Domestigeek

Goddess dressing

2011-09-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

If you're ever in Eastlake, and you want a facial, go to Julia at Good Juju Skincare. Not only will she give you an amazing facial that leaves you feeling all blissed out, she might also give you a recipe like this. We've been eating this non-stop - on salad, on vegetables, probably by itself.

Goddess dressing

Ingredients
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tblsp Tahini paste
2 garlic cloves
1 - 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Mix first six ingredients in blender and slowly add in 1 - 1 1/2 cups of vegetable/olive oil. Pour on everything. Eat. Moan.

Using Google+ as a wishlist

2011-08-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Tall Fella and I both find it hard to choose gifts for each other. We have very limited space in our apartment, so we really try hard to avoid bringing in new stuff. I love clothes but I can be ... picky. All our books are on the Kindle so it's hard to see at a glance what we have.

Here's how we are using Google+ to create a private wishlist limited to just the two of us. (Well, it's just me right now, but it's so awesome I'm hoping he'll do it soon.)

Create a new circle called Wishlist.
Every time you see something you fancy, share its URL just to your Wishlist circle.

Your loved one sees gift ideas, and you can just filter your stream by your Wishlist circle.

Bask in the appreciation of your loved one.

You're welcome.

Worth the counter space: Soda Stream Penguin

2011-08-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

I grew up before corn syrup. In Ireland back then, soda ("minerals") was made with real sugar, and as a result it was expensive, and as a result it was something you only had on special occasions, like Christmas or Eurovision. It came in huge bottles. Individual cans were an extravagance (I still remember being stunned at how cheap soda is in the States), much like those tiny individual cereal boxes which had an irresistible glamor and which I wanted more than anything.

So when the Soda Stream arrived one Christmas ... well, it must have been awful. We were in heaven. Limitless minerals! Any flavor you wanted! All flavors mixed up together! It was just amazing. You put a bottle of plain tap water into the gadget, pulled a lever like a one-armed bandit, added something syrupy and sweet ... and you had Coke, practically. Was a time since then I practically lived on Diet Coke and cigarettes, but I've kicked both - I've had maybe 2-3 Diet Cokes in the last couple years. I still love sparkling water, though, the more effervescent the better, but I hate the bottles and the waste.

Enter the Soda Stream Penguin. I love this gadget. Fizzy water! Whenever I want! From the tap! And it's a penguin. Now normally I don't do cute. I get a rash from the whimsy. But unlike the other Soda Stream models, the Penguin comes with glass bottles, so I ordered him ... and that little guy waddled onto the countertop and straight into our hearts.

The Penguin starter kit comes with two bottles and a CO2 cartridge which you insert gently into the front of the penguin. It's good for 60 liters. Then you just put in a bottle, press down on the penguin beak, and - sparkles! The penguin is much bigger than I expected, and feels a little light - but look how adorable.

So far I've used it only for water. I did buy a bottle of Diet Tonic syrup mix, which the Tall Fella said was a little sweet. We'll try to dilute it further - I like the idea of very effervescent tonic water on hand, given that my idea of hell is a flat G&T. But I'm going through several bottles of sparkling water a day, so this is a strong recommend for the Penguin. He's not cheap (we paid $200 on Amazon for the starter kit) but if you love sparkling water, I think he's worth it.

Seven Thoughts I Have During A Massage That Completely Undermine My Experience Of That Massage

2011-05-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Probably only ten minutes left. Twelve? Fifteen, tops.
[During a body wrap] What if there's a fire?
I hope I don't need to pee.
Is she laughing at my white girl kanji tat?
What's with the music?
That lunch was a mistake.
Oh god, I drooled.

Kale and balsamic tofu salad

2010-11-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here's an insanely delicious recipe I made tonight when I found myself with a surfeit of kale as well as a container of nutritional yeast that's been sitting in my fridge since I dutifully bought it just after going vegan six months ago. (Does it go off? I don't want to know.)

The recipe came from Cheap Healthy Good via 101 Cookbooks and The Vegan Foodie, with a couple of small adjustments: I used nutritional yeast in the dressing instead of pecorino cheese, and I threw in some toasted pumpkin seeds. I don't really miss cheese, but the yeast gave me a blast of umami that I have to admit I loved. This salad is really, really good. Try it.

For the tofu (you can do this in advance):

1 lb extra firm tofu
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T soy sauce or tamari (I used tamari)
2 T olive oil
2 t maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, smashed

Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes.
Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, 2 T oil, and maple syrup(or combine in a sealable container and shake. Add smashed garlic cloves.
Cube tofu. Add to marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tofu cubes in a single layer.
Bake tofu 30-40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes, until browned and cooked down.

For the salad:

1 bunch Tuscan kale (aka lacinato, aka dinosaur) about 4-5 cups cut up. I used lacinato because I happened to have it, but I'm going to use other types.
2 cloves of garlic (recipe calls for half a clove, but seriously? Not in this house)
¼ t salt, plus a pinch
¼ c nutritional yeast flakes
3 T olive oil
juice of one lemon (a scant half-cup)
1/8 t red pepper flakes
ground black pepper, to taste
Quarter cup toasted pumpkin seeds (a handful)

Method:

De-vein kale and cut into ribbons. Put in a big bowl.
Crush garlic and ¼ t salt together (in a mortar and pestle or in a small bowl with the butt of a knife or something). In a small bowl combine garlic/salt paste, cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Whisk together.
Add dressing to kale and toss very well. Add tofu, and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with a splash of oil and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Great product: Parchment circles.

2010-10-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

I make a lot of no-knead bread and every now and again a loaf gets immovably stuck in the pot, even if I used cornmeal or flour before pouring in the dough. If you make this bread a lot, you've probably had this issue.

No more chiseling out the bread! Pop a parchment circle ($4.99 for 24) in your hot dutch oven before pouring in the dough. The bread falls out perfectly every time. Love it. You're welcome.

Bread in a hurry

2010-10-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

I love making bread. Nothing makes me happier than pulling a crusty loaf out of the oven. Unfortunately, I don't make it as often as I'd like: even no-knead bread demands a bit of thinking about the rising time and pulling flour from the pantry is just something I don't want to do when waiting for the bus.

So I'm delighted with my new blindingly obvious solution: Last night I measured out the dry ingredients and put them in a covered bowl on the countertop the night before, along with the a jug of the required amount of water. Bread mixed - 10 seconds - boom! Phil works at home, so he turns it in the bowl for its second rise around 3 or 4. I switch the oven on as soon as I get home and boom! bread on the table!

Yum yum.

Haven't made no-knead bread yet? OMG you like totally should.

Goodfellas - Dinner in Prison

2010-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

Paulie did the prep work. He was doing a year for contempt, and he had this wonderful system for doing the garlic.

Putin's "Bitch Please" face

2010-08-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so Putin's the world's badassest leader. And he has the best "Bitch, please" face ever.

Gratuitous bonus shot:

I'm on a horse!

Eek

2010-08-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Actual voice message from Phil:

Hello, it's me, I can pick you up [from the bus] at Montlake, so please get off at Montlake and give me a call. Thanks. Bye.

Google Voice transcription:

It's me, I'm gonna pick you up at my way, so please get off of my life and give me a call. Thanks. Bye.

Carrot, coconut, and coriander soup

2010-07-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

Our CSA box was groaning with carrots this week, and because we're away for the weekend, I needed to use them up fast. This recipe, improvised on the fly, picks up on a few themes that have been in play in our kitchen a lot recently.

Coconut milk. I always thought of this in the context of Thai food, but since making the switch to veganism, I've come to really appreciate its fatty, smooth mouthfeel in other dishes - Indian food, desserts.
The pressure cooker. I'm a convert. Once I'd sauteed the veg, soup was on the table in less than ten minutes. However, I don't like our current pressure cooker very much. It's a Denmark 5-quart pot and although it's available on eBay for $65, I bought it at Bed Bath & Bejaysys for about $16. It works, but it makes me anxious. The jiggler pressure regulator is an example of a really poor user feedback loop. I don't trust it. I never believe it's doing what it's meant to. However! Fast! Great for beans! Steams beets in a couple of minutes! BUT! Emotional rollercoaster!
Herbs and zest. By the handful. We've got a lot of herbs growing on our fire escape (and in our attic, thanks to the Aerogarden) and I'm using them in profligate quantities. And as for lemons and limes - well, as Nigel Slater once said, even a tart has a lemon in her kitchen. I never had a zester before but now - well, if it doesn't move, I'm probably going to zest it.

Here's how the soup came together. The quantities are estimates, and based on what I had in my kitchen. A keeper.

Sautee 1.5 onions in a tablespoon or so of oil (I used coconut) until soft. You could do this in the pressure cooker itself.
Add 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and about 2 inches of ginger, minced. (You don't have to be too precise here, because the soup will be blended.) I also added about three small bay leaves.
Add about 1.5 tsp ground coriander. I also added a small scattering of anise seeds, because I'm crazy.
Add salt. For salt, I used tamari and a little sea salt. Taste, and remember that it will be diluted quite a bit when you add the liquid. So keep testing.
Now add your carrots to the mix. I used a lot - I'd say 8-10 medium-large carrots. Sautee for a little bit to seal.
Add 1 can of full-fat coconut milk.
Add vegetable broth - or wine, or anything flavorful - to cover vegetables by maybe 1.5-2 inches.
Test for salt.
Add the soup to the pressure cooker (if it's not there already), then cook under high pressure for about five minutes.
Fish out the bay leaves and blend. I used an immersion blender.
Add the zest and the juice of a lime.
Scatter on a handful of herbs, chopped. I used basil, mint, Vietnamese cilantro, and Thai basil.
Stir and serve to general applause.

Next time, I'd add a little chopped red chilli and lemongrass to the sauteed onions. Also, we were given a bottle of a delicious coconut sake that I think would work really well, but it seems to have - cough! - disappeared.

(edited because Blogger chewed up my text)

Kitchen patrol

2010-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

One of the very best things about working at Google is the food. Seriously, the food. I've eaten foie gras at Google. The freshest sushi. Handmade tortillas. Lobster. The culinary team is amazing, and they turn out delicious, healthy, organic food - different dishes - every single workday.

Today, I was lucky enough to be Google Kirkland's first guest chef. "Chef" is a bit of an exaggeration, but I got to make a kajillion tamales, spend a couple of hours at the service station. I arrived at 7:30, left at around 1:30. Now I think of it, I didn't have any break at all, and I didn't even notice. It was fantastic. (And the team were all very patient with the n00b under their feet.)

Here's today's menu. I was working on the Action Station: lots of small plates, put together continuously. I'm going to be making tamales this weekend for sure.

OM NOM NOM

Herb and Shallot Salmon Burger on Grilled Baguette with a Light Fennel Slaw and Dill Mustard Dressing Served with Tabbouleh
Salmon: Salmon, Shallot, Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Red Wine Vinegar, Garlic, Bread Crumb. Slaw: Fennel, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Carrot, Red Onion, Parsley, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Orange Juice, Oil, Star Anise, White Vinegar, Yellow Mustard, Champagne Vinegar, Dill, Oil, Salt, Pepper, Cous Cous, Tomato, Green Onion, Cucumber, Parsley, Mint, Cumin, Lemon Juice, Oil

ACTION STATION

*Local Rhubarb, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Tart Topped with Balsamic Blackberry Glaze and Sautéed Spinach.
Rhubarb, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, Heavy Cream, Egg, Basil, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Flour, Blackberry, Balsamic, Sugar, Spinach

**Local Potato Risotto with Soy Milk, Grilled Artichokes and Fennel
Russet Potato, Onion, Garlic, White Wine, Cayenne Pepper, Veg Stock, Soy Milk, Artichoke Hearts, Salt, Pepper, Fennel

*Smoked Tomato Cake with California Asparagus Escabeche
Smoked Tomato, Onion, Celery, Rice, Sugar, Bread Crumb, Egg, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Paprika, Rosemary, Asparagus, Red Chili Pepper, Sherry, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, Garlic

**Indian Eggplant Curry Soup Shooter with Garbanzo Pico
Eggplant, Coconut Milk, Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Lemon Grass, Veg Stock, Apple, Curry Powder, Cumin, Coriander, Red Pepper, Cinnamon, Dijon, White Balsamic, Cilantro. Pico: Garbanzo Bean, Tomato, Red Onion, Thai Chilies, Cilantro, Lime Juice

*Five Spice Tofu Stuffed Asian Tamale Topped with Julienne Vegetable Slaw and Sirachi Sour Cream
Five Spice, Tofu, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Tamari, Chili Garlic Sauce, Veg Stock, Ginger, Lime Juice, Masa, Shortening. Slaw: Cabbage, Squash, Zucchini, Red Onion, Carrot, Cherry Tomato, Red Wine Vinegar, Cilantro, Oil, Garlic, Tamari, Sour Cream, Sirachi, Lime Juice

PIZZA

Pepperoni Pizza
Pepperoni, Flour, Sea Salt, Yeast, Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs, Sugar, Mozzarella, Olive Oil

MEDITERRANEAN

**Super Veggie Explosion Stromboli
Marinated Artichokes, Mushrooms, White Wine, Eggplant, Carrots, Beets, Poblanos, Marinara Sauce

Roasted Garlic and Sage Ground Chicken and Tomato Stromboli
Roasted Garlic, Sage, Salt, Pepper, Chicken, Tomato, Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce

*Thick Cheese Bread Pizza
Flour, Yeast, Olive Oil, Cheese

VEGETARIAN & VEGAN

**Pan Crisped Seitan, Grilled Oyster Mushrooms, Red Quinoa Cake with Red Wine Jus
Wheat Protein, Vegan Worchestershire, Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Olive Oil, Oyster Mushrooms, Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Quinoa, Flour, Maple Syrup, Baking Powder, Sea Salt, Soymilk, Red Wine, Vegetable Stock,

SOUPS

*Corn and Potato Chowder
Milk, Heavy Cream, Mire Poix, Garlic, Tabasco, Corn, Potatoes, Thyme, Champagne Vinegar, Fresh Herbs

Italian Meatball and Tomato Soup
Tomatoes, Mire Poix, Garlic, Chicken Stock, Crushed Red Pepper, Fresh Herbs, Beef, Breadcrumb, Sea Salt, Pepper

HEALTHY STATION

**Garden of Sauteed Vegetables

Dublin taxi driver joke

2009-12-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Brian Cowen, the Irish taoiseach (prime minister) calls up Barack Obama to declare war.

"Fine," says Obama.
"Hang on," says Cowen, "how many aircraft carriers do you have?"
"About fifty," says Obama.
"Jaysis. Listen, I'll call you back in an hour."

An hour later ...
Cowen: "The war's still on. But hang on, how many fighter jets do you have?"
Obama: "Um, maybe three hundred."
Cowen: "Oh. Hang on, I'll call you back in an hour."

An hour later:
Obama: "So are you phoning to call off the war?"
Cowen: "Not at all, not at all. The war's still on. But hang on - how many soldiers do you have?"
Obama thinks a bit. "I believe about 600,000."
Silence.
Cowen: "War's off. We've nowhere to put the prisoners."

In which I audition for (and win!) the role of Quasimodo

2009-12-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling under the weather for a few weeks now - nothing serious, just a sense of general unwellness and the occasional cough. On Wednesday I saw the doctor at work who told me I had a low-grade virus I could expect to hang around for a couple of weeks, but I should be fine to be in the office as long as I wasn't coughing or sneezing too much.

Thursday I had an unfamiliar backache - bad enough to make me gasp when I stood up from a chair - but I put it down to having skipped yoga due to my colds (please, people, stay home when you're sick!) But around 3:30ish I started coughing and I picked up to go home and work from there. However, I'd agreed to meet a friend at Trader Joe's so I bundled up.

Trundling down the aisle I felt a cough come on, so I leaned forward to cover my mouth with my elbow, and then lightning struck, a kind of pain I have never felt before. I couldn't move. Here's what I looked like (thanks, Tracy, for taking the picture):

Well, long story short, I thought I was going to pass out, Phil came to pick me up (I could only walk completely bent over), we went to the ER, by 2AM we were home after ultrasound, an MRI, and sundry unpleasantnesses confirmed a herniated disk.

Be careful of your back, kids!

Getting rid of DVDs

2009-12-06T20:33:00.001-08:00

photo.jpg, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Why the hell did we own a copy of Hitch? What possessed us to pay good money for the disk of Mona Lisa Smile?

They're not terrible movies, but they're not really movies you'd watch over and over again. These are definitively rentals.

Today we finally got rid of all our DVDs, with a few exceptions: we kept The Wire, Lord Of The Rings, The Sopranos, Buffy, and a couple of other things. For everything else, we'll stick to iTunes or Hulu.

That pile you see in front is our remaining DVD collection, without the boxes. The bag contains all the packaging.

DVD packaging, especially boxed sets, is a disgrace. But getting rid of it reduces a collection to a very manageable size.

Yesterday's lunch

2009-12-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Clockwise, from top:

Roasted oyster mushrooms with onions and sage
Butter-poached scallops on celeriac puree with meyer lemon nage and lemon confit
Parmentier of oxtail with mushroom duxelles and quail egg

I love working here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

Atheists are not ungrateful. Most of us are deeply aware of our good fortune, including the astronomical good luck to have been born at all. Our gratitude just doesn't go to God. It mostly goes to other people: people who have made life better, for us and everyone else. Pass it on: if we say it enough times to enough people, it may get across. And happy Thanksgiving!

via Greta Christina's Atheist meme of the day

What I'm grateful for

2009-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Phil. Happy birthday! I love you.
Our jobs. I feel especially fortunate for this past year at a company that really looks after its employees and that continues to be a fun, exciting place to work.
Our home. We went through hell remodeling (nine months in a horrible motel), but now it's everything we could want. Look what we saw this morning! (I'm also kind of grateful that they knocked down the trees in front of this window. Do not judge me.)

Family and friends.
Our neighbors.
Our health.
Yoga.
My Kindle.
Facebook. Seriously. This last year I've felt more connected to people than ever. I've talked to friends and relatives I haven't met in years. Decades. It has enriched my life, even as it's impoverished my free time.

Thank you to Alaska!

2009-11-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

I griped about Alaska yesterday, but today I want to sing their praises. I landed at the northern gates, and by the time I had taken the train to the main terminal, I realized I'd left my wallet in the magazine holders on the back of the seat in front.

I'm an awful eejit.

The guy running the desk at baggage claims made some calls and confirmed it was found. To claim it, I'd need to get a security pass and go to the D7 gate.

I headed up to ticketing to explain. The very nice guys behind the desk said sure, you can have a security pass, but we'll need to see ID.

"Um, my ID is in my wallet. I'm an awful eejit, you see."

No problem! The guy went off to the gate to get it for me, and brought it back. It was so nice of everybody, especially given that it was a night shift and they were tired.

Thank you!

Dear pilot, Alaska Airline 470 (SEA-> LAX): The early 60s called, they want their casual sexism and racism back.

2009-11-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?

You'd be awesome in Mad Men, maybe as the pilot who killed off Peter Campbell's father.

Here are some of the highlights of my flight:

First, you did the annoying railroad whistle. Whatevs. I'd probably find it charming if I was flying SouthWest.
Then you introduce the flight attendants: "And in the main cabin is Min-ji. Yeah, and if you think that's funny, you should hear her last name."
Next, during the life jacket section of the safety spiel: "All I'm saying is watch out when the ladies take off their life jackets."
Then, after the safety spiel: "Thank you, ladies." At this stage it sounds like you're channeling Roger Sterling who observes that the best thing about stewardesses is that "they can't get away".
But we're not done! Once the ladies have finished the safety spiel, the recorded Spanish version starts. Two or three sentences in, you interrupt it: "Sorry about that, folks. It's just something they make us do when we fly into Los Angeles." I'm loving how you assume that every passenger on the plane is just like you (annoyed by minorities, apparently).
When the spiel finally ends: "Again, I must apologize for that, folks."

We're all lacking in certain awarenesses. But not all of us have a captive audience of 200 people strapped into their seats. I'd kill for that kind of power.

Are we doomed?

2009-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

Nobody's reading, and the people who are reading are mostly reading Harry Potter and Twilight and Dan Brown. (I love HP, and read the others, but you must admit that it might be nicer to extend the range a bit ...)

Nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no [emphasis mine] books for pleasure. And reading is declining as an activity among teenagers. Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers.

Also, 15-24-year-olds spend about 2.5 hours a day watching TV. A day! And nearly one in four Americans read no books at all. And that's with Harry Potter and Twilight and Dan Brown selling in the millions.

It's not just reading for pleasure, either:

The survey shows that reading for pleasure strongly correlates with academic achievement. The average reading score for high school seniors who read for pleasure almost every day was 302. Those who hardly ever read scored an average of 274. Frequent readers also score better on writing tests than nonreaders or infrequent readers.

Here's the full article.

Great customer service!

2009-11-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm in Mountain View right now, visiting the Googleplex. I come down here maybe every couple of months, and I always try to stay in the Hotel Avante on El Camino Real. It's comfortable, and reasonably priced, and they have a shuttle to the office which means that you don't have to rent a car (anything that prevents me standing in line at an airport is good in my book). And the staff are really nice and friendly; and it's across the street from Satsuma Sushi, a sushi joint with the nicest, most motherly waitress in the world who is so sweet to the woman eating alone with the iPhone and Kindle in front of her.

The last couple of times I've been here there have been a few Diet Cokes put on my desk (which also contains a Rubik cube, a mini Etch-A-Sketch, and other geeky toys), along with a note:

My first reaction was: How do they know I drank so much Diet Coke?

Have they been going through my trash?

Of course not; I've taken it from the minibar in the past so they can tell from my billing history. But it's a really nice touch, and I appreciate it.

The only problem is, I haven't had a Diet Coke for months now. I'm not quite sure what to do with the cans. I'll probably bring them down to the front desk tomorrow, but for a while I did consider bringing them into work and sneaking them into the coolers.

Airplane picnic

2009-11-11T17:01:00.001-08:00

photo.jpg, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Airport food: To be avoided at all costs. Here's today's lunch:

Two small apples. I ate only one because as I was sitting at the gate I mindlessly put the other one on the seat next to me. Then I got completely grossed out as I thought about the nasties you'd get from eating food in contact with an airport seat.
Some cheese
Almonds
Trader Joe's plantain chips
Caraway crackers from Mary's Gone Crackers. These are so delicious, made from seeds and rice and a little quinoa.

A very pleasant meal.

The skirt rule

2009-11-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

I love clothes but I hate shopping and I hate clutter, and I've been trying really hard over the last couple of years to pare down to a small wardrobe. I end up clearing things out every couple of months, not because I've bought new clothes - I've pretty much limited that to twice-yearly, strictly budgeted runs - but because certain items have fallen out of rotation and are just taking up space. I think I'm finally getting to the state where there's nothing there I don't wear.

photo from sagespot

Here's where Angie's (from You Look Fab) brilliant skirt rule comes in. She is absolutely right, and following this rule has prevented so many Goodwill trips this year. Here it is: Don’t purchase a skirt unless you purchase the accompanying top at the same time, or you already have a top that will work in your closet.

Trust me, this one works.

Beans in 90 minutes

2009-11-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

I love beans, and we eat a lot of them. Dried beans are definitely tastier, but cooking them always seems to turn out such a project, with the soaking and the planning and the boiling and all.

Enter 90-minute no-soak beans. Throw your beans in a pot, cover them with an inch and a half of water, bring them to the boil with a little salt (yes, before they're cooked), then put in a 250-degree oven, covered, for 75 minutes. My oven will turn itself off, so I set it for 80 minutes and went to bed.

Success! The beans were perfect. We ate them with tomatoes, cilantro, onion, avocado, lime, and sour cream. A truly delicious little meal, with lots left over for soup or salads during the rest of the week.

I'll be using this method from now on, and I can see a lot more beans in our future. I loved this compilation of 42 great bean recipes from Cheap Healthy Good.

Monkey Hooks: The easiest way to hang pictures

2009-11-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not good at hanging pictures, or arranging art on a wall. Mistakes were made.

I love these Monkey Hooks: they are the easiest and least damaging way to hang pictures. Such a smart idea! Each hook is a single piece of wire you just push through the wall (drywall only) - no hammer, no nails, no cracked plaster, no damaged relationships. The wire is shaped so that the hook is braced against the inside of the wall. If you made a mistake, it leaves only a tiny little hole and it distributes the weight of the picture (up to 50 pounds, according to the site). Fantastic idea.

Just one wish

2009-11-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

I love how kids have their favorite characters or shows emblazoned over all their stuff. A Spiderman scooter. A Dora lunchbox.

I wish adults could do the same. I'd love a Wire laptop bag, or a Tudors yoga mat.

Irish Accent Sexiest In World

2009-11-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

It says so, right here in the Daily Mail.

I know this is true, because I come from Limerick. Judge for yourself.

On selective memory

2009-11-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it sways toward justice." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There's a scene in the movie Far From Heaven - an homage to 1950s Peyton Place-style melodramas - where a black child jumps into the pool at a country club. Horrified, the white mothers call their children out until eventually, the pool is empty. It's a horrible scene, because it shows how normal racism was. The white women aren't KKK members. They're not lynching people. But unquestioned racism pervades their culture.

Now people are (rightfully) ashamed of racist attitudes that were acceptable back then. But I wonder how many white people who lived through that time are honest with the way they describe it. How many would have called their child out of the pool? Or believed in "separate but equal"? Have they convinced themselves they were on the side of justice, even if they weren't? It's like U2's first show: There's a hundred thousand people who claim to have been there. Or people who "lived through the sixties". To listen to them, you'd think everyone was on the barricades - but you know, lots of people weren't. Most people weren't. Racism was accepted, institutionalized, taken for granted, and memory is selective.

Watch Far From Heaven with a child in 2009, and the child will be shocked and say, "Was it really like that? Did people really think that way?" And people will say, "No, that's just wrong. It was a terrible thing. Some people felt like that. But we didn't."

The times they are a'changing. To the 53% who voted to repeal Maine's marriage equality law (who voted specifically, remember, to remove rights from a group of citizens), or the 49% of Washington State voters who chose to vote against Referendum 71 yesterday: You're fighting a losing battle. Change is inevitable. That sound you hear is the scrabbling of your fingernails attempting to cling on to sliding privilege.

Fifteen years from now a child will turn to you and say, "Was it really like that? Were gay people really not allowed to get married? Or visit a partner on their deathbed? Or [insert any of more than 1,113 federal rights here]?"

And you'll say to the child: "Yes, it was a terrible thing. Some people thought that. But we didn't."

And you will be lying through your teeth.

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet

2009-11-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

I can't stop listening to Gavin Bryars's Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet. It's a long, long piece (the complete recording is 71 minutes) based on a loop of an old tramp singing a snatch of song, overlaid with strings and orchestra (and, eventually, Tom Waits). It's moving and hypnotic. It would be wonderful savasana music, I think.

Happiness: Pleasure in daily things

2009-11-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Lake Union is a beautiful lake. It's a working lake, with shipyards and docks as well as the usual leisure boats. I try to take a picture of the view from our living room every day. I often forget, but I often remember. Now it gives me real pleasure to click through the pictures on Flickr, and I'm looking forward to doing this for many years. (Here's a slideshow version.)

(Increased blogging activity due to the fact that I was challenged by Therese to sign up for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and blog every day for the month of November.

WMX-Men

2009-11-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

At Google, I work on the Webmaster Tools team, known internally as WMX.

For Halloween, we were the WMX-Men. I'm not as familiar with the X-Men canon as I should be, so in the end (thanks to a suggestion from the wise Mr. Lippa) I went as Wolveriona.

That's not just a plastic Wolverine claw you see there, folks. This is an electric Wolverine battle claw. The claws retract (kind of) with a satisfying snick sound. (Fancy a battle claw, only slightly used? Let me know and it's yours.)

The rest of the team did real legit XMen costumes. They were awesome. Javier (as Dr. Xavier) even rented a wheelchair. We won, natch - happy hour at the place of our choice!

Memorial Day

2009-05-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Previously:

Easter

St Patrick's Day

Valentine's Day

Christmas

Orange and olive salad

2009-04-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

Brothers and sisters, drop what you're doing and make this orange and olive salad, courtesy Mark Bittman.

At its very simplest, you could just chop olives (by hand, or in a food processor, or in a little mini chopper like I did) and strew them over juicy orange slices. Throw a very little amount of thyme into the olives if you have it. And toss some fennel seeds over the olives. The taste of them all together is sensational. By the time we ate this I'd forgotten about the fennel, and its taste was totally unexpected.

1 cup good black olives, preferably oil cured, pitted ( couldn't find oil-cured in Trader Joe's, so I used brine-cured kalamatas, and it was fine)
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for dressing
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
4 navel oranges, peeled, seeded, and sliced into rounds
Fennel seeds

Pulse the olives in a mini chopper or food processor - not too fine (you can refrigerate it for a day or so). Slice the oranges and peel (I got around two slices per orange half, and ate the leftovers at the chopping board). Arrange them on a plate and strew the olives over. Drizzle with oil, and toss about a spoonful of fennel seeds over the olives. I was timid with the fennel seeds and now I regret it. They were delicious. I think they're even better if the salad gets to sit about twenty minutes or so.

You're welcome.

Pale yuppie asses

2009-04-24T00:38:00.000-07:00

Subject: Fishing practice?
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:43:12 -0700
From: Friend
To: Me and others [in response to long thread]

Is this what you guys do all day long, shit out emails to each other. Please send this info to the mail I actually check. [redacted]@yahoo.com. I need to be kept in the loop on this yakima trip. It was my freaking Idea. Your primitive minds can't comprehend an operation of this magnitude. Before the trip is over they will be dragging the river bottom looking for your pale yuppie asses.

Whatever do they mean?

2009-04-07T12:25:00.001-07:00

Whatever do they mean?, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Easter! Spring has come to Eastlake

2009-04-05T11:07:00.001-07:00

Previously:

St Patrick's Day

Valentine's Day

Christmas

Ten things I have believed to be true

2009-03-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Point Break is a place.
If I persist in refusing to have my hair treated despite repeated outbreaks in our two-room school, the lice will crawl up inside me and eat me from the inside out.
The name "Kim Jong Il" is pronounced "Kim Jong the Second".
I will have repaired an item of clothing taking up room in my closet.
Said item will come back into style.
When said item comes back into style, I will be thin enough to wear it.
Day spas and salons are a pleasurable indulgence, instead of extremely boring (with the notable exception of the Olympus Spa, which I love). Also, bubblebaths.
I will cook more and better if I buy this fancy doohickey.
Los Angeles is less cool and interesting than Manhattan.
If I shift more than one gear, my car engine will explode.

You?

Visual DNA

2009-03-19T15:57:00.001-07:00

I normally can't stand personality quizzes, but I really liked the design of this one, from Youniverse. It's based on pictures.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Our anonymous neighbors did honor to my people by decking out the tree for Paddy's Day.

Previously:
Valentine's Day
Christmas

Going dark

2009-03-07T22:26:00.001-08:00

Standing outside our cabana, originally uploaded by Ríona.

This is where we're headed tomorrow morning for 5 days of beach, books, and quiet. See you on the other side!

It's your funeral

2009-03-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

I was surfing around a while ago when I came across this:

It's an EcoPod - a feather-lined coffin made entirely from recycled paper. I showed it to Phil straight away. He was less than keen to discuss the matter, but I was very taken with the design and wasn't giving up.

"I want you to promise me you'll buy the cheapest possible coffin for my funeral."

"What?"

"I don't want a big coffin. I think they're wasteful. I want you to get me the lowest-priced coffin that's available. I'll tell people about it first, so they won't think you're being cheap on the day."

"Tell you what," he said, "I'll buy the second cheapest coffin."

I was all for getting two EcoPods straight away and keeping them in the attic. Mine would probably fit inside Phil's, so it's not like they would be taking up too much space. But my friend Maggie pointed out that I wouldn't like the idea of my friends nudging each other at the funeral service because my coffin was "so 2009".

It did start me reading about the funeral industry, though. "Death care" has a tradition of pressuring its vulnerable customers into buying expensive and unnecessary services. As this great Wired piece says, "Grieving people don't haggle."

Here are some alternatives to a casket with a markup of between 400 and 1200 percent:

Costco's line of caskets with expedited delivery
Flat-pack coffin kit online (at $600 there's probably still a very healthy margin for the retailer)
Cardboard coffin

More resources

Your rights as a consumer
Nancy Mitford's The American Way of Death Revisited
This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War : A fascinating account of how the war changed perceptions of death and kickstarted the funeral industry
The Natural Death Handbook
Death care novelties!
And finally, as an antidote to all this cynicism, The Undertaking : poet Thomas Lynch's lovely account of life as a small-town undertaker.

On compliments and false modesty

2009-03-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

I was getting coffee at the office the other day when a co-worker stopped and said, "Wow! Awesome shoes!"

Usually, when I get a compliment, my first reaction is to say something to minimize whatever it was that insired it. "Oh this? I've had it for years." "It was really cheap on eBay." But this time, to my surprise, I just said "Thank you."

Why do we do this? I'm not alone - a lot of women do. Do we feel that by getting a compliment, we're sticking out too much, trying too hard? It's not as if I don't put thought into my shoes or clothes. I put a lot of thought into them. So you'd think a compliment would feel well earned, an acknowledgement of the care and thought and effort that we put into our clothes that day, or the meal we just made, or our cure for cancer or something. ("Oh this? Oh! it was just something that grew in my petri dish.")

Often, it seems we don't like women who try too hard. Hence the Kate Winslet backlash, and at least some of the Sarah Palin hate (hey, I get it - there are a lot of reasons to rag on Sarah Palin , but trying is not one of them. Should she maintain the fiction that she was just, you know, wandering around Alaska and the VP candidacy just kind of happened to her and she decided to go along for the ride?) "Striver " is a horrible insult, and it's only really ever applied to women.

Stephen Fry's essay On Fame (and if you don't follow Stephen Fry's Twitter feed or read his charming and thought-provoking blog , I recommend that you abandon this article and go check them out now) suggests that the Compliment Reflex is almost as insulting:

Many newly made slebs fall down especially in the area of compliments. It’s perhaps a very English thing to find it hard to accept kind words about oneself. If anyone praised me in my early days as a comedy performer I would say, “Oh, nonsense. Shut up. No really, I was dreadful.” I remember going through this red-faced shuffle in the presence of the mighty John Cleese who upbraided me the moment we were alone.

‘You genuinely think you’re being polite and modest, don’t you?’

‘Well, you know …’

‘Don’t you see that when someone hears their compliments contradicted they naturally assume that you must think them a fool? Suppose you went up to a pianist after a recital and told him how much you had enjoyed his performance and he replied, “rubbish, I was awful!” You would go away thinking you were a poor judge of musicianship and that he thought you an idiot.’

‘Yes, but I can’t agree with someone if they praise me, that would sound so cocky. And anyway, suppose I do think I was awful?’ (which most of the time performers do think of themselves, of course.)

‘It’s so simple. You just say thank you. You just thank them. How hard is that?’

You must think me the completest kind of arse to have to be told how to take a compliment, but it was an important lesson that I (clearly) never forgot. So bound up with not wanting to look smug and pleased with ourselves are we that we forget how mortifying it is to have compliments thrown back in one’s face.

And deflecting compliments on your cooking? Don't do it. Listen to the wonderful words of the great Julia Child :

I don’t believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make. When one’s hostess starts in with self-deprecations such as “Oh, I don’t know how to cook . . . ,” or“Poor little me . . . ,” or “this may taste awful . . . ,” it is so dreadful to have to reassure her that everything is delicious and fine, whether it is or not. Besides, such admissions only draw attention to one’s shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, “Yes, you’re right, this really is an awful meal!”

Sous vide (guest post)

2009-03-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Getting a perfectly cooked steak has proven more elusive than I thought it should. Even when eating out it tends to be hit and miss. Pan searing and finishing in the oven at home proves no exception. Too rare or well done around the edges. A recent Cook's Illustrated article suggested cooking in a slow oven first and finishing on the stove. This helps with even cooking, but still too much timing and tending. But some restaurants consistently deliver perfect steaks, so how to duplicate this at home?

When cooking flan, souffles, or other delicate items, water baths are commonly used. So why not cook the steak in a water bath instead of a slow oven and then finish with a quick pan sear using the wife's beloved cast iron to get it nice and brown?

We tried this experiment last weekend with good results:

1) Get your gear together: 1" thick New York steak, fingerling potatoes, brussel sprouts, butter, garlic. Cast iron pan, tongs, vegetable oil.

2) Put the steak in a zip lock bag, seal it leaving one corner open. Fill a pot with hot water - we used our 140F tap water. Submerge the steak into the water, hold the open corner up, let all the air out, and then seal the open corner. Then we put it on the lowest flame possible and let it sit in the water bath for 30 minutes.

3) Now that we have 30 minutes for the steak to come up to temp, the oven goes to 400F and the fingerlings and brussel sprouts get halved, tossed in a little butter, and spread out onto a jelly roll pan. Into the oven with these two for 20 min.

4) Now you have 20 min of free time to hang out and relax. Check email or sports scores. Nothing in this setup is going to get really over cooked, so don't worry about it.

5) 20 minutes later, turn the oven off and open the door a crack. Let the potatoes and brussel sprouts hang out in the oven for a few minutes while you sear the steak.

6) Get your favorite cast iron pan piping hot and hit it with some oil or fat. Remove the steak from the bag and sear all 6 sides of it (or just 2 if you're lazy). Real aficionados will sear the steak with a blow torch. Maybe I'll have to try that next time. Great party trick too.

The results turned out great:

Turns out there's a formal way of doing this called sous vide. We didn't follow it to the letter of the law, just the basic intent. I really see sous vide becoming more popuplar with all kinds of meat since it's so easy, reliable, and tastes great! If you get presealed meats from the butcher, then even easier to use this technique.

Happy Eating!

Phil

Stretchy soup

2009-02-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

Round here, we eat a lot of soup. And our soup is never a delicate broth, but a thick, hearty meal in a bowl - what Rachael Ray would call "stoup". (Why do people rag on Rachael Ray? I have my theories.) My mother's family referred to it as "Aitin' soup" - there's both aiting and drinking in it. And if you make big batches, there's always something to eat.

Last week, I made one of my favorite quick-enough dishes: pumpkin and sweet potato curry with chickpeas. It ended up a little thin, but still tasty.

The next day, looking to beef it up, I defrosted a package of spinach, squeezed it out, and stirred it in. Now the soupy curry was a thicker stew. It tasted meatier, somehow.

On day three, it didn't look like we had quite enough. I stirred in a 24-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Delicious! All the flavors had had a chance to meld, and the tomatoes added a lovely sweeter edge.

The progression of plain to spinach to tomatoes is definitely one I'm going to follow again, next time perhaps with a more Italian flavor. Variety without effort is just what I'm often looking for in the middle of the week.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-18T21:32:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day, originally uploaded by Ríona.

This week, the tree on the corner was decorated for Valentine's Day.

Previously: Christmas tree

Breaking radio silence

2009-02-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

It's been ages. But I've been busy! I went to Zurich for work, which was ... meh. They have an excellent public transport system, and I applaud them for it, but the city itself left me cold. Plus, I arrived on a Sunday night and literally could find nothing to eat. (I was staying in a corporate apartment, not a hotel.) But the Google office is very, very cool. Check out the egg meeting rooms:

(photo from pineapplebun )

After that, I went to see my sisters and her lovely daughters in London for the weekend and ended up staying an extra day because of the snow. This was all fine with me.

After that, I went to Limerick to see the rest of my family, which was great. But my cameraphone had died by then. I feel very lucky that I was able to combine a work trip with a vacation.

It was nice to come home, though.

A dog's life in Sayulita

2008-12-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

Sayulita is a good place to be a dog. You can spend the day hanging on the beach and the street with your dog buddies, chasing birds and splashing in the surf. Plus, you get to keep your testicles.

Ever see a dog so ugly it's cute? Today on the beach, I saw a guy walking along with a weird, ragtag little bitch who was so adorable, so completely lovable, that I pointed at her and smiled at her owner and dragged the word for "dog" out of my brain, only instead of Spanish I picked the Irish language word, madra, and so I pointed at this ugly horrible little dog and grinned at her owner, and said to him: "Your mom." [tu madre?]

Christmas tree

2008-12-20T13:50:00.001-08:00

Christmas tree, originally uploaded by Ríona.

This apple tree on the corner of Franklin and Hamlin in Eastlake is always decorated according to the season - Christmas, St Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, even President's Day. On the day after the election it was decked out in blinking blue lights.

It's a real pleasure to see, and it's my resolution to take pictures of it through 2009.

Thank you to the anonymous neighbors who brighten our corner of Eastlake.

There are a million stories in the City of Fleece

2008-12-19T10:29:00.001-08:00

... and this must be one of them.

photo.jpg, originally uploaded by Ríona.

These notices are plastered up all around Eastlake. The photo isn't as clear as it could be, so here's the full text:

POLICE NOTICE
I have interviewed Robert Jiminez and Irene Pima of 2244 Fairview AV. E. Seattle . I have visited with them many times.

There is nothing bad or improper going on there. Robert is a good and very helpful roomate AND Handy-man.

[signature unclear]
5872

City of Seattle
Officer Susanna [unclear]
Seattle Police Department

Save The Omnipotent!

2008-12-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

Heathens, atheists, and fundamentalists of all stripes are up in arms against the passing of a UN resolution that would ban the defamation of religion.

Why, oh why?

Doesn't anybody care about the poor omnipotent beings who need these extra legal protections?

Who is thinking about Their interests?

Now, for only $1 a day you can help feed a magical voice in the sky and protect It from verbal abuse that might hurt Its feelings.

Don't wait until a drunken Christopher Hitchens makes the Almighty cry. Act now to protect the All-Powerful from meanies.

Save the Omnipotent!

Sunday evening: Couldn't be happier.

2008-12-14T17:55:00.001-08:00

Couldn't really be happier, originally uploaded by Ríona.

A simple oul salad

2008-12-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

Some comedy is universal. Some is culturally specific. Last night our Irish friend Aiden and I laughed until we cried at this clip from the magnificent D'Unbelievables, while our American beloveds sat unmoved and incomprehending. A County Limerick background helps.

Religion is far more of a choice than homosexuality

2008-12-12T16:18:00.001-08:00

If you haven't seen it already, this clip shows Jon Stewart rationally and elegantly taking apart Mike Huckabee's insupportable arguments against gay marriage.

You know, you talk about the pro-life movement [abortion] being one of the great shames of our nation. I think if you want number two, I think it’s that: It’s a travesty that people have forced someone who is gay to have to make their case that they deserve the same basic rights as someone else.

The Kindle out-of-box experience

2008-12-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Phil's Kindle arrived today! From start to finish it took about three minutes for him to be reading on it, and that's only because I made him pause for photos throughout the process. (Apologies for the crappy cellphone pictures.)

1. The Kindle comes in a really attractive, Mac-like box that opens like a book and is fastened with an elastic band.

2. Getting it out of the box

3. It's covered with a protective film.

4. Turn it on

5. Take off the back cover to find the registration number

6. Go to Amazon and register

7. If there's a Kindle already in your account, send some books! Or buy a book in a few seconds. Start reading!

Hitler bunker scene redux three ways!

2008-11-21T12:55:00.001-08:00

Updated with extra link - thanks, Paul!

A while ago I posted a link to this genius video: Hitler plans Burning Man. But it's a meme sweeping the internet, originally from a movie called Der Undergang, the story of Hitler's final days in the bunker. Here's three versions: Hitler planning Burning Man, bitching about Vista, and facing the real-estate bubble.

Now, here's the exact same clip (via The Thoughtful Dresser), but this time, Hitler is upset with Vista.

Hitler faces the real-estate bubble:

The care and seasoning of a cast-iron skillet

2008-11-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Updated to include warning about possibly cracking your skillet in two

Updated again because I remembered how useful a lid is

Look at this skillet. Isn't it beautiful? If the house was on fire, this is the first thing I'd grab - ironic, since it's probably the only thing that would survive a fire.

This is my most beloved possession. Several days a week, for year after year, our dinner has started with a scattering of oil and garlic in this pan. I fry and saute in it. I make pasta sauce. It's great for roasting a chicken. When meat or chicken hits the sizzling oil, it gets a sear that's second to nothing. It's the most non-stick surface I've ever cooked with: eggs slide around on its surface, and everything comes off with a quick rinse. This skillet has come camping with us, performing brilliantly over an open fire or our portable gas burner. When I needed to be tested a while ago in case I had too much iron in my blood (I don't), my first thought was: Where will my skillet go if we can't use it? It will absolutely get a mention in my will.

And every time we use it, this skillet gets a little bit better. Think how unusual this is! Our whole consumer culture is built around things getting a little bit worse every day they grow older. This skillet cost about fifteen bucks, and to me it's priceless, every shimmer of its black sheen a record of shared meals and experience, a history.

Here's my tips on how to choose and look after your skillet so it will serve you as well as mine has.

1. Ideally, inherit your skillet. This is really the best way. If this looks unlikely, maybe you'll find one at an estate sale. A ten-year headstart makes all the difference.

2. Kidding! If you haven't lucked out in the skillet race, buy a Lodge Logic preseasoned cast-iron skillet. A twelve-inch skillet is the workhorse - you can use it to roast a whole chicken - but I'd recommend an 8-inch (or thereabouts) one too. This you can use to make cornbread - and really, there's little on earth as satisfying as turning out fresh cornbread on a platter for friends. Seriously, though, preseasoned is the way to go. Your pan is ready to use straight out of the box, and it really gives you a headstart. These pans are so good that Lodge has stopped producing the unseasoned one. Don't get one of those skillets with the steel handle. This is not the time to consider trends. Get the plain classic skillet.

3. Buy a lid for your skillet, especially if you're getting the larger one. This is tremendously useful in cooking. Treat it pretty much like the skillet itself. The lid of my large 7-quart Dutch oven also fits my large skillet.

4. When you unpack your skillet, follow the instructions in the box.

5. Cook normally. Here's the only gotchas you need to know about:

Don't leave it to soak. Too much water can cause the seasoning to flake. (But in this case, just season it again and it will be fine.)
Think about cooking eggs in it. Note that it's a bit of a pain in the ass to clean.
They say not to cook acidic things in it, but unless you're simmering something (tomato sauce, maybe) for a long time, you'll be fine. (But if you do cook a lot of tomato- or acid-based stuff, consider enamelled cast iron from Lodge. As good as Le Creuset, I do think, a quarter of the price, and so much more down home.)
Don't plunge your skillet under cold water when it's very very hot - for example, don't take it off the hot burner and run it under a very cold faucet straight away. I've read that this can cause the cast iron to crack. I can't bear to think about it. Best not to risk it.
After dinner, rinse the pan out under the tap. At first (say, the first couple of years), you might have to use a wire brush or scrubber to get everything off. That's fine. Just don't use detergent. If things are really baked on, put the skillet on the burner until it's hot, then pour about a half a cup or more of salt in, let it heat, then wrap your hands in paper towels and scour the pan with the salt until it's clean.
Dry the skillet and put it on a low burner while you clean up the rest of the kitchen. After a few minutes, pour in a drop of oil and let it warm. After another minute or so, grab a paper towel and wipe it round the skillet, then leave it on the burner. This sounds like a chore but really it isn't; it's just a habit you get into. Croon to it; I find it helps.
Wipe off the skillet so it's not that oily. Admire it. Watch how it changes.
After a few weeks, cook eggs in it again. Notice the difference.

You're welcome.

Mountain Man Coyote Fur Hat

2008-11-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

Phil's birthday is coming up. I was dithering over whether or not to buy him an attractive hat, but I was convinced by the "exceptionally soft" fur that "holds its sheen extremely well."

Jim Crow called

2008-11-17T16:13:00.001-08:00

Jim Crow called, originally uploaded by Ríona.

From the March for Marriage Equality, November 15, Seattle

No on Prop 8: Let freedom ring

2008-11-06T08:16:00.001-08:00

No on Prop 8: Let freedom ring, originally uploaded by Ríona.

In the middle of the euphoria around our new hopey overlords yesterday, the one sour note was the kick in the teeth that is Prop 8.

As Allen over at Eating Out Loud says:

So, I awoke this morning to learn that my relationship with my partner is no longer valid. It’s no longer legal. It’s somehow sub-par, not equivalent, not worthy of protection. And you know what? I’m pissed and tired of holding it in.

I decided to snap a photo of my wedding band placed on a slightly different finger than normal to express exactly how I feel toward every single person who voted Yes on Prop 8. It’s my personal version of ‘let freedom ring’. The battle for equality changes course but it’s very far from over.
I’m sure some of you will believe in Prop 8 and that’s your right. Please make sure to update your reader to remove my blog and to delete any bookmarks to my site. I won’t take it personally but as for Prop 8 and your intrusion on my life … I take it very personally.

I welcome supporters of gay rights to snap your own photo showing your wedding ring on your middle finger. Spread the word that this fight isn’t over. Whether you’re gay, straight, bi, white, blue or tan — show your support by letting freedom ring on your blog! Please forward this page to any friends and family who may find it of interest.

Thanks to De Lowe for pointing this out. Spread the word! Take a picture, post it on your blog (or Facebook, or MySpace) and add your link here.

Yes, we can.

2008-11-04T22:42:00.001-08:00

Acceptance speech, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Election Day, November 1884

2008-11-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and show,
’Twould not be you, Niagara—nor you, ye limitless prairies—nor your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,
Nor you, Yosemite—nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyserloops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,
Nor Oregon’s white cones—nor Huron’s belt of mighty lakes—nor Mississippi’s stream:
—This seething hemisphere’s humanity, as now, I’d name—the still small voice vibrating—America’s choosing day,
(The heart of it not in the chosen—the act itself the main, the quadrennial choosing,)
The stretch of North and South arous’d-sea-board and inland-Texas to Maine—the Prairie States—Vermont, Virginia, California,
The final ballot-shower from East to West—the paradox and conflict,
The countless snow-flakes falling—(a swordless conflict,
Yet more than all Rome’s wars of old, or modern Napoleon’s:) the peaceful choice of all,
Or good or ill humanity—welcoming the darker odds, the dross:
—Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify—while the heart pants, life glows:
These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,
Swell’d Washington’s, Jefferson’s, Lincoln’s sails.

Walt Whitman (from Leaves of Grass)

Ireland on $10 a Day (1977-1978): The economy

2008-10-28T20:08:00.001-07:00

They say you can't go home again, and it's true. The Ireland I left in 1989 was nothing like the Ireland I returned to in 1994; and the Ireland I visit now is unrecognizable from that of my childhood.

Recently I happened across a copy of Ireland On $10 A Day (1977-1978), and it's like stepping back to a world that's eerily familiar but as distant as a fairy tale. This is the year the Pope's Children - the first generation since the Famine of the mid-19th century to experience an increase in the size of the population, and the first generation to know nothing but boom and prosperity - were born. At first, as is the wont of my people, I circled the book cautiously, on the lookout for any hint of patronisation or insult, but it's actually well written and pretty accurate. I'm planning on blogging excerpts from it over the next few weeks, in the hope that some people will fnd it as fascinating as I do. First up, an introduction to Ireland's economy:

The economy

For though the troubles may dominate news headlines and TV, they do not overly preoccupy the people of the South. If you want to discuss the subject, you will probably have to bring it up yourself. Not that the people of the Republic don't care. They do - they're simply all talked out. All the angles have been rehashed among friends for years and everyone knows each other's opinions and prefers not to hear them again. The Southern hope is for a united Ireland in the future; their present concerns are what they have always been - their own lives and development as a country.

This development took an important turn on January 1, 1973, when Ireland joined the new, nine-country European Economic Community. ("How does it feel to be a foreigner?" they asked each other on the day they "entered" Europe.) EEC membership has forced Ireland to look outward, possibly for the first time in its rather isolationist history. It has also forced up both prosperity and prices. Due to increased exports, Irish farmers have found their incomes suddenly enlarged; though industrial investment attracted during the first year of membership, projected new jobs went up a remarkable 60%. In 1972, the average male industrial wage was £23 ($53.36) per week. One year later it had reached £33 ($76.46). (Although the earnings of the over 60,000 women employed in industry remained at a shockingly low £16.38, $38, a week.) Ireland has the poorest economy of the nine countries in The Common Market and wrangles mightily, if not too successfully, in Brussels for more aid as an underdeveloped country. For, although the EEC has opened new markets to the Irish producer, it has also forced him up against stiffer competition. But Ireland is no longer impoverished; there are very few people now who are not warmly dressed, housed and well fed. Providing more jobs to staunch further emigration, reducing the income gap, curtailing inflation, extending the social welfare program, giving a higher quality of public education - these are what Southern Ireland is talking about today.

Not that the old familiar political issues are dead. At dinner with a Dublin family in which the husband was a nationalist and the wife a Republican [sic], I asked the seven-year-old son what he planned to be when he grew up. "The President of Ireland," he answered categorically. "Not in a divided Ireland, you're not!" shot back his mother.

And, who knows, the way things have been going with the Republic these past 50-odd years. Turning dreams into reality can become an agreeable habit. And when it comes to dreamers, Ireland has never suffered a shortage of personnel.

British Airways slaps humungous fee onto international air miles redemptions

2008-10-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

I just noticed this on the Alaska Airways site:

Effective December 1, 2008: British Airways will mandate a fuel surcharge fee, ranging from approximately $460 to $532 (USD), for all awards redeemed by Mileage Plan members. The fuel surcharge will be collected along with all current taxes and fees at the time of ticketing, and applies to all tickets purchased, exchanged, or reissued on or after December 1, 2008, without exception.

Crap.

Making headcheese

2008-10-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Twitter feed is cracking me up.

My favorite election shirt

2008-10-18T20:59:00.001-07:00

My favorite election shirt, originally uploaded by Ríona.

With all respect to Joe the Senator, wouldn't this be the best ticket ever? (we got the shirt at www.cafepress.com.)

Voting!

2008-10-18T15:20:00.001-07:00

Voting!, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Martha Stewart, I like you more and more

2008-10-15T21:04:00.001-07:00

As I've written about before, I loathe conspicuous branding of clothes and accessories, and I've just experienced a startling surge of affection for Martha Stewart.

She likes to wear shoes by Christian Louboutin. His beautiful shoes are famous for always having red soles - a feature whose main purpose is to advertise the stratospheric price of your footwear to those who might otherwise be unaware of it.

Martha recommends using (or in her case, getting someone else to use) a broad black Sharpie to paint the soles of your Christian Louboutins black.

That's a good thing!

Meanwhile, in the "Well, you gotta laugh, don't ya?" department

2008-10-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Lots more at the Brokers With Hands On Their Faces blog.

Awesome hallway landing strip made from IKEA magazine box

2008-10-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely in love with this hallway shelf made by staining an IKEA magazine box and turning it on its side. Unfortunately, our hallway doesn't have a corner we can use, but I'm thinking of attaching this to the corner beside my side of the bed.

Read more about it on design*sponge.

Cooking With Coolio is back!

2008-10-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

The demented delight that is Cooking With Coolio continues. Watch the kitchen king get down with his crown. While dressed like a pirate. Shakazulu!

I want to get a video camera just so I can be in to win a bell pepper autographed by Coolio.

The new ten commandments

2008-10-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

I first read these in Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, but I recently stumbled on them again. For a deeper analysis, visit Ebon Musing. These give me hope.

Do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you.
In all things, strive to cause no harm.
Treat your fellow human beings, your fellow living things, and the world in general with love, honesty, faithfulness and respect.
Do not overlook evil or shrink from administering justice, but always be ready to forgive wrongdoing freely admitted and honestly regretted.
Live life with a sense of joy and wonder.
Always seek to be learning something new.
Test all things; always check your ideas against the facts, and be ready to discard even a cherished belief if it does not conform to them.
Never seek to censor or cut yourself off from dissent; always respect the right of others to disagree with you.
Form independent opinions on the basis of your own reason and experience; do not allow yourself to be led blindly by others.
Question everything.

Helvitica, The Movie

2008-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight we watched Helvetica, a documentary about a font.

I loved it. It's a fantastic example of how good storytelling can make anything - even something as ubiquitous as this font - riveting.

Highly recommended.

Note: Helvetica is not one of the Blogger typeface options.

Blustery Seattle

2008-10-07T11:31:00.001-07:00

A tree blown down on Fairview, originally uploaded by Ríona.

It's been super windy in Seattle the last few days. You can see white-cap waves on normally placid Lake Union. Here's a tree knocked down on Fairview Avenue, by the lakeshore.

Luckily, our new roof held up. Because that would have sucked.

Vote!

2008-10-02T12:15:00.001-07:00

For some reason, probably the fact that I'm incredibly easily manipulated, I find myself choking up when I watch this.

Paul Newman 1925-2008

2008-09-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

A life well lived.

Today or tomorrow, why not buy a case of something by Newman's Own and donate it to your local feedback. (Via StinkyLulu.)

Also: Dahlia Lithwick's obit from Slate.

Do you feel lucky?

2008-09-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

What are the odds of Sarah Palin becoming President? Like, actual President?

Here's some everyday events that have about the same odds as soon swearing in President Palin:

Kobe Bryant hitting two consecutive three-point attempts.
On your next try, pulling a red M&M out of the bag.
A rainy day in El Paso or San Diego. (A first-term President Palin would be twice as likely as a rainy day in Los Angeles.)
That you will be delayed on two consecutive flights into Newark Airport.
Escaping jail in Monopoly by rolling a double.
That your birthday falls on a Wednesday.
That a hurricane hits Louisiana in any given year.
That a flipped coin comes up heads three times in a row.
That the next car you see will be black. A first term presidential funeral is more likely than the next car you see being blue, red, green or brown; it is only less likely than the next one being silver or white.
That any three consecutive traffic lights you hit will all be red.

More terrifying calculations here.

Post on Night of the Hunter.

2008-09-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

Over from the brilliant guy at And Your Little Blog Too, there's a great article on one of my very favorite movies, Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter.

Bootycamp, Day 1

2008-09-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Verdict: Getting up at five was fine - today.

About twelve of us - all women - gathered in Volunteer Park today for the first day of Southside Bootycamp. It was still dark when I got there, and the grass was wet.

After a brief introduction, the session got underway. We started with stretches, then the instructor made us do push-ups and planks. She took our scores so we can compare once we've finished the course, but let it be said that mine were woeful. Once that was done we did some pretty light circuits - crunches and reverse crunches, alternating with runs around the field squeezing a ball in front of us, and oblique crunches while holding weights. It all felt very doable, but the instructor - I didn't get her name this time - said the intensity will increase over the next few days.

I got home at 7:40, which is earlier than I usually get up, and I felt fantastic all day today. I really liked the group. "If you're sore, I recommend Advil," said the instructor. "Or Vicodin," muttered my neighbor.

Here are my baseline stats. I'm averting my eyes from the screen as I type.

Weight: 142

Regular pushups: 1

Girl pushups: 20

Plank: 45 seconds

Enthusiam: Superhigh

Up tomorrow at 5:30 to do it again.

Kooba is dead to me

2008-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

"You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes?" Lecter hisses at Starling early in The Silence of the Lambs. "You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste."

It's one of the great lines in the movie, because it does so much to describe Starling. I know exactly how she came by her good bag (and so does Lecter). She's read those articles about building a wardrobe of classics, about investing in those few items that provide authority and style without ageing, that will stand by you for years. Maybe the bag is the only good piece she has so far, but she loves it, and she takes care of it, and it represents everything she's working so hard to achieve.

I bet you Starling's bag isn't covered in Coach logos.

I've been trying really, really hard for the last 18 months or so to spend mindfully. No more impulse buys or stuff I'll only wear a few times - just a few well-chosen pieces that will work well with other things in my closet and earn their keep for a long time to come. (For what it's worth, the system is working very well. I think I spend considerably less than I did in my impulse spending days, and I like the clothes better, even if it's sometimes hard to pass up something I would have grabbed off the hanger a couple of years ago without thinking.)

A bag was on my list, and a few months ago, after thinking about it a long time, I found one I loved. It's by Kooba; I can fit a water bottle and a Kindle in it; it's soft but it has some structure and interesting details; - and it hasno visible logo. I love it so much that when I started thinking that my next investment piece would be a more formal, structured bag, I looked at the new line of Kooba bags. But they've just added a conspicuous metal badge to the front of every bag, and so reluctantly I must strike them off my list of candidates.

To each his own, and lots of people like bags with logos on them and I hope they enjoy them. But if you don't, it gets harder every year to find a bag or great sunglasses that aren't covered in branding. It's driving me nuts!

(The Louis Vuitton towel, headbands, and wristbands, by the way, can be yours for the attractive price of $325.)

Bootycamp: Time to get serious

2008-09-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Time to face the facts: I'm 10 pounds heavier than I would settle for, 15 pounds heavier than I would like to be, and unfortunately about 20+ pounds heavier than I was when I bought the clothes I love most. (I was too thin then, I think.)

Today I signed up for Southside Bootycamp: Starting 22 September, I'll be doing group training four days a week, for four weeks, in Seattle's Volunteer Park. Monday-Thursday, 6:15 AM.

6:15 AM.

Four weeks of early nights and clean living won't kill me. I guess. Updates to come.

Please return my cedar chest

2008-09-04T23:04:00.001-07:00

Please return my cedar chest, originally uploaded by Ríona.

I don't have any white shoes

2008-08-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

... but if I did, and I liked the way they looked, I'd be wearing them all the time. For example, this great pair of Paul Smith oxfords:

Yet again, the wonderful Manolo addresses the issue of the white shoes and the idiocy of thinking that there's an appropriate time to wear them. I can't believe I still hear people talk about it.

As always, the correct response when faced with an arbitrary meaningless rule intended mainly to enforce social distinctions is: Says who?

Willie Nelson

2008-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

Last night we saw Willie Nelson at Marymoor Park. I'd never seen him live before, and I loved the show. Stripped down and bare, music, driving honkytonk, and Willie's lonely reedy voice.

Plus, I love his look. As Jeff said, you can't ever imagine him looking like anything else. "He was probably cast out fully formed from the belly of a cactus in the middle of a high desert lightning storm."

The spider in my mirror: Dumb but tenacious

2008-08-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

There has been an orange spider living in my side-view mirror for ten days now. She has her charm, and she is a creature of routine. Here's her day.

Every morning, she's seated in the center of the complex web she wove during the night.
If I'm doing my typical commute, she stays (bouncing) in the center of the billowing web until I reach my first traffic light. (If I leave my window open she spins around and around, very fast but manages to hold on.)
As soon as the car stops, she skedaddles to the top left-hand corner of the mirror. Same place every time.
By evening time, it's clear she's tried to repair some of the damage to her web, but she remains in her corner.
The next day, she does it all again. Exactly the same.

This is where she starts out:

And here's where she ends up every day, after her web has been destroyed:

Rowan Studios: Beautiful, fashion-forward knitting

2008-08-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's been quite the while since I took up the needles - though I usually have a sock on the go - but yesterday I went into The Weaving Works to browse some patterns and get some inspiration. Nothing has been inspiring me recently. Also, I'm a process knitter: I found three completed sweaters in the attic together, needing nothing but assembly. I'm rarely that excited about the finished garment.

This was my first time seeing the new Rowan Studio pattern book, though they're now on issue 8. I love it!

My first project is already on the needles (using Cadena, a bulky wool/alpaca blend black purchased from Knitpicks :

Isn't the shape great? And because it's a bulky knit, it's flying off my needles.

Next up: This great double-yoked jacket. Unlike so many patterns, this is something I'd buy in a store.

I'm glad to be back in the saddle. I'd forgotten about the restful rhythm of knitting, the meditative side of it. A good thing to have right now.

Twittering as prayer

2008-08-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Twittering is the opiate of the masses. It is as close to prayer as a secular person can get -- the sense that you are never alone, that someone is listening out there, that someone cares.

From my friend Maggie, who has just moved to Shanghai but doesn't feel so far away.

Subtle Butt: Does exactly what it says on the tin

2008-08-18T11:29:00.001-07:00

A little while ago, David Sedaris reported to The Stranger that a flight attendant had told that "Us flight attendants, we get so gassy on the airplane we end up farting as we're going up and down the aisles of the plane. We call that 'crop dusting.'"

Perhaps they need Subtle Butt, a product that ruined my morning as I hit up drugstore.com. Here it is, along with instructions quoted verbatim.

Directions
Peel off adhesive and stick Subtle Butt onto the inside of your underwear or pants, exactly where you think it goes.
Go for it, Let'er rip, Have at it, Cut loose, Break wind, Gas it up
When you're done wearing Subtle Butt, remove and discard. If any adhesive traces remain, use a damp cloth for removal.
Tips for Success:
You want all the gas to pass through Subtle Butt. So do what you need to do to ensure none sneaks around the edges.
Subtle Butt can be applied to thongs by wrapping and securing it around the back.
Update: Here's a YouTube video with more detailed instructions. Determining the efficacy of the product itself is left as an exercise for the reader.

Kindle review: The dream machine

2008-08-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Image from jblyberg

I read a lot. I've never cared for hardbacks, finding them too heavy and awkward, and over the last few years I've gradually been ridding myself of the hundreds and hundreds of books that were crowding our hall and taking over our apartment.

So an ebook reader seemed ideal for me. Initially, I checked out the Sony Reader because, frankly, I thought the Amazon Kindle looked like ass. But the Domestic Spending Committee didn't approve the purchase, so I waited until a friend got her Kindle, and once I saw it I knew I had to have it.

The design

On first glance, the Kindle doesn't look half as slick as the Sony Reader. But over a few months of heavy usage, I've come to really appreciate the thought that went into its design. All the features I love in an iphone - touch screen, backlighting, color - are missing. But once you start to use it, you realize that those features would not work at all in a device you might hold and stare at for three to four hours at a stretch.

However, I realize now that when you hold a gadget for several hours at a time, you change your hand position a lot. A touch screen would be impractical, because you'd probably end up jumping away from your page. The keyboard is a bit bigger than I'd like it to be (I don't use the annotation feature and really use it only for buying books on the go) but it's just hard enough to use so that you don't accidentally do something that takes you away from the page.

Another cool feature is the gray rubber battery cover. It's got a pretty cool graphic etched on the back which seemly uncharacteristically decorative until you realize that it provides just enough tackiess to stop your fingers sliding off as you read.

I have only one real gripe about the design: the edges seem a bit pointed and hard, and sometimes are uncomfortable to hold after an hour or so. But in general, I'm amazed at the hardware design. Once you're used to it, the Kindle really does vanish, and you're aware of nothing but the words on the page - just like a book.

The buying experience

Love. Lovelovelove. LOVE the fact that I can see a book on Amazon and instantly send it to my Kindle. Or be sitting on a plane waiting for takeoff and order a book for the flight. I don't put books on my Amazon wishlist any more - I just send samples of anything I like the look of to my Kindle. If I like the sample, it only takes a minute to get the whole book.

New books (i.e. freshly released hardbacks) are $9.99. Older books are $7.99 or cheaper. Almost every classic is available for around a dollar or so. I did some some calculated math to demonstrate to the Domestic Spending Committee that we'd actually be saving money. For me, the unexpected result is not that I opt always for a Kindle book rather than the dead-tree version - it's that I read so much more than I used to, I think because of the ease of ordering. I'd say I'm reading at least three times as much as I used to. I can't remember the last time we turned on the TV or watched a DVD.

Newspapers

Another unexpected bonus. For me, the experience of reading the New York Times on the Kindle beats either the Web or paper versions hands down. No blinking ads. No dirty ink. Just pure content delivered before I wake up.

Battery life

It's pretty good, especially if you remember to turn off wireless. Definitely a couple of days. I plug it in at night anyway, just out of habit and because I did forget once and had to sit on an eight-hour flight from London with nothing to read.

If you're looking for multimedia iPhone-like megagadget, the Kindle isn't for you. It does only one thing - display text - but it does it extremely well (caveat: I haven't used a single one of its other features - blog subscriptions, experimental email ...). But if you're something that looks and feels like the experience of reading a paper book only cheaper, faster, and more easily accessible ... well, you're not getting mine.

Goji berries: Chewy, juicy little jewels of anti-oxidant goodness

2008-08-07T16:41:00.001-07:00

Goji berries, originally uploaded by Ríona.

I've been wanting to try some goji berries for some time now, and today I saw them in the cafeteria of Google's Seattle office, where I'm working for the day. I added them to my ~~oatmeal~~ porridge along with my usual strawberries and blueberries - and loved them. The taste is not particularly strong - milder than raisins or cranberries - and I really liked the chewy texture.

If you're not familiar with goji berries, they're getting very well known for being a crazy-rich source of anti-oxidants. Speaking of crazy rich, Britney uses them as part of her weight-loss plan (kind of related: I'm really happy that Britney seems to be getting her life back on track. That girl breaks my heart.)

Whole Foods stocks goji berries, naturally, and I really want to make this cranberry and goji berry chutney. The Kitchn also has some great goji ideas, including drinking the juice or using with roast pork (yum!)

Lost property at the airport? They'll mail it back to you for free

2008-08-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

I want to give a huge thanks to Priscilla at the SeaTac airport lost property office.

As we were heading out to Ireland about six weeks ago, I left a beloved necklace in the security scanner. It's not a valuable necklace at all, but I love it. And I assumed that it was lost for ever, just like every other item I put down somewhere.

When we got back I called the SeaTac lost property office. I didn't expect them to have my necklace, but they did! They had it! They gave me a code so I could pick it up when I was next in the airport, but you know what? I forgot.

Yesterday I called the office again and Priscilla tracked my necklace down, and not only offered to ship it to me, but sent it to me in US Mail for free.

Note: After a certain time - I think about six weeks - they're required to sell the item and donate the money. So you might want to enquire about your item sooner rather than later. Report an item lost in SeaTac Airport.

Sensationally delicious pumpkin seed dressing

2008-07-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday, and cook with it often. One of my favorites is his avocado-mango salad with fresh cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Seriously, read that sentence again: was there ever such a series of delightful words? Each wonderful in its way, and together ...

For this fantastic dressing, you toast half a cup of pumpkin seeds. Put about a third of them (you can be flexible) into a blender (my tiny little mini blender works just great) with 1/3 cup fresh lime juice. Then softly cook a couple cloves garlic and, optionally, a green chili in 1/3 oil, and add the works, oil and all to the blender along with a little honey and salt. Blend, blend, blend. Then drizzle on top of Bibb lettuce and sliced avocado and mango, and scatter a slice per person of crispy bacon, cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds over.

Tonight I made the dressing with seeds I'd toasted for snacks earlier, and instead of making the salad above, I mixed it with a diced mango, avocado, red onion, and red bell pepper, scattered a handful of cilantro over it along with the seeds, and ate it on a tostada. Of course, it wasn't till we'd finished that I thought about taking a photo, which was a shame: The colors make this the prettiest tostada you can imagine.

Trust me.

Live Twittered wedding!

2008-07-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends Jake and Tres got married in Sacramento a few minutes ago.

Mazel tov!

The Spanish Arch

2008-06-29T20:56:00.001-07:00

Phil at the Spanish Arch, where Angel was made a vampire, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Here's Phil, right at the spot where Angel was made a vampire.

This is what we call a threefer

2008-06-29T20:50:00.001-07:00

Inexplicable souvenirs at the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, originally uploaded by Ríona.

Random souvenirs (of what?) available at the Cliffs of Moher gift shop in Co. Clare Ireland. A perfect trifecta of woo: from left to right, we have crappy celtic clothes, Native American dreamcatchers (duh), and a pair of dancing dolphins.

On the road to Friday Harbor

2008-05-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hitler plans Burning Man

2008-05-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

via Electrolicious

Good wine at good prices

2008-05-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Great wines for under 15 bucks. From Slate

Lack of women in science apparently not a science, technology, or business issue

2008-05-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

They face some tough questions at the New York Times. Where do you put a piece on the lack of women in the hard sciences? The Science section? The Business section? Maybe Jobs or Technology?

No, silly! Articles about girl scientists belong in Fashion and style.

Where else would you put fluff like this:

The problem isn’t that women aren’t making strides in education in the hard sciences. According to a National Science Foundation report in 2006, 46 percent of Ph.D. degrees in the biological sciences are awarded to women (compared with 31 percent two decades ago); 31 percent of the Ph.D. degrees in chemistry go to women, compared with 18 percent 20 years ago.
And, women enter science engineering and technology (known as the SET professions) in sizable numbers. In fact, 41 percent of workers on the earliest rungs of SET career ladder are women, the study found, with the highest representation in scientific and medical research (66 percent) and the lowest in engineering (21 percent).
They also do well at the start, with 75 percent of women age 25 to 29 being described as “superb,” “excellent” or “outstanding” on their performance reviews, words used for 61 percent of men in the same age group.
An exodus occurs around age 35 to 40. Fifty-two percent drop out, the report warned, with some leaving for “softer” jobs in the sciences human resources rather than lab bench work, for instance, and others for different work entirely. That is twice the rate of men in the SET industries, and higher than the attrition rate of women in law or investment banking.

Full article here, along with a report on how "The swimsuit season is approaching and the retro look spreads a blanket at the beach."

A pony! A pony!

2008-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

from: co-worker
to: VP
cc: us
date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 6:59 PM
subject: Can I have a pony?

All my life, I've wanted a pony. Since early childhood, walking in the hills among the oak trees of southern California, I noticed others riding ponies and thought how wonderful it must be to have a pony, to sit astride such a delightful animal, reins in hand, and travel where I chose. As I grew older, many of my friends got ponies and offered me a ride, but I always refused, knowing that some day, I'd have my own.

I am still waiting for that day, Shiva, and just noticed that requests for pets must be approved by you.

Shiva, may I have a pony?

Thank you.

Today, this appeared on our desks. A kind of tabula rasa of a My Little Pony. There are markers to customize them with whatever colors you want, but I like the blank white.

Now, if you'll excuse me, these manes don't brush themselves.