Untitled
Oil on Canvas
2005
Originally painted as an "ode to my roommate kristin."
Oil on Canvas
April 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
My most recent paintings
Untitled
Oil on Canvas
2005
Originally painted as an "ode to my roommate kristin."
Oil on Canvas
April 2006
Too damn tired
Man oh man I need a rest! Just got back from a particularly cool day on opthalmology where I saw:
1. Viral Conjunctivitis (also saw a Bacterial conjunctivitis, which is very rare.)
2. Distichiasis (aberrantly grown eyelash which caused my patient tiny corneal abrasions)
3. Malignant glaucoma (another rarity - this patient's intraocular pressures in the OP clinic were in the 60s!)
4. Subconjunctival hemorrhages (common, but interesting and largely benign)
5. Orbital and maxillary fracture from facial trauma
6. Post-op cataract patients who demonstrated dramatic visual improvement
7. Periorbital cellulitis (evaluated for r/o orbital cellulitis, but had no post-septal inflammation)
8. Post-head fracture baby withOUT retinal hemorrhage
9. Nodular scleritis in patient with vague myalgias
10. Lots of cool corneas and irises and conjunctivae and pupils and lenses (with and without cell and flare) on slit-lamp exam. I've finally started to learn those cool ophthalmic tools which I never got to play with and will, unfortunately, never use again.
11. I also learned to evert an eyelid to evaluate for foreign bodies. Don't try this at home, but as a reminder to myself, I used a Q-tip at the superior eyelid crease as a fulcrum for flipping the lid.
Mmmm. . gross.
And now I am very sleepy, which I only realized as I made my rainy way on the bus home. Night night.
1. Viral Conjunctivitis (also saw a Bacterial conjunctivitis, which is very rare.)
2. Distichiasis (aberrantly grown eyelash which caused my patient tiny corneal abrasions)
3. Malignant glaucoma (another rarity - this patient's intraocular pressures in the OP clinic were in the 60s!)
4. Subconjunctival hemorrhages (common, but interesting and largely benign)
5. Orbital and maxillary fracture from facial trauma
6. Post-op cataract patients who demonstrated dramatic visual improvement
7. Periorbital cellulitis (evaluated for r/o orbital cellulitis, but had no post-septal inflammation)
8. Post-head fracture baby withOUT retinal hemorrhage
9. Nodular scleritis in patient with vague myalgias
10. Lots of cool corneas and irises and conjunctivae and pupils and lenses (with and without cell and flare) on slit-lamp exam. I've finally started to learn those cool ophthalmic tools which I never got to play with and will, unfortunately, never use again.
11. I also learned to evert an eyelid to evaluate for foreign bodies. Don't try this at home, but as a reminder to myself, I used a Q-tip at the superior eyelid crease as a fulcrum for flipping the lid.
Mmmm. . gross.
And now I am very sleepy, which I only realized as I made my rainy way on the bus home. Night night.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Stephen Colbert: not just ANY puppet
Last week I received a link to Stephen Colbert's roast of President Bush last week at the White House correspondents dinner. Widely circulated across the Internet, this video clip struck me with Colbert's vicious, biting tone, masked as a humorous sendup of the president. Ok, maybe not so well masked, and not so humorous. But I think that salon.com hit the nail on the head when assessing that:
Colbert refused to play his dutiful, toothless part in the White House correspondents dinner -- an incestuous, backslapping ritual that should be retired. For that, he had to be marginalized. Voilà: "He wasn't funny."
The point is not so much that Stephen Colbert failed to garner more than a chuckle from his gawkish, awkwardly smiling audience. Instead, he followed his own agenda and made critical statements about the president, to the face of his supporters. True, Mr. Colbert didn't say anything new, but he was cruel and, many times, inappropriate. It seems like it flew in the face of what the President would have liked to see: humor that even he could chuckle at. A cunning man keeps his enemies close at hand. He also gains from the wit of the people surrounding him. By being intentionally inappropriate, taking the same grammatical and cultural missteps that our President has taken in the past, Mr. Colbert called direct attention to our nation's boss's failings as a professional.
And I actually found a lot of his lines funny. My friend told me that the Colbert piece were reminiscent of Mitch Hedberg, who I've never seen but whose jokes were more smart statements: not pieces that you laughed at but ones that hit you 10 seconds after the fact. Colbert had that Colbert Report randomness, that stream of consciousness that I'm afraid is characteristic of the way my brain works. Normally I don't find his work funny, but I chuckled this time, and as salon.com indicated, who gives a damn whether he was funny anyway?
Colbert refused to play his dutiful, toothless part in the White House correspondents dinner -- an incestuous, backslapping ritual that should be retired. For that, he had to be marginalized. Voilà: "He wasn't funny."
The point is not so much that Stephen Colbert failed to garner more than a chuckle from his gawkish, awkwardly smiling audience. Instead, he followed his own agenda and made critical statements about the president, to the face of his supporters. True, Mr. Colbert didn't say anything new, but he was cruel and, many times, inappropriate. It seems like it flew in the face of what the President would have liked to see: humor that even he could chuckle at. A cunning man keeps his enemies close at hand. He also gains from the wit of the people surrounding him. By being intentionally inappropriate, taking the same grammatical and cultural missteps that our President has taken in the past, Mr. Colbert called direct attention to our nation's boss's failings as a professional.
And I actually found a lot of his lines funny. My friend told me that the Colbert piece were reminiscent of Mitch Hedberg, who I've never seen but whose jokes were more smart statements: not pieces that you laughed at but ones that hit you 10 seconds after the fact. Colbert had that Colbert Report randomness, that stream of consciousness that I'm afraid is characteristic of the way my brain works. Normally I don't find his work funny, but I chuckled this time, and as salon.com indicated, who gives a damn whether he was funny anyway?
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Memories of Berlin
A quick note just before I tuck in:
I was rereading my old Germany trip diary and looking at pictures from a few years ago - in preparation for my upcoming Berlin adventure. One of the places I'm dying to visit again is a fabulous set of murals I randomly found in East Berlin during my last trip. I was wandering through the city on my own and came to a book store where I saw a postcard of the most terrific mural. I had no idea where to find it but looked at the back of the postcard to find the neighborhood in which it was located. Then I set out walking, as I had nothing better to do than to just enjoy the city.
And all of a sudden I came upon the mural, standing, immense before me. And below the mural was this huge park full of industrial-looking art. I was all by myself in this wonderland gallery. Completely mysterious and uninhabited. And then I walked into the building, which is apparently an abandoned department store, and viewed the most interesting anti-capitalist posters. I didn't quite know what to make of it all, but there it was, lots of anger, lots of frustration, standing silent before me.
I was rereading my old Germany trip diary and looking at pictures from a few years ago - in preparation for my upcoming Berlin adventure. One of the places I'm dying to visit again is a fabulous set of murals I randomly found in East Berlin during my last trip. I was wandering through the city on my own and came to a book store where I saw a postcard of the most terrific mural. I had no idea where to find it but looked at the back of the postcard to find the neighborhood in which it was located. Then I set out walking, as I had nothing better to do than to just enjoy the city.
And all of a sudden I came upon the mural, standing, immense before me. And below the mural was this huge park full of industrial-looking art. I was all by myself in this wonderland gallery. Completely mysterious and uninhabited. And then I walked into the building, which is apparently an abandoned department store, and viewed the most interesting anti-capitalist posters. I didn't quite know what to make of it all, but there it was, lots of anger, lots of frustration, standing silent before me.
The verdict on Mystery Eve
So last night was one of the great events in Pitt Med Social History, bringing up memories of the Blair Witch Project -- not for the horror, but for the sheer genius in the hype that surrounded the event. Mystery Eve was billed as a night that would be at an unforgettable location -- undisclosed till we arrived at the venue.
I think that the most enjoyable part of the night was the bus ride to get to the location. We were equipped with covered, shaded buses, with various curtains hung throughout to completely conceal where we were headed. Sitting in the back, my friends and I were straining to hear the triumphant "mystery music" playing from a student's I-Pod up front, so we entertained the bus with our personal renditions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" [in full], the Tiny Toon Adventures theme song, "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Hold On," and as a grand finale - the B-52's own "Love Shack." Someone should have been paying us, I swear.
I had suspected the Science Center initially, but the final location did exceed my expectations - we partied at Heinz Field, home to the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers. Not bad for a med school party, eh? And it turned out pretty nice - they set up a tent with live band just above the field, with appetizers galore and lots of semiformally attired medical students and faculty, mingling and enjoying eats and the cash bar.
I have two criticisms, aside from which the planners did a fabulous job and really succeeded in keeping their secret and giving us all a nice evening. First: In the end I pretty much forgot where we were - I sincerely hope that the greatest expense was not accrued in securing this location. While it adds a great surprise value initially, once you've started to party, where you are doesn't matter as much as the people who are with you.
My other criticism is that the band was bent on playing music from 1972, peppered with Blues and - what? - music by Chicago?? I would have loved some more party-type music. Like the stuff you hear at weddings that makes you want to boogie-oogie-oogie. I don't need to be played boring swanky music at a swanky place. And I think the band could have done a better job of building on the good party songs that emerged throughout the night - like playing a string of 3-4 good fast songs before bringing back slow bluesy stuff.
But this is all just to be whiny - it was fun. The class was brought together. I got to see several attendings socially, when I usually just see them on the wards. And the conversations were inevitably more entertaining and enjoyable! It's nice to let loose and just enjoy the people around you, learn what their lives are like outside medicine and to enjoy each other's sense of humor. Overall I give it 4.2 out of 5 stars.
I think that the most enjoyable part of the night was the bus ride to get to the location. We were equipped with covered, shaded buses, with various curtains hung throughout to completely conceal where we were headed. Sitting in the back, my friends and I were straining to hear the triumphant "mystery music" playing from a student's I-Pod up front, so we entertained the bus with our personal renditions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" [in full], the Tiny Toon Adventures theme song, "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Hold On," and as a grand finale - the B-52's own "Love Shack." Someone should have been paying us, I swear.
I had suspected the Science Center initially, but the final location did exceed my expectations - we partied at Heinz Field, home to the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers. Not bad for a med school party, eh? And it turned out pretty nice - they set up a tent with live band just above the field, with appetizers galore and lots of semiformally attired medical students and faculty, mingling and enjoying eats and the cash bar.
I have two criticisms, aside from which the planners did a fabulous job and really succeeded in keeping their secret and giving us all a nice evening. First: In the end I pretty much forgot where we were - I sincerely hope that the greatest expense was not accrued in securing this location. While it adds a great surprise value initially, once you've started to party, where you are doesn't matter as much as the people who are with you.
My other criticism is that the band was bent on playing music from 1972, peppered with Blues and - what? - music by Chicago?? I would have loved some more party-type music. Like the stuff you hear at weddings that makes you want to boogie-oogie-oogie. I don't need to be played boring swanky music at a swanky place. And I think the band could have done a better job of building on the good party songs that emerged throughout the night - like playing a string of 3-4 good fast songs before bringing back slow bluesy stuff.
But this is all just to be whiny - it was fun. The class was brought together. I got to see several attendings socially, when I usually just see them on the wards. And the conversations were inevitably more entertaining and enjoyable! It's nice to let loose and just enjoy the people around you, learn what their lives are like outside medicine and to enjoy each other's sense of humor. Overall I give it 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
A non-vegetating discovery
While I was out running today, I came upon the East Liberty Farmer's Market Coop. What a find! This market, just across from the Home Depot and open Saturdays 5 a.m. - 12 noon, has just about every fresh food I need - milk, eggs, meats, various seasonal fruits and vegetables including rhubarb, baked and bottled goods, and tons of beautiful potted plants and herbs. It feels good to be giving money directly to the farmers who make our food, and to get great deals in the midst of it. I should have started shopping the farmer's markets years ago because, so far, it's way better than my standard Whole Foods. Now, if I could only get up early enough in the morning to get milk while it's freshly available there.
My other recent discovery is another Farmer's market, located in the parking lot behind McDonald's in East Liberty. I think it is set to open Monday and will run Mondays throughout the season until November, 3:30-7pm. The market is City of Pittsburgh-affiliated and is operated by GrowPittsburgh. I can't wait to go! According to this website, its offerings are pretty diverse! I feel ashamed to have avoided the Farmer's Market scene till now; I was a big fan of local produce and Farmer's markets when I lived back in Philadelphia, but it is so easy to lose sight of small vendors when sometimes all you want to do is one-stop-shop at a place where you can get Ramen. But I will make a valiant effort this time - and it certainly helps that such great food-shopping is available in my neighborhood!
I also to to join in on neighborhood pride by attending the Friendship Folk and Flower Festival, organized by the Friendship Development Associates. It was a lovely little fair with hot dogs, burgers, cooking demonstrations, folk music, and lots of little activities. The centerpieces - the ever popular used book sale and the flower sale - both grabbed me. I picked up copies of Wicked and, as I dug around, quickly found one of my favorite Children's books: Tibor Gergely's Great Big Book of Bedtime Stories. I was amazed to find this as a 1970 printing - which looked just the same as the Golden book I had as a child. Apparently it is now out of print, so I feel really lucky to have found this book - in great condition, too! I loved reading the story of little Yip Yip and his bark - and another of my favorites was "Seven Little Postmen," a story of how a letter written by a little boy passed through the mail system to arrive at his granny's house. I remember imagining the feel of sealing a letter with red sealing wax.
My other recent discovery is another Farmer's market, located in the parking lot behind McDonald's in East Liberty. I think it is set to open Monday and will run Mondays throughout the season until November, 3:30-7pm. The market is City of Pittsburgh-affiliated and is operated by GrowPittsburgh. I can't wait to go! According to this website, its offerings are pretty diverse! I feel ashamed to have avoided the Farmer's Market scene till now; I was a big fan of local produce and Farmer's markets when I lived back in Philadelphia, but it is so easy to lose sight of small vendors when sometimes all you want to do is one-stop-shop at a place where you can get Ramen. But I will make a valiant effort this time - and it certainly helps that such great food-shopping is available in my neighborhood!
I also to to join in on neighborhood pride by attending the Friendship Folk and Flower Festival, organized by the Friendship Development Associates. It was a lovely little fair with hot dogs, burgers, cooking demonstrations, folk music, and lots of little activities. The centerpieces - the ever popular used book sale and the flower sale - both grabbed me. I picked up copies of Wicked and, as I dug around, quickly found one of my favorite Children's books: Tibor Gergely's Great Big Book of Bedtime Stories. I was amazed to find this as a 1970 printing - which looked just the same as the Golden book I had as a child. Apparently it is now out of print, so I feel really lucky to have found this book - in great condition, too! I loved reading the story of little Yip Yip and his bark - and another of my favorites was "Seven Little Postmen," a story of how a letter written by a little boy passed through the mail system to arrive at his granny's house. I remember imagining the feel of sealing a letter with red sealing wax.
Ebay Memories
As I went to Ebay today to learn about selling items, I couldn't help but hearken back to my high school memories of being scammed by dunk009@aol.com. Darrell Duncan from Seattle I think. That was at least what he called himself. He was a nice guy; we even spoke on the phone - I sent him a check to buy an adobe program which he said he had at a cheaper rate than what I was paying to someone on Ebay. And I was a stupid idiot and sent him the money. I figured that since he had given me his contact information - address and phone number - I could trust him. But no dice. Weeks passed and he sent several excuses, and I never received my computer program. I must have been around 16 or 17. Thanks Dunk009, who I occasionally see online incidentally and have to hold back from emailing. I decided against harassing him, as I didn't have much of a case for myself and was more likely to get myself in trouble . . .but the memory won't fade. Sucks to get scammed.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Jeezy Chreezy, what a night!
It figures that whenever a boring, rainy night is in store -- with nothing to do but enjoy the free time -- the weird things will happen. And I don't even think that there was a full moon this time. Because we had so much liberty with time this weekend, we invited friends over for a game night where we got our game on with Guesstures and Catch Phrase. We were chowing down on munchies when all of a sudden one of my friends got anaphylactic and puffy, went home to get benadryl, and returned to our house with shortness of breath, 8/10 chest pain, facial swelling, and a red rash. I took her to the ED down the street, and meanwhile, as the party was starting to break up another of my friends got a terrible bout of abdominal cramping and rushed to use our toilet. What a weird way to end the work week!
One life to live
Cannot figure out a job, can't figure out a job . . all I've figured out is that I like clinic and enjoy meeting patients there. I think I like kids most of all, but I do like adults too and would enjoy working with them. This week I got up close and personal with patients of the VA hospital. . . . Rather licentious patients who were excited just to hold the hand of a young woman. When I suggested to one patient that such behavior would get him in trouble, I knew I was getting MYSELF into more trouble when he told me that he would accept punishment and would follow my rules from now on.
But the final act of that encounter will not be told today.
Hey, this ain't no porn. Who do you think I am?
But the final act of that encounter will not be told today.
Hey, this ain't no porn. Who do you think I am?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Dude
OH man, why don't I post to this more? Have so much to complain, comment about, etc. First of all, I can't believe that Chris Daughtry got kicked off American Idol tonight. I know that there are several hypotheses for this, but really, he was pretty kickass and certainly better that Katherine McPhee, who didn't have the greatest of nights this week or last. Can you tell I've been watching this show . . . erg . . .pretty consistently?? Call it a guilty pleasure, because it is one.
In other news, today I went through the most joyful pleasure of getting fingerprinted for the purposes of identification. How freaking excruciating THAT was. You feel like a derelict, a reject, a cad, an evil menace to society, as height, weight, and basic physical features are recorded for posterity. For my information, I am now and forever will be considered "Asian" by the law. And all that for 3 days in a hospital. Pretty sweet this bureaucracy is. Now to just consider all of the possibile outcomes that will come to pass with my demographics fully recorded.
In other news, today I went through the most joyful pleasure of getting fingerprinted for the purposes of identification. How freaking excruciating THAT was. You feel like a derelict, a reject, a cad, an evil menace to society, as height, weight, and basic physical features are recorded for posterity. For my information, I am now and forever will be considered "Asian" by the law. And all that for 3 days in a hospital. Pretty sweet this bureaucracy is. Now to just consider all of the possibile outcomes that will come to pass with my demographics fully recorded.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Mr. Green Jeans
I have been reading some of the most terrific articles lately. A new great one that I have to at least mention in passing is about jeans. I know, sounds boring to some, but I have been convinced that based upon the overwhelming popularity of low low (low) rise, boot cut jeans, something had to give, and that something was, in this case, the pant leg. A garment which has now narrowed to a choke around a skinny calf. I've been convinced that big American butts (my own included) hanging out of jeans has been an issue in itself, but this whole new skinny leg thing took me by surprise. I feel the earth shifting beneath me.
Ok, enough of that. Couldn't think of much substance to add to a skinny jeans article that wouldn't be redundant and certainly not as interesting as the New York Times article I've linked to above. Eric Wilson put together an enjoyable article that takes me back to 1987, when I was 7 years old and wearing pink denim skirts and high tops, watching Michael Jackson on MTV. At least skinny jeans will flatter our skinny calves.
Another fabulous article which I picked up lately is from the New Yorker, regarding the criminal activities of Sister Ping, a woman from the Fujian province of China, who successfully smuggled in thousands of Fujianese Immigrants during the 1980s and 1990s and made over $40 million in the process. For years she evaded government officials. In 2000, she was finally caught by the Feds and recently sentenced to 35 years in prison. Her story amazes me. I can hardly believe that this woman, of my parents' generation, was so successful and conniving in her tasks.
And I can't believe what the immigrants would go through to get here - paying vast sums of money, sitting for months in filthy, crowded boats and arriving in the United States half-starved, some dead - to work their debts off for years and then spend their money bringing other family members over in the same way. And Sister Ping, who lived and worked it all, operated with her family members and husband close at hand. Her story brings to mind Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee, in which a Korean grocer learns that his work has been more sinister than he imagined before. In any case, it is nearly time for me to go to work. But read Mr. OKeefe's article. It is sure to impress and teach us about the life and times of a Chinese American Godmother.
Ok, enough of that. Couldn't think of much substance to add to a skinny jeans article that wouldn't be redundant and certainly not as interesting as the New York Times article I've linked to above. Eric Wilson put together an enjoyable article that takes me back to 1987, when I was 7 years old and wearing pink denim skirts and high tops, watching Michael Jackson on MTV. At least skinny jeans will flatter our skinny calves.
Another fabulous article which I picked up lately is from the New Yorker, regarding the criminal activities of Sister Ping, a woman from the Fujian province of China, who successfully smuggled in thousands of Fujianese Immigrants during the 1980s and 1990s and made over $40 million in the process. For years she evaded government officials. In 2000, she was finally caught by the Feds and recently sentenced to 35 years in prison. Her story amazes me. I can hardly believe that this woman, of my parents' generation, was so successful and conniving in her tasks.
And I can't believe what the immigrants would go through to get here - paying vast sums of money, sitting for months in filthy, crowded boats and arriving in the United States half-starved, some dead - to work their debts off for years and then spend their money bringing other family members over in the same way. And Sister Ping, who lived and worked it all, operated with her family members and husband close at hand. Her story brings to mind Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee, in which a Korean grocer learns that his work has been more sinister than he imagined before. In any case, it is nearly time for me to go to work. But read Mr. OKeefe's article. It is sure to impress and teach us about the life and times of a Chinese American Godmother.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Just got Adobe Creative Suite CS2
And I already got my first bug!!! Tried to use the automatic installer and it kept giving me errors. Here is technical documentation to quickly solve the problem:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/331634.html
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/331634.html
Friday, April 14, 2006
There are two kinds of people in this world . . .
And they're all cheap. Some of us don't cost a lot. Some of us don't pay a lot.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Indian Health Services Rotation!
I am so so excited for next year. After getting in touch with a few of the right people, I got connected with the IHS rotation in Chinle, Arizona, and I plan to go this November! Check out this article that one student wrote after completing his rotation there. Chinle sounds like a fantastic, beautiful place, and I am so looking forward to my time there. I hope that it is as spectacular and eye opening and wonderful as everyone says it will be. I know it won't be glamorous and could have the potential for terrible weather, but I am eagerly anticipating practicing medicine in a new cultural environment, and getting back to primary care time. Mmmm.
Monday, April 10, 2006
VIPER!!!!
Submitted to urbandictionary.com:
Viper
(n.) A swift coordinated move, in which the attacker approaches an unassuming victim who is standing up. The attacker kneels down and, with gusto and vim, sticks his/her arm between the victim's legs and reaches up to pinch the victim's belly. As this happens the attacker yells out, "Viper!!" Please note, the viper must be done with care, lest contact with other organs is accidentally made. E.g. Oh my god, I can't believe that guy gave me the viper!
(v. to viper) to give a person the viper
That's right, chump! You've just been vipered!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
An upscale take on comfort food
Six Penn Kitchen
146 6th Street
Pittsburgh, PA
412-566-7366
Last night my friends and I headed out to see Six Penn Kitchen, a beautiful upscale dining restaurant at the caddy corner across from Heinz Hall. This place was truly a wonderful restaurant to visit. The restaurant, large and spacious, is at the same time cozy and personal. I'm glad we got reservations, as upon entering we spotted plenty of groups and couples crammed in the bar and lounge areas of the restaurant. My friends and I were seated very comfortably on the second floor of Six Penn, in a warm and intimate dining space with log fire.
Our server, friendly and informative, shared with us the specials of the day: a pan-seared Ahi Tuna and a wood-stove grilled Snapper. As a starter we were served crisp flatbread and a focaccia with chutney; very delicious. We started our meal with the restuarant's famous cornbread, served in a hot skillet, with molasses butter on the side. We also ordered as appetizers: empanadas and calamari. Quick review: all three were delicious. The best was the calamari - very crisp with pieces of squid and shrimp, nice aioli sauce and tangy dipping sauce. The empanadas were good, but there was not enough of the chorizo filling; very nice side sauces. The cornbread - nice and warm with delicious butter; very good.
Entrees: We had a big variety. The Risotto - great, creamy, filling, with sweet chunks of butternut squash. The crab cakes; excellent fresh lump crab meet; They weren't the best crab cakes I have had (The top of my list is the light fluffy crab cakes of Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, followed by those served at a lovely French place I visited in Bethesda, Maryland), but very tasty, nice side with asparagus, greens, and prosciutto. Good sauce on top. The pork chops - nice and red on teh inside, flavorful with citrus. The Ahi Tuna was deliciously minty. Overall: the entrees were pleasing, but this is a restaurant where I did enjoy the appetizers better than my main dish.
In short: great restaurant; a wonderful place to go to before the Symphony. Pricey ($25-$40 per person depending on what you order, plus drinks) but they serve a good amount of food and it is well presented. Take your parents to this place.
146 6th Street
Pittsburgh, PA
412-566-7366
Last night my friends and I headed out to see Six Penn Kitchen, a beautiful upscale dining restaurant at the caddy corner across from Heinz Hall. This place was truly a wonderful restaurant to visit. The restaurant, large and spacious, is at the same time cozy and personal. I'm glad we got reservations, as upon entering we spotted plenty of groups and couples crammed in the bar and lounge areas of the restaurant. My friends and I were seated very comfortably on the second floor of Six Penn, in a warm and intimate dining space with log fire.
Our server, friendly and informative, shared with us the specials of the day: a pan-seared Ahi Tuna and a wood-stove grilled Snapper. As a starter we were served crisp flatbread and a focaccia with chutney; very delicious. We started our meal with the restuarant's famous cornbread, served in a hot skillet, with molasses butter on the side. We also ordered as appetizers: empanadas and calamari. Quick review: all three were delicious. The best was the calamari - very crisp with pieces of squid and shrimp, nice aioli sauce and tangy dipping sauce. The empanadas were good, but there was not enough of the chorizo filling; very nice side sauces. The cornbread - nice and warm with delicious butter; very good.
Entrees: We had a big variety. The Risotto - great, creamy, filling, with sweet chunks of butternut squash. The crab cakes; excellent fresh lump crab meet; They weren't the best crab cakes I have had (The top of my list is the light fluffy crab cakes of Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, followed by those served at a lovely French place I visited in Bethesda, Maryland), but very tasty, nice side with asparagus, greens, and prosciutto. Good sauce on top. The pork chops - nice and red on teh inside, flavorful with citrus. The Ahi Tuna was deliciously minty. Overall: the entrees were pleasing, but this is a restaurant where I did enjoy the appetizers better than my main dish.
In short: great restaurant; a wonderful place to go to before the Symphony. Pricey ($25-$40 per person depending on what you order, plus drinks) but they serve a good amount of food and it is well presented. Take your parents to this place.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
You Sexy Thing
Recipe for Hot Chocolate
This is a basic one, but it was recently requested by a friend. In my opinion this basic recipe makes the best hot chocolate. As you're drinking it, a sheet of melted chocolate/cream will form on to the top of the chocolate as you drink it, and gives it wonderful texture.
I use Burdick's chocolate, which is my main secret to the recipe, but if you have any real chocolate and shave/grate it, you will be able to make something similar.
Take milk and heat it, stirring often so that it doesn't burn at the bottom of your pot. Once it gets foamy then whisk in as much chocolate as you want till well blended. You can heat it for a few more seconds or remove. Also, you can add sugar and/or flavored syrup to give it extra flavor. This may be expecially important if you use Burdick's dark chocolate. If you want to make the hot chocolate very creamy, then use half'n'half instead of milk. If you want an extra sweat hot chocolate, make a Black and white - using dark chocolate and white chocolate.
And for even more extra zing, replace the flavored syrup with some peppermint schnapps at the very end. Sweetness with kick. Mmm.
This is a basic one, but it was recently requested by a friend. In my opinion this basic recipe makes the best hot chocolate. As you're drinking it, a sheet of melted chocolate/cream will form on to the top of the chocolate as you drink it, and gives it wonderful texture.
I use Burdick's chocolate, which is my main secret to the recipe, but if you have any real chocolate and shave/grate it, you will be able to make something similar.
Take milk and heat it, stirring often so that it doesn't burn at the bottom of your pot. Once it gets foamy then whisk in as much chocolate as you want till well blended. You can heat it for a few more seconds or remove. Also, you can add sugar and/or flavored syrup to give it extra flavor. This may be expecially important if you use Burdick's dark chocolate. If you want to make the hot chocolate very creamy, then use half'n'half instead of milk. If you want an extra sweat hot chocolate, make a Black and white - using dark chocolate and white chocolate.
And for even more extra zing, replace the flavored syrup with some peppermint schnapps at the very end. Sweetness with kick. Mmm.
Jocks 'n' Nerds
For the lame showing that the med schoolers made at my house party last month, I have to say that we have a lot to show for it. The pictures came out amazing and the events seem to be pretty memorable. Thanks to everyone who came; it was fun to get together.
So I am back very late from an evening at the DEC. Most of the people I've talked to give it mixed reviews, but I have had a great time so far. It's all about taking initiative and asking questions about patients. It also sometimes requires you to stay longer than you expected, but talking to the patient (and bungling it up as I did) was an experience I value! Anyway, enough preaching.
I can't wait to go to the orchestra this weekend. I'm looking forward to hearing both Ravel and Brahms, and the solo pianist will be Garrick Ohlsson, who I look forward to also hearing at Carnegie Music Hall in a few months. And we'll be checking out Six Penn Avenue - a new restaurant - before the show. The review is forthcoming.
So I am back very late from an evening at the DEC. Most of the people I've talked to give it mixed reviews, but I have had a great time so far. It's all about taking initiative and asking questions about patients. It also sometimes requires you to stay longer than you expected, but talking to the patient (and bungling it up as I did) was an experience I value! Anyway, enough preaching.
I can't wait to go to the orchestra this weekend. I'm looking forward to hearing both Ravel and Brahms, and the solo pianist will be Garrick Ohlsson, who I look forward to also hearing at Carnegie Music Hall in a few months. And we'll be checking out Six Penn Avenue - a new restaurant - before the show. The review is forthcoming.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Recipe experimentation
I've been experimenting with recipes for delicious baked concoctions. I thought I would at least record [and hopefully thus share] some of my recent discoveries.
Ricotta Cookies (modified from Richard's Ricotta Cookies recipe #78956 at RecipeZaar)
1 stick unsalted butter (softened, please)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
lemon zest
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
dash vanilla
In medium bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar, add one egg, add ricotta cheese and mix well. add vanilla, almond extract, lemon zest and mix well again to incorporate air. Add dry mixture to wet little by little, mixing well after each. Drop the dough onto cookie sheets in small mounded teaspoons. Batter will spread a lot in the oven. Bake at 325 F for 10-12 minutes till bottom edges are just golden. Allow to cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to racks. While cookies are warm, drizzle with glaze. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Ricotta Sour Cream Cheesecake (modified from Kim 127's Sour Cream Cheesecake recipe #60044 on Recipezaar.com)
Crust:
10 graham cracker squares, crushed well
½ stick butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Filling:
2 eggs, separated
1 c sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½-2/3 c. Ricotta
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
Lemon zest
¼ tsp salt
Instructions: Mix the crust ingredients together thoroughly, and press into bottom of pie plate. You can use a springform pan for this recipe if you want to have a nicer presentation, but I find a springform cheesecake to be way too big and a little harder to arrange.
Beat egg yellows well, add in sugar, cream cheese, ricotta, extracts, lemon zest, and salt. Mix for a long time to incorporate lots of air into mixture. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks uniformly in bowl. *For these last two parts you need to add ingredients very carefully and mix as little as possible). Fold egg whites carefully into egg-cheese mixture. Add sour cream and just barely mix to make uniform. Pour overtop of crust. Bake at 350 F for 40-50min in a water bath to prevent cracks in the cheesecake. Allow to cool for at least one hour in the oven, then allow to slow cool outside for another 1/2 hour. Then remove to refrigerator to complete chilling process. Slow cooling of the cheesecake is very important.
Optional: you can add a fruit topping on top of the cheesecake.
Ricotta Cookies (modified from Richard's Ricotta Cookies recipe #78956 at RecipeZaar)
1 stick unsalted butter (softened, please)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
lemon zest
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
dash vanilla
In medium bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar, add one egg, add ricotta cheese and mix well. add vanilla, almond extract, lemon zest and mix well again to incorporate air. Add dry mixture to wet little by little, mixing well after each. Drop the dough onto cookie sheets in small mounded teaspoons. Batter will spread a lot in the oven. Bake at 325 F for 10-12 minutes till bottom edges are just golden. Allow to cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to racks. While cookies are warm, drizzle with glaze. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Ricotta Sour Cream Cheesecake (modified from Kim 127's Sour Cream Cheesecake recipe #60044 on Recipezaar.com)
Crust:
10 graham cracker squares, crushed well
½ stick butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Filling:
2 eggs, separated
1 c sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½-2/3 c. Ricotta
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
Lemon zest
¼ tsp salt
Instructions: Mix the crust ingredients together thoroughly, and press into bottom of pie plate. You can use a springform pan for this recipe if you want to have a nicer presentation, but I find a springform cheesecake to be way too big and a little harder to arrange.
Beat egg yellows well, add in sugar, cream cheese, ricotta, extracts, lemon zest, and salt. Mix for a long time to incorporate lots of air into mixture. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks uniformly in bowl. *For these last two parts you need to add ingredients very carefully and mix as little as possible). Fold egg whites carefully into egg-cheese mixture. Add sour cream and just barely mix to make uniform. Pour overtop of crust. Bake at 350 F for 40-50min in a water bath to prevent cracks in the cheesecake. Allow to cool for at least one hour in the oven, then allow to slow cool outside for another 1/2 hour. Then remove to refrigerator to complete chilling process. Slow cooling of the cheesecake is very important.
Optional: you can add a fruit topping on top of the cheesecake.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Back home
So I am back home for the weekend, for a mere stint. I can't believe I"m done with Child Neurology, which I just finished this week. I know I like it, that's the truth. Do I know that I want to do it yet? I got a feeling that I wanted to do it. But I don't know how to characterize it. Is it because I'm working with kids? Is it purely because it involves neurology? Is it because the people at CHP are so damned good? That's what I've been talking to people about and grappling with. I have a feeling that I like the whole package, but certainty is a scary thought for me to grasp right now, especially considering how much my outlook changes each day.
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