(no subject)

Link to the text of Obama's DNC speech from last night. It was quite a speech, delivered with clarity and conviction. This guy is one to watch. He has a real "everyman" style that is completely lacking in most of today's politicians:

http://www.obamaforillinois.com/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={4C624248-27E9-4F67-A685-921F17AEFF00}&DE={FFC97208-2B20-4DFC-9346-39A933A3C66D}

(no subject)

I got this pain in me gulliver...

Anyhow, tonight's improvised dinner was:

Nectarine Salad

Take a piece of day old rustic or artisan bread, dice it in cubes, pour about a half tablespoon of olive oil over it, drizzle the cubes with thyme and julienned mint, and one quarter of a finely diced clove of garlic. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and toast in the oven with about ten or so hazelnuts (or pecans,) until the cubes and hazelnuts brown. This time we will be leaving the slightly bitter skins on the hazelnuts. We won't have any bitter elements otherwise, and we are going to need a tiny bit of bitter.

Take about 5 or 6 oz (150 grams) of washed salad greens, put them into a bowl.
and cut a nectarine into chunks, (right off the pit) over the bowl of greens.
Make sure the greens catch the juice from the nectarine as you chunk it up.

Add a small amount (a half or quarter teaspoon,) of finely diced shallot, the croutons, a teaspoon or two of red wine vinegar, and some crumbled bleu cheese. I used Point Reyes Bleu Cheese, as it is some good stuff that already has really strong fruity aftertones. You can get it at Whole Foods.

Anyhow, toss all of this for a bit, and eat.