Tableau Vivante

You always remember your first, and as such, this contest will always have a special place in my heart.

Tough choices all around. I sent the entries to an old friend – one of my former English professors in college – and let her make the final call. She had a few favorites based on technical correctness of the form and execution of the theme. She said the following in regards to the entry she finally chose:

“A good haiku is about more than getting the syllabic counts right. Some even argue that the 5-7-5 English format isn’t a true haiku at all, but we’ll ignore that for now. Haiku evokes a sensory response that isn’t limited to one impression. It’s a moment in time at a particular place. It isn’t one feeling or one sensation. To capture that simply and elegantly in a short phrase is limitation enough. To do so syllabically is a real challenge. Her entry accomplished the above in spades. While it may not be considered the most poetic or romantic of the entries, it is the most evocative. I was transported.”

And I have to say that I agreed.

(more…)

Yes.  I know.  The silence.

It was just THAT good a weekend.  Seriously.  You wouldn’t have ventured near a computer either.

But the weekend is over and now I have said computer in front of me, so some copious catch up is in order.

This is why I assert, repeatedly, that I’m a blogger and not a professional writer/journalist/web monkey.  I balance.  I reschedule.  Often.  I do this for fun.  AND you’ll be happy to know I had fun specifically for you.  Indeed!  There was much huzzahing and mayhem.  Mead?  That’s SO 2007.  Black cherry hard cider was the bev of note, which you’ll hear more about later.  When?

Soon.  After I’ve had this nice cup of coffee and those two little Tylenol sitting over to my right.

Took a different path today and actually made some items specifically for bento rather than rely on leftovers. The tofu poke (top right) is seasoned with Aloha shoyu and Alea salt, giving me a nice taste-o-aloha (tres ono, and just in time for the Merrie Monarch Festival.  Good luck to the competitors!). Click through for the details on everything else.

I really love having an excuse to read haiku.  Even better, I love having an excuse to create it, or in this case, facilitating its creation.

This is the last day you can enter the contest, so get out your haiku wands and bust out some mad 5-7-5.  Unhappy with your entry?  Think you can do better?  Enter again!  I’ll select your strongest entry for the overall panel review.

I’m officially closing up the comments/entry thread at 9PM Pacific time.  I’d say midnight, but I’m no night owl, and it’s a school night.  I’m thinking of celebrating the end of the first contest with a nice, hot bowl of Shin Sen Gumi love.  It’s cold and cloudy here today, which is perfect Hakata ramen weather.  But I digress…

And now something I don’t usually do because I’m unreliable when it comes to promised postings (need I mention the Gold Line tour? my lasagna recipe? ad infinitum…)- a preview of what you will likely see from me this weekend.

First, of course, will be the announcement of the contest winner.   I’ll also be hitting a farmers’ market, natch.  And then there’s the annual romp into psuedo-history.  Yes, the Southern California Renaissance Faire opens this weekend, and geek that I am, I’ll be donning the bodice and skirts (hush) and chowing down on some Steak on a Stake, ribbon fries, artichokes, and toad-in-a-hole.  They have a tamale cart this year, which I’m just going to have to sample.  You know, for science.  Ahem.

There will likely be pictures.  Hoping to keeping my greasy fingers off the lens this year.

What there will sadly not be is a trip out to Tapia Brothers in Encino for the annual Tomatomania event, which starts tomorrow and goes through Sunday.   I got my plants from the San Gabriel Nursery this year, and the next, local Tomatomania event isn’t until May (in Arcadia), which is on the hairy edge of being a bit late in the planting season for me.  Had to pick my battles this weekend, and Tomatomania lost.  BUT, it would be really great if you locals out there went and reported back.  Say hi to the chickens for me.

Quail and quiche are the Q’s in question. I can get fresh, local quail eggs here pretty easily. They make for a quick and easy lunch protein, bento-sized, and tasty. The quiche is another mini, though this time it’s a swiss chard quiche. The molded rice onigiri are seasoned with fresh chives and salt and have a piece of chicken in the center. The rest is pretty self explanatory.

Have you entered the contest yet? Don’t be shy! Head over and compose your entry. Tomorrow’s the last day. The judges panel will convene this weekend and a winner will be announced shortly after.

I need to work on my arranging skills. But between the lamb, the peas, the strawberries, the artichokes, and on and on, it’s pretty much a bento-du-spring. Minus the Spam musubi of course. Mock it not! It is one of Hawaii’s many gifts to us and it should be treasured. If not, well, more for me.

Some really neat entries in the contest! I love using my powers for good. If you haven’t entered yet, remember you have until Thursday. A Dear Label bento box kit could be yours!