Thinking outside the box

[click on image for larger version]

That's a pretty cool bit of photo editing, am I right?

WRONG.

It's actually an optical illusion formed by a modern art installation created by a French photographer/artist named George Rousse, who specializes in altering the use of space in his photographs. To better appreciate what he does, here's the same photograph but from another angle.



Here is the original post (via reddit) translated into English from it's original French.

And here is another website I just found (also via Reddit comments) that shows many more examples of George's amazing talent.

It is a great example of what's possible when you think outside the box, and a good reminder that things may not always be as they appear.

What I'm Cooking: Apple Slab Pie

I hosted a potluck over the weekend and was incredibly pleased with the results, both in attendance and in dishes. I had a number of new people show up, some of whom I've been trying to get to come for almost seven years. That alone would have been enough to make this an excellent party, but I also managed to produce the best pie crust I've ever made, thanks in no small part (I suspect) to my food processor.

The pie crust in question was for an Apple Slab Pie, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Apple Slab Pie

Awesome Crust
3 ¾	cups (470 grams) all-purpose flour
1 ½	tablespoons sugar
1 ½	teaspoons table salt
3	sticks (340 grams) unsalted butter, very cold
¾	cup very cold water
Delicious Filling
4	pounds apples, peeled, cored and chopped into approximately 1/2-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
	Squeeze of lemon juice
¾	cup sugar
3	tablespoons cornstarch
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼	teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼	teaspoon ground allspice
⅛	teaspoon table salt
The Finishing Touch
2	tablespoons heavy cream or one egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

MAKING THE DELICIOUS CRUST:

1. Pulse the flour, sugar and salt a few times in your food processor to mix it together and then add the butter and continue to pulse in short bursts until the butter is reduced to the size of tiny peas.

2. Dump your dough into a large bowl and add the water, gently stirring it in with a rubber spatula until it all sticks together. If it's too dry add more water a tablespoon at a time until it's fixed and then give it a quick knead or three with your hands. Don't go crazy as we want to butter to soften.

3. Divide the dough in half and wrap each in plastic wrap and toss it in the fridge for at least and hour (and up to two days).

4. When you're ready to make the pie, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line the bottom of a 10x15x1-inch baking sheet or jellyroll pan with parchment paper.

(I didn't actually have a 10x15x1-inch anything, so I ended up using a 9x13 casserole dish sprayed liberally with cooking spray, which is why my finished product looked nothing like the original.)

MAKING THE FILLING:

5. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice until coated. Toss in the remaining ingredients and stir to coat.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

6. Tear of a big piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it liberally with flour. Take out one of your dough halves and use a rolling pin (also covered with flour) to roll it out into a large rectangle, bigger than the dish you'll be baking it in. Once done, slowly peel the dough off the paper and transfer it to the sheet/pan/dish.

7. Dump in your delicious filling and level it out.

8. Repeat step 6 and place on top of the pie, trimming off the edges and cutting slits into the top for venting steam.

9. Finally, brush the top with your egg mixture and throw that sucker in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Once done, place on a wire rack to cool for about 45 minutes before digging in.



As you can see from the above pictures my pie (on right) ended up nothing like the one Smitten Kitchen made. This was because I used a different dish and also cut my apples much to large. Whereas the originals could be picked up and eaten like brownies, mine required a fork like a normal pie.

That said, it was still delicious and the pie crust was AMAZING. When I was rolling it out I could still see the chunks of butter in the dough, which is why it turned out so chewy and flaky (can something be both?). I suspect this was because the food processor drastically cut down on the time it took to reduce the butter to pea-size, giving it less time to soften and melt into the dough.

This is going on my short list to make in the near future, just as soon as I can get my hands on a 10x15x1-inch baking sheet.

The Power of Corgi Puppies

I've spent a good chunk of the day so far trying to get our new internet service up and running at work and it's been a bit of a mess. Thankfully, one of my friends posted this video on my Facebook feed and now everything is all right again.

AFI 100: All About Eve

All About Eve is a 1950s black and white drama currently sitting at number 28 in AFI's most recent listing (2007). I watched it a few days ago as part of my ongoing attempt to watch all 100 films in AFI's list and I have to say it's been one of the most enjoyable films I've seen thus far.

The plot revolves around a young, dedicated fan named Eve Harrington who quickly insinuates herself into the life of her idol, an aging but still popular star of Broadway, Margo Channing, and ultimately ends up threatening to take away everything Margo has worked so hard to achieve.

The acting is excellent, the cinematography is excellent, and frankly I'm surprised it's not higher up on the list. To be fair, there are a lot of films above it that I haven't seen yet, but I would highly recommend you check this out if you've got some evening free and you want to enjoy some great cinema.

Image Source: [1]

Corgis with Quotes (Gif edition)

'Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try, try again.

-William Edward Hickson

Image Source: [1]

Millennial Celebration

A little over three years ago, Sid Meier's Civilization V was released and like its predecessors, I purchased it immediately. Two expansions, Gods & Kings and Brave New World were released in 2012 and 2013, respectively. I can easily say that this game, and to a greater extent the entire series, is responsible for the single largest time-sink in my life.

Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I started playing strategy-heavy turned based, 4X games.

As of today, Monday, November 11, 2013, I have played Sid Meier's Civilization V for 1,030 hours. In case you're curious that's the equivalent of me playing for 24 hours a day for almost 43 days straight. YIKES. Part of me is incredibly proud and another part of me is demanding that I go outside and get some exercise right now.

And another part is demanding to know why I've only managed to complete 142 of the 287 available achievements.

That said, maybe now would be a good time to go for a walk. :)

The Thanks-Giving Post

With the arrival of Thanksgiving only a few short weeks away (how on earth did it get to be November already?!) my Facebook feed has started to become inundated with daily posts about what folks are thankful for this year. Having never partaken in this particular annual event, I thought I'd take a few moments to make a list of things I'm thankful for. So, without further ado:

1. I'm thankful that my previous employer laid off my entire department back in early 2006, because it gave me the motivation to make the move out west to California.


2. I'm thankful that I acted on that motivation.


3. I'm thankful I got a chance to reunite with two of my best friends, Beth and Brian, who had moved out to California the year before.


4. I'm thankful I ran into my old high school friend, Jeff, who promptly offered me a place to live which I'm still renting out seven years later.


5. I thankful that I met a group of friends that help reawaken my love for board games.


6. I'm thankful for those friends who have become the closest thing to family without actually being blood-related.


7. I'm thankful for my family and extended family, even though I don't speak with them or see them as often as I should.


8. I'm thankful that as I've grown older I've also grown to appreciate my family and extended family more, as they rightly deserve.


9. I'm thankful for my job at the television studio that allowed me the freedom to do so many things, like traveling overseas again, and introducing me to so many wonderful people who have become good friends, like Brian and Emily.


10. I'm thankful for Emily constantly asking me to join her and her friends for bar trivia, as it led to me being introduced to the first woman I've ever loved, Joanna.


11. I'm thankful for the two and a half years that I was given with Joanna, and all the ups and downs that went with it, because it was best time of my life and she helped me grow into a better person more than I could have ever done on my own.


12. I'm thankful that she reintroduced me to acting because it's something I love to do and it allowed me to meet so many amazing people that I never would have met otherwise.


13. I'm thankful that she is happy and more at peace now, even if it can't be with me or because of me.


14. I'm thankful that even though my brain tells me it's not realistic, my heart still holds out some tiny hope for second chances with happy endings.


15. I'm thankful that I accepted the risk to leave my stable, cushy job at the studio and finally try my hand at working professionally in theatre. I don't know if this is what I want to do with my life, but it's absolutely worth finding out one way or another.


16. I'm thankful that my parents are happy, healthy, retired and loving it.


17. I'm thankful my life has been mostly free of injury and illness (knock on wood).


18. I'm thankful that I still get fits of creative outburst, regardless of whether or not I follow through with them.


19. I'm thankful that corgis exist and that hopefully someday I will have one of my own.


20. I'm thankful for my love of cooking and my slowly expanding palette.


21. I'm thankful that my body has, for the most part, put up with my eyes continuing to be larger than my stomach and my brain continuing to think I'm still in my early twenties.


22. I'm thankful that great theatre performances can still fill me this overpowering glow for a few hours afterwards that makes me feel like anything is possible.


23. I'm thankful that there is still so much that I don't know and haven't experienced.


24. I'm thankful that very few things are cast in stone, and that the future holds almost infinite possibilities.