Danny’s Blog

Entries from December 2008

Every Lego Instruction Book Ever

December 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment

http://www.hccamsterdam.nl/brickfactory/

The Alpha-1 RocketBase was one of my favorites as a kid.

Categories: Hobbies

Skillet Lasagna

December 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion , minced
Table salt
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound meatloaf mix
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles , broken into 2-inch lengths
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 additional tablespoons
Ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions:
1. Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.

Categories: Recipes

Widgetbox

December 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Widgetbox.com is a site that lets you add flash and java-based applications called widgets to your website. Here is a sample, it is a video game:

Categories: Technology

Liptauer Cheese

December 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
½ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 baguette, thinly sliced and toasted.

Directions:
1. With the back of a spoon, press the cottage cheese through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl.

2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter on medium speed. Beat in the cottage cheese, paprika, a generous grinding of black pepper, the salt, caraway seeds, mustard, capers, onion and sour cream until it forms a smooth paste.

3. Spoon it into a 1 ½ -cup bowl lined with plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set. Unmold onto a platter and sprinkle with chives. Serve with baguette slices or crackers. Makes 1 ½ cups.

NOTE: To make a Liptauer dip, stir an extra ¼ cup sour cream into the paste. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives. Serve with crudités.

Serves 8.

Categories: Recipes

Transylvanian Goulash

December 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment

1 pound sauerkraut, fresh, canned or packaged (note: a 1-pound jar of sauerkraut weighs far less when drained)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
¼ teaspoon chopped garlic
Salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
3 cups chicken broth
2 ½ to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds
¼ cup tomato purée

1. Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, then soak it in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness. Strain well, pressing out all the water.

2. Melt the butter in a 5-quart casserole and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook a minute or two longer. Stir in the paprika, pour in ½ cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the pork cubes.

3. Spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato purée and the rest of the broth and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point. Season the cooking liquid with a pinch of salt, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if needed; the sauerkraut should be moist.

4. When the pork is tender, combine the creams in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the creams with a whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. Serve in large, wide bowls, accompanied by a side of sour cream. Serves 4. Recipes adapted from “The Cooking of Vienna’s Empire,” by Joseph Wechsberg, part of the Time-Life Foods of the World series.

Categories: Recipes