A Slight Delay

Another favorite simple pleasure: the smell of old books, and old bookstores. It’s that peculiar bouquet of dust, mildew, and whatever else the books have picked up in their travels. It turns the book into a sensory experience, and makes it something more than just its content.

I’d be perfectly happy if someone–whoever makes Febreze, or Lysol even–would bottle that scent. I could think of worse things than the smell of an old library (though I may be in the minority there). And if someone ever managed to bottle “Eau de Benchley Roundup“… I could practically swoon just thinking of it.

Robert Rauschenberg died on Monday, May 12. He left behind a body of work that spanned six decades, and at least that many styles and media. While he could be stylistically linked with Warhol or Jasper Johns (also romantically linked, in the latter instance), his style–a pastiche of Dada, Pop, Merz, and anything else he happened to find (literally) was sui generis. The New York Times ran a good obituary on him that you can read here. In the meantime, I’ll let the artist himself have the last word:

“People ask me, “Don’t you ever run out of ideas?” In the first place I don’t use ideas. Every time I have an idea it’s too limiting, and usually turns out to be a disappointment. But I haven’t run out of curiosity.”

 Yenz.com is the online home of German graphic artist/web designer Jens Schmidt. Like so much else, I came across this site by accident (via Random Website.com, in this case) and ended up spending quite some time looking over the different graphics and designs on display. Besides showcasing Schmidt’s work for various clients (and a few things that seem to have been done just for the fun of it), there’s a short story, and an animated fish thingy that has a certain addictive Zen simplicity to it. If Schmidt’s aesthetic is decidedly postmodern, at least it hasn’t lost its sense of humor; if you remember any of the early-90’s stuff from the Designers Republic (and even if you don’t), you’ll probably find something to like about this site. Careful with that fish…

For me, for whatever reason, the kitchen’s always been the focal point of “home.” And kitchen tables seem to be where everything happens. Never mind if you have a dining room; it never fails that during family gatherings and whatnot, the kitchen table’s where everybody gathers to pick, gab, and pick some more.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. My favorite kitchen table, in fact, was wood-grained formica surrounded by inexpensive wooden chairs (whose thin seats had the effect of amplifying my grandfather’s flatulence roughly to that of a steam whistle), and sat in my grandmother’s kitchen. The tabletop saw its share of Legos and Parcheesi games, to say nothing of countless meals; under the table was just as good, serving as hiding place and makeshift radio station (with me as the “announcer,” reading from the funnies or anything else that happened to be laying around).

On second thought, I take back that “for whatever reason” back in the first paragraph. I think that’s all the reason I need.

You know the little warning stickers on pill bottles about taking the medication only on a full stomach? That goes double for Man Eat Food. Entry after entry will leave you either salivating, or listening to your growling stomach (or both). What I like about the blog is its catholic quality. This is clearly someone who loves to eat–no arguments from these quarters, certainly–and who, though he loves good food, isn’t a snob about it. It’s a nice antidote to some blogs I’ve seen written by self-proclaimed “foodies,” where the simple pleasure of a good meal gets lost amid the stuff calculated to impress the other foodies. Hold onto your napkins…

Okay, break time’s over (mine, anyway). A quick take on another tasty, addictive snack, this one from the good folks at Calbee. Well, I’m assuming they’re good, fine people. There’s nothing to indicate that they’re not. I don’t think that they use whales or baby seals in their snacks, so…

Where was I? Oh, yes. Their “Snapea Crisps.” Texture: think Cheez Doodles. The puffy kind, minus the annoying orange stuff that gets all over your fingers, and could easily substitute for a dye pack in your local bank (”Suspect was apprehended when he was spotted licking his fingers a block away from First National.”). Taste: Think peas. ‘Nuff said. If you like peas (lightly salted) and Cheez Doodles, this should be right up your alley. They also come in a Caesar flavor, which I haven’t tasted.

I’ve found a new obsession (and, unfortunately, can’t find a picture of the package). The brand name, or maybe the name of the product itself, is Nori Hineri Norisuke. For all the Japanese I know, that could well translate to “You’ll eat half the bag before you know it.”

The closest thing I could think to compare this to would be Rice Krispies, if they had grown to mutant size (i.e. something likely to be found in Godzilla’s cereal bowl), were crinkle cut, and were delicately seasoned with nori (seaweed) and wasabi. It’s an interesting taste… savory, with a hint of malt and just the right amount of heat (not so mild as to be an afterthought, but less wasabi than you’d find in wasabi peas). I do not, however, recommend putting them in milk, unless you’re an enormous green fire-breathing lizard with a phobia over high-tension wires, in which case you can go right ahead and do as you please.

Nothing beats fresh spices. The taste of a clove of crushed garlic, cilantro snipped right off the stem, or fresh-cut parsley (just try making tabouleh with parsley flakes) puts dried spices to shame. On the other hand, if you’re short on time, it can be a pain in the neck cutting, washing, snipping, et cetera.

Polaner–the same company that makes fruit preserves and whatnot–have done a nice job of bridging the gap between the produce section and those little jars of sad, dessicated horticulture. Most supermarkets will carry at least the garlic and basil (which, between them, put you well on your way to a good pesto), but oregano and jalapeño peppers are also out there. They’re relatively inexpensive, and while they’re not the same as going to your local farmer’s market they’re a good compromise, especially if you want fresh taste but you don’t have as much prep time as you’d like.

In lieu of writing an entry today, I’ve made an update to the site. Two pages–Links and Resources, and Quotes–have been added. Both pages will be updated from time to time, as the inspiration strikes.

Since the government seems to have realized, gradually and belatedly, that trying to scare the hell out of the populace with threats of terrorist attacks doesn’t have the same political effect that it used to, I’m thinking there’ll probably be a change in tactics for the ‘08 elections. With prices both of crude and of gasoline reaching all-time highs (and with gas prices here on the east coast projected to top $4.00/gallon in time for Memorial Day weekend), fuel prices have become a hot-button issue. My gut tells me we’ll see either some form of negotiated deal to drop prices, or a release from the strategic reserves, timed either for the Democratic convention, or some time around Labor Day weekend. I could be dead wrong here (lord knows it wouldn’t be the first time), but this administration has played politics with enough other issues that it wouldn’t take a hardened cynic to see the possibility.