Brian's Backpacking Blog and a nice giveaway

So, there is this guy I know online (I figure one day we'll meet in person), Brian Green, who has a really nice blog around backpacking, with a focus on ultra-lightweight backpacking.  He has a lot of really good information as well as some nifty giveaways occasionally including this one for an awesome cup (as in vessel for drinking, not an athletic supporter).  The contest can be found here:

http://www.briangreen.net/2011/02/kupilka-21-cup-giveaway.html

The company behind the cup is trying to get a foothold in the U.S. and they seem to have a really nice product.  They can be found at Kupilka and you can follow them on twitter at @kupilka.

So, take a look, enter the contest and read Brian's other stuff as it is all good reading.

Oops, where did January go?

Huh, I guess all this travel for work has caused me to ignore the blog...  I will need to do something about that (like setup some scheduled bloggin' time).

Where is the Fish? Fishy, fishy, fishy fish?

The concept of the fish taco was always kind of foreign to me.  I'd see the roadside stands talking about getting one for $1 and it just never appealed to me.  However, it's a brave new world and I was in the mood to try something different last night, so I poked around the net looking at some recipes and ended up coming up with a variation on several that was really tasty (even Elise loved it, and talk about picky...)

The best thing was it was reasonably cheap to make and it didn't take a whole lot of work.  I forgot to take a picture of them, but here is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Cholula or Chipotle Tobasco)

3 tablespoons lime juice

6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

salt

2 cups shredded romain lettuce
1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 lb cod filets
8 tortillas (I like flour)
Guacamole
Shredded monterey jack cheese

Okay, you ready ski king?  Let's let it happen Cap'n.

Heat up the oven to 350°.  When it's warm separate the tortillas and wrap them in 2 pouches of tin foil, 4 tortillas to a pouch.  Toss them in the oven to warm up while you do everything else.  For a max of about 15 minutes.

Whisk together the mayo, yogurt and hot sauce.  Dip a finger in it and give it a taste, add whatever you want to it or adjust the hot sauce levels.  You don't want it spicy, but sort or tangy and warm.

Now, in another bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil and a good smidge, maybe even a dash of salt.  Whisk it all together until it gets a dressing like consistency.  Now, take the lettuce, carrots and onion, put 2 tablespoons of the dressing on it and toss it all together.  Go ahead and taste that, you know you wanna.

Cut up your cod fillets into 1" x 3" strips (you don't need to measure them), pat them dry and sprinkle on some salt.  In a skillet, heat up the remaining oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. saute´ the cod in 2 batches, about 4 minutes to a side and drain it on paper towels when it is done.  After the cod is cooked, transfer it to a clean dish and pour on the rest of the lime dressing, coating the fish.

Now, let's build us some tacos...  Grab a tortilla (re-wrap the ones still there, so they don't get crusty), smear some guacamole on it, put on some fish, put on some of the salad mix, add some cheese and then drizzle some of the mayo concoction on it...  Take a bite, you deserve it.

Pretty damn tasty, isn't it?  I hope you like them.  All told, these took about 40 minutes to prep and cook. The best part was that it was a pretty inexpensive meal at about $1.60 per taco (the cod was on sale) and you could drop that by using a different white fish.  If you wanted to use less oil, you could bake the fish too...

Printing

It was just pointed out to me that my posts don't print very well, particularly under the Safari browser.  I'll look into solutions for this over the next few days.  In the meantime, if anyone has suggestions or comments on other features/functionality they would like to see, please let me know.  One thing I am considering is setting it up to email you a nicely formatted recipe from a posting...

Anyway, I'll try to get it solved soon (in my copious spare time).

When your nostrils need clearing...

I love spicy food.  Not burn a hole in your small intestine spicy, but a good heat that compliments the flavor of what you are eating and brings the dish together.  So, in keeping with my soup kick, I thought to make something along the lines of a Chinese Hot & Sour soup, but with a bit more substance on the protein front.  A meal in and of itself.  Also, I wanted this all to happen in a reasonably short timeframe and with a minimum of fuss...

My friends, I have created such a soup.  I call this soup:

Andrew's 3 Hankie Soup

We are going to make something pretty tasty, reasonably easy and with minimal shopping.  Perfect for a cold night and not too heavy, this soup will quickly warm you up and make you feel full without feeling stuffed.

First, let's take a look at what we'll need to make it...

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 lb +/- of chicken breast, cut up into bite-sized pieces
• Sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Turmeric
• 2 - 2 1/2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh ginger root
• 2 Tablespoons of chile paste (look in the asian food section, usually has a rooster on the jar)
• 1 cup, or so, of chopped celery
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 qt of chicken broth
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 pkg of ramen noodles
• 1 cup of chopped bok choy (green leaves)
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (pale green part)

Ready kids?  Let's do this thing...

Okay, in a decent sized pot, I like to use my round 2 1/2 quart Le Creuset, heat up a bit of olive oil over medium heat and cook up the chicken breast until it is almost cooked through.  You can sprinkle a little salt and pepper on, if you'd like, but it probably isn't necessary (I do out of habit).  Once that's cooked up, dump the chicken into a bowl and set off to the side.

Put about 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil into the pot over medium-low heat and warm it up.  When you think it's warm enough, toss in the turmeric, ginger, chile paste, onion and celery and cook it up until the veggies start to soften a touch, about 4 minutes.

WARNING:  Do not stick your nose into the pot and take a big sniff, you will regret it.

Okay, lets pour in the broth and the soy sauce as well as add the chicken back in and put in the sugar.  Stir that up, cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Once you get it to a boil, lower the heat and toss in the ramen noodles (not the spice packet) and cook for 3 minutes.  Finally, remove from heat, stir in the Bok Choy and let the flavors mingle for a minute or two.

Serve garnished with the green onion floating on the top and enjoy.

All told, this took around 45 minutes with prep and cooking and it made up 4 main course servings or probably about 6 - 7 starter course servings.

Ready, Set... GUMBO!

So, I decided I was in the mood for some gumbo and therefore, I poked around in the fridge and freezer to see what I had on-hand to make some up.  I found some frozen venison, chicken, and a couple links of kielbasa.  This had the makings of some good chow.  I am not going to say that it is the ultimate gumbo, as I am not from Louisiana and saying you are making the ultimate gumbo is a totally bold statement.  However, I will say it is very tasty.

Now, before I get into the recipe, I want to talk to you about something very personal...  Roux.

How you prepare your roux dictates the rest of your gumbo.  Do you use butter or oil as the fat?  What kind of flour?  How dark do you make it?

Today I opted to try something new.  I used a 50/50 mix of olive oil and chipotle infused olive oil as the fat and all-purpose flour.  I opted to cook it for about 30 minutes so it is was a nice, dark brown.  This made for a fantastic base for the rest of the gumbo and gave it a fantastic, smoky chipotle heat.

Andrew's Spur of the Moment Gumbo

Okay people, we're going to rock some gumbo.  Just to let you know, the following are just guidelines, feel free to use different meats, different veggies, whatever.  This isn't "spicy", but it does have that smoky chipotle flavor.  I can't go too spicy in this house due to the girls not liking it too hot.

Let's go shopping or dig around in the freezer and find the following Ingredients:

1/2 cup Chipotle Olive Oil
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 cup all purpose flour
2 Medium Onions, chopped (just over 1 cup)
Several stalks of celery, chopped (just over 1 cup)
1/2 cup Carrots, chopped
2 quarts of chicken and/or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
3/4 lb chicken breast, cubed
1/2 lb venison, cubed
1 lb kielbasa, beef smoked sausage or andouille sausage, in 1/2 slices
Handful of Basil leaves, torn up (yes, you heard me right)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce
White Rice
Gumbo File'

Let's hit it.

Put the olive oil in a heavy pot and heat it up over medium flame.  When it gets hot, whisk in the flour and lower the heat a touch.  Cook that for 15 - 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture browns and gets a nutty aroma.  When it gets to the point you like it, dump in the veggies and cook the mixture for around 4 minutes until they start to soften.

Pour in the stock, toss in the bay leaves, and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes or so until it starts to thicken a bit.

While that is cooking, toss the chicken and venison into a skillet with some olive oil and cook it most of the way through.  You can throw on some salt and pepper as well.  When that is ready to go, throw it into the pot with the sausage and toss in the basil.  Let the flavors settle together for a few minutes and taste the broth.  Add in some Worcestershire and salt/pepper to taste and cook everything for a little bit (15 minutes or so), it should thicken up nicely.

Fish out the bay leaves and serve the gumbo over rice and sprinkle on a bit of the gumbo file'...  Enjoy.

This recipe makes about 6 main-course servings and took just about an hour and a half to cook up...

Andrew Downie's Unnamed Ultimate Soup

I think there are few occasions of true inspiration.  Most leaps forward are made through iterative steps on the same theme and rarely does the proverbial light bulb go off, in reality.

Examples are easy to see, such as the wheel, and accidental inspiration is evident too, such as the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (as you got your chocolate in my peanut butter...), but to not only witness inspiration, but to experience it, is a gift like no other.

Today my friends, I am the recipient of said gift, for I have created the yet to be named ultimate soup that blends aromatics, textures and flavors in a miracle of culinary goodness, which I will now share with you.  This soup is based on the crudely conceived of idea that a soup could not only provide warming, inductive goodness, such as in a fine Chicken, Corn & Cheddar Chowder, but would also be capable of aromatically pleasing the senses and providing a silky flavor, such as in a lobster bisque.

Such a soup, comprised of organic chicken breasts, steamed lobster meat and fresh vegetables is, Andrew Downie's Unnamed Ultimate Soup...

The Unnamed Ultimate Soup has reached a high level of development and is being successfully deployed at family meals and events.  It's recipe is available now, under a limited private use license which stipulates that it shall always be referred to as Andrew Downie's Unnamed Ultimate Soup, until such a time as a name is decided, and no commercial use of this recipe is authorized without the express permission and mutually agreed upon licensing by Andrew Downie.


I have opted to temporarily remove the recipe from this posting in order to decide how I want to proceed with this soup.  As with many things, with great soup, comes great responsibility, so I want to decide how to best protect the recipe...  Sorry, but I think it is necessary.


Andrew

Andrew Downie's Unnamed Ultimate Soup

Okay people, let's do this thing...

First off, check your stock and make sure you have the following stuff.  If I didn't include exact measurements, that's because it is a personal taste thing and you should figure it out on your own, if that scares you, walk away.

--- REDACTED ---

Chicken, Corn & Cheddar Chowder

Chicken, Corn and Cheddar Chowder with Roll

That's right damn it.  A mere chicken & corn chowder isn't good enough for me, I had to take it to the next level and add me some cheddar.  As my good friend Bobcat says, "Everything is better with cheese."

I also decided that I didn't like the concept of using canned creamed corn in this recipe as I wanted to maintain ingredient control (no extra chemicals I could easily avoid), so I added in the creamed corn assembly as well.  Anyway, this is really good soup that is nice and thick and would be great after spending an afternoon out in the cold...

Let's light this candle.

Chicken Corn & Cheddar Chowder

Carry your butt to the store (or pull this stuff out) and get:

Olive Oil
1 package (10 oz or so) corn kernels (thawed if frozen, or go with drained from a can)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Some salt
Some black pepper
5 Tablespoons butter, divided
4 1/2 cups milk, divided
4 Tablespoons flour, divided
Some grated parmesan cheese (small handful)
About 3/4 cup chopped celery
About 3/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 pound chicken breasts (boneless)
4 Tablespoons chopped mild green chilies (One of those tiny cans)
About 1 1/2 cups of those French Fried Onions they put in that green bean casserole every T-Giving
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided.

Okay, we'll start with the chicken.  Chop it up into bite-sized pieces and cook it up, in a large pot, in a little of the olive oil and maybe a little salt and pepper until it is about 80% done.  Pull out the chicken and set it aside.

In a skillet, over medium heat, combine the corn, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, a bit of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of butter.  While that starts to heat up, whisk together 1/2 a cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of flour then stir that into the corn mixture.  Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens up a bit and the corn is cooked through.  Then stir in a handful of parmesan cheese and remove from the heat once it is melted.  Set the skillet aside for a bit (it will thicken up a bit and congeal, not to worry).

Now, I am assuming you already chopped up the red pepper and celery.  If not, do it now slacker.  Once that is done, melt the rest of the butter in the big-ass soup pot and saute' the celery and peppers over medium-high heat until tender, but they still have a crunch.  We're probably talking 3 or 4 minutes.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour over the veggies and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly and scraping the dried stuff off the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the milk and the creamed corn you previously made.  Bring the temperature up to a good simmer and dump in the chicken and the chilies.  Let the pot return to a good simmer or a boil and then add in about 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar, a handful at a time, and stir it in until melted.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or so, until thickened.  Play with the salt and pepper a bit.  I also find that a splash of sherry really can take this soup over the top, but that is a personal preference (also, some low-sodium soy sauce can add some nice layers to the flavor).

Now, toss in about 1 cup of those french fried onions and stir them in.  Serve the soup with some shredded cheddar and some more of the onions sprinkled on top.  I also like it with a splash of Cholula or Frank's hot sauce on top.  We also discovered that the Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls go really well with this soup.

Hope you like it.  If not, well that just means more for me.

All told, this took about an hour to make, including prep.  At the end of it all I had about 6 large servings (the stuff is filling though, so it might be more like 8 or so servings).  Good stuff, enjoy.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup With Sausage

I made a couple soups today, partly to experiment, partly to have some food in the fridge that I could heat up.  This soup is really nice as it has some nice spice, but mellows really well with a dollop of sour cream.  If you want to lose the sausage, you can, but I like the little extra flavor it provides.  You will note this isn't in the "new" recipe format, as I am revisiting that from a variety of data visualization angles...

Anyway, this will warm you up on a cold day.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup with Sausage

First, let's go shopping.  You might have most of this on-hand (at least if you cook a lot), or could substitute if need be.  Regardless, you are going to need the following (amounts estimated, adjust to taste):

About 1 lb of pork sausage (I get the non-cased stuff at my local italian market)
4 cups of chopped red onion (couple good sized onions)
4 cloves of minced garlic (or a couple tablespoons of pre-minced)
3 cups water
2 30 oz cans of black beans, drained
2 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth ( I actually prefer to make my own, tastes better.  Better yet, use pheasant broth... )
4 or so tablespoons Cholula hot sauce (or Franks, but Cholula is better)
4 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro
4 Teaspoons ground cumin
4 Tablespoons rum (I use Captain Morgans)
2 Tablespoons dry Sherry

Okay, in a big pot, I like to use an enameled, cast iron dutch oven, toss in the sausage over medium - high heat and cook it up so we don't get sick.  When it is done, pull it out of the pot and set it aside, but leave the grease in there.

Chop up your onion and toss it in that sausage grease over medium-high heat with the garlic and cook it up until they get tender, 4 or 5 minutes.  You might need to add some olive oil or the like, depending on how much sausage grease was still in there.  It's okay, you can add some fat, I won't tell.  About this time the people in the house will start smelling it and begin peeking into the kitchen, kick them out.

Okay, now it gets complicated...

Dump in all the other ingredients EXCEPT the sausage, rum and sherry.  Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat, partially cover and cook for about 20 minuted, stirring every few minutes.  Don't rush it, let the flavors blend.

Now, ladle about 1/2 the soup into a blender or a food processor and blend it until smooth.  Pour it back into the pot, stir in the sausage, rum and sherry.  Taste it, love it, adjust it as you see fit, make it your own...

I like to serve it with some shredded queso cheese and a spoonful of sour cream on top.  Some folks might like a lime wedge too.  This makes a good sized pot of soup, probably 8 - 10 servings, so feel free to cut the recipe in half.

All told, it should take you about 45 minutes to an hour to make this, with prep and cooking.

Cry, "ExactTarget!", and let slip the platform evangelist...

So, for the past month or so, I have been starting my new position with a company called ExactTarget, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.  My title is, "Platform Evangelist", which tends to raise a lot of eyebrows, but it is a fantastic opportunity and I am pretty amped about the company and the position.

As a part of the on-boarding process, one of the things new-hires do is send out an email to the entire organization to introduce themselves.  As a part of mine, I included this little video to explain my role:

Andrew's Introduction

Just to explain a couple of the inside jokes, the company mantra is, "Be Orange", in reference to the company culture.  At the end, when the character asks for a "Hug", it is in reference to the fact that we call the workstations at HQ, "Hugs".

With regards to, "Being Orange", I must admit that I found it interesting how much they pushed this concept during new-hire training.  In most organizations, they talk about core values and company culture, but I think I actually found the company that not only believes in it, but lives it.  It is rather incredible the energy and the willingness to help that is evident throughout the entire company, and quite refreshing.

This might explain why so few people leave the organization...

Anyway, I am going to be speaking a lot to the power of the platform for developers and partners, as well as to the future direction of the platform.  So, this should be right up my alley.  I am really hoping it goes how I anticipate.

Day Two with the Treks

So, I got to wear the Treks out and about a bit today, making a run out to do some errands.  While they certainly feel different than the standard KSOs, I still like them a lot.  They transmit much less tactile information, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing considering that sometimes you want more protection and these won't get your feet wet as easily when you walk through puddles.

As you can see to the right, the tread on the Treks is much more aggressive, which I think I would prefer on rougher trails or in situations where I might be walking over grating,  such as in the city (Indianapolis has a surprising amount of grating and rough pavement, go figure).  I think I would still prefer the KSOs on asphalt, grass or on crushed limestone, however.

Another thing which has come to my attention is that it is now quite easy to get these on and off.  The leather seems to have stretched a bit and the added rigidity of the soles allows for easier entry and exit from the shoe.  They still do feel a bit more glove-like though, which I think has more to do with the material.

I also noticed that there is a small tag which is attached to the insole just under the heel.  While walking around this wasn't uncomfortable, but it was noticeable.

The overall construction of the shoe seems well done, although I did notice some stray dangly threads and there was a touch of extra adhesive here and there, but nothing that seems to impact the performance or the aesthetics of the shoe.

I do have some concerns around the funk factor with these, so I might try out some of the Injinji socks with them, still haven't decided on that front yet...

New Fivefingers have arrived: Initial impressions

I was like a kid on Christmas morning when I got home today to find my new Vibram Fivefinger KSO Treks waiting for me.  As my attempts at repair of my worn-through KSOs were just a stopgap, I was really looking forward to trying the treks, with their leather uppers and thicker soles, out for a bit.

My initial reaction to the aesthetics was very positive, as was my wife's, daughter's, a family friend's and the dog's.  They certainly are the most "conservative" Fivefingers and will draw less attention in public.  Honestly, my biggest concerns were around the leather and the soles, so I immediately decided to try them on and walk around a bit to test them out.

First, I replaced one of my original KSOs with one of the Treks.  I have to say that the fit of the Treks is much more glove-like and they are tougher to slip on due to the fact that the leather doesn't stretch as readily as the nylon on the KSOs.  Once I got the shoe on, I noticed that it has a completely different feel on the foot that the standard KSOs do.  My initial reaction was that it felt heavier and more constricting.  I took a walk around the house with one of each type on and it is a totally different foot-feel to the Treks.  The thicker sole certainly doesn't transmit as much tactile information, but it doesn't feel bad, just different.

I then put on both of the Treks and I have been wearing them for an hour or so.  They seem to be adjusting to my feet as I wear them and I am getting used to the change in foot-feel.  I would have to say that, initially, I am very positive about them but I would really like to see how they are on breathability and over the long-haul.  With this pair, I might try out some of the toe socks that REI sells as these are much more useable for casual wear in public and I really don't want them to be all funky...

I'll post some pics and will do further reviews as the situation dictates or as I think of worthwhile (fsvo "worthwhile") things to say...

Hope this was of use.

tldr:  Vibram Fivefinger KSO Treks feel more shoe-like, initial impressions still very positive.

Good news and bad news on the Fivefinger front...

So, it would seem that my shoe repair utilizing "shoe goo" holds okay for a couple of days of normal walking/driving.  So, as a long-term repair option, I would not rate this as a winner.

That being said, it is holding well enough until my new VFFs arrive, which they should do tomorrow.  On another totally unexpected and pleasant note, I also got a note back from Vibram with regards to the comment I submitted on their site asking about the normal life of the shoes.  They informed me that this was unusual and I provided them with the pictures of the wear.  They are letting the designers know and are also shipping me a new pair, which was totally unexpected and is greatly appreciated.  You simply must love good customer service :-)

Also, We can expect kids sizes in Q1...  This will make a certain 6 year-old princess very happy :-)

So yeah, I am even more of a fanboy now.

I refuse to accept the death of my Vibram Fivefingers...

I have opted to try and repair the VFFs for the time being.  While I am cautiously optimistic that the "Super Goo" athletic shoe repair adhesive will hold up for awhile, I have also ordered a new pair of KSO Treks (the ones with the thicker soles).

Mishel used this goop to create the soles of the slippers she made me for Burning Man one year, and it held up really well for the entire week on the playa, so I will test this repair out over a few days on the streets of Indianapolis.

I shall keep the VFF world (well, at least my little part of it) informed...

Insert witty title about the failure of my Fivefingers here...

I am a total fanboy of my Vibram Fivefingers.  I admit this about myself.  I tell everyone who asks that they are very comfortable, totally awesome, and one of the best footwear investments I have ever made...

worn spots behind 3rd toe...

However, now I am depressed.

After somewhere around 250 miles in them, my wife noticed a spot where one shoe was worn through.  It was an unusual spot, between the ball of the foot and the toes, not where I would expect them to wear out, but they did.  We decided to check the other one.

Oh, the horror!

Almost exactly the same spot!

I am so depressed.

I still love these shoes, so we will try to repair them with some "Shoe Goo", but I am not hopeful.  I am also planning on ordering a pair of KSO Treks, which have a more rugged sole than the normal KSOs.  However, I am also probably going to get another pair of KSOs as well as I really like the feel of these.

I will now go off and be sad for my shoes...