Sometimes it is wonderful to sit back and listen to someone describe the cool things they're working on. CBC's Quirks and Quarks is a wonderful weekly science news program that asks researchers to talk for eight to ten minutes on their current work. Bob McDonald is an excellent host and many of these are just fun, so sit back and enjoy a few (you can subscribe to the podcast feed on iTunes)
with that a few recent shows (all in mp3):
The big gulp - Jeremy Goldbogen on the dynamics of blue whale feeding techniques ... the paper in Royal Society Biology Letters.
Steam before boiling - Naomi Halas on using nano particles to generate steam using solar power - even at low temperatures. They claim 80% efficiency! The paper in ACS Nano...
Long ago in a galaxy far away ... Ray Carlberg on a new class of very violent stellar explosions. The paper in Nature.
Fearing Math ... Ian Lyons on Math Phobia and what might be done to deal with it. (it starts around 1:45) The paper in PLoS One.
The global positioning system of the Loggerhead Turtle ... Ken Lohmannon how these turtles find their way back to the beach where they were born. The paper in Current Biology.
That should use enough of your time - so no verbiage from me on this post.
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Recipe corner
The first two are Christmas recipes from my childhood. I still make them. The rest are more current, but worth passing along - even the last one.
Christmas Treasure Bars
Ingredients
° 2 cups AP flour
° 1-1/2 cup baking powder
° 1/2 tsp salt
° 1/2 cup brown sugar
° 1/2 cup cane sugar
° 1/2 cup butter (softened)
° 2 large eggs
° 1 tsp vanilla extract
° 3/4 cup whole milk
° 1 cup walnuts
° 1 cup cherry halves
° 6 oz milk chocolate chips (these days I use a mixture of milk and dark chocolate cut into chip sized bits)
Technique
° Preheat oven to 325°F
° Grease or pam a 10x15" pan
° Sift the flour, baking powder and salt
° in a separate bowl create the sugars and butter and mix in the eggs and vanilla
° add the dry mixture and milk to the sugar mixture alternating as you go.
° add the nuts, cherries and chips
° bake for 25 to 30 minutes
° when cool frost with a butter cream or cream cheese frosting
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The next one is wonderful if you chill a couple of the cookies and put ice cream between them...
Grandma King's Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
° 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
° 1/2 tsp salt
° 1 cup cane sugar
° 1 large egg
° 4 tbl molasses
° 2 cups AP flour
° 2-1/2 tsp baking soda
° 1 tsp ground ginger
* 1 tsp cinnamon
° 1/2 tsp cloves
Technique
° preheat oven to 300° F
° mix the ingredients in the order given
° roll dough into walnut sized ball and then roll in some white sugar
° lay the balls out on a sheet with 2" between cookies, flatten with a glass bottom and bake for 12 to 15 minutes
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Cranberry Christmas Bars
Ingredients
(bars)
° 113 g (1 stick) unsalted melted butter
° 1 large egg
° 200g (1 cup) light brown sugar
° 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
° 125 g (1 cup) AP flour
° 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
° 130g (3/4 cup) white chocolate chips
° 50g (1/2 cup) dried cranberries or tart cherries
(frosting)
° 175g (1 cup) white chocolate chips melted
° 125g (4 oz) softened cream cheese
° 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
° 250g+ (2+ cups) confectioners' sugar)
° 30g (1/4 cup) dried cranberries or sour cherries
Technique
° preheat oven to 350° F
° line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with pam
° melt the butter in a microwave - allow to cool to near room temperature
° add the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla to the butter and combine
° add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined - over mixing will ruin the bars
° fold in white chocolate chips and cranberries. Pour batter into the pan
° bake for 18 to 20 minutes, and center is set and golden, or a toothpick comes out clean. do not overbake!!!
° allow bars to cool before frosting
(frosting)
° melt the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in short bursts until it can be stirred smooth (or just use a double boiler)
° using an electric mixer combine cream cheese, about 3/4 of the melted white chocolate, 250g sugar, vanilla, and beat until smooth and fluffy. Start by mixing on low speed, then on medium-high for about 3 minutes.
° add additional confectioners' sugar to get whatever taste and consistency you want and frost the bars
° sprinkle on the cranberries and evenly drizzle with the remaining 1/4 of the white chocolate reheating in the microwave if necessary (it probably will be)
° allow bars to set up for at least an hour before slicing and serving
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And a seasonal soup - I love celeriac and used a cream soup recipe in Mike Ruhlman's excellent book Ratio.
Celeriac Cream soup
Ingredients
°28g (2 tbl) unsalted butter
° 80g chopped onion
° 725g (3 cups) whole milk
° 450g celery root, 1/4 of it nicely diced and roasted till tender, cooled and reserved for garnish; the rest is roughly chopped
° 85g heavy cream
° salt to taste
° fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar to taste
Technique
° cook the flour and butter in a pot over medium heat
° add the onions and cook for another minute or so - add the milk and simmer until it thickens. Salt to taste.
° add the chopped celeriac and gently cook until its tender - maybe 15 minutes.
° puree the soup (I use an immersion blender), run through a strainer and add the cream
° season with the lemon juice or white wine vinegar (I prefer lemon)
° reheat the garnish in a microwave
° garnish and serve
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This one is a bit strange, but you can get away with such things this time of the year.
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
° 1 cup hot milk (I use whole milk for this in total disregard for my health)
° 28g (1 oz) finely chopped white chocolate (I use Lindt)
° 28g (1 oz) finely chopped dark chocolate (a Lindt again)
° 18g (2-1/2 tsp) molasses
° pinch ground cloves
° pinch ground cinnamon
° pinch ground ginger
° pinch ground nutmeg
° pinch salt
° brown sugar (optional)
° whipped cream (optional)
Technique
° add all ingredients but the whipped cream to the hot milk and stir until combined and smooth
° adjust sweetness with brown sugar if needed - some molasses and chocolates may force the issue
° top with whipped cream if you want to tempt fate
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