PolitiCook.net

Pique the Geek: Cooking Utensil Chemistry I, 16 November 2008

Crossposted at Dailykos.com

Early edition for Politicook readers!

This topic is the result of several comments in last night’s What’s for Dinner. I was originally going to talk about egg chemistry, but just could not get excited over it.

Cooking utensils, for the purpose of this discussion, include pots, pans, skillets, and the like. I want to focus on those utensils because they are in contact with food longer than plates, cutlery, and the other items that have only short contact times with food. Storage utensils are included, because they are often in contact with food for extremely long periods of time.

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Biscuit Sticks

This recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I think the addition of grated cheese or herbs or sauteed sausage or sweeten them up with a little maple syrup or jam in the mixture before cooking would be really good. See if you can find a cast iron pan like this. They are really nice for cornbread and biscuits!

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Street Art Lounge

Downtown Albuquerque, near the Kimo Theater.

Home Maintenance Live-Blogging

7:31 am: I am certain today is the day I will get the hallway painted. I race to the kitchen for more coffee to steel my resolve.

7:32 am: The dogs are so alarmed by this sudden activity that they start rioting on the sofa.

7:49 am: I spend 10 minutes looking for my glasses before discovering them on top of my head.

8:11 am: I reconsider racing to get more coffee after reading a virtual tome of doom and declarations of special gifts and decoded conspiracy theories by someone who appears to be a manic-depressive, such tome posted on a blog which shall remain unnamed to protect the innocent although the blog’s initials do contain the letters M and L and W and, no, the manic is not who you might think it is.

8:13 am: I remember I am supposed to be painting the hallway.

8:22 am: I decide on breakfast: three tiny Aracauna eggs from  chickens I’ve been formally introduced to, but am not close to, lightly scrambled in olive oil and cumin, and served with slices of perfectly ripe avocado.

What’s for Dinner 15 November 2008: All about Crêpes

Crossposted at Dailykos.com

Crêpes have a mystique about them, sounding all French and sexy and stuff. Since it is French cooking, it must be complex and difficult, and only for those snooty people that go to expensive French restaurants, not for us mere mortals. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Crêpes are easy to make, and are an outstanding shell for almost anything, hot or cold, sweet or savory. A lot of folks think that they are sort of a pancake, but they are very different. The only resemblance to me is that they are flat and have flour in them.

To me, they are more like a custard. They are rich in eggs, and have a flavor that blends with almost anything. I will give the best recipe that I have found for the crêpes themselves, than a couple of my favorite fillings and toppings.

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Missing Summer Lounge

Home Maintenance Live-Blogging

7:11 am: Having armed myself with two large cups of coffee, an episode of Dream House and an episode of Sweat Equity, I’m ready to tackle the world. The plan today: paint the hallway; eliminate all mildew on the driveway; find leather slipcovers for the divan.

7:14 am: In anticipation of an exciting and productive day of home maintenance projects, I race to the kitchen, grab some Greek yogurt and mix in olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, a touch of cumin, a bit more dill and the least amount of salt possible.

7:25 am: I suddenly remember one of my projects is investigating whether I can purchase small room dehumidifiers to make up for the pitiful absence of fans in my bathrooms. It is crucial — crucial! — I battle mold and mildew!

9:46 am: Having survived one bout of nausea, one episode of Don’t Sweat It (which demonstrated how to restore the majesty of a Craftsman home) and 214 customer reviews of a dehumidifier, I am prepared to rush outside into the cold and grab the bottle of Clorox from the trunk. I put on my hoody, socks and tennis shoes, and jump back into bed under the covers.

9:30 pm: Panic! I want grits for lunch, but I’m out of milk to cook them!

A Half-Century of Mrs. Translator

Crossposted at Dailykos.com

Yes, indeed, today is Mrs. Translator’s birthday. And how did she spend it? (By the way, she had a day off from work today). She goes out with Eldest Son in the cypress swamps of central Arkansas to work with him in his alligator research.

Yes, on her birthday she put on chest waders and took to the boat to explore a swamp. But that is just like her. Whilst she is very feminine, she is also quite the tomboy. Since she is a biologist (and a herpetologist), hunting for alligators is the perfect way for her to celebrate her birthday.

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Sacred Thunderbird Lounge

Post Office window, Los Alamos, NM

My Bands

Crossposted at Dailykos.com

This is my response to the diary posted by Kossack frankzappatista last night (this morning?). It is completely subjective, and just my preferences.

Anyone is welcome to add their two cents worth, but it is unlikely that you will change my mind. But that is not the point.

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