A dark horse

Ethiopian Harrar Horse coffee is rather good. It does have a very complex aroma while grinding and brewing. Fruity, with a bit of funk. The scents do not lead one to expect such a mild flavour. That's not to say it's flavourless. It has a very pleasant taste, just not one so bold as its aroma. It is very smooth, and very easy to drink. It finishes nicely.

Ethiopian Harrar Horse

I was buying coffee this evening, and while perusing Boston Stoker's selection I spotted what I first thought to be something called 'Ethiopian Horror Horse.' I thought it was an interesting name to give a coffee, and it spoke of a wild, dark bean that cannot be tamed and must be brewed while wearing a wide brimmed hat and drunk while holding on tight to the mane. I also thought that I'd misread the label. I had. It is, in fact, 'Ethiopian Harrar Horse,' which also sounded interesting. I bought a small bag of it, and looked it up when I got home. It's said to have a very fruity aroma and flavour, and a bit of a zing without too much acidity. They say it has a dry finish like certain wines. One man, however, said that while the smell of it while roasting, grinding and brewing is incredible, the flavour in the cup is unremarkable. He said that he would give it another try, though. I look forward to trying it.

Scotch, neat

Just sipping a bit of Johnny Walker Red. I noticed a few weeks ago that it's the scotch they drink at the end of Dial M For Murder. It's pretty good.

A salty tang

My batch of sauerkraut is now three days old. Yesterday it was still just a container of salty cabbage soaking in its own juices. Today it has a distinctly sour flavour and aroma. Small bubbles appear on the surface. It looks like it is beginning to ferment nicely.

Movies about wine

Movies about wine make me want to drink wine. I just watched Bottle Shock, a movie based on the true story of a Napa Valley vineyard that won a blind taste test in France in 1976. I'd been planning to have a couple of scotch and sodas before and with dinner, but every few minutes, there on the screen, someone was drinking a glass of wine. So I opened up a bottle. I would have preferred a merlot, and that might have gone better with the seitan roast I'm having for dinner, but the chardonnay I had chilled in the fridge is very good nonetheless.

Sourdough with whey

The yeast in the sourdough starter seems to love the whey I used to make the sponge. It's nice and bubbly, rising up in the bowl, and it's giving off a nice aroma.

Sauerkraut, sourdough, and fresh cheese

Last night I made fresh cheese. I poured the whey into a jar and put it in the fridge. Today I mixed it with a bit of flour and some sourdough starter. The acid in the whey is supposed to contribute to a very tender whole grain bread, so I'll be putting some cracked wheat in this loaf.

I started a batch of sauerkraut, too. About one part red cabbage to two parts green. The mixture in the crock was pleasing to the eye, purple, white and green. I used my fist to bruise it, punching it down into the crock to encourage it to release its water. The salt will also draw the water out, making a brine in which the cabbage will ferment. It's already getting juicy in the crock. Every so often I press down on the jar I'm using to weigh down the terra cotta dish that covers the cabbage. It makes a squelching sound, and a little bit of liquid comes up over the dish.

In a few days I'll spread the cheese on slices of sourdough. In a few weeks I'll be putting the sauerkraut into jars.

Boil, add lemon juice, strain

Going to make farmer's cheese. Sounds like it would be delicious in lasagna or some kind of stuffed baked pasta. It will be even better when I have fresh herbs. Basil, oregano, maybe with some minced garlic.

Open window weather

Coming in with that gusting wind, the metallic tang of the rain, in the air before it comes and lingering for hours afterwards. Good weather for sitting out on the balcony with a glass of whiskey and a pipe, or maybe a gin and tonic, and reading.

Six handmade pizzas in the middle of the night

Made by hand, sourdough with a handful of stone ground wheat flour. One at a time, two in the oven, six in all.

An active starter

The dough will sit for awhile, and then the pizza will be made.

Two days later

I do not have to report for jury selection tomorrow morning. According to the message, I do not have to report until Friday.

There is darkness, too, and we do gain strength

When she told me what her Mother had said about Burn After Reading, that it was the darkest movie she'd seen in awhile, it reminded me of something I'd thought when I first started hanging out with her. I'd been thinking about her cheerful disposition, her slightly naive view of the world, and I'd thought that I didn't want to bring darkness into her world. She may have had a somewhat sheltered outlook, but her naivete gave her a charmingly innocent-seeming personality, a certain joy. After giving it more thought, though, I realised that in some ways hers is a world of darkness. There are dark things, sad, tragic things in this world. As there is light, so is there shadow. To shield oneself from those things is to blind oneself. We gain strength by confronting these things. Is there something that we lose in the process?

Olive, olive oil

I've just purchased an olive oil lamp. It is a moderately sized jar with a handle on the side and a lid. It contains a wire, bent and coiled in such a way as to hold the wick upright near the bottom of the jar, and also provide a handle with which to lift the apparatus. When in use, one removes the lid, lifts the wire, cleans and trims the wick if necessary, and lights it. It cost only a few dollars, but a similar one could easily be made at home with a jar, a wire and a proper kind of string. It provides more illumination than a candle, and olive oil burns cleanly, with almost no smoke. An inch or two of oil will provide several hours of use.