talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

solace in pâte brisée

Clotilde Dusoulier reads my mind once again and comes to the rescue by posting a recipe and directions for pâte brisée on the always excellent Chocolate & Zucchini blog. I've been thinking that a savory onion tart would be just the thing for final exams, which, by the way, start next Wednesday.

forsaken by TiVo?

I step into the technogeek's shoes to bemoan the changes on the TiVo horizon. I cringe. I sigh.

the giant hedgehog blog

Two astounding tidbits from the Article III Groupie: Judge Posner as The Giant Hedgehog (a reference to Isaiah Berlin's distinction between hedgehogs and foxes) and the advent of the Becker-Posner blog. We'll post the URL when we learn it.

news from nutella

Wallace and I received news this week from Nutella, who moved with her owner to Bangkok several months ago. Nutella's grown a lot from the last time we posted about her, and it sounds like she's enjoying a much more varied life than our neighborhood afforded her. The photo at left is Nutella taking advantage of a deluxe dog pool (which is probably welcome when it gets steamy in Bangkok) and, at right, observing more interesting wildlife than one finds at Roxbury Park.

Wallace, on the other hand, has been finding amusement with one of our new neighbors, the apty named Spot, who's a mixed breed sweetie with a coat that borders on op-art. Spot's very playful and is just about Wallace's size, so they're well suited for bouncing around together, and they can talk to each other through our respective kitchen doors. We'll post a photo of Spot when we can get one that does justice to his coat...

whoop, there it is!

I had been wondering who Bush could possibly pick that would be worse than Ashcroft, though I was sure he'd come up with somebody. Looks like it's going to be White House counsel Alberto Gonzales. As we all recall, Gonzales was the laywer that wrote the "torture memo" saying that the Geneva Conventions were "quaint" and did not apply to the war on terror. Lovely.

and i believe he believes this...

This is staggering, and it's hard for me to fathom how an aware, rational person could make this statement. From John Ashcroft's resignation letter:

The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved.

i'm sure these statements are true...and that's what troubles me

Last Thursday's New York Times includes a report of President Bush's post-election press conference. In describing the topics and tone of the event, the reporter noted that "A day after declaring victory in an especially divisive election, President Bush said at a news conference that 'I'll reach out to everyone who shares our goals,' adding that 'I earned capital in this election, and I'm going to spend it.''' Nearly a week later and these statements still chill me.

I'm sure it's true that he'll reach out to those who support him. Trouble is, that leaves nearly half the country out in the cold.

And while I'm not a political pollyanna and understand what it means to spend a little political capital, I think his stating this so bluntly is grossly arrogant at best. At worst it confirms what many critics were predicting should a second term come to pass.

eeew!

When Wallace returns from his walks he always has "towel time": He lets us flip him on his back and onto one of our laps, and we towel off his tummy and feet. When you're as low to the ground as Wallace is, and the grass is high and frequently watered, it's a necessary post-walk step.

Recently on one of our late afternoon walks we came across several odd-looking worms. Long (~6"), sort of yellowish-brown with thin brown stripes running along the length of the body and a flat head. We looked at each other, said, "ew," and went on our way.

When Terrence and Wallace returned from their evening walk tonight, Terrence noticed during towel time that one of these same worms, but a much darker brown, WAS ON WALLACE'S TUMMY! I grabbed it off with a paper towel--it wasn't hooked on or anything, but its stickiness meant that it was tangled in Wallace's fur--and disposed of it. Wallace didn't seem to be bothered a bit, and although I generally like worms--especially earthworms and red wigglers that make the garden soil and the compost happy--this type gives me the creeps. So much so that I found myself, as the clock ticked toward midnight, searching the web for information.

Turns out we encountered a land planarian known as Bipalium kewense. There doesn't appear to be evidence that they are parasitic, but they eat earthworms. While I'm glad we don't have to have Wallace checked for parasitic worms, the fact that they eat earthworms does not please me. I do not like the idea of predator worms, and even less the fact of predator worms with flat heads and stripes.

These photos (from JoJo Zawawi's web site) are quite accurate reflections of what we've seen. More information is available from the University of Florida and from people who just like to identify bugs. To each his own, my father would say, although I know he'd also say "eew," too.

making stock

Not being thrilled with the results of the election, being annoyed by developments in other areas of life,* and being under a lot of pressure as the semester rolls to a close meant one thing this weekend: make chicken stock.

We used to have a regular stockmaking schedule and would try to keep a few different types in the freezer, but since law school began we've limited our stockmaking to holiday preparation or with particular dishes in mind. I also realized that Wallace is deeply affected by stockmaking, and he usually plants himself in the kitchen, near the stove, to keep an eye on the stockpot. Every now and then he lets out a few barks if we're not in the kitchen and standing over the pot, and when we are skimming or otherwise tending to it, he's at our feet, just in case something splashes out and he needs to jump into action. Nothing finds its way out of the pot, though, so instead he whimpers or presses his nose against the back of our legs as a reminder that he'd really, really like some of what's in the pot.

So what's in the 16-quart pot of goodness? Many pounds of chicken backs and necks, leeks, onion, carrot, and a bay leaf. Water. Not much, really, but it's all one needs for a really good stock.

We used to make a stock that took many more hours and also used celery, but we've been following the Thomas Keller/French Laundry recipe for some time now and have been quite pleased with the results. Takes less time, but a bit more tending during that time, and has a clean taste and an attractively clear appearance. Skim skim skim is the mantra of the afternoon. After the stock is finished and has cooled we'll package it and freeze it so when our Thanksgiving prep time rolls around we'll be ready to make soup. Not yet sure what we're going to make, but whatever we choose will require the stock, so it's a safe bet. We also use our stock to supplement the giblet stock and pan drippings that go into Terrence's giblet and sage gravy (my favorite part of the meal).

Terrence also made a test pie yesterday (apple) with a butter crust, and it was a delicious experiment. No shortening in the crust--all butter this time, which is a slight departure from previous years. Unfortunately I did not snap a photo of the pie before we cut into it, and now there's not much left. Bodes well for the holiday...

* Not to worry: by "developments in other areas of life" I'm referring to political and legal issues in the news, and if I can get my act together and get everything off my desk that needs attention this week I'll type in more detail soon.