*Eggnog Appendix

The eggnog recipe two posts below is a sure-fire way to get outstanding nog. Here in Des Moines, it's customary for me to tweek classic eggnog to fit my tastes, so I'm going to offer some provisos:
a) use the half-and-half, or at the very least only use whole milk
b) eggnog should never be made with rum, always use whiskey
c) I like to throw in about 1/4 cup of both creme de menthe and creme de cocao; not only will it make your eggnog taste like an after-dinner mint, the extra liqueurs will reduce the risk of any food-borne illness brought on from consuming raw eggs.

Merry Christmas Folks!

"Eau d'meat" sure sounds sweet?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28284679/

This just in! Apparently Burder King has launched a new product that's probably going global before your next cup of java; introducing the all new (and all original) meat inspired fragrance. My first question is this: "Does the essence for the fragrance come from real meat drippings in each bottle, or is it completely laboratory-fabricated?" Second: "Will this be available in a veggie-burger spinoff by the coming of the new year?"

I can't help but wonder whether or not this new novelty item will re-tool the world of fragrances as we know it. To my knowledge, nothing has been presented in such carnal terms before. After all, people like to talk about sex in terms of "primal urges" and "animal instincts", and everyone knows that the surest animal instinct is hunger. So the next time someone tells you that they're going to eat you up, it may have nothing to do with your sex appeal (despite the advertisements obvious erotic quality). This leads me to an important query-"Is the eau d'meat non-toxic?"

With so many American meat-lovers uninsured, the last thing we need is for the newest aphrodisiac to send a someone to the emergency room. My guess is that it's entirely toxic and should not be ingested. One might then ponder, "Why wear it at all?" If nothing else it may actually purport satiation and give way to a whole new kind of eating disorder. Lastly, I must admit that I am not at all impressed with BK's marketing angle. Eau d'meat is being distributed as a fragrance for men, which seems sort of counter-intuitive if you ask me.

Country-living and Holiday Cheer

Many of you city-dweller might be curious how us country-folk get geared up for the holidays. I'll tell you, it isn't easy. With the nearest mall-santa over 40 miles away, we tend to rely heavily on the 'nog. Yes, that holiest of communions between the raw eggs and whiskey is our primary Christmas time fuel.

Making it from scratch is recommended, especially by highly regarded culinary types like Mark Bittman. I tend to do whatever Mark Bittman tells me, so here goes with his recipe for the egg-nog.

Note: Bittman calls for Rum and I call him a pansy. Use Whiskey.

3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup rum (optional), or more if desired
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well blended. Stir in the vanilla, the milk or half-and-half, and rum if desired.

2. Beat the egg whites and fold them in thoroughly. (You need not be too gentle; they should lighten the drink but not be discernible.) Top with grated nutmeg and serve.

Perhaps Rob will shed some light on how they do it in Des Moines. Out of respect for the subject I'm forgoing the obligatory photo of a woman on/with a bike.

The Bicycle: A freedom-machine for women?

Since girls with bikes is going to be a primary, unspoken theme of my posts on this blog, I figure I should address it early on to head-off any confustion.

American Susan B. Anthony said in a New York World interview on February 2, 1896: "Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood."
---wp





Santa Clara County, California Supervisor Ken Yeager, is an outspoken advocate of the role of bicycles in emergency disaster type situations:

If the power is knocked out for an extended period of time, as it was in New Orleans, no one will be able to use credit or debit cards to purchase gasoline, and the gas pumps wouldn’t work without electricity anyway. Even if your car has a full tank of gas, the roads may be severely cracked or shattered, and sections of freeways could collapse, making it impossible to drive to a safer location.

This leaves the bicycle as the most reliable mode of transportation. A bicycle is narrower and much more maneuverable than a car, so it would be easier to guide down damaged roads.

Bicyclists wouldn’t have to worry about finding cash for gasoline or searching for working gas pumps. Flat bike tires are also easy to repair on the road.

I hope many of you will add a bicycle to your list of items for emergency preparedness. It never hurts to be ready.
---http://kenbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/emergency%20preparedness

I Think we can probably all agree with our friend Yeager, and as soon as I get a chance I'm going to upgrade my emergence preparedness kit:

I suggest you all do the same.

Weather Terror

With over 1,000 tornados per year in the US, who knows when one will finally cause meteorological carnage in a major urban area.

The weatherchannel aired a story about the potential damage that a high-intensity twister could have if it were to strike solely in downtown Chicago. Thanks to skillful virtual reality imaging, my mind raced as I saw buildings being ripped apart by the heinous storm. Naturally I wanted to investigate any truth to this terrifying weather phenomenon, only to uncover the unthinkable.

"An EF0 tornado will likely damage trees but not substantial structures, whereas an EF5 tornado can rip buildings off their foundations leaving them bare and even deform large skyscrapers." (If you witnessed the acclaimed 1996 thriller Twister then you already know the horrors of the "F5")
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado

That's right, skyscrapers. Freestanding, self-containted death traps in any major unexpected urban fire whirl. With conditions as unstable as these, who knows? The next day at the office could be your last.

Rob does Denmark in an afternoon

rob's recipe extravaganza

I like to keep my goons simple.

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 4 oz can of crab meat (I prefer real as opposed to imitation)

1/3 cup of green onions

1 clove of garlic (minced)

dash of soy sauce

pinch of sugar

square wonton wraps

Just mix the ingredients together in a bowl and place one spoonful into each wonton. Lightly wet the edges and fold in half to form triangles. Fry in vegetable oil until the wonton browns on one side and then flip them. It only takes a couple of minutes on each side.

*If the oil is too hot the contents will spill out of the wontons and explode!!!

Grant: "Don't get me wrong, I'm a Lance fan." Sheldon: "Oh my god, who isn't?!"

In the above linked to audio-file, bicycle-personalities Grant Petersen and Sheldon Brown jerk each other off while discussing the state of bike culture in the United States. Very interesting.