I moved!

Actually, I think that's the anthem of my life this past month. I'm headed to South Korea and my blog found a new home at Salt City Girl. So you know, if you like what I have to say you should go over there. I'm still in the process of moving things so it's a bit of a mess. As always, thank you for reading. I'll see you there!

Life: Mostly endings...

I thought today I would be telling you about how I'm so excited for my parents to get here and my big crazy family to come join me for graduation tomorrow. And I am excited about that.

I thought I would tell you today that I'm teaching English at the Say Say English Institute in Mokpo, South Korea. But I'm not.

A few days ago, I interviewed to teach at Say Say. The interview went okay. I certainly had mixed feelings about it. But I guess it went well because the next day they offered me a job.

I told Manfriend it was likely I would take this job. And he asked what that meant for us. I told him the same thing I've beens aying since March, "I want to try a long-distance relationship. I love you and I think it's worth the effort." And this time instead of saying, "I don't know," he said, "I don't think I can."

And that's when I started crying. We talked about it more. And I asked what would happen if I stayed here. I love Salt Lake City and I could find work here. I wouldn't mind staying. And if it meant staying with Manfriend, I might.

But he was determined to break up, I guess. He said I couldn't not go that I've been talking about teaching overseas for too long. That I'll always regret it if I stay. And he's right.

I just wish it didn't have to come to this. I guess it will just be one more things that ends this weekend.

Fuck.

Food: I need a bigger stomach so I can eat more

The disturbing porn star-esque leering pig should not be taken as an indication of the barbecue that awaits you. Other possibly creepy factors include the maze of a restaurant space packed into what appears to be a converted factory and the paper dishes.

But then you remember, "Oh yeah, this is supposed to be a southern comfort experience" and that means picnic tables, paper plates and hot sauce.

And that's what Pat's Barbecue is, my friends. A delicious romp through barbecue to the accompaniment of live music. The weekend I was there with Big E, Amber and the family Blues on First was playing.

I love this band! They played last year at the Snowbird Beer Fest and they were perfect for beer sampling. Turns out they make barbecue even better.

I was thrilled to find red beans and rice on Pat's menu. After my Atlanta trip last summer, I was happy to see one of my Southern favorites on the menu. I also ordered the 1/4 rack of pork ribs and a Cutthroat.

The red beans and rice did not disappoint. They took me right back to Georgia with just the right amount of spice, ham hocks and beans all mixed together. I wish I could figure out how to make this dish.

The pork ribs! Oh man, the pork ribs! I took one bite and I was in love. The meat was so tender and juicy it just fell off the bone. I took Big E's suggestion and mixed the hot sauce with the mustard sauce. It was so good! Mmm...mmm...mmm...was had by all.

I also enjoyed the corn bread, but by the time I got to it I was so full I only had enough room for a couple of bites. So good...I can't wait to go back with Ava sometime soon.

Pat's Barbecue fills up quick so get there early to grab a seat. You'll be glad you did!

Food: Lemon cake cookies

I used the recipe from Half Assed Kitchen. I threw together a box of lemon cake mix, a 1/2 cup of butter and two eggs. One suggestion I have to make is to let the cookies rest in the fridge overnight (or up to 48 hours).

I rolled my in sugar since I didn't have powder sugar on hand. And let them cook for about seven minutes in a 350 degree oven.

They came out soft, chewy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Life: Moving again

Actually this isn't about me physically moving, nope, not yet.

I'm planning on moving the blog over to WordPress. A new host will provide me with more options to build a website I like more. And I hope you will find easier to navigate, read and enjoy.

When the new blog is launched I'll post a final good-bye to blogger and new navigation.

Thank you for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy my blog.

Food: So good, so naked

Naked Fish Japanese Bistro in Downtown at 67 West 100 South is Salt Lake Magazine's Japanese Restaurant of 2010. And there is little question why.

Naked Fish is undoubtedly my new favorite place for sushi in the City of Salt. It started when Manfriend, Ava, Erin and I walked through the doors into the beautifully decorated space. The website says the concept of Naked Fish is to serve contemporary Japanese cuisine in a swanky Downtown location. They definitely hit the mark.

The place feels very modern, comfortable and clean. The bathrooms are AWESOME! I want to take the sink, floors and walls and move them to my apartment. Seriously if there was a shower I would move in.

We didn't make a reservation so we missed out on the private omakase rooms, but our table was still comfortable.

We started off with some drinks. Ava and I ordered some cocktails. My Cosmo with champagne was a touch too sugary for it to be my favorite drink, but it was well made and yummy. Erin had a glass of wine that paired well with the sushi. And Manfriend tried a Japanese beer for the first time. Not surprisingly, the beer went best with the sushi, but that's not keeping me from more cocktails at Naked Fish in the future.

The sushi rolls are between $7 and $12. One roll was plenty for me--so Naked Fish can be done cheaply. But it was Ava's birthday so we splurged.

These were hands down the best sushi rolls I have eaten. Ava ordered the caterpillar roll and loved it. I don't remember what roll Erin ordered, but I believe it was the tekka maki roll. It was also outstanding. I ordered a stand-by favorite of mine, the Wasatch roll. I was very impressed with the freshness of the ingredients, the solid construction and the great mix of flavors. Manfriend ordered the Mexi roll, while the flavor was great it was too hot for me, and I barely made it through one piece with a glass of water.

At this point, I had deiced Naked Fish is the BEST. JAPANESE. BISTRO. EVER. Manfriend disagreed. He insisted the mark of a good Japanese restaurant is in the vegetable tempura. He disagreed with Ava and said Tsunami was better. So of course, I had to take him up on the challenge. And I promptly ordered the vegetable tempura.

Oh.My.God. It was amazing! The asparagus, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and Japanese squash were all cooked perfectly. The tempura batter itself was crisp, light and delicious. The sauce on the side was also wonderful and went fantastic with each vegetable. Although I can't even begin to guess what was in it.

After the vegetable tempura, Manfriend acquiesced and agreed Naked Fish is the best Japanese restaurant in Salt Lake City. And that was before the ice cream.

The waitress suggested mochi ice cream for dessert. We had the plum and green tea ice cream rolled in mochi. (I'm not sure what mochi is, but I think it's a red bean paste.) I love, love green tea ice cream. It was the perfect dessert to end such a wonderful meal.

I can't wait to return to Naked Fish. And this time I'm making a reservation.

Life: T.S. Eliot and other cool literary people

I've been reading The Norton Anthology of English Literature. And I love it! I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying the poetry and prose published between World War I and World War II.

So far I've read T.S. Eliot and "Black Elk Speaks" by John G. Neihardt. It's weird to see the contrast reading them right in a row like that.

And T.S. Eliot is amazing! I've come across so many great insights in his work. It really makes me think about what life must have been like for him in the 1920s and 30s. I also love that he spent seven years writing just one poem. According to the book, Eliot was instrumental in the movement of modern poetry, but I think most of you will remember him for saying,

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang,but a whimper.

--The Hollow Men

And interesting tidbit? It's a play on the children's rhyme, "Here we go around the mulberry bush."

I'm in love.