Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Feather River Snake


Feather River Snake, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Here's a small snake we found on a hike along the Feather River near Lake Oroville. The lake was very low - the area where we were hiking would normally have been submerged. Anyone know what type of snake this is?

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Absorption-Method Pasta


Absorption-Method Pasta, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Cooking pasta by the absorption method means cooking it directly in a sauce instead of boiling it in water. The end result is a silky, flavorful, rich pasta that doesn't have the rubbery bounce of normal pasta.

This is a great meal to make if you're in need of something cheap and truly delicious...it's only a jar of pasta sauce and a box of penne. Awesome.

Sunset Over SLO


Sunset Over SLO, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Yesterday's sunset from the top of Poly Mountain in San Luis Obispo, California. There were actually a few clouds, which made things a bit more interesting than usual.

The plant in the foreground is "out lord's candle", Yucca whipplei. The yuccas grow in abundance on the mountain, and the sharp leaves can be a pain for hikers' legs.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

College Cooking - Thomas Keller Oreos

College has started, and I was lucky enough to get a dorm with a kitchen. My friend and I decided that the inaugural dish would be something sweet - homemade Oreos (TKO's) it was!

TKO's are incredibly good, with rich white chocolate ganache sandwiched between two chocolaty, sweet and slightly salty cookies. The flavors are divine. The recipe can be found under the February 28, 2009 post on this blog.