Cooking and Photography and Stuff
Archive for the ‘Television Shows’ Category: Saturday, December 26th, 2009
Well, I didn’t take a picture of the yule log that I made, like I said I would mostly because I’m silly and would rather eat food than photograph it most of the time. HOWEVER… in case anyone is interested in making one for next holiday season, here is the one I used and LOVED from AllRecipes.com:
Serves 12
CAKE BATTER:
5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
MOCHA CREAM FILLING:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
MOCHA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brewed coffee
2 tablespoons milk
Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper. Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg yolk mixture until blended.
Beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Stir a fourth into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back (do not over bake). Cool for 5 minutes; invert onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Roll up in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack. In a mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and coffee granules. Beat until stiff peaks form; chill. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place on serving platter; chill.
In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake. Using a fork, make lines resembling tree bark.
Oh… what else have I been up too? Oh – I made fish n’ chips for the first time at home for my Christmas dinner while my parents ate crab (while gloating about how tastey it was and “OH! THIS IS SO DELICIOUS!” (I can’t eat shellfish of any kind for fear of potential death)) On top of this I made the Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding dish I ripped from Bon Appetit. Banana pudding also made it in there somewhere… had that for breakfast this morning.
I also developed 2 rolls of film recently. Good ol’ me didn’t realize that I didn’t have enough negative sleeves to put the negatives in, so they’re sort of hanging in my room at the moment looking awesome. But really, they need sleeves. Soon the prints will start happening and I will start trying to sell stuff (one day).
Oh! And day two of my Doctor Who season four marathon continued today. Three more episodes left before I allow myself to watch the ever coveted Christmas Special (possibly the last one before the new Doctor arrives?). Mr. Tennant, I will be sad to see you leave… for real.
Posted in Baking, Cooking, Food, Photography, Recipes, Television Shows | 4 Comments
Sunday, December 13th, 2009I can’t remember the last time I posted a totally completed photo of a pot I had thrown. I mean, the 29-inch tall pot displayed earlier had to be “thrown away” (aka. hit with a baseball bat… for real) because the bottom fell out and my professor was convinced that I could throw a better one. So I did… and it ended up being something like 34 inches tall before it got bisqued and glaze fired. Now it’s sitting in the back of my car waiting to get wrapped for Christmas. BUT ANYWAY… here is a photo of a raku pot that I made this semester and got extremely lucky with on the glazing:
Yeah… so it definitely looks better in real life – MUCH shinier.
My cousin and I have also been watching this TV show I’m sure many people have heard of called Alice on the Syfy channel. Pretty much the best show I’ve seen from them since Tin Man, I recommend it to anyone who’s in need of a FANTASTIC remake of an old classic. Both of these mini-series are, by far, my favorites over the first films.
And to continue on with my geekery, I’ve decided that I am going to buy my cousin (the same one who watches the Syfy channel with me) and I one of these so our desktops will be almost completely Doctor Who‘d out when we plug in our printers or cameras or whatever.
So that’s that… another holiday time update.
Posted in Ceramics, Geekery, Television Shows | 3 Comments
Thursday, July 30th, 2009I’ll be at yet another horse show this weekend taking more pictures and having fun with the horse people. I thought about posting a portrait that was sent off to Kenya a few years ago that I did back in high school. Unfortunately, I can not find the image in the CDs that I thought it would be in… and I’m too lazy to find it in any other CD at the moment. Maybe I’ll find it later next week or something.
Aside from this, I caved and bought the HBO Season 1 set of True Blood. Everyone I’ve talked to who’s watched it says its good – and for some reason HBO only has sneak peaks of it online. WHY? If ABC can put up every episode of LOST up online, why can’t HBO but at least season one on? It deeply saddens me.
And after this purchase, I thought for sure my next TV series on DVD would be Firefly… “but that’s on Hulu,” I told myself, “so you can watch that whenever you want.”
And Season 6 of Hells Kitchen on Fox has been outstanding so far and there have only be three episodes. I’m excited to see whose ass Ramsay kicks next.
Okay, so there’s my television rant for the moment… I got it all out and fell much better about all the guilt I’ve got about spending $35 on a DVD set. I just wish I had it today.
Any TV series you guys recommend?
Posted in Television Shows | Comments Off