foodlist

end of ‘summer’ csa
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• andouille and tasso smothered cabbage (from this delight of a book lent to me by Zach)
  
• polenta with stewed collard greens and bacon
  
• baked kale chips
  
• steamed bok choy with oyster sauce
  
• saag paneer with collard and turnip greens
  
• the unmade squash spätzle listed before
  
• beet and apple soup in acorn squash bowls

Dear Jstor, your font sucks.

Dear Jstor,

The typeface you have chosen for the citation information on your pdf cover sheets is unforgivably awful. Its roman characters are crudely and thoughtlessly drawn by someone with no evident qualifications or other typographic experience. Though it boasts a wide-ranging character set, I doubt it is the most complete font in existence. I would urge you to consider other fine, even free options from SIL and others, such as those shown below.

The most hideous glyph in your unfortunate font is the capital J, which is used disporportionately often in the texts where you have employed it (most journals name themselves Journal of . Or, Tournal of x. I can’t distinguish them in Code2000. By the way, it is now 2009. Browsers support Unicode. Competent developers all use UTF-8. We can even embed fonts in web pages with css! Why do you torture our eyes with this heinous insult to every type designer living or dead?

The figure below shows what I find the be the most offensive characters in Code2000. Clearly the JT is far and away the most odious. The diddle on the top of the 2 makes no sense, the 9 is horribly awkwardly topheavy, the g is misshapen and glaring at me like a quadriplegic rhinoceros, and the r and f both suffer gross errors of proportion. The huge flat crossbar of the f for some reason extends beyond the elephantine serif. The ball at the end of the r and f are also apparently mutant spawn of unrelated origins. Here are several alternatives, all free opentype faces with reasonably complete character sets: Fontin, Gentium, Droid Serif, and venerable Times New Roman.

Update, 2010-01-24: The web page for Code2000 appears to no longer exist. Here’s wikipedia. Can this augur the death of the font at Jstor?

lots of squash and apples

squash and apples
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• pumpkin red curry and sticky rice
  
• sausage-stuffed baked apples
  
• nutty tart bell peppers with peanuts
  
• chile-spiked moong dal with cauliflower
  
• eggplant with roasted chiles and tomato (again)
  
• slow roasted bell pepper with red lentils (again)
  
• squash spätzle with maple and bacon

csa box + devon groceries = lots of foods

DSC_0004.NEF
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• another apple and pear pie
  
• eggplant and asparagus thai green curry
  
• something indian with okra
  
• polenta with beet greens
  
• stuffed bell peppers with ground pork and raisins
  
• (another week) stuffed spaghetti squash
  
• tindora / ivy gourd with coconut and sambhar masala
  
• fig honey cream galette
  
• kolhapuri stewed eggplant or pan-blistered eggplant with onion and marathi kala masala
  
• collard and radish greens (subbing for taro leaves) with peanuts

useful stuff: non-latex Sweave

from learningR

first squash of fall

first squash of fall
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• beet risotto
  
• fresh pasta with roasted squash and ricotta; salad
  
• palak paneer and rotis
  
• bratwursts and pretzels with mustard; cole slaw
  
• more bagels!
  

Administrative Cost Waste

This is a totally banal tale of waste associated with private insurance schemes. Thankfully I do not have a horror story, dropped coverage, or preëxisting condition, but the inane interactions recounted below relate to the vast waste of “administrative costs” that private insurers generate.

ID and registration

WU switched back to Aetna Chickering health insurance, after a few years ago switching to Cigna through some outfit called Great West. These switches alone are incredibly wasteful, but users are shielded from those costs. Trying to stay on top of things, I wanted to check that I could find a doctor, my ID card if necessary, etc. online, if I needed to. The plan web site promised that the Aetna Navigator could help me with all of these things. It told me to use my WU ID to register, but that didn’t work. When I called customer service, they first asked if I was entering it “with four zeros in front of it.” (The site itself says, “In the field titled "Primary Member's ID Number" enter your 5 or 6 digit WUSTL Student ID #, NOT your Social Security number.”) When that didn’t work, the customer service representative told me to try again in “about 24 hours” and I would be “in the system.” This worked the next day (with the zero-padding; I did not first try without). But, I couldn’t find anything like an ID card to print, or address to update.

I called customer service. This time they claimed that I had been sent an ID card and they asked me to confirm my address. They asked this as if it were a password, so I told them my current address, office address, and, for good measure, address of three years ago. I failed the test: none was the “correct” one according to my new insurer. Customer service was wary now, but in medical-administrator world I had to be legit since I knew my date of birth. What address did they have on file? One Brookings Drive – no campus box, no department: the address for all of Washington University. Well, that explains why I never got an ID card. Like most people, I would prefer my health related correspondence go to my home rather than my office, so I gave them my correct address, which of course is the same one the graduate school has on file as my primary address.

Vision

I decided next to tackle an eye exam – I’m out of contacts and it is nice to have a current prescription. My plan advertises that although it does not include vision coverage, it does offer a considerable discount. The web site explaining the discount program was vague, so I called customer service to ask what I needed to do to get the discount. “Just give them your member ID that starts with a W.” ”I can find that online through the navigator thing?” “Yes.” I logged on to the ‘Navigator’ but the only temporary card and ID listed is the dental one which does start with a W but is not the same.

When I called to make the appointment (and one was available within two days, which is nice) he asked for my ID number and Group number. I didn’t have a group number since I never got an ID card and couldn’t print one. So I gave him the customer service number from the page about the vision discount, and he said he would verify my coverage. He called back later and said they got an error when using my number. I apologized for their wasting his time, and gave him another customer service number. He called back, successful this time, and confirmed my appointment.

Dental

No dental coverage was offered the past two years, so this year, presented the option of paying $114 for a plan that includes at least two cleanings, I enrolled. (It is worth noting that Scott’s plan has always included dental at no extra charge and ours never has. A few years ago, last with Aetna, we had the option to pay $40 to join the negotiated discount program Vital Savings, now included by default, but no option for actual dental coverage.)

Annoyingly before I could pay for insurance I had to select a dentist from their list. So I picked the first one and figured I would change it after I actually did some research and perhaps even made an appointment with one. Of course, the dentist I had picked from the top of the list received some horrible feedback via the internets, so I wanted to change to another one.

Also, I can’t make an appointment until the office receives the ‘roster’ from Aetna, which they explain happens around the beginning of the month, so call again in October. I looked into it later that day, and when I called to change it, I was told I was not yet “in the system” and to try again the next day, or easier still, that I could do that online too. Indeed there is a button to make changes on the list page but when you click it, it warns, “Important: This feature should NOT be used for requesting a change in your primary care physician (PCP) or dentist (PCD). If you wish to change your current PCP/PCD, please use the Change PCP link located on the Details page for each provider.” (Said link opens the same page with the same warning.) I called customer service, explained the situation, and requested the change.

The next day, I got an email confirming my “change” of primary care dentist, but now it warned, “If you chose your dentist after the fifteenth of the month, your selection will be effective on the first of the second month following your selection. For example, if you sent us your selection on August 20, you can begin seeing your dentist on October 1.” Well, that’s unacceptable. While I’m ok with waiting for the “roster” system in October, two months is absurd, and I would have been more careful in making my first choice if there had been any indication at all that changing could even possibly delay my coverage by two months. They confirmed that I will in fact be on the roster in October, so hopefully I’ll get an appointment then.

nearing the end of summer food

end of summer
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• mouhamara and pitas
  
• carrot greens in
  
• cantaloupe-basil sorbet
  
• saffron panna cotta
  
• bagels
  
• kale peanut stew
  
• jerk burgers on pretzel rolls, grilled corn
  
• hamad, iraqi braised lamb with beets and tomatoes
  
• jeweled rice
  

the bag was very full: and we’re gone half the week

the bag was very full
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• pepper jelly
  
• tomato sauce for the freezer
  
• blueberries for the freezer
  
• vanilla plum galette
  
• rotis with a potato curry; green goddess sauce
  
• ciabatta with sautéed beet greens
  
• quiche / tart of some kind with squash, kale, bacon
  
• some lunch dal
  

A very tasty week indeed

Summery Goodness
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• Brussery, and mustard greens with sweet corn [660] (a picture and adaptation of the former is in order)
  
• Eggplant biryani, salad
  
• Lecsó, bread, cucumber salad
  
• Frittata with potato and zucchini
  
• Hyderabadi black-eyed peas with wilted mustard greens [660]
  
• Sweet corn cupcakes with brown butter honey frosting
  
• Upside-down sweet cherry cake
  

Colorful and delicious

Colorful and delicious
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• Caramel peach grunt
  
• zucchini cake/muffin type thing
  
• calzones with peppers, onions, rocket, and tomato
  
• cauliflower gratin
  
• texmex salad with corn, tomatoes, sourcream lime dressing
  
• brussery, some dal
  
• hummus
  

my counter is full of summer

my counter is full of summer
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• Zucchini risotto, salad with fennel, blueberry, and sungold tomatoes.
• jerk lamb-beef burgers, grilled corn, tzatziki
• peppers stuffed with my favorite tamal filling (plus rice)
• cabbage and potato with fennel and chiles [660]
• pesto with all the basil (most or all to freeze)
• chinese noodle with cabbage and scallion, black bean sauce
• peach frozen yogurt
• apple dessert? (apple-black currant brown betty; maple-apple cake)
• lunch: gujarati-style black and yellow chickpeas [660] (also has black lentils and kidney beans and tomato)

Fedex Kinko’s is now Fedex Office

But nothing about it has really changed. I had to go there to print my Polmeth poster (ugh) and figured I might as well have a batch of cards my name & email on them. I dropped my files on a CD, biked up to the nearest friendly Fedex Office where I had the following exchange.

Me: (holding CD) I have two files on this CD I need printed — one is business cards that I need a few of on cardstock and cut; the other is a large format, 24×36.

Kara: Where are the files?

Me: On this CD.

Kara inserts the CD on her computer and clicks several times. I assume she has a file-browser window open and is viewing the contents of the CD.

Kara: Which one is the business cards?

Me: The one named Malecki-cards-10up-color.pdf

Kara: Is it color or black and white?

Me: Color.

Kara: OK. What is your last name?

Me: Malecki.

Kara: (still looking at her computer) How do you spell that?

Instead, I will be eating conference food. BLAH!

Some things for Scott to make while I am at polmeth.

• one of the indian ‘dumpling’ recipes (with yogurt, maybe tomato paste) where instead of besan dumplings you use up the TJ meatless balls. there are several recipes near the end of the legumes chapter and in the appetizer section.
• sautéed chard (garlic, balsamic) ; and the grilled tofu thing i bought on sale at wf quickly cooked with garlic and parsley as if it were chicken.
• something indian with cabbage; raita or other cucumber salad (there are at least 2 giant cucumbers)
• macaroni and cheese and salad
• Tabbouleh (we have lots of parsley. Even better with zucchini!

fresh cherry and chocolate scones

fresh cherry and chocolate scones

Inspired by this recipe and this cook's illustrated one with blueberries. I cannot believe that the grated frozen butter trick was new to me, but it is perfect for scones. These have white and dark chocolate, half whole wheat flour, and lots of fresh cherries.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk
• a stick of butter, frozen
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup of fresh cherries
• ½ cup chocolate

Method

1. Grate most of the stick of butter. Half a stick is ok, 6tsp is better, 7 is better. Return the grated butter to the freezer.
2. Pit and chop the cherries. Stick them in the freezer too.
3. Chop the chocolate into chunks. Or just use chocolate chips.
4. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then stir together to combine roughly. Add the butter and stir some more. Last, add the frozen or part-frozen cherries and the chocolate. Avoid overworking the dough, but fold it together a few times on a floured surface and then pat it into a rectangle.
5. Cut into whatever shape you think scones should be.
6. Brush with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar or oats.
7. Bake at 400° for about 25 minutes.

For Nick: Mousse au chocolat au Cointreau

A long while ago Nick asked for my input regarding chocolate mousse. I haven’t made it in quite some time but for years my recipe has been this very rich and creamy version from the French Cordon Bleu book Desserts.

Cette mousse fondante, facile à préparer, mariant les parfums de l'orange et du chocolat, apportera toujours une note finale magique à un repas. Préparation: 40 minutes + 1 heure de réfrigération; Cuisson: 5 minutes. Pour 4 à 6 personnes

Ingredients

• 125g de chocolat noir de qualité supérieure
• 50g de beurre
• 70mL de jus d’orange
• 2½ cuillers à soupe de poudre de cacao
• 2 œufs, blancs séparés des jaunes
• 25mL de Cointreau
• 100mL de crème liquide, à fouetter
• 1 blanc d’œuf supplémentaire
• 1½ cuillers à café de sucre en poudre
• Quartiers d’orange et crème chantilly, pour le service

Method

1. Mettez le chocolat, le beurre, et le jus d’orange dans un bain-marie. Une fois le chocolat et le beurre fondus, incorporez le cacao. Retirez du feu et ajoutez tout en fouettant les jaunes d’œufs et le Cointreau. Laissez refroidir
2. Dans un saladier glacé, fouettez la crème. Recouvrez et réservez au réfrigérateur jusqu’à l’utilisation.
3. Dans un saladier propre et sec, montez tous les blancs d’œufs en neige. Ajoutez le sucre et battez jusqu’à l’obtention d’un mélange lisse et glacé.
4. Incorporez délicatement les blancs d’œufs à la préparation au chocolat refroidie. Avant de les avoir complètement incorporés, ajoutez la crème fouettée. Transférez dans des coupes individuelles et placez au moins 1 heure au réfrigérateur. Servez décoré de quartiers d’orange et de chantilly.

I need ham hocks!

I need ham hocks!
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• southern stewed collard greens with smoked pork, and cornbread
• pad prik khing, green beans and pork
• crack pepper beef with steamed broccoli
• lamb and beef jerk burgers with queso fresco
• cucumber raita
• thai cabbage salad (basil, tomato, chiles)
• szechuan cabbage salad (green beans, fermented black beans, chili oil)
• some kind of okra curry
• some kind of chicken curry

Rainbow chard for pride weekend :P

Rainbow chard for pride weekend :P
Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

coconut cabbage (p.469); kohlrabi and greens in cream sauce (p.514); radish parathas; chard+bacon+garlic+balsamic (possibly as bruschetta); crackpepperbeef + steamed broccoli; pasta with proscuitto/broccoli/cream sauce; rice with cashews, almonds and fresh mint.

a very green week

a very green week Originally uploaded by gay.goy.gourmet

• Crumbled paneer with mint, cilantro, and chiles
• Yellow split peas and spinach in yogurt-peanut sauce
• Garlic-flavored pigeon pea broth with asparagus and kokum
• Asparagus in spicy yogurt sauce with roasted besan
• Penne with cashew-dill sauce and fresh peas
• Radish parathas
• fior di latte gelato with strawberries
• toasted kale “chips”

some of stuff to make

• stir fried asparagus with oyster sauce
• mexican-ish spinach chorizo quiche
• more mesclun with green lentil
• rhubarb lentil dal
• turnip and radish greens with miso & sesame
• strawberry sorbet
• salad with sherry vinaigrette and sliced turnips
• basque garlic parsley chicken