Reading, Part II

Here are the rest of the questions from the reading meme that I started last week (see part I here). Thanks to C in DC for giving me some content for the blog!

• Favorite reading snack? There's no eating or drinking in a library! But a hot cup of coffee and maybe a cookie?
  

• Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. I can honestly say, I don't think that has happened to me - then again, I have avoided the Harry Potter books and the other, most recent overly publicized book series.
  

• How often do you agree with critics about a book? God, I remember how my mother used to read the NYT Book Review every Sunday and then write up her book lists and go off to the library with a stack of reserve slips. Today, you are lucky to find a decent book review, so if I do, I will usually read it and it might push me in a particular direction.
  

• How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? If it's bad, it's bad. Move on.
  

• Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? I don't think that I have ever been intimidated by a book - although I am sure there was a college textbook here and there that I really didn't want to read for one reason or another - but it probably wasn't intimidation.
  

• Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Isn't War and Peace like the benchmark for this question?
  

• Favorite Poet? Robert Frost. Period. End of Discussion.
  

• How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? When I went to the library on a regular basis, 3-4 often came home.

• How often have you returned book to the library unread? On a rare occasion.
  

• Favorite fictional character? Ooh, tough question. But if we are sticking with Mr. King (see the next question), I'm going with Andy Dufresne and Red from "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption."
  

• Favorite fictional villain? First one(s) that pop into my head would be the many, scary villains / monsters that populate Stephen King's stories. In the lead would be Randall Flagg from The Stand.
  

• Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? paperbacks
  

• The longest I’ve gone without reading. I don't think I've ever really stopped reading, I just don't do it as often.
  

• Name a book that you could/would not finish. I don't know if I can identify one, although I am sure there was a college textbook in there somewhere that I could not get through, despite the requirements.
  

• What distracts you easily when you’re reading? I don't really get distracted too . . . hey what's that over there?
  

• Favorite film adaptation of a novel? The Shawshank Redemption
  

• Most disappointing film adaptation? The Stand
  

• The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? I'm not at liberty to say. But on myself, probably too much, on others, not enough.
  

• How often do you skim a book before reading it? I do not adopt the Billy Crystal approach (see "When Harry Met Sally") but I will usually read the leaf pages to see if it is something that I might enjoy.
  

• What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? See my earlier answers about if it is not good, it's not worth the time.
  

• Do you like to keep your books organized? Hi. Have we met? You all know what I do for a living right? The Brave Astronaut library is even online through Library Thing. Here's a story. Before I moved in with Mrs. BA (back when we were dating), I would visit her and would visibly twitch at her serendipitous arrangement of the books in her apartment. She would repeatedly tell me, when you move in, you can rearrange the books. The day I moved in, before I unpacked a box or a suitcase, I was emptying those shelves and arranging them according to subject, genre, and author.
  

• Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? There are a lot of books in my home and there always will be. But I also have a large inventory of books up on Half.com.
  

• Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? No, although Mrs. BA would probably tell you she avoids The Giving Tree.
  

• Name a book that made you angry. Mrs. BA would probably say The Giving Tree makes her angry, too.
  

• A book you didn’t expect to like but did? That's sort of a bonus for me. I have been given books as gifts and given them a shot. In most of the cases, it has worked. But it will always come back to if it's bad (or I don't like it), I'm not going to read it anymore.
  

• A book that you expected to like but didn’t? I attempted to get through the few collaborative works that Stephen King wrote with others, but couldn't. It was too clear to me where his writing ended and the other started up.
  

• Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? Not necessarily a book, but I still enjoy reading the comics in the newspaper. Last thing in the paper I read everyday.
  

I Am An Archivist, Really - Part II

Last week (see Part I), I gave some background on my professional life, how I got to be where I am, what I have done before my current profession, etc. Next week, I will discuss those things that I would like to be doing. Feel free to come along and comment for the ride.

To confirm? deny? support? disavow? that what I am doing is the right thing, I am going to answer a few questions that were recently posed to friends in the profession and answered on their blogs. Geof, the first, is one of those people who is always operating at that higher plane. We can all aspire to be like him - or at least be liked by him. The second, who chose to answer the questions on his blog is also one of those "too cool for school" archivists. I am glad Terry agrees to be seen with me on occasion.

How did you become an archivist?

That's an interesting story. I went to school fully intending to become a social studies teacher. Which I did. For a few years. Then the education system and I had a disagreement and I found myself looking for something else to do. It came down to wanting to work with the records and being able to work with people with a genuine interest in history (the students only had a marginal interest, at best).

There is some conjecture in the archival profession that many of us suddenly find ourselves working in archives (starting work in libraries and other information-related positions, like teaching). I know of many of my colleagues who started work at some library, museum, etc., and then found themselves "in the archives" and then never left.

What's changed the most since you became an archivist?

When I started at my first archives position, we had only two computers that were connected to "the Internet." This was in 1995. For us, the web was still a series of pages that often contained the word [image]. I helped my repository update its computers, revolutionized the website and served as its webmaster until I left.

In my second archival position, I had the opportunity to work for a repository that was just getting its archives program up off the ground. Now, of course, I work primarily with electronic records (which I never thought I would). So, if you ask me what has changed since I became an archivist, it would be that everything has. Suddenly we are picking up steam and really barreling into the next generation. Finally.

What's stayed the same (for better or worse)?

I have long wondered why the national organization for our profession does not get behind and support an "official" archives degree and make sure that job vacancies call for that degree. I got a Masters in Library Science (MLS) because that's what I needed to get ahead in the field, but I am not a librarian.

Another thing that I would like to see start to change would be the competitive nature that exists between the various archivist types that populate our profession. In the end people, we are all really just trying to do the same thing. We don't need to be sniping at one another.

How did you become interested in electronic records?

I never expected to be where I am now, dealing primarily with electronic records of the federal government. While I think I have told this story before, it serves as a really good answer to the question. A few months into my position here I was sitting with two friends and colleagues and we were discussing our work and I began talking about this and that and actually making sense about electronic records. The two of them looked at one another and then looked at me and pretty much said together, "you remember when you said you didn't want to work with electronic records? Well, you're there now." So it would seem that I made the transition fairly easily.

What advice do you have for new archivists or those interested in the profession?

Get involved.

Our profession will only continue to be successful with us reaching out, speaking out, being involved in the issues that are important to us.

It's International Kim Ayres Day!

It's Monday. Which means recipe day. I was all prepared to post some regular recipe and then I saw that several bloggers were getting together to honor one of our own. Over across the pond, is one particular blogger, who has even visited this blog on occasion. I once labeled him a celebrity blogger and have come to know him through the wires and now consider him a friend. Although we have never met, through his photography, his brilliant writing, and his sharing of his speaking voice on another of his blogs, I feel as if I know him very well. One of his photographs is currently my desktop wallpaper on my home computer and he and I have corresponded outside of our blog personas on a variety of issues that we have in common.

Today is his birthday. He turns 44 today, which he is not ashamed to admit. In common, we both have lovely wives, who we adore, and two wonderful children. I hope one day to find myself in Scotland and to have the opportunity to share a pint or two with Kim. A few months ago, I had the most vivid dream where I was visiting with him in Scotland and it was a rollicking good time, as I expect it would be.

This idea to honor and celebrate the great Kim Ayres started with Debra. Several others, whose blogs I read also picked up on the idea, including Mary, Pat, and Eryl, which is when I decided to hop on. Go and visit with them, but be sure to go and see Kim and wish him the best!
I am not sure what his wife, Maggie, is preparing for his birthday culinary celebration, or if his son, Rogan, who has become a fine baker in his own right, has something extra special for him, but I thought I would share a recipe that Kim shared with me. It is for his wife's Bramble Crumble.

A very Happy Birthday to Kim Ayres!

Bramble Crumble
from the Kitchen of Maggie Ayres

[It should be noted this is a recipe of approximations and eyeballing the measurements.]

• Rub 4 ounces of butter into 8 ounces of self-raising flour (or a mix of flour and oats), then mix in about 4 ounces of sugar (brown or white – it’s up to you).
  


• Place 1 pound of blackberries (or any fruit you want) into an oven-proof dish and sprinkle on sugar (how much sugar gets very vague at this point – “to taste” is my wife’s phrase – as it depends on how sweet or sharp the fruit is – but it could be up to a couple of ounces). Mix it together.


• Pour the flour/butter/sugar mix onto the top and place into an oven for about 40 minutes (or “until it looks ready…”) at Gas Mark 4 or 5

Serve with thick fresh cream, or good quality vanilla ice cream. Eat until nearly sick and have gained several pounds in weight.

It's All About Baseball

In a few days, the World Series will get under way. As most people know, I have always been a Yankee fan. I have borne the scorn of my friends for being a Yankee fan - for, again as you may know, the Yankees are not universally loved. I do not make apologies for the Yankees, they are what they are. I do not approve of everything they do, especially the huge, obnoxious sums of money they throw at players (see the upcoming purchase of Cliff Lee as a perfect example). I am, for the most part, a baseball purist and really want to watch games for the sake of the game. (And don't I know that the preceding sentence is going to get me in trouble.)

Well the Yankees got sent packing - and of course they will be back next year. Congratulations to the Texas Rangers - it is nice to see a team that has never been to the World Series get there - it was hard to root against Nolan Ryan. Ryan is one of those players that played the game for the game. He is why people love this game. But let's remember that guy who used to be part owner of the Rangers. And that they used to be the Washington Senators. And their manager used to be Ted Williams. And . . .

Good luck to the Rangers who will face off against the San Francisco Giants in the Fall Classic. Both Pennant series were great displays of baseball and I hope the World Series will not disappoint.

Baseball has become an industry. It's not a pastime anymore. Owners, agents and "superplayers" have definitely polluted the game. Scandals have rocked the game and money has driven fans away. But I will continue to watch. It's broken, but there isn't an easy fix.

To that end, here is something I spotted on McSweeney's the other day.

After You Hit a Home Run:
A Guide for Major League Baseball Players

by Kate Hahn

1. Point to God.
2. Kiss necklace.
3. Kiss your hands, biceps, and shoulders. Kiss each finger, individually.
4. Begin running.
5. At first base, stop, mount podium your agent has rolled out for you, and make thank you speech.
6. Kiss your own mouth, for making such a beautiful speech.
7. Run slowly, very slowly to second. Raise your hands in the air to make the crowd cheer louder. Fist pump! Monster face! Gorilla gallop! Back flip! (Kidding, you're not in that kind of shape.) It's like you are the only player who has ever hit one out of the park!
8. At second base, call agent on cell and demand endorsement deal with God.
9. Between second and third, tackle opposing team's shortstop and ask him, "Who the man? Who the man?" Dance on his chest, pointing to the sky.
10. At third base, build a small church. Invite select group of international dignitaries to attend your first sermon. Preach about how God will make you rich if you follow the right path, especially if it's an uninterrupted path around a major league baseball diamond.
11. Refuse to cross home plate until you have warmed up for your happy dance.
12. Jump on home plate and do happy dance. This should be a signature move that fans associate only with you, or it can be from Footloose, which everyone loves. Either way, it should include pointing at the sky.
13. Do a chicken-walk toward the dugout, emphasizing a head nod at the catcher. This shows the fans you have a sense of humor about yourself. Plus it subtly reminds them to buy your bobblehead doll.
14. Enter dugout. High five your teammates. One high five is not enough! Allot ten minutes. Refuse to come out of dugout again until your agent has gotten you the endorsement deal with God.
    

Reading? I Vaguely Remember What That Is . . .

Unfortunately, my reading these days is limited to childrens fare and while I know I should, I am not reading as much as I would like. But here for your enjoyment (and possible derision) is a reading meme that I stole from C in DC. The meme has 55 questions and she broke her posts into 4 different posts. I'm going with two posts. Look for Part II next Friday.

One of my jobs growing up was as a page in a library. It was an enjoyable job and I made some great friends there. It also helped to strengthen my love of reading (which had been instilled in me by my mother).

• Favorite childhood book? This is certainly different from favorite children's book, which is what I read a lot of now, as the parent of a 6 and 3 year old. But one childhood book that jumps up in front of me is My Brother Sam is Dead (I know, I know), which was a historical fiction book about a boy whose brother is killed in the American Revolution. Sorry to start out on such a downer.
  

• What are you reading right now? American Lion by Jon Meacham (a biography of Andrew Jackson in the White House)
  

• What books do you have on request at the library? None. I am ashamed to admit that I do not even currently have a library card.
  

• Bad book habit? How to answer this question? A habit, as in addiction? Maybe. A bad habit, like dog-earing pages? No.
  

• What do you currently have checked out at the library? Unfortunately, nothing as noted above.
  

• Do you have an e-reader? Never. I will always want the feel of pages on my fingers (newspapers, too).
  

• Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I have tried this, but I prefer, and do better, with one at a time.
  

• Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? No, it was more the kids that changed it.
  

• Least favorite book you read this year (so far?) With the amount of time that I have to read, if I don't like the book, I move on. My mother's rule was to give it 100 pages, if it didn't have you by then, don't waste your time.
  

• Favorite book you’ve read this year? I really enjoyed the most recent Stephen King book, Under the Dome.
  

• How often do you read out of your comfort zone? When I do read, I really want to enjoy the experience. I am long past the era of "required reading" and don't need the aggravation.
  

• What is your reading comfort zone? I have long been a fan of fiction (especially historical fiction) and the political thriller. I also enjoy good biographies (as evidenced by my current book on the night table).
  

• Can you read on the bus or train? I can pretty much read anywhere, but I usually cannot do much else, that is, the book must be the focus.
  

• Favorite place to read? in bed
  

• What is your policy on book lending? For all you people can tell the difference, I am a librarian. You can borrow my books.
  

• Do you ever dog-ear books? No
  

• Do you ever write in the margins of your books? No
  

• Not even with text books? That would imply that I had read them closely enough to have wanted to make marginalia [cough, cough]
  

• What is your favorite language to read in? English
  

• If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? I could, if I really wanted to struggle, read a book in French. I had a relative, who spent much of her life moving in the circles of the French Communists (and met Lenin and many other revolutionaries) and wrote a book about that time. Someday, I would like to read that book.

• What makes you love a book? The language. And being able to "see" the story that I am reading.
  

• What will inspire you to recommend a book? Same as above.
  

• Favorite genre? Fine, nail me down? Political Thriller
  

• Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?) Fantasy, but only on the rarest of occasions.
  

• Favorite biography? Wow. Tough one. Nail me down again? The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant (the autobiography he wrote as he was dying so that his family would have some income after his passing).
  

• Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes, if the "dummies" books count.
  

• Favorite cookbook? Hands down, The Very Best Recipe Cookbook (although I don't think that is the exact title) from the publishers of Cooks Illustrated. Have not had a bad thing out of it.
  

• Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? Inspiration is not really my thing (although with LBA in Catholic School and our semi-regular attendance at Sunday Mass, I am getting a little more accustomed to the bible readings).
  

What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up? - Part I

I recently started a temporary detail to another division in the agency where I work. I will be a part of this division until the middle of December. The division is "above" the division where I work and the work is at a much higher level than the granularity of processing and reference where I work every day. The detail comes at a good point, I was beginning to feel a little stale and it is my hope and expectation that I will return to my work refreshed and ready to be much more productive and efficient. (It will also coincide with those New Years Resolutions that I should make.) Let me be clear, I love what I do and am very glad to be doing it.

There is a larger question here as well, that being, am I doing what I want with my life?. Excepting those teenager part time jobs that I did growing up that kept me in candy and Matchbox cars, I have done a variety of things so far. I was a paperboy, but that got old rather quickly. I mean, really, delivering papers? In the morning? As previously discussed, I worked in a library, which was a job that I really enjoyed - likely pushing me in the direction of where I am now. Later, I also spent a few brief months as a bank teller before I started teaching.

One of the most fun jobs that I have had was one as a valet parking attendant. It was a job I got at the last minute (I needed money and responded to an ad and got sent out to a job that next evening). The money was really good and I had the opportunity to drive some really nice cars (and learn how to drive a standard). And there was always Prime Rib from the kitchen at the catering halls after the cars were all parked.

Inexplicable to many (including Mrs. BA), I spent a fair amount of time working in retail. I was never interested in the fast food or restaurant-type jobs, but I could work with people and I became fairly good at it. I rose through the ranks of retail, from a sales associate, to a trainer of new hires, then to a staffing supervisor, then finally "retiring" as a Senior Customer Service Manager (basically, when a customer got out of hand, they sent me to deal with them).

As for my first "real job," I was one of those people who went off to college fairly certain I knew what it was I wanted to be. I wanted to be a teacher. It had everything to do with the Social Studies teacher I had in high school. So I went to college and pursued that degree. My undergraduate degree was in American History (with a minor in Political Science - I am and always have been a political junkie) and I then set out to get my Masters Degree in Social Studies Education.

I performed my student teaching in the Junior High School where I went to school, a somewhat surreal experience. There were those teachers (ones that I had not had as a student) who I could call by their first names and then those that would always be referred to by their surnames. After my student teaching, I spent another year at good old Harry B. Thompson (by now) Middle School) as the building substitute, before getting my first real teaching job. Unfortunately, the educational system of which I wanted to be a part of did not exhibit the same fondness for me and I ultimately left education behind for a job in archives.

My career in archives started as a result of my first marriage. My wife at the time took a position in archives with the understanding that it was what she wanted to do. Then she realized it wasn't. She had also been recruited to return to a position as a library director for a small public library where we were living in the Hudson Valley. She jumped at the chance. I was at a point in my life where I was out of education, back in retail, and looking for something else. In my head I could hear the words of one of my beloved college professors - "You must make the decision to either teach students history or teach history to students." He never explained himself and left it up to us to figure out what he meant. As a teacher, I strove to emphasize the latter, using first-hand historical materials whenever possible and trying to make history as much fun for them as I had always found it.

So why not a job in archives, where I could be right next to those materials that I enjoyed working with for so long? I got myself an interview with the Director of the Archive Center and the rest is, as they say, history. As much as I thought I really had wanted to be a teacher, I had moved into a career that I really enjoyed.

In a subsequent post sometime next week, I will address several questions about how I got into the archives field (which have also been touched on here) and finally, address the idea that somehow my professional life may as yet, still be unfulfilled.

Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee

Over the weekend, I took the boys to a local farm to pick pumpkins and generally enjoy a great fall Sunday in Maryland. Fall has really taken hold here and the weather is crisp (but don't tell Mrs. BA - she hates "crisp"). I also seem to have gotten myself subscribed to an email distribution of Better Homes and Gardens recipes and they have started with holiday recipes. While I am not a fan of the pumpkin pie that usually graces the Thanksgiving table, here is a recipe that I might be able to get behind.

And yes, I know that I missed the recipe deadline yesterday - chalk it up to too much to do and not enough time to do it. I mean there's baseball to watch (but if the Yankees continue on this pace - my interest will vanish, possibly as early as tomorrow), soccer practices and games to attend (LBA is becoming quite proficient in soccer), and places to be. But again, no excuses, just promises to try and be better.

Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee

Ingredients

• 2 cups whipping cream (no substitutes)
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 10 baby pumpkins*
• 1/4 cup sugar
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat just until bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, eggs, the 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. Beat with a whisk or rotary beater just until combined. Slowly whisk the hot whipping cream into the egg mixture.
3. Use a small serrated knife to cut off the top 1/2-inch of the baby pumpkins. Discard the tops. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
4. Place the pumpkins in a roasting pan. Divide custard mixture evenly among the pumpkins. Place roasting pan on oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the pumpkins.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until centers appear nearly set when gently shaken. Carefully remove pan from oven. Remove pumpkins from water; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
6. Before serving, let custards stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. **Meanwhile, for caramelized sugar: in a heavy 8-inch skillet, heat the 1/4 cup sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low; cook 3 to 5 minutes more or until all of the sugar is melted and golden brown, stirring as needed with a wooden spoon.
7. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over the custards. (If sugar starts to harden in the skillet, return to heat, stirring until melted.) Serve immediately. Makes 10 filled pumpkins or 6 custard cups.
   

* Instead of the pumpkins, you can use six 3/4-cup souffle dishes or 6-ounce custard cups. Place the souffle dishes or custard cups in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

**Culinary Torch Method: Instead of caramelizing the sugar in the skillet as directed in steps 6 and 7, sprinkle sugar evenly over custards. Use a culinary torch to caramelize the sugar.

Casseroles and Crock Pots

As Fall arrives, it is time to think about some warm, comforting food. It is a daily dilemma as to what to prepare for dinner, and I often have to "hit the ground running" and throw something together quickly. It would be better for all of us if there was some menu planning and food readied to defrost before that time. I think it is my goal to find that crock pot up on that shelf somewhere, dust it off and see about getting some more dinners ready to go in the morning.

This recipe jumped out at me from a recent Washington Post food section as casseroles (especially those that can be prepared ahead of time) are also good dishes to be able to serve in a relative short amount of time (provided they are defrosted, etc.)

Lemon Chicken and Rice Casserole
The Washington Post, September 29, 2010

Summary:

• This is comfort food you’ll be glad to have around. For ease of use, cut the cooled casserole into individual portions before freezing.
• The sauce recipe beats using canned condensed cream of chicken soup.
• Serve with sauteed spinach or a spinach salad.
  

MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 5 days in advance. The casserole can be frozen for up to 6 weeks (see directions). To reheat the casserole, unwrap it and drop it back into its original casserole dish. Cover with plastic wrap and defrost in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours. To reheat, discard the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the surface with the bread crumbs. Cover with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes to brown the topping. Insert a knife into the center before serving to make sure the casserole is heated through.

6 servings

Ingredients:
For the sauce

• 1 cup regular or low-fat milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

For the casserole

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
• 3/4 cup regular or low-fat sour cream (do not use nonfat)
• Freshly squeezed juice from 2 to 3 lemons (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked (skinless) chicken, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup seasoned Italian-style bread crumbs
  

Directions:
For the sauce: Combine the milk and broth in a large, heat-safe measuring cup. Microwave on MEDIUM just long enough to warm through (without boiling).

Melt the butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the rice flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly pour in the warm milk-broth mixture, whisking, until all of the liquid is incorporated. Stir in the cheese; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking to form a smooth sauce that has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The yield is 2 cups.

For the casserole: Combine the butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic; cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft. Add the rice and stir to coat evenly.

Combine the 2 cups of sauce, the sour cream, lemon juice and broth in a large bowl; mix well, then add the rice mixture, chicken and spinach, stirring to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use nonstick cooking oil spray to grease the inside of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.

Spread the chicken-rice mixture evenly in the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. If you plan to serve the casserole right away, uncover and sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the the crumbs have lightly browned.

If you plan to freeze the casserole, bypass the bread crumb step. Remove the casserole from the oven after the 30 minutes and allow it to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill through. (At this point, if desired, cut it into individual portions and wrap each one first in plastic wrap, then in foil.) Freeze for 6 to 8 hours, then unmold and wrap first in plastic wrap, then in foil. Return to the freezer and store for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from "Cook & Freeze: 150 Delicious Dishes to Serve Now and Later," by Dana Jacobi (Rodale, 2010)

Is Wegman's Watching Me?

Last week, I reported about the impending arrival of Wegman's up the road and how much I was looking forward to shopping there (although I have been warned my grocery bill may be going up). Last night, we prepared a nice Sunday dinner, inviting over a friend to share at our table. We were going to prepare a roast chicken, but there were none to be had at the store. So we went with flank steak instead.

We decided to roast some potatoes, instead of baking them, as we will often do with flank steak. We went with a rosemary-olive oil toss and roasted them in the oven as the steak grilled outside (in the rain!). Then today, I see on the Wegman's Twitter feed this recipe for Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes. I know that Wegman's is supposed to be very community oriented, but this is a little much . . . Full disclosure, I did use just regular potatoes, not the fingerling variety called for in this recipe - but they were good nonetheless.

Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes
Serves 8
Active Time: 5 min
Total Time: 30 min

• 1 pkg (24 oz) Food You Feel Good About Fingerling Potato Medley, larger ones halved on the bias
• 4 cloves Food You Feel Good About Peeled Garlic, halved lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp Wegmans Basting Oil
• Wegmans Sea Salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 pkg (0.25 oz) Food You Feel Good About Rosemary
  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss potatoes and garlic with basting oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Scatter rosemary sprigs on foil-lined baking sheet (reserve 1 sprig). Top with single layer of potatoes and garlic.

Roast 25-30 min on center rack of oven, until potatoes are fork-tender and light brown. Garnish potatoes with reserved rosemary sprig.

Garlic-Parmesan Tilapia

I was not a good father yesterday. I really wanted to sit around and do nothing. I got to do that mostly because I am married to the best woman ever. I got to take a two and a half hour nap, which my body really needed. When I woke up, I got up and made dinner for the family. Fish sticks and mac and cheese for the boys and broiled tilapia fillets for Mr. and Mrs. BA.

We have a recipe for basil butter fish fillets, which is good (however, last night I substituted spinach for the basil and it was ok as well). I lamented that I needed a number of different recipes for broiled fish as we have a number of tilapia fillets in the freezer.

On October 24, we will have a new grocery store to shop in just up the road. Wegman's will open on that day. I am greatly looking forward to my first shopping experience at Wegman's. Needing a recipe for tonight, I moseyed over to their website and poked around. And what did I find? A recipe for Garlic-Parmesan Tilapia. Now, I'm all set.

Garlic-Parmesan Tilapia
SERVES 4
ACTIVE TIME: 10 min
TOTAL TIME: 25 min

• 4 Tbsp Wegmans Garlic Cheese Finishing Butter (Dairy Dept)
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp Italian Classics Shredded Italian Blend Cheese (Cheese Shop)
• 1 tsp Wegmans Basting Oil
• 4 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
• 1 pkg (8 oz) Wegmans Bouillabaisse Seafood Sauce (Prepared Foods), warmed
  

You'll Need: Small saucepan, baking sheet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Melt garlic butter in saucepan on LOW; remove from heat as soon as it is melted.

2. Combine melted butter and bread crumbs in a small bowl; mix well. Add cheese; mixing well.

3. Coat baking sheet thinly with basting oil. Place tilapia on baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.

4. Top each fillet with about 3 Tbsp of bread crumb mixture; press to cover entire top of fillet.

5. Bake 12-15 min or until internal temp of fillets reaches 130 degrees. (Check by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of tilapia.) Remove from oven; let rest 2 min.

6. Serve with bouillabaisse sauce.

This Brave Astronaut has all of his Fingernails, Thank You

Of course, you all know that I am drawn to space stories. Here's three for you to look through.

The first is sort of evidence as to why I don't think this Brave Astronaut will be heading into orbit anytime soon. According to Time Magazine, who got it from National Geographic, it evidently can make your fingernails fall off, among other bad things. A tendency to motion sickness also? Well, duh.

If you would like to brush up on your "Fundamentals of Space Travel," head over to ThinkQuest and read up.

Secondly, of course, growing up, the mnemonic that we all learned to remember the order of the planets was:

• My (Mercury)
• Very (Venus)
• Educated (Earth)
• Mother (Mars)
• Just (Jupiter)
  
• Served (Saturn)
• Us (Uranus)
• Nine (Neptune)
• Pies (Pluto)

Of course when Neptune switched places with Pluto, making the furthest planet, it became "Pizza Nicely" but that's neither here nor there. For now, it seems that Pluto has been kicked out of the planetary club. Membership Card revoked. Secret Handshake changed.

American youth is not taking this sitting down. It gives me hope for the future when I see that children have taken pen (and pencil and crayon) in hand to lash out at the powers that be to demand that Pluto be given its planetary status back.

• First link from kottke, who includes a letter from "Will," who offers a picture of what Pluto looks likes so the scientists can make a model and put it back.
  

• PBS listed more "hate mail" in its Pluto files. Emerson asked why the scientists were making the other planets cry.
  

Finally, I had intended to make this list a bigger post, with links to the music, but you folks all know how to do that. Go read the list from (kottke)and then listen to some of your favorite tunes that were used to wake the astronauts on space flights. Evidently, according to NASA, the first recording used were the lyrics to "Hello, Dolly" sent to the crew of Gemini 6 in 1965. Enjoy.

Lets Go Nats!

Where am I tonight? I am attending one of the last Nationals games of the 2010 season. It hasn't been the best season this year, but like the Cubs, "we'll get 'em next year." There's always next year . . . and the year after that . . . and the year after that . . . Tonight, the Brave Astronaut will be on the field as part of a recognition ceremony for all of the group leaders who brought groups to a game this year. As you may recall, I arranged for about 150 of my closest archival friends out to a game in August as part of the SAA Annual Meeting.

The 2011 schedules have been announced and it looks like Brave Astronaut tours will be taking in the Cubbies in Chicago when SAA meets there next August. As the regular baseball season leads into October and the playoffs, I will likely make my focus on those lovable American League dominators, my friends, your World Series Champion New York Yankees.

Can they repeat? Sure. Will they? Maybe.

And of course, hockey starts this month - so I've got that going for me.

Update: After being down by three runs for most of the game - the Nats exploded in the 8th inning for 8 runs and won the game 8-4.

Cinnamon Bread

I am usually in charge of breakfast for the boys in the morning. A popular request at the house is raisin bread, which is why we are often out of it. Perhaps I will have to whip up a loaf of my favorite Cheverly Chef's Cinnamon Bread (and throw in some raisins).

Cinnamon Bread
From The Pioneer Woman Cooks
For 1 loaf

• 1 cup Milk
• 6 TB Butter
• 2½ tsp Active Dry Yeast
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1/3 cups Sugar
• 3½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cups Sugar
• 2 TB Cinnamon
• Egg and Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
• Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing
  

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool.

Jambalaya

Sorry, but every time I think about this particular soup, I have to say the name, just like Newman.

From the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook via the Amateur Gourmet, here's a recipe for the New Orleans staple.

Jambalaya
from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
by Matt Lee & Ted Lee

For 6 people
Time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 pound headless medium shrimp (41 - 50 per pound), shells on
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (homemade preferably, though I used boxed)
• 1 tablespoon Lee Bros. Shrimp Boil [make that by grinding together in a mortar and pestle 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 1 tablespoon celery seeds, 6 bay leaves shredded, and 1/2 cup kosher salt then stirring in 3 Tbs cayenne pepper. But you only need 1 Tbs of the full mixture, so you may want to make less!] [Don't skip this, though, it gives the dish significant flavor.]
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more if necessary
• 10 ounces smoked andouille sausage or chorizo, cut on the bias 3/4 inch thick
• 6 chicken thighs, skinned (about 2 pounds) [I forgot to skin them]
• About 2 teaspoons salt
• About 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
• 5 large garlic cloves, chopped
• One 28-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• Six 3-4 inch-long fresh thyme stems
  

Instructions:

Peel the shrimp and place in a bowl, reserving the shells separately. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and the shrimp boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the shells and discard. Turn off the heat.

In a broad-bottomed 4-quart pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the sausage, turning the pieces with tongs until the outer surface of the sausage pieces are browned all over, about 6 minutes total. Remove to a plate and reserve the sausage.

Brown the chicken: add the chicken thighs to the sausage fat in the pot - in batches, if necessary; don't crowd the pan - and sprinkle them with pinches of salt and pepper. Saute them on one side until they are a rich golden brown, about 4 minutes, agitating them every so often and adding drops of oil, if necessary, to keep them from sticking. Turn the thighs, sprinkle them again with pinches of salt and pepper, and saute until the other side is nicely browned. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Add the onion, garlic, and 1/4 cup reserved tomato juice to the pot and saute, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom, until the vegetables are softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them as you add them. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and thickly soupy, 4 to 6 minutes.

[Note from Adam: I also seasoned with salt at this step and, actually, every step along the way. It's good to season as you go.]

Add the chicken, nestling the thighs in the stew. Then add the sausage and any juices that may have drained from the chicken and the sausage.

Strain the broth into a measuring cup and add enough of the remaining tomato juice to make 3 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the pot and then add the rice. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Turn off the heat and add the shrimp, stirring to distribute.

Let the jambalaya rest for 10 minutes before serving. The rice should be plump and very moist but not soupy. Serve in bowls, and garnish with the thyme. [I stirred in chopped parsley to make it look even prettier.]

And that's how you make Jambalaya.

A Day For Reflection

My post from September 11, 2006

My post from September 11, 2007

My post from September 11, 2008

My post from September 11, 2009

In the morning on this day nine years ago, I had just dropped my car off for service and gotten a ride into work. I turned on the radio in my office and the morning show deejays that I normally listened to were talking in very subdued tones, relating how what was believed to have been a small plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about September 11. Everything changed that day and the images from that day are seared into my mind. Like a tragic Flickr stream, images pop into my head, and especially on this day. I have also been watching some of the specials that have been on television over the past few days leading up to today's anniversary.

There is another blogger out there whom I read. He also marks this day by writing a letter to his friend, Andy, who didn't come home that day from his office in the World Trade Center. You should go read his post for today.

Then. Stop. Reflect. Remember.

Raspberry Goodness

It's Labor Day. The unofficial end to summer. The Brave Astronaut Clan is surely cramming in a few more hours at the pool. If we were in New York, school would be starting on Wednesday, but here in Maryland, LBA started Kindergarten last week. But of course, it will be hot this week, because it always is right when you go back to school.

These recipes caught my eye the other day when I saw it in the New York Times Magazine. The magazine often does these "Recipe Redux" columns and this particular one featured a 1900 recipe for Raspberry Vinegar and then the new recipes for a float and a tart. Both excellent items for a hot late summer day. And the article even notes that it is appropriate to make enough to give as gifts on Labor Day as a farewell to summer. So, sorry no vinegar for you, but here's how you can make your own.

Recipe: 1900, Raspberry Vinegar
This recipe appeared in The Times in an article titled “Women Here and There — Their Frills and Fancies.” You may halve or quarter the recipe.

• 1 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 quarts freshly picked raspberries
• Sugar
  

1. In a nonreactive bowl, combine the vinegar and raspberries. Cover and let macerate for 3 days.
2. Mash the raspberries in the bowl, then strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. To every 1 cup of juice, add ½ pound of sugar (1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon). Combine the juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer (gently!) for 15 minutes. Let cool, then bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.
3. To serve, add 1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar to a tumbler filled with ice. Add water, sparkling water, rum, brandy or prosecco. Makes about 1 quart.

Recipe: 2010: Raspberry Vinegar Float
by Joanne Weir, the author of “Tequila”

• 1 ounce raspberry vinegar (from recipe above)
• 2 ounces pisco Italia
• 1/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
• Club soda
• Vanilla ice cream
• 1 sprig mint.
  

Place the first four ingredients in a shaker and stir well to mix. Add plenty of ice and shake well. Strain into a tall float glass. Top the drink with club soda to taste (¼ to ½ cup). Carefully place a scoop of ice cream into the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve with a tall bar spoon and a straw. Serves 1.

Recipe: Raspberry Vinegar Tart
By Allison Kave, the owner of First Prize Pies in Manhattan

For the crust:

• 25 chocolate wafer cookies
• 1 cup freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries (optional)
  
• 4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  

For the filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar (see 1900 recipe)
  

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar (see 1900 recipe)
• 1/2 tablespoon St-Germain elderflower liqueur.
  

1. Prepare the crust: In a food processor, grind the cookies until you have 1½ cups crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. If using the freeze-dried raspberries, process them in a food processor, spice grinder or mortar and pestle until they are reduced to powder. There will be seeds, so sift the powder through a fine-mesh sieve into the cookie crumbs, and stir lightly to combine. Butter a 9-inch tart pan, put the crumbs in the middle and slowly drizzle the melted butter into the crumbs. Mix until the crumbs resemble the texture of wet sand. (You may not need all the butter; you can discard the rest.) Firmly press the crumbs against the sides and bottom of the pan until about ¼ inch thick. Chill in the refrigerator, or even the freezer, for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crust until the base is dry, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Keep the oven on.
2. Make the filling: Whisk together the eggs and ¼ cup sugar. In a 1-quart saucepan, whisk together the flour and remaining ¾ cup sugar, then whisk in water, red-wine vinegar and raspberry vinegar. Bring to a boil, whisking until the sugar is dissolved, then add to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking vigorously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Pour the filling back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it coats back of spoon, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not boil. Pour a ½-inch-thick layer of filling into the chilled tart crust.
3. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven until the filling is set, about 15 minutes, then cool completely in the pan. Chill in the refrigerator.
4. Whisk the heavy cream with the raspberry vinegar and St-Germain until stiff peaks form. Spread over the surface of the tart, then drizzle with a bit more raspberry vinegar.

Serves 8. Cookie crust adapted from “Paris Sweets,” by Dorie Greenspan; custard filling adapted from Gourmet magazine.

Sorry I Can't Come to the Blog Right Now . . .

I have escaped wild, wacky Washington for a weekend respite at the beach. I had no desire to be in DC this weekend with the masses descending upon the city for a rally. So through the benevolence of a great friend we are staying in a very nice condo (where we have stayed before) in the ocean block and will recharge our batteries with some sun, sand and surf.

LBA will start Kindergarten on Tuesday - something I still can't quite wrap my head around yet, and SoBA will finish out his second week of "vacation" at my MIL's house. Here at the beach the wi-fi is spotty (I think we are glomming off some adjacent condo building - the Econo Lodge across the street reserves its signals for guests, the lousy warts) and it is not clear how much access we will have to the "tubes" this weekend. But in a way, that may be just as well, because that is also a break one needs now and again.

I am going to use the time away to work on my book, which I have been working on for several years, but sort of feel might be coming to a conclusion. I have a few gaps to fill yet, but with luck, I could start shopping it around in the next year or so. Want to publish it? Let me know.

I will actually do some reading this weekend, too. I am going to try and avoid the TV as much as possible. I watched a little Nationals baseball tonight, but that seems to have the same ending each evening, so there isn't much point in watching that, either.
Tomorrow is planned to be a full beach day - hopefully we will see how much salt water I can avoid swallowing in the surf. With Hurricane Danielle swirling far out in the Atlantic, there are forecasts of heavy surf and rip currents. My kind of beach time!

So while I frolic in the water with my family, here's a little graphic that has been sitting in my Google Reader, waiting for me to share it with you. Enjoy, and we'll talk next week!

What to Do with a Pork Tenderloin

I really want to grill it. But then again, what Scott did with his sounds really good, too.

Here's a grill recipe that I might give a try. If you have a particularly good one, let me know!

"7-6-5" Grilled Pork Tenderloin
This master grilling recipe works perfectly, no matter how you flavor the pork. Choose one of the glazes I suggest for a beautiful crust, or use your own favorite dry rub, as long as it’s low in salt. Be sure to buy pork tenderloins that haven’t been treated or soaked in any kind of solution by the producer. Serves four to five.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds total)
• 1 recipe concentrated fruit glaze
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 recipe Fruit Salsa, Orange Balsamic Sauce, or Mango Chutney Sauce for serving (optional)
  

Brine the tenderloins
In a medium bowl, mix salt and sugar with 1 quart cool water until dissolved. Trim the tenderloins of excess fat and silverskin and submerge them in the brine; let stand about 45 minutes. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.

Season and grill
Rub the brined tenderloins all over with the glaze and then season with the pepper. Or, season to taste with another flavoring of your choice.

Heat a gas grill, turning all the burners to high until the grill is fully heated, 10 to 15 minutes.

Put the pork on the hot grill grate. Close the lid and grill for 7 minutes. Turn the pork over, close the lid, and grill for another 6 minutes. Turn off the heat (keep the lid closed) and continue to cook the pork for another 5 minutes. At this point, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the thickest end of the tenderloin should read 145° to 150°F. (If not, close the lid and let the pork continue to roast in the residual grill heat.) Remove the pork from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before carving. Cut across the grain into 1/2-inch slices and serve immediately, with the sauce of your choice.

Man I'm Old

Every year since 1998 (itself a year when I was already out of college), Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin publishes the Beloit College Mindset List to put in perspective certain issues that have helped shaped the incoming freshmen, this year being members of the class of 2014.

Here, mostly without comment, is the full list for this year's class.

The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014

Most students entering college for the first time this fall—the Class of 2014—were born in 1992.

For these students, Benny Hill, Sam Kinison, Sam Walton, Bert Parks and Tony Perkins have always been dead.

1. Few in the class know how to write in cursive. (a very unfortunate art - lost)
   
2. Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail.
3. “Go West, Young College Grad” has always implied “and don’t stop until you get to Asia…and learn Chinese along the way.”
4. Al Gore has always been animated.
5. Los Angelenos have always been trying to get along.
6. Buffy has always been meeting her obligations to hunt down Lothos and the other blood-suckers at Hemery High.
7. “Caramel macchiato” and “venti half-caf vanilla latte” have always been street corner lingo.
8. With increasing numbers of ramps, Braille signs, and handicapped parking spaces, the world has always been trying harder to accommodate people with disabilities.
9. Had it remained operational, the villainous computer HAL could be their college classmate this fall, but they have a better chance of running into Miley Cyrus’s folks on Parents’ Weekend.
10. Entering college this fall in a country where a quarter of young people under 18 have at least one immigrant parent, they aren't afraid of immigration...unless it involves "real" aliens from another planet.
11. John McEnroe has never played professional tennis. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)
    
12. Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry. (Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?)
13. Parents and teachers feared that Beavis and Butt-head might be the voice of a lost generation.
14. Doctor Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.
15. Colorful lapel ribbons have always been worn to indicate support for a cause.
16. Korean cars have always been a staple on American highways.
17. Trading Chocolate the Moose for Patti the Platypus helped build their Beanie Baby collection.
18. Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
19. They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.
20. DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed.
21. Woody Allen, whose heart has wanted what it wanted, has always been with Soon-Yi Previn.
22. Cross-burning has always been deemed protected speech.
23. Leasing has always allowed the folks to upgrade their tastes in cars.
24. “Cop Killer” by rapper Ice-T has never been available on a recording.
25. Leno and Letterman have always been trading insults on opposing networks.
26. Unless they found one in their grandparents’ closet, they have never seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.
27. Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.
28. They’ve never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.
29. Reggie Jackson has always been enshrined in Cooperstown.
30. “Viewer Discretion” has always been an available warning on TV shows.
31. The first home computer they probably touched was an Apple II or Mac II; they are now in a museum.
32. Czechoslovakia has never existed.
33. Second-hand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.
34. “Assisted Living” has always been replacing nursing homes, while Hospice has always offered an alternative to the hospital.
35. Once they got through security, going to the airport has always resembled going to the mall.
36. Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones.
37. Whatever their parents may have thought about the year they were born, Queen Elizabeth declared it an “Annus Horribilis.”
38. Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. (and isn't that a shame)
39. Pizza jockeys from Domino’s have never killed themselves to get your pizza there in under 30 minutes.
40. There have always been HIV positive athletes in the Olympics.
41. American companies have always done business in Vietnam.
42. Potato has always ended in an “e” in New Jersey per vice presidential edict.
43. Russians and Americans have always been living together in space.
44. The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.
45. They have always had a chance to do community service with local and federal programs to earn money for college.
46. Nirvana is on the classic oldies station. (now that hurts)
47. Children have always been trying to divorce their parents.
48. Someone has always gotten married in space.
49. While they were babbling in strollers, there was already a female Poet Laureate of the United States.
50. Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.
51. Food has always been irradiated.
52. There have always been women priests in the Anglican Church.
53. J.R. Ewing has always been dead and gone. Hasn’t he?
54. The historic bridge at Mostar in Bosnia has always been a copy.
55. Rock bands have always played at presidential inaugural parties.
56. They may have assumed that parents’ complaints about Black Monday had to do with punk rockers from L.A., not Wall Street.
57. A purple dinosaur has always supplanted Barney Google and Barney Fife.
58. Beethoven has always been a good name for a dog.
59. By the time their folks might have noticed Coca Cola’s new Tab Clear, it was gone.
60. Walmart has never sold handguns over the counter in the lower 48.
61. Presidential appointees have always been required to be more precise about paying their nannies’ withholding tax, or else.
62. Having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine.
63. Their parents’ favorite TV sitcoms have always been showing up as movies.
64. The U.S, Canada, and Mexico have always agreed to trade freely.
65. They first met Michelangelo when he was just a computer virus.
66. Galileo is forgiven and welcome back into the Roman Catholic Church.
67. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has always sat on the Supreme Court. (and that's a good thing)
68. They have never worried about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.
69. It seems the Post Office has always been going broke.
70. The artist formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg has always been rapping.
71. The nation has never approved of the job Congress is doing.
72. One way or another, “It’s the economy, stupid” and always has been.
73. Silicone-gel breast implants have always been regulated.
74. They've always been able to blast off with the Sci-Fi (SYFY) Channel.
75. Honda has always been a major competitor on Memorial Day at Indianapolis.

Chicken Roulades

It's possible that C in DC may have to start with her own recipe blog - as she keeps "feeding" me recipes.

This one comes from Simply Recipes.

Chicken Bacon Roulades Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 10 bacon slices (about 1/2 pound)
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• Lemon pepper seasoning to taste (or ground black pepper with a little lemon zest)
• 6 Tbsp grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
  

Method

1. Working in batches, cook the bacon over medium heat in an ovenproof heavy skillet, until lightly brown but still flexible (not crisp). Place the bacon on paper towels to drain. Cook the shallots in the remaining bacon fat over low heat, stirring, until softened. Transfer shallots with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and leave any fat remaining in skillet. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. With smooth side of a meat pounder pound each breast to 1/8-inch thickness. Discard plastic from boned side of each breast. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper (or ground black pepper and a little lemon zest) and salt. Place 2 1/2 slices of bacon lengthwise (parallel with grain of flesh) along middle of each breast. Top with shallots and Parmesan. Using plastic wrap to help you, tightly roll up each breast lengthwise, tucking in the ends to enclose the filling. Secure seams with wooden toothpicks.
3. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to reserved fat in skillet and heat over medium high heat. Brown roulades on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the skillet to middle of oven and bake roulades until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. (Note: we found that our skillet didn't fit in our oven, so we transferred the roulades to a smaller pan.)
4. Transfer chicken to a plate with tongs and keep warm, covered with aluminum foil. Pour off fat from skillet. (Careful! The handle is hot, use an oven mitt.) Add wine to the skillet and deglaze over medium high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil wine until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add garlic and butter. Cook mixture over medium low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook roux, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth and cream and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer the sauce, whisking, 2 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Keep sauce warm. Remove the wooden toothpicks from roulades and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon some sauce in center of each of 4 plates and arrange roulade slices decoratively on sauce.
   

Serves 4.