Sun, Nov 29th, 2009 -- 06:21 pm

REMEMBERED ONE!

So, R went to his 10 year high school reunion on Friday night. He kind of had to, since as the class president he organised it. I missed mine, which is just as well since I've no real desire to return to high school. He said it was fine, a little weird, and that someone had assembled a photo montage...

R: There were a lot of pictures of me.
Sam: Were you the prom king? You were totally the prom king.
R: Yeah, I was.
Sam: Class president, star football player, prom king...god, you were the guy I hated in high school.
R: And don't think I wasn't very conscious of that. I thought about wearing a hat.
Sam: To protect yourself from thrown things?
R: To hide how bald I am.

Poor lad. He's very sensitive about how much more forehead he has now.

Also, I am watching the new Doctor Who animated cartoon, "Dreamland", and I have to say I'm enjoying it way more than I have the last few live action episodes in the franchise. I'd feel guilty about this, but frankly it's nice not to be clenching in anticipation of someone's horrible death.

Sun, Nov 29th, 2009 -- 01:05 pm

I went over to R's yesterday afternoon, to hang out and watch the Notre Dame-Stanford game and eat lots of takeaway. We had a good time, but if there were any especially quotable moments I've forgotten them. We also watched a film called Kandahar, about an Afghani journalist returning to Afghanistan after years of absence to try and find her sister, who sent her a letter saying she would kill herself during the next solar eclipse. The journalist has three days to get from the Iranian border to Kandahar to save her sister, traveling incognito under a burka.

R fell asleep about halfway through and I finally gave up when the significant pauses between characters and the incredibly repetitive dialogue got to be too much for me. He texted me this morning to ask if I survived it and I told him no. Apparently you never get to see if the journalist makes it to Kandahar to save her sister. On the one hand I get it: the journey, the experience of Afghanistan under the Taliban, is the important message. On the other hand, seriously, that was a really boring film with no apparent climax or denoument. I'm positive there are better ways to document the cultural wealth and material poverty of Afghanistan.

ANYWAY. This post is just to say that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.

I will admit that the peanut-butter-and-apple pie tastes better the day after it was cooked; apparently it really needs to be served cold.

I have to go back to work tomorrow. I like my job and all, but I really like staying in and watching movies while eating mediocre pie, too.

Fri, Nov 27th, 2009 -- 02:45 pm

Does this pie look...angry to anyone else?

I fear it.

Fri, Nov 27th, 2009 -- 12:39 pm

I woke up today with a Thangover, which is what happens when you wake up the day after Thanksgiving and come face to face with all the turkey in your fridge. :D But I made bacon and biscuits for breakfast, so that was nice.

Oddly, I really wanted to take today "off", to sit around and do whatever I wanted, but I have been adhering to The To Do List for so long now that I get antsy if I'm not doing something from it. There are things on it that I could be doing, but none of them are urgent or things I really want to do. So I've spent the morning watching movies and playing video games, but I'm a bit tired of that now. I tried writing, but everything looks awkward and stilted, so I gave that a miss.

What I'd actually really like to be doing, weirdly, is typesetting work on two new projects I've been working on in my spare time. But I don't have Word at home, and typesetting in OpenOffice is supremely pointless.

I used to be much better at idleness than I am now.

Thu, Nov 26th, 2009 -- 05:06 pm

New season of QI starts tonight! Stephen Fry's looking fit, isn't he? Well done him.

I didn't make pie today, the turkey kind of wore me down, but I was a CLEVER LAD and bought a pint of ice cream when I last bought groceries, then HID IT behind something in the freezer. And just rediscovered it, so. QUITE INTERESTING AND ICE CREAM.

And then I will sleep forever.

Thu, Nov 26th, 2009 -- 02:30 pm

THAT



WAS AMAZING.

OH YES IT WAS.



You can see a couple of things -- one, NOTHING ON THE PLATE IS TOUCHING. Mock me not, I was a picky child.

Two, the herb rub is a little visible on the done turkey and definitely visible on the plated turkey. It's delicious -- like a light relish. It does make the skin more moist, though, so you don't get that lovely crackly skin.

Three, the fried stuffing was awesome -- I definitely recommend adding walnuts -- but I need a fryer basket, as one of those is visibly mangled. Still ate well.

Thee A, well, there's no sauce for the turkey. I didn't think to make gravy and if it had come out dry I would have just put a bit of bbq sauce on it, but it was so moist it totally didn't need any. It just about fell apart in my fingers, very much like properly smoked turkey will. I didn't even bother with cutlery. Because FOOD GOOD.

On the other hand, I cooked an eight pound bird and now have seven and a half pounds remaining. I've stripped off what I could -- I'm waiting for it to cool before stripping the rest -- but seriously I'm going to be eating turkey for the rest of my life.

Or until R gets back on Sunday.

I DECLARE MYSELF KING OF THANKSGIVING.

Thu, Nov 26th, 2009 -- 12:14 pm

The turkey is in the oven!

I have thoroughly violated it. I washed it in cold water, rubbed herb paste under its skin, shoved apples and onions up its arse, laid it out on a rack, and oiled it all over before pushing a probe thermometer into its breast.



This is either going to be awesome or totally inedible. If the latter, well, it was art while it lasted, and I have the delivery number of an open-on-Thanksgiving sushi place.

( Aromatics and Herb Rub )

Thu, Nov 26th, 2009 -- 10:51 am

I had potato oyaki for breakfast! Which...I did not photograph, first my hands were starchy and then I was too busy eating them. It's a bit like eating a hand-held shepherd's pie.

I got the original recipe here, but I rewrote it slightly as I do most of my recipes and I want it archived here anyway.

( Potato Oyaki )

Thu, Nov 26th, 2009 -- 08:54 am

On this day, citizens of the United States gather to give thanks for turkey, for the Blues, for the sanity to stay home on Black Friday, and for our foreign neighbours, who peer curiously and a little indulgently at us from across the borders. Today I'm making Tarte aux pommes et beurre de cacahuète à la Chicago, though I'm only calling it that to tease la_rainette, who objected strongly to French and Peanut Butter ever mixing. :D

I am still thankful, but I am also thankful for a job I like, a boss I like who likes me, my beloved Bigger On The Inside flat, a gas cooking range, an electric blanket that works, public transit, my family, my family being several states away, and this FIVE DAY WEEKEND OH YEAH.

In the way of attempting to cause a Thanksgiving Miracle: violetisblue contacted me yesterday (sorry this post is late, Violet!) about adopting an ITTY BITTY TORTIE KITTY. I'm not financially in the position to adopt a cat right now, plus R's allergic, so I thought I'd put out a call on the cafe.

Is there anyone in the Chicago or Northern Indiana area who is looking for a cat? She's two years old, spayed, feline leukemia negative, all her shots, no behavioural problems. Her foster mum says the shelters in their area are full and she can't keep her because her own cat has problems; she's willing to deliver her to someone who's reasonably local to the area. If you're interested, get in touch with her at violetaugustine at gmail.com. Suggestions for no-kill shelters that will take cats from across county lines are also appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Wed, Nov 25th, 2009 -- 09:48 pm

It's remarkably hard to mash potatoes without a potato masher. I keep flashing back to the Potato Ricer scene in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "How can you not have a potato ricer? What IS a potato ricer?" "We will just use a fork, like the pilgrims did."

Anyway, the turkey is brining (the brine is very green. I worry this is going to be a repeat of the curry-marinated Neon Chicken incident) and the stuffing is chilling in balls, waiting to be fried on the morrow. The oyaki dough is cooling in a tupperware on the counter. R is safely off to play Blues all night and then drive home for Thanksgiving at 3 in the morning. I have Hot Fuzz and To Catch A Thief and The Thomas Crown Affair (the original AND the remake) on DVD.

LET THE GIVING OF THANKS AND VIEWING OF COPS AND ROBBERS FLICKS BE FORETOLD.

As florahart reminded me, of the many things I am thankful for this year, health insurance is very near the top of the list. If I could, I would put you all on my plan.

Wed, Nov 25th, 2009 -- 08:46 pm

R came over tonight. It was a very literary night!

R: So, I'm doing gigs with [That girl who once bought us hamburgers] in Boys Town like, last week and two weeks in December.
Sam: Are you becoming a star?
R: Yesterday I was walking down Belmont and two guys stopped me and said they loved seeing me play.
Sam: You're the toast of the gayborhood.
R: You know who loves me? Gay guys and bluesmen.
Sam: Catchy title for a book.

[one pizza later]

R: If I had five hundred dollars I would throw a HUGE party. We'd have a DJ. And gumbo. I'd get a soupiere to come in.
Sam: A soupiere?
R: Like a soup chef.
Sam: Seriously?
R: It's gumbo, man. I have to take it seriously.
Sam: With soupieres.
R: Yeah. For bisques and such. Hey, that's a catchy title. You gotta write a book called Bisques And Such.

So apparently I'm writing a book called Bisques And Such.

I suspect lobstermen will be involved.

I'm pretty sure soupiere is not a word for a soup chef. But only pretty sure.

Wed, Nov 25th, 2009 -- 01:17 pm

It might look like a bowl of pond algae to you...



...but to me it's a delicious brine for tomorrow's turkey!

For an 8-pound bird (multiply as appropriate, but my bird's 8 pounds):

8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
3/4 teaspoons allspice berries
3/4 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
(For those last two, I substituted a little powdered ginger and a few cloves)
8 cups heavily iced water

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

To brine the bird, combine the cooled brine and ice water and place the thawed bird in the brine. Soak overnight o for at least 6 hours in a cool place. Rinse, pat dry, and rub with oil before roasting.

(I am also putting an herb rub on the turkey, under the skin, the recipe for which I will post when I make it :D).

Wed, Nov 25th, 2009 -- 09:22 am

The starting pistol for the COOKING MARATHON has been fired. First out of the gate is: HOT CHOCOLATE ON A STICK.



Original recipe here, but it's very talky, so I condensed it:

Hot Chocolate On A Stick
8 oz. chocolate, preferably high cocoa-fat, like 70%. I didn't have that, so I tempered chocolate chips with a lot of butter.
1/4 cup cocoa (not hot cocoa mix, but baking cocoa, the powdered kind)
1/2 cup confectioner’s/powdered/icing sugar
pinch of salt

Melt chocolate over a double boiler (tempering if necessary). I never bother using a double boiler, I just melt the butter in the pan, turn off the heat, stir in the chocolate, and if necessary use low heat to get it fully melted.

Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined. It should be the texture of frosting. Pour chocolate into a ziplock bag and clip off the corner. Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold. In my case, it's an AWESOME IKEA ICE TRAY. Add a stir stick, which should stay upright with no trouble (I did some of mine tilty just for laughs). Place in fridge to firm up.

To use, heat milk or cream in a saucepan, pour into cups, and place one stir-stick in each cup. Stir until melted. OM NOM.

Tue, Nov 24th, 2009 -- 08:02 pm

Sam's Really Only Three Things About NCIS!

Spoilers for 7.09, ( Child's Play )

3a. Much as I love NCIS, I couldn't even come up with a 3a. It was just...there. A perfectly good episode but not especially entrancing this time round. Eh, we all have off-days. Last year's Christmas episode was genius, though, so I'm sure they'll pick up again.

Tue, Nov 24th, 2009 -- 09:48 am

Last day of work before a five-day weekend for me. HOORAY!

juniper200 linked me to a New York Times article this morning about finding help for mental/emotional issues when you don't have health insurance. It's a difficult subject, mental illness, and the article makes what might be considered some mild mis-steps, if only in perception, but overall it's useful. (I loled a little at "seek out the child psychologist at your child's school". I'm guessing this person has not sent a child to public school in quite a while.)

For those who are lucky enough to have insurance, you can also check out this article on getting treatment and the Mental Health Parity Act.

Anyway, it reminded me of some links I wanted to share from the last HR mailing that I got (the same one that recommended the webinars and caused the webinar plague of Canada).

One Day One Job: A blog about entry-level jobsearching for college grads.
Careers in Nonprofits: Because nonprofits are awesome!
Alltop: Everything ever about careers.
Vistaprint: offering free business cards, though you pay postage and they try to sell you everything else in creation while you're ordering. Still, the designs are neat. I got a set that proclaim me to be "Research, Administration, and Design" :D

How did the job fair go, anyway? Anyone get any bites from it?

Mon, Nov 23rd, 2009 -- 03:04 pm

I have very few kinks, compared to most of fandom, but I will admit this: I have a thing for drunken sex. I don't know why. Not nonconsensual sex, eurgh, and it has to be a very specific type of drunk!sex, but when it's done right I am all over it.

AND THEN FOXY WROTE ME SOME. For me! So I'm recc'ing it. I'm recc'ing it hard. :D (Also I beta'd it, and it's a rule!)

Title: Pub Fiction
Rating: R
Summary: Jack makes sure Ianto gets home. Because he just can't drive in that state.

There's a cabdriver named Fozzie in it. Go on, you know you want to.

Sun, Nov 22nd, 2009 -- 05:07 pm

Chapter eight of Valet of Anize is up! Orphans, meteorites, and mine mysteries abound. You can find it here. Feedback welcome, as always!

btw, deborahsama linked me to an article about organogenesis, which seems to imply that Carry's nuskin bandage may not be far off in our future.

Fascinating stuff, though I can't avoid thinking of it as wearing foreskins.

Sun, Nov 22nd, 2009 -- 12:53 pm

MY MUM SENT ME PEAPOD.

She is the best mother I have! :D



Sourdough bread, olive oil, apples, a GIGANTIC TURKEY BREAST, my favourite hibiscus tea, stuffing, dalmatia fig spread (omg nom), two small pumpkins, and cookies.

Guys, I'm going to brine the hell out of that turkey breast. I can buy the cooler tomorrow and put the turkey in on Wednesday and cook it on Thursday. And then eat leftover turkey for the REST OF MY LIFE. I can even make apple-onion stuffing!

Also, I love the Jamaica Tease Co. Hibiscus Tea, but I find them very weird. The "Jamaica Tease" phrase is branded everywhere on the bottle, but if you read the label or go to the website they are very proud of the fact that they use only the finest Mexican hibiscus tea.

Maybe they get it from, you know, Jamaican Mexico? Like the Dutch East Indies.

The pot from Jamaican Mexico must be amazing.

Sun, Nov 22nd, 2009 -- 11:28 am

My leg feels better this morning! And miraculously I am not hung over from last night. (Uh, Jean, I totally meant to email you but then I fell asleep. :/ )

So I just made the MOST DELICIOUS OMELETTE EVER.

Here's how you do it:

Fry some bacon and set the bacon aside. (This is the traditional start of every southern recipe ever.)

Into the bacon fat put chopped up leftover french fries and onion straws (like onion rings, only not rings) from last night's meal.

Fry until crispy!

Add two beaten eggs. Cook. Flip! Sprinkle with cheese and then cook some more.

Consider briefly photographing it for your blog before being so enticed by the omelette that you go NOM NOM NOM instead. With bacon.

The recipes tag on this post is very much in airquotes. "Recipes".

Sat, Nov 21st, 2009 -- 10:34 pm

R came over this evening. I give you your nightly quote:

R: Oh, so, you gotta see these shoes I bought from this guy.
Sam: Fancy shoes?
R: So fancy.
Sam: Wait, who is 'this guy'? Like, a guy at a department store? Or, ahahaha, some guy on the street?
R: YOU LAUGH BUT HE SOLD ME SOME GREAT SHOES.
Sam: You bought shoes from a random dude on the street?
R: And they are the finest footwear I have ever acquired. So, it was two in the morning, right --
Sam: You bought shoes from a random dude on a street at two in the morning.
R: HE WAS A SHOE-SHINE!

Apparently they're really nice shoes.