Made this recipe up today with a few fresh ingredients and stuff I scrounged from the fridge, and it was delicious!
Red Bell Peppers with Chorizo Stuffing
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
4-6 medium sized chorizo sausages
2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
1/2 cup crumbled feta or 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbs chicken/pork grill seasoning (or salt and pepper to taste)
1 large red bell pepper per person being served. Select peppers that will sit upright on the baking tray.
Bread crumbs and/or parmesan cheese, if desired
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Split open chorizo sausage casings. Remove sausage filling from casings and chop or crumble filling into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, mix together sausage filling, cooked rice, cheese, corn, parsley, garlic, and seasoning.
4. Cut the tops off the red peppers. Hull and rinse them, then place on the baking tray and fill with the sausage mixture.
5. Top with bread crumbs and/or parmesan cheese, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes or until peppers are done. They will be done when the skin starts to wrinkle, but before the peppers have browned.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
How to Do Business 101
We're planning some great outings with friends this summer. A weekend camping trip to Rock Point Provincial Park with some World of Warcraft buddies and a week in Mont Tremblant, Quebec with some of my college friends.
Of course, that means somebody else has to take care of our feline "children". It's our first set of trips since we got Mr. Chet, our second cat, so I decided it was time to find a cat sitter instead of boarding both cats.
After searching the Internet and narrowing my choices down to licensed and insured places, I thought I'd found the perfect choice. Unfortunately, we were outside their service area, though they were very nice over the phone. OK, I moved on to the second choice, which seemed fine on paper, but I wanted more information because the "fees" section of their website was mysteriously broken, even at the source code level. So I called the local number given for the company.
"Hello, Company Name X. Garblegarble volumedroppingoff."
"Hi, I wanted to get more information about your cat visits."
"OK, let me get some information about that." ::Medium length pause, then starts reading the text I'd just read on the company website::
"Uh, thanks, could you tell me if I'm in your service area? I'm in North York."
"OK, let me get some information about that." ::Extended pause:: "We have offfices in every city in..."
"Yeah, thanks but I don't think you're able to give me the information I need." ::click::
I don't have a lot of patience with poor business practices. For the love of the commerce gods, people. Put somebody who knows what the hell they're talking about on your main contact line!
I ended up doing a more focused web search and finding a company not far from where I lived. It was a family-owned outfit, and the owner (who answered the phone) was kinda quirky and a bit abrasive. That really doesn't bother me in animal people, though (well, quirky never bothers me at all). They're animal people and not people people for a reason. The important thing is that she knew what she was talking about and asked the right questions. Her sister the "cat expert" is coming over to meet our critters next week.
Business. It's about confidence, competence, and taking for than 5 minutes to train your employees. Man, I should be one of those consultants that gets paid way too much to go to businesses and tell the employees really obvious things. Except then I'd have to use buzzwords, and I fucking hate buzzwords.
Of course, that means somebody else has to take care of our feline "children". It's our first set of trips since we got Mr. Chet, our second cat, so I decided it was time to find a cat sitter instead of boarding both cats.
After searching the Internet and narrowing my choices down to licensed and insured places, I thought I'd found the perfect choice. Unfortunately, we were outside their service area, though they were very nice over the phone. OK, I moved on to the second choice, which seemed fine on paper, but I wanted more information because the "fees" section of their website was mysteriously broken, even at the source code level. So I called the local number given for the company.
"Hello, Company Name X. Garblegarble volumedroppingoff."
"Hi, I wanted to get more information about your cat visits."
"OK, let me get some information about that." ::Medium length pause, then starts reading the text I'd just read on the company website::
"Uh, thanks, could you tell me if I'm in your service area? I'm in North York."
"OK, let me get some information about that." ::Extended pause:: "We have offfices in every city in..."
"Yeah, thanks but I don't think you're able to give me the information I need." ::click::
I don't have a lot of patience with poor business practices. For the love of the commerce gods, people. Put somebody who knows what the hell they're talking about on your main contact line!
I ended up doing a more focused web search and finding a company not far from where I lived. It was a family-owned outfit, and the owner (who answered the phone) was kinda quirky and a bit abrasive. That really doesn't bother me in animal people, though (well, quirky never bothers me at all). They're animal people and not people people for a reason. The important thing is that she knew what she was talking about and asked the right questions. Her sister the "cat expert" is coming over to meet our critters next week.
Business. It's about confidence, competence, and taking for than 5 minutes to train your employees. Man, I should be one of those consultants that gets paid way too much to go to businesses and tell the employees really obvious things. Except then I'd have to use buzzwords, and I fucking hate buzzwords.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
E3
Been watching E3 with my usual mix of interest and amusement. Reading the Penny Arcade forum commentary on the various press events is often more fun than watching the live feeds themselves.
I'm not thrilled with all the Microsoft stuff, since most of it was shooters, and I don't do shooters. I continue to hope that the woman being highlighted in all the FF13 coverage is actually the main character, because JRPGs could really use more female protagonists who aren't the white mage/token love interest/leather-clad slut. Really, Ashe of FF12 should probably have been the player character, and Vaan didn't need to be in the game at all.
Aaaanyway, Nintendo's showing generally pleased me, certainly much more than last year's. Golden Sun is fun, and I'm sure I'll enjoy Mario Galaxy 2 as much as I enjoyed the first one. The trailers (and the game itself, when I'm not cussing at the more difficult platforming challenges) just evoke such a feeling of simple joy.
For a final note, I don't have Rock Band, and I'm not sure I want it. As a vocalist, I much prefer to be able to improvise than to be put on rails and told I need to sing just like the original. However, this trailer for Rock Band Beatles is pretty awesome whether you're interested in the game or not.
We'll see what Squeenix and Konami have to offer today!
I'm not thrilled with all the Microsoft stuff, since most of it was shooters, and I don't do shooters. I continue to hope that the woman being highlighted in all the FF13 coverage is actually the main character, because JRPGs could really use more female protagonists who aren't the white mage/token love interest/leather-clad slut. Really, Ashe of FF12 should probably have been the player character, and Vaan didn't need to be in the game at all.
Aaaanyway, Nintendo's showing generally pleased me, certainly much more than last year's. Golden Sun is fun, and I'm sure I'll enjoy Mario Galaxy 2 as much as I enjoyed the first one. The trailers (and the game itself, when I'm not cussing at the more difficult platforming challenges) just evoke such a feeling of simple joy.
For a final note, I don't have Rock Band, and I'm not sure I want it. As a vocalist, I much prefer to be able to improvise than to be put on rails and told I need to sing just like the original. However, this trailer for Rock Band Beatles is pretty awesome whether you're interested in the game or not.
We'll see what Squeenix and Konami have to offer today!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Big ol' Raspberry Game Review - Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked
So the latest game to come my way from my friendly rental service was Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked for the Wii. Let me begin by stating that I love sim games and I love exploration games. I can spend hours and hours with Harvest Moon, and I thought Endless Ocean was pretty nifty. I'm generally forgiving of a few interface issues, some translation glitches, non-top-notch graphics, etc. if I find the main game satisfying. Unfortunately, I found Lost in Blue: Wii edition to be far from satisfying.
Since I didn't play the game long enough to give it a thorough pannning, let me just state the following:
1. Bars that go down constantly and must be refilled are a tricky game mechanic to do right. The Sims is still trying to get it right, and they've been making the bars less demanding with every iteration. Lost in Blue's bars go down steeply, and the food bar goes up veeery slowly. They did not get the balance right.
2. On the topic of getting the balance wrong, forcing the player to make their little guy down 20 coconuts, 18 berries and an entire boar in one day in order to meet his nutritional needs while attempting to explore an island is not fun. At all. That stinking boar should have lasted days. DAYS, I say!
3. So the little guy meets a fellow shipwrecked passenger, a blonde ponytail girl who somehow thinks it's a good idea to keep wearing her high heels on a deserted island. Despite the fact that she's been smart enough to set up her own base camp and keep herself alive for days before you meet her, she turns suddenly helpless at the sight of the player character's raging testosterone, or something. Maybe she's seen his metabolism and is afraid he'll eat her. Either way, you have to do everything for her and don't have the option to send her off to do her own thing. This is both sexist and not fun.
Back to the rental service with you, Lost in Blue!
Since I didn't play the game long enough to give it a thorough pannning, let me just state the following:
1. Bars that go down constantly and must be refilled are a tricky game mechanic to do right. The Sims is still trying to get it right, and they've been making the bars less demanding with every iteration. Lost in Blue's bars go down steeply, and the food bar goes up veeery slowly. They did not get the balance right.
2. On the topic of getting the balance wrong, forcing the player to make their little guy down 20 coconuts, 18 berries and an entire boar in one day in order to meet his nutritional needs while attempting to explore an island is not fun. At all. That stinking boar should have lasted days. DAYS, I say!
3. So the little guy meets a fellow shipwrecked passenger, a blonde ponytail girl who somehow thinks it's a good idea to keep wearing her high heels on a deserted island. Despite the fact that she's been smart enough to set up her own base camp and keep herself alive for days before you meet her, she turns suddenly helpless at the sight of the player character's raging testosterone, or something. Maybe she's seen his metabolism and is afraid he'll eat her. Either way, you have to do everything for her and don't have the option to send her off to do her own thing. This is both sexist and not fun.
Back to the rental service with you, Lost in Blue!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Recipe: Super Tender Pork Chops and Zucchini Cakes
The pork chop recipe was adapted from somewhere on the Internet, which I unfortunately can't credit because I lost the printout some time ago. The zucchini cakes are all me.
Natural Eating Tip: I always keep a container of organic, low sodium chicken broth in my fridge. Chicken broth is excellent for giving flavour to many dishes. I often use it as the base for cooking rice or soup, giving a lot more body to the dish than cooking in water.
Ingredients (based on serving 2, double to serve 4):
1 large zucchini, grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbs flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
white cheese of your choice, to top zucchini cakes
2 pork chops
1/4 cup cooking wine
1/2 cup cooking broth
olive oil, salt, pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 F
2. Mix grated zucchini, beaten egg, flour, and bread crumbs together with a fork. Mixture should stick together, but doesn't need to be super sticky. If it's too wet, add more bread crumbs. Shape mixture into 4 discs.
3. Add 2 tbs olive oil to pan over medium high heat. Brown zucchini cakes for 2-4 minutes per side. Remove cakes from pan, place on baking sheet, and top with cheese (if desired). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. While cakes are cooking, trim fat from pork chops and season with salt and pepper. Remove zucchini bits from frying pan, and add a bit more olive oil. Sear the pork chops on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Add wine and cook until it is mostly evaporated, flipping pork chops once. Add chicken broth and simmer until done, 4-6 minutes per side.
Natural Eating Tip: I always keep a container of organic, low sodium chicken broth in my fridge. Chicken broth is excellent for giving flavour to many dishes. I often use it as the base for cooking rice or soup, giving a lot more body to the dish than cooking in water.
Ingredients (based on serving 2, double to serve 4):
1 large zucchini, grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbs flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
white cheese of your choice, to top zucchini cakes
2 pork chops
1/4 cup cooking wine
1/2 cup cooking broth
olive oil, salt, pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 F
2. Mix grated zucchini, beaten egg, flour, and bread crumbs together with a fork. Mixture should stick together, but doesn't need to be super sticky. If it's too wet, add more bread crumbs. Shape mixture into 4 discs.
3. Add 2 tbs olive oil to pan over medium high heat. Brown zucchini cakes for 2-4 minutes per side. Remove cakes from pan, place on baking sheet, and top with cheese (if desired). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
4. While cakes are cooking, trim fat from pork chops and season with salt and pepper. Remove zucchini bits from frying pan, and add a bit more olive oil. Sear the pork chops on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Add wine and cook until it is mostly evaporated, flipping pork chops once. Add chicken broth and simmer until done, 4-6 minutes per side.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
How (not) to be an Ally - Obama and Gay Marriage
Sometimes, to be an ally of a community that lacks, civil rights, you must be willing to accept personal consequences. You'd think that Barack Obama would understand that very well, but I'm not feeling it with his stance against gay marriage. This self-described fierce proponent for equality rights for gays and lesbians openly opposes gay marriage because of his religious beliefs. Mr. Obama, I'm sorry, but if you believe in full equality for a group of people, you can't go halfway.
Compare Mr. Obama's stance to Paul Martin's. Paul Martin was the Prime Minister of Canada who introduced the bill that legalized gay marriage throughout Canada. He did this despite being Catholic and facing threats of excommunication from Catholic leaders in Canada. Here is what he said about the issue of voting for gay marrage despite his religious beliefs:
"Religious leaders have strong views both for and against this legislation. They should express them. Certainly, many of us in this House, myself included, have a strong faith, and we value that faith and its influence on the decisions we make. But all of us have been elected to serve here as Parliamentarians. And as public legislators, we are responsible for serving all Canadians and protecting the rights of all Canadians.
Compare Mr. Obama's stance to Paul Martin's. Paul Martin was the Prime Minister of Canada who introduced the bill that legalized gay marriage throughout Canada. He did this despite being Catholic and facing threats of excommunication from Catholic leaders in Canada. Here is what he said about the issue of voting for gay marrage despite his religious beliefs:
"Religious leaders have strong views both for and against this legislation. They should express them. Certainly, many of us in this House, myself included, have a strong faith, and we value that faith and its influence on the decisions we make. But all of us have been elected to serve here as Parliamentarians. And as public legislators, we are responsible for serving all Canadians and protecting the rights of all Canadians.
We will be influenced by our faith but we also have an obligation to take the widest perspective -- to recognize that one of the great strengths of Canada is its respect for the rights of each and every individual, to understand that we must not shrink from the need to reaffirm the rights and responsibilities of Canadians in an evolving society."
This, Mr. Obama, is how to be an ally to the gay and lesbian community. We cannot support civil rights while allowing our personal religious beliefs to determine how far we're willing to take equality. I know it's a difficult choice to make, and that there are consequences for supporting civil rights. Mr. Martin faced possible excommunication from his own church, and a number of Catholic priests and bishops in Canada stated that they would refuse holy communion to Mr. Martin. He still did the right thing, because he truly believes in civil rights.
Here's Paul Martin's full speech in favour of his bill. It's an excellent speech.
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