A seething mass of turgid drama.

We Who Are About to Fry, Salute You

2026-04-12T17:02:26Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Counterfeit Custard Tartlets.
( Now assuming its final form )

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Yeast is Yeast, West is West.

2026-04-06T21:26:56Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: (Spiked) Sourdough Bread.
I am giving you my revised version, with actual sourdough leavening rather than just flavor.
( Read more... )

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Bucket List Dinner

2026-04-03T17:30:30Z

I took Wednesday off for our 26^th anniversary. I met the wife for a low-key brunch at a local place she's wanted to try - named Pancake Boy, and the pancakes did look quite good, but neither of us had them. This time.

We lounged around until the afternoon, when we walked over to the theater to see Project Hail Mary. The movie was at 2:30, which means it really starts after 3 because of previews, and fortunately I had looked up the length; our dinner reservation was at 6:15 so we didn't have time to go home and change for dinner afterwards. This meant we dressed up a bit, but less than we usually do for anniversaries. (I didn't go all out with suit, tie, and hat.)

Anyway, I'm glad we saw the movie. When I read the book I thought "Eh, it's okay, but too much like The Martian and not as good." I stand by that. But I thought the movie was better than The Martian adaptation.

Having gotten the show out of the way first, we walked a couple blocks to the restaurant that my dad gave us a gift certificate as an Xmas present. It's been around for 15 years I think? But until recently it was too hard to get into so I never tried. I am happy to report that Lazy Bear still deserves both its Michelin stars. Its emphasis is on foraging and using everything. We were there for about three hours, but it never felt long. We were full but not uncomfortably so. All the dishes were impeccably plated and extremely good. Even with the gift certificate it was pricy... but I would put this dinner up as one of the top three I have ever had.

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Wildlife

2026-03-31T14:01:29Z

I saw two coyotes trotting down the sidewalk this morning as I walked to the bus stop. Probably the same ones I caught on camera last year, although they were taking a different route to the open space area at the top of our hill.

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madbaker @ 2026-03-30T11:25:00

2026-03-30T18:29:14Z

We went to Coronet Saturday. We probably wouldn't have if not for the job, which as I have mentioned before was one of my motivations for taking the job. We had a good time. The fighting seemed to go fine, my job was accomplished without any real stress or problems, and loads of good chattage. Hirsch got a deserved award for all the history and awards stuff he continues to do.

Afterwards we went out to the same Mexican restaurant we visited two weeks ago. My garlic shrimp wasn't as good as the chile relleno, but it was still decent. The drive home was a bit long due to highway construction and if it had been much longer I would have swapped driving; I was fighting exhaustion for the last leg of the trip, but it didn't seem worthwhile to change when we only had 10 miles to go.

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Puff Didn't

2026-03-29T18:04:13Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Cheddar Soufflé.
"This puffy soufflé is a bit like a crustless quiche in texture, and loaded with punchy, salty flavors."
( Read more... )

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Steamed Hams II

2026-03-24T18:32:38Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Clams Bordelaise.
"The Pacific Northwest is loaded with clams, and I am as happy as one. My older brother thinks that anyone who steams clams without garlic should be shipped out of the country."
( Read more... )

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madbaker @ 2026-03-23T10:30:00

2026-03-23T17:34:24Z

Yesterday was the wife's birthday. We spent a fairly quiet day together, then went to a local highish-end sushi place at her request. We had their omakase, which was not cheap but wasn't overpriced for the quality. The restaurant was crowded even on a Sunday; it's been around for 35 years so it's a neighborhood staple. We quite liked everything and made sure the chef-owner knew we appreciated it.

I'd love to be in a financial space where we could be regulars instead of budgeting for a special occasion. But life isn't convenient that way.

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madbaker @ 2026-03-17T10:00:00

2026-03-17T17:01:53Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Spaghetti with Tuna (Spaghetti al Tonno).
"This dish has a tuna casserole vibe, but with a brighter, zippier flavor from the capers, tomatoes, and lemon juice."
( Read more... )

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The Turgid Drama of The Meals on Wheels

2026-03-17T14:06:27Z

I carefully packed my breakfast and lunch last night, as I usually do. This morning I pulled the bag out... and left it on the kitchen table. I realized this halfway down the street but I was running a bit behind, so I didn't feel like I had the time to turn around.

When I got to the bus stop, the bus was also running late. Not quite enough for me to hike up the hill and back, but enough that if I had turned around when I realized, I would have been fine.

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madbaker @ 2026-03-16T10:24:00

2026-03-16T17:37:35Z

We day-tripped Crown this last weekend. ( Read more... )

All in all we had a decent time and enjoyed chatting with friends.

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madbaker @ 2026-03-12T08:17:00

2026-03-12T15:18:59Z

Me, saying goodbye to the wife this morning: "I should be home around the usual time. I'm not stopping at any bars or strip clubs."
(pause)
Me: "Why did I say that like it's an unusual choice?"
(wife laughs)

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madbaker @ 2026-03-08T11:54:00

2026-03-08T18:55:00Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Pork and Peanut Butter Stew... For Science!
"This stew has a West African flavor profile - although it's made with pork shoulder, which is not exactly traditional in the area."
( Read more... )

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Parched Fish

2026-03-04T17:48:17Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Salmon en Papillote with Cabbage.
"en papillote is Fronch for "in paper". However fancy this sounds, the technique is actually quite simple."
( Read more... )

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apparently on a theme

2026-02-23T15:16:57Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Chickpea Masala Tomato Soup.
"This soup is homey and comforting, with flavors of Indian-inspired masala."
( This is less work than its length seems )

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madbaker @ 2026-02-18T07:50:00

2026-02-18T15:52:45Z

I habe a code. I consciously convalesced over the weekend, and have been taking it easy the last couple days -- I worked from home yesterday so I didn't stress my body with a commute (as well as plague ratting on Muni). I planned to go in today, but decided last-minute to stay home another day. This was assisted by my alarm not going off.

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Non-Dairy Cream

2026-02-17T01:36:51Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Counterfeit Cream.
( Medieval cookery manuscripts have many recipes for food that looks like other food. That was part of the entertainment. )

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Go Fish

2026-02-09T16:18:04Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Coconut Fish Curry.
"Thai red curry paste is one of those genius ingredients that allows you to add depth and savory richness to dishes without much more effort than unearthing that tiny jar from the back of the fridge."
( Assuming you get the right thing... )

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Not Tamale Pie

2026-02-01T20:47:08Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Tamal de Cazuela (Mexican Tamal Casserole).
"An equally delicious, quicker alternative to tamales. This may be lesser-known than the Americanized Tamale Pie."
( This is not as much work as it seems. It does, however, create more dirty dishes than it seems. )

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Spot the Turgid Drama

2026-01-28T14:47:52Z

When I put on today's button-down shirt at home, it was unmarked.
When I got to the office, it had an apparent grease spot right in the front middle.
I have not eaten or drunk anything since putting on the shirt. How?!?

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Cakes come in three categories: Sweet, Savory, and Urinal.

2026-01-25T22:06:10Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Salmon and Soy Cakes.
"When you have lemons, make lemonade. When you have cooked salmon, make salmon cakes."
( Read more... )

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madbaker @ 2026-01-21T06:45:00

2026-01-21T14:47:06Z

I've been remembering my dreams a lot more the last couple weeks. Nothing worth recounting, but it's a slightly odd change. The other night I went directly from "middle of a dream" to completely awake with no apparent transition.

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Tangy

2026-01-18T21:40:34Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Pepperocini Pot Roast... For Science!
"This is my take on Mississipi pot roast. The pepperocini season the meat, and their brine adds a little bit of vinegar tang."
( Read more... )

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Eh

2026-01-12T19:16:03Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Veg Breakfast Burritos.
"This is truly the most satisfying meal prep breakfast to make for a grab-and-go meal that truly ticks all the boxes!"
( mixed... yes on grab-and-go, 'some' on 'most satisfying' and 'ticks all the boxes' )

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Modern Mock of a Modern Method

2026-01-06T22:43:02Z

This week's Resolution Recipe: Mortadella Cookies.
Medieval mortadella sausage is 1) not emulsified; 2) does not contain pistachios. But this is a thoroughly modern cookie recipe that (spoilers!) looks quite like its target. Pics on FB in the Saluminati group if you're interested.
( Lengthy instructions, but surprisingly quick and easy )

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