Lessons From My Cat - Part 4

If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.

Robert A. Heinlein.

Cats, like women, tell you how they're feeling, just as long as you understand their language.

Let's remember that we have the advantage of a sophisticated spoken language to communicate. That is not the complete blessing you'd imagine. As accurate as English can be, it can also be used for misdirection and confusion. Argument and hurt are powerful reminders of the power of words.

A much simpler and easier to understand language is the cat purr. Purring is not completely understood, because cats use it when at both ends of the emotional spectrum: when they're happy and content, and when they're scared. However, for we amateur cat fanciers, there are only three kinds of purr we need to understand.

* the Perfunctory Purr is the greeting purr your feline will give as an offering of welcome. When you arrive home from work, she'll rub your legs (to confirm ownership) and purr for our benefit. It's the equivalent of...  


Hi honey! It's nice to smell you. How was your day?


* the Head Purr is practically the same as the Perfunctory Purr, but is used for a different reason. It shows that your cat is happy, but with a measure of wariness. This is the kind of purr you'll hear when you are working with your computer, and Paws decides she wants to prove she's more interesting that the screen. She'll sit between you and your work, or walk across the keyboard, or chase the mouse (!) She's saying...

Hey, pal, I'm in the mood for some play! Let's get with the program and pay attention. 


* the Total Body Purr is when your furry friend has completely given herself to being with you. Oftentimes she'll be sitting on your lap, or lying next to you/on you. The purr, as the name implies, encompasses her whole body, telling you that she's completely at ease in your company, fully trusting that everything's okay. My cat will let me - no! make me! - scruff her belly, which increases the intensity of her purr. When a cat is comfortable enough to bare their belly, they are showing you they have no fear - they're giving YOU their most valuable gift.

Vulnerability, or even the appearance of vulnerability, is the common thread between women and cats. Both have to be self-protective, even if they find people deserving of their trust. On a solemn note, men can be cats' best friends, but some men will be their worst enemy. It's the same for women. Men who want to be with and protect women are their greatest ally. Other types of men are their most dangerous enemy.

That's why women should carefully consider Heinlein's quote, above.




Bottoms Up, Purring Beauties.

BLT {Blueberries, Leeks & Toscano}

This month the Creative Cooking Crew is at it again, this time working their magic on the BLT sandwich!  Our challenge: create a new sandwich around ingredients that start with the letters BLT but are not bacon, lettuce and tomato.

When I started brainstorming ideas, I used some Blueberry jam as my inspiration.  Of course, this wasn't just any blueberry jam, but a savory version, complete with balsamic vinegar and rosemary.  My sandwich quickly become a BLT grilled cheese...

B- blueberries (in the form of a savory blueberry jam with balsamic vinegar and rosemary)

L- leeks (sauteed in a little butter and lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper)

T- Tuscano (Tallegio or Triple Cream Brie were other top contenders)

The sweetness from the blueberry jam and sauteed Leeks were nicely balanced by  some sharp notes from Tuscano cheese.  This was one delicious sandwich!

Thanks again to Laz and Joan for hosting and be sure to check out the roundup on Lazaro Cooks next week!

Guys Just Wanna Have Fun. Sorta.

I want to clear up a piece of folklore about blokes and their sexual appetites.

The shorthand way of looking at guys is that we're ready to down trou and have at it with any woman at any time. We're always thinking about sex, spend our waking hours daydreaming of naked women, and, in the absence of a willing partner, avoid masturbating 24/7 only because we need to hold down jobs and occasionally drink beer.

That's a caricature, but I suspect one with more veracity than is good for us.

In the abstract sense all of the above can be true, but it depends on what else occupies our brain. We guys are simple in the way we think. If there's a beautiful woman in front of us, we'll think about her. If there's a complicated piece of software to fix, or a business to run, that's where our attention goes. At those times - when occupied with the non-sex world - we're not sex obsessed. However, the trigger to swap *thinking* spreadsheets for *thinking* sport between the sheets activates with a small amount of pressure.

We're cocked, but not loaded, most of the time.

By way of precision, we need to understand here that we're talking about standard-issue males; men without hormonal, pneumatic, mental or physical blights that will prevent them attaining and/or maintaining an erection. These poor fellows exist, and we wish them nothing but a swift (and rigid) recovery.

However, even normal functioning men will pass on sex. It might be sex with their wives or even the nympho beauty who just happens to have dropped into our lap. Other stuff will get into our heads, for instance:

~ if we smell psychological problems with that girl who shows a sudden unwarranted interest

~ if the (not wife or g/f's) ardor doesn't add up for whatever reason

~ if there are unresolved points of tension with a wife or girlfriend

~ if we have some other overwhelming life problem going on

~ if we feel the woman has some other motive

~ if we feel the wife or girlfriend isn't entirely on our side

Important here is that these caveats only work when sober. After a few brews the defence mechanisms honed to look for these points of wariness disappear. Many a relationship begun when drunk is painfully dissolved in the company of a good hangover. A long, throbbing hangover.


Finally, a happy thought. How a woman presents to a man is important. If your wife or girlfriend puts their arm around you, and tells you how wonderful you are, and how they are lucky to have you as part of their life, almost all guys will be tremendously reassured. Remember, above all else men seek validation and approval from their woman. From that stems love and great sex.

Ladies: How easy is that?



Bottoms Up, Thinkers.

Arctic Sea Ice Animation

Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Volume

Above a tilted screenshot from the animation below, by Andy Lee Robinson, of Arctic Sea Ice minimum volumes reached every September since 1979, based on data from the Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS, Zhang and Rothrock, 2003) at the University of Washington.

Andy also composed and performed the piano music, "Ice Dreams", accompanying the video.

video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgiMBxaL19M

Dorsi Diaz

By Dorsi Diaz

They say a picture can be worth a thousand words. If so, then this video of the Arctic Sea ice loss between 1979 and 2012 must be worth a million. As the recently released video begins to go viral, more people are waking up to the reality of climate change.

Produced by Andy Lee Robinson, this beautiful short clip with its haunting music is revealing the reality of climate change in a brutal and honest way - perhaps even better than any journalist ever could.

In an interview with Robinson, I was amazed at how he had managed to put together this vital information in such a compelling video, and sought to find out more.

To the climate deniers horror, Andy has done this video with no sort of compensation - dashing away climate deniers theories that all climate activists "are on the payroll." With hundreds of painstaking hours put into the development of his video, Andy says he was motivated by "experimenting with ideas and what ifs" and sought to "bring to life something that only existed in my mind to communicate an important message that is being ignored."

To create the video, he used a text editor, numbers and only his imagination to weave together the horrifying decline of Arctic sea ice that has occurred in just 13 short years.

Andy says one of the reasons for creating the video was, "to contribute something to humanity and be recognized for it, applying the skills I have learnt with my free time and not to live in vain" and also, "to prove that anyone can achieve anything they want to given enough determination and dedication."

With over 100 hours invested just into the writing of the program for the video, Andy also said it took 28 hours for 7 servers to render the final video, then about a half hour to write, record, edit and merge the music. The piano composition in the video, "Ice Dreams", was also composed by Andy, who also specializes in digital audio sampling and signal processing.

Robinson, a linux system administrator and consultant, has a passion to bring awareness about climate change to the masses and is adamant about what may happen if civilization does not address this growing threat: "We are in a period of mass extinction and heading for decimation of the quality of life for most lifeforms on the planet, including ourselves who are also subject to the laws of nature of boom and bust as resources are exploited and depleted."

Robinson also believes, with many others, that climate change and ocean acidification are, "planetary emergencies in progress."

Robinson doesn't mince any words either when asked why he created the video: "To be heard loudly and truthfully because mainstream media is still tiptoeing around the herd of elephants in the room because of the fear of change and the pressure of special interests committed to ensuring it stays that way, ignoring the fact that it cannot."

Until recently, climate deniers had dominated much of the political landscape and held a tight reign on the mainstream media. Now that climate change seems to be spiraling out of control with billions of dollars in weather related disasters, people are waking up to a preview of what it's like to live in a climate altered world.

Robinson's research for the video uses records of Arctic sea ice loss from PIOMAS through the Polar Ice Center, a group of dedicated investigators that conducts interdisciplinary research on the oceanography, climatology, meteorology, biology and ecology of the ice-covered regions on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.

Through the perfect dance of loss and hauntingly beautiful music merged with pending disaster, Robinson has brought home a message in this video that we all need to heed: "Survival is not compulsory, nor a God given right. It requires effort, investment and cooperation."

Are we listening yet?

Dorsi Diaz is a freelance writer and art educator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dorsi's passion is to help adults and children unlock their creativity and imagination and to also spread the word about the effects of world-wide climate change - follow Dorsi Diaz on Twitter

Below, the Arctic Death Spiral, another visualization of the PIOMAS data by Andy Lee Robinson. 

Andy's Arctic Death Spiral - update incl May 2013 - latest version at http://haveland.com/share/arctic-death-spiral.png

Below, Andy's Arctic Death Spiral video, with the sea ice volume data controlling spectral harmonics.




Added below is a video of another Arctic Death Spiral, accompanied by Chopin's 'Funeral March'. This work is not by Andy, it's from reric.org by R. Eric Collins.

Vegan Happiness

A few years ago my wife read the funny and subversive vegan anthem, Skinny Bitch. Overnight she became a pescaterian. Gone were the chicken wings and steak bones she used to gnaw on with great pleasure. Gone too were the sausages, bacon and ribs that were part of her diet. Overnight I lost my culinary-companion.

Since I'm a stay-home-writer (except when I'm traveling), I cook most of our meals. That means cooking twice. One meal for me (brown sugar ribs, grilled sausage, braised beef, Moroccan preserved lemon chicken) and another for Michelle (tofu with sautéed spinach and shiitake mushrooms, spring vegetable soup, grilled vegetable chopped salad).

Her change in diet caused me to change the way I cooked. Not having animal products to thicken sauces and add layers of flavor hobbled my cooking. Then I discovered three beautifully easy-to-prepare flavor enhancers that are inexpensive and totally vegan. Also, they do not use any oil.

Reduced Balsamic Syrup

When balsamic vinegar is heated over a low flame, water evaporates, leaving behind a dark, flavorful liquid. Amazingly, the vinegar's lip-smacking tartness is transformed into sweetness that retains a touch of acid. The thickened, reduced vinegar tastes very much like expensive, aged balsamic vinegar that sells for as much as $40.00 a pint. 

Use the least expensive balsamic vinegar available. The restaurant supply company, Smart & Final, sells a gallon of Italian balsamic vinegar for $20.00. That one gallon yields a quart of reduced balsamic which in turn will last months.

To make the reduction, use the ratio of 4:1. Four parts of vinegar will yield one part of the reduced liquid. 1 cup of vinegar will produce 1/4 cup of syrup, which will make enough salad dressing for four meals.

The key to the reduction is low heat. Overheating creates a harsh flavor. Allow only a few, occasional small bubbles to appear on the surface of the liquid. As the balsamic reduces, lower the flame.

I reduce a gallon at a time to create 4 eight ounce squeeze bottles. That amount lasts us months. To reduce that much liquid using a low flame can take six to eight hours.

You can make a smaller amount in a few minutes. Just keep in mind the ratio of 4:1 and a low flame.

Onion Jam

All vegetables give off their water when exposed to heat. Cooked over a low flame, thin sliced onions give off a milky liquid that adds to their sweet caramelization. Traditionally onions are sautéed in olive oil to prepare them for soups and stews. To avoid using olive oil simply use a low flame and stir continuously to prevent the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

The onion jam can be refrigerated in airtight containers for a week or frozen for a month. Used as a base to make pasta sauces, soups or braises, the onions add a depth of flavor and sweetness.

In the Basque region of Spain, where pintxos, open faced sandwiches, are popular, room temperature onion jam is spread on grilled bread as the base for imaginative toppings that include charred red and green peppers, fresh wild arugula and quick fried thin strands of green cabbage.

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pounds yellow onions, washed, ends and skin removed
Sea salt and ground pepper

Directions

Thinly slice the onions the long way, from stem to root. Heat a large pot over a low flame. Add the onions. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Stir frequently with a wooden spoon. Because the onions render slowly, it is helpful to have other things to do in the kitchen. As the onions cook, they give off their liquid. Stir the onions around in the liquid to coat.

In time, the onions will turn golden brown. The longer you cook them, the darker they will get. I like them light brown although some people enjoy the jam when the onions take on a rich, dark brown color. Taste and decide which you like.

Remove from the heat. Let cool and use or refrigerate.

Tomato Essence

Delicious any time of their season, ripe tomatoes are one of nature's wonders. Eaten fresh from the garden, few vegetables can compare with the rich flavor of a summer ripened tomato. For a cook wanting to avoid using oils and for anyone who wants to steer clear of commercially processed food, tomatoes are a great blessing.

With very little effort, roasted tomatoes give up a delicious liquid that can be used as the basis for a salad dressing, soups, pasta sauce and braised dishes.

The technique is the essence of simplicity: turn on the oven, put in the tomatoes, come back in an hour, they're ready to use. To create tomato essence, use a wire mesh strainer or, better yet, a food mill which will separate the solids from the liquids.

It's that easy.

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 pounds ripe, farmers market tomatoes, washed, stems removed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Place the whole tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with nonstick parchment or a Silpat sheet (available in most supermarkets and specialty stores like Sur Le Table or William Sonoma).

Bake one hour or until the tomatoes begin to sag.  Remove and let cool.

There are two liquids available at this point. A clear, light liquid, perfect to make a salad dressing and a thicker liquid with pulp that is a delicious basis for soups, pasta sauces and braised dishes.

To create the first lighter liquid, place the tomatoes in the strainer or food mill over a non-reactive bowl and gently press down. That will release the clear or lighter liquid. Remove, cover and refrigerate.

Place the bowl back under the strainer or food mill and vigorously press the tomatoes until all the liquid and pulp have passed through leaving only the skin and seeds behind.

Remove, cover and refrigerate.

Tomato Essence Salad Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup first pressing tomato essence
1 tablespoon reduced balsamic syrup
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions

Substitute the tomato essence for olive oil and mix well with reduced balsamic syrup. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

End-Play

There are no straight lines in nature, which goes a long way towards explaining the female rump.

There used to be additional text in Genesis:

...and on the tenth day, He created lady rear-ends, and seeing that they were beautiful, named them buttocks...

...but scholars figured a seven-day work-week was sufficient for the the Almighty, and, anyway, the ethereal quality of these things was self-evident. So they dropped their creation from the text. Pity, really, because I feel it gives things a more recognizable character.

I bet you aren't aware that history is full of other, less grand stories testifying as to the way we men adore the curve of you ladies' backsides. You know the Mona Lisa? She's the one stuck in Le Louvre with 157,000 of her closest friends gawping at her every day. What's not well known is that Leonardo da Vinci originally wanted to paint a picture of her buttocks. She demurred, however, and said that she'd smile enigmatically and guarantee interest in the portrait for centuries if he captured her face instead.

I have it on good authority that her inspiring happy look came about when the painter gently caressed her bottom...

...Oh, Leo, you forward thing you. What a nice touch you have...mmmmm, just there...

...at which point he said

HOLD IT! That' perfect! Just the look I want!...

...neatly explaining why she looks that peculiar way.

Womens' buttocks are, clearly, the work of the divine. The curves are not of this paltry material world, giving many of us reason to spend our lives devoted to their admiration. Some guys will tell you they rank other aspects of feminine form higher, but in the end, we're all quiet lovers of your reverse.




Bottoms Up, Bottoms Lovers!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Pot Pie

Just a quick thank you for your thoughts on my post about the events in Boston last week.  Following Fridays turn of events I no longer feel scared, but still have a heavy heart.  Bear with me as I try to get back into a blogging routine!


We may be well into spring, but this is a dish I'd eat anytime of year.  A chipotle-spiced mixture of sweet potatoes and lentils hides under a nice flaky crust.  If you need a little something to cool off from the spice, a cilantro-goat cheese dipping sauce works perfectly.

There's a little something else hiding in there- stout!  I used a breakfast stout brewed with oats, coffee and chocolate to complement the smoky chipotle in the filling and it worked out quite well.  Add in individual-sized portions, and this dinner was a winner all-around :)

Sweet Potato & Lentil Stout Pot Pie
inspired by Lindsay
Serves 4-6

For the pot pie:
2c low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2c black beluga lentils
3T unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, 1/2" dice (4c)
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 1/2T whole wheat pastry flour (or whatever you have on hand)
12oz stout (I used Founder's Breakfast Stout)
1/4c heavy cream  (I used almond milk with a little arrowroot mixed in)
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed in the fridge (1/2 package)

For the sauce:
1/4c creme fraiche
2oz goat cheese, crumbled
juice of 1/2 lime
2T almond milk (or whatever you have on hand)
1/2c packed cilantro leaves
salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375deg.

In a medium saucepan, add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Stir in lentils and reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and cook for 18-20min, until lentils are just al-dente.  Remove from the heat.

While the lentils are cooking, melt 1T butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, ~4min.  Add sweet potato and chipotle and stir, cooking for another 5min.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add lentils and their cooking liquid, stir and continue cooking until liquid is mostly evaporated and sweet potatoes are just tender, ~3-5min.

In the same pot used to cook the lentils, melt the remaining 2T butter over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk until combined.  Continue whisking as you add in the beer, 1/4c at a time.  Finally, whisk in the heavy cream and remove from the heat.

Add the stout mixture to the sweet potatoes and lentils and mix well.  Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.  Top with puff pastry and gently fold along the edges of the baking dish.  (Depending on the size of your baking dish, you may need to roll out and cut your puff pastry.  I used two smaller baking dishes, each holding ~2 1/2c of the filling, and needed to roll out the pastry a little bit to make two squares large enough to cover the dishes.)  Brush the tops with milk or an egg wash, if desired.

Bake for 35-40min, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool at least 10min before serving.

For the sauce, add creme fraiche, goat cheese, milk, lime juice and cilantro to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and well combined.  Season to taste with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Serve pot pies with sauce on the side.

Have you added any sort of spirit to your cooking or baking lately??