Author: tuplesandattributes

Redoing a Room

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I have a 3-bedroom house. The main bedroom is huge, and I have a king bed, the dog’s kennel, my rowing machine, and a chair with an ottoman in it. The other 2 bedrooms are a Jack and Jill arrangement, with one “bedroom” having been my computer and craft room since I moved in.

The other bedroom was just that, a bedroom:

In the year-and-a-half I have been here, this bedroom has only been used once or so. I have decided, then, to turn this room into a home gym. I found someone I could donate the furniture to, and they picked it up on Wednesday. So here’s the basically blank slate I have to work with:

I’ll post pictures as things move along.

“We Have Met the Enemy . . .”

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I was looking back at some older posts and ran across one that still resonates with me. At that time our national “leadership” was threatening to invade Mexico, and these were my thoughts:

Soap Box: Violence in Mexico

Nothing about the current situation with Venezuela or any other country has changed my mind about the real reason behind the problem.

Walt Kelly is credited with the phrase “We have met the enemy and he is us” in his Pogo comic strip in 1970 or so. According to https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walt_Kelly, he also had this to say back in 1953:

Traces of nobility, gentleness and courage persist in all people, do what we will to stamp out the trend. So, too, do those characteristics which are ugly. It is just unfortunate that in the clumsy hands of a cartoonist all traits become ridiculous, leading to a certain amount of self-conscious expostulation and the desire to join battle.
There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us. Forward!

Squash Gratin

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When I was looking at the posts I have put up regarding food, I realized that I had never written about one of my most favorite and often made dishes: Summer Squash Gratin. This is an impressive looking and delicious dish; it takes a little time, but it is not at all difficult.

Here are a couple of pictures from the internet:

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 small leeks (1/2 pound), white and tender green parts thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, preferably
    on a mandoline
  • 3 medium yellow summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, preferably on a mandoline
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 cup finely shredded Gruyère (about 2 ounces)
  • 1 plum tomato, very thinly sliced crosswise
  • Flaky sea salt and crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over moderately high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Spread in a 9-inch round baking dish
  • Meanwhile, on 2 large baking sheets, spread the zucchini and yellow squash and brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cheese and let sit until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Tightly roll 1 piece of zucchini and set it on the leeks in the center of the dish. Working
    outward from that center slice, continue rolling and coiling additional pieces of zucchini and yellow squash until you reach the edge of the baking dish. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper, then tuck in intervals between the zucchini and squash. Scrape any cheese off of the baking sheets and sprinkle on top.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, until the zucchini and squash are tender and browned in spots. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool slightly, then
    serve with crusty bread.
  • Source: http://www.foodandwine.com

I find that using a springform pan makes it much easier to cut wedges for serving.