Monday, October 20, 2008

So-called "Lite" Avocados: A Review

Perhaps you have seen them sitting in the produce section, looking like an exaggerated avocado that will never ripen. But ripen they do, which is how I found myself eating one of these low-fat versions of my delicious, (good-)fat-filled friend. 


As you have probably noticed, it is next to impossible to find a perfectly ripe avocado at the supermarket, even at peak season, unless you live in California. Faced with an urgent need for immediate avocado satisfaction I selected the ripest Hass there was and, as back-up, a ripe Lite. The Hass proved sufficient for our needs, but I still had this other monstrosity on my hands. I decided to try it out on top of a quesadilla.

First off, these things are huge. Twice the size of the sad little avocados we get in these parts. As soon as you cut into it, though, you realize that half the volume is pit, itself 100% larger than that of a Hass. Otherwise, it's business as usual. Light green flesh, getting slightly darker toward the edges. So I sliced it four or five times lengthwise and proceeded to scoop it out of the skin with a spoon per usual. It was then that I noticed the first signs of the big difference. The slices...break? Oh well, onto the plate they go with some salt on top.

The taste and texture (mouthfeel, for those of you who get a kick out of that ridiculous word) are close to what you would come up with if you imagined an avocado with less fat. It's still got that firm-until-you-smoosh-it-but-then-kind-of-buttery texture, but with less buttery-ness. In fact, it's slightly watery where a Hass is creamy. And like the low-fat version of any food, it's less delicious. The good news, though, is that it's close enough as long as you're not going to eat it straight. In other words, don't make guacamole out of this thing, but it's fine to put a couple of slices inside a burrito. It'll cool things down if, like residents of The Rowe School, you douse everything that comes in a tortilla with Cholula. B–.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

For Sale!!!


I'm excited to announce that you can now find Napoleon quilts at fawn&forest! fawn&forest is a stylin' online retailer of all things for modern- and eco-tots. For a sampling of their wares, check out the forest finds section. Rather than expound on the fab designers and products on the site, I'll let you check it out yourselves. (Have fun!)


I'm looking forward to moving some quilts so that I can get to work on my next round. I've been getting some really awesome fabric into the studio and can't wait to show it off. I've also got a couple of embroidery projects in the works, and am patiently awaiting the delivery of some felt so that I can make the most adorable bunnies in the world from this pattern that I won over at Wee Wonderfuls. I may go into a fit immediately upon completion from an inability to handle their inherent cuteness. I think it's worth the risk.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

J'aime le Cinéma

My new obsession is the actor Tadanobu Asano. You may know him from Ichi the Killer. I loved him as the star of Sharkskin Man and Peachhip Girl when I saw it several years ago. This week while Evan was away, I watched The Taste of Tea written and directed by the same guy as SMPG. Tadanobu Asano has a part in this ensemble movie as well, and he's great. So I just did a quick Netflix search and added several of Asano's movies to my queue. Unfortunately, the release date for Tokyo Zombie is unknown, but it sounds freaking rad.


And while we're on the topic of movies, Evan and I saw three last Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival (I could live with a shorter name for the event...Sidewalk Film Fest, anyone?). The first, Rock-afire Explosion, is a documentary about the animatronic band of the same name from Showbiz Pizza, and its enduring importance in the lives of some fans. The folks in the film were really endearing, and it made the movie.

The last thing we saw was something called Pop Skull. It was visually and aurally jarring and made me grumpy. A wanktastic exercise in filmmaking. 

My favorite was the second film we saw. Let the Right One In is a Swedish (?) movie about two pre-teens and their relationship. Throw in some gore and you've got a pretty wikkid movie. A+. According to Kyle, J.J. "Countless Wasted Hours of Your Life" Abrams is remaking this one for Hollywood. You should do your best to see the Swedish version before it gets ruinated.

** Update: Apparently I was mistaken about the J.J. Abrams thing. Kyle actually said that theother guy responsible for Cloverfield was remaking Let the Right One In. Either way, though, right?