Deconstructing Dinner

...is a new (to me) Podcast that I've come to enjoy over the past few days.  The host has interviewed a variety of people relative to the subject of the show.  He's done a fine job of editing his conversations with them to keep each show well paced and informative. 

All of the episodes are archived on iTunes.  I'd recommend starting out with the first episode from the series which explains what to expect in the rest of the show.  And since they do such of fine job of explaining, I won't, just go download the first episode and see if its something you're interested in.  

Here is a link to the website.

Podcasts

There is so much information available in the form of free Podcasts.  This is both a blessing and curse.  It's fantastic that the information is free, it can be tough to sort through all of them for the gems of entertainment combined with education.

I can currently recommend the following Podcasts:

Apple Quick Tip of the Week - it's short, to the point, and highlights features I didn't know existed.

NPR: Environment - is a collection of stories on the environment from various NPR shows throughout the week.  Essentially, they've done the sifting for you on the specific subject matter.

NPR: Science Friday - is a wonderful show with various topics with a basis in science.  Though, they don't speak over my head.  Its actually quite day to day on average.  I highlight a recent podcast about stress and the holiday season that might help many people out there.

Science Elements - is less everyday science compared to NPR: Science Friday.  Interesting concepts and ideas that I might never come across in my day to day experiences though.

This American Life - podcasts of the radio show hosted by Ira Glass, stories of fact and fiction. Often engaging and insightful into various aspects of being human.

Those are currently my top five podcasts.  I've been downloading and trying out other podcasts.  Will definitely comeback with opinions on other podcasts as time goes by. Will also get back to experimenting with food soon as well.

Countdown...

A week and a half left here in Portland. There have been a numerous amount of firsts here, both good and bad. First internship, first mugging, first snow fall, and on and on. I've experienced and learned more than I anticipated, and am still left with a long to-list for the city and its surrounding area. Of course I'll miss it, and I definitely plan to return.

There are a lot of things I have planned for when I return to the Los Angeles area. Chopping down a dead tree and starting a mushroom garden in it. Restarting my compost pile and fixing up a better garden setup. Not buying a car and bicycling everywhere.

That's the end of this post. Turned into a laundry list, which isn't to fun for readers. First mobile post though! Interested to see how it turns out. I'll end up editing it later.

Watermelon Steak

The most amazing thing I have eaten. EVER. It's like a rainbow arching down from the sky and landing on my taste buds. The fantasticallity of this dish comes from the surprise and unexpectedness of it. I would not have thought to bake watermelon, and more so, I would not have anticipated such an outcome.

Its easy to make too. Here's a link to the recipe. I recommend a side of baked potato to balance out the sweetness of using cream sherry on a watermelon.

Potatoes + Oranges

Two things that don't go together right? Think again. This was the best week ever for experimenting with two foods. First of all, nothing came to mind at first when the two ingredients were put forth. Then, like a Singaporean rainstorm, they came out of nowhere flooding my mind. So I still have some other ideas I want to try out after this. It was quite successful and really really REALLY sweet. Less sugar next time.



What's in it? Mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, vanilla, one egg, orange juice, and orange rind mixed together and baked in a orange peel topped with pecans and brown sugar, baked in a casserole dish at 350 degrees. Sadly, I didn't come up with the exact recipe. I found it online by accident after I had thought of something quite similar, though not as elaborate. Having the side of Mashed Carol Potatoes was fortunate as it helped to counter the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.

Eggs & Bell Peppers

... served inside the egg shells. A fancy little trick that makes an ordinary omelet seem, a little extra ordinary. There's nothing to this other than taking the extra time to plate the dish. It does have an interesting effect on how you eat the eggs and bell peppers though. It forces small portions, and the with the small whole basil leaves, enhances the act of tasting the flavor in the items present. Additionally, having the eggs extra runny contributes to the plating of the dish, in which I don't think my eggs were as runny as they could have been. I was attempting to make the bell peppers look like the yolk of the egg. I think I might want to consider just cooking the egg whites next time to enhance this even more.

Looking at my photos, I realize I need to learn how to photograph food to make it look appetizing. Every little bit helps, and I feel like I'm falling a bit short. I was thinking a little moisture on the basil leaf. A bit more shine on the entire dish actually.

Saturday Market

I went to the Portland Saturday Market today, for the first time. A sad fact considering I've been here for almost three months now (I've been to the Thursday market numerous times though). I was in search of some red and orange bell peppers in preparation for tomorrows meal. Luckily they are in season, though were found fewer and far between compared to other items. I ended up buying a one pound bell pepper, which is pretty massive compared to anything I could get at the grocery store.

I still ended up going to the grocery store afterwards, they don't sell milk at the farmer's market (not this one at least). I actually went twice in fact, something not to uncommon of me, especially on the weekends. It's not that I forgot anything, there's just not enough space in my messenger bag, and I have yet to go back to the bicycle store and get a rack so that I might use my panniers to carry goods to and fro. Milk, eggs (always an adventure when packed in a messenger bag) yogurt, cottage cheese, sugar and flour. I only wish I needed more vegetables so that I might have made use of my trip to the Saturday Market. Eggs and Bell Peppers tomorrow, I'm excited.