Chicago: Become Familiar with its Distinctive Neighborhoods

I dunno, I guess? I am searching ILM threads for later reading.

jobim, sergio mendes' brasiliero album, getz/gilberto is the obvious one, Black Orpheus soundtrack

xpost

(This is the Jobim comp I had.)

i tend to like samba stuff a lot more, like any carlinhos brown album.

also david byrne's label put out some great brazilian comps, i forget what they're called.

yeah -- all of it
i would start with joao gilberto/stan getz (can't remember the name of the album)

oops too late for me
damn that arthuritis

worst medical advice ever:
"Another technique is to substitute distraction for pain. Focus your attention on things that you enjoy. Imagine a peaceful setting and wonderful physical sensations. Thinking about something that is enjoyable can help you relax and become less stressed. Find something that will make you laugh -- a cartoon, a funny movie, or even a new joke. Try to put some joy back into your life. Even a small change in your mental image may break the pain cycle and provide relief."

Jobim's Wave is all right, too, but it's a little too sweeping and orchestral for my tastes.

Whose the hell advice is that??

goddamn webmd

You know what makes me happy and distracts me from pain?? PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS, THAT'S WHAT.

i stretch and rub my wrist/hand/forearm, like, every five minutes. i don't even notice i do it anymore.

Seriously. "A cartoon" is not gonna cut it. I am wearing a wrist brace for the second year in a row.

I stopped reading WebMD a long time ago. Worst possible thing for hypochondriacs.

Also, I'm starting to get sick. :(

I almost didn't come into work today.

thx peeps

I hurt my left wrist yesterday, I shit you not, while air drumming. In the shower.

Later on I went to Home Depot and bought a shovel, then shoveled all the snow/slush/ice off of our sidewalk, which actually helped it a bit. And now I have a blister on my hand.

which actually helped it a bit

my wrist

and the sidewalk, too

amanda, i keep reading about a supplement that's good for aching joints, but don't know if it's a scam or not-- glucosamine, i think?

I hurt my left wrist yesterday, I shit you not, while air drumming.

haha, i've done this too, though not seriously. i think it's because your movements are waaay more exaggerated than when you actually have a stick in your hand.

I'm going to start an Air Drumming Awareness Organization.

do any of you have a good vegetarian lasagna recipe you can send me? i just want regular lasagna, with noodles, sauce, cheese, and mmmmmmmaybe spinach. no eggplant, zucchini, squash, anything else like that. classic lasagna.

hmmm can't you just make regular lasagna without the meat if you don't want veggies in it

sauce noodles sauce cheese sauce noodles repeat until pan is full

i give glucosamine to my elder doggie for his joints. maybe i should take it too.

We made lasagna last weekend. I can send you a recipe later. We did two kinds: 1) spinach and bechamel sauce, and 2) mushroom and marinara sauce. But they both had the same base of no-boil noodles and three kinds of cheese: parmesan, fontina, and cottage (the latter substituting for ricotta and barely noticeable, if you're not a fan of cottage, which I'm not).

I AM STUPID AND I NEED A RECIPE

i actually don't like ricotta or cottage cheese but apparently some is necessary for lasagna

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheese-Lasagna/Detail.aspx looks pretty similar to one we did from jamie's italy (the only jamie oliver cookbook i like)

i'd like to make more pasta bakes this winter.

jaymc, did you make the bechamel sauce yourself or was it ready made? i'm always scared to try stuff like that.

zukes are awes in lasag

We made the bechamel ourselves. Or rather, Kr did. I don't remember what was in it. The recipe was from Cook's Illustrated.

i use low fat ricotta and it has never bothered me -- i'm not a fan of ricotta generally. if you want to put some frozen spinach in there just layer with the sauce/cheese OR mix in with the cheese for minimal noticing of the spinach. also remember an egg in the cheese mixture to hold it together.

i guess i just usually don't use a recipe for pasta dishes.

i can't tell the difference between frozen spinach and fresh in something that's cooked to hell like lasagna is, so that's why i recommend frozen (chopped, in the bag not the weird box) for ease.

See, here's the thing: with this recipe we used, the lasagna only has to be cooked for 20 minutes. We blanched the spinach first, so it stayed moist and fresh.

mmm, this is making me hungry! i'm not sure PB&J is going to cut it, but alas that's what i've got. but lovely leftover art of pizza stuffed pizza for dinner tonight, which is certainly in the same family.

oh yeah, 20 min is very short! i usually cook it for like an hour. honestly, i learned how to make lasagna from reading the noodle box.

Spinach Lasagna

The Problem: A test kitchen sampling of representative recipes revealed that most cookbook authors tried to add "personality" by seasoning the lasagna with extraneous, bold ingredients. One, with an excess of garlic and bunches of basil, tasted not like spinach but pesto. Another was overwhelmed by pungent Gorgonzola. Tomato-based spinach lasagnas (which are quite common) weren't much good either, although the acidic, sweet tomatoes distracted tasters from the slimy spinach--perhaps a blessing in disguise.

The Goal: In northern Italy, where traditional spinach lasagna has its roots, cooks keep things simple, combining layers of homemade pasta, fresh spinach, béchamel (white sauce), and cheese. It makes an ideal entrée for informal dinner parties, given its delicate flavors and straightforward ingredient list. A successful spinach lasagna contains fresh, green spinach highlighted by a delicate, savory sauce, tender noodles, and mild, creamy cheese.

The Solution: Start with no-boil noodles but soak them in hot tap water for five-minutes to soften. Blanch the spinach and then wring out to remove all excess water. Layer the noodles and spinach with traditional béchamel, fontina, and Parmesan cheeses and, instead of ricotta, use cottage cheese. The cottage cheese, pureed with an egg to smooth out its curds, may be heretical to a northern Italian cook, but it provides a pleasing tang and extra creaminess without the distinct, somewhat dry layer created by ricotta. Bake just 20 minutes in the oven and then brown quickly under the broiler.

The rest of the recipe is only online for subscribers, but I can transcribe later.

oh wow, do i get online access with the subscription i got as a wedding present? that would be great, i can't believe i didn't know that before.

pizza stuffed pizza?!

i will eat ricotta but i'm not a huge fan either. i think i was scarred by some terrible calzones in my past.

jesus christ, i called a jewish bookstore in milwaukee to get a gift certificate for my mom, and OVER THE PHONE they ask what i do in town and if i'm still in school and if i'm interested in attending some events over at the jewish center. these people.

Did you say "I'm particularly interested in eating bacon, do you have a bacon night?"

hahaha
also haha: jesus christ, i called a jewish bookstore...

i've been watching a lot of curb your enthusiasm lately. the one with the orthodox jews at the ski lodge = omg.

Yeah, but why didn't Rachel call someone to help them herself?

Good point! It would have been better if they didn't force the cell phone in so that Larry could make that call at the end.

try the recipe that john's talking about. krista brought me some and it was really fucking good. i <3 me some spinach lasagna.

does anyone else bother with hotmail accounts anymore? i haven't been able to get into mine for days because of this new windows live thing. i did a google search and found lots of complaints from ppl who couldn't get into their email, and also this post:

Hello i live in Kenya and i just opened my windows live email I.D and i am loving it everyday

this shit is srsly annoying me though.

All my personal stuff is on Gmail now and spammy/ordering stuff is on Yahoo.

Ha, that prompted me to look at my email and I got a reminder that I had agreed to go to this tonight:

http://www.genart.org/event.view.htm?itemid=2145

I have too many friends still using hotmail. I finally convinced one to switch to gmail, and gmail prompty suspended his account for a few days because they thought he was a spambot for some reason. :(

my plate is full tonight, stew making, baby sitting, record release show going, beer drinking, regret making, etc.

who put the prompt in the prompty prompty prompt

what a weird word

mss (dpm)%

am i an evil person for only emailing my family from my hotmail spammy/ordering account, and leaving my personal gmail account non-family?

my mom does spam me with bs forwards though.