CLICK on picture to go to Ronnie Woods Website & store
Quite a while back I was lucky enough to sit in ROW 2 at a Rolling Stone’s concert in Angels stadium in Anaheim, California. Laura and I don’t do many extravagant things, but this one was worth it. I think this is partly why I recieved the announcement for Ronnie Wood’s latest venture in fashion.
Besides a more than passing interest in music, Ronnie wood is known to many fans as an artist , so to see him take a step into fashion isn’t really much of a surprise, but a fun surprise none-the-less.
Click on the above picture and as they say CHECK IT OUT!
Creating a Biscotti recipe isn’t like a normal recipe because it is one of those wonderful things that was designed not to ‘stand alone.’ I don’t know about you, but I would never eat a Biscotti by itself as it would be somewhat drab and way too dry…. but let’s not dwell. When you dip a good Biscotti in coffee , it comes alive!
My daughters have been asking me to bake up some Biscotti with Brazil Nuts ( which tastes interestingly enough like other wonderfully caloric nuts — Cashews and Macadamia nuts, for example — when baked). But I was looking for more than just another buttery Biscotti. I wanted something with a little bit more ‘zing’ and Pistachios — I thought — might just do the trick. This worked. So, I also made a bit more ‘sticky’ batter ( with a little more corn starch and a potato flour mixture) that seemed to hold it all together. Oh yes, it was good in the ‘test kitchen.’
Ah, now to coffee!
Roger Freberg
PS. click for the basic recipe on the picture above.
On of the things I love for lunch is a good ‘quiche.’ In fact , I have many recipes for this delightful dish and I can safely say that I have tried and enjoyed them all!
My fondest memories is of a certain Santa Barbaran caterer and restaurateur who made the nicest and simplest quiches. This petite French cook was unable to interest her daughters in taking over the business which was a major cultural loss. I confess to having made many a run to stock up on her master pieces. I particularly loved the Spinach quiche and her Quiche Loraine was classic and delightful!
Here’s a simple version of today’s quiche:
8 eggs
shredded CHEESE: 1 cup Gruyere and 1 cup Mozzarella
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic powder combination
1/2 pound of bacon cooked
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained and slightly cooked ( 1 minute in the microwave will remove excess moisture)
1/8 teaspoon each of cayenne pepper and nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
use your favorite pie crust or try mine
Process: the process is fairly standard: precook the bacon and crumble, saute the onions in the remaining bacon fat adding a little butter. Make pastry crust and place into pie or quiche pan. Place mushrooms and bacon in pastry shell. Pour remaining mixed ingredients into pastry shell.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. , then another 30 minutes at 350 or until a knife inserted into the middle of the pie can be withdrawn clean.
Take you pie outside, open a bottle of wine and enjoy the day!
What really is immortality? This is a wonderful question pondered by many great minds over the millennium and although some prefer to shrug the suggestion, others find solace, hope and comfort.
Historically, immortality was an expression of a religious belief. Scientific writings as late as the early 1800’s often began with an expression of how their work was not religious blasphemy, but was, in truth, another expression of the miracles around us.
The American Psychologist William James was someone who wrestled with concepts that often had a foothold in two worlds: scientific (psychological/philosophical) and religious. Conflicting perspectives weren’t unusual at the turn of the century (1900’s) as the theory of evolution was finding both acceptance and resistance. Scientific exploration was continuing to explode and a dichotomy between what we thought we knew and what science was beginning to theorize came in sharp contrast. In a final funny quip, William James concludes one of his seminal works with the following about salvation (immortality):
“For practical life at any rate, the chance of salvation is enough. No fact in human nature is more characteristic than its willingness to live on a chance. The existence of a chance makes the difference, as Edmund Gurney says, between a life of which the keynote is resignation and a life of which the keynote is hope. But all these statement are unsatisfactory from their brevity, and I can only say that I hope to return to the same question in another book.”
William James ( page 526-527, “The Varieties of Religious Experiences”, 1903)
The ancient Egyptians believed that a person lived on simply by mentioning their name and they certainly carved the name of their pharaohs into every pillar and wall lest we forget. However, I think real ‘immortality’ is simply being remembered by those important to you.
So, this goes a long way to say that I created a little bit of ‘immortality’ for Laura… a mouse pad with a picture of her and her new book. Laura, do you feel ‘immortalized?’ 😉
Sam Harris advocates that the difference between science and moral values is an illusion. He believes that the first step in answering important questions on the human condition starts with a recognition that there are right and wrong answers. Hearing a speech normally put forward by religious leaders was refreshing coming from the scientific perspective.
Sam Harris’s central theme — to me — was challenging the audience to consider whether or not we know so little about the human condition that we have to accept without question the cultural values of other societies.
A very thought provoking 20 minute worthwhile presentation.
