It’s a book. I’m not sure I agree with it, but the thesis is that we’re stuck in a four-phase historical hamster wheel. Despite the shades of Calvinism and Psychohistory, which greatly disturb me, I’m going to engage on its own terms. The fourth turning/phase is what we’re in, now. While I have quibbles withContinue reading “The Fourth Turning”
Author Archives: Mark
Inexpensive?
I couldn’t find barrister bookcases in town, so Intertubes to the rescue. I ordered those from a place called Houzz for $999 each. My review: Summary: Five stars due to price and convenience. Arrived today, pre-assembled! I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of such an inexpensive (for furniture) item. It’s real wood, not laminate overContinue reading “Inexpensive?”
Snacklebox
The Laird showed me a meme about charcuterie being dead and a snacklebox being the new hot thing. Interestingly enough, not much later, I was asked to bring a charcuterie board to a party. What happened next should be obvious. Fleet Farm has a very large tackle selection. The tackle-box choices are much more limited,Continue reading “Snacklebox”
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch
Павлова I don’t often do “cute”, but sometimes I can’t resist. These are amazing! The texture and the taste are both excellent. There will be more Pavlovas in my future. I’d never even heard of it. I stumbled across the recipe while searching for “why is my meringue collapsing?”
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXX
Lime Merrang I had two goals: A crispier crust and non-collapsing merrang (I’m starting a trend, not misspelling). The plan was to use the leftover crust dough from the Lemon Merrang, but it was already dry and dried out even more in the refrigerator. I made a new 2/3 batch of crust. Yay, metric system!Continue reading “Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXX”
External Validation Gets Out-of-Hand
When the need for external validation gets out of hand, one ends up with Pride Month – note how “gay” has been dropped. What does “Pride Month” even mean? Heteronormativity is a thing (it even spell-checks!). That dreadful Miller advertisement is proof enough. However, it should be a thing because hetero is normal. I’ve alwaysContinue reading “External Validation Gets Out-of-Hand”
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXIX
Lemon Meringue Pie I don’t know why The Laird wanted pie, let alone lemon meringue, as his birthday cake, but he did. I liked the tone of the Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe, so that’s what I used for the filling. I used my pie crust recipe, which needs just a touch more water for theContinue reading “Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXIX”
1,984 Miles Across the Room
The Laird asked about getting my baking pictures out of my phone. They travel 1,984 miles (3,192 km) to get across the room. The easiest way to transfer the files from my phone to my computer is via Google Drive (it’s not as if Microsoft is a better company). Starlink satellites orbit at about 342Continue reading “1,984 Miles Across the Room”
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXVIII
Croquembouche It’s not quite as ambitious as it may seem. I’ve made both cream puffs and eclairs without posting anything about it. I was inspired by the Jamie and Julia effort: Erin’s pate a choux was a great learning experience: But I like Helen’s recipe better because it includes the filling: The recipe doesn’t seemContinue reading “Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXVIII”
R.I.P. Merlin
Poor Merlin has died. He was a very loving kitteh. Like all cats, he was very curious and poked his nose into everything. Unlike most cats, everything he found terrified him. It was both amusing and sad. We called him “Merp” for his meow. That’s not really what he said. He meowed in Russian: Меръ.Continue reading “R.I.P. Merlin”
Marked Up 