« November 2003 | January 2004 »
Another Xmas come and gone. Santa was pretty good this year. Here's the loot list (partially):
Shogun (the novel)
Shogun (the miniseries)
LOTOR: The Two Towers
The Bonsai Handbook
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC)
Rough Guide to Scotland
Some Scottish shirts (of course)
dress shirt & tie (coming to a formal convention near you)
Logitech Wireless mouse and keyboard combo
I know I've forgot a few, but overall, I was quite happy with the turnout this year. Mom, Kait, Trev and Steph left today, after a mostly uneventful holiday. It was really nice to have them up here for the holidays. I'm writing this year from Greg's house - last visit of the year. Playing some PS2, and othewise chillin' Looking forward for Jenn's return - which can't come soon enough. Hurry home babe.
Week one of life sans Jenn has come and gone sans event. I even managed to put up and decorate a tree all by myself. (pictures once the digital camera returns).
Seriously stoked to go see The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King tomorrow, courtesy of Nevin and Julia. I'll share my thoughts on the movie tomorrow.
Anyway, that's all for no - oh not quite - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is seriously massive in the kickbut department.
Jenn if you're reading this - I miss you. Oh and the laundry falls way behind without you here.
...you dirty stinkin' (but remarkably similar) chimp! Seriously though, Nature Science Update is reporting that the first genome wide scan has been completed comparing chimpanzees versus H. sapien sapien (that's us). From the article:
All DNA sequences change over time as mutations build up. To spot the effects of evolution, the researchers looked for genes that had altered more during the five million years since human and chimpanzee split than would be expected by chance. About 1,500 genes seem to have been affected by selection, this analysis showed.The researchers may be a little presumptuous in interpreting their data, stating that they "have seen the fingerprint of evolution" in the small changes between human and chimp genes. Nonetheless, this is great ammunition to fire off a few salvos at those who think of evolution as a conspiracy theory."It's the first genome-wide comparison of humans and chimps," says geneticist Svante Paabo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. "It will allow us to form many interesting hypotheses about the crucial new features during human evolution."
I always remember being told as a kid that humans and chimps share 98% of their genes - looks like we rounded down.
It's 2 in the freakin' morning and here I sit typing away in the lab. And so it begins. Seriously though, with Jenn in Saskatchewan, I really can't find reasons to justify sleeping. So I'm starting on my last (hopefully) round of immunofluorescence for the forseeable future. I included a small pic of some results - not too much though, as I don't want to give away the cash cow quite yet.
I'm excited though, even given the hour. I'm mostly lucid (we'll see how I'm holding up in a few hours) and if all goes as planned, I'll have all the expression data I could possibly need.
Hark! My cells beckon!
I've decided to reinstate my old policy of dressing the site up a bit around the holidays. If you're not sure as to what I mean, look left at the cyber snowman. More to come, maybe. I don't want this to get out of hand, or else I might wind up having to design pics for countless holidays: Secretary's Day, First Landing on the Moon Day, etc.
This jewel over at CNN gets the nod for Franken-fear of the day. It seems that state legislators in California have decided to institute a ban on the sale of genetically-modified organisms. In this case the GMO in question is "Glofish", a zebrafish infused with the gene of a sea anemone that makes it glow fluorescent red (see right). Basically this is the same fluorescence effect I use to visualize antibodies in the lab, a harmless protein in use in labs the world over.
From the article:
California is the only state with a ban on genetically engineered species, and the Fish and Game Commission said it would not exempt the zebra fish from the law even if escaped fish would not pose a threat to the state's waterways.So this isn't about choice or safety, this is about a bunch of bureaucrats, chosen no doubt through some partisan process, who oversee what can and can't be sold in California as it pertains to animals. We're not talking about leopards or electric eels as pets - you know, animals that could cause physical damage to a human being. No this is a terrible monstrosity that -gasp- carries an extra gene!"For me it's a question of values, it's not a question of science," said commissioner Sam Schuchat. "I think selling genetically modified fish as pets is wrong."
The main argument most people would come back with is that some fish may 'escape' and be flushed to freedom. While this might be a problem in tropical regions of the world, zebrafish really can't survive in the wild in temperate zones. Compound this with the extra metabolic load the fish carry in order to be constantly manufacturing the fluroescence protein and you're left with a fish that is not a threat to local fauna. It's sad that a truly new and exciting fish is kept out of a market based on completely subjective values.
An exquisitely simple wine at first taste, but the complex mineral undertones come out wonderfully upon closer inspection. I've paired this wine quite nicely with lobster and shrimp, because the taste is pleasant but not nearly as overpowering as a chardonnay.
This is a dry wine and should never be considered anything more than a zero. In my opinion, to truly be considered a true Chablis, the wine must come from the Burgundy region of France and the vines must be grown in Kimmeridgian soil. It is the complex mineral composition of this soil that lends a unique taste to the wine.
Domaine des Malandes
Type: Chablis
Colour: white
Dryness: 0
Overall: ****/5
This completed our 1st anniversary meal nicely. Essentially this is a recipe for creme brulee without the brulee. Best presented in a rustic coffee cup.
Yield: 6
Large, ovenproof pan, at least 1 inch deep that will hold all 6 cups without touching each other or the pan sides
Large heatproof jug of at least 3 cup capacity
Hot water, just at a simmer
6 ramekins or custard cups
Heavy saucepan
Fine-meshed strainer or sieve
3 cups (750ml) light cream
2 whole eggs & 4 yolks
1/3 cup (85ml) coffee beans
1/3 cup (85ml) well-packed Muscovado
pinch of salt
whipping cream
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325?F (160?C) with rack in center position.
Step 2
Place 6 ramekins or ovenproof cups in baking pan and set aside.
Step 3
In a heavy saucepan, bring cream just to the boil. Remove from heat, add coffee beans, cover and steep for 15 minutes.
Step 4
In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, Muscovado, and salt until the sugar is dampened and there are no sugar lumps left.
Step 5
Suspend the fine-meshed strainer or sieve over the jug. To remove beans, strain the cream through the sieve into the jug.
Step 6
Slowly pour the cream into the egg mixture while stirring. Strain the entire mixture back into the jug to remove any foam.
Step 7
Fill ramekins each two-thirds full. Add hot water to pan until half way up the ramekins. Cover pan lightly with aluminum foil.
Step 8
Bake 30 minutes until cr?me is almost done. Your pots de cr?me is almost done when the center of the custard is just set and gives a little wiggle when shaken and the tops appear dark and shiny.
Step 9
Remove from oven and remove foil. Let cool in water bath then chill cups in refrigerator overnight to complete setting. Allowing the pots to remain in the water for approximately 30 minutes after cooking assures the pots de cr?me continue to cook subtly while retaining their moist, soft texture.
Before serving, garnish with whipped cream, a coffee bean and a sprinkling of Muscovado. Enjoy!
Continue reading "Muscovado Pots de Creme"
The main course for our dinner au deux. Very sumptuous, very fun, but also very messy!
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
* 2 x 1 lb. live lobster
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* Light Lemon Chive Dipping sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Fill large deep pot with enough salted water (1 tbsp/15 mL salt per 4 cups/1 L water) to completely cover lobsters; bring to full rolling boil over high heat.
2. Grasp back of each lobster; plunge headfirst into water.
3. Cover and return to boil.
4. Start cooking time when water boils; reduce to bubbly simmer.
5. Cook each lobster for 10 minutes for first pound (500 g) and 1 minute for each additional 4 ounces (125 g) or until lobster is bright red and small leg comes away easily when twisted and pulled.
6. Remove meat from lobster, discarding shells and setting meat aside or dipping into butter to eat as you proceed.
7. First, twist off claws at joint at body; separate into claw and arm sections.
8. Break off smaller part of claw and remove meat with lobster pick or nut pick.
9. Using lobster cracker or nutcracker, crack larger part of claw at widest part; lift out meat.
10. Crack arm; pick out meat.
11. Separate tail piece from body by twisting apart.
12. Bend tail backward and break off flippers; pick out meat from flippers.
13. Using kitchen shears or steak knife, cut through shell along underside of tail to expose meat.
14. With fingers or fork, pry meat from shell.
15. Remove and discard intestinal vein (if any).
16. Holding legs and inner section of body pull off back shell.
17. Remove and eat red coral (if any) and green tomalley (liver).
18. Insert thumbs in inner body and pry apart to separate half lengthwise; extract any meat.
19. Break off legs; suck out juice and meat.
Continue reading "Classic Lobster"
This recipe was adapted from Christine Cushing's recipe. This was our appetizer for our anniversary. I substituted spinach leaves for a julienned green mango and added a few items.
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
Dressing
baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup lime juice (60 ml)
1/4 tsp cumin (1 ml)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (30 ml)
2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml)
salt to taste
1 to 2 tsp. honey (5 ml to 10 ml)
Salad
1 ripe mango, cubed
1/4 cup brazil nuts (unsalted and unshelled), chopped coarsley (60 ml)
1/4 cup broccoli sprouts
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cubed
2 scallions, green only, sliced
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (7 ml)
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (30 ml)
Seed Crusted Shrimp
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (unsalted and unshelled), chopped coarsley (60 ml)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (30 ml)
salt and pepper, to taste
12 medium shrimp, peeled
Directions:
Dressing
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Salad
Combine the mango, brazil nuts, carrot, red onion, apple, scallions, mint and coriander in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Add sprouts. Serve with Seed Crusted Shrimp.
Seed Crusted Shrimp
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the centre back of the shrimp being careful to not cut all of the way through. Open the shrimp and flatten the two halves so that is resembles a butterfly. Remove the vein.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Brush just the tops of the shrimp with Dijon (the part of the shrimp just butterflied). Then dredge in coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds to create a coating on one side. Transfer shrimp, coating side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake in oven until shrimp are just cooked through, about 10 to 13 minutes. Serve with Mango Salad.
