Giorgio's

K-bao visited her favorite restaurant tonight, Giorgio's, together with Xiao Ah-Yi (Aunt Christina) and Jiu Jiu (Uncle Calvin).

Earlier in the day, K-bao was asked by Uncle Calvin to name her 5 favorite foods. It didn't take much effort to rattle them off:

1. Pizza ("From Giorgio's!")
2. Mac & Cheese
3. Spaghetti with meatballs and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top
4. Baked lasagna with cheese
5. Grilled cheese

See a common thread? Anyhow, that was the inspiration for dinner. 

Let the record show that K-bao polished off four (4) slices of pepperoni pizza tonight, along with several pieces of heavily buttered bread. That was more than any adult at the table. 

Indeed, as one can see, she was so busy stuffing her face that she couldn't be bothered to turn to the camera to say "Cheese!"

Brunch

On a typical Saturday morning K-Pop dons his Chef Hat to make brunch for the family.

Despite knowing the answer (because it never changes), K-Pop nonetheless asks the most vocal and opinionated of the diners - that would be K-bao - for her menu preferences. Ten out of ten times the answer is "Eggs with cheese and toast with butter and jam! Can I help you make it?"

Here K-bao beats the eggs (the Chinese way, with chopsticks), looks on as K-Pop dices the mushrooms and scallions, and helps K-Pop add the ingredients to the pan. "Extra cheese, please, and can I mix the cheese in?" requests K-bao invariably as K-Pop takes out the sharp cheddar and grated parmesan from the refrigerator.

Aesthetic presentation is not quite the focus of the chefs.

Little C-bao enjoys this entree as well and can sometimes even out-eat her sister.

San Diego

K-bao's spending a few days in San Diego, her first visit to the sunny city of Saint Didacus. She spent the afternoon checking out Old San Diego and the Gaslamp Quarters, sampling savory crepes at the Cremerie Chocolat and breathing in the salty sea air. She ended up at the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner, where she polished off a plate of pasta with grated mizithra cheese and browned butter ("More!"), topped off with apple sauce and a few bites of K-Pop's ice cream. Good times.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

"Say Cheese"

Moral Dilemma

In the below video, K-bao has a tough choice before her. Should she do the right thing and share her cheese with K-Mum? But if she does, will there be any left for her? What does the Monterey Jack inventory supply look like??

On the other hand, if she doesn't share, K-Mum will be sad and perhaps hungry, and K-bao might be burdened with guilt - for issues ranging from hoarding and miserliness to ungratefulness and gluttony.

In a world of scarcity, with limited visibility into the supply chain, such a choice presents a moral quandary indeed. How will our little one navigate these tricky waters?

Well, what K-bao lacks in scruples she makes up for in imagination. Want to have your cheese and eat it too? The solution lies in a combination of deft hands and artful relationship management. To wit:

1. Offer the cheese to K-Mum.

2. Before she can actually accept it, pop it into your own mouth.

3. Then, apologize profusely (her sign for "sorry" is to cover her face in shame).

4. Hopefully, this preserves the relationship - "Hey, the offer was made, it's not my fault you were slow to react"; plus, there's an apology on the back end to smooth over any hurt feelings.

5. This also deals with any lingering guilt (so long as the contrition is genuine).

Very clever. But very alarming.

Bribery

The below video is an example of pure, unadulterated bribery on the part of K-Pop. Give in order to get. Not a very good example of grace for little K-bao.

On the other hand, said K-Pop to himself in self-justification mode, no pain no gain. She's learning that nothing comes for free. You've got to work for what you want.

By the way, in case you're wondering why K-bao seems to have a case of itchy nipples, she's actually frantically signing "please," which in baby sign language is supposed to be a chest rub.

Do You Want Some Cheese?

Response:

Optimism

K-bao is a generally optimistic soul. Even when she doesn't like the mush that we're spooning her (e.g. of the stringed bean or other veggie variety), she will dutifully continue to open her mouth another dozen times in the hopes that she will get something better in the next bite. When she finds it's more of the same nonsense, she will protest loudly, flail her arms and give us an angry look - but then open her mouth again for the next one.

To prevent her from developing cynicism at her tender age, and to get those veggies down, we mix up the less delightful foods with some treats. Recently, she's fallen in love with cheese. A hunk or two of Monterey Jack and our girl's as happy as a mouse in a house. Just look at the way she lights up when she sees the cheese coming her way after a few dreary spoonfuls of beans and parsnip.