On this morning, however, the water swelled with inspiration. With a working pier and a harbor filled with bobbing boats as a backdrop, we discussed the merits of that quintessential American food: ketchup, also spelled catchup.

It’s got to be the good stuff or nothing at all, we both agreed. No watered-down, no-name packets, which make for soggy fare. The best: The gotta-slap-the-base-and-hope-it-doesn’t-suddenly-gush-out Heinz 57 variety. But just what does that mean, we wondered. Neither of us has heard of 57 ketchup – or catchup – varieties. Thus, our hour-long ketchup and its confections conversation.

I'll admit to mystification on the 57 varieties front. But I have heard of 32 flavors, although I know there are more than that on the ice cream front. And that leads to me to Ani DiFranco, one of my favorite female artists, and her version of “32 Flavors.” Enjoy…

-Christy

Por mal administracao da minha grana eu ao ir no supermercado ha um mes atras, me vi obrigado a comprar grandes quantidades de salsichas para a minha alimentaçao.

ATE AI TUDO BEM NEH, QUEM NAO CURTE UM CACHORRO-QUENTE AS VEZES.
Problema eh que eu exagerei na compra: quilos e quilos.

Fiquei tres semanas direto comendo cachorro-quente. De manha, de tarde, de noite, de madrugada, toda hora. O pior que eu nao enjooei. Queria mais mais mais mais.

Eu nao me sentia bem se nao estava perto de cachorro-quente. eu suava, tinha ansia de vomito, todo essa lance de mulher gravida ou transexual.
Quando eu nao comia cachorro-quente eu so queria estar comendo cachoro-quente. Eu conversando com meus amigos pensava que eu podia agora estar ali comendo cachorro-quente. Qualquer tipo. Qualquer um dos 17 tipos diferentes que eu desenvolvi:

O tradicionalicimo - apenas com salsicha-, com molho vermelho, com molho amarelo, com molho de alho, com molho branco, com molho ao pesto, com banana e granola, com feijao, com fios de ovos, com chocolate, com bacon e creme de ervilha, com salsicha frita, cachorro-quente so com pao, com couve-flor ao molho de caramelo, com 8 salsichas congeladas, no pao sirio com cenourinhas assadas regado ao azeite de beterraba com molho de muqueca de peixe charles.

Tudo bem que tem muitos ai que eu nao "desenvolvi", mas com meu toque magico parecia algo original. Toque magico de maos que realmente davam devido valor as salsichas manejadas. Mas o real lance eh minha incapacidade de falar de qualquer coisa ou de pensar qualquer coisa que nao seja essa deliciosa mistura de pao e um cilindro enrabado de carne de porco, boi, frango, smegma, cabelos e esterco.

Eu me pego frequentemente que se fossemos invertebrados salsichaloides comestiveis seriamos canibais insensatos mas felizes.

Eu quero elevar esse prato esquinal a gourmet.

Rodnair Arouca é desempregado, idiota, e estudante nas horas vagas.

Libere a sua criatividade e dê um título para esse post.

por Justiceiro

To do this, I needed to get stocked up on seasonings and basics, most importantly the ubiquitous beef stock and mushroom catchup for gravy creation. Mushroom catchup, you ask? Prepare yourself, unsuspecting blog reader, for a whirlwind tour of condiment history. 

Tomato catchup, as we 21st Century folks know it, did not exist at all in the 18th Century. At that time, the tomato was the innocent victim of two vicious urban legends: firstly, that it was poisonous (this may have been the result of acidic tomatoes interacting with poorly cleaned copper and cast-iron cookware), and secondly that it was an aphrodisiac (that's why it's still occasionally called the "Love Apple"). These myths weren't dispelled until very late in the period.

In the meantime, the catchup people were using was more closely connected to its roots as the East Asian fish sauce ke-tsiap, which was brought back to Britain by merchants competing in the Spice Trade. There was both a light, vinegar based variety and a darker mushroom variety, both of which were used to flavor gravies and made dishes, and in a pinch combined with hot water to form a sort of thin sauce of their own. I was able to get a bottle of the light sauce from Deborah's Pantry, but had to make the dark stuff myself. Fortunately, recipes abound. The one I prefer is from Lobscouse and Spotted Dog, and it's a more modest scale reworking of one of Hannah Glasse's 1747 recipes:

To make Catchup to keep twenty years: Take a gallon of strong stale beer, one pound of anchovies washed from the pickle, a pound of shalots peeled, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cloves, a quarter of an ounce of whole pepper, three or four large races of ginger, two quarts of large mushroom-flaps rubbed to pieces; cover all this close and let it simmer until it is half wasted, then strain it through a flannel bag; let it stand until quite cold and then bottle it. You may carry it to the Indies. A spoonful of this to a pound of fresh butter melted makes a fine fish-sauce, or in the room of gravy sauce. The stronger and staler the beer is, the better the catchup will be.

For this recipe I had access to my reenacting buddy Dave Woolsey's home brewed 18th Century porter, so my beer base was very strong indeed. Don't worry...Cat and I still had a bottle each for dinner.

Once scaled down to more reasonable amounts (the original recipe is directed at ship captains and so of course makes a tremendous lot of catchup), all of these ingredients boiled together make a flavorful, spicy, and slightly fishy sauce somewhat reminiscent of the Worcestershire sauce that would usurp its place in the 19th Century. They're so reminiscent, in fact, that you could easily make some of this sauce without ever attempting to do anything "period", just to use it with steak or meatloaf, or whatever else you'd normally use Worcestershire sauce for. You can also, in reverse, use Worcestershire where you'd use mushroom catchup in 18th century food, though it won't have quite the same flavor.

Mushroom Catchup

• 1 pt strong stale beer
• 10 anchovies, or 1 can anchovy fillets, rinsed
• 4 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 5 oz. large flap mushrooms
• 1 two inch piece fresh ginger
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 10 whole cloves

Put everything into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer gently about 30 minutes. Strain and bottle.

I should note, for those of you of the vegan persuasion, that there is an all plant/fungus product version of this recipe in Maxime de la Falaise's Seven Centuries of English Cooking. It's based on a later recipe (1811) and has to sit in the fridge for a day or so, but it achieves much the same effect without anchovies. 

Fish-Friendlier Mushroom Catchup

• 8 cups mushrooms
• 2-3 tbs salt
• 1 cup port
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Mash mushrooms, toss with salt, and leave in the fridge for about 2 days until juice is extracted, stirring occasionally. Strain juice and put in a saucepan, add all other ingredients, and bring to the boil. Simmer about 15 minutes. Bottle when cool.

So when I last wrote, I had just met Jazz, and was very much excited about her. The girl really just saw me, and in some ways continues to see me. But the reality is, she’s leaving the country for a year. I always knew it, and I knew it would be soon. So I spent a fair amount of energy trying to convince myself that I didn’t care if she left. But a series of broken plans left me very frustrated with her, as well as disappointed, and lead to a serious Talk. (Yes Talk with a capitol T. Think God of Small Things).

She was supposed to be having brunch to meet Belle and Grey, but things rather fell apart. She had a good reason for not making it… she always did… but grey was irritated, I was disappointed, and the whole thing threw off my day. So when she called me later to meet up, I went, but not happily.

What it boiled down to was that she didn’t like disappointing me, didn’t like the person she was becoming because she couldn’t devote her time and energy to me the way I gave it back to her. And with school ending and leaving the country, there was just no way WE could be the priority. So we had the cliché, “Let’s be friends” discussion, which she left on the table for me to pick up or walk away from as I saw fit. She got on the train and went home… and I broke down. I didn’t know I’d cared that much.

Most of it got processed over coffee the next day with my good friend Skylar. We don’t see each other often, and there had been much catching up to do. She was, to put it mildly, a little horrified with the way I’d been living my life. I love her because she’s fearless when it comes to calling me on my shit. And she did. She looked at and blatantly told me she didn’t know who I was anymore. That she remembered who I used to be (she met me RIGHT after Lindsey) and who I wanted to be, but that honestly, it seemed like my recent behavior was a step back.

Now, I’ve been busy lately, but I don’t know that I thought it was as bad as personally regressing. However, Skylar's basic assertion was that I was abusing my power, sleeping with people indiscriminately as a way of overcompensating for the lack of power and fulfillment I’d felt in my romantic relationships. I tried to tell her that wasn’t the case, but the more I thought about it, the more she had a point. And then she delivered the kicker. Walking down the street, smoking a cigarette and ducking under scaffolding to avoid the drizzle, she looked at me and said, “You know, I don’t think you’re all that sad about Jazz. I mean, this sadness… 25% of it is about Jazz, but the rest is you being sad because of what she represented to you. You were just happy that someone fucked you and then stuck around to talk to you after.”

… there is was. Out in the open. It was harsh, ugly, disgusting, and shatteringly true when I turned it to look at myself. I’d completely abandoned my principles, my standards to a certain extent, and really was just fucking because someone offered, or I knew I could get them. I felt grimy, disgusted with myself and who I had become. And I begged her not to take it back. It was beautifully exposing and it broke something hard inside of me. I’m still not sure what, but something I’d been holding onto for a long time.

So I decided upon celibacy for the month of April. She agreed with me. Time to get my dick in check in a big way. Flirting? Fine. Dates? Fine. But no sex. I needed to actually get to know the people I was with before I slept with them. Sex with connection, what a concept. And it’s not that I’m saying meaningless sex doesn’t’ have its place, but I was far beyond that point. I was using it to fill my life. To make me less lonely. Recently, I had a conversation with Jazz where she said much the same thing.

Me: I’m at that bar. And you’re not to be found…

Jazz: Dressed to the nines at formal. Be in college. PLEASE.

Me: I’m in a dress shirt and tie…

Jazz: Very nice.

Me: I don’t know what to do with you. If you wanted me, I have to assume you would have gone for it. Why now? Because you can’t have me anymore?

Jazz: No. it’s because I don’t think this is finished. It would be finished if you knew me- but you don’t. You keep compartmentalizing and oversimplifying things.

Me: So basically you’re saying that if I knew anything about you I would have walked away by now?

Jazz: No. Not at all. I’m saying you didn’t want me for me. You just wanted me because I was somebody.

Me: Fair enough. I’m sorry for that. Because as I did get to hang out with you, I liked who I was getting to know. Maybe someday I’ll get a second chance to know you.

Jazz: Ya someday. I would like to get to know you when you’re not lonely.

Me: It makes me sad that that’s really where I was. You made me really think about that. I appreciate that.

Jazz: I gotta go to bed. Night Natt.

Me: Night Jazz.

So there’s all of that. And I did go out the first day of April and I got a few numbers. But I also saw how out of control I was. How I flirted indiscriminately and how there was a great potential to have ended up sleeping with someone I didn’t even like just because I COULD. Never a good place to be.

             But something good has come out of it. (I shouldn’t say something as though it’s the ONLY thing. Overall as a person I feel much more balanced and returned to my own self. I remember who I was and wanted to be and can really address who I am now.)

             Anyhow, on April first, I met V. She’s a friend of Grey’s, and I had gone to help him tie shop. V and I are both flirts, and of course, despite my vow of celibacy, we hit it off almost immediately. There was a whole discussion about wedge heels, high femmes, the death of butch in New York as an identity, and, later in the evening, a shared chocolate shake: one glass, two straws. Grey and she also came to watch me sing at karaoke, and a little later in the evening, we kissed.

               I asked for her number, and we went out to drinks later that week. It was amazing. There was a whole night just about that process of kissing; when the street disappears around you and the whole world goes into a bit of a blur. And a lot of talking. Asking those questions that perhaps you should always have asked in terms of core values and desires, if you really like a person, and also the lighter getting to know you set.

             Friday she ventured out to the Hobbit Hole to play with Belle, Claire and me… we were already a bit gone by the time she got there. But she stayed the whole night with two of my best friends while they continued to be the crazy, loud drunk people they are. Belle says she got points for staying the night. We didn’t sleep together that night at Belle’s, although to be honest, it was a serious struggle for control. And clearly, since then I’ve forgone my vow. But it’s different for me, even in that small space, because I made a conscious choice to sleep with her, to pursue something, and to see where our connection went.

              These past two weeks have been full of good friends, beautiful girls (both Belle, who I adore, and V) and plenty of good conversations, brunches, and dates. Generally I’d say the world has calmed down a bit. But you never know. For now, I look forward to where this is going and who I’m becoming… and of course, bringing you all some of the more delicious details.

Really? It’s good to be back.

Veja este do Catchup Picante Parmalat criado pela DM9DDB. Precisa escrever algo mais? O formato do catchup caindo do frasco já remete o quão picante o produto é.

Também criado pela DM9DDB, este anúncio usa a própria mídia (revista) para passar a mensagem. Sem a revista o anúncio não teria "volume", se é que você me entende.

Agora, um pouquinho da campanha da Petrobrás no PAN 2007. Deixe um comentário com suas impressões sobre essa campanha.

Just incase you didn't get that........ 

 Why do we always write from left to right?

Ok...you can tell I have time on my hands. Actually I am bored.

 Other than the excitment from the motherland, this year started off well. After all, I ushered it in with Mr Mocha.......aawwww! (Sitaki kusikai, pass the sick bucket....3toc you have been warned)

 I haven't managed to pitia your blogs, but I hope you lot are doing ok. Nimewa miss na kublog pia.....just haven't had the time and the content. Brain said NO! Besides, trying to organise your life can be time consuming esp. if you have goals.

This year will bring me closer to the big 30 and that has put my brain into overdrive. Thinking of the things I should have done by then and how to go about it. Won't go into so much detail, but one thing is this.....I hope I get to strike off a few things off my list this year. One down.....several to go.

So......four years bila keroro. Damn, I didn't think that I would toboa this long bila alcohol. I used to skuma Vodo, Brandy, Dark Rum and Redds when I was in Nai. Now, I barely even drink a bottle of water when I am out. Good side is that I never spend any cash on expensive drinks, but people get offended buying be drinks only to find out I only want a soft one. And dealing with drunks can be irritating.....!

Am I the only one or is Britney getting too much publicity? Just when I thought 2007 was too much.....ameanza na 2008 pia.

Aaaiiii...ok, I am running on low blogging content. Blog you lot tomorrow!

I know a sista been MIA but my bad.. the new gig is GREAT.. I'm busy right now but its all good :) Once I learn all my responsibilities and get a hold on them I'll be aight..

It's a LOT of information.. My new gig's mission is based on philanthropy so its a LOT going on..

I can't complain.. nothing better than sitting in orientation and finding out that we are OFFICIALLY CLOSED December 24th @ noon and reopen on Wednesday, January 2, 2008..

Yessir.. a week off without having to use my annual leave.. LOL which is generous by itself!!!

Only there 3 days and already they have asked me to take on something else.. so after negotiations, we came to an agreement that if after 90 days I am successful that I will be compensated *retroactively* and I will assume the responsibilities.. IF NOT, then I will be given a "bonus" amount for those 90 days and they will actively recruit for the position.

Honestly, that is the EASIEST part of the job and it wasn't what I was to do!!! So it's like taking candy from a baby AND putting me closer to my 2008 goals!!!

Now that I've caught you up on ME.. lemme tell you bout them FOOLS ON THE METRO...

Ok so courtesy of 1969 I've been using her WTFudge.. lol and I will continue to give her CREDIT for it.. so if you want to use that.. holla and mention sixty when u do K..

Aight.. got it.. GOOD.. now movin on!!!

If you are a GROWN MAN with a JOB that requires you to wear a shirt & tie, slacks, shoes.. LET THE BRAIDS GO..

If you a GROWN WOMAN with a JOB you DON'T cornrow your own hair straight back and put beads on the end.. I'M SORRY.. dat shyt don't work!!!

I should not see that you have 3 breastses through your coat.. BOO IT'S TOO TIGHT.. GET A BIGGER SIZE!!

There are SEVERAL women who suffer from WRONGSIZITIS.. Oh my word.. Slacks are NOT meant to hug your thighs.. they are meant to DRAPE so when the BUTT of your pants and THIGHS are so damn tight they can start a brush fire and then from the knees down they are like BELLS.. IT'S TIME TO GET A BIGGER SIZE.. OR BETTER YET.. DON'T BUY THEM.. THEY AREN'T CUT FOR YOU!!!!

Today was traffic jam from H E Double Hockey Sticks.. BUT that does NOT give you the right to come in the office 3 hours late and leave 2 hours early!!!!

STOP staring at my purse and my shoes and telling your friends they match.. WTF you didn't think I knew that before I put them on?? by the way.. WATCH what you say.. Just cause my earphones are in DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T HEAR YOU

Fellas.. if I'm bobbin my head to MY BEAT I'M HEARING don't try to pick up on it and bob to it too.. THAT'S NOT CUTE..

and FURTHERMORE.. Don't sit next to me and ask me WHAT I'M LISTENING TO.. I will IGNORE YOU..

Offering me your Crackbucks cup after you have already drunk from it is friggin disgusting.. especially since I don't know you but you thought it was a cute pick up line.. I'm cold.. NOT stupid...

Oh I got plenty more.. but I'll leave you with that for now.. I need to go find me a hotel for philly next weekend.. I don't feel like doing all that driving in one day so maybe I'll go up the night before.. My daughter won tickets to the Philandanco.Xmas Files. Philly's black dance company... I'm excited.. Wait lemme go holla at Sixty..

Have a good one..

I had 6 or 7 sessions of acupuncture with a new guy (new to me) from Shanghai, recommended by a French bass-player. Also did acupressure, and this was very painful - the first session really seemed to mess up my shoulder and I couldn't even lift my arm, though this faded quickly over the next 36 hours. The only effect of the treatment seemed to be to make the shoulder less aggravated from the treatment itself. The acupuncuturist felt there should have been more improvement than there was, so as he wasn't confident I stopped seeing him.

Been back on MSM, Glucosamine & Chondroitin for the last few weeks. Recently did some more internet research and came across the condition 'tendonosis', which seems to better reflect my situation, though it's strange that none of the 'experts' I've spoken to have come up with this. Basically 'tendonitis' means inflammation of the tendon, but when you have really chronic tendon pain, the tendon has probably healed, just badly, and probably with the 'wrong' sort of cartilage.

Also doing some exercises, stretches and icing most days. Exercises -

- twisting arm through 180 degrees and back hanging straight down, 3 sets of 50, with 2.5kg weight.
- scapula clench w. theraband on doorknob, 3 sets of 20 at 127cms (toes from door)
- back arm lift, lying face down on bed. arms straight, with 0.5kg each hand (water bottle)

also just started isometric 'thor' handpress (1 x 30 secs each way), and back-hand-press (standing against doorframe, hand just above arse, pressing with palm against doorframe, 5 x 5 secs, v. difficult).

Simon and I have seen a few good things on the hard-drive this week. We include them for you here:

Sensitive Skin
Joanna Lumley stars in touching new comedy
BBC2, Episode 2, Tuesday 3 July 2007

Fonejacker
Inventive, fresh and entertaining take on prank calls
E4

Graham Norton Show
Cagney and Lacey join Graham Norton
BBC2, Thursday 5 July

Cherie's Story
Fiona Bruce talks to Cherie Blair
BBC1, Wednesday 4 July

Classic Britannia
Excellent introduction to "classical" music in Britain
BBC4, Saturday 7 July

We've scheduled in the following gems from next week's schedule:

Doctor Who (The Runaway Bride)
Another chance to see Catherine Tate's Doctor Who debut in this repeated Christmas special
BBC3, Monday 8pm

Thoroughly Modern: The Typewriter
BBC4, Monday 8pm

James May's 20th Century: 747
New Series guaranteed to appeal to boys who like to understand about things.
BBC2, Tuesday

Bernard Manning
Channel 4, Thursday

First Night of the Proms
Elgar Cello Concerto and Walton's Portsmouth Point Overture
BBC2, 8pm, Friday

1. I've been having regular sessions with physio H, at least 5 visits. H was away for a couple of weeks, so had a 3 week gap, and recently went back again. Now down to 1 session/week. In last session did:

Ultrasound
Manipulation/massage
Exercises (focussing on scapula), including use of swiss ball.
Interferential treatment

I feel that the interferential may be quite good for it.

2. Diet - have been eating and drinking as normal.

3. Exercise - I've been hiking a couple of times, and have tried to get down the beach for an exercise session in the sea regularly. Probably been about 4 times in the last couple of weeks.

4. Stress on shoulder - I've been through a lot which isn't good for the old thing: Nearly moving house, and then having to move everything back again, for example. Now living in a small flat which is stacked like a warehouse, but I can't get it organized as I can't move anything heavy on my own.

Summary: Looking back on my last post, things definitely seem to have improved. Over the last couple of weeks I've started to having that inkling again that I may be turning/about to turn the corner. This is always very transient, as one day is commonly worse than the one before, but I seem to have had a few more good days recently.

Having said that, today it seems rather aggravated, and unsettled.