1. After a very quick trip to Yoke's for a few groceries, I also made a quick trip to the liquor store. I have been asked to mix martinis for family dinner, so I bought a bottle of Tanqueray to make sure I didn't run out; I also bought a bottle of Basil Hayden Rye Whiskey (not dark); and, because the book Rising Tide has me thinking a lot about New Orleans, I bought a bottle of D.O.M. Benedictine Liqueur and now I can mix a Vieux Carre to enjoy during the upcoming February 14th ZoomFest with my Westminster friends.
2. Even though it didn't turn out to be nail-biter, the Creighton/Villanova basketball game this afternoon was one of the most enjoyable I've watched this season. I especially delighted in the contrast in the two teams' approaches. Creighton plays an uptempo game. They want to speed up everything and they will let parabolas fly from behind the three point line at any time, whether in a half court set or in transition. At the same time, Creighton's players also love scoring at the tin, whether with explosive drives or alley-oop passes, especially to Christian Bishop.
Villanova, on the other hand, prefers a slower tempo. They prefer getting into their half court sets, moving the ball crisply, and finding open shooters. On their best nights, the Wildcats shoot accurately from behind the three point arc, but are also proficient at finding open players making intelligent cuts away from the ball to the iron.
These are two superior teams, loaded with talent to play their given styles. Games between them become a question of which team can dictate the tempo and assert its will over the other.
This afternoon, the day belonged to Creighton. Their guards, Marcus Zegarowski and Mitch Ballock, scored from all points of the half court with dagger three pointers and explosive drives to the basket. Christian Bishop was a powerful force inside and Creighton's forwards, Denzel Mahoney and Damien Jefferson also added points, both from the perimeter and in close. Creighton's attack was balanced and aggressive. To me, equally impressive was their defense. Their defense disrupted Villanova and a disrupted Villanova squad is a much less effective one.
Final score: Creighton 86, Villanova 70.
3. I thought the Thai Beef with Peppers I cooked on Friday tasted even better on Saturday. I especially like the marinade and I thought its gingery, garlic-y, soy sauce-y, brown sugar-y flavors matured overnight.
This evening I got the appetizer I'm bringing to family dinner started and I'll finish cooking it some time before heading over to Paul and Carol's. The appetizer requires a simple dressing. I'll make it just before going over, too. I'm going to hold off revealing what I made -- I'll only say that I did not make the stuffed mushrooms I was assigned and I'll say that I have never served this appetizer before, anywhere at any time!
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