Back To The Future Day at the Internet Archive

The Internet Archive had its annual party on October 21, and presented its first ever Internet Heroes award to the Grateful Dead.  The Archive hosts over 10,000 versions of the Dead's 2,000-plus concerts, all faithfully recorded by Deadheads in the audiences. This trove was acquired by promising unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth forever.

The Archive is an amazing online library that you really need to experience for yourself. It would take way too long for me to describe it in its entirety. The Wayback Machine* is the place to go if you need to consult documents that have been removed from the Web. 

The event started with food, drink and exhibits that showcased the Archive's work. The event was catered by Tacos San Buena, who brought two trucks with fast-moving staff to keep the food flowing.

Beer, Wine and Fancy Soft Drinks

  

 There were tables with chips, guacamole and salsa.

 The trucks served tacos with a choice of mild or hot salsa.

 There were several exhibits to look at, and we received a star to prove we had been at each one. At the end of the event, we turned in our lanyards and received a glass water bottle with the Archive logo on it. The water bottle isn't available for purchase (at least not yet) but there is a lot of cool merchandise in the Archive's store.

  

There was Pacman in the game area.

 People who work for the Archive for three years are immortalized in sculpture.

  

  

There was a Dead cover band.

 Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow was there to accept the award.

See the whole program:

After the program, there were Its-Its in all flavors for dessert! If you're interested in the Internet Archive, you can visit them! They also host several events that are open to the public each year. Simply check on their website for more details. 

*We've seen the wayback machine cited for allowing journalists to find original information, such as minutes for city meetings, calendars of events and project timelines. The internet archive is doing everyone a great service by keeping this info available and active. No more 404 errors!

Turkey and Waffles Leftovers Brunch

Friday Brunch?! Let us give thanks.

While scrolling around on the internet, I came across a recipe for mashed potato waffles, just the perfect starter for a coldish morning in San Francisco.

The potatoes I used were already pretty doctored up with cream, butter, salt and herbs (in a word, delicious!). Several waffle recipes start from scratch, so I thought I'd let everyone know how I made the recipe even more simple.

Turn on waffle iron
(don't worry you can ask Santa for a waffle maker this Holiday season if you still haven't bought one for yourself.)

3c Mashed potatoes (leftover--whatever style you prefer!)
1/2c liquid (dairy, veg stock, water even!)
1/2c biscuit mix (no need to add any baking soda or powder, it's in the mix!)
1/2c cheese (your favorite, or actually, whatever is in the fridge and grated)
1 egg  

Add all ingredients into a bowl and stir. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed. It should be pretty thick. If you feel it's too thin, simply add a tablespoon more of biscuit mix until the consistency is correct. Your waffle iron should be hot before you place any batter on it. If you're unsure about your mix, simply make a small test waffle first. Every cook needs to sample what they serve!

These waffles will likely steam and come out a little soft, but if you're into really crispy waffles, just put them in the toaster oven on broil for a minute. This will also keep them warm until you're ready to serve! (The regular oven is great too.)

I rounded out our brunch with a reheated turkey wing and cranberry sauce with Maple Syrup for waffle topping. Pumpkin Pie too? Beverages are the usual suspects of hot tea, coffee and mimosas.

mixed up leftovers

ready to cook

before the broil

Toasted to perfection and Leftover Brunch is READY.

Lunch With Beth–Sushi Taka

We tried to have lunch at Sam Wo the day after the grand opening, but unfortunately they had run out of food and had to close the lunch service early. On the way to Sam Wo, we had noticed that Sushi Taka, on the corner of Kearny and Sacramento, had an eel and crab bowl special, so we headed back there. Happily, Sushi Taka had not run out of the limited quantity special, although they were out of the green salad that usually accompanies their bowls, and we both ordered it.

Sushi Taka is takeout-only, so we walked over to a nearby park to eat our lunch. The special also comes with a cup of miso soup. That's a mini-cup of seasoned puffed rice to go with the eel and crab bowl, which also included Spicy Fish Roe, Japanese Omelet, Seaweed Salad, Tempura Flakes, Blended Soy Sauce and Teriyaki Sauce.

This was a tasty lunch and we we will be back to taste their other offerings. Plus, if you like a sushirito, you'll find it here at Sushi Taka.