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July 30, 2008
dapper:
1 a: neat and trim in appearance b: very spruce and stylish
2: alert and lively in movement and manners
paroxysm:
1 : a fit, attack, or sudden increase or recurrence of symptoms (as of a disease) : convulsion
2 : a sudden violent emotion or action : outburst
Posted by renh at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2008
healthy recipes
Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Friday Aug. 01 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do
1 store-bought baked thin-crust pizza shell, preferably whole-wheat, such as Boboli
4 cups (about 4 ounces) baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 ounces prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (1 1/2 ounces)
3 cloves thinly sliced garlic
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza shell on a cookie sheet. Scatter spinach all over crust. Drizzle with oil. Evenly distribute prosciutto, Parmesan and garlic on top of spinach. Crack eggs onto pizza, roughly positioning 1 yolk on each pizza quarter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until spinach is wilted and egg whites are just fully cooked. Cut into 4 large slices.
Per Serving:
Calories 385; Total Fat 16 g; (Sat Fat 6 g, Mono Fat 5.5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 25 g; Carb 39 g; Fiber 7 g; Cholesterol 240 mg; Sodium 1190 mg
Excellent source of: Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron
Good source of: Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Manganese
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Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Friday Aug. 01 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
6 large green lettuce leaves
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.
Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.
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Crispy Rice Treats
2008, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
See this recipe on air Friday Aug. 01 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Yes Can Do
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup natural chunky-style peanut butter
6 cups crispy brown rice cereal
2/3 cup chopped dried cherries (3 ounces)
Cooking spray
Combine honey and peanut butter in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes. Add brown rice cereal and cherries and stir to combine until mixture is sticky. Press into a 9 by 13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut into 15 (2 1/2 by 3-inch) squares.
Posted by renh at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)
AB sushi
Sushi Rice
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Jul. 29 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Wake Up Little Sushi
2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.
Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.
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California Roll
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Jul. 29 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Wake Up Little Sushi
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
4 sheets nori
1/2 batch sushi rice, recipe follows
1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchstick-size pieces
4 crabsticks, torn into pieces
Pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving
Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.
Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. Cut nori sheets in half crosswise. Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat. Wet your fingers with water and spread about 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the nori. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds. Turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is down. Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set aside. Cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until all of the rice has been used. Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.
Posted by renh at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)
AB recipes
Split Pea Burgers
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Aug. 05 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Give Peas a Chance
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 to 2 additional tablespoons for sauteing
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry split peas, picked and rinsed
1/2 cup dry brown rice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs, plus 1/4 cup for coating
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper along with a generous pinch of salt. Sweat for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
Add the broth, peas, rice, coriander and cumin. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer for 1 hour or until the rice and peas are tender.
Remove from the heat and gently pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process until just combined.* Do not puree. Pour this mixture into a bowl and stir in the 3/4 cup of bread crumbs. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Shape the mixture into patties and dredge on each side in the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 burgers at a time and saute until brown on each side, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. To grill, cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes per side as well. Serve immediately.
*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
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Curried Split Pea Soup
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Tuesday Aug. 05 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Give Peas a Chance
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
12 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.
Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.
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Red Snapper en Papillote
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: The Pouch Principle
1 cup couscous
1 (2-pound) whole red snapper, cleaned, head on
2 teaspoons salt, plus pinch for couscous
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch fresh oregano
1 small bunch fresh parsley
1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup drained and quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse couscous in fine mesh strainer, under cold water, lay out on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with pinch of salt. Set aside. Cut parchment paper into 15 by 48-inch sheet. Fold in 1/2 and lay on baking/cookie sheet. Unfold and lay snapper diagonally on sheet pan on top of 1 layer of parchment. Salt and pepper fish, inside and out. Place herbs inside cavity of fish along with 1/2 of lemon, and 1/2 of red onion. Arrange couscous next to fish on all sides. Put garlic, and remaining lemon and red onion on fish and lay tomatoes and artichoke hearts around outside of couscous, creating somewhat of a wall. Pour wine over fish and dot with butter. Fold over edges of parchment paper, stapling if necessary, to create and almost airtight seal. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Carefully open and serve (be aware of bones in the fish).
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Salmon Fillet en Papillote with Julienne Vegetable
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: The Pouch Principle
1/3 cup julienned fennel bulb
1/3 cup julienned leeks, white part only
1/3 cup julienned carrots
1/3 cup julienned snow peas
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon whole coriander seed, ground fine
1 (8-ounce) salmon fillet, pin bones removed
1 orange cut into wedges with white, pithy membrane removed
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
Take a 15 by 36-inch piece of parchment paper and fold in 1/2 like a book. Draw a large 1/2 heart on paper with fold of paper being the center of the heart. Cut out heart and open. Lay fennel, leeks, carrots, and snow peas on parchment in center to 1 side of fold. Mix together salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Sprinkle vegetables with 1/2 of salt, pepper, and coriander. Lay salmon on top of vegetables and season with remaining salt, pepper and coriander. Top with the orange wedges and sprinkle with vermouth. Fold other side of heart over fish and starting at top of heart shape, fold up both edges of parchment, overlapping folds as you move along. Once you reach the end tip, twist several times to secure tightly. Place on microwave safe plate and cook for 4 minutes, on high in microwave, or until fish reaches 131 degrees. Open parchment carefully and serve for a complete meal.
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Avocado Compound Butter
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Curious Yet Tasty Avocado Experiment
6 ounces ripe avocado meat, approximately 2 small avocados
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel and pit the avocados. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Place mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and shape into a log. Place in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Slice and serve with grilled fish or chicken.
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Baked Barley
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
See this recipe on air Thursday Aug. 07 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Just Barley
1 cup hulled barley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups boiling water
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the barley into a 1 1/2-quart ceramic or glass baking dish (with a lid) and add the butter, salt and boiling water. Stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on top of the foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove the cover, fluff with a fork and serve immediately.
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Barley and Lamb Stew
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
See this recipe on air Thursday Aug. 07 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Just Barley
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 cup barley grits
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons freshly chopped oregano
In a medium mixing bowl, toss the lamb with the salt, pepper and flour.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half of the lamb, and brown on all sides, approximately 7 to 8 minutes total. Remove the lamb to a bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and lamb. Remove the second batch of lamb to the bowl and add the carrots to the pot. Saute the carrots for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return all of the lamb to the pot along with the grits and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, decrease the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lamb and grits are tender. Five minutes before the stew is finished, add the oregano. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve in bowls.
Posted by renh at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2008
summer dishes
Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula
I’m a big fan of uncooked tomato sauces for my summer pastas. This one is very popular in the Southern Italian region of Puglia, and in my house right now, because my cherry tomato plants are producing lots of ripe tomatoes every day. Arugula adds not only wonderful flavor (all the more if you can find peppery wild arugula), but also a nutritional leafy greens punch.
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if small, quartered if large
1 plump garlic clove, minced or put through a press (more to taste)
Salt to taste (I like to use a very good coarse sea salt or fleur de sel for this)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 cup arugula leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon slivered or chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound fusille, farfalle, or orecchiette
1/4 cup freshly grated ricotta salata or Parmesan (more to taste)
1. Combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, balsamic vinegar, arugula, basil, and olive oil in a wide bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook al dente, until the pasta is firm to the bite. Drain, toss with the tomatoes, sprinkle on the cheese, and serve.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
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Summer Salad with Feta
5 medium or large ripe tomatoes cut into wedges (if large, the wedges should be cut crosswise in half), or 1 pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 European cucumber, or 1 Persian or Japanese cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seeded if desired, then sliced into half circles about 1/3-inch thick.
Sea salt or fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil. Add the feta and herbs, and toss again. Taste, adjust the seasonings, and serve.
Variations:
Add any or all of the ingredients below:
1/2 small red onion, sliced and rinsed with cold water
12 to 18 imported Greek black olives, such as kalamatas or amphisas
1 small green, yellow, or red bell pepper
1 heart of romaine lettuce, cut in 2-inch pieces
A handful of cubed stale bread or croutons
Posted by renh at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)
about RP
I am sad to hear the news. I watch youtube a lot. But, rarely had I come upon something so inspirational.
You cannot change the cards you are dealt. Just how you play the hand.
Don't complain. Just work harder.
Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.
The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough.
"If your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let 'em do it."
Posted by renh at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)
fresh tomato sauce
This is a quick, simple marinara sauce that will only be good if your tomatoes are ripe. If you have a food mill, you don’t have to peel and seed the tomatoes; you can just quarter them and put the sauce through the mill.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (to taste)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill, peeled, seeded, and diced if you don’t
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 sprigs of fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt
1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper
1. In a wide, nonstick frying pan, or in a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil or thyme sprig, and salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon and add more later), and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick. Pulpy tomatoes like romas will usually take 20 to 30 minutes. However, if the tomatoes are very juicy, it will take longer for them to cook down. The longer you cook the sauce, the sweeter it will be. You can speed up the process by turning up the heat, but stir often so the sauce doesn’t scorch. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the slivered fresh basil and some freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
2. If using quartered tomatoes, put through the medium blade of a food mill. If you used peeled seeded tomatoes but want a sauce with a smooth, even texture, remove the basil sprigs and discard. Pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups, enough for 8 generous pasta servings
Posted by renh at 07:17 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2008
I watched TIH. It is good entertaining, but it is not the kind of film I truly enjoys or would long linger in my mind.
Fair play to those who dare to dream.
Posted by renh at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2008
article from CNN
By John Leicester
Associated Press
BEIJING, China (AP) -- Faced with my blank look of incomprehension, the taxi driver took a deep breath and tried again.
"Ha-pi-tu-mi-te-yu," he intoned.
Wow, I thought, six years out of Beijing and a long-haul flight from Europe have turned my once almost fluent Chinese to mush.
Then, it hit me. This was English. "'Happy to meet you?"' I asked.
He beamed proudly.
Give Beijingers this much: They sure want Olympic visitors to feel right at home.
In the seven years since the Olympic movement anointed Beijing as host of the 2008 Summer Games, China's capital has undergone a transformation so thorough that "makeover" doesn't begin to describe the change.
English-language and anti-spitting lessons for the masses. Entire neighborhoods ripped down and rebuilt. Cutting-edge Western architects let loose to create futuristic landmarks amid the forests of gleaming new towers. The ancient capital has taken on an edgy, neon-electric 21st-century frenetic feel.
You have to search harder, in back alleys that the wreckers' balls have yet to reach, for the quiet, intimate village-like atmosphere that long set Beijing apart from more cosmopolitan Hong Kong and Shanghai. In smoothing the rough edges, some charm has been lost.
First-timers and those who've not been here for a while may, like me, find the new Beijing a bit of a jolt. Who knew that the world had so many construction cranes, or produced so much concrete, glass and steel?
The shock of witnessing such voracious change leaves an unsettling feeling about whether the rest of the world can compete with a waking power as hungry as China. The immense scale on display seems designed to impress; the new Terminal Three at Beijing International Airport, where many tourists will arrive, is the world's largest.
The modernization makes Beijing easier to visit. Cash machines on many blocks. Cool art galleries in old Soviet factories. Hangouts for backpackers, swanky hotels for the well-heeled. Late-night shopping. More clubs than even the most insomniac reveler could get through in a weekend. Clean taxis. New buses. More subway lines. While the bicycle once ruled the roads, cars do now, and traffic is often snarled. If you're brave, rent a bike. The city's largely flat; you have nothing to lose but your chain.
The food: Don't miss a meal. Restaurants are plentiful and generally clean, offering all varieties of Chinese cuisine and many foreign ones -- a turnaround from a generation ago when food was scarce and eateries few and dingy.
A nice touch: many now display color photos of their dishes. No more point-and-hope ordering from menus that often used to be only in Chinese, and far fewer comical English mistakes. A favorite from the old days: a hole-in-the-wall that served fried carp, but got the "A" and the "R" in the wrong order. Like many old haunts, it is now gone, replaced by a new office building.
For sightseeing, new landmarks compete for time and attention with older marvels, like the sprawling and ancient Forbidden City -- still a must-see.
The Olympic architectural jewel is the 91,000-seat, $450 million National Stadium. It's a knockout to look at. Bravo Switzerland-based architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Beijingers call it the Bird's Nest because of the latticework of steel beams wrapped around the exterior. It will host the opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events.
Visitors without Olympic tickets will only be able to admire it from afar. Venues and the areas around them will be sealed off for the August 8-24 games.
The massive security Chinese officials are rolling out poses an Olympic-sized question: will it kill off the fun, feel like prison, seeing guys in uniform across the city? Could be. If you are not coming for the sport or for the Olympic experience, August may not be the most relaxed period to visit.
The upside is that if a police officer does ask you to move on, there's a fair chance he'll be polite and understandable.
A pre-Olympic "Good Manners Campaign" promoted courtesy and orderly queuing and frowned on swearing, spitting and littering in public. One of the Beijing government's slogans, according to state media, was: "Spitting kills even more than an atomic bomb." Paper spit bags have been passed out. In three weeks here in May and June, I didn't hear anyone noisily clearing their throat in public -- a once common sound.
Beijing authorities have also given English lessons to 400,000 people, state media say. Most taxi drivers, hotel employees and all Olympic volunteers have received etiquette and English training. More than 10,000 police officers received basic work-related "police English" and even some Japanese, Russian and Arabic training.
Among the phrases taught: "Welcome to Beijing, the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games. I recommend visiting the Great Wall; it is one of the seven wonders of the world."
Got that right. It was among seven new wonders of the world chosen in a global poll last year that elicited about 100 million votes via the Internet and text messages. The wall -- really a series of fortifications built over 1,500 years -- makes for an inspiring day out of the city. Take good shoes and water, so you can hike at least a little way from the crowds. Admire the way the wall hugs the hillsides as far as the eye can see. Take a bus or taxi there.
The Badaling section is easiest to reach, and therefore the most crowded. Sections at Mutianyu or Jinshanling are farther away but offer more spectacular mountain scenery. Both have cable cars, for those for whom hiking is difficult or who maybe ate too much crispy Beijing duck the night before.
The Forbidden City is worth taking time over, too. Meander through its courtyards, some huge, others small and cozy, like secret gardens. Chinese emperors once lived shut off from the outside world behind the vast palace's blood-red walls, amid eunuchs and concubines. A detail to look out for: the fierce Chinese dragons finely embossed on the copper window frames of some of the palace buildings.
Then leap from concubines to communism, by walking through the front gate of the palace to Tiananmen Square, where five-starred red Chinese flags make snapping sounds when there's a strong breeze.
Mao Zedong gazes across the square from his portrait hanging on Tiananmen gate, at the north end, toward his mausoleum where his body lies encased in a glass coffin.
Tiananmen is a must-see for Chinese visiting Beijing. That makes it a great place to people-watch. Tibetan monks, ruddy-cheeked peasants from some far-flung village, southerners with singsong accents throng the square.
It's one place you may also attract stares. Foreigners are still novelties for out-of-towners from China's more remote regions. Not so for more worldly-wise Beijingers, who will likely be more than ha-pi-tu-mi-te-yu.
Posted by renh at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2008
The problem, as Haeg sees it, is that the "hyper-manicured lawn" is looking increasingly out of date. In the 1950s, when suburbia first began to sprawl, a perfectly trimmed front yard embodied the post-war prosperity Americans aspired to. Today, amid rising fuel costs, food safety scares and growing environmental awareness, a chemically treated and verdant but nutritionally barren lawn seems wasteful, he says.
Posted by renh at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
July 01, 2008
pie
Papaya Pie with Shortbread Crust
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Unusual Pies
3 cups chopped fresh, seeded papaya
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon butter
Shortbread Crust, recipe follows
1/2 cup lightly toasted sweetened coconut flakes
6 slices lime
Sweetened Rum Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 1/2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons coconut-flavored rum
In a bowl, combine the papaya and lime juice. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, pineapple juice, and orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the marinated papaya and simmer until tender, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the papaya to a bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, stirring to dissolve. Add to the simmering juices and whisk. Add the lime and orange zests, and cook over low heat whisking until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the papaya. Add the butter and stir until melted. Let cool. Pour into the prebaked shell. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add the rum and whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Arrange the lime slices in a decorative pattern and serve. Refrigerate any leftover pie.
Shortbread Pie Crust:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
In a bowl, combine the butter and sugar and blend to make a paste. Add the yolk and blend thoroughly. Add the flour and using your fingers, blend to make a crumbly dough, being careful not to overwork. Pat firmly into a 9-inch pie pan and let rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Place a sheet of parchment or foil in the pie tin and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice and blind bake the crust in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until light golden brown.
Posted by renh at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)
June sum
date cal fat% max avg
6.29 344 50% 157 128
6.26 354 40% 180 149
6.23 417 40% 181 144
6.17 267 50% 155 128
6.11 279 55% 154 125
6.08 496 40% 168 125
6.05 383 55% 166 139
6.01 288 35% 185 168
Posted by renh at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)
adages
"It's very important to live your life by an internal yardstick. " - - WB
"Margaret Mead once said, Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world. Indeed, they are the only ones who ever have." - - JK
Posted by renh at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)