Seen this American Express Members Project spot air a handful of times now, but have only taken the time to pay attention to what Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard had to say tonight. Capitalism, Monetary Motives, and what not aside I think everyone should take a minute and listen to what Chouinard has to say then overlay it upon it our current lives. On a side note, one should also check out the other projects at TakePart.

“We’re part of nature and as we destroy nature we destroy ourselves. It’s a selfish thing to want to protect nature.”

“I like to take the first step, if the step feels good I take another step…”

“To do good, one actually has to do something.”- Yvon Chouinard

Words to sit on. With this…it’s invitation time for Sykes 2010!

[ via TakePart ]

-Wallace

Kogi BBQ is a household name in Los Angeles these days, but the Korean Taco Truck phenomenon is still fresh in NorCal, leading this revolution is MoGo BBQ. I met Sam Pak, founder of MoGo BBQ a couple days ago when him and his team fed over a hundred of us at Northern California’s Quattroworld First Anniversary Gathering at Club Sportiva.

Sam and his team have created something of a perfect bastardization of flavors and textures as well as perfected its delivery out of a mobile vessel. This ‘Korean Burrito’ was so delicious that when Larry asked where we should grab dinner tonight…I mentioned we should follow Mogo’s tweets and literally chase the truck.

We caught Sam and his crew over in the Kohl’s lot on El Camino Real and Lawerence Expressway. We ordered the following: 5 short rib burritos, 2 short rib tacos, 2 chicken tacos, 2 spicy pork tacos, 1 short rib quesadilla and 1 spicy pork quesadilla. By the time we returned we were not only starving, but salivating…even Clara.

This stuff was fly. I’m not talking good, I’m talking run around your living room, smack your monkey and chase the MoGo truck GOOD! The burrito was by far the best out of the selection, but next time you see Sam and his MoGo BBQ truck pass… Let’s MoGo!!!!

[ MoGo BBQ ]

-Wallace

As this weekend came to an end Crystal returned from her Sonoma weekend with the girls, none empty handed of course, she brought back what I could only currently tell as 7 bottles of excitement. Acorn Zinfandel, Dolcetto, Cabernet Franc, a pair of Preston Zins and finally a pair of that so delicious Preston Sauvignon Blanc. Also did you know Cabernet Sauvignon was derived by splicing Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc?

Many wine producers haven’t figured this out either, the mystery unraveled when they decided to poke around the DNA of specific grapes. Well…this is what Acorn told Crystal anyways. Onward to Sunday evening…

We decided to take advantage of the last bit of sun and have an intimate bbq for two. Opened a dusty bottle of wine that Mike gifted me awhile ago then moved onto the chicken wings. Olive oil, salt, pepper and montreal chicken seasoning. Call it cheating, but I love the stuff.

Next was the shrimp. Similar prep; olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic and basil.

Next it was down to the picnic tables and a few splashes of Stags Leap ARTEMIS.

Some matchlight and it was bbq time.

First up were the shrimp skewers and I had flashbacks to Outstanding in the Field.

Next up, some wings and chicken portabello sausages sandwiched between La Boulanger brioche buns. If I haven’t mentioned these buns before, seek some out and they won’t disappoint.

Finally, a quick slider and it was good to have Crystal back in my life. A toast, a bite, and a laugh. A perfect ending to an otherwise action packed weekend (more on this later).

Sniffy Update:

-Wallace

Had some free time to shoot Zagi’s R32 the other day. This has been a project car since day one, but with all real world project cars it’s a little bit here and a little bit there. In fact, it was because of this car that I even crossed paths with Zagi.

Since I’ve known Zagi this car has gone through hell and back, but it’s finally near completion. On it’s second fresh motor the super-vr6 is now aided by HPA’s FT470 Single Turbo kit and puts out 450 horses to the wheels. In short, this thing is a rocket - quicker then the Lamborghini Gallardo up till about 115mph.

The car’s built for the track and even has it’s own track specific aero. Not limited to the bumper, but fenders, hood, hatch and even a carbon fiber sunroof filler. Interior is totally stripped and two holes in the rear panels await an HPA roll-cage. Seats replaced with Sparco buckets, and a full array of monitoring gauges. This thing is business.

Had fun shooting this special vehicle and even more memorable is the 5 or so years that it’s taken to reach this point.

[ Flickr ]

Cool Car Zagi!

-Wallace

These renderings popped up around September/August of 2008 and has since spread like wildfire through digital camera forums. Although long proven fake the hope and glimmer is still there. Leica, ever infamous for their optics and ever so within but so out of reach equipment is many a photographer’s holy grail. Panasonic’s Lumix series have brought traditional just out of the typical hobbyist’s reach to within grasp, and a compact 12mp SLR would just be ridiculous.

I hope Panasonic will prove many of us wrong and release something like this in the near future. I’m in the market for a prosumer grade compact point and shoot like Canon’s G11 or S90, but would absolutely fork over the premium for a product such as the M3/4 concept.

As for cost? The Leica M4 is an ‘old body’ now, but still fetches about $1000 just for the body. The Panasonic will undercut Leica’s price tag significantly, but we’ll still be stuck with the premium for Leica optics…and I guess in the end this would only serve as a gateway to the ever so exclusive world of Leica.

Hurry up Panasonic!

[ via ]

-Wallace

Ever been to a place multiple times but have always felt that you haven’t really explored it? We’ve been to Carmel at least a couple times every year but have rarely afforded the time or the effort to fully explore the area. It’s always rushed, or with friends, or for some other occasion and/or event.

This past weekend however, I finally felt that we really took the time to absorb not only Carmel-by-the-Sea, but Carmel Valley as a whole.

My Saturday began by joining the Club Sportiva group at Santana Row for the weekly Saturday Meet, our version of SoCal’s “Cars and Coffee.” Then took delivery of one of my most anticipated vehicles, the Porsche Cayman S. This vehicle scored high marks across all odds and ends, in other words the perfect compromise between a Lotus Elise and an Audi R8.

I left the Santana Row meet at around 11:30am and went to go scoop Crystal up. She had to fit a hair appointment in prior.

We drove down south on Hwy 101 and into Carmel Valley where we stopped at Joullian to partake in their 10yr anniversary bbq and tasting. This was also Crystal’s first time at Joullian and I was happy to hear that she enjoyed her entire flight of wines; rather then the usual reds only we went from their sauvignon blanc through their cabernet sauvignons and even a dessert wine which is extremely rare for us. All beautifully crafted. Big fan of Joullian.

After Joullian we walked around the tail end of Carmel Valley and did tastings at Boekenoogen, Bernardus, and Parsonage. Glad we did Boekenoogen, I’m not a usual fan of white wines but I will drink theirs any day. Parsonage also had a kick butt pinot noir, quite surprising as they’re known for their syrahs. I also left the camera in the car, really don’t feel like lugging around a slr these days. Lazy or old age, maybe a mix of both.

We drove into Carmel-by-the-Sea; out of no where Crystal picks up a fresh Bottega Venetta which I thought, and still think is absolutely gorgeous. My phone started to ring and I finally was able to introduce Crystal to Little Napoli where we pigged out on manilla clams, garlic bread (from a 100yr old family recipe they claim), a bolognese and a prawn pappardelle with vodka sauce. With stomachs full and eyes leery we decided that we better get home, I took a wrong turn and turned a quick 1.5 hr drive into some 2+ hours.

We ended up taking HWY17 rather then HWY101 back into the bay, and it was this stretch of road that really turned a lackluster Porsche Cayman S experience to a spine tingling and riveting experience for me. The saying goes, “it handles on rails” and sure enough this thing did. What this one lacked in torque, it more then made up in balance, steering response, and handling. It was beyond easy to keep its motor in the sweet spot and cut through the Santa Cruz mountains with expert precision and unshaken predictability. Really turned my somewhat disappointing motoring weekend into an fulfilling one.

Better late then never.

The following morning I got to check out Durjay’s and Club Sportiva’s newest addition, the Nissan GT-R. Definitely an enthusiast’s vehicle. What caught me off guard was the torque in this thing, as well as the beyond sensitive throttle response. It’s touchy, makes a lot of noise (clunks and what not - if any other vehicle I would have thought something broke), and shifts faster then a blink of an eye. It’s purpose built, and I loved it.

-Wallace

A week or so ago Brooks dropped off a couple bottles of Zing Water and I’ve had ample time to experiment with it.

Presentation? yep, it’s in a plastic bottle. Clarity? yeah it’s clear. Taste? like water, but with a slight chalky/powdery finish. tough to describe, but it’s there. Caffeine? it’s definitely in there. don’t drink this if you plan on sleeping.

Since I had these Muji Ice Ball molds I couldn’t help but make one. Does it have the same effects in ice form? I’m really not sure as I haven’t tested it yet…maybe this weekend prior to a cycling ride. I did however consume a bottle while driving down to Carmel, an entire day of wine tasting, a pasta dinner, then the long route (by accident) back on HWY 17 to 880. It kept me alert and alive at the wheel all the way through the spirited twists through the Santa Cruz mountains.

Looking forward to seeing Zing Water on local shelves. Definitely beats my afternoon pick-me-up espresso.

-Wallace

So Crystal bought me the Ad Hoc cookbook randomly on Sunday, little did I know I would be cooking not one but two recipes out of it so soon. We settled on starting with the endive salad and the skirt steak.

Well I lied, Crystal helped - she put together the endive salad.

Ad Hoc’s Endive Salad - slightly modified.

salad: arugula, sliced pears, sectioned endives, salt, cracked pepper

dressing: pear puree, diced clementines, diced pears, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, cracked pepper

pear puree: pear, cinnamon, sugar, lemon

While that was going on the skirt steak went into the oven for 10 minutes, basted with the thyme butter.

Ad Hoc’s Skirt Steak

skirt steak , marinated and sectioned. canola oil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, shallots, garlic, peppercorns, salt, butter, finishing salt.

All this and a bottle of 2005 Ridge Lytton West Syrah. Nomz.

-Wallace

This weekend began innocently enough, Crystal watching doves on her patio attempting to build a nest.

Only to run out, chase them away and inspect her patio light to make sure they never began.

Crystal also bought me the Ad Hoc cookbook out of no where, d i d i lish she would say…except come to find out it was an investment to ensure her Ad Hoc inspired meals outside of Napa. Clever that Crystal.

Sniffy was also sneaking around, stirring in random spots and finally settling under the coffee table.

Finally we headed to Jonathan’s apartment where Crystal met “Maggie” short for “Chick Magnet” - Jonathan’s brother originally owned the dog, and Jonathan ended up adopting her. He had to think quickly when obedience training asked what his dog’s name was. “Chi….ehhh… Maggie!” Funny.

While that was going on we prepped the goods and set up a hot pot dinner for Sunday evening. I miss Sunday group dinners, this was a good way to re-connect with a pre-Crystal practice.

Super relaxed weekend. I’m ready for Carmel this weekend!

-Wallace

Stop and smell the roses, or so the saying goes. Just how much stuff could one find if they forgot about time and actually explored their surroundings through their senses? Quite a bit apparently.

We began in Japantown where we found this super cool solar array next to a new modern space called ‘new people.’

Bearbricks, once super rare stateside have made it big in a big way - especially ultra collectible collaborations with urban artists such as KAWZ. This was displayed in the entry of new people and was one of many through the space.

After Japantown and Wekfest we headed toward the mission. Grabbed a bag of ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ bacon potato chips and decided that they were more hype then flavor. Kind of gross actually, imagine dehydrated bacon, powdered then tossed onto chips. Well…that was it but 10x more oily.

Per Oliva’s recommendation a couple days ago we visited Humphry Slocombe in lieu of Bi-Rite Creamery, for some San Francisco ice cream.

Is that “Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee” I spy? It was, and if there were ever 4 perfect words - those were it. So perfect that I neglected to notice ‘Perfect Breakfast’ above it.

Delicious. Just enough to add a bit of energy to get back home. However, before we left I noticed these lard caramels.

That’s right. Boccalone, an artisan salami venture from Chris Cosentino(of Food Network) and Mark Pastore of Incanto Restaurant in San Francisco, has expanded and have made caramels of all things from the excess lard of their butcher house across the bay. $1 a piece, but I was honesty a bit grossed out to be in the mood for a caramel.

Perhaps my favorite part of the day, stumbling into lucha libre wrestling masks on a corner of the Mission. Crystal talked me out of purchasing one - if I had, I’d probably be chasing Sniffy around right now.

Take a walk. Breathe, and take it all in. We did, and at the very least, I enjoyed it.

-Wallace