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If I can get my self settled enough to put my mind to writing there will be more today (some pictures to scan, and some to just fiddle, some Chain links, and whatever else comes to mind).
But right now, just a little food porn and perhaps a bit of natter.
I need more flour. Today I intend to make danish. The real thing, a cross between pastry, and bread. I need to go start the dough, and mangle the butter.
Tuesday I made curry. I cheated. I didn't call a Nepalese friend to get the, rough, ratios for making curry myself, but rather used a package. S&B, which is nice. Comes as a paste, in three levels: Mild, Mild-hot, and Hot. I also used the simmer masala sauce from TJs. The TJs stuff was a bit zippier than the mix of mild, and mild hot I used.
So, an onion and a a chicken breast, sauted in butter (maybe 1 1/2ts) until the onions were clear, lentils and a package of the mild sauce with vegetables (a misunderstanding on both my part, and that of the shopkeeper, I was buying two packets of the mild, and he pointed out the larger one, which wasn't the plain curry paste, but rather a made sauce, with carrots and potato) as well as a section and a half of the mild hot. To this add about 1 1/2 cps cooked lentils. Simmer, with the lid on.
I am moderate for heat. Maia and Alexa are both less tolerant of it. I am told the mix was just right. Me, I wanted a tad more zing. I may have to start setting a separate dish aside for myself and add more to it. Sigh.
To a jar of the simmer sauce add baby squash and asparagus stems.
Make Saffron rice.
In the meantime I was trying some pseudo na'an. The book with the recipe has an annoying habit. His instructions for water are vague. More vague than my descriptions here. Instead of saying, "About 1 cup" he says "Water to add." In the description of method he says things like, "Add water until the dough is loose, but not sloppy", or, "Add water until the dough is just elastic." This is only semi-useful as the nature of the dough changes as the flour hydrates. It ended up that I used too much water and had to add almost half again the flour (which meant more salt, happily he calls for a lot of yeast, so I was all right on that front).
Took two lumps of the dough and to one added cumin seed (not enough) and to the other, chopped cilantro.
Rolled them out, let them rest for five minutes or so and tossed them into a hot skillet. It mostly worked. I think the dough was too dry, the stovetop method only so-so. The bubbles were too small. Next time I'll set the oven to 450, make the dough a little, "sloppier" and toss the pieces onto the bread stone. We'll see if that works better.
When the first piece of na'an comes out of the skillet, add the asparagus tips.
When the third piece comes out, serve.
On the upside, I took some to a potluck last night and everyone thought they were na'an, so maybe I am too picky.
Friday last I had to head to L.A. for drill. The drive south was nasty. The San Luis Obispo area has been, largely, spared the heavy rains of climes, both more northern and southern. As I entered Santa Barbara County, the rain came down in sheets, visibility was a little as 100 meters in places. I grabbed a bite to eat at Pea Soup Andersen's until the weather abated some.
Spent the evening singing silly songs with a friend (Tom Lehrer, Flanders and Swann, etc.) and schmoozing. Saturday was the usual drill related stuff. As well as a description of how State plans to re-organize the guard. It's ambitious. Not as well thought out as I might like, but it paints an interesting picture.
One year in six is to be scheduled for deployment. If a unit doesn't deploy, the members can be snagged to join a unit which is. For two years out of six the drill schedule goes to about three days a month, and three weeks a year (ramping up for the deployment).
A whole lot of shuffling people and units, some of which is not well thought out. An infantry unit is an infantry unit, but signal units vary, so too does MI. One can't treat them as interchangeable parts.
Sat. Night spent with friends.
Sunday my semi-annual Russian test, the usual drill sorts of stuff, and then back to the place I hang my hat in L.A. where a friend dropped in and we made ableskivers, and talked fruit trees and home-security.
Monday picked up some things from Maia's folk's place, took a look at the mules and headed home. This trip was better, for weather, but worse for traffic (I didn't get out of town until about 1530). In Camarillo I stopped for food. Took some pictures of a Red-tail sitting on a lamp-post and killed time until the traffic eased up.
Which meant fog through Santa Barbara, and my picking Maia up at school (she is in what the students call, "dead week" just before finals, everyone working with groups to get projects done, or coming in to use the library to finish up term papers. So, unlike finals, this is the second busiest week of the term, with crazy parking and more stupid walkers).
But right now, just a little food porn and perhaps a bit of natter.
I need more flour. Today I intend to make danish. The real thing, a cross between pastry, and bread. I need to go start the dough, and mangle the butter.
Tuesday I made curry. I cheated. I didn't call a Nepalese friend to get the, rough, ratios for making curry myself, but rather used a package. S&B, which is nice. Comes as a paste, in three levels: Mild, Mild-hot, and Hot. I also used the simmer masala sauce from TJs. The TJs stuff was a bit zippier than the mix of mild, and mild hot I used.
So, an onion and a a chicken breast, sauted in butter (maybe 1 1/2ts) until the onions were clear, lentils and a package of the mild sauce with vegetables (a misunderstanding on both my part, and that of the shopkeeper, I was buying two packets of the mild, and he pointed out the larger one, which wasn't the plain curry paste, but rather a made sauce, with carrots and potato) as well as a section and a half of the mild hot. To this add about 1 1/2 cps cooked lentils. Simmer, with the lid on.
I am moderate for heat. Maia and Alexa are both less tolerant of it. I am told the mix was just right. Me, I wanted a tad more zing. I may have to start setting a separate dish aside for myself and add more to it. Sigh.
To a jar of the simmer sauce add baby squash and asparagus stems.
Make Saffron rice.
In the meantime I was trying some pseudo na'an. The book with the recipe has an annoying habit. His instructions for water are vague. More vague than my descriptions here. Instead of saying, "About 1 cup" he says "Water to add." In the description of method he says things like, "Add water until the dough is loose, but not sloppy", or, "Add water until the dough is just elastic." This is only semi-useful as the nature of the dough changes as the flour hydrates. It ended up that I used too much water and had to add almost half again the flour (which meant more salt, happily he calls for a lot of yeast, so I was all right on that front).
Took two lumps of the dough and to one added cumin seed (not enough) and to the other, chopped cilantro.
Rolled them out, let them rest for five minutes or so and tossed them into a hot skillet. It mostly worked. I think the dough was too dry, the stovetop method only so-so. The bubbles were too small. Next time I'll set the oven to 450, make the dough a little, "sloppier" and toss the pieces onto the bread stone. We'll see if that works better.
When the first piece of na'an comes out of the skillet, add the asparagus tips.
When the third piece comes out, serve.
On the upside, I took some to a potluck last night and everyone thought they were na'an, so maybe I am too picky.
Friday last I had to head to L.A. for drill. The drive south was nasty. The San Luis Obispo area has been, largely, spared the heavy rains of climes, both more northern and southern. As I entered Santa Barbara County, the rain came down in sheets, visibility was a little as 100 meters in places. I grabbed a bite to eat at Pea Soup Andersen's until the weather abated some.
Spent the evening singing silly songs with a friend (Tom Lehrer, Flanders and Swann, etc.) and schmoozing. Saturday was the usual drill related stuff. As well as a description of how State plans to re-organize the guard. It's ambitious. Not as well thought out as I might like, but it paints an interesting picture.
One year in six is to be scheduled for deployment. If a unit doesn't deploy, the members can be snagged to join a unit which is. For two years out of six the drill schedule goes to about three days a month, and three weeks a year (ramping up for the deployment).
A whole lot of shuffling people and units, some of which is not well thought out. An infantry unit is an infantry unit, but signal units vary, so too does MI. One can't treat them as interchangeable parts.
Sat. Night spent with friends.
Sunday my semi-annual Russian test, the usual drill sorts of stuff, and then back to the place I hang my hat in L.A. where a friend dropped in and we made ableskivers, and talked fruit trees and home-security.
Monday picked up some things from Maia's folk's place, took a look at the mules and headed home. This trip was better, for weather, but worse for traffic (I didn't get out of town until about 1530). In Camarillo I stopped for food. Took some pictures of a Red-tail sitting on a lamp-post and killed time until the traffic eased up.
Which meant fog through Santa Barbara, and my picking Maia up at school (she is in what the students call, "dead week" just before finals, everyone working with groups to get projects done, or coming in to use the library to finish up term papers. So, unlike finals, this is the second busiest week of the term, with crazy parking and more stupid walkers).
no subject
no subject
Lentils (for which the variety is enormous) and split peas are very common in indian cuisine. I need to make raita next time, so I can up the heat a tad.
TK