Dave's Totally Boring Blog: June 2011

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Cheese

Harris Teeter Cheeses:
Saint Albray - Good soft cheese, but a bit pricey for the quality

Trader Joes Cheeses:
Delice De Bourgogne Triple Creme - Awesome

Earth Fare Cheeses:

Carr Calley 8 Year Cheddar - ok
Beemster - Pretty Good
Cambozola German Blue Brie - Awesome

Cambozola Black Label Blue Cheese - Awesome
Cypress Grove Chevre Purple Haze - Very Good
St. Croix Gruyere - ok

Music Theory

The Major Chords
C, F, G (all white keys)
D, E, A (middle black)
D flat, E flat, A flat (mirror image of D, E, A with white key center)
B (wbb), B flat (bww), G flat (bbb). These are the "oddballs".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI4v4ttB2u8

First Scales To :Learn:
B, F# and E Major (less black keys = harder for proper technique!?)

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=44950.msg490413#msg490413

My favorite music theory link(s):

Ricci Adam's Musictheory.net

The chords are made with the ODD numbers in the scale! (Noah Adams, Piano Lessons)

More to come...

Grilled Zuchinni/Squash/Eggplant

4 ounces balsamic vinegar
8 ounces vegetable or canola oil
4 ounces olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

This makes enough marinade for 4 or 5 squash. The marinade can be recycled once...
Whisk the mixture except for the oils in a large bowl.
Slowly whisk in the oils.
Adjust seasonings as desired.
Marinade sliced zuchinni/squash/eggplant in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Grill on high heat, making sure to let as much marinade as possible drain off to avoid flareups.
Cook on each side for 2 or 3 minutes, turning once or twice.
Remove from heat and serve, any leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen for later use on sandwiches.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Basic Hummus Recipe

1 lb bag dried chickpeas
4-6 cloves garlic
raw or pickled jalepenos
1 tsp cumin (or more to taste)
1 tsp corriander (or more to taste)
ground pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 medium lemons)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 can of tahini
1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Wash, rinse and drain the chickpeas, and repeat.
Soak at least 8 hours (overnight is best) in 10 cups water.
Wash, rinse and drain the chickpeas, and repeat.
Bring 10 cups of water and the chickpeas to a boil.
Turn to low and simmer for 90 minutes.
Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
Add the chickpeas, and all the ingredients except tahini and olive oil to a large food processor.
Puree the mixture 5 minutes or so.
Add the tahini and olive oil and continue to puree until to the desired consistency, about 5 minutes more.
Add 1 to 3 Tbs. olive oil or water to make it consistency of soft cream cheese.

* Based on Vegetarian Times September 2010 issue (page 40) combined with a recipe provided by a friendly cashier at Park Road Books.

Basic Granola Recipe

5 cups rolled oats
3 cups mixed nuts
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

1-2 cups dried fruit (optional)

Combine and toss the dry ingredients.
Add the honey and vanilla.
Mix well.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
If desired turn off oven and cook an additional 5-10 minutes to get more crunchy.
If desired, add 1 - 2 cups of whatever dried fruit(s) you like after cooking.
Let cool.
Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.