On Public Speaking

Today I participated in a class offered through my employer on Successful Public Speaking.  I don't particularly have a problem speaking in public - in my various roles and hats that I wear - I tend to do a lot of public speaking.

It was an opportunity for me to hear about where "the knowledge bar" is these days and what the current "do's and don'ts" of public speaking are.  The instructor was outstanding (as she is in most things - although she is retiring in January and leaves some might big "ruby slippers" to fill).  I say ruby slippers - as she equated our experience today to going on a journey of unforeseen consequences, unforeseen circumstances, and unforeseen outcomes - much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  She also used some visuals, including Paul McCartney and George Harrison (she has a thing for the Beatles) and a clip from Home Improvement, specifically an episode where Jill has to give a speech.

For the class, we had to prepare (and then deliver) one-minute, two-minute, and three-minute speeches.  In the first speech, we had to "inform, motivate, or persuade" our audience about a particular topic.  The second (two-minute) speech asked us to use an illustration / visual aid to make our point.  The final speech was to use visual, vocal, and/or verbal techniques to convey our message.

I procrastinated on preparing for the speeches (much like Jill Taylor does in Home Improvement) - finally making some notes on the metro ride in this morning.  I chose the topic of professional organizations for my first speech (as most of you know, I am involved in several professional organizations, including currently serving as Chair of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference.  I spent my minute extolling the virtues of being professional active and finished under the time deadline by telling the audience to talk with me after if they were interested in being more involved.

For the second speech, I employed the visual aid of a thumb drive to illustrate what happens when you get records on a medium that is not supposed to be transferred to the archives.  Of course (for those of you monitoring - the thumb drive was my own, the other thumb drive is locked away at work).  I used the remainder of my time explaining the "problem" and the "solution" that I would employ to deal with the thumb drive transfer.

Finally after lunch (never a good time to give a speech - or listen to one, for that matter), I explained for the audience how one "Trick or Treats" with an 8-year old (LBA) and a 5-year old (SoBA).  I explained how the costume selection process went at the launchpad - LBA is planning on being Harry Potter for Halloween, while SoBA has flitted from costume to costume, before finally settling on (we think) Indiana Jones - we'll find out tomorrow what is the winner.  In order to keep the audience engaged (and use visuals), I went out at lunch time and bought a bag of Halloween candy to proffer to them, which I believe helped my case a great deal.

Happy Halloween to all of you out there!  "See you on the other side, Ray!"

Mac and Cheese Pie - With Bacon on Top

When the Brave Astronaut Clan has breakfast for dinner - the leftover bacon (more so the bacon that is reserved and not allowed to be eaten) is made into quiche for the next evening's dinner.  As has been previously noted here - one of SoBA's favorite dishes (and easy for the Brave Astronaut to produce quickly) is pasta and peas.  They are not huge fans of the prepared mac and cheese options - though they do like my MIL's mac and cheese.  While I was furloughed recently - I went back to my roots and made my mother's mac and cheese.  It was almost as good as she used to make.

I spotted this recipe some time ago and thought it might make an appearance and be very well received.

Bacon Mac ‘N’ Cheese Pie with Bacon Lattice
Inspired by Breakfast for Dessert and chef Matt Jennings’ Cheesemonger’s Mac and Cheese

INGREDIENTS
For the crust:

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour (from the freezer if possible) 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
• ¼ cup cold vegetable shortening 
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt 
• 1 Tbsp. scant apple cider vinegar + enough ice water to make ¾ cup liquid 

For mac ‘n’ cheese filling:

• 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups dried macaroni 
• 4 Tbsp. of butter (½ a stick) 
• 4 Tbsp. flour 
• 2.5 cups heavy cream 
• 2 tsp mustard powder 
• 1 egg yolk 
• 1 pound grated cheese — an equal parts mixture of gruyere, sharp cheddar, brie (no rind)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the bacon lattice:

• 8 slices bacon
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

PREPARATION 
For the crust:

1. Measure out all of your ingredients for the crust and make sure your butter and shortening are very cold. (It helps to put them in the freezer after they’re measured and cut into pieces. It also helps to keep the flour in the freezer.)
2. Put flour, butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse JUST until butter resembles tiny pebbles, about 12-15 times. (If you don’t have a food processor, stir the dry ingredients then cut the fats into the mixture with the tines of a fork until you have tiny pebbles and it’s pretty well incorporated.) Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add vinegar-ice water mixture, using a fork to stir until dough is a mixture of clumpy wet pieces and sandy pieces, adding more water if dry. Take care not to over-moisten your dough — you don’t have to use all ¾ cups liquid. Watch the dough and stop adding liquid once it begins to clump. It doesn’t need to be completely stuck together.
3. Turn dough out onto a clean counter and form into ball. Be careful not to over-handle it — it doesn’t need to be kneaded, just needs to come together. Once it’s in a ball, cut the ball in half then flatten the halves into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. (DO AHEAD: Can be made ahead. Keep dough refrigerated up to 2 days, or enclose in resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 1 month, then thaw in refrigerator overnight. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
4. Lightly grease a 9” pie plate with butter, shortening, or baking spray. 
5. Prepare a clean countertop as workspace to roll out the dough. Sprinkle some flour on a sheet of parchment, put one dough disc on it, sprinkle flour on the disc, then top with another sheet of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough between those two sheets of parchment paper in a circular shape until its diameter is 2”-3” larger than the pie plate all around. 
6. Remove the top sheet of parchment, then carefully pick up an edge of the round and wrap it around the rolling pin. As you continue to roll the pin, the dough will wrap completely around it so you can easily transfer it to the plate. Starting on one edge of the pie plate, unroll the dough, making sure it is centered. At this point it’s best to put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Press the dough into the plate. Leaving enough dough to crimp the edges, trim the overhang with a knife or scissors.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prick chilled crust in pie dish all over with a fork. Line crust with foil or parchment paper, then fill the liner with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven; lift out foil and weights. Reduce temperature to 350°. Return to oven and bake, using fork to prick any bubbles that have formed and pressing down on them with back of fork, until crust is JUST light golden-brown, about 2 minutes longer. (It will bake again later so it shouldn’t be too dark yet.) Let crust cool completely.

For mac ‘n’ cheese filling:

1. Boil pasta in generously salted water until just al dente, following directions on package. 
2. Cook bacon pieces in sauté pan until just crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside. 
3. In a large pot, melt the butter. Then stir in the flour. Whisk to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes. Now you’ve got what is called a “roux” — equal parts butter and flour cooked together. Add the cream and whisk again, let cook, whisking occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until it thickens. Now you’ve got bechamel sauce.
4. Add mustard powder and whisk to combine.
5. Temper egg yolk into the bechamel: To do this, take a little of your hot bechamel and put it into a bowl with the egg yolk. Whisk so that the egg heats up gently. Then dump the warm egg/bechamel mixture into the hot pot of bechamel, and whisk.
6. Add all the cheese and stir to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
7. Add macaroni and cooked bacon pieces to cheese sauce, then add more freshly ground pepper to taste.

To assemble:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Fill the baked pie crust with the mac ‘n’ cheese. You’ll use all but 1 or 2 cups.
3. Weave a lattice with 8 bacon slices (4 in one direction and 4 in the other direction — keep them long as long as possible because they will shrink when they cook).
4. Using your fingers, spread brown sugar on the strips of bacon, then put in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes or until the bacon is cooked. Serve warm.

All About the Sprout

I like vegetables - almost all vegetables.  I am fond of the Brussel Sprout.  My sister, who knows of my inclination to the sprout, sent me a link to "9 Brussel Sprout Recipes to Make Anyone a Believer."  Here's my favorite.  Hey Mrs. BA - it's after Columbus Day - we can talk about Thanksgiving now, right?

Crispy Brussel Sprouts with a Garlic Aioli 
from Costa Kitchen

Brussel sprouts have a really delicious flavor and are almost like a more flavorful mini cabbage. This recipe can be served as an appetizer (think updated artichoke) OR as a vegetable side. You can omit the aioli if serving as a vegetable side or you can offer it separate and your guests can spoon it over the top. I made this with pork chops the other night and my husband freaked out it was so good. He’s so sweet. :) 

Also, you might be wondering why I’m using canola oil instead of olive oil. The reason is because brussel sprouts have such a unique and bold flavor and I didn’t want it to compete with the olive oil. Canola oil also seems to crisp things up a little better too. I hope you enjoy! 

For Brussel Sprouts:

• 20 Brussel Sprouts cut into wedges 
• Canola Oil 
• Salt & Pepper 

For Aioli:

• 6 tbs mayonnaise 
• 1/4 tsp garlic minced fine 
• 1 tsp lemon juice 
• 1 tbs flat leaf parsley chopped fine

For Brussel Sprouts:
Place brussel sprouts on a baking sheet and drizzle with canola oil. Crack some fresh salt & pepper to taste. Mix around brussel sprouts on pan to ensure they all get nicely coated in the oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown on at least one side.

For Aioli:
Mix together mayonnaise, garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Serve in a ramekin.

Place ramekin of aioli on a plate and surround with brussel sprouts. If serving as an appetizer, put some toothpicks on the side for your guests. Enjoy!

Notes on a Shutdown

As most of you know, I work for the federal government.  At least I do again - today I was allowed to go back to work after I was furloughed on October 1, because the government could not appropriate funds to keep the government running.  So for 16 days, 12 work days, I sat at home.

It would be nice to say that I did something fun - I have a few friends who managed to get away for some vacation - but that wasn't an option for the Brave Astronaut Clan - LBA and SoBA had school and Mrs. BA is not a federal employee, she's paid out of a Trust Fund revenue stream - so she went to work, every day.

So what did I do with my time?  My days started with taking LBA and SoBA to school and then bringing Mrs. BA to the metro so she could go off to work.  That put me back at the launchpad by 8:15am.  Gone are the days when I would stay home from school sick and I would set myself up in front of the TV with a diet of game shows in the morning and then maybe Barnaby Jones or Jim Rockford to keep me company in the afternoon. Luckily, The West Wing is available on Netflix Streaming, so I watch several of those episodes, naturally starting with "Shutdown."

As we were looking at reduced income while furloughed, we decided to pull LBA and SoBA out of aftercare at school - so I picked them up at the end of their school day.  Then school was in session at the launchpad - and the former teacher in me supervised homework for the third grader and kindergartener.  I had planned to volunteer some time at their school - but that didn't happen.

I did some records management for the church men's club for which I serve as Secretary and for the pool.  I learned a lot about the pool going through the records - it was rather interesting.  I had planned to work on the Brave Astronaut's archives, too, but I didn't get there.

I went to the grocery store more than I normally do - which is usually on Sundays.  As a result, I cooked more - making dinner almost every night - no eating out during a furlough situation.  I went back to my youth, making meatloaf, my mother's mac and cheese, roasting a chicken, making the big meals that I can't usually do when arriving home at 6:00pm.  I also ran some errands here and there - one of the first days, I was in Home Depot at 8:30 and had my pick of employees to help me, which never happens on the weekends.  When I moved on the grocery store, I think there were more employees than customers in the store.

During this week, as the shutdown stretched on, I decided to do some serious cleaning of the house.  I intended to work on one room each day, but wanted to focus on places that were hiding things, like my desk and then Mrs. BA and my closet.  That's as far as I got with that - when the shutdown ended.

We did also do some entertaining - holding a "Furlough Friday" Pizza/Movie on the first Friday then a "Furlough Monday on the Columbus Day Holiday this past Monday.  We invited several of our friends who were also furloughed and had a good time as usual.  I went out to lunch with a few friends who were also furloughed - we decided we needed the intellectual stimulation and collegial conversation.  And of course, there was drinking, I'm waiting to hear of some poor government worker who tries to sue the government for their alcoholic problem they didn't have before this started.

Looking back, I would have taken more naps (I overheard a colleague say to our supervisor today that he had been taking a nap at 1:00 and hoped that would be OK), I would have gone to the movies or played some golf.  I didn't accomplish a great deal with my time off - I often found myself thinking, "well I can't do that - I'm going back to work soon."  It was a very strange two weeks, I may have also been a little depressed - my sister called me every day to check on me - and I thank her for looking out for me.  It was a very strange feeling - it wasn't like I had lost my job - I knew where it was, I just wasn't allowed to do it or go to it.

I also want to thank my father, who sent me a little something to help us bridge the gap in income.  It was much appreciated and helped immensely and offered peace of mind to both Mrs. BA and me.

So we're back to work.  At least until this funding deal expires . . . in January.

Garlic Shrimp

Today's blog post appears on the day that the government shutdown enters its third week.  I am still on furlough.  Up this week - house cleaning.

___________________________________
Evidently Mrs. BA has a thing for Fried Shrimp, which I learned about her over the summer.  Perhaps this dish would mollify her displeasure with the fall weather.

Easy & Healthy Shrimp
(no butter - uses chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice)

Ingredients

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds med raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on) 
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 cup + 1 T minced parsley 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 
• 4 lemon wedges 

Preparation
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shrimp until just pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon transfer the shrimp to a platter and keep them warm.

In the skillet, combine the broth, wine, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the parsley, the salt and pepper; and bring it to a boil. Boil uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by half.

Spoon the sauce over the shrimp. Serve garnished with the lemon wedges and sprinkled with the remaining tablespoon of parsley. Enjoy!

Back to the Electronic Records!

Tomorrow would have been the day that I was scheduled to return to my desk in Electronic Records at my place of employment.  However - for the past week, since October 1 - I have been furloughed from my job due to a lack of appropriations - the budget.

Washington has been a ghost down since the shutdown began.  You have all surely read of the trials and tribulations going on here in the nation's capital.  I am going to keep my tongue and not let fly with the expletives and other salty commentary.

Suffice to say, I would prefer to be back at work.  I have been keeping myself busy at home, doing some records management, house cleaning, and taking care of LBA and SoBA - who have been taken out of aftercare for the duration of the shutdown.

There is no sign of any progress of resolving this in the near future - so for now, we will sit and wait.

As far as the electronic records waiting for me back at work - they have been worked on in my institution for about forty years and thirty years ago, computers began to appear in most places of business, including the New York Times.  From scribd via kottke.

Employees of the Old Gray Lady were instructed to make sure that "nothing should be in the computer that isn't totally relevant to the production of The Times."  If individuals want to send "indiscreet or potentially embarrassing messages," they should continue to use The Times' typewriters.

The World's Best Lasagne?

According to AllRecipes.com, this is the World's Best Lasagne.  And the person who posted the recipe is not Italian.  And lives in Texas.  A few weeks ago, the Washington Post profiled the "chef" and slightly tweaked the recipe.  I like lasagne - it's a lot of work - but it's so tasty.  I also posted a lasagne recipe here back in 2008 - by local Cheverly Chef Scott.

World's Best Lasagna (Tweaked)
The Washington Post, September 11, 2013

Summary: According to AllRecipes.com, this is the Web site's most popular recipe and possibly the most viewed among English-language sites. We tested it with a few tweaks to reduce the sodium, as recommended by many comments attached to the original recipe.

MAKE AHEAD: You'll have leftover sauce, which can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. The unbaked lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, or it can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before baking.

12 servings 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 12 ounces lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced white or yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped or minced
• 28 ounces canned, no-salt-added crushed tomatoes and their juices
• 12 ounces canned, no-salt-added plain tomato paste
• 13 ounces canned, no-salt-added plain tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the cooking water
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 12 pieces dried lasagna pasta (each 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide and about 13 inches long)
• 1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 12 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for optional garnish 

Directions:
Heat the sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, using a spatula to break up any large clumps, until the meat is browned with no trace of pink. If desired, drain and discard the fat. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic, stirring to combine; cook until the beef is thoroughly browned and the onion has softened, breaking up any clumps as needed.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water, then add the sugar, basil, fennel seed, Italian seasoning blend, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, the pepper and half of the parsley, stirring to incorporate. Cover and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. The yield is about 6 1/2 cups.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt and then the lasagna. Cook not quite as long as the package directions indicate, so the noodles are al dente. Drain and rinse under cool water; separate them and lay them on a clean surface.

Combine the ricotta, egg, the remaining parsley and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl until well incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Have a 9-by-13-inch baking dish at hand.

Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom of the baking dish, then arrange half of the cooked lasagna noodles lengthwise so they completely cover the sauce, overlapping them a bit. Use an offset spatula to spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then use half of the mozzarella slices to completely cover the ricotta layer. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the mozzarella, then scatter half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly over the sauce.

Next, repeat the layers using the remaining lasagna noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture and the remaining mozzarella slices. Top with 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, spreading it to cover the mozzarella, then scatter the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over the sauce.

Use cooking oil spray to coat the underside of a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the lasagna; seal the foil tightly around the edges of the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 25 minutes so the lasagna’s top layer of cheese is nicely browned on top.

Cool for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe by AllRecipes.com member John Chandler of Dallas and from its accompanying AllRecipes.com video.

530 calories, 15g fat, 8g saturated fat, 100mg cholesterol, 760mg sodium, 63g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 9g sugar, 33g protein.

Brownie Pie? Yes, Please!

Evidently there is a new craze sweeping the country, and it's called the hybrid dessert.  Sign me up.

From BuzzFeed's 30 Delicious Things to Cook in September, recipe from Bakers Royale.

Brownie Pies

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Butter Pastry (recipe follows)
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 1/4 cup of sugar 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup pecans or walnuts (optional) 

•  Butter Pastry: 
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 

Directions / Preparation
Line bake sheet with parchment paper. Heat oven to 400/350 degrees F. 

1. Prepare butter pastry. Let pastry stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until pliable. Position Rack to in lower third oven. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Lightly flour surface and roll pastry out to an 1/8 inch thick. Fold pastry in half and transfer to a parchment lined bake sheet. Unfold pastry. Loosely fold and roll edges to form a rimmed crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes or light golden (crust will be a little raw inside). 
3. Meanwhile place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50 percent power (medium) about 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring frequently and until melted; set aside. 
4. Place egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in mixer bowl and beat on medium to high speed until soft peaks from. Gradually add sugar and and salt and beat until egg whites are stiff and glossy. Add chocolate and nuts(if using) into beaten egg whites; fold until just combined. 
5. Remove pastry from oven. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Spread chocolate filling over partially baked pastry. Bake about 10 minutes more until surface looks dry and slightly cracked (filling will be fudge inside). Remove from oven and place bake sheet on a cooling rack for at least 45 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner and shaved chocolate. 

To make butter pastry: Place all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl stir to combine. Add in butter, using a pastry blender cut butter to pea size pellets and blend into the flour mixture. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water over flour mixture; toss gently with a fork just until moist enough to hold together (if needed add an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons of cold water). Gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

via Better Homes and Garden special magazine issue: Chocolate ~ rich, dark, & decadent

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho - It's Off From Work I Am

Today is a day off of work for me.  Some time ago - I came across this list of "the 20 Greatest Songs About Work."  Discuss.

1. Tennessee Ernie Ford - "Sixteen Tons"
2. Sam Cooke - "Chain Gang"
3. Bob Dylan - "Maggie's Farm"
4. Lee Dorsey - "Working in the Coal Mine"
5. Glen Campbell - "Wichita Lineman"
6. Loretta Lynn - "One's on the Way"
7. Rush - "Working Man"
8. Randy Newman - "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)"
9. Johnny Paycheck - "Take This Job and Shove It"
10. The Clash - "Career Opportunities"
11. John Prine - "Fish and Whistle"
12. Dolly Parton - "9 to 5"
13. Bruce Springsteen - "Atlantic City"
14. Utah Phillips - "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum"
15. Dire Straits - "Money for Nothing"
16. The Bangles - "Manic Monday"
17. Uncle Tupelo - "Grindstone"
18. Steve Earle - "Telephone Road"
19. Robbie Fulks - "Let's Kill Saturday Night"
20. Belle and Sebastian - "White Collar Boy"

I may have to make some additions to the iPod for the work shuffle mix.

When I used to work in retail - I often had to work on Friday evenings and would find myself driving to the store at 5:00, when a local radio station would have it's "5:00 Whistle" to signal the start of the weekend.  The program would always include a little Loverboy, which should be on this list, too.

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

It's possible I've come to understand why I feel a connection to the Smitten Kitchen.  She understands (and embraces) the beauty of the Carvel Ice Cream Cake.  However, it doesn't stop her from this great recipe.  Hey, Mrs. BA how about this for a birthday cake this year?

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
Here’s the recipe for sane people:

• 2 pints or 1 quart chocolate ice cream
• 2 pints or 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• about 14 ounces chocolate cookies, ground (such as Oreos or wafers) or 2 3/4 cups ground cookies
• bottled hot fudge sauce
• canned whipped cream
• jarred maraschino cherries

Below are the instructions to make each or any of these elements on your own. Then, choose your own adventure. What matters is that all roads lead to The Summer Cake To End All Summer Cakes, an air-conditioning unit of a celebration cake to soothe you until the heat wave passes. 

From SK: My only regrets in making this cake were to not have a cookie crumb base (it will be easier to remove slices from the cake pan), so I’ve included one here. I will definitely use it next time. I also wanted much more of the cookie crumb filling than I used (3/4 cup) and have increased it here. Finally, I was in a bit of a rush, but I encourage you to pre-fudge the hot fudge cake, i.e. put a little of the hot fudge on to cover the top, put it back in the freezer for 30 minutes, then — right as you’re about to serve it — put some warmer fudge over the top and sides. It will soften the frozen fudge but protect your top ice cream layer from wanting to melt off, as mine did. We found it charming, but you may not.

Sources: Chocolate and vanilla ice creams were fiddled with (just to reduce redundant steps when making them at the same time) from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, which should come with every ice cream maker, because it’s amazing. The cookie crumbs are adapted from Wayne Brachman’s Retro Desserts; they’ve previously appeared on this site as Homemade Oreos but I’ve further simplified the recipe here. The hot fudge sauce, previously on this site with a peppermint riff, is adapted from the late print Gourmet magazine. The whipped cream was from scratch but I seriously urge you to consider using a can because the whole whipping cream + piping bag + star tip, all for 12 measly dollops, is a bit of a stretch in the effort vs. reward spectrum, even by my maddened standards.

Serves: 12 to 16

Part 1: Make Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams
Yield: 1 quart of each, instructions merged to cut down on repeated processes

• 4 cups heavy cream, divided 
• 1 split vanilla bean (for vanilla batch) 
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (for chocolate batch) 
• 2 cups whole milk 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• Pinch of salt
• 10 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 

Part 2: Make Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
Yield: About 48 2 1/2-inch cookies, weighing about 96 ounces, which will be about double what you need. However, they are so delicious and keep well, it seems worth it to make a full batch. Scooped balls of dough can be frozen to bake off later. Extra cookies can be ground into crumbs for future cakes/cheesecake crusts/dessert toppings, or kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Chocolate Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks), cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks 
• 1 large egg

For Crumb Crust

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

Part 3: Make Hot Fudge Sauce
Yield: 2 cups, likely double what you need, but nobody worth knowing would turn down extra hot fudge sauce.

• 2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream 
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup or golden syrup (honey should work as well, but I didn’t test it this time) 
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ideally Dutch-processed 
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or level 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or, about 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips), divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Part 4: Finish the Cake!

• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Maraschino cherries
• Colored sprinkles 

Part 1 Instructions
Prepare chocolate cream: Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream.

Prepare vanilla cream: Heat 1 cup cream to a simmer. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the cream. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour. After one hour, remove bean pod and stir in remaining 1 cup cream.

Make custard for both ice creams: Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan, then transfer to a spouted liquid measuring cup. Whisk together egg yolks, medium bowl. Slowly pour in warm milk/sugar/salt mixture, whisking constantly. Then mix yolk/milk mixture back into saucepan. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and …

For chocolate: Stir half of custard into chocolate cream until smooth, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

For vanilla: Stir the other half of the custard into vanilla cream, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Chill both mixtures in fridge overnight: You want them fully chilled before they go in an ice cream machine. You can hasten this along by stirring them over an ice bath but it should feel like ice water in coldness to the touch before you put it in your ice cream machine. Meanwhile, make or prepare you chocolate cookie crumbs. You will want them ready to form a cake base before you churn your ice cream.

Part 2 Instructions
Make cookies: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter chunks and blend until the mixture is powdery. Add egg and run machine until dough starts to clump and ball, about 30 seconds. Scoop cookies out onto baking sheets, giving them space as they will spread a lot (not that merged cookies will matter once you grind them up). Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Cookies will absolutely look underbaked, but don’t fret. Transfer baking sheets onto cooling racks and within two minutes, they will be firm enough to transfer to cooling racks. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Grind about half of your cookies in a food processor or blender until they’re just crumbs. You will want a total of 2 3/4 cups of them.

Make chocolate cookie crust: Mix 1 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (from about 6 ounces whole cookies, or about 12 of the homemade cookies) and melted butter together in a bowl and press evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4 to 3-inch sides. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Churn chocolate ice cream, i.e. first cake layer: According to manufacturers directions. In most cases, ice cream is churned for 30 minutes then transferred to a container to finish in freezer. Instead, once it has been churned to the point of soft-serve ice cream, spread it over the chocolate crumb crust in the freezer. Spread as evenly as possible, but don’t overly fret about a smooth top. This can be “perfected” after the ice cream has hardened.

Chill chocolate ice cream layer: In freezer for 1 to 2 hours, until firm. Once firm, you can use an offset spatula to make it as smooth and even as possible.

Add cookie crumb filling: Wipe off any ice cream smudges that have climbed the springform's walls; this will keep the vanilla layer looking “clean.” Spread 1 1/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (from a little shy of 6 ounces whole cookies, or 11 to 12 of homemade cookies) evenly over the firm chocolate ice cream layer. You can press these in a bit with a round of parchment or waxed paper, so they merge a little bit with the ice cream below.

Churn vanilla ice cream, i.e. second cake layer: According to manufacturers directions. Again, once it has been churned to the point of soft-serve ice cream, spread it over the chocolate crumb filling in the freezer. Try to spread it in as few motions as possible, pressing the ice cream to the edges with an offset spatula rather than pulling it back (i.e. and dragging the chocolate cookie crumbs from below into the pale ice cream). Again, don’t overly fret about a smooth top. This can be “perfected” after the ice cream has hardened/set in place.

Chill vanilla ice cream layer: In freezer for 1 to 2 hours, until firm. Once firm, you can use an offset spatula to make it as smooth and even as possible. Meanwhile, this is a great time to make the hot fudge sauce. If you’re taking a longer pause (i.e., you’ll do Part 3 tomorrow), press a circle of waxed or parchment paper against the vanilla ice cream overnight, so it doesn’t dry out or grow icy fuzz.

Part 3 Instructions
Make hot fudge sauce: Make hot fudge: In a 1 1/2 to 2-quart heavy saucepan, bring cream, syrup, sugar, cocoa, salt (if you’d like the salt to remain slightly textured, add it with the butter and extract at the end) and half the chocolate to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate, butter and extract and stir until smooth. Cool the sauce to lukewarm before serving it so that it can thicken up.

Part 4 Instructions
“Pre-fudge” the cake: Once vanilla ice cream layer has firmed up in the freezer, with the springform sides still one, pour a puddle of lukewarm hot fudge sauce over the top and return the cake to the freezer for 30 minutes. This will help keep the final application of hot fudge from melting the top off the cake.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: Beat cream and sugar in a bowl with electric mixer until it forms soft-to-firm peaks. Scoop into piping bag with star tip. Keep in fridge until needed.

Finish and serving the cake: Once the hot fudge has firmed up, remove the cake from the freezer. Carefully cut around the pan to loosen the cake from the springform sides before removing them. Transfer cake to serving platter. Pour more lukewarm (can be briefly rewarmed — but not too hot — in a microwave or on the stove if it has gotten too firm) around edges of cake, letting it dribble down a little.

Quickly decorate cake: Form 12 or so dollops of whipped cream around crown of cake. Top each with a cherry. Scatter quickly with sprinkles.

Serve! With extra hot fudge sauce. Keep leftovers, should any cake survive, in the freezer in an airtight container.

The Music of Our Lives

Music, of course, plays a significant role for everyone.  Much of the music we listen to and remember comes to us from a movie.  When I used to buy albums (yes, I'm that old), cassettes (yes, them, too) and finally CDs - I would often purchase movie soundtracks.  Even LBA and SoBA persuaded me to purchase the Cars soundtrack for my iPod.

Here's a list from BuzzFeed on "30 Great Music Moments in Movies."  I've added links to videos where I could find them and included a note where the music has touched me in some way.  Enjoy.

Governor Gertrude Lang: Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his. And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both. But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure. But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.

1. “Moon River” by Henry Mancini as featured in Breakfast At Tiffany’s - Andy Williams will forever remind me of my mother - there were many Andy Williams records in our house growing up.
2. “Trouble” by Cat Stevens as featured in Harold And Maude - I've actually never seen this movie and am not familiar with the tune.
3. “You Should Be Dancing” by Bee Gees as featured in Saturday Night Fever - I own this soundtrack, I may like the Bee Gees more than I should.
4. “Old Time Rock N’ Roll” by Bob Seger as featured in Risky Business - because, sometimes you have to say, well, you know.
5. “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry as featured in Back To The Future - "Chuck?  Chuck!  It's your cousin, Marvin.  Marvin Berry!  You know that new sound you're looking for?"
6. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds as featured in The Breakfast Club - A great song, but this song is the extent of my Simple Minds exposure - movie songs can do that.
7. “Twist And Shout” by The Beatles as featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - "This is for Cameron, who doesn't think he saw anything fun today."
8. “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” by Harry Belafonte as featured in Beetlejuice - I actually prefer the Belafonte number from the end of the movie. Harry is well represented on my iPod.
9. “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel as featured in Say Anything… - "I told her I loved her and she gave me a pen." For musical declarations of love at the end of movies, this one ranks higher than Richard Gere's in Pretty Woman.
10. “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith as featured in Dazed And Confused - another movie that I have not seen, but the song is one of Mrs. BA's favorites.
11. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen as featured in Wayne’s World - Just the other day, LBA, SoBA, and I were recreating this scene in the car.
12. “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry as featured in Pulp Fiction - wow, two for Chuck on the same list. Not a fan of this movie however.
13. “California Dreaming” by The Mamas And The Papas as featured in Chungking Express - for this genre of music - I think Good Morning Vietnam (a movie I was watching again just the other day) does a better job and am surprised there are no songs from that movie on that list.
14. “Rollin’ With My Homies” by Coolio as featured in Clueless - not a big fan of this movie or of this genre of music.
15. “I Say A Little Prayer” by Diana King as featured in My Best Friend’s Wedding - the sing along scene in the movie is great fun. Also a soundtrack that I own.
16. “Where Is My Mind” by The Pixies as featured in Fight Club - If you can't talk about Fight Club, can you talk about the music in Fight Club?
17. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons as featured in 10 Things I Hate About You - a movie I've not seen, but the song is familiar to me (I have older siblings)
18. “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John as featured in Almost Famous - another soundtrack in the Brave Astronaut collection, the scene on the plane is awesome.
19. “Cosmic Dancer” by T. Rex as featured in Billy Elliot - another movie I missed and the song is not in my repertoire.
20. “These Days” by Nico as featured in The Royal Tenenbaums - didn't see this one, either - and also begins to prove the point - miss the movie, you don't immediately know the song..
21. “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus And Mary Chain as featured in Lost In Translation - three in a row.
22. “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Nancy Sinatra as featured in Kill Bill Vol. 1 - four, I think it's a Tarantino thing - but evidently he knows how to pick music.
23. “New Slang” by The Shins as featured in Garden State - I've not seen this movie, but I own the soundtrack.
24. “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” by Beck as featured in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - also missed this and I'm not a fan of Beck, either.
25. “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco as featured in Adventureland - the closest I got to this movie was going to the actual Adventureland on Long Island.
26. “Wait” by Alexi Murdoch as featured in Away We Go - and another.
27. “California Dreamin” by Bobby Womack as featured in Fish Tank - two versions of California Dreamin'? really?
28. “There Goes The Fear” by Doves as featured in (500) Days of Summer - wait, this one I saw.
29. “Le Temps De L’Amour” by Francoise Hardy as featured in Moonrise Kingdom
30. “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners as featured in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - I know this song, but not the movie.

Movies I think are missing from the list (in no particular order) - see if you can figure out what song I think is missing.:

• The above quoted, Mr. Holland's Opus
• The above cited, Good Morning Vietnam
• Sister Act
• The Big Chill
• Armageddon
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Some of the Bond films, but definitely not all of them.
• The Graduate
• Holiday Inn

Everything's Better With Potato Chips

Potato chips are a staple at the launchpad.  They appear in lunches, when we have sausage sandwiches at dinner, and are a must with most sandwiches (though LBA and SoBA usually get tortilla chips or pretzels - I'm trying to keep from infecting them with Mrs. BA and my addiction).

Then I saw this post - it's possible that I may have had to take a knee and wept with joy [from BuzzFeed]. I struggled with which recipe to post they all looked so good.  I will point out that I am always on the lookout for good onion rings (they need to be thin sliced and lightly battered) and the one listed in the post might be a winner.  I went with this one because it might make a good entry into a future bakeoff.

Chocolate-dipped Potato Chip Cookies
Yield: About 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour 
• 1/2 cup reduced fat potato chips, crushed fine (put them in a zippered plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin to crush them 
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped very fine 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (yes, really! Don't leave it out.) 
• 8 tablespoons butter, cut into 
• 8 pieces and slightly softened 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar 
• 1 large egg yolk 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 10 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine potato chips, flour, pecans and salt in a bowl. 
3. Beat butter and both sugars in a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Slowly add flour mixture until completely combined.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Flatten dough balls with your fingers until they are 1/4 inch thick. 
6. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate cookie sheet and bake for another 5 minutes, watching the cookies during the second 5 minutes to make sure they don't get too brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then cool completely on a rack.
7. Melt the chocolate slowly in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie almost halfway in chocolate, place on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.

12 Years Later - Never Forget

This past year, traveling home from a conference in Erie, PA, I had the opportunity to stop in Shanksville, PA and visited the Flight 93 Memorial.  It was a very moving experience and I'm glad I stopped.  Every year since I started this blog - I have posted something today, here's the list of the previous posts:

1. 2012
2. 2011
3. 2010
4. 2009
5. 2008
6. 2007
7. 2006

On this day, as I always say, stop - take a moment - remember.  Remember the ones we lost, remember the ones who helped and gave all.

Butterscotch Popsicles

As some of you may recall, Mrs. BA has made Butterscotch Pudding for our neighbor on a few occasions.  Maybe she can try these.  From smitten kitchen.

Butterscotch Pudding Popsicles
No popsicle molds? You could any kind of tiny cup to mold them instead, but my favorite is a champagne flute for shape; you could even use those disposable plastic ones. When the mixture is halfway frozen, insert a popsicle stick and now no retro popsicle mold needs to come between you and Popsicle Week.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or to taste (use less of a fine sea salt) 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk 

Preparation
Combine the cream, brown sugar and butter in the bottom of a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally in the beginning and more frequently as it reduces and thickens. You’ll know it’s done when it becomes a bit darker, more syrupy, and smells toasty.

Add cornstarch and slowly whisk in milk. Raise heat to medium. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, until it thickens slightly, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and sea salt. Taste mixture and adjust salt, if needed.

Cool mixture to lukewarm before pouring into popsicle molds. You can hasten this along by setting the pot or bowl with the butterscotch pudding batter in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water, and stirring it for a few minutes.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze as manufacturer directs. If using makeshift molds, let popsicles freeze about halfway (30 to 60 minutes, depending on size) before inserting popsicle sticks, then freeze the rest of the way.

More Back to School Memories

Today is the day that I will always associate with going back to school.  In New York, you always started the Wednesday after Labor Day.  In my school district, there was a high Jewish population so you almost always had time off very soon for Rosh Hashanah and then Yom Kippur in October.

Here's a list of "Things You Learned in School That Are Now Completely Useless" [from BuzzFeed]

1. How to write in cursive - it disappoints me that this is not taught anymore.
2. How to drop an egg from a five-story building without breaking it - I must have been absent this day.
3. How to climb a rope - I really wanted to be absent on this day.
4. How to play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder - would that I still had mine, I might be able to do this.
5. How to make the most badass erupting volcano - I was not a big science guy
6. How to find a book using the card catalog system - I worked in a library for a while and became quite familiar with Melvil and his card filing system.  To this day, the scene from the Breakfast Club where Judd Nelson rearranges the cards in the drawers gives me the heebee jeebees.
7. How to use long division - remember to show your work!
8. Memorizing the periodic table of elements - yeah, not so much.  But I did what I had to, to avoid the wrath of Mrs. Feit.
9. How to forge a river on the Oregon Trail - and with its resurgence, so can LBA and SoBA!
10. Memorizing the preamble to the U.S. Constitution - duh, Schoolhouse Rock!
11. How to spell boobs on a calculator - no, I never did this.
12. How to do the limbo - that was in "elective gym."
13. Reciting the state capitals - my mother used to be able to do this.  I could probably do 40 of them.
14. How to make a potato battery - again, more science, not so much.
15. Learning to sing in a round - Row Row Row Your Boat, anyone?
16. How to make a Cat's Cradle 
17. How to make paper snowflakes
18. How to make a cootie catcher - I had no idea that's what they were called.
19. How to play foursquare - and it does not involve "checking in."
20. How to do the Macarena - luckily, I just missed this.
21. How to keep a Tamagotchi alive - also I'm older than these.
22. How to make papier mache anything
23. How to make a shoebox diorama - I loved making these
24. How to care for a fake infant egg - why?
25. How to grow a plant in a wet paper towel
26. How to line up by height
27. How to color in the lines
28. Latin - semper ubi, sub ubi.
29. Memorizing all of the presidents in order - Bruce Farbstein used to be able to do this forward and backwards in under a minute.  I can do it, but I usually screw up the order pre- and post-Lincoln.
30. How to navigate the Encyclopedia Britannica - what's an encyclopedia?
31. How to find arrowheads
32. How to dissect a frog - again, the wrath of Mrs. Feit came down on me when I nearly passed out.
33. How to say 'no' to drugs
34. How to put a condom on a phallic fruit
35. How to differentiate between different types of dinosaurs
36. How to cite a source using MLA 
37. How to build a styrofoam solar system - hey, and mine included Pluto, it'll always be a planet to me!
38. How to extract liquid from a pouch - that's not a euphemism for anything.
39. How to use WordArt for fancy fonts - similarly there was using BASIC to create banners with your name or writing loop "go to" programs.
40. How to write poetry
41. How to make an acrostic
42. How to write a book report - or the dreaded "five paragraph essay"
43. How to jump out of the back of a bus - that was always a fun way to start one's day.
44. How to decorate for a dance
45. How to sell worthless coupon books
46. How to scratch and sniff
47. How to care for your Pokemon cards - LBA has some of those around somewhere - wait are they worth money?
48. How to make a tornado in a soda bottle - before Mentos and Diet Coke that is.
49. How to spell - so you mean that red line doesn't automatically appear when you misspell a word when writing longhand?  What's up with that?

Labor Day - Grill at least one Extra Steak

I think it's a law - that you should grill on this unofficial last day of summer.  Of course, LBA and SoBA have been back in school for a week but had the day off today for Labor Day.  We savored the dwindling days of the pool and enjoy some grilled meat for our dinner courtesy of the Domestic Goddess.  A fine feast was had by all

Of course, Mrs. BA's favorite summer dinner is flank steak and baked potatoes.  So, next time we have steak, if there are any leftovers, we might try this.

Steak & Potato Barbecued Grilled Cheese
from BSintheKitchen via BuzzFeed

Ingredients

• Top Sirloin Steak 
• Provolone Cheese 
• 1 Potato 
• 1 Green Onion Stalk 
• Butter 
• Garlic Salt 
• Salt & Pepper 
• Olive Oil 
• Yellow Onion 
• French Bread 

Preparation
Start off by taking your steak out of the fridge (if it’s in there), patting it dry with a paper towel, brushing with olive oil and salt and peppering to taste. Allow it to warm to room temperature for 30-45 minutes. While you are waiting for your steak to warm, start getting your other ingredients together. Evenly slice your potato (I used a White Potato), toss them in some olive oil, with a little bit of garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Cut a slice of onion and start caramelizing it in a pan on medium-low heat with some butter. Next, slice the provolone (I used three fairly large slices), bread and chives.

Once your steak is about at room temperature, start your barbecue and let it heat on high for a few minutes. Once it’s heated up, reduce it to medium-high heat, place your potato slices directly on the grill along with your steak. Cook the steak for about 3-4 minutes per side, you want it rare to medium-rare, as it will cook further once you grill your sandwich. Once the steak it done, put it on a plate and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain of the meat (this maximizes tenderness!). While your steak is resting, watch your onions and potatoes. The potatoes should take around 20 minutes to cook, so flip them after about ten minutes, or once they start browning.

When everything is finished cooking, butter each side of your bread, sprinkle some garlic salt on the inside of both slices and put the provolone on each side as well. On your bottom slice, sprinkle your green onion, layer the potato, your steak slices and top it all off with the caramelized onions and your top slice.

After forming your sandwich, place it on the grill, allowing it to cook until grill marks begin to form and the sandwich starts browning, flip it over cooking until browned and toasty! If you find your barbecue is cooking the sandwich a little too fast, or you’re scared of burning the sandwich, feel free to turn down the heat to medium.

That’s all! Slice in half to reveal all its glory and chow down on this seriously amazing sandwich.

Thirty Years Later

On September 1, 1983, Korean Airlines Flight 007 disappeared from radar after passing over Soviet territory as it approached its final destination.  Soviet fighter pilots had intercepted the plane and tried to make contact with the plane.  Receiving no response, one of the pilots fired a heat seeking missile, downing the plane, killing 269 passengers and crew.


Shortly after this tragedy, I was on a plane myself returning home from a trip to France.  It was a little troubling to pick up the issue of Time Magazine above in the Paris airport and then get on a plane to fly home.

Back to School Memories

With LBA starting third grade this week (3rd grade!) and SoBA joining him at the same school in kindergarten, here's a list of items that "will remind you of elementary school"  [from BuzzFeed].  Of course, this is also Labor Day weekend (and you shouldn't have to go back to school until after Labor Day - but that's a different rant).

1. Back to school supply lists - these days, the list comes out before the kids go back to school.  But I remember going out on that first week of school to get everything on the list.
2. Slates - I'm not that old.
3. Writing your name on the upper right-hand corner of your wide ruled loose leaf paper - The Brave Astronaut has a pretty long last name and I often tell SBA that it took me until the 3rd grade to learn how to spell it right - so no more excuses!
4. Trapper Keepers - I was more of a blue fabric 3-ring binder (or the 5-subject wirebound notebook) fan.
5. Being the line leader - I liked this job.
6. Construction Paper 
7. Getting to be Student of the Month - something clicked in LBA early in 2nd grade where he was named Student of the Month for several months in a row!
8. Capri Suns - we had milk.
9. Finding your friends so you can sit with them in the cafeteria - our "lunchroom" doubled as the gym, something that you still see a lot.
10. Lunch Trays - there was a spot for the milk carton
11. Scooters - gym was more fun with these, and it was way more fun than the rope climb
12. Juice Boxes! - see #8
13. Recess! - I was married in elementary school on the playground (Patty - did we ever get divorced?).  The monkey bars was our house.  Another classmate played the part of our dog (Donna Ziegler, where are you?)
14. Elmer's Glue
15. Nap time and nap mats
16. Sitting on carpet squares
17. Gym/Auditoriums - I remember being brought into the gym/auditorium to watch the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1976.
18. Kickball 
19. Using the card catalog and learning the Dewey Decimal System - pretty sure this isn't high on anybody's list anymore.
20. Crayola Crayons
21. Show and Tell
22. That mean substitute teacher
23. Playing games inside during recess because it's raining outside
24. Book Reports
25. Having the coolest lunch box
26. The Spelling Bee
27. Book Fairs
28. Skate Night

Banana Boat Smores

You can only make so much banana bread.  And bananas are popular in our house - and so is grilling.

Grilled Chocolate Banana Melt
from Tablespoon via BuzzFeed

Ingredients

• 1 banana, peeled 
• 2 tablespoons miniature marshmallows 
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 2 tablespoons Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, slightly crushed

Preparation

• Preheat grill to medium high heat.
• Slice banana lengthwise and slightly open. Place on a rectangle of aluminum foil. 
• Insert marshmallows and chocolate chips into the sliced banana. 
• Wrap banana up in foil and cook on the grill for 5-6 minutes. 
• Unwrap banana and top with cereal. After melt has slightly cooled eat with a spoon. 

OVEN METHOD: Cook in the OVEN at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

CAMPFIRE METHOD: Keep peel on banana; slice lengthwise twice, lift up flap of peel, slice banana and add chocolate and marshmallows as above. Replace peel flap and wrap banana with foil. Let the flames die down before adding banana packets directly to fire. Cook 3-5 minutes, or just until soft and melty. Use tongs to remove from fire. Carefully unwrap and unpeel banana to eat.

Baked Chicken

My mother had several recipes in her wheelhouse that she delivered with ease and proved most delicious.  One of them was her baked chicken, which was basically chicken pieces in an egg wash, covered in bread crumbs and then baked in the oven until done.  The best part of that meal was getting the crunchy pieces out of the baking pan after dinner.  There may have been some scrums between my siblings and I to get the last piece.

I spotted this recipe the other day and it made me think of her and illustrated the relative ease with which this could be accomplished for LBA and SoBA.

Oven-Fried Panko Chicken
Gourmet | October 2009
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 10 serving pieces (breasts cut crosswise in half)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Stir together panko, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a pie plate.

Stir together butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then brush all over chicken. Add chicken, 2 pieces at a time, to crumb mixture and coat evenly on both sides, pressing chicken into crumbs to help them adhere, then transfer, skin side up, to a shallow baking pan.

Bake chicken until well browned and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes to crisp.