Regina Noctis

I can’t believe that Monday the 5th is the last day of the semester already. It got here so fast. And I’m not ready for the semester to be over. I love my classes. I want more! Of course, there’s next semester after winter break, but I want more NOW.

There’ll be plenty more over time. I seem to have developed a tendency toward infinitely expanding educational plans. My simple little plan for a single CA in graphics has already expanded into much larger plans. I think I’m going to wind up being a college student for the rest of my life at this point.

Though college is interfering with something else that I really want to do. has been talking over on MoFi about the Discworld convention that’s happening in the UK next year. Terry Pratchett will be a guest, obviously, since it’s his series. They’ll also have Diane Duane, one of my other favorite authors. My mum was even of the opinion that I should go, and that she’d finance the trip if necessary. However, the timing will conflict with the start of the fall 2006 semester. I’ve decided life hates me. It keeps scheduling these things I want to do at times when I’m going to be busy with other things.

I had it all planned out, too. Go out a day or two early for the convention, get checked in to my hotel, find kitfisto and kick him in the head for his anti-Pratchett sentiments, and then enjoy the convention.

Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.
Must resist eating the rest of the clam dip; other people get to have some too.

I need CDA. Clam Dip Anonymous.

Hello, my name is Christophine and I have no power over clam dip.

I am a goddess in the kitchen.

I invented a soup that fixed my mom’s sinus problem, helped me out a little bit with my insomnia problems (until we ran out of soup, anyway) and stopped the bout of flu I was coming down with in its tracks.

Damn I’m good.

I tried to make a mental count of measurements, as opposed to my usual “pour until it looks right” methods of cooking. Unfortunately, much of the recipe is approximation, but it’s all at least in the ballpark.

1 package dried shiitake
1 carrot
2 scallions
3 leaves from a bok choy
1 2 to 2 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, plus 2 walnut-sized nuggets
1 pound ground pork
1 egg
cornstarch, for coating the meatballs, plus 1 tablespoon mixed in 1 tablespoon of water
3 cloves garlic, run through a garlic press
vegetable oil for frying
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sherry
Chinese or Japanese (toasted) sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Chinese noodles, to taste (about 1 or 2 small handfuls)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame-based chili oil

Preparations
Soak the shiitake in 2 cups very warm water for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, squeezing out some of the excess liquid, and reserve the soaking water. Mince 6-8 of the larger mushrooms finely, and slice the rest into strips.

Finely mince the scallions. Grate the 2 walnut-size pieces of ginger, and slice thin the rest. Slice the carrot diagonally into thin oval coins. Slice the bok choy leaves, including ribs, into bands.

Put the chicken broth and sliced ginger into a pot and cover. Turn heat on high and bring to a full boil. Turn off the heat and allow mixture to cool. Remove ginger from broth and discard.

In a bowl, combine the minced shiitake, the scallions, the garlic, the grated ginger, the pork, the egg, and salt to taste. Knead together until all ingredients are completely incorporated.

Bring water to a rapid boil in a large pot. Add the noodles, cover, and cook for two minutes. The noodles should be slightly undercooked. Drain and immediately rush under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let the water drain out of the noodles, then put them in a bowl with enough sesame oil to coat. Toss to coat the noodles thoroughly.

Making the meatballs
Spread cornstarch on a piece of plastic wrap or a plate.

Heat a frying pan over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add enough oil to come about ½ inch up the sides of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium.

Working quickly, form bits of the pork mixture into balls about the size of a walnut with one hand. With the other, roll them in the cornstarch to coat thoroughly. Place the meatballs in small batches to avoid lowering the heat of the oil – 10 to 12 meatballs at a time – into the pan and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Place on paper towels to drain.

Making the soup
Strain the mushroom soaking water through a fine sieve lined with paper towels into the chicken broth. Add the sherry, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the meatballs. Cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, shittake strips, and carrots, bring the mixture to a boil, and add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring. When the broth has thickened slightly, turn off the heat. Add the bok choy and the noodles, stir, cover, and allow to sit for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked. Add 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and the sesame-based chili oil. Serve hot.

Thanksgiving is approaching, and I generally find myself remembering previous feasts. Some good, some bad, some amazing, some exhausting. As often happens, I remember one in particular, when I was working as hospital tech support, and was a part of the skeleton crew that was working during the holiday. I did get a Thanksgiving dinner in, with a wonderfully insane family and a pair of Maine Coon cats.

One question still comes to mind, these years later. This year, I’ve decided to ask it.

, WHERE IS THAT HUMMUS RECIPE?

I can’t stop laughing at Texas. It is just too, too funny.

posted over on Monkeyfilter about Texas’s attempt to ban gay marriage. The result is just beautiful, as mentioned here.

By first defining marriage as equal to one man plus one woman, and then stating that Texas will not recognize any union identical or similar to marriage, it logically follows that heterosexual marriage is now banned in Texas. And by extension, there’s an implication that it’s not banning gay marriage. After all, the problem that the bigots have with marriages with same-sex partners is that it’s not “identical or similar” to the way the ammendment defines marriage. If it was identical, it’d be hetero marriage, right? So the implication is that straight marriage is banned, but gay marriage isn’t as it’s not identical to a hetero union.

Texas, I hope you know that I am laughing my ass off at you right now.

And thanks to for a link that made my day so much more amusing.

More than a year ago, I posted about the Temple of the Vampire, and my great amusement at them. I bought the Vampire Bible, and am now a card-carrying Vampire. (Which still makes me want to get someone to ask me what I do, so I can say, “Me? I’m a Vampire. Here’s my card.” Problem is that they only sent one, and I need a stack so I can hand ‘em out like others do business cards.)

I have never clicked the little box in my LJ preferences to prevent my posts from being spidered and added to search engines. And I’ve also always left anonymous commenting on.

The combination of TOV, spidering, and anonymous commenting means that this year-old post continues to provide me periodic amusement. Vampire weenies find me and can’t resist commenting. One of the latest anonymous commenters even had a difference of opinion with an earlier one, so I wonder if I’m going to have a little argument going there without any need to feed the fire on my part.

One thing that this has absolutely proven beyond a shadow of a doubt is that, even if vampires did exist, I’d never be able to be one. The sample I have thus far of Vampire Weenie writings has shown me that this is true. I couldn’t bear to dumb down my grammar and spelling enough to qualify, since apparently poor skills in those departments are a necessity.

Too many ellipses… the grammar that are poor… horibell speling… random Capitalisation… I woodent beeing able to kep it up for very long… so my Ambishons and urning for beeing a Vampire is never going to hapen… I beleev my Belifes must be let Go…

Took me forever to just parse the above into something resembling a combination of the lovely comments I’ve been getting. Obviously, I’m just not cut out to be a Vampire.

And I wonder what little storm of anonymous commentary this entry will provoke. Should be fun.