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This week's 5 hot new apps: Panera's fully-baked app; Play 'Marco Polo' with your phone; more
Considering there are more than 50 million searches each year for movie products, it's apparent that everyone wants to look like their movie character. Now with The Take, James Bond's Aston Martin, Tony Starks' sunglasses or Jay Gatsby's linen jacket can all be yours with a few swipes on a smartphone. The app uses a process similar to Shazam--audio recognition that identifies how far into a movie you are--to display stills from the exact scene onscreen. It then highlights a few items, including clothing, gadgets and locales, and lets the user shop for them online. The Take has plans to extend to TV shows and will launch on mobile devices and wearables, such as Google Glass, soon.
"Is there a doctor in the house?" has become a redundant question thanks to First Opinion, a preventative care-focused app that makes sure an M.D. is always just a text away. With an emphasis on prenatal care, the app allows expectant couples to text a physician with any questions they may have. To create a patient-doctor relationship, the app matches the user up with one specialist and keeps them paired throughout the entire time of use. The doctor will, of course, bill for time, but the first text is free and affordable packages are available.
Since Snake made its debut on Nokia phones in the '90s, you've been able to play games on your phone. But now, you can actually play games with your phone. Marco Polo is the inventive location app for absent-minded people. If you can't find your smartphone, simply yell, "Marco" and your phone will respond, "Polo." It's basic but effective, and the app may be a good idea for users whose phones seem to hop out of their pockets and go exploring on their own.
It's hard keeping up with the hectic music world: bands break up, plan secret shows and are not known as the most punctual organizations on the planet. So why not let an app take care of your concert scheduling for you? StubHub has launched StubHub Music, a new app that scans the user's music library, customizes concert preferences based on taste and notifies the user when one of their favorite bands is coming to town. The app is similar to other programs--such as SongKick and Bandsintown--but has the added feature of built-in StubHub functionality.
Cafe and bakery chain Panera Bread is making a lot of changes at the corporate level, and the company is trying to make a bigger impact in the mobile game with an updated app. The new program provides mobile users with familiar restaurant app features, including a closest restaurant locator, ordering for dine-in or pick-up direct from the app and a delivery option. The app also gives full-menu access and nutritional facts for every item. It is an all-around solid app that could help the company overcome the struggles it has faced for over a year, and executives know it: Panera locations are touting the update on doors and in-store.


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Entering its fifth year, Brooklyn-based BAMcinemaFest plays a crucial role on the crowded North American festival circuit. BAM's programmers sift through the massive crop of new American cinema that arrives at festivals like Sundance and SXSW to provide a cleaner window into some of the best national offerings of the year so far. The 25 features selected for the lineup reflect a shrewd eye for curatorial balance: Several movies that have gathered buzz and widespread acclaim fill the Special Screening section while many other narrative and documentaries in the program have yet to receive quite the same degree of exposure. This is their real chance to shine.
The latest edition is no exception. Opening night selection "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," David Lowery's evocative, southern-fried outlaw drama co-starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, has rightfully found supportive audiences from Sundance to Cannes ahead of its August release. Closing night selection "Short Term 12," which won the grand jury prize at SXSW, provides an incredibly moving and sharply written tale of a halfway house for teens and the complex young people who work there. Together these titles illuminate a startling audacity among young American filmmakers willing to reckon with old-fashioned, sentimental narratives and transform them into wholly immersive and surprising new experiences. But that's not all, folks. Here's a look at some of the other BAMcinemaFest titles that may not have generated as much attention, but still deserve singling out. Go HERE for the full lineup.
Keith Poulson ("Somebody Up There Likes Me") stars in this satiric jab at the New York art scene directed by Michael Bilandic -- whose last feature, the Abel Ferrara-produced "Happy Life," was a similar deadpan urban comedy. At 75 minutes, the wacky premise of "Hellaware" (the only world premiere at BAMcinemaFest 2013) has the feel of a caustic jab to the ribs. Poulson plays aspiring photographer Nate, a frustrated 25-year-old desperate to come up with a plan to land his own show. When he discovers an absurd online video for the teen Insane Clown Posse knock-off band Young Torture Killaz -- whose godawful single centers around the recurring lyrics "I'll cut yaw dick off" -- Nick tracks down the kids with his eye-rolling pal (Sophia Takal) and convinces them to let him document their vulgar exploits. His wannabe Diane Arbus images provoke the interest of a skeezy gallery owner, but also run the risk of angering his subjects, a tension that climaxes in the amusingly chaotic finale. With the same mixture of scrappiness and silly energy of the underground art world it sends up, "Hellaware" suggests what might happen if Jim Jarmusch directed an episode of "Girls." Despite its buoyancy, there's a lot more commentary encoded in the plot for "Hellaware" than in Nick's photographs, and the concluding punchline is a gleefully cynical twist on expectations of a happy ending.
"It Felt Like Love"
Eliza Hittman's debut feature, which premiered in January at Sundance, is a restrained, disturbing work. Set deep in the shadows of lower class Brooklyn neighborhoods, it turns the tropes of a coming-of-age drama into something close to visceral horror: The story involves 14-year-old Lila (Gina Piersanti in a breakthrough performance) attempting to sleep with an older guy she meets around town named Sammy (Ronen Rubenstein) and facing graphically unsettling ramifications for her actions. Hittman generates a constant state of dread over Lila's possible fate. The petite woman wants to lose her virginity and Sammy has no interest in fulfilling that desire, leading her to take a series of desperate actions that constantly threaten to backfire. Much of the unnerving qualities of Hittman's narrative are derived from the unspoken nature of Lila's urges. The mixture of solemn isolation and longing on her face turns her grim odyssey into an expressionistic nightmare. This might be the freakiest New York sex drama since "Kids."
"Museum Hours"To date, Jem Cohen has made intimate non-fiction diary films rooted in an attentiveness to atmosphere and riddled with small observations rendered in profound terms. While his new feature "Museum Hours" is technically his first narrative effort, with a pair of amateur performances and the backbone of a fictional story, its constant introspection and remarkable sense of place provide a fluid connection to the earlier work. On the one hand a sad, poignant character study, "Museum Hours" is also a treatise on art history and a love letter to architectural wonder. Predominantly set in Vienna's grand Kunsthistorisches Art Museum, the trim story involves middle-aged museum guard Johann (Robert Sommer, making a gently affecting onscreen debut), whose quiet gig has allowed him to fade into his surroundings and observe the visitors in much the same way they peer at the artwork. It's here that he encounters the distant Anne (Canadian songwriter Mary Margaret O'Hara), a woman of the same generation in town to deal with her cousin's debilitating illness. Sensing Anne's isolation in the big city, a physically overwhelming sensation that reflects her inner turmoil, Johann quickly forms a bond with the woman and keeps her company around town. Whether seeking meaning in paintings or their lives, their faces reach artistic heights worthy of the same scrutiny allotted to the museum's collection.
"Remote Area Medical"
The flaws of the United States healthcare system have been tackled in countless documentaries, but "Remote Area Medical" takes the subject out of the realm of rote polemics and talking heads to deliver a thoroughly cinematic look at efforts to combat its shortcomings. The title refers to the non-profit, volunteer-based organization that has provided various forms of health care for uninsured Americans since 1985. Though its efforts began in third world countries, Remote Area Medical currently fills deficiencies in American society that the movie documents with intimate detail. Directed with poetic eloquence by Farihah Zaman and Jeff Reichert ("Gerrymandering"), "Remote Area Medical" takes place over the course of three days during which the organization sets up shot in Bristol, Tennessee. As volunteers scramble to meet the needs of countless under-served Americans desperate to receive medical assistance, the filmmakers' unobtrusive vérité approach allows the profound nature of the activism to come alive alongside the problems that gave rise to its existence. With hundreds of people in need of assistance waiting for hours to receive treatment, the resources can't possibly satisfy the demand. The resulting collage of encounters is both a fascinating paean to altruism and a mournful portrait of troubled people in need of more than just a grassroots solution.
"White Reindeer"
Underground filmmaker Zach Clark ("Modern Love is Automatic") complicates his sensibilities with this touching Christmas tale. The story funnels Clark's darker sensibilities and erotic themes into a decidedly more complicated vision of suburban unrest. With a mixture of pathos and dry wit, Clark delivers a solemn twist on the holiday movie formula that simultaneously inhabits the genre and turns it inside out. At first, "White Reindeer" looks like the set up for a routine studio comedy, with giddy real estate agent Suzanne Barrington (a superb Anna Margaret Hollyman) in good spirits as she closes a major deal and celebrates her weatherman husband's upcoming new gig in Hawaii just in time for the holidays. In a safer movie, things might go awry with the couple in their new surroundings; instead, Clark traps them in their existing environment, in one case for good. Arriving home to discover her husband murdered by a nighttime invader, Suzanne finds herself abruptly single and stuck in her boring town with nothing to do but grieve. From here, Clark develops an unexpectedly somber and curiously witty narrative about the process of emotional recovery that's ironically in tune with the Christmas spirit it picks apart.

subset: commoncrawl


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A few weeks ago I had a raid related screw up. I was able to copy most of the backup folder. With the help of a Zimbra tech, I was able to get Zimbra backup with all 80 accounts.
However, after this happened, Outlook didn't sync reliably for most if not all users. The only way I could correct this was to remove Outlook profile and do a fresh sync. With 80 accounts, some over 5 GBs, this was a nightmare.
Now, I am moving ZCS to a new server by installing ZCS and then doing a zmrestoreldap and zmrestore following wiki article.
I'm very worried that I'll have Outlook issues again following the server replacement. Should I be worried? If so, what can I do to avoid Outlook sync issues?


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Got a minute?
Got a minute?
Resumes are always a work in progress, but if you don't do the groundwork before you sit down to tweak yours, you could wind up with a Frankenstein's monster of a CV -- all mismatched parts.
(Photo Credit: vuhung/Flickr)
Jessica Sager at The Grindstone recently wrote a post on the importance of preparing before you start working on your resume in earnest. First and foremost, she advises readers to write down every job they've held since writing their resume -- and then write down every skill they used at those jobs, and every task they performed.
"List every imaginable task," she writes. "There may be some you don't want to write on a particular resume, and that's okay! But by listing all of them out, you may find that one job you didn't think was relevant to a position you're applying for may actually make you an asset to that company."
In addition, we'd advise:
1. Starting from scratch.
No, you don't need to write your resume all over again every time you change jobs. But starting from the beginning now and then -- especially during big career changes -- might help you avoid leaving on irrelevant jobs and skills that are just cluttering up your resume.
2. Pick a format that fits the job you're applying for.
Different industries have different expectations when it comes to resumes. If you're applying for a job at a bank, for example, you probably don't want to prepare a video resume with a full band backing you up, but that might be totally appropriate for some startups.
3. Think about how others see you.
Sager suggests looking at your old performance reviews to see the skills and abilities that your boss saw in you. You can also use LinkedIn for this -- your network will likely endorse skills that you never even realized you had.
Finally, it's never a bad idea to enlist your friends as helpers when it comes to resume preparation. They can suggest additions, subtractions, and corrections that you'd never be able to recognize and make all on your own.
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They've Got Your Back
December 1, 2011
A recent study listed Long Haul Truck Driving as one of the Top 10 Most Dangerous Professions in America; yet it may not be for the reasons you would assume. Long Haul driving has been commonly associated with many degenerative health issues, all of these issues combine to make for not only an incredibly dangerous profession, but lifestyle as well.
With this is in mind, Dr. Richard Kaul of New Jersey Spine and Rehabilitation has teamed up with The St. Christopher Fund to provide no cost consultations and MRI reviews for truck drivers. This is an effort to show our gratitude for the essential and often underappreciated services these drivers provide. The St. Christopher Fund is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance and advice for drivers who are facing financial hardships due to medical problems.
Dr. Richard A. Kaul of New Jersey Spine and Rehabilitation has seen many of those who drive trucks and have suffered spinal conditions or chronic pain conditions. Dr. Kaul is Board Certified Spine Specialist who has a duel specialty in Interventional Pain Management and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeries. We at NJSR know that time is an essential factor in your profession. In many instances, those with chronic pain decline treatment due to the long rehabilitative time that is common with spine procedures. Many do not have the luxury of taking several months off from driving as a driver's ability to earn a paycheck is based on his ability to drive.
Dr. Kaul is a pioneer and has devised several techniques which eliminate the need for a long recovery and therapy period. He is performing spine procedures on an outpatient basis. This means you will leave our facility the same day as your procedure so that you may return normal function much more quickly than with traditional spine procedures.
As a driver, you are well acquainted with the heavy lifting and strain that comes as part of the occupation. In most safety and injury prevention courses there is a significant portion dedicated to proper lifting techniques. However, not all of these protocols can be followed all of the time and in many instances time outweighs safety. Repetitive strain, the torque on the lower back or the intense strain put on the muscles of the back cause the vertebrae to shift or slide and can cause disc bulges, herniations, nerve impingements and spondylolisthesis.
Still, heavy lifting is not the only risk of back injury for drivers. The task of driving for up to 10 hours at a time takes a tremendous toll on the body. Truck manufacturers have made significant advances in comfort for drivers; however, little can be done to remedy the natural forces of physics while driving. When your truck is not in motion your body is in a very similar position to sitting in a standard padded chair. Yet, once the vehicle is in motion, this all changes. Unlike regular sitting, while a vehicle is in motion the body is subject to different forces: to accelerations and decelerations, to lateral swaying from side to side, and vibrations throughout the body. Also, when driving the feet are actively being used, the right foot on the gas (accelerator) pedal, the left on the brake, and in a stick-shift also on the clutch. When the feet are active they cannot be used to support and stabilize the lower body as normally happens when they are placed on the floor during normal sitting in a chair. These constant position changes and instability promote tension and torque of the spine and the muscles surrounding it. Also, the repetitive concussion of being jostled around a seat on an unpaved or poorly maintained road can damage the spine as well. During periods of driving on unstable roads the spine acts as a shock absorber for the brain much like the shocks on your truck. But as we all well know, sometimes shocks wear out and need to be replaced, if they are not we can do serious damage to the truck. In the human body the lack of shock absorption causes disc compression, a painful and degenerative condition that can cause pain to radiate throughout the back and extremities.
Another study went even further to try to associate the frequencies of the human body and those that occur when driving:
"Laboratory research has studied the effects of whole-body vibration when a person is sitting in a car seat. The lumbar spine has a natural resonant frequency of 4-5 Hz, and results show that this natural frequency can be excited by laboratory simulated vehicle driving, and this can lead to high spinal loadings in the lower back, and this in turn could result in greater postural discomfort and an increased risk of low back pain and injury."
Another significant risk factor is the lifestyle that Long Haul driving seems to be synonymous with. Healthy eating, dieting and exercise habits are not always easy to follow. This compounded with irregular sleeping habits has tremendous effects on the metabolism and this in turn affects the spine. A study in The American Journal of Epidemiology linked a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) with a higher rate of back and neck pain. Truck drivers have a 20% higher instance of obesity than average Americans, this is understandable due to the lifestyle mentioned earlier. However, it is still an alarming trend. Added body weight increases pressure on the spine and the muscles surrounding it. A simple example is when your truck is carrying a heavy load you have to drive more conservatively because the truck is more easily damaged by potholes or obstructions. The same is true for the human body; more weight means more risks of injury.
Lastly, there is the risk of accidents and the bodily damage sustained during them. The US Highway Patrol estimates that there are over 500,000 large truck accidents every year with only 25% of them being the fault of the driver in the truck. Sadly, the fault of the driver has no bearing on the rate of injury. The most prevalent form of injury is Whiplash which can occur at speeds as low as 15 MPH. Whiplash is damage to either the soft tissue of the neck or the spine itself. A whiplash injury may be the result of rapid stretching of the spine, mainly the anterior longitudinal ligament, which is stretched or tears as the head snaps forward and then back again causing a whiplash injury. Also, whiplash can be caused by shifting or rupturing of disks in the cervical spine. Not all whiplash injuries are instantaneous; some victims can have mild or no symptoms for up to 6 months. Although someone may be asymptomatic does not mean that they have not sustained damage. It is important to see a physician directly after an accident, regardless of speed or the symptoms, or lack thereof, you may be feeling.•


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May 30, 2016
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it would consider workplace protections for older employees. The high court plans to take up a case that could make age bias suits tougher to prove.
Justices will consider an appeal from police officers in Jackson to decide if older employees have rights similar to those of minorities when it comes to discrimination claims.
The case pits the city of Jackson against officers over age 40 who contend they were harmed by a new pay policy. The officers lost in a lower court.
Under a federal law, people over age 40 are protected from age bias at work.
The Supreme Court will consider whether that 1967 law permits lawsuits on grounds that an employer's action has a disproportionate impact on older workers.
Justices already have settled that impact suits are allowed under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on a worker's sex, religion or race.
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Oct 26, 2010
Shirazi Crab Curry
I rarely go to Delhi anymore! Back when we moved to the suburb of Gurgaon over 12 years ago (yes it existed back then!)... there were precisely three places to eat out at. A mithai and chaat place (sweets and snacks!), a very sad little food court (well the perceptions of food courts 12 years back was a dining hall with counters of various cuisines, as various as Chinese, Indian, Mughlai and the unavoidable south Indian!). We would order the tandoori chicken from the Mughali counter and the Channa Bhatura from the Indian counter and eat the chicken with the bhatura's (very popular fast food meal in Kuwait). The third was an obscure American Diner that opened in the industrial hub of Udyog Vihar way before it's time! There was no way this joint could survive only on office lunch crowd. A crowd that swore by their moms or wives tiffins and found anything above Rs. 30 per meal preposterous. This place served curly fries and bacon and cheese burgers for godsake, in the heart of jatland! So we either went close by and ate garbage (it was!) or drove to Delhi for a decent meal. Eventually we had to find something in between, so I decided I would food shop in Delhi and make big meals at home. It has worked ever since.
We now have dozens of restaurants, fine dining, fast food, exotic cuisines, the works but I still head out to Delhi for the ultimate in shopping fun, to buy ingredients! So here I was in Delhi, just out of a pretty decent meal at Swagath in GK II (Delhi). We had a portion of fried pomfret, chicken chettinad and Kerala parota, all of which were good but!!! Yes, there is a but! The fried pomfret could do with less batter, I could barely taste the fish, not even the oiliest parts, the chettinad curry had too much raw pepper which is unusual for Malabar pepper, however the Kerala parota (that's what they call it!) was superfluous. I like redemption factors like the 'parantha' was to this meal but all in all, it was a 5/10 and that's sad for a place like Swagath. A part of me strongly believes some restaurants are better off as single entities, they can retain so much more for so much longer.
Back to the tandem of this story, I was in Delhi and like most blithering foodies, I was already contemplating dinner (secretly acknowledging that it would be better than lunch!). I was about 2 kms from my favourite fish market and I had Ashok with me (our man Friday, been with us for 25 years, awesome cook, safest chauffer we know, loving member of the Pratap family). Ashok is Bihari so he can super bargain and pick fish really well. I bought a kilo of gorgeous, silver, firm as hell mackarels, a whole red snapper and a kilo of tiger prawns (not size wise, that's a bit of a myth, buy king prawns for size and tiger for the ultra flavoursome striped ones that are usually medium sized). Ashok bough Rohu (obviously!), Surmai fillets for dad and ended up talking me into picking up 4 beautiful, live crabs! On that drive back I had leftover chicken chettinad, Goan sausage (my lunch buddy's present), crabs, prawns and 4 types of fish in the car. So when I got home Andy already knew of the loot and he had decided we will have crabs for dinner, which I had 40 minutes to make... I was late enough already!
Cooking crabs in curries is super easy. Don't make things hard for yourself just get the fish guy to clean and cut. Get the guy to take the claws and legs off (Andy uses a wrench!) and leave the body whole. Make sure you wash them well, don't leave them soaked in water. Always buy live crabs and cook them as soon as you kill or get them killed (hey that's reality, let's concentrate on how yum they will be!).
4 medium crabs, total weight 1400 gms
2 large onion, sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp vinegar (palm vinegar would be great but apple cider vinegar will do)
1 ½ tsp cumin powder
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt (u can add more once the curry starts cooking)
3 tbsp cooking oil
3 cups of coconut milk, I use a litre of coconut milk, I use 4 sachets of Maggi coconut powder or 4 tetrapacks of coconut milk. If I am lucky to get dessicated coconut then I do four runs in the mixer to get enough for this dish)
Mix all the dry powders, the salt and sugar into the vinegar and keep aside. Heat oil and brown the onions, ginger and garlic. Add the vinegar paste (keep the heat low throughout) and mix well. Fry the masala for about 4-5 minutes and then pour in 2 cups of coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the crabs, claws and all. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, check the salt, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve piping hot with steamed rice and papads.
This is such a popular meal in our family that have a ritual, we cover the table or the bed (sometimes meals like this warrant rampant TV watching or a good movie!) with newspaper because we will be messy! Use the back of a spoon to break open the big claws, the legs are all chewy and the body is easy to break in half, just hold in both hands and break through the middle like a large cookie. Enjoy!
Oct 25, 2010
Shirazi Chocolate Truffles
No one in our house likes truffles! I don't get it, they all love dark chocolate, even the 5 year old but when it comes to these decadent petit fours, I have hardly any takers. I on the other hand love chocolate truffles, I find them exquisite and if flavoured well, they can be way more heart warming than store bought exotic chocolates. The one thing I personally avoid is 'peppermint', I don't like the marriage of mint and chocolate, I can hear some of your scream bloody blasphemy but seriously, mint is toothpaste... I have a hard time convincing my palate that I like After Eight's when I actually don't. The other flavour I avoid in chocolates is orange though my mother believed that only the evolved can understand the pairing of citrus and chocolate, she loved this one centre filled chocolate that a local lady in Dubai made, it had grapefruit jelly inside, that oozed like weak blood when you ate a piece! Not very nice!
However, we are huge chocolate people. Andy only eats chocolate ice cream, I need a piece of chocolate after meals, preferably all meals and when it comes to birthday cakes, we order only chocolate truffle cakes. Chocolate is so sacrosanct that we rarely try new places unless they come with good reviews (personal reviews, I don't trust the papers!) and we have been ordering our birthday chocolate cakes from the same place for the last 7 years. This is in the DLF Phase II market, it is a bakery called 'Bisque' formerly known as 'Hot Breads', their truffle cake is the best in Gurgaon! So anyway, I had the weekend and I had a 500 gm slab of dark chocolate that was definitely on the verge of blooming. Mainly because I took it out on 3 occasions to use and put it right back in the fridge, big mistake!
What you really need for making simple truffles is a double boiler, I don't have an actual one, I just boil 4 inches of water in a large vessel and hold the chocolate pieces in a saucepan over it. Chocolate is very heat sensitive, so it actually curdles and is then rendered completely useless. I use a brand called Morde and I usually use dark chocolate because I can manipulate it better in terms of lightness and flavouring. Whenever I use the milk chocolate, I end up keeping most of it for icing cupcakes and cookies... I hardly ever use white chocolate, if I do make a white chocolate ganache it is almost always for decorating or coating.
500 gms slab of cooking chocolate
250 ml of fresh, thick cream
100 gms of unsalted butter (I use salted if I am using liquor flavours, it seems to work better!)
I made these truffles with 2 separate flavours, roasted almonds as an outer coating and dark rum in the chocolate ganache.
So keep 2 tbsp dark rum and a cupful of almonds, you can lightly roast them in a non stick pan for about 4-5 minutes ...then sliver or crush them into fine pieces.
Heat water in a large vessel. Use a saucepan to heat the cream and butter together, once the butter melts and the cream bubbles on the sides, take off the boiler. Break the chocolate into small pieces in another bowl, pour the warm butter and cream mixture on the pieces and leave it for 5-10 minutes, this will start the chocolate melting process. Shift the bowl with the chocolate over the double boiler and stir gently with a whisk. I keep taking the bowl of the heat to scrape the sides with a spatula, so this whole process takes me about 7-10 minutes. Once the ganache is ready, separate it into two batches, add the rum to one half and keep the other half as is. Cool and refrigerate for around 4-6 hours, depending upon the chocolate used, is the ganache is runny, you may need more fridge time. Once the ganache is set, remove and the next process needs to be quick so the chocolate doesn't melt with all the handling, these actually turn out better in cold weather! Take teaspoons full of the now set, gooey and thick ganache and quickly roll into balls. This batch will make roughly 3 dozen. Refrigerate while you get your finishing material ready (if it isn't laid out already!). Put dark cocoa powder (unsweetened) in a small plate and the roasted almond slivers/coarse powder in another. Roll half the truffles in the cocoa and the other half over the crushed almonds. Serve on a pretty platter after meals! You can store these for up to a month. Enjoy!
Oct 21, 2010
Shirazi Meatball Snacker
Though we are big fans of frozen foods, not in terms of frequency but we have our favourites that we indulge in once in a while, now that we have a child, we don't indulge as often! Yet the habit is set, eat we must. We take the eat-every-six-hours principle very seriously, me, not so much but both Andy and Ally are committed to the cause. And like most frequent eaters with lean frames (yes the two are blessed by the devil!) they don't have big appetites, just frequent ones! I have started keeping a lot of prepped snacks in the fridge. I usually walk in from work around 4:30 or so, that too because I absolutely must stop for fresh meats, veggies or fruits almost every day, at least every day of the week, weekends however, I cook!! Once I walk in, there is a 30 second exchange of huge, kisses and pleasantries and then the invariable statement "I'm hungry" and this goes for both daddy and daughter. One of our favourite's is in the top 10 of our 'Deep Fried Series' list. They're these coin sized (more like the 10 rupee coin) mincemeat cutlets that are deep fried. Well they puff into balls but they start out lightly flattened, thus the name!
Meatball Snacker
250 gms minced lamb or mutton
½ an onion finely chopped
1 green chilli finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 egg
4-5 tsbp breadcrumbs
Salt (I put about a teaspoonful, I don't usually need this to be the perfect saltiness because I always serve it with a condiment like a cold version of a meatball sauce, kind of like an Italian salsa or the usual Indian coriander chutney)
Meatball Snacker
250 gms minced lamb or mutton
½ an onion finely chopped
1 green chilli finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 egg
4-5 tsbp breadcrumbs
Salt (I put about a teaspoonful, I don't usually need this to be the perfect saltiness because I always serve it with a condiment like a cold version of a meatball sauce, kind of like an Italian salsa or the usual Indian coriander chutney)
Shirazi Chocolate Chip Cookies
I finally used the trays, the cookie trays I mean! My old ones were bent out of shape and in a pretty sad state, they had more bruschetta's made on them than cookies lately, so this addition was essential. Apart from Halloween (which my 5 year old knows a lot about!!), we bake for both Diwali and Christmas, mainly because we celebrate both with great gusto. For Halloween we will do plain sugar cookies, the roll out kinds, so we get a nice smooth canvas to decorate on. For diwali Andy has promised to help us make vanilla drops with little yellow icing flames on them and for Christmas we want to do butter cookies with milk chocolate chips and chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips (these are so luxurious you will want to cry, with joy that is!).
I wanted to do my basic chocolate chip cookies and because I had dark chocolate chips I wanted fluffy cake like chocolate cookies to stud them in. This recipe is simple and delicious, use a spatula to fold in all the dry ingredients and don't worry, however dry it looks, it will all mix. This makes a huge batch of 36 or so regular sized cookies. I have a regular convection oven and it fits a tray that's 10" wide and 8" broad, I make 6 cookies on each tray because they spread. Bake on 200 degrees for about 4-5 minutes, peak in once to see if the sides are getting crisp, no point using a toothpick to see if they cooked because you are likely to pierce a chip and think the cookie is under done.
Ingredients: (use the same cup as measure for all ingredients)
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar or alternately you can use 1 cup white sugar and ½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark, you can use milk but with this much sugar and dark cocoa, it may get too sweet)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I never use any, my family is not big on nuts in food, muffins and cakes will do but other than that they prefer them roasted)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl, until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; blend well into the butter mixture. I usually sift the dry ingredient together but I use a rice colander and not a mesh sieve, I just want everything to blend together and I hate losing my dark cocoa in a sieve. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if you are using any. Grease the cookie trays, I grease the Tefal ones too, I like them to just slip off once they cool. To bake, drop rounded teaspoonfuls on the cookie sheet and bake. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Box them only after they are totally cooled. These stay for a week or so, refrigerate if it's peak summer.
Oct 14, 2010
Shirazi Prawn Patties
Got me some frozen (well it was cold but not frozen completely) puff pastry and am so delighted that I finally got to try it this morning. My mother in law used to make these awesome prawn patties when we would visit and I have, from sheer desperation made puff pastry from scratch to make these at home ...they were ok! It is just too much work but I am certain that the people who have mastered choux and puff pastries are automatically higher up in the home chef pyramid. The good thing about ready puff pastry is that you only have to work out the filling. I plan to do a few just as wraps around a cocktail sausage, mmmm, pigs in a blanket (mean but delicious!). I want to do a chicken filling because no matter where I order a regular, flaky chicken patty, it will have a spicy chicken filling or something chicken-ish with capsicum, troubling! Back in the day, chicken patties had a nice, light coloured, pasty filling of minced boiled chicken and very basic seasoning, it complimented the pastry without overpowering it.
So anyway, I decided to make a prawn filling which is very simple and very quick. Handling this puff pastry is a bit tricky though, it needs to cold conditions, so don't leave it outside unless your kitchen is fridge cold, don't handle it too much, I mean physically, even body heat makes it all soft and gooey, very hard to manage if you reach melt stage. This particular pastry came as a ½" thick rectangle, about 10" by 6", I cut it into 12 even squares. Floured the surface and then put the pastry back in the fridge, I had the filling to make.
Prawn filling:
1 pack frozen prawns, about 200 gms (this is one of the few decent uses of otherwise useless frozen prawns, also did I mention this had to be quick, so no cleaning, no deveining, just cooking), I used medium prawns and I kind of cut them up roughly, like 1 into 3 pieces.
½ pack of Thick mushroom soup (there is a complicated way, with flour and milk, we can go there some other time, right now I needed speed and convenience!)
1 red onion finely chopped
2-3 spring onions finely chopped, just the white bits, keep the greens for a salad you can do with the patties.
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced.
1 cup of water
Salt and pepper seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
Heat the oil and fry both the types of onions and garlic till light brown. Add the prawns and the seasoning, dry up the excess moisture on low fire, that's about 5-6 minutes, good enough cooking time for small pieces of prawns. Sprinkle the soup powder over this mix and quickly pour in the water, hold some back, you don't want this too runny or let it stick. The mix will thicken quickly, so keep stirring, use a wooden spatula so you don't mush up everything. Cook for a minute or so, make sure the mix doesn't stick but gets thick nonetheless. Check seasoning and that's it. Let the mix cool, cover it or it gets all gluten-y.
Get a few of the pastry squares out, roll into a 4" x 4" square, leave is a little thick. Place one tablespoon of the prawn mix a little lower than the centre, fold over and crimp with a fork. Once the patty is closed and sealer, brush with egg white (optional) and place diagonally on a baking rack. You will need a drip tray for this dough, unlike the imported one, this is very margarine-d, so it drips like hell. I was actually afraid to bake it in a dish or cookie tray. Oven need to be pre-heated and keep it high, 200 degrees, heat needs to be both up and down. I made four at a time and I realized I needed to be quick, because by the time I reached the fourth one, the dough was getting melty. Bake till flaky, crisp and light brown, took about 5 minutes...serve hot with ketchup, chilli sauce or a nice salad of the leek greens, the cherry tomato fresh preserve (previous blogs) a dash of balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!
Oct 13, 2010
Pom's Chicken Soup
I am so certain that food plays a vital role in immunity building that I start the exercise (for it) by October itself. I remember growing up with troublesome sinus' and spent a large part of my childhood wolfing down homeopathic meds, my mother was sure they didn't work because I didn't 'believe'... as the irony of life unfolds, I only believe her and in alternative medicine now! So another part of my childhood was spent on 'Septilin', till an uncle sent us an article about how this preparation contained steroids! Mother had no option but to create a supplement that would relieve me of the godawful stuffiness I suffered 4 months of the year. She started making this awesome chicken soup (and this is way back in the 1980-90's), she had a little German book that had one little paragraph about how chicken contained an amino acid released during cooking which chemically resembled the drug acetylcysteine, prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory problems. 'Bas' that was it! We already had an accomplished, research scientist uncle who worked closely with the German pharma industries and he had a lot of faith in natural remedies... that was all the coaxing she needed and thereafter we had chicken soup 3 months of the year ... going on to year 25... I think!
I still make it, every 3 days, from October to February and I am certain it is helping. Ally does get the occasional sniffles but she is relatively better off each year, and this is despite pre-school and a class full of germ carrying munchkins! I get two meals/portions/dishes from one effort, so after Ally's soup cauldron is ready, we get a pot full of stew. The recipe is simple; it's made better by the prized crock-pot that I love. It has a tempered glass lid and a thick bottom, ideal for 3 hours of simmering.
1 whole chicken, skinned and cut into 12 pieces (throw in the liver and kidney, you can remove it when you serve, our family is not big on organs, but I keep the liver for my dad)
10-12 peppercorns (or more if you like to bite one when you eat!)
1 bayleaf
5 cardamoms
5 cloves
1" thick piece of cinnamon
4 – 6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp salt
3 litres of water
Veggie combo options:
1. 2 potatoes cubed, 1 onion cut in four pieces, 2 carrots cut in thick pieces, ½ cup of peas
2. 1 cup big pieces of Cauliflower, 1 large potato cubed, 1 large onion cut in four pieces
3. 2 Potatoes cubed, 4 stalks of spring onions sliced, 2-3 celery leaves chopped
4. 10-15 leaves of Spinach, 2 potatoes cubed, 1 onion cut in four pieces
Try different combos or you won't manage to make kids eat soup every day! Use big cut of veggies so everything doesn't mush up with all the cooking.
Put everything in a crock-pot and bring to a boil. You may get a little scum on the top but I have noticed that if I wash the chicken well, there is less scum, same with the veggies, peeled and scrubbed well works better. Once it is on the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. Check in on it every once in a while, move it around a bit, add a cup of water if it reduces to more than half. Once you get a nice brown stock, use a colander or strainer to drain out more than half in a separate (large) vessel. Drop in a few of the veggies and spices and use a masher to make a pulp, pour in a ladle or two of the stock make the pulp drain through the colander holes and into the soup. This is the kiddie soup, this goes back on the fire and is thickened with ½ cup of cold milk and 2 tbsp of cornflour, use more if you want it thicker. You can take out a piece or two of the chicken and shred it up for the soup, if your baby is not fond of chewing meats in a soup or less than age 3, you can mince up the boiled chicken with a knife and put back in the soup. Fortify this with a nice dose of salt and pepper seasoning, you can add an egg drop once in a while, you can even put in boiled rice, noodles or pasta to make it a complete meal. Ally loves croutons in her soups, so she gets her carbs there!
You may have noticed that no fats were used in this prep, so feel free to add a dollop of butter to your portion.
Now you will be left with most of the veggies, the meat and part of the stock. Put this back on the fire with little more liquid if you like. Thicken the same way as you did for the soup, this may need a little more cornflour. This is the stew I serve the family (the grown up ones!). Spice it up with chilli flakes, or add ½ cup of grated cheddar for a robust Italian feel. You can season with Italian mixed spices or a nice pinch of oregano. Serve with a warm baguette and nothing else. Be well guys...eat your way to wellness.
Oct 10, 2010
Pancake Party
I grew up eating a variety of breakfasts, thanks to a Punjabi mum, a dad from Haryana and a Malyalee best friend. My breakfast as a child varied from fried eggs to stuffed paranthas to mashed bananas with 'puttu', steamed rolls of rice powder eaten with milk and fruit. Despite this fortification, I grew up hating to eat breakfast, it always made me lazy and sluggish, no matter how little I ate or what I ate? By the time I was in college, I was surviving on coffee and Marie biscuits. Sadly, I have taken the habit into my 30's and it's become a bit of a problem. The problem is not lack of energy or severe hunger pangs, the problem is that I tend to eat way more at lunch and dinner, meals that are any day heavier than breakfast! So as of April this year I have started eating 2 fruits (seasonal, hate out of season produce, it never tastes like the real thing) and on weekends, I have a proper breakfast. I haven't noticed a drop in weight but then again I am not putting on any more! Before you judge, for a foodie this is the only bargain they have, besides selling their souls to the devil (read: good food!).
So now that I have two breakfasts a week with the family, it is somewhat of an event. Ally is still in the palate honing stage so she will eat a cheese omelette with a peanut butter sandwich (yes together, not one after the other) for 30 days straight and Andy will meticulously plan the breakfast with me, only to eat a morsel or two! So this is more of a culinary fun exercise than a meal that is consumed as gregariously as lunch or dinner, damn, we enjoy tea time more than breakfast! That is why this recipe comes with a leftover's recipe as well. Enjoy!
Pancakes from Scratch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp fine sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tbsp butter, melted
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, melted butter and the egg. Blend this with a whisk, till it is smooth and runny. Heat butter or oil (use a non stick, pancakes should be fluffy and dry) in a pan, though I prefer to use my Dosa pan/griddle. Pour a scoop of the batter with a ladle onto the pan, using round 1/4 cup for each pancake. The mix will spread and settle into a pancake shape, don't move the pan, it will flatten the pancake too much. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
I like them with maple syrup but Ally prefers honey and butter. Andy is neutral but please don't dare serve him fruit with his pancakes! Ally and I like bananas and strawberries with pancakes; I personally find chocolate spreads a tad decadent for morning time but hey whatever goes for you!
By the end of breakfast, we usually have 3-4 soggy and cold one left. I used to feed these to Zephyr, our dog but since her kidney problem, I can't do that. So I make this butter cream icing my mum used to make, layer the pancakes lathered with the icing, refrigerate and serve in slices, kind of looks like a lighter version of homemade Bebinca but taste nothing like it!
Butter Cream Icing
500 gms fine sugar
150 gms yellow butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 - 4 tablespoons milk
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl till well blended. Don't beat it or whisk it, use a spatula to fold it all together. Add more milk if necessary for spreading consistency. This is loads of icing, enough for around 20 cupcakes and more than enough for few leftover pancakes. You can bottle it but it won't stay more than a couple of days.
Oct 9, 2010
Beer Batter Prawns
Like I always say, fry anything and it will be yummy, though I do draw the line at fried candy bars. WTF is that? I know this has been said often enough and borders on food snobbishness but come on, does a Mars bar really need frying to be delicious? No it does not; make a fudge filling from scratch and fry flour pockets of that, won't give people a coronary right away at least! But seriously (can't help but think of one of Phil Collins finest albums!), fried foods are delicious and despite the fear of sounding patronizing, eat responsibly please ...you can enjoy life ...longer! Phew, that was my 'eat responsibly' CSR effort, though I half practice it myself!
We love fried foods as snacks and with meals. And one of my favourite meats to fry is prawns hands down! They are such a perfect meat, that if fried correctly they will retain maximum original flavour without being raw... such is the culinary beauty of a prawn! So whether it is pan fried or deep fried, fried prawns are a huge part of my kitchen. Since I like to really taste the sea-ness of prawns, my favourite way to fry them is light, fluffy and very quick. I love this beer batter recipe because beer (and wine!) is one thing that is always a leftover after parties in our home and since my hair is cut short I don't need a whole lot for that ... next best thing! Beer batter frying!
½ cup beer, chilled (that's about 150-200 ml, keep some extra though, you need the batter to have a consistency of baby custardm, this is fresh beer, not flat or stale! )
100 gms white flour
50-75 gms cornflour
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Oil for deep frying
I usually salt these after frying. The few times I put salt in the batter, the prawns turned out squidgy! Basically all you have to do is blend the batter ingredients together, make sure you don't have lumps. Invest in a whisk, even if you have a hand blender, whisks are awesome for fluffy eggs, sauces, melting cheese/chocolate and of course blended batters. After I wash the prawns, I use my 'meat' towels (budget towels I keep aside to dry meats like prawns, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken drumsticks etc.) to dry them and then they go straight in the batter for an hour or so, just to get used to it and soften up a bit. If you have soggy prawns (frozen or not completely defrosted etc); then the best way is to roll the prawns lightly in dry flour and then dip each one in the batter and put in to hot oil.
Personally I don't get the whole oil thermometer thing and I think it's just cooking naivety but then again, we never used one in a pro kitchen back in culinary school?! The best way to tell if the oil is just right is put in a drop of the batter and if it sizzles to the top, you are on your way. The idea is watch the oil, if it smokes, you may not get the right temperature back again (you'll put the gas off, wait it out ... reheat and all that!). Go with your instinct, the best temperature is a notch less than for pakora's (which have a denser batter). So heat the oil, drop in the prawns one at a time but a wee bit quickly, so they all cook together and evenly. Don't worry if they all converge into a lump, once they get ready they separate or can be separated with tongs (I love using tongs to fry, you get less excess oil when you take the food out of the oil). Fry them till they are light brown, for 2-3 inch prawns, 3-4 minutes is more than enough. Drain and serve immediately.
I like serving these with either a potent chilli sauce like the ones you get with Momo's (North Eastern dumplings) or my dad prefers them with a tangy Tartare sauce...season the tartare sauce with oriental salt seasoning or celery salt for a less mayo/emulsified taste and a more aromatic taste. Enjoy!
Oct 7, 2010
Shirazi Cajun Chicken
Mornings are getting nippy and the last time I walked the dog it was way past 9 pm, I felt a familiar shiver that only October can bring. This change in weather is ominous for many reasons, evenings set in early and I feel hungrier more often than usual. As much as I look forward to the festive season, I can't help but cringe; thinking about the weight I am likely to put on and all this is happening while I am supposedly trying to lose some of it! Damn! For me that can mean only one thing, I need to make my walks brisker and for more than 40 minutes because there is no way I am compromising on food. Oh wait, there is one more thing, alternate methods of cooking, no I am not talking about steaming, which has its virtues but they are few! I am talking about baking and grilling. At some level I do this with Crockpot meals as well but simply because they start on the stove, I feel compelled to sauté whatever the hell the base ingredient is, in oil! Aftermath of growing up in an Indian kitchen!
One of my favourite meats to bake is chicken and specific cuts like wings and drumsticks. I scour for places that can give me these cuts with the skin (ok ok I know this started out as lean cooking but with me that never really happens!) and I have a bunch of basic seasonings that are the rub-ins for the meat. Throw in leeks or red onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, whatever you like a d bake it! I am planning a hot and spicy Cajun chicken this weekend. Very very easy and very very yummy! There is one thing though, especially if you are in India, you have make a budget to buy exotic spices and other imported add-ons or you will be making your pasta with cumin powder and deggi mirch for a long time!
Serves: 2 in our house but 4 in most houses!
4 chicken legs and 6 chicken wings
5 tbsp Cajun seasoning, I like a brand called Louisiana. If you need to put together this mix, then try an equal part (2 tbsp) mix of onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper powder, 3 tbsp cayenne pepper, 3 tbsp chilli powder, 1 crushed bay leaf and 1 tsp thyme (dry) and 3 tsp salt.
3 tbsp butter, melted
Mix the spices and butter in a bowl. If the chicken is skinless, then you can make cuts in the legs, if it has skin then make sure the mix gets under the skin. Roll around all the pieces in the butter and spices till it is well coated. Place the pieces in an ovenproof dish and cover with foil, cook on 250 degrees for around 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 5 minutes for any excess juices to dry off, if the chicken is too dry then add another tbsp of butter. It is a good idea to give the baking dish a bit of a shake half way through so the meat moves around and cooks evenly.
I serve this chicken with cheddar mashed potatoes. Just make regular mashed potatoes, for every 4 potatoes add ½ cup of cheddar cheese with 3 tbsp of milk and 3 tbsp of butter, season with salt and pepper. Add the cheese while the potatoes are hot, so it melts well. Sauté some peas of French beans in little butter and some of the Cajun seasoning and make yourself a complete meal! Alternatively you can do my cold and hot combo thing, make a big bowl of coleslaw and serve it with nice crusty bread.
Cajun Coleslaw
Finely shredded mix of cabbage, lettuce, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, carrots and broccoli. Mix 2 cupfuls of the veggies with 2 tbsp of mayo, 2 tsp of Cajun seasoning, 1 tsp of lemon, juice and 2 tsp of black pepper powder. Mix it all up and serve cold.
Shirazi Shepherd's Pie
Ideally I ought to have called this recipe the Shirazi quick fix or Shirazi easy peasy because is what I make when I don't want to eat regular home food or slog too hard. I admit I love cooking but I also love doing nothing quite a bit! So please spare me the elaborate stuff ... for those kind of foods I can visit a fine dining outlet and let them suffer it out. I need for my food to taste good, get ready quick and still be 'fancy'!
Last evening my kid brother brought a dear friend over for an impromptu meal, I am calling it impromptu even though I knew she was supposed to come because I had left the cooking for the very evening she was due over. As luck has been favouring crappy meats like chicken and mutton (I haven't had time for fish shopping, which is something I do like people buy diamonds...no not occasionally just very very carefully). I had ½ kg of lamb mince and 4 gorgeous chicken breasts. The trouble was that the chicken breasts weren't plump enough to slit and stuff, they were fairly lean. And then I was sick of making burgers, cutlets and kofta's the last couple of months. One of my old time favourites has always been a nice, hot Shepherd's Pie, wholesome and rich ... it is even better as we head closer to winters. I usually serve a loaf of garlic bread warmed up in the oven or if I am adventurous I make a loaf of Focaccia, I also love serving a simple lettuce salad with this because I love eating cold and hot foods together. Probably a hangover from my childhood days of hot meals with chilled raita's.
So in the company of two youngsters (these kids are in their mid-twenties) I was thrilled to have company when I cook and since I don't like a lot of help, they seemed happy to be there. I started with putting 3 large potatoes in the pressure cooked, to cook them till soft. On the other fire was the other part of the pie.
Serves – 4 people, if you serve other dishes, then 6
500 gms of Lamb mince
2 onions chopped fine
2 large tomatoes cubed
1 tbsp tomato puree + 1 tbsp ketchup
6 pods garlic minced
2 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp red chilli powder, I use the sachets I get with pizza, the chilli flakes are awesome for this.
1 small bayleaf, this is optional because it is a bit of an overpowering spice and does tend to Indian-ize the dish a bit, but a Canadian friend of mine said it felt just right!
100 ml of water (less than half a cup)
2 tbsp olive oil, again for the zing, regular cooking oil will do too!
3 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of milk
Salt and pepper seasoning
1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated. This is optional, we like a cheesy top, though just the potatoes bake nice and crisp too.
Heat the oil and fry the onions and garlic till golden brown. I use a pressure cooker for this, so I can sauté for around 5-7 minutes and then one quick whistle and the mince is ready. Add the mince to the fried onions and garlic, break it all up. We personally don't like very chunky mince so I ask the butcher to pass it through the mincer twice, yet the sinew can make the meat all clumpy. Use a flat ladle to break it all up and mix well with the onions. Season with pepper and chilli powder, add the bayleaf and cook for 2-3 minutes, add the tomato cubes, the puree and ketchup. Mix well, add salt and cook covered (with a lid and not the whistle) for about 3-4 minutes. Add the water, cover with the pressure cooker's lid and let it whistle once. Open the lid to check if the mince is too wet, if it is, dry it up a bit on a low heat. Keep it moist and transfer into a square over proof dish. Don't use a dish that's too deep, each layer of mince and potato can be about an inch or two in height.
Now mix the milk, butter and seasoning into the mashed potatoes but make sure the mix is firm and not too runny, actually not runny at all. use a spatula to spread this potato mix on the mince, make a thick layer, so the mince or the sauce don't come to the top, a bit might escape from the sides but that will dry up during baking. I top this whole beauty with a cupful of grated cheddar though a lot of people that's too much flavour and heartiness for one meal. Bake at 250 degrees for about 5-7 minutes or till the top browns lightly. Serve hot with bread or veggie/onion crackers and a nice green salad.
We had this with a chicken tempura paired with a julienne of red, yellow and green peppers in white sauce, ya I do that! I call it Jap-Mex!
Oct 1, 2010
Shirazi Pomfret Fry
The one thing that I treasure the most in everything I ever learnt from my mother in law in her version of the Goan Rechad masala (red masala, rechad means stuffed, so that's not the masala's name but the usage's name). This cooking paste (that's how I treat it now!) is exactly the kind of bottled stuff you can never buy, though I'm sure someone, somewhere in the Gulf or UK has bottled it. Why I said my mother-in-law's version was because I am certain every Goan home has their 'kind' of red masala? Their ratios may differ, the ingredients certainly will and some folks like us like the masala a wee bit sweetish. I have had my share of Goan food, in Goa and outside, it is never exactly the same because every recipe has its treatment and a good cook/chef will want to treat it 'their' way. Thanks to foolproof flavour combinations and an amazing range of spices, Goan food has it all. The spice, the sweet, the salt and the sour!
Whenever my mum in law visits she either brings 2 jars of masala or if she is short of dry red chillies (she lives in Kuwait), then she makes it here with me. Thanks to this bi-annual effort, my refrigerator always has 'Rechad' masala and I can make fish curry in 20 minutes flat. I use the masala for a lot of dishes, stuffed pomfret, mackerel or prawns, clam curry, crab curry, prawn and lady finger curry and even a quick sardine curry to have with fried fish.
Shirazi Rechad Masala
15 red chillies, slit and deseeded
8-10 garlic cloves
1 coin sized lump of ginger
10-12 peppercorns
1 tbsp tamarind
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ cup of Goan palm vinegar, though I substitute with apple cider vinegar
Salt (like a teaspoon or two should do)
Soak everything in the vinegar for an hour or so, grind to a paste in a blender. Bottle and refrigerate. Another thing we guys like to do to make this more of a curry paste is blend this paste with a fried mix of finely chopped onions (2) and 2 tbsp of tomato paste. So I actually make two versions, the onion tomato one is for curries and the one mentioned above is for stuffing fish and prawns.
I usually buy 2 medium sized pomfret, I get the heads carved out and I get them slit through the side, so it opens like a book. I usually use one heaped teaspoon of this masala for each fish, it's potent as hell but it's awesome, so who cares?! I add extra salt, especially for Andy, he likes his fish and seafood to taste of the sea, salty and salty! For mackerel I would use a little over a teaspoon for each fish and for large prawns a little less than a teaspoon. Just smear it on the inside and fry in olive oil. I love the flavour olive oil lends to the skin of the fish, especially pomfret, it becomes crispy and slightly sticky, which is lovely to have with dal and rice. Sometimes I make a quick sardine curry because Andy likes fried fish with fish curry and since he will never eat the pieces from the curry, they may as well be sardines (too thorny for us and a tad too cumbersome to eat).
Sardine curry
4-6 sardines (little ones will do)
1 tbsp of rechad masala (the one with the onions and tomato paste)
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups of coconut milk (basically 2-3 packs of 50 gms each dissolved in warm water or fresh would be just perfect!)
1 tbsp oil
Fry the onions in oil till browned. Add the turmeric and the rechad paste. Fry for another 2 minutes, till the oil separates. Add the salt and the coconut milk, bring it to a boil and add the sardines. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot with rice and stuffed pomfret!
Picture courtesy - Bernardo's, Delhi/NCR's best Goan restaurant. Find them at B 229, Super Mart 1, DLF Phase 4 Gurgaon. Phone:+919811571379 / 0124 6518323. www.bernardosgoanfood.com. PS: Cres@Bernardo's makes pomfret rechad better than me!
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I'm a loyal reader and rely on Rotoworld for advice, but lately I'm finding myself disagreeing on half the stuff. Either I'm getting better at fantasy or the opinions from writers are just poor. I consider myself a big NBA and fantasy fan/follower, but Rotoworld's writers should have me beat in most cases.
A few things I'm specifically talking about:
Rotoworld: JJ Hickson should be owned in all leagues and formats.
- Wrong. He's been sub-par and Leonard is having a negative impact on his value. He's got double-double potential but there's a lack of defensive stats. He's worth holding on to in 12 team leagues but he's definitly not must own in less deep leagues.
Rotoworld: Kyle Korver is not a good pick-up.
- Wrong. He should be owned in all leagues. He gives great 3s, solid percentages, low TOs, and some steals. He's getting 30+ minutes a game for over 2 weeks now, and it's just now that Rotoworld has something positive to say about him. They suck Novak's wee-wee all day, but won't give Korver any props. The man has a solid role in ATL... certainly much more important than RW thinks. I picked him up a week ago despite RW's nonsense and I'm reaping the benefits. Almost anyone that gets 30+ minutes and starts is worthy of a spot on 10-12 league teams, especially someone who specializes in 3s without being a drain on your percentages.
Rotoworld: Aminu was dismissed last night and owner's were told to look other places.
- Wrong. They apologized today for it: "We shouldn't have told owners to look at other options since Aminu has provided late-round value even during his slump, and tonight's output shows exactly why. He's one of the few trusted players on the Hornets roster, and he should be owned in most formats." The kid has been amazing this year and they threw him under the bus for one bad game. I wonder what Noob wrote that. They should have the writer's name under each opinion piece.
Rotoworld: All over Stuckey as if he's ballin.
- Wrong. He's still inconsistent and bang average even when he performs. If we're gonna stash everyone hoping they bounce back, we'd all be in last place waiting.
Rotoworld: Jeremy Pargo situation
- They misread the situation and they apologized for it tonight. Donald Sloan didn't even get off the bench. Surprised they had no knowledge on this.
Rotoworld: Nene: "...and unless you need a big man taking a chance on him at this stage isn't worth the risk."
- Wrong. How the hell can you say Nene is not worth the risk? Rotoworld tells us all the damn time to stash s--- players like Nate Robinson, Jack, Drummond, etc... all guys who may NEVER see the starting line up this season, but a proven player like Nene doesn't derserve a stash? WTF?! Nene can easily do 15-8-1-1 if he's OK. I'm willing to take that risk and RW should be telling everyone to snatch him up in 12 team leagues. What's the worst that could happen; he goes down and misses time? Then just drop him. If he's OK (they've been super careful with him - he should be OK), then you can reap big benefits from a proven player. There is lots of upside here but RW ignores it all and doesn't see a point in picking him up.
Listen, I know fantasy is a bit of a guessing game but if they aren't sure of something, then they shouldn't throw out such factual sounding information. I would really like to see the names of the writers responsible for the opinion bits. Maybe we could rate them and give them a reputation so it shows next to their name.
I still love Rotoworld and all they do... great resource, but damn, there's room for some improvement here as well.
Just my two cents.
Edited by Patrick Bateman, 21 December 2012 - 12:27 PM.


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Land mines kill or maim about 500 people per week, according to the U.S. State Department. They deprive countless more of the land they need to make a living.
Many congregations worldwide will ring their church bells at noon March 1 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Ottawa Treaty banning land mines. Lutheran World Relief requested two peals: one for people endangered by mines, and another as a message calling on the U.S. government to commit to a complete ban on their manufacture, sale and stockpiling.
© 2016 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers


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Global Forum II -- Moscow: World Stories From a Surviving Planet
Home > Television > G > Global Forum II -- Moscow: World Stories From a Surviving Planet
Javier Perez de Cuellar
Mikhail Gorbachev
Carl Sagan
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:Two-hour coverage of an international conference held in Moscow in which political leaders and scientists discuss the environment. A team of journalists also reports on the cultural events coinciding with the five-day Global Forum in Environment and Development for Survival. The live worldwide telecast uses the Intelsat and Intersputnik satellite systems, featuring satelite feeds from several different countries. Also includes preproduced stories from 38 nations and organizations.


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if you can't fight it – jump on it
day 264: [somewhere in the desert] – [somewhere else in the desert] = 45,3km
Yesterday had been a disaster, but little did we know that today was going to be even worse.
Robozwerg's eyes were a mess: a funny pink color, all swollen up, and constantly watering.
The poor dude couldn't even blink.
So we figured he best take some antibiotics and apply an ointment, and then put on every kind of protection that we could find:
(Yes, it's Winnie-the-Pooh.)
Then it started to rain.
I had Robozwerg lay down on the cucumber, put the sun shade in his hands, and then I was going to push the whole thing as far as I could go:
…against the wind and the rain, hauling the bike with my blind little brother through the Gobi desert, as far as I could go was only about 4 hours – and 9 kilometers.
Then I gave up.
We devised a new plan:
Little dude was going to sit on the bike and pedal. And here's where it gets tricky: he was supposed to stay blindfolded the whole time, so I had to walk next to the bike, hold the handlebars and take care of the steering.
…and so we went, Robozwerg not knowing where the hell we were going, and me not knowing how far we would get.
We passed some old ruins that seemed like they belonged to the Great Wall fortifications in this area:
My brother didn't see them.
The mountains in the South were very pretty at times:
…but he didn't notice that either.
Then both our brakes on the cucumber failed.
And I mean failed as in f-a-i-l-e-d:
So now we had a new problem – the tailwinds and the downhill force:
With the brakes gone, I just couldn't slow down anymore.
I wasn't going to leave my blind Robozwerg alone on that bike either.
Suddenly I found myself in a very uncomfortable situation: the cucumber with the caboose and my brother were all moving downhill, and they were getting faster.
So I did what I had never wanted to do.
I jumped on the bike.
And I rode downhill.
Sometimes the winds and the downhill gradient were so strong that we reached speeds of up to 35km/h.
The Gobi desert passed by in a rush – my brother behind me – and the brakes were gone.
"Are we going really fast?" he would ask me sometimes.
I'd just say yes, and pray that we didn't crash.
And so we rode.
There wasn't that much downhill though. We even passed by a place where there were a few houses and some people living in them:
This place had been a mine a few decades ago, then it had been abandoned, and now they were planning to make it into a new one.
We rested in the shade of a pillar of the Great Wall:
Then we moved on for a couple of hours, until the sun was about to go to sleep behind the vast nothingness of the Gobi desert:
Again, with the sandstorm going on out there, we opted for the one-man tent:
Feeling that I had just cheated myself out of walking about 10 kilometers, I wasn't in the mood for jokes.
Robozwerg's eyes seemed to get better though.
Robozwerg says:
"Where am I?"
Soundtrack: Infestdead – "Angeldemon"
—total: 3511,3km


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In flush times, major brokerage and investment management houses are consistently on the lookout for new graduates. The idea is to fill the ranks with bright young minds and to mold them into financial professionals. But in slower times, jobs and good money aren't as easy to come by on Wall Street. With that in mind, what choices does a recent graduate (with Wall Street desires) have if after they receive their diploma the stock market is on the wane? There are a few options.
Head Back to School
Graduating with a four-year degree is terrific. However, to a certain extent, a bachelor's degree has become a common commodity on Wall Street - almost everyone these days seems to have one Therefore, recent undergrads might consider going back to school once again, perhaps for their MBA or another advanced degree. That may make them more marketable and cause them to stand out among other applicants. Also, hopefully, the hiring prospects will pick up come graduation time. (These certifications require time and money, but combined programs are making obtaining both more realistic; check out CFA, MBA ... Or Both?)
What type of degree or coursework would be the most advantageous to pursue?
That depends upon your career objectives. For example, a person looking to pursue a career as a chief financial officer (CFO) at a brokerage firm might want to obtain an MBA with a concentration in accounting and/or corporate finance. Meanwhile, a person who wants to go on and become a biotechnology stock research analyst might, under some circumstances, be better off taking science-related classes in conjunction with additional finance classes.
Again, think about what it is that you ultimately want to do, and consider talking to a career advisor to help you determine the best way to get there. (If your goals include a big paycheck and working for a Wall Street firm, then you need to learn how to meet employers' expectations. Read Top 4 Most Competitive Financial Careers.)
Consider Compliance
The need for individuals in compliance departments will always be present. After all, the well-publicized Wall Street shenanigans we've seen throughout history keep firms on the defensive. To that end, they'll be on the lookout for individuals who will make sure employees and the firm as a whole adhere to SEC rules.
Generally speaking, there is no set path one must follow to ultimately break in to compliance. However, having a firm understanding of the financial markets and experience within a firm is often a plus. Thus, getting one's foot in the door, perhaps in sales, trading, clearing or in some other department can be a stepping stone. (If you're a stickler for rules, this could be a promising career path for you, check out Get A Job In Compliance.)
Becoming a Financial Writer
The investing world has changed dramatically in the last 10 to 20 years. For example, in the early 1990s, many firms didn't use the internet, and many analysts and journalists studied hard copies (rather than electronic files) of financial reports. In addition, there were fewer sources of information.
These days however, there are seemingly countless print and web publications that are often able to respond to, and write about, corporate news in relatively short order, sometimes within minutes. These changes have opened up doors that weren't there before. It opened up a career path for financial writers and individuals with a passion about the markets and an ability to write and communicate. What's more, these types of people are needed in good and bad times. (Instead of working on Wall Street, write about it. See Becoming A Financial Writer.)
The High Payout Route
If sales or being a registered rep is your interest, you may want to consider linking up with a firm that offers a high payout on commission dollars. Often, but not always, the smaller more regional firms tend to be more generous. In short, this may help provide the rep with a bigger income during slower times.
However, there are downsides to smaller firms. Sometimes they may not be as financially stable as their larger counterparts, and it is sometimes easier to open up accounts when one is employed and backed by a large, well-respected, well-known firm. Finally, sometimes the larger firms may have better training programs than some of the smaller firms. (Before you agree to work for another investment firm, be sure you know what you're getting into. See Career Shift: Get In The Driver's Seat for more insight.)
Consider reviewing the websites of firms you might want to work at, and consider speaking with reps already employed at the target companies. They should be able to give you a better lay of the land and help you identify both the positives and the negatives.
Get Your Foot in the Door
Maybe you know you want to get involved in the securities industry but you don't know exactly what you want to do (although you do know you don't want to go back to school).
In such a case it may make sense to consider taking almost any job - within reason - just to get your foot in the door. At that point, you may be better able to determine where you want to go or what you can want to do from there. You'll also be in a better position to network and interact with people within the firm that may help them to identify a career path. (Moving to one of these financial hot-spot destinations could set your career in motion. See Top 10 Cities For A Career In Finance to find out where the action is.)
Bottom Line
A weak stock market can have an adverse impact on overall hiring on Wall Street, and on incomes, which by extension may discourage recent grads. However, recent undergraduates often do have options and can, as mentioned above, consider doing things that may help them adapt to the environment. (For more read Finding Your Place In The Financial Industry or for more articles, check out our Financial Careers Articles Archive.)


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Tag Archives: mail
1985: Postcards from the Edge (of Town)
October 1 is the birthday of the postcard, Daily Globe Editor Ray Crippen wrote in 1985. With the story were four examples of Worthington postcards. Unfortunately they were all in black and white–does anyone have a picture of these postcards … Continue reading
Tagged 1980s, 1985, anniversaries, columns, Isnt That Something, mail, news, postcards, ray crippen, worthington Comments Off on 1985: Postcards from the Edge (of Town)
1985: Damp Mail
Gotta love this 1985 Pea Pod about the mail being damp. Duck stamps have been around since the 1930s, I think.
Tagged 1980s, 1985, conservation, duck stamps, ducks, Humor, mail, news, Pea pods 2 Comments


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The Bachelorette
Is Arie Luyendyk, Jr. Using Chris Harrison's Online Dating App?
For the unlucky masses unfortunate enough to date without the help of private helicopters, intercontinental voyages, and dethorned roses, Bachelor/ette host Chris Harrison and show creator Mike Fleiss has the app for you.
Unveiled last month, At First Sight compiles short video clips to give users a visual taste of a potential date. Think a sanitized version of Chatroulette.
So who's using the brand new app? Well, Chris himself claims he'll be logging on to continue his journey for love post-divorce. And as we learned today, he may be joined by Bachelorette alum Arie Luyendyk, Jr.
Earlier this afternoon the race car driver asked the Twittersphere, "Has anyone tried @chrisbharrison's dating APP #atfirstsight?" to which the host with the most replied, "You should jump in buddy." Aye aye, cap'n.
It's good to hear the Season 8 Bachelorette contestant might be mixing up his dating pool, especially since it's been a little one-note recently. After getting the boot from Bachelorette Emily Maynard during the finale, Arie dated Bachelor Ben Flajnik's ex-fiancée, Courtney Robertson. When that fizzled, Arie moved on to Sean Lowe's ex Selma Alameri, but the pair split in March. Talk about keeping it in the Bachelor family.
So will The Bachelor/ette somehow be responsible for finally steering Arie toward true love? Honestly, if Chris Harrison can't do it, we don't think anyone can.
Source: Chris Harrison on Twitter


text: Antique Silver Framed Mirror, 21x45 Item #: 126390 $34.99 $16.97 Qty: Sorry, this item is currently unavailable online. Ship to Home When arranging wall décor, start with a classic staple like the Antique Silver Framed Mirror. This long mirror will set the tone in a stately yet elegant manner. Overall mirror measures 21.375L x 1.25W x 45.375H in. Beveled mirror measures 16L x 40H in. Frame crafted of polystyrene Antique silver finish Mirror weighs 4 lbs. Comes ready for wall mount; no hanging hardware required Care: Dust with a soft, dry cloth. To clean glass, spray a small amount of glass cleaner onto a lint-free cloth and wipe clean. Contact your local Kirkland's store for availability. Quantities and selection may vary by location. Sorry, this item is currently unavailable online.


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This is a really odd issue where some users are complaining that after they look at some emails in outlook they somehow get marked for deletion.
This only seems to occur to the outlook users. Thunderbird doesnt have an issue with this.
We are running 5.0.12_GA_2789.SuSEES10_20090126054645 SuSEES10 FOSS edition.
Does anyone know as to why some emails are apparently just random being marked for deletion upon reading?
Is it worthwhile just upgrading to version 5.0.16?
I know outlook doesn't seem to like IMAP much, but this behavior is really confusing us at the moment.


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When you run a powershell window in the background, how do you re-connect to it? Or instead, is it's output intended to be viewed via log file at that point?
Normally you would just output to a log and examine that for a scheduled task. However, if you can tolerate the console window flashing up briefly, you can pinvoke to the Win32 API to control the visiblity of the console window e.g.:
Normally you wouldn't want to show the window but perhaps you define an environment variable and then have the script inspect that environment variable for a certain value and show the window in that case e.g.


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Posted by Brian Robb on Feb 19, 2013 10 comments
We're closing in on just two full days remaining until the NBA trade deadline on February 21st, and as expected, the Boston Celtics have been at the center of many potential dealings coming out in recent reports. One possibility that isn't going away is the potential acquiring of Josh Smith, a guy who has seemingly been on the block at the trade deadline for 3-4 years now incredibly. After tweeting some nuggets on Smith last night, Marc Stein of ESPN.com had an extensive article on Smith this morning, floating some possibilities on the C's thinking.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Monday that the Boston Celtics have, indeed, registered their interest on the Smith front, with the caveat that they also remain highly interested in the Clippers' Eric Bledsoe.
Yet a Boston deal for Smith, sources said, would almost certainly have to be built around Paul Pierce, because Kevin Garnett isn't waiving his no-trade clause to go to the Atlanta Hawks if he's not willing to waive it to go to the Clipperland. And the prospect of Celtics front-office chief Danny Ainge exiling Pierce to the Hawks for Smith, after everything Pierce has done to restore the Celtics to glory over the past half-decade, is still hard to imagine.
At least for me.
Even if Garnett did wind up with the Clippers this week, after all the bluster against the idea, I still struggle to picture the Celtics telling Pierce that they're going to send him to the Hawks for the good of Boston's long-term health. The deal might make sense for Atlanta — since Pierce's $5 million buyout for next season would extend the Hawks' window of flexibility and create a new set of options — but it still looks like as an impossible sell in Boston.
Stein floats a number of other theories in his piece that we've discussed here at the Hub. Given the constant trade talk over the last few days that won't go away however, there is still a lot to debate here. Thus I was able to join Rich Keefe on 98.5 The Sports Hub late last night in studio to discuss the Josh Smith rumor and all Celtics trade talk in great depth. A few of the topics we broke down in depth:
–Just how legitimate was the Rajon Rondo for Dwight Howard trade rumor?
–The chances of Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett being dealt
–Realistic trade additions for the Celtics
–Possible other trade candidates from around the league
You can listen to the full podcast by clicking the play button below, or download the mp3 as well.


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Scents and Sensibility
by Mallory Passuite, 10/08/2013
Courtesy, MiN New York
117 Crosby St., SoHo, 212-206-6366
MiN's black floors, lush leather couches and wooden library shelves all add up to a warm, welcoming aesthetic that complements the shop's wares. The store is filled with intriguing scents, like Etat Libre d'Orange's surprisingly fresh Jasmin et Cigarettes (jasmine, tobacco, hay, apricot, cedarwood, amber, musk and tonka bean) and Kerosene, a line by the Detroit-based mechanic and self-taught perfumer John Pegg, who makes everything by hand—from the perfumes themselves to the metal bottles they come in. MiN also carries a selection of high-end shaving products for men and drip candlesticks in black and white. They have several samples of the latter burning in the store. Eventually, as one salesperson pointed out, the wax drippings completely encase the candlestick holders.


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Andreea is a sexy amateur pornstar known for her luscious body. This sexy latina has long curly black hair with big dark eyes. She's lustful, seductive, and amazing in bed. You would be crazy not give your left nutt to not want to fuck Andreea. She loves sex as much as we do on Reality Kings. The best part about this hot latina is that you can check her live on her webcam, located on RK Girls website, part of the famous Reality Kings Network!
Site: Pure 18
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010
I noticed the bathroom door was partially open and saw my sisters friend changing. She is such a hot eighteen year old girl. I could not help but to watch her. She totally busted me with my dick in hand. She freaked and told me she was going to tell my sister. I tried to bribe her but she was not having any of it. Then she grinned and asked to see my cock again. She told me to fuck her and it would be our little secret. I was in heaven. Her tight pussy fit so nicely around my cock. I thought she was a sweet girl, but she was far from it. She was naughty and loved to be spanked. She did not even think twice when she got on her knees to catch my load all over her face.


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It has been close to eight years since one of my students asked if she could build a hypertext reading of Gary Snyder's poem "Piute Creek." Brooke's work is no longer extant, as it was built on a now defunct server. But looking back I can glimpse how her project led to a series of questions about writing and teaching I have been thinking through for years.
In the summer of 2006, teaching for the Bread Loaf School of English in Juneau, Alaska, I experimented with using a blog to capture the intellectual and experiential work of a small group of graduate students in my course "Searching for Wildness." The project demonstrated to me the practical possibilities of writing in a digital format; it also helped me find a new medium for making visible what takes place during a college-level humanities class–that seeks to imagine through this visibility the shared intellectual project of teaching and learning.
During our year India I chronicled our experiences for family and friends on a blog where I posted a few thoughts on digital writing. Then, in 2010, I mused in "Professors, Students, Blogs" about my experiences writing on a web log (or "blog") during my sabbatical year. The writing and photography that accumulated on that blog from our time in India inspired a number of other writing-related projects using blogs, including working with students who were using a blog for their writing.
The 2012-13 academic year has been an opportunity for me to go further with the course blog. In my fall environmental studies course, "Writing in an Endangered World," the students and I did all of our writing using digital means. The course blog replaced the printed syllabus; handouts and writing prompts were shared on the blog; and I used the blog to engage with the materials we were reading before class and to reflect on our discussions. Students designed and archived their writing on their own blogs as well.
As I prepared the course materials for "Writing in an Endangered World" I wrote the following for the students in response to a question I thought some of them might have, Why a Blog?
E-mail, web pages, wikis, blogs, Facebook, social networks, twitter—much of the writing we are doing now takes place in a digital format. And while all of us are still working out the conceptual implications of these new technologies, the advent of digital writing has created pedagogical opportunities to think about (and with) the digital tools that we use to represent and understand ourselves, and the world.
I then went on to say:
Blogging offers significant opportunities for student writers:
- Designing and managing a blog offers experience using one of the digital technologies we use as readers and writers. Digital writing requires all of the knowledge and skill writers use in other formats in addition to the new ways digital writing blends modes of representation (visual and verbal) and creates opportunities for fresh conceptual and material connections;
- A blog can help shift the motivation for writing from the assignment to the writer. For it may be that one of the obstacles to growth as a writer is the writing assignment: that is, more often than not, writing assignments motivate writing for a purpose other than one's own. Your blog posts will therefore be focused on questions and problems rather than assignments, on the thoughtful (and creative) exploration of ideas as opposed to more mechanistic forms of response to the readings;
- The relatively short form of the blog entry encourages concise and purposive writing. Managing to say exactly what you need to say in fewer words will challenge you as a writer;
- The likelihood that the blog will actually be read will help you become more rhetorically aware—of the conceptual, linguistic, social, emotional and ethical concerns a writer must address to be effective with any audience;
- Writing in a digital format (a web log, or blog) enacts (and represents) the complex process of thinking and writing that takes place in a college-level course; and we will use your writing experiences, and the archive of writing that we create, to reflect on your learning process, and the role of writing in that process;
- Finally, from a standpoint of sustainability, a blog allows for drafting and composing and sharing your thinking without using reams of paper. While the resources to sustain the electronic networks consume vast amounts of energy, we will at least be using and recycling less paper.
All of these reasons are even more compelling to me having tested them in the fall. (It is pretty neat to teach a whole course as an English professor and use no paper.) As a result, I am embarking on another blog-based course this semester, our introduction to the major course, Literary Analysis. Once again, students will be doing all of their writing on their own blogs. The additional opportunity in this course is for students to create and curate a blog that might serve as a portfolio of their reading, thinking and writing in the major.
I would be remiss were I not to credit the idea of the student blogs to my friend, colleague and collaborator, Sean Meehan, who has used blogs with his students at Washington College. Sean's example has demonstrated to me the myriad ways a blog can be used to further my pedagogical goal to improve student learning in my courses. I should also mention professor Joe Harris' Spring 2012 Digital Writing course at Duke University that helped me find my way to a number of writings on the subject of digital writing. Too, I was intrigued by the question that professor Harris says drives the course: What needs to change when you write not for the page but the screen?
What I have discovered in my own work is that the problem of writing—and, of learning to write—remains unchanged. Writing is a problem precisely because it requires thinking. And thinking is an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. As William Carlos Williams reminds us, "an empty head tapped on / sounds hollow / in any language." As a result, Harris' question has become less interesting, perhaps. Still, as I become more skeptical of the claims about writing and literacy mediated by technology I am receiving in my book review editor mailbox book-length studies and essays in anthologies announcing on the one hand the fall of literacy as we know it and on the other hand a radical and visionary transformation of literacy.
In one of the recent books that has come across my desk, this one coming out of the national writing project, Digital Writing Matters, one finds a working definition and a kind of breathless sense that something profound is taking place:
[We] define digital writing as compositions created with, and oftentimes for reading or viewing on, a computer or other device that is connected to the Internet. This in itself is a transformation in the ways in which we write. The bigger transformation is, however, the networked ways in which we can share, distribute, and archive digital compositions using Internet based technologies. Today's network connectivity allows writers to draw from myriad sources, use a range of media, craft various types of compositions representing a range of tools and genres, and distribute that work almost instantaneously and sometimes globally. Michael Crawford, one of Chris Joseph's interviewees (2005), summed up the new possibilities of digital writing well: "I like to think of it as a totally new place . . .where one can experience freedom of form and from the boundaries now imposed." And for Alison Clifford, "The most positive aspect of digital writing has come from the need to re-think writing and how stories are told.
It would be difficult to make a case that the ecosystem of writing has not been radically changed. But at the same time, all of this talk about new possibilities sidesteps the day-to-day work of writing, and the challenges of teaching of writing. I'm just not convinced that the medium, in this case, is the message, or that digital technologies have changed the problem of putting words together in a sequence that does what we might want language to do. At the same time, digital technologies provide and exciting space for writers to write, and for students aspiring to become writers might find their voice. So as the jury continues to wander all I can say for sure is that digital technologies are simply one more set of tools to find our way to those mindful and mannerly and well-formed words we were hoping to write.


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Fomalhaut b, an eccentric directly-imaged exoplanet
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