Say What??

Sometimes I can't believe the stuff I say and do. The other day I was talking to CQ and Marvin about an upcoming video session. I said that I wished I had two cameras. That way I could shoot the same scene from two different angles at one time. I said, "Isn't that a great idea? I could kill one stone with two birds!"


And then awhile back Marvin had brought back these instant soups from Japan. They were so ono. I was raving about them to somebody. She asked, "How many did he give you?" So I raised my hand and said, "Four." She said, "Why are you holding your fingers like that?" I said, "Well, he gave me two Chicken Pho soup and two Kalbi soup."


Then there was the day that I was driving to work with my new Rav4, so new that it still had its temporary plates on. I somehow turned on the windshield wipers and I couldn't figure out how to turn them off. Here it was a bright, sunny day without a cloud in the sky with me driving with front wipers going back and forth, then the back wipers going back and forth and then the water shoots out in the front, then the water shoots out in the back, then they go faster, then they go slower, then they go intermittent, water shoot in the front, water shoot in the back. I think I went about a mile like this before I called my brother to ask him HowDaHell do I turn off my wipers? It was sooooo embarassing.

Geri's Ono Carrot Cake

I think I got this recipe from my sister Geri a long time ago. Except for having to grate the carrots it's really simple . . . and it's very, very good. It calls for crushed pineapple. I think that's what makes it so moist.

Here's my recipe card. Pretty clean looking considering most of my favorite ones are all yogore (It means dirty in Japanese).

My least favorite part: Grate 2 cups of carrots.
Sift together (in new sifter from Susie): 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt.
In a separate bowl mix together: 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups oil and 4 eggs.

Combine.

Add grated carrots, 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1 can (8 1/2 oz.) drained crushed pineapple.

Pour into 3 loaf pans. I lined the pans with foil cause 1) easier to remove the cake when pau and 2) I want to reuse the disposable pans one more time (no I'm not pake).

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Trust me . . . it's veeeeeery ono.

My New Flash Setup

Flash photography is sooooo hard that my technique continues to evolve. Once I even went to a party with an empty milk gallon jug taped to the top of my flash. The pictures came out nice with very soft diffuse lighting. Milk jugs on top of flashes, however, tend to draw attention, so I only used it that one time. Mostly I just copy what I see other photographers doing. Lately this has been the way I've been using my flash, with the card attachment thing pulled out.

I got to thinking . . . that card thing is so small, what if I had a bigger card. Wouldn't the larger reflective surface be better?

So, I ordered this non-slip velcro thing to put on the top part of my flash.
Then I cut a piece of this hook portion of velcro . . .

and attached it to this card that I cut out of some scrap material I found at work.

I rigged it like this. Kinda funny looking but not nearly as bad as a milk jug.

I tested it out on Kona . . .

and one of his new toys. The pictures came out nice, but it wasn't a real test cause ever since Wendell put in new windows in our bedroom and ever since the neighbors put up a new white vinyl fence, the morning light in the bedroom is just beautiful anyway.

So I took my new contraption with me today to test it out on the T-shirt Theatre kids at Farrington auditorium.
I liked how it worked, and nobody seemed to notice the homemade card thingy atop my flash.

Kevin, Come Pick Up Your Chips!

Brandee said the chips going be at HER house from next week . . . hahahaha! Thanks again for the lens cleaning cloths. I gave one to Wendell. He really likes it. And CQ says she can SEE NOW!

Leslie's Mushroom Soup

Leslie made this mushroom soup last week or so. It was so so so so ono! She used the following recipe which I copied from Jennifer Yu's blog, use real butter. Not only is Jennifer a great cook and writer, her photography is to die for!


The recipe is simple enough that I might even try my hand at it.



Creamy Mushroom Soup with Sherry and Thymefrom Fine Cooking issue #74


2 tbsps unsalted butter
2 tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice (~ 1 1/2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and thinly sliced (~ 4 1/2 cups) – I used portabella & alba mushrooms
1/2 ounce bag of dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 1-2 cups boiling water (reserve the liquid, but leave any sandy dregs behind) – this is optional, but I did it
2 tbsps plus 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper to taste
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 tbsps dry sherry
1 tbsp soy sauce

In a large stockpot heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high. Sauté the onions until they are browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir about for a minute. Then add the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of thyme, salt, pepper, and cook until the mushrooms begin to wilt. Pour in the broth and the porcini liquid making sure to scrape up any fond that has formed on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. Either using a food processor, a blender, or an immersion blender, purée about half of the soup. Return the purée to the pot and stir int he half-and-half, shery, and soy sauce. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Reheat as needed. Garnish with fresh thyme and extra mushrooms that have been browned in butter. Serves six.

Mr. Mandoo Moved to Kalihi

I didn't even know they moved. The parking might be easier now. Check out Rick Nakama's blog, Rick's Blog About Anything. He's got great photos of the food and a nifty ice cube tip.

THANK YOU, KEVIN!!

I got a really nice surprise today! Brandee, one of our receptionists, called me and said that one of my blog readers had dropped off something for me. She said that his name was Kevin, and he had left these awesome lens cleaning cloths for me! Isn't that sooooo nice! I gave one to CQ to use to clean her glasses and I'll be sure to share with my photog buddies also. Thank you so much Kevin.

Kevin, if you're in the neighborhood sometime soon, please please please can you drop by again. I left a bag of Taro Ko chips for you at our front desk.

The Making of Bully . . . Too by T-Shirt Theatre

This is not Diamond Head Theatre. This is Kalihi's T-Shirt Theatre. This is not Punahou School or Iolani School. This is Farrington High School. These are not kids on the street with nothing to do. These are performers working hard to put on a show with a positive message to all who will see it. I hope you will take the time to go and watch the performance. They deserve your support. Admission is free with donations happily accepted. Check out Erick's photos on his blog, Erick the Photog.

Show dates are Friday May 7 @ 7:30pm and Sunday May 9 @ 4:30pm at Farrington High School.