steak frites

Christoff was craving steak frites, so we just made them at home.
Christoff was responsible for steaks and I was responsible fore frites... yum...

Two Boots

Our neighborhood was always missing a good pizza place.
But now we have it. Two Boots just opened up in our neighborhood and we have been eating a lot of pizza!

http://www.twoboots.com/

1617 2nd Avenue at 84th Street
212-734-0317

Election Day!!!

Oops!

This was taken on September 4th.
Watching CNN International, I realized that CNN forgot where Hong Kong was...

Hong Kong is now in Europe... HAHAHA

November 4th - Historic Day!!!

VOTE

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Roasted Chicken on a Cold Night

It's getting pretty cold already and Christoff is making his famous roasted chicken tonight.
This time, he's cooking organic, hormone free, vegetable fed, twice as expensive, half the size chicken.

We are not becoming vegetarians yet, but we have been very freaked out about a case that I am reading - a company that sells contact lenses for chicken. I won't go into detail, but we are strongly against factory farming!!!

Until we become vegetarians, we'll enjoy happy birds only.

The crazy lady is back!!!

Poutine, deconstructed

This is more traditional

Even McDonald's has it!

This is a smoked meat version

Poutine was originated in Quebec. We have a few different versions here, but it consists of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

Poutine

Pintxo

Mushroom with escargot

Clams with artichoke - my personal favorite

Beef cheeks with risotto

Pintxo (pronounced "Peent-choo") is the Basque word for tapas.
The Mexican chef was in Pais Vasco, Spain for 5 years and was happy when Christoff yelled "Gracias, rasa"

256 rue Roy Est
Montreal
514 844 0222

St-Viateur Bagel & Cafe

I know, I know, New Yorkers are pretty proud of their bagels, but I have to say, bagel in Montreal was really good.

Bagel in Montreal was less doughy...

Mine was with lox and cream cheese / soup - egg & spinach soup, which was surprisingly good

Bagel with egg & ham / came with Greek salad

St-Viateur Bagel & Cafe
1127 Mont-Royal est (at av. Christophe-Colomb)
Montreal
514-528-6361

Check out the location under our link: The Frazier's Fav Foods

L'Express - The Best Meal in Montreal

Every table came with Gherkin

Bone Marrow
It was much better with toasted sliced of baguette

Duck confit

Lamb with lentils

Even cappuccino was good...

L'Express made me feel like I was in Paris, but we were happy to have staff that spoke English.
But watch out, the menu is in French and hand-written, so you need to know what you want before walking into the restaurant.

Baguette was so good. It's hard to find good baguette in NY, so I was extremely happy!

Chez Schwartz Charcuterie Hebraique de Montreal - or simplay SCHWARTZ'S

Long line is a good thing...
Order a large plate, medium fat with fries (that's what we have here)

3895 St-Laurent at Roy
Montreal
514 842 4813
http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

First Day in Montreal

Guess what I found in Montreal!! - Pho Bang!!!

We had a few days off from school, and we just wanted to get away from work, school, politics, election... ok, ok, we wanted to leave the country for a while.

We played around the idea of going to Guatemala, where we still want to go, but we decided to go somewhere close - driving distance.

We finally decided on Montreal. I thought, it would be like going to Europe without actually going to Europe. Montreal reminded us of Paris + San Francisco. The language & culture reminded us of Paris, but the people and their attitude reminded us of San Francisco - PERFECT PLACE FOR US!!!

On our first day, after seeing Basilique Notre-Dame, we were off to Montreal's Chinatown.
It was small but the cleanest Chinatown I have ever been to!!!

Palin's Alaska

Spain on the road again!

I accidentally found this program today on PBS.
Spain has been on my list forever; however, I still haven't been.
Spain is supposed to be a giant culinary adventure...
For now I am waiting for EURO to go down a little bit...

Until then, I have to watch other people enjoy... DARN!!!


http://www.spainontheroadagain.com/

September 19, 2008
New York Times

Op-Ed Contributor

Blocking Care for Women

By HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON and CECILE RICHARDS

LAST month, the Bush administration launched the latest salvo in its eight-year campaign to undermine women’s rights and women’s health by placing ideology ahead of science: a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would govern family planning. It would require that any health care entity that receives federal financing — whether it’s a physician in private practice, a hospital or a state government — certify in writing that none of its employees are required to assist in any way with medical services they find objectionable.

Laws that have been on the books for some 30 years already allow doctors to refuse to perform abortions. The new rule would go further, ensuring that all employees and volunteers for health care entities can refuse to aid in providing any treatment they object to, which could include not only abortion and sterilization but also contraception.

Health and Human Services estimates that the rule, which would affect nearly 600,000 hospitals, clinics and other health care providers, would cost $44.5 million a year to administer. Astonishingly, the department does not even address the real cost to patients who might be refused access to these critical services. Women patients, who look to their health care providers as an unbiased source of medical information, might not even know they were being deprived of advice about their options or denied access to care.

The definition of abortion in the proposed rule is left open to interpretation. An earlier draft included a medically inaccurate definition that included commonly prescribed forms of contraception like birth control pills, IUD’s and emergency contraception. That language has been removed, but because the current version includes no definition at all, individual health care providers could decide on their own that birth control is the same as abortion.

The rule would also allow providers to refuse to participate in unspecified “other medical procedures” that contradict their religious beliefs or moral convictions. This, too, could be interpreted as a free pass to deny access to contraception.

Many circumstances unrelated to reproductive health could also fall under the umbrella of “other medical procedures.” Could physicians object to helping patients whose sexual orientation they find objectionable? Could a receptionist refuse to book an appointment for an H.I.V. test? What about an emergency room doctor who wishes to deny emergency contraception to a rape victim? Or a pharmacist who prefers not to refill a birth control prescription?

The Bush administration argues that the rule is designed to protect a provider’s conscience. But where are the protections for patients?

The 30-day comment period on the proposed rule runs until Sept. 25. Everyone who believes that women should have full access to medical care should make their voices heard. Basic, quality care for millions of women is at stake.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is a Democratic senator from New York. Cecile Richards is the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Here is where you can write:
http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/frcp08_adv1?source=frcp08pporg

On August 22, 2008, the Bush administration proposed a regulation to allow providers to withhold critical health care information.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/birth-control/stop-president-bushs-massive-sellout-womens-health-care-21522.htm

Charity Begins

I came across this NGO called Charity Begins.
You can bring articles to people that are in need in different countries.
I will look into the website in detail later on.

When we were in Nepal visiting an orphanage there, I wished that we had brought something - books, clothes, or anything...

Ever since then I always thought of bringing toys and books whenever we travel... I guess I am not the only one... somebody already thought of it!!!

Charity Begins

More San Francisco

Christoff put a map of San Francisco together.
It has restaurants and more!!!


Christoff's Map

San Francisco...

New York Times had an article about San Francisco -


36 Hours in San Francisco:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/travel/14hours.html


I miss the sun & fresh produce!