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| Carry on my Wayward Son, there'll be peace when you are done (with this drink) - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
Showing posts with label nerds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nerds. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2014
OMG a Recipe: As Drunk on TV
Two vital things you should know about me -- (Vital I) I like my cocktails and (Vital II) I like my nerdy TV shows. A nicely-balanced drink in one hand, DVR remote in the other... PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER. Actually, don't do that. It would be messy. But what you can do, is be inspired to mix up some cocktails and/or get your genre-based serialized drama-watching on! No Spock-ears required, I PROMISE.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Mixed Plate: Lord of the Ringing in 2011
Last year we spent New Year's Eve at a friends' house with Joel and the 'Bots of Mystery Science Theater 3000, before turning on the TV to watch the fireworks at the Space Needle, hoping for embarassing technical difficulties and getting amused by drunkards in the background. This year, we set the Nerd Bar even higher by doing a Lord of the Rings marathon and feasting upon a Thanksgiving-style dinner. Why? Because the Precious told us so...
No funny hats, noisemakers or sparkly dresses. Just a very small gathering, as in Mr. Wasabi, myself and our friend Ms Shutterbug staying cozy and warm as twenty-ten became twenty-eleventy. A cold blast of a winter storm dumped a few inches of snow and resulted in much road ice in the days leading up to the Eve, so much thanks to Shutterbug for making the trek out to our house.
We started the film fest in the afternoon, watching The Fellowship of the Ring, moved on to The Two Towers around dinnertime, and had dessert and cocktails through The Return of the King. No, we didn't time it just right to where Aragorn gets crowned king and regales us all with an oddly-placed Elvish song. When midnight hit, we raised our glasses amid much battlecries and carnage during the battle for Gondor, and thanks to director Peter Jackson's love of multiple endings, it was well past 1am before "The End" finally showed up on screen. Maybe it's just as well he didn't include the destruction of the Shire, as not only would that have been a serious mellow-harsh, we'd have still been watching until sunrise.
To paraphrase a line from Fellowship, during the part, Concerning Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins comments that it is not a bad thing to pursue a simple life. And so we did, but with hobbit appetite, as they are a hairy-footed folk who only think of food and drink. Sounds dandy to me -- put me on the next train to Hobbiton. I had a frozen turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. Call me a food hoarder if you want, but when stuff is cheap, I get all Gollum and start hissing, "I wants it! Gives us the precious -- and don't forget my five cent credit for bringing my own bag." What flavor is lost in mass farming methods for poultry, I try to infuse back in through brining. I broke down the bird into its parts and let it soak in a basic brine two days before cooking it up. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- it's worth the effort and the taking up of space in the fridge, as it will absorb flavor and the meat stays tender.
To go alongside the bird, multiple side dishes were made, including cranberry sauce, green beans and mushrooms tossed with pesto and crisps of bacon, a sweet potato gratin, and much like Aragorn in Return of the King, cauliflower puree returned to the dining table to regain its rightful place as a side dish, since it already showed up previously for Christmas. Plus enough gravy to fill up a huge Pyrex measuring cup. It's a lot of food, I know. But a lot of these dishes were made a few days in advance and just needed to finish off in the oven. And a great Middle Earth huzzah for not having to cook for a few days and just enjoy a wide array of mix and match leftovers. Thanksgiving food is one of Mr. Wasabi's favorite, so he's pleased as punch we have a fridge full of cranberry sauce and turkey.
So that we're given proper nerd credit, we went LOTR: Full Metal Jacket -- extended cuts, no theatrical releases. I'm sure if we went with the shorter versions, we could have timed everything just right for a happy new year toast during the final coronation, but if you're going to go totally geek, it's go big or go home. Personally, Two Towers extended cut is far superior to the theatrical version; as Ferris Bueller would say, "It's so choice." The movies watched all together are seamless and you don't feel like you're going too crazy, although all the longing stares between Sam and Frodo get to be a little much -- just kiss already, fellas. Ain't no shame! I can't wait until all the Harry Potter movies are out on DVD so that we can have a nonstop movie marathon until we're driven into a full psychological meltdown. You hearing me, 2012? I've got your number!
Overall, our night of movies, Thanksgiving sequel dinner and a swapout of cocktails for champagne made for a fun, if not gut-busting night. We faced the new year with full bellies and a feeling that you make your own merriment and good times, so bring on 2011!
 |
| One meal to rule them all into the new year -- Photo by Wasabi Prime |
No funny hats, noisemakers or sparkly dresses. Just a very small gathering, as in Mr. Wasabi, myself and our friend Ms Shutterbug staying cozy and warm as twenty-ten became twenty-eleventy. A cold blast of a winter storm dumped a few inches of snow and resulted in much road ice in the days leading up to the Eve, so much thanks to Shutterbug for making the trek out to our house.
We started the film fest in the afternoon, watching The Fellowship of the Ring, moved on to The Two Towers around dinnertime, and had dessert and cocktails through The Return of the King. No, we didn't time it just right to where Aragorn gets crowned king and regales us all with an oddly-placed Elvish song. When midnight hit, we raised our glasses amid much battlecries and carnage during the battle for Gondor, and thanks to director Peter Jackson's love of multiple endings, it was well past 1am before "The End" finally showed up on screen. Maybe it's just as well he didn't include the destruction of the Shire, as not only would that have been a serious mellow-harsh, we'd have still been watching until sunrise.
To paraphrase a line from Fellowship, during the part, Concerning Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins comments that it is not a bad thing to pursue a simple life. And so we did, but with hobbit appetite, as they are a hairy-footed folk who only think of food and drink. Sounds dandy to me -- put me on the next train to Hobbiton. I had a frozen turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. Call me a food hoarder if you want, but when stuff is cheap, I get all Gollum and start hissing, "I wants it! Gives us the precious -- and don't forget my five cent credit for bringing my own bag." What flavor is lost in mass farming methods for poultry, I try to infuse back in through brining. I broke down the bird into its parts and let it soak in a basic brine two days before cooking it up. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- it's worth the effort and the taking up of space in the fridge, as it will absorb flavor and the meat stays tender.
 |
| The power of the One Ring compels you to get freaky and EAT - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
To go alongside the bird, multiple side dishes were made, including cranberry sauce, green beans and mushrooms tossed with pesto and crisps of bacon, a sweet potato gratin, and much like Aragorn in Return of the King, cauliflower puree returned to the dining table to regain its rightful place as a side dish, since it already showed up previously for Christmas. Plus enough gravy to fill up a huge Pyrex measuring cup. It's a lot of food, I know. But a lot of these dishes were made a few days in advance and just needed to finish off in the oven. And a great Middle Earth huzzah for not having to cook for a few days and just enjoy a wide array of mix and match leftovers. Thanksgiving food is one of Mr. Wasabi's favorite, so he's pleased as punch we have a fridge full of cranberry sauce and turkey.
So that we're given proper nerd credit, we went LOTR: Full Metal Jacket -- extended cuts, no theatrical releases. I'm sure if we went with the shorter versions, we could have timed everything just right for a happy new year toast during the final coronation, but if you're going to go totally geek, it's go big or go home. Personally, Two Towers extended cut is far superior to the theatrical version; as Ferris Bueller would say, "It's so choice." The movies watched all together are seamless and you don't feel like you're going too crazy, although all the longing stares between Sam and Frodo get to be a little much -- just kiss already, fellas. Ain't no shame! I can't wait until all the Harry Potter movies are out on DVD so that we can have a nonstop movie marathon until we're driven into a full psychological meltdown. You hearing me, 2012? I've got your number!
Overall, our night of movies, Thanksgiving sequel dinner and a swapout of cocktails for champagne made for a fun, if not gut-busting night. We faced the new year with full bellies and a feeling that you make your own merriment and good times, so bring on 2011!
 |
| Indy is looking ahead in the new year -- just kidding, it's a squirrel - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
Monday, January 18, 2010
OMG a Recipe: the Long Winter - Game Night at Wasabimus Prime's
One of 2009's happy purchases was Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home
, and while I make no lofty Julie and Julia promises to cook my way through it, I decided to make at least one dish that appeared low-key enough for a dinner with friends, when we hosted a board game night before the holidays. As fate would have it, neither the meal nor the game went as quickly as one would think, leading us all down a long, winding path into the wee hours of the morning. The dish? A seemingly simple enough chicken, pepper and sausage stew. The game? Steve Jackson's card game of epic backstabbing potential, Illuminati
. Intrigue! Betrayal! Sofrito!
I'm notorious for going off-recipe, making substitutions every which willy-nilly way. Out of respect for Thomas Keller, I followed his chicken, peppers and sausage recipe, even though it took a couple of days of preparation. Not to say this took a solid 48 hours of fussing over ingredients, but I did spend one afternoon slowly simmering his recipe for sofrito, a low-and-slow cooking of onions and tomato in olive oil, with a finish of garlic, which then was used in the flavoring for the roasted bell peppers, which took another afternoon to complete. The chicken was soaked in his chicken brine -- a recipe I quite like, as it perfumes the meat with the lovely fragrance of parsley and lemon. Used this same brine for the chicken and pork tenderloins served on our Christmas dinner, to much flavorful success.
Once the preparation for the sofrito roasted peppers was completed, along with the brined chicken parts, plus making stock from the chicken's carcass, the final dish didn't take much preparation beyond basic construction. The chicken and sausage were seared in a Dutch oven, adding the peppers and extra broth, and then letting it slow cook in the oven for a bit. It sounds so easy, doesn't it? Yeah, not so much. Thank the heavens for being a Lady of Leisure at the moment.
Granted, I'll admit it wasn't the most beautiful of things to be placed on a large serving platter (oh, the magic of parsley), but the layering of flavors and the different methods of cooking yielded a delicious chicken that fell off the bone, mixed with savory peppers and spicy sausage. I realize this is an OMG a Recipe post, because I truly followed a recipe, but again, out of respect for Chef Keller, instead of listing his recipes, I'd recommend buying or borrowing the book to truly absorb his wisdom.
It's fitting that such a meal with a lengthy preparation time be served at our game night, as it was an evening that stretched into the morning hours, spent at our table, working out Machiavellian plots of world domination and plundering of treasuries. Good friends Mr. G and Mr. R joined us for a few quick rounds of Rio Grande Games' Dominion
a feudally fun card game that lets you made decisions and purchase your own kingdom. I was recently introduced to this game by other board game friends -- lots of fun, never the same game, and requires a bit of strategy. Tis true, we look like a bunch of Magic the Gathering nerds, but considering we usually get together to play old-school Dungeons and Dragons 
, this was a step up on the geek scale. Don't think badly upon the Prime for being such a total oily nerd; sometimes you just have to let your Freak Flag Fly, and this superfreak waves her banner high, baby.
The night turned dark and sinister when Mr. R brought his copy of Illuminati. Similar to Dominion, it relies primarily on cards and the achieving of certain monetary goals. But with players being given the distinct monikers of Servants of Cthulu or the Gnomes of Zurich, it's a bit like a demonic Monopoly. It also encourages cheating, if you can believe it -- or "creative rule bending," if you like. It also probably didn't help that we were drinking wine and cocktails to fuel our rowdy spirits and trash-talking. Mr. Wasabi made up a powerfully strong batch of Tom and Jerry cocktails -- click here for a recipe from Epicurious. A bit like eggnog, this frothy and powerful drink set our trio into motion for an eight-plus hour marathon session of a single game of Illuminati.
The round of Illuminati finally concluded after two in the morning, after much conspiratorial backstabbing and threats that Mr. Wasabi would surely be sleeping on the couch that night if he snuck a peek at my cards or attempted another overthrowing of my network. I can credit a collective amount of pig-headedness on all players' parts (myself included) as the culprit behind why this game lasted so long. But really, after you've spent so long building up your evil empire, you don't want to just roll over and let someone win for something as silly as sleep.... right? Stubborn heads prevailed until Mr. Wasabi finally won the lofty privilege of saying, "Thank God, this game is OVER."
With enough rest, I feel like I will be ready for the next game night, as well as tackling another recipe from Thomas Keller's recipe books. Onwards and upwards for 2010!
, and while I make no lofty Julie and Julia promises to cook my way through it, I decided to make at least one dish that appeared low-key enough for a dinner with friends, when we hosted a board game night before the holidays. As fate would have it, neither the meal nor the game went as quickly as one would think, leading us all down a long, winding path into the wee hours of the morning. The dish? A seemingly simple enough chicken, pepper and sausage stew. The game? Steve Jackson's card game of epic backstabbing potential, Illuminati. Intrigue! Betrayal! Sofrito! |
| Yes, it's a big orange and red mess, but trust me, it was delicious - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
I'm notorious for going off-recipe, making substitutions every which willy-nilly way. Out of respect for Thomas Keller, I followed his chicken, peppers and sausage recipe, even though it took a couple of days of preparation. Not to say this took a solid 48 hours of fussing over ingredients, but I did spend one afternoon slowly simmering his recipe for sofrito, a low-and-slow cooking of onions and tomato in olive oil, with a finish of garlic, which then was used in the flavoring for the roasted bell peppers, which took another afternoon to complete. The chicken was soaked in his chicken brine -- a recipe I quite like, as it perfumes the meat with the lovely fragrance of parsley and lemon. Used this same brine for the chicken and pork tenderloins served on our Christmas dinner, to much flavorful success.
 |
| The flavorful joy of sofrito, whose om-nom-nom-ness is worth the effort - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
Once the preparation for the sofrito roasted peppers was completed, along with the brined chicken parts, plus making stock from the chicken's carcass, the final dish didn't take much preparation beyond basic construction. The chicken and sausage were seared in a Dutch oven, adding the peppers and extra broth, and then letting it slow cook in the oven for a bit. It sounds so easy, doesn't it? Yeah, not so much. Thank the heavens for being a Lady of Leisure at the moment.
Granted, I'll admit it wasn't the most beautiful of things to be placed on a large serving platter (oh, the magic of parsley), but the layering of flavors and the different methods of cooking yielded a delicious chicken that fell off the bone, mixed with savory peppers and spicy sausage. I realize this is an OMG a Recipe post, because I truly followed a recipe, but again, out of respect for Chef Keller, instead of listing his recipes, I'd recommend buying or borrowing the book to truly absorb his wisdom.
 |
| Nerd Alert! The secret life of Wasabi Prime and Friends - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
It's fitting that such a meal with a lengthy preparation time be served at our game night, as it was an evening that stretched into the morning hours, spent at our table, working out Machiavellian plots of world domination and plundering of treasuries. Good friends Mr. G and Mr. R joined us for a few quick rounds of Rio Grande Games' Dominion
a feudally fun card game that lets you made decisions and purchase your own kingdom. I was recently introduced to this game by other board game friends -- lots of fun, never the same game, and requires a bit of strategy. Tis true, we look like a bunch of Magic the Gathering nerds, but considering we usually get together to play old-school Dungeons and Dragons , this was a step up on the geek scale. Don't think badly upon the Prime for being such a total oily nerd; sometimes you just have to let your Freak Flag Fly, and this superfreak waves her banner high, baby.The night turned dark and sinister when Mr. R brought his copy of Illuminati
. Similar to Dominion, it relies primarily on cards and the achieving of certain monetary goals. But with players being given the distinct monikers of Servants of Cthulu or the Gnomes of Zurich, it's a bit like a demonic Monopoly. It also encourages cheating, if you can believe it -- or "creative rule bending," if you like. It also probably didn't help that we were drinking wine and cocktails to fuel our rowdy spirits and trash-talking. Mr. Wasabi made up a powerfully strong batch of Tom and Jerry cocktails -- click here for a recipe from Epicurious. A bit like eggnog, this frothy and powerful drink set our trio into motion for an eight-plus hour marathon session of a single game of Illuminati.  |
| Wine and cocktails... you're getting very sleepy... sleeeeeeeepyyyy.... zzzzz - Photos by Mr/Ms Wasabi |
The round of Illuminati
finally concluded after two in the morning, after much conspiratorial backstabbing and threats that Mr. Wasabi would surely be sleeping on the couch that night if he snuck a peek at my cards or attempted another overthrowing of my network. I can credit a collective amount of pig-headedness on all players' parts (myself included) as the culprit behind why this game lasted so long. But really, after you've spent so long building up your evil empire, you don't want to just roll over and let someone win for something as silly as sleep.... right? Stubborn heads prevailed until Mr. Wasabi finally won the lofty privilege of saying, "Thank God, this game is OVER."With enough rest, I feel like I will be ready for the next game night, as well as tackling another recipe from Thomas Keller's recipe books. Onwards and upwards for 2010!
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