How to Understand the Federal Budget

from grandteuton.blogspot.com

Here's a rather simple way to get your head around the federal budget: divide by 100,000,000 (yes, that's One Hundred Million).

Philip Greenspun has a nice post on this at his blog:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2011/04/10/understanding-congresss-solution-to-the-federal-deficit-problem/

Check it out, and see if it all makes more sense, now.

What to Read Next

from grandteuton.blogspot.com
 
Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller.

Wow. I waited a long time before finally buying and reading this book. I had heard nothing but good reviews from people I trust and/or admire, but still, I waited a long time before I bought it and read it. Generally that's a good way to make it nearly impossible for a book to live up to those raised expectations, but this one was even better than I had expected and had been led to believe it would be.

I've read plenty of books on theology.
I've read plenty of books on Christian living.
I've read plenty of books on growing up and learning what it's all about.
This one was different.

Rather than laying out a systematic theology, rather than giving advice on how to live so that my beliefs would show through, this book shows the reader what Christian living can look like.

The friends and acquaintances who peopled Miller's experiences and relationships were real enough to actually matter, and the lessons weren't simply presented as lessons, but rather as stories. There's a power to stories that can't be matched by discussions and arguments, and that power is very much in evidence here.

It reminded me of On the Road, by Kerouac, in that there was a great adventure of a man learning who he really is. At the same time, it's completely different - Miller grows into knowing what relationship is, and how that defines each of us.
Each time he spouted a strong opinion that bothered me, it was quickly followed by something like, "Now wait a minute; that's how I felt at the time. Let me tell you why, and how things changed after that." It was a very effective way to confront the reader with something challenging.

To sum up, this is one of the best books I've ever read - not just on Christian living, or spirituality, or whatever, just one of the best books I've ever read. It's nice to be challenged so much in a loving way.
Highly recommended to all and sundry.

Quiche-age du Jour - 27 March 2011

from grandteuton.blogspot.com

When Christian was home, I fell into my old shopping habits of buying more food than Heidi and I can eat on our own.  Of course, we didn't get around to cooking all the stuff we had thought to eat, so when he headed back to the last frontier (Alaska, not Space, more's the pity), we had a very sizable hunk of salmon filet waiting for us.
We gave it the old college try, but there was still a large piece of fish left over after dinner.  What to do?  What to do?  What else but a salmon quiche?!  (what ever happened to the interrobang?)

Technically, my quiches aren't really quiches.  Over the years, I've developed my own hybrid entity, sitting (quite comfortably, thank you very much) between a quiche and a soufflé.  It's lighter than a quiche, heartier than a soufflé, and it's my very own creation, so I like it best.
If you want to get technical, you'll just have to go hungry at my house.
 
So, Sunday comes along and it's time for the quiche.  I blind baked a crust (that smelled really good, by the way), and got the rest of the fixings ready.  Sautéed onions received the broken-up salmon to bring the fish up from refrigerator temperature, along with some nice little capers - after all, capers make everything savoury just that much better.  Into the crust went most of the fish/onion/caper mixture, followed by a blend of havarti and (European style) farmer's cheese, the rest of the fish stuff, the last of the cheese, and then my secret egg mixture to complete the filling.

In the oven at 450F for 13 minutes, immediately drop the temp to 350F and continue for another 15 minutes and it's all ready for brunch.  Spectacular enough to eat again for lunch on Monday (and I did), but delicious enough to want another piece on Sunday (but I didn't).

Just plain delicious.

Carnage du Jour - 16 March 2011 (plus Sauce-age!) [Updated]

from grandteuton.blogspot.com

Steaks are fairly simple things, aren't they?  Typically they are - and rightly so - and so they were again this time. What wasn't terribly simple was the accompaniment to the nicely broiled strip steaks.  Oh, and since there was a nice pile of shrimp from an earlier shrimp cocktail platter, they had to get heated at the last moment and piled on top of the steaks. [The shrimp are the update.  How could I have forgotten those beautiful shrimp sitting on top of my steak?]

Swiss chard is always great, and this was particularly fresh and tasty from the steamer (stalks in first to soften a bit, then the rest of the greens - don't toss the stalks, they're at least almost the best part!).
Still, what starch to go with?  Potatoes?  Pasta?  Rice?  How about grilled cantaloupe instead?
Brilliant, no?
Brilliant, yes!

A good-sized cantaloupe (probably really a muskmelon, as we don't get real cantaloupes much in the States) was seeded and cubed, then dusted with a bit of white pepper.  Into the very hot grill pan (how do people cook without one of these?) with some canola oil they went to develop some nice grill marks and begin to soften even beyond their nice ripe softness.  They were awfully tasty as is, but what's better than grilled fruit with something to drizzle on it?  (Answer: not much.)  So a quick sauce (which will definitely be repeated!) was created.
About a tablespoon of nice aged balsamic vinegar went into a quarter cup or so of honey, along with about a half tablespoon of dijon mustard and a sprinkling of beau monde (another go-to seasoning at Cleveland, by the way).  When they were fully mixed, it was little short of spectacular, really.  It worked perfectly on the melon, but as it got on the chard and steak, we discovered that it was simply delicious on each of those elements as well.

Definitely worth repeating, and soon.

Dinner and Guest

from grandteuton.blogspot.com

I don't remember how I got thinking about this, but I was wondering about that old question:

"If you could invite anyone to have dinner with you  - from anywhere, from any time, all that - who would you invite?"

It usually comes down to famous people of the past - writers, statesmen, etc. - or relatives you miss or never knew - my great-great-grandfather who fought in the Civil War, Uncle Jerome (just to see what's in his pocket), etc.
Then I got down to some extended wondering.  What would I serve to someone like that whom I've invited for dinner?

I think this could be a cool thread, so let me know who you'd invite, what you'd put on the menu, and why (why that person / those people? and why that menu?).  I'll reply in a comment after a while with my own party details.

Go!

A Double R.I.P.

What a day of departures.  I heard on the radio this morning that two of my favourite entertainers have shuffled off this mortal coil.

We've lost George Shearing, the fabulous jazz pianist, composer of Lullaby of Birdland, to congestive heart failure.  George lived a long, fruitful life of 91 years, and produced a great body of work, both compositions and performances, many of which are readily available to us on CD, download, and all that good stuff.  He accomplished all this despite the fact that (to steal a great line) he was born blind and English - the latter being a bigger handicap to a jazz pianist.

In addition, we've lost Kenneth Mars, just shy of his 75th birthday. Most notices have mentioned his great roles in The Producers and Young Frankenstein, but I remember him most fondly for his recurring role as William W. D. "Bud" Prize on the old Fernwood 2night shows.  He usually was wearing a chinodontic device invented by his chinodontist, Cletus Emmet Wheelwelker.  This was one of the finest comedy programmes ever to grace network television, and it's a shame that it seems to be unavailable on DVD - or even in reruns.

Both of these gentlemen brought joy into the lives of many people, and both will be sorely missed.
Rest In Peace.

Carnage du Jour - 11 February 2011

from grandteuton.blogspot.com

At last - we finally broke out the Thai red curry lamb stew that my trusty crock pot had so ably cooked.
I had come across a jar of Thai red curry paste while shopping a couple weeks ago, and as there was a lamb roast in the refrigerator waiting to be cooked, it seemed like a great purchase.  It was.
Along with the lamb (cubed, salted, peppered, and seared in a skillet) went an acorn squash (also cubed), some onions and bok choy (the onions and stem pieces were sautéed a bit) and a whole bunch of that tasty red curry paste.

While it was not as hot and spicy as might be imagined (or feared), there was a ton of flavour, and the lamb was as tender as any meat I can remember ever eating.

Wow, this was really good, served on a bed of rice cooked in a bit of vegetable stock.