Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

This is a major achievement. The first laundry I've managed to fold since the whole pinched nerve thing started.

Last Boost: Advertisers do stuff like that on purpose to get your attention. My fave is the Lion King "Bikini" poster. If you see it out of the corner of your eye, it's a bikini. Then you turn your head for a better look and realize it's a Lion King poster. The poster got your attention, which is the point.

A nice cap to the end of a hectic week.

Presented without further comment.

Finally went to Triple XXX in Issaquah after many recommendations. Sadly have to say that I wish they'd put as much effort into their burgers as they did the decor.

While it's expensive, the portion sizes are mighty and the frosted mugs are a plus. But there's just not a lot of flavor in the burgers. And I mean, that's the reason I was there....

Remember that time when Medium Punch Chun-Li visited Iron Chef?

This brought back memories:

I found a game I thought I'd lost since the late 90s! Apparently, I misfiled it in a driver directory, and couldn't remember the name of it.

Thankfully, it's moved to my DOS Virtual Machine and scheduled to be backed up to the proper spot at the end of the month.

This is what a $10,000 a dose medication looks like.

If I ever won the lottery, I wouldn't tell anyone, but there'd be signs:

"Describe yourself in three fictional characters?"

I change over time. Sometimes dark, sometimes light. Hopefully for the better.

I NEED TO BE IN THAT REALITY

So I finished the overlay of my bootlegs to the Season 1 DVD versions of Spartakus, but I was missing three episodes. I went online to see if anyone else out there had the three episodes I'm missing and...

Guh.

These look SO much better than my DVD set, too!

https://lostmediawiki.com/Spartakus_and_the_Sun_Beneath_the_Sea_(found_English_dub_of_French_animated_series;_1985-1987)

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Hungarian Beef Stew

This recipe must have a misprint in it, because after seeing the amount of leeks versus the amount of broth the stew called for, it just wasn't going to work.

I cooked the meat with the amount of broth it called for, and that was fine, but once the leeks went in, there was no way the leeks were going to wilt up with that little broth. I ended up doubling the broth, which is fine as that's one quart of broth, and what I usually use in stew.

And it came out amazing. Who knew the problem wasn't going to be "three leeks is a LOT" and instead was "this is NOT enough broth?"

The recipe below has the correct amount of broth.

# Hungarian Beef Stew
Easy Basics for Good Cooking

2.0 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 pounds beef chuck (cut into 1 inch cubes)
1.0 quart beef broth
1.0 clove garlic (minced)
1.0 tbsp paprika
3.0 whole leeks
1.0 whole bell pepper
0.5 pound small mushrooms
0.25 cup whipping cream
1.0 tbsp cornstarch
2.0 tbsp sherry
salt
pepper

1 - Heat oil in a 5-quart kettle over medium-high heat.
2 - Add meat, a few pieces at a time, and cook until browned on all sides.
3 - Stir in broth, garlic, sherry and paprika.
4 - Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is tender when pierced (about 1 hour).
5 - Meanwhile, trim and discard tops from leeks, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of green leaves.
6 - Split leeks lengthwise, rinse well, then cut into 1-inch lengths.
7 - Seed pepper and cut into 1-inch squares.
8 - Add leeks, pepper, and mushrooms to meat.
9 - Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender when pierced (15 to 20 minutes).
10 - Stir in cream and cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, over high heat until thickened.
11 - Season to taste with salt and pepper.

#cooking #thisweeksmeals

I get all the jokes now!

This Week's Bread: Struan Bread

So, after figuring out the problem with the yeast LAST time, I tried the struan bread again, and found ANOTHER problem. The recipe calls for INSTANT yeast. I don't use instant yeast, I use active dry yeast. I didn't know there was a difference, so I was just dumping my yeast into the ingredients like the recipe said.

This time, I bloomed the yeast in water first. I also did the first rise in an oven where I turned the heat on for two minutes, and when I took the bread out, IT FREAKING FILLED THE PAN FIRST TIME. :D

I punched it down, did a quick knead, reheated the oven and let it rise again. Again, it filled the bread pan. And then I baked it for twenty minutes. I couldn't get it to bake for some reason, and left it in for another ten miinutes. At thirty it was done.

I could tell it was WAAAAY better just taking it out of the pan. IT was bouncy, squeezable, and not dense at all. I cooled the bread down and cut it in half - and it's super moist, with Big Crumb. Very happy.

I'm not calling it mastered yet, mainly because I keep screwing up one thing, and that's an egg. I added an eggwash at the end of the recipe to make the sesame seeds stick. The problem? I keep reading my instructions and they say "Add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl." Annnnnd, I forget to read the next part: "Except the egg and sesame seeds." So I keep adding an egg where it's not supposed to be.

I think this is why the bread is INCREDIBLY moist. To the point that it almost seems like the dough is soggy. And I freaking keep doing it.

So this loaf will last me two weeks, so I 'll try it again then. Remind me to not add the freaking egg next time. :)

Timely.

There is one place I'd like to visit when I get back to Texas, and that's this spot. It was here, in 1995, I comitted to my transition. It was a rough night. It ended badly. But here is where it happened.

The picture on the left is from 2008, still looking much like it did that night. On the right, May 2023. The road I took to get there has pretty much been obliterated and exists only as a property line now. Thankfully, this segment of "Blind Bandit Creek Road" uses the old Kallison Lane road for it's path.

The woods on the right are protected as they're part of the Government Canyon State Park, but that old power line anchor is all that's left of the area as I remember it.

I should go out there before it's gone completely.

Today's Breakfast: Savory Dutch Baby

I don't normally cook on my cheat day, but I really REALLY wanted a Savory Dutch Baby, and gosh darn it, I was gonna have a Savory Dutch Baby.

# Savory Dutch Baby

Adam Ragusea

2.0 whole eggs (batter)
2.0 pinches salt (batter)
2.0 tsp sugar
0.6666666666666666 cups whole milk
butter
1.0 whole scallion
3.0 ounces salami
2.0 whole eggs (topping)
0.6666666666666666 cups flour
2.0 tbsp mascarpone
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

1 - Preheat an oven to 425 with an oven safe skillet/casserole dish/pie pan inside.
2 - Whisk the eggs, salt and sugar in a bowl until frothy.
3 - Whisk in 2/3 cups flour until smooth.
4 - Whisk in the milk and marscapone.
5 - Let the batter sit for 20 minutes.
6 - Remove the skillet and grease the bottom and sides with a layer of butter (it'll immediately melt, which is fine).
7 - Add your batter and return the skillet to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes.
8 - While cooking, chop your scallions and salami.
9 - Break two eggs into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
10 - After 15 minutes remove the dutch baby and allow to deflate a bit.
11 - Once it's flat enough for the ingredients add the salami, your eggs and cover with chopped scallions.
12 - Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until eggs are done to your liking.

#cooking #breakfast #thisweeksmeals

Tonight's Dr Who is The Runaway Bride.

Oh, my goodness, Catherine Tate's Donna is so so so so annoying in this episode. I remember when it was announced that she was going to be the Doctor's companion I rolled my eyes and figured we were in for a nightmare.

She ended up being the best companion of the new series.