Some of the bounty at last night’s Southern Indulgence-themed supper club. And yes, the pecan pie and bourbon ice cream were big hits!
So Spaceballs pretty much had it right….
A computer lab at MIT in the 1960’s, where experts believe the first computer password came into use, and that it was “ABCDEFG,” and that it was written down on a Post-It and stuck to a wall in a highly-trafficked part of the office and also shared with the entire staff via email and also posted to Craigslist.
— Carl Sagan (via discoverynews)
(via cynthiahasatumblr)
Eureka Airship
Often seen cruising Bay Area skies about 1,000 feet off the ground, the Eureka airship is one of only two of its type in the world, and the only one in the United States that carries commercial passengers. This German-made zeppelin, owned by Airship Ventures, is not a blimp; though both types of airships are filled with helium, only a zeppelin has an internal framework.
Here’s the old-fashioned pecan pie (recipe here from the departed Gourmet) to go with the bourbon vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients:
Pastry dough 3/4 stick unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 2 cups pecan halves (1/2 pound)
Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and lightly press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively. Lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes (or freeze 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in corn syrup mixture.
Put pecans in pie shell and pour corn syrup mixture evenly over them. Bake on hot baking sheet until filling is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Old-Fashioned-Pecan-Pie-356072#ixzz1kmq77IwN
Vanilla bourbon ice cream in progress for a Southern Indulgence-themed pot luck tonight. This should serve as a nice topping for the pecan pie in the oven. And should be followed by a long run tomorrow.
If you have an ice cream maker, it’s really simple to make. I used the recipe for Ben and Jerry’s sweet cream base #1, added the seeds from two vanilla beans, and 1/4 cup of Maker’s Mark.
“Google’s homepage ‘Doodle’ on Saturday celebrates the 125th anniversary of the largest recorded snowflake — a stone-cold behemoth said to be 15 inches in diameter. The freakishly massive flake reportedly drifted — or perhaps plummeted — to earth at Montana’s Fort Keogh in 1887.”
Chinese artist Zhang Huan created the torsos of two of the most prominent religious figures in the world using the ashes from temple incense in Shanghai. Via