Absquatulate

It's Fate, Baby.

So Sunday was shaping up to be a nice ending to a very nice weekend. On the one hand I was bummed because it seemed like New Zealand may not be in the cards for me after all, at least not for working as a CFY because the pay is not so great and I have $20k+ in loans to pay back to the U.S. Government. Bummer. No matter, I'll just have to take a holiday sometime in the future to get down to NZ, or maybe think about doctoral work down there. So I'm settling into March of the Penguins to revel in the mating and chick rearing habits of the Emperor penguins and I check my email. To my delight I find out that an abstract submitted by a professor I've done some work with to the SSSR for review has been accepted for their international conference in July.

In Prague.

Can you say Travel Grant?

pushmepullyou design art prints - abstract kiwi

Link: pushmepullyou design art prints - abstract kiwi.

Watching too many cooking shows

A byproduct of having time to myself these days is that I've gorged myself on television. A whole year without one and I felt that I missed little. This year, with one *and* basic cable, I now go through phases of obsession. First it was Project Runway, then Top Model, now Top Chef, which I enjoyed the first season and was excited to see the second season.

Well the excitement waned over the episodes as Padma slurred her way through one dish after another and the contestants got increasingly petty. But the final nail in the coffin so to speak was not when Cliff was booted for manhandling Marcel but when I caught the end of the next to last episode last week and saw that Elia and Sam were sent home. Yeah, I think Eliah should have gone home because from what I saw and what the judges said; sure, she didn't quite rise to the challenge. But to balk at the fact that Sam made a dish with all raw ingredients and then was penalized for "not cooking" in a "cooking competition" is just dumb. Colliccicillioio complained that Sam didn't cook his dish and that "this is a cooking competition!" Bullshit I call! One can put together a gorgeous salad, or a delicious tuna ceviche, or whatever, and still be called a chef. Hell, even one of the quickfire challenges was a NO COOKING CHALLENGE. Come on people

So with that one comment the whole show lost me (much like the judges on Project Runway chastising Laura for being too much like herself. Give me a break.) To send a talented chef home because he didn't cook a dish but instead used raw ingredients in a dish that everyone loved is just plain crap. I agree with online commenters that the judges and producers didn't want another NYC white male chef to win like in the first season, so let's get rid of him and leave it to the two that hate each other the most. THAT will make for great TV, regardless of the food or skill. Bah.

Anyway, aside from abandoning Top Chef the week before the finale (way to go guys!) I primarily watched it to get some ideas for future cooking. And it came in handy when Catherine mentioned a gathering at her place before the start of the semester. She was making a chicken-lime soup she had during holiday in Mexico and I agreed to bring something to go along with it.

I figured a nice little munchy thing to eat with a glass of wine while we finished the soup would be just the ticket. I floated over to Leite's Culinaria and found a great recipe for Spiced Pork Meatballs with Guacamole and thought it the perfect start! I used turkey instead of pork to keep it light, and halved the recipe since I was only serving three people at most. But to finish it out I bought some round tortilla chips, put some guacamole on the chip, a hot meatball on top of that, then topped with with a little dollop of sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro to make a nice little appetizer. I borrowed this idea from Ilan's meatball on crostini during the restaurant challenge on Top Chef and fit it to the Mexican theme for the night. I loved the idea of a little meaty, crispy, savory thing to pop into your mouth while waiting for the soup. The idea worked, and it was a big hit according to everyone who had them (all three of us :).

Unfortunately, they were all eaten before I could take a picture. I would draw you one but I have a cold and now I'm going to bed. May you dream of meatball topped tortilla chips, because man, that's a good dream to have.

Sometimes You Just Need a Shot to the Head in de_dust

So today was my last day at my practicum at the preschool. I am already stressed by school next week and I wasn't feeling well and was in an overall blah mood. Even though it was sunny and even though I got one of the warmest send-offs a student could hope for. But it was a downer to know that this was the end of this placement and that the end of my three year educational trip is just about done. Somehow that whole idea freaked me out; what I've worked so hard for is just within reach and something that seemed like such a pipe dream all of a sudden is HERE, like, HI, I'm you're future moving in, mind if I rifle through the fridge, because you and me? We're in it for the long haul. (provided I pass my boards.)

So with a blue heart I fiddled around online for a bit, feeling all morose that little kids won't be wiping boggers on me and I got a random ping from James T. on chat and it completely brightened my day. Just carousing about Counter Strike (and why I can't play right now [no machine that runs it]), talking about a recent ski trip, and the other randoms of life. It was a nice change. And he's convinced me to get online next week and be target practice for the gang. Thanks James T.! See you next week, Remo.

Luv, Bif

A second life for candy canes... - the mind of mags

Mags has a good idea for leftover candy canes.  I think I'll add some dark chocolate chunks too!

Link: A second life for candy canes... from the mind of mags.

chez pim: Pad Thai for beginners

Pim has made me crave pad thai like nobody's business.  I think I'll head to the store in search of tamarind paste: chez pim: Pad Thai for beginners.

rockStarDanimal

rockStarDanimal
Originally uploaded by absquatulate.

The Danimal was in the rock n' roll spirit on the gathering weekend and made his entrance stylishly.

Geek, Dork, or Nerd?

How do you classify my excitement upon finding a special on PBS about Abigail and John Adams? Geek, dork or nerd?

In addition, if you haven't read David McCullough's excellent book John Adams you should pick it up. It's a fairly quick read (by McCullough standards) and a delightful insight into this high-powered relationship.

This Unique Museum

This Unique Museum
Originally uploaded by Hog.

Hog, again.

A Wii bit goes a long way.

Some guy decided to play the Wii and track his weight, BMI, heart rate and other such stats to see if playing the Wii could impact your health. The answer is yes, the Wii can help you get in shape!

First time for everything!

My sister and her husband, upon deeming my original birthday wish list "too boring" (what, a duvet cover is boring?? :) bequeathed to me a brand-spanking new Cuisinart ice cream maker. It sat in my tiny apartment on the floor for the last two months, languishing as I slaved over finals and holiday festivities. Finally, with a container of yogurt in the fridge and a bottle of Mexican vanilla that doesn't get nearly enough use I decided to break it in.

The first trick was getting the freezer bowl to freeze properly. It turns out I had my fridge/freezer turned up too high, that is, it was too warm despite the fact that ice cubes and everything in the freezer was frozen rock solid. Okay fine, here's hoping the greens in the back of the fridge don't freeze (they did. *Sigh*) Once it was frozen solid I spent about an hour putting together the base for vanilla frozen yogurt from Mark Bittman's seminal work, How to Cook Everything. Whisking, cooking, straining, cooling, who knew making iced yogurt was so much work? Unfortunately when I was cooking the egg yolk/milk/sugar mixture a few bubbles came up and I think that caused the mixture to get way thicker than it should have even though it took a long time to get to 180DegreesF. After straining, which took forever, there was about 0.25c of... well, sort of like curdled custard left over that wasn't going through the sieve. I added a little amaretto and put it ina ramekin and chilled it and enjoyed an impromptu custard, but I can't help but think that sugar should have made it into the ice cream mixture. I guess I'll find out.

The recipe called for two teaspoons of vanilla but I added a wee bit of almond extract because I'm a sucker for almond and thought it would be a nice sweet/tangy combination with the yogurt. Well it finally came time, about four hours later, to pour the stuff into the ice cream maker and get that sucker started.

I can't wait to see what happens in about 20 minutes, but in the meantime I may go deaf from the volume of this thing. I can't complain; how many people can make their own ice cream? And it was a very generous gift from my sister and brother-in-law but in my little apartment there's really no escaping the noise. However I bet once I taste this vanilla-almond frozen yogurt I'll forget the noise and settle into sweet delight.

More updates and photos as things progress!

Update: Well time flies when you're doing dishes. The frozen yogurt has been released from its icy tomb, packed and is 'ripening' in the freezer as we speak. First taste was tangy, but the more I ate from the churning arm (hehe, I couldn't resist) the fuller the flavor became. The almond isn't as pronounced as I would have liked, and neither is the vanilla, but that may be due to the fact that the yogurt I used was rather tangy and some of that sugar ended up in my little custard. No matter, it's still pretty damned good and we'll see how it sets up after a few hours in the freezer.

Come on Pats!

Here we go kids! Let's go Pats, lets make it four championships this decade!

Update: Oh my freaking god. Could a game go any closer than that really? What a game, thank goodness the Pats turned up the intensity in this last quarter. Sweet Moses.

The insidious influence of preschoolers.

fiveYearOldLunch
Originally uploaded by absquatulate.

To make up for this sorry excuse of a lunch from yesterday I'll be making my own chicken stock today.

Sheesh.

Finally! No Frizz! (mostly)

goodHairDay
Originally uploaded by absquatulate.

Years of searching, hours of fussing, and chemistry experiment gone awry have finally led to finding that one miracle cream that makes my hair not poof out like a mushroom, not take 45 minutes to see results, not cost $30 and still leave my hair brittle, and not promise miracles and deliver none.

Sunsilk Anti-Poof cream, you are my hero! (As is Suave curling mousse. Credit given where due!)

The Civil War

I've started re-watching the Civil War by Ken Burns now that it is semester break and staying in on a Saturday night to watch a historical documentary was all I could think to do. I watched it with my mother when it first aired during a hot summer's week at the tail end of my middle school Abe Lincoln obsession. And to this day the first episode nearly brings me to tears at least thrice: once during the opening sequence, once at the very end when Sullivan Ballou's love letter to his wife is read and when David McCullough informs the viewer that he was killed one week later at the battle of Bull Run, and once when we first see Abe Lincoln all clean shaven and a newly elected Senator at the tender age of 24. This is a series that should be required watching for all American citizens and it inspires me to pay more attention to my prose (current web post nonwithstanding of course :).

Just Do It

I've had a surplus of butternut squash over the last few months and I was starting to get tired of the usual winter squash bisque. Taking a cue from the caterer for my sister's wedding and wanting to use some winter vegetables before they turned, a pot of carrots, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, and butternut squash morphed into something different when I decided to add curry powder to the simmering veggies. A bizz with the stick blender, a taste, some seasoning, and dang, I had something.

But it was ... good, but not eyepopping WOW. It needed something else, a little undertone to bolster the punch of the curry and the sweetness of the butternut squash. Thyme? Rosemary? Allspice? No No No. What then? A can of lite coconut milk called my name from the cabinet and in it went (I figured the 250 calories added by the coconut milk distributed through 6 quarts of soup was an acceptable increase :^) and YES that is what it needed.

If you'd like the recipe email me, otherwise, be warned that Trader Joe's cans of coconut milk are dangerous to knuckles.

How not to earn my business

Dear Hotwired: Don't promise me a fare of $174 three times in a row for three different flight dates and then when I click "more info" on each of them immediately change the fares to $248. It makes me distrust you. I'm off to find a site that doesn't play bait and switch.