We’re deep into the long, cold upstate New York winter and I had some red lentils hanging around so it seemed like a good time for a hearty, warm stew.  This one is adapted from The Chew’s version and it was delicious: subtly sweet and “meaty”, accented with spice.

Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 Red Onion (finely chopped)
Salt and Pepper to taste
5 Large Carrots (thinly sliced coins)
3 Celery Ribs (finely chopped)
3 Garlic cloves (finely minced)
2 cups Red Lentils (rinsed)
2 teaspooons Cumin Seeds (toasted and ground)
1 teaspoon Coriander (toasted and ground)
3/4 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
6 cups Water
1 Sweet Potato (peeled and finely diced; about 1 cup)
1 bunch Red Kale (finely shredded)

For Accompanying Bread:

1 cup Goat Cheese (at room temperature)
1/3 cup Spicy Mango Chutney
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
Olive Oil
1 piece of Focaccia Bread (cut into wedges)

In a heavy bottomed pot (I used a 5.5 qt Le Creuset pot) over medium-high heat, add about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the onion. Add a pinch of sea salt and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Add in the rinsed lentils and cook for about 2 minutes, toasting in the oil–add more oil if needed. Meanwhile, toast the cumin and coriander seeds and then grind with mortar and pestle.  Add the cumin seeds, coriander, ground chipotle chili, and turmeric, and continue to cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the water and a big pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very low heat and gently simmer for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potato and kale. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through but not mushy.

Once cooked, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

For Bread: Preheat the oven to broil (I “broiled” in the toaster oven). Mix together the goat cheese, mango chutney, curry powder, and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Smear the focaccia pieces with the goat cheese mixture and place them on a baking sheet. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted (in the toaster oven, the mixture did not bubble but the bread got toasty and the mixture softened).

Remove the tray from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve the bread wedges with the stew.

So, now I’m attempting to put together a Frida Kahlo costume.  I ordered a pretty embroidered Mexican blouse to be paired with a long tiered skirt, and a bright red shawl if all works out.  I’ll try to get fresh flowers to wear in my hair too.  I’m actually a bit excited about this one since I have always loved her art and have been interested in her life story for quite some time. And it gives me an excuse to do something awesome with my long hair…

But most importantly, I won’t be (and never would be really) resorting to a “sexy [fill in the blank]” costume (which means no store bought costumes for me).  But I do have to throw in a link to this disaster of a costume, the “sexy Joan of Arc” anyway.

One Tiny Hand.  It’s amazing what the addition of a tiny hand to a photo can do.   My favorite is probably a toss up between Kim Jong Il and Tony Montana.

Magical Game Time.  I wish I thought of this first.  Using animated gifs to gently add movement to a comic.  Clever.

A cat’s ennui, documented:

Disappointed Animals.  Cute and slightly discouraging, these animals are enormously disappointed in you and your poor life choices.

And look, someone else likes them too.  I noticed this sale on Fab, Kasbah Mod’s “Rejuvenated Vintage Typewriters“.  Check out this bright, sleek gem from 1964, the Royalite:

I bet it is deliciously clickety.

• 1 10 oz can almond paste
• 3 very heaping teaspoons apricot preserves
• 3 medium eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• Fresh pineapple chunks
• Turbinado sugar to sprinkle top (which will become bottom) of cake

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  I used a trois freres pan but this could be made as mini tarts or even cupcakes.  Butter (grease) the inside of the pan and set aside.

Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the almond paste and the apricot preserve at medium speed until the mixture is smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each one is fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next.  Add the flour next, making sure your mixer is set on low speed.  Lastly, add the melted butter and mix until well blended.

Fill whichever baking vessel you use 3/4 of the way up.  This recipe is barely enough for the trois freres pan…so maybe more like halfway up.

Place cubes of pineapple into top of batter in pan all the way around.  Then lightly sprinkle turbinado sugar over the batter.

Bake for roughly 45 minutes (mini tarts will take about half the time I think).  Bake until light golden brown and let cool on the baking sheet or on a wire rack.  The cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Now that music is within the reach of anyone with a halfway decent computer and internet connection, the traditional music industry needs to rethink both its purpose and marketing techniques.  Berklee College of Music just had a conference on this quandary called “Rethink Music” during which Amanda Palmer, Ben Folds, Damian Kulash, and Neil Gaiman ran an experiment.  They got together with the goal of writing, recording, and releasing 8 songs in 8 hours.  Neil Gaiman explains the project here.  They asked their twitter followers to throw out ideas for inspiration and streamed the collaboration online for fans to watch.  They ended up with 6 songs in 12 hours, released as “Nighty Night” by 8in8 and available to listen to for free or to download for $1 or more as you, the consumer, see fit.

Then, they asked fans to show off their creative skills and put together videos for the songs:

Here’s an amusing video that came out of this call for creativity:

So, without consulting a record company and wading through bureaucratic red tape, this small group of relatively well known artists were able to get together, write some music, and then record and release that music immediately.  The public is able to download the album right away and use the music for their own imaginative ventures thanks to the creative commons license thus inspiring even more artistic ingenuity.

If this is the future of music, I’m all in.  Imagine the possibilities for regular old normal people who happen to play a musical instrument rather well or have the ability to carry a catchy tune.  Now they can put their music out there for any random person to discover.  Likewise, imagine the possibilities for established musicians who now can put their industry unapproved pet project up on bandcamp with relative ease for their fans and not-yet-fans to (hopefully) enjoy.  This new and uncharted world is full of promise and I, for one, love it.

I put the images up in the Blythe section to be enjoyed by all.  :o)