Home for the Holidays

I spent Christmas here in Miami this year, where we had a traditional Polish dinner, complete with borsht, pierogi, and fried fish. David got a telescope from my mom, and we had "fun" trying to put it all together.

On the 26th I braved wintry Midwest weather to fly home to Iowa. My connection was in Detroit, and all went well on my flight from Ft. Lauderdale to the Detroit Metro Airport. Unfortunately, my flight to DSM was cancelled. I had to spend 6 hours in the airport, so I rode through the one-of-a-kind tunnel connecting concourse A to B and C. If you haven't been through the tunnel, it's like a step into the future. The walls are covered with frosted glass with lighting behind it. The light go through every color of the rainbow, all in time to the space age music that is playing overhead. To experience the tunnel through YouTube, click here.

After I finally made it to Des Moines, it was cold!. I was shivering a lot of the time, and I discovered that my wool sweaters are all too short, they come down just below my belly button (I have no idea how that happened!).

I spent most of the time at home, playing games and watching movies. It's always so nice to spend time with my parents. I did get out a bit, though.

We visited the capital in Des Moines, and I hadn'r been in it since the inside was renovated. It is gorgeous, all the origianl stenciling and details have been restored. The architecture is just amazing. If you ever find yourself in Des Moines (not likely, I know), the capital is really interesting, especially if you like historic buildings. It's also neat to walk through the Senate and House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the Law Library, which are all open when not is session. In the accompanying photos, you can see the exterior of the Capital, a still life of corn, which epitomizes the bounty of the Midwest, the antique chandeliers that hang in the Senate, and a beautiful painting of pioneers going West that I remember from my chidlhood. It is huge, probably at least 50 feet wide.

We also went to the neighboring East Village, a historical neighborhood whose old brick storefronts and warehouses have been renovated into lofts and funky boutique stores. Among the many local shops and restaurants, I visited From Our Hands, an art gallery showcasing regional artists, Kitchen Collage with everything from French porcelian china to egg timers, and Smash, a local clothing brand that showcases screenprinting. It is filled with really funny t-shirts that poke fun at common perceptions of the Midwest and Des Moines. I have several of their shirts now, and you should check out their website.

I also got to visit the Neal Smith Prairie with my fried Sara. We tried to walk the trail by the visitor Center, but it was treacherous with ice. I visited the prairie last in August, and I found it much changed in the winter. Gone were the coneflowers and nightshade, replaced by a sweeping canvas of golden brown, its beauty more vast, more subtle. I was delighted when we drove through the buffalo acreage. We saw elk, antlered males and babies, and majestic buffalo, all very close. I got a great shot of two buffalo hunkered down against the wind. When you see these creatures in person, their size is unbelievable.

On my last day there, we drove to Leon to visit the land. We rambled around through grass and brambles, taking stock of the place. My dad impressed us with his prowess as he lept across the icy creek at a place deemed too wide by my mom and me.

It was really nice to go home for the Holidays this year.

toothbrush drama

Last night after we had climbed into bed, we heard a small noise. Bang, plop. David started swearing, followed by "Oh no, not again! I can't believe this!"

The tone of his voice was such that I imagined some catastrophe. Had Mickey gotten into something dangerous?

I asked, with some urgency, "What happened?"

He replied, "My toothbrush fell in the toilet again."

Our toothbrushes are stored above the sink in wall-mounted holes. However, with modern day toothbrushes having fat, plush rubber grips, we have to jam the end of the handle into the hole. Recently, David's toothbrush has picked up the new extracurricular activity of cliff diving off of the wall into the toilet bowl, with a clean richochet off the tank. It completes this with remarkable accuracy. The latest dive is the third time in the last two weeks. Mine has tried the same feat once or twice, but has yet to find its mark.

I suggested to David, "If this is happening so often that you now recognize the event by sound alone, perhaps it is time to revise our toothbrush storage strategy."

He agreed.

Bistro Bisou...you need to go there

Update: 5/17/10

I am saddened to report that our latest trip to our favorite French restaurant was a big disappointment. We went to celebrate our anniversary, and were anticipating another evening of delicious food. However, I suspect the restaurant has changes cooks. The cream sauce on the frog legs appetizer was too heavy. A good percentage of my mussels were not good. Instead of cooked to crispy perfection, my duck was chewy. We skipped dessert and left feeling deflated. I think we will have to look for a new French place.

Bistro Bisou
9519 S. Dixie Hwy
Pinecrest, FL
33156
In the Dadeland Plaza Mall
Across from the Dadeland South Train Station & the Datran Center
Tel: 786.268.0178
Fax: 786.268.0172

Last night we went to celebrate my birthday at Bistro Bisou, a French restaurant hidden in a strip mall across from the Dadeland South Metro station. We had read some rave reviews for the place, and I was hankering for some classic French food. The chefs have trained in France at some top notch establishments, and it shows in their food. We were absolutely blown away by the sauces, and the fact that everything we ate, from appetizer to dessert, was perfectly cooked. Aside from the menu items, there were lots of daily specials, which I would recommend considering ( most of our selections were specials).

The atmosphere is nice, with a lot of French accents, including an miniature iron Eiffel Tower. The waiters were great, friendly and helpful. We tried several of our waitress's suggestions, from appetizers to wine, and were not disappointe. Plus, they are French, which is nice to hear in a French bistro.

To start off we had mussels in wine broth and escargot and frog legs in a cream sauce with leeks. The mussels were delicous. They came in a hot metal pot that the waitress uncovered at the table. I knew they would be good when waitress took off the lid with a "1,2,3...Voilà!", and the garlicky steam from the pot hit my face. It was a huge portion, with probably forty mussels in the pot, and they were well-cleaned with not grit. I began busily scooping out the meat and slurping on the broth, which was perfectly seasoned with bits of tomato and LOTS of chopped garlic. But really it was the cream sauce that our escargot and frog legs were swimming in that blew me away. It was piping hot with lots of complexity, sweet and savory with a nutty flavor. Ablsolutely fabulous. We couldn't wait for the main course... duck a l'orange and pork tenderloin with apples and pan sauce with Calvados.

Bistro Bisou did not let us down with the entrees. My pork was flavorful, tender and moist (the holy Trinity of meat, no?), and the apples lents a sweetness to the dish, but weren't overpowering. The duck was amazing, right down to the crispy skin. Even the accompanying vegetables, often an afterthought in other establishments, were well-cooked and very fresh. There was even a sort of dumpling that was shaped like a little pear and fried. A whimsical touch to a simply plated entree.

Of course, we ended the meal with dessert, and for me, it was the highlight of the meal. We decided to go for a souffle. I wanted the Grand Marnier, and David wanted chocolate, so we got the Souffle Arlequin, which is half of each. We had to wait about fifteen minutes while it was prepared, which was perfect timing to rest our stomach's a little after the first two courses. I was talked into trying a little 10-year aged port (I deserve a treat right?) to go with it. The souffle came out, and our waitress poured in the custardy sauce (creme anglaise?) . We both ended up preferring the Grand Marnier souffle, which I don't know if I can even do justice with words. It was everything a souffle is supposed to be crusty on the top, warm, light and soft int he middle. Basically heaven in your mouth.

To top it off, we got a complimentary Sambuca as a digestive at the end of the meal, which is my favorite liqueor. It really was a perfect meal, and we want to go back as soon as we can. Expect to pay around 10 dollars for appettizers and $20-25 for entrees, which is a little spendy for many of us, but is a good deal for the quality of the food. I want to try lunch as well, which is very reasonably priced.

Bistro Bisou wasn't very busy when we went, so this is my plug to everyone here in Miami looking for a great dining experience. Get out of the Grove, Coral Gables, or South Beach, and try this little gem in Pinecrest.

A perfect afternoon

The weather was ideal on Friday afternoon. There was a chill in the air, but the sun warmed my skin enough that I wasn't cold. We walked to Publix for something mundane, I think is was dishwasher soap (we had run out on Thanksgiving, of all days!). In the park across the street, a group of teenagers had a game of touch football going.

On a whim, David and I bought some gatorade, along with sunflower seeds and pistacchios. We found a patch of grass, determined to enjoy the sunshine. The grass was soft and the damp earth cool. I cracked the sunflower seed hulls in my teeth and spit them into the grass. Eating sunflower seeds always brings me back 15 years, when I used to go to the Little League field and watch my brother play baseball. My mom and I kept the scorebook for my dad, who coached the team. We meticulously recorded each at-bat with the appropriate codes. I always loved collecting data.

I watched the teens running plays, a few girls climbing a tree, boys teasing each other. I was jealous, they looked so carefree. It's funny, as an adult, even in moments of happiness, there are nagging worries lurking in the back of my mind, trying to claw their way to the surface.

But this afternoon my worries were staying out of sight. David and I had on of those conversations that last hours, meandering from topic to topic, laughter evolving into debate. One of the meaning-of-life conversations. I tore blades of grass into tiny pieces, and brushed ant off of my arms.

Eventually the sun was casting deep shadows. Time to walk back home. What a perfect afternoon.