tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56814259102972491432024-03-05T17:30:43.000-05:00hex conduction hournew food, old musichex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-54468156223956854372012-02-12T17:02:00.002-05:002012-02-13T22:16:59.178-05:00Grapefruit Hypocrite Pie<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKbxxKTJa_ZP7CDC3kENNNxfFEm6gLlaw9prSL-Yro2DU048qS-ViOPmackVhjwzOGYhI8HWBvWqJsUdVdy1GUNGD7btPE45HoZyv2hcOy50DocXkeW-8kgVwScBSUBdqkW2P4yIk5z4/s1600/IMG_3873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKbxxKTJa_ZP7CDC3kENNNxfFEm6gLlaw9prSL-Yro2DU048qS-ViOPmackVhjwzOGYhI8HWBvWqJsUdVdy1GUNGD7btPE45HoZyv2hcOy50DocXkeW-8kgVwScBSUBdqkW2P4yIk5z4/s400/IMG_3873.JPG" /></a></div>
<br>For those of you not lucky enough to have met her, my sister is a badass. She's an amazing singer/songwriter, one of the founders of <a href="http://girlsrockcharleston.org/">Girl's Rock Charleston</a>, and just as cute as a button. This past Christmas she knocked it out of the park: not only did she get me a first-edition copy of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/North-Carolina-Salem-Cookery-Chapel/dp/0807820350">flat-out incredible book</a> on old-time North Carolina cooking, but she also splurged on this beautiful copy of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Momofuku-Milk-Bar-Christina-Tosi/dp/0307720497">Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook</a> by Christina Tosi.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVp2lOhVMYoDffewryLLsgeOgYkkLnuLFeCKwrncxRFI6B2llb3ejDe7H-n9E4J2O-yAXv7DX3BXfTSaaN1C9kJL9qWw03f2Cl9GxuuThuY2BJVjZuZxgNxu5slU7mtVazHQmzFSKsyh0/s1600/IMG_3885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVp2lOhVMYoDffewryLLsgeOgYkkLnuLFeCKwrncxRFI6B2llb3ejDe7H-n9E4J2O-yAXv7DX3BXfTSaaN1C9kJL9qWw03f2Cl9GxuuThuY2BJVjZuZxgNxu5slU7mtVazHQmzFSKsyh0/s400/IMG_3885.JPG" /></a></div><br>
I was totally enraptured by these books over the holidays, and I immediately started researching and accumulating the slightly out-there ingredients (citric acid, glucose) and equipment (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-KitchenAid-6-Quart-5-Plus/dp/B0015TMI28">new beater blade</a>, acetate strips) I'd need to get rolling. Since then, I've made four or five recipes out of the Milk Bar cookbook, each one insanely sweet and over the top in its own amazing way, but from day one I had my eye on the grapefruit pie. It took a trip to a Hispanic grocery store in NC to get a hold of the necessary ingredients, but six weeks later, I finally had everything I needed.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVIThyphenhypheno4Fzut2IR0hot-K6wM3746hvfUaNjCfChF1y49IqDNvRGH9SckDNGltnVXl0S6en1soRmOtauB5m8FPS7B4cZ98uSb3fe-fyvezciWTqm824e9AIBvhtYJjKcxXqzoCW01IjZc/s1600/IMG_3861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVIThyphenhypheno4Fzut2IR0hot-K6wM3746hvfUaNjCfChF1y49IqDNvRGH9SckDNGltnVXl0S6en1soRmOtauB5m8FPS7B4cZ98uSb3fe-fyvezciWTqm824e9AIBvhtYJjKcxXqzoCW01IjZc/s400/IMG_3861.JPG" /></a></div><center><i>This guy traveled a long way to get here.</i></center><br>
As I learned from Beth Tartan, a more accurate name for this pie would be a grapefruit hypocrite pie, since the top layer disguises another layer of filling below it. According to the cookbook, the inspirations for this recipe were the Ohio Shaker pie (wherein thinly sliced lemons are tenderized in sugar and salt) and the key lime pie. The translation of these ideas to grapefruit is inspired, and the components work beautifully together.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4smsq0fERGW1AO72p9PqhTL-c6oIbvR8FuC5RsNxjwDqkHUNxj900Ovq9kPPSh8-NoCuzHOLh37fhOD9jx3gnrSqiyQbwqRCmmacH19Ffs2TeWe870NxFFx96D4MzLaGV7aPVkBESew/s1600/IMG_3870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="348" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4smsq0fERGW1AO72p9PqhTL-c6oIbvR8FuC5RsNxjwDqkHUNxj900Ovq9kPPSh8-NoCuzHOLh37fhOD9jx3gnrSqiyQbwqRCmmacH19Ffs2TeWe870NxFFx96D4MzLaGV7aPVkBESew/s400/IMG_3870.JPG" /></a></div><center><i>Blooming the gelatin for the grapefruit passion curd.</i></center><br>
The grapefruit pie starts off with a baked Ritz crunch pie shell, which provides the perfect sweet/buttery/salty counterbalance to the citrus explosion of the filling. Next up, a simple curd combines the bright, broadly "fruity" flavor of passionfruit pulp with the creamy mouthfeel of custard filling, into which grapefruit threads are stirred. This step, which involves suprêming the grapefruit (cutting away the rind and pith and slicing between the membranes) and spooning the segments over themselves in a warm, neutral oil, was pure magic.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo4ROGKBEoNOxvohQ4R39cLWrUmMOEJmiEDyEnLwX5RJghuVhsSQTdYD0iIP6-51liNRa0p7fuzndBxPkl68wL_XmMX56TOABOS451FSO_rfMlm43nE0B9gHdPoRD3GXiA7VDcggzKDU/s1600/IMG_3878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo4ROGKBEoNOxvohQ4R39cLWrUmMOEJmiEDyEnLwX5RJghuVhsSQTdYD0iIP6-51liNRa0p7fuzndBxPkl68wL_XmMX56TOABOS451FSO_rfMlm43nE0B9gHdPoRD3GXiA7VDcggzKDU/s400/IMG_3878.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><center><i>Suprêming the grapefruit.</i></center><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXFuiiCJNgbIwxAZlnyGOrV9kEzzgZmrM-YMGdxpJvOj6FFSsT18_wcKrtQs3XjvOo6zQsVjmEOIQSLbefKZLU3Ve_6Wo7pmOjSDZOm_LTIM7a1bFGxH9SV-sFybJGFHBzTDBlx2tfrU/s1600/IMG_3880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXFuiiCJNgbIwxAZlnyGOrV9kEzzgZmrM-YMGdxpJvOj6FFSsT18_wcKrtQs3XjvOo6zQsVjmEOIQSLbefKZLU3Ve_6Wo7pmOjSDZOm_LTIM7a1bFGxH9SV-sFybJGFHBzTDBlx2tfrU/s400/IMG_3880.JPG" /></a></div><i><center>Suspended grapefruit threads.</center></i><br>
Finally, sweetened condensed milk is curdled with grapefruit juice and citric acid, colored a velvety pink with a single drop of red food coloring, and poured over the grapefruit passion curd. The overall effect is something to behold. Each bite combines the salty, buttery base of the Ritz crackers, pockets of fresh grapefruit juice embedded in a rich pastry cream, and the tart brightness of the key lime pie-inspired top layer. Both the process and result are totally unique and really speak to Christina Tosi's talents.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05H7ujyx-eRfHMAlWpkjwCtXt6PYobtnNoM-JnMHnEOGVV4nyNE0yv-n19hLjetvW7wWR6HSYpwS5k72wgjdtAC_b4Kw7dC65UNNmbrV4SnmDZkL0ahxw3C_AlDRM-__WE4fQSW3hwbk/s1600/IMG_3883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05H7ujyx-eRfHMAlWpkjwCtXt6PYobtnNoM-JnMHnEOGVV4nyNE0yv-n19hLjetvW7wWR6HSYpwS5k72wgjdtAC_b4Kw7dC65UNNmbrV4SnmDZkL0ahxw3C_AlDRM-__WE4fQSW3hwbk/s400/IMG_3883.JPG" /></a></div><center><i>Sweetened condensed grapefruit, featuring my new mixing tool (thanks Hendrens!)</i></center><br>
<b>Ritz Crunch Pie Shell</b><br>
<ul><LI>1 sleeve Ritz crackers
<LI>1/2 c (100 g) sugar
<LI>1/4 c (20 g) powdered milk
<LI>1/2 tsp kosher salt
<LI>7 Tbsp butter, melted</uL><ol>
<li>Heat the oven to 275 deg F.
<li>Crush the Ritz crackers with your hands into small pieces. Combine all the ingredients and press with your hands into a 10" pie pan, making sure to completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
<li>Bake the pie shell for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cooled completely, it can be stored, wrapped in plastic, in the freezer for up to 2 months.</ol><br>
<b>Grapefruit Passion Curd</b><br><ul>
<LI>1/4 c (50 g) passion fruit puree, thawed
<LI>3 Tbsp (40 g) sugar
<LI>1 egg
<LI>1/2 gelatin sheet, or 1/4 tsp powdered gelatin
<LI>6 Tbsp very cold butter
<LI>1/4 tsp kosher salt
<li>1 large grapefruit
<LI>1 tsp grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil</ul>
<ol><li>Whisk the fruit puree and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
<li>Add the egg and vigorously whisk until the mixture is bright orange-yellow. Transfer to a saucepan.
<li>Bloom the gelatin by sprinkling evenly over 1 Tbsp of water and letting hydrate for 5 minutes. Heat the passion fruit mixture over low heat, whisking regularly, until it just comes to a boil. The mixture will thicken considerably: once very thick, remove from heat.
<li>Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the bloomed gelatin, butter, and salt. Blend until the mixture is shiny and smooth. Transfer to a heatproof container and allow to cool completely at room temperature, then the refrigerator, for 30 to 60 minutes.
<li>Suprême the grapefruit using the directions above.
<li>Gently warm the grapefruit segments in a small saucepan with the oil. After 2 minutes of gently spooning the grapefruit over itself, the segments will have separated into grapefruit threads.
<li>Stir the grapefruit threads into the chilled curd.</ol>
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<b>Sweetened Condensed Grapefruit</b><br><ul>
<LI>3/4 c (225 g) sweetened condensed milk
<LI>2 Tbsp (30 g) ruby red grapefruit juice
<LI>1/2 tsp kosher salt
<LI>1/2 tsp citric acid
<LI>1 drop red food colering</ul>
<ol>
<li>Combine all ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula, folding until the mixture is homogeneous.
<li>Use immmediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.</ol>
Layer the curd and sweetened condensed grapefruit in the chilled pie shell, smoothing each layer and making sure not to mix the two. Once assembled, either place the pie in the freezer (at which point it can be held, wrapped gently in plastic, for up to one month) or hold in the refrigerator until ready to slice and serve. Allow to fully thaw before serving.<br><Br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqPe86hlmt5yoHMwhsy1fqUXiKGcNBj75fAJpxXlIr0RyHVYRZI6wE2ut-1kKVs_S9-PvxdGQKyQp_138dKqEn3V_iXALf_itnYLQYPsdOiFr01COGWBWozY-jGUg8H-3vR1wuQkInaE/s1600/IMG_3890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqPe86hlmt5yoHMwhsy1fqUXiKGcNBj75fAJpxXlIr0RyHVYRZI6wE2ut-1kKVs_S9-PvxdGQKyQp_138dKqEn3V_iXALf_itnYLQYPsdOiFr01COGWBWozY-jGUg8H-3vR1wuQkInaE/s400/IMG_3890.JPG" /></a></div>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-87571092936272545502011-12-05T11:30:00.000-05:002011-12-05T21:13:33.230-05:00SpeculoosBecause there's nothing quite as exciting as seasonal cookies, I present to you a recipe for speculoos, ripped wholesale from the pages of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baked-Explorations-American-Desserts-Reinvented/dp/1584798505">Baked Explorations</a>.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqefOKApHdIeVgm-O0LePHE9kR9KKv4roJBBuBH3tR7mjcAGygbzH-RKbkW88z-T4zJJNYDTzXMKeirba-imToMYoMAotFQLTMXDq1Zwm7lQ0r_hbVhtTMphdm1GRFvqB5RWCDN6lglU0/s1600/IMG_2460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="299" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqefOKApHdIeVgm-O0LePHE9kR9KKv4roJBBuBH3tR7mjcAGygbzH-RKbkW88z-T4zJJNYDTzXMKeirba-imToMYoMAotFQLTMXDq1Zwm7lQ0r_hbVhtTMphdm1GRFvqB5RWCDN6lglU0/s400/IMG_2460.JPG" /></a></div><br>
Just like its <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baked-Frontiers-Baking-Matt-Lewis/dp/1584797215/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b">precursor</a>, this cookbook is solid gold. Almost every recipe has an interesting backstory or a tantalizing gimmick, and the entry for speculoos (alternately "speculaas," as they're called in this cookbook) is no exception. The idea was to recreate those Biscoff cookies you're sometimes lucky enough to get on Delta flights. Biscoff are in fact a brand of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculoos">speculoos</a>, a Dutch <a href=" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortcrust_pastry">sweetcrust pastry</a> that is traditionally made the day before St. Nicholas' Day, which is celebrated on December 6.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tXmRztE_wVWhndaKnnOockWacMVt-12l0JY2t5ML5h_xOLN8vky5ctVhJtx1BGNi_92kdAUaSZOmQmIOYWpKX09n3A8DkrllIw6w530cueaK_7Y9mT5HxdlgFc3IqR9XTitd9UPKffI/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="308" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tXmRztE_wVWhndaKnnOockWacMVt-12l0JY2t5ML5h_xOLN8vky5ctVhJtx1BGNi_92kdAUaSZOmQmIOYWpKX09n3A8DkrllIw6w530cueaK_7Y9mT5HxdlgFc3IqR9XTitd9UPKffI/s400/IMG_2459.JPG" /></a></div><br>
As you can see from the recipe, most of the flavor here comes from cinnamon, with lots of cloves, ginger, and nutmeg to round things out. Obviously such a spice-forward recipe really benefits from using freshly-ground spices. Since these are "shortcrust pastries," sugar is cut into what amounts to biscuit dough (flour, leavener, and cold fat cut into the dry ingredients), which impedes gluten formation and results in a tender yet crunchy cookie. I found that a small cookie cutter (2" diameter at most) ensures that these bake past the soft cookie stage and into more of a ginger snap territory. As you can see, I cut this batch a little too large.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBsT8k923SkG6epMeEwinT1g_pmjeJa_DUJSlJv9qozZAO7r0pTvCfiwnThkHK06lvR-8oVQv9tvqe_Pc88WZ9io1UOy8fe7Bn5l9gYGuSKFYwgKSa4ZbN8lAfIRJeLJCDH3i_MZHTmk/s1600/IMG_2458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="299" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBsT8k923SkG6epMeEwinT1g_pmjeJa_DUJSlJv9qozZAO7r0pTvCfiwnThkHK06lvR-8oVQv9tvqe_Pc88WZ9io1UOy8fe7Bn5l9gYGuSKFYwgKSa4ZbN8lAfIRJeLJCDH3i_MZHTmk/s400/IMG_2458.JPG" /></a></div><br>
I suggest that you roll these out on a work surface dusted with powdered sugar instead of flour -- you get the same effect, without the taste and texture of unincorporated flour, or you could just use a couple layers of wax paper and save some time on cleanup. Best of all, using cookie cutters means you get to eat all the scraps that bake alongside the deliverables (see also the amazing <a href="http://hexconductionhour.blogspot.com/2010/12/jam-sandwiches.html">jam sandwiches</a> from last year). Happy St. Nick's Eve!<br><br>
<b>Ingredients</b>
<ul><LI>1 3/4 c AP flour
<LI>1 c packed dark brown sugar
<LI>1/2 tsp baking soda
<LI>1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
<LI>1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
<LI>1/2 tsp ground cloves
<LI>1/2 tsp ground ginger
<LI>1/2 tsp salt
<LI>10 Tbsp butter, cool but not cold, cut into 1/2-in cubes
<LI>1 egg, beaten
<LI>1 tsp grated orange zest
<LI>coarse raw sugar</ul>
<b>Directions</b>
<ol><LI>Pulse flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt in a food processor.
<LI>Drop the butter over the flour mixture and pulse until the consistency of coarse sand.
<LI>Add beaten egg and orange zest, and pulse once or twice to combine.
<LI>Turn batter out onto a floured work surface and knead the dough until it forms a ball, taking care not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.
<LI>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
<LI>Unwrap and divide dough into halves. Roll one half out on a work surface generously dusted with powdered sugar to a thickness of about 1/4 in. Cut out cookies using a small round cookie cutter and transfer to prepared pans. Repeat with second half of dough.
<LI>Generously sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar and bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cookies should be dark brown and appear dry on top.
<li>Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.</ol>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-12694123734921952222011-10-19T01:11:00.000-04:002011-11-06T17:20:42.440-05:00Visual Guide to Home Coffee Roasting<br>It's been about six months since I started roasting coffee at home, and in that time I've had just about every disaster you can have with such a simple task, barring an actual fire. Broken glass, charred beans, and very loud smoke alarms have given way to a ten minute routine that is not only super fun and simple but also produces consistently amazing results. If you like coffee and have $40 in your pocket, you too can save 60% on your coffee expenses (no really -- I did the math, and it's closer to 62%) and trade up for daily fresh-roasted coffee. Obviously this is an idea whose time as come. You'll need the following:<BR><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilg2yMDm7Qr8K3fQhSv0W43Rq96NcIsMRhOSMMOl5JyOjLDCmgMKUGU-RN5MnSf2uLTjlwP1WEyqbud761TPq6V-EyQIGJ7MPRUyV0Vwf3AIPkRqDyjPt3S4W89azgCJd-H5uzwONjWjo/s1600/IMG_3471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilg2yMDm7Qr8K3fQhSv0W43Rq96NcIsMRhOSMMOl5JyOjLDCmgMKUGU-RN5MnSf2uLTjlwP1WEyqbud761TPq6V-EyQIGJ7MPRUyV0Vwf3AIPkRqDyjPt3S4W89azgCJd-H5uzwONjWjo/s400/IMG_3471.JPG" /></a></div>
<ol><li>A popcorn popper. I suggest the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Presto-114316-04820-PopLite-Popper/dp/B00006IUWA">Poplite</a>. It's got the right type of mesh at the bottom of the roasting chamber AND is the perfect canvas for the stickers you've amassed over the years.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJLMfE2QXJz_K40PxEETGQu7mfwB8f_eEc7b3cI5TJ4JgS0eJ1u8CAwidPUVkD8H-PNEL0JROtcus-aGM0iW4cz8IFuo0giOehWWjVoiQX8Lbzbd7abEu-zK3grRPs-xHS8Ravoq48O4/s1600/IMG_3764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="263" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJLMfE2QXJz_K40PxEETGQu7mfwB8f_eEc7b3cI5TJ4JgS0eJ1u8CAwidPUVkD8H-PNEL0JROtcus-aGM0iW4cz8IFuo0giOehWWjVoiQX8Lbzbd7abEu-zK3grRPs-xHS8Ravoq48O4/s400/IMG_3764.JPG" /></a></div>
<br><li>Wooden spoon with long handle. This one has been in commission for a couple of weeks. Clearly a consumable item, but one that can be replaced for under $2 at your local restaurant supply store.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSP7tQ12mfBSpIhNWRJo4Sszs69DYhPVTG8D4ex_JaeLDlhJUK_OITjLDln_e6N1OtWHIam6IY_kh8GC0iSOIzmvOQIwDs6DsvX36i2T53eNPRa8lwCu3QuRDPGm968ToZ-YGsrQiZ00/s1600/IMG_3770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSP7tQ12mfBSpIhNWRJo4Sszs69DYhPVTG8D4ex_JaeLDlhJUK_OITjLDln_e6N1OtWHIam6IY_kh8GC0iSOIzmvOQIwDs6DsvX36i2T53eNPRa8lwCu3QuRDPGm968ToZ-YGsrQiZ00/s400/IMG_3770.JPG" /></a></div>
<br><li>Metal strainer or colander. Anything will work here.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SrjoubdOgrIQed57t6sZdnKLSWK5sWatNYvzewJdjPJgKd_Lw6SJaTSqi1uKBZ9Nz5IZM5PI8q8iQEQmF0C5lcH0RrlUX1M_Stjjt59TMAxeGLp1xdHPSKqCHl5HooKGImfG8Ta6fZE/s1600/IMG_3466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SrjoubdOgrIQed57t6sZdnKLSWK5sWatNYvzewJdjPJgKd_Lw6SJaTSqi1uKBZ9Nz5IZM5PI8q8iQEQmF0C5lcH0RrlUX1M_Stjjt59TMAxeGLp1xdHPSKqCHl5HooKGImfG8Ta6fZE/s400/IMG_3466.JPG" /></a></div>
<br><li>Green coffee beans. Your every home coffee roasting need can be met by Tom and co. at <a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/index.php">Sweet Maria's</a>.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4ZeoVdBjzsCSnNHwmb3bk1wknWjs2W-_r_KFx1Wj-ys_KPXigMEHXRd8jFhlSb-d9uemvqLEuyPbDmnvljWTQ0mX02G_4XodV9_qDctINyxwu0-_OHDw1NCdgYmgJ3_-3htby3VoLF0/s1600/IMG_3773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4ZeoVdBjzsCSnNHwmb3bk1wknWjs2W-_r_KFx1Wj-ys_KPXigMEHXRd8jFhlSb-d9uemvqLEuyPbDmnvljWTQ0mX02G_4XodV9_qDctINyxwu0-_OHDw1NCdgYmgJ3_-3htby3VoLF0/s400/IMG_3773.JPG" /></a></div>
<br><li>Oil lamp chimney. The perfect multipurpose solution to some of the basic difficulties of roasting coffee in a popcorn popper: with the combination of a chimney and a wooden spoon, you have a 3-in-1 stirrer (to make sure the beans don't burn early in the roast), container
(to prevent the beans from flying out), and window (to monitor the degree of the roast).</ol>
First things first -- the little 1/2 cup scoop that comes with the popper is exactly the right measurement for one batch of coffee. Be careful not to overload the popper or you'll trigger a low-flow sensor and cause the popper to shut down for about 10 minutes. If this happens in the middle of a roast, you get to throw away a batch of incompletely roasted coffee. Also, you may think that those people on coffeegeek.com who warned you about "smoke" were doing it wrong, but make no mistake -- roasting coffee produces a huge amount of smoke and chaff, so don't try this indoors. Finally, toss out the plastic lid that comes with the popcorn popper. The popper will quickly be rendered useless for anything other than its new calling. Here's how to proceed:<br><br>
<b>Step 1</b>: Load up the popper with a scoop of green coffee beans.<br>
<b>Step 2</b>: Guide the wooden spoon through the glass chimney. In most cases, you'll see that the neck catches the wooden spoon, giving you a simple hands-free way to drop on and pull off the chimney. Place the chimney on top of the popper.<br>
<b>Step 3</b>: Turn on the popper, drop the head of the spoon to the bottom of the bed of coffee, and roll the handle of the spoon between your hands (a la those wooden helicopter toys for kids). It's important to evenly distribute the heat early on in order to avoid any charred beans.<br>
<b>Step 4</b>: After about three minutes, the beans will be done. Apparently the time it takes to complete a roast varies based on humidity, ambient temperature, etc., so all you can really go on is how the beans look. They'll go through a couple of audible cracks, corresponding to loss of moisture and fracturing of the seed's matrix, and you can target just about any degree of roast. I've learned a lot by reading this great <a href="www.sweetmarias.com/roasting-VisualGuideV2.php">visual guide to the stages of roasting</a>, and when you order beans from Sweet Maria's, they always come with recommended roast levels for whatever you've bought.<br>
<b>Step 5</b>: As soon as the beans look good, kill the power, carefully pull off the chimney and set it aside, grab the popper by the bright yellow handle, and dump out the roasted coffee into your colander. Toss the coffee to quickly quench the roast while wandering around your backyard. This step always makes me feel like one of those incense guys at a Catholic mass.<br>
<b>Step 6</b>: Once the coffee has slightly cooled, transfer to a <a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/miscellaneous/bags/valve-bags/coffee-tin-with-de-gas-valve.html">vented tin container</a> or a bag with a gas valve. After the beans are roasted, they give off a bunch of carbon dioxide, so storing the beans in a valved container allows the carbon dioxide to push out all the oxygen, essentially vacuum sealing the coffee overnight. The aroma of a just-opened bag of fresh-roasted coffee is amazing.<br>
<b>Step 7</b>: The coffee will be ready to enjoy after at least 8 hours, but in some cases a day or two is necessary to really develop the flavors. Adding name tags to your bags of coffee is optional but recommended.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0ylTzFE_oGC7n0ngNFMHdaWCRPsZH6RoqH0xTXlwlJhKKJWZcD-W2S8Vv3bzTZYPEQbeMBgZBxEotSFehqMjkc5zXtkMBYH8Xq2vDc7CK2ZmG5jXPfyuihVhC7TR1QUuxc08MswZVeA/s1600/IMG_3785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0ylTzFE_oGC7n0ngNFMHdaWCRPsZH6RoqH0xTXlwlJhKKJWZcD-W2S8Vv3bzTZYPEQbeMBgZBxEotSFehqMjkc5zXtkMBYH8Xq2vDc7CK2ZmG5jXPfyuihVhC7TR1QUuxc08MswZVeA/s400/IMG_3785.JPG" /></a></div>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-19945115993100539542011-05-18T22:33:00.009-04:002011-05-19T00:35:11.899-04:00Almond Raspberry Layer Cake and Siphon Coffee Mach 2<br>I'm right in the middle of that stretch of your late 20's/early 30's when everybody and their dog is getting married. It's hard on the wallet, but getting to see your friends from every stage of your life more than makes up for it. Sometimes, if you're known for the manly art of baking, generous friends will donate the spillover from their wedding gifts, and a couple of years ago I was lucky enough to receive this gorgeous cake stand.<br><br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMwEzqPjDyXaNLvntLVZUhfNeAUSmDcJr3w3YJTZYqFDBAK1BmZLlAJn9A-yQ06SDErd3EQq2MJqrPbpOmidAZ813_yzxZ_DR9PfvtGfl3n3ClVspj2IZWko0v-GwbaPsL5dL0pamv3A/s640/photo.jpeg" /></center><br /><br />Sadly, it's about an inch and a half too skinny to fit a standard 9" cake. Month after lonely month, the cake stand stood on its shelf, collecting dust. That is, until I made this amazing almond raspberry cake and realized that some cakes would just be more appetizing if they weren't towering monstrosities.<br><br /><br /><center><img src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRhuG0se8PxB8AqpojzcvSiLfFdZiiZtbdUUnjni3L-QaUob1-2Ykf8lc_aXz84GIQn_Lk5AeC3IcjQbdT1QnSJk9C2M7xWu-gfbDqk2yKCRF16nkr9yS-hkcc4t4Dh9lnGu9_4Uyfr8/s640/IMG_3197.JPG"></center><br /><br />I latched on to the idea of making a 6" almond raspberry layer cake and slowly worked up to actually buying <i>more</i> cake pans. Boy howdy I'm glad I did -- it's a perfect candidate for a more toned-down cake experience.<br><br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVn3LBbEX1uXyke6rmq9Y6COt7ApIWOdVkaZ19JCNFvf1YDQT0xIYxHJKYKJwjyFfFVlKJu6PKpnQdqZb0voZblQecvzxckp9EmmP8EbrYXyv_hI6BYJ2DpqJjo24BgOCpTFuZUWcQo8/s640/IMG_3213.JPG"></center><br /><br />As a matter of fact, this cake comes together relatively quickly, especially with half the batter to haul around the kitchen. By far the hardest part is tracking down almond paste. The first time I made this cake, I went to no less than five different stores, including Michaels (shudder), just to try to put my hands on some almond paste. It's in the baking section of your local grocery store, squirreled away on the bottom shelf, defying you to find it. <br><br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsY44wGdT59hWGZ6X9hoveyfcYwpDXuMeS0GezQClsJH5BL6DF8lUdKjlc2YdNpxALKwPOyXZWCnyOkaLBcjkANSC8a-beM7Q3pH8QiR5JjfnodwBMMCD6DcYq9xVQRA-mWJGy1s4NinQ/s640/IMG_3227.JPG"></center><br /><br />In other news, I made a pretty amazing discovery at a salvage yard in Oakland a few weeks ago -- a pristine top carafe for an old 8 cup siphon brewer. I cradled it like a newborn all the way back to Boise and, with a new 1000 mL boiling flask and some stuff from the brewer's supply store, created a fully functional siphon coffee brewer. I've been sketching out ideas for a homemade siphon brewer for a few months, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.<br> <br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZqXPkrhBTiwjEcBac31ju9UOKrg5ba_T8ZaXGbCEKsrJZTk-KVcCoGW4W7SlKxHZPgL32ozFRzixgB6zIqJT08SthXjFqEB7tzeGxzBqcnqjGt2hyphenhyphenjBquB6F-GrrsbsrRfrYg0bdL1g/s640/IMG_3234.JPG"></center><br /><br />I can't say enough good things about this cake. The combination of almonds, raspberries, and dark chocolate is pretty tough to beat. Remember not to overmix and keep an eye on the baking time, and if you're not feeling chocolatey, cream cheese frosting would be a good option too. In order to make a full-on 9" layer cake, double the recipe below. Now go out and buy some unnecessary bakeware!<br><br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NJjyQzDuRx1WNXLhTjjOPOEYFFs95LgPluSrwvndA5n8d7Nzhnv0OsKB1iA1zXoSqxks57dO5FQ1mAWYQxvgtiPPrwKjic97PHqx_tF7SzjIuhqTL9ZnWJ8JWfresjLyz1qWsOCnB94/s640/IMG_3248.JPG"></center><br /><br /><br /><b>Almond Raspberry Layer Cake<br><ul>Ingredients</b><br /><li>2 1/4 c cake flour<br /><li>2 1/4 tsp baking powder<br /><li>1/2 tsp salt<br /><li>3.5 oz prepared almond paste<br /><li>1 1/3 cups sugar<br /><li>5 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature<br /><li>1/2 Tbsp almond extract<br /><li>5 egg whites<br /><li>3/4 cups whole milk<br /><li>1/2 cup simple syrup (to keep cake moist))<br /><li>1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves</ul><ol><br /><li>Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 6-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.<br /><li>In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.<br /><li>Place the almond paste and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in another large bowl if using a handheld mixer. Begin to cream the mixture on low speed to break up the almond paste, then increase the speed to medium for about 2 minutes, or until the paste is broken into fine particles.<br /><li>Add the butter and almond extract and beat it well, then the egg whites, two or three at a time, beating just long enough to incorporate after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to make sure it is evenly mixed.<br /><li>Dust about a third of the dry ingredients over the batter and fold in with a large rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in about half the milk. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, fold in the last of the dry ingredients just until no streaks of white remain. Use a light hand and do not overmix. Divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans.<br /><li>Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out on to wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners and let them cool completely, about one hour.<br /><li>Assemble the cake: Place one layer flat side up on a cake stand or serving plate. Slide small strips of waxed paper under the edges to protect the plate from any messiness accumulated while decorating. Brush first layer with simple syrup, if using. Spread 1/2 cup of the raspberry preserves over the cake, leaving a 1/4 inch margin around the edges. Repeat with the second layer, brushing syrup if using and using remaining preserves. Add the third layer and brush with syrup if using.<br /><li>Spread a thin layer frosting of your choice over the top and sides of the cake. Let frosting set in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes (this is your crumb coat) then spread a thicker, decorative coat over the base coat. If you have any frosting remaining, pipe a decoration of your choice.</ol><br /><b>Whipped Bittersweet Frosting</b><ul><br /><li>3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate<br /><li>1/2 cup heavy cream<br /><li>2 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature</ul><ol><br /><li>Melt the chocolate with the cream in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk to blend well. Remove from heat and let stand, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate mixture thickens slightly.<br /><li>Place the butter in a large mixer bowl and with an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the chocolate cream and whip until lighter in color and somewhat stiff, about three minutes. Do not whip too long or the frosting may begin to separate.</ol><br><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9t8p9_hY2kFB9l0A4sfOFlnYyYkUQJ8ENtLkdlQkrx7j0O8HEqNAkhaToVuaqqNAs4Y0OYRD_ZCPRaGvgMNBzj-uEJiE-cxLtwFvkJ4Fw1Fh4jQnLkCICkLB6x22vdP043sjsmXT4SFE/s640/IMG_3242.JPG"></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-11226775943567105842011-04-27T18:40:00.042-04:002011-05-13T16:59:27.822-04:00Changeling<br>About two years ago, one of my best friends asked me to make her a CD of stuff from the 80's. With our shared love of Siouxsie & the Banshees in mind, I spent way longer than planned on growing my post-punk collection and exploring the depths of the stuff I already had. Hope it was worth the wait!<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU5NyHhlnmOM4589OcNag5lRua8NcZoQjc0DQnU-YV_YpgZLRsu4gGSB9B5FHaWrQo9BrRE7gp7aJ1yCjB6MIzM0Hu4bdF8S9y6UG3ON9M31QvVEJEMl2jTk93L0TyHGC7XjV-j-E0H0/s1600/changeling.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 378px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU5NyHhlnmOM4589OcNag5lRua8NcZoQjc0DQnU-YV_YpgZLRsu4gGSB9B5FHaWrQo9BrRE7gp7aJ1yCjB6MIzM0Hu4bdF8S9y6UG3ON9M31QvVEJEMl2jTk93L0TyHGC7XjV-j-E0H0/s400/changeling.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591815883280173234" /><center></a><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?23cyom343e1mamm"><i>Changeling</i></center></a><br /><br />That's Howard Devoto, one of the founding members of the Buzzcocks. After Spiral Scratch came out in 1976, Devoto saw that punk was just a flash in the pan, so he left the band and formed Magazine alongside John McGeoch, who later joined Siouxsie & the Banshees, and a keyboard player named Dave Formula. McGeoch was an insanely talented guitarist in a world where 3-chord punk was the norm (Devoto hired him after watching him play all the lead guitar parts of Television's <i>Marquee Moon</i> front to back). Dave Formula was an unknown entity, and since nobody else in the band knew anything about synths, he had total control over that aspect of their sound. The albums they put out between '78 and '80 were perfect examples of the amazing creativity that blossomed in the aftermath of punk.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraTK3ptTkuiLBO-qUFlmnrTJLXDdwcAzrX9FRGPUdggZ9NKtZ_o7fx8EYQUU2UdD1v3Wsba0HdIrMg9rAnSxA-JbPZ03YEb5v2vPN0I2kLWC4ENdCmJqmNuCiLYhNgupqW8tjxtZCiH0/s1600/jmands.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraTK3ptTkuiLBO-qUFlmnrTJLXDdwcAzrX9FRGPUdggZ9NKtZ_o7fx8EYQUU2UdD1v3Wsba0HdIrMg9rAnSxA-JbPZ03YEb5v2vPN0I2kLWC4ENdCmJqmNuCiLYhNgupqW8tjxtZCiH0/s400/jmands.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600358768007585922" /><center></a><i>John McGeoch and Siouxsie Sioux</i></center><br /><br />Even without any context, post-punk music is great, but part of what makes it so appealing and enduring is that punk's DIY message really caught on in Britain, totally revitalizing the musical landscape. The sleeve for one of Scritti Politti's early EPs wrote out its production costs and the contact info for local record pressing plants. The Desperate Bicycles sang, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdU4Vz39KsY">"it was easy, it was cheap, go and do it!"</a> Lucky for us, truly great bands like the Homosexuals, who still sound years ahead of their time, remain in distribution thanks to labels like Messthetics. At the time, crap keyboards were cheaper than guitars, and if <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPsXPCR5MU">the Shaggs</a> taught us anything, it's that you don't have to be good at your instruments to make good music.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr9y-tiHkraqs2sx5We1N6BV1uTHYQs5bGVlpsg9D6gwl0EdfnMXIuWUjCM9t0tdUlIB8jLFOW5IohH7oxJzFmbFRMJINSqFzEzUlXIXhqTnVmF70BJwyjdB9vTKgEuuzZ2Lf2wb695M/s1600/501038656_87d3ecf36d_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr9y-tiHkraqs2sx5We1N6BV1uTHYQs5bGVlpsg9D6gwl0EdfnMXIuWUjCM9t0tdUlIB8jLFOW5IohH7oxJzFmbFRMJINSqFzEzUlXIXhqTnVmF70BJwyjdB9vTKgEuuzZ2Lf2wb695M/s400/501038656_87d3ecf36d_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600354628755618706" /></a><center><i>Scritti Politti's "4 A-Sides"</i></center><br /><br />One of the reasons this music sounds so great is because nobody had any idea what they were doing. Case in point: in the early days of Devo, the band couldn't find the keyboards they wanted, so they built their own hardware from scratch. While on stage, sweat would pour down the sleeves of their full-body plastic suits, frying their equipment and causing totally unreproducible sounds. I think that's a great way to illustrate what happened when punk kids started picking up synthesizers.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_BMqh2zBnvQYj2z5BljSGm_-Kxk-axtrKZZICWxwBHlDfhBYb6Rggh2X9uypPUKc4IqCEvrZPZ9kaf19-FvN2lzQ2SKg0X9CkxWPpvbRgWoeRmiOFLf3MwW4E71JUnmUYFiJ7ZMe4Oc/s1600/DEVO-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_BMqh2zBnvQYj2z5BljSGm_-Kxk-axtrKZZICWxwBHlDfhBYb6Rggh2X9uypPUKc4IqCEvrZPZ9kaf19-FvN2lzQ2SKg0X9CkxWPpvbRgWoeRmiOFLf3MwW4E71JUnmUYFiJ7ZMe4Oc/s400/DEVO-3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600355836708556226" /></a><center><i>Devo</i></center><br /><br />This compilation isn't meant to be a primer on the DIY movement or the origins of synth-pop (if that's what you're after, watch the BBC's amazing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dPFHXWOB0U">Synth Britannia</a>) -- it's more about what happened when guitar-heavy bands (e.g. the Buzzcocks) started incorporating keyboards (e.g. Magazine), before people really knew how to market pure synth pop a la the Human League and their legion imitators. The chugging glam riff, handclaps, and wobbly square-wave vrrrring during the bridge of "The Machman," the way the guitars chime into the airy synth opening of "Second Skin," the back-to-back wall of John McGeoch awesomeness that is "My Tulpa"/"Head Cut" -- with so many amazing jams to decide among, you understand why this project took so long.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_BEhKNauGr0NqJsjH9Ig0sBWLRVjJtWGi5LKkji1iitZ6N8YxmWx7JH3Cfj4UhONWxkkP10SXZdeYX8KioW3KRNHWzt5Y1EhvjGJwu_9g_3Zm86eBKfjug58w6iTb1xWZNvFqtG8Y8I/s1600/5p3aya.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_BEhKNauGr0NqJsjH9Ig0sBWLRVjJtWGi5LKkji1iitZ6N8YxmWx7JH3Cfj4UhONWxkkP10SXZdeYX8KioW3KRNHWzt5Y1EhvjGJwu_9g_3Zm86eBKfjug58w6iTb1xWZNvFqtG8Y8I/s400/5p3aya.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600361207065461954" /></a><center><i>Sandwell District</i></center><br /><br />Lately I've been listening to a lot of deep house and techno music, and some of my favorite stuff is being released by a label called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=245edaBPV8Q&feature=related">Sandwell District</a>. During an interview, the two guys who run the label said that they both draw inspiration from early post-punk, and you can actually trace a line from then to now: Joy Division's guitars were replaced by the opening 4/4 beat of Blue Monday, and guys like Sandwell District are only following that trajectory.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?23cyom343e1mamm">Download</a><br><br /><br /><b><i>Changeling</i></b><ol><br /><li>Men Without Hats - Ban the Game<br /><li>Ultravox - Slow Motion<br /><li>Positive Noise - Hypnosis<br /><li>Joy Division - Isolation<br /><li>Pete Shelley - I Generate a Feeling<br /><li>Tubeway Army - The Machman<br /><li>Simple Minds - Changeling<br /><li>The Teardrop Explodes - Ha Ha I'm Drowning<br /><li>The Sound - Heartland<br /><li>The Chameleons - Second Skin<br /><li>Spoons - Nova Heart<br /><li>Japan - Quiet Life<br /><li>New Order - The Village<br /><li>Magazine - My Tulpa<br /><li>Siouxsie & the Banshees - Head Cut<br /><li>Echo & the Bunnymen - In Bluer Skies<br /><li>Ultravox! - Hiroshima Mon Amour</ol>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-52394199413321307592011-02-18T01:00:00.000-05:002011-09-20T17:18:45.666-04:00Siphon Coffee Brewing and Hazelnut Cinnamon Biscotti<br />
Apparently when I was a kid, I thought that coffee was the last socially acceptable addiction, but thanks to a recent obsession (see also: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCHTAu4In70">dub music</a>), now I get why.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt_CwWocp6V_D2t1BBuTmn4P28VFh8AQTGGcs2QjIcm6PohA3KmODl-ir7n9p4O_43PPxu2vZHnigebIFsjJ82D8Y4XAGjgo8UhlxKT-xB0tMn9Ddbi9t4OFJqMBY6R97Erlh0FTQXXs/s1600/IMG_3011.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575199961167159842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt_CwWocp6V_D2t1BBuTmn4P28VFh8AQTGGcs2QjIcm6PohA3KmODl-ir7n9p4O_43PPxu2vZHnigebIFsjJ82D8Y4XAGjgo8UhlxKT-xB0tMn9Ddbi9t4OFJqMBY6R97Erlh0FTQXXs/s400/IMG_3011.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
One of the joys of living near the west coast hot spots is that the guys (it's always guys) who are into coffee take it to a flat-out ridiculous level of obsession. I went to Stumptown Annex in Portland last week, and while checking out their bean selection, I casually told the counter guy that I was just getting into coffee and was interested in knowing more about the broad flavor trends between the big global coffee-producers (Central America, Southeast Asia, Africa). Lord love him, but he was totally incapable of dumbing it down for me. He said that making those kind of generalizations would be like asking what "wine from Europe" was like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqaA_-u2YOCTYzHqrB5v-D3KERwFjFUqe9sP4XzhqKXVX5jYWRqjGLDRWIzgAvPQLex5L2tb2_F73d1khq0vabV0GZ3X1OdyAbdqdHNUiYNgJdKzaiZqnOSHzJfXpN8yVxXKwKqqFLWM/s1600/IMG_3016.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575201272694708530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqaA_-u2YOCTYzHqrB5v-D3KERwFjFUqe9sP4XzhqKXVX5jYWRqjGLDRWIzgAvPQLex5L2tb2_F73d1khq0vabV0GZ3X1OdyAbdqdHNUiYNgJdKzaiZqnOSHzJfXpN8yVxXKwKqqFLWM/s400/IMG_3016.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
So I'll be the first to admit that I don't really know anything about coffee: up until a few months ago, I didn't really drink much coffee at all. All that changed with the first cup of coffee I made with my siphon brewer (which I found, new in the box, at the Boise flea market for $10).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsHgYFPOcdDy0GwwMwxKH7xe5aT-osFwjCA50WLraSqqeLVkRQr1ZpHY87p34S1YtklcAUsMuQ_kTwiB9cSP5cRV4KJErFRt7abcDKEnKxTnsxtfvLL67CbDc-At7vSxpfxmGWZhN2Rc/s1600/IMG_3017.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575201930918827250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsHgYFPOcdDy0GwwMwxKH7xe5aT-osFwjCA50WLraSqqeLVkRQr1ZpHY87p34S1YtklcAUsMuQ_kTwiB9cSP5cRV4KJErFRt7abcDKEnKxTnsxtfvLL67CbDc-At7vSxpfxmGWZhN2Rc/s400/IMG_3017.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I'll admit, even if I didn't I love the process -- like my friend Trey says, it's coffee theater -- and appreciate the fact that it's a great justification for indulging my love for scientific glassware, brewing coffee this way would be a waste of time if it didn't make super good coffee. My little Hario didn't disappoint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoU51Bd5XU8jJsCi1QgQ1W2_MfE4dAK9247rn-siKVBxdqe1CfxSB47ov8da5kLyBIIxmtLPBBvbsSjJpqarQPzUyTeN2MsrGoJRgjnyCy7x12jnRM-1CmSbpaxUia242tcoPeiWYZdM/s1600/IMG_3022.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575203706684883458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoU51Bd5XU8jJsCi1QgQ1W2_MfE4dAK9247rn-siKVBxdqe1CfxSB47ov8da5kLyBIIxmtLPBBvbsSjJpqarQPzUyTeN2MsrGoJRgjnyCy7x12jnRM-1CmSbpaxUia242tcoPeiWYZdM/s400/IMG_3022.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
I could never explain the process as well as the impressively-produced little video below, but the point is that the water in the brewing chamber never reaches the boiling point, so most of the bitter compounds stay in the coffee. The result is a bright, floral flavor with lots of salty, caramel-y body. I just tried an Ethiopian varietal from Stumptown that actually tasted like raspberries. Another varietal from Kenya is described as having "notes of kiwi, cocoa, pineapple and raw sugar in a cup redolent of dried flowers."<br />
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<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/8977253?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="400"></iframe></center><br />
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Is it all psychosomatic? Why would it be for coffee and not for wine or scotch? Admittedly, all these flavors are really subtle (it is black coffee, after all) but the fact that I can taste even one or two of them is pretty exciting. And, my brewer and hand grinder are both from Japan. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/magazine/13Food-t-000.html?_r=2">The New York Times</a> would be proud. Next, I wanted to bake something to complement my labor of love, and guess what? Biscotti go really well with coffee!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqQkxBd5pCw-pMGibB_7CzdmhY_jAYeRArb-wDYkiZKi4kLxUEOEQf5tUqJFSa2FYhvm9f9MS2-Vtk4s9o5cy3myBmo8tC02Qs_alERB0k1mcoKULH-vI4nDFSwliNyjQYNK6FGcKtEM/s1600/IMG_3005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575212805790522994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqQkxBd5pCw-pMGibB_7CzdmhY_jAYeRArb-wDYkiZKi4kLxUEOEQf5tUqJFSa2FYhvm9f9MS2-Vtk4s9o5cy3myBmo8tC02Qs_alERB0k1mcoKULH-vI4nDFSwliNyjQYNK6FGcKtEM/s400/IMG_3005.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baked-Frontiers-Baking-Matt-Lewis/dp/1584797215">Baked</a> is basically perfect. Warm cinnamon, creamy hazelnuts, semisweet chocolate, and black coffee? I made another recipe alongside these (white chocolate and dried cranberries with semolina flour), but they were so sad next to the world's best biscotti that I couldn't muster up the heart to take any good pictures of them. My best advice when making these is to use plenty of parchment paper. A paper sling makes transferring the dense dough much easier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zWqMW5hi4XmXcLC_xqMUXUF2suuTtr4xXTKepjGogtp0J1YY0hI8CcsLdicHJgEG37NDqlwuyme5MAuTCTXHTqbikMK2Q3LVUFzeKFGoTx4IabSF6lGuYV9gQuOub3VdOwYle0R3g6o/s1600/IMG_3023.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575213848800703826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zWqMW5hi4XmXcLC_xqMUXUF2suuTtr4xXTKepjGogtp0J1YY0hI8CcsLdicHJgEG37NDqlwuyme5MAuTCTXHTqbikMK2Q3LVUFzeKFGoTx4IabSF6lGuYV9gQuOub3VdOwYle0R3g6o/s400/IMG_3023.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Hazelnut Cinnamon Biscotti</b><br />
<ul><b>Ingredients</b><br />
<li>1 1/3 c sugar</li>
<li>1 1/4 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>4 large eggs</li>
<li>2 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>3 1/4 c AP flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 c blanched hazelnuts, toasted</li>
<li>1 3/4 c (10 oz) semisweet chocolate chips</li>
<li>1 egg white</li>
</ul>
<ol><b>Directions</b><br />
<li>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.</li>
<li>Beat the eggs and sugar in an electric mixture until the color is uniform and the mixture thick. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds. Add the flour in two batches and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the hazelnuts and chocolate chips, and beat until just combined.</li>
<li>Turn the dough out onto parchment paper. Use a dough scraper to form into a log about 16" long, 3 1/2" wide, and 3/4" thick. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm but not browned. Cool for 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Lower the oven to 325 degrees F. While the log cools, whisk together the egg white and 2 Tsp of water and apply the egg wash to the top of the dough with a pastry brush.</li>
<li>Cut the log into 3/4" slices with a serrated knife. Lay the biscotti on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VGvZ0by6T2Sf_kkF6y538-yBR85UCbnfDWklDLMGD1Rrf80G-FFqsJ2jZiRSQPfqUIfUDEQIO3kX6OCT7GcJSQoFDO-aGQFzbtEIXMeF3UEiAFGWWKpLG-BUGTTKrPzxgVILNLh06L8/s1600/IMG_2999.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575210990050914018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VGvZ0by6T2Sf_kkF6y538-yBR85UCbnfDWklDLMGD1Rrf80G-FFqsJ2jZiRSQPfqUIfUDEQIO3kX6OCT7GcJSQoFDO-aGQFzbtEIXMeF3UEiAFGWWKpLG-BUGTTKrPzxgVILNLh06L8/s400/IMG_2999.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-23883824881005392022010-12-20T21:20:00.017-05:002011-01-04T21:50:28.581-05:00Jam Sandwiches<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbkc-w1zGsVrAT1v541YdTQk0MRWeKS1fKEhq1j6HGDYH7M85D5nx1FmOTLKHrg5IqQeid2F2jKSvKIlrNse7QN629uUMMyGxiza8egkB_ORn-lWiLxB-rB72L9Ztazv1PKp6q4oD0Bw/s1600/IMG_2991.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbkc-w1zGsVrAT1v541YdTQk0MRWeKS1fKEhq1j6HGDYH7M85D5nx1FmOTLKHrg5IqQeid2F2jKSvKIlrNse7QN629uUMMyGxiza8egkB_ORn-lWiLxB-rB72L9Ztazv1PKp6q4oD0Bw/s400/IMG_2991.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552984439606069426" /></a><br />I have a confession to make -- I don't really like Christmas cookies. I love cutting them out, decorating them with my mom and sister, making the goopy colored frosting, but at the end of the day, they taste like straight butter and flour. I had given up on Christmas cookies until, on a whim, I opened up my Baking Illustrated cookbook and, lo and behold, I found the greatest Christmas cookies of all time: jam sandwiches.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbn6aaYbTtqZZ-8JySYzyNQad6OU-2CWn7U51EA0-gGz7k-pHL09mBy-1FJ8yupx-vKALzulIJ9a5RDGS4Hb7LD_-T-Avbn6tmwtZiLgcOVbiGoi1v47KISF0gnUfBi9BfjPpmWKp5o4/s1600/IMG_2992.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbn6aaYbTtqZZ-8JySYzyNQad6OU-2CWn7U51EA0-gGz7k-pHL09mBy-1FJ8yupx-vKALzulIJ9a5RDGS4Hb7LD_-T-Avbn6tmwtZiLgcOVbiGoi1v47KISF0gnUfBi9BfjPpmWKp5o4/s400/IMG_2992.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552985083565663938" /></a><br />It turns out the secret ingredients for the perfect sugar cookie are a) superfine sugar, b) two sticks of butter, and c) cream cheese. As always a stand mixer takes all of the guess work out of making these, and liberal use of parchment paper makes rolling/cutting/cleanup incredibly easy. Be sure to refrigerate the dough in between steps and to eat one of the cookie holes right when it comes out of the oven. I think I've found my favorite cookie recipe ever.<br><br /><br /><b>Jam Sandwiches<br><ul>Ingredients</b><br /><li>2 1/2 c (12 1/2 oz) AP flour<br /><li>3/4 c (5 1/2 oz) superfine sugar (granulated sugar, pulverized in the food processor for 30 sec)<br /><li>1/4 tsp salt<br /><li>16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into sixteen 1/2" pieces<br /><li>2 tsp vanilla extract<br /><li>2 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature<br /><li>2 Tbsp turbinado, Demerara, or white decorating sugar<br /><li>1 1/4 c (12 oz) raspberry jam, strained</ul><ol><b>Directions</b><br /><li>In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, sugar, and salt at low speed until combined. With the mixer running on low, add the butter a piece at a time. Continue to mix until the mixture looks crumbly and slighty wet. Add the vanilla and cream cheese and mix for another 30 seconds.<br /><li>Knead the dough by hand in the bowl for a few turns, then turn the dough out onto the countertop. divide in half and wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for at least half an hour.<br /><li>Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out one half of the dough to an even 1/8" thickness between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Slide the rolled tough, still on the parchment, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with the rest of the dough.<br /><li>Cut out the cookies with a 2" round cookie cutter and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown. Roll out the the remaining dough, sprinkle the sugar over the dough, and use a 3/4" round cookie cutter to cut out the centers of the rounds. Bake as before.<br /><li>When the cookies have cooled, add about 1 tsp of jam on the base cookies and put the cut-out cookies on top. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes.</ol><br /><center>Secret bonus song I made on my Kaossilator while making these this weekend:<br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=13568782-7ad" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=13568782-7ad" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br /></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-44305149667931181282010-11-23T18:28:00.017-05:002012-06-14T13:10:59.077-04:00Sound and Vision - Fra Angelico and Britten<br><center><a href="http://www.enterthebible.org/media/images/source/Fra_Angelico_043_Annouciation.jpg"><img src="http://www.enterthebible.org/media/images/source/Fra_Angelico_043_Annouciation.jpg" width="640 pt" height=447 pt"></a><i>The Annunciation, Fra Angelico (1437-1446)</i></center><br />It's nice to have such a cultured family. My mom loves medieval and early Renaissance painting, especially Fra Angelico, and she passed a lot of that appreciation on to me and my sister, who got her BA in art history. One of my favorite trips we've ever taken together was to <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/the_cloisters">the Cloisters</a> in NYC. Not only do my mom and sister love art, but my brother is a music professor, and every once in a while he sends me some of the music he's working on, like the Faure songs I've posted here. He's currently coaching the second of five canticles Benjamin Britten wrote for tenor, countertenor, and piano. The <a href="http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=402">original text</a> for this piece is taken directly from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Mystery_Plays">Chester's mystery plays</a>, a cycle of 15th century plays based on biblical texts.<br /><br />The connection between the Britten piece and the Fra Angelico painting isn't just the concurrence of the art and the text, it's their shared depiction of contact with the supernatural. Everything about the Fra Angelico painting is otherworldly, from the over-sized figures and Gabriel's rainbow wings to the beauty of the painting itself (and, you know, the whole idea of the annunciation to begin with), and Britten's portrayal of the voice of God at the beginning of this piece is almost scarily awe-inspiring.<br> <br /><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=13389656-ba0" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=13389656-ba0" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br><i>Britten's Canticle II - Abraham and Issac</i></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-79173911073994236902010-10-09T13:01:00.027-04:002010-10-10T13:12:13.581-04:00Mussamun Curry Paste<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD-Ahgp31f-eL-ykCUoT6-0YPVgOnqkVChnBDUTS9zD6k0IvXuCm7x4m46hJ53TgJBfAUS2c8rRrcrp-7LwRQmpowLtryWWKi-7yzndFckWSpl-wGlYYLgATXn5l782zf278rbqN1vrU/s1600/Photo+Oct+09,+4+00+10+PM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD-Ahgp31f-eL-ykCUoT6-0YPVgOnqkVChnBDUTS9zD6k0IvXuCm7x4m46hJ53TgJBfAUS2c8rRrcrp-7LwRQmpowLtryWWKi-7yzndFckWSpl-wGlYYLgATXn5l782zf278rbqN1vrU/s400/Photo+Oct+09,+4+00+10+PM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526170741752155762" /></a><br />My brother and his wife got me a great <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curry-Book-Memorable-Flavors-Irresistible/dp/0618002022">curry cookbook</a> for Christmas a few years ago, and after opening it up the other day, I got hungry for some labor-intensive Indian food. In the back are a few recipes for curry paste (red, green, yellow) and one for "Thai-Style Mussamun Curry Paste" that serves as a base for an interesting curry containing chicken, potatoes, and peanuts. After looking at the ingredient list I knew I had to make it.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dXSIYg8erxXWzcxZNBBODnfzq1wVaaQIye29MSY273VN5_q8-npBDIKBnvBzlXNI8qL32gxj9tk-Cu6dxWfqQmgUaBCM2Km2de7VIE4ZHJWnykK0Mx1kNEBrTP6rgMHElZeQ9vBbeIM/s1600/IMG_2931.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dXSIYg8erxXWzcxZNBBODnfzq1wVaaQIye29MSY273VN5_q8-npBDIKBnvBzlXNI8qL32gxj9tk-Cu6dxWfqQmgUaBCM2Km2de7VIE4ZHJWnykK0Mx1kNEBrTP6rgMHElZeQ9vBbeIM/s400/IMG_2931.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526174944471645650" /></a><br />This paste has a bunch of sweet spices and an undercurrent of a kick from the dried chiles. Apparently it some ceremonial purposes in Thailand (weddings, births, ordinations of Buddhist monks), and it tastes pretty incredible. All the up-front work you put in pays off, since making homemade curry is so quick with some curry paste on hand. I happend to have all the whole spices (except for the turmeric), so I went overkill: here's a photo of some cardamom pods I cracked open, just to give you an idea of how far you can take this recipe if you're in the mood. <br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaHK8Ju1N80YW4ksS_tvIaN2m262xZbTihNYWpnHzjadAsLNsq39lzkS7sqnkVfoEJu3YYskUPCGm-TTctJ_RyV7L7kPn-UlbYqS6pFXAtkTKNIE7ijpXY5sv6YhZ3leslv1nu0xjYv0/s1600/Photo+Oct+09,+4+12+22+PM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaHK8Ju1N80YW4ksS_tvIaN2m262xZbTihNYWpnHzjadAsLNsq39lzkS7sqnkVfoEJu3YYskUPCGm-TTctJ_RyV7L7kPn-UlbYqS6pFXAtkTKNIE7ijpXY5sv6YhZ3leslv1nu0xjYv0/s400/Photo+Oct+09,+4+12+22+PM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526173575756687474" /></a><br>The Mussamun curry recipe in this cookbook calls for 2 cans of coconut milk, 2 lbs cut up chicken breast, 1 large peeled, chopped potato, and 1 onion cut into chunks, along with 1/2 c dry-roasted salted peanuts, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 3 Tbsp dissolved tamarind paste, 2 Tbsp lime juice, and salt to taste. Combine 5 Tbsp curry paste with 1/2 c of coconut milk over medium-high heat, lightly brown the chicken, then add everything else besides the lime juice. Bring to a boil, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, add the lime juice, and serve with basmati rice. FYI, I also made this with a couple of blocks of cubed, pan-fried extra firm tofu (frozen overnight, thawed during the day, and hand-squeezed dry), adding the tofu a few minutes before taking the curry off the heat, and it was at least as good as the original recipe.<br><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3teHkc4Yteq9bVT3zCQk2xTgMo5uQdwbu8rS3urA75tq03XXeMs8c-WBjYI-0agfiN6-OWjhwQIhcaKO9Vr4pJuFHKSYEuKRhzv42hPwf9H3mlWNaHnV_0Z0uiptJd6GhihJjOXrW76Q/s1600/IMG_2933.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3teHkc4Yteq9bVT3zCQk2xTgMo5uQdwbu8rS3urA75tq03XXeMs8c-WBjYI-0agfiN6-OWjhwQIhcaKO9Vr4pJuFHKSYEuKRhzv42hPwf9H3mlWNaHnV_0Z0uiptJd6GhihJjOXrW76Q/s400/IMG_2933.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526097207034573330" /></a><br /><b>Thai-Style Mussamun Curry Paste<br><ul>Ingredients</b><br /><li>15 small dried red chili peppers (chiles de arbol, the slender ones about the size of your pinkie)<br /><li>2 tsp ground cumin<br /><li>1 tsp ground coriander<br /><li>1 tsp ground black pepper<br /><li>1 tsp ground nutmeg<br /><li>1 tsp ground cardamom<br /><li>1/2 tsp ground cloves<br /><li>1/2 tsp ground turmeric<br /><li>2 tsp salt<br /><li>1/2 c coarsely chopped onion<br /><li>1/2 c chopped garlic<br /><li>3 Tbsp minced fresh lemongrass (the white sections of about 3 stalks)<br /><li>1 tbsp minced fresh ginger<br /><li>few Tbsp water</ul><ol><b>Directions</b><br /><li>Stem the chilies, remove the seeds, and cut them into small pieces using kitchen shears. There will be about 1/4 c of dried chilies. Place in a small bowl and add warm water to cover, then soak for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.<br /><li>Meanwhile, combine cumin and coriander seds in a small, dry frying pan. Toast over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Remove from heat and combine with the rest of the spices. In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, 2 Tbsp of water, drained chilies, and the spice mixture. Process to a fairly smooth, evenly colored-paste.<br /><li>Transfer to an airtight jar and seal. Refrigerate until needed for up to 1 months, or freeze for up to 6 months.</ol>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-70894822936930872492010-08-03T16:26:00.003-04:002010-08-03T19:50:13.431-04:00Indian Skillet Black-Eyed Peas<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLaW7BVlFyukF5b2JGT8xzccyMSHn9tpuoH6T43KLxU6eu8-lEUzF9WVcfrGJ2PIoDPbDv3AKjT9HyGCBOVzP3DkonjscL3fBIBNkxpES-jSJT3c6jL8CUV1rFYSKLAgDbM4vNU0qCps/s1600/IMG_2918.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLaW7BVlFyukF5b2JGT8xzccyMSHn9tpuoH6T43KLxU6eu8-lEUzF9WVcfrGJ2PIoDPbDv3AKjT9HyGCBOVzP3DkonjscL3fBIBNkxpES-jSJT3c6jL8CUV1rFYSKLAgDbM4vNU0qCps/s320/IMG_2918.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501264707577632658" /></a><br />Ever since my awesome friends Erik and Kelly turned me on to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-New-Classics-Collective/dp/0609802410">Moosewood Restaurant's New Classics cookbook</a> I have been cooking from it compulsively. Every single recipe, except for one bland potato/pasta/pesto dish, has been a showstopper. This recipe for spiced black-eyed peas is one of my favorites.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8UwBw4xthJFsaRYRmilJ_6eaSgjHYmlXmrC8BZpawO242c0XlZKgYpXnjByzZHhwvnzfPEUrjE7-VcY8BpTKUN93OUn-Uiy6-eoziP5oyvOiVjI2e0HrMhhbJfG4-yQ9pD6GVjV-XWE/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8UwBw4xthJFsaRYRmilJ_6eaSgjHYmlXmrC8BZpawO242c0XlZKgYpXnjByzZHhwvnzfPEUrjE7-VcY8BpTKUN93OUn-Uiy6-eoziP5oyvOiVjI2e0HrMhhbJfG4-yQ9pD6GVjV-XWE/s320/IMG_2903.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500655802416090802" /></a><br />Like most fun recipes, this one has a couple of secret ingredients: tamarind paste, which is pretty easy to find in a Whole Foods/co-op/ethnic grocery, and ground cardamom. It's definitely a little more effort to buy cardamom pods, pound them open, fish out the flavor crystals, and grind them by hand, but it smells and tastes amazing. You know that moment when you throw a bunch of spices into a pan of hot oil and onion and garlic? This recipe dials that moment up to 10.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_7YcRMjab-Dg5eOfJjdc0diJMM-jgRvb9ZVULTXpWtM34_isw3hVDMPyhVq6zumAGEDD6TdWtdS9PPHTDd_oKPgkzw4YVWxCYDg3Oin22sP1mqdCHs4Hpkh4yHbJkaEJZKN02tDWS18/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_7YcRMjab-Dg5eOfJjdc0diJMM-jgRvb9ZVULTXpWtM34_isw3hVDMPyhVq6zumAGEDD6TdWtdS9PPHTDd_oKPgkzw4YVWxCYDg3Oin22sP1mqdCHs4Hpkh4yHbJkaEJZKN02tDWS18/s320/IMG_2898.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500655528311975986" /></a><br />I really went overboard with my favorite spices, easily doubling the amount of fresh ginger and cardamom. Any way you make it, this recipe has an amazing flavor profile and is one of the most satisfying bean dishes I've ever made. Score another one for Moosewood!<br /><br /><b>Ingredients</b><ul><li>2 Tbsp vegetable oil<br /><li>1 c chopped onions<br /><li>1 clove garlic, minced<br /><li>1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger<br /><li>1/4 tsp cayenne<br /><li>1/4 tsp ground cinnamon<br /><li>1/4 tsp ground cardamom<br /><li>1/4 tsp ground coriander<br /><li>1 tsp salt<br /><li>1 tsp tamarind concentrate, dissolved in 1 c warm water<br /><li>3 c cooked black-eyed peas (equal to two 16 oz cans, rinsed and drained)<br /><li>1/2 c chopped fresh tomatoes<br /><li>2 c rinsed and chopped fresh spinach</ul><br /><b>Directions</b><ol><li>Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or nonreactive saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute on medium-high heat until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.<br /><li>Add the ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, and salt and mix well. Stir in the water and tamarind and black eyed peas, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.<br /><li>Add the tomatoes and spinach and cook just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.</ol><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqvBg6axdLk88VenMSh7T9Pf4q2AqJvndh3GW_UkH3YaCBFd5Ckwljtsvx9ZO_cuVZToWGDy4XsNs9ERhYdZDKDjCyn23BjDwMM3T3DQKILF3zc1kmE5SfAE-WNr3bzcR6nf7S6sxW4M/s1600/IMG_2906.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqvBg6axdLk88VenMSh7T9Pf4q2AqJvndh3GW_UkH3YaCBFd5Ckwljtsvx9ZO_cuVZToWGDy4XsNs9ERhYdZDKDjCyn23BjDwMM3T3DQKILF3zc1kmE5SfAE-WNr3bzcR6nf7S6sxW4M/s320/IMG_2906.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500657881859780290" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-39838878978580283152010-06-29T01:06:00.023-04:002010-07-01T11:36:34.229-04:00Strawberries, Two Ways<BR><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DqgxDR2Xx1VCJX9Pde_ncEkkl5nvqJP43eh1OLKytSAWCqvsDYLowIl4czOKI5scwEn1Jp91o9wZI5H95rMYyQfEX7WuuVgd_sGiQ6kqMST-T6bLcr5RdUOHLgy4ILHkn9VuRm5dOus/s1600/Picturesss+382.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DqgxDR2Xx1VCJX9Pde_ncEkkl5nvqJP43eh1OLKytSAWCqvsDYLowIl4czOKI5scwEn1Jp91o9wZI5H95rMYyQfEX7WuuVgd_sGiQ6kqMST-T6bLcr5RdUOHLgy4ILHkn9VuRm5dOus/s400/Picturesss+382.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488057769686437650" /></a><center><i>Strawberry Shortcakes, c/o Baking Illustrated</i><br></center><br />A few weeks ago, at the height of strawberry season, I was eating strawberries with everything (especially Greek yogurt). This having been my first strawberry season with my new copy of Baking Illustrated in hand, I knew I had to make their strawberry shortcakes. They turned out great - slightly sweetened biscuits, mascerated strawberries, a generous portion of whipped cream - just about everything you'd want. Thankfully, my obsession didn't stop there.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4641625115_9bd7875408.jpg"><br><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/strawberry-brown-butter-bettys/"><i>Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys, c/o Smitten Kitchen</i></a></center><br />Just as this unbelievably delicious and easy <a href="http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2010/03/banana-bread-cobbler/">banana bread cobbler</a> recipe rendered banana bread obsolete, the strawberry brown butter bettys on <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/strawberry-brown-butter-bettys/">smittenkitchen.com</a> were so perfect that I'll probably never make strawberry shortcakes again. Still, both of these recipes are well worth your time.<br /><br /><ul><b>Fruit</b><br /><li>8 c strawberries, hulled<br /><li>6 Tbsp sugar</ul><ul><b>Shortcakes</b><br /><li>2 c (10 oz) AP flour<br /><li>5 Tbsp sugar<br /><li>1 Tbsp baking powder<br /><li>1/2 tsp salt<br /><li>8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in cubes<br /><li>1 egg, lightly beaten<br /><li>1/2 c plus 1 Tsbp half-and-half or whole milk<br /><li>1 egg white, lightly beaten<br /><li>2 c whipped cream (+ 1 tsp vanilla)<br /></ul><ol><b>Directions</b><br /><li>For the fruit: Crush 3 cups of the hulled strawberries with a potato masher. Slice the remaining 5 cups of berries and stir into the crushed berries, along with the sugar. Set the fruit aside and mascerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.<br /><li>For the shortcakes: Set an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Pulse the flour, 3 Tbsp of the sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Scatter the cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until it resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl.<br /><li>Mix the beaten egg and half and half in a mesuring cup. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until large clumps are formed. Turn onto a floured work surface and lightly knead until combined.<br /><li>Pat the dough until a 9"x6" rectangle, about 3/4" thick, making sure not to overwork the dough. Cut out 6 dough rounds with a 2 3/4" biscuit cutter. Brush with beaten egg white, and sprinkle with remaining sugar.<br /><li>Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool until warm, about 10 minutes.<br /><li>Split each shortcake, portion fruit over the bottom, add a dollop of whipped cream, and cap with the cake top.</ol>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-32921242745501668382010-05-23T17:59:00.019-04:002010-05-24T14:58:28.196-04:00Serious Moonlight<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/15/69703535_a1b0794269_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 432px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/15/69703535_a1b0794269_b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474589085485462434" /></a><center><i><a href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/zib660">Serious Moonlight</i></center></a><br />My friend Darcy and I have an inexplicable attachment to the lyric about the "serious moonlight" in Bowie's "Let's Dance". Last month we were both at our mutual friends' wedding, and that's the song they chose for their first dance. For whatever reason, that lyric embedded itself into my brain. After that night I was super inspired to put together a compilation that evokes nighttime and all that it entails: dreams, sleep, sex, confusion, and, of course, field recordings of frogs. It's meant to be listened to at dusk with the lights out and the windows open. As usual, just unpack the zip file and drag the songs into iTunes, and they'll sort themselves in the Mixes genre under "<a href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/zib660">Serious Moonlight</a>".<br /><ol><li>The Moody Blues - The Sun Set (3.03)<br /><li>Arovane - Tomorrow Morning (1.46)<br /><li>Serge Gainsbourg - Valse de Melody (1.32)<br /><li>Leila - Something (1.29)<br /><li>The Durutti Column - Sleep Will Come (1.49)<br /><li>Euros Childs - Roedd Hi'n Nofio Yn Y Bore Bach (3.30)<br /><li>David Sylvian - The Heart Knows Better (7.52)<br /><li>Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms (4.34)<br /><li>Colin Blunstone - Her Song (3.31)<br /><li>Matt Sweeny & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Blood Embrace (7.57)<br /><li>The Clientele - Lamplight (6.44)<br /><li>Datacide - Flashback Signal (15.55)<br /><li>Björk - Headphones (5.40)</ol>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-45004433175291019662010-05-09T20:57:00.014-04:002010-05-09T21:55:58.292-04:00Autechre and Bruce Gilbert<br><a href="http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15200/reviews/4139391"><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15200/reviews/4139391"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-ls1diQ2xrjRTmz3rr-A1KbnCUwW_S9pFpBhL4wtnuGxQ0bH4klRc-uYco8e60f8kvAfLZ-OahAR1nR30xfw74RLxia-cVAXWzEdN-k6iDmK4aUwgkWUodRxFYgl6iLesKZz76Jhyphenhyphen1k/s400/Autechre.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469450963628524882" /></a><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=11322836-bf3" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=11322836-bf3" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object></a><br /><i>Autechre - os veix3 (2010)</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://samemistakesmusic.blogspot.com/2010/04/bruce-gilbert-shivering-man.html"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 396px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1a0rNUhWun9C5lLLewiWWIxTw82lGecNYMlH_p3RL8CFJlgbOZgKjPtE1mu8Rm54Bu2wh2Xboc46nHmOlBH8dJZKIAKm6AT8N6Bx5VJJbCl36uTN3gJPGzZtBoRhdI2qFu_egQFptfE/s400/Bruce+Gilbert.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469451932446427506" /></a><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=11322835-e52" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=11322835-e52" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br /><i>Bruce Gilbert - Angel Food (1987)</i></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-23479008034889011792010-03-28T21:08:00.016-04:002010-03-29T01:55:00.473-04:00Udon with Shiitake Mushrooms and Kale in Miso Broth<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEKAazMyXjZHWkjT2x3zL376IcWxoZlkSoBtWWW5I6le_GV1ZYeHbA4IbcUPCBlxRGJyJqAh90KVN7OYHoktQ-secHtCL-98gAOySU4yYK4atMfALR0WnEEVvnh66Rbgw2Gskr3aCPXU/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEKAazMyXjZHWkjT2x3zL376IcWxoZlkSoBtWWW5I6le_GV1ZYeHbA4IbcUPCBlxRGJyJqAh90KVN7OYHoktQ-secHtCL-98gAOySU4yYK4atMfALR0WnEEVvnh66Rbgw2Gskr3aCPXU/s400/IMG_2638.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453858443721582306" /></a><br />I'm just getting over being sick for a full month, and when I'm sick I crave Japanese food. I wish I had found this recipe when I was just coming down with the plague. It's cheap, comforting, easy, and incredibly satisfying. It's also arguably the healthiest thing I've ever made in the kitchen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevDgI8K-IlCssCd-vuhggjdBI1rVB5kHgSkqq3krcbPhpp5pWY_2N2tnJviDrRxERq0zUTh2TC6bXYi6I_RJwbh10A5GUbWAoX6hANiYL20Po2XJC8n7y9QRr9SEPecmtvlLtn7DFP08/s1600/IMG_2627.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevDgI8K-IlCssCd-vuhggjdBI1rVB5kHgSkqq3krcbPhpp5pWY_2N2tnJviDrRxERq0zUTh2TC6bXYi6I_RJwbh10A5GUbWAoX6hANiYL20Po2XJC8n7y9QRr9SEPecmtvlLtn7DFP08/s400/IMG_2627.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453858430102221314" /></a><br />This recipe comes from the venerable <a href="http://www.theppk.com/nomicon.html">Veganomicon</a> and features red miso, which magically enhances any broth-y entree. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1spvIwLAeZgZIF7Ow7am4j4lDaEbxCMXQTNfNDIgcNNfoYrPVrzaeiIzW8sYt0ZR7gYIT8J5zMtkZyUX8rg7CtqSMcwy7e7gV88sj76S4t7J9y00N6hDw2mli8onKujqpwBdI2a-IBxU/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1spvIwLAeZgZIF7Ow7am4j4lDaEbxCMXQTNfNDIgcNNfoYrPVrzaeiIzW8sYt0ZR7gYIT8J5zMtkZyUX8rg7CtqSMcwy7e7gV88sj76S4t7J9y00N6hDw2mli8onKujqpwBdI2a-IBxU/s400/IMG_2635.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453861099002743074" /></a><br /><a href="http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/day/2010/03/24/">Since I live alone</a>, I bought all the ingredients, prepped the onions and mushrooms, set half of them aside, and cooked a half recipe two days in a row. Fresh udon noodles should be available at any halfway-fancy grocery store - in fact, I've never seen dried udon noodles, so fresh noodles may be easier to find. I also at least doubled the amount of fresh ginger in this recipe, but your ginger threshold may not be as high as mine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9L42UVA2ZQEGv6-yYQY-HFgROvfqbuB76GmeiZoBmQjIJWB-8bFA3hCIYKnTEFhzU1vsZBaX-4Ndx4WqihITIvC4_LagdgzFxJG03BXpdrS7iQ2TDXK3t_ko56R5STGW_98g76wUVRd0/s1600/IMG_2631.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9L42UVA2ZQEGv6-yYQY-HFgROvfqbuB76GmeiZoBmQjIJWB-8bFA3hCIYKnTEFhzU1vsZBaX-4Ndx4WqihITIvC4_LagdgzFxJG03BXpdrS7iQ2TDXK3t_ko56R5STGW_98g76wUVRd0/s400/IMG_2631.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453858438982206242" /></a><br /><ul><b>Ingredients</b><br /><li>1/2 lb fresh or dried udon noodles<br /><li>2 Tbsp vegetable oil<br /><li>1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-moons<br /><li>4 oz shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed, sliced<br /><li>3 cloves garlic, minced<br /><li>2 tsp ginger, minced<br /><li>2 Tbsp mirin (optional)<br /><li>2 cups water<br /><li>3 Tbsp miso (preferably red, if using light add another Tbsp)<br /><li>4 c chopped kale<br /><li>2 tsp soy sauce</ul><ol><b>Directions</b><br /><li>Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon per the directions. Fresh udon will take about 2 min. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.<br /><li>Saute the onion and mushrooms in the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute.<br /><li>Add the mirin, water, soy sauce, and miso, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and add the kale. Toss with tongs until kale has wilted, about a minute.<br /><li>Add the noodles, toss again, and serve.</ol><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTfyqfACGb97B3cMmRGPskJsQYO4H5f97yg-98R7HtOjdHmo0scIU7DuZKjFRl5aufYkVk0VEF6pRY8pwdUmUpZA9wtRlxKXhIbglO-2VjN7Tfq1yI2E2tl7HXfOPdLX93VwRUTQJcqI/s1600/IMG_2626.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTfyqfACGb97B3cMmRGPskJsQYO4H5f97yg-98R7HtOjdHmo0scIU7DuZKjFRl5aufYkVk0VEF6pRY8pwdUmUpZA9wtRlxKXhIbglO-2VjN7Tfq1yI2E2tl7HXfOPdLX93VwRUTQJcqI/s400/IMG_2626.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453858421219688850" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-9475898749240965052010-03-02T00:43:00.033-05:002010-06-16T23:03:36.111-04:00Narcissus Album<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/opinion/23iht-edcohen.html"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv0o34r-SJBVvf6930IK6BS50Mzoem9KusbDVJNNd-rM7DLP4DHpva9WXgeKHz1qOi9PPI81w5_nPanlMcMIc3e3s9greaulu3L62CRhYWjOQB0IY-Qn-_D7nPk7ThF9LSyvbFS9sFmA/s400/Screen+shot+2010-02-27+at+12.18.38+PM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443005029681368466" /></a><br />There was an op-ed column on the New York Times website this week that really struck me. I love articles that examine our relationships with each other, ourselves, and our tastes in the context of the internet (one of the reasons why <a href="http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/">Hipster Runoff</a> is my favorite website), and Roger Cohen's article, entitled "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/opinion/23iht-edcohen.html">The Narcissus Society</a>," discusses what has happened to our values and self-perception in the past decade.<br /><blockquote>"Community — a stable job, shared national experience, extended family, labor unions — has vanished or eroded. In its place have come a frenzied individualism, solipsistic screen-gazing, the disembodied pleasures of social networking, [...]. Feelings of anxiety and inadequacy grow in the lonely chamber of self-absorption and projection."</blockquote>He's on to something isn't he? While <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/no-lie-your-facebook-profile-is-the-real-you/">research suggests</a> that our on-line personalities are actually more true to life than we may think, our relationships on the internet are essentially about "broadcasting personal content to a multitude of people," as the Wired article puts it. At the end of the day, that's what this and all blogs are about: a one-way dissemination of content designed to imprint a specific image of the author.<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZGeA9I1JUiG7O20qte6QxJHXWi8JJBcaW_5ZWD7z5e0RTgyALR1MmLLFYgpk1bz0FwitV2H3L2inHCUwp_4DGvYqK7tA6C1Hf-gyKsHovItnQWrt87Qw0ntewyw40yfOV5E1igf0Z-M/s1600-h/IMG_1744.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZGeA9I1JUiG7O20qte6QxJHXWi8JJBcaW_5ZWD7z5e0RTgyALR1MmLLFYgpk1bz0FwitV2H3L2inHCUwp_4DGvYqK7tA6C1Hf-gyKsHovItnQWrt87Qw0ntewyw40yfOV5E1igf0Z-M/s400/IMG_1744.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444110924942211138" /></a><br />When I was in 9th grade, on the suggestion of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NME">NME</a> (which I loved in high school), I sat down at the listening station at Millenium Music in West Ashley and listened to Orbital's second album for the first time. The opening notes of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcuOFdtFEho">Lush 3-1</a>" pouring in through those headphones was mindblowing. Orbital and Aphex Twin and Autechre opened up a whole new world for me. I think the defining characteristic of this stuff wasn't necessarily the fact that it was made without guitars but that it was way more abstract than the verse-chorus-verse music I had heard up to that point. There's a lot of emotional content to this music (Aphex Twin's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbjF1wobzVM">Fingerbib</a>" is a perfect example), but there's not a lot of narrative. I was really impressed by their ability to make such technically complicated, affecting music without any pretentions of relatability akin to pop music.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://files.list.co.uk/images/2009/05/28/orbital-LST062113.jpg" ><br><i>Orbital</i></center><br />The contrast between the first big step in developing my own music tastes -- the less relatable the music, the more I liked it -- and how I listen to music now is something that Roger Cohen's article realized in me. I think as you get older and you start accumulating more good and bad experiences, you can't help but find some comfort or catharsis through music, which enables the listener to relate his own life to the music, even if it's abstract. For instance, for me, Nobukazu Takemura's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fvYoh7R3sU">Icefall</a>" and Talk Talk's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cIWsQuYVeg">I Believe in You</a>" are embarassingly affecting. Songs like these fit into a very specific space in my emotional composition. This <a href="http://hexconductionhour.blogspot.com/2009/08/sound-and-vision-bouguereau-and-scott.html">neo-spiritual space</a> is exactly the kind of content I like to disseminate on my blog. Of course, on some level I'm only doing so to impart a particular image of myself, which is pretty narcissistic (via Roger Cohen).<br /><br />I've been working on a compilation for a few months, and I figured, what better way to acknowledge the intention and effect of my blog than to make a mix that's purposefully all about me and my musical taste and post it on my blog? Even I would probably get bored with nothing but songs like "Icefall," so instead this brief and highly listenable compilation is just about different aspects of my life here in Boise. I have exactly one friend here, a super cool co-worker who is another California transplant, but besides that, it's just me and my toys and my cookware and Malcolm. Since I see my two or so years here are a preparation for the rest of my life, I don't mind it too much. This set of songs are available <a href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/do53uw">here</a>, and I even wrote up a little listening guide. There's some stuff on here that probably only I could love (e.g. Oorutaichi), but that's part of the point, isn't it?<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/gwgtcf"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/do53uw"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 359px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocvajzumKSchcIXc2hMfg8au_2x373eeHcov-fdHWoL4Y-7jB2KDLwjJFpNGsbKb8dVuMF5-8Iuzq-hz6mcsI0UnSU9_zputyqMX6NGXpKvzDaFgRTeOdlMoZ9QaWh0l311cbAuKWnNA/s400/cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444110426770895234" /><i>Narcissus Album</i></a></center><br /><ol><li>Oorutaichi - Jurasy Human (1.47)<br>If there were a TV show about me and Malcolm, this would be our <b>theme song</b>.<br /><li>Space Opera - Country Max (3.23)<br>Setting the <b>tone</b> with some help from my favorite mp3 blog, <a href="http://therisingstorm.net/">The Rising Storm.</a><br /><li>Warren Zevon - The French Inhaler (3.47)<br>A <b>story-song</b> about hard work, disappointment, isolation, etc.<br /><li>Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky (6.46)<br>Pretty much <b>awe-inspiring</b>.<li>Cylob - Morning (3.05)<br>The cymbal that's just a tiny bit too loud reminds me of <b>my alarm</b>.<br /><li>Broadcast and the Focus Group - I See, So I See So (2.09)<br>A <b>groggy drive</b> to work .<br /><li>PJ Harvey - Working for the Man (4.49)<br><i><b>Ad pedem litterae</i></b>. Big thanks to my sister for reminding me of just how badass <i>To Bring You My Love</i> is.<br /><li>Boris - Parting (7.33)<br>Like 15 seconds of awesome metal stretched to 8 <b>face-melting</b> minutes. <br /><li>The Beach Boys - I'm So Young (2.33)<br>A song for me and <b>Kat</b>.<br /><li>XTC - Harvest Festival (4.15)<br>"that <b>longing</b> look"<br /><li>Orbital - Belfast (8.07)<br>A <b>big deal</b> early in my musical life.<br /><li>The Clientele - Walking In the Park (1.38)<br>My favorite <b>outro</b>.</ol></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-7644210681845982352010-02-20T18:10:00.024-05:002010-04-06T17:09:57.500-04:00House Tour and Kaossilator Demo<br>Since Kat came last weekend and gave me some great advice on how to arrange my little apartment, it finally feels like home. I took some photos and made <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bandyj/BoiseApartmentPhotos?feat=directlink">a folder on Picasa</a> for anybody who's interested in seeing how it came together. The older I get, the more fussy my living arrangements, and I love it. I can't believe I lived with other people for so long. There are still some things to fix up here and there but it's great to finally have a livable space again.<br /><br /><center><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lKKifLTFOGuYHFm_LToFWw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR53KqLSLKBy0XA1py3JohG1hMlUUI4uvhWIZA_Gbmxh2d53sOGIYw7qdxJH5hF2Z-k8jBf1T6KpnY18MVJ2hGZoQZdfVzrwe5Oxog8L4zIC1g9SVmqmE1sAOjfbx7tzhkG-Fl3bQpv18/s400/Picture%20018.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bandyj/BoiseApartmentPhotos?feat=embedwebsite">Boise Apartment Photos</a></td></tr></table></center><br />Of all my finds over the past couple of years, one of my favorites by far is my map of the southeast US from the Alameda antiques fair. I got an amazing deal on it and I love how it looks perfect in my living area. I also couldn't wait to share this:<br /><br /><center><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xr0WfyPdIy2ObM-JoAtXGg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPckGTjwyQR9j1IfPAY2gJUZqK2lGNTCyiBj3Vm_f0fu4sOqTJUIpPVQbHyC3MGQHjm0T7RW8p8fpY1syO2N10IStvIA2hj9V4RO3-3GMDq_ehyBNIp0U9GEGUFE0SEkXqPyukS6gcigg/s400/Picture%209999.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bandyj/BoiseApartmentPhotos?feat=embedwebsite">Boise Apartment Photos</a></td></tr></table></center><br />This is my new toy, the KORG Kaossilator dynamic phrase synthesizer. It's basically a touchpad-controlled loop generator, and it is the most awesome purchase I've made in a long, long time. It's got a ton of voices/sound effects/drum hits/preset drum patterns, and it gives you complete control of BPM and loop length (anywhere from 1/32 of a beat to 8 full beats), as well as 31 different scales, 49 different gate arpeggiators that sound the selected sample at different intervals of the beat, and the ability to record loops and layer them. I've had so much fun with it the past couple of weeks that I figured I would post some quick (~20 second) samples to give you an idea of how easy it is to lose hours playing with this thing.<br><br /><br /><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539462-4ff" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539462-4ff" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />Starting out with the 'flap' lead running through gate arpeggiator 09. 'Egyptian' scale, 145 bpm.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539473-ee8" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539473-ee8" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />Adding a BD/SD3 drum hit to each downbeat.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539474-1dc" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539474-1dc" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />Layering on the 'auto techno' drum pattern using one of the more basic presets.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539475-376" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539475-376" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />Testing out the trance chord before adding it to the other fixed layers.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539476-3d5" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539476-3d5" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />Fixed the trance chord with a surge in the cutoff during the second bar. At this point I was set. I played around with this backing track for at least half an hour.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539477-7c0" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10539477-7c0" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />Playing with the low-frequency oscillation on a sweep sound effect.<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xvXMXoj5lf60c80C-xJBFw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgUallRIJOK5wCizvWN-HNOQvLCMsQCn9e4yVUFFxYDzii4V5dp9m_59xKXYU9sIU17b2rCiiv8LhytzNgBlfqvFgoPXBQBTF4y3-bDVrgNcHJh31VhM0l4WSGU6oVUVswluaa_TI9LQ/s400/Picturesss%20003.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bandyj/BoiseApartmentPhotos?feat=embedwebsite">Boise Apartment Photos</a></td></tr></table></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-32448244248009891842010-02-18T21:55:00.021-05:002010-02-20T03:15:47.796-05:00The Astro-Sound of Magnificence, or my first post where I actually blog about my life<br>This is my friend from Clemson, Clay.<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmE-Xtk4la-gQpMLb3ZazLKlrectOrtr64n0SsPhWC8nATG63gZeAO9DMIjEarECjOjVwwRBL8UTGwGmGBfvTv-I6kn6jtR66RLO0u6MoHpBg2BBUAZEBY-CffTLUm6fx1C4j2aywml1Y/s1600-h/5940_1198772573305_1348239351_563945_7881000_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 359px; height: 390px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmE-Xtk4la-gQpMLb3ZazLKlrectOrtr64n0SsPhWC8nATG63gZeAO9DMIjEarECjOjVwwRBL8UTGwGmGBfvTv-I6kn6jtR66RLO0u6MoHpBg2BBUAZEBY-CffTLUm6fx1C4j2aywml1Y/s400/5940_1198772573305_1348239351_563945_7881000_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439782828261696754" /></a><center><i>Clay.</i></center><br />We met, of course, through Clemson's student-run radio station, <a href="http://www.wsbf.net/">WSBF</a>. I met all of my best friends from college through the radio station one way or another. One of the unexpected benefits of going to such a backwoods, yee-haw cow college was that the weird people congregated pretty quickly. To give you an idea of what we had to work with, we always made it a point to attend one of the cultural highlights of year: <a href="http://www.spittoono.org/">Spittoono</a>, a self-described redneck festival held at the National Guard Armory. After the spittin' contest and mud dancing, we would go to the lake for a midnight swim.<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs77iDpLetl0arPnYC3ZH3pf1bDJll7V3hz3UVdALjk6_b1_9rL8unx8IlJjSFXG_LnDUxbU_9ZbA5gLZ3eEERpDXtwQTYyd08VWY-yDnbm-3VlFZC3mh0j3HiHBhVpUrCXELMYes9VCE/s1600-h/convincing+joey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs77iDpLetl0arPnYC3ZH3pf1bDJll7V3hz3UVdALjk6_b1_9rL8unx8IlJjSFXG_LnDUxbU_9ZbA5gLZ3eEERpDXtwQTYyd08VWY-yDnbm-3VlFZC3mh0j3HiHBhVpUrCXELMYes9VCE/s400/convincing+joey.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439822320870760706" /></a><center><i>Probably my favorite picture from my college days.</i></center><br />If co-opting Spittoono was our tradition, the frat boys at Clemson held the tradition of dressing up in their finery for the Clemson home football games, when the population of Clemson quadrupled and the campus became a parking lot for tailgaiters. I love beer and nice clothes as much as the next man, and needless to say the frat boys at Clemson were first-order douchebags, so we made our own tradition wherein we too could dress pretty and get drunk. That tradition was the Red Eye Society, where we would get up early on MLK Jr. Day (8ish), put on red ties, and drink all day long.<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0yFpbfwuG6rdYN6RxeiQ4zR-S8aMCFKdE_FAXyzA5saVbahArTM1H9366hPqKBS9tY5jUwZr7EWOEHuYTlzkSm5kmRUQGGU1YdDprid6mrKCkiOiYkpz-O6sCaHK2gXRDmcOLtaY-k0/s1600-h/posse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0yFpbfwuG6rdYN6RxeiQ4zR-S8aMCFKdE_FAXyzA5saVbahArTM1H9366hPqKBS9tY5jUwZr7EWOEHuYTlzkSm5kmRUQGGU1YdDprid6mrKCkiOiYkpz-O6sCaHK2gXRDmcOLtaY-k0/s400/posse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439793784956598082" /></a><center><i>This was the year before we had an adventure in an abandoned school.</i></center><br />We may have not have been the most normal people by Clemson's standards, but Clay was way out there. The first time we hung out, he brought a crate of CDs to my freshman dorm. Lush, Momus, Pulp, etc. -- he'd been listening to a lot of really good music for a really long time, and none of it was Jack Johnson. In person, Clay is totally unassuming, but like Popeye with a mouthful of spinach, in the presence of music he becomes another person entirely. Some of my favorite memories of college were the WSBF house shows where the no-talent local bands (term of endearment) would play badly and too loud. For a blessed couple of years, Clay would fill in between bands at these house shows as Karaoke Klay. Once he had set up his equipment and pressed play, he was no longer Clay. I don't know if I've ever seen someone commit to something as completely as Clay did to becoming Karaoke Klay. The images of a house full of drunk outcasts from a Greek life/Fellowship of Christian Atheletes/Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (Party Right Through May)-major college like Clemson, singing along with KK to Mr. Roboto and of Clay humping the floor during the breakdown of "Hungry Like the Wolf" will be forever burned into my mind.<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ1EOgv8m2379D26hlPIXK0rmRE67K1DjUaXlBjezY2fly8Fb589fxaIHnt_d8noXBYQsCSlGRYM7Zlu7Fo6y0tGhTzZNRt0ntVyMUwaRCctQNY5sXueLcTAueCv9BTJVM8k2e8mP2f8/s1600-h/l_174ba1ca30ce9d5f327ff58d2cdd22db.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ1EOgv8m2379D26hlPIXK0rmRE67K1DjUaXlBjezY2fly8Fb589fxaIHnt_d8noXBYQsCSlGRYM7Zlu7Fo6y0tGhTzZNRt0ntVyMUwaRCctQNY5sXueLcTAueCv9BTJVM8k2e8mP2f8/s400/l_174ba1ca30ce9d5f327ff58d2cdd22db.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439817635384152658" /></a><center><i>The Karaoke Klay stance.</i></center><br />Clay doesn't have a traditionally "good" voice, but he knows and loves too much good music not to know how he sounds. And I think it's awesome. He's been making his own music for years, and he recently made an album called "The Monkey of Love". You can hear it on his <a href="http://www.myspace.com/soundofclay">myspace page</a>. He's made me a few mix CDs over the years too, and while unpacking my place in Boise a couple weeks ago I pulled out this gem:<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2G00ZrnVZO8gz1edG8SuOWZ42Ck8PXSaaQyA_DAu7-OORh0N9txzFGbGU8zcHPhtq5g75yACKAbP5O8P9ZiT9L4DtGWqe19EQugYWNrjtgcRNOWC6MSLU0EheHpFDSOrjdNxJhgObehY/s1600-h/astrosounds.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 383px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2G00ZrnVZO8gz1edG8SuOWZ42Ck8PXSaaQyA_DAu7-OORh0N9txzFGbGU8zcHPhtq5g75yACKAbP5O8P9ZiT9L4DtGWqe19EQugYWNrjtgcRNOWC6MSLU0EheHpFDSOrjdNxJhgObehY/s400/astrosounds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439826554647898530" /></a><center><i><a href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/qrczvu">The Astro-Sound of Magnificence</a></i></center><br />It's a compilation of exotica/lounge/orchestral pop he made me a couple of years ago, and for whatever reason, it really grabbed me. I've been listening to it a ton the past couple of weeks. I don't have much of this sort of thing in my music library, but there are some fun, catchy songs on here. If you hate kitsch or groovy female vocals stay away, but if not, I invite you to take a peek into the mind of a very unique guy.hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-46762165199072034192010-01-30T23:58:00.004-05:002010-01-31T13:32:02.492-05:00Honey-Lavender Biscotti<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp0co2nA-7DbrOPyUZbtClUIQB0K1WtZuqbD069R7t2TAGuL-oLbhjMDVWu2E0nJp6uGf-T4n7fxFlGj97XrUbRv7CwSYNKZ_GVfVyZ2k9DcfhUqgvXv552wmG_olpNHhOerS8at6AJ4/s1600-h/IMG_2466.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigp0co2nA-7DbrOPyUZbtClUIQB0K1WtZuqbD069R7t2TAGuL-oLbhjMDVWu2E0nJp6uGf-T4n7fxFlGj97XrUbRv7CwSYNKZ_GVfVyZ2k9DcfhUqgvXv552wmG_olpNHhOerS8at6AJ4/s400/IMG_2466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430917683783628226" /></a><br />This was my first attempt at biscotti, so I of course turned to my Baking Illustrated cookbook. Turns out I really like big chunks of almonds/hazelnuts/etc. in my biscotti, so these guys weren't my favorite. Interesting to be sure, but the flavor is very subtle. I think that they would have been much more interesting with a more assertive honey, like a spicy clover honey. The run-of-the-mill honey I used just faded into the background. I have to say, however, that the aroma that filled my apartment while these were baking was out of this world -- creamy, buttery tones with heady citrus and lavender notes floating overhead. Words don't suffice. <br /><br />I used the lessons I learned in making these for the chocolate almond biscotti below, specifically the tricks with the wax paper and keeping my hands good and floured. The "cylinders" I was able to form with this dough were hideous. Still, a good learning experience, and like I said, the aroma. Wow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXHZnFiI8Jv-zPrz1Hz1dQLcxFqs1qwCaJkU7y0rTCVnG52AQyK_xBX_9BoXBgDffldAQb4Yi9c60Wp-0ocJV2T4x03pYT0KgLyHQtVo8Zawli5Dv_n-meJIpMKOBhCgfdcdxek8c2Us/s1600-h/IMG_2470.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXHZnFiI8Jv-zPrz1Hz1dQLcxFqs1qwCaJkU7y0rTCVnG52AQyK_xBX_9BoXBgDffldAQb4Yi9c60Wp-0ocJV2T4x03pYT0KgLyHQtVo8Zawli5Dv_n-meJIpMKOBhCgfdcdxek8c2Us/s400/IMG_2470.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430917503868948946" /></a><br /><ul><b>Ingredients</b><li>2 1/4 c (11 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour<br /><li>1 tsp baking powder<br /><li>1/2 tsp baking soda<br /><li>1/4 tsp salt<br /><li>2/3 c (4 2/3 oz) sugar<br /><li>3 large eggs<br /><li>3 Tbsp honey<br /><li>1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br /><li>2 Tbsp minced zest from 1 orange<br /><li>1 Tbsp dried lavender blossoms</ul><ol><b>Directions</b><li>Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl, set aside.<br /><li>Whisk the sugar and eggs in a large bowl to a light lemon color; stir in the honey, vanilla, orange zest, and lavender. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, then fold in until just combined. <br /><li>Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a work surface covered with floured wax paper or parchment paper. With floured hands, pat it into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Cut the parchment paper and, using the paper as a sling, roll the dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.<br /><li>Place in the oven and bake about 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until firm to the touch. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool for 5 minutes, then cut on an angle into slices one-half-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet, laying them on their cut sides, and return them to the oven. Bake another 15 minutes, turning over each cookie halfway through, until they are crisp and golden brown on each side. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving.</ol><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKCaNGOnit6AfJjPlABe6MCWO6KxZzv5eQ1_D8JsPzHb8pQgiVVLAZZYn09n5__8X_3MN07ChvGVMaVTDMm1LZ4zlBEkDOmWw-cjFL0ZY7uKiV9OksimqhELVwBmKvdZQxwwrr2qqPvU/s1600-h/IMG_2532.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKCaNGOnit6AfJjPlABe6MCWO6KxZzv5eQ1_D8JsPzHb8pQgiVVLAZZYn09n5__8X_3MN07ChvGVMaVTDMm1LZ4zlBEkDOmWw-cjFL0ZY7uKiV9OksimqhELVwBmKvdZQxwwrr2qqPvU/s400/IMG_2532.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430917931490749618" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-80424695910553907982010-01-25T20:24:00.010-05:002010-01-31T13:15:18.130-05:00Chocolate Almond (Cherry) Biscotti<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChd7B4nq8-Ygay7t3SsKV_6lUTeA3ZN7T9CRlFrBYBIYNwgkgrhEI3N6ZdiZ_pRL3bqxNmBHeiLnXE7Sh_sl5mXm8wJPdo3OZ2wmBoASUGRItyDhP9lAw2lR4oxDJkSE-CCMPEBKQMFA/s1600-h/IMG_2479.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChd7B4nq8-Ygay7t3SsKV_6lUTeA3ZN7T9CRlFrBYBIYNwgkgrhEI3N6ZdiZ_pRL3bqxNmBHeiLnXE7Sh_sl5mXm8wJPdo3OZ2wmBoASUGRItyDhP9lAw2lR4oxDJkSE-CCMPEBKQMFA/s400/IMG_2479.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430917237351000162" /></a><br />Over the holidays, <a href="http://whengirlmeetsscience.wordpress.com/">somebody's</a> mom made me some killer biscotti, and I got to wondering why I had never made any at home before. This dreamy chocolate biscotti recipe was altered from a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/chocolate-hazelnut-biscotti/">recipe</a> I found on smitten kitchen, with some tweaks. The obvious ones for me were to substitute hazelnuts for almonds and fit some dark chocolate chunks in there. My less inspired inspiration was to put some chopped dried cherries in the dough. In my effort to make these biscotti tooth-chippingly hard, I reduced the cherries to, more or less, char, which definitely didn't help the flavor. I guess there's a reason people don't put dried fruit in biscotti. <br /><br />As far as technique goes, wax paper or parchment paper really does wonders for making sure you don't get biscotti dough club hands when trying to work the dough into a cylinder. I formed each half on a large piece of wax paper, cut the paper down the middle, and used each sling to transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Easy as cake. Once my personal effects finally show up here in Boise (tomorrow!), I will definitely be making these guys again. Stay tuned for another, completely different batch of biscotti I made earlier this month, which I'll post here soon.<br /><br /><b>Ingredients</b><ul><li>3/4 cup toasted, blanched almonds<br /><li>3/4 cup dark chocolate chips<br /><li>2 1/2 cups flour, plus flour for work surface<br /><li>1/2 cup Dutch-style cocoa powder<br /><li>1 tablespoon espresso powder<br /><li>Pinch of salt<br /><li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br /><li>3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br /><li>4 large eggs<br /><li>1 1/3 cups sugar</ul><b>Directions</b><br /><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. If hazelnuts are not blanched, toast them until the skins begin to crack, then remove them from oven and wrap them in clean linen or cotton towel (not terrycloth). Rub hot nuts to remove most of the skin. Set toasted nuts aside.<br /><li>Sift the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside.<br /><li>Beat eggs lightly, just until blended, in mixing bowl with whisk or in electric mixer. Remove two tablespoons of egg mixture to small dish and set aside. Beat sugar into remaining eggs until blended. Stir in flour mixture to form soft dough. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped almonds.<br /><li>Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a work surface covered with floured wax paper or parchment paper. With floured hands, pat it into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Cut the parchment paper and, using the paper as a sling, roll the dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush the tops of both rolls with the reserved egg.<br /><li>Place in the oven and bake about 20 minutes, until firm to the touch. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool for 5 minutes, then cut on an angle into slices one-half-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet, laying them on their cut sides, and return them to the oven. Bake another 25 minutes, until they are crisp and dry. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving.</ol><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvKWonQ6OKqgigUO-Vq4fU4wfKjXnDqTKyYCtyg3KExtgDVIbDNsMela4Ne4h6seDUSJucADlbzZi_nXhzFhVF95SGWIU-tEzsYkK55IEqZkjebCScaMm38flDpP_jwk0q_wPCLRI1Jo/s1600-h/IMG_2487.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvKWonQ6OKqgigUO-Vq4fU4wfKjXnDqTKyYCtyg3KExtgDVIbDNsMela4Ne4h6seDUSJucADlbzZi_nXhzFhVF95SGWIU-tEzsYkK55IEqZkjebCScaMm38flDpP_jwk0q_wPCLRI1Jo/s400/IMG_2487.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431610898392138978" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-459364369359260242009-11-28T20:48:00.007-05:002012-06-14T14:15:52.753-04:00Sound and Vision - Blakely and Lambchop<br><center><a href="http://www.20x200.com/art/2009/11/the-emptiness-left-by-a-denial-of-the-use-for-which-it-was-intended.html"><img src="http://www.20x200.com/art/images/1903_largeview-655.jpg" /></a><br /><i> The Emptiness Left by a Denial of the Use for which it was Intended, Colin Blakely</i></center><br />I'm moving to Boise in late January, so I've been thinking about (i.e. dreading) this kind of weather a lot lately. This song by Lambchop (off their recently released <a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/store/store_detail.php?catalog_id=666">Live at XX Merge</a> album) makes me think of how warm and comforting I'd hope the inside of those houses are.<br><br /><center><object width="250" height="40" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="gsSong2574594459" name="gsSong2574594459"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=25745944&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=25745944&style=metal&p=0" /><span>I Will Drive Slowly by <a href="http://grooveshark.com/artist/Lambchop/18466" title="Lambchop">Lambchop</a> on Grooveshark</span></object></object>
</center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-29971587935612275682009-11-23T14:21:00.022-05:002009-11-24T02:29:42.162-05:00Molasses Spice Cookies, etc.<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3nAltxvpzKRrI2_gXQXXCeQz337548Q_cNd_MX4PL4YheZDx2isW3tJN0KWbhfdmzBPB8kq_SlBtRDDX615-DVr-XgyvJQHui67VenQYXr_ohireLYGqv1lrrANZcCDhKPqckAUDMjo/s1600/IMG_2345.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3nAltxvpzKRrI2_gXQXXCeQz337548Q_cNd_MX4PL4YheZDx2isW3tJN0KWbhfdmzBPB8kq_SlBtRDDX615-DVr-XgyvJQHui67VenQYXr_ohireLYGqv1lrrANZcCDhKPqckAUDMjo/s400/IMG_2345.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407567461289044434" /></a><br /><a href="http://whengirlmeetsscience.wordpress.com/">Somebody</a> got me a beautiful new copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Illustrated-Cooks-Magazine-Editors/dp/0936184752">Baking Illustrated</a> for my birthday, and last week I was really in the mood for some kind of molasses-y, spice-y cookie. Lo and behold, I found a promising recipe for "Molasses Spice Cookies" on page 442. The Cook's Illustrated Story<sup><small>TM</small></sup> that prefaces this recipe is hilarious. They explain how to get the "tooth-sinking" texture and just the right amount of cracking on the tops of the cookies, but when they go into how they perfected the flavors, they really get into it. I can't read this and not hear Will Ferrell reading it aloud.<blockquote>A teaspoon of vanilla extract complemented generous amounts of sharp, spicy ground ginger and warm, soothing cinnamon. Cloves, rich and fragrant, and allspice, sweet and mysterious, were added, but in more judicious quantities. Nutmeg was pedestrian and had little to offer. Finely and freshly ground black pepper, however, added some intrigue -- a <i>soupçon</i> of heat against the deep, bittersweet flavor of the molasses.</blockquote>Anyway, these are incredibly good cookies, and they're best served warm with some ginger ice cream. I have to admit, they were right about the black pepper.<br><br /><b>Molasses Spice Cookies</b><br /><ul><li>2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour<br /><li>1 tsp baking soda<br /><li>1 1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon<br /><li>1 1/2 tsp ground ginger<br /><li>1/2 tsp freshly ground cloves<br /><li>1/4 tsp ground allspice<br /><li>1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper<br /><li>1/4 tsp salt<br /><li>12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but cool<br /><li>1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 oz) dark brown sugar<br /><li>1/3 cup (2 1/3 oz) granulated sugar<br /><li>1 large egg yolk<br /><li>1 tsp vanilla extract<br /><li>1/2 cup light or dark molasses<br /><li>1/2 cup raw sugar</ul><b>Instructions</b><br /><ol><li>Place the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 375.<br /><li>Whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt until thoroughly combined.<br /><li>Beat the butter and brown/granulated sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, add the yolk and vanilla, and mix for 20 seconds. Add the molasses and mix for 20 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Scrape the bowl between each addition.<br /><li>Break off heaping Tbsp chunks of dough, roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, and roll in the raw sugar. Set on parchment paper-lined baking sheet with a couple inches to spare between the cookies.<br /><li>Bake until puffy and the edges have just begun to set, about 11 minutes, rotating the pan after 6 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.</ol><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o2IUEdr3lu02fJRo-iWY6ghyphenhyphenHJmEcLHanpju4FPLLzciPLPs3t8geem55teFln0ZNl-rxKWzAQuNBC6gaKsGDEPYhryPnwxJbXD35KMKsdMNjHPOzDFuzEa8PwWT_2pb8tibqe7Ub2s/s1600/IMG_2349.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0o2IUEdr3lu02fJRo-iWY6ghyphenhyphenHJmEcLHanpju4FPLLzciPLPs3t8geem55teFln0ZNl-rxKWzAQuNBC6gaKsGDEPYhryPnwxJbXD35KMKsdMNjHPOzDFuzEa8PwWT_2pb8tibqe7Ub2s/s400/IMG_2349.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407566616185392098" /></a>I also made a <a href="http://baking.about.com/od/cakemixcake1/r/pigpickinmandar.htm">pig pickin' cake</a> for my friend's birthday, and I used a good ol' fashioned 9x13 baking pan, not those fancy pants cake rounds. The ingredients speak for themselves. It was real good.<br><br /><center><img src="http://dixiedining.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/paula-deen_300x225.jpg"><br><i>Y'all, today we're gonna make some peanut butter balls.</i></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-84530764102167917322009-10-26T23:08:00.011-04:002012-06-14T14:16:56.274-04:00Sound and Vision - Rousseau and XTC<br><center><img src="http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/jungle/monkeys.jpg" height="461px" width="582px" /><br /><i>Tropical Forest with Monkeys, Henri Rousseau</i></center><br />Rousseau spent his days off producing paintings like <i>Tropical Forest with Monkeys</i> without any formal training. To me, even an effortless, tossed-off XTC song like "I Bought Myself a Liarbird" seems as gorgeous and handmade as a Rousseau painting. It's from their 1984 album <i>The Big Express</i>, which was a return to their "<a href="http://youtu.be/ojB04qAfNIk">big drum</a>" sound after 1983's more understated Mummer (which has one of my favorite songs ever, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/XTC/_/Love+On+A+Farmboy%27s+Wages">Love on a Farmboy's Wages</a>).<br /><br /><center><object width="250" height="40" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="gsSong3528710917" name="gsSong3528710917"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=35287109&style=grass&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&songIDs=35287109&style=grass&p=0" /><span>I Bought Myself a Liarbird by <a href="http://grooveshark.com/artist/XTC/402605" title="XTC">XTC</a> on Grooveshark</span></object></object>
</center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-34970168508077332242009-09-30T14:06:00.013-04:002009-10-28T16:47:13.674-04:00Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Pie with Crème Fraîche Topping<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDmxApmnNNJ3x_L9GrDkjk_Iauc61IO5FfgzOMlcJGbONMEvldjoTN_9xFLnJtS2quxRH8I6MPF7CLZpt0JU4P1qiVYHHisJipQ5gUQ3BYtYgNZ1ELZaj11cIiL1JGYIG95IUweqL8Gs/s1600-h/IMG_2218.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDmxApmnNNJ3x_L9GrDkjk_Iauc61IO5FfgzOMlcJGbONMEvldjoTN_9xFLnJtS2quxRH8I6MPF7CLZpt0JU4P1qiVYHHisJipQ5gUQ3BYtYgNZ1ELZaj11cIiL1JGYIG95IUweqL8Gs/s400/IMG_2218.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387327578561050978" /></a><br />A few weeks ago I came across a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/09/chocolate-pudding-pie/">recipe</a> for chocolate pudding pie, and in the comments I found a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bittersweet-Chocolate-Pudding-Pie-with-Creme-Fraiche-Topping-241117">much more complicated recipe</a> from Bon Appétit. Guess which one I made? <br /><br />This pie was exactly what I hoped it would be. It was cool and refreshing, especially with the tangy crème fraîche topping, and the cookie crumb/hardened chocolate crust was the perfect base. I adjusted the crust recipe a bit, since there wasn't quite enough of it as it was written. It also took way longer than 12 minutes to get the crust to that "dry" point, so keep an eye on it. As always, my preferred method of "finely chopping" bars of chocolate is to bash them with my rolling pin while they're still in the wrapper. When you distribute the chocolate over the crust, don't be as impatient as I was and wait a full two minutes before spreading the melted chocolate around.<br /><br />As it turns out, you can easily make your own crème fraîche. Add a tablespoon of cultured buttermilk to a cup of heavy cream (both at room temperature), partially cover, and let stand at room temperature about 24 hours, or until thickened. Stir and refrigerate at least 24 hours before using. I made this at home, forgetting I had a carton of store-bought crème fraîche, but I tried both and they were pretty much indistinguishable. The cream will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.<br /><br /><ul><b>Crust</b><br /><li>1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs<br /><li>3 tablespoons sugar<br /><li>7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted<br /><li>3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), finely chopped<br><br /><b>Filling</b><br /><li>1/3 cup sugar<br /><li>1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br /><li>2 tablespoons cornstarch<br /><li>1/8 teaspoon salt<br /><li>1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided<br /><li>1/4 cup heavy whipping cream<br /><li>4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), finely chopped<br /><li>1 tablespoon dark rum<br /><li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br><br /><b>Topping</b><br /><li>1 cup chilled crème fraîche*<br /><li>1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream<br /><li>1/4 cup sugar<br /><li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</ul><br /><b>For the crust:</b> Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Blend cookie crumbs and sugar in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides (not rim) of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Bake until crust begins to set and no longer looks moist, pressing gently with back of fork if crust puffs, about 15 minutes. Remove crust from oven, then sprinkle chopped chocolate over bottom of crust. Let stand until chocolate softens, 1 to 2 minutes. Using offset spatula or small rubber spatula, spread chocolate over bottom and up sides of crust to cover. Chill crust until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.<br /><br /><b>For the filling:</b> Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt to blend in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add 1/3 cup milk, whisking until smooth paste forms. Whisk in remaining milk, then 1/4 cup cream. Using flat-bottom wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping bottom and sides of pan until pudding thickens and begins to bubble at edges, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in rum and vanilla. Pour hot pudding into crust and spread evenly. Cool 1 hour at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap; chill overnight.<br /><br /><b>For the topping:</b> Using electric mixer, beat crème fraîche, whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl just until stiff peaks form and mixture is thick enough to spread (do not overbeat or mixture may curdle). Spread topping decoratively over top of pie, swirling to create peaks, if desired. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_aP1WxpUxqlQzuWubIYLhXxTvDt7S5xgOz0d1BrrqE40IvOAp_3uqCYc992vEgfL81fz1JUnf887Hq6XkXMnMJChBRRQbHxMpUubphMVtg6YwVZBSyQ38UAfRAh6nF2LPqzdHL9LrH8/s1600-h/IMG_2238.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_aP1WxpUxqlQzuWubIYLhXxTvDt7S5xgOz0d1BrrqE40IvOAp_3uqCYc992vEgfL81fz1JUnf887Hq6XkXMnMJChBRRQbHxMpUubphMVtg6YwVZBSyQ38UAfRAh6nF2LPqzdHL9LrH8/s400/IMG_2238.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387327684445972386" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-42400749530378715792009-09-21T13:19:00.010-04:002009-10-04T21:08:58.665-04:00Sound and Vision - De Chirico and Broadcast<br><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA4uSyUPj7Vv5btnLIki6cikzw_Gn6Ae0slI2LRHQirh-au7NN_3RIZn5HhbP0D-IlnaXnofU2qQ_1bcq456JbkPSrf5ElDz4ISI7iqspBa74hlTuFqstM7NsDqS6N2j9Dezn_awr3u0d/s800/chirico_mystery.jpg"><br /><i>Melancholy and Mystery of a Street, Giorgio De Chirico</i></center><br />For me, De Chirico's dreamlike paintings are much more evocative than the abstract still lifes of other surrealists like Tanguey or Dali, and more than just about any band I can think of, Broadcast can make music that sounds like a dream. This song, an homage to a Czech movie called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066516/">Valerie a týden divu</a>, is one of my favorites from their second album, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haha_Sound">Haha Sound</a>.<br /><br /><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="335" height="28" id="divplaylist"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=8567792-a38" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=8567792-a38" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br><i>Broadcast - Valerie</i></center>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681425910297249143.post-78417529584781227402009-09-17T23:41:00.017-04:002009-09-23T19:27:49.237-04:00Blueberry Buckle<br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6T0bFjQh3FMRaywqsvwKnPuQexbvPBVGkSp4KVuQdxPUeEcbMnTFtQuoCgkTZVFxM-GPPTyPfZYIWPXwrnE9Rf0KrxancGiSWEh6se_MbfEcZqPU9U8oV6BNOxa5-sYpXXITgHWf7Z-k/s1600-h/IMG_2123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6T0bFjQh3FMRaywqsvwKnPuQexbvPBVGkSp4KVuQdxPUeEcbMnTFtQuoCgkTZVFxM-GPPTyPfZYIWPXwrnE9Rf0KrxancGiSWEh6se_MbfEcZqPU9U8oV6BNOxa5-sYpXXITgHWf7Z-k/s400/IMG_2123.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382649722293413858" /></a><br />So I bought a bunch of blueberries thinking I was going to make another blueberry coffee cake, but I ended up making this one and I'm glad I did. After checking Cook's Illustrated I realized I'd never made (or heard of) a buckle, so I gave it a shot. A buckle is basically a coffee cake, and this was definitely the best buckle/coffee cake I've ever made. The blueberries, lemon zest and cinnamon go perfectly together.<br /><br />The recipe only makes a little bit of dough, and I couldn't believe that a whole quart of blueberries could be folded into it, but somehow it worked out. It also took forever to bake -- more like 75 minutes than 55 -- and it could have gone longer, since the bottom was a bit gummy. I'd say give it another few minutes once a tester comes out clean.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSpwkfFDu-7xLCPawWQ1HBunSpLlnG5lTavGg7ppH97xGYslysnoOR5TAmR0O5SXrcXl498pZsnAAlS-XaZviLdB7aL-NYrSMdZEwL74oLEv03dmE17PqEmeK7Fb9RvcD0GFQkxhoHQU/s1600-h/IMG_2109.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSpwkfFDu-7xLCPawWQ1HBunSpLlnG5lTavGg7ppH97xGYslysnoOR5TAmR0O5SXrcXl498pZsnAAlS-XaZviLdB7aL-NYrSMdZEwL74oLEv03dmE17PqEmeK7Fb9RvcD0GFQkxhoHQU/s400/IMG_2109.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382680401898005042" /></a><br /><ul><b>Streusel</b><li>1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)<br /><li>1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)<br /><li>2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br /><li>1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br /><li> Pinch table salt<br /><li>4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool<br><br /><b>Cake</b><li>1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces)<br /><li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br /><li>10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool<br /><li>2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)<br /><li>1/2 teaspoon table salt<br /><li>1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest<br /><li>1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br /><li>2 large eggs, room temperature<br /><li>4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over</ul><br /><ol><li><b>For the streusel</b>: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.<br /><li><b>For the cake</b>: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.<br /><li>Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.<br /><li>Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).<br /><li>Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.</ol><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMPkc5t8yPZVAaUEe7MBX0xhiAk7xYTB_v-N3ulwfRvwpnfZNR1ktmK9cs_Alg-yxZmpAt2XSszimIIZTLWSKX8p_H1Lobh-l1RJbXpjL9Wya8JpLPIe2-w1lelvQYKXsb_ONoYGANKE/s1600-h/IMG_2102.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMPkc5t8yPZVAaUEe7MBX0xhiAk7xYTB_v-N3ulwfRvwpnfZNR1ktmK9cs_Alg-yxZmpAt2XSszimIIZTLWSKX8p_H1Lobh-l1RJbXpjL9Wya8JpLPIe2-w1lelvQYKXsb_ONoYGANKE/s400/IMG_2102.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382681853314826450" /></a>hex conduction hourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05297199974641171437noreply@blogger.com2