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United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

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Monday, November 11, 2002

You know, whenever I hear some politician say "It's time to _____". I think of this passage from the pre-ATI AIW: There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, `Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!' (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. Maybe when someone says "It's time", you better watch out? 6:58:09 PM    comment []

Some early reports of the tornado that hit Van Wert, OH yesterday say it was heralded by dark clouds rolling along the horizon, not by a typical funnel cloud. Reports from the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925 also mention that phenonomen. If you ever see something like that, go down a rabbit hole, do not try to surf it! 6:23:39 PM    comment []

I re-read these lines I'd posted from The Owl and the Pussycat: "Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will." So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the hill. Its meaning got warped after I read this blognibble from Rayne - <evil giggle> 5:40:59 PM    comment []

The Mehu-Liisa has gotten me into some projects I never would have started using jelly bags to extract clear fruit juice. A digital thermometer with probe has helped me to understand gelling better. But RTFM would have prevented my Sunday disaster. To gell, you need acid, pectin, and sugar. The FM clearly says this: Corn syrup or honey can replace part of the sugar. Care should be taken in using these, however, since too much will mask the fruit flavor and alter the gel structure. Only recipes tested and developed for the use of these products should be used. They should not be used to replace sugar in standard recipes since too little sugar prevents gelling and may allow yeasts and molds to grow. I tried to make the jelly with only one cup of sugar and 4 cups of honey. It didn't matter that I had a digital thermometer telling me the precise gelling temperature because I'd messed up the basics. My instincts were correct on the second cooking; add sugar and acid (more lemon juice) and the jelly has set firmly now, but even if the honey flavor does not dominate it will be the only thing I taste. Better that than teasts and molds. Speaking of which, this is day 14 of the portabella mushroom kit and the moldy growth on the casing now covers about 40% of the surface. I've been checking it daily since the 10th day and misting it around the edges, where the growth began, working slowly inward. The instructions say the next phase, the growth of recognizable mushrooms, should be started when "most" of the surface is covered with the stringy mold. That should happen in a day or two (assuming "most" => 75% of the available area and the center of the rectangle covered), then the plastic gets cut away and the box "tented" to allow the mushrooms to sprout. Harris-Teeter has portabellas at $1.99 a pound this week, meaning I coulda bought 10 pounds for what this kit cost me and just dried them. Not to belabor the mea culpa mindset (is that still a word?), I'll have 3-5 weeks of fresh mushrooms from the box. (of course, every mushroom harvested will be weighed so we can have a comparative cost analysis at the end of the project - they wouldn't taste very good without a CCA now, would they?)   4:40:23 PM    comment []

Really wish I hadn't used the honey in the jelly now, that cloying smell is still haunting my nostrils. At least the stuff (now I'm hedging on calling it "jelly") did firmly set on the revised second edition. All that work to force the juice from the persimmons, which turned out a pleasant pink lemonade color, and now the jelly is the color of honey. Maybe I'll donate this batch to the homeless...shit...no - they've got it tough enough. It might be okay. My whole perception of this project is tainted by the time spent stirring during the first cooking. The persimmons didn't have a signature aroma in either the Mehu-Liisa extraction or subsequent reduction of the juice. Herbalists assign mystical qualities to raw honey and that's understandable to me now since they never smell it cooking. It is overwhelming. I can only hope the aroma was mostly eliminated in the second cooking - and "hope" is not a predictable ingredient. 1:30:19 AM    comment []