Roaming Monkey

Lilly Handmade Chocolates

2008-05-26T00:56:00Z

Lilly Handmade Chocolate, originally uploaded by much0mas.

Tremont's Lilly Handmade Chocolate opened today, Sunday, May 25th, 2008, at 761 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113, on the site of the old Browns Market.

The space is quite beautiful, with shiny new wooden flooring and pink velvet wallpaper. The owner, a friendly young woman with shocking pink hair, assured us that in addition to the selection of exquisite chocolates, there would soon be a collection of chocolate-friendly beers, wines, and ports.

I bought at least two pieces of each chocolate, and I've given a short description as well as my impressions for each piece.

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Everything Lilly!

Chocolates can be purchased in 6, 12, and 15 piece boxes for $11, 22, and $27, respectively. There is also a "Dalmatian Bar," a white chocolate bar dotted throughout with little blobs of dark chocolate goodness which costs $4.50.

Twelve Piece Box

There are a dozen handcrafted pieces available at Lilly, so you can mix and match to your heart's content.

Check them out on the web at http://www.lillytremont.com/

Cinn

vietnamese cinnamon, dark chocolate ganache

Eat this one last! The rich, intense spiciness of cinnamon and the dark smoothness of the ganache linger like a long, passionate kiss.

Pistacio

roasted pistachios, milk chocolate ganache

The saltiness and piquant flavor of roasted pistachio blends nicely with the creamy milk chocolate. Plenty of crunchy bits, too!

De Lime

lime infusion, white chocolate ganache

Fast, clean, and intense, like the pop of a light bulb burning out. Once the delicate white shell is broken the tart sweetness of lime rushes in, and dissipates just as quickly.

Intense Orange

blood orange infusion, dark chocolate ganache

The sweetness of blood orange seeps slowly through the creamy darkness of the ganache, lingering pleasantly on the palate. This one should be savored over a course of minutes.

Filbert!

roasted hazelnuts, milk chocolate ganache

Unless you're from the Pacific Northwest, you probably call them hazelnuts! An initial blast of saltiness fades quickly to the warm, familiar taste of roasted filbert (hazelnut!).

Ruby

raspberry puree, milk chocolate ganache, milk chocolate enrobed

Like a sunny morning in the raspberry patch, but without the scratches or the seeds. The sweet, subtle raspberry flavor blends beautifully with the creamy milk chocolate ganache

Midnight

dark chocolate ganache, cocoa

As dark and complex as its name suggests. The bitterness of cocoa and the slow-developing sweetness of dark chocolate mingle across the middle palate into a moonless chocolate lover's midnight.

Lilly

apple, cardamom, lemongrass infusion, white chocolate ganache

Complex but not cloying; the flavors are unique and slowly developing. Your first impression will probably be "ginger!", but wait a moment for the subtlety of the lemongrass and cardamom to develop.

The Southern Gentleman

bourbon reduction, milk chocolate ganache, roasted pecans

Like your first walking through Forsyth Park in Savannah, Ga; at the same time warm and familiar, new and mysterious. Like any proper Southern gentleman, the bourbon and pecan comes on slowly and lingers pleasantly on the palate.

Old School

old fashioned malt, milk chocolate ganache

Rich and malty, just like an old fashioned truffle should be. Brings back childhood memories of the dog days of summer spent in front of the ice cream stand, chocolate malt in hand.

The Brunette

black mission figs, milk chocolate ganache, milk chocolate enrobed

The sticky richness of pureed figs brings to mind a fine caramel, and the milk chocolate ganache heightens the sensation. To truly appreciate the complexity, let this one sit on your tongue and dissolve slowly. It's worth the wait.

Peanut Butter

fresh made peanut butter, milk chocolate ganache

The first sensation is an intense saltiness followed by a mellow, mouth-filling blast of roasted peanuts. The ganache melts quickly, making this one disappear faster than a peanut butter sandwich in front of a six year old.

Steel Sky

2008-05-14T01:49:41Z

Steel Sky, originally uploaded by much0mas.

A steel sky in Cleveland's industrial flats.

Pan Seared Escolar with Mango Habañero Salsa

2008-04-29T00:22:29Z

Pan Seared Escolar with Mango Habañero Salsa, originally uploaded by much0mas.

A beautiful escolar fillet, pan seared with a touch of sesame oil, and a refreshing mango pineapple habañero salsa atop hand-made tortilla chips.

Served with plain white rice on a bed of fresh organic spinach.

Simple Beef Stew

2008-02-25T05:00:01Z

Beef Stew, originally uploaded by much0mas.

A simple but very tasty beef stew.

]]> Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb Beef Stew Meat
1 lg White Onion, chopped (appox. 2 c)
3-4 stalks Celery, chopped (approx. 2 c)
5 med White Potatoes, chopped (approx. 2 c)
1 c Frozen Green Peas
4 cloves Garlic, halved
3 med Bay Leaves
4 c Water
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Beef Stew

Chop the onion and celery coarsely, sprinkle with salt, and sweat until translucent in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Once sweated, remove from the pan and set aside.

If it is not already, cut the beef into 1 inch cubes. Add salt and cracked black pepper and brown the cubes in the heavy-bottomed pot. Once the edges of the meat have browned and the juices begin to carmelize to the bottom of the pan, deglaze with 1 cup of water. After deglazing, add the rest of the water and stir in the onions and celery. Bring the pot to a low boil.

Once the pot has begun to simmer, chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and add. Also add the halved garlic cloves, peas, and bay leaves. Stir, cover, and allow to simmer.

Simmer for 75 to 90 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add salt to taste, and thicken the broth with corn starch before serving if desired.

Yields 6 - 8 one cup servings

Grilled Romaine with Seared Flank Steak

2008-01-05T22:53:42Z

Grilled Romaine with Seared Flank Steak, originally uploaded by much0mas.

Quartered romaine heart dressed with olive oil and seasoned sea salt then put under the broiler until wilted.

The flank steak was rubbed with salt, black pepper, and red chile flakes, then pan seared until well browned. After resting, it was cut into thin strips.

To finish, the pan was deglazed with white wine, and the stock was poured over the plated lettuce and steak strips.

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Ingredients

2 lb Beef flank steak
1 large Romaine heart
2 tbsp Sea salt
2 tbsp Seasoned salt (Penzey's 4/S or Lawry's Seasoned Salt)
1 tbsp Cracked black pepper
1 tbsp Crushed red chili flakes
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 c White wine

Grilled Romaine

Quarter the romaine heart lengthwise and drizzle each piece generously with olive oil, making sure to coat all sides. Sprinkle the seasoned salt over each piece and rub into the leaves.

If using a grill, place the hearts over high heat and grill for 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. Heat until the fleshy heart is tender and the leaves are wilted but not burned.

If broiling, place the hearts on an oiled baking sheet and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Heat until the fleshy heart is tender and the leaves are wilted but not burned.

Flank Steak

Mix the sea salt, cracked black pepper, and chili flakes. Rub this mixture into the flank steak well, until both sides are covered.

Preheat grill or heavy cast iron skillet on high heat until very hot, then quickly sear both sides; approximately 1 minute per side. Reduce eat to medium-high and cook for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, or until desired level of doneness is achieved.

Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. If using a skillet, deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce until volume is halved. Reserve and pour over hearts and steak after plating.

Since flank steak tends to be tough, slice the steak thin on the bias to minimize the stringiness.

Yields 4 servings.

Maple Teriyaki Marinated Black Cod

2008-01-04T02:54:53Z

Maple Teriyaki Marinated Black Cod, originally uploaded by much0mas.

Black cod fillets marinated in maple syrup, teriyaki, and white wine vinegar, then topped with crushed black pepper and broiled.

Served with a salad of onions, garlic, and red, yellow, and orange bell pepper tossed with olive oil and white wine vinegar.

]]> Recipe

Ingredients

2 6oz Black Cod fillets
1 c pure maple syrup
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
1/2 c white wine vinegar (divided)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
salt to taste
1 medium white onion
4 medium bell peppers (any assortment of colors)

Fish

Mix the maple syrup, teriyaki, and 1/4 cup of the white wine vinegar and check for saltiness and tartness. Tweak as desired with additional syrup, teriyaki or vinegar. The yield is approximately 2 cups of marinade.

Place the fillets and marinade in an air-tight sealable container and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Reserve remaining marinade.

After marinating, place the fillets on an oiled baking sheet or shallow pan. Cover the fillets with a generous sprinkling of cracked black pepper, and pour approximately 1/2 of the reserved marinade over them.

Broil approximately 6 inches from heat until the fish flakes easily, about 12-14 minutes.

Yields 2 servings.

Pepper Salad

Rough chop the onion and bell peppers, and toss olive oil and the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar.

Allow to stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yields approximately 2-3 servings.

Rainbow Trout with Garlic and Black Pepper

2008-01-02T07:28:43Z

Rainbow Trout with Garlic and Black Pepper, originally uploaded by much0mas.

A beautiful rainbow trout fillet, sauteed in garlic and butter and seasoned with cracked black pepper and sea salt.

Served with steamed basmati rice topped with a sprinkle of saffron threads.

Eastern Standard Tribe, et al.

2004-11-29T01:46:23Z

I recently finished reading Cory Doctrow's most excellent book, Eastern Standard Tribe.

It turned out to be a real page turner, although not in the classic sense of
the term. I'll explain more about that later.

Doctrow's vision of a not-so-distant and not-so-far-fetched society where people
live, sleep, and socialize with one another across the street and around the world, joined by only common interests and syncronized circadian rhythms is foreign to many, but an affirmation for myself and many others.

Bloggers and denizens of message boards and chat rooms are intimately connected to their fellows. There's always someone around who knows the answer, or knows someone who does. There's always someone around to banter with, someone trolling, and many private conversations as well. People feel connected to each other in a tribal sort of way, even though some of them may be half a world away.

Why not, then, federate yourself with the people in your tribe?
Why not help them get their feet in the door, and afford them some measure of trust?

While it's not the only theme, it underlies everything else. Loyalty to, and betrayal by, members of the Tribe.

And now, back to turning pages. This book, along with Doctrow's first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, and a collection of short stories called A Place so Foreign, is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license, which allows, as he puts it, "anyone in the world to make any non-commercial adaptations of [this] book that s/he can think of."

This being the case, I proceeded to download a user-prepared html version of EST. The formatting was minimal: paragraphs, chapter titles, and not much else. The default serif font on a stark white background was very hard on the eyes, which is what I think turns a lot of people away from reading books in their electronic form. However, with a fairly minimal amount of effort and some CSS magic, I was able to transform the text into something much more pleasing. A sans-serif font, and text in boxes with a pleasing shade of grey for background. In this form I was able to read the whole, albeit short, novel in two afternoons.

For those interested, I have uploaded the versions of "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" and "Eastern Standard Tribe" that I hacked together. They are available here and here.

Wireless Fox Hunt

2004-11-15T00:40:00Z

After a recent discussion, some of the members of the Grand Traverse Linux Users Group and I came up with an interesting idea for our monthly social event. We thought that it might be interesting to hold a Fox Hunt of the WiFi kind in our local downtown area. After a fair amount of discussion, I was able to draw up a specification and a set of rules.

Although I'm sure that people have done this sort of thing elsewhere, I was not able to find much information about it, so I thought it would be a good idea to post it here. This exercise is similar in practice to the DEFCON Running Man contest, but on a larger scale.

Here are the rules:

There will be one event official, hereafter referred to as the "Game Master" or GM. The Game Master will be responsible for organizing the event, and is the sole authority in disputes. The Game Master may choose to delegate responsibilities to other participants if necessary.
One participant will be named as the "Fox." The Fox will have at least one wireless device operating and broadcasting a specific SSID. If driving, this device must function without operator intervention, as the Fox may not operate this wireless device while the vehicle is in motion. This is for the safety of all involved.
A team will have no less than two members. This is for the safety of all involved. The number of members on a team is will be limited by the capacity of the vehicle, or by the discretion of the driver.
Only two computers my be in active use by a single team at any time.
If driving, the driver may not operate a computer at any time. This is for the safety of all involved.
Each team will have at least one cellular telephone available for use for the duration of the event. This phone should be used only for event-related communications. The number will be given to the Game Master at the beginning of the event.
If driving, all speed and traffic regulations must be followed at all times. This is for the safety of all involved.
The teams will be provided with at least one map of the playing field. More maps may be provided upon request.

There are many possibly variants, but a few suggestions follow:

Quick Fox and Lazy Dogs variant
The Fox will be allowed to move freely within the playing field, and to actively evade the Hunters. The Fox will actively broadcast packets on his wireless interface. The teams' objective will to gather the largest number of packets from the Fox. GPS and Directional antennae may be allowed at the discretion of the Game Master. At the conclusion of the hunt, the teams' data will be collected and verified by the Game Master, and he will process the data and announce a winner.

Hunter and Hunted variant
The Fox will remain stationary in this variant. The teams' objective will be to triangulate the position of the Fox in the limited time provided. GPS and Directional antennae may be allowed at the discretion of the Game Master. If any team determines the exact location of the Fox, they should call the Game Master. After the GM verifies that the team has indeed made positive identification, that team will be declared the winner. If no team is able to make contact, the team that is able to triangulate the Fox's location most closely will be declared the winner.

Clarifications and Revisions

Submitted by muchomas on 20 November, 2004 - 5:28pm.

The Foxhunt was definitely a success, but we noticed several areas where the game can be improved.

The Game Master must be supplied with the BSSID of the Fox's transmitting node. This will allow the GM to verify that packets recieved by the teams are, in fact, from the correct access point.
Teams should verify that all of their equipment functions as expected before the event begins.
A thorough scouting of the game area by the Game Master is strongly recommended. It was only during the second round of play that we noticed that one of the corners of the playing field could only be used by making an illegal left turn. Since it was a low-traffic time of night, there were no serious problems, but this sort of thing is best avoided in the future.