Sardine in a Can

Sardine is the type that you either love or hate, and I just happen to love the taste of it. However, I haven't been able to find any great grilled sardines in the US, and it has been a challenge to find good sardines in a can also. So, I have been trying to find the best that is available in the US and here are a few of some I have tried:

Cole's Sardines Smoked Portuguese Sardines in Olive Oil, Portugal

The Good: The smokiness is about right, not overly strong, not so weak to distinguish. It adds complexity to the taste of sardine.
The Bad: Falls apart quite easily. Makes you curious whether fish was fresh during canary process.
Rating: 3

Morgada - Sardines Portugaises a la Tomate, Portugal, $4.50

The Good: Overall taste of the tomato sauce is quite good. Sardines are average.
The Bad: Sardines in tomato sauce just not my favorite, quite pricey.
Rating: 2

Matiz Gallego, Spain, $2.95

The Good: The size of sardines come just right! Chunky and tasty, with firm texture yet not too rough, without strong fishly smell. The bone is chewable and crunchy.
The Bad: Just couldn't get enough in one can.
My thoughts: Serve with toast.
Rating: 5

As do Mar Sardine (all'olio di Oliva), Portugal, $2.95

The Good: Taste is decent without strong fishly smell. Texture is not firm enough but overall is not bad.
The Bad: Salty.
My thoughts: Serve with food, say salad...
Rating: 4

Angelo Parodi Sardine (all'olio di Oliva), Portugal, $2.95

The Good: Fair. Taste - Okay. Nothing stands out exceptionally.
The Bad: Texture is slightly soft with slightly strong fishly flavor.
Rating: 2

Ligo (Tomato Sauce), The Phillipines, $0.XX

The Good: Price.
The Bad: Fishes are small and lack of the sweetness. Texture is soft and slightly rough.
Rating: 1

Bela-Olhao (Olive Oil), Portugal, $2.XX

The Good: Fair. Imported from Portugal.
The Bad: Fishes are small with slightly strong fishly taste.
Rating: 1

King Oscar (Two Layer, Olive Oil), Norway, $2.65

The Good: Fair. Neatly packaged. No fishly taste.
The Bad: Fishes are significantly small.
Rating: 2

Crown Prince (Two Layer, Olive Oil), Scotland, $2.65

The Good: Fair. No fishly taste. Similar to King Oscar Brand.
The Bad: Fishes are significantly small. No chewable bones.
Rating: 2

Sardine Pollastrini di Anzio, Italy, $4.95

Piccanti all'Olio d'Oliva Specialita della Casa
The Good: Although size of the sardines is relatively small, they have so much flavor in them, especially a kick of spiciness. Texture is firm, and olive oil is nicely "aged" in the oil.
The Bad: Not enough.
My thoughts: It is one of the best in the market most definitely, but it can't be consumed all by itself because of the saltiness.
Rating: 5

Natural Sea Brisling Sardines in Soybean Oil, Poland, $2.95

The Good: Flavorful.
The Bad: Texture is sort of mushy. Size is rather small. Bones are not noticeable.
Rating: 3


(Not able to find in the US)
Conservas Portugal Norte, Portugal

Porthos - Sardines A L'huile D'Olive
My thoughts: Served with salad.
Rating: 5

Porthos - Sardines A L'huile D'Olive Piquantes
My thoughts: Served with toasted bread, food, and more...
Rating: 5

Porthos - Sardines a la sauce tomate
The Good: Tomato sauce is not made of tomato paste, instead it is tomato oil. Fish is decent, size is slightly smaller as compared to others, without strong fishly smell.
The Bad: Texture is slightly rough. Sardines & tomato sauce just not sophisticated enough.
My thoughts: hmmm.... spaghetti?
Rating: 3

Bon Appetit - Sardines Portugaises a l'huile d'olive, Portugal

The Good: Fair, nothing exceptionally stands out.
The Bad: Salty and relatively smaller than others, fairly strong fishly smell.
Rating: 2

Kampell - Sardinal Portuguese, Portugal

The Good: Taste is unexpectedly fine without strong fishly scent.
The Bad: Not spicy enough, and the size of sardines is relatively small.
Rating: 4

Maruzzella - Sardine (All'olio di Oliva), Italy

The Good: Overall quality is superb. The size of sardines is in the larger size; the taste is well preserved; and they are not very salty.
The Bad: Bones are not crunchy enough to be noticeable.
My thoughts: It is a versatile product to be used for almost everything.
Rating: 4

Nostromo - Sardine All'olio di Oliva, Italy

The Good: Chunky.
The Bad: Not enough flavor, and texture is rough.
Rating: 2

Delicius - Sardine All'olio di Oliva, Italy

The Good: The size of sardines is good. Bones are adequately crunchy. It's lightly seasoned so additional seasoning can be added to it.
The Bad: Texture and taste tend to be on the mushy and fishy side.
My thoughts: It is versatile and I think it can be made as a Pâté .
Rating: 4

Fauchon Rillettes de Sardine, France

The Good: This is not a regular sardine in a can, but pâté in a jar. It has a very enjoyable taste, although it is quite different from what I have reviewed so far.
The Bad: Addictive.
Rating: 5

Minerva Sardines Piquantes Portugaises A L'Huile Vegetale, Portugal

Rating: 3

Season Skinless and Boneless Imported Sardines in Pure Olive Oil, Morocco

The Good: Excellent for making pâté and breadspread. Olive oil complimenting the sardines is thick and tasteful.
The Bad: Firm texture that makes them hard to chew. Sardine itself is less impressive than the olive oil.
Rating: 4
To Be Continue...

Chocolate Reviews

It's a log of all the chocolates I have tried... and I am planning to share my 2 cents on different chocolates:

Cafe~Tasse, Belgium
Noir - The Earl Grey
Rating: 9

Confiserie Heilemann, Germany
Edelbitter-Schokolade 77% Cocoa
Rating: 9

Michel Cluizel, France
Noir Infini 99%
Rating: 9

Recchiuti, San Francisco, CA, United States
Force Noir
Rating: 9

Amedei, Italy
Napolitains - Cioccolato Fondente Extra 75%
Rating: 8.5

Domori, Italy
Tavolette - Chuao Hacienda San Jose
Rating: 8

Baratti & Milano, Torino, Italia
Napolitains - Cioccolato Finissimo al Latte
Rating: 8

Vivani, Germany
70% Cacao Edel Bitter (Ecuador)
Rating: 7.5

Maglio, Italia
Africa Cacao 75%
Rating: 7.5

Republica Del Cacao, United States
Los Rios 75% Cacao
Rating: 7.5

Santo Domingo Cacao 70%
Rating: 6.5

Les Freres Blanc, France
Chocolat noir 72% de cacao
Rating: 7.5

Hachez, Deutschland
Cocoa D'Arriba Mango Chili 77% cacao
Rating: 7.5

Cote d'Or, Belgium
Noir 70% Cocoa
Rating: 7.5

Le Belge, Napa, California, United States
Cacao Noir 72% Artisan Dark Belgian Chocolate With Roasted Cacao Nibs
Rating: 7.5

Valrhona, France
Guanaja - Chocolat Noir 70%
Rating: 7.5

Agnes B Delices 70% Noir
Rating: 7.5

Perlege, Belgium
Noir
Rating: 7.5

The Tea Room, American Canyon, California, United States
72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Infused with Yerba Mate Tea & Cacao Nibs
Rating: 7

Green & Black's, England
Dark 85%
Rating: 7

Chocovic, Spain
Guaranda 71% Cocoa
Rating: 7

Feodora Chocolade, Bremen, Germany
Grand 'Or 75% Cocoa
Rating: 7

Godiva, Belgium
Overall Rating: 7

Marks & Spencer, England
Dark Chocolate with Peruvian Cocoa 72% Cocoa Solids
Rating: 7


The Tea Room, American Canyon, CA, United States
Dark Chocolate Infused with Yerba Mate Tea and Cacao Nibs
Rating: 6.5

Cuorenero, Bologna, Italy
Kiwi a Pezzi - Puro Cioccolato Fondente Extra
Rating: 6.5

Toblerone, Switzerland
Milk Chocolate With Honey and Almond Nougat
Rating: 6.5

Isis Luxury, Belgium
Belgian Extra Dark Chocolate - 85% Cocoa
Rating: 6.5

Meiji, Japan
Cacao 99%
Rating: 6

Stainer, Italy
Tavoletta Di Puro Cioccolator Fondente - Cacao 100%
Rating: 5.5

Hersey's, United States
Cocoa Reserve 65%
Rating: 5

Scharffen Berger, Berkeley, CA, United States
70% Cacao Bittersweet
Rating: 4

82% Cacao Extra Dark
Rating: 6

See's Candy, United States
Overall Rating: 3

Another Thought - Current Economy

"Economy, what'd happened?"

"Oh boy, you are in bad shape."

"Hell, you look like SH!T."

Banking systems failed. Auto industries suffered. Stock market crashed. Governments fetch out new plans to slow down the economy free-falling and ease the market pain. Corporate CEO's call for help from the government. Resources (let just say money) are pumped into private industries from the governments, and they even take the liabilities of these firms to ensure investors' confidences. This is happening to this government, which is the same country against Communist all along while it is practically adopting the principles of Communism. Irony huh?

I am not here to bash this country exercising socialistic ideologies (let just ease off on the "C" word here). As a matter of fact, I am definitely in support for the idea that governments shall be formed by the people and shall be for the people. In hard time like right now, I firmly believe the government is responsible for laying out new policies to help the ones in need. However, if it is only one thing this country has reputation for, it is the inability to follow through and complete the intended missions. As an example, remember all the wars?

If we are to help the economy recovered, let's get serious. First thing first - let's get rid of all worker unions - let's fire those donuts chuckers and caffeine inhalers don't have actual work, especially those work groups that have only one person working and fifteen others overseeing for safety and quality control. Just sick and tired of these lazy asses protected by the unions. Isn't the State running out of money and risking bankruptcy? I'm just irritated by these overpaid "supervisors" supervising each other.

I know, people will be crying fouls that without unions all workers will be exploited by the greedy rich. Okay, let me throw a proposal here - let's unify all worker unions into a single governing body. Oh, hey, wait a minute here - Didn't we already have something similar? Isn't it called the GOVERNMENT?!

Next, let's bust a tax cap on those mofluggers making millions a year but paying 15% tax. What is the justification of a person making billions in a year? It translates a salary of 19 dollars per minute. Technically speaking, these people are paid taking a dump. Their bowel even has a price tag on it! Meanwhile, there are people starving in the world and couldn't even get one full meal a day. This doesn't sound right at all!

Really, where does the money come from to pay off these billion dollar tycoons? In the current zero-sum society, the rich get all the doughs, while the poor lose their shirts, or even worse - underwear. Shouldn't these money collectors pay back to the society, regardless if they are willing or unwilling to do so? Isn't this government a self-proclaim humanitarian defender, yet we allow the well-to-do's to get loaded from the public poor? I don't think this is very humane at all, my friend.

Then, let's trim down the size of the government. What's up with all these bureaucracies happening in the government? The pretentiousness of these government officials rots the once plausible nation. These folks are holding a tight grip on their jobs, social status, and power by making jobs more complicated than ever. What's up with the ATF, NSA, FBI, US Marshals, Coast Guards, Secret Service, Marines, Army Corp, Navy, Air Force, CIA, you name it... There are so many of them to confuse the fuck out of us. Really, is ATF necessary? Do we really need a policing force to oversee alcohols, cigarettes, and firearms? Can't NSA and Secret Service be merged? And don't get me started with US Marshals and FBI...

And when the government bails out financial institutions by taking over their debts caused by the sub prime crisis, shouldn't the government own these real estates? These keep me pondering... Why can't the government use these lands/properties for low-incoming housing, retirement homes, or rehab centers? Isn't there a better way to deal with all the empty foreclosed houses? Oh why not build more prisons on these lands? Don't we have prison overcrowded issue in the U.S.? Didn't a study report that once every three people in this country has been/is in jail. Some of these prisoners are charged with use/possess of marijuana. Now I have a second thought - Can't we just legalize it so that the government is not wasting precious money to bust these stoners?

Well, after all, we are living in the united state of accusation.

Thoughts - Part II

My advice to a friend at the crossroad where he had to make a decision for his career:

Choosing a workplace is like picking a girlfriend. You DON'T go for supermodels. You are better off looking for that person who crazes about you more.

Here is my reasoning: The firms that all dream to work for are like supermodels (and they care less about you, what you think, and how you feel). On the other hand, the firms that are less famous, and less stuck-up are usually the ones who care about you, offer you more, and compensate you nicely. Who wants to be treated as a second class citizen, for real?

An Odd Year of Presidential Election

To me, this year presidential election is stranger than others. No, I don't mean the race of the presidential candidate. And no, it is not about the sex of the candidate either. What I have noticed is the correct pronunciation of both vice president candidates' names - Biden and Palin.

Thanks to the everyday TV coverage on the campaign. Otherwise, I would have embarrassed myself by pronouncing Biden sounding like bidet toilet or bidone and Palin to rhyme like pal of Stalin. Let's be honest, a vice president may not be the most influential person, but I surely would not prefer my running mate associated with a bowl washing asses, or Stalin if I were pursuing the presidency. On a second thought, Stalin might love hockey, might be as tough as a pitbull, but a bidet is more useful - as least it keeps my rear end nice and clean.

You know you are...

Collecting and complying from various conversation, observation, and reading, here is a checklist for "you know you are a Hipster" if...

1. You buy used clothes not because you can't afford new, and you spend 100 bucks on a vintage outfit;
2. You enjoy cruising on a single speed bike without helmet on a hilly city, e.g. San Fracisco;
3. You wear a jean that is way short so that everyone can see your socks a mile away, and your jean is usually tight enough to make you walk like a robot;
4. You pretend to love all the underground music that no one has even heard of. You are self-proclaim the No. 1 supporter for these bands and you can brag about the way you supported them when the band was unknown all day. Now, you hate them for getting famous and popular with a consistent fan base of 10 people. And with the 2nd CD out, you are feeling that their music direction deviates from the original;
5. You are learning a second language for the reason of impressing other by practicing it through ordering foods and correcting other's inaccurate pronunciation;
6. If you are not a potter, you can't be stoner. If you are not a stoner, you can't be a hipster;
7. Your body naturally move randomly whenever music is on, wherever you are, and whatever type of music is playing, yet everyone is making an attempt to understand your dance style with the music;
8. You must be a liberal, no, a super-dupper-hyper liberal. Occasionally, you are a vegetarian or vegan.

Thoughts

Just writing down a few thoughts on different subjects... most of them are probably not anything brand new...

--- Save the Social Security System ---

I am quite certain that everyone is aware of the potential troubles with the social security system and have probably heard and thought of different ways to reduce the possible impact caused by the failing social security system. One way to sustain the existing system is to encourage males to spread their seeds and enlarge their family at an exponential rate so that the "legacy" can be passed on to the next generation. I am in complete agreement with this solution, and here comes what I think to be a nice slogan to bring up the social awareness of this solution ~ FUCK! No more "make love, not war" bumper sticker. Just go with the most direct approach - FUCK! In addition, here is a song to sing along with the slogan, imagine all the people fucking all the times. Imagine everyone is busy fucking and no time for crime, no time for violence. It's a wonderful world.

--- Risk Management ---

Life is all about making right decisions at the right moments and managing risks at different situations. What I'd like to share are a couple of life-long guidelines in making the right decisions.

Rule No. 1: It is not worth to break up with your girlfriend if you are only upgrading from a 6.5 to a 7.0. If any upgrade, it has to be a full-step improvement; otherwise, DON'T. Let us compare this with pure investment analysis: If the return does not justify the risk of the investment, there is no reason of making such investment. By the same token, think about all the time, work, and energy spent on a lady and she doesn't appear to be much better than whoever you have right now. Does it make sense to take action?

Rule No. 2: Always go for a 9.0 instead of a 5.0. First of all, let's make sure everyone on the same page; that is, perfect 10 does not exist! Miss 10.0 is like an ideal number such as the square root of -1 - imaginary. A'ight, next is the misconception of getting 5.0 is easier than getting 9.0. My firm belief is that all ladies are difficult to catch. Doesn't matter whether they are 1.0 or 9.0; it's just as difficult. Of course, there is no denial of different levels of difficulties associated with broads at different ranks. Nevertheless, fact cannot be ignored that the possibility of getting turned down by a 5.0 can be as high as by a 9.0. Getting shot down by a 5.0 can cause much psychological adverse affect on everyone than by a 9.0. Not to exaggerate, this can be life changing experience - picture yourself in a club and trying to ask a chubby chick, who is with her hot friend, to dance with you, but you find yourself facing the back of her head while your friends are calling you a chubby chaser. Oh boy!

That's all for tonight, peace.