kochleffel

I support care for alternatively abled pets, don't support lumpy rugs or intentionally wearing different-colored shoes. I'd need Lactaid for the carrot cake, unless it were made with imitation cream cheese. Pass on the drink (pineapple juice). I'm running out of substitutes for Nebbiolo, but I'd suggest Dr. Frank's 2021 Amur, a variety from southern Siberia and northern China, if it weren't sold out. "Dark and rich red cherry, jammy blackberry, with meaty, savory notes and a touch of black pepper. The palate is rustic with strong tannins balanced with ripe red and black fruits, sweet spice, black pepper, and a touch herbal."

My dad was a life-insurance agent, although in later years most of his work was with group health insurance and retirement plans. I am aware of scurvy, although I don't think it's common in the U.S. now. It was a concern in the U.K. during World War II, and children received special rations of black currant syrup, black currants being one of the few natural sources of vitamin C--rose hips are another--to grow there. I grow black currants myself, but not for that reason. A sorrel story, although pesto doesn't figure into it. Around 1980, I went with friends in Berkeley to Chez Panisse, a restaurant that by then was rather famous. It served a set meal, and the night we were there, the main course was fish with two sauces: sorrel and pepper. We thought they would be served on the side, but we were wrong. Half the plate was lined with sorrel sauce and half with pepper sauce, making two precise half-circles, one bright green and the other bright orange, the fish in the center. The servers carried the plates high so that the diners did not see them before they were placed on the table. I may have been rather drunk, but since then I have considered it important that the way food is presented does not frighten the diner. No on the drink. I don't think that homemade pumpkin seltzer is in my future. For the wine, Salmon Run (second label of Dr. Frank's) Chardonnay Riesling, which I think would have a similar character although it's not totally dry, $13.99. Last night I got to sleep only with the help of B&B. Not Benedictine and brandy, but Benadryl and brandy. Acupuncture this afternoon, and then an Earth-to-Sky online meeting about a subject that I don't remember.

White matter is necessary and normal in the brain; it connects the neurons of the grey matter. However, damage to it can be serious. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-white-matter-in-the-brain-98119

Registering for the conference and booking flights was a frustrating process, both because of the registration forms and because of the airline's superior--I mean horrible--IT (possibly acquired from a cruise line?). One of the first questions in the registration forms was the size for the conference T-shirt. It had to be answered and there was no option for "no T-shirt." The instructions for the date fields say to use the forms DD/MM/YYYY but the form actually requires MM/DD. For some parts, optional add-ons were combined with the basic options, but for others they had to be selected separately. You get the idea. Now, I needed to be booking flights while filling in the registration forms, because of having to specify whether I would need to arrive the day before or stay until the day after. Once I knew what flights I wanted, the airline's website offered no way to pay with e-credits and insisted on charging the entire amount to a credit card. I cancelled that booking (refund to the original form of payment allowed within 24 hours) and started again, this time from the e-credit page. When I had everything lined up, the website abruptly returned me to the home page. On the third attempt, I got it to use the e-credit but then it seemed to charge the balance to the number of one card with the expiration date and security code of another card, so I am not sure whether my "confirmed" booking might not be cancelled when they notice, if that's what actually happened.

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit. Also ribbet, ribbet, white frog, just in case. Today I need to deal with grocery shopping, laundry, and yard work. It's also time to plant lettuce seeds and peas. In theory it would have been better to plant them earlier, but I've found that when I do, they don't germinate until now, if at all. For those with doodler dogs:

The pesto chicken would be OK but I couldn't make it at home. I remember a bizarre train journey, Indianapolis to Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, that ran five hours late. My car had a group of Marines--looking too young to drink--returning to Camp Lejeune who guzzled so much rum and Coke that the bar ran out of rum. For the wine, Ravines Wine Cellers Le Petit Caporal 2020 even though it's $34.95. I spent several days in Juneau in 2021 during a non-cruise (Alaska Marine Highway System). It rained almost all the time so I have no pictures. The best part was an all-day trip to Tracy Arm Fjord with Adventure Bound that wouldn't fit into most port calls.

Not too long ago, police horses made a break for it on I-90 in Cleveland, unfortunately heading in the opposite direction to traffic. But they were domesticated, trained horses, and they just went back to their stable. A while ago on a show on Animal Planet, an equine veterinarian was called to treat a zebra, and compared it to treating a wild horse.

Meanwhile, there's a report about runaway zebras on I-90 in Washington. https://wapo.st/4bhvaeh

Just noticed that, in my haste to take the trash and recycling out, I skipped taking my blood-pressure medicine. I'm not awake enough in the morning to remember whether I took it or not, but I turn the bottles on their sides in the evening and turn them upright when I've taken it.

Definitely in favor of animal advocacy but troubled by the information that Beltane spans April 31-May 1. I didn't enjoy April enough to want an extra day of it. I would probably like the fried cauliflower but I don't agree that cauliflower tastes buttery. Pass on the drink; I might be under the table before I finished it. No old-vine Grenache or any Grenache in the FL, so I'll counter with Dr. Frank's old-vines Pinot Noir, planted in 1958 and the second-oldest Pinot Noir planting in the U.S.,$26.99. Today is the last day of Passover for the second day in a row, which is hard for me to cope with. Took out the trash and recycling, hoping that the rain doesn't resume before the pickup, because there are paper and cardboard in the recycling bin. My avatar photo is from my first cruise, on the Norwegian Epic, six years ago today.

As I remember it, in the 1950s just about everyone who grew roses at all had a specimen of 'Peace.' Francis Meilland developed it in France in the 1930s, and just before the German invasion he sent cuttings to growers in other countries. Supposedly the cuttings to the U.S. left on the last plane out of France. There was no communication during the war among the growers in various countries, with the result that it became known as Mme. Meilland in France, Gioia in Italy, Peace in North America (where the Conard Pyle company introduced it on the day that Berlin fell) and Scandinavia, and Gloria Dei in Germany. Speaking of Berlin, I haven't been back since the wall came down, but I passed through it many times before that, once to stay a week in East Germany. The German spoken there, and the food, were essentially pre-war: lots of cold cuts but almost no fresh fruit or vegetables. Not sure about the corn salad or the drink. For a Sauvignon Blanc, Hector Wine Company 2022, fermented with indigenous yeasts, unfined, unfiltered, $19.50.

The creamy pasta might be too high in lactose, but if that can be controlled, I'd consider it after Passover. No on the pseudotini. For a Riesling, there are too many good choices, but this time I'll choose Red Newt's 2018 Dry Riesling. I cancelled the Utah trip, which would have begun next week, and now I'm puzzling over a conference in San Diego in July. That I'll go is almost a foregone conclusion, with airline credits that have to be used. The question is whether I'll go for the pre-conference or just the main conference. I also have to determine whether I have to fly the day before (probably) to get there by the starting time, and whether I have to stay an extra day (probably, because the conference continues past noon on the last day).

Not wearing orange since I no longer have any orange clothing that is wearable. A person might think that Mona Lisa and DaVinci were pampered cats, but they would disagree. They also want you to know that the service here is terrible, just terrible. No on the menu (shrimp) but I would probably like the drink, maybe only once. This is the second time we've had a Brunello di Montalcino, but this one is from a different maker. For a Finger Lakes red with a note of cherry, I might go with Weis Vineyards Pinot Noir 2021 from Keuka Lake, $29.99. During the last hour of online class on Thursday, after donating blood, I started to feel exhausted, and that persisted into Friday--just total depletion, and not only of blood. It's better today even though I slept very badly. I shifted gears on the shepherd's pie and made it as a stew, using the matzah kugel batter for dumplings. Will have it again tonight, with a salad of Boston lettuce. A friend who is a 9-1-1 dispatcher and EMS trainer is recruiting 30 volunteers to be made up with fake injuries for a drill at the end of May. I would be more willing if it weren't at 7:00 a.m. and about 25 miles away.

It's impossible to forget the Chernobyl disaster. No Australians within hugging reach at the moment. Because of the charges of scientific fraud and plagiarism, plus racism and body-snatching, against John James Audubon, some chapters including those in Seattle, Chicago, and New York, have changed their names, although the National Audubon Society did not. OK on the menu suggestion although I wouldn't go out of my way to get farro or whatever. No on the drink, especially since I'm still not sure what it's really supposed to be. For the wine, Glenora Blanc des Blanc 2015, $30.99. The bruising of my arm is worse, but it's less painful. The main project for today is lawn mowing, then making a shepherd's pie using turkey and a matzah-kugel topping. I have a little bok choy left, not enough for another stir-fry, and may just add it to the turkey mixture.

Summer Love If you're my age, and many people here are, you probably remember the Summer of Love. The Summer Love cocktail appears to have nothing to do with that, but there may be some sort of philosophical lesson in the extreme variety of recipes for it--no two were alike or even similar, although many of them are pink. I'm going to offer two. Summer Love 1 2 oz vodka 1 oz lemon juice ½ oz simple syrup 5 mint leaves (buy) 1 oz watermelon liqueur In a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the fresh mint leaves to release their aromatic oils. Add the vodka, watermelon liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup to the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to combine all the ingredients and chill the cocktail. Strain the mixture from the shaker into the glass with fresh ice cubes and garnish the cocktail with a watermelon slice or a sprig of mint (optional). Summer Love 2 40ml rum 3 strawberries 15ml limoncello liqueur 15ml honey Juice of half a fresh lemon Champagne Muddle the strawberries. Add all of the other ingredients except the champagne. Shake over ice. Double strain into a Champagne coupe. Top with champagne. Garnish with half a fresh strawberry.

Blood donation was successful in the senses that (a) they got a pint, and (b) I didn't faint. On the other hand, it was exceptionally painful and also took a lot of fiddling to get good flow, and it still hurts a bit. I just removed the bandage; there is some bruising and I think there may be more by morning, but no swelling.

I can't help thinking of Fred Small's song "At the Elbe." Pass on the meal, with prejudice (shrimp). Also pass on the drink for now (Passover). For a Sauvignon Blanc, Hosmer 2021. I've been to Santorini but don't have pix handy. Rather full day today: groceries, blood donation, and the last class of the semester, with our Nature Appreciation slideshows. I don't expect any of the snacks at the blood donation to be kosher for Passover. Actual dinner will be a tofu and bok choy stir-fry, with brown jasmine rice. Jews of Ashkenazi background don't eat either tofu (or any legumes) or rice during Passover, but I switched to Sefardi rules for Passover almost a decade ago.

Mexican Coffee If the name of today's drink made you think of Irish coffee, you were on the right track, and you might be able to guess how it's made. 1 fluid ounce coffee-flavored liqueur (such as Kahlua®) ½ fluid ounce tequila 5 fluid ounces hot coffee 2 tablespoons whipped cream (some versions use plain cream) Stir together coffee liqueur and tequila in a mug. Pour in hot coffee and top with whipped cream.

I finished my Nature Appreciation requirement on Monday by visiting a forest preserve and a nature center that are near each other. Houghton Land Preserve Spencer Crest Nature Center

I wouldn't mind some Sauvignon Blanc and it would go with the salmon cakes, but the wine I have open is a kosher Gamay-Pinot blend from France. Believe it or not, salmon patties were already in my plan for today, the recipe adapted slightly for Passover. I was up too early for brunch, even with a mimosa waiting, and after the second seder last night I probably shouldn't drink any more for a while. No Nebbiolo grapes here, so I might substitute Chateau LaFayette Reneau's Petit Verdot, $29.99. I seem to have attended not one seder (required), not two (customary in the diaspora, but I follow the Israeli calendar), but three. The second was virtual, starting at lunchtime EDT yesterday because it was being led from Germany. The third was at the synagogue with 65 people, more a community event (with very good food) than a religious occasion. I had arranged to sit with my hosts from the first seder and a medical student whom they had invited; a Presbyterian minister joined us. I also led part of the morning service yesterday.

Mimosa This is another drink that should be too simple to mess up, not that people haven't tried. 1 part freshly squeezed orange juice 1 part Champagne or other sparkling wine The sparkling wine for this need not be, and should not be, the best French champagne. Domestic American champagne, so-called, prosecco, or cava will be fine, but avoid one that is too insipid. Pour both the sparkling wine and the juice into a champagne flute (they mix better if the sparkling wine goes in first). That is all.

It's good to have English Language Day and English Muffin Day together, because muffins demonstrate once again that England and the United States are two countries divided by a common language. In other online venues, people in England declare vehemently that what is called an English muffin over here is not a muffin in any way, shape, or form -- but what is a muffin is something that there's less-than-complete agreement on in England, especially if you add pikelets to the conversation. The menu suggestion would be OK if I had any of the ingredients. I would simplify the drink to just Campari and soda, because I rarely have an open bottle of prosecco handy. For the wine, I'd go with whatever Bordeaux-style blend happened to be available, perhaps Rooster Hill's Cabernet Franc-Lemberger blend, $24.99.

Campari Spritz A person might think that a Campari Spritz was such a simple idea that the Interweb couldn't possibly mess around with it. Such a person would be wrong, but in this case, the maker of Campari has provided an official recipe. 2 oz. Campari 3 oz. Prosecco 1 oz. soda water Pour the Campari, Prosecco, and soda water into an ice-filled wine glass. Garnish with a orange slice of fresh orange.

Thank you, and not to worry. As I was puzzling over the many formulae for the drink, some of them farfetched, I realized that it was setting me behind on the Passover prep, and so left it for lunchtime. If I am too impaired in the morning, I might not post until lunchtime tomorrow as well, although tomorrow's drink is an easy one.

Fujiyama There are about a thousand different recipes for this one, and they don't agree on anything. Some of them seem to think that it's named for Fuji apples, not for the mountain, and use apple juice as the mixer or applejack as the spirit. One of them is a pseudotini that contains a tiny amount of sake and large amounts of other ingredients. There's even one that thinks it should be made with Mountain Dew. Here is the least bizarre that I could find. 2 tsp of Triple Sec 1 1/2 oz of sake rice wine 1 1/2 oz of sweet and sour mix Stir ingredients together in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a maraschino cherry, and serve.