A GOOD WEEKEND

Nothing much happening with the pandemic, politics and weather, so I'll just summarize what I have been doing this weekend, which is mostly watching television.  Plus that insect invasion just now beginning.  Oh, Happy Mother's, Lost Sock Memorial, Moscato, Butterscotch Brownie and Sleepover Day.

While the University of Hawaii women's volleyball team is said to have won three NCAA championships, the last one was more than a third of a century ago.  The big deal this weekend is that the men's team won its first national championship.  They had previously prevailed in 2002, but that was taken back because of an irregularity which is allowed today.

I started yesterday with a uniquely gourmet volleyball tailgate (meaning eating a meal while watching any sporting event on TV) no one on Planet Earth or anywhere in the 14 billion year history of our Universe has ever before had.  I first decided that my Kentucky Derby Mint Julep was not authentic enough, so I went out and purchased a bottle each of Old Forrester and Woodford Reserve bourbon.  Then I read that there is an official Mexican Mint Julep also served at the Derby.  But I still wanted to upgrade the traditional julep to improve the taste.

I picked the first three calamansi of the season from my lanai tree (there are around 35 more in various stages of ripening), and three lime wedges.  I decided that the syrup asked for in the standard julep could be improved with some Grand Marnier.  However, I left out the Mezcal and Rose's Lime Juice because that would be too much like a Margarita.  I added equal parts of Old Forester and Woodward Reserve, plus each in tiny glasses to compare the two.  The Woodward is smoother.

Then what would be an ideal volleyball cuisine combination?  I now focus on healthy ingredients to maintain a lower weight, so bought a large container of baby spinach (the magnesium will help me sleep better) and arugula (it said already washed three times, but I added two more), plus Hamachi Kama (yellow-tail collar), the best tasting part of most fish, and added a small piece of Mahimahi.

The dressing too had to be extraordinary, so I used white wine and truffle balsamic vinegars with wasabi oil and yuzu (Japanese citrus) hot sauce:

Thus a special fish salad with, potato chips, Gourmet Mint Julep, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and beer:

Have fun trying to find the ingredients to also have this exceptional and healthy sporting tailgate meal.  The grilled Hamachi collar is best eaten with your fingers.

But I wanted to celebrate the volleyball victory, so I followed with a spot of Louis XIII cognac.

I also later got hungry and splurged on an apple strudel warmed in butter, with a glass of milk.

Then the VB game was wonderful, with an expected close game actually dominated by Hawaii.  Beating BYU for the NCAA national Championship made the victory especially poetic.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament this weekend was played in Pattaya, Thailand, where three Thai placed 1, 2 and among those at #3.  That new lurking Tiger on the Prowl Patty Tavatanakit ended up in the third spot.  She is 21 years old.  #2 was a newcomer, Atthaya Thitikul, only 18 years old, who hits a drive right up there with Patty.  That article if you clicked indicated that she hits a ball further than Tiger Woods.  When Atthaya was only 14 years old she became the youngest golfer ever to win a professional golf tournament.  One of these two will win another women's major this year. (Tavatanakit already won the Honda Inspiration last month).  

#1 was old reliable Ariya Jutarnugarn, who at an age of 25 has already won LPGA Player of the Year, in 2016 and 2018.  She has an older sister Moriya who is 26 and in 2013 was the LPGA Rookie of the year.  Go Thailand.

Seth Borenstein of the AP had a recent article titled, Nature at its craziest:  Trillions of cicadas about to emerge:

• There are two cycles (13 and 17 years) and three species.
• The emergence this year is the largest.

• 
  In 15 states from Indiana to Georgia to New York, this Brood 10 cicadas are now appearing in Tennessee and North Carolina.
• They come out at dusk to avoid being eaten.
• Imagine a life when you are in quarantine underground for 17 years while surviving by sucking the sap from tree roots, then appearing to have sex and die in four to six weeks.

• 
  The males make a lot of noise at 100 decibels like a rock concert, drowning out the sound from a low-flying plane, to attract females.  This can damage your hearing.
• If you want more, watch 17 facts about 17 year cicadas for 17 minutes.

Dekanta (cs@dekanta.com ) wants you to buy a bottle of Japanese whisky for your mother...or grandmother.

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