Bacon of the Month: Balinese Long Pepper Bacon

The final bacon! This bacon is made for Zingerman's, with a wet cure featuring Balinese long pepper. What's that? It's like black pepper, but not. It's an artisanal spice, but had no one told me it was there, I'm not sure I would have realized it wasn't regular black pepper. But it has a more complex set of flavors, with a lingering tingling that you don't get with regular black pepper. And the bacon itself? It's really nice! I might invite my favorites from the club back for a side-by-side tasting. That would likely mean the Nueske's, Ozark Trails, and the Long Pepper. (That would also mean 2¾ pounds of bacon, though.)

cold and windy beach party

At long last, Anders had his birthday party. Last year, we had a beautiful warm party on the beach in Pacifica. This year, we had a cold and windy party at Ocean Beach. The kids still loved it.

Bacon of the Month: Benton's Dry Cured Tennessee Bacon

Month 5 of the Zingerman's bacon club brought the second dry-cured choice. It's very meaty, but I think too salty. Perhaps it would be good in a BLT or some other use where the salt would be less prominent. But for a Bacon of the Month tasting, I really just want to try the bacon on its own. I mean, I'm not throwing the rest away, but if I bring a few varieties back after I'm done with the club for a taste-off, this is not going to be part of that.

camping with the fourth graders (and an anniversary celebration)

Anders's class had its fifth annual camping trip. We couldn't get sites at Memorial Park, which had been our camping site four three years running, so we went to the KOA at Costanoa. Our family has been to Costanoa tons of times, but this was our first time putting up a tent!


As camping goes, it was very easy. The Pine Tent BBQ & Brew is right next to the campground, so on Friday we took the easy route and got a pizza and wings. And some of the families tried dinner at the Cascade Bar & Grill, which the Costanoa restaurant.


Some of the SFS crew rented cabins or other accommodations, but a good chunk of us pitched tents in Ohlone Garden.



For the second year running, the camping trip fell on the same weekend as our wedding anniversary. Sigrid and I snuck away for a champagne moment on the lawn at the lodge—the spot where we got married. We celebrated at about the same time we were pronounced married eleven years ago.





Saturday s'mores.


Sigrid and I went to watch the sunset on Saturday night, but didn't take into account that when we've watched the sunset at Costanoa before, it's been in the fall. In May from our usual spot, the sun sets behind a stand of trees. It was still pretty, though.

Kwun Bhansali Lazarus LLP

There's a new law firm in town...


I've started this new venture, Kwun Bhansali Lazarus LLP, with Asim Bhansali and Kate Lazarus.


That means that after 9+ years of counsel at Keker, Van Nest & Peters (formerly Keker & Van Nest), and a previous 3+ years as an associate there, I had one of my few experiences of having a clean desk.