We hosted another Super Bowl party at Casa Sammamish this weekend. It was a smaller group than usual, but we still made a boatload of food. In honor of the teams, we made Boston-style baked beans and Philadelphia cheese steaks. We also made our time-honored Miami-style chicken wings. Our friends brought chips, salsa, salad, wine, beer, cider, and brownies. In addition to eating and drinking, we actually watched the game.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/02/04/another-super-bowl-party/
Feb 03
Mid-Winter on the Sammamish
You would think that the rain and cool weather would keep folks off the river. You would think wrong. Despite the area reverting to rainforest, someone’s always on the river. This morning I saw two stand-up paddle boarders and a kayak in a short time. There’s a rowing school that routinely has students paddling up and down the river in all weather. Folks up here know they won’t dissolve in the rain. However, they may take on a greenish cast from the moss…
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/02/03/mid-winter-on-the-sammamish/
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/30/informed-consent-for-potluck-offerings/
Jan 28
Cell Phone Sabbaths
As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, 24/7 access is overrated. I usually leave my cell phone at home on the weekends. I don’t need it. It also means it won’t ring at inopportune times, like during the silent prayer/meditation time at church. Not that I’d actually get a call, since I’m picky about who receives my cell number, I just don’t like the idea of being interrupted. Remember the 13th or so commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, and leave your cell phone at home.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/28/cell-phone-sabbaths/
Jan 22
Rest in Peace, Rosie
The New York Times is reporting that the woman who was the model for the iconic World War II Rosie the Riveter poster has died in Longview, Washington at the age of 96. Her name was Naomi Parker Fraley. Click on her name to read the obituary, and the controversy over her identity.
The Rosie the Riveter poster begat many spinoffs over the years. My triathlon team, the mighty Team UUC, had t-shirts with a riff on Rosie with the motto, “If we tri we can do it”. I came home with a Rosie the Riveter action figure as my white elephant gift on Christmas Eve. It holds a place of pride in my cube. Archie McPhee, the quintessential white elephant gift store in Seattle, has several Rosie-related items.
Rest in peace, Ms. Fraley, and thank you for your service.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/22/rest-in-peace-rosie/
Jan 21
Moss Never Sleeps, 2018 Edition
The weather geeks have said that the last four years have been the rainiest on record hereabouts. As I’m typing, it’s raining again. All of this rain has had predictable results. The trees on the other side of the river from our condo are a brilliant green. They haven’t leafed out yet, it’s the moss. This morning I took another picture of a tree in front of our unit. Compare and contrast.
2017 moss accumulation.
Same tree, 2018.
I strongly suggest moving quickly around here, lest moss start growing on you.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/21/moss-never-sleeps-2018-edition/
Jan 21
France in Mourning Again
French icons seem to be dying of late. Last month it was Johnny Hallyday and a member of L’Académie Française. This month it was chef Paul Bocuse, the Lion of Lyon. Bocuse was named Chef of the 20th Century. He looked suspiciously like the chef in the Disney cartoon “Ratatouille“. (Coincidence? C’est possible.) This New York Times obituary gives his warts and all biography. In 2015 we went to one of his restaurants in Lyon, Le Sud. It was good, but not transcendent. In 2016 we went to his Les Halles in Lyon. Most of the stores were closed. Although we didn’t have the best experiences, there’s no denying his influence on French cuisine. Restez en paix, Monsieur Bocuse.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/21/france-in-mourning-again/
Jan 15
Baking Frenzy
Periodically I have a weekend when all I have to do is bake. Normally these baking frenzies occur around Christmas; however, we didn’t get back from vacation until December 20th. So there was pent-up demand to fling some flour around.
Two occasions precipitated this weekend’s frenzy. Last week our friend BG gifted me with some of his sourdough starter. On Sunday we got together with the crew to welcome BG’s beloved back in town for a visit. It was also Julian’s birthday. Julian had requested chocolate or pecans, but not in the same dessert. So the frenzy broke down as follows:
Saturday: Sourdough whole wheat bread and pancakes. The bread came out of Bernard Clayton, Jr.’s New Complete Book of Breads. For some reason, these loaves didn’t rise very high. The pancakes came out of the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. They were nice and fluffy, but they burned on the outside before they were done inside. I should have thinned out the batter with a little milk.
Sunday: This day of baking was a bit more successful. I made the buttermilk cocoa cake out of Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking. The second was a Huguenot torte from The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. This was an eggy batter that contained diced apple and pecans. Both of these recipes were quite easy. Both recipes were complementary in that the cake contained no eggs, while the torte contained no dairy. Both desserts were inhaled at the Sunday night soirée. One person was chipping away the dregs of the Huguenot torte off the sides of the pan. Both of these recipes will be made again.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/15/baking-frenzy/
Jan 13
You Can Take the Scientist Out of the Lab…
But you can’t take the lab out of the scientist. Although I haven’t worked in a lab for over 15 years, I still use my scientific chops in the kitchen when I cook or bake.
- Do the background research. Back in the day, I’d pull research articles and evaluate the methods and results. Now I hunt and evaluate recipes for feasibility.
- Formulate the null and alternate hypotheses. Primary null hypothesis: This recipe won’t work. Primary alternate hypothesis: This recipe will work. Secondary null hypothesis: Julian will be unimpressed.
- Follow the protocol – I mean recipe. Take note of any deviations or substitutions (known here as gemisches).
- Analyze the data, i.e., taste the results. Did we reject both null hypotheses?
- If the null hypotheses stand, discard the recipe or see what can be changed to improve it. If we reject the null hypotheses, replicate the recipe.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/13/you-can-take-the-scientist-out-of-the-lab/
Jan 13
24/7 Access is Overrated, Part Two
[This is a sequel to one of my early posts.]
When you work in a cube farm, privacy is at a premium. You may not want your coworkers to know that you’re scheduling a biopsy, having an argument with your teenager, or setting up an interview for a new job. But using your cell phone in a multi-stall restroom is an unwise choice, even if you’re expecting an important call. Consider the following reasons:
- Privacy. The average office or factory restroom is the LEAST private place at work. For example, the ladies’ room on my floor has three stalls for at least 50 women.
- Ambient sound. It doesn’t sound very professional if you’re scheduling a job interview and the hiring manager can hear toilets or urinals flushing in the background.
- Forgetfulness. The restroom is a common place to leave a phone.
- The EEEUWW factor. All that hand hygiene indoctrination goes for naught when you set your phone down in a restroom. Or, heaven forbid, you drop the phone.
Do yourself and others a favor, and leave your cell phone at the cube. You can always call or text later.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/01/13/24-7-access-is-overrated-part-two/
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