A Few Comments on Size

I knew the title of this post would capture your attention…but it’s not what you think. I’m of course talking about the above video which moves from the size of a molecule to a galaxy in just over two minutes. I find myself looking skyward a lot these days…not sure why, I just do. It keeps things in perspective, humbles me, makes me feel small. This short video makes me feel tiny…if you are interested in this type of thing I encourage you to watch it (watch the captions in the upper right corner).

Urban Simplicity.

Four Unrelated Photos and a Few Words to Describe Them

The only way these photos have any relation to one another is that they were all taken today. Other than the one  directly below–which was taken earlier in the day while at work–the other three were all taken within about 20 minutes of one another. Here’s a bit about them, from top to bottom:

I was waiting on a street corner for my son to come out of his music lesson this evening when I saw motion in the sky that drew my eyes up. There was a veritable river of birds (crow, I think) traveling directly overhead (click the image for a better view). My son came out and we stood there for a few minutes in silence and just watched them pass.

Directly below is a dessert we were testing this morning…triple chocolate napoleon.

A set of stairs that caught my attention.

A hood ornament to a car…seems like that one needs a caption.

Urban Simplicity.

Here’s Something I Don’t See Everyday

I’ve heard on many occasions that we have falcons living in the City of Buffalo but never saw one first hand…until now. These pictures were taken from the kitchen window at my place of employment which overlooks a garden. It’s a Peregrine Falcon (I think) and seems to have been looking for something to eat…glad my pugs weren’t out there.

Things I Saw within an Arm’s Reach of Each Other

It’s interesting what a few hours make. I took these photos this morning as I was arriving at work. It looked and felt like a beautiful pre-spring morning. Later in the evening I took these photos and posted them here….now it’s been snowing for hours. Anyhow, as I approached work today I anticipated a busy day–and it was…stupid-busy–so I stood outside the rear entrance for a moment to gather my thoughts. There’s a short cement walkway to the rear door with a stone wall adjacent to it. And the sun shone sharp in the sky for so early in the season. As I stood there gathering my thoughts–and in an effort to ward off anxiety (it worked for a little while)–I looked at the beauty around me. The pictures immediately above and below are bits of moss growing out of the stone wall…they are really only the size of a large coin. The next photo down is of a short stairway leading to a garden…the sun shone through tree branches that reflected on a wall. And the last photo is of an archaic hook that hangs unused on the same wall.

Urban Simplicity.

Two Cream Soup Recipes

Vichyssoise
(Serve warm in the winter months and chilled in the summer)
Yield: 4-5 cups
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch leeks (white parts only), cutcrosswise, and washed three times
2 cups chicken stock
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomedsoup pot over medium-high heat. When it begins to bubble add thesliced and washed leeks. Sautéthe leeks for abut 2 minutes, or until they are tender andtranslucent. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and bring thestock to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. Cook the soup for about20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily mashed. Transfer thesoup to a blender or food processor, and process it until it issmooth. Return the soup to the pot and bring it again to a simmer.Stir in the cream. This soup may be served hot or cold. 
(I posted this recipe recently but made it again today and it is a crowd pleaser…so in the even you missed it, here it is again.)
 
ButternutSquash Bisque with Apple and Toasted Walnuts
Yield:6 cups
2tablespoons butter
1small onion, peeled and diced
2tablespoonsflour
2tablespoonssugar
1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4teaspoon allspice
1/4teaspoon nutmeg
1/2teaspoon salt
1teaspoon black pepper
2pounds peeled and diced butternut squash
2cups chicken stock
1cup heavy cream
1/4cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/2cup small diced apple

Meltthe butter in a small pot over medium heat and add the onions. Sweatthe onions over medium heat for 5 minutes or until they aretranslu­cent. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for 2minutes. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper,and diced pumpkin; sauté another minute. Add the stock and simmerfor 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is very tender. Add the creamand simmer for 1 or 2 minutes longer. Puree in a blender or foodprocessor. After ladling the soup into warm bowls, garnish it withthe toasted walnuts and diced apple.

Playing with Light and Snow….Two Trees; Eight Views

It was snowing lightly early in the evening tonight as I pedaled to the health club…big slushy flakes. And when I came out it was really coming down (it still is)…large wet flakes that stick to everything (including a camera and a person riding a bike). Anyhow, I snapped a few photos of two different trees. The series above is a tree just outside the health club, and the series below is of a tree in front of my house. I used various settings on the camera and had the flash on for just some of the photos. Click either for a larger view.

Urban Simplicity.

Lent (bread recipe)

100% Whole Wheat Bread (made with four ingredients)

To read the entire post regarding making whole wheat bread with just four basic ingredients, click here.

Makes 2 loaves

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
————————
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups water
————————
3 teaspoons instant yeast
3 teaspoons kosher salt

In one bowl make a preferment by combining 2 cups of whole wheat flour with 1 cup water and 2 teaspoons of instant yeast. Begin the autolyse in another bowl by combining 4 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups water. Stir each bowl just enough to combine the ingredients, taking care not to get yeast into the bowl with the autolyse. Cover both bowls and allow to rest and ferment for 30-90 minutes, during which time the preferment will begin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and the autolyse will soak the grain, swelling the gluten.

After an hour or so, combine the ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and remaining 3 teaspoons of yeast (add the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it loosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans (or shape and place them on baking sheets). Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.

Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.


Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#402)

More than 6 dozen freshly-made fastnacht kuecheles in 3 plastic tubs.

Urban Simplicity.

Nearly Night (Fastnacht Kuecheles…recipe and lore)

This is a recipe that I post every year just before Lent. I usually post it on Shrove Tuesday–the traditional day these doughnuts are eaten–but thought I’d post it a day earlier in the event anyone would like to make them (and I hope you do). I was lucky enough to be brought up with food traditions on both sides of my family. I had mentioned in an earlier post that I was Lebanese-American on my father’s side, well my mother’s side of the family is of German-French ancestry. The recipe below I received from one of my sisters, who learned it from our mother, who learned it from our grandmother, and so on.. The name of these doughnuts in German is fastnacht kuecheles and they are very similar to the French or New Orleans biegnet. They are traditionally eaten the day before Lent as a (now mostly symbolic) act of using up all the rich, luxurious, and fatty foods before spending the next 40 days in introspection (living lean). The names of the day may change from one tradition to another but they all basically mean the same thing. The English name is Shrove Tuesday…shrove is the past tense of shrive, loosely meaning to offer confession or penance. In French, Mardi Gras translates literally as Fat Tuesday…the last of the “fatty stuff” for 40 days. And Carnival, translates loosely as “farewell to meat,” or “farewell to flesh,” meaning goodbye to meat and/or carnal pleasures for a while. What I find interesting is something new I learned about the German version of these doughnuts, not so much the recipe itself but its etymology. I have been fascinated with languages my entire life but know almost nothing (fast nichts) about German. Anyhow, I always thought that the word for these doughnuts–fastnachts–meant fast night, or the night before the fast…Lent. And this still may be true. But when I did some electronic translating and broke the phrase into two words–fast nacht--I’ve come to see that it translates literally as almost night, likely making reference to the somber darkness that shrouds the next 40 days of the Christian Calendar. Unrelated but still related to this recipe, the word kuecheles, is likely a variation of küchle, meaning fritter. Anyhow, these are very simple to make and super-delicious. The one thing that’s not shown in the photos but is included in the recipes (and is the best part) is that they are tossed in powdered sugar while still warm. And I can still hear my mother’s voice from when I was a boy and tossing the kuecheles with eager anticipation (just as I do today)…”Joey,” she would yell while standing in front of her frying pan, “You’re getting sugar everywhere.” And I likely was.

Fastnacht Kuecheles
Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup water (room temperature)
1 cup milk (room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons yeast
6-7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

Combine the water, milk, sugar, yeast, and two cups of flour in a large bowl. Allow to rest for 1 hour, or until the yeast is fully active. Transfer to an upright mixing bowl with a dough hook. Add the eggs, melted butter, salt, and 4 cups of flour. Run the mixer on low for 1 minute (if the dough seems too sticky add the remaining cup flour) then turn to medium and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rest at room temperature for about an hour, or until double in size. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and cut into three pieces. Shape into balls, cover, and let rest 20 minutes. Roll into large circles about 1/4 inch thick, then cut the dough into diamonds 2-4 inches wide. Cover the diamonds with a cloth and let rest 10 minutes. Preheat a couple inches of vegetable oil to 350F in a heavy skillet. Carefully fry the fastnachts in batches, cooking them for a couple minutes on each side until they are puffed and golden-brown; drain on absorbent paper. Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then toss a few at a time in a paper bag with confectionery sugar.

Urban Simplicity

Comments about Dusk…and one other thing

That’s my Mundo pictured above; it’s parked in one of my usual spots at the health club (I commented on this parking spot previously at this post). I came out of the club this evening at just about 6pm and saw the incredible blue hue you see in all of these photos; none are adulterated. It was as if everything was glowing. I’ve said it before, but dusk and dawn are truly magical (I think) for many reasons, one of them is the the light. The picture directly below is what I see when I look straight out over where the bike is parked, looking out over Buffalo’s East Side. The two trees below are just to the left…I really think barren trees in the winter are beautiful, and this light only accentuates this. Anyhow, the other thing I wanted to comment on was the parked bike…it’s just as I found it when I came out of the health club. Do you notice anything unusual (look before reading on)?

Give up?

I have two heavy locks on the bike–a U-lock and a chain/padlock–but…neither of them are locked. I must have been thinking of something else as I pulled up and unloaded the bike. I parked it in it’s usual spot but didn’t lock it. And I was in the club longer than usual tonight…nearly two hours it sat there unattended. Anyone could have simply got on it and pedaled away. Luck? Maybe. Good Karma? Hopefully. But one thing is for sure is that I am truly thankful it was still there when I came out. And to top it off…I had the added gift of this wonderful blue hue.

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#401)

A jar of peanut butter and a jar of grape jelly…staples in my household. Good thing I was riding a bike that has the ability to carry 440lbs/200kg.

To read an article I wrote–some years ago–on the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, click here.

To see some of the other things I’ve carried on my bike(s), click here.

Urban Simplicity.

A Solitary Walk (Playing with Angle and Light: Three Street Scenes)

I like to walk; it clears my head. When I’m on a bike I have to pay attention to my surroundings but when I walk I can do just that…walk. Tonight I had some thoughts that were troubling me so I thought I’d go for a brisk walk on this chilly (32F/0C) and wet February night…OK, I stopped at a local tavern for a couple beers also (that helps clear my head, too…or maybe it clouds it, whatever). Anyhow, and as usual, I brought a camera with me. I also had my small tripod…in order to get clear pictures at night it’s essential my hand doesn’t shake. What’s interesting is the angle at which these photos were taken…about 10 in./25cm. off the ground. The tripod I use I originally purchased to use on my bike, but tonight I was walking. It gives it an interesting perspective, I think. Anyhow, the walk was good…and the beers were better. As usual, click any photo for a larger view.

Urban Simplicity.

Stuffed French Toast is Anything but "Lost"

Pictured on this post is a breakfast I made for my son (and a friend) and it’s his favorite…French Toast. I’ve posted numerous pictures and versions of this simple but delicious recipe in the past (click here), but what sets this one apart is that the toast is stuffed. As usual, I used homemade whole wheat bread (click here for a recipe) and made the syrup using a pineapple juice/sugar reduction into which I dropped a few blueberries just before serving (this adds not just flavor but also a bit of color to the syrup). I “stuffed” the bread with thin slices of ripe banana, and I use the word stuffed loosely because it it really more like an egg-dipped sandwich…slice the bread thinner than usual and dip it in an egg-mil mixture before making a sandwich with the fruit. And an important thing when cooking this is to do so over a very slow flame…you want the sandwich (toast) to heat through thoroughly not only to cook the raw egg but also this is what will hold it together. Lastly, what I meant by the title of this post–that this is anything but lost–is that it is really extravagant, and unlike it’s humble origins. The original French toast in New Orleans/Creole patois was called Pain Purdue, or “lost bread”…implying that it was made with old or stale bread (as not to waste it). Well, this bread was neither old or stale–nor were any of the other ingredients–hence, it was anything but lost. Urban Simplicity.

A Few Buildings

One of the (many) things I enjoy is walking around cities and looking at the architecture…and this is true for my own city as well…I rarely tire of it. For being a small city, Buffalo has an impressive history with equally impressive architecture…these photos are just a smattering of it (I could fill pages). Anyhow, a couple of these I took just the other day, and a few I came across on my hard drive so I thought I’d share. From top to bottom they are as follows:

Westminster Church
The Buckingham Building
The Theater of Youth
The Wilcox Mansion
A large Tudor house (now a business)
Businesses on the Elmwood Strip
City Hall
A Friends Meeting House (now a residence)

Click any image for a larger view.

 

Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#400)

Front Rack: A canvas bag containing, two books, an iPhone, a camera, and two sets of allen wrenches.

Rear Carrier: Two plastic buckets; one containing a whole-grain pre-ferment (biga), and the other an autolyse, which later became the bread pictured below (click here to see how to make it).

Whole Grain Bread
Makes 2 loaves
1 cup (6.6oz/187g) 7-grain mix
3 quarts (96floz/2.83L) water
____________
fully cooked grains
2/3 cup (5.3 oz/157ml) cookingliquid
2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour
2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instantyeast
____________
4 cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheatflour
2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten
1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cookingliquid
____________
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) honey
1/4 cup (2fl oz/59.1ml) olive oil
3 teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) instantyeast
3 teaspoons (.5oz/14.1g) koshersalt
Combine the grain and water in a mediumpot and bring to a boil; lower the heat to simmer and cook the ricefor about 45 minutes or until very soft. As the grain cooks add morewater to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which isfull of nutrients, will become part of the recipe. After the grainsare cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature,refrigerating if necessary. Then drain it, squeezing it with yourhands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Place two bowlsside-by-side; one will hold the pre-ferment, the other autolyse. Inone bowl combine the cooked and drained 7-grains with 2/3 cup (5.3oz/157ml) of the cooking liquid, 2 cups (11oz/312g) whole wheatflour, and 2 teaspoons (.2oz/5.6g) instant yeast. Stir just untilcombined then cover it with plastic wrap. In the other bowl combine 4cups (21oz/595.3g) whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons (.5oz/14g) vitalwheat gluten, and 1 1/3 cups (10.5fl oz/315ml) cooking liquid; stirjust until combined then cover it with plastic wrap (take care not toget yeast into this bowl). Allow the bowls to rest at roomtemperature for about an hour, during which time the preferment willbegin it’s job multiplying yeast and fermenting flour, and theautolyse will soak liquid, swelling the gluten.
After an hour or so, combinethe ingredients from both bowls into the bowl of an upright mixerfitted with a dough hook. Add the honey, olive oil, salt, and 3teaspoons (.3oz/8.5g) of yeast (add the yeast and salt on oppositesides of the bowl). Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover itloosely, and allow to ferment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled inbulk. Deflate the dough and allow it to ferment an additional 30minutes. Turn the dough out onto afloured work surface and cut it into 2 pieces. Shape into loavesand place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves withplastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until doublein size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentationremains. Preheat an oven to 450f (232.2C). Bake the breads forabout 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (eitherwith ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every tenminutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and soundhollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allowthem to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

To see how to make an Ezekiel Bread Recipe version of this, click here.

Urban Simplicity.

The Man Who Lived on His Bike

This short film (3 minutes) is excellent. I loved it. Whether you ride a bike or not it will undoubtedly make you smile…and  the music is good, too. Here’s a description from the author:

I love being on a bike. It helps me feel free. I get it from my dad.

After 382 days spent riding through the streets of Montreal, being sometimes quite cold, sometimes quite hot – and sometimes quite scared, I dedicate this movie to you, Yves Blanchet 🙂

Urban Simplicity.

Three Photos of Water and a Few Words to Describe Them

Top to bottom…a railing I had my bike locked to, the top bar of my Mundo, and a railing on my porch. Click any photo for a larger view.

Urban Simplicity.

Buffalo Soldiers

Well first off, the title of this post has nothing to do with soldiers in the city where I was born and live, Buffalo, NY.  It’s referring to the Twenty-fifth United States Infantry Regiment, also known as Buffalo Soldiers, which was at the time a racially segregated regiment.

I’ve posted the above picture before and enjoy it so much that I use it as the background image on my computer at work (click it for a larger view). Sometimes while I’m eating lunch I sit and look at it, and that’s just what I was doing today (I love how proud they look). It’s an image captured in 1896 by Frank Jay Haynes in Yellowstone Park. That summer they rode those heavy bikes nearly 2000 miles/3218 kilometers, while carrying all their gear and wearing heavy wool clothing…impressive by any means. And I can’t imagine the hardships they likely endured…not just physical but also emotional and racial (this was 1896 after all). I was thinking this as I looked at the photo today, and found it so inspiring (and also remembered that it is Black History Month) so I thought I’d re-post the photo with a couple additional photos and a few new words.

Here’s some stats (borrowed from The Historical Museum of Fort Missoula.

Duration of trip: June 14 – July 24, 1897, 41 days.
Distance traveled: 1900.2 miles in 34 days of actual travel. An average of 55.9 miles per day and 6.3 miles per hour.
Delays: the command was delayed a total of seven days for the following reasons:
13 hours repairing bicycles
4 7/60 hours fixing tires
117 hours for lunch
71 1/3 hours for other causes.
The heaviest soldier, stripped, weighed 177 pounds; and the lightest 125 ½ pounds; the average weight being 148 ½ pounds.
The oldest man was 39 years old, the youngest 24 years; the average age was 27.

What I find fascinating about these guys–besides their heavy clothing and gear–is that the bikes themselves were likely heavy and they were fixed gear. And most incredible, I think, is that the roads were not paved.

The last time I posted the top picture, a follower of this blog, alerted me to a book he had written about these soldiers titled, Rescue at Pine Ridge. To read more about their fascinating history click here or here.

Lastly, I leave you with the song bearing the same name as these soldiers, by Bob Marley.

Urban Simplicity.

Five Quotes That Inspire Me

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” 
—Albert Einstein
“A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire.”
—Thomas Merton
“Non-violence begins with me.”
—Sister Karen Klimczak
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” 
—Mahatma Gandhi
“There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the thoughts you are thinking and the things you are doing are right for you. The criterion is: Have they brought you inner peace?”
—Peace Pilgrim
To read more in the Five Quotes series, click here.
Urban Simplicity. 
 
 

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#399)…and a quick comment

Things on the bike…a gym bag containing two swim suits, two towels, and two pair of swim goggles; and a canvas bag containing a book, magazine, and camera.

A quick comment…That’s my bike parked about 10ft from the door to the health club of which I’m a member. Being Monday I almost drove…my street has alternate parking and I have to move the truck and find a spot where I won’t get ticketed; it can be a real hassle. But I chose to ride and I’m glad I did. It’s difficult to see by the picture but the parking lot–in the background–at that time of the day (early evening) is mayhem…parents picking up their children from the after school program and health club members–like me–who just got out of work and are arriving at the facility. There are cars circling the parking lot being driven by annoyed and anxious-looking people seeking a spot to park…some are simply waiting at a stand-still while others double park with flashers on…and wait. I, on the other hand, was able to coast up to the front door.

I know riding a bike is not accessible to everyone–and not many are as crazy as me and the other few souls I see in the snow–but there are alternatives, such as walking and riding occasionally (or even car-pooling and sharing). Anyhow, I’ve always thought it was a bit silly when I see people drive cars  to a health club only to ride a stationary bike for a few miles (and then comment how far they “rode”), but another incentive–at least at this club–is that bikes always get the best parking spaces. I’m just saying.

I’ll get off my little soapbox now.

Urban Simplicity.