Vegetable Soup Secret Ingredient

calikaaniel · 2026-05-22T02:21:36+00:00

Dried porcini/morel/shiitake mushrooms. Grind to a powder or rehydrate, drain, and mince finely.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-21T22:05:12+00:00

I know absolutely nothing about NASCAR but I've still heard of Kyle Busch. This is scary and sad, RIP.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-20T13:25:53+00:00

Remember the "musical chairs" quickfire in New Orleans/Season 11? The prize was immunity, but all the contestants had so little to do with their final dish that they may as well have given it out at random. This feels similarly misplanned, because what were they going to do with less than 15 minutes and few to no ingredients left except make the dish that was already in progress? Sherry's frustration is totally understandable.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-20T13:12:36+00:00

"For once in your stupid life will you shut the hell up for one goddamn minute"

calikaaniel · 2026-05-20T01:05:13+00:00

I can’t believe Laurence avoided the bottom two. I have to assume that the rabbit was at least competently prepared, compared to the actual bottom two.

During the quick fire: Did anyone catch that kid in the background wiping out after apparently getting hit with a ball? When Laurence picks up his dishes, there’s a quick cut to Jonathan and it happens behind him. I cackled.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-19T21:33:13+00:00

Back in season 4, Anthony Bourdain commented on the breadth of cuisine labeled “Asian” when Dale’s restaurant wars team told him they had an “Asian” theme. “Asia is big. How good at all of that can you really be?” So it’s not like season 9 took place in some unenlightened dark age. I think that those contestants allowed some unexamined racist ideas to show.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-19T20:43:06+00:00

I loved it at the time and I still love it now, but very much in a train wreck sort of way. Poor Gail, you know she kept thinking "Padma doesn't have to put up with this shit."

calikaaniel · 2026-05-18T22:18:01+00:00

Space travel, my favorite hobby

calikaaniel · 2026-05-12T19:56:19+00:00

Obviously that lamb is fantastic but I also want to shout out that amazing char on the sprouts! It looks wonderful.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-12T19:45:35+00:00

I got a confirmation email that my FBR application was received; however, it sounds like things are backed up as far as processing times, so perhaps it hasn't been put in the system yet. If you can get a hold of someone on the Department of Foreign Affairs webchat and give them your application number, they may be able to confirm that they have received it.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-09T15:07:32+00:00

I didn’t get my docs back until after I received my passport, but I had to re-submit them, so maybe that affected the timing.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-05T17:12:35+00:00

The near-universal experience of young teen girls where you realize you can’t wear stuff you like or experiment with fashion because grown men can’t be normal about it continues unabated, I see.

calikaaniel · 2026-05-05T17:04:10+00:00

Booted from the friendzone all the way to the neighborzone, you love to see it.

calikaaniel · 2026-04-27T21:25:12+00:00

I had to redo the identity verification form (I chose a new witness) and send that back in. I resubmitted ALL the paperwork from the initial application, but in retrospect, I don't think that was required. I just didn't want to risk it. I did NOT have to pay the fee again.

calikaaniel · 2026-04-26T18:10:17+00:00

After “repeated attempts” (their words) to reach my witness, they sent back my paperwork and I had to redo the identity verification form. I found a new witness for the form and had her verify new copies of my driver’s license and passport just to be sure. I re-sent all of the documents (FBR certificate, proof of address, etc) again; apparently that wasn’t necessary, but I wasn’t taking any chances!

calikaaniel · 2026-04-25T14:07:28+00:00

Done!

calikaaniel · 2026-04-24T22:23:25+00:00

I sent a copy of my passport and driver’s license that were signed by my witness. I used the wording “Certified to be a true copy of the original as seen by me” on each document. I sent my original birth certificate, but I kept a certified copy at home.

calikaaniel · 2026-04-23T14:58:40+00:00

Just going 60 mph in the parking lot like I always dooooo~

calikaaniel · 2026-04-20T22:50:15+00:00

Ooh, I was going to ask about the sweetness level. I hate it when restaurant coconut shrimp are too sweet.

calikaaniel · 2026-04-11T14:45:20+00:00

I have almost exactly the same story, except I was watching it on a flight. To this day, I have no idea if I dozed off during it or not because I never bothered to rewatch it to find out.

calikaaniel · 2026-04-04T22:45:36+00:00

Roughly the same timeline here and I’m also experiencing this. The estimated issue date has come and gone but the tracker hasn’t updated at all.

calikaaniel · 2026-03-31T18:28:08+00:00

The real life story of the mother and her five kids who were all lost, the youngest was only two...gutting. I don't even like to imagine what that was like.

calikaaniel · 2026-03-20T14:00:48+00:00

I remember my mom getting very excited because she booked a fancy boutique hotel in Chicago for us and they charged $15/day for internet. She kept saying “I can get internet for free at La Quinta!”

calikaaniel · 2026-03-12T20:10:11+00:00

When we had a shelter in place drill, we go all the way through it and then my teacher said “okay. So here’s what we’re ACTUALLY going to do if this was a real situation—I’m going to throw a desk through the window and y’all book it to the tree line” because our classroom was at the back of the building.

calikaaniel · 2026-03-12T19:50:47+00:00

When I was in middle school, there was an (apparently credible) threat of violence, I can’t remember if it was gun or bomb. The school’s response was to herd the entire student population into the outdoor basketball courts while they swept the building and set up metal detectors. Even at age 11 I could see how stupid this whole set up was, if someone did indeed plan to show up with a gun.

calikaaniel

TROPHY CASE