Yummy Cranberry Sauce

I know that the name of this dish is contradictory to many people.  Traditional cranberry sauces range from a canned jelly with rings made by the can, to more chutney-like creations where the cranberries are chopped or ground up (my mom makes it this way, hi mom!).  I actually like all versions, but I tried to make one that would have wide appeal--if you don't like this tasty but mild recipe, then let's all just accept that you don't like cranberry sauce and move on.  It's cool.

I set out to make a sauce that had mellow tartness, and really good cranberry flavor.  In this version, the tartness is controlled by using a fair amount of sugar (sugar plus cider instead of water), and by expanding the volume of the dish with the pear.  The flavor is enhanced by the orange zest/juice and the ginger.  The last notable aspect of the recipe is the reduction at the end--this helps make it more viscous, like the jelly from the can, but without the gross.

Here is the recipe.  It makes a fair amount, but it doesn't work well with small quantities.  Freeze the extra and have it on turkey sandwiches later.

Ingredients:
2 cups of apple cider
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp powdered ginger (or fresh grated if you have it)
2 oranges
2 12 oz bags of cranberries
2 pears

Directions:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, start the cider, sugar, and ginger.  While that is going, stir regularly, and zest and juice the oranges into the pot.  Run the orange over a medium grater to zest, getting most of the good looking orange peel, but not the white pith.  Juice the orange by squeezing it over a small colander to catch the seeds.  Add the cranberries, return to a light boil, and let go until most of them pop, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, peel, core, and finely chop the pears.  They will disintegrate in the sauce, so chop them fine to speed that process up.  Once the berries are cooked, add the pear and get the heat back up to a slow simmer.  It is important not to go too fast here.  Grab a beer or a glass of wine and stand around and stir this concoction every five minutes or so for up to an hour, reducing the volume by about a quarter to a third.  Test it by seeing how much it sticks to your wooden spoon and make it as thick as you like.

At the end, the sauce should be bright red and have a nice soft jelly consistency.  The only recognizable fruit is the cranberries (and maybe some orange zest).  You should be be able to taste the apple/orange/pear, but they should be secondary to the cranberry.  The ginger should be light enough as not to be noticed.

Hopefully, this sauce is appealing to people, and more folks enjoy cranberries with their turkey!

If you have any ideas for improving this recipe, please comment and let me know.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle in Adobo

I became curious about this dish after seeing someone mention it in a blog comment.  That post mentioned steaming, and didn't say anything about mashing them, but whatever, we're doing a Thanksgiving take here.  The idea is to start with one of the dishes that I always get off the potluck table, sweet potato casserole, and update it with this chile idea.  The result is a sweet, smokey, and warming dish that goes great with a turkey or ham dinner, and is a welcome leftover.  You have to like chiles to like this dish, and you must promise to be sparing with them.

Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes

2 chipotle peppers in adobo (1 pepper per 2 potatoes)

2 tsp brown sugar (1 tsp per 2 potatoes)

2 tbsp butter (1 pat per potato)

Directions:

Start a large pot to boil on the stove with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, and cut each into 2-3 pieces so they boil faster.  Add the sweet potatoes to the boiling water, return to boil, and boil gently for 20-30 minutes, or until soft enough to mash nicely.

While the potatoes are cooking, open the can of chipotle in adobo (I get mine in the Mexican aisle at Schnuck's or at one of the little Mexican grocers down on Cherokee--not hard to find at all).  Put your pinky in and taste a bit so you know how hot the can you got is relative to your taste--it will be hotter than you think.  Remove only what peppers you need (2) with whatever sauce comes with them, and place them in a small bowl or mortar.  If you think it's going to be too hot, start with 1/2 chile and 1/2 tsp sauce--you can easily add more later.  Mash the peppers with an ice cream scoop or pestle, and remove any skins that won't mash.  The chiles will be dispersed in the potatoes, so you don't want any big chunks.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them well, and transfer to a bowl.  Add the butter, brown sugar, and chipotles.  Mash everything together with a hand potato masher until all the ingredients are integrated and you have a nice mash.  You're done.

I enjoy this dish about a half-cup at a time, on the side.  Due to the heat, it's not meant to be the main starch.  Hope you enjoy it more often than just the winter holidays.

LaPlace, LA, Andouille Mecca

http://www.nola.com/dining/reviews.ssf?4472?4472

Onion Straws

Inspiration from Fat Johnny.

Wagner of Lambchop on NPR

A wonderful in-studio mini concert by Kurt Wagner, leader of the Nashville collective Lambchop, and one of the great alt-country artists. I love the way he sings.

Costs of War

Link on the costs of war: http://costsofwar.org/

By the Eisenhower Research Project.

Reich Graphic - Limping Middle Class

The NYT graphics team does a great job illustrating the history of class and public policy.

Stereotype Maps

A collection of maps that highlight stereotypes of different parts of the world. You never know whether looking at shit like this helps by shining sunlight on it, or if you're just propagating the stereotypes. There are a couple clever names that give a chuckle. So, there's that.

Charles W. Cushman Photography Library

Charles Weever Cushman, amateur photographer and Indiana University alumnus, bequeathed approximately 14,500 Kodachrome color slides to his alma mater. The photographs in this collection bridge a thirty-two year span from 1938 to 1969, during which time he extensively documented the United States as well as other countries.

- from site

New Shel Silverstein Book

NPR does a story on the new Shel Silverstein book, released by the family.

Top Tax Rate

Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al Pastor

1 large white onion, halved

1 pineapple, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup guajillo chile powder

3 garlic cloves, halved

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles and 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo from canned chipotle chiles in adobo

1 2 1/2-to 3-pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Corn tortillas

Smoky Two-Chile Salsa

Lime wedges

Coarsely chop 1 onion half. Coarsely chop 2 pineapple rounds, discarding core; cover and chill remaining pineapple. Place chopped onion and chopped pineapple in blender. Add orange juice and next 7 ingredients; puree marinade until smooth. Place pork in large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and seal bag, releasing excess air. Turn to coat. Chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill remaining pineapple until warm and slightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Grill pork with some marinade still clinging until slightly charred and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer pineapple and pork to work surface; chop pineapple into 1/2-inch cubes, discarding cores. Chop pork. Transfer to platter; toss to combine.

Meanwhile, finely chop remaining onion half and place in medium bowl. Add cilantro; toss to combine. Grill tortillas until warm and slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.

Serve pork-pineapple mixture with onion-cilantro relish, Smoky Two-Chile Salsa, and lime wedges.

Bon Appétit

May 2008

by Steven Raichlen

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tacos-al-Pastor-242132?mbid=ipapp

Rhubarb Fool

Recipe to save until Spring rhubarb season...

Rhubarb Fool

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks, chopped (5 1/2 cups)

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chilled heavy cream

In a heavy 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy pot combine rhubarb, sugar, and water and bring to a boil, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb begins to break down, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove lid and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until rhubarb is completely broken down into a thick purée and reduced to about 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer rhubarb to a bowl and let it cool, then chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Purée can be made and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days ahead.

Beat cream in a deep bowl with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks—for this fool, I like the cream to be slightly beyond the soft peak stage but not quite stiff—and fold it into the rhubarb. Don’t feel you have to completely incorporate the cream and the rhubarb into a smooth pink fluff. I like to leave it a little streaky with swirls of rhubarb coursing through the cream.

Divide the fool among 6 goblets.

Cooks' Note:

The fool can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Let it stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes to soften slightly.

Gourmet Live

April 2011

by Kemp Minifie

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rhubarb-Fool-365209?mbid=ipapp

Stout Lamb Dip

This is one of the most delicious sandwiches ever. When I saw it on the Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, I said, "Must make!" So, got the lamb at the market (I got a shoulder instead of a leg), as well as the veggies and we went at it. Used Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. The picture is one that we made.

The recipe takes some work, but we just thought of it like making pulled pork, which is the basic process. Add to the recipe the additional steps of roasting the bones and simmering in the jus for a while while it reduces--we saw the chef on the show do that, and it is a great idea.

Recipe reproduced here in case the link breaks:

Stout Braised Lamb Dip

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb

1/2 cup your favorite spice blend (a BBQ rub or something like chili powder/garlic powder/salt/pepper)

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped white onion

2 cups chopped carrots

1 cup garlic cloves

6 bottles dark stout beer

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 packet au jus mix or beef bouillon

Small block Cheddar, grated

6 to 8 hoagie rolls

Special equipment: slow cooker

Directions

Rub the lamb with the spice blend and place in a slow cooker. Add all the chopped vegetables and garlic cloves over and around the lamb. Pour in 4 of the 6 bottles of stout beer, then add enough water just to cover the lamb. Turn the slow cooker on high, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until the lamb easily shreds from the bone.

While the lamb is braising, combine the mayonnaise and teriyaki in a small mixing bowl and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When the lamb is within 1/2 hour or so of being done, start reducing the other 2 bottles of stout in a small pot or saucepan on medium to high heat, allowing the beer to reduce by 1/2. When fully reduced, add the sugar and stir. Taste your reduction; depending on your favorite stout you may need to adjust the amount of sugar to counteract the bitterness of the beer. When seasoned to your liking, turn the heat down to low and cover.

When your lamb is ready (the meat is tender and shreds easily), remove the leg from the slow cooker and place in a baking pan. Allow the lamb to rest and cool while transferring your braising liquid from the slow cooker into a large pot. Be sure to pour the liquid through a strainer to remove the cooked vegetables. Discard the vegetables and skim clear the fat and oil from the top of the braising liquid. Put over medium-high heat and reduce by 1/4. When reduced, add the au jus mix, to taste. Stir thoroughly and place over medium heat.

The first step of shredding your lamb is removing the three main bones (while shredding, wear gloves and have a bowl of ice water to cool your hands as the meat will still be very hot). Next, remove all non-edible connective tissue and cartilage. As you begin shredding the meat you will be able to identify what is good meat and what isn't. After discarding the bad from the good, you are ready to shred the rest of the meat.

Place 6 to7 ounces of shredded lamb per serving in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a small ladle, or about 1/4 cup, of the stout reduction to the pan and cover. When the lamb comes back up to temperature, stir, then top with some shredded cheese and cover to melt.

Toast your hoagie rolls to your liking and spread the teriyaki mayo on the rolls. Place the lamb on a hoagie. Cut in half and serve with the au jus and your favorite side.

~~~

And here are the crib notes from the restaurant version:

• rub the leg in strained bacon grease and the spice rub
• brown the spiced leg
• put the leg on top of the veg
• add stout to ~3/4
• add water to ~1 in. cover
• cover and braise at 350degF for 3 hrs
• remove leg
• pick meat and shred/chop, chill
• brown bones in olive oil in oven
• return bones to jus, reduce, and strain
• mix some jus with meat
• saute meat to browned in spots
• add sliced cheddar to melt
• toast rolls
• spread teryaki mayo
• add cheesed lamb
• serve jus on side

~~~

Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Great Recession Fed Loan Viz

The Federal Reserve provided over $1 Trillion in *undisclosed* loans to financial institutions during the crisis. This visualization by Bloomberg is a good way to explore who got what. An obvious oversight is what rate they paid on the loans...I'm assuming it was a bargain, but I can't find that information readily.

Outside Lands 2011

Festival Site

Overview Story

Friday

The Shins - Caring is Creepy (@1:00)

Phish - Roses Are Free (Ween cover, @2:00)

Phish - Mound

Saturday

OK Go - Do What You Want

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

The Black Keys - Thickfreakness

The Roots - Sweet Child 'O Mine (Guns 'n Roses cover)

Sunday

John Fogerty - Fortunate Son & Rollin on a River

The Decemberists - O Valencia!

The Decemberists - The Mariner's Revenge Song (last song in set)

Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon, Sofi Needs a Ladder (Featuring Sofia Toufa):

Deadmau5 - Professional Griefers/Harder Better Faster Stronger (HBFS is a Daft Punk cover)

Cost of War Report

Report on the cost of war from a very reputable source.  Here for reference.  110329

Barack Herbert Hoover Obama

Two articles, two years apart, comparing Obama to Hoover.

2009: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/07/0082562?redirect=1982284879

2011: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/barack-herbert-hoover-obama/

Rule by Rentiers

A seminal post by Krugman, in which he gives the economic explanation for mid-2011 policy-making.

Peanut Butter Blondies

Recipe to try.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Squares

This recipe in Penzey's coincided with blueberry season. I had just gotten a quart of fresh blueberries at the Soulard Farmer's Market from a farm nearby in Illinois. This recipe is amazing and not a care is given to fat or calories here, meaning it tastes great. The cream cheese/whipped cream mixture is punctuated by bursts of fresh blueberries, and the crunch of the graham cracker crust is great, too. Big plus: no baking!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Squares

Prepare 9" X 13" pan buttered lightly.

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 cups fresh blueberries

1 package of graham cracker crumbs (about 4 cups of finely crushed graham crackers)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract

1- 9 oz. package of non-dairy whipped topping, thawed. One cannot use real whipped cream in this preparation. It will not hold up. [JM: Just get regular Cool Whip and use the whole tub.]

Combine the corn starch, sugar, water and blueberries in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until you note thickening and bubbling, stirring regularly. Cool.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs (put in a big Ziplock bag and roll them with a rolling pin) and melted butter. Press half of the buttered crumbs in the bottom of your buttered 9 X 13 pan.

Beat the cream cheese until softened. Combine in the sugar, whipping until smooth. Add vanilla, continuing to smooth. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Spread 1/2 of this mixture over the crumbs. Spread 1/2 of the blueberry filling over the cream cheese layer. Add another cheese layer followed by another blueberry layer in that order ending with the remaining crumbs.

Should look like this:

Cracker (sprinkled)

Blueberry

Cream

Blueberry

Cream

Cracker (pressed)

Chill overnight.

Source: Penzey's Magazine, transcribed by Asheville B&B

Peak Oil

http://www.peakoil.net/

Private Prisons Gaming the System

A new report by the Justice Policy Institute on private prisons gaming the system.

Jamie Foehner Tribute

Jamie was a great guy and we all miss him. I'll let the professional writers fill in the details.

The story when it broke, with everyone's comments.

From the RFT.

Sandy put the following message on the Lemmons Trivia Night Facebook page:

"Hello everyone, I wanted to take the opportunity to let anyone know who

hasn't yet heard - Jamie passed away Monday night, and therefore we will

not be having Trivia Night this week. I will return with Trivia Night

on my own next week; I know it won't be the same, but I also know that

life goes on. Many people have told me how much joy trivia has brought

them, and Jamie also, and this is the best way I can carry on his

memory; Trivia Night was Jamie's brainchild, and wherever he is, he'll

get some smug satisfaction out of me having to do it all myself. Heh."

Arab Spring Viz

This visual is very nice, the execution is smooth, and it is a creative use of a timeline.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline?INTCMP=SRCH

It would really benefit from a way to click on a country and see a news stream for that one country. It is tricky to go from event to event within a country, too. The abstraction when you select an event is very well done.

Savory Asparagus Bread Pudding

This recipe is delicious in the Spring when fresh asparagus hits the market. You can mix up the herbs if you wanted to...I added sage.

Savory Asparagus Bread Pudding

One 1-pound loaf sourdough or other crusty bread

3 cups milk

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1 pound asparagus

3 to 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or casserole with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Using a serrated knife, cut the bread into 3/4-inch slices, then stack 4 or 5 slices of bread. Cut them into 3/4-inch cubes. Repeat with the remaining bread and put all of the cubes in a large bowl.

In medium bowl, whish together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and dill until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the bread along with the mushrooms and shallots. Fold everything together well to combine the ingredients. Spoon them into the prepared pan and pat down the top to compact the ingredients. Sprinkle the cheese evenly ever the top.

Bake the pudding for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and crisp and there is no liquid in the center. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into portions.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001571.html

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 RED Jalapeno or Serrano peppers, deseeded unless you like it hot

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 T salt

1 T cornstarch or potato starch

2 T water

In the blender, puree together all the ingredients, except for the last two.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture thickens up a bit and the garlic-pepper bits begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue to simmer one more minute. The cornstarch will help the sauce to thicken slightly thereby causing nice suspension of the garlic-pepper bits.

Let cool completely before storing in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

---

Source: http://www.shesimmers.com/2009/02/how-to-make-thai-sweet-chili-dipping.html

Manhattan Apricot Salad

By Phyllis Zibell, from Maureen Morgan

Combine:

2 pkgs of orange jello-2cups boiling water

1 cup pineapple juice-1 cup apricot juice

Then:

Mash a large can of drained apricots (reserve juice), add to jello with one can crushed and drained pineapple (reserve juice). Cover with small marshmallows. Put in refrigerator to set.

Topping:

Take 1 cup pineapple juice and 1 cup apricot juice, put into saucepan with 2 T Flour, 2 T Butter, ½ cup sugar and 1 beaten egg. Cook until thick, stirring so it doesn't burn. Let cool, add 1 cup whipped cream, add to juice mixture, blending together, then spread on jello salad.

I always buy little cans of pineapple juice and apricot juice to add to the reserve from the canned fruit.

Ceiling Cat Bible

File this one under "People who have too much time on their hands. Oh, and a cat fetish." I know that's not going to fit well on a file folder, but it's true. There is a made-up language called "LOLcat" or "lolspeak" which is a sort of pidgin language; this one a cross between English and Cat. It came about as people were captioning cat pictures in a cat's voice. See examples and make your own at icanhascheezburger.com. Pretty harmless, right? Captioning a few cat pics seems like gentle fun. It is, until you translate the entire bible into LOLcat using a wiki.

In the project, "God" is translated as "Ceiling Cat". Maybe you've seen it, since it's been around the internet for years, but here is the original Ceiling Cat LOLcat (or, just Google LOLcat and view the image results).

That particular image/joke is not even featured in the project, but its legacy of irreverent humor is. Take for example, this saucy passage from Ezekiel in its original form and then in lolspeak.

Or, how about one of the classics, like John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

In LOLcat:

So liek teh Ceiling Kitteh lieks teh ppl lots and he sez 'Oh hai I givez u me only kitteh and ifs u beleeves him u wont evr diez no moar, kthxbai!

Most of the Bible is interpreted this way, illustrating the power of crowd-sourcing really banal shit. The Bible is almost secondary to the heart of the work, which is to find the best passages that are the most fun to translate, and to generally have fun talking like a cat. I could see other texts taken on in the same fashion once all they have left is "begat" verses.

This project could be seen as offensive to some because it doesn't treat the Bible with the reverence that it deserves. I can understand that sentiment, but I think it is outweighed by the need to have freedom for artistic (high-brow) or just silly (low-brow) expression. I imagine the God from Quest for The Holy Grail having Ceiling Cat as a pet and that seems to bridge it all together for me.

More reading.

Climate Change Report (Now with Pics!)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released the Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. The Working Group III spent a great deal of effort reviewing the potential for various renewables around the world and finds that with a coordinated effort by governments around the world, we could transition to a primarily renewable-fueled world in 20-30 years. They basically mapped the way to freedom from carbon-based fuels if people can find the will to make it happen.

So, to keep in mind what this is all about, NASA's Earth Day photo album.

Join Me (desktop sharing)

Join Me

Stiglitz 1%

Joseph Stiglitz has been accurate in his predictions, and has provided some of the best policy advice not taken during the Great Recession. In this piece, he writes that the concentration of wealth by the top 1% in the U.S. is not sustainable, and how it is even in their own best interest to avoid too much concentration.

Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%

The Johnny Cash Project

Of course, Johnny Cash is a legend in country music and, really, music in general. He is one of my favorite people as well, as I think his integrity shines through his troubles.

Now a fitting tribute to Johnny emerges in the form of The Johnny Cash Project which crowd-sources art for each frame of a single song, "Ain't No Grave." The site is very well designed, and interesting from a data (i.e., each drawing is a datum) visualization perspective as well.

As an aside, the CNN article that reports on the project doesn't even provide a link. I had to Google it...I wonder what silly rule they have that prevented putting a simple link in the article.

John Cruz - Island Style

I first heard this song in a helicopter on a tour over the Big Island of Hawaii.  I lost the video of the tour with the song on it, and couldn't find the song for years.  I finally found it last year, and it's now one of my favorites.

Island Style

Wild Geese

"Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--

over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

h/t Handsome Family

Large Values of Two

Grabel's Law: 2 is not equal to 3, not even for large values of 2.

h/t Joe Retzer

Roast Pork Gyros

Another great idea from Fat Johnny.  Roast Pork Gyros.  Yum.

Fish Tacos with Caper/Dill Sauce

Thanks, Vickie, whoever you are: http://montana2.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/fish-tacos/

Sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I’ve substituted sour cream and it works equally well)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (this can be cut back to 1/2 tsp, if you just can’t take the heat)
Puree all in the food processor. Put in a small dish and cover. Set aside and let the flavors blend. May be made ahead and refrigerated.

Beer Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer
To make beer batter, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Blend egg and beer in a measuring cup, then quickly whisk it into the flour mixture.

Remaining Ingredients
oil for frying
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions (I like to cut mine in smaller portions which makes more breading – you choose)
1 (12 ounce) package large corn tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

Directions
While the recipe gave instruction for a deep fat fryer, I adapted it by using an iron skillet with a good 1/2″ of canola oil heated at slightly higher than medium heat. (The deep fryer direction is – 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

Serve these with lime wedges.

St Louis Race/Class/Crime Links

The discussion of race in St. Louis is a lengthy one. The city has seen one of the worst patterns of urban racial segregation and subsequent decay. It is up there with cities like Detroit and Newark in this regard. This post provides some links to background on this topic--add more in the comments.

• There is a great book, "Mapping Decline," by Colin Gordon. The main themes of the book are beautifully mapped/captioned at this site. I also have the book at the house if you want to check it out. It is so detailed that I haven't been able to finish reading it, although I have reviewed most of the maps. On January 29th, 2011, Beth and I went to see him lecture at the History Museum. The Q&A section was, how shall we say, lively.
• The Census Dept recently released Zip Code level data to the public. A cartographer/illustrator put together this map of St. Louis. This blogger did a funny mash-up (we live in the "cool part"). The bottom border of the blue area is roughly Delmar Ave. The big blank spot in the middle is Forest Park (WashU is to the West), and just to the Southeast is an odd shaped rectangular patch which is Tower Grove Park and the MO Botanical Garden.
• Then there is always the crime rankings. We made #1 in 2010, for the first time ever, I think--it's usually Detroit. The local rag had a story on it with a response from the city police. The FBI has a caution up on their crime stats site about interpreting such rankings. We'll end with a Wash U professor's letter to the editor. Everybody who lives here knows that this is exactly what is going on--we are very used to city/county politics and outside groups not getting it.

So, I started with just a book reference and ended up giving you the big tour. I had read most of this before, just never compiled it in one spot. Again, please add any further links in the comments.