It’s the end of the year, and you know what that means. A week ago I had every intention of doing my part for blogging tradition by posting a top 10 list or two, but try as I might, I couldn’t really think of any category of stuff that I had 10 things worth recommending or punditizing. I love video games, for example, but considering that I still haven’t played GTA4, Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gears of War 2, Left for Dead or Wrath of the Lich King, would a top-10 list mean anything? So I guess I’ll buck the list trend and post my very personal highlights and trends of the past year. Nothing too formal — just a chance to reflect in public. Part 1 covers food, music and books. Part 2 will recap highlights in movies, games and life. Even though there aren’t any rankings to dispute in the comments section, please do share your own highlights and hopes!
FOOD & DRINK
2008 was a great year for food at gobblin headquarters. Inspired by The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Saturday morning strolls, farmers markets became a standard part of the grocery routine, meaning more fresh produce. Brussel sprouts, kale, all kinds of tomatoes and peppers, and shelling beans found themselves in many a tasty meal. As a result of shopping for the season, I ended up cooking a lot less “ethnic” food—instead of outright creating Thai/Indian/Mexican recipes, I created more freeform recipes with tastes of each, and my cooking was better for it! Of course, it wasn’t all veg here. Cheeses were a frequent snack, centerpiece and desert this year. In spring, I explored the diversity of soft goat cheeses; in summer, buffalo mozzarella (paired with juicy heirlooms and basil) was on frequent rotation. As temperatures fell, we explored the hard cheeses from gouda to manchego and beyond. On the drink front this year, whiskey consumption was down, ale consumption up. The explosion of specialty ales and Belgian imports is a boon for beer drinkers, but a real hit to the wallet (At $10+ a bottle, you’re paying wine prices for half the alcohol!). Finally, the one culinary constant this year has to be Spanish olives. Whether eating out at tapas or stopping by Whole Foods, I can’t help but load up on little olive medleys.
- Going Stale: Dim Sum, Belgian Ales, French Toast, Cotswald, cookies
- Fresh Picks: fancy salumi, specialty pale ales, lentils, Szechwan noodles, Waffles
- New Staples: Spanish olives, pho, heirloom tomatoes, crusty bread, Negronis
MUSIC
Whereas 2007 was a big year for gobblin approved tunes, 2008 has been kind of a wash. It hasn’t been a bad music year at all—there are so many new great new acts, but they all blend together once they pass through my earholes. It doesn’t help that they are all named after (and are made up of) Canadian wildlife. We saw a few good shows, but nothing quite as memorable as Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem , New Pornographers and Silversun Pickups last year. The breakthrough song of the year was actually from last year – MIA’s Paper Planes. If I had to pick one album from 2008 that got the most play on my ipod, it would have to be the self-titled debut from Crystal Castles. They made for an interesting live show, with the screechy vocalist wielding a strobe like a weapon in a pitch black theater, but I think I’m either too old or too not-on-E to fully appreciate it. Devotchka, on the other hand, put on a wonderful show on their first of two tours in ’08, and I hope to see them again in a couple weeks. Other favorite new albums were the latest from Ladytron and the Raconteurs. Biggest disappointments – a thoroughly lackluster new album from Stereolab, and news that Electrelane is effectively dead. For 2009, I’m looking forward to a new album from Bishop Allen and hopefully word of something new from Arcade Fire.
- Over It: Broken Social Scene (and family), Bird and the Bee, Decemberists, CSS, Beirut
- High Rotation: Devotchka, Vivian Girls, Crystal Castles, Simian Mobile Disco, Black Kids, Hot Chip, Ladytron
- Still Spinning: Arcade Fire, Yo La Tengo, Electrelane, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bowie
BOOKS
Highlights:
- Reading about freezing explorers getting mauled by a supernatural polar bear
while lounging on sunny Costa Rican beaches.
- Savoring Neal Stephenson’s wonderfully clever world in Anathem, that reads as equal parts Plato, Stephen Hawking and Harry Potter.
- Losing myself in Paul Auster’s latest meta-writerly puzzler – a 200 page gem that is the culmination of ideas from his other recent works.
- Finally reading though Stephen King’s Dark Tower series (volumes 2, 3 and 5 were my favs)
- Saying goodbye to James Jeans covers, but knowing that Fables is still as magical as ever.
- Catching up with my old friend Kim Stanley Robinson
- Caving in and getting a library card at last and loving it!
- Knowing that more Scott Pilgrim is now only weeks away!
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[...] 2008 is on its way out, and this is the time when all good girls and boys create lists. So why not right? Let’s look at my resolutions for this year before I make new [...]
I haven’t really found anything new this year except for the Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories game for the PS2. I know that video games aren’t on this list, but it’s really all that I can conjure up to mind at the moment. I discovered some new bands on my radar, but they’re still kinda old (not established in 2008). Killswitch Engage I discovered while playing Guitar Hero III and that has definitely walked the steps to the top of my playlist along with My Chemical Romance and John Mayer (odd combination I know). Phantom of the Opera caught my attention this year, but yet again nowhere near new. I’ll have to make a list myself and give it more thought.
um………………………..? those lists were so comletely random, it was kinda sad.
Sorry, J, I’m just a random sorta guy. I try not to be a sad guy, though.
I like the same music style as you like: Devotchka, The new Pornographers… The past year I missed Arcade Fire so much but I think there was a lot of good new bands. I recommend you Vampire Weekend (with a great album debut), The ting tings and Fleet Foxes or even Eli “Paperboy” Reed. About 2009, I wait the new albums of Franz Ferdinand, Mando Diao (both will come to my city in a concert, together!) and U2.
About food I’ve already told about spanish food so I won’t bore us anymore!
Maggie-
My little sister go KH Re: Chain of Memories (PS2) for Christmas, so I had a go at that on New Year’s Eve. It confused me with all the stuff about cards x_x She, as always, is farther than me in the game, but I don’t play it that often. Still haven’t even beat the first two XD
For food, I really don’t like to think about it much, since my job involves spending hours ringing it up. You could almost say I’m sick of food, but not really because then I’d be dead.
Music this year has been a lot of techno, such as Basshunter, ATC, Cascada, Smile.DK. I was also introduced to the music of ABBA via Mamma Mia! so that was listened to a lot on the way to work. Radio also, whatever plays on the light rock station.
Movies….gosh, there’s so many! Pride and Prejudice is the number one flick that caught me though. Others include Wall-E, Benjamin Button, Dark Knight, Interview With The Vampire, Paprika, and Pan’s Labyrinth.
Finally books….once again, Pride and Prejudice, but my favorite book of the year is definitely Artemis Fowl 6: The Time Paradox. Just finished House of Many Ways by Dianne Wynne-Jones (fantastic read) and am currently reading Airman by Eoin Colfer (very very good so far)
Man, whoever recommended Vampire Weekend, Ting Tings and Fleet Foxes up above should totally program your playlist for next year. Or program MY playlist! =)
I picked up The Terror recently, but haven’t read it yet. Glad it’s one of the year’s highlights for you. Now I’m really looking forward to cracking it open!