Happy Halloween!

Fuji Interview FAIL

FUJI TV was in town over the weekend, and it seems they are avid readers of this blog - for yours truly was asked to remake the F-Train Charaben LIVE! for the Japanese television station's morning news program. Great, right? Well, initially the arrangement was a bust - I had planned on working the weekend and just didn't have time to do an o-bento.

But the charaben gods could not be bested. I showed up for work (where all my files were) only to find the elevator broken. No super. No access through the stairs. No work for the weekend!

This isn't good news, actually - I'm someone who operates based on self-imposed deadlines. Deadlines for books. Deadlines that effect a small publisher that need these books finished to make money in order to make other books...

However, I wasn't about to let my weekend be rained on, so I took this as a great opportunity to wow the Japanese viewing public with not one but two charaben! And here they are:

Laputa Robot

F-Train Redux

Laputa

Robot Body - fried tofu glazed in honey + sprinkled in sesame

Eyes/Mouth - nori

Sun - tomato + yellow pepper

Heart - tomato

F-Train Redux

Train - rice

Train front - nori, swiss cheese, tomato

"F" label - carrot + nori

Rails - faux beef cubes + nori

In addition to laundry duties, my Sunday morning was spent making both of these delicious fellers while fighting off my frisky-when-you-don't-want-him-to-be cat, Desnos. Then, around lunch time, I received a phone call from Adri (MBP PR) telling me the interview had to be canceled.

:-(

Sorry, Fuji, for being locked out of my office. As you can see above, I really was ready and excited for this. Maybe next time?

(I've had better weekends.)

Milk & Eggs blog be diggin' on some Face Food! Check em out! Buy some tees!

Think YOUR Jack-o-Lantern is Hot?

Villafane Studios, aka Ray Villafane, makes what has to be the greatest pumpkin carvings known to man. Click the link to see more of his mad creations...

Really, though - his work is unreal. This Halloween I plan on expanding the Mameshiba love by trying my hand at a Mameshiba Pumpkin...any other interesting ideas out there?

Des cochonneries, je t'aime...WTF?

If you haven't heard about the McDonald's going into the Louvre...

Thanks, Jake.

GOURMET 1941-2009

Gourmet Magazine has - shockingly - slammed shut its doors. 68 years in print - Quite a run, no? But word is: staff were told to clear out their desks in just 48 hours. Tough work for those that have spent years with the company, their lives partially stored on company shelves. Respect, Condé Nast. Respect.