New Hmong market

Sun Prairie is now to home to a Nolan's Hmong Market. I believe it opened a couple months ago, ish. I stopped in last week on the strength of the sign not knowing it was a Hmong store.

I walked out with some sausage as well as a bag of meatballs.

I believe I've had sausage from Mekong previously though I don't recall if it was the pork ginger variety. Now that I look at this blog's archives, I find that I indeed had the pork ginger stuff a few years back. Probably from Viet Hoa. My plan is to put the meatballs, at least half of them, into a big bowl of ramen.

Ringing in the new year with Katzen

I must start the new year with cats.

Pipey!

A classic photo of Grabby. 

18/00 softness

For Christmas I was given an assortment of Dungeons & Dragons themed beard moisturizers, including several sample sized oils and a cream.

It even comes with the pogonophilic equivalent of the Player's Handbook. I've been trying to get into the habit of using the cream. While I haven't gotten into the routine of applying it everyday, I do most days. It doesn't smell bad.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something brown-grey

For New Year's Day my wife and I ate Hoppin' John for many years. That tradition ended last year and look what happened - we're getting divorced.

Divorce means deciding on which elements of your old life you want to bring into the new one that you build everyday. I missed the New Year's meal last year and decided not to forgo it this year. But it couldn't be Hoppin' John. One day a week or so ago I was poking around in the refrigerator and found the bag of Winesap apples that I had bought on my last trip out to Lapacek's of the season.

Something went off in my head. A few minutes of internet searching later and I had decided to make Racuchy - Polish apple pancakes - on New Year's Day.

The Winesaps were grated. At the orchard the sign said they'd take on a marzipan-like flavor with aging which was a big bonus for me.

The batter included yeast. Just as with the bundt cake, I used half wheat, half buckwheat which gave it a brown-grey color. 

I fried them up in plenty of oil and butter. They turned out well, I thought. Very fritter-like. It didn't take me long to consider trying them with cardamom next time instead of cinnamon.

I couldn't taste anything akin to marzipan but I do have one apple left for a tasting. 

My hope is that Racuchy becomes my new New Year's tradition. Before meeting my wife, I didn't eat anything in particular to start the new year. Now that we're parting ways, I am retaining the tradition of eating something special on 1 January but am cooking a different food. Continuity but also forging a new future.

Coming soon, 31 December 2025

Seen at my last trip to the cinema of 2025.

Are zines making a comeback?

Having stumbled across a couple more zines in just the past week, I am becoming convinced that they're making a comeback.

It's getting to feel as if I can go to Pic-A-Book or Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative once again.

The Green Man is back

I finally got my Green Man stained glass hung at the new place.

I am looking forward to the view when the trees have leaves. But I am enjoying the winter.

50 years of The Flying Zupan Brothers

Local trivia masters, with whom I have played many a game of trivia as an honorary member in Stevens Point, Deerfield, and elsewhere are celebrating 50 years. Chet is now my neighbor. I oughta look him up.

Some highlights of 2025

2025 has been quite a ride and it will soon end. The year, at any rate. The ride, perhaps not.

My divorce is likely the biggest event of the year for me. But 2025 has been more, much more, than just the beginning to the legal end of my marriage. Several people have entered or re-entered my life since being served papers. I found myself in the company of people that I would never have thought I'd be spending time with and have experienced quite a bit this year that was new and/or unexpected.

There were countless final things done with my wife and first times without her. Traditions were laid to rest and new ones born. Many new places, many new people. Some adventure was had in the UK, majesty in Concord.

A modest look back at 2025 in pictures.

HONK! was fantastic and Boston has become an annual trip for me. I love this Trump's Cthulhuy coif.

A most unexpected find on a hike.

Thanksgiving this year was the first in 20 years or so that I didn't spend with my wife. Instead I spent the day at the homes of two kind and generous people. At one I got to see Piper's brother, Gibson. 

While there I sampled a luscious mango turmeric ginger tart. Or was it a torte?

It was simply delicious and I befriended its maker. I now have someone to visit should I find myself in Evanston.

2025 was the year I attended my first Chicago International Puppet Festival. It was fantastic!

Back in October I moved out of our marital residence and over to Eken Park where I found that one of my neighbors was rather fond of Halloween.

My wife and I visited the Northside Lounge. Despite some awkward moments, we managed to have a decent time. I like the contrast in this rather spare photograph.

Our last trip together was to Milwaukee in May where we caught both nights of The Magnetic Fields. It was also the last time that we managed to spend any significant time together in something resembling harmony.

I made multiple trips to the lovely Morton Forest, a real treasure. 

In a seemingly never ending parade of attempts to spend as little time at home as possible, I finally made a visit to The Cat's Brew.

My friend who lives just a couple blocks away has a neighbor with this wonderful greenhouse. 

It's been great living so close to this friend as we now see each other fairly frequently and Piper has a new caretaker for times when I am out of town.

My trip to Boston saw me visit Walden Pond where I experienced the sublime.

While in England, I ran into this statue of Lucifer rather cunningly placed just outside the Ozzy Osbourne exhibit. 

The same museum also had a really cool exhibit about disabled people of color.

At another museum I got to stand before a steam engine from 1799 that was designed and/or built by James Watt himself. A piece of the Industrial Revolution that transformed the world. It still works. Amazing!

There were some nice pubs over in the UK.

Inside the Craven Arms looked like Sherlock Holmes' drawing room.

While I continue to get used to my new digs and still need to buy bookshelves, I do not miss my wife's clutter which occupied so much of our home. 

Earlier this month I made a return trip to the Christkindlmarkt in downtown Chicago.

I may have a marzipan addiction.

Chicago TARDIS was a blast again this year. My wife and I began attending in 2009 and, although she stopped going last year, it was this year that made me really feel like the tradition that we built together was truly over and now I had to make my own.

And so I have. I now meet my mother and a cousin at a nearby Greek restaurant. Making a visit at the Qamaria coffeehouse threatened to become a tradition but, since they opened an outpost here in Madison, I'll be going to the other Yemeni coffee place in Lombard.

I attended a panel hosted by the indelible Tony Whitt.

A gentleman and a scholar, Tony is the master of all things Target Novelizations. He approached me at another panel discussion to say thanks for attending his and chat for a bit.

My downstairs neighbor has a dog whom I caught staring at me one day.

My neighbor is a nice lady. She waves when either of us drive by the other. If the aromas from her kitchen are any indicator, she's also a fine cook. I am still getting acclimated to having downstairs neighbors as it has been a while since I've had any. But, if I am to have one, she is a good choice.

2025 may have marked the second anniversary of Grabby's death but she's never too far from my thoughts. 

 

 

2026 promises Chicago TARDIS once more and another trek out to the Boston area. But before any adventures in far off lands I plan to start a new tradition on the first day of the new year.

I feel like a Gen Xer today

Song of the day, 30 December 2025

I was lying in bed this morning and this song popped into my head. And of course I changed the lyrics to be about my cats.

I believe in Grabby's and Pipe as an abstract

Gute Nacht Geneva: Good Night Bamberg by Art History Brewing

I braved the Thanksgiving blizzard for this beer.

Roosevelt Road was an absolute disaster with every snowflake threatening to obstruct my view and my poor tires with barely any helpful tread for gription were due to replaced the following week. It was like Mad Max in slow motion with cars fishtailing everywhere and the owners of SUVs steadfastly declining to slow down for the conditions.

But like your friendly letter carrier, neither snow nor jagoffs driving Subarus would stay me in my search for a particular beer - more on that another time. And while the weather outside was frightful, Sal's Beverage Emporium, er, World was delightful. I perused the local beer shelves after a trip to Binny's and the brewery of the highly sought after and temporarily anonymous beer both proved unsuccessful.

"IPA. IPA. IPA. Bamberg. IPA. Barrel...Wait a minute!"

Now that got my attention.

The beer was Good Night Bamberg by Art History Brewing in the western burb of Geneva. The label described it as a "Franconia Style Smoked Dark Lager". As you can imagine, it was an instant buy for this Rauchbier addict.

While I have heard of Art History, I cannot recall ever having tasted their beer previously. Surely I've seen their brews many a time at Binny's yet I am unsure why I had never sampled their liquid until now. My best guess is that I'd mostly seen IPAs and turned my nose up at them. Upon seeing something more to my liking such as a Helles, I moved on because why would I buy their Helles when Dovetail's and Goldfinger's are just down the aisle and I know they have been lovingly decocted to drive me to Maillard gluttony?

And so I was confronted with my first Art History beer. How did I make out?

This was another in a long line of beers lately  that produced a tan head. I got a fairly good amount of foam and it hung around for an average amount of time. When the folks at Art History called it a dark lager they were not kidding. This is one of the most positively Stygian brews I've had in a long time. My desk lamp struggled to get any photons through that nearly impenetrable gloom. I had to tilt my glass at just the right azimuth to discern its deep, dark brown color. It seemed to be clear as I spied quite a number of bubbles at one angle.

The aroma was mainly smoke, luscious smoke. But there was also a bit of plum as well as a hint of spicy grass.

Those bubbles I spied were a portent of a nice, firm fizziness. The smoke flavor took pride of place and was undergirded by some biscuit, a tad of milk chocolate, and a smidge of stone fruit. Spicy hops kept everything in check. The medium-light body allowed for just the barest hint of sweetness.

On the finish, only a subtle sweetness and a gentle smokiness remained as the spicy-herbal hops kicked in. But this is not a particularly hoppy beer which meant there was just enough bitterness to balance the malt and add a modicum of dryness at the end.

I guess I'll have to give Art History another try because this was a very tasty beer. It had a good dose of fizz and the smoke was muscular but not deadly. Perhaps a bit more biscuit flavor next go round. At 4.9% this was not a potent brew but the smoke and the dark malt flavors had real autumnal vibes and made it a nice early fall treat - the canned on date was 10/8/2025.

Junk food pairing: Good Night Bamberg pairs well with another Chicago area favorite, Jays Hot Stuff potato chips. That smoky paprika taste just complements the dark & smoky flavors of the beer perfectly.

Seen on the internet this evening

Hill Farms construction, 23 December 2025

Bundt cake + shrimp creole = ?

Dexter's has a very hearty chili.

Chunky, nicely spiced. Very toothsome. And filling. I think I should have only had a cup as consuming the entire bowlful made it impossible for me to finish my salad which was rather generous. 

It was their Buffalo chicken model and there was plenty of bleu cheese to be had, much to my delight.

While at a friend's house recently it was noted that La Taguara is in bad financial straits. In a show of solidarity, we ordered from them for dinner. I had the Christmas Plate.

The roasted pork was delicious and seasoned with an even hand. I never knew such a thing as chicken potato salad could even exist. It too was quite tasty. And then there was this tamale-like thingy filled with everything but the kitchen sink: beef, pork, chicken, raisins, capers, and olives. Most toothsome!

After I was completely stuffed, I was reminded that it also came with ham bread. 

It was full of heavenly porcine goodness.

I sure hope La Taguara manages to weather this storm and remain open. The restaurant on E. Washington, at least.

Yesterday I made gołąbki soup.

This batch turned out really well, in my opinion. I took a chance and substituted buckwheat groats for rice and it paid off. The buckwheat adds a lighter, nuttier flavor, as far as my tongue is concerned. Not only was it delicious in the extreme but it is one of the things that brings warm memories of my wife to mind as she discovered a recipe for it a few years back. Many thanks to her.

I also baked a loaf of rye bread yesterday but it rose about as much as a stone in water so I took no photos. Still, it tastes just swell.

For some reason my stepmother, Joni, has been on my mind frequently lately and so I decided to make a bundt cake in her honor.

She made the most delicious, most decadent bundt cakes in all of Christendom. Chocolate, bourbon, coffee beans - she spared no expense. A friend of mine was lucky enough to indulge in her bundt cakes and they became the stuff of legend between us. One drunken night he suggested pairing his two favorite foods by putting shrimp creole in the middle of one of Joni's bundt cakes. A curious combination but one that deserves to be tasted.

My cake was much more pedestrian: a simple chocolate version.

I made a couple tweaks to the recipe. First was that I substituted half of the wheat flour in the recipe with buckwheat flour and secondly I threw a little bourbon in there. When I took it from the oven, it looked marvelous. Really, it was a marvel that a cake I made looked so nice.

As you can imagine I had a devil of a time getting it out of the pan and decimated it in doing so. I am too embarrassed to publicly share the photo of its ruins but I will say that it tastes delightful. I adore the nutty flavor of the buckwheat. It is very light and moist - likely due in no small part to the buttermilk. The bourbon is basically undetectable while cinnamon figures prominently. I'd like to try cardamom instead next time. I would also hope that I grease the pan more diligently as well.

Lunch today was at a chain restaurant but at least the onion bloom was good.