11_0227 | breakfast…

I love breakfast.  It is by far the best meal.  What other meal can you have at any time of day?  Waking up to a triple cheeseburger with grilled onions and avocado just doesn’t seem appropriate.  Neither does hopping out of bed then setting to work on saffron risotto and a braised rack of lamb with mint hummus and pears poached in red wine.  Dinner or lunch may not always be appropriate flavors in the morning, but bacon and eggs is always a good choice.  Always.  My point is this the flavors of morning time are a complex and subtle creature that must be respected.  But I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Add a fried egg on that triple cheeseburger and you’ve got yourself a breakfast item.  Breakfast should really be respected and given the time it deserves.  Too often is it is short-changed by cups of yogurt, pre-packaged bagels and bowls of cereal dusted with sweetener.  I am guilty of throwing breakfast to the side in my rush out the door.  This is because I, like 99.9% of America, am lazy.  I enjoy my sleep and am too often late for work.  This is why I keep granola bars and a bag of bagels at my desk.  But when I do find the time for a quality early meal, I make sure to take the time to do it right.

I’ll share with you a couple secrets to make your breakfast just a little bit better with minimal effort.  A classic example: pancakes, eggs, and grits.  This meal is more about the order of preparation than anything else. 

Let’s start with the most important ingredient in any recipe: bacon.  Bacon is the key ingredient to goodness.  It will literally make any food better.  Don’t question my authority on this: my favorite food is the bacon-wrapped bacon-wrapped butter deep-fried in bacon grease served on a plate made of bacon woven together.  Allow me to bestow some wisdom when buying bacon.  Do NOT buy the packaged stuff out of the refrigerated aisle.  This ‘bacon’ is so pumped full of nitrates and coloring you’re barely getting bacon.  Go to the butcher and get some of his bacon, thick cut if you can.  This is the real stuff and tastes so much better.  You can thank me later. 

Now, let’s begin.  Fry up 2 strips of bacon to the ‘crispy’ setting and let drain on paper towels.  If there is a lot of excess fat in your pan, mop up some of it with a paper towel. 

You should start the grits now.  I use quick grits, again, because I’m lazy and this is morning-time dammit.  I don’t have patience.  Just follow the instructions on the box, but when you add the grits, also add a healthy handful of your favorite shredded cheese. 

Back to the skillet with bacon grease in it.  Fry up a couple eggs using the bacon grease as your lubricant.  Set those aside. Chop up the bacon to quarter-inch pieces.  Now it’s time for the goodness.

Pancakes.

I use an organic whole wheat buttermilk mix.  You can use whatever mix you like, but I like the specialty mixes better.  Follow the prep instructions as you normally would, but throw your chopped up bacon into the batter.  I usually also put a few pinches of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in the mix as well.  And maybe a dash of vanilla extract.  You should put in what you like—get creative.  Lemon zest, chocolate chips, ricotta cheese, whatever.  Sweet and savory.  But bacon is a must.  Then just cook up the pancakes as normal.  If you are impatient [like me] and want a moist and fluffy pancake, try putting a lid on the skillet.  This will lock in some of the heat and moisture and cook both sides of the pancake at the same time.

Serve!  It should be noted that many people like coffee with their breakfast.  I love coffee, but it’s my belief that if a breakfast is done right, coffee should be used at the end of the meal to fight off the ensuing food coma.  

10_1018 | migration migranes...

Hello fair readers.  A lot has happened since we last spoke.  Most significantly, after a series of moves, I have ended up in southern California.  Yes, like the millions of birds taking to the skies, I have gone south for the winter.  The question is, when will I flap my wings north again?  The future is uncertain.  At this point, I am stuck here…indefinitely.  The reason for my emigration of the great north is gainful employment.  As beautiful and freeing as self employment was, I got an offer that I didn’t refuse.  I could have, but at this point in my life it this was the smart decision.  So here I am, soaking up the famous SoCal sunshine [which thus far appears to be brown smoggy skies or misty, cloud-like rain] and enjoying all the south has to offer.  I’m back with LPA, Inc. in the Irvine office.  It’s great to be back in the saddle and working on public projects again.  I’m in the K-12 [read: schools] market segment and could give you some sappy and romantic speech about the rewards of changing the lives of kids, one school design at a time, but I will spare you.  I would never emphasize that my work allows the youth of America to have the facilities necessary to get the education they deserve.  That through my designs, kids will be able to play at recess and get the exercise necessary to live fit, healthy lives.  Oh no, I won’t bother you with the pretentiousness that I am better than you because I am single handedly making America smarter and healthier.  No, such extolling of my virtues would be arrogant and rude--and that is not what I am about.

I am currently staying with friends who are kind enough to loan me their couch whilst I get on my feet and find a place to live.  Internet access and time to think and blog are limited, so that is the reason I have been silent.  I promise that soon I will be uploading more recipes, thoughts, and rants for your entertainment.  In the meantime, please enjoy this recipe for a delicious fall treat.

spicy pumpkin soup

about 15 minutes

serves 4-6:

(1) 14 oz can pumpkin puree [not pumpkin pie mix!]

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup chicken broth

4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with cooking twine

1 medium shallot, minced

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Chipotle pepper

1/2 tsp Chili powder

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chive spears

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Add the minced shallots and sauté until translucent.  Add sour cream, pumpkin puree, heavy cream, and chicken broth.  Stir ingredients together and let simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Stir in thyme, cayenne, chipotle, chili powder, paprika, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper [this should make a mildly spicy soup.  Add spices to taste if you like a little more heat].  Let simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Remove sprigs of thyme and serve in cups with 4-5 spears of fresh chive for garnish.

 

10_0806 | isn't that swede...

You haven’t lived until you’ve had Swedish Pain Perdu and since I can count all the people who’ve had Swedish Pain Perdu on one hand, it means the zombie apocalypse is upon us and you are all zombies.  Luckily, I have the cure for insatiable brain cravings: 

Pain perdu with a liberal dusting of powdered sugar and some

fresh blackberries.

swedish pain perdu                                                                       

4 eggs

2/3 cup cream or whole milk

1/4 cup cognac or bourbon

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup gooseberry preserves [you can get it at IKEA]

4 1-1/4 inch thick slices of artisan bread [preferably a sweeter one, such as brioche or pugliese...I prefer a day-old pugliese]

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.  Pour into a shallow, flat dish [I use an 8x6 Pyrex baking dish].  Slice the bread down the middle about 3/4 to 4/5 of the way, to make an envelope of sorts.  Place the bread in the egg mixture and let soak on each side for 2-3 minutes.

In a mixing bowl [you can use the same mixing bowl, or a new one if you’re touchy about raw eggs] combine the cream cheese and gooseberry preserves.  When you’re bread is done soaking, spoon 1/4 of this cream cheese mixture into the pocket of each slice of bread.

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat.  Place a slice of butter in the pan to lubricate it.  Place the soaked and stuffed bread slices in the pan.  If all the slices do not fit, don’t crowd the pan.  It’s better to cook in shifts than to crowd the pan.  Now here’s the important part: cover the pan.  This will lock in the heat and help to cook the bread all the way through without burning or drying it out.  After a few minutes, about 3, check the bread to make sure it’s not burning.  If it is, reduce heat a little.  The bread should only take about 5-7 minutes per side.  When done, the outsides of the bread should be a light brown and the center a warm and gooey mess of deliciousness.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve with a dollop of gooseberry preserves, or pour syrup over it.

Makes 2-4 servings.  

10_0707 | more than just sepia…

Photoshop is an amazing and powerful tool that I use frequently.  It’s good for placing celebrities in compromising situations, blackmailing your neighbor, or improving this year’s Christmas card.  I thought that I would share some techniques with you so that you can get your own racketeering business going.  In the interest of brevity, I will assume the lot of you will have at least a cursory knowledge of the program.

Let’s take Billy Goat Gruff here and turn him into an Olde-Timey Goate.  I’ll be using the paper texture below to make the image more authentic.

1. First off, as I do with all images, I copy the background to a new, adjustable layer [Layer > Duplicate Layer].  Then I turn off the background layer.  This way I can revert back to the original image easily if need be, or do a side-by-side comparison.

2. Now, the image is overly tonally crisp.  Let’s tone down the levels.  Do this by going to the menu Image > Adjustments  > Levels.  You want more white in the image, so slide the white triangle below the histogram to the left until the box reads about 170.  You can also move the middle triangle left to adjust the midtones.  I moved it over to read about 1.28.

2. Next we want to get rid of some of the color.  Select Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter.  In the drop down box, select Sepia, and move the Density slider to read 100%.  This should give you an image that looks something like this:

3. Now let’s give the image some texture like it’s been in Nana’s trunk in the attic for half a millenium.  Open your paper image in Photoshop, select all, copy and then paste into the goat image [Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Tab, Ctrl+V].  You want this paper layer to be on top of the goat layer.  In the Layer box, make sure the paper layer is selected, then in the drop down menu that says “Normal” select “Multiply.”  Viola!  You have texture in your image.  The paper layer is much bigger than the goat image, so you should resize the image to the canvas size to look like this:

4. Next, use the Wand tool to select the white space around the paper layer.  With the white space still selected, switch to the goat layer and delete the edges.

5. Use the Marquee Box tool to select the outline of the paper.  Still on the goat layer, use the Feather command [Select > Modify > Feather] to feather your selection.  50px should be a good selection.  Invert the selection [Ctrl+Shift+I] then hit delete twice to fade the edges of the image.  Billy Goat Gruff should now look like this:

6. You’ll notice the background is much to vivid for an Olde Timey picture.  The easiest way to rectify this is to use the Lasso tool to select the background and the Eraser tool [set to about 14% opacity] to lighten the background.

 

7. Gruff still looks a little vivid to be authentic.  Adjust the Hue/Saturation by going to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation.  Lower the Saturation by about 30, and raise the Lightness by about 30.

8. The new image is not quite centered anymore.  You may want to adjust it to be centered visually within the paper layer.

9. Lastly, you may notice that Olde Timey photographs never seem to be in focus.  Let’s blur our goat a little bit so he’ll fit in.  Filter > Blur > Blur More should do the trick. 

Viola! You have successfully turned Billy Goat Gruff into Olde Timey Goate.  Now you can get a job at Disneyland or Great America at the Wild West Olde Timey photo booth!  Oh the places you’ll go with this talent!

10_0706 | a fine-something-that-all-people-need…

At the risk of sounding too anti-establishment and Damn-the-Man-ish: Business needs to change.  If it doesn’t, then you can kiss this planet and all life on it good-bye.  Current growth is limited by carrying capacity, and we have already surpassed ours.  Business needs to re-design its drawing of material flows and energy from this planet to fit within the very finite and limited energy input the planet receives.  If not, we will lose countless species of life until we reach the “final loss” point—the point in which our destruction of the planet will become a natural process and no longer need our participation [think of removing blocks from a wall--remove enough and you no longer have to pull blocks before the whole wall comes down of its own accord].  Though we only draw benefit from a mere one percent of the species known to us, “every species potentially plays the role of the canary in the coal mine, signaling not merely its own demise, but possibly our own.” [The Ecology of Commerce, Hawken]

Taken in a field west of Sacramento, spring 2010.

So, what then, you may ask, does this have to do with business?  Why should a gizmo company in Poughkeepsie change its ways in order to save a freshwater clam in Tehran?  It is in a corporation’s best interest to maintain life on this planet as long as possible, whether that be through conservation of raw materials, or environmentalism for the sake of the people.  If there are no more raw materials to work with, or people to sell products to, how will that business do business?  Who knows, that clam may hold the answer to curing cancer, or could be the last species keeping the planet in order.

The products we buy are not only artificially cheapened by government subsidies, but do not reflect the true cost of that product.  The price of your Thneed may be $20, but does it take into account the persons displaced in developing countries in order to extract the raw materials, the lost topsoil and biota from the strip-mining techniques employed, the waters [and subsequent marine life] poisoned with petro-chemicals, the habitat and species loss?  No.  It’s nigh impossible to place a monetary value onto something as difficult as a plant species or topsoil, let alone the natural systems they support, so corporations refuse to do so.  What would the price of your Thneed be if all that were taken into account?    

Not quite a McWhopper: Buffalo sliders [left to right]: smoked cheddar with chipotle aioli,

avocado ricotta spread, stout marinaded with bleu cheese.

Let’s think of it in different terms:  You are a business.  You would like to live long enough to see that your great-grand progeny are raised properly with “character” and “old timey values.”  But you love a greasy burger.  We all know that a steady diet of double McWhoppers with fried cheese and taters on the side washed down by a half gallon of carbonated sugar water is a one-way ticket to becoming fertilizer.  But it is oh so delicious, and oh so convenient, seeing as cholesterol dispensaries are on every corner of the civilized world.  This is the way current businesses are doing business: the cheapest, most convenient way possible [got to make those profits!]  But, if kept on that track, one day soon enough, you would find that not enough Lipitor in the world could save you.  Eventually you will have polluted your body with cholesterol beyond its carrying capacity and it will cease to function.  Exercise and fists-full of Lipitor might get you an extra couple of years, but it is not treating the root of the problem: delicious greasy beef piled high with cheese, bacon, onions, and lettuce.  Businesses nowadays tout “green products” and “efficiency” but this is tantamount to exercise or medication.  Business needs to restructure itself to fit within the natural systems from which it takes.  This is not to say that it needs to change to an organic system, but more to act as an organism would.  It takes only what it needs, and there are no wastes.  What is not used within the organism becomes fuel or fertilizer for something else.   All of the organism’s by-products are inherently good for its environment.  Wouldn’t it be great if the effluent from a chemical plant was of better quality than that of the water going in?  How sweet would it be for a carpet company to require no more raw materials to maintain production—to create new products by recycling existing used carpets, pads, and piles?  How amazing would it be to meet the population’s food requirements without the use of petro-chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, or over-watering?  These are all practices that currently exist, and the companies that employ them are showing that it is not only more-profitable, but provides better products, improved working conditions, and a safer environment for the people and their communities. 

I am not here to offer solutions to the problems of business, for I have few if any.  I am merely here to offer opinions on what I, and others, have recognized as the key to truly affecting climate change in a necessary and positive manner.

A positive read: http://csc.gallaudet.edu/soarhigh/lorax.htm

10_0609 | duñez...

It must be your lucky day, fair reader, because I have a treat for you.  No, it is not a Ferrari or ice cream, but I feel that you will not feel slighted in the least after discovering what it is I have for you.  Actually, I'm guessing that by now you are tuning me out and have already spied the colorful rectangle below.  Since you are a loyal and obedient reader, you have already seen on this site a rectangle similar to the one below.  It probably only took you a fraction of a fraction of a second to realize that it is indeed a movie clip.  I'm willing to bet that by now, you have already clicked the little triangle and it is either still loading, or 23 seconds into the video--depending on your internet connection and how fast you read.  You probably already stifled a giggle at Dalton jumping head first down the dune.  I can sense that I am struggling to keep your attention at this point.  The music is playing [Pagina Dos by Prefuse 73] and you're hooked by its catchy beat.  Perhaps a toe is tapping, or a head quietly nods [I know you read me at work, but I won't tell].  Maybe you are amazed at the buried picnic table, or perhaps you recognize it as the end of the world in Pirates 3.  Oh, and that 2 minute mark!  How did we get that on film?!  Amazing!  But, alas, the film is over and all eyes back up here.  Yup, thanks for your undivided attention.  Nevermind the movie-box below.  I have things to say!  Important things!  Oh, forget it, just watch the movie clip already...

Nipomo Dunes SA from Andrew Wickham on Vimeo.

The dunes is where they filmed this scene in Pirates 3. Pause the above 

clip at 44 seconds for a side-by-side comparison...

There are only 2 minutes, 30 seconds of utter bliss today.  Unless, of course, you play it again...

This was a group assignment for one of my classes at Cal Poly.  We had to create a two minute film of our site that showed the visual character of that site as well as identifiy some of the constraints and issues associated with the site.  It was filmed by myself, Dalton LaVoie, Erik Olson, and Joey Silva, and primarily edited by myself and Erik.  I think we shot it over two days...

10_0501 | martha, cancel my appointments…

We’ve all been there: you’re loaded up with work to do and no time to do it in.  You’ve got to complete this scale model of Red Square, tune the carburetor on the Buick, roast six pounds of coffee, collate these 1000 pages, and teach that chimpanzee black belt karate all in the next 24 hours or the Earth will explode and everyone will blame you.  Trust me, it’s a more common occurrence than you would think.  Looks like you’ll be facing an all-night blitz to get this century’s “To Do” list done in one night.  Luckily and unfortunately, I am well-versed in the ways of the all-nighter.  My credentials you ask?  My last year in college, of the 180 school nights, I went sleepless for 57 of them.  Yes, that is nearly one in three.  Yes, I probably shaved a good dozen years off my life [I hope not next year, I need that one].  And yes, I will share my expertise with you.   With my help, an all-nighter will be easier than quantum physics.

This little piece of work kept me awake for nearly 1/3 of my last year in college.

Obviously, the most important thing to pulling an all-nighter is maintaining momentum.  At no point do you want a lull that may cost you your consciousness.  Remember, sleep means the Earth will destroy itself.  Thus, it is imperative that you do everything you can to stay awake.  Before you start, there is a checklist of things to do/get that you will find helpful:

1.   A ridiculous supply of your preferred stimulant.  Most people go for caffeine as it is the most readily available [and legal].  I suggest having a pound or two of coffee beans at the ready, or, if you don’t mind the taste: an energy drink.  If I must, I prefer Rockstar Punched.  It tastes like fruit punch.

2.   Get into comfortable clothes.  I’ve got an old hoodie and pajama pants that are second to none when it comes to comfort.  Now you might think that being comfortable will induce sleep and you’d be right.  This is an occupational hazard.  But on the other hand, you want to reduce stress or strain on the body as much as possible to keep your energy levels up.  Uncomfortable clothes will drain you in a 24-hour haul. 

3.   Fuel.  No, not unleaded.  I’m talking food.  Health and junk food is a must.  Apples are superb because they contain chemicals that have as much waking power as a cuppa joe.  You want to combine carbs with protein.  Carbs for the right now boost and protein for energy later when you aren’t hungry.

4.   Fan or air mobilizer.  This may seem strange, but believe me, you want some sort of air circulation when you’ve been sitting in the same spot for the past 16 hours.  It will help keep your area fresh and cool.  It’s harder to sleep when it’s cold.

5.   A high-energy playlist.  If you can stand the pulse lifting thump-thump-thump of techo, this could be the best.  Speed metal and punk are also good alternatives.  This should be something you agree with and enjoy.  The last thing you want is soul, classical, or chill-out music.  Load up your iTunes with 24 hours of your favorite up-tempo sounds and get ready for the long haul.

6.   Timer.  Set it for 2 hour intervals.  The reasons for this are threefold: should you fall asleep, it’ll wake you up in a couple hours.  When the timer dings, get up, walk around, and stretch.  Stretching gets the blood flowing and keeps your body loose—preventing that strain and stress that will kill your energy.  Also, the timer reminds you to grab a small snack. 

Now that you have your checklist, it’s time to dig in and get to work.  Now, you may be tempted to toss back a couple cups of coffee or your Red Bull before you start.  Don’t do it!  You want to keep a slow, steady IV of caffeine coming.  This will prevent you from overloading on caffeine which will make you lose focus.  A slow stream also decreases the possibility of a crash later.  Sip your coffee slowly throughout the night.  A cup should last at least an hour, if not two. You don't want to burnout artificially.

It might look like a soft place for a nap, but it's not a good idea to sleep

in a chicken house.  They stink of ammonia and are full of poop.  Oh and chickens.

If you’re eyes are starting to close and you’re slowly slipping off this plane of consciousness, get up, walk around, stretch, get a boost of caffeine, eat some snacks, and then, if you can, do something else on your list [that monkey’s not going to train itself].  Switching tasks forces your brain to focus on something else and wakes you up a little. 

Lastly, take regular breaks [every 4-5 hours].  It not only revives you, but gives you something to look forward to.  You can make mini-goals for yourself: for example: “I’m going to make up six more Chuck Norris jokes then take a break.”  These mini-goals motivate you, diminish the ominous feeling of a huge to do list, and help you to perceive yourself as moving forward [which is key for morale].  However, it is important to keep the breaks short—no more than 20 minutes.  Much longer than that and you won’t want to get back to work.

Follow these directions and before you know it the sun will be rising and you’ll be on the home-stretch.  If Jack Bauer can do 24 hours, so can you, because that sissy is no Chuck Norris.