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Craved Japan, cycled to masu for comfort food. Japan is still closed to independent travelers: I’ve cancelled 3 trips to Japan in the past year and may have to cancel a 4th in October. Just in case, I’ve also booked a nonstop to Seoul in October.

Giraffe House, spotted on my cycle ride through Nordeast Minneapolis. A baby giraffe is hiding behind a tree.

Stopped for coffee, resisted a waffle, at Black Coffee and Waffle Bar near the University of Minnesota East Bank Campus. Couldn’t decide if the back of the bathroom door was graffiti or art. Decided I was overthinking.

Walked over to the Guthrie for “Sweat.” Angry workers in a bar as their factory succumbed to the inevitable pressures of NAFTA in the early days of the 21st century.

Cycled past giant LEGO bricks in captivity. Inside the building, Brickmania produces military LEGO kits. The LEGO Company doesn’t produce real-world military kits as a matter of policy.

My friend, Dave, sometimes likes to include a cemetery on our Tuesday cycle rides. Today, at Hillside cemetery, we visited his Aunt Ruth, a beloved kindergarten teacher for 50 years. Her ashes were interred here in 2008.

Returned home after walking with friends. Performed my usual twerk dance to get the electronic lock to notice my presence and unlock the door. Dwight calls this my waggle dance, like a bee returning to the hive. He reminded me he’s happy with his old-fashioned key.

Tonight for dessert: salty caramel/Oreo Semifreddo. Heavy cream, crème fraîche, dulce de leche, salt, thin Oreos. The texture was quite decent without the egg custard and whipped egg whites I incorporated in last week’s Semifreddo. It’s dangerously too easy to make.

Walked in heavy rain to the farmers market at Mill City Museum. Filled a pack with local produce: bacon brats for Sausage Saturday, tomatoes, green beans, and Indian eggplant. Today’s rain deterred shoppers while making a dent in the drought: farmers are always at the mercy of the weather.

Tutored, without fear of passing on my lingering cold. Today we discussed Rosa Parks, and different styles of speech and writing when honoring her legacy.

On Tuesday I posted about “Men Without Women” prompting a friend to ask which author—Murakami (2014) or Hemingway (1927)? She correctly surmised Murakami. Today, continued my temporary couch potato life by reading Hemingway’s. It’s no accident Murakami used the title.

Ventured out to Five Watt Coffee for a socially distanced cuppa.

A nasty cold has an upside: reading. Yesterday, I finally finished a book of short stories, “Men Without Women.” Today, cover to cover, a page-turner novel, “Sweet Bean Paste.”

Today I sound like a glum Harvey Fierstein, low energy, raspy throat. Grateful it’s only a cold, my first in over 2½ years: Covid tests were negative. It hurts to postpone getting with friends and fulfilling commitments, but it’s a day for lolling on the couch.

Deconstructed eggplant Parmesan while retaining most of the ingredients. I enjoy this dish, but would prefer the breading not to be soggy. Breading: Mixture of panko and grated Parmesan Reggiano. Red sauce addition: Crumbles of Montamore Cheddar from Wisconsin, providing more of a taste punch than mozzarella. At the table, knives and forks assembled eggplant… Continue reading Deconstructed, Reconstructed Eggplant Parmesan

Sometimes I feel we live in an alternate reality where “plate” is a culinary verb. Yesterday I made peanut-butter-flavored semifreddo. Tonight it was time to remove it from the freezer, plate it, then let it warm up a bit in the fridge. I had fun with The Smear, one method for plating a sauce. The… Continue reading The Smear