This dish is best made with pasta. I've tried it a couple of times now and am finally satisfied with the recipe.
Marinade thick, center-cut pork chops in salt and enough Cointreau to nearly cover them.
Sear the pork chops with butter and then cook to medium rare (or whatever you prefer.)
Remove the pork chops and pour the marinade into the pan with the drippings. Add an equal amount of grapefruit juice.
Squeeze in the juice of one lime and just barely enough sugar to counteract the bitterness in the grapefruit juice.
Add heavy cream (a good dose, maybe 20% of the volume already in the pan) and reduce.
Pour a small amount of the sauce over the pork. Mix the rest with al dente pasta.
No pictures this time. There just wasn't enough time to snap photos with the girls wreaking havoc at the same time.
On a side note, both girls drank from a cup today for their first time. They were both really thirsty and just downed the water and mugi-cha very deftly. Another milestone. Oddly, Leia won't drink any water or mugi-cha from a bottle or sippy cup. She will only use a real cup.
31 January 2009
30 January 2009
Work Update
So I went in to work yesterday for most of the day and met with folks. The goal was to drop in on people to get status plus start to evangelize the ideas around TOC mentioned earlier on this blog. The teams are moving quite nicely without me (yay!) and I've now got a 2 hour presentation scheduled at a senior management offsite at the end of February. Time to get cracking on some slides. The best thing is that all the managers on my staff grok TOC pretty intuitively. One manager immediately bought the book and already finished it (and has ideas on where to go with it), which is sweet!
The other thing going on around work is that this vacation made me realize how valuable the time with the girls really is. I no longer want a job that takes so much time from me. It really is time to think seriously about public service. I've got 3-5 years left at the present job to finish this TOC idea. That gives me enough space to figure out how to work in public service. I've always liked teaching, maybe I should go into community college teaching. What would that take?
The other thing going on around work is that this vacation made me realize how valuable the time with the girls really is. I no longer want a job that takes so much time from me. It really is time to think seriously about public service. I've got 3-5 years left at the present job to finish this TOC idea. That gives me enough space to figure out how to work in public service. I've always liked teaching, maybe I should go into community college teaching. What would that take?
I Love this Diet
Ah, the joys of NHE. Disclaimer: Diets seem to be a very personal thing. This diet works for me. You'll have to try it for yourself to see if it works for you.
With the return from Japan this January I went back to my long-time diet, NHE. The diet is truly a find. Apart for a six month hiatus when the girls were born and occasionally weekly jaunts, I've been following this diet strictly since 1999. Now that I'm back on it, I can see why it stuck so long. I feel fantastic.
Energy levels are up. The extra fat gained after the girls were born is melting off and I've not yet started my exercise routine again. Just now I was unloading groceries from the morning's shopping and my belly felt a little uncomfortable. It took a moment to realize that I was hungry. Blood sugar swings are virtually eliminated, leading to a level head and better mood most of the time without those hunger pangs really taking hold.
Tomorrow night is carb night. Last week's Cointreau-citrus pork chops with pasta really worked well so I'm now trying it again but adding some fresh squeezed lime juice and a dash of sugar. Then I'm thinking of trying a chou pastry to make cream puffs (which is why I went shopping this morning - we're out of heavy cream.) I'll have to get my mother's recipe. She made really tasty cream puffs.
With the return from Japan this January I went back to my long-time diet, NHE. The diet is truly a find. Apart for a six month hiatus when the girls were born and occasionally weekly jaunts, I've been following this diet strictly since 1999. Now that I'm back on it, I can see why it stuck so long. I feel fantastic.
Energy levels are up. The extra fat gained after the girls were born is melting off and I've not yet started my exercise routine again. Just now I was unloading groceries from the morning's shopping and my belly felt a little uncomfortable. It took a moment to realize that I was hungry. Blood sugar swings are virtually eliminated, leading to a level head and better mood most of the time without those hunger pangs really taking hold.
Tomorrow night is carb night. Last week's Cointreau-citrus pork chops with pasta really worked well so I'm now trying it again but adding some fresh squeezed lime juice and a dash of sugar. Then I'm thinking of trying a chou pastry to make cream puffs (which is why I went shopping this morning - we're out of heavy cream.) I'll have to get my mother's recipe. She made really tasty cream puffs.
29 January 2009
Scotch Blogging
Aberlour A'BunadhLast trip to Bev Mo I spied a scotch I'd not tried before, Aberlour A'Bunadh. Its a Speyside. Since I'm back on NHE and can't really partake of wine or beer very readily, I'll start reviewing scotches instead. For all you whiskey lovers, cheers!
The first thing to notice, beyond the annoyance of the wax cap that needs to be peeled off, is the beautiful caramel color. This scotch is darker than most in color. It casts a wonderful rich hue on the white table beneath the glass. The smell of the sherry plugs are evident from the moment you bring the glass to your face. It also smells really smooth, with barely a hint of the medicinal smell many popular scotches exhibit.
The taste is just as smooth as expected. Swishing the liquor around the mouth causes no sharpness at all on the tongue. The Oak taste is dominant, with strong overtones of powdered ginger and cherry. There's a slight, pleasant bite at the back of the palate as you swallow followed quickly by strong aftertastes of pepper, sherry and, slightly weaker, oak. The taste is as rich as the color and the silky, creamy body.
A fine scotch here on all counts. How to rank? Let's use the glass scale of 0-5, with 0 being nearly undrinkable and 5 being heathered heaven. A drinkable, nondescript scotch like The Glenlivet 12 year single malt can be pegged at the middle of 2.5 glasses. Given this scale, I'd rank Aberlour A'Bunadh a solid 4.5 out 5. This scotch is easily the match of something like a MacCallan 18, which is saying a lot. Sip it nice and slow. If the flavor had a little more character it would get the 5.
27 January 2009
48 Questions Meme
Because I can't pass up a pointless meme.
48 Questions (from Kona:
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My father, Richard. It was a stretch.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When Leia went back to falling asleep in my arms again. She didn't for a month or more.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I avoid it as much as possible.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Liver of some kind.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Twin girls, almost 8 months old.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Of course. I'm too cool for words.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Yes.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No. Not interested. What are the safety statistics, anyway?
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Muesli.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
None of my shoes have ties.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Vanilla.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Hair.
15. RED OR PINK?
Red.
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Procrastination.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My wife. There's not much time to spend together these days.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Nah. Its a waste of time.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
White socks (no shoes) and gray pants.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Colin Walcott, Jack DeJohnette, JOhn Abercrombie in "Prancing" on the album "Cloud Dance". Its Indo-Bop.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Orange.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Bread with good yeasts baking, reducing cream and cognac with mushrooms, really well made sushi rice.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
The manager of my Seattle team.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Seems cool. Never met. Would love to share a volcano with him if the opportunity ever arose.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Turn off the TV and participate.
27. HAIR COLOR?
Depends on the month. Naturally brown-gray.
28. EYE COLOR?
Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
I first said "my own." While I like to brag about my cooking, the food really is better in Barcelona.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Like Kona, thought-provoking endings. 2001 Space Odyssey comes to mind.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Baby Mozart.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Gray. Its a drab winter day.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Kisses.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
My bladder.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
911
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Plato's "Dialogues".
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No pad.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Nothing.
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Groovy bass.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
In an absolutely objective sense, probably somewhere in the air over Bangladesh.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
It seems that way; but, I'm not sure what it is.
46 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Dearborn, MI.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Anyone who bothers.
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
She used the printer outside my office.
Update: It seems that wasn't 48 questions. Here's three more from Toast:
12. DO YOU BELIEVE IN EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENT LIFE?
Yes. The odds are in favor of it.
20. HOW OFTEN DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR DREAMS?
I don't sleep enough to remember my dreams. At this time in my life, I barely sleep.
36. HOW MANY MORE YEARS DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ON THIS EARTH?
Either 5 and I die from a heart attack from work pressure - or - 75 and I slip into a cannabis-tainted dream and pass away at the ripe old age of 115.
48 Questions (from Kona:
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My father, Richard. It was a stretch.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When Leia went back to falling asleep in my arms again. She didn't for a month or more.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I avoid it as much as possible.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Liver of some kind.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Twin girls, almost 8 months old.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Of course. I'm too cool for words.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Yes.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No. Not interested. What are the safety statistics, anyway?
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Muesli.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
None of my shoes have ties.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Vanilla.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Hair.
15. RED OR PINK?
Red.
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Procrastination.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My wife. There's not much time to spend together these days.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Nah. Its a waste of time.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
White socks (no shoes) and gray pants.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Colin Walcott, Jack DeJohnette, JOhn Abercrombie in "Prancing" on the album "Cloud Dance". Its Indo-Bop.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Orange.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Bread with good yeasts baking, reducing cream and cognac with mushrooms, really well made sushi rice.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
The manager of my Seattle team.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Seems cool. Never met. Would love to share a volcano with him if the opportunity ever arose.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Turn off the TV and participate.
27. HAIR COLOR?
Depends on the month. Naturally brown-gray.
28. EYE COLOR?
Blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
I first said "my own." While I like to brag about my cooking, the food really is better in Barcelona.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Like Kona, thought-provoking endings. 2001 Space Odyssey comes to mind.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Baby Mozart.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Gray. Its a drab winter day.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Kisses.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
My bladder.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
911
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Plato's "Dialogues".
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No pad.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Nothing.
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Groovy bass.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
In an absolutely objective sense, probably somewhere in the air over Bangladesh.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
It seems that way; but, I'm not sure what it is.
46 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Dearborn, MI.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Anyone who bothers.
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
She used the printer outside my office.
Update: It seems that wasn't 48 questions. Here's three more from Toast:
12. DO YOU BELIEVE IN EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENT LIFE?
Yes. The odds are in favor of it.
20. HOW OFTEN DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR DREAMS?
I don't sleep enough to remember my dreams. At this time in my life, I barely sleep.
36. HOW MANY MORE YEARS DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ON THIS EARTH?
Either 5 and I die from a heart attack from work pressure - or - 75 and I slip into a cannabis-tainted dream and pass away at the ripe old age of 115.
26 January 2009
Glenn Rocks
Check out Glenn Greenwald's post, particularly the video. This freshman Congressman is doing a fantastic job.
Can we please have some criminal prosecutions?
Can we please have some criminal prosecutions?
24 January 2009
Update
My laptop died on Monday and I won't get a new one until I return to work in a few weeks. So posting will be extremely light for the next couple of weeks.
Bake-n-Bake episodes are queued up: Cointreau-citrus pork chop with pasta and spicy tequila beef. I'll post them after the new laptop arrives.
Alisa has her fifth and sixth teeth now. Leia is still toothless. Alisa is also "playing" the recorder (she's figured out how to blow on it to make it whistle.) Leia uses her recorder to beat on the bodhran; but, she's really grooving when I play the bass and likes to strum the strings herself.
So far everyone at work agrees with my assessment of the "Bottleneck" for the Theory of Constraints. The question is what to do about it. I'm speaking with my boss this week about it.
Update: It looks like its eight teeth for Alisa. There were two more hiding in the top that have just broken through her gums. So eight teeth and she's not even eight months old.
Also, Carb Night! Pizza, beer, cheese cake, strawberry shortcake, potatoes, rice. Mmmmm.
Bake-n-Bake episodes are queued up: Cointreau-citrus pork chop with pasta and spicy tequila beef. I'll post them after the new laptop arrives.
Alisa has her fifth and sixth teeth now. Leia is still toothless. Alisa is also "playing" the recorder (she's figured out how to blow on it to make it whistle.) Leia uses her recorder to beat on the bodhran; but, she's really grooving when I play the bass and likes to strum the strings herself.
So far everyone at work agrees with my assessment of the "Bottleneck" for the Theory of Constraints. The question is what to do about it. I'm speaking with my boss this week about it.
Update: It looks like its eight teeth for Alisa. There were two more hiding in the top that have just broken through her gums. So eight teeth and she's not even eight months old.
Also, Carb Night! Pizza, beer, cheese cake, strawberry shortcake, potatoes, rice. Mmmmm.
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