Hmm, I'm playing with a bit of brainstorming ... I wonder if one might be able to adapt Tea Eggs with vinegar (and maybe a bit of sugar) into a sort of Five Spice Pickled Eggs which could be sealed shelf safe in Mason jars for later use.
Could filter (cheese cloth, coffee filter, etc.) the crockpot liquid the eggs were steeped in and then add vinegar and sugar. Perhaps dilute the Tea Egg liquid with water first if concerned about over seasoning or over coloring.
I assume it's best (probably in fact necessary) to remove the shells prior to canning as the vinegar (acid) would react with the eggshells (calcium) over time dissolving shell and weakening acid. I figure safe and savory vinegar ratios can be derived from traditional pickled egg recipes.
I'm thinking with a low enough pH (i.e high enough acidity) simple water bath canning would suffice. Although, perhaps with high temp pressure cooker canning some sort of straight Tea Egg (rather than vinegared Pickled Egg/Tea Egg hybrid) might be safely stored. Touch of calcium chloride (or similar agent) might be added as a sequestrant and firming agent to increase shelf stability if needed. Hmm, I'm slipping into minutia ...
Back to 'Five Spice Pickled Eggs' ideas—a simplified method (alas discarding the crackle patterning) would be to hard-boil a bunch of eggs, peel 'em, and then can in Tea Egg inspired/flavoured pickling solution.
I'm imagining could either simmer peeled eggs in bulk in seasoned solution and then transfer to jars or simmer in jars via water bath from the 'get go'. If the later, would likely want to steep seasonings (spices, zest) with the tea to infuse into liquid or simmer before adding to jars.
It might be stylish to make a base liquid (tea, vinegar, salt, sugar) and then add whole spices to the jars. Envisioning piece of cinnamon stick, some peppercorns, slice of ginger, a few cloves, piece of star anise, and some curls of citrus zest swirled in jars of eggs. [I might be inclined to add a hot chili pepper or two]. Give 'em an extra long boil in the water bath and then let the 'em rest a coupla' weeks in the sealed jars to get well infused. Ya' know, throw a little printed fabric under the canning rings and ya' got a novel housewarming gift, etc., yada-yada ...
To sugar or not to sugar — one could likely come up with something quite nice with none at all, but I'm thinking a little would round things out and smooth the edge of the vinegar a bit. Alternatively, one might go 'full on' and take a cue from Sweet Gherkins, Candied Dills, Watermelon Rind Pickles, and such. But Tea Egg flavored instead. I'd be curious to find out how/if a high sugar pickling solution affects egg texture.
A sweet hard-boiled egg may seem counter intuitive to some, but consider sweet egg custard, and eggy batter foods like crepes, waffles, cream puffs, french toast. I suspect it might be quite good.
... Sweet and w/ egg musing has led me to reminisce ...
When I grabbed a copy of "Let's Go Southeast Asia" and went to Thailand some years ago there was a divine treat called "Banana Roti" available from the occasional street vendor. Setup was generally a modest cart with a large round somewhat concave steel griddle. The vendor would work a small ball of dough into a disc—like starting a personal size pizza—and then give a good squirt of cooking oil onto the griddle and then lay in the dough to sizzle. Once the bottom had browned a bit they'd flip it and then crack an egg onto the dough circle and use their spatula to break the yolk and mix it up a some. Then they'd take a banana and use their spatula to swiftly rough dice it over the egg and dough. Then the dough would be folded to center from four sides to make a sealed envelope which would be turned a few times to further brown and cook through. When golden perfection had been achieved, it was pulled to a cutting board, cut a few times along width and length to make bite size squares, and then deftly slid 'en masse' into a cardboard 'boat' (like fries and such come in sometimes). It was then drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and given a light sprinkle of granulated sugar. The vendor would then jab a bamboo skewer into one of the pieces as a utensil and serve it to you with a smile. Pure roadside nirvana.
When a roti cart come through the residential neighborhood in Chieng Mai—where the guesthouse I stayed at was tucked away—we reacted like a little kids running to an ice-cream truck.
I was surprised at how much I liked it at first, but when I broke it down ... egg, banana, milk, sugar, toasted wheat crust ... pretty much a banana custard which had been assembled a bit differently.
Regardless, yum, yum, yum, nom nom nom : }
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
The green necessities of space ...
I've got a personal theory that in addressing some (many?) of the challenges absolutely necessary to achieve multi-generational human life beyond the confines of our home planet ('the Earth', Sol 3, Gaia, Terra, Mother Earth, 'here') we would learn things that directly address issues which are confronting us here on 'spaceship Earth'.
To set up long term space stations, Moon bases, Mars colonies, asteroid harvesting, etc. one directly and urgently needs to address recycling (and recyclability), moderate use of most resources, and employ non-fossil fuel based power sources. Also, non-petroleum fabrication materials as well. Oh, and in an enclosed environment pollution would also be a prime concern.
(Re)developing the social structures to thrive in semi-independent largely self sufficient groups seems likely to be culturally beneficial as well. High tech tribes?
It's hard to get much more 'off grid' than mining ore in the asteroid belt.
And that's just thinking in terms of our present solar system. Multi-generational ships headed farther afield would have even higher demands for economy and self sufficiency.
IMHO, The green necessities of space will serve the green concerns of Earth.
------------------------
And besides, it's kinda' fun to think of the planet as a big egg sac waiting to hatch. : }
hmm, parallels might be drawn between fossil fuels and egg yolk ...
Maybe a cell division metaphor might be better, one where both parts live on ...
hmm ...
Anyway, the South Park boys teamed up (posthumously) with Alan Watts to bring us this:
To set up long term space stations, Moon bases, Mars colonies, asteroid harvesting, etc. one directly and urgently needs to address recycling (and recyclability), moderate use of most resources, and employ non-fossil fuel based power sources. Also, non-petroleum fabrication materials as well. Oh, and in an enclosed environment pollution would also be a prime concern.
(Re)developing the social structures to thrive in semi-independent largely self sufficient groups seems likely to be culturally beneficial as well. High tech tribes?
It's hard to get much more 'off grid' than mining ore in the asteroid belt.
And that's just thinking in terms of our present solar system. Multi-generational ships headed farther afield would have even higher demands for economy and self sufficiency.
IMHO, The green necessities of space will serve the green concerns of Earth.
------------------------
And besides, it's kinda' fun to think of the planet as a big egg sac waiting to hatch. : }
hmm, parallels might be drawn between fossil fuels and egg yolk ...
Maybe a cell division metaphor might be better, one where both parts live on ...
hmm ...
Anyway, the South Park boys teamed up (posthumously) with Alan Watts to bring us this:
Friday, November 1, 2013
Nick Spits Ernie K-Doe
A bit manic, the energy, dancing about like fireflies at low frame rate. Attention flitting like the gaze of a nervous bird. Cocked my head to pause the maelstrom. Listening, feeling, breathing. Waiting to open.
A sinuous slow shake of spine starts at the head and neck and echoes down the spine rippling shoulders as it bounces back.
A toe taps as music soaks into the sway.
Come on white boy ...
Friday, October 25, 2013
quick brown lazy dog
words upon a page flow from fingers
tendon puppet threads tangle back to little gray cells
choreographed by ???
well that's the question isn't it?
spirit and soul.
words to fill the role.
water in a hollow bowl.
A quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog's back.
tendon puppet threads tangle back to little gray cells
choreographed by ???
well that's the question isn't it?
spirit and soul.
words to fill the role.
water in a hollow bowl.
A quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog's back.
Dogma Runs Rampant, aka. "Yo', Son, Leash That Bitch!"
On Facebook, a friend who self identifies as a libertarian activist complemented, and shared a video excerpt from a interview with Russel Brand. A friend of his swiftly commented, "A far left tyrannical redistributionist is your new hero?" and they then proceeded to defuse the challenge and reaffirm their relationship by jointly constructing an interpretation which better fit within the bounds of accepted group dogma.
It's hilarious to me at this point how swiftly and judiciously some folks police any indication that one of their perceived peers may have drifted from the fold of pre-approved orthodoxy. Even within groups which like to claim distinctions of superior rationality. For instance, I find if one turns down the volume or ignores the words to focus on tone and body language, fundamentalist Atheists are pretty much indistinguishable from fundamentalist Baptists ... or Muslim fundamentalists or Hindu fundamentalists ... fundamentalists et al.
Tribal social primate formulas. One can plug in most any philosophical stance or 'cause' they wish. Regardless of the specific terms, the formula—the patterns, the relationship of the variables— stays the same.
And people wonder why anyone other than engineers and such should wish to learn algebra?
It's hilarious to me at this point how swiftly and judiciously some folks police any indication that one of their perceived peers may have drifted from the fold of pre-approved orthodoxy. Even within groups which like to claim distinctions of superior rationality. For instance, I find if one turns down the volume or ignores the words to focus on tone and body language, fundamentalist Atheists are pretty much indistinguishable from fundamentalist Baptists ... or Muslim fundamentalists or Hindu fundamentalists ... fundamentalists et al.
Tribal social primate formulas. One can plug in most any philosophical stance or 'cause' they wish. Regardless of the specific terms, the formula—the patterns, the relationship of the variables— stays the same.
And people wonder why anyone other than engineers and such should wish to learn algebra?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sharp Tip
Checked this out from the library as a kid. Took me from from inept to shaving hair off my arm with my Boy Scout knife within minutes of finishing the book. Freehand.
The book suggests some gadgets to up-the-ante a bit if ya' wanna' get extra tricky, but—unlike the author—I don't bother to check my edges with an electron microscope. The basic method requires nothing more than a pair of grindstones. One fairly course, the other quite fine.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
GMOverkill
Personally, I'm not so concerned about the safety of GMO foods for human consumption as I am about the collaborative corporate/government relationship surrounding them.
It's been little reported that before more recent hubbub over whether to require labeling for GMO foods, that the GMO industry lawyers won cases (California?) preventing others from stating the simple fact that their products were GMO free on relevant labels. The court decided that the mere possibility that consumers might infer something about GMO products from this statement of fact warranted legal intervention.
Also, that the WikiLeaks files exposed that U.S. Ambassadors were officially directed to act as lobbyists (and extortionists) on behalf of GMO producers internationally doesn't sit to well either.
I suspect people would be less likely to leap to fearful conclusions if the industry had been more open to start with. Shady arrogant shite doesn't seem to have done much to build trust.
Oh, and then there's the patenting lifeforms and attempting to corner the market on food issues...
Forcing family farms to destroy heirloom seed stocks ... while conversely patenting every existing strain they can ...
Something life threatening seems to be going on, it just might not be the foods themselves.
It's been little reported that before more recent hubbub over whether to require labeling for GMO foods, that the GMO industry lawyers won cases (California?) preventing others from stating the simple fact that their products were GMO free on relevant labels. The court decided that the mere possibility that consumers might infer something about GMO products from this statement of fact warranted legal intervention.
Also, that the WikiLeaks files exposed that U.S. Ambassadors were officially directed to act as lobbyists (and extortionists) on behalf of GMO producers internationally doesn't sit to well either.
I suspect people would be less likely to leap to fearful conclusions if the industry had been more open to start with. Shady arrogant shite doesn't seem to have done much to build trust.
Oh, and then there's the patenting lifeforms and attempting to corner the market on food issues...
Forcing family farms to destroy heirloom seed stocks ... while conversely patenting every existing strain they can ...
Something life threatening seems to be going on, it just might not be the foods themselves.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Prison Economics
I came across something/someone... not even recalling if it was text or vid at this point... Anyway they listed a number of things currently made in prisons and the associated market shares. All military uniforms for instance, and much more day-to-day military equipment. The stereotypical example of license plates got mention as well.
It struck me that almost everything on the list was stuff that it would be politically prohibitive to defer to an offshore company. But were all items of the sort which in other circumstances often would be outsourced. I can't imagine folks tolerating contracts for Army uniforms being given to a sweatshop in Bangladesh. Or license plates being subcontracted to a firm in Mexico. Yet, these very same items are being produced by incarcerated individuals paid sweatshop wages here at home. A few dollars a day.
Perhaps a prison labor movement is needed to draw attention to this. In areas in which prison labor accounts for more than 50% of production strikes would be immensely powerful. And the situation lends itself to a strong 'two pronged' approach as well in that groups outside the prisons have direct economic interests involved as well. Having low wage prison workers suppresses jobs and deflates wages for those on the outside. And deprive external entrepreneurs and corporations an opportunity to freely get a share of the respective markets.
It may be effective to focus on motivating Americans to give more attention to our prisons through addressing the money issues first and foremost. Other moral concerns would piggy-back on such attention. Much simply by sharing the spotlight of increased focus and wider awareness.
It struck me that almost everything on the list was stuff that it would be politically prohibitive to defer to an offshore company. But were all items of the sort which in other circumstances often would be outsourced. I can't imagine folks tolerating contracts for Army uniforms being given to a sweatshop in Bangladesh. Or license plates being subcontracted to a firm in Mexico. Yet, these very same items are being produced by incarcerated individuals paid sweatshop wages here at home. A few dollars a day.
Perhaps a prison labor movement is needed to draw attention to this. In areas in which prison labor accounts for more than 50% of production strikes would be immensely powerful. And the situation lends itself to a strong 'two pronged' approach as well in that groups outside the prisons have direct economic interests involved as well. Having low wage prison workers suppresses jobs and deflates wages for those on the outside. And deprive external entrepreneurs and corporations an opportunity to freely get a share of the respective markets.
It may be effective to focus on motivating Americans to give more attention to our prisons through addressing the money issues first and foremost. Other moral concerns would piggy-back on such attention. Much simply by sharing the spotlight of increased focus and wider awareness.
Reflection
I've heard that 'world as a mirror' is a favorite metaphor of Sufism... hmm, Something to RUMInate on perhaps... ;-)
Thursday, October 10, 2013
911 Musings
I remember tiring of the media blitz and walking the bike path along the river with two friends and a frisbee.
The uninterrupted sky—devoid of air traffic—cast a layer of serene peacefulness over the urban greenspace below.
And over us as well.
The wanderers who made their way through tree shadows and sunny grass fields.
Alive.
----------------------------------------------------------------
A little while ago a friend posted [on facebook]...
"i just saw "let's start a new kids game, cowboys n muslims" ugh. please take 3 steps back mankind."[sic]
...on another thread.
hmm, ...
"let's start a new kids game, cowboys n muslims"
...is a doozy.
Multifaceted in its reflections upon the American zeitgeist.
As it brings to mind the range of xenophobia, self interest, and generally warped impressions that shaped the conflicts leading to that which it references. i.e. 'Cowboys-n-Indians'.
I've heard it said that those who are aware of history are doomed to watch those who aren't repeat it.
It's interesting, to me, how despite regularly tacking on rational qualifiers what carries through to most—through the jingoism that's been swirling around for over a decade—is 'cowboys-n-MUSLIMS'. Not 'cowboys-n-Al Queda' or any such more specific version. Details and fine distinctions seem to be a challenge for mass minds. The original 'Cowboys-n-Indians' lumped a quite diverse range of peoples into one convenient target as well. [Funny that I don't recall ever hearing any major news outlets refer to "the SAUDIS who attacked the World Trade Center..."]
It's so much easier to avoid introspection when an amorphous 'them' lurks in the shadowed corners.
I'm imagining a movie scene in which a despot's regime hires caricature artists to draw life size paper images which are then placed in front of people as they are brought before a firing squad. Defendants made to wear masks throughout a trial. And so on. [hmm, could be a blank mask and then have the competing attorneys take turns drawing features upon it... but I digress...]
Sigh...
It's sad that many lives were intentionally destroyed simultaneously September 11, 2001. It's sad that many lives have been intentionally destroyed before and after.
It's encouraging that there are heroes willing to rise to the occasion—often risking life and limb—to pull survivors through the aftermath of tragedy.
Would heroes exist without tragedy and villainy? Or are they two sides of a single coin. Inexorably bound?
Sigh...
I don't know...
I don't know...
Do you?
Peace y'all.
-Kev-
Land Lines & Ether Nets
'We're all connected...♪ ♫'
Info injections
And trans-fusions
Meta memes
And transhumans
Brilliant sparks
And Mass confusions
Literary devices
And delusions
Silly bits
And allusions
Race on squirrel tracks
Supported by woody protrusions
Info injections
And trans-fusions
Meta memes
And transhumans
Brilliant sparks
And Mass confusions
Literary devices
And delusions
Silly bits
And allusions
Race on squirrel tracks
Supported by woody protrusions
Serpentine Serenity
Serpentine Serenity
A moment to unwind
Coils of Mind
A serpent tangled upon itself
Strain only tightens the knots
Relax and breathe
Loosen the nots, unweave
Gentle wills, rippling ungualations
Withdraw from dead ends
Shed the dead skin
To catch't the light anew
The scales wait impatiently
Itching to greet the sun.
Dream Mantra
Dream Dream Dream drea-ea-ea-ea-eahm...
Watching Ursula Le Guin's 'The Lathe of Heaven' made as a movie (circa 1980?). Rather liking it. Kinda' surprised that I was previoulsy unaware of it.
"The PBS version of the Ursula K. LeGuin novel "Lathe of Heaven" last aired in 1980." (from 'About' notes on youtube)
"Dream we are at peace with everyone. EVERYONE!" —Dr. Haber
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna, Krishna,
Hare, Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama, Rama, Hare Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna
Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama
Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna
Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama
Hare, Hare
Hare Krisna, Hare Krisna
Krisna, Krisna
Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama
Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Ram, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krisha, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krisna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
'mornin...
Baltering With Keys
Tickling the ivor... well, plastic stubs with letters printed in their corners. Splayed beneath my fingers in a pleasant ergo split. Aging almond beige showing hints of yellowy-orange hues as skin oils, sweat, light and atmosphere take their toll upon the plastic shroud. The housing extends beyond the keys as a wrist rest. Not padded, just a curving molded plastic extension, but it's quite nice to have... here on my lap... I'd not previously given credit or taken full note of it... beyond it's added bulk that is. A Microsoft branded keyboard. I like it in spite of my prejudices. : }
The Music of GhoslyCast has been nice. Pretty much all up tempo w/ pulsing bass until now. Now is ambient ...and pleasantly so.
I forget what actually drew me to the site in the first place. Perhaps I'll check... ah, fancy digital (desktop) wallpapers, mostly colorful intricate geometries.
Geo metric trees... I saw -- read that is -- an article... well it did have pictures... hmm, methinks the language may be lagging behind or skipping the timescale aspect it seems inadequate at times like this. Perhaps it's my command of it ... perhaps it's both. Sprechen Sie...? Nur ein bischen... A weak American excuse... mea culpa... Mea Culpa , I think it means not what I think it to mean or more accuately not what most others are likely to understand it as. I suppose a word alway means what I think it means—in a sense—to me. In a way Lewis Carrol might enjoy riffing on.
What does the web, the mighty net, a google search have to say about it? Let us journey hence... "Mea culpa is a Latin phrase that translates into English as "through my fault"." via Wikipedia's preview on the search results... I was thinking "I'm not worthy" but "I'm at fault" actually fits the usage quite well. Better even.
"ENIGMA " Mea Culpa" (platinum version)", the youtube video offering...
Ambient with a slow bob. Gentle beat and 'tink'.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa, I can see a usefulness to it. Not taking blame for the death of Christ... although metaphorically, allegorically, I can grasp something there as well... breaking with the spirit through 'mea culpa' our, my, lusts and desires. Impatience and greed. A shadowy screed. wandering need for rhyme and poem to roam through my fingertips and little gray cells bound within a wall of skull and arogance. My feet used to prance when I was more into movement and less concerned with dance.
Tummy grumbles and knees itch to move. vid lays silent... oops shut off the groove... perhaps timely, I hunger and it's likely safe to come out of this room. I'll tip toe and listen like a thief in the night, like a hunter, like a fugitive, like an escaping slave trembling scared to travel and scared to get caught in swirling thoughts hears the belly speak once more. Naught to do but peer around the door with sense and senses...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)