Jbeatty's Journal

05/24/2008 13:12 #44440

Trip Pictures (Part one)

Well it has been a long few days adjusting back to eastern standard time, starting class and working full time. It was a fun trip and nice to see (e:ladycroft), (e:lizabeth), and (e:john). I was a little worried about how meeting up might work with only one of us having a phone. But despite our lateness at Zagreb airport to meet (e:ladycroft) it went pretty smoothly. Anyway I'll let the pictures do the talking.

On the Danube across from the parliament building

Oh absinthe, the headaches you create.

Phone box and Metro station, Budapest

I love the separate traffic lights for bikers

(e:lizabeth) with cotton candy the size of her head

Szechenyi Thermal Baths at the city park, Budapest

I have no idea what this building is, I just thought it looked cool

view of the Danube from the Citadella

Whats left of my gulyas leves. I was told by the guy who served this to us that Hungarians take a shot of Palinka( which is a fruit brandy) after they eat gulyas leves.

Chain Bridge at night, Budapest

mmmm meggy minifank!! Which is mini doughnuts with sour cherry sauce.

The streets of Tokaj in Northeastern Hungary. Home of the world famous dessert wine Tokaji. And to think I used to hate dessert wine.

Rakoczi Pince, Tokaj. This is the largest and most famous wine cellar in Tokaj. They store and age wines from the Hetszolo Vineyards.

The tasting room at Rakoczi Pince, Tokaj. This is where we sampled some really awesome wines.

Gyomolcsleves, don't ask me to pronounce this, Hungarians couldn't understand me when I tried. It's a cold fruit soup that is served in the summer. It varied everywhere we tried it. Its basically a creamy soup made with sour cream and pretty much any kind of fruit can be added. Towards the end of summer when sour cherries are in season they are used more often than the pears we encountered frequently. This one also had whipped cream, black currents and blueberries. One place we had an awesome one(I don't have a pic), but is was a lime and peach cream soup with mint sorbet, absolutely delicious.

Train ride to Zagreb, to meet with (e:ladycroft)

john - 06/02/08 14:30
Wait... When did you drink absinthe? Was that the first night when you went out to the bar by the pizza shop?

I finally got a few pictures up. Scanning takes forever.

dcoffee - 05/26/08 00:18
You must have had a great trip. I was in Budapest and Croatia in 2001, I'd love to go back. You must have eaten well the whole time. I recognized the parliament building right away. I was there with a friend from Budapest. I hope you loved it as much as I did.

james - 05/25/08 20:20
Your journals have the peculiar ability to make me hungry.

fellyconnelly - 05/24/08 17:34
wow! looks like an awesome trip!!

metalpeter - 05/24/08 16:48
Thanks for the pictures that one building I have seen pictures of before but in your picture you can really tell that it is really long. A lot of great pictures and that includes the food, granted I'm picky and may not like how the stuff tasted but it did look very tasty I look forward to seeing the and hearing more of your travels.

05/09/2008 17:30 #44287

Things I've learned in Budapest

So I haven't been here all that long, 8 hours including a 1 hour nap. But I have managed to learn a few things so far.

- Cigarettes come in packs of 19

- Do all of your shopping before 6pm

- Saying cheers in Magyar is really fucking difficult

- Don't go into clubs with hot women you meet on the street (not that I have experienced it, Lonely Planet warns of this, and there was a warning posted at our hostel)

- Orange soda officially kicks ass in all of the European countries Ive been to.

- Apparently chocolate and red wine make a fantastic sauce for lamb

- Camembert Cheese is a very popular menu item here.

For 8 hours I would say this is enough. Im currently dead tired and forcing myself to stay awake so I'm not up at 4am. Hopefully I will post some pictures of the (e:trek) soon.

metalpeter - 05/10/08 14:50
You know that is a good point about Vampires I didn't think of that, yeah how hot they are, are a factor I do wonder even more about that?

fellyconnelly - 05/10/08 07:33
i am intrigued as to this whole 'no hot women club' thing... are they considered prostitutes? thieves? vampires?

and if they are hot enough, would it be worth it?

metalpeter - 05/09/08 18:28
I wonder what that hot women warning is about? if it is that they are after the money of if they are part of a gang or if they are on the street they sell there bodies so they shouldn't come in with you? In any event hope you are having a great time and I look forward to seeing some pictures.

04/05/2008 15:01 #43914

This is bullshit!!

Today I went to go pick up some kaffir lime leaves for my penang curry. I went to A Chau on Niagara street and the guy working the counter told me they weren't allowed to sell them anymore, in fact nobody in town could. Naturally I didn't believe him. So I went to the Niagara St. Asian Market which is only a block away and asked for them and was told the FDA banned them 3 months ago. Apparently they will be fined $10,000 if they are caught selling them! $10,000 for some fucking leaves??? It's bad enough I can't get fresh mangosteens(easily) or durian in this country, but now my lime leaves too?? I am seriously planning a trip to Canada just so I can smuggle a stash of this stuff. Fuck the FDA! I am going to be a one issue voter this year, any candidate that pledges to cut FDA funding will get my vote.

fellyconnelly - 05/10/08 07:34
seriously what is this about splitting cows suddenly? is this a western ny thing? i have never heard of such a thing until now... and i have to go pick up my cow quarter soon, come to think of it...

metalpeter - 04/06/08 08:26
(e:tinypliny) You where a block away from my house and you didn't stop by, ARH!! Kidding first of all you don't know where I live, 2nd I most likely wasn't home, and 3rd my place (clean for me) is such a mess you would never talk to me again.

I'm leaving to go see a Jays game with in the hour, to bad I don't know where to get that stuff or what it is. I wonder why the FDA thought it isn't safe. Maybe there is some US product that will sell more if it is banned. Maybe there is some way of using it in drugs or as a drug. Maybe there is some kind of infestation or thing used on it to stop that in Asia they don't like. It would be interesting to know why they don't allow it here.

james - 04/05/08 21:43
Jim and I were talking about splitting a cow just the other day. If you need someone to split cow bits with let us know and we will do our part... just don't leave us with just the tail. I can eat only so much of it.

James: It was wonderful to see you at Seabar. Next time I see you I have to lend you a book called "The Devil's Picnic". It is written by this guy who travels to different countries and violates their ridiculous food laws all the while commenting on why those laws make zero sense and how other countries are doing better without them. He goes into pasteurized cheese in the US, alcohol in Norway, Poppy in Singapore, and many more. It is a great read and fits your current anger beautifully.

drew - 04/05/08 17:44
Jbeatty, I understand your frustration, but cutting funding to the FDA will only make things worse. Why? Because they won't go away--and then they will levy even higher fines to make up for their budget deficit.

Anyway, you should just be happy that you live near an international border, but for the FDA inspectors that are reasoning this, I think we should clarify that you and this "(e:janelle)" (who, like you, I have only interacted with online) plan on purchasing, cooking, consuming, and um--evacuating said foods all while in Canada.

tinypliny - 04/05/08 16:50
BTW, a somewhat desperate substitute would be thin shavings of the skin of small green limes + lemon grass (boiled and essence extracted). I think they are a somewhat close approximation, but they are still a desperate measure. Kaffir Lime Leaves are Kaffir Lime leaves. :(

tinypliny - 04/05/08 16:42
I KNOW!!!!!!
THEY DON'T GET KARUVEPELAI AT THE INDIAN STORE ANYMORE EITHER BECAUSE OF RETARDED FDA REGULATIONS!
And since the cook ire in me is out, I think its time to gripe about some more stuff. The guy at the shop at Connecticut (Phu Thai) doesn't get the wider kind of pad thai noodles from Malaysia any more. He keeps on telling me to "return next week". Yeah right, tell the truth for once, you minion!

Guercio's only gets the Lebanese Pita bread on whim. Apparently, they don't have control over the type of Pita they get every week. Quit lying! Admit it that you just don't care enough to listen to nobodies like me!

janelle - 04/05/08 15:10
Lol! Maybe, ask Jim and James. I had thought of asking them as well. Maybe we can split it into thirds between us.

jbeatty - 04/05/08 15:09
Actually I have, I was trying to talk some one into splitting my portion with me.

janelle - 04/05/08 15:07
If you go to Canada, I'll give you money to buy us fresh rambutan and kaffir lime leaves. I've been eating canned rambutan from Wegmans. Not bad, but not as good as fresh!

BTW, have you thought any on the e-mail I sent about splitting a cow?

03/30/2008 10:03 #43827

Dumb Question

Ok, so does anyone have a really good explanation as to why you aren't supposed to put hot water into a coffee pot?? I'm not certain I believe this, but several people tell me its "bad".

john - 03/31/08 22:12
The only thing I could find echoed Terry's comments about using hot water in general.

empireoflight - 03/31/08 17:11
Cold Water boils faster than Hot Water. Sure, it has to catch up to Hot Water's temperature, but along the way it gains momentum, sling-shotting past Hot Water on its way to the boiling point.

lauren - 03/31/08 16:41
Ok, so...this may be only for industrial coffee makers but, the reason is...with the big coffee makers there is a reserve of water, which is heated all the time...when you poor in cold water, it sinks to the bottom, while the hot water that has already been heated goes to the top...i think. and there was something else i am sure, but i don't remember...its been awhile since i worked at Stewarts...

fellyconnelly - 03/31/08 16:25
LAUREN KNOWS!!! but when she was explaining it to me I wasn't paying attention. My bad.

joshua - 03/31/08 11:02
I dunno. If for any reason, the sludge angle that Terry just talked about would be enough for me to just use cold water.

I have been using a drip cone anyway - my coffee machine broke. =( Its more labor intensive but the coffee is far better! With a high quality filter and proper stirring (something you can't do with a machine) the coffee ends up with a far silkier mouth feel.

This is the company I order my beans from... check out this slideshow. They bought a super expensive and difficult to use Japanese coffee maker, and it supposely makes coffee from the heavens - :::link:::

terry - 03/30/08 17:53
by hot water do you mean hot water from the tap?

I couldn't see how it would make any kind of difference since the coffee maker boils the water, but you really shouldn't use hot tap water for any kind of cooking purposes, since it comes from the boiler which usually has all sorts of nastiness floating around in it. If you've ever drained your water boiler tank and seen what comes out of it, you definitely wouldn't want to drink anything out of it...

(e:matthew) says that it might possibly crack and/or bend the internal pipes...

jenks - 03/30/08 11:19
I didn't know hot water is "bad"- just thought cold water is "better" for making good coffee.
Or maybe if it's too hot it might crack the glass? other than that, no clue.

gee. i'm helpful.

sorry.

03/27/2008 14:57 #43807

I GOT IN!!!

I was accepted into the Nuclear Medicine Tech program at UB!!! I will definitely be celebrating after work tonight!

fellyconnelly - 03/31/08 16:25
CONGRATS!! yayyy

museumchick - 03/30/08 20:59
Congratulations on your good news! People have told me that it is a great program.

jenks - 03/29/08 14:50
congratulations :)

megan - 03/28/08 10:01
Awesome. That sounds like quite a feat.

carolinian - 03/27/08 22:17
Congratulations. Maybe you can combine your love of food with your love of radioactivity into something really unique ;)

libertad - 03/27/08 21:22
wow thats great!

terry - 03/27/08 20:16
yay! grats!

cept that it's UB of course...which sucks...but gotta do what you gotta do...

gratz again

paul - 03/27/08 20:12
Congratulations!

mike - 03/27/08 17:32
Congrats1

ladycroft - 03/27/08 15:40
yay!

janelle - 03/27/08 15:39
Congrats!!

drew - 03/27/08 15:26
way to go!

jason - 03/27/08 15:23
Congrats. Next time we see each other the premium brew is on me.

joshua - 03/27/08 15:22
Cheers =D

mrmike - 03/27/08 15:22
Nice, congrats!!

jon - 03/27/08 15:03
Congrats!