Thursday, July 29, 2010
Classic Australian SF
The publishers of Aurealis (the magazine for whom I edit the subscribers newsletter and blog), Chimaera Publications, have released six Classic Australian SF Books. Features some great cover-art from Andrew McKiernan and "introductions from some of Australia's most notable writers and critics". Check them out if you like SF, especially of an older vintage.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Handy post from Sarah Wilson about cooking from the freezer
tuesday eats: how to freeze things
I know this seems like a really daggy post. But stick with me, at least until the jump. It gets really interesting. See this quinoa recipe below, from 101 Cookbooks, an amazing resource for super healthy food ideas…I challenged myself to make it entirely from stuff pulled from my freezer. There are tricks and things to know…read on…
A full freezer is a green freezer
New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman is a mad freezer nut. He wrote recently in Oprah magazine that storing food in the freezer is actually economical because freezers work more efficiently when they’re full…something to do with solids stay cold longer than gases, so keep the whole lot at a more consistent temperature. Rad. Mark pretty much stores everything in his – flour, lemons, fruit, bacon. I’m not far off.
Some stuff is better frozen
Frozen tofu, for instance, stirfries better. Also, many starchy vegetables, like corn and peas, are better frozen than “fresh”. Starch breaks down as soon as the veggie is picked. Freezing stalls enzyme break-down. So those peas? They’re frozen not long after they’re picked and are in better nick than those that travel to the markets than to your local shop and then sit in your fridge for a few days…
But bear this in mind…
Watch out for freezer burn – make sure everything is covered, filling containers to the top. Sauces and pesto can be stored with a layer of oil on top. Cooked beans and rice can be topped off with water...
More and more, I'm depending on my freezer when cooking. As a single person with a chronic illness it allows me to save precious money, time and energy.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
I'm going to try this: Heirloom Tomato, Rice and Almond Tart | Cannelle et Vanille: {Cooking for Friends}
{Cooking for Friends} Heirloom Tomato, Rice and Almond Tart
I've avoided making pastry since being on the frucmal diet, but this tart looks so good, I'm going to bite the bullet and just do it.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
"Every day includes much more non-being than being. This is always so. One walks, eats, sees things..." via @DanijShapiro
"Every day includes much more non-being than being. This is always so. One walks, eats, sees things, deals with what has to be done; the broken vacuum cleaner; ordering dinner; washing; cooking dinner. When it is a bad day the proportion of non-being is much larger."- Virginia Woolf
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Publication of XMRV papers should not be blocked
Blocking publication also sends the wrong message to CFS patients, to the public, and scientists. Not only does this action raise suspicions about their motives – are they trying to publish only the result they believe is correct? – but it ignores the very important fact that science is self correcting. Scientists are humans, and they make mistakes. But eventually the right answer will come to the surface. And that is why PNAS and Retrovirology should respect peer review, publish the XMRV papers, and let science correct itself.