Clipmarks | Lexica's clips

Making pâte à choux

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:48:40 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: More:

The next trick is to focus the oven heat so that most of it comes from the bottom during the early part of the cooking process. Preheat your oven to a medium heat, such as 300 degrees Fahrenheit. When you add the tray of puffs, kick it up to the target temperature (probably 450 or so). With the heating element at the bottom of most ovens, this will light a fire (so to speak) under the puffs and give them a big steam boost, while at the same time keeping the tops relatively moist and flexible so they can expand.

As the oven heats, the tops will firm and turn golden brown, at which point you should lower the heat to a more moderate 300 or so to finish cooking the insides without burning the outsides. The insides need to be sufficiently set or else your puffs might collapse when you take them out of the oven, and that’s not a fun date for anyone.

Once your puffs have cooled, you can serve them and collect accolades on the spot, or freeze them for later.

Clip Source: www.culinate.com

I was just reading Michael Ruhlman's new book, Ratio, in which he calls pâte à choux “one of the coolest flour-and-water preparations in the kitchen,” but laments that “it’s not typically part of the home cook’s repertoire.”

Once mastered, PAC is the basis for tons of tasty baked treats, including cream puffs, profiteroles (ice-cream-filled puffs), éclairs (“lightning,” according to Putnam), French crullers, gougères (cheese puffs), chouquettes, and more. They can also be fried to make beignets or pets de nonnes, which means — and I am not making this up — “nuns’ farts.”

easy to make, and it makes you look like a fancy-pants pastry chef

PAC is made by mixing flour into boiling water and butter and cooking it briefly to stiffen it, then mixing in eggs one by one. Ruhlman reports the standard ratio as 2 parts water, 1 part butter, 1 part flour, and 2 parts egg (by weight). The only arguably hard part is mixing in the eggs, and that’s only if you’re doing it by hand

Tags: food, cooking, baking, recipes, pastry, techniques

Non-invasive technique blocks a conditioned fear in humans

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:36:19 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Clip Source: esciencenews.com

Scientists have for the first time selectively blocked a conditioned fear memory in humans with a behavioral manipulation. Participants remained free of the fear memory for at least a year. The research builds on emerging evidence from animal studies that reactivating an emotional memory opens a 6-hour window of opportunity in which a training procedure can alter it.

The results add support to the hypothesis that emotional memories are reconsolidated – rendered vulnerable to being modified – each time they are retrieved. That is, reactivating a memory opens what researchers call "reconsolidation window," a time-limited period when it can be changed.

In a follow-up experiment to gauge long-term effects a year later

those who had undergone extinction training within the reconsolidation window were largely spared significant effects

"Our memory reflects our last retrieval of it rather than an exact account of the original event."

Tags: science, research, brain-science, fear, memory

The science of baking: kitchen chemistry

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:32:14 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Clip Source: www.culinate.com

The secret to successful baking? It’s all in the chemistry. And here’s the scientific lowdown on how each basic baking ingredient functions in the kitchen.

Essential ingredients for baking, clockwise from top left: eggs, butter, milk, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, yeast, and flour.

Flour

the protein in flour lends structure to baked goods

selecting the right flour for the job isn’t as easy as it seems

Leavening agents

yeast literally brings bread to life

Baking powder and baking soda, meanwhile, release carbon dioxide that “only enlarges bubbles that are already in the batter

Eggs

help bind things together

work as leavening agents

lend richness and moisture to baked goods

Fats

incredible tenderizers

Sugar and milk

helps keep baked goods moist

promote browning

Salt

helps conceal bitter tastes

also plays a key role in gluten formation

helps to balance sweetness and enhance other flavors during baking

there was one more person I needed to quiz: my grandmothe

Tags: food, cooking, baking, ingredients, science, chemistry

Holiday goodies: 16 favorite holiday desserts

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:15:06 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: Änisbrötli sound a bit easier to make than the springerle that are traditional in my family. Hmm...

Clip Source: www.culinate.com

Russian tea cakes

basically just butter, flour, confectioners’ sugar, and nuts (with a little vanilla and salt thrown in)

Frosted sugar cookies

tasting of butter and vanilla; they’re especially good topped with a lemony icing

Buckwheat cookies

Chocolate-chip cookie redux

Anise cookies

A dunking cookie from Switzerland

Panforte

Dense, chewy, nutty ‘cake’

Austrian Christmas cookies

a nutty, chewy cookie redolent of allspice

Toffee brittle

Making toffee is surprisingly easy

Rum balls

Boozy holiday favorites

Biscotti

Classic crunchy cookies

Truffles

look tricky but really aren’t

Rugelach

traditional Hanukkah treat

Gingersnaps

beautifully balanced between chewy (the soft middles) and crunchy (the crispy edges)

Classic fudge

real butter, chocolate, and vanilla

Shortbread

Nuts, butter, and spices

Chocolate cookies

Chewy, cakey goodness

Marshmallows

Homemade fluffy candy

Tags: food, cooking, recipes, dessert, holidays

recipe: Quince-apple syrup

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:49:37 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Clip Source: www.culinate.com

One of the many ways I like to use quince

is to make an apple-quince sauce, which is infinitely better than plain applesauce

When I remove the lid, there’s always a quantity of beautiful pink juice floating on top (the quince are responsible for this)

it’s quite delicious to drink by itself, and it’s good stirred into a glass of fizzy water. I recently had a cocktail at Amavi in Santa Fe, which was Hendrick’s gin with quince syrup and lemon

With all its pectin, this viscous liquid also soothes a sore throat

use it as a poaching liquid in place of water for winter compotes of dried fruits or slices of quince and pear, thus intensifying the color and the flavor of the compote

if you want an actual product rather than a background ingredient, you might simmer the juice until it’s thic

Add sugar if you like

a gorgeous rosy syrup that you can use to sweeten and flavor drinks (only now with more intensity) or spoon over desserts

will keep quite nicely in a clean jar, tucked in the refrigerator

Tags: food, cooking, fruit, recipes, quince

Why antidepressants don't work for so many people

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:40:32 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: More:

The biochemical events that ultimately result in depression actually start in the development and functioning of neurons.

"The medications have been focusing on the effect, not the cause," she said. "That's why it takes so long for them to work and why they aren't effective for so many people."

Her animal model of depression did not show dramatic differences in the levels of genes controlling neurotransmitters functions. "If depression was related to neurotransmitter activity, we would have seen that," she said.

Her findings in depressed rats, she said, are very likely applicable to humans.

"The similarities between these regions of the human and rodent brain are remarkable," Redei explained. "The hippocampus and amygdala are part of the so-called ancient lizard brain that controls survival and are the same in even primitive organisms."

Clip Source: esciencenews.com

More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief. Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to new research

appears to topple two strongly held beliefs about depression. One is that stressful life events are a major cause of depression. The other is that an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain triggers depressive symptoms.

Both findings are significant because these beliefs were the basis for developing drugs currently used to treat depression.

"This is a huge study and statistically powerful," Redei said. "This research opens up new routes to develop new antidepressants that may be more effective. There hasn't been an antidepressant based on a novel concept in 20 years."

another reason current antidepressants are often ineffective is that they aim to boost neurotransmitters

indications that depression actually begins further up in the chain of events in the brain

Tags: health, research, depression, mental-health, medicine

book review: "Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It" by Karen Solomon

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:30:37 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: More:

The recipes range from simple to complicated. I made rosemary-olive oil crackers and a delicious, garlicky white-bean dip quickly and effortlessly, and served them to rave reviews. But my plans for making bacon were abandoned after reading the first few lines of the recipe. Not only did I need three pounds of pork belly, I also needed liquid smoke or hickory sawdust, and seven to 10 days to get it good and bacon-like. A family brunch in a few days was not going to include bacon made by me.

And then there was the s’mores debacle.… the resulting marshmallows were flat and lumpy. I apologized as I distributed them to my family and proclaimed that I would never, ever make marshmallows again.

But the marshmallows melted perfectly. They browned on top, crackled as you bit into them, and oozed sticky, slinky strings of marshmallow over graham crackers, chocolate, and fingers. Everyone loved them. By the end of the weekend, I was actually thinking I might do it again.

Clip Source: www.culinate.com

I’m nearly convinced that Karen Solomon wrote Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It just for me. I already make my own jam, granola, salad dressing, ice cream, and sorbet. But a whole book dedicated to DIY preserving? Just what the kitchen doctor ordered.

Solomon’s goal, she writes, was to create a from-scratch pantry of wholesome and delicious staples, enabling her to ditch the packaged and processed staples she usually bought at the store — mayo, crackers, sauces, and the like.

With pantry organization (and perhaps the Nike slogan) in mind, she organized her book by food category. “Munch It,” for example, has recipes for dips, chips, and flatbreads. “Brine It” does pickles and olives, “Noodle It” covers homemade pastas and sauces, and “Milk It” tackles butters and cheeses.

This, I believe, is the theme of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: that do-it-yourself projects can be fun as well as occasionally frustrating, not to mention delicious.

Tags: food, cooking, cookbooks, recipes, book-reviews, diy, preserving

In search of well-fitting, attractive women's pants WITH POCKETS

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:02:26 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: More:

You have to call rather than web-order because there aren't many left, but the customer service reps are awesome.

They will help you get a great-fitting pant. If that doesn't suit you, you can browse their current offerings in dress pants:

http://tinyurl.com/yjhdj9k

Lands End is superb in quality and I buy 80% of my clothes from them. I suggest you buy a number of pants in different cuts, figure out which ones you like, then order multiple copies of the right ones. (And return the others; it's free at a Sears store, or you can mail them back and pay the postage.) I have never been sorry to have multiple pairs of something I liked.

(also, noting previous comments: Lands End is great for odd-sized dress clothes for women, like jackets for women with bigger arms from weightlifting. Maybe worth investigating those too.)

Clip Source: vito-excalibur.livejournal.com

I would like a pair of trousers.

Nice trousers, such as a grownup might wear to work at a place where they might have to attend meetings at which some of the attendees might be wearing ties. Upwardly mobile professional trousers.

Fashion world, I carry around a wallet, a smartphone, a Swiss Army knife, keys, lactase pills, and lipgloss. I don't think this is unreasonable of me. Nor do I think it is reasonable for you to demand that I maintain a whole separate purse just to carry around this really fairly minor amount of crap just because I am a woman. I want POCKETS.

I believe I have found them for you.

Call Lands End at 800-963-4816 and ask about product 226602T97 (Women's Straight Leg Wool Washable Modern Pant). They are a women's dress pant that come in black and navy blue and are low in stock right now, which is why I can't show you a URL. But they still have some pairs in every size. They are washable wool and they have good pockets. They will be hemmed to your inseam, as you choose.

Tags: clothes, pants, pockets, womens-clothes, shopping

"Apples and their uses" chart from BettyCrocker.com

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:40:10 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: Chart wouldn't clip, so click through for that. Clipped text shows column headings (variety, flavor, texture, plus suitability for baking, eating & salads, pies, and sauce) and varieties of apples listed.

Clip Source: www.bettycrocker.com

Apples & Their Uses

Variety

Flavor

Texture

Baking

Eating and Salads

Pies

Sauce

Braeburn

Cortland

Crispin/Mutsu

Criterion

Elstar

Empire

Fireside

Fuji

Gala

Ginger Gold

Golden Delicious

Granny Smith

Greening

Haralson

Honeycrisp

Honey Gold

Ida Red

Jonagold

Jonamac

Jonathan

McIntosh

Newtown Pippin

Northern Spy

Paula Red

Prairie Spy

Red Delicious

Regent

Rome

Spartan

Winesap

York Imperial

Tags: food, cooking, apples, fruit, reference, baking, pies

How enlightened are you?

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:20:13 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Clip Source: mettarefuge.wordpress.com

IF….

If you can live without caffeine,

If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him or her,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender preference, or politics,

–Then you have almost reached the same level of spiritual development as your dog!

Tags: zen, enlightenment, funny

video: The Moscow Cat Circus

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:47:58 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: Neat!!! If I ever visit Moscow, I definitely want to go see these folks and their cats.

Of course, realizing that my own two could be earning their own cat food if they wanted to, but no...

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: cats, circuses, video, neat, animals, russia

Securitycams on CSI - Amazing!

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:26:39 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Clip Source: i.imgur.com

Tags: funny, satire, tv, cameras, digital-enhancement

Revisiting Old-School Text Adventures as a Jaded Modern Gamer (textually EXTREMELY NSFW)

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:01:30 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Clip Source: www.cracked.com

Tags: funny, satire, video-games

Chicago Welcomes You: Helping a unique immigrant community adjust to life in the US

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:55:05 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: More:

The problem is that a process that was designed for, say, German Jews fleeing to America during World War II or political prisoners escaping Castro’s Cuba is now expected to work for immigrants who may never have seen a streetlight, cooked on a stove, used a toilet that isn’t a hole in the ground or handled any type of currency. Booklets and handouts provided by governmental agencies are too simplistic to be illuminating. And the Karen are more likely than previous refugee groups to be illiterate in their own myriad and distinct languages…

Chicago Welcomes You, a venture to develop a kit of bilingual orientation materials…The kit includes a 94-page book, a set of 29 ring-bound activity cards and an illustrated storybook… The book and activity cards are broadly organized into chapters covering health, safety, housing and so on, and are designed for both organized and ad-hoc learning experiences with volunteers.
Clip Source: changeobserver.designobserver.com
Even in Chicago, a city chock-full of immigrants, Karen people from the mountains of Myanmar can stand out in a crowd.
As a result of civil war and persecution dating back half a century, thousands of Karen refugees from Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Thailand have lived since the 1980s in bamboo huts in crudely managed tropical mountain camps on the border between the two countries.
Last year, Karen refugees constituted the biggest national group resettled in America, and as many as 55,000 Karen will have arrived in cities throughout the U.S by the end of 2009.
Refugees enter via the U.S. State Department
They are immediately handed off to one of a small group of voluntary non-governmental, typically faith-based organizations
The expectation is that the refugees, who are eligible to work as soon as their social security numbers are processed, can be fully self-sufficient within six months of arrival.

Tags: immigration, america, refugees

Photoblog: Sketchy Santas

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:36:31 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: Several of these actually did make me laugh out loud.

Clip Source: sketchysantas.com

Tags: photos, funny, santa, fail

Clipmarks | Lexica's clips

Making pâte à choux

Non-invasive technique blocks a conditioned fear in humans

The science of baking: kitchen chemistry

Flour

Leavening agents

Eggs

Fats

Sugar and milk

Salt

Holiday goodies: 16 favorite holiday desserts

Chocolate-chip cookie redux

A dunking cookie from Switzerland

Dense, chewy, nutty ‘cake’

Boozy holiday favorites

Classic crunchy cookies

Nuts, butter, and spices

Chewy, cakey goodness

Homemade fluffy candy

recipe: Quince-apple syrup

Why antidepressants don't work for so many people

book review: "Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It" by Karen Solomon

Featured recipes

In search of well-fitting, attractive women's pants WITH POCKETS

"Apples and their uses" chart from BettyCrocker.com

How enlightened are you?

video: The Moscow Cat Circus

Securitycams on CSI - Amazing!

Revisiting Old-School Text Adventures as a Jaded Modern Gamer (textually EXTREMELY NSFW)

Chicago Welcomes You: Helping a unique immigrant community adjust to life in the US

Photoblog: Sketchy Santas