Two bits encountered this morning, about as unrelated as can be I think (or perhaps hope…), though both have to do with savor: Robyn Eckhardt’s utterly delicious essay on Bplaa Raa, and Peter Schjeldahl’s “Going East”, a rumination on Napoleon at the Dahesh in the August 28 New Yorker (alas, not available online). One lovely definition from the latter:
Camp –the savoring of unintended ironies [pg. 80]
…and it was enlightening to learn a bit about Dr. Dahesh (“Dr. Wonder”).
Ze Frank‘s takes on pretty much anything are at the very least refreshing/provocative, and often they’re enlightening (though sometimes NSFW, but since I don’t W anymore, no problem). The mode of delivery, as a collage of short takes of (mostly) Ze’s unblinking/motormouthing phiz, gets a lot into a few seconds, and hearing his daily rant is generally as good as seeing it (occasional exceptions). Yesterday’s rumination on compression (a 1:48 outtake, edited slightly, but see the whole thing if you’re really a Sports Racer) includes a useful info analogy to looking through a dirty pane of glass. If I was still W-ing, I’d use the clip to kick off a class, and I’ll bet I could make it appropriate to just about any subject.
Hans Rosling’s TED presentation is as fine an introduction to Data 2.0 as you’re likely to find. Gapminder is FREE, and Rosling’s blog is a worthy addition to one’s daily reading. He’s Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institutet.
I’ve been making this one for 35 years:
It probably is a long way from ‘authenticity’, but who cares? Basically, it’s any kind of leftover noodles (some are better candidates because of texture and aesthetics of shape), stir-fried with a sauce of peanut butter, sriracha chili sauce, mushroom soy sauce, and scallions and cilantro if they’re available. Szechuan pepper makes a nice addition, but isn’t necessary for the desired effect.
These are Cellentani, which produce a satisfyingly chitlinesque appearance. My favorite shape for the dish is Campanelle, but Fettucine is also nice, and even plain old Spaghetti works. Yesterday’s cold noodles are preferred.