Shameless self-promotion is at its best when it involves getting your buddy from your day job (who just happens to be John Oliver) to plug your new book.
Go to the JBooks home page, and click on "John Oliver's Literature Rodeo" to learn the tiniest bit about Daily Show writer Rob Kutner's new book, Apocalypse How (available from Amazon).
JBooks.com - Index: Home
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Official Google Blog: NYC transit directions have arrived
Finally!! (How is it that it's taken this long??)
Official Google Blog: NYC transit directions have arrived
Official Google Blog: NYC transit directions have arrived
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
When a bored husband makes a happy wife
J. and I often stay in touch during the day with occasional IMs and text messages. It's usually just cursory "hi" messages, the occasional link to an interesting news article, "I'm leaving now," or information about necessary stops on the way home or whether the dishwasher is clean or dirty. But every once in a while, I get a string of several messages and even phone calls. A bored J. reaches out for entertainment and connection. Sometimes the messages are flirty; other times, they are simply proclamations of the inanity of his current task or the event he's forced to attend. Regardless, anytime I get a series of communications from J. over the course of a day, I get a big smile on my face.
I pointed this out to J. on Monday, and he gave a simple explanation: "Well, you are my best friend." That made me smile even more.
I pointed this out to J. on Monday, and he gave a simple explanation: "Well, you are my best friend." That made me smile even more.
Friday, September 19, 2008
May His Memory Be a Sweet Blessing
Robert Steinberg, Chocolate Maker, Dies at 61
Dr. Steinberg was a food-loving doctor who threw himself into the chocolate business, eventually helping to make one of the most highly regarded fine American chocolates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/business/19steinberg.html?ex=1379563200&en=27fcfeff59187104&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Dining & Wine - Bitten Blog - NYTimes.com
I love Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything. I've given this and other of his excellent books as gifts to several friends. What I didn't know until just now is that he has a blog at the NY Times and even has mini-videos in a series called, "The Minimalist." Check out the video for Heinan Chicken. The recipe is here.
Dining & Wine - Bitten Blog - NYTimes.com
Dining & Wine - Bitten Blog - NYTimes.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A book I'm afraid to read
I just saw Barton Gellman, the author of Angler, the new book about Dick Cheney, on the Daily Show. (You can read the New York Times review here.) Now, I already had no love of the Vice President. In fact, I have said--without humor--that I actually consider him evil. However, the details that Gellman provides give WAY too much proof to my claims against Cheney's morality. In fact, I am afraid that, if I read Angler, I will actually explode with righteous anger. And gooey bits of Rachel all over the walls would not improve the decor of the new house.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Things entering or emerging from RochelLeah's kitchen in recent months
Entered:
Blueberries from the Burlingame farmers' market... It's really just this one farm where the berries are only in season for about 6 weeks in May through July. J. and I went through multiple flats' worth. We still have part of one half-pint frozen in the freezer. J. and I couldn't stop eating them and decided that they were (a) the world's most perfect blueberries, and (b) the best snack food on earth. I made an amazing sauce with them, but screwed up the seals by allowing the sauce and jars to cool too much before sealing. I was only briefly dispondent.
Truffles from Max Brenner, in New York City. They had these little pink boxes for $5 each with purchase. I bought two in early July and forgot to leave one with my mother in Baltimore. I felt guilty, but there was no way that I would send chocolate through the mail in the summer. I have eaten them VERY slowly. I am still only half-done with the second box. Of course, J. and I did also eat at Max Brenner in Tel Aviv this summer.
Seasonings from Istanbul's Spice Bazaar. Including Persian saffron.
Hazelnut butter. Also from Istanbul. Before our trip, J. and I had no idea that hazelnuts were such a big deal in Turkey. The hazelnut butter is sweetened (which I usually don't go for) and as a delightful, slightly chunky texture.
Early season apples. The approach of autumn brings with it a multitude of apples from local Northern Californian orchards. I still favor the apples-only merchant at the Palo Alto farmers' market, but I've gotten some great apples and pears in Mountain View recently. I haven't started my chutney and applesauce production for the season, but I can't stop eating apples with peanut butter. I'll have to try the hazelnut butter. Mmmmm...
Emerged:
Browned gnocchi with lemon, butter, and green peas. Plain boiled gnocchi bore me. Boil them and then brown them in butter, and you have pure magic. With J.'s feedback, I've been working out the kinks in this dish, which is great as a main dish or side. It went excellently with pan-fried, nut-crusted salmon (which I cooked to perfect done-ness but couldn't keep the coating on). J. gets disappointed if I don't make it often enough.
Watermelon sorbet. I learned from friends M. and A. in NYC that one can freeze fresh watermelon, slightly thaw, then puree with rum (or another alcoholic substance) and either simple syrup or agave syrup. I couldn't stop eating it during a particularly hot NYC Shabbat in July, so I made some when I got home. I think it's sublime; J. wasn't as impressed.
Chicken thighs with gravy, served with kasha varnishkes. I love chicken thighs. I find them highly underrated. Although I love chicken breasts, they just aren't as flavorful. You can't make a good chicken soup with breasts only. You can't make a gravy with them. But thighs... a totally different ballgame. I made the kasha on Thursday, and Joshua deemed it a bit boring, even with the sauteed onions. He recommended adding mushrooms and chicken. I forgot about the mushrooms, but I did acquire chicken for Shabbat. I browned, then poached the chicken in olive oil, Earth Balance margarine, herbes de Provence, white pepper, salt, and white wine. When the chicken was done, I removed it, then added additional water to deglaze the pan. Finally, I reduced it while stirring in the usual cornstarch-and-cold-water mixture. Not a lump in sight. Now, if I could only find a kasha that doesn't come with overly toasted and pebble-like pieces...
Blueberries from the Burlingame farmers' market... It's really just this one farm where the berries are only in season for about 6 weeks in May through July. J. and I went through multiple flats' worth. We still have part of one half-pint frozen in the freezer. J. and I couldn't stop eating them and decided that they were (a) the world's most perfect blueberries, and (b) the best snack food on earth. I made an amazing sauce with them, but screwed up the seals by allowing the sauce and jars to cool too much before sealing. I was only briefly dispondent.
Truffles from Max Brenner, in New York City. They had these little pink boxes for $5 each with purchase. I bought two in early July and forgot to leave one with my mother in Baltimore. I felt guilty, but there was no way that I would send chocolate through the mail in the summer. I have eaten them VERY slowly. I am still only half-done with the second box. Of course, J. and I did also eat at Max Brenner in Tel Aviv this summer.
Seasonings from Istanbul's Spice Bazaar. Including Persian saffron.
Hazelnut butter. Also from Istanbul. Before our trip, J. and I had no idea that hazelnuts were such a big deal in Turkey. The hazelnut butter is sweetened (which I usually don't go for) and as a delightful, slightly chunky texture.
Early season apples. The approach of autumn brings with it a multitude of apples from local Northern Californian orchards. I still favor the apples-only merchant at the Palo Alto farmers' market, but I've gotten some great apples and pears in Mountain View recently. I haven't started my chutney and applesauce production for the season, but I can't stop eating apples with peanut butter. I'll have to try the hazelnut butter. Mmmmm...
Emerged:
Browned gnocchi with lemon, butter, and green peas. Plain boiled gnocchi bore me. Boil them and then brown them in butter, and you have pure magic. With J.'s feedback, I've been working out the kinks in this dish, which is great as a main dish or side. It went excellently with pan-fried, nut-crusted salmon (which I cooked to perfect done-ness but couldn't keep the coating on). J. gets disappointed if I don't make it often enough.
Watermelon sorbet. I learned from friends M. and A. in NYC that one can freeze fresh watermelon, slightly thaw, then puree with rum (or another alcoholic substance) and either simple syrup or agave syrup. I couldn't stop eating it during a particularly hot NYC Shabbat in July, so I made some when I got home. I think it's sublime; J. wasn't as impressed.
Chicken thighs with gravy, served with kasha varnishkes. I love chicken thighs. I find them highly underrated. Although I love chicken breasts, they just aren't as flavorful. You can't make a good chicken soup with breasts only. You can't make a gravy with them. But thighs... a totally different ballgame. I made the kasha on Thursday, and Joshua deemed it a bit boring, even with the sauteed onions. He recommended adding mushrooms and chicken. I forgot about the mushrooms, but I did acquire chicken for Shabbat. I browned, then poached the chicken in olive oil, Earth Balance margarine, herbes de Provence, white pepper, salt, and white wine. When the chicken was done, I removed it, then added additional water to deglaze the pan. Finally, I reduced it while stirring in the usual cornstarch-and-cold-water mixture. Not a lump in sight. Now, if I could only find a kasha that doesn't come with overly toasted and pebble-like pieces...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wondermark Lite.: #442; In which Beth keeps her Books
Wondermark Lite.: #442; In which Beth keeps her Books
Finally, someone who understands my and J.'s book quandary.
Finally, someone who understands my and J.'s book quandary.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Preoccupations - Girl Power at School, But Not at the Office - NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/jobs/31pre.html?em
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