Friday, June 3, 2011
Can We Please Stop Behaving Like Swine Now?
Re: the recent Twitter controversy over Democrat representative Weiner texting horrid photos of his private parts photos to some chick.
See also: men, lack of marriageable
Addendum: Whatever we do, let's not go back to the bad old days when behavior was judged according to fixed standards. The Victorians had it all wrong. All wrong. I mean, they did, didn't they?
Cindy Meston directs the Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a past president of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. If there is something you want to know about what turns women on, she is the person you call.Sadly, the reason that Weiner and Brett Favre and others send these images is that women expect nothing better.
“We spent six years of research on why women have sex,” Meston says. They compiled 237 reasons. Duty sex. Revenge sex. Pity sex. Bored sex, engaged in because women simply had nothing better to do. “Of the 237 reasons why women have sex,” Meston says, “not one was looking at a man’s genitals.”
See also: men, lack of marriageable
Addendum: Whatever we do, let's not go back to the bad old days when behavior was judged according to fixed standards. The Victorians had it all wrong. All wrong. I mean, they did, didn't they?
Chickpea Samosas with Raita dip; and a Thank You dinner
Note: I've been nominated for Babble's 100 Top Food Blogs! I have 12 more votes to get into the top 50. If you like what I've done here, would you follow the side link to Babble and vote for me? I am on page #2 "Snippets of Thyme"
Remember how proud I was of my husband for working so hard on a major project that his company is implementing this year? Well, he, in turn, is just as proud of his supportive work team. I popped into what they call "The Big Room" at work and was so impressed with his group. They have really pulled together so many nationalities and cultural differences to form a cohesive team that has reached the fruition of a year long journey.
My husband asked if I would like to have some of his work mates over for a thank you celebration to show his appreciation. Knowing that his team is from all over the world, I thought that would make for an interesting and diverse evening of great shared conversations.
Of course, as all of you know how this "snippets" mind works, food flew straight to the top of my list of "to dos". We would have Europeans, South Americans and Indians attending our little soirée. I needed to prepare a list of dishes that could cater to a vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian crowd. I reveled in the laundry list of "what-ifs" I could cook up.
My daughter suggested samosas. Yes! Samosas are so delicious and I had just run across a recipe for vegetarian samosas filled with peas and chickpeas. That would be a great vegetarian option for our menu.
We began cooking several days in advance of the party. I think we made about 50 or so of these flavorful packets. Folding the triangles was awkward at first but before long we were clicking along and the scented samosas were piling up.
Madeleine and I imagined generations of Indian women deftly folding samosas up at an expert pace. We giggled at the image we must present trying to get the technique just right.
The filling for these chickpea samosas is so aromatic. Not long after all of the ingredients were being mixed on the stovetop did the kitchen fill with enticing smells. Spices are important in Indian food and it was so interesting to become familiar with cumin, mustard seed, ginger, and cilantro combined.
After brushing the filo dough triangles with butter, we slid tray after tray of them into the oven. Again the smell of these delectable bundles filled the entire kitchen.
The cold yogurt and cucumber dip, called Raita, that accompanied these samosas is a great accompaniment. As the layers of flavor from the samosas build, the cold and creamy yogurt adds a softening touch.
It was a wonderful evening getting to know these hard workers who hail from all over the globe. We stayed up into the evening listening to funny stories from Scotland, about cooking with cactus in South America, and the multitude of differences between cuisines from the diverse regions of Northern and Southern India. Wouldn't it be something to zip to each country and really see these wonderful stories played out in kitchens all over the world!
Spicy Chickpea Samosas with Raita:
(adapted from Cooking Light April 2011 issue)
Ingredients:
(yields 12 servings)
Samosas:
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen or fresh green peas
1 tablespoon water
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
24 (14x9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Raita:
3/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
To make samosas, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped carrot; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup onions, ginger, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (Snippets notes: Wait until the pungent smell fills the room. It's wonderful!) Add green peas, 1 tablespoon water, and chickpeas; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 1 tablespoon juice. Cool (Snippets Notes: I made this filling ahead of time and kept it in the refrigerator)
Preheat oven to 400˚F
Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large work surface (Snippets Note: I used 2 sheets at a time because one was too difficult for me). Cover remaining dough to keep from drying. Coat with cooking spray. Fold layered sheets in half lengthwise. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling onto bottom end of rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold bottom corner over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to end of phyllo strip. Tuck edges under; place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo. Bake at 400˚F for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden.
To make raita, combine yogurt and remaining ingredients. Serve with samosas. (Snippets Notes: I made the yogurt mixture the day before the party. I kept the cucumbers out until right before serving so they wouldn't get soggy)
Guild of Food Writers Awards announced in London
Domestic Goddess Praises Italian Queen
That award topped a glittering evening’s celebration of some of the best and brightest of UK food writing and broadcasting. First-time winner Felicity Cloake garnered two honours, Food Journalist of the Year Award and New Media of the Year Award. Other first-time winners included Mark Diacono, whose A Taste of the Unexpected took the hotly contested and fiercely competitive Food Book of the Year Award, and Niki Segnit, winner of the Jeremy Round Award for Best First Book for The Flavour Thesaurus. Radio 4’s Food Programme also took two awards, for ‘The Food Industry’ (Derek Cooper Award for Campaigning and Investigative Food Writing or Broadcasting) and ‘Pop-up London’ (Food Broadcast of the Year Award).
There were other surprises on the night. The coveted Cookery Book of the Year Award had an extended shortlist of four due to the high quality of entries. It was won by Caroline and Robin Weir for Ice Creams, Sorbets and Gelati: The Definitive Guide. And one of the most deserving projects among the shortlists, Valerie Twomey’s Truly Tasty, a cookbook aimed at people living with kidney disease, received the Miriam Polunin Award for Work on Healthy Eating. It is Twomey’s first book and was assembled with the help of some of Ireland’s most distinguished chefs.
Marina O’Loughlin continued the trend of female dominance of the Restaurant Reviewer of the Year Award and double shortlistee Sybil Kapoor took victory in the Michael Smith Award for Work on British Food. Mark Hix, who was also shortlisted twice, won the Evelyn Rose Award for Cookery Journalist of the Year, and Josceline Dimbleby’s travel memoir Orchards in the Oasis was given the Guild’s newest award, the Kate Whiteman Award for Work on Food and Travel.
Celebrated Guild member Mary Berry – who came to Fishmongers’ Hall straight from filming for the next series of Great British Bake Off – presented the beautiful engraved trophies in the magnificent Banqueting Hall. Guild President Jane Suthering commented: ‘Another wonderful awards party in a really lovely venue, and another fantastic set of worthy winners. Congratulations to both shortlistees and winners.’
Summary of winners:
Cookery Book of the Year Award
Winner: Caroline and Robin Weir, Ice Creams, Sorbets and Gelati: The Definitive Guide (published by Grub Street)
The other shortlistees were:
Willie Harcourt-Cooze, Willie’s Chocolate Bible (published by Hodder & Stoughton)
Diana Henry, Food from Plenty (published by Mitchell Beazley)
Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty (published by Ebury Press)
Derek Cooper Award for Campaigning and Investigative Food Writing or Broadcasting
Winner: BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme: The Fruit Industry presented by Sheila Dillon
The other shortlistees were:
Stefan Gates, Stefan Gates on E Numbers (published by Conran Octopus)
BBC One’s The Great British Waste Menu (produced by Optomen Television)
Evelyn Rose Award for Cookery Journalist of the Year
Winner: Mark Hix, for work published in The Independent
The other shortlistees were:
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall with Debora Robertson, for work published in The Guardian’s Weekend magazine
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall with Debora Robertson, for work published in The Guardian’s Weekend magazine
Diana Henry, for work published in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine
Food Book of the Year Award
Winner: Mark Diacono, A Taste of the Unexpected (published by Quadrille)
The other shortlistees were:
Patricia Michelson, Cheese (published by Jacqui Small)
Lindy Wildsmith, Cured (published by Jacqui Small)
Food Broadcast of the Year Award
Winner: BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme: Pop-up London presented by Sheila Dillon and Tim Hayward
The other shortlistees were:
BBC Two’s E Numbers: An Edible Adventure presented by Stefan Gates (produced by Plum Pictures)
BBC One’s The Great British Waste Menu (produced by Optomen Television)
Food Journalist of the Year Award
Winner: Felicity Cloake, for work published in Fire & Knives and The Guardian
The other shortlistees were:
Tim Hayward, for work published in Fire & Knives and on The Guardian and The Observer’s Word of Mouth blog
Christopher Hirst, for work published in The Independent
Jeremy Round Award for Best First Book
Winner: Niki Segnit, The Flavour Thesaurus (published by Bloomsbury Publishing)
The other shortlistees were:
Ghillie James, Jam, Jelly & Relish (published by Kyle Cathie)
Stevie Parle, My Kitchen: Real Food From Near and Far (published by Quadrille)
Kate Whiteman Award for Work on Food and Travel
Winner: Josceline Dimbleby, Orchards in the Oasis (published by Quadrille)
The other shortlistees were:
Sybil Kapoor, for work published in The Spectator: Scoff, Caterer and Hotelkeeper and House & Garden
Jamie Oliver, Jamie Does … (published by Michael Joseph)
Michael Smith Award for Work on British Food
Winner: Sybil Kapoor, for work published in Country Life
The other shortlistees were:
Mark Hix, Hix Oyster and Chop House (published by Quadrille)
John Wright, River Cottage Handbook: Hedgerow (published by Bloomsbury Publishing)
Miriam Polunin Award for Work on Healthy Eating
Winner: Valerie Twomey, Truly Tasty (published by Atrium)
The other shortlistees were:
BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme: Sugar and the Soda Tax presented by Sheila Dillon
BBC Two’s E Numbers: An Edible Adventure presented by Stefan Gates (produced by Plum Pictures)
New Media of the Year Award
Winner: Felicity Cloake, for work published on The Guardian and The Observer’s Word of Mouth blog
The other shortlistees were:
Katy Salter, for work published on www.pinchofsaltlondon.com
Oliver Thring, for work published on The Guardian and The Observer’s Word of Mouth blog
Restaurant Reviewer of the Year Award
Winner: Marina O’Loughlin, for work published in Metro and Fire & Knives
The other shortlistees were:
Richard McComb, for work published in The Birmingham Post
Matthew Norman, for work published in The Daily Telegraph
Lifetime Achievement Award
Anna del Conte
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