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Ming Tsai’s Cucumber Kimchee
I caught an episode of Simply Ming recently that featured this interesting-sounding kimchee. The ingredients were all pretty easy to come by – except for the Korean chili powder – so I made a batch on Monday night. It “fermented” in the fridge for 24 hours and then I tried it. Not bad! It doesn’t taste much like kimchee though. I’d classify it more as a chunky pickle relish. It’s very sweet and I think I could’ve used more of the plain chili flakes (that I used as a substitute for the “kucho karo”). I think it’d be fantastic on a burger. Here’s what it looked like:

Tonight I also tried out the Spicy Kimchee, Pork and Tofu Braise that utilizes the kimchee. I used a lot more pork and a lot less spinach than he calls for. (Seriously, a pound of spinach? That’s like a grocery bag full.) It was still pretty good! Definitely drizzle on the sesame oil; that really makes the dish.

My Mom has finished another quilt, and it’s amazingly gorgeous. If you ever want a patchwork quilt, you should totally commission her.

So it’s really expensive to live in Australia… but hey, at least you’ll live a long time!

How to Knit a Treehouse (PDF), by the author of my favorite sock knitting book, Cat Bordhi. Okay, so it’s not so much a tree house as a hammock, but it’s still a neat idea.

Holy crap! Check out this recreation of the Luke’s destruction of the Death Star done only with human hands. It’s surprisingly effective!

Oscar Contest 2007 Coming Soon
Okay, so the Oscar nominations are out… and that’s usually when my annual Oscar Contest begins. Unfortunately this year I’m running a little behind with the sock monkey creation, so we’re not going to launch for a little while yet. But you all wanted more time to think about your predictions anyway, right? Plus this will help limit the number of randoms who enter. Not that I don’t want new people to play along, but I always wish that one of my regular readers/commenters would win. So go to the movies and start thinking!

Me: So the Internets evidently think we’re slobs.
Snook: Huh? Oh, you mean those random comments?
Me: Yeah.
Snook: What the hell was that about? It looks good! Some people have frickin’ OCD.
Me: Seriously. I was thinking it looked pretty tidy, myself.
Snook: Most of the time we have empty wine bottles all over the place!
Me: Remember that time we had a bottle of maple syrup on the coffee table for, like, a month?
Both of us: Mmm…. pancakes.

Burning a candle at both ends. That is surprisingly hypnotic. Very cool. (Link courtesy of John.)

Poetwii: poems about/inspired by the Nintendo Wii. No, I’m not making this up. This one’s my favorite.

I have taken
the hearts
that were in the grassfield

and which
you were probably
saving
for battle

Forgive me
they were nourishing
so sweet
and so red

HA!

For those that don’t get it.

Ladies and gentlemen… The Knit Picks Options needles are now available for pre-order! And we’re selling them for $30 less than the recommended retail price! (And that’s the supplier’s RRP, which is less than our usual markup anyway.) The kit is slightly different from the American version; we get one fewer pair of needles but also more extras. I talked the supplier into giving me a couple of trial pairs a few months ago, and I’ve been really impressed with them. They feel just as slick and speedy as Addis but the points are even pointier, which I like. My only complaint is that I’ve had a few problems with the tips unscrewing. (Granted, sometimes I forgot to tighten them with the little key.) Anyway, I’ll be ordering some. And remember, needles don’t count for stashbusting…