Too Much Is Never Enough?

I have a lot of interests, which in my case, are actually more like passions, as I pursue them so vehemently. My wife would probably tell you that I have too many interests and that my interests take up entirely too much room in our house. On that last account, she certainly would have a point.

One of my first loves growing up was reading and books are still a big passion of mine. And when I say books, I mean actual books, not files downloaded onto a reading device. I like to hold them in my hand, turn the pages, smell the paper, and I like the way that they look on a shelf. There is a certain feeling of accomplishment when one gets to the end of a book, turns that last page and snaps that cover shut.

However, my bookcase is almost full to bursting, so full that I have a stack of books on the desk in our guest room and another on my night table. So I am realizing that I may yet have to relent at some point in the very near future, and move on to an e-reader of some kind. There is also cost to consider, as the electronic versions of books are at times half the price of the physical version.

Alas, there will ALWAYS be an exception to that for sure, and that is comic books whether they are single issues, trade paperback or hard cover collections, and graphic novels. First off, the price is the same for a physical copy and a digital copy of a new single issue, that’s no bueno. Second off, when it comes to something like art work, you really need to look at it as it was meant to be looked at, on the page. There is no substitute for seeing things the way the artist intended you to see them, which is in ink & paper form. This presents a big problem as I have a big shelf on my bookshelf full of trades as well as the aforementioned piles. This is along with the box of old issues in my attic and the two nearly full long boxes in my bedroom closet. And there are always trades of stories that I missed that I wish to acquire.

The next big obsession in my life is music, I spent years working at Tower Records and Virgin Megastore and making good use of my discounts, both legitimate and of the five fingered variety. I own well over a thousand physical CDs, and they occupy a large wooden spinner in my guest bedroom. Music was an area in which I relented early on, but not for the same reason as I see my imminent caving in on the book front. The iPod presented me with the opportunity to carry around more music than I ever thought possible right in my pants pocket! I could listen to almost anything, anywhere! And for me, the accessibility just could not be beaten. Despite missing the booklets and holding the CD in my hand, I bowed willingly to the mighty iTunes!

While music no longer poses a threat of the spatial variety it is still a threat on the financial front. There are just so many good bands out there if you take the time and make the effort to seek them out. Then when you find them, if you really dig them, you’re not just going to want their current album are you, not if you’re like me, you’re going to want all their albums! It’s almost to the point where I curse audibly upon getting into a new band. It’s hard enough to keep up with releases of bands I have loved for years like Depeche Mode and Alkaline Trio. This is to say nothing of the ridiculous cost of concert tickets with all their surcharges and handling fees! What are you handling? I’m printing the damn things out myself with my own ink and paper! And yet I’ll be attending five concerts in the next 4 months.

Food is another passion of mine, I love to eat it and I love to prepare it. I have a shelf full of cookbooks and I have several binders full of recipes of the familial variety as well as ones printed off the internet. I also have my four binders from culinary school. (I know, back to the overflowing bookcase again!) I love to go to new restaurants of all different varieties from all over the spectrum in cuisine as well as cost. My to-do list on foursquare has 535 places on it! I am fully aware that this is absolutely ridiculous. This fact does not stop me from continuously adding places to said list. However it does drive my wife crazy as I tend to get pissy about going to restaurants multiple times as I would usually rather try new places.

One of my biggest passions is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I don’t just love to train in the art, I love to study it & live it. I was told by Sensei Matt Serra back when I started that BJJ isn’t just an art, it’s a lifestyle, and man was he right! I have many, many books on the subject (BOOKCASE!), DVDs, T-shirts, hoodies, and grappling mats in my garage. This flows into my love of the UFC and the tons of DVDs/Blu-Rays of theirs I own and the amount of their programming that is monopolizing my TiVo. Not even considering the amount of money I have spent ordering their PPVs!

And I haven’t even discussed my love of film or stand-up! Though to be fair my wife has pretty successfully weaned me from owning films and stand-up performances to just watching them via Netflix. And I do download a lot of stand-up albums onto my iPod.

OK, so if you’ve made it this far, I am sure you’re wondering where the hell I am going with this, aside from prattling on and on about my interests and how much space and money they’ve cost me. The point is, I’m still not satisfied or “done” collecting. There are 120 books on my Amazon Wish List, there are always new bands & comedians to discover and old favorites keep dropping albums, as previously mentioned there are 535 places on my foursquare to-do list, prominent BJJ instructors including my own will keep releasing books and DVDs, and the UFC will keep putting on events.

This is where my head begins to spin, why do I have such an insatiable need for content? I finish a book and I immediately want to start another one. Before I am even finished reading my weekly new comics I am looking to see what releases are coming out the next Wednesday. I already read too many monthly titles and consistently get swept up in new ones! I am constantly adding things to my Amazon list despite it being way too long and ridiculous as it is! I read Rolling Stone and SPIN to stay current in music & I am always on the lookout for concert updates! I repeatedly search cooking web sites for recipes and lifestyle sites for dining suggestions. I just bought a new BJJ t-shirt the other day and look forward to every UFC event notification. Why am I so…obsessed? And is it a bad thing to be so?

I just cannot get enough of these passions of mine and yet I have to tell you, and I am telling you true, all of these things pale in comparison to my love for my girls. My Mrs. and my 14 year old daughter, now can you even imagine how much I love them? Nope, I didn’t think so. Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

Return of the BLOG (Where I’ve been, what I’m up to, & what to expect here)

I know, I know, I’m horrible. My last post on here was April 7, 2010, which is now over three years ago. So many things have happened since my last post that I almost do not know where to begin, for anyone who happens across this blog and is not an immediate acquaintance of mine. Which I also know is highly unlikely. Why the hell would anyone who does not know me or at least know of me be reading this blog? Well, I suppose, just in case, I should just do a quick catching up, a la Depeche Mode in 1985.

The first significant thing was that I left the hospital I had worked at in August of 2010. The second significant event was that on August 21, 2010 at the 2nd Annual Team Serra BBQ, I was promoted to the level of Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Senseis Matt & Nick Serra. It was an amazing experience and one of the proudest moments of my life. I am so glad that both my wife & daughter were there to experience it with me.

Soon after, I decided that I was going to pursue one of my great passions in life, baking. I enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education’s Pastry & Baking Arts program. I learned from some incredibly amazing chefs that I will forever be indebted to: Jeff Yoskowitz, Sim Cass, Scott McMillen, and Chad Pagano. I worked very hard, studied a lot and graduated with high honors.

I interned at a cupcake shop and then worked there for a while and the amount of pay and the number of hours I was getting were just not where I needed them to be to help my wife support our family. We decided to start Put It In Your Face (https://www.facebook.com/PutItInYourFace) an internet based bakery. Things were going well during the holidays and dropped off pretty hard in the summer and we just weren’t pulling in enough consistent clientele and didn’t have the start up for a store front or food truck. Either of which would have greatly benefited our product.

In the summer of 2012 I realized that the business was, unfortunately, going to have to become a side project and that I would have to find full time employment elsewhere. I worked as a merchandiser for Kellogg’s for about five months, stocking supermarket shelves with cookies, crackers, and granola bars. Setting up and breaking down displays and my back (figuratively) in the process.

Then in December of this year, with the help of a good friend’s wife, I was able to land a job as an office manager in Chelsea. And here I am, five months later, writing this blog. I know, not exactly in the culinary or entertainment field. Well, about that, here’s the thing; I have a wife, a daughter, two dogs, a mortgage, and two cars. I think it’s safe to assume you can see where I am getting at with this.

However, I am still training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (not as often as I would like but I still average twice a week,) I still have Put It In Your Face, I’m still dragging my wife all over to check out places to eat, and here I am, writing. And I am going to endeavor to do a lot more writing from now on. As well as what you will find here, I am an occasional contributor over at www.burgerweekly.com (you can find past pieces from here: http://www.burgerweekly.com/tag/christopher ) and whenever they post me there I will link to it on here.

I’m going to have to backtrack a bit here because another thing that I definitely need to mention is that back in the late 80s I was really into comic books, mostly Batman. Once I started High School, I got away from collecting and all my comics and graphic novels sat in a box in the crawl space of my parent house and then my attic. Well, DC Comics decided that on August 31, 2011 they would restart all their series over to issue #1 with many titles having a completely revamped continuity. My good friend Chris Brady decided that it would be an excellent time to jump back into comics. At first I laughed, asked him if he was kidding and then was gently persuaded to pick up Justice League #1. And that’s all it took, I read more titles now than I ever did as a kid. I follow quite a few titles on a monthly basis and through trade paper backs have caught up on quite a few awesome tales that I missed while I was away.

I love comics and I really need to thank Chris for getting me back into them and I also really need to thank Zach and Tommy of the most awesome local comic shop there is, Best Comics International in New Hyde Park, NY. They have been nothing but cool to me since I first walked through their door, welcoming me with open arms, making suggestions, but not pushing anything on me, and answering any questions I might have. What an awesome crew over there! I definitely urge you to check out their web site: http://www.bestcomics.com/index.html , and if you’re in the area, you need to hit their store!

OK, so I think I covered the where I’ve been and what I’m up to. I think all that’s left is to tell you what to expect here. To state the obvious, this is my blog and I’m going to write about the things that I dig: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, baking, cooking, eating out, MMA, music, film, books, comics, stand-up comedy, television, and whatever else I happen to feel like running my mouth about. You will occasionally find short stories, poetry, memoirs, and lyrics by yours truly here.

Feel free to comment on here and you can also follow me over on twitter @huntingforjoy where I will drop a link whenever the blog is updated. I promise that I am going to do my best to blog as often as possible, about as much as possible. Thanks for reading.

Road Trippin’ To Baltimore & Easter Weekend

The Mrs. and I were really in need of much deserved break from our jobs and the house so we decided we should take a little road trip. We wanted to go far enough so that we felt like we were away yet close enough so that we wouldn’t have to get on an airplane. We decided to hit Baltimore as it met all the criteria plus Erin’s friend Lindsay had moved there a few years ago and it would give them a chance to catch up. We decided to take off Thursday and Friday from work, drive down Thursday morning and drive back on Friday afternoon. This way we would not miss any time with my daughter on the weekend.

We got up early on Friday morning, dropped the dogs off at the boarder, and were on our way to Charm City. The traffic wasn’t too bad on the way down aside from the usual snafu that comes with travelling through NJ to anywhere. We were starting to get extremely hungry but were holding out for something good when like a beacon from heavens I spotted a road sign from one of our most favorite southern franchises CRACKER BARREL (http://www.crackerbarrel.com/ )! We both had the Old Timer’s Breakfast which consists of Two Eggs (we both had scrambled) with Grits, Sawmill Gravy, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, Fried Apples or Hashbrown Casserole (we both had the Hashbrown Casserole which is AMAZING), and choice of Smoked Sausage Patties, Turkey Sausage Patties or Thick-Sliced Bacon (I went with the bacon and Erin had the sausage).

After filling up on a delicious breakfast we proceeded on to B-More. We made it to the hotel without issue and relaxed for a bit as we planned our next move. Erin wanted to try and walk as much as possible as we would be eating a lot on this journey. Prior to leaving a Google mapped all the places we wanted to hit with both walking and driving directions.

We decided to hit Di Pasquale's (http://www.dipasquales.com/ ) first for some “Real Deal” Italian food. When I saw the episode of Triple D that featured this place, I had to keep myself from drooling. In this little Italian Deli they make their own pasta, their own mozzarella, their sauce, and their own meats! And when Guy Fieri says something is the real deal, I believe him! Looking over the map Erin decided that a three mile walk wouldn’t be that bad and we headed off on our way. Let’s just say we realized a bit too late that a three mile walk was quite the trek! Especially when it is warm out and quite a section of the journey is uphill! Nevertheless we soldiered on and made it there in one piece!

I ordered the lasagna and Erin ordered the Arancine (rice ball) as they were the dishes featured on the show. The lasagna was absolutely amazing, the second best I have ever had and the best I have ever had at a restaurant. Yes, only second best, my Mom’s is still the best I have ever had. The reason is simple my Mom uses ground beef and ground sausage. And I love Italian sausage. For someone who isn’t into sausage, they would probably enjoy Di Pasquale’s more. Oh and the service was fantastic, the owner was very sweet! I definitely recommend the place if you are in the Baltimore area.


Erin had missed a call from Lindsay and then Lindsay missed a call from Erin but after the game of phone tag had been completed Lindsay insisted on rescuing us from a three mile walk back to the hotel. She drove us around the Baltimore area showing us some of the sites and letting us know what she and her husband have been up to. We hit up Dangerously Delicious Pies (http://www.dangerouspies.com/) which you may remember me discussing in my last blog (http://huntingforjoy.blogspot.com/2010/03/tale-of-two-pies.html). Erin and I had the Key Lime Pie while Lindsay had the Strawberry Rhubarb, they were very tasty indeed. We were a little disappointed that they didn’t have many of the pies on their menu available to try. It was kind of disheartening that they only had a few ready to go. The girl behind the counter, who was indeed very cool, told me that they would have some more pies out in a little over an hour. So we took our time eating and talking and when the additional pies came out of the oven, she gave me a holler. The three of us split a slice of the infamous Baltimore Bomb and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chess. Erin came to the conclusion that she liked my version of the Baltimore Bomb better as I had used more cookies. I really loved the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chess but she wasn’t a fan. I definitely recommend the pies there for sure, however be prepared that they might not have the one you are looking for ready on hand. But the décor and atmosphere there is really cool.

Lindsay gave us a ride to our chosen dinner spot, Obrycki’s (http://www.obryckis.com/), which is known for their soft shell crabs. Unfortunately, there were no soft shell crabs left. We decided to stick around as we figured the rest of the menu must be good as well. The interior of the restaurant was very drab but the service was very good, the food just wasn’t anything special. We’ve eaten much better seafood on Long Island and in Boston. This place is definitely a miss for me.

After dinner we returned to our hotel and bedded down for the night. We knew that we didn’t want to get too late a start the next day and we had some awesomeness in mind for breakfast! Plus, it being Good Friday, we feared that we might be in store for less than hospitable traffic on our way back to Queens.

Our chosen spot for breakfast the next was another Triple D featured establishment, the Blue Moon Café. They don’t have a website, facebook, or twitter page but you can find them at 1621 Aliceanna St Baltimore, MD 21231 (410) 522-3940. We headed on over there and were greeted with a quaint little café with a few tables and a counter with stools. We were told that it be between an hour and an hour wait. We decided that it was indeed worth it and camped out outside the front door. When our name was called we were asked if we minded sitting at the counter and we let them know that it was not a problem in the least. Now, the only knock I had read in reviews of this place was on the service, let me tell you, these people could not have been nicer. Yes, they were young and tattooed (So am I, well, I’m tattooed, I don’t know about the young part anymore!), but they were friendly and courteous and not the slightest bit rude at all.

I had the Cap’n Crunch French Toast that I had read rave reviews of and Erin had an omelet. I had been a bit skeptical about the French toast as I was worried it might be overly sweet but damn were my fears unfounded! It was absolutely amazing! The best French toast that I have ever had, bar none! It was absolutely delicious, nice and crunch on the outside, soft, warm, and chewy on the inside, and topped with homemade whipped cream, fresh berries, and bananas! Let me tell you, no butter or syrup needed whatsoever! Erin enjoyed her omelet as well and upon tasting a bite of my French toast concurred with my opinion and stated that Blue Moon was the best eatery we hit on the trip and well worth the drive. I have to say, I am very inclined to agree!

By the time we were done gorging ourselves on our respective breakfasts we realized it was now Noon and we made our way back to the Civic and were ready to head on home. The traffic was a very different story on the way back; we hit several problem spots as soon as we left the city. However, all was not bleak as we made a late lunch stop at one of other favorite southern restaurant chains, Chick-fil-A (http://www.chick-fil-a.com/#home)! If you have never experienced Chick-fil-A you really need to, best fast food chicken sandwich you will ever eat, so delicious!

The ride home ended up taking us seven and a half hours! Hell, it only takes us fourteen hours to get to Atlanta! Seven and a half hours is a long time to be in my little Civic Coupe but we made it our alive! The next day was a busy affair for me as I had my no gi Jiu-Jitsu class in the afternoon, followed by picking up and dropping off at the dry cleaners, food shopping, grilling dinner (steak and pork loin) with my brother Frank, and pie making!

I had previously asked Erin and my brother what they would like me to make for dessert for Easter Sunday and they both wanted pie, blueberry for Erin and Key Lime with Cool Whip topping for Frank. I had never made either but I was ready to give it a shot. The blueberry was a bit of a process between cooking down the berries with maple syrup, then mixing all the ingredients with more blueberries, then chilling it for a half hour, and then baking it. I think I perhaps should have simmered it down longer. The Key Lime pie was a breeze though, no hassle at all.

Being me I decided to do a little research for a special treat for Easter Brunch. I was so in love with the Cap’n Crunch French Toast that I could not possibly wait until the next time I hit Charm City to taste it again! Plus my Mother and brother were in doubt of its deliciousness! It turns out the recipe was in one of Guy’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives cooks books and a fan was kind enough to post it online! I knew I had to give it a shot and hoped I would do it justice! Well, everyone loved it! I don’t think it was quite as good as Blue Moon’s but Erin thought I did a good interpretation.

My Mom made the Freda Family Sauce along with ravioli, meatballs, Italian sausage, and of course an antipasto course with mozzarella, mozzarella and prosciutto pinwheels, salami, pepperoni, provolone, peppers, and anchovies for Easter dinner. Everything was absolutely delicious as always! My brother loved the Key Lime pie and said that it was spot on. Erin enjoyed the blueberry but agreed with me that it should have been simmered down a bit more to reduce some of the juice.

So there you have it, a face stuffing, and road tripping adventure followed by an Italian Feast with a little southern flare for dessert! I hope you enjoyed my latest lengthy blog and I hope to have some new pictures up on http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=154376&id=745503906&l=402c1e0710 this weekend. Until next time, keep your head up!

A Renewed Passion

It’s been a little over a month since I’ve updated on here so I figured I should probably give it a go. People who have known me for a long time know that baking has always been one of my passions. Yes, yes you read that right, baking. When I was a little boy I would often watch my Mother bake and then began lending a hand as I got older. I liked being around her and all the smells of her kitchen and the wonderful things that would come out of her oven, especially her banana walnut bread and her chocolate Bundt cake with confectionary sugar sprinkled on top.

As I got older I started baking things on my own, mostly from boxed mixes with the occasional banana walnut bread from scratch thrown in. As time passed I started making more and more things from scratch, like my Na Na’s peanut butter cookies or raspberry muffins. When I first met my wife I wooed her with chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and cinnamon streusel cake until she begged me to stop the oven baked onslaught!

In recent years I had gotten away from baking; really only doing it around the holidays. My Dad and older sister Nadine just had to have my homemade cornbread on Thanksgiving and everyone else was always clamoring for Na Na’s peanut butter cookies. However I have recently undergone somewhat of a baking resurgence. And I have to say, my daughter Lyric really deserves most of the credit.

Over the last year or so Lyric has developed a new found obsession with the Food Network and shows like Ace Of Cakes and Cake Boss. As I result I have found myself becoming a fan of Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives, Man vs. Food, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Good Eats, and Chopped. Through becoming an avid fan of these shows I have subsequently become a fan of Chefs Guy Fieri, Alton Brown, Paula Deen, Michael Symon, and Chris Santos.

Another result of watching these programs has been the stoking of my desire to make the dishes I have seen featured on them. Or to seek out other recipes that I had always wanted to try, but just never attempted. And in doing so, spending time with my wife and daughter doing something we can all enjoy, like making a red velvet cake from scratch or baked macaroni and cheese. I would absolutely love it if my daughter were to become a Chef or Pastry Chef!

My wife has also recently become obsessed with idea of us mastering the art of making our own pizza. Right now getting the crust right is our biggest nemesis! However, we have faith that our recent purchases of both a pizza stone and a pizza peel will aid us in our efforts!

My teammates have also benefitted greatly from my recent culinary adventures as my wife often likes for me to get them out of the house to prevent us from overindulging! Some of my recent conquests have been my Split Decision Layer Cake (Vanilla Cake on top, Chocolate Cake on bottom, milk chocolate icing), chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, donut muffins (my wife says they are the best thing I have ever made and I may be inclined to agree), apple muffins, and a really amazing marinated skirt steak.

Yes, I have been branching out into cooking as well. I had always cooked a few things here and there like fajitas or tacos or chili or the occasional meat loaf, but I am starting to cook more and more. I have printed out a HUGE binder full of recipes for appetizers, main courses, and of course desserts that I want to try.

I have really been enjoying the time I have been spending in the kitchen both with my wife and daughter and on my own. I had almost forgotten how enjoyable it can be to have my music blaring as I try out a new recipe and bounce around the kitchen and then the triumph of a successful attempt at a new dish. I’ve also taken to photographing my culinary adventures, a fact which my Mrs. finds quite amusing I must say. She also thinks it’s incredibly humorous that lately all I can talk about is what new chokes I am trying out or what recipe I want to attempt next!

Again, I must thank my daughter for getting me back in the kitchen and my wife for putting up with my renewed culinary obsession. It has really been extremely rewarding being back in the kitchen and trying out all matter of new things. Tonight I’ll be going with an old standby, my Mom’s famous banana walnut bread!