Thursday, June 28, 2012

Arkansas - #25 - June 15, 1836


So we are halfway home (so to speak). Please enjoy the video above of a drive around the country as we discuss our next state.

We've arrived at the home of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton. A note about the Arkansas flag: the diamond represents the only place in North America where diamonds have been discovered and mined. The twenty-five white stars around the diamond indicate Arkansas's status as the 25th state, while the single star over "Arkansas" denotes the state's membership in the Confederacy. The other three stars represent Spain, France and the United States, countries that had earlier ruled the land that includes Arkansas.

Arkansas was a reluctant participant in the US Civil War joining the Confederacy late (it was a slave state) and promptly found the majority of its territory occupied by Union troops.  During the war for Texas, the region, which shared a border with Texas, had many soldiers passing through Arkansas on its way to secure Texan independence.

Arkansas later became a flashpoint in the Civil Rights struggle when Governor Orville Faubus [who served as Governor longer than any other individual] attempted to block the integration of Central High School in Little Rock in 1957.  The school was to be desegregated as part of the landmark decision, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas, handed down in 1954.  Nine students were enrolled at Central and angry crowds prevented them from entering the school.  Faubus called out the Arkansas National Guard to bar their entry.  Local police took the students to safety and President Eisenhower federalized the National Guard to allow the students to enter.  Little Rock schools closed for a year and then reopened with limited integration.  Faubus's showdown with Eisenhower did help him in Arkansas, he was reelected Governor four more times.

Two weeks in a row we have arrived at a presidential producing state, as noted above, Bill Clinton hailed from Hope, served as Governor of the State, and his Presidential Library was established in Little Rock. The current Governor of Arkansas is Democrat Mike Beebe. Arkansas' Senators are separated by the ideological aisle, Democrat Mark Pryor and Republican John Boozman. Here's an interesting trivia question to see how many people are paying attention (and reading these posts) - How many of the fifty states have split Senators, that is one from each party?  The Arkansas Congressional Delegation is only four strong, three Republicans and one Democrat.
Facts
  • State Capital (and largest city) - Little Rock
  • Date of Admission - June 15, 1836
  • Area - 53,179 sq mi (29th)
  • Population (2011 est.) - 2,937,979 (32nd)
  • State Motto - "Regnat populus" "The People Rule" 
  • State Nickname - The Natural State
  • State bird - mockingbird
  • State flower - apple blossom
  • State gem - give you three guesses, first two don't count
  • State tree - loblolly pine
  • State University - The University of Arkansas
  • State Archives - The Arkansas History Commission (http://www.ark-ives.com/ - isn't that cute?)
Links
Prominent Arkansans / Razorbacks - (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two)

Answer to the question above - 17, now name them (the states, not the Senators).
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Monday, June 25, 2012

It's Summer - Have a Drink!

Well that was quite a weekend.  On Friday night as Mrs. BA and I hosted a cookout for the camp coaches and host families for the camp that LBA attended all week - our little town, and specifically our house and street - was hit by a microburst storm.  A high voltage power line fell between our home and our neighbor's home, electrifying their fence (melting it in several places) and house (there are burn marks around the house and the doorbell melted).  Of course, the power went out.  And stayed out.  And it was hot.  Forty hours later the power returned.  We lost most of the contents of our refrigerator but the freezer items stayed frozen and nothing was lost.  I can't say enough of about our mayor and the power company that worked around the clock to restore power.  It could have been much worse - no one was hurt and the damage was not as bad as it could have been.

For this Recipe Monday, it's a good time to relax and have a drink (there were several beers in the Brave Astronaut fridge that had to be drunk lest they go bad).  Additionally, one of my neighbors was recently looking for suggestions for the perfect summer cocktail.  The nice folks at the New York Times Magazine obliged with twelve variations using four different liquors.  From the May 13, 2012 magazine.  You're welcome.

I think I might start drinking Moscow Mules.

Ingredients
Preparation

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons simple syrup to 1/4 cup vodka. Top with ginger beer. Garnish: Candied ginger.

If you are spending your time in bars drinking - here's a way to make some of your bar tab back - 10 Bets You Will Never Lose.  from kottke.

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Missouri - #24, August 10, 1821


Welcome to the Show Me State! Let's start with a trivia question - the state capital of Missouri is the first (in this order of how the states are being presented) of four to be an answer in the trivia question - How many state capitals have the word "city" in their names? Any guesses on the other three? We won't see them for several more weeks, one in about three months (#36) and the other two (#45 and #46) in four months. While we are talking trivia, Missouri and one other state (which is also a Missouri neighbor) border eight states - no other state but these two border more than eight states. What's the other state?

Now take your seats, boys and girls - it's time for the History Lesson. Missouri became a state in 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. In order to preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820, admitting Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. The Compromise also prohibited slavery, with the exception of Missouri, in any portion of the Louisiana Territory north of the 36° 30´ latitude line. The Missouri Compromise was repealed by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which allowed settlers of those two states to determine if they wanted slavery or not. Three years later, the Missouri Compromise was then declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott decision, which ruled that Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.

Missouri gets its name from an Native American word meaning the "town of large canoes." Following the 2012 decennial census, the mean center of US population was again located in Missouri, in the town of Plato. Missouri's unofficial nickname as the "Gateway to the West" owes itself to the fact that the Pony Express got its start in the state; St. Louis was the embarkation point for both the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. It was also the starting and ending point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Missouri is our next state to have produced a Chief Executive. The 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman was born in the state and Independence is the location of the Truman Presidential Library.

The current Governor of Missouri is Jay Nixon, a Democrat. The Senators for Missouri are currently split - one Republican and one Democrat. Claire McCaskill (D) is the Senior Senator and is being targeted in the fall elections. Former Congressman Roy Blunt (R) is the Junior Senator. Missouri's Congressional delegation has nine members, three Democrats and six Republicans.
Facts
  • State Capital - Jefferson City
  • Largest city - Kansas City
  • Date of Admission - August 10, 1821
  • Area - 69,704 sq mi (21st)
  • Population (2011 est.) - 6,010,688 (18th)
  • State Motto - "Salus populi suprema lex esto" "The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law"
  • State Nickname - The Show Me State
  • State animal - the mule (so, what does that say?)
  • State bird - bluebird
  • State flower - hawthorn
  • State tree - flowering dogwood ("it's a tree and a flower, I'll take a dozen, please" - oh wait that's Virginia, better go with the ham)
  • State University - The University of Missouri
  • State Archives (which are under the Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan)- Missouri State Archives
  • The State Historical Society of Missouri
  • The Missouri History Museum
Links
Prominent Missourians - (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two)
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Monday, June 18, 2012

National Cherry Tart Day

Here's another opportunity to brush off your dessert baking skills to celebrate National Cherry Tart Day, which is today.  This recipe comes from Epicurious.


Cherry Tart
Bon Appétit - May 2002

Malta This thin, cookie-like tart with a lattice crust is offered on a feast day that commemorates the birth of the Virgin Mary and the exit of the Turks in 1565

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
Crust
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 large egg 
Filling
  • 1 cup cherry preserves
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried Bing (sweet) cherries (about 2 1/2 ounces) 
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 
  • 1/4 cup unsalted natural pistachios, chopped 
Glaze
  • 1 large egg 
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk 
  • 2 tablespoons sugar 
Preparation
For crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles fine meal. Add egg and process just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

For filling: Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Mix preserves, chopped cherries, peel, and almond extract in medium bowl. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer round to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough gently into pan; trim overhang even with top of pan sides. Spread filling in crust; sprinkle with pistachios. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round; cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Arrange several strips, spaced 3/4 inch apart, over filling. Top with more strips at slight angle, forming lattice. Press strip ends to edge of pan, trimming overhang.

For glaze: Beat egg and whole milk in small bowl to blend. Brush some of glaze over lattice crust; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake tart until crust is golden brown and cherry filling is bubbling thickly, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. (Tart can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)

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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Maine - #23, March 15, 1820


Maine started out as part of Massachusetts before becoming part of the United States in the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (we'll cover that more next week).  Maine holds the distinction of being the easternmost of all of the US states and Eastport and Lubec are the easternmost city and town in the United States, respectively.  It is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River.  During the Civil War, the 20th Maine, under Joshua Chamberlain rose to distinction during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Maine evidently holds 98% of the country's "low bush" blueberries and produces 25% of the country's blueberries.  There are also the Maine potato, Maine maple syrup (shh, don't tell Vermont), um, Maine lobsters.  While there's nothing wrong with blueberries, I personally will associate raspberries with Maine as my siblings, cousins, and I would walk the road from my grandmother's house and pick raspberries from the bushes along the side of the road.  Naval shipbuilding continues in Maine at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the Bath Iron Works.

On the list below of prominent "Down Easters," I should put my father (and grandfather on this list) but then again they were both born in France.  I could put down my brother who now lives there, but also not born there. There is my aunt's second husband, who was part of a prominent fish monger family in Camden.  By the way, on all the lists I looked at - I didn't see Andre the Seal or the Belted Galloway but I guess the cows aren't native, either). Growing up in Maine - we would always take at least a day to drive up to Camden to see Andre and then the Belted Galloway cattle, before taking a ride up to the top of Mount Battie.

The current Governor of Maine is Republican Paul LePage. The Senators for Maine are both Republican women - Olympia Snowe (who is leaving the Senate this year) and Susan Collins.  Both Snowe and Collins represent a dying breed in the Republican party - the moderate.  Maine has only two Congressional Representatives, both Democrats.
Facts
  • State Capital - Augusta
  • Largest city - Portland (which also served as the first capital of the state, before being moved to more centrally located Augusta in 1832)
  • Date of Admission - March 15, 1820
  • Area - 35,385 sq mi (39th)
  • State Motto - "Dirigo" "I Lead"
  • State Nickname - The Pine Tree State, Vacationland
  • State animal - moose
  • State berry - blueberry
  • State bird - Chickadee
  • State cat - Maine Coon cat (duh)
  • State crustacean (unofficial) - lobster
  • State flower - White Pine Cone and tassel
  • State tree - White Pine tree
  • State fish - landlocked salmon
  • State soft drink - Moxie (it takes some getting used to)
  • State University - The University of Maine, my father spent a year there before transferring to Brown University, where he met my mother, and the rest is as they say, history.
  • State Archives - Maine State Archives
  • Maine Historical Society
  • Population (2011 est.) - 1,328,188 (41st) 
Links
Prominent Mainers - quite the literary set from the Great State of Maine (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two)
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Monday, June 11, 2012

It's National German Chocolate Cake Day

Earlier this month I saw a post on BuzzFeed for 99 Food Holidays to celebrate this summer.  I have chosen some of the ones that fall on Mondays for Recipe Mondays here on Order from Chaos.  Here's the first.

June 11 is National German Chocolate Cake Day.  Our neighbor expressed a love of German Chocolate Cake and Mrs. BA made him one.  This was the recipe she used.

German Chocolate Cake
One big, tall 9-inch cake; about 16 servings

For the cake:
  • 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped 
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 
  • 6 tablespoons water 
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar 
  • 4 large eggs, separated 
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
For the filling:
  • 1 cup heavy cream 
  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 3 large egg yolks 
  •  3 ounces butter, cut into small pieces 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped 
  • 1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted 
For the syrup:
  • 1 cup water 
  • ¾ cup sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum 
For the chocolate icing:
  • 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 
  • 1 ½ ounces unsalted butter 
  • 1 cup heavy cream 
  1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 350°. 
  2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature. 
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time. 
  4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
  5. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients. 
  6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff. 
  7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there’s no trace of egg white visible. 
  8. Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
Cool cake layers completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.

To make the filling: 
  1. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 ounces butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl. 
  2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170°.) 
  3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature. (It will thicken.) 
To make the syrup:
  1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum. 
To make the icing:
  1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter. \
  2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until room temperature. 
To assemble the cake:
Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife.

Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.

(It may seem like a lot of chocolate icing, but use it all. Trust me. You won’t be sorry.
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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Alabama - #22, December 14, 1819

In high school, I dated a girl from Alabama.  Flew from New York to her senior prom.  In a full leg cast.  Through three airports.  Danced at the prom and enjoyed post-prom activities.  That was a long time ago.  Kimberly Ann Port - where are you now?

The twenty-second state admitted to the Union is also the first state alphabetically - Alabama.  As it is adjacent to the state of Florida, the territory was visited by Hernando DeSoto on his quest for the fountain of youth.  During the Civil War the Confederacy was established in Montgomery and served as the initial capital of the Confederacy.  The state was later a flashpoint in the Civil Rights movement, including the Montgomery bus boycott and the Freedom March from Selma.

The current Governor of Alabama is Republican Robert Bentley. The Senators for Alabama are both Republicans, the senior Senator is Richard Shelby and the Junior Senator is Jeff Sessions. There are seven members in the Alabama Congressional delegation, all but one are Republicans.
Facts 
Links
Prominent Alabamans - the state seems to have produced a fair number of athletes (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two)
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Monday, June 4, 2012

Red Potato Salad with Bacon

Mrs. BA has now made this dish twice and it is very tasty.  I mean, it's got bacon in it.  And it's from Paula Deen, so it must be good for you, right?

Ingredients
  • 6 cups cubed red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled (about 1 1/4 pounds) 
  • Salt 
  • 2 ounces bacon (2 or 3 strips) 
  • 1 cup chopped bell pepper (any color or a combination) 
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion 
  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions (about 2 scallions) 
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 
  • Freshly ground pepper 
Directions
Put the potatoes in a large pot; add water just to cover and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels and finely chop.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, chopped bacon, bell pepper, onion and scallions.

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the potato mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate or serve at room temperature.
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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Illinois - #21, December 3, 1818


Illinois is the state that is smack in the middle of the rest of the states when it comes to size.  It is the twenty-fifth most extensive state - while it is the fifth most populous state in the Union.  It is of course, home to the Windy City, Sweet Home Chicago.  The founding of Chicago in 1830 (more than ten years after Illinois became a state) owes itself to settlers finding one of the few natural harbors along Lake Michigan, in the Chicago River.  Illinois was also part of the vast Northwest Territory.

Sports is very important to Illinois, more specifically Chicago.  Baseball is well represented with the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.  The Chicago Bulls are a fixture of the NBA and the Chicago Blackhawks are one of the original six teams of the NHL.  Of course, there are also the NFL's Da Bahrs.

Ronald Reagan was the only President born in Illinois (Tampico), but three others were elected President from the state of Illinois.  Reagan had been Governor of California and a resident of the Golden State when elected.  Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant and of course, Barack Obama, were elected as residents of the State of Illinois.  The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield is the largest presidential library in the United States.

In the history of the United States Senate - only six African Americans have served in the Senate.  Half of them have been from Illinois - Carol Moseley Braun, Barack Obama, and Roland Burris.  There have been two families that have dominated politics in Illinois:  the Stevensons and the Daleys.

The current Governor of Illinois is Democrat Pat Quinn, who succeeded Rod Blagojevich, who got himself into some troubles over Barack Obama's Senate seat, when Obama was elected President in 2008. The Senators for Illinois are split, one Republican, Mark Kirk (who is the successor to Barack Obama's seat) and one Democrat, Richard Durbin. Durbin is also the Assistant Majority Leader in the Senate.  There are nineteen members in the Illinois Congressional delegation, eleven Republicans and eight Democrats.
Facts
  • State Capital (and sixth largest city in the state) - Springfield
  • Largest city (and third largest city in the country) - Chicago
  • Date of Admission - December 3, 1818
  • Area - 57,914 sq mi (25th) 
  • State Motto - "State Sovereignty, National Union" 
  • State Nickname - The Prairie State, Land of Lincoln
  • State bird - cardinal
  • State flower - violet
  • State tree - white oak
  • State University - The University of Illinois
  • State Archives - Illinois State Archives
  • Population (2011 est.) - 12,869,257 (5th) 
Links
Prominent Illinoisans (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two)
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Monday, May 28, 2012

It's Memorial Day - Bring on the Summer!

Despite the non-winter we had this year (I would have really liked at least one good snowstorm - I guess my mother wasn't paying attention), today is Memorial Day, the unofficial kickoff to summer.  In related news, the pool opened this weekend and the Brave Astronaut clan is set for another summer of lounging poolside.

Barbecuing is practically law on this day and these would be a perfect accompaniment to the end of a meal of steak grilled outside.

From the Smitten Kitchen
Look, guys, you’re never going to see my living room on a design blog. As lovely as the walls in landlord-chosen sallow yellow-beige are, as handsome as this coffee table once was (before the finish chipped off the top and we decided to ignore it until it fixed itself), and as charming as the explosion of half-deflated balloons, overturned fire trucks and other toys (some not even wooden, organic, or in sync with our decorating scheme, which, by the way, doesn’t exist) might be, this is hardly the stuff of [envy]. Our parties are equally uncoordinated. There are no Mason jar cocktails with homemade bitters, flour sack table runners, or dishes sprinkled with fresh herbs from our window box garden (which also, uh, doesn’t exist, although if you saw the grime that accumulates on our windowsills from the avenue below, you might thank us). We’ve never sent guests home with a party favor aside from a hangover and we usually forget to make coffee at brunch. Our poor toddler has been deprived of organized birthday parties thus far, as I secretly hoped to stick with family brunches and homemade cakes (of course) until he was capable of expressing even the slightest interest in a more elaborate affair. (Although this year, he’s already made his intentions clear: “Jacob turn three. With cake. And guitar. And cake.” Noted!)

But, I do have my moments of high obsessiveness, such as my longstanding affair with creating homemade versions of things you normally buy at the grocery store, be they Oreos, goldfish crackers, graham crackers, fudge popsicles, or marshmallows. I can’t help it; the homemade versions always taste a zillion times better and contain no mystery ingredients. So, when I spied a recipe for ice cream sandwiches in a new book about parties, even I knew I’d probably never make the gold luster cookie Oscar statuettes, Walk of Fame brownie stars or glitzy gold curtains in the chapter that focuses on creating an old-fashioned Hollywood-style movie night party, there wasn’t a chance they wouldn’t be in my freezer by that very weekend.
The book is from Amy Atlas, a New York City party planner known for her stunning party spreads that execute a theme down to the tiniest details. Her book is spectacular, 15 chapters with everything from tablescapes to directions for how to do all of those pesky things (applying fondant, flooding sugar cookies with decorative frosting, doweling a cake, etc.) that seemed really intimidating before she walked you through it and you realized it could be a cinch. But lest you think the book is just pretty pictures and ambitious parties, these sandwiches will correct you in a single bite: they are perfection. If store-bought ice cream sandwiches tasted half this good, well, it would be dangerous. Fortunately, it’s impossible to keep these around long enough to cause any considerable damage — especially if you bring them to a (themed, of course) rooftop barbecue, as I did on Saturday night.

Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches
Adapted from Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas
Yield: 12 2-by-4-by-1-inch ice cream sandwiches (24 cookies).

Cookies
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra dark or Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Filling
  • 1/2 gallon ice cream, your choice of flavor (I used cookies and cream), softened
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour and cocoa together (I am generally too lazy to sift things but cocoa is really lumpy so don’t skip this) and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the yolks and vanilla and mix until combined, then scrape down sides and mix briefly again. Add the flour mixture a little at a time then mix until combined.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal pieces. If the dough is too soft to handle, wrap and chill it until firm enough to roll out (I recommend 30 minutes only; any longer and it becomes crumbly to roll out). Roll each batch into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle, about 10 by 8 inches. Cut into a total of 24 2-by-4-inch rectangles.

Use an offset spatula to transfer the rectangles to the prepared sheets; you’ll only need an inch space between them. Use the tip of a thermometer (totally brilliant tip from Amy, by the way; it made far better indentations than skewers that I usually use for docking) to poke the cookies with holes (Amy recommends 14 holes but I used this as my guide and made more).

Bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they stay firm when tapped in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, rerolling scraps as needed.

Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing it to overhang on two sides (it will act as a sling for the ice cream). Spread the softened ice cream into the pan, smooth the top and freeze until firm, about one hour (or longer if your freezer is as terrible as mine).

Run a knife along the exposed sides of the pan to loosen the ice cream. Holding onto the parchment paper, lift ice cream out of the pan and onto the work surface. Using one of the cookies as a template, cut ice cream into 12 2-by-4-inch bars. Strangely, I found using kitchen shears to go right through the ice cream and the paper underneath the easiest. I then flipped each piece of ice cream onto a cookie, peeled off the paper, and finished sandwiching the rectangle of ice cream with a second cookie.

(Look, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that this whole ice cream part caused a spectacular mess in my kitchen. Huge! It was an ice cream massacre! But, I was rushing and you should not. If your ice cream begins to soften, just slide it back into the freezer for a bit and it will become easy to work with again. Promise. Do as I say, not as I did, unless you like sticky floors.)

Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic and please, again, listen to Amy here. I was all “Oh, let me just get them cold again and I’ll wrap them later.” Which was wrong. They continue to lose their shape for a bit, runny and melting, before they freeze up and that is why my sandwiches were kind of a mess. “Sealing” them into their shape immediately with plastic is, well, the reason that Amy is a sweets stylist and my food looks, uh, “handmade.”

Freeze until just before serving.
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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Post Number 1000

This is my 1000th post.   Statistics and observations are below - but I want to begin by noting the closure of an event that had a significant impact on my childhood.  Thirty-three years ago Friday Etan Patz disappeared on his way to school.  He was six years old and was walking to school alone for the first time.  Etan became the most famous missing child in New York City.  I was 11 years old when Etan disappeared and my parents and my friends parents started to look a little more carefully as where we were going.  Living on Long Island - my friends and I were aware of what had happened, as much as pre-teens were aware at that time.

It was announced yesterday that NYC Police had arrested an individual who had implicated himself in the disappearance and death of Etan Patz.  Patz's parents still live in the apartment where Etan left from and I hope that they can find peace.  Nothing will ever bring Etan back but at least they can now know what happened to him.  Rest in peace Etan.
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So here we are. A significant milestone. 1000 blog posts. Here's some highlights.

My first post was September 5, 2006. No comments.  The first post to receive a comment was my first post about September 11 (September 11, 2006). I have posted each year on that somber anniversary. Mondays soon became Recipe Day on Order from Chaos. Here's the first one, September 25, 2006 - remember what it was for? How many recipes have there been? 274 (at least four did not contain recipes for food - and while there were similarities, there have been no repeaters) And how many of them have I made or eaten? 64.  My most commented blog post to date was "I've Reached Two Score" December 19, 2007, which garnered thirteen comments, on my reaching the age of 40.

According to the tagging - this blog has been "about me" 250 times; "archives," "mandatory archival content," or archives conferences about 200 times; sports 121 times; history and politics more than 160 times.

For those who are really interested in the "metadata" here's the complete tag list for the postings.  While some posts have clearly been multiple tagged, my tagging has not been consistent.
  • 9/11 (6), About Me (251), Anniversary (15), Archives (100), Art (9), At Home (26)
  • Baseball (62), Basketball (7), Birthday (21), BlogDay2007 (1), Blogging (38), Books (39)
  • Candy (5), Cars (1), Cats (3), Christmas (48), Cleaning (1), Coffee (4), College (8), Comedy (3), Commuting (3), Computers (3), Conferences (44), Crime (3)
  • Dining Out (12), Dreams (1), Drink (17), Education (4), Europe (5), Family (56), Fashion (1), Fatherhood (22), Food (68), Football (12), Friends (1), Fun and Games (10)
  • Geography (3), Girl Scouts (3), Golf (20), Government (7), Guest Blogger (10)
  • Health (12), History (107), Hockey (43), Holidays (68), Humor (7), Ice Cream (2), Issues (1)
  • Language (1), Libraries (16), Lighthouses (4), Lists (81), Literature (1), Local (3), Long Island (5), Lunch Bunch (1)
  • MAC (Mandatory Archival Content) (8), Magazines (2), MARAC (27), March Drunken Madness (4), Meme (21), Movies (53), Moving (9), Museums (6), Music (28)
  • New Years Resolutions (5), New York (37), News (124), Nostalgia (42)
  • Obituary (6), On the Road (15), On this Date (42), Out on the Town (24), Poetry (2), Politics (55)
  • Quiz (38), Radio (4), Real Estate (1), Recipes (274), Religion (6), Restaurants (6), Reviews (4)
  • SAA (12), SAA2007 (6), Science (1), Shopping (14), Space (17), Sports (22), States of the Union (20), Summer (13)
  • Teaching (5), Technology (1), Telephone (6), Television (49), The American President (65), The Web (6), Theater (9), Toys (4), Traffic (17), Travel (4)
  • Vacation (23), Video (43), Washington DC (35), Weather (11), Wine (3), Winter (4), Women (4), Work (10)
Some other numbers of note:
  • 46,146 - number of page views on Order from Chaos
  • 2,237 - number of total comments across the blog
  • 2,091 - number of days between post 1 and post 1000
  • 1,048 - highest number of page views for a blog post, "Ring Dings vs. Ding Dongs, Discuss"
  • 952 - number of referrals from Anna VS's blog (the most referrals)
  • 789 - number of page views (the most of all the recipe pages) for "Mom's Beefaroni"
  • 587 - Facebook friends (I joined Facebook after starting this blog and have reconnected with a lot of old friends and high school classmates)
  • 402 - number of page views for the 100th Post of Order from Chaos
  • 309 - the number of page views for the American President series, for Herbert Hoover
  • 107 - number of different tags / labels used on the blog
  • 44 - my current age
  • 27 - number of years I have been out of high school - I attempted to organize a 25 year reunion in 2010 to limited success
  • 18 - number of followers to Order from Chaos
  • 17 - number of years I have been working as an archivist
  • 10 - number of years I have been married to Mrs. BA
  • 7 - current age of LBA (who is older than this blog)
  • 5 - number of years I have been with my current employer
  • 5 - the number of other blogs I have created during this time: The Political Point (not current - but may be coming back); National Archives Fantasy Baseball (the blog for my fantasy baseball league - also has not been kept up); Take Me Drunk, I'm Home (the March Madness drinking stories contest blog) and two family oriented blogs created for my family and Mrs. BA's family.
  • 4 - current age of SoBA (who is younger than this blog)
  • at least 4 - number of "blends" (blogging friends) I have made since I started blogging
  • 3 - number of cars I have owned during this blog's life - we are down to just one
  • 2 - series created on Order from Chaos - one on the Presidents of the US and one on the States of the Union (in progress) - there may be another one next year, I'm still thinking about what it will be.
So there it is.  I am still enjoying this and will continue to blog.  I hope that you have enjoyed stopping by and will keep coming back.

Thanks,
Brave Astronaut
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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Mississippi - #20, December 10, 1817


Our next state is one that almost any child can spell, even if they don't live there.  It's one of the easier states to learn how to spell, with all those repeating letters M - ISS - ISS - IPP - I.  Plus everyone knows that it takes a full second to say the state (one - mississippi, two - mississippi, three - mississippi).  Mississippi has deep roots across several genres of American Music, specifically the blues, jazz, gospel music, and rock and roll.

Mississippi was organized as a territory following the American Revolution, carved out of land ceded by Georgia and South Carolina.  At the outbreak of the Civil Way, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union and was a founding member of the Confederacy.  The state suffered the largest percentage of people who died in the Civil War of any Confederate State. 78,000 Mississippians entered the Confederate army. By the end of the war 59,000 were either dead or wounded.   It rejoined the Union in 1870.

Mississippi has been slow to react to laws that were widely adopted elsewhere in the US.  In 1966, it was the last state to officially repeal prohibition, which had been overturned with the ratification of the Twenty-third amendment - in 1933.  In 1987, the state repealed its ban on interracial marriage, which had been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court - in 1967.  One hundred thirty years after its ratification, Mississippi symbolically ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery.  In 1989, it repealed its poll tax and twenty years later, in 2009, it repealed other discriminatory civil rights laws, which had been enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act - of 1964.

Despite being a "little slow on the uptake" - it has a few things going for it:
  • In 1894, the first Coca-Cola was bottled in the state, at the Biedenarn Candy Company in Vicksburg
  • Root Beer was invented in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, founder of Barq's Root Beer
  • In 1902, while hunting in Sharkey County, President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub - leading to the creation of the "Teddy Bear"
  • Mamie Thomas became the first female rural mail carrier in the United States, when she delivered mail by buggy to the area southeast of Vicksburg in 1914
  • Babe Ruth is forever connected to two Mississippians - Guy Bush of Tupelo played for the Chicago Cubs and was the pitcher off whom Babe Ruth hit his last home run and Sam Vick played for both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox and is the only man ever to pinch hit for Ruth 
  • The Vicksburg National Cemetery is second in size only to Arlington National Cemetery
The state of Mississippi is one of the more "red" states in the Union and is part of the deep Republican South.  The current Governor of Mississippi is Republican Phil Bryant, who succeeded Haley Barbour, one of Mississippi's more prominent residents. Both of Mississippi's Senators are Republicans, Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker.  There are four members of the Mississippi Congressional delegation, three Republicans and one Democrat.

Facts
  • State Capital (and largest city) - Jackson
  • Date of Admission - December 10, 1817
  • Area - 48,430 sq mi (32nd) 
  • State Motto - "Virtue et Armis" ("By Valor and Arms")
  • State Nickname - the Magnolia State 
  • State bird - mockingbird
  • State flower - magnolia
  • State tree - southern magnolia
  • State fish - the largemouth bass (although the state produces the majority of the farm-raised catfish consumed in the US)
  • State University - Mississippi State University
  • State Archives - Mississippi Department of Archives and History
  • Population (2011 est.) - 2,978,512 (31st) 

Links

Prominent Mississippians (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two - the state evidently knows how to produce football players and musicians/singers)
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Monday, May 21, 2012

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

There's nothing quite like good gumbo.  From the January 2012 Bon Appetit via Epicurious.


Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Bon Appétit | January 2012
by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

For authentic gumbo, add filé, a Creole herb found in better markets.
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more 
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1 teaspoon paprika 
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
  • 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs 
  • 1/2 cup (or more) vegetable oil 
  • 1 pound andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" rounds 
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped 
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and pale parts separated from dark)
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 
  • 2 green bell peppers, finely chopped 
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 
  • 8 cups low-salt chicken broth 
  • 2 bay leaves 
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 
  • 2 cups 1/2"-thick slices fresh (or frozen, thawed) okra, divided 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce (preferably Crystal) 
  • 1 teaspoon filé powder plus more (optional) 
  • Steamed rice 
Preparation
Combine 1 tablespoon salt and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle all over chicken. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Working in batches, sear chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add sausage to pot; cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate with chicken.

Strain drippings from pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup; reserve 1 cup drippings, adding more oil if needed to measure 1 cup. Wipe pot clean; return drippings to pot.

Heat drippings over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Whisk constantly until roux is the color of milk chocolate, 15–20 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in white and pale-green parts of scallions and next 3 ingredients. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Slowly whisk in broth. Add bay leaves, thyme, and reserved chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer gently, skimming fat from surface and stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup okra, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Simmer until chicken is very tender and flavors meld, about 45 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup okra; simmer until okra is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool slightly; chill uncovered until cold. Cover and keep chilled. Rewarm gently before continuing. Add 1 teaspoon filé powder, if using.

Serve gumbo over rice. Garnish with dark-green parts of scallions. Sprinkle with more filé powder, if desired.
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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Indiana - #19, December 11, 1816


We have arrived at the "Crossroads of America," Indiana.  This post goes up at a time when there is about to be a lot of noise coming out of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  It's time for time trials in advance of the Indy 500, which is traditionally run on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend.  For me, one of the highlights of watching the race is the pre-game festivities, with Jim Nabors singing "Back Home Again in Indiana."  Unfortunately, Jim Nabors will not be able to sing this year in person - he is scheduled for heart surgery over Memorial Day weekend.  Enjoy the video below of a previous appearance.

Indiana is also rich with sports history, specifically high school basketball.  While James Naismith "invented" basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, when he visited Indiana in 1925 and witnessed screaming crowds watching a game, he later wrote, "Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport."  The movie "Hoosiers" adds to that lore.

The "Indian Land" was created as the territory of Indiana out of the Northwest Territory in 1800 and became a state sixteen years later.  President William Henry Harrison (our 31 day President, 1841) was named territorial governor of Indiana.  Ten years later, Harrison led forces against the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh to victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe.  The victory propelled Harrison to the Presidency in 1840.

The current Governor of Indiana is Republican Mitch Daniels, who is not running for President and finds himself constantly saying he is not going to be Mitt Romney's Vice President. Both of Indiana's Senators are currently Republicans, at least for the moment.  Although he was in the Senate for ten years (1989-1999), Dan Coats' return in 2011makes him the junior Senator for Indiana. Richard Lugar is the senior Senator and lost his primary last week and with it, his seat and his status as the most senior Republican in the Senate.  There is a good chance the Democrats will pick up this seat in November, Congressman Joe Donnelly is running for the upper house and has a good chance.  There are nine members of the Indiana Congressional delegation, three Democrats and six Republicans.
Facts 
  • State Capital (and Largest City) -Indianapolis
  • Date of Admission - December 11, 1816
  • Area - 36,418 sq mi (38th)
  • State Motto - "The Crossroads of America"
  • State Nickname - the Hoosier State
  • State bird - cardinal
  • State flower - peony
  • State tree - yellow poplar
  • State University - Indiana University is the largest school in the state - Indiana State University is the land grant school.  Among other prominent universities, Indiana is also the home of Notre Dame.
  • State Archives - Indiana State Archives 
  • Population (2011 est.) - 6,516,922 (15th)

Links


Prominent Indianans (here's a few lists to peruse, one and two)



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