07:12 - Extra-terrestrial Returns Home
Current mood: animated
Category: Life is just one long Writing and Poetry

..tr>..table>

Arthur C Clarke at his home in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. Starry Night by Vincent von Gogh		Science Fiction Author Arthur C. Clarke Dies Aged 90 From Times Online Lech Mintowt-Czyz, March 18, 2008
		Science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke has died aged 90 in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, it was confirmed tonight.      Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, died at 1:30am after suffering breathing problems, his personal secretary Rohan De Silva said.      "Sir Arthur passed away a short while ago at the Apollo Hospital [in Colombo]. He had a cardio-respiratory attack," he said.
His valet, W. K. M. Dharmawardena, said funeral arrangements would be finalised after his close family returned to the island from Australia.      Mr Dharmawardena said Clarke’s condition had begun to deteriorate in recent weeks and he had been in hospital for the past four days.      The visionary author of over 100 books, who predicted the existence of satellites, was most famous for his short story "The Sentinel," which was expanded into the novel on which Stanley Kubrick’s "2001: A Space Odyssey" was based.      He was also credited with inventing the concept of communications satellites in 1945, decades before they became a reality.      Clarke was the last surviving member of what was sometimes known as the "Big Three" of science fiction alongside Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov.      The son of an English farming family, Clarke was born in the seaside town of Minehead, Somerset, England on December 16, 1917.      After attending schools in his home county, Arthur Clarke moved to London in 1936 and pursued his early interest in space sciences by joining the British Interplanetary Society. He started to contribute to the BIS Bulletin and began to write science fiction.      With the onset of World War II he joined the RAF, eventually becoming an officer in charge of the first radar talk-down equipment, the Ground Controlled Approach, during its experimental trials. Later, his only non-science-fiction novel, Glide Path, was based on this work.      In 1945, a UK periodical magazine "Wireless World" published his landmark technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" in which he first set out the principles of satellite communication with satellites in geostationary orbits - a speculation realised 25 years later. During the evolution of his discovery, he worked with scientists and engineers in the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and addressed the United Nations during their deliberations on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.      Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres above the Equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union.
Despite his vast contribution Clarke still is best known as a visionary science fiction writer.      The first story he sold professionally was "Rescue Party", written in March 1945 and appearing in Astounding Science in May 1946. He went on to become a prolific writer of science fiction, renowned worldwide.      In 1964, he started to work with the noted film producer Stanley Kubrick on a science fiction				Centaurus A  -  NASA
This montage of images of Jupiter and its volcanic moon Io, was taken by the New Horizons spacecraft’s flyby in early 2007. The Jupiter image is an infrared color composite taken by the spacecraft’s near-infrared imaging spectrometer on Feb. 28, 2007. The infrared wavelengths used highlight variations in the altitude of the Jovian cloud tops, with blue denoting high-altitude clouds and hazes, and red indicating deeper clouds. The prominent bluish-white oval is the Great Red Spot. The Io image, taken on March 1, 2007, is a nearly true-color composite. The image shows a major eruption in progress on Io’s night side, at the northern volcano Tvashtar. Incandescent lava glows red beneath a high volcanic plume, whose uppermost portions are illuminated by sunlight. The plume appears blue due to scattering of light by small particles in the plume. Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Goddard Space Flight Center.		movie script.  Four years later, he shared an Oscar nomination with Kubrick at the Hollywood Academy Awards for the film version of "2001: A Space Odyssey".      In television, Clarke worked alongside Walter Cronkite and Wally Schirra for the CBS coverage of the Apollo 12 and 15 space missions. His thirteen-part TV series Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World in 1981 and Arthur C. Clarke’s World of strange Powers in 1984 have been screened in many countries and he has contributed to other TV series about space, such as Walter Cronkite’s Universe series in 1981.      Clarke first visited Colombo, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in December 1954 and has lived there since 1956 , pursuing an enthusiasm for underwater exploration along that coast and on the Great Barrier Reef.      In 1998, his lifetime work was recognised when he was honoured with a Knighthood – formally conferred by Prince Charles in Sri Lanka two years later.      In recent years, he has been largely confined to a wheelchair due to post-polio syndrome, but his output as a writer continued undiminished.      Marking his "90th orbit of the sun" in December, the author said he did not feel "a day over 89" and made three birthday wishes: for ET to call, for man to kick his oil habit and for peace in Sri Lanka.

Currently reading : The Cat in the Hat By Dr. Seuss Release date: 12 March, 1957

15 Comments - 33 Kudos - Add Comment

09:14 - Daffodils in My Email
Current mood: ditzy
Category: but jazzed Life

..tr> ..table>

Today is "Daffodil Day" throughout much of the world where the bulbs blossom this time of the year (’down under’ the time is often in August).     A wonderful way to celebrate spring’s arrival, but also a time chosen by many Cancer groups to heighten awareness of and celebrate victories in the fight for a cancer-free future.  The daffodil has come to symbolize hope for all those affected by cancer.     Thanks to my sister (who will send kudos for the last blog, stp) for sharing this story and the photos about one of her favorite flowers.  She, Nature, Spring, daffodils ... they communicate so many beautiful expressions.
A Story for Daffodil Day
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."  I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.  "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.      Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy.  Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there.  When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children.  I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.      "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn!  The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"      My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."        "Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!"  I assured her.      "But first we’re going to see the daffodils.  It’s just a few blocks," Carolyn said.  "I’ll drive, I’m used to this."      "Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around."      "It’s all right, Mother, I promise.  You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."       After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church.  On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read,  "Daffodil Garden."  We got out of the car, each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path.  Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.  Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain and its surrounding slopes.  The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow.  Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That’s her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.      On the patio, we saw a poster.  "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline.  The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.  The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain."  The third answer was, "Began in 1958."      For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.  One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.  The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.  When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things.  We can change the world .       "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn."  What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it ’one bulb at a time’ through all those years?  Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"      My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way.  "Start tomorrow," she said.       She was right.  It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.  The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"
		Use the Daffodil Principle! Stop waiting.....  Until your car or home is paid off  Until you get a new car or home  Until you have kids  Until your kids leave the house  Until you finish school  Until you clean the house  Until you clean off your desk  Until you lose 10 lbs.  Until you retire  Until summer, spring, winter, fall  Until you die   Until the next life...  There is no better time than right now to be happy. Life, undisturbed - in its native form - is happiness. This life is a journey, not a destination. So live your passion like you don’t need money. Love unconditionally and without regret, and,  Dance like no one’s watching. Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!  Don’t be afraid that your life will end,be afraid that it has not yet begun.
Every year, high in the San Bernardino mountain range of Southern California, five acres of beautiful daffodils burst into bloom.  Amazingly, this special spot, known as "The Daffodil Garden," was planted by one person, Gene Bauer, one bulb at a time, beginning in 1958.      The Willow Fire of 1999 destroyed the Bauer’s A-frame home, its surrounding shady trees and garden.  Miraculously, the daffodil bulbs beneath the ground survived.      The story of "The Daffodil Principle"originally appeared nearly ten years ago in Jaroldeen Edwards’ book Celebration!  It is now available for the first time as an illustrated gift book, with artwork by Anne Marie Oborn. For a virtual visit and information for a real visit see ~ TheBauer’s Daffodil Garden ~

Currently listening : Sentimental Streak By Catherine Russell Release date: 12 February, 2008

41 Comments - 49 Kudos - Add Comment

16:06 - Easter in Paradou
Current mood: thankful
Category: Travel and Places

..tr>..table>

Sundial and cross on exterior of St. Martin’s church in Paradou.		Easter in Paradou
		With Madame Fajardo predisposed this Sunday; I thought I’d fill the void.  She wants to touch on Easter, but I fear that it may come and go before she can return to her writing desk.      Making observations on another country can be enlivening; and to write of the French Easter seems only fitting if just for the aspect of redeeming life, or simply heralding spring.      Jenny has already told of springtime in Provence in three or four of her past blogs.  One blog gives a marvelous description of the cistus ’rockrose’ of Easter (at bottom of page).  I believe her next will tell of her childhood recollections and some of the customs of the land.
I gaze on all that is around me in Provence with the eye of lifelong American experiences.  My views are (obviously) quite different from Jenny’s.  For instance, I often am transfixed by this culture and its relationship to scripture.  At the center of the life in Provence; the bread, the vine, the olive tree, the fish, the lamb.  These are the first fruits; the French paysans’ ancient methods of caretaking, harvest and production being joined in each season by their rituals of gratification.      At Eastertide, I am flooded with imagery and symbolism.      This Palm Sunday, Père Hervé stood at the center of a crowd of townspeople to bless the branches of laurier-sauce (bay), buis (boxwood), and olive – the palms of Provence.  The holy water diffused with oils coming from the 400-year-old Olea Sacra niche in St. Martin’s sacristy.
The pastoral permeates the life in small villages like Paradou where shepherds prod their flocks through the streets, Saint Véran (patron saint of shepherds) gazes upon newborn lambs carried down the church aisle, and the shearers hone their tools around the terrace at La Burlande.      It is at this time when the clanging church ’cloches’ ring out so clear and clean across the fields, echoing off the Alpilles; and just beneath their voices comes the delicate dings of the ’sonnailles’ of sheep being herded from the highlands home to the crau.   The sheep are returning to the reborn, lowland pastures.  The chimes of the churches are returning resurrected from Rome.      On Holy Thursday, church bells are silenced to commemorate the death of Christ.  As children are told, the voice of the bells will not be heard until the Pope rings the chimes at St. Peter’s in Rome … on Easter morning the chimes fly home at the dawn to bring the news of the Resurrection. As the bells wing their way back to their village church steeples, the children can imagine candy falling from overhead as the chimes ring across the land.  By this magical delivery, chocolate Easter eggs will be discovered in the family garden.The ringing of the bells at Easter is also cause to snatch a kiss, as in customs of Christmas.      These customs and rituals are not so religious today; however, they continue to be significant in the lives of the people of the region as markers of time and tradition.  The land is being reborn; a beautiful transformation is taking place all around, and man and Nature celebrate.				St. Martin église and belltower. Bay, olive and boxwood palms. Easter Lilies
Lamb with mother ewe.		Goat with bell.		Dog tending flock.

Currently watching : Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Release date: 29 May, 2001

25 Comments - 26 Kudos - Add Comment

10:27 - Coq au Vin (Part III - English)
Current mood: shocked
Category: at the high price of fuel Food and Restaurants

..>..>

photo par Mr. Happy - flickr       photo par Trzy_EM - flickr                   photo par Cybaea - flickr Wild asparagus, rosemary, sage and thyme of the garrigue. Asperge sauvage sur fond de romarins.		Coq au Vin - Part III (The Final Analysis)
		Now there are only bones and a few drops of the sauces that once were Coq au Vin. Looking upon the remnants, it seems shameful…  Two people, alone, eating and sopping and sipping six different preparations.  Ten days of cooking and dining with our friend the rooster in such tender attendance.  We three were consumed by this scientific endeavor, and at least two of us are much the better for the discoveries. For several days, Jenny's MySpace status has indicated that she was creating six versions of Coq au Vin -- three recipes, using two separate wines for the different sauces (to answer the question from the previous blog about the influence of wine in cooking).  Mr. Rooster would bathe in fine Burgundy in three recipes, and in the other three he reposed in a respected wine from here in Arles.  The recipes consisted of the standard coq au vin sauce; the second, a Berry recipe that infuses the blood into the sauce; and the third, the Berry sauce with an addition of chocolate! No more lingering questions.  Here are my observations: For coq au vin, one should find a veteran coq of the roost.  After all the prep and slow cooking, any chunk of meat would be tender; however, this coq remained in firm, whole pieces still attached to the bone.  With only the turn of the fork you held very tender meat thoroughly infused such that it melted upon the lips and flooded the mouth with the perfume of the wine.   The wine made a big difference.  The recipes using our local wine would have produced meals to satisfy any guests.  But the pleasing Arles wine seemed to overpower the chocolate, and that liaison did not impress.  The Burgundy did not color the meat as darkly as the full-bodied, local wine, but the Burgundy imbued the recipes with more fragrance and a marvelous sensation throughout the mouth that lasted long into the next bite.  It married wonderfully to the chocolate liaison, and I deem this recipe combination to be winner.   Michelin, une étoile s'il vous plaît ! As I said earlier, this was a lot of fun.  We made many trips back into the garrigue to collect wild asparagus, sage, rosemary, and thyme; as well as wood to keep us warm.  There were the trips to market for those specific ingredients, and we enjoy the marché always.  For this recipe we made additional side trips to wine cellars and vineyards.  Jenny, as always, is a terrific teacher, eager to be about the researching and reference trails needed to introduce me to the 'nuances' of French cuisine.
Wild thyme in bloom. Les fleurs roses du thym.		Garrigue, home to our herbs. Sur le sentier de la cueillette.		Rosemary, varied colors all seasons. Du blanc au gris en passant par tous les bleus, les fleurs de romarin.
Liaisons et Dégustations				Fusions  and Tastes
Après une cuisson d'environ trois heures, la cocotte s'est peu à peu refroidie.  Je ne retrouve plus aujourd'hui la bonne odeur qu'en dégageant le couvercle des deux cocottes. Je prépare les champignons de Paris ramenés du marché : j'en pèle les chapeaux, je les fractionne en quartiers, les arrose de jus de citron, les sale, les fait doucement revenir à la poêle. Les cocottes remises sur le feu mijotent.  Après avoir rajouté les champignons, je rectifie l'assaisonnement. A l'heure du déjeuner nous goûterons chacun une portion de la plus petite des cocottes accompagnée d'une purée de pommes de terre parfumée d'une pointe de muscade. Rhys me dit : « C'est très bon !…  Pas exceptionnel. » Aujourd'hui je prépare la liaison de mes deux préparations. La plus petite des cocottes contient suffisamment encore pour remplir à nouveau nos deux assiettes pour un deuxième repas de coq au vin. La deuxième cuisson a concentré légèrement la sauce et en y rajoutant deux carrés de chocolat très noir, j'en renforce l'épaisseur, la couleur et lui donne son homogénéité. La viande installée au centre de l'assiette avec les champignons, les rondelles de carottes et les oignons, je dispose tout autour des croûtons de pain dur que j'ai frotté avec des gousses d'aïl, puis fait revenir dans de l'huile d'olive bien chaude. Aucun doute n'est possible : l'amélioration par rapport à notre première dégustation est indéniable et considérable. Mais le vin n'est pas en cause et à ce stade la réponse reste ouverte et Rhys pourrait marquer un point. Nous coupons quelques tranches de baguette fraîche pour ne rien perdre de la sauce et, pauvres chats, ils ne se nourriront pas avec nos restes ce soir ! La sauce de la plus grande des deux cocottes est de couleur plus claire comme l'était la robe du vin de Bourgogne.  La liaison, qui ne doit en aucun cas être portée jusqu'à l'ébullition, est réalisée avec le sang de la volaille qui m'a été remis par la fermière dans un petit verre où il est délayé avec un peu de vinaigre pour empêcher la coagulation.  Dans une assiette, j'écrase avec une fourchette le foie du coq et j'y rajoute petit à petit le sang.  Je fais glisser la pommade obtenue dans la sauce en la diluant.  Elle s'assombrit.  Un quart d'heure de cuisson supplémentaire tout au plus avant de servir et nous pourrons approfondir notre comparaison. Contrairement à Rhys qui accepte de manger un plat de viande tiède, je recommande de servir ce plat très chaud sur des assiettes ou un plat de service préalablement chauffé.  Il peut s'accompagner de pommes de terre (belles de Fontenay) cuites à la vapeur, de pâtes fraîches aux oeufs, de galettes de polenta, …  Mais selon l'ordonnancement de l'entier repas, une couronne de croûtons aillés peut suffire. Nous avons respecté dans la progression de notre démarche comparative une règle similaire à celle appliquée en matière de fromages (du plus frais au plus affiné), de vins (du plus jeune au plus vieux), pour notre sauce (de la plus simple à la plus sophistiquée). La table est mise, les convives sont attendus, Rhys a en mémoire les précédentes dégustations … A vous de jouer !		photo par Hans Splinter - flickr Let the eating begin! La dégustation peut commencer! flickr photo par Sam Jackson - flickr Prepping the mushrooms. Préparation des champignons de Paris. flickr First cooking in Burgundy wine. Première cuisson au vin de Bourgogne. photo par Janice Fullman Our coq with garlic croutons. Une des versions. Platter of cheeses of the region. Un plateau de fromages de pays. We await the coq au vin! Le coq au vin est attendu! Old mill in garrigue above La Burlande; source of wild herbs and asparagus. Vieux moulin dans la garrigue au-dessus de La Burlande; source des herbes sauvages et des asperges. These photos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.		After cooking for about three hours, the French oven is allowed to cool gradually. Now I find that delicious aroma only when opening the lids of the two enamel ovens. I prepare the mushrooms brought back from the market: I begin peeling the caps, I quarter, sprinkle on lemon juice, salt, and then slowly brown on the stove. The ovens are returned to the fire for simmering.  Having added mushrooms, I correct the seasoning. At lunchtime we will each taste a portion of the smaller oven [this holds the coq in Arles wine] accompanied by mashed potatoes seasoned with just a hint of nutmeg.  Rhys said, "It's very good! … Not exceptional." Today I create the liaison of my two preparations. The smaller oven contains yet enough to refill our two plates for a second coq au vin meal.   The second cooking has concentrated slightly the sauce and, adding two squares of very dark chocolate, I reinforce the thickness, color and add consistency. The meat is set in the center of the dish with mushrooms, round slices of carrots and onions, I lay all around this croutons of dried bread that I have rubbed with garlic cloves, then returned to toast in very hot olive oil. There is no possible doubt: the improvement over our first tasting is considerable and undeniable.  But wine is not in question, and at this point the answer is still open and Rhys could score a point. We cut a few slices of fresh baguette so as not to lose any of the sauce and, poor cats, they do not eat from our leftovers tonight! The sauce from the larger of the two ovens is lighter colored as was the 'robe' of the Burgundy wine.  The liaison [or bonding], which should under no circumstances be brought to the boil, is made with the blood of the bird handed to me by the farmer in a small glass where it is diluted with a little vinegar to prevent clotting.  In a plate, I crush with a fork the liver of the rooster and little by little I add the blood.  I skim the [blood and liver] emulsion produced into the sauce stirring until completely incorporated.  It darkens.  Fifteen minutes extra cooking at the most before serving, and we can deepen our comparison. Unlike Rhys who agrees to eat a dish of meat warm, I recommend this dish be served on hot plates or a serving platter previously heated.  It may be accompanied by potatoes (beautiful Fontenay) steamed, fresh egg pasta, polenta cakes, …  But according to the sequencing of the entire meal, a crown of garlic croutons may suffice. We respected in the progression of our comparative approach a rule similar to the one applied in matters of cheeses (from the fresh to the matured), for the wine (from youngest to oldest), for our sauce (from the simplest to the most sophisticated). The stage is set, the guests are expected, Rhys has the previous tastings in mind [to judge]… Good luck!
These buttons display all the blogs by category.        Ces boutons permettent d'accéder à tous les blogs par catégorie.

Currently reading : The Christmas Oratorio: A Novel (Verba Mundi) By Goran Tunstrom Release date: 01 March, 1995

13 Comments - 22 Kudos - Add Comment

16:44 - Coq au Vin (Part III)
Current mood: cold
Category: Food and Restaurants

..>..>

Liaisons                   et                      Dégustations				photo par Mohd Fahmi - flickr
Après une cuisson d'environ trois heures, la cocotte s'est peu à peu refroidie. Je ne retrouve plus aujourd'hui la bonne odeur qu'en dégageant le couvercle des deux cocottes.      Je prépare les champignons de Paris ramenés du marché : j'en pèle les chapeaux, je les fractionne en quartiers, les arrose de jus de citron, les sale, les fait doucement revenir à la poêle.      Les cocottes remises sur le feu mijotent.  Après avoir rajouté les champignons, je rectifie l'assaisonnement.      A l'heure du déjeuner nous goûterons chacun une portion de la plus petite des cocottes accompagnée d'une purée de pommes de terre parfumée d'une pointe de muscade.  Rhys me dit : « C'est très bon ! …  Pas exceptionnel. »
Aujourd'hui je prépare la liaison de mes deux préparations.      La plus petite des cocottes contient suffisamment encore pour remplir à nouveau nos deux assiettes pour un deuxième repas de coq au vin.      La deuxième cuisson a concentré légèrement la sauce et en y rajoutant deux carrés de chocolat très noir, j'en renforce l'épaisseur, la couleur et lui donne son homogénéité.
La viande installée au centre de l'assiette avec les champignons, les rondelles de carottes et les oignons, je dispose tout autour des croûtons de pain dur que j'ai frotté avec des gousses d'aïl, puis fait revenir dans de l'huile d'olive bien chaude.      Aucun doute n'est possible : l'amélioration par rapport à notre première dégustation est indéniable et considérable.  Mais le vin n'est pas en cause et à ce stade la réponse reste ouverte et Rhys pourrait marquer un point.      Nous coupons quelques tranches de baguette fraîche pour ne rien perdre de la sauce et, pauvres chats, ils ne se nourriront pas avec nos restes ce soir !      La sauce de la plus grande des deux cocottes est de couleur plus claire comme l'était la robe du vin de Bourgogne.  La liaison, qui ne doit en aucun cas être portée jusqu'à l'ébullition, est réalisée avec le sang de la volaille qui m'a été remis par la fermière dans un petit verre où il est délayé avec un peu de vinaigre pour empêcher la coagulation.  Dans une assiette, j'écrase avec une fourchette le foie du coq et j'y rajoute petit à petit le sang.
		Je fais glisser la pommade obtenue dans la sauce en la diluant.  Elle s'assombrit.  Un quart d'heure de cuisson supplémentaire tout au plus avant de servir et nous pourrons approfondir notre comparaison.      Contrairement à Rhys qui accepte de manger un plat de viande tiède, je recommande de servir ce plat très chaud sur des assiettes ou un plat de service préalablement chauffé.  Il peut s'accompagner de pommes de terre (belles de Fontenay) cuites à la vapeur, de pâtes fraîches aux oeufs, de galettes de polenta, …  Mais selon l'ordonnancement de l'entier repas, une couronne de croûtons aillés peut suffire.      Nous avons respecté dans la progression de notre démarche comparative une règle similaire à celle appliquée en matière de fromages (du plus frais au plus affiné), de vins (du plus jeune au plus vieux), pour notre sauce (de la plus simple à la plus sophistiquée).      La table est mise, les convives sont attendus, Rhys a en mémoire les précédentes dégustations…      A vous de jouer !
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.		These buttons display all the blogs by category.        Ces boutons permettent d'accéder à tous les blogs par catégorie.

Currently reading : Les Bienveillantes By Jonathan Littell Release date: 13 September, 2006

2 Comments - 9 Kudos - Add Comment

16:50 - Coq au Vin (Part II - English)
Current mood: sleepy
Category: Food and Restaurants

..>..>

Coq au Vin - Part II  (The Challenge Continued)			photo par Hans Splinter - flickr Netherlands All photo works licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
This expérience or experiment has been full of fun.  With the chopping of the rooster, the gathering of wild herbs and spices, flames every now-and-again, and the start-stop of the normal process so photos can be staged and snapped; Jenny and I have literally been on the floor in laughter.  I have been instructed on the differences between chapons and capons (a fighting word), but I learn today that ovens are sometimes pianos.  Making music in the kitchen!      Closely following the marvelous color and smell of the experiments will be the tasting; the dégustation.  Me and my taste buds can't wait.
The First Cooking			La Prémière Cuisson
The house is fragrant "from cellar to attic" … And we are already licking our lips.      Just now I have removed the pieces of the rooster successively from their marinade; I place them in a large colander set over an empty bowl.  They drain quickly.      In a large skillet, I have heated two to three tablespoons of olive oil.  In the hot oil I place, one by one, side by side, the pieces until they have browned on all sides.      I salted, extinguished the fire, and generously sprinkled cognac before approaching with an ignited match. This calls for vigilance in order not to set fire to the kitchen and turning yourself into a torch.  It also calls for speed: while stirring so that all the alcohol may evaporate, we must also ensure that each piece of chicken really absorbs the scent.      I then transferred the contents from my skillet into a large enameled cast iron oven where the marinade is then added to this.  I put the lid on, leaving only the smallest opening, adjusting the cooking over a very low fire.  It must be regulated and held to a slow simmer, easy to obtain over an electric heat source (either placed on iron plate resistance or a glass-ceramic cooking surface… Unless you own the "piano" of a professional!).  Set a fire too high and you will lose the entire bouquet of the wine, and it will not give to the meat the softness that we desire.      And now put this dinner you have prepared out of your mind and simply float on the sweet smell for a few hours. (The rest is for tomorrow!)	photo par Matargat - flickr Island       photo par Huber Michi - flickr Netherlands             photo par Sam Jackson - flickr USA		La maison embaume «de la cave au grenier »…  Et nous nous léchons déjà les babines.      Tout à l'heure j'ai retiré les morceaux de coq successivement de leur marinade ; je les ai déposés dans une large passoire posée au-dessus d'un récipient creux. Ils se sont rapidement égouttés.      Dans un large poêlon, j'ai fait chauffer deux à trois cuillerées à soupe d'huile d'olive.  Dans l'huile brûlante j'ai déposé, un à un, côte à côte, les morceaux jusqu'à leur coloration, et ainsi sur toutes les faces.      J'ai salé, éteint le feu, arrosé généreusement de cognac avant d'approcher une allumette enflammée.  Cette opération demande de la vigilance pour ne pas mettre le feu à la cuisine et vous transformer en torche.  Elle demande aussi de la rapidité : tout en remuant pour que la totalité de l'alcool puisse s'évaporer, il faut aussi obtenir que chaque pièce de la volaille s'imprègne bien du parfum.      J'ai alors transvasé le contenu de mon poêlon dans une vaste cocotte en fonte où la marinade est venue le rejoindre.  Je dépose le couvercle en ne laissant qu'une ouverture insignifiante, règle la cuisson pour un tout petit feu.  Il doit être régulier et s'en tenir à un frémissement, facile à obtenir sur une plaque électrique (que ce soit une plaque en fonte posée sur la résistance ou une table en vitro-céramique…  A moins que vous ne possédiez « le piano » d'un professionnel !).  Un feu trop vif vous ferait perdre tout le bouquet de votre vin, et ne donnerait pas à la viande le moelleux que l'on souhaite obtenir.      Et maintenant oublions encore de façon consciente le dîner en perspective et nageons dans la suave odeur quelques heures durant. (La suite est pour demain !)
These buttons display all the blogs by category. Ces boutons permettent d'accéder à tous les blogs par catégorie.

Currently reading : Les Bienveillantes By Jonathan Littell Release date: 13 September, 2006

4 Comments - 18 Kudos - Add Comment

09:12 - Coq au Vin (Part II)
Current mood: sneezy
Category: Food and Restaurants

..>..>

		La Première Cuisson
		La maison embaume « de la cave au grenier » … Et nous nous léchons déjà les babines.      Tout à l'heure j'ai retiré les morceaux de coq successivement de leur marinade ; je les ai déposés dans une large passoire posée au-dessus d'un récipient creux.  Ils se sont rapidement égouttés.      Dans un large poêlon, j'ai fait chauffer deux à trois cuillerées à soupe d'huile d'olive.  Dans l'huile brûlante j'ai déposé, un à un, côte à côte, les morceaux jusqu'à leur coloration, et ainsi sur toutes les faces.
J'ai salé, éteint le feu, arrosé généreusement de cognac avant d'approcher une allumette enflammée.  Cette opération demande de la vigilance pour ne pas mettre le feu à la cuisine et vous transformer en torche.  Elle demande aussi de la rapidité : tout en remuant pour que la totalité de l'alcool puisse s'évaporer, il faut aussi obtenir que chaque pièce de la volaille s'imprègne bien du parfum.      J'ai alors transvasé le contenu de mon poêlon dans une vaste cocotte en fonte où la marinade est venue le rejoindre.  Je dépose le couvercle en ne laissant qu'une ouverture insignifiante, règle la cuisson pour un tout petit feu.  Il doit être régulier et s'en tenir à un frémissement, facile à obtenir sur une plaque électrique (que ce soit une plaque en fonte posée sur la résistance ou une table en vitro-céramique…  A moins que vous ne possédiez « le piano » d'un professionnel !).  Un feu trop vif vous ferait perdre tout le bouquet de votre vin, et ne donnerait pas à la viande le moelleux que l'on souhaite obtenir.      Et maintenant oublions encore de façon consciente le dîner en perspective et nageons dans la suave odeur quelques heures durant.      (La suite est pour demain !)          Ces boutons permettent d'accéder à tous les blogs par catégorie.

Currently reading : The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture By Alanna Stang Release date: 01 June, 2005

3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment