More C.S. Lewis Editions
Cheeeeeese...December 13th, 2005
The diet-and-exercise thing is going well. I've lost six pounds, and redistributed another five or ten, if the fit of my clothes is any indication. And I've discovered that I really, really like cheeeese.
This is a good thing, because cheese is something I'm allowed to eat. Lately I've been frying a "mexican snack cheese" called "Queso Blanco," and the stuff is AMAZING. I'll fry a couple of quarter-inch-thick slices in a little bit of butter, and they toast up nicely without going all gooey and impossible to flip. And when I eat them, they taste like grilled cheese sandwiches. I don't know how they did it, but the cheese-mongers managed to fake that toasted bread flavor without the help of actual bread.
The addition of a small dollop of tomato sauce (yes, it has carbs, but in insignificant amounts per dollop, and besides -- vegetables are GOOD) completes the illusion. Tomato soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches is one of my favorite foods, but with bread off the menu, I thought it'd be a few months before I'd be able to enjoy it again. Not so!
The funny thing is that the "Queso Blanco" I've been buying, with its picture of a serape-clad, burro-riding, sombrero-bedecked mexican man on the front is made in the Central American province of... umm... Wisconsin. My guess is that whatever the authentic recipe for white "mexican frying-cheese" calls for, these corporate cheese-mongers have found a way to pull it off without the use of anything hecho en mexico whatsoever. Still, it tastes fan-NAFTA-tastic. Naftastic? Whatever.
Needless to say, I tried this stuff in my standard Chupaqueso recipe, and it makes for a truly superior shell. I still prefer chupaquesos that have been filled with pepperjack, or mild cheddar (and bacon, and ham, and green chiles), but Queso Blanco is now my shell of choice.
Looking for chupaqueso recipes? Watch this space. I've had so many requests for them, I've found a special home in cyberspace for them to live, and I'll tell you where it is once there's some actual cheese there.
(And some ADS about cheese. I'm waaay too hungry to write recipies for free.)
Note: A little googling turned up this page about queso blanco, which apparently is a fresh white cheese made primarily in Venezuela, where I'm told they do, in fact, have lots of cows. That's about the extent of my ability to read Spanish, though.
Introducing the Dragon-Cow
Monday, December 12th, 2005
This week's marker-art auction is one of my all-time favorite pieces. It's the "Dragon Cow," and if you dare, you might just consider trying to milk it. I'm not sure what Dragon milk is good for, but I bet the process of acquiring it needs warning labels of its own: "The surgeon-general has determined that milking dragons causes broken ribs, excessive claw-marks, and possible passage through one or more additional stages of the food chain."
Obviously, the only way to do it safely is to pay someone else to do it, and to use an escrow service so the victim's family can't find you to come after you.
You know the drill: click on the picture to the right for the auction.
More C.S. Lewis Editions
Monday, December 12th, 2005
I've gotten lots of overwhelmingly positive email about my "Narnia" review. Well... good. I don't have to feel guilty for enjoying the movie enough to gush about it.
One reader pointed out that Easton Press has leather-bound Chronicles of Narnia for around $50 per title. If you're a fan of very classy-looking books, if you like leather bindings and gold leaf trim, these are probably what you're after. And if you know somebody ELSE who'd like them, now's the perfect time of year to drop, umm... $350.
Note: While I do make a 4% commission on any Amazon.com purchases you make when linking into Amazon from this site, I don't make a dime from Easton Press. See? I can gush for free -- I just have to like your stuff.
New Advertiser
Monday, December 12th, 2005
You've probably already noticed the "Infidel" tee-shirt ad over there on the left. These shirts make me giggle. After all, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, a Liberal or a Conservative, you're probably also an infidel. Be one proudly.