Happy New Year

It's was a beautiful day in S. Cal. 75 and clear and breezy. A day for doing nada.

Here's the nada for today.

• Donuts and cottage cheese for breakfast.
• Pogo stick contest. I'm at 25, Allie's up to 35.
• Tony went fishing (of course).
• Cooking. Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic.
• Lunch of Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic Salad.
• Dinner of 'kids choice.'. Steak for Al and swordfish for Tone. I had both.
• Marathon of Disney Channel kid shows until 12:30.

That's about it. Relaxing day.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Ginger Cheesecake

Cheesecake is my absolute favorite dessert. There is really nothing better. The mouth feel of the sweet and creamy filling combined with the buttery crust is sensual. More than that, maybe. Is that wrong?

I have to confess that I've got a little George Costanza in me. Not with pastrami, though. With cheesecake or champagne, chocolate and chilis, mango, and ginger.

I love ginger. The smell and the taste. The tingle that it can cause on the tongue. Ginger does tingle the tongue, but that's not all. Is this wrong? It feels right.

So, this ginger cheesecake is no normal cheesecake. The ginger snap crust on this one takes this just a little further.

You need to use a ginger snap with a crisp flavor, with a powerful ginger taste. You'll get a little bite from it. The bite lingers on your tongue, even after you've finished each taste. Even after the smooth, sweet, and creamy filling is gone, your tongue will still be tingling. Just a bit. A delicate feeling. A delicate bite. A lingering reminder to come back for another little bite. It is wrong, isn't it? It's just food. But, it's not. It's cheesecake. Ginger cheesecake.



Ginger Cheesecake

Crust
3 cups ginger snap crumbs (I suggest Anna's brand, available at Ikea or World Market)
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons sugar

Filling
16 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar

Garnishing

Candied Ginger

Whipped Cream

Mango
Champagne



Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

To make ginger snap crumbs, put the snaps in a large Ziploc bag with the air squeezed out. Crush them up. They don't have to be all perfect and powdered, just small pieces and crumbs.

Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter.
Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Cream the cream cheese until smooth, using a mixer or even a heavy wooden spoon if that's what you've got. Blend the eggs, sugar, and vanilla into the cream cheese until well combined.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven

Raise oven temperature to 425 and let the cheesecake cool for 15 minutes as the oven temperature rises.

Combine the room temperature sour cream and sugar and spread it gently over the baked cheesecake.

Return the cake to the 425 degree oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and chill the cheesecake for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.


There you have the absolute perfect cheesecake. You'll notice that there's no ginger in the cheesecake itself. The crust is enough, and the contrast between the ginger's bite and the cream cheese's smooth and soothing texture is the key.

It needs no toppings, provided your ginger snaps are strong enough. Don't skimp. That box next to the Nilla Wafers is not the ginger snap to buy. Go gourmet on this one. Also, feel free to garnish the plate with one or two of the most perfect ginger snaps.

If you think you can handle an extra bit of ginger, you can dice some crystallized, candied ginger and sprinkle a few on top of each slice.

Whipped cream is an easy choice for a garnish, it looks wonderful and doesn't take away from the dessert itself. It's cool and creamy, yet somehow warm and mellow, sweet but not too sweet. You can just barely smell it, and it coats the tongue in an unusual way as it transforms from solid to deliciously fluid in the space of just a few seconds.

I'd serve with a cold glass of dry Champagne or sparkling wine. More bite.

Note:

If you've never made cheesecake, just make one. It's easy. The worst that can happen is some lumps in the cream cheese. So? You can't even tell. It's still decadent and delicious.

I use actual sugar in this one. The whole dessert is really bad for you. Sugar, butter, cream cheese, and sour cream. Plus, more sugar and then some cookies. Mmmm.... bad.

Feel free to replace the sugar with Splenda if you need to. But, this is a special occasion dessert. New Years Eve for two, Valentine's Day dinner, sealing the deal on date number three. Splurge.

Merry Christmas, Everybody

I've been so swamped with work that I haven't been writing here lately. I'm writing for work, but I don't think you'd find documentation and Production Document Printing proposals to be interesting.

It's Christmas Eve, and while I have finished my shopping, I still have to wrap a bit and find some time to hit the gym (it's been five days...). Then, it's off to Mom's, where I'll also see my sister and her family and kick off Christmas!

I'm using a Starbucks cup here because I love coffee and I got seven Starbucks cards for Christmas so far.

That's fine by me. They do a fine job of getting people in the Christmas spirit. (Their Christmas Blend is really good.)

Macy's has Thanksgiving wrapped up, but I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a Starbucks Christmas Parade in the future.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

Uh, I'm flattered...

I had an uncomfortable experience at work.

I'm at a client's office, helping them with some printer integration. The Network Admin comes it. It's a chick. She keeps staring at me and getting all nervous. After a few minutes, she needs to go back to her desk for a CD.

When she returns, she brings a friend along to stare at me, too. About 20 minutes of this before I'm done and they can leave.

My actual customer was just sitting hack and silently laughing.

They were not attractive, either.

Turkey Mole Poblano

Note: I recently posted this in my log over at JP's, so if you already got it there, skedaddle!

This is the mole that I made for the last few Christmas dinners. Luckily, I wrote it down as I cooked. Hopefully, they weren’t all just saying it was good…

The beauty of a mole sauce is that there really isn’t any true mole recipe. You can use anything that sounds good in place of anything else. Legend has it that the original version was created by nuns at a convent in Puebla who were desperate to create a rich and fancy sauce for a visiting dignitary. They used all sorts of “rare” ingredients, including the bit of chocolate, which was very expensive at the time.

The only restriction (if you can even call it one) is that a mole poblano (the dark, red to black mole) needs to have poblano chili in it. Dried poblanos are often called ancho chilis.

I’m not going to tell you how to roast a chicken or turkey. Just do it and serve this sauce with it.


Ingredients:

2 Dried Ancho Chilis
1 Dried California Chilis
1 Dried Pasilla Chilis
½ diced green tip banana
2 corn tortillas
20 cashews
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 clove garlic
4 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons butter
1-2 wedges of Mexican chocolate (or 2 tablespoons Nestle Semi-Sweet Morsels or 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate, or even some candy. Just wing it.)
Salt to taste

roasted turkey
rice
cilantro
extra sesame seeds for garnishing
freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

Toast the dried chilis in a 350 degree oven or on a hot griddle until the puff up. If you use a griddle, make sure to turn them regularly so they don't burn. Let them cool. They will harden up as they cool, too. Break or cut the stems off of the chilis. Shake or scrape out the seeds.

Place chilis in a small covered saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes so that chilis are very soft.

In a hot, dry skillet, roast pine nuts until they are lightly browned, stirring frequently. Repeat with sesame seeds.

Place chilis in blender jar, discarding the soaking liquid. Add other ingredients (banana through garlic clove) to jar. Blend, adding just enough chicken broth to keep the mixture from binding.

You may need to stir and scrape a bit to fully blend the ingredients. You can add additional broth, if necessary to insure easy blending. When mixture is fully blended (it will still be coarse), return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Add butter and chocolate and stir until melted.

Add additional broth (and water, if necessary) until desired consistency is achieved (The mole should be able to just coat the back of a wooden spoon).

Salt to taste.

Generously, drizzle chicken or turkey with sauce and serve over white rice.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Serving suggestions

This is my own traditional Christmas Dinner main dish. On Christmas, I serve it with a variety of Mexican and American Christmas foods, but for a more normal meal, you might serve this with some chicken, grilled squash, green salad, and rice.

* I'm recommending white rice with this dish, especially for company. Goes against the brown rice grain, but it's really not the same with brown rice. Brown just doesn't absorb the sauce like white does. It might be good, but I'm going to splurge and eat white rice with my mole. We're not going for health here. This is Christmas Dinner!

I make extras of this sauce and use it to drench my chicken and grilled veggies throughout the week.

The Death Of The Shared Experience

The other night, I’m flipping around on the tv. I have no interesting dvds to watch, so I’m scanning the channels for something good. There’s nothing for a long time, then suddenly I find Raising Arizona and I’m sucked in. Love that movie.

The thing is that I own Raising Arizona. I even scanned past it on the shelf, looking for something to watch. Why didn’t I pick up and watch my own copy? I don’t think it even registered when I did the scanning. I didn’t even notice it on the shelf, but I must have seen it.

I’ve experienced the same thing with other movies that I own. Gladiator, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc. I love all these movies, and I’ve watched them many times. Mostly on tv, not on dvd or video. Strange.

When I thought about the why, all I could come up with is the feeling of a shared experience. You know, knowing that there are other people out there, watching the same thing at the same time. Thousands of people laughing at the funny parts, and tearing up at the tender, poignant moments in Raising Arizona…

Theater, movies, television, concerts, and radio are all shared experiences. I never expected theater and concerts to go away, but I figured the days of movies, tv, and radio were numbered. Now, I’m not so sure. My recent tv vs dvd experience/revelation leaves me wondering just how powerful this shared experience is.

Again, concerts and theater are in a class by themselves. Good or bad, live is live, and it can be a powerful thing to experience when it’s good (and plenty awkward when bad, too).

Television and radio are interesting, because of the shear numbers involved. In the olden’ days (before cable), millions of people were often watching the exact same show at the exact same time. Whether you know and realize this consciously or subconsciously, it has a powerful effect.

In a large radio market, you could feel like the whole city was listening your favorite song, right along with you. You’d hear your station blaring out the neighbor’s open window, or this week’s number one song playing from car after car as they pass you by.

I think radio and television are fairly safe, too.

It’s the movie that I think isn’t long for this world. First of all, it’s not all that much of a shared experience. To a degree, It’s still a powerful one. You are enveloped in the movie with fifty to a hundred other people. It’s dark and you are all focused on that large screen. In that sense, it’s powerful.

It’s also got the “newness” factor going for it. Opening weekend, everyone’s talking about the newest big screen phenomenon. They see it and you see it, then you all talk about it on Monday. Powerful, again.

But, the movies are pushing their luck. Most people seem to cringe when the pay as much for two to get in as you’d pay to rent four or five movies on DVD. For that same price, you could actually own the movie on DVD and watch it over and over again.

Head inside and you find that the concession stand snacks are literally priced two to three times higher than you’d find out in the “real world.” It’s amazing.

I’m sure there will always be a place for the shared experience, it’s just getting smaller and shared by fewer and fewer people.

Saturday Update (and a Bread Recipe)

It's a beautiful Saturday here. It's raining off and on, but between showers, the sun keeps coming out. The kids needed a few things from the store, so I formed up my loaves of bread to let them rise and took a little walk to the market. It's just nice to take a short walk to the store and just get out of the house for a few minutes. And, it's a very short walk. About 5 minutes, tops. 10 if I cruise through Starbuck's (which I did).

It was sunny and brisk (55 degrees?), with lots of people feeding the ducks, geese, and coots. Of course, it's sooooo brisk that there was the ubiquitous guy wearing his knit cap. 55. Brrrrr... Strangely, the woman with him was wearing shorts, a huge coat, and a visor. Ready to play tennis at the arctic circle? By the way, both knit caps and visors are lame. Only wear them at the appropriate times. There's an appropriate time for the knit cap, but visors are always lame.

I love having a market right here. I make little trips; buy just enough to carry home in two hands, and as a result, never really throw anything out because I never buy too much. Nice.

Unfortunately, I grabbed a cart this time. I needed someplace to set my coffee while I shopped. So, I forgot that I walked and ended up with a bit more than I'd like to carry home. It was like doing farmer's walks, but with my fingertips feeling like they are about to be sliced off by the plastic bag handles. That will teach me to buy soda...

I lumbered back through the beautifully charming, yet barren, empty wasteland of the lake's shopping and dining area, and back down the the lake.

The RSM lake is obviously a real lake, but it's man-made.

All of the turtles and fish have been added by man, as well.

The birds flew in and never really leave. This is supposed to be the South part of "flying South for the winter," but the reality seems to be that they come and never leave.




Today, though, there was one migratory bird at the lake. A snowy egret.














This is just a pic of a snowy egret, not the one at my lake...

That's really all the update I've got. Bread's baking. I made just enough for the kids to eat. I want no part of it.


Olive Oil Bread










pinch of granulated sugar
1 cup of warm water
1 package (scant tablespoon) yeast

3 cups/360g whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for finishing
additional coarse salt (kosher or pretzel salt) for finishing


The Bread

Stir oil, water, and yeast together and let stand for 5 minutes or so. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add liquid mixture to flour. Mix until dough comes together. Turn dough onto a flat, lightly floured surface and kneed to about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 30 to 40 minutes or until doubled.

After the dough has doubled, punch down and form into one or two loaves. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal cuts into top of loaf, forming a diamond pattern. Brush tops generously with oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Pre-heat oven to 450°

Let loaves rise in warm place for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until doubled again.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes until golden. Loaves should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove loaves from oven and cool on wire racks.


Bread Machine Option
If you'd like to use your bread machine for the dough, follow these directions. Don't actually bake the bread in the machine, though. Just make the dough in there.

Place water, oil, and yeast into bread machine. Stir salt and flour together and add it to the machine. Start dough only cycle. When dough cycle is complete (this is typically after one rising), punch the dough down if your machine doesn't do it automatically.

Form dough into one or two loaves. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal cuts into top of loaf, forming a diamond pattern. Brush tops generously with oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Pre-heat oven to 450°

Let loaves rise in warm place for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until doubled again.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes until golden. Loaves should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove loaves from oven and cool on wire racks.

Songs That Keep You Driving

I'll bet everyone has a song or two that keeps them from getting out of the car. If you can park it in the driveway, you wait it out, but if you know the people inside will wonder what you're waiting for, you might take on extra lap around the block. Twice, today.

This song is either from my first or second concert. I'm not sure if Supertramp or CS&N was my first concert. Either way, it was a great concert. Supertramp was great live and I was up really close at the Pacific Amphitheater (which is sadly no longer in existence).

Goodbye Stranger -- Supertramp



Feel free to karaoke right along.

Goodbye Stranger -- Supertramp

It was an early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
But I must be moving on

Like a king without a castle
Like a queen without a throne
I'm an early morning lover
And I must be moving on

Now I believe in what you say
Is the undisputed truth
But I have to have things my own way
To keep me in my youth

Like a ship without an anchor
Like a slave without a chain
Just the thought of those sweet ladies
Sends a shiver through my veins

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I'll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye stranger it's been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

Goodbye Mary, Goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Sweet devotion is not for me
[ Lyrics found at www.mp3lyrics.org/bMg ]
Just give me motion, set me free
The land and the ocean, far away
The life I've chosen every day

So goodbye Mary, Goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again

Now some they do and some they don't
And some you just can't tell
And some they will and some they won't
With some it's just as well

You can laugh at my behavior
That'll never bother me
Say the devil is my savior
But I don't pay no heed

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I'll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye stranger it's been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

Goodbye Mary, Goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Sweet devotion is not for me
Just give me motion, set me free
The land and the ocean, far away
The life I've chosen every day

Now I'm leavin' - got to go
Hit the road - I'll say it once again
Oh, yes I'm leavin' - got to go
Got to go now

I'm sorry I must tell you

Goodbye Mary, Goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again

Suite Judy Blue Eyes is another song, again in my 1st or 2nd concert. Other notables include Leaving On A Jet Plane, Cruel To Be Kind, about half the songs from Grease, zero songs from Grease 2, and Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End.

"And, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." And now I can get out of the car...

Taken!!!!

Extra guacamole on your taco salad, $.50.

Extra chicken, $2.00.

A Cafe Americano on the way back from lunch, $2.25

The look on the face of the guy who forgot to lock the bathroom door before sitting down... Priceless.

Wow, lookit the mom jeans!

Starbuck's. Sunday morning.

A mom with one of those little nose studs. On the right girl. Hot. This one, not so much. That she's a Mom is not the issue. Christmas sweater vest. In fleece. Mom jeans. In that no man's land blue.

A biker couple in outlandish biker gear. Didn't know Harley Davidson would make or stock stuff this fugly. I think her chaps might be polished! The fringe on his huge denim vest, over his perfectly shiny biker jacket, looks combed. And fluffed. Mom jeans. In that no man's land blue. On him.

An old lady with an eye patch. A fancy one, too. It's jeweled. This is strange on several levels. I had a dream last night that I had an eye patch (a standard one). Eye patches are also just plain rare. Jeweled eye patches are in the realm of a Pirates movie. She was wearing mom jeans. Same blue. Looked good on her.