Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Chocolate Craving
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar (I used brown sugar - it was the only kind I had)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process) (I don't know if Nestle Cocoa Powder is natural or dutch-process - probably neither!)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I didn't put in that much - just a couple turns on my salt mill)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (It's optional, and so I didn't use)
8-inch square baking pan
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.
The result? Very chocolate-y and dense! The batter before adding in the eggs smelled so so good - it was extremely tempting to scrap the whole project, add milk to the recipe and have hot chocolate instead. But then again, there's the guilt of knowing that you are drinking liquid butter and sugar. Mmm... something to consider when it gets colder out!
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Brooklyn Find - Anwaar
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sobacha, or Buckwheat Tea
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Kill the Boredom
1. First Name
2. Last Name
3. Favorite Color
4. Name of Street Where You Were Born
5. Name of High School
6. Celebrity Crush
7. Name of First Pet
8. Dream Vacation Spot
9. Favorite Food
10. Lucky Number
11. What You Value Most in Life
12. What You Want to Be When You (Finally) Grow Up
13. Favorite Weather
14. Favorite Spice or Fragrance
15. City or Town You Currently Live In
16. One Word to Describe You
Fun~! What was most interesting were the images that came up when you put your selected words into the search engine - some images popped up that I never would have expected, which made it all the more interesting.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Platinum #2 is done!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Dewey Color System (Occupational Personality Test)
Key Words:Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic (Hah! I don't know about that...), Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional
These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently (Yes!), being creative (Double yes!), using their imagination, and constantly learning something new (Triple yes!). Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.
CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer. (What about lip balm and deodorant maker? Or full-time knitter?)
CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature. Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.
2nd Best Occupational Category: You're a PERSUADER
Key Words:Witty, Competitive, Sociable, Talkative, Ambitious, Argumentative, and Aggressive
These enterprising types sell, persuade, and lead others. Positions of leadership, power, and status are usually their ultimate goal. (That sounds evil - am I evil?) Persuasive people like to take financial and interpersonal risks and to participate in competitive activities. They enjoy working with others inside organizations to accomplish goals and achieve economic success.
I think it described me pretty well, given that it was such as short test. I will be interested in getting feedback from others who took a gander at it- what did you all think?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Knitting/Pranking Fun at Shea Stadium
Just as my luck would have it, our game on Saturday ended up being a doubleheader, because the game from the night before was rained out. There were some good outcomes: I finished a belt for my recently completed Starsky because I couldn't make up my mind about closures. I casted on 12 stitches, and on the right side, K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1 and did the reverse for the wrong side. Although I didn't measure, I think it ended up being a little over 48 inches. So an immediate decision about closures can be postponed for a little bit longer...
I also got another gift at Shea Stadium in the form of amusement when in the middle of the second game, a drunken and passed out spectator became the object of ridicule for many. The incident amazingly enough was chronicled on YouTube - in essence, the guy was so out of it that he was oblivious to people stacking beer cups on his head. Yes, it's very juvenile and reminiscent of the antics of college frat boys, but after enduring nearly 5 hours of baseball watching, listening to baseball talk, and staunchly defending how appropriate knitting is to the occasion, I was very happy for the distraction! While we weren't sitting directly on the field, we got a pretty good bird's eye view of the whole incident. The first pic is when we first started noticing that people were cheering for something other than the players on the field, and that there was a strange clump of people in one particular spot. The second picture is a close-up of what was happening when we figured out what was going on - clearly, you can see the stack of beer cups, as well as the poor victim's well-shaved head. Is this entertainment-worthy enough to blog about? Probably not. I have learned however, that everything is relative. In this case, the incident was a welcome alternative to watching the game. Sorry baseball lovers!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Angel Babies!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Starsky Is Done!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Okonomiaki (a.k.a. the Japanese Pizza)
- All purpose flour
- Water
- One Egg
- One head of very small cabbage, finely, finely chopped (Japanese cabbage prefered)
- Lots of Katsuobushi (also known as shaved Bonito, which is a type of fish that has been dried and then shaved into small slivers, pictured left) - I used a big handful to put into the batter.
- Tonkatsu Sauce (a vegetable/fruit sauce - like Worcestershire, but thicker, on the right)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Poconos for Labor Day
The bed and breakfast had access to club amenities, so we rented kayaks for a couple of hours and paddled around (excuse my obese, flat-footed feet, only useful for competitive gymnastics, although I am happy to say I hardly ever fell off the beam):
We also toured around the town a bit in our rental car, which we got after being convinced by the innkeeper that this was NOT New York, and we cannot just walk around where we please, and no, there is no public transportation (how easily we forget)! We also attended the area's annual garlic festival, and saw The Niagara of Pennsylvania in the town of Bushkill:I was so impressed with this tree! It seems near impossible to get nutrients from where it is living, but it seems to be doing just fine...
So all in all, it was a good trip. We got some good garlic vinegar at the festival, indulged in frivolous spending via antique shops and outlet malls, and got to inhale good clean mountain air. For a ski fanatic such as myself, it will definitely be worth another trip to explore the slopes. As a summer getaway, it's a laid-back place to hang out, go hiking, and eat a lot of food.