Serge the Concierge

Cool Treats for Warm Japanese Summer Days: Say 'Fruit and Vegetable Bars'

2 things I learned from Cool Packaging: Frozen Summer Treats From Japan by Ryoko (on PingMag) are first that "frozen treats began to be produced as a substitute for ice cream after World War II, when almost all dairy products were designated for military use. A popular simple treat at the time was merely ice mixed with sweetener, into which a pair of disposable chopsticks were stuck. Very basic, but it made folks happy in those tough times" and second that adzuki beans are part of the mix as they are in many Japanese candies.

I cut down on ice cream in the past year so I paid more attention to the healthier frozen treats in her piece. 

Ryoko mentions the unusual 'Fruit and Vegetable Bar' popular with women.
The “Gari-Gari-Kun” (”Mr. Crunchy”) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and the mascot on its wrap packs a punch (illustration below, from PingMag).

I really like the Popsicles shaped like slices of watermelon and cantaloupe (picture also from PingMag)

Quality and standards are enforced by the very official Japanese Ice Cream Association.

There is a site dedicated only to the topic of these cold treats titled Japanese Ice Cream.

Is it more marketing than informative, I will let you judge.

Cooling off for Tokyo Thursdays # 47

Related:  Seafood Ice-Cream and other strange brews...Big in Japan

200 Inner City Kids need a Vacation Home in August: Give the Fresh Air Fund a Hand

As time goes by, I get requests of all kind.

When Sara Wilson sent me not one but 2 e-mails requesting my assistance in helping the Fresh Air Fund find Vacation Homes for 200 Inner City Kids, I detected a sense of urgency.

So here's where and when they need help:

There are trip dates set for August 2008 for over 200 children and they need host families to volunteer to host these inner-city children. The dates and locations are as follows:

8/11-8/21

New Jersey:
Warren County, Bergen County, Union County, Somerset County, Morris County, Hunterdon County Pennsylvania:
Lancaster, Akron, Christiana, Denver, Donegal, East Earl, ElversonLititz, Manheim, New Holland, Quarryville
New York:
St. Massena, Ogdensburg, Potsdam

8/12-8/22
Harrisburg, Pa

8/15-8/22
Central Massachusetts:
Acton, Hopkinton, Lexington, Marlboro, Wayland

8/15-8/25

New York:
Western Fingerlakes: Canandaigua, Canal Towns, Dansville
Central New York: Fulton, Marcellus and Oswego

Massachusetts:
Cape Cod

Pennsylvania:
Doylestown, Upper Bucks, Lower Bucks, Chalfont

8/25-9/1

New York:
Columbia County
Red Hook/Rhinebeck (Dutchess County)
Albany County

• Unless all prospective host families are screened and vetted by the end of July these 200 children may miss out on an invaluable experience                              
                             
• Please host a child or help the Fresh Air Fund get the word out that they need folks who can welcome a child from the city into their homes next month                              
                             
• One last thing that is actually very important. The Fresh Air Fund is looking for families who want to extend an invitation to a 9-12 year old. We really need more families who want older children and boys                           
                             
• Please Email Angie, angie@freshair.org, immediately and she'll speed you through the process                                                
• Or, you can call the Fresh Air Fund at 1-800-367-0003 (212.897.8900) -- ask for Angie

Time is of the essence!

Thanks in advance to all those of you who can give a helping hand.

Paris, Not just Bar Tabac, Literary Cafes as well!

Paris has been known as the refuge for real and wannabe artists over time, be it jazz musicians, poets, painters, writers and others.
Isobel Scott covers some New Cafés Littéraires for Globespotters.
Amongst them Tea and Tattered Pages "with its second hand English books from floor to ceiling. At the back of the shop, behind beaded curtains, there is a little tea salon".
Another highlight is La Belle Hortense where "the accent is on wine. The zinc bar is the first stop when you walk into the baby-blue painted store. Pick a glass (or bottle) from the wine list and wander off to the bookshelves in the back room. Their selection includes design-your-own-cover (Penguin editions) English and French classics and modern prizewinners".
A more extended guide on Literary Watering Holes in Paris was offered by Gridskipper (February 2008).

Where are the best literary cafes in your corner of the world?

3 Red Wines that Don't Break the Bank (Spain, France, Italy)

Even with the rise in prices due to a weak dollar, one can still find European red wines that do not break the bank.
What I would call table wine?
Over the past few weeks, I found 3 new options.

First Clua (El Sola d'en Pol, 2006) from producer Xavier Clua, in the 'Terra Alta' appellation in Catalonia (Spain).
This unoaked blend of Grenache (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Syrah (20%), Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo, 10%) and Merlot (10%) is a fruit forward offering, simple and pleasant (around $10).

   

I bought the second pick, Chateau Calissanne (website, French only) as their Rosé was out of stock, I thought I should give their 2006 Red a chance. From the Coteaux d'Aix en Provence appellation, it is a blend of Grenache and Syrah (harvested early September) and Cabernet Sauvignon (harvested late September) from 30 year old vines.

The winemaker describes its robe as fuschia, some wild berry touches to it, fills your mouth with flavors, balanced tannins (around $14).

David McDuff paid a second visit to the property earlier this year and shares his impressions in Getting Reacquainted with Château Calissanne (March 2008).

Last on my list and maybe my favorite of the three Ciacci Piccolomini Toscana Rosso "Poggio Della Fonte" 2005, a ruby red treat with a little earthiness and spice to it.

It is 50% Sangiovese and for the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (not sure what the exact percentages are).

Want some technical facts: It is aged for 12 months in large Slavonian oak casks for Sangiovese and in old barriques and tonneaux for Cabernet and Merlot, blendend in tanks then aged in bottle for 2 months (around $12)...

Recent Red Blends Bits:

No Quatre Quart, De Lisio Quarterback 2006, An Australian Red Blend, Almost Equal Parts

Besides Petanque: 2CV and Solex 'Bastille Day' Rendez-Vous in New York

The Citroen 2 CV and the Solex are icons of the 50's and 60's in France and Europe at least
They would take you from point A to point B in a practical if not luxurious way.

The 'Bastille Day' Rendez-Vous kicks off at 10:00 am at Grant's Tomb (Riverside Drive and 122nd St) on July 13 in New York. Check the full map of the itinerary thanks to the Greater NY Citroën & Velosolex Touring Club site.



This is the Ninth Edition of the Event.

Will Lloyd Cole make a cameo appearance singing 2 CV?

Hard to believe but Velosolex models such as the S4800 (pictured below) can still be purchased in the US.

Even Catherine Deneuve rode one as that 1973 picture (courtesy of Velosolex America) shows.

Check the Velosolex America for details

Thanks to Katia of Pardon Me for Asking for pointing that Event to Me.

Related: Petanque in Brooklyn (at Bar Tabac) and other Bastille Day Events

Learn Japanese Tips and Tricks at the 'Urawaza' Book Party (San Francisco, July 13)

After reading The Maker of Balloons (Water Balloons that is) on PingMag, I wanted to learn more about this Japanese Summer tradition.

By some twist of fate, I landed instead on Tokyo Mango, one of the voices of Lisa Katayama.

She recently published Urawaza (Chronicle Books) where she shares some everyday Japanese tips and tricks such as "Can't find someone to water your plants while you're away? Place the plant on a water-soaked diaper, so it slowly absorbs water over time."

She continues a popular Japanese trend that expresses itself on popular TV Shows and numerous books.

If you are in San Francisco on Sunday, July 13, Lisa has a book signing party where she will demo some of her secrets. It takes place from 1to 3pm at Double Punch a store offering Japanese Toys, Art Books and more in the North Beach district, close to the Bay.

All the way back in May, Try Than offered her own Kitchen Secrets on Bay Area Bites. Let me quote a couple:

"After soaking dried tamarind in water, use the strained fruit and fibers to polish your copper pans and bowls.

Use the edge of a small spoon to peel the crooks and crannies of knobby ginger."

Are you hooked on the Urawaza trend?

Want to share your own kitchen and home tricks?

A side trip in the Bay Area for Tokyo Thursdays #46

Last Week: Slew of reviews on 'Japan Cuts' (New York), Could not make it to Opening Night!

Car becomes Burden of Suburbia, Will America call Car Pooling to the Rescue?

Paul Harris in America's love affair fades as the car becomes burden of suburbia (Observer, Guardian UK, July 6th) paints a rather bleak picture of the future of America's landscape as it is now.
He reports from the Inland Empire once farmland, now home to subdivision after subdivision.

He states that "as Americans enjoyed the 4 July holiday weekend, increasing numbers of them were staying at home rather than hitting the road. Newspapers were full of tips for staycations, not weekend breaks away. Customs once scorned, such as car pooling and cutting out trips to the mall, are now commonplace. The fact is, the vast majority of Americans cannot give up their cars altogether. Too many cities lack any reliable public transport".

By the way, Time Out New York gave its Guide to Staycations: Exciting weekends for two, starting at $105! in its July 6, 2006 Issue.

Amongst the gloomy assessments in the article are those by Chris Fauchere, a Denver-based film-maker who feels that 'Suburbia has been unsustainable since its creation'... He is producing a new documentary on the issue called The Great Squeeze.

Also quoted is Professor Bill McKibben, whose most recent book is Deep Economy,The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future (cover above  is my illustration).

He thinks that "Distance is now an enemy...There's no question that the days of thoughtless driving are done".

One of the best short term solutions might be car pooling.

The end of Driving Alone for Green Day #34

Previously: Travel, Don't Tour and Please, Slow Down: Eco Friendly Vacation Tips

Inflation Bubble! Even Snails Prices are Shooting Up in France

How much worse can things get when French are forced to shell out more for snails reports Angelique Chrisafis for The Guardian.

She says that "Snails, France's national delicacy, are the latest menu item to panic consumers after the industry warned a shortfall in the 2008 harvest would send prices soaring".

To give you an idea of the scope of the problem "France has the highest consumption of snails in the world, cooked in Burgundy's famous butter, garlic and parsley recipe or in variations with wine and cheese. Last year, the French processed 14,300 tonnes of gastropods, including snails and whelks. But 99% of France's snails come from abroad, notably eastern European countries or the Balkans and Greece" according to her piece.

This worries Jacky Pommier organizer of one of the biggests summer slugfests in Digoin .

PT Ford, an American Expat called the 2007 edition a Snail Chow Down Festival on Why Travel to France.

It also made news on the Taipei Times.

Related: Fresh and Juicy Snails To Go at 'La Maison de l'Escargot' (Paris)

A Declaration of Independence from E-Mail by Luis Suarez

You might have read with interest as I did I Freed Myself From E-Mail’s Grip (NY Times, June 29).
I did not know its author Luis Suarez until then.
He confirms his Declaration of Independence from E-Mail via his blog ELSUA on July 4th.

He addresses head on the skepticism that greeted his strategic changes.
Top one seems to be that naysayers consider his choice of replacing e-mail by various online tools (and phone calls when it is best) as adding complexity rather than streamlining the process.

One paragraph explains his approach very clearly:

"For a good number of years most knowledge workers didn’t have the option, nor the choice, for good collaborative tools, but nowadays with the emergence of social software within the corporate world the choice is there. And we might as well make use of it, so just because folks may be sending an e-mail does not necessarily mean I would want to engage through e-mail as well. The choice is there. The choice is from both parties to negotiate & jointly decide what’s the best way of collaborating and sharing our knowledge not just amongst ourselves, but also with the rest of the corporation. And perhaps e-mail is not the best option here."

As for 'hanging out' in different social spaces, I found his comparison akin to a gardener planting the seeds for future harvests or in Luis words:

"All of those interactions I may be doing now are eventually going to pay off really really big time in its due time, when I am not there. When I am away, on holidays, on conference events, off sick, whatever. More than anything else because people from those social networks will help contribute and help me get those answers, without me even being there! Just like I have been doing myself for them when they were not there! That is the ultimate power of the social network!"

Most of my networking these days has its roots in my writing Serge the Concierge.

I admit that I have to tend more to my networks such as LinkedIn and CoWorking (Jelly).

Let's not forget the benefits of meeting people face to face at events such as South by Southwest Interactive.

What works for you?

Stirring the pot for Monday Work Etiquette #45

Related: Taming the Brain and Office Clutter: Online and with Simple Forms

No Quatre Quart, De Lisio Quarterback 2006, An Australian Red Blend, Almost Equal Parts

This Quarterback did not score a touchdown with me.
It did not knock my socks off.
Does not mean it has no qualities.
Being good sometimes is good enough.

Unlike a quatre-quarts, one of my favorite cake to bake when you are in a hurry, this Quarterback (2006) from McLaren Vale In Australia is unequal parts Shiraz (27%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (25%) and finally Grenache (25%). Grapes are sourced from the Seaview area as well as from the winemaker's father vineyard in Clarendon.

Tony De Lisio credits teamwork as the inspiration for this blend. Different talents and contributions melding to come up with the end result.
According to the fact sheet: "the grapes were harvested, crushed, fermented and aged seperately under temperature-controlled conditions followed by careful blending rior to bottling".
It is designed to be drunk young and does not display agressive tanins.

A good red wine pick for warm days, it should retail in the $16 to $18 range.

On wine and teamwork: Four Hands in the Barrel with Quattro Mani Montepulciano...No Piano