Since I was in the middle of a large file transfer, I started on the outside, vacuuming the vents and joints. When I took the vacuum's tip away from one spot, it pulled a tuft of dust out of the case with it. Uh oh. Maybe it was just that one spot—after all I'd been good about clearing any accumulated dust or cat hair from the external vents. Then another tuft. And another.
Download finishes, I get the computer powered down to open the tower, and confirm that not only do the tufts and layer of dust continue inside, there's even a little spider nest. Fortunately it had not yet disgorged its tiny-yet-twitch-inspiring spawn three feet from where I spend most of my waking hours.
I feel like I deserve a visit from computer protective services.
My computer is back to being pretty quiet (for an over-powered full tower), and I expect the performance will pick up a touch too. It's a minor miracle it was working at all, and testament to some serious over-engineering in the cooling system.
Looks like Dell is still treating Alienware as an independent subsidiary, so hopefully they'll keep making their great gaming machines and just gain some operations expertise from Texas. And not just because there are too few technology vendors who understand that electronics can have style too—I know I paid extra for my case in plasma purple with green lighting. Hey, Apple folks pay extra for style, but they don't get a color choice since Steve Jobs seems to be channeling Henry Ford on that topic.
Now off to add a recurring task to Outlook to keep that dust under control. Computer vacuums which are gentle enough to not suck the wires off their connections and come with tiny attachments can be found for less than $20—good to have one around.
]]>While I made this with cognac, I'm sure any nog-compatible booze will do. One of my pantry staples is a mini bottle of Courvoisier which contains about 3 1/2 tablespoons, perfect for recipes.
Vegan
Prep time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20-35 minutes
Source: Ann Ray
2 C flour
2/3 C turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
6 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 C Silk Nog
2 tablespoons cognac
2 tablespoons vegan margarine or butter (approx.)
Small bag of sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Measure out the Silk Nog so it can warm up slightly.
Use the margarine to heavily grease your pan. Stick the sliced almonds to the bottom and outer side of the pan (you may not need the whole packet).
Combine the dry ingredients. Add the nog and booze, and mix with a whisk or electric mixer until smooth. Immediately pour into the pan and put in heated oven.
Bake until all the usual signs are good (slightly golden, pulling away from pan, clean toothpick). I first check at 20 minutes for the tray of mini bundts, and 30 minutes for a full size bundt pan.
Happy Holidays!
]]>Vegan
Prep time 2 1/4 hours | Cooking time 30 minutes
Source: Ann Ray
Generally I start the filling when the dough is on its first rise. If you're not familiar with seitan (wheat gluten), it has a chewy texture that contrasts well with the fluffy dough (tofu is too soft).
8 oz traditionally seasoned seitan, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/2 yellow onion, cut in 1/2" dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 C soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry cooking sherry
2 tablespoons water
On medium heat, saute the garlic, ginger and onion in a non-stick fry pan with minimal oil until the onion is translucent.
Mix the corn starch and sugar with the liquids, stirring well to get rid of lumps. Add the corn starch mixture and seitan to the pan, cooking on medium heat and stirring frequently until the sauce is clear and thickened.
Set in the refrigerator to cool.
Dough
This has just enough whole wheat flour to add some flavor, but not so much it hurts the light fluffy texture. Be sure you have a warm spot for the rises.
1 packet active dry yeast
1 C warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons unflavored cooking oil
1/3 C Turbinado or other sugar
1 C whole wheat pastry flour (or regular if pastry isn't available)
2 1/4 C (+ extra for dusting) all purpose white flour
1 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl or your KitchenAid bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Stir in the sugar, oil and salt. Let stand in a warm place until bubbles appear (about 15 minutes).
Add the wheat and 2 1/4 C white flour and mix until the dough forms a ball (in KitchenAid, use flat mixing paddle).
By hand, turn out on a board lightly dusted with flour and knead about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. In KitchenAid, switch to dough hook and knead about 90 seconds until becoming elastic, then turn out on board and knead by hand a few more times.
Place dough in large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled, about 75 minutes. Cut up 12 3"x3" squares of parchment paper or tinfoil. This is when I usually prepare the filling.
Turn doubled dough out on floured board and knead another minute. Form into a rectangle, cut in half lengthwise, then cut each long section into 6 pieces, for a total of 12 buns. Don't worry if they're not perfectly equal, that just proves they're home made.
Pat each piece of dough into a circle about 4" around, with the edges thinner than the center. Add about 2 tablespoons filling to the middle (less for smaller bits of dough). Draw up the edges of the dough, pinch together, and then give a twist to seal. While it's tempting to load them up with filling, you don't want it to burst out the top of the bun (board side while filling) or interfere with the seal. Place twisted side down on a square of parchment paper or foil, and set aside on cookie sheet. Cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap.
Once you have all the buns filled, set aside in a warm place to rise again until puffy, about 30 minutes. While this is the last rise, they will puff up a bit more while cooking.
Steam the buns for 12-15 minutes until the tops are shiny. I use a 2 tier bamboo steamer that fits in my wok. I can fit three buns in each level without them expanding into each other, which means two batches to steam a dozen buns. Be sure to top off the water so it doesn't run dry on the later batches.
You can also bake the buns at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, though I prefer the soft steamed texture. I've tried brushing the tops with margarine, which is supposed to make them golden, but the non-brushed portions actually turned a darker brown.
Enjoy!
]]>My VeggieFoodie Rating: Excellent
This is my favorite veggie-friendly steakhouse—my sister can get her kobe, and I have a choice of several tasty items on the menu.
You'll always find several appetizers/salads and a vegetarian entree on the menu. The soup is frequently vegetarian and they're happy to check on the stock (in my case the minute I walk in the door). Best of all, the times I've requested a vegetarian pasta the chef takes it as an opportunity to get creative and doesn't send out the same old same old. One time it came with artichoke hearts, heirloom tomatoes, chantarelles, and tarragon—yum! And if you're in the main dining room, they'll also serve the wonderful bar menu mac and cheese if you request it. However, my favorite item at the moment is their profiteroles, which are the best I've had anywhere with crisp pastry, coconut ice cream, and warm dark chocolate sauce poured at the table.
The bar is a great place to hang out with a friend or do some reading, though if they get any more regulars they're going to have to build a bigger one. Market Street Grill is a usual participant in the 25 for $25, even offering that deal every Sunday with a bigger selection than most restaurants provide.
More reviews:
Yelp | Judy's Book | Citysearch | Seattle Weekly
Technorati | Restaurant | Food and Drink | Vegetarian
]]>Vegan
Prep time 25 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes
Source: Ann Ray
Rinse the dried ingredients and place in individual bowls of hot water for 20 minutes to reconstitute:
1/4 C cloud ear or wood ear mushrooms (or substitute fresh if you can get it)
6 medium dried Chinese black mushroom, AKA shiitake
1/3-1/2 C dried lily buds
In a large soup pot, bring to a simmer:
8 C vegetable stock (store bought organic is fine)
When the dried ingredients are finished soaking, cut the stems off the shiitakes and slice in ~1/8" strips. Cut the cloud or wood ears thinner, as they're mostly for texture (virtually no flavor). I also like to cut the long lily buds in half so they don't dangle off the soup spoon. Reserve the shiitake soaking water.
Add the mushrooms and lilies to the stock along with:
4 small red chili peppers, cut in half to remove seeds and then sliced in 1/8" pieces
Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the following ingredients for 10 more minutes cooking:
1/2 C julienned bamboo shoots
1 C julienned carrot
3/4 C celery, sliced thinly on the diagonal
When the veggies are cooked, add:
1 t white pepper (or to taste)
2 T toasted sesame oil
In a cup mix thoroughly and add slowly to the soup:
2-4 T soy sauce
6 T red rice wine or red wine vinegar
3 T corn starch
mushroom water if needed to thin
Add the tofu and scallion, cook for a minute to warm the tofu, and serve:
1 pound firm tofu, cut in 1/2-3/4" cubes
2 green onions (white and green) sliced thinly
Enjoy!
]]>Vegan
Prep time 10 minutes | Cooling 2+ hours | Freezing in machine/freezer
Source: Ann Ray
2 cans regular coconut milk (recommend Thai Kitchen)
10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 C turbinado or other sugar
As the chocolate melts, whisk frequently to get a smooth texture.
Once it's done, cover and place in the fridge to chill. You want to get it very cold before putting in your ice cream machine. If it gets a thick skin in the fridge, skim it off before putting in the ice cream machine and freezing per the manufacturer's instructions.
That's it!
Optional add-ins.
Whisk liquids into the chilled base. Add crunchy bits mid-way through the freezing process.
1/4C Kahlua or rum
1-2T instant espresso dissolved in a little water
Mini chocolate chips
Candied nuts (see recipe)
Vegetarian / Vegan
Prep time 0-10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes
Source: Ann Ray
1T butter or vegan margarine (recommend Willow Run)
Add and stir:
1C raw unsalted nuts
1/2C turbinado sugar
At first the combination will look a little odd because it will seem too dry. Don't worry, the sugar will melt and coat everything well. Keep a close eye on the pan and stir periodically while cooking, as sugar can go from perfect to burned very quickly—especially when you have a previously undiscovered hot spot on your stove!
When the sugar is all melted, remove from heat and pour out on a stoneware plate, marble slab, parchment paper covered cookie sheet, or other surface to which the candy will not stick (the margarine in the mix helps). Spread it out, and when cool, crumble to desired size.
Optional add-in at beginning of cooking:
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
Enjoy!
]]>Guess what? People changed their work schedules. They used buses and bikes more. Those with environmentally friendly cars could chortle a little more since they got a free ride. Travel times dropped by 1/3 at peak hours. Pollution was reduced. Even accident rates went down.
And why did it end July 31st? Because this was a trial period for a plan which was an unpopular initiative. The public vote to make it a permanent system is September 17, with every traffic planner in the world watching closely. While public support is greatly increased (and traffic right back up at December levels with the tolls off), politics are never certain.
Further reading:
I love it when technology is used to reinforce human behavior instead of to try and force people into a computer's mold. I could live with a toll system like this on 520 or I-90.
]]>Today's Mercury News has a great article about Hector Vega, a San Jose valedictorian who has come forward as an illegal alien. He came to the US just 5 years ago speaking no English, and not only got out of remedial language classes within a year, he recently graduated with a 4.0.
Kudos to Santa Clara University who grants scholarships to worthy students regardless of immigration status, and to Coca Cola who did not have a standing policy but stood behind their scholarship as well.
While Vega's visibility is building support for his eventually becoming a citizen, it has raised his profile in a country where an Immigration and Customs official will state "Anyone who's in this country illegally is in violation of our immigration laws and is subject to arrest." Meanwhile, it would be nice to see the DREAM Act passed. After all, the contribution one has already made to an adoptive country should be at least as important as having tidy paperwork.
]]>Half the time when I log into the Wall Street Journal there's yet another mention of options back-dating. These were cases where executives were miraculously granted options on days the price took a dip, such as these to one CEO. The Journal crunched this as 1 in 300 billion odds but the CEO called it "blind luck":
Gives one a warm fuzzy feeling, doesn't it?
And while executives are modeling behavior a robber baron could learn from, they're locking down their staff's Internet access to keep people from checking news, placing a quick Amazon order, or IMing a family member they'll be late to dinner during their 50 hour work weeks. Any chance we're breeding distrust and inviting misbehavior?
By the way, if you haven't see The Corporation, it's a fascinating perspective on corporate America.
That's enough rant for one day. <sigh>
]]>WHAT???
I'm high maintenance, I admit it. Not only am I picky about my toiletries, I'm also a vegetarian which means I'm schlepping food on flights. This means that I pack a lot of gels, lotions, and liquids when I travel. If it's a short business trip, I'm doing my best to get everything in a (barely) allowed pair of carry-on bags because in most airports checking will add 15+ minutes to check-in and 45+ minutes to exit.
Right now the TSA is listing this as an "enhanced security" measure so I hope they get carry-on screening sorted out soon. I figure I have a better chance of that happening (slim) than airports developing efficient checked baggage handling for 50% more load than they're currently managing (none).
]]>Why do people care about the file? Several reasons. Search engine optimization consultants are drooling over the opportunity to compare search queries with the pages people clicked on. Since Google drives AOL's searches, their competitors now have a handy volume of data for reverse engineering their algorithms. Law enforcement has enough searches on illegal topics to keep them occupied for ages. The rest of us can simply be seduced by the life dramas captured in a season's worth of surfing.
Why should we all care about the release? If you didn't understand Google's resistance to disclosing this kind of data, maybe you can now see how personal it really is. Compared to regions such as the EU, the US already has very weak and patchwork privacy laws. And yet, it seems each week there's another attempt to erode them a little more. For some reason Minority Report is coming to mind, when Anderton (Cruise) was walking through the shopping center and every billboard tracked him as he walked by. If you think it's just SciFi, you haven't been paying attention to RFID developments.
]]>For those who haven't had enough marketing classes in their life, the Chevy Nova is considered one of the original global naming "oops." In Spanish, "no va" means "doesn't go." Of course according to Snopes it's a false story, so take it as you will.
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