A baking and gardening journal. Mostly.
by Coltrane
Great career. It was time.
The final seasons of the top 5 home run hitters of all time, excluding Bonds:
| Name | Age | G | AB | H | 2B | HR | BB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Aaron | 42 | 85 | 271 | 62 | 8 | 10 | 35 | .229 | .315 | .369 | .684 |
| Ruth | 40 | 28 | 72 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 20 | .181 | .359 | .341 | .789 |
| Mays | 42 | 66 | 209 | 44 | 10 | 6 | 27 | .211 | .303 | .344 | .647 |
| Griffey | 40 | 33 | 98 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 9 | .184 | .250 | .204 | .454 |
| Average | 41 | 53 | 163 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 23 | .211 | .305 | .343 | .648 |
by Coltrane
Most adults are convinced that the food they ate as kids wasn’t well made or of high quality.
I think I’ve figured one element of it. But first, a story..
Last night I had dinner with friends in a neighborhood pub. The place was packed with locals. The crowd included a high proportion of families with young children.
The pub was loud due to the big crowd and a complete absence of soundproofing. The service was slow and inattentive. Our $14 entrees “should” have been about $8-10. The food was “meh”—it wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad… it really wasn’t anything, there was nothing interesting about it. It just sat on the plate.
But that’s the thing– the food and service didn’t have to be good. The pub was the only “family friendly” place in the neighborhood. It was going to be packed regardless of whatever the kitchen threw out there, or whether the waitstaff could correctly remember our orders. (They couldn’t, on two out of our three entrees the waitress missed something. She also forgot one of the three drink orders.)
Of course, that’s what happens when you put kids into the equation. Families don’t tip well in a place like that. They’re also not appreciative of good food. (Find me an eight year-old with a truly discerning palate.) The parents are just relieved that they don’t have to cook and do dishes. So long as the food is edible, and Timmy doesn’t refuse to eat the Mac and Cheese he asked for, the parents aren’t going to complain.
When faced with bad tips and unruly kids a good waitress is going to find somewhere else to work. A good cook is going to find another restaurant where they appreciate his skill.
That’s why we remember the food being so “meh” when we were children. It’s because it was “meh”. That Chinese place you remember from when you were young? Family Friendly. That Mexican Joint? Family Friendly. Anyplace that kids can go with their families is not where the adults that care what the food tastes like go to eat. It was true then and it’s true now.
My advice? Upon entering a restaurant, look around. If you see a large population of pre-teens you can count on getting marginal food and service. If you’re ok with that, fine, stay and eat.
Otherwise go elsewhere and enjoy good food with the adults.
By Iron Chef Leftovers
If you are watching Top Chef Masters and haven’t caught up, look away now.
A few months ago, I made this prediction about the final 4 on Top Chef Masters – My picks for the finals – Rick Tramonto, Marcus Samuelsson, Jon Waxman and Mark Peel. Well, I am 50% on that prediction. Samuelsson and Waxman have made it to the final 4. Peel and Tramonto were big disappointments, but hey, I will take it. I was disappointed to see all 3 Seattle chefs get eliminated in the first round, but I was happy to see Jody Adams last a few rounds. Thierry Rautureau had possibly the best moment at Critic’s Table – when the judges asked about his food, Rautureau said his problem was “a French guy was trying to squeeze a 7 course meal into one dish.” I still think that Samuelsson is going to win, but Susur Lee seems like he might put up a fight.
Overall, I really don’t like this show – the editing is terrible, the critics are annoying and there isn’t the intensity of the competition of the regular Top Chef show, but it is mildly entertaining, so I end up watching it.
By Iron Chef Leftovers
Parmigiano Reggiano. It is the undisputed king of cheeses (hence the Reggiano) and nothing really compares to its grassy, nutty flavor. Cook’s Illustrated did a taste test (sorry, no link, it is subscriber only) and nothing came close. This question was printed in the Seattle Times and the answer, given by a professional food writer, was vague and really not helpful. Yes, the really high end Parmigiano is pricey, but there are several less expensive sources (granted, they aren’t the highest quality, but will still blow the doors off any other cheese): Costco, Trader Joe’s and Seattle based PFI (probably the best cheese selection in Seattle, but they do have a 1 pound minimum on any cheese) all carry Reggiano at less than $13 a pound.
The writer of the question said that Reggiano was no longer in his budget. I use the stuff in a good deal of my cooking and a pound lasts me almost 6 months (you really don’t need that much unless you want whatever you put it in to taste like Reggiano and nothing else). Between the small amount you need of Reggiano and the larger amount of any other cheese you need to get the same flavor, my guess is that you would spend roughly the same amount a year on cheese. If you are going to do that, you might as well go with the king.
by Coltrane
In his New Historical Baseball Abstract (2001), Bill James lists 16 indicators that he believes can used to determine the quality of play in Major League Baseball. He calls these “Peripheral Quality Indicia”, or “PQL for short.” (An acronym that didn’t catch on, go figure.) Using Bob Lemon as an example, James writes about the fact that hitting by pitchers has declined steadily over the history of major league baseball, and that this is because the overall quality of play has improved with the passage of time.
The List, make a mental note of the items that are in bold:
1. Hitting by pitchers.
2. The average distance of players, in age, from 27.
3. The percentage of players who are less than six feet tall or more than 6’3″. [Ed: Percentage of players who differ from the ideal size for the sport.]
4. Fielding Percentage and Passed Balls.
5. Double Plays.
6. Usage of pitchers at other positions.
7. The percentage of fielding plays made by pitchers.
8. The percentage of games which are blowouts.
9. The average attendance and seating capacity of the game location.
10. The condition of the field.
11. The use of players in specialized roles.
12. The average distance of teams from .500.
13. The percentage of games that go nine innings.
14. The standard deviation of offensive effectiveness.
15. The standard of record-keeping.
16. The percentage of managers who have 20 years or more experience in the game.
James’ list looks specifically at major league baseball. I think that the items in bold apply to any sporting event. Take for example– a bunch of 13 year-old kids playing basketball at the playground. The kids are young and small, the rim’s probably bent and there are likely cracks in the blacktop, nobody is watching them play because nobody really cares who wins, and when somebody does win it might be by a score of around 15-5, and that’s if anyone is keeping score at all. It’s not good basketball, and by extension it isn’t much of a sporting event.
Competition has increased in the NFL too. It used to be that players were expected to play both offense and defense– to be “two-way players.” Frank Gifford played Running Back and Defensive Back. Pat Summerall played Tight End, Defensive End, and Kicked for good measure. They both played for the Giants in the late 50’s. The Giants had five positions covered by two guys in the “Greatest Game Ever Played“, the NFL Championship, in 1958. (The game also featured Vince Lombardi as the Giants Offensive Coordinator, and Tom Landry as their Defensive Coordinator– 17 Hall of Famers in all.) The NFL has now evolved to the point that in order to hold a job a player has to resemble whatever the idealized phenotype is for their position.
Where else can this be seen? Notable achievements in “Low Competition” settings include: Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak in 1941. The UCLA Bruins basketball winning streaks in the 60’s and 70’s. The UConn women’s basketball streaks (and their average winning margin of nearly 30 points) of the new millenium.
“High Competition” settings include: The development left-handed relief specialists in major league baseball. The explosion of sabermetrics and advanced statistics in baseball and basketball. Football now has “3rd down backs”, “nickle” defensive backs, specialized punters and kickers, and players that only return those kicks.
Probably the quickest and easiest way to know if it’s competitive? Look in the stands and see how many paying customers are at the event. If the spectators are all kids — if the crowd sounds like a Justin Bieber concert– it tells you all you need to know.
Historical Baseball Abstract link here.
Bill James is from Kansas. Here’s probably the strangest music video ever made entitled Kansas, by The Wolfgang Press. Check out those creepy Kennedy masks! The way the song is mixed it seems to me that it’s intended to be listened to loud. Annoy the neighbors.
By Iron Chef Leftovers
In case you were a fan, long time Seattle restaurant, Brasa, in Belltown has shut its doors. Normally I am sad to see places that have been around for 10 years close, but Brasa was the site of my single worst dining experience in Seattle (If I can find my review of it, I will add it), so I say goodbye and good luck to the owners and sadly, Brasa will not be missed by me.
By Iron Chef Leftovers
I really like the concept – a restaurant and a butcher shop and why not? There isn’t really any reason why a place that makes it’s own cured meats shouldn’t sell them retail. Laurelhurst Market, it the Laurelhurst section of Portland is such a place. There is a small butcher counter where you can buy any of their house made pates, bacon and sausages as well as select cuts of high quality meat (grass fed and organic) at very reasonable prices compared to your local mega mart. It made me want to get a cooler and ice and bring some home, but I was there for the restaurant, not the butcher shop.
The restaurant space is nice – a big open space with high ceilings and an open kitchen. You would expect a deafening noise level in there, but Laurelhurst Market has done something that I wish more restaurants with high ceilings would do – they covered their ceilings with noise reducing cloth, making it so you could actually hear the conversation with the person next to you. This place is busy too – on a Sunday at 6 PM there were no open tables and by the time I left at about 8, there was a waiting list that was still a few people deep (they don’t take reservations either). What is the draw? Very solid food, relatively inexpensive prices for the quality and quantity of the meal. This is a steak place with quality of a high-end place (think Jak’s in Seattle or Ruth’s Chris) and the prices of Outback Steakhouse. The appetizers range from 5 to 14 dollars and the entrees range from 13 to 32 dollars with the majority of the menu clocking in at under $20. Sides are ala carte, but range from 5 to 7 dollars and are large enough for sharing. Desserts range from 6 to 9 dollars.
We started out meal with a small charcuterie plate – for $6 we got to taste a sampling of the house made meats – Country Pate, Venison Pate, Liverwurst and Mortadella. All were excellent, with the Venison Pate really stealing the show. It had a wonderful flavor without being gamey. Next course involved the sweetbreads and house made mozzarella. The sweetbreads came crispy on a bed of braised bok choy and onions in a savory beef broth. The sweetbreads were perfectly cooked and the broth brought an amazing complexity to the dish. The mozzarella, house made to order, was a generous chunk of cheese, served still warm with strawberries and balsamic vinegar. While fantastic, it seemed to be more appropriate for dessert with the sweetness of the berries and balsamic balancing the creaminess of the cheese. For a main course, steak frites and tri-tip with grilled romaine were on deck. The tri-tip was perfectly grilled just short of medium rare with a side of caramelized onions and a béarnaise sauce. The onions worked extremely well complimenting the meatiness of the stake, and the béarnaise was a nice accompaniment to the dish. The grilled romaine was a smoky, crunchy, salty, sweet delight, very well done. My only real complaint – they sauced the steak rather than having the sauce on the side. The steak frites was a wonderfully smoky flat iron in a brown gravy with some of the best frites I have had in a while – wonderfully crispy on the outside, flaky within. My complaint – where was the aioli? Dessert was their take on a s’mores, deconstructed – a house made marshmallow cube, melted bittersweet chocolate and a rosemary graham cracker – chased by a shot of Maker’s Mark whiskey. A gooey, chocolaty mess, totally worth it and easily filling for 2 people.
Overall, Laurelhurst Market lives up to the rave reviews that people are giving it, just be prepared to wait for a table if you don’t get there early (they do have a bar that will make the wait easier). Now, if we could just get the same type of place in Seattle…
by Coltrane
The chart below shows the ages of the “rotation” players (19+ minutes per game) of three teams I think Lebron is most likely to go to, listed by order of playing time. I don’t think he’s going to the Knicks or Nets. (The Knicks don’t have the second star to play with, or cap room to afford it without gutting the team. The Nets just plain stink.)
The “21” in the Bulls column is Derrick Rose. Rose is a potential perennial All-Star. The Bulls have Joaquim Noah too. Noah is developing into a very good player.
The “21” in the Heat column is headcase Michael Beasley. Beasley is basically trade bait. The “28” is Dwayne Wade, who has more miles on his odometer than the usual 28 year-old. If Wade breaks down what does Miami have to offer?
| Cavs | Heat | Bulls |
| 27 | 28 | 25 |
| 33 | 21 | 21 |
| 27 | 31 | 29 |
| 34 | 29 | 25 |
| 26 | 30 | 24 |
| 38 | 33 | 34 |
| 34 | 23 | 30 |
| 21 | 30 | 27 |
| 25 | 24 | |
| Average | Average | Average |
| 29.4 | 27.7 | 26.9 |
The Cavs are borderline old and they’re not going to get better going forward– they’re just going to get more old. It’s time for Lebron to go to elsewhere. If it weren’t for the shadow of Jordan I’d assume he was going to Chicago.
I’m guessing Chicago regardless. My second guess is Miami. It should be fun watching the circus.
by Coltrane
As you may or may not be aware — Kelly Kulick won a PBA event in January, drawing the praise of Billy Jean King.
On Sunday a 12 year-old won $400 at a PBA Regional Tournament in Georgia.
What’s next? Obviously, if there are players that are too young to legally drive a car competing it’s either not much of a sport or it’s World War II baseball. (Given that the major leagues featured a one-armed outfielder at about the same time…)
Did You Know? Bobby Riggs was 55 years old at the time of the Battle of the Sexes? After his pro tennis career he became a tennis (and other things) hustler. He used to play guys for money with things like park benches on his side of the court.
Finally– the best song about bowling ever, covered by three girls on ukelele’s. The band name is No Skanks on Sunday. The music starts at about the 45-second mark.
By Blaidd Drwg
This post on USS Mariner sums up Mike Sweeney’s At-Bat against Fernando Rodney the other night.
I also would like to point out that I scooped USS Mariner on their story about the pitch selection that Griffey is seeing this season – by almost 2 weeks. I would like to think they stole my idea, even if they didn’t.
Congrats to Mike Saunders on hitting his first big league home run. He made his mom extremely happy.
FlatbreadGarden 