Ebay auction for MarsCon Dementia Track
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
This is my 3rd re-listing of this item. I’ve dropped the starting bid to $35. If this doesn’t work, I give up.
I’m auctioning off a white 1000 thread count king-size sheet set, proceeds to go to the MarsCon Dementia Track Fund Raiser. If you are local to Chicago I can deliver. 
http://bid-url.com/h06fdu
Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce
Monday, February 2nd, 2009 | cooking | No Comments
Alas, I have no picture to go along with this post. Maybe some other time when I make them I’ll add one. I stole this recipe wholesale from Gourmeted, and didn’t alter it a bit – and let me tell ya, it has quite a kick.
SPICY GARLIC WING SAUCE:
1 cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce (I used Smokin’ Joes since it was on sale at Jewel. $0.88 for a pint! Not bad!)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1) Combine all ingredients except egg yolk, water, and cornstarch for sauce of your choice in a small saucepan.
2) Heat sauce over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3) Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4) While sauce cools, vigorously whisk egg yolk with 2 teaspoons water in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes or color is pale yellow. Whisk in cornstarch until dissolved. (I used my immersion blender.)
5) Drizzle sauce mixture into egg yolk mixture in a steady stream while rapidly whisking. This will create a thick, creamy emulsion that will prevent oil from separating. (Again with the immersion blender.)
6) Cover sauce and chill until needed.
As far as wings/drumsticks to go with this, I suggest Alton Brown’s method of steaming and baking the parts which is very well illustrated at Paul’s Travel Pictures.
I hate spam.
Sunday, January 25th, 2009 | ramblings | No Comments
Not only have I had to wade through 8,000+ messages trying to sell me a larger penis, a Rolex, or magic weight loss pills since the beginning of the year, but this gem popped up in my inbox this morning:
“I CAN is way more important than IQ – so get that little pill.”
Way to remind me of the sheer mass of stupidity surrounding me in the world first thing in the morning, spam!
Birthday Cake
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 | cakes | No Comments
This was another commissioned cake for a birthday. Some confusion ensued on when the pickup date was, but everything worked out in the end, and they said it was very tasty. It was a white cake with vanilla buttercream frosting – not too exciting, but it had to feed a crowd of varied palates.
(At some point I will set up a place in my apartment with some decent lighting to take cake photos.)
Chalk it up to 50 years of Twinkies
Sunday, January 11th, 2009 | cakes | No Comments
I saw a recipe on the cakecentral.com forums that was highly touted by many people, and it went like this:
1 package dream whip
1 small package instant pudding
1.5 cups milk
So heck, I gave it a shot. And… it tasted like Cool Whip and pudding mixed together. Nothing more, nothing less. That slightly fake, chemical taste, with a lot of air and sugar. I poured the lot down the sink.
What the hell? People think this is a wonderful taste sensation? Come on! Haven’t these people tried ganache, or Italian buttercream, or anything classic and made with care?
Oh… yeah. They haven’t. They’ve had 50 years of Cool Whip Pies and Twinkies.
Black Bean Soup
Sunday, January 11th, 2009 | cooking | No Comments
I’d have to say this is one of my favorite new (to me) recipes. I found it on Food Network’s site, and you can too. I left out the ketchup and halved the Worcestershire sauce, just because the last time I thought those flavors were a little overpowering. I also ditched the cilantro because I don’t like it. (I’m one of those weird-palate people who think it tastes like soap.) Oh, I also hit it for a little bit with the stick blender at the end of cooking so it thickens up. Next time, I will probably take the bacon out after it gets crispy and put it back in at the end, as is noted in some of the comments on the Food Network site. Oh, and they’re not kidding about 8-10 servings – this makes a lot of soup.
First Fondant!
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 | cakes | No Comments
I made up my first batch of fondant tonight. I tried out the new Americolor gel colors I got from Cakewalk Chicago, as well (“dark pink” – I don’t think I used quite enough to make it very dark, or they mean “dark” as in “not almost white”).
I made Rhonda’s Ultimate MMF (marshmallow fondant) – recipe found on CakeCentral.com. It’s a great site, but sloooooow. I imagine their bandwidth bills are through the roof. I used my Kitchenaid 6-qt mixer (much love for the stand mixer) with the dough hook, and it kneaded it up like a champ. The only thing I forgot to do in the recipe was to grease the mixing bowl before I poured the marshmallow goo in. At the end of the process, I found out why this part is important.
Recycling Christmas Trees in Villa Park, Illinois
Friday, January 2nd, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
This isn’t posted anywhere on the web so I thought I’d toss it up on here:
If you live in Villa Park, IL and want to recycle your christmas tree, just leave it out on the curb anytime during the first 2 weeks of January (bare – not in a bag). Waste Management will pick it up and take it to be recycled.
I wish
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
…for an end to world hunger, but that’s a long-term goal.
If you were wondering, here’s my Amazon Wish List for the short term.
(And I like used books just fine.)
Wow.
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
I’m blown away. President Obama. My pessimism wouldn’t let me believe it until McCain conceded.
Not only that, but we’re well on our way to a Democratic Senate and House. I have to admit that makes me a bit nervous. We’re going to have to still be vigilant, as citizens, to make sure the laws we pass are what the American people need, and not what the party needs to stay in power. Remember what absolute power does, kids.
Also, most of the states were won by Obama by 10-20%-ish. That means that right now, there’s a lot of Republicans out there that have been terrified by this campaign, and they’re still wide-eyed and hair-triggered now. We have a lot of work to do to make sure this country isn’t torn apart by fear.
McCain gave his eloquent and heartfelt concession speech and it was the John McCain I respected in the past. I didn’t respect his campaign. It was dirty and divisive, and I don’t think he was steering the ship. Now, he can be Senator McCain, a dedicated Senator and advisor like he has proven himself to be, without the millstone of the GOP around his neck. Be mavericky, Mr. McCain. I can’t wait.
I can’t say I’m not pleased as punch that useless woman isn’t going to be in Washington. Go back to Alaska, Mrs. Palin, and stay there. And while you’re there, try and do some good, or at least, don’t make it any worse.
I know I still sound like a pessimist. But I really am surprised by the American people, by the system, that it is not truly corrupted, it is not decrepit, it is not lost. Maybe, just maybe, we can.