I’m not a die-hard Cubs fan (but I liked them more than the Sox), but I’m glad they were able to win the 2016 World Series after 108 years. We watched the final game at Rustine and Amanda’s (a fellow Chicagoan) apartment, and accompanied by all my friends who’ve grown up in Illinois. To be perfectly honesty, I think it’s the Cubs hat I wore and the deep dish pizza from Emmett’s that secured the W.
Happy Halloween.
Halloween at work today. I was a Fair-Weather Cubs Fan.
Fort Greene Dog Costume Parade 2016.
I went to the Dog Costume Parade at Fort Greene Park. I dressed up as Ash from Pokemon, and Nico as the rare and elusive Dragonite. Pokemon — it’s topical.
Al Pastor Taco Recipe.
My friend Diana shared a video with me of an Al Pastor Taco recipe. I remembered the Al Pastor Tacos I had in Mexico City, and they were the best goddamned tacos I’ve ever had. I decided to try the recipe out (instead of using bamboo skewers, I had metal chopsticks. They worked better and fit in my oven), and it was an instant hit.
Here’s the recipe:
- 5 pounds of pork shoulder
- 3 tablespoons of Achiote paste
- 2 tablespoons of Chipotle chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of ground oregano
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup of white vinegar
- 1 cup of pineapple juice
- 8 large pineapple slices
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 Guajillo peppers (dried or fresh)
Cut the pork shoulder into 1/2 inch slices and set aside. Mix together the Achiote Paste, Chipotle chili powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and pineapple juice. Combine with the cut pork shoulder and marinate for 2 hours (I marinated overnight).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a deep baking dish (I used a cast iron dutch oven), place two large pineapple slices on top of each other, and place the skewer (again, I used metal chopsticks because they were stronger) into the center of the fruit; the skewer should be standing upright. Next, place half of the marinated meat on top of the pineapple base, skewering it and essentially creating a pork tower. Skewer two more pineapple slices, a Guajillo pepper, and half the onion on top of the meat. You should have enough to pineapple, pepper, onion, and meat to create a second tower.
Place your Al Pastor towers, vertically, into the oven and bake for two hours. Once you take it out, let it rest, and you can shave the tender meat, onions, and pineapple with a knife. Serve on corn tortillas and with lime, but feel free to add any traditional Mexican/Tex-Mex toppings you want.
The Purge.
With the help of Gino, I managed to purge 7 garbage bags of clothes, paper files, and miscellaneous items from my bedroom. I figured it was time to have a more adult bedroom, and that meant getting rid of a lot of things that I didn’t need or use anymore. I took down the polaroids that adorned my wall, got rid of the old dog toys Nico doesn’t play with anymore, and tossed out/donated old furniture that doesn’t suit my style anymore.
In fact, I bought a nice headboard (adults have headboards, right?), and decided to make new furniture out of reclaimed wood, steel pipes, and old lockers that best match my vintage aesthetic. Yeah, I’m twee as hell, but making a brand new, smaller computer desk and side-by-side nightstands out of lockers also allowed me to delve into my creative side. I even bought some of Gino’s old floor lamps to place on the side of my bed.
Above the headboard, I decided to gather some of my old wall decorations and paint the frames white; the light color contrasts with the brick wall. I also wanted to have a pagan-esque altar, so I went to the local botanica and bought some relevant candles.
I love the look and feel of my new room: it’s more open (both in feeling and physically), and is completely in synch with design sensibilities and identity.
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