Technogypsy

Happy July 4th!

technogypsy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:56:56 GMT

Basic Fried Rice

technogypsy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:30:01 GMT

4 cups leftover rice
5 Tbsp olive oil*
2 beaten eggs
1 cup diced cooked meat (I used lamb)*
1/2 cup chopped green onions*
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots*
2 Tbsp chicken broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
pepper to taste

Heat 2 tbsp oil to a shimmer and cook the eggs until hard. Remove and drain. Add the remaining oil and heat to shimmering. Add the rice and veggies and cook, tossing frequently, for five minutes. Add the stock, soy sauce, and meat. Stir well and cook until the rice is a uniform color. Stir in the cooked egg, sesame oil, and pepper to taste. Feeds 2-3.

* I use olive oil for most everything. Peanut oil is commonly used and lard is traditional but whatever works. The recipe basically takes 1 cup meat and 1 cup veggies. It varies with what we have. Noah likes it with no veggies and 2 cups of meat.

Raccoon Love Cookies

technogypsy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:16:44 GMT

Don't ask. I don't know where Noah got this recipe for but it would be worth an least an atrocity in raccoon points.

1/3 cup sugar
1.5 cups white flour
3/5 cups good quality cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 sticks soft butter
2.5 oz dark corn syrup
1/3 cups dark brown sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the corn syrup and mix well. Add the egg white and vanilla. Mix well. Then add the remainder of the stuff and beat about 30 seconds so a homogeneous mass results. Make balls from the dough, roll in sugar, and place on a parchment paper covered baking tray. Bake 10-12 minutes so centers are still soft.

Absolutely amazing.

It's back. The World's most unhealthy cookbook...

technogypsy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:33:17 GMT

Steve Graham of Hog on Ice is announcing the release of Eat what you want and die like a man. It's the V2 edition available via Amazon.com. My copy hasn't turned up yet but based on V1, which was privately published, you need this. The brownies cause attacks of lust in young women and imagine a chicken fried ribeye on a bacon-fat biscuit. So if you missed it the first time, you can get the expanded edition and leave mine alone...

UPDATE 7/4: I got it. We loved the first version and this one is much much better. The recipes have been cleaned up, there are more of them, there are more funny stories, and the quality of the physical book is much better. If you don;t have a cookbook for those days like today when you need to celebrate and shatter the diet, you need this book. Now since we don't have a propane burner, I am going to see if my gas forge will heat a skillet up for Steve's steak recipe.

Internet Manners such as they are

technogypsy — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:38:48 GMT

I looked up the book by Malcolm in the post below. Interestingly, the only very negative review of the book is by "A Customer." Someone did a bunch of mind reading and personal attacks. Unsurprisingly they didn't give a name, a link, or an email. The indulgence of cowards by the Internet's ease of aliases is one of the reasons I don't blog more politics and religion anymore. Basically I see no reason in dealing with moral cowards. It appears their are lots of people out there willing to be quite rude as long as they can hide, either by a false name, no name or just by not seeing you face to face. Interestingly in the latter, after saying stuff that would get you killed or cut off by the more civilized if said in person, they seem to expect friendliness and courtesy when you meet in person. I know someone who has said absolutely insulting and vile things by email on a list and then expected a hug in greeting. He still doesn't seem to get why I refuse to speak to him. A couple more examples can be found here by searching the archives: in one, the offending cultist admits to a name after she has her connection tracked. Wanna bet she expects me to be polite if our paths cross? (Editor: Wanna bet she's gonna be shocked?) It kind of reminds you of the joke about why you never date a woman with more than 2 years of therapy: you come home late one night, and she's killed you dog, mircowaved the cat, and trashed your car but she feels better for it.

Megan McArdle has another good one, though I was surprised as how strongly she claims to feel about politeness as I don't always see that from her comments. Her outrage comment is interesting because it ahs the same issues as mine. It's safe. You don't have to back up the statements or worry about someone calling you on it as we are, in the middle class, a non-voilent society. The ideas that words can get you killed is only seen now in ethnic or working class areas. Also upper class, there they will just destroy your business although being "removed" is still a possibilty. The middle class response is not the norm around the world however. It's really important you realize that if you plan to leave the safety of middle class America.

There is also a large chuck of the blogosphere where a funky super macho attitude is normal. These guys tell the President off, who boast how bad they are, threaten to mess folks up. One wonders what they are in real life. Some of the people who scare me to death in the real world are the soul of manners in their normal dealings.

All in all, I have to wonder is the internet the problem or is it an expression of the general corruption of our culture? Maybe Harold's words to Alfred from the Ballad of the White Horse are coming true?

Nuff said

technogypsy — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:04:11 GMT

I think it was Lewis who suggested this profession was the heirs to the town gossip, but this is much more precise:

"Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible."

From Janet Malcolm, discussed at Pajama Guy (hat tip to Prof. Reynolds - who interestingly refers to it as small betrayals? I'd use another word...)

Waiting

technogypsy — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:34:15 GMT

The goddess and the boys are at church while I deal with the intestinal issues. Apparently Kyli decided I was boring since I can't really play with her, so she decided to sit outside and wait.

Now SHE's lost too. Are they ever coming home?

More India photos

technogypsy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:30:24 GMT

while I recover from this e. coli experience that was my souvenir from Delhi. And finally sacred cows...

Dehli - still no monkey or sacred cow photos

technogypsy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:57:58 GMT

Today we continued DMA training and as it was overcast but not raining, I tried to shoot some more shots from the car. I was able to get a cow or monkey shot as they all blurred due to the driving speed. I did get goats...

Morning traffic in Delhi

A temple under resonstruction...

Also being repaired. A lot of that was happening...

Some of my students in the DMA class

Goats crossing a Delhi street

Delhi Day 2

technogypsy — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:05:02 GMT

It's still raining. Apparently the rainy season started early. That's a shame because the image of the family of monkeys sitting under a tree to stay dry was cute. Likewise, the cow, napping on the median in the center of a 6 lane road as people zoom by at 60 mph was amazing. It looked quite content.

After a traditional Indian breakfast of ulma, a spicy and thick cream of wheat, yogurt and passable coffee, we headed to the local engineering college. The day was spent teaching DMA and lunch was Domino's pizza trucked in. Pizza with hot peppers, corn, and several Indian veggies no one knew the English name of. At least, since my hosts are veggies, I didn't have to wonder what part of what I was eating. It was odd teaching my DMA class to a couple of graduate students in heavy metal tee shirts, some professors in western dress, and a couple of young women in traditional dress that looks like it came out of Kipling. I do have to admit a sari looks very comfortable in this heat and humidity.

Dinner was a mixture of kebabs, where the spicing and texture of the lamb was unlike anything in the states. The texture was almost like a boudin blanc and the spicing was sweet and pungent as the same time. Both the chicken and the fish were much spicier than we see and the fish had this odd crunchy surface. The rice biryani and kheer were similar but the other surprise was the breads, which were amazingly crisp and buttery. With the meal came a dal like dish that was made with mutton fat and two sauces, one very hot and the other this burst of coolness sourness. And of course, black tea. After dinner, I finished up this weeks assignment for my class and went to bed.

Hopefully photos tomorrow.