We ate. Friday night we had a pre-theater supper at Trattoria No. 10 – a reliable old fave. I had the squash ravioli – 4 large ones, and the nice touch was shreds of zucchini and carrot over the top – softened by the heat of the pasta.

Then on to see Merchant of Venice, staged as Mad Men. I liked it – thought it was pretty incredible how Shakespeare’s words were uttered so easily by actors in modern dress, with cell phones and laptops. The couple next to left at intermission, though. Mark bought us CTA cards and we used the sh*t out of public transportation. When we hit Belmont Ave. at 11:30 on a Friday night, walking back to the hotel from the EL, the sidewalks were packed – we knew we were in the big city.

We ate some more. On Saturday morning we went to Bittersweet, a neighborhood bakery recommended by Lottie + Doof. Good bakery, but they don’t have the retail thing down at all – must be making all their $$ on wholesale out the back. As it should be, but still didn’t make it nicer for us front of the store customers. And, come to think of it, I had to look on Yelp to get their open hours – couldn’t find them on their website to save my life – so it all figures.

Sticky bun at Bittersweet

O'Keefe & Steiglitz in 1944

Then we walked to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and the flower show. Took the EL to the Art Institute. We saw John Marin – most of the large collection of Marin’s paintings the Art Institute has came by way of Alfred Stieglitz. This picture of Steiglitz with O’Keefe was in a display about how they framed Marin’s work; made me miss Mark’s mustache.

I think my favorite thing at the Art Institute was the show by Peter Fischli & David Weiss – photographs of stuff they took out of the refrigerator mostly, and arranged into cities and fantastical machines. Reminded me of Robyn’s vid for Ordinary Millionaire, that stars a vegetable steamer and a tequila bottle.

Then we ate again, at 11 City Diner. Had a little lie down, and then to Hitchcock & Boyd. It was the early show, we were done at 9:00, so we took the EL back to Clark St. and saw the new Jane Eyre, with Alice as Jane.

1. Way Back in the 60s Incredible String Band
2. To the Aisle Five Satins
3. Masters of War His Bobness
4. I Can Hear the Grass Grow
5. Reynardine Fairport Convention
6. Chinese White Mike Heron
7. Bike Robyn Hitchcock – Syd Barrett Tribute May 26th 2007, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London UK
8. Way to Blue Nick Drake

Here’s the Internet Archive recording of the show in Massachusetts, the week before – March 12.

Rach and I went for a leisurely walk. I came back and baked a banana chocolate chip coffee cake. I’ve been getting kind of sick of banana bread, (while liking the Orangette recipe I’ve using, leaving out the chocolate & ginger; last time I made it with walnuts & coconut. Seems like the bananas get overripe quick this summer) and this recipe sounded good. I finally had time to take a long shower and wash my hair – instead of the quick rinse, keep the hair dry kind of shower, while the cake was in the oven. And I did my poor woman’s pedicure: shave the legs, wash the feet with this mint & walnut shell exfoliating soap, clip the toenails, lotion. I was thinking about painting my toenails, too, and had let them get a little long, but clipping seemed the better choice.

The banana cake was from an Epicurious recipe – the kind where people were fighting bitterly; comments ranging from “our favorite cake” to “Yuck, waaay too sweet”. I did think it had a lot of sugar – 2/3 cup brown in the topping, and 3/4 cup white in the cake – I cut it to 1/3 brown for the topping, and 1/2 granulated in the cake itself. I used less chocolate chips too – and if I make it again, I am going use even less chocolate – to let the banana take over more.

Yesterday I had time to go take pictures of this wild orange fungus growing on a hillside next to a street in the neighborhood – proof positive that Wisconsin has been a rain forest this summer. Earlier one of the farmers at the market, who had two small baskets of artichokes at his stand, said they’d been a crop failure this year. It’s been too hot and wet in Wisconsin for artichokes, which are thistles after all, used to growing on stony mountainsides in Italy.

Now I am sitting at my computer listening to my cats snore behind me. This is probably the last post from the old iMac – another 3-day weekend task is to set up the new one, that’s sitting in the box a few feet away, and package up the old one to ship off to be recycled. Also, pesto-ify the 2 bunches of basil that are sitting in the basement fridge, roast peppers, and turn the bulghur wheat marinating in olive & lemon into tabouli. If I don’t just curl up on the couch with cats myself, and my current library book, which is getting interesting, BTW. But, hey 3-day weekend – I just might have time for all of that.

Fungus Among Us

We had to shuffle through the passport check, then got our bags, took the train to Paddington, and then a taxi to our apartment in Camden.

We got settled then went to the close-by Waitrose and bought some food – cheese, pears, buns, yogurt, strawberries. Then we took a walk to get our bearings – went to Trafalgar Square, walked around the government buildings, checked out the Tkts booth in Leicester Square – they were setting up an event for Clash of the Titans, red carpet and all – lots of school kids. Gemma Arterton was there, not sure who else famous. We didn’t stick around to see – just started walking back and got kinda lost.

For our first night out, we went to see Robin Ince’s School for Gifted Children Holiday Special. It was a true variety show, a combo of music & comedy. The scheduled guests were:

• Alan Moore – the comic book artist; last on the bill – he did a rant on religion that was great
• Stewart Lee – who did a funny bit about moving to the countryside
• Joanna Neary – who did several funny characters including a sex ed teacher and an arty, Bloomsbury type
• Bridget Christie – who is married to Stewart Lee, and appeared as Er Ant, or maybe that’s Ur Ant
• Kevin Eldon – he sang and did a couple of stand up bits
• Jim Bob – we thought his pop songs were the best

I found a mention on Robyn Hitchcock’s web site that he’d be there too – he came on second to last, did a kind deconstructionist set of songs – messing with the mics and telling the back up band (a horn section and a drummer) what to play. He did Antwoman for starters, in honor of Ur Ant. Then ironically – even for Robyn – he played Kung Fu Fighting while talking about how even though it was a song we all think  about, it is a song that is somehow disappointing when finally dredged out. Then he brought everyone out for a large ensemble version of Ole Tarantula.

We had standing only seats – and were so tired we almost fell asleep standing up. We snagged some real seats for the second half.

Tuesday morning I waked up at 7:05 London time the first time, and then 8:36 and then 9:11 – when I finally got up. Robyn’s opening for some folk rock band on Thursday at a club called the Luminaire in Kilbourn which evidently is way North London – it’s two tube changes away, and that’s the night we have dinner at Jamie Oliver’s, so I hardly think I’m dragging the fam to this one.

So I was amused by the serious question asked, around minute 2:21, in this  interview with Robyn Hitchcock and John Edington, who just made a performance movie with Robyn, Robyn Hitchcock: I Often Dream of Trains in New York. The young woman who asks the question was trying to read a lot into Hitchcock’s lyrics for So you think you’re in love – he sings:

But the silent majority is the crime of the century.

The woman said she’d been thinking about the words a lot, in light of the current health care debate in the U.S. (the interview’s from early March) – and asked Robyn what he’d been thinking about when he wrote the line. He replied, “I thought it was a slick way of welding two cliches together”.  And in fact, “Crime of the Century” referred to the Super Tramp album of the same name.

But that’s the point, right? As an artist, you are inspired and create. As an art appreciator, the art moves you in some way, but you can’t assume it’s the same way the artist went.

So anyways, on the same walk to work when I was thinking about this, Friday morning, I also started thinking about doing a series of artists’ birthday dinners, or meals. Liberal interpretations of artists’ styles & personas into food. Like maybe food pie for Robyn Hitchcock. Or I discovered that Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude’s birthday is June 13 – I have a brunch scheduled that day – maybe everything could be wrapped. Breakfast enchiladas, jelly roll, trout in parchment – who knows? Wayne Thiebaud – cakes & pies & diner food on November 15. I haven’t found much of anyone with the same b-day as me – August 11 – but Warhol is close, August 6 – and that means I could make all manner of Pittsburgh food – Pierogis, Primanti Bros. sandwiches – lotsa possibilites.

Also, with the full band, from Robyn’s web site, and a supporting cast of thousands, or at least dozens – love the steamer.

Tonight’s a case in point. I’m home alone, with Mark & Ethan off to Badger hockey, Al at O’Hare waiting for a flight to SF, John in Milwaukee, and the new foster kid at a friend’s. For early dinner with Mark & Ethan before the game, I made chicken bbq sandwiches, with meat I cooked in barbecue sauce yesterday, shredded and with a bit of added ketchup, honey, and salt. I made salad with John’s dressing – but that’s just the Good Seasons mix, made with sesame oil, soy sauce, cidar vinegar, and brown sugar for an Asian flavor. I made some chex mix, to use up that giant Costco bag of nut & rice crackers munch mix and some rice chips that fell off the top of the fridge so they were busted up just right, according to mom’s rules – no seasoned salt, fresh garlic and real butter, and I do put in the Worcestershire sauce even though she didn’t like it. I threw in some Wasabi peas, but I already tried that in a prior batch of chex mix – we liked it – so not that innovative. Old standbys, all.

I could get my tax stuff together. I could make enchilada sauce or do some other cooking and photograph it. I could read and make notes for the literary awards committee I’m on. But I think I’m going to take a shower, and watch TV, and maybe have a scotch. I have this movie called A Slipping Down Life about a musician and his wigged out fans, and I think there’re a couple of Robyn Hitchcock songs in it.

I served new year’s day brunch to 28 people today – the menu included chicken and vegetarian hash, topped with eggs – here’s what it looked like when I started cooking the vegetarian hash – the white that looks like rice is actually potatoes & onions. The vegetarian hash had red peppers, frozen from my CSA box last summer.