[Yes, I sent this message to my mother - who is a frugal shopper. As I got halfway through the email, I decided to post it for the world to see. Hey, if I'm recommending this to my Mom: you KNOW it has to be good.]

I hate grocery shopping – to the point where I would eat nothing but peanut butter for days until it ran out. A few weeks ago, at a dinner party, my friends screamed in unison: “AMAZON FRESH!!!” Whatever.

So, we started adding stuff to our Amazon Fresh cart the other day. I wasn’t terribly motivated to order right away, so I left items in the virtual bag. Last night, Amazon sent us this email: “Thank-you for registering at Amazon Fresh. You are only a few steps away from completing your order. $30 in free groceries on your initial order of $50 or more. Just enter code [XXX] at checkout.” First win.

We browsed the “aisles” for foodstuffs we’d normally pick up in a trip to the grocery store. I quickly discovered we could “subscribe” to certain products that we buy (anyway) on a regular basis. By doing this, Amazon Fresh could pass along an X% discount. I saved 30% on regular delivery of one of my favorite coconut water brands. Second win.

Then, just as we were checking out and reviewing our order (while sitting on our asses and not waiting in line), it told us that we could save even MORE money by adding additional items (bulk) if we wanted. It was like buying in bulk ala carte. Third win.

Oh, and they’ll deliver it pretty much anytime you choose – enabling you to select whether or not you want to be present for the delivery. We chose tomorrow morning. Fourth win.

Did I mention you can create and save separate shopping lists? And browse past purchases by date? Fifth win.

Granted, I would never purchase actual *fresh* products through this service (or any food delivery service, for that matter); with perishables, you’re at the mercy of someone else’s choice – be the unwrapped goods bruised, scraped, or imperfect. I would also never buy packaged greens (as they’re well known for carrying bacteria). We obviously haven’t received this first delivery, but given the rave reviews from trusted friends, coupled with the stellar pre-order experience, I don’t think we can go wrong with Amazon Fresh.

This is what grocery shopping should have been all along.

Well, I said it’s what I HAD for dinner – not what “I’m having for dinner right now.” There’s a difference.

I didn’t realize cupcakes could be so… punny.

Now, there’s a happy rainier cherry! I’m not quite sure why it’s smiling, though? Perhaps I’m holding it upside-down in this photo.

I guess we’ll never know the mystery of why the cherry is so jubilant… because two seconds after this moment was captured, I ated it.

The Funky Food Shop sent me something new to try since my review of the Space food went over so well. I was a little nervous about these mBerry tablets. You’re supposed to dissolve them on your tongue and then eat something that is normally bitter or sour tasting. According to the package, whatever you’re eating will completely change in taste and end up being sweet. I’ll try anything once!

There’s no fats or anything crazy like that inside of these all-natural tablets. They contain a natural protein that will bind with the flavor receptors on your tongue. This is what makes sour things taste sweet. It also brings out the natural sweetness of things such as peppers or tomatoes. The miracle berries have been found helpful for people who must limit sugar in their diets, as well as those who have a diminished sense of taste. Dissolving an mBerry tablet on their tongue prior to eating can greatly enhance the flavors of the foods.

The tablets are made from compressed, freeze-dried miracle berries. They’re much more convenient than buying and eating the berries themselves, and less expensive. The effects of just one tablet will last for about an hour, so you don’t have to keep using them each time you take a few bites. Dissolve one on your tongue and enjoy your entire meal.

I have to admit they work. I would have never imagined myself sitting here eating an actual lemon until now. It’s really sweet tasting, and was delicious!

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Recently, I was hired to perform belly dance at a nice restaurant in Seattle. The hirer assured me the restaurant’s food was delicious, the previous show had good attendance and walk-in traffic, and the owner was on-board with having live entertainment at his establishment to increase his business. The week previous to the performance, I saw the hirer’s invitation to her community to patronize the business and advertise me as their dancer, and I also put a couple of “in kind” tweets and Facebook profile updates to let friends and fans know about this one-time performance slot.

Was it any surprise that a mid-size restaurant with excellent food and really nice staff and ownership was nearly empty on the night of my performance?

If I were a younger, less experienced dancer, I could beat myself up and say that people didn’t come because I wasn’t a “banner name” dancer. But restaurants around the city of Seattle with world-class and award-winning dancers have been crying about low attendance for months. Several venues even closed their businesses to live entertainment, claiming that the economy forced them to do so.

Chris came to see my show, cooed over the delicious food, and then attempted to give the hirer a few tips on how to help the owners enter the 21st century when it comes to promoting a restaurant. Considering that the restaurant is not new, we were both dumbfounded as to why this restaurant, and so many others we have encountered in the Seattle area, are resistant to using Social Media to build a consistent following of loyal patrons.

The three suggestions Chris gave to the hirer were:

1. Get on Foursquare, and empower people to play for you. With Foursquare, the power of one satisfied customer reverberates through his or her community, creating more customers faster than you can get a coupon to their front door.
2. Start a Twitter account for the restaurant, and create Tweetups that allow people to do what they love: eat great food and meet new people. I recently used Twtvite to create a one-time event involving world food and Tweetups, and thanks to friends and interest, we had a sizeable gathering for a last-minute idea.
3. Start a Facebook Fanpage for the show with the name of the restaurant in the Fanpage title. You can add more aps as it grows, send out group ads, or attach a paid ad for special events. Better yet, you can target your audience to local people, so the fans represent people who are truly interested in your events and have a higher likelihood of attending.

These are straightforward suggestions. But as Chris was sharing this information, I couldn’t help but feel for the hirer. She’s in the same position I am in with other establishments, only I’m convinced that if these things were done, they’d stand a better chance of success than without it. As for this hirer, she declined the suggestions for her own reasons, but thanked us for them. As a friend, I support her autonomy, but frankly I still puzzle over what looks a sure-fire way to send customers looking elsewhere for a place to eat.

Ultimately, the problem does not lie with the hirers and schedulers of events at restaurants. It’s the owners who remain unconvinced. They have as yet to see why they should spend hours doing any of these actions foreign to their usual practices, or pay someone else to do it for them. As the “n00b of Social Media” still within her 365-1/4 days of her first year of immersion, I can tell you, it does feel like you’re learning a new language and culture. Anyone new to using these tools would be looking at investing hours of unpaid time learning the ropes, managing multiple accounts, and chasing important local connections before getting the kind of attention that translates into increased repeat business.

Compound that with the complexity and challenge of cultural gaps that exist when the restaurant carries workers, owners, and practices of another ethnic group and/or business ethos. If managers and owners are unfamiliar with digital advertisement and Social Media, the way it often shows up is a simple website that looks like it was designed by someone’s 11-year old son or daughter as a school project, or a static website that was purchased once and never updated since its inception.

The picture is not completely dismal. A few months ago, I was invited to a wine tasting event hosted by Seattle wine darling Barb (@SeattleWineGal). While Chris Pirillo tweeted some of the most unusual descriptions of wine on my left, Annie (@BlackPearlSea) of Black Pearl Restaurant (and resident Chinese proverb goddess on Twitter) introduced herself on my right. Finally, I met someone who is actually working with a restaurant to help them do what I fail to see so many others do. Annie could probably tell you a lot more of the industry from the inside, but it was encouraging to see someone do this successfully. Imagine my delight when she hosted a Black Pearl tweetup, with the likes of Seattle Wine Gal and Chris Pirillo at the same table. That’s powerful!

Another opportunity to start live entertainment in a restaurant has come across my radar? What do you think I’m going to do? If I’ve learned anything, I’m going to see who’s in charge of their Social Media and marketing. If they are resistant to using the tools that will get them noticed, I’m going to pass. My time is better spent with a business who is willing to play with the new rules. Besides, the bump on my forehead from thumping it against my desk in the previous scenarios doesn’t need any to be there anymore.

Can you think of other reasons why restaurants might not want to try Social Media tools to increase their business? Do you know of a business near you that you would be sad to see fold in an unstable economy? Share with us your thoughts.

It’s no laughing matter, my friends. Corn kills more people than terrorists do – and it’s attacking us largely in the form of high fructose corn syrup. For further insight, I recommend watching:

• Food, Inc.
• King Corn
• Killer at Large
• Sugar: the Bitter Truth

“Eating better” isn’t always cost effective, but the long-term costs associated with your general health far outweigh the short-term benefits of cheaper foodstuffs. It’s not just about “moderation,” as any amount of junk is junk nonetheless.

Your life may very well depend on understanding the problem and taking some personal responsibility for what you’re sticking into your mouth. Turning a blind eye to the situation will not make it go away, either.

I’m grateful that @Kristin was able to help me better visualize the situation by crafting this infographic, using conservative public statistics and open records. Make no mistake: you have a greater chance of dying from too much corn than you do by a terrorist plot.

How do you make it? Well, there appears to be no right or wrong way to do it.

The first time I ordered one in Hawaii, I was told that the eggs had to be prepared over-easy for it to be considered anything near “Loco Moco.” This one happened to be at @GoodToGrill – and it was good!

Being a single guy living alone, I’m able to eat anything I want for dinner. I admit to eating some strange things now and then, but this stuff takes the cake.

Someone suggested I try Ramen Noodles. Okay, fine! I headed to the store and found out that you can buy like a case of these little packets of food stuffs for around a dollar. I only bought one, though, to see if I would even like it.

After opening the package and taking a bite, I couldn’t figure out why they tasted so plain. It says “Chicken Flavor” right on the front! Thank goodness the chat room pointed the way to the little packet of flavoring still inside the original package.

Dumping half of that in my mouth didn’t really make it taste like chicken, though. It just tasted like I licked a big block of salt. What’s up with that?

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong here, but I don’t think I’ll be crunching on these again any time soon.

It’s another Seattle Tweetup! Thought I’d show you a snapshot of what’s on the menu for tonight.

This particular event is being hosted by BlackPearlSEA, NorthESea and Seattle_Events. I was too busy eating to write much, but Northeast Seattle Life has a nom-nopsis. Contributions for the event were provided by: BlackPearlSEA, NWTotemCellars and GRLakeWine.

Also in attendance:

• @tarynmiller
• @JenKMiller
• @MyPartini
• @bananablossom
• @posiegirl
• @colbyjn
• @hnlmark
• @chefamadeus
• @belvoir

Imei cooked an Easter meal with ostrich on the plate. Of course, there’s broccoli, rice, and mustard as well – but that’s just standard fare.

The toughest part was catching the bird! It kept running and running and running. Darn near lost a finger trying to wrangle that sucker. Ostriches are mean! Of course, you could say we were equally as mean to eat it for dinner.

Just kidding (about the catching part, not the eating part – that really is ostrich on our plate). It tasted a bit gamey, but that’s par for the course with ostrich meat. Can’t say it’s my favorite food in the world. Probably ranks somewhere after spaghetti but definitely before Brussels sprouts.

The last few screencasts we’ve uploaded from Joseph have been hits with our community. We love his fresh and unique style, and his personality. This time, he chose to go a different route, and talk about food instead of technology. Food is good… especially if it’s burgers and fries. Most Geeks I know love to head to the local fast food joint to bring home a sack of goodness. I have to agree with Joseph, though. There’s nothing quite like an In-n-Out burger!

In-N-Out Burger is all about burgers. You won’t find any type of chicken on their menu. They offer burgers, fries, soda and milkshakes. That’s it… that’s the menu. They do one thing, and they do it exceptionally well. These things are so delicious that I could eat them a few times a week!

I am a fan of Venn Diagrams, and I love the way Joseph incorporated one into this screencast. As you can see, there aren’t many intersections between jocks and Geeks. However, all of us love a good burger experience.

Joseph would love to see other restaurants try to do this same thing: perfect one dish, serve nothing else, and be done with it. The one place where this wouldn’t work, though, is with Chinese takeout. You need choices when you’re grabbing some Chinese food!

It’s brilliant the way that there is no line at an In-N-Out Burger joint. They serve burgers and fries. You know what you’re going to order before you ever walk in the door, so you aren’t making others wait while you decide. This, my friends, is nothing short of amazing.

Joseph – thanks for another fun and excellent screencast. We’re looking forward to see what you come up with next.

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The food is “okay” if you’re looking to fill your stomach.

However, their service (if you could call it that) was extremely questionable. We arrived in the late evening, expecting they’d know about our small group – considering one of us had reached out to their banquet manager a week or so before. Everybody [there] was clueless.

No matter, when a couple of us we found an area upstairs in which to gather, our waitress (who, I later discovered, had been there ALL day) seemed to be put off by the fact that we’d be bringing 20 potential-tip-weilding customers her direction.

So, she took our drink order. When one of us asked for a blended margarita, the waitress’s EXACT response is: “We don’t have a blender here.” To this, my friend replied: “Yes, you do – I was here the other day, and I had one.” Caught in a mistruth, our waitress floundered: “We don’t have one upstairs.”

You’ve. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.

So, instead of just taking the order and making the journey downstairs to fulfill her customer’s order, the waitress initially communicated a would-be unquestionable “fact.”

Indeed, after a brief period of silence, my friend just suggested she (herself) would go downstairs and get one.

WTF?

Now, I admit that the “Spicy Spinach Cheese Dip” dip was quite remarkable – but even that wasn’t enough to nudge me past a single-star review. I certainly hope management is trolling Yelp, and that they happened to catch my tweet out to 77,000 people when the waitress first pulled her stunt.

I did NOT stiff the waitress, mind you. I figured this review on Yelp was enough. I won’t be returning to Rock Bottom, because that’s apparently who they hire to wait tables.

Super Bowl Sunday is famous for something other than just football! It’s also all about the snacks you put out for everyone to nom on during the game! I had to call in an expert, since I’m not a football person myself. Thankfully, my Dad is here visiting and could give me a hand. I’m also not a cook, so I am grateful that Imei was here to lend a hand with food preparation!

Imei helped us come up with five traditional Super Bowl snacks, as well as five not so traditional ones! I’m happy to report that all of them are yummy, and sure to be a big hit with your crowd!

Traditional Snacks

• Chips with guacamole dip or 7 layer bean dip – We used Fritos’ Scoops, and got store bought pre-made guacamole. If you want to go with homemade, use ripe avocados, diced red onions, and minced jalapeno pepper. The bean dip was also store bought, but it has refried beans, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, guacamole, lettuce, and salsa. I would add a top layer of crumbled bacon bits just to make you die and go to heaven!
• Sliders – Mini hamburgers plus 2 or 3 accompanying sauces to choose from! We used grain-fed ground beef, formed into two inch in diameter patties, one inch high, cooked on stove top with light oil until juices run clear. Add some Tomato slices, onion, ketchup, and dijon mustard.
• Nachos – Add melted shredded cheese, ground beef, sliced olives, pepperonchinis. We used whole wheat multi-grain Tostitos brand chips (there’s still corn in it, but less).
• All-beef franks/wursts with sauerkraut – Hebrew all beef franks, boiled five minutes.
• Veggie tray with assorted dips – You can easily buy these at the store, or make up your own! It’s fun doing your own, and choosing the types of veggies and dips you want to have on hand.

Non-Traditional Snacks

• California Sushi Roll – You can use crab, but we used cooked wild salmon, which can be mashed with Rooster (hot sauce) or soy with Wasabi mustard; sushi rice with rice vinegar; seaweed on the outside. Roll and slice with sharp knife.
• Prosciutto and Feta cheese – We used store bought Proscuitto, wrapped it with a spoonful of Feta cheese, and sporked it with a toothpick.
• Fondue with apples and bread cubes for dipping – We used Laughing Goat Cheese, melted in the microwave! Add two tablespoons of Martini and Rossi or Vodka. Cut up some Granny Smith apples and cube some thick bread for dipping.
• Tempura chips and fries – Instead of regular batter, use Tempura batter – took some of the salmon and dipped in Tempura batter (buy at store, add water and whisk gently). Cook thoroughly on stovetop. You can also Tempura vegetables, including green beans. This is a great way to get men to eat their vegetables! Use a good vegetable oil without transfats.
• Boiled soybeans encrusted with rock salt – Edamame can be found in the frozen food section. Boil for five minutes and then drain. Add a tablespoon of rock salt.

Thanks to Imei, I know that my Super Bowl snacks will be a huge hit this year! What’s your favorite Super Bowl snack of all time?! What can’t you live without during the big game?

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During my trip to Hawaii recently, we visited Original Roys. In this picture, you can see Bruce getting ready to chow down on the Fish Sampler. The sampler includes: Hibachi Grilled Salmon, Roy’s Original Blackened Island Ahi and Hawaiian-Style Misoyaki Butterfish.

Absolutely delicious, trust me. The food, the wine, the atmosphere… this is definitely a place I’ll be visiting again on my next trip to the Islands.

[awsbullet:hawaii travel guide]