wine tasting in niagara on the lake | canada

When I lived in Japan, I got asked frequently, "What are your hobbies?" My students asked me, and my colleagues asked me, and eventually - even my fellow English-speaking friends started to ask me because when you hear a phrase or question that sounds strange at first often enough, it becomes normal, and you, too, adopt it into your jargon. I always stammered and paused. I could have produced a quicker answer if asked my thoughts on metaphysics, and that's pretty nuts since I absolutely couldn't begin to tell you what metaphysics even is (my best guess: being terribly self-aware of one's existence as a block of matter).

Looking back now, I struggled to answer because I'm not sure I really had any developed hobbies. I had interests and likes but none that I'd explored so in-depth as to really give it the high praise of a hobby. I think what makes a hobby a real hobby is your investment of time and energy in becoming good at it - learning as much as possible not because you need the information to pass a test or do well at your job but because you can't get enough of it and you love learning about it.

Now, several years later, I have occasional moments when a silly little part of me wants to go back to Japan for the sole purpose of being totally and completely prepared to answer that question. And since you're dying to know... my hobbies include hiking, blogging, researching and planning international trips, writing, photography, baking, eating carbs, following gymnastics, and wine. Any of you who read my blog (and thank you for that!) could have told me that list, but it was some kind of bizarre self-realization when I realized that I have hobbies - real hobbies!

I took my wine hobby to the next level when Zander and I visited Niagara on the Lake, a beautiful town situated about 25 minutes outside of Niagara Falls, Canada. Almost 30 wineries dot the periphery of Niagara on the Lake, ranging from behemoth producers whose wines can be found all over the country to boutiques where I felt right at home. On our day trip to the town, we managed to visit six wineries - an incredible feat that left me guzzling water for the next several days.

I've done a lot of wine tasting and learning in Virginia wine country, but it wasn't until I stretched my wings a little and tasted another region's specialties that I got enough perspective to see all the knowledge I've acquired along the way. I tasted with confidence in Niagara on the Lake, picking out floral and fruit and savory notes that I didn't know I'd come to recognize. I had preconceptions stripped away: I'd come to think of Reisling and Gewürztraminer wines as traditionally sweet, but when those grapes are grown in cooler climates, where they do exceedingly well, they produce some incredibly varied, complex, dry wines that are really delicious. At Strewn Winery, we indulged in an entire tasting of these two varietals, moving from off-dry to bone dry.

I've never developed a taste for Port, the sweet dessert wine, so I anticipated disliking Ice Wine, another style of dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine and a specialty of the Niagara region. I found, instead, that I like it very much, in small sips. We tasted a sparkling ice wine at Inniskillin Wines, the go-to Niagara winery for ice wine, and even the gigantic $120 price tag couldn't keep us from buying a bottle to keep for a special occasion. 

Konzelmann Winery & Estate, situated on the banks of the lake, reminded me of a large Bavarian cottage. Zander said I might be crazy so clearly architecture is not a hobby of mine. The winery offered more than a stunning view and questionable architectural influences - it introduced me to Baco Noir, a red hybrid grape (hybrid of French & North American grapes) that, again, does well in cooler climates like Niagara and Oregon. It's a traditionally medium-bodied, approachable wine. Zander went nuts over it and bought several bottles. 

At Reif Estate Winery, we tasted a fruity, dry $10 Vidal that left us wanting more, so we bought 2 bottles to take home. Wines like that Vidal, that Zan and I drank just the other night while casually watching a TV show at midnight on a Friday, are part of the reason why I love wine so much - it doesn't need to be pretentious or over the top - a $10 bottle of wine can be just as enjoyable and perfect for an occasion as a pricey, full-bodied one can. 

My favorite of the Niagara on the Lake wineries we visited, Marynissen Estates is a small, unassuming boutique with pedigree you wouldn't expect - winning prestigious awards for Reislings, Chardonnay's, and Grape Grower of the Year multiple times over. Marynissen has the oldest planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in Canada. The maturity of the grapes is evident in the body of the wines - particularly their Syrah and Cab Sauv blends. We left with bottles from damn near their entire flight of tasting wines, and they were kind enough to offer us vintage reserves to taste, as well.

The final winery - which was actually our first stop - was Trius Winery, where we enjoyed a brunch with wine pairing that I still can't get out of my head, it was that delicious. Since our visit to Trius, I've been scouring the Virginia wine events list for a similar offering for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Those kinds of pairings are expensive but absolutely worth it.

So now that I've talked for oh so long about one of mine, tell me, what are your hobbies?

friday photo | theo turns 3

The smell hit me before I fully opened the front door. It forced its way out of the house, punching me in the nose during its rushed exit. I took a staggered breath through my mouth, trying to keep composure. Frustration rose up like an erupting volcano within me, too fast for my mind to react, and tears pooled in my eyes. I forced myself inside the house and into my room - the first door on the right - and saw a pool - a wet pool - of dog poop surrounding Theo's crate and creeping through the cracks of my hardwood floors.

Theo was curled up in a ball as far back as he could go, staying away from the mess; it was obvious he'd done everything he could not to soil his bed and his crate. He'd had to go and couldn't hold it. I reached over and unlocked the door, soothing him, encouraging him to come on out. It was the 4th time I'd come home to the same mess, and with resignation, I thought, "I can't do this anymore. I have to take him back."

I retreated to the kitchen for cleaning supplies, and as I started in on the dirty work, tears worked their way down my cheeks. Right then, Zander walked in.

We were still in the number of dates that I could count on both my hands. This new guy that I was dating and really liked walked in to a house that reeked of feces, and there I was on all fours, my gloved hands covered in poop. It was also the first time he'd seen me cry. I kept trying to think of words to say, and none came out.

He took one look at me in my state, Theo huddled in a corner, scared, and said, "Why don't I take Theo for a walk?" And it was gracious and the perfect thing to say and do and gave me time to finish cleaning Theo's mess and myself up, and by the time they came back, Theo was bounding again, and I was clear-eyed.

In truth, I really did consider giving Theo back to K-9 Lifesavers, the organization through which I adopted him. The first few months I was in over my head. He was stubborn, hard to train, and then there was the nonstop diarrhea, that I thought was separation anxiety. It turns out it was parasites, and thank god because we've never had a problem since then.

I kept him, though, thinking, "Just a little longer," and we took an obedience class together, and he was the quickest learner in his class. He wanted to learn and wanted to make me happy and loved his treats. I discovered that hot dogs and bologna are all right to him, but he'll do anything for a squeaky ball.

I started taking him to parks, and I saw that he can jump sky high to catch a ball in his mouth, and he'll bring it right back to me. We went out for hikes, and I struggled so much with him pulling on his leash and I got so frustrated and angry, and then one time Zan said, "Let's take off the leash." And I was terrified he was going to run away or get hurt, but he stayed with us the whole time, and when he'd run ahead, he'd run right back to check on Zander and me and wait until we gave him a pat on the head before he ran back out to sniff some more. Theo was born to be a trail dog.

I know, too, about Theo, that as energetic and rambunctious as he is, he's a total softie and sweetheart on the inside. He doesn't just like to cuddle; he loves to spoon. His bed and his crate are his safe place, and even though I don't need to lock it and I never do anymore, he will always retreat to it to feel comfortable, and at home.

Theo is a bit of a scaredy-dog, but don't tell him I said that. He hates grates and walkways he can see through, and he'll shake and shiver and lay down and put up a fight, but if I need him to cross one, he'll do it with some encouragement. 

Theo's also an adventure-lover. He has come with me on a roadtrip to Georgia, up to Canada, to wineries all around Virginia, and places in between. He loves to cross creeks and streams and he's jsut fine with a little bouldering. He loves the outdoors more than any other place. He's curious and fun-loving and will do anything for a car ride. I'd like to say he gets it from me, but I think we were just meant for each other.

And Theo is a Mama's boy. Zander is his fearless leader and best friend and nobody can play fetch or tug-o-war with Theo like Zan can, but at the end of the day, he will do anything to protect me and can't stand to be far from me.

Theo, ahem, Sir Theodore Prince of Bagle Hounds, turned 3 yesterday, which means we've had 2 whole years together. He's my little man, my protector, my best pal, and the best dog in the whole world.

What can I say?

The best relationships in life are worth dealing with a little bit of shit from time to time.

1. the day i adopted theo 10/10/11 // 2. theo on rehoboth beach // 3. theo in rock creek park

in the stacks | the roundhouse

Synopsis
A Native American woman is brutally attacked, and her family deals with with the emotional and physical ramifications. Our protagonist is 13-year-old Joe, the woman's son. He and his three closest friends ride bikes, sneak cans of beer, fall in love with girls - or the thought of girls - for the first time, and work together to solve the mystery of Joe's mother's attack. Joe comes of age in the context of the brutality that tears his family apart. His eyes are opened to the inequalities and injustices of the legal and justice system on a reservation. He learns the limits of how far he will go to protect his mother and family.

Quote
“Now that I knew fear, I also knew it was not permanent. As powerful as it was, its grip on me would loosen. It would pass.” 

My thoughts... 
The Roundhouse has been called the Native American To Kill a Mockingbird, and such high praise is warranted. I'm ignorant of Native American culture, life, legal processes on reservations, etc. That said, I'm fascinated by it. Joe is an inviting, smart narrator and protagonist who forgives the audience for their ignorance of political and social injustices in reservation life. He's a real teenage boy, too - controlled by his emotions, easily swayed by his friends, and questioning his own identity and place in his family and community. After his mother barely survives a violent attack and retreats within herself, Joe's pursuit of vengeance leads him to law books as quickly as it does remote areas of the reservation. He's a conscientious, loving teenager who wants the best for his family. We watch him come to terms with the limitations of the law because the crime took place on or near the reservation. I honestly can't say more about this book than has been said in so many well-written, articulate reviews, but I can say that I learned a lot about the inequalities Native Americans face, especially when women are victims of rape. I loved the humanity, the moral question of justice versus vengeance, and the Erdrich's elevated, erudite prose. I had to really read this, to take it in and twirl the words around, and I liked being asked to think. I highly recommend The Roundhouse.

life lately

I'm in the thick of studying for the GRE, hanging on to new-old math concepts by a thread, and keeping up with growing freelance work commitments, while trying to thrive at my day job. I'm rediscovering the joy of Earl Gray tea in the morning to ease my eyes and mind open. I bought Boar's Head bologna this week and indulged in a fried bologna sandwich to take me back to Georgia. I'm settling into the present, looking forward to my fast-approaching 18-day trip to Ecuador, and finding comfort in cooler days and the anticipation of baked apple goods. Life is slower lately, and that's hard for me to accept, but I'm working on it.

1. Ryan shot a picture of me during my birthday dinner at Marietta in Brooklyn, and I love it.
2. Zander and I are still in a New York State of Mind after our incredible weekend in Brooklyn with friends. We broke out our Old Man Hustle koozie at a friend's housewarming party and shot a selfie to the NY crew.
3. We met baby Allie, our friends' 6-week-old newborn, at a "meet the baby" party last weekend. This picture says it all.
4. ...And then my friend Sarah & Zan recreated the picture later that night.
5. Zan and I met up with his brother & sister-in-law for a few drinks and a competitive game of shuffleboard at Bedrock Billiards in Adams Morgan last weekend. Have I mentioned lately how much I love having them so close by?
6. Zan & I have been spending a lot of time in the DC neighborhood Mt. Pleasant. It's quirky, diverse, and is ruled by a tricycle shrine. We're thinking we might call this area home come next February.
7. I ate my first ever Cuban sandwich at Mi Cuba Cafe in Columbia Heights. It's a perfect weekend lunch spot.
8. Sunday evening, Zan & I had an adventure in the Maryland suburbs. I bought a bike! And while we were there, we devoured the best pad kee mao (Thai drunken noodles) I've had in the DC area at Thai House in Gaithersburg.
9. My friends and old colleagues at the Feminist Majority Foundation and Ms. magazine, based out of Los Angeles, invited me to their annual Money, Women, Power Summit luncheon held in DC. Nancy Pelosi and other major women leaders who work every day to advance equal rights for women and girls around the world spoke, and it was an honor to be in their presence.

What's life like for you lately? If you have some time to spare, I love this post from Mel on the season of tea.

chipotle-style salad bowl with homemade pico de gallo

Here's something about me that most people don't know: I worked at Chipotle my first semester in college. That used to really embarrass me. I served tables from the age of 16, and that never bothered me - that felt cool and like a Waite rite of passage because my mom and brother both worked in the restaurant industry for long periods of time. Getting off track for a minute, my earliest memories of eating out are at McDonalds. I can picture the exact McDonalds in Newnan, Georgia - it's still there today. My mom would pay the cashier, and my brother and I - no older than 10 and 6, respectively, would calculate what the 15% tip would be if it were our check at a full-service restaurant. My mom, she's serious about tipping and treating service professionals with respect, as we should all be. But back to Chipotle.

I desperately needed a job. I learned the hard way - after packing my stuff and moving to Nebraska and into a dorm room and starting a full class load fall semester - that just because you get an anticipated financial aid package doesn't mean it's going to cover all the costs. Mine didn't. So I searched for a serving job, but they were all taken. My last option, with heavy feet, I walked into Chipotle and filled out an application. I got hired on the spot. For the next three months, I wore my black visor and embossed shirt, heated tortillas, filled bowls, and desperately avoided eye contact with anyone who might recognize me.

I felt like fast-casual service was less than a step away from flipping burgers, and I was young and entitled and thought it was beneath me. I found a serving job the next semester and a position on campus, and I quit Chipotle. But it was a humbling experience, and I'm glad I went through it. (Another life lesson from my mom, "A paycheck is a paycheck.")

They treated me well. I liked my coworkers and my boss, my shifts were enjoyable, and I totally dug becoming a pro at wrapping those gigantic burritos. That said, it was years after I quit before I ever entered another Chipotle.

Man, I was missing out. I am the first to say that authentic, hole-in-the-wall Mexican joints are some of my favorite places on the planet. I have a favorite in DC (Dulcinea), and I will vouch on my life that it's the best Mexican in the city. But there are days when I don't want to trek to the restaurant, and all I can see when I close my eyes are visions of a bowl layered with lettuce, brown rice, pepper & onion, steak, pico de gallo, corn salsa, the hot salsa, and a small dollop of sour cream and pinch of cheese. Perfect. It is truly delicious. And truly fattening. And truly pricey, when you start craving it 249 times a week.

So I make my own.

When I do go to Chipotle now, I resist jumping behind the counter to roll one of those beasts. It takes skill to not break the tortilla, I'm telling you. And then I mentally calculate a tip and throw it in the tip jar because that's what my mom taught me to do and because sometimes Chipotle is how a kid from Georgia pays her way through school.

diy chipotle-style salad bowl (makes 3 bowls)
head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup brown rice, cooked (on the stove or in a rice cooker - add fresh-squeezed lime juice and a dash of cilantro to get all the flavor chipotle's has)
1 small onion, sliced into half moons
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 links hot mexican chorizo, skin off
pico de gallo & any other salsas of choice
cheese, sour cream, avocado (optional)

heat a skillet on medium-high heat and begin cooking your chorizo. when it's about halfway done, add onion, pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet. cook the vegetables in the grease from the chorizo. my chorizo yieled little to no fat/grease, so i added a teaspoon of olive oil to cook the vegetables. when the vegetables are slightly softened and aromatic, and the meat is cooked through, pull off the heat and drain on paper towels (if needed). layer your bowl!

pico de gallo (about 1-1.5 cups)
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 diced red onion
1 diced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
pinch of salt

de-seed your tomatoes (i use a knife and scrape out the innards to keep it simple) and dice. combine with all other ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. use more jalapeno and garlic per your taste. squeeze the lime juice into the mixture. mix and chill for 30 minutes to an hour before scooping onto your bowl and digging into with tortilla chips.

turkey & chorizo burgers with guacamole

I used not to like burgers very much. Something about them made me feel sick every single time. But then I had one at a cookout a few summers ago that didn't make me sick. It was delicious. I learned after the fact that it was a buffalo burger. Then I tried a turkey burger at a restaurant in town, and I felt fine with that, too. Essentially, my stomach is a burger snob. You won't find me complaining about 'needing' to eat lamb burgers, ribeye burgers, buffalo burgers, and now, turkey & chorizo burgers.

I knew I wanted to make turkey burgers without the bun, using guacamole as my only real topping. What came together was 80% me playing around and 20% using the general ingredients you need to make turkey burgers work. I did the same with the guac. It turned out surprisingly simple and fast and mostly healthy. On the side I roasted cauliflower and the remainder of a bag of frozen fries in my freezer (okay, that part probably wasn't healthy... but drizzle olive oil on those suckers, switch to broil the last 5-7 minutes and sprinkle old bay & garlic powder, worth it!). The chorizo adds a ton of flavor, and I used it to inspire the spices I chose - cilantro, cumin, and hot pepper. I will be making these on the regular. I hadn't swallowed the first bite before they became my new favorite dinner.

This recipe is adaptable to the spices you like. I'm a judge-by-sight cook so the measurements are my best guesses. Enjoy!

turkey & chorizo burgers (makes 4 burgers)
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 links hot Mexican chorizo
1/8 cup (a thin layer) of bread crumbs (I used unseasoned)
1/2 egg (feel free to use the white only)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cilantro (fresh chopped or dried)
1/8 cup diced yellow onion
black pepper to your liking
1 minced garlic clove (or sprinkled garlic powder)
additional hot pepper or jalapeno if wanted

mix it all together by hand - breaking up the chorizo and incorporating it into the rest. mold 4 burgers. cook on a grill, grill pan on the stove, or stove-top skillet on medium-high heat until there is little give when you touch the center and the meat is cooked through. set the burgers on a paper towel lined plate to gather any unwanted grease from the chorizo.

guacamole (i made a small batch perfect for the 4 burgers) 
1 ripe avocado - halved and de-pitted
1/4 lime (cut in half, use half of a half)
a small handful diced red onion (maybe 2 teaspoons)
a small handful diced roma tomato, seeded
1/2 diced jalapeno (this is pretty spicy with the kind of pepper i used)
1 small clove garlic, minced or chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon or generous sprinkle of cilantro (diced fresh or dried)
sprinkle of cumin
sprinkle of black pepper

combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, squeezing fresh lime juice over the top. using a fork, mash until the avocado is evenly mixed in with all the other ingredients. scoop a generous dollop on a turkey & chorizo burger. eat! 

ps - I stole borrowed Zan's grill pan two days ago and have already used it three times. Pretty sure my daydreams of us having a place together are 99% about his kitchenware. 

brooklyn with f.r.i.e.n.d.s | the one with all the photos

I'm still surprised at how easy it was to gather eight of my closest friends in New York for a weekend in September. It helps that it was the weekend sandwiched between my birthday and my long-time, childhood best friend Mel's birthday (we're a year and 10 days apart, this is nonessential information that I had to share, anyway), and that everyone was within 4-5 hours of the Big Apple. It worked out even sweeter that it somehow, someway ended up as four couples - Mel and Mike, Matt and Ryan (my roommate and best friend since way back in high school & his boyfriend), my college roommate Ellie and her boyfriend Andy (who live in Brooklyn), and Zander and me. It was the first time Zander and Mike met, and they hit it off right away, which sort of melted me - I think you maybe never think about it purposefully but always just know that someday your significant other and your best friend's significant other will be best friends. Or at least, that's the way you dream life will turn out.

This weekend felt like three whole days of reaping the fruit of the labor of all that childhood dreaming. Six of us shared an AirBNB apartment in Clinton Hill (minus Ellie and Andy who have their own pad!), and we trudged up a four-story walk up every day, one after the other, laughing at whatever jokes we'd just made and all pretending we weren't gasping for breath at the end. We shut down a new craft beer and artisan wine bar (best. bar. idea. ever.) on the Lower East Side at 4:00am, and I think even then the only reason we finally left is because we drank the bartender out of stock (story has it that Zander ordered another bottle of Champagne at 2:30 in the morning). We stayed up late on Saturday night drinking wine in the apartment, sipping slowly, still recovering from the night before. And we -- okay I -- hungover shopped at the Brooklyn Flea - a five-minute walk from the apartment - until there was nothing left to buy.

We stuffed ourselves silly with bagels and cream cheese from Bergen Bagels, just down the street from our apartment for the weekend, and it's my new favorite New York bagel stop - but maybe that's more for the memories than the bagels themselves? No, the bagels are that damn good, too.

But maybe the best part of it all was our impromptu decision on Sunday morning to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. None of us could say no to the thought of one more outing, one more subway ride into Manhattan, one more morning spent under that impossibly blue sky before heading back to our respective cities and regular lives. I've walked it before at night, but it was a whole other kind of beautiful during the day. We had the world's most perfect weather - sunshine hitting our shoulders and turning our noses pink with breezes cool enough to remind us that fall is coming, it's almost here.

I bought a print from an artist drawing them in the middle of the Bridge. It's of New York in the rain, and it felt touristy and just right, and it's really beautiful - I can't wait to hang it. We took too many pictures, and I convinced everyone to jump - let's get that silly tourist jumping picture. They're so imperfect, and I think that's why they're my favorite photos from the weekend.

We ended our whirlwind weekend that felt like years we'd spent together with a stop at Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn Flea Food Market, at DUMBO, near the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The food blew us all away, as did the view.

It maybe seems cliche and a bit 1999 of me to say, but it felt like a Friends with a capital F - like the ones who hung out in Central Perk and on my TV for 10 years - kind of weekend. Eight of us in the big city with nothing better to do than make memories.

if you go...

old man hustle 

(a gigantic hell yeah and thank you to old man hustle, where the drinks were great, and the bartender practically knows our names) 

*thanks to mel for use of the last 6 photos shown above. photo credits belong to her. visit the things they made for more of her photos and other good things.