As I was composing some of my posts, I realized I repeatedly use certain grammar constructions. (For example, I use However to show contrasting points.) The usages are correct, but I want to break out of my habits and expand my language.
In analyzing these writing habits, a larger issue came up. There are words and phrases I think and say often. There is nothing inherently bad about these words, but I use them more frequently than I would like to. An example of this is the question “Are you OK?” For some reason, I have asked Derek if he was OK an inordinate number of times (and he was always OK). If I did ask anyone else, I was never told I asked that question too often. After concluding there was nothing characteristic of Derek that made him look not OK, I started to break that habit.
A few weeks ago I started actively listening to words that popped into my head and what I spoke. I noticed I was saying “I’m sorry” a ridiculous number of times a day. After this realization, action was the next step. Every time I thought “I’m sorry,” I told myself, “No, I am not” and went back and put in different words to express what I was thinking. After a week, I had greatly reduced the phrase’s usage in my mind and almost expunged it from my speech.
After the effect was resolved, I wanted to know the cause. Where do these phrases come from? How do they become so pervasive in my internal monologue and external expression? I talked to my Mom and she figured it out. They come from my Dad. Everything from "The mail came late" to "It is raining today" is answered by "I'm sorry." I even had a flashback to when I was four or five years old. I was hurt somehow and I remember my Dad holding me and rocking back and forth while sitting and saying "I'm sorry" over and over.
If there are any phrases, words, or questions I have ever used too much around you, please let me know. I will not say I’m sorry, but I do extend my apologies for being repetitive and pledge to remove those words from my vocabulary.
While I was writing this post, one of the songs I listened to repeats "I'm sorry."
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Cocktails and Casseroles
When I was in Northern California at the end of September, Derek gave me a few ideas.
It started Saturday morning in the hotel room. I mentioned how I remember Derek watching cooking shows on Saturday mornings senior year. There were a few things that stayed with me from the shows, like the line "If Yan can cook, so can you!" After finding and watching these shows on TV, Derek suggested I start a career as a cooking show host. In the episodes I could explain how to make one of my casseroles. Unlike other shows that gloss over the baking time, I could use it to demonstrate how to make a different alcoholic drink. It would be Chris's Cocktails & Casseroles.
I liked the idea. A good first step would be a series of online videos. However, since I do not have access to a second camera and competent cameraman (or camera person to be politically correct), there are technical issues. Until they are resolved, I will post here.
Yorkshire Chicken
A couple of weekends ago I made Yorkshire Chicken. I have made it several times before and following this easy plan you too can enjoy it.
4-5 chicken breast with ribs
(boneless will work as well, but the cooking time will need to be cut)
1/4 cup oil at most, just enough to coat the bottom of the 9x13 pan
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
1.5 tsp sage
Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients:
1 cup flour (the original recipe says sifted flour, but I don't sift)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tsp parsley flakes
1.5 cup milk
3 eggs
Remove the skin and excess fat from the chicken. Coat the outside with the flour, salt, pepper, and sage. The amounts are not vitally important, just sprinkle some of the salt, pepper, and sage on it and coat with flour. After using the oil to coat the bottom of the casserole pan, place the chicken in and bake at 400 for 40 minutes.
Mix up the Yorkshire Pudding by combining the flour, baking powder, salt, and parsley. Add in the eggs and milk, removing all the lumps by mixing.
After the chicken has been in the oven for 40 minutes, pour the Yorkshire Pudding mix into the oil at the bottom of the pan.
Return the chicken and Yorkshire to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the Yorkshire Pudding is puffed up and a desired tint of brown.
I always remove the skin before baking so there will not be too much oil in the bottom of the pan. Too much liquid will make for a soggy Yorkshire Pudding, which I can attest is no fun.
Now onto the drink to make and enjoy.
Japanese
2 oz Brandy
0.5 oz Orgeat syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Combine ingredients with ice, stir, strain, and serve with a lemon twist.
A couple of months ago I bought a book, The Pocket Recipe Guide: Museum of the American Cocktail which has 100 drink recipes. The cocktails use a wide range of items. I had the proper ingredients at home to make 10 or 15 of the 100 drinks in the book. This is one of them.
If any of these directions are unclear, questions and comments are welcome and encouraged. For an immediate response, you can call me during the preparation if something does not look correct.
It started Saturday morning in the hotel room. I mentioned how I remember Derek watching cooking shows on Saturday mornings senior year. There were a few things that stayed with me from the shows, like the line "If Yan can cook, so can you!" After finding and watching these shows on TV, Derek suggested I start a career as a cooking show host. In the episodes I could explain how to make one of my casseroles. Unlike other shows that gloss over the baking time, I could use it to demonstrate how to make a different alcoholic drink. It would be Chris's Cocktails & Casseroles.
I liked the idea. A good first step would be a series of online videos. However, since I do not have access to a second camera and competent cameraman (or camera person to be politically correct), there are technical issues. Until they are resolved, I will post here.
Yorkshire Chicken
A couple of weekends ago I made Yorkshire Chicken. I have made it several times before and following this easy plan you too can enjoy it.
4-5 chicken breast with ribs
(boneless will work as well, but the cooking time will need to be cut)
1/4 cup oil at most, just enough to coat the bottom of the 9x13 pan
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
1.5 tsp sage
Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients:
1 cup flour (the original recipe says sifted flour, but I don't sift)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tsp parsley flakes
1.5 cup milk
3 eggs
Remove the skin and excess fat from the chicken. Coat the outside with the flour, salt, pepper, and sage. The amounts are not vitally important, just sprinkle some of the salt, pepper, and sage on it and coat with flour. After using the oil to coat the bottom of the casserole pan, place the chicken in and bake at 400 for 40 minutes.
Mix up the Yorkshire Pudding by combining the flour, baking powder, salt, and parsley. Add in the eggs and milk, removing all the lumps by mixing.
After the chicken has been in the oven for 40 minutes, pour the Yorkshire Pudding mix into the oil at the bottom of the pan.
Return the chicken and Yorkshire to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the Yorkshire Pudding is puffed up and a desired tint of brown.
I always remove the skin before baking so there will not be too much oil in the bottom of the pan. Too much liquid will make for a soggy Yorkshire Pudding, which I can attest is no fun.
Now onto the drink to make and enjoy.
Japanese
2 oz Brandy
0.5 oz Orgeat syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Combine ingredients with ice, stir, strain, and serve with a lemon twist.
A couple of months ago I bought a book, The Pocket Recipe Guide: Museum of the American Cocktail which has 100 drink recipes. The cocktails use a wide range of items. I had the proper ingredients at home to make 10 or 15 of the 100 drinks in the book. This is one of them.
If any of these directions are unclear, questions and comments are welcome and encouraged. For an immediate response, you can call me during the preparation if something does not look correct.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Unappreciated Virtures
Just when I tell a few people about this blog, I go on hiatius for a month. I will make some posts and get back in business.
I can often tell when someone else has been driving my car. There are a lot of clues. For example, if one of the cup holders is left open, someone else has been using my car. I always put the windshield sun shade up a specific way with one side in front of the other and each of the pieces having a unique orientation.
Also, if the air conditioning is left on or at a different combination of hot/cold and vents, the radio is left on, the radio is on a different station, or the CD is on a different track, someone has been driving my car. If all of the above are out of place, my Dad was the one driving.
Whenever I use someone else's car, I minimize the signs of my presence. If I turn the radio on I will put it back to the station I found it on. I have a habit of leaving things the way I found them.
This habit of mine extends beyond cars. By looking in the liquor cabinet at home I can often tell what drink my Dad made the night before. Whenever I mix a drink, I put the bottles back in the same places as before and tighten the tops; my Dad does neither of these things.
This has led me to wonder, where did I pick up this habit of leaving things the way I found them? It certainty was not from my Dad or brother. The best I can think of is at some point I wanted to leave no trace of what I did. I liked what I was doing so I kept it up. I think returning things to the way they were found is an unappreciated virtue.
One exception to this is leaving a place better than I found it. For example, if I am using a restroom and there is a used paper towel next to the sink, I will throw it away.
I can often tell when someone else has been driving my car. There are a lot of clues. For example, if one of the cup holders is left open, someone else has been using my car. I always put the windshield sun shade up a specific way with one side in front of the other and each of the pieces having a unique orientation.
Also, if the air conditioning is left on or at a different combination of hot/cold and vents, the radio is left on, the radio is on a different station, or the CD is on a different track, someone has been driving my car. If all of the above are out of place, my Dad was the one driving.
Whenever I use someone else's car, I minimize the signs of my presence. If I turn the radio on I will put it back to the station I found it on. I have a habit of leaving things the way I found them.
This habit of mine extends beyond cars. By looking in the liquor cabinet at home I can often tell what drink my Dad made the night before. Whenever I mix a drink, I put the bottles back in the same places as before and tighten the tops; my Dad does neither of these things.
This has led me to wonder, where did I pick up this habit of leaving things the way I found them? It certainty was not from my Dad or brother. The best I can think of is at some point I wanted to leave no trace of what I did. I liked what I was doing so I kept it up. I think returning things to the way they were found is an unappreciated virtue.
One exception to this is leaving a place better than I found it. For example, if I am using a restroom and there is a used paper towel next to the sink, I will throw it away.
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