Fathers Day 2015

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.


A Tradition Has Begun...

We had a nice invite from Michele Vallari to join them in celebrating Father's Day 2015 at Chomp (read "sushi" which is Japanese for Joseph Raymond).

 


Driving out of our community we stopped to visit a front yard
which was full of berries and fruit trees.... Yummy!


No siren but he was moving with flashing lights...
Late for Father's Day perhaps?


The gang is here and it was delightful on the patio!


We were NOT looking at the hula dancers... No, really!


Joe's plate... First visit!

Did You Know These Facts About Sushi?

1. Sushi has always been cosmopolitan   - The image of a sushi chef at the top of a secluded mountaintop is a false one. Sushi has always been most strongly associated with Tokyo, so much so that the term for the most commonly adopted style of sushi (edomai) derives from the old name for Tokyo (Edo).
 
2. The earthquake of 1923 brought sushi off the streets - Previously, sushi was exclusively a street food, but the devastation from the quake destroyed so much of Tokyo that real estate prices dropped, allowing sushi chefs to afford brick-and-mortar restaurants.
 
3. The oldest type of sushi in Japan tastes like cheese - Near Lake Biwa in Southern Japan, they still follow old-school, pre-refrigeration sushi techniques of filleting carp, packing those fillets in vinegar rice, and leaving them to age for up to three years. The result is a fermented local delicacy called funazushi that our expert said tastes similar to a pungent cheese.


Joe's plate... Second visit!!

Did You Know This About Sushi?


1. Salmon is technically a white fish - It gets that orange color from a diet of crustaceans.

2. Uni isn't exactly what you think - You probably know that uni is sea urchin, but you may not realize the delicacy is, specifically, that creature's genitals. And now that you know, perhaps you wish you could forget.

3. Bluefin wasn't always so desirable - Nowadays bluefin tuna is one of the most expensive sushi delicacies. Case in point, in 2013, a 500lb fish sold for a record-setting $1.8 million in Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. But fishermen once avoided the bluefin because it was such a strong swimmer that it could easily tear through a fishing net. That changed in the '50s when stronger nylon netting made catching them much more practical. Unfortunately, this has led to dangerous overfishing.

4. Japanese knives are sharpened differently - Unlike the sharp objects that cut food in the West, most Japanese knives are sharpened only on one side. They cut on the pull stroke rather than the push stroke, allowing chefs to keep their elbows close to their side.


"Here dear... These chopsticks will work super for you!


Michele and Tony... We had a great time!


Dad and the boys... Alex and Charlie

After leaving Chomp we went home, rested, and got ready to go to the Santa Ana Jam Session where we met up with the gang ous Robin, Nick, and Bob! Great fun!