A seething mass of turgid drama.

Cajun? No. Decent? Yes.

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:05:32 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: "Cajun" Turkey Burgers.
"These burgers are juicy and flavorful enough that you won't need a condiment; the pickled onions are sufficient."
( Read more... )

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Dark is My Soul, and Also My Brownie

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:56:24 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: Dark Chocolate Brownies.
"In a world full of great brownie recipes, this is the only one you need."
( It's good, but I am not sure I would commit that far )

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Bah Bah

Tue, 26 May 2026 14:58:44 GMT

We saw The Sheep Detectives yesterday. It was cute; I didn't expect more from it than what we got. Although the original book title is much better - Three Bags Full.

The previews: a Disney cartoon live remake; a Marvel superhero; a Minion cartoon movie; and a live remake of an '80s toy sale cartoon, He-Man. Plus a lot of puff pieces on The Devil Wears Prada 2. I almost yelled at the screen "Make something new!" Of course, the two movies we actually have gone to see, this one and Project Hail Mary, are in fact new material. That may have something to do with our seeing them.

The neighboring restaurant was closed for Memorial Day so we wandered around a bit before settling on a Fronch bistro. It was cold so we had Fronch onion soup and then split a salmon crepe - neither of us were in the mood for much food or for alcohol.

Dinner and a show was a nice time out.

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You better give me a whole lotta lumps (screech)

Mon, 25 May 2026 17:04:32 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: CultPot Cornmeal Mush.
( Ten internet points for correctly identifying the source of the title quote )

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Wed, 20 May 2026 16:00:08 GMT

I had restless early-morning sleep -- dreams that involved teeth-grinding, metaphorical and probably not. I've had a second cup of coffee but just don't feel like I have woken up today.

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Pasta Point of No Return

Mon, 18 May 2026 15:51:56 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: Fresh Pasta.
( Read more... )

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Investiture

Sun, 17 May 2026 19:04:15 GMT

We absolutely would not have gone if not for the job, because the house is still a shambles from long Beltane. Nevertheless we did, and we had a reasonably good time chatting with mostly usual suspects. I'm looking forward to getting to know the now-former Prince/Princess better.

I mentioned a possible opening gag for this year's GSP production to Juan & Rose and was pleased that they both thought it had merit, although they said it needs work. I agree with that - this was just a joke that I thought was funny, so it's more concept than polished opener at this stage. Of course this morning my brain started fleshing out a possible approach that I also think is funny - we'll see if it lands with the cast when we start rehearsals. Assuming I remember then, but it will probably stick in my brain.

I entered a batch of Strong Green Sauce (16th c, Messisbugo) in the Silver Spoon, which was sauces. I've made it before (though never for a competition) and this was a particularly good batch. It was a close runner-up, although my documentation and presentation were better and I could probably have forced at least a tie if I had wanted to. I don't really have anything to prove though - I have three Silver Spoons already. And, well, a cooking Laurel. So I deferred to a newcomer whose dish really was very tasty. Speaking of, he is half of a couple we met at WCCS that are jumping in to All! The! Things! He cooks and bakes sourdough bread regularly, so I am thinking of approaching him with an offer to be a student for a year and a day... if he does and it works out, we can perhaps do a more formal apprenticeship. We'll see how that goes.

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Gruel and Unusual

Wed, 13 May 2026 14:57:24 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: 90-second Microwave Oatmeal.
( Read more... )

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Bunch of Savages in this Town

Mon, 11 May 2026 19:37:15 GMT

I parked in a semi-local mall. When I came out, our car had been sideswiped - bunch of scratches on the body and the side mirror is hanging by a wire.

I've started the insurance claim and am waiting for the auto body shop to schedule. This... was not on my bingo card for today.

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Coo Coo Cous

Sun, 10 May 2026 19:02:27 GMT

Last week's Resolution Recipe, which I made but did not post while we were away: Spiced Pearl Couscous.
"Pearl couscous is an ideal one-pot meal. This was inspired by a recipe from an Israeli cookbook."
( Read more... )

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Oranges: Slim Shaded

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:09:20 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: Upside-Down Blood Orange-Rosemary Tea Cake.
"This gorgeous ombré* cake features in-season blood oranges, rosemary for a subtle savory note, and cardamom** for a delicate floral touch. And don't skip the whipped cream - some things in life are simply better with it."***
( Read more... )
* "shaded", presumably referring to the oranges fading into the cake?
** or not.
*** True!

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Tardy This Week

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 18:32:55 GMT

This week's Resolution Recipe: Arugula Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggses.
"This is one of those salads that's much better than the sum of its ingredients."
( Read more... )

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Three Things Make a Post

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:52:14 GMT

I woke up at 4 AM, and could not get back to sleep. I am not dragging right now, but I expect that will kick in later.

In other news, I get to have a call tonight with a friendly senior exchequer to try fixing my malfunctioning report... but the blank form she sent me earlier to try was both unlocked (i.e. editable where it shouldn't be) and had broken formulas (see previous). So my hopes are appropriately set.

Miss Bea snubbed her current food this morning. The freeze-dried rabbit we have been giving her is in short supply, so we have been using less-healthy kibble (dubbed "cheeseburgers"). She has yummed it up every time before this. She was willing to chase and eat a different set of treats, so it doesn't seem to be a health issue. Cats, man.

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Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:52:58 GMT

I've been mostly running a bit late on my morning commute for the last week. Last night I went to bed on time and made sure to not delay getting up. Because I'm alone in the office today, I dressed down a bit which also cut the morning prep time. I walked to the bus stop a minute before the early bus arrived, and got to BART a couple minutes before the next train. Well done, me!

...BART had system problems and was delayed. When I got into the office, other system problems mean that I haven't been able to actually start my job yet.

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We Who Are About to Fry, Salute You

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:02:26 GMT

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

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Yeast is Yeast, West is West.

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:26:56 GMT

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

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:30:30 GMT

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

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:01:29 GMT

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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Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:29:14 GMT

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

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:04:13 GMT

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

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:32:38 GMT

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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Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:34:24 GMT

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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Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:01:53 GMT

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

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:06:27 GMT

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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Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:37:35 GMT

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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