text:
If you were in Houston in the 1980's, it was hard to escape the ubiquitous tacos al carbon. Ninfa Laurenzo—of the eponymous Ninfa's—made them her signature dish and as with her green sauce, many Houston Mexican restaurants soon added these tacos to their menus as well. Tacos al carbon became a defining characteristic of Houston Tex-Mex
But what exactly are tacos al carbon?
The term al carbon is the Spanish phrase for cooking over coal, so you should expect grilled meats inside a tortilla. If you have tacos al carbon in Mexico, you will indeed find a variety of meats wrapped in either corn or flour tortillas depending on where you are geographically. But in Texas tacos al carbon came to mean one thing: cuts of grilled beef, nestled in a fluffy flour tortilla.
But wait, isn't that a fajita? Now this is where it gets confusing.
So what's the difference between fajitas and tacos al carbon? As I understand it, very little. Fajitas, which translates to little belts, are traditionally made with the tough diaphragm cut of beef known as skirt steak, which is a long and narrow, much like a belt.
The meat is often marinated and then grilled or griddled, and it's served with a prescribed array of condiments such as guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and a stack of flour tortillas, all used to roll your own tacos. And yes, you can make fajitas, the dish, out of shrimp or chicken, but since the word itself refers to the cut of beef, technically it should be called something else.
Tacos al carbon, however, can be made with any type of meat, not just the traditional skirt steak. And unlike fajitas, the tacos are already made instead of being a do-it-yourself affair. I think this is the main difference, but even for me it's a bit of a semantic stretch.
Small differences aside, I still prefer tacos al carbon to fajitas. Sure, fajitas are a quite the spectacle, but sometimes you crave a more refined presentation. (Or perhaps I prefer tacos al carbon because I burned myself on the sizzling fajita skillet one too many times!) But no matter how you serve it, it's hard to resist a fresh flour tortilla wrapped around succulent beef so flavorful you can eat the two together unadorned.
I live in a small apartment without any outdoor space so there's no cooking over coal for me. But if I get my cast-iron skillet hot enough and then slide my steak under the broiler, I get a nice charred crust that's almost as good as what I could get on a grill. So yes, technically these aren't true tacos al carbon (they're more like tacos a la plancha, which means tacos of the griddle). But I don't mind because after one bite I'm back in that little restaurant on Navigation where the beef is juicy, the tortillas are soft and the green sauce is plentiful.
Tacos al carbon, small-apartment style
2 pounds skirt steak
Juice of 4 limes (about 1/2 cup)
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of canola oil or nonstick cooking spray
Four green onions (optional)
To make the marinade, in a blender mix all the ingredients except for the skirt steak, canola oil and green onions. Pour over skirt steak and let it marinate for 2 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Before cooking, rinse off the marinade and let the steak come to room temperature. Heat on high for 10 minutes a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan (you may have to cut the steak in half to fit). Also, turn on the broiler in your oven. When the skillet is hot (to test I throw in a drop of water and it should immediately evaporate), grease your pan with either the oil or nonstick cooking spray and add your steak. Cook on one side for two minutes then turn and cook on the other side for two minutes.
After it's cooked on both sides, place the green onions in the skillet with the steak still in it and place the skillet under the broiler for two minutes. Remove steak from pan and let it rest for 10 minutes. If onions aren't charred enough, slide the skillet back under the broiler. After meat has rested, slice the meat against the grain and roll in fluffy, flour tortillas with green onions on the side.
Serves 4-6.
Notes: I don't have a grill or outdoor space, so I don't know as much as I'd like to about the subject, but to cook the steaks truly al carbon, I've been told five minutes per side should do the trick.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Tacos al carbon
68 comments:
- Estela @ Weekly Bite said...
I'm from Texas and I LOVE LOVE LOVE these tacos!! Especially with pico de gallo in it!
- Whitney said...
I miss Ninfa's and Pappasitos so much! I love that this recipe is small apt style :)
- Mike said...
This is my favorite dish at Ninfa's on Naviagation, and I've been going there every Sunday for years (lucky me to live in Houston). We truly are blessed with amazing Tex-Mex here in Houston!
- Lucie said...
These look delicious! Living in France makes me miss tex-mex food so, so much...!
- Dawn said...
Tacos al carbon.... grilled skirt steak... Ninfa's.... lunchtime. Oh you have made my stomach growl. I have fond memories of many trips to Ninfa's in Baton Rouge after an LSU football game. My daughter, after visiting my mother in Houston, came home to tell me about this great Mexican restaurant. Surprise. Ninfa's! This just got a star in my reader. Thanks for sharing.
- Catherine said...
I grew up going to ninfa's after we would visit my grandmother in Houston. Thanks to your recipe, I'm going to try to recreate a little magic at home.
- Sarah said...
You're making me consider heading over to Ninfa's for lunch today. I haven't been in months!!
- Memória said...
Your tacos look amazing. I will have to bookmark this and make it. I bet it would go so well with the homemade adobo sauce I made. Thanks for posting!
- Lisa (Homesick Texan) said...
Whitney--I miss Ninfa's, too. Always a must-stop whenever I go home.
Estela--Yep, pico de gallo is wonderful with these.
Lucie--I can only imagine how much harder it must be to get Tex-Mex in France than NYC.
Mike--You are lucky. What a fine Sunday tradition!
Dawn--You're welcome! Glad I made your stomach growl!
Catherine--What a nice memory of Ninfa's.
Sarah--Well, months is just too long!
Memória--It would be excellent with that homemade adobo sauce!
- bluejeangourmet said...
yum, yum, yum and yay! this is one of my most fundamental cravings, whether met at home (we are lucky enough to be able to grill in the backyard) or out.
finally got myself to the original Ninfa's on Navigation a few months ago and NOW I know what all of the fuss was about :)
- Lo said...
Mmm. Beautiful simplicity. Can't beat grilled meat for a soft taco.
- Screwed Up Texan said...
Congratulations of the nomination! You've inspired me for the week with thoughts of Tex-Mex running through my veins.
- eonyc said...
I am going back to Houston in a few weeks and now I will HAVE to smuggle back a gallon or so of Ninfa's green sauce. It was never my all-time favorite restaurant, but that green sauce? Still the sauce of my dreams!!!!
And congrats on the nod! This is definitely one of MY favorite food blogs.
- Lisa (Homesick Texan) said...
Blue Jean Gourmet--So happy you finally made it to THE Ninfa's!
Lo--You just can't, I agree.
Screwed Up Texan--Thank you! And heck, thoughts of Tex-Mex are always running through my veins!
Eonyc--That's always one of my first stops just for the green sauce alone. So amazing!
- Aunty Pol said...
Yeah..The original Ninfa's on Navigation is the only place to go. It was sad to see some of them close when the son's got a tad carried away with growth such as El Tiempo . She was such a lovely person and handled all of the strife with grace and dignity.
Long time reader/follower who is waving from Houston.
May I post this link on my blog ?
- Lisa (Homesick Texan) said...
Aunty Pol--And I'm waving back at you from NYC! And yes, you may link to this from your blog.
- Bee said...
Isn't it interesting how many people have already mentioned the original Ninfa's on Navigation? I remember it, chiefly, for its absolutely lethal margaritas . . . but I am definitely going to go there in April and try their tacos al carbon.
In the meantime, I'm going to try and talk to an English butcher about skirt steak (I wonder what they call it?) and try out your grill/griddle pan method.
Heartiest congratulations on the food blog nomination. I will vote for you with pleasure.
- Tommy said...
Congrats on the nomination.
You are to be commended. Your blog inspires people to cook and discover new dishes. I read a ton of food blogs, but hardly any inspire me to replicate any recipes. You're the exception.
- ann said...
Oh man, ohmanohman. Tacos al Carbon are so good. I never realized they were the same thing, technically, as fajitas, but that might explain something. I love tacos al carbon, but I hate fajitas because I hate the smoke from the plate, and how it scents everything; my clothes, my hair, my skin. So maybe my love for tacos al carbon is how I get my fajita in a non-scent offending way!
- Robin said...
Oh my gracious...I am dying for lunch at Ninfa's now, but I am in California! The Mexican food here is good, but it is not MY Mexican food. And tacos a la Ninfa are my favorite.
One of my Houstonian friends always trashes Ninfa's, even the Navigation location, and I can't understand why. When she took me to her two favorite TexMex joints, I thought they were way subspectacular. Taste is a funny thing.
I have pork tacos planned for tonight's dinner, but I'll be thinking wistfully of this recipe no matter how well they turn out.
- Debbie said...
Mmmmm...this looks like one good taco.
- Ed Schenk said...
Congrats on the nomination! great recipe too!
- Liz said...
I love tacos al carbon AND fajitas for that matter... maybe just anything grilled and wrapped in a tortilla, especially when cilantro's involved. Love your blog!
- suzinoz said...
Thank God I'll be in Texas in three weeks time. Tacos al Carbon is one of my favourite meals...and fajitas...and gorditas...and tacos...and tamales...and Whataburger...oh how I miss Texas! Thanks for the recipe.
- Toiling Ant said...
I'm off of meat for Lent, but we'll be back in Houston for Easter and I'm thinkin' Tex-Mex sounds like a fantastic holiday feast to me. YEAH!
- Lisa (Homesick Texan) said...
Bee--Thank you! As for the tacos, they're now called Tacos a la Ninfa, but it's the same thing. And that's a good question--it's the diaphragm so that might help guide your butcher if it's not called skirt steak.
Tommy-Aw, thank you! Readers like you keep me going!
Robin--Agreed, taste is a funny thing. Enjoy your pork tacos!
Ann--I like that line of thought! As I said, tacos al carbon are a more refined fajita.
Debbie--Thank you!
Ed--Thank you!
Liz--I'm pretty open to anything grilled and placed in a tortilla! And yes, the more cilantro the better!
Suzinoz--Have a good trip to Texas! And you're very welcome. Enjoy!
Toiling Ant--I think that sounds like a fine idea for an Easter feast!
- Marjorie said...
Lisa, I am in New Braunfels, Texas and we are getting ready to go to Seguin for a mexican dinner. I will order tacos al carbon. The weather is fabulous it got up to 68 today. I do not miss the East Coast winter.
- burkie said...
i, too, prefer tacos al carbon to fajitas. i have never understood the appeal of odor of burning paper and the smoke thereof in one's eyes when trying to eat. plus, it takes up too much room on the table. your tacos look scrumptious!
- Barbara said...
I lived in Houston from 1974-78 and LOVED Ninfa's and Tacos al Carbon. Thank you for posting this!
-Barbara Reiss Newman
- Maryn McKenna said...
Oh, wail, Ninfa's! My parents' first house in Houston was near one of the first branches, and going there in the 80s was a special treat. When I moved away, I could never understand all this fajitas fuss — they seemed so gunked up and inauthentic after the purity of a true Ninfa's al carbon! Memories...
- Texana said...
Ninfa's, especially the original one on Navigation, is my "must go" whenever I get to Houston. It's really a trip back in time! My very favorite thing there is those little spicy carrot slices that used to be served to everyone but now one has to ask for them. If you love 'em, too, please see if you can come up with a recipe for them.
BTW, I voted for your page, and I am glad to have lived in TEXAS for all those years to enjoy the unique cuisine! Sure do miss it over here on the east coast!
- Tasty Eats At Home said...
I was so excited when I discovered you were nominated! Woohoo! And as for these tacos al carbon, yum. It's about to be spring, and I'm so ready for fajitas, tacos al carbon, anything with that grill/charred flavor, alongside some fresh salsas and guacamole...yum.
- K8E said...
Oh my goodness, how I miss Ninfa's. 12 years of living in Alabama and I still haven't found a decent Mexican restaurant. I'll be home to Houston for a visit in August though and Ninfa's is always on the list of restaurants to hit while I'm there.
- ellen hanson designs said...
HI Lisa Homesick Texas (from another Lisa, homesick rtExan living in Brooklyn the past 10 or so years)
Heading down to Houston in March but now I'm drooling on Madison Ave. Haven't been to Ninfa's on Navigation since middle school at Lanier (go purple pups!) BUT did have crazy dleicious green sauce last night in Hell's Kitchen! What a surprise. Running late to a show and ducked into a place with a small sign that said "burritos and tacos" 56th? and Ninth or Tenth Ave. I am going to HAVE to recreate my steps and re-discover that tiny taco bar-cleaner and fancier than a FresCo Tortilla but similar set up. AWESOME TOMATILLO SAUCE not too sweet!
- The Monday Through Friday Gourmet said...
Alright I'm pretty stoked to try these...I've been doing different taco's every friday night! Congrats on the nomination! You got my vote
- Lisa (Homesick Texan) said...
Marjorie--Actually, it's supposed to be in the 50's this weekend, so spring may be arriving here soon, too. Hope you had a fabulous dinner!
Burkie--They do take up a lot of room!
Barbara--You're very welcome.
Maryn--What good memories!
Tasty Eats at Home--Yes, nothing says warmer days are here than firing up the grill!
K8E--Yep, a trip to Ninfa's is always on my list as well!
Ellen--Oh! Thanks for the tip. I'll have to go scoop that out this weekend.
Texana--It's definitely a must-go for me as well. And than you for the vote!
- Andrea said...
Lisa, thank you so much for clarifying the whole fajita vs. tacos al carbon issue. The word fajita, as you stated is in fact in reference to a cut of beef. But, in the U.S. we have grown accustomed to calling every type of grilled meat, stuffed into a flour tortilla, a fajita when in fact they are simply tacos. So, I appreciate your clarification.
I am not sure why, but I associate tacos al carbon with beef, as well. Can tacos al carbon also refer to other types of meat?
Thank you for the time you spend on your blog. I truly appreciate not only your recipes, which by the way are always spectacular, but also because of the food history and lessons you share alongside the featured dish. I always know when a recipe is a success when my native, Mexican-born husband approves. He has approved many of recipes, by the way. :)
Keep up the good work...I look forward to trying your version of tacos al carbon! We are slated for nice weather here in Chicago this weekend, so maybe I'll fire up the grill and give it a whirl. I have yet to try your queso fresco recipe...maybe this is the perfect time to push through my cheese making fears and give that one a go, too. It would be great on these tacos, I am sure.
¡Muchísimas gracias! Keep up the good work!!
- Amy said...
I read your post at work yesterday and went straight to the grocery store the minute I was off. We had these for dinner and they were a complete success. I will be adding these to my weeknight dinner line up for the foreseeable future. I also whipped up your guacamole. Thank for the terrific recipes and good luck over at Saveur.com.
- Lea Ann said...
I'm already preferring tacos al carbon over fajitas and I've never had it. Thanks for this recipe, will be giving it a try soon. I saw a few days ago about your Saveur nomination and have already voted for you! Very cool! Well deserved nomination. Love your blog.
- heather @ chiknpastry said...
i never understand the difference between tacos al carbon and fajitas. someone made fajitas with grilled chicken at an iron chef party last week, but they looked like tacos to me! either way, you're look super yum, and i'd eat them no matter what they were called!
- Stephanie Manley said...
I think it was sad the Ninfa's sold out. But El Tiempo on Richmond is one of her new restaurants. The green sauce is there, along with many other favorites. I highly recommend going there. From what I understand she isn't associated with any of those "Ninfa's" restaurants anymore. Mama Ninfa, was asked to stop dining and hanging out at El Tiempo because the folks that bought her out, told her they bought her image as well.
- Big Brother is Watching said...
I haven't lived in Houston since 1985 but I have such very fond memories of Ninfa's--the tacos al carbon, the green sauce...and the pitchers of margaritas.
Now if you could only come up with a recipe for that green sauce...
I will try this recipe, though, looks dead easy.
- Linda www.mykindofcooking.com said...
I love the photos on your blog. I have recipe blog and now have a new appreciation for pictures of food!
- Kimberly said...
I stop by to review your recipe for Ninfas green sauce, and find this post! Oh, how I loved tacos al carbon. I grew up in Houston, and still remember having my first tacos al carbon on Navigation around 1975. When a branch opened in Memorial a couple of miles from our house, it became a default location for family dinners out. For years, I went back to Navigation whenever I was in Houston, but since the Laurenzos sold, it's not the same.
Congrats on the well-deserved nomination!
- Jenny said...
This looks awesome! Thanks for the recipe, you crazy talented gal.
Congrats on the Saveur nom!
- Richard said...
Lisa -
Thanks again for another great post. I must ask a question now that you've brought up Ninfa's.
I went to college in Houston but am now living without Tex Mex in NYC. The thing I miss the most though is the red salsa at El Tiempo on Richmond. It is the one with almost a tomato sauce-like flavor to it. I know El Tiempo is run by the Lorenzo's, who I believe used to run the original Ninfa's.
I've only been to the Ninfa's on Navigation once, so I don't remember if these are the same salsas or not. BUT, I was hoping you've had that amazing El Tiempo red salsa before, and had some idea as to how to recreate it.
Thanks again and please keep up with the great blog!
- Gavin said...
I worked on a film shoot with Ninfa herself. Surprisingly shy in front of camera, but it was a good cause (PSA for the MD Anderson kids' ward) and she soldiered on.
I chiefly remember hanging lights at the Kirby Ninfa's one morning in 1980 while the kitchen was getting ready for lunch, and being SO HUNGRY.
- Just a Plane Ride Away said...
Oh my word. I actually have a tear in my eye. Thank you, Lisa!
Groetjes from a Homesick Texan in the Netherlands who had her first bite of Tacos al Carbon at Nifa's Navigation ages and ages ago.
- Anonymous said...
I've always preferred flank steak for my tacos al carbon. Marinated and grilled hot and fast, sliced on the bias, and topped with your favs. I grew up about a mile and a half from the original Ninfa's on Navigation and ate there for years before leaving the Houston area. Unlike many others I went south, not north, so I don't have the problems getting certain ingredients and/or cravings for the dishes I've always loved. For those of you doing the apartment/fire code thing, look into the George Foreman Outdoor electric grill. With a little practice/trial/error, you can really grill some decent meats.
- Beth said...
Thanks so much for clearing this up! Tex-Mex is very familiar since I live in Austin. But sometimes having so many dishes that are varied approaches to combining meats and tortillas makes it confusing to keep all the names straight. Chalupas and sopes are just one example of two very similar, but also entirely separate, foods. Then just when you think you've got it all straight, menus list "chicken fajitas"!
- Susan S. said...
Yum, yum....who DOESN'T love Ninfas...I have the recipe for both marindes from Ninfa (green sauce too) but it's always more fun to GO there. I just discovered a van that picks downtown Houston workers up in front of the Chase Building and takes them back and for to lunch for free. They bring a menu for you to study AND they call ahead and reserve a table for you in the busiest of downtown lunch times. GREAT DEAL!
- paige said...
this recipe fixed my fear of grilling inside. it also fixed my taco craving. these tacos tasted amazing and were easy to make. yummy!! i live in toronto and they have no good mexican here so i have been forced to learn to cook it. your blog has the greatest recipes. thanks for sharing!
- Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...
Thanks for sort-of clearing up my confusion about fajitas and tacos al carbon. I hope to have the real thing in Texas next time I visit.
- Kelly Fisher said...
I loved the green sauce and hot & spicy carrots at Ninfa's.
- Steff said...
As someone who is accident prone in the kitchen, I can sympathize with the tacos al carbon preference vs. fajitas. And thanks for translating the recipe for those of us who similarly lack the ability to cook over coal. =)
- Dixie Gypsy said...
I've lived in Texas twice, and most recently for nearly 6 years, splitting my time between DFW and Austin. I'm in Austin now. But I've never made it to Houston. My husband and I have been thinking about a trip to check it out. Thanks for mentioning Ninfa's and this dish!
- Lisa (Homesick Texan) said...
Andrea--Yes, tacos al carbon can be any cut of meat not just beef. And happy to hear your husband approves! That makes my day!
Amy--Excellent news! I'm so happy y'all enjoyed them!
Lea Ann--Thank you! And I prefer tacos al carbon as well.
Heather--Thank you!
Stephanie--I've never been to El Tiempo but look forward to trying it next time I'm home.
Big Brother--From the Houston Chronicle, here's the recipe for Ninfa's green sauce.
Linda--Thank you!
Kimberly--Green sauce and tacos al carbon are a perfect combination!
Jenny--Muchas gracias!
Richard--I haven't been to El Tiempo but I think in my files I have Ninfa's red salsa recipe. Let me see if I can find it.
Gavin--What a great memory! She was quite the presence, wasn't she? I rode in an elevator with her once and was completely star struck.
Just a Plane Ride Away--Aww, thank you!
Mike--I'll definitely have to look into a George Foreman grill.
Beth--Yes, the language of Tex-Mex and Mexican food has many variations for similar dishes. It is hard to keep up with it!
Susan--I love that there's a van!
Paige--Yay! I'm so happy y'all enjoyed them!
Lydia--When are you headed to Texas?
Kelly--Yes! Those hot and spicy carrots are addictive!
Steff--You're very welcome!
Dixie Gypsy--Houston is a wonderful town!
- Anonymous said...
Looks like there are a lot of "Ninfa-maniacs" on this blog! I've been to Ninfas in Houston, Austin and Dallas; they did have great tacos and fajitas. I remember one night in Houston the line was way out the door so someone in our group went up to the front and told them we were in the Bush party. Bush as in president. We had heard that Ninfa's was 41's favorite. We had to come clean and confessed we weren't really with the Bushes. But it was worth the wait anyway. Love your blog.
- Meridith said...
I live for the tacos al carbon at Guadalajara in Houston. They are always the highlight of my trips to my husband's hometown. I have tried to replicate them at home with help from my sister-in-law's creamy cilantro sauce, which supposedly came from the folks at the Guad. Gonna have to give this recipe a try. There is nothing as good as perfectly cooked, succulent beef wrapped in a tortilla with a little yum-yum to set it off.
- beemshake said...
They were called "Tacos a al Ninfa" back when I was a kid, in the 80s. My sister and I got them everytime, along with that little puffed, fried corn tortilla with queso poured over it. Mmm, Ninfa's...
- Weekend Cowgirl said...
My all time favorite food. I could it them every night for dinner and never tire of them!People who have never had them DO NOT know what they are missing.
- Joycee said...
Congrats on the nomination, I'll definately send a vote! This along with Ninfas green sauce will be heaven on a plate. I love your blog so much! This week we had the cheese enchiladas with chili gravy and they were restaurant good! I'm doing a a blog about Homesick Texan on the 19th, next Friday on GrannyMountain to sing your praises!
- Twizzle said...
I commented on your tortilla post... but I will elaborate more on this recipe I made..
Ohhh yummm, these were so good! I don't know what they call skirt steak over here in UAE--they do not use the same terms as in the US so I just got some New York strips instead. The marinade smelled so delicious :)
It only marinated for 2 hours but the flavors definitely permeatedthe meat.
And you are right, I could eat just the fresh tortillas and beef by itself!
The only thing is I could not make the green sauce because I have never seen tomatillos sold here so I just served it with a regular ol' salsa and sour cream. Everyone loved it!
again, if you'd like to see the photos:
its a bad photo of the wrapped steak though..you can't even see the filling properly--and before I decided to take a new photo it was all gone!!
yumm yumm!
- Kathleen said...
I was just dreaming about Ninfa's and the good old days of the warm tortillas, perfect green sauce, getting full before the food even showed up. Oh, my. If there are any other Houstonians in Manhattan who'd like to stage a 1970's-style Ninfa's party -- let me know!
- Debra said...
I've been wanting to try these for awhile, well, tonight was the night! Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, the Tacos al Carbon were fantastic! I have tried making "fajitas" numerous times and was disappointed each time. Nevermore, will that happen now that I have this recipe in my cooking arsenal. I made it tonight for my husband and I, and can hardly wait to make it for the next family gathering. Thanks for all the great recipes and your wonderful blog!
- Michael said...
Fantastic! This brings back fond memories of growing in Houston, especially during my formative years in the 80s. My parents took us to Casa Elena on FM 1960 at least once a week.
Tacos al carbon was my favorite dish and I'd usually order them covered in queso (to go along with the fabulous queso puff, of course).
Thanks so much for your efforts Lisa, I'm a fan!
- Carol said...
I adore Tacos al Carbon...at Ninfa's or anywhere. I do like to get a little queso on the side and pour on top..YUM!
- jilkat25 said...
Hi, Lisa and all! I've lived in Dallas my whole life and haven't been to Houston in years. I went to the old Ninfa's when it was briefly in Dallas, but only once or twice. My husband and I have always loved a restaurant here called Mario and Alberto's which has been around almost as long as Ninfa's, and their family goes back a century or something in the restaurant business here. My husband always orders Tacos al Carbon there, and it was my understanding that the difference was that Tacos al Carbon was made with a whole steak like a rib-eye or a New York strip, and cooked on a charcoal grill then cut by the diner, while fajitas were made with marinated skirt steak or really thin flank steak cooked on the flat-top and sliced in the kitchen and brought to the table on a one-person cast-iron griddle with grilled peppers, onions, and other meats like chicken or shrimp as a "combo" plate. A lot of Mexican restaurants in Dallas serve fajitas for two, with all the go-alongs shared by both people. I rarely go out for Tex-Mex anymore since I cook it so often at home. I recently got a George Foreman 288 inch indoor/outdoor grill, and it's literally standing in the middle of my kitchen (permanently, I'm sure)! It is fantastic, gets really hot (500) on high, and is the closest thing I have found to grilling indoors when I don't feel like messing with charcoal outside. Last night I made colorful grilled baby bell peppers stuffed with ground turkey, soft chorizo, and sharp cheddar, a sort of Mexican risotto (arborio rice) with veal shanks and a packet of Picadillo seasoning I got on Amazon and cooked in the pressure cooker-20 minutes (yum!), pan-fried albondigas from the extra turkey/chorizo mix (with extra spices and fresh cilantro) and simmered green tomatillo sauce (I just spiced up a bottle of "green taco sauce" I had in my cupboard), and a pot of tortilla soup with lots of veggies including roasted fresh cob-corn and fried strips of corn tortillas. We just polished off the leftovers a few minutes ago. I mean, it wasn't like "hand-crafted" gourmet Mex, it was just dinner, but it was really tasty and easy to throw together!-Jilkat25
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text:
OAKLAND — Lanes of westbound Interstate 580 at Seminary Avenue were blocked late Wednesday as Oakland police and CHP officers investigated a shooting between cars.
Police released no details on the incident, confirming only that the approximately 8:30 p.m. shooting occurred between two cars on the freeway, but that no victims had been located.
The CHP closed all lanes of westbound 580 during the investigation, and motorists were advised to use alternate routes.
Shortly after 11 p.m. the two right lanes were reopened on the highway, while the two left lanes remain blocked, the CHP said.
Staff photographer Jane Tyska contributed to this report. Contact Katie Nelson at 925-945-4780 or follow her at Twitter.com/katienelson210.

subset: commoncrawl


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Listing of clientele information also increases credibility of the business where customers ranging from both B2B and B2C will connect you easily.
Advertise Industrial Flooring in Lakshmipura Main Road
There is a stiff competition in online listing and most of the businesses are turning into the digital world to attract prospective clients by listing company details in website portals. In our database, we have around ten thousand plus (10,000+) companies records and more number of customers are added up from different business sectors.
Advertising Industrial Flooring, branding and listing in Lakshmipura Main Road on online listing gives a wider amount of business growth and success rate. Your business can easily spot by local audience or people who intend to purchase or avail services from you.
At Search Pointer, you get a platform to connect both buyers and sellers looking for your Industrial Flooring in Lakshmipura Main Road.
Online Branding and Visibility
Many businesses are successful due to branding of the business products or services and by adding your company profile in our online portal helps in developing brand and gives more chances of staying atop than your competitors. This will not only develop your company brand, but also keep your Industrial Flooring listing visibility in front of your prospective customers.
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Hoarding Ads - Fastest Way To Reach Audience...+Read More
How Branding Helps Builders and Developers Sectors?...+Read More


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Drug Resistance or Antibiotic Resistance
Drug resistance (such as antibiotic resistance) occurs when disease-causing organisms change over time and adapt in ways that allow them to survive exposure to a medicine that in the past killed or controlled them.
Many kinds of bacteria have become resistant to common antibiotics designed to kill them. These are called antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For example, several strains of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and sinus, ear, and lung infections can no longer be killed by many antibiotics. Other illnesses, such as malaria and gonorrhea, also have drug-resistant strains of organisms.
Frequent and/or inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to the development of drug-resistant bacteria. For example, taking antibiotics when they may not be needed, using them for a nonbacterial infection (such as a cold), or not taking all of an antibiotic as directed may promote the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2014 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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How to secure your wireless network from the top 3 mobile payment threats
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How consumers pay for products and services evolves just as rapidly as the products and services they're paying for. Case in point: mobile payments, the combination of payment cards and wireless technology that facilitates monetary transactions. Mobile payments can reduce transaction costs for buyers and sellers, and reduce the costs of circulating a cash supply hence the growing popularity. However, this new payment technology presents many security challenges that must be addressed by merchants to keep customer data safe.
It's not just goodwill driving security initiatives for payment technology, compliance with the Payment Card Industry's Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates that organization protect consumers. PCI DSS applies to any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data, and consists of a minimum set of security requirements and testing procedures designed to encourage and enhance cardholder data security.
Merchants in violation of PCI DSS can face hefty fines from payment brands (e.g., American Express, MasterCard, and VISA) and even lose the ability to process payment cards for goods and services. Additionally, if a consumer does make a purchase via mobile payment and their information is compromised (i.e., cardholder data), the merchant may be liable (especially if they do not proactively comply with standards).
Further, if adequate safeguards are not followed to meet PCI standards, consumers may perceive that payment card information is at risk and choose not to use a merchant's infrastructure. If people lose faith in the security of a payment system, they will stop using it and the system will eventually become useless. Merchants accepting payment cards need to comply with the PCI DSS to ensure they have implemented proper safeguards to protect cardholder data and secured their points-of-sale from attackers and intruders that put customer data at risk.
Today, there are three main types of threats that attackers use to capture and exploit mobile payment cardholder data. Fortunately, with a strong wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS), merchants can detect and combat these threats and keep themselves and customers safe. Here are the top 3 most frequent and dangerous attacks and what merchants can do to protect their wireless LAN (WLAN) network:
1) DoS Attacks on WLANs
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks flood data networks with malicious data that can infect mobile devices with malware that may destroy, modify, or compromise cardholder data. DoS attacks are designed to disrupt wireless services by exploiting vulnerabilities in wireless connections at the physical and data-link layers. For example, RF jamming devices with powerful antennas can disrupt a mobile payment system from inside or outside the boundaries of a store.
Wi-Fi Point of Sale Terminals (POSTs), whether they are smartphones or vending machines, are susceptible to DoS attacks because the RF communication that sets up and maintains network and device connections can be spoofed it has no encryption mechanism. Wireless attackers disrupt services to mobile devices by continually transmitting disassociation or de-authentication notices to phones that appear to be from legitimate access points. In effect, the phone will try to re-establish services, or re-authenticate, only to get immediately disconnected, over and over again.
Combatting WLAN DoS attacks: Organizations can deploy wireless intrusion protection systems that monitor and detect critical intrusions that may compromise cardholder data security or disrupt wireless payment operations. These systems detect attacks by continuously monitoring the Wi-Fi communication, tracking wireless connections and associations to store access points, and analyzing the RF environment for transmission sources that could disrupt communications or are from malicious devices. When attacks are identified, the WIPS will generate an alert so that IT security operations can immediately remediate the problem.


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Dentists & Services in Janesville, WI
In Front of Hobby Lobby
3131 Milton Ave Ste 190
Janesville, WI 53545
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8:30am to 5:00pm
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8:30am to 5:00pm
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8:30am to 5:00pm
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11:00am to 7:30pm
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Not the right office? There are more than 650 Aspen Dental locations.
Call anytime between
7am - 9pm Monday-Saturday ET
9:30am - 6pm Sunday ET
to make an appointment.
Owned and Operated By: Pack Janesville Dental LLCSchedule a New Patient
Appointment at this Office
About This Office
Aspen Dental branded practices employ dentists that are skilled clinicians trained at some of the nation's most prestigious dental schools. The licensed dentists at each Aspen Dental office possess a thorough knowledge of dental and denture procedures. And though their backgrounds are diverse, Aspen Dental dentists share one common goal: to give each patient a healthy mouth.
It's Aspen Dental's pledge to deliver great care—but also fair pricing. So you can trust that you'll get low, no-surprise pricing, and a clear, detailed estimate on the cost of your treatment plan in writing, so you know what to expect. Smile easier with the Peace of Mind Promise®.
This Aspen Dental practice provides dental services in Janesville, WI, as well as Beloit, WI, Milton, WI, and surrounding communities.
Dentists at this Office
Our dentists are here to help bring out your smile.
R. Pack, DDS
Owner of this Dental Office
Marquette University School of Dentistry
B. Dinh, DDS
Associate Dentist
University of Illinois at Chicago
A. Radovan, DDS
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
Services Offered at the Janesville, WI Office
This office provides the full range of dental and denture services, including:
Specialty Services
Advanced Screening for Oral Cancer
Digital Radiography
General Dentistry
Crown and Bridge Work×
When you have missing or damaged teeth, it's hard to keep your mouth healthy. More importantly, when you have missing teeth, your remaining teeth can loosen, which may lead to additional tooth loss. We're here to help. Crowns and bridges are often a solution that can fill the gaps and restore your mouth back to a healthy state.
Most people need at least one dental filling in their lifetime. Fillings are most commonly used to treat cavities. They're also used to repair cracked or broken teeth, or teeth that have been worn down over time. At Aspen Dental practices, we use all the latest techniques and equipment to help make the experience as comfortable as possible.
Oral Surgery×
Oral surgery is a specialized branch of dentistry that treats a wide range of diseases and conditions.
Tooth Extractions×
Sometimes a tooth will need to be removed for various reasons. At Aspen Dental practices, we're here to help.
Treatment of Gum Disease×
Dentists at Aspen Dental practices take gum disease very seriously, and the team will do everything possible to provide you with the care you need. By examining your entire mouth, not just a specific problem, your dentist can determine whether you have conditions such as gum disease, and then get you started on the right treatment in the office and in your home.
Denture Services
Aspen Dental practices exclusively offer ComfiDents® brand full and partial dentures. All Aspen Dental practices are equipped with on-site denture labs. Our dentists and technicians can work to give you a comfortable denture fit and faster service.
Broken Dentures×
Many denture repairs and adjustments can be done while you wait.
Denture Replacement×
Just like natural teeth, dentures can wear down, stain, and lose their shape. If your dentures need replacing, we can help.
Denture Money Back Guarantee×
At Aspen Dental practices, this is our promise that you'll get your money back if you're not happy with your dentures. And if you're not, we'll make them right, or your money back. The Denture Money Back Guarantee applies to all full and partial dentures and covers the cost of the denture(s) only. The refund request must be submitted within 90 days after insert of final denture or hard reline. Denture(s) must be returned within 90 days after refund request date.


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From Melissa Myozen Blacker's Facebook post: "On the night of December 2nd, in a secret ceremony held late in the night during the December Rohatsu sesshin at Boundless Way Temple, I gave my student James Myosan Cordova denbo, or full Dharma transmission. The ancient traditional ...Read More »
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With respect for all, Good Morning Everyone, What do we think of when we think, "Zen Buddhist Priest...
See the good in all sentient beings
We're one big family, after all. Sometimes with our world blinders on we've kind of forg...
SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Sit Down and Speak Up
How does our Zen Practice blend with taking a stand? Do we stay "beyond the fray"...
Zen Women and the Pussy Kōan
Miaozong Vindicates the Vagina From the time of the Buddha and throughout Zen history, women's sexua...
Planning to March in Washington January 21? Come Join us!
"Even if the sun rises in the west, the way of the bodhisattva is the same." What is th...
Sit-a-Long with Jundo: My Uplifting, Inspiring, Hopeful, Optimistic New Years Message
The past year has seen its ups and downs … a lot of downs it seems. Next year will like...
Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Back from a Rohatsu Pilgrimage to India – Nothing Found
… Nothing found or, better said, nothing found that is not right where we sit every day, right...
Rohatsu approaches by Hakuryu Ian Forsberg
As the time of Rohatsu approaches and given the ongoing conditions of the world, I have been thinkin...
2016 Rohatsu greetings from around the sangha
Dear reader, It is my goal at Sweeping Zen to help encourage this practice in others, so I am dedica...
Rohatsu Reflections by Taigen Dan Leighton
Winter is coming. We are in a transitional time, when many people are feeling vulnerable, tender, an...
Heartache, Toothache and Backache: A Rohatsu Guide to Post-Election Pain by Grace Schireson
In Japan, my teacher Keido Fukushima Roshi, said: "Watching the mind is the most important thing." B...
All my relations by Joseph Bobrow
All My Relations I recently spent several days at Standing Rock Sioux Nation at the Oceti Sakowin ca...
The Divine Abode of Loving Kindness by Seikai Luebke
On Tuesday night when I checked the election results, I felt as if I'd been hit with a sledgehammer....
Post-Election Care by Florence Caplow
I know this is a dark, hard, angry, fearful time for many of us. I have heard and read such a range ...
James Myosan Cordova becomes Melissa Myozen Blacker's dharma successor
Painting Peace, Kazuaki Tanahashi film screening in San Rafael Nov. 20
Leonard Cohen, musician and Zen practitioner, dies at 82
SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: ENGAGED PATIENCE ( PLUS SPECIAL ZAZENKAI with BRAD WARNER)
SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Engaged Ethics (& Zenathon for Treeleaf's 10th Anniversary)
Jogye Order to increase their age limit for monastic ordination
Myoan Grace Schireson Interview
Completed on July 06, 2009 Grace Myoan Schireson is a Soto Zen priest with dual-training in the Rinzai tradition. A Dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi and once a student of now retired Rinzai master Keido Fukushima, Myoan Grace ...Read More »
Ven. Jongmae Kenneth Park Interview
Gustav Ericsson Interview
Zen master Bon Yeon (Jane Dobisz) Interview
Thom Pastor, JDPSN interviewed by Kristen Peterson of the Las Vegas Sun
Laren Hogen Bays Interview
Roger Shikan Hawkins Interview
Adam Tebbe, founder of Sweeping Zen, interviewed by Tricycle
Ann Myosho Kyle Brown Interview
With palms together, Good Morning All, "I am of the nature to grow old"…so says one of the five remembrances, and more often than not, my own body as I wake in the morning. Stiff, tense, unyielding to free movement, I hobble. Sometimes needing ...Read More »
SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Sit Down and Speak Up
Zen Women and the Pussy Kōan
Sit-a-Long with Jundo: My Uplifting, Inspiring, Hopeful, Optimistic New Years Message
SIT-A-LONG with Taigu; Unmasking
After Jundo s eloquent post and video [Even Buddhas Get The Blues], my humble take on the subject. Much like the beautiful dancing Dorothy on the yellow brick road, OUR JOB IS TO UNMASK THE WIZARD, in other words to dispel the illusion of the ego ...Read More »
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WEBSITE: http://zeninamerica.com/ Hi friends! I've been having a blast doing this documentary so far, finding myself wanting to see it someday as much as anyone else. As you can see from the trailer, it's not just teachers I'm talking with — I want this film ...Read More »
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JESD204B vs. Serial LVDS I/F for wideband data converter apps
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JESD204B Introduction
The JESD204A industry standard for serial interfaces was developed to address the problem of interconnecting the newest wideband data converters with other system ICs in an efficient and cost saving manner. The motivation was to standardize an interface that would reduce the number of digital inputs/outputs between data converters and other devices such as FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays) and SoC (system-on-chip) devices through the use of a scaleable high-speed serial interface.
Trends show that new applications, as well as advances in existing ones, are driving the need for wideband data converters with increasingly higher sampling frequencies and data resolutions. Transmitting data to and from these wideband converters poses a significant design problem as bandwidth limitations of existing I/O technologies force the need for higher pin counts on converter products. Consequently, systems PCB designs have become increasingly more complex in terms of interconnect density. The challenge is routing a large number of high-speed digital signals while managing electrical noise. The ability to offer wideband data converters with Gsps sampling frequencies, using fewer interconnects, simplifies the PCB layout challenges and allows for smaller form factor realization without impacting overall system performance.
Market forces continue to press for more features, functionality, and performance in a given system, driving the need for higher data-handling capacity. The high-speed A/D converter and D/A converter-to-FPGA interface had become a limiting factor in the ability of some system OEMs to meet their next-generation data-intensive demands. The JESD204B serial interface specification was specifically created to help solve this problem by addressing this critical data link. Figure 1 shows typical high-speed converter to FPGA interconnect configurations using JESD204A/B.
Figure 1. Typical high-speed converter to FPGA interconnect
configurations using JESD204A/B interfacing (Source: Xilinx).
Some key end-system applications that are driving the deployment of this specification, as well as a contrast between serial LVDS and JESD204B, are the subject of the remainder of the article.
The applications driving the need for JESD204B
Wireless infrastructure transceivers
OFDM-based technologies such as LTE used in today's wireless infrastructure transceivers use DSP blocks implemented on FPGAs or system-on-chip devices driving antenna array elements to generate beams for each individual subscriber's handset. Each array element can require movement of hundreds of megabytes of data per second between FPGAs and data converters in both transmit or receive modes.
Software defined radios
Today's software defined radios utilize advanced modulation schemes that can be reconfigured on-the-fly, and rapidly increasing channel bandwidths, to deliver unprecedented wireless data rates. Efficient, low power, low pin count FPGA to data converter interfaces in the antenna path play a critical role in their performance. Software defined radio architectures are integral to the transceiver infrastructure for multicarrier, multimode wireless networks supporting GSM, EDGE, W-CDMA, LTE, CDMA2000, WiMAX, and TD-SCDMA.
Medical imaging systems
Medical imaging systems including ultrasound, computational tomography (CT) scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and others generate many channels of data that flow through a data converter to FPGAs or DSPs. Continually increasing I/O counts are driving up the number of components by requiring the use of interposers to match FPGA and converter pin out and increasing PCB complexity. This adds additional cost and complexity to the customer's system that can be solved by the more efficient JESD204B interface.
Radar and secure communications
Increasingly sophisticated pulse structures on today's advanced radar receivers are pushing signal bandwidths toward 1 GHz and higher. Latest generation active electronically scaled array (AESA) radar systems may have thousands of elements. High bandwidth SERDES-based serial interfaces are needed to connect the array element data converters to the FPGAs or DSPs that process incoming and generate outgoing data streams.
Serial LVDS vs. JESD204B
Choosing between Series LVDS and JESD204B Interface
In order to best select between converter products that use either LVDS or the various versions of the JESD204 serial interface specification, a comparison of the features and capabilities of each interface is useful. A short tabular comparison is provided in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Comparison between the serial LVDS
and JESD204 specifications
At the SERDES level, a notable difference between LVDS and JESD204 is the lane data rate, with JESD204 supporting greater than three times the serial link speed per lane when compared with LVDS. When comparing the high-level features like multi-device synchronization, deterministic latency and harmonic clocking, JESD204B is the only interface that provides this functionality. Systems requiring wide bandwidth multichannel converters that are sensitive to deterministic latency across all lanes and channels won't be able to effectively use LVDS or parallel CMOS.


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It doesn't take much to please me. Give me a big, steaming bowl of charra beans, borracho beans or even plain, porky pinto beans and I will be delighted.
When I was little, I figured that we ate beans all the time because we were poor. But when our economic situation turned for the better we continued to eat beans. Why? Because we just enjoyed eating them so much.
I wasn't alone in loving these beans; I had a friend who claimed them as her favorite food as well and she was known for being a picky eater, especially when it came to eating at our house. See, my mom was a health-food nut who had a reputation of being quite liberal with the wheat germ. And (it seemed) that not a dish was prepared without the addition of the cardboard-flavored sawdust stuff. (I have to admit, however, I actually enjoy wheat germ now that I'm more sophisticated, but that will just be our secret.)
I hated it—but since she was my mom, unless I wanted to starve I had to eat everything she gave me. My particular friend, however, had the luxury of not eating one of mom's wheat-germ concoctions. Without fail, she refused to touch just about everything my mom offered.
Except for mom's pinto beans.
We couldn't' figure out why that was the only thing my friend would eat until she revealed her reason: it was just about the only thing my mom made that was wheat-germ free!
Beans are still one of my favorite meals. I make them a bit different from my mom but I don't know if my method, which entails more work, is superior to hers or not.
Being a fan of a the addition of meat for flavor, I always cook my beans with a slab of salt pork. I also add a puree of cooked bacon, tomatoes and cilantro at the end, and a bottle of beer if I'm feeling particularly decadent. But to be honest, a simple pot of pintos made in her method is equally delicious; especially with a thick wedge of cornbread that will not only soak up the juice but will also pair with the beans to make a complete protein.
I enjoy making a pot on Sunday afternoons, which makes for a satisfying Sunday supper. Leftovers are also welcome for easy lunches or quick mid-week dinners, especially since these beans are even better the next day.
But the best thing about eating beans is the joy they bring with both little effort and little price. And they fill up both my belly and my heart, with good, warm feelings of health, love and home. They are my comfort food.
Pinto beans three ways
Big pot of porky pinto beans
1 pound of pinto beans (2 cups)
1/4 tablespoons of minced garlic (3 large cloves)
1 cup diced onion (1/2 of a medium-sized onion)
1/4 cup of jalapeno juice (from canned jalapenos)
1/4 pound of salt pork (I find this near the bacon at my grocery store)
Salt to taste
1. Rinse and sort your beans
2. First soak the beans. You can either cover the beans with one inch of water and soak overnight or bring water to a boil, remove from heat and cover for one hour.
3. Drain the beans and cover with seven cups of fresh water.
4. Add to the pot the garlic, onion, jalapeno juice and salt pork.
5. Bring pot to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer, stir occasionally.
6. After about an hour, beans should be tender enough to eat (depending on the freshness of the beans). If not tender enough, continue cooking, checking on the beans every 15 minutes until desired texture.
7. Remove salt pork and serve.
Frijoles a la charra
6 cups of cooked pinto beans still in its juice. (see above)
4 slices of bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes or one 14 oz. canned, diced tomatoes with sauce
3 jalapenos, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.
2. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, chipotles and cilantro to the skillet, and cook on medium for 10 minutes.
3. Let tomato-bacon mixture cool, add one cup of bean juice (or water) and then puree.
4. Stir puree into beans and let simmer together for 20 minutes.
5. Alternatively, if you prefer a chunkier texture, you could skip the puree step and add the tomato-bacon mixture straight to the bean pot.
Borracho beans
1 big pot (6 cups) of frijoles a la charra (see above)
1 12 oz. bottle of dark beer, such as Modelo Negro.
Add bottle of beer to pot, stir and cook for ten minutes.


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REPORT: Honours even at New Road19-May-2012
Sussex drew their LV=County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road today after rain played it's part in the final outcome.
Losing 44 overs yesterday and not playing until 1.10pm today meant that Sussex's time to dangle Worcestershire a carrot and bowl for victory had significantly decreased.
Resuming on 143 for no wicket overnight, Ed Joyce reached his second century in a week to follow on from his ton against the Unicorns in the Clydesdale Bank 40 on Sunday as he made an unbeaten 108 but Chris Nash, on his birthday and also his 100th first-class appearance, missed out as he was trapped lbw by Moeen Ali for 98.
An incredibly swift 36 from only 11 balls from Joe Gatting, which included four sixes, propelled Sussex to 258 for 4 when they declared, setting Worcestershire a target of 315 in the 60 overs remaining in the day.
Sussex were made to wait nearly ten overs for their first wicket as Daryl Mitchell was lbw to Naveed Arif Gondal whilst defiance from Michael Klinger (67) and Vikram Solanki (44) were to ensure that Sussex had to settle for a draw, as Worcestershire reached 174 for 4 from 47.2 overs when play was called for the day.
Another 9 points for Sussex and they're back in action tomorrow in the CB40 once again, this time away to Northamptonshire at Wantage Road (1.45pm start).


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CT20: An early blog from the Caribbean!08-Mar-2012
Sussex might not kick off their Caribbean T20 campaign until tomorrow evening in Antigua but your very own Chief Executive Dave Brooks has already made everyone back home jealous of the weather.
09th January 2012
Well, we have made it and the players have had their first practise, standard fare so far!
Got to and through Gatwick with no fuss but then on our way to Antigua the flight was due to touch down, drop us and others off, and re-fuel ready for the flight home before emptying in St Kitts.
First change of plan!
Not sure what is going on, but there are major fuel issues in the Caribbean and Antigua had run out so let's fly straight over and head to St Kitts first - they have fuel there! So we did with a rather odd and random slaloming down the runway on landing . . . which the pilot enjoyed so much, he repeated on the way down in Antigua - and upped the ante with an emergency stop. No applause for either landing . . .
The flight has caused a minor outbreak of iPad Monopoly. After Messrs Robinson, Hopkinson and Liddle bickered all the way across the Atlantic, more of the boys have downloaded, and Will Beer is delighted to have beaten his computer twice! But Robbo is still fuming over the injustice of a missed go.
Most of the boys are best mates with the hotel electrician after a bout of dodgy air conditioning machines. Trying to fix the one in the Liddle/Gatting room caused total blackness after a loud bang - followed by a surprised sparky emerging through the gloom to announce "I need parts".
All the players are fit and available for selection, with the highlight being Yards doing a "reverse-Dhoni" to pop the gloves on and neatly stump Will Adkin off a snorting, biting, spitting Robbo off-break! Mind you, against the quicks it was more like Sammy the Seal in a blindfold . . .
Which leaves an afternoon at leisure, visualising men in orange charging at us in two days, though for now this is the view!


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GloFo, Samsung in race to 14nm
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. Globalfoundries and Samsung are in a dead heat to get their first 14 nm production wafers out before the end of the year, aiming to beat rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. by as much as a year. Meanwhile, an IBM building in New York sits empty, waiting for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine to light the way to the industrys longer-term future.
That was the picture from the annual event here of the trios Common Platform alliance.
The companies said they now expect EUV will not be ready until the 7-nm node. It remains their primary bet on the future of chip making, but it will require advances in physics on several fronts to succeed, said a top IBM technologist.
Were in the most complex business in the history of human kind, said Mike Noonen, vice president and marketing at sales at Globalfoundries.
Mike Cadigan, head of IBMs semiconductor group, told New York state officials he needed before the end of 2012 a new building to house the latest EUV prototype tool. Now the building is complete, but the tool may not arrive until April or later.
The industry voted [with investments in 2012] that we need to make this work, but there continues to be a lot of unknowns, Cadigan told press. You can continue to view EUV as next to impossible, but the industry needs it, he said.
Developers improved the strength of EUVs laser light tenfold to 30W, but they still need to improve it another tenfold to 250W before it is ready, said Gary Patton, a chief technologist in IBMs chip group.
In addition, engineers need to eliminate problems in resists, mask defects and inspection processes. Patton compared that to searching for golf balls in an area as large as one tenth of the state of California.
Click on image to enlarge.
You actually drop molten tin at 150 mph, zap it with a laser, blast it with a CO2 laser to generate plasma, eliminate the debris from that, collect the light, purify and then bounce it back and forth off six mirrors, he said. These are real physics problems we have to solve, he added.
Patton described several advances in double patterning that aim to at least reduce the need for triple or quad patterning with todays immersion lithography at 14 and 10 nm nodes. Those tools could also be used at the 7-nm node if needed, he said.
Cadigan and Noonen suggested the fully depleted silicon-on-insulator technology promoted by STMicroelectronics could form another alternative. Globalfoundries aims to have volume production of FD-SOI before June 2014, Noonen said.
EUV also gates the move to 450 mm wafers, now expected about 2020, said IBMs Cadigan. With immersion you are challenged on the return on investment in 450 mm, he said.


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Enter Our Photo Contest »
It's time to show off your garden filled with American Meadows products!
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Wildflower gardening in the Northeast continues to gain in popularity and an understanding of the basic botanical environment is important. The Northeast is part of what botanists call the Great Northern Forest, and was solidly wooded when European colonists arrived. So it follows that most native wildflowers were shade-loving woodland perennials that enjoy somewhat acid (woodsy) soils, like the trilliums and violets.
But when heavy settlement began, our ancestors cleared forests to create farmland. And in those spaces, they planted crops. In with the crop seed they brought with them, were the seeds of European "weeds", so these sun-loving flower seeds immediately grew and made themselves at home. This is why Northeastern wildflowers today are a mixture of natives and "naturalized" flowers from other places. For example, goldenrod and black-eyed susan are native; the common daisy and chicory are from Europe. So what we see in a beautiful blaze of color along roadsides today is a mixture of the two.
With a short growing season and cold winters, the Northeastern landscape today retains its original forested history, so annual mowing of your wildflower meadow in fall is all-important. Any unmowed meadow in the region will revert to forest in about seven years. This is dramatically different from the wildflower habitats in the Great Plains and on the southern California coast which are natural grasslands and have never had solid stands of trees.
"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, We pledge that we do not knowingly buy, sell or trade genetically engineered seeds or plants.
The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities."Learn more about CRG and Safe Seed
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