https://www.rafmanship.com/blog daily 1.0 2024-08-15 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/3-years-later monthly 0.5 2024-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/03a19369-1014-40f9-8333-e483f06f5350/IMG_7977.jpeg Blog - 3 years later https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/55dd2e3e-bcd9-43f6-875c-50cbc275a230/IMG_7982.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out Another one of my sleepless nights ending at the beach to catch the sunrise with Chief. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/52606632-0b59-4a14-8584-87388c737b79/IMG_7985.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out Chief loved windows. It’s weird because so do I. I can stare out a window for hours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/7516cb28-d169-4da9-97bb-033c34fc94e5/IMG_7989.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out Chief and I walked a lot together. We would also chill by a tree and take some cover in a shady spot. And just chill. We both just liked to chill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/8572d90d-3940-4038-90b0-4dd6c97e980e/IMG_7983.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out I sold most of my things in Chicago, hired movers to load up a Uhaul truck and drove the truck to Miami with my sweet boy as my co-pilot. You can tell he was super excited that I was excited to leave Chicago because his lipstick is starting to show. Sorry for the non-pixelated views, kids. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/4bc683a9-e76d-4de3-a70c-6fb4c4337fbb/IMG_7987.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out This is one of the first picture I have of Chief. If I remember correctly, it was the same day I got him. The worst kept secret I’ve never told but everyone knows is that I was incredibly ill prepared to have such a smart dog for a first dog. I laugh now but there was fear inside of me then. Circa 2008. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/1064c458-aab5-433e-b7f2-e65285f1c698/IMG_7986.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out This picture is kind of blurry but I love it because it reminds me of how incredibly smart he was and how obedient he was (when he wanted to be which was usually if I had a treat in my hand). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/817793d6-e2bb-4875-990d-23cb4bc7ffa4/IMG_7980.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out Chief also loved the park especially because the grass was really nice and he could roll over all of it like an Australian breakdancer in the Olympics but way better and more gracefully. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/ee5837c0-bfaa-4c9d-bcd3-2e7860a56368/IMG_7984.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out Chief spent half the time on his side and then the other half placing his big face on my lap because he thought he was a 10 pound puppy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/d4da1555-d3e6-4249-8272-9b02960eb4d1/IMG_7978.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out St. Pete Beach. Chief loved the beach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/e46c8e2c-34fa-4e7f-aa19-b82cb3d32cdd/IMG_7988.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out This is the look of a first-time, very proud owner of a rescue German shepherd. What’s not shown in the picture is how Chief wanted to chase and possibly roughen up anything from the animal kingdom that moved. Maybe you can tell by his crazy eyes. I would do it all over again if I were given the choice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/da5c3cf2-250d-40d2-99a0-6754236612dc/IMG_7981.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out This was near Lexington on my way from Chicago, moving to Miami in 2018. One of many pit stops. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/7ea3e4c5-94bd-487b-acb1-b54048bb22f5/IMG_7979.JPG Blog - 3 years later - Make it stand out This was one of those days where I couldn’t sleep and we caught a sunrise in Miami Beach. https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-four-z3ptt monthly 0.5 2024-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/4759faf0-72df-465a-acf0-14cb19e7ff49/IMG_6504.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out This is proof I am really doing this blog for fun because this image has the aftermath of my destroying the salmon over the potato sticks. So this was what tasted like Chinese rice with finely sliced smoked something (pretty sure it’s fish but the first question I have is why is it that dark). It also had finely chopped scallions and the white sauce was like a garlic sauce. I can’t remember if it was milk or some type of yogurt base (if it was yogurt it didn’t taste like it and/or at least I don’t remember it). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/02b874ad-5500-403c-8ba3-e7f507256ee2/IMG_6338.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Probably the only way I’d eat liver is paté or foie gras. This was so good and made me appreciate red peppercorn. Also served with a sweet onion chutney. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/acf756e6-c86c-40e3-8f20-9d3fa95116c1/IMG_7169.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Something I love about Madrid is that the ingredients are so fresh. Tapas: something so simple like a piece of bread, cream cheese, salmon, oil and greens and yet it’s so flavorful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/63e8e233-e9b3-44bb-9dcd-c74ad6a2d1be/IMG_6311.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Following the poached egg theme for breakfast, this egg Benedict over french toast and salmon was so good. I always love the balance with pickled onions and greens. Potatoes were also good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/c0bcd7a6-4529-4934-901b-452b5ab150b4/IMG_6507.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Another dessert that I felt I wouldn’t be crazy about and wanted to get a second one. It was a lighter strawbery sherbert (I think…. I’m fairly sure). I’m not a big fan of powdered sugar (I know… I know) but I contemplated getting another one. I believe this was on top of vanilla ice cream and in the back, it’s mascarpone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/7bb0a960-8171-4cf4-9d90-228188878447/IMG_6285.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Another beef carpaccio. Each different than the last one. The “me” from 15 years ago would not have let me eat raw meats, seafood, sushi, etc. I’m glad current “me” does. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/4f3ec1c4-fa32-4577-882d-81553bf2fe2c/IMG_6339.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out These mussels were fire. They were bathed in a garlic butter sauce and finished with cilantro. Not pictured is all the bread we ate to dip into the broth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/e9895f86-b5d1-4180-a6a9-e9452d057a55/IMG_6248.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Near our Airbnb, we found a craft cocktail bar with a small but incredible menu. This salad had peaches and tomatoes, mint, a light vinaigrette, croutons and a light cream (may have been homemade cottage cheese or something along those lines). It was so delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/ec56d178-b111-4528-97de-0911f4270d81/IMG_6500.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Porto got me hooked on sardines. They were so fresh, not salty and really paired well with the crushed tomato and red pepper relish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/c1c9c052-eb02-4f30-8281-d35a2b1a4256/IMG_6249.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out At the same bar, we had beef tartare. It was really light and the capers and olive oil were such a nice touch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/1c62c006-5c30-4208-8b10-928976052f06/IMG_6313.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Every time I go outside of the US, I get poached eggs because I know places like Portugal, Mexico or Spain will get it right. I should have taken pictures when we split it down the middle. The yolk was orange and it was beautiful especially with the avocado trifecta over toast: mashed avocado, chopped avocado and an avocado sauce. Surprisingly very filling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/e1bee38d-3a71-41b3-879b-6a4eac6e4233/IMG_6531.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out There’s that chimichurri again. The eggs were good and the salmon was smoked nicely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/1721232585352-8C94V24NYO3NCD7698HH/IMG_7868.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal Octopus carpaccio with green apples with microgreens (Blood beet seeds… had to research it). This one was very memorable, very light and flavorful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/461fa7bb-7795-41f7-9afd-5c727c694a9a/IMG_6841.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out This was a straight forward dish. Steak over grilled veggies, basted with butter and rosemary. Lots of flavor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/a3ce78fd-3270-4713-840a-f9c7dab425bf/IMG_6838.jpg Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Here’s another octopus carpaccio that was so light and fresh. I’m not usually a fan of raw green and red peppers in this manner but with the cilantro, delicious olive oil, touch of acid (I think it was lime but it could have also been a vinagrette) and the Jackie Chan kick of hot peppers. I pretty much licked the plate (no I didn’t, I have more class but was tempted to). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/aa8bbc9a-9739-4fff-b687-94157fffc006/IMG_6837.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Anyone that knows me understands how much I love soup. And this was a tomato-based seafood soup. I had a taste (or three or four) and wished I could have ordered it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/64acb98a-a8d6-496b-bd68-1a01d3704b35/IMG_7149.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out I’ll be honest… (not that I haven’t been until this point but I mean at the risk of sounding ignorant) I love seeing creativity in plating but when I saw this one initially, I didn’t understand why one side had food and the other didn’t. I first thought it was a mistake but then I wondered if that’s what the chef wanted us to think. Then I tried the grilled octopus and I forgot I asked the question. The potatoes were crispy outside and the perfect “fries” consistency inside. To boot, it had a nice chimichurri sauce. I’ve never had chimichurri on grilled seafood so it was a new experience for me. The microgreens are always fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/25422061-7364-460d-8935-4a4c0b08fccd/IMG_6454.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out This was a really welcomed vegetable soup. It was really chilly that day and this warmed us up. The cracker was served with beef tartare and peppers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/75a94d04-0692-4b61-bafa-9f1d158dd046/IMG_6501.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out These croquettes were really good. The sauce underneath was kind of sweet, the croquettes were crispy on the outside and smooth in the inside. The red pickled onions broke the sweetness of the sauce and richness of the croquette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/04432eda-6095-49d0-9a12-0483c7143b94/IMG_6788.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Burrata with pickled red onions, arugula, pine nuts and something I’ve never seen, chimichurri (I’ve only seen this on steaks but on this trip, I saw it a lot. Same for mojitos. But only in Portugal). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/bd602a66-7b07-4281-9aed-5e865b9f7bc8/IMG_7148.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Croquettes over a thicker garlic sauce. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/caeeb94b-aff0-4825-851a-1b171b34b169/IMG_6506.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out I’m actually not a sweets guy but this dessert was so well done. Banana bread that was moist without being mushy, caramelized bananas, salted cookie crumble (and this was crucial because everything else was so sweet), vanilla ice cream over caramel. It really hit the spot. Not in the picture, I had a porto that was meant to counter the sweetness of the dessert. Porto wine is usually sweet but the one I had balanced this dessert nicely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/bd827c32-9804-4fd5-be91-8a520e151a6e/IMG_7168.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out Croquettes in Madrid https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/d5cffaa3-b83d-4674-a6c1-a5a6d33649d1/IMG_7192.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out I do love me some benies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/699c1e8f-6874-48ee-86f2-59f482c3b692/IMG_6502.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out This one we ordered because it said salmon and potatoes. We didn’t know it was going to be potatoes sticks and that the salmon would be covered in truffle, dill powder, and a crazy hollandaise-looking sauce (it wasn’t) that wasn’t as heavy as we thought it would be. It was actually lighter than it looks and not salty. Sometimes I liked not knowing what I’m ordering in menus. It’s the best. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/d6ddee3a-3ce4-4b37-8022-7a715eb1e374/IMG_7191.JPG Blog - What I ate in Spain and Portugal - Make it stand out I’m not sure where I had my first shakshuka (may have been Chicago) but this one was so good. The eggs were over easy, the cheese gave it a nice acidity and paired well with the ripe tomatoes. I always appreciate the Italian parsley. https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-three-6ncse-pds7n monthly 0.5 2024-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/b1f72702-8bac-4d6b-96be-fc21972d3f5f/IMG_7501.JPG Blog - 40 useful lessons that have served me well in my 40 years My first time in Japan, 2023. https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/chicago-lots-of-water-under-many-bridges monthly 0.5 2024-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/ebb46902-4b25-4b83-a0cb-8b79ac8a22ef/IMG_7832.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out I love a good charcuterie board. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/111e2e0b-7738-4691-8e84-896b9c817239/IMG_7833.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out Chicago is better with loved ones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/b3ced26c-06da-477a-8b36-4fb659a96cb2/IMG_7830.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out This picture made me laugh out loud. Classic Pilsen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/c292fdfa-e272-4f02-b917-c6284b6cbfa8/IMG_7834.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out While it’s crazy to realize how much he and I have grown, it’s always great to see my friend Luis. He was my first friend when I moved to the United States in the mid 90s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/a37eab5b-0f29-4e83-a340-c7688c351127/IMG_7836.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out … and this was their spicy martini. Man it was good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/190ccf02-679b-4c67-9392-fa0a2c9a55b2/IMG_7831.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out This place is called Pilsen Yards and they have a killer steak and eggs with chimichurri. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/a1b0d565-397b-49fc-9c6b-8d236f0efafe/IMG_7835.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out Starbucks Reserve in Chicago is the largest Starbucks in the world and has coffee cocktails. This was a really nice flight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/0acc45d5-b2c4-4d87-8ea8-6dfc8d148823/IMG_7838.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out It will always be the Sears Tower to me and everyone in Chicago. This shot was taken while on the architectural tour. Highly recommended. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/bf9eb638-73b2-4512-9ef8-5e64f9c83b1f/IMG_7837.JPG Blog - Chicago: lots of water under many bridges - Make it stand out View of downtown Chicago from the South Loop at 4:30am while having a great conversation with one of my best friends. https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/sunset-in-portugal monthly 0.5 2024-06-22 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-thought-process-pmtyk monthly 0.5 2024-06-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/100606b1-d7c8-4405-87a9-b2db2c67bc7a/IMG_5946.JPG Blog - Why I chose Squarespace for this blog One of my favorite parts of Miami Beach: the Miami Beach botanical garden. https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/my-first-blog-post monthly 0.5 2024-06-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/e3996647-53f1-4268-b2cf-740b453ffee1/IMG_7522.JPG Blog - My first blog post - Make it stand out A view from Porto, Lisbon. I loved Porto so much. https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-six-rewz8 monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102907904-MTDD13ZQDFISL8D5VVHR/unspecified-16.jpg Blog - Blog Post Six https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-seven-bxtmf monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102907981-0VNZM0P1J0GF4Y7H76HD/01_Pho_265_01.jpg Blog - Blog Post Seven https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-eight-2j4xz monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102907997-3IIVNUJMPQMLA6AMDHGA/Stocksy_txpbd5e6000AVB100_Large_476031.jpg Blog - Blog Post Eight https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-nine-bjmcn-erlcj monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102908015-KKUNN66VJJ8F2WG596MW/CH4_15_FETTUCCINE_CHICKEN_ARTICHOKE_087.jpg Blog - Blog Post Nine https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-ten-hcana-sccaw monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102908030-Z6B1GP4ZL5AF84PZKPG1/1_17_BEA_Brandade_v2-261.jpg Blog - Blog Post Ten https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-eleven-aeafe-h84mn monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102908044-SAOJP04K3F8SIYGQ06MM/59_E_LobsterAmericane_v2-496.jpg Blog - Blog Post Eleven https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-twelve-gdanx-nd87s monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102908060-6X7G1LJWEYAOL79CZNWM/SteakSalad_025-color.jpg Blog - Blog Post Twelve https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-thirteen-k5rkm-akwcy monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102908073-E7JYLZCLYANO0D478BBL/CH3_01_ROAST_BEEF_412.jpg Blog - Blog Post Thirteen https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/blog-post-fourteen-2trgw-7yek4 monthly 0.5 2022-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/624b503ae4141c3b6c49a290/1649102908087-I5QG35CTTVA7NNJEKZ6B/Juice_RockNRolla.jpg Blog - Blog Post Fourteen https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/category/Food+%26+Drinks monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/category/Design monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/category/Travel monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/category/Life monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/tag/Porto monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/tag/Japan monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/tag/Madrid monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/tag/Portugal monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/blog/tag/Spain monthly 0.5 https://www.rafmanship.com/about daily 0.75 2024-06-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66709729468591590f034c6a/aab04757-1559-4909-b6f1-f525288fd89f/IMG_7452.JPG https://www.rafmanship.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-06-17