I blame my parents for the influence. From a young age my family always took risks and challenges in stride, moving to places were things were fascinating – but not easy.

We lived in several different countries, each with their own culture and nuances. We moved home from overseas assignments in 1996, and I’ve been steadily accumulating friends, a mate, pets and belongings for the last 14 years. Now I’m about to give it all up again and go on the road.

In November, I submitted an application for a job overseas with the JET programme in Japan. I jumped through hoop after hoop, submitting a long personal essay, going through health and background checks, accumulating references and surviving through an interview in Calgary in February. And also waiting. Waiting a lot. At least I had the wedding to take my mind off of things.

Finally I was offered a job in April and I’ve accepted it. JET is a Japanese government run program that places teachers from around the world in Japanese classrooms as a sort of cultural exchange. The teachers learn Japanese and experience Japan, and the students learn English and learn about our home country. We get paid well and are offered extraordinary support from the Japanese government, board of education members and other JET participants. I’ve heard things ranging from great to mediocre about the program. Nothing really terrible, though. And a lot of people write and blog about their experiences. There’s only one way to find out what it’s really like, I guess.

It will be incredibly hard to leave what I consider my dream job at the Edmonton Journal as a photo editing assistant and web producer. Working at a newspaper has been a fascinating experience and one I never expected myself to have. I can say nearly every job I’ve had has been a dream on in one way or another, and I hope that Japan offers the same. If I could do my current job from Japan, I would. It’s not the job or the people – it’s the city. It’s time to go.

Just another day at the office, scowling at stealthy photographers snapping photos. Credit: Ryan Jackson

Standing with Journal staff photographers and other photo deskers, 2008. Credit: Walter Tychnowicz

So, finally, my dream comes true. I’m not sure what changes this blog will undergo yet, but I expect them to be somewhat major. Obviously I’m excited about the Japanese cuisine, but I’m a bit nervous over the changes cooking at home will undergo. All my cooking appliances and cookware will be given away here. Our spice collection will be pared down to the absolute must brings.

Everything I hope to use in the next year will come in two suitcases with me or shipped via boat. Mike will join me a few weeks after I get settled. The initial contract is for a year, but could be extended for as many as five.

My new home: Okinawa. It offers tropical beaches, treehouse restaurants and exquisite uniquely Japanese experiences like sakura/cherry blossom viewing parties

We’ll be living on Okinawa which is kind of like the Hawai’i of Japan. It has a culture unique unto itself even compared to the already unusual Japan, and for this reason is a tourist attraction to “mainland” Japanese. There is a heavy American influence with the US military presence on the island. The climate is tropical and the days are hot and humid, and there are many island diversions we hope to avail ourselves of such as diving, fishing and rock climbing. We’re actually closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, and so I hope to finally begin forays into China.

I’m a naturally nervous person at heart, but I can honestly say that although moving nerves do keep me up from time to time at night, I’m ready to spring into action and start down a new path. I will be leaving Canada July 30…so not long to go!

Ben (who happens to be vegetarian) recently spent a few weeks on the road in his little Nissan sedan, visiting friends across the United States on an epic road trip from Edmonton through Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico and Nevada to name a few states. Fittingly, he ate some interesting food along the way.

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A 9,500 km road trip across the belly of the United States took me to friends living in random cities like Chicago and Vegas in March. Along the way, I visited eateries where all manner of strange regional delights were plated. They said a vegetarian would have trouble finding good food in the less-populated parts of the country. They were wrong. Here are some highlights:

In Minneapolis, I walked the chilly University of Minnesota campus and found a malt shop called Annie’s Parlour on the edge of the Dinkytown strip. (ed. note: I once at at Annie’s as well, many moons ago! Place is epic.)

Peanut butter banana malt at Annie’s, a University of Minnesota institution

Annie’s had malted milks: a thicker, sweeter milkshake with malt powder, the server said. She recommended mixing peanut butter cup with banana. I ordered the half-size, which was still more than any shake I’ve ever finished. It was a treat, when I was able to suck any up of the speckled goo up the straw. A bubble tea straw might have worked better.

As I continued on to Chicago in the dark, I rolled into a suburb of Madison called Monora, and stopped for dinner at Noodles & Company. This expanding American franchise basically does for pasta what Quizno’s does for subs.

Powerade as a fountain drink choice alarms me. A noodle based restaurant sounds comforting, though.

The menu’s only rule: the dish must have noodles. It was split into three categories: American, Italian and Asian. Think mac & cheese, spaghetti & meatballs and pad thai from the same line. I had the mushroom stroganoff with blue Powerade. This place was incredibly vegetarian-friendly and the stroganoff wasn’t bad. Not like mom makes. But decent considering it came four minutes after I paid.

In Chicago, my friend Sean and I ate first at Hot Doug’s, a trendy hot dog restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

A very busy day at Hot Doug’s in Chicago

I had a veggie Chicago dog (mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish dyed neon green, pickle, tomato, and celery salt). The second veggie dog I loaded up with sauerkraut, pickles and mustard. Sean and I each took a trip to the bathroom before we ate to discreetly take a swig of Pepto from a bottle he smuggled inside his man-purse.

Vegetarian hot dogs? Say it ain’t so!

Dinner at Jerry’s in Wicker Park was a wise choice. The Baba R sandwich is unlike anything between bread. Ingredients: peanut butter, apple, basil, fried onion and chipotle chutney. Don’t make that face.

A sandwich called the Baba R. Included ingredients: Peanut butter, apple, basil, fried onion and chipotle chutney

The Baba R. is delicious, one of the best vegetarian sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.

There was also the Chicago deep dish pizza at Exchequer downtown, one of poor Ebert’s favourite until, y’know.

A “small” deep dish pizza.

I couldn’t finish it all (I expected a small to be manageable. This was a tourist moment) so I gave three pieces to a homeless guy outside. He was thrilled.

Then I ate a burrito in Pilsen, a Hispanic neighbourhood that was historically inhabited by Chicago’s Czech population.

It was overwhelming.

In St. Louis, my friends and I explored Soulard Market, where they had crocodile for sale. Also, this booth, which is self-explanatory:

(ed. note: The format of my blog makes it difficult to embed images of any decent size, but those are ducklings in the cage and one of the sizes of beaver available is “jumbo”)

Somewhere between Amarillo and Tucumcari, in the village of San Jon, I came upon the Dhillon truck stop, which I first thought closed because the gas pumps were torn up. But an open sign buzzed in the window.

In the parking lot, I met an Indian trucker running his rig. He said he comes to Dhillon every time he drives the old Route 66. They serve great Indian food, he said.

Inside, a dirt-coated old man with dark red eyes sat at one booth scratching lottery tickets, as an Indian soap played at high volume on the television in the corner.

For a vegetarian, Indian food is heaven because there are so many options. The woman who runs Dhillon with her husband made up a special meal for me when I told her I didn’t eat meat.

I wish gas station food was always this good.

What you see here is fresh roti, a black bean sauce, yogurt and aloo gobi masala, with rice. I was thankful for the yogurt. This was spicy stuff.

On the Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona, I scratched another must-try food off my list. I’d eaten a hot dog in Chicago. Now I would eat a green chili in the southwest.

In the small town of Kayenta, south of Monument Valley, I found the Golden Sands Cafe. The decor was distinctly western and the food was simple. I ordered the green chili omelet with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Green chili omelet

The green chilis were at first so mild. But the more I ate, the more kick they packed. I enjoyed the combination of egg and chili. Great dish.

And I’ve gone on long enough. I could also talk about how easy it is to get a good vegetarian meal in midtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, or how I had one of the last meals ever at Restaurant Charlie in Vegas. The menu lacked a veggie entree, so I challenged the talented kitchen to surprise me. They made turnip, my least favourite vegetable. It was honestly the first time I’ve ever enjoyed turnip. I’m not sure exactly what they did but it was a small miracle. Too bad the place is closed now. R.I.P. Restaurant Charlie. You were too expensive.
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Ben has a blog for the Edmonton Journal called Button Mash. It’s about video games.

Therefore it was with great interest that I checked out the New York Public Library’s digital archives today. They are so much cooler than what I did. What they’ve compiled is a stunning assortment of scans and images from their huge collection, ranging from zoology to science & medicine to “cigarette cards.”

My favourite today is the menus, however. Of course. They all come from one collector: Miss Frank E. Buttolph. Astonishing. From the collection description:

The menu collection originated through the energetic efforts of Miss Frank E. Buttolph (1850-1924), a somewhat mysterious and passionate figure, whose mission in life was to collect menus. In 1899, she offered to donate her existing collection to the Library — and to keep collecting on the Library’s behalf. Presciently, director Dr. John Shaw Billings accepted her offer and for the next quarter century Miss Buttolph continued to add to the collection. Her principal method of acquisition was to write to every restaurant she could think of, soliciting menus. When letters failed, she often marched into a restaurant and pleaded her case in person. She also placed advertisements in trade publications like The Caterer and The Hotel Gazette, but just as often, published news of her collection prompted outright contributions of specimens from around the world.

She collected some 25,000 menus before her death in 1924.

Menu from the Farewell dinner for the Japanese Minister at the Arlington in 1887. I love the champagne and cigarette break.

Menu from the Fourth of July dinner at the Bass Rock Hotel in 1888.

Luncheon en route the R.M.S Oceanic in 1900.

New Year’s Dinner at the Portland (hotel) in Portland, Oregon, 1895.

Daily cafeteria lunch menu at 57 Broad Street, New York City, 1900. Look at the prices and the the way the menu is divided.

Wine list from an Elks’ dinner, on a trip en route to Buffalo in 1905.

I could spend all day finding and posting interesting menus from this archive. My only gripe is that many of the menus are for society dinners and high class events. However, they do offer insight into what was fashionable in food at the time: turtle, sauces, cigarettes and cured meats, it would seem.

I also love the design, artwork and attention to detail paid to the menus. They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to. As I continue to search for inspiration for the design the of the menus for our wedding dinner, I will be investigating this archive closely, I expect.

Here are all the other archives to investigate. There is something for everyone.

First, there are a number of palates to please. The Journal has 11 staff photographers, plus many freelancers and desk staff. It can be hard to find a place to suit everyone, in terms of taste and budget. Second, the photographers are educated eaters. They get to photograph and visit many restaurants on the job, know the hot spots, and can be trusted for their restaurant expertise if you need a place to go. Lastly, it’s hard to find good places near the office, which is our preference due to a crazy busy schedule. Last year we ate at The Hat. I suggested Hardware for lunch, but no one bit.

This year for the Christmas lunch we went with the old reliable: an Indian buffet. Karma Bistro has been in the space formerly occupied by La Tapa for some time now. Based on previous visits I can say their a la carte menu is strong, and it is a reasonably priced choice for Indian food in the downtown core.

Ryan and Candace fill up their plates.

The buffet was fresh when we arrived at 11:30, with a large variety of dishes. I saw fish amritsari, pakoras, butter chicken, daal bukhara, eggplant, two kinds of rice and a few other dishes, roughly 10 in total. Naan is delivered to the table (unbuttered, though) and there are various chutneys and desserts available.

I found the buffet items to be above average quality, even if some curries (the daal) were a bit thin. Nothing was too spicy, so don’t expect a sweat inducing, authentically Indian meal. The lamb was a bit fatty and cut haphazardly, but flavourful and tender. Vegetables were crisp and well spiced. Service has always been good there, I find. For $14.99, I think all 17 of us came away happy and with a full stomach.

It is a busy place at lunch, so I suggest reservations.

Afterwards, we looked at photos from the past year, naturally.

Karma Indian Bistro
10523 99 Avenue
(780) 498-2992