Just a few random thoughts and some interesting recipes. If you'd like to contribute, please do!
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October 6, 2020
I voted yesterday. Filled out my ballot, drove up to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections, and dropped my ballot through the slot on the drop box. The security was impressive -- lots of cameras, lots of personal surveillance, lots of physical security. Today, I received an email telling me that my ballot had been received and was in process. The email even gave me a link that would allow me to track the ballot. And yes, I was suspicious, so I carefully examined the email internals and source -- it's legit. So mark me impressed with Maryland elections processes. The weather is turning. What to do with all those green tomatoes that are not going to have enough time to turn red? I had 18 yesterday, so decided to experiment. I made green tomato pizza and it was awesome! I used 7 of my 18, so naturally when I counted today, I had 15 green tomatoes. I swear, they live in an alternative universe. The pizza was good, but I made too much dough, so I repurposed some of the dough for garlic cheese buns. Those were good too! Enjoy! August 18, 2020 OK, who flipped the calendar on me? How did the entire summer slip by so fast? Well, we had the elections: thanks to everyone who participated. And now we are off to a new year that hopefully will get a little easier soon. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, if you are facing virtual schooling for the fall for your kids, check out the education resources that have been compiled here. And good luck. How about something different this time? Baltimore Style Steamed Shrimp is the gift that keeps on giving: it's actually two dishes (the shrimp and the stock) that you make at the same time. Easy, tasty, and filling. Enjoy. June 15, 2020 Not going to lie -- this last week has been pretty tough. Neighbor saw her father-in-law die from COVID-19 and most of his side of the family get infected from a single visit, pre-diagnosis. That's 9 people infected from a single afternoon on the deck, and counting. Please remind your loved ones to wear masks and gloves, and practice social distancing. It ain't over til it's over. Sigh. So, let's do some comfort food: cauliflower gratin. It's the perfect way to take a vegetable that is good for you and tart it up with a ton of cheese. Perfect if you are doing keto, but not so great if you aren't. Tastes good, though. Stay safe, everyone. June 8? OK, it happened again. But I checked, and it is still 2020. I think maybe the Mayans were off by 8 years. That's still a seriously cool calendar. It's election season at BCAOG. Cast your ballot here by email. The way this works is that you fill out the form and your vote is emailed to me. I count the votes (and get rid of any fraudulent ones or duplicates) and communicate the results to the leadership of the Chapter. It's not encrypted and it's not bullet proof, but the stakes are not exactly high here. And it's a lot easier and cheaper than sending out ballots to the membership by regular mail. So do your thing and vote! Recipe for today is comfort food: an easy green chili stew inspired by New Mexico. The spicing features cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, which matches really well with the heat of the chilis. Leftovers both freeze and reheat well, so you can have something to dig into at 2 in the morning. May 15, 2020 Wow, the weather today is phenomenal! Coffee on the deck, listening to the sounds of nature, basking in the warmth of the new day. What more could one ask? I mean, other than an all clear signal. Sigh. Progress is being made; hang in there. Fancy a bit of easy Indian today? Here's a recipe for easy salad taken from Yamuna Devi's award winning book, "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking" -- Apple Salad. Perfect for a hot day. May 13? How did it get to be May 13? Is it still 2020? So this Spring has been special, hasn't it. Days and days of rain and drizzle interspersed with the occasional sunny day: I don't know what your yard looks like, but mine is blooming with weeds. It's actually quite impressive, so naturally I had to do some research. Did you know that many of the weeds are not only edible but medicinal? Take your lowly dandelion. Most every one has heard of dandelion wine (which sounds enormously difficult to make -- you have to only use the flower petals) but did you know that dandelion root can be used to treat liver problems and is a diuretic? Learn more at UPenn's Hershey Medical Center. And those nasty chickweeds popping up everywhere? They are apparently very nutritious. Who knew? The recipe of the day is more conventional. Since the weather is looking up and people are heading out to the barbecue, here's an interesting approach from Mark Miller of the Coyote Cafe in New Mexico: Horno Style Roast Meat. His original recipe calls for goat, but as that is kind of hard to come by, lamb or pork shoulder would work just as well. It's a fun and interesting way to cook. Enjoy! May 4, 2020 May the 4th be with you! Seriously though, this working from home thing is starting to feel normal. This last week, I had a 3 day workshop with folks from all over the country and it went off with very few glitches. One attendee commented that it actually felt like it worked better than if we had met conventionally. I do know the side channel chats were lit, and that contributed to both the ability of presenters to hold the floor without interruptions and for participants to discuss the presentations in real time without being obnoxious. So, interesting. But a lesson learned was: make the presenters have slides. It's really hard to listen to a disembodied voice and try to picture what they are talking about, even if one is very familiar with the content. Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, so in honor of that, here's an easy recipe from Diana Kennedy, doyenne of Mexican cooking (seriously: she has been honored at the highest levels for her working in preserving the extraordinary range of Mexican cuisine). This recipe is guacamole, from the recipe she first encountered in 1957, as documented in her cookbook: From My Mexican Kitchen. Enjoy! April 27, 2020 Another day, another security problem with a video conferencing app. This time with MS Teams, but that's just the luck of the draw. If you want to read more about this particular gem, here's a link: <https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-is-how-viewing-a-gif-in-microsoft-teams-triggers-account-hijacking-bug/> See also: <https://www.cyberark.com/threat-research-blog/beware-of-the-gif-account-takeover-vulnerability-in-microsoft-teams/> Tired of trying to come up with something spiffy for dinner? Try having tapas: small plates of nibblies, like nuts, olives, celery sticks, carrot sticks, and perhaps one of Jose Andres' creations: Endive with Clementines, Goat Cheese, and Almonds Don't have endives? Substitute lettuce. Don't have clementines? Substitute canned mandarin oranges. It is an amazingly refreshing and addictive tapa. April 25, 2020 It is somewhat surprising how normal it has become to FaceTime the neighbors every day at 4 pm, Skype friends all over the world once per week, and have regular business meetings on Zoom. What was once a "do we have to?" back up plan is now our go to experience and it's working. How very odd but also how very reassuring. There's a joke going around that people are going to exit this experience as either excellent cooks or falling down drunks. After watching Senator Warner make what must be the most appalling version of a tuna salad sandwich, it seems appropriate to offer a jazzed up version of a tuna salad recipe for consideration. It includes apples, nuts, and pickles. Please enjoy. April 23, 2020 Wow, I blinked and several weeks went by. It is somewhat disconcerting that I no longer know what day it is unless I check the calendar. If you missed the USAFA commencement ceremony on April 18, you can catch it on youtube. It was a well executed event that managed to capture both the surreal nature of life right now as well as the celebratory aspect of graduation. Well done, class of 2020! Here's a simple recipe for today: Garlic Soup. It's kind of like French Onion Soup, but the flavor focus is garlic rather than onions. Enjoy! April 22, 2020 Each of us has made adjustments to our home and work environments to maintain our resiliency and health in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Now, is the time for us to bring industry's capabilities to bear for our Nation. AFWERX is hosting the following site that highlights opportunities for innovative companies and entrepreneurs to pursue. https://www.afwerx.af.mil/coronavirus.html For those with Agile Manufacturing experience with 3D printers or knowledge of how to rapidly and effectively clean decontaminate large transport planes, you may especially want to check out the link. Cheers, Jeff April 21, 2020 For those who are interested in the energy needs for the future AF data ops, this workshop may be of interest. It’s free, but registration is required. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-on-energy-challenges-for-future-data-driven-operations-in-the-usaf-registration-103155890044 Please join us for a workshop to investigate energy challenges and opportunities for future data driven operations in the U.S. Air Force. About this Event This workshop will explore the steps and plans the USAF is taking or should be taking to successfully develop, deploy, and sustain the weapons systems needed to compete in an emerging information-rich environment. Invited speakers and participants will discuss energy demands for weapons systems from the airbase to the battle space, including information requirements and needs associated with capture, curation, storage, exploitation, and transmission of energy to enable the deployment and operation of data reliant systems. April 15, 2020 The AOG holds calls with Chapter reps every once in a while, to share information and to see how things are going. I’m forwarding the notes from yesterday’s call, which was held via zoom. It actually worked really well and it was nice to see the other faces. My notes from the call are below; the official notes were in the forwarded email. There is also a recording of the call if you are so inclined. — My notes: AOG chapter call for 12:00 PM MT, Tuesday, April 14, 2020.Call Agenda: AOG Update, COVID-19 Resources and Updates, Chapter Updates Topic: Chapter Conference Call | April 14, 2020 Time: Apr 14, 2020 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
April 4, 2020 Just a PSA… You can vote absentee in Maryland. And it’s easy — took me about 5 minutes this morning to register for an absentee ballot. All you need is your drivers license. The below is copied from the Maryland Elections website, https://elections.maryland.gov/voting/absentee.html ————————-- Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot. You don't need a reason to vote by absentee ballot. It's another way to vote if you don't want to or can't go to an early voting center or your polling place. If you do not know if you are registered to vote, use the online voter look-up to find out. If you are not registered to vote, find out how to register to vote. There are three ways you can request an absentee ballot.
For the 2020 Special General Election - 7th Congressional District, you will automatically receive a ballot through the mail. If you would like this ballot delivered to you electronically or want your ballot mailed to a different address, your request must be received (not just mailed) by:
April 1, 2020 This is the best not-April Fools joke ever: the Class of 2020 will be graduating early and it will be live streamed so everyone can participate. Details will be posted when they are finalized. As most of you know, the firsties stayed behind when all the other cadets were sent home and apparently it has been quite the experience. (Reading about it, I couldn't help but remember the isolation hot boxes in SERE.) The recipe of the day is contributed by Jeff Kubik: banana boats desserts cooked on a grill or a campfire. He says they are better than s'mores and more fun to cook. With endless variations, they are not only tasty but an entire experience. Best done if you have a backyard, but you could also do these in the oven if you're stuck in a small apartment or condo with strict patio regulations. March 31, 2020 The new normal has some benefits: a slower pace allows one to observe the subtleties of spring in all its glory. From the popping of the leaves as they burst forth to the complex vocalizations of the birds as they partner up, the world continues to emerge from the depths of winter. Maybe you're thinking of starting a garden. Plan now for herbs that you can dry and veggies that you can pickle so you can enjoy your efforts over the winter as well. Make it a Victory (over coronavirus) Garden. And while you're thinking about food, how about taking a world journey through cooking? Try this easy recipe for Cinnamon Chicken from the Marquesas: it's delicious! March 27, 2020 We reached a grim milestone last night, passing every other country in number of COVID-19 cases. It's sobering. But life goes on and focusing on our routines, our friends, our neighbors, and the things that are important to us helps. One foot in front of the other -- keep going. Today's recipe is a fun one to make with your kids. It comes together magically and fills the house with a lovely baked cheese smell. Yes, today's recipe is Gougeres. Enjoy! March 26, 2020 Today dawned gloriously, bringing to mind the lyrics to the Cat Stevens song "Morning Has Broken". The bright yellows of the daffodils, the soft pink of the cherry trees, and the exuberance of the forsythia paint the glory that is Maryland in the spring. And it is so poignant to watch the emergence of life after the winter while the storm clouds of coronavirus darken above our beloved home. To lighten the mood, here's a fun little recipe to try. It's my take on Greek Salad: wonderfully fresh and even better if you have fresh herbs to add to the mix. March 25, 2020 Thanks to everyone who is giving ideas and resources to add to the website. I hope you are finding this useful. Getting into the swing of virtual socializing and it's actually working well. One neighbor can't get Skype audio to work, so we FaceTime with her. Spent 30 minutes having a virtual happy hour with her yesterday. Followed up with an hour with friends in Somerset, England. I was a little leery of the quality of the internet connection, since the UK (particularly the rural areas) is pretty infamous for terrible bandwidth, but the Skype connection held for the entire hour. Using my iPad, I gave them a tour of the garden and discussed growing plans for the year. So, it works! And it was surprisingly relaxing to have such a nice chat. Another simple recipe: a quick barbecue sauce descended from a Rick Bayless recipe. March 24, 2020 For those of us of a certain age, hunkering down in a comfortable house is easier than it might be for those living in a small apartment and pinching pennies. Our thoughts are with all of you. If you'd like to share your story, please do. I can post it anonymously if you prefer. Sharing experiences is an important way of staying human. Here's a simple recipe to start things off: Chicken Salad. Believe it or not, it is one of my most requested recipes. I hope you enjoy. |
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