Archive for August, 2008
Tzatziki – Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce
Aug 29th
You’ve probably eaten it on gyros – which is entirely fine. But most likely, it came out of a plastic squeeze bottle, watered down and soapy – which is not so fine. Most Greek food places use inferior ingredients. Sorry, countrymen, but garbage in, garbage out. And when the garbage out is synonymous with the food you shovel into your face…things aren’t good.
Here’s how to make it at home, like my mom, aunt, and yiayia make it. You’ll need:
- a small cucumber, peeled (save the peels and put them on your forehead to cool down in the summer. I also eat them or compost when possible)
- garlic cloves – one or two will do
- 1+ cups of strained yogurt – only get Greek or Middle Eastern. It should be thick, creamy, and rich. I avoid low fat yogurt which tends to be filled preservatives and other junk – and just doesn’t taste as good. I generally don’t endorse brands, but if you don’t know what to get try Fage Total. It’s increasingly available, and even their 0% fat version beats the living hell out of excuses for yogurt like Yoplait.
- lemon juice or vinegar to taste (only about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons chopped mint or dill, chives, parsley, etc
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
(notice the super high fat content, and only four ingredients. It could be argued that there are only 2 ingredients, but lets not push it. Four is low enough)
- a small or medium bowl
- a grater
- a paring knife (or veg peeler)
- a fork
Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out. I eat them. You can do as you please. Then peel with the paring knife and grate into the bowl. My mom squeezes out the excess water using towels or a colander – but its not entirely necessary. This is mostly for texture and crunch, so add as much as you like.
Use the back of a fork to smash the garlic into a paste. Add it to the bowl along with the lemon juice or vinegar. Lemons are more traditional especially in the summer. Just squeeze the juice into a clean cupped hand to filter out the seeds before adding to the bowl. The citric or acetic acid serves to cut the richness of the fat and to enhance the natural tanginess of the lactic acid present in the yogurt. Now, mix in the yogurt.
Optionally, add the mint or dill and season with salt (I like several cracks of fresh black pepper too) and mix everything together. Finish generously with extra virgin olive oil – give it a swirl to blend it in but not too much – and garnish with dill, cucumber segments, olives, or anything that seems suitable. If it looks ridiculous it probably is – if not, then its probably fine. Don’t sweat it.
Tzatziki is traditionally sopped with bread or eaten with meat, fish, or veggies. The richness of the fat and the acidity of the lemons compliment the strong flavors of many Greek, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods. You might want to double or triple the recipe – it goes quickly, especially in my family. If it makes it past the dinner table, it should keep a week plus, covered in the fridge. Oh, and the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the flavors meld – I’d suggest making it a few hours ahead of time at least.
N.B. After finding some fennel in the fridge, it occurred to me that the anise flavor would work well with the yogurt. Serving tzatziki with shaved fennel rather than or in addition to cucumber would work especially well if pairing it with another food prepared with fennel or tarragon, such as fish. But that’s an entirely different post!
Milwaukee Bike Collective
Aug 28th
I had a ridiculously tiring Wednesday, but knowing that I’d be going to the Bike Collective afterwards kept me going through the day. I also had lunch with a coworker at Thai Palace on Old World Third Street. The place is really hit or miss for anything but the entrées and drinks (the lunch service has been especially lackadaisical). That being said, my veggie curry was delicious but I wish I could say the same for my companion’s food. Moving on.
Immediately after work I biked to 29th and Clybourn, two streets south of Wisconsin Avenue.
View Larger Map
Upon rolling up to the building, I saw Pops sitting outside. After recognizing who I was, he welcomed me in, registered me, and showed me around the place. There are frames everywhere. Frames upon frames upon frames. They seemed to multiply as the night came on. Wheels hung from the racks, organized parts filled boxes, and tools twitched in their resting places, anticipating the work ahead.
A few more people arrived – another familiar face, besides Pops. And it turns out we know a bunch of the same people. Afterall, isn’t Milwaukee the biggest small town in the United States? We futzed around the shop a bit, I lingered through lugged frames and Huffys alike, and started stripping down a bike to fix up for Center Street Daze. Eventually we had a very informal but comfortable meeting – during which I ate the remainder of my lunch (so good). Anyhow, there’s lots to do, and I don’t know how much time I’ll have to contribute. It always seems I take on more work than I can handle – but I like a challenge and it keeps me sharp, so we’ll see how things go.
If you’re interested in getting involved, whether it be to fix bikes, donate parts, work on the website, flyers, etc. – let me know. Alternatively, just contact the collective. Their info can be found here. I’ll get some of my own photos soon – forgot to bring a camera! So photo credits to whoever took them!
101 Things in 1001 Days
Aug 26th
Awhile ago, a friend told me about a project called 101 Things in 1001 Days. Check it out. Here’s my list:
- Biking
- register with the USAC and USCF
- race regularly
- obtain at least cat 3 (preferrably cat 2) status
- fix crank and bottom bracket of my orange road bike
- get a winter bike 19 OCTOBER 2008
- get bike rollers to train indoors during winter
- build a fixed gear/track bicycle (just to have, and to train) 19 OCTOBER 2008 (would still like to build one)
- join a cycling club/team
- bike over 25mph for at least 10 miles
- bike to a different state (of the United persuasion—the mind is a given)
- bike through the valley (With Ginnie and Phil)
- Exercise/Outdoors
- run at least 4 miles per week for 4 weeks
- run 10k
- start doing yoga again, at least 3 times per week if not more
- do daily calisthenics
- go camping
- go canoeing
- go kayaking
- camp for 3 days with only a knife
- canoe the Milwaukee River
- Business
- register my business with the state and IRS as an LLC
- finish developing letterhead/business cards (SEPTEMBER 2009)/document system
- School
- finish college! (Holy Shit! 11 January 2010)
- Job/Work
- quit my current job (Double Holy Shit! 16 January 2010)
- get a real job (one that pays me what I’m worth)
- put together a portfolio for getting a job! (In progress)
- work 2 jobs simultaneously (2009)
- Food
- take a cooking class
- learn how to make sushi (20 November 2009)
grow an awesome garden(MAY-NOV2009)- complete with vermiculture bin
and composting heap(MAY 2009)- harvest urban fruit
- make falafel (15 JANUARY 2010)
- find or develop a consistent and easy French bread recipe 29 DECEMBER 2008 (taught 25+ at the CCC)
- maintain my own bread dough starter(Spring 2009)
- bake at least one batch of bread per week DECEMBER/JANUARY 2009 (Have been baking 3+ batches weekly)
- make limoncello
- brew beer
- make wine from grapes
- make dolmades with fresh grape leaves
- make cheese from scratch(JUNE 2009)
- make flour
- bowhunt for deer
- trap hare and cook them
- go fishing and cook my catch
- catch octopus and cook it
- slaughter a chicken (and cook it?)
- harvest honey
- teach 10 people how to cook a simple, fast, flexible meal 15 JANUARY 2009
- find five good ethnic food stores/markets in Milwaukee (Viet Hoa, x, x, x, x)
- Crafts/Projects
- teach at least 5 people how to knit (1. Gavin 11 DECEMBER 2008 2. Dana 29 December 2009)
- knit a sweater
- knit socks
- make shoes or slippers (more like moccasins) by hand
- sew some curtains
- build a bookshelf
- improve my sewing skills (learn to sew from a pattern)
- sew some aprons
- make a messenger bag from old plastic bags
- make grocery bags out of recycled t-shirts and other scraps
- Housing/Household
- move to a new apartment [house] 15 FEB 2010
- care for a cat
- clean my closet 13 FEB 2010
- fix the light fixture in the back room
- Time Management/Organization/Fixing
- develop a daily routine
- develop a weekly routine
- develop a monthly routine
- wake up before 8am regularly without an alarm clock
- organize my books
- buy/make a daily planner, and use it…daily 14 FEB 2010
- install subversion on my webhost
- Entertainment/Leisure/Volunteering
- watch at least the first ¼ of the original Dr. Who series in order
- read one book per month for pleasure
- hold a David Lynch marathon viewing festival weekend
- volunteer at People’s Books at least 20 hours
- volunteer at the Bike Collective at least 20 hours (6 hours total: 10 JANUARY 2009)
- Travel/Destinations
- West Coast
- New York City
- Greece (and possibly travel through Europe)
- a planetarium
- the Domes
- the Milwaukee County Historical Society (do research for old Rustbelt businesses, typefaces, logos, etc)
- Writing
- blog at least 4 times per week, consistently for 6 months
- finish The Ruthless King book and illustrations
- finish the Busku book and illustrations
- start writing another children’s book (Concept developed 21 JANUARY 2009)
- write a book for big people (In progress)
- Design/Photography/Programming
- redesign my blog
- model something in 3D with Maya
- find 10 easily accessible rooftops in Milwaukee and take photographs from atop (3 found so far…)
- walk around the city collecting textures with photos and rubbings (then organize them)
- design another cd package
- To Buy/Pay for
- get a nice digital SLR
- library fines
- buy OR BUILD a really nice bike (race worthy) and accessories (shoes, helmet, etc) (helmet, gloves, socks 21 JANUARY 2009)
- buy some nice Golas 28 SEPTEMBER 2008
- Learn/Education/Exploration
- all the constellations in the zodiac
- take another French class
- find a good secret hiding spot in the city(19 JULY 2009)
- determine my haplotype distribution
I am certain I’ll add more things to this list, so here’s an area for additional tasks:
- make papermaking equipment, then paper
- keep bees (Still illegal in Milwaukee: I found this out on 20 JANUARY 2009)
- learn to drive stick
- make kombucha
- make vinegar
- teach another cooking class
- go morrelling
- grow mushrooms (Started 16 FEB 2010)
Progress: 20/101
Finally, I found this awesome artist duo from São Paolo called mulheres barbadas (bearded ladies, in Portuguese) while looking through some websites. Here’s one of their collaborations:
Effective Longterm Weightloss Solutions
Aug 25th
When finding out a friend of mine used to be overweight, I instantly fall into disbelief. “Really?!” “How’d you lose the weight?” “What did you do with all your clothes?”
The questions are endless. Maybe it’s because, I too used to be overweight – obese, technically. At my peak I tipped the scales at 270 pounds. Now I’m a pithy 185-190, condensed and ready to spring into action. I am always intrigued as to how people lose weight, not out of mere curiosity or sympathy but rather so that I can pick up any tricks they have to losing and keeping it off.
It’s a struggle sometimes. I know. But please know that quick weight loss is unhealthy. Be realistic and expect your efforts to be longterm and sustainable. Small changes are best, and will accumulate over the course of your efforts. Here are some ideas, both my own and from others, to help you along the way.
- only drink water (no booze, juice, soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, water with sweeteners even if they are zero calories, etc.)
- drink water more often
- eat foods high in dietary fiber – you will feel full faster. Leafy greens and vegetables are perfect candidates
- don’t omit fats and carbs – they are essential to health, and to feeling full.
- walk
- ride a bike
- park your car farther away than necessary and walk
- take the stairs
- only eat vegetarian when you go out
- cook your own meals – you’ll have better control over what you eat – and will probably save some money!
- eat Greek/Middle Eastern style yogurt – or at least make sure the yogurt you buy isn’t packed with carbohydrates. If your yogurt has corn syrup, it’s not yogurt, it’s pudding.
- avoid corn syrup in general. If a product has it, I’ll look for an alternative
- limit meat consumption to chicken and fish
- limit television time
- do chores regularly! See above. Handwashing clothes saves water and detergent, and is quite a fulfilling workout!
- limit dairy consumption. I stick to hard aged cheeses and yogurt. You’ll catch me chowing on ice cream though … but only as a reward!
- keep a journal of your food consumption and energy exertion
- find an exercise partner, preferably a friend who is more fit than you and who has the time and energy to slow down and help you make progress
Hopefully these ideas will get you started. Let me know of any tricks or tips you have to losing weight!
Be a Frugal College Student
Aug 22nd
I’ve been in college for awhile. Just ask my parents. Along the way I’ve learned how to pinch and save so I have enough to live how I want – with what I’ve got. Here are a few of those tips.
- Save what you can. Whether it’s in a checking account or savings, make sure to have money set aside in case of an emergency. It can be hard to do, but it’ll save your ass later.
- Learn how to cook and limit your social expenditures to what you can afford – or less. I buy in bulk when possible and for things that can be stored safely for long periods of time. If you need some ideas, check out my post: The Well-Stocked Pantry. If you can, grow as much of your own food as possible, or at least herbs/spices. It’ll save you a bunch in the long run, and will make your food tastier and healthier. Perusing the grocery store regularly keeps you on top of pricing trends – but also shop at farmers markets. You can usually get a really good deal, and you’ll meet some splendid people. You can’t ask a box of cereal whether its wheat was chemically treated. Learn a little about what you’re putting into your body – you deserve it.
- Ride a bike, walk, or take public transit. If you own a car and it’s feasible to live without it, sell it. In a large city, bikes are the way to go. They are small, easy to store (buy a decent u-lock), inexpensive to maintain, and cheap to fuel – just eat a bit more if you plan on a significant ride! In some cities you can even load your bike on to the front of a bus for a longer journey. The clincher is that on busy city streets, bikes can be faster than cars – just stay safe. If you’re scared to ride on the road, get a bus pass. Most universities offer them for free, or a reduced student cost. If you have a full/semi-full-time job, ask about employer transit passes. You can get some studying done during your bus/train ride, or meet a new friend.
- Don’t waste time. Be as productive as you can – while making sure to not burn out. You could turn your spare time into spare cash. Why sit around watching reruns of your favorite show when you could be sitting around watching your favorite show … and knitting a scarf that you make some spending money on? Don’t have any sweet skills that could translate into treasure? Look for odd jobs on craigslist, or talk to friends/family/neighbors. People always need help – and who knows, it could turn into a semi-regular thing. You might even make a new friend!
- Shop at resale stores, or try a free-cycling event. I help run an event here in Milwaukee called the Free Market. We take donations, organize them, and offer them back to the public for free. It’s like a big, free flea market.
- Fix things that are broken or in disrepair. Get a sewing machine and learn how to sew and mend clothes. Why buy curtains if you can make them? Need a dress, or maybe a pair of mittens/handwarmers? They’re a breeze to make with even the simplest of sewing machines. Did you see an awesome table at the Free Market – only to find it had a broken leg? Maybe a drill, some screws, and some initiative could turn it into an amazing bohemian eating surface, or perhaps a more modern aesthetic suits your style. The choice is yours.
- Use the internet. Need to learn a new skill? Search on your favorite engines till you find something you like. I usually use google and youtube to find tutorials on everything from sewing to playing guitar to programming a website. Direct contact with friends is ideal, but sometimes impractical. I use facebook, myspace, twitter, and this blog to stay in touch with friends, let people know what’s going on in my life, and facilitate meetings with people that are important to me.
- Hand-wash clothing from time to time. It’ll extend the life of your clothes and you’ll need less soap and water. Plus, your clothes will probably get a better cleaning than a machine could ever do. Don’t know how to wash by hand? See #7!
That’s all for now. I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten – so I foresee a “part 2″ to this post. If you have any suggestions, please post in the comments! Thanks!
Garam Masala inspired Rice with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions
Aug 21st
Rifling through a book at work landed me on a page with a recipe for garam masala, the classic Indian spice mix. Seeing those ingredients got my wrinklepatch whirring like mad! What if I were to combine flavors from two disparate cuisines?
There’s nothing new about the idea – afterall, there’s surf-n-turf, East/West fusion, and the wonderful explosion of Mediterranean dishes whose origins are often debated, and passionately at that.
So what’s different? Maybe not much, but when I think of the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, and cumin in garam masala … I immediately think: India. Sautéed mushrooms with onions isn’t as clear – but they certainly are traditional in French, Italian, and American cuisine. I’d never really thought about combining the two – but figured it couldn’t hurt.
The recipe is simple – rough measurements if any, so use your discretion. Lightly toast some cardamom pods, cloves, and whole black pepper corns in a hot pan. I also added some very roughly chopped chiles. Then add a little butter and oil to the pan. Once the fat is nice and hot, brown the rice. Add the water to the pan as well as a stick of cinnamon and wait till it simmers. Turn to low and cover for 18-20 minutes, or according to how you normally cook rice.
While the rice was cooking, I chopped three medium portobello mushrooms into a large dice, and did the same with a large onion. I sautéed both in a medium pan with butter, adding salt and pepper to taste. The sautéed stuff finished about the same time as the rice. I simply removed all the spices from the rice, and served the sautéed mushroom and onions on top, heavily garnished with roughly chopped parsley.
I really enjoyed using fridge and pantry stuff to try something I’d never done before – which was infusing the rice with the aforementioned spices. If oil was used rather than butter, this would be entirely vegan! You could even drizzle a little lemon juice on top for a nice acidic bite. If you come up with some other ideas, let me know by posting a comment. Thanks for reading!
Learning How to Cycle
Aug 19th
I’ve been biking a lot lately, for transportation and pleasure alike – and I must say, all this pedaling has gotten to me…
When I’m on my bike, I am in a dream. Wheels whirring, air rushing past my ears, I stream past automobiles like water around rapids. Fast, smooth, elegant – at least, that’s how it happens in my mind. Nothing can slow me down; I dodge potholes and eagerly climb hills whose hearts crumble as I ascend them with an effortlessness they’ve never seen in a human being. Again, my dream and reality meld into an inseparable mass reminiscent of The Science of Sleep as I hammer through the city on my metal stallion.
So where’s this all going? I’d really like to get competitive and start racing. I’ve been reading articles online, watching youtube training videos, reading books about how to train for various events – but I need someone to help if I get stuck on my own. Luckily my friend Jon is an avid cyclist (and ex cat2 racer). We’re hopefully going mountain biking soon – just for fun at first, and I’ll potentially do a beginner level race. I’d love to road race though, and eventually give track racing a shot. I think it would be good – to keep me in shape and for healthy competition. I’ll post more as things unfold. And thanks, Jon, for inspiring me to ride.