Recent Posts

Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser – June 4-6, 2023

Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser – June 4-6, 2023

Wendy & I just got back from an astounding trip aboard the Chandrilla Star Line’s Galactic Starcruiser “Halcyon” at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. We cruised June 4-6, 2023. It was an entirely amazing experience throughout! We’ll post much more soon, including…

Jean-Robert de Cavel – RIP, 2022-12-23

Jean-Robert de Cavel – RIP, 2022-12-23

Jean-Robert de Cavel, the Chef for whom I worked for over 14 years, passed away on December 23, 2022. He was 61 years old. I worked with him at an event on November 19, 2022. This was the last time I saw him. Fortunately, the…

Wendy’s Birthday Weekend, 2022-09-17

Wendy’s Birthday Weekend, 2022-09-17

What a busy week/weekend for the Vogel household, especially for me (see below), but we made sure Wendy was busy and had a great time on her birthday weekend.

On Monday, September 12, 2022, I started a new job that I am absolutely loving so far. I haven’t been this enthusiastic about and engaged with a new job in some time. It’s refreshing!

On Friday, September 16, 2022, I prepped for a party (to be held Saturday) and made it to a pre-ride rooftop event (at The Phelps) to enjoy the amazing view, wonderful weather, food & beverages, and live music.

On Saturday, September 17, 2022, we celebrated Wendy’s birthday by riding bicycles in the RIDE CINCINNATI FOR CANCER RESEARCH ride. I completed 16.25 miles in 1:05:32, 14.9 mph. HR zones: Hard (141-157): 29% (19:19); Cardio (125-140): 66% (43:15); Fat Burn (108-124): 4% (2:36); Easy (0-107): 1% (0:21).

Wendy was the Honorary Starter for our group, the Survivor Spotlight for our team, and got a couple nice shout-outs from the DJ announcing the event (thanks Jonjon!) for her birthday. Want to donate? You still can (until end of October, 2022!) at this link: https://ridecincinnati.org/rider/654

Chris Beiting, Andrew, Wendy

After the ride, I went to Baker-Hunt Art and Cultural Center (https://www.bakerhunt.org) to cook for their annual fundraising event called TWILIGHT IN THE GARDEN. It was a friendly “Top Chef” style competition between the 6 chefs attending, and my dish, Shrimp Banh Mi, was voted best by the guests! Wendy was pleasantly surprised when Summer & Kara showed up with boozy cupcakes to celebrate her birthday.

The beautiful grounds of Baker Hunt
Helping with a colleague’s dessert
Fantastic volunteers and guests
Alex & Cora (foreground) walking away from my booth
Beautiful, boozy birthday cupcakes from Summer!

Sunday was a day of rest! Well-earned for both of us, I think.

It was a great weekend. Happy birthday, Wendy!

Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe – RIP, 2019-03-14

Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe – RIP, 2019-03-14

Yesterday, I learned of the passing of Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe (on March 14, 2019). I didn’t know that he’d passed. He was the youngest of the original Iron Chefs. Kobe was considered “Iron Chef Italian” and the “Prince of Pasta”, even though he lost…

Dinner for Dear Friends

Dinner for Dear Friends

On Saturday 2022-04-09, Wendy & I hosted a dinner for some dear friends we haven’t spent enough time with in too long. Wendy set a beautiful table while I prepped and executed the food. It was a good chance to ‘stretch my culinary legs‘ a…

Unfathomable at Game Night

Unfathomable at Game Night

At game night last night (with Wendy, Grant, and Wes), we played UNFATHOMABLE by Fantasy Flight Games.

From the developer’s website:

The year is 1913. The steamship SS Atlantica is two days out from port on its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Its unsuspecting passengers fully anticipated a calm journey to Boston, Massachusetts, with nothing out of the ordinary to look forward to. However, strange nightmares plague the minds of the people aboard the ship every night; rumors circulate of dark shapes following closely behind the ship just beneath the waves; and tensions rise when a body is discovered in the ship’s chapel, signs of a strange ritual littered around the corpse. This voyage began like any other, but now it seems that the Atlantica may never reach its destination.

Immerse yourself among the passengers and crew of the SS Atlantica in this game of hidden loyalties, intrigue, and paranoia for three to six players. Some players are humans who are fighting for the survival of the ship, while others are traitors sent aboard the ship by mysterious beings to ensure that it never reaches port! Because player loyalties are hidden, determining who is friend and who is foe is critical to winning a thrilling game of Unfathomable.

English edition

We had a good time playing this game. It seems daunting at first, but once you’ve worked through the rulebook and played a turn or two, it flows nicely.

The humans didn’t win… Wendy was a “Hybrid” and caused the ship to run out of fuel, thereby winning the game.

Wendy’s 50th Birthday Dinner

Wendy’s 50th Birthday Dinner

Wendy had a significant <ahem> birthday on September 17, 2021. We celebrated on September 19 with 8 folks (Wendy, Beth, Summer, DJ, Alex, Jay, Greg, and me) at our house. The menu is included here and some pictures of the food! As a welcome, we…