Headvoice

The real new year

The end of the first month of the new year has arrived and I would like to present a summary listing of findings as reported from the seriously overworked department of "Summary Observations" here at the headvoice network.

#1. Good idea about not making a resolution to lose weight, 'cause it wasn't gonna happen anyway. The low carb plan implemented so haphazardly in the latter months of 2004 has turned into a furtive love affair with crusty Italian bread and good olive oil. Let the belt out a notch!

#2. Our complete lack of vacation planning as a couple has turned into a plus for my career. That's easy to understand. Who would complain about an employee that never needed much more that a long weekend, and even then managed to work at least an hour a day. Now I am "on top of it" to the point that is sickening, even to me.

#3. Trendy spots can have great food and drink... but having to shriek your part of the conversation over the deafening sound system can reek havoc on the singing voice.

#4. If you have a meeting confirmed and the contact has given you all the details and directions... make sure to get it right, especially when you are taking me along. Compound this with four inches of fresh snow on the ground, and the fact you have to call his boss and have him explain what you didn't know... and I'm gonna pull it out for you, cause I have to.

#5. When you decide to merge the various and sundry things in our fridge and make a gourmet entree out of the assembled elements, don't try and use EVERYTHING just to prove a point. That baby spinach ruined an otherwise hopeful casserole.

#6. The lack of a warning indicator for windshield washer fluid in your car can easily lead to a Hithcockian moment of pure terror in Ontario during winter. Nothing like 60 miles an hour with no visibility to get the adrenaline flowing, eh?

And now on to February!

Fatal Flaw

Reading about West Highland Terriers, namely what is prized amongst the breed, reveals lots of things. One of them is coloring... and the fact that the nose should be black. Completely black.

Can we get our money back at this late date?

Desktop Spring

This is my laptop's current desktop picture... which I took last spring sometime. Normally I post current shots, but ice and snow aren't doing much for me today. This is like a window on another world.

And the log files for this site revealed some interesting things. Lots of my pictures are being hijacked and used on other sites. This isn't anything new of course, but it's the quantity and use of them thats interesting. Who knew Luigi would be on an Atlanta DJs site? And candles on a slutty girls profile page at a Latino dating site?

The wonder that is the internet...

Frozen Food

Ah, the deep freeze that is Toronto in January!

Yesterday I was filled with satisfaction for simply living through the commute to and from work downtown. Heavy snow reduced the morning commute to a tedious crawl, and in the afternoon the slop that the morning snow had turned into made me walk like a geisha to avoid a quick fall to the pavement.

But I am not complaining... even though it certainly sounds like it. When I last visited Hawaii, even though it does seem like paradise, it occurred to me that the endless summer like weather would eventually bore me completely.

The change of the seasons is the clicking of the Earth's clock.

Linquini Luigi

Like most folks who do the cooking for a household, there is the occasional evening when you find yourself flinging open the refrigerator door and peering in to see what can be rustled up with whatever ingredients are on hand. This past Monday was one of those evenings.

Luckily I have been doing more cooking lately, including the pursuit of perfecting my fried potatoes, or pomme frites. And more cooking means more shopping which leaves leftovers and pantry items that can be combined for that improvisational meal.

So, let's examine all of our ingredients;
- About a dozen Roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed and roasted in a slow oven (~300F) for 45 minutes. These were seasoned before roasting with some kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and a couple of tablespoons of fresh thyme. Chop when cool into 1/2 inch dice.

- One yellow and one orange bell pepper, broiled whole until the skins charred, then peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.

- Four slices of extra thick bacon cooked until crisp and drained; chopped into dice. (Next time I will substitute pancetta to see if it is an improvement.)

- One small log (~5 oz.) herbed goat cheese

- Two small white onions, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch dice

- Four large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

- One bag baby spinach (~ 5 oz. or 3 cups)

- Half a box of good quality linquini pasta

- About half a cup of shredded fresh parmigiana cheese

- Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh or dried oregano

Preparation:
I was lucky enough to have the peppers, bacon and tomatoes lingering in the fridge ready to go... but if you are starting from scratch you have to roast the tomatoes, broil and peel the peppers and cook the bacon first. This obviously can be done in advance.

Put a pot big enough to cook the linquini on and season generously with kosher salt as it comes to a boil.

In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, cook the chopped onions in a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until translucent and then add the garlic and stir until fragrant but not browned at all, about 2 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and peppers to the skillet and two teaspoons of fragrant dried oregano or twice that amount of fresh and the chopped bacon. Also add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar at this point. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lower the heat to simmer and cook the pasta until just before it is al dente.

Drain the linguini, reserving a cup of cooking liquid to thin the sauce if necessary.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, stirring to coat and add some cooking liquid if the mixture is too dry. Add the entire bag of baby spinach, and the log of herbed goat cheese cut into 1/2 inch pieces and stir to combine with the pasta mixture.

The spinach will wilt from the heat and the cheese will begin to melt. Add the shredded parmigiana and turn this into a warm casserole for service. You are ready to eat...

Pour a glass of wine and enjoy Linguini Luigi!

Newish Year

Nine days into the new year and here I am, tardily posting. Holidays... tidal waves... birthdays... all have past without comment.

It isn't like I don't have anything to say, it must be that I just haven't quite found my voice yet. Maybe I will be lucky enough for that to happen before I am old enough to pee my pants at lunch... sheesh.

All I have to offer is a new splash picture, and this snowy view of the park taken whilst ambulating the canine. But it isn't enough. I feel stifled... like Edith Bunker.