound it down because I like a thick cut. After you soak it a bit in the vinegar (you can do it overnight or for several hours in the fridge), dash your salt, pepper (I like white on pork, but black is ok too) and paprika on it. Cut your shallot(or garlic, but for me the shallot works best) and lay the large slices on the chops.
Heat a fry pan on med-high flame with either light olive oil or I found this great no cholesterol soybean oil, drop the chops in and cover quickly(the vinegar might make the oil splatter, but you want that initial shock of heat to cook the chops). After a few minutes, the vinegar will dry up and you can take off the lid and turn the chops over. Lower the heat to low-med flame, cover and let the chops cook for 5-8 minutes so that they cook through. Remember like chicken, you have to cook pork well, but once the meat starts curling up on the edges, you've cooked it too long.
Uncover, bring the heat back to med-high and try to get a little "golden color" on your chops and on the shallot/garlic. Once they get a bit gold, turn heat off and that's it. Serve it with potatoes(mashed or Puerto Rican style: boiled then served with olive oil and spice). I made sauteed zucchini and asparagus in olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes and after the green veggies were done made a quick tomato "paste" with a large, cut beefsteak tomato in the same pan while it was still hot. I also cut a side of avocado (aguacate in Spanish or abogado in Japanese) with light olive oil, pepper and soy sauce. I served it with a German cherry wine, that was not as sweet as it sound, but very tasty.
Now, nothing beats mom and home cooking, but bringing a little blast from the past to where ever I am in the world, takes me back home to my teenage years, where the chops would be waiting in a brown tinted glass, Corningware frying pan.
Enjoy.