links for 2007-01-21
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List of non-fiction books recomended for SciFi/Fantasy authors.
Braving the Ice Storm with food, day two
In the interests of keeping spirits up during this trying ordeal, I’ve been cooking (and eating) meals fit for a king. Last nights meal:
Baked Salmon with Lemon & Caper Vinaigrette, Fresh Green Beans, and Pan Grilled Red Potatoes with Lemon-Garlic Aïoli.
Was it yummy? Yes it was.
Bobby Flay’s recipes are fantastic - even when modified to suit available ingredients like I did.
The Diamond Age
Courtesy of Instapundit, I read today that Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age will be made into a miniseries on the Sci-Fi channel. Wow.
I’m of mixed feelings here. I’m excited that it’s being done, but Sci-Fi channel’s work varies in quality a bit. George Clooney is producing (I’m moderately positive about this) and Neal Stephenson himself is doing the adaptation (WOW!). Who is going to direct?!?!
They’ll have to dial down several things for TV (the long walk on the short pier - the nudity & sex in the underwater tunnels) but I’m cautiously optimistic that this could be very cool.
Black Snake Moan
I caught the trailer for Black Snake Moan when I went to Austin to see Pan’s Labyrinth. It looks like a lot of fun. Only Samuel L. Jackson could pull this role off and he looks fantastic - I love that he is willing to change his appearance in unflattering ways to suit the character. Let’s see Tom Cruise or John Travolta appear with a bald spot on screen.
Christina Ricci is so thin, she’s almost unrecognizable. I hate seeing actresses do this to themselves, but I must admit it fits the character.
Bacardi Limon Gold Standard Cocktail
On Liquor Snob, I found this: Bacardi Limon Gold Standard Cocktail.
I made a couple of these last night while making dinner (minus the gold leaf) - very yummy cocktail.
Dinner? Mushroom Lasagna with Butter Garlic Zucchini. Was it yummy? Yes it was.
If anyone can brave the ice, I have about 20 lbs of lasagna in the freezer.
The Pisco Sour
When I was a kid, my Dad was in the Air Force and we lived in Panama. My Dad had the chance to visit a lot of countries in South America and one of his favorites was Peru. Peru makes a clear spirit called Pisco (distilled from grapes like a less refined brandy). The Peruvian national drink is the Pisco Sour. There is a little bit of controversy since neighboring Chile also claims to have invented the Pisco Sour, but I’ll stick with Peru for no other reason than that’s the country I first heard associated with the Pisco Sour. This drink was very popular in Panama as well and it seems like my parents enjoyed this more than once at parties with friends.
Today at lunch, I stopped by the best liquor and wine store in San Antonio, Joe Saglimbeni Fine Wines and noticed that they carried six or so different varieties of Pisco. I asked for a recommendation and purchased it to surprise my parents with when I see them tomorrow.
Next I needed a recipe for the Pisco Sour (I think it’s best not to drink Pisco straight). I found this excellent site that links to several good recipes.
