Crossposted at Dailykos.com The Doctor has taken me in his fine Machine, the TARDIS, to the date of 03 November, 2008 (your Calendar is different from mine by a few Weeks). The Things that I see are of great Remark. My most heart-held Desires have been fulfilled. This Doctor has quite a Machine, but that [...]
Crossposted at Dailykos.com This time we will talk a little more history, then about the alloys used in coins, past and present. Last time we discussed the problem with using both gold and silver for coins, and numerous attempts were taken to address that.
Continue reading about A Primer on United States Coins, Part 2
Crossposted at Dailykos.com Next Sunday, Pique the Geek goes back to a more science and technology oriented format. However, there seemed to be a decent amount of interest in coins, so I will write occasional pieces on that topic. We will begin by discussing how coins were and are made, and the locations where they [...]
Continue reading about A Primer on United States Coins, Part 1.5
Growing up in a hotel atmosphere had its pluses and minuses. On the plus side I got to meet some of the craziest people working in the hospitality industry (believe me, you have to be some sort of a nut to work in a seasonal hotel as both work and play are just as intense). [...]
I like both, since they are the same. We use aubergine/eggplant in Provencal cooking till the cows come home! In Greece there’s the Moussaka, a hearty dish of baked eggplant & lamb. Throughout the Middle Eat eggplant is revered and eaten in many clever ways. At home, quite often I’d bake eggplants & bell peppers [...]
There’s not much better than steamed asparagus served with a piping hot Hollandaise. As a young lad, I used to know where wild asparagus grew in the nearby woods. Needless to say that my great grandmother and I gathered quite a few for our dinner, simply steamed and served with melted butter with a dash [...]
As a kid I used to take long walks with my great grandmother into the surrounding woods which were covered with wild thyme and sariette (a close cousin). I can still remember the scented hills, particularly in the spring, when gazillions of tiny thyme flowers would envelop our neck of the woods with their sweet [...]
Apart from bringing a subtle taste to any stews or soups, the leek is quite an achiever, with a more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions. Leeks are related to onions, shallots and scallions to which they bear some resemblance. They look like large scallions having a very small bulb and a long white cylindrical [...]
Those of you who have paid close attention to my recipes would have noticed that I almost always use red onions. I like yellow onions as well and I particularly love the ones we call shallots. They’re somewhat sweet, and when minced finely, you can add a little balsamic vinegar and use it to spoon [...]
How can anyone dislike the sweet pleasure of the unique and refreshing flavor of cilantro? If I had to guess, I’d say no, but it has been said the world is divided into two groups: those who loathe this herb and those who love it. Personally, I fall into the latter category and l go [...]