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Meanwhile, her $23 million lottery ticket languished forgotten in the glove compartment of her car.
On Thursday, someone texted her a photo of her daughter, Charliena Marquez, buying the winning ticket for her at a Palmdale Liquor store. The photo had been released by lottery officials searching for the mysterious winner of the May drawing.
"I put my 99-cent glasses on, and I had to put two pairs on to see it," said Cervera, 69, of Victorville. She recognized her daughter in the grainy photo, but she still couldn't read the caption.
"I thought she robbed a bank because I couldn't see the words on top," Cervera said with a laugh. "So I put on a third pair (of glasses) and it said she won. I was like, 'No way!'"
Back in May, mother and daughter were driving home together when Marquez felt queasy and asked her mother to pull over so she could buy a bottle of water.
"She always gets carsick," Cervera said.
Cervera asked her daughter to buy her a lottery ticket and dug in her purse trying to find a dollar. Marquez protested but eventually used her own money to purchase a Super Lotto Plus ticket for her mom.
"I put it in my new car. It's an old car but it's new to me. It's been there for five months," Cervera said Friday at a news conference with her three adult children and half a dozen grandchildren lined up behind her. "I've got like 200 tickets laying around my house. I never check my tickets."
But when she finally looked in the glove compartment, the winning ticket was right where she left it. It was set to expire Nov. 26, so the California Lottery went looking for the winner.
Officials found the surveillance video from Michael's Market and Liquor and released the photo, which Cervera's other daughter spotted in the Antelope Valley Press.
Marquez initially dismissed calls and texts from friends and family who recognized her in the photo.
"My sister called at 11 o'clock at night and woke me up. She said, 'This girl is you.' I said, 'No, it's not me,' because I hadn't seen it yet," she said.
It wasn't until the next morning that Marquez realized she had bought the winning ticket that would help her mother and her entire family for years to come.
Cervera, a widow who has lived on disability for 20 years, said her family has been through difficult times recently. Last year her 47-year-old son Rudy was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving four teenage children.
"I'd give it all up to have my son here again," she said and began to cry. Her oldest grandson, Rudy Jr., hugged her and the whole family wiped away tears.
"My grandkids are all going to be taken care of, and my (three) daughters," she said. "I'm just so happy. I'm going to buy me a pair of Reeboks."
She also has two adopted sons, ages 5 and 9, who have developmental disabilities.
"A big portion is going to them, so that when I'm gone they'll be OK," she said. "I'm going to take them to Disneyland. I really am! And we're going to pay for everything."
Cervera had only 180 days to claim her prize. If she hadn't acted, the millions would have gone to California schools. A $52 million jackpot winner in Fremont was found in August by a similar public appeal by lottery officials.
In the last fiscal year, more than $20.5 million in cash prizes went unclaimed.
Cervera said she would take a one-time cash payment of $17.8 million.
"I'm not going to be here 30 years from now," she said.


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Ken | Freeform radio for the chronically impatient. Avant-garde pop, poppy avant-garde, teutonic thump thump, loud guitars and guttural screaming. Playlists and photos posted in real time on the web so you can play along or comment at home or work.
Playlist for 18 July 2012
| Sweet, Talky Soul
Hear the show in: Pop-up player! | Add or read comments
<-- previous playlist | ken's other playlists | next playlist --> RSS feeds for Ken's show: Playlists feed | MP3 archives feed E-mail Ken | All artists played by ken | WFMU home page | WFMU playlists | hear WFMU live on the Web | top of pageGenerated by KenzoDB, written by Ken Garson |

subset: commoncrawl


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About Cutting
For most, cutting is an attempt to interrupt strong emotions and pressures that seem impossible to tolerate. It can be related to broader emotional issues that need attention. Most of the time, CUTTING IS NOT A SUICIDE ATTEMPT.
Communication is Key
Talk To Your Child
It can be hard to talk about such a painful topic. You may not know what you're going to say. That's OK. What you say won't be nearly as important as how you say it. To open the conversation, you might simply say that you know about the cutting, and then convey your concern, love, and your willingness to help your child stop.
It will probably be hard for your teen to talk about it, too. He or she might feel embarrassed or ashamed, or worried about how you'll react or what the consequences might be. You can help ease these worries by asking questions and listening to what your teen has to say without reacting with punishment, scolding, or lectures.
Let your teen know that cutting is often related to painful experiences or intense pressures, and ask what difficult issues your teen may be facing. Your teen might not be ready to talk about it or even know why he or she cuts. Even if that's the case, explain that you want to understand and find ways to help.
Don't Be Surprised if Your Teen Resists Your Efforts to Talk About Cutting
He or she might deny cutting, get angry or upset, cry, yell, or storm off. A teen might clam up or say that you just don't understand. If something like this happens, try to stay calm and patient. Don't give up — find another time to communicate and try again.
Seek Professional Help
It's important to seek assistance from a qualified mental health professional who can help you understand why your teen cuts, and also help your teen heal old hurts and develop new coping skills.
Therapy can allow teens to tell their stories, put their difficult experiences into words, and learn skills to deal with stresses that are part of life. Therapy also can help identify any underlying mental health condition that needs evaluation and treatment. For many teens, cutting is a clue to depression or bipolar (mood) problems, unresolved grief, compulsive behaviors, or struggles with perfectionism.
It's important to find a therapist your teen can feel open and comfortable with. If you need help finding someone, your doctor or a school counselor might be able to provide guidance.
Staying Positive
Offer Encouragement & Support
While your teen is getting professional help, stay involved in the process as much as possible. Ask the therapist to guide you in how to talk with and support your teen. And ask your teen how you can best help.
For example, it may help to:
- Let your teen know you'll be there to talk to when feelings are painful or troubles seem too hard to bear
- Help your teen create a plan for what to do instead of cutting when pressures get strong
- Encourage your teen to talk about everyday experiences and put feelings, needs, disappointments, successes, and opinions into words
- Be there to listen, comfort, and help your teen think of solutions to problems and offer support when troubles arise
- Spend time together doing something fun, relaxing, or just hanging out. You might take a walk, go for a drive, share a snack, or run some errands
- Focus on positives. While it helps to talk about troubles, avoid dwelling on them. Make sure what's good about life gets airtime, too
Set A Good Example
Be aware that you can influence how your child responds to stress and pressure by setting a good example. Notice how you manage your own emotions and deal with everyday frustrations, stress, and pressure. Notice whether you tend to put others down, or are self-critical or quick to anger. Consider making changes in any patterns you wouldn't want your teen to imitate.
Be Patient & Be Hopeful
Finding out that your teen is cutting may be the beginning of a long process. It can take time to stop cutting — and sometimes a teen doesn't want to stop or isn't ready to make the changes it involves.
To stop cutting takes motivation and determination. It also takes self-awareness and practicing new skills to manage pressures and emotional distress. These things can take time and often require professional help.
As a parent, you might need to be patient. With the proper guidance, love, and support, know that your teen can stop cutting and learn healthy ways to cope.
What Else Parents Can Do
If your teen is cutting, there ways to help. By coping with your own feelings, learning about cutting, finding professional help, and just being there to love and believe in your teen, you'll provide the calm, steady support that he or she needs.
Accept Your Own Emotions
If you know or suspect that your teen is cutting, it's natural to feel a whole range of emotions. You might feel shocked, angry, sad, disappointed, confused, or scared. You might feel hurt that your teen didn't come to you for help or feel guilty that you didn't know about it. All of these emotions are completely understandable. But it's not your fault, and it's not your teen's fault.
Take time to identify your own feelings and find a way to express them. This might mean having a good cry, talking with a friend, or going for a walk to let off steam or quietly reflect. If you feel overwhelmed, talking with a therapist can help you sort things through and gain some perspective so that you can provide the support your teen needs.
Learn All You Can About Cutting
Find out all you can about cutting, why teens do it, and what can help them stop. Some teens cut because of peer pressure — and once they start, they can't easily stop. Other teens feel pressure to be perfect and struggle to accept failures or mistakes. And still others contend with powerful moods like anger, sadness, worthlessness, and despair that feel hard to control or too heavy to bear. Cutting is sometimes the result of trauma and painful experiences that no one knows about.
It can hurt to think that your child might experience any of these feelings. As difficult as it is, try to keep in mind that exploring what pressures prompt your teen to self-injure is a necessary step toward healing.
Learn more about Self-Harm
Reviewed by D'Arcy Lyness, PhD
Source: KidsHealth


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Funky DIY Tea Light Holders
Just to be clear, these funky candle crafts won't necessarily help you to save money. If you are looking to save money by making your own candles, you'll need to invest in some bulk candle-making supplies, including bulk wax, wicks, and firesafe jars or tins. These projects utilize prefabricated candles (tealights), which can be bought in bulk. Never buy tealights at a premium candle retailer. They are available much cheaper, in big bags, at supermarkets and craft stores. I have even seen bulk bags of tea lights at my local hardware store.
Where and how to display tealights is a fun topic to divert your mind to. Perhaps you are planning a dinner party; or perhaps you want to crank up the romantic vibes for an evening. Tealights are noncommittal candles. They are flat, easy to store, and don't burn for too long. Even if you are not a candle person, keeping some tealights around for an emergency dinner (or whatever) is a good idea. It will make you look more stylish than you really are. Trust me. I have used this trick myself many times.
These three DIY tealight holders are easy to make, and only require pantry supplies (you might have the supplies you need right in your own pantry).
Mason jar tealights: Mason jars with simple spray glass frosting are perfectly rustic-chic tealight holders. If you don't want to deal with frosting the glass, then there are plenty of ways to use plain Mason jars as tealight holders. You can fill the jars with sand or pebbles for a beachy look; you can paint the jars; you can use them plain because you are so minimalist. There is no wrong way to put a tealight in a Mason jar. The small jars are especially cute.
Fruit or vegetable holder for tealight: A hollowed out fruit or vegetable makes a fun, easy, and compostable tealight holder. The project that I linked to is a mini-pumpkin tealight holder, but that's just one idea. You also can make a tealight holder out of any vegetable or fruit that can be cut so that the bottom is flat. Artichokes make especially elegant tealight holders. Orange or lemon halves emit a fresh smell when you burn a tealight in them.
Vintage tart pan tealight: Blogger Sania Pell melted three tealights into a vintage tart pan to create a tart pan tealight. She pushed three tea lights out of their metal rings, and she placed them in a vintage tart pan. Over very low heat, she melted the tea lights in the tart pan a little bit, then pushed the wax flat into one soild candle. She then let the wax harden. It is a clever project that uses only things that she had in her pantry.
Chaya Kurtz writes about everything from Minneapolis HVAC contractors to roofers for Networx.com.
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Hibernation Season
What's included?
This is a digital file that includes 1 ZIP Folder containing the following:
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I love supporting small businesses! Because of this, all files come with a Commercial License for Small Business Use.What does this mean?
You are allowed to use the files as they are or modify them to create physical products for personal use or for commercial use sale.
You can not make these images available for digital download, resell or redistribute them as is or modified, in digital form. You can not upload files or elements from them on exclusively "print-on-demand" marketplaces.
You can use a print on demand partner for your own personal online storefront, such as your Etsy or Shopify shop.
DISCLAIMER: Commercial Use License is for products purchased and ACTIVE members. When a member cancels, they will need to purchase the product in order to obtain the Commerical Use License.


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Toulouse vs Rennes Full Match Replay
You can watch Toulouse vs Rennes Full Match when available on the official social media channels of the league or the teams.
We aggregate all official videos from official websites and Youtube channels of Toulouse and Rennes as well as the channels of the leagues that they compete in. So, whenever there is an official live broadcast of Toulouse - Rennes match available that isn't behind a paywall - you will be able to watch it on FootyFullMatch.com.
We are adding goal videos and full match video highlights of the match between Toulouse and Rennes in real time. You can watch the goals are added usually minutes after the actual event if there are any videos available. Full match Toulouse - Rennes include video highlights and goal are being added as they become available.


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No Visit Or Walk-in Strictly
METHODS OF ORDERING All items in Babyjaya's site can be ordered :-
ORDER CONFIRMATION All successful online orders will receive a system-generated "Order Acknowledgement" e-mail.
All off-line orders, placed either by e-mail or phone, will also be acknowledged by e-mail or phone. All discrepancy in the order must be notified within 24 hours.
All orders will normally be processed within 2 business days.
All orders are subjected to stock availability. If some or all of the items ordered are not in stock, your advice for partial delivery or adjustment of order will be sought within 3 business days.
ORDER ACCEPTANCE The receipt of an e-mail order acknowledgement or confirmation does not constitute the acceptance of an order or a confirmation of an offer to sell.
Babyjaya reserves the right, without prior notification, to limit the order quantity on any item and/or refuse service to any customer. Verification of information may be required prior to the acceptance of any order.
ORDER TRACKING Order status may be tracked online or off-line (by e-mail or call us with the Order Number).
ORDER ALTERATION OR CANCELLATION Order may be altered or cancelled within 24 hours and/or before the order is processed and sent out. Alteration and/or cancellation may be done by e-mail or call us with the Order Number.
If order is cancelled due to the unavailability of goods or our inability to deliver the goods within the agreed time frame, full amount paid will be refunded.
Babyjaya reserves the right to impose a cancellation charge of 20% to 50% of the order if the alteration or cancellation is notified after 24 hours of ordering.
ORDER EXCHANGE OR RETURN All our products, once sold, are non-returnable and non-refundable.
Return and exchange will only be allowed for items with manufacturer's defects.
All returns must notify us within 3 days of receipt of your order and be sent back to us within 7 days of receipt of your order. All returns must be accompanied by the original sales receipts, in the original packaging with all the merchandise tags attached and in the re-sellable condition.
Returns may subject to re-stocking fee of 20%. No refund will be issued without a Return Acknowledgement Notice. Delivery or shipping charges are not refundable.
Babyjaya reserves the right to refuse a return or exchange of any item that does not meet the above requirements.


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Who doesn't love a personalized rubber duck in their bathroom? Custom rubber ducks are one of the most classic and traditional promotional toys you can find because they are recognizable and are fun bathroom toys. Our logo imprinted rubber ducks will be a huge hit with all recipients. Not only do kids love playing with custom rubber ducks, but many adults collect rubber duckies, providing tons of brand exposure. Clients and customers will find your customized rubber ducks adorable and irresistible. For a marketing campaign that will make a lasting impression, promotional rubber duckies are ideal for you.
Our custom printed promotional rubber ducks can easily be imprinted with your company name and logo. These are a fun and unique promotional product to give away at events and trade shows. You will have both adults and kids running over to your business to grab a cute rubber duckie all for themselves!


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How would it feel if you were in a job interview and the prospective employer asked for your username and password to see your Facebook profile? Robert Collins says he felt "violated."
"I felt disrespected. I felt that my privacy was invaded," he tells All Things Considered host Robert Siegel, "but not only my privacy, the privacy of my friends and that of my family that didn't ask for that."
Collins was applying for a job with the Maryland Department of Corrections. He let his interviewer log in and search his profile with the screen facing away from him. The justification? The department says it's concerned about gang affiliation and gang infiltration in its facilities.
"I can appreciate their need to create a secure facility, but not at the cost of invading privacy," Collins says.
The Legislative Battle
He got the job but has since left to attend nursing school. He also took his complaint to the American Civil Liberties Union. The state suspended the practice and then changed its policy after the original complaint. Now, providing the username and password is not mandatory, but "we don't really feel that that's an adequate solution," says Melissa Goemann, the ACLU's legislative director in Maryland.
Collins and the Maryland ACLU are working with state legislators on a bill that would prevent employers from even requesting such information. The bill passed the state Senate and is currently being considered by a House committee.
Goemann says the current policy violates First Amendment rights as well as Facebook's own privacy policy, which states:
"You will not share your password ... let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account."
Goemann calls the current policy "coercive," even though employers ask permission. Collins agrees.
"In today's jobs market, people can't afford to be jobless," he says. "People have to make that decision between their privacy and their family, and it's one that they should not be forced to make."
The Balancing Act
Why would employers even want to see this kind of information to begin with?
"At least conceptually, what employers are looking for is job-related information," says Steve Kane, a human resources expert with a background in labor law. "There are a whole lot of things one could argue could shine a light [on workplace performance]."
But that doesn't mean Kane thinks it's always worth it.
"What a lot of employers are doing ... I hate to use this word — are playing with fire," he says.
Employers are looking up information without getting permission. As the Associated Press reports:
"Companies that don't ask for passwords have taken other steps — such as asking applicants to friend human resource managers or to log in to a company computer during an interview."
Accessing someone's Facebook profile could also reveal information that labor laws forbid employers to ask about, such as marital status, sexual orientation or political affiliation.
"We would like to believe that, you know, people are bias-free," Collins says. "But, you know, if we're honest with ourselves, we would admit that people do hold some personal bias."
Kane, the labor law expert, says employers should at least get the job applicant's written permission to access a social media account. And the employer should provide a justification for why that access is necessary.
Employers have to balance their need to know with the prospective employees' privacy, he says.
For some employers, the risks may be worth doing some extra digging. There has always been a downside to hiring the wrong person. Plus, almost all legal complaints filed are related to firing, not hiring, Kane says.
"Those cases are very, very infrequent," he says. "As a result, all employers have to do this balancing test."
Exceptions To Hypothetical Rules
Kane also notes that the rules are different for private jobs than for public ones, like the job Collins took with the Department of Corrections. The ACLU can argue that the government is violating employees' First Amendment rights; the argument is harder to make with a private company.
Any legislation on the topic should provide exceptions, Kane says, for protective service positions. In those cases, he argues, it may be necessary to know more personal information. However, Kane says he "can't think of that many jobs where you would need to know things that are not really job-related."
For now, he says, employers continue to wade through "unexplored territory."
"The law hasn't caught up with the technology here," Kane says.
As with other new technology through the years, he says, it will take time and new standards to answer the question of the employer's need to know versus the employee's privacy rights.
"What is considered private is always going to change," Kane says.
For Goemann of the ACLU, this fight has only just begun. Legislation similar to Maryland's is already being pursued in Illinois.
"I think as this story comes to light ... we're kind of just hitting the tip of the iceberg in terms of what's happening with employment," she says.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
Q&A for work
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.
Software / website / game developer, music enthusiast and gaming aficionado.
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Will Don Draper's door ever open for blacks? |
Thus, when this blogger asserts that Don Draper, the lead character well-played by John Hamm, is racist, some have a hard time dealing with that observation. Others might point to Mad Men creator Matt Weiner's claim that his work is one of "science fiction," except that Weiner admits the atmosphere of Draper's office is overtly sexist and racist.
Thus, Don Draper himself is racist.
Take Mad Men: The Suitcase. In fact, you should because it's great television. The overall storyline is really about two people, Don Draper and Peggy Olson, who's work lives are a cover for their damaged selves. Draper has only his work. Peggy wants to get more recognition from her work. But Draper's also a boxing fan, and here's where his watered-down racism reveals itself.
Draper issues the standard predominantly white fears of the man we call Muhammed Ali, who was then called Cassius Clay. Draper complained that Ali always boasted. Draper wanted Liston to win because, essentially without saying it, Liston was the "good Negro," the person that wasn't threatening to Draper's World view, which has blacks in a certain place.
Draper has not faced a black character who was his 1960s equal: someone who was smart enough to establish their own firm to help companies market to blacks. There's nothing in Draper's makeup, and the Liston remarks confirm this, that indicates he could work with someone black who was his equal.
In reality, anyone who was a white male ad exec in the mid-1960s New York city could not get their by being a 21st Century non-racist. The fact is the Civil Rights Amendment was passed in 1964. It forbade discrimination in the workplace, in public schools, and in voting registration. Now, just because a law is passed does not mean businesses are automatically going to follow it immediately.
Unless Don Draper was out marching for civil rights, and hired black interns or had a black girlfriend, it's fantasy to think Draper wasn't racist. Indeed, it would be inaccurate to the period to present him as not having racist views, yet achieving that level of success.
Remember, Draper's firm has yet to hire an African American at any level above servant, and if they do, you can bet on this: that person's hire will be controversial and what that person has to do to remain at the firm - what they have to deal with on a daily basis - has to be a part of that story line if Mad Men is to be believable.
If such a hire happens it would have to be approved by Draper. If Draper does so, it would have to be only after he overcame a set of racial personal demons himself. It would not - or should not - happen in one episode. In short Don Draper would have to overcome his own racism.
Remember, it's the times. They were racist to an extreme by today's standards. The biggest problem is that many of fans of Mad Men weren't born at that time; this blogger was.
Which drives me to write this blog post. The simple fact is that even with that racism, the 1960s were a time of pioneering achievements by blacks in the ad World. As was pointed out in Racialicious:
It's unlikely Mad Men will acknowledge executives for Pepsi-Cola—led by men including Edward F. Boyd—pioneered marketing to Black consumers in the 1940s and 1950s. Or the late Vince Cullers of Chicago launched the first Black advertising agency in 1956, while Luis Díaz Albertini founded Spanish Advertising and Marketing Services, the first Latino shop, in 1962. Hell, even Alex Trebek won't recognize such trivia.
The other biggest problem is that television "critics" - either because of their own blindness to racism and institutional racism or because they want to pretend racism doesn't exist by not mentioning it - have written that Mad Men got the 1960s right. TV Critic Tom Shales committed this display of ignorance when he wrote "Details of the period, however, are nicely captured" when Mad Men was introduced in 2007.
He means details like the furniture; Shales left out the dirty issue of people and society in Mad Men. The simple fact, is that save for Draper quizzing a black waiter on cigarettes, which says more about Don's desire to get information from any source than how he feels about African Americans, Mad Men has not addressed the issue of American racism toward blacks. That was the defining issue of the 1960s.
Toward A Better Mad Men
At first, I must admit, I didn't pay attention to Mad Men because I thought it was going to be a fake-period-piece that didn't hire non-white actors for anything more than five lines at best. Now, I see it as a potentially useful show that can demonstrate not just the similarities but the differences between race in the 1960s and today.
The burden of proof that Don Draper's not racist is on those who would have to rewrite the history that was the 1960s. Those fans have to accept what President Lincoln said are "the hard facts that created America," and those that continue to shape it.


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It seems I have made it my personal mission to create cohesive marriages between foods that are separate entities, but are commonly eaten together.
Coffee, do you take Donuts to be your lawfully wedded wife(s)? Of course you do. You were made for each other!
The idea for this cake first came to me when I found this recipe, originally from Gourmet magazine. I figure 1389 reviewers can't be wrong. If a whopping 91% would make it again, then I should at least try it once. I'm happy to report I'll be adding my 4-fork review very soon! The cake batter gets a good dose of brewed coffee, so I began searching for a complimentary coffee buttercream icing. Amongst the searching I found a new baked donut recipe I was eager to try. I decided to combine everything together in one big over-the-top cake – and what better pairing than coffee and donuts (…and chocolate cake and buttercream icing)?
The recipe specifies 2- 10″ round pans, but I substituted 3- 9″ pans. The layers were still plenty big enough, and I love the added height.
The Swiss buttercream icing is so silky and beautiful. If you've never made Swiss buttercream, I highly recommend you give it a try. Unlike American butter(cream) icing, it doesn't crust or dry out, which makes it a perfect adhesive for the donuts.
You'll need a mini donut pan for this recipe, available here. The donut glaze takes a little while to set, so donuts should be made and glazed ahead of time. They'll need plenty of time to dry before being applied to the cake. I was surprised at how easily the donuts adhered to the Swiss buttercream. If you are pressed for time and your donut glaze is a little tacky, skewers can be used to carefully apply the donuts to the cake.
The top of the cake gets an extra sprinkling of espresso powder, and the donuts are sprinkled with silver sugar crystals, both available at King Arthur Flour.
(Cute video after the recipe!)
Coffee and Donuts Cake [click for printable recipe]
12 servings
Cake Layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease pans with shortening. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between 2- 10" pans or 3- 9" pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, approx 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
Coffee Buttercream
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 large eggs
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
In a small heavy saucepan set over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook until it registers 240°F on a candy thermometer.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs until they are frothy. While mixer is running, add the sugar syrup in a thin stream, carefully tempering the syrup into the eggs without cooking them. Beat until it is cool. Change to the paddle attachment and add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the espresso mixture, and beat until it is light and fluffy.
Mini Cake Donuts (3 dozen)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat milk , egg and vanilla together. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat on low speed to combine. Stop mixer and pour melted butter over dough. Mix again until just incorporated. Transfer batter to a piping bag and pipe into the cavities of a donut baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Chocolate Glaze for Donuts
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
Nonpariels or sanding sugar
Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until very hot but not boiling. Place chocolate and corn syrup in a small bowl then pour hot cream over mixture and stir until smooth.
Quickly dip cooled donut tops into glaze and allow the excess to drizzle back into the bowl. Sprinkle with sugar or nonpareils. Allow glazed donuts to dry, about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Chocolate glaze will darken in color as it cools.
Espresso powder for sprinkling
Decorative large crystal sugar for sprinkling
Frost and stack cake layers. Press unglazed side of donut gently into the side of the cake. Repeat with entire batch of 3 dozen donuts. Sprinkle top of cake with espresso powder and decorative sugar. Extra donuts can be used to garnish the top of the cake.
Please note, I used the entire batch of 3 dozen donuts for decorating. You may want to resist snacking on a few donuts while you are making them, or else you may not have enough to complete the cake.


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TALLADEGA, Ala. — The pack is apparently here to stay and NASCAR drivers don't like it one bit.
That includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., who earned seven of his 19 career victories slicing and dicing his way through traffic in restrictor-plate races. NASCAR's most popular driver called pack racing "bloodthirsty" and unsafe after Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, which was marred by a last-lap 25-car accident.
"I don't even want to go to Daytona or Talladega next year, but I ain't got much choice," Earnhardt grumbled.
Tony Stewart, who so abhors blocking he has threatened on multiple occasions to wreck any driver who does it to him, threw the biggest block of them all Sunday while trying to hold on to a victory at Talladega. His defensive driving sent his car sailing up and over the field, triggering the accident that collected 10 of the 12 Chase championship contenders.
He immediately took responsibility for causing the wreck. But at least one rival believed the defending NASCAR champion wasn't entirely culpable for an accident everyone knew was going to happen.
"When you look at the bigger picture is that really what caused it?" asked Jeff Gordon. "Tony is a guy that takes blame for things and you've got to respect him for that, but I think there is a little more to it."
The bigger picture is the overall danger that's created by the current NASCAR rule package used in restrictor-plate racing. The plates are needed to throttle horsepower at Daytona and Talladega, NASCAR's two biggest and fastest tracks, but they keep the cars bunched together in huge packs where the slightest slip can wipe out most of the field.
Teams figured out over the last few years that hooking up in two-car tandems was more effective, but the new style of racing infuriated fans who screamed to NASCAR they wanted the white-knuckle pack racing to return. NASCAR listened and worked all winter on a rules package that would break up the tandems and bring back the pack.
The result? Four ridiculous races this season.
A jet-dryer explosion in the season-opening Daytona 500 overshadowed the fact that there were three multi-car accidents, including one that knocked out Jimmie Johnson on the second lap of the race and an eight-car wreck that sent the race into overtime. And, after an 11-car last-lap accident took out all the leaders in the Nationwide race, drivers warned of the danger going into the Daytona 500.
Drivers can either run out front all race and hope for the best or hang back and then go for it late — in packs.
"I feel like we walk a line in this sport between daredevils and chess players," Brad Keselowski said in February. "When we come to Daytona and a track like this, we're maybe more on the daredevil side of the line. And then we go other places where I'd say we're more on the chess-player side of the line. I think it's important to have tracks like this that maybe average it back out a little bit.
"Ideally, we'd like to just walk straight down the line all the time. But from a standpoint of the sport and the health of it, I think not a lot of people watch chess matches, and I've never seen one televised."
There was a nine-car accident with four laps to go at Talladega in May, and that was a day after Eric McClure was hospitalized following a late wreck in the Nationwide Series race. The race to the checkered flag at Daytona in July led to a 15-car accident on the final lap, and then came Sunday's demolition derby.
"There has been a last-lap wreck in like 90 percent of these things for the last four years with this car," said Earnhardt. "Somebody needs to change it."
The introduction of the 2013 car has given NASCAR an opportunity to address several racing concerns, but most of it seems centered on improving the product at intermediate tracks. There's been little to no public discussion about plate racing beyond the grumbling of drivers tired of wrecking.
Gordon understands the dilemma NASCAR is facing.
"From an entertainment standpoint, they should be lined up out to the highway," he said after finishing second Sunday. "If I'm a race fan, I want to see two and three wide racing all day long, passing back and forth. I want to see guys shoving one another. I want to see the 'big one' at the end of the race because guys are being so aggressive ... and sort of defying danger."
But they didn't show up on Sunday. NASCAR's estimated crowd of 88,000 was the smallest since figures have been provided, and was down by 20,000 from the previous low of 108,000 in May, and coming at a track that used to pull in more than 300,000 people for its two annual events.
Maybe that's an indicator that the fans really don't want to see the carnage, or they already know how the race is going to develop. After all, the plate races follow a pretty similar script: drivers ride around for 490 or so miles, and a big wreck breaks out in that frantic push to the finish.
The complaining about last year's two-car tandem racing is proof NASCAR will never be able to please all of the fans all of the time. But they can at least try to limit the destruction.


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On a hot summer day, who doesn't crave a cocktail that is cold, fresh, and lemony? Well, it is damned hot here in Capri, and this island is covered with hearty citrus dripping with huge lemons so Limoncello it is!
Capri dons its fair share of sunburned tourists, mega yachts, bejeweled sandals, and bad dance music blasting into the night. Beneath the glitz, there is a heartwarming undercurrent of luscious gardens producing not decorative flowers to please the tourists, but loads of happy fruits and veggies. If you step away from the piazzetta and wander the narrow walking paths, you find nestled amongst the hotels and luxury villas humble, country-style gardens bursting with food - kiwis, squash, grapes, tomatoes, green beans, arugula, figs, rosemary, kumquats, olives. Glamour isn't the only priority on Capri, clearly the folks here care about the homegrown food as well. I dig that.
I wanted to share a little taste of the island with you guys and many claim that Limoncello finds its origins on Capri. The chilled sweet citrusy liquor is a nice end to dinner on a summer's evening. It takes a bit of patience to make your own (curing takes 2-4 weeks), but I think it's worth the wait.
Note: Use organic lemons, if you can. The drink gets its flavor not from the juice of the lemon, but from its peel, and that's where most of the pesticides reside in non-organic lemons.
INGREDIENTS adapted from "Lemon Zest" by Lori Longbotham featured in the NY Times
(printable recipe)
- 6 lemons (Sorrento Lemons are used in Italy. Meyers are a nice American substitute.)
- 1 750 ml bottle vodka
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
After two weeks of curing, make a simple syrup by combining 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan on the stove top. Heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Set aside simple syrup until cool. In the meantime, strain lemon peels from the vodka and discard the peels. When the simple syrup has cooled, add it to the lemony vodka. Cover again and let cure for at least another 5 days and up to two weeks before drinking. If you can remember, agitate the bottle once a day.
Keep your liquor in the freezer so that it's nice and cold whenever you are ready to serve it up.
Do you make your own Limoncello? P recently made Limoncello at home in Berkeley. It was delicious, but a little too sweet and without enough of a kick for me. We have yet to make this NY Times recipe, but it looks pretty darned good. When we get home, we'll experiment with some new batches. Maybe add some herbs. If you have any delicious tips to share with the rest of us, we'd love to hear...


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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Calling All Foodies! Your Help is Desperately Needed!
There are no wrong answers to this question (or right ones for that matter), so please chime in with any and all advice for this future chef. Thanks!
Photo Credit (c) Flickr user tracyhunter
Hello Chef,
You were kind enough to respond to some simple questions I emailed several months ago. I hope you will take a minute to respond to this more involved question.
I have finished my education at Johnson & Wales University. I am very confident with my knife skills and my understanding of the wet, dry, and combination cooking methods. However, I feel very nervous when it comes to flavoring food.
Recently, a friend of mine invited me over and said, "Oh, since you are a big culinary school graduate, make me an awesome meal with whatever you find in my fridge, freezer, and pantry." I turned white.
I can prep any ingredient. I can make any recipe. But the challenge to "make an awesome meal" out of random ingredients (i.e. without a recipe) made me want to throw up.
My question is this: "What approach did you use to learn to transform random ingredients into awesome dishes/meals."
Is it just experience? I hope not! I am trying to develop a framework to carry with me anywhere I go that will help me "make a daily special", "make an awesome meal", or just simply put some common ingredients together so they taste good. I hope you won't reply and say this is what the whole business is about...because that is the answer I have received from the best culinarians in Charlotte, NC!
Maybe I am looking for the holy grail of cooking, but I am hoping you have more insightful and instructive words. After all, I have told you in the past (and I still believe) your approach to cooking is the most simple, flavorful, and intuitive of any public chef I have investigated. :)
Thank you Chef for whatever words you can share.
50 comments:
Travel - Travel - Travel... live with locals and spend time in their kitchens as they prepare meals. My mother had a narrow but delicious repetoire but it wasn't until I started traveling that I saw how other people cooked and how they just threw things together. Their use of fresh herbs and spiced completely changed the way I cook - and no more cans of cream of mushroom soup (unless I'm sick or really craving bad comfort food).
- August 13, 2008 at 11:23 AM
- Chargeorge said...
I have amazing respect for anyone that can do that. I know I generally can't (read %99.999 of the time), but when I can I feel pretty good about myself.
One of the challenges, especially with a friends fridge, is that you'll never know the quality of what's there. Inspiration is simple when confronted with perfect tomatoes, crusty bread, and well marbled beef. I know some chef's carry their own ingrediants, apparently Alice Waters brings her own Olive oil wherever she goes. I don't mean to be down on anyone, just to point out that, "Iron chef" style creativity isn't a skill out of nowhere.
The (few) times I'm sucsefull generally comes like I was keeping in shape for a sporting event. I've been looking at cookbooks, I've been thinking of food and preparations, I've been reading food blogs. Then when I see something it hits like a connection in my brain, and I start cooking. It's still about 50-50 whether it will be any good at that point though ;). I'm sure with your excellent training you'll do much better.
I look forward to dining in your inevitable 4 star restaurant, or your funky alternative bistro, your choice chef :)
also, here's that article with Waters that i was talking about, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/dining/19wate.html
there may be inspiration for you in there too. - August 13, 2008 at 11:29 AM
- Stephanie said...
I was in the same situation less than a year ago. I felt EXACTLY the same way. Unfortunately for me the answer was and is "time" and more importantly confidence.
It wasn't until after I started working and honing my skills, and being introduced to hundreds of things I don't/didn't have access too or was too afraid to use. What also helped was getting a job working for a Chef that used to be my instructor at the school I graduation from. I got really lucky landing that job, and even more lucky about how passionate he is about food and still runs his kitchen like a classroom.
One time I mentioned I never had a blood orange before - he gets on the phone, and the next day we had a case of blood oranges.. and we made together several dishes using them.
I believe it doesn't take much time to come out of that shell, you just need to pass that point where you say "Screw being scared, I know what I'm doing." - August 13, 2008 at 11:47 AM
- Pano said...
I would say that experience helps in creating new dishes, since you have a feel of what goes well with what.
You can start by altering some existing recipes by swapping ingredients or adding or removing ingredients you think will enhance the flavor of the dish.
I also think that tasting a lot of different foods, and drinks for that matter, is very important for developing you palate.
P - August 13, 2008 at 12:10 PM
For me, seasoning is all about scents. What smells good together? A working memory of what each herb & spice smells like, coupled with a sense for how they smell when combined, helps me know what will and won't taste good. Then, to determine the amounts, you can add a little at a time, then smell it again, then taste it, then add a dash of something else...
- August 13, 2008 at 12:23 PM
- LisaRene said...
You have to have an acquired or natural skill. Just because you attend culinary school doesn't mean that you will be a great cook any more then someone who attends art school will become a great artist.
Experiment and be creative. To me, the BEST part about cooking is taking random ingredients and making a fabulous meal. I seldom follow a recipe and if I do use one as a guide I typically adjust it to my taste and style of cooking.
I agree with what you were previously told, that cooking IS about taking random ingredients and making a fabulous meal. Anybody (trained chef or home cook) can follow a proven recipe but the talent lies in preparing delicious meals without a recipe.
The good news is that, like art, food (taste) is subjective, there is really no right or wrong so have fun, experiment, create and enjoy! - August 13, 2008 at 12:44 PM
- John London said...
Check out Pam Anderson's How to Cook Without a Book. It it will give you some ideas to get you started.
- August 13, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Taste. Experiment. Observe. Repeat.
That's the best I usually can do when asked that question. In my case "intuition" had to be honed and worked at. There has to come a time where you get out of the books and into the kitchen. Do you see a perfect ____ and get inspired to cook? Start trying to identify why you like certain tastes, textures, etc and dig deep into them.
You have to cook. Try making a dish with no recipe. How can you make that dish better next time? Also start trying to identify flavor components of certain cuisines. I know if I look in the fridge and see ginger, lime, and carrots I'm probably not going to make shepards pie. I know those flavor components are Asian-right?
What was in your friends fridge?
Sorry if I rambled,
Jeff - August 13, 2008 at 12:50 PM
- Dawn0fTime said...
I have no professional training, but I still have a reputation with friends and family for being a great cook. I have had people make that same request to me: "Here's my pantry. Make me something delicious!" Sometimes you can only do so much with what you have at hand. At least in a restaurant you should have unlimited choices for your daily specials. All I can say is that it really does take practice...and confidence! Both of those will come with time.
- August 13, 2008 at 1:07 PM
My family and friends think that I'm a very accomplished home chef(hope I can use that term without offending anyone). Nine years ago I was touting my spaghetti and meatballs as the best around. Today, I don't make it unless my girlfriend wants it and it would be only in the Winter. Nine years later I still need my cookbooks and sites like this. But, I can whip up something without them too. I say "time and experience". Probably not what your young friend wants to hear but for me that's the key.
What I appreciate the most from the past 9 years is that we rarely go out to eat anymore, we just don't get the quality we get at home. But, again, it's taken 9 years. On the other hand though, as a working restaurant chef it won't take your friend nearly as long as me, after all, I'm only cooking one really good meal a day and only for usually two people. - August 13, 2008 at 1:09 PM
I say confidence is key. Also, start with ad-libbing from a recipe — pick one you don't have the ingredients for, and don't just go buy them.
Really taste the ingredients, and daydream about them; what would be good? Tasting foods you're not familiar with and paying attention as you eat them is also helpful.
So much of my cooking is by sight; do those proportions in the pot/skillet, etc., look right? What's missing? - August 13, 2008 at 1:40 PM
I rarely use a recipe, and like mentioned above, if I do it is merely a guide.
I use my nose and combine things that smell good together. If they compliment each other, they are going in the pot,pan, etc. Travelling helps you find unique flavours. However, even in your home town when you go out, try something on the menu that may be completely foreign to you. While your eating, you may think, "This would be even better if ____!"
It really comes down to your ability to accept it if you made a mediocre meal. I've made a good number of those, but while eating them I usually figure out how to improve on them. And once you've improved them, then you can show them off.
Variety is the spice of life...Spice you say? - August 13, 2008 at 1:51 PM
- Unknown said...
(in mock yoda voice) Fear not the food and your mistakes eat you must.
- August 13, 2008 at 2:11 PM
A genuine passion for what you are doing is the best ingredient to add when you hope to succeed.
Hold your head high, your knives clear of your knuckles and know that trying and failing is as much the foundation of success as are your successful results. Any opportunity is a chance to learn. If you like to cook, you will find your way to be good at it. - August 13, 2008 at 2:26 PM
- Unknown said...
You, dear young chef, are either a foodwishes foodie-type, willing to experiment and fail on occasion, or you are a food wuss. You make the call!
- August 13, 2008 at 2:41 PM
I have no formal training, and have actually only recently started cooking. People tell me I'm a good cook, and by that I mean that the food tastes good (I'm not as good with presentation.)
Pretty much the only time I use a recipe is when I'm baking. And half of the remaining times, I don't even have a clear idea of what I'm making until it's time to cook, so I often have to make due with what's around (and it's usually not in my kitchen.)
The best advice I can give is to emphasize what some other people have already said: don't be afraid to experiment.
When I'm cooking up some chicken (my favorite meat) I don't limit myself to "meat spices" and "meat sauces." In fact, some of my best-tasting chicken dishes have been heavy on spices normally found in pumpkin pie.
Once I made a salad with chicken cooked in a mixture of honey and lemon, then used cottage cheese as a dressing. Try everything (within reason) and see how it goes. If you don't already have an intuition about it, I would be that you do after messing up enough times.
Also, and this is more of a personal thing: use lots of spices. Some people say it's a crime to crowd out the flavor of one ingredient (such as meat) with that of another. I don't like to always be limited by such a notion. Sometimes it's nice to use a particular ingredient (especially if it's not 100% fresh) as nothing more than a nice texture for flavorings to cling to. - August 13, 2008 at 3:29 PM
Well, usually there are eggs,cheese and veggies(maybe bacon, sausage or other meat) in the 'frig You can almost always make a pretty darn good frittatta. If you're lucky enough to have fresh herbs, be generous with them. Also, if you have mayo,catsup, mustard, relish, salsa.... you can usually dress most stuff up with a mixture of a couple of ingredients to make a darn good quick sauce.
Also, I think it's crucial that the folks you're feeding kinda know what to expect in terms of flavor. I owned a small bistro for a while and served little loaves of bread with the soup. I made several pans of raw loaves ahead and stored them in the 'frig so I could bake them right before and serve them hot. One day, I noticed that they smelled a little like sour dough (they'd been in the 'frig a little longer that normal) so when I served them, I commented that I was trying something a little different today--sour dough. They said the bread was delicious.
Like most folks, I will say that it simply takes time and experience, but whatever you do, show confidence in what you've cooked.
Oh, yeah, one other thing. Remember, PRESENTATION IS SO IMPORTANT. If it looks good, it will taste better than it's supposed to. - August 13, 2008 at 3:51 PM
- Pyrofish said...
Look for the centerpiece of the meal first. Whether it's chicken, beef, pork, fish (American style meals), or couscous, rice, pasta. You get the idea. Find 1 thing to focus on, and then move on to what goes well with it.
More often than not, in a friends kitchen, you'll have to get very creative. At least my friend's kitchens. Many of them don't even know what a caper is... They think unsalted butter is gross, and what the hell is Balsamic vinegar... it's a dreadful desert of good eats. However,
Sauces can be your saviour. Know how to build a good set of basic sauces. If your friend isn't a foody, then what they have in their kitchen probably won't be top notch. A good sauce can put a dull piece of factory poultry over the top for most non-foodie-types.
If they are foodies, however, keep it simple. Sometimes just properly cooking something is beyond your friend's skill set. I had to teach my buddy, who is older than me, and grills 4 times a week, how to cook steaks and burgers a couple of weeks ago. He was flipping, squashing, sticking, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Simply cooking the meat the right way earned me thanks from his family. Once I explained it to him, he thanked me as well. Nothing special, just done correctly.
So don't be afraid to keep it simple when someone tells you to make them something delicious with what they have in the house. Experience is a HUGE help, travel experience is also a great inspiration. Until you get those, just rely on your skills and techniques.
Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor do i play one on TV. - August 13, 2008 at 4:08 PM
- Luatica said...
For me it was just that the fact in my house we cook like a lot of poepole in our town, adding "as much as it needs" and cooking "until it is ready". It is kinda lame really, but it is more about looking, smelling and feeling instead of following the writings of a piece of paper.
Unless for cakes and pastries, or when we get exotic and try new recipes.
Of course a lot of times we achieve something so awesome we never manage to replicate because we didnt even write down what we did.
I think one thing is at home, check what you have, think of recipes using those kind of ingredients that you learnt in school. Or try a recipe you know and give it a twist, try a basic stew adding some exotic spices to turn it into something different. beef stew with marrocan spices, turns into a taijin!
Get in the kitchen and have fun. Get just some basic ingredients (3/4) and think what you can do, then when you get some stuff with those, add more ingredients to the party?
Just my 2 cents, but I hope it is good for something. - August 13, 2008 at 4:18 PM
- Pyrofish said...
BTW the Iron Chefs don't even do the Iron Chef thing. They are given a list of 3 or 4 possible secret ingredients beforehand. One of which, will be featured on the show. Then they are "surprised" by one of the ingredients from that list. Both versions do that, which makes for far better TV than if it really were a surprise.
just sayin' - August 13, 2008 at 4:49 PM
A lot of good answers here... for me I just use what my parents gave me, my mouth and tastebuds. I just follow what everyone say, you can always add but never take away. So i add a fair amount of salt and other things and if it needs more i add it, better safe than sorry am i right? this is a good question because i'm still young (high school) and my brothers tell me to always make stuff with what i have in the kitchen and i'm like there is never anything good in the kitchen but sometimes i can actually make things, but i'm just to ignorant to know that
- August 13, 2008 at 4:54 PM
This is one of my specialties! First, look over everything. Next, as you look, see what is most appealing to your tastes and see what you have to work it with --- Let's say you find a pork roast in the fridge, well, see if there are some apples anywhere - no! - any apricot jam? - yes - any brandy? ...... you get the idea. Then look for things that will complement the main dish. Finally, ..... go to the store and buy dessert! LOL
Hope that helps.
John T. Rhoe - August 13, 2008 at 5:02 PM
As with teaching, it's the first year out of the starting blocks that tend to overwhelm you.
Start with basics. Get comfortable with them, and then start to add some experiments on a theme.
As you grow in confidence, you'll take more chances.
Don't believe all theTV hype that you see, believing that in order to be successful you need to be a culinary genius from day one. Most chefs who have created success for themselves started out in the same position you are.
Good luck! You'll do fine. - August 13, 2008 at 6:31 PM
- Unknown said...
I'll keep my suggestion short:
An integrated (rather than analytic) approach would allow you to associate certain ingrediants with recipes. For instance, when I think of lamb, I think of Chef John's slow roasted lamb shank, and other lamb recipes, and I try to figure out what is common amongst them. In the case of lamb, it's garlic and rosemary.
Next, try to figure out WHY they go together. This is harder, but you don't really have to solve it mathematically. Just figure out how sweet, sour, salty, rich, etc. tastes interact by looking at the recipes that you already know.
That's my 2 cents. - August 13, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Oh Jim. Jim, Jim, Jimmy, Jim, Jim. Come over here. Take that ridiculous ramekin off of your head, I can't even see your face. (How the hell did you get that over your entire head?)
Anyways. Okay. I just want to say one word to you... Just one word... Are you listening?... Plastics.
Scott - Boston - August 13, 2008 at 8:20 PM
- Greg said...
I like the TRAVEL answer best.
If you can't do that go grubbing in a city like NYC and wander about eating different and interesting stuff.
Where I grew up (northern NH) I never encountered the kind of food I make on a daily basis now. Last night I made an African inspired stew with chicken, real peanut butter, chiles, sweet potatoes, cilantro, chick peas, green beans, lime juice and other good stuff.
I remember my first bowl of Pho. I still think it is the best soup on earth (followed by Pozole rojo).
They changed how I view and make soup. - August 13, 2008 at 9:16 PM
Dear young chef:
I was lucky. I worked in a restaurant with a French woman who believed in the daily special. We usually had three on the menu, one each from the sous chef, the saucier and her. She would take the junior chefs out with her to the farmers markets and the fishing dock at 5:30 AM, and challenge us, half asleep, to come up with her recipe by looking at what was there.
Moreover, she would challenge our ideas. "Where will the sweet come from," she would ask. "The bitter? How will you add richness, or set off the richness? How much of it can you prep ahead to make service faster? What stations will need to be shown the recipe? Can you keep it on the board if you run out of something (other than the protein), i.e., are there substitutions available?"
But the MOST IMPORTANT question she taught me to ask is, "What's in season?" She did it because the things in season are always the cheapest, and she was trying to run a profit. Now, I do it because of flavor. So when peaches are in season, grilled peach granita (which really is as easy as it sounds!) it is. When it's not, something else.
There are only four flavor elements (sweet, salty, bitter and sour) and what the Japanese call Umame (sp?), mouth feel. Think of every recipe you currently know in terms of those five elements, plus richness. Deconstruct them. All of them. From the simplest vinnaigrette to the most delicate sauce you make, think about them in terms of the balance of those elements they have. Then, try to bring those same proportions together using what's in front of you. You'll find that, in place of a hollandaise, you might like an enriched reduction of stock with a hint of sherry vinegar. Or something COMPLETELY different. But it will all come together, and, in your mind, it will be easy because it's just a hollandaise but replacing the egg "custard" with reduced stock and cream. And it will be COMPLETELY yours.
My favorite night I ever worked, we were faced with perfect little hungarian sweet peppers. We bought every pepper the farmer had and smoked them (back in the days before everything on earth was being smoked) in the afternoon, before the prep cooks showed up. Then we used those in a pan sauce for a rack of lamb preparation. We added a touch of sour cream at the end, and, for lack of a better name, whimsically put it on the board as "rack of goulash." And all because these perfect peppers called our names. I was GOING to find a way to use these, and, with her guidance and help, we created a wonderful dish.
Marie passed away about 4 years ago, and it's been years since I cooked for a living. (You must know it by now, but cooking for a living is one of the hardest ways to make a living I can imagine.) But as I walk through the market with my wife, deciding what we're going to eat that week, I still ask myself all of the same questions she asked the scared 20 year old untrained me. And when a dish sings, I still thank her.
Good luck. I mean that sincerely. I hope you run into a chef as smart, as talented and as willing to teach as Marie was, and that you find satisfaction and creativity in your career. - August 13, 2008 at 10:08 PM
The ability to make something out of nothing has very little to do with experience... unless, of course, you have experience with making something out of nothing.
Think of all the recipes you were taught at your overpriced cooking school (no offense). Those weren't recipes... they were guidelines. One musn't follow the recipe, only the guideline, young Jedi.
Now look in the pantry. See that old box/bag of pasta? Gold.
Now look in the fridge. Any fresh veggies? Moldy? Don't need 'em. See all those year old, never used jars of mushrooms and peppers and olives (oh my!)? Use them.
Got butter? Got pepper? Got... dare I say... milk?
Put them all together, make yourself a sauce.
Boil the pasta 'al dente' and toss it into... blah blah blah.
Yeah, it won't be "gourmet," but you will have done the best you could with what you had, and your hosts should toast you with their 2buck chuck.
Keep cooking. - August 14, 2008 at 4:02 AM
- Pano said...
Talking about umami... a couple of weeks ago I was on holiday in Indonesia and Singapore(If you love food you must go to Singapore...), and had some beautiful fried tempeh. Now if you don't believe umami exists or have never experienced it, you should try tempeh. Umami overdose is what it was.
Oh I wish I was back in Singapore now.
P - August 14, 2008 at 5:25 AM
hello chef!
i have made pizza dough and farmer's cheese from your recipe and i am happy with it. i would like to know if there is any home made recipe for yogurt.
thanks a lot.
Jane - August 14, 2008 at 7:15 AM
- Gulfdiver said...
Anything can be made a banquet with ketchup or spaghetti sauce ;) Don't fear the tomatoe product!
- August 14, 2008 at 8:25 AM
I believe when you make something without a recipe at hand it calls for your imagination with the combo of your taste buds and memories to fully understand what your dish is going to taste like. It is like your tasting in your mind, each ingredient then finally when you have all the ingredients together you have your dish. This is what sets chefs apart from others, its the creative side of their brain and not the following everything by the book because anyone can do that! Hope this helps somewhat, btw if all else fails try try again
- August 14, 2008 at 5:47 PM
These are some really good comments, but I think wordlily hit it on the spot with confidence.
I'm not a culinary student nor specialist, but you've learned the skills, probably learned what absolutely not to do, and you've made a lot of dishes. Look at the ingredients you have available and visualize/imagine what kind of flavors they make using your knowledge of each ingredients characteristics from experience. Substitute or leave out ingredients you don't have if you have something in mind and don't be afraid to experiment. You've got the degree so you've got the utility belt! Be confident and have fun. - August 14, 2008 at 7:30 PM
First of all, the friend who invited you over has way too much gall--how rude. "you're a guest in my home, please cook me something spectacular." Puh-leeze.
If you'd just finished up your surgeon's degree, would your friend want a free appendectomy? If you'd just finished an art degree, how about a free work of art with the materials on hand? And the list goes on.....
My advice, look your friend straight in the eye and say, "I'm not your personal chef." or something stronger, depending on your mood.
Jackie - August 14, 2008 at 10:14 PM
I am not a professional so my advice may not hold a whole lot of water. My biggest advice is be a foodie first and formost. That love for food and not necessarily the preparation of it may be your ace-in-the hole. I am a foodie myself I love food lol as apparent by my waistline.... but I love to see a steak sizzle. I love the smell of fresh bread. Those things bring recipies to my mind. Like those two foods make me think of a steak panini with fried tomatoes, pepperjack cheese and and a mayonaise dressing.
I think that you have to genuinely just love the food and anything you make will taste good and the more you taste the better your ideas will get....
Love the food and have fun...
Dan - August 14, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Blatant plagiarism is my go-to for cooking on the spot.
More politely put: spend time trying different recipes and techniques from people (and peoples) who've done the grunt work of finding out what tastes good (e.g. Chef John). Experiment on your own, too. That way when you're confronted with "cook for me" situations, you can pick some core ingredients and wing it.
In other words: learn by doing. - August 15, 2008 at 12:11 AM
Also, Jackie: Chill, dog.
- August 15, 2008 at 12:13 AM
- bwise said...
There is tons of good advice here. I agree with a lot of it, and I can go on about specifics....but you know how to cook obviously. I am only adding to the confusing mix because I am shocked that everyone missed a huge point:
Cook to your audience.
If you know a few things about what they like (spicy, sweet, asian, mexican, etc) you are golden.
I wish I had this challenge, rising to the occasion always gets me to make stuff my guests never expected(or myself for that matter). And if you taste it towards the end and it is terrible...just use those knife skills for some extra fancy presentation, everyone will be impressed.
Have fun!! - August 15, 2008 at 12:17 AM
i think there are two approaches here which we can use in combination.
First is analytical. you have a body of factual knowledge: lamb likes rosemary, shrimp likes tarragon, tomatoes like basil..... you can rely on these rules of thumb always.
Secondly, someone mentioned an integrated approach. When I look at a recipe, I don't follow it to the letter, but try to recognize the principles the chef is using, both in terms of flavor combos and prep methods. By thinking this way, you will start to see correlations between different recipes. you will notice similarities in approach even when the dishes are quite different. With time and experience (sorry)this will lead you to a deeper understanding of how to put things together.
You CAN do it. Practice.
By the way Chef John, love the blog.
Steven. - August 15, 2008 at 2:35 AM
- Nate @ House of Annie said...
Being a culinary student, you have been exposed to various cuisines. Which one do you "speak" in your food? I would use that as a base vocabulary. Then I'd go and find the ingredients ("words") that are most common within that vocabulary and also occur within your "friend's" stores. Once you have the words you need, you can begin writing the story.
- August 15, 2008 at 3:25 AM
- dandelion said...
Be fearless. Use the best, absolutely freshest, local ingredients. I go to the market every Saturday and look at what is available and make fabulous meals on the fly. You can too.
- August 15, 2008 at 7:33 AM
"You're a chef; cook me something good from what ever I have in my fridge."
Your reader is posting a classic reaction to the higher learning dilemma. Do I go to school for education or to learn a skill? A great education: the classics, history, physics, science, culinary arts included, can leave a graduate void of skills. Companies hire skill sets: architects, teachers, programmers, nurses, chefs and assume education. Often if one focuses in on skill related work in college, one might be deficit in broader education. If one pursues the broad education, they are not the most attractive candidates coming out of school (read here the value of internships).
So, what is your reader left to do? If he went to school simply to learn recipes, he is out of luck. I assume culinary school arms a student with many approaches, techniques, and tricks on how to create great tastes. When confronted with a recipe, or a list of ingredients in a "stump the chef" situation it is not merely a how can I combine these to make something tasty, but more of a maximization problem where given these ingredients, how can I bring the techniques I've learned to this situation to put something together to maximize what I've got? And always, always, remember; know the audience you are playing for. Cooking great food to impress is have what you know and half expectation management. - August 15, 2008 at 11:38 AM
sounds to me like you just need to relax, look at what is there, and start creating. Draw on your experience, think of techniques you know how to use and implement them on the given ingredients. You should know what tastes good, just throw it in a dish, taste and adjust.
- August 15, 2008 at 12:06 PM
- Wolfgang said...
I think this guy has the wrong profession. I am not trained as a chef. I have never "learned" to cook. As as student I simply had not the money to eat out, and being used the good food from my mom I simply started to "throw things together". Cooking after recipes came later.
So my cooking was always looking into the fridge and use whats there. The result is seldom "awesome", but was mostly so good my guests were asking for the recipe. What recipe?
Wolfgang - August 16, 2008 at 3:31 AM
- PC said...
For me.. it's a matter of understanding the individual flavors and imaginging the results of possible combinations.
Unfortunately.. it IS experience, but imho, not so much as a chef, but as someone who loves food. When you eat out, try and figure out what's in it.. and you'll have a rough idea. Over time, you'll calibrate and develop a sense of the various combinations. - August 16, 2008 at 8:32 AM
- Gregory Clausen said...
we would do this with young cooks to test there skills, we would get a basket of random items and say cook something with this. Look for a key ingredient and use it as the main ingredient in the dish, a meat would be the focal point and everything else would compliment it. but yes years of cooking will give you a lot of ideas in your head so when you look at a ingredient, recipes and ideas will come up. Go to a market and look at things and write down how many things you can make with it.
- August 16, 2008 at 2:45 PM
- Suzanne said...
Hi Jim,
I guess I have to answer your appeal for help with a question of my own: what do you cook for yourself at home? What's in your pantry that you use "on the fly" for your very own self? That's where I'd start.
If you are like most people, even culinary students, I expect you have a pantry of items and a few types of foods that you really enjoy when you cook at home. I'd say THIS is the basis for cooking "on the fly" for friends like this one.
True, your education has meaning and value. But when it comes to making "something" from "nothing," I'd go with what's familiar from your daily life... rather than your newly acquired book learning.
Seems like over time your intuitive cooking (done at home for yourself) and your culinary training will mesh into a great combo.
Good luck! - August 16, 2008 at 8:07 PM
- Unknown said...
Hello Everyone! Thank you for your amazing and insightful comments. You (and Chef John) have helped transform my thinking about cooking and food. What a difference my new attitude is already making in the kitchen. I am now back in touch with why I went to culinary school to begin with. Thanks again for your wonderful thoughts! :)
- August 19, 2008 at 1:24 PM
- Unknown said...
Hello Everyone! Thank you for your amazing and insightful comments. You (and Chef John) have helped transform my thinking about cooking and food. What a difference my new attitude is already making in the kitchen. I am now back in touch with why I went to culinary school to begin with. Thanks again for your wonderful thoughts! :)
- August 19, 2008 at 1:24 PM
- Unknown said...
Jim, dare I say you might have just been given at least as much useful cooking advise from this blog than you did in all your years at J&W. Most of what I read here sounds like it can from years of experience, which always means lots of failures. I studied music in my undergrad days and composition specifically. After two years of being taught every rule in the book and how to apply each correctly, my final exam in music theory was this- "forget everything you were taught here. Imagine a golden sunset. Now compose a piece of music." So forget everything they taught you at J&W, open the fridge and COOK! When you screw it all up, try to figure out why and take a different route the next time. It will happen for you - please don't throw up!
- August 20, 2008 at 4:37 PM


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Archive/File: people/i/irving.david/libel.suit/transcripts/day012.01 Last-Modified: 2000/07/20 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE 1996 I. No. 113 QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION Royal Courts of Justice Strand, London Monday, 31st January 2000 Before: MR JUSTICE GRAY B E T W E E N: DAVID JOHN CAWDELL IRVING Claimant -and- (1) PENGUIN BOOKS LIMITED (2) DEBORAH E. LIPSTADT Defendants The Claimant appeared in person MR RICHARD RAMPTON Q.C. (instructed by Messrs Davenport Lyons and Mishcon de Reya) appeared on behalf of the First and Second Defendants MISS HEATHER ROGERS (instructed by Davenport Lyons) appeared on behalf of the First Defendant Penguin Books Limited MR ANTHONY JULIUS (of Mishcon de Reya) appeared on behalf of the Second Defendant Deborah Lipstadt (Transcribed from the stenographic notes of Harry Counsell & Company, Clifford's Inn, Fetter Lane, London EC4 Telephone: 020-7242-9346) (This transcript is not to be reproduced without the written permission of Harry Counsell & Company) PROCEEDINGS - DAY TWELVE . P-1
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Quand Sony veut remplacer un appareil comme le Sony Alpha 55, ils peuvent tout re-concevoir ou ils peuvent reprendre le meilleur du passé (récent) et créer un produit en progrès notable. C'est ainsi que les ingénieurs de Sony ont conçu le tout nouveau Sony Alpha 57 : on reprend le contenu principal d'un Alpha 55 pour le mettre dans un corps de l'Alpha 65. Mais il a été bon de choisir les meilleures technologies pour le résultat pour en faire mieux qu'un produit composite.
Voici comment est fait un Sony Alpha 57 :
- Un capteur 16.7 MP APS-C provenant du Nex-5N
- Un boîtier dérivé de celui du Sony Alpha 65
- Le plus récent processeur BIONZ
- L'autofocus du Sony Alpha 55 avec des améliorations algorithmiques
- Le viseur électronique de l'Alpha 55 (donc sensiblement moins bon que sur l'Alpha 65 et l'Alpha 77 mais… moins cher)
- L'afficheur orientable du A55
L'obturateur est sans doute un mix plus complexe des technologies déjà connues de Sony et de multiples améliorations (8 i/s, ou 10 i/s si la mise au point est fixée, ou 12 i/s si la résolution est réduite).
La vidéo (maintenant obligatoire sur tout appareil photo reflex ou pas) permet de AVCHD 2.0, un mode permet de recadrer automatiquement les portraits pour respecter la règle des tiers (pas très dur en logiciel et certainement éducatif pour les photographes pas toujours attentifs comme moi),
Tous les détails sont sur la page spéciale pour le Sony Alpha 57.
Nous verrons cet Alpha 57 en vente dès le mois d'Avril. Au prix de US$700, cela devrait être un appareil sérieux capable d'attirer l'attention de bien des amateurs.
Vidéos complémentaires
YouTube link
Press Release
SAN DIEGO, March 12, 2012 — A wider palette of creative options is now accessible to more shooters with the α57 camera, the newest addition to Sony's popular line of A-mount cameras employing Translucent Mirror Technology.
The innovative Translucent Mirror design directs incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor at the same time, allowing full-time continuous AF during both still and video shooting. Users can also frame, focus and preview shots in real-time on the high-resolution Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder, which offers a wide viewing angle and 100% field of view. This allows photographers to capture exactly what they see on the screen.
A natural successor to Sony's acclaimed α55 camera, the α57 is positioned for a wide audience of DSLR users. It can shoot still images at up to 12 frames per second, full HD video at 60p, 60i or 24p frame rates and has a variety of creative modes including Auto Portrait Framing, a world's first technology.
"Today's DSLR consumer is looking for a higher level of control and flexibility in their camera," said Mike Kahn, director of the Alpha camera business group for Sony Electronics. "With the introduction of the new α57, we're bringing blazing fast response rates, enhanced artistic capabilities and other advanced features to the mainstream DSLR marketplace, offering professional-grade performance at affordable prices."
With the α57 camera, shooting speeds of up to 12 frames per second are achieved in new Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode, maintaining continuous auto focus and auto exposure with fixed aperture. Magnifying the central portion of the sensor's image by 1.4x, it's perfect for capturing split-second action close-ups with a burst of sharply focused images, even when the subject is moving. In this shooting mode, aperture is fixed at either f/3.5 or the maximum aperture of lens in use (whichever is smaller) and image size of photos is about 8.4 megapixels.
Additionally, the α57 camera lets people create powerfully expressive Full HD movies. Responsive full-time continuous phase detection AF ensures that moving subjects stay sharply focused, just like with still shooting. Support for the AVCHD™ Ver. 2.0 (Progressive) format means that Full HD resolution movies can be captured with 60p frame rate: ideal for capturing smooth, blur-free action. Shooting in 24p is also available to give footage a rich, cinematic look. Movie-making options are enhanced further with full control over P/A/S/M shooting modes for virtually limitless creative expression.
The α57 model shares the α65's 15-point AF system with three cross sensors delivering fast, accurate TTL phase detection autofocus. Newly enhanced Object Tracking AF keeps faces or other selected objects in sharp focus – even if a target is obscured momentarily by another passing object.
Even the novice photographers can now easily create pro-style portraits with the α57 thanks to new Auto Portrait Framing, a world's first technology. Using face detection and the compositional 'rule of thirds,' the camera identifies a subject's position, trimming the scene to create tightly framed, professional-looking pictures in portrait or landscape orientation while maintaining a copy of the original image. Saving both the original photo plus the adjusted version allows for easy comparison between the two images, offering photographers inspiration to refine their portrait skills.
To get closer to the subject, 2x Clear Image Zoom digital zoom technology doubles the effective magnification of your lens and is a highly practical alternative to travelling with a bigger, bulkier telephoto lens. The camera uses Sony's "By Pixel Super Resolution Technology" to ensure that cropped and zoomed images retain full pixel resolution.
Additionally, the model's range of popular in-camera Picture Effect modes includes 11 different effects and 15 total variations – offering a generous palette of 'PC-free' artistic treatments, including Pop Color, HDR Painting, Miniature Mode and much more. Results can be previewed directly in live view mode on the LCD screen or in the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder while shooting either Full HD video or stills.
Still and video shooting, framing, focusing and real-time preview of exposure adjustments are a pleasure with the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder. With ultra-detailed 1440k dot resolution and a 100% field of view, it rivals quality optical viewfinders. There's a choice of selectable high-resolution information displays with a wide viewing-angle to help consumers shoot with confidence, including a digital level gauge and framing grid. Information can be displayed either directly in the viewfinder or on the angle-adjustable 7.5 cm (3.0-type) Xtra Fine LCD™ display.
Ensuring detail-packed images, the 16.1 effective megapixel Exmor® APS HD CMOS sensor is teamed with a latest-generation BIONZ® engine. Refined by Sony during the development of its flagship α77 and high-end α65 cameras, this powerful processor effortlessly handles large amounts of image data for flawless, low-noise images and Full HD video.
Thanks to the BIONZ processor, creative shooting opportunities are boosted by an outstanding sensitivity range of ISO 100-16,000. Users will experience consistently natural, low-noise images – whether shooting at fast shutter speeds to freeze dynamic action or handheld without flash in low light.
Pricing and Availability
The new α57 interchangeable lens camera will be available this April with an 18-55mm kit zoom lens for $800 (model SLT-A57K). It will also be offered as body-only for about $700 (model SLT-A57).
Sony will also be introducing a new battery-powered LED video light, model HVL-LE1, which broadens options for recording video indoors or in low light. This new accessory will be available this month for about $250.


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Chad Billingsley (6-2, 3.74) vs. Tommy Hanson (5-3, 3.78).
COMMENTS: Okay, who else thought the game was over after Atlanta tied it up last night? The Dodgers and the NL East are definitely not two flavors that go great together, so it was nice to see a late-innings victory, even if it did cost Clayton Kershaw a win. (Okay, that was your Post-Game Thread.)
Tonight the Dodgers field another favorable match-up (at least according to Mr. Accu Score, who puts the Dodgers at 57% favourites (Mr. Score is a Brit)), with a somewhat struggling Hanson (5.09 ERA in May) against Chadley, who last time out gave up three HRs and four runs in his first two innings but was mentally strong enough (ahem, critics) to follow that with six scoreless. That was the Balk-Off Game, which totally, certainly, positively probably won't happen again tonight.
Oh yeah, and SoSG Sax will be at tonight's game, Field level, third base side. Post a comment if you're nearby and want to grab a beer!


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Type in required words separated by spaces to search across selected mountain bike stores. A space represents 'AND', so all the words you enter will be present in either the product name or category. Use - (minus) to exclude single words and * as a wildcard, eg. roc*. Words must be of 3 letters or more.


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Next week's big, nationally televised "Monday Night Football" showcase could feature a quarterback matchup of journeyman Jason Campbell of the Bears vs. untested Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers. Not exactly the creme de la creme of the NFC.
Why? Concussions, of course.
With so much attention paid to replacement refs and bounty ruling appeals this season, it's an issue that's slipped a bit under the radar lately. But it's hard to ignore this: 25 percent of Sunday's NFL games saw a starting QB leave with a concussion.
Two were Chicago's Jay Cutler and San Francisco's Alex Smith, whose teams play each other next Monday. Both stayed in Sunday's games for several plays after what appeared to be head-rattling hits. Smith even threw a TD pass while playing with blurred vision before he departed, according to coach Jim Harbaugh.
"It's a reminder that you've got to err on the side of caution," said Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, co-chairman of the NFL's head, neck and spine committee, who was not familiar with the particulars of Sunday's quarterback injuries. "The question that I would ask is: Why did Mr. Smith not report this to his team physician, and say, 'Hey, I've got blurred vision, is that a problem?' ... We have to educate the medical teams to be really conservative. And we still have to educate players to self-report. If they don't feel 100 percent, they have to be willing to very strongly tell somebody."
More than 3,500 former players — including at least 26 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — have sued the NFL, saying not enough was done to inform them about the dangers of concussions in the past, and not enough is being done today to take care of them.
The instructions now used for in-game sideline concussion assessments in the NFL include a box that reads: "Signs and symptoms of concussion may be delayed, and therefore it may be prudent to remove an athlete from play, not leave them alone, and serially monitor them over a period of time." After that, in all capital letters, it reads: "When in doubt, take a 'time out.'"
The NFL looked into the Cutler and Smith cases — and Philadelphia's Michael Vick, the third quarterback who got a concussion this weekend — and came away satisfied that the proper protocol was followed. Players who exhibit any concussion symptoms are supposed to be removed from a game immediately and not be allowed to return to play or practice until fully without symptoms.
"Our medical advisors routinely review with team medical staffs all significant injuries," league spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email. "In these cases, we learned that the teams handled the injuries properly and removed the players from the game as soon as they displayed symptoms and were diagnosed with a concussion."
Ellenbogen pointed out that concussion symptoms might take time to emerge. That's apparently what happened with another noteworthy player, Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson, who took a late hit to the head in a loss at the New England Patriots on Sunday.
He was examined Monday — a day after showing what coach Chan Gailey called "concussion-like symptoms" on the flight home. Gailey said Jackson will miss Thursday's game against Miami.
After Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy returned to a game in December 2011 despite not being checked for a head injury following an against-the-rules hit to the helmet, the league put certified athletic trainers in booths above the field to watch for injuries and added video feeds on sidelines to make it easier to track dangerous hits immediately.
Aiello said that video was used by the Bears and 49ers to look at their quarterbacks' injuries.
The league spokesman declined to comment on Harbaugh's description of what happened with Smith: The QB threw a TD pass a half-dozen plays after he began experiencing blurred vision on a 1-yard keeper — and a dozen plays after taking a vicious hit from St. Louis linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar.
Smith scrambled to his left and started to slide before turning when Dunbar got him in the back of the neck with 1:10 left in the first quarter. He briefly grabbed his face mask and grimaced but stayed in the game
"He said he had the blurred vision after the quarterback sneak," Harbaugh said. "There's no telling. Did that earlier hit contribute? I don't know. I don't know Alex knows for sure, either."
Added Harbaugh: "You don't want him out there with blurred vision. ... He came up from the sneak and he had blurred vision and he felt that it would go away. He came over to the sideline and sat down and felt it would go away and it didn't."
Bears coach Lovie Smith said Cutler showed no symptoms of a concussion immediately after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Houston's Tim Dobbins in the second quarter. Cutler finished the half, then was held out after halftime. While the play with Dobbins' hit was being reviewed by the officials, Smith said: "Our trainers talked to him, evaluated him; he was fine from there. Players in the huddle didn't see anything wrong with him at the time."
Vick, meanwhile, was diagnosed with a "pretty significant" concussion, coach Andy Reid said. Reid wouldn't rule Vick out for next Sunday's game at the Washington Redskins; rookie Nick Foles would play if Vick doesn't.
"You've got to get ready for both. We're not too sure what the situation is, so we'll wait and see there," Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. "With the concussion that he had, I don't think you're really sure."