Week in Review
Tucson, AZ
Around this time of year, I am reminded of this classic post by Julian Sanchez: How Santa Made Me an Atheist.
Sunni Maravillosa passes along an article on The Passion of the Spaghetti Monster. I was touched by His Noodly Appendage earlier this year and celebrated my conversion with Sunni's meatball recipe. Better still, a long-awaited DOUBLE ISSUE OF SUNNI'S SALON is now available!!!!
Claire Wolfe reports on the beginnings of her Year of Silence. Even if one doesn't wish to go to the extreme that Claire is- and I don't- there is a good point about not overloading oneself with information. I am taking time over the holiday break from work to finish up some things to free up more opportunity for mental reflection and processing for myself.
One of the few journalists left on the planet who is actually doing a good job is Jim Bovard. This week he points out a Washington Post article that gives us a glimpse into the Department of Homeland Security's inner workings. Here's something the Post left out:
Disturbing news from Science Blog this week:
NASA gets in bed with Homeland Security
You've heard of Tookie Williams, but do you know who Cory Maye is? If not, check out Radley Balko's investigation and exposition of this extremely egregious undeserved death penatly case. Documentation is included.
The NSA's warrantless spying on United States citizens has been a hot topic this week. However, another important little tidbit has been somewhat overlooked. Jacob Sullum over at Hit and Run discusses the 4th Circuit's bitchslapping of the president over the Jose Padilla case. Though this story has dragged on for years now, it's a good one to keep an eye on as it has serious implications for all of us.
Recipe of the Week: Lemon-Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
I'll be making this in a few hours and taking it over to a friend's house this afternoon. I brought it last year and got a few requests for the recipe. The recipe is adapted slightly from Cook's Illustrated magazine's American Classics cookbook. Serves 16.
Streusel
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1 cup pecans, chopped
Cake
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus 2 Tbsp for greasing pan
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
Lemon-Blueberry Filling
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1. For the streusel: Combine the flour, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, and cinnamon in the work bowl of a food processor. Transfer 1 3/4 cups of this mixture to a small bowl; stir in the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and set aside (this will be the streusel for the inside of the cake). Add the butter and pecans to the remaining dry ingredients in the food processor bowl. Pulse the mixture until the nuts and the butter have been broken down into small pebbly pieces, about 10 1-second pulses. Set aside. (The streusel with the butter and nuts will be for the top of the cake.)
2. For the cake: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan (with 10-cup capacity) with 2 Tbsp softened butter. DO NOT SKIMP HERE. Combine the eggs, 1 cup sour cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
3. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sour cream and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Decrease mixer speed to medium-low and slowly incorporate the egg mixture in three additions, beating for 20 seconds after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute (the batter should increase in size and become aerated and pale in color).
4. For the lemon-blueberry filling: Toss blueberries with lemon zest in a small bowl.
5. To assemble: Add 3 cups of batter to the prepared pan. With an offset metal or rubber spatula, smooth the surface of the batter. Sprinkle 1/2 of the lemon-blueberry mixture on top of the batter, and then sprinkle 3/4 cup streusel filling (without butter or nuts) on top of the blueberries. Drop 1 cup of batter over the streusel, spread evenly, add remaining lemon-blueberry mixture, and then add the remaining streusel filling. Top with remaining batter, spread evenly, and then top with the streusel topping (with the butter and nuts).
6. Bake until the cake feels firm to the touch and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (although there may be bits of sugar from the streusel clinging to the tester), about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert the cake onto a plate or baking sheet to remove from the tube pan. Place a wire rack on top of the cake, and reinvert so the streusel is facing up. Cool for two hours and serve, or cool completely and wrap cake in aluminum foil. Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Basic Grammar Lesson of the Week
People do not "ban" together- they "band" together. Okay, okay, they can ban together, but that's different from banding together. If you ban together, you are prohibiting something together. If you band together, you are assembling or uniting as a group. Go forth and use these words now with confidence and accuracy.
Wisdom of the Week
The Ostrich's Tail
To make cookies, dough must first be rolled. To achieve this position, backs must be rolled so that only the woman's head and shoulders are touching down. With her legs positioned over her partner's shoulders, he may be tempted to nibble her toes. However, he must be careful not to take too big a bite, for that would be wrong.
--The Cookie Sutra : "Where imaginations are fertile, love will never grow stale, nor crumble."
Around this time of year, I am reminded of this classic post by Julian Sanchez: How Santa Made Me an Atheist.
Sunni Maravillosa passes along an article on The Passion of the Spaghetti Monster. I was touched by His Noodly Appendage earlier this year and celebrated my conversion with Sunni's meatball recipe. Better still, a long-awaited DOUBLE ISSUE OF SUNNI'S SALON is now available!!!!
Claire Wolfe reports on the beginnings of her Year of Silence. Even if one doesn't wish to go to the extreme that Claire is- and I don't- there is a good point about not overloading oneself with information. I am taking time over the holiday break from work to finish up some things to free up more opportunity for mental reflection and processing for myself.
One of the few journalists left on the planet who is actually doing a good job is Jim Bovard. This week he points out a Washington Post article that gives us a glimpse into the Department of Homeland Security's inner workings. Here's something the Post left out:
The Post article did not mention one of the biggest “Three Stooges” examples from Homeland Security. Last October, DHS finances were so screwed up that that some antiterrorist agencies were saving money by banning agents from using government cars and even prohibiting photocopying.And he's also got a good commentary up on How Federal Screwups Entitled Bush to Absolute Power.
Disturbing news from Science Blog this week:
NASA gets in bed with Homeland Security
NASA and the Department of Homeland Security signed a memorandum of understanding today to collaborate and coordinate on appropriate research and development projects...I guess that's not terribly surprising given that NASA and DHS seem to operate on the same substandard level of competence.
The agreement allows the Science and Technology division and NASA to apply joint expertise and technologies to improve national and homeland security and develop complex systems designed to protect the nation.
You've heard of Tookie Williams, but do you know who Cory Maye is? If not, check out Radley Balko's investigation and exposition of this extremely egregious undeserved death penatly case. Documentation is included.
The NSA's warrantless spying on United States citizens has been a hot topic this week. However, another important little tidbit has been somewhat overlooked. Jacob Sullum over at Hit and Run discusses the 4th Circuit's bitchslapping of the president over the Jose Padilla case. Though this story has dragged on for years now, it's a good one to keep an eye on as it has serious implications for all of us.
Recipe of the Week: Lemon-Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
I'll be making this in a few hours and taking it over to a friend's house this afternoon. I brought it last year and got a few requests for the recipe. The recipe is adapted slightly from Cook's Illustrated magazine's American Classics cookbook. Serves 16.
Streusel
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1 cup pecans, chopped
Cake
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus 2 Tbsp for greasing pan
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
Lemon-Blueberry Filling
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1. For the streusel: Combine the flour, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, and cinnamon in the work bowl of a food processor. Transfer 1 3/4 cups of this mixture to a small bowl; stir in the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and set aside (this will be the streusel for the inside of the cake). Add the butter and pecans to the remaining dry ingredients in the food processor bowl. Pulse the mixture until the nuts and the butter have been broken down into small pebbly pieces, about 10 1-second pulses. Set aside. (The streusel with the butter and nuts will be for the top of the cake.)
2. For the cake: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan (with 10-cup capacity) with 2 Tbsp softened butter. DO NOT SKIMP HERE. Combine the eggs, 1 cup sour cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
3. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sour cream and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Decrease mixer speed to medium-low and slowly incorporate the egg mixture in three additions, beating for 20 seconds after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute (the batter should increase in size and become aerated and pale in color).
4. For the lemon-blueberry filling: Toss blueberries with lemon zest in a small bowl.
5. To assemble: Add 3 cups of batter to the prepared pan. With an offset metal or rubber spatula, smooth the surface of the batter. Sprinkle 1/2 of the lemon-blueberry mixture on top of the batter, and then sprinkle 3/4 cup streusel filling (without butter or nuts) on top of the blueberries. Drop 1 cup of batter over the streusel, spread evenly, add remaining lemon-blueberry mixture, and then add the remaining streusel filling. Top with remaining batter, spread evenly, and then top with the streusel topping (with the butter and nuts).
6. Bake until the cake feels firm to the touch and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (although there may be bits of sugar from the streusel clinging to the tester), about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert the cake onto a plate or baking sheet to remove from the tube pan. Place a wire rack on top of the cake, and reinvert so the streusel is facing up. Cool for two hours and serve, or cool completely and wrap cake in aluminum foil. Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Basic Grammar Lesson of the Week
People do not "ban" together- they "band" together. Okay, okay, they can ban together, but that's different from banding together. If you ban together, you are prohibiting something together. If you band together, you are assembling or uniting as a group. Go forth and use these words now with confidence and accuracy.
Wisdom of the Week
The Ostrich's Tail
To make cookies, dough must first be rolled. To achieve this position, backs must be rolled so that only the woman's head and shoulders are touching down. With her legs positioned over her partner's shoulders, he may be tempted to nibble her toes. However, he must be careful not to take too big a bite, for that would be wrong.
--The Cookie Sutra : "Where imaginations are fertile, love will never grow stale, nor crumble."
posted by Kirsten | 12/25/2005 12:47:00 AM
1 Comments:
Regarding Cory Maye... the, as stated, "extremely egregious undeserved death penatly case" now has a petition.
For those who are still following or are new and interested, we've put together a petition on behalf of Cory Maye. We'll be sending this to the Governor of Mississippi either in the spring or whenever we reach 10,000 signatures; whichever comes first. We're already 4% of the way there.
We tried to keep the wording simple as the interest the case drew was so varied. The self-defense law is in question in the trial proceedings. We felt this was the place to start, given Mississippi's recent extension of the self-defense law to one's vehicle.
Please consider signing the petition.
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